Heart rate dynamics during cardio-pulmonary exercise testing are associated with glycemic control in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Moser, Othmar; Eckstein, Max L; McCarthy, Olivia; Deere, Rachel; Bain, Stephen C; Haahr, Hanne L; Zijlstra, Eric; Heise, Tim; Bracken, Richard M

2018-01-01

This study investigated the degree and direction (kHR) of the heart rate to performance curve (HRPC) during cardio-pulmonary exercise (CPX) testing and explored the relationship with diabetes markers, anthropometry and exercise physiological markers in type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Sixty-four people with T1DM (13 females; age: 34 ± 8 years; HbA1c: 7.8 ± 1% (62 ± 13 mmol.mol-1) performed a CPX test until maximum exhaustion. kHR was calculated by a second-degree polynomial representation between post-warm up and maximum power output. Adjusted stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to investigate kHR and its associations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed based on kHR for groups kHR < 0.20 vs. > 0.20 in relation to HbA1c. We found significant relationships between kHR and HbA1c (β = -0.70, P < 0.0001), age (β = -0.23, P = 0.03) and duration of diabetes (β = 0.20, P = 0.04). Stepwise linear regression resulted in an overall adjusted R2 of 0.57 (R = 0.79, P < 0.0001). Our data revealed also significant associations between kHR and percentage of heart rate at heart rate turn point from maximum heart rate (β = 0.43, P < 0.0001) and maximum power output relativized to bodyweight (β = 0.44, P = 0.001) (overall adjusted R2 of 0.44 (R = 0.53, P < 0.0001)). ROC curve analysis based on kHR resulted in a HbA1c threshold of 7.9% (62 mmol.mol-1). Our data demonstrate atypical HRPC during CPX testing that were mainly related to glycemic control in people with T1DM.

NOAA's National Weather Service/Environmental Protection Agency - United

Science.gov Websites

Integration Image | Loop View | Daily View | Point Guidance | | Experimental Air Quality Guidance | Product Map To View Additional Guidance Graphic of Air Quality Forecast Guidance for the CONUS Mouse over or Image Alaska 1-Hr Average Ozone Concentration Image Hawaii 1-Hr Average Ozone Concentration Image 8-Hr

Speed ratio but cabin temperature positively correlated with increased heart rates among professional drivers during car races.

PubMed

Yanagida, Ryo; Takahashi, Kiichi; Miura, Masaru; Nomura, Masahiro; Ogawa, Yojiro; Aoki, Ken; Iwasaki, Ken-Ichi

2016-11-01

The present study measures heart rate (HR) on a number of professional race-car drivers during actual car races through annual seasons to test hypotheses that faster relative speed and higher cabin temperature would induce higher HR. Heart rates in fifteen male drivers (31.2 ± 5.5 years old) were obtained by chest-strap sensors during official-professional 13 races. Average HR was calculated while the driver was racing from the start to the end of each race. The average HR during races was 164.5 ± 15.1 beats min -1 and the average amount of time each driver spent driving per race was 54.2 ± 13.7 min. Average HR significantly and positively correlated with mean speed ratio (P < 0.001), but not with the average cabin temperatures (P = 0.533, range 25.6-41.8 °C) by the multiple linear regression analysis. Both average HR and mean speed ratio were significantly lower under wet, than dry conditions (151.9 ± 16.5 vs. 168.3 ± 12.5 beats min -1 , 86.9 ± 4.4 vs. 93.4 ± 1.5 %). The cardiovascular system of drivers is considerably stressed at extremely high HR. This high average HR positively correlated with mean speed ratio, suggesting that faster driving speed would induce greater cardiovascular stress to professional drivers during actual races. However, contrary to our hypothesis, cabin temperature was not significantly correlated with average HR. It is speculated that direct body cooling systems used in this professional race category work well against increases in HR by thermal stress under the temperature range found herein.

O3, VOC, NOx, PM2.5 and Meteorological Measurements during an Inversion Episode in Utah's Uinta Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, K. D.; Martin, R. S.; Hill, S.; Shorthill, H.

2011-12-01

Recent measurements found high winter ozone (O3) at several locations in northeastern Utah's Uinta Basin. Similar to Wyoming's Upper Green River Basin, the area has seen recent growth in the gas/oil sector. As a part of a more comprehensive project, a study was conducted examining the relationships between O3, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and meteorology during an inversion episode. The study took place February 21-25, 2011 at the area's population center (Vernal) and at an area within the gas/oil fields (Red Wash). At both sites, O3 and NOx, displayed expected diurnal behaviors. The 1-hr O3 concentrations ranged from 10-90 ppb at Vernal and 34-107 ppb at Red Wash. Average diurnal O3 maximums (±95% CI) were 70.4±12.1 ppb and 76.8±12.6 ppb at Vernal and Red Wash, respectively. The Red Wash average O3 diurnal curve was broader than that at Vernal and did not titrate out as rapidly in the evening and morning hours. In contrast, higher NOx was observed at Vernal, with hourly averaged values ranging from 4.5-80.2 ppb, compared to 1.5-29.7 ppb at Red Wash. The NOx tended to follow traffic patterns at both sites, with morning maximum 1-hr averages of 40.8±12.1 ppb and 20.2±8.7 ppb, respectively. A portable O3 monitor attached to a tethered balloon found high ground level O3 (70-80 ppb) and a decrease to relatively constant levels (50-60 ppb) by 150 m agl. Methane and non-methane hydrocarbons (NHMC) were collected at least twice per day using whole vial and sorbent cartridges, followed by GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. The gas/oil field samples (Red Wash) found significantly higher CH4 levels (2.71±0.32 ppm) compared to the Vernal samples (1.82±0.14 ppm). The NMHC were likewise higher at the Red Wash location. Calculation of the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) estimated that methane, ethane, propane, acetylene, remaining alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics accounted for 7.9%, 18.5%, 4.7%, 1.0%, 20.6%, 46.7%, and 0.6%, respectively, of the Vernal ozone formation potential. For the Red Wash site, the equivalent MIRs were 7.0%, 10.9%, 4.7%, 0.5%, 32.4%, 39.6%, and 4.8%. Five collocated AirMetrics MiniVol samplers measured 23-hr average PM2.5 concentrations at each site. Collocation allowed various analyses for compositional determination. The PM2.5 levels averaged 16.4±3.9 at Vernal and 8.9±0.3 μg/m3 Red Wash. At both sites, carbonaceous material made up around 80% of the PM2.5. Elemental carbon accounted for 13.4% and 12.8% of the PM2.5 and organic carbon contributed 64.1% and 69.6%, at Vernal and Red Wash, respectively. Vertical meteorology was examined through the use of tethersondes. The period was characterized by a stagnant high pressure system until the final day of the study when an active storm system moved through the area. Vertical temperature profiles showed strong temperature inversions from the ground to >350 m agl and a very stable atmosphere throughout the study. Winds were almost always light (≤2 m/s) and changed direction through the vertical profile. Diurnal variation in the height of the surface layer was observed varied from 20-80 m agl.

Attenuated baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity after cardiovascular deconditioning in rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moffitt, J. A.; Foley, C. M.; Schadt, J. C.; Laughlin, M. H.; Hasser, E. M.

1998-01-01

The effect of cardiovascular deconditioning on baroreflex control of the sympathetic nervous system was evaluated after 14 days of hindlimb unloading (HU) or the control condition. Rats were chronically instrumented with catheters and sympathetic nerve recording electrodes for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and recording of lumbar (LSNA) or renal (RSNA) sympathetic nerve activity. Experiments were conducted 24 h after surgery, with the animals in a normal posture. Baroreflex function was assessed using a logistic function that related HR and LSNA or RSNA to MAP during infusion of phenylephrine and nitroprusside. Baroreflex influence on HR was not affected by HU. Maximum baroreflex-elicited LSNA was significantly reduced in HU rats (204 +/- 11.9 vs. 342 +/- 30.6% baseline LSNA), as was maximum reflex gain (-4.0 +/- 0.6 vs. -7.8 +/- 1.3 %LSNA/mmHg). Maximum baroreflex-elicited RSNA (259 +/- 10.8 vs. 453 +/- 28.0% baseline RSNA), minimum baroreflex-elicited RSNA (-2 +/- 2.8 vs. 13 +/- 4.5% baseline RSNA), and maximum gain (-5.8 +/- 0.5 vs. -13.6 +/- 3.1 %RSNA/mmHg) were significantly decreased in HU rats. Results demonstrate that baroreflex modulation of sympathetic nervous system activity is attenuated after cardiovascular deconditioning in rodents. Data suggest that alterations in the arterial baroreflex may contribute to orthostatic intolerance after a period of bedrest or spaceflight in humans.

[Infant morbidity caused by respiratory diseases and its relation with the air pollution in Juarez City, Chihuahua, Mexico].

PubMed

Hernández-Cadena, Leticia; Barraza-Villarreal, Albino; Ramírez-Aguilar, Matiana; Moreno-Macías, Hortencia; Miller, Paul; Carbajal-Arroyo, Luz Aurora; Romieu, Isabelle

2007-01-01

To assess the impact of atmospheric pollutants on the respiratory health of children of different age groups in Juarez City, Chihuahua, Mexico. Data on emergency room visits between 1997 and 2001 for respiratory diseases in children less than 17 years old were obtained from hospitals in the Juarez City belonging to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). Diseases were classified into three groups according to ICD 9th and 10th codes: a) upper respiratory diseases, b) lower respiratory diseases, and c) asthma attacks. This information was stratified by age group (< = 5 years and > 5 years). Daily air pollution data (ozone and PM10) and weather conditions were obtained from the Monitoring Network System in Juarez City. Statistical analysis was carried out using a Generalized Additive Model assuming a Poisson distribution. Ozone concentrations, but not PM 10, were statistically associated with emergency room visits for respiratory diseases, mainly among children 5 years old or younger. In this group, an increase of 20 ppb 1-hr maximum for ozone was associated with an increase of 8.3% in the number of emergency room visits for upper respiratory diseases, with a 3-day exposure lag; and an increase of 12.7% in the number of emergency room visits for lower respiratory diseases when considering a 4-day exposure lag in a maximum 8-hr mobile average. The largest effect for the complete sample and for the group 6 to 16 years of age was observed for 3-day lag (5.1% for an increase of 20 ppb 1-hr maximum for ozone). For the 6 to 16 year old group we did not find a significant effect. The wide range of risk is quite important and might represent a substantial cost for the health system as well as for the society. Our results emphasize the need to implement preventive and control measures for air pollution and avoid the worsening of the present situation.

Ambulatory heart rate of professional taxi drivers while driving without their typical psychosocial work stressors: a pilot study.

PubMed

Choi, BongKyoo; Choi, SangJun; Jeong, JeeYeon; Lee, JiWon; Shu, Shi; Yu, Nu; Ko, SangBaek; Zhu, Yifang

2016-01-01

Few studies have examined ambulatory cardiovascular physiological parameters of taxi drivers while driving in relation to their occupational hazards. This study aims to investigate and quantify the impact of worksite physical hazards as a whole on ambulatory heart rate of professional taxi drivers while driving without their typical worksite psychosocial stressors. Ambulatory heart rate (HR driving ) of 13 non-smoking male taxi drivers (24 to 67 years old) while driving was continuously assessed on their 6-hour experimental on-road driving in Los Angeles. Percent maximum HR range (PMHR driving ) of the drivers while driving was estimated based on the individual HR driving values and US adult population resting HR (HR rest ) reference data. For analyses, the HR driving and PMHR driving data were split and averaged into 5-min segments. Five physical hazards inside taxi cabs were also monitored while driving. Work stress and work hours on typical work days were self-reported. The means of the ambulatory 5-min HR driving and PMHR driving values of the 13 drivers were 80.5 bpm (11.2 bpm higher than their mean HR rest ) and 10.7 % (range, 5.7 to 19.9 %), respectively. The means were lower than the upper limits of ambulatory HR and PMHR for a sustainable 8-hour work (35 bpm above HR rest and 30 % PMHR), although 15-27 % of the 5-min HR driving and PMHR driving values of one driver were higher than the limits. The levels of the five physical hazards among the drivers were modest: temperature (26.4 ± 3.0 °C), relative humidity (40.7 ± 10.4 %), PM 2.5 (21.5 ± 7.9  μg /m 3 ), CO 2 (1,267.1 ± 580.0 ppm) and noise (69.7 ± 3.0 dBA). The drivers worked, on average, 72 h per week and more than half of them reported that their job were often stressful. The impact of physical worksite hazards alone on ambulatory HR of professional taxi drivers in Los Angeles generally appeared to be minor. Future ambulatory heart rate studies including both physical and psychosocial hazards of professional taxi drivers are warranted.

Cationic micelles self-assembled from cholesterol-conjugated oligopeptides as an efficient gene delivery vector.

PubMed

Guo, Xin Dong; Tandiono, Fanny; Wiradharma, Nikken; Khor, Dingyue; Tan, Chuan Guan; Khan, Majad; Qian, Yu; Yang, Yi-Yan

2008-12-01

Cholesterol-conjugated H(5)R(10) and H(10)R(10) oligopeptides (HR15-Chol and HR20-Chol) were designed and synthesized. These amphiphilic oligopeptides were able to self-assemble into cationic micelles in aqueous solution at low concentrations, and their critical micelle concentrations in sodium acetate buffer (20mM, pH 5.0) were 17.8 and 28.2mg/L respectively. The micelle formation was further evidenced via SEM and dynamic light scattering analyses. The average hydrodynamic size of HR15-Chol and HR20-Chol micelles was about 425 and 435 nM in diameter with zeta potential of 64 and 66 mV respectively. The formation of micelles increased local concentration of cationic charge, leading to higher DNA binding efficiency as compared to the control peptides HR15 and HR20. The minimum size observed for HR15-Chol/DNA and HR20-Chol/DNA complexes was about 175-176 nM, and the maximum zeta potential was around 61-62 mV. In comparison, HR15 and HR20 formed DNA complexes with a similar size but significantly lower zeta potential (i.e. about 31-40 mV). In particular, after being challenged by DMEM medium, the size of peptide/DNA complexes was increased significantly and their surface charge was neutralized. Nevertheless, the size of the micelle/DNA complexes formed from HR15-Chol and HR20-Chol was still about 200 nM with positive charge of around 20 mV at high N/P ratios. The micelles induced much higher overall gene expression (i.e. luciferase expression) levels than the peptides in both HepG2 and HEK293 cell lines. Increasing the histidine residue from 0 to 5 to 10 further increased gene expression efficiency. In particular, HR20-Chol micelles yielded 95% GFP-positive HepG2 cells at N/P 50, much higher than that induced by PEI at its optimal N/P ratio (i.e. 10), which was 6.8%. In 4T1 cells, HR20-Chol induced 2 times higher luciferase expression level than PEI at their optimal N/P ratios. Moreover, HR20-Chol micelle/DNA complexes were less cytotoxic than PEI/DNA complexes. These micelles may be a promising carrier for delivery of therapeutic genes.

Comparison of fetal and maternal heart rate measures using electrocardiographic and cardiotocographic methods.

PubMed

Kisilevsky, Barbara S; Brown, C Ann

2016-02-01

To determine the reliability at term of: (1) two methods of measuring fetal heart rate (HR), electrocardiographic (ECG, the 'gold standard') and cardiotocographic (CTG) and (2) two ECG methods of measuring maternal HR variability over relatively brief periods of time (s-min). During 20 min of rest (N=39) and during 2 min of auditory stimulation (mother's recorded voice, n=19), fetal HR data were collected using an ECG (Monica AN24) and a Hewlett-Packard Model 1351A CTG. Simultaneously, maternal HR data (n=37) were collected using the same ECG device (Monica AN24) and a second stand-alone cardiac monitor (Spacelab 514T cardiac monitor with a QRS detector). During 20 min of maternal rest, correlations of individual fetal CTG with ECG measures of HR at each second were moderate to high (r=.57-.97) for 77% of fetuses. Correlations of HR averaged over fetuses and over each of the 20 min were high (r=.93-.97); fetal HR averaged over 20 min varied between devices from 0.0 to 0.8 bpm. During 2 min of maternal voice presentation, correlations of fetal HR over each second were moderate to high (r=.54-.99) for 95% of fetuses and high (all rs=.99) when averaged across fetuses in 30s or 2 min epochs. Average fetal HR between devices over the 2 min voice varied from 0.0 to 0.6 bpm. Correlations and/or % agreement between the two ECG methods of measuring maternal HR were high. Average maternal HR over 10 min showed 81% of pairs with a difference of ≤ 1 bpm; correlations for HR variability measures varied from r=.89 to .97. Good reliability was demonstrated between individual spontaneous and auditory induced fetal CTG and ECG with high correlations when HR data were averaged over fetuses or in 30-120 s epochs. High reliability of maternal HR measures was obtained using two ECG devices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective Evaluation of the Effect of Heart Rate on Survival in Dogs with Atrial Fibrillation.

PubMed

Pedro, B; Dukes-McEwan, J; Oyama, M A; Kraus, M S; Gelzer, A R

2018-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) usually is associated with a rapid ventricular rate. The optimal heart rate (HR) during AF is unknown. Heart rate affects survival in dogs with chronic AF. Forty-six dogs with AF and 24-hour ambulatory recordings were evaluated. Retrospective study. Holter-derived HR variables were analyzed as follows: mean HR (meanHR, 24-hour average), minimum HR (minHR, 1-minute average), maximum HR (maxHR, 1-minute average). Survival times were recorded from the time of presumed adequate rate control. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazards analysis identified variables independently associated with survival; Kaplan-Meier survival analysis estimated the median survival time of dogs with meanHR <125 bpm versus ≥125 bpm. All 46 dogs had structural heart disease; 31 of 46 had congestive heart failure (CHF), 44 of 46 received antiarrhythmic drugs. Of 15 dogs with cardiac death, 14 had CHF. Median time to all-cause death was 524 days (Interquartile range (IQR), 76-1,037 days). MeanHR was 125 bpm (range, 62-203 bpm), minHR was 82 bpm (range, 37-163 bpm), maxHR was 217 bpm (range, 126-307 bpm). These were significantly correlated with all-cause and cardiac-related mortality. For every 10 bpm increase in meanHR, the risk of all-cause mortality increased by 35% (hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.17-1.55; P < 0.001). Median survival time of dogs with meanHR<125 bpm (n = 23) was significantly longer (1,037 days; range, 524-open) than meanHR ≥125 bpm (n = 23; 105 days; range, 67-267 days; P = 0.0012). Mean HR was independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (P < 0.003). Holter-derived meanHR affects survival in dogs with AF. Dogs with meanHR <125 bpm lived longer than those with meanHR ≥ 125 bpm. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

The cross wavelet analysis of dengue fever variability influenced by meteorological conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yuan-Chien; Yu, Hwa-Lung; Lee, Chieh-Han

2015-04-01

The multiyear variation of meteorological conditions induced by climate change causes the changing diffusion pattern of infectious disease and serious epidemic situation. Among them, dengue fever is one of the most serious vector-borne diseases distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Dengue virus is transmitted by several species of mosquito and causing lots amount of human deaths every year around the world. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of meteorological variables to the temporal variation of dengue fever epidemic in southern Taiwan. Several extreme and average indices of meteorological variables, i.e. temperature and humidity, were used for this analysis, including averaged, maximum and minimum temperature, and average rainfall, maximum 1-hr rainfall, and maximum 24-hr rainfall. This study plans to identify and quantify the nonlinear relationship of meteorological variables and dengue fever epidemic, finding the non-stationary time-frequency relationship and phase lag effects of those time series from 1998-2011 by using cross wavelet method. Results show that meteorological variables all have a significant time-frequency correlation region to dengue fever epidemic in frequency about one year (52 weeks). The associated phases can range from 0 to 90 degrees (0-13 weeks lag from meteorological factors to dengue incidences). Keywords: dengue fever, cross wavelet analysis, meteorological factor

Depressor effect of the young leaves of Polygonum hydropiper Linn. in high-salt induced hypertensive mice.

PubMed

Devarajan, Sankar; Yahiro, Eiji; Uehara, Yoshinari; Kuroda, Rieko; Hirano, Yoshio; Nagata, Kaori; Miura, Shinichiro; Saku, Keijiro; Urata, Hidenori

2018-06-01

A novel chymase inhibitor has been reported to have depressor effect in salt-induced hypertension. Therefore, we examined the hypothesis that chymase inhibitory dried young leaves of Polygonum hydropiper (PPH) or young leaves extract of Polygonum hydropiper (PHE) could reduce salt-induced hypertension. In this study, 8-wk old wild-type mice were allocated into three experiments and experiment I included groups, I- normal water drinking, II- high salt (2% NaCl) water (HSW) drinking, and III- HSW plus PPH (500 mg kg -1 , orally) for 12-wk. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured at baseline and weekly up to wk-12. In experiment II, mice were given HSW for 12-wk followed by 8-wk treatment with PPH plus HSW (62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg kg -1 for groups I, II, III and IV, respectively). BP and HR were measured at baseline and monthly until wk-12, following weekly for 8-wk. Experiment III comprised of four groups of mice for 12-wk HSW and 8-wk treatment with PHE plus HSW (2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg kg -1 for groups I-IV, respectively). BP and HR were measured at baseline and monthly up to wk-12, following weekly for 8-wk. Significant reduction in BP and HR were observed in mice treated with PPH (500 mg kg -1 ) compared to HSW control. PPH reduced BP and HR dose dependently in hypertensive mice and the higher dose showed maximum reduction. PHE at its maximum dose (20 mg kg -1 ) significantly suppressed BP and HR. Over all, we found that the young leaves of Polygonum hydropiper suppressed salt-induced hypertension. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Exercise intensity of cycle-touring events.

PubMed

Neumayr, G; Pfister, R; Mitterbauer, G; Gaenzer, H; Sturm, W; Eibl, G; Hoertnagl, H

2002-10-01

The aim of the study was to analyze the exercise intensity of recreational cyclists participating in a cycling-touring event. In 14 male healthy recreational cyclists heart rate (HR) monitoring was performed during the Otztal Radmarathon 1999 (distance: 230 km; altitude difference: 5500 m) in order to evaluate the HR response and to estimate the cardiopulmonary strains for the less-trained athlete confronted with such a marathon. Four different exercise intensities were defined as percentages of maximal HR (HR(max)) as follows: recovery HR (HR(re)) < 70 % of HR max; moderate aerobic HR (HR(ma)) = 70 - 80 %; intense aerobic HR (HR(ia)) = 80 - 90 %; and anaerobic HR (HR(an)) > 90 %. All athletes finished the competition successfully. The mean racing time was 10 h 14 min, the average speed 22.5 km/h. The mean HR(max) was 188 bpm, the average value of the measured HRs (HR(average)) was 145 bpm resulting in a mean HR(average)/HR(max) ratio of 0.77. Athletes spent 18.5 % (1 h 54 min) of total race time within HR(re), 28 % (2 h 52 min) within HR(ma), 39.5 % (4 h 02 min) within HR(ia), and 14 % (1 h 26 min) within HR(an). The vast majority of exercise was done under "aerobic conditions" (HR(re) + HR(ma) + HR(ia) = 86 % or 8 h 48 min) - confirming the knowledge that the aerobic energy supply is crucial for the performance of long-term exercise. The large amount of high exercise intensities (HR(ia) + HR(an) = 53.5 % or 5 h 30 min), however, features the intense cardiopulmonary strains evoked by such competitions. The HR response was related to the course profile with HRs significantly declining in all subjects to an extent of 10 % during the course of race. Our findings show that the exercise intensity borne by recreational cyclists during a cycle-touring event is high and very similar to that of professionals. With respect to the high cardiovascular strains a thorough medical screening is advisable for any participant of such an event combining both high volume and high intensity loads.

PHARMACOKINETICS OF TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORIDE AND ITS METABOLITE O-DESMETHYLTRAMADOL FOLLOWING A SINGLE, ORALLY ADMINISTERED DOSE IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS).

PubMed

Boonstra, Jennifer L; Barbosa, Lorraine; Van Bonn, William G; Johnson, Shawn P; Gulland, Frances M D; Cox, Sherry K; Martin-Jimenez, Tomas

2015-09-01

Tramadol is a synthetic, centrally acting, opiate-like analgesic that is structurally related to codeine and morphine. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of tramadol hydrochloride and its major active metabolite O-desmethyltramadol (M1) in the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). A single dose of tramadol was administered orally in fish at 2 mg/kg to a total of 15 wild California sea lions admitted for rehabilitation. Twenty-four total blood samples were collected post drug administration at 10, 20, 30, and 45 min and at 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hr. Blood plasma was separated and stored at -80°C until analysis with high-performance liquid chromatography was performed to determine levels of tramadol and M1, the major active metabolite. The results indicate that the plasma levels of parent tramadol are low or negligible during the first 30-45 min and then reach the predicted mean maximum plasma concentration of 358 ng/ml at 1.52 hr. The M1 metabolite was not detectable in 21 of 24 plasma samples, below the level of quantification of 5 ng/ml in one sample, and detectable at 11 and 17 ng/ml in two of the samples. This study suggests that a 2 mg/kg dose would need to be administered every 6-8 hr to maintain concentrations of tramadol above the minimum human analgesic level for mild to moderate pain. Based on dosing simulations, a dose of 4 mg/kg q8 hr or q12 hr, on average, may represent an adequate compromise, but further studies are needed using a larger sample size. Pharmacodynamic studies are warranted to determine if tramadol provides analgesic effects in this species. The potential for tramadol toxicosis at any dose also has not been determined in this species.

Impact of dehydration on a full body resistance exercise protocol.

PubMed

Kraft, Justin A; Green, James M; Bishop, Phillip A; Richardson, Mark T; Neggers, Yasmin H; Leeper, James D

2010-05-01

This study examined effects of dehydration on a full body resistance exercise workout. Ten males completed two trials: heat exposed (with 100% fluid replacement) (HE) and dehydration (approximately 3% body mass loss with no fluid replacement) (DEHY) achieved via hot water bath (approximately 39 degrees C). Following HE and DEHY, participants performed three sets to failure (using predetermined 12 repetition maximum) of bench press, lat pull down, overhead press, barbell curl, triceps press, and leg press with a 2-min recovery between each set and 2 min between exercises. A paired t test showed total repetitions (all sets combined) were significantly lower for DEHY: (144.1 +/- 26.6 repetitions) versus HE: (169.4 +/- 29.1 repetitions). ANOVAs showed significantly lower repetitions (approximately 1-2 repetitions on average) per exercise for DEHY versus HE (all exercises). Pre-set rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and pre-set heart rate (HR) were significantly higher [approximately 0.6-1.1 units on average in triceps press, leg press, and approached significance in lat pull down (P = 0.14) and approximately 6-13 b min(-1) on average in bench press, lat pull down, triceps press, and approached significance for overhead press (P = 0.10)] in DEHY versus HE. Session RPE difference approached significance (DEHY: 8.6 +/- 1.9, HE: 7.4 +/- 2.3) (P = 0.12). Recovery HR was significantly higher for DEHY (116 +/- 15 b min(-1)) versus HE (105 +/- 13 b min(-1)). Dehydration (approximately 3%) impaired resistance exercise performance, decreased repetitions, increased perceived exertion, and hindered HR recovery. Results highlight the importance of adequate hydration during full body resistance exercise sessions.

Preliminary safety analysis of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in persons with chronic stroke.

PubMed

Carl, Daniel L; Boyne, Pierce; Rockwell, Bradley; Gerson, Myron; Khoury, Jane; Kissela, Brett; Dunning, Kari

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to assess safety via electrocardiographic (ECG), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and orthopedic responses to 3 different high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols in persons with stroke. Eighteen participants (10 male; 61.9 + 8.3 years of age; 5.8 + 4.2 years poststroke) completed a symptom-limited graded exercise test (GXT) with ECG monitoring to screen for eligibility and determine HR peak. The 3 HIIT protocols involved repeated 30 s bursts of treadmill walking at maximum speed alternated with rest periods of 30 s (P30), 1 min (P60), or 2 min (P120). Sessions were performed in random order and included 5 min warm up, 20 min HIIT, and 5 min cool down. Variables measured included ECG activity, BP, HR, signs and symptoms of cardiovascular intolerance, and orthopedic concerns. Generalized linear mixed models and Tukey-Kramer adjustment were used to compare protocols using p < 0.05. No signs or symptoms of cardiovascular intolerance, significant arrhythmias, ST segment changes, or orthopedic responses resulted in early termination of any HIIT session. HIIT elicited HRs in excess of 88% of measured HR peak including 6 (P30), 8 (P60), and 2 (P120) participants eliciting a HR response above their GXT HR peak . Both maximum BP and HR were significantly higher in P30 and P60 relative to P120. Preliminary data indicate that persons with chronic stroke who have been prescreened with an ECG stress test, a symptom-limited GXT, and a harness for fall protection may safely participate in HIIT, generating substantially higher HRs than what is seen in traditional moderate intensity training.

Time-series photometric spot modeling. 2: Fifteen years of photometry of the bright RS CVn binary HR 7275

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strassmeier, K. G.; Hall, D. S.; Henry, G. W.

1994-01-01

We present a time-dependent spot modeling analysis of 15 consecutive years of V-band photometry of the long-period (P(sub orb) = 28.6 days) RS CVn binary HR 7275. This baseline in time is one of the longest, uninterrupted intervals a spotted star has been observed. The spot modeling analysis yields a total of 20 different spots throughout the time span of our observations. The distribution of the observed spot migration rates is consistent with solar-type differential rotation and suggests a lower limit of the differential-rotation coefficient of 0.022 +/-0.004. The observed, maximum lifetime of a single spot (or spot group) is 4.5 years, the minimum lifetime is approximately one year, but an average spot lives for 2.2 years. If we assume that the mechanical shear by differential rotation sets the upper limit to the spot lifetime, the observed maximum lifetime in turn sets an upper limit to the differential-rotation coefficient, namely 0.04 +/- 0.01. This would be differential rotation just 5 to 8 times less than the solar value and one of the strongest among active binaries. We found no conclusive evidence for the existence of a periodic phenomenon that could be attributed to a stellar magnetic cycle.

Carbon Dioxide Concentrations and Temperatures within Tour Buses under Real-Time Traffic Conditions.

PubMed

Chiu, Chun-Fu; Chen, Ming-Hung; Chang, Feng-Hsiang

2015-01-01

This study monitored the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and temperatures of three 43-seat tour buses with high-passenger capacities in a course of a three-day, two-night school excursion. Results showed that both driver zones and passenger zones of the tour buses achieved maximum CO2 concentrations of more than 3000 ppm, and maximum daily average concentrations of 2510.6 and 2646.9 ppm, respectively. The findings confirmed that the CO2 concentrations detected in the tour buses exceeded the indoor air quality standard of Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (8 hr-CO2: 1000 ppm) and the air quality guideline of Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (1 hr-CO2: 2500 ppm for Level 1 for buses). Observations also showed that high-capacity tour bus cabins with air conditioning system operating in recirculation mode are severely lacking in air exchange rate, which may negatively impact transportation safety. Moreover, the passenger zones were able to maintain a temperature of between 20 and 25°C during travel, which effectively suppresses the dispersion of volatile organic compounds. Finally, the authors suggest that in the journey, increasing the ventilation frequency of tour bus cabin, which is very beneficial to maintain the travel safety and enhance the quality of travel.

Carbon Dioxide Concentrations and Temperatures within Tour Buses under Real-Time Traffic Conditions

PubMed Central

Chiu, Chun-Fu; Chen, Ming-Hung; Chang, Feng-Hsiang

2015-01-01

This study monitored the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and temperatures of three 43-seat tour buses with high-passenger capacities in a course of a three-day, two-night school excursion. Results showed that both driver zones and passenger zones of the tour buses achieved maximum CO2 concentrations of more than 3000 ppm, and maximum daily average concentrations of 2510.6 and 2646.9 ppm, respectively. The findings confirmed that the CO2 concentrations detected in the tour buses exceeded the indoor air quality standard of Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (8 hr-CO2: 1000 ppm) and the air quality guideline of Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (1 hr-CO2: 2500 ppm for Level 1 for buses). Observations also showed that high-capacity tour bus cabins with air conditioning system operating in recirculation mode are severely lacking in air exchange rate, which may negatively impact transportation safety. Moreover, the passenger zones were able to maintain a temperature of between 20 and 25°C during travel, which effectively suppresses the dispersion of volatile organic compounds. Finally, the authors suggest that in the journey, increasing the ventilation frequency of tour bus cabin, which is very beneficial to maintain the travel safety and enhance the quality of travel. PMID:25923722

Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Influence on Heart Rate Variability Repeatability: Effects of the Correction for the Prevailing Heart Rate

PubMed Central

Gąsior, Jakub S.; Sacha, Jerzy; Jeleń, Piotr J.; Zieliński, Jakub; Przybylski, Jacek

2016-01-01

Background: Since heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with average heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RespRate), alterations in these parameters may impose changes in HRV. Hence the repeatability of HRV measurements may be affected by differences in HR and RespRate. The study aimed to evaluate HRV repeatability and its association with changes in HR and RespRate. Methods: Forty healthy volunteers underwent two ECG examinations 7 days apart. Standard HRV indices were calculated from 5-min ECG recordings. The ECG-derived respiration signal was estimated to assess RespRate. To investigate HR impact on HRV, HRV parameters were corrected for prevailing HR. Results: Differences in HRV parameters between the measurements were associated with the changes in HR and RespRate. However, in multiple regression analysis only HR alteration proved to be independent determinant of the HRV differences—every change in HR by 1 bpm changed HRV values by 16.5% on average. After overall removal of HR impact on HRV, coefficients of variation of the HRV parameters significantly dropped on average by 26.8% (p < 0.001), i.e., by the same extent HRV reproducibility improved. Additionally, the HRV correction for HR decreased association between RespRate and HRV. Conclusions: In stable conditions, HR but not RespRate is the most powerful factor determining HRV reproducibility and even a minimal change of HR may considerably alter HRV. However, the removal of HR impact may significantly improve HRV repeatability. The association between HRV and RespRate seems to be, at least in part, HR dependent. PMID:27588006

Combined Orthodontic and Surgical Treatment in a 8-Years-Old Patient Affected By Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Case-Report.

PubMed

Gracco, Antonio; Bruno, Giovanni; de Stefani, Alberto; Ragona, Rosario Marchese; Mazzoleni, Sergio; Stellini, Edoardo

An eight-years-old girl showed a restless sleep with snoring and severe apnea episodes, a mandibular retrognathia, mouth breathing, maxillary transverse discrepancy, mandibular transverse discrepancy, moderate crowding and anterior open-bite. The CBCT showed an anterior collapse of the epiglottis. The treatment consisted in a rapid palatal expansion, an epiglottoplasty and a reduction of the tongue base. Polysomnography revealed that apnea-hypopnea index improved from 21,8 episodes/hr at the baseline to 0,6 episodes/hr, average oxygen saturation from 96,5% to 98,1%, oxygen desaturation events from 23,4 episodes/hr to 1/hr.

Cardiorespiratory demands during an inline speed skating marathon race: a case report.

PubMed

Stangier, Carolin; Abel, Thomas; Mierau, Julia; Hollmann, Wildor; Strüder, Heiko K

2016-09-01

This study was designed to investigate the intensity profile during an inline speed skating marathon road race. A highly-trained male athlete (20 y, 73.4 kg, 178 cm, V̇O2 peak: 60.8 mL·kg-1·min-1) participated in a marathon road race. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR) and speed were measured using a portable gas analysis system with a HR monitor and GPS-Sensor integrated. The athlete´s peak V̇O2, HR and speed at ventilatory thresholds were assessed during an incremental field test (22 km·h-1, increase 2 km·h-1 every 5 min) one week before the race. During the race, the absolute time spent in the "easy intensity zone" (V̇O2 below VT1) was 1 min, 49 min "moderate intensity zone" (V̇O2 between VT1 and VT2), and 26 min in the "hard intensity zone" (V̇O2 above VT2). The average HR was 171±6 bpm, corresponding to 95% of the maximum. This study shows that inline speed skating road races over a marathon are conducted at moderate to high V̇O2 and heart rate levels. The physiological racing pattern is very intermittent, requiring both a high level of aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

Systemic Delivery of Atropine Sulfate by the MicroDose Dry-Powder Inhaler

PubMed Central

Venkataramanan, R.; Hoffman, R.M.; George, M.P.; Petrov, A.; Richards, T.; Zhang, S.; Choi, J.; Gao, Y.Y.; Oakum, C.D.; Cook, R.O.; Donahoe, M.

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Inhaled atropine is being developed as a systemic and pulmonary treatment for the extended recovery period after chemical weapons exposure. We performed a pharmacokinetics study comparing inhaled atropine delivery using the MicroDose Therapeutx Dry Powder Inhaler (DPIA) with intramuscular (IM) atropine delivery via auto-injector (AUTO). Methods The MicroDose DPIA utilizes a novel piezoelectric system to aerosolize drug and excipient from a foil dosing blister. Subjects inhaled a 1.95-mg atropine sulfate dose from the dry powder inhaler on one study day [5 doses×0.4 mg per dose (nominal) delivered over 12 min] and received a 2-mg IM injection via the AtroPen® auto-injector on another. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic response, and safety were studied for 12 hr. Results A total of 17 subjects were enrolled. All subjects completed IM dosing. One subject did not perform inhaled delivery due to a skin reaction from the IM dose. Pharmacokinetic results were as follows: area under the curve concentration, DPIA=20.1±5.8, AUTO=23.7±4.9 ng hr/mL (means±SD); maximum concentration reached, DPIA=7.7±3.5, AUTO=11.0±3.8 ng/mL; time to reach maximum concentration, DPIA=0.25±0.47, AUTO=0.19±0.23 hr. Pharmacodynamic results were as follows: maximum increase in heart rate, DPIA=18±12, AUTO=23±13 beats/min; average change in 1-sec forced expiratory volume at 30 min, DPIA=0.16±0.22 L, AUTO=0.11±0.29 L. The relative bioavailability for DPIA was 87% (based on output dose). Two subjects demonstrated allergic responses: one to the first dose (AUTO), which was mild and transient, and one to the second dose (DPIA), which was moderate in severity, required treatment with oral and intravenous (IV) diphenhydramine and IV steroids, and lasted more than 7 days. Conclusions Dry powder inhalation is a highly bioavailable route for attaining rapid and consistent systemic concentrations of atropine. PMID:22691110

Systemic delivery of atropine sulfate by the MicroDose Dry-Powder Inhaler.

PubMed

Corcoran, T E; Venkataramanan, R; Hoffman, R M; George, M P; Petrov, A; Richards, T; Zhang, S; Choi, J; Gao, Y Y; Oakum, C D; Cook, R O; Donahoe, M

2013-02-01

Inhaled atropine is being developed as a systemic and pulmonary treatment for the extended recovery period after chemical weapons exposure. We performed a pharmacokinetics study comparing inhaled atropine delivery using the MicroDose Therapeutx Dry Powder Inhaler (DPIA) with intramuscular (IM) atropine delivery via auto-injector (AUTO). The MicroDose DPIA utilizes a novel piezoelectric system to aerosolize drug and excipient from a foil dosing blister. Subjects inhaled a 1.95-mg atropine sulfate dose from the dry powder inhaler on one study day [5 doses × 0.4 mg per dose (nominal) delivered over 12 min] and received a 2-mg IM injection via the AtroPen® auto-injector on another. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic response, and safety were studied for 12 hr. A total of 17 subjects were enrolled. All subjects completed IM dosing. One subject did not perform inhaled delivery due to a skin reaction from the IM dose. Pharmacokinetic results were as follows: area under the curve concentration, DPIA=20.1±5.8, AUTO=23.7±4.9 ng hr/mL (means±SD); maximum concentration reached, DPIA=7.7±3.5, AUTO=11.0±3.8 ng/mL; time to reach maximum concentration, DPIA=0.25±0.47, AUTO=0.19±0.23 hr. Pharmacodynamic results were as follows: maximum increase in heart rate, DPIA=18±12, AUTO=23±13 beats/min; average change in 1-sec forced expiratory volume at 30 min, DPIA=0.16±0.22 L, AUTO=0.11±0.29 L. The relative bioavailability for DPIA was 87% (based on output dose). Two subjects demonstrated allergic responses: one to the first dose (AUTO), which was mild and transient, and one to the second dose (DPIA), which was moderate in severity, required treatment with oral and intravenous (IV) diphenhydramine and IV steroids, and lasted more than 7 days. Dry powder inhalation is a highly bioavailable route for attaining rapid and consistent systemic concentrations of atropine.

Workload of official contests, net cost of transport, and metabolic power of Mangalarga Marchador horses of marcha batida or picada gaits.

PubMed

Lage, J; Fonseca, M G; de Barros, G G M; Feringer-Júnior, W H; Pereira, G T; Ferraz, G C

2017-06-01

This study aimed to characterize the maximum heart rate (HR) and the intensity of official marcha contests (OMC) and to compare the cost of transport (COT) and metabolic power (Pmet) of Mangalarga Marchador (MM) horses of marcha batida (MB) and marcha picada (MP) gaits. Twenty-two MM horses participated in this study. The experiment was conducted in 3 phases: 1) maximum effort test (MET), 2) OMC, and 3) standardized marcha test (SMT). To characterize the HR, 19 horses (14 MB and 5 MP) underwent a MET. Of those, 13 (9 MB and 4 MP) were monitored during the OMC, which consisted of 4 stages: marcha, walk, functional trial, and rest. The average heart rate (HR) in each stage of the OMC was related to the HR to determine their relative intensity. The SMT was performed with 14 horses (9 MB and 5 MP), of which 11 had already participated in the previous stages. The COT and Pmet were calculated from the HR values obtained during the SMT. Blood samples were collected to analyze plasma lactate concentration ([Lac]). One-way ANOVA or 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA followed by the Tukey's test ( < 0.05) were used to analyze the results. The average HR was 211 ± 11 and 214 ± 11 beats/min (bpm) for the MB and MP groups, respectively, with no difference ( = 0.7066) between them. The [Lac] increased as a result of the MET ( < 0.05), with no difference between groups ( > 0.05). This indicated that horses of both groups had the same physical fitness levels. The OMC stages defined in our study differed ( < 0.05) regarding the relative intensity of the HR, except for the walk and standing stages, which were similar ( = 0.0875). The MP group presented greater COT ( = 0.0247) and Pmet ( = 0.0193). It can be concluded that the mean HR of MM horses (MB and MP) is 212 ± 11 bpm. The OMC of the MM breed can be characterized as an effort of intermittent and submaximal intensity. In addition, the locomotion of the MB horses is probably more energetically efficient than that of MP horses.

The total thermal insulation of the new-born baby

PubMed Central

Hey, E. N.; Katz, G.; O'Connell, Bridget

1970-01-01

1. One hundred and seventeen healthy new-born babies weighing between 0·9 and 4·8 kg at delivery have been studied during the first ten days of life, and sixteen of these babies have been studied serially for 6 weeks after birth. The babies lay supine in a draught-free environment (air speed 4-5 cm/sec) of moderate humidity. The operative temperature was between 26 and 38° C for the babies who were studied naked. 2. Total non-evaporative heat loss was calculated from simultaneous measurements of oxygen consumption, evaporative water loss and the concomitant change in mean body temperature. 3. Approximately 10% of the total body surface area was in contact with the mattress or floor. Conductive heat loss accounted for only about 5% of all non-evaporative heat loss when the naked baby was lying on a thick foam mattress, but for as much as 25% when the baby was lying in a water-jacketed chamber with a floor of clear plastic ∼ 5 mm thick. 4. Insulation to heat loss by convection and radiation varied with environmental temperature. Total specific insulation was low in a warm environment when the naked baby vasodilated, and rose by between 16 and 25% to a maximum in an environment of 31° C. It decreased significantly when the baby became physically active in environments with a temperature less than this. 5. Total specific insulation in an environment of 31° C varied with body size: it averaged 0·156° C.m2.hr/kcal in seven naked babies weighing 0·9-1·2 kg, rose to 0·190° C.m2.hr/kcal in twelve babies weighing 1·8-2·2 kg, and averaged 0·201° C.m2.hr/kcal in the thirty-four babies who weighed over 3 kg. Tissue insulation accounted for 23% of this total specific insulation in the smaller babies, and about 28% of the total in babies weighing over 3 kg. 6. Clothing ten babies in a vest, napkin and long cotton nightdress increased the total specific insulation by an average of 0·23° C.m2.hr/kcal. PMID:5503276

The influence of weather on Golden Eagle migration in northwestern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, R.E.; McClelland, B.R.; Mcclelland, P.T.; Key, C.H.; Bennetts, R.E.

2001-01-01

We analyzed the influence of 17 weather factors on migrating Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) near the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, Montana, U.S.A. Local weather measurements were recorded at automated stations on the flanks of two peaks within the migration path. During a total of 506 hr of observation, the yearly number of Golden Eagles in autumn counts (1994-96) averaged 1973; spring counts (1995 and 1996) averaged 605 eagles. Mean passage rates (eagles/hr) were 16.5 in autumn and 8.2 in spring. Maximum rates were 137 in autumn and 67 in spring. Using generalized linear modeling, we tested for the effects of weather factors on the number of eagles counted. In the autumn model, the number of eagles increased with increasing air temperature, rising barometric pressure, decreasing relative humidity, and interactions among those factors. In the spring model, the number of eagles increased with increasing wind speed, barometric pressure, and the interaction between these factors. Our data suggest that a complex interaction among weather factors influenced the number of eagles passing on a given day. We hypothesize that in complex landscapes with high topographic relief, such as Glacier National Park, numerous weather factors produce different daily combinations to which migrating eagles respond opportunistically. ?? 2001 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

A national-scale review of air pollutant concentrations measured in the U.S. near-road monitoring network during 2014 and 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeWinter, Jennifer L.; Brown, Steven G.; Seagram, Annie F.; Landsberg, Karin; Eisinger, Douglas S.

2018-06-01

In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for NO2 to include a primary health-based standard for hourly NO2, and required air quality monitoring next to major roadways in urban areas in the U.S. Requirements for near-road measurements also include carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5). We performed a national-scale assessment of air pollutants measured at 81 sites in the near-road environment during the first two years (2014 and 2015) of the new measurement program. We evaluated how concentrations at these locations compared to the NAAQS, to concentrations measured at other sites within the same urban areas, and when considering their site characteristics (distance of monitor to road, traffic volume, and meteorology). We also estimated the contribution of emissions from adjacent roadways at each near-road site to the PM2.5 concentrations above the local urban background concentrations, i.e., the near-road "increment." Hourly values of CO reached a maximum of 4.8 ppm across 31 sites in 2014 and 9.6 ppm across 47 sites in 2015, and were well below the NAAQS levels for both the 1-hr (35 ppm) and 8-hr (9 ppm) standards. Hourly concentrations of near-road NO2 reached 258 ppb across 40 sites in 2014; however, there were only two occurrences of a daily 1-hr maximum NO2 concentration above 100 ppb (the level of the hourly NO2 standard). In 2015, hourly concentrations of near-road NO2, monitored at 61 sites in 55 urban areas, reached 154 ppb. Only 0.0015% (n = 5) of hourly NO2 observations in 2015 exceeded 100 ppb. The highest annual NO2 average recorded in 2015 (29.9 ppb) occurred at the Ontario site located along I-10 in the Los Angeles, California, area and was below the level of the NO2 annual standard (53 ppb); in 2014, the highest annual mean NO2 was also observed in Los Angeles at the Anaheim site (27.1 ppb). In 2014, sites in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Louisville recorded annual average PM2.5 concentrations at or above 12 μg/m3 (the level of the annual standard). There were 15 occurrences in 2014 of 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations above the NAAQS level of 35 μg/m3. Annual average PM2.5 exceeded 12 μg/m3 at near-road sites in five urban areas in 2015, and there were 33 days across 12 near-road locations with 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations above 35 μg/m3. Across the near-road monitoring network, annual average PM2.5 concentrations did not have a significant relationship with traffic volume or distance between the monitor and the adjacent roadway; rather, variations in PM2.5 were mostly driven by urban-scale PM2.5, with a typically small "increment" above urban-scale concentrations due to a site's proximity to the roadway. We estimated this increment, i.e., the difference between near-road PM2.5 concentrations and the concentrations at sites in the urban area of each near-road monitor, to be on average 1.2 μg/m3 (σ = 0.3 μg/m3), with a range of -1.2 μg/m3 to 3.1 μg/m3 across the 26 sites (four of which had a negative increment). The near-road increment is on average 13% of the near-road PM2.5, and 15% of the near-road PM2.5 for sites within 20 m of the roadway.

Earlier tachycardia onset in right than left mesial temporal lobe seizures.

PubMed

Kato, Kazuhiro; Jin, Kazutaka; Itabashi, Hisashi; Iwasaki, Masaki; Kakisaka, Yosuke; Aoki, Masashi; Nakasato, Nobukazu

2014-10-07

To clarify whether the presence and timing of peri-ictal heart rate (HR) change is a seizure lateralizing sign in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). Long-term video EEGs were retrospectively reviewed in 21 patients, 7 men and 14 women aged 13 to 67 years, diagnosed as mTLE with MRI lesions in the mesial temporal structures (hippocampal sclerosis in 20 cases, amygdala hypertrophy in 1 case). Seventy-seven partial seizures without secondary generalization were extracted. Peri-ictal HR change was compared between 29 right seizures (9 patients) and 48 left seizures (12 patients). HR abruptly increased in all 29 right seizures and 42 of 48 left seizures. Onset time of HR increase in relation to ictal EEG onset was significantly earlier in right seizures than in left seizures (mean ± SD, -11.5 ± 14.8 vs 9.2 ± 21.7 seconds; p < 0.0001). Time of maximum HR was also significantly earlier in right seizures than in left seizures (36.0 ± 18.1 vs 58.0 ± 28.7 seconds; p < 0.0001). Maximum HR changes from baseline showed no significant difference between right and left seizures (47.5 ± 19.1 vs 40.8 ± 20.0/min). Significantly earlier tachycardia in right than left mTLE seizures supports previous hypotheses that the right cerebral hemisphere is dominant in the sympathetic network. No HR change, or delayed tachycardia possibly due to seizure propagation to the right hemisphere, may be a useful lateralizing sign of left mTLE seizures. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.

Improved outcome with pulses of vincristine and corticosteroids in continuation therapy of children with average risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL): report of the EORTC randomized phase 3 trial 58951.

PubMed

De Moerloose, Barbara; Suciu, Stefan; Bertrand, Yves; Mazingue, Françoise; Robert, Alain; Uyttebroeck, Anne; Yakouben, Karima; Ferster, Alice; Margueritte, Geneviève; Lutz, Patrick; Munzer, Martine; Sirvent, Nicolas; Norton, Lucilia; Boutard, Patrick; Plantaz, Dominique; Millot, Frederic; Philippet, Pierre; Baila, Liliana; Benoit, Yves; Otten, Jacques

2010-07-08

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer 58951 trial for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) addressed 3 randomized questions, including the evaluation of dexamethasone (DEX) versus prednisolone (PRED) in induction and, for average-risk patients, the evaluation of vincristine and corticosteroid pulses during continuation therapy. The corticosteroid used in the pulses was that assigned at induction. Overall, 411 patients were randomly assigned: 202 initially randomly assigned to PRED (60 mg/m(2)/d), 201 to DEX (6 mg/m(2)/d), and 8 nonrandomly assigned to PRED. At a median follow-up of 6.3 years, there were 19 versus 34 events for pulses versus no pulses; 6-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 90.6% (standard error [SE], 2.1%) and 82.8% (SE, 2.8%), respectively (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.94; P = .027). The effect of pulses was similar in the PRED (HR = 0.56) and DEX groups (HR = 0.59) but more pronounced in girls (HR = 0.24) than in boys (HR = 0.71). Grade 3 to 4 hepatic toxicity was 30% versus 40% in pulses versus no pulses group and grade 2 to 3 osteonecrosis was 4.4% versus 2%. For average-risk patients treated according to Berlin-Frankfurt-Muenster-based protocols, pulses should become a standard component of therapy.

Circadian rhythms and sleep patterns in urban Greek couples.

PubMed

Lee, Kathryn A; Beyene, Yewoubdar; Paparrigopoulos, Thomas J; Dikeos, Dimitris G; Soldatos, Constantin R

2007-07-01

A convenience sample of 14 adults (seven couples) who intentionally nap regularly was recruited to describe circadian rhythms and sleep patterns in a culture in which afternoon naps are routine. Participants wore a wrist actigraph for 48 hr during May to obtain two peaks and troughs of activity data. Peak activity, estimated by cosinor analysis (acrophase), occurred at 1542 hours for men and at 1600 hours for women. Compared to their male partners, women had a later acrophase and a significantly stronger 24-hr rhythm, despite similar nap and nighttime sleep schedules. Men had more awakenings during the night and slightly shorter naps than did women. For the 24-hr period, men averaged 6.8 +/- 1.0 hr of sleep and women averaged 7.4 +/- 1.1 hr. Results indicate that Greek adults delay sleep onset at night and awaken early in the morning. Among this small group, naps are an accepted cultural behavior.

Assessing the effects of oil sands related ozone precursor emissions on ambient ozone levels in the Alberta oil sands region, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Sunny; Vijayaraghavan, Krish; Spink, David; Cosic, Biljana; Davies, Mervyn; Jung, Jaegun

2017-11-01

A study was undertaken to determine whether, and the extent to which, increased ground-level ozone (O3) precursor emissions from oil sands development have impacted ambient air quality in the north-eastern Alberta, Canada, over the period 1998 to 2012. Temporal trends in emissions of O3 precursors (NOx and VOC) and ambient air concentrations of O3 precursors, and O3 were examined using the Theil-Sen statistical analysis method. Statistically significant correlations between NOx emissions and ambient NOx concentrations were found mainly near surface (open-pit) mining areas where mine fleets are a large source of NOx emissions. No statistically significant trends in the 4th highest daily maximum 8-hr average O3 at any of the continuous and passive ambient air monitoring stations were found. A significant long-term decrease in monthly averaged O3 is observed at some ambient monitoring sites in summer. A visual examination of long-term variations in annual NOx and VOC emissions and annual 4th highest daily maximum 8-hr O3 concentrations does not reveal any indication of a correlation between O3 concentrations and O3 precursor emissions or ambient levels in the study area. Despite a significant increase in oil sands NOx emissions (8%/yr), there is no statistically significant increase in long-term O3 concentrations at any of monitoring stations considered. This suggests that there is surplus NOx available in the environment which results in a titration of ambient O3 in the areas that have ambient monitoring. The limited ambient O3 monitoring data distant from NOx emission sources makes it impossible to assess the impact of these increased O3 precursor levels on O3 levels on a regional scale. As a precautionary measure, the increasing oil sands development O3 precursor emissions would require that priority be given to the management of these emissions to prevent possible future O3 ambient air quality issues.

Effect of tank geometry on its average performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlov, Aleksey A.; Tsimbalyuk, Alexandr F.; Malyugin, Roman V.; Leontieva, Daria A.; Kotelnikova, Alexandra A.

2018-03-01

The mathematical model of non-stationary filling of vertical submerged tanks with gaseous uranium hexafluoride is presented in the paper. There are calculations of the average productivity, heat exchange area, and filling time of various volumes tanks with smooth inner walls depending on their "height : radius" ratio as well as the average productivity, degree, and filling time of horizontal ribbing tank with volume 6.10-2 m3 with change central hole diameter of the ribs. It has been shown that the growth of "height / radius" ratio in tanks with smooth inner walls up to the limiting values allows significantly increasing tank average productivity and reducing its filling time. Growth of H/R ratio of tank with volume 1.0 m3 to the limiting values (in comparison with the standard tank having H/R equal 3.49) augments tank productivity by 23.5 % and the heat exchange area by 20%. Besides, we have demonstrated that maximum average productivity and a minimum filling time are reached for the tank with volume 6.10-2 m3 having central hole diameter of horizontal ribs 6.4.10-2 m.

PHARMACOKINETIC PROPERTIES OF A SINGLE ADMINISTRATION OF ORAL GABAPENTIN IN THE GREAT HORNED OWL (BUBO VIRGINIANUS).

PubMed

Yaw, Taylor J; Zaffarano, Bianca A; Gall, Andrew; Olds, June E; Wulf, Larry; Papastavros, Efthimia; Coetzee, Johann F

2015-09-01

Gabapentin (1-[aminomethyl] cyclohexane acetic acid) is a γ-aminobutyric acid analogue that has been shown to be efficacious for neuropathic pain control in humans. Plasma gabapentin concentrations >2 μg/ml are considered effective in treating epilepsy in humans and are suggested to provide analgesia for neuropathic pain. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of a single oral dose of gabapentin suspension (11 mg/kg) in great horned owls ( Bubo virginianus ). Plasma gabapentin concentrations were determined in six healthy birds for 48 hr using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Plasma gabapentin concentrations were estimated by noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. The harmonic mean (±SD) maximum concentration (Cmax), time to maximum concentration (Tmax), and elimination half-life (tv2λZ) for gabapentin (11 mg/kg) were 6.17±0.83 μg/ml, 51.43±5.66 min, and 264.60±69.35 min, respectively. In this study, plasma gabapentin concentrations were maintained above 2 μg/ml for 528 min (8.8 hr), suggesting that gabapentin administered orally every 8 hr may be appropriate in great horned owls.

Running Performance With Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweetened Mouth Rinses.

PubMed

Hawkins, Keely R; Krishnan, Sridevi; Ringos, Lara; Garcia, Vanessa; Cooper, Jamie A

2017-09-01

Using mouth rinse (MR) with carbohydrate during exercise has been shown to act as an ergogenic aid. To investigate if nutritive or nonnutritive sweetened MR affects exercise performance and to assess the influence of sweetness intensity on endurance performance during a time trial (TT). This randomized, single-blinded study had 4 treatment conditions. Sixteen subjects (9 men, 7 women) completed a 12.8-km TT 4 different times. During each TT, subjects mouth-rinsed and expectorated a different solution at time 0 and every 12.5% of the TT. The 4 MR solutions were sucrose (S) (sweet taste and provides energy of 4 kcal/g), a lower-intensity sucralose (S1:1) (artificial sweetener that provides no energy but tastes sweet), a higher-intensity sucralose (S100:1), and water as control (C). Completion times for each TT, heart rate (HR), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were also recorded. Completion time for S was faster than for C (1:03:47 ± 00:02:17 vs 1:06:56 ± 00:02:18, respectively; P < .001) and showed a trend to be faster vs S100:1 (1:03:47 ± 00:02:17 vs 1:05:38 ± 00:02:12, respectively; P = .07). No other TT differences were found. Average HR showed a trend to be higher for S vs C (P = .08). The only difference in average or maximum RPE was for higher maximum RPE in C vs S1:1 (P = .02). A sweet-tasting MR did improve endurance performance compared with water in a significant manner (mean 4.5% improvement; 3+ min.); however, the presence of energy in the sweet MR appeared necessary since the artificial sweeteners did not improve performance more than water alone.

Traffic-related air pollution and respiratory symptoms among asthmatic children, resident in Mexico City: the EVA cohort study

PubMed Central

Escamilla-Nuñez, Maria-Consuelo; Barraza-Villarreal, Albino; Hernandez-Cadena, Leticia; Moreno-Macias, Hortensia; Ramirez-Aguilar, Matiana; Sienra-Monge, Juan-Jose; Cortez-Lugo, Marlene; Texcalac, Jose-Luis; del Rio-Navarro, Blanca; Romieu, Isabelle

2008-01-01

Background Taffic-related air pollution has been related to adverse respiratory outcomes; however, there is still uncertainty concerning the type of vehicle emission causing most deleterious effects. Methods A panel study was conducted among 147 asthmatic and 50 healthy children, who were followed up for an average of 22 weeks. Incidence density of coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulty was assessed by referring to daily records of symptoms and child's medication. The association between exposure to pollutants and occurrence of symptoms was evaluated using mixed-effect models with binary response and poisson regression. Results Wheezing was found to relate significantly to air pollutants: an increase of 17.4 μg/m3 (IQR) of PM2.5 (24-h average) was associated with an 8.8% increase (95% CI: 2.4% to 15.5%); an increase of 34 ppb (IQR) of NO2 (1-h maximum) was associated with an 9.1% increase (95% CI: 2.3% to16.4%) and an increase of 48 ppb (IQR) in O3 levels (1 hr maximum) to an increase of 10% (95% CI: 3.2% to 17.3%). Diesel-fueled motor vehicles were significantly associated with wheezing and bronchodilator use (IRR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.62, and IRR = 1.32; 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.77, respectively, for an increase of 130 vehicles hourly, above the 24-hour average). Conclusion Respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children were significantly associated with exposure to traffic exhaust, especially from natural gas and diesel-fueled vehicles. PMID:19014608

Traffic-related air pollution and respiratory symptoms among asthmatic children, resident in Mexico City: the EVA cohort study.

PubMed

Escamilla-Nuñez, Maria-Consuelo; Barraza-Villarreal, Albino; Hernandez-Cadena, Leticia; Moreno-Macias, Hortensia; Ramirez-Aguilar, Matiana; Sienra-Monge, Juan-Jose; Cortez-Lugo, Marlene; Texcalac, Jose-Luis; del Rio-Navarro, Blanca; Romieu, Isabelle

2008-11-16

Taffic-related air pollution has been related to adverse respiratory outcomes; however, there is still uncertainty concerning the type of vehicle emission causing most deleterious effects. A panel study was conducted among 147 asthmatic and 50 healthy children, who were followed up for an average of 22 weeks. Incidence density of coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulty was assessed by referring to daily records of symptoms and child's medication. The association between exposure to pollutants and occurrence of symptoms was evaluated using mixed-effect models with binary response and poisson regression. Wheezing was found to relate significantly to air pollutants: an increase of 17.4 microg/m3 (IQR) of PM2.5 (24-h average) was associated with an 8.8% increase (95% CI: 2.4% to 15.5%); an increase of 34 ppb (IQR) of NO2 (1-h maximum) was associated with an 9.1% increase (95% CI: 2.3% to 16.4%) and an increase of 48 ppb (IQR) in O3 levels (1 hr maximum) to an increase of 10% (95% CI: 3.2% to 17.3%). Diesel-fueled motor vehicles were significantly associated with wheezing and bronchodilator use (IRR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.62, and IRR = 1.32; 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.77, respectively, for an increase of 130 vehicles hourly, above the 24-hour average). Respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children were significantly associated with exposure to traffic exhaust, especially from natural gas and diesel-fueled vehicles.

Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in Division I Field Hockey Players During Competitive Play.

PubMed

Sell, Katie M; Ledesma, Allison B

2016-08-01

Sell, KM and Ledesma, AB. Heart rate and energy expenditure in Division I field hockey players during competitive play. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2122-2128, 2016-The purpose of this study was to quantify energy expenditure and heart rate data for Division I female field hockey players during competitive play. Ten female Division I collegiate field hockey athletes (19.8 ± 1.6 years; 166.4 ± 6.1 cm; 58.2 ± 5.3 kg) completed the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test to determine maximal heart rate. One week later, all subjects wore a heart rate monitor during a series of 3 matches in an off-season competition. Average heart rate (AvHR), average percentage of maximal heart rate (AvHR%), peak exercise heart rate (PExHR), and percentage of maximal heart rate (PExHR%), time spent in each of the predetermined heart rate zones, and caloric expenditure per minute of exercise (kcalM) were determined for all players. Differences between positions (backs, midfielders, and forwards) were assessed. No significant differences in AvHR, AvHR%, PExHR, PExHR%, and %TM were observed between playing positions. The AvHR% and PExHR% for each position fell into zones 4 (77-93% HRmax) and 5 (>93% HRmax), respectively, and significantly more time was spent in zone 4 compared with zones 1, 2, 3, and 5 across all players (p ≤ 0.05). The kcalM reflected very heavy intensity exercise. The results of this study will contribute toward understanding the sport-specific physiological demands of women's field hockey and has specific implications for the duration and schedule of training regimens.

The Effects of Weather on Rapid Runway Repair. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

stress include chronic heat exhaustion, forms of tropical dermatosis , and renal stones. Interestingly, no chronic physiological failures resulting from...kcal/m2 /hr as described by Lowry), or 90 kcal/hr or 105 watts for the average adult male (with 1.8 m2 of body surface area). Normal work is expected

40 CFR 60.266 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... effluent gas from exhaust stream “i”, dscm/hr (dscf/hr). P=average furnace power input, MW. K=conversion....8, the owner or operator shall not allow gaseous diluents to be added to the effluent gas stream after the fabric in an open pressurized fabric filter collector unless the total gas volume flow from...

Fracture strength testing of crowns made of CAD/CAM composite resins.

PubMed

Okada, Ryota; Asakura, Masaki; Ando, Akihiro; Kumano, Hirokazu; Ban, Seiji; Kawai, Tatsushi; Takebe, Jun

2018-03-28

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) composite resin crowns have sufficient strength to withstand the bite force of the molar teeth. The null hypothesis was that the fracture strength of CAD/CAM composite resin crowns is lower than the average maximum bite force of the molar tooth. The crowns, which shape is the right maxillary first molar, were fabricated using four CAD/CAM blanks made of composite resins (Block HC: HC, KZR-CAD HR: HR, KZR-CAD HR2: HR2, Avencia Block: AVE) and one CAD/CAM blank made of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (IPS e.max CAD: IPS), which was used as a control. Fracture strength of fabricated crowns bonded to metal abutment and biaxial flexural strength of the materials were evaluated. The results of fracture strength test and biaxial flexural strength test showed different tendencies. The fracture strength of CAD/CAM composite resin crowns except HC ranged from 3.3kN to 3.9kN, and was similar to that of IPS (3.3kN). In contrast, biaxial flexural strength of CAD/CAM composite resins ranged from 175MPa to 247MPa, and was significantly lower than that of IPS (360MPa). All CAD/CAM composite resin crowns studied presented about 3-4 times higher fracture strength than the average maximum bite force of the molar tooth (700-900N), which result leads to the conclusion that CAD/CAM composite resin crowns would have sufficient strength to withstand the bite force of the molar teeth. Copyright © 2017 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heat increment of feeding in Steller sea lions, Eumetopias jubatus.

PubMed

Rosen, D A; Trites, A W

1997-11-01

The heat increment of feeding (HIF) was measured in six captive, juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), fed meals of either 2 or 4 kg of herring. HIF was calculated as the post-prandial increase in metabolism above baseline levels, and was measured using open-circuit (gas) respirometry. It averaged 12.4 +/- 0.9% (SE) of ingested energy intake for the 4-kg meal trials, and 9.9 +/- 0.9% for the 2-kg meal size. The effect lasted 8-10 hr for the larger meal size. Metabolism peaked 3.7 hr after feeding, and was 2.13 times higher than baseline levels. For the 2-kg meal size, the effect lasted 6-8 hr, with metabolism peaking 2.8 hr after ingestion at 1.76 times baseline levels. Our estimates of HIF for Steller sea lions are at the lower end of estimates for terrestrial mammals, and are consistent with estimates for other marine mammals.

Irradiation of TZM: Uranium dioxide fuel pin at 1700 K

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdonald, G. E.

1973-01-01

A fuel pin clad with TZM and containing solid pellets of uranium dioxide was fission heated in a static helium-cooled capsule at a maximum surface temperature of 1700 K for approximately 1000 hr and to a total burnup of 2.0 percent of the uranium-235. The results of the postirradiation examination indicated: (1) A transverse, intergranular failure of the fuel pin occurred when the fuel pin reached 2.0-percent burnup. This corresponds to 1330 kW-hr/cu cm, where the volume is the sum of the fuel, clad, and void volumes in the fuel region. (2) The maximum swelling of the fuel pin was less than 1.5 percent on the fuel-pin diameter. (3) There was no visible interaction between the TZM clad and the UO2. (4) Irradiation at 1700 K produced a course-grained structure, with an average grain diameter of 0.02 centimeter and with some of the grains extending one-half of the thickness of the clad. (5) Below approximately 1500 K, the irradiation of the clad produced a moderately fine-grained structure, with an average grain diameter of 0.004 centimeter.

Detecting drug-induced prolongation of the QRS complex: New insights for cardiac safety assessment

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

Cros, C., E-mail: caroline.cros@hotmail.co.uk; Skinner, M., E-mail: Matthew.Skinner@astrazeneca.com; Moors, J.

Background: Drugs slowing the conduction of the cardiac action potential and prolonging QRS complex duration by blocking the sodium current (I{sub Na}) may carry pro-arrhythmic risks. Due to the frequency-dependent block of I{sub Na}, this study assesses whether activity-related spontaneous increases in heart rate (HR) occurring during standard dog telemetry studies can be used to optimise the detection of class I antiarrhythmic-induced QRS prolongation. Methods: Telemetered dogs were orally dosed with quinidine (class Ia), mexiletine (class Ib) or flecainide (class Ic). QRS duration was determined standardly (5 beats averaged at rest) but also prior to and at the plateau ofmore » each acute increase in HR (3 beats averaged at steady state), and averaged over 1 h period from 1 h pre-dose to 5 h post-dose. Results: Compared to time-matched vehicle, at rest, only quinidine and flecainide induced increases in QRS duration (E{sub max} 13% and 20% respectively, P < 0.01–0.001) whereas mexiletine had no effect. Importantly, the increase in QRS duration was enhanced at peak HR with an additional effect of + 0.7 ± 0.5 ms (quinidine, NS), + 1.8 ± 0.8 ms (mexiletine, P < 0.05) and + 2.8 ± 0.8 ms (flecainide, P < 0.01) (calculated as QRS at basal HR-QRS at high HR). Conclusion: Electrocardiogram recordings during elevated HR, not considered during routine analysis optimised for detecting QT prolongation, can be used to sensitise the detection of QRS prolongation. This could prove useful when borderline QRS effects are detected. Analysing during acute increases in HR could also be useful for detecting drug-induced effects on other aspects of cardiac function. -- Highlights: ► We aimed to improve detection of drug-induced QRS prolongation in safety screening. ► We used telemetered dogs to test class I antiarrhythmics at low and high heart rate. ► At low heart rate only quinidine and flecainide induced an increase in QRS duration. ► At high heart rate the effects of two out of three antiarrhythmics were enhanced. ► Detection of a drug-induced prolongation of QRS was improved at high heart rate.« less

Investigation of hit-and-run crash occurrence and severity using real-time loop detector data and hierarchical Bayesian binary logit model with random effects.

PubMed

Xie, Meiquan; Cheng, Wen; Gill, Gurdiljot Singh; Zhou, Jiao; Jia, Xudong; Choi, Simon

2018-02-17

Most of the extensive research dedicated to identifying the influential factors of hit-and-run (HR) crashes has utilized typical maximum likelihood estimation binary logit models, and none have employed real-time traffic data. To fill this gap, this study focused on investigating factors contributing to HR crashes, as well as the severity levels of HR. This study analyzed 4-year crash and real-time loop detector data by employing hierarchical Bayesian models with random effects within a sequential logit structure. In addition to evaluation of the impact of random effects on model fitness and complexity, the prediction capability of the models was examined. Stepwise incremental sensitivity and specificity were calculated and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to graphically illustrate the predictive performance of the model. Among the real-time flow variables, the average occupancy and speed from the upstream detector were observed to be positively correlated with HR crash possibility. The average upstream speed and speed difference between upstream and downstream speeds were correlated with the occurrence of severe HR crashes. In addition to real-time factors, other variables found influential for HR and severe HR crashes were length of segment, adverse weather conditions, dark lighting conditions with malfunctioning street lights, driving under the influence of alcohol, width of inner shoulder, and nighttime. This study suggests the potential traffic conditions of HR and severe HR occurrence, which refer to relatively congested upstream traffic conditions with high upstream speed and significant speed deviations on long segments. The above findings suggest that traffic enforcement should be directed toward mitigating risky driving under the aforementioned traffic conditions. Moreover, enforcement agencies may employ alcohol checkpoints to counter driving under the influence (DUI) at night. With regard to engineering improvements, wider inner shoulders may be constructed to potentially reduce HR cases and street lights should be installed and maintained in working condition to make roads less prone to such crashes.

Climate-simulated raceway pond culturing: quantifying the maximum achievable annual biomass productivity of Chlorella sorokiniana in the contiguous USA

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

Huesemann, M.; Chavis, A.; Edmundson, S.

Chlorella sorokiniana (DOE 1412) emerged as one of the most promising microalgae strains from the NAABB consortium project, with a remarkable doubling time under optimal conditions of 2.57 hr-1. However, its maximum achievable annual biomass productivity in outdoor ponds in the contiguous United States remained unknown. In order to address this knowledge gap, this alga was cultured in indoor LED-lighted and temperature-controlled raceways in nutrient replete freshwater (BG-11) medium at pH 7 under conditions simulating the daily sunlight intensity and water temperature fluctuations during three seasons in Southern Florida, an optimal outdoor pond culture location for this organism identified bymore » biomass growth modeling. Prior strain characterization indicated that the average maximum specific growth rate (µmax) at 36 ºC declined continuously with pH, with µmax corresponding to 5.92, 5.83, 4.89, and 4.21 day-1 at pH 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. In addition, the maximum specific growth rate declined nearly linearly with increasing salinity until no growth was observed above 35 g/L NaCl. In the climate-simulated culturing studies, the volumetric ash-free dry weight-based biomass productivities during the linear growth phase were 57, 69, and 97 mg/L-day for 30-year average light and temperature simulations for January (winter), March (spring), and July (summer), respectively, which corresponds to average areal productivities of 11.6, 14.1, and 19.9 g/m2-day at a constant pond depth of 20.5 cm. The photosynthetic efficiencies (PAR) in the three climate-simulated pond culturing experiments ranged from 4.1 to 5.1%. The annual biomass productivity was estimated as ca. 15 g/m2-day, nearly double the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 2015 State of Technology annual cultivation productivity of 8.5 g/m2-day, but this is still significantly below the projected 2022 target of ca. 25 g/m2-day (U.S. DOE, 2016) for economic microalgal biofuel production, indicating the need for additional research in strain biology and system engineering.« less

Ambient Air Pollution and Apnea and Bradycardia in High-Risk Infants on Home Monitors

PubMed Central

Klein, Mitchel; Flanders, W. Dana; Mulholland, James A.; Freed, Gary; Tolbert, Paige E.

2011-01-01

Background: Evidence suggests that increased ambient air pollution concentrations are associated with health effects, although relatively few studies have specifically examined infants. Objective: We examined associations of daily ambient air pollution concentrations with central apnea (prolonged pauses in breathing) and bradycardia (low heart rate) events among infants prescribed home cardiorespiratory monitors. Methods: The home monitors record the electrocardiogram, heart rate, and respiratory effort for detected apnea and bradycardia events in high-risk infants [primarily premature and low birth weight (LBW) infants]. From August 1998 through December 2002, 4,277 infants had 8,960 apnea event-days and 29,450 bradycardia event-days in > 179,000 days of follow-up. We assessed the occurrence of apnea and bradycardia events in relation to speciated particulate matter and gaseous air pollution levels using a 2-day average of air pollution (same day and previous day), adjusting for temporal trends, temperature, and infant age. Results: We observed associations between bradycardia and 8-hr maximum ozone [odds ratio (OR) = 1.049 per 25-ppb increase; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.021–1.078] and 1-hr maximum nitrogen dioxide (OR =1.025 per 20-ppb increase; 95% CI, 1.000–1.050). The association with ozone was robust to different methods of control for time trend and specified correlation structure. In secondary analyses, associations of apnea and bradycardia with pollution were generally stronger in infants who were full term and of normal birth weight than in infants who were both premature and LBW. Conclusions: These results suggest that higher air pollution concentrations may increase the occurrence of apnea and bradycardia in high-risk infants. PMID:21447453

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Pharmacokinetics and the Safety of Aripiprazole and Its Cardiovascular Effects in Healthy Volunteers.

PubMed

Belmonte, Carmen; Ochoa, Dolores; Román, Manuel; Cabaleiro, Teresa; Talegón, Maria; Sánchez-Rojas, Sergio Daniel; Abad-Santos, Francisco

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the possible relationship between pharmacokinetics and the safety of aripiprazole as well as its influence on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and corrected QT (QTc) interval. The study population comprised 157 healthy volunteers from 6 bioequivalence clinical trials. Subjects were administered a single 10-mg oral dose of each formulation separated by a 28-day washout period. Plasma concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Blood pressure was measured at the following times: predose and 0.5, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours postdose. An electrocardiogram was recorded at predose, 4, and 8 hours postdose. Area under the curve (AUC), maximum plasma concentration, half-life, and distribution volume corrected for weight were higher in women. Aripiprazole treatment produced a decrease of BP (9.3 mm Hg on systolic and 6.2 mm Hg on diastolic pressure) and an increase in HR (12.1 beats per minute) and QTc interval (9.1 milliseconds). There were sex differences in BP, HR, and QTc interval. Women and subjects with higher AUC and maximum plasma concentration values were more prone to experience adverse drug reactions and gastrointestinal adverse reactions. The AUC was related with systolic BP and diastolic BP decrease and HR increase but there was no relationship between aripiprazole concentrations and QTc increase. Aripiprazole decreases BP and increases HR and QTc interval. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of aripiprazole are affected by sex. There is a directly proportional relationship between pharmacokinetic parameters and adverse drug reactions and effect on BP and HR.

Mercury Emission From Phragmites in a Contaminated Wetland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubb, M.; Peters, S.

2008-12-01

Characterizing the role of vegetation has been an elusive component to a complete understanding of the mercury cycle. Defining this contribution is of ecological and environmental significance as it pertains to contaminated industrial sites. Various studies have demonstrated that foliar exchange of gaseous mercury is bi-directional and may depend on atmospheric concentrations of mercury as well as other environmental parameters. In particular emergent aquatic vegetation such as Typha, Cladium, and Phragmites, in areas of elevated mercury soil concentrations have been shown to generate relatively high daytime fluxes of ~30ng/m2/hr, ~20ng/m2/hr, and in one case 90ng/m2/hr, respectively. For this research mercury fluxes were measured from foliar surfaces of Phragmites australis in a highly contaminated portion of the New Jersey Hackensack Meadowlands using a dynamic flux chamber. The chamber is constructed from UV transparent acrylic sheets sized to average Phragmites leaves and employs a sheath-like design so that it may be easily slid over foliage with minimal interference. The design also circumvents the use of foams or silicone as sealant which in the past have been shown to emit or absorb mercury. Laboratory and field tests have shown good agreement between ambient air and chamber blank mercury levels. During field excursions generally 5-7 adjacent plants would be sampled for 20-30 min each.Over one 6-hour sampling period in late summer 2008 mean Phragmites flux was - 0.12ng/m2/hr±0.25 with a maximum negative flux of -0.64ng/m2/hr. Another sampling period showed a positive average of 0.07ng/m2/hr±0.07 with a maximum of 0.11ng/m2/hr. These values, as well as those observed in earlier literature, are likely the result of significant environmental parameters operating on the mechanism by which foliar flux is produced. Such parameters include, incoming solar radiation, wind velocity, air temperature, air quality, humidity, sediment pore water mercury concentrations, as well as internal leaf properties such as transpiration and relative humidity. It is the ongoing goal of this study to relate the magnitude of mercury flux with said parameters in order to better understand the controls by which emission is enhanced or diminished.

High-risk CTV delineation for cervix brachytherapy: Application of GEC-ESTRO guidelines in Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Vinod, Shalini K; Lim, Karen; Bell, Lauren; Veera, Jacqueline; Ohanessian, Lucy; Juresic, Ewa; Borok, Nira; Chan, Phillip; Chee, Raphael; Do, Viet; Govindarajulu, Geetha; Sridharan, Swetha; Johnson, Carol; Moses, Daniel; Van Dyk, Sylvia; Holloway, Lois

2017-02-01

Image-based brachytherapy for cervical cancer using MRI has been implemented in Australia and New Zealand. The aims of this study were to measure variability in High-risk CTV (HR-CTV) delineation and evaluate dosimetric consequences of this. Nine radiation oncologists, one radiation therapist and two radiologists contoured HR-CTV on 3T MRI datasets from ten consecutive patients undergoing cervical brachytherapy at a single institution. Contour comparisons were performed using the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and Mean Absolute Surface Distance (MASD). Two reference contours were created for brachytherapy planning: a Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) and a consensus contour (CONSENSUS). Optimized plans (8 Gy) for both these contours were applied to individual participant's contours to assess D90 and D100 coverage of HR CTV. To compare variability in dosimetry, relative standard deviation (rSD) was calculated. Good concordance (mean DSC≥0.7, MASD≤5 mm) was achieved in 8/10 cases when compared to the STAPLE reference and 6/10 cases when compared to the CONSENSUS reference. Greatest variation was visually seen in the cranio-caudal direction. The average mean rSD across all patients was 27% and 34% for the STAPLE HR-CTV D90 and D100, respectively, and 28% and 35% for the CONSENSUS HR-CTV D90 and D100. Delineation uncertainty resulted in an average dosimetric uncertainty of ±1.5-1.6 Gy per fraction based on an 8 Gy prescribed fraction. Delineation of HR-CTV for cervical cancer brachytherapy was consistent amongst observers, suggesting similar interpretation of GEC-ESTRO guidelines. Despite the good concordance, there was dosimetric variation noted, which could be clinically significant. © 2016 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

A pilot pharmacokinetic study of miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol on rabbit sera using polyclonal antibody-based icELISA analysis.

PubMed

Kitisripanya, Tharita; Udomsin, Orapin; Komaikul, Jukrapun; Inyai, Chadathorn; Limsuwanchote, Supattra; Yusakul, Gorawit; Putalun, Waraporn

2018-02-01

Miroestrol (ME) and deoxymiroestrol (DME) are the most potent phytoestrogens and bioactive markers in Pueraria candollei var. mirifica tuberous roots. To understand their pharmacokinetic profiles, a pharmacokinetic study of ME and DME, at 0.43 and 0.21 mg per kg body weight, respectively, in three rabbits was performed after orally administering a single dose of P. candollei var. mirifica enriched fraction extract. Two established polyclonal antibody-based indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were validated to determine ME and DME in rabbit sera. In rabbits, the area under the 0- to 48-hr concentration-time curve of ME and DME were 854.92 and 1,692.84 ng·h/ml, respectively. The maximum concentration of ME was measured 1 hr after administration as 69.62 ± 8.28 ng/ml, and the maximum concentration of DME was measured at 3 hr as 81.8 ± 5.43 ng/ml. These results provide an initial approach for designing and studying the relationship between the ME and DME levels and their therapeutic effects based on their pharmacokinetic profiles. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Prospective International Multicentre Cohort Study of Intraoperative Heart Rate and Systolic Blood Pressure and Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery: Results of the VISION Study

PubMed Central

Abbott, Tom E. F.; Pearse, Rupert M.; Archbold, R. Andrew; Ahmad, Tahania; Niebrzegowska, Edyta; Wragg, Andrew; Rodseth, Reitze N.; Devereaux, Philip J.

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: The association between intraoperative cardiovascular changes and perioperative myocardial injury has chiefly focused on hypotension during noncardiac surgery. However, the relative influence of blood pressure and heart rate (HR) remains unclear. We investigated both individual and codependent relationships among intraoperative HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS). METHODS: Secondary analysis of the Vascular Events in Noncardiac Surgery Cohort Evaluation (VISION) study, a prospective international cohort study of noncardiac surgical patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis tested for associations between intraoperative HR and/or SBP and MINS, defined by an elevated serum troponin T adjudicated as due to an ischemic etiology, within 30 days after surgery. Predefined thresholds for intraoperative HR and SBP were: maximum HR >100 beats or minimum HR <55 beats per minute (bpm); maximum SBP >160 mm Hg or minimum SBP <100 mm Hg. Secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction and mortality within 30 days after surgery. RESULTS: After excluding missing data, 1197 of 15,109 patients (7.9%) sustained MINS, 454 of 16,031 (2.8%) sustained myocardial infarction, and 315 of 16,061 patients (2.0%) died within 30 days after surgery. Maximum intraoperative HR >100 bpm was associated with MINS (odds ratio [OR], 1.27 [1.07–1.50]; P < .01), myocardial infarction (OR, 1.34 [1.05–1.70]; P = .02), and mortality (OR, 2.65 [2.06–3.41]; P < .01). Minimum SBP <100 mm Hg was associated with MINS (OR, 1.21 [1.05–1.39]; P = .01) and mortality (OR, 1.81 [1.39–2.37]; P < .01), but not myocardial infarction (OR, 1.21 [0.98–1.49]; P = .07). Maximum SBP >160 mm Hg was associated with MINS (OR, 1.16 [1.01–1.34]; P = .04) and myocardial infarction (OR, 1.34 [1.09–1.64]; P = .01) but, paradoxically, reduced mortality (OR, 0.76 [0.58–0.99]; P = .04). Minimum HR <55 bpm was associated with reduced MINS (OR, 0.70 [0.59–0.82]; P < .01), myocardial infarction (OR, 0.75 [0.58–0.97]; P = .03), and mortality (OR, 0.58 [0.41–0.81]; P < .01). Minimum SBP <100 mm Hg with maximum HR >100 bpm was more strongly associated with MINS (OR, 1.42 [1.15–1.76]; P < .01) compared with minimum SBP <100 mm Hg alone (OR, 1.20 [1.03–1.40]; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative tachycardia and hypotension are associated with MINS. Further interventional research targeting HR/blood pressure is needed to define the optimum strategy to reduce MINS. PMID:29077608

Individually Coded Telemetry: a Tool for Studying Heart Rate and Behaviour in Reindeer Calves

PubMed Central

Eloranta, E; Norberg, H; Nilsson, A; Pudas, T; Säkkinen, H

2002-01-01

The aim of the study was to test the performance of a silver wire modified version of the coded telemetric heart rate monitor Polar Vantage NV™ (PVNV) and to measure heart rate (HR) in a group of captive reindeer calves during different behaviour. The technical performance of PVNV HR monitors was tested in cold conditions (-30°C) using a pulse generator and the correlation between generated pulse and PVNV values was high (r = 0.9957). The accuracy was tested by comparing the HR obtained with the PVNV monitor with the standard ECG, and the correlation was significant (r = 0.9965). Both circadian HR and HR related to behavioural pattern were recorded. A circadian rhythm was observed in the HR in reindeer with a minimum during night and early morning hours and maximum at noon and during the afternoon, the average HR of the reindeer calves studied being 42.5 beats/min in February. The behaviour was recorded by focal individual observations and the data was synchronized with the output of the HR monitors. Running differed from all other behavioural categories in HR. Inter-individual differences were seen expressing individual responses to external and internal stimuli. The silver wire modified Polar Vantage NV™ provides a suitable and reliable tool for measuring heart rate in reindeer, also in natural conditions. PMID:12564543

Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men.

PubMed

Falcone, Paul H; Tai, Chih-Yin; Carson, Laura R; Joy, Jordan M; Mosman, Matt M; McCann, Tyler R; Crona, Kevin P; Kim, Michael P; Moon, Jordan R

2015-03-01

Although exercise regimens vary in content and duration, few studies have compared the caloric expenditure of multiple exercise modalities with the same duration. The purpose of this study was to compare the energy expenditure of single sessions of resistance, aerobic, and combined exercise with the same duration. Nine recreationally active men (age: 25 ± 7 years; height: 181.6 ± 7.6 cm; weight: 86.6 ± 7.5 kg) performed the following 4 exercises for 30 minutes: a resistance training session using 75% of their 1-repetition maximum (1RM), an endurance cycling session at 70% maximum heart rate (HRmax), an endurance treadmill session at 70% HRmax, and a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session on a hydraulic resistance system (HRS) that included repeating intervals of 20 seconds at maximum effort followed by 40 seconds of rest. Total caloric expenditure, substrate use, heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded. Caloric expenditure was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater when exercising with the HRS (12.62 ± 2.36 kcal·min), compared with when exercising with weights (8.83 ± 1.55 kcal·min), treadmill (9.48 ± 1.30 kcal·min), and cycling (9.23 ± 1.25 kcal·min). The average HR was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater with the HRS (156 ± 9 b·min), compared with that using weights (138 ± 16 b·min), treadmill (137 ± 5 b·min), and cycle (138 ± 6 b·min). Similarly, the average RPE was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher with the HRS (16 ± 2), compared with that using weights (13 ± 2), treadmill (10 ± 2), and cycle (11 ± 1). These data suggest that individuals can burn more calories performing an HIIT session with an HRS than spending the same amount of time performing a steady-state exercise session. This form of exercise intervention may be beneficial to individuals who want to gain the benefits of both resistance and cardiovascular training but have limited time to dedicate to exercise.

Cardio-respiratory and plasma lactate responses to exercise with low draught resistances in standardbred trotters.

PubMed

Gottlieb-Vedi, M; Essén-Gustavsson, B; Lindholm, A

1996-12-01

Five Standardbred trotters performed treadmill exercise with incrementally increasing trotting velocities for 2 min intervals in three different tests until fatigue. Each test was performed with draught loads of either 10, 20 or 30 kilopond (kp). Each trotting interval was followed by 2 min periods at a walk without draught load. Recordings were made of heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), plasma lactate (PLA) and stride frequency (SF) at the end of each trotting interval. The HR increased to average values of 191 +/- 10,203 +/- 10 and 214 +/- 7 bpm and PLA increased to 3.8 +/- 0.7, 7.3 +/- 3.8 and 10.8 +/- 6.4 mmol/l at 9 m/s in the three tests, respectively. The HR response to exercise was significantly higher with increasing draught loads, and PLA was significantly higher with 30 kp compared to 10 kp draught resistance. The lowest respiratory rate was seen in the test with 30 kp loading. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) was measured in a separate test on a sloped treadmill with increasing velocities without draught load and averaged 70.4 +/- 9.11/min. Muscle biopsies were taken from the gluteus muscle. Individual variations were seen in VO2peak, muscle fibre composition and HR and PLA responses to exercise. In conclusion, at a certain velocity a small increase in draught resistance from 10 to 30 kp significantly increases both the HR and PLA responses. At comparable work intensities the horses differed in circulatory and metabolic responses to exercise.

Does an ‘Activity-Permissive’ Workplace Change Office Workers’ Sitting and Activity Time?

PubMed Central

Gorman, Erin; Ashe, Maureen C.; Dunstan, David W.; Hanson, Heather M.; Madden, Ken; Winkler, Elisabeth A. H.; McKay, Heather A.; Healy, Genevieve N.

2013-01-01

Introduction To describe changes in workplace physical activity, and health-, and work-related outcomes, in workers who transitioned from a conventional to an ‘activity-permissive’ workplace. Methods A natural pre-post experiment conducted in Vancouver, Canada in 2011. A convenience sample of office-based workers (n=24, 75% women, mean [SD] age = 34.5 [8.1] years) were examined four months following relocation from a conventional workplace (pre) to a newly-constructed, purpose-built, movement-oriented physical environment (post). Workplace activity- (activPAL3-derived stepping, standing, and sitting time), health- (body composition and fasting cardio-metabolic blood profile), and work- (performance; job satisfaction) related outcomes were measured pre- and post-move and compared using paired t-tests. Results Pre-move, on average (mean [SD]) the majority of the day was spent sitting (364 [43.0] mins/8-hr workday), followed by standing (78.2 [32.1] mins/8-hr workday) and stepping (37.7 [15.6] mins/8-hr workday). The transition to the ‘activity-permissive’ workplace resulted in a significant increase in standing time (+18.5, 95% CI: 1.8, 35.2 mins/8-hr workday), likely driven by reduced sitting time (-19.7, 95% CI: -42.1, 2.8 mins/8-hr workday) rather than increased stepping time (+1.2, 95% CI: -6.2, 8.5 mins/8-hr workday). There were no statistically significant differences observed in health- or work-related outcomes. Discussion This novel, opportunistic study demonstrated that the broader workplace physical environment can beneficially impact on standing time in office workers. The long-term health and work-related benefits, and the influence of individual, organizational, and social factors on this change, requires further evaluation. PMID:24098555

Does an 'activity-permissive' workplace change office workers' sitting and activity time?

PubMed

Gorman, Erin; Ashe, Maureen C; Dunstan, David W; Hanson, Heather M; Madden, Ken; Winkler, Elisabeth A H; McKay, Heather A; Healy, Genevieve N

2013-01-01

To describe changes in workplace physical activity, and health-, and work-related outcomes, in workers who transitioned from a conventional to an 'activity-permissive' workplace. A natural pre-post experiment conducted in Vancouver, Canada in 2011. A convenience sample of office-based workers (n=24, 75% women, mean [SD] age = 34.5 [8.1] years) were examined four months following relocation from a conventional workplace (pre) to a newly-constructed, purpose-built, movement-oriented physical environment (post). Workplace activity- (activPAL3-derived stepping, standing, and sitting time), health- (body composition and fasting cardio-metabolic blood profile), and work- (performance; job satisfaction) related outcomes were measured pre- and post-move and compared using paired t-tests. Pre-move, on average (mean [SD]) the majority of the day was spent sitting (364 [43.0] mins/8-hr workday), followed by standing (78.2 [32.1] mins/8-hr workday) and stepping (37.7 [15.6] mins/8-hr workday). The transition to the 'activity-permissive' workplace resulted in a significant increase in standing time (+18.5, 95% CI: 1.8, 35.2 mins/8-hr workday), likely driven by reduced sitting time (-19.7, 95% CI: -42.1, 2.8 mins/8-hr workday) rather than increased stepping time (+1.2, 95% CI: -6.2, 8.5 mins/8-hr workday). There were no statistically significant differences observed in health- or work-related outcomes. This novel, opportunistic study demonstrated that the broader workplace physical environment can beneficially impact on standing time in office workers. The long-term health and work-related benefits, and the influence of individual, organizational, and social factors on this change, requires further evaluation.

Effect of Acu-TENS on recovery heart rate after treadmill running exercise in subjects with normal health.

PubMed

Cheung, Leo Chin-Ting; Jones, Alice Yee-Men

2007-06-01

This study aims to investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, applied at bilateral acupuncture points PC6 (Acu-TENS), on recovery heart rate (HR) in healthy subjects after treadmill running exercise. A single blinded, randomized controlled trial. Laboratory with healthy male subjects (n=28). Each subject participated in three separate protocols in random order. PROTOCOL A: The subject followed the Bruce protocol and ran on a treadmill until their HR reached 70% of their maximum (220-age). At this 'target' HR, the subject adopted the supine position and Acu-TENS to bilateral PC6 was commenced. PROTOCOL B: Identical to protocol A except that Acu-TENS was applied in the supine position for 45min prior to, but not after exercise. PROTOCOL C: Identical to protocol A except that placebo Acu-TENS was applied. Heart rate was recorded before and at 30s intervals after exercise until it returned to the pre-exercise baseline. The time for HR to return to baseline was compared for each protocol. Acu-TENS applied to bilateral PC6 resulted in a faster return to pre-exercise HR compared to placebo. Time required for HR to return to pre-exercise level in protocols A-C was 5.5+/-3.0; 4.8+/-3.3; 9.4+/-3.7 min, respectively (p<0.001). There was no statistical difference in HR recovery time between protocols A and B. Subjects expressed the lowest rate of perceived exertion score (RPE) at 70% maximum HR with protocol B. This study suggests that Acu-TENS applied to PC6 may facilitate HR recovery after high intensity treadmill exercise.

40 CFR 1054.740 - What special provisions apply for generating and using emission credits?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) × (Avg. Power) × (Avg. UL) × (LF) ×(10−3) Where: Emissions Delta = 1.6 g/kW-hr for Class I and 2.1 g/kW... volumes. Avg. Power = the production-weighted average value of the maximum modal power for all your engine families in the engine class, as described in § 1054.705(a), in kilowatts. Avg. UL = the production...

76 FR 79579 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-22

... posting of the availability of the submittal on EPA's Adequacy Web site (at http://www.epa.gov/otaq... average annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration), if it had a 1-hour design... ozone standard is attained when the three-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour...

Spinal Cord Injury Impairs Cardiovascular Capacity in Elite Wheelchair Rugby Athletes.

PubMed

Gee, Cameron M; Currie, Katharine D; Phillips, Aaron A; Squair, Jordan W; Krassioukov, Andrei V

2017-12-19

To examine differences in heart rate (HR) responses during international wheelchair rugby competition between athletes with and without a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and across standardized sport classifications. Observational study. The 2015 Parapan American Games wheelchair rugby competition. Forty-three male athletes (31 ± 8 years) with a cervical SCI (n = 32) or tetraequivalent impairment (non-SCI, n = 11). Average and peak HR (HRavg and HRpeak, respectively). To characterize HR responses in accordance with an athletes' International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) classification, we separated athletes into 3 groups: group I (IWRF classification 0.5-1.5, n = 15); group II (IWRF classification 2.0, n = 15); and group III (IWRF classification 2.5-3.5, n = 13). Athletes with SCI had lower HRavg (111 ± 14 bpm vs 155 ± 13 bpm) and HRpeak (133 ± 12 bpm vs 178 ± 13 bpm) compared with non-SCI (both P < 0.001). Average HR was higher in group III than in I (136 ± 25 bpm vs 115 ± 20 bpm, P = 0.045); however, SCI athletes showed no difference in HRavg or HRpeak between groups. Within group III, SCI athletes had lower HRavg (115 ± 6 bpm vs 160 ± 8 bpm) and HRpeak (135 ± 11 bpm vs 183 ± 11 bpm) than non-SCI athletes (both P < 0.001). This study is the first to demonstrate attenuated HR responses during competition in SCI compared with non-SCI athletes, likely due to injury to spinal autonomic pathways. Among athletes with SCI, IWRF classification was not related to differences in HR. Specific assessment of autonomic function after SCI may be able to predict HR during competition and consideration of autonomic impairments may improve the classification process.

Chronic Moderate Sleep Restriction in Older Long Sleepers and Older Average Duration Sleepers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Youngstedt, Shawn D.; Jean-Louis, Girardin; Bootzin, Richard R.; Kripke, Daniel F.; Cooper, Jonnifer; Dean, Lauren R.; Catao, Fabio; James, Shelli; Vining, Caitlyn; Williams, Natasha J.; Irwin, Michael R.

2013-01-01

Epidemiologic studies have consistently shown that sleeping < 7 hr and ≥ 8 hr is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. The risks of short sleep may be consistent with results from experimental sleep deprivation studies. However, there has been little study of chronic moderate sleep restriction and no evaluation of older adults who might be more vulnerable to negative effects of sleep restriction, given their age-related morbidities. Moreover, the risks of long sleep have scarcely been examined experimentally. Moderate sleep restriction might benefit older long sleepers who often spend excessive time in bed (TIB), in contrast to older adults with average sleep patterns. Our aims are: (1) to examine the ability of older long sleepers and older average sleepers to adhere to 60 min TIB restriction; and (2) to contrast effects of chronic TIB restriction in older long vs. average sleepers. Older adults (n=100) (60–80 yr) who sleep 8–9 hr per night and 100 older adults who sleep 6–7.25 hr per night will be examined at 4 sites over 5 years. Following a 2-week baseline, participants will be randomized to one of two 12-week treatments: (1) a sleep restriction involving a fixed sleep-wake schedule, in which TIB is reduced 60 min below each participant’s baseline TIB; (2) a control treatment involving no sleep restriction, but a fixed sleep schedule. Sleep will be assessed with actigraphy and a diary. Measures will include glucose tolerance, sleepiness, depressive symptoms, quality of life, cognitive performance, incidence of illness or accident, and inflammation. PMID:23811325

47 CFR 101.1333 - Interference protection criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Maximum EIRP Watts dBW Maximum ERP 1 Watts dBW Master 941.0-941.5 1000 30 600 27.8 Fixed Remote and Master 932.0-932.5 50 17 30 14.8 1 Where ERP = EIRP/1.64.> (ii) Maximum antenna height above average terrain... Reduction Table Antenna height above average terrain (meters) EIRP Watts dBW ERP Watts dBW Above 305 200 23...

Heart rate in patients with reduced ejection fraction: relationship between single time point measurement and mean heart rate on prolonged implantable cardioverter defibrillator monitoring.

PubMed

Habal, Marlena V; Nanthakumar, Kumaraswamy; Austin, Peter C; Freitas, Cassandra; Labos, Christopher; Lee, Douglas S

2018-01-31

Heart rate (HR) is a prognostic marker that is increasingly used as a therapeutic target in patients with cardiovascular disease. The association between resting and mean HR remains unclear. We therefore set out to determine the relationship between resting HR on the electrocardiogram (ECG) obtained at a single time point, and mean HR on implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) interrogation amongst patients with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Prospective ICD data were obtained from 54 patients with LVEF < 40%. Mean HR determined using the ICD HR histograms was compared with resting HR measured on the ECG performed in the clinic. Average resting and ICD mean HRs were 67.9 ± 10.1 and 67.8 ± 9.6 bpm respectively. There was good correlation in the overall cohort (r = 0.79), in those with resting ECG HRs ≤ 70 bpm (r = 0.62), and amongst the 27 patients on intermediate-to-high dose beta-blockers (r = 0.91). However, Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated wide limits of agreement in the overall cohort (- 12.5, 12.7 bpm), at resting HRs ≤ 70 bpm (- 12.7, 9.8 bpm), and on intermediate-to-high dose beta-blockers (- 8.9, 7.4 bpm). Moreover, resting HR did not predict the 10-bpm interval where the most time was spent. While resting HR correlated with mean HR in patients with reduced LVEF, and in important subgroups, the limits of agreement were unacceptably wide raising concern over the use of single time point resting HR as a therapeutic target.

Insufficient colostrum ingestion is a risk factor for polyarthritis and/or phlegmon in hand-reared reticulated giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata): 7 cases (2003-2012).

PubMed

Kido, Nobuhide; Nagakura, Kasumi; Itabashi, Masanori; Ono, Kaori; Dan, Mayuko; Matsumoto, Rei; Omiya, Tomoko

2014-08-01

Seven reticulated giraffes were hand-reared at Nogeyama Zoological Gardens, because the dam had agalactia. Six of the 7 calves exhibited polyarthritis and/or phlegmon in the lower legs. However, the cause of the disorder was unclear. The present study reviewed the clinical records of the 7 giraffes, including the type and amount of colostrum ingested during the first 72 hr. The disorder involved the fetlocks and carpal and tarsal joints in 6 of the 7 calves within an average of 8 days of birth. The average amount of fed bovine or powdered colostrum was 0-2.4 l in the first 24 hr and 2.0-6.2 l during the first 72 hr. Insufficient colostrum quantity might be a factor in polyarthritis and/or phlegmon.

Synthesis and circularization of N- and B-tropic retroviral DNA in Fv-1 permissive and restrictive mouse cells

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

Yang, W.K.; Kiggans, J.O.; Yang, D.M.

1980-05-01

Production of various forms of nonintegrated viral DNA was measured in cultured mouse cells carrying different Fv-1 alleles early after infection with N-tropic or B-tropic retroviruses. Quantitative analyses were performed by agarose gel electrophoresis, transfer to diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper, and molecular hybridization. In permissive infection of Fv-1/sup n/ cells (NIH Swiss and DBA mouse strains) with N-tropic virus and of Fv-1/sup b/ cells (BALB/c and C57BL/6 strains) with B-tropic virus, form III (double-stranded linear) DNA first appeared at 3 to 4 hr and reached a maximum at 8 to 10 hr; two form I (closed circle) DNAs appeared at 7 to 8more » hr and reached a maximum at or beyond 12 hr. In the two Fv-1/sup b/ cells infected with N-tropic virus and in DBA (Fv-1/sup n/) cells infected with B-tropic virus, formation of the two form I DNAs was quantitatively restricted but formation of form III DNA was unaltered. In Fv-1/sup n/ NIH Swiss mouse embryo cells infected with B-tropic virus, the level of form III DNA was markedly depressed and hence the two form I DNAs were not detectable. In C57BL/6 cells as well as in DBA/2 cells 12 hr after infection, the quantity of form III DNA varied directly with the amount of restricted virus, whereas the quantity of form I DNA varied according to the square of the amount of restricted virus. The significance of these results for understanding the molecular basis of retrovirus replication and its restriction by the Fv-1 gene is discussed.« less

Biological activity of alligator, avian, and mammalian insulin in juvenile alligators: plasma glucose and amino acids.

PubMed

Lance, V A; Elsey, R M; Coulson, R A

1993-02-01

The biological activity of alligator, turkey, and bovine insulin on plasma glucose and plasma amino acids was tested in fasted juvenile alligators. Preliminary experiments showed that the stress associated with taking the initial blood sample resulted in a hyperglycemic response lasting more than 24 hr. Despite repeated bleedings no additional hyperglycemic events occurred, and blood glucose declined slowly over the next 7 days. Under these conditions the smallest dose of insulin eliciting a hypoglycemic response was 40 micrograms/kg body wt. A dose of 400 micrograms/kg body wt of either alligator or bovine insulin caused a pronounced hypoglycemia by 12 hr postinjection. Maximum decline in plasma glucose occurred at 24 to 36 hr with a slow return to control levels by 120 hr. There were no significant differences in the hypoglycemic responses to any of the three insulins tested. The decline in plasma amino acids was much more rapid than the decline in plasma glucose in response to insulin. Even at the 40 micrograms/kg body wt dose a significant difference from saline-injected control was seen at 2 hr postinjection. Maximum decline in plasma amino acids occurred at 8 to 12 hr with a return to baseline by 36 hr. These results show that the relatively conservative changes in the sequence of alligator insulin (three amino acid substitutions in the B-chain compared with that of chicken) have little effect on biological activity and that alligator insulin receptors do not appear to discriminate among the three insulins.

Measurement of respirable superabsorbent polyacrylate (SAP) dust by ethanol derivatization using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection.

PubMed

McCormack, Paul; Lemmo, John S; Macomber, Margaret; Holcomb, Mark L; Lieckfield, Robert

2011-04-01

Superabsorbent polyacrylate (SAP) is an important industrial chemical manufactured primarily as sodium polyacrylate but occasionally as potassium salt. It has many applications owing to its intrinsic physical property of very high water absorption, which can be more than 100 times it own weight. SAP is commonly used in disposable diapers and feminine hygiene products and is known by a number of synonyms-sodium polyacrylate, superabsorbent polyacrylate (SAP), polyacrylate absorbent (PA), and superabsorbent material (SAM). Germany and The Netherlands have adopted a nonbinding scientific guideline value 0.05 mg/m³ (8-hr time-weighted average, TWA) as the maximum allowable workplace concentration for the respirable dust of SAP (<10 μm particle diameter). Three industry associations representing Europe, the United States, and Asia have adopted the German scientific guideline value of 0.05 mg/m³ (8-hr TWA) as a voluntary guideline. A new test method based on alcohol derivatization of the acrylate was developed and validated for the analysis of respirable superabsorbent polyacrylate dust collected on filter cassettes in the workplace environment. This method is an alternative to the commonly used sodium-based method, which is limited owing to potential interference by other sources of sodium from the workplace and laboratory environments. The alcohol derivatization method effectively eliminates sodium interference from several classes of sodium compounds, as shown by their purposeful introduction at two and six times the equivalent amount of SAP present in reference samples. The accuracy of the method, as determined by comparison with sodium analysis of known reference samples, was greater than 80% over the study range of 5-50 μg of SAP dust. The lower reporting limit of the method is 3.0 μg of SAP per sample, which is equivalent to 3 (μg/m³) for an 8-hr sampling period at the recommended flow rate of 2.2 L/min.

Management of background pain and anxiety in critically burned children requiring protracted mechanical ventilation.

PubMed

Sheridan, R; Stoddard, F; Querzoli, E

2001-01-01

Optimal control of pain and anxiety is an elusive but important goal in children with protracted critical illness. This review represents an effort to document the doses of background medication required to achieve this goal in a group of children managed under a pain and anxiety protocol that adjusts background infusions to comfort. The course of children with wounds involving at least 10% of the body surface and coincident respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days managed 1 Jan 97 to 31 Dec 98 was reviewed. A pain and anxiety protocol was used, including background infusions of morphine and midazolam adjusted to comfort. These 28 children had a mean (+/- standard deviation) age of 5.3 +/- 4.6 years, wound size of 48.3 +/- 28.4%, and were intubated for 25.0 +/- 23.9 days. Neuromuscular blocking drugs were administered for 65 of 447 (14.5%) ventilator days. To maintain comfort, drugs were required at doses substantially above standard dosing schemes. The highest daily background infusion of morphine sulfate averaged 0.40 mg/kg/hr +/- 0.24 mg/kg/hr (usual starting dose was 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg/hr) and was reached 14.1 +/- 12.8 days after admission. The highest daily background infusion of midazolam averaged 0.15 +/- 0.07 mg/kg/hr (usual starting dose was 0.04 mg/kg/hr) and was reached 14.0 +/- 3.8 days after admission. Morphine infusions at extubation averaged 0.22 +/- 0.17 mg/kg/hr and midazolam infusions 0.10 +/- 0.12 mg/kg/hr. All children survived to discharge and there was no perceived morbidity related to these high doses of medication. Children with serious burns and respiratory failure will require high doses of background opiates and benzodiazepines to remain comfortable, because they develop drug tolerance during protracted critical illness. Infusions can be continued at a reduced dose through extubation, do not result in addiction or other apparent morbidity if adjusted to desired level of comfort, and may contribute to a reduced incidence of treatment-related stress disorders.

Large-Scale Sidereal Anisotropy of Galactic Cosmic-Ray Intensity Observed by the Tibet Air Shower Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amenomori, M.; Ayabe, S.; Cui, S. W.; Danzengluobu; Ding, L. K.; Ding, X. H.; Feng, C. F.; Feng, Z. Y.; Gao, X. Y.; Geng, Q. X.; Guo, H. W.; He, H. H.; He, M.; Hibino, K.; Hotta, N.; Hu, Haibing; Hu, H. B.; Huang, J.; Huang, Q.; Jia, H. Y.; Kajino, F.; Kasahara, K.; Katayose, Y.; Kato, C.; Kawata, K.; Labaciren; Le, G. M.; Li, J. Y.; Lu, H.; Lu, S. L.; Meng, X. R.; Mizutani, K.; Mu, J.; Munakata, K.; Nagai, A.; Nanjo, H.; Nishizawa, M.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohta, I.; Onuma, H.; Ouchi, T.; Ozawa, S.; Ren, J. R.; Saito, T.; Sakata, M.; Sasaki, T.; Shibata, M.; Shiomi, A.; Shirai, T.; Sugimoto, H.; Takita, M.; Tan, Y. H.; Tateyama, N.; Torii, S.; Tsuchiya, H.; Udo, S.; Utsugi, T.; Wang, B. S.; Wang, H.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y. G.; Wu, H. R.; Xue, L.; Yamamoto, Y.; Yan, C. T.; Yang, X. C.; Yasue, S.; Ye, Z. H.; Yu, G. C.; Yuan, A. F.; Yuda, T.; Zhang, H. M.; Zhang, J. L.; Zhang, N. J.; Zhang, X. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Yi; Zhaxisangzhu; Zhou, X. X.; Tibet Asγ Collaboration

2005-06-01

We present the large-scale sidereal anisotropy of Galactic cosmic-ray intensity in the multi-TeV region observed with the Tibet-III air shower array during the period from 1999 through 2003. The sidereal daily variation of cosmic rays observed in this experiment shows an excess of relative intensity around 4-7 hr local sidereal time as well as a deficit around 12 hr local sidereal time. While the amplitude of the excess is not significant when averaged over all declinations, the excess in individual declination bands becomes larger and clearer as the viewing direction moves toward the south. The maximum phase of the excess intensity changes from ~7 hr at the Northern Hemisphere to ~4 hr at the equatorial region. We also show that both the amplitude and the phase of the first harmonic vector of the daily variation are remarkably independent of primary energy in the multi-TeV region. This is the first result determining the energy and declination dependences of the full 24 hr profiles of the sidereal daily variation in the multi-TeV region with a single air shower experiment.

Analysis of air temperature changes on blood pressure and heart rate and performance of undergraduate students.

PubMed

Siqueira, Joseana C F; da Silva, Luiz Bueno; Coutinho, Antônio S; Rodrigues, Rafaela M

2017-01-01

The increase in air temperature has been associated with human deaths, some of which are related to cardiovascular dysfunctions, and with the reduction of physical and cognitive performance in humans. To analyze the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) and the cognitive performance of students who were submitted to temperature changes in classrooms. The university students answered a survey that was adapted from the Battery of Reasoning Tests over 3 consecutive days at different air temperatures while their thermal state and HR were measured. During those 3 days, BP and HR were evaluated before and after the cognitive test. The average and final HR increased at high temperatures; the tests execution time was reduced at high temperatures; and the cognitive tests was related to Mean BP at the beginning of the test, the maximum HR during the test and the air temperature. The cognitive performance of undergraduate students in the field of engineering and technology will increase while performing activities in a learning environment with an air temperature of approximately 23.3°C (according to their thermal perception), if students have an initial MBP of 93.33 mmHg and a 60 bpm HRmax.

Voxel size dependency, reproducibility and sensitivity of an in vivo bone loading estimation algorithm

PubMed Central

Christen, Patrik; Schulte, Friederike A.; Zwahlen, Alexander; van Rietbergen, Bert; Boutroy, Stephanie; Melton, L. Joseph; Amin, Shreyasee; Khosla, Sundeep; Goldhahn, Jörg; Müller, Ralph

2016-01-01

A bone loading estimation algorithm was previously developed that provides in vivo loading conditions required for in vivo bone remodelling simulations. The algorithm derives a bone's loading history from its microstructure as assessed by high-resolution (HR) computed tomography (CT). This reverse engineering approach showed accurate and realistic results based on micro-CT and HR-peripheral quantitative CT images. However, its voxel size dependency, reproducibility and sensitivity still need to be investigated, which is the purpose of this study. Voxel size dependency was tested on cadaveric distal radii with micro-CT images scanned at 25 µm and downscaled to 50, 61, 75, 82, 100, 125 and 150 µm. Reproducibility was calculated with repeated in vitro as well as in vivo HR-pQCT measurements at 82 µm. Sensitivity was defined using HR-pQCT images from women with fracture versus non-fracture, and low versus high bone volume fraction, expecting similar and different loading histories, respectively. Our results indicate that the algorithm is voxel size independent within an average (maximum) error of 8.2% (32.9%) at 61 µm, but that the dependency increases considerably at voxel sizes bigger than 82 µm. In vitro and in vivo reproducibility are up to 4.5% and 10.2%, respectively, which is comparable to other in vitro studies and slightly higher than in other in vivo studies. Subjects with different bone volume fraction were clearly distinguished but not subjects with and without fracture. This is in agreement with bone adapting to customary loading but not to fall loads. We conclude that the in vivo bone loading estimation algorithm provides reproducible, sensitive and fairly voxel size independent results at up to 82 µm, but that smaller voxel sizes would be advantageous. PMID:26790999

The geographic distribution and economic value of climate change-related ozone health impacts in the United States in 2030.

PubMed

Fann, Neal; Nolte, Christopher G; Dolwick, Patrick; Spero, Tanya L; Brown, Amanda Curry; Phillips, Sharon; Anenberg, Susan

2015-05-01

In this United States-focused analysis we use outputs from two general circulation models (GCMs) driven by different greenhouse gas forcing scenarios as inputs to regional climate and chemical transport models to investigate potential changes in near-term U.S. air quality due to climate change. We conduct multiyear simulations to account for interannual variability and characterize the near-term influence of a changing climate on tropospheric ozone-related health impacts near the year 2030, which is a policy-relevant time frame that is subject to fewer uncertainties than other approaches employed in the literature. We adopt a 2030 emissions inventory that accounts for fully implementing anthropogenic emissions controls required by federal, state, and/or local policies, which is projected to strongly influence future ozone levels. We quantify a comprehensive suite of ozone-related mortality and morbidity impacts including emergency department visits, hospital admissions, acute respiratory symptoms, and lost school days, and estimate the economic value of these impacts. Both GCMs project average daily maximum temperature to increase by 1-4°C and 1-5 ppb increases in daily 8-hr maximum ozone at 2030, though each climate scenario produces ozone levels that vary greatly over space and time. We estimate tens to thousands of additional ozone-related premature deaths and illnesses per year for these two scenarios and calculate an economic burden of these health outcomes of hundreds of millions to tens of billions of U.S. dollars (2010$). Near-term changes to the climate have the potential to greatly affect ground-level ozone. Using a 2030 emission inventory with regional climate fields downscaled from two general circulation models, we project mean temperature increases of 1 to 4°C and climate-driven mean daily 8-hr maximum ozone increases of 1-5 ppb, though each climate scenario produces ozone levels that vary significantly over space and time. These increased ozone levels are estimated to result in tens to thousands of ozone-related premature deaths and illnesses per year and an economic burden of hundreds of millions to tens of billions of U.S. dollars (2010$).

Insufficient Colostrum Ingestion is a Risk Factor for Polyarthritis and/or Phlegmon in Hand-Reared Reticulated Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata): 7 Cases (2003–2012)

PubMed Central

KIDO, Nobuhide; NAGAKURA, Kasumi; ITABASHI, Masanori; ONO, Kaori; DAN, Mayuko; MATSUMOTO, Rei; OMIYA, Tomoko

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Seven reticulated giraffes were hand-reared at Nogeyama Zoological Gardens, because the dam had agalactia. Six of the 7 calves exhibited polyarthritis and/or phlegmon in the lower legs. However, the cause of the disorder was unclear. The present study reviewed the clinical records of the 7 giraffes, including the type and amount of colostrum ingested during the first 72 hr. The disorder involved the fetlocks and carpal and tarsal joints in 6 of the 7 calves within an average of 8 days of birth. The average amount of fed bovine or powdered colostrum was 0–2.4 l in the first 24 hr and 2.0–6.2 l during the first 72 hr. Insufficient colostrum quantity might be a factor in polyarthritis and/or phlegmon. PMID:24758869

Improved Forecasting of Next Day Ozone Concentrations in the Eastern U.S.

EPA Science Inventory

There is an urgent need to provide accurate air quality information and forecasts to the general public. A hierarchical space-time model is used to forecast next day spatial patterns of daily maximum 8-hr ozone concentrations. The model combines ozone monitoring data and gridded...

AN ANNUAL EVALUATION OF THE 2005 RELEASE OF MODELS-3 CMAQ

EPA Science Inventory

An annual operation performance evaluation of the 2005 release of Models-3 CMAQ v4.5 has been performed. The poster presented results from the winter and summer season for sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, elemental carbon, organic carbon, PM2.5 mass and AQS 8-hr maximum ozone. Stati...

Spring habitat use by stocked one year old European sturgeon Acipenser sturio in the freshwater-oligohaline area of the Gironde estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acolas, M. L.; Le Pichon, C.; Rochard, E.

2017-09-01

Post release habitat selection was studied on forty eight 10-month-old hatchery reared European sturgeon (mean fork length 31.0 cm ± 3.0) in the tidal part of their native catchment using acoustic telemetry. Most of the fish reached the oligohaline estuary within 2-4 days (70 km downstream the release site). Seventy four percent of the fish migrated rapidly downstream of the estuary into mesohaline waters while 26% selected habitat in the freshwater/oligohaline part of the estuary based on their linearity and residency indices. We focused on individual habitat use of these fish. The home range size (HR) was calculated using two methods: the kernel utilization distribution (KUD) which is driven by the maximum detection location density, and the Brownian Bridge (BB) approach which allows the time component of the trajectory path to be taken into account. The average 50% HR KUD was 5.6 ± 2.7 km2 (range 1.1-10.3 km2) and it was estimated to be 6 times larger using the 50% HR BB method (average reaching 31.9 ± 20.7 km2, range 5.2-77.8 km2). Habitat characterization (available prey, substrate and depth) in the studied area was described and the Ivlev electivity index was calculated using the habitat within the 50% HR BB for each individual. Despite the spatial use of different core areas among the fish tagged, we observed a convergence in habitat preference. For substrates, sturgeons showed avoidance of gravel and large rocks as well as fine and medium gravel. There was a significant preference for sand, silts and clay. For depth, they exhibited a preference firstly for the 5-8 m depth range and secondly for the 2-5 m range, a strong avoidance of depth range 8-20 m and a slight avoidance of shallow (0-2 m) and intertidal areas. For prey, individual variability was high. The most homogenous results were found for annelid polychaeta, with a slight preference for areas with this group of preys which are abundant in the saline estuary. For some individuals, a preference for areas with crustacea or nematodea and avoidance for areas with mollusks, insects or oligochaeta occured. We explain our results in light of foraging behavior and adaptation to the wild environment after captivity. For sturgeon population restoration projects in western Europe, these habitat preferences are key-features needed to evaluate the essential habitat availability for A. sturio juveniles in the tidal area at the front of the freshwater/saline transition waters.

Prediction of work metabolism from heart rate measurements in forest work: some practical methodological issues.

PubMed

Dubé, Philippe-Antoine; Imbeau, Daniel; Dubeau, Denise; Auger, Isabelle; Leone, Mario

2015-01-01

Individual heart rate (HR) to workload relationships were determined using 93 submaximal step-tests administered to 26 healthy participants attending physical activities in a university training centre (laboratory study) and 41 experienced forest workers (field study). Predicted maximum aerobic capacity (MAC) was compared to measured MAC from a maximal treadmill test (laboratory study) to test the effect of two age-predicted maximum HR Equations (220-age and 207-0.7 × age) and two clothing insulation levels (0.4 and 0.91 clo) during the step-test. Work metabolism (WM) estimated from forest work HR was compared against concurrent work V̇O2 measurements while taking into account the HR thermal component. Results show that MAC and WM can be accurately predicted from work HR measurements and simple regression models developed in this study (1% group mean prediction bias and up to 25% expected prediction bias for a single individual). Clothing insulation had no impact on predicted MAC nor age-predicted maximum HR equations. Practitioner summary: This study sheds light on four practical methodological issues faced by practitioners regarding the use of HR methodology to assess WM in actual work environments. More specifically, the effect of wearing work clothes and the use of two different maximum HR prediction equations on the ability of a submaximal step-test to assess MAC are examined, as well as the accuracy of using an individual's step-test HR to workload relationship to predict WM from HR data collected during actual work in the presence of thermal stress.

Pharmacokinetics of oral sitamaquine taken with or without food and safety and efficacy for treatment of visceral leishmaniais: a randomized study in Bihar, India.

PubMed

Sundar, Shyam; Sinha, Prabhat K; Dixon, Susan A; Buckley, Renata; Miller, Ann K; Mohamed, Khadeeja; Al-Banna, Mahir

2011-06-01

This randomized, open-label study of patients in India with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) investigated the effect of food on sitamaquine and desethyl-sitamaquine pharmacokinetics. Patients were randomized to receive oral sitamaquine, 2 mg/kg/day, once a day for 21 days across four cohorts (n = 41) (fasted/fed, fed/fasted, fed/fed, and fasted/fasted) over two periods (days 1-10 and 11-21), or intravenous amphotericin B (AmB), 1 mg/kg every other day for 30 days (n = 20). Mean day 21 pharmacokinetics across the four cohorts were sitamaquine, area under curve (AUC)((0-τ)) = 6,627-8,903 ng.hr/mL, AUC((0-16)) = 4,859-6,633 ng.hr/mL, maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) = 401-570 ng/mL, apparent terminal half-life (t(1/2)) = 18.3-22.8 hr, time to reach C(max) (t(max)) = 3.5-6 hr; and desethyl-sitamaquine, AUC((0-τ)) = 2,307-3,163 ng.hr/mL, C(max) = 109-154 ng/mL, t(1/2) = 23.0-27.9 hr, t(max) = 2-10 hr, with no significant food effect. On-therapy adverse events were observed for sitamaquine in 4 (10%) of 41 patients and for AmB in 17 (85%) of 20 patients. The final clinical cure (day 180) was 85% (95% confidence interval = 70.8-94.4%) for sitamaquine and 95% (95% confidence interval = 75.1-99.9) for AmB. Sitamaquine can be taken regardless of food intake, was generally well tolerated, and showed potential efficacy in patients with visceral leishmaniasis.

Scale inhibition in geothermal operations: experiments with Dequest 2060 phosphonate in Republic's East Mesa Field

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

Vetter, O.J.; Campbell, D.A.

Two calcium carbonate (CaCO/sub 3/) scale inhibition tests have been performed at East Mesa wells number 16-29 and number 56-30. The first test at well number 16-29 could not be finished due to downhole pump problems. However, two inhibitor concentration runs were completed and a third run started before the pump failed. A follow-up test at well number 56-30 was completed according to the original plan. Typical power plant conditions (i.e., pressure and temperature drops, flow conditions) were simulated by using test loops (pipe diameters of eight inches at well number 16-29 and twelve inches at well number 56-30) andmore » field separators. Untreated East Mesa brine exhibits a calcium carbonate scale tendency as soon as the pressure is dropped below 75 psig. The uninhibited brine from well number 16-29 formed a maximum scale thickness of 0.5 inch in an eight inch ID pipe after a 92.75 hour test run at an average production rate of 375,000 lb/hr. The brine from well number 56-30 formed a maximum scale thickness of 1.25 inches in a twelve inch ID pipe after a 104 hour test run at an average production rate of 722,000 lb/hr. The principal conclusions of this test work are listed.« less

Hearing Aid Use and Mild Hearing Impairment: Learnings from Big Data.

PubMed

Timmer, Barbra H B; Hickson, Louise; Launer, Stefan

2017-09-01

Previous research, mostly reliant on self-reports, has indicated that hearing aid (HA) use is related to the degree of hearing impairment (HI). No large-scale investigation of the relationship between data-logged HA use and HI has been conducted to date. This study aimed to investigate if objective measures of overall daily HA use and HA use in various listening environments are different for adults with mild HI compared to adults with moderate HI. This retrospective study used data extracted from a database of fitting appointments from an international group of HA providers. Only data from the participants' most recent fitting appointment were included in the final dataset. A total of 8,489 bilateral HA fittings of adults over the age of 18 yr, conducted between January 2013 and June 2014, were included. Participants were subsequently allocated to HI groups, based on British Society of Audiology and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association audiometric descriptors. Fitting data from participating HA providers were regularly transferred to a central server. The data, with all personal information except age and gender removed, contained participants' four-frequency average (at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) as well as information on HA characteristics and usage. Following data cleaning, bivariate and post hoc statistical analyses were conducted. The total sample of adults' average daily HA use was 8.52 hr (interquartile range [IQR] = 5.49-11.77) in the left ear and 8.51 hr (IQR = 5.49-11.72) in the right ear. With a few exceptions, there were no statistical differences between hours of HA use for participants with mild HI compared to those with moderate impairment. Across all mild and moderate HI groups, the most common overall HA usage was between 8 and 12 hr per day. Other factors such as age, gender, and HA style also showed no relationship to hours of use. HAs were used, on average, for 7 hr (IQR = 4.27-9.96) per day in quiet and 1 hr (IQR = 0.33-1.41) per day in noisy listening situations. Clinical populations with mild HI use HAs as frequently as those with a moderate HI. These findings support the recommendation of HAs for adults with milder degrees of HI. American Academy of Audiology

Contributions of Astronauts Aerobic Exercise Intensity and Time on Change in VO2peak during Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downs, Meghan E.; Buxton, Roxanne; Moore, Alan; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori

2014-01-01

There is considerable variability among astronauts with respect to changes in maximal aerobic capacity (VO2peak) during International Space Station (ISS) missions, ranging from a 5% increase to 30% decline. Individual differences may be due to in-flight aerobic exercise time and intensity. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of in-flight aerobic exercise time and intensity on change in VO2peak during ISS missions. METHODS: Astronauts (N=11) performed peak cycle tests approx 60 days before flight (L-60), on flight day (FD) approx 14, and every approx 30 days thereafter. Metabolic gas analysis and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously during the test using the portable pulmonary function system. HR and duration of each in-flight cycle ergometer and treadmill (TM) session were recorded and averaged in time segments corresponding to each peak test. Mixed effects linear regression with exercise mode (TM or cycle) as a categorical variable was used to assess the contributions of exercise intensity (%time >70% peak HR or %time >90% peak HR) and time (min/wk), adjusted for body weight, on %change in VO2peak during the mission, and incorporating the repeated-measures experimental design. RESULTS: 110 observations were included in the model (4-6 peak cycle tests per astronaut, 2 exercise devices). VO2peak was reduced from preflight throughout the mission (FD14: 13+/-13% and FD 105: 8+/-10%). Exercise intensity (%peak HR: FD14=66+/-14; FD105=75+/-8) and time (min/wk: FD14=82+/-46; FD105=158+/-40) increased during flight. The models showed main effects for exercise time and intensity with no interactions between time, intensity, and device (70% peak HR: time [z-score=2.39; P=0.017], intensity [z-score=3.51; P=0.000]; 90% peak HR: time [zscore= 3.31; P=0.001], intensity [z-score=2.24; P=0.025]). CONCLUSION: Exercise time and intensity independently contribute to %change in VO2peak during ISS missions, indicating that there are minimal values for exercise time and intensity required to maintain VO2peak. As the FD105 average exercise intensity and time did not prevent a decline in VO2peak from preflight, astronauts' exercise prescriptions should target at least 160 min of weekly aerobic exercise at an average above 75% peak HR with increased time at intensities above 90% of peak HR starting early in the mission.

The DiskMass Survey. VII. The distribution of luminous and dark matter in spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinsson, Thomas P. K.; Verheijen, Marc A. W.; Westfall, Kyle B.; Bershady, Matthew A.; Andersen, David R.; Swaters, Rob A.

2013-09-01

We present dynamically-determined rotation-curve mass decompositions of 30 spiral galaxies, which were carried out to test the maximum-disk hypothesis and to quantify properties of their dark-matter halos. We used measured vertical velocity dispersions of the disk stars to calculate dynamical mass surface densities (Σdyn). By subtracting our observed atomic and inferred molecular gas mass surface densities from Σdyn, we derived the stellar mass surface densities (Σ∗), and thus have absolute measurements of all dominant baryonic components of the galaxies. Using K-band surface brightness profiles (IK), we calculated the K-band mass-to-light ratio of the stellar disks (Υ∗ = Σ∗/IK) and adopted the radial mean (overline{mls}) for each galaxy to extrapolate Σ∗ beyond the outermost kinematic measurement. The derived overline{mls} of individual galaxies are consistent with all galaxies in the sample having equal Υ∗. We find a sample average and scatter of mlab overline{mls}mrab = 0.31 ± 0.07. Rotation curves of the baryonic components were calculated from their deprojected mass surface densities. These were used with circular-speed measurements to derive the structural parameters of the dark-matter halos, modeled as either a pseudo-isothermal sphere (pISO) or a Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) halo. In addition to our dynamically determined mass decompositions, we also performed alternative rotation-curve decompositions by adopting the traditional maximum-disk hypothesis. However, the galaxies in our sample are submaximal, such that at 2.2 disk scale lengths (hR) the ratios between the baryonic and total rotation curves (Fb2.2hR) are less than 0.75. We find this ratio to be nearly constant between 1-6hR within individual galaxies. We find a sample average and scatter of mlab Fb2.2hRmrab = 0.57 ± 0.07, with trends of larger Fb2.2hR for more luminous and higher-surface-brightness galaxies. To enforce these being maximal, we need to scale Υ∗ by a factor 3.6 on average. In general, the dark-matter rotation curves are marginally better fit by a pISO than by an NFW halo. For the nominal-Υ∗ (submaximal) case, we find that the derived NFW-halo parameters have values consistent with ΛCDM N-body simulations, suggesting that the baryonic matter in our sample of galaxies has only had a minor effect on the dark-matter distribution. In contrast, maximum-Υ∗ decompositions yield halo-concentration parameters that are too low compared to the ΛCDM simulations. Appendix is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Increased Heat Generation in Postcardiac Arrest Patients During Targeted Temperature Management Is Associated With Better Outcomes.

PubMed

Uber, Amy J; Perman, Sarah M; Cocchi, Michael N; Patel, Parth V; Ganley, Sarah E; Portmann, Jocelyn M; Donnino, Michael W; Grossestreuer, Anne V

2018-04-03

Assess if amount of heat generated by postcardiac arrest patients to reach target temperature (Ttarget) during targeted temperature management is associated with outcomes by serving as a proxy for thermoregulatory ability, and whether it modifies the relationship between time to Ttarget and outcomes. Retrospective cohort study. Urban tertiary-care hospital. Successfully resuscitated targeted temperature management-treated adult postarrest patients between 2008 and 2015 with serial temperature data and Ttarget less than or equal to 34°C. None. Time to Ttarget was defined as time from targeted temperature management initiation to first recorded patient temperature less than or equal to 34°C. Patient heat generation ("heat units") was calculated as inverse of average water temperature × hours between initiation and Ttarget × 100. Primary outcome was neurologic status measured by Cerebral Performance Category score; secondary outcome was survival, both at hospital discharge. Univariate analyses were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests; multivariate analyses used logistic regression. Of 203 patients included, those with Cerebral Performance Category score 3-5 generated less heat before reaching Ttarget (median, 8.1 heat units [interquartile range, 3.6-21.6 heat units] vs median, 20.0 heat units [interquartile range, 9.0-33.5 heat units]; p = 0.001) and reached Ttarget quicker (median, 2.3 hr [interquartile range, 1.5-4.0 hr] vs median, 3.6 hr [interquartile range, 2.0-5.0 hr]; p = 0.01) than patients with Cerebral Performance Category score 1-2. Nonsurvivors generated less heat than survivors (median, 8.1 heat units [interquartile range, 3.6-20.8 heat units] vs median, 19.0 heat units [interquartile range, 6.5-33.5 heat units]; p = 0.001) and reached Ttarget quicker (median, 2.2 hr [interquartile range, 1.5-3.8 hr] vs median, 3.6 hr [interquartile range, 2.0-5.0 hr]; p = 0.01). Controlling for average water temperature between initiation and Ttarget, the relationship between outcomes and time to Ttarget was no longer significant. Controlling for location, witnessed arrest, age, initial rhythm, and neuromuscular blockade use, increased heat generation was associated with better neurologic (adjusted odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00-1.03]; p = 0.039) and survival (adjusted odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00-1.03]; p = 0.045) outcomes. Increased heat generation during targeted temperature management initiation is associated with better outcomes at hospital discharge and may affect the relationship between time to Ttarget and outcomes.

Exposure Assessment for Carbon Dioxide Gas: Full Shift Average and Short-Term Measurement Approaches.

PubMed

Hill, R Jedd; Smith, Philip A

2015-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up a relatively small percentage of atmospheric gases, yet when used or produced in large quantities as a gas, a liquid, or a solid (dry ice), substantial airborne exposures may occur. Exposure to elevated CO2 concentrations may elicit toxicity, even with oxygen concentrations that are not considered dangerous per se. Full-shift sampling approaches to measure 8-hr time weighted average (TWA) CO2 exposures are used in many facilities where CO2 gas may be present. The need to assess rapidly fluctuating CO2 levels that may approach immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) conditions should also be a concern, and several methods for doing so using fast responding measurement tools are discussed in this paper. Colorimetric detector tubes, a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) detector, and a portable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy instrument were evaluated in a laboratory environment using a flow-through standard generation system and were found to provide suitable accuracy and precision for assessing rapid fluctuations in CO2 concentration, with a possible effect related to humidity noted only for the detector tubes. These tools were used in the field to select locations and times for grab sampling and personal full-shift sampling, which provided laboratory analysis data to confirm IDLH conditions and 8-hr TWA exposure information. Fluctuating CO2 exposures are exemplified through field work results from several workplaces. In a brewery, brief CO2 exposures above the IDLH value occurred when large volumes of CO2-containing liquid were released for disposal, but 8-hr TWA exposures were not found to exceed the permissible level. In a frozen food production facility nearly constant exposure to CO2 concentrations above the permissible 8-hr TWA value were seen, as well as brief exposures above the IDLH concentration which were associated with specific tasks where liquid CO2 was used. In a poultry processing facility the use of dry ice to quickly freeze product produced a nearly constant CO2 concentration that caused exposures to approach the permissible 8-hr TWA exposure value.

Direct measurement of the rates of synthesis of plasma proteins in control subjects and patients with gastrointestinal protein loss

PubMed Central

Wochner, R. Dean; Weissman, Sherman M.; Waldmann, Thomas A.; Houston, Delores; Berlin, Nathaniel I.

1968-01-01

The guanido carbon of hepatic arginine is the common precursor of urea and of the arginine of plasma proteins synthesized in the liver. It is possible to measure the momentary synthetic rates of plasma proteins by “pulse labeling” this arginine pool with bicarbonate-14C. In the current study, this method has been adapted in order to use urinary urea data and was applied to control subjects and patients with gastrointestinal protein loss. The assumptions required for this determination are discussed. There was close agreement between albumin synthetic rates measured by this method and albumin catabolic rates derived from simultaneous albumin-131I studies, supporting the validity of the method and suggesting that there is relatively little fluctuation in the rate of albumin synthesis from time to time. The albumin synthetic rates in six control subjects averaged 5.8 mg/kg per hr, while those of five patients with gastrointestinal protein loss averaged 7.2 mg/kg per hr. Thus in these patients, there was relatively little acceleration of albumin synthesis in response to continued loss of plasma proteins into the gastrointestinal tract. Fibrinogen synthetic rates averaged 1.9 mg/kg per hr in five control subjects and 3.2 mg/kg per hr in five patients with gastrointestinal protein loss. Transferrin synthetic rates exhibited considerable individual variation in both groups and averaged 0.24 mg/kg per hr in four control subjects and 0.31 mg/kg per hr in five patients with gastrointestinal protein loss. The method employed in this study offers several advantages in studying plasma protein metabolism. It provides a direct measurement of protein synthesis, applicable to several proteins simultaneously, does not require a long-term steady state in the metabolism of the proteins, and is capable of measuring short-term fluctuations in synthetic rates. Therefore, this approach is applicable to the investigation of the physiological factors controlling the rates of synthesis for plasma proteins. PMID:5239039

Physiological characteristics of badminton match play.

PubMed

Faude, Oliver; Meyer, Tim; Rosenberger, Friederike; Fries, Markus; Huber, Günther; Kindermann, Wilfried

2007-07-01

The present study aimed at examining the physiological characteristics and metabolic demands of badminton single match play. Twelve internationally ranked badminton players (eight women and four men) performed an incremental treadmill test [VO(2peak = )50.3 +/- 4.1 ml min(-1) kg(-1) (women) and 61.8 +/- 5.9 ml min(-1) kg(-1) (men), respectively]. On a separate day, they played a simulated badminton match of two 15 min with simultaneous gas exchange (breath-by-breath) and heart rate measurements. Additionally, blood lactate concentrations were determined before, after 15 min and at the end of the match. Furthermore, the duration of rallies and rests in between, the score as well as the number of shots per rally were recorded. A total of 630 rallies was analysed. Mean rally and rest duration were 5.5 +/- 4.4 s and 11.4 +/- 6.0 s, respectively, with an average 5.1 +/- 3.9 shots played per rally. Mean oxygen uptake (VO(2)), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate concentrations during badminton matches were 39.6 +/- 5.7 ml min(-1) kg(-1) (73.3% VO(2peak)), 169 +/- 9 min(-1) (89.0% HR(peak)) and 1.9 +/- 0.7 mmol l(-1), respectively. For a single subject 95% confidence intervals for VO(2) and HR during match play were on average 45.7-100.9% VO(2peak) and 78.3-99.8% HR(peak). High average intensity of badminton match play and considerable variability of several physiological variables demonstrate the importance of anaerobic alactacid and aerobic energy production in competitive badminton. A well-developed aerobic endurance capacity seems necessary for fast recovery between rallies or intensive training workouts.

Physical and Physiological Characteristics of Various-Sided Games in Elite Women's Soccer.

PubMed

Mara, Jocelyn K; Thompson, Kevin G; Pumpa, Kate L

2016-10-01

To investigate the physical and physiological response to different formats of various-sided games. Eighteen elite women's soccer players wore 15-Hz global positioning system devices and heart-rate (HR) monitors during various-sided games (small, 4 vs 4 and 5 vs 5; medium, 6 vs 6 and 7 vs 7; large, 8 vs 8 and 9 vs 9). Players covered more relative sprinting distance during large-sided games than in small-sided (P < .001, d = 0.69) and medium-sided (P < .001, d = 0.54) games. In addition, a greater proportion of total acceleration efforts that had a commencement velocity <1 m/s were observed in small-sided games (44.7% ± 5.5%) than in large-sided games (36.7% ± 10.6%) (P = .018, d = 0.94). This was accompanied by a greater proportion of acceleration efforts with a final velocity equivalent to the sprint threshold in large-sided games (15.4% ± 7.7%) than in small-sided games (5.2% ± 2.5%) (P < .001, d = 1.78). The proportion of time spent in HR zone 4 (>85% maximum HR) was greater during small-sided games (69.8% ± 2.5%) than in medium- (62.1% ± 2.8%, d = 2.90) and large-sided games (54.9% ± 3.1%) (P < .001, d = 5.29). The results from this study demonstrate that coaches can use small-sided games as an aerobic conditioning stimulus and to develop players' explosiveness and repeat-sprint ability over short durations. Large-sided games can be used to maintain aerobic capacity and develop maximum speed over longer distances.

Impact of a Diesel High Pressure Common Rail Fuel System and Onboard Vehicle Storage on B20 Biodiesel Blend Stability

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

Christensen, Earl; McCormick, Robert L.; Sigelko, Jenny

Adoption of high-pressure common-rail (HPCR) fuel systems, which subject diesel fuels to higher temperatures and pressures, has brought into question the efficacy of ASTM International specifications for biodiesel and biodiesel blend oxidation stability, as well as the lack of any stability parameter for diesel fuel. A controlled experiment was developed to investigate the impact of a light-duty diesel HPCR fuel system on the stability of 20% biodiesel (B20) blends under conditions of intermittent use and long-term storage in a relatively hot and dry climate. B20 samples with Rancimat induction periods (IPs) near the current 6.0-hour minimum specification (6.5 hr) andmore » roughly double the ASTM specification (13.5 hr) were prepared from a conventional diesel and a highly unsaturated biodiesel. Four 2011 model year Volkswagen Passats equipped with HPCR fuel injection systems were utilized: one on B0, two on B20-6.5 hr, and one on B20-13.5 hr. Each vehicle was operated over a one-hour drive cycle in a hot running loss test cell to initially stress the fuel. The cars were then kept at Volkswagen's Arizona Proving Ground for two (35 degrees C average daily maximum) to six months (26 degrees C average daily maximum). The fuel was then stressed again by running a portion of the one-hour dynamometer drive cycle (limited by the amount of fuel in the tank). Fuel rail and fuel tank samples were analyzed for IP, acid number, peroxide content, polymer content, and ester profile. The HPCR fuel pumps were removed, dismantled, and inspected for deposits or abnormal wear. Analysis of fuels collected during initial dynamometer tests showed no impact of exposure to HPCR conditions. Long-term storage with intermittent use showed that IP remained above 3 hours, acid number below 0.3 mg KOH/g, peroxides low, no change in ester profile, and no production of polymers. Final dynamometer tests produced only small changes in fuel properties. Inspection of the HPCR fuel pumps revealed no deposits or abnormal wear for any fuel. The results provide some confidence that the ASTM D7467 stability requirement of 6 hr. minimum IP for B6 to B20 blends provides adequate protection for modern engine fuel systems.« less

EMISSIONS FROM OUTDOOR WOOD-BURNING RESIDENTIAL HOT WATER FURNACES

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of measurements of emissions from a single-pass and a double-pass furnace at average heat outputs of 15,000 and 30,000 Btu/hr (4.4 and 8.8 kW) while burning typical oak cordwood fuel. One furnace was also tested once at each heat output while fitted with ...

Retesting The Validity Of A Specific Field Test For Judo Training

PubMed Central

Santos, Luis; González, Vicente; Iscar, Marta; Brime, Juan I.; Fernández-Río, Javier; Rodríguez, Blanca; Montoliu, Mª Ángeles

2011-01-01

The main goal of this research project was to retest the validity of a specifically designed judo field test (Santos Test) in a different group of judokas. Eight (n=8) national-level male judokas underwent laboratory and field testing. The mean data (mean +/− SD) obtained in the laboratory tests was: HRmax: 200 ± 4.0 beats × min−1, VO2 max: 52.8 ± 7.9 ± ml × kg−1 × min−1, lactate max: 12 ± 2.5 mmol × l−1, HR at the anaerobic threshold: 174.2 ± 9.4 beats × min−1, percentage of maximum heart rate at which the anaerobic threshold appears: 87 ± 3.6 %, lactate threshold: 4.0 ± 0.2 mmol × l−1, and RPE: 17.2 ± 1.0. The mean data obtained in the field test (Santos) was: HRmax: 201.3 ± 4.1 beats × min−1, VO2 max: 55.6 ± 5.8 ml × kg−1 × min−1, lactate max: 15.6 ± 2.8 mmol × l−1, HR at the anaerobic threshold: 173.2 ± 4.3 beats × min−1, percentage of maximum heart rate at which the anaerobic threshold appears: 86 ± 2.5 %, lactate threshold: 4.0 ± 0.2 mmol × l−1, and RPE: 16.7 ± 1.0. There were no significant differences between the data obtained on both tests in any of the parameters, except for maximum lactate concentration. Therefore, the Santos test can be considered a valid tool specific for judo training. PMID:23486994

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

Zhang, H

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric metrics of HDR Ring and Tandem applicator Brachytherapy for primary cervical cancers. Methods: The dosimetric metrics of high-risk clinical target volumes (HDR-CTV) of 12 patients (in total 60 fractions/plans) treated with the HDR ring and tandem applicators were retrospectively analyzed. Ring diameter is from 2.6 to 3.4 cm, tandem length is from 4 to 6 cm, and the angle is either 45 or 60 degrees. The first fraction plan was MR guided, the MR images were then used as a reference for contouring the HR-CTV in CT images of following 4 fractions. The nominal prescriptionmore » dose was between 5.2 and 5.8 Gy at the point A. The plans were adjusted to cover at least 90% of the HR-CTV by 90% of the prescription dose and to reduce the doses to the bladder, rectum and bowel-bag. Minimum target dose of D100 and D90 were converted into the biologically equivalent EBRT dose D90-iso and D100-iso (using α/β=10 Gy, 2 Gy/fx). Equivalent uniform doses (EUD) based on the average cancer killing across the target volume were calculated by the modified linear quadratic model (MLQ) from the differential dose volume histogram (DVH) tables. Results: The average D90iso of all plans is 8.1 Gy (ranging from 6.2 to 15 Gy, median 7.8 Gy); the average D100iso is just 4.1 Gy (ranging from 1.8 to 7.8 Gy; median 3.9 Gy). The average EUD is 7.0 Gy (ranging from 6.1 to 9.6 Gy, median 6.9 Gy), which is 87% of the D90iso, and 170% of the D100iso. Conclusion: The EUDs is smaller than D90iso but greater than D100iso. Because the EUD takes into account the intensive cancer cell killing in the high dose zone of HR-CTV, MLQ calculated EUD apparently is more relevant than D90 and D100 to describe the HDR brachytherapy treatment quality.« less

Postoperative Tachycardia: Clinically Meaningful or Benign Consequence of Orthopedic Surgery?

PubMed

Sigmund, Alana E; Fang, Yixin; Chin, Matthew; Reynolds, Harmony R; Horwitz, Leora I; Dweck, Ezra; Iturrate, Eduardo

2017-01-01

To determine the clinical significance of tachycardia in the postoperative period. Individuals 18 years or older undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty were included in the study. Two data sets were collected from different time periods: development data set from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011, and validation data set from December 1, 2012, through September 1, 2014. We used the development data set to identify the optimal definition of tachycardia with the strongest association with the vascular composite outcome (pulmonary embolism and myocardial necrosis and infarction). The predictive value of this definition was assessed in the validation data set for each outcome of interest, pulmonary embolism, myocardial necrosis and infarction, and infection using multiple logistic regression to control for known risk factors. In 1755 patients in the development data set, a maximum heart rate (HR) greater than 110 beats/min was found to be the best cutoff as a correlate of the composite vascular outcome. Of the 4621 patients who underwent arthroplasty in the validation data set, 40 (0.9%) had pulmonary embolism. The maximum HR greater than 110 beats/min had an odds ratio (OR) of 9.39 (95% CI, 4.67-18.87; sensitivity, 72.5%; specificity, 78.0%; positive predictive value, 2.8%; negative predictive value, 99.7%) for pulmonary embolism. Ninety-seven patients (2.1%) had myocardial necrosis (elevated troponin). The maximum HR greater than 110 beats/min had an OR of 4.71 (95% CI, 3.06-7.24; sensitivity, 47.4%; specificity, 78.1%; positive predictive value, 4.4%; negative predictive value, 98.6%) for this outcome. Thirteen (.3%) patients had myocardial infarction according to our predetermined definition, and the maximum HR greater than 110 beats/min had an OR of 1.72 (95% CI, 0.47-6.27). Postoperative tachycardia within the first 4 days of surgery should not be dismissed as a postoperative variation in HR, but may precede clinically significant adverse outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crew Factors in Flight Operations 7: Psychophysiological Responses to Overnight Cargo Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gander, Philippa H.; Gregory, Kevin B.; Connell, Linda J.; Miller, Donna L.; Graeber, R. Curtis; Rosekind, Mark R.

1996-01-01

To document the psychophysiological effects of flying overnight cargo operations, 41 B-727 crew members (average age 38 yr) were monitored before, during, and after one of two typical 8-day trip patterns. During daytime layovers, the average sleep episode was 3 hr (41%) shorter than nighttime sleeps and was rated as lighter, less restorative, and poorer overall. Sleep was frequently split into several episodes and totaled 1.2 hr less per 24 hr than on pretrip days. Each trip pattern included a night off, which was an effective countermeasure against the accumulating sleep debt. The organization of sleep during daytime layovers reflected the interaction of duty timing with circadian physiology. The circadian temperature rhythm did not adapt completely to the inverted wake-rest schedule on duty days, being delayed by about 3 hr. Highest subjective fatigue and lowest activation occurred around the time of the temperature minimum. On duty days, reports of headaches increased by 400%, of congested nose by 200%, and of burning eyes by 900%. Crew members also reported eating more snacks. Compared with daytime short-haul air-transport operations, the overnight cargo trips included fewer duty and flight hours, and had longer layovers. Overnight cargo crews also averaged 5.4 yr younger than their daytime short-haul counterparts. On trips, both groups lost a comparable amount of sleep per 24 hr, but the overnight cargo crews had shorter individual sleep episodes and more broken sleep. These data clearly demonstrate that overnight cargo operations, like other night work, involve physiological disruption not found in comparable daytime operations.

Olfaction and incident Parkinson disease in US white and black older adults.

PubMed

Chen, Honglei; Shrestha, Srishti; Huang, Xuemei; Jain, Samay; Guo, Xuguang; Tranah, Gregory J; Garcia, Melissa E; Satterfield, Suzanne; Phillips, Caroline; Harris, Tamara B

2017-10-03

To investigate olfaction in relation to incident Parkinson disease (PD) in US white and black older adults. The study included 1,510 white (mean age 75.6 years) and 952 black (75.4 years) participants of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study. We evaluated the olfaction of study participants with the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) in 1999-2000. We retrospectively adjudicated PD cases identified through August 31, 2012, using multiple data sources. We used multivariable Cox models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During an average of 9.8 years of follow-up, we identified a total of 42 incident PD cases, including 30 white and 12 black participants. Overall, poor sense of smell, as indicated by a lower BSIT score, was associated with higher risk of PD. Compared with the highest tertile of BSIT (t3), the HR was 1.3 (95% CI 0.5-3.6) for the second tertile (t2) and 4.8 (95% CI 2.0-11.2) for the lowest tertile (t1) ( p trend < 0.00001). Further analyses revealed significant associations for incident PD in both the first 5 years of follow-up (HR t1/[t2+t3] 4.2, 95% CI 1.7-10.8) and thereafter (HR t1/[t2+t3] 4.1, 95% CI 1.7-9.8). This association appeared to be stronger in white (HR t1/[t2+t3] 4.9, 95% CI 2.3-10.5) than in black participants (HR t1/[t2+t3] 2.5, 95% CI 0.8-8.1), and in men (HR t1/[t2+t3] 5.4, 95% CI 2.3-12.9) than in women (HR t1/[t2+t3] 2.9, 95% CI 1.1-7.8). Poor olfaction predicts PD in short and intermediate terms; the possibility of stronger associations among men and white participants warrants further investigation. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Maximum Oxygen Uptake During and After Long-Duration Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Alan D., Jr.; Evetts, Simon N.; Feiveson, Alan H.; Lee, Stuart M. C.; McCleary. Frank A.; Platts, Steven H.

2010-01-01

Decreased maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) during and after space flight may impair a crewmember s ability to perform mission-critical work that is high intensity and/or long duration in nature (Human Research Program Integrated Research Plan Risk 2.1.2: Risk of Reduced Physical Performance Capabilities Due to Reduced Aerobic Capacity). When VO2max was measured in Space Shuttle experiments, investigators reported that it did not change during short-duration space flight but decreased immediately after flight. Similar conclusions, based on the heart rate (HR) response of Skylab crewmembers, were made previously concerning long-duration space flight. Specifically, no change in the in-flight exercise HR response in 8 of 9 Skylab crewmembers indicated that VO2max was maintained during flight, but the elevated exercise HR after flight indicated that VO2max was decreased after landing. More recently, a different pattern of in-flight exercise HR response, and assumed changes in VO2max, emerged from routine testing of International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers. Most ISS crewmembers experience an elevated in-flight exercise HR response early in their mission, with a gradual return toward preflight levels as the mission progresses. Similar to previous reports, exercise HR is elevated after ISS missions and returns to preflight levels by 30 days after landing. VO2max has not been measured either during or after long-duration space flight. The purposes of the ISS VO2max experiment are (1) to measure VO2max during and after long-duration spaceflight, and (2) to determine if submaximal exercise test results can be used to accurately estimate VO 2max.

Electrocardiographic Responses to Deer Hunting in Men and Women.

PubMed

Verba, Steven D; Jensen, Brock T; Lynn, Jeffrey S

2016-09-01

Deer hunting includes various stimuli resulting in augmented sympathetic activity, increased heart rate (HR) response, and rhythm changes. Collectively, these superimposed stresses may increase an individual's risk for cardiovascular events. We undertook this study to evaluate HR and rhythm responses in multiple phases of deer hunting in men and women with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nineteen participants age 38.3 ± 13.8 years (mean ± SD) with body mass index 29.2 ± 6.9 kg/m(2) followed their normal hunting routine. HR and rhythm were recorded continuously during the hunt using a small leadless electrocardiogram (ECG) patch monitor. Data were collected on 13 of 19 hunters while hiking. Three hunters recorded HR ≥85% of their age-predicted heart rate maximum (HRmax) for 1 to 2 minutes. Arrhythmias were detected in both participants with CVD and in 8 without CVD. Recorded rhythms included premature atrial, junctional, and ventricular complexes. Six hunters climbed a tree stand; 3 of them recorded HR ≥85% HRmax with sustained elevated HR response for 2 to 3 minutes with premature junctional contractions. Four of 19 participants dragged deer carcasses. During the drag, 1 male hunter recorded an HR of 91% HRmax, and another male hunter without CVD recorded an exercise-induced ischemic ECG. Fifteen of 19 hunters experienced "buck fever" (acute extreme excitation), with 7 reaching ≥85% HRmax for up to 1 minute. Ventricular bigeminy and trigeminy and ventricular couplets were observed in 1 subject during buck fever. Men and women with and without CVD recorded substantial increases in HR and clinically relevant arrhythmias while deer hunting. Copyright © 2016 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy expenditure and sex differences of golf playing.

PubMed

Zunzer, Stefan C; von Duvillard, Serge P; Tschakert, Gerhard; Mangus, Brent; Hofmann, Peter

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the average physical intensity and energy expenditure during a single round of golf on hilly and flat courses in a heterogeneous group of healthy men and women of varying age and golf handicap. Forty-two males and 24 females completed an incremental cycle-ergometer exercise test to determine exercise performance markers. The heart rate (HR), duration, distance, walking speed, ascent and descent were measured via a global positioning system (GPS)/HR monitor during the game and energy expenditure was calculated. Playing 9 or 18-holes of golf, independent of the golf course design, the average HR was not significantly different between sexes or the subgroups. The intensities were light with respect to the percentage of maximal HR and metabolic equivalents of task (METs). Total energy expenditure of all participants was not significantly different for hilly (834 ± 344 kcal) vs. flat courses (833 ± 295 kcal) whereas male players expended significantly greater energy than female players (926 ± 292 vs. 556 ± 180 kcal), but did not have significantly greater relative energy expenditure (2.8 ± 0.8 vs. 2.2 ± 0.7 METs). As a high volume physical activity, playing golf is suggested to yield health benefits. Since the intensity was well below recommended limits, golf may have health related benefits unrelated to the intensity level of the activity.

Pain Sensitivity and Recovery From Mild Chronic Sleep Loss

PubMed Central

Roehrs, Timothy A.; Harris, Erica; Randall, Surilla; Roth, Thomas

2012-01-01

Study Objectives: To determine whether an extended bedtime in sleepy and otherwise healthy volunteers would increase alertness and thereby also reduce pain sensitivity. Setting: Outpatient with sleep laboratory assessments. Participants and Interventions: Healthy volunteers (n = 18), defined as having an average daily sleep latency on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) < 8 min, were randomized to 4 nights of extended bedtime (10 hr) (EXT) or 4 nights of their diary-reported habitual bedtimes (HAB). On day 1 and day 4 they received a standard MSLT (10:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 16:00 hr) and finger withdrawal latency pain testing to a radiant heat stimulus (10:30 and 14:30 hr). Results: During the four experimental nights the EXT group slept 1.8 hr per night more than the HAB group and average daily sleep latency on the MSLT increased in the EXT group, but not the HAB group. Similarly, finger withdrawal latency was increased (pain sensitivity was reduced) in the EXT group but not the HAB group. The nightly increase in sleep time during the four experimental nights was correlated with the improvement in MSLT, which in turn was correlated with reduced pain sensitivity. Conclusions: These are the first data to show that an extended bedtime in mildly sleepy healthy adults, which resulted in increased sleep time and reduced sleepiness, reduces pain sensitivity. Citation: Roehrs TA; Harris E; Randall S; Roth T. Pain sensitivity and recovery from mild chronic sleep loss. SLEEP 2012;35(12):1667-1672. PMID:23204609

Temperature modulation with an esophageal heat transfer device - a pediatric swine model study.

PubMed

Kulstad, Erik B; Naiman, Melissa; Shanley, Patrick; Garrett, Frank; Haryu, Todd; Waller, Donald; Azarafrooz, Farshid; Courtney, Daniel Mark

2015-01-01

An increasing number of conditions appear to benefit from control and modulation of temperature, but available techniques to control temperature often have limitations, particularly in smaller patients with high surface to mass ratios. We aimed to evaluate a new method of temperature modulation with an esophageal heat transfer device in a pediatric swine model, hypothesizing that clinically significant modulation in temperature (both increases and decreases of more than 1°C) would be possible. Three female Yorkshire swine averaging 23 kg were anesthetized with inhalational isoflurane prior to placement of the esophageal device, which was powered by a commercially available heat exchanger. Swine temperature was measured rectally and cooling and warming were performed by selecting the appropriate external heat exchanger mode. Temperature was recorded over time in order to calculate rates of temperature change. Histopathology of esophageal tissue was performed after study completion. Average swine baseline temperature was 38.3°C. Swine #1 exhibited a cooling rate of 3.5°C/hr; however, passive cooling may have contributed to this rate. External warming blankets maintained thermal equilibrium in swine #2 and #3, demonstrating maximum temperature decrease of 1.7°C/hr. Warming rates averaged 0.29°C/hr. Histopathologic analysis of esophageal tissue showed no adverse effects. An esophageal heat transfer device successfully modulated the temperature in a pediatric swine model. This approach to temperature modulation may offer a useful new modality to control temperature in conditions warranting temperature management (such as maintenance of normothermia, induction of hypothermia, fever control, or malignant hyperthermia).

Mesophilic biomethanation and treatment of poultry waste-water using pilot scale UASB reactor.

PubMed

Atuanya, Ernest I; Aigbirior, Moses

2002-07-01

The feasibility of applying the up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) treatment for poultry waste (faeces) water was examined. A continuous-flow UASB pilot scale reactor of 3.50 L capacity using mixed culture was operated for 95 days to assess the treatability of poultry waste-water and its methane production. The maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removed was found to be 78% when organic loading rate (OLR) was 2.9 kg COD m(-3) day(-1) at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 13.2 hr. The average biogas recovery was 0.26 m3 CH4 kg COD with an average methane content of 57% at mean temperature of 30 degrees C. Data indicate more rapid methanogenesis with higher loading rates and shorter hydraulic retention times. At feed concentration of 4.8 kg COD m(-3) day(-1), anaerobic digestion was severely retarded at all hydraulic retention time tested. This complication in the reactor operations may be linked to build-up of colloidal solids often associated with poultry waste water and ammonia toxicity. Isolates from granular sludge and effluent were found to be facultative anaerobes most of which were Pseudomonas genera.

Bioacoustic Signal Classification in Cat Auditory Cortex

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

for fast FM sweeps. A second maximum (i.e., sub- In Fig. 8D (87-001) the orie.-tation of the mapped area Iwo 11 .MWRN NOWO 0 lo 74 was tilted 214...Brashear, H.R., and Heilman, K.M. Pure word deafness after bilateral primary auditory cortex infarcts. Neuroiogy 34: 347 -352, 1984. Cranford, J.L., Stream

The association between biliary tract inflammation and risk of digestive system cancers: A population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Tsai, Tsung-Yu; Lin, Che-Chen; Peng, Cheng-Yuan; Huang, Wen-Hsin; Su, Wen-Pang; Lai, Shih-Wei; Chen, Hsuan-Ju; Lai, Hsueh-Chou

2016-08-01

The relationship between biliary tract inflammation (BTI) and digestive system cancers is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BTI and the risks of digestive system cancers.Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data, information on a cohort of patients diagnosed with BTI (n = 4398) between 2000 and 2009 was collected. A comparison cohort of sex-, age-, and index year-matched persons without BTI (n = 17,592) was selected from the same database. The disease was defined by the ICD-9-CM. Both cohorts were followed until the end of 2010 and incidences of digestive system cancers were calculated.The results revealed an increase in adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of biliary tract cancer (24.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.20-65.02), primary liver cancer (1.53; 95% CI: 1.07-2.18), and pancreatic cancer (3.10; 95% CI: 1.20-8.03) in patients with both gallbladder and BTI. The aHR of stomach cancer was also found to be increased (2.73; 95% CI: 1.28-5.81) in patients with gallbladder inflammation only. There were no differences in esophageal cancer (aHR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.23-2.87) and colorectal cancer (aHR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.59-1.45). The aHR for digestive system cancers increased by 3.66 times (95% CI: 2.50-5.35) and 12.20 times (95% CI: 8.66-17.17) in BTI visits frequency averaged 2 to 4 visits per year and frequency averaged ≥5 visits per year, respectively.Patients with BTI have significantly higher risk of digestive system cancers, particularly biliary tract, pancreatic, and primary liver cancers, compared with those who are without it.

The association between biliary tract inflammation and risk of digestive system cancers

PubMed Central

Tsai, Tsung-Yu; Lin, Che-Chen; Peng, Cheng-Yuan; Huang, Wen-Hsin; Su, Wen-Pang; Lai, Shih-Wei; Chen, Hsuan-Ju; Lai, Hsueh-Chou

2016-01-01

Abstract The relationship between biliary tract inflammation (BTI) and digestive system cancers is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BTI and the risks of digestive system cancers. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data, information on a cohort of patients diagnosed with BTI (n = 4398) between 2000 and 2009 was collected. A comparison cohort of sex-, age-, and index year-matched persons without BTI (n = 17,592) was selected from the same database. The disease was defined by the ICD-9-CM. Both cohorts were followed until the end of 2010 and incidences of digestive system cancers were calculated. The results revealed an increase in adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of biliary tract cancer (24.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.20–65.02), primary liver cancer (1.53; 95% CI: 1.07–2.18), and pancreatic cancer (3.10; 95% CI: 1.20–8.03) in patients with both gallbladder and BTI. The aHR of stomach cancer was also found to be increased (2.73; 95% CI: 1.28–5.81) in patients with gallbladder inflammation only. There were no differences in esophageal cancer (aHR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.23–2.87) and colorectal cancer (aHR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.59–1.45). The aHR for digestive system cancers increased by 3.66 times (95% CI: 2.50–5.35) and 12.20 times (95% CI: 8.66–17.17) in BTI visits frequency averaged 2 to 4 visits per year and frequency averaged ≥5 visits per year, respectively. Patients with BTI have significantly higher risk of digestive system cancers, particularly biliary tract, pancreatic, and primary liver cancers, compared with those who are without it. PMID:27495065

Survey of Occupational Noise Exposure in CF Personnel in Selected High-Risk Trades

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-11-01

peak, maximum level , minimum level , average sound level , time weighted average, dose, projected 8-hour dose, and upper limit time were measured for...10 4.4.2 Maximum Sound Level ...11 4.4.3 Minimum Sound Level

Diminished heart rate reactivity to acute psychological stress is associated with enhanced carotid intima-media thickness through adverse health behaviors.

PubMed

Ginty, Annie T; Williams, Sarah E; Jones, Alexander; Roseboom, Tessa J; Phillips, Anna C; Painter, Rebecca C; Carroll, Douglas; de Rooij, Susanne R

2016-06-01

Recent evidence demonstrates that individuals with low heart rate (HR) reactions to acute psychological stress are more likely to be obese or smokers. Smoking and obesity are established risk factors for increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). The aim of this study was to examine the potential pathways linking intima-media thickness, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and HR stress reactivity. A total of 552 participants, 47.6% male, M (SD) age = 58.3 (0.94) years, were exposed to three psychological stress tasks (Stroop, mirror drawing, and speech) preceded by a resting baseline period; HR was recorded throughout. HR reactivity was calculated as the average response across the three tasks minus average baseline HR. Smoking status, BMI, and IMT were determined by trained personnel. Controlling for important covariates (e.g., socioeconomic status), structural equation modeling revealed that BMI and smoking mediated the negative relationship between HR reactivity and IMT. The hypothesized model demonstrated a good overall fit to the data, χ(2) (8) = 0.692, p = .403; CFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00 SRMR = .01; RMSEA < .001 (90% CI < 0.01-0.11). HR reactivity was negatively related to BMI (β = -.16) and smoking (β = -.18), and these in turn were positively associated with IMT (BMI: β = .10; smoking: β = .17). Diminished HR stress reactivity appears to be a marker for enlarged IMT and appears to be exerting its impact through already established risks. Future research should examine this relationship longitudinally and aim to intervene early. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Renal sympathetic denervation improves rate control in patients with symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation and hypertension.

PubMed

Qiu, Min; Shan, Qijun; Chen, Chun; Geng, Jie; Guo, Jiqun; Zhou, Xiujuan; Qian, Weichong; Tang, Lijun; Yin, Yuehui

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) improves ventricular heart rate (HR) control in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Twenty-one patients (aged 57.5 ± 10.2 years, 76.2% male) with persistent AF and hypertension underwent RSD and completed 7-days follow-up evaluations, including 24-hour Holter monitoring (Holter), blood pressure (BP), 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Patients were grouped into tertiles of average HR at baseline Holter recording for evaluation of RSD effects on atrioventricular (AV) node (group 1: HR ≧ 90 bpm; group 2: 80 bpm ≦ HR < 90 bpm; group 3: HR < 80 bpm). All patients successfully underwent RSD without any complications. The clinical and procedural characteristics were similar in all groups of patients. No significant changes in BP were observed in the three groups before and after RSD. Compared with baseline, the average HR (Holter) of patients in group 1, 2 and 3 had a reduction of 22.6 ± 13.2 bpm (83.3 ± 4.9 vs 106.0 ± 14.6, P = 0.004), 9.7 ± 7.8 bpm (75.7 ± 7.6 vs 85.4 ± 3.7, P = 0.017) and 2.3 ± 2.9 bpm (71.4 ± 4.0 vs 73.7 ± 4.7, P = 0.089) at 7 days after RSD, respectively. RSD could improve ventricular HR control in patients with persistent AF. RSD slowed AV node conduction in baseline HR-dependent manner. RSD may become an alternative non-pharmaceutical tool for rate control in patients with persistent AF.

Hemodynamic Response to Interictal Epileptiform Discharges Addressed by Personalized EEG-fNIRS Recordings

PubMed Central

Pellegrino, Giovanni; Machado, Alexis; von Ellenrieder, Nicolas; Watanabe, Satsuki; Hall, Jeffery A.; Lina, Jean-Marc; Kobayashi, Eliane; Grova, Christophe

2016-01-01

Objective: We aimed at studying the hemodynamic response (HR) to Interictal Epileptic Discharges (IEDs) using patient-specific and prolonged simultaneous ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) and functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) recordings. Methods: The epileptic generator was localized using Magnetoencephalography source imaging. fNIRS montage was tailored for each patient, using an algorithm to optimize the sensitivity to the epileptic generator. Optodes were glued using collodion to achieve prolonged acquisition with high quality signal. fNIRS data analysis was handled with no a priori constraint on HR time course, averaging fNIRS signals to similar IEDs. Cluster-permutation analysis was performed on 3D reconstructed fNIRS data to identify significant spatio-temporal HR clusters. Standard (GLM with fixed HRF) and cluster-permutation EEG-fMRI analyses were performed for comparison purposes. Results: fNIRS detected HR to IEDs for 8/9 patients. It mainly consisted oxy-hemoglobin increases (seven patients), followed by oxy-hemoglobin decreases (six patients). HR was lateralized in six patients and lasted from 8.5 to 30 s. Standard EEG-fMRI analysis detected an HR in 4/9 patients (4/9 without enough IEDs, 1/9 unreliable result). The cluster-permutation EEG-fMRI analysis restricted to the region investigated by fNIRS showed additional strong and non-canonical BOLD responses starting earlier than the IEDs and lasting up to 30 s. Conclusions: (i) EEG-fNIRS is suitable to detect the HR to IEDs and can outperform EEG-fMRI because of prolonged recordings and greater chance to detect IEDs; (ii) cluster-permutation analysis unveils additional HR features underestimated when imposing a canonical HR function (iii) the HR is often bilateral and lasts up to 30 s. PMID:27047325

Attenuated Heart Rate Recovery After Exercise Testing and Risk of Incident Hypertension in Men.

PubMed

Jae, Sae Young; Bunsawat, Kanokwan; Fadel, Paul J; Fernhall, Bo; Choi, Yoon-Ho; Park, Jeong Bae; Franklin, Barry A

2016-09-01

Although attenuated heart rate recovery (HRR) and reduced heart rate (HR) reserve to maximal exercise testing are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, their relation to incident hypertension in healthy normotensive populations is unclear. We examined the hypothesis that both attenuated HRR and reduced HR reserve to exercise testing are associated with incident hypertension in men. A total of 1,855 participants were selected comprising of healthy, initially normotensive men who underwent peak or symptom-limited treadmill testing at baseline. HRR was calculated as the difference between peak HR during exercise testing and the HR at 2 minutes after exercise cessation. HR reserve was calculated as the percentage of HR reserve (peak HR - resting HR)/(220 - age - resting HR) × 100. During an average 4-year follow-up, 179 (9.6%) men developed hypertension. Incident hypertension was associated with HRR quartiles (Q1 (<42 (bpm)) 12.5%, Q2 (43-49 bpm) 8.5%, Q3 (50-56 bpm) 9.3%, and Q4 (>57 bpm) 8.3%; P = 0.05 for trend). The relative risk (RR) of the incident hypertension in the slowest HRR quartile vs. the fastest HRR quartile was 1.78 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-2.78) after adjustment for confounders. Every 1 bpm increment in HRR was associated with a 2% (RR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99) lower risk of incident hypertension after adjusting for potential confounders. In contrast, reduced HR reserve did not predict the risk of incident hypertension. Slow HRR after exercise testing is independently associated with the development of hypertension in healthy normotensive men. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2016. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dose to heart substructures is associated with non-cancer death after SBRT in stage I-II NSCLC patients.

PubMed

Stam, Barbara; Peulen, Heike; Guckenberger, Matthias; Mantel, Frederick; Hope, Andrew; Werner-Wasik, Maria; Belderbos, Jose; Grills, Inga; O'Connell, Nicolette; Sonke, Jan-Jakob

2017-06-01

To investigate potential associations between dose to heart (sub)structures and non-cancer death, in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). 803 patients with early stage NSCLC received SBRT with predominant schedules of 3×18Gy (59%) or 4×12Gy (19%). All patients were registered to an average anatomy, their planned dose deformed accordingly, and dosimetric parameters for heart substructures were obtained. Multivariate Cox regression and a sensitivity analysis were used to identify doses to heart substructures or heart region with a significant association with non-cancer death respectively. Median follow-up was 34.8months. Two year Kaplan-Meier overall survival rate was 67%. Of the deceased patients, 26.8% died of cancer. Multivariate analysis showed that the maximum dose on the left atrium (median 6.5Gy EQD2, range=0.009-197, HR=1.005, p-value=0.035), and the dose to 90% of the superior vena cava (median 0.59Gy EQD2, range=0.003-70, HR=1.025, p-value=0.008) were significantly associated with non-cancer death. Sensitivity analysis identified the upper region of the heart (atria+vessels) to be significantly associated with non-cancer death. Doses to mainly the upper region of the heart were significantly associated with non-cancer death. Consequently, dose sparing in particular of the upper region of the heart could potentially improve outcome, and should be further studied. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Excited Spin State of 1I/2017 U1 ‘Oumuamua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belton, Michael J. S.; Hainaut, Olivier R.; Meech, Karen J.; Mueller, Beatrice E. A.; Kleyna, Jan T.; Weaver, Harold A.; Buie, Marc W.; Drahus, Michał; Guzik, Piotr; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Waniak, Wacław; Handzlik, Barbara; Kurowski, Sebastian; Xu, Siyi; Sheppard, Scott S.; Micheli, Marco; Ebeling, Harald; Keane, Jacqueline V.

2018-04-01

We show that ‘Oumuamua’s excited spin could be in a high-energy long axis mode (LAM) state, which implies that its shape could be far from the highly elongated shape found in previous studies. CLEAN and ANOVA algorithms are used to analyze ‘Oumuamua’s lightcurve using 818 observations over 29.3 days. Two fundamental periodicities are found at frequencies (2.77 ± 0.11) and (6.42 ± 0.18) cycles/day, corresponding to (8.67 ± 0.34) hr and (3.74 ± 0.11) hr, respectively. The phased data show that the lightcurve does not repeat in a simple manner, but approximately shows a double minimum at 2.77 cycles/day and a single minimum at 6.42 cycles/day. ‘Oumuamua could be spinning in either the LAM or short axis mode (SAM). For both, the long axis precesses around the total angular momentum vector with an average period of (8.67 ± 0.34) hr. For the three LAMs we have found, the possible rotation periods around the long axis are 6.58, 13.15, or 54.48 hr, with 54.48 hr being the most likely. ‘Oumuamua may also be nutating with respective periods of half of these values. We have also found two possible SAM states where ‘Oumuamua oscillates around the long axis with possible periods at 13.15 and 54.48 hr. In this case any nutation occurs with the same periods. Determination of the spin state, the amplitude of the nutation, the direction of the total angular momentum vector (TAMV), and the average total spin period may be possible with a direct model fit to the lightcurve. We find that ‘Oumuamua is “cigar-shaped,” if close to its lowest rotational energy, and an extremely oblate spheroid if close to its highest energy state.

A context-intensive approach to imputation of missing values in data sets from networks of environmental monitors.

PubMed

Larsen, Lawrence C; Shah, Mena

2016-01-01

Although networks of environmental monitors are constantly improving through advances in technology and management, instances of missing data still occur. Many methods of imputing values for missing data are available, but they are often difficult to use or produce unsatisfactory results. I-Bot (short for "Imputation Robot") is a context-intensive approach to the imputation of missing data in data sets from networks of environmental monitors. I-Bot is easy to use and routinely produces imputed values that are highly reliable. I-Bot is described and demonstrated using more than 10 years of California data for daily maximum 8-hr ozone, 24-hr PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm), mid-day average surface temperature, and mid-day average wind speed. I-Bot performance is evaluated by imputing values for observed data as if they were missing, and then comparing the imputed values with the observed values. In many cases, I-Bot is able to impute values for long periods with missing data, such as a week, a month, a year, or even longer. Qualitative visual methods and standard quantitative metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of the I-Bot methodology. Many resources are expended every year to analyze and interpret data sets from networks of environmental monitors. A large fraction of those resources is used to cope with difficulties due to the presence of missing data. The I-Bot method of imputing values for such missing data may help convert incomplete data sets into virtually complete data sets that facilitate the analysis and reliable interpretation of vital environmental data.

Metabolic optimisation of the basketball free throw.

PubMed

Padulo, Johnny; Attene, Giuseppe; Migliaccio, Gian Mario; Cuzzolin, Francesco; Vando, Stefano; Ardigò, Luca Paolo

2015-01-01

The free throw (FT) is a fundamental basketball skill used frequently during a match. Most of actual play occurs at about 85% of maximum heart rate (HR). Metabolic intensity, through fatigue, may influence a technically skilled move as the FT is. Twenty-eight under 17 basketball players were studied while shooting FTs on a regular indoor basketball court. We investigated FT accuracy in young male basketball players shooting at three different HRs: at rest, at 50% and at 80% of maximum experimentally obtained HR value. We found no significant FT percentage difference between rest and 50% of the maximum HR (FT percentage about 80%; P > 0.05). Differently, at 80% of the maximum HR the FT percentage decreased significantly by more than 20% (P < 0.001) down to about 60%. No preliminary warm-up is needed before entering game for the FT accuracy. Furthermore, we speculate that time-consuming, cooling-off routines usually performed by shooters before each FT may be functional to improve its accuracy.

Ingested nitrate and nitrite, disinfection by-products, and pancreatic cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Quist, Arbor J L; Inoue-Choi, Maki; Weyer, Peter J; Anderson, Kristin E; Cantor, Kenneth P; Krasner, Stuart; Freeman, Laura E Beane; Ward, Mary H; Jones, Rena R

2018-01-15

Nitrate and nitrite are precursors of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), probable human carcinogens that cause pancreatic tumors in animals. Disinfection by-products (DBP) exposures have also been linked with digestive system cancers, but few studies have evaluated relationships with pancreatic cancer. We investigated the association of pancreatic cancer with these drinking water contaminants and dietary nitrate/nitrite in a cohort of postmenopausal women in Iowa (1986-2011). We used historical monitoring and treatment data to estimate levels of long-term average nitrate and total trihalomethanes (TTHM; the sum of the most prevalent DBP class) and the duration exceeding one-half the maximum contaminant level (>½ MCL; 5 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen, 40 µg/L TTHM) among participants on public water supplies (PWS) >10 years. We estimated dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes using a food frequency questionnaire. We computed hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox regression and evaluated nitrate interactions with smoking and vitamin C intake. We identified 313 cases among 34,242 women, including 152 with >10 years PWS use (N = 15,710). Multivariable models of average nitrate showed no association with pancreatic cancer (HR p95 vs . Q1  = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.51-2.64). Associations with average TTHM levels were also null (HR Q4 vs . Q1  = 0.70, 95% CI:0.42-1.18). We observed no trend with increasing years of exposure to either contaminant at levels >½ MCL. Positive associations were suggested in the highest dietary nitrite intake from processed meat (HR p95 vs . Q1  = 1.66, 95% CI 1.00-2.75;p trend  = 0.05). We found no interactions of nitrate with known modifiers of endogenous NOC formation. Our results suggest that nitrite intake from processed meat may be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. 2017 UICC.

Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) after single injection.

PubMed

Kirby, A; Lewbart, G A; Hancock-Ronemus, A; Papich, M G

2018-04-01

The pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and the metabolite ciprofloxacin were studied in horseshoe crabs after a single injection of 5 mg/kg. Twelve Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) of undetermined age were injected with enrofloxacin into the dorsal cardiac sinus. Hemolymph samples were collected by syringe and needle at regular intervals for 120 hr. Samples were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and compartmental analysis performed on the results. Following injection, the elimination half-life (T½), peak concentration, area under the curve (AUC), and volume of distribution (VD) for enrofloxacin were 27.9 (29.13) hr, 8.98 (18.09) μg/ml, 367.38 (35.41) hr μg/ml, and 0.575 (20.48) L/kg, respectively (mean value, CV%). For ciprofloxacin, the elimination T½, peak concentration, and AUC were 61.36 (34.55) hr, 2.34 (24.11) μg/ml, and 304.46 (24.69) μg hr/ml. In these animals, the ciprofloxacin concentrations comprised an average of 45.8% of the total fluoroquinolone concentrations, which is substantial compared to other marine invertebrates. The total AUC produced (sum of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) was 682.69 ± 180.61 μg hr/ml. Concentrations that were achieved after a single dose of 5 mg/kg horseshoe crabs were sufficient to treat bacteria susceptible to enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

T wave alternans threshold late after repair of tetralogy of Fallot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheung, Michael M H.; Weintraub, Robert G.; Cohen, Richard J.; Karl, Tom R.; Wilkinson, James L.; Davis, Andrew M.

2002-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Sustained microvolt-level T wave alternans (TWA) is a marker of increased risk for malignant ventricular arrhythmia. There is a significant risk of arrhythmia and sudden death after repair of congenital heart disease. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of TWA after repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). METHODS AND RESULTS: TWA was evaluated during bicycle exercise in 49 subjects who had consecutively undergone transatrial-transpulmonary repair. Median values for age, age at repair, and follow-up duration were 14.9 years (11.5-20.8), 1.6 years (0.2-4.9), and 11.6 years (9.4-17.2), respectively. All patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I and were asymptomatic. Median QRS duration was 120 msec (80-150). Sustained TWA was detected in 7 (23%) of 31 subjects with adequate tests. In these 7 subjects, median onset heart rate (HR) was 120 (98-155). Median HR threshold as a percentage of predicted maximum HR (220 - age) was 58% (48-77). Sustained TWA prevalence was not significantly different compared with normal subjects (7/31 vs 9/83; P = 0.1). Onset HR in the TOF group was significantly lower [mean (SD) of 122 (20) vs 139 (12), P < 0.05]. In the TOF group with sustained TWA, the TWA occurred in 4 of 7 at <60% predicted maximum HR versus 1 of 9 normal subjects (P < 0.05); 3 of 7 had onset HR <120 versus 0 of 9 normal subjects (P < 0.03). There was no significant difference in age, gender, transannular patch use, restrictive right ventricular physiology, QRS duration, QTc, QT/QRS dispersion, or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in subjects with or those without sustained TWA. CONCLUSION: The onset HR for sustained TWA is significantly lower after repair of TOF. Further study is required to determine whether this represents an increased risk for arrhythmia in this patient group.

The Association of Sleep Duration and Morbid Obesity in a Working Population: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

PubMed

Aziz, Muhammad; Osondu, Chukwuemeka U; Younus, Adnan; Malik, Rehan; Rouseff, Maribeth; Das, Sankalp; Guzman, Henry; Maziak, Wasim; Virani, Salim; Feldman, Theodore; Agatston, Arthur S; Veledar, Emir; Aneni, Ehimen C; Nasir, Khurram

2017-03-01

The current study aimed to determine the relationship between self-reported sleep duration and morbid obesity in an employee population. Baptist Health South Florida conducts an annual Health Risk Assessment (HRA) for its employees. Data for this cross-sectional study was collected via this HRA in 2014, and included information on self-reported sleep duration, height and weight for body mass index (BMI), and other biometric measures. Average sleep duration was categorized as short sleep (<6 hr), optimal sleep (6-7.9 hr), and long sleep duration (≥8 hr), while obesity status was categorized as nonobese (BMI <30 kg/m 2 ), obese (30-34.9 kg/m 2 ), and morbid obese (≥35 kg/m 2 ). A total of 9505 participants (mean age 42.8 ± 12.1 years, 75% females, and 55% Hispanic) were included in this study. Prevalence of morbid obesity was about 24% among employees who were sleeping for less than 6 hr compared to 13% and 14% among those sleeping for 6-7.9 hours, and 8 or more hours respectively. In regression analyses, persons who slept less than 6 hr had almost twice the odds of morbid obesity compared to those who slept 6-7.9 hr (odds ratio = 1.8; 1.5-2.2). Our finding that short sleep duration (<6 hr) is significantly associated with a higher risk of morbid obesity should facilitate the development of workplace-based programs that focus on improving sleep among at-risk employees, especially those who work in shift duties to reduce the risk of morbid obesity and other comorbid conditions. Future studies are needed to further explore the relationship of sleep duration and morbid obesity in employee populations.

Effect of beta-blocker therapy on heart rate response in patients with hypertension and newly diagnosed untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PubMed

Wolf, Jacek; Drozdowski, Jacek; Czechowicz, Krzysztof; Winklewski, Paweł J; Jassem, Ewa; Kara, Tomas; Somers, Virend K; Narkiewicz, Krzysztof

2016-01-01

Beta1-receptor antagonists (BBs) are commonly administered in the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The reported benefits of BB use in CVD patients with concomitant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be limited by their impact on apnea-induced bradycardias. Therefore the aim of the study was to test the influence of BBs on periapneic heart rate (HR) fluctuations in hypertensive patients with newly-detected and untreated OSA. We studied 88 hypertensive patients (56 on BBs and 32 BB naive) with newly-diagnosed moderate-to-severe OSA who were free of major pulmonary comorbidities and did not require antiarrhythmic therapy. ECGs recorded during sleep were investigated for heart rate (HR) responses to apneas allowing to compare extreme HR accelerations and decelerations between the groups. Average sleep-time HR was comparable in BB-naive (BB-) and BB-treated (BB+) patients. Direct comparisons showed that HR decelerations were also similar in the two subgroups (53.8±9.6 vs. 54.4±7.8 bpm; P=0.78, for BB- and BB+, respectively) however, BBs blunted the OSA-induced HR accelerations (82.3±12.2 vs. 74.3±10.0; P=0.003). After adjusting for baseline HR and magnitude of desaturations, HR decelerations were more evident in BB-naive group whereas tachycardic responses remained blunted in the BB+ group. The incidence of ectopies and conduction abnormalities were comparable across two groups. Beta-blockers do not potentiate apnea-induced HR decelerations, attenuate apnea-induced increases in heart rate and do not influence incidence of ectopies and conduction abnormalities in patients with hypertension and moderate-to-severe, untreated OSA. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of music on maximal self-paced running performance and passive post-exercise recovery rate.

PubMed

Lee, Sam; Kimmerly, Derek S

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fast tempo music (FM) on self-paced running performance (heart rate, running speed, ratings of perceived exertion), and slow tempo music (SM) on post-exercise heart rate and blood lactate recovery rates. Twelve participants (5 women) completed three randomly assigned conditions: static noise (control), FM and SM. Each condition consisted of self-paced treadmill running, and supine postexercise recovery periods (20 min each). Average running speed, heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during the treadmill running period, while HR and blood lactate were measured during the recovery period. Listening to FM during exercise resulted in a faster self-selected running speed (10.8±1.7 vs. 9.9±1.4 km•hour-1, P<0.001) and higher peak HR (184±12 vs. 177±17 beats•min-1, P<0.01) without a corresponding difference in peak RPE (FM, 16.8±1.8 vs. SM 15.7±1.9, P=0.10). Listening to SM during the post-exercise period resulted in faster HR recovery throughout (main effect P<0.001) and blood lactate at the end of recovery (2.8±0.4 vs. 4.7±0.8 mmol•L-1, P<0.05). Listening to FM during exercise can increase self-paced intensity without altering perceived exertion levels while listening to SM after exercise can accelerate the recovery rate back to resting levels.

Influence of music on maximal self-paced running performance and passive post-exercise recovery rate.

PubMed

Lee, S; Kimmerly, D

2014-10-30

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fast tempo music (FM) on self--paced running performance (heart rate, running speed, ratings of perceived exertion), and slow tempo music (SM) on post--exercise heart rate and blood lactate recovery rates. Twelve participants (5 Women) completed three randomly assigned conditions: static noise (control), FM and SM. Each condition consisted of self--paced treadmill running, and supine post--exercise recovery periods (20 min each). Average running speed, heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during the treadmill running period, while HR and blood lactate were measured during the recovery period. Listening to FM during exercise resulted in a faster self--selected running speed (10.8 ± 1.7 vs. 9.9 ± 1.4 km•hour--1, p<0.001) and higher peak HR (184 ± 12 vs. 177 ± 17 beats•min--1, p< 0.01) without a corresponding difference in peak RPE (FM, 16.8 ± 1.8 vs. SM 15.7 ± 1.9, p= 0.10). Listening to SM during the post--exercise period reduced HR throughout (main effect p<0.001) and blood lactate at the end of recovery (2.8 ± 0.4 vs. 4.7 ± 0.8 mmol•L--1, p<0.05). Listening to FM during exercise can increase self--paced intensity without altering perceived exertion levels while listening to SM after exercise can accelerate the recovery rate back to resting levels.

Impact of a soccer match on the cardiac autonomic control of referees.

PubMed

Boullosa, Daniel Alexandre; Abreu, Laurinda; Tuimil, José Luis; Leicht, Anthony Scott

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a soccer match on the cardiac autonomic control of heart rate (HR) in soccer referees. Sixteen Spanish regional and third division referees (11 males: 26 ± 7 years, 74.4 ± 4.1 kg, 178 ± 3 cm, Yo-Yo IR1 ~600-1,560 m; 5 females: 22 ± 3 years, 59.3 ± 4.8 kg, 158 ± 8 cm, Yo-Yo IR1 ~200-520 m) participated with 24-h HR recordings measured with a Polar RS800 during a rest and a match day. Autonomic control of HR was assessed from HR variability (HRV) analysis. Inclusion of a soccer match (92.5% spent at >75% maximum HR) reduced pre-match (12:00-17:00 hours; small to moderate), post-match (19:00-00:00 hours; moderate to almost perfect), and night-time (00:00-05:00 hours; small to moderate) HRV. Various moderate-to-large correlations were detected between resting HRV and the rest-to-match day difference in HRV. The rest-to-match day differences of low and high-frequency bands ratio (LF/HF) and HR in the post-match period were moderately correlated with time spent at different exercise intensities. Yo-Yo IR1 performance was highly correlated with jump capacity and peak lactate, but not with any HRV parameter. These results suggest that a greater resting HRV may allow referees to tolerate stresses during a match day with referees who spent more time at higher intensities during matches exhibiting a greater LF/HF increment in the post-match period. The relationship between match activities, [Formula: see text] and HR recovery kinetics in referees and team sport athletes of different competitive levels remains to be clarified.

[Clinical significance of prognostic nutritional index in patients with advanced gastric cancer].

PubMed

Song, Shubin; Liu, Honggang; Xue, Yingwei

2018-02-25

To investigate the relationship of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) with clinicopathological factors and the clinical significance of PNI in predicting the survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Clinicopathological and follow-up data of 1150 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy from January 2007 to December 2010 at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The PNI value was calculated [PNI=absolute value of lymphocyte(10 9 /L)×5 + serum albumin (g/L)] and was grouped according to the mean value of PNI. Relationships of PNI with gender, age, tumor size, depth of invasion, tumor differentiation, tumor stage, tumor location, lymph node metastasis and tumor marker detection level were analyzed. At the same time, for the survival analysis of patients, log-rank method was used for univariate analysis, and Cox method was used for multivariate analysis. Of 1150 cases, 846 were males and 304 were females with an average age of 62 (24 to 88) years. The average maximum diameter of tumor was 5.4(1.0 to 20.0) cm. Tumor of 159 cases located in the gastric fundus, 221 cases in the gastric body, 705 cases in the gastric antrum and 65 cases in the whole stomach. Well differentiated tumors were found in 198 cases and poorly differentiated tumors in 952 cases. As for depth of tumor invasion, 165 cases were T2, 343 cases were T3 and 642 cases were T4. According to TNM stage, 53 cases were stage I(, 397 cases were stage II( and 700 cases were stage III(. The average lymph node metastasis rate was 25.0%, meanwhile lymph node metastasis was N0 in 296 cases, N1 in 246 cases, N2 in 277 cases and N3 in 331 cases. Blood examination showed hemoglobin ≤130 g/L in 544 cases and >130 g/L in 606 cases; carcinoembryonic antigen ≤5 μg/L in 903 cases and >5 μg /L in 247 cases; carbohydrate antigen 19-9 ≤37 kU/L in 927 cases and >37 kU/L in 223 cases. In whole patients, the mean value of PNI was 51.81(24.5 to 80.4), PNI ≤51.81 group had 563 cases, and PNI >51.81 group had 587 cases. Between PNI ≤51.81 group and PNI >51.81 group, age (χ 2 =22.661, P=0.000), tumor location (χ 2 =8.979, P=0.030), tumor size (χ 2 =34.509, P=0.000), tumor stage (χ 2 =11.644, P=0.003), depth of tumor invasion (χ 2 =21.681, P=0.000) and hemoglobin (χ 2 =112.262, P=0.000) were significantly different. Patients were followed up for an average of 45.1 months (4 to 108). The 5-year survival rate was 37.7% in PNI ≤51.81 group, while it was 47.0% in PNI >51.81 group, whose difference was statistically significant (χ 2 =8.326, P=0.004). Univariate analysis showed that patients with PNI ≤51.81(P=0.004), deeper tumor invasion (P=0.000), more metastatic lymph nodes (P=0.000), later TNM stage (P=0.000), lymph node metastasis rate >25.02%(P=0.000), hemoglobin ≤130 g/L(P=0.011), the maximum tumor diameter >5.4 cm (P=0.000), tumor undifferentiated (P=0.001), CEA >5 μg /L (P=0.000), CA199 >37 kU/L(P=0.000) and tumors locating in whole stomach (P=0.000) had poorer prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that the age (HR=1.195, 95%CI: 1.019 to 1.401, P=0.028), the depth of tumor invasion(HR=1.429, 95%CI: 1.231 to 1.658, P=0.000), the number of metastatic lymph node (HR=1.536, 95%CI:1.330 to 1.774, P=0.000), the lymph node metastasis rate (HR=1.376, 95%CI:1.102 to 1.717, P=0.005), tumor TNM stage (HR=1.387, 95%CI: 1.026 to 1.876, P=0.033) and tumor size(HR=1.182, 95%CI: 1.005 to 1.390, P=0.043) were independent prognostic factors of gastric cancer patients, while PNI (HR=0.913, 95%CI: 0.774 to 1.076, P=0.278) was not an independent risk prognostic factor of gastric cancer patients. Although the PNI is not an independent risk factor of overall survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer, it is still an indicator of survival in patients with gastric cancer. Improving preoperative nutritional status in patients with gastric cancer may contribute to a better prognosis.

Improved Heart Rate Recovery After Marked Weight Loss Induced by Gastric Bypass Surgery: 2 Year Follow Up in the Utah Obesity Study

PubMed Central

Wasmund, Stephen L.; Yanowitz, Frank G.; Adams, Ted D.; Hunt, Steven C.; Hamdan, Mohamed H.; Litwin, Sheldon E.

2010-01-01

Background Obesity is associated with significantly increased cardiovascular mortality that has been attributed, in part, to sympathetic activation. Gastric bypass surgery (GBS) appears to increase long-term survival in the severely obese, but mechanisms responsible for this increase are still being sought. Heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise reflects the balance of cardiac autonomic input from the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Blunted HR recovery is a very powerful predictor of increased mortality while enhanced HR recovery portends a good prognosis. Objectives To evaluate the effect of marked weight loss achieved via GBS on HR recovery. Methods Severely obese patients underwent submaximal exercise testing (80% predicted maximum HR) at baseline and 2 years after GBS (n=153) or nonsurgical treatment (n=188). Results Patients in the GBS group lost an average of 100±37 lbs compared to 3±22 lbs in the nonsurgical group (p<0.001, GBS vs. nonsurgical). Resting HR decreased from 73 beats/minute (bpm) to 60 bpm in the GBS group and from 74 bpm to 68 bpm in nonsurgical patients (p<0.001). Heart rate recovery improved by 13 bpm in the GBS group and did not change in the nonsurgical group (p<0.001 GBS vs. nonsurgical). In multivariable analysis, the independent correlates of HR recovery at the 2-year time point were resting HR, treadmill time, age, body mass index and HOMA-IR. Conclusion Marked weight loss 2 years after GBS resulted in a significant decrease in resting HR and an enhancement in HR recovery after exercise. These changes are likely attributable to improvement in insulin sensitivity and cardiac autonomic balance. Whether and to what extent this contributes to a reduction in cardiovascular mortality with GBS remains to be determined. PMID:20970524

Effect of Metoprolol Succinate in Patients with Stable Angina and Elevated Heart Rate Receiving Low-Dose β-Blocker Therapy.

PubMed

Jiang, Jie; Cong, Hongliang; Zhang, Yan; Li, Zhanquan; Tao, Guizhou; Li, Xiaodong; Qing, Liang; Tan, Ning; Zhao, Zhichen; Dong, Yugang; Ji, Zheng; Chen, Yundai; Ge, Junbo; He, Ben; Sun, Yingxian; Cao, Kejiang; Huo, Yong

2017-01-01

Aims: β-blockers are underused in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease. The prescribed dose is often low. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metoprolol succinate doses of 95 mg and 190 mg on heart rate (HR) control, as well as drug tolerance, in Chinese patients with stable angina, low-dose β-blocker use and unsatisfactory HR control. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group trial in 15 clinical sites. Patients with stable angina, taking low-dose β-blockers (equivalent to metoprolol succinate 23.75-47.5 mg/day), and having a resting HR of ≥ 65 bpm were enrolled and randomized to either the metoprolol 95-mg group or the 190-mg group. The change in 24-h average HR from baseline recorded by Holter monitoring and the percentages of patients with resting HR controlled to ≤ 60 bpm were compared between the two groups. Results: Two hundred thirty-one patients entered the intent-to-treat population for the main analysis. The change in 24-h average HR from baseline was -0.62 ± 0.66 bpm in the 95 mg group and -2.99 ± 0.62 bpm in the 190 mg group (p = 0.0077) after 8 weeks of treatment. The percentages of patients with resting HR controlled to ≤ 60 bpm were 24.1% (95% CI: 16.35%, 31.93%) and 40.0% (95% CI: 31.05%, 48.95%), respectively (p = 0.0019). Only 4 and 2 of the patients, respectively, discontinued the study drugs because of hypotension or bradycardia. Conclusions: The metoprolol succinate dose of 190 mg is superior to the 95 mg dose in terms of HR control, in Chinese patients with stable angina, low-dose β-blocker use and unsatisfactory HR control. Both doses were well tolerated.

Effect of Metoprolol Succinate in Patients with Stable Angina and Elevated Heart Rate Receiving Low-Dose β-Blocker Therapy

PubMed Central

Jiang, Jie; Cong, Hongliang; Zhang, Yan; Li, Zhanquan; Tao, Guizhou; Li, Xiaodong; Qing, Liang; Tan, Ning; Zhao, Zhichen; Dong, Yugang; Ji, Zheng; Chen, Yundai; Ge, Junbo; He, Ben; Sun, Yingxian; Cao, Kejiang; Huo, Yong

2017-01-01

Aims: β-blockers are underused in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease. The prescribed dose is often low. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metoprolol succinate doses of 95 mg and 190 mg on heart rate (HR) control, as well as drug tolerance, in Chinese patients with stable angina, low-dose β-blocker use and unsatisfactory HR control. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group trial in 15 clinical sites. Patients with stable angina, taking low-dose β-blockers (equivalent to metoprolol succinate 23.75-47.5 mg/day), and having a resting HR of ≥ 65 bpm were enrolled and randomized to either the metoprolol 95-mg group or the 190-mg group. The change in 24-h average HR from baseline recorded by Holter monitoring and the percentages of patients with resting HR controlled to ≤ 60 bpm were compared between the two groups. Results: Two hundred thirty-one patients entered the intent-to-treat population for the main analysis. The change in 24-h average HR from baseline was -0.62 ± 0.66 bpm in the 95 mg group and -2.99 ± 0.62 bpm in the 190 mg group (p = 0.0077) after 8 weeks of treatment. The percentages of patients with resting HR controlled to ≤ 60 bpm were 24.1% (95% CI: 16.35%, 31.93%) and 40.0% (95% CI: 31.05%, 48.95%), respectively (p = 0.0019). Only 4 and 2 of the patients, respectively, discontinued the study drugs because of hypotension or bradycardia. Conclusions: The metoprolol succinate dose of 190 mg is superior to the 95 mg dose in terms of HR control, in Chinese patients with stable angina, low-dose β-blocker use and unsatisfactory HR control. Both doses were well tolerated. PMID:28539824

Measures of sleep and cardiac functioning during sleep using a multi-sensory commercially-available wristband in adolescents.

PubMed

de Zambotti, Massimiliano; Baker, Fiona C; Willoughby, Adrian R; Godino, Job G; Wing, David; Patrick, Kevin; Colrain, Ian M

2016-05-01

To validate measures of sleep and heart rate (HR) during sleep generated by a commercially-available activity tracker against those derived from polysomnography (PSG) in healthy adolescents. Sleep data were concurrently recorded using FitbitChargeHR™ and PSG, including electrocardiography (ECG), during an overnight laboratory sleep recording in 32 healthy adolescents (15 females; age, mean±SD: 17.3±2.5years). Sleep and HR measures were compared between FitbitChargeHR™ and PSG using paired t-tests and Bland-Altman plots. Epoch-by-epoch analysis showed that FitbitChargeHR™ had high overall accuracy (91%), high sensitivity (97%) in detecting sleep, and poor specificity (42%) in detecting wake on a min-to-min basis. On average, FitbitChargeHR™ significantly but negligibly overestimated total sleep time by 8min and sleep efficiency by 1.8%, and underestimated wake after sleep onset by 5.6min (p<0.05). Within FitbitChargeHR™ epochs of sleep, the average HR was 59.3±7.5bpm, which was significantly but negligibly lower than that calculated from ECG (60.2±7.6bpm, p<0.001), with no change in mean discrepancies throughout the night. FitbitChargeHR™ showed good agreement with PSG and ECG in measuring sleep and HR during sleep, supporting its use in assessing sleep and cardiac function in healthy adolescents. Further validation is needed to assess its reliability over prolonged periods of time in ecological settings and in clinical populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measures of Sleep and Cardiac Functioning During Sleep Using a Multi-Sensory Commercially–Available Wristband in Adolescents

PubMed Central

de Zambotti, Massimiliano; Baker, Fiona C.; Willoughby, Adrian R.; Godino, Job G.; Wing, David; Patrick, Kevin; Colrain, Ian M.

2016-01-01

To validate measures of sleep and heart rate (HR) during sleep generated by a commercially-available activity tracker against those derived from polysomnography (PSG) in healthy adolescents. Sleep data were concurrently recorded using FitbitChargeHR™ and PSG, including electrocardiography (ECG), during an overnight laboratory sleep recording in 32 healthy adolescents (15 females; Age, mean±SD: 17.3±2.5 years). Sleep and HR measures were compared between FitbitChargeHR™ and PSG using paired t-tests and Bland-Altman plots. Epoch-by-epoch analysis showed that FitbitChargeHR™ had high overall accuracy (91%), high sensitivity (97%) in detecting sleep, and poor specificity (42%) in detecting wake on a min-to-min basis. On average, FitbitChargeHR™ significantly but negligibly overestimated total sleep time by 8min and sleep efficiency by 1.8%, and underestimated wake after sleep onset by 5.6min (p<0.05). Within FitbitChargeHR™ epochs of sleep, the average HR was 59.3±7.5 bpm, which was significantly but negligibly lower than that calculated from ECG (60.2±7.6 bpm, p<0.001), with no change in mean discrepancies throughout the night. FitbitChargeHR™ showed good agreement with PSG and ECG in measuring sleep and HR during sleep, supporting its use in assessing sleep and cardiac function in healthy adolescents. Further validation is needed to assess its reliability over prolonged periods of time in ecological settings and in clinical populations. PMID:26969518

Night-time heart rate nondipping: clinical and prognostic significance in the general population.

PubMed

Cuspidi, Cesare; Facchetti, Rita; Bombelli, Michele; Sala, Carla; Tadic, Marijana; Grassi, Guido; Mancia, Giuseppe

2018-06-01

Studies addressing the association between a reduced drop of heart rate (HR) at night with subclinical organ damage and cardiovascular events in the general population are scanty. We evaluated this issue in individuals enrolled in the Pressioni Monitorate E Loro Associazioni study. At entry, 2021 individuals underwent diagnostic tests including laboratory investigations, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring and echocardiography. Participants were followed from the initial medical visit for a time interval of 148 ± 27 months. To explore the association of circadian HR rhythm and outcomes, participants were classified in the primary analysis according to quartiles of nocturnal HR decrease. In secondary analyses, the population was also classified according nondipping nocturnal HR (defined as a drop in average HR at night lower than 10% compared with day-time values) and next in four categories: first, BP/HR dipper, second, BP/HR nondipper, third, HR dipper/BP nondipper, fourth, HR nondipper/BP dipper). A flattened circadian HR rhythm (i.e. lowest quartile of night-time HR dip) was independently associated with left atrial enlargement, but not to left ventricular hypertrophy; moreover, it was predictive of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, independently of several confounders (hazard ratio 1.8, confidence interval: 1.13-2.86, P < 0.01 vs. highest quartile). A blunted dipping of nocturnal HR is associated with preclinical cardiac damage in terms of left atrial enlargement and is predictive cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population.

Nickel absorption and kinetics in human volunteers.

PubMed

Sunderman, F W; Hopfer, S M; Sweeney, K R; Marcus, A H; Most, B M; Creason, J

1989-05-01

Mathematical modeling of the kinetics of nickel absorption, distribution, and elimination was performed in healthy human volunteers who ingested NiSO4 drinking water (Experiment 1) or added to food (Experiment 2). Nickel was analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry in serum, urine, and feces collected during 2 days before and 4 days after a specified NiSO4 dose (12 micrograms of nickel/kg, n = 4; 18 micrograms of nickel/kg, n = 4; or 50 micrograms of nickel/kg, n = 1). In Experiment 1, each of the subjects fasted 12 hr before and 3 hr after drinking one of the specified NiSO4 doses dissolved in water; in Experiment 2, the respective subjects fasted 12 hr before consuming a standard American breakfast that contained the identical dose of NiSO4 added to scrambled eggs. Kinetic analyses, using a compartmental model, provided excellent goodness-of-fit for paired data sets from all subjects. Absorbed nickel averaged 27 +/- 17% (mean +/- SD) of the dose ingested in water vs 0.7 +/- 0.4% of the same dose ingested in food (a 40-fold difference); rate constants for nickel absorption, transfer, and elimination were not significantly influenced by the oral vehicle. The elimination half-time for absorbed nickel averaged 28 +/- 9 hr. Renal clearance of nickel averaged 8.3 +/- 2.0 ml/min/1.73 m2 in Experiment 1 and 5.8 +/- 4.3 ml/min/1.73 m2 in Experiment 2. This study confirms that dietary constituents profoundly reduce the bioavailability of Ni2+ for alimentary absorption; approximately one-quarter of nickel ingested in drinking water after an over-night fast is absorbed from the human intestine and excreted in urine, compared with only 1% of nickel ingested in food. The compartmental model and kinetic parameters provided by this study will reduce the uncertainty of toxicologic risk assessments of human exposures to nickel in drinking water and food.

Cardiovascular and Perceptual Responses to an Ultraendurance Channel Swim: A Case Study.

PubMed

Judelson, Daniel A; Bagley, James R; Schumacher, Jennifer M; Wiersma, Lenny D

2015-09-01

Ultraendurance open water swimming presents unique physiological challenges. This case study aimed to describe cardiovascular and perceptual responses during a successful solo channel swim. Investigators followed a female swimmer's Catalina Channel (32.2 km) crossing, monitoring water temperature (T(water)) and air temperature (T(air)), distance remaining (DR), average velocity, and heart rate (HR(swim)) at regular intervals. Every 24 minutes, the swimmer reported perceived pain (on a scale of 0-10), rating of perceived exertion (RPE [scale of 6-20]), perceived thermal sensation (scale 0-8), and thirst (scale 1-9). Data are presented as mean ± SD where applicable. The participant finished in 9 hours, 2 minutes, and 48 seconds; T(water) averaged 19.1 ± 0.4ºC, and T(air) averaged 18.6 ± 0.9ºC. Her HR(swim) ranged from 148 to 155 beats/min, and thermal sensation ranged from 3 to 4. Pain inconsistently varied from 0 to 5 during the swim. The RPE remained between 12 and 14 for the first 8 hours, but increased dramatically near the end (reaching 18). Thirst sensation steadily increased throughout the swim, again reaching maximal values on completion. Physiologically and statistically significant correlations existed between thirst and DR (r = -0.905), RPE and HR(swim) (r = 0.741), RPE and DR (r = -0.694), and pain and DR (r = -0.671). The primary findings were that, despite fluctuations in perceptual stressors, the swimmer maintained a consistent exercise intensity as indicated by HR(swim); and during ultraendurance swimming, pain, RPE, and thirst positively correlated with distance swum. We hope these findings aid in the preparation and performance of future athletes by providing information on what swimmers may expect during an ultraendurance attempt and by increasing the understanding of physiological and perceptual responses during open water swimming. Copyright © 2015 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Concentration-response of short-term ozone exposure and hospital admissions for asthma in Texas.

PubMed

Zu, Ke; Liu, Xiaobin; Shi, Liuhua; Tao, Ge; Loftus, Christine T; Lange, Sabine; Goodman, Julie E

2017-07-01

Short-term exposure to ozone has been associated with asthma hospital admissions (HA) and emergency department (ED) visits, but the shape of the concentration-response (C-R) curve is unclear. We conducted a time series analysis of asthma HAs and ambient ozone concentrations in six metropolitan areas in Texas from 2001 to 2013. Using generalized linear regression models, we estimated the effect of daily 8-hour maximum ozone concentrations on asthma HAs for all ages combined, and for those aged 5-14, 15-64, and 65+years. We fit penalized regression splines to evaluate the shape of the C-R curves. Using a log-linear model, estimated risk per 10ppb increase in average daily 8-hour maximum ozone concentrations was highest for children (relative risk [RR]=1.047, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.025-1.069), lower for younger adults (RR=1.018, 95% CI: 1.005-1.032), and null for older adults (RR=1.002, 95% CI: 0.981-1.023). However, penalized spline models demonstrated significant nonlinear C-R relationships for all ages combined, children, and younger adults, indicating the existence of thresholds. We did not observe an increased risk of asthma HAs until average daily 8-hour maximum ozone concentrations exceeded approximately 40ppb. Ozone and asthma HAs are significantly associated with each other; susceptibility to ozone is age-dependent, with children at highest risk. C-R relationships between average daily 8-hour maximum ozone concentrations and asthma HAs are significantly curvilinear for all ages combined, children, and younger adults. These nonlinear relationships, as well as the lack of relationship between average daily 8-hour maximum and peak ozone concentrations, have important implications for assessing risks to human health in regulatory settings. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on blood lipid peroxidation and cortisol concentration in dairy cows undergoing omentopexy.

PubMed

Mudron, P; Rehage, J

2018-04-11

Twenty dairy cows with left abomasal displacement were used to investigate the effects of vitamin E and selenium treatment on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and blood cortisol in dairy cows stressed by omentopexy. The cows were randomly divided into two groups. Ten hours before surgery 6 g of DL-α-tocopheryl acetate (6 mg/kg) and 67 mg of natrium selenite (0.1 mg/kg) in volume of 40 ml (Vitaselen ® ) were administered subcutaneously to 10 cows; the control animals (n = 10) received an equivalent volume of injectable water (40 ml). The injection of vitamin E and selenium produced a rapid rise (p < .05) in blood α-tocopherol and selenium concentrations. The serum vitamin E increased several times 10 hr after vitamin E and Se injection and raised continuously to the highest average concentration 21.6 mg/L at hr 24 after the surgery. The highest selenium concentration was seen 10 hr after selenium administration with holding the increased concentrations in comparison with initial ones during the whole study. Two-way ANOVA did not show significant treatment effect on plasma concentrations TBARS in the study. The plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances reached the maximum value of 0.18 μmol/L in the control group 5 hr after the surgery. Twenty-four hours after the surgery, the TBARS values returned to the initial ones. Serum cortisol increased in both groups after surgery. The highest cortisol concentrations were reached at 1 hr after surgery in the experimental and control group (56.7 ± 28.8 and 65.3 ± 26.1 μg/L respectively). A return to the levels similar to the initial ones was recognized 24 hr after the surgery. The ANOVA revealed a significant effect of vitamin E and selenium injection on plasma cortisol (p < .05). In conclusion, we have demonstrated that abdominal surgery resulted in typical stress changes with no significant effects of a single vitamin E/Se injection on blood lipid peroxidation. In addition, a weaker cortisol response to the abdominal surgery was recognized in animals treated with vitamin E and selenium. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Objectively measured sedentary behavior in preschool children: comparison between Montessori and traditional preschools.

PubMed

Byun, Wonwoo; Blair, Steven N; Pate, Russell R

2013-01-03

This study aimed to compare the levels of objectively-measured sedentary behavior in children attending Montessori preschools with those attending traditional preschools. The participants in this study were preschool children aged 4 years old who were enrolled in Montessori and traditional preschools. The preschool children wore ActiGraph accelerometers. Accelerometers were initialized using 15-second intervals and sedentary behavior was defined as <200 counts/15-second. The accelerometry data were summarized into the average minutes per hour spent in sedentary behavior during the in-school, the after-school, and the total-day period. Mixed linear regression models were used to determine differences in the average time spent in sedentary behavior between children attending traditional and Montessori preschools, after adjusting for selected potential correlates of preschoolers' sedentary behavior. Children attending Montessori preschools spent less time in sedentary behavior than those attending traditional preschools during the in-school (44.4. min/hr vs. 47.1 min/hr, P = 0.03), after-school (42.8. min/hr vs. 44.7 min/hr, P = 0.04), and total-day (43.7 min/hr vs. 45.5 min/hr, P = 0. 009) periods. School type (Montessori or traditional), preschool setting (private or public), socio-demographic factors (age, gender, and socioeconomic status) were found to be significant predictors of preschoolers' sedentary behavior. Levels of objectively-measured sedentary behavior were significantly lower among children attending Montessori preschools compared to children attending traditional preschools. Future research should examine the specific characteristics of Montessori preschools that predict the lower levels of sedentary behavior among children attending these preschools compared to children attending traditional preschools.

Chicago transit authority train noise exposure.

PubMed

Phan, Linh T; Jones, Rachael M

2017-06-01

To characterize noise exposure of riders on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains, we measured noise levels twice on each segment of 7 of the 8 CTA train lines, which are named after colors, yielding 48 time-series measurements. We found the Blue Line has the highest noise levels compared to other train lines, with mean 76.9 dBA; and that the maximum noise level, 88.9 dBA occurred in the tunnel between the Chicago and Grand stations. Train segments involving travel through a tunnel had significantly higher noise levels than segments with travel on elevated and ground level tracks. While 8-hr doses inside the passenger cars were not estimated to exceed occupational exposure limits, train operators ride in a separate cab with operational windows and may therefore have higher noise exposures than riders. Despite the low risk of hearing loss for riders on CTA trains, in part because transit noise accounts for a small part of total daily noise exposure, 1-min average noise levels exceeded 85 dBA at times. This confirms anecdotal observations of discomfort due to noise levels, and indicates a need for noise management, particularly in tunnels.

Inverse relationship between sleep duration and myopia.

PubMed

Jee, Donghyun; Morgan, Ian G; Kim, Eun Chul

2016-05-01

To investigate the association between sleep duration and myopia. This population-based, cross-sectional study using a nationwide, systemic, stratified, multistage, clustered sampling method included a total of 3625 subjects aged 12-19 years who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2012. All participants underwent ophthalmic examination and a standardized interview including average sleep duration (hr/day), education, physical activity and economic status (annual household income). Refractive error was measured by autorefraction without cycloplegia. Myopia and high myopia were defined as ≤-0.50 dioptres (D) and ≤-6.0 D, respectively. Sleep durations were classified into 5 categories: <5, 6, 7, 8 and >9 hr. The overall prevalence of myopia and high myopia were 77.8% and 9.4%, respectively, and the overall sleep duration was 7.1 hr/day. The refractive error increased by 0.10 D per 1 hr increase in sleep after adjusting for potential confounders including sex, age, height, education level, economic status and physical activity. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for refractive error was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.97) per 1 hr increase in sleep. The adjusted OR for myopia was decreased in those with >9 hr of sleep (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38-0.93; p for trend = 0.006) than in those with <5 hr of sleep. However, high myopia was not associated with sleep duration. This study provides the population-based, epidemiologic evidence for an inverse relationship between sleep duration and myopia in a representative population of Korean adolescents. © 2015 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A prospective study on the impact of heart rate control achieved with metoprolol on cardiac performance, motor function and quality of life in Chinese chronic heart failure patients.

PubMed

Meng, Yong; Liu, Xuelu; Liu, Juan; Cheng, Xianliang

2017-01-15

To prospectively evaluate the impact of metoprolol achieved heart rate (HR) on cardiac-motor function and quality of life (QoL) in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. Between February 2013 to April 2016, association of HR reduction with haemodynamic indices, motor function and QoL in CHF patients with HR>80bpm receiving metoprolol 23.75mg or 47.5mgq.d was studied. Overall, 154 patients (median age, 66.39years; males, n=101; females, n=53) were enrolled, whose average resting HR decreased significantly from baseline value of 82.72±6.73 to 69.38±3.57, 67.72±2.61, 66.50±3.14 and 64.86±3.21bpm in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th months post metoprolol intervention, respectively (P<0.0001). Similarly, the ejection fraction (r=-0.6461, P<0.0001), cardiac output (r=-0.5238, P<0.0001), cardiac index (r=-0.5378, P<0.0001) and veterans specific activity questionnaire scores (r=-0.4088, P<0.0001) were significantly associated with the reduction in HR after 12months. The improvement in 6-min walk test was independent of HR reduction (P=0.005). Similarly, QoL as measured by short form-8 questionnaire (SF-8) but not Minnesota Living with Heart Failure was significantly improved at the 12th-month. However, this was not associated with the reductions in HR. Metoprolol achieved HR control was associated with improvement in cardiac performance and motor function but not QoL in patients with CHF. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Borg scale as an important tool of self-monitoring and self-regulation of exercise prescription in heart failure patients during hydrotherapy. A randomized blinded controlled trial.

PubMed

Carvalho, Vitor Oliveira; Bocchi, Edimar Alcides; Guimarães, Guilherme Veiga

2009-10-01

The Borg Scale may be a useful tool for heart failure patients to self-monitor and self-regulate exercise on land or in water (hydrotherapy) by maintaining the heart rate (HR) between the anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point. Patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test to determine their anaerobic threshold/respiratory compensation points. The percentage of the mean HR during the exercise session in relation to the anaerobic threshold HR (%EHR-AT), in relation to the respiratory compensation point (%EHR-RCP), in relation to the peak HR by the exercise test (%EHR-Peak) and in relation to the maximum predicted HR (%EHR-Predicted) was calculated. Next, patients were randomized into the land or water exercise group. One blinded investigator instructed the patients in each group to exercise at a level between "relatively easy and slightly tiring". The mean HR throughout the 30-min exercise session was recorded. The %EHR-AT and %EHR-predicted did not differ between the land and water exercise groups, but they differed in the %EHR-RCP (95 +/-7 to 86 +/-7, P<0.001) and in the %EHR-Peak (85 +/-8 to 78 +/-9, P=0.007). Exercise guided by the Borg scale maintains the patient's HR between the anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point (ie, in the exercise training zone).

Differential Change Patterns of Main Antimicrobial Peptide Genes During Infection of Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Their Symbiotic Bacteria.

PubMed

Darsouei, Reyhaneh; Karimi, Javad; Ghadamyari, Mohammad; Hosseini, Mojtaba

2017-08-01

The expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as the main humoral defense reactions of insects during infection by entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and their symbiont is addressed herein. Three AMPs, attacin, cecropin, and spodoptericin, were evaluated in the fifth instar larvae of Spodoptera exigua Hübner (beet armyworm) when challenged with Steinernema carpocapsae or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. The results indicated that attacin was expressed to a greater extent than either cecropin or spodoptericin. While spodoptericin was expressed to a much lesser extent, this AMP was induced against Gram-positive bacteria, and thus not expressed after penetration of Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus luminescens. Attacin and cecropin in the larvae treated with S. carpocapsae at 8 hr post-injection (PI) attained the maximum expression levels and were 138.42-fold and 65.84-fold greater than those of larvae infected with H. bacteriophora, respectively. Generally, the ability of H. bacteriophora to suppress attacin, cecropin, and spodoptericin was greater than that of S. carpocapsae. According to the results, the expression of AMPs by Sp. exigua larvae against S. carpocapsae was determined in the 4 statuses of monoxenic nematode, axenic nematode, live symbiotic bacterium, and dead symbiotic bacterium. The expression of attacin in larvae treated with a monoxenic nematode and live bacterium at 8 and 2 hr PI, respectively, were increased to the maximum amount. Live X. nematophila was the strongest agent for the suppression of attacin. The expression of cecropin against monoxenic nematodes and live symbiotic bacteria at 8 and 4 hr PI, respectively, reached the maximum amount while the expression levels of attacin and cecropin for axenic nematodes were lesser and stable. The results highlighted that the ability of P. luminescens in AMPs suppression was much more than X. nematophila. The results also showed that the effect of symbiotic bacterium in suppressing attacin and cecropin expression was greater than that of a monoxenic nematode; this result provided deep insight into the expression pattern parallels and fluctuations of the main AMPs during nematode infection.

Strong adhesion and cohesion of chitosan in aqueous solutions

PubMed Central

Lee, Dong Woog; Lim, Chanoong; Israelachvili, Jacob N.; Hwang, Dong Soo

2014-01-01

Chitosan, a load-bearing biomacromolecule found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects, is a promising biopolymer for the replacement of synthetic plastic compounds. Here, surface interactions mediated by chitosan in aqueous solutions, including the effects of pH and contact time, were investigated using a surface forces apparatus (SFA). Chitosan films showed an adhesion to mica for all tested pH ranges (3.0–8.5), achieving a maximum value at pH 3.0 after a contact time of 1 hr (Wad ~6.4 mJ/m2). We also found weak or no cohesion between two opposing chitosan layers on mica in aqueous buffer until the critical contact time for maximum adhesion (chitosan-mica) was reached. Strong cohesion (Wco ~8.5 mJ/m2) between the films was measured with increasing contact times up to 1 hr at pH 3.0, which is equivalent to ~60% of the strongest, previously reported, mussel underwater adhesion. Such time-dependent adhesion properties are most likely related to molecular or molecular group reorientations and interdigitations. At high pH (8.5), the solubility of chitosan changes drastically, causing the chitosan-chitosan (cohesion) interaction to be repulsive at all separation distances and contact times. The strong contact time and pH-dependent chitosan-chitosan cohesion and adhesion properties provide new insight into the development of chitosan based load-bearing materials. PMID:24138057

The Effects of a 10-day Altitude Training Camp at 1828 Meters on Varsity Cross-Country Runners

PubMed Central

DIEBEL, SEBASTIAN R.; NEWHOUSE, IAN; THOMPSON, DAVID S.; JOHNSON, VINEET B.K.

2017-01-01

Altitude training has been shown to alter blood lactate (BL) levels due to alterations resulting from acclimatization. This study aims to estimate the impact of altitude training on BL changes immediately following an incremental treadmill test and during recovery before and after 10-day altitude training at approximately 1828 meters. Eight varsity cross-country runners performed an incremental treadmill test (ITT), pre and post-altitude training. Resting and post-warm-up BL values were recorded. During ITT, heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and time to exhaustion were monitored. BL was also measured post-ITT at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 minutes. The average of all BL values was higher following altitude intervention (8.8 ± 4.6 mmol/L) compared to pre-intervention (7.4 ± 3.3 mmol/L). These differences were statistically significant (t(6) = −2.40, p = .026). BL immediately (0 minutes) after the ITT was higher following the altitude intervention (13.6 ± 3.6 mmol/L) compared to pre-intervention (9.7 ± 3.8 mmol/L) and was statistically significant (t(7) = −3.30, p = .006). Average HR during the ITT was lower following the altitude intervention (176.9 ± 11.1 bpm) compared to pre (187 ± 9.5 bpm), these differences were statistically significant (t(28)= 18.07, p= <.001. Time to exhaustion was longer after the intervention, however was not statistically significant p = 0.13. These findings indicate that a 10 - day altitude intervention at 1828 meters may benefit varsity cross-country runners. The higher post-exercise BL may be attributed to more anaerobic contributions. Lower HR may suggest a larger stroke volume and/or more efficient O2 carrying capacity. PMID:28479950

Georgia fishery study: implications for dose calculations. Revision 1

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

Turcotte, M.D.S.

Fish consumption will contribute a major portion of the estimated individual and population doses from L-Reactor liquid releases and Cs-137 remobilization in Steel Creek. It is therefore important that the values for fish consumption used in dose calculations be as realistic as possible. Since publication of the L-Reactor Environmental Information Document (EID), data have become available on sport fishing in the Savannah River. These data provide SRP with a site-specific sport fish harvest and consumption values for use in dose calculations. The Georgia fishery data support the total population fish consumption and calculated dose reported in the EID. The datamore » indicate, however, that both the EID average and maximum individual fish consumption have been underestimated, although each to a different degree. The average fish consumption value used in the EID is approximately 3% below the lower limit of the fish consumption range calculated using the Georgia data. Maximum fish consumption in the EID has been underestimated by approximately 60%, and doses to the maximum individual should also be recalculated. Future dose calculations should utilize an average adult fish consumption value of 11.3 kg/yr, and a maximum adult fish consumption value of 34 kg/yr. Consumption values for the teen and child age groups should be increased proportionally: (1) teen average = 8.5; maximum = 25.9 kg/yr; and (2) child average = 3.6; maximum = 11.2 kg/yr. 8 refs.« less

Excessive computer game playing among Norwegian adults: self-reported consequences of playing and association with mental health problems.

PubMed

Wenzel, H G; Bakken, I J; Johansson, A; Götestam, K G; Øren, Anita

2009-12-01

Computer games are the most advanced form of gaming. For most people, the playing is an uncomplicated leisure activity; however, for a minority the gaming becomes excessive and is associated with negative consequences. The aim of the present study was to investigate computer game-playing behaviour in the general adult Norwegian population, and to explore mental health problems and self-reported consequences of playing. The survey includes 3,405 adults 16 to 74 years old (Norway 2007, response rate 35.3%). Overall, 65.5% of the respondents reported having ever played computer games (16-29 years, 93.9%; 30-39 years, 85.0%; 40-59 years, 56.2%; 60-74 years, 25.7%). Among 2,170 players, 89.8% reported playing less than 1 hr. as a daily average over the last month, 5.0% played 1-2 hr. daily, 3.1% played 2-4 hr. daily, and 2.2% reported playing > 4 hr. daily. The strongest risk factor for playing > 4 hr. daily was being an online player, followed by male gender, and single marital status. Reported negative consequences of computer game playing increased strongly with average daily playing time. Furthermore, prevalence of self-reported sleeping problems, depression, suicide ideations, anxiety, obsessions/ compulsions, and alcohol/substance abuse increased with increasing playing time. This study showed that adult populations should also be included in research on computer game-playing behaviour and its consequences.

Periodontal Disease and Incident Cancer Risk among Postmenopausal Women: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Cohort.

PubMed

Nwizu, Ngozi N; Marshall, James R; Moysich, Kirsten; Genco, Robert J; Hovey, Kathleen M; Mai, Xiaodan; LaMonte, Michael J; Freudenheim, Jo L; Wactawski-Wende, Jean

2017-08-01

Background: Periodontal pathogens have been isolated from precancerous and cancerous lesions and also shown to promote a procarcinogenic microenvironment. Few studies have examined periodontal disease as a risk factor for total cancer, and none have focused on older women. We examined whether periodontal disease is associated with incident cancer among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Methods: Our prospective cohort study comprised 65,869 women, ages 54 to 86 years. Periodontal disease information was obtained via self-report questionnaires administered between 1999 and 2003, whereas ascertainment of cancer outcomes occurred through September 2013, with a maximum follow-up period of 15 years. Physician-adjudicated incident total cancers were the main outcomes and site-specific cancers were secondary outcomes. HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression. All analyses were conducted two-sided. Results: During a mean follow-up of 8.32 years, 7,149 cancers were identified. Periodontal disease history was associated with increased total cancer risk (multivariable-adjusted HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08-1.20); findings were similar in analyses limited to 34,097 never-smokers (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.04-1.22). Associations were observed for breast (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.23), lung (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.14-1.51), esophagus (HR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.64-6.53), gallbladder (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01-2.95), and melanoma skin (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.48) cancers. Stomach cancer was borderline (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 0.94-2.67). Conclusions: Periodontal disease increases risk of total cancer among older women, irrespective of smoking, and certain anatomic sites appear to be vulnerable. Impact: Our findings support the need for further understanding of the effect of periodontal disease on cancer outcomes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(8); 1255-65. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Factors associated with sinus bradycardia during crizotinib treatment: a retrospective analysis of two large-scale multinational trials (PROFILE 1005 and 1007).

PubMed

Ou, Sai-Hong Ignatius; Tang, Yiyun; Polli, Anna; Wilner, Keith D; Schnell, Patrick

2016-04-01

Decreases in heart rate (HR) have been described in patients receiving crizotinib. We performed a large retrospective analysis of HR changes during crizotinib therapy. HRs from vital-sign data for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer enrolled in PROFILE 1005 and the crizotinib arm of PROFILE 1007 were analyzed. Sinus bradycardia (SB) was defined as HR <60 beats per minute (bpm). Magnitude and timing of HR changes were assessed. Potential risk factors for SB were investigated by logistic regression analysis. Progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated according to HR decrease by <20 versus ≥ 20 bpm within the first 50 days of starting treatment. For the 1053 patients analyzed, the mean maximum postbaseline HR decrease was 25 bpm (standard deviation 15.8). Overall, 441 patients (41.9%) had at least one episode of postbaseline SB. The mean precrizotinib treatment HR was significantly lower among patients with versus without postbaseline SB (82.2 bpm vs. 92.6 bpm). The likelihood of experiencing SB was statistically significantly higher among patients with a precrizotinib treatment HR <70 bpm. PFS was comparable among patients with or without HR decrease of ≥ 20 bpm within the first 50 days of starting crizotinib. Decrease in HR is very common among patients on crizotinib. The likelihood of experiencing SB was statistically significantly higher among patients with a precrizotinib treatment HR <70 bpm. This is the first large-scale report investigating the association between treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and the development of bradycardia. HRs should be closely monitored during crizotinib treatment. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Hemodynamics variation in hypertensive pilots of polar transport aviation on different flight phases].

PubMed

Solov'eva, K B; Dolbin, I V; Koroleva, E B

2013-01-01

The purpose was to study in-flight blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) in polar transport aviation pilots afflicted with essential hypertension. A total of 30 pilots were distributed into 2 groups: hypertensive pilots and those who, though generally healthy were, because of some conditions and lifestyle, predisposed to the cardiovascular risk (CVR). The examination included establishment of personal CVR factors, electrocardiography, bicycle ergometry, echocardiography, off-duty 24-hour BP and HR monitoring, and in-flight BP and HR monitoring. Maximum BP and HR values were higher in hypertensive pilots as compared with the control group. In the first group, maximum systolic BP (sBP) on the rise measured 202 mm Hg vs. 179 mm Hg in the control group. The highest HR on the rise was also registered in the first group (164 beats/min vs. 127 beats/min in the control). At landing, maximum sBP and HR made up 253 and 163 mm Hg, 150 and 141 beats/min values in groups first and second, respectively. To summarize, in the harsh weather conditions of Far North hypertensive pilots experience particularly heavy hemodynamic stresses during flight and, consequently, must be allowed to fly only if their hypertension is under control.

Eleven-year management of prostate cancer patients on active surveillance: what have we learned?

PubMed

Marenghi, Cristina; Alvisi, Maria Francesca; Palorini, Federica; Avuzzi, Barbara; Badenchini, Fabio; Bedini, Nice; Bellardita, Lara; Biasoni, Davide; Bosetti, Davide; Casale, Alessandra; Catanzaro, Mario; Colecchia, Maurizio; De Luca, Letizia; Donegani, Simona; Dordoni, Paola; Lanocita, Rodolfo; Maffezzini, Massimo; Magnani, Tiziana; Menichetti, Julia; Messina, Antonella; Morlino, Sara; Paolini, Biagio; Rancati, Tiziana; Stagni, Silvia; Tesone, Antonio; Torelli, Tullio; Tulli Baldoin, Edoardo; Vaiani, Marta; Villa, Sergio; Villa, Silvia; Zaffaroni, Nadia; Nicolai, Nicola; Salvioni, Roberto; Valdagni, Riccardo

2017-09-18

To evaluate the outcomes of active surveillance (AS) on patients with low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) and to identify predictors of disease reclassification. In 2005, we defined an institutional AS protocol (Sorveglianza Attiva Istituto Nazionale Tumori [SAINT]), and we joined the Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS) study in 2007. Eligibility criteria included clinical stage ≤T2a, initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <10 ng/mL, and Gleason Pattern Score (GPS) ≤3 + 3 (both protocols); ≤25% positive cores with a maximum core length containing cancer ≤50% (SAINT); and ≤2 positive cores and PSA density <0.2 ng/mL/cm3 (PRIAS). Switching to active treatment was advised for a worsening of GPS, increased positive cores, or PSA doubling time <3 years. Active treatment-free survival (ATFS) was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors associated with ATFS were evaluated with a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 818 patients were included: 200 in SAINT, 530 in PRIAS, and 88 in personalized AS monitoring. Active treatment-free survival was 50% after a median follow-up of 60 months. A total of 404/818 patients (49.4%) discontinued AS: 274 for biopsy-related reclassification, 121/404 (30%) for off-protocol reasons, 9/404 (2.2%) because of anxiety. Biopsy reclassification was associated with PSA density (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8), maximum percentage of core involvement (HR 1.5), positive cores at diagnostic biopsy (HR 1.6), older age (HR 1.5), and prostate volume (HR 0.6) (all p<0.01). Patients from SAINT were significantly more likely to discontinue AS than were the patients from PRIAS (HR 1.65, p<0.0001). Five years after diagnosis, 50% of patients with early PCa were spared from active treatment. Wide inclusion criteria are associated with lower ATFS. However, at preliminary analysis, this does not seem to affect the probability of unfavorable pathology.

Pilot study of telephone tutoring in reading skills.

PubMed

Strayhorn, Joseph M

2005-10-01

This study tested the feasibility of tutoring children in reading via telephone sessions. 19 children received tutoring from any of 6 tutors for an average of 7.6 hr. per month. Initially, these children were an average of 10.4 yr. old, in average Grade 4.8, and averaged 2.9 grade levels behind their grade expectations on the Slosson Oral Reading Test. Before tutoring the children had progressed on the Slosson at an average of 0.44 grade levels per year (95% CI = 0.30 to 0.57). The children participated in telephone tutoring for an average of 1.5 yr. During tutoring the students progressed at an average of 2.0 grade levels per year (95% CI = 1.2 to 2.8). The rate of progress during tutoring was significantly greater than that before tutoring (p<.001). The relations between tutors and students appeared to be positive and pleasant. Telephone tutoring seems to be a practical and feasible service delivery method which should be tested further.

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

Gibeault, J.D.; Cravens, R.B. Jr.; Chvapil, M.

A lathyrogen, ({sup 14}C)aminopropionitrile (beta APN), was administered to 34 rats either in K-Y jelly or saline vehicles onto intact shaven skin or onto a healed splinted deep excision wound. The dynamics of beta APN transport and content in the skin or repair tissue was observed after 2, 5, 8, and 24 hr of topical administration. The repair tissue quickly absorbed the lathyrogen and reached maximum at the 2-hr sampling. The content of beta APN in the repair tissue was twice as high as that in K-Y jelly vehicle and remained high and stable for at least 24 hr onlymore » when beta APN was administered through a saline vehicle. The transport of beta APN through intact skin, irrespective of the vehicle tested, was slow and continuously increased. The study showed that almost 20% of the beta APN administered onto the wounded skin area was transported into the repair tissue within 2 hr. We suggest that, due to the absence of epidermal stratum corneum from the repair tissue, drugs, such as beta APN, penetrate quickly into the wound.« less

Gauging the Nearness and Size of Cycle Maximum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

2003-01-01

A simple method for monitoring the nearness and size of conventional cycle maximum for an ongoing sunspot cycle is examined. The method uses the observed maximum daily value and the maximum monthly mean value of international sunspot number and the maximum value of the 2-mo moving average of monthly mean sunspot number to effect the estimation. For cycle 23, a maximum daily value of 246, a maximum monthly mean of 170.1, and a maximum 2-mo moving average of 148.9 were each observed in July 2000. Taken together, these values strongly suggest that conventional maximum amplitude for cycle 23 would be approx. 124.5, occurring near July 2002 +/-5 mo, very close to the now well-established conventional maximum amplitude and occurrence date for cycle 23-120.8 in April 2000.

The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise.

PubMed

Legault, Zachary; Bagnall, Nicholas; Kimmerly, Derek S

2015-10-01

The study aimed to examine the effects that L-glutamine supplementation has on quadriceps muscle strength and soreness ratings following eccentric exercise. It was hypothesized that glutamine ingestion would quicken the recovery rate of peak force production and decrease muscle soreness ratings over a 72-hr recovery period. Sixteen healthy participants (8♀/8♂; 22 ± 4 years) volunteered in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study. Supplement conditions consisted of isoenergetic placebo (maltodextrin, 0.6 g·kg-1·day-1) and L-glutamine (0.3 g·kg-1·day-1 + 0.3 g·kg-1·day-1 maltodextrin) ingestion once per day over 72 hr. Knee extensor peak torque at 0°, 30°, and 180° per second and muscle soreness were measured before, immediately following, 24, 48, and 72 hr posteccentric exercise. Eccentric exercise consisted of 8 sets (10 repetitions/set) of unilateral knee extension at 125% maximum concentric force with 2-min rest intervals. L-glutamine resulted in greater relative peak torque at 180°/sec both immediately after (71 ± 8% vs. 66 ± 9%), and 72 hr (91 ± 8% vs. 86 ± 7%) postexercise (all, p < .01). In men, L-glutamine produced greater (p < .01) peak torques at 30°/ sec postexercise. Men also produced greater normalized peak torques at 30°/sec (Nm/kg) in the L-glutamine condition than women (all, p < .05). In the entire sample, L-glutamine resulted in lower soreness ratings at 24 (2.8 ± 1.2 vs. 3.4 ± 1.2), 48 (2.6 ± 1.4 vs. 3.9 ± 1.2), and 72 (1.7 ± 1.2 vs. 2.9 ± 1.3) hr postexercise (p < .01). The L-glutamine supplementation resulted in faster recovery of peak torque and diminished muscle soreness following eccentric exercise. The effect of L-glutamine on muscle force recovery may be greater in men than women.

Vocal exercise may attenuate acute vocal fold inflammation

PubMed Central

Abbott, Katherine Verdolini; Li, Nicole Y.K.; Branski, Ryan C.; Rosen, Clark A.; Grillo, Elizabeth; Steinhauer, Kimberly; Hebda, Patricia A.

2012-01-01

Objectives/Hypotheses The objective was to assess the utility of selected “resonant voice” exercises for the reduction of acute vocal fold inflammation. The hypothesis was that relatively large-amplitude, low-impact exercises associated with resonant voice would reduce inflammation more than spontaneous speech and possibly more than voice rest. Study Design The study design was prospective, randomized, double-blind. Methods Nine vocally healthy adults underwent a 1-hr vocal loading procedure, followed by randomization to (a) a spontaneous speech condition, (b) a vocal rest condition, or (c) a resonant voice exercise condition. Treatments were monitored in clinic for 4 hr, and continued extra-clinically until the next morning. At baseline, immediately following loading, after the 4-hr in-clinic treatment, and 24 hr post baseline, secretions were suctioned from the vocal folds bilaterally and submitted to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to estimate concentrations of key markers of tissue injury and inflammation: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MMP-8, and IL-10. Results Complete data sets were obtained for 3 markers -- IL-1β, IL-6, and MMP-8 -- for one subject in each treatment condition. For those markers, results were poorest at 24-hr follow-up in the spontaneous speech condition, sharply improved in the voice rest condition, and best in the resonant voice condition. Average results for all markers, for all responsive subjects with normal baseline mediator concentrations, revealed an almost identical pattern. Conclusions Some forms of tissue mobilization may be useful to attenuate acute vocal fold inflammation. PMID:23177745

Analysis of Time-Motion and Heart Rate in Elite Male and Female Beach Handball

PubMed Central

Pueo, Basilio; Jimenez-Olmedo, Jose M.; Penichet-Tomas, Alfonso; Ortega Becerra, Manuel; Espina Agullo, Jose J.

2017-01-01

Beach handball is a spectacular new team sport; however, scientific knowledge about the demands in beach handball is very low. Consequently, the aim of this study was to analyze the physical demands of elite beach handball players by means of time-motion analysis with GPS technology and physiological response with Heart Rate (HR). Both male (n = 12) and female (n = 12) players from the Spanish Beach Handball National Team were recruited for this study. The sample consisted in four matches of two 10-min periods each. Time-motion analysis was performed through GPS devices (SPI Pro X, 15 Hz, GPSports) with synchronized HR monitoring (Polar Electro, Finland). All parameters were recorded for matches and halves to express overall and time-dependent physical and physiological responses. Total match distance covered by male and female players were 1234.7 ± 192 m and 1118.2 ± 221.8 m, respectively. Female players covered more total distance (p = 0.049, ES = 0.79) and distance walking (p < 0.001, ES = 2.04) in the first half, whereas they covered more distance standing (p = 0.008, ES = 1.05) in the second half at a higher average speed (p < 0.001, ES = 2.28). The number of accelerations distributed over low-, moderate- and high-intensity categories were 43.2 ± 11.6, 9.4 ± 4.9; 0.8 ± 0.9 m/s2 for male players, and 40.3 ± 12.7, 4.3 ± 3.0; 0.1 ± 0.3 m/s2 for female players; equivalent to one body acceleration every 23 s and 27 s, respectively. Finally, male and female players obtained a maximum/mean HR of 173 ± 13 / 137 ± 12 bpm, and 177 ± 13 / 138 ± 18 bpm, with 20.3% and 29.2% of the total time in the anaerobic zone (81 – 90% HRmax), respectively. These results demonstrated that beach handball is a demanding sport, with numerous moderate-to-high intensity displacements, distributed intermittently throughout the game: long periods of low intensity activity interspersed by short bursts of high intensity. Key points Beach handball is a demanding sport, with numerous moderate-to-high intensity displacements, distributed intermittently throughout the match. Despite the sandy surface, the distance covered per minute in beach handball is similar to team handball. On average, every 23 s and 27 s, a body acceleration was produced by male and female players, respectively. Female players covered substantially more distance in the first half but at the expense of lower speed. PMID:29238243

Objectively measured sedentary behavior in preschool children: comparison between Montessori and traditional preschools

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This study aimed to compare the levels of objectively-measured sedentary behavior in children attending Montessori preschools with those attending traditional preschools. Methods The participants in this study were preschool children aged 4 years old who were enrolled in Montessori and traditional preschools. The preschool children wore ActiGraph accelerometers. Accelerometers were initialized using 15-second intervals and sedentary behavior was defined as <200 counts/15-second. The accelerometry data were summarized into the average minutes per hour spent in sedentary behavior during the in-school, the after-school, and the total-day period. Mixed linear regression models were used to determine differences in the average time spent in sedentary behavior between children attending traditional and Montessori preschools, after adjusting for selected potential correlates of preschoolers’ sedentary behavior. Results Children attending Montessori preschools spent less time in sedentary behavior than those attending traditional preschools during the in-school (44.4. min/hr vs. 47.1 min/hr, P = 0.03), after-school (42.8. min/hr vs. 44.7 min/hr, P = 0.04), and total-day (43.7 min/hr vs. 45.5 min/hr, P = 0. 009) periods. School type (Montessori or traditional), preschool setting (private or public), socio-demographic factors (age, gender, and socioeconomic status) were found to be significant predictors of preschoolers’ sedentary behavior. Conclusions Levels of objectively-measured sedentary behavior were significantly lower among children attending Montessori preschools compared to children attending traditional preschools. Future research should examine the specific characteristics of Montessori preschools that predict the lower levels of sedentary behavior among children attending these preschools compared to children attending traditional preschools. PMID:23286454

Heart-rate monitoring by air pressure and causal analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, Naoki; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Hata, Yutaka

2011-06-01

Among lots of vital signals, heart-rate (HR) is an important index for diagnose human's health condition. For instance, HR provides an early stage of cardiac disease, autonomic nerve behavior, and so forth. However, currently, HR is measured only in medical checkups and clinical diagnosis during the rested state by using electrocardiograph (ECG). Thus, some serious cardiac events in daily life could be lost. Therefore, a continuous HR monitoring during 24 hours is desired. Considering the use in daily life, the monitoring should be noninvasive and low intrusive. Thus, in this paper, an HR monitoring in sleep by using air pressure sensors is proposed. The HR monitoring is realized by employing the causal analysis among air pressure and HR. The causality is described by employing fuzzy logic. According to the experiment on 7 males at age 22-25 (23 on average), the correlation coefficient against ECG is 0.73-0.97 (0.85 on average). In addition, the cause-effect structure for HR monitoring is arranged by employing causal decomposition, and the arranged causality is applied to HR monitoring in a setting posture. According to the additional experiment on 6 males, the correlation coefficient is 0.66-0.86 (0.76 on average). Therefore, the proposed method is suggested to have enough accuracy and robustness for some daily use cases.

Maternal exposure to Western diet affects adult body composition and voluntary wheel running in a genotype-specific manner in mice.

PubMed

Hiramatsu, Layla; Kay, Jarren C; Thompson, Zoe; Singleton, Jennifer M; Claghorn, Gerald C; Albuquerque, Ralph L; Ho, Brittany; Ho, Brett; Sanchez, Gabriela; Garland, Theodore

2017-10-01

Some human diseases, including obesity, Type II diabetes, and numerous cancers, are thought to be influenced by environments experienced in early life, including in utero. Maternal diet during the perinatal period may be especially important for adult offspring energy balance, potentially affecting both body composition and physical activity. This effect may be mediated by the genetic background of individuals, including, for example, potential "protective" mechanisms for individuals with inherently high levels of physical activity or high basal metabolic rates. To examine some of the genetic and environmental factors that influence adult activity levels, we used an ongoing selection experiment with 4 replicate lines of mice bred for high voluntary wheel running (HR) and 4 replicate, non-selected control lines (C). Dams (half HR and half C) were fed a "Western" diet (WD, high in fat and sucrose) or a standard diet (SD) from 2weeks prior to mating until their pups could feed on solid food (14days of age). We analyzed dam and litter characteristics from birth to weaning, and offspring mass and physical activity into adulthood. One male offspring from each litter received additional metabolic and behavioral tests. Maternal WD caused pups to eat solid food significantly earlier for C litters, but not for HR litters (interaction of maternal environment and genotype). With dam mass as a covariate, mean pup mass was increased by maternal WD but litter size was unaffected. HR dams had larger litters and tended to have smaller pups than C dams. Home-cage activity of juvenile focal males was increased by maternal WD. Juvenile lean mass, fat mass, and fat percent were also increased by maternal WD, but food consumption (with body mass as a covariate) was unaffected (measured only for focal males). Behavior in an elevated plus maze, often used to indicate anxiety, was unaffected by maternal WD. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO 2 max) was also unaffected by maternal WD, but HR had higher VO 2 max than C mice. Adult lean, fat, and total body masses were significantly increased by maternal WD, with greater increase for fat than for lean mass. Overall, no aspect of adult wheel running (total distance, duration, average running speed, maximum speed) or home-cage activity was statistically affected by maternal WD. However, analysis of the 8 individual lines revealed that maternal WD significantly increased wheel running in one of the 4 HR lines. On average, all groups lost fat mass after 6days of voluntary wheel running, but the absolute amount lost was greater for mice with maternal WD resulting in no effect of maternal WD on absolute or % body fat after wheel access. All groups gained lean and total body mass during wheel access, regardless of maternal WD or linetype. Measured after wheel access, circulating leptin, adiponectin, and corticosterone concentrations were unaffected by maternal WD and did not differ between HR and C mice. With body mass as a covariate, heart ventricle mass was increased by maternal WD in both HR and C mice, but fat pads, liver, spleen, and brain masses were unaffected. As found previously, HR mice had larger brains than C mice. Body mass of grand-offspring was unaffected by grand-maternal WD, but grand-offspring wheel running was significantly increased for one HR line and decreased for another HR line by grand-maternal WD. In summary, maternal Western diet had long-lasting and general effects on offspring adult morphology, but effects on adult behavior were limited and contingent on sex and genetic background. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 91.419 - Raw emission sampling calculations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... a test [g/kW-hr]. Wi = Average mass flow rate (WHC, WCO, WNOx) of an emission from the test engine during mode i, [g/hr]. fi = Weighting factors for each mode according to § 91.410(a) Pi = Average power... brake-specific fuel consumption in grams of fuel per kilowatt-hour (g/kW-hr). Fi = Fuel mass flow rate...

40 CFR 91.419 - Raw emission sampling calculations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... a test [g/kW-hr]. Wi = Average mass flow rate (WHC, WCO, WNOx) of an emission from the test engine during mode i, [g/hr]. fi = Weighting factors for each mode according to § 91.410(a) Pi = Average power... brake-specific fuel consumption in grams of fuel per kilowatt-hour (g/kW-hr). Fi = Fuel mass flow rate...

40 CFR 91.419 - Raw emission sampling calculations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... a test [g/kW-hr]. Wi = Average mass flow rate (WHC, WCO, WNOx) of an emission from the test engine during mode i, [g/hr]. fi = Weighting factors for each mode according to § 91.410(a) Pi = Average power... brake-specific fuel consumption in grams of fuel per kilowatt-hour (g/kW-hr). Fi = Fuel mass flow rate...

40 CFR 91.419 - Raw emission sampling calculations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... a test [g/kW-hr]. Wi = Average mass flow rate (WHC, WCO, WNOx) of an emission from the test engine during mode i, [g/hr]. fi = Weighting factors for each mode according to § 91.410(a) Pi = Average power... brake-specific fuel consumption in grams of fuel per kilowatt-hour (g/kW-hr). Fi = Fuel mass flow rate...

40 CFR 91.419 - Raw emission sampling calculations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... a test [g/kW-hr]. Wi = Average mass flow rate (WHC, WCO, WNOx) of an emission from the test engine during mode i, [g/hr]. fi = Weighting factors for each mode according to § 91.410(a) Pi = Average power... brake-specific fuel consumption in grams of fuel per kilowatt-hour (g/kW-hr). Fi = Fuel mass flow rate...

Immobilization of Agricultural Phosphorus in an Illinois Floodplain Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arenberg, M. R.; Arai, Y.

2017-12-01

Nutrient losses from the Mississippi watershed are exacerbating the growth of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Located within the highly agricultural Piatt County, IL, Allerton Park encompasses a riparian forest that receives an influx of phosphorus (P) via surface runoff and leaching during spring flooding. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ability of a poorly drained Sawmill silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Endoaquolls) and a poorly drained Tice silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluvaquentic Hapludolls), both with an average pH of 7.08, to buffer agricultural P losses through immobilization. If P is effectively sequestered, it may also lead to improved tree growth in woody biomass. The system's response to the seasonal flooding event was assessed by comparing P mineralization-immobilization dynamics within the bottomland and surrounding upland of the forest. Specifically, organic P, microbial P, phosphatase activity, and total P were assessed. First, total P ranged from 338 to 819 mg kg-1, averaging at 580 mg kg-1, in the bottomland and from 113 to 370 mg kg-1, averaging at 245 mg kg-1, in the upland. Next, organic P spanned from 90 to 457 mg kg-1in the bottomland, comprising an average of 45% of total P, and ranged from 42 to 191 mg kg-1in the upland, comprising an average of 36% of total P. Furthermore, microbial P averaged 13.08 mg kg-1 in the bottomland and 6.87 mg kg-1 in the upland. Finally, acidic phosphatase activity averaged 13 μmol p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNP)/g·hr in the bottomland and 11 μmol PNP/g·hr in the upland while alkaline phosphatase activity averaged 24 μmol PNP/g·hr in the bottomland and 8 μmol PNP/g·hr in the upland. Our preliminary assessment suggests that the concentrations of total P, organic P, and microbial P in the bottomland are greater than that of the upland. This suggests that the floodplain has been effectively immobilizing agricultural P. This observation is further evidenced by a higher organic P percentage in the bottomland. In this presentation, statistical assessment of the soil P characterization will also be presented.

Changes in the heart rate recovery to endurance effort after high intensity interval, strength, and concurrent exercise training in patients with insulin resistance.

PubMed

Álvarez, Cristian; Ramírez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Martínez, Cristian; Castro-Sepúlveda, Mauricio; Cano-Montoya, Johnathan; Mancilla, Rodrigo; Flores-Opazo, Marcelo

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of three exercise training programs in the adaptation of the heart rate recovery of patients with insulin resistance. We studied 43 women with insulin resistance, which were assigned to three training groups: 1) high intensity interval training (HIT, age 39.0±10 years); 2) strength training (ST, age 33.9±9.4 years); 3) HIT+ST (MIXT, age 43.3±8.1 years); and 4) control group (CG, age 40.1±11 years). Heart rate was measured at rest (HRrest), during the 2-km-walking-test (UKKT) for mean (HRDE), and maximum (HRMDE) values, and during the recovery at one, two, and three minutes after the UKKT. Additionally, anthropometric measurements (body mass and body mass index) were assessed. HIT significantly decreased HRrest and HRDE (-4.5% and -2% respectively, P<0.05). MIXT training also decreased HRDE in -3% whilst both average and maximal HR during UKK were significantly increased in the control group HRDE (+2% and +3% respectively). Moreover, there were significant reductions in HR recovery at 1, 2 and 3 minutes after both HIT and MIXT training, whereas these values were increased in control group. Our findings suggest that HIT induces meaningful cardiovascular adaptations in patient with insulin resistance, reducing heart rate at rest, as well as during and after exercise, and that complementary strength training increases these adaptations.

Analysis of Time-Motion and Heart Rate in Elite Male and Female Beach Handball.

PubMed

Pueo, Basilio; Jimenez-Olmedo, Jose M; Penichet-Tomas, Alfonso; Ortega Becerra, Manuel; Espina Agullo, Jose J

2017-12-01

Beach handball is a spectacular new team sport; however, scientific knowledge about the demands in beach handball is very low. Consequently, the aim of this study was to analyze the physical demands of elite beach handball players by means of time-motion analysis with GPS technology and physiological response with Heart Rate (HR). Both male (n = 12) and female (n = 12) players from the Spanish Beach Handball National Team were recruited for this study. The sample consisted in four matches of two 10-min periods each. Time-motion analysis was performed through GPS devices (SPI Pro X, 15 Hz, GPSports) with synchronized HR monitoring (Polar Electro, Finland). All parameters were recorded for matches and halves to express overall and time-dependent physical and physiological responses. Total match distance covered by male and female players were 1234.7 ± 192 m and 1118.2 ± 221.8 m, respectively. Female players covered more total distance (p = 0.049, ES = 0.79) and distance walking (p < 0.001, ES = 2.04) in the first half, whereas they covered more distance standing (p = 0.008, ES = 1.05) in the second half at a higher average speed (p < 0.001, ES = 2.28). The number of accelerations distributed over low-, moderate- and high-intensity categories were 43.2 ± 11.6, 9.4 ± 4.9; 0.8 ± 0.9 m/s 2 for male players, and 40.3 ± 12.7, 4.3 ± 3.0; 0.1 ± 0.3 m/s 2 for female players; equivalent to one body acceleration every 23 s and 27 s, respectively. Finally, male and female players obtained a maximum/mean HR of 173 ± 13 / 137 ± 12 bpm, and 177 ± 13 / 138 ± 18 bpm, with 20.3% and 29.2% of the total time in the anaerobic zone (81 - 90% HRmax), respectively. These results demonstrated that beach handball is a demanding sport, with numerous moderate-to-high intensity displacements, distributed intermittently throughout the game: long periods of low intensity activity interspersed by short bursts of high intensity.

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of... - Tables

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... fitted for the test kW PB Total barometric pressure (average of the pre-test and post-test values) kPa...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions Pt. 91, Subpt... Term Unit AYM Final weighted emission test results g/kW-hr C3 H8 Propane CB Concentration of emission...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of... - Tables

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... fitted for the test kW PB Total barometric pressure (average of the pre-test and post-test values) kPa...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions Pt. 91, Subpt... Term Unit AYM Final weighted emission test results g/kW-hr C3 H8 Propane CB Concentration of emission...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of... - Tables

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... fitted for the test kW PB Total barometric pressure (average of the pre-test and post-test values) kPa...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions Pt. 91, Subpt... Term Unit AYM Final weighted emission test results g/kW-hr C3 H8 Propane CB Concentration of emission...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of... - Tables

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... fitted for the test kW PB Total barometric pressure (average of the pre-test and post-test values) kPa...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions Pt. 91, Subpt... Term Unit AYM Final weighted emission test results g/kW-hr C3 H8 Propane CB Concentration of emission...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of... - Tables

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... fitted for the test kW PB Total barometric pressure (average of the pre-test and post-test values) kPa...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions Pt. 91, Subpt... Term Unit AYM Final weighted emission test results g/kW-hr C3 H8 Propane CB Concentration of emission...

Small brain lesions and incident stroke and mortality: A cohort study

PubMed Central

Windham, B Gwen; Deere, Bradley; Griswold, Michael E.; Wang, Wanmei; Bezerra, Daniel C; Shibata, Dean; Butler, Kenneth; Knopman, David; Gottesman, Rebecca F; Heiss, Gerardo; Mosley, Thomas H

2015-01-01

Background Although cerebral lesions ≥3mm on imaging are associated with incident stroke, lesions < 3mm are typically ignored. Objective To examine stroke risks associated with subclinical brain lesions by size (< 3 mm only, lesions ≥3 mm only, both < 3 mm and ≥3 mm) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Design Community cohort, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Setting Two ARIC sites with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data (1993–95) Participants 1,884 (99%) adults (50–73 years, 40% men; 50% black) with MRI and no prior stroke; average 14.5 years follow-up. Measurements MRI lesions: none (n=1611), < 3 mm only (n=50), ≥3 mm only (n=185), or both < 3 and ≥3 mm lesions (n=35); WMH score (0–9 scale). Outcomes: incident stroke (n=157), overall mortality (n=576), stroke mortality (n=50). Hazard Ratios (HR) estimated with proportional hazards models. Results Compared to no lesions, stroke risk was tripled with lesions < 3mm only (HR=3.47, 95% CI:1.86-6.49), doubled with lesions ≥3 mm only (HR=1.94, 95% CI:1.22-3.07), and was 8-fold higher with both < 3 mm and ≥3 mm-sized lesions (HR=8.59, 95% CI:4.69-15.73). Stroke risk doubled with WMH ≥3 (HR=2.14, 95% CI:1.45-3.16). Stroke mortality risk tripled with lesions < 3 mm only (HR=3.05, 95% CI:1.04-8.94), doubled with lesions ≥3 mm (HR=1.9, 95% CI:1.48-2.44) and was seven-times higher with both lesion sizes (HR=6.97, 95% CI:2.03-23.93). Limitations Few stroke events (n=147), especially hemorrhagic (n=15); limited numbers of participants with only lesions ≤3mm (n=50) or with both lesions ≤3mm and 3–20mm (n=35). Conclusions Very small cerebrovascular lesions may be associated with increased risks of stroke and mortality; having both < 3 mm and ≥3 mm lesions may represent a particularly striking risk increase. Larger studies are needed to confirm findings and provide more precise estimates. PMID:26148278

Pretreatment Evaluation of Microcirculation by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predicts Survival in Primary Rectal Cancer Patients

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

DeVries, Alexander Friedrich; Piringer, Gudrun, E-mail: gudrun.piringer@hotmail.com; Kremser, Christian

2014-12-01

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic value of the perfusion index (PI), a microcirculatory parameter estimated from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), which integrates information on both flow and permeability, to predict overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with primary rectal cancer. Methods and Materials: A total of 83 patients with stage cT3 rectal cancer requiring neoadjuvant chemoradiation were investigated with DCE-MRI before start of therapy. Contrast-enhanced dynamic T{sub 1} mapping was obtained, and a simple data analysis strategy based on the calculation of the maximum slope of the tissue concentration–time curve divided by the maximum of the arterial inputmore » function was used as a measure of tumor microcirculation (PI), which integrates information on both flow and permeability. Results: In 39 patients (47.0%), T downstaging (ypT0-2) was observed. During a mean (±SD) follow-up period of 71 ± 29 months, 58 patients (69.9%) survived, and disease-free survival was achieved in 45 patients (54.2%). The mean PI (PImean) averaged over the group of nonresponders was significantly higher than for responders. Additionally, higher PImean in age- and gender-adjusted analyses was strongly predictive of therapy nonresponse. Most importantly, PImean strongly and significantly predicted disease-free survival (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.85 [ 95% confidence interval, 1.35-2.54; P<.001)]; HR adjusted for age and sex, 1.81 [1.30-2.51]; P<.001) as well as overall survival (unadjusted HR 1.42 [1.02-1.99], P=.040; HR adjusted for age and sex, 1.43 [1.03-1.98]; P=.034). Conclusions: This analysis identifies PImean as a novel biomarker that is predictive for therapy response, disease-free survival, and overall survival in patients with primary locally advanced rectal cancer.« less

Structural and low temperature dielectric studies on Pb0.8Bi0.2Fe0.6Nb0.4O3 multiferroic solid solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadami, Sunanda T.; Matteppanvar, Shidaling; Shivaraja, I.; Rayaprol, Sudhindra; Deshapande, S. K.; Angadi, Basavaraj

2018-05-01

In this paper the structural and low temperature dielectric properties of Pb0.8Bi0.2Fe0.6Nb0.4O3 (PBFNO) multiferroic solid solution were reported. PBFNO multiferroic was synthesized by single step solid state reaction method. Calcination was carried out at 700 °/2hr with different sintering temperature (800 °C, 850 °C, 900 °C, 950 °C, 1000 °C and 1050 °C for 1 hr) and time duration (800 °C for 1 to 5 hr). Single phase was confirmed through room temperature (RT) X-ray Diffraction (XRD). It was found that sintering carried out at 800°C/3 hr gives single phase. Rietveld refined lattice parameters using monoclinic structure are: a = 5.6663(1) Å, b = 5.6694(1) Å, c = 4.0112(1) Å and β = 90.038(1)° with the average grain size as 2.987 µm. The dielectric properties studied over a wide range of frequency (100 Hz - 5 MHz) and temperature (133 K - 293 K). Dielectric constant and loss tangent exhibits frequency dispersion nature at low frequency region. AC conductivity increases with increase in temperature corresponds to negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behaviour.

Counterintuitive effects of substrate roughness on PDCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, B. J.; Manga, M.

2012-12-01

We model dilute pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) using scaled, warm, particle-laden density currents in a 6 m long, 0.6 m wide, 1.8 m tall air-filled tank. In this set of experiments, we run currents over substrates with characteristic roughness scales, hr, ranging over ~3 orders of magnitude from smooth, through 250 μm sandpaper, 0.1-, 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10 cm hemispheres. As substrate roughness increases, runout distance increases until a critical roughness height, hrc, is reached; further increases in roughness height decrease runout. The critical roughness height appears to be 0.25-0.5 htb, the thickness of the turbulent lower layer of the density currents. The dependence of runout on hr is most likely the result of increases in substrate roughness decreasing the average current velocity and converting that energy into increased turbulence intensity. Small values of hr thus result in increased runout as sedimentation is inhibited by the increased turbulence intensity. At larger values of hr current behavior is controlled by much larger decreases in average current velocity, even though sedimentation decreases. Scaling our experiments up to the size of real volcanic eruptions suggests that landscapes must have characteristic roughness hr>10 m to reduce the runout of natural PDCs, smaller roughness scales can increase runout. Comparison of relevant bulk (Reynolds number, densimetric and thermal Richardson numbers, excess buoyant thermal energy density) and turbulent (Stokes and settling numbers) between our experiments and natural dilute PDCs indicates that we are accurately modeling at least the large scale behaviors and dynamics of dilute PDCs.

Effects of smoking on heart rate at rest and during exercise, and on heart rate recovery, in young adults.

PubMed

Papathanasiou, George; Georgakopoulos, Dimitris; Papageorgiou, Effie; Zerva, Efthimia; Michalis, Lampros; Kalfakakou, Vasiliki; Evangelou, Angelos

2013-01-01

There is an established link between smoking, abnormal heart rate (HR) values, and impaired cardiovascular health in middle-aged or older populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of smoking on resting HR and on HR responses during and after exercise in young adults. A sample of 298 young adults (159 men), aged 20-29 years old, were selected from a large population of health-science students based on health status, body mass index, physical activity, and smoking habit. All subjects underwent a maximal Bruce treadmill test and their HR was recorded during, at peak, and after termination of exercise. Smokers had significantly higher resting HR values than non-smokers. Both female and male smokers showed a significantly slower HR increase during exercise. Female smokers failed to reach their age-predicted maximum HR by 6.0 bpm and males by 3.6 bpm. The actual maximum HR achieved (HRmax) was significantly lower for both female smokers (191.0 bpm vs.198.0 bpm) and male smokers (193.2 bpm vs.199.3 bpm), compared to non-smokers. Heart rate reserve was also significantly lower in female (114.6 bpm vs. 128.1 bpm) and male smokers (120.4 bpm vs. 133.0 bpm). During recovery, the HR decline was significantly attenuated, but only in female smokers. Females had a higher resting HR and showed a higher HR response during sub-maximal exercise compared to males. Smoking was found to affect young smokers' HR, increasing HR at rest, slowing HR increase during exercise and impairing their ability to reach the age-predicted HRmax. In addition, smoking was associated with an attenuated HR decline during recovery, but only in females.

Short-term effects of multiple ozone metrics on daily mortality in a megacity of China.

PubMed

Li, Tiantian; Yan, Meilin; Ma, Wenjun; Ban, Jie; Liu, Tao; Lin, Hualiang; Liu, Zhaorong

2015-06-01

Epidemiological studies have widely demonstrated association between ambient ozone and mortality, though controversy remains, and most of them only use a certain metric to assess ozone levels. However, in China, few studies have investigated the acute effects of ambient ozone, and rare studies have compared health effects of multiple daily metrics of ozone. The present analysis aimed to explore variability of estimated health effects by using multiple temporal ozone metrics. Six metrics of ozone, 1-h maximum, maximum 8-h average, 24-h average, daytime average, nighttime average, and commute average, were used in a time-series study to investigate acute mortality associated with ambient ozone pollution in Guangzhou, China, using 3 years of daily data (2006-2008). We used generalized linear models with Poisson regression incorporating natural spline functions to analyze the mortality, ozone, and covariate data. We also examined the association by season. Daily 1- and 8-h maximum, 24-h average, and daytime average concentrations yielded statistically significant associations with mortality. An interquartile range (IQR) of O3 metric increase of each ozone metric (lag 2) corresponds to 2.92 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.24 to 5.66), 3.60 % (95 % CI, 0.92 to 8.49), 3.03 % (95 % CI, 0.57 to 15.8), and 3.31 % (95 % CI, 0.69 to 10.4) increase in daily non-accidental mortality, respectively. Nighttime and commute metrics were weakly associated with increased mortality rate. The associations between ozone and mortality appeared to be more evident during cool season than in the warm season. Results were robust to adjustment for co-pollutants, weather, and time trend. In conclusion, these results indicated that ozone, as a widespread pollutant, adversely affects mortality in Guangzhou.

Serum fibroblast growth factor 23 is a useful marker to distinguish vitamin D-deficient rickets from hypophosphatemic rickets.

PubMed

Kubota, Takuo; Kitaoka, Taichi; Miura, Kohji; Fujiwara, Makoto; Ohata, Yasuhisa; Miyoshi, Yoko; Yamamoto, Keiko; Takeyari, Shinji; Yamamoto, Takehisa; Namba, Noriyuki; Ozono, Keiichi

2014-01-01

Vitamin D-deficient rickets (DR) has recently re-emerged among developed countries. Vitamin D deficiency can influence biochemical results of patients with fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)-related hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets (HR), making differential diagnosis difficult. In the present study we evaluated the utility of serum FGF23 levels in the diagnosis of DR and during its treatment. The study group comprised 24 children with DR and 8 children with HR. Serum FGF23 levels and bone metabolism-related measurements were assessed. Serum FGF23 levels in patients with DR were less than 19 pg/ml, while those in patients with HR were more than 57 pg/ml. There were significant differences in serum levels of calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, as well as tubular maximum phosphate reabsorption per glomerular filtration rate between patients with DR and HR, but these values were not fully mutually exclusive. In addition, serum FGF23 and phosphate levels were increased following treatment. Serum FGF23 level is the most critical biochemical marker for distinguishing DR from HR and might be a good indicator of biochemical response to the intervention. Serum FGF23 levels show utility for the diagnosis of DR and in the assessment of its response to treatment.

Delayed Dermal Hypersensitivity in Mice to Spherule and Mycelial Extracts of Coccidioides immitis

PubMed Central

Kong, Yi-Chi M.; Savage, D. C.; Kong, Leighton N. L.

1966-01-01

Kong, Yi-chi M. (University of California, Berkeley), D. C. Savage, and Leighton N. L. Kong. Delayed dermal hypersensitivity in mice to spherule and mycelial extracts of Coccidioides immitis. J. Bacteriol. 91:876–883. 1966.—A delayed hypersensitivity reaction to spherule and mycelial extracts of Coccidioides immitis was elicited in the footpads of mice vaccinated with killed spherules. Emulsification of the spherules with Freund's adjuvants was unnecessary, but a high concentration of antigen was required to elicit the reaction. Injection of the extracts produced, initially, a swelling which subsided within 4 hr, and then induration, which began at 6 to 8 hr and reached a maximum at 24 hr. The time course of the reaction corresponded to that of the tuberculin reaction in BCG-vaccinated mice. The histological response to coccidioidal extracts was characterized by the early infiltration of both polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells, and the subsequent predominance of mononuclear cells at 24 to 48 hr. By 72 hr, the mononuclear cells comprised >90% of the cellular infiltrate. Animals infected intranasally with arthrospores (1 to 5 ld50) reacted negatively before and during the crisis period; thereafter (by 28 to 31 days after infection), up to 50% of the survivors showed a delayed reaction. Images PMID:5894227

40 CFR 439.16 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-Heptane 3.0 0.7 n-Hexane 3.0 0.7 Methylene chloride 3.0 0.7 Chloroform 0.1 0.03 1,2-dichloroethane 20.7 8...: Pretreatment Standards (PSES) Regulated parameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly average 1 Ammonia (as N) 2 84.1 29.4 Acetone 20.7 8.2 4-methyl-2-pentanone 20.7 8.2 Isobutyraldehyde 20.7 8.2 n-Amyl acetate 20.7...

Shoulder and hip roll changes during 200-m front crawl swimming.

PubMed

Psycharakis, Stelios G; Sanders, Ross H

2008-12-01

To determine accurately the magnitude and changes in shoulder roll (SR) and hip roll (HR) throughout a 200-m maximum front crawl swim and whether SR and HR were associated with swimming velocity (V). Bilateral roll asymmetries and timing differences between SR and HR were also investigated. Ten male swimmers of national/international level performed a maximum 200-m front crawl swim. Performance was recorded with four below- and two above-water synchronized cameras and four nonbreathing stroke cycles (SC) were analyzed (one for each 50 m). SR and HR were calculated separately. Swimmers rolled their shoulders significantly more than their hips (P < 0.001). V generally decreased during the test, and HR was significantly higher in SC4 than in SC1 (P = 0.001). SR had a negative and significant correlation with V in each SC (-0.663

A Pilot Study Validating Select Research-Grade and Consumer-Based Wearables Throughout a Range of Dynamic Exercise Intensities in Persons With and Without Type 1 Diabetes: A Novel Approach.

PubMed

Yavelberg, Loren; Zaharieva, Dessi; Cinar, Ali; Riddell, Michael C; Jamnik, Veronica

2018-05-01

The increasing popularity of wearable technology necessitates the evaluation of their accuracy to differentiate physical activity (PA) intensities. These devices may play an integral role in customizing PA interventions for primary prevention and secondary management of chronic diseases. For example, in persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D), PA greatly affects glucose concentrations depending on the intensity, mode (ie, aerobic, anaerobic, mixed), and duration. This variability in glucose responses underscores the importance of implementing dependable wearable technology in emerging avenues such as artificial pancreas systems. Participants completed three 40-minute, dynamic non-steady-state exercise sessions, while outfitted with multiple research (Fitmate, Metria, Bioharness) and consumer (Garmin, Fitbit) grade wearables. The data were extracted according to the devices' maximum sensitivity (eg, breath by breath, beat to beat, or minute time stamps) and averaged into minute-by-minute data. The variables of interest, heart rate (HR), breathing frequency, and energy expenditure (EE), were compared to validated criterion measures. Compared to deriving EE by laboratory indirect calorimetry standard, the Metria activity patch overestimates EE during light-to-moderate PA intensities (L-MI) and moderate-to-vigorous PA intensities (M-VI) (mean ± SD) (0.28 ± 1.62 kilocalories· minute -1 , P < .001, 0.64 ± 1.65 kilocalories· minute -1 , P < .001, respectively). The Metria underestimates EE during vigorous-to-maximal PA intensity (V-MI) (-1.78 ± 2.77 kilocalories · minute -1 , P < .001). Similarly, compared to Polar HR monitor, the Bioharness underestimates HR at L-MI (-1 ± 8 bpm, P < .001) and M-VI (5 ± 11 bpm, P < .001), respectively. A significant difference in EE was observed for the Garmin device, compared to the Fitmate ( P < .001) during continuous L-MI activity. Overall, our study demonstrates that current research-grade wearable technologies operate within a ~10% error for both HR and EE during a wide range of dynamic exercise intensities. This level of accuracy for emerging research-grade instruments is considered both clinically and practically acceptable for research-based or consumer use. In conclusion, research-grade wearable technology that uses EE kilocalories · minute -1 and HR reliably differentiates PA intensities.

Evaluation results of the 700 deg C Chinese strain gauges. [for gas turbine engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobart, H. F.

1985-01-01

Gauges fabricated from specially developed Fe-Cr-Al-V-Ti-Y alloy wire in the Republic of China were evaluated for use in static strain measurement of hot gas turbine engines. Gauge factor variation with temperature, apparent strain, and drift were included. Results of gauge factor versus temperature tests show gauge factor decreasing with increasing temperature. The average slope is -3-1/2 percent/100 K, with an uncertainty band of + or - 8 percent. Values of room temperature gauge factor for the Chinese and Kanthal A-1 gauges averaged 2.73 and 2.12, respectively. The room temperature gauge factor of the Chinese gauges was specified to be 2.62. The apparent strain data for both the Chinese alloy and Kanthal A-1 showed large cycle to cycle nonrepeatability. All apparent strain curves had a similar S-shape, first going negative and then rising to positive value with increasing temperatures. The mean curve for the Chinese gauges between room temperature and 100 K had a total apparent strain of 1500 microstrain. The equivalent value for Kanthal A-1 was about 9000 microstrain. Drift tests at 950 K for 50 hr show an average drift rate of about -9 microstrain/hr. Short-term (1 hr) rates are higher, averaging about -40 microstrain for the first hour. In the temperature range 700 to 870 K, however, short-term drift rates can be as high as 1700 microstrain for the first hour. Therefore, static strain measurements in this temperature range should be avoided.

SU-E-T-548: Modeling of Breast IORT Using the Xoft 50 KV Brachytherapy Source and 316L Steel Rigid Shield

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

Burnside, W

Purpose: Xoft provides a set of 316L Stainless Steel Rigid Shields to be used with their 50 kV X-ray source for Breast IORT treatments. Modeling the different shield sizes in MCNP provides information to help make clinical decisions for selecting the appropriate shield size. Methods: The Xoft Axxent 50 kV Electronic Brachytherapy System has several applications in radiation therapy, one of which is treating cancer of the breast intraoperatively by placing the miniaturized X-ray tube inside an applicator balloon that is expanded to fill the lumpectomy bed immediately following tumor removal. The ribs, lung, and muscular chest wall are allmore » regions at risk to receive undesired dose during the treatment. A Xoft 316L Stainless Steel Rigid Shield can be placed between the intracostal muscles of the chest wall and the remaining breast tissue near the balloon to attenuate the beam and protect these organs. These shields are provided in 5 different sizes, and the effects on dose to the surrounding tissues vary with shield size. MCNP was used to model this environment and tally dose rate to certain regions of interest. Results: The average rib dose rate calculated using 0cm (i.e., no shield), 3cm, and 5cm diameter shields were 26.89, 15.43, and 8.91 Gy/hr respectively. The maximum dose rates within the rib reached 94.74 Gy/hr, 53.56 Gy/hr, and 31.44 Gy/hr for the 0cm, 3cm, and 5cm cases respectively. The shadowing effect caused by the steel shields was seen in the 3-D meshes and line profiles. Conclusion: This model predicts a higher dose rate to the underlying rib region with the 3cm shield compared to the 5cm shield; it may be useful to select the largest possible diameter when choosing a shield size for a particular IORT patient. The ability to attenuate the beam to reduce rib dose was also confirmed. Research sponsored by Xoft Inc, a subsidiary of iCAD.« less

Fluid replacement advice during work in fully encapsulated impermeable chemical protective suits.

PubMed

Rubenstein, Candace D; DenHartog, Emiel A; Deaton, A Shawn; Bogerd, Cornelis P; DeKant, Saskia

2017-06-01

A major concern for responders to hazardous materials (HazMat) incidents is the heat strain that is caused by fully encapsulated impermeable chemical protective suits. In a research project, funded by the US Department of Defense, the thermal strain experienced when wearing these suits was studied. One particular area of interest was the fluid loss of responders during work in these suits as dehydration may be an additional health concern to the heat strain. 17 City of Raleigh firemen and 24 students were tested at two different labs. Subjects between the ages of 25 and 51 were used for human subject trials in a protocol approved by the local ethical committee. Six different Level A HazMat suits were evaluated in three climates: moderate (24°C, 50% RH, 20°C WBGT), warm-wet (32°C, 60% RH, 30°C WBGT), and hot-dry (45°C, 20% RH, 37°C WBGT, 200 W/m 2 radiant load) and at three walking speeds: 2.5 km/hr, 4 km/hr, and 5.5 km/hr. 4 km/hr was tested in all three climates and the other two walking speeds were tested in the moderate climate. Weight loss data was collected to determine fluid loss during these experiments. Working time ranged from as low as 20 min in the hot-dry condition to 60 min (the maximum) in the moderate climate, especially common at the lowest walking speed. The overall results from all experiments showed that fluid loss ranged from 0.2-2.2 L during these exposures, with the average fluid loss being 0.8 L, with 56% of the data between 0.5 L and 1 L of fluid loss. Further analysis showed that a suggestion of drinking 0.7 Liter per hour would safely hydrate over 50% of responders after one work-rest cycle. Applying this fluid volume over three work-rest cycles only put 11% of responders at risk of hypohydration vs. the 57% at risk with no fluid intake.

The Cumulative Lifting Index (CULI) for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation: Quantifying Risk for Workers With Job Rotation.

PubMed

Garg, Arun; Kapellusch, Jay M

2016-08-01

The objectives were to: (a) develop a continuous frequency multiplier (FM) for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE) as a function of lifting frequency and duration of a lifting task, and (b) describe the Cumulative Lifting Index (CULI), a methodology for estimating physical exposure to workers with job rotation. The existing FM for the RNLE (FME) does not differentiate between task duration >2 hr and <8 hr, which makes quantifying physical exposure to workers with job rotation difficult and presents challenges to job designers. Using the existing FMs for 1, 2, and 8 hr of task durations, we developed a continuous FM (FMP) that extends to 12 hr per day. We simulated 157,500 jobs consisting of two tasks each and, using different combinations of Frequency Independent Lifting Index, lifting frequency and duration of lifting. Biomechanical stresses were estimated using the CULI, time-weighted average (TWA), and peak exposure. The median difference between FME and FMP was ±1% (range: 0%-15%). Compared to CULI, TWA underestimated risk of low-back pain (LBP) for 18% to 30% of jobs, and peak exposure for an assumed 8-hr work shift overestimated risk of LBP for 20% to 25% of jobs. Peak task exposure showed 90% agreement with CULI but ignored one of two tasks. The CULI partially addressed the underestimation of physical exposure using the TWA approach and overestimation of exposure using the peak-exposure approach. The proposed FM and CULI may provide more accurate physical exposure estimates, and therefore estimated risk of LBP, for workers with job rotation. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Exercise heart rate gradient: a novel index to predict all-cause mortality.

PubMed

Duarte, Carlos Vieira; Myers, Jonathan; de Araújo, Claudio Gil Soares

2015-05-01

Although substantial evidence relates reduced exercise heart rate (HR) reserve and recovery to a higher risk of all-cause mortality, a combined indicator of these variables has not been explored. Our aim was to combine HR reserve and recovery into a single index and to assess its utility to predict all-cause mortality. Retrospective cohort analysis. Participants were 1476 subjects (937 males) aged between 41 and 79 years who completed a maximal cycle cardiopulmonary exercise test while not using medication with negative chronotropic effects or having an implantable cardiac pacemaker. HR reserve (HR maximum - HR resting) and recovery (HR maximum - HR at 1-min post exercise) were calculated and divided into quintiles. Quintile rankings were summed yielding an exercise HR gradient (EHRG) ranging from 2 to 10, reflecting the magnitude of on- and off-HR transients to exercise. Survival analyses were undertaken using EHRG scores and HR reserve and recovery in the lowest quintiles (Q1). During a mean follow up of 7.3 years, 44 participants died (3.1%). There was an inverse trend for EHRG scores and death rate (p < 0.05) that increased from 1.2% to 13.5%, respectively, for scores 10 and 2. An EHRG score of 2 was a better predictor of all-cause mortality than either Q1 for HR reserve (<80 bpm) or HR recovery alone (<27 bpm): age-adjusted hazard ratios: 3.53 (p = 0.011), 2.52 (p < 0.05), and 2.57 (p < 0.05), respectively. EHRG, a novel index combining HR reserve and HR recovery, is a better indicator of mortality risk than either response alone. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Short and Long-Term Sunlight Radiation and Stroke Incidence

PubMed Central

McClure, Leslie A.; Judd, Suzanne E.; Howard, Virginia J.; Crosson, William L.; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad Z.; Wadley, Virginia G.; Peace, Fredrick; Kabagambe, Edmond K.

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE Examine whether long and short-term sunlight radiation is related to stroke incidence. METHODS Fifteen-year residential histories merged with satellite, ground monitor, and model reanalysis data were used to determine sunlight radiation (insolation) and temperature exposure for a cohort of 16,606 stroke and coronary artery disease free black and white participants aged 45+ from the 48 contiguous United States. Fifteen, ten, five, two and one-year exposures were used to predict stroke incidence during follow-up in Cox proportional hazard models. Potential confounders and mediators were included during model-building. RESULTS Shorter exposure periods exhibited similar, but slightly stronger relationships than longer exposure periods. After adjustment for other covariates, the previous year’s monthly average insolation exposure below the median gave an HR=1.61 (95% CI: 1.15, 2.26) and the previous year’s highest compared to the second highest quartile of monthly average maximum temperature exposure gave an HR=1.92 (1.27, 2.92). INTERPRETATION These results indicate a relationship between lower levels of sunlight radiation and higher stroke incidence. The biological pathway of this relationship is not clear. Future research will show whether this finding stands, the pathway for this relationship, and if it is due to short or long-term exposures. PMID:23225379

Maternal blood pressure and heart rate response to pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy.

PubMed

Ferreira, Cristine H; Naldoni, Luciane M V; Ribeiro, Juliana Dos Santos; Meirelles, Maria Cristina C C; Cavalli, Ricardo de Carvalho; Bø, Kari

2014-07-01

To assess whether maternal blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) change significantly in response to pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy. Longitudinal exploratory study with repeated measurements. Twenty-seven nulliparous healthy women of mean age 23.3 years (range 18-36) and mean body mass index 23.4 (range 23.1-29.5). Individual supervised pelvic floor muscle training from gestational week 20 till 36 with assessment of BP and HR at gestational weeks 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36. Systolic and diastolic BP was measured before and after each training session and HR was monitored during each session. Pelvic floor muscle training did not change BP. 77% (n = 21) of participants exceeded 70% of estimated maximum HR during at least one session. The time for exceeding 70% of estimated maximum HR was between 2.2 and 3.2 % of the total exercise session. Increases in BP and HR from gestational weeks 20 till 36 were within normal limits for pregnant women. Pelvic floor muscle training in nulliparous sedentary pregnant women does not increase BP. It significantly increases HR during the exercise sessions, but only for a limited period of time and with no negative long-term effect on BP or HR. © 2014 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Validation of Biofeedback Wearables for Photoplethysmographic Heart Rate Tracking

PubMed Central

Jo, Edward; Lewis, Kiana; Directo, Dean; Kim, Michael J.; Dolezal, Brett A.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of HR measurements by two commercial-use activity trackers in comparison to ECG. Twenty-four healthy participants underwent the same 77-minute protocol during a single visit. Each participant completed an initial rest period of 15 minutes followed by 5 minute periods of each of the following activities: 60W and 120W cycling, walking, jogging, running, resisted arm raises, resisted lunges, and isometric plank. In between each exercise task was a 5-minute rest period. Each subject wore a Basis Peak (BPk) on one wrist and a Fitbit Charge HR (FB) on the opposite wrist. Criterion measurement of HR was administered by 12-lead ECG. Time synced data from each device and ECG were concurrently and electronically acquired throughout the entire 77-minute protocol. When examining data in aggregate, there was a strong correlation between BPk and ECG for HR (r = 0.92, p < 0.001) with a mean bias of -2.5 bpm (95% LoA 19.3, -24.4). The FB demonstrated a moderately strong correlation with ECG for HR (r = 0.83, p < 0.001) with an average mean bias of -8.8 bpm (95% LoA 24.2, -41.8). During physical efforts eliciting ECG HR > 116 bpm, the BPk demonstrated an r = 0.77 and mean bias = -4.9 bpm (95% LoA 21.3, -31.0) while the FB demonstrated an r = 0.58 and mean bias = -12.7 bpm (95% LoA 28.6, -54.0). The BPk satisfied validity criteria for HR monitors, however showed a marginal decline in accuracy with increasing physical effort (ECG HR > 116 bpm). The FB failed to satisfy validity criteria and demonstrated a substantial decrease in accuracy during higher exercise intensities. Key points Modern day wearable multi-sensor activity trackers incorporate reflective photoplethymography (PPG) for heart rate detection and monitoring at the dorsal wrist. This study examined the validity of two PPG-based activity trackers, the Basis Peak and Fitbit Charge HR. The Basis Peak performed with accuracy compared with ECG and results substantiate validation of heart rate measurements. There was a slight decrease in performance during higher levels of physical exertion. The Fitbit Charge HR performed with poor accuracy compared with ECG especially during higher physical exertion and specific exercise tasks. The Fitbit Charge HR was not validated for heart rate monitoring, although better accuracy was observed during resting or recovery conditions. PMID:27803634

The effect of training first-lactation heifers to the milking parlor on the behavioral reactivity to humans and the physiological and behavioral responses to milking and productivity.

PubMed

Sutherland, M A; Huddart, F J

2012-12-01

The objectives of this study were (1) to determine whether training heifers before calving would modulate the behavioral reactivity to humans and the behavioral and physiological responses to milking routines after calving, and (2) whether heifer temperament would affect this response. The behavioral reactivity of heifers to humans was assessed prepartum using 4 behavioral tests (restraint, exit speed, avoidance distance in the paddock and arena, and a voluntary approach test). These behavioral tests were repeated immediately after and 12 wk after training. Temperament was defined based on exit time from a restraint device, and heifers were denoted as either low (LR; n=20) or high (HR; n=20) responders. Two weeks before calving, half the LR and HR heifers were selected randomly for training to the milking parlor, whereas the other heifers were left undisturbed in the paddock. Training consisted of 4 sessions conducted over 2 consecutive days and involved introducing the heifers to the milking platform, associated noises, and human contact. During the first 5d of lactation, behavioral and physiological data were collected from all heifers, including behavior during cup attachment, plasma cortisol concentrations, and residual milk volumes. Milk production data were collected over the entire lactation period. Training reduced the avoidance distance of LR but not HR heifers, and trained HR heifers stepped more than trained LR heifers during a restraint test. The behavioral response of heifers to the restraint test was positively correlated with milk yield, milking duration, and residual milk volume. Trained LR heifers flinched, stepped, and kicked more during attachment of milking clusters than did untrained LR heifers. During the first week of lactation, total milk yield was lower in trained than untrained HR heifers, and maximum flow rates were higher and residual milk volumes were lower in trained than untrained heifers, irrespective of heifer temperament. Plasma cortisol concentrations were lower on d 5 of lactation than on d 1 and were higher in HR heifers after milking than before milking. Over the first 8 mo of lactation, milking duration was lower and average flow rates were higher in trained than untrained heifers. These results suggest that trained heifers may have experienced less distress during the first week of lactation, but the effect of training on the behavioral and physiological responses to milking appeared to be influenced by heifer temperament. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heart Rate Responses to Unaided Orion Side Hatch Egress in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

English, Kirk L.; Hwang Emma Y.; Ryder, Jeffrey W.; Kelly, Cody; Walker, Thomas; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L.

2016-01-01

NASA is developing the Orion capsule as a vehicle for transporting crewmembers to and from the International Space Station (ISS) and for future human space exploration missions. Orion and other commercial vehicles are designed to splash down in the ocean where nominally support personnel will assist crewmembers in egressing the vehicle. However, off-nominal scenarios will require crewmembers to egress the vehicle unaided, deploy survival equipment, and ingress a life raft. PURPOSE: To determine the heart rate (HR) responses to unaided Orion side hatch egress and raft ingress as a part of the NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team's evaluation of the PORT Orion mockup in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). METHODS: Nineteen test subjects, including four astronauts (N=19, 14 males/5 females, 38.6+/-8.4 y, 174.4+/-9.6 cm, 75.7+/-13.1 kg), completed a graded maximal test on a cycle ergometer to determine VO2peak and HRpeak and were divided into five crews of four members each; one subject served on two crews. Each crew was required to deploy a life raft, egress the Orion vehicle from the side hatch, and ingress the life raft with two 8 kg emergency packs per crew. Each crew performed this activity one to three times; a total of ten full egresses were completed. Subjects wore a suit that was similar in form, mass, and function to the Modified Advanced Crew Escape Suit (MACES) including helmet, gloves, boots, supplemental O2 bottles, and a CO2-inflated life preserver (approx.18 kg); subjects began each trial seated supine in the PORT Orion mockup with seat belts and mockup O2 and communication connections and ended each trial with all four crewmembers inside the life raft. RESULTS: VO2peak was 40.8+/-6.8 mL/kg/min (3.1+/-0.7 L/min); HRpeak was 181+/-10 bpm. Total egress time across trials was 5.0+/-1.6 min (range: 2.8-8.0 min); all subjects were able to successfully complete all trials. Average maximum HR at activity start, at the hatch opening, in the water, and in the raft, was 108, 137, 147, and 153 bpm, respectively; these values corresponded to 59+/-10%, 73+/-8%, 82+/-3%, and 84+/-6% of HRpeak, respectively. The highest HRs were seen after raft ingress and ranged from 72-99% HRpeak. Across all trials, cumulative averages of 5.4, 3.0, 1.1, and 0.2 min were spent at HRs >60%, >70%, >80%, and >90% HRpeak, respectively. CONCLUSION: Unaided Orion side hatch egress in the NBL is a relatively short-duration activity that elicits a high HR response for several min. Although all crewmembers successfully completed this activity, additional factors such as high seas, poor visibility, an incapacitated crewmember, neurovestibular perturbation, and neuromuscular deconditioning characteristic of a true operational environment may increase the physiologic demand (or decrease crewmembers' physiologic capacity) of unaided Orion side hatch egress. Additionally, landing conditions may require the crewmembers to egress from the top hatch, which is expected to be even more physiologically demanding; this condition will be evaluated in subsequent collaborative testing with the NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team.

Community walking speed, sedentary or lying down time, and mortality in peripheral artery disease

PubMed Central

McDermott, Mary M; Guralnik, Jack M; Ferrucci, Luigi; Tian, Lu; Kibbe, Melina R; Greenland, Philip; Green, David; Liu, Kiang; Zhao, Lihui; Wilkins, John T; Huffman, Mark D; Shah, Sanjiv J; Liao, Yihua; Gao, Ying; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M; Criqui, Michael H

2017-01-01

We studied whether slower community walking speed and whether greater time spent lying down or sleeping were associated with higher mortality in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Participants with an ankle–brachial index (ABI) < 0.90 were identified from Chicago medical centers. At baseline, participants reported their usual walking speed outside their home and the number of hours they spent lying down or sleeping per day. Cause of death was adjudicated using death certificates and medical record review. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race, comorbidities, ABI, and other confounders. Of 1314 PAD participants, 189 (14.4%) died, including 63 cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths. Mean follow-up was 34.9 months ± 18.1. Relative to average or normal pace (2–3 miles/hour), slower walking speed was associated with greater CVD mortality: no walking at all: hazard ratio (HR) = 4.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.46–11.89; casual strolling (0–2 miles/hour): HR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.16–4.32; brisk or striding (>3 miles/hour): HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.07–4.30. These associations were not significant after additional adjustment for the six-minute walk. Relative to sleeping or lying down for 8–9 hours, fewer or greater hours sleeping or lying down were associated with higher CVD mortality: 4–7 hours: HR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.06–4.05; 10–11 hours: HR = 4.07, 95% CI = 1.86–8.89; ⩾12 hours: HR = 3.75, 95% CI = 1.47–9.62. These associations were maintained after adjustment for the six-minute walk. In conclusion, slower walking speed outside the home and less than 8 hours or more than 9 hours lying down per day are potentially modifiable behaviors associated with increased CVD mortality in patients with PAD. PMID:26873873

Small Brain Lesions and Incident Stroke and Mortality: A Cohort Study.

PubMed

Windham, B Gwen; Deere, Bradley; Griswold, Michael E; Wang, Wanmei; Bezerra, Daniel C; Shibata, Dean; Butler, Kenneth; Knopman, David; Gottesman, Rebecca F; Heiss, Gerardo; Mosley, Thomas H

2015-07-07

Although cerebral lesions 3 mm or larger on imaging are associated with incident stroke, lesions smaller than 3 mm are typically ignored. To examine stroke risks associated with subclinical brain lesions (<3 mm only, ≥3 mm only, and both sizes) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). Community cohort from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study. Two ARIC sites with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 1993 to 1995. 1884 adults aged 50 to 73 years with MRI, no prior stroke, and average follow-up of 14.5 years. Lesions on MRI (by size), WMH score (scale of 0 to 9), incident stroke, all-cause mortality, and stroke-related mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated with proportional hazards models. Compared with no lesions, stroke risk tripled with lesions smaller than 3 mm only (HR, 3.47 [95% CI, 1.86 to 6.49]), doubled with lesions 3 mm or larger only (HR, 1.94 [CI, 1.22 to 3.07]), was 8-fold higher with lesions of both sizes (HR, 8.59 [CI, 4.69 to 15.73]), and doubled with a WMH score of at least 3 (HR, 2.14 [CI, 1.45 to 3.16]). Risk for stroke-related death tripled with lesions smaller than 3 mm only (HR, 3.05 [CI, 1.04 to 8.94]) and was 7 times higher with lesions of both sizes (HR, 6.97 [CI, 2.03 to 23.93]). Few strokes (especially hemorrhagic) and few participants with lesions smaller than 3 mm only or lesions of both sizes. Very small cerebrovascular lesions may be associated with increased risks for stroke and death; presence of lesions smaller than 3 mm and 3 mm or larger may result in a particularly striking risk increase. Larger studies are needed to confirm findings and provide more precise estimates. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

On the dispersion in brightness of far-ultraviolet emission lines of cool giant stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, T.

1984-01-01

Low-resolution spectra have been obtained with the short-wavelength camera of IUE for late-type giant stars of spectral type F5 III-G8 III. These stars are believed to be in their first crossing of the H-R diagram, as inferred from their location along the blue edge of the Hertzsprung gap or their high abundance of lithium. From the earliest spectral type observed along the blue edge of the gap, the normalized C IV flux, which is indicative of 100,000 K plasma, increases to a maximum at G0 and then falls with advancing spectral type. The total range in emission measure of 100,000 K gas is an order of magnitude or more among stars making their first appearance as yellow giants and averages about 25 times higher in these stars than in other G8-K0 yellow giants, the majority of which are probably He-burning post-red giants. The observations tentatively show that transition region emission, and by inference coronal emission, increases in intensity with the growth of convection zones in late-type giants and then declines at lower surface temperatures, perhaps because of rotational spin-down and a weakening of dynamo action.

Continuous tunnel kiln direct-fired with bark to dry 1.75-inch southern pine in 12 hours.

Treesearch

P. Koch; W.L. Wellford

1977-01-01

Length-sorted lumber is surfaced on one side to 1.75-inch thickness, mechanically stacked 5 feet wide and 10 feet high on 1-1/4-inch-thick sticks, and continuously transported through a zone-controlled tunnel kiln at 8 ft./hr. to yield 500,000 fbm of lumber dried to 9 percent average MC per 168-hour week. In the tunnel, the lumber is dried for 8 (possibly 10) hours at...

Continuous tunnel kiln direct-fired with bark to dry 1.75-inch southern pine in 12 hours

Treesearch

Peter Koch; Walker L. Wellford

1976-01-01

Length-sorted lumber is surfaced on one side to 1.75-inch thickness, mechanically stacked 5 feet wide and 10 feet high on 1-1/4-inch-thick sticks, and continuously transported through a zone-controlled tunnel kiln at 8 ft./hr. to yield 500,000 fbm of lumber dried to 9 percent average MC per 168-hour week. In the tunnel, the lumber is dried for 8 (possibly 10) hours of...

The Ups and Downs of Rhizosphere Resource Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardon, Z. G.; Fu, C.; Wang, G.; Stark, J.

2014-12-01

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) of soil water by plants occurs in seasonally dry ecosystems worldwide. During HR, soil water flows from wet soil into roots, through the root system, and out of roots into dry rhizosphere soil. Hydraulic redistribution affects plant physiology and landscape hydrology, and it has long been hypothesized that upward HR of deep water to dry, nutrient-rich surface soil may also stimulate soil nutrient cycling and thus enhance nutrient availability to plants in the field. We report results from a sagebrush-steppe field experiment in northern Utah, USA, showing that stimulation of sagebrush-mediated HL increased rates of nitrogen cycling in the surface soil layer around shrubs at summer's end, and more than quadrupled uptake of nitrogen into developing sagebrush inflorescences. We have built on these empirical data by folding Ryel et al.'s (2002) HR formulation into CLM4.5 and examining how well the combined model can simultaneously simulate measured evapotranspiration, the vertical profile of soil moisture, and the amplitude of HR-associated diel changes in water content, at multiple seasonally-dry Ameriflux sites: Wind River Crane (US-Wrc), Southern California Climate Gradient (US-SCs,g,f,w,d,&c), and Santa Rita Mesquite Savanna (US-SRM). The simulated hydraulic lift during the dry periods has an average value in the range from 0.09 (at US-SCc) to 0.64 (at US-SCf) mm H2O d-1. In many cases, the combined model reproduced seasonal and daily (diel) observations with reasonable accuracy. Among the many model parameters tested, the Clapp and Hornberger parameter "B" in CLM4.5 was critical for a realistic simulation of soil moisture. Modeled HR was also sensitive to the maximum radial soil-root conductance and the soil water potential where that conductance is reduced by 50%. Our next step is to explore how modeled carbon and nutrient cycling in soil layers are affected by redistributed water in the soil column caused by inclusion of HR in CLM4.5.

Protection against amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity toward striatal dopamine neurons in rodents by LY274614, an excitatory amino acid antagonist.

PubMed

Fuller, R W; Hemrick-Luecke, S K; Ornstein, P L

1992-10-01

LY274614, 3SR,4aRS,6SR,8aRS-6-[phosphonomethyl]decahydr oisoquinoline-3- carboxylic acid, has been described as a potent antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptor. Here its ability to antagonize the prolonged depletion of dopamine in the striatum by amphetamine in iprindole-treated rats is reported. A single 18.4 mg/kg (i.p.) dose of (+/-)-amphetamine hemisulfate, given to rats pretreated with iprindole, resulted in persistent depletion of dopamine in the striatum 1 week later. This prolonged depletion of dopamine in the striatum was antagonized by dizocilpine (MK-801, a non-competitive antagonist of NMDA receptors) or by LY274614 (a competitive antagonist of NMDA receptors). The protective effect of LY274614 was dose-dependent, being maximum at 10-40 mgkg (i.p.). A 10 mg/kg dose of LY274614 was effective in antagonizing the depletion of dopamine in the striatum, when given as long as 8 hr prior to amphetamine but not when given 24 hr prior to amphetamine. Depletion of dopamine in the striatum was also antagonized when LY274614 was given after the injection of amphetamine; LY274614 protected when given up to 4 hr after but not when given 8 or 24 hr after amphetamine. The prolonged depletion of dopamine in the striatum in mice, given multiple injections of methamphetamine, was also antagonized dose-dependently and completely by LY274614. The data strengthen the evidence that the neurotoxic effect of amphetamine and related compounds toward nigrostriatal dopamine neurons involves NMDA receptors and that LY274614 is an NMDA receptor antagonist with long-lasting in vivo effects in rats.

Gestational diabetes and risk of cardiovascular disease up to 25 years after pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

McKenzie-Sampson, Safyer; Paradis, Gilles; Healy-Profitós, Jessica; St-Pierre, Frédérique; Auger, Nathalie

2018-04-01

The risk of cardiovascular disease in women with gestational diabetes is poorly understood. We sought to determine whether gestational diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease more than two decades after pregnancy. We carried out a retrospective cohort study of 1,070,667 women who delivered infants in hospitals within Quebec, Canada, between 1989 and 2013. We followed 67,356 women with gestational diabetes and 1,003,311 without gestational diabetes for a maximum of 25.2 years after the index delivery. The main outcome measures were hospitalization for ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft, and other cardiovascular disorders. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing women with gestational diabetes to no gestational diabetes, adjusted for age, parity, socioeconomic deprivation, time period, and preeclampsia. Women with gestational diabetes had a higher cumulative incidence of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease 25 years after delivery (190.8 per 1000 women) compared with no gestational diabetes (117.8 per 1000 women). Gestational diabetes was associated with a higher risk of ischemic heart disease (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.12-1.36), myocardial infarction (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.15-2.47), coronary angioplasty (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.87-2.65), and coronary artery bypass graft (HR 3.16, 95% CI 2.24-4.47). In this population of pregnant women, gestational diabetes was associated with an increased risk of heart disease 25 years after delivery. Women with gestational diabetes may merit closer monitoring for cardiovascular disease prevention after pregnancy.

L-Asparaginase Production by Erwinia aroideae1

PubMed Central

Peterson, R. E.; Ciegler, A.

1969-01-01

Maximum yields of 1,250 IU (international unit)/g (dry weight of cells) of L-asparaginase were obtained in 8 hr from Erwinia aroideae NRRL B-138. Partial purification and concentration of the extracted L-asparaginase yielded a preparation with an activity of 275 IU/ml. Only one L-asparaginase was present as determined by electrophoresis, and the enzyme exhibited a pH optimum of 7.5 and a Km of 3 × 10-3 M. PMID:5803630

Long-chain carboxylic acids in pyrolysates of Green River kerogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawamura, K.; Tannenbaum, E.; Huizinga, B. J.; Kaplan, I. R.

1986-01-01

Long-chain fatty acids (C10-C32), as well as C14-C21 isoprenoid acids (except for C18), have been identified in anhydrous and hydrous pyrolyses products of Green River kerogen (200-400 degrees C, 2-1000 hr). These kerogen-released fatty acids are characterized by a strong even/odd predominance (CPI: 4.8-10.2) with a maximum at C16 followed by lesser amounts of C18 and C22 acids. This distribution is different from that of unbound and bound geolipids extracted from Green River shale. The unbound fatty acids show a weak even/odd predominance (CPI: 1.64) with a maximum at C14, and bound fatty acids display an even/odd predominance (CPI: 2.8) with maxima at C18 and C30. These results suggest that fatty acids were incorporated into kerogen during sedimentation and early diagenesis and were protected from microbial and chemical changes over geological periods of time. Total quantities of fatty acids produced during heating of the kerogen ranged from 0.71 to 3.2 mg/g kerogen. Highest concentrations were obtained when kerogen was heated with water for 100 hr at 300 degrees C. Generally, their amounts did not decrease under hydrous conditions with increase in temperature or heating time, suggesting that significant decarboxylation did not occur under the pyrolysis conditions used, although hydrocarbons were extensively generated.

PHARMACOKINETICS OF A SINGLE DOSE OF METRONIDAZOLE AFTER RECTAL ADMINISTRATION IN CAPTIVE ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS).

PubMed

Sander, Samantha J; Siegal-Willott, Jessica L; Ziegler, Jessie; Lee, Elizabeth; Tell, Lisa; Murray, Suzan

2016-03-01

Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole antibacterial and antiprotozoal drug with bacteriocidal activity against a broad range of anaerobic bacteria. It is a recognized treatment for elephants diagnosed with anaerobic bacterial infection or protozoal disease or exhibiting signs of colonic impaction, diarrhea, and colic. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of rectally administered metronidazole (15 mg/kg) in five adult female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Serum samples were collected from each animal for 96 hr after rectal administration of metronidazole. Serum concentrations of metronidazole and its primary metabolite, hydroxymetronidazole, were measured via ultraperformance liquid chromatography. Data were analyzed via a noncompartmental pharmacokinetic approach. Results indicated that serum levels of metronidazole were quantifiable at the 0.25 hr time point and absent in all elephants by the 96 hr time point. The serum peak concentration (mean ± SD, 13.15 ± 2.59 μg/ml) and area under the curve from time 0 to infinity (mean ± SD, 108.79 ± 24.77 hr × μg/ml) were higher than that reported in domestic horses after similar usage. Concurrently, the time of maximum serum concentration (mean ± SD, 1.2 ± 0.45 hr) and terminal elimination half-life (harmonic mean ± pseudo-SD, 7.85 ± 0.93 hr) were longer when compared to equine reports. Rectal administration of metronidazole was well tolerated and rapidly absorbed in all study elephants. Based on the findings in this study, metronidazole administered at a single dose of 15 mg/kg per rectum in the Asian elephant is likely to result in serum concentrations above 4 μg/ml for 8 hr and above 2 μg/ml for 24 hr after treatment is administered. Dosing recommendations should reflect the mean inhibitory concentration of metronidazole for each pathogen.

Acute Effects of Fine Particulate Air Pollution on Cardiac Arrhythmia: The APACR Study

PubMed Central

He, Fan; Shaffer, Michele L.; Rodriguez-Colon, Sol; Yanosky, Jeff D.; Bixler, Edward; Cascio, Wayne E.

2011-01-01

Background: The mechanisms underlying the relationship between particulate matter (PM) air pollution and cardiac disease are not fully understood. Objectives: We examined the effects and time course of exposure to fine PM [aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5)] on cardiac arrhythmia in 105 middle-age community-dwelling healthy nonsmokers in central Pennsylvania. Methods: The 24-hr beat-to-beat electrocardiography data were obtained using a high-resolution Holter system. After visually identifying and removing artifacts, we summarized the total number of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and premature atrial contractions (PACs) for each 30-min segment. A personal PM2.5 nephelometer was used to measure individual-level real-time PM2.5 exposures for 24 hr. We averaged these data to obtain 30-min average time–specific PM2.5 exposures. Distributed lag models under the framework of negative binomial regression and generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the rate ratio between 10-μg/m3 increases in average PM2.5 over 30-min intervals and ectopy counts. Results: The mean ± SD age of participants was 56 ± 8 years, with 40% male and 73% non-Hispanic white. The 30-min mean ± SD for PM2.5 exposure was 13 ± 22 μg/m3, and PAC and PVC counts were 0.92 ± 4.94 and 1.22 ± 7.18. Increases of 10 μg/m3 in average PM2.5 concentrations during the same 30 min or the previous 30 min were associated with 8% and 3% increases in average PVC counts, respectively. PM2.5 was not significantly associated with PAC count. Conclusion: PM2.5 exposure within approximately 60 min was associated with increased PVC counts in healthy individuals. PMID:21398201

Monitoring nocturnal heart rate with bed sensor.

PubMed

Migliorini, M; Kortelainen, J M; Pärkkä, J; Tenhunen, M; Himanen, S L; Bianchi, A M

2014-01-01

This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on "Biosignal Interpretation: Advanced Methods for Studying Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems". The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of the estimated Nocturnal Heart Rate (HR), recorded through a bed sensor, compared with the one obtained from standard electrocardiography (ECG). Twenty-eight sleep deprived patients were recorded for one night each through matrix of piezoelectric sensors, integrated into the mattress, through polysomnography (PSG) simultaneously. The two recording methods have been compared in terms of signal quality and differences in heart beat detection. On average, coverage of 92.7% of the total sleep time was obtained for the bed sensor, testifying the good quality of the recordings. The average beat-to-beat error of the inter-beat intervals was 1.06%. These results suggest a good overall signal quality, however, considering fast heart rates (HR > 100 bpm), performances were worse: in fact, the sensitivity in the heart beat detection was 28.4% while the false positive rate was 3.8% which means that a large amount of fast beats were not detected. The accuracy of the measurements made using the bed sensor has less than 10% of failure rate especially in periods with HR lower than 70 bpm. For fast heart beats the uncertainty increases. This can be explained by the change in morphology of the bed sensor signal in correspondence of a higher HR.

Characteristics of on-demand biogas production by using sugar beet silage.

PubMed

Ahmed, Sharif; Kazda, Marian

2017-08-01

On-demand electricity generation can be achieved by just-in-time biogas production instantly utilized in co-generation units. For this goal, easily degradable substrates like sugar beet silage have a high potential. Potential for on-demand biogas production from co-digestion of sugar beet silage (SS) with grass silage (GS) was evaluated in two experiments at organic loading rates (OLRs) of 1.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 and 2.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 , respectively. Each experiment was fed with intermittent feeding system at 8 hrs interval at the same feedstock ratios (volatile solids based) of GS:SS-1:0, 3:1 and 1:3, respectively. Modelling by Gaussian equation was performed in order to understand the effects of SS on biogas production. Addition of sugar beet silage led to maximum biogas production within a short time, but it differed significantly depending on feedstock ratios and OLRs, respectively. At OLR 1.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 , during mono fermentation of grass silage maximum biogas production rate of 0.27 l N hr -1 was reached at 2.74 hrs. Production rate did not change at feedstock ratio of GS:SS-3:1 but increased to 0.64 l N hr -1 at GS:SS-1:3 within a shorter time span (1.58 hrs). On the contrary, at OLR of 2.5 kgVS m -3 day -1 time span between feedstock input and maximum biogas production did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among the reactors. Biogas production rates were 0.60 l N hr -1 within 2.27 hrs and 0.82 l N hr -1 within 2.30 hrs at GS:SS-3:1 and GS:SS-1:3, respectively. Surprisingly, there was no time lag between maximum biogas and methane production rates, irrespectively of OLR. This implies that once the whole microbial community is adapted to intermittent substrate input, the metabolic products are instantly utilized through the all steps of anaerobic substrate degradation. Applying this finding opens new perspectives for on-demand biogas energy production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lifestyle intervention improves heart rate recovery from exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes: results from the Look AHEAD study.

PubMed

Ribisl, Paul M; Gaussoin, Sarah A; Lang, Wei; Bahnson, Judy; Connelly, Stephanie A; Horton, Edward S; Jakicic, John M; Killean, Tina; Kitzman, Dalane W; Knowler, William C; Stewart, Kerry J

2012-01-01

The primary aims of this paper were (1) to evaluate the influence of intensive lifestyle weight loss and exercise intervention (ILI) compared with diabetes support and education (DSE) upon Heart Rate Recovery (HRR) from graded exercise testing (GXT) and (2) to determine the independent and combined effects of weight loss and fitness changes upon HRR. In 4503 participants (45-76 years) who completed 1 year of intervention, HRR was measured after a submaximal GXT to compare the influence of (ILI) with (DSE) upon HRR. Participants assigned to ILI lost an average 8.6% of their initial weight versus 0.7% in DSE group (P < 0.001) while mean fitness increased in ILI by 20.9% versus 5.8% in DSE (P < 0.001). At Year 1, all exercise and HRR variables in ILI improved (P < 0.0001) versus DSE: heart rate (HR) at rest was lower (72.8 ± 11.4 versus 77.7 ± 11.7 b/min), HR range was greater (57.7 ± 12.1 versus 53.1 ± 12.4 b/min), HR at 2 minutes was lower (89.3 ± 21.8 versus 93.0 ± 12.1 b/min), and HRR was greater (41.25 ± 22.0 versus 37.8 ± 12.5 b/min). Weight loss and fitness gain produced significant separate and independent improvements in HRR.

On the choice of fluid for the hydration of middle-aged marathon runners.

PubMed Central

Kavanagh, T.; Shephard, R. J.

1977-01-01

Nine subjects (five well-trained post-coronary patients and four other middle-aged joggers) paticipated in a 42 km "Marathon" race. The course was covered in an average of 212 minutes under pleasantly warm conditions (Maximum 21.7 degree C, 69% relative humidity). Subjects were given initial hyperhydration and repeated subsequent doses of water, "Erg" (Na+ 19mE/l K+ 10.7mE/l, glucose 5.3g/100 ml) or a "Special Solution" (during the race Na+ 21mE/1 glucose 4.1g/100 ml; after the race Na+ 20 mE/l, K+ 4.7mE/l., glucose 4.1 g/100 ml). Weight loss averaged 2.2 kg and sweat production 3.3l taking account of water liberated from the hydration of glycogen and the oxidation of food stuffs, it was estimated that most subjects suffered relatively little dehydration over the race (0.4--0.8l). This was confirmed by a sustained urine production of greater than 100ml/hr. Nevertheless, rectal temperatures showed substantial elevation over the race (final readings 38.3 - 40.2 degree C). In terms of fluid balance and stability of plasma mineral composition, the runners drinking water performed slightly better than those receiving the other two solutions. Nevertheless, there may be merit in giving potassium solutions during recovery from vigorous effort. PMID:861437

The use of alternative pollutant metrics in time-series studies of ambient air pollution and respiratory emergency department visits.

PubMed

Darrow, Lyndsey A; Klein, Mitchel; Sarnat, Jeremy A; Mulholland, James A; Strickland, Matthew J; Sarnat, Stefanie E; Russell, Armistead G; Tolbert, Paige E

2011-01-01

Various temporal metrics of daily pollution levels have been used to examine the relationships between air pollutants and acute health outcomes. However, daily metrics of the same pollutant have rarely been systematically compared within a study. In this analysis, we describe the variability of effect estimates attributable to the use of different temporal metrics of daily pollution levels. We obtained hourly measurements of ambient particulate matter (PM₂.₅), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) from air monitoring networks in 20-county Atlanta for the time period 1993-2004. For each pollutant, we created (1) a daily 1-h maximum; (2) a 24-h average; (3) a commute average; (4) a daytime average; (5) a nighttime average; and (6) a daily 8-h maximum (only for O₃). Using Poisson generalized linear models, we examined associations between daily counts of respiratory emergency department visits and the previous day's pollutant metrics. Variability was greatest across O₃ metrics, with the 8-h maximum, 1-h maximum, and daytime metrics yielding strong positive associations and the nighttime O₃ metric yielding a negative association (likely reflecting confounding by air pollutants oxidized by O₃). With the exception of daytime metric, all of the CO and NO₂ metrics were positively associated with respiratory emergency department visits. Differences in observed associations with respiratory emergency room visits among temporal metrics of the same pollutant were influenced by the diurnal patterns of the pollutant, spatial representativeness of the metrics, and correlation between each metric and copollutant concentrations. Overall, the use of metrics based on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (for example, the use of a daily 8-h maximum O₃ as opposed to a 24-h average metric) was supported by this analysis. Comparative analysis of temporal metrics also provided insight into underlying relationships between specific air pollutants and respiratory health.

Utility of high density lipoprotein particle concentration in predicting future major adverse cardiovascular events among patients undergoing angiography.

PubMed

May, Heidi T; Anderson, Jeffrey L; Winegar, Deborah A; Rollo, Jeffrey; Connelly, Margery A; Otvos, James D; Muhlestein, Joseph B

2016-10-01

HDL-C is recognized to be inversely associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, attenuation of the association of HDL-C with CV risk may occur after adjustment for other lipoprotein parameters and in various disease states, especially in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Recently, the number of HDL particles (HDL-P) has been suggested to improve CV risk prediction. Patients (n=2999) in the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study who underwent angiography and had lipoprotein particle measurements determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were studied. Multivariable Cox hazard regression was utilized to evaluate the association of HDL-C, HDL-P, and HDL-P subclasses with future major adverse CV events (MACE: death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke). Patients averaged 64±12years, 66% male, 26% diabetic, and 42% ACS. At angiography, 65% of patients were diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). HDL-C and HDL-P averaged 41±13mg/dL and 28±8μmol/L, respectively. HDL-P (HR=0.903, p=0.001), but not HDL-C (HR=0.947, p=0.102) was significantly associated with MACE. In a model that included all HDL-P subclasses, both small (HR=0.862, p<0.0001) and medium (HR=0.922, p=0.020) were associated with CV risk, but not large HDL-P (HR=1.0042, p=0.185). Small HDL-P continued to be associated with all of the individual components of MACE, but not stroke. In this study of patients undergoing angiography, HDL-P was a strong, independent predictor of future MACE, with the smaller HDL-P accounting for this association. Copyright © 2016 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Exploratory study of air quality in elementary schools, Coimbra, Portugal].

PubMed

Ferreira, Ana Maria Conceiçã; Cardoso, Salvador Massano

2013-12-01

To analyze the air quality in elementary schools and their structural and functional conditions. Air quality in 51 elementary schools (81 classrooms) in the city of Coimbra, Portugal, both inside and outside of the rooms was evaluated during the four seasons, from 2010 to 2011. Temperature (T°), relative humidity (Hr), concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), compounds were evaluated, as were volatile organics (VOC), formaldehyde and particulate matter (PM10), from November 2010 to February 2011 (autumn/winter) and March 2011 to June 2011 (spring/summer). A grid characterizing the structural and functional conditions of the schools was created. The statistical Student t test for paired samples and the Wilcoxon t test were applied. In 47 schools, the average CO2 concentrations were above the maximum reference concentration (984 ppm) mentioned in Portuguese legislation. The maximum concentration values found inside the rooms were critical, especially in the fall/winter (5,320 ppm). In some schools the average concentrations of VOC and PM10 within the maximum concentration exceeded the reference legislated. The values (risk) of CO, formaldehyde, NO2, SO2 and O3 detected were not relevant. There was a higher concentration of pollutants inside the rooms compared with outside. Inadequate ventilation is associated with high CO2 concentration in the classroom.

Weight History, All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in Three Prospective Cohort Studies

PubMed Central

Yu, Edward; Stokes, Andrew C.; Ley, Sylvia H.; Manson, JoAnn E.; Willett, Walter; Satija, Ambika; Hu, Frank B.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality remains controversial. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between maximum BMI over 16 years and subsequent mortality. DESIGN Three prospective cohort studies. SETTING Nurses’ Health Study I and II, Health Professionals Follow-up Study. PARTICIPANTS 225,072 men and women accruing 32,571 deaths over a mean of 12.3 years of follow-up. MEASUREMENTS Maximum BMI over 16 years of weight history and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS Maximum BMIs in the overweight (25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2) (multivariate hazard ratio (HR), 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03 – 1.08), obese I (30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2), (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.20 – 1.29), and obese II (≥ 35.0 kg/m2) (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.66 – 1.80) categories were associated with increases in risk of all-cause mortality. The pattern of excess risk with a maximum BMI above normal weight was maintained across strata defined by smoking status, sex, and age, but the excess was greatest among those <70 years old and never smokers. In contrast, a significant inverse association between overweight and mortality (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94 – 0.99) was observed when BMI was defined using a single baseline measurement. Maximum overweight was also associated with increased cause-specific mortality, including deaths from cardiovascular diseases and coronary heart disease. LIMITATIONS Residual confounding and misclassification. CONCLUSIONS The paradoxical association between overweight and mortality is reversed in analyses incorporating weight history. Maximum BMI may be a useful metric to minimize reverse causation bias associated with a single baseline BMI assessment. PMID:28384755

Pulsatility Index as a Diagnostic Parameter of Reciprocating Wall Shear Stress Parameters in Physiological Pulsating Waveforms

PubMed Central

Avrahami, Idit; Kersh, Dikla

2016-01-01

Arterial wall shear stress (WSS) parameters are widely used for prediction of the initiation and development of atherosclerosis and arterial pathologies. Traditional clinical evaluation of arterial condition relies on correlations of WSS parameters with average flow rate (Q) and heart rate (HR) measurements. We show that for pulsating flow waveforms in a straight tube with flow reversals that lead to significant reciprocating WSS, the measurements of HR and Q are not sufficient for prediction of WSS parameters. Therefore, we suggest adding a third quantity—known as the pulsatility index (PI)—which is defined as the peak-to-peak flow rate amplitude normalized by Q. We examine several pulsating flow waveforms with and without flow reversals using a simulation of a Womersley model in a straight rigid tube and validate the simulations through experimental study using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The results indicate that clinically relevant WSS parameters such as the percentage of negative WSS (P[%]), oscillating shear index (OSI) and the ratio of minimum to maximum shear stress rates (min/max), are better predicted when the PI is used in conjunction with HR and Q. Therefore, we propose to use PI as an additional and essential diagnostic quantity for improved predictability of the reciprocating WSS. PMID:27893801

Effects of acute hyperthermia on the carotid baroreflex control of heart rate in humans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, F.; Sagawa, S.; Torii, R.; Endo, Y.; Shiraki, K.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hyperthermia on the carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflexes in humans. Nine healthy males underwent acute hyperthermia (esophageal temperature 38.0° C) produced by hot water-perfused suits. Beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) responses were determined during positive and negative R-wave-triggered neck pressure steps from +40 to -65 mm Hg during normothermia and hyperthermia. The carotid baroreceptor-cardiac reflex sensitivity was evaluated from the maximum slope of the HR response to changes in carotid distending pressure. Buffering capacity of the HR response to carotid distending pressure was evaluated in % from a reference point calculated as (HR at 0 mm Hg neck pressure-minimum HR)/HR range ×100. An upward shift of the curve was evident in hyperthermia because HR increased from 57.7+/-2.4 beats/min in normothermia to 88.7+/-4.1 beats/min in hyperthermia (P<0.05) without changes in mean arterial pressure. The maximum slope of the curve in hyperthermia was similar to that in normothermia. The reference point was increased (P<0.05) during hyperthermia. These results suggest that the sensitivity of the carotid baroreflex of HR remains unchanged in hyperthermia. However, the capacity for tachycardia response to rapid onset of hypotension is reduced and the capacity for bradycardia response to sudden hypertension is increased during acute hyperthermia.

Native root xylem embolism and stomatal closure in stands of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine: mitigation by hydraulic redistribution.

PubMed

Domec, J-C; Warren, J M; Meinzer, F C; Brooks, J R; Coulombe, R

2004-09-01

Hydraulic redistribution (HR), the passive movement of water via roots from moist to drier portions of the soil, occurs in many ecosystems, influencing both plant and ecosystem-water use. We examined the effects of HR on root hydraulic functioning during drought in young and old-growth Douglas-fir [ Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] and ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex Laws) trees growing in four sites. During the 2002 growing season, in situ xylem embolism, water deficit and xylem vulnerability to embolism were measured on medium roots (2-4-mm diameter) collected at 20-30 cm depth. Soil water content and water potentials were monitored concurrently to determine the extent of HR. Additionally, the water potential and stomatal conductance ( g(s)) of upper canopy leaves were measured throughout the growing season. In the site with young Douglas-fir trees, root embolism increased from 20 to 55 percent loss of conductivity (PLC) as the dry season progressed. In young ponderosa pine, root embolism increased from 45 to 75 PLC. In contrast, roots of old-growth Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine trees never experienced more than 30 and 40 PLC, respectively. HR kept soil water potential at 20-30 cm depth above -0.5 MPa in the old-growth Douglas-fir site and -1.8 MPa in the old-growth ponderosa pine site, which significantly reduced loss of shallow root function. In the young ponderosa pine stand, where little HR occurred, the water potential in the upper soil layers fell to about -2.8 MPa, which severely impaired root functioning and limited recovery when the fall rains returned. In both species, daily maximum g(s) decreased linearly with increasing root PLC, suggesting that root xylem embolism acted in concert with stomata to limit water loss, thereby maintaining minimum leaf water potential above critical values. HR appears to be an important mechanism for maintaining shallow root function during drought and preventing total stomatal closure.

Changes in future air quality, deposition, and aerosol-cloud interactions under future climate and emission scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glotfelty, Timothy; Zhang, Yang; Karamchandani, Prakash; Streets, David G.

2016-08-01

The prospect of global climate change will have wide scale impacts, such as ecological stress and human health hazards. One aspect of concern is future changes in air quality that will result from changes in both meteorological forcing and air pollutant emissions. In this study, the GU-WRF/Chem model is employed to simulate the impact of changing climate and emissions following the IPCC AR4 SRES A1B scenario. An average of 4 future years (2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050) is compared against an average of 2 current years (2001 and 2010). Under this scenario, by the Mid-21st century global air quality is projected to degrade with a global average increase of 2.5 ppb in the maximum 8-hr O3 level and of 0.3 μg m-3 in 24-hr average PM2.5. However, PM2.5 changes are more regional due to regional variations in primary aerosol emissions and emissions of gaseous precursor for secondary PM2.5. Increasing NOx emissions in this scenario combines with a wetter climate elevating levels of OH, HO2, H2O2, and the nitrate radical and increasing the atmosphere's near surface oxidation state. This differs from findings under the RCP scenarios that experience declines in OH from reduced NOx emissions, stratospheric recovery of O3, and increases in CH4 and VOCs. Increasing NOx and O3 levels enhances the nitrogen and O3 deposition, indicating potentially enhanced crop damage and ecosystem stress under this scenario. The enhanced global aerosol level results in enhancements in aerosol optical depth, cloud droplet number concentration, and cloud optical thickness. This leads to dimming at the Earth's surface with a global average reduction in shortwave radiation of 1.2 W m-2. This enhanced dimming leads to a more moderate warming trend and different trends in radiation than those found in NCAR's CCSM simulation, which does not include the advanced chemistry and aerosol treatment of GU-WRF/Chem and cannot simulate the impacts of changing climate and emissions with the same level of detailed treatments. This study indicates that effective climate mitigation and emission control strategies are needed to prevent future health impact and ecosystem stress. Further, studies that are used to develop these strategies should use fully coupled models with sophisticated chemical and aerosol-interaction treatments that can provide a more realistic representation of the atmosphere.

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

Glotfelty, Timothy; Zhang, Yang; Karamchandani, Prakash

The prospect of global climate change will have wide scale impacts, such as ecological stress and human health hazards. One aspect of concern is future changes in air quality that will result from changes in both meteorological forcing and air pollutant emissions. In this study, the GU-WRF/Chem model is employed to simulate the impact of changing climate and emissions following the IPCC AR4 SRES A1B scenario. An average of 4 future years (2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050) is compared against an average of 2 current years (2001 and 2010). Under this scenario, by the Mid-21st century global air quality ismore » projected to degrade with a global average increase of 2.5 ppb in the maximum 8-hr O 3 level and of 0.3 mg m 3 in 24-hr average PM2.5. However, PM2.5 changes are more regional due to regional variations in primary aerosol emissions and emissions of gaseous precursor for secondary PM2.5. Increasing NOx emissions in this scenario combines with a wetter climate elevating levels of OH, HO 2, H 2O 2, and the nitrate radical and increasing the atmosphere’s near surface oxidation state. This differs from findings under the RCP scenarios that experience declines in OH from reduced NOx emissions, stratospheric recovery of O 3, and increases in CH 4 and VOCs. Increasing NO x and O 3 levels enhances the nitrogen and O 3 deposition, indicating potentially enhanced crop damage and ecosystem stress under this scenario. The enhanced global aerosol level results in enhancements in aerosol optical depth, cloud droplet number concentration, and cloud optical thickness. This leads to dimming at the Earth’s surface with a global average reduction in shortwave radiation of 1.2 W m 2 . This enhanced dimming leads to a more moderate warming trend and different trends in radiation than those found in NCAR’s CCSM simulation, which does not include the advanced chemistry and aerosol treatment of GU-WRF/Chem and cannot simulate the impacts of changing climate and emissions with the same level of detailed treatments. This study indicates that effective climate mitigation and emission control strategies are needed to prevent future health impact and ecosystem stress. Further, studies that are used to develop these strategies should use fully coupled models with sophisticated chemical and aerosol-interaction treatments that can provide a more realistic representation of the atmosphere.« less

Effect of a Prolonged Altitude Expedition on Glucose Tolerance and Abdominal Fatness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Mu-Tsung; Lee, Wen-Chih; Chen, Shih-Chang; Chen, Chiu-Chou; Chen, Chung-Yu; Lee, Shin-Da; Jensen, Jorgen; Kuo, Chia-Hua

2010-01-01

In the present study, we investigated the effect of a long-term mountain expedition on glucose tolerance and insulin action. Twelve registered mountaineers ages 31 years (SD = 1.1) participated in a 25-day expedition at a 2,200-3,800-m altitude with an average duration of 8 hr per day. Arterial oxygen saturation (SaO[subscript 2]) was…

Cardiovascular events in a physical activity intervention compared with a successful aging intervention: The LIFE Study randomized trial

PubMed Central

Dodson, John A.; Church, Timothy S.; Buford, Thomas W.; Fielding, Roger A.; Kritchevsky, Stephen; Beavers, Daniel; Pahor, Marco; Stafford, Randall S.; Szady, Anita D.; Ambrosius, Walter T.; McDermott, Mary M.

2017-01-01

Importance Whether sustained physical activity prevents cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in older adults is uncertain. Objective To test the hypothesis that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality was reduced in participants in a long-term physical activity program. Design, Setting, Participants The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study was a multicenter, randomized trial. Participants were recruited at 8 centers in the United States. We randomized 1635 sedentary men and women aged 70 to 89 years with Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score of 9 or below, but able to walk 400 m. Interventions The PA intervention was a structured moderate intensity program, predominantly walking two times per week on site for 2.6 years on average. The SA intervention consisted of weekly health education sessions for six months, then monthly. Main Outcome Total CVD events, including fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), angina, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and peripheral artery disease, were adjudicated by committee and silent MI was assessed by serial electrocardiograms. A limited outcome of MI, stroke, and CVD death was also studied. Outcome assessors and adjudicators were blinded to intervention assignment. Results New CVD events occurred in 14.8% (n=121/818) of PA and 13.8% (113/817) of SA participants (HR=1.10, 95%CI: 0.85 to 1.42). For the more focused combined outcome of MI, stroke or cardiovascular death, rates were 4.6% in PA and 4.5% in the SA group (HR = 1.05 (95%CI: 0.67 to 1.66). Among frailer participants with a SPPB <8, total CVD rates were 14.2% in PA vs 17.7% in SA with HR = 0.76 (95%CI: 0.52 to 1.10), compared with 15.3% vs. 10.5% with HR = 1.59 (95%CI: 1.09 to 2.30) among those with SPPB of 8 or 9 (p for interaction =0.006). With the limited endpoint, the interaction was not significant (p=0.59), with HR = 0.94 (95% CI: 0.50–1.75) for SPPB < 8 and HR = 1.20 (95% CI, 0.62–2.34) for SBBP of 8 or 9). Conclusions and Relevance Among participants in the LIFE Study, an aerobically-based, moderately intensive PA program did not reduce cardiovascular events in spite of the intervention’s previously documented ability to prevent mobility disability. PMID:27439082

40 CFR 432.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

Older men who use computers have lower risk of dementia.

PubMed

Almeida, Osvaldo P; Yeap, Bu B; Alfonso, Helman; Hankey, Graeme J; Flicker, Leon; Norman, Paul E

2012-01-01

To determine if older men who use computers have lower risk of developing dementia. Cohort study of 5506 community-dwelling men aged 69 to 87 years followed for up to 8.5 years. Use of computers measured as daily, weekly, less than weekly and never. Participants also reported their use of email, internet, word processors, games or other computer activities. The primary outcome was the incidence of ICD-10 diagnosis of dementia as recorded by the Western Australian Data Linkage System. 1857/5506 (33.7%) men reported using computers and 347 (6.3%) received a diagnosis of dementia during an average follow up of 6.0 years (range: 6 months to 8.5 years). The hazard ratio (HR) of dementia was lower among computer users than non-users (HR = 0.62, 95%CI = 0.47-0.81, after adjustment for age, educational attainment, size of social network, and presence of depression or of significant clinical morbidity). The HR of dementia appeared to decrease with increasing frequency of computer use: 0.68 (95%CI = 0.41-1.13), 0.61 (95%CI = 0.39-0.94) and 0.59 (95%CI = 0.40-0.87) for less than weekly, at least weekly and daily. The HR of dementia was 0.66 (95%CI = 0.50-0.86) after the analysis was further adjusted for baseline cognitive function, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination. Older men who use computers have lower risk of receiving a diagnosis of dementia up to 8.5 years later. Randomised trials are required to determine if the observed associations are causal.

Towards 24/7 continuous heart rate monitoring.

PubMed

Tarniceriu, Adrian; Parak, Jakub; Renevey, Philippe; Nurmi, Marko; Bertschi, Mattia; Delgado-Gonzalo, Ricard; Korhonen, Ilkka

2016-08-01

Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) carry rich information about physical activity, mental and physical load, physiological status, and health of an individual. When combined with activity monitoring and personalized physiological modelling, HR/HRV monitoring may be used for monitoring of complex behaviors and impact of behaviors and external factors on the current physiological status of an individual. Optical HR monitoring (OHR) from wrist provides a comfortable and unobtrusive method for HR/HRV monitoring and is better adhered by users than traditional ECG electrodes or chest straps. However, OHR power consumption is significantly higher than that for ECG based methods due to the measurement principle based on optical illumination of the tissue. We developed an algorithmic approach to reduce power consumption of the OHR in 24/7 HR trending. We use continuous activity monitoring and a fast converging frequency domain algorithm to derive a reliable HR estimate in 7.1s (during outdoor sports, in average) to 10.0s (during daily life). The method allows >80% reduction in power consumption in 24/7 OHR monitoring when average HR monitoring is targeted, without significant reduction in tracking accuracy.

Modeling energy expenditure in children and adolescents using quantile regression

PubMed Central

Yang, Yunwen; Adolph, Anne L.; Puyau, Maurice R.; Vohra, Firoz A.; Zakeri, Issa F.

2013-01-01

Advanced mathematical models have the potential to capture the complex metabolic and physiological processes that result in energy expenditure (EE). Study objective is to apply quantile regression (QR) to predict EE and determine quantile-dependent variation in covariate effects in nonobese and obese children. First, QR models will be developed to predict minute-by-minute awake EE at different quantile levels based on heart rate (HR) and physical activity (PA) accelerometry counts, and child characteristics of age, sex, weight, and height. Second, the QR models will be used to evaluate the covariate effects of weight, PA, and HR across the conditional EE distribution. QR and ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions are estimated in 109 children, aged 5–18 yr. QR modeling of EE outperformed OLS regression for both nonobese and obese populations. Average prediction errors for QR compared with OLS were not only smaller at the median τ = 0.5 (18.6 vs. 21.4%), but also substantially smaller at the tails of the distribution (10.2 vs. 39.2% at τ = 0.1 and 8.7 vs. 19.8% at τ = 0.9). Covariate effects of weight, PA, and HR on EE for the nonobese and obese children differed across quantiles (P < 0.05). The associations (linear and quadratic) between PA and HR with EE were stronger for the obese than nonobese population (P < 0.05). In conclusion, QR provided more accurate predictions of EE compared with conventional OLS regression, especially at the tails of the distribution, and revealed substantially different covariate effects of weight, PA, and HR on EE in nonobese and obese children. PMID:23640591

Evaluation of a single-scan protocol for radiochromic film dosimetry.

PubMed

Shimohigashi, Yoshinobu; Araki, Fujio; Maruyama, Masato; Nakaguchi, Yuji; Kuwahara, Satoshi; Nagasue, Nozomu; Kai, Yudai

2015-03-08

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a single-scan protocol using Gafchromic EBT3 film (EBT3) by comparing it with the commonly used 24-hr measurement protocol for radiochromic film dosimetry. Radiochromic film is generally scanned 24 hr after film exposure (24-hr protocol). The single-scan protocol enables measurement results within a short time using only the verification film, one calibration film, and unirradiated film. The single-scan protocol was scanned 30 min after film irradiation. The EBT3 calibration curves were obtained with the multichannel film dosimetry method. The dose verifications for each protocol were performed with the step pattern, pyramid pattern, and clinical treatment plans for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The absolute dose distributions for each protocol were compared with those calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS) using gamma evaluation at 3% and 3 mm. The dose distribution for the single-scan protocol was within 2% of the 24-hr protocol dose distribution. For the step pattern, the absolute dose discrepancies between the TPS for the single-scan and 24-hr protocols were 2.0 ± 1.8 cGy and 1.4 ± 1.2 cGy at the dose plateau, respectively. The pass rates were 96.0% for the single-scan protocol and 95.9% for the 24-hr protocol. Similarly, the dose discrepancies for the pyramid pattern were 3.6 ± 3.5cGy and 2.9 ± 3.3 cGy, respectively, while the pass rates for the pyramid pattern were 95.3% and 96.4%, respectively. The average pass rates for the four IMRT plans were 96.7% ± 1.8% for the single-scan protocol and 97.3% ± 1.4% for the 24-hr protocol. Thus, the single-scan protocol measurement is useful for dose verification of IMRT, based on its accuracy and efficiency.

Evaluation of a single‐scan protocol for radiochromic film dosimetry

PubMed Central

Araki, Fujio; Maruyama, Masato; Nakaguchi, Yuji; Kuwahara, Satoshi; Nagasue, Nozomu; Kai, Yudai

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a single‐scan protocol using Gafchromic EBT3 film (EBT3) by comparing it with the commonly used 24‐hr measurement protocol for radiochromic film dosimetry. Radiochromic film is generally scanned 24 hr after film exposure (24‐hr protocol). The single‐scan protocol enables measurement results within a short time using only the verification film, one calibration film, and unirradiated film. The single‐scan protocol was scanned 30 min after film irradiation. The EBT3 calibration curves were obtained with the multichannel film dosimetry method. The dose verifications for each protocol were performed with the step pattern, pyramid pattern, and clinical treatment plans for intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The absolute dose distributions for each protocol were compared with those calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS) using gamma evaluation at 3% and 3 mm. The dose distribution for the single‐scan protocol was within 2% of the 24‐hr protocol dose distribution. For the step pattern, the absolute dose discrepancies between the TPS for the single‐scan and 24‐hr protocols were 2.0±1.8 cGy and 1.4±1.2 cGy at the dose plateau, respectively. The pass rates were 96.0% for the single‐scan protocol and 95.9% for the 24‐hr protocol. Similarly, the dose discrepancies for the pyramid pattern were 3.6±3.5 cGy and 2.9±3.3 cGy, respectively, while the pass rates for the pyramid pattern were 95.3% and 96.4%, respectively. The average pass rates for the four IMRT plans were 96.7%±1.8% for the single‐scan protocol and 97.3%±1.4% for the 24‐hr protocol. Thus, the single‐scan protocol measurement is useful for dose verification of IMRT, based on its accuracy and efficiency. PACS number: 87.55.Qr PMID:26103194

33 CFR 156.320 - Maximum operating conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of the following conditions exist: (1) The wind velocity is 56 km/hr (30 knots) or more; or (2) The... shall be drained when— (1) The wind velocity exceeds 82 km/hr (44 knots); or (2) Wave heights exceed 5...

33 CFR 156.320 - Maximum operating conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... of the following conditions exist: (1) The wind velocity is 56 km/hr (30 knots) or more; or (2) The... shall be drained when— (1) The wind velocity exceeds 82 km/hr (44 knots); or (2) Wave heights exceed 5...

Changes in blood lactate and respiratory gas exchange measures in sports with discontinuous load profiles.

PubMed

Smekal, Gerhard; von Duvillard, Serge P; Pokan, Rochus; Tschan, Harald; Baron, Ramon; Hofmann, Peter; Wonisch, Manfred; Bachl, Norbert

2003-06-01

This study compares two different sport events (orienteering = OTC; tennis = TEC) with discontinuous load profiles and different activity/recovery patterns by means of blood lactate (LA), heart rate (HR), and respiratory gas exchange measures (RGME) determined via a portable respiratory system. During the TEC, 20 tennis-ranked male subjects [age: 26.0 (3.7) years; height: 181.0 (5.7) cm; weight: 73.2 (6.8) kg; maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2)max): 57.3 (5.1) ml.kg(-1).min(-1)] played ten matches of 50 min. During the OTC, 11 male members of the Austrian National Team [age: 23.5 (3.9) years; height: 183.6 (6.8) cm; weight: 72.4 (3.9) kg; VO(2)max: 67.9 (3.8) ml.kg(-1).min(-1)] performed a simulated OTC (six sections; average length: 10.090 m). In both studies data from the maximal treadmill tests (TT) were used as reference values for the comparison of energy expenditure of OTC and TEC. During TEC, the average VO(2) was considerably lower [29.1 (5.6) ml(.)kg(-1.)min(-1)] or 51.1 (10.9)% of VO(2)max and 64.8.0 (13.3)% of VO(2) determined at the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) on the TT. The short high-intensity periods (activity/recovery = 1/6) did not result in higher LA levels [average LA of games: 2.07 (0.9) mmol.l(-1)]. The highest average VO(2 )value for a whole game was 47.8 ml.kg(-1.)min(-1) and may provide a reference for energy demands required to sustain high-intensity periods of tennis predominantly via aerobic mechanism of energy delivery. During OTC, we found an average VO(2) of 56.4 (4.5) ml.kg(-1).min(-1) or 83.0 (3.8)% of VO(2)max and 94.6 (5.2)% of VO(2) at IAT. In contrast to TEC, LA were relatively high [5.16 (1.5) mmol.l(-1)) although the average VO(2) was significantly lower than VO(2) at IAT. Our data suggest that portable RGEM provides valuable information concerning the energy expenditure in sports that cannot be interpreted from LA or HR measures alone. Portable RGEM systems provide valuable assessment of under- or over-estimation of requirements of sports and assist in the optimization and interpretation of training in athletes.

Autonomic Arousals Related to Traffic Noise during Sleep

PubMed Central

Griefahn, Barbara; Bröde, Peter; Marks, Anke; Basner, Mathias

2008-01-01

Aim: To analyze the heart rate (HR) response to traffic noise during sleep and the influence of acoustic parameters, time of night, and momentary sleep stage on these responses. Participants: Twelve women and 12 men (19–28 years). Measurements and Results: The participants slept in the laboratory for 4 consecutive nights in each of 3 consecutive weeks and were exposed to aircraft, road, or rail traffic noise with weekly permutations. The 4 nights of each week consisted of a random sequence of a quiet night (32 dBA) and 3 nights during which aircraft, rail traffic, or road traffic noises occurred with maximum levels of 45–77 dBA. The polysomnogram and the electrocardiogram were recorded during all nights. In case of awakenings, the HR alterations consisted of monophasic elevations for >1 min, with mean maximum HR elevations of 30 bpm. Though obviously triggered by the noise events, the awakenings per se rather than the acoustical parameters determined the extent and pattern of the response. Without awakenings, HR responses were biphasic and consisted of initial accelerations with maximum HR elevations of about 9 bpm followed by decelerations below the baseline. These alterations were clearly influenced by the acoustic parameters (traffic mode, maximum level, rate of rise) as well as by the momentary sleep stage. Conclusions: Cardiac responses did not habituate to traffic noise within the night and may therefore play a key role in promoting traffic noise induced cardiovascular disease. If so, these consequences are more likely for responses accompanied by awakenings than for situations without awakenings. Citation: Griefahn B; Bröde P; Marks A; Basner M. Autonomic arousals related to traffic noise during sleep. SLEEP 2008;31(4):569-577. PMID:18457245

Study of the post-flare loops on 29 July 1973. II - Physical parameters in the X-ray loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petrasso, R. D.; Nolte, J. T.; Gerassimenko, M.; Krieger, A. S.; Krogstad, R.; Seguin, F. H.; Svestka, Z.

1979-01-01

We use the filter ratio method of analysis to determine spatially resolved values of plasma parameters in the X-ray emitting post-flare loop system which developed on 29 and 30 July 1973. We find that the loops were hotter and had higher plasma pressure at their tops than near their footpoints. The loop tops were at nearly the same temperature at different places 3 hr after the flare maximum and were also at nearly this same temperature 3 and 8 hr later. Variations in brightness transverse to the loops were due to variations in emission measure. We show by consideration of radiative losses alone that energy must have been added to the hottest part of the flare, at the tops of the loops, late in the decay phase of the flare.

Long term effects of cilostazol in a dog with sick sinus syndrome.

PubMed

Kanno, Nobuyuki; Suzuki, Tomohiro

2017-06-16

Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a type of bradyarrhythmia that can lead to syncope. Cilostazol has been reported to be an effective treatment for human patients with SSS and other bradyarrhythmias. This report describes the successful long-term treatment with cilostazol in a dog with SSS. A nine-year old intact male Miniature Schnauzer presented with a history of syncopal episodes and unsteady gait. After cilostazol treatment, the total heart rate (HR), mean HR, and frequency of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) increased, while the maximum HR and maximum pause time decreased. Additionally, the number of syncopal episodes decreased. The dog died suddenly, 1,418 days after the start of cilostazol treatment. Cilostazol may be a useful therapeutic agent in canines with SSS.

An affordable cuff-less blood pressure estimation solution.

PubMed

Jain, Monika; Kumar, Niranjan; Deb, Sujay

2016-08-01

This paper presents a cuff-less hypertension pre-screening device that non-invasively monitors the Blood Pressure (BP) and Heart Rate (HR) continuously. The proposed device simultaneously records two clinically significant and highly correlated biomedical signals, viz., Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Photoplethysmogram (PPG). The device provides a common data acquisition platform that can interface with PC/laptop, Smart phone/tablet and Raspberry-pi etc. The hardware stores and processes the recorded ECG and PPG in order to extract the real-time BP and HR using kernel regression approach. The BP and HR estimation error is measured in terms of normalized mean square error, Error Standard Deviation (ESD) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE), with respect to a clinically proven digital BP monitor (OMRON HBP1300). The computed error falls under the maximum standard allowable error mentioned by Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation; MAE <; 5 mmHg and ESD <; 8mmHg. The results are validated using two-tailed dependent sample t-test also. The proposed device is a portable low-cost home and clinic bases solution for continuous health monitoring.

Estimating cougar predation rates from GPS location clusters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, C.R.; Lindzey, F.G.

2003-01-01

We examined cougar (Puma concolor) predation from Global Positioning System (GPS) location clusters (???2 locations within 200 m on the same or consecutive nights) of 11 cougars during September-May, 1999-2001. Location success of GPS averaged 2.4-5.0 of 6 location attempts/night/cougar. We surveyed potential predation sites during summer-fall 2000 and summer 2001 to identify prey composition (n = 74; 3-388 days post predation) and record predation-site variables (n = 97; 3-270 days post predation). We developed a model to estimate probability that a cougar killed a large mammal from data collected at GPS location clusters where the probability of predation increased with number of nights (defined as locations at 2200, 0200, or 0500 hr) of cougar presence within a 200-m radius (P < 0.001). Mean estimated cougar predation rates for large mammals were 7.3 days/kill for subadult females (1-2.5 yr; n = 3, 90% CI: 6.3 to 9.9), 7.0 days/kill for adult females (n = 2, 90% CI: 5.8 to 10.8), 5.4 days/kill for family groups (females with young; n = 3, 90% CI: 4.5 to 8.4), 9.5 days/kill for a subadult male (1-2.5 yr; n = 1, 90% CI: 6.9 to 16.4), and 7.8 days/kill for adult males (n = 2, 90% CI: 6.8 to 10.7). We may have slightly overestimated cougar predation rates due to our inability to separate scavenging from predation. We detected 45 deer (Odocoileus spp.), 15 elk (Cervus elaphus), 6 pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), 2 livestock, 1 moose (Alces alces), and 6 small mammals at cougar predation sites. Comparisons between cougar sexes suggested that females selected mule deer and males selected elk (P < 0.001). Cougars averaged 3.0 nights on pronghorn carcasses, 3.4 nights on deer carcasses, and 6.0 nights on elk carcasses. Most cougar predation (81.7%) occurred between 1901-0500 hr and peaked from 2201-0200 hr (31.7%). Applying GPS technology to identify predation rates and prey selection will allow managers to efficiently estimate the ability of an area's prey base to sustain or be affected by cougar predation.

40 CFR 432.32 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... facilities must achieve the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of...

40 CFR 432.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... at any time. 4 No maximum monthly average limitation. 5 May be measured as hexane extractable... limitations: (1) All facilities must achieve the following effluent limitations for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulated parameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L...

40 CFR 432.32 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... facilities must achieve the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of...

40 CFR 432.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... at any time. 4 No maximum monthly average limitation. 5 May be measured as hexane extractable... limitations: (1) All facilities must achieve the following effluent limitations for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulated parameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L...

40 CFR 432.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... at any time. 4 No maximum monthly average limitation. 5 May be measured as hexane extractable... limitations: (1) All facilities must achieve the following effluent limitations for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulated parameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L...

40 CFR 432.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... at any time. 4 No maximum monthly average limitation. 5 May be measured as hexane extractable... limitations: (1) All facilities must achieve the following effluent limitations for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulated parameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L...

40 CFR 432.32 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... facilities must achieve the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of...

40 CFR 432.32 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... facilities must achieve the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of...

40 CFR 432.32 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane extractable material (HEM). (2) In... facilities must achieve the following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of...

40 CFR 432.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... at any time. 4 No maximum monthly average limitation. 5 May be measured as hexane extractable... limitations: (1) All facilities must achieve the following effluent limitations for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulated parameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L...

Elevated Wintertime Ozone in Utah's Uinta Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, R. S.; Moore, K. D.; Hill, S.; Harper, K.

2011-12-01

Seemingly anomalous elevated wintertime ozone (O3) levels were first observed in Wyoming's Upper Green River Basin (UGRB) in 2005 and have been recorded most in subsequent winters. While research continues, it has been hypothesized that the unacceptable levels are a unique combination of stagnant meteorology, enhanced insolation due to relatively high elevations and snow increased albedo, and abundant precursor sources owing to the region's recent rapid expansion of oil and gas exploration and production. The UGRB area has over 4,700 recorded gas/oil wells and sits mostly in rural Sublette County which has an estimated population of 7,925, an area of 12,644 km2, and a basin floor elevation around 2200 m asl, surrounded on three sides with mountains up to 4,200 km asl. Similarly, the Uinta Basin in northeastern Utah is a rural area prone to frequent low-level wintertime inversion episodes and persistent snow cover, with an expanding economy significantly based on gas and oil development and production (approximately 11,500 wells, with an estimated 17,000 more planned in the future years). The Basin lies primarily in Duchesne and Uintah Counties which have a combined population of approximately 51,200 and an area of about 19,982 km2. The floor of the Basin has a typical elevation around 1,560 m asl and is surrounded by mountains up to 4,120 m asl. Ambient measurements at four sites in the winter of 2009-2010 found many instances of ozone concentrations well above the current U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS; 75 ppb, 8-hr average, 4th highest value). To more fully characterize the behavior and geographical extent of the Uinta Basin's wintertime O3 issue, the Uintah Impact Mitigation Special Service District (UIMSSD) funded a study which included deploying 10 portable O3 monitors (2B Technologies, Inc., Model 205, Dual Beam) throughout the Basin. Furthermore, cooperative partners including the USEPA, BLM, UDAQ, NPS, and Golder Associates provided access to an additional six monitoring locations within the Basin. The sites were operated from late December 2010 through mid-March 2011. Several stagnant, inversion episodes and associated periods of Basin-wide elevated ozone were captured. The highest 1-hr O3 concentration observed was 149.0 ppb, with 12 of the total 16 sites recording 1-hr values greater than 100 ppb. Of the 16 sites, only four were found not to exceed the current NAAQS regulation. The highest 8-hr averaged concentration recorded was 139.1 ppb. However, the U.S. standards specify that an area is regulated at the 4th highest values and the maximum value under this criterion during the observed winter period was 121.6 ppb. Two sites exceeded the NAAQS 25 days over the three month observation period, while five other locations exceed the NAAQS between 18 and 22 times. The sites with the highest O3 concentrations and the greatest number of daily exceedances were generally associated with the highest density of known oil and/or gas well locations. The sites with the fewest number of exceedances were at higher elevations or geographically peripheral locations.

Very extensive nonmaternal care predicts mother-infant attachment disorganization: Convergent evidence from two samples.

PubMed

Hazen, Nancy L; Allen, Sydnye D; Christopher, Caroline Heaton; Umemura, Tomotaka; Jacobvitz, Deborah B

2015-08-01

We examined whether a maximum threshold of time spent in nonmaternal care exists, beyond which infants have an increased risk of forming a disorganized infant-mother attachment. The hours per week infants spent in nonmaternal care at 7-8 months were examined as a continuous measure and as a dichotomous threshold (over 40, 50 and 60 hr/week) to predict infant disorganization at 12-15 months. Two different samples (Austin and NICHD) were used to replicate findings and control for critical covariates: mothers' unresolved status and frightening behavior (assessed in the Austin sample, N = 125), quality of nonmaternal caregiving (assessed in the NICHD sample, N = 1,135), and family income and infant temperament (assessed in both samples). Only very extensive hours of nonmaternal care (over 60 hr/week) and mothers' frightening behavior independently predicted attachment disorganization. A polynomial logistic regression performed on the larger NICHD sample indicated that the risk of disorganized attachment exponentially increased after exceeding 60 hr/week. In addition, very extensive hours of nonmaternal care only predicted attachment disorganization after age 6 months (not prior). Findings suggest that during a sensitive period of attachment formation, infants who spend more than 60 hr/week in nonmaternal care may be at an increased risk of forming a disorganized attachment.

Experimental investigation of high power pulsed 2.8 μm Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yanlong; Wang, Yishan; Huang, Ke; Luan, Kunpeng; Chen, Hongwei; Tao, Mengmeng; Yu, Li; Yi, Aiping; Si, Jinhai

2017-05-01

We report on the recent progress on high power pulsed 2.8 μm Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser through techniques of passively and actively Q-switching in our research group. In passively Q-switched operation, a diode-cladding-pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with an average output power of watt-level based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) was demonstrated. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficient of 17.8% with respect to launched pump power. The maximum average power of 1.01 W at a repetition rate of 146.3 kHz was achieved with a corresponding pulse energy of 6.9 μJ. The maximum peak power was calculated to be 21.9 W. In actively Q-switched operation, a diode-pumped actively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser at 2.8 μm with an optical chopper was reported. The maximum laser pulse energy of up to 130 μJ and a pulse width of 127.3 ns at a repetition rate of 10 kHz with an operating wavelength of 2.78 μm was obtained, yielding the maximum peak power of exceeding 1.1 kW.

Alertness, performance and off-duty sleep on 8-hour and 12-hour night shifts in a simulated continuous operations control room setting

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

Baker, T.L.

A growing number of nuclear power plants in the United States have adopted routine 12-hr shift schedules. Because of the potential impact that extended work shifts could have on safe and efficient power plant operation, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission funded research on 8-hr and 12-hr shifts at the Human Alertness Research Center (HARC) in Boston, Massachusetts. This report describes the research undertaken: a study of simulated 8-hr and 12-hr work shifts that compares alertness, speed, and accuracy at responding to simulator alarms, and relative cognitive performance, self-rated mood and vigor, and sleep-wake patterns of 8-hr versus 12-hr shift workers.

Ventilatory baroreflex sensitivity in humans is not modulated by chemoreflex activation

PubMed Central

Rivera, Eileen; Clarke, Debbie A.; Baugham, Ila L.; Ocon, Anthony J.; Taneja, Indu; Terilli, Courtney; Medow, Marvin S.

2011-01-01

Increasing arterial blood pressure (AP) decreases ventilation, whereas decreasing AP increases ventilation in experimental animals. To determine whether a “ventilatory baroreflex” exists in humans, we studied 12 healthy subjects aged 18–26 yr. Subjects underwent baroreflex unloading and reloading using intravenous bolus sodium nitroprusside (SNP) followed by phenylephrine (“Oxford maneuver”) during the following “gas conditions:” room air, hypoxia (10% oxygen)-eucapnia, and 30% oxygen-hypercapnia to 55–60 Torr. Mean AP (MAP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), total peripheral resistance (TPR), expiratory minute ventilation (VE), respiratory rate (RR), and tidal volume were measured. After achieving a stable baseline for gas conditions, we performed the Oxford maneuver. VE increased from 8.8 ± 1.3 l/min in room air to 14.6 ± 0.8 l/min during hypoxia and to 20.1 ± 2.4 l/min during hypercapnia, primarily by increasing tidal volume. VE doubled during SNP. CO increased from 4.9 ± .3 l/min in room air to 6.1 ± .6 l/min during hypoxia and 6.4 ± .4 l/min during hypercapnia with decreased TPR. HR increased for hypoxia and hypercapnia. Sigmoidal ventilatory baroreflex curves of VE versus MAP were prepared for each subject and each gas condition. Averaged curves for a given gas condition were obtained by averaging fits over all subjects. There were no significant differences in the average fitted slopes for different gas conditions, although the operating point varied with gas conditions. We conclude that rapid baroreflex unloading during the Oxford maneuver is a potent ventilatory stimulus in healthy volunteers. Tidal volume is primarily increased. Ventilatory baroreflex sensitivity is unaffected by chemoreflex activation, although the operating point is shifted with hypoxia and hypercapnia. PMID:21317304

Electric and magnetic field exposures for people living near a 735-kilovolt power line.

PubMed Central

Levallois, P; Gauvin, D; St-Laurent, J; Gingras, S; Deadman, J E

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a 735-kV transmission line on the electric and magnetic field exposures of people living at the edge of the line's right of way. Exposure of 18 adults, mostly white-collar workers, living in different bungalows located 190-240 feet from the line (exposed subjects) was compared to that of 17 adults living in similar residences far away from any transmission line. Each subject carried a Positron meter for 24 hr during 1 workday, which measured 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields every minute. All measurements were carried out in parallel for exposed and unexposed subjects during the same weeks between September and December. During measurements the average loading on the line varied between 600 and 1100 A. The average magnetic field intensity while at home was 4.4 times higher among exposed subjects than unexposed (7.1 versus 1.6 mG, p = 0.0001) and 6.2 times higher when considering only the sleeping period (6.8 versus 1.1 mG, p = 0.0001). Based on the 24-hr measurement, average magnetic field exposure was three times higher among the exposed. Electric field intensity was also higher among the exposed while at home (26.3 versus 14.0 V/m, p = 0.03). Magnetic field intensity among the exposed was positively correlated with the loading on the line (r = 0.8, p = 0.001). Percentage of time above a magnetic field threshold (2 mG or 7.8 mG) was a good indicator to distinguish the two types of exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Images Figure 1. PMID:7498095

PHARMACOKINETICS OF SINGLE-DOSE ORALLY ADMINISTERED CIPROFLOXACIN IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS).

PubMed

Barbosa, Lorraine; Johnson, Shawn P; Papich, Mark G; Gulland, Frances

2015-06-01

Ciprofloxacin is commonly selected for clinical use due to its broad-spectrum efficacy and is a frequently administered antibiotic at The Marine Mammal Center, a marine mammal rehabilitation facility. Ciprofloxacin is used for treatment of California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ) suffering from a variety of bacterial infections at doses extrapolated from other mammalian species. However, as oral absorption is variable both within and across species, a more accurate determination of appropriate dosage is needed to ensure effective treatment and avoid emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains. A pharmacokinetic study was performed to assess plasma concentrations of ciprofloxacin in California sea lions after a single oral dose. Twenty healthy California sea lions received a single 10-mg/kg oral dose of ciprofloxacin administered in a herring fish. Blood was then collected at two of the following times from each individual: 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 18, and 24 hr postingestion. Plasma ciprofloxacin concentration was assessed via high-performance liquid chromatography. A population pharmacokinetics model demonstrated that an oral ciprofloxacin dose of 10 mg/kg achieved an area under the concentration vs. time curve of 6.01 μg hr/ml. Absorption was rapid, with ciprofloxacin detectable in plasma 0.54 hr after drug administration; absorption half-life was 0.09 hr. A maximum plasma concentration of 1.21 μg/ml was observed at 1.01 hr, with an elimination half-life of 3.09 hr. Ciprofloxacin administered orally at 10 mg/kg produced therapeutic antibacterial exposure for only some of the most susceptible bacterial organisms commonly isolated from California sea lions.

Effects of Environmental Context on Physiological Response During Team Handball Small Sided Games.

PubMed

Bělka, Jan; Hulka, Karel; Machová, Iva; Šafář, Michal; Weisser, Radim; Bellar, David M; Hoover, Donald L; Judge, Lawrence W

2017-01-01

This study examined the distance covered and physiological effects of altering the number of players during small-sided games (SSG) in team handball. Twelve professional female handball players [24.6±3.7 years, 172±6.2 cm, 68.2 ± 9.9kg, 22.7 ± 2 kg/m 2 ] participated in this study. The SSG were played, first with five on each side (SSG 5), then four (SSG 4), then three (SSG 3). Each game was four minutes long, followed by three minutes of rest. The distance covered and time spent in four speed zones (based on player movement speed) were selected for analysis: Zone 1 (0-1.4 m/s), Zone 2 (1.5-3.4 m/s), Zone 3 (3.5-5.2 m/s), and Zone 4 (>5.2 m/s). Statistically significant differences were found in Zone 2, between conditions SSG 3 and SSG 4 (p=.049,ω 2 = .32). The highest average heart rate (HR) occurred during SSG 3. Average HR between SSG 3 (89.7 % HRmax) and SSG 5 (87.8 % HRmax) (p= .04, ω2= .26) were also significantly different. Participant HR response between the speed zones was not statistically significant. HR response was negatively correlated with the number of players within the SSG condition. Statistically significant results were found for RPE between SSG 3 and the other two SSG conditions (SSG 4, p = .01, and SSG 5, p = .00). These results indicate that changing the number of SSG players can be used to manipulate the physiological response during handball training.

Effects of Environmental Context on Physiological Response During Team Handball Small Sided Games

PubMed Central

BĚLKA, JAN; HULKA, KAREL; MACHOVÁ, IVA; ŠAFÁŘ, MICHAL; WEISSER, RADIM; BELLAR, DAVID M.; HOOVER, DONALD L; JUDGE, LAWRENCE W.

2017-01-01

This study examined the distance covered and physiological effects of altering the number of players during small-sided games (SSG) in team handball. Twelve professional female handball players [24.6±3.7 years, 172±6.2 cm, 68.2 ± 9.9kg, 22.7 ± 2 kg/m2] participated in this study. The SSG were played, first with five on each side (SSG 5), then four (SSG 4), then three (SSG 3). Each game was four minutes long, followed by three minutes of rest. The distance covered and time spent in four speed zones (based on player movement speed) were selected for analysis: Zone 1 (0–1.4 m/s), Zone 2 (1.5–3.4 m/s), Zone 3 (3.5–5.2 m/s), and Zone 4 (>5.2 m/s). Statistically significant differences were found in Zone 2, between conditions SSG 3 and SSG 4 (p=.049,ω2= .32). The highest average heart rate (HR) occurred during SSG 3. Average HR between SSG 3 (89.7 % HRmax) and SSG 5 (87.8 % HRmax) (p= .04, ω2= .26) were also significantly different. Participant HR response between the speed zones was not statistically significant. HR response was negatively correlated with the number of players within the SSG condition. Statistically significant results were found for RPE between SSG 3 and the other two SSG conditions (SSG 4, p = .01, and SSG 5, p = .00). These results indicate that changing the number of SSG players can be used to manipulate the physiological response during handball training. PMID:29399252

The incidence, presentation, outcomes, risk of mortality and economic data of drug-induced liver injury from a national database in Thailand: a population-base study.

PubMed

Sobhonslidsuk, Abhasnee; Poovorawan, Kittiyod; Soonthornworasiri, Ngamphol; Pan-Ngum, Wirichada; Phaosawasdi, Kamthorn

2016-10-28

Toxic liver diseases are mainly caused by drug-induced liver injury (DILI). We assessed incidences and outcomes of DILI including associated factors for mortality. We performed a population-based study of hospitalized patients with DILI. Information was retrieved from the Nationwide Hospital Admission Data using ICD-10 code of toxic liver diseases (K71) and additional codes (T36-T65). The associated factors were analyzed with log-rank test, univariate and multiple cox regression analysis. During 2009-2013, a total of 159,061 (average 21,165 per year) admissions were related to liver diseases. 6,516 admissions (1,303 per year) were due to toxic liver diseases. The most common type of toxic liver disease was acute hepatitis (33.5 %). In-hospital and 90-day mortality rates were 3.4 % and 17.2 %. DILI with cirrhosis yielded the highest in-hospital and 90-day mortality rates (15.8 % and 47.4 %). Acetaminophen, cirrhosis and age ≥ 60 years were seen in 0.5 %, 8.3 % and 50.1 % of patients who died versus 5 %, 2.3 % and 32.4 % of survivors. Factors associated with mortality were cirrhosis (HR 2.72, 95 % CI: 2.33-3.19), age ≥60 years (HR 2.16, 95 % CI: 1.96-2.38), human immunodeficiency viral infection (HR 2.11, 95 % CI: 1.88-2.36), chronic kidney disease (HR 1.59, 95 % CI: 1.33-1.90), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis (HR 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.17-2.04), malnutrition (HR 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.10-1.86) and male (HR 1.31, 95 % CI: 1.21-1.43). Acetaminophen DILI yielded lower risks of mortality (HR 0.24, 95 % CI: 0.13-0.42). The most common causes of DILI were acetaminophen (35.0 %) and anti-tuberculous drugs (34.7 %). DILI is an uncommon indication for hospitalization carrying lower risks of death except in patients with non-acetaminophen, cirrhosis, elderly or concomitant diseases.

Understanding the effectiveness of precursor reductions in lowering 8-hr ozone concentrations--Part II. The eastern United States.

PubMed

Reynolds, Steven D; Blanchard, Charles L; Ziman, Stephen D

2004-11-01

Analyses of ozone (O3) measurements in conjunction with photochemical modeling were used to assess the feasibility of attaining the federal 8-hr O3 standard in the eastern United States. Various combinations of volatile organic compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission reductions were effective in lowering modeled peak 1-hr O3 concentrations. VOC emissions reductions alone had only a modest impact on modeled peak 8-hr O3 concentrations. Anthropogenic NOx emissions reductions of 46-86% of 1996 base case values were needed to reach the level of the 8-hr standard in some areas. As NOx emissions are reduced, O3 production efficiency increases, which accounts for the less than proportional response of calculated 8-hr O3 levels. Such increases in O3 production efficiency also were noted in previous modeling work for central California. O3 production in some urban core areas, such as New York City and Chicago, IL, was found to be VOC-limited. In these areas, moderate NOx emissions reductions may be accompanied by increases in peak 8-hr O3 levels. The findings help to explain differences in historical trends in 1- and 8-hr O3 levels and have serious implications for the feasibility of attaining the 8-hr O3 standard in several areas of the eastern United States.

Gender differences in game responses during badminton match play.

PubMed

Fernandez-Fernandez, Jaime; de la Aleja Tellez, Jose G; Moya-Ramon, Manuel; Cabello-Manrique, David; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto

2013-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate possible gender differences in match play activity pattern [rally duration, rest time between rallies, effective playing time, and strokes performed during a rally] and exercise intensity (heart rate [HR], blood lactate [La], and subjective ratings of perceived exertion [RPE]) during 9 simulated badminton matches in male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) elite junior (16.0 ± 1.4 years) players. Results showed significant differences (all p < 0.05; effect size (ES) = 0.80-1.56) between male and female players in the activity pattern of match play, with male players engaged in longer rallies (6.8 ± 4.8 vs. 5.7 ± 3.1 seconds), executing more strokes per rally (6.4 ± 4.8 vs. 4.7 ± 2.8) and resting more between rallies (10.5 ± 8.8 vs. 8.8 ± 7.2 seconds) than female players. No clear differences (all p > 0.05; ES = -0.33 to 0.08) were observed between female or male players in average HR (174 ± 7 vs. 170 ± 9 b·min(-1)), %HRmax (89.2 ± 4.0% vs. 85.9 ± 4.3%), La (2.5 ± 1.3 vs. 3.2 ± 1.8 mmol·L(-1)), and RPE values (14.2 ± 1.9 vs. 14.6 ± 1.8) during match play, although male players spent more time (moderate effect sizes) at intensities between 81 and 90% HRmax (35.3 ± 17.9 vs. 25.3 ± 13.6; p < 0.05; ES = 0.64) in the second game. There seemed to be a trend toward an increased playing intensity (i.e., higher HR, La, and RPE) from the first to the second game, highlighting the higher exercise intensity experienced during the last part of the match. The clear between-gender differences in activity patterns induced only slightly different physiological responses.

Plasma catecholamines and plasma corticosterone following restraint stress in juvenile alligators.

PubMed

Lance, V A; Elsey, R M

1999-05-01

Ten juvenile alligators, mean body mass 793 g, hatched from artificially incubated eggs and raised under controlled conditions, were held out of water with their jaws held closed for 48 hr. An initial blood sample was taken and further samples collected at 1, 2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 hr. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine were measured in plasma aliquots of 1.5 ml using high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Corticosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay. Plasma glucose was measured using the Trinder method and plasma calcium, cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured in an autoanalyzer. Epinephrine was about 4 ng/ml at the initial bleed, but declined steadily to < 0.4 ng/ml by 24 hr. Norepinephrine was also about 4 ng/ml at the initial bleed, but rose to over 8 ng/ml at 1 hr, and then declined to < 0.2 ng/ml at 24 hr. A second, but smaller increase in plasma norepinephrine was seen at 48 hr. Plasma dopamine was low at the initial bleed (< 0.7 ng/ml), rose to over 8 ng/ml at 1 hr, then declined to < 0.2 ng/ml. Plasma corticosterone rose progressively for the first 4 hr, declined at 8 hr and 24 hr, then rose again at 48 hr. Plasma glucose rose significantly by 24 hr and remained elevated for 48 hr. Plasma calcium increased at 1, 2, and 4 hr then returned to levels not significantly different from the initial sample at 24 and 48 hr. The white blood cells showed changes indicating immune system suppression. By the end of the treatment the hetorophil/lymphocyte ratio increased to 4.7. These results suggest that handling alligators, taking multiple blood samples, and keeping them restrained for more than 8 hr is a severe stress to the animals.

Distribution of lifetimes for coronal soft X-ray bright points

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, L.; Krieger, A. S.; Vaiana, G. S.

1976-01-01

The lifetime 'spectrum' of X-ray bright points (XBPs) is measured for a sample of 300 such features using soft X-ray images obtained with the S-054 X-ray spectrographic telescope aboard Skylab. 'Spectrum' here is defined as a function which gives the relative number of XBPs having a specific lifetime as a function of lifetime. The results indicate that a two-lifetime exponential can be fit to the decay curves of XBPs, that the spectrum is heavily weighted toward short lifetimes, and that the number of features lasting 20 to 30 hr or more is greater than expected. A short-lived component with an average lifetime of about 8 hr and a long-lived 1.5-day component are consistently found along with a few features lasting 50 hr or more. An examination of differences among the components shows that features lasting 2 days or less have a broad heliocentric-latitude distribution while nearly all the longer-lived features are observed within 30 deg of the solar equator.

Observations of OH(3,1) airglow emission using a Michelson interferometer at 62° S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Won, Young-In; Cho, Young-Min; Niciejewski, Rick J.; Kim, Jhoon

A Michelson interferometer was used to observe the hydroxyl (OH) emission in the upper mesosphere at the King Sejong Station (62.22° S, 301.25° E), Antarctica. The instrument was installed in February 1999 and has been in routine operation since then. An intensive operational effort has resulted in a substantial data set between April and June, 1999. A spectral analysis was performed on individual data to examine the information of dominant waves. A harmonic analysis was also carried out on the monthly average data to investigate the characteristics of the major low frequency oscillations. The 12-hr temperature oscillations exhibit a striking agreement with a theoretical tidal model, supporting the tidal (migrating) origin. The 8-hr wave is found to be persistent and dominant, reflecting its major role in the upper mesospheric dynamics at the given latitude. The 6-hr oscillation is observed only in May with its value close to the prediction for zonally symmetric tides.

Cyclical secretion of prorenin during the menstrual cycle: synchronization with luteinizing hormone and progesterone.

PubMed Central

Sealey, J E; Atlas, S A; Glorioso, N; Manapat, H; Laragh, J H

1985-01-01

Plasma prorenin, a high molecular weight precursor form of renin, (renin, EC 3.4.23.15; old number, EC 3.4.99.19), was measured three times weekly in normal young women during the menstrual cycle and was related to changes in luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and progesterone. In all subjects a stable baseline level of prorenin occurred during the follicular phase. Then, simultaneously or soon after the luteinizing hormone peak, plasma prorenin consistently increased about 2-fold. Baseline prorenin ranged from 18 to 40 ng per ml per hr, and peak prorenin ranged from 35 to 65 ng per ml per hr. The maximum increase in prorenin averaged 80%. Prorenin remained elevated during the mid-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and returned to baseline during the late-luteal phase in coordination with the decrease in progesterone. The changes in prorenin were not synchronized with changes in active renin which was significantly increased only during the mid-luteal phase. These findings suggest that prorenin may be involved in reproductive physiology. PMID:3909151

Imaging Borrelly

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soderblom, L.A.; Boice, D.C.; Britt, D.T.; Brown, R.H.; Buratti, B.J.; Kirk, R.L.; Lee, M.; Nelson, R.M.; Oberst, J.; Sandel, B.R.; Stern, S.A.; Thomas, N.; Yelle, R.V.

2004-01-01

The nucleus, coma, and dust jets of short-period Comet 19P/Borrelly were imaged from the Deep Space 1 spacecraft during its close flyby in September 2001. A prominent jet dominated the near-nucleus coma and emanated roughly normal to the long axis of nucleus from a broad central cavity. We show it to have remained fixed in position for more than 34 hr, much longer than the 26-hr rotation period. This confirms earlier suggestions that it is co-aligned with the rotation axis. From a combination of fitting the nucleus light curve from approach images and the nucleus' orientation from stereo images at encounter, we conclude that the sense of rotation is right-handed around the main jet vector. The inferred rotation pole is approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the nucleus, consistent with a simple rotational state. Lacking an existing IAU comet-specific convention but applying a convention provisionally adopted for asteroids, we label this the north pole. This places the sub-solar latitude at ???60?? N at the time of the perihelion with the north pole in constant sunlight and thus receiving maximum average insolation. ?? 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanics of competition walking.

PubMed

Cavagna, G A; Franzetti, P

1981-06-01

1. The work done at each step to lift and accelerate the centre of mass of the body has been measured in competition walkers during locomotion from 2 to 20 km/hr. 2. Three distinct phases characterize the mechanics of walking. From 2 to 6 km/hr the vertical displacement during each step, Sv, increases to a maximum (3.5 vs. 6 cm in normal walking) due to an increase in the amplitude of the rotation over the supporting leg. 3. The transfer, R, between potential energy of vertical displacement and kinetic energy of forward motion during this rotation, reaches a maximum at 4-5 km/hr (R = 65%). From 6 to 10 km/hr R decreases more steeply than in normal walking, indicating a smaller utilization of the pendulum-like mechanism characteristic of walking. 4. Above 10 km/hr potential and kinetic energies vary during each step because both are simultaneously taken up and released by the muscles with almost no transfer between them (R = 2-10%). Above 13-14 km/hr an aerial phase (25-60 msec) takes place during the step. 5. Speeds considerably greater than in normal walking are attained thanks to a greater efficiency of doing positive work. This is made possible by a mechanism of locomotion allowing an important storage and recovery of mechanical energy by the muscles.

Age-Predicted Maximal Heart Rate in Recreational Marathon Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study on Fox's and Tanaka's Equations.

PubMed

Nikolaidis, Pantelis T; Rosemann, Thomas; Knechtle, Beat

2018-01-01

Age-based prediction equations of maximal heart rate (HR max ), such as the popular formulas Fox's 220-age, or Tanaka's 208-0.7 × age, have been widely used in various populations. Surprisingly, so far these equations have not been validated in marathon runners, despite the importance of the role of HR max for training purposes in endurance running. The aim of the present study was to examine the validity of Fox and Tanaka equations in a large sample of women and men recreational marathon runners. Participants ( n = 180, age 43.2 ± 8.5 years, VO 2max 46.8 mL/min/kg, finishers in at least one marathon during the last year) performed a graded exercise test on a treadmill, where HR max was measured. Measured HR max correlated largely with age in the total sample ( r = -0.50, p < 0.001), women ( r = -0.60, p < 0.001) and men ( r = -0.53, p < 0.001). In women, a large main effect of method on HR max ( p = 0.001, η 2 = 0.294) was shown with measured HR max lower than Fox-HR max (-4.8 bpm; -8.4, -1.3) and Tanaka-HR max (-4.9 bpm; -8.1, -1.8). In men, a moderate effect of assessment method on HR max was found ( p = 0.001, η 2 = 0.066) with measured HR max higher than Fox-HR max (+2.8; 1.0, 4.6), Tanaka-HR max higher than Fox-HR max (+1.2; 0.7, 1.7). Based on these findings, it was concluded that Fox and Tanaka' formulas overestimated HR max by ~5 bpm in women, whereas Fox underestimated HR max in men by ~3 bpm. Thus, we recommend the further use of Tanaka's formula in men marathon runners. In addition, exercise physiologists and sport scientists should consider the observed differences among various assessment methods when performing exercise testing or prescribing training program relying on HR.

Active post-marketing surveillance of the intralesional administration of human recombinant epidermal growth factor in diabetic foot ulcers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background After several exploratory and confirmatory clinical trials, the intralesional administration of human recombinant epidermal growth factor (hrEGF) has been approved for the treatment of advanced diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this procedure in medical practice. Methods A prospective, post-marketing active pharmacosurveillance was conducted in 41 hospitals and 19 primary care polyclinics. Patients with DFU received hrEGF, 25 or 75 μg, intralesionally 3 times per week until complete granulation of the ulcer or 8 weeks maximum, adjuvant to standard wound care. Outcomes measured were complete granulation, amputations, and adverse events (AE) during treatment; complete lesion re-epithelization and relapses in follow-up (median: 1.2; maximum 4.2 years). Results The study included 1788 patients with 1835 DFU (81% Wagner’s grades 3 or 4; 43% ischemic) treated from May 2007 to April 2010. Complete granulation was observed in 76% of the ulcers in 5 weeks (median). Ulcer non-ischemic etiology (OR: 3.6; 95% CI: 2.8-4.7) and age (1.02; 1.01-1.03, for each younger year) were the main variables with influence on this outcome. During treatment, 220 (12%) amputations (171 major) were required in 214 patients, mostly in ischemic or Wagner’s grade 3 to 5 ulcers. Re-epithelization was documented in 61% of the 1659 followed-up cases; 5% relapsed per year. AE (4171) were reported in 47% of the subjects. Mild or moderate local pain and burning sensation, shivering and chills, were 87% of the events. Serious events, not related to treatment, occurred in 1.7% of the patients. Conclusions The favorable benefit/risk balance, confirms the beneficial clinical profile of intralesional hrEGF in the treatment of DFUs. PMID:24004460

Photochemical model evaluation of the ground-level ozone impacts on ambient air quality and vegetation health in the Alberta oil sands region: Using present and future emission scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayaraghavan, Krish; Cho, Sunny; Morris, Ralph; Spink, David; Jung, Jaegun; Pauls, Ron; Duffett, Katherine

2016-09-01

One of the potential environmental issues associated with oil sands development is increased ozone formation resulting from NOX and volatile organic compound emissions from bitumen extraction, processing and upgrading. To manage this issue in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) in northeast Alberta, a regional multi-stakeholder group, the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA), developed an Ozone Management Framework that includes a modelling based assessment component. In this paper, we describe how the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was applied to assess potential ground-level ozone formation and impacts on ambient air quality and vegetation health for three different ozone precursor cases in the AOSR. Statistical analysis methods were applied, and the CMAQ performance results met the U.S. EPA model performance goal at all sites. The modelled 4th highest daily maximum 8-h average ozone concentrations in the base and two future year scenarios did not exceed the Canada-wide standard of 65 ppb or the newer Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards of 63 ppb in 2015 and 62 ppb in 2020. Modelled maximum 1-h ozone concentrations in the study were well below the Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objective of 82 ppb in all three cases. Several ozone vegetation exposure metrics were also evaluated to investigate the potential impact of ground-level ozone on vegetation. The chronic 3-months SUM60 exposure metric is within the CEMA baseline range (0-2000 ppb-hr) everywhere in the AOSR. The AOT40 ozone exposure metric predicted by CMAQ did not exceed the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) threshold of concern of 3000 ppb-hr in any of the cases but is just below the threshold in high-end future emissions scenario. In all three emission scenarios, the CMAQ predicted W126 ozone exposure metric is within the CEMA baseline threshold of 4000 ppb-hr. This study outlines the use of photochemical modelling of the impact of an industry (oil sands) on ground-level ozone levels as an air quality management tool in the AOSR. It allows an evaluation of the relationships between the pollutants emitted to the atmosphere and potential ground level ozone concentrations throughout the AOSR thereby extending the spatial coverage of the results beyond the monitoring network and also allowing an assessment of the potential impacts of possible future emission cases.

On the Importance of Cycle Minimum in Sunspot Cycle Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.; Reichmann, Edwin J.

1996-01-01

The characteristics of the minima between sunspot cycles are found to provide important information for predicting the amplitude and timing of the following cycle. For example, the time of the occurrence of sunspot minimum sets the length of the previous cycle, which is correlated by the amplitude-period effect to the amplitude of the next cycle, with cycles of shorter (longer) than average length usually being followed by cycles of larger (smaller) than average size (true for 16 of 21 sunspot cycles). Likewise, the size of the minimum at cycle onset is correlated with the size of the cycle's maximum amplitude, with cycles of larger (smaller) than average size minima usually being associated with larger (smaller) than average size maxima (true for 16 of 22 sunspot cycles). Also, it was found that the size of the previous cycle's minimum and maximum relates to the size of the following cycle's minimum and maximum with an even-odd cycle number dependency. The latter effect suggests that cycle 23 will have a minimum and maximum amplitude probably larger than average in size (in particular, minimum smoothed sunspot number Rm = 12.3 +/- 7.5 and maximum smoothed sunspot number RM = 198.8 +/- 36.5, at the 95-percent level of confidence), further suggesting (by the Waldmeier effect) that it will have a faster than average rise to maximum (fast-rising cycles have ascent durations of about 41 +/- 7 months). Thus, if, as expected, onset for cycle 23 will be December 1996 +/- 3 months, based on smoothed sunspot number, then the length of cycle 22 will be about 123 +/- 3 months, inferring that it is a short-period cycle and that cycle 23 maximum amplitude probably will be larger than average in size (from the amplitude-period effect), having an RM of about 133 +/- 39 (based on the usual +/- 30 percent spread that has been seen between observed and predicted values), with maximum amplitude occurrence likely sometime between July 1999 and October 2000.

Pharmacokinetic Interactions between the Hormonal Emergency Contraception, Levonorgestrel (Plan B), and Efavirenz

PubMed Central

Carten, Monica L.; Kiser, Jennifer J.; Kwara, Awewura; Mawhinney, Samantha; Cu-Uvin, Susan

2012-01-01

Objectives. Compare the Plan B levonorgestrel (LNG) area under the concentration- time curve (AUC12) prior to and with efavirenz (EFV). Design. Prospective, open-label, single-arm, equivalence study. Methods. Healthy HIV-negative subjects underwent 12 hr intensive pharmacokinetic (PK) sampling following single dose LNG alone and after 14 days of EFV. Geometric means, Geometric Mean Ratios, and 90% confidence intervals (CI) are reported for PK Parameters. T-tests were utilized. Clinical parameters and liver function tests (LFTs) were assessed. Results. 24 women enrolled and 21 completed the study. With EFV, LNG AUC12 was reduced 56% (95% CI: 49%, 62%) from 42.9 to 17.8 ng∗hr/mL, and maximum concentration (Cmax⁡) was reduced 41% (95% CI: 33%, 50%) from 8.4 to 4.6 ng/mL. LNG was well tolerated with no grade 3 or 4 treatment-related toxicities. Conclusions. EFV significantly reduced LNG exposures. Higher LNG doses may be required with EFV. These results reinforce the importance of effective contraception in women taking EFV. PMID:22536010

Association of heart rate variability in taxi drivers with marked changes in particulate air pollution in Beijing in 2008.

PubMed

Wu, Shaowei; Deng, Furong; Niu, Jie; Huang, Qinsheng; Liu, Youcheng; Guo, Xinbiao

2010-01-01

Heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of cardiac autonomic function, has been -associated with particulate matter (PM) air pollution, especially in older patients and those with cardio-vascular diseases. However, the effect of PM exposure on cardiac autonomic function in young, healthy adults has received less attention. We evaluated the relationship between exposure to traffic-related PM with an aerodynamic diameter

40 CFR 432.12 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... units (CFU) per 100 mL at any time. 3 No maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane... following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.12 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... units (CFU) per 100 mL at any time. 3 No maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane... following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.12 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... units (CFU) per 100 mL at any time. 3 No maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane... following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.12 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... units (CFU) per 100 mL at any time. 3 No maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane... following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

40 CFR 432.12 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... units (CFU) per 100 mL at any time. 3 No maximum monthly average limitation. 4 May be measured as hexane... following effluent limitation for ammonia (as N): Effluent Limitations [BPT] Regulatedparameter Maximum daily 1 Maximum monthly avg. 1 Ammonia (as N) 8.0 4.0 1 mg/L (ppm). (2) In the case of process...

Efficiency and Safety: The Best Time to Valve a Plaster Cast.

PubMed

Steiner, Samuel R H; Gendi, Kirollos; Halanski, Matthew A; Noonan, Kenneth J

2018-04-18

The act of applying, univalving, and spreading a plaster cast to accommodate swelling is commonly performed; however, cast saws can cause thermal and/or abrasive injury to the patient. This study aims to identify the optimal time to valve a plaster cast so as to reduce the risk of cast-saw injury and increase spreading efficiency. Plaster casts were applied to life-sized pediatric models and were univalved at set-times of 5, 8, 12, or 25 minutes. Outcome measures included average and maximum force applied during univalving, blade-to-skin touches, cut time, force needed to spread, number of spread attempts, spread completeness, spread distance, saw blade temperature, and skin surface temperature. Casts allowed to set for ≥12 minutes had significantly fewer blade-to-skin touches compared with casts that set for <12 minutes (p < 0.001). For average and maximum saw blade force, no significant difference was observed between individual set-times. However, in a comparison of the shorter group (<12 minutes) and the longer group (≥12 minutes), the longer group had a higher average force (p = 0.009) but a lower maximum force (p = 0.036). The average temperature of the saw blade did not vary between groups. The maximum force needed to "pop," or spread, the cast was greater for the 5-minute and 8-minute set-times. Despite requiring more force to spread the cast, 0% of attempts at 5 minutes and 54% of attempts at 8 minutes were successful in completely spreading the cast, whereas 100% of attempts at 12 and 25 minutes were successful. The spread distance was greatest for the 12-minute set-time at 5.7 mm. Allowing casts to set for 12 minutes is associated with decreased blade-to-skin contact, less maximum force used with the saw blade, and a more effective spread. Adherence to the 12-minute interval could allow for fewer cast-saw injuries and more effective spreading.

An Examination of Selected Geomagnetic Indices in Relation to the Sunspot Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

2006-01-01

Previous studies have shown geomagnetic indices to be useful for providing early estimates for the size of the following sunspot cycle several years in advance. Examined this study are various precursor methods for predicting the minimum and maximum amplitude of the following sunspot cycle, these precursors based on the aa and Ap geomagnetic indices and the number of disturbed days (NDD), days when the daily Ap index equaled or exceeded 25. Also examined is the yearly peak of the daily Ap index (Apmax), the number of days when Ap greater than or equal to 100, cyclic averages of sunspot number R, aa, Ap, NDD, and the number of sudden storm commencements (NSSC), as well the cyclic sums of NDD and NSSC. The analysis yields 90-percent prediction intervals for both the minimum and maximum amplitudes for cycle 24, the next sunspot cycle. In terms of yearly averages, the best regressions give Rmin = 9.8+/-2.9 and Rmax = 153.8+/-24.7, equivalent to Rm = 8.8+/-2.8 and RM = 159+/-5.5, based on the 12-mo moving average (or smoothed monthly mean sunspot number). Hence, cycle 24 is expected to be above average in size, similar to cycles 21 and 22, producing more than 300 sudden storm commencements and more than 560 disturbed days, of which about 25 will be Ap greater than or equal to 100. On the basis of annual averages, the sunspot minimum year for cycle 24 will be either 2006 or 2007.

Seismology and geodesy of the sun: Low-frequency oscillations.

PubMed

Dicke, R H

1981-04-01

The hourly averages of the solar ellipticity measured from June 13 to Sept. 17, 1966, are analyzed for indications of solar oscillations with periods in excess of 2 hr nu < 0.5 hr(-1). Nothing significant is found for frequencies nu > 0.1 hr(-1) but for lower frequencies the power spectrum shows a very complex structure containing about 20 strong narrow peaks. The complexity is illusionary. The signal apparently consists of only two frequencies. The complexity is due to aliasing by the window function with its basic 24-hr period, with many observational days missing, and with different numbers of hourly averages for the various observational days. Both signal frequencies are apparently due to odd-degree spherical harmonic oscillations of the sun.

Performance evaluation of the whole-body PET scanner ECAT EXACT HR/sup +/ following the IEC standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, L.-E.; Zaers, J.; Ostertag, H.; Trojan, H.; Bellemann, M. E.; Brix, G.

1997-06-01

The performance parameters of the whole-body PET scanner ECAT EXACT HR/sup +/ (CTI/Siemens, Knoxville, TN) were determined following the standard proposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The tests were expanded by some measurements concerning the accuracy of the correction algorithms and the geometric fidelity of the reconstructed images. The scanner consists of 32 rings, each with 576 BGO detectors (4.05/spl times/4.39/spl times/30 mm/sup 3/), covering an axial field-of-view of 15.5 cm and a patient port of 56.2 cm. The transaxial FWHM determined by a Gaussian fit in the 2D (3D) mode is 4.5 (4.3) mm at the center. It increases to 8.9 (8.3) mm radially and to 5.8 (5.2) mm tangentially at a radial distance of r=20 cm. The average axial resolution varies between 4.9 (4.1) mm FWHM at the center and 8.8 (8.1) mm at r=20 cm. The system sensitivity for unscattered true events is 5.85 (26.4) cps/Bq/ml (measured with a 20 cm cylinder). The 50% dead-time losses were reached for a true event count rate (including scatter) of 286 (500) kcps at an activity concentration of 74 (25) kBq/ml. The system scatter fraction is 0.24 (0.35). With the exception of the 3D attenuation correction algorithm, all correction algorithms work reliably. The results reveal that the ECAT EXACT HR/sup +/ has a good and nearly isotropic spatial resolution. Due to the small detector elements, however, it has a low slice sensitivity which is a limiting factor for image quality.

Structural and Magnetic Response in Bimetallic Core/Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Nairan, Adeela; Khan, Usman; Iqbal, Munawar; Khan, Maaz; Javed, Khalid; Riaz, Saira; Naseem, Shahzad; Han, Xiufeng

2016-01-01

Bimagnetic monodisperse CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 core/shell nanoparticles have been prepared by solution evaporation route. To demonstrate preferential coating of iron oxide onto the surface of ferrite nanoparticles X-ray diffraction (XRD), High resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and Raman spectroscopy have been performed. XRD analysis using Rietveld refinement technique confirms single phase nanoparticles with average seed size of about 18 nm and thickness of shell is 3 nm, which corroborates with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Low temperature magnetic hysteresis loops showed interesting behavior. We have observed large coercivity 15.8 kOe at T = 5 K, whereas maximum saturation magnetization (125 emu/g) is attained at T = 100 K for CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 core/shell nanoparticles. Saturation magnetization decreases due to structural distortions at the surface of shell below 100 K. Zero field cooled (ZFC) and Field cooled (FC) plots show that synthesized nanoparticles are ferromagnetic till room temperature and it has been noticed that core/shell sample possess high blocking temperature than Cobalt Ferrite. Results indicate that presence of iron oxide shell significantly increases magnetic parameters as compared to the simple cobalt ferrite. PMID:28335200

Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users.

PubMed

Di Forti, Marta; Sallis, Hannah; Allegri, Fabio; Trotta, Antonella; Ferraro, Laura; Stilo, Simona A; Marconi, Arianna; La Cascia, Caterina; Reis Marques, Tiago; Pariante, Carmine; Dazzan, Paola; Mondelli, Valeria; Paparelli, Alessandra; Kolliakou, Anna; Prata, Diana; Gaughran, Fiona; David, Anthony S; Morgan, Craig; Stahl, Daniel; Khondoker, Mizanur; MacCabe, James H; Murray, Robin M

2014-11-01

Cannabis use is associated with an earlier age of onset of psychosis (AOP). However, the reasons for this remain debated. We applied a Cox proportional hazards model to 410 first-episode psychosis patients to investigate the association between gender, patterns of cannabis use, and AOP. Patients with a history of cannabis use presented with their first episode of psychosis at a younger age (mean years = 28.2, SD = 8.0; median years = 27.1) than those who never used cannabis (mean years = 31.4, SD = 9.9; median years = 30.0; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.16-1.74; P < .001). This association remained significant after controlling for gender (HR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11-1.68; P < .001). Those who had started cannabis at age 15 or younger had an earlier onset of psychosis (mean years = 27.0, SD = 6.2; median years = 26.9) than those who had started after 15 years (mean years = 29.1, SD = 8.5; median years = 27.8; HR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.06-1.84; P = .050). Importantly, subjects who had been using high-potency cannabis (skunk-type) every day had the earliest onset (mean years = 25.2, SD = 6.3; median years = 24.6) compared to never users among all the groups tested (HR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.50- 2.65; P < .0001); these daily users of high-potency cannabis had an onset an average of 6 years earlier than that of non-cannabis users. Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Daily Use, Especially of High-Potency Cannabis, Drives the Earlier Onset of Psychosis in Cannabis Users

PubMed Central

Di Forti, Marta; Sallis, Hannah; Allegri, Fabio; Trotta, Antonella; Ferraro, Laura; Stilo, Simona A.; Marconi, Arianna; La Cascia, Caterina; Reis Marques, Tiago; Pariante, Carmine; Dazzan, Paola; Mondelli, Valeria; Paparelli, Alessandra; Kolliakou, Anna; Prata, Diana; Gaughran, Fiona; David, Anthony S.; Morgan, Craig; Stahl, Daniel; Khondoker, Mizanur; MacCabe, James H.; Murray, Robin M.

2014-01-01

Cannabis use is associated with an earlier age of onset of psychosis (AOP). However, the reasons for this remain debated. Methods: We applied a Cox proportional hazards model to 410 first-episode psychosis patients to investigate the association between gender, patterns of cannabis use, and AOP. Results: Patients with a history of cannabis use presented with their first episode of psychosis at a younger age (mean years = 28.2, SD = 8.0; median years = 27.1) than those who never used cannabis (mean years = 31.4, SD = 9.9; median years = 30.0; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.16–1.74; P < .001). This association remained significant after controlling for gender (HR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11–1.68; P < .001). Those who had started cannabis at age 15 or younger had an earlier onset of psychosis (mean years = 27.0, SD = 6.2; median years = 26.9) than those who had started after 15 years (mean years = 29.1, SD = 8.5; median years = 27.8; HR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.06–1.84; P = .050). Importantly, subjects who had been using high-potency cannabis (skunk-type) every day had the earliest onset (mean years = 25.2, SD = 6.3; median years = 24.6) compared to never users among all the groups tested (HR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.50- 2.65; P < .0001); these daily users of high-potency cannabis had an onset an average of 6 years earlier than that of non-cannabis users. Conclusions: Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users. PMID:24345517

Effect of floorball training on blood lipids, body composition, muscle strength, and functional capacity of elderly men.

PubMed

Vorup, J; Pedersen, M T; Melcher, P S; Dreier, R; Bangsbo, J

2017-11-01

Floorball training consists of intense repeated exercise and may offer a motivating and social stimulating team activity in elderly individuals. However, the effect of floorball training in elderly adults on physiological adaptations important for health is not known. Thus, this study examined the effect of floorball training on blood lipids, muscle strength, body composition, and functional capacity of men aged 65-76 years. Thirty-nine recreational active men were randomized into a floorball group (FG; n = 22) or petanque group (PG; n = 17), in which training was performed 1 h twice a week for 12 weeks. In FG and PG, average heart rate (HR) during training was 80% and 57%, respectively, of maximal HR. In FG, plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides were 11% and 8% lower (P < 0.05), respectively. Insulin resistance determined by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) was reduced (P < 0.05) by 18%. HR during submaximal cycling was 5% lower (P < 0.05), and maximal voluntary contraction force was 8% higher (P < 0.05). Total and visceral fat content was lowered (P < 0.05) by 5% and 14%, respectively, HR at rest was 8% lower (P < 0.05) and performance in four different functional capacity tests were better (P < 0.05) after compared to before the training period. No changes were observed in PG. In conclusion, 12 weeks of floorball training resulted in a number of favorable effects important for health and functional capacity, suggesting that floorball training can be used as a health-promoting activity in elderly men. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Peak heart rates and sympathetic function in tetraplegic nonathletes and athletes.

PubMed

Currie, Katharine D; West, Christopher R; Hubli, Michéle; Gee, Cameron M; Krassioukov, Andrei V

2015-06-01

To examine differences in peak heart rate (HR) and measures of sympathetic function between nonathletes and athletes with chronic, motor-complete, cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Eight nonathletic men with SCI (C4-C7; age 47 ± 9 yr, with injury duration of 16 ± 9 yr) and 13 athletic men with SCI (C5-C8; age 37 ± 8 yr, with injury duration of 16 ± 6 yr) participated in the study. Measures of sympathetic function included palmar sympathetic skin responses (SSR) to median nerve stimulation, and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure responses to a passive sit-up test. Peak HR responses were assessed during a maximal exercise test. Compared to the athletic group, the nonathletic group exhibited lower peak HR (102 ± 34 vs 161 ± 20 bpm, P < 0.001) and average SSR scores (0.13 ± 0.35 vs 2.41 ± 1.97, P = 0.008), along with greater reductions in SBP and DBP in response to passive sit-up (SBP: -22 ± 10 vs -9 ± 12 mm Hg, P = 0.019; DBP: -18 ± 8 mm Hg vs -4 ± 9 mm Hg, P = 0.003). On the basis of the criteria for orthostatic hypotension (OH) (drop in SBP ≥ 20 mm Hg or DBP ≥ 10 mm Hg), 88% and 23% of nonathletes and athletes had OH. Attenuated peak HR in nonathletic individuals with tetraplegia may be secondary to impairments in sympathetic function including absent SSR and OH. Furthermore, the degree of preserved sympathetic function documented in tetraplegic athletes may suggest a predisposition to engage in high-performance sports. Collectively, our findings provide novel insight into the importance of the sympathetic nervous system for exercise performance.

MEASUREMENT OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE WHILE PLAYING EXERGAMES AT A SELF-SELECTED INTENSITY

PubMed Central

Haddock, Bryan, L.; Jarvis, Sarah; Klug, Nicholas, R; Gonzalez, Tarah; Barsaga, Bryan; Siegel, Shannon, R.; Wilkin, Linda, D.

2018-01-01

Exergames have been suggested as a possible alternative to traditional exercise in the general population. The purpose of this study was to examine the heart rate (HR) and energy expenditure (EE) of young adults playing several different exergames, while self-selecting the component of the game to play and the intensity. A total of 117 participants, 18–35 years of age, were evaluated on one of four active video games. Participants were free to choose any component of the given game to play and they played at a self-selected intensity. The average HR and EE during the individual games were compared to resting conditions and to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines. The HR and EE increased above resting conditions during each game (p<0.05). When the results of all games were combined, the HR was 125.4 ± 20.0 bpm and the average EE was 6.7 ± 2.1 kcal/min. This HR represents an average percent of heart rate reserve of 44.6 ± 14.1, high enough to be considered moderate intensity exercise. If performed for 30 minutes a day, five days per week, the average EE would be 1,005 kcals, enough to meet the ACSM recommendations for weekly EE. Therefore, at least some exergames could be a component of an exercise program. PMID:29354191

Effects of air pollution on heart rate variability: the VA normative aging study.

PubMed

Park, Sung Kyun; O'Neill, Marie S; Vokonas, Pantel S; Sparrow, David; Schwartz, Joel

2005-03-01

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of poor cardiac autonomic function, has been associated with air pollution, especially fine particulate matter [< 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)]. We examined the relationship between HRV [standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), power in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF), and LF:HF ratio] and ambient air pollutants in 497 men from the Normative Aging Study in greater Boston, Massachusetts, seen between November 2000 and October 2003. We examined 4-hr, 24-hr, and 48-hr moving averages of air pollution (PM2.5, particle number concentration, black carbon, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide). Controlling for potential confounders, HF decreased 20.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.6-34.2%] and LF:HF ratio increased 18.6% (95% CI, 4.1-35.2%) per SD (8 microg/m3) increase in 48-hr PM2.5. LF was reduced by 11.5% (95% CI, 0.4-21.3%) per SD (13 ppb) increment in 4-hr O3. The associations between HRV and PM2.5 and O3 were stronger in people with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and hypertension. The associations observed between SDNN and LF and PM2.5 were stronger in people with diabetes. People using calcium-channel blockers and beta-blockers had lower associations between O3 and PM2.5 with LF. No effect modification by other cardiac medications was found. Exposures to PM2.5 and O3 are associated with decreased HRV, and history of IHD, hypertension, and diabetes may confer susceptibility to autonomic dysfunction by air pollution.

The Association Between Sleep Duration and Hand Grip Strength in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Yilan Study, Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Hsi-Chung; Hsu, Nai-Wei; Chou, Pesus

2017-04-01

Different pathomechanisms may underlie the age-related decline in muscle mass and muscle power in older adults. This study aimed to examine the independent relationship between sleep duration and muscle power. Older adults, aged 65 years and older, were randomly selected to participate in a community-based survey in Yilan city, Taiwan. Data on self-reported sleep duration, sociodemographic information, lifestyle, chronic medical and mental health conditions, sleep-related parameters, and anthropometric measurements were collected. Participants who slept ≤4 hr, 5 hr, 6-7 hr, 8 hr, and ≥9 hr were defined as shortest, short, mid-range, long, and longest sleepers, respectively. Muscle power was estimated using hand grip strength. A total of 1081 individuals participated. Their average age was 76.3 ± 6.1 years, and 59.4% were female. After controlling for covariates, including muscle mass of the upper extremities, both long (estimated mean [95% confidence interval, CI]: 19.2 [18.2-20.2], p = .03) and longest sleepers (estimated mean [95% CI]: 17.8 [16.4-19.2], p = .001) had weaker hand grip strength than mid-range sleepers (estimated mean [95% CI]: 20.9 [20.3-21.4]). When stratified by sex, the association between longest sleep duration and weaker hand grip strength was noted among men only. Older adults with long sleep duration had weaker hand grip strength irrespective of muscle mass. This finding suggests that decreased muscle power may mediate or confound the relationship between long sleep duration and adverse health outcomes. © 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.

Effects of Air Pollution on Heart Rate Variability: The VA Normative Aging Study

PubMed Central

Park, Sung Kyun; O’Neill, Marie S.; Vokonas, Pantel S.; Sparrow, David; Schwartz, Joel

2005-01-01

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of poor cardiac autonomic function, has been associated with air pollution, especially fine particulate matter [< 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)]. We examined the relationship between HRV [standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), power in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF), and LF:HF ratio] and ambient air pollutants in 497 men from the Normative Aging Study in greater Boston, Massachusetts, seen between November 2000 and October 2003. We examined 4-hr, 24-hr, and 48-hr moving averages of air pollution (PM2.5, particle number concentration, black carbon, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide). Controlling for potential confounders, HF decreased 20.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.6–34.2%] and LF:HF ratio increased 18.6% (95% CI, 4.1–35.2%) per SD (8 μg/m3) increase in 48-hr PM2.5. LF was reduced by 11.5% (95% CI, 0.4–21.3%) per SD (13 ppb) increment in 4-hr O3. The associations between HRV and PM2.5 and O3 were stronger in people with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and hypertension. The associations observed between SDNN and LF and PM2.5 were stronger in people with diabetes. People using calcium-channel blockers and beta-blockers had lower associations between O3 and PM2.5 with LF. No effect modification by other cardiac medications was found. Exposures to PM2.5 and O3 are associated with decreased HRV, and history of IHD, hypertension, and diabetes may confer susceptibility to autonomic dysfunction by air pollution. PMID:15743719

Long term effects of cilostazol in a dog with sick sinus syndrome

PubMed Central

KANNO, Nobuyuki; SUZUKI, Tomohiro

2017-01-01

Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a type of bradyarrhythmia that can lead to syncope. Cilostazol has been reported to be an effective treatment for human patients with SSS and other bradyarrhythmias. This report describes the successful long-term treatment with cilostazol in a dog with SSS. A nine-year old intact male Miniature Schnauzer presented with a history of syncopal episodes and unsteady gait. After cilostazol treatment, the total heart rate (HR), mean HR, and frequency of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) increased, while the maximum HR and maximum pause time decreased. Additionally, the number of syncopal episodes decreased. The dog died suddenly, 1,418 days after the start of cilostazol treatment. Cilostazol may be a useful therapeutic agent in canines with SSS. PMID:28458273

Prognostic Value of SUVmax Measured by Pretreatment Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Patients with Ewing Sarcoma

PubMed Central

Hwang, Jae Pil; Lim, Ilhan; Kong, Chang-Bae; Jeon, Dae Geun; Byun, Byung Hyun; Kim, Byung Il; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo

2016-01-01

Aim The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether glucose metabolism assessed by using Fluorine-18 (F-18) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) provides prognostic information independent of established prognostic factors in patients with Ewing sarcoma. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 34 patients (men, 19; women, 15; mean age, 14.5 ± 9.7 years) with pathologically proven Ewing sarcoma. They had undergone F-18 FDG PET/CT as part of a pretreatment workup between September 2006 and April 2012. In this analysis, patients were classified by age, sex, initial location, size, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). The relationship between FDG uptake and survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test and Cox’s proportional hazards regression model. Results The median survival time for all 34 subjects was 999 days and the median SUV by using PET/CT was 5.8 (range, 2–18.1). Patients with a SUVmax ≤ 5.8 survived significantly longer than those with a SUVmax > 5.8 (median survival time, 1265 vs. 656 days; p = 0.002). Survival was also found to be significantly related to age (p = 0.024), size (p = 0.03), and initial tumor location (p = 0.036). Multivariate analysis revealed that a higher SUVmax (p = 0.003; confidence interval [CI], 3.63–508.26; hazard ratio [HR], 42.98), older age (p = 0.023; CI, 1.34–54.80; HR, 8.59), and higher stage (p = 0.03; CI, 1.21–43.95; HR, 7.3) were associated with worse overall survival. Conclusions SUVmax measured by pretreatment F-18-FDG PET/CT can predict overall survival in patients with Ewing sarcoma. PMID:27100297

Optimization of a horizontal-flow biofilm reactor for the removal of methane at low temperatures.

PubMed

Clifford, E; Kennelly, C; Walsh, R; Gerrity, S; Reilly, E O; Collins, G

2012-10-01

Three pilot-scale, horizontal-flow biofilm reactors (HFBRs 1-3) were used to treat methane (CH4)-contaminated air to assess the potential of this technology to manage emissions from agricultural activities, waste and wastewater treatment facilities, and landfills. The study was conducted over two phases (Phase 1, lasting 90 days and Phase 2, lasting 45 days). The reactors were operated at 10 degrees C (typical of ambient air and wastewater temperatures in northern Europe), and were simultaneously dosed with CH4-contaminated air and a synthetic wastewater (SWW). The influent loading rates to the reactors were 8.6 g CH4/m3/hr (4.3 g CH4/m2 TPSA/hr; where TPSA is top plan surface area). Despite the low operating temperatures, an overall average removal of 4.63 g CH4/m3/day was observed during Phase 2. The maximum removal efficiency (RE) for the trial was 88%. Potential (maximum) rates of methane oxidation were measured and indicated that biofilm samples taken from various regions in the HFBRs had mostly equal CH4 removal potential. In situ activity rates were dependent on which part of the reactor samples were obtained. The results indicate the potential of the HFBR, a simple and robust technology, to biologically treat CH4 emissions. The results of this study indicate that the HFBR technology could be effectively applied to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants and agricultural facilities at lower temperatures common to northern Europe. This could reduce the carbon footprint of waste treatment and agricultural livestock facilities. Activity tests indicate that methanotrophic communities can be supported at these temperatures. Furthermore, these data can lead to improved reactor design and optimization by allowing conditions to be engineered to allow for improved removal rates, particularly at lower temperatures. The technology is simple to construct and operate, and with some optimization of the liquid phase to improve mass transfer, the HFBR represents a viable, cost-effective solution for these emissions.

Physiological responses to fire fighting activities.

PubMed

Romet, T T; Frim, J

1987-01-01

Eight professional fire fighters participated in six fire fighting scenarios at a training facility. Data on heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (Tre), and skin temperatures at the chest and thigh were collected using a portable data acquisition system. Average HR ranged from 122 to 151 beats.min-1 during the six scenarios. Detailed analyses indicated that HR and Tre increases are related to both the physical and environmental stresses of the various activities carried out. The most demanding activity, that of building search and victim rescue, resulted in an average HR of 153 beats.min-1 and Tre rise of 1.3 degree C, while the least demanding activity, that of the crew captain who directs the fire fighting, resulted in an average HR of only 122 beats.min-1 and a Tre rise of only 0.3 degree C. This study shows that fire fighting is strenuous work for those directly entering a building and performing related duties, but that the physical demands of other activities are considerably less. The results further suggest that heat strain injuries in fire fighters could perhaps be reduced by rotating duties frequently with other crew members performing less stressful work.

Demography and health of “village dogs” in rural Western Uganda

PubMed Central

Hyeroba, David; Friant, Sagan; Acon, Johnson; Okwee-Acai, James; Goldberg, Tony L.

2017-01-01

“Village dogs” in developing economies are assumed to be heavily burdened by infectious disease. We followed a cohort of 61 village dogs in rural western Uganda prospectively for fifteen months to measure changes in health and demographic outcomes, and to examine risk factors for morbidity and mortality. The mean (± standard deviation) number of dogs per household was 2.4 (± 2.0), of which 56.0% were male and 44.0% female. For females, average age at first estrus was 1.7 (± 0.6) years with a mean litter size of 3.8 (± 1.5). In the first, second and third parities, average puppy mortality per litter was 3.2 (± 2.5), 2.4 (± 2.1) and 3.4 (± 2.9), respectively. The main causes of morbidity and mortality were infectious disease (46.1%), culling (euthanasia) by owners (30.8%), and attacks by baboons, Papio anubis (23.1%). Cox proportional hazard regression showed that a clinical diagnosis of anemia significantly predicted morbidity (HR = 4.3 (95% CI: 1.1–17.8); p < 0.05), and younger age significantly predicted mortality (HR = 3.6 (95% CI: 1.2–10.6); p < 0.05). Our results indicate that infectious disease is indeed important to the health and survival in village dogs in this setting, but that cultural practices related to ownership and interactions with wildlife also contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality. PMID:28107877

Changes in cardiac contractility during graded exercise are greater in subjects with smaller body mass index, and greater in men than women: analyses using wave intensity and force-frequency relations.

PubMed

Tanaka, Midori; Sugawara, Motoaki; Niki, Kiyomi; Ogasawara, Yasuo

2018-06-15

Estimation of the contractility of the left ventricle during exercise is an important part of the rehabilitation protocol. It is known that cardiac contractility increases with an increase in heart rate. This phenomenon is called the force-frequency relation (FFR). Using wave intensity, we aimed to evaluate FFR noninvasively during graded exercise. We enrolled 83 healthy subjects. Using ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, we measured wave intensity (WD), which was defined in terms of blood velocity and arterial diameter, in the carotid artery and heart rate (HR) before and during bicycle ergometer exercise. FFRs were constructed by plotting the maximum value of WD (WD 1 ) against HR. We analyzed the variation among FFR responses of individual subjects. WD 1 increased linearly with an increase in HR during exercise. The average slope of the FFR was 1.0 ± 0.5 m/s 3  bpm. The slope of FFR decreased with an increase in body mass index (BMI). The slopes of FFRs were steeper in men than women, although there were no differences in BMI between men and women. The FFR was obtained noninvasively by carotid arterial wave intensity (WD 1 ) and graded exercise. The slope of the FFR decreased with an increase in BMI, and was steeper in men than women.

Combined evaluation of the FAS cell surface death receptor and CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer

PubMed Central

Blok, Erik J.; van den Bulk, Jitske; Dekker-Ensink, N. Geeske; Derr, Remco; Kanters, Corné; Bastiaannet, Esther; Kroep, Judith R.; van de Velde, Cornelis J.H.; Kuppen, Peter J.K.

2017-01-01

Multiple studies showed the prognostic capacities of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but not in other subtypes. We evaluated tumor expression of FAS, a key receptor in T-cell mediated apoptosis, as possible explanation for this differential prognostic value of TILs. Furthermore, we evaluated the prognostic relevance of FAS, both as an independent biomarker and in relation to CD8-positive T-cell presence. The study cohort consisted of 667 breast cancer patients treated in the LUMC between 1997 and 2009. FAS expression was determined using immunohistochemistry and the percentage of FAS-positive tumor cells was quantified. Furthermore, the number of CD8-positive infiltrating cells was determined, and its prognostic relevance was associated to FAS-expression using stratified survival analysis. In TNBC, FAS was averagely expressed in 49% of tumor cells, whereas ER-positive subtypes showed an average Fas expression of 16-20%. In the entire cohort, FAS was identified as significant prognostic marker for recurrence (adjusted HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.36-0.77) and borderline significant marker for overall survival (adjusted HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-1.01). Upon stratification for FAS-expression, CD8+ TILs were only prognostic at high levels (above median) of FAS expression in ER-negative disease. In summary, FAS was identified as an independent prognostic marker for recurrence free survival in breast cancer, with large variation in expression by receptor subtypes. Interestingly, the prognostic effect of CD8+ TILs in ER-negative disease was only valid for tumors with a high FAS expression. PMID:28121628

Combined evaluation of the FAS cell surface death receptor and CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer.

PubMed

Blok, Erik J; van den Bulk, Jitske; Dekker-Ensink, N Geeske; Derr, Remco; Kanters, Corné; Bastiaannet, Esther; Kroep, Judith R; van de Velde, Cornelis J H; Kuppen, Peter J K

2017-02-28

Multiple studies showed the prognostic capacities of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but not in other subtypes. We evaluated tumor expression of FAS, a key receptor in T-cell mediated apoptosis, as possible explanation for this differential prognostic value of TILs. Furthermore, we evaluated the prognostic relevance of FAS, both as an independent biomarker and in relation to CD8-positive T-cell presence. The study cohort consisted of 667 breast cancer patients treated in the LUMC between 1997 and 2009. FAS expression was determined using immunohistochemistry and the percentage of FAS-positive tumor cells was quantified. Furthermore, the number of CD8-positive infiltrating cells was determined, and its prognostic relevance was associated to FAS-expression using stratified survival analysis. In TNBC, FAS was averagely expressed in 49% of tumor cells, whereas ER-positive subtypes showed an average Fas expression of 16-20%. In the entire cohort, FAS was identified as significant prognostic marker for recurrence (adjusted HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.36-0.77) and borderline significant marker for overall survival (adjusted HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-1.01). Upon stratification for FAS-expression, CD8+ TILs were only prognostic at high levels (above median) of FAS expression in ER-negative disease. In summary, FAS was identified as an independent prognostic marker for recurrence free survival in breast cancer, with large variation in expression by receptor subtypes. Interestingly, the prognostic effect of CD8+ TILs in ER-negative disease was only valid for tumors with a high FAS expression.

Real-time heart rate measurement for multi-people using compressive tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lingling; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Ming; Kong, Lingqin; Dong, Liquan; Ma, Feilong; Pang, Zongguang; Cai, Zhi; Zhang, Yachu; Hua, Peng; Yuan, Ruifeng

2017-09-01

The rise of aging population has created a demand for inexpensive, unobtrusive, automated health care solutions. Image PhotoPlethysmoGraphy(IPPG) aids in the development of these solutions by allowing for the extraction of physiological signals from video data. However, the main deficiencies of the recent IPPG methods are non-automated, non-real-time and susceptible to motion artifacts(MA). In this paper, a real-time heart rate(HR) detection method for multiple subjects simultaneously was proposed and realized using the open computer vision(openCV) library, which consists of getting multiple subjects' facial video automatically through a Webcam, detecting the region of interest (ROI) in the video, reducing the false detection rate by our improved Adaboost algorithm, reducing the MA by our improved compress tracking(CT) algorithm, wavelet noise-suppression algorithm for denoising and multi-threads for higher detection speed. For comparison, HR was measured simultaneously using a medical pulse oximetry device for every subject during all sessions. Experimental results on a data set of 30 subjects show that the max average absolute error of heart rate estimation is less than 8 beats per minute (BPM), and the processing speed of every frame has almost reached real-time: the experiments with video recordings of ten subjects under the condition of the pixel resolution of 600× 800 pixels show that the average HR detection time of 10 subjects was about 17 frames per second (fps).

Cardiovascular Events in a Physical Activity Intervention Compared With a Successful Aging Intervention: The LIFE Study Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Newman, Anne B; Dodson, John A; Church, Timothy S; Buford, Thomas W; Fielding, Roger A; Kritchevsky, Stephen; Beavers, Daniel; Pahor, Marco; Stafford, Randall S; Szady, Anita D; Ambrosius, Walter T; McDermott, Mary M

2016-08-01

Whether sustained physical activity prevents cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in older adults is uncertain. To test the hypothesis that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality would be reduced in participants in a long-term physical activity program. The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study was a multicenter, randomized trial. Participants were recruited at 8 centers in the United States. We randomized 1635 sedentary men and women aged 70 to 89 years with a Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score of 9 or less but able to walk 400 m. The physcial activity (PA) intervention was a structured moderate-intensity program, predominantly walking 2 times per week on site for 2.6 years on average. The successful aging intervention consisted of weekly health education sessions for 6 months, then monthly. Total CVD events, including fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and peripheral artery disease, were adjudicated by committee, and silent myocardial infarction was assessed by serial electrocardiograms. A limited outcome of myocardial infarction, stroke, and CVD death was also studied. Outcome assessors and adjudicators were blinded to intervention assignment. The 1635 LIFE study participants were predominantly women (67%), with a mean (SD) age of 78.7 (5.2) years; 20% were African-American, 6% were Hispanic or other race or ethnic group, and 74% were non-Latino white. New CVD events occurred in 121 of 818 PA participants (14.8%) and 113 of 817 successful aging participants (13.8%) (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.85-1.42). For the more focused combined outcome of myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death, rates were 4.6% in PA and 4.5% in the successful aging group (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.67-1.66). Among frailer participants with an SPPB score less than 8, total CVD rates were 14.2% in PA vs 17.7% in successful aging (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.52-1.10), compared with 15.3% vs 10.5% among those with an SPPB score of 8 or 9 (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.09-2.30) (P for interaction = .006). With the limited end point, the interaction was not significant (P = .59), with an HR of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.50-1.75) for an SPPB score less than 8 and an HR of 1.20 (95% CI, 0.62-2.34) for an SBBP score of 8 or 9. Among participants in the LIFE Study, an aerobically based, moderately intensive PA program was not associated with reduced cardiovascular events in spite of the intervention's previously documented ability to prevent mobility disability. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00116194.

Acceleration of high resolution temperature based optimization for hyperthermia treatment planning using element grouping.

PubMed

Kok, H P; de Greef, M; Bel, A; Crezee, J

2009-08-01

In regional hyperthermia, optimization is useful to obtain adequate applicator settings. A speed-up of the previously published method for high resolution temperature based optimization is proposed. Element grouping as described in literature uses selected voxel sets instead of single voxels to reduce computation time. Elements which achieve their maximum heating potential for approximately the same phase/amplitude setting are grouped. To form groups, eigenvalues and eigenvectors of precomputed temperature matrices are used. At high resolution temperature matrices are unknown and temperatures are estimated using low resolution (1 cm) computations and the high resolution (2 mm) temperature distribution computed for low resolution optimized settings using zooming. This technique can be applied to estimate an upper bound for high resolution eigenvalues. The heating potential of elements was estimated using these upper bounds. Correlations between elements were estimated with low resolution eigenvalues and eigenvectors, since high resolution eigenvectors remain unknown. Four different grouping criteria were applied. Constraints were set to the average group temperatures. Element grouping was applied for five patients and optimal settings for the AMC-8 system were determined. Without element grouping the average computation times for five and ten runs were 7.1 and 14.4 h, respectively. Strict grouping criteria were necessary to prevent an unacceptable exceeding of the normal tissue constraints (up to approximately 2 degrees C), caused by constraining average instead of maximum temperatures. When strict criteria were applied, speed-up factors of 1.8-2.1 and 2.6-3.5 were achieved for five and ten runs, respectively, depending on the grouping criteria. When many runs are performed, the speed-up factor will converge to 4.3-8.5, which is the average reduction factor of the constraints and depends on the grouping criteria. Tumor temperatures were comparable. Maximum exceeding of the constraint in a hot spot was 0.24-0.34 degree C; average maximum exceeding over all five patients was 0.09-0.21 degree C, which is acceptable. High resolution temperature based optimization using element grouping can achieve a speed-up factor of 4-8, without large deviations from the conventional method.

Severe hyperkalemia can be detected immediately by quantitative electrocardiography and clinical history in patients with symptomatic or extreme bradycardia: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chon, Sung-Bin; Kwak, Young Ho; Hwang, Seung-Sik; Oh, Won Sup; Bae, Jun-Ho

2013-12-01

Detecting severe hyperkalemia is challenging. We explored its prevalence in symptomatic or extreme bradycardia and devised a diagnostic rule. This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients with symptomatic (heart rate [HR] ≤ 50/min with dyspnea, chest pain, altered mentality, dizziness/syncope/presyncope, general weakness, oliguria, or shock) or extreme (HR ≤ 40/min) bradycardia at an emergency department for 46 months. Risk factors for severe hyperkalemia were chosen by multiple logistic regression analysis from history (sex, age, comorbidities, and medications), vital signs, and electrocardiography (ECG; maximum precordial T-wave amplitude, PR, and QRS intervals). The derived diagnostic index was validated using bootstrapping method. Among the 169 participants enrolled, 87 (51.5%) were female. The mean (SD) age was 71.2 (12.5) years. Thirty-six (21.3%) had severe hyperkalemia. The diagnostic summed "maximum precordial T ≥ 8.5 mV (2)," "atrial fibrillation/junctional bradycardia (1)," "HR ≤ 42/min (1)," "diltiazem medication (2)," and "diabetes mellitus (1)." The C-statistics were 0.86 (0.80-0.93) and were validated. For scores of 4 or higher, sensitivity was 0.50, specificity was 0.92, and positive likelihood ratio was 6.02. The "ECG-only index," which sums the 3 ECG findings, had a sensitivity of 0.50, specificity of 0.90, and likelihood ratio (+) of 5.10 for scores of 3 or higher. Severe hyperkalemia is prevalent in symptomatic or extreme bradycardia and detectable by quantitative electrocardiographic parameters and history. © 2013.

Systemic hypotensive effects of testosterone are androgen structure-specific and neuronal nitric oxide synthase-dependent

PubMed Central

Perusquía, Mercedes; Greenway, Clayton D.; Perkins, Lisa M.

2015-01-01

Testosterone (TES) and other androgens exert a direct vasorelaxing action on the vasculature in vitro that is structurally specific and independent of cytosolic androgen receptor (AR). The effects of intravenous androgen infusions on mean arterial blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were determined in conscious, unrestrained, chronically catheterized, ganglionically blocked (hexamethonium, HEX; 30 mg/kg ip) male Sprague-Dawley (SD) and testicular-feminized male (Tfm; AR-deficient) rats, 16–20 wk of age. BP and HR were recorded at baseline and with increasing doses of androgens (0.375–6.00 μmol·kg−1·min−1 iv; 10 min/dose). Data are expressed as means ± SE (n = 5–8 rats/group). In SD rats, baseline BP and HR averaged 103 ± 4 mmHg and 353 ± 12 beats/min (bpm). TES produced a dose-dependent reduction in BP to a low of 87 ± 4 mmHg (Δ16%), while HR was unchanged (354 ± 14 bpm). Neither BP (109 ± 3 mmHg) nor HR (395 ± 13 bpm) were altered by vehicle (10% EtOH in 0.9% saline; 0.15 ml·kg−1·min−1, iv). In Tfm, TES produced a similar reduction in BP (99 ± 3 to 86 ± 3 mmHg, Δ13%); HR was unchanged (369 ± 18 bpm). In SD, 5β-dihydrotestosterone (genomically inactive metabolite) produced a greater reduction in BP than TES (102 ± 2 to 79 ± 2 mmHg, Δ23%); HR was unchanged (361 ± 9). A 20-μg iv bolus of sodium nitroprusside in both SD and Tfm rats reduced BP 30–40 mmHg, while HR was unchanged, confirming blockade by HEX. Pretreatment of SD rats with neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor (S-methyl-thiocitrulline, SMTC; 20 μg·kg−1·min−1 × 30 min) abolished the hypotensive effects of TES infusion on BP (104 ± 2 vs. 101 ± 2 mmHg) and HR (326 ± 11 vs. 324 ± 8 bpm). These data suggest the systemic hypotensive effect of TES and other androgens involves a direct vasodilatory action on the peripheral vasculature which, like the effect observed in isolated arteries, is structurally specific and AR-independent, and involves activation of nNOS. PMID:25947172

Intravenous lipid emulsion alters the hemodynamic response to epinephrine in a rat model.

PubMed

Carreiro, Stephanie; Blum, Jared; Jay, Gregory; Hack, Jason B

2013-09-01

Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) is an adjunctive antidote used in selected critically ill poisoned patients. These patients may also require administration of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) drugs. Limited data is available to describe interactions of ILE with standard ACLS drugs, specifically epinephrine. Twenty rats with intra-arterial and intravenous access were sedated with isoflurane and split into ILE or normal saline (NS) pretreatment groups. All received epinephrine 15 μm/kg intravenously (IV). Continuous mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored until both indices returned to baseline. Standardized t tests were used to compare peak MAP, time to peak MAP, maximum change in HR, time to maximum change in HR, and time to return to baseline MAP/HR. There was a significant difference (p = 0.023) in time to peak MAP in the ILE group (54 s, 95 % CI 44-64) versus the NS group (40 s, 95 % CI 32-48) and a significant difference (p = 0.004) in time to return to baseline MAP in ILE group (171 s, 95 % CI 148-194) versus NS group (130 s, 95 % CI 113-147). There were no significant differences in the peak change in MAP, peak change in HR, time to minimum HR, or time to return to baseline HR between groups. ILE-pretreated rats had a significant difference in MAP response to epinephrine; ILE delayed the peak effect and prolonged the duration of effect of epinephrine on MAP, but did not alter the peak increase in MAP or the HR response.

With long hours of work, might depression then lurk? A nationwide prospective follow-up study among Danish senior medical consultants.

PubMed

Varma, Anshu; Marott, Jacob Louis; Stoltenberg, Christian Ditlev Gabriel; Wieclaw, Joanna; Kolstad, Henrik Albert; Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine depression as a potential negative health effect of long work hours, anticipating an exposure-response relationship. A nationwide prospective cohort study of 2790 Danish senior medical consultants was conducted (61.7% response rate). With the consent of Danish Data Protection Agency, data from a questionnaire survey was linked with data from a Medical Products Agency Register. Long work hours were defined based on a self-reported average of weekly work hours >40, while redemption of anti-depressive (AD) drug prescriptions defined depression. Proportional hazards Cox regression analyses were conducted adjusting for gender, age, marital status, medical specialty, decision authority at work, work social support, quantitative work demands, and AD drugs prescribed before baseline. Long weekly work hours did not increase the risk of redeeming AD drug prescriptions at all times during follow-up compared to the reference of 37-40 work hours [41-44 hours: hazard ratio (HR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.5-1.8; 45-49 hours: HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.4-1.8; 50-54 hours: HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.3-2.1; 55-59 hours: HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.2-2.9; ≥ 60 hours: HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.1-3.7]. The same result emerged when work hours was applied in a continuous form (from 25-36 hours to 37-40 hours to 41-44 hours and so on) (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.76-1.13) and when robust analyses were conducted (data not shown). This study does not support the anticipation that long work hours increase the risk of depression. If anything, long work hours vaguely appear to decrease the risk of redeeming AD drug prescriptions.

RBF kernel based support vector regression to estimate the blood volume and heart rate responses during hemodialysis.

PubMed

Javed, Faizan; Chan, Gregory S H; Savkin, Andrey V; Middleton, Paul M; Malouf, Philip; Steel, Elizabeth; Mackie, James; Lovell, Nigel H

2009-01-01

This paper uses non-linear support vector regression (SVR) to model the blood volume and heart rate (HR) responses in 9 hemodynamically stable kidney failure patients during hemodialysis. Using radial bias function (RBF) kernels the non-parametric models of relative blood volume (RBV) change with time as well as percentage change in HR with respect to RBV were obtained. The e-insensitivity based loss function was used for SVR modeling. Selection of the design parameters which includes capacity (C), insensitivity region (e) and the RBF kernel parameter (sigma) was made based on a grid search approach and the selected models were cross-validated using the average mean square error (AMSE) calculated from testing data based on a k-fold cross-validation technique. Linear regression was also applied to fit the curves and the AMSE was calculated for comparison with SVR. For the model based on RBV with time, SVR gave a lower AMSE for both training (AMSE=1.5) as well as testing data (AMSE=1.4) compared to linear regression (AMSE=1.8 and 1.5). SVR also provided a better fit for HR with RBV for both training as well as testing data (AMSE=15.8 and 16.4) compared to linear regression (AMSE=25.2 and 20.1).

Echocolor Doppler morpho-functional study of the jugulo-subclavian confluence in chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis patients.

PubMed

Mandolesi, Sandro; d'Alessandro, Aldo; Desogus, Antonello Ignazio; Ciccone, Marco Matteo; Zito, Annapaola; Stammegna, Immacolata; Niglio, Tarcisio; Orsini, Augusto; Mandolesi, Dimitri; d'Alessandro, Alessandro; Revelli, Luca

2017-01-01

The aim of this work is to measure the mean diameter of the confluence jugulo- subclavian, the impact of different types of jugular confluences and the correlation between the types of confluences and the Valsalva maneuver (jugular reflux) in subjects with Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) and Multiple Sclerosis. We investigated by Echo-Color-Doppler (ECD) 103 subjects (67 F 36M) of mean age 45 ± 12 years (a minimum of 22 to a maximum of 79 years, with a median of 44 and a modal value 42 years), mean EDSS of 4.7 and average disease duration of 12 years. The 103 right jugular veins investigated had an average diameter of 8.4 ± 2.4 mm (minimum 4.0, maximum 14.9 mm; median 7.9; modal value 7.6 mm). Three form types were found: 56 cylindrical, 29 conical and 18 funnel. Valsalva maneuver was positive in 30 patients. The 103 left jugular investigated had an average diameter of 8.9 ± 2.4 mm (minimum 2.8, maximum 14.4 mm; median of 8.8; modal value 8.7 mm). The form types were found: 42 cylindrical, 45 conical and 16 funnel. Valsalva maneuver was positive in 30 patients. The mean diameter of the jugular veins was 8.7 mm. Internal jugular veins with cylindrical morphology have a diameter smaller than other forms; this difference is statistically significant. The different morphology of the jugular vein confluence does not increase the possibility of a reflux because the positive Valsalva maneuvers are not statistically significant when compared to the various types. CCSVI, EchoColorDoppler Map, Jugulo-Subclavian Confluence Diameter.

Health benefits from large-scale ozone reduction in the United States.

PubMed

Berman, Jesse D; Fann, Neal; Hollingsworth, John W; Pinkerton, Kent E; Rom, William N; Szema, Anthony M; Breysse, Patrick N; White, Ronald H; Curriero, Frank C

2012-10-01

Exposure to ozone has been associated with adverse health effects, including premature mortality and cardiopulmonary and respiratory morbidity. In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the primary (health-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone to 75 ppb, expressed as the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hr average over a 24-hr period. Based on recent monitoring data, U.S. ozone levels still exceed this standard in numerous locations, resulting in avoidable adverse health consequences. We sought to quantify the potential human health benefits from achieving the current primary NAAQS standard of 75 ppb and two alternative standard levels, 70 and 60 ppb, which represent the range recommended by the U.S. EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). We applied health impact assessment methodology to estimate numbers of deaths and other adverse health outcomes that would have been avoided during 2005, 2006, and 2007 if the current (or lower) NAAQS ozone standards had been met. Estimated reductions in ozone concentrations were interpolated according to geographic area and year, and concentration-response functions were obtained or derived from the epidemiological literature. We estimated that annual numbers of avoided ozone-related premature deaths would have ranged from 1,410 to 2,480 at 75 ppb to 2,450 to 4,130 at 70 ppb, and 5,210 to 7,990 at 60 ppb. Acute respiratory symptoms would have been reduced by 3 million cases and school-loss days by 1 million cases annually if the current 75-ppb standard had been attained. Substantially greater health benefits would have resulted if the CASAC-recommended range of standards (70-60 ppb) had been met. Attaining a more stringent primary ozone standard would significantly reduce ozone-related premature mortality and morbidity.

Health Benefits from Large-Scale Ozone Reduction in the United States

PubMed Central

Berman, Jesse D.; Fann, Neal; Hollingsworth, John W.; Pinkerton, Kent E.; Rom, William N.; Szema, Anthony M.; Breysse, Patrick N.; White, Ronald H.

2012-01-01

Background: Exposure to ozone has been associated with adverse health effects, including premature mortality and cardiopulmonary and respiratory morbidity. In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the primary (health-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone to 75 ppb, expressed as the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hr average over a 24-hr period. Based on recent monitoring data, U.S. ozone levels still exceed this standard in numerous locations, resulting in avoidable adverse health consequences. Objectives: We sought to quantify the potential human health benefits from achieving the current primary NAAQS standard of 75 ppb and two alternative standard levels, 70 and 60 ppb, which represent the range recommended by the U.S. EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). Methods: We applied health impact assessment methodology to estimate numbers of deaths and other adverse health outcomes that would have been avoided during 2005, 2006, and 2007 if the current (or lower) NAAQS ozone standards had been met. Estimated reductions in ozone concentrations were interpolated according to geographic area and year, and concentration–response functions were obtained or derived from the epidemiological literature. Results: We estimated that annual numbers of avoided ozone-related premature deaths would have ranged from 1,410 to 2,480 at 75 ppb to 2,450 to 4,130 at 70 ppb, and 5,210 to 7,990 at 60 ppb. Acute respiratory symptoms would have been reduced by 3 million cases and school-loss days by 1 million cases annually if the current 75-ppb standard had been attained. Substantially greater health benefits would have resulted if the CASAC-recommended range of standards (70–60 ppb) had been met. Conclusions: Attaining a more stringent primary ozone standard would significantly reduce ozone-related premature mortality and morbidity. PMID:22809899

Socioeconomic Status Associated With Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion in Japan: NIPPON DATA2010.

PubMed

Miyagawa, Naoko; Okuda, Nagako; Nakagawa, Hideaki; Takezaki, Toshiro; Nishi, Nobuo; Takashima, Naoyuki; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Kadota, Aya; Okamura, Tomonori; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Okayama, Akira; Miura, Katsuyuki

2018-01-01

Although socioeconomic status (SES) may affect food and nutrient intakes, few studies have reported on sodium (Na) and potassium (K) intakes among individuals with various SESs in Japan. We investigated associations of SES with Na and K intake levels using urinary specimens in a representative Japanese population. This was a cross-sectional study of 2,560 men and women (the NIPPON DATA2010 cohort) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey Japan in 2010. Casual urine was used to calculate estimated excretion in 24-hour urinary Na (E24hr-Na) and K (E24hr-K). The urinary sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio was calculated from casual urinary electrolyte values. An analysis of covariance was performed to investigate associations of aspects of SES, including equivalent household expenditure (EHE), educational attainment, and job category, with E24hr-Na, E24hr-K, and the Na/K ratio for men and women separately. A stratified analysis was performed on educational attainment and the job category for younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) participants. In men and women, average E24hr-Na was 176.2 mmol/day and 172.3, average E24hr-K was 42.5 and 41.3, and the average Na/K ratio was 3.61 and 3.68, respectively. Lower EHE was associated with a higher Na/K ratio in women and lower E24hr-K in men and women. A shorter education was associated with a higher Na/K ratio in women and younger men, and lower E24hr-K in older men and women. Lower EHE and a shorter education were associated with a lower K intake and higher Na/K ratio estimated from casual urine specimens in Japanese men and women.

Evaluation of Metabolic Stress between Jumping at Different Cadences on the Digi-Jump Machine

PubMed Central

LYONS, THOMAS S.; NAVALTA, JAMES W.; CALLAHAN, ZACHARY J.

2010-01-01

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that healthy adults achieve a minimum of thirty minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise five days per week. While cycling, walking, and jogging are commonly observed methods of achieving these recommendations, another option may be repetitive jumping. The purpose of this study was to examine the metabolic responses between repetitive jumping at a cadence of 120 jumps per minute (JPMs) vs. 100 JPMs when utilizing the Digi-Jump machine. Twenty-eight subjects completed two jumping trials, one at 120 JPMs and one at 100 JPMs. Subjects jumped until volitional exhaustion, or for a maximum of fifteen minutes. Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were assessed each minute of each exercise trial. RPE was differentiated, in that subjects reported perceived exertion of their total body, their upper-leg, and their lower leg. Results of this study indicated that there was no significant difference between the two trials for VO2, HR, or total body RPE. Differences were reported between trials for peak and average RER, with the 120 JPM trial eliciting a lower RER for both (peak: 1.08 ± .087 vs. 1.17 ± .1 p=.000; average: .99 ± .076 vs. 1.04 ± .098 p=.002), peak upper leg RPE (120: 15.29 ± 3.89 vs. 100: 16.75 ± 2.52 p=.022), and average lower leg RPE (120: 15.04 ± 2.55 vs. 100: 13.94 ± 2.02 p=.019). Also, there was a significant difference in exercise duration between the trials, with subjects able to exercise longer during the 120 JPM trial (12.4 ± 3.42 mins vs. 9.68 ± 4.31 mins p=.000). These data indicate that while the physiological stress may not be different between the two trials as indicated by VO2 and HR, the 120 JPM trial appears less strenuous as evidenced by RER values and by subjects’ ability to exercise longer at that cadence. PMID:27182351

Heart rate never lies: interventional cardiologist and Braude's quote revised

PubMed Central

Cook, Stéphane; Stauffer, Jean-Christophe; Goy, Jean-Jacques; Graf, Denis; Puricel, Serban; Frobert, Aurélien; Muller, Olivier; Togni, Mario; Arroyo, Diego

2016-01-01

Background Interventional cardiologists may be immune to stress, allowing them to perform complex percutaneous interventions under pressure. Objectives To assess heart rate (HR) variations as a surrogate marker of stress of interventional cardiologists during percutaneous cardiac procedures and in every-day life. Design This is a single-centre observational study including a total of six male interventional cardiologists performing coronary interventions and pacemaker implantations. Participants were asked to record their HR with the Apple Watch Device during procedures, every-day life and control activities such as outpatient consultations, sport, marital conflicts and sexual intercourse. Results Average daily HR was 88±17 bpm. During work days, HR increased significantly during procedures (90±17 bpm) compared with days outside the cathlab (87±17 bpm, p=0.02). The average HR was higher during a regular week working (88±16 bpm) compared with weekends off (84±18 bpm, p=0.002). Complex cardiac procedures were associated with higher HR up to 122 bpm. Peak HR were higher during physical exertion. Of note, participants complained of hypersexuality and mania after night shifts. Conclusions Work and especially percutaneous cardiac procedures increase HR independently of physical exertion suggesting that interventional cardiologists experience mental stress and emotions. PMID:26835145

Heart rate never lies: interventional cardiologist and Braude's quote revised.

PubMed

Cook, Stéphane; Stauffer, Jean-Christophe; Goy, Jean-Jacques; Graf, Denis; Puricel, Serban; Frobert, Aurélien; Muller, Olivier; Togni, Mario; Arroyo, Diego

2016-01-01

Interventional cardiologists may be immune to stress, allowing them to perform complex percutaneous interventions under pressure. To assess heart rate (HR) variations as a surrogate marker of stress of interventional cardiologists during percutaneous cardiac procedures and in every-day life. This is a single-centre observational study including a total of six male interventional cardiologists performing coronary interventions and pacemaker implantations. Participants were asked to record their HR with the Apple Watch Device during procedures, every-day life and control activities such as outpatient consultations, sport, marital conflicts and sexual intercourse. Average daily HR was 88±17 bpm. During work days, HR increased significantly during procedures (90±17 bpm) compared with days outside the cathlab (87±17 bpm, p=0.02). The average HR was higher during a regular week working (88±16 bpm) compared with weekends off (84±18 bpm, p=0.002). Complex cardiac procedures were associated with higher HR up to 122 bpm. Peak HR were higher during physical exertion. Of note, participants complained of hypersexuality and mania after night shifts. Work and especially percutaneous cardiac procedures increase HR independently of physical exertion suggesting that interventional cardiologists experience mental stress and emotions.

18F-FDG PET/CT as an Indicator of Survival in Ewing Sarcoma of Bone

PubMed Central

Salem, Usama; Amini, Behrang; Chuang, Hubert H.; Daw, Najat C.; Wei, Wei; Haygood, Tamara Miner; Madewell, John E.; Costelloe, Colleen M.

2017-01-01

Objective: The existing literature of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in Ewing sarcoma investigates mixed populations of patients with both soft tissue and bone primary tumors. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) obtained with 18F-FDG PET/CT before and after induction chemotherapy can be used as an indicator of survival in patients with Ewing sarcoma originating exclusively in the skeleton. Materials and Methods: A retrospective database search from 2004-2011 identified 28 patients who underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT before (SUV1, n= 28) and after (SUV2, n=23) induction chemotherapy. Mean follow up was 3.3 years and median follow up for survivors was 6.3 years (range: 2.6-9.8 years). Multivariate and univariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess for correlation of SUV1, SUV2, and the change in SUVmax with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Mean SUVmax was 10.74 before (SUV1) and after 4.11 (SUV2) induction chemotherapy. High SUV1 (HR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.0-1.1, P = 0.01) and SUV2 (HR =1.2, 95% CI: 1.0-1.4, P = 0.01) were associated with worse OS. A cut off point of 11.6 was identified for SUV1. SUV1 higher than 11.6 had significantly worse OS (HR = 5.71, 95% CI: 1.85 - 17.61, P = 0.003) and PFS (HR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.13 - 8.79, P = 0.03, P < 0.05 is significant). Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT can be used as a prognostic indicator for survival in primary Ewing sarcoma of bone. PMID:28928879

Dyadic Concordance in Mother and Preschooler Resting Cardiovascular Function Varies by Risk Status

PubMed Central

Skowron, Elizabeth A.; Hughes, Brian M.; Howard, Siobhán; Loken, Eric

2014-01-01

This study examined concordance in heart rate (HR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in a sample of 104 child-maltreating (CM) and nonCM mother–preschooler dyads (208 individuals). In a laboratory setting, mother and child cardiac physiology was simultaneously monitored via ECG in a 5-min resting period. Mothers ranged in age from 20 to 49 years; children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years. Significant within-dyad (WD) and between-dyad (BD) associations were observed for mother HR and both child HR and RSA, and the associations were moderated by CM status. Only CM dyads exhibited BD associations: Higher average maternal HR was associated with higher child HR and lower child RSA. By contrast, when the time interval was divided into 30 s epochs, nonCM dyads exhibited positive WD (dynamic) associations in mother and child HR, and both CM and nonCM dyads showed negative WD associations in mother HR and child RSA. Further, mothers’ mean HR levels moderated the extent of epoch-by-epoch WD concordance observed in mother and child, such that elevated average maternal HR was associated with lower levels of WD (dynamic) concordance. No BD or WD concordance in maternal and child RSA was observed. The findings suggest that measures of intraindividual variation provide useful, alternate perspectives in the study of dyadic processes in at-risk families. PMID:24022469

Cardiorespiratory and anesthetic effects of combined alfaxalone, butorphanol, and medetomidine in Thoroughbred horses

PubMed Central

OHMURA, Hajime; OKANO, Atsushi; MUKAI, Kazutaka; FUKUDA, Kentaro; TAKAHASHI, Toshiyuki

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This study evaluated induction of anesthesia and cardiorespiratory and anesthetic effects during maintained anesthesia with the combination of alfaxalone, medetomidine, and butorphanol. Alfaxalone (1.0 mg/kg) was administered to induce anesthesia after premedication with medetomidine (7.0 µg/kg), butorphanol (25 µg/kg), and midazolam (50 µg/kg) in six Thoroughbred horses. Intravenous general anesthesia was maintained with alfaxalone (2.0 mg/(kg∙hr)), medetomidine (5.0 µg/(kg∙hr)), and butorphanol (30 µg/(kg∙hr)) for 60 min. Electrical stimulation of the upper oral mucosa was used to assess anesthetic depth at 10 min intervals during anesthesia. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured. All horses became recumbent within 1 min after alfaxalone administration. Induction scores were 5 (best) in five horses and 4 in one horse. During the 60-min anesthesia, average HR, RR, and MAP were 35.8 ± 2.6 beat/min, 4.7 ± 0.6 breath/min, and 129 ± 3 mmHg, respectively. No horse moved with electrical stimulation; however, two horses experienced apnea (no respiration for 1 to 3 min). Recovery scores were 5 (best) in two horses and 3 in four horses. These results suggest that alfaxalone is effective for induction and maintenance of anesthesia and analgesia when combined with butorphanol and medetomidine for 60 min in Thoroughbreds. However, respiratory depression might require support. PMID:27073330

Dosimetric Evaluation Between Megavoltage Cone-Beam Computed Tomography and Body Mass Index for Intracranial, Thoracic, and Pelvic Localization

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

VanAntwerp, April E.; Raymond, Sarah M., E-mail: raymons9@ccf.org; Addington, Mark C.

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate radiation dose for organs at risk (OAR) within the cranium, thorax, and pelvis from megavoltage cone-beam computed tomography (MV-CBCT). Using a clinical treatment planning system, CBCT doses were calculated from 60 patient datasets using 27.4 x 27.4 cm{sup 2} field size and 200{sup o} arc length. The body mass indices (BMIs) for these patients range from 17.2-48.4 kg/m{sup 2}. A total of 60 CBCT plans were created and calculated with heterogeneity corrections, with monitor units (MU) that varied from 8, 4, and 2 MU per plan. The isocenters of these plans weremore » placed at defined anatomical structures. The maximum dose, dose to the isocenter, and mean dose to the selected critical organs were analyzed. The study found that maximum and isocenter doses were weakly associated with BMI, but linearly associated with the total MU. Average maximum/isocenter doses in the cranium were 10.0 ({+-} 0.18)/7.0 ({+-} 0.08) cGy, 5.0 ({+-} 0.09)/3.5 ({+-} 0.05) cGy, and 2.5 ({+-} .04)/1.8 ({+-} 0.05) cGy for 8, 4, and 2 MU, respectively. Similar trends but slightly larger maximum/isocenter doses were found in the thoracic and pelvic regions. For the cranial region, the average mean doses with a total of 8 MU to the eye, lens, and brain were 9.7 ({+-} 0.12) cGy, 9.1 ({+-} 0.16) cGy, and 7.2 ({+-} 0.10) cGy, respectively. For the thoracic region, the average mean doses to the lung, heart, and spinal cord were 6.6 ({+-} 0.05) cGy, 6.9 ({+-} 1.2) cGy, and 4.7 ({+-} 0.8) cGy, respectively. For the pelvic region, the average mean dose to the femoral heads was 6.4 ({+-} 1.1) cGy. The MV-CBCT doses were linearly associated with the total MU but weakly dependent on patients' BMIs. Daily MV-CBCT has a cumulative effect on the total body dose and critical organs, which should be carefully considered for clinical impacts.« less

Metabolism of 14C-labeled doxylamine succinate (Bendectin) in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Slikker, W; Holder, C L; Lipe, G W; Korfmacher, W A; Thompson, H C; Bailey, J R

1986-01-01

The time-course of the metabolic fate of [14C]doxylamine was determined after the p.o. administration of 13 mg/kg doxylamine succinate as Bendectin plus [14C]doxylamine succinate to the rhesus monkey. Urine and plasma samples were analyzed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), chemical derivatization, and mass spectrometry. The cumulative 48-hr urinary metabolic profile contained 81% of the administered radiolabeled dose and consisted of at least six radiolabeled peaks. They were peak 1: unknown polar metabolites (8% of dose); peak 2: 2-[1-phenyl-1-(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy] acetic acid, 1-[1-phenyl-1(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy] methanol, and another minor metabolite(s) (31%); peak 3: doxylamine-N-oxide (1%); peak 4a: N,N-didesmethyldoxylamine (17%); peak 4b: doxylamine (4%); and peak 5: N-desmethyldoxylamine (20%). The plasma metabolic profile was the same as the urinary profile except for the absence of doxylamine-N-oxide. The maximum plasma concentrations and elapsed time to attain these concentrations were as follows. Peak 1: 540 ng/mL, 4 hr; peak 2: 1700 ng/mL, 1 hr; peak 4a: 430 ng/mL, 4 hr; peak 4b: 930 ng/mL, 2 hr; and peak 5: 790 ng/mL, 2 hr. These data suggest that in the monkey, doxylamine metabolism follows at least four pathways: a minor pathway to the N-oxide; a minor pathway to unknown polar metabolites; a major pathway to mono- and didesmethyldoxylamine via successive N-demethylation; and a major pathway to side-chain cleavage products (peak 2) via direct side-chain oxidation and/or deamination.

Metabolism of /sup 14/C-labeled doxylamine succinate (Bendectin) in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)

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

Slikker, W. Jr.; Holder, C.L.; Lipe, G.W.

The time-course of the metabolic fate of (/sup 14/C)doxylamine was determined after the p.o. administration of 13 mg/kg doxylamine succinate as Bendectin plus (/sup 14/C)doxylamine succinate to the rhesus monkey. Urine and plasma samples were analyzed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), chemical derivatization, and mass spectrometry. The cumulative 48-hr urinary metabolic profile contained 81% of the administered radiolabeled dose and consisted of at least six radiolabeled peaks. They were peak 1: unknown polar metabolites (8% of dose); peak 2: 2-(1-phenyl-1-(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy) acetic acid, 1-(1-phenyl-1(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy) methanol, and another minor metabolite(s) (31%); peak 3: doxylamine-N-oxide (1%); peak 4a: N,N-didesmethyldoxylamine (17%); peakmore » 4b: doxylamine (4%); and peak 5: N-desmethyldoxylamine (20%). The plasma metabolic profile was the same as the urinary profile except for the absence of doxylamine-N-oxide. The maximum plasma concentrations and elapsed time to attain these concentrations were as follows. Peak 1: 540 ng/mL, 4 hr; peak 2: 1700 ng/mL, 1 hr; peak 4a: 430 ng/mL, 4 hr; peak 4b: 930 ng/mL, 2 hr; and peak 5: 790 ng/mL, 2 hr. These data suggest that in the monkey, doxylamine metabolism follows at least four pathways: a minor pathway to the N-oxide; a minor pathway to unknown polar metabolites; a major pathway to mono- and didesmethyldoxylamine via successive N-demethylation; and a major pathway to side-chain cleavage products (peak 2) via direct side-chain oxidation and/or deamination.« less

Maximal heart rate in soccer players: measured versus age-predicted.

PubMed

Nikolaidis, Pantelis T

2015-01-01

Although maximal heart rate (HR max) is widely used to assess exercise intensity in sport training, and particularly in soccer, there are limited data with regards to the use of age-based prediction equations of HR max in soccer players. The aim of this study was to compare the measured-HR max with two prediction equations (Fox-HR max = 220 - age and Tanaka-HR max = 208 - 0.7 × age) in soccer players. Adolescent (n = 162, 15.8 ± 1.5 years) and adult players (n = 158, 23.4 ± 4.6 years), all members of competitive clubs, voluntarily performed a graded exercise field test (Conconi protocol) to assess HR max . The measured-HR max (197.6 ± 9.4 bpm in total, 200.2 ± 7.9 bpm in adolescent players, and 195.0 ± 10.0 bpm in adult players) was explained by the formula HR max = 212.3 - 0.75 × age (r = -0.41, standard error of the estimate = 8.6). In the total sample, Fox-HR max overestimated measured-HR max [mean difference (95% confidence intervals) = 2.8 bpm (1.6; 3.9)], while Tanaka-HR max underestimated HR max [-3.3 bpm (-4.5; -2.2)]. In adolescents, Fox-HR max overestimated measured-HR max [4.0 bpm (2.5; 5.5)] and Tanaka-HR max underestimated HR max [- 3.2 bpm (-4.7; -1.8)]. In adults, Tanaka-HR max underestimated HR max [-5.0 bpm (-5.3; -4.7)], while there was not any difference between Fox-HR max and measured-HR max [1.6 bpm (-3.4; 0.2)]. The results of this study failed to validate two widely used prediction equations in a large sample of soccer players, indicating the need for a sport-specific equation. On the other hand, the new equation that we presented should be investigated further by future studies before being adopted by coaches and fitness trainers.

[Survival time of HIV/AIDS cases and related factors in Beijing, 1995-2015].

PubMed

Li, Y; Wang, J; He, S F; Chen, J; Lu, H Y

2017-11-10

Objective: To analyze the survival time of HIV/AIDS cases and related factors in Beijing from 1995 to 2015. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the data of 12 874 HIV/AIDS cases. The data were collected from Chinese HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Information Management System. Life table method was applied to calculate the survival proportion, and Cox proportion hazard regression model were used to identify the factors related with survival time. Results: Among 12 874 HIV/AIDS cases, 303 (2.4%) died of AIDS related diseases; 9 346 (72.6%) received antiretroviral therapy. The average survival time was 226.5 months (95 %CI : 223.0-230.1), and the survival rates of 1, 5, 10, and 15 years were 98.2%, 96.4%, 93.2%, and 91.9% respectively. Multivariate Cox proportion hazard regression model showed that AIDS phase ( HR =1.439, 95 %CI : 1.041-1.989), heterosexual transmission ( HR =1.646, 95 %CI : 1.184-2.289), being married ( HR =2.186, 95 %CI : 1.510-3.164); older age (≥60 years) at diagnosis ( HR =6.608, 95 %CI : 3.546-12.316); lower CD(4)(+)T cell counts at diagnosis (<350 cells/μl) ( HR =8.711, 95 %CI : 5.757-13.181); receiving no antiretroviral therapy (ART) ( HR =18.223, 95 %CI : 13.317-24.937) were the high risk factors influencing the survival of AIDS patients compared with HIV phase, homosexual transmission, being unmarried, younger age (≤30 years), higher CD(4)(+)T cell count (≥350 cell/μl) and receiving ART. Conclusion: The average survival time of HIV/AIDS cases was 226.5 months after diagnoses. Receiving ART, higher CD(4)(+)T cell counts at the first test, HIV phase, younger age, being unmarried and the homosexual transmission were related to the longer survival time of HIV/AIDS cases. Receiving no ART, the lower CD(4)(+)T cell counts at the first test, AIDS phase, older age, being married and heterosexual transmission indicated higher risk of death due to AIDS.

Heart Rate Response of Professional Musicians When Playing Music.

PubMed

Vellers, Heather L; Irwin, Conor; Lightfoot, J T

2015-06-01

The primary aim was to determine the level of physiological stress evoked while playing music in a standing position as indicated by heart rate (HR) response. A secondary aim was to analyze the effect of music genre (classic rock, western, contemporary Christian, and metal rock) on the relative HR response. Lastly, we considered potential physiological initiators of the music-playing-induced HR response. HR response was monitored in 27 professional musicians (3 women, 24 men) between the ages of 21 and 67 yrs old during rehearsal and public performances. The percent maximal HR (%MHR) evoked was determined by taking a percentage of the age-predicted maximal HR for each musician and comparing the average %MHR in each genre during public and rehearsal events. The role of the potential initiators of these responses (e.g., number of years playing in public, event type, instrument type, tempo, etc.) was determined using multiple regression analyses. The overall average %MHR responses were 52 ± 5% and 59 ± 5% during rehearsal and public performances, respectively, with genre type having a significant effect on the HR response (p=0.01). Body mass index and tempo were each found to be significant contributors to the HR response while playing music (r²=0.506, p=0.001). Playing music professionally evokes considerable increases in HR response, with music genre influencing the level of the physiological response. We concluded that 50% of the HR response while playing music was associated with body mass index, music tempo, and instrument type.

Small Arms - Hand and Shoulder Weapons and Machine Guns

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-24

temperature with a wind speed less than 8 kilometers per hour (km/hr) (5 miles per hour (mph)) with no sunlight on the barrel or receiver. e...the aiming of the mount/weapon system. d. Meteorological Conditions. (1) Ensure that the velocity of the transverse wind is no greater than 8...km/hr (5 mph) or varies by more than 4 km/hr (2.5 mph); wind parallel to the LOF should not exceed 16 km/hr (10 mph) or vary by more than 8 km/hr (5

Benign Breast Disease, Mammographic Breast Density, and the Risk of Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Benign breast disease and high breast density are prevalent, strong risk factors for breast cancer. Women with both risk factors may be at very high risk. Methods We included 42818 women participating in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium who had no prior diagnosis of breast cancer and had undergone at least one benign breast biopsy and mammogram; 1359 women developed incident breast cancer in 6.1 years of follow-up (78.1% invasive, 21.9% ductal carcinoma in situ). We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox regression analysis. The referent group was women with nonproliferative changes and average density. All P values are two-sided. Results Benign breast disease and breast density were independently associated with breast cancer. The combination of atypical hyperplasia and very high density was uncommon (0.6% of biopsies) but was associated with the highest risk for breast cancer (HR = 5.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.52 to 8.09, P < .001). Proliferative disease without atypia (25.6% of biopsies) was associated with elevated risk that varied little across levels of density: average (HR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.69, P = .003), high (HR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.68 to 2.44, P < .001), or very high (HR = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.54 to 2.72, P < .001). Low breast density (4.5% of biopsies) was associated with low risk (HRs <1) for all benign pathology diagnoses. Conclusions Women with high breast density and proliferative benign breast disease are at very high risk for future breast cancer. Women with low breast density are at low risk, regardless of their benign pathologic diagnosis. PMID:23744877

Benign breast disease, mammographic breast density, and the risk of breast cancer.

PubMed

Tice, Jeffrey A; O'Meara, Ellen S; Weaver, Donald L; Vachon, Celine; Ballard-Barbash, Rachel; Kerlikowske, Karla

2013-07-17

Benign breast disease and high breast density are prevalent, strong risk factors for breast cancer. Women with both risk factors may be at very high risk. We included 42818 women participating in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium who had no prior diagnosis of breast cancer and had undergone at least one benign breast biopsy and mammogram; 1359 women developed incident breast cancer in 6.1 years of follow-up (78.1% invasive, 21.9% ductal carcinoma in situ). We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox regression analysis. The referent group was women with nonproliferative changes and average density. All P values are two-sided. Benign breast disease and breast density were independently associated with breast cancer. The combination of atypical hyperplasia and very high density was uncommon (0.6% of biopsies) but was associated with the highest risk for breast cancer (HR = 5.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.52 to 8.09, P < .001). Proliferative disease without atypia (25.6% of biopsies) was associated with elevated risk that varied little across levels of density: average (HR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.69, P = .003), high (HR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.68 to 2.44, P < .001), or very high (HR = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.54 to 2.72, P < .001). Low breast density (4.5% of biopsies) was associated with low risk (HRs <1) for all benign pathology diagnoses. Women with high breast density and proliferative benign breast disease are at very high risk for future breast cancer. Women with low breast density are at low risk, regardless of their benign pathologic diagnosis.

Variability of Organophosphorous Pesticide Metabolite Levels in Spot and 24-hr Urine Samples Collected from Young Children during 1 Week

PubMed Central

Kogut, Katherine; Eisen, Ellen A.; Jewell, Nicholas P.; Quirós-Alcalá, Lesliam; Castorina, Rosemary; Chevrier, Jonathan; Holland, Nina T.; Barr, Dana Boyd; Kavanagh-Baird, Geri; Eskenazi, Brenda

2012-01-01

Background: Dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites in spot urine samples are frequently used to characterize children’s exposures to organophosphorous (OP) pesticides. However, variable exposure and short biological half-lives of OP pesticides could result in highly variable measurements, leading to exposure misclassification. Objective: We examined within- and between-child variability in DAP metabolites in urine samples collected during 1 week. Methods: We collected spot urine samples over 7 consecutive days from 25 children (3–6 years of age). On two of the days, we collected 24-hr voids. We assessed the reproducibility of urinary DAP metabolite concentrations and evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of spot urine samples as predictors of high (top 20%) or elevated (top 40%) weekly average DAP metabolite concentrations. Results: Within-child variance exceeded between-child variance by a factor of two to eight, depending on metabolite grouping. Although total DAP concentrations in single spot urine samples were moderately to strongly associated with concentrations in same-day 24-hr samples (r ≈ 0.6–0.8, p < 0.01), concentrations in spot samples collected > 1 day apart and in 24-hr samples collected 3 days apart were weakly correlated (r ≈ –0.21 to 0.38). Single spot samples predicted high (top 20%) and elevated (top 40%) full-week average total DAP excretion with only moderate sensitivity (≈ 0.52 and ≈ 0.67, respectively) but relatively high specificity (≈ 0.88 and ≈ 0.78, respectively). Conclusions: The high variability we observed in children’s DAP metabolite concentrations suggests that single-day urine samples provide only a brief snapshot of exposure. Sensitivity analyses suggest that classification of cumulative OP exposure based on spot samples is prone to type 2 classification errors. PMID:23052012

Photochemical modeling of emissions trading of highly reactive volatile organic compounds in Houston, Texas. 2. Incorporation of chlorine emissions.

PubMed

Wang, Linlin; Thompson, Tammy; McDonald-Buller, Elena C; Allen, David T

2007-04-01

As part of the State Implementation Plan for attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality has created a Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (HRVOC) Emissions Cap and Trade Program for industrial point sources in the Houston/Galveston/Brazoria area. This series of papers examines the potential air quality impacts of this new emission trading program through photochemical modeling of potential trading scenarios; this paper examines the air quality impact of allowing facilities to trade chlorine emission reductions for HRVOC allocations on a reactivity weighted basis. The simulations indicate that trading of anthropogenic chlorine emission reductions for HRVOC allowances at a single facility or between facilities, in general, resulted in improvements in air quality. Decreases in peak 1-h averaged and 8-h averaged ozone concentrations associated with trading chlorine emissions for HRVOC allocations on a Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR) basis were up to 0.74 ppb (0.63%) and 0.56 ppb (0.61%), respectively. Air quality metrics based on population exposure decreased by up to 3.3% and 4.1% for 1-h and 8-h averaged concentrations. These changes are small compared to the maximum changes in ozone concentrations due to the VOC emissions from these sources (5-10 ppb for 8-h averages; up to 30 ppb for 1-h averages) and the chlorine emissions from the sources (5-10 ppb for maximum concentrations over wide areas and up to 70 ppb in localized areas). The simulations indicate that the inclusion of chlorine emissions in the trading program is likely to be beneficial to air quality and is unlikely to cause localized increases in ozone concentrations ("hot spots").

A comparison between computer-controlled and set work rate exercise based on target heart rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pratt, Wanda M.; Siconolfi, Steven F.; Webster, Laurie; Hayes, Judith C.; Mazzocca, Augustus D.; Harris, Bernard A., Jr.

1991-01-01

Two methods are compared for observing the heart rate (HR), metabolic equivalents, and time in target HR zone (defined as the target HR + or - 5 bpm) during 20 min of exercise at a prescribed intensity of the maximum working capacity. In one method, called set-work rate exercise, the information from a graded exercise test is used to select a target HR and to calculate a corresponding constant work rate that should induce the desired HR. In the other method, the work rate is controlled by a computer algorithm to achieve and maintain a prescribed target HR. It is shown that computer-controlled exercise is an effective alternative to the traditional set work rate exercise, particularly when tight control of cardiovascular responses is necessary.

Bottomland Hardwood Forest Influence on Floodplain Hydrology and Stream Bank Stability in an Urbanizing Watershed of the Central U.S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbart, J. A.; Zell, C.; Huang, D.

2012-12-01

Conversion of bottomland hardwood forest (BHF) to agricultural and urban land uses in the 19th and 20th centuries altered the hydrology of streams, floodplains, and remnant BHF. Broadened and steepened stream channels lead to increased channel instability, accelerated erosion, and reduced floodplain hydrologic connectivity. A case study was implemented to investigate floodplain and stream hydrogeomorphological processes comparing a remnant BHF and Ag site (sites = 0.90 km apart). 120 m2 grids were established to estimate canopy cover (LAI = 3.1), soil characteristics by the soil core method at depths of 0, 15, 30, 50, 75 and 100 cm (n = 302), and surface soil infiltration capacity (n = 42). 80 m2 grids (each site) were implemented with nine equally spaced piezometers to estimate shallow groundwater depth and flow. Stream bank erosion study sites were located adjacent to BHF and agricultural floodplain study sites using the erosion pin method (10 pin plots, n = 342 pins). Results indicate average porosity (n = 150) of 0.56 (SD = 0.04) and 0.59 (SD = 0.04) in agricultural and BHF sites, respectively. Average infiltration capacity was 44 cm/hr (SD = 38 cm/hr) and 59 cm/hr (SD = 54 cm/hr) in agricultural and BHF sites, respectively. Depth integrated calculations of equivalent depth of soil water (EDSW) were significantly different (CI = 99%) 33.3 cm/m (SD = 2.24 cm/m) and 36.9 cm/m (SD = 2.68 cm/m) between Ag and BHF sites, respectively. Shallow groundwater analyses (Water Year 2011) indicated that average head at the BHF and Ag sites increased by approximately 0.25 m, and 0.50 m, respectively 90 m inland from the streambank. Stream bank erosion results showed that during a drier (762 mm) than average (10yr avg = 1077 mm) rainfall year (Water Year 2011), 15.7 and 177.8 tonnes of soil erosion occurred on the right side (facing downstream) stream banks of the BHF and Ag sites, respectively. Average bank erosion depth measured at the BHF and Ag sites was 18 and 112 mm/yr respectively. The greatest average depth of erosion occurred during the winter season (44.7 mm), followed by summer (13.1 mm) and spring (6.3 mm) and fall with the lowest average erosion depth (1.1 mm). Results demonstrate the potential benefit of sustaining or re-establishing floodplain forests to enhance soil infiltration capacity, soil storage capacity, floodwave attenuation, and consumptive water use, thereby reducing flooding and mitigating stormwater runoff problems in rapidly developing urban environments. In addition, results hold important implications for land-use managers wishing to reduce bank erosion and improve land-use practices, water quality and aquatic natural resource sustainability in dynamic urbanizing watersheds.

Reduction in Heart Rate Variability with Traffic and Air Pollution in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

PubMed Central

Zanobetti, Antonella; Gold, Diane R.; Stone, Peter H.; Suh, Helen H.; Schwartz, Joel; Coull, Brent A.; Speizer, Frank E.

2010-01-01

Introduction Ambient particulate pollution and traffic have been linked to myocardial infarction and cardiac death risk. Possible mechanisms include autonomic cardiac dysfunction. Methods In a repeated-measures study of 46 patients 43–75 years of age, we investigated associations of central-site ambient particulate pollution, including black carbon (BC) (a marker for regional and local traffic), and report of traffic exposure with changes in half-hourly averaged heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of autonomic function measured by 24-hr Holter electrocardiogram monitoring. Each patient was observed up to four times within 1 year after a percutaneous intervention for myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome without infarction, or stable coronary artery disease (4,955 half-hour observations). For each half-hour period, diary data defined whether the patient was home or not home, or in traffic. Results A decrease in high frequency (HF; an HRV marker of vagal tone) of −16.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), −20.7 to −11.8%] was associated with an interquartile range of 0.3-μg/m3 increase in prior 5-day averaged ambient BC. Decreases in HF were independently associated both with the previous 2-hr averaged BC (−10.4%; 95% CI, −15.4 to −5.2%) and with being in traffic in the previous 2 hr (−38.5%; 95% CI, −57.4 to −11.1%). We also observed independent responses for particulate air matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm and for gases (ozone or nitrogen dioxide). Conclusion After hospitalization for coronary artery disease, both particulate pollution and being in traffic, a marker of stress and pollution, were associated with decreased HRV. PMID:20064780

Effect of Sn doping on the structural, optical and electrical properties of TiO2 films prepared by spray pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arunachalam, A.; Dhanapandian, S.; Manoharan, C.

2016-02-01

In this work, highly oriented pure and Tin-doped Titanium dioxide (Sn-doped TiO2) with porous nature photoelectrodes were deposited on ITO glass plates using spray pyrolysis technique. The XRD pattern revealed the formation of anatase TiO2 with the maximum intensity of (101) plane while doping 6 at% of Sn. The morphological studies depicted the porous nature with the uniform arrangement of small-sized grains. The presence of tin confirmed with the EDX spectra. The size of particles of 13 nm was observed from High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis. The average transmittance was about 85% for the doped photoelectrode and was observed for the photoelectrode deposited with 6 at% of tin, with decreased energy band gap. The PL study showed the emission peak at 391 nm. The maximum carrier concentration and Hall mobility was observed for the photoelectrode deposited with 6 at% of tin. With these studies, the DSSCs were prepared separately with the dye extracted from Hibiscus Rosasinesis and Hibiscus Surttasinesis and their efficiency was maximum for the DSSC prepared with 6 at% of tin.

Effects of different training amplitudes on heart rate and heart rate variability in young rowers.

PubMed

Vaz, Marcelo S; Picanço, Luan M; Del Vecchio, Fabrício B

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the autonomic nervous system recovery and the psychological response as a result of 3 training amplitudes on heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) in rowing. Eight young rowers (16.8 ± 1.4 years) performed, in a randomized fashion, 2 sessions of high-intensity interval training, with high and low amplitude and a continuous training (CT) session, with the same exercise duration (10 minutes) and mean intensity (60% of maximal stroke test). The data of HR, HRV, and RPE were collected 5 minutes before, immediately after each session, and 24 hours later. High amplitude promoted higher impact in maximum HR (p ≤ 0.05) and RPE (p < 0.001) when compared with CT. For the time domain HRV variable, there was a statistically significant difference between moments of rest (pretraining or post 24 hours) and posttraining in all training sessions. Originally, we conclude that training with higher load variation between effort and recovery impacts HRV, HR, and RPE with greater intensity, but the younger rowers were ready for new training sessions 24 hours after either training method. Coaches can use the polarized training method, observing the stimulus nature and time required for recovery, because it may be an adequate strategy for the development of rower's conditioning.

Peritonitis outcomes in patients with HIV and end-stage renal failure on peritoneal dialysis: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Ndlovu, Kwazi C Z; Sibanda, Wilbert; Assounga, Alain

2017-02-03

Few studies have investigated the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated end-stage renal failure particularly in low-resource settings with limited access to renal replacement therapy. We aimed to evaluate the effects of HIV infection on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)-associated peritonitis outcomes and technique failure in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated HIV-positive CAPD populations. We conducted a single-center prospective cohort study of consecutive incident CAPD patients recruited from two hospitals in Durban, South Africa from September 2012-February 2015. Seventy HIV-negative and 70 HIV-positive end-stage renal failure patients were followed monthly for 18 months at a central renal clinic. Primary outcomes of peritonitis and catheter failure were assessed for the first 18 months of CAPD therapy. We assessed risk factors for peritonitis and catheter failure using Cox regression survival analysis. The HIV-positive cohort had a significantly increased rate of peritonitis compared to the HIV-negative cohort (1.86 vs. 0.76 episodes/person-years, respectively; hazard ratio [HR], 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-3.45, P < 0.001). When the baseline CD4 count was below 200 cells/μL, the peritonitis rate rose to 3.69 episodes/person-years (HR 4.54, 95% CI 2.35-8.76, P < 0.001), while a baseline CD4 count above 350 cells/μL was associated with a peritonitis rate of 1.60 episodes/person-years (HR 2.10, CI 1.39-3.15, P = 0.001). HIV was associated with increased hazards of peritonitis relapse (HR, 3.88; CI, 1.37-10.94; P = 0.010). Independent predictors associated with increased peritonitis risk were HIV (HR, 1.84; CI, 1.07-3.16; P = 0.027), diabetes (HR, 2.09; CI, 1.09-4.03; P = 0.027) and a baseline CD4 count < 200 cells/μL (HR, 3.28; CI, 1.42-7.61; P = 0.006). Catheter failure rates were 0.34 (HIV-positive cohort) and 0.24 (HIV-negative cohort) episodes/person-years (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.73-2.73; P = 0.299). Peritonitis (HR, 14.47; CI, 2.79-75.00; P = 0.001), average hemoglobin concentrations (HR, 0.75; CI, 0.59-0.95; P = 0.016), and average serum C-reactive protein levels were independent predictors of catheter failure. HIV infection in end-stage renal disease patients managed by CAPD was associated with increased peritonitis risk; however, HIV infection did not increase the risk for CAPD catheter failure rate at 18 months.

Evaluation of a Test Article in the Salmonella typhimurium/Escherichia coli Plate Incorporation Mutation Assay in the Presence and Absence of Induced Rat Liver S-9. Test Article: N,N,N’,N’-tetramethyl ethanediamine (TMEDA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-12

15 14 15 STANDARD DEVIATION (:1:) 3 5 4 4 4 MINIMUM VALUE 9 12 11 8 10 MAXIMUM VALUE 20 33 23 29 24 N" 56 19 14 38 28 IMm ~ ~ CORN Oil l:W...AVERAGE 9 9 10 8 9 STANDARD DEVIATION (:1:) 3 3 4 2 3 MINIMUM VAlUE 2 6 3 5 4 MAXIMUM VAlUE 20 16 23 12 15 N" 65 21 14 33 29 E.COLI DMSO ~ CORN ...21 33 25 21 23 N* 66 19 14 38 28 :wm ~ ACET CORN Oil !L!! SAUNE AVERAGE 9 10 10 9 8 STANDARD DEVlA.11ON (:I:) 3 3 4 3 2 MINIMUM VAWS . 4 6 6 6 3

Advanced Current Collection Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-04-19

GoPDId Goal Current Density (HA/M3) 7.8 b4. Collector Surface Velocity (m/s) 15-75 25-75 Brush Material Life (uax, 1400 1400 velocity) (hr/in...net power loss and longest life for brush operation. The development of a multi-fiber shunt was continued through two iterations in preparation fnr... life . Neither energy loss density nor wear were degraded as the number of test brushes was increased to the full complement level. Over one year average

Effect of Adding Motolimod to Standard Combination Chemotherapy and Cetuximab Treatment of Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: The Active8 Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Ferris, Robert L; Saba, Nabil F; Gitlitz, Barbara J; Haddad, Robert; Sukari, Ammar; Neupane, Prakash; Morris, John C; Misiukiewicz, Krzysztof; Bauman, Julie E; Fenton, Moon; Jimeno, Antonio; Adkins, Douglas R; Schneider, Charles J; Sacco, Assuntina G; Shirai, Keisuke; Bowles, Daniel W; Gibson, Michael; Nwizu, Tobenna; Gottardo, Raphael; Manjarrez, Kristi L; Dietsch, Gregory N; Bryan, James Kyle; Hershberg, Robert M; Cohen, Ezra E W

2018-06-21

Immunotherapy for recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is promising. The toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonist motolimod may stimulate innate and adaptive immunity. To determine whether motolimod improves outcomes for R/M SCCHN when combined with standard therapy. The Active8 study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolling adult patients (age ≥18 years) with histologically confirmed R/M SCCHN of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx between October 2013 and August 2015. Follow-up ended September 2016. Analysis for the present report was conducted between June 2016 and December 2017. Combination treatment with platinum (carboplatin or cisplatin), fluorouracil, cetuximab (the EXTREME regimen), and either placebo or motolimod, each administered intravenously every 3 weeks. Patients received a maximum of 6 chemotherapy cycles, after which patients received weekly cetuximab with either placebo or motolimod every 4 weeks. Progression-free survival (PFS) as determined by independent central review using immune-related RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors). Key secondary end points included overall survival (OS) and safety. Of 195 patients enrolled, 85% were men (n = 166); 82% were white (n = 159); median age was 58 years (range 23-81 years). Median PFS was 6.1 vs 5.9 months (hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 1-sided 90% CI, 0.00-1.22; P = .47), and median OS was 13.5 vs 11.3 months (HR, 0.95; 1-sided 90% CI, 0.00-1.22; P = .40) for motolimod vs placebo. Increased incidence of injection site reactions, pyrexia, chills, anemia, and acneiform rash were noted with motolimod. Of 83 cases oropharyngeal cancer, 52 (63%) were human papillomavirus (HPV) positive. In a prespecified subgroup analysis of HPV-positive participants, motolimod vs placebo resulted in significantly longer PFS (7.8 vs 5.9 months; HR, 0.58; 1-sided 90% CI, 0.00-0.90; P = .046) and OS (15.2 vs 12.6 months; HR, 0.41; 1-sided 90% CI, 0.00-0.77; P = .03). In an exploratory analysis, patients with injection site reactions had longer PFS and OS (median PFS, 7.1 vs 5.9 months; HR, 0.69; 1-sided 90% CI, 0.00-0.93; P = .06; and median OS, 18.7 vs 12.6; HR, 0.56; 1-sided 90% CI, 0.00-0.81; P = .02). Adding motolimod to the EXTREME regimen was well tolerated but did not improve PFS or OS in the intent-to-treat population. Significant benefit was observed in HPV-positive patients and those with injection site reactions, suggesting that TLR8 stimulation may benefit subset- and biomarker-selected patients. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01836029.

Predicting time to recall in patients conditionally released from a secure forensic hospital: A survival analysis.

PubMed

Jewell, Amelia; Cocks, Christopher; Cullen, Alexis E; Fahy, Tom; Dean, Kimberlie

2018-03-01

The recall of conditionally discharged forensic patients in England is a formal order from the Ministry of Justice under the Mental Health Act (1983) which has the power to revoke conditional release and direct readmission to hospital. Recall has significant implications for the individual and for hospital services, but despite this, little is known about predictors of recall for forensic patients. We examined the rate of recall for 101 patients conditionally discharged from medium secure forensic inpatient services between 2007 and 2013. Demographic, clinical, and forensic factors were examined as possible predictors of time to recall using Cox regression survival techniques. Conditionally discharged patients were followed for an average of 811 days, during which 45 (44.5%) were recalled to hospital. Younger age (HR 1.89; 95% CI 1.02-3.49; p = 0.04), non-white ethnicity (HR 3.44; 95% CI 1.45-8.13), substance abuse history (HR 2.52; 95% CI 1.17-5.43), early violence (HR 1.90; 95% CI 1.03-3.50), early childhood maladjustment (HR 1.92; 95% CI 1.01-3.68), treatment with a depot medication (HR 2.17; 95% CI 1.14-4.11), being known to mental health services (HR 3.44; 95% CI 1.06-11.16), and a psychiatric admission prior to the index admission (HR 2.44; 95% CI 1.08-5.52) were significantly associated with a shorter time to recall. Treatment with clozapine reduced the risk of recall to hospital (HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.20-0.79). Time to recall can be predicted by a range of factors that are readily available to clinical teams. Further research is required to determine if targeted interventions can modify the likelihood or time to recall for conditionally released forensic patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Dependency of exercise-induced T-wave alternans predictive power for the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias from heart rate.

PubMed

Burattini, Laura; Man, Sumche; Fioretti, Sandro; Di Nardo, Francesco; Swenne, Cees A

2015-07-01

T-wave alternans (TWA) is a noninvasive index of risk for the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. It is known that TWA amplitude (TWAA) increases with heart rate (HR) but how the TWA predictive power varies with HR remains unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the dependency of exercise-induced TWA predictive power for the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias from HR. TWA was identified using our HR adaptive match filter in exercise ECGs from 248 patients with implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD), of which 72 developed ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation during the 4 year follow-up (ICD_Cases) and 176 did not (ICD_Controls). TWA predictive power was evaluated at HRs from 80 to 120 bpm by computing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) obtained using the maximum TWAA (maxTWAA) and the TWAA ratio (TWAAratio; i.e., the ratio between TWAA at a specific HR and at 80 bpm). TWAA increased with HR. At 80 bpm maxTWAA was lower than at 120 bpm in both ICD_Cases (22 μV vs 41 μV; P < 10(-2) ) and ICD_ Controls (16 μV vs 36 μV; P < 10(-4) ). However, only at 80 bpm ICD_Cases showed significantly higher maxTWAA than ICD_Controls (AUC = 0.6486; P = 0.0080). TWAAratio was higher in ICD_Controls than ICD_Cases for all HR but 120 bpm, and its predictive power was maximum at 115 bpm (AUC = 0.6914; P < 0.05). Exercise-induced TWA predictive power for the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias, quantified using both maxTWAA and TWAAratio, was higher at low rather than at high HR. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Imaging the Tear Film: A Comparison Between the Subjective Keeler Tearscope-Plus™ and the Objective Oculus® Keratograph 5M and LipiView® Interferometer.

PubMed

Markoulli, Maria; Duong, Tran Bao; Lin, Margaret; Papas, Eric

2018-02-01

To compare non-invasive break-up time (NIBUT) when measured with the Tearscope-Plus™ and the Oculus® Keratograph 5M, and to compare lipid layer thicknesses (LLT) when measured with the Tearscope-Plus™ and the LipiView®. This study also set out to establish the repeatability of these methods. The following measurements were taken from both eyes of 24 participants on two occasions: non-invasive keratograph break-up time using the Oculus® (NIKBUT-1 and NIKBUT-average), NIBUT using the Tearscope-Plus™, and LLT using the LipiView® (minimum, maximum, and average) and Tearscope-Plus™. The Tearscope-Plus™ grades were converted to nanometers. There were no significant differences between eyes (Tearscope-Plus™ NIBUT: p = 0.52; NIKBUT-1: p = 0.052; NIKBUT-average: p = 0.73; Tearscope-Plus™ LLT: p = 0.13; LipiView® average, maximum, or minimum: p = 0.68, 0.39 and 0.50, respectively) or days (Tearscope-Plus™ NIBUT: p = 0.32; NIKBUT-1: p = 0.65; NIKBUT-average: p = 0.54; Tearscope-Plus™ LLT: p = 0.26; LipiView® average, maximum, or minimum: p = 0.20, 0.09, and 0.10, respectively). LLT was significantly greater with the Tearscope-Plus™ (80.4 ± 34.0 nm) compared with the LipiView® average (56.3 ± 16.1 nm, p = 0.007), minimum (50.1 ± 15.8 nm, p < 0.001) but not maximum (67.2 ± 19.6 nm, p = 0.55). NIBUT was significantly greater with the Tearscope-Plus™ (15.9 ± 10.7 seconds) compared to the NIKBUT-1 (8.2 ± 3.5 seconds, p = 0.006) but not NIKBUT-average (10.9 ± 3.9 seconds, p = 0.08). The Tearscope-Plus™ is not interchangeable with either the Oculus® K5M measurement of tear stability (NIKBUT-1) or the LipiView® maximum and minimum lipid thickness.

King eider foraging effort during the pre-breeding period in Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oppel, Steffen; Powell, Abby N.; Butler, Malcolm G.

2011-01-01

For reproduction, many arctic-nesting migratory birds rely on nutrients obtained on the breeding grounds, so they devote sufficient time to foraging immediately prior to nesting. However, little is known about the increase in foraging effort necessary to meet the energetic requirements of reproduction. In early June 2006 and 2008, we quantified the proportion of time spent foraging before breeding by a large sea duck, the King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), on its breeding grounds in northern Alaska. During >235 hours of behavioral observations, both male and female King Eiders spent >50% of the day loafing (resting, sleeping, comfort behavior, or being alert). Females foraged on average 30% of the time (mean 7.2 hr day-1,95% CI 6.0-8.4 hr day-1), three times as much as males (9%; 2.3 hr day-1, 95% CI 1.5–2.8 hr day-1). The most common prey in ponds where the eiders foraged were chironomid larvae and worms ranging in length from 1 to 30 mm. If the King Eider's daily energy expenditure on its breeding grounds is similar to values published for related species, it would need to ingest only 0.2–0.6 g dry mass of invertebrates per minute of foraging to meet its energetic requirements. Males did not lose body mass before breeding, and we assume that their foraging effort was sufficient for energy balance. Therefore, female King Eiders appear to triple their foraging effort over maintenance requirements to meet the energetic challenges of egg formation.

Relationships of Sleep Duration With Weight-Related Behaviors of U.S. College Students.

PubMed

Quick, Virginia; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Shoff, Suzanne; White, Adrienne A; Lohse, Barbara; Horacek, Tanya; Colby, Sarah; Brown, Onikia; Kidd, Tandalayo; Greene, Geoffrey

2016-01-01

This study describes sleep behaviors of U.S. college students (N = 1,252; 18-24 years old; 59% female) and examines associations of sleep duration with weight-related behaviors. More than one quarter of participants slept < 7 hr/night and had mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores indicating poor sleep quality. There were significant differences for all PSQI scales among sleep duration categories, < 7 hr (n = 344), 7-8 hr (n = 449), ≥ 8 hr (n = 459) sleep/night. Compared to those who slept ≥ 8 hr, those who slept < 8 hr had significantly more negative eating attitudes (2% higher), poorer internal regulation of food (4% lower), and greater binge eating (4% higher) scores. Findings advocate for health care professionals to evaluate sleep behaviors of college students during office visits and promote good sleep behaviors.

Nitrate from Drinking Water and Diet and Bladder Cancer Among Postmenopausal Women in Iowa.

PubMed

Jones, Rena R; Weyer, Peter J; DellaValle, Curt T; Inoue-Choi, Maki; Anderson, Kristin E; Cantor, Kenneth P; Krasner, Stuart; Robien, Kim; Freeman, Laura E Beane; Silverman, Debra T; Ward, Mary H

2016-11-01

Nitrate is a drinking water contaminant arising from agricultural sources, and it is a precursor in the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), which are possible bladder carcinogens. We investigated the ingestion of nitrate and nitrite from drinking water and diet and bladder cancer risk in women. We identified incident bladder cancers among a cohort of 34,708 postmenopausal women in Iowa (1986-2010). Dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes were estimated from a baseline food frequency questionnaire. Drinking water source and duration were assessed in a 1989 follow-up. For women using public water supplies (PWS) > 10 years (n = 15,577), we estimated average nitrate (NO3-N) and total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels and the number of years exceeding one-half the maximum contaminant level (NO3-N: 5 mg/L, TTHM: 40 μg/mL) from historical monitoring data. We computed hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and assessed nitrate interactions with TTHM and with modifiers of NOC formation (smoking, vitamin C). We identified 258 bladder cancer cases, including 130 among women > 10 years at their PWS. In multivariable-adjusted models, we observed nonsignificant associations among women in the highest versus lowest quartile of average drinking water nitrate concentration (HR = 1.48; 95% CI: 0.92, 2.40; ptrend = 0.11), and we found significant associations among those exposed ≥ 4 years to drinking water with > 5 mg/L NO3-N (HR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.47; ptrend = 0.03) compared with women having 0 years of comparable exposure. TTHM adjustment had little influence on associations, and we observed no modification by vitamin C intake. Relative to a common reference group of never smokers with the lowest nitrate exposures, associations were strongest for current smokers with the highest nitrate exposures (HR = 3.67; 95% CI: 1.43, 9.38 for average water NO3-N and HR = 3.48; 95% CI: 1.20, 10.06 and ≥ 4 years > 5 mg/L, respectively). Dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes were not associated with bladder cancer. Long-term ingestion of elevated nitrate in drinking water was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer among postmenopausal women. Citation: Jones RR, Weyer PJ, DellaValle CT, Inoue-Choi M, Anderson KE, Cantor KP, Krasner S, Robien K, Beane Freeman LE, Silverman DT, Ward MH. 2016. Nitrate from drinking water and diet and bladder cancer among postmenopausal women in Iowa. Environ Health Perspect 124:1751-1758; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP191.

Does level D personal protective equipment guard against hazardous biologic agents during cardiopulmonary resuscitation?

PubMed

Martín Rodríguez, Francisco; Fernández Pérez, Cristina; Castro Villamor, Miguel; Martín Conty, José Luis; Arnillas Gómez, Pedro; Casado Vicente, Verónica

2018-01-01

Our aim was to determine the usefulness of level D personal protective equipment (PPE) in safeguarding health care staff who perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Quasi-experimental, uncontrolled trial in 96 volunteers chosen randomly and stratified by sex, level of training, and professional category. The subjects were selected from a convenience sample of 164 nurses, physicians, and students of nursing and medicine (40 men [41.66%] and 56 women [58.33%]). The mean (SD) age was 31 (11) years. The Conconi test was used to determine heart rate (HR) at the anaerobic threshold on a cycle ergometer. That HR was then compared to each volunteer's maximum HR during performance of CPR while wearing PPE. While the volunteers were performing CPR, 46.9% of them surpassed their maximum recommendable HR recorded during the cycle ergometer test. We found that performing CPR while wearing level D PPE requires intense physical effort. Special situations should be taken into consideration when developing protocols for situations that require staff to wear PPE. Staff who must perform CPR under these conditions should be given specific training.

Impact of Type 2 Diabetes and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy on Incidence of Cognitive Impairment in Older Women

PubMed Central

Brinton, Roberta Diaz; Hugenschmidt, Christina; Manson, JoAnn E.; Craft, Suzanne; Yaffe, Kristine; Weitlauf, Julie; Vaughan, Leslie; Johnson, Karen C.; Padula, Claudia B.; Jackson, Rebecca D.; Resnick, Susan M.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE In older women, higher levels of estrogen may exacerbate the increased risk for cognitive impairment conveyed by diabetes. We examined whether the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) on cognitive impairment incidence differs depending on type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) randomized clinical trials assigned women to HT (0.625 mg/day conjugated equine estrogens with or without [i.e., unopposed] 2.5 mg/day medroxyprogesterone acetate) or matching placebo for an average of 4.7–5.9 years. A total of 7,233 women, aged 65–80 years, were classified according to type 2 diabetes status and followed for probable dementia and cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment or dementia). RESULTS Through a maximum of 18 years of follow-up, women with diabetes had increased risk of probable dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54 [95% CI 1.16–2.06]) and cognitive impairment (HR 1.83 [1.50–2.23]). The combination of diabetes and random assignment to HT increased their risk of dementia (HR 2.12 [1.47–3.06]) and cognitive impairment (HR 2.20 [1.70–2.87]) compared with women without these conditions, interaction P = 0.09 and P = 0.08. These interactions appeared to be limited to women assigned to unopposed conjugated equine estrogens. CONCLUSIONS These analyses provide additional support to a prior report that higher levels of estrogen may exacerbate risks that type 2 diabetes poses for cognitive function in older women. The role estrogen plays in suppressing non–glucose-based energy sources in the brain may explain this interaction. PMID:26486190

Similarity of Bisphenol A Pharmacokinetics in Rhesus Monkeys and Mice: Relevance for Human Exposure

PubMed Central

Taylor, Julia A.; vom Saal, Frederick S.; Welshons, Wade V.; Drury, Bertram; Rottinghaus, George; Hunt, Patricia A.; Toutain, Pierre-Louis; Laffont, Céline M.; VandeVoort, Catherine A.

2011-01-01

Objective Daily adult human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has been estimated at < 1 μg/kg, with virtually complete first-pass conjugation in the liver in primates but not in mice. We measured unconjugated and conjugated BPA levels in serum from adult female rhesus monkeys and adult female mice after oral administration of BPA and compared findings in mice and monkeys with prior published data in women. Methods Eleven adult female rhesus macaques were fed 400 μg/kg deuterated BPA (dBPA) daily for 7 days. Levels of serum dBPA were analyzed by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (0.2 ng/mL limit of quantitation) over 24 hr on day 1 and on day 7. The same dose of BPA was fed to adult female CD-1 mice; other female mice were administered 3H-BPA at doses ranging from 2 to 100,000 μg/kg. Results In monkeys, the maximum unconjugated serum dBPA concentration of 4 ng/mL was reached 1 hr after feeding and declined to low levels by 24 hr, with no significant bioaccumulation after seven daily doses. Mice and monkeys cleared unconjugated serum BPA at virtually identical rates. We observed a linear (proportional) relationship between administered dose and serum BPA in mice. Conclusions BPA pharmacokinetics in women, female monkeys, and mice is very similar. By comparison with approximately 2 ng/mL unconjugated serum BPA reported in multiple human studies, the average 24-hr unconjugated serum BPA concentration of 0.5 ng/mL in both monkeys and mice after a 400 μg/kg oral dose suggests that total daily human exposure is via multiple routes and is much higher than previously assumed. PMID:20855240

Impact of Type 2 Diabetes and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy on Incidence of Cognitive Impairment in Older Women.

PubMed

Espeland, Mark A; Brinton, Roberta Diaz; Hugenschmidt, Christina; Manson, JoAnn E; Craft, Suzanne; Yaffe, Kristine; Weitlauf, Julie; Vaughan, Leslie; Johnson, Karen C; Padula, Claudia B; Jackson, Rebecca D; Resnick, Susan M

2015-12-01

In older women, higher levels of estrogen may exacerbate the increased risk for cognitive impairment conveyed by diabetes. We examined whether the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) on cognitive impairment incidence differs depending on type 2 diabetes. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized clinical trials assigned women to HT (0.625 mg/day conjugated equine estrogens with or without [i.e., unopposed] 2.5 mg/day medroxyprogesterone acetate) or matching placebo for an average of 4.7-5.9 years. A total of 7,233 women, aged 65-80 years, were classified according to type 2 diabetes status and followed for probable dementia and cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment or dementia). Through a maximum of 18 years of follow-up, women with diabetes had increased risk of probable dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54 [95% CI 1.16-2.06]) and cognitive impairment (HR 1.83 [1.50-2.23]). The combination of diabetes and random assignment to HT increased their risk of dementia (HR 2.12 [1.47-3.06]) and cognitive impairment (HR 2.20 [1.70-2.87]) compared with women without these conditions, interaction P = 0.09 and P = 0.08. These interactions appeared to be limited to women assigned to unopposed conjugated equine estrogens. These analyses provide additional support to a prior report that higher levels of estrogen may exacerbate risks that type 2 diabetes poses for cognitive function in older women. The role estrogen plays in suppressing non-glucose-based energy sources in the brain may explain this interaction. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

The biofilm electrode sensor system for acute toxicity and viral screening

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

Holodnick, S.E.

1988-01-01

The biofilm electrode sensor (BFE) is designed for the rapid and sensitive detection of toxic and pathogenic environmental contaminants and industrial effluents. It includes a dissolved oxygen electrode which senses respiration changes induced in a biomass film. This study assessed the effects of five chemical on biofilms of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and polio virus on biofilms of Buffalo Green Monkey kidney cells (BGMk). Acute toxicity was assessed in 30 min, and viral infectivity in 15-20 hr. Potassium cyanide and cupric nitrate inhibited respiration in a similar manner, 2.5-68.2 %I and 30.2-68.8 %I, respectively. The response of the BFE to cyanide andmore » cupric ions occurred within 5-20 sec. Cadmium ions affected the BFE over the range of 50.0-1000 mg/l, but complexed with components in the support medium at lower concentrations. 2,4-dinitrophenol enhanced respiration in the concentration range of 10.0-50.0 mg/l and inhibited respiration in the concentration range of 85.0-100.0 mg/l. A maximum response of 19 %I was noted at 1200 mg/l phenol, before dissolution of the polysulfone membrane filter occurred. Detection of viruses utilized BGMk cells exposed to 4.7 {times} 10{sup 4}{minus}4.7 {times} 10{sup 8} ID{sub 50}/ml poliovirus for 2 hr prior to immobilization. The response of the BFE was optimal at 15-20 hr, with a %I range of 5-40%.« less

Design study of steel V-Belt CVT for electric vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swain, J. C.; Klausing, T. A.; Wilcox, J. P.

1980-01-01

A continuously variable transmission (CVT) design layout was completed. The intended application was for coupling the flywheel to the driveline of a flywheel battery hybrid electric vehicle. The requirements were that the CVT accommodate flywheel speeds from 14,000 to 28,000 rpm and driveline speeds of 850 to 5000 rpm without slipping. Below 850 rpm a slipping clutch was used between the CVT and the driveline. The CVT was required to accommodate 330 ft-lb maximum torque and 100 hp maximum transient. The weighted average power was 22 hp, the maximum allowable full range shift time was 2 seconds and the required lift was 2600 hours. The resulting design utilized two steel V-belts in series to accommodate the required wide speed ratio. The size of the CVT, including the slipping clutch, was 20.6 inches long, 9.8 inches high and 13.8 inches wide. The estimated weight was 155 lb. An overall potential efficiency of 95 percent was projected for the average power condition.

The effect of long working hours on cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease; A case-crossover study.

PubMed

Shin, Kyong-Sok; Chung, Yun Kyung; Kwon, Young-Jun; Son, Jun-Seok; Lee, Se-Hoon

2017-09-01

This study investigated the relationship between weekly working hours and the occurrence of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases using a case-crossover study design. We investigated average working hours during the 7 days before the onset of illness (hazard period) and average weekly working hours between 8 days and 3 months before the onset of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases (control period) for 1,042 cases from the workers' compensation database for 2009. Among all subjects, the odds ratio by conditional logistic regression for the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases with a 10 hr increase in average weekly working hours was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.72), a significant association. An increase in average weekly working hours may trigger the onset of cerebro-cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:753-761, 2017. © 2017. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Variability of blood pressure in dialysis patients: a new marker of cardiovascular risk.

PubMed

Di Iorio, Biagio; Di Micco, Lucia; Torraca, Serena; Sirico, Maria Luisa; Guastaferro, Pasquale; Chiuchiolo, Luigi; Nigro, Filippo; De Blasio, Antonietta; Romano, Paolo; Pota, Andrea; Rubino, Roberto; Morrone, Luigi; Lopez, Teodoro; Casino, Francesco Gaetano

2013-01-01

Hemodialysis patients have a high cardiovascular mortality, and hypertension is the most prevalent treatable risk factor. We aimed to assess the predictive significance of dialysis-to-dialysis variability in blood pressure in hemodialysis patients. We performed a historical cohort study in 1,088 prevalent hemodialysis patients, followed up for 5 years. The risk of cardiovascular death was determined in relation to dialysis-to-dialysis variability in blood pressure, maximum blood pressure and pulse pressure. Variability in blood pressure was a predictor of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.242; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.004-1.537; p=0.046). Also age (HR=1.021; 95% CI, 1.011-1.048; p=0.049), diabetes (HR=1.134; 95% CI, 1.128-1.451; p=0.035), creatinine (HR=0.837; 95% CI, 0.717-0.977; p=0.024) and albumin (HR=0.901; 95% CI, 0.821-0.924; p=0.022) influenced mortality. Maximum blood pressure and pulse pressure did not show any effect on cardiovascular death. Dialysis-to-dialysis variability in blood pressure is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients, and blood pressure variability may be used in managing hypertension and predicting outcomes in dialysis patients.

Volatile organic compounds in a multi-storey shopping mall in guangzhou, South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jianhui; Chan, C. Y.; Wang, Xinming; Chan, L. Y.; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) specified in the USEPA TO-14 list were analysed in microenvironments of a multi-storey shopping mall in Guangzhou city, South China. The microenvironments studied include both indoor (department store, supermarket, fast-food court, electronic games room, children's playground, gallery and book store) and outdoor ones (rooftop and ground level entrance). The characteristics and concentration of VOCs varied widely in differing microenvironments. The average concentrations of the total VOCs in the indoor microenvironments ranged from 178.5 to 457.7 μg m -3 with a maximum of 596.8 μg m -3. The fast-food court and a leather products department store had the highest concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes and chlorinated hydrocarbons. A high level of 1,4-dichlorobenzene was found in all indoor microenvironments with an average of 12.3 μg m -3 and a maximum of 44.3 μg m -3. The ratios of average indoor to outdoor concentrations (I/O ratio) in all indoor microenvironments fell between 1 and 3, except an average of 24.6 and a maximum of 77.8 in the fashion department store for 1,4-dichlorobenzene. Indoor emission sources of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the shopping mall might include cooking stoves, leather products and building materials. Chlorinated hydrocarbons, however, were possibly connected with their use as cleaning agents or deodorizers.

Heart rate recovery in elite Spanish male athletes.

PubMed

Peinado, A B; Benito, P J; Barriopedro, M; Lorenzo, I; Maffulli, N; Calderón, F J

2014-06-01

During postexercise recovery, heart rate (HR) initially falls rapidly, followed by a period of slower decrease, until resting values are reached. The aim of the present work was to examine the differences in the recovery heart rate (RHR) between athletes engaged in static and dynamic sports. The study subjects were 294 federated sportsmen competing at the national and international level in sports classified using the criteria of Mitchell et al. as either prevalently static (N.=89) or prevalently dynamic (N.=205). Within the dynamic group, the subjects who practised the most dynamic sports were assigned to further subgroups: triathlon (N.=20), long distance running (N.=58), cycling (N.=28) and swimming (N.=12). All athletes were subjected to a maximum exertion stress test and their HR recorded at 1, 2, 3 and 4 min (RHR1,2,3,4) into the HR recovery period. The following indices of recovery (IR) were then calculated: IR1=(HRpeak-RHR1,2,3,4)/(HRmax-HRrest)*100, IR2=(HRpeak-RHR1,2,3,4)/(HRmax/HRpeak), and IR3=HRpeak-RHR1,2,3,4. The differences in the RHR and IR for the static and dynamic groups were examined using two way ANOVA. The RHR at minutes 2 (138.7±15.2 vs. 134.8±14.4 beats·min⁻¹) and 3 (128.5±15.2 vs. 123.3±14.4 beats·min⁻¹) were significantly higher for the static group (Group S) than the dynamic group (Group D), respectively. Significant differences were seen between Group D and S with respect to IR1 at minutes 1 (26.4±8.7 vs. 24.8±8.4%), 2 (43.8±8.1 vs. 41.5±7.8%), 3 (52.1±8.3 vs. 49.1±8%) and 4 (56.8±8.6 vs. 55.4±7.4%) of recovery. For IR2, significant differences were seen between the same groups at minutes 2 (59.7±12.5 vs. 55.9±10.8 beats·min⁻¹) and 3 (71.0±13.5 vs. 66.1±11.4 beats·min⁻¹) of recovery. Finally, for IR3, the only significant difference between Group D and S was recorded at minute 3 of recovery (72.2±12.5 vs. 66.2±11.5 beats·min⁻¹). This work provides information on RHR of a large population of elite Spanish athletes, and shows marked differences in the way that HR recovers in dynamic and static sports.

Occurrence and partitioning of bisphenol analogues in water and sediment from Liaohe River Basin and Taihu Lake, China.

PubMed

Jin, Hangbiao; Zhu, Lingyan

2016-10-15

Bisphenol analogues are widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, and the demand and production capacity of these compounds are growing rapidly in China. The occurrence and distribution of bisphenol analogues other than bisphenol A (BPA) in the aquatic environment is still poorly understood. In this study, nine bisphenol analogues were measured in water and sediment samples from Taihu Lake (TL), Liaohe River basin, including Liaohe River (LR) and Hunhe River (HR), China. Water samples from LR and HR contained much higher total bisphenols (∑BPs) concentrations. BPA and bisphenol S (BPS) were predominant with a summed contribution of 55, 75, and 75% to the ∑BPs in TL, LR, and HR waters, respectively. This suggests that BPA and BPS were the most widely used and manufactured bisphenols in these regions. In sediment, BPA was always predominant, with the next abundant compound bisphenol F (BPF) in TL and HR sediment, but BPS in LR sediment. The average field sediment-water partitioning coefficients (log Koc) were calculated for the first time for certain bisphenols and were determined to be 4.7, 4.6, 3.8, 3.7, and 3.5 mL/g for BPF, BPAP, BPA, BPAF, and BPS, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitation of 47 human tear proteins using high resolution multiple reaction monitoring (HR-MRM) based-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Tong, Louis; Zhou, Xi Yuan; Jylha, Antti; Aapola, Ulla; Liu, Dan Ning; Koh, Siew Kwan; Tian, Dechao; Quah, Joanne; Uusitalo, Hannu; Beuerman, Roger W; Zhou, Lei

2015-02-06

Tear proteins are intimately related to the pathophysiology of the ocular surface. Many recent studies have demonstrated that the tear is an accessible fluid for studying eye diseases and biomarker discovery. This study describes a high resolution multiple reaction monitoring (HR-MRM) approach for developing assays for quantification of biologically important tear proteins. Human tear samples were collected from 1000 subjects with no eye complaints (411 male, 589 female, average age: 55.5±14.5years) after obtaining informed consent. Tear samples were collected using Schirmer's strips and pooled into a single global control sample. Quantification of proteins was carried out by selecting "signature" peptides derived by trypsin digestion. A 1-h nanoLC-MS/MS run was used to quantify the tear proteins in HR-MRM mode. Good reproducibility of signal intensity (using peak areas) was demonstrated for all 47 HR-MRM assays with an average coefficient of variation (CV%) of 4.82% (range: 1.52-10.30%). All assays showed consistent retention time with a CV of less than 0.80% (average: 0.57%). HR-MRM absolute quantitation of eight tear proteins was demonstrated using stable isotope-labeled peptides. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time the technique to quantify 47 human tear proteins in HR-MRM mode using approximately 1μl of human tear sample. These multiplexed HR-MRM-based assays show great promise of further development for biomarker validation in human tear samples. Both discovery-based and targeted quantitative proteomics can be achieved in a single quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer platform (TripleTOF 5600 system). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Average blood pressure and cardiovascular disease-related mortality in middle-aged women.

PubMed

van Trijp, Marijke J C A; Grobbee, Diederick E; Peeters, Petra H M; van Der Schouw, Yvonne T; Bots, Michiel L

2005-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess which average blood pressure (BP) component (ie, systolic BP [SBP], diastolic BP [DBP], pulse pressure [PP], or mean arterial pressure [MAP]), is most strongly related to cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality and to evaluate whether the strength of the relation varies with follow-up time. This was a prospective cohort study. The studied cohort comprised a population of postmenopausal women (n = 7813) between the ages of 49 and 66 years of age, of whom four BP measurements were available, obtained at four different time points. Average BP, ie, the mean of the four measurements divided by the standard deviation, was entered in Cox proportional hazards models to facilitate direct comparison. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated adjusted for age, body mass index, presence of diabetes mellitus, smoking habit, and use of BP-lowering medication. In addition analyses were repeated in strata of follow-up time (10, 15, and 20 years). During a mean follow-up of 13.1 years, 463 CVD-related deaths occurred. For SBP and MAP the highest HR for CVD mortality were found; however, the confidence intervals (CI) overlapped (SBP: HR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.30 to 1.58; DBP: HR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.23 to 1.50; PP: HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.19 to 1.42; MAP: HR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.30 to 1.58). Analyses in strata of follow-up time did not show a difference in strength of the associations with increasing follow-up time. In this prospective follow-up study of postmenopausal women, SBP and MAP seemed to be strongest related with CVD-related death; however the CI of the HR overlapped.

Evaluation of T-111 forced-convection loop tested with lithium at 1370 C. [free convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devan, J. H.; Long, E. L., Jr.

1975-01-01

A T-111 alloy (Ta-8% W-2% Hf) forced-convection loop containing molten lithium was operated 3000 hr at a maximum temperature of 1370 C. Flow velocities up to 6.3 m/sec were used, and the results of this forced-convection loop are very similar to those observed in lower velocity thermal-convection loops of T-111 containing lithium. Weight changes were determined at 93 positions around the loop. The maximum dissolution rate occurred at the maximum wall temperature of the loop and was less than 1.3 microns/year. Mass transfer of hafnium, nitrogen, and, to a lesser extent, carbon occurred from the hotter to cooler regions. Exposed surfaces in the highest temperature region were found to be depleted in hafnium to a depth of 60 microns with no detectable change in tungsten content. There was some loss in room-temperature tensile strength for specimens exposed to lithium at 1370 C, attributable to depletion of hafnium and nitrogen and to attendant grain growth.

Racial Differences in Misclassification of Healthy Eating Based on Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24-Hour Dietary Recalls.

PubMed

Olendzki, B; Procter-Gray, E; Magee, M F; Youssef, G; Kane, K; Churchill, L; Ockene, J; Li, W

2017-01-01

To examine the agreement in nutrient intake and alternate healthy eating indices (AHEI) between a self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and 24-hour recall (24HR) measurements of diet by race, among urban older women. Cross-sectional observational study. Urban neighborhoods in Washington, DC, USA. Community-dwelling White and Black women aged 65 and older. In 2014 and 2015, 49 White and 44 Black older women were queried on diet using both FFQ and 24-hour recalls. The correlation coefficients of 55 nutrient intake measures and agreements on healthy eating classification between the two instruments were compared overall and by race. The mean correlation coefficient (rho) was 0.46 for Whites and 0.23 for Blacks. For 47 measures, rho was lower for Blacks. Whites had a strong correlation of ≥0.5 for 28 items, while Blacks had strong correlations for only 3 items. Based on FFQ, the mean (SD) of AHEI were 54.0 (10.3) for Whites and 45.9 (8.8) for Blacks (p<0.001). Based on 24HR, the mean (SD) were 43.9 (10.8) for Whites and 33.2 (9.6) for Blacks (p<0.001). Using 32 as the cutoff (40% of maximum AHEI score), 50% of Blacks and 14% of Whites were classified as eating unhealthy based on the 24HR, versus 2.6% and 0% based on the FFQ. The FFQ has limited ability to accurately assess nutrient intake among older Black women, and tends to underestimate racial differences in healthy eating. The FFQ should be further improved for use in racial disparities research of healthy eating in older age, using a larger sample of older women with racial and geographic diversities.

Effect of strength training on orthostatic hypotension in older adults.

PubMed

Brilla, L R; Stephens, A B; Knutzen, K M; Caine, D

1998-01-01

This preliminary study attempted to identify the frequency of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in community dwelling older adults who volunteered to participate in an 8-week, heavy-resistance, strength-training program. It also assessed the effect of the strength-training program on OH. From a larger study (n = 53) on high-resistance strength training in older adults (mean age 71.4 +/- 6.6 years), a subset of subjects (n = 24), mean age 71.0 +/- 5.8 years, was evaluated who met at least one criterion for OH. All subjects were tested for resting blood pressures (BP) and heart rates (HR) in the supine, sitting, and standing positions. Also noted was their response to orthostatism in rising from a cot after 10 minutes and rising from a chair after 5 minutes. The subset was not different from the overall group in gender ratio, age, or effect of medication on BP. The treatment was an 8-week strength-training program at 80% of their one repetition maximum. Significant changes (P < 0.05) were shown in supine diastolic BP (+3.2 mm Hg), sitting systolic BP (-3.9), and standing HR (+4.9 beats per minute). In response to the orthostatic challenge, significant (P < 0.05) improvements were shown in systolic BP (+9.7 mm Hg), diastolic BP (+4.7), and HR (+3.2 beats per minute) for the rise from chair, and in diastolic BP (+6.7 mm Hg) rise from the cot. These data show that OH is not uncommon (45%) in community dwelling older adults. A strength training program in older adults has little effect on resting BP, but elicits a positive adaptation to an orthostatic challenge.

Time-dependent alterations in serum NO concentration after oral administration of l-arginine, l-NAME, and allopurinol in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion

PubMed Central

Yanni, Amalia E; Margaritis, Eleutherios; Liarakos, Nikolaos; Pantopoulou, Alkisti; Poulakou, Maria; Kostakis, Maria; Perrea, Despoina; Kostakis, Alkis

2008-01-01

Objective To study the effect of oral administration of a nitric oxide (NO) donor l-arginine (l-Arg), a NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) and an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, allopurinol (Allo), on serum NO concentration and catalase activity after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats. Methods Male Wistar rats received per os l-Arg (800 mg/kg) or l-NAME (50 mg/kg) or Allo (100 mg/kg) 24 hrs, 12 hrs and 1 hr before underwent 1 hr occlusion of superior mesenteric artery followed by 1 hr of reperfusion (l-Arg(IR1), l-NAME(IR1) and Allo(IR1) respectively) or 1 hr occlusion followed by 8 hrs of reperfusion (l-Arg(IR8), l-NAME(IR8) and Allo(IR8) respectively). There was one group underwent 1 hr occlusion (I), a group underwent 1 hr occlusion followed by 1 hr reperfusion (IR1), a group subjected to 1 hr occlusion followed by 8 hrs of reperfusion (IR8) and a last group that served as control (C). Serum NO concentration and catalase activity were measured. Results After 1 hr of reperfusion serum NO concentration was elevated in IR1 and l-Arg(IR1) groups compared with group C but not in l-NAME(IR1) and Allo(IR1) group. Catalase activity was enhanced in l-NAME(IR1) group. Interestingly, serum NO concentration was increased after 8 hrs of reperfusion in all groups (IR8, l-Arg(IR8), l-NAME(IR8) and Allo(IR8)) compared with control while catalase activity did not show significant difference in any group. Conclusions The results of the present study show that NO concentration is elevated in serum after intestinal I/R and the elevation sustained after administration of l-Arg but not after administration of l-NAME or Allo after 1 hr reperfusion. However, after 8 hrs of reperfusion NO concentration was increased in all groups studied, focusing attention on its possible important role in a complicated situation such as intestinal I/R that involves intestine and other organs. Serum catalase activity does not seem to be affected by per os supplementation of l-Arg or Allo in intestinal I/R. PMID:18561519

The maximum aerobic power of the Temiars.

PubMed

Chan, O L; Duncan, M T; Sundsten, J W; Thinakaran, T; Noh, M N; Klissouras, V

1976-01-01

A settlement of Temiars, an aboriginal tribe residing in the north-eastern jungles of the Malay Peninsula, was selected for a study of their cardiorespiratory fitness. A step-test was used to elicit the Vo2max, V E max and HR max in a group of 19 boys aged 12 to 18 years and 6 men aged 19 - 40 years. The mean VO2max of the boys was found to be 45.9 +/- 6.9 ml-kg-1-min-1 compared with 45.6 +/- 5.4 ml-kg-1-min-1 for the men. The mean V E max, HR max and blood lactate levels were found to be 65.5 +/- 11.31/min and 69.2 +/- 23.71/min; 194 +/- 8 beats/min and 186 +/- 10 beats/min; and 79.8 +/- 13.4 mg% and 97.7 +/- 33.4 mg% respectively. These results are comparable to those obtained in urban populations as well as those found in other primitive communities. Telemetric monitoring of the routine daily physical activity of the men revealed that these jungle dwellers rarely tax their oxygen transport systems in their daily living and their cardiorespiratory functions were similar to communities who do not specifically train for physical fitness.

Epidemiology of urinary tract infections in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: An analysis based on a large sample of 456,586 German T2DM patients.

PubMed

Wilke, Thomas; Boettger, Bjoern; Berg, Bjoern; Groth, Antje; Mueller, Sabrina; Botteman, Marc; Yu, Shengsheng; Fuchs, Andreas; Maywald, Ulf

2015-01-01

This analysis was conducted to investigate urinary tract infection (UTI) incidence among Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Germany in a real-world setting and to identify risk factors associated with UTI incidence/recurrence. Our cohort study was conducted based on an anonymized dataset from a regional German sickness fund (2010-2012). A UTI event was mainly identified through observed outpatient/inpatient UTI diagnoses. We reported the number of UTI events per 1000 patient-years. Furthermore, the proportion of patients affected by ≥1 and ≥2 UTI events in the observational period was separately reported. Finally, three multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to identify factors that may be associated with UTI event risk or recurrent UTI event risk. A total of 456,586 T2DM-prevalent patients were identified (mean age 72.8years, 56.1% female, mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) of 7.3). Overall, the UTI event rate was 87.3 events per 1000 patient-years (111.8/55.8 per 1000 patient-years for women/men (p<0.001)). The highest UTI event rates were observed for those aged >89years. After 730days after first observed T2DM diagnosis, the proportion of women/men still UTI-event-free was 80.9%/90.2% (p<0.001). Most important factors associated with UTI risk in our three models were older age (Hazard Ratio (HR)=1.56-1.70 for >79years), female gender (HR=1.38-1.57), UTIs in the previous two years (HR=2.77-5.94), number of comorbidities as measured by the CCI (HR=1.32-1.52 for CCI>6) and at least one cystoscopy in the previous year (HR=2.06-5.48). Furthermore, high HbA1c values in the previous year (HR=1.29-1.4 referring to HbA1c>9.5%) and a poor kidney function (HR=1.11-1.211 referring to glomerular filtration rate (GFR)<60ml/min) increased the UTI event risk. Our study confirms that UTI event risk is high in T2DM patients. Older female patients having experienced previous UTIs face an above-average UTI risk, especially if these risk factors are associated with poor glycemic control and poor kidney function. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of stroke volume and exercise tolerance on peak oxygen pulse in patients with and without beta-adrenergic receptor blockers in patients with heart disease.

PubMed

Murata, Makoto; Adachi, Hitoshi; Oshima, Shigeru; Kurabayashi, Masahiko

2017-01-01

In a given individual, a consistent relationship exists between oxygen uptake (V˙O 2 ) and heart rate (HR) during exercise. The quotient of V˙O 2 and HR (V˙O 2 /HR) is called the oxygen pulse (O 2 pulse), and its value is dependent on stroke volume (SV). However, it is difficult to believe that the O 2 pulse would indicate the SV when HR has been modified as with the use of beta-adrenergic receptor blockers (BB). Until now, the effect of BB on peak O 2 pulse has not been precisely studied. We tried to clarify the effect of BB on the relationship between O 2 pulse and SV. Of 699 consecutive heart disease subjects who performed cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPX) from 2012 to 2014, we enrolled 430 subjects who had sinus rhythm and could perform CPX until exhaustion. One hundred and fifty-seven subjects were taking BB. SV was evaluated during CPX using impedance cardiography, and we compared the peak O 2 pulse with peak SV between patients without BB (Group A) and with BB (Group B). The HRs at rest and peak exercise in Group A were greater than those in Group B (74.4±13.0/min vs. 71.8±11.3/min, p<0.01, 134.9±21.7/min vs. 124.9±23.6/min, p<0.01, respectively). The regression line of the peak O 2 pulse against the peak SV was steeper in Group B than in Group A. When we divided the patients into two groups according to the average values of the peak SV and peak V˙O 2 , O 2 pulse/SV ratio in Group B above the average was greater than that in Group A, whereas it was similar in the two groups that were below average. We found that the increase in the O 2 pulse was disproportionately greater than the SV that was measured by impedance cardiography when a BB was used in patients with preserved SV and exercise tolerance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Insulation of Nitrocellulose Boiling Tubs at Radford Army Ammunition Plant

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

control system. The amount of steam usea for the on-boil cycle with the single-sensor autocontrol averaged 647 kg/hr (1426 lb/hr) (test 1, table 2...This was a reduc- tion of 210 kg/hr (463 lb/hr) over the manually controlled uninsulated tub. Steam usage with the single sensor autocontrol and...uninsulated tub. At times durin)g the on- boil cycle of tests I and 2, the temperature of the manual sensor was different from the autocontrol sensor indicating

Permeation-solid adsorbent sampling and GC analysis of formaldehyde.

PubMed

Muntuta-Kinyanta, C; Hardy, J K

1991-12-01

A passive method with membrane permeation sampling for the determination of time-weighted-average (TWA) concentration of formaldehyde in air is described. The sampling device was constructed by affixing an unbacked dimethyl silicone membrane to the base of a glass tube and by sealing the top with a rubber stopper. Formaldehyde permeates the membrane and reacts with 2-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine (2-HMP) coated on the surface of XAD-2. Sampling times from 15 min to 8 hr have been used. The formaldehyde-oxazolidine produced is thermally desorbed and determined by a packed column gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). The response of the monitor is directly proportional to the external concentration of formaldehyde over the concentration range 0.050-100 ppm. The permeation constant (the slope of the permeation curve) of the membrane is 0.333 mug ppm(-1). hr, and the detection limit of the method is 0.03 ppm for an 8-hr sampling period. Relative humidity (RH) (35-94%), temperature (0-82 degrees ) and storage period (0-25 days) do not affect the permeation process for sample collection. Moreover, potential chemical interferences, 10 ppm acetone or acrolein, respectively, have no detectable effect on the process. The method gives TWA concentration directly from the measurements, and the equipment is economical and convenient for personal or multi-location sample collections.

Emergence and predictors of alcohol reference displays on Facebook during the first year of college

PubMed Central

Moreno, Megan A; D’Angelo, Jonathan; Kacvinsky, Lauren E.; Kerr, Bradley; Zhang, Chong; Eickhoff, Jens

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the emergence of displayed alcohol references on Facebook for first-year students from two universities. Graduated high school seniors who were planning to attend one of the two targeted study universities were recruited. Participants’ Facebook profiles were evaluated for displayed alcohol references at baseline and every four weeks throughout the first year of college. Profiles were categorized as Non-Displayers, Alcohol Displayers or Intoxication/Problem Drinking Displayers. Analyses included logistic regression, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis and multi-state Markov modeling. A total of 338 participants were recruited, 56.1% were female, 74.8% were Caucasian, and 58.8% were from University A. At baseline, 68 Facebook profiles (20.1%) included displayed alcohol references. During the first year of college, 135 (39.9%) profiles newly displayed alcohol. In multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, university (University B versus A, HR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.28–0.77, p = 0.003), number of Facebook friends (HR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.09–1.28, p < 0.001 for every 100 more friends), and average monthly status updates (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.002–1.05, p = 0.033) were identified as independent predictors for new alcohol display. Findings contribute to understanding the patterns and predictors for displayed alcohol references on Facebook. PMID:24415846

Participation in sports clubs is a strong predictor of injury hospitalization: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Mattila, V M; Parkkari, J; Koivusilta, L; Kannus, P; Rimpelä, A

2009-04-01

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the nature and risk factors of injuries leading to hospitalization. A cohort of 57 407 Finns aged 14-18 years was followed in the Hospital Discharge Register for an average of 10.6 years, totaling 608 990 person-years. We identified 5889 respondents (10.3%) with injury hospitalization. The most common anatomical location was the knee and shin (23.9%), followed by the head and neck (17.8%), and the ankle and foot (16.7%). Fractures (30.4%) and distortions (25.4%) were the most common injury types. The strongest risk factor for injury hospitalization was frequent participation in sports clubs [hazard ratio (HR) in males 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7-2.0 and in females 2.3; 95% CI: 1.9-2.7], followed by recurring drunkenness (HR 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4-2.7 in males and 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2-1.6 in females) and daily smoking (HR 1.4; 95% CI: 1.3-1.5 in males and 1.43 95% CI: 1.2-1.5 in females). The association between injuries and sports clubs participation remained after adjusting for sociodemographic background, health, and health behaviors. Health behavior in adolescence, particularly sports club activity, predicted injury hospitalization. Preventive interventions directed toward adolescents who participate in sports clubs may decrease injury occurrence.

A multicenter study on the health-related quality of life of cataract patients: baseline data.

PubMed

Yamada, Masakazu; Mizuno, Yoshinobu; Miyake, Yozo

2009-09-01

This study examines the impact of cataracts on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and health events in the older population. The study population consisted of 439 unoperated cataract patients aged 60 years or older who visited any of the facilities affiliated with the Cataract Survey Group of the National Hospital Organization of Japan, which has been conducting a prospective multicenter cohort study on cataract patients. HR-QOL of the patients was assessed using the Japanese version of Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) and the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8). The health condition and health events of the patients were also investigated. The average age of the 439 patients enrolled (126 men and 313 women) was 73.0 +/- 7.1 years. There were 323 patients with comorbidities (73.6%), 81 of whom (23.7%) felt it was hard to visit the hospital owing to their visual impairment. In the previous year, 74 patients (16.9%) had experienced a fall and 14 (3.2%) had been in a traffic accident. Of those, 43.2% and 8.3% respectively answered that the falls and the accident could have been triggered by their visual impairment. When the patients were classified according to visual acuity, most of the VFQ-25 subscale scores declined significantly with decreasing visual acuity, whereas the SF-8 scores showed no significant change. The participants of this study were patients with unoperated cataract, and thus the decline of HR-QOL was modest. The survey of health events, however, revealed that the visual constraint has a certain impact on the daily lives of the older population.

Media exposure and marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents.

PubMed

Primack, Brian A; Kraemer, Kevin L; Fine, Michael J; Dalton, Madeline A

2009-01-01

We aimed to determine which media exposures are most strongly associated with marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents. In 2004, we surveyed 1,211 students at a large high school in suburban Pittsburgh regarding substance use, exposure to entertainment media, and covariates. Of the respondents, 52% were female, 8% were non-White, 27% reported smoking marijuana, and 60% reported using alcohol. They reported average exposure to 8.6 hr of media daily. In adjusted models, exposure to music was independently associated with marijuana use, but exposure to movies was independently associated with alcohol use. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Media Exposure and Marijuana and Alcohol Use Among Adolescents

PubMed Central

PRIMACK, BRIAN A.; KRAEMER, KEVIN L.; FINE, MICHAEL J.; DALTON, MADELINE A.

2010-01-01

We aimed to determine which media exposures are most strongly associated with marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents. In 2004, we surveyed 1,211 students at a large high school in suburban Pittsburgh regarding substance use, exposure to entertainment media, and covariates. Of the respondents, 52% were female, 8% were non-White, 27% reported smoking marijuana, and 60% reported using alcohol. They reported average exposure to 8.6 hr of media daily. In adjusted models, exposure to music was independently associated with marijuana use, but exposure to movies was independently associated with alcohol use. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research are discussed. PMID:19306219

40 CFR 461.73 - New source performance standards. (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... applied Chromium 6.24 2.70 Mercury 3.86 1.63 Silver 6.24 2.70 Zinc 1.19 0.53 Manganese 8.91 6.83 Oil and... times. (6) Subpart G—Nickel Impregnated Cathodes—NSPS. Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Metric units—mg/kg of nickel applied English units—pounds per 1,000...

Novel life-history data for threatened seahorses provide insight into fishery effects.

PubMed

Lawson, J M; Foster, S J; Lim, A C O; Chong, V C; Vincent, A C J

2015-01-01

Life-history variables for three incidentally captured species of seahorse (Kellogg's seahorse Hippocampus kelloggi, the hedgehog seahorse Hippocampus spinosissimus and the three-spot seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus) were established using specimens obtained from 33 fisheries landing sites in Peninsular Malaysia. When samples were pooled by species across the peninsula, sex ratios were not significantly different from unity, and height and mass relationships were significant for all species. For two of these species, height at physical maturity (HM ) was smaller than the height at which reproductive activity (HR ) commenced: H. spinosissimus (HM = 99·6 mm, HR = 123·2 mm) and H. trimaculatus (HM = 90·5 mm, HR = 121·8 mm). For H. kelloggi, HM could not be estimated as all individuals were physically mature, while HR = 167·4 mm. It appears that all three Hippocampus spp. were, on average, caught before reproducing; height at 50% capture (HC ) was ≥HM but ≤HR . The results from this study probe the effectiveness of assessment techniques for data-poor fisheries that rely heavily on estimates of length at maturity, especially if maturity is poorly defined. Findings also question the sustainability of H. trimaculatus catches in the south-west region of Peninsular Malaysia, where landed specimens had a notably smaller mean height (86·2 mm) and markedly skewed sex ratio (6% males) compared with samples from the south-east and north-west of the peninsula. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Air Pollution and Mortality in Chile: Susceptibility among the Elderly

PubMed Central

Cakmak, Sabit; Dales, Robert E.; Vidal, Claudia Blanco

2007-01-01

Objective The estimated mortality rate associated with ambient air pollution based on general population studies may not be representative of the effects on certain subgroups. The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of relatively high concentrations of air pollution on mortality in a general population sample and in the very elderly. Study design Daily time-series analyses tested the association between daily air pollution and daily mortality in seven Chilean urban centers during 1997–2003. Results were adjusted for day of the week and humidex. Results Daily averaged particulate matter with aerodynamic matter < 10 μm (PM10) was 84.88 μg/m3, sulfur dioxide was 14.08ppb, and carbon monoxide was 1.29 ppb. The 1-hr maximum ozone was 100.13 ppb. The percentage increases in nonaccidental mortality associated with an increase in PM10 equivalent to its mean were 4.53 (t-ratio 1.52) for those < 65 years and 14.03 (3.87) for those > 85 years. Respective values were 4.96 (1.17) and 8.56 (2.02) for O3; 4.77 (2.50) and 7.92 (3.23) for SO2; and 4.10 (2.52) and 8.58 (4.45) for CO. Conclusion Our results suggest that the very elderly are particularly susceptible to dying from air pollution. Concentrations deemed acceptable for the general population may not adequately protect the very elderly. PMID:17450219

Hemodynamic responses to dexmedetomidine in critically injured intubated pediatric burned patients: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Shank, Erik S; Sheridan, Robert L; Ryan, Colleen M; Keaney, Timothy J; Martyn, J A Jeevendra

2013-01-01

Because of ineffectiveness and tolerance to benzodiazepines and opioids developing with time, drugs acting via other receptor systems (eg, α-2 agonists) have been advocated in burn patients to improve sedation and analgesia. This study in severely burned pediatric subjects examined the hemodynamic consequences of dexmedetomidine (Dex) administration. Eight intubated patients with ≥20 to 79% TBSA burns were studied between 7 and 35 days after injury. After baseline measurements of mean arterial blood pressure and heart rhythm were taken, each patient received a 1.0 µg/kg bolus of Dex followed by an ascending dose infusion protocol (0.7-2.5 µg/kg/hr), with each dose administered for 15 minutes. There was significant hypotension (27±7.5%, average drop in mean arterial pressure [MAP] ± SD), and a decrease in heart rate (HR; 19% ± 7, average drop in HR ± SD). The average HR decreased from 146 beats per minute to 120. No bradycardia (HR < 60) or heart blocks were observed. In three patients, the MAP decreased to <50mm Hg with the bolus dose of Dex. Of the remaining five patients, three patients completed the study receiving the highest infusion dose of Dex (2.5 µg/kg/hr), whereas in 2 patients the infusion part of the study was begun, but the study was stopped due to persistent hypotension (MAP < 50mm Hg). These observations indicate that a bolus dose of Dex (1.0 µg/kg for 10 minutes) and high infusion rates may require fluid resuscitation or vasopressor support to maintain normotension in critically injured pediatric burn patients.

Prognostic Significance of Modified Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index (ALI) in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer_ Comparison with Original ALI.

PubMed

Kim, Eun Young; Kim, Nambeom; Kim, Young Saing; Seo, Ja-Young; Park, Inkeun; Ahn, Hee Kyung; Jeong, Yu Mi; Kim, Jeong Ho

2016-01-01

Advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI, body mass index [BMI] x serum albumin/neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]) has been shown to predict overall survival (OS) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). CT enables skeletal muscle to be quantified, whereas BMI cannot accurately reflect body composition. The purpose was to evaluate prognostic value of modified ALI (mALI) using CT-determined L3 muscle index (L3MI, muscle area at L3/height2) beyond original ALI. L3MIs were calculated using the CT images of 186 consecutive patients with SCLC taken at diagnosis, and mALI was defined as L3MI x serum albumin/NLR. Using chi-squared test determined maximum cut-offs for low ALI and low mALI, the prognostic values of low ALI and low mALI were tested using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Finally, deviance statistics was used to test whether the goodness of fit of the prognostic model is improved by adding mALI as an extra variable. Patients with low ALI (cut-off, 31.1, n = 94) had shorter OS than patients with high ALI (median, 6.8 months vs. 15.8 months; p < 0.001), and patients with low mALI (cut-off 67.7, n = 94) had shorter OS than patients with high mALI (median, 6.8 months vs. 16.5 months; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in estimates of median survival time between low ALI and low mALI (z = 0.000, p = 1.000) and between high ALI and high mALI (z = 0.330, p = 0.740). Multivariable analysis showed that low ALI was an independent prognostic factor for shorter OS (HR, 1.67, p = 0.004), along with advanced age (HR, 1.49, p = 0.045), extensive disease (HR, 2.27, p < 0.001), supportive care only (HR, 7.86, p < 0.001), and elevated LDH (HR, 1.45, p = 0.037). Furthermore, goodness of fit of this prognostic model was not significantly increased by adding mALI as an extra variable (LR difference = 2.220, p = 0.136). The present study confirms mALI using CT-determined L3MI has no additional prognostic value beyond original ALI using BMI. ALI is a simple and useful prognostic indicator in SCLC.

Reduced sleep duration and history of work-related injuries among Washington State adolescents with a history of working.

PubMed

Graves, Janessa M; Miller, Mary E

2015-04-01

The relationship between sleep and occupational injury risk has not been adequately explored for working adolescents. Data were analyzed from the 2010 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade public school students. Teens reported average school and weekend night sleep hours and history of work-related injury that received medical treatment. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between sleep duration and occupational injury. Of 4,144 working teens, 6.4% reported ever having an occupational injury. Teens who sleep ≤5 hr/school night had greater odds of a history of occupational injury than those sleeping 8 hr (OR:2.91, 95% CI:1.85-4.57). No significant association was observed for weekend night sleep duration. Reduced school night sleep was associated with increased odds of work-related injury in adolescents. Long hours and late night schedules may contribute to decreased sleep time and potentially have other health and developmental impacts for youth. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Laser damage of HR, AR-coatings, monolayers and bare surfaces at 1064 nm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garnov, S. V.; Klimentov, S. M.; Said, A. A.; Soileau, M. J.

1993-01-01

Laser induced damage thresholds and morphologies were investigated in a variety of uncoated and coated surfaces, including monolayers and multi-layers of different chemical compositions. Both antireflective (AR) and highly reflective (HR) were tested. Testing was done at 1064 nm with 25 picosecond and 8 nanosecond YAG/Nd laser single pulses. Spot diameter in the experiments varied from 0.09 to 0.22 mm. The laser damage measurement procedure consisted of 1-on-1 (single laser pulse in the selected site) and N-on-1 experiments including repeated irradiation by pulses of the same fluence and subsequently raised from pulse to pulse fluence until damage occurred. The highest picosecond damage thresholds of commercially available coatings averaged 12 - 14 J/sq cm, 50 percent less than thresholds obtained in bare fused silica. Some coatings and bare surfaces revealed a palpable preconditioning effect (an increase in threshold of 1.2 to 1.8 times). Picosecond and nanosecond data were compared to draw conclusions about pulse width dependence. An attempt was made to classify damage morphologies according to the type of coating, class of irradiating, and damage level.

U-Pb and Lu-Hf zircon geochronology of the Cañadón Asfalto Basin, Chubut, Argentina: Implications for the magmatic evolution in central Patagonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauser, N.; Cabaleri, N. G.; Gallego, O. F.; Monferran, M. D.; Silva Nieto, D.; Armella, C.; Matteini, M.; Aparicio González, P. A.; Pimentel, M. M.; Volkheimer, W.; Reimold, W. U.

2017-10-01

The Cañadón Asfalto basin, central Chubut, Argentina, comprises a volcano-sedimentary sequence related to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean during Mesozoic times. The Lonco Trapial, Cañadón Asfalto and Cañadón Calcáreo formations are the main units related to the evolution of this basin. The Las Chacritas and Puesto Almada members are distinguished in the Cañadón Asfalto Formation. LA-HR-ICP-MS U-Pb and Lu-Hf data on zircon were obtained on these units. The Lonco Trapial Formation gave a weighted average age of 172.3 ± 1.8 Ma. A pyroclastic level from the Las Chacritas Member gave a weighted average age of 168.2 ± 2.2 Ma. Two U-Pb concordant ages of 160.3 ± 1.7 Ma on a laminated tuffite and 158.3 ± 1.3 Ma on a pyroclastic level were obtained for the Puesto Almada Member. Two maximum depositional ages constrain the sedimentary provenance areas for the basin: 1) A sample from the Sierra de la Manea range, where a controversial unit related either to the Cañadón Asfalto or to the Cañadón Calcáreo formation occurs, gave an age of 176.6 ± 1.0 Ma. Two younger zircon crystals indicate that this unit may be related to the Cañadón Calcáreo Formation. 2) A sandstone with cross-stratification from the Puesto Almada Member gave a maximum depositional age of 173.6 ± 6.4 Ma. In terms of U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopes, two magmatic events are identified in central Patagonia: the Mamil Choique magmatic event characterized by negative εHf values around -5.0 and representing recycling during Permian times of Mesoproterozoic crust (TDM of ∼1.5 Ga), and the Cañadón Asfalto magmatic event with negative (-8.2) to positive (+4) εHf values and Meso- to Neoproterozoic TDM between 1.5 and 0.8 Ga. The younger event is characterized by three main cycles: C1 related to the Lonco Trapial magmatism, C2 to the Las Chacritas volcanism, and C3 to the Puesto Almada volcanism. These cycles are related with Marifil, Chon Aike and El Quemado formations volcanics events of Patagonia and the Neuquén Basin during the Mesozoic.

Studies on exercise physiology and performance testing of racehorses performed in Japan during the 1930s using recovery rate as an index.

PubMed

Hiraga, Atsushi; Sugano, Shigeru

2016-01-01

The history of research on the exercise physiology of racehorses in Japan dates back to the 1930s. A research report entitled "Studies on exercise physiology and performance testing of the racehorse", published in 1933 by Shigeo Matsuba and Torao Shimamura of The University of Tokyo, was epoch-making and the most important study in the history of equine exercise physiology in Japan. Research results were reported from 92 Thoroughbred racehorses in a large-scale project during the period of 1928 to 1932 at the Shimofusa Imperial Farm and the Koiwai Farm, which were the two greatest racehorse farms at that time. A total of 20 physiological variables were measured to evaluate the fitness of Thoroughbred racehorses before exercise (Pre), just after exercise (Post), 1 hr after exercise (1 hr), 2 hr after exercise (2 hr), and 3 hr after exercise (3 hr) in order to calculate their recovery rates as an index of fitness and performance. The percentage of the Pre value at 1 hr, 2 hr, and 3 hr was calculated. When the percentage of a variable reached 95-105% of the Pre value, the variable was considered to be recovered. The percentage of the total number of variables that were recovered for each time period was calculated, and an overall average was calculated from them; Matsuba and Shimamura proposed calling this overall average the "recovery rate", which could then be applied to evaluate each horse. The effects of training on racehorses were subsequently evaluated by measuring the various physiological variables and the recovery rate.

Autonomic mechanisms of muscle metaboreflex control of heart rate.

PubMed

O'Leary, D S

1993-04-01

Ischemia in active skeletal muscle induces reflex increases in systemic arterial pressure (SAP) and heart rate (HR), termed the muscle metaboreflex. When metaboreflex activation is maintained during postexercise muscle ischemia, SAP remains elevated; however, HR decreases. Why the HR responses differ with metaboreflex activation during exercise vs. during postexercise ischemia while the SAP responses are similar in each setting remains unclear. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) the increase in HR with muscle ischemia occurs predominantly via an increase in sympathetic activity, and 2) sympathetic activity to the heart remains elevated during post-exercise ischemia; however, HR decreases because of an increase in parasympathetic outflow. The muscle metaboreflex was activated in conscious dogs during treadmill exercise (3.2 kph, 0% grade) by progressively decreasing perfusion to the hindlimbs. Experiments were performed before and after muscarinic (atropine) or beta- (atenolol or propranolol) receptor blockade. In control experiments, once beyond the threshold for the reflex, the HR sensitivity of the muscle metaboreflex averaged -2.4 +/- 0.3 beats.min-1.mmHg-1 and the reflex open-loop gain averaged -3.2 +/- 0.3 (calculated as the ratio of the increase in HR or SAP to the decrease in hindlimb perfusion pressure beyond threshold). Atropine had no effect on either HR sensitivity (-2.7 +/- 0.4 beats.min-1.mmHg-1) or open-loop gain (-3.3 +/- 0.5, both P > 0.05 vs. control). However, pretreatment with beta-receptor antagonist significantly decreased both HR sensitivity (-0.7 +/- 0.1 beats.min-1.mmHg-1, P < 0.001) and open-loop gain (-1.9 +/- 0.3, P < 0.01). During postexercise ischemia, HR decreased while SAP remained elevated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Self-adaptive signals separation for non-contact heart rate estimation from facial video in realistic environments.

PubMed

Liu, Xuenan; Yang, Xuezhi; Jin, Jing; Li, Jiangshan

2018-06-05

Recent researches indicate that facial epidermis color varies with the rhythm of heat beats. It can be captured by consumer-level cameras and, astonishingly, be adopted to estimate heart rate (HR). The HR estimated remains not as precise as required in practical environment where illumination interference, facial expressions, or motion artifacts are involved, though numerous methods have been proposed in the last few years. A novel algorithm is proposed to make non-contact HR estimation technique more robust. First, the face of subject is detected and tracked to follow the head movement. The facial region then falls into several blocks, and the chrominance feature of each block is extracted to establish raw HR sub-signal. Self-adaptive signals separation (SASS) is performed to separate the noiseless HR sub-signals from raw sub-signals. On that basis, the noiseless sub-signals full of HR information are selected using weight-based scheme to establish the holistic HR signal, from which average HR is computed adopting wavelet transform and data filter. Forty subjects take part in our experiments, whose facial videos are recorded by a normal webcam with the frame rate of 30 fps under ambient lighting conditions. The average HR estimated by our method correlates strongly with ground truth measurements, as indicated in experimental results measured in static scenario with the Pearson's correlation r=0.980 and dynamic scenario with the Pearson's correlation r=0.897. Our method, compared to the newest method, decreases the error rate by 38.63% and increases the Pearson's correlation by 15.59%, indicating that our method evidently outperforms state-of-the-art non-contact HR estimation methods in realistic environments. © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

Personal coronary risk profiles modify autonomic nervous system responses to air pollution.

PubMed

Chen, Jiu-Chiuan; Stone, Peter H; Verrier, Richard L; Nearing, Bruce D; MacCallum, Gail; Kim, Jee-Young; Herrick, Robert F; You, Jinhong; Zhou, Haibo; Christiani, David C

2006-11-01

We investigated whether PM2.5-mediated autonomic modulation depends on individual coronary risk profiles. Five-minute average heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV, including standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals [SDNN], square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals [rMSSD], high frequency [HF]) were measured from 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiograms, and personal PM(2.5) exposures were monitored in a prospective study of 10 male boilermakers (aged 34.3 +/- 8.1 years). We used the Framingham score to classify individuals into low (score = 1-3) and high (score = 5-6) risk categories. Mixed-effect models were used for statistical analyses. Each 1-mg/m(3) increase in the preceding 4-hour moving average PM(2.5) was associated with HR increase (5.3 beats/min) and HRV reduction (11.7%, confidence interval [CI] = 6.2-17.1% for SDNN; 11.1%, CI = 3.1-19.1% for rMSSD; 16.6%, CI = 1.5-31.7% for HF). Greater responses (2- to 4-fold differences) were observed in high-risk subjects than in low-risk subjects. Our study suggests that adverse autonomic responses to metal particulate are aggravated in workers with higher coronary risk profiles.

Length estimations of presumed upward connecting leaders in lightning flashes to flat water and flat ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolzenburg, Maribeth; Marshall, Thomas C.; Karunarathne, Sumedhe; Orville, Richard E.

2018-10-01

Using video data recorded at 50,000 frames per second for nearby negative lightning flashes, estimates are derived for the length of positive upward connecting leaders (UCLs) that presumably formed prior to new ground attachments. Return strokes were 1.7 to 7.8 km distant, yielding image resolutions of 4.25 to 19.5 m. No UCLs are imaged in these data, indicating those features were too transient or too dim compared to other lightning processes that are imaged at these resolutions. Upper bound lengths for 17 presumed UCLs are determined from the height above flat ground or water of the successful stepped leader tip in the image immediately prior to (within 20 μs before) the return stroke. Better estimates of maximum UCL lengths are determined using the downward stepped leader tip's speed of advance and the estimated return stroke time within its first frame. For 17 strokes, the upper bound length of the possible UCL averages 31.6 m and ranges from 11.3 to 50.3 m. Among the close strokes (those with spatial resolution <8 m per pixel), the five which connected to water (salt water lagoon) have UCL upper bound estimates averaging significantly shorter (24.1 m) than the average for the three close strokes which connected to land (36.9 m). The better estimates of maximum UCL lengths for the eight close strokes average 20.2 m, with slightly shorter average of 18.3 m for the five that connected to water. All the better estimates of UCL maximum lengths are <38 m in this dataset

Reduced total and cause-specific mortality from walking and running in diabetes.

PubMed

Williams, Paul T

2014-01-01

This study aimed to assess the relationships of running and walking to mortality in diabetic subjects. We studied the mortality surveillance between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 2008, of 2160 participants of the National Walkers' and Runners' Health Studies who reported using diabetic medications at baseline. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were obtained from Cox proportional hazard analyses for mortality versus exercise energy expenditure (MET-hours per day, 1 MET·h ∼1-km run or a 1.5-km brisk walk). Three hundred and thirty-one diabetic individuals died during a 9.8-yr average follow-up. Merely meeting the current exercise recommendations was not associated with lower all-cause mortality (P = 0.61), whereas exceeding the recommendations was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.49-0.82, P = 0.0005). Greater MET-hours per day ran or walked was associated with 40% lower risk for all chronic kidney disease-related deaths (HR = 0.60 per MET·h·d(-1), 95% CI = 0.35-0.91, P = 0.02), 31% lower risk for all sepsis-related deaths (HR = 0.69, 0.47-0.94, P = 0.01), and 31% lower risk for all pneumonia and influenza-related deaths (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.45-0.97, P = 0.03). Running or walking ≥1.8 MET·h·d(-1) was associated with 57% reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) as an underlying cause of death and 46% lower risk for all CVD-related deaths versus <1.07 MET·h·d. All results remained significant: 1) adjusted for baseline BMI and 2) excluding all deaths within 3 yr of baseline. These results suggest that 1) exercise is associated with significantly lower all-cause, CVD, chronic kidney disease, sepsis, and pneumonia, and influenza mortality in diabetic patients and 2) higher exercise standards may be warranted for diabetic patients than currently provided to the general population.

Comparison of hemodynamic response to adrenaline infiltration in children undergoing cleft palate repair during general anesthesia with sevoflurane and isoflurane.

PubMed

Gunnam, Poojita Reddy; Durga, Padmaja; Gurajala, Indira; Kaluvala, Prasad Rao; Veerabathula, Prardhana; Ramachandran, Gopinath

2016-01-01

Systemic absorption of adrenaline often used for infiltration during cleft palate surgery leads to adverse hemodynamic responses. These hemodynamic responses may be attenuated by the volatile anesthetics. This study aims to compare the hemodynamic responses to adrenaline infiltration during isoflurane (ISO) and sevoflurane (SEVO) anesthesia. Sixty children aged between 9 months and 48 months, weighing between 8 kg and 20 kg, undergoing primary repair of cleft palate were randomly allocated into two groups: Group ISO - anesthesia maintained with ISO (2 minimum alveolar concentrations [MAC]) and nitrous oxide 50% and group SEVO - maintained on SEVO (2 MAC) and nitrous oxide 50%. Surgical site was infiltrated with 1 ml/kg of 1:200,000 solution of adrenaline with 0.5% lignocaine. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were noted at the end of infiltration and every 1 min for 5 min following infiltration. The percentage change of hemodynamic responses from baseline, following infiltration were compared between the two groups. There was no significant change in HR from baseline, and the response was comparable between the agents at all times. The blood pressure (BP) increased from baseline in both the groups but the increase was greater in SEVO than ISO group at 2 and 3 min after infiltration. The maximum change in HR from baseline (group ISO median 10.9% [interquartile range (IQR) 4.5-23.0] vs. group SEVO 26.5% [11.9-44.6]) was comparable in both the groups (P = 0.169). The maximum change in SBP was significantly greater in group SEVO than group ISO (42.8% [IQR 20.0-60.9] vs. 26.0 [11.3-44.5], P = 0.04). The incidence of significant change (>20%) of SBP, DBP, and MAP from baseline was significantly greater in group SEVO after infiltration and 1 min and 2 min after infiltration. There were no arrhythmias in any of the groups. Isoflurane results in greater attenuation of rise in BP during adrenaline infiltration compared to SEVO at similar MAC.

Relationship of Blood Pressure With Mortality and Cardiovascular Events Among Hypertensive Patients aged ≥60 years in Rural Areas of China

PubMed Central

Zheng, Liqiang; Li, Jue; Sun, Zhaoqing; Zhang, Xingang; Hu, Dayi; Sun, Yingxian

2015-01-01

Abstract The Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) panel recently recommended a systolic blood pressure (BP) threshold of ≥150 mmHg for the initiation of drug therapy and a therapeutic target of <150/90 mmHg in patients ≥60 years of age. However, results from some post-hoc analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies did not support these recommendations. In the prospective cohort study, 5006 eligible hypertensive patients aged ≥60 years from rural areas of China were enrolled for the present analysis. The association between the average follow-up BP and outcomes (all-cause and cardiovascular death, incident coronary heart disease [CHD], and stroke), followed by a median of 4.8 years, were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for other potential confounders. The relationship between BP (systolic or diastolic) showed an increased or J-shaped curve association with adverse outcomes. Compared with the reference group of BP <140/90 mmHg, the risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.698; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.989–3.659), cardiovascular death (HR: 2.702; 95% CI: 1.855–3.935), incident CHD (HR: 3.263; 95% CI: 2.063–5.161), and stroke (HR: 2.334; 95% CI: 1.559–3.945) was still significantly increased in the group with BP of 140–149/<90 mmHg. Older hypertensive patients with BP of 140–149/<90 mmHg were at higher risk of developing adverse outcomes, implying that lenient BP control of 140–149/<90 mmHg, based on the JNC-8 guidelines, may not be appropriate for hypertensive patients aged ≥60 years in rural areas of China. PMID:26426621

Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall (e-12HR): Comparison of a Mobile Phone App for Dietary Intake Assessment With a Food Frequency Questionnaire and Four Dietary Records.

PubMed

Béjar, Luis María; Reyes, Óscar Adrián; García-Perea, María Dolores

2018-06-15

One of the greatest challenges in nutritional epidemiology is improving upon traditional self-reporting methods for the assessment of habitual dietary intake. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative validity of a new method known as the current-day dietary recall (or current-day recall), based on a smartphone app called 12-hour dietary recall, for determining the habitual intake of a series of key food and drink groups using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and four dietary records as reference methods. University students over the age of 18 years recorded their consumption of certain groups of food and drink using 12-hour dietary recall for 28 consecutive days. During this 28-day period, they also completed four dietary records on randomly selected days. Once the monitoring period was over, subjects then completed an FFQ. The two methods were compared using the Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC), a cross-classification analysis, and weighted kappa. A total of 87 participants completed the study (64% women, 56/87; 36% men, 31/87). For e-12HR versus FFQ, for all food and drink groups, the average SCC was 0.70. Cross-classification analysis revealed that the average percentage of individuals classified in the exact agreement category was 51.5%; exact agreement + adjacent was 91.8%, and no participant (0%) was classified in the extreme disagreement category. The average weighted kappa was 0.51. For e-12HR versus the four dietary records, for all food and drink groups, the average SCC was 0.63. Cross-classification analysis revealed that the average percentage of individuals classified in the exact agreement category was 47.1%; exact agreement + adjacent was 89.2%; and no participant (0%) was classified in the extreme disagreement category. The average weighted kappa was 0.47. Current-day recall, based on the 12-hour dietary recall app, was found to be in good agreement with the two reference methods (FFQ & four dietary records), demonstrating its potential usefulness for categorizing individuals according to their habitual dietary intake of certain food and drink groups. ©Luis María Béjar, Óscar Adrián Reyes, María Dolores García-Perea. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 15.06.2018.

Relationships between heart rate target determined in different exercise testing in COPD patients to prescribed with individualized exercise training.

PubMed

Fabre, Claudine; Chehere, Baptiste; Bart, Frédéric; Mucci, Patrick; Wallaert, Benoit; Grosbois, Jean Marie

2017-01-01

It has been scientifically proven that pulmonary rehabilitation improves exercise tolerance and facilitates the carrying out of daily physical activities. To optimize the physical and physiological benefits, it is necessary to individualize the training intensity for each patient. The aim of this study is to compare the heart rate (HR) responses to three exercise modalities measuring aerobic fitness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, in order to easily prescribe individual target HRs for endurance training. Fifty COPD patients (mean age: 60.1±8.5 years) were included in the study. Each patient carried out a cardiopulmonary exercise test, a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and a 6-minute stepper test (6MST). During these tests, HR was recorded continuously. After the cardiopulmonary exercise test, the HR was noted at the ventilatory threshold (VT) and at the end of the two exercise field tests (6MWT peak and 6MST peak ). The values of the HR during the last 3 minutes of both field tests were averaged (6MWT 456 and 6MST 456 ). Finally, the HR at 60% of the HR reserve was calculated with the values of the HR measured during 6MWT and 6MST (HRr 60%walk , HRr 60%step ). The HRs measured during the 6MST were significantly higher than those measured during the 6MWT. The HRr 60%step was not significantly different from 6MWT 456 and 6MWT peak HR ( P =0.51; P =0.48). A significant correlation was observed between 6MWT 456 and 6MWT peak ( r =0.58). The 6MWT 456 and 6MWT peak HR were correlated with HRr 60%step ( r =0.68 and r =0.62). The VT could be determined in 28 patients. The HR VT was not different from 6MWT 456 , 6MWT peak , and HRr 60%step ( P =0.57, P =0.41 and P =0.88) and was correlated to 6MWT 456 , 6MWT peak , and HRr 60%step ( r =0.45, r =0.40, r =0.48). An individualized target HR for endurance training can be prescribed from the HR measured during routine tests, such as 6MWT or 6MST.

Pharmacokinetics of a long-acting ceftiofur formulation (ceftiofur crystalline free acid) in the ball python (Python regius).

PubMed

Adkesson, Michael J; Fernandez-Varon, Emilio; Cox, Sherry; Martín-Jiménez, Tomás

2011-09-01

The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of a long-acting formulation of ceftiofur crystalline-free acid (CCFA) following intramuscular injection in ball pythons (Python regius). Six adult ball pythons received an injection of CCFA (15 mg/kg) in the epaxial muscles. Blood samples were collected by cardiocentesis immediately prior to and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144, 192, 240, 288, 384, 480, 576, 720, and 864 hr after CCFA administration. Plasma ceftiofur concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. A noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was applied to the data. Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was 7.096 +/- 1.95 microg/ml and occurred at (Tmax) 2.17 +/- 0.98 hr. The area under the curve (0 to infinity) for ceftiofur was 74.59 +/- 13.05 microg x h/ml and the elimination half-life associated with the terminal slope of the concentration-time curve was 64.31 +/- 14.2 hr. Mean residence time (0 to infinity) was 46.85 +/- 13.53 hr. CCFA at 15 mg/kg was well tolerated in all the pythons. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data for bacterial isolates from snakes are not well established. For MIC values of < or =0.1 microg/ml, a single dose of CCFA (15 mg/kg) provides adequate plasma concentrations for at least 5 days in the ball python. For MICs > or =0.5 microg/ml, more frequent dosing or a higher dosage may be required.

Routine production of copper-64 using 11.7MeV protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, C. M.; Smith, S. V.; Asad, A. H.; Chan, S.; Price, R. I.

2012-12-01

Reliable production of copper-64 (64Cu) was achieved by irradiating enriched nickel-64 (64Ni, >94.8%) in an IBA 18/9 cyclotron. Nickel-64 (19.1 ± 3.0 mg) was electroplated onto an Au disc (125μm × 15mm). Targets were irradiated with 11.7 MeV protons for 2 hours at 40μA. Copper isotopes (60,61,62,64Cu) were separated from target nickel and cobalt isotopes (55,57,61Co) using a single ion exchange column, eluted with varying concentration of low HCl alcohol solutions. The 64Ni target material was recovered and reused. The 64Cu production rate was 1.46±0.3MBq/μA.hr/mg64Ni(n = 10) (with a maximum of 2.6GBq of 64Cu isolated after 2hr irradiation at 40uA. Radionuclidic purity of the 64Cu was 98.7 ± 1.6 % at end of separation. Cu content was < 6mg/L (n = 21). The specific activity of 64Cu was determined by ICP-MS and by titration with Diamsar to be 28.9±13.0GBq/μmol[0.70±0.35Ci/μmol]/(μA.hr/mg64Ni)(n = 10) and 13.1±12.0GBq/μmol[0.35±0.32Ci/μmol]/(μA.hr/mg64Ni)(n = 9), respectively; which are in agreement, however, further work is required.

Environmental Quality Research: Fish and Aufwuchs Bioassay

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-01

WSF) of JP-8 and the solution was renewed each day. Acute toxicity as assessed by the 96-hr LC 50 values was not significantly different over the pH...The 96-hr LC 50 of hydrazine to three-spine sticklebacks was 3.4 mg/i (nominal initial concentration) using 24 hr solution renewal, but the estimated...34spill," i.e., static bioassay with no hydrazine renewal, the 96-hr LC 50 to sticklebacks was 6.6 mg/k (95% confidence limits of 5.0 to 8.8 mg/k) based

Relative bioavailability of ondansetron 8-mg oral tablets versus two extemporaneous 16-mg suppositories: formulation and gender differences.

PubMed

Jann, M W; ZumBrunnen, T L; Tenjarla, S N; Ward, E S; Weidler, D J

1998-01-01

To compare the relative bioavailability of two 16-mg extemporaneously prepared suppository formulations with that of an 8-mg commercially available oral tablet. Prospective, crossover bioavailability study. Inpatient clinical research center. Sixteen young, nonsmoking, healthy volunteers. Blood samples were obtained 24 and 48 hours after administration of an 8-mg oral ondansetron tablet and 16-mg suppository, respectively. Two 16-mg suppository formulations were compounded using commercially available Fattibase and Polybase. Ondansetron was well absorbed by both routes of administration. The following pharmacokinetic parameters (mean+/-SEM) were obtained for the 8-mg tablet, 16-mg Fattibase suppository, and 16-mg Polybase suppository, respectively: area under the curve (AUC) in men 154.2+/-21.77, 253.4+/-72.3, 304.8+/-62.2 ng x hr/ml; AUC in women 353.6+/-32.7, 561.6+/-103.6, and 768.7+/-117.9 ng x hr/ml; maximum concentration (Cmax) in men 45.5+/-7.0, 40.6+/-10.4, and 51.2+/-6.7 ng/ml; Cmax in women 51.4+/-.8, 47.1+/-3.9, and 82.9+/-6.6 ng/ml. Times to Cmax (Tmax; mean+/-SEM) for men were 1.5+/-0.3, 4.4+/-0.5, and 2.9+/-0.3 hours; Tmax for women were 1.8+/-0.3, 4.1+/-0.4, and 4.4+/-0.6 hours for the three formulations, respectively. Women had a consistently higher AUC for all three formulations than men (p<0.05). With the exception of the 16-mg Polybase formulation in women, the two suppositories closely approximated the pharmacokinetics of the 8-mg oral tablet. These results suggest that gender may be a significant factor in ondansetron's disposition.

Association of Heart Rate Variability in Taxi Drivers with Marked Changes in Particulate Air Pollution in Beijing in 2008

PubMed Central

Wu, Shaowei; Deng, Furong; Niu, Jie; Huang, Qinsheng; Liu, Youcheng; Guo, Xinbiao

2010-01-01

Background Heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of cardiac autonomic function, has been associated with particulate matter (PM) air pollution, especially in older patients and those with cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of PM exposure on cardiac autonomic function in young, healthy adults has received less attention. Objectives We evaluated the relationship between exposure to traffic-related PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and HRV in a highly exposed panel of taxi drivers. Methods Continuous measurements of personal exposure to PM2.5 and ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring were conducted on 11 young healthy taxi drivers for a 12-hr work shift during their work time (0900–2100 hr) before, during, and after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Mixed-effects regression models were used to estimate associations between PM2.5 exposure and percent changes in 5-min HRV indices after combining data from the three time periods and controlling for potentially confounding variables. Results Personal exposures of taxi drivers to PM2.5 changed markedly across the three time periods. The standard deviation of normal-to-normal (SDNN) intervals decreased by 2.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), −3.8% to −0.6%] with an interquartile range (IQR; 69.5 μg/m3) increase in the 30-min PM2.5 moving average, whereas the low-frequency and high-frequency powers decreased by 4.2% (95% CI, −9.0% to 0.8%) and 6.2% (95% CI, −10.7% to −1.5%), respectively, in association with an IQR increase in the 2-hr PM2.5 moving average. Conclusions Marked changes in traffic-related PM2.5 exposure were associated with altered cardiac autonomic function in young healthy adults. PMID:20056565

Intravenous ketamine for subacute treatment of refractory chronic migraine: a case series.

PubMed

Lauritsen, Clinton; Mazuera, Santiago; Lipton, Richard B; Ashina, Sait

2016-12-01

Refractory migraine is a challenging condition with great impact on health related quality of life. Intravenous (IV) ketamine has been previously used to treat various refractory pain conditions. We present a series of patients with refractory migraine treated with intravenous ketamine in the hospital setting. Based on retrospective chart review, we identified six patients with refractory migraine admitted from 2010 through 2014 for treatment with intravenous ketamine. Ketamine was administered using a standard protocol starting with a dose of 0.1 mg/kg/hr and increased by 0.1 mg/kg/hr every 3 to 4 h as tolerated until the target pain score of 3/10 was achieved and maintained for at least 8 h. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores at time of hospital admission were obtained as well as average baseline VAS scores prior to ketamine infusion. A phone interview was conducted for follow-up of migraine response in the 3 to 6 months following ketamine infusion. The study sample had a median age of 36.5 years (range 29-54) and 83% were women. Pre-treatment pain scores ranged from 9 to 10. All patients achieved a target pain level of 3 or less for 8 h; the average ketamine infusion rate at target was 0.34 mg/kg/hour (range 0.12-0.42 mg/kg/hr). One patient reported a transient out-of-body hallucination following an increase in the infusion rate, which resolved after decreasing the rate. There were no other significant side effects. IV ketamine was safely administered in the hospital setting to patients with refractory chronic migraine. Treatment was associated with short term improvement in pain severity in 6 of 6 patients with refractory chronic migraine. Prospective placebo-controlled trials are needed to assess short term and long-term efficacy of IV ketamine in refractory chronic migraine.

A Performance Analysis of a Stand-Up Paddle Board Marathon Race.

PubMed

Schram, Ben L; Hing, Wayne A; Climstein, Mike; Furness, James W

2017-06-01

Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) is a rapidly growing sport and recreational activity in which little scientific research exists. A review of the literature failed to identify a single article pertaining to the physiological demands of SUP competition. The purpose of this study was to conduct a performance analysis of a national-level SUP marathon race. Ten elite SUP athletes (6 male and 4 female athletes) were recruited from the Stand Up Paddle Surfing Association of Australia to have their race performance in the Australian Titles analyzed. Performance variables included SUP speed, course taken, and heart rate (HR), measured with a 15-Hz global positioning system unit. Results demonstrated that there was a variation in distance covered (13.3-13.9 km), peak speed (18.8-26.4 km·h), and only moderate correlations (r = 0.38) of race result to distance covered. Significantly greater amounts of time were spent in the 5- to 10-km·h speed zones (p ≤ 0.05) during the race. Peak HR varied from 168 to 208 b·min among the competitors with the average HR being 168.6 ± 9.8 b·min. Significantly higher durations were spent in elevated HR zones (p ≤ 0.05) with participants spending 89.3% of their race within 80-100% of their age-predicted HRmax. Marathon SUP races seem to involve a high aerobic demand, with maintenance of near-maximal HRs required for the duration of the race. There is a high influence of tactical decisions and extrinsic variables to race results. These results provide a greater understanding of the physiological demands of distance events and may assist in the development of specialized training programs for SUP athletes.

Risk factors that predict severe injuries in university rugby sevens players.

PubMed

Mirsafaei Rizi, Rezvan; Yeung, Simon S; Stewart, Nathan J; Yeung, Ella W

2017-07-01

To investigate injury incidence and the influence of physical fitness parameters on the risk of severe injuries in players on rugby sevens university teams. Prospective cohort study. Rugby players from three universities (N=104; 90M:14F; 20.6±1.9years) were recruited before the beginning of the season. Players underwent pre-season assessments of power, strength, speed, agility, endurance, stability, and flexibility. Throughout the season, rugby-related injury and exposure data were collected. Potential predictor variables were analyzed using Cox proportional regression model to identify risk factors associated with severe injuries (time loss>28days). Thirty-one injuries occurred during the rugby season. The match and training injury incidence rates were 59.3 injuries and 3.3 injuries per 1000 player-hours, respectively. Lower limb injuries were most common and most severe. The ankle joint was the most prevalent site of injury, and ligamentous injury was most common (48.4%). Nine severe injuries were sustained resulting in an average time loss of 51.3±14.6days. Female (hazard ratio [HR]=8.35; 95% confidence intervals [CI]=2.01-34.8), slower (HR=3.51; 95% CI=1.17-10.5), and less agile (HR=2.22; 95% CI=1.26-3.92) players as well as those with hip flexors tightness (HR=1.12; 95% CI=1.00-1.25) were at significantly greater risk for sustaining severe injuries. Limited studies are available on risk factors associated with amateur rugby players in the Sevens version. The development of gender-specific injury prevention measures that emphasize speed and agility training, and improve hip flexor extensibility may be important to reduce the risk of severe injuries. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exposure data from multi-application, multi-industry maintenance of surfaces and joints sealed with asbestos-containing gaskets and packing.

PubMed

Boelter, Fred; Simmons, Catherine; Hewett, Paul

2011-04-01

Fluid sealing devices (gaskets and packing) containing asbestos are manufactured and blended with binders such that the asbestos fibers are locked in a matrix that limits the potential for fiber release. Occasionally, fluid sealing devices fail and need to be replaced or are removed during preventive maintenance activities. This is the first study known to pool over a decade's worth of exposure assessments involving fluid sealing devices used in a variety of applications. Twenty-one assessments of work activities and air monitoring were performed under conditions with no mechanical ventilation and work scenarios described as "worst-case" conditions. Frequently, the work was conducted using aggressive techniques, along with dry removal practices. Personal and area samples were collected and analyzed in accordance with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Methods 7400 and 7402. A total of 782 samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy, and 499 samples were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The statistical data analysis focused on the overall data sets which were personal full-shift time-weighted average (TWA) exposures, personal 30-min exposures, and area full-shift TWA values. Each data set contains three estimates of exposure: (1) total fibers; (2) asbestos fibers only but substituting a value of 0.0035 f/cc for censored data; and (3) asbestos fibers only but substituting the limit of quantification value for censored data. Censored data in the various data sets ranged from 7% to just over 95%. Because all the data sets were censored, the geometric mean and geometric standard deviation were estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Nonparametric, Kaplan-Meier, and lognormal statistics were applied and found to be consistent and reinforcing. All three sets of statistics suggest that the mean and median exposures were less than 25% of 0.1 f/cc 8-hr TWA sample or 1.0 f/cc 30-min samples, and that there is at least 95% confidence that the true 95th percentile exposures are less than 0.1 f/cc as an 8-hr TWA.

A model system for the evaluation of radioimmunoimaging of tumors

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

Koizumi, M.; Endo, K.; Sakahara, H.

1985-05-01

The authors have developed a simple model system that can be used to evaluate methods of radioimmunoimaging of tumors, using human chorionic gonadropin (hCG) as a model antigen, and a monoclonal antibody against hCG ..beta..-subunit as a model antibody. HCG was coated on a polystylene spherical bead with a quarter inch in diameter, and coated beads were washed extensively with phosphate buffered saline, and glycine acid buffer to remove the easily dissociable antigen. HCG-coated beads were put into the subcutaneous tissue on the back of mice. At 24 hr after the transplantation, when serum hCG was not detectable by themore » conventional RIA, radiolabeled antibodies were injected and its bio-distribution monitored. The %ID/g for the hCG coated beads increased to a maximum of 48 hr after the injection of radioiodinad antibody, whereas the %ID/g for most organs decreased with time. As a nonspecific antigen, beads coated with bovine serum albumin were transplanted and its uptake was as low as about one 50th of hCG-coated ones. The %ID/g of radioiodinated monoclonal antibody against human thyroglobulin (a nonspecific antibody) for hCG-coated beads was also negligible. Thus, the localization index (%ID of specific antibody / %ID of nonspecific antibody) reached to 15.0 at 24 hr, 35.5 at 48 hr and 57.8 at 96 hr after the injection. The biodistribution of In-111 labeled specific monoclonal antibody, prepared through the chelation with DTPA, demonstrated similar results with radioiodinated ones. This mouse model system that did not involve the use of tumors, yielded high localization index and reproducibilities and could be used to evaluate different methods for radiolabelng monoclonal antibodies.« less

Impact of persistence and non-persistence in leisure time physical activity on coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality: The Copenhagen City Heart Study.

PubMed

Schnohr, Peter; O'Keefe, James H; Lange, Peter; Jensen, Gorm Boje; Marott, Jacob Louis

2017-10-01

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of persistence and non-persistence in leisure time physical activity on coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. Methods and results In the Copenhagen City Heart Study, we prospectively followed 12,314 healthy subjects for 33 years of maximum follow-up with at least two repeated measures of physical activity. The association between persistence and non-persistence in leisure time physical activity, coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality were assessed by multivariable Cox regression analyses. Coronary heart disease mortality for persistent physical activity in leisure compared to persistent sedentary activity were: light hazard ratio (HR) 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-0.92, moderate HR 0.52; 95% CI 0.41-0.67, and high physical activity HR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.30-0.88. The differences in longevity were 2.8 years for light, 4.5 years for moderate and 5.5 years for high physical activity. A substantial increase in physical activity was associated with lower coronary heart disease mortality (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.52-1.08) corresponding to 2.4 years longer life, whereas a substantial decrease in physical activity was associated with higher coronary heart disease mortality (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.11-2.33) corresponding to 4.2 years shorter life than the unchanged group. A similar pattern was observed for all-cause mortality. Conclusion We found inverse dose-response relationships between persistent leisure time physical activity and both coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. A substantial increase in physical activity was associated with a significant gain in longevity, whereas a decrease in physical activity was associated with even greater loss of longevity.

Heart rate recovery after maximal exercise is blunted in hypertensive seniors.

PubMed

Best, Stuart A; Bivens, Tiffany B; Dean Palmer, M; Boyd, Kara N; Melyn Galbreath, M; Okada, Yoshiyuki; Carrick-Ranson, Graeme; Fujimoto, Naoki; Shibata, Shigeki; Hastings, Jeffrey L; Spencer, Matthew D; Tarumi, Takashi; Levine, Benjamin D; Fu, Qi

2014-12-01

Abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR) after maximal exercise may indicate autonomic dysfunction and is a predictor for cardiovascular mortality. HRR is attenuated with aging and in middle-age hypertensive patients, but it is unknown whether HRR is attenuated in older-age adults with hypertension. This study compared HRR among 16 unmedicated stage 1 hypertensive (HTN) participants [nine men/seven women; 68 ± 5 (SD) yr; awake ambulatory blood pressure (BP) 149 ± 10/87 ± 7 mmHg] and 16 normotensive [control (CON)] participants (nine men/seven women; 67 ± 5 yr; 122 ± 4/72 ± 5 mmHg). HR, BP, oxygen uptake (V̇o2), cardiac output (Qc), and stroke volume (SV) were measured at rest, at two steady-state work rates, and graded exercise to peak during maximal treadmill exercise. During 6 min of seated recovery, the change in HR (ΔHR) was obtained every minute and BP every 2 min. In addition, HRR and R-R interval (RRI) recovery kinetics were analyzed using a monoexponential function, and the indexes (HRRI and RRII) were calculated. Maximum V̇o2, HR, Qc, and SV responses during exercise were not different between groups. ΔHR was significantly different (P < 0.001) between the HTN group (26 ± 8) and the CON group (36 ± 12 beats/min) after 1 min of recovery but less convincing at 2 min (P = 0.055). BP recovery was similar between groups. HRRI was significantly lower (P = 0.016), and there was a trend of lower RRII (P = 0.066) in the HTN group compared with the CON group. These results show that in older-age adults, HRR is attenuated further with the presence of hypertension, which may be attributable to an impairment of autonomic function. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Heart rate at the onset of muscle contraction and during passive muscle stretch in humans: a role for mechanoreceptors

PubMed Central

Gladwell, V F; Coote, J H

2002-01-01

Previous evidence suggests that the heart rate (HR) increase observed with isometric exercise is dependent on different afferent mechanisms to those eliciting the increase in blood pressure (BP). Central command and muscle metaboreceptors have been shown to contribute to this differential effect. However, in experimental animals passive stretch of the hindlimb increases HR suggesting that small fibre mechanoreceptors could also have a role. This has not been previously shown in humans and was investigated in this study. Healthy human volunteers were instrumented to record BP, ECG, respiration, EMG of rectus femoris and gastrocnemius and contraction force of triceps surae. Voluntary isometric contraction of triceps surae elicited a significant HR change in the first three respiratory cycles at 40 % of maximum voluntary contraction whereas BP did not change significantly until after 30 s. This suggests that different mechanisms are involved in the initiation of the cardiovascular changes. Sustained passive stretch of triceps surae for 1 min, by dorsiflexion of the foot, caused a significant (P < 0.05) increase in HR (5 ± 2.6 beats min−1) with no significant change in BP. A time domain measure of cardiac vagal activity was reduced significantly during passive stretch from 69.7 ± 12.9 to 49.6 ± 8.9 ms. Rapid rhythmic passive stretch (0.5 Hz for 1 min) was without significant effect suggesting that large muscle proprioreceptors are not involved. We conclude that in man small fibre muscle mechanoreceptors responding to stretch, inhibit cardiac vagal activity and thus increase HR. These afferents could contribute to the initial cardiac acceleration in response to muscle contraction. PMID:11986394

Heart rate recovery after maximal exercise is blunted in hypertensive seniors

PubMed Central

Best, Stuart A.; Bivens, Tiffany B.; Dean Palmer, M.; Boyd, Kara N.; Melyn Galbreath, M.; Okada, Yoshiyuki; Carrick-Ranson, Graeme; Shibata, Shigeki; Hastings, Jeffrey L.; Spencer, Matthew D.; Tarumi, Takashi; Levine, Benjamin D.; Fu, Qi

2014-01-01

Abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR) after maximal exercise may indicate autonomic dysfunction and is a predictor for cardiovascular mortality. HRR is attenuated with aging and in middle-age hypertensive patients, but it is unknown whether HRR is attenuated in older-age adults with hypertension. This study compared HRR among 16 unmedicated stage 1 hypertensive (HTN) participants [nine men/seven women; 68 ± 5 (SD) yr; awake ambulatory blood pressure (BP) 149 ± 10/87 ± 7 mmHg] and 16 normotensive [control (CON)] participants (nine men/seven women; 67 ± 5 yr; 122 ± 4/72 ± 5 mmHg). HR, BP, oxygen uptake (V̇o2), cardiac output (Qc), and stroke volume (SV) were measured at rest, at two steady-state work rates, and graded exercise to peak during maximal treadmill exercise. During 6 min of seated recovery, the change in HR (ΔHR) was obtained every minute and BP every 2 min. In addition, HRR and R-R interval (RRI) recovery kinetics were analyzed using a monoexponential function, and the indexes (HRRI and RRII) were calculated. Maximum V̇o2, HR, Qc, and SV responses during exercise were not different between groups. ΔHR was significantly different (P < 0.001) between the HTN group (26 ± 8) and the CON group (36 ± 12 beats/min) after 1 min of recovery but less convincing at 2 min (P = 0.055). BP recovery was similar between groups. HRRI was significantly lower (P = 0.016), and there was a trend of lower RRII (P = 0.066) in the HTN group compared with the CON group. These results show that in older-age adults, HRR is attenuated further with the presence of hypertension, which may be attributable to an impairment of autonomic function. PMID:25301897

Crew factors in flight operations. 8: Factors influencing sleep timing and subjective sleep quality in commercial long-haul flight crews

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gander, Philippa H.; Graeber, R. Curtis; Connell, Linda J.; Gregory, Kevin B.

1991-01-01

How flight crews organize their sleep during layovers on long-haul trips is documented. Additionally, environmental and physiological constraints on sleep are examined. In the trips studied, duty periods averaging 10.3 hr alternated with layovers averaging 24.8 hr, which typically included two subject-defined sleep episodes. The circadian system had a greater influence on the timing and duration of first-sleeps than second-sleeps. There was also a preference for sleeping during the local night. The time of falling asleep for second-sleeps was related primarily to the amount of sleep already obtained in the layover, and their duration depended on the amount of time remaining in the layover. For both first- and second-sleeps, sleep durations were longer when subjects fell asleep earlier with respect to the minimum of the circadian temperature cycle. Naps reported during layovers and on the flight deck may be a useful strategy for reducing cumulative sleep loss. The circadian system was not able to synchronize with the rapid series of time-zone shifts. The sleep/wake cycle was forced to adopt a period different from that of the circadian system. Flight and duty time regulations are a means of ensuring that reasonable minimum rest periods are provided. This study clearly documents that there are physiologically and environmentally determined preferred sleep times within a layover. The actual time available for sleep is thus less than the scheduled rest period.

Barometric pressure change and heart rate response during sleeping at 3000 m altitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horiuchi, Masahiro; Endo, Junko; Handa, Yoko; Nose, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

We investigated effects of change in barometric pressure ( P B) with climate change on heart rate (HR) during sleep at 3000 m altitude. Nineteen healthy adults (15 males and four females; mean age 32 years) participated in this study. We measured P B (barometry) and HR (electrocardiography) every minute during their overnight stay in a mountain lodge at 3000 m. We also measured resting arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and evaluated symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) by using the Lake Louise Questionnaire at 2305 and 3000 m, respectively. P B gradually decreased during the night at the speed of approximately - 0.5 hPa/h. We found that HR during sleep decreased linearly as P B decreased in all subjects, with significance ( r = 0.492-0.893; all, P < 0.001). Moreover, cross correlation analysis revealed that HR started to decrease after 15 min following the decrease in P B, on average. SpO2 was 93.8 ± 1.7% at 2305 m before climbing, then decreased significantly to 90.2 ± 2.2% at the lodge before going to bed, and further decreased to 87.5 ± 2.7% after waking (all, P < 0.05). Four of the 19 subjects showed a symptom of AMS after waking (21%). Further, the decrease in HR in response to a given decrease in P B (ΔHR/ΔPB) was negatively related with a decrease in SpO2 from before going to bed to after waking at 3000 m ( r = - 0.579, P = 0.009) and with total AMS scores after waking ( r = 0.489, P = 0.033).

Comparison of energy expenditure and heart rate responses between three commercial group fitness classes.

PubMed

Wickham, James B; Mullen, Nicholas J; Whyte, Douglas G; Cannon, Jack

2017-07-01

The objectives of this study were to compare the energy expenditure and heart rate responses between three commercial group fitness classes (group resistance exercise [PUMP]; indoor stationary cycling [RIDE]; and step aerobics [STEP]). One-Way Repeated Measures incorporating a Latin Square Design for class randomisation. Ten participants (5 males and 5 females) completed each group fitness class in random order with energy expenditure and heart rate determined using an Actiheart monitor. STEP and RIDE produced significantly (p<0.05) higher average heart rates (HR avg ) (85.8±5.1% and 86.4±4.3% of HR max , respectively) compared to PUMP (73.7±7% of HR max ). HR peak was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in STEP and RIDE (97.1±4.7% and 95.6±4.5% of HR max, respectively) when compared with the PUMP class (90±5.9% of HR max ). Total energy expenditure (TEE), both absolute and relative, were significantly (p<0.05) higher for STEP (2101.7±560.2kJ and 0.59±0.07kJkg -1 min -1 ) and RIDE (1880.4±420kJ and 0.58±0.03kJkg -1 min -1 ) when compared with the PUMP class (1385.1±504kJ and 0.36±0.07kJkg -1 min -1 ). These data suggest that overall exercise intensity and energy expenditure was highly comparable between RIDE and STEP, which suggests these group fitness classes are more effective for developing cardiovascular fitness and assisting with weight management compared with group resistance exercise classes when performed on a regular basis. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Obstructive sleep apnea in Down syndrome: Benefits of surgery and noninvasive respiratory support.

PubMed

Dudoignon, Benjamin; Amaddeo, Alessandro; Frapin, Annick; Thierry, Briac; de Sanctis, Livio; Arroyo, Jorge Olmo; Khirani, Sonia; Fauroux, Brigitte

2017-08-01

Children with Down syndrome are at increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The aim of the study was to describe the management of OSA in a large cohort of children with Down syndrome. A retrospective analysis of sleep studies and consequent management was performed for all consecutive Down syndrome patients evaluated between September 2013 and April 2016. The data of 57 patients were analyzed: 51/53 had an interpretable overnight polygraphy and 4 the recording of nocturnal gas exchange. Mean age at baseline sleep study was 6.2 ± 5.9 years. Eighteen patients (32%) had prior upper airway surgery. Mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 14 ± 16 events/hr with 41 of the 51 (80%) patients having OSA with an AHI >1 event/hr and 20 patients (39%) having an AHI ≥10 events/hr. Consequently, eight patients (14%) had upper airway surgery. OSA improved in all patients except two who needed noninvasive respiratory support. Nineteen (33%) patients required noninvasive respiratory support. Mean age at noninvasive respiratory support initiation was 7 ± 7 years. On 11 patients with objective adherence data available, mean compliance at 2 ± 1 years of treatment was excellent with an average use per night of 8 hr46 ± 3 hr59 and 9 patients using the noninvasive respiratory support >4 hr/night. Noninvasive respiratory support was associated with an improvement of nocturnal gas exchange. The prevalence of OSA is high in Down syndrome. Upper airway surgery is not always able to correct OSA. Noninvasive respiratory support represents then an effective treatment for OSA and good compliance may be achieved in a majority of patients. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Barometric pressure change and heart rate response during sleeping at 3000 m altitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horiuchi, Masahiro; Endo, Junko; Handa, Yoko; Nose, Hiroshi

2017-12-01

We investigated effects of change in barometric pressure (P B) with climate change on heart rate (HR) during sleep at 3000 m altitude. Nineteen healthy adults (15 males and four females; mean age 32 years) participated in this study. We measured P B (barometry) and HR (electrocardiography) every minute during their overnight stay in a mountain lodge at 3000 m. We also measured resting arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and evaluated symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) by using the Lake Louise Questionnaire at 2305 and 3000 m, respectively. P B gradually decreased during the night at the speed of approximately - 0.5 hPa/h. We found that HR during sleep decreased linearly as P B decreased in all subjects, with significance (r = 0.492-0.893; all, P < 0.001). Moreover, cross correlation analysis revealed that HR started to decrease after 15 min following the decrease in P B, on average. SpO2 was 93.8 ± 1.7% at 2305 m before climbing, then decreased significantly to 90.2 ± 2.2% at the lodge before going to bed, and further decreased to 87.5 ± 2.7% after waking (all, P < 0.05). Four of the 19 subjects showed a symptom of AMS after waking (21%). Further, the decrease in HR in response to a given decrease in P B (ΔHR/ΔPB) was negatively related with a decrease in SpO2 from before going to bed to after waking at 3000 m (r = - 0.579, P = 0.009) and with total AMS scores after waking (r = 0.489, P = 0.033).

40 CFR 461.75 - Pretreatment standards for new sources (PSNS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... applied Chromium 6.24 2.70 Mercury 3.86 1.63 Silver 6.24 2.70 Zinc 1.19 0.53 Manganese 8.91 6.83 (4... Manganese 1.43 1.09 (6) Subpart G—Nickel Impregnated Cathodes—PSNS. Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Metric units—mg/kg of nickel applied English units—pounds...

40 CFR 461.75 - Pretreatment standards for new sources (PSNS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... applied Chromium 6.24 2.70 Mercury 3.86 1.63 Silver 6.24 2.70 Zinc 1.19 0.53 Manganese 8.91 6.83 (4... Manganese 1.43 1.09 (6) Subpart G—Nickel Impregnated Cathodes—PSNS. Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Metric units—mg/kg of nickel applied English units—pounds...

40 CFR 461.75 - Pretreatment standards for new sources (PSNS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... applied Chromium 6.24 2.70 Mercury 3.86 1.63 Silver 6.24 2.70 Zinc 1.19 0.53 Manganese 8.91 6.83 (4... Manganese 1.43 1.09 (6) Subpart G—Nickel Impregnated Cathodes—PSNS. Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Metric units—mg/kg of nickel applied English units—pounds...

Hydration and Thermoregulation During a Half-Ironman Performed in Tropical Climate

PubMed Central

Baillot, Michelle; Hue, Olivier

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the core temperature (TC) and markers of hydration status in athletes performing a half Ironman triathlon race in hot and humid conditions (27.2 ± 0.5°C, relative humidity was 80 ± 2%). Before and immediately after the 2012 Guadeloupe half Ironman triathlon, body mass and urine osmolarity (mean ± SD) were measured in 19 well-trained male triathletes. TC was measured before and after the race, and at each transition during the event, using an ingestible pill telemetry system. Ambient temperature and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the race. Mean ± SD performance time was 331 ± 36 minutes and HR was 147 ± 16 beats·min-1. Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) averaged 25.4 ± 1.0°C and ocean temperature was 29.5°C. The average TC at the beginning of the race (TC1) was 37.1 ± 0.7°C; it was 37.8 ± 0.9°C after swimming (TC2), 37.8 ± 1.0°C after cycling (TC3), and (TC4) 38.4 ± 0.7°C after running. Body mass significantly declined during the race by 3.7 ± 1.9 kg (4.8 ± 2.4%; p < 0.05), whereas urine osmolarity significantly increased from 491.6 ± 300.6 to 557.9 ± 207.9 mosm·L-1 (p < 0.05). Changes in body mass were not related to finishing TC or urine osmolarity. Ad libitum fluid intake appears applicable to athletes acclimatized to tropical climate, when performing a half Ironman triathlon in a warm and humid environment. Key points Ad libitum fluid intake appears applicable to athletes acclimatized to tropical climate when performing a half Ironman triathlon in a warm and humid environment. The final core temperature average was 38.8 ± 0.7ºC after the event in these triathletes and the athletes showed no evidence of heat illness while competing in a warm and humid environment. Core temperature was dependent on both activity and anthropometry. PMID:25983573

Association of working hours with biological indices related to the cardiovascular system among engineers in a machinery manufacturing company.

PubMed

Sasaki, T; Iwasaki, K; Oka, T; Hisanaga, N

1999-10-01

A field survey of 278 engineers (20-59 years) in a machinery manufacturing company was conducted to investigate the association of working hours with biological indices related to the cardiovascular system (heart rate variability, blood pressure and serum levels of magnesium, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and cholesterol). Average working hours (defined as <"hours at workplace" + "half a commuting time">) and sleeping hours in this study were 60.2 +/- 6.3 hr/week and 6.6 +/- 0.8 hr/day respectively. There were no significant relationships between working hours and biological indices related to the cardiovascular system, but sleeping hours was closely related to working hours negatively. Furthermore, the serum DHEA-S level was significantly related to sleeping hours positively. Combining these two results, it appeared that long working hours might lower the serum DHEA-S level due to the reduction of sleeping hours.

Sun Exposure, Vitamin D Receptor Genetic Variants, and Risk of Breast Cancer in the Agricultural Health Study

PubMed Central

Satagopan, Jaya; Sima, Camelia S.; Orlow, Irene; Mujumdar, Urvi; Coble, Joseph; Roy, Pampa; Yoo, Sarah; Sandler, Dale P.; Alavanja, Michael C.

2013-01-01

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests a negative relation between sunlight exposure and breast cancer risk. The hypothesized mechanism is sunlight-induced cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D. Objectives: Our goal was to examine sun exposure and its interaction with vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants on breast cancer risk. Methods: We examined sun exposure and breast cancer incidence among 31,021 private pesticide applicators’ wives, including 578 cases, enrolled in the prospective Agricultural Health Study cohort and followed 8.6 years on average. We estimated interactions between sun exposure, VDR variants, and breast cancer in a nested case–control study comprising 293 cases and 586 matched controls. Information on sun exposure was obtained by questionnaire at cohort enrollment. Relative risks were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression for the cohort data and conditional logistic regression for the nested case–control data. Results: We observed a small decrease in breast cancer risk in association with usual sun exposure of ≥ 1 hr/day (versus < 1 hr/day) 10 years before the start of follow-up among all participants [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6, 1.0]. The association appeared to be slightly stronger in relation to estrogen receptor–positive tumors (HR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5, 0.9) than estrogen receptor–negative tumors (HR = 1.1; 95% CI: 0.6, 2.1). The HR for joint exposure ≥ 1 hr/day of sunlight and one VDR haplotype was less than expected given negative HRs for each individual exposure (interaction p-value = 0.07). Conclusion: Our results suggest that sun exposure may be associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, but we did not find clear evidence of modification by VDR variants. Larger studies are warranted, particularly among populations in whom low levels of usual sun exposure can be more precisely characterized. Citation: Engel LS, Satagopan J, Sima CS, Orlow I, Mujumdar U, Coble J, Roy P, Yoo S, Sandler DP, Alavanja MC. 2014. Sun exposure, vitamin D receptor genetic variants, and risk of breast cancer in the Agricultural Health Study. Environ Health Perspect 122:165–171; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206274 PMID:24252436

Mortality Reduction for Fever, Hyperglycemia, and Swallowing Nurse-Initiated Stroke Intervention: QASC Trial (Quality in Acute Stroke Care) Follow-Up.

PubMed

Middleton, Sandy; Coughlan, Kelly; Mnatzaganian, George; Low Choy, Nancy; Dale, Simeon; Jammali-Blasi, Asmara; Levi, Chris; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Ward, Jeanette; Cadilhac, Dominique A; McElduff, Patrick; Hiller, Janet E; D'Este, Catherine

2017-05-01

Implementation of nurse-initiated protocols to manage fever, hyperglycemia, and swallowing dysfunction decreased death and disability 90 days poststroke in the QASC trial (Quality in Acute Stroke Care) conducted in 19 Australian acute stroke units (2005-2010). We now examine long-term all-cause mortality. Mortality was ascertained using Australia's National Death Index. Cox proportional hazards regression compared time to death adjusting for correlation within stroke units using the cluster sandwich (Huber-White estimator) method. Primary analyses included treatment group only unadjusted for covariates. Secondary analysis adjusted for age, sex, marital status, education, and stroke severity using multiple imputation for missing covariates. One thousand and seventy-six participants (intervention n=600; control n=476) were followed for a median of 4.1 years (minimum 0.3 to maximum 70 months), of whom 264 (24.5%) had died. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were generally well balanced by group. The QASC intervention group had improved long-term survival (>20%), but this was only statistically significant in adjusted analyses (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-1.07; P =0.13; adjusted HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59-0.99; P =0.045). Older age (75-84 years; HR, 4.9; 95% CI, 2.8-8.7; P <0.001) and increasing stroke severity (HR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.9; P <0.001) were associated with increased mortality, while being married (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99; P =0.042) was associated with increased likelihood of survival. Cardiovascular disease (including stroke) was listed either as the primary or secondary cause of death in 80% (211/264) of all deaths. Our results demonstrate the potential long-term and sustained benefit of nurse-initiated multidisciplinary protocols for management of fever, hyperglycemia, and swallowing dysfunction. These protocols should be a routine part of acute stroke care. URL: http://www.anzctr.org.au. Unique identifier: ACTRN12608000563369. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Idle emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles: review and recent data.

PubMed

Khan, A B M S; Clark, Nigel N; Thompson, Gregory J; Wayne, W Scott; Gautam, Mridul; Lyons, Donald W; Hawelti, Daniel

2006-10-01

Heavy-duty diesel vehicle idling consumes fuel and reduces atmospheric quality, but its restriction cannot simply be proscribed, because cab heat or air-conditioning provides essential driver comfort. A comprehensive tailpipe emissions database to describe idling impacts is not yet available. This paper presents a substantial data set that incorporates results from the West Virginia University transient engine test cell, the E-55/59 Study and the Gasoline/Diesel PM Split Study. It covered 75 heavy-duty diesel engines and trucks, which were divided into two groups: vehicles with mechanical fuel injection (MFI) and vehicles with electronic fuel injection (EFI). Idle emissions of CO, hydrocarbon (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO2) have been reported. Idle CO2 emissions allowed the projection of fuel consumption during idling. Test-to-test variations were observed for repeat idle tests on the same vehicle because of measurement variation, accessory loads, and ambient conditions. Vehicles fitted with EFI, on average, emitted approximately 20 g/hr of CO, 6 g/hr of HC, 86 g/hr of NOx, 1 g/hr of PM, and 4636 g/hr of CO2 during idle. MFI equipped vehicles emitted approximately 35 g/hr of CO, 23 g/hr of HC, 48 g/hr of NOx, 4 g/hr of PM, and 4484 g/hr of CO2, on average, during idle. Vehicles with EFI emitted less idle CO, HC, and PM, which could be attributed to the efficient combustion and superior fuel atomization in EFI systems. Idle NOx, however, increased with EFI, which corresponds with the advancing of timing to improve idle combustion. Fuel injection management did not have any effect on CO2 and, hence, fuel consumption. Use of air conditioning without increasing engine speed increased idle CO2, NOx, PM, HC, and fuel consumption by 25% on average. When the engine speed was elevated from 600 to 1100 revolutions per minute, CO2 and NOx emissions and fuel consumption increased by >150%, whereas PM and HC emissions increased by approximately 100% and 70%, respectively. Six Detroit Diesel Corp. (DDC) Series 60 engines in engine test cell were found to emit less CO, NOx, and PM emissions and consumed fuel at only 75% of the level found in the chassis dynamometer data. This is because fan and compressor loads were absent in the engine test cell.

IMPACT OF HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OPERATION AND LEAKAGE ON VENTILATION AND INTERCOMPARTMENT TRANSPORT: STUDIES IN UNOCCUPIED AND OCCUPIED TENNESSEE VALLEY HOMES

EPA Science Inventory

Forced-air heating and air conditioning (HAC) systems caused an average and maximum increase in air infiltration rates of 1.8- and 4.3-fold, respectively, during brief whole-house studies of tracer gas decay In 39 occupied houses. An average Increase in air infiltration rate of 0...

Metabolism of 1-nitropyrene in germ-free and conventional rats.

PubMed

Kinouchi, T; Morotomi, M; Mutai, M; Fifer, E K; Beland, F A; Ohnishi, Y

1986-04-01

The distribution, covalent binding and metabolism of radioactive 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) were examined following its oral administration to conventional and germ-free male Wistar rats. With both groups of animals, the liver, kidney, bladder, adipose tissue and gastrointestinal tract had the highest specific radioactivity. However, the maximum concentration of radioactivity occurred at 12 hr in conventional rats as compared to 24 hr in germ-free animals. This difference may be due to the faster transit time of the intestinal contents through conventional rats. At 48 hr after treatment, the covalent binding of 1-NP metabolites was greatest in liver and kidney of conventional rats, while in germ-free rats, substantial binding was also found in the gastrointestinal tract. The mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 of fecal extracts and urine from conventional rats was greater in the presence of an S9 mix, whereas similar extracts from germ-free animals were more mutagenic in the absence of S9. The major fecal metabolites in germ-free rats were (in order of decreasing concentration): 3-nitropyrenol greater than 1-NP greater than 4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1-NP greater than 6-nitropyrenol greater than 8-nitropyrenol. With the exception of 1-NP, similar metabolites were found in the urine as their glucuronide conjugates. In the feces from conventional rats, substantial nitro reduction and N-acetylation occurred with the major metabolites being: 1-NP greater than 1-aminopyrene greater than 8-acetylaminopyrenol greater than 6-acetylaminopyrenol greater than 3-acetylaminopyrenol. The major metabolites identified in the urine from conventional rats were glucuronide conjugates of 6- and 8-acetylaminopyrenol, while the major biliary conjugates identified were glucuronide conjugates of 4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1-NP and 3-, 6-, and 8-nitropyrenol, although the relative proportion of glucuronide conjugates of 6- and 8-aminopyrenol and 6- and 8-acetylaminopyrenol increased in later stages of the biliary excretion. The polar and beta-glucuronidase-refractory metabolites, which may be sulfate and glutathione conjugates, remain to be identified.

The effect of future reduction in aerosol emissions on climate extremes in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhili; Lin, Lei; Yang, Meilin; Xu, Yangyang

2016-11-01

This study investigates the effect of reduced aerosol emissions on projected temperature and precipitation extremes in China during 2031-2050 and 2081-2100 relative to present-day conditions using the daily data output from the Community Earth System Model ensemble simulations under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 with an applied aerosol reduction and RCP8.5 with fixed 2005 aerosol emissions (RCP8.5_FixA) scenarios. The reduced aerosol emissions of RCP8.5 magnify the warming effect due to greenhouse gases (GHG) and lead to significant increases in temperature extremes, such as the maximum of daily maximum temperature (TXx), minimum of daily minimum temperature (TNn), and tropical nights (TR), and precipitation extremes, such as the maximum 5-day precipitation amount, number of heavy precipitation days, and annual total precipitation from days ˃95th percentile, in China. The projected TXx, TNn, and TR averaged over China increase by 1.2 ± 0.2 °C (4.4 ± 0.2 °C), 1.3 ± 0.2 °C (4.8 ± 0.2 °C), and 8.2 ± 1.2 (30.9 ± 1.4) days, respectively, during 2031-2050 (2081-2100) under the RCP8.5_FixA scenario, whereas the corresponding values are 1.6 ± 0.1 °C (5.3 ± 0.2 °C), 1.8 ± 0.2 °C (5.6 ± 0.2 °C), and 11.9 ± 0.9 (38.4 ± 1.0) days under the RCP8.5 scenario. Nationally averaged increases in all of those extreme precipitation indices above due to the aerosol reduction account for more than 30 % of the extreme precipitation increases under the RCP8.5 scenario. Moreover, the aerosol reduction leads to decreases in frost days and consecutive dry days averaged over China. There are great regional differences in changes of climate extremes caused by the aerosol reduction. When normalized by global mean surface temperature changes, aerosols have larger effects on temperature and precipitation extremes over China than GHG.

Physiological Responses to On-Court vs Running Interval Training in Competitive Tennis Players

PubMed Central

Fernandez-Fernandez, Jaime; Sanz-Rivas, David; Sanchez-Muñoz, Cristobal; de la Aleja Tellez, Jose Gonzalez; Buchheit, Martin; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare heart rate (HR), blood lactate (LA) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) responses to a tennis-specific interval training (i.e., on-court) session with that of a matched-on-time running interval training (i.e., off-court). Eight well-trained, male (n = 4) and female (n = 4) tennis players (mean ± SD; age: 16.4 ± 1.8 years) underwent an incremental test where peak treadmill speed, maximum HR (HRmax) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) were determined. The two interval training protocols (i.e., off- court and on-court) consisted of 4 sets of 120 s of work, interspersed with 90 s rest. Percentage of HRmax (95.9 ± 2.4 vs. 96.1 ± 2.2%; p = 0.79), LA (6.9 ± 2.5 vs. 6.2 ± 2.4 mmol·L-1; p = 0.14) and RPE (16.7 ± 2.1 vs. 16.3 ± 1.8; p = 0.50) responses were similar for off-court and on-court, respectively. The two interval training protocols used in the present study have equivalent physiological responses. Longitudinal studies are still warranted but tennis-specific interval training sessions could represent a time-efficient alternative to off-court (running) interval training for the optimization of the specific cardiorespiratory fitness in tennis players. Key points On-court interval training protocol can be used as an alternative to running interval training Technical/tactical training should be performed under conditions that replicate the physical and technical demands of a competitive match During the competitive season tennis on-court training might be preferred to off-court training PMID:24150630

Thermoregulatory and Orthostatic Responses to Wearing the Advanced Crew Escape Suit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Stuart M. C.; Jacobs, Tamara N.; McDaniel, Angela; Schneider, Suzanne M.

2006-01-01

Current NASA flight rules limit the maximum cabin temperature (23.9 C) during re-entry and landing to protect crewmembers from heat stress while wearing the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) and Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG). The primary purpose of this ground-based project was to determine whether the LCG could provide adequate cooling if ambient temperature reached 26.7 "C. The secondary objective was to determine whether there would be a graded effect of ambient temperature profiles with maximum temperatures of 23.9 (LO), 26.7 (MPD), and 29.4 C (HI). METHODS: Eight subjects underwent a 5-h temperature profile (22.8,26.7 C) in an environmental chamber while wearing the ACES and LCG. Subjects controlled the amount of cooling provided by the LCG. Core (T(sub core)),skin temperatures (T(sub sk)) and heart rate (HR) were measured every 15-min. A 10-minute stand test was administered pre- and post-chamber. Additionally, 4 subjects underwent the three 5-h temperature profiles (LO, MID, and HI) with the same measurements. RESULTS: In the 8 subjects completing the MID profile, T(sub core), and T(sub sk) decreased from the start' to the end of the chamber stay. Subjects completed the stand test without signs of orthostatic intolerance. In the 4 subjects who underwent all 3 profiles, there was no discernible pattern in T(sub core), T(sub sk), and HR responses across the temperature profiles. CONCLUSIONS: In the range of temperatures tested, subjects were able to sufficiently utilize the self-selected cooling to avoid any potential deleterious effects of wearing the ACES. However, these subjects were not microgravity exposed, which has been suggested to impair thermoregulation.

Effect of grapefruit juice or cimetidine coadministration on albendazole bioavailability.

PubMed

Nagy, J; Schipper, H G; Koopmans, R P; Butter, J J; Van Boxtel, C J; Kager, P A

2002-03-01

The assumed metabolic breakdown of albendazole by mucosal CYP3A4 enzymes was studied by coadministering albendazole (10 mg/kg) with grapefruit juice. Concentrations of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSX), the active metabolite of albendazole, were compared with those after albendazole was administered with water, a fatty meal, or grapefruit juice plus cimetidine (10 mg/kg). In comparison to water, maximum ABZSX concentration (Cmax) was enhanced 6.5-fold by a fatty meal (from 0.24 +/- 0.09 mg/l to 1.55 +/- 0.30 mg/l; mean +/- SD; P < 0.001) and 3.2-fold by grapefruit juice (from 0.24 +/- 0.09 mg/l to 0.76 +/- 0.37 mg/L; P = 0.031). When grapefruit juice was combined with cimetidine, Cmax was significantly lower than with grapefruit juice alone (0.41 +/- 0.29 mg/l and 0.76 +/- 0.37 mg/l, respectively; P = 0.022). The area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to infinity (AUC(0-omega)) followed a comparable pattern. Half-life (T(1/2)) was 8.8 +/- 4.2 hr and 8.2 +/- 4.3 hr after administration with water or a fatty meal (P = 1.000). Grapefruit juice shortened T(1/2) by 46% (P = 0.026). We hypothesize that albendazole is metabolized by CYP3A4 enzymes in the intestinal mucosa. This process can be inhibited by grapefruit juice. Cimetidine decreased albendazole bioavailability.

Noninvasive assessment of autonomic activity for evaluation of pain in calves, using surgical castration as a model.

PubMed

Stewart, M; Verkerk, G A; Stafford, K J; Schaefer, A L; Webster, J R

2010-08-01

The role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in mediating eye temperature responses during painful procedures was examined in thirty 4-mo-old bull calves randomly assigned to 4 treatments: 1) sham handling control (C; n=8), 2) surgical castration (SC; n=6), 3) local anesthesia with sham handling (LAC; n=8), and 4) local anesthesia with surgical castration (LASC; n=8). Maximum eye temperature ( degrees C), measured by infrared thermography, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded continuously from 25 min before to 20 min after castration. The HRV was analyzed by examining segments of 512 interbeat intervals before and after treatments and comparing the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), high and low frequency (HF and LF, respectively) power, and the ratio of LF and HF powers (LF:HF). Jugular blood samples were analyzed for norepinephrine and epinephrine in C and SC treatments and for cortisol during all treatments. There was an immediate increase in HR following castration in SC (+15.3+/-2.8 beats/min) and LASC (+6.3+/-2.4 beats/min) calves. Eye temperature increased during the 20-min observation period in SC and LASC calves (+0.47+/-0.05 degrees C and +0.28+/-0.05 degrees C, respectively), and there was a small increase in C calves (+0.10+/-0.05 degrees C). Following castration in SC calves, there was an increase in RMSSD (+25.8+/-6.4) and HF power (+11.0+/-6.5) and LF:HF decreased (-2.1+/-0.7). Following castration in LASC, there was an increase in RMSSD (+18.1+/-4.9) and a decrease in LF power (-10.2+/-5.0). Cortisol increased above baseline within 15 min following treatment in both castrated groups, but was greater for SC calves (+18.4+/-2.3 ng/mL) than for LASC calves (+11.1+/-1.9 ng/mL). After castration, norepinephrine increased 3-fold and epinephrine increased by half in SC calves but not in C calves. There were no changes in HR, HRV, or cortisol responses to C or LAC treatments. Local anesthetic reduced, but did not eliminate, responses to surgical castration. The synchronized increase in catecholamine and HR responses immediately following SC treatment suggests the initial response was mediated by the sympathetic branch of the ANS. The subsequent changes in RMSSD, HF power, and LF:HF ratio indicated this was followed by an increase in parasympathetic activity. The use of HR, HRV, and infrared thermography measurements together provide a noninvasive means to assess ANS responses as indicators of acute pain in cattle. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of small field radiotherapy dosimetry for spinal metastase case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rofikoh, Wibowo, W. E.; Pawiro, S. A.

2017-07-01

The main objective of this study was to know dose profile of small field radiotherapy in the spinal metastase case with source axis distance (SAD) techniques. In addition, we evaluated and compared the dose planning of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and conventional techniques to measurements with Exradin A16 and Gafchromic EBT3 film dosimeters. The results showed that film EBT3 had a highest precision and accuracy with the average of the standard deviation of ±1.7 and maximum discrepancy of 2.6 %. In addition, the average value of Full Wave Half Maximum (FWHM) and its largest deviation in small field size of 0.8 x 0.8 cm2 are 0.82 cm and 16.3 % respectively, while it was found around 2.36 cm and 3 % for the field size of 2.4 x 2.4 cm2. The comparison between penumbra width and the collimation was around of 37.1 % for the field size of 0.8 x 0.8 cm2, while it was found of 12.4 % for the field size of 2.4 x 2.4 cm2.

Effects of voluntary exercise on spontaneous physical activity and food consumption in mice: Results from an artificial selection experiment.

PubMed

Copes, Lynn E; Schutz, Heidi; Dlugosz, Elizabeth M; Acosta, Wendy; Chappell, Mark A; Garland, Theodore

2015-10-01

We evaluated the effect of voluntary exercise on spontaneous physical activity (SPA) and food consumption in mice from 4 replicate lines bred for 57 generations for high voluntary wheel running (HR) and from 4 non-selected control (C) lines. Beginning at ~24 days of age, mice were housed in standard cages or in cages with attached wheels. Wheel activity and SPA were monitored in 1-min intervals. Data from the 8th week of the experiment were analyzed because mice were sexually mature and had plateaued in body mass, weekly wheel running distance, SPA, and food consumption. Body mass, length, and masses of the retroperitoneal fat pad, liver, and heart were recorded after the 13th week. SPA of both HR and C mice decreased with wheel access, due to reductions in both duration and average intensity of SPA. However, total activity duration (SPA+wheel running; min/day) was ~1/3 greater when mice were housed with wheels, and food consumption was significantly increased. Overall, food consumption in both HR and C mice was more strongly affected by wheel running than by SPA. Duration of wheel running had a stronger effect than average speed, but the opposite was true for SPA. With body mass as a covariate, chronic wheel access significantly reduced fat pad mass and increased heart mass in both HR and C mice. Given that both HR and C mice housed with wheels had increased food consumption, the energetic cost of wheel running was not fully compensated by concomitant reductions in SPA. The experiment demonstrates that both duration and intensity of both wheel running and SPA were significant predictors of food consumption. This sort of detailed analysis of the effects of different aspects of physical activity on food consumption has not previously been reported for a non-human animal, and it sets the stage for longitudinal examination of energy balance and its components in rodent models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reconnaissance for uranium and thorium in Alaska, 1954

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matzko, John J.; Bates, Robert G.

1957-01-01

During 1954 reconnaissance investigations to locate minable deposits of uranium and thorium in Alaska were unsuccessful. Areas examined, from which prospectors had submitted radioactive samples, include Cap Yakataga, Kodiak Island, and Shirley Lake. Unconcentrated gravels from the beach at Cape Yakataga average about 0.001 percent equivalent uranium. Uranothorianite has been identified by X-ray diffraction data and is the principal source of radioactivity in the Cape Yakataga beach sands studied; but the zircon, monazite, and uranothorite are also radioactive. The black, opaque uranothorianite generally occurs as minute euhedral cubs, the majority of which will pass through a 100-mesh screen. The bedrock source of the radioactive samples from Kodiak Island was not found; the maximum radioactivity of samples from the Shirley Lake area was equivalent to about 0.02 percent uranium. Radiometric traverses of the 460-foot level of the Garnet shaft of the Nixon Fork mine in the Nixon Fork mining district indicated a maximum of 0.15 mr/hr. In the Hot Springs district, drill hole concentrates of gravels examined contained a maximum of 0.03 percent equivalent uranium. A radioactivity anomaly noted during the Survey's airborne reconnaissance of portions of the Territory during 1954 is located in the Fairhaven district. A ground check disclosed that the radioactivity was due to accessory minerals in the granitic rock.

Effect of training mode on post-exercise heart rate recovery of trained cyclists.

PubMed

McDonald, Kelia G; Grote, Silvie; Shoepe, Todd C

2014-06-28

The sympathetic nervous system dominates the regulation of body functions during exercise. Therefore after exercise, the sympathetic nervous system withdraws and the parasympathetic nervous system helps the body return to a resting state. In the examination of this relationship, the purpose of this study was to compare recovery heart rates (HR) of anaerobically versus aerobically trained cyclists. With all values given as means ± SD, anaerobically trained track cyclists (n=10, age=25.9 ± 6.0 yrs, body mass=82.7 ± 7.1 kg, body fat=10.0 ± 6.3%) and aerobically trained road cyclists (n=15, age=39.9 ± 8.5 yrs, body mass=75.3 ± 9.9 kg, body fat=13.1 ± 4.5%) underwent a maximal oxygen uptake test. Heart rate recovery was examined on a relative basis using heart rate reserve as well as the absolute difference between maximum HR and each of two recovery HRs. The post-exercise change in HR at minute one for the track cyclists and road cyclists respectively were 22 ± 8 bpm and 25 ± 12 bpm. At minute two, the mean drop for track cyclists was significantly (p<0.05) greater than the road cyclists (52 ± 15 bpm and 64 ± 11 bpm). Training mode showed statistically significant effects on the speed of heart rate recovery in trained cyclists. Greater variability in recovery heart rate at minute two versus minute one suggests that the heart rate should be monitored longer than one minute of recovery for a better analysis of post-exercise autonomic shift.

Determination of concentration factors for Cs-137 and Ra-226 in the mullet species Chelon labrosus (Mugilidae) from the South Adriatic Sea.

PubMed

Antovic, Ivanka; Antovic, Nevenka M

2011-07-01

Concentration factors for Cs-137 and Ra-226 transfer from seawater, and dried sediment or mud with detritus, have been determined for whole, fresh weight, Chelon labrosus individuals and selected organs. Cesium was detected in 5 of 22 fish individuals, and its activity ranged from 1.0 to 1.6 Bq kg(-1). Radium was detected in all fish, and ranged from 0.4 to 2.1 Bq kg(-1), with an arithmetic mean of 1.0 Bq kg(-1). In regards to fish organs, cesium activity concentration was highest in muscles (maximum - 3.7 Bq kg(-1)), while radium was highest in skeletons (maximum - 25 Bq kg(-1)). Among cesium concentration factors, those for muscles were the highest (from seawater - an average of 47, from sediment - an average of 3.3, from mud with detritus - an average of 0.8). Radium concentration factors were the highest for skeleton (from seawater - an average of 130, from sediment - an average of 1.8, from mud with detritus - an average of 1.5). Additionally, annual intake of cesium and radium by human adults consuming muscles of this fish species has been estimated to provide, in aggregate, an effective dose of about 4.1 μSv y(-1). 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical activity in preschool children: comparison between Montessori and traditional preschools

PubMed Central

Pate, Russell R.; O’Neill, Jennifer R.; Byun, Wonwoo; McIver, Kerry L.; Dowda, Marsha; Brown, William H.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Little is known about the influence of Montessori methods on children’s physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study compared PA of children attending Montessori and traditional preschools. METHODS We enrolled 301 children in 9 Montessori and 8 traditional preschools in Columbia, South Carolina. PA was measured by accelerometry on weekdays during preschool (In-School), non-school (Non-School) and all day (All Day). Minutes/hour of light, moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) and total PA (light + MVPA) were calculated. RESULTS Children attending Montessori preschools accumulated more In-School light (7.7 vs. 6.5 min/hr), MVPA (7.7 vs. 6.5 min/hr) and total PA (15.4 vs. 13.0 min/hr) than children attending traditional preschools, after adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, parent education and neighborhood poverty index. For Non-School (8.5 vs. 6.2 min/hr) and All Day (8.5 vs. 7.6 min/hr), children in Montessori preschools accumulated more MVPA than children in traditional preschools. In-School PA was higher for children in private Montessori than public Montessori preschools (8.1 vs. 7.0 min/hr; 8.1 vs. 6.7 min/hr; 16.1 vs. 13.6 min/hr, for light, MVPA, and total PA, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Children attending Montessori preschools were more active than children attending traditional preschools. Adopting the Montessori system may be an important strategy for promoting PA in children. PMID:25274171

Effects of delayed laboratory processing on platelet serotonin levels.

PubMed

Sanner, Jennifer E; Frazier, Lorraine; Udtha, Malini

2013-01-01

Despite the availability of established guidelines for measuring platelet serotonin, these guidelines may be difficult to follow in a hospital setting where time to processing may vary from sample to sample. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the time to processing of human blood samples on the stability of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the determination of platelet serotonin levels in human plasma. Human blood samples collected from a convenience sample of eight healthy volunteers were analyzed to determine platelet serotonin levels from plasma collected in ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) tubes and stored at 4°C for 3 hr, 5 hr, 8 hr, and 12 hr. Refrigeration storage at 4°C for 3 hr, 5 hr, 8 hr, and 12 hr altered the platelet serotonin measurement when compared to immediate processing. The bias for the samples stored at 4°C for 3 hr was 102.3 (±217.39 ng/10(9) platelets), for 5 hr was 200.1 (±132.76 ng/10(9) platelets), for 8 hr was 146.9 (±221.41 ng/10(9) platelets), and for 12 hr was -67.6 (±349.60 ng/10(9) platelets). Results from this study show that accurate measurement of platelet serotonin levels is dependent on time to processing. Researchers should therefore follow a standardized laboratory guideline for obtaining immediate platelet serotonin levels after blood sample collection.

To what extent can green infrastructure mitigate downstream flooding in a peri-urban catchment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, J. E.; Burns, M.; Sanders, B. F.; Flethcher, T.

2016-12-01

In this research, we couple an urban hydrologic model (MUSIC, eWater, AUS) with a fine resolution 2D hydrodynamic model (BreZo, UC Irvine, USA) to test to what extent retrofitting an urban watershed with stormwater control measures (SCMs) can propagate flood management benefits downstream. Our study site is the peri-urban Little Stringybark Creek (LSC) catchment in eastern Melbourne, AUS, with an area of 4.5 km2 and connected impervious area of 9%. Urban development is mainly limited to the upper 2 km2of the catchment. Since 2009 the LSC catchment has been the subject of a large-scale experiment aiming to restore morenatural flow by implementing over 300 SCMs, such as rain tanks and infiltration trenches, resulting in runoff from 50% of connected impervious areas now being intercepted by some form of SCM. For our study we calibrated the hydrologic and hydraulic models based on current catchment conditions, then we developed models representing alternative SCM scenarios including a complete lack of SCMs versus a full implementation of SCMs. Flow in the hydrologic/hydraulic models is forced using a range of synthetic rainfall events with annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) between 63-1% and durations between 10 min to 24 hr. Metrics of SCM efficacy in changing flood regime include flood depths and extents, flow intensity (m2/s), flood duration, and critical storm duration leading to maximum flood conditions. Results indicate that across the range of AEPs tested and for storm durations equal or less than 3 hours, current SCM conditions reduce downstream flooded area on average by 29%, while a full implementation of SCMs would reduce downstream flooded area on average by 91%. A full implementation of SCMs could also lower maximum flow intensities by 83% on average, reducing damage potential to structures in the flow path and increasing the ability for vehicles to evacuate flooded streets. We also found that for storm durations longer than 3 hours, the SCMs capacity to retain rainfall runoff volumes is much decreased, with a full implementation of SCMs only reducing flooded area by 8% and flow intensity by 5.5%. Therefore additional measures are required for downstream flood hazard mitigation from long duration events.

Gastrointestinal temperature trends in football linemen during physical exertion under heat stress.

PubMed

Coris, Eric E; Mehra, Shabnam; Walz, Stephen M; Duncanson, Robert; Jennings, Jason; Nugent, Dylan; Zwygart, Kira; Pescasio, Michele

2009-06-01

Exertional heat stroke is the third leading cause of death in US athletes. Elevations in core temperature in the digestive tract (TGI) have correlated with core temperature and are possible indicators of those at increased risk of heat stroke. The primary objective was to compare a.m. vs. p.m. TGI variation in collegiate football linemen during intense "two-a-day" preseason practice. A secondary objective was to compare longitudinal TGI in offensive and defensive linemen. Cross-sectional observational study. Division I Intercollegiate Athletics Football Program. TGI was monitored during consecutive preseason sessions. TGI, heat illness, weight changes, environmental stress, and subjective symptoms. Mean TGI were 37.8°C and 38.3°C during a.m. and p.m. practices, respectively. The a.m. practices revealed higher TGI gain (1.8°C) compared to p.m. (1.4°C). The p.m. practices had higher maximum TGI than a.m. practices (39.1°C versus 38.8, P=0.0001). Mean time to maximum temperature (Tmax) was 1 hr and 30 min for a.m. and 1 hr and 22 min for p.m. practices. Offensive linemen trended toward higher mean TGI than defensive players (38.0°C vs. 36.7°C, P = 0.069). The rate of rise in TGI was significantly greater in a.m. practices. A decrease in rate of TGI rise was seen from the first to last a.m. practices of the week (P = 0.004). Significant TGI elevations in asymptomatic athletes are common in extreme heat during football practice. Intense a.m. practices in full gear result in higher net temperature gain and rate of temperature gain than p.m. practices. Offensive linemen trended toward higher TGI than defensive linemen. As players acclimatized, a decrease in the rate of TGI increase was appreciable, particularly in a.m. practices. Appreciating cumulative heat stress and variations in heat stress related to scheduling of practice is critical.

Quality of Life in Women After Pelvic Exenteration for Gynecological Malignancies: A Multicentric Study.

PubMed

Dessole, Margherita; Petrillo, Marco; Lucidi, Alessandro; Naldini, Angelica; Rossi, Martina; De Iaco, Pierandrea; Marnitz, Simone; Sehouli, Jalid; Scambia, Giovanni; Chiantera, Vito

2018-02-01

This retrospective, multicentric study investigates quality-of-life issues and emotional distress in gynecological cancer survivors submitted to pelvic exenteration (PE). The Global Health Status scale of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30; the EORTC QLQ-CX24 (CX24), and EORTC QLQ-OV28 questionnaires were administered at least 12 months from surgery only in women with no evidence of further recurrence after PE. Statistical analysis was performed by the analysis of variance (for repeated measures. Ninety-six subjects affected by gynecological malignancies receiving PE were enrolled in the study. Anterior PE was performed in 47 patients (49%), posterior PE was performed in 29 cases (30.2%), and total PE performed in 20 women (20.8%). In 38 cases (39.6%), a definitive colostomy was performed. Urinary diversion with continent pouch was created in 11 patients. (11.5%), whereas in the remaining cases, a noncontinent pouch was reconstructed. Patients showed a significant discomfort in attitude to disease (71.5 ± 4.7), body image (48.9 ± 6.4), financial difficulties (56.2 ± 5.8), gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation, 47.8 ± 5.1; diarrhea, 62.4 ± 6.6; appetite loss, 43.6 ± 6.7), insomnia (64.5 ± 6.6), Global Health Status (64.6 ± 3.8), physical functioning (65.8 ± 4.6), role functioning (58.8 ± 5.8), and emotional functioning (67.4 ± 4.2). A higher number of ostomies (hazard rate [HR], 7.613; P = 0.012), the creation of a noncontinent bladder (HR, 8.230; P = 0.009), and of definitive colostomy (HR, 8.516; P = 0.008) emerged as independent predictors of poorer Global Health Status scores. Older age (HR, 11.235; P = 0.003), vaginal/vulvar cancer (HR, 7.369; P = 0.013), total/posterior PE (HR, 7.393; P = 0.013), higher number of ostomies (HR, 7.613; P = 0.012), the creation of a noncontinent bladder (HR, 8.230; P = 0.009), and of definitive colostomy (HR, 8.516; P = 0.008) emerged as independent predictors of lower body image levels. Long-term psycho-oncological support is strongly recommended. The reduction of ostomies seems the most effective way to improve patients' quality of life.

Psychophysically determined forces of dynamic pushing for female industrial workers: Comparison of two apparatuses.

PubMed

Ciriello, Vincent M; Maikala, Rammohan V; Dempsey, Patrick G; O'Brien, Niall V

2010-01-01

Using psychophysics, the maximum acceptable forces for pushing have been previously developed using a magnetic particle brake (MPB) treadmill at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. The objective of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of maximum acceptable initial and sustained forces while performing a pushing task at a frequency of 1min(-1) both on a MPB treadmill and on a high-inertia pushcart. This is important because our pushing guidelines are used extensively as a ergonomic redesign strategy and we would like the information to be as applicable as possible to cart pushing. On two separate days, nineteen female industrial workers performed a 40-min MPB treadmill pushing task and a 2-hr pushcart task, in the context of a larger experiment. During pushing, the subjects were asked to select a workload they could sustain for 8h without "straining themselves or without becoming unusually tired, weakened, overheated or out of breath." The results demonstrated that maximum acceptable initial and sustained forces of pushing determined on the high inertia pushcart were 0.8% and 2.5% lower than the MPB treadmill. The results also show that the maximum acceptable sustained force of the MPB treadmill task was 0.5% higher than the maximum acceptable sustained force of Snook and Ciriello (1991). Overall, the findings confirm that the existing pushing data developed by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety still provides an accurate estimate of maximal acceptable forces for the selected combination of distance and frequency of push for female industrial workers.

Spectroscopic observations of the optical counterpart of Centaurus X-4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Paradijs, J.; Verbunt, F.; Van Der Linden, T.; Pedersen, H.; Wamsteker, W.

1980-01-01

The optical spectrum of the transient X-ray burst source Centaurus X-4 was observed about 5 weeks after the source reached its maximum. The brightness of the optical counterpart had decreased to V = 18.2, and the star had become appreciably redder (B - V = 0.7) compared to its color at maximum. The spectrum of Centaurus X-4 is similar to that of cataclysmic variables showing strong emission lines of H-1 and weaker lines of He-1 and He-2. The N03 lambda 4640 line is not visible. The continuum energy distribution of Centaurus X-4 shows the presence of a main-sequence star in the system, with spectral type between K3 and K7. This is consistent with the orbital period of 8.2 hr proposed by Kaluzienski et al (1980), if the main-sequence star is close to filling its Roche lobe.

Impact of Narrative Expressive Writing on Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, and Blood Pressure After Marital Separation.

PubMed

Bourassa, Kyle J; Allen, John J B; Mehl, Matthias R; Sbarra, David A

Divorce is a common stressor that is associated with increased risk for poor long-term physical and mental health. Using an experimental design, the current study examined the impact of expressive writing (EW) on average heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), and blood pressure (BP) 7.5 months later. Participants from a community sample of recently separated adults (N = 109) were assigned to one of three conditions: traditional EW, narrative EW, or a control writing condition, and were assessed three times for an average of 7.5 months. Each study visit included 27 minutes of physiological assessment; the primary outcomes at each assessment were mean-level HR, HRV, BP scores averaged across six different tasks. Participants in the traditional EW condition did not significantly differ from control participants in their later HR, HRV, or BP. However, relative to control participants, those in the narrative EW condition had significantly lower HR (B = -3.41, 95% confidence interval = -5.76 to -1.06, p = .004) and higher HRV 7.5 months later (B = 0.41, 95% confidence interval = 0.16 to 0.74, p = .001). When comparing narrative EW participants to those in the traditional EW and control writing as a single group, these effects remained and were moderately sized, Cohen d values of -0.61 and 0.60, respectively, and durable across all task conditions when analyzed in independent models. The writing condition groups did not differ in their later BP. Narrative EW decreased HR and increased HRV after marital separation but did not affect BP. We discuss the possible disconnect between psychology and physiology in response to EW, as well as possible future clinical applications after marital separation.

TH-AB-BRA-04: Dosimetric Evaluation of MR-Guided HDR Brachytherapy Planning for Cervical Cancer

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

Kamio, Y; Barkati, M; Beliveau-Nadeau, D

2016-06-15

Purpose: To perform a retrospective study on 16 patients that had both CT and T2-weighted MR scans done at first fraction using the Utrecht CT/MR applicator (Elekta Brachytherapy) in order to evaluate uncertainties associated with an MR-only planning workflow. Methods: MR-workflow uncertainties were classified in three categories: reconstruction, registration and contouring. A systematic comparison of the CT and MR contouring, manual reconstruction and optimization process was performed to evaluate the impact of these uncertainties on the recommended GEC ESTRO DVH parameters: D90% and V100% for HR-CTV as well as D2cc for bladder, rectum, sigmoid colon and small bowel. This comparisonmore » was done using the following four steps: 1. Catheter reconstruction done on MR images with original CT-plan contours and dwell times. 2. OAR contours adjusted on MR images with original CT-plan reconstruction and dwell times. 3. Both reconstruction and contours done on MR images with original CT-plan dwell times. 4. Entire MR-based workflow optimized dwell times reimported to the original CT-plan. Results: The MR-based reconstruction process showed average D2cc deviations of 4.5 ± 3.0%, 1.5 ± 2.0%, 2.5 ± 2.0% and 2.0 ± 1.0% for the bladder, rectum, sigmoid colon and small bowels respectively with a maximum of 10%, 6%, 6% and 4%. The HR-CTV’s D90% and V100% average deviations was found to be 4.0 ± 3.0%, and 2.0 ± 2.0% respectively with a maximum of 10% and 6%. Adjusting contours on MR-images was found to have a similar impact. Finally, the optimized MR-based workflow dwell times were found to still give acceptable plans when re-imported to the original CT-plan which validated the entire workflow. Conclusion: This work illustrates a systematic validation method for centers wanting to move towards an MR-only workflow. This work will be expanded to model based reconstruction, PD-weighted images and other types of applicators.« less

Hypofractionated radiosurgery for intact or resected brain metastases: defining the optimal dose and fractionation.

PubMed

Eaton, Bree R; Gebhardt, Brian; Prabhu, Roshan; Shu, Hui-Kuo; Curran, Walter J; Crocker, Ian

2013-06-07

Hypofractionated Radiosurgery (HR) is a therapeutic option for delivering partial brain radiotherapy (RT) to large brain metastases or resection cavities otherwise not amenable to single fraction radiosurgery (SRS). The use, safety and efficacy of HR for brain metastases is not well characterized and the optimal RT dose-fractionation schedule is undefined. Forty-two patients treated with HR in 3-5 fractions for 20 (48%) intact and 22 (52%) resected brain metastases with a median maximum dimension of 3.9 cm (0.8-6.4 cm) between May 2008 and August 2011 were reviewed. Twenty-two patients (52%) had received prior radiation therapy. Local (LC), intracranial progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are reported and analyzed for relationship to multiple RT variables through Cox-regression analysis. The most common dose-fractionation schedules were 21 Gy in 3 fractions (67%), 24 Gy in 4 fractions (14%) and 30 Gy in 5 fractions (12%). After a median follow-up time of 15 months (range 2-41), local failure occurred in 13 patients (29%) and was a first site of failure in 6 patients (14%). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 1 year LC, intracranial PFS, and OS are: 61% (95% CI 0.53 - 0.70), 55% (95% CI 0.47 - 0.63), and 73% (95% CI 0.65 - 0.79), respectively. Local tumor control was negatively associated with PTV volume (p = 0.007) and was a significant predictor of OS (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.33 - 0.98, p = 0.04). Symptomatic radiation necrosis occurred in 3 patients (7%). HR is well tolerated in both new and recurrent, previously irradiated intact or resected brain metastases. Local control is negatively associated with PTV volume and a significant predictor of overall survival, suggesting a need for dose escalation when using HR for large intracranial lesions.

Sex and SUVmax: sex-dependent prognostication in early non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Wainer, Zoe; Daniels, Marissa G; Callahan, Jason; Binns, David; Hicks, Rodney J; Antippa, Phillip; Russell, Prudence A; Alam, Naveed Z; Conron, Matthew; Solomon, Benjamin; Wright, Gavin M

2012-11-01

The identification of robust prognostic factors for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is clinically important. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer has identified both sex and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of (18)F-FDG in the primary tumor as measured by PET as potential prognostic variables. We examined the prognostic value of SUVmax in a surgical cohort of patients with NSCLC and disaggregated the findings by sex. Patients who had undergone a preoperative PET/CT scan and surgical resection with curative intent from 2001 to 2009 were identified from a prospective database. An SUVmax cutoff was calculated using receiver-operating-characteristic curves. Overall survival was correlated with SUVmax for the whole cohort and disaggregated by sex. Inclusion criteria were met by 189 patients: 127 (67%) men and 62 (33%) women. Five-year survival was 54.6% for the whole cohort, 47.7% for men, and 68.2% for women. SUVmax correlated negatively with survival in a univariate analysis for the whole cohort (hazard ratio [HR], 2.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-4.09; P < 0.001) and men (HR, 3.42; 95% CI, 1.94-6.05; P < 0.001) but not for women (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 0.43-3.12; P = 0.77), using 8 as a cutoff. In multivariate analysis, SUVmax correlated with overall survival for the whole cohort (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.05-2.99; P = 0.05) and men (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.32-4.37; P = 0.004) but not for women (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.15-4.47; P = 0.80). SUVmax independently predicted overall survival for men but not for women in this surgical cohort. Our results suggest that SUVmax is an independent prognostic variable in men with surgically treated early NSCLC.

Oxygen consumption and heart rate during repeated squatting exercises with or without whole-body vibration in the elderly.

PubMed

Avelar, Núbia Cp; Simão, Adriano P; Tossige-Gomes, Rosalina; Neves, Camila Dc; Mezencio, Bruno; Szmuchrowski, Leszek; Coimbra, Cândido C; Lacerda, Ana Cr

2011-12-01

Avelar, NCP, Simão, AP, Tossige-Gomes, R, Neves, CDC, Mezencio, B, Szmuchrowski, L, Coimbra, CC, and Lacerda, ACR. Oxygen consumption and heart rate during repeated squatting exercises with or without whole-body vibration in the elderly. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3495-3500, 2011-The aim of this study was to investigate whether vibration plus squatting would increase cardiovascular demand to the optimal exercise limits needed for the prescription of cardiovascular training. Oxygen consumption, measured breath by breath by a portable gas analysis system, and heart rate (HR), measured using an HR monitor, were evaluated in 18 elderly individuals, 15 women and 3 men with a mean age of 72 ± 6 years. These variables were measured simultaneously and at the same time points in each subject during rest and randomly during the performance of squatting exercises (8 series of 40 seconds, with 40 seconds of rest between series of performing squats in 3-second cycles with 10-60° of flexion, a total of 5 repetitions for 40 seconds) with or without vibration at a frequency of 40 Hz and amplitude of 4 mm, separated by at least 1 day. Associating whole-body vibration with squatting exercise resulted in an additional increase of around 20% in oxygen consumption and 7.5% in the HR recorded during exercise. However, during squatting exercise with vibration, the increase achieved in oxygen consumption was limited to around 2 metabolic equivalents, and mean HR represented around 56% of the predicted maximum HR for age. The results of this study show that, despite the fact that vibration increased oxygen consumption and HR during the performance of squatting exercise, the minimum standards of intensity for the prescription of physical exercise with the specific objective of improving cardiorespiratory fitness were not achieved. Therefore, a protocol such as that used in the study does not meet the threshold for cardiovascular training prescription.

Volumetric Single-Beat Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography: Relationship of Image Quality, Heart Rate, and Body Mass Index. Initial Patient Experience With a New Computed Tomography Scanner.

PubMed

Latif, Muhammad Aamir; Sanchez, Frank W; Sayegh, Karl; Veledar, Emir; Aziz, Muhammad; Malik, Rehan; Haider, Imran; Agatston, Arthur S; Batlle, Juan C; Janowitz, Warren; Peña, Constantino; Ziffer, Jack A; Nasir, Khurram; Cury, Ricardo C

2016-01-01

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) image quality (IQ) is very important for accurate diagnosis. We propose to evaluate IQ expressed as Likert scale, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) from coronary CT angiography images acquired with a new volumetric single-beat CT scanner on consecutive patients and assess the IQ dependence on heart rate (HR) and body mass index (BMI). We retrospectively analyzed the data of the first 439 consecutive patients (mean age, 55.13 [SD, 12.1] years; 51.47% male), who underwent noninvasive coronary CT angiography in a new single-beat volumetric CT scanner (Revolution CT) to evaluate chest pain at West Kendall Baptist Hospital. Based on patient BMI (mean, 29.43 [SD, 5.81] kg/m), the kVp (kilovolt potential) value and tube current were adjusted within a range of 80 to 140 kVp and 122 to 720 mA, respectively. Each scan was performed in a single-beat acquisition within 1 cardiac cycle, regardless of the HR. Motion correction software (SnapShot Freeze) was used for correcting motion artifacts in patients with higher HRs. Autogating was used to automatically acquire systolic and diastolic phases for higher HRs with electrocardiographic milliampere dose modulation. Image quality was assessed qualitatively by Likert scale and quantitatively by SNR and CNR for the 4 major vessels right coronary, left main, left anterior descending, and left circumflex arteries on axial and multiplanar reformatted images. Values for Likert scale were as follows: 1, nondiagnostic; 2, poor; 3, good; 4, very good; and 5, excellent. Signal-to-noise ratio and CNR were calculated from the average 2 CT attenuation values within regions of interest placed in the proximal left main and proximal right coronary artery. For contrast comparison, a region of interest was selected from left ventricular wall at midcavity level using a dedicated workstation. We divided patients in 2 groups related to the HR: less than or equal to 70 beats/min (bpm) and greater than 70 bpm and also analyzed them in 2 BMI groupings: BMI less than or equal to 30 kg/m and BMI greater than 30 kg/m. Mean SNR was 8.7 (SD, 3.1) (n = 349) for group with HR 70 bpm or less and 7.7 (SD, 2.4) (n = 78) for group with HR greater than 70 bpm (P = 0.008). Mean CNR was 6.9 (SD, 2.7) (n = 349) for group with HR 70 bpm or less and 5.9 (SD, 2.2) (n = 78) for group with HR 70 bpm or greater (P = 0.002). Mean SNR was 8.8 (SD, 3.2) (n = 249) for group with BMI 30 kg/m or less and 8.1 (SD, 2.6) (n = 176) for group with BMI greater than 30 kg/m (P = 0.008). Mean CNR was 7.0 (SD, 2.8) (n = 249) for group with BMI 30 kg/m or less and 6.4 (SD, 2.4) (n = 176) for group with BMI greater than 30 kg/m (P = 0.002). The results for mean Likert scale values were statistically different, reflecting difference in IQ between people with HR 70 bpm or less and greater than 70 bpm, BMI 30 kg/m or less, and BMI greater than 30 kg/m.

Relationships between heart rate target determined in different exercise testing in COPD patients to prescribed with individualized exercise training

PubMed Central

Fabre, Claudine; Chehere, Baptiste; Bart, Frédéric; Mucci, Patrick; Wallaert, Benoit; Grosbois, Jean Marie

2017-01-01

Background It has been scientifically proven that pulmonary rehabilitation improves exercise tolerance and facilitates the carrying out of daily physical activities. To optimize the physical and physiological benefits, it is necessary to individualize the training intensity for each patient. The aim of this study is to compare the heart rate (HR) responses to three exercise modalities measuring aerobic fitness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, in order to easily prescribe individual target HRs for endurance training. Patients and method Fifty COPD patients (mean age: 60.1±8.5 years) were included in the study. Each patient carried out a cardiopulmonary exercise test, a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and a 6-minute stepper test (6MST). During these tests, HR was recorded continuously. After the cardiopulmonary exercise test, the HR was noted at the ventilatory threshold (VT) and at the end of the two exercise field tests (6MWTpeak and 6MSTpeak). The values of the HR during the last 3 minutes of both field tests were averaged (6MWT456 and 6MST456). Finally, the HR at 60% of the HR reserve was calculated with the values of the HR measured during 6MWT and 6MST (HRr60%walk, HRr60%step). Results The HRs measured during the 6MST were significantly higher than those measured during the 6MWT. The HRr60%step was not significantly different from 6MWT456 and 6MWTpeak HR (P=0.51; P=0.48). A significant correlation was observed between 6MWT456 and 6MWTpeak (r=0.58). The 6MWT456 and 6MWTpeak HR were correlated with HRr60%step (r=0.68 and r=0.62). The VT could be determined in 28 patients. The HRVT was not different from 6MWT456, 6MWTpeak, and HRr60%step (P=0.57, P=0.41 and P=0.88) and was correlated to 6MWT456, 6MWTpeak, and HRr60%step (r=0.45, r=0.40, r=0.48). Conclusion An individualized target HR for endurance training can be prescribed from the HR measured during routine tests, such as 6MWT or 6MST. PMID:28553100

Experimental model of inappropriate sinus tachycardia: initiation and ablation.

PubMed

Scherlag, Benjamin J; Yamanashi, William S; Amin, Rohit; Lazzara, Ralph; Jackman, Warren M

2005-06-01

The purpose of the present study was to develop an experimental model of inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) by injecting a catecholamine into a fat pad containing autonomic ganglia (AG) innervating the sinus node (SN). Initial protocols in 3 groups of pentobarbital anesthetized dogs consisted of (1) slowing the heart rate (HR) by electrical stimulation of AG in the fat pad; (2) the effect of intravenous injection of epinephrine (0.1-0.3 mg) on the HR and systolic blood pressure (BP); (3) the response of SN rate to intravenously injected isoproterenol (1 microgm/kg). These studies established a reference for the response to epinephrine injection (mean dose 0.2 +/- 0.9 mg, n = 14) into the fat pad at the base of the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV). ECG leads, right atrial and His bundle electrograms, BP and core body temperature were continuously monitored. Epinephrine, injected into the fat pad, caused a significant increase in heart rate (HR, average: 211 +/- 11/min, p < 0.05 compared to control) but little change in systolic BP, 149 +/- 10 mmHg, p = NS (Group I, N = 8). The tachycardia lasted >30 minutes. Ice mapping and P wave morphology showed the tachycardia origin in the SN in 6/8 and in the crista terminalis (CT) in 2. Injection of 0.4 cc of formaldehyde into the FP restored HR (159 +/- 16) toward baseline (154 +/- 18). In Group II (N = 6), the same regimen induced a significant increase in both HR and systolic BP (194 +/- 17/min and 230 +/- 24 mmHg, respectively) compared to control values (143 +/- 23/min, 162 +/- 24 mmHg) which lasted for > 30 minutes. Ice mapping and P wave morphology showed that the pacemaker was in the SN (1), overlying the CT (2), or atrioventricular junction (2). Formaldehyde (0.4 cc) injected into the FP restored both HR and systolic BP toward baseline values (148 +/- 29/min and 152 +/- 24 mmHg, p = NS) and prevented, slowing of the HR by electrical stimulation of the AG; moreover, the same dose of epinephrine injected intravenously increased HR and SBP but only for 2-5 minutes; Isoproterenol (1 microg/kg) injected intravenously induced essentially the same increase in sinus rate after AG ablation as in the control state (194 +/- 15/min vs 193 +/- 23/min, p = NS). Experimental IST is mainly localized in the SN or CT. Ablation of the AG terminates IST without impairing the SN response to an adrenergic challenge.

Randomised, controlled, cross-over trial of soy protein with isoflavones on blood pressure and arterial function in hypertensive subjects.

PubMed

Teede, Helena J; Giannopoulos, Dimitra; Dalais, Fabien S; Hodgson, Jonathan; McGrath, Barry P

2006-12-01

To examine the effects of dietary soy/isoflavones on 24 hr blood pressure profiles and arterial function [systemic arterial compliance (SAC), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and brachial arterial flow mediated vasodilation (FMD)] compared to non legume-based plant protein without isoflavones, in hypertensive subjects. In a 6 month double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over trial, 41 hypertensive subjects (26 men, 15 postmenopausal women), 30-75 years, received soy cereal (40 g soy protein, 118 mg isoflavones) and gluten placebo cereal, each for 3 months. Thirty-eight subjects completed protocol with results expressed as mean or mean change (+/-SEM) with each intervention. Soy increased urinary isoflavones (daidzein: 8-fold; genistein: 8-fold; equol: 9-fold; ODMA: 18-fold) with no change during gluten placebo. There was no difference in the change in individual 24 hr ambulatory BP parameters (SBP: 2 +/- 2 vs -1 +/- 1 mmHg, p = 0.21; DBP: 1 +/- 1 vs -1 +/- 1 mmHg, p = 0.06) central BP (cSBP: -4 +/- 2 vs 0 +/- 2 mmHg, p = 0.2) or the change in arterial function (FMD: 0.3 +/- 0.5 vs -0.2 +/- 0.5%, p = NS; SAC: 0.02 +/- 0.02 vs -0.02 +/- 0.02 U/mmHg, p = NS; PWV central: -0.2 +/- 0.2 vs 0.0 +/- 0.2 m/sec, p = NS; PWV peripheral: 0.01 +/- 0.3 vs -0.4 +/- 0.4 m/sec, p = NS) noted between interventions. Analysis of the area under curve of 24 hr BP outputs demonstrated that soy protein compared to gluten protein resulted in higher 24 hr systolic BP by 2.3 mmHg (p = 0.003), a higher daytime systolic BP by 3.4 mmHg (p = 0.0002) and a higher daytime diastolic BP by 1.4 mmHg (p = 0.008). Overall 24 hr diastolic BP, night systolic BP and night diastolic BP were not significantly different between groups. Furthermore, soy protein compared to gluten protein resulted in higher 24 hr heart rates by 3.5 bpm (p < 0.0001). In hypertensive subjects, compared to gluten placebo, soy dietary supplementation containing isoflavones had no effect on arterial function, on average 24 hr ambulatory blood pressure parameters or central blood pressure in men and women with hypertension. Area under the curve of 24 hr profiles demonstrated that daytime BP was higher after soy compared to gluten.

Hydrological Retrospective of floods and droughts: Case study in the Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wongchuig Correa, Sly; Cauduro Dias de Paiva, Rodrigo; Carlo Espinoza Villar, Jhan; Collischonn, Walter

2017-04-01

Recent studies have reported an increase in intensity and frequency of hydrological extreme events in many regions of the Amazon basin over last decades, these events such as seasonal floods and droughts have originated a significant impact in human and natural systems. Recently, methodologies such as climatic reanalysis are being developed in order to create a coherent register of climatic systems, thus taking this notion, this research efforts to produce a methodology called Hydrological Retrospective (HR), that essentially simulate large rainfall datasets over hydrological models in order to develop a record over past hydrology, enabling the analysis of past floods and droughts. We developed our methodology on the Amazon basin, thus we used eight large precipitation datasets (more than 30 years) through a large scale hydrological and hydrodynamic model (MGB-IPH), after that HR products were validated against several in situ discharge gauges dispersed throughout Amazon basin, given focus in maximum and minimum events. For better HR results according performance metrics, we performed a forecast skill of HR to detect floods and droughts considering in-situ observations. Furthermore, statistical temporal series trend was performed for intensity of seasonal floods and drought in the whole Amazon basin. Results indicate that better HR represented well most past extreme events registered by in-situ observed data and also showed coherent with many events cited by literature, thus we consider viable to use some large precipitation datasets as climatic reanalysis mainly based on land surface component and datasets based in merged products for represent past regional hydrology and seasonal hydrological extreme events. On the other hand, an increase trend of intensity was realized for maximum annual discharges (related to floods) in north-western regions and for minimum annual discharges (related to drought) in central-south regions of the Amazon basin, these features were previously detected by other researches. In the whole basin, we estimated an upward trend of maximum annual discharges at Amazon River. In order to estimate better future hydrological behavior and their impacts on the society, HR could be used as a methodology to understand past extreme events occurrence in many places considering the global coverage of rainfall datasets.

Spectrum-averaged Harmonic Path (SHAPA) algorithm for non-contact vital sign monitoring with ultra-wideband (UWB) radar.

PubMed

Van Nguyen; Javaid, Abdul Q; Weitnauer, Mary Ann

2014-01-01

We introduce the Spectrum-averaged Harmonic Path (SHAPA) algorithm for estimation of heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (RR) with Impulse Radio Ultrawideband (IR-UWB) radar. Periodic movement of human torso caused by respiration and heart beat induces fundamental frequencies and their harmonics at the respiration and heart rates. IR-UWB enables capture of these spectral components and frequency domain processing enables a low cost implementation. Most existing methods of identifying the fundamental component either in frequency or time domain to estimate the HR and/or RR lead to significant error if the fundamental is distorted or cancelled by interference. The SHAPA algorithm (1) takes advantage of the HR harmonics, where there is less interference, and (2) exploits the information in previous spectra to achieve more reliable and robust estimation of the fundamental frequency in the spectrum under consideration. Example experimental results for HR estimation demonstrate how our algorithm eliminates errors caused by interference and produces 16% to 60% more valid estimates.

Impact of removed tumor volume and location on patient outcome in glioblastoma.

PubMed

Awad, Al-Wala; Karsy, Michael; Sanai, Nader; Spetzler, Robert; Zhang, Yue; Xu, Yizhe; Mahan, Mark A

2017-10-01

Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary brain tumor with devastatingly poor prognosis. Multiple studies have shown the benefit of wider extent of resection (EOR) on patient overall survival (OS) and worsened survival with larger preoperative tumor volumes. However, the concomitant impact of postoperative tumor volume and eloquent location on OS has yet to be fully evaluated. We performed a retrospective chart review of adult patients treated for glioblastoma from January 2006 through December 2011. Adherence to standardized postoperative chemoradiation protocols was used as an inclusion criterion. Detailed volumetric and location analysis was performed on immediate preoperative and immediate postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Cox proportional hazard modeling approach was employed to explore the modifying effects of EOR and eloquent location after adjusting for various confounders and associated characteristics, such as preoperative tumor volume and demographics. Of the 471 screened patients, 141 were excluded because they did not meet all inclusion criteria. The mean (±SD) age of the remaining 330 patients (60.6% male) was 58.9 ± 12.9 years; the mean preoperative and postoperative Karnofsky performance scores (KPSs) were 76.2 ± 10.3 and 80.0 ± 16.6, respectively. Preoperative tumor volume averaged 33.2 ± 29.0 ml, postoperative residual was 4.0 ± 8.1 ml, and average EOR was 88.6 ± 17.6%. The observed average follow-up was 17.6 ± 15.7 months, and mean OS was 16.7 ± 14.4 months. Survival analysis showed significantly shorter survival for patients with lesions in periventricular (16.8 ± 1.7 vs. 21.5 ± 1.4 mo, p = 0.03), deep nuclei/basal ganglia (11.6 ± 1.7 vs. 20.6 ± 1.2, p = 0.002), and multifocal (12.0 ± 1.4 vs. 21.3 ± 1.3 months, p = 0.0001) locations, but no significant influence on survival was seen for eloquent cortex sites (p = 0.14, range 0.07-0.9 for all individual locations). OS significantly improved with EOR in univariate analysis, averaging 22.3, 19.7, and 13.2 months for >90, 80-90, and 70-80% resection, respectively. Survival was 22.8, 19.0, and 12.7 months for 0, 0-5, and 5-10 ml postoperative residual, respectively. A hazard model showed that larger preoperative tumor volume [hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.07], greater age (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03), multifocality (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.01-2.04), and deep nuclei/basal ganglia (HR 2.05, CI 1.27-3.3) were the most predictive of poor survival after adjusting for KPS and tumor location. There was a negligible but significant interaction between EOR and preoperative tumor volume (HR 0.9995, 95% CI 0.9993-0.9998), but EOR alone did not correlate with OS after adjusting for other factors. The interaction between EOR and preoperative tumor volume represented tumor volume removed during surgery. In conclusion, EOR alone was not an important predictor of outcome during GBM treatment once preoperative tumor volume, age, and deep nuclei/basal ganglia location were factored. Instead, the interaction between EOR and preoperative volume, representing reduced disease burden, was an important predictor of reducing OS. Removal of tumor from eloquent cortex did not impact postoperative KPS. These results suggest aggressive surgical treatment to reduce postoperative residual while maintaining postoperative KPS may aid patient survival outcomes for a given tumor size and location.

Nitrate from Drinking Water and Diet and Bladder Cancer Among Postmenopausal Women in Iowa

PubMed Central

Jones, Rena R.; Weyer, Peter J.; DellaValle, Curt T.; Inoue-Choi, Maki; Anderson, Kristin E.; Cantor, Kenneth P.; Krasner, Stuart; Robien, Kim; Freeman, Laura E. Beane; Silverman, Debra T.; Ward, Mary H.

2016-01-01

Background: Nitrate is a drinking water contaminant arising from agricultural sources, and it is a precursor in the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), which are possible bladder carcinogens. Objectives: We investigated the ingestion of nitrate and nitrite from drinking water and diet and bladder cancer risk in women. Methods: We identified incident bladder cancers among a cohort of 34,708 postmenopausal women in Iowa (1986–2010). Dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes were estimated from a baseline food frequency questionnaire. Drinking water source and duration were assessed in a 1989 follow-up. For women using public water supplies (PWS) > 10 years (n = 15,577), we estimated average nitrate (NO3-N) and total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels and the number of years exceeding one-half the maximum contaminant level (NO3-N: 5 mg/L, TTHM: 40 μg/mL) from historical monitoring data. We computed hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and assessed nitrate interactions with TTHM and with modifiers of NOC formation (smoking, vitamin C). Results: We identified 258 bladder cancer cases, including 130 among women > 10 years at their PWS. In multivariable-adjusted models, we observed nonsignificant associations among women in the highest versus lowest quartile of average drinking water nitrate concentration (HR = 1.48; 95% CI: 0.92, 2.40; ptrend = 0.11), and we found significant associations among those exposed ≥ 4 years to drinking water with > 5 mg/L NO3-N (HR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.47; ptrend = 0.03) compared with women having 0 years of comparable exposure. TTHM adjustment had little influence on associations, and we observed no modification by vitamin C intake. Relative to a common reference group of never smokers with the lowest nitrate exposures, associations were strongest for current smokers with the highest nitrate exposures (HR = 3.67; 95% CI: 1.43, 9.38 for average water NO3-N and HR = 3.48; 95% CI: 1.20, 10.06 and ≥ 4 years > 5 mg/L, respectively). Dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes were not associated with bladder cancer. Conclusions: Long-term ingestion of elevated nitrate in drinking water was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer among postmenopausal women. Citation: Jones RR, Weyer PJ, DellaValle CT, Inoue-Choi M, Anderson KE, Cantor KP, Krasner S, Robien K, Beane Freeman LE, Silverman DT, Ward MH. 2016. Nitrate from drinking water and diet and bladder cancer among postmenopausal women in Iowa. Environ Health Perspect 124:1751–1758; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP191 PMID:27258851

Determination of Anaerobic Threshold by Heart Rate or Heart Rate Variability using Discontinuous Cycle Ergometry.

PubMed

Park, Sung Wook; Brenneman, Michael; Cooke, William H; Cordova, Alberto; Fogt, Donovan

The purpose was to determine if heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) responses would reflect anaerobic threshold (AT) using a discontinuous, incremental, cycle test. AT was determined by ventilatory threshold (VT). Cyclists (30.6±5.9y; 7 males, 8 females) completed a discontinuous cycle test consisting of 7 stages (6 min each with 3 min of rest between). Three stages were performed at power outputs (W) below those corresponding to a previously established AT, one at W corresponding to AT, and 3 at W above those corresponding to AT. The W at the intersection of the trend lines was considered each metric's "threshold". The averaged stage data for Ve, HR, and time- and frequency-domain HRV metrics were plotted versus W. The W at the "threshold" for the metrics of interest were compared using correlation analysis and paired-sample t -test. In all, several heart rate-related parameters accurately reflected AT with significant correlations (p≤0.05) were observed between AT W and HR, mean RR interval (MRR), low and high frequency spectral energy (LF and HR, respectively), high frequency peak (fHF), and HFxfHF metrics' threshold W (i.e., MRRTW, etc.). Differences in HR or HRV metric threshold W and AT for all subjects were less than 14 W. The steady state data from discontinuous protocols may allow for a true indication of steady-state physiologic stress responses and corresponding W at AT, compared to continuous protocols using 1-2 min exercise stages.

Bayesian Maximum Entropy Integration of Ozone Observations and Model Predictions: A National Application.

PubMed

Xu, Yadong; Serre, Marc L; Reyes, Jeanette; Vizuete, William

2016-04-19

To improve ozone exposure estimates for ambient concentrations at a national scale, we introduce our novel Regionalized Air Quality Model Performance (RAMP) approach to integrate chemical transport model (CTM) predictions with the available ozone observations using the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) framework. The framework models the nonlinear and nonhomoscedastic relation between air pollution observations and CTM predictions and for the first time accounts for variability in CTM model performance. A validation analysis using only noncollocated data outside of a validation radius rv was performed and the R(2) between observations and re-estimated values for two daily metrics, the daily maximum 8-h average (DM8A) and the daily 24-h average (D24A) ozone concentrations, were obtained with the OBS scenario using ozone observations only in contrast with the RAMP and a Constant Air Quality Model Performance (CAMP) scenarios. We show that, by accounting for the spatial and temporal variability in model performance, our novel RAMP approach is able to extract more information in terms of R(2) increase percentage, with over 12 times for the DM8A and over 3.5 times for the D24A ozone concentrations, from CTM predictions than the CAMP approach assuming that model performance does not change across space and time.

Alterations of bone density, microstructure, and strength of the distal radius in male patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study with HR-pQCT.

PubMed

Zhu, Tracy Y; Griffith, James F; Qin, Ling; Hung, Vivian W; Fong, Tsz-Ning; Au, Sze-Ki; Li, Martin; Lam, Yvonne Yi-On; Wong, Chun-Kwok; Kwok, Anthony W; Leung, Ping-Chung; Li, Edmund K; Tam, Lai-Shan

2014-09-01

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone microstructure, and biomechanical competence of the distal radius in male patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study cohort comprised 50 male RA patients of average age of 61.1 years and 50 age-matched healthy males. Areal BMD (aBMD) of the hip, lumbar spine, and distal radius was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) of the distal radius provided measures of cortical and trabecular vBMD, microstructure, and biomechanical indices. aBMD of the hip but not the lumbar spine or ultradistal radius was significantly lower in RA patients than controls after adjustment for body weight. Total, cortical, and trabecular vBMD at the distal radius were, on average, -3.9% to -23.2% significantly lower in RA patients, and these differences were not affected by adjustment for body weight, testosterone level, or aBMD at the ultradistal radius. Trabecular microstructure indices were, on average, -8.1% (trabecular number) to 28.7% (trabecular network inhomogeneity) significantly inferior, whereas cortical pore volume and cortical porosity index were, on average, 80.3% and 63.9%, respectively, significantly higher in RA patients. RA patients also had significantly lower whole-bone stiffness, modulus, and failure load, with lower and more unevenly distributed cortical and trabecular stress. Density and microstructure indices significantly correlated with disease activity, severity, and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL] 12p70, tumor necrosis factor, IL-6 and IL-1β). Ten RA patients had focal periosteal bone apposition most prominent at the ulnovolar aspect of the distal radius. These patients had shorter disease duration and significantly higher cortical porosity. In conclusion, HR-pQCT reveals significant alterations of bone density, microstructure, and strength of the distal radius in male RA patients and provides new insight into the microstructural basis of bone fragility accompanying chronic inflammation. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

A 10-Year Climatology of Cloud Cover and Vertical Distribution Derived from Both Surface and GOES Observations Over the DOE ARM SGP Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xi, Baike; Dong, Xiquan; Minnis, P.; Khaiyer, M.

2010-01-01

Analysis of a decade of ARM radar-lidar and GOES observations at the SGP site reveal that 0.5 and 4-hr averages of the surface cloud fraction correspond closely to 0.5deg and 2.5deg averages of GOES cloudiness, respectively. The long-term averaged surface and GOES cloud fractions agree to within 0.5%. Cloud frequency increases and cloud amount decreases as the temporal and spatial averaging scales increase. Clouds occurred most often during winter and spring. Single-layered clouds account for 61.5% of the total cloud frequency. There are distinct bimodal vertical distributions of clouds with a lower peak around 1 km and an upper one that varies from 7.5 to 10.8 km between winter and summer, respectively. The frequency of occurrence for nighttime GOES high-cloud tops agree well with the surface observations, but are underestimated during the day.

Fission-gas-release rates from irradiated uranium nitride specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinstein, M. B.; Kirchgessner, T. A.; Tambling, T. N.

1973-01-01

Fission-gas-release rates from two 93 percent dense UN specimens were measured using a sweep gas facility. Specimen burnup rates averaged .0045 and .0032 percent/hr, and the specimen temperatures ranged from 425 to 1323 K and from 552 to 1502 K, respectively. Burnups up to 7.8 percent were achieved. Fission-gas-release rates first decreased then increased with burnup. Extensive interconnected intergranular porosity formed in the specimen operated at over 1500 K. Release rate variation with both burnup and temperature agreed with previous irradiation test results.

AGE Bio Diesel Emissions Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-12-01

329 44 788 Vratd) Standard Meter Volume, m° 1.336 1.214 1.255 1,268 am Average Sampling Rate, dscfm 0786 0 714 0 739 0 746 P, Stack Pressure, inches...sat) Moisture (at saturation), % by volume 70864 248 8 36676 V.d Standard Water Vapor Volume, ft’ 2.198 1 624 1 911 1-B• Dry Mole Fraction 0 941 0946...Clock Meter Dry Gas Sample Time, Volume, Rotameter Meter Temp., Vacuum, Probe Time (min) (24-hr) (liter) Setting (OF) (in.Hg) jTpr, OF /o5 f / 52 / 6 14V_

Greenhouse gas emissions from oilfield-produced water in Shengli Oilfield, Eastern China.

PubMed

Yang, Shuang; Yang, Wei; Chen, Guojun; Fang, Xuan; Lv, Chengfu; Zhong, Jiaai; Xue, Lianhua

2016-08-01

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil and gas systems are an important component of the GHG emission inventory. To assess the carbon emissions from oilfield-produced water under atmospheric conditions correctly, in situ detection and simulation experiments were developed to study the natural release of GHG into the atmosphere in the Shengli Oilfield, the second largest oilfield in China. The results showed that methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were the primary gases released naturally from the oilfield-produced water. The atmospheric temperature and release time played important roles in determining the CH4 and CO2 emissions under atmospheric conditions. Higher temperatures enhanced the carbon emissions. The emissions of both CH4 and CO2 from oilfield-produced water were highest at 27°C and lowest at 3°C. The bulk of CH4 and CO2 was released from the oilfield-produced water during the first release period, 0-2hr, for each temperature, with a maximum average emission rate of 0.415gCH4/(m(3)·hr) and 3.934gCO2/(m(3)·hr), respectively. Then the carbon emissions at other time periods gradually decreased with the extension of time. The higher solubility of CO2 in water than CH4 results in a higher emission rate of CH4 than CO2 over the same release duration. The simulation proved that oilfield-produced water is one of the potential emission sources that should be given great attention in oil and gas systems. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Adaptive use of research aircraft data sets for hurricane forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, M. K.; Krishnamurti, T. N.

2008-02-01

This study uses an adaptive observational strategy for hurricane forecasting. It shows the impacts of Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) and dropsonde data sets from Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX) field campaigns on hurricane track and intensity forecasts. The following cases are used in this study: Bonnie, Danielle and Georges of 1998 and Erin, Gabrielle and Humberto of 2001. A single model run for each storm is carried out using the Florida State University Global Spectral Model (FSUGSM) with the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis as initial conditions, in addition to 50 other model runs where the analysis is randomly perturbed for each storm. The centers of maximum variance of the DLM heights are located from the forecast error variance fields at the 84-hr forecast. Back correlations are then performed using the centers of these maximum variances and the fields at the 36-hr forecast. The regions having the highest correlations in the vicinity of the hurricanes are indicative of regions from where the error growth emanates and suggests the need for additional observations. Data sets are next assimilated in those areas that contain high correlations. Forecasts are computed using the new initial conditions for the storm cases, and track and intensity skills are then examined with respect to the control forecast. The adaptive strategy is capable of identifying sensitive areas where additional observations can help in reducing the hurricane track forecast errors. A reduction of position error by approximately 52% for day 3 of forecast (averaged over 7 storm cases) over the control runs is observed. The intensity forecast shows only a slight positive impact due to the model’s coarse resolution.

Long-term survival of adult trauma patients.

PubMed

Davidson, Giana H; Hamlat, Christian A; Rivara, Frederick P; Koepsell, Thomas D; Jurkovich, Gregory J; Arbabi, Saman

2011-03-09

Inpatient trauma case fatality rates may provide an incomplete assessment for overall trauma care effectiveness. To date, there have been few large studies evaluating long-term mortality in trauma patients and identifying predictors that increase risk for death following hospital discharge. To determine the long-term mortality of patients following trauma admission and to evaluate survivorship in relationship with discharge disposition. Retrospective cohort study of 124,421 injured adult patients during January 1995 to December 2008 using the Washington State Trauma Registry linked to death certificate data. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate long-term mortality following hospital admission for trauma. Of the 124,421 trauma patients, 7243 died before hospital discharge and 21,045 died following hospital discharge. Cumulative mortality at 3 years postinjury was 16% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.8%-16.2%) compared with the expected population cumulative mortality of 5.9% (95% CI, 5.9%-5.9%). In-hospital mortality improved during the 14-year study period from 8% (n = 362) to 4.9% (n = 600), whereas long-term cumulative mortality increased from 4.7% (95% CI, 4.1%-5.4%) to 7.4% (95% CI, 6.8%-8.1%). After adjustments for confounders, patients who were older and those who were discharged to a skilled nursing facility had the highest risk of death. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for death after discharge to a skilled nursing facility compared with that after discharge home were 1.41 (95% CI, 0.72-2.76) for patients aged 18 to 30 years, 1.92 (95% CI, 1.36-2.73) for patients aged 31 to 45 years, 2.02 (95% CI, 1.39-2.93) for patients aged 46 to 55 years, 1.93 (95% CI, 1.40-2.64) for patients aged 56 to 65 years, 1.49 (95% CI, 1.14-1.94) for patients aged 66 to 75 years, 1.54 (95% CI, 1.27-1.87) for patients aged 76 to 80 years, and 1.38 (95% CI, 1.09-1.74) for patients older than 80 years. Other significant predictors of mortality after discharge included maximum head injury score on Abbreviated Injury Score scale (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.13-1.26), Injury Severity Score (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.98), Functional Independence Measure (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.88-0.91), mechanism of injury being a fall (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.30-1.58), and having Medicare (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.43) or other government insurance (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.47-1.85). Among adults admitted for trauma in Washington State, 3-year cumulative mortality was 16% despite a decline in in-hospital deaths. Discharge to a skilled nursing facility at any age following trauma admission was associated with a higher risk of subsequent mortality.

Long-term neurologic health and psychosocial function of adult survivors of childhood medulloblastoma/PNET: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

PubMed

King, Allison A; Seidel, Kristy; Di, Chongzhi; Leisenring, Wendy M; Perkins, Stephanie Mabry; Krull, Kevin R; Sklar, Charles A; Green, Daniel M; Armstrong, Gregory T; Zeltzer, Lonnie K; Wells, Elizabeth; Stovall, Marilyn; Ullrich, Nicole J; Oeffinger, Kevin C; Robison, Leslie L; Packer, Roger J

2017-05-01

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant childhood brain tumor, although long-term risks for chronic neurologic health and psychosocial functioning in aging adult survivors are incompletely characterized. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) includes 380 five-year survivors of medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET; median age at follow-up: 30 y, interquartile range 24-36) and sibling comparison (n = 4031). Cumulative incidence of neurologic health conditions was reported. Cox regression models provided hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Cross-sectional outcomes were assessed using generalized linear models. Compared with siblings, survivors were at increased risk of late-onset hearing loss (HR: 36.0, 95% CI: 23.6-54.9), stroke (HR: 33.9, 95% CI: 17.8-64.7), seizure (HR: 12.8, 95% CI: 9.0-18.1), poor balance (HR: 10.4, 95% CI: 6.7-15.9), tinnitus (HR: 4.8, 95% CI: 3.5-6.8), and cataracts (HR: 31.8, 95% CI: 16.7-60.5). Temporal/frontal lobe radiotherapy of 50 Gy or more increased risk for hearing loss (HR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3), seizure (HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-3.9), stroke (HR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.3-9.1), and tinnitus (HR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0-3.9). Survivors were less likely than siblings to earn a college degree (relative risk [RR]: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.39-0.60), marry (RR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.29-0.42), and live independently (RR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.52-0.66). Adult survivors of childhood medulloblastoma/PNET demonstrate pronounced risk for hearing impairment, stroke, lower educational attainment, and social independence. Interventions to support survivors should be a high priority. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Fundamental techniques for resolution enhancement of average subsampled images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Day-Fann; Chiu, Chui-Wen

2012-07-01

Although single image resolution enhancement, otherwise known as super-resolution, is widely regarded as an ill-posed inverse problem, we re-examine the fundamental relationship between a high-resolution (HR) image acquisition module and its low-resolution (LR) counterpart. Analysis shows that partial HR information is attenuated but still exists, in its LR version, through the fundamental averaging-and-subsampling process. As a result, we propose a modified Laplacian filter (MLF) and an intensity correction process (ICP) as the pre and post process, respectively, with an interpolation algorithm to partially restore the attenuated information in a super-resolution (SR) enhanced image image. Experiments show that the proposed MLF and ICP provide significant and consistent quality improvements on all 10 test images with three well known interpolation methods including bilinear, bi-cubic, and the SR graphical user interface program provided by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. The proposed MLF and ICP are simple in implementation and generally applicable to all average-subsampled LR images. MLF and ICP, separately or together, can be integrated into most interpolation methods that attempt to restore the original HR contents. Finally, the idea of MLF and ICP can also be applied for average, subsampled one-dimensional signal.

Thyroid function and perchlorate in drinking water: an evaluation among California newborns, 1998.

PubMed

Buffler, Patricia A; Kelsh, Michael A; Lau, Edmund C; Edinboro, Charlotte H; Barnard, Julie C; Rutherford, George W; Daaboul, Jorge J; Palmer, Lynn; Lorey, Fred W

2006-05-01

Perchlorate (ClO4-) has been detected in groundwater sources in numerous communities in California and other parts of the United States, raising concerns about potential impacts on health. For California communities where ClO4- was tested in 1997 and 1998, we evaluated the prevalence of primary congenital hypothyroidism (PCH) and high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels among the 342,257 California newborns screened in 1998. We compared thyroid function results among newborns from 24 communities with average ClO4- concentrations in drinking water>5 microg/L (n=50,326) to newborns from 287 communities with average concentrations5 microg/L were observed, with 20.4 expected [adjusted prevalence odds ratio (POR)=0.71; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40-1.19]. Although only 36% of all California newborns were screened before 24 hr of age in 1998, nearly 80% of newborns with high TSH were screened before 24 hr of age. Because of the physiologic postnatal surge of TSH, the results for newborns screened before 24 hr were uninformative for assessing an environmental impact. For newborns screened>or=24 hr, the adjusted POR for high TSH was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.40-1.23). All adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were controlled for sex, ethnicity, birth weight, and multiple birth status. Using an assessment of ClO4- in drinking water based on available data, we did not observe an association between estimated average ClO4- concentrations>5 microg/L in drinking water supplies and the prevalence of clinically diagnosed PCH or high TSH concentrations.

Pharmacokinetics of oral terbinafine in horses and Greyhound dogs

PubMed Central

Williams, Megan M.; Davis, Elizabeth G.; KuKanich, Butch

2010-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of terbinafine administered orally to horses and Greyhound dogs. A secondary objective was to assess terbinafine metabolites. Six healthy horses and six healthy Greyhound dogs were included in the pharmacokinetic data. The targeted dose of terbinafine was 20 and 30 mg/kg for horses and dogs, respectively. Blood was obtained at predetermined intervals for the determination of terbinafine concentrations with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The half-life (geometric mean) was 8.1 and 8.6 hours for horses and Greyhounds, respectively. The mean maximum plasma concentration was 0.31 and 4.01 μg/mL for horses and Greyhounds, respectively. The area under the curve (to infinity) was 1.793 hr*μg/mL for horses and 17.253 hr*μg/mL for Greyhounds. Adverse effects observed in one study horse included pawing at the ground, curling lips, head shaking, anxiety and circling, but these resolved spontaneously within 30 minutes of onset. No adverse effects were noted in the dogs. Ions consistent with carboxyterbinafine, n-desmethylterbinafine, hydroxyterbinafine and desmethylhydroxyterbinafine were identified in horse and Greyhound plasma after terbinafine administration. Further studies are needed assessing the safety and efficacy of terbinafine in horses and dogs. PMID:21492187

A comparison of the diagnostic performance of the ST/HR hysteresis with cardiopulmonary stress testing parameters in detecting exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.

PubMed

Zimarino, Marco; Barnabei, Luca; Madonna, Rosalinda; Palmieri, Giuseppe; Radico, Francesco; Tatasciore, Alfonso; Bellisarii, Francesco Iachini; Perrucci, Gianni Mauro; Corazzini, Alessandro; De Caterina, Raffaele

2013-09-30

Because ST segment depression has limited diagnostic performance at exercise electrocardiography (ECG), ST segment depression/heart rate (ST/HR) hysteresis and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)-derived parameters have been proposed as alternatives to diagnose exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. We compared the diagnostic performance of such parameters. We studied 56 subjects (45 men, 11 women, age 59.7 ± 13.6 years) referred for suspected exercise-induced myocardial ischemia with an equivocal ECG exercise test. All subjects serially underwent CPET and a myocardial single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) perfusion imaging (as the gold standard for ischemia). Maximum ST depression at peak exercise (ST-max), the ST/HR hysteresis, ΔVO2/ΔWR b-b1 slope, ΔVO2/ΔWR (aa1-bb1), VO2/HR flattening duration and other CPET parameters were derived in all subjects. On the basis of SPECT, 23 subjects (41%) were considered ischemic and 33 subjects (59%) non-ischemic. ST/HR hysteresis was higher (0.026 mV; 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.049 vs -0.016 mV; 95% CI: -0.031 to -0.001 mV) and ST-max was lower (-0.105 mV; 95% CI: -0.158 to -0.052 vs 0.032 mV; 95% CI: -0.001 to -0.066 mV) in ischemic vs non-ischemic subjects (P=0.004 and P=0.001, respectively). Among CPET parameters, ΔVO2/ΔWR b-b(1) slope was lower (9.4 ± 3.8) and ΔVO2/ΔWR (aa(1)-bb(1)) was higher (2.1 ± 2.6) in ischemic vs non-ischemic subjects (11.4 ± 2.3, P=0.005, and 1.1 ± 1.5, P=0.001, respectively). The ST/HR hysteresis had the highest area under the curve value, better (P<0.05) than any other parameters tested, thus showing the highest overall diagnostic performance. The ST/HR hysteresis is superior to CPET-derived parameters for detecting exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with equivocal ECG exercise test results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anthropometric parameters of nutritional assessment as predictive factors of arteriovenous fistula malfunction in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

PubMed

Gagliardi, Gian Manlio; Mancuso, Domenico; Falbo, Enrica; Mollica, Francesco; Mollica, Agata; Barcellona, Elisabetta; Senatore, Massimo; Bonofiglio, Renzo

2012-01-01

To evaluate the role of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (W-C) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) dysfunction. We evaluated 84 HD patients with an average follow-up period of 31.3 ± 8.1 months, identifying 8 stenosis (STN) and 17 thrombosis (THR) cases. The association between paired variables was tested with Pearson's coefficient (r) and p-value, whereas the prognostic value on STN and THR was analysed using Cox's regression. The significant independent variables were indentified with an inverse step-wise approach defining the data as hazard ratio (HR). A double-event (Stenosis/Thrombosis) model, function of Body mass index and Waist/hip ratio was used. Arteriovenous fistula survival was assessed with the Kaplan-Meyer curve and the calculations were carried out with Graph-Pad. On univariate analysis, THR showed direct correlation with BMI (r=0.44, p<0.01), W-C (r=0.39, p<0.05) WHR (r=0.37, p<0.01), Hemoglobin (p<0.001), C-Reactive protein (p=0.01), Calcium/Phosforus product (p=0.03), Parathyroid hormone (p=0.03) and inverse with albumin (p<0.001) and systolic blood pressure (p=0.003). On multivariate analysis, BMI variations were not predictive of STN and THR, whereas each unitary WHR and W-C increase was predictive of an increase of risk of events (3.8% and 2.1% respectively). The prognostic power of W-C per STN (HR 1: 1.19; p<0.05) and THR (HR: 1.28; p<0.01) remained significant even after being adjusted to account for traditional risk factors. Abdominal obesity increases the risk of AVF dysfunction. The W-C and WHR parameters, not BMI, emerge as independent STN and THR predictors.

Prediction of margin involvement and local recurrence after skin-sparing and simple mastectomy.

PubMed

Al-Himdani, S; Timbrell, S; Tan, K T; Morris, J; Bundred, N J

2016-07-01

Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) facilitates immediate breast reconstruction. We investigated locoregional recurrence rates after SSM compared with simple mastectomy and the factors predicting oncological failure. Patients with early breast cancer that underwent mastectomy between 2000 and 2005 at a single institution were studied to ascertain local and systemic recurrence rates between groups. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test were used to evaluate disease-free survival. Patients (n = 577) underwent simple mastectomy (80%) or SSM (20%). Median follow up was 80 months. Patients undergoing SSM were of younger average age, less often had involved lymph nodes (22% vs 44%, p < 0.001), more often had DCIS present (79% vs 53%, p < 0.001) and involved margins (29% vs 15%, p = 0.001). Involved surgical margins were associated with large size (p = 0.001). The 8-year local recurrence (LR) rates were 7.9% for SSM and 5% for simple mastectomy respectively (p = 0.35). Predictors of locoregional recurrence were lymph node involvement (HR 8.0, for >4 nodes, p < 0.001) and involved surgical margins (HR 3.3, p = 0.002). In node negative patients, SSM was a predictor of locoregional recurrence (HR 4.8 [1.1, 19.9], p = 0.033). Delayed reconstruction is more appropriate for node positive early breast cancer after post-mastectomy radiotherapy. Re-excision of involved margins is essential to prevent local recurrence after mastectomy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ the Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Patient-controlled analgesia in patients with sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis.

PubMed

McPherson, E; Perlin, E; Finke, H; Castro, O; Pittman, J

1990-01-01

Pain control using intramuscular analgesia is often unsatisfactory in sickle cell patients. In a pilot study, 15 patients with sickle cell anemia (SS) and one patient with SB thalassemia in vaso-occlusive crisis were treated with the Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) technique using a Pharmacia Deltec Programmable pump (CADD PCA). Age range was 19-50 years (median = 27); there were nine females and seven males. The protocol consisted of 3 days of therapy using a background of continuous infusion meperidine. The starting dose was 20 mg/hr and was escalated to 30 mg/hr. The average amount given was 25.8 mg/hr. One to two boluses of 2.5-5.0 mg/dose (mode = 5.0) were also allowed each hour. In addition, patients number 8 through 16 were given hydroxyzine (Vistaril) 50 mg PO q6h. The number of days in pain prior to study entry (mean +/- SD) was 3.3 +/- 1.6. The number of pain sites per patient was 3.6 +/- 1.2. Using categorical and analog pain scales, patients' pain scores decreased only about 30%. However, most patients were fairly satisfied with the treatment and rated it overall as follows: 1 poor, 1 fair, 3 good, 6 very good, 4 excellent, 1 no comment. Patients number 8 through 16 gave higher ratings probably because a more idealized dosage regimen was being used by that time in the study. There were no adverse effects or major problems noted. It is our impression that PCA, when optimized, will be a safe and effective alternative method for providing patients with sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis pain relief.

Older Men Who Use Computers Have Lower Risk of Dementia

PubMed Central

Almeida, Osvaldo P.; Yeap, Bu B.; Alfonso, Helman; Hankey, Graeme J.; Flicker, Leon; Norman, Paul E.

2012-01-01

Objective To determine if older men who use computers have lower risk of developing dementia. Methods Cohort study of 5506 community-dwelling men aged 69 to 87 years followed for up to 8.5 years. Use of computers measured as daily, weekly, less than weekly and never. Participants also reported their use of email, internet, word processors, games or other computer activities. The primary outcome was the incidence of ICD-10 diagnosis of dementia as recorded by the Western Australian Data Linkage System. Results 1857/5506 (33.7%) men reported using computers and 347 (6.3%) received a diagnosis of dementia during an average follow up of 6.0 years (range: 6 months to 8.5 years). The hazard ratio (HR) of dementia was lower among computer users than non-users (HR = 0.62, 95%CI = 0.47–0.81, after adjustment for age, educational attainment, size of social network, and presence of depression or of significant clinical morbidity). The HR of dementia appeared to decrease with increasing frequency of computer use: 0.68 (95%CI = 0.41–1.13), 0.61 (95%CI = 0.39–0.94) and 0.59 (95%CI = 0.40–0.87) for less than weekly, at least weekly and daily. The HR of dementia was 0.66 (95%CI = 0.50–0.86) after the analysis was further adjusted for baseline cognitive function, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination. Conclusion Older men who use computers have lower risk of receiving a diagnosis of dementia up to 8.5 years later. Randomised trials are required to determine if the observed associations are causal. PMID:22937167

Greenhouse gas fluxes from salt marshes exposed to chronic nutrient enrichment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chmura, Gail L.; Kellman, Lisa; van Ardenne, Lee; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.

2016-01-01

We assessed the impact of nutrient additions on greenhouse gas fluxes using dark static chambers in a microtidal and a macrotidal marsh along the coast of New Brunswick, Canada approximately monthly over a year. Both were experimentally fertilized for six years with varying levels of N and P. For unfertilized, N and NPK treatments, average yearly CO2 emissions (which represent only respiration) at the microtidal marsh (13, 19, and 28 mmoles CO2 m-2 hr-1, respectively) were higher than at the macrotidal marsh (12, 15, and 19 mmoles m-2 hr-1, respectively, with a flux under the additional high N/low P treatment of 21 mmoles m-2 hr-1). Response of CH4 to fertilization was more variable. At the macrotidal marsh average yearly fluxes were 1.29, 1.26, and 0.77 μmol CH4 m-2 hr-1 with control, N, and NPK treatments, respectively and 1.21 μmol m-2 hr-1 under high N/low P treatment. At the microtidal marsh CH4fluxes were 0.23, 0.16, and -0.24 μmol CH4 m-2 hr-1 in control, N, and NPK and treatments, respectively. Fertilization changed soils from sinks to sources of N2O. Average yearly N2O fluxes at the macrotidal marsh were -0.07, 0.08, and 1.70, μmol N2O m-2 hr-1 in control, N, NPK and treatments, respectively and 0.35 μmol m-2 hr-1 under high N/low P treatment. For the control, N, and NPK treatments at the microtidal marsh N2O fluxes were -0.05, 0.30, and 0.52 μmol N2O m-2 hr-1, respectively. Our results indicate that N2O fluxes are likely to vary with the source of pollutant nutrients but emissions will be lower if N is not accompanied by an adequate supply of P (e.g., atmospheric deposition vs sewage or agricultural runoff). With chronic fertilization the global warming potential of the increased N2O emissions may be enough to offset the global cooling potential of the C sequestered by salt marshes.

Physiologic Waveform Analysis for Early Detection of Hemorrhage during Transport and Higher Echelon Medical Care of Combat Casualties

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

stimulation to HR fluctuations that were experi- mentally determined by Berger et al. (8) in dogs with typical ILV3HR and ABP3HR impulse responses that were...pure vagal and sympathetic stimulation to HR fluctuations that were experimentally determined in dogs (middle; reproduced from Ref. 8) with typical...repre- sents an extrapolation of the efferent autonomic nervous limbs in dogs to the afferent, central, and efferent autonomic nervous limbs in humans

30 CFR 57.5067 - Engines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) light duty truck 0.1 g/mile. 40 CFR 86.094-11(a)(1)(iv)(B) heavy duty highway engine 0.1 g/bhp-hr. 40... g/bhp-hr). tier 1 8≤kWbhp-hr). tier 1 19≤kWbhp-hr). tier 2 37≤kWbhp-hr). tier 2 75≤kW<130...

On Heat-Treatable Copper-Chromium Alloy, 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koda, S.; Isono, E.

1984-01-01

A mother alloy of 10% Cr and 90% Cu was prepared by sintering. This was alloyed with the Cu melt and Cu-Cr alloys containing about 0.5% Cr was obtained. These alloys could be deformed easily in both the hot and cold states. By measuring the hardness change, age-hardening properties of cast alloys were studied, which were quenched from 950 deg and aged at 300 to 700 deg for 1 hour. The maximum hardness was obtained with the tempering temperature of 500 deg. For the temperature of solution-treatment, 950 deg was insufficient and that above 1000 deg necessary. For the tempering time, a treatment at 500 deg for 1 hr. or at 450 deg for 3 hrs. yielded the maximum hardness. As for the properties for electrical conductors, 3 kinds of wires (diam. 2 mm.) were made: (1) after cold-drawn to 2 mm., solution-treated, quenched, and then tempered (500 deg, 1 hr.); (2) after quenching, cold-drawn (75% reduction) to 2 mm. and tempered (500 deg, 1 hr.); and (3) after quenching, cold-drawn (81%) to intermediate diameter, tempered (500 deg, 1 hr.) and then cold-drawn (88%) again. Properties obtained for the 3 kinds, respectively, were as follows: conductivity 91, 90, and 86%. Tensile strength and strength for electrical conductivity are given.

Pharmacokinetics of multiple doses of transdermal flunixin meglumine in adult Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Kleinhenz, M D; Gorden, P J; Smith, J S; Schleining, J A; Kleinhenz, K E; Wulf, L L; Sidhu, P K; Rea, D; Coetzee, J F

2018-06-01

A transdermal formulation of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, flunixin meglumine, has been approved in the United States and Canada for single-dose administration. Transdermal flunixin meglumine was administered to 10 adult Holstein cows in their second or third lactation at the label dose of 3.33 mg/kg every 24 hr for three total treatments. Plasma flunixin concentrations were determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography with mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS). Pharmacokinetic analysis was completed on each individual animal with noncompartmental methods using computer software. The time to maximum drug concentration (Tmax) was 2.81 hr, and the maximum drug concentration was 1.08 μg/ml. The mean terminal half-life (T½) was determined to be 5.20 hr. Clearance per fraction absorbed (Cl/F) was calculated to be 0.294 L/hr kg -1 , and volume of distribution of fraction (Vz/F) absorbed was 2.20 L/kg. The mean accumulation factor was 1.10 after three doses. This indicates changes in dosing may not be required when giving multiple doses of flunixin transdermal. Further work is required to investigate the clinical efficacy of transdermal flunixin after multiple daily doses. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Oral glucocorticoid use and osteonecrosis in children and adults with chronic inflammatory diseases: a population-based cohort study

PubMed Central

Haynes, Kevin; Denburg, Michelle R; Thacker, Mihir M; Rose, Carlos D; Putt, Mary E; Leonard, Mary B; Strom, Brian L

2017-01-01

Objectives We studied oral glucocorticoids and osteonecrosis, a rare but serious bone disease, in individuals with various chronic inflammatory diseases. We hypothesised that we would find stronger associations in adults versus children and in people with autoimmune diseases. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Population-representative data (1994–2013) from general practices in the UK. Participants Children and adults diagnosed with asthma; inflammatory bowel disease; juvenile, psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis; psoriasis; or systemic lupus. Exposures Oral glucocorticoid patterns. Primary and secondary outcome measures Diagnosed osteonecrosis (primary) and osteonecrosis plus clinical features (eg, symptoms, pain medication, surgical repair) (secondary). Discrete time failure models estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of incident osteonecrosis following oral glucocorticoid exposure. Hypothesis testing was one sided (with corresponding 90% CI) since glucocorticoids were unlikely protective. Results After adjusting for demographic, disease-related and health utilisation factors, glucocorticoid exposure was associated with osteonecrosis in adults (ages 18–49, aHR 2.1 (90% CI 1.5 to 2.9); ages ≥50, aHR 1.3 (90% CI 1.01 to 1.7)). However, low-dose glucocorticoids, corresponding to average doses <7.5 mg prednisolone daily and maximum doses <30 mg daily, were not associated with osteonecrosis in adults. Furthermore, even at high glucocorticoid doses, there was no evidence of increased osteonecrosis among glucocorticoid-exposed children (p=0.04 for interaction by age) (any glucocorticoid exposure, ages 2–9: aHR 1.1 (90% CI 0.7 to 1.7); ages 10–17: aHR 0.6 (90% CI 0.3 to 1.6)). Arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus were independently associated with osteonecrosis, but there was a similar dose relationship between glucocorticoids and osteonecrosis among adults with low-risk and high-risk diseases. Conclusions Glucocorticoid use was clearly associated with osteonecrosis in a dose-related fashion in adults, especially young adults, but this risk was not detectable in children. The absolute risk of glucocorticoid-associated osteonecrosis in the general paediatric population and in adults taking low glucocorticoid doses is at most extremely small. PMID:28733303

Characterization of the antigen SO7 during development of Eimeria tenella.

PubMed

Fetterer, R H; Jenkins, M C; Miska, K B; Barfield, R C

2007-10-01

The developmental expression of the antigen SO7, which has been previously shown to protect chickens against infection by several Eimeria species, was investigated. Using RT-PCR, mRNA for SO7 was found to be restricted primarily to unsporulated oocysts (0 hr). Western blot (WB) analysis with an antibody to recombinant SO7 (rbSO7) revealed expression of the protein from 6 to 72 hr (fully sporulated) of sporulation and in sporozoites (SZ). SO7 was absent in host-derived second-stage merozoites (MZ) and was present in culture-derived first-stage MZ but at a level of only 25% of that exhibited by SZ. During invasion of Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells by SZ in vitro, the level of SO7 within cells, as determined by WB analysis, remained relatively constant until 48 hr of development and then decreased by about 40% at the next time point (72 hr). The SO7 secreted into the culture media during in vitro development increased to a relative maximum at 48 hr and then decreased to about 20% of maximum at 72 hr. Immunostaining with anti-rbSO7 indicates that SO7 is highly concentrated in both refractile bodies (RB) of SZ, with some limited distribution in the apical complex. Anti-rbSO7 intensively stained the intracellular parasites and the first-stage schizonts during in vitro development of E. tenella in MDBK cells. Upon release from the schizonts, the first-stage merozoites stained with 1 or 2 bright spots typically at each end. The results suggest that SO7 is closely associated with the SZ RB and is developmentally regulated but may not play a direct role in cellular invasion.

Percolation flux and Transport velocity in the unsaturated zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yang, I.C.

2002-01-01

The percolation flux for borehole USW UZ-14 was calculated from 14C residence times of pore water and water content of cores measured in the laboratory. Transport velocity is calculated from the depth interval between two points divided by the difference in 14C residence times. Two methods were used to calculate the flux and velocity. The first method uses the 14C data and cumulative water content data directly in the incremental intervals in the Paintbrush nonwelded unit and the Topopah Spring welded unit. The second method uses the regression relation for 14C data and cumulative water content data for the entire Paintbrush nonwelded unit and the Topopah Spring Tuff/Topopah Spring welded unit. Using the first method, for the Paintbrush nonwelded unit in boreholeUSW UZ-14 percolation flux ranges from 2.3 to 41.0 mm/a. Transport velocity ranges from 1.2 to 40.6 cm/a. For the Topopah Spring welded unit percolation flux ranges from 0.9 to 5.8 mm/a in the 8 incremental intervals calculated. Transport velocity ranges from 1.4 to 7.3 cm/a in the 8 incremental intervals. Using the second method, average percolation flux in the Paintbrush nonwelded unit for 6 boreholes ranges from 0.9 to 4.0 mm/a at the 95% confidence level. Average transport velocity ranges from 0.6 to 2.6 cm/a. For the Topopah Spring welded unit and Topopah Spring Tuff, average percolation flux in 5 boreholes ranges from 1.3 to 3.2 mm/a. Average transport velocity ranges from 1.6 to 4.0 cm/a. Both the average percolation flux and average transport velocity in the PTn are smaller than in the TS/TSw. However, the average minimum and average maximum values for the percolation flux in the TS/TSw are within the PTn average range. Therefore, differences in the percolation flux in the two units are not significant. On the other hand, average, average minimum, and average maximum transport velocities in the TS/TSw unit are all larger than the PTn values, implying a larger transport velocity for the TS/TSw although there is a small overlap.

Kinetics and dosimetry of thallium-201 in human testes

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

Rao, D.V.; Shepstone, B.J.; Wilkins, H.B.

Thallous chloride ({sup 201}Tl) is a well-known imaging agent. It has been shown to accumulate in the testes. In view of this, the testicular kinetics of {sup 201}Tl is investigated in humans and the absorbed dose to the organ calculated. Thallous chloride {sup 201}Tl was injected intravenously into four patients for myocardial perfusion studies. After clinical evaluation, the testicular uptake and clearance of {sup 201}Tl were monitored for about 1 wk using a gamma camera. Testicular uptake of {sup 201}Tl was rapid with a mean biological uptake half-time of 0.67 hr and mean biological clearance half-time of 280 hr. Themore » mean maximum testicular uptake of {sup 201}Tl was about 0.4% of the injected activity. These data were utilized to calculate the average absorbed dose to the testes. The absorbed dose to the testes was calculated to be 3.5 x 10{sup {minus}4} Gy/MBq (1.3 rad/mCi) of injected activity. When the relative biological effectiveness of the Auger emitter {sup 201}Tl is taken into account, the equivalent dose to the testes is 9.5 x 10{sup {minus}4} Sv/MBq (3.5 rem/mCi). 14 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.« less

Resting and Postexercise Heart Rate Detection From Fingertip and Facial Photoplethysmography Using a Smartphone Camera: A Validation Study

PubMed Central

Chan, Christy KY; Li, Christien KH; To, Olivia TL; Lai, William HS; Tse, Gary; Poh, Yukkee C; Poh, Ming-Zher

2017-01-01

Background Modern smartphones allow measurement of heart rate (HR) by detecting pulsatile photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals with built-in cameras from the fingertips or the face, without physical contact, by extracting subtle beat-to-beat variations of skin color. Objective The objective of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of HR measurements at rest and after exercise using a smartphone-based PPG detection app. Methods A total of 40 healthy participants (20 men; mean age 24.7, SD 5.2 years; von Luschan skin color range 14-27) underwent treadmill exercise using the Bruce protocol. We recorded simultaneous PPG signals for each participant by having them (1) facing the front camera and (2) placing their index fingertip over an iPhone’s back camera. We analyzed the PPG signals from the Cardiio-Heart Rate Monitor + 7 Minute Workout (Cardiio) smartphone app for HR measurements compared with a continuous 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) as the reference. Recordings of 20 seconds’ duration each were acquired at rest, and immediately after moderate- (50%-70% maximum HR) and vigorous- (70%-85% maximum HR) intensity exercise, and repeated successively until return to resting HR. We used Bland-Altman plots to examine agreement between ECG and PPG-estimated HR. The accuracy criterion was root mean square error (RMSE) ≤5 beats/min or ≤10%, whichever was greater, according to the American National Standards Institute/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation EC-13 standard. Results We analyzed a total of 631 fingertip and 626 facial PPG measurements. Fingertip PPG-estimated HRs were strongly correlated with resting ECG HR (r=.997, RMSE=1.03 beats/min or 1.40%), postmoderate-intensity exercise (r=.994, RMSE=2.15 beats/min or 2.53%), and postvigorous-intensity exercise HR (r=.995, RMSE=2.01 beats/min or 1.93%). The correlation of facial PPG-estimated HR was stronger with resting ECG HR (r=.997, RMSE=1.02 beats/min or 1.44%) than with postmoderate-intensity exercise (r=.982, RMSE=3.68 beats/min or 4.11%) or with postvigorous-intensity exercise (r=.980, RMSE=3.84 beats/min or 3.73%). Bland-Altman plots showed better agreement between ECG and fingertip PPG-estimated HR than between ECG and facial PPG-estimated HR. Conclusions We found that HR detection by the Cardiio smartphone app was accurate at rest and after moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise in a healthy young adult sample. Contact-free facial PPG detection is more convenient but is less accurate than finger PPG due to body motion after exercise. PMID:28288955

Metam sodium reduces viability and infectivity of Eimeria oocysts.

PubMed

Fetterer, R H; Jenkins, M C; Miska, K B; Cain, G D

2010-06-01

Metam sodium (MS, sodium N-methyldithiocarbamate) is a widely used soil pesticide. Fumigation or chemical sterilization of poultry litter containing infectious oocysts could be an effective strategy to block the transmission of avian coccidia. In the current study, the effect of MS on the viability and infectivity of ocysts was investigated. The development of isolated, unsporulated oocysts of both Eimeria tenella and Eimeria maxima was inhibited, in a dose-related manner (IC(50) 8 to 14 microg/ml), by exposure to aqueous MS. Most treated oocysts failed to develop beyond early stages of sporulation. To determine the effect of MS on infectivity, isolated oocysts of E. tenella , Eimeria acervulina , and E. maxima were exposed for 24 hr to aqueous concentrations of MS ranging from 0 to 1,000 microg/ml. Treated oocysts were inoculated into chickens, and parameters of coccidiosis infection were compared to chickens inoculated with equal numbers of untreated oocysts. In a dose-related manner, MS significantly reduced the infectivity of oocysts with maximum effect observed at a dose of 300 microg/ml. When a mixture of oocysts containing 3 coccidian species was exposed to 300 microg/ml MS, from 0 to 24 hr, infectivity of oocysts was significantly reduced after a minimum of 12 hr of exposure. Treatment of aqueous slurries of litter samples obtained from commercial poultry houses, with 300 microg/ml MS for 24 hr, prevented the sporulation of eimerian oocysts in the litter samples relative to untreated control samples. The results indicate that MS could be used to reduce coccidial contamination of poultry litter.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Visible colors of Centaurs and KBOs (Peixinho+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peixinho, N.; Delsanti, A.; Doressoundiram, A.

2015-02-01

Table 2: significant Spearman-rho correlations detected between all colors and all orbital parameters of Centaurs, scattered disk objects, scattered or detached objects, Plutinos, other resonants, classical KBOs, binary or multiple KBOs, KBOs (without Haumea family and retrograde orbits), all objects (also without Haumea family and retrograde orbits), and KBOs except classical KBOs (also without Haumea family and retrograde orbits). First and second columns indicate the variables, third column the number of objects with both variables measured, forth column indicate the correlation value and its 68.2% error interval, fifth column indicates the p-value of the correlation, sixth column indicate the equivalent confidence level of the p-value in Gaussian sigmas, columns seven to nine indicate the detail of the False Discovery Correction for confidence levels of 2.5σ and 3σ (see Sect. 3.4), tenth column indicates the maximum detectable rho at a 2.5σ confidence level with a 10% risk of missing it, eleventh column indicates the maximum detectable rho at a 3σ confidence level with a 10% risk of missing it (see Sect. 3.2) Table 5: Compilation of R-band absolute magnitude, not corrected for the phase-angle, of Spectral gradient, B-V, V-R, R-I, V-I, B-I, B-R, and corresponding orbital and orbital related parameters of 366 Centaurs and KBOs. For each object/observation, we computed the reflectance spectrum using equation (3) from Delsanti et al. (2001A&A...380..347D), when 2 or more filters were available. The resulting spectra were manually checked, and obviously deviant data from a given filter were removed from the dataset. Color indexes are computed within one given epoch, leading to colors obtained from "simultaneous" photometry (the different bands were observed over a maximum timespan of 2 hours). Then the average colors indexes and their one σ errors from different papers and epochs are computed for each object using equations (1) and (2) from Hainaut and Delsanti (2002A&A...389..641H), providing more accurate estimates when multiple measurements are available. Absolute magnitude in R band (HR) are computed for each object/epoch whenever a R-band magnitude is available, using: HR=R-5log(rΔ), where R is the R-band magnitude, r and Δ the helio- and geocentric distances at the time of observations, respectively.Different values for a given object were also averaged using the aforementioned equations (1) and (2). We did not correct for any phase effect. (5 data files).

Firefighter Incident Rehabilitation: Interpreting Heart Rate Responses.

PubMed

Smith, Denise L; Haller, Jeannie M; Benedict, Ron; Moore-Merrell, Lori

2016-01-01

The primary objective of this observational study was to document the heart rate (HR) responses of firefighters during incident rehabilitation following firefighting activity in a high-rise building with a simulated fire on the 10th floor. Additionally, the study investigated potential factors, including firefighting workload, ambient temperature, firefighter movement, and individual characteristics, that may have affected HR during recovery. Firefighters (n = 198) were assigned to perform a simulation of fire suppression, search and rescue, or material support during one of six firefighting trials that involved different crew sizes and ascent modes, and were performed in different environmental conditions. After completing the simulated firefighting activity, firefighters reported to a rehabilitation area on the 8th floor. The rehabilitation area was staffed by firefighter/paramedics. HR was monitored continuously during simulated firefighting activity and a 15-minute rehabilitation period. Average HR during rehabilitation (HRmean) was calculated and compared across trials. Simulated firefighting activity was performed in the summer in Virginia, USA, and ambient conditions varied among trials (mean ± SD: 31 ± 4°C; 46 ± 15% relative humidity; 32 ± 4°C heat index). Duration of simulated firefighting activity ranged from 12.0 to 20.3 minutes among trials (mean: 15.4 ± 5.2 minutes). Over all trials, mean peak HR during simulations was 173 ± 18 beats·min(-1). Mean HR over all trials at entry into rehabilitation was 149 ± 24 beats·min(-1). Following 15 minutes of recovery, mean HR over all trials was 126 ± 23 beats·min(-1). Exploratory analyses revealed that higher workload during firefighting (stair trials), higher ambient temperature (≥30°C), greater movement during rehabilitation (≥0.1 g-force), higher age (≥45 years), and higher BMI (≥30.0 kg·m(-2)) were associated with higher HR responses during rehabilitation. During complex emergency operations, emergency medical service personnel will likely encounter considerable variability in HR responses upon initial evaluation and throughout rehabilitation. Following one bout of firefighting activity during a simulated fire scenario, HR decreased but remained elevated well above resting values following 15 minutes of rehabilitation. Based on current fire service recommendations, the majority of firefighters (88%) would not have been released from rehabilitation and eligible for reassignment after a 15-minute rehabilitation period following a brief bout of simulated firefighting activity. medical monitoring, cardiac strain, firefighting.

Asteroid (367943) 2012 DA14 Flyby Spin State Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, Conor; Scheeres, Daniel J.; Moskovitz, Nicholas

2017-10-01

On February 15, 2013 asteroid 2012 DA14 experienced an extremely close Earth encounter, passing within 27700 km altitude. This flyby gave observers the chance to directly detect flyby-induced changes to the asteroid’s spin state and physical properties. The strongest shape and spin state constraints were provided by Goldstone delay-Doppler radar and visible-wavelength photometry taken after closest approach. These data indicated a roughly 40 m x 20 m object in non-principal axis rotation. NPA states are described by two fundamental periods. Pφ is the average precession period of the long/short axis about the angular momentum vector and Pψ is the rotation period about the long/short axis.WindowCLEAN (Belton & Gandhi 1988) power spectrum analysis of the post flyby light curve showed three prominent frequencies, two of which were 1:2 multiples of each other. Mueller et al. (2002) suggest peaks with this relationship are 1/Pφ and 2/Pφ, implying that Pφ = 6.35 hr. Likely values for Pψ were then 8.72, 13.95, or 23.39 hr. These Pφ,Pψ pairs yielded six candidate spin states in total, one LAM and one SAM per pair.Second to fourth order, two-dimensional Fourier series fits to the light curve were best for periods of 6.359 and 8.724 hr. The two other candidate pairs were also in the top ten fits. Inertia constraints of a roughly 2:1 uniform density ellipsoid eliminated two of the three SAM states. Using JPL Horizons ephemerides and Lambertian ellipsoids, simulated light curves were generated. The simulated and observed power spectra were then compared for all angular momentum poles and reasonable ellipsoid elongations. Only the Pφ = 6.359 hr and Pψ = 8.724 hr LAM state produced light curves consistent with the observed frequency structure. All other states were clearly incompatible. With two well-fitting poles found, phasing the initial attitude and angular velocity yielded plausible matches to the observed light curve. Neglecting gravitational torques, neither pole agreed with the observed pre-flyby light curve, suggesting that the asteroid’s spin state changed during the encounter, consistent with numerical simulation predictions. The consistency between the pre-flyby observations and simulated states will be discussed.

Occupation and lung cancer mortality in a nationally representative U.S. Cohort: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

PubMed

Lee, David J; Fleming, Lora E; Leblanc, William G; Arheart, Kristopher L; Chung-Bridges, Katherine; Christ, Sharon L; Caban, Alberto J; Pitman, Terry

2006-08-01

The objective of this study was to assess the risk of lung cancer mortality in a nationally representative sample of U.S. workers by occupation. National Death Index linkage identified 1812 lung cancer deaths among 143,863 workers who participated in the 1987, 1988, and 1990-1994 National Health Interview Surveys. Current and former smoking status was predictive of lung cancer mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 15.1 and 3.8, respectively). Occupations with significantly higher risk for age- and smoking-adjusted lung cancer mortality included heating/air/refrigeration mechanics (HR = 3.0); not specified mechanics and repairers (HR = 2.8); financial records processing occupations (HR = 1.8); freight, stock, and materials handlers (HR = 1.5); and precision production occupations (HR = 1.4). Although tobacco use continues to be the single most important risk factor for lung cancer mortality, occupational exposure to lung carcinogens should be targeted as well to further reduce the burden of lung cancer.

Identification of a permissible HLA mismatch in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PubMed Central

Fernandez-Viña, Marcelo A.; Wang, Tao; Lee, Stephanie J.; Haagenson, Michael; Aljurf, Mahmoud; Askar, Medhat; Battiwalla, Minoo; Baxter-Lowe, Lee-Ann; Gajewski, James; Jakubowski, Ann A.; Marino, Susana; Oudshoorn, Machteld; Marsh, Steven G. E.; Petersdorf, Effie W.; Schultz, Kirk; Turner, E. Victoria; Waller, Edmund K.; Woolfrey, Ann; Umejiego, John; Spellman, Stephen R.; Setterholm, Michelle

2014-01-01

In subjects mismatched in the HLA alleles C*03:03/C*03:04 no allogeneic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses are detected in vitro. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with unrelated donors (UDs) showed no association between the HLA-C allele mismatches (CAMMs) and adverse outcomes; antigen mismatches at this and mismatches other HLA loci are deleterious. The absence of effect of the CAMM may have resulted from the predominance of the mismatch C*03:03/C*03:04. Patients with hematologic malignancies receiving UD HSCT matched in 8/8 and 7/8 HLA alleles were examined. Transplants mismatched in HLA-C antigens or mismatched in HLA-A, -B, or -DRB1 presented significant differences (P < .0001) in mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.37, 1.30), disease-free survival (HR = 1.33, 1.27), treatment-related mortality (HR = 1.54, 1.54), and grade 3-4 acute graft-versus-host disease (HR = 1.49, 1.77) compared with the 8/8 group; transplants mismatched in other CAMMs had similar outcomes with HR ranging from 1.34 to 172 for these endpoints. The C*03:03/C*03:04 mismatched and the 8/8 matched groups had identical outcomes (HR ranging from 0.96-1.05). The previous finding that CAMMs do not associate with adverse outcomes is explained by the predominance (69%) of the mismatch C*03:03/03:04 in this group that is better tolerated than other HLA mismatches. PMID:24408320

Depression of plasma luteinizing hormone concentration in quail by the anticholinesterase insecticide parathion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rattner, B.A.; Clarke, R.N.; Ottinger, M.A.

1986-01-01

1. To examine the effects of parathion on basal plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration, male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were orally intubated with 0, 5 or 10 mg/kg parathion and sacrificed after 4, 8 and 24 hr.2. At the 5 mg/kg dose, plasma LH levels were reduced at 4 and 8 hr, but returned to control values by 24 hr. Brain acetylcholinesterase activity was substantially reduced by 10 mg/kg parathion (52, 75 and 37% inhibition at 4, 8 and 24 hr, respectively) and plasma LH concentration remained depressed through the 24-hr period.3. These findings suggest that the organophosphorus insecticide parathion may alter plasma LH concentration in a manner which might impair reproductive activity, and provide indirect evidence for a cholinergic component in the regulation of LH secretion in quail.

Blockade of central vasopressin receptors reduces the cardiovascular response to acute stress in freely moving rats.

PubMed

Stojicić, S; Milutinović-Smiljanić, S; Sarenac, O; Milosavljević, S; Paton, J F R; Murphy, D; Japundzić-Zigon, N

2008-04-01

To investigate the contribution of central vasopressin receptors to blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) response to stress we injected non-peptide selective V(1a) (SR49059), V(1b) (SSR149415), V(2) (SR121463) receptor antagonists, diazepam or vehicle in the lateral cerebral ventricle of conscious freely moving rats stressed by blowing air on their heads for 2 min. Cardiovascular effects of stress were evaluated by analyzing maximum increase of BP and HR (MAX), latency of maximum response (LAT), integral under BP and HR curve (integral), duration of their recovery and spectral parameters of BP and HR indicative of increased sympathetic outflow (LF(BP) and LF/HF(HR)). Moreover, the increase of serum corticosterone was measured. Exposure to air-jet stress induced simultaneous increase in BP and HR followed by gradual decline during recovery while LF(BP) oscillation remained increased as well as serum corticosterone level. Rats pre-treated with vasopressin receptor antagonists were not sedated while diazepam induced sedation that persisted during exposure to stress. V(1a), V(1b) and V(2) receptor antagonists applied separately did not modify basal values of cardiovascular parameters but prevented the increase in integral(BP). In addition, V(1b) and V(2) receptor antagonists reduced BP(MAX) whereas V(1a), V(1b) antagonist and diazepam reduced HR(MAX) induced by exposure to air-jet stress. All drugs shortened the recovery period, prevented the increase of LF(BP) without affecting the increase in serum corticosterone levels. Results indicate that vasopressin receptors located within the central nervous system mediate, in part, the cardiovascular response to air-jet stress without affecting either the neuroendocrine component or inducing sedation. They support the view that the V(1b) receptor antagonist may be of potential therapeutic value in reducing arterial pressure induced by stress-related disorders.

Correlation of nitric oxide (NO) activity and gonadal function in Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica following temporal phase relation of serotonergic and dopaminergic oscillations.

PubMed

Kumar, Pankaj; Chaturvedi, Chandra Mohini

2008-06-01

Nitric oxide (NO), a highly reactive and short-lived radical, is considered to be an important trigger molecule for several physiological mechanisms including gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion in mammals, although there is no such information in avian literature. On the other hand, specific temporal phase relation of circadian neural (serotonergic and dopaminergic) oscillations is reported to modulate reproductive activity in many avian species including Japanese quail. The present study was undertaken to investigate the correlation of NO activity and gonadal function of Japanese quail. In experiment I, the effect of serotonin and dopamine precursors, (5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and L-dihydroxyphenyalanine (L-DOPA) respectively; 5 mg per 100g body weight) administered at intervals of 8 or 12h over a period of 13 days, was studied on reproductive responses and NO activity. Measurements of body weight, cloacal gland size, testosterone concentration, spermatogenesis, nitrite-nitrate concentration in plasma, hypothalamus and testes, and NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity in testes were made on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 11th days of treatment and 2nd and 30th day post-treatment. In experiment II, quail were divided into five groups including the control. One experimental group received 13 daily injections of 5-HTP and L-DOPA at intervals of 8h along with 0.1 ml of normal saline administered orally (8-hr+Veh), while another group of 8-hr quail received NO donor (sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 5 mg per 100 g body weight) orally (8-hr+SNP). The third experimental group received 5-HTP and L-DOPA at intervals of 12h along with normal saline (12-hr+Veh), while the fourth group of quail along with 5-HTP and L-DOPA at intervals of 12h also received the NOS inhibitor (N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME, 25 microg per 100 g body weight) intraperitoneally (12-hr+L-NAME) for 13 days. This experiment was terminated after 21 days of the treatment. Results indicate that 5-HTP and L-DOPA administered 8h apart (8-hr) suppressed but if given 12h apart (12-hr) stimulated the reproductive system and NO activity compared to the control. These effects were apparent on the 6th day of injections and were maintained 30 days following the termination of the treatment. A significant decrease in nitrite and nitrate concentration and NADPH-d activity in reproductively inhibited 8-hr group and an increase in reproductively stimulated 12-hr quail was also evident. In contrast, these activities were stimulated in 8-hr+SNP quail and were suppressed in 12-hr+L-NAME group quail. It is concluded that activity of the reproductive system and NO activity waxes and wanes simultaneously in Japanese quail. Moreover, experimental modulation of gonadal activity (following changes in the phase relation of serotonergic and dopaminergic activity) or NO activity (following the administration of NO modulator or inhibitor) affects each other maintaining a parallel relation between the two systems. Further, it is interesting to note that the gonado-stimulatory effect of SNP overpowers the gonado-inhibitory effects of the 8-hr time interval and inhibitory effects of L-NAME mask the stimulatory effects of 12-hr temporal relation of 5-HTP and L-DOPA administration. These findings strongly suggest that reproductive effects may be induced via changes in NO activity, however the exact mechanism by which NO drives gonadal axis needs to be ascertained.

40 CFR 469.27 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Average of daily values for 30 consecutive... manufacturers of gallium or indium arsenide crystals. 4 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. [48 FR 15394, Apr. 8...