Analysis of user characteristics related to drop-off detection with long cane

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae Shik; Emerson, Robert Wall; Curtis, Amy

2010-01-01

This study examined how user characteristics affect drop-off detection with the long cane. A mixed-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 32 visually impaired adults attempted to detect the drop-offs using different cane techniques. Younger cane users detected drop-offs significantly more reliably (mean +/− standard deviation = 74.2% +/− 11.2% of the time) than older cane users (60.9% +/− 10.8%), p = 0.009. The drop-off detection threshold of the younger participants (5.2 +/− 2.1 cm) was also statistically significantly smaller than that of the older participants (7.9 +/− 2.2 cm), p = 0.007. Those with early-onset visual impairment (78.0% +/− 9.0%) also detected drop-offs significantly more reliably than those with later-onset visual impairment (67.3% +/− 12.4%), p = 0.01. No interaction occurred between examined user characteristics (age and age at onset of visual impairment) and the type of cane technique used in drop-off detection. The findings of the study may help orientation and mobility specialists select appropriate cane techniques in accordance with the cane user’s age and onset of visual impairment. PMID:20665349

Transient effects in ice nucleation of a water drop impacting onto a cold substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schremb, Markus; Roisman, Ilia V.; Tropea, Cameron

2017-02-01

The impact of water drops onto a solid surface at subfreezing temperatures has been experimentally studied. Drop nucleation has been observed using a high-speed video system. The statistics of nucleation allows the estimation of the average number of nucleation sites per unit area of the wetted part of the substrate. We have discovered that the nucleation rate in the impacting drop is not constant. The observed significant increase of the nucleation rate at small times after impact t <50 ms can be explained by the generation of nanobubbles at early times of drop impact. These bubbles serve as additional nucleation sites and enhance the nucleation rate.

Transient effects in ice nucleation of a water drop impacting onto a cold substrate.

PubMed

Schremb, Markus; Roisman, Ilia V; Tropea, Cameron

2017-02-01

The impact of water drops onto a solid surface at subfreezing temperatures has been experimentally studied. Drop nucleation has been observed using a high-speed video system. The statistics of nucleation allows the estimation of the average number of nucleation sites per unit area of the wetted part of the substrate. We have discovered that the nucleation rate in the impacting drop is not constant. The observed significant increase of the nucleation rate at small times after impact t<50 ms can be explained by the generation of nanobubbles at early times of drop impact. These bubbles serve as additional nucleation sites and enhance the nucleation rate.

Short-term effect of topical antiglaucoma medication on tear-film stability, tear secretion, and corneal sensitivity in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Terai, Naim; Müller-Holz, Matthias; Spoerl, Eberhard; Pillunat, Lutz E

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of topical antiglaucoma medication on tear-film stability, tear secretion, and corneal sensitivity in healthy subjects. In this prospective, double-blind crossover trial, break-up time and basal secretion (Jones test) were measured 60 minutes before, and 30, 60, and 90 minutes after topical antiglaucoma drop application in 30 healthy subjects. Corneal sensitivity was measured 60 minutes before, and five, 10, and 15 minutes after drop application using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. Reduction of break-up time in the latanoprost group was -23.8% after 30 minutes (P = 0.21), -26.7% after 60 minutes (P = 0.03) and -51.4% after 90 minutes (P ≤ 0.003), which was statistically significant. Reduction of break-up time in all other treatment groups was not statistically significant. The Jones test revealed a significant reduction of basal secretion after application of brimonidine (-17.8%, P = 0.002; -22.5%, P < 0.001; -30.5%, P < 0.001), followed by apraclonidine (-10%, P = 0.06; -20.1%, P = 0.02; -22.1%, P = 0.002), latanoprost (-2.4%, P = 0.64; -18.6%, P = 0.001; -20.1%, P = 0.001) and dorzolamide (-0.5%, P = 0.9; 14.3%, P = 0.018; -17.3%, P = 0.004) at 30, 60, and 90 minutes after drop application. Reduction of basal secretion in all other treatment groups was not statistically significant. Latanoprost showed the most statistically significant reduction in break-up time, and brimonidine showed the most significant reduction in basal secretion of all the glaucoma medications used in this study. In conclusion, our data may be helpful for treatment decisions in glaucoma patients who also suffer from ocular surface problems.

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

Frangakis, Constantine; Geschwind, Jean-Francois; Kim, Daniel

Introduction: The drop-off risk for patients awaiting liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is 22%. Transplant liver availability is expected to worsen, resulting in longer waiting times and increased drop-off rates. Our aim was to determine whether chemoembolization can decrease this risk. Patients and Methods: Eighty-seven consecutive HCC patients listed for liver transplant (Milan criteria) underwent statistical comparability adjustments using the propensity score (Wilcoxon, Fisher's, and chi-square tests). Forty-three nonchemoembolization patients and 22 chemoembolization patients were comparable for Child-Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, tumor size and number, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and cause of cirrhosis. We calculatedmore » the risk of dropping off the transplant list by assigning a transplant time to those who dropped off (equal probability with patients who were on the list longer than the patient in question). The significance level was obtained by calculating the simulation distribution of the difference compared with the permutations of chemoembolization versus nonchemoembolization assignment of the patients. Kaplan-Meier estimators (log-rank test) were used to determine survival rates. Results: Median follow-up was 187 {+-} 110 weeks (range 38 to 435, date of diagnosis). The chemoembolization group had an 80% drop-off risk decrease (15% nonchemoembolization versus 3% chemoembolization, p = 0.04). Although survival was better for the chemoembolization group, it did not reach statistical significance. Two-year survival for the nonchemoembolization and chemoembolization group was 57.3% {+-} 7.1% and 76.0% {+-} 7.9%, respectively (p = 0.078). Conclusions: Chemoembolization appears to result in a significant decrease in the risk of dropping off liver transplant list for patients with HCC and results in a tendency toward longer survival.« less

Fostering Social-Emotional Resilience among Latino Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes, Jazmin A.; Elias, Maurice J.

2011-01-01

National statistics reveal that Latino youth face significant challenges and engage in many risky behaviors that can hinder positive development and well-being, such as attempted suicide, lifetime cocaine use, unprotected sex, and dropping out of school. However, these statistics obscure the fact that many Latino youth are developing well despite…

Camphor-Crataegus berry extract combination dose-dependently reduces tilt induced fall in blood pressure in orthostatic hypotension.

PubMed

Belz, G G; Butzer, R; Gaus, W; Loew, D

2002-10-01

In order to test the efficacy of a combination of natural D-camphor and an extract of fresh crataegus berries (Korodin Herz-Kreislauf-Tropfen) on orthostatic hypotension, two similar, controlled, randomized studies were carried out in a balanced crossover design in 24 patients each with orthostatic dysregulation. The camphor-crataegus berry combination (CCC) was orally administered as a single regimen in 3 different dosages of 5 drops, 20 drops and 80 drops; a placebo with 20 drops of a 60% alcoholic solution served as control. Orthostatic hypotension was assessed with the tilt table test before and after medication. Source data of both studies were pooled and meta-analytically evaluated for all 48 patients. CCC drops decreased the orthostatic fall in blood pressure versus placebo, as almost uniformly established at all times by mean arterial pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Mean arterial pressure demonstrated the very fast onset of action by a clearly dose-dependent statistically significant effect even after 1-minute orthostasis. Increase of mean arterial pressure as compared to the orthostasis test before medication was on average 4.5 mmHg. CCC affected diastolic blood pressure after 1 minute of orthostasis in all dosages as compared to placebo. A statistically significant effect of the highest dose of 80 drops on diastolic blood pressure could be demonstrated after 1-, 3-, and 5-minute orthostasis. The hemodynamic findings of a stabilizing effect on arterial pressure in orthostasis corroborate the long-term medical experience with CCC and justify the indication orthostatic hypotension.

Comparative randomised active drug controlled clinical trial of a herbal eye drop in computer vision syndrome.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Pranab Kr; Bairagi, Debasis; Roy, Sudipta; Majumder, Nilay Kr; Paul, Ratish Ch; Bagchi, Sunil Ch

2005-07-01

A comparative double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of a herbal eye drop (itone) was conducted to find out its efficacy and safety in 120 patients with computer vision syndrome. Patients using computers for more than 3 hours continuously per day having symptoms of watering, redness, asthenia, irritation, foreign body sensation and signs of conjunctival hyperaemia, corneal filaments and mucus were studied. One hundred and twenty patients were randomly given either placebo, tears substitute (tears plus) or itone in identical vials with specific code number and were instructed to put one drop four times daily for 6 weeks. Subjective and objective assessments were done at bi-weekly intervals. In computer vision syndrome both subjective and objective improvements were noticed with itone drops. Itone drop was found significantly better than placebo (p<0.01) and almost identical results were observed with tears plus (difference was not statistically significant). Itone is considered to be a useful drug in computer vision syndrome.

Changes in biomechanical properties during drop jumps of incremental height.

PubMed

Peng, Hsien-Te

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate changing biomechanical properties with increasing drop jump height. Sixteen physically active college students participated in this study and performed drop jumps from heights of 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 cm (DJ20-DJ60). Kinematic and kinetic data were collected using 11 Eagle cameras and 2 force platforms. Data pertaining to the dominant leg for each of 3 trials for each drop height were recorded and analyzed. Statistical comparisons of vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), impulse, moment, power, work, and stiffness were made between different drop jump heights. The peak vGRF of the dominant leg exceeded 3 times the body weight during DJ50 and DJ60; these values were significantly greater than those for DJ20, DJ30, and DJ40 (all p < 0.004). The height jumped during DJ60 was significantly less than that during DJ20 and DJ30 (both p = 0.010). Both the landing impulse and total impulse during the contact phase were significantly different between each drop height (all p < 0.036) and significantly increased with drop height. There were no significant differences in the takeoff impulse. Peak and mean power absorption and negative work at the knee and ankle joints during DJ40, DJ50, and DJ60 were significantly greater than those during DJ20 and DJ30 (all p < 0.049). Leg, knee, and ankle stiffness during DJ60 were significantly less than during DJ20, DJ30, and DJ40 (all p < 0.037). The results demonstrated that drop jumps from heights >40 cm offered no advantages in terms of mechanical efficiency (SSC power output) and stiffness. Drop jumps from heights in excess of 60 cm are not recommended because of the lack of biomechanical efficiency and the potentially increased risk of injury.

An evaluation of Retaine™ ophthalmic emulsion in the management of tear film stability and ocular surface staining in patients diagnosed with dry eye.

PubMed

Ousler, George; Devries, Douglas K; Karpecki, Paul M; Ciolino, Joseph B

2015-01-01

A single-center, open-label study consisting of two visits over the course of approximately 2 weeks was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Retaine™ ophthalmic emulsion in improving the signs and symptoms of dry eye. Forty-two subjects were enrolled and received 1-2 drops twice daily of Retaine™ beginning at the first visit (day 1) and ending at the second visit. Subjects were instructed to complete a symptomatology diary twice daily prior to drop instillation through the morning of the second visit. Ocular sign and symptom assessments, visual acuity procedures, and comfort assessments were conducted during both visits. A statistically significant reduction was observed in mean breakup area on the second visit between the predose time and the postdose time (P=0.026). On the second visit, subjects had significantly less corneal fluorescein staining in the superior (P=0.002), central (P=0.017), corneal sum (P=0.011), and all ocular regions combined (P=0.038) than on the first visit. On the second visit, statistically significant reductions in dryness (P<0.001), grittiness (P=0.0217), ocular discomfort (P=0.0017), and all symptoms (P<0.001) were also seen as measured by the Ora Calibra™ Ocular Discomfort and 4-Symptom Questionnaire (0-5 scale). Subjects reported a statistically significant improvement in their abilities to work with a computer at night (P=0.044). Mean drop comfort scores ranged from 1.29-1.81 on the Ora Calibra™ 0-10 Drop Comfort Scale, on which 0 is very comfortable and 10 is very uncomfortable. Retaine™ demonstrates promising results as a novel artificial tear option for individuals suffering from dry eye. The unique mechanism of action of Retaine™ provides enhanced comfort and improves the quality of life of dry eye subjects while reducing the ocular signs of dry eye.

[A comparison of three different needles used for spinal anesthesia in terms of squamous epithelial cell transport risk].

PubMed

Çiğdem, Ünal Kantekin; Sevinç, Şahin; Esef, Bolat; Süreyya, Öztürk; Muzaffer, Gencer; Akif, Demirel

To investigate the differences in the number of squamous epithelial cells carried to the spinal canal by three different types of spinal needle tip of the same size. Patients were allocated into three groups (Group I, Group II, Group III). Spinal anesthesia was administered to Group I (n=50) using a 25G Quincke needle, to Group II (n=50) using a 25G pencil point spinal needle, and to Group III (n=50) using a non-cutting atraumatic needle with special bending. The first and third drops of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken from each patient and each drop was placed on a slide for cytological examination. Nucleated and non-nucleated squamous epithelial cells on the smear preparations were counted. There was statistically significant difference between the groups in respect to the number of squamous epithelial cells in the first drop (p<0.05). Group III had lower number of squamous epithelial cells in the first drop compared to that of Group I and Group II. Mean while Group I had higher number of squamous epithelial cells in the third drop compared to the other groups. The number of squamous epithelial cells in the first and third drops was statistically similar in each group respectively (p>0.05 for each group). In this study of different needle tips, it was seen that with atraumatic needle with special bending a significantly smaller number of cells were transported when compared to the Quincke tip needles, and with pencil point needles. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Corneal Thickness Response after Anesthetic Eye Drops: Our Own Results and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Calvo-Maroto, Ana M.; Moscardo, Monica; Murillo-Llorente, Mayte

2018-01-01

We aimed to test if there are different patterns in the central corneal thickness (CCT) response after instilling oxybuprocaine anesthetic eye drops and also to determine whether there is a significant change in the CCT. CCT was measured in 60 eyes of 60 healthy subjects before and during the hour after oxybuprocaine 0.4% eye drops were instilled. In addition, a systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out in order to answer the following PICO (patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome) question: What effect do anesthetic eye drops have on CCT values? We found no significant changes in the mean CCT values during the hour's observation (ANOVA, p = 0.209), and the meta-analysis revealed no statistically significant changes in the CCT after anesthesia (Q-Value = 1.111; p value = 1.000; I2 = 0.000; Tau2 = 0.000; Stderr = 0.020). However, we found three CCT response patterns 5 minutes after anesthesia: Pattern 1, subjects with no significant changes in their CCT values (n = 14, 46.7%); Pattern 2, subjects with significant CCT increases (n = 11, 36.7%); and Pattern 3, subjects with significant CCT decreases (n = 5, 16.7%). In sum, there are no significant changes in the CCT after anesthesia, but there are three different CCT response patterns 5 minutes after anesthesia. PMID:29693008

Corneal Thickness Response after Anesthetic Eye Drops: Our Own Results and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Perez-Bermejo, Marcelino; Cervino, Alejandro; Calvo-Maroto, Ana M; Moscardo, Monica; Murillo-Llorente, Mayte; Sanchis-Gimeno, Juan A

2018-01-01

We aimed to test if there are different patterns in the central corneal thickness (CCT) response after instilling oxybuprocaine anesthetic eye drops and also to determine whether there is a significant change in the CCT. CCT was measured in 60 eyes of 60 healthy subjects before and during the hour after oxybuprocaine 0.4% eye drops were instilled. In addition, a systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out in order to answer the following PICO (patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome) question: What effect do anesthetic eye drops have on CCT values? We found no significant changes in the mean CCT values during the hour's observation (ANOVA, p = 0.209), and the meta-analysis revealed no statistically significant changes in the CCT after anesthesia ( Q -Value = 1.111; p value = 1.000; I 2 = 0.000; Tau2 = 0.000; Stderr = 0.020). However, we found three CCT response patterns 5 minutes after anesthesia: Pattern 1, subjects with no significant changes in their CCT values ( n = 14, 46.7%); Pattern 2, subjects with significant CCT increases ( n = 11, 36.7%); and Pattern 3, subjects with significant CCT decreases ( n = 5, 16.7%). In sum, there are no significant changes in the CCT after anesthesia, but there are three different CCT response patterns 5 minutes after anesthesia.

Tear film thickness after treatment with artificial tears in patients with moderate dry eye disease.

PubMed

Schmidl, Doreen; Schmetterer, Leopold; Witkowska, Katarzyna J; Unterhuber, Angelika; dos Santos, Valentin Aranha; Kaya, Semira; Nepp, Johannes; Baar, Carina; Rosner, Peter; Werkmeister, René M; Garhofer, Gerhard

2015-04-01

This study was designed to investigate the effect of a single-drop instillation of different lacrimal substitutes on tear film thickness (TFT) assessed with optical coherence tomography in patients with mild to moderate dry eye disease. The study was performed in a randomized, double-masked, controlled parallel group design. Patients received a single dose of either unpreserved trehalose 30 mg/mL and sodium hyaluronate 1.5 mg/mL (TH-SH, Thealoz Duo), unpreserved sodium hyaluronate, 0.15% (HA, Hyabak) or sodium chloride, 0.9% (NaCl, Hydrabak) eye drops. Sixty patients finished the study according to the protocol. TFT was measured with a custom-built ultrahigh-resolution Fourier domain optical coherence tomography system providing a resolution of 1.2 μm. The mean TFT before treatment was 2.5 ± 0.4 μm. Ten minutes after instillation, TFT significantly increased in the TH-SH group from 2.4 ± 0.4 to 3.1 ± 0.9 μm (P < 0.01) and in the HA group from 2.4 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.5 μm (P < 0.01), whereas no significant change was observed in the NaCl group (from 2.6 ± 0.4 to 2.7 ± 0.4 μm, P = 0.76). The increase in TFT remained statistically significant up to 240 minutes after administration of TH-SH. In contrast, the increase in TFT after administration of HA was only statistically significant at 10, 20, and 40 minutes after drop instillation. The findings of this study indicate that single instillation of TH-SH and HA eye drops increases TFT in patients with dry eye disease. The data also indicate longer corneal residence of the TH-containing eye drops. The effect of multiple instillation and long-term use of artificial tears on TFT warrants further investigation.

Proliferative changes in the bronchial epithelium of former smokers treated with retinoids.

PubMed

Hittelman, Walter N; Liu, Diane D; Kurie, Jonathan M; Lotan, Reuben; Lee, Jin Soo; Khuri, Fadlo; Ibarguen, Heladio; Morice, Rodolfo C; Walsh, Garrett; Roth, Jack A; Minna, John; Ro, Jae Y; Broxson, Anita; Hong, Waun Ki; Lee, J Jack

2007-11-07

Retinoids have shown antiproliferative and chemopreventive activity. We analyzed data from a randomized, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial to determine whether a 3-month treatment with either 9-cis-retinoic acid (RA) or 13-cis-RA and alpha-tocopherol reduced Ki-67, a proliferation biomarker, in the bronchial epithelium. Former smokers (n = 225) were randomly assigned to receive 3 months of daily oral 9-cis-RA (100 mg), 13-cis-RA (1 mg/kg) and alpha-tocopherol (1200 IU), or placebo. Bronchoscopic biopsy specimens obtained before and after treatment were immunohistochemically assessed for changes in the Ki-67 proliferative index (i.e., percentage of cells with Ki-67-positive nuclear staining) in the basal and parabasal layers of the bronchial epithelium. Per-subject and per-biopsy site analyses were conducted. Multicovariable analyses, including a mixed-effects model and a generalized estimating equations model, were used to investigate the treatment effect (Ki-67 labeling index and percentage of bronchial epithelial biopsy sites with a Ki-67 index > or = 5%) with adjustment for multiple covariates, such as smoking history and metaplasia. Coefficient estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from the models. All statistical tests were two-sided. In per-subject analyses, Ki-67 labeling in the basal layer was not changed by any treatment; the percentage of subjects with a high Ki-67 labeling in the parabasal layer dropped statistically significantly after treatment with 13-cis-RA and alpha-tocopherol treatment (P = .04) compared with placebo, but the drop was not statistically significant after 9-cis-RA treatment (P = .17). A similar effect was observed in the parabasal layer in a per-site analysis; the percentage of sites with high Ki-67 labeling dropped statistically significantly after 9-cis-RA treatment (coefficient estimate = -0.72, 95% CI = -1.24 to -0.20; P = .007) compared with placebo, and after 13-cis-RA and alpha-tocopherol treatment (coefficient estimate = -0.66, 95% CI = -1.15 to -0.17; P = .008). In per-subject analyses, treatment with 13-cis-RA and alpha-tocopherol, compared with placebo, was statistically significantly associated with reduced bronchial epithelial cell proliferation; treatment with 9-cis-RA was not. In per-site analyses, statistically significant associations were obtained with both treatments.

Proliferative Changes in the Bronchial Epithelium of Former Smokers Treated With Retinoids

PubMed Central

Hittelman, Walter N.; Liu, Diane D.; Kurie, Jonathan M.; Lotan, Reuben; Lee, Jin Soo; Khuri, Fadlo; Ibarguen, Heladio; Morice, Rodolfo C.; Walsh, Garrett; Roth, Jack A.; Minna, John; Ro, Jae Y.; Broxson, Anita; Hong, Waun Ki; Lee, J. Jack

2012-01-01

Background Retinoids have shown antiproliferative and chemopreventive activity. We analyzed data from a randomized, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial to determine whether a 3-month treatment with either 9-cis-retinoic acid (RA) or 13-cis-RA and α-tocopherol reduced Ki-67, a proliferation biomarker, in the bronchial epithelium. Methods Former smokers (n = 225) were randomly assigned to receive 3 months of daily oral 9-cis-RA (100 mg), 13-cis-RA (1 mg/kg) and α-tocopherol (1200 IU), or placebo. Bronchoscopic biopsy specimens obtained before and after treatment were immunohistochemically assessed for changes in the Ki-67 proliferative index (i.e., percentage of cells with Ki-67–positive nuclear staining) in the basal and parabasal layers of the bronchial epithelium. Per-subject and per–biopsy site analyses were conducted. Multicovariable analyses, including a mixed-effects model and a generalized estimating equations model, were used to investigate the treatment effect (Ki-67 labeling index and percentage of bronchial epithelial biopsy sites with a Ki-67 index ≥ 5%) with adjustment for multiple covariates, such as smoking history and metaplasia. Coefficient estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from the models. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results In per-subject analyses, Ki-67 labeling in the basal layer was not changed by any treatment; the percentage of subjects with a high Ki-67 labeling in the parabasal layer dropped statistically significantly after treatment with 13-cis-RA and α-tocopherol treatment (P = .04) compared with placebo, but the drop was not statistically significant after 9-cis-RA treatment (P = .17). A similar effect was observed in the parabasal layer in a per-site analysis; the percentage of sites with high Ki-67 labeling dropped statistically significantly after 9-cis-RA treatment (coefficient estimate = −0.72, 95% CI = −1.24 to −0.20; P = .007) compared with placebo, and after 13-cis-RA and α-tocopherol treatment (coefficient estimate = −0.66, 95% CI = −1.15 to −0.17; P = .008). Conclusions In per-subject analyses, treatment with 13-cis-RA and α-tocopherol, compared with placebo, was statistically significantly associated with reduced bronchial epithelial cell proliferation; treatment with 9-cis-RA was not. In per-site analyses, statistically significant associations were obtained with both treatments. PMID:17971525

Statistics of acoustic emissions and stress drops during granular shearing using a stick-slip fiber bundle mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, D.; Michlmayr, G.; Or, D.

2012-04-01

Shearing of dense granular materials appears in many engineering and Earth sciences applications. Under a constant strain rate, the shearing stress at steady state oscillates with slow rises followed by rapid drops that are linked to the build up and failure of force chains. Experiments indicate that these drops display exponential statistics. Measurements of acoustic emissions during shearing indicates that the energy liberated by failure of these force chains has power-law statistics. Representing force chains as fibers, we use a stick-slip fiber bundle model to obtain analytical solutions of the statistical distribution of stress drops and failure energy. In the model, fibers stretch, fail, and regain strength during deformation. Fibers have Weibull-distributed threshold strengths with either quenched and annealed disorder. The shape of the distribution for drops and energy obtained from the model are similar to those measured during shearing experiments. This simple model may be useful to identify failure events linked to force chain failures. Future generalizations of the model that include different types of fiber failure may also allow identification of different types of granular failures that have distinct statistical acoustic emission signatures.

Are the Stress Drops of Small Earthquakes Good Predictors of the Stress Drops of Larger Earthquakes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardebeck, J.

2017-12-01

Uncertainty in PSHA could be reduced through better estimates of stress drop for possible future large earthquakes. Studies of small earthquakes find spatial variability in stress drop; if large earthquakes have similar spatial patterns, their stress drops may be better predicted using the stress drops of small local events. This regionalization implies the variance with respect to the local mean stress drop may be smaller than the variance with respect to the global mean. I test this idea using the Shearer et al. (2006) stress drop catalog for M1.5-3.1 events in southern California. I apply quality control (Hauksson, 2015) and remove near-field aftershocks (Wooddell & Abrahamson, 2014). The standard deviation of the distribution of the log10 stress drop is reduced from 0.45 (factor of 3) to 0.31 (factor of 2) by normalizing each event's stress drop by the local mean. I explore whether a similar variance reduction is possible when using the Shearer catalog to predict stress drops of larger southern California events. For catalogs of moderate-sized events (e.g. Kanamori, 1993; Mayeda & Walter, 1996; Boyd, 2017), normalizing by the Shearer catalog's local mean stress drop does not reduce the standard deviation compared to the unmodified stress drops. I compile stress drops of larger events from the literature, and identify 15 M5.5-7.5 earthquakes with at least three estimates. Because of the wide range of stress drop estimates for each event, and the different techniques and assumptions, it is difficult to assign a single stress drop value to each event. Instead, I compare the distributions of stress drop estimates for pairs of events, and test whether the means of the distributions are statistically significantly different. The events divide into 3 categories: low, medium, and high stress drop, with significant differences in mean stress drop between events in the low and the high stress drop categories. I test whether the spatial patterns of the Shearer catalog stress drops can predict the categories of the 15 events. I find that they cannot, rather the large event stress drops are uncorrelated with the local mean stress drop from the Shearer catalog. These results imply that the regionalization of stress drops of small events does not extend to the larger events, at least with current standard techniques of stress drop estimation.

Comparative evaluation of Nano-Hydroxyapatite preparation and Calcium Sucrose Phosphate on microhardness of deciduous teeth after iron drop exposure - An in-vitro study.

PubMed

Rathi, Nilesh; Baid, Rutika; Baliga, Sudhindra; Thosar, Nilima

2017-04-01

To evaluate and compare the microhardness of deciduous teeth treated with nano-hydroxyapatite and calcium sucrose phosphate after iron drop exposure. Twenty healthy anterior deciduous teeth were collected and stored in 0.9% saline solution at room temperature. All the teeth were immersed in artificial saliva in an incubator shaker at 37° for an hour and then subjected to Vickers microhardness test at 100g load for 5 seconds. The teeth were then immersed in iron drop for 5 minutes, twice daily, rinsed with distilled water and kept in artificial saliva. This procedure was repeated for 7 days and teeth were subjected to microhardness testing. Further, the teeth were divided in two groups, each group containing 10 teeth. In group I, nanohydroxyapatite preparation and in group II, calcium sucrose phosphate were applied for 10 minutes, twice daily for 7 days and subjected again to microhardness testing again. Vickers microhardness analysis revealed that iron drop exposure to teeth caused significant decrease in microhardness ( p <0.05). Application of nanohydroxyapatite preparation in Group I showed significantly increased enamel microhardness (206.90) than that after iron drop exposure. Similarly, application of calcium sucrose phosphate in Group II showed significantly increased enamel microhardness (200.89) than that after iron drop exposure. Statistical difference was seen between the two groups, with nanohydroxyapatite preparation showing increased microhardness than calcium sucrose phosphate. Nanohydroxyapatite preparation and calcium sucrose phosphate have remineralizing effect over teeth affected by acid challenge of iron drops, nanohydroxyapatite preparation showing better results than calcium sucrose phosphate. Key words: Iron drops, Nanohydroxyapaptite, calcium sucrose phosphate, anticay.

Temporal changes of static stress drop as a proxy for poroelastic effects at The Geysers geothermal field, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staszek, Monika; Orlecka-Sikora, Beata; Lasocki, Stanislaw; Kwiatek, Grzegorz; Leptokaropoulos, Konstantinos; Martinez-Garzon, Patricia

2017-04-01

One of the major environmental impacts of shale gas exploitation is triggered and induced seismicity. Due to the similarity of fluid injection process data from geothermal fields can be used as a proxy for shale gas exploitation associated seismicity. Therefore, in this paper we utilize 'The Geysers' dataset compiled within SHale gas Exploration and Exploitation induced Risks (SHEER) project. The dependence of earthquake static stress drops on pore pressure in the medium was previously suggested by Goertz-Allmann et al. (2011), who observed an increase of the static stress drop with the distance from injection well during reservoir stimulation at Deep Heat Mining project in Basel, Switzerland. Similar observation has been done by Kwiatek et al. (2014) in Berlín geothermal field, El Salvador. In this study, we use a high-quality data from The Geysers geothermal field to determine whether the static stress drops and the stress drop distributions change statistically significantly in time or not, and how such changes are correlated with the values of hypocenter depth, water injection rate, and distance from injection well. For the analyses we use a group of 354 earthquakes, which occurred in the proximity of Prati-9 and Prati-29 injection wells. Spectral parameters of these earthquakes were determined using mesh spectral ratio technique. Our results indicate that: (1) the static stress drop variation in time is statistically significant, (2) median static stress drop is inversely related to median injection rate. Therefore, it is highly expected that static stress drop is influenced by pore pressure in underground fluid injection conditions. References: Goertz-Allmann B., Goertz A., Wiemer S. (2011), Stress drop variations of induced earthquakes at the Basel geothermal site. Geophysical Research Letters, 38, L09308, doi:10.1029/2011GL047498. Kwiatek G., Bulut F., Bohnhoff M., Dresen G. (2014), High-resolution analysis of seismicity induced at Berlin geothermal field, El Salvador. Geothermics, 52, 98-111, doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2013.09.008. Acknowledgements: This work was supported under SHEER: "Shale Gas Exploration and Exploitation Induced Risks" project funded from Horizon 2020 - R&I Framework Programme, call H2020-LCE-2014-1 and by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland under project no. 500-10-27.

Drop-out and admission cancel rate among the students in a selected medical college.

PubMed

Wahed, F; Latif, S A; Mahamud, M M; Nessa, A; Hossain, M A; Sultana, S Z; Hossain, M B

2011-04-01

A record based descriptive type of study was carried out among the under-graduate students of Mymensingh Medical College from the session 1966-67 to 2006-07. The academic years were divided into four decades and admission was followed into three categories such as retained, cancellation and drop-out. Total number of the students was 5892. Among them 3848(65.30%) were male and 2044(34.69%) were female. Out of 5892 students drop-out was 282(4.78%) and admission cancel was 304(5.15%). It was also found that drop-out in male was 232(6.02%) and in female was 50(2.44%) and admission cancel in male was 266(5.87%) and in female was 78(3.81%). The difference was found statistically significant (p<0.001). It was observed that gradually the drop-out and admission cancel rate is decreasing from the very beginning to till now. It was also observed that all drop-out and admission cancellation were in first & second year students. There was no continuation of their class roll numbers in third year registration.

Lower conjunctival fornix packing for mydriasis in premature infants: a randomized trial

PubMed Central

Thanathanee, Onsiri; Ratanapakorn, Tanapat; Morley, Michael G; Yospaiboon, Yosanan

2012-01-01

Objective To compare the mydriatic effect of lower conjunctival fornix packing to conventional instillation of eyedrops containing 2.5% phenylephrine and 1% tropicamide in premature infants undergoing examination for retinopathy of prematurity. Methods The patients were randomized to receive either conventional instillation of mydriatic drops or lower conjunctival fornix packing in one eye and the alternate method in the fellow eye. For the eyes receiving lower conjunctival fornix packing (study group), one small piece of the cotton wool soaked with one drop of 2.5% phenylephrine and one drop of 1% tropicamide was packed in the lower conjunctival fornix for 15 minutes. For the eyes receiving the conventional instillation (control group), 2.5% phenylephrine and 1% tropicamide were alternately instilled every 5 minutes for two doses each. Horizontal pupil diameter was measured with a ruler in millimeters 40 minutes later. Results The mean dilated pupil diameter in study group and control group were 5.76 ± 1.01 mm and 4.50 ± 1.08 mm, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion The dilated pupil diameter after receiving the lower conjunctival fornix packing was larger than conventional instillation with a statistically significant difference. We recommended the packing method to dilate the preterm infant pupil, especially if the pupil is difficult to dilate. PMID:22368443

The effects of flexion-distraction and drop techniques on disorders and Ferguson’s angle in female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation

PubMed Central

Oh, Hyunju; Lee, Sangyong; Lee, Kwansub; Jeong, Mugeun

2018-01-01

[Purpose] This study examines the effects of the flexion-distraction technique and the drop technique on disorders and on Ferguson’s angle in female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation were divided into an experimental group (n=15) treated with flexion-distraction and drop techniques and a control group (n=15) treated with spinal decompression therapy. Both groups were treated three times a week over an eight-week period. [Results] In the comparison of changes within each group after treatment, both groups showed statistically significant decreases in disorders and in Ferguson’s angle. [Conclusion] Flexion-distraction and drop techniques may be an effective intervention to improve disorders and Ferguson’s angle in female patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. PMID:29706701

Corneal biomechanical parameters and intraocular pressure: the effect of topical anesthesia

PubMed Central

Ogbuehi, Kelechi C

2012-01-01

Background The intraocular pressures and biomechanical parameters measured by the ocular response analyzer make the analyzer a useful tool for the diagnosis and management of anterior segment disease. This observational study was designed to investigate the effect of topical anesthesia on the parameters measured by the ocular response analyzer: corneal hysteresis, corneal resistance factor, Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), and corneal-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc). Methods Two sets of measurements were made for 78 eyes of 39 subjects, approximately 1 week apart. In session 1, each eye of each subject was randomized into one of three groups: polyvinyl alcohol (0.5%), tetracaine hydrochloride (0.5%), or oxybuprocaine hydrochloride (0.4%). In session 2, eyes that were in the polyvinyl alcohol group in session 1 were assigned to the tetracaine group, those in the tetracaine group in session 1 were assigned to oxybuprocaine group, and those in the oxybuprocaine group in session 1 were assigned to the polyvinyl alcohol group. For both sessions, each subject first had his or her central corneal thickness assessed with a specular microscope, followed by measurements of intraocular pressure and corneal biomechanical parameters with the Ocular Response Analyzer. All measurements were repeated for 2 minutes and 5 minutes following the instillation of either polyvinyl alcohol, tetracaine, or oxybuprocaine. The level of statistical significance was 0.05. Results Polyvinyl alcohol, tetracaine hydrochloride, and oxybuprocaine hydrochloride had no statistically significant (P > 0.05) effect on any of the biomechanical parameters of the cornea. There was no statistically significant effect on either IOPg (P > 0.05) or IOPcc (P > 0.05) 2 minutes after the eye drops were instilled in either session. Five minutes after the eye drops were instilled, polyvinyl alcohol showed no statistically significant effect on either IOPg (P > 0.05) or IOPcc (P > 0.05) in either session. Oxybuprocaine and tetracaine caused statistically significant (P < 0.05) reductions in IOPg in session 1, but only tetracaine had a significant (P < 0.05) effect in session 2. Tetracaine also caused a statistically significant (P < 0.05) reduction in IOPcc in session 1. Conclusion The statistically significant effect of topical anesthesia on IOPg varies with the anesthetic used, and while this effect was statistically significant in this study, the small effect is probably not clinically relevant. There was no effect on any of the biomechanical parameters of the cornea. PMID:22791966

Corneal biomechanical parameters and intraocular pressure: the effect of topical anesthesia.

PubMed

Ogbuehi, Kelechi C

2012-01-01

The intraocular pressures and biomechanical parameters measured by the ocular response analyzer make the analyzer a useful tool for the diagnosis and management of anterior segment disease. This observational study was designed to investigate the effect of topical anesthesia on the parameters measured by the ocular response analyzer: corneal hysteresis, corneal resistance factor, Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), and corneal-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc). Two sets of measurements were made for 78 eyes of 39 subjects, approximately 1 week apart. In session 1, each eye of each subject was randomized into one of three groups: polyvinyl alcohol (0.5%), tetracaine hydrochloride (0.5%), or oxybuprocaine hydrochloride (0.4%). In session 2, eyes that were in the polyvinyl alcohol group in session 1 were assigned to the tetracaine group, those in the tetracaine group in session 1 were assigned to oxybuprocaine group, and those in the oxybuprocaine group in session 1 were assigned to the polyvinyl alcohol group. For both sessions, each subject first had his or her central corneal thickness assessed with a specular microscope, followed by measurements of intraocular pressure and corneal biomechanical parameters with the Ocular Response Analyzer. All measurements were repeated for 2 minutes and 5 minutes following the instillation of either polyvinyl alcohol, tetracaine, or oxybuprocaine. The level of statistical significance was 0.05. Polyvinyl alcohol, tetracaine hydrochloride, and oxybuprocaine hydrochloride had no statistically significant (P > 0.05) effect on any of the biomechanical parameters of the cornea. There was no statistically significant effect on either IOPg (P > 0.05) or IOPcc (P > 0.05) 2 minutes after the eye drops were instilled in either session. Five minutes after the eye drops were instilled, polyvinyl alcohol showed no statistically significant effect on either IOPg (P > 0.05) or IOPcc (P > 0.05) in either session. Oxybuprocaine and tetracaine caused statistically significant (P < 0.05) reductions in IOPg in session 1, but only tetracaine had a significant (P < 0.05) effect in session 2. Tetracaine also caused a statistically significant (P < 0.05) reduction in IOPcc in session 1. The statistically significant effect of topical anesthesia on IOPg varies with the anesthetic used, and while this effect was statistically significant in this study, the small effect is probably not clinically relevant. There was no effect on any of the biomechanical parameters of the cornea.

A Single Drop of 0.5% Proparacaine Hydrochloride for Uncomplicated Clear Corneal Phacoemulsification

PubMed Central

Joshi, Rajesh Subhash

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a single drop of 0.5% proparacaine hydrochloride in uncomplicated cataract surgery with phacoemulsification. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and ninety five patients scheduled for the phacoemulsification were divided into 2 groups based on the anesthetic agents they were to receive: 146 patients who received a single drop of 0.5% proparacaine 2 min before the start of the surgery (proparacaine group) and; 149 patients who received supplementation of 0.5% intracameral preservative free xylocaine (xylocaine group). A single surgeon performed all surgeries. Intraoperative and post-operative pain scores were evaluated on a visual analog scale. The surgeon noted his subjective impression of corneal clarity, discomfort while performing the surgery any supplemental anesthesia required and intraoperative complications. An anesthetist noted vital parameters and the need for intravenous sedation. Total surgical time was noted. Comparison of parameters was performed with the Chi-square test, and A P value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: No statistically significant difference was seen in the intraoperative (P = 0.24) and post-operative (P = 0.164) pain scores between groups. There was no pain (0 score) in 41.8% of patients in the proparacaine group and 46.3% of patients in the xylocaine group. The average surgical time (P = 0.279) and surgeon discomfort (P = 0.07) were not statistically significantly different between groups. No patients required supplemental anesthesia. There were no surgical complications that could compromise the visual outcome. An equal number of patients in both groups preferred same type of anesthetic technique for the fellow eye cataract surgery (89.11% for the proparacaine group and 90.18% for the xylocaine group). No patients in either group had changes in vital parameters or required intravenous sedation. Conclusion: A single drop pre-operatively, of proparacaine hydrochloride was comparable to the intracameral supplementation of preservative free xylocaine for phacoemulsification in uncomplicated cataract surgery without compromising the visual outcome. However, we recommend individualizing the anesthetic technique according to the requirements of the surgeon. PMID:24014985

The role of drop velocity in statistical spray description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Groeneweg, J. F.; El-Wakil, M. M.; Myers, P. S.; Uyehara, O. A.

1978-01-01

The justification for describing a spray by treating drop velocity as a random variable on an equal statistical basis with drop size was studied experimentally. A double exposure technique using fluorescent drop photography was used to make size and velocity measurements at selected locations in a steady ethanol spray formed by a swirl atomizer. The size velocity data were categorized to construct bivariate spray density functions to describe the spray immediately after formation and during downstream propagation. Bimodal density functions were formed by environmental interaction during downstream propagation. Large differences were also found between spatial mass density and mass flux size distribution at the same location.

Båth's law and its relation to the tectonic environment: A case study for earthquakes in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Q.; Zúñiga, F. R.

2016-09-01

We studied 66 mainshocks and their largest aftershocks in the Mexican subduction zone and in the Gulf of California with magnitudes in the range of 5.2 < Mw < 8.0 from 1932 to 2015. Three different types of earthquakes were analyzed: shallow thrust interplate, intermediate-depth inslab and transform strike-slip earthquakes (26, 19 and 21 events, respectively). We focus on observational aspects of the Båth's law. By studying the magnitude difference, energy ratios and energy partitioning of the mainshock-largest aftershock sequences, we analyze the physics of the mainshock-largest aftershock relationship (Båth's law). The partitioning of energy during a mainshock-aftershock sequence shows that about 96-97% of the energy dissipated in a sequence is associated with the mainshock and the rest is due to aftershocks. Our results for radiated seismic energy and energy-to-moment ratio are partially in agreement with worldwide studies supporting the observation of mechanism dependence of radiated seismic energy. The statistical tests indicate that the only significant difference is for shallow thrust and strike-slip events for these parameters. The statistical comparison of stress drop of shallow thrust versus that of inslab events shows a strongly significant difference with a confidence better than 99%. The comparison of stress drop of shallow thrust events with that of strike-slip events, also indicates a strongly significant difference. We see no dependence of stress drop with magnitude, which is strong evidence of earthquake self-similarity. We do not observe a systematic depth dependence of stress drop. The results also reveal differences in the earthquake rupture among the events. The magnitude difference between the mainshock and the largest aftershock for inslab events is larger than interplate and strike-slip events suggesting focal mechanism dependence of Båth's law. For the case of this parameter, only that for inslab and strike-slip events present a significant difference with 95% confidence.

"Transfer Shock" or "Transfer Ecstasy?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickens, John M.

The alleged characteristic drop in grade point average (GPA) of transfer students and the subsequent rise in GPA was investigated in this study. No statistically significant difference was found in first term junior year GPA between junior college transfers and native Florida State University students after the variance accounted for by the…

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency and Haemoglobin Drop after Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine Use for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria during Pregnancy in Ghana – A Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Owusu, Ruth; Asante, Kwaku Poku; Mahama, Emmanuel; Awini, Elizabeth; Anyorigiya, Thomas; Dosoo, David; Amu, Alberta; Jakpa, Gabriel; Ofei, Emmanuel; Segbaya, Sylvester; Oduro, Abraham Rexford; Gyapong, Margaret; Hodgson, Abraham; Bart-Plange, Constance; Owusu-Agyei, Seth

2015-01-01

Background Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is still the only recommended antimalarial for use in intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) in some malaria endemic countries including Ghana. SP has the potential to cause acute haemolysis in G6PD deficient people resulting in significant haemoglobin (Hb) drop but there is limited data on post SP-IPTp Hb drop. This study determined the difference, if any in proportions of women with significant acute haemoglobin drop between G6PD normal, partial deficient and full deficient women after SP-IPTp. Methods and Findings Prospectively, 1518 pregnant women who received SP for IPTp as part of their normal antenatal care were enrolled. Their G6PD status were determined at enrollment followed by assessments on days 3, 7,14 and 28 to document any adverse effects and changes in post-IPTp haemoglobin (Hb) levels. The three groups were comparable at baseline except for their mean Hb (10.3 g/dL for G6PD normal, 10.8 g/dL for G6PD partial deficient and 10.8 g/dL for G6PD full defect women).The prevalence of G6PD full defect was 2.3% and 17.0% for G6PD partial defect. There was no difference in the proportions with fractional Hb drop ≥ 20% as compared to their baseline value post SP-IPTp among the 3 groups on days 3, 7, 14. The G6PD full defect group had the highest median fractional drop at day 7. There was a weak negative correlation between G6PD activity and fractional Hb drop. There was no statistical difference between the three groups in the proportions of those who started the study with Hb ≥ 8g/dl whose Hb level subsequently fell below 8g/dl post-SP IPTp. No study participant required transfusion or hospitalization for severe anaemia. Conclusions There was no significant difference between G6PD normal and deficient women in proportions with significant acute haemoglobin drop post SP-IPTp and lower G6PD enzyme activity was not strongly associated with significant acute drug-induced haemoglobin drop post SP-IPTp but a larger study is required to confirm consistency of findings. PMID:26327623

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency and Haemoglobin Drop after Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine Use for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria during Pregnancy in Ghana - A Cohort Study.

PubMed

Owusu, Ruth; Asante, Kwaku Poku; Mahama, Emmanuel; Awini, Elizabeth; Anyorigiya, Thomas; Dosoo, David; Amu, Alberta; Jakpa, Gabriel; Ofei, Emmanuel; Segbaya, Sylvester; Oduro, Abraham Rexford; Gyapong, Margaret; Hodgson, Abraham; Bart-Plange, Constance; Owusu-Agyei, Seth

2015-01-01

Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is still the only recommended antimalarial for use in intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) in some malaria endemic countries including Ghana. SP has the potential to cause acute haemolysis in G6PD deficient people resulting in significant haemoglobin (Hb) drop but there is limited data on post SP-IPTp Hb drop. This study determined the difference, if any in proportions of women with significant acute haemoglobin drop between G6PD normal, partial deficient and full deficient women after SP-IPTp. Prospectively, 1518 pregnant women who received SP for IPTp as part of their normal antenatal care were enrolled. Their G6PD status were determined at enrollment followed by assessments on days 3, 7,14 and 28 to document any adverse effects and changes in post-IPTp haemoglobin (Hb) levels. The three groups were comparable at baseline except for their mean Hb (10.3 g/dL for G6PD normal, 10.8 g/dL for G6PD partial deficient and 10.8 g/dL for G6PD full defect women).The prevalence of G6PD full defect was 2.3% and 17.0% for G6PD partial defect. There was no difference in the proportions with fractional Hb drop ≥ 20% as compared to their baseline value post SP-IPTp among the 3 groups on days 3, 7, 14. The G6PD full defect group had the highest median fractional drop at day 7. There was a weak negative correlation between G6PD activity and fractional Hb drop. There was no statistical difference between the three groups in the proportions of those who started the study with Hb ≥ 8g/dl whose Hb level subsequently fell below 8g/dl post-SP IPTp. No study participant required transfusion or hospitalization for severe anaemia. There was no significant difference between G6PD normal and deficient women in proportions with significant acute haemoglobin drop post SP-IPTp and lower G6PD enzyme activity was not strongly associated with significant acute drug-induced haemoglobin drop post SP-IPTp but a larger study is required to confirm consistency of findings.

Comparison of atomization characteristics of drop-in and conventional jet fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kannaiyan, Kumaran; Sadr, Reza; Micro Scale Thermo-Fluids Lab Team

2016-11-01

Surge in energy demand and stringent emission norms have been driving the interest on alternative drop-in fuels in aviation industry. The gas-to-liquid (GTL), synthetic paraffinic kerosene fuel derived from natural gas, has drawn significant attention as drop-in fuel due to its cleaner combustion characteristics when compared to other alternative fuels derived from various feedstocks. The fuel specifications such as chemical and physical properties of drop-in fuels are different from those of the conventional jet fuels, which can affect their atomization characteristics and in turn the combustion performance. The near nozzle liquid sheet dynamics of the drop-in fuel, GTL, is studied at different nozzle operating conditions and compared with that of the conventional Jet A-1 fuel. The statistical analysis of the near nozzle sheet dynamics shows that the drop-in fuel atomization characteristics are comparable to those of the conventional fuel. Furthermore, the microscopic spray characteristics measured using phase Doppler anemometry at downstream locations are slightly different between the fuels. Authors acknowledge the support by National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) of Qatar National Research Fund through the Grant NPRP-7-1449-2-523.

Hanging Drop, A Best Three-Dimensional (3D) Culture Method for Primary Buffalo and Sheep Hepatocytes.

PubMed

Shri, Meena; Agrawal, Himanshu; Rani, Payal; Singh, Dheer; Onteru, Suneel Kumar

2017-04-26

Livestock, having close resemblance to humans, could be a better source of primary hepatocytes than rodents. Herein, we successfully developed three-dimensional (3D) culturing system for primary sheep and buffalo hepatocytes. The 3D-structures of sheep hepatocytes were formed on the fifth-day and maintained until the tenth-day on polyHEMA-coated plates and in hanging drops with William's E media (HDW). Between the cultured and fresh cells, we observed a similar expression of GAPDH, HNF4α, ALB, CYP1A1, CK8 and CK18. Interestingly, a statistically significant increase was noted in the TAT, CPS, AFP, AAT, GSP and PCNA expression. In buffalo hepatocytes culture, 3D-like structures were formed on the third-day and maintained until the sixth-day on polyHEMA and HDW. The expression of HNF4α, GSP, CPS, AFP, AAT, PCNA and CK18 was similar between cultured and fresh cells. Further, a statistically significant increase in the TAT and CK8 expression, and a decrease in the GAPDH, CYP1A1 and ALB expression were noted. Among the culture systems, HDW maintained the liver transcript markers more or less similar to the fresh hepatocytes of the sheep and buffalo for ten and six days, respectively. Taken together, hanging drop is an efficient method for 3D culturing of primary sheep and buffalo hepatocytes.

Treatment of Sjögren's syndrome dry eye using 0.03% tacrolimus eye drop: Prospective double-blind randomized study.

PubMed

Moscovici, Bernardo Kaplan; Holzchuh, Ricardo; Sakassegawa-Naves, Fernando Eiji; Hoshino-Ruiz, Diego Ricardo; Albers, Marcos Bottene Villa; Santo, Ruth Miyuki; Hida, Richard Yudi

2015-10-01

To describe the clinical efficacy of the treatment of Sjögren's syndrome dry eye using 0.03% tacrolimus eye drop. Prospective double-blind randomized study. Institutional outpatient clinic. Forty-eight eyes of twenty-four patients with dry eye related to Sjögren syndrome were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomized in 2 groups: tacrolimus (n=14) and vehicle (n=10) group. The tacrolimus group received a vial containing tacrolimus 0.03% (almond oil as vehicle) and the other group received the almond oil vehicle. All patients were instructed to use the eye drops every 12h in the lower conjunctival sac. Schirmer I test, break-up-time (BUT), corneal fluorescein and Rose Bengal staining scores were evaluated in all patients one day before the treatment (baseline), 7, 14, 28 and 90 days after treatment with the eye drops. The average fluorescein and Rose Bengal scores improved statistically after 7 days of treatment and even more after 90 days. The average Schirmer I and BUT values were unchanged after 7, 14 and 21 days but did show an improvement relative to baseline after 28 days of treatment. Schirmer I, BUT, fluorescein and Rose Bengal did not show any statistical significance in the vehicle group. Topical 0.03% tacrolimus eye drop improved tear stability and ocular surface status in cases of inflammatory or SS-related dry eye. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01850979. Copyright © 2015 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing prediction methods: Earthquake clustering versus the Poisson model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michael, A.J.

1997-01-01

Testing earthquake prediction methods requires statistical techniques that compare observed success to random chance. One technique is to produce simulated earthquake catalogs and measure the relative success of predicting real and simulated earthquakes. The accuracy of these tests depends on the validity of the statistical model used to simulate the earthquakes. This study tests the effect of clustering in the statistical earthquake model on the results. Three simulation models were used to produce significance levels for a VLF earthquake prediction method. As the degree of simulated clustering increases, the statistical significance drops. Hence, the use of a seismicity model with insufficient clustering can lead to overly optimistic results. A successful method must pass the statistical tests with a model that fully replicates the observed clustering. However, a method can be rejected based on tests with a model that contains insufficient clustering. U.S. copyright. Published in 1997 by the American Geophysical Union.

Semi-automatic image analysis methodology for the segmentation of bubbles and drops in complex dispersions occurring in bioreactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taboada, B.; Vega-Alvarado, L.; Córdova-Aguilar, M. S.; Galindo, E.; Corkidi, G.

2006-09-01

Characterization of multiphase systems occurring in fermentation processes is a time-consuming and tedious process when manual methods are used. This work describes a new semi-automatic methodology for the on-line assessment of diameters of oil drops and air bubbles occurring in a complex simulated fermentation broth. High-quality digital images were obtained from the interior of a mechanically stirred tank. These images were pre-processed to find segments of edges belonging to the objects of interest. The contours of air bubbles and oil drops were then reconstructed using an improved Hough transform algorithm which was tested in two, three and four-phase simulated fermentation model systems. The results were compared against those obtained manually by a trained observer, showing no significant statistical differences. The method was able to reduce the total processing time for the measurements of bubbles and drops in different systems by 21-50% and the manual intervention time for the segmentation procedure by 80-100%.

THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL: CHRONIC AND PATTERN ALCOHOL USE EXPLAIN WHY SEXUAL ASSAULT FIGURES HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DROPPED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Recommendations ······················································ 7 The Significance of Statistics ...further analysis and documentation in metrics in future surveys. This statistic , alone, in a public military report is enough to warrant an inquiry into...3 It is unknown how many of the total reported sexual assaults involved alcohol use. Other statistical reports indicate 32% of males in the

Safety and Efficacy of Cortisol Phosphate in Hyaluronic Acid Vehicle in the Treatment of Dry Eye in Sjogren Syndrome.

PubMed

Rolando, Maurizio; Vagge, Aldo

2017-06-01

Evaluation of 0.3% cortisol phosphate eye drops in hyaluronic acid vehicle in the treatment of dry eye in Sjogren Syndrome. This prospective, single-center, masked (single blind), randomized controlled study included 40 female patients divided into 2 groups, group 1 treated with Idracemi, 0.3% cortisol phosphate eye drops twice a day, and group 2 treated with Cortivis, 0.3% cortisol phosphate in hyaluronic acid vehicle, with the same posology. Screening (day -7), randomization (day 0), follow-up (day 7), and termination (day 28) visits were conducted. Symptoms (VAS) questionnaire, tear film breakup time, corneo-conjunctival stain, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and fundus examination were performed at each visit. Conjunctival impression cytology for human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) expression at visit 1 and 4 was also performed. No changes in IOP or fundus examination were observed in either group at each time point. Group 1 showed at day 28 a statistically significant amelioration of symptoms and reduction of HLA-DR expression. Group 2 showed at day 7 statistically significant improvement of corneal and conjunctival stain versus baseline and versus group 1; the symptom score was statistically significantly better than baseline and versus group 1 after 28 days too. The HLA-DR expression and the epithelial cell area were statistically significantly reduced versus baseline and versus group 1 at the same time. Cortisol phosphate proved to be safe and effective in treating dry eye in Sjogren Syndrome patients in both formulations. However, the formula with hyaluronic acid vehicle proved to be more effective. Both formulations were very well tolerated.

Abortion Legalization and Life-Cycle Fertility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ananat, Elizabeth Oltmans; Gruber, Jonathan; Levine, Phillip

2007-01-01

The early-1970s abortion legalization led to a significant drop in fertility. We investigate whether this decline represented a delay in births or a permanent reduction in fertility. We combine Census and Vital Statistics data to compare the lifetime fertility of women born in early-legalizing states, whose peak childbearing years occurred in the…

Effects of processing parameters on immersion vacuum cooling time and physico-chemical properties of pork hams.

PubMed

Feng, Chao-Hui; Drummond, Liana; Zhang, Zhi-Hang; Sun, Da-Wen

2013-10-01

The effects of agitation (1002 rpm), different pressure reduction rates (60 and 100 mbar/min), as well as employing cold water with different initial temperatures (IWT: 7 and 20°C) on immersion vacuum cooling (IVC) of cooked pork hams were experimentally investigated. Final pork ham core temperature, cooling time, cooling loss, texture properties, colour and chemical composition were evaluated. The application for the first time of agitation during IVC substantially reduced the cooling time (47.39%) to 4.6°C, compared to IVC without agitation. For the different pressure drop rates, there was a trend that shorter IVC cooling times were achieved with lower cooling rate, although results were not statistically significant (P>0.05). For both IWTs tested, the same trend was observed: shorter cooling time and lower cooling loss were obtained under lower linear pressure drop rate of 60 mbar/min (not statistically significant, P>0.05). Compared to the reference cooling method (air blast cooling), IVC achieved higher cooling rates and better meat quality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neuromuscular function during drop jumps in young and elderly males.

PubMed

Piirainen, Jarmo M; Linnamo, Vesa; Sippola, Niina; Avela, Janne

2012-12-01

The Hoffman reflex (H-reflex), indicating alpha-motoneuron pool activity, has been shown to be task - and in resting conditions - age dependent. How aging affects H-reflex activity during explosive movements is not clear at present. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aging on H-reflexes during drop jumps, and its possible role in drop jump performance. Ten young (26.8 ± 2.7 years) and twenty elderly (64.2 ± 2.7 years) subjects participated in the study. Maximal drop jump performance and soleus H-reflex response (H/M jump) 20 ms after ground contact were measured in a sledge ergometer. Maximal H-reflex, maximal M-wave, Hmax/Mmax-ratio and H-reflex excitability curves were measured during standing rest. Although in young the H-reflex response (Hmax/Mmax) was 6.5% higher during relaxed standing and 19.7% higher during drop jumps (H jump/M jump) than in the elderly group, these differences were not statistically significant. In drop jumps, the elderly subjects had lower jumping height (30.4%, p < 0.001), longer braking time (32.4%, p < 0.01), lower push-off force (18.0%, p < 0.05) and longer push-off time (31.0% p < 0.01). H jump/M jump correlated with the average push-off force (r = 0.833, p < 0.05) and with push-off time (r = -0.857, p < 0.01) in young but not in the elderly. Correlations between H-reflex response and jumping parameters in young may indicate different jumping and activation strategies in drop jumps. However, it does not fully explain age related differences in jumping performance, since age related differences in H-reflex activity were non-significant. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why do Tornados and Hail Storms Rest on Weekends?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenfeld, Daniel; Bell, Thomas L.

2010-01-01

When anthropogenic aerosols over the eastern USA during summertime are at their weekly mid-week peak, tornado and hail storm activity there is also near its weekly maximum. The weekly cycle in storm activity is statistically significant and unlikely to be due to natural variability. The pattern of variability supports the hypothesis that air pollution aerosols invigorate deep convective clouds in a moist, unstable atmosphere, to the extent of inducing production of large hailstones and tornados. This is caused by the effect of aerosols on cloud-drop nucleation, making cloud drops smaller, delaying precipitation-forming processes and their evaporation, and hence affecting cloud dynamics.

Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Learning Curve for Graft Preparation in an Eye Bank Using 645 Donor Corneas.

PubMed

Parekh, Mohit; Ruzza, Alessandro; Romano, Vito; Favaro, Elisa; Baruzzo, Mattia; Salvalaio, Gianni; Grassetto, Andrea; Ferrari, Stefano; Ponzin, Diego

2018-06-01

To investigate the learning curve of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) graft preparation in an eye bank. Four operators prepared 645 DMEK grafts using the stripping technique between 2014 and 2017 at the Veneto Eye Bank Foundation, Italy. Endothelial cell loss (ECL) and tissue wastage were recorded retrospectively after DMEK preparation and correlated with the number of tissues prepared each year by each operator. On average, our operators performed 1 donor preparation a week over the course of this study. Only donors older than 60 years were used in this study, and approximately 10% of donors had diabetes. The Wilcoxon test for paired data and 1-way ANOVA were used for checking statistical significance with the Tukey test as post hoc analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. ECL did not change significantly over time from operator 1. Significant ECL drop was noted from operator 2 between years 2014-2016 (P = 0.0049) and 2017 (P = 0.0094); from operator 3 between years 2015-2016 (P = 0.0288) and 2017 (P = 0.0097); and from operator 4 between 2015-2016 (P = 0.0469) and 2017 (P = 0.0331). Operators 1 and 3 did not show a significant difference, considering every 50 grafts prepared by each operator. Operator 2 showed significant ECL drop between 1 to 50 and 51 to 100 (P = 0.0002) and 1 to 50 and 101 to 150 (P = 0.0001) grafts. Operator 4 showed significant ECL drop between 1 to 50 and 101 to 150 (P = 0.002) and 51 to 100 and 101 to 141 (P = 0.0207) grafts. No intraoperator difference was observed per 50 grafts (P > 0.05). There is a learning curve for DMEK graft preparation. ECL and tissue wastage can be reduced with practice and skills. However, each operator may be limited to his or her own learning capability.

Student Drop-Out from German Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heublein, Ulrich

2014-01-01

28% of students of any one year currently give up their studies in bachelor degree programmes at German higher education institutions. Drop-out is to be understood as the definite termination in the higher education system without obtaining an academic degree. The drop-out rate is thereby calculated with the help of statistical estimation…

Factors Contributing to Pelvis Instability in Female Adolescent Athletes During Unilateral Repeated Partial Squat Activity

PubMed Central

Scarborough, Donna Moxley; Linderman, Shannon; Berkson, Eric M.; Oh, Luke S.

2017-01-01

Objectives: Unilateral partial squat tasks are often used to assess athletes’ lower extremity (LE) neuromuscular control. Single squat biomechanics such as lateral drop of the non-stance limb’s pelvis have been linked to knee injury risk. Yet, there are limited studies on the factors contributing to pelvic instability during the unilateral partial squat such as anatomical alignment of the knee and hip strength. The purpose of this study was 1) to assess the influence of leg dominance on pelvic drop among female athletes during the repeated unilateral partial squat activity and 2) to investigate the contributions that lower limb kinematics and hip strength have on pelvis drop. Methods: 42 female athletes (27= softball pitchers, 15=gymnasts, avg age=16.48 ± 2.54 years) underwent lower limb assessment. The quadriceps angle (Q angle) and the average of 3 trials for hip abduction and extension strength (handheld dynamometer measurements) were used for analyses. 3D biomechanical analysis of the repeated unilateral partial squat activity followed using a 20 motion capture camera system which created a 15 segment model of each subject. The subject stood on one leg at the lateral edge of a 17.78 cm box with hands placed on the hips and squatted so that the free hanging contralateral limb came as close to the ground without contact for 5 continuous repetitions. One trial for each limb was performed. Peak pelvic drop and ankle, knee and hip angles and torques (normalized by weight) at this time point were calculated using Visual 3D (C-Motion) biomechanical software. Paired T-test, Spearman correlations and multiple regression model statistical analyses were performed. Results: Peak pelvic drop during the unilateral partial squat did not differ significantly on the basis of limb dominance (p=0.831, Dom: -3.40 ± 5.10° , ND: -3.46 ± 4.44°). Peak pelvic drop displayed a Spearman correlation with the functional measure of hip abduction/adduction (ABD/ADD) angle (rs= 0.627, p< 0.001) (Figure 1). No association was noted between peak pelvic drop and anatomical measures of Q angle or isometric hip extension strength. A multiple regression was performed to predict pelvis drop angle from the following 6 variables: isometric hip ABD strength, hip ABD/ADD angle, hip internal/external rotation angle, ankle supination/pronation (S/P) angle, height and weight. These variables statistically predicted pelvis drop, F(6,73) = 17.848, p < .0005, R2 = 0.595. The strongest combined predictor variables for pelvic drop in the female athletes were hip abduction/ adduction angle and strength followed by subject’s weight and ankle S/P angle (Table 1). Conclusion: Peak pelvic drop during the repeated unilateral partial squat activity did not correlate significantly with Q angle and hip extension strength. Instead, peak pelvic drop appears more related to a combination of biomechanical limb positioning, hip ABD strength and subject demographics. The regression model run on the repeated unilateral partial squat demonstrates predictive power of this dynamic assessment tool based on kinematic measures across multiple joints. Results could guide clinician screening for excessive pelvic drop in female athletes and based on the predictive model make recommendations for corrective conditioning to help prevent knee injury and guide return to sport following LE surgery. Table 1: Multivariate linear regression model for pelvic drop, Isometric hip strength and lower extremity kinematics during repeated partial squat activity among female athletes. Variable P Isometric hip abduction strength 0.034* Hip Abduction/Adduction Angle <0.001* Hip Internal/External Rotation Angle 0.936 Ankle Internal/External Rotation Angle 0.072 Height 0.398 Weight 0.011* * Level of significance established at p<0.05

Effects of irrigation practices on water use in the groundwater management districts within the Kansas high plains, 1991-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Charles A.

2006-01-01

Data compiled for the High Plains region of Kansas that includes five Groundwater Management Districts (GMDs) were analyzed for trends in irrigation water use, acres irrigated, precipitation, irrigation system types, and irrigated crop types to determine the effects of irrigation practices on water use over time. For the study period 1991 through 2003, precipitation decreased significantly (with 95-percent confidence) in northwestern and west-central Kansas but not in the southwestern and south-central parts of the State. Irrigation water use had no statistically significant trend during this period. There was a good (R= -0.77) relation between average regional precipitation and total GMD irrigation water use. When irrigation water use was adjusted for this relation, there was a positive trend (90-percent confidence level) in the adjusted irrigation water use. Another adjustment to water use was made using the ratio of annual precipitation to 1991-2005 average precipitation, which resulted in a negative trend (95-percent confidence level) in irrigation water use. This demonstrated the contradictory nature of precipitation adjustments to water use, making their utility somewhat suspect. GMD 3 in southwestern Kansas used 63 percent of the total acre-feet of irrigation water within all the GMDs. When all GMDs are considered, the number of irrigated acres for flood and center pivot systems without drop nozzles decreased significantly during the study period. At the same time the number of drop nozzle irrigated acres increased significantly. The number of irrigated acres of water-intensive crops (corn, alfalfa, and soybeans) also increased significantly, whereas the number of less- or non-water-intensive crops (grain sorghum and wheat), and multiple crop type acres decreased. Drop nozzle irrigation systems used approximately 2 percent less water in a year-by-year comparison than center pivot systems and 8 to 11 percent less water than flood irrigation. The best estimator of irrigation water use incorporated total acres irrigated and annual average or March-October regional precipitation. A conclusion that can be drawn from the trend analyses described in this report is that, although irrigation water use for all GMDs showed no statistically significant trend, an apparent increased efficiency of center pivots irrigation systems with drop nozzles has allowed more water-intensive crops to be grown on more irrigated acres.

Statistical Analysis of Instantaneous Frequency Scaling Factor as Derived From Optical Disdrometer Measurements At KQ Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zemba, Michael; Nessel, James; Houts, Jacquelynne; Luini, Lorenzo; Riva, Carlo

2016-01-01

The rain rate data and statistics of a location are often used in conjunction with models to predict rain attenuation. However, the true attenuation is a function not only of rain rate, but also of the drop size distribution (DSD). Generally, models utilize an average drop size distribution (Laws and Parsons or Marshall and Palmer. However, individual rain events may deviate from these models significantly if their DSD is not well approximated by the average. Therefore, characterizing the relationship between the DSD and attenuation is valuable in improving modeled predictions of rain attenuation statistics. The DSD may also be used to derive the instantaneous frequency scaling factor and thus validate frequency scaling models. Since June of 2014, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) have jointly conducted a propagation study in Milan, Italy utilizing the 20 and 40 GHz beacon signals of the Alphasat TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni payload. The Ka- and Q-band beacon receivers provide a direct measurement of the signal attenuation while concurrent weather instrumentation provides measurements of the atmospheric conditions at the receiver. Among these instruments is a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor (optical disdrometer) which yields droplet size distributions (DSD); this DSD information can be used to derive a scaling factor that scales the measured 20 GHz data to expected 40 GHz attenuation. Given the capability to both predict and directly observe 40 GHz attenuation, this site is uniquely situated to assess and characterize such predictions. Previous work using this data has examined the relationship between the measured drop-size distribution and the measured attenuation of the link]. The focus of this paper now turns to a deeper analysis of the scaling factor, including the prediction error as a function of attenuation level, correlation between the scaling factor and the rain rate, and the temporal variability of the drop size distribution both within a given rain event and across different varieties of rain events. Index Terms-drop size distribution, frequency scaling, propagation losses, radiowave propagation.

Statistical Analysis of Instantaneous Frequency Scaling Factor as Derived From Optical Disdrometer Measurements At KQ Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zemba, Michael; Nessel, James; Houts, Jacquelynne; Luini, Lorenzo; Riva, Carlo

2016-01-01

The rain rate data and statistics of a location are often used in conjunction with models to predict rain attenuation. However, the true attenuation is a function not only of rain rate, but also of the drop size distribution (DSD). Generally, models utilize an average drop size distribution (Laws and Parsons or Marshall and Palmer [1]). However, individual rain events may deviate from these models significantly if their DSD is not well approximated by the average. Therefore, characterizing the relationship between the DSD and attenuation is valuable in improving modeled predictions of rain attenuation statistics. The DSD may also be used to derive the instantaneous frequency scaling factor and thus validate frequency scaling models. Since June of 2014, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) have jointly conducted a propagation study in Milan, Italy utilizing the 20 and 40 GHz beacon signals of the Alphasat TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni payload. The Ka- and Q-band beacon receivers provide a direct measurement of the signal attenuation while concurrent weather instrumentation provides measurements of the atmospheric conditions at the receiver. Among these instruments is a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor (optical disdrometer) which yields droplet size distributions (DSD); this DSD information can be used to derive a scaling factor that scales the measured 20 GHz data to expected 40 GHz attenuation. Given the capability to both predict and directly observe 40 GHz attenuation, this site is uniquely situated to assess and characterize such predictions. Previous work using this data has examined the relationship between the measured drop-size distribution and the measured attenuation of the link [2]. The focus of this paper now turns to a deeper analysis of the scaling factor, including the prediction error as a function of attenuation level, correlation between the scaling factor and the rain rate, and the temporal variability of the drop size distribution both within a given rain event and across different varieties of rain events. Index Terms-drop size distribution, frequency scaling, propagation losses, radiowave propagation.

Effects of N-acetylcysteine and glutathione ethyl ester drops on streptozotocin-induced diabetic cataract in rats.

PubMed

Zhang, Shu; Chai, Fei-Yan; Yan, Hong; Guo, Yong; Harding, J J

2008-05-12

To evaluate the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and glutathione ethyl ester (GSH-EE) eye drops on the progression of diabetic cataract formation induced by streptozotocin (STZ). One hundred and thirty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected, and diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (65 mg/kg bodyweight) in a single intraperitoneal injection. The control group (group I) received only vehicle. Then, 78 rats with random blood glucose above 14 mmol/l were divided into four groups (group II-V). The drug-treated rats received NAC and GSH-EE eye drops five days before STZ injection. Group I and V animals received sodium phosphate buffer drops (pH 7.4), and those in groups II, III, and IV received 0.01% NAC, 0.05% NAC, and 0.1% GSH-EE drops, respectively. Lens transparency was monitored with a slit lamp biomicroscope and classified into six stages. At the end of four weeks, eight weeks, and 13 weeks, animals were killed and components involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic cataract including thiols (from glutathione and protein), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), and glycated proteins were investigated in the lens extracts. Blood glucose, urine glucose, and bodyweight were also determined. The progression in lens opacity induced by diabetes showed a biphasic pattern in which an initial slow increase in the first seven weeks after STZ injection was followed by a rapid increase in the next six weeks. The progression of lens opacity in the treated groups (group II-IV) was slower than that of the untreated group (group V) in the earlier period and especially in the fourth week. There were statistically significant differences between the treated groups and the untreated group (p<0.05). However, these differences became insignificant after the sixth week, and the progression of lens opacification in all diabetic groups became aggravated. The content of thiol (from glutathione and protein), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) were lower in the lens extracts of the diabetic rats four weeks, eight weeks, and 13 weeks after the STZ injection while the levels of thiol and CAT activity were both higher in the treated groups (group II-IV) than in the untreated group (group V) at every stage. However, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Moreover, the diabetes resulted in an increased level of glycated proteins in both the treated groups and the untreated group, but there was no statistically significant difference between all the diabetic groups (p>0.05). NAC and GSH-EE can slightly inhibit the progression of the diabetic cataract at the earlier stage. They may maintain lens transparency and function by serving as a precursor for glutathione biosynthesis and by protecting sulfhydryl groups from oxidation.

A Seven-Year Follow-Up of Intelligence Test Scores of Foster Grandparents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troll, Lillian E.; And Others

1976-01-01

After seven years, a group (N=32) of originally nonemployed poverty-level older people (over 60) now employed as foster grandparents were retested with the WAIS. Three subtest scores showed stability and Digit Span showed a statistically significant drop. Neither age nor initial level of health or WAIS scores was related to test-score changes over…

Superposed epoch analysis of physiological fluctuations: possible space weather connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanliss, James; Cornélissen, Germaine; Halberg, Franz; Brown, Denzel; Washington, Brien

2018-03-01

There is a strong connection between space weather and fluctuations in technological systems. Some studies also suggest a statistical connection between space weather and subsequent fluctuations in the physiology of living creatures. This connection, however, has remained controversial and difficult to demonstrate. Here we present support for a response of human physiology to forcing from the explosive onset of the largest of space weather events—space storms. We consider a case study with over 16 years of high temporal resolution measurements of human blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) and heart rate variability to search for associations with space weather. We find no statistically significant change in human blood pressure but a statistically significant drop in heart rate during the main phase of space storms. Our empirical findings shed light on how human physiology may respond to exogenous space weather forcing.

Superposed epoch analysis of physiological fluctuations: possible space weather connections.

PubMed

Wanliss, James; Cornélissen, Germaine; Halberg, Franz; Brown, Denzel; Washington, Brien

2018-03-01

There is a strong connection between space weather and fluctuations in technological systems. Some studies also suggest a statistical connection between space weather and subsequent fluctuations in the physiology of living creatures. This connection, however, has remained controversial and difficult to demonstrate. Here we present support for a response of human physiology to forcing from the explosive onset of the largest of space weather events-space storms. We consider a case study with over 16 years of high temporal resolution measurements of human blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) and heart rate variability to search for associations with space weather. We find no statistically significant change in human blood pressure but a statistically significant drop in heart rate during the main phase of space storms. Our empirical findings shed light on how human physiology may respond to exogenous space weather forcing.

Gait Improvements After Peroneal or Tibial Nerve Transfer in Patients with Foot Drop: A Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Somasundaram, Chandra

2017-01-01

Background: Injury to the common peroneal nerve disrupts the motor control pathway to ankle dorsiflexors and evertors, as well as toe extensors, resulting in pathological gait and foot drop. Direct external compression on the fibular head is the most frequent cause of peroneal nerve impairment and has poor prognosis. Methods and Patients: Here, we report the surgical outcome of 21 patients with foot drop (9 males and 12 females) who underwent nerve transfer procedure of either the superficial peroneal nerve or the tibial nerve fascicles to the motor branch of the tibialis anterior and to the deep peroneal nerve. They had at least 6 months postoperative follow-up (mean = 17; range, 6-32 months). Results: Among 21 patients who had no ankle dorsiflexion (BMRC 0/5) preoperatively, 9 patients had successful restoration of ankle dorsiflexion (BMRC 4 to 4+/5), 7 patients had BMRC 2 to 3+/5, and 4 patients had no or poor restoration of dorsiflexion (BMRC 0 to 1+/5) but achieved good ankle eversion (BMRC 3 to 4+/5). Overall statistically significant clinical improvement of ankle dorsiflexion and eversion from preoperative BMRC grade 2.6 ± 0.5 to postoperative BMRC grade 3.6 ± 0.7 (P = .0000004) was achieved. Conclusion: Overall statistically significant clinical improvement of ankle dorsiflexion and eversion was achieved in 80% of our study patients. Most of these patients gained antigravity and were able to walk with minimal steppage gait. In the other 4 patients (20%), there was good improvement in ankle eversion but poor or no ankle dorsiflexion. PMID:29018508

Gait Improvements After Peroneal or Tibial Nerve Transfer in Patients with Foot Drop: A Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Nath, Rahul K; Somasundaram, Chandra

2017-01-01

Background: Injury to the common peroneal nerve disrupts the motor control pathway to ankle dorsiflexors and evertors, as well as toe extensors, resulting in pathological gait and foot drop. Direct external compression on the fibular head is the most frequent cause of peroneal nerve impairment and has poor prognosis. Methods and Patients: Here, we report the surgical outcome of 21 patients with foot drop (9 males and 12 females) who underwent nerve transfer procedure of either the superficial peroneal nerve or the tibial nerve fascicles to the motor branch of the tibialis anterior and to the deep peroneal nerve. They had at least 6 months postoperative follow-up (mean = 17; range, 6-32 months). Results: Among 21 patients who had no ankle dorsiflexion (BMRC 0/5) preoperatively, 9 patients had successful restoration of ankle dorsiflexion (BMRC 4 to 4+/5), 7 patients had BMRC 2 to 3+/5, and 4 patients had no or poor restoration of dorsiflexion (BMRC 0 to 1+/5) but achieved good ankle eversion (BMRC 3 to 4+/5). Overall statistically significant clinical improvement of ankle dorsiflexion and eversion from preoperative BMRC grade 2.6 ± 0.5 to postoperative BMRC grade 3.6 ± 0.7 ( P = .0000004) was achieved. Conclusion: Overall statistically significant clinical improvement of ankle dorsiflexion and eversion was achieved in 80% of our study patients. Most of these patients gained antigravity and were able to walk with minimal steppage gait. In the other 4 patients (20%), there was good improvement in ankle eversion but poor or no ankle dorsiflexion.

Steroid Versus Antibiotic Drops in the Prevention of Postoperative Myringotomy Tube Complications.

PubMed

Alvi, Sameer A; Jones, Joel W; Porter, Paul; Perryman, Mollie; Nelson, Karen; Francis, Carrie L; Larsen, Christopher G

2018-07-01

To determine the incidence of early postoperative tympanostomy tube insertion otorrhea and obstruction in pediatric patients receiving antibiotic ear drops with or without steroid perioperatively. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent outpatient myringotomy and tube placement. Patients from June 2013 to February 2014 received ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone perioperatively while patients from May 2014 to April 2015 received ofloxacin. Statistical analysis was performed to compare outcomes between the cohorts. One hundred thirty-four patients received topical ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone, and 116 patients received topical ofloxacin. The rate of postoperative otorrhea was 5.2% for the ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone group and 8.2% for the ofloxacin group. Tube obstruction was seen in 6.0% of the ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone group and 5.2% in the ofloxacin group. Neither outcome had a statistically significant difference ( P = .21 and .85, respectively). There was no difference in the rate of effusion at the time of tube placement between the 2 cohorts ( P = .16), and this included subgroup analysis based on effusion type (mucoid, purulent, serous). Patients with a mucoid effusion at the time of surgery were more likely to experience otorrhea/obstruction than patients with dry ears (odds ratio = 2.23, P = .02). No significant difference in the incidence of immediate postoperative tympanostomy tube otorrhea or obstruction was seen between the antibiotic-steroid and antibiotic alone cohorts, regardless of effusion type. Overall, patients with mucoid effusions are more likely to develop tube otorrhea or obstruction at follow-up. Cost-effective drops should be used when prescribing topical therapy to prevent complications after ear tubes.

"Suicide shall cease to be a crime": suicide and undetermined death trends 1970-2000 before and after the decriminalization of suicide in Ireland 1993.

PubMed

Osman, Mugtaba; Parnell, Andrew C; Haley, Clifford

2017-02-01

Suicide is criminalized in more than 100 countries around the world. A dearth of research exists into the effect of suicide legislation on suicide rates and available statistics are mixed. This study investigates 10,353 suicide deaths in Ireland that took place between 1970 and 2000. Irish 1970-2000 annual suicide data were obtained from the Central Statistics Office and modelled via a negative binomial regression approach. We examined the effect of suicide legislation on different age groups and on both sexes. We used Bonferroni correction for multiple modelling. Statistical analysis was performed using the R statistical package version 3.1.2. The coefficient for the effect of suicide act on overall suicide deaths was -9.094 (95 % confidence interval (CI) -34.086 to 15.899), statistically non-significant (p = 0.476). The coefficient for the effect suicide act on undetermined deaths was statistically significant (p < 0.001) and was estimated to be -644.4 (95 % CI -818.6 to -469.9). The results of our study indicate that legalization of suicide is not associated with a significant increase in subsequent suicide deaths. However, undetermined death verdict rates have significantly dropped following legalization of suicide.

Factors in the drop in the migration of Spanish-trained nurses: 1999-2007.

PubMed

Galbany-Estragués, Paola; Nelson, Sioban

2018-05-01

To reveal correlates of the decrease of Spanish nurse migration (1999-2007). Nursing outmigration is a concern for countries. Nurse migration from Spain began in the 1990s. From 1999 to 2007, the yearly number of migrations dropped significantly. We ask what social, economic and policy factors could be related to this drop. We used publicly available statistics to confirm hypothesis (1) The drop in nursing migration coincided with a drop in nursing unemployment. Then we hypothesized that this coincided with (1a) a decrease in the number of graduates, (1b) an increase in the number of hospitals and/or beds functioning, and/or (1c) an increase in the ratio of part-time contracts. Our analysis confirms hypotheses (1) and (1c) and disconfirms (1a) and (1b). The greater availability of part-time contracts seems to have encouraged nurses to remain in Spain. The strategy to reduce nursing unemployment with more part-time contracts, while temporarily successful in Spain, brings with it major challenges for patient care and the working life of nurses. We suggest that nurse leaders and health policymakers consider proactive policies to adjust the balance between supply and demand without decreasing the quality of available positions. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Nursing Management Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Defining Dogma: Quantifying Crystalloid Hemodilution in a Prospective Randomized Control Trial with Blood Donation as a Model for Hemorrhage.

PubMed

Ross, Samuel Wade; Christmas, A Britton; Fischer, Peter E; Holway, Haley; Seymour, Rachel; Huntington, Ciara R; Heniford, B Todd; Sing, Ronald F

2018-06-04

The concept of hemodilution after blood loss and crystalloid infusion is a surgical maxim that remains unproven in humans. We sought to quantify the effect of hemodilution after crystalloid administration in voluntary blood donors as a model for acute hemorrhage. A prospective, randomized control trial was conducted in conjunction with community blood drives. Donors were randomized to receive no IV fluid(noIVF), two liters normal saline(NS), or two liters lactated ringers(LR) after blood donation. Blood samples were taken before donation of 500 mL of blood, immediately after donation, and following IV fluid administration. Hemoglobin(Hgb) was measured at each time point. Hgb between time points were compared between groups using standard statistical tests and the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.0167. Of 165 patients consented, 157 patients completed the study. Average pre-donation Hgb was 14.3 g/dL. There was no difference in the mean Hgb levels after blood donation between the three groups(p>0.05). Compared to the control group, there was a significant drop in Hgb in the crystalloid infused groups from the post-donation level to post-resuscitation(13.2 vs 12.1 vs 12.2 g/dL, p<0.0001). A formula was created to predict hemoglobin levels from a given estimated blood loss(EBL) and volume replacement(VR): Hemodilution Hgb=(MeanPre-donation Hgb - hemorrhage Hgb drop - equilibration hemoglobin drop - resuscitation Hgb drop)=MeanPre-donation Hgb - [(EBL/TBV)*l] - [(EBL/TBV)*h] - [(VR/TBV)*r], l = 5.111g/dL = blood loss coefficient, h=6.722 g/dL=equilibration coefficient, r= 2.617g/dL= resuscitation coefficient. This study proves the concept of hemodilution and derived a mathematical relationship between blood loss and resuscitation. This data may help to estimate response of hemoglobin levels to blood loss and fluid resuscitation in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Determination of phosphate concentration and pH in artificial tear drops.

PubMed

de Frutos-Lezaun, M; Martínez-Soroa, I; Ostra Beldarrain, M; Egia Zurutuza, A; Irastorza Larburu, M B; Fernandez Iriarte, A; Bachiller Cacho, M P

2016-08-01

To determine phosphate concentration and pH in artificial tear eye drops commercially available in Spain. A total of 71 examples of artificial tear preparations were identified in a search of Vademecum 2014 and the Spanish Medicines Agency website. In the 24 artificial tear products containing phosphates, quantification of these was performed by ultraviolet molecular absorption spectrophotometry, and the determination of pH was performed using scan image analysis algorithms of pH strips. Of the 71 artificial tears tested, 24 contained phosphate among their excipients in the data sheet, three of which had a concentration level below detection limit (<0.1mM). The mean phosphate concentration was 17.91±23.87mM. The artificial tear sample containing a higher concentration was Colircusi Humectante (87.1mM). Lubricants based on hypromellose showed the highest phosphate concentration (41.59±32.1mM), showing statistically significant differences compared to povidone (P=.0196) and hyaluronate (P=.0067). Statistically significant differences were found between products containing preservatives (32.39±20.91mM), and preservative free ones (8.49±11.98mM) (P=.0498). However, no difference was found between multidose (20.21±26.91mM) and unidose (9.31±14.39mM) samples, or between brand name (15.44±23.3mM) and generic eye drops (20.81mM). The mean pH was 6.93±0.26 (6.2-7.22). No statistical correlation was detected between phosphate concentration and pH (Spearman's Rho -0.1089 and P=.6125). A total of 24 (33.8%) of the 71 artificial tears contained phosphate. We believe identifying the phosphate concentration of artificial tears is useful information in order to avoid complications in high-risk patients. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Medial tibial stress syndrome in high school cross-country runners: incidence and risk factors.

PubMed

Plisky, Melody S; Rauh, Mitchell J; Heiderscheit, Bryan; Underwood, Frank B; Tank, Robert T

2007-02-01

Prospective cohort. To determine (1) the cumulative seasonal incidence and overall injury rate of medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) and (2) risk factors for MTSS with a primary focus on the relationship between navicular drop values and MTSS in high school cross-country runners. MTSS is a common injury among runners. However, few studies have reported the injury rate and risk factors for MTSS among adolescent runners. Data collected included measurement of bilateral navicular drop and foot length, and a baseline questionnaire regarding the runner's height, body mass, previous running injury, running experience, and orthotic or tape use. Runners were followed during the season to determine athletic exposures (AEs) and occurrence of MTSS. The overall injury rate for MTSS was 2.8/1000 AEs. Although not statistically different, girls had a higher rate (4.3/1000 AEs) than boys (1.7/1000 AEs) (P = .11). Logistic regression modeling indicated that only gender and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with the occurrence of MTSS. However, when controlled for orthotic use, only BMI was associated with risk of MTSS. No significant associations were found between MTSS and navicular drop or foot length. Our findings suggest that navicular drop may not be an appropriate measure to identify runners who may develop MTSS during a cross-country season; thus, additional studies are needed to identify appropriate preseason screening tools.

Observed Aerosol Influence on Ice Water Content of Arctic Mixed-Phase Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norgren, M.; de Boer, G.; Shupe, M.

2016-12-01

The response of ice water content (IWC) in Arctic mixed-phase stratocumulus to atmospheric aerosols is observed. IWC retrievals from ground based radars operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program in Barrow, Alaska are used to construct composite profiles of cloud IWC from a 9-year radar record starting in January of 2000. The IWC profiles for high (polluted) and low (clean) aerosol loadings are compared. Generally, we find that clean clouds exhibit statistically significant higher levels of IWC than do polluted clouds by a factor of 2-4 at cloud base. For springtime clouds, with a maximum relative humidity with respect to ice (RHI) above 110% in the cloud layer, the IWC at cloud base was a factor of 3.25 times higher in clean clouds than it was in polluted clouds. We infer that the aerosol loading of the cloud environment alters the liquid drop size distribution within the cloud, with larger drops being more frequent in clean clouds. Larger cloud drops promote riming within the cloud layer, which is one explanation for the higher IWC levels in clean clouds. The drop size distribution may also be a significant control of ice nucleation events within mixed-phase clouds. Whether the high IWC levels in clean clouds are due to increased riming or nucleation events is unclear at this time.

A pilot study: the efficacy of virgin coconut oil as ocular rewetting agent on rabbit eyes.

PubMed

Mutalib, Haliza Abdul; Kaur, Sharanjeet; Ghazali, Ahmad Rohi; Chinn Hooi, Ng; Safie, Nor Hasanah

2015-01-01

Purpose. An open-label pilot study of virgin coconut oil (VCO) was conducted to determine the safety of the agent as ocular rewetting eye drops on rabbits. Methods. Efficacy of the VCO was assessed by measuring NIBUT, anterior eye assessment, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value before instillation and at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks after instillation. Friedman test was used to analyse any changes in all the measurable variables over the period of time. Results. Only conjunctival redness with instillation of saline agent showed significant difference over the period of time (P < 0.05). However, further statistical analysis had shown no significant difference at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks compared to initial measurement (P > 0.05). There were no changes in the NIBUT, limbal redness, palpebral conjunctiva redness, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value over the period of time for each agent (P > 0.05). Conclusion. VCO acts as safe rewetting eye drops as it has shown no significant difference in the measurable parameter compared to commercial brand eye drops and saline. These study data suggest that VCO is safe to be used as ocular rewetting agent on human being.

A Pilot Study: The Efficacy of Virgin Coconut Oil as Ocular Rewetting Agent on Rabbit Eyes

PubMed Central

Mutalib, Haliza Abdul; Kaur, Sharanjeet; Ghazali, Ahmad Rohi; Chinn Hooi, Ng; Safie, Nor Hasanah

2015-01-01

Purpose. An open-label pilot study of virgin coconut oil (VCO) was conducted to determine the safety of the agent as ocular rewetting eye drops on rabbits. Methods. Efficacy of the VCO was assessed by measuring NIBUT, anterior eye assessment, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value before instillation and at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks after instillation. Friedman test was used to analyse any changes in all the measurable variables over the period of time. Results. Only conjunctival redness with instillation of saline agent showed significant difference over the period of time (P < 0.05). However, further statistical analysis had shown no significant difference at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks compared to initial measurement (P > 0.05). There were no changes in the NIBUT, limbal redness, palpebral conjunctiva redness, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value over the period of time for each agent (P > 0.05). Conclusion. VCO acts as safe rewetting eye drops as it has shown no significant difference in the measurable parameter compared to commercial brand eye drops and saline. These study data suggest that VCO is safe to be used as ocular rewetting agent on human being. PMID:25802534

Federal Report Shows Drop in Proportion of Children in US Population

MedlinePlus

... Releases News Release Friday, July 12, 2013 Federal report shows drop in proportion of children in US ... children, according to the federal government’s annual statistical report on the well-being of the nation’s children ...

Investigation of Magnetic Field Phenomena in the Ionosphere

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

several days so that a statistical measure of comparison may be developed, i.e. how well the fluxgate magnetometer replicates the standard values Because...Fig. 7 schematically 15 shows these changes. 4) Transients in the sensor to amplifier lines have caused failures of the chopper transitor . Back to back...weakness of this method is that the drop out must be longer than 100 ms. However, drop outs of durations shorter than this are statistically very small

Ring-type structures in the Planck map of the CMB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Daniel; Meissner, Krzysztof A.; Nurowski, Paweł

2018-01-01

We present the results of the quest for ring-type structures on the maps observed by the Planck satellite. The results show that the vicinity of one radius (γ = 0.14 rad) of the rings is distinguished. Twisting the circles into deformed ellipses gives a pronounced drop of significance with the increase of twisting; however, this behaviour is also present in some statistically isotropic simulations.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of 0.5% indomethacin eye drops in uveitic macular edema.

PubMed

Allegri, Pia; Murialdo, Ugo; Peri, Simona; Carniglia, Rosanna; Crivelli, Maria Grazia; Compiano, Silvia; Autuori, Silvia; Mastromarino, Antonio; Zurria, Monia; Marrazzo, Giuseppina

2014-03-10

The aim of the present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of 0.5% indomethacin (INDOM) eye drops in adult patients suffering from macular edema (ME) related to different etiology uveitis. Forty-six eyes of 31 adult patients (20 females and 11 males) mean age 39 years, affected by inflammatory ME, were randomized to receive a dose of commercial 0.5% INDOM eye-drops four times per day (16 subjects = 23 eyes) or placebo (the vehicle of INDOM, 15 subjects = 23 eyes) during a 6-month active therapy follow-up. Study assessment at each visit included visual acuity testing (VA), slit-lamp examination, IOP evaluation, and Heidelberg Spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT) central foveal thickness (CFT) measurement. Any variation in subjective symptoms and tolerability was also detected. Statistical analysis showed, from baseline to the 6-month visit, a significant reduction in CFT (P < 0.0001) and a significant improvement in VA only in the 0.5% INDOM-treated group; a global reduction of discomfort symptoms was present in both groups (P < 0.001). The four times per day administration of 0.5% INDOM eye drops in eyes affected with uveitic ME from different etiologies, compared with placebo, is associated with a significant reduction in ME at the 6-month follow-up visit, as measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). However, not all eyes showed a complete resolution of ME because of vitreoretinal traction. (https://eudract.ema.europa.eu/index.html number, EUDRACT 2011-001522-20.).

Restriction of neck flexion using soft cervical collars: a preliminary study

PubMed Central

Aker, Peter D; Randoll, Martine; Rheault, Chantal; O’Connor, Sandra

1991-01-01

This study investigates the use of dropped neck flexion as a manoeuvre to test the restrictive abilities of two different types of soft collars, an Airway soft cervical collar and a handmade cervical rough. The range of neck flexion of 40 asymptomatic subjects aged 20-29 was assessed, both with and without collar wear, using a Spinal Rangiometer. Dropped neck flexion is described as possibly being more representative of the type of movement that a patient with neck pain will undergo, and hence a more useful manoeuvre to employ when testing for the restrictive abilities of soft cervical collars. The mean dropped flexion was 64 degrees without collar wear, 58 degrees with the Airway soft collar, and 34 degrees with the cervical rough. Only the cervical rough provided both statistically (p < 0.001) and clinically (> 15°) significant restriction of dropped neck flexion. The comfort, preparation time, and ease of application of each of these collars is not addressed in this study, and may reflect on use in clinical practice. This preliminary study provides insight and pilot data for future studies in this area. ImagesFigure 2Figure 3

Effect of Glyceraldehyde Cross-Linking on a Rabbit Bullous Keratopathy Model.

PubMed

Wang, Mengmeng

2015-01-01

Background. To evaluate the effects of corneal glyceraldehyde CXL on the rabbit bullous keratopathy models established by descemetorhexis. Methods. Fifteen rabbits were randomly divided into five groups. Group A (n = 3) is the control group. The right eyes of animals in Groups B,C, D, and E (n = 3, resp.) were suffered with descemetorhexis procedures. From the 8th day to the 14th day postoperatively, the right eyes in Groups C and D were instilled with hyperosmolar drops and glyceraldehyde drops, respectively; the right eyes in Group E were instilled with both hyperosmolar drops and glyceraldehyde drops. Central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal transparency score, and histopathological analysis were applied on the eyes in each group. Results. Compared with Group A, statistically significant increase in CCT and corneal transparency score was found in Groups B, C, D, and E at 7 d postoperatively (P < 0.05) and in Groups C, D, and E at 14 d postoperatively (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Chemical CXL technique using glyceraldehyde improved the CCT and corneal transparency of the rabbit bullous keratopathy models. Topical instillation with glyceraldehyde and hyperosmolar solutions seems to be a good choice for the bullous keratopathy treatment.

Tranexamic acid versus aminocaproic acid for blood management after total knee and total hip arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Liu, Qiuliang; Geng, Peishuo; Shi, Longyan; Wang, Qi; Wang, Pengliang

2018-06-01

To compare the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid and aminocaproic acid for reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements after total knee and total hip arthroplasty. We conduct electronic searches of Medline (1966-2017.11), PubMed (1966-2017.11), Embase (1980-2017.11), ScienceDirect (1985-2017.11) and the Cochrane Library (1900-2017.11). The primary outcomes, including total blood loss, hemoglobin decline and transfusion requirements. Secondary outcomes include length of hospital stay and postoperative complications such as the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Each outcome is combined and calculated using the statistical software STATA 12.0. Fixed/random effect model is adopted based on the heterogeneity tested by I 2 statistic. A total of 1714 patients are analyzed across three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one non-RCT. The present meta-analysis reveals that TXA is associated with a significantly reduction of total blood loss and postoperative hemoglobin drop compared with EACA. No significant differences are identified in terms of transfusion rates, length of hospital stay, and the incidence of postoperative complications. Although total blood loss and postoperative hemoglobin drop are significant greater in EACA groups, there is no significant difference between TXA and EACA groups in terms of transfusion rates. Based on the current evidence available, higher quality RCTs are still required for further research. Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chorionic gonadotropin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study.

PubMed

Young, R L; Fuchs, R J; Woltjen, M J

1976-11-29

Two hundred two patients participated in a double-blind random cross-over study of the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) vs placebo in a wieght reduction program. Serial measurements were made of weight, skin-fold thickness, dropout rates, reasons for dropping out, and patient subjective response. There was no statistically significant difference between those receiving HCG vs placebo during any phase of this study (P greater than .1).

Joint mobilization acutely improves landing kinematics in chronic ankle instability.

PubMed

Delahunt, Eamonn; Cusack, Kim; Wilson, Laura; Doherty, Cailbhe

2013-03-01

The objective of this study is to examine the acute effect of ankle joint mobilizations akin to those performed in everyday clinical practice on sagittal plane ankle joint kinematics during a single-leg drop landing in participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Fifteen participants with self-reported CAI (defined as <24 on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool) performed three single-leg drop landings under two different conditions: 1) premobilization and, 2) immediately, postmobilization. The mobilizations performed included Mulligan talocrural joint dorsiflexion mobilization with movement, Mulligan inferior tibiofibular joint mobilization, and Maitland anteroposterior talocrural joint mobilization. Three CODA cx1 units (Charnwood Dynamics Ltd., Leicestershire, UK) were used to provide information on ankle joint sagittal plane angular displacement. The dependent variable under investigation was the angle of ankle joint plantarflexion at the point of initial contact during the drop landing. There was a statistically significant acute decrease in the angle of ankle joint plantarflexion from premobilization (34.89° ± 4.18°) to postmobilization (31.90° ± 5.89°), t(14) = 2.62, P < 0.05 (two-tailed). The mean decrease in the angle of ankle joint plantarflexion as a result of the ankle joint mobilization was 2.98° with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.54 to 5.43. The eta squared statistic (0.32) indicated a large effect size. These results indicate that mobilization acted to acutely reduce the angle of ankle joint plantarflexion at initial contact during a single-leg drop landing. Mobilization applied to participants with CAI has a mechanical effect on the ankle joint, thus facilitating a more favorable positioning of the ankle joint when landing from a jump.

Characterization of drop aerodynamic fragmentation in the bag and sheet-thinning regimes by crossed-beam, two-view, digital in-line holography

DOE PAGES

Guildenbecher, Daniel R.; Gao, Jian; Chen, Jun; ...

2017-04-19

When a spherical liquid drop is subjected to a step change in relative gas velocity, aerodynamic forces lead to drop deformation and possible breakup into a number of secondary fragments. In order to investigate this flow, a digital in-line holography (DIH) diagnostic is proposed which enables rapid quantification of spatial statistics with limited experimental repetition. To overcome the high uncertainty in the depth direction experienced in previous applications of DIH, a crossed-beam, two-view configuration is introduced. With appropriate calibration, this diagnostic is shown to provide accurate quantification of fragment sizes, three-dimensional positions and three-component velocities in a large measurement volume.more » We apply these capabilities in order to investigate the aerodynamic breakup of drops at two non-dimensional Weber numbers, We, corresponding to the bag (We = 14) and sheet-thinning (We = 55) regimes. Ensemble average results show the evolution of fragment size and velocity statistics during the course of breakup. Our results indicate that mean fragment sizes increase throughout the course of breakup. For the bag breakup case, the evolution of a multi-mode fragment size probability density is observed. This is attributed to separate fragmentation mechanisms for the bag and rim structures. In contrast, for the sheet-thinning case, the fragment size probability density shows only one distinct peak indicating a single fragmentation mechanism. Compared to previous related investigations of this flow, many orders of magnitude more fragments are measured per condition, resulting in a significant improvement in data fidelity. For this reason, this experimental dataset is likely to provide new opportunities for detailed validation of analytic and computational models of this flow.« less

Small-Scale Drop-Size Variability: Empirical Models for Drop-Size-Dependent Clustering in Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshak, Alexander; Knyazikhin, Yuri; Larsen, Michael L.; Wiscombe, Warren J.

2005-01-01

By analyzing aircraft measurements of individual drop sizes in clouds, it has been shown in a companion paper that the probability of finding a drop of radius r at a linear scale l decreases as l(sup D(r)), where 0 less than or equals D(r) less than or equals 1. This paper shows striking examples of the spatial distribution of large cloud drops using models that simulate the observed power laws. In contrast to currently used models that assume homogeneity and a Poisson distribution of cloud drops, these models illustrate strong drop clustering, especially with larger drops. The degree of clustering is determined by the observed exponents D(r). The strong clustering of large drops arises naturally from the observed power-law statistics. This clustering has vital consequences for rain physics, including how fast rain can form. For radiative transfer theory, clustering of large drops enhances their impact on the cloud optical path. The clustering phenomenon also helps explain why remotely sensed cloud drop size is generally larger than that measured in situ.

Validity of fluorexon disodium versus sodium fluorescein for use in Goldmann tonometry.

PubMed

Ng, Loretta T; Tong, Judy W; De Land, Paul N

2006-07-01

To evaluate the safety, validity, and comfort of 0.35% fluorexon disodium and 0.4% benoxinate (Flura-Safe) compared with the gold standard of 0.25% sodium fluorescein and 0.4% benoxinate for Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). This was a double-masked, randomized, crossover clinical trial. Subjects received either the standard or study formulation for GAT on visit 1 and the other formulation 1 week later. At each visit, tonometer mire quality, adequacy of fluorescence, ease of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements, the IOP value, and anesthetizing efficacy of the formulation were assessed. Subjects graded general comfort, soreness and irritation, and burning and stinging of each formulation at 1 and 5 minutes after drop instillation. Sixty-seven subjects completed the study. The mean IOP was 13.9 +/- 2.7 with fluorexon and 13.9 +/- 2.8 mm Hg with fluorescein OD and 14.0 +/- 2.8 with fluorexon and 13.9 +/- 2.5 mm Hg with fluorescein OS. The measurements with the 2 formulations were highly correlated for OD and OS, and the differences between the 2 measurements were not clinically significant. There was also no significant difference between the 2 drops in mire clarity, adequacy of fluorescence, or corneal anesthesia. However, fluorexon was statistically more comfortable (P = 0.039) and caused less stinging and burning (P = 0.014) at 1 minute versus the fluorescein formulation. Not only was the new fluorexon product accurate and effective in GAT, it was also statistically more comfortable and had a less stinging and burning effect at 1 minute after drop instillation than the traditional fluorescein formulation. Because fluorexon is less likely to stain soft contact lenses, this may be the dye-anesthetic formulation of choice for practices that routinely perform GAT.

Spatial Distribution of Large Cloud Drops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshak, A.; Knyazikhin, Y.; Larsen, M.; Wiscombe, W.

2004-01-01

By analyzing aircraft measurements of individual drop sizes in clouds, we have shown in a companion paper (Knyazikhin et al., 2004) that the probability of finding a drop of radius r at a linear scale l decreases as l(sup D(r)) where 0 less than or equal to D(r) less than or equal to 1. This paper shows striking examples of the spatial distribution of large cloud drops using models that simulate the observed power laws. In contrast to currently used models that assume homogeneity and therefore a Poisson distribution of cloud drops, these models show strong drop clustering, the more so the larger the drops. The degree of clustering is determined by the observed exponents D(r). The strong clustering of large drops arises naturally from the observed power-law statistics. This clustering has vital consequences for rain physics explaining how rain can form so fast. It also helps explain why remotely sensed cloud drop size is generally biased and why clouds absorb more sunlight than conventional radiative transfer models predict.

Effects of menarcheal age on the anterior cruciate ligament injury risk factors during single-legged drop landing in female artistic elite gymnasts.

PubMed

Kim, Kew-Wan; Lim, Bee-Oh

2014-11-01

Although numerous studies have demonstrated the relationship between maturation and lower extremity biomechanics during landing in team sport athletes, we are presently uninformed of any research that examined the single-legged drop landing biomechanics of gymnasts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the menarcheal age on the lower extremity biomechanics during a single-legged drop landing in female artistic elite gymnasts. Twenty-two female artistic elite gymnasts, between 9 and 36 years of age, participated in this study. The participants were divided into two groups pre- (n = 11) and post- (n = 11) menarche and asked to perform a single-legged drop landing on top of a 30 cm platform and land on a force plate. The statistical analysis consisted of the multivariate analysis with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. The post-menarche group showed a decrease in their maximum knee flexion angle and increase in their maximum knee abduction angle, maximum internal tibial rotation angle, maximum knee abduction moment, and hamstring-quadriceps muscle activity ratio compared with the pre-menarche group during the single-legged drop landing. The post-menarche group showed an increased noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury risk, due to their greater knee loads, compared with the pre-menarche group.

Long-Term Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Peroneal Nerve Functional Electrical Stimulation to an Ankle Foot Orthosis for Patients With Chronic Stroke.

PubMed

Bethoux, Francois; Rogers, Helen L; Nolan, Karen J; Abrams, Gary M; Annaswamy, Thiru; Brandstater, Murray; Browne, Barbara; Burnfield, Judith M; Feng, Wuwei; Freed, Mitchell J; Geis, Carolyn; Greenberg, Jason; Gudesblatt, Mark; Ikramuddin, Farha; Jayaraman, Arun; Kautz, Steven A; Lutsep, Helmi L; Madhavan, Sangeetha; Meilahn, Jill; Pease, William S; Rao, Noel; Seetharama, Subramani; Sethi, Pramod; Turk, Margaret A; Wallis, Roi Ann; Kufta, Conrad

2015-01-01

Evidence supports peroneal nerve functional electrical stimulation (FES) as an effective alternative to ankle foot orthoses (AFO) for treatment of foot drop poststroke, but few long-term, randomized controlled comparisons exist. Compare changes in gait quality and function between FES and AFOs in individuals with foot drop poststroke over a 12-month period. Follow-up analysis of an unblinded randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01087957) conducted at 30 rehabilitation centers comparing FES to AFOs over 6 months. Subjects continued to wear their randomized device for another 6 months to final 12-month assessments. Subjects used study devices for all home and community ambulation. Multiply imputed intention-to-treat analyses were utilized; primary endpoints were tested for noninferiority and secondary endpoints for superiority. Primary endpoints: 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT) and device-related serious adverse event rate. Secondary endpoints: 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), GaitRite Functional Ambulation Profile, and Modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (mEFAP). A total of 495 subjects were randomized, and 384 completed the 12-month follow-up. FES proved noninferior to AFOs for all primary endpoints. Both FES and AFO groups showed statistically and clinically significant improvement for 10MWT compared with initial measurement. No statistically significant between-group differences were found for primary or secondary endpoints. The FES group demonstrated statistically significant improvements for 6MWT and mEFAP Stair-time subscore. At 12 months, both FES and AFOs continue to demonstrate equivalent gains in gait speed. Results suggest that long-term FES use may lead to additional improvements in walking endurance and functional ambulation; further research is needed to confirm these findings. © The Author(s) 2015.

Evaluation of microbial contamination of canine plasma eyedropper bottles following clinical use in canine patients.

PubMed

Strauss, Rachel A; Genschel, Ulrike; Allbaugh, Rachel A; Sebbag, Lionel; Ben-Shlomo, Gil

2018-05-24

To investigate microbial contamination of canine plasma eye drops when used clinically and to compare the effect of two different eyedropper bottles on contamination rate. Forty-six bottles containing plasma were randomly dispensed for use on 42 dogs with ulcerative keratitis. Of these, 23 were standard eyedropper bottles and 23 were Novelia ® bottles designed to prevent contamination. After use for up to 2 weeks, samples for bacterial culture were obtained from a drop of plasma, the bottle tip, the plasma inside the bottle, and the corneal surface. Fungal culture was performed from a drop of plasma. The overall microbial contamination rate was 17.4% (8/46 bottles); however, only one bottle had growth from the plasma inside the bottle. There was a lower contamination rate of Novelia ® bottles (3/23 = 13.0%) compared to standard bottles (5/23 = 21.7%), but this difference was not statistically significant (P = .57). There were also no significant differences in contamination rate of bottles used greater than 7 days compared to less than or equal to 7 days, or in bottles used greater than 4 times daily compared to 4 times daily or less. Three corneal samples (6.5%) had bacterial growth, but none matched contamination from the bottles. Novelia ® bottles may decrease contamination of plasma eye drops used clinically. However, while microbial contamination of plasma bottles was documented, no clinically relevant complications were observed. This study supports safe use of plasma eye drops for up to 2 weeks when refrigerated and dispensed from either Novelia ® or standard eyedropper bottles. © 2018 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Four-year follow-up study of pharmacological treatment in pathological gamblers.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Oded; Dinur, Limor Klein; Dannon, Pinhas N

2013-01-01

In the past decade, we have witnessed the emergence of pharmacological treatments for pathological gambling with some success but many question marks. We aimed to explore pharmacological treatments that have been previously explored with some success, with the intent of comparing their efficacy and pave the way to larger placebo-controlled trials. In this study, we allocated 78 patients to 4 different types of psychotropic medications: naltrexone, topiramate, bupropion, and escitalopram. We treated patients for more than 2 years, with additional 2-year follow-ups without medication. The sample was evaluated using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Global Assessment of Functioning, and the Visual Analog Scale to measure general well-being before enrollment as well as at 1 month, 6 months, 24 months, and 48 months after beginning medication treatment. During the first 2 years of treatment, 34 patients dropped out, with one more dropping out during the additional 2 years of follow-up. Significant improvement on all rating scales was seen in all groups after 2 years, except HAMD in the group that received topiramate. We found the naltrexone-treated group of patients to have a statistically significant lower dropout rate compared with other groups, statistically significant lower HAMD scores in comparison to the group treated with bupropion, statistically significant lower Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale score compared to the groups treated with escitalopram and topiramate, and significantly higher Visual Analog Scale scores compared to the groups treated with bupropion and topiramate. Pathological gambling is essentially a biopsychological disorder that may be attenuated provided that patients adhere to medication. In our study, among 4 medications with different mechanisms of action, naltrexone was found to be the most effective. Placebo-controlled studies involving large numbers of subjects are required before naltrexone's efficacy can be established.

A seven-year follow-up of intelligence test scores of foster grandparents.

PubMed

Troll, L E; Saltz, R; Dunin-Markiewicz, A

1976-09-01

After 7 years, a group of originally nonemployed poverty-level older people (over 60) who had been employed as foster grandparents were retested with the WAIS. Four WAIS subtests - Vocabulary Similarities, Digit Span, and Block Design - were employed. Of the original group of 39, complete data were available for 28; 18 of these were still working on the project, and the other 10 had dropped out. Dropouts as a group tested lower originally and also showed more deterioration in functional health ratings over time. For the total group of 32 foster grandparents, three subtest scores showed stability over the 7 years. Only Digit Span showed a statistically significant drop. Neither age nor the initial level of health or WAIS scores was related to test-score changes over time.

Modeling evaporation of Jet A, JP-7 and RP-1 drops at 1 to 15 bars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harstad, K.; Bellan, J.

2003-01-01

A model describing the evaportion of an isolated drop of a multicomponent fuel containing hundreds of species has been developed. The model is based on Continuous Thermodynamics concepts wherein the composition of a fuel is statistically described using a Probability Distribution Function (PDF).

Direct Numerical Simulation of Transitional Multicomponent-Species Gaseous and Multicomponent-Liquid Drop-Laden Mixing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selle, Laurent C.; Bellan, Josette

2006-01-01

A model of multicomponent-liquid (MC-liquid) drop evaporation in a three-dimensional mixing layer is here exercised at larger Reynolds numbers than in a previous study, and transitional states are obtained. The gas phase is followed in an Eulerian frame and the multitude of drops is described in a Lagrangian frame. Complete coupling between phases is included with source terms in the gas conservation equations accounting for the drop/flow interaction in terms of drop drag, drop heating and species evaporation. The liquid composition, initially specified as a single-Gamma (SG) probability distribution function (PDF) depending on the molar mass is allowed to evolve into a linear combination of two SGPDFs, called the double-Gamma PDF (DGPDF). The compositions of liquid and vapor emanating from the drops are calculated through four moments of the DGPDFs, which are drop-specific and location-specific, respectively. The mixing layer is initially excited to promote the double pairing of its four initial spanwise vortices into an ultimate vortex in which small scales proliferate. Simulations are performed for four liquids of different compositions and the effect of the initial mass loading and initial free-stream gas temperature are explored. For reference, Simulations are also performed for gaseous multicomponent mixing layers for which the effect of Reynolds number is investigated. The results encompass examination of the global layer characteristics, flow visualizations and homogeneous-plane statistics at transition. Comparisons are performed with previous pre-transitional MC-liquid simulations and with transitional single-component (SC) liquid studies. It is found that MCC flows at transition, the classical energy cascade is of similar strength, but that the smallest scales contain orders of magnitude less energy than SC flows, which is confirmed by the larger viscous dissipation in the former case. Contrasting to pre-transitional MC flows, the vorticity and drop organization depend on the initial gas temperature, this being due to the drop/turbulence coupling. The vapor-composition mean molar mass and standard deviation distributions strongly correlate with the initial liquid-composition PDF; such a correlation only exists for the magnitude of the mean but not for that of the standard deviation. Unlike in pre-transitional situations, regions of large composition standard deviation no longer necessarily coincide with regions of large mean molar mass. The kinetic energy, rotational and composition characteristics, and dissipation are liquid specific and the variation among liquids is amplified with increasing free-stream gas temperature. Eulerian and Lagrangian statistics of gas-phase quantities show that the different. Observation framework may affect the perception of the flow characteristics. The gas composition, of which the first four moments are calculated, is shown to be close to, but distinct from a SGPDF. The PDF of the scalar dissipation rate is calculated for drop-laden layers and is shown to depart more significantly from the typically assumed Gaussian in gaseous flows than experimentally measured gaseous scalar dissipation rates, this being attributed to the increased heterogeneity due to drop/flow interactions.

Biomechanical analysis using Kinovea for sports application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muaza Nor Adnan, Nor; Patar, Mohd Nor Azmi Ab; Lee, Hokyoo; Yamamoto, Shin-Ichiroh; Jong-Young, Lee; Mahmud, Jamaluddin

2018-04-01

This paper assesses the reliability of HD VideoCam–Kinovea as an alternative tool in conducting motion analysis and measuring knee relative angle of drop jump movement. The motion capture and analysis procedure were conducted in the Biomechanics Lab, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Omiya Campus, Japan. A healthy subject without any gait disorder (BMI of 28.60 ± 1.40) was recruited. The volunteered subject was asked to per the drop jump movement on preset platform and the motion was simultaneously recorded using an established infrared motion capture system (Hawk–Cortex) and a HD VideoCam in the sagittal plane only. The capture was repeated for 5 times. The outputs (video recordings) from the HD VideoCam were input into Kinovea (an open-source software) and the drop jump pattern was tracked and analysed. These data are compared with the drop jump pattern tracked and analysed earlier using the Hawk–Cortex system. In general, the results obtained (drop jump pattern) using the HD VideoCam–Kinovea are close to the results obtained using the established motion capture system. Basic statistical analyses show that most average variances are less than 10%, thus proving the repeatability of the protocol and the reliability of the results. It can be concluded that the integration of HD VideoCam–Kinovea has the potential to become a reliable motion capture–analysis system. Moreover, it is low cost, portable and easy to use. As a conclusion, the current study and its findings are found useful and has contributed to enhance significant knowledge pertaining to motion capture-analysis, drop jump movement and HD VideoCam–Kinovea integration.

Motion of Deformable Drops Through Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinchenko, Alexander Z.; Davis, Robert H.

2017-01-01

This review describes recent progress in the fundamental understanding of deformable drop motion through porous media with well-defined microstructures, through rigorous first-principles hydrodynamical simulations and experiments. Tight squeezing conditions, when the drops are much larger than the pore throats, are particularly challenging numerically, as the drops nearly coat the porous material skeleton with small surface clearance, requiring very high surface resolution in the algorithms. Small-scale prototype problems for flow-induced drop motion through round capillaries and three-dimensional (3D) constrictions between solid particles, and for gravity-induced squeezing through round orifices and 3D constrictions, show how forcing above critical conditions is needed to overcome trapping. Scaling laws for the squeezing time are suggested. Large-scale multidrop/multiparticle simulations for emulsion flow through a random granular material with multiple drop breakup show that the drop phase generally moves faster than the carrier fluid; both phase velocities equilibrate much faster to the statistical steady state than does the drop-size distribution.

[Effect of double anaesthetic Colicursi (tetracaine 0.1% and oxybuprocaine 0.4%) on central and paracentral corneal thickness].

PubMed

Díaz-Rey, J A; Giráldez, M J; García-Resúa, C; Yebra-Pimentel, E

2009-01-01

To study the effect of 1 drop of combined topical anaesthesia (tetracaine 0.1% and oxybuprocaine 0.4%) on central corneal thickness (CCT) values and at 2.5 mm from the corneal centre in nasal, temporal, superior and inferior hemi meridians, monitored by Orbscan over a period of 16 minutes. The corneal thickness of 12 right eyes of 12 young healthy men was determined using the Orbscan Topography System. Values were determined at the centre and paracentral regions 2.5 mm from the centre every 2 minutes for 16 minutes before and after the administration of 1 drop of double anaesthetic Colircusi which contains tetracaine 0.1% and oxybuprocaine 0.4%. There was no obvious trend of central and paracentral corneal thickness value change before and after administration of Colircusi (paired ANOVA, p>0.05). Although corneal thickness variation was not statistically significant, higher differences were observed at the 6 minute time-point for CCT and at 8 minutes for nasal paracentral corneal thickness. One drop of double anaesthetic Colircusi with tetracaine 0.1% and oxibuprocaine 0.4% does not produce any significant change in central corneal thickness or in paracentral regions 2.5 mm from the centre (nasal, temporal, superior and inferior hemi meridians).

Thermal imaging of levitated fresh and salt water drops during laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brownell, Cody; Biggs, Harrison

2017-11-01

Simulation of high energy laser propagation and scattering in the maritime environment is problematic, due to the high likelihood of turbulence, fog, and rain or sea spray within the beam path. Considering large water drops (diameters of approximately 1-mm), such as those found in a light rain, an incident high energy laser will lead to rapid evaporation of the water drop as it traverses the beam path. In this work we present surface temperature measurements of a water drop obtained using a FLIR IR camera. The drop is acoustically levitated, and subject to a continuous wave laser with a wavelength of 1070-nm and a mean irradiance of approximately 800 W/cm2. These measurements show that the steady-state surface temperature of the drop is well below the saturation temperature, and for pure substances the equilibrium temperature decreases with decreasing drop volume similar to observations with smaller aqueous aerosols. Temperature non-uniformity within the drop is also assessed from statistics of the surface temperature fluctuations. Preliminary results from irradiated salt water drops show notably different behavior from fresh water drops, including temperature spikes as the drop volume decreases and occasional nucleate boiling. Acknowledge support from ONR #N00014-17-WX-00031.

Hemostasis in tubeless PNL: point of technique.

PubMed

Aron, Monish; Goel, Rajiv; Kesarwani, Pawan K; Gupta, Narmada P

2004-01-01

Tubeless PNL (percutaneous nephrolithotomy), in a highly selected group of patients, is a modification aimed at reducing the morbidity of PNL. We present a simple technique of achieving tract hemostasis as an adjunct to the safe performance of a tubeless PNL. Charts of 40 consecutive patients who underwent tubeless PNL at our center were reviewed. In the latter 20 consecutive patients, diathermy coagulation of the intrarenal bleeders and tract was done and these patients were compared with the earlier 20 patients in whom fulguration was not done. Drop in hemoglobin, postoperative analgesic requirement, operating time, length of hospitalization and postoperative complications were compared. No statistical difference was found between the operative times and drop in hemoglobin for both the groups. The length of hospitalization and postoperative analgesic requirement were significantly less in the fulguration group. No significant complications were noted in either of the two groups. Fulguration of visible intrarenal and tract bleeders is a simple, safe and effective hemostatic adjunct in patients undergoing tubeless PNL. copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

A SIGNIFICANCE TEST FOR THE LASSO1

PubMed Central

Lockhart, Richard; Taylor, Jonathan; Tibshirani, Ryan J.; Tibshirani, Robert

2014-01-01

In the sparse linear regression setting, we consider testing the significance of the predictor variable that enters the current lasso model, in the sequence of models visited along the lasso solution path. We propose a simple test statistic based on lasso fitted values, called the covariance test statistic, and show that when the true model is linear, this statistic has an Exp(1) asymptotic distribution under the null hypothesis (the null being that all truly active variables are contained in the current lasso model). Our proof of this result for the special case of the first predictor to enter the model (i.e., testing for a single significant predictor variable against the global null) requires only weak assumptions on the predictor matrix X. On the other hand, our proof for a general step in the lasso path places further technical assumptions on X and the generative model, but still allows for the important high-dimensional case p > n, and does not necessarily require that the current lasso model achieves perfect recovery of the truly active variables. Of course, for testing the significance of an additional variable between two nested linear models, one typically uses the chi-squared test, comparing the drop in residual sum of squares (RSS) to a χ12 distribution. But when this additional variable is not fixed, and has been chosen adaptively or greedily, this test is no longer appropriate: adaptivity makes the drop in RSS stochastically much larger than χ12 under the null hypothesis. Our analysis explicitly accounts for adaptivity, as it must, since the lasso builds an adaptive sequence of linear models as the tuning parameter λ decreases. In this analysis, shrinkage plays a key role: though additional variables are chosen adaptively, the coefficients of lasso active variables are shrunken due to the l1 penalty. Therefore, the test statistic (which is based on lasso fitted values) is in a sense balanced by these two opposing properties—adaptivity and shrinkage—and its null distribution is tractable and asymptotically Exp(1). PMID:25574062

Raindrop intervalometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van de Giesen, Nicolaas; Hut, Rolf; ten Veldhuis, Marie-claire

2017-04-01

If one can assume that drop size distributions can be effectively described by a generalized gamma function [1], one can estimate this function on the basis of the distribution of time intervals between drops hitting a certain area. The arrival of a single drop is relatively easy to measure with simple consumer devices such as cameras or piezoelectric elements. Here we present an open-hardware design for the electronics and statistical processing of an intervalometer that measures time intervals between drop arrivals. The specific hardware in this case is a piezoelectric element in an appropriate housing, combined with an instrumentation op-amp and an Arduino processor. Although it would not be too difficult to simply register the arrival times of all drops, it is more practical to only report the main statistics. For this purpose, all intervals below a certain threshold during a reporting interval are summed and counted. We also sum the scaled squares, cubes, and fourth powers of the intervals. On the basis of the first four moments, one can estimate the corresponding generalized gamma function and obtain some sense of the accuracy of the underlying assumptions. Special attention is needed to determine the lower threshold of the drop sizes that can be measured. This minimum size often varies over the area being monitored, such as is the case for piezoelectric elements. We describe a simple method to determine these (distributed) minimal drop sizes and present a bootstrap method to make the necessary corrections. Reference [1] Uijlenhoet, R., and J. N. M. Stricker. "A consistent rainfall parameterization based on the exponential raindrop size distribution." Journal of Hydrology 218, no. 3 (1999): 101-127.

Sooting Limits Of Microgravity Spherical Diffusion Flames. [conducted in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunderland, P. B.; Urban, D. L.; Stocker, D. P.; Chao, B.-H.; Axelbaum, Richard L.; Salzman, Jack (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Limiting conditions for soot-particle inception were studied in microgravity spherical diffusion flames burning ethylene at atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen was supplied in the fuel and/or oxidizer to obtain the broadest range of stoichiometric mixture fraction. Both normal flames (oxygen in ambience) and inverted flames (fuel in ambience) were considered. Microgravity was obtained in the NASA Glenn 2.2-second drop tower. The flames were observed with a color video camera and sooting conditions were defined as conditions for which yellow emission was present throughout the duration of the drop. Sooting limit results were successfully correlated in terms of adiabatic flame temperature and stoichiometric mixture fraction. Soot free conditions were favored by increased stoichiometric mixture fractions. No statistically significant effect of convection direction on sooting limits was observed. The relationship between adiabatic flame temperature and stoichiometric mixture fraction at the sooting limits was found to be in qualitative agreement with a simple theory based on the assumption that soot inception can occur only where temperature and local C/O ratio exceed threshold values (circa 1250 K and 1, respectively).

Revisiting Primary School Dropout in Rural Cambodia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

No, Fata; Sam, Chanphirun; Hirakawa, Yukiko

2012-01-01

Previous studies on school dropout in Cambodia often used data from subjects after they already dropped out or statistics from education-related institutions. Using data from children in two rural provinces before they dropped out, this study examines four main factors in order to identify their influence on primary school dropout in Cambodia.…

Comparison of Instantaneous Frequency Scaling from Rain Attenuation and Optical Disdrometer Measurements at K/Q bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nessel, James; Zemba, Michael; Luini, Lorenzo; Riva, Carlo

2015-01-01

Rain attenuation is strongly dependent on the rain rate, but also on the rain drop size distribution (DSD). Typically, models utilize an average drop size distribution, such as those developed by Laws and Parsons, or Marshall and Palmer. However, individual rain events may possess drop size distributions which could be significantly different from the average and will impact, for example, fade mitigation techniques which utilize channel performance estimates from a signal at a different frequency. Therefore, a good understanding of the characteristics and variability of the raindrop size distribution is extremely important in predicting rain attenuation and instantaneous frequency scaling parameters on an event-toevent basis. Since June 2014, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) have measured the attenuation due to rain in Milan, Italy, on the 20/40 GHz beacon signal broadcast from the Alphasat TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni Q/V-band Payload. Concomitant with these measurements are the measurements of drop size distribution and rain rate utilizing a Thies Clima laser precipitation monitor (disdrometer). In this paper, we discuss the comparison of the predicted rain attenuation at 20 and 40 GHz derived from the drop size distribution data with the measured rain attenuation. The results are compared on statistical and real-time bases. We will investigate the performance of the rain attenuation model, instantaneous frequency scaling, and the distribution of the scaling factor. Further, seasonal rain characteristics will be analysed.

Oral fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) drop effect on primary dysmenorrhea: Effectiveness of herbal drug.

PubMed

Bokaie, Mahshid; Farajkhoda, Tahmineh; Enjezab, Behnaz; Khoshbin, Azam; Karimi-Zarchi, Mojgan; Zarchi Mojgan, Karimi

2013-03-01

Primary dysmenorrhea refers to the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps of uterus and is considered as a gynecological complaint. The common treatment for this problem is medical therapy such as mefenamic acid [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)] and oral contraceptive pills, both of which work by reducing myometrial activity. Fennel contains an antispasmodic and anethol agents and may be helpful for management of primary dysmenorrhea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral fennel drop for treating primary dysmenorrhea. Sixty college students suffering from primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned to two groups and followed up for two cycles. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Parametric and non-parametric tests were adopted. Comparison of pain intensity in the two groups showed that there was no significant difference in pain relief between the two groups. Comparison of bleeding severity in the study group before and after intervention was demonstrated from the first day to the fifth day (PV on first day, second day, third day, fourth day, and fifth day 0.948, 0.330, 0.508, 0.583, 0.890, respectively). It seems that fennel can be effective in reducing the severity of dysmenorrhea, but it has an unpleasant taste in view of most of the volunteers.

The Effectiveness of Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E): A Naturalistic Study within an Out-Patient Eating Disorder Service.

PubMed

Signorini, Rachel; Sheffield, Jeanie; Rhodes, Natalie; Fleming, Carmel; Ward, Warren

2018-01-01

The effectiveness of enhanced cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT-E) for adults with a range of eating disorder presentations within routine clinical settings has been examined in only two known published studies, neither of which included a follow-up assessment period. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT-E within an out-patient eating disorder service in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and incorporated a follow-up assessment period of approximately 20 weeks post-treatment. The study involved 114 adult females with a diagnosed eating disorder, who attended an average of 20-40 individual CBT-E sessions with a psychologist or a psychiatry registrar between 2009 and 2013. Of those who began treatment, 50% did not complete treatment, and the presence of psychosocial and environmental problems predicted drop-out. Amongst treatment completers, statistically and clinically significant improvements in eating disorder and general psychopathology were observed at post-treatment, which were generally maintained at the 20-week follow-up. Statistically significant improvements in eating disorder and general psychopathology were observed amongst the total sample. The findings, which were comparable to the previous Australian effectiveness study of CBT-E, indicate that CBT-E is an effective treatment for adults with all eating disorders within out-patient settings. Given the high attrition rate, however, minimizing drop-out appears to be an important consideration when implementing CBT-E within clinical settings.

Why do tornados and hailstorms rest on weekends?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenfeld, Daniel; Bell, Thomas L.

2011-10-01

This study shows for the first time statistical evidence that when anthropogenic aerosols over the eastern United States during summertime are at their weekly mid-week peak, tornado and hailstorm activity there is also near its weekly maximum. The weekly cycle in summertime storm activity for 1995-2009 was found to be statistically significant and unlikely to be due to natural variability. It correlates well with previously observed weekly cycles of other measures of storm activity. The pattern of variability supports the hypothesis that air pollution aerosols invigorate deep convective clouds in a moist, unstable atmosphere, to the extent of inducing production of large hailstones and tornados. This is caused by the effect of aerosols on cloud drop nucleation, making cloud drops smaller and hydrometeors larger. According to simulations, the larger ice hydrometeors contribute to more hail. The reduced evaporation from the larger hydrometeors produces weaker cold pools. Simulations have shown that too cold and fast-expanding pools inhibit the formation of tornados. The statistical observations suggest that this might be the mechanism by which the weekly modulation in pollution aerosols is causing the weekly cycle in severe convective storms during summer over the eastern United States. Although we focus here on the role of aerosols, they are not a primary atmospheric driver of tornados and hailstorms but rather modulate them in certain conditions.

Postprandial hypotension among older residents of a nursing home in Korea.

PubMed

Son, Jung Tae; Lee, Eunjoo

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to identify changes in blood pressure and pulse rate after a meal for elders living in a nursing home. Postprandial hypotension is a major health issue for older persons, because it has been shown to cause increased incidence of falls, syncope, coronary disease, strokes and deterioration in the quality of life. However, there has been little systematic investigation into blood pressure changes after meals in older people. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to identify postprandial blood pressure and pulse rate changes in residents of a nursing home. Blood pressure and pulse rates of 121 people aged 65 and above were measured before and after a meal and at 15-minute intervals for six more measurements. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, repeated measures anova and paired t-tests using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). There were significant differences in systolic and diastolic pressure by time. The biggest drop in systolic and diastolic blood pressure occurred at 45 minutes after the meal. There was no significant change in pulse rates except for immediately after the meal. To prevent complications from drops in postprandial blood pressure, nurses should carefully monitor blood pressure of elders at least from 30-90 minutes after meals. Further study of drops in postprandial blood pressure should be conducted for various types and times of meals. Nurses caring for older persons can identify drops in the postprandial blood pressure to manage the incidence of falls, syncope and stroke more effectively, especially in nursing homes. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Meteorological effects of the solar eclipse of 20 March 2015: analysis of UK Met Office automatic weather station data and comparison with automatic weather station data from the Faroes and Iceland

PubMed Central

Penman, John; Jónsson, Trausti; Bigg, Grant R.; Björnsson, Halldór; Sjúrðarson, Sølvi; Hansen, Mads A.; Cappelen, John; Bryant, Robert G.

2016-01-01

Here, we analyse high-frequency (1 min) surface air temperature, mean sea-level pressure (MSLP), wind speed and direction and cloud-cover data acquired during the solar eclipse of 20 March 2015 from 76 UK Met Office weather stations, and compare the results with those from 30 weather stations in the Faroe Islands and 148 stations in Iceland. There was a statistically significant mean UK temperature drop of 0.83±0.63°C, which occurred over 39 min on average, and the minimum temperature lagged the peak of the eclipse by about 10 min. For a subset of 14 (16) relatively clear (cloudy) stations, the mean temperature drop was 0.91±0.78 (0.31±0.40)°C but the mean temperature drops for relatively calm and windy stations were almost identical. Mean wind speed dropped significantly by 9% on average during the first half of the eclipse. There was no discernible effect of the eclipse on the wind-direction or MSLP time series, and therefore we can discount any localized eclipse cyclone effect over Britain during this event. Similar changes in air temperature and wind speed are observed for Iceland, where conditions were generally clearer, but here too there was no evidence of an eclipse cyclone; in the Faroes, there was a much more muted meteorological signature. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’. PMID:27550769

Pupil dilation using a pledget sponge: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

McCormick, Austin; Srinivasan, Sathish; Harun, Shabbir; Watts, Mark

2006-08-01

To show that a pledget soaked in mydriatics and placed in the lower conjunctival fornix is as effective as drops in providing mydriasis for cataract surgery. A randomized, masked, controlled trial of 56 patients assigned to either a pledget group (n=25) or a control eye drops group (n=31) was carried out. Controls had the routine practice of repeated topical mydriatic drops: tropicamide, phenylepherine and atropine. The trial group had a 3-mm pledget trimmed, soaked in mydriatics and placed in the inferior fornix for 20 min. Pupil diameter was measured using a photographic technique with a standard scale shown in each picture. Two masked observers measured the pupils using the scale of the ruler in the developed photograph. All patients completed a 0-10 stinging score prior to surgery. There were no complications. The mean pupil diameter in the control group was 7.23 (6.91-7.94 95% confidence intervals [CI]) and 7.44 (6.96-7.92 95% CI) in the pledget group. There was no statistically significant difference in pupil diameter between the two groups: difference between means 0.21 (-0.32 to 0.75 95% CI) and Student's t-test of the difference between means (t=0.8 and two-tailed) probability P=0.43. There was no significant difference in the stinging scores: Mann-Whitney test P=0.69. The use of a pledget cellulose sponge to deliver mydriatics prior to cataract surgery is as effective as the conventional method of repeated drop administration and was not associated with any adverse effects.

Different cellular effects of four anti-inflammatory eye drops on human corneal epithelial cells: independent in active components.

PubMed

Qu, Mingli; Wang, Yao; Yang, Lingling; Zhou, Qingjun

2011-01-01

To evaluate and compare the cellular effects of four commercially available anti-inflammatory eye drops and their active components on human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) in vitro. The cellular effects of four eye drops (Bromfenac Sodium Hydrate Eye Drops, Pranoprofen Eye Drops, Diclofenac Sodium Eye Drops, and Tobramycin & Dex Eye Drops) and their corresponding active components were evaluated in an HCEC line with five in vitro assays. Cell proliferation and migration were measured using 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3 5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay and transwell migration assay. Cell damage was determined with the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Cell viability and median lethal time (LT₅₀) were measured by 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) staining and flow cytometry analysis. Cellular effects after exposure of HCECs to the four anti-inflammatory eye drops were concentration dependent. The differences of cellular toxicity on cell proliferation became significant at lower concentrations (<0.002%). Diclofenac Sodium Eye Drops showed significant increasing effects on cell damage and viability when compared with the other three solutions. Tobramycin & Dex Eye Drops inhibited the migration of HCECs significantly. Tobramycin & Dex Eye Drops showed the quickest effect on cell viability: the LT₅₀ was 3.28, 9.23, 10.38, and 23.80 min for Tobramycin & Dex Eye Drops, Diclofenac Sodium Eye Drops, Pranoprofen Eye Drops, and Bromfenac Sodium Hydrate Eye Drops, respectively. However, the comparisons of cellular toxicity revealed significant differences between the eye drops and their active components under the same concentration. The corneal epithelial toxicity differences among the active components of the four eye drops became significant as higher concentration (>0.020%). The four anti-inflammatory eye drops showed different cellular effects on HCECs, and the toxicity was not related with their active components, which provides new reference for the clinical application and drug research and development.

Observation of ice nucleation in acoustically levitated water drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lü, Y. J.; Xie, W. J.; Wei, B.

2005-10-01

The supercooling and nucleation of acoustically levitated water drops were investigated at two different sound pressure levels (SPL). These water drops were supercooled by 13to16K at the low SPL of 160.6dB, whereas their supercoolings varied from 5to11K at the high SPL of 164.4dB. The maximum supercooling obtained in the experiments is 32K. Statistical analyses based on the classical nucleation theory reveal that the occurrence of ice nucleation in water drops is mainly confined to the surface region under acoustic levitation conditions and the enlargement of drop surface area caused by the acoustic radiation pressure reduces water supercoolability remarkably. A comparison of the nucleation rates at the two SPLs indicates that the sound pressure can strengthen the surface-dominated nucleation of water drops. The acoustic stream around levitated water drops and the cavitation effect associated with ultrasonic field are the main factors that induce surface-dominated nucleation.

How glaucoma patient characteristics, self-efficacy, and patient-provider communication are associated with eye drop technique

PubMed Central

Sayner, Robyn; Carpenter, Delesha M; Robin, Alan L; Blalock, Susan J; Muir, Kelly W; Vitko, Michelle; Hartnett, Mary Elizabeth; Lawrence, Scott D; Giangiacomo, Annette L; Tudor, Gail; Goldsmith, Jason A; Sleath, Betsy

2017-01-01

Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which patient characteristics, eye drop technique self-efficacy, and ophthalmologist–patient communication about eye drop administration are associated with glaucoma patients’ ability to instil a single drop, have the drop land in the eye, and avoid touching the applicator tip of the medication bottle to the eye or face while self-administering eye drops. Methods Glaucoma patients (n = 279) were recruited from six ophthalmology clinics. Medical visits were videotape-recorded. Afterwards, patients were interviewed and demonstrated administering an eye drop on a videotaped-recording. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyse the data. Key findings Ophthalmologists provided eye drop administration instruction to 40 patients. Patients with more years of education were significantly more likely to both instil a single drop (P = 0.017) and have the drop land in their eye (P = 0.017). Women were significantly more likely to touch the applicator tip to their eyes or face (P = 0.014). Patients with severe glaucoma (P = 0.016), women (P = 0.026), and patients who asked at least one eye drop administration question (P = 0.001) were significantly less likely to instil a single drop. Patients with arthritis were significantly less likely to have the drop land in their eye (P = 0.008). African American patients were significantly less likely to touch the applicator tip to their eyes or face (P = 0.008). Conclusions Some glaucoma patients have a difficult time self-administering eye drops. As so few patients received eye drop administration instruction from their providers, there is an opportunity for pharmacists to complement care. PMID:26303667

How glaucoma patient characteristics, self-efficacy and patient-provider communication are associated with eye drop technique.

PubMed

Sayner, Robyn; Carpenter, Delesha M; Robin, Alan L; Blalock, Susan J; Muir, Kelly W; Vitko, Michelle; Hartnett, Mary Elizabeth; Lawrence, Scott D; Giangiacomo, Annette L; Tudor, Gail; Goldsmith, Jason A; Sleath, Betsy

2016-04-01

The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which patient characteristics, eye drop technique self-efficacy, and ophthalmologist-patient communication about eye drop administration are associated with glaucoma patients' ability to instil a single drop, have the drop land in the eye, and avoid touching the applicator tip of the medication bottle to the eye or face while self-administering eye drops. Glaucoma patients (n = 279) were recruited from six ophthalmology clinics. Medical visits were videotape-recorded. Afterwards, patients were interviewed and demonstrated administering an eye drop on a videotaped-recording. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyse the data. Ophthalmologists provided eye drop administration instruction to 40 patients. Patients with more years of education were significantly more likely to both instil a single drop (P = 0.017) and have the drop land in their eye (P = 0.017). Women were significantly more likely to touch the applicator tip to their eyes or face (P = 0.014). Patients with severe glaucoma (P = 0.016), women (P = 0.026), and patients who asked at least one eye drop administration question (P = 0.001) were significantly less likely to instil a single drop. Patients with arthritis were significantly less likely to have the drop land in their eye (P = 0.008). African American patients were significantly less likely to touch the applicator tip to their eyes or face (P = 0.008). Some glaucoma patients have a difficult time self-administering eye drops. As so few patients received eye drop administration instruction from their providers, there is an opportunity for pharmacists to complement care. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Statistical contact angle analyses; "slow moving" drops on a horizontal silicon-oxide surface.

PubMed

Schmitt, M; Grub, J; Heib, F

2015-06-01

Sessile drop experiments on horizontal surfaces are commonly used to characterise surface properties in science and in industry. The advancing angle and the receding angle are measurable on every solid. Specially on horizontal surfaces even the notions themselves are critically questioned by some authors. Building a standard, reproducible and valid method of measuring and defining specific (advancing/receding) contact angles is an important challenge of surface science. Recently we have developed two/three approaches, by sigmoid fitting, by independent and by dependent statistical analyses, which are practicable for the determination of specific angles/slopes if inclining the sample surface. These approaches lead to contact angle data which are independent on "user-skills" and subjectivity of the operator which is also of urgent need to evaluate dynamic measurements of contact angles. We will show in this contribution that the slightly modified procedures are also applicable to find specific angles for experiments on horizontal surfaces. As an example droplets on a flat freshly cleaned silicon-oxide surface (wafer) are dynamically measured by sessile drop technique while the volume of the liquid is increased/decreased. The triple points, the time, the contact angles during the advancing and the receding of the drop obtained by high-precision drop shape analysis are statistically analysed. As stated in the previous contribution the procedure is called "slow movement" analysis due to the small covered distance and the dominance of data points with low velocity. Even smallest variations in velocity such as the minimal advancing motion during the withdrawing of the liquid are identifiable which confirms the flatness and the chemical homogeneity of the sample surface and the high sensitivity of the presented approaches. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parallel Electric Field on Auroral Magnetic Field Lines.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Huey-Ching Betty

1982-03-01

The interaction of Birkeland (magnetic-field-aligned) current carriers and the Earth's magnetic field results in electrostatic potential drops along magnetic field lines. The statistical distributions of the field-aligned potential difference (phi)(,(PARLL)) were determined from the energy spectra of electron inverted "V" events observed at ionospheric altitude for different conditions of geomagnetic activity as indicated by the AE index. Data of 1270 electron inverted "V"'s were obtained from Low-Energy Electron measurements of the Atmosphere Explorer-C and -D Satellite (despun mode) in the interval January 1974-April 1976. In general, (phi)(,(PARLL)) is largest in the dusk to pre-midnight sector, smaller in the post-midnight to dawn sector, and smallest in the near noon sector during quiet and disturbed geomagnetic conditions; there is a steady dusk-dawn-noon asymmetry of the global (phi)(,(PARLL)) distribution. As the geomagnetic activity level increases, the (phi)(,(PARLL)) pattern expands to lower invariant latitudes, and the magnitude of (phi)(,(PARLL)) in the 13-24 magnetic local time sector increases significantly. The spatial structure and intensity variation of the global (phi)(,(PARLL)) distribution are statistically more variable, and the magnitudes of (phi)(,(PARLL)) have smaller correlation with the AE-index, in the post-midnight to dawn sector. A strong correlation is found to exist between upward Birkeland current systems and global parallel potential drops, and between auroral electron precipitation patterns and parallel potential drops, regarding their mophology, their intensity and their dependence of geomagnetic activity. An analysis of the fine-scale simultaneous current-voltage relationship for upward Birkeland currents in Region 1 shows that typical field-aligned potential drops are consistent with model predictions based on linear acceleration of the charge carriers through an electrostatic potential drop along convergent magnetic field lines to maintain current continuity. In a steady state, this model of simple electrostatic acceleration without anomalous resistivity also predicts observable relations between global parallel currents and parallel potential drops and between global energy deposition and parallel potential drops. The temperature, density, and species of the unaccelerated charge carriers are the relevant parameters of the model. The dusk-dawn -noon asymmetry of the global (phi)(,(PARLL)) distribution can be explained by the above steady-state (phi)(,(PARLL)) process if we associate the source regions of upward Birkeland current carriers in Region 1, Region 2, and the cusp region with the plasma sheet boundary layer, the near-Earth plasma sheet, and the magnetosheath, respectively. The results of this study provide observational information on the global distribution of parallel potential drops and the prevailing process of generating and maintaining potential gradients (parallel electric fields) along auroral magnetic field lines.

The Lived Experiences of Students at Risk of Dropping Out: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Kellie D.

2014-01-01

Of the many important issues facing policy makers, educators, concerned citizens and parents throughout this country, one stands apart: the alarming number of teenagers who choose to drop out of school. While considerable research exists substantiating the statistics for this societal predicament, studies that seek to uncover the individual human…

Kinetotic behaviour and otolith asymmetry of fish under "low quality microgravity" - a drop-tower experiment at 0.03-0.05g

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anken, Ralf; Knie, Miriam; Hilbig, Reinhard; Anken, Ralf

We have shown earlier that some fish of a given batch reveal motion sickness (a kinetosis) at the transition from earth gravity to diminished gravity. The percentual ratios of the various types of behaviour (normal swimming and kinetotic swimming; kinetotic specimens revealed looping responses/LR or spinning movements/SM), however, highly differed depending on the quality of diminished gravity. Whereas kinetoses were exhibited by some 90 In striking contrast to the results gained using PF specimens, according to which otolith asymmetry (differences in the size and calcium incorporation of the inner ear stones between the left and right side of the body) was significantly higher in kinetotic specimens as compared to normally swimming fish, a comparable asymmetry between kinetotically and normally swimming drop-tower samples (HQM) could statistically not be verified. The present study was designed to further elucidate the role of otolith asymmetry concerning an individually different susceptibility to kinetoses. In order to test, whether the differing results between the PF and the drop-tower experiment were based exclusively on the differing quality of diminished gravity, or, if further parameters of the PF and the drop-tower environment (e.g., vibrations and changing accelerations during PFs or the brisk compression of the drop-capsule at its release) need to be taken into consideration to explain the earlier results, drop-tower flights were performed at LQM. This simulation of PF "micro"gravity was carried out in housing larval cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) within a centrifuge at 0.03-0.05g during the drop-tower flights. The percentual ratios of the swimming behaviour at drop-tower LQM ranged between those of PF LQM and (drop-tower) HQM. This indicates that many normally swimming fish during PFs use cues other than the residual gravity (e.g., vibrations detected by the lateral line organ) for orientation. Furthermore, looping responses seem to be transitional behaviour depending on the developmental stage, whereas spinning movements occur stage-independently. Details as well as data on otoliths will be communicated at the meeting. Acknowledgement: This work was financially supported by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) (FKZ: 50 WB 0527).

Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Training Based on the Neuromuscular Risk Profile.

PubMed

Hewett, Timothy E; Ford, Kevin R; Xu, Yingying Y; Khoury, Jane; Myer, Gregory D

2017-07-01

The effects of targeted neuromuscular training (TNMT) on movement biomechanics associated with the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are currently unknown. Purpose/Hypotheses: To determine the effectiveness of TNMT specifically designed to increase trunk control and hip strength. The hypotheses were that (1) TNMT would decrease biomechanical and neuromuscular factors related to an increased ACL injury risk and (2) TNMT would decrease these biomechanical and neuromuscular factors to a greater extent in athletes identified as being at a high risk for future ACL injuries. Controlled laboratory study. Female athletes who participated in jumping, cutting, and pivoting sports underwent 3-dimensional biomechanical testing before the season and after completing TNMT. During testing, athletes performed 3 different types of tasks: (1) drop vertical jump, (2) single-leg drop, and (3) single-leg cross drop. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the treatment effects of TNMT designed to enhance core and hip strength on biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics. Differences were also evaluated by risk profile. Differences were considered statistically significant at P < .05. TNMT significantly increased hip external rotation moments and moment impulses, increased peak trunk flexion, and decreased peak trunk extension. Athletes with a high risk before the intervention (risk profile III) had a more significant treatment effect of TNMT than low-risk groups (risk profiles I and II). TNMT significantly improved proximal biomechanics, including increased hip external rotation moments and moment impulses, increased peak trunk flexion, and decreased peak trunk extension. TNMT that focuses exclusively on proximal leg and trunk risk factors is not, however, adequate to induce significant changes in frontal-plane knee loading. Biomechanical changes varied across the risk profile groups, with higher risk groups exhibiting greater improvements in their biomechanics.

Comparison of patient outcomes in periarticular and intraarticular local anaesthetic infiltration techniques in total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Perret, Michael; Fletcher, Philip; Firth, Laura; Yates, Piers

2015-07-31

The use of local infiltration analgesia in the setting of knee arthroplasty is well established. There are no studies to date which have directly compared differences in infiltration techniques. The purpose of this study is to establish if a difference in patient outcomes exists when the infiltrate is injected into the periarticular tissues or directly into the joint. One hundred and forty-two consecutive patients waitlisted for primary total knee arthroplasty were enrolled after primary exclusion criteria were applied. These included the following: allergy to study drugs, inability to receive spinal anaesthesia, and planned bilateral surgery. Patients were divided into two groups, a periarticular infiltration group (group A) and an intraarticular infiltration group (group B). Secondary exclusion criteria of regular opioid use, psychiatric illness, and serious medical comorbidity left a total of 47 patients in group A and 54 patients in group B. Both groups received a combination of 30 mg ketorolac, 500 μg of adrenaline, and 300 mg of ropivacaine, and normal saline. This was either injected into the periarticular tissues during surgery (group A) or intraarticularly after closure of the wound (group B). Primary outcome measures included opioid consumption during the first 24 h postoperatively and over the total admission, and visual analogue scales (VAS) on postoperative day 1 and at discharge. Secondary measures included Oxford Knee Score, knee flexion, length of stay, haemoglobin drop, and transfusion requirement. Ethics approval was granted by the hospital review board. The trial is registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, registration ACTRN12615000488505 . No statistically significant differences in postoperative analgesic use were observed between the two groups. However, there was a trend toward decreased postoperative patient-controlled analgesia use in the periarticular group (mean 53.1 vs 68.3 mg morphine equivalents; p = 0.093), as well as a statistically significant reduction in postoperative visual analogue pain scores. No statistically significant differences were observed for haemoglobin drop, range of motion, or pre- to 6-week postoperative Oxford Score difference. Our study is the first we are aware of to directly compare a periarticular to intraarticular injection technique when using local infiltration analgesia for total knee arthroplasty. Our results show no clear statistically significant benefit with either technique. The periarticular group showed a statistically significant reduction in postoperative VAS pain scores alongside a trend in that group toward reduced overall opioid use.

An ionic liquid as a solvent for headspace single drop microextraction of chlorobenzenes from water samples.

PubMed

Vidal, Lorena; Psillakis, Elefteria; Domini, Claudia E; Grané, Nuria; Marken, Frank; Canals, Antonio

2007-02-12

A headspace single-drop microextraction (HS-SDME) procedure using room temperature ionic liquid and coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography capable of quantifying trace amounts of chlorobenzenes in environmental water samples is proposed. A Plackett-Burman design for screening was carried out in order to determine the significant experimental conditions affecting the HS-SDME process (namely drop volume, aqueous sample volume, stirring speed, ionic strength, extraction time and temperature), and then a central composite design was used to optimize the significant conditions. The optimum experimental conditions found from this statistical evaluation were: a 5 microL microdrop of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, exposed for 37 min to the headspace of a 10 mL aqueous sample placed in a 15 mL vial, stirred at 1580 rpm at room temperature and containing 30% (w/v) NaCl. The calculated calibration curves gave a high level of linearity for all target analytes with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.9981 and 0.9997. The repeatability of the proposed method, expressed as relative standard deviation, varied between 1.6 and 5.1% (n=5). The limits of detection ranged between 0.102 and 0.203 microg L(-1). Matrix effects upon extraction were evaluated by analysing spiked tap and river water as well as effluent water samples originating from a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Efficacy and safety of oral tranexamic acid in total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Guo, Peipei; He, Zike; Wang, Yanhua; Gao, Fuqiang; Sun, Wei; Guo, Wanshou; Li, Zirong; Cheng, Liming

2018-05-01

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic drug widely used as a blood-sparing technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and it is usually administrated by intravenous or intraarticular injection. Recently, the oral form of TXA has been applied in TKA patients. However, there is no final consensus regarding the effectiveness and safety of oral TXA. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral TXA versus control for blood loss after TKA. We searched PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies through August 2017. The mean difference (MD) of total blood loss, hemoglobin (Hb) drop, hematocrit (Hct), drain output, and risk difference (RD) of transfusion rate and thromboembolic complications in the TXA and control groups were pooled throughout the study. The outcomes were pooled by Stata 12.0. A total of 5 RCTs (608 patients) were included in this study. All the included studies were randomized and the quality of included studies was relatively high. The pooled results indicated that the oral TXA group had significantly less Hb drop (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.936; 95% confidence intervals [CI], -1.118,-0.754), Hct drop (SMD, -0.693; 95% CI, -1.113, -0.274), and drain output (SMD, -0.793; 95% CI, -0.959, -0.628) than the control group. No statistically significant differences were found in transfusion rate and the incidence of thromboembolic complications between the 2 groups. Total blood loss could not be evaluated for the insufficient date. Our meta-analysis suggested that the administration of oral TXA provided significantly better results with respect to Hb drop, Hct drop, and drain output without increasing the transfusion rate and the risk of thromboembolic complications after TKA. Nevertheless, our current study with some limitations such as the small sample size only provided limited quality of evidence, confirmation from further meta-analysis with large-scale, well-designed RCTs is required.

How is rainfall interception in urban area affected by meteorological parameters?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zabret, Katarina; Rakovec, Jože; Mikoš, Matjaž; Šraj, Mojca

2017-04-01

Rainfall interception is part of the hydrological cycle. Precipitation, which hits vegetation, is retained on the leaves and branches, from which it eventually evaporates into the atmosphere (interception) or reaches the ground by dripping from the canopy, falling through the gaps (throughfall) and running down the stems (stemflow). The amount of rainfall reaching the ground depends on various meteorological and vegetation parameters. Rainfall, throughfall and stemflow have been measured in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia since the beginning of 2014. Manual and automatic measurements are performed regularly under Betula pendula and Pinus nigra trees in urban area. In 2014, there were detected 178 rainfall events with total amount of 1672.1 mm. In average B. pendula intercepted 44% of rainfall and P. nigra intercepted 72% of rainfall. In 2015 we have detected 117 events with 1047.4 mm of rainfall, of which 37% was intercepted by B. pendula and 60% by P. nigra. The effect of various meteorological parameters on the rainfall interception was analysed in the study. The parameters included in the analysis were rainfall rate, rainfall duration, drop size distribution (average drop velocity and diameter), average wind speed, and average temperature. The results demonstrate decreasing rainfall interception with longer rainfall duration and higher rainfall intensity although the impact of the latter one is not statistically significant. In the case of very fast or very slow rainfall drops, the interception is higher than for the mean rain drop velocity values. In the case of P. nigra the impact of the rain drop diameter on interception is similar to the one of rain drop velocity while for B. pendula increasing of drop diameter also increases the interception. As expected, interception is higher for warmer events. This trend is more evident for P. nigra than for B. pendula. Furthermore, the amount of intercepted rainfall also increases with wind although it could be relatively high in case of very low wind speeds.

Interpreting the formation of bloodstains on selected apparel fabrics.

PubMed

de Castro, Therese; Nickson, Tania; Carr, Debra; Knock, Clare

2013-01-01

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is the investigation and interpretation of blood deposited at crime scenes. However, the interaction of blood and apparel fabrics has not been widely studied. In this work, the development of bloodstains (passive, absorbed and transferred) dropped from three different heights (500, 1,000, 1,500 mm) on two cotton apparel fabrics (1 × 1 rib knit, drill) was investigated. High-speed video was used to investigate the interaction of the blood and fabric at impact. The effect of drop height on the development of passive, absorbed and transferred bloodstains was investigated using image analysis and statistical tools. Visually, the passive bloodstain patterns produced on the technical face of fabrics from the different drop heights were similar. The blood soaked unequally through to the technical rear of both fabrics. Very little blood was transferred between a bloody fabric and a second piece of fabric. Statistically, drop height did not affect the size of the parent bloodstain (wet or dry), but did affect the number of satellite bloodstains formed. Some differences between the two fabrics were noted, therefore fabric structure and properties must be considered when conducting BPA on apparel fabrics.

Premixed Turbulent Flame Propagation in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menon, Suresh

1999-01-01

A combined numerical-experimental study has been carried out to investigate the structure and propagation characteristics of turbulent premixed flames with and without the influence of buoyancy. Experimentally, the premixed flame characteristics are studied in the wrinkled regime using a Couette flow facility and an isotropic flow facility in order to resolve the scale of flame wrinkling. Both facilities were chosen for their ability to achieve sustained turbulence at low Reynolds number. This implies that conventional diagnostics can be employed to resolve the smallest scales of wrinkling. The Couette facility was also built keeping in mind the constraints imposed by the drop tower requirements. Results showed that the flow in this Couette flow facility achieves full-developed turbulence at low Re and all turbulence statistics are in good agreement with past measurements on large-scale facilities. Premixed flame propagation studies were then carried out both using the isotropic box and the Couette facility. Flame imaging showed that fine scales of wrinkling occurs during flame propagation. Both cases in Ig showed significant buoyancy effect. To demonstrate that micro-g can remove this buoyancy effect, a small drop tower was built and drop experiments were conducted using the isotropic box. Results using the Couette facility confirmed the ability to carry out these unique reacting flow experiments at least in 1g. Drop experiments at NASA GRC were planned but were not completed due to termination of this project.

Drop coating deposition Raman spectroscopy of blood plasma for the detection of colorectal cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pengpeng; Chen, Changshui; Deng, Xiaoyuan; Mao, Hua; Jin, Shaoqin

2015-03-01

We have recently applied the technique of drop coating deposition Raman (DCDR) spectroscopy for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection using blood plasma. The aim of this study was to develop a more convenient and stable method based on blood plasma for noninvasive CRC detection. Significant differences are observed in DCDR spectra between healthy (n=105) and cancer (n=75) plasma from 15 CRC patients and 21 volunteers, particularly in the spectra that are related to proteins, nucleic acids, and β-carotene. The multivariate analysis principal components analysis and the linear discriminate analysis, together with leave-one-out, cross validation were used on DCDR spectra and yielded a sensitivity of 100% (75/75) and specificity of 98.1% (103/105) for detection of CRC. This study demonstrates that DCDR spectroscopy of blood plasma associated with multivariate statistical algorithms has the potential for the noninvasive detection of CRC.

The effect of temperature on the discomfort caused by topical local anaesthesia.

PubMed Central

Callear, A B

1995-01-01

The warming of local anaesthetic solutions to reduce the pain felt on injection is common practice in a number of medical sub-specialties. A study was undertaken to assess the effect of temperature on the discomfort caused by local anaesthetic eye drops. Tropical anaesthetics amethocaine 1%, oxybuprocaine 0.4% and lignocaine 4% were studied, and after the application of strict exclusion criteria 60 patients were selected, 20 patients for each anaesthetic. Each patient group received a topical anaesthetic at 42 degrees C in one eye and at room temperature in the other. A 10 point visual analogue scale was used to assess the discomfort experienced. No statistically significant difference was found between the discomfort caused by drops at each temperature for any of the three anaesthetics studied. There appears no benefit in warming topical anaesthetic agents prior to their use. PMID:8786596

Voice measures of workload in the advanced flight deck: Additional studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Sid J.; Alpert, Murray

1989-01-01

These studies investigated acoustical analysis of the voice as a measure of workload in individual operators. In the first study, voice samples were recorded from a single operator during high, medium, and low workload conditions. Mean amplitude, frequency, syllable duration, and emphasis all tended to increase as workload increased. In the second study, NASA test pilots performed a laboratory task, and used a flight simulator under differing work conditions. For two of the pilots, high workload in the simulator brought about greater amplitude, peak duration, and stress. In both the laboratory and simulator tasks, high workload tended to be associated with more statistically significant drop-offs in the acoustical measures than were lower workload levels. There was a great deal of intra-subject variability in the acoustical measures. The results suggested that in individual operators, increased workload might be revealed by high initial amplitude and frequency, followed by rapid drop-offs over time.

Earthquake stress drops, ambient tectonic stresses and stresses that drive plate motions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanks, T.C.

1977-01-01

A variety of geophysical observations suggests that the upper portion of the lithosphere, herein referred to as the elastic plate, has long-term material properties and frictional strength significantly greater than the lower lithosphere. If the average frictional stress along the non-ridge margin of the elastic plate is of the order of a kilobar, as suggested by the many observations of the frictional strength of rocks at mid-crustal conditions of pressure and temperature, the only viable mechanism for driving the motion of the elastic plate is a basal shear stress of several tens of bars. Kilobars of tectonic stress are then an ambient, steady condition of the earth's crust and uppermost mantle. The approximate equality of the basal shear stress and the average crustal earthquake stress drop, the localization of strain release for major plate margin earthquakes, and the rough equivalence of plate margin slip rates and gross plate motion rates suggest that the stress drops of major plate margin earthquakes are controlled by the elastic release of the basal shear stress in the vicinity of the plate margin, despite the existence of kilobars of tectonic stress existing across vertical planes parallel to the plate margin. If the stress differences available to be released at the time of faulting are distributed in a random, white fasbion with a mean-square value determined by the average earthquake stress drop, the frequency of occurrence of constant stress drop earthquakes will be proportional to reciprocal faulting area, in accordance with empirically known frequency of occurrence statistics. ?? 1977 Birkha??user Verlag.

Gender differences in treatment progress of drug-addicted patients.

PubMed

Fernández-Montalvo, Javier; López-Goñi, José J; Azanza, Paula; Arteaga, Alfonso; Cacho, Raúl

2017-03-01

The authors of this study explored the differences in treatment progress between men and women who were addicted to drugs. The differential rate of completion of/dropout from treatment in men and women with substance dependence was established. Moreover, comparisons between completers and dropouts, accounting for gender, were carried out for several variables related to treatment progress and clinical profile. A sample of 183 addicted patients (96 male and 87 female) who sought outpatient treatment between 2002 and 2006 was assessed. Information on socio-demographic, consumption, and associated characteristics was collected. A detailed tracking of each patient's progress was maintained for a minimum period of 8 years to assess treatment progression. The treatment dropout rate in the whole sample was 38.8%, with statistically significant differences between women (47.1%) and men (31.3%). Women who dropped out of treatment presented a more severe profile in most of the psychopathologic variables than women who completed it. Moreover, women who dropped out from treatment presented a more severe profile than men who dropped out. According to these results, drug-addicted women showed worse therapeutic progress than men with similar histories. Thus, women must be provided with additional targeted intervention to promote better treatment outcomes.

An Adaptive Staggered Dose Design for a Normal Endpoint.

PubMed

Wu, Joseph; Menon, Sandeep; Chang, Mark

2015-01-01

In a clinical trial where several doses are compared to a control, a multi-stage design that combines both the selection of the best dose and the confirmation of this selected dose is desirable. An example is the two-stage drop-the-losers or pick-the-winner design, where inferior doses are dropped after interim analysis. Selection of target dose(s) can be based on ranking of observed effects, hypothesis testing with adjustment for multiplicity, or other criteria at interim stages. A number of methods have been proposed and have made significant gains in trial efficiency. However, many of these designs started off with all doses with equal allocation and did not consider prioritizing the doses using existing dose-response information. We propose an adaptive staggered dose procedure that allows explicit prioritization of doses and applies error spending scheme that favors doses with assumed better responses. This design starts off with only a subset of the doses and adaptively adds new doses depending on interim results. Using simulation, we have shown that this design performs better in terms of increased statistical power than the drop-the-losers design given strong prior information of dose response.

Change in Experiential Avoidance is Associated with Reduced Suicidal Ideation over the Course of Psychiatric Hospitalization.

PubMed

Ellis, Thomas E; Rufino, Katrina A

2016-07-02

Growing empirical literature in recent years indicates that experiential avoidance plays a role in a wide variety of psychological disorders and psychotherapeutic interventions. This study explored the view of suicidal ideation as a form of experiential avoidance by examining the association between suicidal ideation and therapeutic change in a sample of 189 adult psychiatric inpatients. Results were consistent with predictions, showing a statistically significant association between scores on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). It was further shown that change in AAQ-II scores over the course of hospitalization was associated with change in suicidality, independent of changes in depression severity and hopelessness. Moreover, treatment responders (patients whose suicidal ideation scores dropped significantly over the course of treatment) showed greater drops in experiential avoidance relative to nonresponders. These results are consistent with a view of suicidal ideation (and, by extension, suicide) as a form of experiential avoidance and potentially a therapeutic approach that specifically seeks to reduce experiential avoidance.

Effect of using a combination of lid wipes, eye drops, and omega-3 supplements on meibomian gland functionality in patients with lipid deficient/evaporative dry eye.

PubMed

Korb, Donald R; Blackie, Caroline A; Finnemore, Victor M; Douglass, Teresa

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of using a combination treatment approach consisting of lipid emulsion eye drops, eyelid cleansing wipes, and omega-3 vitamin supplements compared with warm compresses in improving meibomian gland functionality in patients with lipid-deficient/evaporative dry eye disease (LDDE). This single-center, open-label, investigator-masked, randomized study enrolled patients aged ≥18 years, clinically diagnosed with LDDE defined as having ≤6 functional meibomian glands [meibomian gland yielding liquid secretion (MGYLS)] and positive for dry eye symptoms at screening. Patients were randomized to receive either the combination treatment (lipid emulsion eye drops, omega-3 supplements, and lid hygiene with eyelid wipes) or to apply warm, wet compresses once daily, 8 minutes per day, for 3 months. Meibomian gland functionality (number of MGYLS; primary outcome) and patient-reported subjective assessments (SPEED and OSDI questionnaires; secondary outcomes) were evaluated. Adverse events (AEs) and visual acuity were assessed as safety endpoints. Mean patient age was 41.7 years (n = 26; n = 13 per group). Mean ± SD number of MGYLS was not statistically significantly different between groups at baseline (combination treatment, 3.5 ± 1.5; warm compresses, 4.2 ± 1.4, P > 0.5), and was significantly greater with combination treatment versus warm compresses after 3 months of treatment (9.3 ± 2.7 vs. 4.7 ± 2.3; P = 0.006). Dry eye symptoms were significantly improved in both groups at all follow-up visits. Two AEs unrelated to treatment were reported; the BCVA was unchanged from baseline in both groups. The combination treatment regimen resulted in significant improvement in meibomian gland functionality and dry eye symptoms. No safety issues were observed.

Evaluation of efficacy of topical povidone-iodine and different types of fluoroquinolones in the sterilization of bacterial flora on the conjunctiva.

PubMed

Coskun, Mehmet; Altintas, Ayse Gul Kocak; Anayol, Mustafa Alpaslan; Raza, Sabri; Celikbilek, Nevreste; Simsek, Saban

2011-12-01

To compare the sterilization effectivity of topical povidone-iodine, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin on the conjunctival bacterial flora. One hundred sixty-four eyes of 164 patients scheduled for cataract surgery were prospectively analyzed. Conjunctival cultures were obtained 1 day before the surgery without any topical application in all patients. Conjunctival flora was examined in 53 eyes of 53 patients (Group I) 15 min after 5% topical povidone-iodine application on the day of the surgery. Fifty-four eyes of 54 patients (Group II) received 1 drop 0.3% ciprofloxacin at 12 pm 1 day before the operation and 4 drops at 15 min intervals on the day of the surgery. Another 57 eyes of 57 patients (Group III) received 0.3% ofloxacin in the same application mode as ciprofloxacin. Conjunctival cultures were taken in all patients 15 min after last drop of topical antibiotic application. Only coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from 75.4% in Group I, 72.2% in Group II, and 59.6% in Group III on pretreatment culture. Different types of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Micrococcus spp. were identified in other patients. Pretreatment conjunctival flora of Group I and Group II were similar (P>0.05), but it was significantly different in Group III (P<0.05). After topical application no bacterial growth was observed in 77.3% in Group I, 92.5% in Group II, and 66.6% in Group III. The difference between Group I and III was insignificant (P>0.05), but bacterial eradication effectiveness was significantly higher in Group II than that of other groups (P<0.05). Post-treatment cultures showed same bacterial flora as pretreatment cultures in 14.9% in Group I, 1.8% in Group II, and 19.2% in Group III. The difference between Group I and Group III was statistically insignificant (P>0.05) and the difference between Group II and other groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Four eyes (7.5%) showed different types of bacterial growth from pretreatment flora in Group I, which were seen in 3 eyes (5.5%) in Group II and in 8 eyes (14%) in Group III. The differences between groups were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Ciprofloxacin seems to be more effective in conjunctival sterilization. In consideration with high variety of bacterial flora in pretreatment period in ofloxacin group, ofloxacin seems to be superior to povidone-iodine on the reduction of bacterial flora on the conjunctiva.

Performance of the image statistics decoder in conjunction with the Goldstone-VLA array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, H. C.; Pitt, G. H., III

1989-01-01

During Voyager's Neptune encounter, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array (VLA) will be arrayed with Goldstone antennas to receive the transmitted telemetry data from the spacecraft. The telemetry signal from the VLA will drop out periodically, resulting in a periodic drop in the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The Image Statistics Decoder (ISD), which assumes a correlation between pixels, can improve the bit error rate (BER) for images during these dropout periods. Simulation results have shown that the ISD, in conjunction with the Goldstone-VLA array can provide a 3-dB gain for uncompressed images at a BER of 5.0 x 10(exp -3).

Effect of drop volume and surface statistics on the superhydrophobicity of randomly rough substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afferrante, L.; Carbone, G.

2018-01-01

In this paper, a simple theoretical approach is developed with the aim of evaluating shape, interfacial pressure, apparent contact angle and contact area of liquid drops gently deposed on randomly rough surfaces. This method can be useful to characterize the superhydrophobic properties of rough substrates, and to investigate the contact behavior of impacting drops. We assume that (i) the size of the apparent liquid-solid contact area is much larger than the micromorphology of the substrate, and (ii) a composite interface is always formed at the microscale. Results show apparent contact angle and liquid-solid area fraction are slightly influenced by the drop volume only at relatively high values of the root mean square roughness h rms, whereas the effect of volume is practically negligible at small h rms. The main statistical quantity affecting the superhydrophobic properties is found to be the Wenzel roughness parameter r W, which depends on the average slope of the surface heights. Moreover, transition from the Cassie-Baxter state to the Wenzel one is observed when r W reduces below a certain critical value, and theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with experimental data. Finally, the present method can be conveniently exploited to evaluate the occurrence of pinning phenomena in the case of impacting drops, as the Wenzel critical pressure for liquid penetration gives an estimation of the maximum impact pressure tolerated by the surface without pinning occurring.

Statistical Modelling for Dropped Out School Children (DOSC) in East Nusa Tenggara Province Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guntur, R. D.; Lobo, M.

2017-02-01

A research has been carried out to investigate the characteristics of reasons for DOSC and to determine the statistical model explaining factors which influence on the DOSC in the age group 7 - 18 years in East Nusa Tenggara (ENT) Province. Primary data of out of school children had been collected throughout interviews using prepared questionnaires in three selected districts. Data was then analysed using descriptive and logistic regression method. The analysis shows that from the 341 samples, there were 194DOSC. The majority of them were males, lived in the countryside, had farmer parents, had family size of 5, and had mothers with only primary education level. The main reasons of children to drop out from the primary and junior education levels were the inabilities of paying the school fees and the willingness to work in the farms to help their parents. For senior education level, it was because of the unaffordable school tuitions and no desire of children in having good education. Both partial and simultaneous parameter tests in the logistic regression model show that children who lived in countryside, from poor families, males were the three factors that significantly affected the number of DOSC in the group age with odds ratio values 2.48; 2.37; 1.97 respectively.

The influence of a ten-week Nordic walking training-rehabilitation program on the level of lipids in blood in overweight and obese postmenopausal women

PubMed Central

Hagner-Derengowska, Magdalena; Kałużny, Krystian; Hagner, Wojciech; Kochański, Bartosz; Plaskiewicz, Anna; Borkowska, Alina; Bronisz, Agata; Budzyński, Jacek

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a ten-week Nordic Walking (NW) rehabilitation program on chosen anthropometric parameters and the level of basic lipids in overweight and obese postmenopausal women’s blood. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 32 women aged 50–68 (average: 59.7 ± 5.9 years). The study was carried out following a non-randomized model and entailed NW rehabilitation 5 times a week, which lasted for 10 weeks, as well as a low-calorie 1,500 kcal diet. The therapeutic results of the study were measured through changes in anthropometric and biochemical parameters. The results were subjected to a statistical analysis. [Results] After 10 weeks of NW rehabilitation it was observed that participants lost weight and their body mass index dropped. Additionally, whereas levels of total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides dropped, and the level of HDL increased. [Conclusion] Rehabilitation carried out according to the NW model resulted in statistically significant changes in basic lipids in blood which, considerably increased the percentage of persons who achieved the recommended level of blood lipids. Obese persons were characterised by a smaller rehabilitation weight loss. More intense workouts and cooperation with a dietician are required. PMID:26644639

Where is PM gone? Trends and variability of atmospheric PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 in the Po valley over the last decade (and more).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigi, Alessandro; Ghermandi, Grazia

2017-04-01

The Po Valley is one of the largest European regions with a remarkably high concentration level of atmospheric pollutants, both for particulate and gaseous compounds. In the last decade stringent regulations on air quality standards and on anthropogenic emissions have been set by the European Commission, leading to an overall improvement in air quality across Europe. In order to assess the decadal pattern and variability in PM across the Po valley we thoroughly investigated the time series of PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 from 41, 44 and 15 sites respectively (Bigi & Ghermandi 2014, 2016). PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 (PM10) series with a 7 (10) year or longer record have been analysed for long term trend in deseasonalized monthly means, annual quantiles and in monthly frequency distribution by robust statistical methods. A widespread and significant decreasing trend was observed at several sites for all size fractions, with the drop, up to a few percent per year, occurring mainly in winter for PM2.5 and throughout the year for PM10. All series were tested for a significant weekly periodicity (a proxy to estimate the impact of primary anthropogenic emissions) by 3 different statistical methods, yielding positive results for summer PM2.5 and PM10, and for both summer and winter PM10-2.5. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed larger variability for PM10 than for PM2.5. The former was split in five clusters: two encompassing the metropolitan areas of Turin and Milan and their respective nearby sites and the other three clusters gathering northeast, northwest and central Po Valley sites respectively. PM2.5 clusters divide the valley in western, eastern and southern/Apennines foothill sectors. The trend in atmospheric concentration was compared with the time series of local primary and precursor emissions, vehicular fleet details and fuel sales. A significant basin-wide drop in emissions occurred for gaseous pollutants, contrarily to primary emissions of PM10 and PM2.5, whose drop was low and spatially restricted. Overall the decrease in atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10 seems to originate from a drop in both primary emissions and in precursors of secondary inorganic aerosol emissions, largely ascribed to vehicular traffic. Potentially, the recent increase in biomass burning emissions in winter and the modest decrease in NH3 weaken an otherwise even larger drop in atmospheric concentrations. References Bigi, A. & Ghermandi, G. Long-term trend and variability of atmospheric PM10 concentration in the Po Valley Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2014, 14, 4895-4907 Bigi, A. & Ghermandi, G. Trends and variability of atmospheric PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 concentration in the Po Valley, Italy Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016, 16, 15777-15788

Abortion and mental health: findings from The National Comorbidity Survey-Replication.

PubMed

Steinberg, Julia R; McCulloch, Charles E; Adler, Nancy E

2014-02-01

To examine whether a first abortion increases risk of mental health disorders compared with a first childbirth with and without considering prepregnancy mental health and adverse exposures, childhood economic status, miscarriage history, age at first abortion or childbirth, and race or ethnicity. A cohort study compared rates of mental disorders (anxiety, mood, impulse-control, substance use, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation) among 259 women postabortion and 677 women postchildbirth aged 18-42 years at the time of interview from The National Comorbidity Survey-Replication. The percentage of women with no, one, two, and three or more mental health disorders before their first abortion was 37.8%, 19.7%, 15.2%, and 27.3% and before their first childbirth was 57.9%, 19.6%, 9.2%, and 13.3%, respectively, indicating that women in the abortion group had more prior mental health disorders than women in the childbirth group (P<.001). Although in unadjusted Cox proportional hazard models, abortion compared with childbirth was associated with statistically significant higher hazards of postpregnancy mental health disorders, associations were reduced and became nonstatistically significant for five disorders after adjusting for the aforementioned factors. Hazard ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals dropped from 1.52 (1.08-2.15) to 1.12 (0.87-1.46) for anxiety disorders; from 1.56 (1.23-1.98) to 1.18 (0.88-1.56) for mood disorders; from 1.62 (1.02-2.57) to 1.10 (0.75-1.62) for impulse-control disorders; from 2.53 (1.09-5.86) to 1.82 (0.63-5.25) for eating disorders; and from 1.62 (1.09-2.40) to 1.25 (0.88-1.78) for suicidal ideation. Only the relationship between abortion and substance use disorders remained statistically significant, although the hazard ratio dropped from 3.05 (1.94-4.79) to 2.30 (1.35-3.92). After accounting for confounding factors, abortion was not a statistically significant predictor of subsequent anxiety, mood, impulse-control, and eating disorders or suicidal ideation. LEVEL OF EVEDIENCE: II.

Segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series data to assess outcomes of a South American road traffic alcohol policy change.

PubMed

Nistal-Nuño, Beatriz

2017-09-01

In Chile, a new law introduced in March 2012 decreased the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving while impaired from 1 to 0.8 g/l and the legal BAC limit for driving under the influence of alcohol from 0.5 to 0.3 g/l. The goal is to assess the impact of this new law on mortality and morbidity outcomes in Chile. A review of national databases in Chile was conducted from January 2003 to December 2014. Segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series was used for analyzing the data. In a series of multivariable linear regression models, the change in intercept and slope in the monthly incidence rate of traffic deaths and injuries and association with alcohol per 100,000 inhabitants was estimated from pre-intervention to postintervention, while controlling for secular changes. In nested regression models, potential confounding seasonal effects were accounted for. All analyses were performed at a two-sided significance level of 0.05. Immediate level drops in all the monthly rates were observed after the law from the end of the prelaw period in the majority of models and in all the de-seasonalized models, although statistical significance was reached only in the model for injures related to alcohol. After the law, the estimated monthly rate dropped abruptly by -0.869 for injuries related to alcohol and by -0.859 adjusting for seasonality (P < 0.001). Regarding the postlaw long-term trends, it was evidenced a steeper decreasing trend after the law in the models for deaths related to alcohol, although these differences were not statistically significant. A strong evidence of a reduction in traffic injuries related to alcohol was found following the law in Chile. Although insufficient evidence was found of a statistically significant effect for the beneficial effects seen on deaths and overall injuries, potential clinically important effects cannot be ruled out. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Phenomenological Study of What Black Male TRiO Student Support Services Program Members Attribute to Their Decision to Drop out of College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, LaTonya S.

2011-01-01

Compared to other races, the college achievement gap is largest between Black men and women where females earn twice as many degrees as their male counterparts (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010, Status and trends in the education of racial and ethnic minorities). Many Black men attempt college and eventually drop out forfeiting their…

Why Do Primary School Students Drop out in Poor, Rural China? A Portrait Sketched in a Remote Mountain Village

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Carol; Mason, Mark

2012-01-01

In this paper we consider why students in poor and rural regions of China are dropping out of school in numbers that may be greater than official statistics admit. With questions about education quality among the most intractable in Education for All initiatives across the developing world, we sketch a portrait of education in a remote mountain…

Droplet morphometry and velocimetry (DMV): a video processing software for time-resolved, label-free tracking of droplet parameters.

PubMed

Basu, Amar S

2013-05-21

Emerging assays in droplet microfluidics require the measurement of parameters such as drop size, velocity, trajectory, shape deformation, fluorescence intensity, and others. While micro particle image velocimetry (μPIV) and related techniques are suitable for measuring flow using tracer particles, no tool exists for tracking droplets at the granularity of a single entity. This paper presents droplet morphometry and velocimetry (DMV), a digital video processing software for time-resolved droplet analysis. Droplets are identified through a series of image processing steps which operate on transparent, translucent, fluorescent, or opaque droplets. The steps include background image generation, background subtraction, edge detection, small object removal, morphological close and fill, and shape discrimination. A frame correlation step then links droplets spanning multiple frames via a nearest neighbor search with user-defined matching criteria. Each step can be individually tuned for maximum compatibility. For each droplet found, DMV provides a time-history of 20 different parameters, including trajectory, velocity, area, dimensions, shape deformation, orientation, nearest neighbour spacing, and pixel statistics. The data can be reported via scatter plots, histograms, and tables at the granularity of individual droplets or by statistics accrued over the population. We present several case studies from industry and academic labs, including the measurement of 1) size distributions and flow perturbations in a drop generator, 2) size distributions and mixing rates in drop splitting/merging devices, 3) efficiency of single cell encapsulation devices, 4) position tracking in electrowetting operations, 5) chemical concentrations in a serial drop dilutor, 6) drop sorting efficiency of a tensiophoresis device, 7) plug length and orientation of nonspherical plugs in a serpentine channel, and 8) high throughput tracking of >250 drops in a reinjection system. Performance metrics show that highest accuracy and precision is obtained when the video resolution is >300 pixels per drop. Analysis time increases proportionally with video resolution. The current version of the software provides throughputs of 2-30 fps, suggesting the potential for real time analysis.

Theoretical Frameworks for Math Fact Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Katherine

2012-01-01

Recent education statistics indicate persistent low math scores for our nation's students. This drop in math proficiency includes deficits in basic number sense and automaticity of math facts. The decrease has been recorded across all grade levels with the elementary levels showing the greatest loss (National Center for Education Statistics,…

A preliminary investigation into the effects of ocular lubricants on higher order aberrations in normal and dry eye subjects.

PubMed

McGinnigle, Samantha; Eperjesi, Frank; Naroo, Shehzad A

2014-04-01

To study the effects of ocular lubricants on higher order aberrations in normal and self-diagnosed dry eyes. Unpreserved hypromellose drops, Tears Again™ liposome spray and a combination of both were administered to the right eye of 24 normal and 24 dry eye subjects following classification according to a 5 point questionnaire. Total ocular higher order aberrations, coma, spherical aberration and Strehl ratios for higher order aberrations were measured using the Nidek OPD-Scan III (Nidek Technologies, Gamagori, Japan) at baseline, immediately after application and after 60 min. The aberration data were analyzed over a 5mm natural pupil using Zernike polynomials. Each intervention was assessed on a separate day and comfort levels were recorded before and after application. Corneal staining was assessed and product preference recorded after the final measurement for each intervention. Hypromellose drops caused an increase in total higher order aberrations (p=<0.01 in normal and dry eyes) and a reduction in Strehl ratio (normal eyes: p=<0.01, dry eyes p=0.01) immediately after instillation. There were no significant differences between normal and self-diagnosed dry eyes for response to intervention and no improvement in visual quality or reduction in higher order aberrations after 60 min. Differences in comfort levels failed to reach statistical significance. Combining treatments does not offer any benefit over individual treatments in self-diagnosed dry eyes and no individual intervention reached statistical significance. Symptomatic subjects with dry eye and no corneal staining reported an improvement in comfort after using lubricants. Copyright © 2013 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships between sudden weather changes in summer and mortality in the Czech Republic, 1986-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plavcová, Eva; Kyselý, Jan

2010-09-01

The study examines the relationship between sudden changes in weather conditions in summer, represented by (1) sudden air temperature changes, (2) sudden atmospheric pressure changes, and (3) passages of strong atmospheric fronts; and variations in daily mortality in the population of the Czech Republic. The events are selected from data covering 1986-2005 and compared with the database of daily excess all-cause mortality for the whole population and persons aged 70 years and above. Relative deviations of mortality, i.e., ratios of the excess mortality to the expected number of deaths, were averaged over the selected events for days D-2 (2 days before a change) up to D+7 (7 days after), and their statistical significance was tested by means of the Monte Carlo method. We find that the periods around weather changes are associated with pronounced patterns in mortality: a significant increase in mortality is found after large temperature increases and on days of large pressure drops; a decrease in mortality (partly due to a harvesting effect) occurs after large temperature drops, pressure increases, and passages of strong cold fronts. The relationship to variations in excess mortality is better expressed for sudden air temperature/pressure changes than for passages of atmospheric fronts. The mortality effects are usually more pronounced in the age group 70 years and above. The impacts associated with large negative changes of pressure are statistically independent of the effects of temperature; the corresponding dummy variable is found to be a significant predictor in the ARIMA model for relative deviations of mortality. This suggests that sudden weather changes should be tested also in time series models for predicting excess mortality as they may enhance their performance.

Trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity and its risk factors in real-world setting of breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Moilanen, Tiina; Jokimäki, Anna; Tenhunen, Olli; Koivunen, Jussi P

2018-06-05

Cardiotoxicity is the most important side effect of trastuzumab treatment. Heart function monitoring is recommended during the treatment which has led to growing use of resources. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency and timing of trastuzumab cardiotoxicity and its risk factors in real-world setting. Single institute, retrospective collection of data on HER2+ breast cancer patients (n = 246) was carried out through a pharmacy search for patients who had received trastuzumab in 2006-2014. Clinical and pathological factors, treatment history, EF measurements, cardiac medications, cardiovascular disease history, cardiac symptoms, and survival data were collected from patient records. 32 patients (13%) had EF decline ≥ 10%, eleven (4.5%) had EF decline ≥ 20% within 1 year after trastuzumab initiation, and trastuzumab was discontinued due to suspected cardiotoxicity in six patients (2.4%). 49 patients (19.9%) experienced symptoms related to cardiotoxicity during therapy, which accumulated among those with EF drop. Underlying cardiovascular diseases and multiple (≥ 2) cardiac medications were related to EF drop (≥ 20%) and trastuzumab discontinuation. Majority of EF drops (≥ 10%) and trastuzumab discontinuations were seen within 6months of trastuzumab initiation and recovery of EF drop to < 10% of the baseline was seen in most cases (62.5%). There was no statistically significant difference in the survival of patients according to EF drop. Trastuzumab cardiotoxicity seems to accumulate among patients with underlying cardiac conditions. EF monitoring could be targeted to risk groups without compromising of the cardiac health or survival of HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

Efficacy of naturopathic extracts in the management of ear pain associated with acute otitis media.

PubMed

Sarrell, E M; Mandelberg, A; Cohen, H A

2001-07-01

To determine the efficacy and tolerance of Otikon Otic Solution (Healthy-On Ltd, Petach-Tikva, Israel), a naturopathic herbal extract (containing Allium sativum, Verbascum thapsus, Calendula flores, and Hypericum perforatum in olive oil), compared with Anaesthetic (Vitamed Pharmaceutical Ltd, Benyamina, Israel) ear drops (containing ametocaine and phenazone in glycerin) in the management of ear pain associated with acute otitis media (AOM). Children between the ages of 6 and 18 years who experienced ear pain (otalgia) and who were diagnosed with eardrum problems associated with AOM were randomly assigned to be treated with Otikon or Anaesthetic ear drops, which were instilled into the external canal(s) of the affected ear(s). Ear pain was assessed using 2 visual analog scales: a linear scale and a color scale. Pain assessment took place throughout the course of 3 days. The mean score of pain reduction was used to measure outcome. Primary pediatric community ambulatory centers. One hundred three children aged 6 to 18 years who were diagnosed with otalgia associated with AOM. Each of the 2 treatment groups were comparable on the basis of age, sex, laterality of AOM, and the effectiveness of ameliorating symptoms of otalgia. The 2 groups were also comparable to each other in the initial ear pain score and in the scores at each application of Otikon or Anaesthetic drops. There was a statistically significant improvement in ear pain score throughout the course of the study period (P =.007). Otikon, an ear drop formulation of naturopathic origin, is as effective as Anaesthetic ear drops and was proven appropriate for the management of AOM-associated ear pain.

Bottle Characteristics of Topical International Glaucoma Medications versus Local Brands in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Al-Jumaian, Nasser; Malik, Rizwan; Khandekar, Rajiv; Al-Humaidan, Abdullah; Al-Madany, Rana; Al-Qahtani, Reham; Altowairqi, Ahmed; Al-Theeb, Abdulwahab; Zaman, Babar; Al-Djasim, Leyla; Craven, E. Randy; Edward, Deepak P.

2016-01-01

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Physical bottle characteristics differ of brand name topical glaucoma medications and local generic equivalents. This study compares the bottle characteristics of international topical glaucoma brands versus local brands from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Data were collected on bottle drum volume, drop volume, bottle squeezability, bottle tip diameter, labels and instructions, cap color coding, and clarity of the drug label. Density-based calculations of drops in bottle volume were assessed using an analytic balance. Bottle tip diameter was measured using 0.05 mm Vernier calipers. A Likert scale-based questionnaire was used to evaluate the subjective opinions of patients on bottle squeezability, clarity of usage and storage instructions, and the consistency of the cap color coding. RESULTS: The volumes of international brands were statistically significantly higher than the local brands (P < 0.001). A number of drops per bottle and tip diameter were comparable between the international local brands. Cap color coding was inconsistent for international and local brands. Patients were dissatisfied with the label font size. Patients reported that the international and local brands were similar in terms of the ease of opening the bottle, instilling a drop, and the clarity of the instructions; but the local brands were subjectively easier to squeeze than international brands. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to compare bottle characteristics of local Saudi Arabia brands with international brands. The bottle characteristics and patient feedback were similar between the local and international topical glaucoma medications. However, there were differences between the local and international brands in drug volume, bottle squeezability. Hence, patient compliance and drop dosage may differ based on the origin of manufacture. PMID:27994392

Measurement of the Retention Time of Different Ophthalmic Formulations with Ultrahigh-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography.

PubMed

Gagliano, Caterina; Papa, Vincenzo; Amato, Roberta; Malaguarnera, Giulia; Avitabile, Teresio

2018-04-01

Purpose/aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to measure the pre-corneal retention time of two marketed formulations (eye drops and eye gel) of a steroid-antibiotic fixed combination (FC) containing 0.1% dexamethasone and 0.3% netilmicin. Pre-corneal retention time was evaluated in 16 healthy subjects using an ultrahigh-resolution anterior segment spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). All subjects randomly received both formulations of the FC (Netildex, SIFI, Italy). Central tear film thickness (CTFT) was measured before instillation (time 0) and then after 1, 10, 20, 30, 40 50, 60 and 120 min. The pre-corneal retention time was calculated by plotting CTFT as a function of time. Differences between time points and groups were analyzed by Student's t-test. CTFT increased significantly after the instillation of the eye gel formulation (p < 0.001). CTFT reached its maximum value 1 min after instillation and returned to baseline after 60 min. No effect on CTFT was observed after the instillation of eye drops. The difference between the two formulations was statistically significant at time 1 min (p < 0.0001), 10 min (p < 0.001) and 20 min (p < 0.01). The FC formulated as eye gel was retained on the ocular surface longer than the corresponding eye drop solution. Consequently, the use of the eye gel might extend the interval between instillations and decrease the frequency of administration.

Effects of topical oxiconazole and boric acid in alcohol solutions to rat inner ears.

PubMed

Özdemir, Süleyman; Tuncer, Ülkü; Tarkan, Özgür; Akar, Funda; Sürmelioğlu, Özgür

2013-06-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ototoxicity of topical oxiconazole and boric acid in alcohol solutions. Prospective controlled animal study. Research laboratory. Fifty adult Wistar albino rats were divided into 5 groups consisting of 10 animals each. The right tympanic membranes were perforated, and baseline and posttreatment distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements were performed. The solutions were applied through the external ear canal to the middle ear twice a day for 14 days. The rats in group I and group II received 0.1 mL of oxiconazole-containing solution drops and 4% boric acid in alcohol solution drops, respectively. Group III received gentamicin solution (40 mg/mL) (ototoxic control), group IV received saline solution, and group V was followed without any medication. The baseline DPOAE results of the right ears of all animals tested were normal. Animals in groups I, II, IV, and V showed no statistically significant change in the DPOAE amplitudes. The rats in the gentamicin group showed a significant decrease. This study demonstrates that topically used oxiconazole and boric acid in alcohol solutions to the middle ear appear to be safe on the inner ear of rats. The safety of these drugs has not yet been confirmed in humans. Caution should be taken when prescribing these drugs, especially to patients who had tympanic membrane perforation. Ear drops should be chosen more carefully in an external ear infection for patients with tympanic membrane perforation to avoid ototoxicity.

Functional recovery patterns in seriously injured automotive crash victims.

PubMed

McMurry, Timothy L; Poplin, Gerald S; Crandall, Jeff

2016-09-01

The functional capacity index (FCI) is designed to predict functional loss 12 months post-injury for each injury in the 2008 Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) manual on a scale from 0 (death) to 100 (full recovery), but FCI has never been validated. This study compared FCI predicted loss with patient-reported 12-month outcomes as measured through the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health assessment survey. Using follow-up data collected on 2,858 adult car crash occupants in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database, we compared FCI predicted outcomes to occupants' Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores, which are weighted averages of the SF-36 items addressing physical function. Our analyses included descriptive statistics, plots of typical recovery patterns, and a mixed effects regression model that describes PCS as a function of FCI, demographics, comorbidities, and injury pattern while also adjusting for the occupants' pre-crash physical capabilities. We further examined injuries in patients who report a significant drop in PCS 12 months post-crash despite being predicted to fully recover. At baseline, the CIREN population exhibited PCS scores similar to the overall population (mean = 51.1, SD = 10.3). Twelve months post-crash, occupants with predicted impairment (FCI < 100) report a substantial decrease in physical function, and those who were predicted to fully recover still report some, albeit less, impairment. In the multivariate mixed-effects regression model, FCI is a strongly significant (P-value <.0001) predictor of PCS, with each 1-point drop in FCI predicting a 0.27-point drop in PCS. Maximum AIS severities in the head, spine, and lower extremity body regions were also significantly associated with PCS (P-values <.05). Among occupants who were expected to fully recover but who report a significant drop in PCS at 12 months, spinal fractures without cord involvement account for 5 of the 10 most common AIS 2+ injuries. FCI was associated with 12-month outcomes but may not adequately describe the recovery from some head, spine, and lower extremity injuries. Some occupants who were expected to recover still report functional loss 12 months post-injury.

Predicting Subsequent Myopia in Initially Pilot-Qualified USAFA Cadets.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-27

Refraction Measurement 14 Accesion For . 4.0 RESULTS NTIS CRA&I 15 4.1 Descriptive Statistics DTIC TAB 0 15i ~ ~Unannoutwced [ 4.2 Predictive Statistics ...mentioned), and three were missing a status. The data of the subject who was commissionable were dropped from the statistical analyses. Of the 91...relatively equal numbers of participants from all classes will become obvious ’’" - within the results. J 4.1 Descriptive Statistics In the original plan

A model for multiple-drop-impact erosion of brittle solids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engel, O. G.

1971-01-01

A statistical model for the multiple-drop-impact erosion of brittle solids was developed. An equation for calculating the rate of erosion is given. The development is not complete since two quantities that are needed to calculate the rate of erosion with use of the equation must be assessed from experimental data. A partial test of the equation shows that it gives results that are in good agreement with experimental observation.

Plasma rich in growth factors eye drops to treat secondary ocular surface disorders in patients with glaucoma

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Avila, Ronald M; Merayo-Lloves, Jesus; Fernández, Maria Laura; Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Luis Alberto; Rodríguez-Calvo, Pedro Pablo; Fernández-Vega Cueto, Andres; Muruzabal, Francisco; Orive, Gorka; Anitua, Eduardo

2018-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye drops in patients with glaucoma with secondary ocular surface disorders (OSDs) due to surgeries and topical hypotensive drugs use. Materials and methods A retrospective case-series study design was used including six patients (eight eyes) diagnosed with glaucoma who received surgical (nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy and/or trabeculectomy) and medical treatments (hypotensive eye drops) to control intraocular pressure (IOP) and who developed secondary OSDs, unresponsive to conventional treatments. Patients were treated with PRGF eye drops (four times a day). Outcome measures were ocular surface disease index (OSDI), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution), visual analog scale (VAS), frequency and severity of symptoms, and IOP. The safety of the treatment was also evaluated. Results Six patients (seven eyes with open-angle glaucoma and one eye with uveitic glaucoma) treated with PRGF eye drops were evaluated. Mean age was 71 years (SD=7.2, range 58–79 years). Five were female and one was male. The mean treatment time was 21.8 weeks (SD=9.0, range 12–36 weeks). The mean time to reach closure of the corneal ulcer was 14.5 (SD=5.5) weeks. A statistical significant reduction in OSDI scale (50.6%), VAS frequency (53.1%), VAS severity (42.0%), and a 41.8% improvement in BCVA were observed (p<0.05). IOP also decreased by 16.6% (p=0.010). Only one of the six patients reported itching in both eyes as an adverse event (AE); however, the patient continued with the PRGF eye drops until the end of therapy; the remaining patients did not report any AEs during the follow-up period. Conclusions In patients with glaucoma and secondary OSDs refractive to conventional treatments, the treatment with PRGF eye drops could be considered a possible therapeutic option, because it demonstrates an improvement in the signs and symptoms of the ocular surface, as well as a better control of the IOP. This is an initial research work that can open doors for future research to confirm these findings. PMID:29760570

Plasma rich in growth factors eye drops to treat secondary ocular surface disorders in patients with glaucoma.

PubMed

Sánchez-Avila, Ronald M; Merayo-Lloves, Jesus; Fernández, Maria Laura; Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Luis Alberto; Rodríguez-Calvo, Pedro Pablo; Fernández-Vega Cueto, Andres; Muruzabal, Francisco; Orive, Gorka; Anitua, Eduardo

2018-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye drops in patients with glaucoma with secondary ocular surface disorders (OSDs) due to surgeries and topical hypotensive drugs use. A retrospective case-series study design was used including six patients (eight eyes) diagnosed with glaucoma who received surgical (nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy and/or trabeculectomy) and medical treatments (hypotensive eye drops) to control intraocular pressure (IOP) and who developed secondary OSDs, unresponsive to conventional treatments. Patients were treated with PRGF eye drops (four times a day). Outcome measures were ocular surface disease index (OSDI), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution), visual analog scale (VAS), frequency and severity of symptoms, and IOP. The safety of the treatment was also evaluated. Six patients (seven eyes with open-angle glaucoma and one eye with uveitic glaucoma) treated with PRGF eye drops were evaluated. Mean age was 71 years (SD=7.2, range 58-79 years). Five were female and one was male. The mean treatment time was 21.8 weeks (SD=9.0, range 12-36 weeks). The mean time to reach closure of the corneal ulcer was 14.5 (SD=5.5) weeks. A statistical significant reduction in OSDI scale (50.6%), VAS frequency (53.1%), VAS severity (42.0%), and a 41.8% improvement in BCVA were observed ( p <0.05). IOP also decreased by 16.6% ( p =0.010). Only one of the six patients reported itching in both eyes as an adverse event (AE); however, the patient continued with the PRGF eye drops until the end of therapy; the remaining patients did not report any AEs during the follow-up period. In patients with glaucoma and secondary OSDs refractive to conventional treatments, the treatment with PRGF eye drops could be considered a possible therapeutic option, because it demonstrates an improvement in the signs and symptoms of the ocular surface, as well as a better control of the IOP. This is an initial research work that can open doors for future research to confirm these findings.

Teenage childbearing in the United States, 1960-1997.

PubMed

Ventura, S J; Freedman, M A

2000-07-01

Teenage childbearing in the United States has declined significantly in the 1990s. Still the U.S. teen birth rate is higher than in other developed countries; in 1997 it was 52.3 births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19. A steep rise in teen birth rates in the late 1980s generated a great deal of public concern and a variety of initiatives targeted to reducing teen births. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics' National Vital Statistics System are used to review and describe trends and variations in births and birth rates for teenagers for the period 1960-1997. Teen birth rates were much higher in the early 1960s than at present; in fact, rates for 18- to 19-year-olds were double what they are currently. In the 1990s, birth rates for teenagers dropped for younger and older teenagers, with greater declines recorded for younger teens. While rates have fallen in all population groups, the greatest declines have been experienced by black teenagers, whose rates have dropped 24% on average. %Trends in teen births and birth rates since 1960 have been affected by a variety of factors. These include wide swings in the number of female teenagers, substantial declines in marriage among older teens, falling birth rates for married teens concurrent with rapidly rising birth rates for unmarried teens, and sharp increases in sexual activity among teens that have abated only recently, according to the National Center for Health Statistics' National Survey of Family Growth. This review article also tracks changes in contraceptive practice and abortion rates.

The effects of ILLLI on peripheral blood T lymphocytes subpopulation & NK cells in psoriasis treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jing; Nie, Fan

2005-07-01

Objective: To research the effects of Intravascular low level laser irradiation (ILLLI) on the immulogic function of cells in treatment of psoriasis. Method: 49 patients suffered from psoriasis were treated by Intravascular low level laser irradiation (laser output power: 4-5mw, 1 hour per day, a course of treatment is 10 days). We checked the function of T lymphocyte subgroup and NK cell in peripheral blood between pre and post treatment. Results: 1.The mean value of CD3+ in post treatment is higher. P<0.05. Significant difference is showed between pre and post treatment 2. The mean value of CD4+ in post treatment dropped slightly while the mean value of CD4/CD8, NK cell in post treatment increased little, nearly approach the mean value of natural person. 3.The mean value of CD4+,CD8+,NK cell which is under 30% increased the percent obviously after the treatment; The mean value of CD4+,CD8+ u higher than 30% obviously drop the percent, P#0.05 and <0.01. Related statistical analysis showed significant and much significant difference between pre and post treatment. Conclusions: The low level laser irradiation (ILLLI) in treatment of psoriasis has bidirectional ajustive effect which can balance the immulogic function of cell.

Prediction of Kinematic and Kinetic Performance in a Drop Vertical Jump with Individual Anthropometric Factors in Adolescent Female Athletes: Implications for Cadaveric Investigations

PubMed Central

Bates, Nathaniel A.; Myer, Gregory D.; Hewett, Timothy E.

2014-01-01

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are common, expensive to repair, and often debilitate athletic careers. Robotic manipulators have evaluated knee ligament biomechanics in cadaveric specimens, but face limitations such as accounting for variation in bony geometry between specimens that may influence dynamic motion pathways. This study examined individual anthropometric measures for significant linear relationships with in vivo kinematic and kinetic performance and determined their implications for robotic studies. Anthropometrics and 3D motion during a 31 cm drop vertical jump task were collected in high school female basketball players. Anthropometric measures demonstrated differential statistical significance in linear regression models relative to kinematic variables (P-range < 0.01-0.95). However, none of the anthropometric relationships accounted for clinical variance or provided substantive univariate accuracy needed for clinical prediction algorithms (r2 < 0.20). Mass and BMI demonstrated models that were significant (P < 0.05) and predictive (r2 > 0.20) relative to peak flexion moment, peak adduction moment, flexion moment range, abduction moment range, and internal rotation moment range. The current findings indicate that anthropometric measures are less associated with kinematics than with kinetics. Relative to the robotic manipulation of cadaveric limbs, the results do not support the need to normalize kinematic rotations relative to specimen dimensions. PMID:25266933

The Quality of Health Information Available on the Internet for Patients With Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

PubMed

Solomon, Ellen R; Janssen, Kristine; Krajewski, Colleen M; Barber, Matthew D

2015-01-01

This study aimed to assess the quality of Web sites that provide information on pelvic organ prolapse using validated quality measurement tools. The Google search engine was used to perform a search of the following 4 terms: "pelvic organ prolapse," "dropped bladder," "cystocele," and "vaginal mesh." The DISCERN appraisal tool and JAMA benchmark criteria were used to determine the quality of health information of each Web site. Cohen κ was performed to determine interrater reliability between reviewers. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare DISCERN scores and JAMA criteria among search terms. Interrater reliability between the two reviewers using DISCERN was κ = 0.71 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68-0.74] and using JAMA criteria was κ = 0.98 (95% CI, 0.74-1.0). On the basis of the DISCERN appraisal tool, the search term "vaginal mesh" had significantly lower Web site quality than "pelvic organ prolapse" and "cystocele," respectively [mean difference of DISCERN score, -14.65 (95% CI, -25.50 to 8.50, P < 0.0001) and -12.55 (95% CI, -24.00 to 7.00, P = 0.0007)]. "Dropped bladder" had significantly lower Web site quality compared to "pelvic organ prolapse" and "cystocele," respectively (mean difference of DISCERN score, -9.55 (95% CI, -20.00 to 3.00, P = 0.0098) and -7.80 (95% CI, -18.00 to 1.00, P = 0.0348). Using JAMA criteria, there were no statistically significant differences between Web sites. Web sites queried under search terms "vaginal mesh" and "dropped bladder" are lower in quality compared with the Web sites found using the search terms "pelvic organ prolapse" and "cystocele."

Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for the Treatment of Dry Eye after LASIK Surgery.

PubMed

Sanchez-Avila, Ronald Mauricio; Merayo-Lloves, Jesus; Fernandez, Maria Laura; Rodriguez-Gutierrez, Luis Alberto; Jurado, Nancy; Muruzabal, Francisco; Orive, Gorka; Anitua, Eduardo

2018-06-08

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye drops in patients with dry eye disease after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery. This is a longitudinal, retrospective, comparative, and descriptive study of 77 eyes of 42 patients with dry eye disease following LASIK surgery. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of PRGF treatment compared to conventional therapy (control group). Outcome measures including signs and symptoms of dry eye disease were evaluated before and after treatment. The percentage of change before and after treatment for each clinical variable measured was compared between both groups. There were 1-4 treatment cycles with PRGF eye drops (1 cycle = 6 weeks). Results showed a statistically significant improvement in the Ocular Surface Disease Index (38.12%), visual analogue scale scores for frequency (41.89%) and severity (42.47%), and the Schirmer test scores (88.98%) after PRGF treatment (p < 0.05). No adverse events were reported after PRGF treatment. These results suggest that PRGF eye drops are effective for the improvement of dry eye symptoms in patients who underwent LASIK surgery in comparison to the conventional therapy. The treatment with PRGF is an alternative for patients who suffer from postoperative dry eye. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Non-verbal communication of the residents living in homes for the older people in Slovenia.

PubMed

Zaletel, Marija; Kovacev, Asja Nina; Sustersic, Olga; Kragelj, Lijana Zaletel

2010-09-01

Aging of the population is a growing problem in all developed societies. The older people need more health and social services, and their life quality in there is getting more and more important. The study aimed at determining the characteristics of non-verbal communication of the older people living in old people's homes (OPH). The sample consisted of 267 residents of the OPH, aged 65-96 years, and 267 caregivers from randomly selected twenty-seven OPH. Three types of non-verbal communication were observed and analysed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods. In face expressions and head movements about 75% older people looked at the eyes of their caregivers, and about 60% were looking around, while laughing or pressing the lips together was rarely noticed. The differences between genders were not statistically significant while statistically significant differences among different age groups was observed in dropping the eyes (p = 0.004) and smiling (0.008). In hand gestures and trunk movements, majority of older people most often moved forwards and clenched fingers, while most rarely they stroked and caressed their caregivers. The differences between genders were statistically significant in leaning on the table (p = 0.001), and changing the position on the chair (0.013). Statistically significant differences among age groups were registered in leaning forwards (p = 0.006) and pointing to the others (p = 0.036). In different modes of speaking and paralinguistic signs almost 75% older people spoke normally, about 70% kept silent, while they rarely quarrelled. The differences between genders were not statistically significant while statistically significant differences among age groups was observed in persuasive speaking (p = 0.007). The present study showed that older people in OPH in Slovenia communicated significantly less frequently with hand gestures and trunk movements than with face expressions and head movements or different modes of speaking and paralinguistic signs. The caregivers should be aware of this and pay a lot of attention to these two groups of non-verbal expressions. Their importance should be constantly emphasized during the educational process of all kinds of health-care professionals as well.

Re-examining the role of interscholastic sport participation in education.

PubMed

Yin, Zenong; Moore, Justin B

2004-06-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships of interscholastic sports participation with locus of control, self-concept, cognitive test scores, and school dropout in adolescents via a secondary analysis of National Educational Longitudinal Study 1988 (NELS:88). Subjects were 1,883 students who completed all measurements in 8th grade (1988), at Follow-up 1 (10th, 1990), and Follow-up 2 (12th, 1992). Scales utilized to measure locus of control, self-concept, and cognitive ability were developed by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Dropout was assessed through school records and contact with participants. At baseline and Follow-up 1, students self-reporting sport participation displayed higher self-concept and locus of control; however, these differences were no longer observed at Follow-up 2. Drop-out rate for boys at Follow-up 2 was significantly lower for students reporting interscholastic sport participation at baseline or at Follow-up 1. Similarly, drop-out rate for girls at Follow-up 2 was significantly lower for students reporting interscholastic sport participation at baseline or at Follow-up 1. These findings support the presumed positive role of sport participation for adolescents in American schools.

Clinical and radiographic assessment of various predictors for healing outcome 1 year after periapical surgery.

PubMed

von Arx, Thomas; Jensen, Simon Storgård; Hänni, Stefan

2007-02-01

This clinical study prospectively evaluated the influence of various predictors on healing outcome 1 year after periapical surgery. The study cohort included 194 teeth in an equal number of patients. Three teeth were lost for the follow-up (1.5% drop-out rate). Clinical and radiographic measures were used to determine the healing outcome. For statistical analysis, results were dichotomized (healed versus nonhealed). The overall success rate was 83.8% (healed cases). The only individual predictors to prove significant for the outcome were pain at initial examination (p=0.030) and other clinical signs or symptoms at initial examination (p=0.042), meaning that such teeth had lower healing rates 1 year after periapical surgery compared with teeth without such signs or symptoms. Logistic regression revealed that pain at initial examination (odds ratio=2.59, confidence interval=1.2-5.6, p=0.04) was the only predictor reaching significance. Several predictors almost reached statistical significance: lesion size (p=0.06), retrofilling material (p=0.06), and postoperative healing course (p=0.06).

Correlation Of Giant Nuclei With Cloud Droplet Concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, V.; Hudson, J. G.; Noble, S.

2011-12-01

The effect of giant nuclei (GN; larger than 1 micrometer particles produced by wind on the ocean surface) on warm rain has been debated for decades. During RICO (Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean) Hudson et al. (2011) found a negative correlation (R) between CCN concentrations at 1% supersaturation (S) and large cloud droplet concentrations (Fig. 1A). This reversal from positive R for CCN with total (or small) cloud droplet concentrations (left side of Fig. 1A) was explained by the greater competition for condensate, which thus limits droplet sizes when CCN concentrations are higher. The negative R increased in magnitude with altitude, and the droplet size where the maximum negative R occurred increased with altitude (Fig. 1A). However, at all altitudes this negative R decreased in magnitude for even larger cloud and drizzle drops (right side of Fig. 1A except highest altitude). The decrease in magnitude of the negative R was greater for increasing drop sizes at higher altitudes. Thus, at the higher altitudes, R for CCN with large drizzle drops was of low negative magnitude and even positive at the highest RICO altitudes. The disparity between CCN and drizzle drop concentrations precluded a causal relationship. But the high R between GN and drizzle drop concentrations at the highest altitudes (Fig. 1B) and the comparable concentrations indicated that GN were engendering drizzle. This is supported by the increasing R with altitude of the GN-drizzle drop R (right side of Fig. 1B). The conclusion of a GN-drizzle connection is also supported by the fact that CCN concentrations should inhibit drizzle. This analysis of Hudson et al. (2011) is here expanded to include correlations of CCN concentrations at lower S with cloud and drizzle drop concentrations to investigate intermediate relationships; i.e., between large nuclei (i.e., 0.1-1 micrometer; critical S 0.1-0.01%) and drizzle drop concentrations. A shortcoming of Hudson et al. (2011) was the small number of high altitude flights, which limited the significance of the R values. The very recent (July 2011) ICE-T project was a similar study in the same region (Caribbean). The greater number of high altitude cloud measurements during the summer season should provide better statistics to test the GN warm rain hypothesis.

Insights into Corona Formation through Statistical Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaze, L. S.; Stofan, E. R.; Smrekar, S. E.; Baloga, S. M.

2002-01-01

Statistical analysis of an expanded database of coronae on Venus indicates that the populations of Type 1 (with fracture annuli) and 2 (without fracture annuli) corona diameters are statistically indistinguishable, and therefore we have no basis for assuming different formation mechanisms. Analysis of the topography and diameters of coronae shows that coronae that are depressions, rimmed depressions, and domes tend to be significantly smaller than those that are plateaus, rimmed plateaus, or domes with surrounding rims. This is consistent with the model of Smrekar and Stofan and inconsistent with predictions of the spreading drop model of Koch and Manga. The diameter range for domes, the initial stage of corona formation, provides a broad constraint on the buoyancy of corona-forming plumes. Coronae are only slightly more likely to be topographically raised than depressions, with Type 1 coronae most frequently occurring as rimmed depressions and Type 2 coronae most frequently occuring with flat interiors and raised rims. Most Type 1 coronae are located along chasmata systems or fracture belts, while Type 2 coronas are found predominantly as isolated features in the plains. Coronae at hotspot rises tend to be significantly larger than coronae in other settings, consistent with a hotter upper mantle at hotspot rises and their active state.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in Active Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Reinking, Mark F.; Austin, Tricia M.; Richter, Randy R.; Krieger, Mary M.

2016-01-01

Context: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common condition in active individuals and presents as diffuse pain along the posteromedial border of the tibia. Objective: To use cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies to identify significant MTSS risk factors. Data Sources: Bibliographic databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, EBM Reviews, PEDRo), grey literature, electronic search of full text of journals, manual review of reference lists, and automatically executed PubMed MTSS searches were utilized. All searches were conducted between 2011 and 2015. Study Selection: Inclusion criteria were determined a priori and included original research with participants’ pain diffuse, located in the posterior medial tibial region, and activity related. Study Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Level of evidence: Level 4. Data Extraction: Titles and abstracts were reviewed to eliminate citations that did not meet the criteria for inclusion. Study characteristics identified a priori were extracted for data analysis. Statistical heterogeneity was examined using the I2 index and Cochran Q test, and a random-effects model was used to calculate the meta-analysis when 2 or more studies examined a risk factor. Two authors independently assessed study quality. Results: Eighty-three articles met the inclusion criteria, and 22 articles included risk factor data. Of the 27 risk factors that were in 2 or more studies, 5 risk factors showed a significant pooled effect and low statistical heterogeneity, including female sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; CI, 1.58-3.50), increased weight (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.24; CI, 0.03-0.45), higher navicular drop (SMD, 0.44; CI, 0.21-0.67), previous running injury (OR, 2.18; CI, 1.00-4.72), and greater hip external rotation with the hip in flexion (SMD, 0.44; CI, 0.23-0.65). The remaining risk factors had a nonsignificant pooled effect or significant pooled effect with high statistical heterogeneity. Conclusion: Female sex, increased weight, higher navicular drop, previous running injury, and greater hip external rotation with the hip in flexion are risk factors for the development of MTSS. PMID:27729482

A perspective on the interfacial properties of nanoscopic liquid drops.

PubMed

Malijevský, Alexandr; Jackson, George

2012-11-21

The structural and interfacial properties of nanoscopic liquid drops are assessed by means of mechanical, thermodynamical, and statistical mechanical approaches that are discussed in detail, including original developments at both the macroscopic level and the microscopic level of density functional theory (DFT). With a novel analysis we show that a purely macroscopic (static) mechanical treatment can lead to a qualitatively reasonable description of the surface tension and the Tolman length of a liquid drop; the latter parameter, which characterizes the curvature dependence of the tension, is found to be negative and has a magnitude of about a half of the molecular dimension. A mechanical slant cannot, however, be considered satisfactory for small finite-size systems where fluctuation effects are significant. From the opposite perspective, a curvature expansion of the macroscopic thermodynamic properties (density and chemical potential) is then used to demonstrate that a purely thermodynamic approach of this type cannot in itself correctly account for the curvature correction of the surface tension of liquid drops. We emphasize that any approach, e.g., classical nucleation theory, which is based on a purely macroscopic viewpoint, does not lead to a reliable representation when the radius of the drop becomes microscopic. The description of the enhanced inhomogeneity exhibited by small drops (particularly in the dense interior) necessitates a treatment at the molecular level to account for finite-size and surface effects correctly. The so-called mechanical route, which corresponds to a molecular-level extension of the macroscopic theory of elasticity and is particularly popular in molecular dynamics simulation, also appears to be unreliable due to the inherent ambiguity in the definition of the microscopic pressure tensor, an observation which has been known for decades but is frequently ignored. The union of the theory of capillarity (developed in the nineteenth century by Gibbs and then promoted by Tolman) with a microscopic DFT treatment allows for a direct and unambiguous description of the interfacial properties of drops of arbitrary size; DFT provides all of the bulk and surface characteristics of the system that are required to uniquely define its thermodynamic properties. In this vein, we propose a non-local mean-field DFT for Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluids to examine drops of varying size. A comparison of the predictions of our DFT with recent simulation data based on a second-order fluctuation analysis (Sampayo et al 2010 J. Chem. Phys. 132 141101) reveals the consistency of the two treatments. This observation highlights the significance of fluctuation effects in small drops, which give rise to additional entropic (thermal non-mechanical) contributions, in contrast to what one observes in the case of planar interfaces which are governed by the laws of mechanical equilibrium. A small negative Tolman length (which is found to be about a tenth of the molecular diameter) and a non-monotonic behaviour of the surface tension with the drop radius are predicted for the LJ fluid. Finally, the limits of the validity of the Tolman approach, the effect of the range of the intermolecular potential, and the behaviour of bubbles are briefly discussed.

75 FR 76630 - Direct Investment Surveys: BE-577, Quarterly Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad-Direct...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-09

... between U.S.-owned foreign business enterprises and their U.S. parents. Through this rule, BEA will modify... other investment, for which statistics are collected by the Treasury Department through the Treasury... statistics for income and direct investment position--will drop out of the sample and will be estimated based...

Districts Take Action to Stem Violence Aimed at Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honawar, Vaishali

2008-01-01

Experts caution that reliable and up-to-date statistics on student violence against teachers can be hard to acquire. National and district data, however, show a drop in such violence over the past decade. The National Center for Education Statistics' 2007 school crime and safety report, the only known source for such data nationwide, says the…

Energy transfer mechanism and probability analysis of submarine pipe laterally impacted by dropped objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Jing; Yu, Jian-xing; Yu, Yang; Lam, W.; Zhao, Yi-yu; Duan, Jing-hui

2016-06-01

Energy transfer ratio is the basic-factor affecting the level of pipe damage during the impact between dropped object and submarine pipe. For the purpose of studying energy transfer and damage mechanism of submarine pipe impacted by dropped objects, series of experiments are designed and carried out. The effective yield strength is deduced to make the quasi-static analysis more reliable, and the normal distribution of energy transfer ratio caused by lateral impact on pipes is presented by statistic analysis of experimental results based on the effective yield strength, which provides experimental and theoretical basis for the risk analysis of submarine pipe system impacted by dropped objects. Failure strains of pipe material are confirmed by comparing experimental results with finite element simulation. In addition, impact contact area and impact time are proved to be the major influence factors of energy transfer by sensitivity analysis of the finite element simulation.

Parathyroid hormone measurement in prediction of hypocalcaemia following thyroidectomy.

PubMed

Mehrvarz, Shaban; Mohebbi, Hassan Ali; Kalantar Motamedi, Mohammad Hosein; Khatami, Seyed Masoud; Rezaie, Ramzanali; Rasouli, Hamid Reza

2014-02-01

To determine the risk of postthyroidectomy hypocalcaemia by measuring parathyroid hormone (PTH) level after thyroidectomy. Cross-sectional study. Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from March 2008 to July 2010. All included patients were referred for total or near bilateral thyroidectomy. Serum Calcium (Ca) and PTH levels were measured before and 24 hours after surgery. In low Ca cases or development of hypocalcaemia symptoms, daily monitoring of Ca levels were continued. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). A p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. To assess the standard value of useful predictive factors, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Of total 99 patients who underwent bilateral thyroidectomy, 47 patients (47.5%) developed hypocalcaemia, out of them, 12 (25.5%) became symptomatic while 2 patients developed permanent hypoparathyroidism. After surgery, mean rank of PTH level within the normocalcaemic and hypocalcaemic patients was 55.34 and 44.1 respectively, p=0.052. Twenty four hours after surgery, 62% drop in PTH was associated with 83.3% of symptomatic hypocalcaemic. For diagnosis of symptomatic hypocalcaemia, 62% PTH drop had sensitivity and specificity were 83.3% and 90.80%. The area under the ROC curve for the PTH postoperative and PTH drop for diagnostic symptomatic hypocalcaemia were 0.835 and 0.873 respectively. Measuring PTH levels after 24 hours postthyroidectomy is not reliable factor for predicting hypocalcaemia itself. For predicting the risk of hypocalcaemia after thyroidectomy it is more reliable to measure the serum PTH level before and after operation and compare the reduction level of percentage of PTH drop for predicting the risk of hypocalcaemia.

Additive Effect of preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% in treatment of dry eye syndrome with diquafosol 3% eye drops.

PubMed

Hwang, Ho Sik; Sung, Yoon-Mi; Lee, Weon Sun; Kim, Eun Chul

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment effect of diquafosol 3% with preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% eye drops in dry eye syndrome. In total, 150 patients with dry eye syndrome were divided randomly into 3 groups. Group 1 (50 patients) was treated 4 times daily with preserved sodium hyaluronate 0.1%, group 2 (50 patients) was treated 4 times daily with diquafosol 3%, and group 3 (50 patients) was treated 4 times daily with diquafosol 3% and preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% eye drops for 3 months. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score, tear film break-up time, Schirmer I test, corneal fluorescein staining, and impression cytology were evaluated. There were significant improvements in the OSDI score, tear film break-up time, Schirmer I score, fluorescein and Rose Bengal staining, goblet cell density, and impression cytological findings in groups 2 and 3 compared with those for group 1 in patients with dry eye syndrome at 1, 2, and 3 months (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant improvements in the OSDI score (-8.48 ± 0.97, -5.69 ± 0.78; P = 0.02), fluorescein (-1.43 ± 0.21, -1.02 ± 0.18; P = 0.03), and Rose Bengal staining (-1.12 ± 0.26, -0.75 ± 0.12; P = 0.03), goblet cell density (89.65 ± 14.39, 70.36 ± 16.75; P = 0.03), and impression cytological findings (-0.53 ± 0.12, -0.34 ± 0.90; P = 0.01) in group 3 compared with those in group 2 at 3 months. Treatment with diquafosol 3% with preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% was more effective than diquafosol 3% monotherapy or treatment with preserved sodium hyaluronate 0.1% in dry eye syndrome. Preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% eye drops can increase the effect of diquafosol 3% in dry eye syndrome.

Pulse Wave Amplitude Drops during Sleep are Reliable Surrogate Markers of Changes in Cortical Activity

PubMed Central

Delessert, Alexandre; Espa, Fabrice; Rossetti, Andrea; Lavigne, Gilles; Tafti, Mehdi; Heinzer, Raphael

2010-01-01

Background: During sleep, sudden drops in pulse wave amplitude (PWA) measured by pulse oximetry are commonly associated with simultaneous arousals and are thought to result from autonomic vasoconstriction. In the present study, we determine whether PWA drops were associated with changes in cortical activity as determined by EEG spectral analysis. Methods: A 20% decrease in PWA was chosen as a minimum for a drop. A total of 1085 PWA drops from 10 consecutive sleep recordings were analyzed. EEG spectral analysis was performed over 5 consecutive epochs of 5 seconds: 2 before, 1 during, and 2 after the PWA drop. EEG spectral analysis was performed over delta, theta, alpha, sigma, and beta frequency bands. Within each frequency band, power density was compared across the five 5-sec epochs. Presence or absence of visually scored EEG arousals were adjudicated by an investigator blinded to the PWA signal and considered associated with PWA drop if concomitant. Results: A significant increase in EEG power density in all EEG frequency bands was found during PWA drops (P < 0.001) compared to before and after drop. Even in the absence of visually scored arousals, PWA drops were associated with a significant increase in EEG power density (P < 0.001) in most frequency bands. Conclusions: Drops in PWA are associated with a significant increase in EEG power density, suggesting that these events can be used as a surrogate for changes in cortical activity during sleep. This approach may prove of value in scoring respiratory events on limited-channel (type III) portable monitors. Citation: Delessert A; Espa F; Rossetti A; Lavigne G; Tafti M; Heinzer R. Pulse wave amplitude drops during sleep are reliable surrogate markers of changes in cortical activity. SLEEP 2010;33(12):1687-1692. PMID:21120131

Detailed statistical contact angle analyses; "slow moving" drops on inclining silicon-oxide surfaces.

PubMed

Schmitt, M; Groß, K; Grub, J; Heib, F

2015-06-01

Contact angle determination by sessile drop technique is essential to characterise surface properties in science and in industry. Different specific angles can be observed on every solid which are correlated with the advancing or the receding of the triple line. Different procedures and definitions for the determination of specific angles exist which are often not comprehensible or reproducible. Therefore one of the most important things in this area is to build standard, reproducible and valid methods for determining advancing/receding contact angles. This contribution introduces novel techniques to analyse dynamic contact angle measurements (sessile drop) in detail which are applicable for axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric drops. Not only the recently presented fit solution by sigmoid function and the independent analysis of the different parameters (inclination, contact angle, velocity of the triple point) but also the dependent analysis will be firstly explained in detail. These approaches lead to contact angle data and different access on specific contact angles which are independent from "user-skills" and subjectivity of the operator. As example the motion behaviour of droplets on flat silicon-oxide surfaces after different surface treatments is dynamically measured by sessile drop technique when inclining the sample plate. The triple points, the inclination angles, the downhill (advancing motion) and the uphill angles (receding motion) obtained by high-precision drop shape analysis are independently and dependently statistically analysed. Due to the small covered distance for the dependent analysis (<0.4mm) and the dominance of counted events with small velocity the measurements are less influenced by motion dynamics and the procedure can be called "slow moving" analysis. The presented procedures as performed are especially sensitive to the range which reaches from the static to the "slow moving" dynamic contact angle determination. They are characterised by small deviations of the computed values. Additional to the detailed introduction of this novel analytical approaches plus fit solution special motion relations for the drop on inclined surfaces and detailed relations about the reactivity of the freshly cleaned silicon wafer surface resulting in acceleration behaviour (reactive de-wetting) are presented. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the cold drops in the European area, study based on ERA Interim and ECMWF ensemble model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaal, Nikolett; Ihasz, Istvan

2013-04-01

We aimed to analyze the cold drops and the upper level lows formed in the middle troposphere - which are often difficult to be predicted - by means of the statistical methods and case studies. Cold drops are often followed by intensive events such as heavy rainfall, rainstorm, at times tubas and non mesocyclonical tornadoes. Due to the above mentioned events and the incentive of Aviation and Severe Weather Forecasting Division at Hungarian Meteorological Service, the phenomenon was analyzed in a complex way by a self-developed multiple method. Upper-Level Lows (ULL-s) are closed; cyclonically circulating eddies isolated from the main western stream in the middle and upper troposphere. They are also sometimes called "cold drops" because the air within an Upper Level low is colder than in its surroundings. The cold air within usually does not show up on the surface, meaning the vertical temperature gradient is high, which in turn causes instability and heavy storms, especially during the summer. An ULL-s diameter is about a couple hundred km-s, so it looks like a miniature cyclone. ERA INTERIM is the current state of reanalysis that is still in development. It also has the best possible spatial resolution, which leads to its usage in a wide area of fields. Our studies focused mainly on the cold drops' statistics and meteorology, as well as a few case studies. Since ULL's occur rarely, we developed a new ULL-recognition process to increase the number of samples available. First of all, we gathered 70days when cold drops occurred in the past 10 years. Then we analyzed them in 6-hour periods, for a total of 280 separate time periods. Finally, we have four main case studies in the paper. In the future, we would like to run further tests with our ULL-recognition algorithm to study the last 30 years of cold drops, and we would also like to experiment more with ULL forecasting as well.

Last-observation-carried-forward imputation method in clinical efficacy trials: review of 352 antidepressant studies.

PubMed

Woolley, Stephen B; Cardoni, Alex A; Goethe, John W

2009-12-01

To determine the prevalence, over 40 years, of using the last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) imputation method in clinical trials, the association between use of LOCF and how the trials were conducted, and the extent of information about attrition and LOCF use in published reports. Retrospective analysis of the reports of randomized antidepressant efficacy trials published over a 40-year period (1965-2004). MEDLINE database, Cochrane reviews, reference- and bibliography-based manual search, and publication list services. A total of 352 trials met the following criteria for analysis: antidepressant comparative efficacy trial, randomized design, patients with major depressive disorder, English-language article, published during 1965-2004, and first report of a trial. Design, attrition, and data analysis characteristics were recorded by investigators and trained assistants. Analyses included descriptive statistics of the trial size, duration, and number of patients who dropped out in LOCF versus non-LOCF studies, as well as the extent to which dropouts and the potential bias associated with attrition was discussed in the published report. The frequency of published antidepressant clinical trials increased from less than 1 trial/year (1965-1974) to 19 trials/year (1990-1994). Trials using the LOCF method were significantly larger than non-LOCF trials (p<0.01), and the proportion of subjects dropping out was significantly greater (p<0.05) in LOCF versus non-LOCF trials. The proportion of subjects dropping out remained relatively constant over time (approximately 30%) but was significantly greater among LOCF (30.9%) than non-LOCF (28.8%) trials (p<0.01). The LOCF study articles were more likely to report dropouts, but only 7% of these articles reported outcomes recorded for subjects before they dropped out. Less than 16% of articles discussed bias associated with dropouts, 6.8% discussed the direction of bias, and only about 2% suggested the magnitude of the bias. The percentage of clinical antidepressant trials using the LOCF method and the percentage of study subjects' data imputed by using LOCF increased many-fold during 1965-2004. Published reports of trials provided little information to allow readers to assess possible bias introduced by use of the LOCF method.

Statistical model specification and power: recommendations on the use of test-qualified pooling in analysis of experimental data

PubMed Central

Colegrave, Nick

2017-01-01

A common approach to the analysis of experimental data across much of the biological sciences is test-qualified pooling. Here non-significant terms are dropped from a statistical model, effectively pooling the variation associated with each removed term with the error term used to test hypotheses (or estimate effect sizes). This pooling is only carried out if statistical testing on the basis of applying that data to a previous more complicated model provides motivation for this model simplification; hence the pooling is test-qualified. In pooling, the researcher increases the degrees of freedom of the error term with the aim of increasing statistical power to test their hypotheses of interest. Despite this approach being widely adopted and explicitly recommended by some of the most widely cited statistical textbooks aimed at biologists, here we argue that (except in highly specialized circumstances that we can identify) the hoped-for improvement in statistical power will be small or non-existent, and there is likely to be much reduced reliability of the statistical procedures through deviation of type I error rates from nominal levels. We thus call for greatly reduced use of test-qualified pooling across experimental biology, more careful justification of any use that continues, and a different philosophy for initial selection of statistical models in the light of this change in procedure. PMID:28330912

Histoplasmosis Statistics

MedlinePlus

... source histoplasmosis outbreaks often involve activities that disrupt soil, especially soil that contains bird or bat droppings. Examples of ... construction, 6 renovation, 7 exploring caves, 8 tilling soil, 9 and cleaning up bird roosting sites. 10 ...

Drop-Weight Impact Test on U-Shape Concrete Specimens with Statistical and Regression Analyses

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xue-Chao; Zhu, Han; Li, Hao-Ran

2015-01-01

According to the principle and method of drop-weight impact test, the impact resistance of concrete was measured using self-designed U-shape specimens and a newly designed drop-weight impact test apparatus. A series of drop-weight impact tests were carried out with four different masses of drop hammers (0.875, 0.8, 0.675 and 0.5 kg). The test results show that the impact resistance results fail to follow a normal distribution. As expected, U-shaped specimens can predetermine the location of the cracks very well. It is also easy to record the cracks propagation during the test. The maximum of coefficient of variation in this study is 31.2%; it is lower than the values obtained from the American Concrete Institute (ACI) impact tests in the literature. By regression analysis, the linear relationship between the first-crack and ultimate failure impact resistance is good. It can suggested that a minimum number of specimens is required to reliably measure the properties of the material based on the observed levels of variation. PMID:28793540

New Statistical Probe into the Decline of Daily Newspaper Household Penetration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alperstein, Gerald

From 1950 to 1970, daily newspaper household penetration (DNHP) levels dropped from 1.24 to 0.99 in the United States. This paper describes some of the variables involved in this decline and outlines a market-by-market statistical analysis of the relationship between the penetration levels of daily newspapers and other forms of mass media. From…

Comparative role of 20% cord blood serum and 20% autologous serum in dry eye associated with Hansen's disease: a tear proteomic study.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Somnath; Sen, Swarnali; Datta, Himadri

2015-01-01

To compare the role of topically applied serum therapy with preservative-free artificial tear (AT) drops in patients with moderate to severe dry eye in Hansen's disease along with change in tear protein profile. 144 consecutive patients were randomly divided into three groups. After a baseline examination of clinical parameters, each of the patients received designated modality of topical therapy six times a day for 6 weeks. Post-treatment documentation of clinical parameters was done at 6 weeks, and then at 12 weeks after discontinuation of topical therapy. Analysis of three tear proteins using gel electrophoresis (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) was done at baseline, at the first and second post-treatment visits. In the cord blood serum (CBS) group, except for McMonnies score and staining score, all other clinical parameters showed continued improvement in the first and second post-treatment analyses. In the autologous serum (ALS) group, all the clinical parameters except Schirmer's I showed significant improvement in the first post-treatment analysis .This was sustained at a significant level in the second analysis except for tear film break-up time (TBUT) and conjunctival impression cytology grading. In the AT group, all the parameters improved at a non-significant level except for TBUT in the first analysis. In the next analysis, apart from McMonnies score and TBUT, other clinical parameters did not improve. In the ALS and CBS groups, tear lysozyme, lactoferrin levels improved in both post-treatment measurements (statistically insignificant).Total tear protein continued to increase at statistically significant levels in the first and second post-treatment analyses in the CBS group and at a statistically insignificant level in the ALS group. In the AT group, the three tear proteins continued to decrease in both the analyses. In moderate to severe dry eye in Hansen's disease, serum therapy in comparison with AT drops, improves clinical parameters and causes betterment in tear protein profile. CTRI/2013/07/003802. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The Failure Models of Lead Free Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joint Reliability Under Low-G and High-G Drop Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Jian; Lei, YongPing; Lin, Jian; Fu, HanGuang; Wu, Zhongwei

2017-02-01

The reliability of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC 305) solder joint under a broad level of drop impacts was studied. The failure performance of solder joint, failure probability and failure position were analyzed under two shock test conditions, i.e., 1000 g for 1 ms and 300 g for 2 ms. The stress distribution on the solder joint was calculated by ABAQUS. The results revealed that the dominant reason was the tension due to the difference in stiffness between the print circuit board and ball grid array, and the maximum tension of 121.1 MPa and 31.1 MPa, respectively, under both 1000 g or 300 g drop impact, was focused on the corner of the solder joint which was located in the outmost corner of the solder ball row. The failure modes were summarized into the following four modes: initiation and propagation through the (1) intermetallic compound layer, (2) Ni layer, (3) Cu pad, or (4) Sn-matrix. The outmost corner of the solder ball row had a high failure probability under both 1000 g and 300 g drop impact. The number of failures of solder ball under the 300 g drop impact was higher than that under the 1000 g drop impact. The characteristic drop values for failure were 41 and 15,199, respectively, following the statistics.

Chondroprotection using naturally occurring mineral supplementation formula in degenerative osteoarthritis of the knees.

PubMed

Bansal, Himanshu; Bansal, Anupama; Agrawal, Diwaker; Singh, Dhananjay; Deb, Kaushik

2014-01-01

To evaluate the therapeutic and safety efficacy of a naturally occurring mineral supplementation in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). A prospective, single centre, study of 50 patients aged 50 years and above with painful and radiological Osteoarthritis of knees was carried out for one year. Patients received 40 drops of naturally occurring commercially available mineral supplement concentrate mineral drops purportedly derived from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Efficacy was objectively confirmed by evaluating changes in the thickness of articular cartilage, joint space width, synovial fluid analysis and subjectively by changes in WOMAC scores and 6 Minute pain-free Walking Distance. The composite WOMAC scores were significantly improved by 17.2 points from a mean of 52 at baseline by year end. 18 (41%) patients showed improvement of more than 100 feet for the pain free distance covered during a 6 minute walk at one year follow-up. Ultrasonologicaly, at one year cartilage thickness improved by at least 0.01 mm in 9 (21%) patients. Though radiologicallynone of patient showed increase in joint space it was noticed that only 2(4.6%) patients had decline of joint space width of more than 0.5 mm. Average cell count reduced to 205/microlitre from a value of 520/microlitre at the start of study suggesting that the mineral supplement used had structural efficacy. Clinically relevant, statistically significant symptomatic and statistically insignificant structural improvement occurred over 1 year period in patients receiving the naturally occurring mineral supplement. The protection of the joint cartilages from progressive degeneration during osteoarthritis by these supplements indicates towards a chondrocyte regenerative potential of this supplement. Such regeneration may occur through activation of tissue specific adult chondrocyte precursors or stem cells.

Characterisation of the responsive properties of two running-specific prosthetic models.

PubMed

Grobler, Lara; Ferreira, Suzanne; Vanwanseele, Benedicte; Terblanche, Elmarie E

2017-04-01

The need for information regarding running-specific prosthetic properties has previously been voiced. Such information is necessary to assist in athletes' prostheses selection. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of two commercially available running-specific prostheses. The running-specific prostheses were tested (in an experimental setup) without the external interference of athlete performance variations. Four stiffness categories of each running-specific prosthetic model (Xtend ™ and Xtreme ™ ) were tested at seven alignment setups and three drop masses (28, 38 and 48 kg). Results for peak ground reaction force (GRF peak ), contact time ( t c ), flight time ( t f ), reactive strength index (RSI) and maximal compression (Δ L) were determined during controlled dropping of running-specific prostheses onto a force platform with different masses attached to the experimental setup. No statistically significant differences were found between the different setups of the running-specific prostheses. Statistically significant differences were found between the two models for all outcome variables (GRF peak , Xtend > Xtreme; t c , Xtreme > Xtend; t f , Xtreme > Xtend; RSI, Xtend > Xtreme; Δ L, Xtreme > Xtend; p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the Xtreme stores more elastic energy than the Xtend, leading to a greater performance response. The specific responsive features of blades could guide sprint athletes in their choice of running-specific prostheses. Clinical relevance Insights into the running-specific prosthesis (RSP) properties and an understanding of its responsive characteristics have implications for athletes' prosthetic choice. Physiologically and metabolically, a short sprint event (i.e. 100 m) places different demands on the athlete than a long sprint event (i.e. 400 m), and the RSP should match these performance demands.

[Adjustment of eye muscle surgery dosage under drop anaesthesia in patients with Grave's orbitopathy].

PubMed

Kalpadakis, P; Rudolph, G; Boergen, K P

2002-12-01

Motility restrictions of the eye muscles represent a common and serious impairment for patients with Grave's orbitopathy. Various surgical approaches have been developed for the rehabilitation of these patients. In this study 64 patients in which only one of the rectus inferior muscles was recessed are presented. The recession was performed using drop anaesthesia. The active cooperation of the patients was necessary for adjustment of the dosage so that undercorrections or more important overcorrections could be prevented. Indications for this recession were a constant diplopia, an abnormal head posture, a pseudoretraction of the upper eyelid or corneal scarring complications. In all patients the squint angle was significantly reduced. A statistical mathematical correlation between the intraoperatively chosen recession length and the reduction of squint angle was found. On the other hand, the variance of the effect of the operation was so large that no dosage recommendations could be made. This operation technique seems to be able to avoid overcorrections (9.3%) for the majority of patients and only a small group of them presented diplopia postoperatively (10.9%). These results show a good functional rehabilitation of our patients. Performing the operation under drop anaesthesia, while taking into account the motility situation, seems to be a good method in order to manage the dosage problems presenting in this clinical entity.

A Comparison of Mechanical Parameters Between the Counter Movement Jump and Drop Jump in Biathletes

PubMed Central

Król, Henryk; Mynarski, Władysław

2012-01-01

The main objective of the study was to determine to what degree higher muscular activity, achieved by increased load in the extension phase (eccentric muscle action) of the vertical jump, affects the efficiency of the vertical jump. Sixteen elite biathletes participated in this investigation. The biathletes performed tests that consisted of five, single “maximal” vertical jumps (counter movement jump – CMJ) and five, single vertical jumps, in which the task was to touch a bar placed over the jumping biathletes (specific task counter movement jump – SCMJ). Then, they performed five, single drop jumps from an elevation of 0.4m (DJ). Ground reaction forces were registered using the KISTLER 9182C force platform. MVJ software was used for signal processing (Król, 1999) and enabling calculations for kinematic and kinetic parameters of the subject’s jump movements (on-line system). The results indicate that only height of the jump (h) and mean power (Pmean) during the takeoff are statistically significant. Both h and Pmean are higher in the DJ. The results of this study may indicate that elite biathletes are well adapted to eccentric work of the lower limbs, thus reaching greater values of power during the drop jump. These neuromuscular adaptive changes may allow for a more dynamic and efficient running technique. PMID:23487157

Long-term safety and efficacy of autologous platelet lysate drops for treatment of ocular GvHD.

PubMed

Pezzotta, S; Del Fante, C; Scudeller, L; Rossi, G C; Perotti, C; Bianchi, P E; Antoniazzi, E

2017-01-01

Current ocular GvHD (oGvHD) treatments are suboptimal. We investigated the safety and efficacy of long-term continuous treatment with autologous platelet lysate (PL) drops in patients with oGvHD Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) score 2-3 refractory to topical conventional therapy. Ophthalmic evaluation was performed at 6 month intervals. Symptoms were assessed using the Glaucoma Symptom Scale (GSS). Patients were defined 'responders' when showing a reduction at least one grade on National Institutes of Health Eye Score from baseline at the 6 month visit. Thirty-one patients were included, and 16 (51%) completed 36 months of follow-up (range 6.5-72.7). At 6 months all patients were classified as responders: median GSS symptom score decreased from 70 to 41 (33 at 36 months), median GSS function score reduced from 68 to 46 (33 at 36 months) (all P<0.001). Median Tear Break Up Time improved from 3 to 6 s after 6 months and was maintained over time. All signs improved at 6 and 36 months (clinical and statistical significance). No severe adverse events occurred. Long-term treatment with PL drops is secure and effective for oGvHD and can be an efficient therapy option from initial stages of oGvHD to prevent permanent ocular impairment and improving quality of life.

Observational evidence for volcanic impact on sea level and the global water cycle.

PubMed

Grinsted, A; Moore, J C; Jevrejeva, S

2007-12-11

It has previously been noted that there are drops in global sea level (GSL) after some major volcanic eruptions. However, observational evidence has not been convincing because there is substantial variability in the global sea level record over periods similar to those at which we expect volcanoes to have an impact. To quantify the impact of volcanic eruptions we average monthly GSL data from 830 tide gauge records around five major volcanic eruptions. Surprisingly, we find that the initial response to a volcanic eruption is a significant rise in sea level of 9 +/- 3 mm in the first year after the eruption. This rise is followed by a drop of 7 +/- 3 mm in the period 2-3 years after the eruption relative to preeruption sea level. These results are statistically robust and no particular volcanic eruption or ocean region dominates the signature we find. Neither the drop nor especially the rise in GSL can be explained by models of lower oceanic heat content. We suggest that the mechanism is a transient disturbance of the water cycle with a delayed response of land river runoff relative to ocean evaporation and global precipitation that affects global sea level. The volcanic impact on the water cycle and sea levels is comparable in magnitude to that of a large El Niño-La Niña cycle, amounting to approximately 5% of global land precipitation.

"Open mesh" or "strictly selected population" recruitment? The experience of the randomized controlled MeMeMe trial.

PubMed

Cortellini, Mauro; Berrino, Franco; Pasanisi, Patrizia

2017-01-01

Among randomized controlled trials (RCTs), trials for primary prevention require large samples and long follow-up to obtain a high-quality outcome; therefore the recruitment process and the drop-out rates largely dictate the adequacy of the results. We are conducting a Phase III trial on persons with metabolic syndrome to test the hypothesis that comprehensive lifestyle changes and/or metformin treatment prevents age-related chronic diseases (the MeMeMe trial, EudraCT number: 2012-005427-32, also registered on ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02960711]). Here, we briefly analyze and discuss the reasons which may lead to participants dropping out from trials. In our experience, participants may back out of a trial for different reasons. Drug-induced side effects are certainly the most compelling reason. But what are the other reasons, relating to the participants' perception of the progress of the trial which led them to withdraw after randomization? What about the time-dependent drop-out rate in primary prevention trials? The primary outcome of this analysis is the point of drop-out from trial, defined as the time from the randomization date to the withdrawal date. Survival functions were non-parametrically estimated using the product-limit estimator. The curves were statistically compared using the log-rank test ( P =0.64, not significant). Researchers involved in primary prevention RCTs seem to have to deal with the paradox of the proverbial "short blanket syndrome". Recruiting only highly motivated candidates might be useful for the smooth progress of the trial but it may lead to a very low enrollment rate. On the other hand, what about enrolling all the eligible subjects without considering their motivation? This might boost the enrollment rate, but it can lead to biased results on account of large proportions of drop-outs. Our experience suggests that participants do not change their mind depending on the allocation group (intervention or control). There is no single answer to sort out the short blanket syndrome.

In vitro comparison of antimicrobial activity of aqueous decoction of Coriandrum sativum, and Dentol Drop with chlorhexidine on Streptococcus mutans.

PubMed

Moradian, Hamid; Bazargani, Abdollah; Rafiee, Azade; Nazarialam, Ali

2013-09-01

Dental caries is still remained as a major health problem. This problem has created a new interest to search for new antimicrobial agents from various sources including medicinal plants. Since limited data is available so far regarding the antibacterial effect of Coriandrum sativum seed and Dentol Drop against Streptococcus mutans, this study aims to assess this activity. This experimental study was conducted in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In vitro comparison of antimicrobial activity of aqueous decoction of Coriandrum sativum seed and Dentol drop with chlorhexidine against Streptococcus mutans was evaluated using disk diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Positive and negative controls were considered. The data was statistically analyzed by applying Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey post-hoc test to compare the groups using SPSS software (version 17). Dentol drop showed a remarkable antibacterial activity, in comparison with chlorhexidine, against S. mutans in the disk diffusion (p value = 0.005), and broth microdilution assays (p value = 0.0001). Based on the results of this study, Coriandrum sativum seed did not posses any antibacterial property. Coriandrum sativum seed showed no anti-Streptococcus mutans activity. Dentol drop exhibited a remarkable antibacterial activity against S. mutans when tested in vitro. Dentol drop can be further studied as a preventive measure for dental caries.

Topical tranexamic acid in total knee replacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Panteli, Michalis; Papakostidis, Costas; Dahabreh, Ziad; Giannoudis, Peter V

2013-10-01

To examine the safety and efficacy of topical use of tranexamic acid (TA) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). An electronic literature search of PubMed Medline; Ovid Medline; Embase; and the Cochrane Library was performed, identifying studies published in any language from 1966 to February 2013. The studies enrolled adults undergoing a primary TKA, where topical TA was used. Inverse variance statistical method and either a fixed or random effect model, depending on the absence or presence of statistical heterogeneity were used; subgroup analysis was performed when possible. We identified a total of seven eligible reports for analysis. Our meta-analysis indicated that when compared with the control group, topical application of TA limited significantly postoperative drain output (mean difference: -268.36ml), total blood loss (mean difference=-220.08ml), Hb drop (mean difference=-0.94g/dL) and lowered the risk of transfusion requirements (risk ratio=0.47, 95CI=0.26-0.84), without increased risk of thromboembolic events. Sub-group analysis indicated that a higher dose of topical TA (>2g) significantly reduced transfusion requirements. Although the present meta-analysis proved a statistically significant reduction of postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements with topical use of TA in TKA, the clinical importance of the respective estimates of effect size should be interpreted with caution. I, II. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Test Vehicle Forebody Wake Effects on CPAS Parachutes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Eric S.

2017-01-01

Parachute drag performance has been reconstructed for a large number of Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) flight tests. This allows for determining forebody wake effects indirectly through statistical means. When data are available in a "clean" wake, such as behind a slender test vehicle, the relative degradation in performance for other test vehicles can be computed as a Pressure Recovery Fraction (PRF). All four CPAS parachute types were evaluated: Forward Bay Cover Parachutes (FBCPs), Drogues, Pilots, and Mains. Many tests used the missile-shaped Parachute Compartment Drop Test Vehicle (PCDTV) to obtain data at high airspeeds. Other tests used the Orion "boilerplate" Parachute Test Vehicle (PTV) to evaluate parachute performance in a representative heatshield wake. Drag data from both vehicles are normalized to a "capsule" forebody equivalent for Orion simulations. A separate database of PCDTV-specific performance is maintained to accurately predict flight tests. Data are shared among analogous parachutes whenever possible to maximize statistical significance.

Tripped rollover (phase A).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has expressed interest in learning more about pavement drop-offs at the edge of roadways and their relationship with the roll stability of heavy vehicles. Statistics kept by the National Highway Traffic Safet...

Enhanced Oral Bioavailability of Pueraria Flavones by a Novel Solid Self-microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS) Dropping Pills.

PubMed

Guan, Qingxiang; Zhang, Guangyuan; Sun, Shilin; Fan, Hongbo; Sun, Cheng; Zhang, Shaoyuan

2016-05-01

To improve bioavailability of pueraria flavones (PF), a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) dropping pills composed of PF, Crodamol GTCC, Maisine 35-1, Cremophor RH 40, 1,2-propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) was developed. Particle size, zeta potential, morphology and in vitro drug release were investigated, respectively. Pharmacokinetics, bioavailability of PF-SMEDDS dropping pills and commercial Yufengningxin dropping pills were also evaluated and compared in rats. Puerarin treated as the representative component of PF was analyzed. Dynamic light scattering showed the ability of PF-SMEDDS dropping pills to form a nanoemulsion droplet size in aqueous media. The type of media showed no significant effects on the release rate of PF. PF-SMEDDS dropping pills were able to improve the in vitro release rate of PF, and the in vitro release of these dropping pills was significantly faster than that of Yufengningxin dropping pills. There was a dramatic difference between the mean value of t1/2, peak concentration (Cmax), the area of concentration-time curve from 0 to 6 h (AUC0-6 h) of PF-SMEDDS dropping pills and that of commercial Yufengningxin dropping pills. A pharmacokinetic study showed that the bioavailability of PF was greatly enhanced by PF-SMEDDS dropping pills. The value of Cmax and relative bioavailability of PF-SMEDDS dropping pills were dramatically improved by an average of 1.69- and 2.36-fold compared with that of Yufengningxin dropping pills after gavage administration, respectively. It was concluded that bioavailability of PF was greatly improved and that PF-SMEDDS dropping pills might be an encouraging strategy to enhance the oral bioavailability of PF.

Longitudinal changes in maternal and neonatal anthropometrics: a case study of the Helsinki Birth Cohort, 1934-1944.

PubMed

Moltchanova, E; Eriksson, J G

2015-08-01

Changes in anthropometrics often reflect changes in living conditions, and one's characteristics at birth may be associated with future health. The aim of this study was to investigate the secular trends in maternal and neonatal anthropometrics in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. The study participants, thus, comprised all 13,345 live births recorded in Helsinki, Finland, between 1934 and 1944. Adult characteristics of the clinical subsample comprised of 2003 individuals, alive during 2003, were also analyzed. Linear Regression analysis with seasonal terms was applied to see whether clinically and statistically significant trends can be found in maternal age, height and body mass index (BMI) at pregnancy; gestational age, birth weight, ponderal index and sex ratio; and adult height, BMI and fat percentage. Statistically significant trends were found in maternal age and maternal BMI with abrupt changes between 1941 and 1944. Gestational age increased by an average of 0.11% per year (P<0.0001), and the proportion of premature births dropped from 7.9% in 1934 to 4.5% in 1944 (P<0.0001). In the clinical sample, a statistically significant, although small, average annual increase of 0.1% in adult heights was detected (P=0.0012 for men and P=0.0035 for women). In conclusion, although no significant changes were found in either neonatal or adult anthropometrics of babies born in Helsinki between 1934 and 1944, there were abrupt changes in the characteristics of their mothers.

Physical and genetic-interaction density reveals functional organization and informs significance cutoffs in genome-wide screens

PubMed Central

Dittmar, John C.; Pierce, Steven; Rothstein, Rodney; Reid, Robert J. D.

2013-01-01

Genome-wide experiments often measure quantitative differences between treated and untreated cells to identify affected strains. For these studies, statistical models are typically used to determine significance cutoffs. We developed a method termed “CLIK” (Cutoff Linked to Interaction Knowledge) that overlays biological knowledge from the interactome on screen results to derive a cutoff. The method takes advantage of the fact that groups of functionally related interacting genes often respond similarly to experimental conditions and, thus, cluster in a ranked list of screen results. We applied CLIK analysis to five screens of the yeast gene disruption library and found that it defined a significance cutoff that differed from traditional statistics. Importantly, verification experiments revealed that the CLIK cutoff correlated with the position in the rank order where the rate of true positives drops off significantly. In addition, the gene sets defined by CLIK analysis often provide further biological perspectives. For example, applying CLIK analysis retrospectively to a screen for cisplatin sensitivity allowed us to identify the importance of the Hrq1 helicase in DNA crosslink repair. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of CLIK to determine optimal treatment conditions by analyzing genome-wide screens at multiple rapamycin concentrations. We show that CLIK is an extremely useful tool for evaluating screen quality, determining screen cutoffs, and comparing results between screens. Furthermore, because CLIK uses previously annotated interaction data to determine biologically informed cutoffs, it provides additional insights into screen results, which supplement traditional statistical approaches. PMID:23589890

Rhinoscintigraphic analysis of nasal mucociliary function in patients with Bell's palsy.

PubMed

Boynuegri, S; Ozer, S; Peksoy, I; Acikalin, A; Tuna, E Ü; Dursun, E; Eryilmaz, A

2016-01-01

Mucociliary transport (MCT) is an important defense mechanism of the respiratory tract. One of the major factors determining MCT is the ciliary activity of the respiratory epithelium. Rhinoscintigraphy is the most commonly used method for the analysis of mucociliary activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of facial paralysis on the nasal mucociliary clearance. This study included 38 Bell's palsy patients as the study group and 10 subjects without any history of paranasal sinus disease or facial paralysis as the control group. A drop of technetium 99m-labeled macroaggregated albumin (Tc-99m MAA) was placed posterior to the head of the inferior turbinate and followed with a gamma camera. MCT rate was measured as the velocity of Tc-99m MAA drop. The mean MCT rate was 4.27 ± 0.76 millimeters per minute (mm/min) on 20 sides of 10 healthy controls, 4.11 ± 2.91 mm/min on the affected sides of the patients with Bell's palsy, and 6.03 ± 3.13 mm/min on the nonparalyzed sides of the patients. MCT rate was statistically significantly faster in the nonparalyzed side when compared to the paralyzed side in Bell's palsy patients (P = 0.001). MCT rates were not significantly different in the control group and paralyzed sides of the Bell's palsy patients (P = 0.810). The MCT rate was statistically significantly faster in the nonparalyzed sides of Bell's palsy patients when compared to the controls (P = 0.017). This study showed a faster MCT rate on the nonparalyzed side in Bell's palsy patients when compared to the paralyzed side and the control subjects. A compensatory mechanism could be the underlying reason for faster MCT on the nonparalyzed side. Further studies on larger patient groups are needed to investigate the effect of facial paralysis on the MCT and changes of facial nerve function on the opposite, nonparalyzed side of the face.

CYCLAM - Recycling by a Laser-driven Drop Jet from Waste that Feeds AM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, Alexander F. H.; Samarjy, Ramiz S. M.

Additive manufacturing of metal parts is supplied by powder or wire. Manufacturing of this raw material causes additional costs and environmental impact. A new technique is proposed where the feeding directly originates from a metal sheet, which can even be waste. When cutting is done by laser-induced boiling, melt is continuously ejected downwards underneath the sheet. The ejected melt is deposited as a track on a substrate, enabling additive manufacturing by substrate movement along a desired path. The melt first flows downwards as a column and after a few millimeters separates into drops, here about 500 micrometer in diameter, as observed by high speed imaging. The drops incorporate sequentially and calmly into a long melt pool on the substrate. While steel drops formed regular tracks on steel and aluminium substrates, on copper substrate periodic drops solidified instead. For this new technique, called CYCLAM, the laser beam acts indirectly while the drop jet becomes the main tool. From imaging, properties like the width or fluctuations of the drop jet can be statistically evaluated. Despite oscillation of the liquid column, the divergence of the drop jet remained small, improving the precision and robustness. The melt leaves the cut sheet as a liquid column, 1 to 4 mm in length, which periodically separates drops that are transferred as a liquid jet to the substrate. For very short distance of 2 to 3 mm between the two sheets this liquid column can transfer the melt continuously as a liquid bridge. This phenomenon was observed, as a variant of the technique, but the duration of the bridge was limited by fluid mechanic instabilities.

Treatment of patients with neurotrophic keratitis stages 2 and 3 with plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret) eye-drops.

PubMed

Sanchez-Avila, Ronald Mauricio; Merayo-Lloves, Jesus; Riestra, Ana Cristina; Fernandez-Vega Cueto, Luis; Anitua, Eduardo; Begoña, Leire; Muruzabal, Francisco; Orive, Gorka

2018-06-01

To provide preliminary data about efficacy and safety of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye-drops in neurotrophic keratitis (NK) and to analyze the possible influence of certain variables on treatment outcomes. This retrospective study included patients with stages 2-3 of NK treated with PRGF eye-drops. Primary endpoint was the resolution time of corneal ulcer defect. Outcome measures including percentage of ulcer closure at 4 weeks, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Best-Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were also evaluated before and after treatment with PRGF. The influence of some patients' clinical variables on results was assessed. Safety assessment was also performed reporting all adverse events. Thirty-eight treated eyes in a total of thirty-one patients were evaluated, of which five cases had no prior response to autologous serum treatment. Most cases (97.4%) achieved the complete resolution of corneal defect/ulcer. Mean resolution time was 11.4 weeks (SD = 13.7). A statistical significant (p < 0.05) reduction in OSDI (60.9%), VAS frequency (59.9%), VAS severity (57.0%) and improvement in BCVA (52.8%) was observed. The results were stratified according to the pathology stage and to the identified potential effect modifiers variables. Only one adverse event was reported in one patient (2.6%). PRGF eye-drops could be a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with stages 2-3 of NK, showing high rates of corneal defect/ulcer resolution in short times, either in reducing signs and symptoms of NK, and therefore preventing the progression of NK to greater ocular complications.

77 FR 69620 - Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-20

.../intend to own RINs which include blenders, brokers and marketers dropped significantly. Importers dropped... marketers dropped from 3000 responses to 1650 thus lessoning the reporting burden. The number of responses...

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

Hagos, Samson M.; Feng, Zhe; Burleyson, Casey D.

Regional cloud permitting model simulations of cloud populations observed during the 2011 ARM Madden Julian Oscillation Investigation Experiment/ Dynamics of Madden-Julian Experiment (AMIE/DYNAMO) field campaign are evaluated against radar and ship-based measurements. Sensitivity of model simulated surface rain rate statistics to parameters and parameterization of hydrometeor sizes in five commonly used WRF microphysics schemes are examined. It is shown that at 2 km grid spacing, the model generally overestimates rain rate from large and deep convective cores. Sensitivity runs involving variation of parameters that affect rain drop or ice particle size distribution (more aggressive break-up process etc) generally reduce themore » bias in rain-rate and boundary layer temperature statistics as the smaller particles become more vulnerable to evaporation. Furthermore significant improvement in the convective rain-rate statistics is observed when the horizontal grid-spacing is reduced to 1 km and 0.5 km, while it is worsened when run at 4 km grid spacing as increased turbulence enhances evaporation. The results suggest modulation of evaporation processes, through parameterization of turbulent mixing and break-up of hydrometeors may provide a potential avenue for correcting cloud statistics and associated boundary layer temperature biases in regional and global cloud permitting model simulations.« less

Note: Nonpolar solute partial molar volume response to attractive interactions with water.

PubMed

Williams, Steven M; Ashbaugh, Henry S

2014-01-07

The impact of attractive interactions on the partial molar volumes of methane-like solutes in water is characterized using molecular simulations. Attractions account for a significant 20% volume drop between a repulsive Weeks-Chandler-Andersen and full Lennard-Jones description of methane interactions. The response of the volume to interaction perturbations is characterized by linear fits to our simulations and a rigorous statistical thermodynamic expression for the derivative of the volume to increasing attractions. While a weak non-linear response is observed, an average effective slope accurately captures the volume decrease. This response, however, is anticipated to become more non-linear with increasing solute size.

Note: Nonpolar solute partial molar volume response to attractive interactions with water

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

Williams, Steven M.; Ashbaugh, Henry S., E-mail: hanka@tulane.edu

2014-01-07

The impact of attractive interactions on the partial molar volumes of methane-like solutes in water is characterized using molecular simulations. Attractions account for a significant 20% volume drop between a repulsive Weeks-Chandler-Andersen and full Lennard-Jones description of methane interactions. The response of the volume to interaction perturbations is characterized by linear fits to our simulations and a rigorous statistical thermodynamic expression for the derivative of the volume to increasing attractions. While a weak non-linear response is observed, an average effective slope accurately captures the volume decrease. This response, however, is anticipated to become more non-linear with increasing solute size.

A pilot study to evaluate the effects of floatation spa treatment on patients with osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Hill, S; Eckett, M J; Paterson, C; Harkness, E F

1999-12-01

To conduct a preliminary investigation of the effects on floatation spa therapy on quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis to see if controlled trials are warranted. Uncontrolled clinical trial. Private floatation spa therapy centre. Fourteen patients with chronic osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints, of whom four dropped out. Six weekly sessions of floatation spa therapy. SF36, AIMS2 and MYMOP quality-of-life questionnaires. All patients improved. Differences between baseline and discharge scores showed statistically significant improvement for MYMOP, but not AIMS2 or SF-36. Controlled trials of floatation spa therapy for patients with osteoarthritis are warranted.

Statistically validated network of portfolio overlaps and systemic risk.

PubMed

Gualdi, Stanislao; Cimini, Giulio; Primicerio, Kevin; Di Clemente, Riccardo; Challet, Damien

2016-12-21

Common asset holding by financial institutions (portfolio overlap) is nowadays regarded as an important channel for financial contagion with the potential to trigger fire sales and severe losses at the systemic level. We propose a method to assess the statistical significance of the overlap between heterogeneously diversified portfolios, which we use to build a validated network of financial institutions where links indicate potential contagion channels. The method is implemented on a historical database of institutional holdings ranging from 1999 to the end of 2013, but can be applied to any bipartite network. We find that the proportion of validated links (i.e. of significant overlaps) increased steadily before the 2007-2008 financial crisis and reached a maximum when the crisis occurred. We argue that the nature of this measure implies that systemic risk from fire sales liquidation was maximal at that time. After a sharp drop in 2008, systemic risk resumed its growth in 2009, with a notable acceleration in 2013. We finally show that market trends tend to be amplified in the portfolios identified by the algorithm, such that it is possible to have an informative signal about institutions that are about to suffer (enjoy) the most significant losses (gains).

Statistically validated network of portfolio overlaps and systemic risk

PubMed Central

Gualdi, Stanislao; Cimini, Giulio; Primicerio, Kevin; Di Clemente, Riccardo; Challet, Damien

2016-01-01

Common asset holding by financial institutions (portfolio overlap) is nowadays regarded as an important channel for financial contagion with the potential to trigger fire sales and severe losses at the systemic level. We propose a method to assess the statistical significance of the overlap between heterogeneously diversified portfolios, which we use to build a validated network of financial institutions where links indicate potential contagion channels. The method is implemented on a historical database of institutional holdings ranging from 1999 to the end of 2013, but can be applied to any bipartite network. We find that the proportion of validated links (i.e. of significant overlaps) increased steadily before the 2007–2008 financial crisis and reached a maximum when the crisis occurred. We argue that the nature of this measure implies that systemic risk from fire sales liquidation was maximal at that time. After a sharp drop in 2008, systemic risk resumed its growth in 2009, with a notable acceleration in 2013. We finally show that market trends tend to be amplified in the portfolios identified by the algorithm, such that it is possible to have an informative signal about institutions that are about to suffer (enjoy) the most significant losses (gains). PMID:28000764

Corneal Cross-Linking Has No Effect on Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 and 13 Levels During Fungal Keratitis on the Early Stage.

PubMed

Kalkanci, Ayse; Bilgihan, Kamil; Ozdemir, Huseyin Baran; Yar Saglam, Atiye Seda; Karakurt, Funda; Erdogan, Merve

2018-04-01

The aim of our study was to investigate matrix metalloproteinases, MMP-9 and MMP-13 levels, in the rabbit model of Fusarium and Candida keratitis treated by corneal cross-linking (PACK-CXL). Rabbit corneas were inoculated with fungal inoculum for keratitis. Each group divided into four subgroups, including un-treated group, PACK-CXL group, voriconazole group and PACK-CXL plus voriconazole group. PACK-CXL was applied with 0.25% riboflavin in accelerated Dresden protocol, and 0.1% voriconazole drops were administered. All corneal buttons excised at tenth day after ophthalmological examination. Fungal cell counts and Scheiber scores were determined in all groups. Corneal tissue MMP mRNA levels were evaluated quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. The difference in MMP-9 and MMP-13 levels at all groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). PACK-CXL with 0.25% riboflavin either alone or combined with antifungal drops was unable to provide decline in inflammatory findings in both macroscopic and microscopic levels similar to medical antifungal treatment.

Women have farther to fall: gender differences between normal elderly and Alzheimer's disease in verbal memory engender better detection of Alzheimer's disease in women.

PubMed

Chapman, Robert M; Mapstone, Mark; Gardner, Margaret N; Sandoval, Tiffany C; McCrary, John W; Guillily, Maria D; Reilly, Lindsey A; DeGrush, Elizabeth

2011-07-01

We analyzed verbal episodic memory learning and recall using the Logical Memory (LM) subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III to determine how gender differences in AD compare to those seen in normal elderly and whether or not these differences impact assessment of AD. We administered the LM to both an AD and a Control group, each comprised of 21 men and 21 women, and found a large drop in performance from normal elders to AD. Of interest was a gender interaction whereby the women's scores dropped 1.6 times more than the men's did. Control women on average outperformed Control men on every aspect of the test, including immediate recall, delayed recall, and learning. Conversely, AD women tended to perform worse than AD men. Additionally, the LM achieved perfect diagnostic accuracy in discriminant analysis of AD versus Control women, a statistically significantly higher result than for men. The results indicate the LM is a more powerful and reliable tool in detecting AD in women than in men.

Mental health service use by patients with dysthymic disorder: treatment use and dropout in a 7 1/2-year naturalistic follow-up study.

PubMed

McFarland, Brian R; Klein, Daniel N

2005-01-01

Little is known about long-term treatment use among patients with dysthymia. This paper describes patterns of treatment use by 85 outpatients with dysthymic disorder and a comparison group of 36 outpatients with nonchronic (episodic) major depression in a naturalistic follow-up. Patients with dysthymia had higher rates of treatment use across 7 1/2 years compared with patients with episodic major depression. Baseline variables that predicted which patients with dysthymia dropped out of treatment before recovering from dysthymic disorder included age, ethnicity, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition Axis II pathology as obtained from informant reports, higher self-reported autonomy, and receiving psychotherapy alone as compared to receiving a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Dysthymic disorder places a significant burden on the mental health services system, yet many outpatients with dysthymia may be receiving inadequate treatment. Younger patients, ethnic minority patients, and patients with personality disorders may be at increased risk of dropping out from treatment for depression. Combination treatments may increase treatment retention.

[Corneal reepithelialization time with instillation of eye drops containing sodium hyaluronate and carboxymethylcellulose].

PubMed

Moreira, Luciane Bugman; Scalco, Rochelli; Hara, Silvia

2013-10-01

Evaluate the time of post-abrasion corneal re-epithelialization using commercially available eye drops, one of which containing 0.4% sodium hialuronate, and the other containing 1% carboxymethylcellulose, and compare them to the re-epithelialization without the drops. 24 rabbits were used, which had the mechanical abrasion of the central 8 mm of their corneas done. These animals were divided in 3 groups. The first one received the drops containing 0.4% of sodium hialuronate, the second one received the drops containing 1% of carboxymethylcellulose and the third group did not receive any drugs. The evaluations took place every 24 hours through the analysis of digital pictures under cobalt blue light and coloring of the corneas with 2% fluorescein. The pictures were analyzed with the software Autocad 2009®. The data was analyzed through the comparison of the total re-epithelialization time among the three groups The time of total re-epithelialization of the group using sodium hialuronate was on average 90 hours and the group using carboxymethylcellulose 105 hours, while the group using no drugs was 108 hours. There was a better performance of those groups using the drops and this difference can be proved statistically. The drops containing 0.4% of sodium hialuronate showed a higher efficiency rate compared to the drops containing 1% of carboxymethylcellulose, which was higher than the control group. The results of the present study show that the use of lubricants in the process of re-epithelialization are extremely valid and must be used frequently in ophthalmologic clinic.

Improving Emergency Department Door to Doctor Time and Process Reliability

PubMed Central

El Sayed, Mazen J.; El-Eid, Ghada R.; Saliba, Miriam; Jabbour, Rima; Hitti, Eveline A.

2015-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using lean management methods on improving emergency department door to doctor times at a tertiary care hospital. We performed a before and after study at an academic urban emergency department with 49,000 annual visits after implementing a series of lean driven interventions over a 20 month period. The primary outcome was mean door to doctor time and the secondary outcome was length of stay of both admitted and discharged patients. A convenience sample from the preintervention phase (February 2012) was compared to another from the postintervention phase (mid-October to mid-November 2013). Individual control charts were used to assess process stability. Postintervention there was a statistically significant decrease in the mean door to doctor time measure (40.0 minutes ± 53.44 vs 25.3 minutes ± 15.93 P < 0.001). The postintervention process was more statistically in control with a drop in the upper control limits from 148.8 to 72.9 minutes. Length of stay of both admitted and discharged patients dropped from 2.6 to 2.0 hours and 9.0 to 5.5 hours, respectively. All other variables including emergency department visit daily volumes, hospital occupancy, and left without being seen rates were comparable. Using lean change management techniques can be effective in reducing door to doctor time in the Emergency Department and improving process reliability. PMID:26496278

Post Hoc Analyses of ApoE Genotype-Defined Subgroups in Clinical Trials.

PubMed

Kennedy, Richard E; Cutter, Gary R; Wang, Guoqiao; Schneider, Lon S

2016-01-01

Many post hoc analyses of clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are in small Phase 2 trials. Subject heterogeneity may lead to statistically significant post hoc results that cannot be replicated in larger follow-up studies. We investigated the extent of this problem using simulation studies mimicking current trial methods with post hoc analyses based on ApoE4 carrier status. We used a meta-database of 24 studies, including 3,574 subjects with mild AD and 1,171 subjects with MCI/prodromal AD, to simulate clinical trial scenarios. Post hoc analyses examined if rates of progression on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive (ADAS-cog) differed between ApoE4 carriers and non-carriers. Across studies, ApoE4 carriers were younger and had lower baseline scores, greater rates of progression, and greater variability on the ADAS-cog. Up to 18% of post hoc analyses for 18-month trials in AD showed greater rates of progression for ApoE4 non-carriers that were statistically significant but unlikely to be confirmed in follow-up studies. The frequency of erroneous conclusions dropped below 3% with trials of 100 subjects per arm. In MCI, rates of statistically significant differences with greater progression in ApoE4 non-carriers remained below 3% unless sample sizes were below 25 subjects per arm. Statistically significant differences for ApoE4 in post hoc analyses often reflect heterogeneity among small samples rather than true differential effect among ApoE4 subtypes. Such analyses must be viewed cautiously. ApoE genotype should be incorporated into the design stage to minimize erroneous conclusions.

Safety and efficacy of 0.1% clobetasone butyrate eyedrops in the treatment of dry eye in Sjögren syndrome.

PubMed

Aragona, Pasquale; Spinella, Rosaria; Rania, Laura; Postorino, Elisa; Sommario, Margherita S; Roszkowska, Anna M; Puzzolo, Domenico

2013-01-01

To study the effects of a low administration rate and low concentration (0.1%) of clobetasone butyrate eyedrops in patients with Sjögren syndrome (SS).
 This prospective, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled study included 40 subjects divided into 2 treatment groups: group 1 (2% polyvinylpyrrolidone eyedrops and placebo) and group 2 (2% polyvinylpyrrolidone and 0.1% clobetasone butyrate, 1 drop BID). The treatment lasted for 30 days, with visits at enrollment, baseline, day 15, day 30, and after 15 days of treatment discontinuation. At each visit, symptoms questionnaire, tear film break-up time, corneal fluorescein stain, lissamine green stain, conjunctival impression cytology for human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) expression, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and fundus examination were performed. 
 No changes in IOP or fundus examination were observed in either group at each time point. Group 1 patients showed at day 30 a statistically significant amelioration of symptoms and reduction of HLA-DR expression. No changes in other parameters were detected. Group 2 patients showed at day 15 a statistically significant improvement of corneal and conjunctival stain versus baseline values and group 1 at the same time; after 30 days the symptoms score was statistically significantly better than baseline values and group 1 at the same time. The HLA-DR expression and the epithelial cells area were statistically significantly reduced versus baseline and group 1 at the same time. 
 Anti-inflammatory therapy is critical for the treatment of SS dry eye. Clobetasone butyrate, at low dosage, proved to be safe and effective in treating this condition.

A systematic search of sudden pressure drops on Gale crater during two Martian years derived from MSL/REMS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordonez-Etxeberria, Iñaki; Hueso, Ricardo; Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín

2018-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover carries a suite of meteorological detectors that constitute the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument. REMS investigates the meteorological conditions at Gale crater by obtaining high-frequency data of pressure, air and ground temperature, relative humidity, UV flux at the surface and wind intensity and direction with some limitations in the wind data. We have run a search of atmospheric pressure drops of short duration (< 25 s) and we present a statistical study of the frequency of these events in the REMS pressure data during its first 1417 sols (more than two Martian years). The identified daytime pressure drops could be caused by the close passages of warm vortices and dust devils. Previous systematic searches of warm vortices from REMS pressure data (Kahanpää et al., 2016; Steakley and Murphy, 2016) cover about one Martian year. We show that sudden pressure drops are twice more abundant in the second Martian year [sols 671-1339] than in the first one analyzed in previous works. The higher number of detections could be linked to a combination of different topography, higher altitudes (120 m above the landing site) and true inter-annual meteorological variability. We found 1129 events with a pressure drop larger than 0.5 Pa. Of these, 635 occurred during the local daytime (∼56%) and 494 were nocturnal. The most intense pressure drop (4.2 Pa) occurred at daytime on sol 1417 (areocentric solar longitude Ls = 195°) and was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in the UV signal of 7.1%, pointing to a true dust devil. We also discuss similar but less intense simultaneous pressure and UV radiation drops that constitute 0.7% of all daytime events. Most of the intense daytime pressure drops with variations larger than 1.0 Pa occur when the difference between air and ground temperature is larger than 15 K. Statistically, the frequency of daytime pressure drops peaks close to noon (12:00-13:00 Local True Solar Time or LTST) with more events in spring and summer (Ls from 180° to 360°). The nocturnal sudden pressure drops concentrate in the 20:00-23:00 LTST time interval and they only occur in spring and summer. We interpret these nocturnal events as a consequence of local mechanically forced turbulence. This interpretation is consistent with published results from simulations with the MRAMS model (Rafkin et al., 2016) that predict a competition between local orographic circulation and global Hadley cell circulation at Gale crater at summer night-time that can enhance forced turbulence at the surface. Bursts of pressure drops appear on particular sols, especially at night-time. Most of the vortex bursts occurred when MSL was in the region called Pahrump Hills characterized by a complex terrain. A comparison of the daytime pressure drops from REMS data with published results from the Pathfinder and Phoenix missions shows that the frequency of daytime events at Gale crater in spring and summer is similar to the one previously found at other locations. Finally, we present possible correlations between MSL activity and some daytime pressure drops. If such an instrumental effect is present in the REMS data its impact in this analysis is small and would only affect about 7% of our detections.

Influence of solidification on the impact of supercooled water drops onto cold surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hai; Roisman, Ilia V.; Tropea, Cameron

2015-06-01

This study presents an experimental investigation of the impact of a supercooled drop onto hydrophilic and superhydrophobic substrates. The aim is to better understand the process of airframe icing caused by supercooled large droplets, which has been recently identified as a severe hazard in aviation. The Weber number and Reynolds number of the impinging drop ranged from 200 to 300 and from 2600 to 5800, respectively. Drop impact, spreading, and rebound were observed using a high-speed video system. The maximum spreading diameter of an impacting drop on hydrophilic surfaces was measured. The temperature effect on this parameter was only minor for a wide range of the drop and substrate temperatures. However, ice/water mixtures emerged when both the drop and substrate temperatures were below 0 °C. Similarly, drop rebound on superhydrophobic substrates was significantly hindered by solidification when supercooled drop impacted onto substrates below the freezing point. The minimum receding diameter and the speed of ice accretion on the substrate were measured for various wall temperatures. Both parameters increased almost linearly with decreasing wall temperature, but eventually leveled off beyond a certain substrate temperature. The rate of ice formation on the substrate was significantly higher than the growth rate of free ice dendrites, implying that multiple nucleation sites were present.

Serration Behavior of a Zr-Based Metallic Glass Under Different Constrained Loading Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, G. N.; Gu, J. L.; Chen, S. Q.; Shao, Y.; Wang, H.; Yao, K. F.

2016-11-01

To understand the plastic behavior and shear band dynamics of metallic glasses (MGs) being tuned by the external constraint, uniaxial compression tests were performed on Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10.0Be22.5 MG samples with aspect ratios of 0.5:1, 1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1, 2.5:1, and 3:1. Better plasticity was observed for the samples with smaller aspect ratio (under higher constraint degree). In the beginning of yielding, increasing serration (jerky stress drop) size on the loading curves was noticed for all samples. Statistical analysis of the serration patterns indicated that the small stress-drop serrations and large stress-drop serrations follow self-organized critical and chaotic dynamics, respectively. Under constrained loading, the large stress-drop serrations are depressed, while the small stress-drop serrations are less affected. When changing the external constraint level by varying the sample aspect ratio, the serration pattern, shear band dynamics, and plastic behavior will change accordingly. This study provides a perspective from tuning shear band dynamics to understand the plastic behavior of MGs under different external constraint.

Consequences of pediatric obesity on the foot and ankle complex.

PubMed

Shultz, Sarah P; Sitler, Michael R; Tierney, Ryan T; Hillstrom, Howard J; Song, Jinsup

2012-01-01

Anthropometric status can influence gait biomechanics, but there is relatively little published research regarding foot and ankle characteristics in the obese pediatric population. We sought to compare the structural and functional characteristics of the foot and ankle complex in obese and non-obese children. Twenty healthy children (ten obese and ten normal weight) were recruited for a cross-sectional research study. Anthropometric parameters were measured to evaluate active ankle dorsiflexion, arch height (arch height index, arch rigidity index ratio, and arch drop), foot alignment (resting calcaneal stance position and forefoot-rearfoot alignment in unloaded and loaded positions), and foot type (malleolar valgus index). Independent t tests determined significant differences between groups for all assessed parameters. Statistical significance was set at P < .0125. Compared with non-obese participants, obese participants had significantly greater arch drop (mean ± SD: 5.10 ± 2.13 mm versus 2.90 ± 1.20 mm; P =.011) and a trend toward lower arch rigidity index ratios (mean ± SD: 0.92 ± 0.03 versus 0.95 ± 0.02; P = .013). In addition, obese participants had significantly less active ankle dorsiflexion at 90° of knee flexion versus non-obese participants (mean ± SD: 19.57 ± 5.17 versus 29.07 ± 3.06; P < .001). No significant differences existed between groups for any other anthropometric measurements. The decreased active ankle dorsiflexion in the obese group can increase foot contact for a longer period of the stance phase of gait. Obese participants also presented with a more flexible foot when bearing weight.

On the scale dependence of earthquake stress drop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocco, Massimo; Tinti, Elisa; Cirella, Antonella

2016-10-01

We discuss the debated issue of scale dependence in earthquake source mechanics with the goal of providing supporting evidence to foster the adoption of a coherent interpretative framework. We examine the heterogeneous distribution of source and constitutive parameters during individual ruptures and their scaling with earthquake size. We discuss evidence that slip, slip-weakening distance and breakdown work scale with seismic moment and are interpreted as scale dependent parameters. We integrate our estimates of earthquake stress drop, computed through a pseudo-dynamic approach, with many others available in the literature for both point sources and finite fault models. We obtain a picture of the earthquake stress drop scaling with seismic moment over an exceptional broad range of earthquake sizes (-8 < MW < 9). Our results confirm that stress drop values are scattered over three order of magnitude and emphasize the lack of corroborating evidence that stress drop scales with seismic moment. We discuss these results in terms of scale invariance of stress drop with source dimension to analyse the interpretation of this outcome in terms of self-similarity. Geophysicists are presently unable to provide physical explanations of dynamic self-similarity relying on deterministic descriptions of micro-scale processes. We conclude that the interpretation of the self-similar behaviour of stress drop scaling is strongly model dependent. We emphasize that it relies on a geometric description of source heterogeneity through the statistical properties of initial stress or fault-surface topography, in which only the latter is constrained by observations.

Repeated Sprint Ability with Inclusion of Changing Direction among Veteran Soccer Players

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salleh, Omar Md; Nadzalan, Ali Md; Ikhwan Mohamad, Nur; Rahmat, Azali; Azny Mustafa, Mirza; Tan, Kevin

2018-05-01

This study was conducted to determine the repeated sprint ability (RSA) with the inclusion of changing direction among veteran soccer players. Twelve main players from a university veteran soccer team were recruited and were required to perform the RSA test in two conditions; i) without ball and ii) with ball. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed rank test was conducted to determine the mean score and the differences of sprint time, percentage of decrement score of sprinting (Sdec) and fatigue index (FI) between the two conditions. Both conditions demonstrated significantly drop in speed in the fifth sprint. Results showed sprint time, Sdec and FI were found to be significantly different between both conditions. Findings of this study demonstrated the important for specific training to sports for performance enhancement.

Plyometric jumping performances of male and female gymnasts from different heights.

PubMed

Marina, Michel; Jemni, Monèm; Rodríguez, Ferran A; Jimenez, Alfonso

2012-07-01

The objective of this study was to investigate and compare the factors influencing plyometric jumping performance between well-trained gymnasts and a control group. Seventy-six gymnasts and 91 moderately active subjects volunteered to participate in this study. Drop jumps (DJ) were performed from 20-, 40-, 60-, 80-, and 100-cm heights. Flight time (FT) and contact time (CT) were recorded using contact mat. Flight time to contact time (FC) ratio and Bosco expression (BE) were calculated. Male gymnasts scored similar FT to their controls, whereas female gymnasts had significantly longer FT compared with their peers. The gymnasts obtained significantly shorter CT than their control groups, whereas their FC ratios were significantly higher and increased when the height of the drops was close to 60 cm. Moreover, gymnasts' BE was greater in comparison to their respective control groups independent of the drop height. The height of the drop that produced the best FC ratio and BE varied between the groups. The best performances were obtained between 40- and 60-cm drop height for both groups. Female control group showed a trend toward a continuing decline with the increase of the drop height. The best gymnasts (finalists at World Championships) obtained their best performance at 80-cm drop. Flight time is the less discriminating factor distinguishing gymnasts' DJ performances. Considering CT, FC, and BE results all together could better profile the gymnasts rather than taken separately. Bosco expression was shown to be more sensitive to the increase in FT; we suggest BE as the best criteria to assess the appropriate drop height for plyometric training purposes in gymnasts as it has been significantly correlated to FT.

[Safety and efficacy of a new preservative-free levocabastine ophthalmic solution (Levofree®) using the conjunctival provocation test].

PubMed

Allaire, C; Siou-Mermet, R; Bassols, A

2012-09-01

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of preservative-free levocabastine 0.05 % ophthalmic solution compared to placebo (vehicle) and to preserved levocabastine 0.05 % ophthalmic suspension in the prevention of allergic conjunctivitis induced by a conjunctival provocation test. Ninety-two subjects (18-50 years) with a previous history of allergic conjunctivitis to pollen were randomised to receive either preservative-free levocabastine solution in one eye and preserved levocabastine suspension in the fellow eye (n=69), or preservative-free levocabastine in one eye and placebo in the fellow eye (n=23). One drop of each product was administered 10 minutes (visit 3) and 4 hours (visit 4) prior to the provocation test. The primary efficacy criterion was the sum of the itching and conjunctival hyperemia scores assessed at 3, 5 and 10 minutes after the provocation test. The safety evaluation included adverse events, visual acuity, intra-ocular pressure and study drug drop sensation. The efficacy of the preservative-free solution was significantly higher than that of placebo at all time points (P≤0.01) with one exception at visit 4 (3 minutes after the provocation test). It was significantly higher than that of the preserved suspension at visit 3, and equivalent at visit 4. The incidence of adverse events was lower with the preservative-free solution than with the preserved suspension. 94.2 % and 95.7 % subjects rated preservative-free levocabastine drop sensation as "good" or "very good" at visits 3 and 4 respectively, whereas these rates were 68.1 % and 63.8 % with preserved levocabastine. This difference between the two formulations was highly statistically significant (P<0.001). The efficacy of preservative-free levocabastine was superior to that of the placebo and of the preserved suspension at visit 3, at least as effective as the preserved suspension at visit 4, and better tolerated at each visit. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Statistical analysis plan for the Laser-1st versus Drops-1st for Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension Trial (LiGHT): a multi-centre randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Vickerstaff, Victoria; Ambler, Gareth; Bunce, Catey; Xing, Wen; Gazzard, Gus

2015-11-11

The LiGHT trial (Laser-1st versus Drops-1st for Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension Trial) is a multicentre randomised controlled trial of two treatment pathways for patients who are newly diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT). The main hypothesis for the trial is that lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) with selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as the primary treatment ('Laser-1st') leads to a better health-related quality of life than for those started on IOP-lowering drops as their primary treatment ('Medicine-1st') and that this is associated with reduced costs and improved tolerability of treatment. This paper describes the statistical analysis plan for the study. The LiGHT trial is an unmasked, multi-centre randomised controlled trial. A total of 718 patients (359 per arm) are being randomised to two groups: medicine-first or laser-first treatment. Outcomes are recorded at baseline and at 6-month intervals up to 36 months. The primary outcome measure is health-related quality of life (HRQL) at 36 months measured using the EQ-5D-5L. The main secondary outcome is the Glaucoma Utility Index. We plan to analyse the patient outcome data according to the group to which the patient was originally assigned. Methods of statistical analysis are described, including the handling of missing data, the covariates used in the adjusted analyses and the planned sensitivity analyses. The trial was registered with the ISRCTN register on 23/07/2012, number ISRCTN32038223 .

WE-A-17A-09: Exploiting Electromagnetic Technologies for Real-Time Seed Drop Position Validation in Permanent Implant Brachytherapy

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

Racine, E; Hautvast, G; Binnekamp, D

Purpose: To report on preliminary results validating the performance of a specially designed LDR brachytherapy needle prototype possessing both electromagnetic (EM) tracking and seed drop detection abilities. Methods: An EM hollow needle prototype has been designed and constructed in collaboration with research partner Philips Healthcare. The needle possesses conventional 3D tracking capabilities, along with a novel seed drop detection mechanism exploiting local changes of electromagnetic properties generated by the passage of seeds in the needle's embedded sensor coils. These two capabilities are exploited by proprietary engineering and signal processing techniques to generate seed drop position estimates in real-time treatment delivery.more » The electromagnetic tracking system (EMTS) used for the experiment is the NDI Aurora Planar Field Generator. The experiment consisted of dropping a total of 35 seeds in a prismatic agarose phantom, and comparing the 3D seed drop positions of the EMTS to those obtained by an image analysis of subsequent micro-CT scans. Drop position error computations and statistical analysis were performed after a 3D registration of the two seed distributions. Results: Of the 35 seeds dropped in the phantom, 32 were properly detected by the needle prototype. Absolute drop position errors among the detected seeds ranged from 0.5 to 4.8 mm with mean and standard deviation values of 1.6 and 0.9 mm, respectively. Error measurements also include undesirable and uncontrollable effects such as seed motion upon deposition. The true accuracy performance of the needle prototype is therefore underestimated. Conclusion: This preliminary study demonstrates the potential benefits of EM technologies in detecting the passage of seeds in a hollow needle as a means of generating drop position estimates in real-time treatment delivery. Such tools could therefore represent a potentially interesting addition to existing brachytherapy protocols for rapid dosimetry validation. Equipments and fundings for this project were provided by Philips Medical.« less

The biomechanical modelling of non-ballistic skin wounding: blunt-force injury.

PubMed

Whittle, Kelly; Kieser, Jules; Ichim, Ionut; Swain, Michael; Waddell, Neil; Livingstone, Vicki; Taylor, Michael

2008-01-01

Knowledge of the biomechanical dynamics of blunt force trauma is indispensable for forensic reconstruction of a wounding event. In this study, we describe and interpret wound features on a synthetic skin model under defined laboratory conditions. To simulate skin and the sub-dermal tissues we used open-celled polyurethane sponge (foam), covered by a silicone layer. A drop tube device with three tube lengths (300, 400, and 500 mm), each secured to a weighted steel scaffold and into which a round, 5-kg Federal dumbbell of length 180 mm and diameter 8 cm was placed delivered blows of known impact. To calculate energy and velocity at impact the experimental set-up was replicated using rigid-body dynamics and motion simulation software. We soaked each foam square in 500 mL water, until fully saturated, immediately before placing it beneath the drop tube. We then recorded and classified both external and internal lacerations. The association between external wounding rates and the explanatory variables sponge type, sponge thickness, and height were investigated using Poisson regression. Tears (lacerations) of the silicone skin layer resembled linear lacerations seen in the clinical literature and resulted from only 48.6% of impacts. Poisson regression showed there was no significant difference between the rate of external wounding for different sponge types (P = 0.294) or different drop heights (P = 0.276). Most impacts produced "internal wounds" or subsurface cavitation (96%). There were four internal "wound" types; Y-shape (53%), linear (25%), stellate (16%), and double crescent (6%). The two-way interaction height by sponge type was statistically significant in the analysis of variance model (P = 0.035). The other two-way interactions; height by thickness and sponge type by thickness, were also bordering on statistical significance (P = 0.061 and P = 0.071, respectively). The observation that external wounds were present for less than half of impacts only, but that nearly all impacts resulted in internal wounds, might explain the observed haematoma formation and contusions so often associated with blunt-force injuries. Our study also confirms the key role of hydrodynamic pressure changes in the actual tearing of subcutaneous tissue. At the moment and site of impact, transferred kinetic energy creates a region of high pressure on the fluid inside the tissue. As a result of the incompressibility of the fluid, this will be displaced away from the impact at a rate that depends on the velocity (or kinetic energy) of impact and the permeability and stiffness of the polymeric foam and skin layer.

In vitro comparison of antimicrobial activity of aqueous decoction of Coriandrum sativum, and Dentol Drop with chlorhexidine on Streptococcus mutans

PubMed Central

Moradian, Hamid; Bazargani, Abdollah; Rafiee, Azade; Nazarialam, Ali

2013-01-01

Background and objectives Dental caries is still remained as a major health problem. This problem has created a new interest to search for new antimicrobial agents from various sources including medicinal plants. Since limited data is available so far regarding the antibacterial effect of Coriandrum sativum seed and Dentol Drop against Streptococcus mutans, this study aims to assess this activity. Materials and Methods This experimental study was conducted in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In vitro comparison of antimicrobial activity of aqueous decoction of Coriandrum sativum seed and Dentol drop with chlorhexidine against Streptococcus mutans was evaluated using disk diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Positive and negative controls were considered. The data was statistically analyzed by applying Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey post-hoc test to compare the groups using SPSS software (version 17). Results Dentol drop showed a remarkable antibacterial activity, in comparison with chlorhexidine, against S. mutans in the disk diffusion (p value = 0.005), and broth microdilution assays (p value = 0.0001). Based on the results of this study, Coriandrum sativum seed did not posses any antibacterial property. Conclusion Coriandrum sativum seed showed no anti-Streptococcus mutans activity. Dentol drop exhibited a remarkable antibacterial activity against S. mutans when tested in vitro. Dentol drop can be further studied as a preventive measure for dental caries. PMID:24475330

Combined Effects of Fatigue and Surface Instability on Jump Biomechanics in Elite Athletes.

PubMed

Prieske, Olaf; Demps, Marie; Lesinski, Melanie; Granacher, Urs

2017-09-01

The present study aimed to examine the effects of fatigue and surface instability on kinetic and kinematic jump performance measures. Ten female and 10 male elite volleyball players (18±2 years) performed repetitive vertical double-leg box jumps until failure. Pre and post fatigue, jump height/performance index, ground reaction force and knee flexion/valgus angles were assessed during drop and countermovement jumps on stable and unstable surfaces. Fatigue, surface condition, and sex resulted in significantly lower drop jump performance and ground reaction force (p≤0.031, 1.1≤d≤3.5). Additionally, drop jump knee flexion angles were significantly lower following fatigue (p=0.006, d=1.5). A significant fatigue×surface×sex interaction (p=0.020, d=1.2) revealed fatigue-related decrements in drop jump peak knee flexion angles under unstable conditions and in men only. Knee valgus angles were higher on unstable compared to stable surfaces during drop jumps and in females compared to males during drop and countermovement jumps (p≤0.054, 1.0≤d≤1.1). Significant surface×sex interactions during countermovement jumps (p=0.002, d=1.9) indicated that knee valgus angles at onset of ground contact were significantly lower on unstable compared to stable surfaces in males but higher in females. Our findings revealed that fatigue and surface instability resulted in sex-specific knee motion strategies during jumping in elite volleyball players. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Blood pressure and heart rate response to posteriorly directed pressure applied to the cervical spine in young, pain-free individuals: a randomized, repeated-measures, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

PubMed

Yung, Emmanuel; Wong, Michael; Williams, Haddie; Mache, Kyle

2014-08-01

Randomized clinical trial. Objectives To compare the blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) response of healthy volunteers to posteriorly directed (anterior-to-posterior [AP]) pressure applied to the cervical spine versus placebo. Manual therapists employ cervical spine AP mobilizations for various cervical-shoulder pain conditions. However, there is a paucity of literature describing the procedure, cardiovascular response, and safety profile. Thirty-nine (25 female) healthy participants (mean ± SD age, 24.7 ± 1.9 years) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Group 1 received a placebo, consisting of light touch applied to the right C6 costal process. Group 2 received AP pressure at the same location. Blood pressure and HR were measured prior to, during, and after the application of AP pressure. One-way analysis of variance and paired-difference statistics were used for data analysis. There was no statistically significant difference between groups for mean systolic BP, mean diastolic BP, and mean HR (P >.05) for all time points. Within-group comparisons indicated statistically significant differences between baseline and post-AP pressure HR (-2.8 bpm; 95% confidence interval: -4.6, -1.1) and between baseline and post-AP pressure systolic BP (-2.4 mmHg; 95% confidence interval: -3.7, -1.0) in the AP group, and between baseline and postplacebo systolic BP (-2.6 mmHg; 95% confidence interval: -4.2, -1.0) in the placebo group. No participants reported any adverse reactions or side effects within 24 hours of testing. AP pressure caused a statistically significant physiologic response that resulted in a minor drop in HR (without causing asystole or vasodepression) after the procedure, whereas this cardiovascular change did not occur for those in the placebo group. Within both groups, there was a small but statistically significant reduction in systolic BP following the procedure.

Evidence of the relative age effect in football in Australia.

PubMed

van den Honert, Robin

2012-01-01

The birth date distributions of elite male and female footballers in Australia, from junior youth (age 14 and upwards) to senior (professional) players, were examined. A statistically significant relative age effect was found among junior male players, reducing in effect with increasing age. An inter-year relative age effect that became apparent among the players at national level in the Under-17 and Under-20 age groups, due to the timing of the respective World Cups for those age groups, was also identified. It is conjectured that this might lead to players born in certain years having a curtailed pathway in the elite game, leading to drop-out among this very elite group. In the case of women elite players, no significant relative age effect was found among youth players, possibly due to less fierce competition for places, although a significant effect was found to exist at senior elite level.

Rain drop size densities over land and over sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bumke, Karl

2010-05-01

A detailed knowledge of rain drop size densities is an essential presumption with respect to remote sensing of precipitation. Since maritime and continental aerosol is significantly different yielding to differences in cloud drop size densities, maritime and continental rain drop size densities may be different, too. In fact only a little is known about differences in rain drop size densities between land and sea due to a lack of suitable data over the sea. To fill in this gap measurements were performed during the recent 10 years at different locations in Germany and on board of research vessels over the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean. Measurements were done by using an optical disdrometer (ODM 470, Großklaus et al., 1998), which is designed especially to perform precipitation measurements on moving ships and under high wind speeds. Temporal resolution of measurements is generally 1 minute, total number of time series is about 220000. To investigate differences in drop size densities over land and over sea measurements have been divided into four classes on the basis of prevailing continental or maritime influence: land measurements, coastal measurements, measurements in areas of semi-enclosed seas, and open sea measurements. In general differences in drop size densities are small between different areas. A Kolmogoroff Smirnoff test does not give any significant difference between drop size densities over land, coastal areas, semi-enclosed, and open seas at an error rate of 5%. Thus, it can be concluded that there are no systematic differences between maritime and continental drop size densities. The best fit of drop size densities is an exponential decay curve, N(D ) = 6510m -3mm -1mm0.14h- 0.14×R-0.14×exp(- 4.4mm0.25h-0.25×R- 0.25×D mm -1), it is estimated by using the method of least squares. N(D) is the drop size density normalized by the resolution of the optical disdrometer, D the diameter of rain drops in mm, and R the precipitation rate in mmh-1.The precipitation rate dependent factor in the exponential is similar to that given by Marshall and Palmer (1948). The intercept parameter, in the original Marshall Palmer formulation not depending on the rain rate, is also of the same order. A number of recent publications have shown that drop size densities of convective and stratiform rain show significant differences, too. Several procedures have been developed in the past to decide, whether precipitation is of stratiform or convective character. Here two of them are used, temporal variability in rain rates and additional information by weather radar data for the South Western Baltic Sea. Main result is that differences in drop size densities depend on the integration time of measurements. For integration times of 1 minute no significant differences can be detected at an error rate of 5%, while integration times of 10 minutes yield to significant differences between drop size densities of prevailing stratiform and convective rain. References: Großklaus, M., K.Uhlig, and L.Hasse, 1998: An Optical Disdrometer for Use in High Wind Speeds, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology Vol. 15(4). 1051-1059 Marshall, J.S. and W.M.K.Palmer, 1948: The distribution of rain drops with size, J. Meteor., 5, 165-166

Ultrasonic atomization of liquids in drop-chain acoustic fountains

PubMed Central

Simon, Julianna C.; Sapozhnikov, Oleg A.; Khokhlova, Vera A.; Crum, Lawrence A.; Bailey, Michael R.

2015-01-01

When focused ultrasound waves of moderate intensity in liquid encounter an air interface, a chain of drops emerges from the liquid surface to form what is known as a drop-chain fountain. Atomization, or the emission of micro-droplets, occurs when the acoustic intensity exceeds a liquid-dependent threshold. While the cavitation-wave hypothesis, which states that atomization arises from a combination of capillary-wave instabilities and cavitation bubble oscillations, is currently the most accepted theory of atomization, more data on the roles of cavitation, capillary waves, and even heat deposition or boiling would be valuable. In this paper, we experimentally test whether bubbles are a significant mechanism of atomization in drop-chain fountains. High-speed photography was used to observe the formation and atomization of drop-chain fountains composed of water and other liquids. For a range of ultrasonic frequencies and liquid sound speeds, it was found that the drop diameters approximately equalled the ultrasonic wavelengths. When water was exchanged for other liquids, it was observed that the atomization threshold increased with shear viscosity. Upon heating water, it was found that the time to commence atomization decreased with increasing temperature. Finally, water was atomized in an overpressure chamber where it was found that atomization was significantly diminished when the static pressure was increased. These results indicate that bubbles, generated by either acoustic cavitation or boiling, contribute significantly to atomization in the drop-chain fountain. PMID:25977591

Application of an improved spectral decomposition method to examine earthquake source scaling in Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trugman, Daniel T.; Shearer, Peter M.

2017-04-01

Earthquake source spectra contain fundamental information about the dynamics of earthquake rupture. However, the inherent tradeoffs in separating source and path effects, when combined with limitations in recorded signal bandwidth, make it challenging to obtain reliable source spectral estimates for large earthquake data sets. We present here a stable and statistically robust spectral decomposition method that iteratively partitions the observed waveform spectra into source, receiver, and path terms. Unlike previous methods of its kind, our new approach provides formal uncertainty estimates and does not assume self-similar scaling in earthquake source properties. Its computational efficiency allows us to examine large data sets (tens of thousands of earthquakes) that would be impractical to analyze using standard empirical Green's function-based approaches. We apply the spectral decomposition technique to P wave spectra from five areas of active contemporary seismicity in Southern California: the Yuha Desert, the San Jacinto Fault, and the Big Bear, Landers, and Hector Mine regions of the Mojave Desert. We show that the source spectra are generally consistent with an increase in median Brune-type stress drop with seismic moment but that this observed deviation from self-similar scaling is both model dependent and varies in strength from region to region. We also present evidence for significant variations in median stress drop and stress drop variability on regional and local length scales. These results both contribute to our current understanding of earthquake source physics and have practical implications for the next generation of ground motion prediction assessments.

Observational evidence for volcanic impact on sea level and the global water cycle

PubMed Central

Grinsted, A.; Moore, J. C.; Jevrejeva, S.

2007-01-01

It has previously been noted that there are drops in global sea level (GSL) after some major volcanic eruptions. However, observational evidence has not been convincing because there is substantial variability in the global sea level record over periods similar to those at which we expect volcanoes to have an impact. To quantify the impact of volcanic eruptions we average monthly GSL data from 830 tide gauge records around five major volcanic eruptions. Surprisingly, we find that the initial response to a volcanic eruption is a significant rise in sea level of 9 ± 3 mm in the first year after the eruption. This rise is followed by a drop of 7 ± 3 mm in the period 2–3 years after the eruption relative to preeruption sea level. These results are statistically robust and no particular volcanic eruption or ocean region dominates the signature we find. Neither the drop nor especially the rise in GSL can be explained by models of lower oceanic heat content. We suggest that the mechanism is a transient disturbance of the water cycle with a delayed response of land river runoff relative to ocean evaporation and global precipitation that affects global sea level. The volcanic impact on the water cycle and sea levels is comparable in magnitude to that of a large El Niño–La Niña cycle, amounting to ≈5% of global land precipitation. PMID:18056644

Increasing alcohol restrictions and rates of serious injury in four remote Australian Indigenous communities.

PubMed

Margolis, Stephen A; Ypinazar, Valmae A; Muller, Reinhold; Clough, Alan

2011-05-16

To document rates of serious injuries in relation to government alcohol restrictions in remote Australian Indigenous communities. An ecological study using Royal Flying Doctor Service injury retrieval data, before and after changes in legal access to alcohol in four remote Australian Indigenous communities, Queensland, 1 January 1996-31 July 2010. Changes in rates of aeromedical retrievals for serious injury, and proportion of retrievals for serious injury, before and after alcohol restrictions. After alcohol restrictions were introduced in 2002-2003, retrieval rates for serious injury dropped initially, and then increased in the 2 years before further restrictions in 2008 (average increase, 2.34 per 1000 per year). This trend reversed in the 2 years after the 2008 restrictions (average decrease, 7.97 per 1000 per year). There was a statistically significant decreasing time trend in serious-injury retrieval rates in each of the four communities for the period 2 years before the 2002-2003 restrictions, 2 years before the 2008 restrictions, and the final 2 years of observations (2009-2010) (P < 0.001 for all four communities combined). Overall, serious-injury retrieval rates dropped from 30 per 1000 in 2008 to 14 per 1000 in 2010, and the proportions of serious-injury retrievals decreased significantly for all four communities. The absolute and the proportional rates of serious-injury retrievals fell significantly as government restrictions on legal access to alcohol increased; they are now at their lowest recorded level in 15 years.

Illinois crash facts and statistics, 2010

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

The number of reported motor vehicle crashes decreased from the previous year to fewer than 290,000 crashes in calendar year 2010. In addition, the number of persons injured in crashes dropped below 89,000 and the number of fatalities on Illinois roa...

AGARD Bulletin. Technical Programme, 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

ionospheric effect models and their associated codes. Physical, statistical , and nybrid models will be described in a comprehensive manner. Descriptions...will be to review: The various conventional modes of optical correction required either by ametropias or by normal or pathological drops in visual

An algorithm for selecting the most accurate protocol for contact angle measurement by drop shape analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Z N

2014-12-01

In this study, an error analysis is performed to study real water drop images and the corresponding numerically generated water drop profiles for three widely used static contact angle algorithms: the circle- and ellipse-fitting algorithms and the axisymmetric drop shape analysis-profile (ADSA-P) algorithm. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the numerically generated drop profiles based on the Laplace equation. A significant number of water drop profiles with different volumes, contact angles, and noise levels are generated, and the influences of the three factors on the accuracies of the three algorithms are systematically investigated. The results reveal that the above-mentioned three algorithms are complementary. In fact, the circle- and ellipse-fitting algorithms show low errors and are highly resistant to noise for water drops with small/medium volumes and contact angles, while for water drop with large volumes and contact angles just the ADSA-P algorithm can meet accuracy requirement. However, this algorithm introduces significant errors in the case of small volumes and contact angles because of its high sensitivity to noise. The critical water drop volumes of the circle- and ellipse-fitting algorithms corresponding to a certain contact angle error are obtained through a significant amount of computation. To improve the precision of the static contact angle measurement, a more accurate algorithm based on a combination of the three algorithms is proposed. Following a systematic investigation, the algorithm selection rule is described in detail, while maintaining the advantages of the three algorithms and overcoming their deficiencies. In general, static contact angles over the entire hydrophobicity range can be accurately evaluated using the proposed algorithm. The ease of erroneous judgment in static contact angle measurements is avoided. The proposed algorithm is validated by a static contact angle evaluation of real and numerically generated water drop images with different hydrophobicity values and volumes.

A comparative analysis of the role of Tranexamic acid as an independent variable in reducing intraoperative blood loss in patients undergoing conventional total knee arthroplasty versus computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Eachempati, K K; Gurava Reddy, A V; Apsingi, S; Sankineani, S R; Shaheed, J; Dannana, C

2017-12-01

Blood loss in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an area of significant concern as it has an effect on patient morbidity and hospital stay. Among many different modalities to reduce blood loss, the use of Tranexamic acid has become a standard procedure nowadays. The aim of our study was to determine if Tranexamic acid alone decreases blood loss as an independent variable irrespective of other blood loss preserving measures. This prospective non-randomized study included patients undergoing unilateral TKA by conventional method (Group 1) and computer-assisted TKA (Group 2). All the patients in both groups received Tranexamic acid in a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight prior to inflation of tourniquet. Blood loss in both the groups was calculated using Nadler's formula, and haemoglobin (Hb) level was calculated on day one and day three after surgery. The mean drop of Hb in Group 1 was 1.608 and 1.56 g/dl in Group 2 which was statistically significant (p < 0.001); however, none of the patients in either of the groups actually required any blood transfusion postoperatively. Although there was a significant drop in haemoglobin and haematocrit in both the groups, on comparison, there was no significant difference in blood loss and fall in Hb levels between the groups (p > 0.001). Tranexamic acid decreases blood loss in patients undergoing TKA independent of all the other blood conserving procedures.

The role of systemic steroids and phototherapy in the treatment of stable vitiligo: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

El Mofty, Medhat; Essmat, Samia; Youssef, Randa; Sobeih, Sherine; Mahgoub, Doaa; Ossama, Sherine; Saad, Akmal; El Tawdy, Amira; Mashaly, Heba M; Saney, Iman; Helal, Rana; Shaker, Olfat

2016-11-01

Pathogenesis of vitiligo is believed to be multifactorial disease with a wide variety of therapeutic modalities. The aim of this work is to assess the efficacy of oral mini-pulse steroids (OMP) plus Nb-U.V.B in comparison to OMP alone and Nb-U.V.B alone in treating stable vitiligo. A prospective randomized controlled study including 45 patients categorized into three groups receiving therapy for 3 months; Group A received Nb-U.V.B plus OMP, Group B received OMP alone while Group C received Nb-U.V.B alone. Clinical assessment and PCR evaluation of bFGF, ICAM1, and ELISA for AMA were done. Patients receiving Nb-U.V.B plus OMP and using Nb-U.V.B alone gave statistically significant clinical response than those treated with OMP alone. Statistically significant rise of BFGF was noticed after treatment with Nb-U.V.B plus OMP and with Nb-U.V.B alone. Patients treated with OMP alone and with Nb-U.V.B alone showed statistically significant drop of ICAM-1 after therapy. NB-U.V.B plus OMP and Nb-U.V.B alone were found to be clinically superior over OMP alone in treating stable vitiligo patients, hence suggesting that adding OMP to Nb-U.V.B can maintain clinical and laboratory success for a longer period of time and with less relapse. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Personality disorders and treatment drop out in the homeless

PubMed Central

Salavera, Carlos; Tricás, José M; Lucha, Orosia

2013-01-01

The homeless drop out of treatment relatively frequently. Also, prevalence rates of personality disorders are much higher in the homeless group than in the general population. We hypothesize that when both variables coexist — homelessness and personality disorders — the possibility of treatment drop out grows. The aim of this study was to analyze the hypotheses, that is, to study how the existence of personality disorders affects the evolution of and permanence in treatment. One sample of homeless people in a therapeutic community (N = 89) was studied. The structured clinical interview for the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR) was administered and participants were asked to complete the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II). Cluster B personality disorders (antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic) avoided permanence in the treatment process while cluster C disorders, as dependent, favored adhesion to the treatment and improved the prognosis. Knowledge of these personality characteristics should be used to advocate for better services to support homeless people and prevent their dropping out before completing treatment. PMID:23569378

Who Drops Out of Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Richard A.; Moulds, Michelle L.; Mastrodomenico, Julie; Hopwood, Sally; Felmingham, Kim; Nixon, Reginald D. V.

2007-01-01

Significant proportions of participants drop out of cognitive behaviour therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study indexed the pretreatment characteristics of civilian trauma survivors who remained in (n = 95) and dropped out (n = 33) of therapy for chronic PTSD. Therapy involved either cognitive behaviour therapy or supportive…

Extracurricular Activities and High School Dropouts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeal, Ralph B., Jr.

1995-01-01

Reports on a study of 14,249 students to determine whether participation in specific extracurricular activities (athletics and fine arts) significantly reduces a student's likelihood of dropping out. Finds that, when all activities are examined, only athletic participation remains significantly related to dropping out. (ACM)

Equilibrium contact angle or the most-stable contact angle?

PubMed

Montes Ruiz-Cabello, F J; Rodríguez-Valverde, M A; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, M A

2014-04-01

It is well-established that the equilibrium contact angle in a thermodynamic framework is an "unattainable" contact angle. Instead, the most-stable contact angle obtained from mechanical stimuli of the system is indeed experimentally accessible. Monitoring the susceptibility of a sessile drop to a mechanical stimulus enables to identify the most stable drop configuration within the practical range of contact angle hysteresis. Two different stimuli may be used with sessile drops: mechanical vibration and tilting. The most stable drop against vibration should reveal the changeless contact angle but against the gravity force, it should reveal the highest resistance to slide down. After the corresponding mechanical stimulus, once the excited drop configuration is examined, the focus will be on the contact angle of the initial drop configuration. This methodology needs to map significantly the static drop configurations with different stable contact angles. The most-stable contact angle, together with the advancing and receding contact angles, completes the description of physically realizable configurations of a solid-liquid system. Since the most-stable contact angle is energetically significant, it may be used in the Wenzel, Cassie or Cassie-Baxter equations accordingly or for the surface energy evaluation. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-Care for Nurse Leaders in Acute Care Environment Reduces Perceived Stress: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study Merits Further Investigation.

PubMed

Dyess, Susan Mac Leod; Prestia, Angela S; Marquit, Doren-Elyse; Newman, David

2018-03-01

Acute care practice settings are stressful. Nurse leaders face stressful demands of numerous competing priorities. Some nurse leaders experience unmanageable stress, but success requires self-care. This article presents a repeated measures intervention design study using mixed methods to investigate a self-care simple meditation practice for nurse leaders. Themes and subthemes emerged in association with the three data collection points: at baseline (pretest), after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks (posttest) from introduction of the self-care simple meditation practice. An analysis of variance yielded a statistically significant drop in perceived stress at 6 weeks and again at 12 weeks. Conducting future research is merited.

An Initiative to Reduce the Episiotomy Rate: Association of Feedback and the Hawthorne Effect With Leapfrog Goals.

PubMed

Zhang-Rutledge, Kathy; Clark, Steven L; Denning, Stacie; Timmins, Audra; Dildy, Gary A; Gandhi, Manisha

2017-07-01

To assess the association of education, performance feedback, and the Hawthorne effect with a reduction in the episiotomy rate in a large academic institution. We describe a prospective observational study of a project conducted between March 2012 and February 2017 to assist clinicians in meeting the Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) target rates for episiotomy. Phases of this project included preintervention (phase 1, March 2012 to April 2014), education and provision of collective department episiotomy rates (phase 2, May 2014 to December 2014), ongoing education with emphasis on a revised Leapfrog target rate (phase 3, January 2015 to February 2016), and provision of individual episiotomy rates to practitioners on a monthly basis (phase 4, March 2016 to February 2017). We analyzed the department episiotomy rates before, during, and after these efforts. Cases of shoulder dystocia were excluded from this analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using a two-tailed Student t test and χ test with P<.05 considered significant. During the study period 1,176 episiotomies were performed in 16,441 vaginal deliveries (7.2%). In phase 2 (2,352 vaginal deliveries), there was a nonsignificant drop in the episiotomy rate with education alone (9.0-8.2%, P=.21). In phase 3 (4,379 vaginal deliveries), the episiotomy rate demonstrated an additional, significant drop to 5.9% (P<.001), but this reduction did not reach the new Leapfrog goal of 5%. In phase 4 (3,160 vaginal deliveries), the hospital episiotomy rate again dropped significantly from 5.9% to 4.37% (P=.007) and met the target rate of 5%. This reduction was sustained over a 12-month time period. During this same time period, the rate of operative vaginal delivery among vaginal births increased (4.5-5.4%, P=.003) and there was no significant change in the rates of third- and fourth-degree perineal laceration (3.8-3.3%, P=.19). Education, performance feedback, and the Hawthorne effect were associated with a reduction in the episiotomy rate in a large academic institution without a reduction in the rate of operative vaginal delivery or an increase in the rate of third- and fourth-degree lacerations.

Trunk Muscle Activity during Drop Jump Performance in Adolescent Athletes with Back Pain.

PubMed

Mueller, Steffen; Stoll, Josefine; Mueller, Juliane; Cassel, Michael; Mayer, Frank

2017-01-01

In the context of back pain, great emphasis has been placed on the importance of trunk stability, especially in situations requiring compensation of repetitive, intense loading induced during high-performance activities, e.g., jumping or landing. This study aims to evaluate trunk muscle activity during drop jump in adolescent athletes with back pain (BP) compared to athletes without back pain (NBP). Eleven adolescent athletes suffering back pain (BP: m/f: n = 4/7; 15.9 ± 1.3 y; 176 ± 11 cm; 68 ± 11 kg; 12.4 ± 10.5 h/we training) and 11 matched athletes without back pain (NBP: m/f: n = 4/7; 15.5 ± 1.3 y; 174 ± 7 cm; 67 ± 8 kg; 14.9 ± 9.5 h/we training) were evaluated. Subjects conducted 3 drop jumps onto a force plate (ground reaction force). Bilateral 12-lead SEMG (surface Electromyography) was applied to assess trunk muscle activity. Ground contact time [ms], maximum vertical jump force [N], jump time [ms] and the jump performance index [m/s] were calculated for drop jumps. SEMG amplitudes (RMS: root mean square [%]) for all 12 single muscles were normalized to MIVC (maximum isometric voluntary contraction) and analyzed in 4 time windows (100 ms pre- and 200 ms post-initial ground contact, 100 ms pre- and 200 ms post-landing) as outcome variables. In addition, muscles were grouped and analyzed in ventral and dorsal muscles, as well as straight and transverse trunk muscles. Drop jump ground reaction force variables did not differ between NBP and BP ( p > 0.05). Mm obliquus externus and internus abdominis presented higher SEMG amplitudes (1.3-1.9-fold) for BP ( p < 0.05). Mm rectus abdominis, erector spinae thoracic/lumbar and latissimus dorsi did not differ ( p > 0.05). The muscle group analysis over the whole jumping cycle showed statistically significantly higher SEMG amplitudes for BP in the ventral ( p = 0.031) and transverse muscles ( p = 0.020) compared to NBP. Higher activity of transverse, but not straight, trunk muscles might indicate a specific compensation strategy to support trunk stability in athletes with back pain during drop jumps. Therefore, exercises favoring the transverse trunk muscles could be recommended for back pain treatment.

Drop-on-demand drop formation of polyethylene oxide solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Xuejia; Carr, Wallace W.; Dong, Hongming

2011-10-01

The dynamics of drop-on-demand (DOD) drop formation for solutions containing polyethylene oxide (PEO) have been studied experimentally. Using a piezoelectrical actuated inkjet printhead with the nozzle orifice diameter of 53 μm, experiments were conducted for a series of PEO aqueous solutions with molecular weights ranging from 14 to 1000 kg/mol, polydispersity from 1.02 to 2.5, and concentrations from 0.005 to 10 wt. %. The addition of a small amount of PEO can have a significant effect on the DOD drop formation process, increasing breakup time, decreasing primary drop speed, and decreasing the number of satellite drops in some cases. The effects depend on both molecular weight and concentration. At lower molecular weights (14 and 35 kg/mol), the effect of PEO over the dilute solution regime is insignificant even at concentrations large enough that the solution does not fall in the dilute regime. As PEO molecular weight increased, the effects became significant. For monodispersed PEO solutions, breakup time and primary drop speed closely correlated with effective relaxation time but not for polydispersed PEO. Effective relaxation time depended greatly on molecular weight distribution. Viscosity-average molecular weight, used in calculating effective relaxation time for polydispersed PEO solutions, did not adequately account for high molecular fractions in the molecular weight distribution of the polydispersed PEOs. A mixture rule was developed to calculate the effective relaxation times for aqueous solutions containing mixtures of monodispersed PEO, and breakup times and primary drop speeds correlated well with effective relaxation times. For our experiments, DOD drop formation was limited to Deborah number ≲ 23.

Dynamic postural stability for double-leg drop landing.

PubMed

Niu, Wenxin; Zhang, Ming; Fan, Yubo; Zhao, Qinping

2013-01-01

Dynamic postural stability has been widely studied for single-leg landing, but seldom considered for double-leg landing. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic postural stability and the influence mechanism of muscle activities during double-leg drop landing. Eight recreationally active males and eight recreationally active females participated in this study and dropped individually from three heights (0.32 m, 0.52 m, and 0.72 m). Ground reaction force was recorded to calculate the time to stabilisation. Electromyographic activities were recorded for selected lower-extremity muscles. A multivariate analysis of variance was carried out and no significant influence was found in time to stabilisation between genders or limb laterals (P > 0.05). With increasing drop height, time to stabilisation decreased significantly in two horizontal directions and the lower-extremity muscle activities were enhanced. Vertical time to stabilisation was not significantly influenced by drop height. Dynamic postural stability improved by neuromuscular change more than that required due to the increase of drop height. Double-leg landing on level ground is a stable movement, and the body would often be injured before dynamic postural stability is impaired. It is understandable to protect tissues from mechanical injuries by the sacrifice of certain dynamic postural stability in the design of protective devices or athlete training.

Effect of Ingested Liquids on Color Change of Composite Resins.

PubMed

Malek Afzali, Beheshteh; Ghasemi, Amir; Mirani, Asrin; Abdolazimi, Zahra; Akbarzade Baghban, Alireza; Kharazifard, Mohammad Javad

2015-08-01

Color change of composite restorations is well known to dentists. However, the effect of commonly consumed drinks on discoloration of composite resins has yet to be determined. This study sought to assess the color change of a nanofilled (Premise) and a flowable composite resin (Premise flowable) following simulated consumption of tea, cola, iron drops and multivitamin syrup. Forty disk-shaped specimens (7 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick) were fabricated from each composite resin. The baseline color values were measured according to the CIE L*a*b* system using digital imaging. The specimens of each restorative material were randomly divided into five groups (eight each) according to the storage media namely tea, cola, iron drops, multivitamin syrup or distilled water (control). The specimens were immersed in staining solutions for three hours daily over a 40-day test period. Following this, the color change values (ΔE*) were calculated. For statistical analyses, the color differences were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in ΔE* values between the two types of composite resins (P>0.05). In both composite materials, the difference among the solutions was not significant (P>0.05). Under the tested experimental conditions, both restorative materials were susceptible to discoloration by all four staining solutions. The color change values were not related to the solution or the type of material used.

A comparative flow visualization study of thermocapillary flow in drops in liquid-liquid systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Rashidnia, N.

1991-01-01

Experiments are performed to visualize thermocapillary flow in drops in an immiscible host liquid. The host liquid used is silicone oil. Drops of three different liquids are used, viz, vegetable oil, water-methanol mixture anad pure methanol. Clear evidence of thermocapillary flow is seen in vegetable oil drops. For a mixture of water and methanol (approximately 50-50 by weight), natural convection is seen to dominate the flow outside the drop. Pure methanol drops exhibit thermocapillary flow, but dissolve in silicone oil. A small amount of water added to pure methanol significantly reduces the dissolution. Flow oscillations occur in this system for both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions.

A statistical study of the inner edge of the electron plasma sheet and the net convection potential as a function of geomagnetic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, F.; Kivelson, M. G.; Walker, R. J.; Khurana, K. K.; Angelopoulos, V.; Hsu, T.

2011-06-01

A widely accepted explanation of the location of the inner edge of the electron plasma sheet and its dependence on electron energy is based on drift motions of individual particles. The boundary is identified as the separatrix between drift trajectories linking the tail to the dayside magnetopause (open paths) and trajectories closed around the Earth. A statistical study of the inner edge of the electron plasma sheet using THEMIS Electrostatic Analyzer plasma data from November 2007 to April 2009 enabled us to examine this model. Using a dipole magnetic field and a Volland-Stern electric field with shielding, we find that a steady state drift boundary model represents the average location of the electron plasma sheet boundary and reflects its variation with the solar wind electric field in the local time region between 21:00 and 06:00, except at high activity levels. However, the model does not reproduce the observed energy dispersion of the boundaries. We have also used the location of the inner edge of the electron plasma sheet to parameterize the potential drop of the tail convection electric field as a function of solar wind electric field (Esw) and geomagnetic activity. The range of Esw examined is small because the data were acquired near solar minimum. For the range of values tested (meaningful statistics only for Esw < 2 mV/m), reasonably good agreement is found between the potential drop of the tail convection electric field inferred from the location of the inner edge and the polar cap potential drop calculated from the model of Boyle et al. (1997).

A comparison of men's and women's strength to body mass ratio and varus/valgus knee angle during jump landings.

PubMed

Haines, Tracie L; McBride, Jeffrey M; Triplett, N Travis; Skinner, Jared W; Fairbrother, Kimberly R; Kirby, Tyler J

2011-10-01

The purpose of this investigation was to compare valgus/varus knee angles during various jumps and lower body strength between males and females relative to body mass. Seventeen recreationally active females (age: 21.94 ± 2.59 years; height: 1.67 ± 0.05 m; mass: 64.42 ± 8.39 kg; percent body fat: 26.89 ± 6.26%; squat one-repetition maximum: 66.18 ± 19.47 kg; squat to body mass ratio: 1.03 ± 0.28) and 13 recreationally active males (age: 21.69 ± 1.65 years; height: 1.77 ± 0.07 m; mass: 72.39 ± 9.23 kg; percent body fat: 13.15 ± 5.18%; squat one-repetition maximum: 115.77 ± 30.40 kg; squat to body mass ratio: 1.59 ± 0.31) performed a one-repetition maximum in the squat and three of each of the following jumps: countermovement jump, 30 cm drop jump, 45 cm drop jump, and 60 cm drop jump. Knee angles were analysed using videography and body composition was analysed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to allow for squat to body mass ratio and squat to fat free mass ratio to be calculated. Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were found between male and female one-repetition maximum, male and female squat to body mass ratio, and male and female squat to fat free mass ratio. Significant differences were found between male and female varus/valgus knee positions during maximum flexion of the right and left leg in the countermovement jump, drop jump from 30 cm, drop jump from 45 cm, and drop jump from 60 cm. Correlations between varus/valgus knee angles and squat to body mass ratio for all jumps displayed moderate, non-significant relationships (countermovement jump: r = 0.445; drop jump from 30 cm: r = 0.448; drop jump from 45 cm: r = 0.449; drop jump from 60 cm: r = 0.439). In conclusion, males and females have significantly different lower body strength and varus/valgus knee position when landing from jumps.

Avalanche Statistics Identify Intrinsic Stellar Processes near Criticality in KIC 8462852

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikh, Mohammed A.; Weaver, Richard L.; Dahmen, Karin A.

2016-12-01

The star KIC8462852 (Tabby's star) has shown anomalous drops in light flux. We perform a statistical analysis of the more numerous smaller dimming events by using methods found useful for avalanches in ferromagnetism and plastic flow. Scaling exponents for avalanche statistics and temporal profiles of the flux during the dimming events are close to mean field predictions. Scaling collapses suggest that this star may be near a nonequilibrium critical point. The large events are interpreted as avalanches marked by modified dynamics, limited by the system size, and not within the scaling regime.

Comprehensive analysis of earthquake source spectra and swarms in the Salton Trough, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Shearer, P. M.

2011-09-01

We study earthquakes within California's Salton Trough from 1981 to 2009 from a precisely relocated catalog. We process the seismic waveforms to isolate source spectra, station spectra and travel-time dependent spectra. The results suggest an average P wave Q of 340, agreeing with previous results indicating relatively high attenuation in the Salton Trough. Stress drops estimated from the source spectra using an empirical Green's function (EGF) method reveal large scatter among individual events but a low median stress drop of 0.56 MPa for the region. The distribution of stress drop after applying a spatial-median filter indicates lower stress drops near geothermal sites. We explore the relationships between seismicity, stress drops and geothermal injection activities. Seismicity within the Salton Trough shows strong spatial clustering, with 20 distinct earthquake swarms with at least 50 events. They can be separated into early-Mmax and late-Mmax groups based on the normalized occurrence time of their largest event. These swarms generally have a low skew value of moment release history, ranging from -9 to 3.0. The major temporal difference between the two groups is the excess of seismicity and an inverse power law increase of seismicity before the largest event for the late-Mmax group. All swarms exhibit spatial migration of seismicity at a statistical significance greater than 85%. A weighted L1-norm inversion of linear migration parameters yields migration velocities from 0.008 to 0.8 km/hour. To explore the influence of fluid injection in geothermal sites, we also model the migration behavior with the diffusion equation, and obtain a hydraulic diffusion coefficient of approximately 0.25 m2/s for the Salton Sea geothermal site, which is within the range of expected values for a typical geothermal reservoir. The swarms with migration velocities over 0.1 km/hour cannot be explained by the diffusion curve, rather, their velocity is consistent with the propagation velocity of creep and slow slip events. These variations in migration behavior allow us to distinguish among different driving processes.

Muscle activity response to external moment during single-leg drop landing in young basketball players: the importance of biceps femoris in reducing internal rotation of knee during landing.

PubMed

Fujii, Meguru; Sato, Haruhiko; Takahira, Naonobu

2012-01-01

Internal tibial rotation with the knee close to full extension combined with valgus collapse during drop landing generally results in non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between internal rotation of the knee and muscle activity from internal and external rotator muscles, and between the internal rotation of knee and externally applied loads on the knee during landing in collegiate basketball players. Our hypothesis was that the activity of biceps femoris muscle would be an important factor reducing internal knee rotation during landing. The subjects were 10 collegiate basketball students: 5 females and 5 males. The subjects performed a single-leg drop landing from a 25-cm height. Femoral and tibial kinematics were measured using a 3D optoelectronic tracking system during the drop landings, and then the knee angular motions were determined. Ground reaction forces and muscle activation patterns (lateral hamstring and medial hamstring) were simultaneously measured and computed. Results indicated that lower peak internal tibial rotation angle at the time of landing was associated with greater lateral hamstring activity (r = -0.623, p < 0.001). When gender was considered, the statistically significant correlation remained only in females. There was no association between the peak internal tibial rotation angle and the knee internal rotation moment. Control of muscle activity in the lateral to medial hamstring would be an important factor in generating sufficient force to inhibit excessive internal rotation during landing. Strengthening the biceps femoris might mitigate the higher incidence of non-contact ACL injury in female athletes. Key pointsLower activity of the external rotator muscle of the knee, which inhibits internal rotation of the knee, may be the reason why females tend to show a large internal rotation of the knee during drop landing.Externally applied internal rotation moment of the knee during landing would not be expected to explain why female athletes tend to show excessive internal knee rotation.Biceps femoris strength training might help decrease the incidence of non-contact ACL injury in female athletes.

Comparison of the hanging-drop technique and running-drip method for identifying the epidural space in dogs.

PubMed

Martinez-Taboada, Fernando; Redondo, José I

2017-03-01

To compare the running-drip and hanging-drop techniques for locating the epidural space in dogs. Prospective, randomized, clinical trial. Forty-five healthy dogs requiring epidural anaesthesia. Dogs were randomized into four groups and administered epidural anaesthesia in sternal (S) or lateral (L) recumbency. All blocks were performed by the same person using Tuohy needles with either a fluid-prefilled hub (HDo) or connected to a drip set attached to a fluid bag elevated 60 cm (RDi). The number of attempts, 'pop' sensation, clear drop aspiration or fluid dripping, time to locate the epidural space (TTLES) and presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were recorded. A morphine-bupivacaine combination was injected after positive identification. The success of the block was assessed by experienced observers based on perioperative usage of rescue analgesia. Data were checked for normality. Binomial variables were analysed with the chi-squared or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Non-parametric data were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Normal data were studied with an anova followed by a Tukey's means comparison for groups of the same size. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Lateral recumbency HDo required more attempts (six of 11 dogs required more than one attempt) than SRDi (none of 11 dogs) (p = 0.0062). Drop aspiration was observed more often in SHDo (nine of 11 dogs) than in LHDo (two of 11 dogs) (p = 0.045). Mean (range) TTLES was longer in LHDo [47 (18-82) seconds] than in SHDo [20 (14-79) seconds] (p = 0.006) and SRDi [(34 (17-53) seconds] (p = 0.038). There were no differences in 'pop' sensation, presence of CSF, rescue analgesia or pain scores between the groups. The running-drip method is a useful and fast alternative technique for identifying the epidural space in dogs. The hanging-drop technique in lateral recumbency was more difficult to perform than the other methods, requiring more time and attempts. Copyright © 2017 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced intelligent water drops algorithm for multi-depot vehicle routing problem

PubMed Central

Akutsah, Francis; Olusanya, Micheal O.; Adewumi, Aderemi O.

2018-01-01

The intelligent water drop algorithm is a swarm-based metaheuristic algorithm, inspired by the characteristics of water drops in the river and the environmental changes resulting from the action of the flowing river. Since its appearance as an alternative stochastic optimization method, the algorithm has found applications in solving a wide range of combinatorial and functional optimization problems. This paper presents an improved intelligent water drop algorithm for solving multi-depot vehicle routing problems. A simulated annealing algorithm was introduced into the proposed algorithm as a local search metaheuristic to prevent the intelligent water drop algorithm from getting trapped into local minima and also improve its solution quality. In addition, some of the potential problematic issues associated with using simulated annealing that include high computational runtime and exponential calculation of the probability of acceptance criteria, are investigated. The exponential calculation of the probability of acceptance criteria for the simulated annealing based techniques is computationally expensive. Therefore, in order to maximize the performance of the intelligent water drop algorithm using simulated annealing, a better way of calculating the probability of acceptance criteria is considered. The performance of the proposed hybrid algorithm is evaluated by using 33 standard test problems, with the results obtained compared with the solutions offered by four well-known techniques from the subject literature. Experimental results and statistical tests show that the new method possesses outstanding performance in terms of solution quality and runtime consumed. In addition, the proposed algorithm is suitable for solving large-scale problems. PMID:29554662

Enhanced intelligent water drops algorithm for multi-depot vehicle routing problem.

PubMed

Ezugwu, Absalom E; Akutsah, Francis; Olusanya, Micheal O; Adewumi, Aderemi O

2018-01-01

The intelligent water drop algorithm is a swarm-based metaheuristic algorithm, inspired by the characteristics of water drops in the river and the environmental changes resulting from the action of the flowing river. Since its appearance as an alternative stochastic optimization method, the algorithm has found applications in solving a wide range of combinatorial and functional optimization problems. This paper presents an improved intelligent water drop algorithm for solving multi-depot vehicle routing problems. A simulated annealing algorithm was introduced into the proposed algorithm as a local search metaheuristic to prevent the intelligent water drop algorithm from getting trapped into local minima and also improve its solution quality. In addition, some of the potential problematic issues associated with using simulated annealing that include high computational runtime and exponential calculation of the probability of acceptance criteria, are investigated. The exponential calculation of the probability of acceptance criteria for the simulated annealing based techniques is computationally expensive. Therefore, in order to maximize the performance of the intelligent water drop algorithm using simulated annealing, a better way of calculating the probability of acceptance criteria is considered. The performance of the proposed hybrid algorithm is evaluated by using 33 standard test problems, with the results obtained compared with the solutions offered by four well-known techniques from the subject literature. Experimental results and statistical tests show that the new method possesses outstanding performance in terms of solution quality and runtime consumed. In addition, the proposed algorithm is suitable for solving large-scale problems.

Comparing the effects of ketotifen fumarate eye drops and ketotifen oral pills on symptom severity and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis: a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Akhavan, Asghar; Karimi-Sari, Hamidreza; Khosravi, Mohammad Hossein; Arefzadeh, Esmaeil; Yavarahmadi, Mohammadhosein

2015-05-01

Allergic rhinitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of nasal mucosa. Previous studies have shown the therapeutic effects of ketotifen eye drops on allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis patients. This study was designed to compare the effects of ketotifen drops and oral ketotifen pills on symptoms and quality of life in allergic rhinitis patients. In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, patients with mild allergic rhinitis who were referred to the allergy clinic of Baqiyatallah Hospital from March to April 2014 were randomly allocated to 2 groups; the first group received ketotifen drops (1 drop every 12 hours) with placebo pills (2 pills daily), and the second group received placebo eye drops with ketotifen pills for 4 weeks. Symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, itching, and nasal obstruction) severity were examined and Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores were evaluated in the second and fourth weeks. A total of 140 patients were evaluated in 2 groups. The mean age was 30.33 years. There were no significant differences in demographic data between the groups (p > 0.05). Both groups showed a significant improvement in rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, nasal itching, coughing, sneezing, RQLQ, and nasal smear eosinophil percent compared to baseline amounts (p < 0.05). Improvements were significantly more in the drops group (p < 0.05). Because of the absence of systemic complications in ketotifen eye drops in patients with allergic rhinitis and their easy availability in Iran, using this medication instead of systemic therapies is suggested. Nevertheless, more studies are required to evaluate the long-term effects of using this drug and the recurrence rate of symptoms. © 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of dropout rates in individual psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Gersh, Elon; Hallford, David J; Rice, Simon M; Kazantzis, Nikolaos; Gersh, Hannah; Gersh, Benji; McCarty, Carolyn A

2017-12-01

Despite being a relatively prevalent and debilitating disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the second least studied anxiety disorder and among the most difficult to treat. Dropout from psychotherapy is concerning as it is associated with poorer outcomes, leads to service inefficiencies and can disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations. No study to date has calculated a weighted mean dropout rate for GAD and explored associated correlates. A systematic review was conducted using PsycINFO, Medline and Embase databases, identifying studies investigating individual psychotherapies for adults with GAD. Forty-five studies, involving 2224 participants, were identified for meta-analysis. The weighted mean dropout rate was 16.99% (95% confidence interval 14.42%-19.91%). The Q-statistic indicated significant heterogeneity among studies. Moderator analysis and meta-regressions indicated no statistically significant effect of client age, sex, symptom severity, comorbidity, treatment type, study type (randomized trial or not), study quality, number of sessions or therapist experience. In research investigating psychotherapy for GAD, approximately one in six clients can be expected to drop out of treatment. Dropout rate was not significantly moderated by the client, therapist or treatment variables investigated. Future research should specify the definition of dropout, reasons for dropout and associated correlates to assist the field's progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of drop size-dependent fog chemistry on aerosol processing by San Joaquin Valley fogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoag, Katherine J.; Collett, Jeffrey L., Jr.; Pandis, Spyros N.

Drop size-resolved measurements of fog chemistry in California's San Joaquin Valley during the 1995 Integrated Monitoring Study reveal that fog composition varies with drop size. Small fog drops were less alkaline and typically contained higher major ion (nitrate, sulfate, ammonium) concentrations than large drops. Small drops often contained higher concentrations of Fe and Mn than large drops while H 2O 2 concentrations exhibited no strong drop size dependence. Simulation of an extended fog episode in Fresno, California revealed the capability of a drop size-resolved fog chemistry model to reproduce the measured (based on two drop size categories) drop size dependence of several key species. The model was also able to satisfactorily reproduce measured species-dependent deposition rates (ammonium>sulfate>nitrate) resulting from fog drop sedimentation. Both the model simulation and direct analysis of size-resolved fog composition observations and measured gas-phase oxidant concentrations indicate the importance of ozone as an aqueous-phase S(IV) oxidant in these high pH fogs. Due to the nonlinear dependence of the rate law for the ozone pathway on the hydrogen ion concentration, use of the average fog drop composition can lead to significant underprediction of aqueous phase sulfate production rates in these chemically heterogeneous fogs.

Drop impact on spherical soft surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Simeng; Bertola, Volfango

2017-08-01

The impact of water drops on spherical soft surfaces is investigated experimentally through high-speed imaging. The effect of a convex compliant surface on the dynamics of impacting drops is relevant to various applications, such as 3D ink-jet printing, where drops of fresh material impact on partially cured soft substrates with arbitrary shape. Several quantities which characterize the morphology of impacting drops are measured through image-processing, including the maximum and minimum spreading angles, length of the wetted curve, and dynamic contact angle. In particular, the dynamic contact angle is measured using a novel digital image-processing scheme based on a goniometric mask, which does not require edge fitting. It is shown that the surface with a higher curvature enhances the retraction of the spreading drop; this effect may be due to the difference of energy dissipation induced by the curvature of the surface. In addition, the impact parameters (elastic modulus, diameter ratio, and Weber number) are observed to significantly affect the dynamic contact angle during impact. A quantitative estimation of the deformation energy shows that it is significantly smaller than viscous dissipation.

Foreign Exchange and Library Collections in Nigeria.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obiagwu, M. C.

1987-01-01

This discussion of the difficulties involved in acquiring materials for academic libraries in Nigeria uses statistics at one university to demonstrate the drop in foreign exchange based orders. Alternatives to overseas purchasing, including local purchasing, gifts and exchanges, and resource sharing programs, are also discussed. (CLB)

Modeling of Yb3+/Er3+-codoped microring resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallés, Juan A.; Gălătuş, Ramona

2015-03-01

The performance of a highly Yb3+/Er3+-codoped phosphate glass add-drop microring resonator is numerically analyzed. The model assumes resonant behaviour of both pump and signal powers and the dependences of pump intensity build-up inside the microring resonator and of the signal transfer functions to the device through and drop ports are evaluated. Detailed equations for the evolution of the rare-earth ions levels population densities and the propagation of the optical powers inside the microring resonator are included in the model. Moreover, due to the high dopant concentrations considered, the microscopic statistical formalism based on the statistical average of the excitation probability of the Er3+ ion in a microscopic level has been used to describe energy-transfer inter-atomic mechanisms. Realistic parameters and working conditions are used for the calculations. Requirements to achieve amplification and laser oscillation within these devices are obtainable as a function of rare earth ions concentration and coupling losses.

Dynamics of hepatitis C under optimal therapy and sampling based analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pachpute, Gaurav; Chakrabarty, Siddhartha P.

2013-08-01

We examine two models for hepatitis C viral (HCV) dynamics, one for monotherapy with interferon (IFN) and the other for combination therapy with IFN and ribavirin. Optimal therapy for both the models is determined using the steepest gradient method, by defining an objective functional which minimizes infected hepatocyte levels, virion population and side-effects of the drug(s). The optimal therapies for both the models show an initial period of high efficacy, followed by a gradual decline. The period of high efficacy coincides with a significant decrease in the viral load, whereas the efficacy drops after hepatocyte levels are restored. We use the Latin hypercube sampling technique to randomly generate a large number of patient scenarios and study the dynamics of each set under the optimal therapy already determined. Results show an increase in the percentage of responders (indicated by drop in viral load below detection levels) in case of combination therapy (72%) as compared to monotherapy (57%). Statistical tests performed to study correlations between sample parameters and time required for the viral load to fall below detection level, show a strong monotonic correlation with the death rate of infected hepatocytes, identifying it to be an important factor in deciding individual drug regimens.

Indirect costs of diabetes and its impact on the public finance: the case of Poland.

PubMed

Torój, Andrzej; Mela, Aneta

2018-02-01

Growing public and private expenditure on healthcare results i.a. from the spreading of chronic diseases. Diabetes belongs to the most frequent ones, beyond neoplasms and cardiological diseases, and hence generates a significant burden for the public finance in terms of the direct costs. However, the economy suffers also from the indirect cost of diabetes that manifests itself in the loss in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and general government revenues. This paper aims to measure this indirect cost, both in terms of GDP drop (social perspective) and public revenue drop (public finance perspective), in the case of Poland in 2012-2014. We use a modified human capital approach and unique dataset provided by the Social Security institution in Poland and the Polish Central Statistical Office. Diabetes is a substantial and growing burden for the Polish economy. In the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 the indirect cost (output loss) amounted to 1.85 bn USD, 1.94 bn USD and 2.00 bn USD respectively. Estimated indirect cost of diabetes can be a useful input for health technology analyses of drugs or economic impact assessments of public health programmes.

Asymmetric ratchet effect for directional transport of fog drops on static and dynamic butterfly wings.

PubMed

Liu, Chengcheng; Ju, Jie; Zheng, Yongmei; Jiang, Lei

2014-02-25

Inspired by novel creatures, researchers have developed varieties of fog drop transport systems and made significant contributions to the fields of heat transferring, water collecting, antifogging, and so on. Up to now, most of the efforts in directional fog drop transport have been focused on static surfaces. Considering it is not practical to keep surfaces still all the time in reality, conducting investigations on surfaces that can transport fog drops in both static and dynamic states has become more and more important. Here we report the wings of Morpho deidamia butterflies can directionally transport fog drops in both static and dynamic states. This directional drop transport ability results from the micro/nano ratchet-like structure of butterfly wings: the surface of butterfly wings is composed of overlapped scales, and the scales are covered with porous asymmetric ridges. Influenced by this special structure, fog drops on static wings are transported directionally as a result of the fog drops' asymmetric growth and coalescence. Fog drops on vibrating wings are propelled directionally due to the fog drops' asymmetric dewetting from the wings.

Effect of cane length and swing arc width on drop-off and obstacle detection with the long cane

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae Shik; Emerson, Robert Wall; Naghshineh, Koorosh

2017-01-01

A repeated-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 15 adults with visual impairments attempted to detect the drop-offs and obstacles with the canes of different lengths, swinging the cane in different widths (narrow vs wide). Participants detected the drop-offs significantly more reliably with the standard-length cane (79.5% ± 6.5% of the time) than with the extended-length cane (67.6% ± 9.1%), p <.001. The drop-off detection threshold of the standard-length cane (4.1 ± 1.1 cm) was also significantly smaller than that of the extended-length cane (6.5±1.8cm), p <.001. In addition, participants detected drop-offs at a significantly higher percentage when they swung the cane approximately 3 cm beyond the widest part of the body (78.6% ± 7.6%) than when they swung it substantially wider (30 cm; 68.5% ± 8.3%), p <.001. In contrast, neither cane length (p =.074) nor cane swing arc width (p =.185) had a significant effect on obstacle detection performance. The findings of the study may help orientation and mobility specialists recommend appropriate cane length and cane swing arc width to visually impaired cane users. PMID:29276326

Effect of cane length and swing arc width on drop-off and obstacle detection with the long cane.

PubMed

Kim, Dae Shik; Emerson, Robert Wall; Naghshineh, Koorosh

2017-09-01

A repeated-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 15 adults with visual impairments attempted to detect the drop-offs and obstacles with the canes of different lengths, swinging the cane in different widths (narrow vs wide). Participants detected the drop-offs significantly more reliably with the standard-length cane (79.5% ± 6.5% of the time) than with the extended-length cane (67.6% ± 9.1%), p <.001. The drop-off detection threshold of the standard-length cane (4.1 ± 1.1 cm) was also significantly smaller than that of the extended-length cane (6.5±1.8cm), p <.001. In addition, participants detected drop-offs at a significantly higher percentage when they swung the cane approximately 3 cm beyond the widest part of the body (78.6% ± 7.6%) than when they swung it substantially wider (30 cm; 68.5% ± 8.3%), p <.001. In contrast, neither cane length ( p =.074) nor cane swing arc width ( p =.185) had a significant effect on obstacle detection performance. The findings of the study may help orientation and mobility specialists recommend appropriate cane length and cane swing arc width to visually impaired cane users.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of dry eye syndrome treated with acupuncture on the acupoints around the eyes].

PubMed

Gao, Wei-Ping; Liu, Min; Zhang, Yi-Biao

2010-06-01

To observed the clinical efficacy on dry eye syndrome treated with acupuncture on the acupoints around the eyes. Fifty-six cases of dry eye syndrome were divided into two groups, acupuncture group and western medicine group, 28 cases in each one. In acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Jingming (BL 1), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Sizhukong (TE 23), Tongziliao (GB 1), etc. In western medicine group, the topical artificial tear eye drops were administered. The corneal fluorescein staining, breaking-up time (BUT), tear volume and the symptom score were observed before and after treatment in two groups. In comparison before and after treatment in acupuncture group, the statistical significant difference presented in BUT, tear volume and the symptom score (all P < 0.01). In comparison before and after treatment in western medicine group, the statistical significant difference presented in corneal staining, BUT and the symptom score (P < 0.01). The improvements in BUT, tear volume and the symptom score in acupuncture group were superior to those in western medicine group (P < 0.01). Acupuncture on the acupoints around the eyes achieves a quite good efficacy on dry eye syndrome.

The sound of operation and the acoustic attenuation of the Ohmeda Medical Giraffe OmniBed™.

PubMed

Wubben, Stephanie M; Brueggeman, Paul M; Stevens, Dennis C; Helseth, Carol C; Blaschke, Kristen

2011-01-01

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an environment that provides premature and fragile infants with health provisions needed to make a complete recovery. Premature infants are often born before their auditory systems have had an opportunity to fully mature. Research has shown that the ambient acoustic environment in the NICU exceeds the maximum noise level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, even after measures have been taken to decrease noise levels. The purpose of this study is to evaluate noise levels inside an Ohmeda Medical Giraffe™ OmniBed™, the natural attenuation of the incubator, and the effects of modifications on attenuation and reverberation within the Giraffe TM OmniBed™. The normal operation of the Giraffe™ OmniBed™ is 41.7 dBA which indicates a lower noise of operation than previous studies. The Giraffe™ OmniBed™ naturally attenuates 12 dBA. Leaving an access latch or portal door open causes a statistically significant (P=.001) increase in sound within the bassinet. All modifications in the no-noise and the noise conditions showed a statistically significant (P=.001) drop in L(eq) when compared to baseline.

Dropping macadamia nuts-in-shell reduces kernel roasting quality.

PubMed

Walton, David A; Wallace, Helen M

2010-10-01

Macadamia nuts ('nuts-in-shell') are subjected to many impacts from dropping during postharvest handling, resulting in damage to the raw kernel. The effect of dropping on roasted kernel quality is unknown. Macadamia nuts-in-shell were dropped in various combinations of moisture content, number of drops and receiving surface in three experiments. After dropping, samples from each treatment and undropped controls were dry oven-roasted for 20 min at 130 °C, and kernels were assessed for colour, mottled colour and surface damage. Dropping nuts-in-shell onto a bed of nuts-in-shell at 3% moisture content or 20% moisture content increased the percentage of dark roasted kernels. Kernels from nuts dropped first at 20%, then 10% moisture content, onto a metal plate had increased mottled colour. Dropping nuts-in-shell at 3% moisture content onto nuts-in-shell significantly increased surface damage. Similarly, surface damage increased for kernels dropped onto a metal plate at 20%, then at 10% moisture content. Postharvest dropping of macadamia nuts-in-shell causes concealed cellular damage to kernels, the effects not evident until roasting. This damage provides the reagents needed for non-enzymatic browning reactions. Improvements in handling, such as reducing the number of drops and improving handling equipment, will reduce cellular damage and after-roast darkening. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

When Volunteering Is Mandatory: A Call for Research about Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cloyd, Melissa

2017-01-01

Stakeholders have long been concerned about high school drop-out rates and associated achievement gaps between groups, specifically racial, of high school students. While significant improvements have been made to these drop-out rates at the national level, the largest group of drop-out students continues to be those of Hispanic heritage. Research…

A randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of an acupressure device (relief brief) for managing symptoms of dysmenorrhea.

PubMed

Taylor, Diana; Miaskowski, Christine; Kohn, Joel

2002-06-01

To develop and test the safety and effectiveness of an acupressure garment (the Relief Brief) in decreasing the pain and symptom distress associated with dysmenorrhea. A randomized clinical trial applied a 2 (Relief Brief use or control group) x 3 (baseline and two treatment measurement occasions) mixed factorial design. Sixty-one (61) women with moderately severe primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned to the standard treatment control group or the Relief Brief acupressure device group after one pretreatment menses, with 58 women reporting the effect on their pain during two post-treatment menstrual cycles. The acupressure garment: The Relief Brief is a cotton Lycra panty brief with a fixed number of lower abdominal and lower back latex foam acupads that provide pressure to dysmenorrhea-relieving Chinese acupressure points. Menstrual pain severity (worst pain and symptom intensity), pain medication use, and adverse effects were analyzed using between-groups and repeated measures analyses of treatment effects. Statistical and clinical significance criteria were applied a priori. For pain measures and pain medication use, the group main effect, time main effect and group x time interaction were statistically significant. Median pain medication use, the same for both groups at baseline (6 pills per day), dropped to 2 pills per day for the Relief Brief group but remained at 6 pills for the control group at the second treatment cycle. Predicted clinical significance criteria were surpassed: almost all (90%) women wearing the Relief Brief obtained at least a 25% reduction in menstrual pain severity (a 2-3 point drop) compared to only 8% of the control group (z = 6.07; p < 0.05). Relief Brief use was associated with at least a 50% decline in menstrual pain symptom intensity in more than two thirds of the women. An acupressure device is an effective and safe nonpharmacologic strategy for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. With design modifications, it could serve as a main treatment modality for women who suffer from primary dysmenorrhea and do not wish to or cannot use the conventional pharmacologic agents. In addition, this acupressure device may serve as an adjuvant therapy to medication in more severe cases of dysmenorrhea.

Otolith Asymmetry and kinetotic Behaviour of Fish in Parabolic Flights and under simulated Parabolic Flight "Micro"Gravity - a Drop-Tower Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knie, M.; Hilbig, R.; Anken, R.

We have shown earlier that some fish of a given batch reveal motion sickness a kinetosis at the transition from earth gravity to diminished gravity The percentual ratios of the various types of behaviour normal swimming and kinetotic swimming kinetotic specimens revealed looping responses LR or spinning movements SM however highly differed depending on the quality of diminished gravity Anken and Hilbig Microgravity Sci Technol 15 52-57 2004 Whereas kinetoses were exhibited by some 90 of the individuals who had experienced flights at high quality microgravity HQM 10-6g ZARM drop-tower only some 15-25 depending on the batch of all animals had shown a kinetotic behaviour during parabolic aircraft flights PFs low quality microgravity LQM 0 03-0 05g Probably LQM is sufficient for most fish to be perceived - in relation to the individual shape or weight of otoliths and thus the performance of the vestibular system - and used as a cue for postural control In striking contrast to the results gained using PF specimens according to which otolith asymmetry differences in the size and calcium incorporation of the inner ear stones between the left and right side of the body was significantly higher in kinetotic specimens as compared to normally swimming fish a comparable asymmetry between the kinetotically and normally swimming drop-tower samples could statistically not be verified Anken et al Adv Space Res submitted The present study was designed to further elucidate the role of otolith asymmetry concerning an individually different

Examining the Matthew effect on the motivation and ability to stay at work after heart disease.

PubMed

Meland, Eivind; Grønhaug, Siri; Oystese, Kristin; Mildestvedt, Thomas

2011-07-01

Cardiac rehabilitation should safeguard that socioeconomic factors or other differences that affect people's cardiovascular health are not further aggravated after healthcare treatment. The study examines whether socioeconomic status, emotional problems, or the severity of disease affect people's ability to continue to work after heart disease. We also examined if these effects can be explained by differences in motivational factors. 217 patients (41 women) from the Krokeide Rehabilitation Centre in Bergen participated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine motivational differences, and logistic regression analysis was used to examine whether socioeconomic factors or other differences affected people's ability to continue to work after heart disease. Self-efficacy for future work strongly impacted the likelihood of being incapacitated for work during the 2-year follow-up. The household's total income and emotional problems were statistically significant related to patients dropping out from work in the course of the observation. The association between emotional problems and future work was mediated by motivational problems. The relation between income and future incapacity for work could not be explained by motivational factors. The study shows a clear Matthew effect on people's ability to continue to work after heart disease as low-income groups and people with emotional problems are more at risk of dropping out of work. This Matthew effect was, however, only explained by the motivational difficulties for the association between emotional distress and dropping out of work and not for the impact of household income on the likelihood of leaving work.

Topical NSAIDs effect on corneal sensitivity.

PubMed

Singer, Daniel D; Kennedy, John; Wittpenn, John R

2015-05-01

Topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are administered topically for a variety of ophthalmologic conditions. Brand diclofenac and brand ketorolac were previously shown to have topical anesthetic effects in addition to analgesic effects. Using the same method, we measured similar anesthetic effects of the 4 currently available topical NSAIDs--generic diclofenac, generic ketorolac, brand bromfenac, and brand nepafenac. Baseline corneal sensitivity was measured on 10 healthy adult volunteers with a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. One drop of the agent being studied was applied to the right eye every 5 minutes for a total of 4 drops. Corneal sensitivity was measured immediately after the last topical application and every 15 minutes for 60 minutes. After a 1-week washout period, a different agent was studied until all 4 NSAIDs were evaluated. Corneal sensitivity profiles over time were similar for all NSAIDs. Corneal sensitivity decreased significantly from baseline immediately after topical application remaining flat from 0 to 30 minutes and then rising from 45 to 60 minutes back toward baseline in all treatment groups (P < 0.001). The maximal absolute drop in corneal sensitivity as measured by pressure thresholds was greatest for diclofenac [28.6 mm (95% confidence intervals {CI}, 19.8-37.4)], followed by ketorolac [21.1 mm (95% CI, 15.1-27.1)], bromfenac [16.9 mm (10.7-23.1)], and nepafenac [16.4 mm (95% CI, 12.7-20.1)]. Only diclofenac and nepafenac were statistically different in maximal decrease in sensitivity. All 4 currently available NSAIDs demonstrated anesthetic effects similar to brand diclofenac and brand ketorolac.

Impact of lesion characteristics on the prediction of optimal poststent fractional flow reserve.

PubMed

Ando, Hirohiko; Takashima, Hiroaki; Suzuki, Akihiro; Sakurai, Shinichiro; Kumagai, Soichiro; Kurita, Akiyoshi; Waseda, Katsuhisa; Amano, Tetsuya

2016-12-01

Poststent fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a useful indicator of optimal percutaneous coronary intervention, and higher poststent FFR is associated with favorable long-term clinical outcome. However, little is known about the factors influencing poststent FFR. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of lesion characteristics on poststent FFR. For patients who had scheduled stent implantation for stable angina, FFR measurements at maximum hyperemia were performed before and after coronary stent implantation. As one of lesion characteristics, the FFR pressure drop pattern was evaluated and classified as either an abrupt or a gradual pattern according to the pullback curve of FFR. A total of 205 lesions with physiological significant stenosis were evaluated. Fractional flow reserve value increased from 0.67±0.10 to 0.87±0.07 after stent implantation. Optimal poststent FFR was achieved in 75 lesions (36.6%). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that optimal poststent FFR was positively correlated with an abrupt pressure drop pattern (hazard ratio [HR] 2.11, 95% CI 1.06-4.15, P=.03) and prestent FFR (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03-2.04, P=.03; per 0.1 increase), and negatively correlated with lesion localization to the left anterior descending artery (HR 0.18, 95% CI 0.09-0.36, P<.0001). The c statistic for predicting optimal poststent FFR was 0.763 (95% CI 0.702-0.819). Abrupt pressure drop patterns, prestent FFR, and lesion localization to the left anterior descending artery were independent predictors of optimal poststent FFR. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of the 2007-2009 recession on workers' health coverage.

PubMed

Fronstin, Paul

2011-04-01

IMPACT OF THE RECESSION: The 2007-2009 recession has taken its toll on the percentage of the population with employment-based health coverage. While, since 2000, there has been a slow erosion in the percentage of individuals under age 65 with employment-based health coverage, 2009 was the first year in which the percentage fell below 60 percent, and marked the largest one-year decline in coverage. FEWER WORKERS WITH COVERAGE: The percentage of workers with coverage through their own job fell from 53.2 percent in 2008 to 52 percent in 2009, a 2.4 percent decline in the likelihood that a worker has coverage through his or her own job. The percentage of workers with coverage as a dependent fell from 17 percent in 2008 to 16.3 percent in 2009, a 4.5 percent drop in the likelihood that a worker has coverage as a dependent. These declines occurred as the unemployment rate increased from an average of 5.8 percent in 2008 to 9.3 percent in 2009 (and reached a high of 10.1 percent during 2009). FIRM SIZE/INDUSTRY: The decline in the percentage of workers with coverage from their own job affected workers in private-sector firms of all sizes. Among public-sector workers, the decline from 73.4 percent to 73 percent was not statistically significant. Workers in all private-sector industries experienced a statistically significant decline in coverage between 2008 and 2009. HOURS WORKED: Full-time workers experienced a decline in coverage that was statistically significant while part-time workers did not. Among full-time workers, those employed full year experienced a statistically significant decline in coverage from their own job. Those employed full time but for only part of the year did not experience a statistically significant change in coverage. Among part-time workers, those employed full year experienced a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of having coverage in their own name, as did part-time workers employed for only part of the year. ANNUAL EARNINGS: The decline in the percentage of workers with coverage through their own job was limited to workers with lower annual earnings. Statistically significant declines were not found among any group of workers with annual earnings of at least $40,000. Workers with a high school education or less experienced a statistically significant decline in the likelihood of having coverage. Neither workers with a college degree nor those with a graduate degree experienced a statistically significant decline in coverage through their own job. Workers of all races experienced statistically significant declines in coverage between 2008 and 2009. Both men and women experienced a statistically significant decline in the percentage with health coverage through their own job. IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO THE WORK FORCE: The movement of workers from the manufacturing industry to the service sector continued between 2008 and 2009. The percentage of workers employed on a full-time basis decreased while the percentage working part time increased. While there was an overall decline in the percentage of full-time workers, that decline was limited to workers employed full year. The percentage of workers employed on a full-time, part-year basis increased between 2008 and 2009. The distribution of workers by annual earnings shifted from middle-income workers to lower-income workers between 2008 and 2009.

Clustering of particles and pathogens within evaporating drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jaebum; Kim, Ho-Young

2017-11-01

The evaporation of sessile suspension drops leads to accumulation of the particles around the pinned contact line, which is widely termed the coffee ring effect. However, the evaporation behavior of a liquid drop containing a small number of particles with the size comparable to the host drop is unclear yet. Thus, here we investigate the motion and spatial distribution of large particles within a sessile drop. The spherical particles cluster only when their initial distance is below a critical value, which is a function of the diameter and wettability of particle as well as the surface tension and size of the host drop. We rationalize such a critical distance for self-assembly based on the balance of the capillary force and the frictional resistance to sliding and rolling of the particles on a solid substrate. We further discuss the physical significance of this drop-mediated ``Cheerios effect'' in connection with the fate of pathogens residing in drops as a result of sneezing and coughing.

The effect of inhalation aromatherapy with damask rose (Rosa damascena) essence on the pain intensity after dressing in patients with burns: A clinical randomized trial.

PubMed

Bikmoradi, Ali; Harorani, Mehdi; Roshanaei, Ghodratollah; Moradkhani, Shirin; Falahinia, Golam Hossein

2016-01-01

Pain is one of the common problems encountered by patients with burns, which increases after each dressing. This study aimed to investigate the effect of inhalation aromatherapy with damask rose essence on the pain of patients with burns that is caused after dressing. A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 50 patients with second- and third-degree burn wounds. The baseline pain of the patients was assessed 30 min before they entered into the dressing room on the first and second days of intervention. The patients in the experimental group inhaled five drops of damask rose essence 40% in distilled water, while those in the control group inhaled five drops of distilled water as placebo. The pain intensity was assessed using Visual Analogue Scale at 15 and 30 min after the patients exited from the dressing room. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 18) using descriptive and inferential statistics. There was significant difference between the mean of pain intensity before and after intervention at 15 and 30 min after dressing (P < 0.001). Moreover, there was significant difference in reduction of pain intensity before and after aromatherapy in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Also, there was a significant reduction in severity of pain after dressing in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Inhalation aromatherapy with damask rose could be effective for relieving the pain caused after dressing in patients with burns. Therefore, it could be suggested as a complementary therapy in burn patients for pain relief.

Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with nasal positive airway pressure improves golf performance.

PubMed

Benton, Marc L; Friedman, Neil S

2013-12-15

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with impairment of cognitive function, and improvement is often noted with treatment. Golf is a sport that requires a range of cognitive skills. We evaluated the impact of nasal positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on the handicap index (HI) of golfers with OSAS. Golfers underwent a nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG) to determine whether they had significant OSAS (respiratory disturbance index > 15). Twelve subjects with a positive NPSG were treated with PAP. HI, an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and sleep questionnaire (SQ) were submitted upon study entry. After 20 rounds of golf on PAP treatment, the HI was recalculated, and the questionnaires were repeated. A matched control group composed of non-OSAS subjects was studied to assess the impact of the study construct on HI, ESS, and SQ. Statistical comparisons between pre- and post-PAP treatment were calculated. The control subjects demonstrated no significant change in HI, ESS, or SQ during this study, while the OSAS group demonstrated a significant drop in average HI (11.3%, p = 0.01), ESS, (p = 0.01), and SQ (p = 0.003). Among the more skilled golfers (defined as HI ≤ 12), the average HI dropped by an even greater degree (31.5%). Average utilization of PAP was 91.4% based on data card reporting. Treatment of OSAS with PAP enhanced performance in golfers with this condition. Treatment adherence was unusually high in this study. Non-medical performance improvement may be a strong motivator for selected subjects with OSAS to seek treatment and maximize adherence.

Measurement of Impact Acceleration: Mouthpiece Accelerometer Versus Helmet Accelerometer

PubMed Central

Higgins, Michael; Halstead, P. David; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn; Barlow, David

2007-01-01

Context: Instrumented helmets have been used to estimate impact acceleration imparted to the head during helmet impacts. These instrumented helmets may not accurately measure the actual amount of acceleration experienced by the head due to factors such as helmet-to-head fit. Objective: To determine if an accelerometer attached to a mouthpiece (MP) provides a more accurate representation of headform center of gravity (HFCOG) acceleration during impact than does an accelerometer attached to a helmet fitted on the headform. Design: Single-factor research design in which the independent variable was accelerometer position (HFCOG, helmet, MP) and the dependent variables were g and Severity Index (SI). Setting: Independent impact research laboratory. Intervention(s): The helmeted headform was dropped (n = 168) using a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) drop system from the standard heights and impact sites according to NOCSAE test standards. Peak g and SI were measured for each accelerometer position during impact. Main Outcome Measures: Upon impact, the peak g and SI were recorded for each accelerometer location. Results: Strong relationships were noted for HFCOG and MP measures, and significant differences were seen between HFCOG and helmet g measures and HFCOG and helmet SI measures. No statistically significant differences were noted between HFCOG and MP g and SI measures. Regression analyses showed a significant relationship between HFCOG and MP measures but not between HFCOG and helmet measures. Conclusions: Upon impact, MP acceleration (g) and SI measurements were closely related to and more accurate in measuring HFCOG g and SI than helmet measurements. The MP accelerometer is a valid method for measuring head acceleration. PMID:17597937

Diel pattern of corticosterone metabolites in Arctic barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis) under continuous natural light

PubMed Central

de Jong, Margje E.; Komdeur, Jan; Pschernig, Elisabeth; Loonen, Maarten J. J. E.; Millesi, Eva; Weiß, Brigitte M.

2017-01-01

Here we describe the excretion pattern of corticosterone metabolites collected from droppings in barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis) raised under 24 hours of continuous natural light in the Arctic. In lower latitudes, circulating corticosterone peaks around waking and shows a nadir between midnight and 4:00, whereas the peak and nadir are time-delayed slightly when measuring corticosterone metabolites from droppings. Photoperiod, along with other environmental factors, helps to entrain an animal’s endogenous rhythm to that of the natural world. North of the Arctic Circle, photoperiod may not be a reliable cue as light is continuously absent during the winter and continuously present during the summer. Here, for the first time, we used droppings to describe a 24-hour excretion pattern of corticosterone metabolites (CORTm). By applying circular statistics for dependent data, we found a diel rhythmic pattern even under continuous natural light. We discuss potential alternative ‘Zeitgeber’ that may function even in the polar regions, focusing on melatonin. We propose a line of research to measure melatonin non-invasively from droppings. We also provide a validation of the adopted enzyme immunoassay (EIA) that was originally developed for greylag geese. PMID:28787012

Increasing age in Achilles rupture patients over time.

PubMed

Ho, Gavin; Tantigate, Direk; Kirschenbaum, Josh; Greisberg, Justin K; Vosseller, J Turner

2017-07-01

The changing demographics of Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) patients have not fully been investigated. However, there has been a general suspicion that this injury is occurring in an increasingly older population, in terms of mean age. The aim of this study was to objectively show an increase in age in Achilles tendon rupture patients over time. Published literature on Achilles tendon ruptures was searched for descriptive statistics on the demographics of patients in the studies, specifically mean and median age of Achilles tendon rupture patients, gender ratio, percentage of athletics-related injuries, percentage of smokers, and BMI. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the trend of patient demographics over time. A Welch one-way ANOVA was carried out to identify any possible differences in data obtained from different types of studies. The patient demographics from 142 studies were recorded, with all ATR injuries occurring between the years 1953 and 2014. There was no significant difference in the mean age data reported by varying study types, i.e. randomized controlled trial, cohort study, case series, etc. (P=0.182). There was a statistically significant rise in mean age of ATR patients over time (P<0.0005). There was also a statistically significant drop in percentage of male ATR patients (P=0.02). There is no significant trend for percentage of athletics-related injuries, smoking or BMI. Since 1953 to present day, the mean age at which ATR occurs has been increasing by at least 0.721 years every five years. In the same time period, the percentage of female study patients with ATR injuries has also been increasing by at least 0.6% every five years. Level III; Retrospective cohort study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nesfatin-1 alleviates extrahepatic cholestatic damage of liver in rats

PubMed Central

Solmaz, Ali; Gülçiçek, Osman Bilgin; Erçetin, Candaş; Yiğitbaş, Hakan; Yavuz, Erkan; Arıcı, Sinan; Erzik, Can; Zengi, Oğuzhan; Demirtürk, Pelin; Çelik, Atilla; Çelebi, Fatih

2016-01-01

Obstructive jaundice (OJ) can be defined as cessation of bile flow into the small intestine due to benign or malignant changes. Nesfatin-1, recently discovered anorexigenic peptide derived from nucleobindin-2 in hypothalamic nuclei, was shown to have anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. This study is aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of nesfatin-1 on OJ in rats. Twenty-four adult male Wistar-Hannover rats were randomly assigned to three groups: sham (n = 8), control (n = 8), and nesfatin (n = 8). After bile duct ligation, the study groups were treated with saline or nesfatin-1, for 10 days. Afterward, blood and liver tissue samples were obtained for biochemical analyses, measurement of cytokines, determination of the oxidative DNA damage, DNA fragmentation, and histopathologic analyses. Alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels were decreased after the nesfatin treatment; however, these drops were statistically non-significant compared to control group (p = 0.345, p = 0.114). Malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly in nesfatin group compared to control group (p = 0.032). Decreases in interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels from the liver tissue samples were not statistically significant in nesfatin group compared to control group. The level of oxidative DNA damage was lower in nesfatin group, however this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.75). DNA fragmentation results of all groups were similar. Histopathological examination revealed that there was less neutrophil infiltration, edema, bile duct proliferation, hepatocyte necrosis, basement membrane damage, and parenchymal necrosis in nesfatin compared to control group. The nesfatin-1 treatment could alleviate cholestatic liver damage caused by OJ due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. PMID:27524109

HD-tDCS in refractory lateral frontal lobe epilepsy patients.

PubMed

Karvigh, Sanaz Ahmadi; Motamedi, Mahmoud; Arzani, Mahsa; Roshan, Javad Hasan Nia

2017-04-01

To evaluate the anticonvulsant effect of the novel high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) method on patients with refractory lateral frontal lobe epilepsy. The effects of HD-tDCS on working memory were also examined. 10 adult patients with intractable lateral frontal lobe epilepsy were studied. A central cathode electrode was placed on the epileptogenic zone according to LTM, and 20-min sessions of 2mA HD-tDCS were applied for 10 consecutive days. The primary endpoint was to make changes in the epileptiform discharges (EDs) during a 1-h EEG. Moreover, the seizure frequency based on seizure diary and neuropsychiatric parameters was evaluated. All patients tolerated HD-tDCS stimulation course without any adverse reaction. The frequency of EDs increased immediately and one month after the stimulation course by an average of 6.4% and 1.2%, respectively. However, these changes in the EDs frequency were not statistically significant (p-value >0.05). The mean seizure frequency changes showed decrement by an average of 17.9% immediately, and increment by an average of 38.1% one month after the HD-tDCS. These changes were not significant statistically (p-value >0.05). One patient experienced exacerbation of seizures during the stimulations hence dropped out of the study. Attention and working memory improved significantly immediately and one month after the HD-tDCS in all patients. Changes of EDs and mean seizure frequency caused by HD-tDCS were not statistically significant for the whole group; however, this method could improve the patients' working memory scores. Copyright © 2017 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Connective tissue grafts for thickening peri-implant tissues at implant placement. One-year results from an explanatory split-mouth randomised controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Wiesner, Günter; Esposito, Marco; Worthington, Helen; Schlee, Markus

2010-01-01

Nothing to declare. To evaluate whether connective tissue grafts performed at implant placement could be effective in augmenting peri-implant soft tissues. Ten partially edentulous patients requiring at least one single implant in the premolar or molar areas of both sides of the mandible were randomised to have one side augmented at implant placement with a connective soft tissue graft harvested from the palate or no augmentation. After 3 months of submerged healing, abutments were placed and within 1 month definitive crowns were permanently cemented. Outcome measures were implant success, any complications, peri-implant marginal bone level changes, patient satisfaction and preference, thickness of the soft tissues and aesthetics (pink aesthetic score) evaluated by an independent and blinded assessor 1 year after loading. One year after loading, no patients dropped out, no implants failed and no complications occurred. Both groups lost statistically significant amounts of peri-implant bone 1 year after loading (0.8 mm in the grafted group and 0.6 mm in the non-grafted group), but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Soft tissues at augmented sites were 1.3 mm thicker (P < 0.001) and had a significantly better pink aesthetic score (P < 0.001). Patients were highly satisfied (no statistically significant differences between treatments) though they preferred the aesthetics of the augmented sites (P = 0.031). However, five patients would not undergo the grafting procedure again and two were uncertain. Connective tissue grafts are effective in increasing soft tissue thickness, thus improving aesthetics. Longer follow-ups are needed to evaluate the stability of peri-implant tissues over time.

Findings in 2002 from a help wanted index of job advertisements: is the job-market shortage of diagnostic radiologists easing?

PubMed

Saketkhoo, Daniel D; Sunshine, Jonathan H; Covey, Anne M; Forman, Howard P

2003-08-01

The goal of this study is to present the most recent data on the diagnostic radiology job market in the United States using a help wanted index of job advertisements. All diagnostic radiology positions advertised in the American Journal of Roentgenology and Radiology from January through December 2002 were coded by practice type, geographic location, and subspecialty. Data were compared with the previously published results from 1991 through 2001. From January through December 2002, 5117 positions were advertised for diagnostic radiologists, representing a 10.4% decrease from 2001. The 12-month rolling average of job advertisements peaked at 488 in February 2002 and dropped to 432 by December 2002, a level not seen since August 2000. In 2002, 42.7% of positions advertised were academic, representing a steady increase from 34.0% in 1999. When comparing the 4-year periods 1999-2002 and 1995-1998, a statistically significant proportional increase was found for positions advertised in the Midwest. Statistically significant relative increases were also observed for the subspecialties of abdominal radiology, mammography, neuroradiology, pediatric radiology, chest radiology, and nuclear medicine. Statistically significant relative decreases were seen in general and vascular and interventional positions. The absolute demand for diagnostic radiologists nationwide appears to have stabilized during 2002, albeit at a level much higher than in previous years, and may be decreasing. A split seems to have appeared in the market between academia and private practice. Current policy should be directed toward increasing the supply of diagnostic radiologists, especially academicians.

Continuation Electroconvulsive Therapy vs Pharmacotherapy for Relapse Prevention in Major Depression

PubMed Central

Kellner, Charles H.; Knapp, Rebecca G.; Petrides, Georgios; Rummans, Teresa A.; Husain, Mustafa M.; Rasmussen, Keith; Mueller, Martina; Bernstein, Hilary J.; O’Connor, Kevin; Smith, Glenn; Biggs, Melanie; Bailine, Samuel H.; Malur, Chitra; Yim, Eunsil; McClintock, Shawn; Sampson, Shirlene; Fink, Max

2013-01-01

Background Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to be extremely effective for the acute treatment of major depression, it has never been systematically assessed as a strategy for relapse prevention. Objective To evaluate the comparative efficacy of continuation ECT (C-ECT) and the combination of lithium carbonate plus nortriptyline hydrochloride (C-Pharm) in the prevention of depressive relapse. Design Multisite, randomized, parallel design, 6-month trial performed from 1997 to 2004. Setting Five academic medical centers and their outpatient psychiatry clinics. Patients Two hundred one patients with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV–diagnosed unipolar depression who had remitted with a course of bilateral ECT. Interventions Random assignment to 2 treatment groups receiving either C-ECT (10 treatments) or C-Pharm for 6 months. Main Outcome Measure Relapse of depression, compared between the C-ECT and C-Pharm groups. Results In the C-ECT group, 37.1% experienced disease relapse, 46.1% continued to have disease remission at the study end, and 16.8% dropped out of the study. In the C-Pharm group, 31.6% experienced disease relapse, 46.3% continued to have disease remission, and 22.1% dropped out of the study. Both Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses indicated no statistically significant differences in overall survival curves and time to relapse for the groups. Mean±SD time to relapse for the C-ECT group was 9.1±7.0 weeks compared with 6.7±4.6 weeks for the C-Pharm group (P=.13). Both groups had relapse proportions significantly lower than a historical placebo control from a similarly designed study. Conclusions Both C-ECT and C-Pharm were shown to be superior to a historical placebo control, but both had limited efficacy, with more than half of patients either experiencing disease relapse or dropping out of the study. Even more effective strategies for relapse prevention in mood disorders are urgently needed. PMID:17146008

Decreasing the occurrence of intraoperative technical errors through periodic simple show, tell and learn method.

PubMed

Steinberg, Ely L; Amar, Eyal; Albagli, Assaf; Rath, Ehud; Salai, Moshe

2014-08-01

Technical errors (TE) that occur during surgery for treating fractures are considered as being preventable by good preoperative planning and surgeon education. This prospective study evaluated a new instructional method for improving surgical outcomes that involved assessing surgeons' own recent performances. Postoperative radiographs from two groups of patients were assessed during consecutive 4-month periods. 350 operations were included in the Early Group and 411 operations in the Late Group. All the TE that occurred during the first period were reviewed and discussed among the residents and the consultant surgeons who had performed those operations. The same procedure was followed 4 months later. The TE were classified as minor, moderate and major. The two groups included the same 41 surgeons. The most common TE were: insufficient reduction, varus and valgus malalignment and prominent hardware. The total number of errors dropped significantly, from 52 (14.7%) during the first period to 26 (6.3%) during the second period (p = 0.0003). The TE score severity dropped from 81 to 38, respectively (p = 0.0001). The most affected regions were, the humerus (p < 000.1), midshaft femur (p = 0.007), proximal femur (p = 0.004) and radius (p = 0.008). Most of the gains were made in the moderate category (p = 0.0001). The consultants performed statistically better than the residents in the first period (12% vs. 20%, p = 0.036), but almost similar to the residents in the second period (5.3% vs. 9%, p = 0.164). A TE index was calculated by dividing the accumulated sum by the number of operations and it dropped in both groups from 0.2 and 0.3 to 0.09 and 0.09, respectively. Intraoperative TE can be significantly reduced by periodic performance evaluations in a seminar setting during which groups of surgeons can review the TE that they and their colleagues had made during recent orthopaedic surgical procedures. Level II. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward understanding the recent large reductions in U.S. road fatalities.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-05-01

From 2005 to 2009, U.S. road fatalities dropped by 22% (from 43,510 to 33,963). : A reduction of such magnitude over such a short time has not occurred since road-safety : statistics were first kept (starting in 1913), except for the reductions durin...

[Effectiveness of integrative psychotherapeutic counseling for students].

PubMed

Sperth, Michael; Hofmann, Frank-Hagen; Holm-Hadulla, Rainer Mathias

2014-06-01

In this first effectiveness study of psychotherapeutic counseling for students in German-speaking countries, the effectiveness of an integrative model of counseling was evaluated based on a sample of 151 clients. Effectiveness of integrative counseling according to the ABCDE-model was found to be high in comparison to other international studies in this area. Pre-post differences on measures of mental distress and satisfaction were significant and effect sizes were mostly moderate to high. A high percentage of clients improved statistically and clinically significant. Counselors' expert rating and diagnostics according to ICD-10 that have been included in contrast to previous effectiveness studies showed that clients suitable for the counseling setting get treated in the counseling center while more severely disturbed clients in terms of psychopathology or diagnosis get referred to outpatient treatment, drop out or object to provide post-data. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The effects of horizontal body casting on blood volume, drug responsiveness, and +Gz tolerance in the rhesus monkey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickey, D. T.; Billman, G. E.; Teoh, K.; Sandler, H.; Stone, H. L.

1982-01-01

To simulate the weightless condition, eight rhesus monkeys, instrumented with solid-state pressure transducers, were horizontally restrained in body casts for 28 days. Blood volume decreased an average of 13% after 14 days of restraint, due mainly to a drop in plasma volume. Aortic pressure and heart rate responses to norepinephrine and phenylephrine decreased after 14 days of restraint. The monkeys did not show a statistically significant decreased tolerance to a 90 deg sudden upright tilt after horizontal restraint. During the fifth week of casting, four animals were subjected to +Gz acceleration tests on a centrifuge. The acceleration tolerance of the casted monkeys was significantly reduced compared to four similarly instrumented control animals. These findings indicate that the cardiovascular deconditioning associated with simulated weightlessness results from an inability to maintain central blood volume during orthostatic stress.

Changes in stature following plyometric drop-jump and pendulum exercises.

PubMed

Fowler, N E; Lees, A; Reilly, T

1997-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the changes in stature following the performance of plyometric exercises using drop-jumps and a pendulum swing. Eight male participants aged 21.7 +/- 1.8 years with experience of plyometric training gave their informed consent to act as participants. Participants undertook two exercise regimens and a 15-min standing test in a random order. The exercises entailed the performance of 50 drop-jumps from a height of 0.28 m or 50 pendulum rebounds. Participants were instructed to perform maximal jumps or rebounds using a 'bounce' style. Measurements of stature were performed after a 20-min period of standing (pre-exercise), 2-min after exercise (post-exercise) and after a 20-min standing recovery (recovery). Back pain and muscle soreness were assessed using an analogue-visual scale, at each of the above times and also 24 and 36 h after the test. Peak torque during isokinetic knee extension at 1.04 rads-1 was measured immediately before and after the exercise bouts, to assess the degree of muscular fatigue. Ground/wall reaction force data were recorded using a Kistler force platform mounted in the floor for drop-jumps and vertically on the rebound wall for pendulum exercises. Drop-jumps resulted in the greatest (p < 0.05) change in stature (-2.71 +/- 0.8 mm), compared to pendulum exercises (-1.77 +/- 0.7 mm) and standing (-0.39 +/- 0.2 mm). Both exercise regimens resulted in a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in stature when compared to the standing condition. Drop-jumps resulted in significantly greater peak impact forces (p < 0.05) than pendulum exercises (drop-jumps = 3.2 +/- 0.5 x body weight, pendulum = 2.6 +/- 0.5 x body weight). The two exercise conditions both invoked a small degree of muscle soreness but there were no significant differences between conditions. Both exercise regimens resulted in a non-significant decrease in peak torque indicating a similar degree of muscular fatigue. Based on the lower shrinkage resulted and lower peak forces, it can be concluded that pendulum exercises pose a lower injury potential to the lower back than drop-jumps performed from a height of 28 cm.

Shear coaxial injector atomization phenomena for combusting and non-combusting conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pal, S.; Moser, M. D.; Ryan, H. M.; Foust, M. J.; Santoro, R. J.

1992-01-01

Measurements of LOX drop size and velocity in a uni-element liquid propellant rocket chamber are presented. The use of the Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer in obtaining temporally-averaged probability density functions of drop size in a harsh rocket environment has been demonstrated. Complementary measurements of drop size/velocity for simulants under cold flow conditions are also presented. The drop size/velocity measurements made for combusting and cold flow conditions are compared, and the results indicate that there are significant differences in the two flowfields.

Spume Drops: Their Potential Role in Air-Sea Gas Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monahan, Edward C.; Staniec, Allison; Vlahos, Penny

2017-12-01

After summarizing the time scales defining the change of the physical properties of spume and other droplets cast up from the sea surface, the time scales governing drop-atmosphere gas exchange are compared. Following a broad review of the spume drop production functions described in the literature, a subset of these functions is selected via objective criteria, to represent typical, upper bound, and lower bound production functions. Three complementary mechanisms driving spume-atmosphere gas exchange are described, and one is then used to estimate the relative importance, over a broad range of wind speeds, of this spume drop mechanism compared to the conventional, diffusional, sea surface mechanism in air-sea gas exchange. While remaining uncertainties in the wind dependence of the spume drop production flux, and in the immediate sea surface gas flux, preclude a definitive conclusion, the findings of this study strongly suggest that, at high wind speeds (>20 m s-1 for dimethyl sulfide and >30 m s-1 for gases such a carbon dioxide), spume drops do make a significant contribution to air-sea gas exchange.