La geotecnia vertical aplicada a la rehabilitación de yacimientos pleistocenos

La aplicación de una serie de técnicas propias de la geotecnia vertical y de la consolidación de taludes y laderas inestables se presenta por primera vez aplicada a la rehabilitación de yacimientos pleistocenos ubicados en antiguas canteras. Un conjunto de actuaciones especializadas permite garantizar la seguridad en los trabajos así como la preservación de la integridad de los yacimientos ubicados en cortes verticales y laderas rocosas. La rehabilitación realizada en el yacimiento de la Cova del Rinoceront (macizo del Garraf, NE de España), ubicado en el frente de explotación de una antigua cantera de piedra caliza, es el primer ejemplo conocido en la Península Ibérica donde la geotecnia vertical hasido utilizada en este tipo de contextos y, por lo tanto, los resultados pueden ser utilizados como un posible modelo de futuro para próximas intervenciones.

Comparing the horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism scale and the Auckland individualism and collectivism scale in two cultures: Switzerland and South Africa

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (HVIC) and the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale (AICS). The sample consisted of 1,403 working individuals from Switzerland (N = 585) and from South Africa (N = 818). Principal component factor analyses indicated that a two-factor structure replicated well across the two countries for both scales. In addition, the HVIC four-factor structure replicated well across countries, whereas the responsibility dimension of individualism of the AICS replicated poorly. Confirmatory factor analyses provided satisfactory support to the original theoretical models for both the HVIC and the AICS. Equivalence measurement indices indicated that the cross-cultural replicability properties of both instruments are generally acceptable. However, canonical correlations and correlations between the HVIC and AICS dimensions confirm that these two instruments differ in their underlying meaning of the individualism and collectivism constructs, suggesting that these two instruments assess individualism and collectivism differently.

Pie plano astrágalo vertical asociado a sinovitis. Fases de tratamiento

El pie plano astrágalo vertical congénito es una deformidad poco frecuente que se puede encontrar de forma aislada, dentro de un cuadro polimalformativo o en relación con afectaciones neurológicas. Se caracteriza por una luxación del escafoides por encima del astrágalo,lo que provoca un pie rígido o de dificil manipulación. En este artículo los autores describen un caso clínico de un paciente que acude a consulta por presentar una inflamación dolorosa en la zona de la cabeza del astrágalo del pie derecho. Una vez realizado todo el protocolo exploratorio, se plantea la resolución mediante un plan de tratamiento en dos fases: una primera fase consistente en la realización de paracentesis evacuadora o terapéutica-curativa; y una segunda fase en la que se diseña tratamiento ortopodológlco de descarga.

Effect of modafinil on subjective fatigue in multiple sclerosis and stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: Modafinil has anecdotal response to neurological fatigue, but such an effect may depend on the type and location of cerebral impairment. OBJECTIVES: It was the aim of this study to compare fatigue observed in different neurological pathologies, to evaluate the tolerability to modafinil, and to describe changes in subjective fatigue. METHODS: We enrolled 14 brainstem or diencephalic stroke (BDS) patients, 9 cortical stroke (CS) patients and 17 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The Fatigue Assessment Instrument severity scale was performed at baseline, after 3 months of modafinil and after 1 month of washout. Cognition, mood and somnolence were assessed. A subgroup of 14 patients underwent activity measures before and during treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients completed the study (10 BDS, 9 CS, 12 MS). The responder profile is more frequent in MS than in CS (p = 0.04), and in BDS than in CS patients (p = 0.04). Actiwatch measures showed no changes in activity during, before and after therapy. CONCLUSION: Modafinil was tolerated in 75% of patients at small doses and seemed to improve the severity of fatigue in the MS and BDS groups but not in the CS group. There was no modification in measured physical activity.

Creation and Validation of Chronojump-Boscosystem: A Free Tool to Measure Vertical Jumps

Measuring the height of the vertical jump is an indicator of the strength and power of the lower body. The technological tools available to measure the vertical jump are black boxes and are not open to third-party verification or adaptation. We propose the creation of a measurement system called Chronojump-Boscosystem, consisting of open hardware and free software. Methods: A microcontroller was created and validated using a square wave generator and an oscilloscope. Two types of contact platforms were developed using different materials. These platforms were validated by the minimum pressure required for activation at different points by a strain gauge, together with the on/off time of our platforms in respect of the Ergojump-Boscosystem platform by a sample of 8 subjects performing submaximal jumps with one foot on each platform. Agile methodologies were used to develop and validate the software. Results: All the tools fall under the free software / open hardware guidelines and are, in that sense, free. The microcontroller margin of error is 0.1%. The validity of the fiberglass platform is 0.95 (ICC). The management software contains nearly 113.000 lines of code and is available in 7 languages.

Food Indicators and Their Relationship with 10 to 12 Year-olds' Subjective Well-Being

This study aimed to test subjective indicators designed to analyze the role food plays in children’s lives, explore children’s personal well-being, and evaluate the relationship between these two phenomena. It was conducted on 371 children aged 10 to 12 by means of a selfadministered questionnaire. Results showed a marked interest in food on the part of children, who consider taste and health the most important indicators when it comes to eating. They demonstrated a high level of personal well-being, measured using Cummins & Lau’s adapted version of the Personal Well- Being Index–School Children (PWI-SC) (2005), overall life satisfaction (OLS) and satisfaction with various life domains (friends, family, sports, food and body). Regression models were conducted to explain satisfaction with food, taking as independent variables the interest children have in food, the importance they give to different reasons for eating, scores from the PWI-SC, OLS and satisfaction with various life domains. In the final model, it was found that OLS, health indicators, satisfaction with health from the PWI-SC and satisfaction with your body contribute to explaining satisfaction with food. The results obtained suggest that satisfaction with food is a relevant indicator in the exploration of children’s subjective well-being, calling into question the widespread belief that these aspects are of exclusive interest to adults. They also seem to reinforce the importance of including food indicators in any study aimed at exploring the well-being of the 10 to 12 year-old population.

Vertical Delineation, 2014

Vertical delineators are intended to warn drivers of an approaching curve while providing them with a better appreciation of the sharpness of a curve. Drivers can then select an appropriate speed before entering the curve. Delineation can also provide continuous tracking information once drivers are within the curve to help position their vehicles within the travel lane while traversing the curve. The most common type of vertical delineation is post mounted delineators (PMDs). These devices are usually flexible or rigid posts with some amount of reflective surface mounted along the roadside to provide additional delineation. Another treatment that has been used is to provide additional delineation on chevron posts.

Wear of two denture teeth materials in vivo-2-year results.

OBJECTIVE: (1) To quantify wear of two different denture tooth materials in vivo with two study designs, (2) to relate tooth variables to vertical loss. METHODS: Two different denture tooth materials had been used (experimental material=test; DCL=control). In study 1 (split-mouth, 6 test centers) 60 subjects received complete dentures, in study 2 (two-arm, 1 test center) 29 subjects. In study 1 the mandibular dentures were supported by implants in 33% of the subjects, in study 2 only in 3% of the subjects. Impressions of the dentures were taken and poured with improved stone at baseline and after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Each operator evaluated the wear subjectively. Wear analysis was carried out with a laser scanning device. Maximal vertical loss of the attrition zones was calculated for each tooth cusp and tooth. A mixed linear model was used to statistically analyse the logarithmically transformed wear data. RESULTS: Due to drop-outs and unmatchable casts, only 47 subjects of study 1 and 14 of study 2 completed the 2-year recall. Overall, 75% of all teeth present could be analysed. There was no statistically difference in the overall wear between the test and control material for either study 1 or study 2. The relative increase in wear over time was similar in both study designs. However, a strong subject effect and center effect were observed. The fixed factors included in the model (time, tooth, center, etc.) accounted for 43% of the variability, whereas the random subject effect accounted for another 30% of the variability, leaving about 28% of unexplained variability. More wear was consistently recorded in the maxillary teeth compared to the mandibular teeth and in the first molar teeth compared to the premolar teeth and the second molars. Likewise, the supporting cusps showed more wear than the non-supporting cusps. The amount of wear did not depend on whether or not the lower dentures were supported by implants. The subjective wear was correct in about 67% of the cases if it is postulated that a wear difference of 100μm should be subjectively detectable. SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical wear of denture teeth is highly variable with a strong patient effect. More wear can be expected in maxillary denture teeth compared to mandibular teeth, first molars compared to premolars and supported cusps compared to non-supported cusps. Laboratory data on the wear of denture tooth materials may not be confirmed in well-structured clinical trials probably due to the large inter-individual variability.

Vulnerability to schizophrenia: relevance of patients' subjective experience for empirical and clinical work.

Efforts are being made by clinicians and researchers to accurately delineate phenotypic traits of individuals at enhanced risk of schizophrenia. This issue is important for a better understanding of the etiopathogenic mechanisms of the disease and for the building up of programs of primary prevention. We suggest that disturbances of subjective experience, although difficult to operationalize, are an important-but until now neglected-core component of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We advocate the development of valid and reliable instruments in order to allow the assessment of basic symptoms and disturbances of Self-experience. Delineation of vulnerability to schizophrenia cannot rely solely on neuropsychological and neurophysiological data, as prevention programs will be performed mainly by clinicians.

Models for vertical wood density of Scots pine, Norway spruce and birch stems, and their application to determine average wood density

Abstract

Subjective mental time: the functional architecture of projecting the self to past and future.

Abstract Human experience takes place in the line of mental time (MT) created through 'self-projection' of oneself to different time-points in the past or future. Here we manipulated self-projection in MT not only with respect to one's life events but also with respect to one's faces from different past and future time-points. Behavioural and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging activity showed three independent effects characterized by (i) similarity between past recollection and future imagination, (ii) facilitation of judgements related to the future as compared with the past, and (iii) facilitation of judgements related to time-points distant from the present. These effects were found with respect to faces and events, and also suggest that brain mechanisms of MT are independent of whether actual life episodes have to be re-experienced or pre-experienced, recruiting a common cerebral network including the anteromedial temporal, posterior parietal, inferior frontal, temporo-parietal and insular cortices. These behavioural and neural data suggest that self-projection in time is a fundamental aspect of MT, relying on neural structures encoding memory, mental imagery and self.

Vertical Clearance Restrictions on Primary Roads and Primary Road Extensions: Standard U.S. Measurements [Vertical Clearance Log], May 1, 2015

The Vertical Clearance Log is prepared for the purpose of providing vertical clearance restrictions by route on the primary road system. This report is used by the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Motor Carrier Services to route oversize vehicles around structures with vertical restrictions too low for the cargo height. The source of the data is the Geographic Information Management System (GIMS) that is managed by the Office of Research & Analytics in the Performance & Technology Division. The data is collected by inspection crews and through the use of LiDAR technology to reflect changes to structures on the primary road system. This log is produced annually.

Dynamics and vertical distribution of a Hrabeiella periglandulata (Annelida) population in South Moravia, Czech Republic

The objective of this work was to evaluate the density, dynamics and vertical distribution of a Hrabeiella periglandulata population in a forest soil at Brno, Czech Republic. From December 2003 to November 2004, two plots covered by mixed stands and two covered by coniferous stands were sampled monthly. Six soil cores per plot were taken down to 15 cm and subdivided into layers, which were subjected to wet funnel extraction. Missing in one of the coniferous stands H. periglandulata was abundant in the mixed stand with the highest soil pH. In this stand, monthly sampling continued until November 2005, with three additional samplings up to January 2007. Mean annual density was 2,672±1,534 individuals m-2. Population dynamics differed from those reported from Germany. Highest densities were reached in early summer, lowest between August and December. Due to aggregated horizontal distribution, differences between monthly values were often nonsignificant. No significant correlation with climatic data was found. Nevertheless, the observed dynamics corresponded to the climatic conditions, showing particularly the negative effect of drought. The population was evenly distributed in the sampled soil profile, only avoiding the organic layer. Except for a locality in Poland, this is the easternmost record of the species.

La perception subjective de l'effet des neuroleptiques chez des patients schizophrènes ambulatoires: une étude transversale [Subjective perception of the effect of neuroleptics by outpatient schizophrenic patients: a cross-sectional study].

Subjective response to neuroleptics is essential to long term observance of treatment and quality of life of patients. Numerous factors (pharmacological, relational and psychopathological) are responsible of this subjective response. Objectives of this study are: (a) to examine psychometric features of the french version of the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-30) [13] and (b) to explore pharmacological, relational and psychopathological factors related to this subjective response. Subjects and methods: 78 subjects were rated (self rated response rate 61% (n = 48)) for (a) subjective response to neuroleptics, (b) compliance, (c) therapeutic alliance, (d) symptoms (e) severity of disorder. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded 2 main clinically relevant factors, similar to the original version: (I) global subjective response and (II) specific subjective response. Internal consistency is high. Correspondance analysis showed two important dimensions in the treatment of schizophrenic patients: (I) Recovery--aggravation, (II) Therapeutic ambition--positive or negative symptoms. CONCLUSION: French version of DAI-30 seems to have a similar structure and psychometric features as the original version. It shows concordance with the degree of compliance. Pharmacological factors are not the only factors implicated in subjective response, but are still to be identified. Limitations of our study are: (a) nonhomogenous indication for treatment, (b) small rate and degree of non compliance in our sample. Relationships between therapeutic ambition, type of symptoms and treatment outcome should be further studied.