Description of stable pain in rheumatoid arthritis: A 6 year study

Objective. To study pain quality and variability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Pain, disease activity, and functional status Were assessed 3 times over 6 years in an initial cohort of 120 clinic patients with chronic pain from RA. A pain visual analog scale and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) were used to record pain intensity and quality. RA disease activity and function were measured. Results. There was no statistically significant difference in any measure over the 3 assessments. RA pain intensity was moderate. The MPQ showed that sensory components of the pain were described in terms of pressure and constriction. Pain related affect was described with adjectives suggesting positive psychological adaptation to pain. Conclusion. The. results indicate a general profile of no change in pain sensation, affect, and emotional quality in clinic monitored patients with ongoing RA and ongoing, moderate levels of disease activity and function. The MPQ provides qualitative detail to patient's report of pain severity that could be a useful addition to longterm documentation of RA outcome. Regular MPQ documentation of current pain in outpatients could indicate whether any significant change in pain levels is reflected in altered word selection that reflects physiological or psychological change, and could assist clinicians to select the most appropriate form of therapy for RA pain.

Low-density koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in the mulgalands of south-west Queensland. III. Broad-scale patterns of habitat use

To date there have been few quantitative studies of the distribution of, and relative habitat utilisation by, koalas in the mulgalands of Queensland. To examine these parameters we applied habitat-accessibility and relative habitat-utilisation indices to estimates of faecal pellet density sampled at 149 sites across the region. Modelling the presence of pellets using logistic regression showed that the potential range of accessible habitats and relative habitat use varied greatly across the region, with rainfall being probably the most important determinant of distribution. Within that distribution, landform and rainfall were both important factors affecting habitat preference. Modelling revealed vastly different probabilities of finding a pellet under trees depending on the tree species, canopy size, and location within the region.

Synaptic vesicle transport and synaptic membrane transporter sites in excitatory amino acid nerve terminals in Alzheimer disease

The apparent L-[H-3]glutamate uptake rate (v') was measured in synaptic vesicles isolated from cerebral cortex synaptosomes prepared from autopsied Alzheimer and non-Alzheimer dementia cases, and age-matched controls. The initial synaptosome preparations exhibited similar densities of D-[H-3]aspartate membrane binding sites (B-MAX values) in the three groups. In control brain the temporal cortex D-[H-3]aspartate B-MAX was 132% of that in motor cortex, parallel with the L- [H-3]glutamate v' values (temporal = 139% of motor; NS). Unlike D- [H-3]aspartate B-MAX values, L- [H-3]glutamate v' values were markedly and selectively lower in Alzheimer brain preparations than in controls, particularly in temporal cortex. The difference could not be attributed to differential effects of autopsy interval or age at death. Non-Alzheimer dementia cases resembled controls. The selective loss of vesicular glutamate transport is consistent with a dysfunction in the recycling of transmitter glutamate.

Haemodynamic response to TENS applied to upper thoracic nerve roots in normal subjects

This study investigated the haemodynamic response to the 90-minute application of 85 Hz transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to the T1 and T5 nerve roots. Comparison was made between 20 healthy subjects who had TENS stimulation and a separate group of 20 healthy subjects who rested for 90 minutes. Pulse and blood pressure were measured just prior to the start of TENS stimulation, after 30 minutes of stimulation, and after 90 minutes of stimulation (immediately after stopping TENS) or at completion of the rest time depending on group allocation. The rate pressure product was calculated from the pulse and systolic blood pressure data. Multivariate repeated measures analysis showed a significant group effect for TENS (p = 0.048). Univariate repeated measures analyses showed a significant group by time effect due to TENS on systolic blood pressure over the 90-minute time period (p = 0.028). Separate group repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant decline in heart rate (p = 0.000), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.013) and rate pressure product (p = 0.000) for the TENS group, while the control resting group showed a significant decline in heart rate only (p = 0.04). The application of 85 Hz TENS to the upper thoracic nerve roots causes no adverse haemodynamic effects in healthy subjects.

Comparison of DEM and experiment for a scale model SAG mill

Predictions of flow patterns in a 600-mm scale model SAG mill made using four classes of discrete element method (DEM) models are compared to experimental photographs. The accuracy of the various models is assessed using quantitative data on shoulder, toe and vortex center positions taken from ensembles of both experimental and simulation results. These detailed comparisons reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the various models for simulating mills and allow the effect of different modelling assumptions to be quantitatively evaluated. In particular, very close agreement is demonstrated between the full 3D model (including the end wall effects) and the experiments. It is also demonstrated that the traditional two-dimensional circular particle DEM model under-predicts the shoulder, toe and vortex center positions and the power draw by around 10 degrees. The effect of particle shape and the dimensionality of the model are also assessed, with particle shape predominantly affecting the shoulder position while the dimensionality of the model affects mainly the toe position. Crown Copyright (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Nerve growth factor overexpression and autocrine loop in breast cancer cells

We show here that nerve growth factor (NGF), the canonical neurotrophic factor, is synthesized and released by breast cancer cells. High levels of NGF transcript and protein were detected in breast cancer cells by reverse transcription-PCR, Western blotting, ELISA assay and immunohistochemistry. Conversely, NGF production could not be detected in normal breast epithelial cells at either the transcriptional or protein level. Confocal analysis indicated the presence of NGF within classical secretion vesicles. Breast cancer cell-produced NGF was biologically active, as demonstrated by its ability to induce the neuronal differentiation of embryonic neural precursor cells. Importantly, the constitutive growth of breast cancer cells was strongly inhibited by either NGF-neutralizing antibodies or K-252a, a pharmacological inhibitor of NGF receptor TrkA, indicating the existence of an NGF autocrine loop. Together, our data demonstrate the physiological relevance of NGF in breast cancer and its potential interest as a marker and therapeutic target.

Full-scale demonstration of biological nutrient removal in a single tank SBR process

Complete biological nutrient removal (BNR) in a single tank, sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process, is demonstrated here at full-scale on a typical domestic wastewater. The unique feature of the UniFed process is the introduction of the influent into the settled sludge blanket during the settling and decant periods of the SBR operation. This achieves suitable conditions for denitrification and anaerobic phosphate release which is critical to successful biological phosphorus removal, It also achieves a selector effect, which helps in generating a compact, well settling biomass in the reactor. The results of this demonstration show that it is possible to achieve well over 90% removal of GOD, nitrogen and phosphorus in such a process. Effluent quality achieved over a six-month operating period directly after commissioning was: 29 mg/l GOD, 0.5 mg/l NH4-N, 1.5 mg/l NOx-N and 1.5 mg/l PO4-P (50%-iles of daily samples). During an 8-day, intensive sampling period, the effluent BOD5 was

Simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal in a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) via the nitrite pathway and anaerobic-anoxic-enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) are two processes that can significantly reduce the energy and COD demand for nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The combination of these two processes has the potential of achieving simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal with a minimal requirement for COD. A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated in alternating anaerobic-aerobic mode with a low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (0.5 mg/L) during the aerobic period, and was demonstrated to accomplish nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. Under anaerobic conditions, COD was taken up and converted to poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), accompanied by phosphorus release. In the subsequent aerobic stage, PHA was oxidized and phosphorus was taken up to

A technique to assess small-scale heterogeneity of chemical properties in soil aggregates

A new method is presented which allows the separation of the soil aggregate exterior from the aggregate core. The method employs a combination of aggregate freezing with rapid separation of aggregate exteriors using ultrasonic energy. The factors influencing the thickness of the removed aggregate surface layer include water content of the aggregate prior to freezing, temperature difference between that of the frozen aggregate and that of the liquid it is submerged in during sonification, sonification time and energy, and the type of the immersion liquid. The success of the method and the thickness of the removed aggregate surface were examined using barium ( Ba2+) as a tracer. Barium ( as BaCl2) is rapidly absorbed by soil and is present at only very low levels in natural soils. Surface layers of 0.2 - 0.4 cm thickness were successfully removed from aggregates of 1 - 4 cm diameter. Two examples are given from soils in northern NSW to demonstrate the occurrence of small- scale heterogeneity in soil chemical properties. Compared with the surface fraction, a 4 - 7% higher calcium concentration was found in the core fraction of a clay loam soil ( Dermosol). Conversely, on a cracking clay soil ( Vertosol), atrazine concentration was around 15 times greater in the aggregate surface fractions compared with core fractions. Compared with the traditional estimation of soil chemical properties on homogenised bulk soil samples, it is suggested that separate analysis of aggregate surface and core fractions could provide useful additional information on the relationships between soil properties and environmental responses.

Multi-scale modeling of the mechanical behavior of polymer-based materials

Polymers have become the reference material for high reliability and performance applications. In this work, a multi-scale approach is proposed to investigate the mechanical properties of polymeric based material under strain. To achieve a better understanding of phenomena occurring at the smaller scales, a coupling of a Finite Element Method (FEM) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) modeling in an iterative procedure was employed, enabling the prediction of the macroscopic constitutive response. As the mechanical response can be related to the local microstructure, which in turn depends on the nano-scale structure, the previous described multi-scale method computes the stress-strain relationship at every analysis point of the macro-structure by detailed modeling of the underlying micro- and meso-scale deformation phenomena. The proposed multi-scale approach can enable prediction of properties at the macroscale while taking into consideration phenomena that occur at the mesoscale, thus offering an increased potential accuracy compared to traditional methods.

Coupling Mechanical and Electrical Behavior in the Multi-scale Simulation of Polymer-based CNT Nanocomposites

A numeric model has been proposed to investigate the mechanical and electrical properties of a polymeric/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite material subjected to a deformation force. The reinforcing phase affects the behavior of the polymeric matrix and depends on the nanofiber aspect ratio and preferential orientation. The simulations show that the mechanical behavior of a computer generated material (CGM) depends on fiber length and initial orientation in the polymeric matrix. It is also shown how the conductivity of the polymer/CNT composite can be calculated for each time step of applied stress, effectively providing the ability to simulate and predict strain-dependent electrical behavior of CNT nanocomposites.

Preserved xenogenic amniotic membrane as a patch on the repair of superficial corneal ulcers in rabbits

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of canine amniotic membrane, previously preserved in glycerin, used as a patch on the repair of experimentally-made superficial corneal ulcers and to compare corneal epithelization between the treated and non-treated groups. Xenogeneic amniotic membranes were collected aseptically and preserved in 99% glycerin at room temperature. Each animal was anesthetized and submitted to superficial corneal keratectomy of the left eye. The treated group received a fragment of canine amniotic membrane as a patch, while the control group had no treatment. The treated group showed blepharospasm, ocular discharge and conjunctival congestion. The membrane accelerated corneal repair in the beginning of the process, however, it delayed its conclusion (p<0.05). Treated eyes showed greater vessel formation and decreased corneal transparency (p<0.05). The stroma of the control group was thicker than that of the treated group (p<0.05). We suggest that amniotic membrane used in this manner can be applied as a therapy for superficial corneal ulcers in the beginning phases of the repair process.

Predicting the mechanical behavior of amorphous polymeric materials under strain through multi-scale simulation

Polymeric materials have become the reference material for high reliability and performance applications. However, their performance in service conditions is difficult to predict, due in large part to their inherent complex morphology, which leads to non-linear and anisotropic behavior, highly dependent on the thermomechanical environment under which it is processed. In this work, a multiscale approach is proposed to investigate the mechanical properties of polymeric-based material under strain. To achieve a better understanding of phenomena occurring at the smaller scales, the coupling of a finite element method (FEM) and molecular dynamics (MD) modeling, in an iterative procedure, was employed, enabling the prediction of the macroscopic constitutive response. As the mechanical response can be related to the local microstructure, which in turn depends on the nano-scale structure, this multiscale approach computes the stress-strain relationship at every analysis point of the macro-structure by detailed modeling of the underlying micro- and meso-scale deformation phenomena. The proposed multiscale approach can enable prediction of properties at the macroscale while taking into consideration phenomena that occur at the mesoscale, thus offering an increased potential accuracy compared to traditional methods.

Multilevel and multidimensional scale for online trust

This paper examines the nature of the construct of consumers' trust toward the electronic channel of their financial institution. Through a study of a total of 372 individual users of Internet banking in Spain, we have managed to develop a third-order measuring instrument that integrates a total of seven dimensions. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the validation and reliability of the proposed scale. Findings provide useful information to professionals who seek to identify how customer's trust is formed in the online channel and in the financial sector.

Contribuição para a adaptação e validação da versão portuguesa da Motor Assessment Scale

Introdução: A Motor Assessment Scale (MAS) tem mostrado ser um instrumento válido e fidedigno na avaliação do progresso clínico de indivíduos que sofreram um Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC). Objectivos: Traduzir e adaptar a MAS à realidade portuguesa e contribuir para a validação da versão portuguesa, avaliando a sua consistência interna. Metodologia: Após um processo de tradução, revisão por peritos, retroversão e comparação com a versão original, obteve-se a versão portuguesa da MAS. Procedeu-se a um estudo correlacional transversal para avaliação da consistência interna; a amostra final incluiu 30 sujeitos, 16 do sexo masculino e 14 do sexo feminino, com idades entre os 42 e 85 anos (média de 64±11,85 anos), com hemiparésia ou hemiplegia decorrente de AVC e que realizavam fisioterapia em um de 6 Hospitais seleccionados por conveniência; a média do tempo de diagnóstico foi de 306±1322,82 dias e do tempo de fisioterapia foi de 47±57,57 dias. Resultados: Obteve-se uma média de 24±14,51 pontos nas pontuações totais e um coeficiente de Alfa de Cronbach de 0,939, sem a exclusão de qualquer item; as correlações inter item variaram entre 0,395 e 0,916. Conclusões: Apesar da reduzida amostra e da sua heterogeneidade nas características e pontuações da escala, a Versão Portuguesa da MAS apresentou uma forte consistência interna, verificando-se que os itens estão, na sua maioria, muito correlacionados entre si, o que sustenta a adequação de cada item e apoia que, de forma geral, esta escala tem uma concepção lógica e estruturada.