High-voltage electrical burn injuries: Functional upper extremity assessment

High-voltage electric injuries have many manifestations, and an important complication is the damage of the central/peripheral nervous system. The purpose of this work was to assess the upper limb dysfunction in patients injured by high-voltage current. The evaluation consisted of analysis of patients` records, cutaneous-sensibility threshold, handgrip and pinch strength and a specific questionnaire about upper limb dysfunctions (DASH) in 18 subjects. All subjects were men; the average age at the time of the injury was 38 years. Of these, 72% changed job/retired after the injury. The current entrance was the hand in 94% and grounding in the lower limb in 78%. The average burned surface area (BSA) was 8.6%. The handgrip strength of the injured limb was reduced (p < 0.05) and so also that of the three pinch types. The relationship between the handgrip strength and the DASH was statistically significant (p < 0.001) as well as the relationship between the three pinch types (p <= 0.02) to the injured limb. The ability to perceive cutaneous touch/pressure was decreased in the burnt hand, principally in the median nerve area. These data indicate a reduction of the hand muscular strength and sensibility, reducing the function of the upper limb in patients who received high-voltage electrical shock. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Modeling upper eyelid kinematics during spontaneous and reflex blinks

To test a mathematical model for measuring blinking kinematics. Spontaneous and reflex blinks of 23 healthy subjects were recorded with two different temporal resolutions. A magnetic search coil was used to record 77 blinks sampled at 200 Hz and 2 kHz in 13 subjects. A video system with low temporal resolution (30 Hz) was employed to register 60 blinks of 10 other subjects. The experimental data points were fitted with a model that assumes that the upper eyelid movement can be divided into two parts: an impulsive accelerated motion followed by a damped harmonic oscillation. All spontaneous and reflex blinks, including those recorded with low resolution, were well fitted by the model with a median coefficient of determination of 0.990. No significant difference was observed when the parameters of the blinks were estimated with the under-damped or critically damped solutions of the harmonic oscillator. On the other hand, the over-damped solution was not applicable to fit any movement. There was good agreement between the model and numerical estimation of the amplitude but not of maximum velocity. Spontaneous and reflex blinks can be mathematically described as consisting of two different phases. The down-phase is mainly an accelerated movement followed by a short time that represents the initial part of the damped harmonic oscillation. The latter is entirely responsible for the up-phase of the movement. Depending on the instantaneous characteristics of each movement, the under-damped or critically damped oscillation is better suited to describe the second phase of the blink. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The relationship between two types of upper eyelid movements: Saccades and pursuit

PURPOSE. To establish the relationship between upper eyelid saccades and upper eyelid pursuit movements. METHODS. Upper eyelid saccades and periodic sinusoidal upper eyelid pursuit movements were recorded in a sample of controls and patients with Graves upper eyelid retraction. A video-computerized system was used to register both types of movements that accompanied 60 of eye rotation across the upper and lower hemifields. The forced harmonic oscillator model was used to fit saccadic and pursuit movements. RESULTS. Mean mid-pupil eyelid distance for the Graves patients (6.6 +/- 1.1 mm) was significantly higher than for the controls (4.6 +/- 0.8 mm; t = 7.18; P < 0.00001). Despite the difference in the upper eyelid resting position, saccades and pursuit eyelid movements of both groups were extremely well fitted by underdamped solutions and steady forced solutions of the harmonic oscillator model, respectively. For the controls, the amplitude of the pursuit movements was well correlated with the upward and downward saccades. The amplitude of the eyelid movements of the Graves patients (saccades and pursuit) was significantly reduced compared with that of the controls. CONCLUSIONS. Saccadic and pursuit movements of the upper eyelid can be described by the harmonic oscillator model. In healthy subjects and Graves patients, the amplitude of pursuit lid movements is correlated to the saccade amplitude. Pursuit eyelid movements are more difficult to register than saccades, and their measurements do not allow clear separation of the relaxation and contraction properties of the upper eyelid retractors.

Analytical solution and numerical model for the interface in a stratified long wave system

For a two layered long wave propagation, linearized governing equations, which were derived earlier from the Euler equations of mass and momentum assuming negligible friction and interfacial mixing are solved analytically using Fourier transform. For the solution, variations of upper layer water level is assumed to be sinosoidal having known amplitude and variations of interface level is solved. As the governing equations are too complex to solve it analytically, density of upper layer fluid is assumed as very close to the density of lower layer fluid to simplify the lower layer equation. A numerical model is developed using the staggered leap-forg scheme for computation of water level and discharge in one dimensional propagation having known amplitude for the variations of upper layer water level and interface level to be solved. For the numerical model, water levels (upper layer and interface) at both the boundaries are assumed to be known from analytical solution. Results of numerical model are verified by comparing with the analytical solutions for different time period. Good agreements between analytical solution and numerical model are found for the stated boundary condition. The reliability of the developed numerical model is discussed, using it for different a (ratio of density of fluid in the upper layer to that in the lower layer) and p (ratio of water depth in the lower layer to that in the upper layer) values. It is found that as ‘CX’ increases amplification of interface also increases for same upper layer amplitude. Again for a constant lower layer depth, as ‘p’ increases amplification of interface. also increases for same upper layer amplitude.

Timely topic: Premalignant lesions associated with adenocarcinoma of the upper gastrointestinal tract

The changing incidence of adenocarcinomas, particularly in the oesophagus and gastric cardia, has led to the rapid expansion of screening programmes aimed at detecting the precursor lesion of dysplasia before adenocarcinoma develops. The pathologist now has an important role in first diagnosing patients at risk for developing dysplasia, and then correctly classifying dysplasia when it occurs. Barrett's oesophagus has had different diagnostic criteria in previous years but is currently diagnosed by the presence of intestinal metaplasia of any length in the true oesophagus. Intestinal metaplasia confined only to the gastro-oesophageal junction or cardia is of uncertain significance but is probably common, with less risk of progressing to dysplasia or malignancy. In the stomach, patients with autoimmune atrophic gastritis and Helicobacter-associated multifocal atrophic gastritis have an increased risk of adenocarcinoma, but screening protocols are not well-developed compared with those used for Barrett's oesophagus. Dysplasia of glandular epithelium can be classified using well-described criteria. Low grade dysplasia is the most common type and regresses or remains stable in the majority of patients. High grade dysplasia is more ominous clinically, with a propensity to coexist with or progress to adenocarcinoma.

Phasic modulation of corticomotor excitability during passive movement of the upper limb: effects of movement frequency and muscle specificity

Modulations in the excitability of spinal reflex pathways during passive rhythmic movements of the lower limb have been demonstrated by a number of previous studies [4]. Less emphasis has been placed on the role of supraspinal pathways during passive movement, and on tasks involving the upper limb. In the present study, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was delivered to subjects while undergoing passive flexion-extension movements of the contralateral wrist. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of flexor carpi radialis (FCR) and abductor pollicus brevis (APB) muscles were recorded. Stimuli were delivered in eight phases of the movement cycle during three different frequencies of movement. Evidence of marked modulations in pathway excitability was found in the MEP amplitudes of the FCR muscle, with responses inhibited and facilitated from static values in the extension and flexion phases, respectively. The results indicated that at higher frequencies of movement there was greater modulation in pathway excitability. Paired-pulse TMS (sub-threshold conditioning) at short interstimulus intervals revealed modulations in the extent of inhibition in MEP amplitude at high movement frequencies. In the APE muscle, there was some evidence of phasic modulations of response amplitude, although the effects were less marked than those observed in FCR. It is speculated that these modulatory effects are mediated via Ia afferent pathways and arise as a consequence of the induced forearm muscle shortening and lengthening. Although the level at which this input influences the corticomotoneuronal pathway is difficult to discern, a contribution from cortical regions is suggested. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

The effects of stress management on symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, secretory immunoglobulin A, and mood in young adults

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of a stress management programme on symptoms of colds and influenza in 27 university students before and after the examination period. Method: The incidence of symptoms, levels of negative affect, and secretion rate of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) were recorded for 5 weeks before treatment, for the 4 weeks of treatment, and for 8 weeks after treatment in treated subjects and in 25 others who did not participate in stress management. Results: Symptoms decreased in treated subjects but not in controls during and after the examination period. Although sIgA secretion rate increased significantly after individual sessions of relaxation, resting secretion rate of sIgA did not increase over the course of the study. Negative affect decreased after examinations in both groups, but was not affected by treatment. Conclusion: Stress management reduced days of illness independently of negative affect and sIgA secretion rate. Although the component of treatment responsible for this effect has yet to be identified, psychological interventions may have a role in reducing symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring range of active cervical rotation in a position of full head flexion using the 3D Fastrak measurement system: an intra-tester reliability study

Most external assessments of cervical range of motion assess the upper and lower cervical regions simultaneously. This study investigated the within and between days reliability of the clinical method used to bias this movement to the upper cervical region, namely measuring rotation of the head and neck in a position of full cervical flexion. Measurements were made using the Fastrak measurement system and were conducted by one operator. Results indicated high levels of within and between days repeatability (range of ICC2,1 values: 0.85-0.95). The ranges of axial rotation to right and left, measured with the neck positioned in full flexion, were approximately 56% and 50%, respectively of total cervical rotation, which relates well to the proportional division of rotation in the upper and lower cervical regions. These results suggest that this method of measuring rotation would be appropriate for use in subject studies where movement dysfunction is present in the upper cervical region, such as those with cervicogenic headache. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Finding an upper bound on the increase in execution time due to contention on the memory bus in COTS-based multicore systems

Contention on the memory bus in COTS based multicore systems is becoming a major determining factor of the execution time of a task. Analyzing this extra execution time is non-trivial because (i) bus arbitration protocols in such systems are often undocumented and (ii) the times when the memory bus is requested to be used are not explicitly controlled by the operating system scheduler; they are instead a result of cache misses. We present a method for finding an upper bound on the extra execution time of a task due to contention on the memory bus in COTS based multicore systems. This method makes no assumptions on the bus arbitration protocol (other than assuming that it is work-conserving).

Deep structure of the Santos basin-São Paulo plateau system, SE Brazil

The structure and nature of the crust underlying the Santos Basin-São Paulo Plateau System (SSPS), in the SE Brazilian margin, are discussed based on five wide-angle seismic profiles acquired during the Santos Basin (SanBa) experiment in 2011. Velocity models allow us to precisely divide the SSPS in six domains from unthinned continental crust (Domain CC) to normal oceanic crust (Domain OC). A seventh domain (Domain D), a triangular shape region in the SE of the SSPS, is discussed by Klingelhoefer et al. (2014). Beneath the continental shelf, a similar to 100km wide necking zone (Domain N) is imaged where the continental crust thins abruptly from similar to 40km to less than 15km. Toward the ocean, most of the SSPS (Domains A and C) shows velocity ranges, velocity gradients, and a Moho interface characteristic of the thinned continental crust. The central domain (Domain B) has, however, a very heterogeneous structure. While its southwestern part still exhibits extremely thinned (7km) continental crust, its northeastern part depicts a 2-4km thick upper layer (6.0-6.5km/s) overlying an anomalous velocity layer (7.0-7.8km/s) and no evidence of a Moho interface. This structure is interpreted as atypical oceanic crust, exhumed lower crust, or upper continental crust intruded by mafic material, overlying either altered mantle in the first two cases or intruded lower continental crust in the last case. The deep structure and v-shaped segmentation of the SSPS confirm that an initial episode of rifting occurred there obliquely to the general opening direction of the South Atlantic Central Segment.

Upper Ontology for Multi-Agent Energy Systems’ Applications

Energy systems worldwide are complex and challenging environments. Multi-agent based simulation platforms are increasing at a high rate, as they show to be a good option to study many issues related to these systems, as well as the involved players at act in this domain. In this scope the authors research group has developed three multi-agent systems: MASCEM, which simulates the electricity markets; ALBidS that works as a decision support system for market players; and MASGriP, which simulates the internal operations of smart grids. To take better advantage of these systems, their integration is mandatory. For this reason, is proposed the development of an upper-ontology which allows an easier cooperation and adequate communication between them. Additionally, the concepts and rules defined by this ontology can be expanded and complemented by the needs of other simulation and real systems in the same areas as the mentioned systems. Each system’s particular ontology must be extended from this top-level ontology.

A system model and stack for the parallelization of time-critical applications on many-core architectures

3rd Workshop on High-performance and Real-time Embedded Systems (HIRES 2015). 21, Jan, 2015. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Bimodal information increases spontaneous interpersonal synchronization of goal directed upper limb movements

When interacting with each other, people often synchronize spontaneously their movements, e.g. during pendulum swinging, chair rocking[5], walking [4][7], and when executing periodic forearm movements[3].Although the spatiotemporal information that establishes the coupling, leading to synchronization, might be provided by several perceptual systems, the systematic study of different sensory modalities contribution is widely neglected. Considering a) differences in the sensory dominance on the spatial and temporal dimension[5] , b) different cue combination and integration strategies [1][2], and c) that sensory information might provide different aspects of the same event, synchronization should be moderated by the type of sensory modality. Here, 9 naïve participants placed a bottle periodically between two target zones, 40 times, in 12 conditions while sitting in front of a confederate executing the same task. The participant could a) see and hear, b) see , c) hear the confederate, d) or audiovisual information about the movements of the confederate was absent. The couple started in 3 different relative positions (i.e., in-phase, anti-phase, out of phase). A retro-reflective marker was attached to the top of the bottles. Bottle displacement was captured by a motion capture system. We analyzed the variability of the continuous relative phase reflecting the degree of synchronization. Results indicate the emergence of spontaneous synchronization, an increase with bimodal information, and an influence of the initial phase relation on the particular synchronization pattern. Results have theoretical implication for studying cue combination in interpersonal coordination and are consistent with coupled oscillator models.

Tectonic evolution of the High Himalaya in upper Lahul (NW Himalaya, India)

The Upper Lahul region in the NW Himalaya is located in the transition zone between the High Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) to the SW and the Tethyan Zone sedimentary series to the NE. The tectonic evolution of these domains during the Himalayan Orogeny is the consequence of a succession of five deformation events. An early D1 phase corresponds to synmetamorphic, NE verging folding. This deformation created the Tandi Syncline, which consists of Permian to Jurassic Tethyan metasediments cropping out in the core of a large-scale synformal fold within the HHC paragneiss. This tectonic event is interpreted as related to a NE directed nappe stacking (Shikar Beh Nappe), probably during the late Eocene to the early Oligocene. A subsequent D2a phase caused SW verging folding in the HHC. This deformation is interpreted as contemporaneous with late Oligocene to early Miocene SW directed thrusting along the Main Central Thrust. In the Tethyan Zone, a D2b phase is marked by a decollement thrust, a system of reverse faults, and gentle folds, associated with SW directed tectonic movements. This deformation is related to an imbricate structure, characteristic of a shallow structural level, and developed in the frontal part of a nappe affecting the Tethyan Zone units of SE Zanskar (Nyimaling-Tsarap Nappe). A later D3 phase generated the Chandra Dextral Shear Zone (CDSZ), a large-scale, ductile, dextral strike-slip shear zone, located in the transition zone between the HHC and the Tethyan Himalaya. The CDSZ most likely represents a part of a system of early Miocene extensional and/or dextral, strike-slip shear zones-observed at the HHC-Tethyan Zone contact along the entire Himalaya. A final D4 phase induced large-scale doming and NE:verging back folding.

Postoperative epidural hematoma contributes to delayed upper cord tethering after decompression of Chiari malformation type I.

Symptomatic arachnoiditis after posterior fossa surgical procedures such as decompression of Chiari malformation is a possible complication. Clinical presentation is generally insidious and delayed by months or years. It causes disturbances in the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid and enlargement of a syrinx cavity in the upper spinal cord. Surgical de-tethering has favorable results with progressive collapse of the syrinx and relief of the associated symptoms. Case Description: A 30-year-old male with Chiari malformation type I was treated by performing posterior fossa bone decompression, dura opening and closure with a suturable bovine pericardium dural graft. Postoperative period was uneventful until the fifth day in which the patient suffered intense headache and progressive loose of consciousness caused by an acute posterior fossa epidural hematoma. It was quickly removed with complete clinical recovering. One year later, the patient experienced progressive worsened of his symptoms. Upper spinal cord tethering was diagnosed and a new surgery for debridement was required. Conclusions: The epidural hematoma compressing the dural graft against the neural structures contributes to the upper spinal cord tethering and represents a nondescribed cause of postoperative fibrosis, adhesion formation, and subsequent recurrent hindbrain compression.