Assessment of the cervical range of motion over time, differences between results of the Flock of Birds and the EDI-320:A comparison between an electromagnetic tracking system and an electronic inclinometer

The objective of this study was to analyse cervical range of motion, assessed over time by means of a digital inclinometer (EDI-320) and a three-dimensional electromagnetic tracking device (Flock of Birds). The maximum active cervical range of motion was assessed with two measurement devices in three sessions over time, with 6-week intervals. In total, 26 women and 24 men (mean age: 44.4, SD: 9.9) without known pathology of the cervical spine participated. Four movements were measured axial rotation with the cervical spine in a flexed and in an extended position, flexion-extension, and lateral bending. The results showed that the factor time was significant for rotation in extension and rotation in flexion. The factor device was significant for all movements measured. and the interaction term between time and device was significant for all movements except rotation in extension. The Flock of Birds measured significantly higher ranges of motion on all motions except for lateral bending. A substantial variation in cervical range of motion was observed over time (ranging from -5.6 to 8.1) as well as between devices (ranging from - 13.1 to 29.9). Substantial and significant differences in cervical range of motion were found over time as well as differences between the Flock of Birds and the EDI-320. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

An Analysis of the Atmospheric Propagation of Underground-Explosion-Generated Infrasonic Waves Based on the Equations of Fluid Dynamics: Ground Recordings

An investigation on the propagation of underground-explosion-generated infrasonic waves is carried out via numerical simulations of the equations of fluid dynamics. More specifically, the continuity, momentum, and energy conservation equations are solved along with the Herzfeld-Rice equations in order to take into account the effects of vibrational relaxation phenomena. The radiation of acoustic energy by the ground motion caused by underground explosions is initiated by enforcing the equality, at ground level, between the component of the air velocity normal to the Earth\u27s surface and the normal velocity of the ground layer. The velocity of the ground layer is defined semi-empirically as a function of the depth of burial and of the yield. The effects of the depth and of the source energy on the signals recorded in the epicentral zone are first discussed. The tropospheric and stratospheric infrasonic phases traveling at a long-range are then analyzed and explained. Synthesized ground waveforms are finally discussed and compared to those recorded at the I45RU station of the International Monitoring System after the 2013 North-Korean test. Good agreement is found between numerical results and experimental data, which motivates the use of infrasound technologies alongside seismic techniques for the characterization of underground explosions

Portraits of life: Patterns of events over the lifespan

This explorative content-analytic study completes earlier studies on the lifespan distributions of number and affect of past and future life-events, collected by means of the Life-line Interview Method (LIM), for three age groups of men and women (young, middle and late adulthood). LIM events were classified into 40 subcategories divided over 9 categories: Relations, School, Work, Health, Growth, Home, Birth, Death and Other. Compression of the full data set by age group, gender, affect, decade, and time perspective, disclosed various patterns of events underlying the human life-course, e.g., the ‘bump,’ ‘rosy view’ and ‘gender phase contrast’ patterns. The compressed data set provided detailed material for the composition of three written group portraits of life, reflecting the modal life story of young, middle-aged and older men and women. Patterns and portraits show a content shift of past memories and future expectations over the lifespan, supporting a more dynamic view on the human life-course

Comparison of co-located independent ground-based middle atmospheric wind and temperature measurements with numerical weather prediction models

High-resolution, ground-based and independent observations including co-located windradiometer, lidar stations, and infrasound instruments are used to evaluate the accuracy of general circulationmodels and data-constrained assimilation systems in the middle atmosphere at northern hemispheremidlatitudes. Systematic comparisons between observations, the European Centre for Medium-Range WeatherForecasts (ECMWF) operational analyses including the recent Integrated Forecast System cycles 38r1 and 38r2,the NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalyses, and thefree-running climate Max Planck Institute–Earth System Model–Low Resolution (MPI-ESM-LR) are carried out inboth temporal and spectral dom ains. We find that ECMWF and MERRA are broadly consistent with lidar and windradiometer measurements up to ~40 km. For both temperature and horizontal wind components, deviationsincrease with altitude as the assimilated observations become sparser. Between 40 and 60 km altitude, thestandard deviation of the mean difference exceeds 5 K for the temperature and 20 m/s for the zonal wind. Thelargest deviations are observed in winter when the variability from large-scale planetary waves dominates.Between lidar data and MPI-ESM-LR, there is an overall agreement in spectral amplitude down to 15–20 days. Atshorter time scales, the variability is lacking in the model by ~10 dB. Infrasound observations indicate a generalgood agreement with ECWMF wind and temperature products. As such, this study demonstrates the potentialof the infrastructure of the Atmospheric Dynamics Research Infrastructure in Europe project that integratesvarious measurements and provides a quantitative understanding of stratosphere-troposphere dynamicalcoupling for numerical weather prediction applications

Fullerene-based materials research and development. LDRD final report

The chemistry and physical properties of fullerenes, the third, molecular allotrope of carbon, have been studied using both experimental and computational techniques. Early computational work investigated the stability of fullerene isomers and oxides, which was followed by extensive work on hydrogenated fullerenes. Our work led to the first synthesis of a polymer containing C{sub 60} and the synthesis of the simplest hydrocarbon derivatives of C{sub 60} and C{sub 70}. The excellent agreement between theory and experiment ({plus_minus} 0.1 kcal/mol in the relative stability of isomers) has provided insight into the chemical nature of fullerenes and has yielded a sound basis for prediction of the structure of derivatized fullerenes. Such derivatives are the key to the preparation of fullerene-based materials

A systematic review and meta-analysis of haematological malignancies in residents living near petrochemical facilities

Background The petrochemical industry is a major source of hazardous and toxic air pollutants that are recognised to have mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. A wealth of occupational epidemiology literature exists around the petrochemical industry, with adverse haematological effects identified in employees exposed to ‘low’ concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene). Releases from the petrochemical industry are also thought to increase the risk of cancer incidence in fenceline communities. However, this emerging and at times inconclusive evidence base remains fragmented. The present study’s aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies investigating the association between incidences of haematological malignancy and residential exposure to the petrochemical industry. Methods Epidemiological studies reporting the risk of haematological malignancies (Leukaemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Multiple myeloma) were included where the following criteria were met: (i) Cancer incidence is diagnosed by a medical professional and coded in accordance to the International Classification of Diseases; (ii) A clear definition of fenceline communities is provided, indicating the proximity between exposed residents and petrochemical activities; and (iii) Exposure is representative of normal operating conditions, not emergency events. Two investigators independently extracted information on study characteristics and outcomes in accordance with PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. Relative risks and their 95% confidence intervals were pooled across studies for the four categories of haematological malignancy, using a random effects meta-analysis. Results The systematic review identified 16 unique studies, which collectively record the incidence of haematological malignancies across 187,585 residents living close to a petrochemical operation. Residents from fenceline communities, less than 5 km from a petrochemical facility (refinery or manufacturer of commercial chemicals), had a 30% higher risk of developing Leukaemia than residents from communities with no petrochemical activity. Meanwhile, the association between exposure and rarer forms of haematological malignancy remains uncertain, with further research required. Conclusions The risk of developing Leukaemia appears higher in individuals living near a petrochemical facility. This highlights the need for further policy to regulate the release of carcinogens by industry