126 research outputs found
Needed: Clean Sound Eggs
Consumer demand for clean fresh eggs, plus the high speed handling and packaging equipment used by processors emphasize the need for structurally sound eggs. The authors list suggestions for the egg producers
Solving the radial Dirac equations: a numerical odyssey
We discuss, in a pedagogical way, how to solve for relativistic wave
functions from the radial Dirac equations. After an brief introduction, in
Section II we solve the equations for a linear Lorentz scalar potential,
V_s(r), that provides for confinement of a quark. The case of massless u and d
quarks is treated first, as these are necessarily quite relativistic. We use an
iterative procedure to find the eigenenergies and the upper and lower component
wave functions for the ground state and then, later, some excited states.
Solutions for the massive quarks (s, c, and b) are also presented. In Section
III we solve for the case of a Coulomb potential, which is a time-like
component of a Lorentz vector potential, V_v(r). We re-derive, numerically, the
(analytically well-known) relativistic hydrogen atom eigenenergies and wave
functions, and later extend that to the cases of heavier one-electron atoms and
muonic atoms. Finally, Section IV finds solutions for a combination of the V_s
and V_v potentials. We treat two cases. The first is one in which V_s is the
linear potential used in Sec. II and V_v is Coulombic, as in Sec. III. The
other is when both V_s and V_v are linearly confining, and we establish when
these potentials give a vanishing spin-orbit interaction (as has been shown to
be the case in quark models of the hadronic spectrum).Comment: 39 pages (total), 23 figures, 2 table
Explorations, Vol. 2, No. 3
Cover image: Ezra Pound
Dedication: With affection and respect, this issue of EXPLORATIONS is dedicated to Carroll Terrell, Professor Emeritus of English.
Articles include: Carroll Terrell and the Great American Poetry Wars, by Burton Hatlen
Adventures in China, by H.Y. Forsythe, Jr.
Harry Kern and the Making of the New Japan, by Howard B. Schonberger
From the Dispatch Case: update on malnutrition in Maine, by Richard Cook
Changing Approaches to Protein Structure Determination, by Robert Anderegg
The Search of Effective Policy: Meeting the Challenge of an Aging Society, by Dennis A. Watkins and Julia M. Watkins
Citizen Survey of the Maine State Police, by Robert A. Stron
Utilization and Outcomes of Single and Dual Kidney Transplants from Older Deceased Donors in the United Kingdom
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Kidneys from elderly deceased donors are often discarded after procurement if the expected outcomes from single kidney transplantation are considered unacceptable. An alternative is to consider them for dual kidney transplantation. We aimed to examine the utilization of kidneys from donors aged ≥60 years in the United Kingdom and compare clinical outcomes of dual versus single kidney transplant recipients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Data from the United Kingdom Transplant Registry from 2005 to 2017 were analyzed. We examined utilization rates of kidneys retrieved from deceased donors aged ≥60 years, and 5-year patient and death-censored graft survival of recipients of dual and single kidney transplants. Secondary outcomes included eGFR. Multivariable analyses and propensity score analysis were used to correct for differences between the groups. RESULTS: During the study period, 7841 kidneys were procured from deceased donors aged ≥60 years, of which 1338 (17%) were discarded; 356 dual and 5032 single kidneys were transplanted. Donors of dual transplants were older (median, 73 versus 66 years; P<0.001) and had higher United States Kidney Donor Risk Indices (2.48 versus 1.98; P<0.001). Recipients of dual transplants were also older (64 versus 61 years; P<0.001) and had less favorable human leukocyte antigen matching (P<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, dual and single transplants had similar 5-year graft survival (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.12). No difference in patient survival was demonstrated. Similar findings were observed in a matched cohort with a propensity score analysis method. Median 12-month eGFR was significantly higher in the dual kidney transplant group (40 versus 36 ml/min per 1.73 m(2); P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Recipients of kidneys from donors aged ≥60 years have similar 5-year graft survival and better graft function at 12 months with dual compared with single deceased donor kidney transplants
A new approach to prevention of knee osteoarthritis: reducing medial load in the contralateral knee
Background. Few if any prevention strategies are available for knee osteoarthritis (OA). In those with symptomatic medial OA, the contralateral knee may be at high risk of disease and a reduction in medial loading in that knee might prevent disease or its progression there. Lateral wedge insoles reduce loading across an affected medial knee but their effect on the contralateral knee is unknown.
Methods: To determine the proportion of persons with medial knee OA who had concurrent medial contralateral OA or developed contralateral medial OA later, we examined knee radiographs from the longitudinal Framingham Osteoarthritis Study. Then, to examine an approach to reducing medial load in the contralateral knee, 51 people from a separate study with painful medial tibiofemoral OA underwent gait analysis wearing bilateral controlled shoes with i) no insoles ii) two types of lateral wedge insoles laterally posted by 5 degrees. Primary outcome was the external knee adduction moment (EKAM) in the contralateral knee. Non-parametric confidence intervals were constructed around the median differences in percentage change in the affected and contralateral sides.
Results: Of Framingham subjects with medial radiograph knee OA, 137/152 (90%) either had concurrent contralateral medial OA or developed it within 10 years. 43/67 (64%) of those with medial symptomatic knee OA had or developed the same disease state in the contralateral knee. Compared to a control shoe, medial loading was reduced substantially on both the affected (median percentage EKAM change =-4.84%; 95% CI -11.33% to -0.65%) and contralateral sides (median EKAM percentage change -9.34% (95% CI -10.57% to -6.45%).
Conclusions: In persons with medial OA, the contralateral knee is also at high risk of medial OA. Bilateral reduction in medial loading in knees by use of strategies such as lateral wedge insoles might not only reduce medial load in affected knees but prevent knee OA or its progression on the contralateral side
Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Report
The 1990 edition of the Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station and Maine Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:
1. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pests
2. Control of blueberry maggot
3. Control of secondary blueberry pests
4. Application of steam as a method of controlling secondary pest insects on lowbush blueberry: a feasibility study
5. Pollination of the lowbush blueberry by native bees
6. Nitrogen-phosphorus study
7. Potassium study
8. Multiple cropping of wild stands
9. Phosphorus dose/response curve
10. Improvement in the color and texture of the canned blueberry
11. The effect of fertilization and irrigation on blueberry fruit quality
12. Investigation of preprocess changes (chemical, microbiological, and/or physical) that could lead to the development of a simple and inexpensive method to measure preprocess berry spoilage
13. The effect of postharvest handling on the dietary fiber and ellagic acid content of lowbush blueberries
14. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed lowbush blueberries
15. Evaluation of Defoliating Diseases
16. Vacuum Sanitation for Disease Control
17. Evaluation and modification of commercial herbicide applications
18. Evaluation of the suitability of remote sensing to evaluate plant cover in lowbush blueberry fields
19. Evaluation of Sethoxydin (POAST) in lowbush blueberry fields
20. Seedling pruning study
21. Evaluation of norflurazon (SOLICAM) with or without hexazinone (VELPAR) for bunchberry control
22. Selective wiper and mechanical control of dogbane and bracken fern
23. Evaluation of norflurazon (SOLICAM) in fall vs spring for oatgrass control
24. Evaluation of sulfonyl urea herbicides for bunchberry control
25. Evaluation of postemergence applications of DPX-L5300 for bunchberry control
26. Effect of time of application and formulation of hexazinone (VELPAR) on blueberry and bunchberry
27. Investigations of lowbush blueberry fruit-bud cold hardiness
28. The economics of investing in irrigation for lowbush blueberries
29. Effects of irrigation on lowbush blueberry yield and quality
30. Groundwater and surface water development for blueberry irrigation
31. Design, fabrication and testing of an experimental sterilizer for blueberry field
1993-94 Progress Report
The 1993 edition of the Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:
1. Effects of irrigation on lowbush blueberry yield and quality
2. The Economics of investigating irrigation for lowbush blueberries
3. Phosphorus dose/response curve
4. Winter injury protection by potassium
5. Multiple cropping of wild stands
6. Effect of Boron and Calcium on lowbush blueberry fruit set and yield
7. Comparison of N, NP, and NPK fertilizers to correct nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency
8. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed lowbush blueberries
9. Effects of calcium salts and citric acid on the quality of canned lowbush blueberries
10. Investigation of preprocess changes (chemical, microbiological, and/or physical) that can lead to the development of a simple and inexpensive method to measure preprocess berry spoilage
11. The effect of fertilization and irrigation in blueberry fruit quality
12. Pollination Ecology of lowbush blueberry in Maine
13. Current importance of insects in lowbush blueberry fields
14. Application of heat as a method of controlling secondary pest insects on lowbush blueberry: a feasibility study
15. Control of blueberry maggot
16. Control of secondary blueberry pest insects
17. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pest insects
18. Cold-hardiness of native lowbush blueberry
19. Design, fabrication, and testing of an experimental sterilizer for blueberry fields
20. Canned Product Quality--Heat-resistant molds
21. Sanitation for disease control
22. Evaluation of Velpar® impregnated DAP and Pronone® for weed control
23. Evaluation of postemergence applications of tribenuron methyl for bunchberry control
24. Evaluation of postemergence applications of a tank mix of tribenuron methyl and hexazinone for bunchberry control
25. Thresholds of dogbane and bracken fem by mechanical and chemical control in lowbush blueberry fields
26. Effect of time of application of clopyralid for control of vetch and effect on flowering in lowbush blueberries
27. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of blueberries and evaluation of infrared burner to prune blueberries
28. Evaluation of infrared burner for selective seedling weed control
29. Evaluation of pressurized rope wick Wick Master wiper for treating weeds growing above lowbush blueberries
30. Blueberry Extension Education Program Base
31. Blueberry ICM program for Hancock County
32. Composting blueberry processing waste
33. Hexazinone ground water survey
34. Investigations of Lowbush Blueberry Fruit bud Cold-hardiness
35. Design, Fabrication, and Testing of an Experimental Sterilizer for Blueberry Field
Phase II Trial of Concurrent Sunitinib and Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Oligometastases
BACKGROUND: Preclinical data suggest that sunitinib enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy. We tested the combination of sunitinib and hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in a cohort of patients with historically incurable distant metastases. METHODS: Twenty five patients with oligometastases, defined as 1-5 sites of active disease on whole body imaging, were enrolled in a phase II trial from 2/08 to 9/10. The most common tumor types treated were head and neck, liver, lung, kidney and prostate cancers. Patients were treated with the recommended phase II dose of 37.5 mg daily sunitinib (days 1-28) and IGRT 50 Gy (days 8-12 and 15-19). Maintenance sunitinib was used in 33% of patients. Median follow up was 17.5 months (range, 0.7 to 37.4 months). RESULTS: The 18-month local control, distant control, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 75%, 52%, 56% and 71%, respectively. At last follow-up, 11 (44%) patients were alive without evidence of disease, 7 (28%) were alive with distant metastases, 3 (12%) were dead from distant metastases, 3 (12%) were dead from comorbid illness, and 1 (4%) was dead from treatment-related toxicities. The incidence of acute grade ≥ 3 toxicities was 28%, most commonly myelosuppression, bleeding and abnormal liver function tests. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent sunitinib and IGRT achieves major clinical responses in a subset of patients with oligometastases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00463060
Patient engagement in designing, conducting, and disseminating clinical pain research : IMMPACT recommended considerations
The consensus recommendations are based on the views of IMMPACT meeting participants and do not necessarily represent the views of the organizations with which the authors are affiliated. The following individuals made important contributions to the IMMPACT meeting but were not able to participate in the preparation of this article: David Atkins, MD (Department of Veterans Affairs), Rebecca Baker, PhD (National Institutes of Health), Allan Basbaum, PhD (University of California San Francisco), Robyn Bent, RN, MS (Food and Drug Administration), Nathalie Bere, MPH (European Medicines Agency), Alysha Croker, PhD (Health Canada), Stephen Bruehl, PhD (Vanderbilt University), Michael Cobas Meyer, MD, MBS (Eli Lilly), Scott Evans, PhD (George Washington University), Gail Graham (University of Maryland), Jennifer Haythornthwaite, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), Sharon Hertz, MD (Hertz and Fields Consulting), Jonathan Jackson, PhD (Harvard Medical School), Mark Jensen, PhD (University of Washington), Francis Keefe, PhD (Duke University), Karim Khan, MD, PhD, MBA (Canadian Institutes of Health Research), Lynn Laidlaw (University of Aberdeen), Steven Lane (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute), Karen Morales, BS (University of Maryland), David Leventhal, MBA (Pfizer), Jeremy Taylor, OBE (National Institute for Health Research), and Lena Sun, MD (Columbia University). The manuscript has not been submitted, presented, or published elsewhere. Parts of the manuscript have been presented in a topical workshop at IASP World Congress on Pain in Toronto, in 2022.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
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