290 research outputs found
Interplay between Stellar Spirals and the ISM in Galactic Disks
We propose a new dynamical picture of galactic stellar and gas spirals, based
on hydrodynamic simulations in a `live' stellar disk. We focus especially on
spiral structures excited in a isolated galactic disk without a stellar bar.
Using high-resolution, 3-dimensional N-body/SPH simulations, we found that the
spiral features of the gas in galactic disks are formed by essentially
different mechanisms from the galactic shock in stellar density waves. The
stellar spiral arms and the interstellar matter on average corotate in a
galactic potential at any radii. Unlike the stream motions in the galactic
shock, the interstellar matter flows into the local potential minima with
irregular motions. The flows converge to form dense gas clouds/filaments near
the bottom of the stellar spirals, whose global structures resemble dust-lanes
seen in late-type spiral galaxies. The stellar arms are non-steady; they are
wound and stretched by the galactic shear, and thus local densities of the arm
change on a time scale of ~ 100 Myrs, due to bifurcating or merging with other
arms. This makes the gas spirals associated with the stellar arms non-steady.
The association of dense gas clouds are eventually dissolved into inter-arm
regions with non-cirucular motions. Star clusters are formed from the cold,
dense gases, whose ages are less than ~30 Myrs, and they are roughly associated
with the background stellar arms without a clear spatial offset between gas
spiral arms and distribution of young stars.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted by ApJ. Higher resolution of ms.pdf is
available at http://d.pr/Nvjk A targzipped Supplementary movies is available
at http://d.pr/TV6
Measures of cardiovascular autonomic nervous function: agreement, reproducibility, and reference values in middle age and elderly subjects
Power grip, pinch grip, manual muscle testing or thenar atrophy - which should be assessed as a motor outcome after carpal tunnel decompression? A systematic review
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Objective assessment of motor function is frequently used to evaluate outcome after surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However a range of outcome measures are used and there appears to be no consensus on which measure of motor function effectively captures change. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the methods used to assess motor function in randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions for CTS. A secondary aim was to evaluate which instruments reflect clinical change and are psychometrically robust.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The bibliographic databases Medline, AMED and CINAHL were searched for randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions for CTS. Data on instruments used, methods of assessment and results of tests of motor function was extracted by two independent reviewers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-two studies were retrieved which included performance based assessments of motor function. Nineteen studies assessed power grip dynamometry, fourteen studies used both power and pinch grip dynamometry, eight used manual muscle testing and five assessed the presence or absence of thenar atrophy. Several studies used multiple tests of motor function. Two studies included both power and pinch strength and reported descriptive statistics enabling calculation of effect sizes to compare the relative responsiveness of grip and pinch strength within study samples. The study findings suggest that tip pinch is more responsive than lateral pinch or power grip up to 12 weeks following surgery for CTS.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although used most frequently and known to be reliable, power and key pinch dynamometry are not the most valid or responsive tools for assessing motor outcome up to 12 weeks following surgery for CTS. Tip pinch dynamometry more specifically targets the thenar musculature and appears to be more responsive. Manual muscle testing, which in theory is most specific to the thenar musculature, may be more sensitive if assessed using a hand held dynamometer â the Rotterdam Intrinsic Handheld Myometer. However further research is needed to evaluate its reliability and responsiveness and establish the most efficient and psychometrically robust method of evaluating motor function following surgery for CTS.</p
Methods of investigation for cardiac autonomic dysfunction in human research studies
This consensus document provides evidenceâbased guidelines regarding the evaluation of diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) for human research studies; the guidelines are the result of the work of the CAN Subcommittee of the Toronto Diabetic Neuropathy Expert Group. The subcommittee critically reviewed the limitations and strengths of the available diagnostic approaches for CAN and the need for developing new tests for autonomic function. It was concluded that the most sensitive and specific approaches currently available to evaluate CAN in clinical research are: (1) heart rate variability, (2) baroreflex sensitivity, (3) muscle sympathetic nerve activity, (4) plasma catecholamines, and (5) heart sympathetic imaging. It was also recommended that efforts should be undertaken to develop new nonâinvasive and safe CAN tests to be used in clinical research, with higher sensitivity and specificity, for studying the pathophysiology of CAN and evaluating new therapeutic approaches. Copyright Š 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86917/1/1224_ftp.pd
Injection versus Decompression for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-Pilot trial (INDICATE-P)âprotocol for a randomised feasibility study
Determination of Baroreflex Sensitivity during the Modified Oxford Maneuver by Trigonometric Regressive Spectral Analysis
BACKGROUND: Differences in spontaneous and drug-induced baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) have been attributed to its different operating ranges. The current study attempted to compare BRS estimates during cardiovascular steady-state and pharmacologically stimulation using an innovative algorithm for dynamic determination of baroreflex gain. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Forty-five volunteers underwent the modified Oxford maneuver in supine and 60° tilted position with blood pressure and heart rate being continuously recorded. Drug-induced BRS-estimates were calculated from data obtained by bolus injections of nitroprusside and phenylephrine. Spontaneous indices were derived from data obtained during rest (stationary) and under pharmacological stimulation (non-stationary) using the algorithm of trigonometric regressive spectral analysis (TRS). Spontaneous and drug-induced BRS values were significantly correlated and display directionally similar changes under different situations. Using the Bland-Altman method, systematic differences between spontaneous and drug-induced estimates were found and revealed that the discrepancy can be as large as the gain itself. Fixed bias was not evident with ordinary least products regression. The correlation and agreement between the estimates increased significantly when BRS was calculated by TRS in non-stationary mode during the drug injection period. TRS-BRS significantly increased during phenylephrine and decreased under nitroprusside. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The TRS analysis provides a reliable, non-invasive assessment of human BRS not only under static steady state conditions, but also during pharmacological perturbation of the cardiovascular system
Developing and testing a nurse-led intervention to support bereavement in relatives in the intensive care (BRIC study): a protocol of a pre-post intervention study
BACKGROUND: When a patient is approaching death in the intensive care unit (ICU), patients' relatives must make a rapid transition from focusing on their beloved one's recovery to preparation for their unavoidable death. Bereaved relatives may develop complicated grief as a consequence of this burdensome situation; however, little is known about appropriate options in quality care supporting bereaved relatives and the prevalence and predictors of complicated grief in bereaved relatives of deceased ICU patients in the Net
Efficacy and Complications of Nasojejunal, Jejunostomy and Parenteral Feeding After Pancreaticoduodenectomy
FCC testing at bench scale: New units, new processes, new feeds
As the FCC process has evolved over decades, several laboratory scale equipment have appeared to maintain
a proper assessment of catalysts activity. Several laboratory equipments are available for simulating
the FCC process, from the well known fixed bed, MicroActivity Test to newer, fluid bed or transported
bed units. As well, a number of units have been created to simulate other parts of the process such as
regenerator or stripper, The increased pressure for treating non-conventional feeds, from reprocessing
gasoline to extra-heavy feeds or oils produced from biomass containing large amounts of heteroatoms,
increase the needs to have a laboratory test which is as close as possible to the process so that data
extraction from the laboratory test are simplified, thus less prone to errors or misunderstanding.Financial support by MICINN (Consolider-Ingenio 2010 MULTICAT) and MINECO (Project MAT2011-29020-0O2-02 and Subprogram for excellence Severo Ochoa, SEV 2012 0267) is gratefully acknowledged.Corma CanĂłs, A.; Sauvanaud, LL. (2013). FCC testing at bench scale: New units, new processes, new feeds. Catalysis Today. 218-219:107-114. doi:10.1016/j.cattod.2013.03.038S107114218-21
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