The gut and the psyche

No Abstract.South African Psychiatry Review Vol. 10 (2) 2007: pp.59-6

The Effects of Unsteady On-Road Flow Conditions on Cabin Noise

On-road, a vehicle experiences unsteady flow conditions due to turbulence in the natural wind, moving through the unsteady wakes of other road vehicles and travelling through the stationary wakes generated by roadside obstacles. There is increasing concern about potential differences between steady flow conditions that are typically used for development and the transient conditions that occur on-road. This work considers whether steady techniques are able to predict the unsteady results measured on-road, the impact of this unsteadiness on the noise perceived in the cabin and whether minor changes made to the geometry of the vehicle could affect this. Both external aerodynamic and acoustic measurements were taken using a full-size vehicle combined with measurements of the noise inside the cabin. Data collection took place on-road under a range of wind conditions to accurately measure the response of the vehicle to oncoming flow unsteadiness, with steady-state measurements taking place in full-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnels. Overall it was demonstrated that, using a variety of temporal and spectral approaches, steady techniques were able to predict unsteady on-road results well enough to assess cabin noise by correctly taking into account the varying on-road flow conditions. Aerodynamic admittance values remained less than unity in the sideglass region of the vehicle, with the exception of the the region nearest the A-pillar. The reducing unsteady energy at frequencies greater than 10 Hz, combined with the corresponding roll-off in admittance, implies that unsteady frequencies below 10 Hz affect the vehicle most, where the response remains quasi-steady. Quasi-steady cabin noise simulations allowed a subjective assessment of the predicted unsteady cabin noise, where the impact of cabin noise modulations were quantified and found to be important to perception. Minor geometry changes affected the sensitivity of cabin noise to changes in yaw angle, altering modulation and therefore having an important impact on the unsteady wind noise perceived on-road

Mouse embryos cultured in amniotic fluid

One thousand mouse embryos were collected over a period of 6 weeks·and randomly assigned to either amniotic fluid aspirated during routine amniocentesis from normal 16 weeks pregnant patients or Earle's medium. The embryos were cultured for 72 hours at 37°C in 5% carbon dioxide in air. Osmolarity, pH, partial arterial carbon dioxide pressure and HCO; were checked before culture and again at the end of culture. Embryos were assessed according to the stage of development, namely degenerate embryos, morulae and blastocysts. The blastocysts were further divided according to their stage of development. There was a significant improvement in blastulation rate to fully expanded blastocysts in the embryos cultured in the amniotic fluid. The amniotic fluid was fairly variable in composition, pH and osmolarity, whereas the Earle's medium was very uniform in composition between trials. It was concluded that amniotic fluid drawn at 16 weeks from normal women is a good culture medium for mice embryos

Voraussetzungen für die Erfüllbarkeit raumordnungspolitischer Anforderungen an die Eisenbahn

Der Beitrag fragt danach, was geschehen müßte, um die finanziell notleidende, insbesondere gegenüber dem Kraftverkehr wenig wettbewerbsfähige Eisenbahn wieder in die Lage zu versetzen, raumordnungspolitische öffentliche Aufgaben erfüllen zu helfen. Zunächst werden diese Aufgaben in den Gesamtzusammenhang jener traditionellen und neueren Unterstützungserfordernisse gestellt, welche andere Politikgebiete gegenüber der Verkehrspolitik haben. Sodann wird dargelegt, wie sich im Laufe der letzten Jahrzehnte einerseits die Lage der Eisenbahn in der Substitutionskonkurrenz verschlechtert hat, während andererseits die verkehrlichen Umweltbelastungen zu einem Politikum geworden sind und sich Verkehrsbedarfe wie verkehrliche Produktionsmöglichkeiten gravierend gewandelt haben. Diese Entwicklungen werden im Hinblick auf ihre raumordnungspolitische Bedeutung angesichts einer Eisenbahnpolitik betrachtet, welche vor allem finanzwirtschaftliche Sanierungsziele verfolgt. Nachdem negative raumwirtschaftliche Folgen einer Fortsetzung dieser Politik skizziert sind, werden Elemente einer alternativen Eisenbahnpolitik herausgearbeitet. Diese muß im Interesse der Unterstützung anderer Politikgebiete, so des Umweltschutzes und der Raumordnung, darauf abstellen, die Bahn in großem Maße wettbewerbsfähig zu machen, wenn auf dirigistische Verkehrslenkung verzichtet werden soll. Dafür müßten gleichsam „künstliche“ vermeidbare verkehrs-, unternehmens und gewerkschaftspolitische Ursachen der gegenwärtigen Wettbewerbsuntüchtigkeit der Bahn erfolgreich bekämpft werden

Variations in pelvic floor thickness in relation to bony dimensions in South African women : using computed tomography scans

Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) are a common reason for urogynaecological consultation around the world, especially in elderly women. These disorders have been associated with disruption to the structural integrity of the pelvic floor. This study explored whether there are variations in pelvic floor muscle (PFM) thickness in relation to parity, population group and age. Additionally, the study explored whether there were any correlations between PFM thickness and the bony pelvic parameters measured. This was a quantitative retrospective analysis of computerised tomography (CT) scans. A total of 125 CT scans of women belonging to black and white South African population groups were sampled from a tertiary hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. Statistical analyses were performed using Paleontological Statistics (PAST). A thicker pelvic floor was noted in black compared to white women. Pelvic floor thickness decreased with parity and age in both population groups. The intertuberous diameter, as well as the surface areas of the urogenital triangle and the perineum, were statistically significantly larger in white than in black women. Correlations between PFM thickness and bony dimensions were statistically significant for anteroposterior (AP) pelvic outlet diameter, where a greater AP outlet was associated with thinner PFMs in black women. Bony correlations with parity showed that the interspinous diameter in black women increased significantly with parity. The variations in bony pelvic dimensions and pelvic floor muscle thicknesses noted between population groups, in addition to the co-factors of parity and aging, will contribute to a better understanding of the anatomical reasons for incontinence.The National Research Fund (NRF) and Bakeng se Afrika, an Erasmus plus project of the EU.https://eurjanat.comhj2024Obstetrics and GynaecologySDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

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New Data on Pancreatic Cancer In pancreatic cancer there is a marked discrepancy between the recorded R0 resection rates and the long-term clinical outcome. Therefore, it seems to be necessary to find additional parameters that will be of more prognostic value here. Differences in how the R classification is applied within the studies are conspicuous. It would seem important to examine standards in histopathological preparation and to return to the `classical' R classification and, if appropriate, in line with experiences in rectum cancer, to introduce a `circumferential resection margin'. To obtain optimum long-term survival, a distance of >1.0 mm or even >1.5 mm between tumor and resection margin is required. In too few patients with vascular invasion is the tumor properly removed surgically, even though infiltration of the portal vein or the superior mesenteric vein is not an exclusion criterion according to the S3 guideline. An improvement in the quality of treatment might be achieved by establishing `high-volume' pancreas centers. The value of perioperative radiochemotherapy (RCT) is currently being examined in several large studies. Adjuvant chemotherapy is standard and is well established in routine clinical practice