691 research outputs found
Can Core Flows inferred from Geomagnetic Field Models explain the Earth's Dynamo?
We test the ability of large scale velocity fields inferred from geomagnetic
secular variation data to produce the global magnetic field of the Earth.Our
kinematic dynamo calculations use quasi-geostrophic (QG) flows inverted from
geomagnetic field models which, as such, incorporate flow structures that are
Earth-like and may be important for the geodynamo.Furthermore, the QG
hypothesis allows straightforward prolongation of the flow from the core
surface to the bulk.As expected from previous studies, we check that a simple
quasi-geostrophic flow is not able to sustain the magnetic field against ohmic
decay.Additional complexity is then introduced in the flow, inspired by the
action of the Lorentz force.Indeed, on centenial time-scales, the Lorentz force
can balance the Coriolis force and strict quasi-geostrophy may not be the best
ansatz.When the columnar flow is modified to account for the action of the
Lorentz force, magnetic field is generated for Elsasser numbers larger than
0.25 and magnetic Reynolds numbers larger than 100.This suggests that our large
scale flow captures the relevant features for the generation of the Earth's
magnetic field and that the invisible small scale flow may not be directly
involved in this process.Near the threshold, the resulting magnetic field is
dominated by an axial dipole, with some reversed flux patches.Time-dependence
is also considered, derived from principal component analysis applied to the
inverted flows.We find that time periods from 120 to 50 years do not affect the
mean growth rate of the kinematic dynamos.Finally we notice the footprint of
the inner-core in the magnetic field generated deep in the bulk of the shell,
although we did not include one in our computations
On Symmetry and Anisotropy of Earth-core Flows
5p.International audienceQuasi-geostrophic (QG) flows are a recently developed and very promising paradigm for modeling decadal secular variation (SV). Here we examine the effects of allowing anisotropy and departures of the flow from quasigeostrophy. We perform dedicated numerical experiments of the flow dynamics and magnetic induction inside the Earth's liquid core at time scales characteristic of secular variation of the geomagnetic field. Obtained results motivate new flow inversion regularization featuring an equatorially anti-symmetric component superimposed to quasi-geostrophic columns, and stronger latitudinal than longitudinal flow gradients. Applying these constraints allows to explain the observed SV for the whole period 1840-2010, and most significantly, provides a clearly improvement in prediction for decadal length-of-day variations for the period 1980-2000. Furthermore, the trace of the inner-core appears clearly without any assumption for the 1997-2010 period covered by satellite geomagnetic data. Our results support QG being the appropriate description of the force balance within the core on decadal time scales and large spatial scales
The role of spirituality in pain, function, and coping in Individuals with chronic pain
Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience associated with psychosocial (e.g., pain-related beliefs and pain coping responses) and spiritual factors. Spirituality is a universal aspect of the human experience that has been hypothesized to impact pain experience via its effects on pain, physical/psychological function, resilience and pain-related beliefs, and pain coping responses. However, research evaluating the associations between measures of spirituality and measures of pain and function in individuals with chronic pain is limited. This study seeks to address this limitation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Images in rheumatology. A variant of the distal ulna in a patient with ulnar impaction syndrome
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Pain diagnosis, pain coping, and function in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain
Purpose: Research supports a role for coping responses in adjustment to chronic pain.
However, it is likely that some coping responses play a larger role in adjustment to pain for
some individuals than others. The identification of the factors that moderate the association
between coping responses and pain-related outcomes has important clinical implications.
This study sought to determine if musculoskeletal pain diagnosis moderates the associations
between eight pain-coping responses and both pain and function.
Patients and Methods: A non-probabilistic sample of 323 persons with different chronic
musculoskeletal pain conditions completed measures of pain intensity, physical function,
psychological function, and pain-coping responses.
Results: With only one exception, the frequency of use of pain-coping responses was not
associated with pain diagnosis. Statistically significant moderation effects of pain diagnosis
on the association between coping and pain outcomes were found for two coping responses:
1) support seeking when predicting pain intensity, and 2) resting when predicting both
physical and psychological function.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that coping responses tend to play a similar role in
patients' pain and function across different musculoskeletal pain conditions, with some
important exceptions. If the findings are found to replicate in other samples, they would
have important implications for determining when psychosocial pain treatments might (and
when they might not) need to be adapted for specific diagnostic groups.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Glutaraldehyde exposed Pseudomonas fluorescens: a case of biofilm persistence?
From the assessment of the recovery capability of pseudomonas
fluorescens atcc 13525t after exposure to several glutaraldehyde (gta)
concentrations (100, 200 and 400 mg/l) and exposure times (1 and 2
hours), it was found that, for gta concentrations above 100 mg/l,
whatever the exposure time, bacterial cells presented different
growth patterns in solid media. after this statement, the recovered
cells were initially characterized using api ne20 strips and species
identification was obtained using the api database. the type culture
and the cells obtained after treatment with concentrations below
200 mg/l were identified as p. fluorescens. conversely, the identification
of cells exposed to higher concentrations of gta failed. the
electrophoretic profiles of both the type culture and the cells
exposed to gta were obtained by pcr, using the primer t3b. the
results showed identical profiles for the type culture and the cells
exposed to low gta concentrations, and a totally different pattern for
cells exposed to gta concentrations above 200 mg/l. sequencing of
the 16s rdna gene is under way in order to further clarify the
differences observed. the p. fluorescens atcc 13525 (used as control)
and the cells treated with 200 mg/l of gta during 2 hours were
selected for further studies. a comparative study was carried out
between the above referred cells in terms of morphological
structure, surface properties, respiratory activity, biofilm formation ability and susceptibility to gta. the results showed that the cells
treated with 200 mg/l of gta presented an elongated structure, were
about 30 times less active in terms of respiratory activity and were
more hydrophilic. concerning biofilm formation, both tested cells
presented biofilm formation ability, but the gta treated cells
produced about 2 times more mass of biofilm. however, this
biofilm had a specific respiratory activity 3 times less than the one
formed by the control culture. the biofilm behaviour immediately
after exposure to 200 mg/l of gta during 2 hours, was similar for
both situations studied, since a low biofilm removal and inactivation
was achieved. however, 7 hours after gta exposure, only 55% of the
biofilm formed by the control culture remained attached to the
surface, while for the biofilms formed by the treated cells all the
deposit remained attached to the surface.
the results obtained in this work indicate that cells submitted to gta
treatment may give rise to biofilms harder to remove and consequently
more persistent, than non-treated cells. therefore, care must
be taken in the selection and application of biocides in industrial
biofilms
Geometria no ensino da arquitetura em Portugal: encontro de docentes
No âmbito das “Jornadas Didáticas”, que se realizaram na Faculdade de Belas-Artes da Universidade do Porto nos dias 5 e 6 de outubro de 2018, os autores apresentaram uma comunicação sobre o encontro “Geometria. Práticas no Ensino da Arquitetura”. No presente artigo são dados a conhecer, em maior detalhe, o contexto em que este surgiu e respetivos resultados
COPAHS Study: protocol of a randomised experimental study comparing the effects of hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and spiritual practices on experimental pain in healthy adults
There has been an increasing interest in studying the potential benefits of so-called complementary and alternative approaches for pain management, such as hypnosis and mindfulness-based interventions. More recently, researchers have been interested in studying the effects of spiritual practices on pain experience as well. These practices may increase pain tolerance, result in a positive re-appraisal of pain and influence other psychological variables that are known to be associated with pain experience. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the immediate effects of self-hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and a spiritual intervention relative to a control condition for increasing pain tolerance and reducing pain intensity and pain-related stress, in response to experimental painful stimulation.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Validity of four pain intensity rating scales
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), and the Faces
Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) are among the most commonly used measures of pain intensity in clinical and
research settings. Although evidence supports their validity as measures of pain intensity, few studies
have compared them with respect to the critical validity criteria of responsivity, and no experiment
has directly compared all 4 measures in the same study. The current study compared the relative validity
of VAS, NRS, VRS, and FPS-R for detecting differences in painful stimulus intensity and differences
between men and women in response to experimentally induced pain. One hundred twenty-seven subjects
underwent four 20-second cold pressor trials with temperature order counterbalanced across 1 C,
3 C, 5 C, and 7 C and rated pain intensity using all 4 scales. Results showed statistically significant differences
in pain intensity between temperatures for each scale, with lower temperatures resulting in
higher pain intensity. The order of responsivity was as follows: NRS, VAS, VRS, and FPS-R. However, there
were relatively small differences in the responsivity between scales. A statistically significant sex main
effect was also found for the NRS, VRS, and FPS-R. The findings are consistent with previous studies supporting
the validity of each scale. The most support emerged for the NRS as being both (1) most responsive
and (2) able to detect sex differences in pain intensity. The results also provide support for the
validity of the scales for use in Portuguese samples
Coping, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy and social support: Impact on adjustment to chronic pain
Pain is a multidimensional, unique, and private experience. Contemporary biopsychosocial models of chronic pain hypothesize a key role for psychosocial factors as contributing to the experience of and adjustment to chronic pain. The psychosocial factors that have been most often examined as they relate to chronic pain include coping responses, attributions (such as self-efficacy), mood (including depression and anxiety), and social support. Knowledge concerning the relative importance of each of these factors to adjustment is necessary for understanding and developing effective psychosocial interventions. This article reviews the literature concerning the associations between psychosocial factors and adjustment to chronic pain, with a focus on coping, attributions, mood, and social support. Overall, the findings of this research are consistent with biopsychosocial models of chronic pain, and support continued research to help identify the causal relationships among key psychosocial variables and adjustment. ------ RESUMEN ------ El dolor es una experiencia multidimensional, única, y privada. Los modelos biopsicosociales contemporáneos de dolor crónico hipotetizan que los factores psicosociales ejercen un papel clave tanto en la configuración de la experiencia de dolor crónico como en el proceso de ajuste de quien lo sufre. Los factores psicosociales más estudiados incluyen: el afrontamiento, las atribuciones (como la autoeficacia), el estado afectivo (tanto la depresión como la ansiedad) y el apoyo social. Conocer la importancia relativa de cada uno de éstos en los procesos de ajuste a la experiencia del dolor crónico es necesario para entender y desarrollar intervenciones psicosociales eficaces. Este artículo revisa la literatura sobre la relación entre factores psicosociales y procesos de ajuste al dolor crónico, especialmente afrontamiento, atribuciones, estado de ánimo, y apoyo social. En general, las conclusiones de este trabajo son compatibles con los modelos biopsicosociales de dolor crónico, y sugieren continuar las investigaciones para identificar las relaciones causales entre ciertas variables psicosociales y el ajuste al dolor crónico
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