What Goes Around Comes Around: The Circulation of Proverbs in Contemporary Life

In this collection of essays, prominent folklorists look at varied modern uses and contexts of proverbs and proverbial speech, some traditional and conventional, others new and unexpected. After the editors' introduction discussing the history and status of attempts to define proverbs, describing their contemporary circulation, and acknowledging the especially important work of paremiologist Wolfgang Meider, the contributions examine the continuing pervasiveness and idiomatic relevance of proverbs in modern culture

What Goes Around Comes Around: The Circulation of Proverbs in Contemporary Life

In this collection of essays, prominent folklorists look at varied modern uses and contexts of proverbs and proverbial speech, some traditional and conventional, others new and unexpected. After the editors\u27 introduction discussing the history and status of attempts to define proverbs, describing their contemporary circulation, and acknowledging the especially important work of paremiologist Wolfgang Meider, the contributions examine the continuing pervasiveness and idiomatic relevance of proverbs in modern culture.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usupress_pubs/1032/thumbnail.jp

Deposition Order Dependent Magnetization Reversal in Pressure Graded Co/Pd films

Magnetization reversal mechanisms and depth-dependent magnetic profile have been investigated in Co/Pd thin films magnetron-sputtered under continuously varying pressure with opposite deposition orders. For samples grown under increasing pressure, magnetization reversal is dominated by domain nucleation, propagation and annihilation; an anisotropy gradient is effectively established, along with a pronounced depth-dependent magnetization profile. However, in films grown under decreasing pressure, disorders propagate vertically from the bottom high-pressure region into the top low-pressure region, impeding domain wall motion and forcing magnetization reversal via rotation; depth-dependent magnetization varies in an inverted order, but the spread is much suppressed.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

A New Monte Carlo Algorithm for Protein Folding

We demonstrate that the recently proposed pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method (P. Grassberger, Phys. Rev. E 56 (1997) 3682) leads to extremely efficient algorithms for the folding of simple model proteins. We test them on several models for lattice heteropolymers, and compare to published Monte Carlo studies. In all cases our algorithms are faster than all previous ones, and in several cases we find new minimal energy states. In addition to ground states, our algorithms give estimates for the partition sum at finite temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, Latex incl. 3 eps-figs., submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., revised version with changes in the tex

Prosthetic stent graft infection after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

ObjectiveThe purpose of this report is to discuss the incidence, diagnosis, and management of stent graft infections after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).MethodsData were collected from the hospital database and medical case notes for all patients with infected endografts after elective or emergency EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during the last 8 years in two university teaching hospitals in Northern Ireland. The data included the patient’s age, gender, presentation of sepsis, treatment offered, and the ultimate outcome. The diagnosis of graft-related sepsis was established by a combination of investigations including inflammatory markers, labelled white cell scan, computed tomography (CT) scan, microbiology cultures, and postmortem examination.ResultsGraft-related septic complications occurred in six of 509 patients, including 433 elective repairs and 76 emergency endografts for ruptured AAA. Two patients presented with left psoas abscess and were treated successfully with extra-anatomic bypass and removal of the infected stent graft. Two more patients presented with infected graft without other evidence of intra-abdominal sepsis: one underwent successful removal of the infected prosthesis with extra-anatomical bypass, and the other was treated conservatively and died of progressively worsening sepsis. The fifth patient presented with unexplained fever and died suddenly, with a postmortem diagnosis of aortoenteric fistula and ruptured aneurysm. The last patient presented with an aortoenteric fistula, was treated conservatively in view of concurrent myelodysplasia, and died of possible aneurysm rupture.ConclusionThis report emphasizes the need for continued awareness of potential graft-related septic complications in patients undergoing EVAR of AAA. Attention to detail with regard to sterility and antibiotic prophylaxis during stent grafting and during any secondary interventions is vital in reducing the risk of infection. In addition, early recognition and prompt treatment are essential for a successful outcome

Socio-economic status and lifestyle factors are associated with achalasia risk: a population-based case-control study.

AIM: To evaluate the association between various lifestyle factors and achalasia risk. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted in Northern Ireland, including n = 151 achalasia cases and n = 117 age- and sex-matched controls. Lifestyle factors were assessed via a face-to-face structured interview. The association between achalasia and lifestyle factors was assessed by unconditional logistic regression, to produce odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Individuals who had low-class occupations were at the highest risk of achalasia (OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.02-3.45), inferring that high-class occupation holders have a reduced risk of achalasia. A history of foreign travel, a lifestyle factor linked to upper socio-economic class, was also associated with a reduced risk of achalasia (OR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.35-0.99). Smoking and alcohol consumption carried significantly reduced risks of achalasia, even after adjustment for socio-economic status. The presence of pets in the house was associated with a two-fold increased risk of achalasia (OR = 2.00, 95%CI: 1.17-3.42). No childhood household factors were associated with achalasia risk. CONCLUSION: Achalasia is a disease of inequality, and individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds are at highest risk. This does not appear to be due to corresponding alcohol and smoking behaviours. An observed positive association between pet ownership and achalasia risk suggests an interaction between endotoxin and viral infection exposure in achalasia aetiology

Rotterdam Aphasia Therapy Study (RATS) - 3: " The efficacy of intensive cognitive-linguistic therapy in the acute stage of aphasia"; design of a randomised controlled trial

Background: Aphasia is a severely disabling condition occurring in 20 to 25% of stroke patients. Most patients with aphasia due to stroke receive speech and language therapy. Methodologically sound randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of specific interventions for patients with aphasia following stroke are scarce.

SPIRITS 16tn in NGC 3556: A heavily obscured and low-luminosity supernova at 8.8 Mpc

We present the discovery by the SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey (SPIRITS) of a likely supernova (SN) in NGC 3556 at only 8.8 Mpc, which, despite its proximity, was not detected by optical searches. A luminous infrared (IR) transient at $M_{[4.5]} = -16.7$ mag (Vega), SPIRITS 16tn is coincident with a dust lane in the inclined, star-forming disk of the host. Using IR, optical, and radio observations, we attempt to determine the nature of this event. We estimate $A_V \approx$ 8 - 9 mag of extinction, placing it among the three most highly obscured IR-discovered SNe to date. The [4.5] light curve declined at a rate of 0.013 mag day$^{-1}$, and the $[3.6] - [4.5]$ color grew redder from 0.7 to $\gtrsim$ 1.0 mag by 184.7 days post discovery. Optical/IR spectroscopy shows a red continuum, but no clearly discernible features, preventing a definitive spectroscopic classification. Deep radio observations constrain the radio luminosity of SPIRITS 16tn to $L_{\nu} \lesssim 10^{24}$ erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$ between 3 - 15 GHz, excluding many varieties of radio core-collapse SNe. A type Ia SN is ruled out by the observed red IR color, and lack of features normally attributed to Fe-peak elements in the optical and IR spectra. SPIRITS 16tn was fainter at [4.5] than typical stripped-envelope SNe by $\approx$ 1 mag. Comparison of the spectral energy distribution to SNe II suggests SPIRITS 16tn was both highly obscured, and intrinsically dim, possibly akin to the low-luminosity SN 2005cs. We infer the presence of an IR dust echo powered by a peak luminosity of the transient of $5 \times 10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1} < L_{\mathrm{peak}} < 4\times10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, consistent with the observed range for SNe II. This discovery illustrates the power of IR surveys to overcome the compounding effects of visible extinction and optically sub-luminous events in completing the inventory of nearby SNe.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Ap

Validation of cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessment of pericardial adipose tissue volume

© 2009 Nelson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Background Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) has been shown to be an independent predictor of coronary artery disease. To date its assessment has been restricted to the use of surrogate echocardiographic indices such as measurement of epicardial fat thickness over the right ventricular free wall, which have limitations. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) offers the potential to non-invasively assess total PAT, however like other imaging modalities, CMR has not yet been validated for this purpose. Thus, we sought to describe a novel technique for assessing total PAT with validation in an ovine model. Methods 11 merino sheep were studied. A standard clinical series of ventricular short axis CMR images (1.5T Siemens Sonata) were obtained during mechanical ventilation breath-holds. Beginning at the mitral annulus, consecutive end-diastolic ventricular images were used to determine the area and volume of epicardial, paracardial and pericardial adipose tissue. In addition adipose thickness was measured at the right ventricular free wall. Following euthanasia, the paracardial adipose tissue was removed from the ventricle and weighed to allow comparison with corresponding CMR measurements. Results There was a strong correlation between CMR-derived paracardial adipose tissue volume and ex vivo paracardial mass (R2 = 0.89, p < 0.001). In contrast, CMR measurements of corresponding RV free wall paracardial adipose thickness did not correlate with ex vivo paracardial mass (R2 = 0.003, p = 0.878). Conclusion In this ovine model, CMR-derived paracardial adipose tissue volume, but not the corresponding and conventional measure of paracardial adipose thickness over the RV free wall, accurately reflected paracardial adipose tissue mass. This study validates for the first time, the use of clinically utilised CMR sequences for the accurate and reproducible assessment of pericardial adiposity. Furthermore this non-invasive modality does not use ionising radiation and therefore is ideally suited for future studies of PAT and its role in cardiovascular risk prediction and disease in clinical practiceAdam J Nelson, Matthew I Worthley, Peter J Psaltis, Angelo Carbone, Benjamin K Dundon, Rae F Duncan, Cynthia Piantadosi, Dennis H Lau, Prashanthan Sanders, Gary A Wittert and Stephen G Worthle