An Assessment of Clinical Wound Evaluation Scales

Objective : To compare 2 clinical wound scales and to determine a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on the visual analog cosmesis scale. Methods : Using data from 2 previously published clinical trials, 91 lacerations and 43 surgical incisions were assessed on the 2 scales; a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = worst possible scar, 100 = best possible scar) and a wound evaluation scale (WES) assessing 6 clinical variables (a score of 6 is considered optimal, while a score of ≤5 suboptimal). All wound assessments on the VAS were done by 2 cosmetic surgeons who rated photographs on 2 occasions. A cohort of wounds on the WES were assessed by a second observer. The difference of the mean optimal and suboptimal VAS scores for each study was used to determine a MCID on the VAS scale. Results : The VAS scale yielded intraobserver agreements of 0.93 and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.89–0.96 and 0.78–0.93) and interobserver agreements of 0.50 and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.32–0.65 and 0.52–0.84) for lacerations and incisions, respectively. Kappa coefficient measuring agreement on the WES was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.57–1.0). The mean (±SD) VAS scores of optimal wounds were 72 ± 12 mm and 65 ± 20 mm, while the mean scores of suboptimal wounds were 57 ± 17 mm and 50 ± 23 mm for lacerations and incisions, respectively. Conclusions : An MCID on the VAS cosmesis scale is 15 mm. Studies should be designed to have a sample size and power to detect this difference.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75496/1/j.1553-2712.1998.tb02465.x.pd

Phenotypic Plasticity of Reproduction in Schizachyrium scoparium (Poaceae) Populations in Relation to Ecological History

Genetic differentiation in reproduction in the wide-ranging Schizachyrium scoparium (Poaceae) has been demonstrated in uniform gardens. However, the fine-tuning of flowering phenology and biomass allocation in relation to spatial and temporal fluctuations in the local environment is best accomplished by plastic responses to local variability. An earlier central New Jersey study suggested that S. scoparium populations in old fields of 2 to 40 years differed in plasticity. To test this apparent effect of ecological history on the development of different levels of plasticity, genotypes were collected from high- and low-fertility sites in New Jersey (forest biome) and in Oklahoma (grassland biome). Three greenhouse experiments manipulating light and nutrients were used to partition variation into genetic and environmental components. High light or high nutrients resulted in plasticity for increased biomass, greater reproductive allocation, and more tillers. Earlier flowering was induced by high light, but nutrient treatments had no effect. Populations were more likely to differ in plasticity across regions than within regions, and Oklahoma populations were consistently more plastic than New Jersey populations. In response to nutrients, populations from high-nutrient sites were often more plastic than those from low-nutrient sites. There were fewer differences in plasticity in response to light between high- and low-nutrient populations. The greater plasticity in Oklahoma populations is suggested to be the result of historically greater environmental unpredictability and K-selection factors such as density-dependent selection and greater competition for resources. A native grass population is more than just a Latin binomial. Evolutionary forces create an ecological unit unique and irreplaceable at the local level

Integrated pest management in greenhouses and herbaceous nurseries (2009)

"Revised 10/09/2M.""Integrated pest management.

Cognitive performance in multiple system atrophy

The cognitive performance of a group of patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) of striato-nigral predominance was compared with that of age and IQ matched control subjects, using three tests sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction and a battery sensitive to memory and learning deficits in Parkinson's disease and dementia of the Alzheimer type. The MSA group showed significant deficits in all three of the tests previously shown to be sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction. Thus, a significant proportion of patients from the MSA group failed an attentional set-shifting test, specifically at the stage when an extra-dimensional shift was required. They were also impaired in a subject-ordered test of spatial working memory. The MSA group showed deficits mostly confined to measures of speed of thinking, rather than accuracy, on the Tower of London task. These deficits were seen in the absence of consistent impairments in language or visual perception. Moreover, the MSA group showed no significant deficits in tests of spatial and pattern recognition previously shown to be sensitive to patients early in the course of probable Alzheimer's disease and only a few patients exhibited impairment on the Warrington Recognition Memory Test. There were impairments on other tests of visual memory and learning relative to matched controls, but these could not easily be related to fundamental deficits of memory or learning. Thus, on a matching-to-sample task the patients were impaired at simultaneous but not delayed matching to sample, whereas difficulties in a pattern-location learning task were more evident at its initial, easier stages. The MSA group showed no consistent evidence of intellectual deterioration as assessed from their performance on subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the National Adult Reading Test (NART). Consideration of individual cases showed that there was some heterogeneity in the pattern of deficits in the MSA group, with one patient showing no impairment, even in the face of considerable physical disability. The results show a distinctive pattern of cognitive deficits, unlike those previously seen using the same tests in patients with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and suggesting a prominent frontal-lobe-like component. The implications for concepts of 'subcortical' dementia and 'fronto-striatal' cognitive dysfunction are considered

A method for analysis of fatty acids in coral

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109910/1/lno19741950846.pd

Repair of acrylic/glass composites by liquid resin injection and press moulding

This paper presents repair methods for in-situ polymerised acrylic (Elium®)/glass composites focusing on mode-I fracture toughness recovery. Acrylic/glass composites were first subjected to double cantilever beam (DCB) tests to measure their Mode-I fracture toughness. The delaminated samples after DCB tests were repaired and rejoined. Two repair methods were performed: liquid resin injection and press moulding at two different temperatures (130°C and 160°C). The repaired samples were subjected to a second set of DCB tests. The fracture behaviours of the four specimen groups (virgin, resin-injected, pressed at 130°C, and pressed at 160°C) were evaluated in terms of strain energy release rates (GIC) during crack initiation and propagation. The results showed that specimens repaired by resin injection exhibited highest GIC values, about 30% higher than the virgin state, due to the formation of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) at the joining interface. Scanning electron microscopy images provided insight into distinctive fracture behaviours for each test group

Final Summary Report to the Narragansett Bay Project Office: Assessment of Organic Contaminants in Narragansett Bay Sediments and Hard Shell Clams

As part of a multidisciplinary investigation on the sediments of Narragansett Bay, sediment trap materials, surface sediments, hard shell clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) and sediment cores from throughout the bay were analyzed for organic contaminants including: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs). polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), substituted benzotriazoles (BZTs), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and coprostanol (COP). The objectives of this particular study were to provide information on the source, transport and biogeochemical fate of organic contaminants in the bay: while the overall goals of the investigation were to characterize the sediments and sedimentary processes of the Narragansett Bay system based on the results of integrated biological, chemical and geological studies. Sediment Trap Materials The sediment trap samples showed a trend of decreasing concentration for most components from Fox Point to Ohio Ledge, suggesting that the source(s) of these contaminants were pollution discharges (e.g., industrial and municipal effluents, CSOs. spills and runoff,) to the upper Providence River and its tributaries. In general, the agreement between the results from the present sediment trap study and older suspended solids data (1985-86) was quite good. However, the PHC concentrations reponed in 1977 were considerably higher than the more recent values. But it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine if changes have really occurred based on the limited number of samples analyzed and procedural variations in the different studies. In the case of BZT concentrations and their ratios (C10-BZT/Cl-BZT), there was a maximum amount of both BZTs and a minimum ratio in trap material at a Providence River station about 7 km south of Fox Point (i.e., adjacent to the Pawtuxet Cove entrance). This trend with distance is probably due to the source of the BZTs to the Providence River which is the Pawtuxet River via Pawtuxet Cove. The BZT ratio indicates a change in the relative amounts of the two compounds over the distance from the point of entry, i.e., there is a trend of increasing values with distance from Pawtuxet Cove (ratio = 1.5) to Ohio Ledge (ratio = 3.2). The ratio for sediment trap material from the Pawtuxet River was 1.0 - 2.0; since these values are generally lower than any others reported, it suggests that the river is the major source of the material in the Pawtuxet Cove traps. The relationships between contaminant concentrations in sediment trap material and surface sediments were quite good. For Ar 1254, the sediment levels were about twice the trap values. Conversely, the hydrocarbon concentrations in trap material were about 1.5 times as high for PHCs and about equal in pyrene, relative to the surface sediments. (In all cases, the correlations were significant at the 95% confidence level). In general, these data support the concept that the chemical composition of particulate material and surf ace sediments are closely related, and that the former could be a major source of contaminants to the underlying surface sediments. It is also possible that resuspended surface sediments could contribute to the particulate material in the water column depending on a number of factors such as bottom currents and extent of bioturbation. There was a significant relationship between the concentration of Cl-BZT in trap material and surface sediments; however, the relationship for the C10-BZT was not as good. and there is presently no explanation for these differences other than that the production of C-BZT started in 1963 and ceased in 1972, while that of the C10-BZT started in 1970 and continued to 1985. (The log Kow for both BZTs are essentially the same, Pruell & Quinn, 1985.) Perhaps, the former BZTs more uniformally distributed in particulate material and sediments than the more recently discharged C10-BZT. Changes in the BZT ratio (C10/Cl) of trap material may be due to a number of reasons including: the preferential retention of the C10-BZT and/or loss of Cl-BZT due to various biogeochemical reactions, and the resuspension of more recent sediments containing higher concentrations of the C10-BZT. This trend would be in agreement with the low ratio in Pawtuxet River surface sediments relative to sediment from the other locations where the ratios generally increase as found in the trap material. For example, the BZT ratio in surface sediments from Ohio Ledge is 7.2, in the mid-bay it is 8.2 and at the west passage the ratio is 9.5 (significant at the 9S% confidence level). Surface Sediments and Clams In general, the levels of all contaminants were highest in the Providence River sediments and decreased exponentially with distance downbay, with the lowest values usually found at the mouth of the bay. The major exception was a station in Newport Harbor in the lower east passage, where the concentrations of PHCs, PCBs and COP were relatively high and similar to some of the upper bay stations. The sources of the contaminants at this station may be related to sewage effluent, CSO discharges and runnoff to the harbor area. One way of evaluating the distribution of various contaminants in surface sediments is to compare the half distances for these components (defined as the distance in which the highest contaminant concentration decreases by 50%). A comparison of values for the east and west transects obtained in this study showed some small differences. For most components (exceptions are BZTs) the half distances were longer in the cast transect, suggesting additional sources of contaminants to that area. This may be due to several reasons including the influence of Newport effluents etc., different water circulation patterns in the two passages, and possible influences from Mount Hope Bay. Organic carbon had the longest half distance due to a large number of sources throughout the bay, and the BZTs had the lowest values since their only source is the Providence River via the Pawtuxct River. Finally, the PH Cs, P AHs. PCBs (sometimes measured as specific chlorobiphenyl (CB) cogeners) and coprostanol had similar half distances, suggesting major sources in the Providence River as well as smaller additional inputs throughout the bay. Five of the contaminants (CB 101, CB 138, PHCs, C10-BZT) showed significant correlations (95% confidence level or better) between sediment and clam concentrations, and all values decreased with distance from the Providence River. These sediment components are hydrophobic and are strongly partitioned into the clams\u27 lipids. Based on the data from this study, it may be possible to identify areas of the bay from which clams are harvested for commercial use. For example, clams suspected of being taken from areas closed to shellfishing could be analyzed for, these 5 contaminants and the results converted to sediment location using the relationships developed in this investigation. Trends from older investigations were generally similar to those observed in the present study; namely, highest concentrations in Providence River sediments and clams with decreasing amounts downbay. The range of previous values brackets those obtained in this study. Given then variations in station location, collection procedures, processing techniques and analytical methods, it is impossible to determine at the present time, if the concentrations have significantly changed over the past 15-20 years. Sediment Cores Highest levels and deepest penetration of PCBs (measured as CB 138) were in the Fox Point core which had a fairly uniform concentration down to 72 cm, but increased at 110 cm and remained about the same at the bottom of the core (147 cm). The other cores showed less penetration ranging from 42 cm (bottom of core) at Conimicut Point to 13 cm at Fields Point where the CB 138 values reached background (\u3c 0.1 ng/g) concentration. Apparently, the latter core site is a non-depositional area in contrast to Fox Point which has a relatively high sedimentation rate. The distribution of PHCs and pyrene were similar in some respects. In both cases, Fox Point had the highest level and deepest penetration with relatively constant values down to 147 cm. The PHCs never quite reached background levels in these cores (Ohio Ledge and Fields Point were the closest to background), but the pyrene did reach this level in two cores including the Fields Point core which again had the shallowest penetration (18 cm). Similar distributions were shown by COP and DEHP in that the Fox Point core had the highest levels and deepest penetration - a slight increase down to 110 cm followed by a prominent decrease to 147 cm. None of the cores reached background values for DEHP, but Ohio Ledge and Conimicut Point came very close. The COP reached background in only the Fields Point core but it rapidly increased again. It is impossible to adequately explain all of the trends in sediment core distributions with only the organic contaminant results. However, a detailed evaluation of all of the data (i.e., trace metals, organic components, biological species, pollen and geochemical analyses and radiometric dating) is currently being prepared in order to provide information on historical trends as recorded in the bay sediment cores (King et al., 1992). [Text taken from report summary.

Fronto-striatal cognitive deficits at different stages of Parkinson's disease

Groups of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, either medicated or unmedicated, were compared with matched groups of normal controls on a computerized battery previously shown to be sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction, including tests of planning, spatial working memory and attentional set-shifting. In a series of problems based on the 'Tower of London' test, medicated patients with Parkinson's disease were shown to be impaired in the amount of time spent thinking about (planning) the solution to each problem. Additionally, an impairment in terms of the accuracy of the solution produced on this test was only evident in those patients with more severe clinical symptoms and was accompanied by deficits in an associated test of spatial short-term memory. Medicated patients with both mild and severe clinical symptoms were also impaired on a related test of spatial working memory. In contrast, a group of patients who were unmedicated and 'early in the course' of the disease were unimpaired in all three of these tests. However, all three Parkinson's disease groups were impaired in the test of attentional set-shifting ability, although unimpaired in a test of pattern recognition which is insensitive to frontal lobe damage. These data are compared with those previously published from a group of young neurosurgical patients with localized excisions of the frontal lobes and are discussed in terms of the specific nature of the cognitive deficit at different stages of Parkinson's disease

Advanced Ultrasonic Inspection of Thick-Section Composite Structures for In-Field Asset Maintenance

An investigation into the inspection capabilities of in-field advanced ultrasound detection for use on ultra-thick (20 to 100 mm) glass fibre-reinforced polyester composites is presented. Plates were manufactured using custom moulding techniques, such that delamination flaws were created at calibrated depths. The full matrix capture technique with an on-board total focussing method was used to detect flaws scanned by a 0.5 MHz linear array probe. Flaw through-thickness dimensions were altered to assess the threshold for crack face separation at which delaminations could be identified. Furthermore, part thickness and in-plane flaw dimensions were varied to identify the inspection capability limitations of advanced ultrasonics for thick composites. The results presented in this study demonstrate an inverse relationship between the ability to find delaminations and plate thicknesses, with inspections successful at depths up to 74 mm. When the delamination thickness exhibited surface-to-surface contact, the inspection capability was reduced to 35 mm. There was an exponential decay relationship between the accuracy of the flaw depth measurement and plate thickness, likely due to the necessity of low probe frequencies. The effective inspection depth was determined to be in the range of 1 to 20 times the wavelength. It is speculated that the accuracy of measurements could be improved using probes with novel coupling solutions, and detectors with optimised signal processing/filtration algorithms

Paint it Black -- A Combinatorial Yawp

No abstract provided in this paper