A Study of The Local Toxicity of Agents Used for Variceal Injection Sclerotherapy

Injection sclerotherapy is widely used in the treatment of oesophageal varices. However, few studies have compared the local toxicity of sclerosant agents which may be important if serious local complications are to be avoided

Computer Model for Dynamic Skyline Behaviour

The development and experimental verification of a numerical model for the dynamic behavior of a cable logging system skyline is discussed. The model is intended to simulate the skyline behavior after a turn of logs breaks out of a "hang-up" on the ground. Output from the model may be used as a forcing function for a dynamic load on the tailspar or other component of the cable logging system. The numerical model uses finite difference and Runge-Kutta techniques. Output from the model consists of time-histories of the fluctuations in skyline tensions. From this output the frequencies of the skyline vibrations may be determined. The model was verified by experimental data collected while operating a small cable logging system in Oregon State University's McDonald Research Forest

Dynamic Characteristics of a Small Skyline Logging System with a Guyed Tailspar

A series of dynamic loading tests were conducted on a small skyline logging system (15.8 mm [5/8 inch] skyline) operating in a second-growth Douglas fir stand. The tests included free vibration tests and logging tests with turns weighing from 1.5 to 9 kN [340 to 2050 lbs]. Natural frequency and damping were evaluated from free vibration tests, and the free vibration portion of logging tests. Dynamic load magnitude was evaluated for logging tests with natural and artificial breakouts of turns with a range in turn weights, and for a series of logging tests with the same turn. The natural frequencies of the guylines were in good agreement with simple cable theory. However, the presence of the carriage on the skyline resulted in measured natural frequencies significantly lower than simple cable theory would predict. Damping of the tailspar system and the skyline averaged about 10% of critical damping, but was highly variable from test to test. Dynamic load magnitude, whether expressed as the load peak produced by turn break-out, or the maximum cyclic load, was highly variable, with coefficients of variation ranging from 31 to 79%. Even a series of logging tests with the same two-log turn produced maximum cyclic loads with a coefficient of variation of nearly 40%

Atomic-scale tailoring of spin susceptibility via non-magnetic spin-orbit impurities

Following the discovery of topological insulators, there has been a renewed interest in superconducting systems that have strong spin-orbit (SO) coupling. Here we address the fundamental question of how the spin properties of a otherwise spin-singlet superconducting ground state evolve with increasing SO impurity density. We have mapped out the Zeeman critical field phase diagram of superconducting Al films that were deposited over random Pb cluster arrays of varying density. These phase diagrams give a direct measure of the Fermi liquid spin renormalization, as well as the spin orbit scattering rate. We find that the spin renormalization is a linear function of the average Pb cluster -to- cluster separation and that this dependency can be used to tune the spin susceptibility of the Al over a surprisingly wide range from 0.8χ0 to 4.0χ0, where χ0 is the non-interacting Pauli susceptibility

White matter changes and confrontation naming in retired aging national football league athletes

Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we assessed the relationship of white matter integrity and performance on the Boston Naming Test (BNT) in a group of retired professional football players and a control group. We examined correlations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) with BNT T-scores in an unbiased voxelwise analysis processed with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). We also analyzed the DTI data by grouping voxels together as white matter tracts and testing each tract's association with BNT T-scores. Significant voxelwise correlations between FA and BNT performance were only seen in the retired football players (p < 0.02). Two tracts had mean FA values that significantly correlated with BNT performance: forceps minor and forceps major. White matter integrity is important for distributed cognitive processes, and disruption correlates with diminished performance in athletes exposed to concussive and subconcussive brain injuries, but not in controls without such exposure

Insomnia as an Independent Predictor of Incident Cardiovascular Disease in HIV: Data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study

Background: Insomnia is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in the general population and is highly prevalent in people with HIV. The CVD risk conferred by insomnia in the HIV population is unknown. Methods: Using the Veterans Aging Cohort Study-Survey Cohort, insomnia symptoms were measured and dummy coded with the item, “Difficulty falling or staying asleep?” (5-point scale from no difficulty to bothers a lot). Incident CVD event ICD-9 codes (acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or coronary artery revascularization) were identified with VA and Medicare administrative data and VA fee-for-service data. Those with baseline CVD were excluded. Results: HIV-infected (N=3,108) veterans had a median follow-up time of 10.8 years, during which 267 CVD events occurred. Compared to HIV-infected veterans with no difficulty falling or staying asleep, HIV-infected veterans bothered a lot by insomnia symptoms had an increased risk of incident CVD after adjusting for demographics (HR=1.64, 95%CI=1.16-2.31, p=.005), CVD risk factors (HR=1.62, 95%CI=1.14-2.30, p=.007), additional potential confounders (hepatitis C infection, renal disease, anemia, alcohol use, cocaine use; HR=1.70, 95%CI=1.19-2.43, p=.003), and HIV-specific factors (HIV-1 RNA, CD4+ T-cell count, ART; HR=1.66, 95%CI=1.16-2.37, p=.005). Additional adjustment for non-benzodiazepine sleep medication (HR=1.62, 95%CI=1.13-2.32, p=.009) did not attenuate the association; however, it fell short of significance at p < .01 after adjustment for depressive symptoms (HR=1.51, 95%CI=0.98-2.32, p=.060) or antidepressant medication (HR=1.51, 95%CI=1.04-2.19, p=.031). Conclusion: Highly bothersome insomnia symptoms were significantly associated with incident CVD in HIV-infected veterans, suggesting that insomnia may be a novel, modifiable risk factor for CVD in HIV

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons with an imaging camera and its implications to spectroscopy

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) is demonstrated using an imaging charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A spatial resolution less than 15 $\mu$m has been achieved, which is equivalent to an UCN energy resolution below 2 pico-electron-volts through the relation $\delta E = m_0g \delta x$. Here, the symbols $\delta E$, $\delta x$, $m_0$ and $g$ are the energy resolution, the spatial resolution, the neutron rest mass and the gravitational acceleration, respectively. A multilayer surface convertor described previously is used to capture UCNs and then emits visible light for CCD imaging. Particle identification and noise rejection are discussed through the use of light intensity profile analysis. This method allows different types of UCN spectroscopy and other applications.Comment: 12 figures, 28 pages, accepted for publication in NIM

Beyond the ostensible: an exploration of barriers to lean implementation and sustainability in healthcare

The barriers to implement lean have been well researched and have generated consistent results; this study identifies these as ostensible barriers. There is a dearth of research that focus on understanding the causes of these ostensible barriers. Thus, this study aims to empirically investigate the deeper causes that produce ostensible barriers to implement lean in emergency areas of the healthcare. To achieve this aim, the paper draws on rich, qualitative data from four different sources of data, using exploratory case studies as the main approach. Undertaking thematic analysis, six main underlying barriers emerge as the root cause of ostensible barriers. The results suggest that addressing each of the underlying barriers in healthcare is likely to support lean implementation and sustainability, by reducing the impact of restraining forces that come from stakeholders and the public healthcare system