Factors associated with acute and chronic pain following traumatic spinal cord injuries

Previous studies have estimated that between 25% and 45% of people with spinal cord injury report severe levels of chronic pain. Few studies have examined this longitudinally. This study examines the primary pain sites, intensity and variability of perceived pain in 76 patients, 6 weeks post injury and 45 patients from the same cohort, 8 year post discharge. Demographic information reveals a close similarity with the database (40,000) from Stover and Fine's cohort (1986). Data was assessed using visual analogue scales, measures were also taken of functional independence (FIM), emotional status and coping. At 6 weeks post injury, most pain is sited in the thoracic spine area, and in the upper and lower limbs. At 1 year post discharge, most pain is reported to be in the thoracic spine area, the lumbar region and the chest. Twenty-three per cent of the 6 week group reported that the intensity of their pain was severe, whilst at 1 year, 41% of the sample complained of severe pain. Factors associated with the pain at both time points were explored using correlational analyses. The emotional, functional and psychological factors that predict pain severity were explored using multiple regression analysis. Twenty-four per cent of those reporting moderate to severe pain at 6 weeks post injury were still reporting pain at 1 year post discharge. This study examines the relative contribution of psychological factors in reported pain.     

Neurobehavioral indicators of early brain insult in high-risk neonates.

Neurobehavioral (NB) performance was evaluated in 248 neurologically at-risk neonates at neonatal intensive care unit discharge to investigate the relation between behavior and brain insult. Six brain insult groups were defined on the basis of findings from cranial ultrasonography and brainstem auditory evoked response tests. The NB evaluation consisted of a modification and condensation of the Einstein Neonatal NB Assessment Scale and the assessment of activated motor patterns described by Katona. Logistic regression analysis of normal vs. abnormal judgments of behavioral categories revealed that, independent of the effects of prematurity, different patterns of NB abnormalities were associated with different degrees and types of brain insult. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis and design of integrated active circulator antennas

A study on the analysis and design of active integrated antennas based on active quasi-circulators is reported in this paper. The antenna consists of a novel hybrid active circulator and a short-circuited quarter-wavelength microstrip antenna, which combine to form an active antenna with transmit and receive action at the same frequency. A full-wave model of the configuration using the extended finite-difference time-domain method is devised to analyze its operation, to study parasitic electromagnetic coupling effects, and to derive design guidelines. Experimental results for a hybrid model are also presented     

In0.53Ga0.47As junction field-effecttransistors as tunable feedback resistors for integrated receiverpreamplifiers

In_0.53Ga_0.47As active feedback junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) for use in integrated transimpedance photoreceivers are discussed. By varying the gate-to-source voltage V_GS, the resistance can be continuously tuned between 3 and 40 kΩ with a drain-to-source capacitance of <10 fF. The temperature coefficient of resistance is between -5 and -20 Ω/°C (for V_GS less than the pinch-off voltage). The combination of large resistance and low capacitance can result in high receiver sensitivity without sacrificing amplifier dynamic range. The feedback FET was fabricated adjacent to 1.8-μm-gate-length JFETs with transconductances of 110 mS/mm, gate-to-source capacitances of 1.3 pF/mm, and DC amplifier voltage gains of 100. The compatibility of these transistor structures indicates that an integrated preamplifier with dynamically tunable bandwidth can be realized     

碳钢和不锈钢管状支撑构件循环试验和数值模型

为了研究由热轧碳钢、冷弯碳钢、冷弯不锈钢三种材料所构成的管状支撑构件的响应,在轴向循环荷载下,进行了16个方形、长方形空心截面构件的试验,对三种材料试件的荷载-位移滞回响应、抗压强度、侧向挠度、能量耗散、断裂寿命进行研究。此外,采用有限元模型验证试验结果,并基于应变破坏预测方法进行参数研究。研究表明:现有的预测抗压屈曲、屈曲后抗压强度的经验公式可同时用于碳钢和不锈钢试件。然而,构件延性和长细比之间的关系不能代表整体的长细比,亦不能用于冷弯不锈钢构件。对于每种材料,考虑整体和局部长细比,提出新的公式。对于不同的材料,整个加载周期的切线刚度不同,这是决定局部屈曲阻力、循环次数、支撑破坏的关键因素。     

SignText: a web-based tool for providing accessible text book contents for Deaf learners

Universal Access in the Information Society - Lack of Sign Language-based learning tools is a hindrance in acquiring knowledge for deaf students. Technology-based tools have introduced innovative...     

Quantitative Standards of 4-O-Acetyl- and 9-O-Acetyl-N-Acetylneuraminic Acid for the Analysis of Plasma and Serum

N-Acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid, Neu5Ac) is one of a large, diverse family of nine-carbon monosaccharides that play roles in many biological functions such as immune response. Neu5Ac has previously been identified as a potential biomarker for the presence and pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer. More recent research has highlighted acetylated sialic acid derivatives, specifically Neu5,9Ac₂, as biomarkers for oral and breast cancers, but advances in analysis have been hampered due to a lack of commercially available quantitative standards. We report here the synthesis of 9-O- and 4-O-acetylated sialic acids (Neu5,9Ac₂ and Neu4,5Ac₂) with optimisation of previously reported synthetic routes. Neu5,9Ac₂ was synthesised in 1 step in 68 % yield. Neu4,5Ac₂ was synthesised in 4 steps in 39 % overall yield. Synthesis was followed by analysis of these standards via quantitative NMR (qNMR) spectroscopy. Their utilisation for the identification and quantification of specific acetylated sialic acid derivatives in biological samples is also demonstrated.     

Effects of bioaugmentation on indigenous PCB dechlorinating activity in sediment microcosms

Bioaugmentation is an attractive mechanism for reducing recalcitrant pollutants in sediments, especially if this technology could be applied in situ. To examine the potential effectiveness of a bioaugmentation strategy for PCB contamination, PCB dehalorespiring populations were inoculated into Baltimore Harbor sediment microcosms. A culture containing the two most predominant indigenous PCB dehalorespiring microorganisms and a culture containing a strain with a rare ortho dechlorination activity and a non-indigenous strain that attacks double-flanked chlorines, were inoculated into sediment microcosms amended with 2,2′,3,5,5′,6-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 151) and Aroclor 1260. Although we observed a similar reduction in the concentration of PCB 151 in all microcosms at day 300, a reduced lag time for dechlorination activity was observed only in the bioaugmented microcosms and the pattern of dechlorination was altered depending on the initial combination of microorganisms added. Dechlorination of Aroclor 1260 was most extensive when dehalorespiring microorganisms were added to sediment. Overall numbers of dehalorespiring microorganisms in both bioaugmented and non-bioaugmented microcosms increased 100- and 1000-fold with PCB 151 and Aroclor 1260, respectively, and they were sustained for the full 300 days of the experiments. The ability of bioaugmentation to redirect dechlorination reactions in the sediment microcosms indicates that the inoculated PCB dehalorespiring microorganisms effectively competed with the indigenous microbial populations and cooperatively enhanced or altered the specific pathways of PCB dechlorination. These observations indicate that bioaugmentation with PCB dehalorespiring microorganisms is a potentially tractable approach for in situ treatment of PCB impacted sites.