bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intraseasonal Variability of the Saharan Heat Low and Its Link with Midlatitudes
Authors: Chauvin Fabrice , Roehrig Romain , Lafore Jean-Philippe
Published: January 2010

The Saharan heat low (SHL) is thought to be a key feature of the West African monsoon, and its variations during the summer season have not yet been systematically assessed. To characterize the intraseasonal variations of the SHL, real and complex empirical orthogonal function analyses were applied to the 850-hPa potential temperature field over northern Africa and the Mediterranean, using NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-II) reanalysis results. A robust quasi-propagative mode was highlighted over North Africa and the Mediterranean. This mode consists of two phases. The west phase corresponds to a maximum temperature over the coast of Morocco–Mauritania, propagating southwestward, and a minimum between Libya and Sicily, propagating southeastward. The east phase corresponds to the opposite temperature structure, which propagates as in the west phase. A lag-composite analysis revealed that this SHL mode was preceded by large-scale, midlatitude, intraseasonal fluctuations of the atmosphere. The southward penetration of a Rossby wave disturbance over Europe and North Africa generates modulations of the three-dimensional atmospheric structure. The low-level ventilations and harmattan-like circulation are particularly impacted, as are the subtropical westerlies and the polar jets in the upper troposphere. The west phase is concomitant with an enhanced convective signal over the Darfur region, which propagates westward, as far as the middle of the Atlantic, at a speed similar to that of the well-known African easterly waves.

The SHL appears to be a bridge between the midlatitudes and the West African monsoon, which may offer promising sources of predictability over the Sahel on an intraseasonal time scale.
Impact of Changes in Climate and Halocarbons on Recent Lower Stratosphere Ozone and Temperature Trends
Authors: Lamarque Jean-François , Solomon Susan
Published: January 2010

The primary focus of this paper is the analysis of the roles of long-term increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and sea surface temperatures (used as indicators of climate change) and man-made halocarbons (indicators of chemical ozone depletion linked to halogens) in explaining the observed trend of ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere and implications for related variables including temperature and tropopause height. Published estimates indicate a decrease of approximately 10% in observed ozone concentrations in this region between 1979 and 2005. Using a coupled chemistry–climate atmosphere model forced by observed sea surface temperatures and surface concentrations of long-lived greenhouse gases and halocarbons, the authors show that the simulations display substantial decreases in tropical ozone that compare well in both latitudinal and vertical structure with those observed. Based on sensitivity simulations, the analysis indicates that the decreases in the lower stratospheric (85–50 hPa) tropical ozone distribution are mostly associated with increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures, in contrast to those at higher latitudes, which are largely driven by halocarbon increases. Factors influencing temperature trends and tropopause heights in this region are also probed. It is shown that the modeled temperature trends in the lower tropical stratosphere are also associated with increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures. Following the analysis of lower stratospheric tropical temperature trends, the secondary focus of this paper is on related changes in tropopause height. Much of the simulated tropopause rise in the tropical zone as measured by tropopause height is found to be linked to increases in sea surface temperatures and CO2, while increases in halocarbons dominate the tropopause height changes in the subtropics near 30°; both drivers thus affect different regions of the simulated changes in the position of the tropopause. Finally, it is shown that halocarbon increases dominate the changes in the width of the region where modeled total ozone displays tropical character (as indicated by low values of the column abundance). Hence the findings suggest that climate changes and halocarbon changes make different contributions to different metrics used to characterize tropical change.
Mechanisms for the Onset of the African Humid Period and Sahara Greening 14.5–11 ka BP*
Authors: Timm Oliver , Köhler Peter , Timmermann Axel , Menviel Laurie
Published: January 2010

The mechanisms leading to the onset of the African Humid Period (AHP) 14 500–11 000 yr ago are elucidated using two different climate–vegetation models in a suite of transient glacial–interglacial simulations covering the last 21 000 yr. A series of sensitivity experiments investigated three key mechanisms (local summer insolation and ice sheet evolution, vegetation–albedo–precipitation feedback, and CO2 increase via radiative forcing and fertilization) that control the climate–vegetation history over North Africa during the last glacial termination. The simulations showed that neither orbital forcing nor the remote forcing from the retreating ice sheets alone was able to trigger the rapid formation of the AHP. Only both forcing factors together can effectively lead to the formation of the AHP. The vegetation–albedo–precipitation feedback enhances the intensity of the monsoon and further accelerates the onset of the AHP. The experiments indicate that orbital forcing and vegetation–albedo–precipitation feedback alone are insufficient to trigger the rapid onset of the AHP. The sensitivity experiments further show that the increasing radiative forcing from rising CO2 concentrations had no significant impact on the temporal evolution of the African monsoon during the last deglaciation. However, the fertilization effect of CO2 is important for the terrestrial carbon storage. The modeling results are discussed and compared with paleoproxy records of the African monsoon system. It is concluded that the model results presented here do not lend support to the notion that simple insolation thresholds govern the abrupt transitions of North African vegetation during the early to middle Holocene.
Buoyancy and Wind-Driven Convection at Mixed Layer Density Fronts
Authors: Taylor John R. , Ferrari Raffaele
Published: January 2010

In this study, the influence of a geostrophically balanced horizontal density gradient on turbulent convection in the ocean is examined using numerical simulations and a theoretical scaling analysis. Starting with uniform horizontal and vertical buoyancy gradients, convection is driven by imposing a heat loss or a destabilizing wind stress at the upper boundary, and a turbulent layer soon develops. For weak lateral fronts, turbulent convection results in a nearly homogeneous mixed layer (ML) whose depth grows in time. For strong fronts, a turbulent layer develops, but this layer is not an ML in the traditional sense because it is characterized by persistent horizontal and vertical gradients in density. The turbulent layer is, however, nearly homogeneous in potential vorticity (PV), with a value near zero. Using the PV budget, a scaling for the depth of the turbulent low PV layer and its time dependence is derived that compares well with numerical simulations. Two dynamical regimes are identified. In a convective layer near the surface, turbulence is generated by the buoyancy loss at the surface; below this layer, turbulence is generated by a symmetric instability of the lateral density gradient. This work extends classical scalings for the depth of turbulent boundary layers to account for the ubiquitous presence of lateral density gradients in the ocean. The new results indicate that a lateral density gradient, in addition to the surface forcing, can affect the stratification and the rate of growth of the surface boundary layer.
Oceanic Heat Content Variability in the Eastern Pacific Ocean for Hurricane Intensity Forecasting
Authors: Shay Lynn K. , Brewster Jodi K.
Published: January 2010

Recent evidence supports the premise that the subsurface ocean structure plays an important role in modulating air–sea fluxes during hurricane passage, which in turn, affects intensity change. Given the generally sparse in situ data, it has been difficult to provide region-to-basin-wide estimates of isotherm depths and upper-ocean heat content (OHC). In this broader context, satellite-derived sea surface height anomalies (SSHAs) from multiple platforms carrying radar altimeters are blended, objectively analyzed, and combined with a hurricane-season climatology to estimate isotherm depths and OHC within the context of a reduced gravity model at 0.25° spatial intervals in the eastern Pacific Ocean where tropical cyclone intensity change occurs.

Measurements from the Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate in 2001, long-term tropical ocean atmosphere mooring network, and volunteer observing ship deploying expendable bathythermograph (XBT) profilers are used to carefully evaluate satellite-based measurements of upper-ocean variability. Regression statistics reveal small biases with slopes of 0.8–0.9 between the subsurface measurements compared with isotherm depths (20° and 26°C), and OHC fields derived from objectively analyzed SSHA field. Root-mean-square differences in OHC range between 10 and 15 kJ cm−2 or roughly 10%–15% of the mean signals. Similar values are found for isotherm depth differences between in situ and inferred satellite-derived values. Blended daily values are used in the Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme (SHIPS) forecasts as are OHC estimates for the Atlantic Ocean basin. An equivalent OHC variable is introduced that incorporates the strength of the thermocline at the base of the oceanic mixed layer using a climatological stratification parameter  /No, which seems better correlated to hurricane intensity change than just anomalies as observed in Hurricane Juliette in 2001.
‘And We Got Here First’: Albert Johnson, National Origins and Self-Interest in the Immigration Debate of the 1920s
Authors: Allerfeldt Kristofer
Published: January 2010

Congressman Albert Johnson was co-sponsor of the 1924 Immigration Act — the so-called National Origins Act. Partly as a result of this, he has been considered one of the arch-advocates of a more restrictive immigration policy in early twentieth-century America. Closer examination proves his stance to be more reasoned than his reputation would suggest. Such scrutiny shows him to be no less committed to restriction and reveals some unpleasant political and racial views and language. But detailed reading also shows that his arguments, political techniques and rhetoric seem somewhat closer to their mainstream modern equivalents than has frequently been acknowledged. What emerges from inspection of Johnson’s stance is that he is dealing with a far less united and unified lobby in favour of immigration control and a far more effective opposition to such measures throughout the 1920s. As in so many other crucial political debates, self-interest emerges as the key consideration, and not only from Johnson’s perspective.
QuJianghua : Disposing of and Re-appraising the Remnants of Chiang Kai-shek’s Reign on Taiwan
Authors: Taylor Jeremy E.
Published: January 2010

This article explores attempts that were made by pro-independence political forces in Taiwan between the mid-1990s and 2008 to purge the remnants of the Chiang Kai-shek personality cult from Taiwan’s landscape. It explores a set of policies culminating in the renaming of Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in January 2008, and which were referred to in the Taiwanese media as quJianghua — ‘de-Chiang-Kai-shek-ification’. This article demonstrates, however, that rather than resulting in Chiang’s removal from historical debates in Taiwan, the contradictory policies that were pursued in this era have led to the emergence of new interpretations of Chiang and his legacy on the island.
Rats and Resentment: The Demobilization of the Red Army in Postwar Leningrad, 1945—50
Authors: Dale Robert
Published: January 2010

This article reassesses the myth of the heroic homecoming and successful reintegration of Red Army veterans returning to Leningrad after 1945. Soviet propaganda created an official version of demobilization, which presented veterans as exemplary citizens who returned to civilian life with relative ease. This myth created the impression that ordinary Leningraders welcomed home returning veterans as heroes. Throughout the twentieth century the demobilization of mass conscript armies generated tensions and difficulties. Across Europe the experience of demobilization in the wake of industrialized warfare created resentment, disaffection and anger. In contrast to official myths, Leningrad’s veterans were little different from their counterparts elsewhere. Reports based on veterans’ letters intercepted by the military censor reveal that many ex-servicemen were deeply resentful of the reception they received in postwar Leningrad. The frustrations of demobilization were blamed on ‘rear-line rats’, a term of derision for officials believed to have shirked front-line service in favour of safer administrative jobs. These problems were not imagined by disaffected veterans. Other documents confirm that corruption and bureaucracy were widespread problems. Despite these simmering resentments, the myth of a successful demobilization has remained remarkably durable and continues to be accepted by historians and the general population.
Trust and Transitions in Modes of Exchange
Authors: Cheshire Coye , Gerbasi Alexandra , Cook Karen S.
Published: January 2010

In this study, we investigate the relationship between uncertainty and trust in exogenous shifts in modes of social exchange (i.e., those that are not initiated by the individuals in a given exchange system). We explore how transitions from a high uncertainty environment (reciprocal exchange) to lower-uncertainty environments (nonbinding or binding negotiated exchange) affect the level of trust among exchange partners. Our results show that if cooperation rates are high before and after a change in mode of exchange, trust declines when the uncertainty created by the mode of exchange decreases. Furthermore, we find that trust depends on both the amount of uncertainty inherent in the form of the exchange and the level of cooperation before and after the transition.
Cardiac Troponin I in Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Injury in the Hanover Wistar Rat: Studies on Low Dose Levels and Routes of Administration
Authors: Brady Sally , York Malcolm , Scudamore Cheryl , Williams Thomas , Griffiths William , Turton John
Published: January 2010

The current studies demonstrate the effect of low-dose intraperitoneal (IP) administration of isoprotenerol (ISO) and subcutaneous (SC) versus IP routes of administration of ISO on serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels in female Hanover Wistar rats, providing additional evidence to support acceptance of cTnI as a cardiac biomarker. At 2 hr postdosing with 0-500 μg/kg ISO, mean serum cTnI levels were increased in a dose-related fashion at ≥10 μg/kg with no evidence of cardiac pathology. At 24 h, cTnI concentrations were generally at control levels, but histologic cardiomyocyte injury was evident in a proportion of the animals given ≥10 μg/kg. In a second experiment, rats given SC ISO at 5,000 μg/kg and necropsied at 0, 1, 2, and 4 hr postdosing had higher levels of serum cTnI than animals given the same dose IP.
Nonsystemic Locally Invasive Thymic T-Cell Lymphoma in a Fifteen-Week-Old Male CD-1 Mouse
Authors: Madheswaran R. , Shelar P. D. , Kalaiselvan P. , Bhelonde J. J. , Mathur K. Y. , Pande V. V. , Udupa Venkatesha , Shingatgeri V. M.
Published: January 2010

A male CD-1 mouse from a segment I reproduction toxicity study died at the age of fifteen weeks. At necropsy, the thymus was abnormally enlarged and virtually obliterated the thoracic cavity. Histopathological examination of thymus revealed abundant cell population consisting of mature lymphocytes and few lymphoblasts arranged in cords and sheets. Neoplastic cells completely obliterated the thymic architecture, and loss of corticomedullary junction was evident. Microscopically, neoplastic cells were round with moderate cytoplasm. Nuclei were spherical and hyperchromatic with centrally placed nucleoli. Mitotic figures and tingible body macrophages imparting “starry sky appearance” were seen. Multifocal necrotic areas were also observed. Proliferating neoplastic cells invaded the thymic capsule, surrounding adipose tissue and neighboring organs such as lungs, heart and fat pad of aorta, esophagus, trachea, and thoracic vertebrae. No evidence of systemic metastasis was observed in other organs. Immunostained neoplastic cells were positive for CD3 antigen. Gross, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry results were suggestive of thymic T-cell lymphoma.
Ectopic Thyroid in the Aortic Valve of a Han Wistar Rat
Authors: Baudimont Fannie , Booler Helen , Casey Tony , Heier Annabelle
Published: January 2010

Histological examination of the heart of a clinically normal, 10-week-old female Han Wistar rat revealed a 600 × 400-μm mass of ectopic thyroid tissue within the subendothelial connective tissue of the aortic valve. The mass protruded into the left ventricular lumen and was composed of single layers of cuboidal to low-columnar epithelium organized into follicles often containing colloid. Parafollicular cells were not evident. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of intracardiac ectopic thyroid gland in the rat and the first report of ectopic thyroid within a heart valve in a mammal.
Histomorphology and Vascular Lesions in Dorsal Rat Skin Used as Injection Sites for a Subcutaneous Toxicity Study
Authors: Wells Monique Y. , Voute Hélène , Bellingard Valérie , Fisch Cécile , Boulifard Virginie , George Catherine , Picaut Philippe
Published: January 2010

Subcutaneous injection of pharmaceutical compounds into the dorsal skin of rats is common in preclinical and nonclinical studies. However, no detailed histologic description of this anatomic location has been published to date. Following the observation of vascular lesions in the dorsum of rats in a thirteen-week toxicity study, a complementary study was performed on untreated Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the normal histology of the skin and subcutis, the potential effect of chronic subcutaneous injection on the morphology of the skin and its vasculature, and the spontaneous vascular pathology in the areas used as injection sites in the principal study. This study showed that saline injection did not fundamentally alter the morphology of the injection sites used for the principal study. Skin thickness was greater in males than in females. Although acellular intimal thickening occurred spontaneously in the dorsal skin of untreated males and females, only males had a spontaneous incidence of intimal hyperplasia. No site predilection for intimal lesions was apparent for either sex. Saline injection, or the physical trauma of injection, may induce intimal hyperplasia; males appear more likely to develop the lesion than do females. It is possible that acellular intimal thickening can progress to intimal hyperplasia under appropriate conditions.
Christian Unity — A Lived Reality: A Reformed/Protestant Perspective
Authors: Abdul-Mohan Joy Evelyn
Published: January 2010

It is evident that disunity is a reality wherever we look in the world today. Even within the Body of Christ there is a lack of unity that is appalling. The universal church needs to develop a greater urgency about it and at the same time, do more about it than most are doing. If the universal church comes to a realization that genuine Christian unity is already ‘an established reality and can progressively be realized and brought into the actualities of life’, perhaps then the universal church would strive harder to create and maintain a sustainable Christian unity making it a ‘lived reality’. As a Reformed family, we believe in the creative and redemptive activity of God, inaugurated in Jesus Christ but not yet completed. The Kingdom of God is a present reality, which will be expressed anew in all its fullness. This is our Christian hope, which is fundamental to our Christian faith and Christian faith is expectant faith. The universal Church therefore must offer the image of a people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting-point beyond denominational barriers and not the image of a people divided and separated because of ecclesiastical differences. It is hoped that the Global Christian Forum will continue to reflect that image.
Discerning what God is doing among His People Today: A Personal Journal
Authors: Ma Wonsuk
Published: January 2010

This article begins with the personal faith journey of the author nurtured in Korean Pentecostalism. Christ is the best thing that can happen in life. The author’s faith journey becomes a missionary journey. It leads to the discovery that there are two types of mission: centred on ‘life after death’ (soul saving) and mission as struggle for ‘life before death’ (a just world). The next step is to realise that the two have to go together. The 20th-century mission has been marked by the World Missionary Conference of Edinburgh 1910 and the Pentecostal movement. The former has led to the ecumenical movement, which has truncated mission into the discussion on church unity. The missionary fervour of the Pentecostal movement has resulted in unprecedented expansion of Christianity in the global South but completely ignored Christian unity. Today we see signs of the two beginning to converge.
When East Meets West and North Meets South: The Reconciling Mission of the Christian Churches
Authors: Bridges Johns Cheryl
Published: January 2010

The two assumptions of this article are that the mainstream ecumenical paradigm of the 20th century is no longer viable, and that the gifts of global Christianity are adequate for the cause of mission and unity. The Christian landscape has vastly changed. Its centre of gravity has shifted to the South. A new form of ecumenism is needed. The vision of unity ‘made visible as all in each place who are baptized into Jesus Christ’ (World Council Assembly, New Delhi, 1961), which involves death and rebirth, is now a calling for a new generation. Constructing a new ecumenical table requires re-conception and re-visioning. North and South are henceforth equal partners.The gifts of Christianity in North and South must be re-conceived.The journey toward Christian unity must be re-visioned. For a viable future there will need to be conversion, openness and humility.
Pharmacotherapy for treatment of attention deficits after non-progressive acquired brain injury. A systematic review
Authors: Sivan Manoj , Neumann Vera , Kent Ruth , Stroud Amanda , Bhakta Bipinchandra B
Published: January 2010

Objective: To systematically review the effectiveness of medications used to improve attention in people with non-progressive acquired brain injury.

Design: A systematic review.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINALH, PUBMED and PsychINFO databases were used to identify studies published between 1987 and 2008 meeting the following criteria: studies with subjects older than 18 years; diagnosis of new onset or previous acquired brain injury; medication given to improve attention and use of outcome to measure attention. Studies involving subjects in low arousal states or with neurogenerative conditions were excluded. The studies were categorized into three evidence levels: I — Randomized controlled trials; II — Prospective studies, controlled trials with methodological limitations; and III — Retrospective studies, clinical case series.

Results: Forty-seven articles were identified on initial search. Twenty-six met the pre-specified criteria. Five articles were assessed as meeting the level I evidence criteria, 12 were level II studies and 9 were level III studies. Methylphenidate can improve information processing speed but not all attention aspects in some people after traumatic brain injury. There is weak evidence for use of dopamine agonists to improve neglect/inattention after stroke. There is little evidence on the frequency of adverse effects and long-term functional benefits.

Conclusion: Although there is lack of robust evidence to recommend the routine use of medication to improve attention after traumatic brain injury and stroke, the existing evidence indicates potential for benefit in some patents and therefore further research is warranted.
A qualitative study exploring the experiences of African-Caribbean informal stroke carers in the UK
Authors: Strudwick Anna , Morris Reg
Published: January 2010

Objective: To explore the experiences of African-Caribbean informal stroke carers in the UK.

Design: Qualitative methodology.

Setting: Three urban locations in southern England.

Participants: Nine African-Caribbean informal stroke carers providing support to a relative with stroke for at least six months.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were used to explore both predetermined and unexpected topics relating to any aspects of the carers’ experiences. Interview transcriptions were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results: Several themes resembled those identified in previous qualitative studies with informal stroke carers from other ethnic backgrounds. However, new themes emerged which were related to the carers’ ethnicity and cultural values. These themes were ‘understanding of individual needs’, ‘battle’, ‘independence from services’, ‘faith in God’, ‘family ties’ and ‘avoiding institutionalised care.’

Conclusions: This small-scale study provides an insight into African-Caribbean stroke carers’ own perspectives. These have much in common with those of other ethnicities, but also exhibit important areas of difference. Several themes indicate issues with existing service provision. Stereotypical assumptions about informal stroke carers based on ethnicity appear to be unwarranted; there is diversity within ethnic groups. Individual contexts of ethnicity, culture and religious beliefs shape expectations and perceptions. Several themes signpost service attributes that are perceived as relevant to acceptability by African-Caribbean stroke carers. Recruitment challenges could be addressed in future projects with ethnic minority carers by collaborative planning and the development of individual relationships with key informants.
Psychological distress after stroke and aphasia: the first six months
Authors: Hilari Katerina , Northcott Sarah , Roy Penny , Marshall Jane , Wiggins Richard D , Chataway Jeremy , Ames Diane
Published: January 2010

Objective: We explored the factors that predicted psychological distress in the first six months post stroke in a sample including people with aphasia.

Design: Prospective longitudinal observational study.

Setting and subjects: Participants with a first stroke from two acute stroke units were assessed while still in hospital (baseline) and at three and six months post stroke.

Main measures: Distress was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire-12. Other measures included: NIH Stroke Scale, Barthel Index, Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test, Frenchay Activities Index, MOS Social Support Scale and social network indicators. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of distress at each stage post stroke; and to determine what baseline factors predicted distress at six months.

Results: Eighty-seven participants were able to self-report on measures used, of whom 32 (37%) had aphasia. 71 (82%) were seen at six months, including 11 (16%) with aphasia. Predictors of distress were: stroke severity at baseline; low social support at three months; and loneliness and low satisfaction with social network at six months. The baseline factors that predicted distress at six months were psychological distress, loneliness and low satisfaction with social network (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.49). Aphasia was not a predictor of distress at any time point. Yet, at three months post stroke 93% of those with aphasia experienced high distress, as opposed to 50% of those without aphasia (χ2 (1) = 8.61, P<0.01).

Conclusions: Factors contributing to distress after stroke vary across time. Loneliness and low satisfaction with one’s social network are particularly important and contribute to long-term psychological distress.
The value of physical tests for subacromial impingement syndrome: a study of diagnostic accuracy
Authors: Kelly Susan M , Brittle Nicola , Allen Gina M
Published: January 2010

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of commonly used physical tests for subacromial impingement syndrome, using ultrasound as the reference standard.

Design: A cross-sectional study of 59 participants with chronic shoulder pain of more than four months duration with a referral for diagnostic ultrasound scanning were invited to participate in the study.

Main measures: Thirty-four participants met the inclusion criteria and had an ultrasound scan followed immediately by application of the following tests: Neer’s sign, Hawkins and Kennedy test, painful arc of abduction, empty and full can tests, resisted isometric shoulder abduction and resisted isometric shoulder external rotation. Using the two-way contingency table method sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and overall accuracy were calculated for each physical test.

Results: Diagnostic values for each test varied considerably. The Hawkins and Kennedy test was the most accurate test for diagnosing any degree of subacromial impingement syndrome (71.0%). The most accurate tests for diagnosing subcategories of impingement were pain on resisted external rotation and weakness during the full can test (63.6%) for presence of subdeltoid fluid, pain on resisted external rotation (58.8%) for partial thickness tears and the painful arc test (62.1%) for full thickness tears.

Conclusions: As the predictive values of these tests are shown to be variable in this study it indicates that the clinical tests identified have limited use in informing diagnosis. Emphasis on the management of dysfunction may be more appropriate rather than reliance on clinical tests with inconclusive sensitivity and specificity if ultrasound scanning is not available.
Prehabilitation and early rehabilitation after spinal surgery: randomized clinical trial
Authors: Nielsen Per Rotbøll , Jørgensen Lars Damkjær , Dahl Benny , Pedersen Tom , Tønnesen Hanne
Published: January 2010

Objective: To evaluate the outcome after spinal surgery when adding prehabilitation to the early rehabilitation.

Design: A randomized clinical study.

Setting: Orthopaedic surgery department.

Subject: Sixty patients scheduled for surgery followed by inpatient rehabilitation for degenerative lumbar disease.

Interventions: The patients were computer randomized to prehabilitation and early rehabilitation (28 patients) or to standard care exclusively (32 patients). The intervention began two months prior to the operation. The prehabilitation included an intensive exercise programme and optimization of the analgesic treatment. Protein drinks were given the day before surgery. The early postoperative rehabilitation included balanced pain therapy with self-administered epidural analgesia, doubled intensified mobilization and protein supplements.

Main measures: The outcome measurements were postoperative stay, complications, functionality, pain and satisfaction.

Results: At operation the intervention group had improved function, assessed by Roland Morris Questionnaire (P = 0.001). After surgery the intervention group reached the recovery milestones faster than the control group (1—6 days versus 3—13, P =0.001), and left hospital earlier (5 (3—9) versus 7 (5—15) days, P =0.007). There was no difference in postoperative complications, adverse events, low back pain and radiating pain, timed up and go, sit-to-stand or in life quality. Patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group.

Conclusion: The integrated programme of prehabilitation and early rehabilitation improved the outcome and shortened the hospital stay — without more complications, pain or dissatisfaction.
Reachable Distance Space: Efficient Sampling-Based Planning for Spatially Constrained Systems
Authors: Xinyu Tang  , Thomas Shawna , Coleman Phillip , Amato Nancy M.
Published: January 2010

Motion planning for spatially constrained robots is difficult due to additional constraints placed on the robot, such as closure constraints for closed chains or requirements on end-effector placement for articulated linkages. It is usually computationally too expensive to apply sampling-based planners to these problems since it is difficult to generate valid configurations. We overcome this challenge by redefining the robot’s degrees of freedom and constraints into a new set of parameters, called reachable distance space (RD-space), in which all configurations lie in the set of constraint-satisfying subspaces. This enables us to directly sample the constrained subspaces with complexity linear in the number of the robot’s degrees of freedom. In addition to supporting efficient sampling of configurations, we show that the RD-space formulation naturally supports planning and, in particular, we design a local planner suitable for use by sampling-based planners. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach for several systems including closed chain planning with multiple loops, restricted end-effector sampling, and on-line planning for drawing/sculpting. We can sample single-loop closed chain systems with 1,000 links in time comparable to open chain sampling, and we can generate samples for 1,000-link multi-loop systems of varying topologies in less than a second.
AMOUR V: A Hovering Energy Efficient Underwater Robot Capable of Dynamic Payloads
Authors: Vasilescu Iuliu , Detweiler Carrick , Doniec Marek , Gurdan Daniel , Sosnowski Stefan , Stumpf Jan , Rus Daniela
Published: January 2010

In this paper we describe the design and control algorithms of AMOUR , a low-cost autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of missions of marine survey and monitoring. AMOUR is a highly maneuverable robot capable of hovering and carrying dynamic payloads during a single mission. The robot can carry a variety of payloads. It uses internal buoyancy and balance control mechanisms to achieve power efficient motions regardless of the payload size. AMOUR is designed to operate in synergy with a wireless underwater sensor network (WUSN) of static nodes. The robot’s payload was designed in order to deploy, relocate and recover the static sensor nodes. It communicates with the network acoustically for signaling and localization and optically for data muling. We present control algorithms, navigation algorithms, and experimental data from pool and ocean trials with AMOUR that demonstrate its basic navigation capabilitrials with AMOUR that demonstrate its basic navigation capabili ties, power efficiency, and ability to carry dynamic payloads.
Path Planning for Autonomous Vehicles in Unknown Semi-structured Environments
Authors: Dolgov Dmitri , Thrun Sebastian , Montemerlo Michael , Diebel James
Published: January 2010

We describe a practical path-planning algorithm for an autonomous vehicle operating in an unknown semi-structured (or unstructured) environment, where obstacles are detected online by the robot’s sensors. This work was motivated by and experimentally validated in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, where robotic vehicles had to autonomously navigate parking lots. The core of our approach to path planning consists of two phases. The first phase uses a variant of A* search (applied to the 3D kinematic state space of the vehicle) to obtain a kinematically feasible trajectory. The second phase then improves the quality of the solution via numeric non-linear optimization, leading to a local (and frequently global) optimum. Further, we extend our algorithm to use prior topological knowledge of the environment to guide path planning, leading to faster search and final trajectories better suited to the structure of the environment. We present experimental results from the DARPA Urban Challenge, where our robot demonstrated near-flawless performance in complex general path-planning tasks such as navigating parking lots and executing U-turns on blocked roads. We also present results on autonomous navigation of real parking lots. In those latter tasks, which are significantly more complex than the ones in the DARPA Urban Challenge, the time of a full replanning cycle of our planner is in the range of 50—300 ms.
Turbinate Osteoporosis in Pigs Following Intranasal Inoculation of PurifiedPasteurellaToxin: Histomorphometric and Ultrastructural Studies
Authors: Dominick M. A. , Rimler R. B.
Published: January 2010

Turbinate osteoporosis, induced by intranasal inoculation of purified toxin isolated from serotype D Pasteurella multocida, was investigated in 3- to 5-week-old, caesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived, isolation-reared pigs. Marked bilateral reduction in relative volume of trabecular bone occurred in osseous cores of turbinates of toxin-treated pigs relative to control pigs on post-inoculation day (p.i.d.) 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15. The fractional resorptive surface along turbinate bone was greater in toxin-treated pigs when compared to controls on p.i.d. 3 and 6. A significant decrease in resorptive surface occurred over time in toxin-treated pigs, whereas the fractional resorptive surface was constant over time in control pigs. Osteoclasts in medullary spaces separating bony trabeculae of turbinates were abundant in toxin-treated pigs and scant in controls on p.i.d. 3, 6, and 9. Degeneration and necrosis of bone forming cells, principally osteoblasts, were progressively more extensive with time and were associated with decreased mineralization and reduced thickness of osteoid and woven bone matrix. Osteoclasts along resorptive surfaces of turbinate bone in toxin-treated pigs had more abundant, more highly vacuolated cytoplasm, a more prominent microvillous border, and a greater number of nuclei per cell than osteoclasts from control pigs on p.i.d. 3 and 6. We conclude that this Pasteurella toxin stimulates osteoclastic osteolysis and inhibits osteogenesis in turbinates by causing degeneration and death of osteoblasts.
Gastroenteritis of Basenji Dogs
Authors: MacLachlan N. J. , Breitschwerdt E. B. , Chambers J. M. , Argenzio R. A. , De Buysscher E. V.
Published: January 2010

Intestinal digestive and absorptive function and the gross and histologic appearance of the gastrointestinal tract were evaluated in Basenji dogs with chronic diarrhea, asymptomatic Basenji dogs, and healthy control dogs. Gastric rugal hypertrophy, lymphocytic gastritis, and gastric mucosal atrophy occurred in asymptomatic and affected Basenji dogs. All affected dogs had moderate or severe intestinal lesions characterized by villous clubbing and fusion, increased tortuousity of intestinal crypts, and diffuse infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells. Intestinal lesions in asymptomatic Basenji dogs invariably were less severe than those in affected dogs, but the small intestinal lamina propria of asymptomatic Basenji dogs consistently contained greater numbers of mononuclear inflammatory cells than did that of control dogs. The proportion of cells containing each immunoglobulin isotype (IgG, IgM, IgA) was similar among affected Basenji dogs, asymptomatic Basenji dogs, and control dogs. As compared to healthy beagle controls, intestinal function was abnormal in both affected and asymptomatic Basenji dogs evaluated by combined N-benozoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid and d-xylose test, but malabsorption and maldigestion were most pronounced in affected Basenji dogs.
Chordomas in Fischer 344 Rats
Authors: Stefanski S. A. , Elwell M. R. , Mitsumori K. , Yoshitomi K. , Dittrich K. , Giles H. D.
Published: January 2010

Tissue sections and records of 56 rats with chordoma, identified in the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) data base of approximately 115,000 rats, were examined to determine morphological characteristics, incidence, and aspects of biological behavior. Chordomas occurred in aged rats, originated predominantly in lumbosacral vertebrae, were highly malignant, occurred three times more often in male versus female rats, and commonly produced bilateral posterior paresis, paralysis, and/or distention of the colon and rectum.
Lesions and Retroviruses Associated with Naturally Occurring Ovine Pulmonary Carcinoma (Sheep Pulmonary Adenomatosis)
Authors: Rosadio R. H. , Sharp J. M. , Lairmore M. D. , Dahlberg J. E. , De Martini J. C.
Published: January 2010

Five sheep with ovine pulmonary carcinoma were markedly dyspneic and had sporadic coughing; two had copious watery nasal exudate. In four, lesions consisted of multifocal nodules of neoplastic cuboidal epithelial cells in acinar or papillary patterns. Electron microscopically, cells had microvilli, tight junctions, and cytoplasmic lamellar bodies typical of alveolar type II cells. One sheep had a single lung tumor of nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cells. Vacuolated alveolar macrophages surrounded adenomatous foci. One sheep had a metastatic lesion in the caudal mediastinal lymph node. All sheep had histologic lesions of lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP, ovine progressive pneumonia) consisting of peribronchiolar and interstitial lymphoid hyperplasia, and fibromuscular proliferation; all had serum precipitating antibodies to ovine lentivirus. Lung fluids or tumor homogenates contained a 26-kd peptide that crossreacted with a primate-derived type D retrovirus as detected by immunoblotting or interspecies competition radioimmunoassay. Ovine lentivirus was isolated from concentrated lung fluids or tumor tissues of four sheep tested and from tumor cell DNA of one animal transfected into ovine muscle cells. These studies document the presence of type D-related retrovirus antigen in ovine pulmonary carcinoma (OPC) in the United States and indicate that lentivirus-induced LIP is a lesion frequently associated with this disease.
Cutaneous Inverted Papillomas in Dogs
Authors: Campbell K. L. , Sundberg J. P. , Goldschmidt M. H. , Knupp C. , Reichmann M. E.
Published: January 2010

Inverted papillomas of the skin occurred in five dogs. Lesions were 1–2 cm, circumscribed, flask-like structures below the level of the surrounding normal skin. Walls of the structures consisted of hyperplastic epidermis, forming thin papillary projections on thin fibrovascular stalks. Cells in the stratum granulosum had clear cytoplasm, numerous keratohyalin-like granules of various sizes, and poorly defined intranuclear inclusions. These cells stained positively for papillomavirus group-specific antigens by both the peroxidase-antiperoxidase and avidin-biotin methods. Virions with a mean diameter of 35.7 nm were present within nuclei in cells of the stratum granulosum when examined by electron microscopy. In situ DNA hybridization, using a canine oral papillomavirus probe, localized papillomavirus DNA in canine oral papillomas, but not in canine cutaneous squamous or inverted papillomas, suggesting that a different papillomavirus type was present in the latter lesions. Although these lesions resembled intracutaneous cornifying epitheliomas (keratoacanthomas), they appear to be a distinct lesion, probably with a different etiology.
Muscle Biopsy Samples for Histochemical Processing: Alterations Induced by Storage
Authors: Braund K. G. , Amling K. A.
Published: January 2010

Skeletal muscle samples from two healthy dogs were stored in ice at 0 C for up to 30 hours to examine the influence of time on cell morphology and morphometry. Cytochemical and histochemical properties of muscle to 18 hours were not markedly different from fresh frozen tissue. Samples stored to 30 hours were still satisfactory, despite a decline and unevenness in depth of staining. Morphometry from samples stored at 0 C for 6 hours or longer is not recommended, due to the statistically significant increase in diameter (from 21 to 25%) of type I and type II fibers.
Ruminant Forestomach and Abomasal Mucormycosis under Rumen Acidosis
Authors: Chihaya Y. , Matsukawa K. , Mizushima S. , Matsui Y.
Published: January 2010

Spores of Absidia corymbifera were inoculated orally into sheep with ruminal acidosis produced by feeding barley. Lesions, which developed in forestomachs of all four inoculated cases, included desquamation of superficial layers of the mucosae and focal necrosis from lamina propria to muscular layers. Granulomatous lesions were in the submucosa of three sheep. Lesions in the abomasum (two sheep) included focal necrosis, diffuse hemorrhages, and infiltration of neutrophils. All lesions were accompanied by mycotic proliferation. These results show that A. corymbifera can invade forestomach mucosae through degenerate epithelium resulting from ruminal acidosis.
Experimental Bovine Respiratory Tract Disease withHaemophilus somnus
Authors: Potgieter L. N. D. , Helman R. G. , Greene W. , Breider M. A. , Thurber E. T. , Peetz R. H.
Published: January 2010

Eight calves were inoculated into the bronchus with H. somnus. Thirteen calves were inoculated with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and 8 days later with H. somnus. All calves developed necrotizing, suppurative, lobular bronchopneumonia and pleuritis. Clinical signs of disease and pneumonic lesions were significantly more severe in calves that were sequentially inoculated with BRSV followed by H. somnus. Pneumonic lesions in the inoculated calves were similar to those described for naturally occurring H. somnus-associated respiratory tract disease. Control calves inoculated with BRSV alone or sham-inoculated with medium did not develop clinical signs of respiratory tract disease. The BRSV-inoculated control calves developed minimal pneumonic lesions.
Pathological and Toxicological Studies of Calves Fed a High Concentration Cotton Seed Meal Diet
Authors: Holmberg C. A. , Weaver L. D. , Guterbock W. M. , Genes J. , Montgomery P.
Published: January 2010

Feeding a high concentration of cotton seed meal to young calves resulted in death with lesions compatible with gossypol toxicity. Calves were fed two different commercially prepared rations. Free gossypol concentrations in different lots of the 17% protein ration varied from 250 to 380 ppm, and the 13% protein ration varied from 40 to 240 ppm. Serum sorbitol dehydrogenase elevation was the most consistent clinical pathological finding. The mean serum sorbitol dehydrogenase concentrations for moribund, hospitalized, and clinically healthy calves were 277, 34, and 45 units/liter. The mean for sorbitol dehydrogenase concentration for healthy calves not fed cotton seed meal was 18 units/liter. Gross lesions included severe effusion of a high protein content fluid into the body cavities of most calves, edema of the mesentery, and hepatomegaly. The most consistent histological lesion was severe centrilobular hepatic necrosis. Elevated levels of liver gossypol were demonstrated. The mean liver gossypol concentration for three calves was 41.7 μg/g on a wet weight basis.