Physical Activity and Related Factors Among Nursing Home Residents

1994

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine physical activity and the predictors of physical activity and exercise among nursing home residents. DESIGN: Population study. PARTICIPANTS: The sample (n = 190) was obtained by selecting every man and every second women from the entire nursing home population (n = 346) in the city of Jyvaskyla, central Finland, in autumn 1989. Information was eventually collected by interview from 158 persons (49 men and 109 women). SETTING: An in-home interview carried out among nursing home populations. MEASUREMENTS: Independent variables were the questions describing physical activity among nursing home populations. Dependent variables were the predict…

H�lder continuity of solutions to quasilinear elliptic equations involving measures

1994

We show that the solutionu of the equation $$ - div(|\nabla u|^{p - 2} \nabla u) = \mu $$ is locally β-Holder continuous provided that the measure μ satisfies the condition μ(B(x,r))⩽Mrn − p + α(p − 1) for some α>β. A corresponding result for more general operators is also proven.

Investigation of the ββ decay of 116Cd into excited states of 116Sn

1994

Abstract The double-beta decay of 116Cd into excited states of 116Sn is experimentally and theoretically investigated. From an inclusive experiment, using an external source of isotopically enriched Cd, new most stringent limits for the allowed and non-standard-model decays into excited states are derived. It is further investigated whether the bremsstrahlung emitted by the ββ electrons can be used to derive information on the ground-state decay. For the two-neutrino-decay mode a calculation, using the quasiparticle random-phase approximation, shows that the disadvantage in phase space, in comparison to the ground-state decay, is partially compensated through the nuclear-matrix element. Exp…

Photofission of235U and238U at intermediate energies: absolute cross sections and fragment mass distributions

1994

The total photofission cross section σγ,F for235U and238U has been measured in the energy range 50≤E γ≤800 MeV at the 855 MeV Mainz Microtron MAMI using energy and time tagged photons (Glasgow Tagger) and a 4π arrangement of position sensitive fragment detectors. Besides the absolute photofission cross section σγF , which almost completely exhausts the total photon absorption cross section for these nuclei, fragment mass distributions in this energy domain were determined via time of flight techniques (TOF). The results for the total photofission cross sections σγ,F normalized to the atomic numberA for both isotopes coincide, and agree in theΔ-resonance region, within the systematic errors,…

Number transcoding in children: A functional analysis

1994

French-speaking second-grade children from France and Wallonia were asked to write down in the Arabic code, numbers orally presented at six successive one-month-spaced sessions. The evolution of the children's production (patterns of correct responses and errors) is analysed and tentatively interpreted through the model of number and calculation processing developed by McCloskey in adult neuropsychology. In order to evaluate their number production and comprehension mechanisms the children were furthermore submitted to other number processing tasks. It is tentatively concluded that the children's difficulties in the Arabic written task were localized at the level of the production of the Ar…

A prospective study of the precursors to problem drinking in young adulthood.

1994

This study was part of the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study on Social Development. The subjects (196 males, 173 females) were studied at age 8, 14 and 26. Three components in drinking habits were obtained at age 26: social, problem and controlled drinking. Moderate to severe problem drinking was obtained for 26% of the men and 1% of the women, and mild problem drinking for 23% of the men and 15% of the women. Problem drinking (defined by the CAGE Questionnaire, arrest for alcohol abuse and other indicators of heavy drinking) was directly accounted for by poor school success at age 14 and, for men, by conduct problems and low anxiety. Variables at age 8 that contributed indirectly to adult probl…

Production ofK 0 and Λ in hadronic Z decays

1994

Measurements of the inclusive cross-sections forK 0 and Λ production in hadronic decays of the Z are presented together with measurements of two-particle correlations within pairs of Λ andK 0. The results are compared with predictions from the hadronization models Jetset, based on string fragmentation, and Herwig, based on cluster decays. TheK 0 spectrum is found to be harder than predicted by both models, while the Λ spectrum is softer than predicted. The correlation measurements are all reproduced well by Jetset, while Herwig misses some of the qualitative features and overestimates the size of the $$\Lambda \bar \Lambda $$ correlation. Finally, the possibility of Bose-Einstein correlatio…

Influence of a hydrophilic spacer on the structure of a phospholipid monolayer

1994

We present the results of thermodynamical and X-ray grazing incidence diffraction experiments performed on Langmuir monolayers of ether lipids with hydrophilic spacers between the glycerol backbone and the phosphatidylcholine head group: DHPC, DH-E01-PC, and DH-E02-PC. As a spacer the oxy-ethylene group is used, which is a typical hydrophilic unit of non-ionic tensides. It turns out that the introduction of the hydrophilic spacers leads to a fluidization of the monolayer and reduces the tilt angle of the chains.

Topological Approach to Analgesia

1994

Electrochemical behaviour and electrical percolation in graphite-epoxy electrodes

1994

The electrochemical properties of mouldable graphite-epoxy composite electrodes have been studied as a function of graphite content. The shape of ferri-ferrocyanide voltammograms relates to the ratio of graphite and an adsorption process. The dielectric constant from spectroelectrochemical impedance measurement of this composite electrode is maximum when the proportion of graphite is ca. 60 wt%. An electrochemical equivalent circuit is proposed. The graphite-epoxy composite acts as a multi-microelectrode near this proportion.

Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Epidoxorubicin, and Bleomycin as Second-Line Chemotherapy for Recurrent and/or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the H…

1994

Thirty evaluable patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region previously treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy were treated with a combination of methotrexate, vinblastine, epidoxorubicin, and bleomycin as second-line chemotherapy. Besides surgery and/or radiotherapy all patients had previously received chemotherapy as induction therapy or as palliation for recurrent disease. Only 20% of patients achieved a partial objective response with a mean duration of 5.6 months (range 3.2-6.2), and 30% of patients had a stabilization of disease with a mean duration of 4.2+ months (range 3.8-6.0). Patients who responded had rhinopharyngeal carcinoma…

TaNi 2 .05Te 3 , eine Verbindung mit “aufgefüllter” TaFe 1+ x Te 3 ‐Struktur

1994

TaNi2.05Te3, a Novel Telluride with “Stuffed” TaFe1+xTe3 Structure The novel metal-rich layer compound TaNi2.05Te3 was synthesized from the elements. Its structure contains TaNi2Te3 layers which are interconnected by Ni atoms on partially occupied tetragonal-pyramidal sites located between the layers. The title compound and the related telluride TaFe1.14Te3 form a pair of compounds differing only in the occupation or nonoccupation of one 3d-material atom site. Therefore, the structure of TaNi2.05Te3, which is stabilized by interstial Ni atoms, can be regarded as a “stuffed” TaFe1.14Te3 type. Pairs of compounds with a similar structural relationship seem to be of general importance in early …

A fast PC-interface for synchronized sampling of digital data

1994

We describe a high-speed interface unit for a PC-like microcomputer used for pulsar observations at the Northern Cross radiotelescope. The unit allows sampling synchronized to a master UTC clock and asynchronous output to a storage device with a peak data rate of about 2.5 MB/sec.

Field-assisted photodetachment process to observe the ponderomotive shift

1994

Two-color photodetachment of a negative ion in the presence of a constant magnetic field is proposed as a process in which to observe the ponderomotive shift. Appropriate calculations are reported of the process under consideration based on a simple one-electron model and with the basic physical parameters well within the experimental state of the art.

Distribution of Working Time and Contents of Physiotherapy Activities in a Clinical Setting.

1994

The purpose of the present study was to collect personnel utilization data in the physiotherapy department of a general hospital as a basis for improving the practice of physiotherapy. Over a four-week period in a process of continuous observation 12 physiotherapists recorded their activities under predefined task categories. The percentages of total time used in the observed activities were as follows: direct patient treatment 31%, other work (planning, recording, arranging walking aids and student guidance) 10%, and cooperation (consultation, meetings, arranging patients' affairs, counselling relatives and parents) 9%. The proportion of uncategorized work amounted to half of the total wor…

Retention of vanadium (V) by three Finnish mineral soils

1994

Summary Retention of V(V) by three Finnish mineral soils from 10−4m and 10−5m sodium vanadate solutions was investigated at room temperature in the pH range 2.3–7.5. In adsorption experiments, 0.02 m KCl was used as ionic medium, and the samples were left to equilibrate for 72 h. The solid: solution ration was 1:100 (m: v). Maximum adsorption occurred at pH ∼4, where 70–80% of the added V (350–400 μg g−1 from 10−4m solution and 35–40 μg g−1 from 10−5m solution) was retained by each soil. Retention was significant even at pH 6, where adsorption of a similar anion, molybdate, is negligible. Desorption of the retained V was measured by adding 50.0 cm3 of 0.02 M KCl into weighed soil samples an…

Cytotoxic effects of antibodies to proteinase 3 (C-ANCA) on human endothelial cells.

1994

SUMMARY Autoantibodies directed against cytoplasmic antigens of neutrophils (ANCA), especially those with specificity for proteinase 3 (PR-3) and myeloperoxidase, are valuable markers for differential diagnosis and monitoring of disease activity in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and other vasculitides. Till now, several concepts concerning a direct role of antibodies against PR-3 in the pathogenesis of WG have been discussed. Recently we were able to show that these antibodies recognize PR-3 translocated into the membrane of human endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to investigate putative cytotoxic effects of antibodies to PR-3 on human endothelial cells. Antibodies were obtained b…

Lepton hadron angular correlations in semileptonic ? decays

1994

We studyT-odd triple momentum correlations in exclusive semileptonic ∋-decays into three pseudoscalar mesons. We define asymmetry ratios that measure theseT-odd correlations and show how to separate the unitarity contribution from the trueCP-violating contributions. TheCP-violating contributions to the asymmetry ratios would have to come from new non-Standard Model sources as theCP-violating Standard Model contributions to the asymmetry ratios are zero. We discuss two extensions of the Standard Model that give rise to nonvanishingCP-violating triple momentum correlations, namely a left-right symmetric model and a multi Higgs boson model. Numerical results on triple momentum correlations are…

Excited states of111I and the observation of a 21 ns isomer

1994

Proton rich nuclei close to 100 Sn have been investigated inbeam using the NORDBALL detector array. A beam of 270 MeV58 Ni was used to bombard a 54 Fe target. Reaction channel separation was achieved with a 4π charged particle multi-detector set-up together with a 1π neutron detector wall placed in the forward direction. Gamma-ray transitions belonging to the 111 I nucleus were identified for the first time. A level scheme constructed from γ-γ-particle-coincidence analysis is proposed. The level structure is discussed within the framework of the shell model and the systematics of the heavier odd iodine nuclei.

The Lipofuscin Content of Nerve Cells of the Inferior Olivary Nucleus in Alzheimer's Disease

1994

Lipofuscin, the age pigment, is of interest in Alzheimer's disease because of its property to accumulate in neurons and because of the hypothesis that Alzheimer's dementia is a kind of premature ageing. The amount of intraneuronal lipofuscin in the inferior olivary nucleus of 20 brains from patients with histologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease according to the CERAD protocol and of 20 controls has been measured microfluorometrically. Patients and controls were matched for age. The amount of lipofuscin in the neurons of the inferior olivary nucleus did not differ significantly between the cases of Alzheimer's disease and the controls. The result is discussed taking the findings of previ…

Role of bacteria-specific T cells in the immunopathogenesis of reactive arthritis.

1994

Reactive arthritis is a usually self-limited sterile inflammation of joints that follows certain bacterial gastrointestinal or urogenital infections. The immunopathogenesis involves CD4+ T cells, which mediate an antigen-specific TH1 response to bacterial constituents within the joint. Properties of the arthritogenic bacteria and the physicochemical characteristics of the bacterial antigens may contribute to the development of reactive arthritis.

Fast photoconduction in the highly ordered columnar phase of a discotic liquid crystal

1994

THE search for organic materials suitable for electronic applica-tions dates back to the early 1950s. But the only organic systems known so far to show electronic charge-carrier mobilities comparable to the amorphous inorganic semiconductors that are the main-stay of the microelectronics industry are zone-refined organic single crystals1–4. Single crystals are difficult and costly to process, however, and are not suitable for device applications. Here we show that a highly ordered columnar (stacked) phase of disk-like organic molecules can exhibit high mobilities for photoinduced charge carriers, of the order of 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1—higher than for any organic material other than single-crystal …

Contrast echocardiography of the left ventricle an independent predictor of pulmonary artery pressure?

1994

To test the hypothesis that left heart opacification is dependent on pulmonary artery pressure, we analyzed consecutively 12 patients with normal and 8 patients with abnormal pulmonary artery pressure with a new lung capillary stable echo contrast agent. Patients underwent contrast echocardiographic examination within 6 hours before right and left heart catheterization with 200 mg/ml and 400 mg/ml SHU 508A intravenously. The mean pulmonary artery pressure was 15.4 mmHg in the patients with normal pulmonary artery pressures and 46.4 mmHg in the patients with pulmonary hypertension (p0.000). Echocardiograms were video-intensitometrically analyzed for intensity maximum (MAX), half-time of vide…

Gastric endoscopic features in portal hypertension: final report of a consensus conference, Milan, Italy, September 19, 1992.

1994

Contrast sensitivity of the visual system in speckle imagery

1994

The contrast sensitivity function (CSF) of the whole visual system is determined with the use of coherent diffuse illumination. This function provides supplementary data about the effect of speckle on the ability of the visual system to perceive the spatial information contained in an image. The results show that speckle not only prevents perception of the finest details (highest frequencies) but also reduces the visibility of lower frequencies (especially where contrast is low). The difference between the CSF's determined with and without speckle is quantitatively very important. And the ratio between the two CSF's is a measure of the retinal ability to perceive contrast in the presence of…

A NEURAL NETWORK PRIMER

1994

Neural networks are composed of basic units somewhat analogous to neurons. These units are linked to each other by connections whose strength is modifiable as a result of a learning process or algorithm. Each of these units integrates independently (in paral lel) the information provided by its synapses in order to evaluate its state of activation. The unit response is then a linear or nonlinear function of its activation. Linear algebra concepts are used, in general, to analyze linear units, with eigenvectors and eigenvalues being the core concepts involved. This analysis makes clear the strong similarity between linear neural networks and the general linear model developed by statisticia…

Distribution patterns in glycoconjugate expression during the development of the rat palate.

1994

The distribution of complex carbohydrate structures during the embryonic development of the rat palate was analysed by examining lectin-binding patterns in serial paraffin and cryostat sections. With few exceptions, the binding patterns showed a general increase in lectin receptors in the more developed stages of palatogenesis. High mannose oligosaccharides were especially amplified during development. Terminal fucose molecules were not expressed. In contrast, terminal sialic acid molecules were ubiquitously distributed in epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. Non-sialylated terminal N-acetylglucosamine was specifically restricted to evolving bone matrix. Before palatal fusion, quantitative b…

In-beam spectroscopy of 110Te

1994

The neutron-deficient nucleus Te-110 has been investigated by in-beam spectroscopic methods using the NORDBALL multi-detector array. Except for the energy of one level observed in alpha-decay, exci ...

Differential expression of SUC genes: A question of bases

1994

Non-coding nucleotide sequences located 5' upstream of the transcriptional start site play an essential role in gene expression as they contain binding sites for transcription and regulatory factors. The yeast SUC gene family is a useful model to study the influence that nucleotide exchanges within the promoter regions have on their expression, since (i) these genes, regulated by glucose repression, are differentially transcribed (invertase activity produced by distinct SUC genes may show variations of about 10-fold); and (ii) promoter sequences of SUC3, SUC4, SUC5 and SUC7 are more than 99% homologous, showing only six base exchanges among all of them. Comparison of these nucleotide exchan…

A Neuro-Ethological Approach for the TSP: Changing Metaphors in Connectionist Models.

1994

Biological systems often offer solutions to difficult problems which are not only original but also efficient. Connectionist models have been inspired by neural systems and successfully applied to the formulation of algorithms for solving complex problems such as the travelling salesman problem. In this paper we extend the connectionist metaphor to include an ethological account of how problems similar to the travelling salesman problem are solved by real living systems. A model is presented in which a population of neural networks with simple sensory-motor systems evolve genetically in simulated environments which represent the problem instances to be solved. Preliminary results are discu…

Two approaches to the study of experiences of health and old age: the thematic interview and the narrative method

1994

This paper discusses two methods of data collection for the study of experienced health and old age: the thematic interview and the narrative method, both of which represent the interpretive research paradigm. Two applications of the method are described: the thematic interview was used in a study of patient experiences of health and nursing, and the narrative method in a study of experiences of ageing. The role and utility of the methods are discussed from the point of view of nursing research.

Drug-induced hepatitis: a rare complication of oral anticoagulants.

1994

Hepatotoxicity is a rare complication of coumarin anticoagulants. We present the case of a 56-year-old woman who developed a viral-hepatitis-like picture 8 months after mitral valve replacement and oral anticoagulation. Phenprocoumon-induced hepatitis was diagnosed after positive reexposure and improvement following withdrawal of the drug. There appeared to be cross-reactivity to warfarin since this drug led to a similar increase in alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase after a few days of administration. Liver biopsy showed an acute viral-hepatitis-like picture. Anticoagulation was changed to a subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin and low-dose aspirin. Because of the wid…

Influence of calcium on the effects of okadaic acid and its interaction with caffeine and theophylline in rat myometrium.

1994

The effects of okadaic acid (OA), a monocarboxylic acid produced by marine dinoflagellates belonging to the genera Dinophysis and Prorocentrum, and their interactions with theophylline and caffeine were studied on the rat-isolated uterus in a calcium-containing medium and a calcium-free medium in the presence of 10−3 M EGTA. Okadaic acid (5 × 10−6 to 5 × 10−5 M) induced a concentration-dependent contraction of the rat-isolated uterus corresponding, with 5 × 10−5M, to 142.3±6.1% (n = 7) of the contraction induced by oxytocin 10−6 M. The time to peak tension was inversely proportional to the maximum effect produced. The contraction was not sustained and was followed by a concentration-depende…

Flashlamp-pumped Ti:Sapphire laser: Influence of the rod figure of merit and Ti3+ concentration

1994

A flashlamp-pumped Ti:Sapphire laser is tested with rods of various Figures of Merit (FOM from 100 to 800) and Ti3+ concentrations (0.1 and 0.15% by weight) and we measured the laser energy dependence as a function of these parameters. Output energies above 2 J are obtained without dye converter, leading to a 1.8% overall efficiency and a 2.2% slope efficiency. The effects of pump pulse duration by variation of the discharge capacitance are also monitored.

Characterization of a Cu/Zn Superoxide dismutase-encoding gene region in Drosophila willistoni

1994

A Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase-encoding gene (Sod) from Drosophila willistoni was cloned and sequenced. The gene shows a typical structure for a fruit-fly Sod gene, with a coding region of 462 bp in two exons separated by a 417-bp intron. Comparison of the Sod sequences from D. willistoni and D. melanogaster suggests that these species are only remotely related. Downstream from the Sod gene, there is an ORF on the opposite strand that putatively encodes the last exon of an unidentified gene. The polyadenylation signals of the two genes are separated by only 61 bp in D. willistoni, conforming to the common picture of compact dipteran genomes.

Improved lifetime measurements of the 3D3/2 and 3D5/2 metastable states of Ca II

1994

The lifetimes of both metastable 3D-levels of Ca+ have been measured using the ion storage technique. Operation at UHV-conditions eliminated the earlier reported problems of collisional finestructure mixing between those states [1], which is inherent to measurements at buffergas background. The results of τ(D 3/2)=1113(45) ms and τ(D 5/2)=1054(61) ms improve our earlier result [1] by almost one order of magnitude and are in good agreement with recent theoretical calculations [3, 4, 5].