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Lifting
Terms modified by Lifting Selected AbstractsCombination Surgical Lifting with Ablative Laser Skin Resurfacing of Facial Skin: A Retrospective AnalysisDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 9 2004Tina S. Alster MD Background. Cutaneous aging is manifested by rhytides, dyschromias, and skin laxity. Ablative laser skin resurfacing can effectively improve many signs of skin aging; however, the photoaged patient with facial laxity often requires a surgical lifting procedure in order to obtain optimal results. Concerns with delayed or impaired wound healing has led to reluctance to perform both procedures simultaneously. Objective. To report the clinical results and side effect profiles after concomitant surgical facial lifting procedures and ablative carbon dioxide or erbium:YAG laser resurfacing in a series of patients. Methods. A retrospective analysis and chart review was performed in 34 consecutive patients who underwent combination CO2 or erbium:YAG laser skin resurfacing and surgical lifting procedures, including S-lift rhytidectomy, blepharoplasty, and brow lift. Side effects and complication rates were tabulated. Results. The side effect profile of the combined surgical-laser procedures was similar to that reported after a laser-only procedure. The most common side effect was transient hyperpigmentation which occurred in 20.6% of treated patients. None of the patients experienced delayed reepithelialization, skin necrosis, or prolonged healing times. Conclusions. Concurrent laser skin resurfacing and surgical lifting of facial skin maximizes aesthetic results without increased incidence of adverse effects. Patients benefit from the consolidation of anesthesia and convalescent times as well as enhanced global clinical outcomes. [source] Lifting, degree, and distributional Jacobian revisitedCOMMUNICATIONS ON PURE & APPLIED MATHEMATICS, Issue 4 2005Jean Bourgain First page of article [source] Near Painless, Nonablative, Immediate Skin Contraction Induced by Low-Fluence Irradiation with New Infrared Device: A Report of 25 PatientsDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 5 2006JAVIER RUIZ-ESPARZA MD BACKGROUND Nonablative radiofrequency (NARF) has been the only method for producing noninvasive skin tightening. Nevertheless, significant pain during the procedure is an important downside of this technology. A new nonablative medical device, Titan (Cutera, Inc., Brisbane, CA, USA), capable of fluences much lower than those possible with NARF, was tested as a less painful alternative. OBJECTIVES To produce skin contraction leading to lifting of eyebrows and/or improvement of lower face and neck skin laxity using fluences below pain levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-five patients were treated. Standardized photographs were obtained preoperatively, after a few days, a few weeks, and up to 12 months after the procedure. RESULTS Immediate changes were obtained in 22 of 25 patients. Examination of photographs revealed that the initial improvement was maintained throughout the follow-up period. CONCLUSION Immediate true skin contraction persisting through the immediate, intermediate, and long-term follow-up was found in the vast majority of patients in this group. Edema as an artifact simulating immediate improvement was excluded by serial photographs taken during the follow-up period. Skin contraction occurred at low fluences, below the threshold of pain. This, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously described in the medical literature. [source] Combination Surgical Lifting with Ablative Laser Skin Resurfacing of Facial Skin: A Retrospective AnalysisDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 9 2004Tina S. Alster MD Background. Cutaneous aging is manifested by rhytides, dyschromias, and skin laxity. Ablative laser skin resurfacing can effectively improve many signs of skin aging; however, the photoaged patient with facial laxity often requires a surgical lifting procedure in order to obtain optimal results. Concerns with delayed or impaired wound healing has led to reluctance to perform both procedures simultaneously. Objective. To report the clinical results and side effect profiles after concomitant surgical facial lifting procedures and ablative carbon dioxide or erbium:YAG laser resurfacing in a series of patients. Methods. A retrospective analysis and chart review was performed in 34 consecutive patients who underwent combination CO2 or erbium:YAG laser skin resurfacing and surgical lifting procedures, including S-lift rhytidectomy, blepharoplasty, and brow lift. Side effects and complication rates were tabulated. Results. The side effect profile of the combined surgical-laser procedures was similar to that reported after a laser-only procedure. The most common side effect was transient hyperpigmentation which occurred in 20.6% of treated patients. None of the patients experienced delayed reepithelialization, skin necrosis, or prolonged healing times. Conclusions. Concurrent laser skin resurfacing and surgical lifting of facial skin maximizes aesthetic results without increased incidence of adverse effects. Patients benefit from the consolidation of anesthesia and convalescent times as well as enhanced global clinical outcomes. [source] Seismic base-isolation by use of a telescoping stepping mechanismEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2005Maria D. Martinez-Rodrigo Abstract A new base-isolation mechanism corresponding to a variance of the stepping A-shaped frame is proposed and its seismic performance is investigated numerically for strong ground accelerations with peak values in the range from 0.5 to 1g. In its simplest two-dimensional form, the system consists of a frame with two telescoping legs pinned at the apex at a sharp angle. The legs are attached to the foundation through a spring and a damper acting in parallel. Both the springs and viscous dampers have bilinear characteristics that make them very stiff in compression but very soft in tension. As the structure rocks sideways, the length of the loaded leg remains essentially constant while the length of the unloaded leg increases. When the ground acceleration changes direction, the process is reversed. The resulting system has three main characteristics: (i) as the structure steps on a rigid leg, the maximum acceleration that can be transmitted to the superstructure is limited to a value which is approximately independent of the amplitude of the ground motion; (ii) there is a systematic lifting of the superstructure with kinetic energy being systematically transformed into potential energy during the strong phase of the ground motion; and (iii) the system is slowly self-centering at the end of the earthquake. The seismic performance of the system is evaluated for a tall bridge pier and for a smaller frame that could be used in a multi-story building. The results obtained for the 1940 El Centro ground motion scaled to 1g and for the near-field Rinaldi ground motion recorded during the Northridge earthquake show that substantial reductions of the absolute acceleration can be obtained with reasonable relative displacements of the superstructure and small strokes in the isolation devices. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Fast Mapping of Gunshot Residues by Batch Injection Analysis with Anodic Stripping Voltammetry of Lead at the Hanging Mercury Drop ElectrodeELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 2 2005Adriana De, Donato Abstract The forensic analysis of lead in gunshot residues (GSR) sampled on the hands of potential shooters is rendered faster, simpler and less expensive by a new batch injection analysis (BIA) method, based on differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). A simple "J" shaped adaptor was designed to direct the flux of the analyte injected with a micropipettor onto the hanging mercury drop electrode of any commercial electrode stand. Sampling methods for GSR were compared and lifting with adhesive tape was elected for field use. The tapes are glued on polyethylene screens and stored in capped vials. Sampling with multiple strips provides coarse mapping of the distribution of lead on the shooter's hands. After a dissolution/extraction step with chloroform/aqueous 0.10,mol,L,1 HCl, 100,,L of the aqueous phase are injected during 25,s for accumulation of lead on the HMDE at ,0.60,V (vs. Ag/AgCl). A detection limit of 20,ng/mL of Pb(II), outreaching for GSR analysis, is reached without oxygen removal, at a frequency of 20 injections per hour. Results for sequences of shootings with a revolver and a pistol are presented. [source] Predictive and reactive co-ordination of grip and load forces in bimanual lifting in manEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 8 2003R. Martyn Bracewell Abstract We investigated the intra- and inter-manual coordination of grip force (GF) and load force (LF) during bimanual lifting and holding of a single object. In a voluntary task involving lifting a predictable load (Experiment 1), we showed scaling of GF to LF generated by either hand, similar to effects seen in previous unimanual studies. Moreover, the GF rates generated by the two hands were correlated. In part this correlation was due to the correlation between the LF rates. However, the GF rates remained correlated when the effects of the correlation in LF rates were partialled out. This novel finding suggests an additional co-ordinative constraint at the level of specification of GFs. As a contrast to the predictable loading in the first experiment, in the second experiment loading was temporally unpredictable and elicited reactive increases in GF. In Experiment 2, the intermanual correlation of GF rates was stronger than in Experiment 1. We speculate that this result reflects greater degrees of co-ordinative constraint at lower levels in the motor control hierarchy. [source] Progressive fatigue effects on manual lifting factorsHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 5 2009Anthony D. Banks The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of progressive fatigue on factors that previously have been associated with increased risk of low back pain in various occupational settings, during a repetitive lifting task where a freestyle lifting technique was used. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate electromyography amplitude, kinematic, and kinetic parameters of repetitive freestyle lifting during a 2-hour lifting period. Subjective fatigue rating increased over time, indicating that the participant "felt" increasingly fatigued as the experiment progressed. Static composite strength decreased an average of 20% from the beginning to the end of the experiment. Effect of lifting posture (semi-squat, semi-stoop, and stoop) was observed on peak trunk flexion angle, trunk flexion angle at initiation of the lift, and knee angle at initiation of the lift indicating that, in freestyle lifting, participants assume quantitatively different lifting techniques. A significant effect of the time,posture interaction was observed on the dynamic leg lift floor to knuckle height strength, indicating that dynamic strength may change over time depending on lifting posture selected. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Ergonomic issues in team liftingHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 3 2005R.S. Barrett In this article we review and critique the current body of scientific knowledge regarding the use of team lifting including: (a) psychophysical studies of team lifting capacity, and (b) studies of manual handling, patient handling, and stretcher carriage performed by lifting teams. The consensus of the research literature is that team-lifting capacity is greater than the lifting capacity of an individual, but that the capacity of lifting teams is less than the summed capacity of individual team members. Further, biomechanical, psychophysical, and physiological stress tends to be reduced compared to the equivalent lifts and transfers performed by individuals. However, the stress associated with team lifting depends on a broad range of individual team member, load, task and environmental factors, which can interact in unexpected ways. Caution is therefore recommended against making broad assumptions regarding the use of team lifting. Future studies are needed to examine how effort and load are distributed among lifting team members, with emphasis on identifying factors that may increase the risk of injury. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 15: 293,307, 2005. [source] Measurement of physical work capacity during arm and shoulder lifting at various shoulder flexion and ad/abduction anglesHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 2 2003Jung-Yong Kim The purpose of this study was to provide information on physical work capacity during arm and shoulder lifting at various shoulder flexion and ad/abduction angles. We measured the maximum voluntary contractions (MVCs) in 20 male participants during controlled one-arm lifting. The lifting involved upward motion of the scapula at various shoulder angles. Simultaneously, the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 3 shoulder muscles and psychophysical workload were also recorded. The various measurements were compared to provide a multidimensional assessment of the physical work capacity of the shoulder at various working angles. In particular, 90 and 120 degrees of flexion, 30 degrees of adduction, and 90 degrees of abduction were found to be the most vulnerable angles based on the measured MVCs. The average root mean square value of the EMG increased most significantly at 90 to 150 degrees of flexion and at 30 and 60 degrees of abduction. Slightly different measurements were compared to validate the results. In addition, a 3-D static biomechanical model was used to show whether the estimated shoulder workload matched the measured physical capacity of the shoulder. In conclusion, these results may help ergonomists to identify shoulder angles associated with a relatively high risk of injury, and to match the workload with the physical capacity of the shoulder. Task-specific information on shoulder work capacity is needed in the manufacturing and shipbuilding industries to protect workers from acute injuries and cumulative trauma disorders of the shoulder. Experimental results provide various data on shoulder work capacity during realistic multijoint arm and shoulder lifting, and should help lead to improvements in workplace ergonomic design. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 13: 153,163, 2003. [source] Changing Patterns of Industrial Relations in TaiwanINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 3 2003Shyh-Jer Chen This article examines changing patterns of industrial relations (IR) in Taiwan. Although trade unions have become more autonomous since the lifting of martial law in the mid-1980s, trends such as the privatization of state-owned enterprises, industrial restructuring, flexible employment practices, and importation of foreign workers hinder union development. The millennium may represent a turning point for workers and their organizations because the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) replaced the Kuomintang (KMT) as the ruling party. This may further union independence and power because the DPP tends to be a more pro-labor party. However, balancing the interests of workers and employers will still be a challenge for the DPP, particularly given employer opposition to many of the DPP's labor policies. [source] Exploratory analysis of Chinese-American family caregivers' needs and instructional video on dressing stroke survivorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2010Shu-Hwa LinArticle first published online: 18 AUG 2010 Abstract The aims of this project were to explore the needs of family caregivers in the Chinese-American community and to develop training videos for caregivers on dressing stroke survivors. In-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews were used to explore the problems of caregivers of stroke survivors. Forty participants were recruited from Chinese-American communities. Verbatim interview transcripts were coded and analyzed. Four main concerns emerged: the impact and adjustment in lifestyle for family caregivers; lack of social activities and failure to seek community support; physical and mental stress and methods to alleviate stress, such as instruction in heavy lifting and guidance for daily activities, which include dressing. An 18-min video was produced to provide instruction on dressing stroke survivors for those who need this information. Also, this article addresses the lack of social activities and information about community or public services. [source] Intra- and intermuscular variation in human quadriceps femoris architecture assessed in vivoJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 3 2006Anthony J. Blazevich Abstract Despite the functional importance of the human quadriceps femoris in movements such as running, jumping, lifting and climbing, and the known effects of muscle architecture on muscle function, no research has fully described the complex architecture of this muscle group. We used ultrasound imaging techniques to measure muscle thickness, fascicle angle and fascicle length at multiple regions of the four quadriceps muscles in vivo in 31 recreationally active, but non-strength-trained adult men and women. Our analyses revealed a reasonable similarity in the superficial quadriceps muscles, which is suggestive of functional similarity (at least during the uni-joint knee extension task) given that they act via a common tendon. The deep vastus intermedius (VI) is architecturally dissimilar and therefore probably serves a different function(s). Architecture varies significantly along the length of the superficial muscles, which has implications for the accuracy of models that assume a constant intramuscular architecture. It might also have consequences for the efficiency of intra- and intermuscular force transmission. Our results provide some evidence that subjects with a given architecture of one superficial muscle, relative to the rest of the subject sample, also have a similar architecture in other superficial muscles. However, this is not necessarily true for vastus lateralis (VL), and was not the case for VI. Therefore, the relative architecture of one muscle cannot confidently be used to estimate the relative architecture of another. To confirm this, we calculated a value of whole quadriceps architecture by four different methods. Regardless of the method used, we found that the absolute or relative architecture of one muscle could not be used as an indicator of whole quadriceps architecture, although vastus medialis, possibly in concert with VL and the anterior portion of VI, could be used to provide a useful snapshot. Importantly, our estimates of whole quadriceps architecture show a gender difference in whole quadriceps muscle thickness, and that muscle thickness is positively correlated with fascicle angle whereas fascicle length is negatively, although weakly, correlated with fascicle angle. These results are supportive of the validity of estimates of whole quadriceps architecture. These data are interpreted with respect to their implications for neural control strategies, region-specific adaptations in muscle size in response to training, and gender-dependent differences in the response to exercise training. [source] Bone regeneration in rabbit sinus lifting associated with bovine BMPJOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 2 2004Sergio Allegrini Jr. Abstract Autogenous bone is considered the optimal grafting material for sinus lifting, although its harvesting causes great patient discomfort. Various approaches have been taken in order to obtain sinus lifting with preexisting tissue. However, because of the unsuitability of such tissue, additional materials have been required. Alternatively, biomaterials from humans or other animals are used. In this study, the efficacy of using morphogenetic bovine bone protein (BMPb) to augment the maxillary sinus floor was examined. Four grafting materials were employed: lyophilized bovine bone powder, absorbable collagen flakes, natural hydroxylapatite, and synthetic hydroxylapatite. Two groups of rabbits were studied. In one group, graft material only was used. In the other, graft material was combined with 0.5 mg BMPb. During 8 weeks of observation, polyfluorochrome tracers were injected in subcutaneous tissue to evaluate new bone- deposition periods. Following sacrifice, the samples were examined under fluorescent and light microscopes. Results indicated 33.34% more newly formed bone in BMPb animals than in controls. Graft-material resorption increased, but natural HA showed no significant alterations. The results show that the use of BMPb, although providing osteoinduction, might not promote sufficient bone formation. Nonetheless, this material could provide an alternative to autogenous grafts, thereby avoiding patient discomfort. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 68B: 127,131, 2004 [source] Characteristics of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy Refractory to Medical Treatment and Selection of Surgical MethodsJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 1 2005Yujiro Hirasawa M.D. Using the classification of systolic anterior movement (SAM) which has been previously reported, we tried to identify the characteristics and use them to treat HOCM appropriately. Methods: The clinical, echocardiographic, catheterization, and surgical data of 29 hospitalized patients with HOCM during 1980 to 1999 were analyzed retrospectively. We classified SAM in all patients by echocardiography. Ninteen patients improved with medical treatment (medical group), and 10 patients underwent surgical treatment because of ineffectiveness of medication (surgical group). We studied the relation between types of SAM and medical/surgical groups, and examined the relation between types of SAM and the surgical methods. Results: Type I SAM was significantly more frequent in the medical group, while type II SAM was more frequent in the surgical group (p = 0.047). Patients in the surgical group underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR), myectomy, or a combination of MVR and myectomy. Left ventricular outflow gradient (LVOG) of over 100 mmHg was recognized in almost all patients with type II SAM. Conclusions: It was suggested that patients with medication-responsive HOCM tended to have type I SAM and those with refractory HOCM tended to have type II SAM. We consider that in type I SAM, if the position of the papillary muscles changed with medication or myectomy, shift of the chordae and type I SAM were reduced or disappeared. However, in type II SAM, even if the position of the papillary muscles changed, SAM did not disappear because lifting of the mitral leaflets remained. It is therefore suggested that patients with type II SAM should undergo at least MVR. [source] Stability of global and exponential attractors for a three-dimensional conserved phase-field system with memoryMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 18 2009Gianluca Mola Abstract We consider a conserved phase-field system on a tri-dimensional bounded domain. The heat conduction is characterized by memory effects depending on the past history of the (relative) temperature ,, which is represented through a convolution integral whose relaxation kernel k is a summable and decreasing function. Therefore, the system consists of a linear integrodifferential equation for ,, which is coupled with a viscous Cahn,Hilliard type equation governing the order parameter ,. The latter equation contains a nonmonotone nonlinearity , and the viscosity effects are taken into account by a term ,,,,t,, for some ,,0. Rescaling the kernel k with a relaxation time ,>0, we formulate a Cauchy,Neumann problem depending on , and ,. Assuming a suitable decay of k, we prove the existence of a family of exponential attractors {,,,,} for our problem, whose basin of attraction can be extended to the whole phase,space in the viscous case (i.e. when ,>0). Moreover, we prove that the symmetric Hausdorff distance of ,,,, from a proper lifting of ,,,0 tends to 0 in an explicitly controlled way, for any fixed ,,0. In addition, the upper semicontinuity of the family of global attractors {,,,,,} as ,,0 is achieved for any fixed ,>0. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Explicit polynomial preserving trace liftings on a triangleMATHEMATISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 5 2009Mark Ainsworth Abstract We give an explicit formula for a right inverse of the trace operator from the Sobolev space H1(T) on a triangle T to the trace space H1/2(,T) on the boundary. The lifting preserves polynomials in the sense that if the boundary data are piecewise polynomial of degree N, then the lifting is a polynomial of total degree at most N and the lifting is shown to be uniformly stable independently of the polynomial order. Moreover, the same operator is shown to provide a uniformly stable lifting from L2(,T) to H1/2(T). Finally, the lifting is used to construct a uniformly bounded right inverse for the normal trace operator from the space H(div; T) to H,1/2(,T) which also preserves polynomials. Applications to the analysis of high order numerical methods for partial differential equations are indicated (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Pneumoperitoneum versus abdominal wall lift: effects on central haemodynamics and intrathoracic pressure during laparoscopic cholecystectomyACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 7 2003L. Andersson Background:, It has been shown repeatedly that laparoscopic cholecystectomy using pneumoperitoneum (CO2 insufflation) may be associated with increased cardiac filling pressures and an increase in blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance. In the present study, the effects on the central circulation during abdominal wall lift (a gasless method of laparoscopic cholecystectomy) were compared with those during pneumoperitoneum. The study was also aimed at elucidating the relationships between the central filling pressures and the intrathoracic pressure. Methods:, Twenty patients (ASA I), scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, were randomised into two groups, pneumoperitoneum or abdominal wall lift. Measurements were made by arterial and pulmonary arterial catheterization before and during pneumoperitoneum or abdominal wall lift with the patient in the horizontal position. Measurements were repeated after head-up tilting the patients as well as after 30 min head-up tilt. The intrathoracic pressure was monitored in the horizontal position before and during intervention using an intraesophageal balloon. Results:, After pneumoperitoneum or abdominal wall lifting there were significant differences between the two groups regarding MAP, SVR, CVP, CI, and SV. Analogous to previous studies, in the pneumoperitoneum group CVP, PCWP, MPAP, and MAP as well as SVR were increased after CO2 insufflation (P < 0.01), while CI and SV were not affected. In contrast, in the abdominal wall lift group, CI and SV were significantly increased (P < 0.01), as was MAP (P < 0.01), while CVP, PCWP, MPAP, and SVR were not significantly affected. There was a significant difference in intraesophageal pressure between the two groups. In the pneumoperitoneum group, the intraesophageal pressure was increased by insufflation (P < 0.01) while, in the abdominal wall lift group, it was unaffected. In the pneumoperitoneum group the mean increases in cardiac filling pressures were of the same magnitude as the mean increase in the intraesophageal pressure. Conclusions:, In healthy patients, abdominal wall lift increased cardiac index while pneumoperitoneum did not. Cardiac filling pressures and systemic vascular resistance were increased by pneumoperitoneum but unaffected by abdominal wall lift. The recorded elevated cardiac filling pressures during pneumoperitoneum may be only a reflection of the increased intra-abdominal pressure. [source] Grip force abnormalities in de novo Parkinson's diseaseMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 5 2004Stuart J. Fellows PhD Abstract In recent years it has been shown that a variety of movement disorders are associated with abnormalities of the fine motor control of the hand. In Parkinson's disease (PD), these changes consist of a slowing of the rate of grip force development and the use of abnormally large grip forces both during lifting and static holding of an object. It has been suggested, however, that these changes are a direct effect of the patient's levodopa medication or associated with levodopa induced dyskinesias. Accordingly, we examined the performance of de novo Parkinson patients in a precision lifting task. All patients (n = 6) were newly diagnosed and showed rigidity, bradykinesia, or both, but were unaffected by tremor or dyskinesia. None of the patients had received antiparkinson medication. Grip force was abnormally high in both the lifting and hold phases. This exaggeration was equal in magnitude to that observed previously in medicated patients. Thus we conclude that the abnormalities in grip force observed here are intrinsic features of PD and not the result of dopamine medication or its side effects. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society [source] The U.S. Financial Sanctions against North KoreaPACIFIC FOCUS, Issue 1 2007Tae-Hwan Kwak In September 2005, the U.S. imposed financial restrictions on North Korea after blaming the North for illicit financial activities, including counterfeiting and money-laundering. The U.S. financial sanctions against the North had direct and immediate impact on the ongoing six-party negotiations on North Korea's nuclear issue. North Korea insisted on the lifting of U.S. financial sanctions as the precondition for returning to the negotiating table and consequently the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear issue stalled. The third session of the fifth round of six-party talks in February 2007 produced an important accord on North Korea's nuclear question. This agreement was made possible after the U.S. and the DPRK reached a compromise on the financial sanctions issue. This article discusses the U.S. financial sanctions against North Korea and their implications for North Korea's nuclear question. It begins with an overview of the U.S. financial restrictions. This study then examines the nexus between the financial sanctions and the impasse at the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear issue. This is followed by a discussion of the breakthrough on the financial restrictions issue and the landmark agreement on North Korea's nuclear issue in February 2007. In this study, the authors argue that a mutually satisfactory resolution of the BDA dispute holds the key to a peaceful settlement of the second North Korean nuclear crisis. With the BDA dispute behind, the six-party talks should gain momentum and prepare a road map for implementing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Both the U.S. and North Korea should not miss this golden opportunity and make earnest efforts to build a firm foundation for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia. [source] Effect of a new infrared light device (1100,1800 nm) on facial liftingPHOTODERMATOLOGY, PHOTOIMMUNOLOGY & PHOTOMEDICINE, Issue 1 2008J. Y. Ahn Summary Laser skin resurfacing procedures can be classed into two categories , invasive and non-invasive. The last several decades have witnessed a host of advancements in ablative laser therapy and other ablative modalities for the rejuvenation of skin, including the CO2 laser, the erbium : yttrium aluminum garnet laser, chemical peels, and dermabrasion. Despite the excellent results that can result from the practice of these techniques by experienced surgeons, the invasive nature of these devices is associated with inherent risks and patient discomfort. Therefore, much of the focus has been on non-ablative lasers and intense-pulsed light devices. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of treatment with the new infrared light device (1100,1800 nm), Titan, and assessed the degree of improvement associated with two-time laser treatments, as compared to one-time laser treatment. [source] Risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review of recent longitudinal studiesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2010Bruno R. da Costa PT Abstract Objective This systematic review was designed and conducted in an effort to evaluate the evidence currently available for the many suggested risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Methods To identify pertinent literature we searched four electronic databases (Cinahl, Embase, Medline, and The Cochrane Library). The search strategies combined terms for musculoskeletal disorders, work, and risk factors. Only case,control or cohort studies were included. Results A total of 1,761 non-duplicated articles were identified and screened, and 63 studies were reviewed and integrated in this article. The risk factors identified for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were divided and organized according to the affected body part, type of risk factor (biomechanical, psychosocial, or individual) and level of evidence (strong, reasonable, or insufficient evidence). Conclusions Risk factors with at least reasonable evidence of a causal relationship for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders include: heavy physical work, smoking, high body mass index, high psychosocial work demands, and the presence of co-morbidities. The most commonly reported biomechanical risk factors with at least reasonable evidence for causing WMSD include excessive repetition, awkward postures, and heavy lifting. Additional high methodological quality studies are needed to further understand and provide stronger evidence of the causal relationship between risk factors and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The information provided in this article may be useful to healthcare providers, researchers, and ergonomists interested on risk identification and design of interventions to reduce the rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:285,323, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Occupational injuries among aides and nurses in acute care,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 12 2009R.L. Rodríguez-Acosta PhD Abstract Background Occupational injuries are common among nursing personnel. Most epidemiologic research on nursing aides comes from long-term care settings. Reports from acute care settings often combine data on nurses and aides even though their job requirements and personal characteristics are quite different. Our objective was to assess risk of work-related injuries in an acute care setting while contrasting injuries of aides and nurses. Methods A retrospective cohort of aides (n,=,1,689) and nurses (n,=,5,082) working in acute care at a large healthcare system between 1997 and 2004 were identified via personnel records. Workers' compensation filings were used to ascertain occupational injuries. Poisson regression was used to estimate rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results Aides had higher overall injury rates than nurses for no-lost work time (RR,=,1.2, 95% CI: 1.1,1.3) and lost work time (RR,=,2.8, 95% CI: 2.1,3.8) injuries. The risk of an injury due to lifting was greater among aides compared to nurses for both non-lost work time and lost work time injuries. Injury rates among aides were particularly high in rehabilitation and orthopedics units. Most of the injuries requiring time away from work for both groups were related to the process of delivering direct patient care. Conclusions Our findings illustrate the importance of evaluating work-related injuries separately for aides and nurses, given differences in injury risk profiles and injury outcomes. It is particularly important that occupational safety needs of aides be addressed as this occupation experiences significant job growth. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:953,964, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Quantitative exposure-response relations between physical workload and prevalence of lateral epicondylitis in a working populationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2009Z. Joyce Fan PhD Abstract Background Lateral epicondylitis is a common work-related musculoskeletal disorder. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with lateral epicondylitis among active workers. Methods Seven-hundred thirty-three workers in 12 Washington worksites participated in structured interviews, physical examinations, and individual exposure assessments of biomechanical and psychosocial factors. Multivariable logistic modeling was used. Results Thirty-eight subjects (5.2%) had lateral epicondylitis. Age (36,50 years-old), being female, and low social support at work were significant risk factors. Frequency of forceful exertion (,5 vs. <1 times/min (OR 5.17, 95%CI 1.78,15.02), and ,1 to <5 vs. <1 (OR 4.47, 95%CI 1.57,13.71)) and forearm supination at ,45° for ,5% of the time with high lifting force (OR,=,2.98, 95% CI 1.18,7.55) were significant physical load factors. Conclusions Frequency of forceful exertion or a combination of forearm supination and forceful lifting were significant physical factors and should be considered for prevention strategies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:479,490, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The prevalence of and risk factors for back pain among home care nursing personnel in Hong Kong,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2006Kin Cheung RN Abstract Background There is a large gap in research with regard to back pain (BP) among home care nursing personnel (HCNP); only seven studies have been conducted worldwide. There is a need to identify the magnitude of and risk factors for BP that are unique to Hong Kong (HK) HCNP. Methods A total population sampling technique was employed in this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression analyses were used to control for potentially confounding variables. Results The 12-month prevalence of upper and lower BP was 71.2% (n,=,265). Three predictors were identified: physical risk factors in the office (OR,=,3.57, 95% CI,=,1.55,8.24), static postures (OR,=,1.41, 95% CI,=,1.04,1.90), and psychological job demands (OR,=,1.11, 95% CI,=,1.01,1.22). Conclusion HCNP in HK have a high prevalence of BP. BP in HK HCNP is independently attributable to physical work factors in the office, static postures, and psychological job demands, and is not primarily associated with patient lifting and transferring which are traditionally identified as risk factors for BP in hospital nursing personnel. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:14,22, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Testosterone, physical activity, and somatic outcomes among Filipino malesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Lee T. Gettler Abstract Testosterone (T) facilitates male investment in reproduction in part through its anabolic effects on skeletal muscle. Traits like muscle and strength are energetically costly but are believed to enhance competitive ability in humans and other mammals. However, there are limited data on relationships between T and somatic outcomes in lean, non-western populations. We evaluate relationships between waking and pre-bed salivary T and adiposity, fat-free mass (FFM), arm muscle area (AMA), and grip strength (GS) in a large, population-based birth cohort of young adult Filipino males (20.8,22.6 years, n = 872). Data were collected as part of the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Neither waking nor evening T predicted FFM, AMA, or GS. However, there were borderline or significant interactions between T and basketball playing (the most common team sport) and weight lifting as predictors of outcomes: higher waking T predicted higher FFM (activity × T interaction P < 0.01), AMA (interaction P < 0.1), and GS (interaction P < 0.02) among frequent basketball players, and GS (interaction P < 0.09) among the smaller sample of weight lifters. In contrast to clinical studies, but consistent with findings in several subsistence-level populations, T was positively related to adiposity in these lean young males, suggesting that energy status might regulate circulating T. Our findings support a role of the prewaking rise in T as a determinant of energetic allocation to lean mass and strength in the context of repeated muscular use and support the hypothesized role of T as a mediator of investment in costly somatic traits in human males. Am J Phys Anthropol 142:590,599, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The 11 August 2006 squall-line system as observed from MIT Doppler radar during the AMMA SOPTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue S1 2010Michel Chong Abstract On the evening of 9 August 2006, a mesoscale convective system (MCS) having a north-south oriented squall-line organization formed over the border between Chad and Nigeria. It propagated westward, intensified over Nigeria on 10 August, and reached Niamey (Niger) at 0320 UTC on 11 August. Its passage over Niamey was accompanied by dust lifting and was well tracked by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Doppler radar. The three-dimensional structure of the airflow and precipitation pattern is investigated from regular radar volume scans performed every ten minutes between 0200 and 0321 UTC. The 3D wind components are deduced from the multiple-Doppler synthesis and continuity adjustment technique (MUSCAT) applied to a set of three volume scans obtained over a time period of one hour, which are equivalent to a three-radar observation of the squall line when considering a reference frame moving with the system and the hypothesis of a stationary field. Results of the wind synthesis reveal several features commonly observed in tropical squall lines, such as the deep convective cells in front of the system, fed by the monsoon air and extending up to 15 km altitude, and the well-marked stratiform rain region at the rear, associated with mesoscale vertical motions. Forward and trailing anvils are clearly identified as resulting from the outflow of air reaching the tropopause and transported to this level by the sloping convective updraughts occurring in a sheared environment. In the northern part, a deeper and stronger front-to-rear flow at mid-levels is found to contribute to the rearward deflection of the leading line and to promote a broader (over 300 km) stratiform cloud region. Eddy vertical transports of the cross-line momentum mainly accounts for the mid-level flow acceleration due to a momentum redistribution from low to higher levels. The height distribution of hydrometeors and their associated production terms derived from a one-dimensional microphysical retrieval model indicate the distinct roles of the convective and stratiform regions in the formation of graupel and rain, and the respective contributions of cold (riming) and warm (coalescence, melting) processes. Cooling from melting, and heating/cooling from condensation/evaporation processes yield a net decrease and increase of the potential temperature at low and mid-to-upper levels, respectively, with respect to an environmental thermodynamic profile taken three hours ahead of the analysis. Finally, the upper-level rearward flow could convey the non-negligible proportion of ice particles farther from the leading deep convection to the trailing stratiform region, thereby favouring the extent of this region. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Small-scale precipitation variability in the Alps: Climatology in comparison with semi-idealized numerical simulationsTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 636 2008G. Zängl Abstract This study examines small-scale precipitation patterns in a north-Alpine region, and their dependence on the freezing level and on the crest-level (700 hPa) wind direction and speed. On the one hand, measurements from a uniquely dense operational rain-gauge network are analyzed for a period of 15 years (1991--2005). Information on the ambient atmospheric fields was extracted from climate-mode MM5 simulations driven with ECMWF (re-analysis data. On the other hand, high-resolution semi-idealized MM5 simulations have been conducted, combining realistic topography with idealized atmospheric fields. The atmospheric flow parameters have been chosen to be representative of those used to classify the observational data, focusing on atmospheric conditions conducive to stratiform, orographically enhanced precipitation in the region under consideration. The results of the data analysis indicate a pronounced tendency for local precipitation maxima in the lee of individual mountain ridges, whereas the variability between stations in the centre of wider valleys and stations on the windward foot of individual ridges is comparatively small. This points towards a strong contribution of local precipitation enhancement due to the seeder--feeder mechanism, combined with downstream advection of the precipitating hydrometeors by the ambient winds. The data analysis also reveals that strong winds and high temperatures tend to shift the precipitation field towards the interior of the Alps, whereas low temperatures and weak winds favour precipitation maxima near the northern edge of the Alps. The semi-idealized simulations are consistent with these findings, but their quantitative agreement with the observed precipitation patterns depends on the ambient flow conditions. The closest agreement is found for atmospheric conditions conducive to strong orographic lifting, for which our present idealized flow fields were designed. Lower skill is obtained for conditions not dominated by orographic lifting, which implies that future work should include a generalization of the idealized flow fields. Nevertheless, precipitation patterns generated with semi-idealized simulations seem to be very promising to support the spatial interpolation of point measurements (such as are needed for precipitation climatologies), which currently is usually based on statistical methods rather than physically motivated structures. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Investigating atmospheric predictability on Mars using breeding vectors in a general-circulation modelTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 603 2004C. E. Newman Abstract A breeding vectors approach is used to investigate the hypothesis that the Martian atmosphere is predictable at certain times of year, by identifying the fastest-growing modes of instability at different times in a Mars general-circulation model. Results indicate that the period from northern mid-spring until mid-autumn is remarkably predictable, with negative global growth rates for a range of conditions, in contrast to the situation on the earth. From northern late autumn to early spring growing modes do occur, peaking in northern high latitudes and near winter solstice. Reducing the size of the initial perturbations increases global growth rates in most cases, supporting the idea that instabilities which saturate nonlinearly at lower amplitudes have generally faster growth rates. In late autumn/early winter the fastest-growing modes (,bred vectors') are around the north pole, increase with dust loading, and probably grow via barotropic as well as baroclinic energy conversion. In northern late winter/early spring the bred vectors are around the north pole and are strongly baroclinic in nature. As dust loading (and with it the global circulation strength) is increased their growth rates first decrease, as the baroclinic mode is suppressed, then increase again as the fastest-growing instabilities switch to being those which dominated earlier in the year. If dust levels are very low during late northern autumn (late southern spring) then baroclinic modes are also found around the spring pole in the south, though for a slight increase in dust loading the dominant modes shift back to northern high latitudes. The bred vectors are also used as perturbations to the initial conditions for ensemble simulations. One possible application within the Mars model is as a means of identifying regions and times when dust-lifting activity (related to surface wind stress) might show significant interannual variability for a given model configuration, without the need to perform long, computationally expensive multi-year model runs with each new set-up. This is tested for a time of year when previous multi-year experiments showed significant variability in dust storm onset in the region north of Chryse. Despite the model having no feedbacks between dust lifting and atmospheric state (unlike the original multi-year run), the ensemble members still show maximum divergence in this region in terms of near-surface wind stress, suggesting both that this application deserves further testing, and that the intrinsic atmospheric variability alone may be important in producing interannual variability in this storm type. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society [source] The Hubbard model extended by nearest-neighbor Coulomb and exchange interaction on a cubic cluster , rigorous and exact resultsANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 6 2010R. Schumann The Hubbard model on a cube was revisited and extended by both nearest-neighbor Coulomb correlation W and nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange J. The complete eigensystem was computed exactly for all electron occupancies and all model parameters ranging from minus infinity to plus infinity. For two electrons on the cluster the eigensystem is given in analytical form. For six electrons and infinite on-site correlation U we determinded the groundstate and the groundstate energy of the pure Hubbard model analytically. For fixed electron numbers we found a multitude of ground state level crossings depending on the various model parameters. Furthermore the groundstates of the pure Hubbard model in dependence on a magnetic field h coupled to the spins are shown for the complete U-h plane. The critical magnetic field, where the zero spin groundstate breaks down is given for four and six electrons. Suprisingly we found parameter regions, where the ground state spin does not depend monotonously on J in the extended model. For the cubic cluster gas, i.e. an ensemble of clusters coupled to an electron bath, we calculated the density n (,, T, h) and the thermodynamical density of states from the grand potential. The ground states and the various spin-spin correlation functions are studied for both attractive and repulsive values of the three interaction constants. We determined the various anomalous degeneration lines, where n (,, T = 0, h = 0) shows steps higher than one, since in this parameter regions exotic phenomena as phase separation are to expect in extended models. For the cases where these lines end in triple points, i.e. groundstates of three different occupation numbers are degenerated, we give the related parameter values. Regarding the influence of the nn-exchange and the nn-Coulomb correlation onto the anomalous degeneration we find both lifting and inducing of degeneracies depending on the parameter values. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||