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Flooring-system designs may be sensitive in terms of their vibrational performance due the risk that serviceability-limit-state problems may be encountered. For evaluating the vibrational performance of a flooring system at the design stage, decisions must be made by the engineer in charge of computations. Passive humans and/or furniture are often present on a floor. Typically, these masses and th
Microbial communities play a major role in the degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) in soils. Despite its significance, the functional diversity of the highly diverse microbial communities is poorly understood. To address this, we applied a recently developed technique, captured metagenomics, to determine the effects of land-use on the functional genetic diversity of genes involved in the carb
We present a synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy study of the adsorption and photooxidation of trimethyl acetate (TMA) on TiO2(B)(001). The TiO2(B)(001) substrate was realized in the form of 2 nm thick film on Au(111). The TMA species adopt the bidentate bonding configuration, as expected for carboxylic acids on TiO2, but cannot coordinate to all surface Ti ions due to steric hindranc
Host defence peptides (HDPs) derived from the C-terminus of thrombin are proteolytically generated by enzymes released during inflammation and wounding. In this work, we studied the effects of the prototypic peptide GKY25 (GKYGFYTHVFRLKKWIQKVIDQFGE), on neutrophil functions. In vitro, GKY25 was shown to decrease LPS-induced neutrophil activation. In addition, the peptide induced CD62L shedding on
It is unclear whether genetic markers interact with risk factors to influence atrial fibrillation (AF) risk. We performed genome-wide interaction analyses between genetic variants and age, sex, hypertension, and body mass index in the AFGen Consortium. Study-specific results were combined using meta-analysis (88,383 individuals of European descent, including 7,292 with AF). Variants with nominal i
The effect of auditory input on impaired postural control perturbations was evaluated in two groups of stroke patients participating in a rehabilitation programme after a recent (< 12 months) and single episode of stroke, or less recent (> 12 months), and multiple episodes of stroke. Auditory input took the form of feedback signals generated by the forces actuated by the feet on a force platform i
BACKGROUND: Continuous epidural infusions of local anaesthetics have become increasingly popular in postoperative pain treatment, especially as they permit early mobilisation. Ropivacaine is a promising new agent which induces more pronounced sensory than motor blockade. This study was focused on the influence of continuous epidural infusion of ropivacaine on impulse conduction in large nerves (by
The effect of primary vestibular disturbance on postural control was investigated in 11 normal subjects exposed to perturbation by bi-polar binaural galvanic stimulation of the vestibular nerve. The stimulus consisted of 30 s of sinusoidal galvanic stimulation at frequencies of 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 Hz, with a current of +/- 1 mA, the subject standing with open or closed eyes a
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of spinal anesthesia using 26-gauge needles on hearing.METHODS: Eighteen male patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or other transurethral procedures under spinal or epidural anesthesia were studied prospectively to reveal possible auditory side effects of dural puncture or absorption of irrigation fluid to the blood stream. Measureme
Consecutive subjects 50 to 75 years of age with sudden onset of vertigo but without cochlear or neurological symptoms were investigated with neuro-imaging techniques. Doppler sonography of the vertebral and carotid arteries and recording of voluntary saccades and pursuit eye movements, caloric, spontaneous, gaze and optokinetic nystagmus. Among those studied, 6 out of 24 subjects could be demonstr
The effect of subanesthetic nitrous oxide (N2O) narcosis (21%) on the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and on voluntary non-visual suppression of the VOR was studied in 12 subjects, using a velocity step rotational test. Gain and time constant of the VOR were calculated by computer. During tests, the subjects were required either to perform mental arithmetic or to attempt to follow an imaginary targe
The effects of diazepam and thiopental on voluntary saccades and pursuit eye movements were tested in 9 volunteers, with an interval of at least 2 weeks between tests. One, 4 and 8 h after intravenous injection of diazepam (0.3 mg/kg) or thiopental (6.0 mg/kg), voluntary saccades and pursuit eye movements were tested and blood samples taken for analysis of drug concentration. As compared to result
The relative roles of different receptor systems in compensating for vestibular loss were studied in 18 children (12 to 16 years of age) with congenital or early acquired bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) and impaired hearing, and compared to that in 33 normal children (9 to 16 years of age). Postural stability was studied with posturography evaluating the velocity of anterior-posterior body sway. W
Body sway in upright stance at rest and after inducing proprioceptor stimulation, elicited by vibration applied to the calf or neck muscles, was studied in 11 patients with peripheral lesion and in 17 patients with central vestibular lesion. The responses were compared with those of 20 normal subjects. Vibratory stimulus was applied at five different frequencies, ranging from 32 to 150 Hz, and at
Five patients with Menière's disease and disabling vertigo were treated with two intratympanic instillations of gentamicin given at an interval of about 12 h. Although no further gentamicin treatment was given despite the absence of any discernible effects on the vestibular endorgan at that time, all patients developed vertigo and nystagmus beating toward the untreated ear within 3 to 5 days after
The postural control mechanisms were evaluated in 10 blinds and in 10 subjects with Usher's syndrome. The results were compared with 27 age matched healthy volunteers. In visual conditions the subjects with Usher's syndrome performed worse, but in nonvisual condition they performed equally well as the controls. The results were the same irrespective of whether the tests were performed on a rigid s
