To investigate the short-term effects of recreational running on the deformation of knee articular cartilage and to examine the relationship between changes in knee cartilage volume and biomechanical modulators of knee joint load.Twenty healthy volunteers participated in a two phase cross-sectional study. Session 1 involved Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of femoral and tibial cartilage volumes prior to and following a 30 min period of relaxed sitting, which was directly followed by a recreational run of 5000 steps. Subsequently, all participants undertook a laboratory study of their running gait to compare biomechanical derived measures of knee joint loading with changes in cartilage volume. Estimates of knee joint load were determined using a rigid-link segment, dynamic biomechanical model of the lower limbs and a simplified muscle model.Running resulted in significant deformation of the medial (5.3%, P<0.01) and lateral femoral cartilage (4.0%, P<0.05) and lateral aspect of the tibial cartilage (5.7%, P<0.01), with no significant differences between genders. Maximum compression stress was significantly correlated with percentage changes in lateral femoral cartilage volume (r(2)=0.456, P<0.05). No other biomechanical variables correlated with volume changes.Limited evidence was found linking biomechanical measures of knee joint loading and observed short-term deformation of knee articular cartilage volume following running. Further enhancement of knee muscle modelling and analysis of stress distribution across cartilage are needed if we are to fully understand the contribution of biomechanical factors to knee joint loading and the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Aim: To identify risk factors for PUD and significant GI bleeding in patients using NSAID's in Northeast Scotland.

Conventionally managed rice-wheat systems of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (E-IGP) that rely on soil puddling for rice and intensive tillage for wheat are low-yielding and resource-inefficient, leading to low profitability. While a host of alternative tillage and crop establishment (TCE) methods have been advocated as solutions for sustainably enhancing productivity and profitability, few systematic comparisons of these methods are reported. To address this gap, a three-year field study was conducted in Bihar, India with the goal of identifying TCE methods for rice-wheat systems that are high yielding, less resource-intensive, and more profitable. The following systems were evaluated: 1) puddled transplanted rice (PTR) followed by (fb) conventional tillage wheat (CTW) or zero-tillage wheat (ZTW); 2) machine transplanted rice in non-puddled soil (MTR) fb ZTW; 3) the system of rice intensification (SRI) fb system of wheat intensification (SWI); and 4) dry-seeded rice (DSR) fb ZTW. Rice cultivar duration (short versus medium-duration) was incorporated as a subplot treatment in all systems. Rice yields were similar with all methods, except DSR yield was 11 % lower and MTR yield was 7% higher than PTR in the third year. Cost of production was US$ 149 and 77 ha−1 lower in DSR and MTR, respectively, and US$ 84 ha-1 higher in SRI than PTR. The gross margin and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio was highest in MTR followed by DSR and lowest in SRI. In wheat, ZT resulted in a higher yield than CTW, especially when ZTW was cultivated after non-puddled rice (e.g., DSR or MTR). ZTW reduced production costs by US$ 69 ha-1, whereas SWI increased it by US$ 139 ha-1 relative to CTW. The higher yield and lower cost of production resulted in a higher gross margin (US$ 82−355 ha−1 and US$ 129−409 ha−1 higher than CTW and SWI, respectively) and a higher B:C ratio in ZTW treatments than CTW and SWI. At the system level, MTR or DSR followed by ZTW had both superior crop yields and consistently higher gross margins (US $133 to 382 ha-1) than other practices. On the other hand, the SRI fb SWI system had no yield advantage and poorer economic performance than conventional practices. In all systems, the inclusion of a medium-duration rice hybrid resulted in higher rice and system yields. These results suggest that significant gains in profitability are possible with emerging TCE practices in rice-wheat systems, but alternatives such as the SRI and SWI will likely erode farmer incomes.

Extended daylength substantially increases the total mass of subtropical forages. An experiment was designed with four forages to determine the result of altered plant growth as a result of extended daylength on concentrations of P-carotene and alpha-tocopherol. Pure stands of Florakirk and Tifton-85 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), Florona stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst) and Pensacola bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge) were established in central Florida during the summer of 1997. Individual grass plots were exposed to two daylength treatments, extended (artificial light used to maintain daylength at 15 h) and normal daylength, conducted over a seven-month period. Samples were harvested at distances of 4 m 'behind' the light and 1.0 m 'in front' of the light. Samples were collected and analyzed for beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol at six sample dates from late fall to early spring. Extended daylength increased forage yields from 32 to 258% over normal daylength. However, there was no difference between forage alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations of the grasses between normal and extended daylength. Tifton-85 had the lowest mean forage concentrations of beta-carotene (37 mug g(-1)) and alpha-tocopherol (22.6 mug g(-1)). January forages had the lowest concentrations of a-tocopherol while the lowest beta-carotene concentrations were found in February. Frost dramatically reduced both beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol concentrations. Forage concentrations of a-tocopherol and beta-carotene were not substantially affected by increased daylength and were able to meet livestock requirements. However, concentrations of these vitamins were low from October to January.

Low forage production in fall/winter months is a severe limitation for dairy and beef cattle producers in the southeastern U.S. It was hypothesized that shrt daylengths during these months induce a physiological dormancy in grasses. Four grasses [Pensacola bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum Flugge; Tifton 85 and Florakirk bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.); Florona stargrass, C. nlemfuensis Vanderyst var. nlemfuensis] were subjected to extended daylengths during the winter/fall months in a field test. Pensacola bahiagrass and Tifton 85 bermudagrass showed especially dramatic increases in forage yield during the fall/winter season under the extended daylength. Genetic elimination of daylength sensitivity in these grasses appears to be a viable option for increasing year-round forage production.

Governmental organizations operate in complex environments composed of public interest, economic, and managerial dimensions. The comprehensive nature of many social problems, as well as the limited means that governmental agencies are granted to address them suggests that government will often lack the capacity to achieve expected levels of problem remediation regardless of its internal management capacities. Administrative problems may develop when one dimension is overemphasized to the neglect of the effects of others. An examination of the U.S. and Swedish governments demonstrates that similar factors are influencing administrative capacity in both nations; this poses important issues for policymakers.

A patient-administered instrument for dyspepsia and symptoms suggestive of duodenal or gastric ulcer, based on the type of questions asked when taking a patient's history, was developed and tested using the following steps: literature reviews, devising the questions, testing the responses to the questions using factor analysis and internal consistency, assessing test-retest reliability, and validating the questionnaire by comparing patient responses to the SF-36 health survey questionnaire. The main sample consisted of 135 patients referred to an outpatient clinic with dyspepsia, and 152 patients in general practice who were not referred to a specialist. The final instrument produced a Cronbach's alpha of 0.72 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.69. Patient scores on the dyspepsia questionnaire had small to moderate correlations with the SF-36 health survey, the largest correlation being with the SF-36 scale of pain. Patient scores were significantly related to general practitioner perceptions of symptom severity, family history of gastric ulcer disease, and whether the patient was referred. The questions asked in taking a clinical history from a patient with dyspepsia and other symptoms suggestive of ulcer disease can be used to construct a valid and reliable measure of the effect of dyspepsia on health.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the feasibility of monitoring health outcomes in a routine hospital setting and the value of feedback of outcomes data to clinicians by using the SF 36 health survey questionnaire. DESIGN--Administration of the questionnaire at baseline and three months, with analysis and interpretation of health status data after adjustments for sociodemographic variables and in conjunction with clinical data. Exploration of usefulness of outcomes data to clinicians through feedback discussion sessions and by an evaluation questionnaire. SETTING--One gastroenterology outpatient department in Aberdeen Royal Hospitals Trust, Scotland. PATIENTS--All (573) patients attending the department during one month (April 1993). MAIN MEASURES--Ability to obtain patient based outcomes data and requisite clinical information and feed it back to the clinicians in a useful and accessible form. RESULTS--Questionnaires were completed by 542 (95%) patients at baseline and 450 (87%) patients at follow up. Baseline health status data and health outcomes data for the eight different aspects of health were analysed for individual patients, key groups of patients, and the total recruited patient population. Significant differences were shown between patients and the general population and between different groups of patients, and in health status over time. After adjustment for differences in sociodemography and main diagnosis patients with particularly poor scores were identified and discussed. Clinicians judged that this type of assessment could be useful for individual patients if the results were available at the time of consultation or for a well defined group of patients if used as part of a clinical trial. CONCLUSIONS--Monitoring routine outcomes is feasible and instruments to achieve this, such as the SF 36 questionnaire, have potential value in an outpatient setting. IMPLICATIONS--If data on outcomes are to provide a basis for clinical and managerial decision making, information systems will be required to collect, analyse, interpret, and feed it back regularly and in good time.

AIMS--To identify the relative contribution of plasminogen activators, particularly tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and specific plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1, PAI-2), to the fibrinolytic changes associated with various types of liver disease or severe chemical and physical damage to the liver. METHODS--Platelet rich (PRP) and platelet poor plasma (PFP) from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, hepatic malignancy, or paracetamol overdose, or who were undergoing partial hepatectomy or liver transplantation, were assayed for t-PA, PAI-1, t-PA-PAI-1 complex and PAI-2 antigen values using specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) developed in this laboratory. RESULTS--Appreciable increases in the plasma concentration of t-PA, PAI-1, and t-PA-PAI-1 were seen in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, and hepatic malignancy. Liver damage due to paracetamol overdose and partial hepatectomy both resulted in a striking increase in plasma PAI-1 concentration, although concentrations of t-PA and t-PA-PAI-1 complex were less affected. Concentrations of t-PA, PAI-1, and t-PA-PAI-1 complex returned to near normal values after successful liver transplantation in a patient with chronic active hepatitis. PAI-2 was also detected in several patients with chronic liver disorders. CONCLUSIONS--Haemorrhage due to fibrinolytic bleeding is commonly associated with liver disease. The patients studied here all had appreciable increases in circulating t-PA antigen concentrations. This was associated with increased concentrations of PAI-1 antigen and t-PA-PAI-1 complex and the balance between activator and inhibitor did not result in systemic plasmin generation. Reduced PAI-1 activity in cirrhosis or a critical difference in the ratio of t-PA to PAI-1 concentrations may explain the enhanced plasminogen activator activity previously noted in cirrhosis but not metastatic disease. Reduced hepatic clearance of t-PA and t-PA-PAI-1 complex due to impaired liver function may account for increased concentrations of free and complexed t-PA.

The aim of this work is design the multi-objective selection of Energy Resources – Supply and Demand Sides – considering the lowest full costs Energy Resource. It is a step of integration of the resources within the IERP (Integrated Energy Resource Planning). This involves each Energy Resource being characterized individually by approximately 50 attributes and sub-attributes, which are contained in four Dimensions: Technical-economic, Environmental, Social and Political. These dimensions can be considered the Four Main Dimensions of human and socioeconomic development.From a methodological approach, a holistic analysis was performed, where the decision makers and the actors enrolled are part of the choice of Energy Resources through the attributes that characterize them. Also, there is a deterministic analysis, where the complete characterization of the Energy Resources is done considering the local data. For this purpose, each Energy Resources also has been characterized on the complete cost basis, by means of Full Cost Assessment. Last, the Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) was applied in order to accomplish the selection itself.The main result is a multi-criterion ranking of energy-resources, based on all above mentioned attributes. The resources next to the demand side appear as lower full costs one. Considering these results it can be concluded that a selection based on the model enables the reduction of uncertainties and risks in the long term planning. Furthermore, this resulting list feeds the integration of resources in the process of implementation of the IERP.

A “summer slump” has been commonly observed in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) whereby biomass accumulation in the late summer was decreased. It was hypothesized that high soil temperature in late summer may be deleterious to nitrogen fixation so that alfalta plants become nitrogen limited. To examine this hypothesis, late-summer soil temperature treatments of 17 or 23°C were imposed on plants grown in the field at Gainesville, FL. Late-summer ambient soil temperatures are frequently greater than 33°C at this location. No evidence was obtained in this 2-year study that cooling the soil resulted in either greater nitrogen or biomass accumulation. To explain the summer slump, the relationship between biomass accumulation and amount of incident solar radiation was examined and found to be unchanged through the growing season (0.35 g MJ−1 in 1987 and 0.31 g MJ−1 in 1988). It was concluded that the summer slump under these conditions was a consequences of decreased incident solar radiation during the late summer, rather than any physiological adjustment by the alfalta plants.

Identification of the key physiological traits that limit carbon and nitrogen accumulation in grain legumes is an important step in understanding how to improve their productivity in water-limited environments. A growth model was used to assist in the interpretation of two field experiments comparing the performance of soybean, cowpea and black gram under water deficits, and to assess the importance of different physiological traits in determining productivity in these grain legumes. The coefficients of the relationships in the model describing leaf growth, carbon and nitrogen input, seed growth, and the water budget were obtained from the literature and from glasshouse and field experimentation.

A simple, phenomenological model was developed to describe the carbon, nitrogen, and water budgets of a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) crop from emergence to maturity. Daily meteorological data input to the model were minimum temperature, maximum temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation. Leaves were grown to give a linear function of mean daily temperature. From the calculated leaf area index the daily intercepted solar radiation by the crop was determined. Daily carbon accumulation was calculated as a linear function of intercepted radiation. The daily nitrogen accumulation rate was calculated as a linear function of vegetative biomass. Leaf growth, carbon accumulation and symbiotic-nitrogen fixation rates were all made sensitive to the amount of soil water. Experimental data were collected to develop the empirical relationships between these three physiological processes and the amount of transpirable soil water. These data showed nitrogen fixation rates to be more sensitive to soil dehydration than either leaf growth or leaf gas exchange. Preliminary tests showed that model predictions compared favorably with field observations. An analysis of the model's behavior showed that crop yield was most sensitive to those variables influencing the interception of solar radiation and its conversion to biomass.

The impedances of small Li-CuO cells (SAFT type LCOl) have been measured in the state of charge range 100% - 20% fully charged. The systems require a considerable time for electrochemical stabilization; however, once this is realized the time stability is excellent. The impedance behaviour of the cells is not dominated by either of the electrodes; both make a significant contribution. The impedance spectra of the system are complex and very dependent on the state of charge. The behaviour of the cell impedance is recorded and an interpretation of the frequency response is given in terms of a series combination of two Randles-type electrode circuits.

Four themes are developed here. Pollution has occurred locally for many years and has been countered by social action and administrative and technical adaptation; extremely subjective responses to this problem are widespread and these have been used as a background by the model-builders who have ignored the evidence that such responses can be channelled into abating the hazards while permitting growth; crisis orientation is only partially justified yet this belief is being used to attack the idea of technological progress; and problems and local crises tend to be obscured by premature aggregation into a world model.

IN selecting a theme for this, tlle first Robert Campbell Memorial Oration, whiclh the trustees lhave done nme tlhe lhonour of invitiDg me to deliver, my object lhas been to find one that would lhave interest for pllysicians and surgeons atlike ratlher than one of purely surgical concern, with its wearisome details of minute technique. I,trust that in disPussing the surgery of the blood, as allusion must be made to various organic diseases of the haemopoietic system, it would be more correct, and more in harmony with medical nomen,lature, to regard the blood dyscrasias as secondary plhenoinena. I hope to justify my presentation of tlle blood diseases by viewing tllem from a different angle, and by pleading that