Directional view interpolation for compensation of sparse angular sampling in cone-beam CT.

In flat detector cone-beam computed tomography and related applications, sparse angular sampling frequently leads to characteristic streak artifacts. To overcome this problem, it has been suggested to generate additional views by means of interpolation. The practicality of this approach is investigated in combination with a dedicated method for angular interpolation of 3-D sinogram data.

Generalized B-spline subdivision-surface wavelets for geometry compression.

We present a new construction of lifted biorthogonal wavelets on surfaces of arbitrary two-manifold topology for compression and multiresolution representation. Our method combines three approaches: subdivision surfaces of arbitrary topology, B-spline wavelets, and the lifting scheme for biorthogonal wavelet construction. The simple building blocks of our wavelet transform are local lifting operations performed on polygonal meshes with subdivision hierarchy.

Technical note: a near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy technique to predict particle size of starch within corn silage.

Starch particle size characteristics of 81 diverse corn silage samples, which included 27 combinations of hybrid, planting dates, and harvest dates subjected to 3 different degrees of kernel processing, were determined via vertical shaking through 9 screens with nominal square apertures of 19.0, 13.2, 9.

Effects of rhythmic embrocation therapy with solum oil in chronic pain patients: a prospective observational study.

Background: Chronic pain is one of the most frequent physical symptoms worldwide and requires intervention on many levels. Complementary therapies in particular are becoming increasingly relevant and popular in the treatment of chronic pain. The present study evaluates the therapeutic effects of rhythmic embrocation with a lavender/peat extract [Solum Oil (German: Solum Ol)].

Costs and benefits of smoking cessation aids: making a case for public reimbursement of nicotine replacement therapy in Australia.

Background: Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia and other developed countries. Of the pharmacological aids that are available for smoking cessation, bupropion (Zyban SR) is eligible for public reimbursement on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), whereas nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is not. Information on the cost-effectiveness and financial impact of public reimbursement of these strategies can better inform debate about their inclusion or exclusion in public reimbursement schemes.

Assessment of Swedish snus for tobacco harm reduction: an epidemiological modelling study.

Background: Swedish snus is a smokeless tobacco product that has been suggested as a tobacco harm reduction product. Our aim was to assess the potential population health effects of snus.

Methods: We assessed the potential population health effects of snus in Australia with multistate life tables to estimate the difference in health-adjusted life expectancy between people who have never been smokers and various trajectories of tobacco use, including switching from smoking to snus use; and the potential for net population-level harm given different rates of snus uptake by current smokers, ex-smokers, and people who have never smoked.

[Early neurological-neurosurgical rehabilitation. Current state].

In German neurorehabilitation, the ambiguous term "early rehabilitation" reflects the multidisciplinary, rehabilitative treatment of severely impaired patients in continuing need of acute and intensive care (including weaning from the respirator in selected cases). The actual definition of this treatment is discussed, which hitherto corresponded to Phase B according to recommendations of the German Federal Study Group for Rehabilitation (BAR) and now has started to be integrated into the diagnosis-related group system. The tasks and aims of early rehabilitation are to support and enhance neuroplastic remission of nervous system functional loss and continued medical care, improve vigilance, establish cooperativity, and evaluate the rehabilitation potential including compensatory and adaptive strategies organizing posthospital care, reducing the need of nursing support, and improving quality of life.

Comparative visualization for wave-based and geometric acoustics.

We present a comparative visualization of the acoustic simulation results obtained by two different approaches that were combined into a single simulation algorithm. The first method solves the wave equation on a volume grid based on finite elements. The second method, phonon tracing, is a geometric approach that we have previously developed for interactive simulation, visualization and modeling of room acoustics.

A model for undertaking effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses of primary preventive strategies in cardiovascular disease.

Background: Clinical trials generally provide strong evidence of the efficacy of cardiovascular preventive strategies, but poor evidence of their 'real-life' utility, in terms of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Design And Methods: The Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Model is presented, which represents a means of extrapolating the results of clinical trials to a broader, more relevant context. The model is configured as a decision-analysis tree, and underpinned by life-course analysis and Markov processes.

Clinical use of a shortened alcohol withdrawal scale in a general hospital.

Background: Multi-item scales for monitoring alcohol withdrawal reactions have been used since the 1970s, and since 1985 we have used a modified version of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA) in our general hospitals. This study was conducted to determine whether a shorter version of the scale would prove easier to use without loss of accuracy.

Methods: A simultaneous 'crossover' clinical audit using two hospitals.

Metal stocks and sustainability.

The relative proportions of metal residing in ore in the lithosphere, in use in products providing services, and in waste deposits measure our progress from exclusive use of virgin ore toward full dependence on sustained use of recycled metal. In the U.S.

[Investigation of the rhythmical embrocating according to Wegman/Hauschka].

Introduction: With the research on Rhythmical Embrocating according to Wegman/Hauschka (RE) since the 1990ies, nursing science has made an important contribution in obtaining acceptance for complementary methods. AIM, MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on methods of phenomenology of the living body inspired by Goethean science, we aimed to investigate on the following question: What are the typical psychosomatic reactions of patients treated with RE? Theoretical sampling led to the inclusion of 13 nursing experts on RE.

Results: We found three typical pattern of patient-reaction on RE: being uncaged - re-identifing - empowering.

Projection extension for region of interest imaging in cone-beam CT.

Rationale And Objectives: For 3D X-ray imaging during interventions, changes of the imaged object are often restricted to a small part of the field of view, suggesting region of interest (ROI) imaging by irradiating this area only. In this article, we present a novel method for extension of truncated projections in order to avoid truncation artifacts in C-arm based 3D ROI imaging.

Materials And Methods: The method makes use of prior knowledge by combining forward projections of a previously acquired, nontruncated 3D reference image with the truncated ROI projections.

Contemporary anthropogenic silver cycle: a multilevel analysis.

Anthropogenic cycling of silver in 1997 is presented using three discrete governmental units: 64 countries encompassing what we believe to be over 90% of global silver flows, 9 world regions, and the entire planet. Using material flow analysis (MFA) techniques, the country level cycles are aggregated to produce the regional cycles, which are used to form a "best estimate" global cycle. Interesting findings include the following: (1) several silver-mining countries export ore and concentrate but also import silver-containing semiproducts and products; (2) the level of development for a country, as indicated by the gross domestic product, is a fair indicator of silver use, but several significant outliers exist; (3) the countries with the greatest mine production include Mexico, the United States, Peru, and China, whereas the United States, Japan, India, Germany, and Italy lead in the fabrication and manufacture of products; (4) North America and Europe's use of silver products exceed that of other regions on a per capita basis; (5) global silver discards, including tailings and separation waste, totaled approximately 57% of the silver mined; (6) approximately 57% of the silver entering waste management globally is recycled; and (7) the amount of silver entering landfills globally is comparable to the amount found in tailings.

Epidemiological modelling of routine use of low dose aspirin for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke in those aged > or =70.

Objective: To investigate the routine use of low dose aspirin in people aged > or = 70 without overt cardiovascular disease.

Design: Epidemiological modelling in a hypothetical population.

Setting: Reference populations of men and women in the year 2000 from the state of Victoria, Australia.

On a construction of a hierarchy of best linear spline approximations using a finite element approach.

We present a method for the hierarchical approximation of functions in one, two, or three variables based on the finite element method (Ritz approximation). Starting with a set of data sites with associated function, we first determine a smooth (scattered-data) interpolant. Next, we construct an initial triangulation by triangulating the region bounded by the minimal subset of data sites defining the convex hull of all sites.

Exploratory data analysis of the multilevel anthropogenic copper cycle.

A comprehensive multilevel contemporary cycle for stocks and flows of copper is analyzed by the tools of exploratory data analysis (EDA). The analysis is performed at three discrete spatial levels--country (56 countries or country groups that comprise essentially all anthropogenic stocks and flows of copper), eight world regions, and the planet as a whole. Among the most interesting results are the following: (1) EDA is employable and valuable for use in the analysis of material flows, especially those across multiple spatial levels; (2) All distributions of country-level stock and flow data are highly skewed, a few countries having large magnitudes, many having small magnitudes; (3) Rates of fabrication of copper-containing products for the countries are poorly correlated with rates of extraction, reflecting the fact that many countries that extract copper do not fabricate products from copper to any significant degree and vice versa; (4) Virtually all countries are adding copper to stock (in pipe, wire, etc.

Multilevel cycle of anthropogenic copper.

A comprehensive contemporary cycle for stocks and flows of copper is characterized and presented, incorporating information on extraction, processing, fabrication and manufacturing, use, discard, recycling, final disposal, and dissipation. The analysis is performed on an annual basis, ca. 1994, at three discrete governmental unit levels--56 countries or country groups that together comprise essentially all global anthropogenic copper stocks and flows, nine world regions, and the planet as a whole.

Controlling turbulence in a surface chemical reaction by time-delay autosynchronization.

A global time-delay feedback scheme is implemented experimentally to control chemical turbulence in the catalytic CO oxidation on a Pt(110) single crystal surface. The reaction is investigated under ultrahigh vacuum conditions by means of photoemission electron microscopy. We present results showing that turbulence can be efficiently suppressed by applying time-delay autosynchronization.

Pattern formation on the edge of chaos: experiments with CO oxidation on a Pt(110) surface under global delayed feedback.

Experiments with catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide on Pt(110) show that chemical turbulence in this system can be suppressed by application of appropriate global delayed feedback. Different spatiotemporal patterns, seen near the transition from turbulence to uniform oscillations, are investigated. Such patterns include intermittent turbulence, oscillatory standing waves, cellular structures, and phase clusters.

Pattern formation on the edge of chaos: mathematical modeling of CO oxidation on a Pt(110) surface under global delayed feedback.

Effects of global delayed feedback on diffusion-induced turbulence are studied in a realistic model of catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide on Pt(110). Spatiotemporal patterns resulting from numerical simulations of this model are identified and analyzed using a transformation into the phase and the amplitude of local oscillations. We find that chemical turbulence can be efficiently controlled by varying the feedback intensity and the delay time in the feedback loop.

Assessment of carcinogenicity of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in a short-term assay using Xpa-/- and Xpa-/-/p53+/- mice.

The potential of Xpa-/- and Xpa-/-/p53+/- mice for short-term carcinogenicity assays was evaluated with di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). Groups of 15 male and female Xpa-/- mice, received diets containing 0, 1, 500, 3,000, or 6,000 ppm DEHP, and wild-type (WT) and Xpa-/-p53+/-mice 0 or 6,000 ppm DEHP for 39 weeks. Xpa-/-, Xpa-/-/p53+/-, and WT males, fed 2,500 ppm p-cresidine, served as a positive control.

Monocyte function and plasma levels of interleukin-8 in acute ischemic stroke.

Activated monocytes may contribute to the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. We tested the hypothesis that release products and procoagulant activity of monocytes are increased in acute ischemic stroke. In patients on days 1, 3 and 7 after ischemic stroke and in age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects, we assessed plasma levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and neopterin (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA) and investigated superoxidanion release (ferricytochrome C reduction), procoagulant activity (one-stage clotting assay) and tissue factor (TF) gene transcription (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) by monocytes.

Mutations in the gene encoding epsilon-sarcoglycan cause myoclonus-dystonia syndrome.

The dystonias are a common clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of movement disorders. More than ten loci for inherited forms of dystonia have been mapped, but only three mutated genes have been identified so far. These are DYT1, encoding torsin A and mutant in the early-onset generalized form, GCH1 (formerly known as DYT5), encoding GTP-cyclohydrolase I and mutant in dominant dopa-responsive dystonia, and TH, encoding tyrosine hydroxylase and mutant in the recessive form of the disease.