Ardnamurchan 3D cone-sheet architecture explained by a single elongate magma chamber.

The Palaeogene Ardnamurchan central igneous complex, NW Scotland, was a defining place for the development of the classic concepts of cone-sheet and ring-dyke emplacement and has thus fundamentally influenced our thinking on subvolcanic structures. We have used the available structural information on Ardnamurchan to project the underlying three-dimensional (3D) cone-sheet structure. Here we show that a single elongate magma chamber likely acted as the source of the cone-sheet swarm(s) instead of the traditionally accepted model of three successive centres.

Estimating a WTP-based value of a QALY: the 'chained' approach.

A major issue in health economic evaluation is that of the value to place on a quality adjusted life year (QALY), commonly used as a measure of health care effectiveness across Europe. This critical policy issue is reflected in the growing interest across Europe in development of more sound methods to elicit such a value. EuroVaQ was a collaboration of researchers from 9 European countries, the main aim being to develop more robust methods to determine the monetary value of a QALY based on surveys of the general public.

Decision maker perceptions of resource allocation processes in Canadian health care organizations: a national survey.

Background: Resource allocation is a key challenge for healthcare decision makers. While several case studies of organizational practice exist, there have been few large-scale cross-organization comparisons.

Methods: Between January and April 2011, we conducted an on-line survey of senior decision makers within regional health authorities (and closely equivalent organizations) across all Canadian provinces and territories.

High power wideband gyrotron backward wave oscillator operating towards the terahertz region.

Experimental results are presented of the first successful gyrotron backward wave oscillator (gyro-BWO) with continuous frequency tuning near the low-terahertz region. A helically corrugated interaction region was used to allow efficient interaction over a wide frequency band at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency without parasitic output. The gyro-BWO generated a maximum output power of 12 kW when driven by a 40 kV, 1.

Q-ing for health--a new approach to eliciting the public's views on health care resource allocation.

The elicitation of societal views about healthcare priority setting is an important, contemporary research area, and there are a number of studies that apply either qualitative techniques or quantitative preference elicitation methods. However, there are methodological challenges in connecting qualitative information (what perspectives exist about a subject) with quantitative questions (to what extent are those perspectives 'supported' in a wider population). In this paper, we present an integrated, mixed-methods approach to the elicitation of public perspectives in two linked studies applying Q methodology.

Posttranslational processing of human and mouse urocortin 2: characterization and bioactivity of gene products.

Mouse (m) and human (h) urocortin 2 (Ucn 2) were identified by molecular cloning strategies and the primary sequence of their mature forms postulated by analogy to closely related members of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neuropeptide family. Because of the paucity of Ucn 2 proteins in native tissues, skin, muscle, and pancreatic cell lines were transduced with lentiviral constructs and secretion media were used to isolate and characterize Ucn 2 products and study processing. Primary structures were assigned using a combination of Edman degradation sequencing and mass spectrometry.

Cognitive Biases Questionnaire for psychosis.

Objective: The Cognitive Biases Questionnaire for psychosis (CBQp) was developed to capture 5 cognitive distortions (jumping to conclusions, intentionalising, catastrophising, emotional reasoning, and dichotomous thinking), which are considered important for the pathogenesis of psychosis. Vignettes were adapted from the Cognitive Style Test (CST),(1) relating to "Anomalous Perceptions" and "Threatening Events" themes.

Method: Scale structure, reliability, and validity were investigated in a psychosis group, and CBQp scores were compared with those of depressed and healthy control samples.

Vessel tortuosity causing false positives in detecting renal artery stenosis on Doppler ultrasound.

Introduction: Color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) is currently preferred to screen for renal artery stenosis (RAS); however, a wide range of sensitivities and specificities have been reported. We wanted to identify potential factors contributing to this wide range and to improve CDUS screening for RAS. We noted RAS was overcalled when the peak systolic velocity (PSV) was found in the mid-main renal artery, and we sought to determine whether this was a consistent source of error.

Heterotopic bone formation about the hip undergoes endochondral ossification: a rabbit model.

Background: Heterotopic ossification (HO) occurs most commonly after trauma and surgery about the hip and may compromise subsequent function. Currently available animal models describing the cellular progression of HO are based on exogenous osteogenic induction agents and may not reflect the processes following trauma.

Questions/purposes: We therefore sought to characterize the histologic progression of heterotopic bone formation in an animal model that recapitulates the human condition without the addition of exogenous osteogenic material.

Time from ACL injury to reconstruction and the prevalence of additional intra-articular pathology: is patient age an important factor?

Purpose: Meniscus and cartilage lesions have been reported to be prevalent during delayed reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Relatively, little work has been done exploring the influence of patient age on this relationship. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the effect of time from ACL injury to reconstruction on the prevalence of associated meniscal and chondral injury is influenced by patient age.

Increased local cytokine production at culprit superficial femoral artery plaques.

Characterization of local inflammation at culprit superficial femoral artery (SFA) stenosis has not been studied. We hypothesized that arterial cytokine concentrations would be greater at sites of stenosis. Twenty patients with ≥50 % angiographic stenosis of the SFA had blood drawn just proximal to the lesion and from a contralateral site free of disease.

Between- and within-breed variations of spine characteristics in sheep.

Implementing the use of spine traits in a commercial breeding program has been seen to improve meat production from the carcass of larger-bodied pigs. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of variation in spine characteristics within and between breeds of sheep and to investigate the association with body length and tissues traits to deliberate if a similar approach could be applicable in the sheep sector. Spine traits (vertebrae number, VN; spine region length, SPL; individual vertebra length, VL) of the thoracic (THOR) lumbar (LUM) and thoracolumbar (T+L) spine regions were measured using x-ray computed tomography (CT) on 254 Texel (TEX), 1100 Scottish Blackface (SBF), 326 Texel cross Mule (TEX × MULE), and 178 Poll Dorset cross Mule (PD × MULE) lambs.

A feasibility study of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation for bladder and bowel dysfunction in elderly adults in residential care.

Objective: To assess preliminary effects of a program of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TPTNS) on lower urinary tract symptoms and number of episodes of urinary and fecal incontinence in older adults in residential care homes and the feasibility of a full-scale randomized trial.

Design: Pilot randomized single-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Seven residential care homes and 3 sheltered accommodation complexes in the United Kingdom.

Social enterprise: new pathways to health and well-being?

In this article we attempt to make sense of recent policy directions and controversies relating to the 'social enterprise' and 'health' interface. In doing so, we outline the unrecognised potential of social enterprise for generating health and well-being improvement, and the subsequent challenges for government, the sector itself, and for the research community. Although we focus primarily upon the U.

Best worst discrete choice experiments in health: methods and an application.

A key objective of discrete choice experiments is to obtain sufficient quantity of high quality choice data to estimate choice models to be used to explore various policy/clinically relevant issues. This paper focuses on a relatively new form of choice experiment, 'Best Worst Discrete Choice Experiments' (BWDCEs) and their relevance to health research as a new way to meet such an objective. We explain what BWDCEs are, how and when to apply them and we present several analytical approaches to model the resulting data.

How Disorder-Specific are Depressive Attributions? A Comparison of Individuals with Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Healthy Controls.

Depressed individuals tend to assign internal, stable, and global causes to negative events. The present study investigated the specificity of this effect to depression and compared depressive attributional styles of individuals with major depression (MD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and healthy controls. We indexed attributional style using the depressive attributions questionnaire in 164 participants.

Myosin cross-bridge dynamics in patients with hypertension and concentric left ventricular remodeling.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) causes concentric left ventricular remodeling, defined as an increased relative wall thickness or overt left ventricular hypertrophy, and associated diastolic dysfunction. HTN and concentric remodeling are also common precursors to heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction. It is not known whether the myofilament contributes to diastolic dysfunction in patients with concentric remodeling.

3-D CT is the most reliable imaging modality when quantifying glenoid bone loss.

Background: Posttraumatic anterior shoulder instability is associated with anterior glenoid bone loss, contributing to recurrence. Accurate preoperative quantification of bone loss is paramount to avoid failure of a soft tissue stabilization procedure as bone reconstruction is recommended for glenoid defects greater than 20% to 27%.

Questions/purposes: We determined whether radiography, MRI, or CT was most reliable to quantify glenoid bone loss in recurrent anterior shoulder instability.

Arthroscopic suture anchor capsulorrhaphy versus labral-based suture capsulorrhaphy in a cadaveric model.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish whether suture anchor capsulorrhaphy (SAC) is biomechanically superior to suture capsulorrhaphy (SC) in the management of recurrent anterior shoulder instability without a labral avulsion.

Methods: Twelve matched pairs of shoulders were randomized to either SC or SAC. Specimens were mounted in 60° of abduction and 90° of external rotation.

Development of a novel, physiologically relevant cytotoxicity model: application to the study of chemotherapeutic damage to mesenchymal stromal cells.

There is an increasing need for development of physiologically relevant in-vitro models for testing toxicity, however determining toxic effects of agents which undergo extensive hepatic metabolism can be particularly challenging. If a source of such metabolic enzymes is inadequate within a model system, toxicity from prodrugs may be grossly underestimated. Conversely, the vast majority of agents are detoxified by the liver, consequently toxicity from such agents may be overestimated.

Comparison of various imaging techniques to quantify glenoid bone loss in shoulder instability.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the most accurate imaging modality to quantify glenoid bone loss in recurrent anterior shoulder instability. This will allow the best preoperative prediction for patients needing a bone graft.

Materials And Methods: Seven fresh frozen shoulder cadavers were imaged with radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and 3-dimensional CT (3-D CT).

Oral cavity, pharyngeal and salivary gland cancer: disparities in ethnicity-specific incidence among the London population.

Objectives: We examined the association between ethnicity and the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancers in the London population.

Methods: Data on London residents diagnosed with oral and pharyngeal cancer (ICD-10 codes C00-C14) between 1998 and 2007 were retrieved from the Thames Cancer Registry. Age-standardised incidence rate ratios (IRR) for cancers of the nasopharynx (C11), oropharynx (C09-C10), hypopharynx (C12-C13), oral cavity (C00.

Evaluation of a method allowing preservation of fresh lymph nodes for flow cytometric immunophenotyping.

Background: Flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) of lymph nodes (LN) requires fresh unfixed tissue, with analysis being carried out within few hours post surgery. This study evaluated a novel method for fresh LN preservation, in order to allow histomorphology-based FCI.

Methods: This study was carried out prospectively on 30 LN with suspected involvement by haematolymphoid neoplasms (HLN).