Daily Rotation Research Articles

Stress-induced neuroinflammatory priming is time of day dependent

Circadian rhythms are endogenous cycles of physiology and behavior that align with the daily rotation of the planet and resulting light–dark cycle. The circadian system ensures homeostatic balance and regulates many aspects of physiology, including the stress response and susceptibility to and/or severity of stress-related sequelae. Both acute and chronic stressors amplify neuroinflammatory responses to a subsequent immune challenge, however it is not known whether circadian timing of the stressor regulates the priming response. Here, we test whether stress-induced neuroinflammatory priming is regulated by the circadian system. As has been previously shown, exposure to 100 inescapable tails shocks (IS) increased hippocampal cytokines following a subsequent inflammatory challenge. However, this effect was limited to animals that experienced the stressor during the light phase. Rats exposed to stress during the dark phase did not alter inflammatory potential following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. To determine whether microglia might be involved in diurnal differences in neuroinflammatory priming, microglia were isolated 24h after stress that occurred either during the middle of the light or dark phase. Only microglia isolated from animals stressed during the light phase demonstrated an exaggerated inflammatory response when treated ex vivo with LPS. To determine possible circadian dependency of microglia responsiveness to glucocorticoids – the likely proximal mediator for stress associated neuroinflammatory priming – microglia were isolated during the middle of the light or dark phase and treated ex vivo with corticosterone. Glucocorticoids treatment downregulated CX3CR1 and CD200R, two genes involved in microglial inflammatory “off” signaling; however, there was no effect of time of day on expression of either gene. Importantly, while absolute concentrations of corticosterone were comparable following IS during the light and dark phase, the magnitude of change in corticosterone was greater during the light phase. This work highlights the importance of studying circadian rhythms to elucidate biological mechanisms of stress.

ON SMALL TANGENTIAL MASS FORCES THAT MAY EXIST IN THE LITHOSPHERE. THEIR ROLE IN TECTONICS AND GEODYNAMICS

The author continues to investigate additional planetary-level stresses that occur in the crust due to distributed tangential mass forces. Such forces may be related to the daily rotation of the Earth and movements of the relatively solid core relative to the geocenter. In [ Rebetskii, 2016 ], he discusses how the tangential mass forces in the continental crust are influencing additional meridional and latitudinal stresses and attempted to explain regularities of planetary fracturing. In this paper, he considers the role of the tangential mass forces in the occurrence of lateral movement of the lithospheric plates. The author proposes to estimate amplitudes of the tangential mass forces from the difference between the two global ellipsoids of rotation. The reference ellipsoid averages the level surface of the gravity potential, and the second ellipsoid averages the physical surface of the Earth, separately considering continents and oceans. The Earth’s dynamic compression factor estimated from satellite data is 1/305.5. This value corresponds well to the average polar compression of the two rotation ellipsoids, which approximately describes the shape of the Earth’s physical surface. Thus, in the first approximation, the polar compression of the Earth’s physical surface is less than that of the reference ellipsoid (1/298.25) that approximately describes the shape of the level surface of gravity (i.e. geoid). Gravity vectors deviate from the normal to the physical surface of the Earth by relatively small angles, according to calculations from the data on rotation ellipsoids (a maximum value of 16.4 at the 45° latitude). Tangential mass forces are thus small (2.15×10 –4 G/cm 3 at the 45° latitude). Due to small tangential forces, shear stresses about 0.3 MPa may occur at the base of the continental lithosphere (depths of 120–150 km). In their turn, such stresses can cause a shear flow in the asthenosphere, which provides for movements of the lithospheric plates at velocities of a few centimeters per year. The estimates in this study suggest that the tangential mass forces can be viewed as a possible source of the movements of the lithospheric plates. Regional rotation ellipsoids, that average the physical surface of the continental and oceanic parts of the Earth, were estimated separately for the northern and southern hemispheres. The largest deviations of the ellipsoids from the reference ellipsoid were revealed for the oceanic parts of both hemispheres of the Earth. The regional ellipsoids for the oceanic parts show smaller polar compression (1/313.1 in the northern hemisphere, and 1/306.9 in the southern hemisphere) than that of the reference ellipsoid, and this predetermines the north-south orientation of the tangential mass forces from the poles to the equator. Compared to the reference ellipsoid, polar compression values estimated for the regional ellipsoids of the continental crust are larger (1/296.2) in the northern hemisphere and smaller (1/303.2) in the southern hemisphere. According to the calculations, the oceanic lithosphere makes the major contribution to submeridional movements of the continental plates.

About Convection in the Core and Mantle of the Earth

Problem- The mystery of origin Earth's magnetic field is connected with the solution of the problem of convection in the mantle and in the outer liquid core. However, the mathematical analysis of the stability conditions of convection in the core and the mantle of the Earth still insufficiently developed. Even in the classical formulation of the problem the main roots of the dispersion equation has not been studied. Purpose- It should be more fully and rigorously consider the problem of convection in rotational thermodynamically inhomogeneous viscous liquid. In this task, you must obtain a general dispersion equation and perform a mathematical analysis of the roots of this equation. You also need find the shape of convective cells in the bowels of the Earth. Approach- We start from the Navier-Stokes equations for thermodynamically inhomogeneous viscous fluid. In the Boussinesq approximation, neglecting the square of the velocity of fluid flow was obtained and carefully studied the cubic dispersion equation. The roots of the dispersion equation are investigated in order to detect the areas of stability and instability of convective currents. Findings- In the complex domain is made analysis of roots of the cubic dispersion equation. It is shown that on the chart angular velocity – temperature gradient there are areas of stable and unstable fluid motion. The Earth’s daily rotation does not affect the convection in the mantle, where convective cells are almost cubic with a characteristic size But the convection in the Earth's outer liquid core is divided into a plurality of thin pipes. These are parallel to the Earth's axis, and currents up and down them alternate. The role of the daily rotation of the Earth in the creation of such mechanism of convection is very important. Implications- The method is applied to the study of convection in the mantle and liquid core of the Earth. We find some important properties of the convective cells in the mantle and the liquid core. The results are in satisfactory agreement with geological data. We draw attention to the fact that the structure of tubes in the liquid core is such that it stands out particularly equatorial toroidal ring. In this ring the convection is absent and, most likely, the liquid of the core there is in a highly turbulent state. We assume that this is the zone of turbulence ring may be responsible for the emergence of Earth's magnetic field. Originality- These results are new in mathematical physics and dynamics of the Earth's shells.

SYNCHRONIZATION OF TERRESTRIAL PROCESSES WITH FREQUENCIES OF THE EARTH-MOON-SUN SYSTEM

It is established that the frequencies of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of atmospheric winds and the Chandler wobble (CW) of the Earth's poles are synchronized with each other and with the fundamental frequencies of the Earth–Moon–Sun system. The QBO and CW frequencies are resonance combinations of the frequencies of the Earth–Moon system's yearly rotation around the Sun, precessions of the lunar orbit, and the motion of its perigee. The QBO and CW frequencies are in a ratio of 1:2. The synchronizations between Mul'tanovskii's natural synoptic periods and tidal oscillations of the Earth's daily rotation rate, as well as between variations in climatic characteristics and long-time fluctuations of the Earth's rotation rate are described.

Poster — Thur Eve — 10: Partial kV CBCT, complete kV CBCT and EPID in breast treatment: a dose comparison study for skin, breasts, heart and lungs

The advantages of kilovoltage cone beam CT (kV CBCT) imaging over electronic portal imaging device (EPID) such as accurate 3D anatomy, soft tissue visualization, fast rigid registration and enhanced precision on patient positioning has lead to its increasing use in clinics. The benefits of this imaging technique are at the cost of increasing the dose to healthy surrounding organs. Our center has moved toward the use of daily partial rotation kV CBCT to restrict the dose to healthy tissues. This study aims to better quantify radiation doses from different image‐guidance techniques such as tangential EPID, complete and partial kV CBCT for breast treatments. Cross‐calibrated ionization chambers and kV calibrated Gafchromic films were used to measure the dose to the heart, lungs, breasts and skin. It was found that performing partial kV CBCT decreases the heart dose by about 36%, the lungs dose by 31%, the contralateral breast dose by 41% and the ipsilateral breast dose by 43% when compared to a full rotation CBCT. The skin dose measured for a full rotation CBCT was about 0.8 cGy for the contralateral breast and about 0.3 cGy for the ipsilateral breast. The study is still ongoing and results on skin doses for partial rotation kV CBCT as well as for tangential EPID images are upcoming.

二次医療圏における夜間救急医療モデルの構築とその利用

The current Japanese night-time emergency health care system can no longer satisfy patients' demand due to the patient's changing consultation behavior and the doctor's uneven distribution. In order to understand the current situation of the night-time emergency health care in Japan, we propose a model to simulate the whole process of the night-time emergency health care system, including the patient's consultation behavior process, the patient's transportation process, and the negotiation process between a medical institute and an ambulance. We apply the agent-based modeling (ABM) approach to take into account the decision-making process of the patient, the medical institution, and the re services department. We validate the model according to the actual patients' ambulance transportation time in the real situation. Especially, this model allows us to evaluate the proposed plan for improving the current daily rotation system of the Japanese night-time emergency health care system. As a result, we find that the proposed new daily rotation system will improve the medical services without raising the burden of the medical institute.

Learning to Explain Astronomy Across Moving Frames of Reference: Exploring the role of classroom and planetarium-based instructional contexts

Learning astronomy involves significant spatial reasoning, such as learning to describe Earth-based phenomena and understanding space-based explanations for those phenomena as well as using the relevant size and scale information to interpret these frames of reference. This study examines daily celestial motion (DCM) as one case of how children learn to move between frames of reference in astronomy wherein one explains Earth-based descriptions of the Sun's, Moon's, and stars' apparent motion using the Earth's daily rotation. We analysed interviews with 8–9-year-old students (N = 99) who participated in one of four instructional conditions emphasizing: the space-based perspective; the Earth-based perspective in the planetarium; constructing explanations for the Earth-based observations; and a combination of the planetarium plus constructing explanations in the classroom. We used an embodied cognition framework to analyse outcomes while also considering challenges learners face due to the high cognitive demands of spatial reasoning. Results support the hypothesis that instruction should engage students in learning both the Earth-based observations and space-based explanations, as focusing on a single frame of reference resulted in less sophisticated explanations; however, few students were able to construct a fully scientific explanation after instruction.

The depth of the honeybee's backup sun-compass systems

Honeybees have at least three compass mechanisms: a magnetic compass; a celestial or sun compass, based on the daily rotation of the sun and sun-linked skylight patterns; and a backup celestial compass based on a memory of the sun's movements over time in relation to the landscape. The interactions of these compass systems have yet to be fully elucidated, but the celestial compass is primary in most contexts, the magnetic compass is a backup in certain contexts, and the bees' memory of the sun's course in relation to the landscape is a backup system for cloudy days. Here we ask whether bees have any further compass systems, for example a memory of the sun's movements over time in relation to the magnetic field. To test this, we challenged bees to locate the sun when their known celestial compass systems were unavailable, that is, under overcast skies in unfamiliar landscapes. We measured the bees' knowledge of the sun's location by observing their waggle dances, by which foragers indicate the directions toward food sources in relation to the sun's compass bearing. We found that bees have no celestial compass systems beyond those already known: under overcast skies in unfamiliar landscapes, bees attempt to use their landscape-based backup system to locate the sun, matching the landscapes or skylines at the test sites with those at their natal sites as best they can, even if the matches are poor and yield weak or inconsistent orientation.

John of Murs Revisited: The Kalendarium Solis Et Lune for 1321

The astronomical work of John of Murs (fl. 1320-40), a scholar born in Normandy and active in Paris in the first half of the fourteenth century, has received extensive attention in recent years, both as an early transmitter of the Alfonsine Tables elaborated in Toledo in the late thirteenth century and as one of the compilers of tables based on them, known as the Parisian Alfonsine Tables, that were widely diffused throughout Europe from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.1 Among John of Murs's astronomical works are the following:(1) The Expositio intentionis regis Alfonsii circa tabulas eius, a text with no tables, probably composed in 1321, where he praises the Alfonsine Tables and states explicitly his dependence on them.2(2) The Tables of 1321, his first and most extensive set of tables, with a text beginning Si vera loca planetarum per presentes tabulas volueris invenire. . . . The tables are devoted to the five planets as well as the Sun and the Moon, but nothing related to the daily rotation and trigonometry is addressed.3(3) The Patefit, a work composed of tables for the determination of conjunctions and oppositions, including lists of mean and true syzygies beginning in 1321, and associated with a canon beginning Patefit ex Ptolomei disciplines in libro suo. . . . The tables have only been partially analysed.4(4) The Tabulae permanentes, in collaboration with Firmin of Beauval. This is a short text consisting of only one table, a double argument table using signs of 30°, for finding the time interval from mean to true syzygy and a canon explaining its use, beginning Omnius utruisque sexus armonium cele stem....5We have now found another short work by John of Murs in Brussels, Bibliotheque royale, MS 1086-1 1 15, of which, as far as we know, this is the only extant copy.6 It consists of a calendar giving the daily positions of the Sun for 1321 (ff. 24r-25v), a brief canon dealing with a set of tables (f. 26r-v) and the tables themselves, complementing the information given in the calendar (ff. 27r-31r). The first lines of the canon are an enthusiastic comment on the Alfonsine Tables:Notum sit omnibus astronomis presentibus etfuturis quod ex vertiate tabularum alfoncii principis illustris regis castelle que sunt inter ceteras de planetarum motibus veriores, cum per eclipses et coniuncciones sensibiles experiencia probet eas. (f. 26r: 1-3)Let it be known to all present and future astronomers that as far as truth is concerned the tables by the illustrious prince Alfonso, King of Castile, are the most precise among those that address planetary motions, checked against experience by means of visible eclipses and conjunctions.This text mentions 1321 several times as the epoch of the calendar and it is unequivocally dated 1321 for, at the end of the canons (f. 26v: 13-14), we are told: Finit canon datus anno Domini Ihesu Christi 1321 (Here ends the canon written in the year 1321 of our Lord Jesus Christ).7 It is generally true that calendars for a given year are produced shortly before that year for, in most cases, the information in them would have to be modified to apply to any subsequent year. Thus, this text probably predates all those listed above, with the possible exception of the Expositio, which may have been written at about the same time. It is noteworthy that John of Murs underlines the precision of the Castilian Alfonsine Tables when checked against experience, a task that certainly takes time. As noted above, in the Expositio John of Murs also indicates his dependence on the astronomical tables associated with Alfonso X of Castile (d. 1284). John of Murs then adds:Ob reverenciam etiam et honorent viri venerabais et solennis in lege fidelium de ordine beati Francisa cuius nomen scribitur in hac arte, normannie partibus oriundi, ego Iohannes sibi compatriota commorans in domo pauperum scholarium de Sorbona hoc opusculum satis breve kalendarium solis et lune nuncupatum extrahere laboravi, per quod sciuntur faciliter conclusiones que sunt in hoc opere, (f. …

Interfraction rotation of the prostate as evaluated by kilovoltage X-ray fiducial marker imaging in intensity-modulated radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer

To quantify the daily rotation of the prostate during a radiotherapy course using stereoscopic kilovoltage (kV) x-ray imaging and intraprostatic fiducials for localization and positioning correction. From 2005 to 2009, radio-opaque fiducial markers were inserted into 38 patients via perineum into the prostate. The ExacTrac/Novalis Body X-ray 6-day image acquisition system (ET/NB; BrainLab AG, Feldkirchen, Germany) was used to determine and correct the target position. During the first period in 10 patients we recorded all rotation errors but used only Y (table) for correction. For the next 28 patients we used for correction all rotational coordinates, i.e., in addition Z (superior-inferior [SI] or roll) and X (left-right [LR] or tilt/pitch) according to the fiducial marker position by use of the Robotic Tilt Module and Varian Exact Couch. Rotation correction was applied above a threshold of 1° displacement. The systematic and random errors were specified. Overall, 993 software-assisted rotational corrections were performed. The interfraction rotation errors of the prostate as assessed from the radiodense surrogate markers around the three axes Y, Z, and X were on average 0.09, −0.52, and −0.01° with standard deviations of 2.01, 2.30, and 3.95°, respectively. The systematic uncertainty per patient for prostate rotation was estimated with 2.30, 1.56, and 4.13° and the mean random components with 1.81, 2.02, and 3.09°. The largest rotational errors occurred around the X-axis (pitch), but without preferring a certain orientation. Although the error around Z (roll) can be compensated on average by a transformation with 4 coordinates, a significant error around X remains and advocates the full correction with 6 coordinates. Rotational errors as assessed via daily stereoscopic online imaging are significant and dominate around X. Rotation possibly degrades the dosimetric coverage of the target volume and may require suitable strategies for correction.

Precessional states in a laboratory model of the Earth's core

A water‐filled three‐meter diameter spherical shell, geometrically similar to the Earth's core, shows precessionally forced flows. The precessional torque is supplied by the daily rotation of the laboratory by the Earth. We identify the precessionally forced flow to be primarily the spin‐over inertial mode, i.e., a uniform vorticity flow whose rotation axis is not aligned with the sphere's rotation axis. A systematic study of the spin‐over mode is carried out, showing that the amplitude depends on the ratio of precession to rotation rates (the Poincaré number), in marginal qualitative agreement with Busse's (1968) laminar theory. We find its phase differs significantly though, likely due to topographic effects. At high rotation rates, free shear layers are observed. Comparison with previous computational studies and implications for the Earth's core are discussed.

Clock Genes and Clock-Controlled Genes in the Regulation of Metabolic Rhythms

Daily rotation of the Earth on its axis and yearly revolution around the Sun impose to living organisms adaptation to nyctohemeral and seasonal periodicity. Terrestrial life forms have developed endogenous molecular circadian clocks to synchronize their behavioral, biological, and metabolic rhythms to environmental cues, with the aim to perform at their best over a 24-h span. The coordinated circadian regulation of sleep/wake, rest/activity, fasting/feeding, and catabolic/anabolic cycles is crucial for optimal health. Circadian rhythms in gene expression synchronize biochemical processes and metabolic fluxes with the external environment, allowing the organism to function effectively in response to predictable physiological challenges. In mammals, this daily timekeeping is driven by the biological clocks of the circadian timing system, composed of master molecular oscillators within the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus, pacing self-sustained and cell-autonomous molecular oscillators in peripheral tissues through neural and humoral signals. Nutritional status is sensed by nuclear receptors and coreceptors, transcriptional regulatory proteins, and protein kinases, which synchronize metabolic gene expression and epigenetic modification, as well as energy production and expenditure, with behavioral and light-dark alternance. Physiological rhythmicity characterizes these biological processes and body functions, and multiple rhythms coexist presenting different phases, which may determine different ways of coordination among the circadian patterns, at both the cellular and whole-body levels. A complete loss of rhythmicity or a change of phase may alter the physiological array of rhythms, with the onset of chronodisruption or internal desynchronization, leading to metabolic derangement and disease, i.e., chronopathology. (Author correspondence: g.mazzoccoli@operapadrepio.it)

Levi ben Gerson on the Principles of Cosmology

Levi ben Gerson (Gersonides: 1288–1344) included discussions of cosmology in his magnum opus on astronomy ( Wars of the Lord , Book V, Part 1). In particular, he addressed issues concerning the arrangement of the planets and their orbs in space. In chapter 29 of this work, Levi argues that the lowest of the set of orbs for each planet moves with the daily rotation and that the planet itself lies on the highest of its set of orbs. He claims that observations of certain phenomena visible in the sky provide evidence for his view and quotes a passage from Book II of Ptolemy’s Planetary Hypotheses in support of the principle that the surrounding orb is moved by the orb it encloses. Although Levi took Ptolemy’s work as his point of departure, he developed his own theories, which display considerable innovation. An edition of chapter 29 (based on three Hebrew manuscripts), with an English translation, is presented here.

Environmental Memory from a Circadian Oscillator: The Arabidopsis thaliana Clock Differentially Integrates Perception of Photic vs. Thermal Entrainment

The constraint of a rotating earth has led to the evolution of a circadian clock that drives anticipation of future environmental changes. During this daily rotation, the circadian clock of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) intersects with the diurnal environment to orchestrate virtually all transcriptional processes of the plant cell, presumably by detecting, interpreting, and anticipating the environmental alternations of light and temperature. To comparatively assess differential inputs toward phenotypic and physiological responses on a circadian parameter, we surveyed clock periodicity in a recombinant inbred population modified to allow for robust periodicity measurements after entrainment to respective photic vs. thermal cues, termed zeitgebers. Lines previously thermally entrained generally displayed reduced period length compared to those previously photically entrained. This differential zeitgeber response was also detected in a set of diverse Arabidopsis accessions. Thus, the zeitgebers of the preceding environment direct future behavior of the circadian oscillator. Allelic variation at quantitative trait loci generated significant differences in zeitgeber responses in the segregating population. These were important for periodicity variation dependent on the nature of the subsequent entrainment source. Collectively, our results provide a genetic paradigm for the basis of environmental memory of a preceding environment, which leads to the integrated coordination of circadian periodicity.

SU-E-J-39: Daily Prostate Rotation Should Be Compensated in Translational Correction and Not to Be Ignored

Purpose: To quantify magnitude of the prostate rotation during daily treatment and evaluate strategies to effectively compensate the rotation if a six‐degree table is not available. Methods: Six patients, with forty‐four kilo‐voltage cone beam CT (KV‐CBCT), were selected for this study. On these KV‐CBCTs, the prostate was contoured by a physician. These patients had three transponders implanted for non‐imaging daily prostate localization using the Calypso system. To determine the prostate movement, we registered each KV‐CBCT with the planning CT in four different ways: (a) manually align to the bones with translation only (Bone_T); (b) automatically align to the markers with both translation and rotation (Marker_TR); (c) manually align to the markers with translation only (Marker_T); (d) manually align to the prostate contour with translation only (Contour_T). The prostate rotations from the second method were recorded. Using the contour registration as a benchmark, two center of mass distances (CMD) between the Contour_T and Marker_TR/Marker_T registrations were calculated. Only translations were used for the CMD calculation. Results: Detected from the Marker_TR method, the mean and standard deviation of the prostate rotations about the transverse, anterior‐posterior, and longitudinal axes were 3.21±6.26°, ‐1.39±2.91°, and ‐0.94±2.75°, respectively. The mean CMD between the Contour_T and the Marker_TR/Marker_T shifted prostate were 6.6 and 4.0 mm, respectively. When the rotation is greater than 10°, the differences in CMD were greater than 5 mm in 7 out of 8 (87.5%) of such fractions. When the rotation is greater than 6°, the differences were greater than 4 mm in 13 out of 19 (68.4%) cases. Conclusions: Without a six‐degree table, prostate rotations were often not corrected. Compensating for the rotations with translational shifts is effective, and superior to ignoring rotations. Simply ignoring large rotations may lead to increased planning margins or inaccurate prostate localization.

Genetic architecture of the circadian clock and flowering time in Brassica rapa

The circadian clock serves to coordinate physiology and behavior with the diurnal cycles derived from the daily rotation of the earth. In plants, circadian rhythms contribute to growth and yield and, hence, to both agricultural productivity and evolutionary fitness. Arabidopsis thaliana has served as a tractable model species in which to dissect clock mechanism and function, but it now becomes important to define the extent to which the Arabidopsis model can be extrapolated to other species, including crops. Accordingly, we have extended our studies to the close Arabidopsis relative and crop species, Brassica rapa. We have investigated natural variation in circadian function and flowering time among multiple B. rapa collections. There is wide variation in clock function, based on a robust rhythm in cotyledon movement, within a collection of B. rapa accessions, wild populations and recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between parents from two distinct subspecies, a rapid cycling Chinese cabbage (ssp. pekinensis) and a Yellow Sarson oilseed (ssp. trilocularis). We further analyzed the RILs to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for this natural variation in clock period and temperature compensation, as well as for flowering time under different temperature and day length settings. Most clock and flowering-time QTL mapped to overlapping chromosomal loci. We have exploited micro-synteny between the Arabidopsis and B. rapa genomes to identify candidate genes for these QTL.

Analysis of Operating Room Allocations to Optimize Scheduling of Specialty Rotations for Anesthesia Trainees

Because specialty workloads and corresponding operating room (OR) allocations vary among days of the week, anesthesia residents and student nurse anesthetists are sometimes assigned to cases off rotation (e.g., scheduled for cardiac surgery but assigned to urology for the day). We describe a method to create hybrid rotations of two specialties (e.g., cardiac and vascular surgery), thereby reducing the numbers of days that trainees are "pulled" from their scheduled rotations. Raw data were the number of hours of OR time used by each surgical specialty on each workday for the preceding 9 months. These OR workloads were converted to the number of ORs to be allocated to each specialty for each day of the week on the basis of maximization of the efficiency of use of OR time. We considered all potential hybrid rotations of pairwise combinations of specialties to which trainees could be assigned. Integer linear programming was used to calculate the maximum number of trainees who could be scheduled to hybrid rotations and receive daily assignments matching those rotations. Validity of the results was shown by using data from a small facility for which the optimal solution could be discerned by inspection. Validity (appropriateness) of the constraints was demonstrated by the exclusion of each constraint, resulting in answers that are obviously incorrect. Novelty and usefulness of the method was evidenced by its choosing from among hundreds of thousands of potential combinations of specialties and its identifying appropriate assignments that were substantively different from current rotations. We developed a methodology to determine rotations consisting of combinations of specialties to be paired for purposes of trainee scheduling to reduce the incidence of daily assignments off rotation. Practically, with this method, anesthesia residents and student nurse anesthetists can be assigned cases within their scheduled rotations as often as possible.

Decreased Fos protein expression in rat caudal vestibular nucleus is associated with motion sickness habituation

We investigated the temporal change of Fos protein expression in the caudal vestibular nucleus of rats exposed to daily 2-h Ferris-wheel like (FWL) rotation. Repeated rotation (2 h daily for 14 consecutive days) caused an initial increase in defecation, followed by a gradual decline back to the baseline level after 8 rotation sessions. Unlike defecation, the Kaolin consumption of rats showed a bitonic function during the daily rotation sessions (2 h daily for 33 consecutive days) and finally recovered to the baseline after about 31 sessions. Immunohistochemistry study revealed increased Fos immunolabeled (Fos-LI) neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus and spinal vestibular nucleus during the initial 7 rotation sessions, and it decreased to the baseline level after 10 rotation sessions. There was a strong linear relationship between the amount of Fos-LI neurons and rat defecation level throughout the whole rotation sessions. These results suggest that the change of neuronal plasticity in the caudal vestibular nucleus might contribute to attenuation of gastrointestinal symptoms during motion sickness habituation process.

One-Seed Juniper Sapling Use by Goats in Relation to Stocking Density and Mixed Grazing With Sheep

Abstract Suppression of one-seed juniper ( Juniper monosperma [Englem.] Sarg.) reinvasion with goats requires achieving levels of defoliation of newly established saplings that eventually kill or suppress plant growth. We tested the effects of stocking density and mixed grazing with sheep on the level of use of one-seed juniper saplings by goats. In summer and spring, groups of 10 does (goats alone, GA) or 5 does and 4 ewes (mixed grazing, MG), grazed 20 × 30 m cells infested with saplings (500–533 · ha −1 ; mean: 0.8 m tall), either continuously for 6 d (low stocking density, LD) or with daily rotation through 10 × 10 m cells during the 6-d period (high stocking density, HD) in a block design. Feeding activity; juniper in feces; utilization of herbaceous vegetation; frequency of saplings with light, moderate, and heavy foliage and bark use; and branch utilization were determined. Goats in HD spent more time feeding on saplings, less time feeding on herbaceous forages, and tended to consume more juniper than goats in LD. Utilization of herbaceous vegetation ranged from 52% to 73% and was higher for MG than GA and for LD than HD. The MG–HD treatment resulted in the highest frequency of short saplings ( 1 m) saplings. Sapling mortality was not affected by treatments ( P > 0.05) and averaged 5% across treatments. Branch debarking was greater in spring ( P = 0.02) and explained approximately 80% of branch mortality and 62% and 52% of the reduction in sapling live crown height and volume. Branch utilization (percent length) was not affected by grazing treatments (range: 45–48%), but was influenced by the length and diameter of branches. This study suggests that high stocking density and mixed grazing stimulate feeding behaviors that increase utilization of juniper saplings by goats. Susceptibility of saplings to defoliation and debarking varies with sapling size, branch structure, and season. Targeted grazing in spring appears to have a greater impact on sapling suppression and branch mortality due to higher debarking frequency.

Safety and tolerability of rivastigmine transdermal patch compared with rivastigmine capsules in patients switched from donepezil: data from three clinical trials

To compare the safety and tolerability of switching patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease from donepezil to either rivastigmine capsule or transdermal patch. Three studies investigated the switch from donepezil to rivastigmine; study US13 was a 26-week, single-arm, immediate-switch study; US18 was a 26-week, sequential cohort study (both studies evaluated rivastigmine capsules 3-12 mg/day); study US38 was a 25-week, randomised, parallel-group, open-label study which investigated switch (immediate or after 7 days' withdrawal) from donepezil to rivastigmine transdermal patch (4.6 mg/24 hr). Safety outcomes included adverse events (AEs), discontinuations caused by AEs and serious AEs (SAEs). Patient groups receiving rivastigmine patch (n = 261) or capsules (n = 331) had mean +/- SD ages of 77.3 +/- 8.0 and 78.1 +/- 7.8 years, dementia durations of 3.9 +/- 2.6 and 3.6 +/- 2.2 years and Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 18.3 +/- 4.00 and 17.9 +/- 4.4 respectively. Overall, 184 (70.5%) and 276 (83.4%) patients experienced at least one AE, and 23 (8.8%) and 55 (16.6%) patients experienced an SAE with the rivastigmine patch and capsules respectively. Of the patients who experienced an AE, 10 (3.8%) and 109 (32.9%) experienced nausea, and 11 (4.2%) and 80 (24.1%) experienced vomiting with the rivastigmine patch and capsules respectively. Discontinuations because of AEs occurred in 64 (19.3%) patients receiving capsules and 38 (14.6%) patients in the transdermal patch group. The most common reasons for discontinuation with the transdermal patch were application site reaction and disease progression, and nausea and vomiting with the capsules. The rivastigmine transdermal patch appears to have better tolerability than rivastigmine capsules, with fewer gastrointestinal AEs and discontinuations because of these AEs. Simple daily rotation of patch location will likely reduce the frequency of skin reactions. This post hoc analysis was carried out by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Data for the analysis were collected from the US13 study (CENA713B US13), the US18 study (CENA713B US18) and the US38 study (CENA713D US38).