Faster Rate Of Increase Research Articles

Anisotropy of Silica Aerogels Induced by Small Strain

We have performed optical birefringence measurements on isotropic aerogel samples grown with varying amounts of ammonia catalyst to determine the relationship between stress, strain, and transmitted light intensity, focusing on the regime of relatively small axial strain. We find that our samples exhibit a delayed onset of birefringence at ∼3 % strain, beyond which the transmitted intensity increases linearly, with a faster rate of increase for samples prepared with larger catalyst concentrations. We have also calculated the sound velocity from the slope of the stress-strain curve, and found an approximately linear increase with catalyst solution pH for samples of similar density. Samples of similar density also appear to exhibit a universal relationship between applied stress and transmitted intensity. We are not able to identify the mechanism for this unique behavior.

The major role of toxicology societies in global collaborations – a call to action

The major role of toxicology societies in global collaborations – a call to action

Evaluation of urine biomarkers of kidney injury in polycystic kidney disease

Progressive disruption of renal tubular integrity in the setting of increased cellular proliferation and apoptosis is a feature of ADPKD. Here we evaluated the effect of these processes on the expression of NGAL and IL-18, markers of tubular injury, in rodent models and in the cyst fluid and urine of patients with ADPKD. Two mouse models where Pkd2 was inactivated which resulted in early or adult onset cysts, were used to evaluate NGAL levels. Further, the Han:SPRD rat model of polycystic disease was used to study IL-18 levels. In four annual serial urine samples from 107 patients with ADPKD in the Consortium for Radiologic Imaging for the Study of Polycystic Kidney Disease (CRISP) study, NGAL and IL-18 excretion rates were determined in conjunction with measures of total kidney volume and estimated GFR (eGFR) by the MDRD equation. Kidneys from affected mice and rats showed prominent expression of NGAL and IL-18/IL-18R, respectively, in epithelial cells lining kidney cysts. In human ADPKD cyst fluid, both NGAL and IL-18 were elevated. In CRISP patients, the mean percentage increase in total kidney volume was 5.4 /year and the mean decline in eGFR 2.4 mL/min/year. The trend of increased mean urine NGAL and IL-18 over three years was statistically significant; however, there was no association of tertiles of IL-18 or quartiles of NGAL and the change in total kidney volume or eGFR over this period. Thus, urinary NGAL and IL-18 excretion are mildly and stably elevated in ADPKD, but do not correlate with changes in total kidney volume or kidney function. This may be due, in part, to the lack of communication between individual cysts and the urinary collecting system in this disorder.

Dynamics of chest wall volume regulation during constant work rate exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This study evaluated the dynamic behavior of total and compartmental chest wall volumes [(VCW) = rib cage (VRC) + abdomen (VAB)] as measured breath-by-breath by optoelectronic plethysmography during constant-load exercise in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thirty males (GOLD stages II-III) underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test to the limit of tolerance (Tlim) at 75% of peak work rate on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. Exercise-induced dynamic hyperinflation was considered to be present when end-expiratory (EE) VCW increased in relation to resting values. There was a noticeable heterogeneity in the patterns of VCW regulation as EEVCW increased non-linearly in 17/30 “hyperinflators” and decreased in 13/30 “non-hyperinflators” (P < 0.05). EEVAB decreased slightly in 8 of the “hyperinflators”, thereby reducing and slowing the rate of increase in end-inspiratory (EI) VCW (P < 0.05). In contrast, decreases in EEVCW in the “non-hyperinflators” were due to the combination of stable EEVRC with marked reductions in EEVAB. These patients showed lower EIVCW and end-exercise dyspnea scores but longer Tlim than their counterparts (P < 0.05). Dyspnea increased and Tlim decreased non-linearly with a faster rate of increase in EIVCW regardless of the presence or absence of dynamic hyperinflation (P < 0.001). However, no significant between-group differences were observed in metabolic, pulmonary gas exchange and cardiovascular responses to exercise. Chest wall volumes are continuously regulated during exercise in order to postpone (or even avoid) their migration to higher operating volumes in patients with COPD, a dynamic process that is strongly dependent on the behavior of the abdominal compartment.

A FRUIT RIPENING MODEL AND STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF BLUEBERRY

The rate of maturation and changes in percent soluble solids and rate of decay of three blueberry cultivars, ‘Blomidon’, ‘Northcountry’ and ‘Northland’, under two experimental conditions were studied. The cultivars reached berry maturity concurrently in about 10 to 26 days from immature green stage. Berry development from blue-pink to fully mature required about 3 to 6 days. The percent soluble solids was lower at the green fruit stage than other stages, ‘Blomidon’ was the lowest, reaching 7.3%. From first blue stage to mature, percent soluble solid increased, reaching 14.3%, with ‘Northcountry’ having the fastest rate of increase. Temperature affected the rate of increase in percent soluble solids and percent berry decay. ‘Northland’ had the highest decay after 12 days of storage at room temperature, 62.3%. The storage life of the three cultivars, from high to low, were in the order of ‘Northland’ > ‘Northcountry’ > ‘Blomidon’.

Assessment of changes in the area of the water conservation forest in the Qilian Mountains of China’s Gansu province, and the effects on water conservation

The Qilian Mountains water conservation forest in Gansu province is an important ecological barrier surrounding the oasis in China’s Hexi Corridor. The water they provide is the basis for the existence and sustainable socioeconomic development of those oases. As a result of unsustainable use of the water conservation forest until the 1980s, the oasis ecosystems of the Hexi region were seriously damaged, and the oasis areas experienced deterioration of their ecological environment. In this paper, Landsat images were used to monitor the temporal and spatial changes in area of water conservation in Qilian Mountains of China’s Gansu province and to assess the effect on water conservation by analyzed relationship between water conservation forest area, climatic data and hydrological data. The results showed that the forest covered 15.1% of the study area in 2007 and has followed different trends during the study period. From 1978 to 1990, the forest area decreased; however, from 1990 to 2007, the forest area increased, with a faster rate of increase from 1990 to 2000, and the rate of increase averaged 2,733.89 ha per year since 1990. The water conservation forest appears to play an important role in flood control, runoff regulation, the prevention of soil erosion, and water conservation; and these benefits increase with an increasing area of forest.

Delisting Policy Reform in South Korea: Failed or Policy Change?

ObjectivesThe sustainability of national health insurance in South Korea has been under threat because of the relative and absolute high expenditure on drugs and its fast rate of increase. According to this need, a Drug Expenditure Rationalization Plan (DERP) was enacted in late 2006, and a reevaluation project to delist drugs started in 2007 as one part of the DERP. MethodThis article follows the process of the delisting policy in Korea. It addresses the history of the policy implementation and its changes, content, and impact and suggests a more reasonable policy direction, thereby setting a helpful example for other countries. ResultsAfter a pilot reevaluation and the subsequent evaluation of a hypertension drug, the DERP fell into arrears as regards its original time line mainly because of the difficulties in developing methodologies and the government's inexperience in managing a megascale reevaluation project. The confusion and conflicts during the evaluation became a major burden on the government and society. Finally, the government changed the framework of the delisting policy from reevaluation based on cost-effectiveness to across-the-board price reductions aiming at the quick attainment of financial savings and minimizing conflict between the government and stakeholders. ConclusionsThe government should lead the project with a more consistent and sustainable assessment framework of cost-effectiveness as the tool for the rational allocation of health resources, providing strong leadership and political will and a far-sighted view rather than focusing on compromise with special interest groups. In addition, development of more practical and multidimensional evaluation methodology is needed.

Abstract 284: Real Time Blood Pressure Dynamics During Fluid Resuscitation Predict 6-Hour Survival in a Swine Model of Polytrauma with Uncontrolled Hemorrhage

Objective: Blood pressure responses to fluid resuscitation during trauma can reflect blood loss and shock severity. We examine early blood pressure responses to fluid resuscitation to test the hypothesis that rapid blood pressure dynamics during trauma resuscitation may also predict longer-term survival. Methods: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) during the initial fluid resuscitation was abstracted from a study using an anesthetized swine model of traumatic brain injury and catheter/free hemorrhage by aortic tear. Animals were hemorrhaged to MAP=30mmHg for 15 minutes prior to resuscitation. Lactated Ringers (LR, 20ml/kg) or a Hemoglobin-based Oxygen Carrier (HBOC, 10ml/kg) was then given over 10 minutes and repeated every 15 minutes thereafter for MAP &lt; 60mmHg for up to 105 minutes. The aortic tear was then repaired and the animal further resuscitated using Normal Saline and shed blood to predefined criteria for up to 6 hours. Serial invasive MAP measurements recorded in 5 minute intervals over the first 15 minutes of fluid infusion were correlated with blood loss and survival time. MAP dynamics as predictors of 6 hour survivorship were examined by nominal logistic regression. Results: 50% of animals (7/14) survived to 6 hours. There were no differences in initial MAP responses between LR and HBOC groups (p=0.85). Survivors demonstrated a more rapid and prolonged positive blood pressure response to the initial fluid bolus by a higher MAP at 5 minutes of fluid infusion (43.1 mmHg vs. 34.7 mmHg in nonsurvivors, T-test, p value=0.04) and a faster rate of increase (survivors = 3.0 mmHg/min vs. nonsurvivors= 1.4mmHg/min, Wilcoxon p value= 0.0008). MAP was sustained in survivors after the initial fluid infusion ended, but immediately declined in nonsurvivors. MAP increase was associated with total survival time (R=0.77, p=0.0012). A MAP rate of increase of at least 2.2mmHg/min over the first 5 minutes of fluid resuscitation predicted survival to 6 hours with 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity (AUC= 0.93, p&lt; 0.0001). There was no association between blood pressure response and intraperitoneal hemorrhage volume. Conclusion: In this swine model, very early resuscitation MAP dynamics predicted longer-term survival and may reflect retained physiological reserve.

Monitoring Urban Sprawl Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques of a Fast Growing Urban Centre, India

India's urban population has grown tremendously in the last four decades from 79 million in 1961 to 285 million in 2001. This fast rate of increase in urban population is mainly due to large scale migration of people from rural and smaller towns to bigger cities in search of better employment opportunities and good life style. This rapid population pressure has resulted in unplanned growth in the urban areas to accommodate these migrant people which in turn leads to urban sprawl. It is a growing problematic aspect of metropolitan and bigger city's growth and development in recent years in India. Urban sprawl has resulted in loss of productive agricultural lands, open green spaces, loss of surface water bodies and depletion of ground water. Therefore, there is a need to study, understand and quantify the urban sprawl. In this paper an attempt has been made to use Shannon's entropy model to assess urban sprawl using IRS P-6 data and topographic sheet in GIS environment for one of the fastest growing city of South India and its surrounding area. The built-up area of the city has increased from 135 km <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> in 1971 to 370 km <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> in 2005. The study shows that there is a remarkable urban sprawl in and around the twin city between 1971 and 2005 because 215 km <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> of agricultural land has lost to built-up land during this period. As a result the urban ecosystem has changed in the last four decades.

Effect of Aqueous Cream BP on human stratum corneum in vivo

Aqueous Cream BP is widely prescribed to patients with eczema to relieve skin dryness. The formulation contains sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), a chemical that is a known skin irritant and a commonly used excipient in personal care and household products. The chronic effects of Aqueous Cream BP application on skin barrier function have not been determined. To characterize and assess skin barrier function of healthy skin after application of Aqueous Cream BP and to study the physical effects of the formulation on the stratum corneum (SC). The left and right volar forearms of six human volunteers were each separated into treated and control sides. The treated sides of each forearm were subjected to twice daily applications of Aqueous Cream BP for 4 weeks at the end of which concomitant tape stripping and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements were made. The untreated sides of the forearms were not exposed to any products containing SLS during the study period. Changes in SC thickness, baseline TEWL and rate of increase in TEWL during tape stripping were observed in skin treated with Aqueous Cream BP. The mean decrease in SC thickness was 1·1 μm (12%) (P = 0·0015) and the mean increase in baseline TEWL was 2·5 g m⁻² h⁻¹ (20%) (P < 0·0001). Reduced SC thickness and an increase in baseline TEWL, as well as a faster rate of increase in TEWL during tape stripping, were observed in 16 out of 27 treated skin sites. The application of Aqueous Cream BP, containing ∼1% SLS, reduced the SC thickness of healthy skin and increased its permeability to water loss. These observations call into question the continued use of this emollient on the already compromised barrier of eczematous skin.

The therapeutics of lifestyle management on obesity

The global incidence and prevalence of obesity continue to increase, with the fastest rate of increase in the developing world. Obesity is associated with many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Weight loss can reduce the risk of developing these diseases and can be achieved by means of surgery, pharmacotherapy and lifestyle interventions. Lifestyle interventions for prevention and treatment of obesity include diet, exercise and psychological interventions. All lifestyle interventions have a modest but significant effect on weight loss, but there is little evidence to indicate that any one intervention is more effective. There is evidence of an additive effect for adjunct therapy, and the combination of diet, exercise and behavioural interventions appears to be most effective for both the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Colloquium paper: how grandmother effects plus individual variation in frailty shape fertility and mortality: guidance from human-chimpanzee comparisons.

In the first paper to present formal theory explaining that senescence is a consequence of natural selection, W. D. Hamilton concluded that human postmenopausal longevity results from the contributions of ancestral grandmothers to the reproduction of their relatives. A grandmother hypothesis, subsequently elaborated with additional lines of evidence, helps explain both exceptional longevity and additional features of life history that distinguish humans from the other great apes. However, some of the variation observed in aging rates seems inconsistent with the tradeoffs between current and future reproduction identified by theory. In humans and chimpanzees, our nearest living relatives, individuals who bear offspring at faster rates do not cease bearing sooner. They continue to be fertile longer instead. Furthermore, within both species, groups with lower overall mortality rates have faster rates of increase in death risk with advancing age. These apparent contradictions to the expected life history tradeoffs likely result from heterogeneity in frailty among individuals. Whereas robust and frail alike must allocate investments between current and future reproduction, the more robust can afford more of both. This heterogeneity, combined with evolutionary tradeoffs and the key role of ancestral grandmothers they identify, helps explain aspects of human aging that increasingly concern us all.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety, and change in body mass index from adolescence to adulthood: results from a British birth cohort

Depression and anxiety have been shown to be associated with obesity and underweight, but little is known about how the relationship varies across the life course, from adolescence through adulthood. We aimed to investigate the association between adolescent- and adult-onset affective symptoms and body mass index (BMI) change from age 15 to 53 years. We used data from a British birth cohort born in 1946 and followed up ever since. The relationship between affective symptom profiles, distinguishing adolescent-onset and adult-onset symptoms, and BMI change from adolescence to age 53 years was investigated using multilevel models. Women with adolescent-onset symptoms had lower mean BMI at age 15 years, faster rates of increase across adulthood, and higher BMI at age 53 years than those with no symptoms. Men with adolescent-onset symptoms had lower BMI at all ages from 15 to 53 years. The BMI trajectories of men and women with adult-onset symptoms did not differ from those with absence of symptoms at all ages. The relationship between affective symptoms and change in BMI varies by sex and age at onset of symptoms. Adolescence may be an important period for the development of the association between affective symptoms and weight gain in girls. Intervention to prevent increases in BMI across adult life in women with adolescent-onset symptoms, even if they are not overweight at this age, should be considered.

Diabetic kidney disease: Act now or pay later

The 21st century has the most diabetogenic environment in human history with the number of people with diabetes worldwide increasing to 380 million by 2025. The fastest rate of increase will be in developing countries. Diabetes is now the major cause of end-stage kidney disease globally; 20%-40% of people on dialysis are diabetic. In Australia, the number of people with type 2 diabetes starting dialysis increased fivefold between 1993 and 2007. We must act now at local, national and international levels to prevent type 2 diabetes; screen for early diabetic kidney disease; increase public awareness of kidney disease; treat with medications proven to reduce kidney disease progression; and promote research into and trialling of new therapies. The problem is global yet requires local action. World Kidney Day on 11 March 2010 is a time to intensify action on diabetic kidney disease and to continue to do so until this huge but largely preventable health burden is controlled.

Diabetic kidney disease: act now or pay later

The 21st century has the most diabetogenic environment in human history with the number of people with diabetes worldwide increasing to 380 million by 2025. The fastest rate of increase will be in developing countries. Diabetes is now the major cause of end-stage kidney disease globally; 20%-40% of people on dialysis are diabetic. In Australia, the number of people with type 2 diabetes starting dialysis increased fivefold between 1993 and 2007. We must act now at local, national and international levels to prevent type 2 diabetes; screen for early diabetic kidney disease; increase public awareness of kidney disease; treat with medications proven to reduce kidney disease progression; and promote research into and trialling of new therapies. The problem is global yet requires local action. World Kidney Day on 11 March 2010 is a time to intensify action on diabetic kidney disease and to continue to do so until this huge but largely preventable health burden is controlled.

Statistical Interpretation of Climate Change in Seoul, Korea, over the Last 98 Years

I conducted extensive analyses of daily weather data of precipitation and temperature monitored from the Surface Synoptic Meteorological Station in Seoul from 1 October 1907 to 31 December 2009 to understand how the climate is changing and the ecological implications for Seoul, Korea. Statistical analyses of the data, including the lengths of seasons and growing degree-days (GDD), showed a clear warming trend in the Seoul area over the study period. The mean daily temperature in Seoul increased by 2.40°C over the period of one hundred years, which was about three times faster than the global trend and it was striking to notice that mean daily temperature in Seoul in recent 30 years was increasing with the rate of 5.50°C per hundred years, which is an extremely fast rate of increase in temperature. In the last 100 years, an increase in the number of summer days was apparent, coupled with a reduction in the average number of winter days for about 27 to 28 days based on the analysis of mean daily temperature. Although the lengths of spring and autumn have not changed significantly over the century, early initiations of spring and late onsets of autumn were quite apparent. Total annual precipitation significantly increased at the rate of 2.67 mm/year over the last 100 years, a trend not apparent if the analysis is confined to periods of 30 to 40 years. The information has the potential to be used not only for better understanding of ecological processes and hydrology in the area, but also for the sustainable management of ecosystems and environment in the region.

Diabetic Kidney Disease: Act Now or Pay Later

The 21st century has the most diabetogenic environment in human history with the number of people with diabetes worldwide increasing to 380 million by 2025. The fastest rate of increase will be in developing countries. Diabetes is now the major cause of end-stage kidney disease globally; 20%-40% of people on dialysis are diabetic. In Australia, the number of people with type 2 diabetes starting dialysis increased fivefold between 1993 and 2007. We must act now at local, national and international levels to prevent type 2 diabetes; screen for early diabetic kidney disease; increase public awareness of kidney disease; treat with medications proven to reduce kidney disease progression; and promote research into and trialling of new therapies. The problem is global yet requires local action. World Kidney Day on 11 March 2010 is a time to intensify action on diabetic kidney disease and to continue to do so until this huge but largely preventable health burden is controlled.

Diabetic kidney disease: act now or pay later

The 21st century has the most diabetogenic environment in human history with the number of people with diabetes worldwide increasing to 380 million by 2025. The fastest rate of increase will be in developing countries. Diabetes is now the major cause of end-stage kidney disease globally; 20%-40% of people on dialysis are diabetic. In Australia, the number of people with type 2 diabetes starting dialysis increased fivefold between 1993 and 2007. We must act now at local, national and international levels to prevent type 2 diabetes; screen for early diabetic kidney disease; increase public awareness of kidney disease; treat with medications proven to reduce kidney disease progression; and promote research into and trialling of new therapies. The problem is global yet requires local action. World Kidney Day on 11 March 2010 is a time to intensify action on diabetic kidney disease and to continue to do so until this huge but largely preventable health burden is controlled.

Diabetic kidney disease: Act now or pay later

aFor the 2010 International Society of Nephrology/International Federation of Kidney Foundations World Kidney Day Steering Committee bInternational Diabetes Federation

Diabetic kidney disease: Act now or pay later

The 21st century has the most diabetogenic environment in human history with the number of people with diabetes worldwide increasing to 380 million by 2025. The fastest rate of increase will be in developing countries. Diabetes is now the major cause of end-stage kidney disease globally; 20%-40% of people on dialysis are diabetic. In Australia, the number of people with type 2 diabetes starting dialysis increased fivefold between 1993 and 2007. We must act now at local, national and international levels to prevent type 2 diabetes; screen for early diabetic kidney disease; increase public awareness of kidney disease; treat with medications proven to reduce kidney disease progression; and promote research into and trialling of new therapies. The problem is global yet requires local action. World Kidney Day on 11 March 2010 is a time to intensify action on diabetic kidney disease and to continue to do so until this huge but largely preventable health burden is controlled.