In this research, the structural behavior of timber and concrete sleepers in a standard railway turnout is evaluated, in the case of raising speed. In approaching this evaluation, current practices in the structural analysis of sleepers are surveyed and then, the sensitivity analysis with ABAQUS software is made based on selected criteria (bending and shear stresses as well as contact pressure)...

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies show a curvilinear relationship between inadequate sleep (< 7 or > 8 hours) and obesity (Body Mass Index > 30 kg/m2), which have enormous public health impact. METHODS Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing nationally representative cross-sectional study of non-institutionalized US adults (≥18 years) (1977 through 2009), we examined t...

OBJECTIVE Both the incidence and the prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in elderly patients are increasing worldwide. Elderly ESRD patients have been found to be more prone to depression than the general population. There are many studies that have addressed the relationship between sleep quality (SQ), depression, and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in ESRD patients, but previo...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Poor sleep quality (SQ) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Additionally, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. However, no sufficient data regarding the relationship between ADMA levels and SQ have been reported. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the association betw...

Much of the biogeochemical cycling research in catchments in the past 25 years has been driven by acid deposition research funding. This research has focused on vulnerable base-poor systems; catchments on alkaline lithologies have received little attention. In regions of high acid loadings, however, even well-buffered catchments are susceptible to forest decline and episodes of low alkalinity i...

INTRODUCTION Sleep duration, chronotype and social jetlag have been associated with body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity. The optimal sleep duration regarding BMI has previously been found to be 7-8 hours, but these studies have not been carried out in the subarctic or have lacked some central variables. The aims of our study were to examine the associations between sleep variables and b...

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the relationship between subjective complaints and polysomnographical parameters in psychosomatic patients. METHOD A convenience sample of patients from a psychosomatic inpatient unit were classified according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as very poor sleepers (PSQI >10, n=80) and good sleepers (PSQI <6, n=19). They then underwent a polysomnography and i...

Data from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have illustrated a relationship between short sleep duration (SSD) and weight gain. Individuals with SSD are heavier and gain more weight over time than normal-duration sleepers. This sleep-obesity relationship may have consequences for obesity treatments, as it appears that short sleepers have reduced ability to lose weight. Laboratory-based c...

Although previous research indicates that sleep architecture is largely intact in primary insomnia (PI), the spectral content of the sleeping electroencephalographic trace and measures of brain metabolism suggest that individuals with PI are physiologically more aroused than good sleepers. Such observations imply that individuals with PI may not experience the full deactivation of sensory and c...