BACKGROUND Episodes of Emergency Department (ED) service use among older adults previously have not been constructed, or evaluated as multi-dimensional phenomena. In this study, we constructed episodes of ED service use among a cohort of older adults over a 15-year observation period, measured the episodes by severity and intensity, and compared these measures in predicting subsequent hospitali...

In this study, the effect of infrared (IR) on decontamination of Bacillus cereus in cardamom seeds were determined at difference IR radiation powers (100, 200, and 300 W), different sample distances from radiation source (5, 10 and 15 cm) and various holding times. The most successful reduction in B. cereus numbers (5.11 log CFU/g) was achieved after a holding time of 8 min at...

We report quasi-continuous-wave, cascaded Nd:GdVO(4) self-Raman lasers based on a secondary Raman transition at 382 cm(-1) for which the Raman gain was estimated to be 0.7 cm/GW. Laser output was obtained in the near-infrared at 1108 nm, 1156 nm and 1227 nm. By incorporating intracavity sum-frequency generation (SFG) or second-harmonic generation (SHG), high power output at four discrete visibl...

Besides the study on examining facet joints of lumbar spine by ultrasound in normal population, there has not been any related report about examining normal facet joints of lumbar spine by ultrasound so far. This study was aimed to explore the feasibility of ultrasound assessment of lumber spine facet joints by comparing ultrasound measure values of normal and degenerative lumber spine facet jo...

Information on the long-term effect of management practices on soil C and N stocks is lacking. An experiment was conducted from 2004 to 2011 in the northern Great Plains, USA to examine the effects of tillage, crop rotation, and cultural practice on annualized crop residue (stems + leaves) returned to the soil and grain yield, and soil total C (STC) and total N (STN) stocks at the 0-120 cm dept...

Kisspeptins (KPs) are major regulators of trophoblast and cancer invasion. Thus far, limited and conflicting data are available on KP-mediated modulation of breast cancer (BC) metastasis; mostly based on synthetic KP-10, the most active fragment of KP. Here, we report for the first time comprehensive functional effects of term placental KPs on proliferation, adhesion, Matrigel invasion, motilit...

Gassy and degassed aqueous solutions of DNA were treated ultrasonically while monitoring the field for discrate cavitation events. At irradiation intensities greater than about 500 W/cm 2, transient cavitation is shown to be responsible forthe observed reduction i molecular weight. At intensifies of200 to 288 W/cm 2, degradation of DNA was observed which did not depend upon transient cavitation.

The subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), excavate complex tunnel networks below the ground for foraging. The tunnels are either curved or meandering. In our previous study, results showed that termites passed smooth-rounded corners faster than they did around sharp corners. Smooth-rounded corners can be mathematically quantified by the curvature...