BACKGROUND Social exclusion of the elderly is a key policy focus but evidence on the processes linking health and social exclusion is hampered by the variety of ways that health is used in social exclusion research. We investigated longitudinal associations between health and social exclusion using an analytical framework that did not conflate them. METHODS Data employed in this study came fr...

BACKGROUND Selecting appropriate controls for studies of genetic variation in case series is important. The two major candidates involve the use of blood donors or a random sample of the population. METHODS We compare and contrast the two different populations of controls for studies of genetic variation using data from parents enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (...

PURPOSE Sinusoidal gradient oscillations in the kilohertz range are proposed for position tracking of NMR probes and prospective motion correction for arbitrary imaging sequences without any alteration of sequence timing. The method is combined with concurrent field monitoring to robustly perform image reconstruction in the presence of potential dynamic field deviations. METHODS Benchmarking ...

A highly integrated 40 Gbit/s coherent optical receiver is reported using a Costas loop as a homodyne optical phase locked loop (OPLL). A photonic IC, an electrical IC, and a hybrid loop filter are characterized, and the feedback loop system is fully analyzed to build a stable homodyne OPLL. All components are integrated on a single substrate within the compact size of 10 × 10mm(2), and a 1.1 G...

Equations describing the motion of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum, which has both a longitudinal and a transverse flagellum, were formulated and examined using numerical calculations based on hydrodynamic resistive force theory. The calculations revealed that each flagellum has its own function in cell locomotion. The transverse flagellum works as a propelling device that provides the ...

OBJECTIVE To analyze factors associated with fusion using allogeneic bone spacers for midline splitting cervical laminoplasty (MSCL). METHODS During April 2012 and September 2013, seventeen patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) or ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) underwent MSCL with allogeneic bone spacers by a single surgeon. Mean follow up periods was 11....

OBJECTIVE There are also few studies demonstrating the relationship between ossification of nuchal ligament (ONL) and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). We compared the prevalence, location, and type of OPLL between patients with ONL and matched patients without ONL.We also compared the bone mineral densities (BMDs) between the 2 groups. METHODS total of 124 cervical ONL ...

The authors described 21 patients aged 37 to 83 with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (10 with ischemic myelopathy, 6 with aftermaths of a trauma of the cervical spine, and 5 with the radicular syndrome on the basis of vertebral osteochondrosis. X-ray signs of three types of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament were defined and specified: linear, curved and mix...

BACKGROUND Heavy alcohol use during pregnancy can cause considerable developmental problems for children, but effects of light-moderate drinking are uncertain. This study examined possible effects of moderate drinking in pregnancy on children's conduct problems using a Mendelian randomisation design to improve causal inference. METHODS A prospective cohort study (ALSPAC) followed children fro...

BACKGROUND The posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) has been found to be a reliable measure of the acoustic target window for lumbar spinal anaesthesia and a predictive tool for difficult spinals. Currently, there is limited information on the PLL in the thoracic spine and its potential use for optimizing the acoustic target window during thoracic epidural placement. This study examined the ef...