The results from this study demonstrate that age, height, playing for multiple teams, pitch velocity, and arm fatigue are clear risk factors for throwing arm injuries in adolescent baseball players. Pitches per game appears to be a risk factor for shoulder injuries. Other variables are either inconclusive or do not appear to be specific risk factors for injuries.
A fatal case of strychnine intoxication is reported. The patient expired despite early aggressive management and prevention of metabolic complications. Serial blood levels are reported. In contrast to a previous report describing first order elimination kinetics, our data suggest that strychnine follows Michaelis-Menton elimination kinetics. The case illustrates the rapid, dramatic course of severe strychnine ingestions. A review of the toxicokinetics, mechanism of action and treatment of strychnine intoxication follows.
A fourbar linkage test-bed has been designed, built, and instrumented to measure the effects of dynamic balancing, vibration isolation and system stiffness on the dynamic forces and torques generated at the pivot bearings and on the ground plane. The system was initially designed and modelled using the Aries solids modelling package, the ADAMS dynamic simulation package, program Dynafour, and ANSYS finite element analysis software. The theoretical dynamic forces and accelerations at particular points on the links were calculated in advance, based on the system kinematics and the mass properties of all moving members as defined by the Aries solids modeller. The device was built using accurate NC machining equipment. The finished assembly is instrumented with piezoelectric accelerometers and force transducers. The design allows three bivalent modalities of operation, unbalanced/dynamically balanced, stiff/compliant torque coupling, stiff/compliant motor mounts, all of which may be intermixed in various combinations. The assembly was run under all combinations of modalities and the dynamic forces and accelerations measured and transformed to the frequency domain. The results were subjected to an analysis of variance and compared to those of the theoretical model. The differences were statistically significant in all but a few cases. As expected, the compliances and clearances in the physical model created significantly larger dynamic accelerations, torques and forces on the bearings than was predicted theoretically by a rigid dynamic model. These increased forces will affect bearing and journal wear. This paper reports on the details of this experimental/theoretical study and draws some conclusions relevant to making design decisions applicable to similar mechanical devices. Work is continuing on the theoretical modelling of the system's nonlinearities as well as on measurement of the effects of bearing clearances on the vibration and modal behavior of the physical system.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate Iraq’s health facility preparedness for the surge of hospitalised cases associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we review pandemic preparedness at both general and tertiary hospitals throughout all districts of Iraq. COVID-19 pandemic preparedness, for the purpose of this review, is defined as: (1) staff to patient ratio, (2) personal protective equipment (PPE) to staff ratio, (3) infection control measures training and compliance and (4) laboratory and surveillance capacity. Despite the designation of facilities as COVID-19 referral hospitals, we did not find any increased preparedness with regard to staffing and PPE allocation. COVID-19 designated hospital reported an increased mean number of respiratory therapists as well as sufficient intensive care unit staff, but this did not reach significant levels. Non-COVID-19 facilities tended to have higher mean numbers of registered nurses, cleaning staff and laboratory staff, whereas the COVID-19 facilities were allocated additional N-95 masks (554.54 vs 147.76), gowns (226.72 vs 104.14) and boot coverings (170.48 vs 86.8) per 10 staff, but none of these differences were statistically significant. Though COVID-19 facilities were able to make increased requisitions for PPE supplies, all facility types reported unfulfilled requisitions, which is more likely a reflection of global storage rather than Iraq’s preparedness for the pandemic. Incorporating future pandemic preparedness into health system strengthening efforts across facilities, including supplies, staffing and training acquisition, retention and training, are critical to Iraq’s future success in mitigating the ongoing impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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