In the present study, noxious thermal stimulation of the skin with short pulses of CO2-laser radiation was used to identify a cutaneous nociceptive C fibre input to SI and investigate the organization of this input in halothane-nitrous oxide anaesthetized rats. Noxious CO2-laser stimulation of the glabrous skin of the hindpaw consistently evoked late surface positive field potentials in SI (averag

Recent studies indicate that the nociceptive withdrawal reflexes to individual muscles are evoked by separate reflex pathways. The present study examines whether nociceptive withdrawal reflexes to different muscles are subject to differential supraspinal control in rats. A distant noxious stimulus was used to activate a bulbospinal system which selectively inhibits ‘multireceptive’ neurons (i.e. n

The last decade has seen an expansion in initiatives promoting the development of special sex services oriented to people with disabilities, which in Europe are increasingly labelled ‘sexual assistance’. These have become the object of political and media attention, and arguably call for a critical analysis incorporating both disability and sex workers’ rights perspectives. Based on an 18-month em

The nature of urban risk and disasters is changing. Hazards are increasing in intensity and frequency and their causes and after-effects are becoming more complex. Their unpredictable nature and impacts have a significant bearing on the mental wellbeing, fear, and stress levels of those who experience them, and on those involved in disaster risk reduction and management. Despite this situation, th

Be it in prose or be it in poetry, Charles Bukowski proposes anarchic protagonists, critical of the Establishment and absorbed in writing. Muses are plenty, but the real fuel for inspiration is alcohol, especially beer. Epic in poetry, abrupt in prose, Bukowski is unflinchingly honest and self-demythologizing. His hedonism and drunkenness are masks put on his revolt against the world and his own f

Using a dislocation simulation approach, the basic equation for a crack perpendicular to a bimaterial interface is formulated in this paper. A novel expansion method is proposed for solving the problem. The complete solution for the problem, including the T stress ahead of the crack tip and the stress intensity factors are presented. The stress field characteristics are analyzed in detail. It is fUsing a dislocation simulation approach, the basic equation for a crack perpendicular to a bimaterial interface is formulated in this paper. A novel expansion method is proposed for solving the problem. The complete solution for the problem, including the T stress ahead of the crack tip and the stress intensity factors are presented. The stress field characteristics are analyzed in detail. It is f

Small ligaments connecting the fracture surfaces just behind a moving crack front are assumed to exist under certain conditions. The ligaments are rapidly torn as the crack advances. Inelastic straining of such ligaments influences the energy balance in the fracture process. The rapid tearing of a single ligament is studied both numerically and experimentally. An elastic visco-plastic material modSmall ligaments connecting the fracture surfaces just behind a moving crack front are assumed to exist under certain conditions. The ligaments are rapidly torn as the crack advances. Inelastic straining of such ligaments influences the energy balance in the fracture process. The rapid tearing of a single ligament is studied both numerically and experimentally. An elastic visco-plastic material mod

BACKGROUND: Many individuals with late effects of polio have difficulties participating in daily activities. The Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNL-I) is a self-report questionnaire that evaluates perceived participation, but knowledge of the test-retest reliability and measurement errors in this population is lacking.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the RNL-I in adults