Biomedical subjects

Todd Kuiken

Publications and source records attributed to Todd Kuiken.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Change of dissolved gaseous mercury concentrations in a southern reservoir lake (Tennessee) following seasonal variation of solar radiation.

A 12-month field study was conducted consecutively from June 2003 to May 2004 to quantify temporal variations of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) concentrations in Cane Creek Lake, a southern reservoir lake (Cookeville, TN). Diurnal changes of DGM concentrations in two periods (morning increase vs afternoon decrease with an around-noon peak) were observed, and the changes closely followed daily solar radiation variation trends. The diurnal patterns prevailed in the late spring and summer, but became vague in the late fall and winter. The monthly mean DGM concentrations peaked at 40.8 pg L(-1) in July and reached the lowest at 14.2 pg L(-1) in December and 21.9 pg L(-1) in January; this DGM concentration change closely followed the monthly mean solar radiation variation trend. The increase of the lake DGM concentration from January to July and its decrease from July to December mirror the typical daily rhythm of DGM concentration variations in the two periods. This finding supports the following hypothesis: The natural phenomenon of daily oscillation of freshwater DGM concentrations that follows diurnal solar radiation variation would manifest on a seasonal scale. High DGM concentrations were found in the spring and summer and low in the fall and winter (seasonal mean: 34.2, 37.5, 20.0, 24.4 pg L(-1), respectively). This seems to suggest an annual occurrence of two periods of the seasonal DGM level fluctuation (spring and summer high vs fall and winter low DGM levels). Linear relationships of the monthly mean DGM concentrations were found with the monthly mean global solar radiation (R2 = 0.82, P < 0.05) and UVA radiation (R2 = 0.84, P < 0.05). Linear relationships of the seasonal mean DGM concentrations were also found with the seasonal mean global solar radiation (R2 = 0.85, P = 0.08) and UVA radiation (R2 = 0.93, P < 0.05).

Gases↗

PubMed2006

Targeted reinnervation for improved prosthetic function.

Target motor reinnervation can produce additional myoelectric control signals for improved powered prosthesis control. This reinnervation allows simultaneous operation of multiple functions in an externally powered prosthesis with physiologically appropriate pathways, and it provides more intuitive control than is possible with conventional myoelectric prostheses. Target sensory reinnervation has the potential to provide the sensory feed-back to the amputee that feels like it is in the missing limb. This concept has great potential for improving the function of people with upper limb amputations, especially for high-level amputations, in which the disability is greatest. It is hoped that future research will develop the technique further and build synergistically with other exciting research areas.

Amputation, Surgical↗

PubMed2005

Diurnal variation of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) levels in a southern reservoir lake (Tennessee, USA) in relation to solar radiation.

Variations of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) concentrations in a southern reservoir lake (Cane Creek Lake, Cookeville, TN, USA) in relation to solar radiation were investigated consecutively from June 2003 to May 2004. The daytime DGM levels in the lake exhibited a two-phase diurnal trend; the DGM concentrations rose in the morning, peaked around noontime and then fell in the afternoon through the evening; these trends followed the general pattern of diurnal solar radiation variations. The morning and afternoon phases appeared to be asymmetrical with the former relatively steep and the latter gradual. A variety of daytime DGM level variations other than the typical two-phase diurnal patterns were also observed. For the time spans studied, the daytime mean DGM concentrations of the lake ranged from 12 to 68 pg L(-1) (60-340 fM). The daytime mean DGM levels in the summertime (June, July, August) showed values above 30 pg L(-1) (150 fM) in most cases and a large number of peak DGM concentrations above 50 pg L(-1) (250 fM). The summer DGM levels in the lake appear to be comparable to those observed in the large northern lakes for the summertime. The daytime DGM levels in the lake were found to correlate with solar radiation to various degrees (cases of r values above 0.8: approximately 12% and approximately 18% of the total sampling days for correlation with global solar radiation and UVA radiation, respectively). Correlating trends are recognizable between the daytime mean DGM concentration and the corresponding mean global solar radiation (r = 0.66, p < 0.0005) and between the daytime mean DGM concentration and the corresponding mean UVA radiation (r = 0.62, p < 0.0005).

Environmental Monitoring↗

PubMed2005

Biofeedback in the treatment of phantom limb pain: a time-series analysis.

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a noxious, painful sensation that is perceived to occur in an amputated limb. It has been reported to occur in up to 85% of amputees. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of biofeedback in the treatment of nine individuals with PLP who received up to seven thermal/autogenic biofeedback sessions over the course of 4-6 weeks. Pain was assessed daily using the visual analog scale (VAS), the sum of the sensory descriptors, and the sum of the affective descriptors of the McGill short form. Interrupted time-series analytical models were created for each of the participants, allowing biofeedback sessions to be modeled as discrete interventions. Analyses of the VAS revealed that a 20% pain reduction was seen in five of the nine patients in the weeks after session 4, and that at least a 30% pain reduction (range: 25-66%) was seen in six of the seven patients in the weeks following session 6. Sensory descriptors of pain decreased more than the affective pain descriptors. These preliminary results provide some support for the use of biofeedback in the treatment of PLP and indicate the need for further, definitive study.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗

PubMed2005

Airborne emissions of mercury from municipal solid waste. I: new measurements from six operating landfills in Florida.

Mercury-bearing material enters municipal landfills from a wide array of sources, including fluorescent lights, batteries, electrical switches, thermometers, and general waste; however, the fate of mercury (Hg) in landfills has not been widely studied. Using automated flux chambers and downwind atmospheric sampling, we quantified the primary pathways of Hg vapor releases to the atmosphere at six municipal landfill operations in Florida. These pathways included landfill gas (LFG) releases from active vent systems, passive emissions from landfill surface covers, and emissions from daily activities at each working face (WF). We spiked the WF at two sites with known Hg sources; these were readily detected downwind, and were used to test our emission modeling approaches. Gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(O)) was released to the atmosphere at readily detectable rates from all sources measured; rates ranged from approximately 1-10 ng m(-2) hr(-1) over aged landfill cover, from approximately 8-20 mg/hr from LFG flares (LFG included Hg(O) at microg/m3 concentrations), and from approximately 200-400 mg/hr at the WF. These fluxes exceed our earlier published estimates. Attempts to identify specific Hg sources in excavated and sorted waste indicated few readily identifiable sources; because of effective mixing and diffusion of Hg(O), the entire waste mass acts as a source. We estimate that atmospheric Hg releases from municipal landfill operations in the state of Florida are on the order of 10-50 kg/yr, substantially larger than our original estimates, but still a small fraction of current overall anthropogenic losses.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2005

Airborne emissions of mercury from municipal solid waste. II: potential losses of airborne mercury before landfill.

Waste distribution and compaction at the working face of municipal waste landfills releases mercury vapor (Hg(o)) to the atmosphere, as does the flaring of landfill gas. Waste storage and processing before its addition to the landfill also has the potential to release Hg(o) to the air if it is initially present or formed by chemical reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(o) within collected waste. We measured the release of Hg vapor to the atmosphere during dumpster and transfer station activities and waste storage before landfilling at a municipal landfill operation in central Florida. We also quantified the potential contribution of specific Hg-bearing wastes, including mercury (Hg) thermometers and fluorescent bulbs, and searched for primary Hg sources in sorted wastes at three different landfills. Surprisingly large fluxes were estimated for Hg losses at transfer facilities (approximately 100 mg/hr) and from dumpsters in the field (approximately 30 mg/hr for 1000 dumpsters), suggesting that Hg emissions occurring before landfilling may constitute a significant fraction of the total emission from the disposal/landfill cycle and a need for more measurements on these sources. Reducing conditions of landfill burial were obviously not needed to generate strong Hg(o) signals, indicating that much of the Hg was already present in a metallic (Hg(o)) form. Attempts to identify specific Hg sources in excavated and sorted waste indicated few readily identifiable sources; because of effective mixing and diffusion of Hg(o), the entire waste mass acts as a source. Broken fluorescent bulbs and thermometers in dumpsters emitted Hg(o) at 10 to >100 microg/hr and continued to act as near constant sources for several days.

Air Pollutants↗