CASE STUDIES OF RADON REDUCTION RESEARCH IN 13 SCHOOL BUILDINGS

EPA Science Inventory

The report details 13 case studies covering radon mitigation research in school buildings from 1990 to 1992. The 13 schools are in Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, and the State of Washington. Diagnostics were carried out in all of these schools, and s...

The Development of Employability Skills in Novice Workers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Erica; Comyn, Paul

This research study attempts to determine how teenage workers develop their employability skills in their first formal jobs. Case studies were carried out in 12 Australian enterprises of varying sizes and drawn from different industry areas. In each case study the following staff were interviewed: senior managers and/or human resources management…

A Case Study on Pre-Service Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Cognitive-Metacognitive Behaviours in Mathematical Modelling Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagirli, Meryem Özturan

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to investigate pre-service secondary mathematics teachers' cognitive-metacognitive behaviours during the mathematical problem-solving process considering class level. The study, in which the case study methodology was employed, was carried out with eight pre-service mathematics teachers, enrolled at a university in…

[Herpetological data and management of ophidian envenomation at university hospitals in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire].

PubMed

Djohan, V; Menan, E I H; Yavo, W; Barro, P C K; Vanga, H; Dempah, J A; N'Dri, D K; Mignonsin, D; Akaffou, M H; Koné, K

2010-02-01

This study was carried in the intensive care units of Abidjan university hospitals and in the herpetology department of Pasteur Institute between January 2001 and April 2003. The purpose was to identify ophidian species that were dangerous for man and to document cases of snakebite in Abidjan. The study was carried out in two phases, i.e., collection and identification of snake species followed by review of case records involving snake envenomation at Cocody and Treichville university hospitals. A total of 5 snake families, 14 genera and 17 species including some that were dangerous for man were identified. All species except Naja nigricollis live in forest areas. Most snakebites led to simple clinical signs that regressed within 72 hours with only symptomatic treatment. However, a few cases required immunotherapy. Traditional methods of snakebite treatment were used for first line treatment in 50% of cases.

Security awareness for public bus transportation : case studies of attacks against the Israeli public bus system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-03-01

This report presents 16 case studies of attacks planned or carried out against Israeli bus targets, along with statistical data on the number, frequency, and lethality of attacks against bus targets that have taken place in Israel since 1970 and duri...

Adolescents Who Carry Weapons to School: A Review of Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkenbine, Ryan D.; Dwyer, R. Gregg

2006-01-01

Multiple self-report surveys have collected data about weapons in school. This record review study considers characteristics of 47 adolescents adjudicated for carrying weapons at school and provides a descriptive analysis against a comparison group of 37 juveniles with other offenses. Demographics, weapon type, legal history, prior school…

Study Habits and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Mathematic: A Case Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Uyo Local Education Council

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakirudeen, Abisola Oladeni; Sanni, Kudirat Bimbo

2017-01-01

The study examined study habits and academic performance of secondary school students in Mathematics. A case study of selected secondary schools in Uyo Local Education Council. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between study habits and academic performance of secondary school students in Mathematics. To carry out…

Giving women their own case notes to carry during pregnancy.

PubMed

Brown, Heather C; Smith, Helen J; Mori, Rintaro; Noma, Hisashi

2015-10-14

In many countries women are given their own case notes to carry during pregnancy to increase their sense of control over, and satisfaction with, their care. To evaluate the effects of giving women their own case notes to carry during pregnancy. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 August 2015) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials of women given their own case notes to carry during pregnancy. Two review authors independently applied the inclusion criteria and assessed study quality. One review author extracted data from the included studies using a standard form (checked by second review author). We assessed estimates of effect using risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Four trials were included (n = 1176 women). Overall, the quality of the evidence was graded as low to moderate mainly due to the nature of the intervention not allowing blinding. The updated search identified one cluster-randomised trial, which was included.Women carrying their own notes were more likely to feel in control (two trials, RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.06; 450 women; moderate quality evidence), although there is no evidence of difference in women's satisfaction (two trials, average RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.29); 698 women; low quality evidence). More women in the case notes group wanted to carry their own notes in a subsequent pregnancy (three trials, RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.57 to 2.03; 552 women; low quality evidence). Overall, the pooled estimate of the two trials (n = 347) that reported on the risk of notes lost or left at home was not significant (average RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.84). There was no evidence of difference for health-related behaviours (cigarette smoking and breastfeeding (moderate quality evidence)), analgesia needs during labour (low quality evidence), maternal depression, miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal deaths (moderate quality evidence). More women in the case notes group had operative deliveries (one trial, RR 1.83, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.12; 212 women), and caesarean sections (one trial, average RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.08; 501 women; moderate quality evidence). The four trials are small, and not all of them reported on all outcomes. The results suggest that there are both potential benefits (increased maternal control and increased availability of antenatal records during hospital attendance) and harms (more operative deliveries). Importantly, all of the trials report that more women in the case notes group would prefer to carry their antenatal records in another pregnancy. There is insufficient evidence on health-related behaviours (smoking and breastfeeding), women's satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. It is important to emphasise that this review shows a lack of evidence of benefit rather than evidence of no benefit.

Case Study of a Participatory Health-Promotion Intervention in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simovska, Venka

2012-01-01

This article discusses the findings from a case study focusing on processes involving pupils to bring about health-promotion changes. The study is related to an EU intervention project aiming to promote health and well-being among children (4-16 years). Qualitative research was carried out in a school in the Netherlands. Data sources include…

National Case-Control Study of Homicide Offending and Methamphetamine Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stretesky, Paul B.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between methamphetamine use and homicide. To carry out this study, data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities were combined to create a case-control design. The main exposure measure is methamphetamine use and the…

Cross-Border Collaboration in History among Nordic Students: A Case Study about Creating Innovative ICT Didactic Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spante, Maria; Karlsen, Asgjerd Vea; Nortvig, Anne-Mette; Christiansen, Rene B.

2014-01-01

Gränsöverskridande Nordisk Undervisning/Utdanelse (GNU, meaning Cross-Border Nordic Education), the larger Nordic project, under which this case study was carried out, aims at developing innovative, cross-border teaching models in different subject domains in elementary school, including mathematics, language, science, social studies and history.…

Contribution of the private sector healthcare service providers to malaria diagnosis in a prevention of re-introduction setting.

PubMed

Fernando, Sumadhya Deepika; Dharmawardana, Priyani; Epasinghe, Geethanee; Senanayake, Niroshana; Rodrigo, Chaturaka; Premaratne, Risintha; Wickremasinghe, Rajitha

2016-10-18

Sri Lanka is currently in the prevention of re-introduction phase of malaria. The engagement of the private sector health care institutions in malaria surveillance is important. The purpose of the study was to determine the number of diagnostic tests carried out, the number of positive cases identified and the referral system for diagnosis in the private sector and to estimate the costs involved. This prospective study of private sector laboratories within the Colombo District of Sri Lanka was carried out over a 6-month period in 2015. The management of registered private sector laboratories was contacted individually and the purpose of the study was explained. A reporting format was developed and introduced for monthly reporting. Forty-one laboratories were eligible to be included in the study and 28 participated by reporting data on a monthly basis. Excluding blood bank samples and routine testing for foreign employment, malaria diagnostic tests were carried out on 973 individuals during the 6-month period and nine malaria cases were identified. In 2015, a total of 36 malaria cases were reported from Sri Lanka. Of these, 24 (67 %) were diagnosed in the Colombo District and 50 % of them were diagnosed in private hospitals. An equal number of cases were diagnosed from the private sector and government sector in the Colombo District in 2015. The private sector being a major contributor in the detection of imported malaria cases in the country should be actively engaged in the national malaria surveillance system.

Implementation at the School Building Level: The Development and Analysis of Nine Mini-Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Gene; And Others

As part of a district-wide longitudinal study of the implementation of a science curriculum innovation, researchers developed case studies of a sample of nine elementary schools in the Jefferson County School District, a large suburban system in Colorado. The study applied the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, which assumes that change is carried out…

[Interest of upper digestive tract study preoperatively to prevent in patients carrying a gastric ban. About two cases].

PubMed

Preti, A; Dufleux, P-L; Advocat, A; Morin, J-P

2008-05-01

We report the case of a female patient with gastric band who had aspiration pneumonia after anaesthetic induction for a plastic surgery. In another similar case, we discovered preoperatively, oesogastric stasis with gastric strangulation. After deflation of the gastric band the anaesthetic procedure was uneventful.

[The use of entomologic methods in determining the time of death--case studies].

PubMed

Kaczorowska, Elzbieta; Pieśniak, Dorota; Szczerkowska, Zofia

2004-01-01

This paper describes a number of cases in which the determination of the time of death was based on entomological methods. These cases took place in the Pomorskie Province, and the autopsies were carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk.

An Analysis of Looking Back Method in Problem-Based Learning: Case Study on Congruence and Similarity in Junior High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosasih, U.; Wahyudin, W.; Prabawanto, S.

2017-09-01

This study aims to understand how learners do look back their idea of problem solving. This research is based on qualitative approach with case study design. Participants in this study were xx students of Junior High School, who were studying the material of congruence and similarity. The supporting instruments in this research are test and interview sheet. The data obtained were analyzed by coding and constant-comparison. The analysis find that there are three ways in which the students review the idea of problem solving, which is 1) carried out by comparing answers to the completion measures exemplified by learning resources; 2) carried out by examining the logical relationship between the solution and the problem; and 3) carried out by means of confirmation to the prior knowledge they have. This happens because most students learn in a mechanistic way. This study concludes that students validate the idea of problem solving obtained, influenced by teacher explanations, learning resources, and prior knowledge. Therefore, teacher explanations and learning resources contribute to the success or failure of students in solving problems.

The Influence of Gender on the Incorporation of the Internet in Spanish Schools' Educational Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sánchez-Rivas, Enrique; Sánchez-Rodríguez, José; Ruiz-Palmero, Julio

2016-01-01

This article reveals the results of a research study that was carried out in Spain in 2012 with the purpose of discovering the influence of the gender variable on the incorporation of the Internet in the educational programmes of primary and secondary public education centres. By using a multiple case study carried out in situ, the research team…

Levels of Interaction and Proximity: Content Analysis of Video-Based Classroom Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kale, Ugur

2008-01-01

This study employed content analysis techniques to examine video-based cases of two websites that exemplify learner-centered pedagogies for pre-service teachers to carry out in their teaching practices. The study focused on interaction types and physical proximity levels between students and teachers observed in the videos. The findings regarding…

Constructing Affective Security in Children: Case Study in Educational Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margenat, Montserrat; Dalmau, Mariona; Vendrell, Roser; Ibarz, Lidia

2016-01-01

In line with Bowlby's theoretical approach, where he established a relationship between the quality of experiences lived in the first relationships and subsequent behaviours, we are carrying out a case study research project. The objectives are as follows: (1) To describe interactive patterns as observed in natural contexts and focusing on the…

Managing the Quality of Cross-Border Higher Education in Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garwe, Evelyn Chiyevo

2015-01-01

A study on investigating the issues of quality associated with cross-border higher education was carried out using the case study approach focusing on Zimbabwe. The methodology involved document analysis of the cases of regulation and accreditation of cross-border higher education providers and assessment of qualifications acquired from foreign…

Rapid Population Growth and Human Carrying Capacity: Two Perspectives. World Bank Staff Working Papers No. 690 and Population and Development Series No. 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahar, Dennis J., Ed.; And Others

Two perspectives on carrying capacity and population growth are examined. The first perspective, "Carrying Capacity and Rapid Population Growth: Definition, Cases, and Consequences" (Robert Muscat), explores the possible meanings of the idea of carrying capacity under developing country conditions, looks at historical and present-day cases of…

Applying the Kanban method in problem-based project work: a case study in a manufacturing engineering bachelor's programme at Aalborg University Copenhagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balve, Patrick; Krüger, Volker; Tolstrup Sørensen, Lene

2017-11-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has proven to be highly effective for educating students in an active and self-motivated manner in various disciplines. Student projects carried out following PBL principles are very dynamic and carry a high level of uncertainty, both conditions under which agile project management approaches are assumed to be highly supportive. The paper describes an empirical case study carried out at Aalborg University Copenhagen involving students from two different semesters of a Bachelor of Science programme. While executing the study, compelling examples of how PBL and the agile project management method Kanban blend could be identified. A final survey reveals that applying Kanban produces noticeable improvements with respect to creating, assigning and coordinating project tasks. Other improvements were found in group communication, knowledge about the work progress with regards to both the individual and the collective and the students' way of continuously improving their own teamwork.

Updates on the Methodological Approaches for Carrying Out an In-Depth Study of the Cardiac Conduction System and the Autonomic Nervous System of Victims of Sudden Unexplained Fetal and Infant Death.

PubMed

Alfonsi, Graziella; Crippa, Marina

2016-01-01

This article contains a set of protocols for histopathological techniques that can be used for carrying out in-depth studies of cases of sudden infant death syndrome and sudden intrauterine unexplained fetal death syndrome. In order to enable researchers to advance hypotheses regarding the causes of the unexpected death of infants and fetuses, the authors propose three innovative and accurate methodologies for studying the cardiac conduction system, the peripheral cardiac nervous system, and the central autonomic nervous system. Over the years, these protocols have been developed, modified, and improved on a vast number of cases which has enabled pathologists to carry out the microscopic analyses of the structures which regulate life, in order to highlight all the possible morphological substrates of pathophysiological mechanisms that may underlie these syndromes. In memory of our research professor Lino Rossi (1923-2004).

Teaching Excellence and Innovative Practices: A Case Study of National Awardee Teachers of India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta, Aparajita; Tyagi, Harish Kumar

2016-01-01

Aim: The study intended to identify the contributions of the National awardee teachers to the teaching learning process through their teaching excellence and innovative practices which can act as exemplary model for the entire teaching community. Method: Attempts has been made to carry out a qualitative study where two selected cases are based on…

Evaluation of Classroom Teachers' Opinions about In-Service Training (The Case of Mugla)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aykaç, Necdet; Yildirim, Kasim

2017-01-01

The current study aimed to evaluate the classroom teachers' opinions about in-service training process. Thus, the current study was designed as a descriptive case study. A total of 28 classroom teachers constituted the sample group of the research. The research process was carried out on the classroom teachers working in state elementary schools…

Singing and Vocal Instruction in Primary Schools: An Analysis from Six Case Studies in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuadrado, Albina; Rusinek, Gabriel

2016-01-01

This is an analysis of how specialist music teachers sing and teach how to sing, based on data collected from six case studies carried out in Spanish primary schools. The study aimed at understanding classroom singing practices, and in particular the provision or absence of vocal instruction in relation with teachers' singing models. The findings…

The Aims and Learning Attainments of Secondary and High School Students Attending Science Festivals: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kececi, Gonca

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the aims and learning attainments of secondary school and high school students participating in science festivals. A case study approach which is one of the qualitative research methods was used in the research. This study was carried out in the science festival held in Elazig, Turkey. The sampling consists of…

Maternal Reports of Home Literacy Experiences in Multilingual Mauritius: A Case Study of Pre-Schoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auleear Owodally, Ambarin Mooznah

2014-01-01

While the extant literature has highlighted the important contribution of home literacy experiences to early literacy development, limited research has been carried out among children living in postcolonial contexts, where there is a mismatch between the home and school language. Such is the case of Mauritius. The present exploratory case study…

Models and impact of patient and public involvement in studies carried out by the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at University College London: findings from ten case studies.

PubMed

South, Annabelle; Hanley, Bec; Gafos, Mitzy; Cromarty, Ben; Stephens, Richard; Sturgeon, Kate; Scott, Karen; Cragg, William J; Tweed, Conor D; Teera, Jacqueline; Vale, Claire L

2016-07-29

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in studies carried out by the UK Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at University College London varies by research type and setting. We developed a series of case studies of PPI to document and share good practice. We used purposive sampling to identify studies representing the scope of research at the MRC CTU and different approaches to PPI. We carried out semi-structured interviews with staff and patient representatives. Interview notes were analysed descriptively to categorise the main aims and motivations for involvement; activities undertaken; their impact on the studies and lessons learned. We conducted 19 interviews about ten case studies, comprising one systematic review, one observational study and 8 randomised controlled trials in HIV and cancer. Studies were either open or completed, with start dates between 2003 and 2011. Interviews took place between March and November 2014 and were updated in summer 2015 where there had been significant developments in the study (i.e. if the study had presented results subsequent to the interview taking place). A wide range of PPI models, including representation on trial committees or management groups, community engagement, one-off task-focused activities, patient research partners and participant involvement had been used. Overall, interviewees felt that PPI had a positive impact, leading to improvements, for example in the research question; study design; communication with potential participants; study recruitment; confidence to carry out or complete a study; interpretation and communication of results; and influence on future research. A range of models of PPI can benefit clinical studies. Researchers should consider different approaches to PPI, based on the desired impact and the people they want to involve. Use of multiple models may increase the potential impacts of PPI in clinical research.

Lung cancer, pulmonary emphysema and pleural effusion: An autopsy study.

PubMed

Marel, Miloslav; Koubkova, Leona; Kovarikova, Zuzana; Grandcourtova, Alzbeta; Petrik, Frantisek; Hroudova, Hana; Capkova, Linda; Kodet, Roman; Fila, Libor

2015-12-01

To determine the exact incidence of lung cancer, pulmonary emphysema and pleural effusion we decided to carry out an autopsy study. In this autopsy study carried out over two years, we compared the results of autopsy findings with the clinical data in accompanying records of the deceased. Among the 708 deceased subjects, there were 398 males and 310 females with a median age of 71 years. At autopsy, 55 cases of lung carcinoma (BCA) were found, of which 24 have not been identified during life (44%). Among the deceased with BCA, emphysema was also observed at autopsy in 40% of the cases. Pulmonary emphysema was described macroscopically in 28% of the full set of 708 deceased, whereas the accompanying records of the deceased described this condition in only 12% of the cases. Microscopic changes compatible with emphysema were identified in 54% of the examined lungs. Pleural effusions were described in the accompanying records of 13% of the deceased, while the autopsies showed this condition in 33% of the deceased. BCA was accompanied by effusion in 25% of the cases. The obtained results show that the studied conditions are present in more cases than are reported by clinicians. The study confirms the commonly accepted association between lung cancer and emphysema.

The role of cumulative physical work load in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis – a case-control study in Germany

PubMed Central

Seidler, Andreas; Bolm-Audorff, Ulrich; Abolmaali, Nasreddin; Elsner, Gine

2008-01-01

Objectives To examine the dose-response relationship between cumulative exposure to kneeling and squatting as well as to lifting and carrying of loads and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a population-based case-control study. Methods In five orthopedic clinics and five practices we recruited 295 male patients aged 25 to 70 with radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis associated with chronic complaints. A total of 327 male control subjects were recruited. Data were gathered in a structured personal interview. To calculate cumulative exposure, the self-reported duration of kneeling and squatting as well as the duration of lifting and carrying of loads were summed up over the entire working life. Results The results of our study support a dose-response relationship between kneeling/squatting and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. For a cumulative exposure to kneeling and squatting > 10.800 hours, the risk of having radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis as measured by the odds ratio (adjusted for age, region, weight, jogging/athletics, and lifting or carrying of loads) is 2.4 (95% CI 1.1–5.0) compared to unexposed subjects. Lifting and carrying of loads is significantly associated with knee osteoarthritis independent of kneeling or similar activities. Conclusion As the knee osteoarthritis risk is strongly elevated in occupations that involve both kneeling/squatting and heavy lifting/carrying, preventive efforts should particularly focus on these "high-risk occupations". PMID:18625053

Force, Surface Pressure and Flowfield Measurements on Slender Missile Configurations at Supersonic Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birch, T. J.; Allen, J. M.; Wilcox, F. J.

2000-01-01

This paper describes a series of wind tunnel experiments carried out with the aim of providing data suitable for evaluating the performance of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes. The configurations and flow conditions studied are most relevant to slender supersonic missiles. However, the data obtained, which includes forces and moments, surface pressures, flowfield surveys and a selection of flow visualization images, should he of interest to other CFD practitioners. Results for three test cases are presented and discussed in this paper. These cases have been the subject of a collaborative study concerned with the evaluation of Navier-Stokes solvers for missiles, carried out under the auspices of The Technical Cooperation Programme (TTCP).

Impact of Flexibility Options on Grid Economic Carrying Capacity of Solar and Wind: Three Case Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Denholm, Paul; Novacheck, Joshua; Jorgenson, Jennie

In this study, we attempt to quantify the benefits of various options of grid flexibility by measuring their impact on two measures: economic carrying capacity and system costs. Flexibility can increase ECC and reduce overall system costs. In some cases, options that provide a limited increase in ECC can provide significant operational savings, thus demonstrating the need to evaluate flexibility options using multiple metrics. The value of flexibility options varies regionally due to different generation mixes and types of renewables. The more rapid decline in PV value compared to wind makes PV more dependent on adding flexibility options, including transmissionmore » and energy storage.« less

Assessment in Education: A Case for Quality and Standards within the Context of Open and Distance Education--A Case Study of One Zimbabwean University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samkange, Wellington

2012-01-01

A study was carried out to assess the assessment procedures used at one Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution in Zimbabwe. The study focused on the views and perceptions of current and former students of the university. The study also analyzed some documents on assessment procedures at the university. The study used the qualitative…

Exploring English-Language Teachers' Professional Development in Developing Countries: Cases from Syria and Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dayoub, Ruba; Bashiruddin, Ayesha

2012-01-01

This paper attempts to present the findings of a study carried out in Pakistan that explored English-language teachers' professional development in developing countries. The main guiding question for the study was: How do English-language teachers at secondary schools learn to teach and develop professionally in Syria and Pakistan? Two cases were…

Virtual Worlds and Social and Educational Inclusion: Case Study at Secondary Education Institute Cal Gravat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castañeda Quintero, Linda; Román García, María del Mar; Barlam Aspasch, Ramón

2015-01-01

This article presents a case study with the goal of becoming familiar with and understanding the incorporation of one virtual learning world--Espurnik--in a curricular diversification classroom with students in a situation of educational exclusion or academic failure. This investigation was carried out from an interpretive paradigm with a…

Case studies for GSHP demonstration projects in the US

DOE PAGES

Liu, Xiaobing; Malhotra, Mini; Im, Piljae

2015-07-01

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , twenty-six ground source heat pump (GSHP) projects were competitively selected and carried out to demonstrate the benefits of GSHP systems and innovative technologies for cost reduction and/or performance improvement. This article gives an overview of the case studies for six of the systems. These case studies evaluated efficiencies, energy savings, and costs of the demonstrated systems. In addition, it was found that more energy savings could be achieved if controls of GSHP system are improved.

Comparison of Success of Clomiphene citrate and Letrozole in Ovulation Induction.

PubMed

Saha, J; Akhter, S; Prasad, I; Siddiq, S

2016-01-01

The study was carried out to evaluate which drug is better in ovulation induction between clomiphene citrate and letrozole. The study was carried out in the infertility unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka and Centre for Assisted Reproduction (CARE) at Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka from January 2007 to December 2007. One hundred and sixty five cases were taken for the study. It was a prospective interventional comparative study of clomiphene citrate and letrozole in infertile cases. The patients were divided into three groups. Group I--newly detected cases of sub fertility studied with clomiphene citrate. Group II--clomiphene citrate resistant cases studied with letrozole, Group III--newly detected cases of sub fertility studied with letrozole. The cases were followed up for outcome; (ovulation). The TVS was done on 12th or 13th day of menstruation and level of serum progesterone on 21st day of menstrual cycle to see the evidence of ovulation. Endometrial thickness was also measured. The data was collected on a predesigned questionnaire. The variables that influenced the study were-age, occupation, socioeconomic status, menstrual cycle, marital age, parity, history of MR, history of abortion, past medical and surgical history. In the current study it was observed that the signs of ovulation were significantly (p<0.05) higher in Group I treated with clomiphene citrate in comparison to Group II clomiphene citrate resistant cases treated with letrozole. The rate of ovulation was higher in Group I than that of Group III treated with letrozole, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The signs of ovulation were present in 45(81.8%) cases in Group I, 33(60.0%) cases in Group II and 37(67.3%) cases in Group III. This findings of the study suggested that clomiphene citrate is higher successful than letrozole though not statistically significant. Letrozole can be preferred in clomiphene citrate resistant cases before starting other expensive therapies.

Impact of I/D polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene on myocardial infarction susceptibility among young Moroccan patients.

PubMed

Hmimech, Wiam; Idrissi, Hind Hassani; Diakite, Brehima; Korchi, Farah; Baghdadi, Dalila; Tahri Joutey Hassani Idrissi, Hind; Haboub, Meriem; Habbal, Rachida; Nadifi, Sellama

2017-12-21

Our case-control study aimed to access the potential association of insertion/deletion (I/D) ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) gene polymorphism with myocardial infarction (MI) risk of occurrence among a sample of Moroccan patients, especially young ones. Distribution of I/D ACE gene variant among cases vs controls, showed that healthy controls carried out higher frequency of wild type allele I compared to cases (23.5% vs 21.79% respectively), when cases were carrying higher frequency of mutant allele D (78.21% vs 76.5% for controls). Patients were-after this- divided into two groups of < 45 and > 55 years of age, to investigate whether or not younger patients carried out higher frequency of the mutant allele D, than older ones. As expected, < 45 years old patients carried out more DD genotype than older ones (68.9% vs 54.6% respectively), and higher frequency of mutant allele D (81.08% vs 75% respectively). Besides, a tendency to a positive association was found under the recessive genetic transmission model (OR [95% CI] = 1.85 [0.93-3.69], P = 0.08), suggesting that the I/D ACE polymorphism may be associated with MI occurrence among younger patients (< 45 years of age).

Can the Use of Clickers or Continuous Assessment Motivate Critical Thinking? A Case Study Based on Corporate Finance Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Lucía

2011-01-01

This study explores the use of clickers as a tool to support, encourage and motivate critical thinking in higher education students. A case study was carried out with a cohort of undergraduate students undertaking the BSc. in Accounting and Finance during the academic year 2009/10, where corporate finance was a major component. Since the students…

PubMed Central

Petithory, J. C.; Ambroise-Thomas, P.; De Loye, J.; Pelloux, H.; Goullier-Fleuret, A.; Milgram, M.; Buffard, C.; Garin, J. P.

1996-01-01

Reported are the results of a multicentre study involving 40 laboratories that was carried out in France to assess all the currently available methods used for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. For this purpose 10 batches of control sera were prepared with titres in the range 0-260 IU per ml. These sera were tested in nine laboratories using immunofluorescence methods; in three laboratories using dye tests; in forty laboratories using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; in four laboratories using direct agglutination and haemagglutination; in seven laboratories using the high-sensitivity IgG agglutination test; and in three laboratories using the latex agglutination test. In this way, 70 series of titrations were carried out using seven procedures and the results were compared with those obtained using the WHO reference serum in 15 cases, with the French national E6 serum in 16 other cases, and in 39 cases using 15 reference sera supplied by the reagent manufacturers. Rigorous comparison of the tests was not possible in all cases because one aim of the study was to ensure that the tests were carried out under the usual working conditions that prevailed in the participating laboratories. The results obtained indicate that the serological tests currently available for toxoplasmosis are acceptable for its serodiagnosis. Presentation of the titres in IU has advantages; however, caution is required since the definition of IU varies according to the test and reagents used. It is therefore essential that the conditions and limits for a positive reaction be carefully defined in each case, especially for commercially available kits. PMID:8829878

The Usage of Domination Strategies in Conflicts between the Teachers and Students: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özgan, Habib

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the sources of conflict between students and teachers, how they are managed, and their effect on students and thus gain insight about student-teacher conflicts. The study is a qualitative one and has been carried out with the method of case study. The method of criterion sampling which is one of the methods…

Orbiting dynamic compression laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahrens, T. J.; Vreeland, T., Jr.; Kasiraj, P.; Frisch, B.

1984-01-01

In order to examine the feasibility of carrying out dynamic compression experiments on a space station, the possibility of using explosive gun launchers is studied. The question of whether powders of a refractory metal (molybdenum) and a metallic glass could be well considered by dynamic compression is examined. In both cases extremely good bonds are obtained between grains of metal and metallic glass at 180 and 80 kb, respectively. When the oxide surface is reduced and the dynamic consolidation is carried out in vacuum, in the case of molybdenum, tensile tests of the recovered samples demonstrated beneficial ultimate tensile strengths.

Nodular fasciitis of the external auditory canal in six Egyptian children.

PubMed

Abdel-Aziz, Mosaad; Khattab, Hany; El-bosraty, Hussam; El-hoshy, Hassan; Hesham, Ahmed; Al-taweel, Hayam W

2008-05-01

Nodular fasciitis of external auditory canal may mimic a malignant tumor due to its progressive course, so it was the aim of this study to focus on a new etiology for aural masses to avoid unnecessary aggressive treatment. Retrospective study on six children presented with aural masses that were diagnosed pathologically to have nodular fasciitis. Presentation of the cases clinically, radiologically and pathologically was carried out. Surgical excision of the lesions was done through the external canal with follow up of the cases for 1 year. Recurrence was detected in two cases, one after 2 months and the other after 4 months. Re-excision was carried out without recurrence till the end of the follow up period. Proper diagnosis of this lesion is mandatory to avoid aggressive treatment (radical surgery and/or radiotherapy) as the disease has favorable prognosis with local excision.

Impact of Affirmative Action on Quality of Service Delivery in the Public Service Sector of Kenya: A Comparative Case Study of the Ministry of State in the Office of the President and Ministry of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilonzo, Evans Mbuthi; Ikamari, Lawrence

2015-01-01

This study was carried out to determine the impact of affirmative action policy on the quality service delivery in the public service sector of Kenya. The study was carried out on the premise that there is a relationship between affirmative Action implementation and the quality of service delivery in the public service sector of Kenya. A lot of…

Dialogic Instruction and Learning: The Case of One Kiswahili Classroom in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lisanza, Esther Mukewa

2014-01-01

This paper reports on an ethnographic case study which was carried out in a Kenyan first-grade classroom. The classroom had 89 students with their 2 teachers who taught at different times. The classroom was very crowded and had a high paucity of literacy materials. The study was guided by sociocultural and dialogic frameworks which maintain that…

Case Study Evaluation of an Intervention Planning Tool to Support Emotional Well-Being and Behaviour in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanbridge, Joanna K.; Campbell, Lorraine N.

2016-01-01

Questions of how best to support both children's emotional well-being and behaviour in schools are pervasive. The efficacy of an intervention planning tool to support internalising and externalising emotional needs and promote early intervention was explored in a small-scale case study. Adults were trained in two primary schools to carry out the…

Emotions and Values--A Case Study of Meaning-Making in ESE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manni, Annika; Sporre, Karin; Ottander, Christina

2017-01-01

With an interest in the role of emotions and values in students' meaning-making in Environmental and Sustainability Education a case study was carried out in a Swedish school-class with students, 12 years of age. During a six-week thematic group-work focusing environmental and sustainability issues related to food, the students were observed and…

A Case Study of Chinese Mongolian Students in ELT under the Background of MOOCs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Lili

2015-01-01

In response to the current reform of college English teaching, a case study of Chinese Mongolian students in English language teaching under the influence of MOOCs is carried out in an attempt to examine the efficacy of the integration of information technology into English language teaching. After a brief introduction of the teaching mode of…

Name-Dropping or Understanding?: Teaching to Observe Geologically

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frøyland, Merethe; Remmen, Kari Beate; Sørvik, Gard Ove

2016-01-01

This study investigates how teaching can support students' ability to apply rock identification by addressing scientific observation. In the context of geology education in Norway, we investigate two cases in which different approaches to teaching rock identification are carried out. Case A involves traditional teaching activities in one class of…

Evaluation and perceived results of moral case deliberation: A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Janssens, Rien M J P A; van Zadelhoff, Ezra; van Loo, Ger; Widdershoven, Guy A M; Molewijk, Bert A C

2015-12-01

Moral case deliberation is increasingly becoming part of various Dutch healthcare organizations. Although some evaluation studies of moral case deliberation have been carried out, research into the results of moral case deliberation within aged care is scarce. How did participants evaluate moral case deliberation? What has moral case deliberation brought to them? What has moral case deliberation contributed to care practice? Should moral case deliberation be further implemented and, if so, how? Quantitative analysis of a questionnaire study among participants of moral case deliberation, both caregivers and team leaders. Qualitative analysis of written answers to open questions, interview study and focus group meetings among caregivers and team leaders. Caregivers and team leaders in a large organization for aged care in the Netherlands. A total of 61 moral case deliberation sessions, carried out on 16 care locations belonging to the organization, were evaluated and perceived results were assessed. Participants gave informed consent and anonymity was guaranteed. In the Netherlands, the law does not prescribe independent ethical review by an Institutional Review Board for this kind of research among healthcare professionals. Moral case deliberation was evaluated positively by the participants. Content and atmosphere of moral case deliberation received high scores, while organizational issues regarding the moral case deliberation sessions scored lower and merit further attention. Respondents indicated that moral case deliberation has the potential to contribute to care practice as relationships among team members improve, more openness is experienced and more understanding for different perspectives is fostered. If moral case deliberation is to be successfully implemented, top-down approaches should go hand in hand with bottom-up approaches. The relevance of moral case deliberation for care practice received wide acknowledgement from the respondents. It can contribute to the team's cohesion as mutual understanding for one another's views is fostered. If implemented well, moral case deliberation has the potential to improve care, according to the respondents. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Role of Parents in the Education of Children of Pre-School Age in Tropical Africa, India and the Maghreb Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Div. of Structures, Content, Methods and Techniques of Education.

The case studies summarized in this report are based on ethnographic surveys carried out mainly in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, and Senegal (collectively called "Tropical Africa" in the text). The surveys were also carried out in the Maghreb countries, especially Algeria and southern India. Their common objective…

An Investigation into the Challenges In-Service Student Teachers Encounter in Transformational Geometry, "Reflection and Rotation". The Case of Mufulira College of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kambilombilo, Dennis; Sakala, Whyson

2015-01-01

The study was conducted to investigate the challenges in-service mathematics student teachers face in transformational geometry; reflection and rotation. The Van Hiele Theory of levels of Thought was used as the theoretical framework for this study. A case study was undertaken using a written test. The research was carried on second and third…

Thermal shaft effects on load-carrying capacity of a fully coupled, variable-properties cryogenic journal bearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braun, M. J.; Wheeler, R. L., III; Hendricks, R. C.

1986-01-01

The purpose of this work was to perform a rather complete analysis for a cryogenic (oxygen) journal bearing. The Reynolds equation required coupling and simultaneous solution with the fluid energy equation. To correctly account for the changes in the fluid viscosity, the fluid energy equation was coupled with the shaft and bearing heat conduction energy equations. The effects of pressure and temperature on the density, viscosity, and load-carrying capacity were further discussed as analysis parameters, with respect to relative eccentricity and the angular velocity. The isothermal fluid case and the adiabatic fluid case represented the limiting boundaries. The discussion was further extrapolated to study the Sommerfeld number dependency on the fluid Nusselt number and its consequence on possible total loss of load-carrying capacity and/or seizure (catastrophic failure).

Treatment of Encopresis in a Classroom Setting: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, E.

1977-01-01

This study describes the procedure and results of a behavior modification program carried out in the classroom and aimed at eliminating encopresis (involuntary defecation) in an 8-year-old boy. (Editor/RK)

Reconstruction with different free flaps in oro-facial cancer patients.

PubMed

Bhathena, H M; Savant, D N; Kavarana, N M; Parikh, D M; Sanghvi, V D

1996-01-01

In 75 patients following ablative surgery of head and neck cancer, reconstruction was attempted with free tissue transfer techniques under magnification. It was possible to do free tissue transfers in 69 cases. In 6 cases it was not possible to harvest free flaps successfully and alternative reconstructive procedure was carried out due to unavoidable circumstances and various reasons: 1. unsuitable venous drainage, as in Anterior Rib Osteomyocutaneous Composite Flap, AROCF (2 cases), 2. injury to vessels during flap harvest, as in parascapular flap (1 case), 3. residual disease unable to excise (2 cases) and 4. unsuitable proposition (1 case), due to emergency curfew imposed suddenly. These 6 cases were not included in the study. Free tissue transfer was successful in 64 cases (92.7%) and there was a total failure in 5 cases where delayed secondary salvage surgery was performed. Out of 69 cases, in 65 cases reconstructions were carried out immediately, primarily as one-stage operative procedure. Their functional, cosmetic results and complications during the operative and post-operative period are analyzed and discussed. Inter-maxillary fixation was never used to maintain the bite alignment. All cases were given a bite guide prosthesis in the early post-operative period, to improve the bite alignment when it was necessary.

The Typology and Function of Private Speech in a Young Man with Intellectual Disabilities: An Empirical Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lechler, Suzanne; Hare, Dougal Julian

2015-01-01

A naturalistic observational single case study was carried out to investigate the form and function of private speech (PS) in a young man with Dandy-Walker variant syndrome and trisomy 22. Video recordings were observed, transcribed and coded to identify all combinations of type and form of PS. Through comparison between theories of PS and the…

Ethnobotanical Potentials of Common Herbs in Nigeria: A Case Study of Enugu State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aiyeloja, A. A.; Bello, O. A.

2006-01-01

Research was carried out on the ethnobotanical potentials of common herbs in Nigeria using Enugu State as a case study. A total of 200 questionnaires were administered on herb sellers in major herb markets in the state. In all, 96 different plant species were encountered in the markets. Attempts were made to write the names of the species both in…

Raising the Motivation and Self-Esteem of All Learners by Creating a Climate for All Talents to Flourish: Developing Empowerment for Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Belle

2008-01-01

The issues discussed in this article have arisen from 12 in-depth case studies of "successful" schools in England, which were carried out during the academic year 2006/2007. However the practices that have emerged from these case studies are universally applicable when one analyses the factors that enabled learners to develop…

Prevention of firearm-related injuries with restrictive licensing and concealed carry laws: An Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma systematic review.

PubMed

Crandall, Marie; Eastman, Alexander; Violano, Pina; Greene, Wendy; Allen, Steven; Block, Ernest; Christmas, Ashley Britton; Dennis, Andrew; Duncan, Thomas; Foster, Shannon; Goldberg, Stephanie; Hirsh, Michael; Joseph, D'Andrea; Lommel, Karen; Pappas, Peter; Shillinglaw, William

2016-11-01

In the past decade, more than 300,000 people in the United States have died from firearm injuries. Our goal was to assess the effectiveness of two particular prevention strategies, restrictive licensing of firearms and concealed carry laws, on firearm-related injuries in the US Restrictive Licensing was defined to include denials of ownership for various offenses, such as performing background checks for domestic violence and felony convictions. Concealed carry laws allow licensed individuals to carry concealed weapons. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed. We used Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology to assess the breadth and quality of the data specific to our Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes (PICO) questions. A total of 4673 studies were initially identified, then seven more added after two subsequent, additional literature reviews. Of these, 3,623 remained after removing duplicates; 225 case reports, case series, and reviews were excluded, and 3,379 studies were removed because they did not focus on prevention or did not address our comparators of interest. This left a total of 14 studies which merited inclusion for PICO 1 and 13 studies which merited inclusion for PICO 2. PICO 1: We recommend the use of restrictive licensing to reduce firearm-related injuries.PICO 2: We recommend against the use of concealed carry laws to reduce firearm-related injuries.This committee found an association between more restrictive licensing and lower firearm injury rates. All 14 studies were population-based, longitudinal, used modeling to control for covariates, and 11 of the 14 were multi-state. Twelve of the studies reported reductions in firearm injuries, from 7% to 40%. We found no consistent effect of concealed carry laws. Of note, the varied quality of the available data demonstrates a significant information gap, and this committee recommends that we as a society foster a nurturing and encouraging environment that can strengthen future evidence based guidelines. Systematic review, level III.

Discharge diagnoses in infants with apparent life-threatening event.

PubMed

Okada, Kazuko; Miyako, Motoko; Honma, Satoshi; Wakabayashi, Yasuko; Sugihara, Shigetaka; Osawa, Makiko

2003-10-01

There are various identifiable diseases or conditions that can be associated with an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE) in infancy. The present study was carried out to investigate the etiology of ALTE based on the discharge diagnoses. A protocol for the complete work-up used to examine the cause of ALTE was designed, and was carried out for 69 infants with ALTE. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was demonstrated in 38 cases, and chronic gastric volvulus (CGV) was diagnosed in 21 (associated with GERD in 13 infants). Four cases of pertussis and two cases each of sepsis, laryngomalacia, respiratory immaturity, and premature ventricular contractions were found. Others cases presented with pneumonia, meningitis, intussuception, food allergy, epilepsy, and adenoid vegetations. In 12 of the 69 infants with ALTE, no abnormalities were found in any of the studies performed, including two patients with breath-holding spells. In 17 cases, two or more possibly contributing findings were diagnosed. It is important to recognize that gastroesophageal impairments such as GERD or CGV could be responsible for many incidences of ALTE in infancy. The authors recommend a trial be established to investigate the causes of ALTE, including gastroesophageal evaluations in all infants with ALTE.

Old Dogs, New Tricks: Training Mature-Aged Manufacturing Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Erica; Smith, Andrew; Smith, Chris Selby

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the employment and training of mature-aged workers, so that suggestions for improving training for mature-aged workers may be offered. Design/methodology/approach: Six expert interviews were carried out by telephone, and three case studies involving company site visits were completed. Each company case study…

Cross-Cultural Discussions in a 3D Virtual Environment and Their Affordances for Learners' Motivation and Foreign Language Discussion Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jauregi, Kristi; Kuure, Leena; Bastian, Pim; Reinhardt, Dennis; Koivisto, Tuomo

2015-01-01

Within the European TILA project a case study was carried out where pupils from schools in Finland and the Netherlands engaged in debating sessions using the 3D virtual world of OpenSim once a week for a period of 5 weeks. The case study had two main objectives: (1) to study the impact that the discussion tasks undertaken in a virtual environment…

[Transhiatal esophagectomy for cardia and esophagus cancer].

PubMed

Moiseev, A Yu; Shulutko, A M; Gryaznov, S E

To present the result of transhiatal esophagectomies with simultaneous repair. The study included 67 procedures. In 35 cases surgery was carried out for adenocarcinoma of distal esophagus or cardia with high transition to esophagus, in 32 cases - for epidermal carcinoma of the esophagus. Gastric graft and left half of the colon were used in 60 and 7 cases respectively for simultaneous repair. 29 patients underwent transhiatal instrumental esophagectomy using author's original technique.

Using administrative databases in the surveillance of depressive disorders--case definitions.

PubMed

Alaghehbandan, Reza; Macdonald, Don; Barrett, Brendan; Collins, Kayla; Chen, Yue

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of provincial administrative databases in carrying out surveillance on depressive disorders. Electronic medical records (EMRs) at 3 family practice clinics in St. John's, NL, Canada, were audited; 253 depressive disorder cases and 257 patients not diagnosed with a depressive disorder were selected. The EMR served as the "gold standard," which then was compared to these same patients investigated through the use of various case definitions applied against the provincial hospital and physician administrative databases. Variables used in the development of the case definitions were depressive disorder diagnoses (either in hospital or physician claims data), date of diagnosis, and service provider type [general practitioner (GP) vs. psychiatrist]. Of the 120 case definitions investigated, 26 were found to have a kappa statistic greater than 0.6, of which 5 case definitions were considered the most appropriate for surveillance of depressive disorders. Of the 5 definitions, the following case definition, with a 77.5% sensitivity and 93% specificity, was found to be the most valid ([ ≥1 hospitalizations OR ≥1 psychiatrist visit related to depressive disorders any time] OR ≥2 GP visits related to depressive disorders within the first 2 years of diagnosis). This study found that provincial administrative databases may be useful for carrying out surveillance on depressive disorders among the adult population. The approach used in this study was simple and resulted in rather reasonable sensitivity and specificity.

Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with Slit Skin Smear Examination (SSS) to Confirm Clinical Diagnosis of Leprosy in Eastern Nepal

PubMed Central

Rai, Keshav; Bhattarai, Narayan Raj; Agarwal, Sudha; Khanal, Basudha

2016-01-01

Background Detection of Mycobacterium leprae in slit skin smear (SSS) is a gold standard technique for the leprosy diagnosis. Over recent years, molecular diagnosis by using PCR has been increasingly used as an alternative for its diagnosis due to its higher sensitivity. This study was carried out for comparative evaluation of PCR and SSS microscopy in a cohort of new leprosy cases diagnosed in B. P. Koirala Institute of health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. Methodology/Principal Findings In this prospective crossectional study, 50 new clinically diagnosed cases of leprosy were included. DNA was extracted from SSS and PCR was carried out to amplify 129 bp sequence of M. leprae repetitive element. Sensitivity of SSS and PCR was 18% and 72% respectively. Improvement of 54% case detection by PCR clearly showed its advantage over SSS. Furthermore, PCR could confirm the leprosy diagnosis in 66% of AFB negative cases indicating its superiority over SSS. In the paucibacillary (PB) patients, whose BI was zero; sensitivity of PCR was 44%, whereas it was 78% in the multibacillary patients. Conclusions/Significance Our study showed PCR to be more sensitive than SSS microscopy in diagnosing leprosy. Moreover, it explored the characteristic feature of PCR which detected higher level of early stage(PB) cases tested negative by SSS. Being an expensive technique, PCR may not be feasible in all the cases, however, it would be useful in diagnosis of early cases of leprosy as opposed to SSS. PMID:28027305

Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with Slit Skin Smear Examination (SSS) to Confirm Clinical Diagnosis of Leprosy in Eastern Nepal.

PubMed

Siwakoti, Shraddha; Rai, Keshav; Bhattarai, Narayan Raj; Agarwal, Sudha; Khanal, Basudha

2016-12-01

Detection of Mycobacterium leprae in slit skin smear (SSS) is a gold standard technique for the leprosy diagnosis. Over recent years, molecular diagnosis by using PCR has been increasingly used as an alternative for its diagnosis due to its higher sensitivity. This study was carried out for comparative evaluation of PCR and SSS microscopy in a cohort of new leprosy cases diagnosed in B. P. Koirala Institute of health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. In this prospective crossectional study, 50 new clinically diagnosed cases of leprosy were included. DNA was extracted from SSS and PCR was carried out to amplify 129 bp sequence of M. leprae repetitive element. Sensitivity of SSS and PCR was 18% and 72% respectively. Improvement of 54% case detection by PCR clearly showed its advantage over SSS. Furthermore, PCR could confirm the leprosy diagnosis in 66% of AFB negative cases indicating its superiority over SSS. In the paucibacillary (PB) patients, whose BI was zero; sensitivity of PCR was 44%, whereas it was 78% in the multibacillary patients. Our study showed PCR to be more sensitive than SSS microscopy in diagnosing leprosy. Moreover, it explored the characteristic feature of PCR which detected higher level of early stage(PB) cases tested negative by SSS. Being an expensive technique, PCR may not be feasible in all the cases, however, it would be useful in diagnosis of early cases of leprosy as opposed to SSS.

A comparative study of hematological parameters of α and β thalassemias in a high prevalence zone: Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Mehdi, Syed Riaz; Al Dahmash, Badr Abdullah

2011-09-01

Saudi Arabia falls in the high prevalent zone of αα and β thalassemias. Early screening for the type of thalassemia is essential for further investigations and management. The study was carried out to differentiate the type of thalassemia based on red cell indices and other hematological parameters. The study was carried out on 991 clinically suspected cases of thalassemias in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The hematological parameters were studied on Coulter STKS. Cellulose acetate hemoglobin electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were performed on all the blood samples. Gene deletion studies were carried out by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique using the restriction endonucleases Bam HI. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS 11.5 version. The hemoglobin electrophoresis and gene studies revealed that there were 406 (40.96%) and 59 (5.95 %) cases of β thalassemia trait and β thalassemia major respectively including adults and children. 426 cases of various deletion forms of α thalassemias were seen. Microcytosis was a common feature in β thalassemias trait and (-α/-α) and (--/αα) types of α thalassemias. MCH was a more significant distinguishing feature among thalassemias. β thalassemia major and α thalassemia (-α/αα) had almost normal hematological parameters. MCV and RBC counts are not statistically significant features for discriminating between α and β thalassemias. There is need for development of a discrimination index to differentiate between α and β thalassemias traits on the lines of discriminatory Indices available for distinguishing β thalassemias trait from iron deficiency anemia.

Gall bladder cancer and the role of dietary and lifestyle factors: a case-control study in a North Indian population.

PubMed

Panda, Dipanjan; Sharma, Atul; Shukla, Nootan K; Jaiswal, Richa; Dwivedi, Sadanand; Raina, Vinod; Mohanti, Bidhu K; Deo, Surya V; Patra, Somdatta

2013-09-01

Most patients with gall bladder cancer (GBC) present in the advanced stage with a poor response to therapy. Prevention or early detection is the best way to prevent death, but this requires identification of susceptible subgroups. Keeping this in mind, this study was carried out to evaluate the association between selected demographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors and GBC. A hospital-based case-control study was carried out at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi, India). Cases were defined as newly registered confirmed primary GBC patients. Controls were defined as healthy relatives of patients other than that of GBC. Data were collected from February 2008 to October 2009 using a semistructured interview schedule from both cases and controls. Analysis was carried out using SPSS version 15 and Epi-Info version 6. Factors found to be significant in the bivariate analysis were entered in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 122 cases and 122 controls were included in the study. There was no significant difference in age (P=0.06) and sex (P=0.66) between the cases and the controls. In the bivariate analysis, factors found to be significantly associated with GBC were illiteracy [odds ratio (OR) 8.00, P=0.000], lower socioeconomic status (OR 2.45, P=0.000), parity more than 3 (OR 9.06, P=0.000), age at first pregnancy less than 20 years (OR 2.03, P=0.018), and the use of nonliquefied petroleum gas cooking fuel (OR 4.17, P=0.000). Higher vitamin C intake had a protective effect (OR 0.33, P=0.004). In the multivariate analysis, education, intake of vitamin C, parity, and type of fuel used were significant factors. The risk factors for GBC that have been identified in the present study delineate a high-risk population group that can be targeted for preventive measures including improvement in socioeconomic status, education and lifestyle, and dietary intervention, and avoidance of the use of nonliquefied petroleum gas as cooking fuel.

The Contribution of Postgraduation--Lato Sensu--At Distance for Training Health Field Professionals: A Case Study at A Brazilian Federal University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossi, Márcia Gorett Ribeiro; Silqueira, Salete Maria de Fátima; Gomes, Laryssa Cristina Castro; Silva, Lívia de Cássia; Saleme, Angela Maria Bissoli

2017-01-01

This article aimed to verify the opinions of health professionals who are looking for distance learning courses offered by distance learning. In order to do so, a case study was carried out in 2017 at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), specifically in a course offered in the distance modality by the Nursing School: "Specialization…

How Does the First Language Have an Influence on Language Learning? A Case Study in an English ESL Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romero, Yanilis; Manjarres, Milton Pájaro

2017-01-01

This article presents a case study which aims at analyzing the influence that the first language has on the learning of a foreign language. This research was conducted in an ESL classroom from a Language Center in England and was carried out with a Saudi Arabian student during a two-month period. In order to conduct this research, theoretical…

Bringing the Classroom into the World: Three Reflective Case Studies of Designing Mobile Technology to Support Blended Learning for the Built and Landscaped Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Wally; Lewi, Hannah; Saniga, Andrew; Stickells, Lee; Constantinidis, Dora

2017-01-01

We report and reflect on three projects, carried out by us as educators and technology researchers over a four year period, that explore the use of mobile technologies in the fieldwork of Australian tertiary students of architectural history, landscape history and urban design. Treating these as three case studies, our focus is on the emerging…

Frequency and prevention of laparoscopic port site infection.

PubMed

Taj, Muhammad Naeem; Iqbal, Yasmeen; Akbar, Zakia

2012-01-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness and safety of the nonpowder surgical glove for extraction of the gallbladder in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The study was carried out in Capital Hospital Islamabad and in a private hospital. The duration of study was from March 2009 to March 2012. This was an observational study carried out in 492 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the surgical glove for extraction of the gallbladder and compared with the conventional method of gall bladder removal in two hospitals were analyzed. The operative findings, port site infection and co morbid conditions were evaluated. Postoperative wound infection was found in 27 (5.48%) of 492 cases. Umbilical port infection was found in 26 (5.28%) of cases in which gall bladder was removed without endogloves and only one case (0.2%) had infection when gall bladder was removed with the endogloves. Wound infection was more in acute cholecystitis (25.9%) and empyema of Gall Bladder (44.4%). Among the co morbid conditions, diabetes mellitus has got higher frequency of wound infection (44%). The use of the surgical glove for extraction of the gallbladder is safe, cheap, simple and potentially reduces significant morbidity. Its routine use at laparoscopic cholecystectomy is mandatory in all cases.

THE SOURCE OF INFECTION AND THE MOST FREQUENT CAUSES OF REACTIVE ARTHRITIS IN KOSOVO.

PubMed

Lahu, Ali; Bajraktari, Ismet H; Lahu, Shqipdonë; Saiti, Valton; Kryeziu, Avni; Sherifi, Fadil; Durmishi, Bastri

2016-06-01

Reactive arthritis is an autoimmune condition which emerges as a counteraction towards an infection which has a focus elsewhere in the body. The purpose of this study is isolation of causative agents of reactive arthritis and ascertains the source of infection. The study has been carried out in the Rheumatology Clinic in Prishtina and specialized ambulance O.S. "Vendenisi-AL" in Besiana, whereas isolation of causative agents has been carried out in the National Institute for Public Health (NIPH). The study has prospective, comparative and analytical feature. Out of 100 patients, 66% were males and 34% females. Among males we have noticed domination of post-urethritis and post-streptococcic reactive arthritis, whereas among females dominates reactive arthritis of enteral etiology. The study concludes that: urogenital tract was the source of infection with 66% of cases, nasopharyngeal tract with 19% of cases, and enteral tract with 15% of cases respectively. Predominantly presents bacteria are E. Coli with 21%, Staphylococcus aureus with 20%, Streptococcus B. hem. gr. A with 16% of cases respectively and other species. frequency of arthritis with urogenital etiology was 2:1 in favor of males, with nasopharyngeal etiology 3:1 in favor of males, whereas in arthritis with enteral etiology we have noticed a slight dominance in favor of females.

Incorporation of p-53 mutation status and Ki-67 proliferating index in classifying Her2-neu positive gastric adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ayesha; Al-Tamimi, Dalal M

2018-12-01

Her2-neu overexpression has a pathogenetic, therapeutic and a controversial prognostic role in gastric cancer. p-53 mutation status and Ki-67 proliferation index are established prognostic markers in many tumors. In this study we evaluated p-53 and Ki-67 in relation to Her2-neu positive and negative gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). This cross-sectional study was carried out at King Fahd Hospital of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University. Fifty cases of GA were retrieved from pathology archives. Clinico-pathological parameters were evaluated. Immunohistochemical protein analysis for Her2-neu, Ki-67 and p-53 was carried out. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was done for Her2-neu positive cases showing 2+ immunoexpression. Frequency of Ki-67 and p-53 positivity in Her2-neu positive cases was calculated and compared with those in Her2-neu negative cases. Correlation of clinicopatological parameters with Her2 positive and negative cases, p-53 mutation status and Ki-67 proliferation index was carried out. Her2-neu overexpression was present in 12% (n = 6) cases. A high Ki-67 was seen predominantly in Her2-neu positive cases (83%, n = 5). Her2-neu negative cases (n = 44) showed moderate (31.88%, n = 14) to low (34%, n = 15) Ki-67. Diffuse p-53 positivity was seen predominantly in Her2-neu positive cases (33.33%, n = 2). Focal p-53 was seen mainly in Her2-neu negative cases 56.8% (n = 25). Negative p-53 was seen to be independent of Her2-neu status. Her2-neu positivity is strongly associated with diffuse p-53 mutation status and high Ki-67 proliferation. Her 2-neu negative status is associated with focal p-53 positivity and low to moderate Ki-67 proliferation index. Such stratifications in prognostic markers could not only be predictive in patient's prognostics but could also form a basis of molecular classification of gastric cancer.

Applying the Kanban Method in Problem-Based Project Work: A Case Study in A Manufacturing Engineering Bachelor's Programme at Aalborg University Copenhagen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balve, Patrick; Krüger, Volker; Tolstrup Sørensen, Lene

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has proven to be highly effective for educating students in an active and self-motivated manner in various disciplines. Student projects carried out following PBL principles are very dynamic and carry a high level of uncertainty, both conditions under which agile project management approaches are assumed to be highly…

The Case against the Case against Recasts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goo, Jaemyung; Mackey, Alison

2013-01-01

In the previous 20 years, more than 60 studies have been carried out within the input and interaction approach to SLA (Long, 2007; Mackey 2012), many of which have found positive associations between different types of recasts and the learning of a range of linguistic forms for a number of different second languages (L2s), in different learning…

Model-Based Weighting and Comparisons: Research Report. ETS RR-08-17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Jiahe

2008-01-01

In survey research, sometimes the formation of groupings, or aggregations of cases on which to make an inference, are of importance. Of particular interest are the situations where the cases aggregated carry useful information that has been transferred from a sample employed in a previous study. For example, a school to be included in the sample…

PRB CHEMISTRY CASE STUDY: DENVER FEDERAL CENTER

EPA Science Inventory

The Denver Federal Center permeable reactive barrier is a funnel-and-gate system with four reactive gates, each separated by up to about 120 m of metal sheet pile. In this study, ground water sampling, core collection, and solid phase characterization studies were carried out in...

Newly developed liquid-based cytology. TACAS™: cytological appearance and HPV testing using liquid-based sample.

PubMed

Kubushiro, Kaneyuki; Taoka, Hideki; Sakurai, Nobuyuki; Yamamoto, Yasuhiro; Kurasaki, Akiko; Asakawa, Yasuyuki; Iwahara, Minoru; Takahashi, Kei

2011-09-01

Cell profiles determined by the thin-layer advanced cytology assay system (TACAS™), a liquid-based cytology technique newly developed in Japan, were analyzed in this study. Hybrid capture 2 (HC-2) was also performed using the liquid-based samples prepared by TACAS to ascertain its ability to detect human papillomavirus (HPV). Cell collection samples from uterine cervix were obtained from 359 patients and examined cytologically. A HC-2 assay for HPV was carried out in the cell specimens. All specimens were found to show background factors such as leukocytes. After excluding the 5 unsatisfactory cases from the total 354 cases, 82 cases (23.2%) were positive and 272 cases (76.8%) were negative for HPV. Cell specimens from 30 HPV-positive cases and 166 HPV-negative cases were subjected to 4 weeks of preservation at room temperature. Then, when subsequently re-assayed, 28 cases (93.3%) in the former group were found to be HPV positive and 164 cases (98.8%) in the latter group were found to be HPV negative. These results supported the excellent reproducibility of TACAS for HPV testing. A reasonable inference from the foregoing analysis is that TACAS may be distinguished from other liquid-based cytological approaches, such as ThinPrep and SurePath, in that it can retain the cell backgrounds. Furthermore, this study raises the possibility that cell specimens prepared using TACAS could be preserved for at least 4 weeks prior to carrying out a HC-2 assay for HPV.

Weapon involvement in home invasion crimes.

PubMed

Kellermann, A L; Westphal, L; Fischer, L; Harvard, B

1995-06-14

To study the epidemiology of home invasion crimes and determine the frequency with which firearms are used to resist these crimes. Prospective case series. Atlanta, Ga (population 402,877). Between June 1 and August 31, 1994; Atlanta Police Department reports were screened to identify every case of unwanted entry into an occupied, single-family dwelling. Cases of sexual assault and incidents that involved cohabitants were excluded. A total of 198 cases were identified during the study interval. Half (99 cases) involved forced entry into the home. The victim and offender were acquainted in one third of cases. A firearm was carried by one or more offenders in 32 cases (17%). Seven offenders (3.5%) carried knives. In 42% of cases, the offender fled without confronting the victim. Victims who avoided confrontation were more likely to lose property but much less likely to be injured than those who were confronted by the offender. Resistance was attempted in 62 cases (31%), but the odds of injury were not significantly affected by the method of resistance. Forty cases (20%) resulted in one or more victims' being injured, including six (3%) who were shot. No one died. Three victims (1.5%) employed a firearm in self-protection. All three escaped injury, but one lost property. A minority of home invasion crimes result in injury. Measures that increase the difficulty of forced entry or enhance the likelihood of detection could be useful to prevent these crimes. Although firearms are often kept in the home for protection, they are rarely used for this purpose.

Slow, steady discharge regime for concentrated lead-acid cells with planar, cylindrical, and spherical electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yigang; Saslow, Wayne M.

1998-12-01

A recent theoretical study of slow, steady discharge for a lead-acid cell carrying current I, with planar electrodes, predicts a nonzero bulk charge distribution with an associated voltage profile within the electrolyte that is quadratic in space. A second theoretical study finds that the Ohmic voltage resistance R=ΔV/I across the electrolyte differs from the Joule heating resistance RJ=P/I2. The very different diffusion constants of the charge-carrying ions H+ and HSO4- is responsible for the quadratic voltage profile. The presence of changing chemical energies is responsible for the different resistances. In the present work we study this same chemical system for the cylindrical and spherical geometries, with Pb at inner radius a and PbO2 at outer radius b. For the cylindrical case, the voltage varies with radius as the sum of a logarithm and a quadratic. For the spherical case, the voltage varies with the radius as a sum of an inverse r and a quadratic. For both cases, the quadratic is the signature of a uniform nonzero bulk charge distribution. For both cases, R≠RJ. For large enough b/a, in both the spherical and cylindrical cases, we find that R<0; current flows from lower to higher electrical potential. This does not violate energy conservation when chemical as well as electrical energies are included.

Idiosyncratic Gesture Use in Atypical Language Development, and Its Interaction with Speech Rhythm, Word Juncture, Syntax, Pragmatics and Discourse: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Sara J.; Perkins, Michael R.; Sowden, Hannah

2012-01-01

Very little is known about the use of gesture by children with developmental language disorders (DLDs). This case study of "Lucy", a child aged 4;10 with a DLD, expands on what is known and in particular focuses on a type of idiosyncratic "rhythmic gesture" (RG) not previously reported. A fine-grained qualitative analysis was carried out of video…

Residential Radon Exposure and Risk of Lung Cancer in Missouri

Cancer.gov

A case-control study of lung cancer and residential radon exposure in which investigators carried out both standard year-long air measurements and CR-39 alpha detector measurements (call surface monitors)

Occurrence and prevalence of selected zoonotic agents: Echinococcus multilocularis, Trichinella spiralis and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the population of Polish hunters--results of the study conducted in 2010-2012.

PubMed

Sadkowska-Todys, Małgorzata; Baumann-Popczyk, Anna; Wnukowska, Natalia; Popczyk, Bartłomiej; Kucharczyk, Bożena; Gołąb, Elżbieta

2015-01-01

In Poland the development of the knowledge concerning zoonotic pathogens, of which free-living animals are the reservoir of is gaining in importance both in epidemiological aspect as well as in the context of prevention for improving public health. Dietary habits such as the consumption of forest undergrowth products and wild game meat, and the way of those products being prepared (in the process of barbequing) pose a risk factors of infection with the foodborne pathogens such as Echinococcus multilocularis, Trichinella spp., and HEV. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of infections caused by Trichinella spp., Echinococcus multilocularis, and HEV in the population of Polish hunters, describing their geographical distribution in Poland, and to try to define basic factors, which may contribute to their occurrence. In 2010-2012 a cross-sectional study was carried out among Polish hunters. A blood samples were collected as well as a survey of 1027 participants recruited in the 16 provinces was also carried out. Serological tests were performed for the presence of specific antibodies against Echinococcus multilocularis, Trichinella spp. and HEV using commercial or "in home" ELISA tests. In case of positive result for Echinococcus, an Em2plus ELISA or/and western blot test were carried out, and for positive results for IgM for HEV a recomLine HEV IgM test was carried out. In the studied population a total number of 2 cases of Echinococcus multilocularis infection were found. Moreover in 47 (4,6%) participants presence of antibodies against Trichinella spp. were found, including 17 positive and 30 borderline results. In 206 persons (25%) IgG anti-HEV antibodies were found (by ELISA test). Geographical diversity in prevalence of both, the Trichinella spp. and HEV cases was observed. The study confirmed presence of zoonotic infections such as Echinococcus multilocularis, Trichinella spp., and hepatitis E (HEV) among Polish hunters. In the case of Echinococcus multilocularis, and Trichinella spp., it appears that these infections are more common in the studied sample than in the general population. Additionally results on the prevalence of HEV infections indicate a need for further research on the occurrence of the virus in the country.

Case Studies in Continuous Process Improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehta, A.

1997-01-01

This study focuses on improving the SMT assembly process in a low-volume, high-reliability environment with emphasis on fine pitch and BGA packages. Before a process improvement is carried out, it is important to evaluate where the process stands in terms of process capability.

Molecular genetic heterogeneity in undifferentiated endometrial carcinomas.

PubMed

Rosa-Rosa, Juan M; Leskelä, Susanna; Cristóbal-Lana, Eva; Santón, Almudena; López-García, Ma Ángeles; Muñoz, Gloria; Pérez-Mies, Belen; Biscuola, Michele; Prat, Jaime; Esther, Oliva E; Soslow, Robert A; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Palacios, Jose

2016-11-01

Undifferentiated and dedifferentiated endometrial carcinomas are rare and highly aggressive subtypes of uterine cancer, not well characterized at a molecular level. To investigate whether dedifferentiated carcinomas carry molecular genetic alterations similar to those of pure undifferentiated carcinomas, and to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these tumors, we selected a cohort of 18 undifferentiated endometrial carcinomas, 8 of them with a well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma component (dedifferentiated endometrioid carcinomas), and studied them by immunohistochemistry and massive parallel and Sanger sequencing. Whole-exome sequencing of the endometrioid and undifferentiated components, as well as normal myometrium, was also carried out in one case. According to The Cancer Genome Atlas classification, we distributed 95% of the undifferentiated carcinomas in this series as follows: (a) hypermutated tumors with loss of any mismatch repair protein expression and microsatellite instability (eight cases, 45%); (b) ultramutated carcinomas carrying mutations in the exonuclease domain of POLE (two cases, 11%); (c) high copy number alterations (copy-number high) tumors group exhibiting only TP53 mutations and high number of alterations detected by FISH (two cases, 11%); and (d) low copy number alterations (copy-number low) tumors with molecular alterations typical of endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (five cases, 28%). Two of the latter cases, however, also had TP53 mutations and higher number of alterations detected by FISH and could have progressed to a copy-number high phenotype. Most dedifferentiated carcinomas belonged to the hypermutated group, whereas pure undifferentiated carcinomas shared molecular genetic alterations with copy-number low or copy-number high tumors. These results indicate that undifferentiated and dedifferentiated endometrial carcinomas are molecularly heterogeneous tumors, which may have prognostic value.

Molecular genetic heterogeneity in undifferentiated endometrial carcinomas

PubMed Central

Rosa-Rosa, J.M.; Leskelä, S.; Cristóbal-Lana, E.; Santón, A.; López-García, M.A.; Muñoz, G.; Pérez-Mies, B.; Biscuola, M; Prat, J.; Oliva, E.; Soslow, R.A.; Matias-Guiu, X.; Palacios, J.

2017-01-01

Undifferentiated and dedifferentiated endometrial carcinomas are rare and highly aggressive subtypes of uterine cancer, not well characterized at a molecular level. To investigate whether dedifferentiated carcinomas carry molecular genetic alterations similar to those of pure undifferentiated carcinomas, and to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these tumours, we selected a cohort of 18 undifferentiated endometrial carcinomas, 8 of them with a well differentiated endometrioid carcinoma component (dedifferentiated endometrioid carcinomas), and studied them by immunohistochemistry and massive parallel and Sanger sequencing. Whole exome sequencing of the endometrioid and undifferentiated components as well as normal myometrium, was also carried out in one case. According to The Cancer Genome Atlas classification, we distributed 95% of the undifferentiated carcinomas in this series as follows: a) hypermutated tumours with loss of any mismatch repair protein expression and microsatellite instability (eight cases, 45%); b) ultramutated carcinomas carrying mutations in the exonuclease domain of POLE (two cases, 11%); c) high copy number alterations (copy-number high) tumours group exhibiting only TP53 mutations and high number of alterations detected by FISH (two cases, 11%) ; and d) low copy number alterations (copy-number low) tumours with molecular alterations typical of endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (five cases, 28%). Two of the latter cases, however, also had TP53 mutations and higher number of alterations detected by FISH and could have progressed to a copy-number high phenotype. Most dedifferentiated carcinomas belonged to the hypermutated group whereas pure undifferentiated carcinomas shared molecular genetic alterations with copy-number low or copy-number high tumours. These results indicate that undifferentiated and dedifferentiated endometrial carcinomas are molecularly heterogeneous tumours, which may have prognostic value. PMID:27491810

National Meat Case Study 2004: Product labeling information, branding, and packaging trends.

PubMed

Reicks, A L; Brooks, J C; Kelly, J M; Kuecker, W G; Boillot, K; Irion, R; Miller, M F

2008-12-01

Fresh meat retail cases in 104 supermarkets across 5 regions of the United States were audited for the use of packaging types and materials, branding, and cooking/nutritional information. Frequency means were separated for species of beef, ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, and veal. Traditional polyvinyl chloride overwrap was used on 47.0% of packages in the fresh meat case nationwide and was the most frequent packaging type for beef, ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal. The use of modified atmosphere packaging was greatest (P < 0.001) in ground beef (33.2%) and turkey (45.1%) products. The 3 most common tray colors in the fresh meat retail case on a national level were white (39.6%), yellow (22.4%), and black (11.5%). Foam trays were used in 72.6% of all packages in the retail meat case. In 2004, 60.2% of all packages were case-ready. Chicken (94.8%) and turkey (95.6%) products utilized case-ready packaging systems more (P < 0.001) than any other species. On a national level, 50.1% of all products carried a national brand, 12.2% carried a store brand, and the remaining 37.7% of products in the fresh meat case in 2004 were not branded. Chicken was most (P < 0.001) likely to carry a natural brand label. Labels with cooking instructions were found most (P < 0.001) on pork (37.3%) and turkey products (48.1%). Chicken (20.4%) and turkey products (20.7%) were most (P < 0.001) likely to have the cooking instructions printed on the packaging material compared with all other species. Labels with nutritional information were most (P < 0.001) likely to be found on turkey products (55.7%) in the fresh meat case compared with any other species. On the national level, 6.1% of all packages reported in the fresh meat case in 2004 were value-added.

Prospects of poisoning - a multi facet study.

PubMed

Mishra, Pradeep K; Kulkarni, Rashmi; Sane, Mandar R; Deshpande, Ajit; Kushwah, Manish

2016-01-01

Aim of the study is to find out demographic profile, clinical characteristics and analysis of poison in clinical set up. The study carried out in Sri Aurobindo Medical College and PG Institute Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Total 75 cases of poisoning were studied for demographic profile, vitals (BP, pulse, heart rate, pupils, etc.), clinical features (such as vomiting, salivation, consciousness, etc.), type of poison and its analysis. Results: Poisoning was more common in cases between 15 and 25 years of age, in males than in females and in Hindu religion. Poisoning cases were predominantly from rural areas and in married people. Majority of cases were discharged after proper treatment and counseling. Altered vitals and clinical features were found in most of the cases. Organophosphate and aluminum phosphide compound were evaluated in most of the cases. Conclusions: Preventive measures should be applied through educating people, proper counseling, promoting poison information centers, and introducing separate toxicological units in hospitals.

Health Care Seeking Behavior of Persons with Acute Chagas Disease in Rural Argentina: A Qualitative View.

PubMed

Llovet, Ignacio; Dinardi, Graciela; Canevari, Cecilia; Torabi, Nahal

2016-01-01

Chagas disease (CD) is a tropical parasitic disease largely underdiagnosed and mostly asymptomatic affecting marginalized rural populations. Argentina regularly reports acute cases of CD, mostly young individuals under 14 years old. There is a void of knowledge of health care seeking behavior in subjects experiencing a CD acute condition. Early treatment of the acute case is crucial to limit subsequent development of disease. The article explores how the health outcome of persons with acute CD may be conditioned by their health care seeking behavior. The study, with a qualitative approach, was carried out in rural areas of Santiago del Estero Province, a high risk endemic region for vector transmission of CD. Narratives of 25 in-depth interviews carried out in 2005 and 2006 are analyzed identifying patterns of health care seeking behavior followed by acute cases. Through the retrospective recall of paths for diagnoses, weaknesses of disease information, knowledge at the household level, and underperformance at the provincial health care system level are detected. The misdiagnoses were a major factor in delaying a health care response. The study results expose lost opportunities for the health care system to effectively record CD acute cases.

Health Care Seeking Behavior of Persons with Acute Chagas Disease in Rural Argentina: A Qualitative View

PubMed Central

Dinardi, Graciela; Canevari, Cecilia; Torabi, Nahal

2016-01-01

Chagas disease (CD) is a tropical parasitic disease largely underdiagnosed and mostly asymptomatic affecting marginalized rural populations. Argentina regularly reports acute cases of CD, mostly young individuals under 14 years old. There is a void of knowledge of health care seeking behavior in subjects experiencing a CD acute condition. Early treatment of the acute case is crucial to limit subsequent development of disease. The article explores how the health outcome of persons with acute CD may be conditioned by their health care seeking behavior. The study, with a qualitative approach, was carried out in rural areas of Santiago del Estero Province, a high risk endemic region for vector transmission of CD. Narratives of 25 in-depth interviews carried out in 2005 and 2006 are analyzed identifying patterns of health care seeking behavior followed by acute cases. Through the retrospective recall of paths for diagnoses, weaknesses of disease information, knowledge at the household level, and underperformance at the provincial health care system level are detected. The misdiagnoses were a major factor in delaying a health care response. The study results expose lost opportunities for the health care system to effectively record CD acute cases. PMID:27829843

A comparative study of hematological parameters of α and β thalassemias in a high prevalence zone: Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Mehdi, Syed Riaz; Al Dahmash, Badr Abdullah

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Saudi Arabia falls in the high prevalent zone of αα and β thalassemias. Early screening for the type of thalassemia is essential for further investigations and management. The study was carried out to differentiate the type of thalassemia based on red cell indices and other hematological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 991 clinically suspected cases of thalassemias in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The hematological parameters were studied on Coulter STKS. Cellulose acetate hemoglobin electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were performed on all the blood samples. Gene deletion studies were carried out by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique using the restriction endonucleases Bam HI. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS 11.5 version. RESULTS: The hemoglobin electrophoresis and gene studies revealed that there were 406 (40.96%) and 59 (5.95 %) cases of β thalassemia trait and β thalassemia major respectively including adults and children. 426 cases of various deletion forms of α thalassemias were seen. Microcytosis was a common feature in β thalassemias trait and (-α/-α) and (--/αα) types of α thalassemias. MCH was a more significant distinguishing feature among thalassemias. β thalassemia major and α thalassemia (-α/αα) had almost normal hematological parameters. CONCLUSION: MCV and RBC counts are not statistically significant features for discriminating between α and β thalassemias. There is need for development of a discrimination index to differentiate between α and β thalassemias traits on the lines of discriminatory Indices available for distinguishing β thalassemias trait from iron deficiency anemia. PMID:22345994

The influence of flexible management practices on the sharing of experiential knowledge in the workplace: a case study of food service helpers.

PubMed

Ledoux, Elise; Cloutier, Esther; Fournier, Pierre-Sébastien

2012-01-01

Previous studies have shown that the job knowledge and prudent knowledge of experienced workers constitute a wealth that needs to be shared in workplaces to promote worker integration, job retention and occupational health and safety. It appears, however, that certain management practices undermine this knowledge sharing process. This case study of food service helpers in institutional food service departments is part of a research project aimed at comparing the impact of different work organization methods on knowledge sharing in the workplace on the basis of case studies carried out in several organizations. The results of this case study reveal that by destabilizing and weakening the work teams, flexible management practices create an environment that is not conducive to experiential knowledge sharing.

[Serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis: a comparative multicenter study of a standard scale through various actual tests and expression of the results in international units. Groupe de travail toxoplasmose du Contrôle national de qualité en parasotologie. Syndicat des fabricants de réactifs de laboratoire. Groupe de travail standardisation des tests sérologiques du Réseau européen de lutte contre la toxoplasmose congénitale].

PubMed

Petithory, J C; Ambroise-Thomas, P; De Loye, J; Pelloux, H; Goullier-Fleuret, A; Milgram, M; Buffard, C; Garin, J P

1996-01-01

Reported are the results of a multicentre study involving 40 laboratories that was carried out in France to assess all the currently available methods used for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis. For this purpose 10 batches of control sera were prepared with titres in the range 0-260 IU per ml. These sera were tested in nine laboratories using immunofluorescence methods; in three laboratories using dye tests; in forty laboratories using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; in four laboratories using direct agglutination and haemagglutination; in seven laboratories using the high-sensitivity IgG agglutination test; and in three laboratories using the latex agglutination test. In this way, 70 series of titrations were carried out using seven procedures and the results were compared with those obtained using the WHO reference serum in 15 cases, with the French national E6 serum in 16 other cases, and in 39 cases using 15 reference sera supplied by the reagent manufacturers. Rigorous comparison of the tests was not possible in all cases because one aim of the study was to ensure that the tests were carried out under the usual working conditions that prevailed in the participating laboratories. The results obtained indicate that the serological tests currently available for toxoplasmosis are acceptable for its serodiagnosis. Presentation of the titres in IU has advantages; however, caution is required since the definition of IU varies according to the test and reagents used. It is therefore essential that the conditions and limits for a positive reaction be carefully defined in each case, especially for commercially available kits.

Is RNASEL:p.Glu265* a modifier of early-onset breast cancer risk for carriers of high-risk mutations?

PubMed

Nguyen-Dumont, Tú; Teo, Zhi L; Hammet, Fleur; Roberge, Alexis; Mahmoodi, Maryam; Tsimiklis, Helen; Park, Daniel J; Pope, Bernard J; Lonie, Andrew; Kapuscinski, Miroslav K; Mahmood, Khalid; Goldgar, David E; Giles, Graham G; Winship, Ingrid; Hopper, John L; Southey, Melissa C

2018-02-08

Breast cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic mutation carriers is modified by risk factors that cluster in families, including genetic modifiers of risk. We considered genetic modifiers of risk for carriers of high-risk mutations in other breast cancer susceptibility genes. In a family known to carry the high-risk mutation PALB2:c.3113G>A (p.Trp1038*), whole-exome sequencing was performed on germline DNA from four affected women, three of whom were mutation carriers. RNASEL:p.Glu265* was identified in one of the PALB2 carriers who had two primary invasive breast cancer diagnoses before 50 years. Gene-panel testing of BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 and RNASEL in the Australian Breast Cancer Family Registry identified five carriers of RNASEL:p.Glu265* in 591 early onset breast cancer cases. Three of the five women (60%) carrying RNASEL:p.Glu265* also carried a pathogenic mutation in a breast cancer susceptibility gene compared with 30 carriers of pathogenic mutations in the 586 non-carriers of RNASEL:p.Glu265* (5%) (p < 0.002). Taqman genotyping demonstrated that the allele frequency of RNASEL:p.Glu265* was similar in affected and unaffected Australian women, consistent with other populations. Our study suggests that RNASEL:p.Glu265* may be a genetic modifier of risk for early-onset breast cancer predisposition in carriers of high-risk mutations. Much larger case-case and case-control studies are warranted to test the association observed in this report.

A prospective study of the APOA1 XmnI and APOC3 SstI polymorphisms in the APOA1/C3/A4 gene cluster and risk of incident myocardial infarction in men.

PubMed

Liu, Simin; Song, Yiqing; Hu, Frank B; Niu, Tianhua; Ma, Jing; Gaziano, Michael; Stampfer, Meir J

2004-11-01

Apolipoproteins AI/CIII/AIV play important roles in the metabolism of triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, whether genetic variations in the APOA1/C3/A4 gene cluster are associated with the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) remains uncertain and prospective data are sparse. In a prospective nested case-control study of 385 incident cases of MI and 373 age- and smoking-matched controls from the Physicians' Health Study, we examined the relationship between 2 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (APOA1 XmnI and APOC3 SstI) in the APOA1/C3/A4 gene cluster and haplotypes defined by these SNPs and risk of incident MI. No significant differences in allele or genotype frequency for the APOA1 XmnI and APOC3 SstI polymorphisms were detected between cases and controls. After adjusting for non-lipid coronary risk factors, the relative risks for incident MI were 1.00 (95% CI 0.68-1.47) for men carrying the X2 allele compared with those homozygous for the X1 allele in the APOA1 XmnI site and 1.07 (95% CI 0.69-1.64) for men carrying the S2 versus those homozygous for the S1 allele in the APOC3 SstI site. Moreover, we did not observe any effect modification by HDL or TG levels for the associations of these APOA1 and APOC3 genotypes with MI risk. There were significant differences in TG levels among men carrying different haplotypes (P=0.01) and men carrying the X1-S2 haplotype had higher levels of TG than those carrying the X2-S1 haplotype (202 mg/dl versus 157 mg/dl, P=0.03); however, haplotype frequencies defined by these two polymorphisms did not differ significantly between cases and controls. In this prospective study of apparently healthy middle-aged US men, carriers of the X1-S2 haplotype in the APOA1 XmnI and APOC3 SstI variants across the APOA1/C3/A4 gene cluster had higher TG levels, but there was no evidence for significant associations between these two common variants or haplotypes defined by them and risk of incident MI in this cohort.

[Psychiatric comorbidity related to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at schools in Sfax, Tunisia].

PubMed

Khemakhem, K; Ayedi, H; Moalla, Y; Yaich, S; Hadjkacem, I; Walha, A; Damak, J; Ghribi, F

2015-02-01

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent behavioral disorder particularly noticed among school children. It is often associated with other psychological troubles at the origin of an additional difficulty that has to be overcome. Our research's aim was to study the comorbidity of school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD in Sfax, Tunisia. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out from 1st April 2008 to 1st October 2008. Five hundred and thirteen pupils aged between 6 and 12, from primary arbitrarily chosen schools from Sfax were subjected to this study. Measurements were carried out in two steps: parents and teachers of each child filled in separately Conners questionnaire, then children with a score in subscales inattention, hyperactivity impulsivity higher than 70 were selected for psychiatric interview that was intended to confirm or to invalidate the ADHD diagnosis and the possible comorbid diagnosis. The diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV-TR. We have noticed that 109 pupils exhibited at least one pathological score on the Conners questionnaire. After interviewing these 109 pupils, the results have shown that 51 among them fulfilled criteria of ADHD. Prevalence of ADHD was found to be 9.94 %. About 72.54 % of children with ADHD had one or more comorbid disorder: learning disabilities (23.52 % of cases), anxiety disorder (31.37 % of cases), oppositional defiant disorder in (15.68 % of cases), mood disorder (3.92 % of cases), enuresis (13.72 % of cases) and slight mental retardation (1.95 % of cases). We can say that this study has shown that ADHD school children's psychiatric comorbidity is similar to any other previous study. Copyright © 2013 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Caspase-6 Activation in Familial Alzheimer Disease Brains Carrying Amyloid Precursor Protein, Presenilin I or Presenilin II Mutations

PubMed Central

Albrecht, Steffen; Bogdanovic, Nenad; Ghetti, Bernardino; Winblad, Bengt; LeBlanc, Andréa C.

2010-01-01

We previously demonstrated the activation of Caspase-6 in the hippocampus and cortex in cases of mild, moderate, severe and very severe Alzheimer disease (AD). To determine whether Caspase-6 is also activated in familial AD, we performed an immunohistochemical analysis of active Caspase-6 and Tau cleaved by Caspase-6 in temporal cortex and hippocampal tissue sections from cases of familial AD. The cases included 5 carrying the amyloid precursor protein K670N, M671L Swedish mutation, 1 carrying the amyloid precursor protein E693G Arctic mutation, 2 each carrying the Presenilin I M146V, F105L, A431E, V261F, Y115C mutations, and 1 with the Presenilin II N141I mutation. Active Caspase-6 immunoreactivity was found in all cases. Caspase-6 immunoreactivity was observed in neuritic plaques or cotton wool plaques in some cases, neuropil threads and neurofibrillary tangles. These results indicate that Caspase-6 is activated in familial forms of AD, as previously observed in sporadic forms. Since sporadic and familial AD cases have similar pathological features, these results support a fundamental role of Caspase-6 in the pathophysiology of both familial and sporadic AD. PMID:19915487

NMR-Metabolic Methodology in the Study of GM Foods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The 1H NMR methodology used in the study of genetically modified (GM) foodstuff is discussed. The study of transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv "Luxor") over-expressing the KNAT1 gene from Arabidopsis is presented as a novel study-case. The 1H NMR metabolic profiling was carried out. Twenty-two wat...

Motivation in Technology Education among Novice and Technological Talents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Autio, Ossi

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the elements motivating comprehensive school students to study technology education. The research was carried out as a qualitative case study and the material was collected through individual theme interviews. The study group consisted of two different test groups: novice and technological talents. In…

THE SOURCE OF INFECTION AND THE MOST FREQUENT CAUSES OF REACTIVE ARTHRITIS IN KOSOVO

PubMed Central

Lahu, Ali; Bajraktari, Ismet H.; Lahu, Shqipdonë; Saiti, Valton; Kryeziu, Avni; Sherifi, Fadil; Durmishi, Bastri

2016-01-01

Introduction: Reactive arthritis is an autoimmune condition which emerges as a counteraction towards an infection which has a focus elsewhere in the body. The purpose of this study is isolation of causative agents of reactive arthritis and ascertains the source of infection. The study has been carried out in the Rheumatology Clinic in Prishtina and specialized ambulance O.S. “Vendenisi-AL” in Besiana, whereas isolation of causative agents has been carried out in the National Institute for Public Health (NIPH). The study has prospective, comparative and analytical feature. Results: Out of 100 patients, 66% were males and 34% females. Among males we have noticed domination of post-urethritis and post-streptococcic reactive arthritis, whereas among females dominates reactive arthritis of enteral etiology. The study concludes that: urogenital tract was the source of infection with 66% of cases, nasopharyngeal tract with 19% of cases, and enteral tract with 15% of cases respectively. Predominantly presents bacteria are E. Coli with 21%, Staphylococcus aureus with 20%, Streptococcus B. hem. gr. A with 16% of cases respectively and other species. Conclusion: frequency of arthritis with urogenital etiology was 2:1 in favor of males, with nasopharyngeal etiology 3:1 in favor of males, whereas in arthritis with enteral etiology we have noticed a slight dominance in favor of females. PMID:27482162

CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism is associated with gout in a Chinese male population.

PubMed

Chen, Ying; Ren, Xianfeng; Li, Changgui; Xing, Shichao; Fu, Zhengju; Yuan, Ying; Wang, Robin; Wang, Yangang; Lv, Wenshan

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND &AIM: Previous studies have suggested genetic factors are involved in the development of gout. We performed a case-control study to investigate the genetic association between CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism and gout. A total of 396 male patients with gout and 403 age- and sex- matched healthy controls were included in this study. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays. An association analysis was carried out using the χ² test. The genotype-phenotype analysis was also conducted. The genotype distribution of CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism confirmed to HWE in the controls (P = 0.27). There was an obvious difference in the genotype distribution of CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism between cases and controls (P = 0.017). In addition, there was an obvious association between CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism and gout under the recessive comparison model (AA vs. OR = 0.65, 95%CI 0.47-0.88, P = 0.006). Patients carrying genotype TT of CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism had higher triglycerides levels compared to those carrying the AA genotype (2.77±2.08 mmol/L vs. 2.07±1.15 mmol/L, P = 0.01). Patients with the TT genotype also had significantly higher systolic blood pressure compared with those with the AA genotype (142.11±21.10 mmHg vs. 135.38±14.66 mmHg, P = 0.03). Patients carrying TT genotype also had an increased risk of renal calculus compared with those carrying the AA genotype. CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism is significantly associated with susceptibility to gout in Chinese Han males. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effectiveness of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged 7-59 months. A matched case-control study.

PubMed

Domínguez, Angela; Ciruela, Pilar; García-García, Juan José; Moraga, Fernando; de Sevilla, Mariona F; Selva, Laura; Coll, Francis; Muñoz-Almagro, Carmen; Planes, Ana María; Codina, Gemma; Jordán, Iolanda; Esteva, Cristina; Hernández, Sergi; Soldevila, Núria; Cardeñosa, Neus; Batalla, Joan; Salleras, Luis

2011-11-08

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the administration of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in a region with an intermediate vaccination coverage. A matched case-control study was carried out in children aged 7-59 months with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) admitted to two university hospitals in Catalonia. Three controls matched for hospital, age, sex, date of hospitalization and underlying disease were selected for each case. Information on the vaccination status of cases and controls was obtained from the vaccination card, the child's health card, the hospital medical record or the vaccination register of the primary healthcare center where the child was attended for non-severe conditions. A conditional logistic regression analysis was made to control for the effect of possible confounding variables. The adjusted vaccination effectiveness of the complete vaccination schedule (3 doses at 2, 4 and 6 months and a fourth dose at 15 months, 2 doses at least two months apart in children aged 12-23 months or a single dose in children aged >24 months) in preventing IPD caused by vaccine serotypes was 93.7% (95% CI 51.8-99.2). It was not effective in preventing cases caused by non-vaccine serotypes. The results of this study carried out in a population with intermediate vaccination coverage confirm those of other observational studies showing high levels of effectiveness of routine 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Where Americas Public Discussion Takes Place In Todays Society: Case Studies of Concealed Weapons Carry Reform

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

media sources on the public discourse. This research compares and contrasts the roles and importance of traditional and social media in the public...alternative media , social media 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 73 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT Unclassified 18. SECURITY...importance of traditional and social media in the public sphere today, as evidenced by the coverage of concealed-carry laws and related stories. The

The value of flexibility in conservation financing.

PubMed

Lennox, Gareth D; Fargione, Joseph; Spector, Sacha; Williams, Gwyn; Armsworth, Paul R

2017-06-01

Land-acquisition strategies employed by conservation organizations vary in their flexibility. Conservation-planning theory largely fails to reflect this by presenting models that are either extremely inflexible-parcel acquisitions are irreversible and budgets are fixed-or extremely flexible-previously acquired parcels can readily be sold. This latter approach, the selling of protected areas, is infeasible or problematic in many situations. We considered the value to conservation organizations of increasing the flexibility of their land-acquisition strategies through their approach to financing deals. Specifically, we modeled 2 acquisition-financing methods commonly used by conservation organizations: borrowing and budget carry-over. Using simulated data, we compared results from these models with those from an inflexible fixed-budget model and an extremely flexible selling model in which previous acquisitions could be sold to fund new acquisitions. We then examined 3 case studies of how conservation organizations use borrowing and budget carry-over in practice. Model comparisons showed that borrowing and budget carry-over always returned considerably higher rewards than the fixed-budget model. How they performed relative to the selling model depended on the relative conservation value of past acquisitions. Both the models and case studies showed that incorporating flexibility through borrowing or budget carry-over gives conservation organizations the ability to purchase parcels of higher conservation value than when budgets are fixed without the problems associated with the selling of protected areas. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

ANTIBIOTICS IN MANAGEMENT OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENDOCARDITIS—With Special Reference to Increasing Bacterial Resistance

PubMed Central

Levinson, David C.; Griffith, George C.; Pearson, Harold E.

1951-01-01

Eighteen patients with staphylococcal endocarditis were observed at the Los Angeles County Hospital over a 3-year period (1947-49, inclusive). Twelve died. Bacterial sensitivity studies were carried out in 15 of the cases, and there was resistance to penicillin in ten. Aureomycin was effective in two cases of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in which there was no response to penicillin therapy. In one case of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis the organism was resistant to penicillin and developed increasing resistance to aureomycin. PMID:14812349

[Home visits for social withdrawal cases in community mental health and child welfare services].

PubMed

Kondo, Naoji; Sakai, Motohiro; Ishikawa, Shin-ichi; Niimuras, Junko; Tanoue, Michika

2008-01-01

Home visits are one of the intervention and assistance methods anticipated to be useful in cases of social withdrawal. This study aims at investigating the current status of home visits that are carried out in the regional mental health and child welfare sectors, targeting socially withdrawn adolescents, and at examining the efficacy of this method. We conducted a survey using questionnaires targeting 59 institutions, such as public health centers, health and welfare offices, and child guidance centers, and found that home visits were carried out by public health nurses and child welfare personnel in about 20% of the adolescent social withdrawal cases. Answers to the question sheets were obtained for 54 cases, and investigation revealed that some form of improvement was seen as a result of these visits in 22 cases, or 40.7%. Typical answers included: "the visit encouraged the adolescent to go to a medical institution and/or a consultation agency for examination or consultation," and the "incidence of domestic violence by the adolescent declined." The survey also revealed that 19 of the social withdrawal cases, or 35.2%, inflicted acts of violence on family members; however, 8 cases, or 42.1% showed the improvement of violence through home visits.

How different technologies can fit nursing processes to empower staff and increase quality of care. An Italian case study.

PubMed

Bollini, Giovanna; Lolli, Angela; Zaza, Raffaele; Origgi, Gianni; Bragagia, Silvia; Locatelli, Paolo; Restifo, Nicola

2009-01-01

The rapid evolution of healthcare and the need to contain costs, to decrease the time of patients' hospitalization, and to improve the quality of care has led the nursing profession to face new challenges. This paper describes the case study of A.O. Ospedale Niguarda in Milan (Italy), a public healthcare provider where the key role of Nursing is being recognized according to international common practice. Also considering the context of Italian healthcare, attention will be drawn to concrete actions carried out on the organizational side and also for what concerns IT tools supporting nursing activities. This was done aiming with success at rising nurses' knowledge level of the patient, support its activities, increase quality of care, in a precise managerial and methodological framework. We will describe four cases of projects (Intensive Care Unit patient record, First Aid Station care reporting, pressure ulcers management, transfusion traceability) carried out by Niguarda with the support of its partner Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, set up to support bedside nursing activities with the most suitable technology for the purpose.

Informetrics: Exploring Databases as Analytical Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wormell, Irene

1998-01-01

Advanced online search facilities and information retrieval techniques have increased the potential of bibliometric research. Discusses three case studies carried out by the Centre for Informetric Studies at the Royal School of Library Science (Denmark) on the internationality of international journals, informetric analyses on the World Wide Web,…

The Effects of an Intervention Combining Peer Tutoring with Story Mapping on the Text Comprehension of Struggling Readers: A Case Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grünke, Matthias; Leidig, Tatjana

2017-01-01

This single-case study tested a peer tutoring model using a visualizing strategy (story mapping) to teach struggling students better text comprehension. Three teams each consisting of a tutor and a tutee attending a fourth-grade general education classroom participated in the experiment. A short series of observations was carried out before and…

Fraud and Corruption Control at Education System Level: A Case Study of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bandaranayake, Bandara

2014-01-01

This case describes the implementation of a fraud and corruption control policy initiative within the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (the Department) in Australia. The policy initiative was administered and carried out by a small team of fraud control officials, including the author of this article, in the…

"..., But I Cannot Do Research": Action-Research and Early Childhood Teachers. A Case Study from Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magos, Kostas

2012-01-01

Although action-research is a well-known research methodology in the field of education, in the case of Greece there are few actions-researches carried out by early childhood teachers. The absence of action-research in early childhood education settings is related to the way many early childhood teachers shape their professional role as well as…

Are Seminar Periods Supportive of the Professional Development of Social Studies Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Selçuk Besir; Dogan, Soner; Atasoy, Turgay

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficiency of the seminar periods intended for contributing to the professional development of social studies teachers based on their own perspectives. This study adopts a qualitative approach and is carried out in the form of a case study. Among the purposeful sampling methods, the criteria sample…

Socioscientific Issues in Science Education: The Case of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topcu, Mustafa Sami; Mugaloglu, Ebru Zeynep; Guven, Devrim

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the foci and results of studies on socioscientific issues (SSI) conducted in Turkey. Additionally, the study aimed to compare the results of this study with ones conducted internationally. For this aim, a literary review of empirical studies related to SSI conducted in Turkey was carried out. Four criteria…

The Effect of Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation in Infancy on Melanoma Risk.

PubMed

Gefeller, Olaf; Fiessler, Cornelia; Radespiel-Tröger, Martin; Uter, Wolfgang; Pfahlberg, Annette B

2016-01-01

Evidence on the effect of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure in infancy on melanoma risk in later life is scarce. Three recent studies suffering from methodological shortcomings suggested that people born in spring carry a higher melanoma risk. Data from the Bavarian population-based cancer registry on 28374 incident melanoma cases between 2002 and 2012 were analyzed to reexamine this finding. Crude and adjusted analyses - using negative binomial regression models - were performed addressing the relationship. In the crude analysis, the birth months March - May were significantly overrepresented among melanoma cases. However, after additionally adjusting for the birth month distribution of the Bavarian population, the ostensible seasonal effect disappeared. Similar results emerged in all subgroup analyses. Our large registry-based study provides no evidence that people born in spring carry a higher risk for developing melanoma in later life and thus lends no support to the hypothesis of higher UVR-susceptibility during the first months of life.

Absence of asymptomatic cases of malaria in a historically endemic indigenous locality of the Department of Caaguazú, Paraguay: moving toward elimination.

PubMed

Barrios, Eugenia Duarte de; Russomando, Graciela; Puerto, Florencia Del

2016-01-01

Paraguay was among the 16 countries that reported zero indigenous malaria cases in 2014. A cross-sectional observational descriptive study was performed in 100 adults from Santa Teresa, Paraguay. Parasite detection was carried out using seminested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and microscopy. Among the participants, 44% were female and 56% were male, and 89% had a malaria history. No parasites were detected with either of the methods. There were no asymptomatic cases in Santa Teresa, and this finding is very promising. A longitudinal study should be performed to confirm that there are no asymptomatic cases in this locality.

Anatomical study of the accessory axillary vein in cadavers: a contribution to the axillary surgical approach.

PubMed

Felix, Valtuir Barbosa; Dos Santos, José André Bernardino; Fernandes, Katharina Jucá de Moraes; Cabral, Dhayanna Rolemberg Gama; Dos Santos, Carlos Adriano Silva; Rodrigues, Célio Fernando de Sousa; Lima, Jacqueline Silva Brito; Ramalho, Antônio José Casado

2016-01-01

The axillary vein is an important blood vessel that participates in drainage of the upper limb. Some individuals present a second axillary vein (accessory axillary vein), which is an important collateral drainage path. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of the accessory axillary vein and to describe this vessel's topography. In this study, axillary dissections were carried out on twenty-four (24) human cadavers of both sexes that had been fixed with 10% formaldehyde. The upper limbs of the cadavers were still attached to the bodies and the axillary structures were preserved. Data collection was carried out and the axillary structures of the cadavers were compared. The incidence of accessory axillary veins was 58.3%, with no significant preference for sex or for side of the body. The accessory axillary vein originated from the lateral brachial vein in 39.28% of cases, from the common brachial vein in 35.71% of cases, and from the deep brachial vein in 25% of cases. Its high incidence and clinical relevance make the accessory axillary vein important for provision of collateral circulation in the event of traumatic injury to the axillary vein.

[The ultrasonic diagnosis of jaundice. 199 cases (author's transl)].

PubMed

Weill, F; Marmier, A; Paronneau, P; Zeltner, F; Charton, M N

1978-11-25

Thank to a thorough ultrasonographic analysis of biliary tree ("shotgun sign"), liver and pancreas, a positive diagnosis of obstruction was carried out in 92% of cases. The success rate in diagnosis of level of obstruction was also 92%. Aetiologic diagnosis was successful in 61% of cases only (almost 100% in jaundices of pancreatic origine). No false positive diagnosis of obstruction was made in non-obstructive jaundice. This enabled to carry out instrumental cholangiography (i.e. "skinny" needle percutaneous cholangiography, and ERC) only in case of clinical, biological and sonographic discrepancies, or in hilar obstructions.

ICT Student Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Nuray Parlak

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify the difficulties that information technology student teachers have in teaching concepts. This qualitative study was carried out with 12 student teachers. The student teachers were fourth-year students enrolled in the Special Teaching Methods II course in the spring semester of the 2010-2011 academic year. The research…

Acute retinal necrosis in the United Kingdom: results of a prospective surveillance study

PubMed Central

Cochrane, T F; Silvestri, G; McDowell, C; Foot, B; McAvoy, C E

2012-01-01

Background To determine the incidence of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) in the United Kingdom and to describe the demographics, management, and visual outcome in these patients. Methods This was a prospective study carried out by the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit (BOSU) between September 2007 and October 2008. Initial and 6-month questionnaires were sent to UK ophthalmologists who reported cases of ARN via the monthly BOSU report card system. Results In all, 45 confirmed cases (52 eyes) of ARN were reported in the 14-month study period, giving a minimum incidence of 0.63 cases per million population per year. There were 20 females and 25 males. Age ranged from 10 to 94 years. Eight patients had a history of herpetic CNS disease. Aqueous sampling was carried out in 13 patients, vitreous in 27, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 4. Varicella-zoster virus followed by herpes simplex were the most common causative agents. Treatment in 76% of the cases was with intravenous antivirals; however, 24% received only oral antivirals. In all, 47% of patients had intravitreal antiviral therapy. Visual outcome at 6 months was <6/60 in 48% of the affected eyes. Conclusion The minimum incidence of ARN in the UK is 0.63 cases per million. Patients with a history of herpetic CNS disease should be warned to immediately report any visual symptoms. There is increased use of oral and intravitreal antivirals in initial treatment. PMID:22281865

Effects of Strategy Instruction in an EFL Reading Comprehension Course: A Case Study (Efectos de la instrucción de estrategias en un curso de comprensión de lectura en inglés como lengua extranjera: un estudio de caso)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopera Medina, Sergio

2012-01-01

Strategy instruction is useful in teaching contexts. This paper examines the effects of strategy instruction in an EFL reading comprehension course carried out with 26 undergraduate students at a Colombian university. As a research method, a case study was implemented. There were three instruments with which to collect data: reading comprehension…

Multi-Robot Search for a Moving Target: Integrating World Modeling, Task Assignment and Context

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Case Study Our approach to coordination was initially motivated and developed in RoboCup soccer games. In fact, it has been first deployed on a team of...features a rather accurate model of the behavior and capabilities of the humanoid robot in the field. In the soccer case study , our goal is to...on experiments carried out with a team of humanoid robots in a soccer scenario and a team of mobile bases in an office environment. I. INTRODUCTION

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency at the China-Myanmar Border.

PubMed

Li, Qing; Yang, Fang; Liu, Rong; Luo, Lan; Yang, Yuling; Zhang, Lu; Liu, Huaie; Zhang, Wen; Fan, Zhixiang; Yang, Zhaoqing; Cui, Liwang; He, Yongshu

2015-01-01

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked hereditary disease that predisposes red blood cells to oxidative damage. G6PD deficiency is particularly prevalent in historically malaria-endemic areas. Use of primaquine for malaria treatment may result in severe hemolysis in G6PD deficient patients. In this study, we systematically evaluated the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in the Kachin (Jingpo) ethnic group along the China-Myanmar border and determined the underlying G6PD genotypes. We surveyed G6PD deficiency in 1770 adult individuals (671 males and 1099 females) of the Kachin ethnicity using a G6PD fluorescent spot test. The overall prevalence of G6PD deficiency in the study population was 29.6% (523/1770), among which 27.9% and 30.6% were males and females, respectively. From these G6PD deficient samples, 198 unrelated individuals (147 females and 51 males) were selected for genotyping at 11 known G6PD single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Southeast Asia (ten in exons and one in intron 11) using a multiplex SNaPshot assay. Mutations with known association to a deficient phenotype were detected in 43.9% (87/198) of cases, intronic and synonymous mutations were detected alone in 34.8% (69/198) cases and no mutation were found in 21.2% (42/198) cases. Five non-synonymous mutations, Mahidol 487G>A, Kaiping 1388G>A, Canton 1376G>T, Chinese 4 392G>T, and Viangchan 871G>A were detected. Of the 87 cases with known deficient mutations, the Mahidol variant was the most common (89.7%; 78/87), followed by the Kaiping (8.0%; 7/87) and the Viangchan (2.2%; 2/87) variants. The Canton and Chinese 4 variants were found in 1.1% of these 87 cases. Among them, two females carried the Mahidol/Viangchan and Mahidol/Kaiping double mutations, respectively. Interestingly, the silent SNPs 1311C>T and IVS11nt93T>C both occurred in the same 95 subjects with frequencies at 56.4% and 23.5% in tested females and males, respectively (P<0.05). It is noteworthy that 24 subjects carrying the Mahidol mutation and two carrying the Kaiping mutation also carried the 1311C>T/IVS11nt93T>C SNPs. Further studies are needed to determine the enzyme levels of the G6PD deficient people and presence of additional G6PD mutations in the study population.

[Advance euthanasia directives in dementia rarely carried out. Qualitative study in physicians and patients].

PubMed

Rurup, Mette L; Pasman, H R W Roeline; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D

2010-01-01

To study how advance euthanasia directives (AEDs) in dementia are viewed in practice in the Netherlands. Qualitative study. In-depth interviews on nine patients with the patients themselves and/or partners and their physicians. The patients were included from a cohort of people with an AED. All interviews were done in 2006. Cases were included with different diagnoses and at different stages of dementia. Interviewed patients and their relatives had very high expectations of the feasibility of the AED. Interviewed physicians often thought of AEDs as aids in starting up a dialogue about medical decisions at the end of life, but they did not always do this in practice. Most physicians were open to adhering to AEDs in exceptional cases, on condition that the patient obviously suffered, and that communication with the patient to some extent was possible. In this study two cases were found in which adhering to the AED was seriously considered. In one case, fear of legal consequences was the only reason the physician had not adhered to the AED, while it seemed all the requirements of due care could be met. Euthanasia was not carried out in the other patient either. Several physicians mentioned the need for more detailed practical guidelines for the use of AEDs for dementia. Patients had too high expectations of AEDs. It seemed that in exceptional cases the requirements for due care for euthanasia can be met in patients with dementia with an AED. It seems advisable that more detailed practical guidelines for the use of AEDs in cases of dementia be drawn up, as a first step to more clarity for patients and physicians.

Prognostic model for psychological outcomes in ambulatory surgery patients: A prospective study using a structural equation modeling framework.

PubMed

Mijderwijk, Hendrik-Jan; Stolker, Robert Jan; Duivenvoorden, Hugo J; Klimek, Markus; Steyerberg, Ewout W

2018-01-01

Surgical procedures are increasingly carried out in a day-case setting. Along with this increase, psychological outcomes have become prominent. The objective was to evaluate prospectively the prognostic effects of sociodemographic, medical, and psychological variables assessed before day-case surgery on psychological outcomes after surgery. The study was carried out between October 2010 and September 2011. We analyzed 398 mixed patients, from a randomized controlled trial, undergoing day-case surgery at a university medical center. Structural equation modeling was used to jointly study presurgical prognostic variables relating to sociodemographics (age, sex, nationality, marital status, having children, religion, educational level, employment), medical status (BMI, heart rate), and psychological status associated with anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A)), fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI)), aggression (State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS)), depressive moods (HADS-D), self-esteem, and self-efficacy. We studied psychological outcomes on day 7 after surgery, including anxiety, fatigue, depressive moods, and aggression regulation. The final prognostic model comprised the following variables: anxiety (STAI, HADS-A), fatigue (MFI), depression (HADS-D), aggression (STAS), self-efficacy, sex, and having children. The corresponding psychological variables as assessed at baseline were prominent (i.e. standardized regression coefficients ≥ 0.20), with STAI-Trait score being the strongest predictor overall. STAI-State (adjusted R2 = 0.44), STAI-Trait (0.66), HADS-A (0.45) and STAS-Trait (0.54) were best predicted. We provide a prognostic model that adequately predicts multiple postoperative outcomes in day-case surgery. Consequently, this enables timely identification of vulnerable patients who may require additional medical or psychological preventive treatment or-in a worst-case scenario-could be unselected for day-case surgery.

Automation of immunohistochemical evaluation in breast cancer using image analysis

PubMed Central

Prasad, Keerthana; Tiwari, Avani; Ilanthodi, Sandhya; Prabhu, Gopalakrishna; Pai, Muktha

2011-01-01

AIM: To automate breast cancer diagnosis and to study the inter-observer and intra-observer variations in the manual evaluations. METHODS: Breast tissue specimens from sixty cases were stained separately for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu). All cases were assessed by manual grading as well as image analysis. The manual grading was performed by an experienced expert pathologist. To study inter-observer and intra-observer variations, we obtained readings from another pathologist as the second observer from a different laboratory who has a little less experience than the first observer. We also took a second reading from the second observer to study intra-observer variations. Image analysis was carried out using in-house developed software (TissueQuant). A comparison of the results from image analysis and manual scoring of ER, PR and HER-2/neu was also carried out. RESULTS: The performance of the automated analysis in the case of ER, PR and HER-2/neu expressions was compared with the manual evaluations. The performance of the automated system was found to correlate well with the manual evaluations. The inter-observer variations were measured using Spearman correlation coefficient r and 95% confidence interval. In the case of ER expression, Spearman correlation r = 0.53, in the case of PR expression, r = 0.63, and in the case of HER-2/neu expression, r = 0.68. Similarly, intra-observer variations were also measured. In the case of ER, PR and HER-2/neu expressions, r = 0.46, 0.66 and 0.70, respectively. CONCLUSION: The automation of breast cancer diagnosis from immunohistochemically stained specimens is very useful for providing objective and repeatable evaluations. PMID:21611095

Concordance Between FISH Analysis of Her-2/Neu Gene in Breast Duct Carcinoma and Corresponding Axillary Nodal Metastases: Egyptian National Cancer Institute Experience.

PubMed

Badawy, Omnia M; Hassan, Hannan; ELBakey, Heba A; Mosaad, Maha

2018-05-10

Breast cancer is a major health problem in Egypt. Her-2/Neu gene is routinely assessed for all breast cancer patients primarily by immunohistochemistry. At National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, Flourescence In Situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of Her-2/Neu gene is carried out for Her-2/Neu score 2 and for some cases of score 3 (particularly those assessed outside NCI). The test is performed essentially on the primary tumor. However, some situations require testing on corresponding lymph node metastases. There is a debate about the concordance between Her-2/Neu status in the primary tumor and synchronous lymph node metastases in various studies. The aim of this study was to test for the concordance between Her-2/Neu status in the primary breast tumor and corresponding axillary nodal metastases. This is a retrospective study in which FISH analysis of Her-2/Neu was carried out simultaneously on archived material of 50 cases previously diagnosed as invasive duct carcinoma and the corresponding nodal metastases from the Pathology Department, NCI. There was complete concordance between Her-2 status in the primary tumor and the corresponding axillary lymph node metastatic deposits in which Her-2 was amplified in 44% of the studied cohort of Egyptian patients. Her-2/Neu gene assessed by FISH analysis on synchronous lymph node metastases is strongly correlated with the primary tumor. Hence, it is justified to carry out the Her-2/Neu test on synchronous lymph nodes to decide on whether to carry out anti-Her-2/Neu target therapy. Further studies on other metastatic sites is recommended.

Childhood intussusception: A prospective study of management trend in a developing country.

PubMed

Ogundoyin, Olakayode Olaolu; Olulana, Dare Isaac; Lawal, Taiwo Akeem

2015-01-01

The management of intussusception has evolved universally from the use of hydrostatic reduction through operative reduction to the use of pneumatic reduction for the acute and uncomplicated cases and surgical reduction for the complicated cases. However, the process of evolution has been very slow in the developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa, due to lack of requisite facilities and expertise to manage these patients nonoperatively. This study examined the trends in the management of childhood intussusception in a developing country, compared operative and nonoperative modalities of treatment, and assessed the impact of delayed presentation on the outcome of management. This was a prospective study of the management of children with intussusception at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Fifty-five consecutive cases of intussusception that presented to the Children Emergency Unit of the University College Hospital between January 2005 and December 2011 were prospectively studied. Details of sex, age of the patients, clinical presentation, duration of symptoms, mode of treatment, and incidence of recurrence were recorded and analyzed. The median age was 7 months. Moreover, the duration of symptoms varied from 1 to 21 days with a mean of 4 days. Twenty-two patients (40%) had attempted hydrostatic reduction; this was successful in 14 patients (63.6%), whereas 8 patients (36.4%) had failed reduction. In all, 41 patients (74.6%) had operative management of intussusceptions; primary operative intervention was carried out in 33 patients (60%) and secondary surgical management in 8 patients (14.5%) with failed hydrostatic reduction. At surgery, manual reduction of intussusception was carried out on 17 patients (30.9%) and resection of devitalized bowel with end to end anastomosis was carried out on the remaining 24 patients (43.6%). The incidence of surgical intervention for intussusception was 74.6%, mortality was 3.6%, and recurrence rate was 3.6%. Nonoperative management of intussusception should be adopted in carefully selected cases of intussusception in this subregion as it will help to reduce the financial burden on the parents while surgical management should be reserved for the complicated cases.

Prospective Science Teachers' Subject-Matter Knowledge about Overflow Container

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ültay, Eser

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine prospective science teachers' subject-matter knowledge (SMK) about overflow container. This study was carried out in the form of a case study in spring term of the academic year of 2013-2014 with seven sophomore prospective science teachers who were studying at Elementary Science Teaching Department in…

Protecting surface transportation systems and patrons from terrorist activities : case studies of best security practices and a chronology of attacks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-12-01

This report documents the first phase of a continuing research effort carried out by the Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies (IISTPS) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It comprises a ch...

Building Inclusive Processes for School Improvement: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnaiz, Pilar; Escarbajal, Andrés; Guirao, José Manuel; Martínez, Rogelio

2016-01-01

This paper presents a study carried out in a nursery and primary school in order to ascertain the level of self-assessment undertaken by teachers with respect to their educational processes using the "ACADI" instrument, "School-based self-assessment of diversity awareness from an inclusive approach." The objective was to…

Binaural Sensory Aid: Case Studies of Its Use by Two Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strelow, E. R.; And Others

1978-01-01

The adaptation of the binaural sensory aid for use by blind children is discussed in the context of a pilot study carried out with two blind children; one an intellectually competent 6-year-old girl and the other a developmentally delayed 2-1/2-year-old boy. (Author)

Active Learning Strategies in Physics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karamustafaoglu, Orhan

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine physics teachers' opinions about student-centered activities applicable in physics teaching and learning in context. A case study approach was used in this research. First, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 6 physics teachers. Then, a questionnaire was developed based on the data obtained…

Lesions Associated With Calcium Gluconate Extravasation: Presentation of 5 Clinical Cases and Analysis of Cases Published.

PubMed

Pacheco Compaña, Francisco Javier; Midón Míguez, José; de Toro Santos, Francisco Javier

2017-11-01

Calcium gluconate extravasation is a process, which, while not common, occurs more frequently in neonatal intensive care units. The aim of this study is to present a number of cases of calcium gluconate extravasation, which have occurred in our hospital, and to carry out a review of those clinical cases published in the literature to obtain relevant epidemiological data. Data were gathered on the medical histories of 5 patients who presented lesions secondary to calcium gluconate extravasation in our center. A review of the literature was also performed to include clinical cases of calcium gluconate extravasation already published. Data were collected on 60 cases published in 37 articles. Most patients (55%) were neonates. The average age of these neonates was 8 days. The commonest location of injuries was the back of the hand and wrist (42%). The 2 most frequent symptoms were the appearance of erythema (65%) and swelling/edema (48%) followed by the appearance of skin necrosis (47%), indurated skin (33%), and yellow-white plaques or papules (33%). Most cases are cured within a period of 3 to 6 months. Fifty percent of patients required surgery, and in 13% of cases, skin grafts were performed. The most frequent histological finding was the presence of calcium deposits. Other histological findings described were the presence of necrosis, lymphohistiocytic infíltrate, and granulomas. Most histological findings were located in the dermis. Most x-rays showing calcium deposits had been performed at 3 to 4 weeks. Calcium gluconate extravasation is a process, which, although infrequent, is associated with serious skin and soft-tissue lesions, mainly affecting infants. Further studies are needed to determine possible specific procedures to be carried out in these cases.

Carrying the pain: the journey from suffering to transformation-perspectives from Shakespearean tragedy and pastoral care.

PubMed

Minton, Mary E; Antonen, Kathy

2013-06-01

This paper proposes an admittedly difficult thesis that emotional pain and suffering can be good news. Rather than denying and running from emotional pain and suffering, we suggest embracing and carrying the pain. Through academic and spiritual writings, an observation of Hamlet's tragic suffering, an examination of pastoral care case study data, and a B.L.E.S.S. acronym, this paper proposes that within the experience of suffering lies the transformative potential for meaning and fullness.

Ergonomics and design: its principles applied in the industry.

PubMed

Tavares, Ademario Santos; Silva, Francisco Nilson da

2012-01-01

Industrial Design encompasses both product development and optimization of production process. In this sense, Ergonomics plays a fundamental role, because its principles, methods and techniques can help operators to carry out their tasks most successfully. A case study carried out in an industry shows that the interaction among Design, Production Engineering and Materials Engineering departments may improve some aspects concerned security, comfort, efficiency and performance. In this process, Ergonomics had shown to be of essential importance to strategic decision making to the improvement of production section.

Carbon dioxide reduction by the Bosch process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manning, M. P.; Reid, R. C.

1975-01-01

Prototype units for carrying out the reduction of carbon dioxide to elementary carbon have been built and operated successfully. In some cases, however, startup difficulties have been reported. Moreover, the recycle reactor product has been reported to contain only small amounts of water and undesirably high yields of methane. This paper presents the results of the first phase of an experimental study that was carried out to define the mechanisms occurring in the reduction process. Conclusions are drawn and possible modifications to the present recycle process are suggested.

Economic implications of three strategies for the control of taeniasis.

PubMed

Alexander, Anu; John, K R; Jayaraman, T; Oommen, Anna; Venkata Raghava, M; Dorny, Pierre; Rajshekhar, Vedantam

2011-11-01

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of three strategies for the control of taeniasis in a community, in terms of cost per case treated. A study was conducted in South India to determine the prevalence of taeniasis by screening stool samples from 653 randomly chosen subjects, for coproantigens. The costs incurred in the project were used to estimate the cost per case screened and treated. A one-way sensitivity analysis was carried out for varying rates of taeniasis, different screening strategies and mass therapy. Further sensitivity analysis was carried out with different manpower and test costs. The rate of taeniasis as detected by ELISA for coproantigen was 3 per 1000 (2 of 653 samples). Our study showed that mass therapy without screening for taeniasis would be the most economical strategy in terms of cost per case treated if field workers are employed exclusively for either mass therapy or screening. For each strategy, costs per case treated are higher at low prevalence of taeniasis, with a sharp rise below 15%. In places that are endemic for taeniasis and neurocysticercosis, mass therapy or screening for taeniasis should be considered. Screening by stool microscopy is not cost-effective in terms of cost per case of taeniasis treated owing to its low sensitivity. Although the cost per case of taeniasis treated is high at low prevalence of taeniasis for all options, incorporating mass therapy into existing mass drug distribution programmes might prove to be the most cost-effective control strategy. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Genetic epidemiology of motor neuron disease-associated variants in the Scottish population.

PubMed

Black, Holly A; Leighton, Danielle J; Cleary, Elaine M; Rose, Elaine; Stephenson, Laura; Colville, Shuna; Ross, David; Warner, Jon; Porteous, Mary; Gorrie, George H; Swingler, Robert; Goldstein, David; Harms, Matthew B; Connick, Peter; Pal, Suvankar; Aitman, Timothy J; Chandran, Siddharthan

2017-03-01

Genetic understanding of motor neuron disease (MND) has evolved greatly in the past 10 years, including the recent identification of association between MND and variants in TBK1 and NEK1. Our aim was to determine the frequency of pathogenic variants in known MND genes and to assess whether variants in TBK1 and NEK1 contribute to the burden of MND in the Scottish population. SOD1, TARDBP, OPTN, TBK1, and NEK1 were sequenced in 441 cases and 400 controls. In addition to 44 cases known to carry a C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, we identified 31 cases and 2 controls that carried a loss-of-function or pathogenic variant. Loss-of-function variants were found in TBK1 in 3 cases and no controls and, separately, in NEK1 in 3 cases and no controls. This study provides an accurate description of the genetic epidemiology of MND in Scotland and provides support for the contribution of both TBK1 and NEK1 to MND susceptibility in the Scottish population. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Special report on the political and social contexts of health: Part I. Introduction: objectives and purposes of the study.

PubMed

Navarro, Vicente

2003-01-01

This article introduces a series of research projects (carried out by the International Network on Social Inequalities and Health) focused on the impact of politics on policy and the consequences for health and quality of life, an area that has been understudied in the social science literature. The introduction describes the conceptual model that guided the research, centered on the study of how political parties and social agents (such as trade unions) affect social inequalities and mortality indicators through labor market and welfare state policies. The major theme of this research is whether political and social interventions matter in health policy and health outcomes. The introduction also describes the different types of research projects carried out by the International Network at the national levels (among OECD countries) and at the regional and local levels (in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Sweden). This Journal issue presents the multinational study and the U.K. case study; the next issue will include the Italian, German, Spanish, and Swedish case studies and the summary and conclusions.

Analysis of Expressed and Non-Expressed IGK Locus Rearrangements in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

PubMed Central

Belessi, Chrysoula; Stamatopoulos, Kostas; Hadzidimitriou, Anastasia; Hatzi, Katerina; Smilevska, Tatjana; Stavroyianni, Niki; Marantidou, Fotini; Paterakis, George; Fassas, Athanasios; Anagnostopoulos, Achilles; Laoutaris, Nikolaos

2005-01-01

Immunoglobulin κ (IGK) locus rearrangements were analyzed in parallel on cDNA/genomic DNA in 188 κ- and 103 λ-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cases. IGKV-KDE and IGKJ-C-intron-KDE rearrangements were also analyzed on genomic DNA. In κ-CLL, only 3 of 188 cases carried double in-frame IGKV-J transcripts: in such cases, the possibility that leukemic cells expressed more than one κ chain cannot be excluded. Twenty-eight κ-CLL cases also carried nonexpressed (nontranscribed and/or out-of-frame) IGKV-J rearrangements. Taking IGKV-J, IGKV-KDE, and IGKJ-C-intron-KDE rearrangements together, 38% of κ-CLL cases carried biallelic IGK locus rearrangements. In λ-CLL, 69 IGKV-J rearrangements were detected in 64 of 103 cases (62%); 24 rearrangements (38.2%) were in-frame. Four cases carried in-frame IGKV-J transcripts but retained monotypic light-chain expression, suggesting posttranscriptional regulation of allelic exclusion. In all, taking IGKV-J, IGKV-KDE, and IGKJ-C-intron-KDE rearrangements together, 97% of λ-CLL cases had at least 1 rearranged IGK allele, in keeping with normal cells. IG repertoire comparisons in κ- versus λ-CLL revealed that CLL precursor cells tried many rearrangements on the same IGK allele before they became λ producers. Thirteen of 28 and 26 of 69 non-expressed sequences in, respectively, κ- or λ-CLL had < 100% homology to germline. This finding might be considered as evidence for secondary rearrangements occurring after the onset of somatic hypermutation, at least in some cases. The inactivation of potentially functional IGKV-J joints by secondary rearrangements indicates active receptor editing in CLL and provides further evidence for the role of antigen in CLL immunopathogenesis. PMID:16622520

Epidemiological link of a major cholera outbreak in Greater Accra region of Ghana, 2014.

PubMed

Ohene-Adjei, Kennedy; Kenu, Ernest; Bandoh, Delia Akosua; Addo, Prince Nii Ossah; Noora, Charles Lwanga; Nortey, Priscillia; Afari, Edwin Andrew

2017-10-11

Cholera remains an important public health challenge globally. Several pandemics have occurred in different parts of the world and have been epidemiologically linked by different researchers to illustrate how the cases were spread and how they were related to index cases. Even though the risk factors associated with the 2014 cholera outbreak were investigated extensively, the link between index cases and the source of infection was not investigated to help break the transmission process. This study sought to show how the index cases from various districts of the Greater Accra Region may have been linked. We carried out a descriptive cross sectional study to investigate the epidemiological link of the 2014 cholera outbreak in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. An extensive review of all district records on cholera cases in the Greater Accra region was carried out. Index cases were identified with the help of line lists. Univariate analyses were expressed as frequency distributions, percentages, mean ± Standard Deviation, and rates (attack rates, case-fatality rates etc.) as appropriate. Maps were drawn using Arc GIS and Epi info software to describe the pattern of transmission. Up to 20,199 cholera cases were recorded. Sixty percent of the cases were between 20 and 40 years and about 58% (11,694) of the total cases were males. Almost 50% of the cases occurred in the Accra Metro district. Two-thirds of the index cases ate food prepared outside their home and had visited the Accra Metropolis. The 2014 cholera outbreak can be described as a propagated source outbreak linked to the Accra Metropolis. The link between index cases and the source of infection, if investigated earlier could have helped break the transmission process. Such investigations also inform decision-making about the appropriate interventions to be instituted to prevent subsequent outbreaks.

Prospective Chemistry and Science Teachers' Views and Metaphors about Chemistry and Chemical Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onen Ozturk, Fatma; Aglarci, Oya

2017-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the metaphors created by prospective chemistry and science teachers and their views about how the studies in the field of chemistry are carried out in relation to the grade level and department. Research Methods: Case study as a qualitative research design was used. Participants in the study included…

Dental rehabilitation using an implant-carrying plate system in a severely resorbed edentulous maxilla: a case report.

PubMed

Kurita, Hiroshi; Sakai, Hironori; Uehara, Shinobu; Kurashina, Kenji

2008-01-01

This clinical article describes a case of dental rehabilitation using an implant-carrying plate system (EPITEC) for a patient with severely resorbed edentulous maxilla and microstomia. In this case, the presence of microstomia prevented bone augmentation procedures through an intraoral approach. Treatment using 2 endosseous implants inserted in the canine regions and an implant-supported overdenture was planned. However, endosseous implants were not feasible on the right side because of insufficient available bone volume. An implant-carrying plate system was then utilized on the right side. Four months later, an implant-supported ball-attachment overdenture was fabricated. At the 2-year follow-up, the clinical course remained uneventful, and the patient remained satisfied with the treatment.

Cells Respond to Distinct Nanoparticle Properties with Multiple Strategies As Revealed by Single-Cell RNA-Seq

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, Hugh D.; Markillie, Lye Meng; Chrisler, William B.

The impact of distinct nanoparticle (NP) properties on cellular response and ultimately human health is unclear. This gap is partially due to experimental difficulties in achieving uniform NP loads in the studied cells, creating heterogeneous populations with some cells “overloaded” while other cells are loaded with few or no NPs. Yet gene expression studies have been conducted in the population as a whole, identifying generic responses, while missing unique responses due to signal averaging across many cells, each carrying different loads. Here we applied single-cell RNA-Seq to alveolar epithelial cells carrying defined loads of aminated or carboxylated quantum dots (QDs),more » showing higher or lower toxicity, respectively. Interestingly, cells carrying lower loads responded with multiple strategies, mostly with upregulated processes, which were nonetheless coherent and unique to each QD type. In contrast, cells carrying higher loads responded more uniformly, with mostly downregulated processes that were shared across QD types. Strategies unique to aminated QDs showed strong upregulation of stress responses, coupled in some cases with regulation of cell cycle, protein synthesis and organelle activities. In contrast, strategies unique to carboxylated QDs showed upregulation of DNA repair and RNA activities, and decreased regulation of cell division, coupled in some cases with upregulation of stress responses and ATP related functions. Together, our studies suggest scenarios where higher NP loads lock cells into uniform responses, mostly shutdown of cellular processes, whereas lower loads allow for unique responses to each NP type that are more diversified, proactive defenses or repairs of the NP insults.« less

Association between periodontitis and ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Leira, Yago; Seoane, Juan; Blanco, Miguel; Rodríguez-Yáñez, Manuel; Takkouche, Bahi; Blanco, Juan; Castillo, José

2017-01-01

Several observational studies have suggested an association between periodontitis and cerebral ischemia. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether this link exists, and if so, the degree to which it is significant. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline for systematic review was used. The search strategy included using electronic databases and hand searching works published up to March 2015. MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Proceedings Web of Science and Current Contents Connect were searched by two independent reviewers. Case-control, cross-sectional or cohort studies including patients with measures of periodontitis and ischemic stroke were eligible to be included in the analysis. Quality assessments of selected studies were performed. From a total of 414 titles and abstracts, 57 potentially relevant full text papers were identified. After inclusion criteria were applied, 8 studies were included in the present systematic review (5 case-control and 3 cohort studies). Although it was not the intention, cross-sectional studies were excluded due to eligibility criteria were not accomplished. Therefore, meta-analyses were conducted with data retrieved from the 8 studies included. These meta-analyses showed statistically significant association between periodontitis and ischemic stroke in both cohort pooled relative risks at 2.52 (1.77-3.58), and case-control studies pooled relative risks at 3.04 (1.10-8.43). In conclusion, the present meta-analysis demonstrated an association between periodontitis and ischemic stroke. However, well-designed prospective studies should be carried out to provide robust evidence of the link between both diseases. In regards to ischemic stroke subtypes, further case-control studies should be carried out to investigate whether there is any association between the different subtypes of cerebral infarcts and periodontitis.

Good Effective School Improvement Practices in Spain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murillo, F. Javier

2002-01-01

Presents case studies of five effective school improvement (ESI) programs developed in Spain. Identified characteristics of the Spanish education system that affect the way ESI programs are carried out and developed descriptions of the five programs and lessons learned from them. (SLD)

Using Dynamic Software in Mathematics: The Case of Reflection Symmetry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatar, Enver; Akkaya, Adnan; Kagizmanli, Türkan Berrin

2014-01-01

This study was carried out to examine the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) using dynamic software on the achievement of students in mathematics in the topic of reflection symmetry. The study also aimed to ascertain the pre-service mathematics teachers' opinions on the use of CAI in mathematics lessons. In the study, a mixed research…

Lesson Study in Prospective Mathematics Teacher Education: Didactic and Paradidactic Technology in the Post-Lesson Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Klaus

2016-01-01

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the post-lesson reflection, carried out in the context of eight cases of lesson study conducted by teams of Danish, lower secondary prospective teachers and their supervisors. The participants, representing different institutions, were all new to the lesson study format. Nevertheless, it is demonstrated…

E-Learning in Thailand: An Analysis and Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suanpang, Pannee; Petocz, Peter

2006-01-01

This article presents a discussion of e-learning in the context of Thailand using as an example a study carried out in a course in Business Statistics at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (SDU), Thailand. The online course was a pioneering research project at SDU for studying the efficiency and effectiveness of the online learning system. The…

Preschool Age Children, Divorce and Adjustment: A Case Study in Greek Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babalis, Thomas; Xanthakou, Yiota; Papa, Christina; Tsolou, Olympia

2011-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this research, which was carried out in 2010, is the comparative study of the psychosocial adjustment of preschool children from divorced and nuclear families in the nursery school. Method: The sample of the study consisted of 60 students (mean age = 5.21), 30 preschool children of divorced parents and 30 preschool…

Teachers' Difficulties in Preparation and Implementation of Performance Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metin, Mustafa

2013-01-01

The aim of study is to determinate the difficulties of teachers in preparation and implementation of performance task. This study was carried out with 25 teachers (5 science and technology, 5 primary, 5 mathematic, 5 social science and 5 Turkish teachers) who working at elementary schools in Artvin. Sample of study is selected randomly. Case study…

Evaluation of the Carrying Capacity of Rectangular Steel-Concrete Columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatulia, Glib; Rezunenko, Maryna; Petrenko, Dmytro; Rezunenko, Sergii

2018-06-01

Experimental studies of rectangular steel-concrete columns under centric compression with random eccentricity were conducted. The stress-strain state and the carrying capacity exhaustion have been assessed. The regression dependence is proposed to determine the maximum carrying capacity of such columns. The mathematical model takes into account the combined influence of the physical and geometric characteristics of the columns, such as their length, crosssectional area, casing thickness, prism strength of concrete, yield strength of steel, modulus of elasticity of both steel and concrete. The correspondence of the obtained model to the experimental data, as well as the significance of the regression parameters are confirmed by the Fisher and Student criteria.

Loss-of-Function PCSK9 Mutations Are Not Associated With Alzheimer Disease.

PubMed

Paquette, Martine; Saavedra, Yascara Grisel Luna; Poirier, Judes; Théroux, Louise; Dea, Doris; Baass, Alexis; Dufour, Robert

2018-03-01

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for the late-onset form of Alzheimer disease (AD). Loss-of-function (LOF) mutations of PCSK9 and PCSK9 inhibitors lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and have been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of PCSK9 LOF variants on risk and age of onset of AD. A total of 878 participants (410 controls and 468 AD cases) from the Quebec Founder Population were included in the study. Fifty-four (6.2%) participants carried the R46L mutation, whereas 226 (26.2%) participants carried the InsLEU mutation. There was no protective or no deleterious effect of carrying PCSK9 LOF mutations on AD prevalence nor on age of onset, even when stratified by apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 genotype or by gender. Our data indicate that carrying PCSK9 LOF mutations has a neutral effect on neurocognitive health and the prevalence of AD.

Detection of new paternal dystrophin gene mutations in isolated cases of dystrophinopathy in females

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pegoraro, E.; Wessel, H.B.; Schwartz, L.

1994-06-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the most common lethal monogenic disorders and is caused by dystrophin deficiency. The disease is transmitted as an X-linked recessive trait; however, recent biochemical and clinical studies have shown that many girls and women with a primary myopathy have an underlying dystrophinopathy, despite a negative family history for Duchenne dystrophy. These isolated female dystrophinopathy patients carried ambiguous diagnoses with presumed autosomal recessive inheritance (limb-girdle muscular dystrophy) prior to biochemical detection of dystrophin abnormalities in their muscle biopsy. It has been assumed that these female dystrophinopathy patients are heterozygous carries who show preferential inactivation ofmore » the X chromosome harboring the normal dystrophin gene, although this has been shown for only a few X:autosome translocations and for two cases of discordant monozygotic twin female carriers. Here the authors study X-inactivation patterns of 13 female dystrophinopathy patients - 10 isolated cases and 3 cases with a positive family history for Duchenne dystrophy in males. They show that all cases have skewed X-inactivation patterns in peripheral blood DNA. Of the nine isolated cases informative in the assay, eight showed inheritance of the dystrophin gene mutation from the paternal germ line. Only a single case showed maternal inheritance. The 10-fold higher incidence of paternal transmission of dystrophin gene mutations in these cases is at 30-fold variance with Bayesian predictions and gene mutation rates. Thus, the results suggest some mechanistic interaction between new dystrophin gene mutations, paternal inheritance, and skewed X inactivation. The results provide both empirical risk data and a molecular diagnostic test method, which permit genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis of this new category of patients. 58 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Dysmorphism of the middle ear: case report

PubMed Central

Solero, P; Ferrara, M; Musto, R; Pira, A; Di Lisi, D

2005-01-01

Summary Although there are numerous publications in the literature describing the wide range of diagnosis, classifications and treatment of malformations of the hearing apparatus, even more variations can be found in clinical practice. Indeed, each individual case is unique as far as concerns pathogenesis, clinical course and treatment. The case reported herein describes a 12-year-old boy affected by cranio-facial dysmorphism and monolateral conductive hearing loss in the right ear: followed from radiological diagnosis – carried out to study a malformation of the ear pinna – to surgical treatment. PMID:16602328

Evaluation of the Professional Development Program on Web Based Content Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurdakul, Bünyamin; Uslu, Öner; Çakar, Esra; Yildiz, Derya G.

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the professional development program on web based content development (WBCD) designed by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). Based on the theoretical CIPP model by Stufflebeam and Guskey's levels of evaluation, the study was carried out as a case study. The study group consisted of the courses that…

Determination of School-Related Problems in Children Treated for Cancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Medine C.; Sari, Hatice Yildirim; Cetingul, Nazan; Kantar, Mehmet; Erermis, Serpil; Aksoylar, Serap

2014-01-01

This descriptive and case-control study was carried out in a pediatric oncology outpatient clinic to determine the school-related physical, social, and psychological problems and problems experienced in academic achievement of children treated for cancer. The sample of the study consisted of 56 Turkish patients with cancer, aged 7-18 years, who…

Sample Course Material for Biodiversity and Sustainable Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erten, Sinan

2015-01-01

This study was done in a period when there are attempts to develop a framework for the sustainable development and sustainable education in order to emphasize the universal significance of biodiversity, sustainable development, and sustainable education. The research reported here is a case study carried out in the spring semester of 2012-2013…

Case Study of a Healthy Eating Intervention for Swedish Lorry Drivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Peter E.; Wijk, Katarina

2004-01-01

Professional drivers, i.e. lorry, truck, bus and taxi drivers, have been identified as a particular health risk group. An intervention to study the efficacy of a series of educational programmes, involving improved nutritional balance in meals served, food preparation routines and carrying out personal health profiles on staff, was implemented at…

Telecommunication Services for the Transfer of Information and Data: A Case Study in Indonesia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battu, Daniel Pierre; Rose, John B.

This study on the use of telecommunications to improve access to the specialized information needed for development was conducted by a national team and carried out through a series of meetings in Jakarta and Bandung. Persons contacted included Indonesian officials responsible for national development in information and telecommunications, actual…

Foreign Language Anxiety's Forgotten Study: The Case of the Anxious Preservice Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tum, Danyal Oztas

2015-01-01

This article argues that nonnative preservice teachers are just as susceptible to foreign language anxiety as are inexperienced language learners, a claim carrying important implications for the EFL classroom. The results of the study described in this article indicate that anxious preservice teachers experience significant levels of language…

Looking at Algorithm Visualization through the Eyes of Pre-Service ICT Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saltan, Fatih

2016-01-01

The study investigated pre-service ICT teachers' perceptions of algorithm visualization (AV) with regard to appropriateness of teaching levels and contribution to learning and motivation. In order to achieve this aim, a qualitative case study was carried out. The participants consisted of 218 pre-service ICT teachers from four different…

Promoting International Understanding through School Textbooks. A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boden, Philip K.

A project is described which was carried out among Unesco member nations from 1971 to 1974 to investigate multilateral arrangements for the review of high school textbooks in the fields of history, geography, and social studies. Objectives of the project were to provide publishers with feedback about the potential of their textbooks to promote…

A stochastic Forest Fire Model for future land cover scenarios assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorucci, P.; Holmes, T.; Gaetani, F.; D'Andrea, M.

2009-04-01

Land cover change and forest fire interaction under climate and socio-economics changes, is one of the main issues of the 21th century. The capability of defining future scenarios of land cover and fire regime allow forest managers to better understand the best actions to be carried out and their long term effects. In this paper a new methodology for land cover change simulations under climate change and fire disturbance is presented and discussed. The methodology is based on the assumption that forest fires exhibits power law frequency-area distribution. The well known Forest Fire Model (FFM), which is an example of self organized criticality, is able to reproduce this behavior. Starting from this observation, a modified version of the FFM has been developed. The new model, called Modified Forest Fire Model (MFFM) introduces several new features. A stochastic model for vegetation growth and regrowth after fire occurrence has been implemented for different kind of vegetations. In addition, a stochastic fire propagation model taking into account topography and vegetation cover has been introduced. The MFFM has been developed with the purpose of estimating vegetation cover changes and fire regimes over a time windows of many years for a given spatial region. Two different case studies have been carried out. The first case study is related with Liguria (Italy), a region of 5400 km2 lying between the Cote d'Azur, France, and Tuscany, Italy, on the northwest coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. This region is characterized by Mediterranean fire regime. The second case study has been carried out in California (Florida) on a region having similar area and characterized by similar climate conditions. In both cases the model well represents the actual fire regime in terms of power law parameters proving interesting results about future land cover scenarios under climate, land use and socio-economics change.

Managing with A/E Ease

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

16. Construction Fixes ($K). ([ a16(s) [ bl6 (s)] [ d16(s) 17. Final Actions on Pursuit Cases. ([ a17(s) ]) [bl7(s)] [ d17(s) 18. Carry Over to Next...Construction Fixes ($K). ( [al6 ]) [ b16 ] [d16 17. Final Actions on Pursuit Cases. ( [a17 ]) [b17 ] [d17 18. Carry Over to Next Quarter. [b18 ] [d18 .else

[Evaluation of multidisciplinary team meeting; the example of gynecological mammary cancers in a tertiary referral center in Morocco].

PubMed

Chaouki, Wahid; Mimouni, Mohsine; Boutayeb, Saber; Hachi, Hafid; Errihani, Hassan; Benjaafar, Noureddine

The multidisciplinary team meeting has become a standard medical practice in oncology. However, no evaluation of this activity was carried out in Morocco. The aim of this study was to evaluate the multidisciplinary team meeting of gynecological mammary cancers in a National Tertiary Referral Center. The study was carried out by retrospective analysis of 207 cases of patients randomly selected among the 1190 cases recruited during the year 2015. Completeness and quality criteria were evaluated. The global completeness rate of passage in multidisciplinary team meeting is 38%. According to the therapeutic specialities, the completeness of passage in multidisciplinary team meeting is 68% of surgery, 35% of medical oncology and 19% of radiotherapy. As far as localizations are concerned, the completeness of passage in multidisciplinary team meeting is 43% for the breast and only 19% for the cervix. A quorum was met 100% of the cases. In 96% of cases the treatment performed is in accordance with the decision of the multidisciplinary team meeting. Eighty-four percent of cases performed multidisciplinary team meeting within less than one month. This analysis shows that the completeness of the transition to multidisciplinary team meeting has not reached the 100% planned by our institution. However, the requirements for conducting the multidisciplinary team meeting were generally met. This study shows an organizational evolution of our structure based on collective and multidisciplinary medical decision. The national obligation measure of multidisciplinary team meeting is necessary. Copyright © 2017 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Case management: developing practice through action research.

PubMed

Smith, Annetta; Mackay, Seonaid; McCulloch, Kathleen

2013-09-01

This article is a report of an action research study carried out with community nurses to help develop case management within their practice. Using action research principles, nurses reviewed and analysed their current practice and developed recommendations for further embedding case management as a means of supporting patients with complex care needs in their own homes. Findings indicate that a number of factors can influence the community nurse's ability to implement case management. These factors include approaches to case finding, availability of resources and interprofessional working. Important considerations for nurses were the influence of the context of care, the geographical location and the health needs of the local patient population, which meant that case management may need to be adapted to meet local circumstances.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of abnormal uterine masses.

PubMed

al-Ahwani, S; Assem, M; Belal, A; Abdel-Hamid, H

1991-01-01

Sixteen women with clinically diagnosed uterine masses were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pelvic study was carried out in the coronal, sagittal and axial planes. Uterine leiomyomas were detected in 12 cases, while the remaining cases were one each of uterine sarcoma, invasive molar pregnancy, cervical malignancy with pyometra and haematometra with congenital cervical stenosis. The uterine origin of the masses could be clearly detected in all patients, as well as the nature of the masses, the presence of degenerative or malignant changes and the nature of the intrauterine fluid. MRI characteristic findings of the studied masses are presented and discussed.

Anatomical study of the accessory axillary vein in cadavers: a contribution to the axillary surgical approach

PubMed Central

Felix, Valtuir Barbosa; dos Santos, José André Bernardino; Fernandes, Katharina Jucá de Moraes; Cabral, Dhayanna Rolemberg Gama; dos Santos, Carlos Adriano Silva; Rodrigues, Célio Fernando de Sousa; Lima, Jacqueline Silva Brito; Ramalho, Antônio José Casado

2016-01-01

Abstract Background The axillary vein is an important blood vessel that participates in drainage of the upper limb. Some individuals present a second axillary vein (accessory axillary vein), which is an important collateral drainage path. Objectives The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of the accessory axillary vein and to describe this vessel’s topography. Methods In this study, axillary dissections were carried out on twenty-four (24) human cadavers of both sexes that had been fixed with 10% formaldehyde. The upper limbs of the cadavers were still attached to the bodies and the axillary structures were preserved. Data collection was carried out and the axillary structures of the cadavers were compared. Results The incidence of accessory axillary veins was 58.3%, with no significant preference for sex or for side of the body. The accessory axillary vein originated from the lateral brachial vein in 39.28% of cases, from the common brachial vein in 35.71% of cases, and from the deep brachial vein in 25% of cases. Conclusions Its high incidence and clinical relevance make the accessory axillary vein important for provision of collateral circulation in the event of traumatic injury to the axillary vein.

Occupational brain cancer risks in Umbria (Italy), with a particular focus on steel foundry workers.

PubMed

Oddone, Enrico; Scaburri, Alessandra; Bai, Edoardo; Modonesi, Carlo; Stracci, Fabrizio; Marchionna, Giuliano; Crosignani, Paolo; Imbriani, Marcello

2014-01-01

As a part of the Occupational Cancer Monitoring (OCCAM) project, a routine analysis based on Umbria region cancer registry (RTUP) database in 2002-2008 was performed. Among other results, the incidental finding of brain cancer increased risk in steel foundry workers in Terni province (Italy), lead us to deepen the analysis, focusing on this specific industrial sector. A monitoring study, based on Umbria Regional Cancer Registry data, was recently carried out. Brain cancer cases and controls identified within this preliminary study were selected. Therefore, we considered all incident cases (in Umbria region 2002-2008) of brain cancer occurred among workers occupied for at least one year in private companies since 1974 and controls randomly sampled from the same population. Afterwards, taking in to account results from steel foundry in Terni province, we further deepened our analysis, focusing on this productive sector. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 90% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multiple logistic regression models, adjusted by age at diagnosis or sampling, sex and province of residence, when appropriate. Statistical analyses were carried out on 14913 subjects, 56 cases and 14857 controls. Significantly increased ORs were observed for garment, mechanical manufacturing and chemical industries. Moreover, the risk estimates were strongly correlated with exposures in iron and steel foundries and a cluster of 14 cases in the same foundry in Terni was observed (OR 9.59, 90% CI 2.76-33.34). Results of this explorative study showed increased ORs of brain cancer in some productive branches, involving possible exposures to chemical compounds and/or solvents. Moreover, our results pointed out a significantly increased risk in Terni foundry workers, determining an interesting brain cancer cluster (14 cases). Further studies on this industrial sector are needed with improved definitions of tasks and exposures.

Controversial Suicide Case Using a Submachine Gun with a Sound Suppressor-The Need of Team Work of Forensic Chemistry and Firearm Examiners.

PubMed

Brożek-Mucha, Zuzanna; Zdeb, Krzysztof

2018-05-01

Evidence materials in a presumed suicide case were studied by a firearm examiner and a forensic chemist. The victim's body with double gunshot wounding in his forehead, a machine gun in the sustained fire mode with a silencer, and four cartridge cases were found. Examinations of the evidence, the case file studies, and experiments dedicated to the case were carried out. Relationships between the placement of cartridge cases and the gun were established using a fast camera. The distributions of gunshot residues on the evidence materials and within the comparative gunshot patterns were studied by means of optical and electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, and infrared spectroscopy. The shooting distance was assessed to be 30 cm or more, whereas the greatest distance that could have been achieved by the victim himself was about 11-13 cm. The obtained results supported the version of homicide rather than suicide. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Epidemiological Profile of Wild Rabies in Brazil (2002-2012).

PubMed

Rocha, S M; de Oliveira, S V; Heinemann, M B; Gonçalves, V S P

2017-04-01

Rabies is one of the most important zoonosis in the world with high impact on public health. Studies report the presence of Lyssavirus in reservoirs of the wild cycle, highlighting the role of wild canines, marmosets, and vampire and non-vampire bats as potential vectors of the disease to domestic animals and human beings. Therefore, the reintroduction of rabies in urban environments from reservoirs of the wild cycle is a matter of concern. This study describes the profile of rabies cases documented in Brazil from 2002 to 2012, with emphasis on the wild transmission cycle of the disease. We carried out a descriptive study using records with information on the time of infection, persons with infection and location of confirmed cases of rabies in humans and animals, as well as data on anti-rabies treatments obtained from the Information System of Notifiable Diseases (Sinan) database. Within the study period, 82 cases of rabies transmitted by wild animals to humans were reported, predominantly in rural areas of the northern and north-eastern regions. Of the cases in humans, 72% did not receive post-exposure prophylaxis. Among wild mammals, vampire bats were the most frequent vectors of the disease. In the north-east region, 460 terrestrial wild mammals were reported with confirmed rabies. Over the study period, 1703 bats were reported to carry the rabies virus. In the south-east region, the most frequently reported carriers of the virus were non-vampire bats. The midwest and northern regions presented a lower number of records of rabies cases among terrestrial wild mammals. However, the high number of rabies cases among bovines reflects the role of the vampire bat as a maintainer of the rabies virus in the rural cycle. The present results are key to adjust the planning of rabies control in Brazil to the current epidemiological trends. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The Integration of Biodiversity Education in the Initial Education of Primary School Teachers: Four Comparative Case Studies from Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindemann-Matthies, Petra; Constantinou, Constantinos; Junge, Xenia; Kohler, Karlheinz; Mayer, Jurgen; Nagel, Ueli; Raper, George; Schule, Diane; Kadji-Beltran, Chrysanthi

2009-01-01

In this article, we present results from an international research study on biodiversity education in pre-service education of primary school teachers. The study was carried out between 2004-2006 in four teacher education institutions in Cyprus, England, Switzerland and Germany. We used document analyses and in-depth interviews with 27 teacher…

Anxiety in English Language Learning: A Case Study of English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadiq, Jamilah Mohammed

2017-01-01

Language anxiety as a specific aspect of language acquisition has occupied a great body of research for the past few decades. In this study, the level of foreign language anxiety among English language learners was investigated. This study was carried out with a quantitative research design using a survey methodology to collect data about the…

An Integrative Perspective on Students' Proportional Reasoning in High School Physics in a West African Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akatugba, Ayo Harriet; Wallace, John

2009-01-01

This study examines students' use of proportional reasoning in high school physics problem-solving in a West African school setting. An in-depth, constructivist, and interpretive case study was carried out with six physics students from a co-educational senior secondary school in Nigeria over a period of five months. The study aimed to elicit…

Views of Pre-Service Teachers Following Teaching Experience on Use of Dynamic Geometry Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Günes, Kardelen; Tapan-Broutin, Menekse Seden

2017-01-01

The study aims to determine the views of final-year pre-service mathematics teachers towards their experience of the use of dynamic geometry software in teaching, following the implementation processes that they carried out when using this software in a real classroom environment. The study was designed as a case study, which is one of the…

A Case Study: Writing a Spanish Dictionary as a Collaborative Task among Beginner Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Nuria

2016-01-01

This article reports a small-scale study carried out in a beginners' Spanish class of second year undergraduate students. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a vocabulary task in terms of its impact on vocabulary acquisition, the learners' approach to vocabulary learning and their motivation and engagement. The task…

Thermally induced optical deformation of a Nd:YVO4 active disk under the action of multi-beam spatially periodic diode pumping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guryev, D. A.; Nikolaev, D. A.; Tsvetkov, V. B.; Shcherbakov, I. A.

2018-05-01

A study of how the transverse distribution of an optical path changes in a Nd:YVO4 active disk was carried out in a ten-beam spatially periodic diode pumping in the one-dimensional case. The pumping beams’ transverse dimensions were comparable with the distances between them. The investigations were carried out using laser interferometry methods. It was found that the optical thickness changing in the active disk along the line of pumping spots was well described by a Gaussian function.

A case-control study of Nocardia mastitis in Nova Scotia dairy herds

PubMed Central

Ferns, Lyn; Dohoo, Ian; Donald, Alan

1991-01-01

A case-control study was conducted to identify herd production, housing, and hygienic and therapeutic factors associated with a diagnosis of Nocardia mastitis in dairy herds in Nova Scotia. The data were collected by on-farm interviews with owners of 54 case and 54 control herds. Logistic regression was used to study risk factors. The use of dry cow products containing neomycin, including two specific dry cow products, was strongly associated with a diagnosis of Nocardia mastitis in a herd. Other factors which increased the risk of Nocardia mastitis were higher levels of production, larger herd size, and a large percentage of cows treated with dry cow products. These results are compared to results from a similar study carried out in Ontario. PMID:17423896

Mapping transmission foci to eliminate malaria in the People's Republic of China, 2010-2015: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Feng, Jun; Tu, Hong; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Shaosen; Jiang, Shan; Xia, Zhigui; Zhou, Shuisen

2018-03-07

China has initiated the National Malaria Elimination Action Plan, which aims to eliminate malaria by 2020. However, the transmission of malaria occurs sporadically or in distinct foci, which greatly hampers progress toward elimination in China and other countries. The object of this study was to foci categorization and evaluates whether the response met the requirements issued by the nation or WHO. Residual transmissions were investigated and located with fine spatial resolution mapping from parasitological confirmed malaria cases by use of routine national surveillance data. The "1-3-7" timeframes were monitored for each focus between 2012 and 2015. Each focus was identified, and the application of appropriate measures was evaluated. A total of 5996 indigenous cases were recorded between 2010 and 2015; during this period, the number of cases declined by 99.1% (2010, n = 4262; 2015, n = 39). Most indigenous cases (92.5%) were reported in Anhui (n = 2326), Yunnan (n = 1373), Henan (n = 930), Hubei (n = 459), and Guizhou (n = 458). The temporal distribution showed that the indigenous malaria cases were clustered during the period of May to August. A total of 320 foci were carefully investigated and analyzed: 24 were active foci; 72, residual non-active foci; and 224 cleared-up foci. For the foci response evaluation, all the active foci were investigated within 7 days, while 80.2% of the residual non-active foci were responded within 7 days. In addition, reactive case detection (RACD) was carried out with 92.9% of the active foci and vector investigation carried out with 75%. For residual non-active foci, RACD was carried out with 83.2% and vector investigation with 78.2% of the foci. This study used nationwide data to categorize foci in China and evaluate the response of these areas during the control and elimination phases. Our approach stratifies future control responses by identifying those locations where the elimination of endemic transmission is needed, such as in the counties at the China-Myanmar border and in Tibet. In addition, this study will help local CDC staff to reassess their needs and responses against different types of foci during the elimination and post-elimination phases.

A case-control study and meta-analysis confirm glucokinase regulatory gene rs780094 is a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Jamalpour, Sajad; Zain, Shamsul Mohd; Mosavat, Maryam; Mohamed, Zahurin; Omar, Siti Zawiah

2018-04-15

Although the influence of a common variant in the glucokinase regulatory gene (GCKR rs780094) in type 2 diabetes mellitus has been well documented, less data however, is available of its role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We carried out a case control study to assess the association between GCKR rs780094 and GDM in the Asian, and also a meta-analysis to further assess the strength of the association. Demographic, clinical and genotype data were determined for 1122 women (267 cases and 855 controls) recruited from the University of Malaya Medical Centre in the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur. Relevant articles were identified from Pubmed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. Extraction of data was carried out and summary estimates of the association between rs780094 and GDM were examined. The frequency of risk allele C was significantly higher in the cases than controls (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.09-1.66, P = 0.006). The C allele was also associated with increased level of random 2-hour fasting plasma glucose and pregravid body mass index. Meta-analysis further confirmed the association of the GCKR rs780094 with GDM (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.14-1.52, P = 0.0001). This study strongly suggests that GCKR rs780094-C is associated with increased risk of GDM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for falls with severe fracture in elderly people living in a middle-income country: a case control study.

PubMed

Coutinho, Evandro S F; Fletcher, Astrid; Bloch, Katia V; Rodrigues, Laura C

2008-08-26

Fracture after falling has been identified as an important problem in public health. Most studies of risk factors for fractures due to falls have been carried out in developed countries, although the size of the elderly population is increasing fast in middle income countries. The objective of this paper is to identify risk factors for fall related to severe fractures in those aged 60 or more in a middle-income country. A case-control study was carried out in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil based general hospitals between 2002-2003. Two hundred-fifty hospitalised cases of fracture were matched with 250 community controls by sex, age group and living area. Data were collected for socio-demographic variables, health status and drugs used before the fall. A conditional logistic regression model was fitted to identify variables associated with the risk of fall related severe fracture. Low body mass index, cognitive impairment, stroke and lack of urine control were associated with increased risk of severe fall related fractures. Benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants were also related to an increased risk of severe fractures while moderate use of alcohol was associated with reduced risk. Although the association between benzodiazepines and fractures due to fall has been consistently demonstrated for old people, this has not been the case for muscle relaxant drugs. The decision to prescribe muscle relaxants for elderly people should take into account the risk of severe fracture associated with these drugs.

Pharmacist intervention reduces gastropathy risk in patients using NSAIDs.

PubMed

Ibañez-Cuevas, Victoria; Lopez-Briz, Eduardo; Guardiola-Chorro, M Teresa

2008-12-01

To establish a detection and intervention strategy in order to reduce the number of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) users at risk of gastropathy from receiving either inadequate or no gastroprotection. Community Pharmacies in Valencia, Spain. Prospective longitudinal intervention study without control group carried out by 79 Community Pharmacies. Patients over 18 who asked for any systemic NSAID were interviewed according to standard procedure. Pharmacist intervention was carried out when a patient at risk of serious NSAID-induced gastrointestinal complications due to inadequate or no gastric protection was identified. The doctor responsible was informed in order to then be able to assess the need to prescribe gastroprotection or change it if inadequate. In the case of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, pharmacist intervention mainly involved replacing NSAIDs for safer medications. Firstly, the number of patients who had no prescribed gastroprotection or inadequate gastroprotection was determined. Pharmacist intervention then brought about changes in pharmacotherapy in this situation. Of the 6,965 patients who asked for NSAIDs during the study period, 3,054 (43.9%) presented NSAID gastropathy risk factors. 35.6% of the latter (1,089) were not prescribed gastroprotection or were prescribed inadequate gastroprotection. Pharmacist intervention was carried out in 1,075 of these cases. On 391 occasions such risk situations were reported to doctors, who accepted pharmacist intervention on 309 occasions (79.0%) and then either prescribed gastroprotection (77% of cases); changed it (13.9%); withdrew the NSAID (5.8%) or substituted it (3.2%). 235 Pharmacist interventions took place when dispensing OTC NSAIDs. Our strategy allowed us to identify a large number of patients who asked for NSAIDs in Community Pharmacies and who were at risk of NSAID gastropathy, as they received either inadequate gastroprotection or no gastroprotection whatsoever. Moreover, the pharmacist intervention carried out has reduced the number of these risk situations.

Polymorphism in cytochrome P450 1A2 and their interaction with risk factors in determining risk of squamous cell lung carcinoma in men.

PubMed

Singh, Arvind P; Pant, Mohan C; Ruwali, Munindra; Shah, Parag P; Prasad, Rajendra; Mathur, Neeraj; Parmar, Devendra

The present case-control study was carried out to investigate the association of functionally important polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) involved in the metabolic activation of tobacco derived procarcinogens with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of lung in North Indian men. The study consisted of 200 male cases with SCC of lung and an equal number of age and sex matched healthy controls. Our data showed that variant genotype of CYP1A2*1D and CYP1A2*1F were significantly associated with increased susceptibility to SCC of lung. Likewise, GSTM1 null genotype was found to be over represented in patients when compared to controls. Haplotype analysis revealed that haplotype, G-Tdel-T-C was significantly associated with risk to SCC of lung. Moreover, a significant increase in the risk to SCC of lung in the cases carrying combination of variant genotype of CYP1A2 with either CYP1A1 or GSTM1 have shown that gene-gene interactions may play an important role in squamous cell lung cancer risk. Our data also revealed that smokers or tobacco chewers carrying variant alleles of either CYP1A2*1D or CYP1A2*1F were at increased risk to SCC of lung, further demonstrating that CYP1A2 genotypes interact with environmental risk factors in enhancing the risk to squamous cell lung carcinoma.

Whole-exome sequencing and targeted gene sequencing provide insights into the role of PALB2 as a male breast cancer susceptibility gene.

PubMed

Silvestri, Valentina; Zelli, Veronica; Valentini, Virginia; Rizzolo, Piera; Navazio, Anna Sara; Coppa, Anna; Agata, Simona; Oliani, Cristina; Barana, Daniela; Castrignanò, Tiziana; Viel, Alessandra; Russo, Antonio; Tibiletti, Maria Grazia; Zanna, Ines; Masala, Giovanna; Cortesi, Laura; Manoukian, Siranoush; Azzollini, Jacopo; Peissel, Bernard; Bonanni, Bernardo; Peterlongo, Paolo; Radice, Paolo; Palli, Domenico; Giannini, Giuseppe; Chillemi, Giovanni; Montagna, Marco; Ottini, Laura

2017-01-01

Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease whose etiology appears to be largely associated with genetic factors. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations account for about 10% of all MBC cases. Thus, a fraction of MBC cases are expected to be due to genetic factors not yet identified. To further explain the genetic susceptibility for MBC, whole-exome sequencing (WES) and targeted gene sequencing were applied to high-risk, BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC cases. Germ-line DNA of 1 male and 2 female BRCA1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer (BC) cases from a pedigree showing a first-degree family history of MBC was analyzed with WES. Targeted gene sequencing for the validation of WES results was performed for 48 high-risk, BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC cases from an Italian multicenter study of MBC. A case-control series of 433 BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC and female breast cancer (FBC) cases and 849 male and female controls was included in the study. WES in the family identified the partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2) c.419delA truncating mutation carried by the proband, her father, and her paternal uncle (all affected with BC) and the N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) c.97C>T nonsense mutation carried by the proband's maternal aunt. Targeted PALB2 sequencing detected the c.1984A>T nonsense mutation in 1 of the 48 BRCA1/2 mutation-negative MBC cases. NAT1 c.97C>T was not found in the case-control series. These results add strength to the evidence showing that PALB2 is involved in BC risk for both sexes and indicate that consideration should be given to clinical testing of PALB2 for BRCA1/2 mutation-negative families with multiple MBC and FBC cases. Cancer 2017;123:210-218. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Self-Development of Competences for Social Inclusion Using the TENCompetence Infrastructure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louys, Amelie; Hernandez-Leo, Davinia; Schoonenboom, Judith; Lemmers, Ruud; Perez-Sanagustin, Mar

2009-01-01

This paper describes a pilot study centred on the technology-enhanced self-development of competences in lifelong learning education carried out in the challenging context of the Association of Participants Agora. The pilot study shows that the use of the TENCompetence infrastructure, i.e. in this case the Personal Development Planner tool,…

Reflexivity, Self-Identity and Resilience in Career Development: Hints from a Qualitative Research Study in Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomassini, Massimo

2015-01-01

One of the most typical features characterising modern ways of living and working is represented by the dynamism required by individuals in navigating their career paths. This article explores some case studies of career development collected through biographical interviews carried out within the Italian strand of the Cedefop project. These relate…

Students with Learning Disabilities within the Context of Inclusive Education: Issues of Identification and School Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakiz, Halis

2018-01-01

This paper reports findings of a case study carried out in two elementary mainstream schools in Turkey. The main aim of the study was to investigate the role of identification and school management within the process of educating students with learning disabilities in mainstream schools. Interviews with stakeholders, observations and documentary…

The Educational Mission of the Shaliach: A Case Study in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aharonov, Yosef

2015-01-01

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Shaliach has embodied at least one aspect of the tangible expression of the symbiotic relationship between Israel and its Diasporas. This article discusses the educational Shaliach sent from Israel to the Jewish Diaspora in Australia, and is based on a research study carried out between 2006 and…

An Examination of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Approaches to Construct and Solve Mathematical Modelling Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bukova-Guzel, Esra

2011-01-01

This study examines the approaches displayed by pre-service mathematics teachers in their experiences of constructing mathematical modelling problems and the extent to which they perform the modelling process when solving the problems they construct. This case study was carried out with 35 pre-service teachers taking the Mathematical Modelling…

Cells respond to distinct nanoparticle properties with multiple strategies as revealed by single-cell RNA-Seq

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, Hugh D.; Markillie, Lye Meng; Chrisler, William B.

The impact of distinct nanoparticle (NP) properties on cellular response and ultimately human health is unclear. This gap is partially due to experimental difficulties in achieving uniform NP loads in the studied cells, creating heterogeneous populations with some cells “overloaded” while other cells are loaded with few or no NPs. Yet gene expression studies have been conducted in the population as a whole, identifying generic responses, while missing unique responses due to signal averaging across many cells, each carrying different loads. In this paper, we applied single-cell RNA-Seq to alveolar epithelial cells carrying defined loads of aminated or carboxylated quantummore » dots (QDs), showing higher or lower toxicity, respectively. Interestingly, cells carrying lower loads responded with multiple strategies, mostly with up-regulated processes, which were nonetheless coherent and unique to each QD type. In contrast, cells carrying higher loads responded more uniformly, with mostly down-regulated processes that were shared across QD types. Strategies unique to aminated QDs showed strong up-regulation of stress responses, coupled in some cases with regulation of cell cycle, protein synthesis, and organelle activities. In contrast, strategies unique to carboxylated QDs showed up-regulation of DNA repair and RNA activities and decreased regulation of cell division, coupled in some cases with up-regulation of stress responses and ATP-related functions. Finally, together, our studies suggest scenarios where higher NP loads lock cells into uniform responses, mostly shutdown of cellular processes, whereas lower loads allow for unique responses to each NP type that are more diversified proactive defenses or repairs of the NP insults.« less

Cells respond to distinct nanoparticle properties with multiple strategies as revealed by single-cell RNA-Seq

DOE PAGES

Mitchell, Hugh D.; Markillie, Lye Meng; Chrisler, William B.; ...

2016-10-27

The impact of distinct nanoparticle (NP) properties on cellular response and ultimately human health is unclear. This gap is partially due to experimental difficulties in achieving uniform NP loads in the studied cells, creating heterogeneous populations with some cells “overloaded” while other cells are loaded with few or no NPs. Yet gene expression studies have been conducted in the population as a whole, identifying generic responses, while missing unique responses due to signal averaging across many cells, each carrying different loads. In this paper, we applied single-cell RNA-Seq to alveolar epithelial cells carrying defined loads of aminated or carboxylated quantummore » dots (QDs), showing higher or lower toxicity, respectively. Interestingly, cells carrying lower loads responded with multiple strategies, mostly with up-regulated processes, which were nonetheless coherent and unique to each QD type. In contrast, cells carrying higher loads responded more uniformly, with mostly down-regulated processes that were shared across QD types. Strategies unique to aminated QDs showed strong up-regulation of stress responses, coupled in some cases with regulation of cell cycle, protein synthesis, and organelle activities. In contrast, strategies unique to carboxylated QDs showed up-regulation of DNA repair and RNA activities and decreased regulation of cell division, coupled in some cases with up-regulation of stress responses and ATP-related functions. Finally, together, our studies suggest scenarios where higher NP loads lock cells into uniform responses, mostly shutdown of cellular processes, whereas lower loads allow for unique responses to each NP type that are more diversified proactive defenses or repairs of the NP insults.« less

Phenoxy herbicides and chlorophenols: a case control study on soft tissue sarcoma and malignant lymphoma.

PubMed Central

Smith, J. G.; Christophers, A. J.

1992-01-01

A case control study on patients with soft tissue sarcoma and malignant lymphoma was undertaken to test whether there was any association between these diseases and past exposure to chlorinated phenoxy acid herbicides or chlorophenols. It was carried out over the period 1982-1988 in Victoria, Australia. Thirty males with soft tissue sarcoma and 52 males with malignant lymphoma were matched by age, place of residence and sex with one population control and one cancer control each. Exposure was assessed by personal interviews conducted by an occupational hygienist. Exposures within 5 years prior to diagnosis of each matched case were ignored, both for the cases and their matched controls. The estimated relative risks for definite or probable exposure to chlorinated phenoxy compounds or chlorophenols for at least 1 day were 1.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3-3.1) for soft tissue sarcoma and 1.5 (95% CI: 0.6-3.7) for malignant lymphoma. When the criterion for exposure was raised to more than 30 days, the estimated relative risks were 2.0 (95% CI: 0.5-8.0) for soft tissue sarcoma and 2.7 (95% CI: 0.7-9.6) for malignant lymphoma. Additional analyses were carried out for exposure of at least 1 day to phenoxy herbicides alone or chlorophenols alone. None of the estimated relative risks was significantly greater than unity. PMID:1558802

Systemic vascular phenotypes of Loeys-Dietz syndrome in a child carrying a de novo R381P mutation in TGFBR2: a case report.

PubMed

Uike, Kiyoshi; Matsushita, Yuki; Sakai, Yasunari; Togao, Osamu; Nagao, Michinobu; Ishizaki, Yoshito; Nagata, Hazumu; Yamamura, Kenichiro; Torisu, Hiroyuki; Hara, Toshiro

2013-11-12

Loeys-Dietz syndrome, also known as Marfan syndrome type II, is a rare connective tissue disorder caused by dominant mutations in transforming growth factor-beta receptors (TGFBR1 and 2). We report a 7-year-old Japanese boy with Loeys-Dietz syndrome who carried a novel, de novo missense mutation in TGFBR2 (c.1142g > c, R381P). He showed dysmorphic faces and skeletal malformations that were typical in previous cases with Loeys-Dietz syndrome. The cardiac studies disclosed the presence of markedly dilated aortic root and patent ductus aorteriosus. The cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography (MRA) detected the tortuous appearances of the bilateral middle cerebral and carotid arteries. This study depicts the systemic vascular phenotypes of a child with Loeys-Dietz syndrome that were caused by a novel heterozygous mutation of TGFR2. A large cohort with serial imaging studies for vascular phenotypes will be useful for delineating the genotype-phenotype correlations of Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

Leadership and organisational effectiveness--lessons to be drawn from education?

PubMed

Joyce, Pauline

2009-05-01

The aim of this paper is to present findings of a case study on organisational effectiveness in an education setting and draw similarities with a healthcare setting, focusing on the school principal and nurse leader. The study was carried out in a primary school setting and focuses on a principal (as leader). The school, which will be named St Senan's for the case study, is a typical tall structure, has a staff of 30 (teachers and special needs' assistants) and a student number of 117. A case study methodology was used. Data was collected by interviewing the principal, two teachers, two students and a parent, in this order. In addition, a Parents' Council meeting was observed and document analysis was carried out on measurements which reflected some critical success factors for the school. Interviews from students and teachers in addition to observation notes indicate that the principal's leadership impacts on organisational effectiveness in the school. The findings are located in the context of education with similarities being drawn from nursing. It is how the leader leads in the context of the organisation setting which is paramount. In other words it is not possible to take a set of general critical success factors for a school or healthcare setting and apply these widely. The paper concludes by proposing the use of a quality framework to contextualise the findings of the case and promote further discussion in the context of nurse leaders. The paper suggests that comparisons can be made between school principals and nurse leaders.

A critical analysis of user satisfaction surveys in addiction services: opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case study.

PubMed

Trujols, Joan; Iraurgi, Ioseba; Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia; Guàrdia-Olmos, Joan

2014-01-01

Satisfaction with services represents a key component of the user's perspective, and user satisfaction surveys are the most commonly used approach to evaluate the aforementioned perspective. The aim of this discursive paper is to provide a critical overview of user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, with a particular focus on opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case. We carried out a selective critical review and analysis of the literature on user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services. Most studies that have reported results of satisfaction surveys have found that the great majority of users (virtually all, in many cases) are highly satisfied with the services received. However, when these results are compared to the findings of studies that use different methodologies to explore the patient's perspective, the results are not as consistent as might be expected. It is not uncommon to find that "highly satisfied" patients report significant problems when mixed-methods studies are conducted. To understand this apparent contradiction, we explored two distinct (though not mutually exclusive) lines of reasoning, one of which concerns conceptual aspects and the other, methodological questions. User satisfaction surveys, as currently designed and carried out in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, do not significantly help to improve service quality. Therefore, most of the enthusiasm and naiveté with which satisfaction surveys are currently performed and interpreted - and rarely acted on in the case of nonoptimal results - should be avoided. A truly participatory approach to program evaluation is urgently needed to reshape and transform patient satisfaction surveys.

An innovative method for water resources carrying capacity research--Metabolic theory of regional water resources.

PubMed

Ren, Chongfeng; Guo, Ping; Li, Mo; Li, Ruihuan

2016-02-01

The shortage and uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water resources has seriously restricted the sustainable development of regional society and economy. In this study, a metabolic theory for regional water resources was proposed by introducing the biological metabolism concept into the carrying capacity of regional water resources. In the organic metabolic process of water resources, the socio-economic system consumes water resources, while products, services and pollutants, etc. are output. Furthermore, an evaluation index system which takes into the characteristics of the regional water resources, the socio-economic system and the sustainable development principle was established based on the proposed theory. The theory was then applied to a case study to prove its availability. Further, suggestions aiming at improving the regional water carrying capacity were given on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the current water resources situation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Geographic expansion of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Argentina. The southernest case report].

PubMed

Bellomo, Carla; Nudelman, Julio; Kwaszka, Roberto; Vazquez, Gabriela; Cantoni, Gustavo; Weinzettel, Barbara; Larrieu, Edmundo G; Padula, Paula

2009-01-01

Since 1995 more than 1000 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) were reported in Argentina, a severe disease and often fatal to humans. Most cases were associated with Andes virus (AND) that caused few events of person-to-person transmission. Several lineages of pathogenic AND viruses have been described, including AND South, hosted by the rodent Oligoryzomys longicaudatus which affects the Patagonian region of Argentina and Chile. We studied the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a HPS case. The objective was to describe the clinical presentation of the case, its epidemiology, the likely site of infection, the viral variant implicated and its relationship with the closest reported cases. We carried out the clinical follow up, serological and molecular diagnosis and the epidemiological research, including a rodent reservoir study. The clinical presentation of the case was the classical and moderate, caused by AND South virus. Its viral nucleotide sequence was compared with cases from Southern Argentina and Chile. This case was found to be the most Southern (48 degrees 46' 1.2'' S; 70 degrees 15' O) case reported and involved a new Argentinean province.

Comprehensive Mass Analysis for Chemical Processes, a Case Study on L-Dopa Manufacture

EPA Science Inventory

To evaluate the “greenness” of chemical processes in route selection and process development, we propose a comprehensive mass analysis to inform the stakeholders from different fields. This is carried out by characterizing the mass intensity for each contributing chemical or wast...

Using Omics to Study Microbial Water Quality

EPA Science Inventory

Water is one of the most important resources of all natural ecosystems. Not only is water important to life, but it is also a habitat for a large diversity of microbial forms, in many cases carrying critical geochemical functions. In other instances, water is implicated in outbre...

Using Omics to Study Microbial Water Quality - abstract

EPA Science Inventory

Water is one of the most important resources of all natural ecosystems. Not only is water important to life, but it is also a habitat for a large diversity of microbial forms, in many cases carrying critical geochemical functions. In other instances, water is implicated in outbre...

A clinico-epidemiological study of herpes zoster.

PubMed

Aggarwal, S K; Radhakrishnan, S

2016-04-01

Herpes zoster is a common viral infection of skin caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus infection from the spinal ganglia. The clinico-epidemiological patterns of this disease in an Indian setting required to be studied. A cross sectional study was conducted on all consecutive cases of herpes zoster reporting to the Dermatology Outpatient Department at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangalore during a period of one year from 01 Jun 2013 to 31 May 2014. Detailed history, examination, HIV screening and Tzanck smear were carried out in all cases. 84 cases of herpes zoster were seen with a mean age of 30 years. Majority (39%) of cases were seen in the 21-30 year age group. Thoracic segments were involved in 65.4%, cervical in 11.9%, cranial in 11.5%, lumbar in 8.3% and sacral segments in 3.5%. 63% of cases had zoster associated pain. One case had motor involvement.3.57% of the patients were HIV positive. This study shows a lower age incidence of herpes zoster HIV positivity and zoster associated pain as compared to other studies. The pattern of segmental involvement in herpes zoster seen in this study was similar to other studies.

Paediatric day-case neurosurgery in a resource challenged setting: Pattern and practice

PubMed Central

Owojuyigbe, Afolabi Muyiwa; Komolafe, Edward O.; Adenekan, Anthony T.; Dada, Muyiwa A.; Onyia, Chiazor U.; Ogunbameru, Ibironke O.; Owagbemi, Oluwafemi F.; Talabi, Ademola O.; Faponle, Fola A.

2016-01-01

Background: It has been generally observed that children achieve better convalescence in the home environment especially if discharged same day after surgery. This is probably due to the fact that children generally tend to feel more at ease in the home environment than in the hospital setting. Only few tertiary health institutions provide routine day-case surgery for paediatric neurosurgical patients in our sub-region. Objective: To review the pattern and practice of paediatric neurosurgical day-cases at our hospital. Patients and Methods: A prospective study of all paediatric day-case neurosurgeries carried out between June 2011 and June 2014. Results: A total of 53 patients (34 males and 19 females) with age ranging from 2 days to 14 years were seen. Majority of the patients (77.4%) presented with congenital lesions, and the most common procedure carried out was spina bifida repair (32%) followed by ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion (26.4%) for hydrocephalus. Sixty-eight percentage belonged to the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class 2, whereas the rest (32%) belonged to class 1. General anaesthesia was employed in 83% of cases. Parenteral paracetamol was used for intra-operative analgesia for most of the patients. Two patients had post-operative nausea and vomiting and were successfully managed. There was no case of emergency re-operation, unplanned admission, cancellation or mortality. Conclusion: Paediatric day-case neurosurgery is feasible in our environment. With careful patient selection and adequate pre-operative preparation, good outcome can be achieved. PMID:27251657

[Study on the relationship between ER Rsa I gene polymorphism and children's dental fluorosis].

PubMed

Ba, Yue; Li, Hai-Xia; Yin, Gong-Ju; Wu, Wei-Hua; Yu, Bo; Cheng, Xue-Min; Cui, Liu-Xin

2009-09-01

To explore the distribution of ER Rsa I genotype in children who lived in the areas with or without high fluoride, and evaluate the relationship between ER Rsa I gene polymorphism and children's dental fluorosis. Children aged 8 to 12 years, born and raised in high fluoride areas and control areas in two counties of Henan Province were recruited. The Rsa I marker of ER gene was genotyped in 237 children composed of both dental fluorosis cases and controls by PCR-RFLP procedure. Urine fluoride was detected with fluoride ion selective electrode method. The frequency distribution of ER Rsa I genotype was rr 60.81% (45/74), Rr 27.02% (20/74), RR 12.16% (9/74) in children with fluorosis; rr 73.91% (51/69), Rr 20.29% (14/69), RR 5.80% (4/69) in children without fluorosis from high fluoride areas, and rr 63.83% (60/94), Rr 34.04% (32/94), RR 2.13% (2/94) in the children without fluorosis from control areas respectively. There were no significant differences in the three groups (P>0.05), but children carrying allele R of ER Rsa I had a significantly increased risk of dental fluorosis (OR=1.821, 95% CI: 1.013-3.274) compared to children carrying the allele r in endemic fluorosis areas. Although no significant difference was found in ER Rsa I genotype between cases and non-dental fluorosis in endemic fluorosis areas, children carrying R allele of ER Rsa I had a higher risk compared to children carrying r allele, and the further study is needed.

[General surgery in a rural hospital in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico].

PubMed

Padrón-Arredondo, Guillermo

2006-01-01

The general surgeon maintains extraordinary validity worldwide, especially in countries like the United States, Canada, India, and continents such as Australia and Africa. In addition to their role as a general surgeon, they assist with surgical pathologies in rural areas where there is generally a lack of technology to carry out complicated procedures. Therefore, we undertook this study to determine the number and type of surgical procedures carried out in a rural hospital with three general surgeons, as well as to determine morbidity and respective mortality. The study was retrospective and longitudinal, using descriptive statistics during a 5.5-year period. During the period of June 1999 to December 2004, a total of 651 (100%) surgical procedures were carried out. There were 351 males (53%) and 300 females (47%) with average age of 28.5 +/- 16.0 years. There were 408 (63%) minor surgical procedures accomplished in the operating room: 150 (45%) for females with average age of 25.8 +/- 13.8 years old and 258 (55%) for males with average age of 27.7 +/- 15.5 years old. There were 243 major surgical procedures (37%): for females there were 150 (60%) with average age of 28.4 +/- 11.8 years old and for males there were 93 (40%) with average age of 29.5 +/- 16.6 years old [morbidity, six cases (0.9%) and mortality, two cases (0.3%)]. The demand for surgery in rural areas is not different from the surgery carried out in large cities, although there are limitations. It is important in this regard to adequately prepare the general surgeon in Mexico.

Maternal occupational exposure during pregnancy and the risk of spina bifida.

PubMed Central

Blatter, B M; Roeleveld, N; Zielhuis, G A; Gabreëls, F J; Verbeek, A L

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVES: A case-control study was carried out to explore associations between spina bifida and occupational exposure of the mother. METHODS: The cases were children with spina bifida aperta born between 1980 and 1992 from nine hospitals in the Netherlands. The controls were children born healthy in the same period as the cases, from hospitals and from the general population. Data collection was carried out in two steps. Firstly, postal questionnaires were sent to all the parents of cases and controls to gather information on occupations and potential confounders. In the second phase of the study, information on specific exposures was collected by means of job and task specific personal interviews. Interviews were performed with 55 case mothers and 66 control mothers who had occupations with a potential for chemical or physical exposure. Those exposures were assumed to be negligible for--for example, teachers and secretaries, so personal interviews were not indicated for these women. Information was collected on specific tasks in the period just after conception, and on the associated use of chemical or physical agents, frequency of exposure, and use of protective equipment. RESULTS: The analyses of occupation showed an increased risk for women working in agricultural occupations (OR = 3.4, CI:1.3-9.0), and, although less distinct, for cleaning women (OR = 1.7, CI:0.9-3.4). Only a few women seemed to be occupationally exposed to chemical or physical agents. No differences in occurrence of specific exposures could be detected between cases and controls. Besides, no differences were seen in pesticide or disinfectant exposure among case and control mothers in agricultural occupations. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational exposures of the mother during pregnancy were infrequent and did not seem to play an important part in the aetiology of spina bifida in this study. The association found between spina bifida and maternal agricultural occupations could not be explained by the use of pesticides by the mother or by any other occupational exposure. PMID:8777455

Clinical and Virological Study of Dengue Cases and the Members of Their Households: The Multinational DENFRAME Project

PubMed Central

Dussart, Philippe; Baril, Laurence; Petit, Laure; Beniguel, Lydie; Quang, Luong Chan; Ly, Sowath; Azevedo, Raimunda do Socorro Silva; Meynard, Jean-Baptiste; Vong, Sirenda; Chartier, Loïc; Diop, Aba; Sivuth, Ong; Duong, Veasna; Thang, Cao Minh; Jacobs, Michael; Sakuntabhai, Anavaj; Nunes, Marcio Roberto Teixeira; Huong, Vu Ti Que; Buchy, Philippe; Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa

2012-01-01

Background Dengue has emerged as the most important vector-borne viral disease in tropical areas. Evaluations of the burden and severity of dengue disease have been hindered by the frequent lack of laboratory confirmation and strong selection bias toward more severe cases. Methodology A multinational, prospective clinical study was carried out in South-East Asia (SEA) and Latin America (LA), to ascertain the proportion of inapparent dengue infections in households of febrile dengue cases, and to compare clinical data and biological markers from subjects with various dengue disease patterns. Dengue infection was laboratory-confirmed during the acute phase, by virus isolation and detection of the genome. The four participating reference laboratories used standardized methods. Principal Findings Among 215 febrile dengue subjects—114 in SEA and 101 in LA—28 (13.0%) were diagnosed with severe dengue (from SEA only) using the WHO definition. Household investigations were carried out for 177 febrile subjects. Among household members at the time of the first home visit, 39 acute dengue infections were detected of which 29 were inapparent. A further 62 dengue cases were classified at early convalescent phase. Therefore, 101 dengue infections were found among the 408 household members. Adding these together with the 177 Dengue Index Cases, the overall proportion of dengue infections among the study participants was estimated at 47.5% (278/585; 95% CI 43.5–51.6). Lymphocyte counts and detection of the NS1 antigen differed significantly between inapparent and symptomatic dengue subjects; among inapparent cases lymphocyte counts were normal and only 20% were positive for NS1 antigen. Primary dengue infection and a specific dengue virus serotype were not associated with symptomatic dengue infection. Conclusion Household investigation demonstrated a high proportion of household members positive for dengue infection, including a number of inapparent cases, the frequency of which was higher in SEA than in LA. PMID:22292098

[Studies of flomoxef in neonates].

PubMed

Sato, H; Narita, A; Matsumoto, K; Nakazawa, S; Suzuki, H; Nakanishi, Y; Nagao, K; Nakazawa, S; Niinou, K

1991-11-01

Studies on pharmacokinetics and clinical effects of flomoxef (FMOX), a parenteral oxacephem antibiotic, were carried out in neonates. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. Mean peak serum concentrations of FMOX upon single administrations at doses of 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg were 33.3 +/- 7.33 micrograms/ml and 68.9 micrograms/ml, respectively. 2. Mean urinary recovery rates of FMOX in the first 6 hours after administration of the above doses were 35.2% and 48.3%, respectively. 3. FMOX was administered to 4 cases including 1 prophylactic case, 1 case each with aspiration pneumonia and sepsis, hypodermic abscess of the head, and itrauterine infection, at a dose of 20-30 mg/kg 2 or 3 times a day. Clinically, excellent results were obtained in 3 cases including an methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus case. 4. No side effects nor abnormal laboratory test results were observed.

Effects of soil compaction on residual stand growth in central Appalachian hardwood forest: a preliminary case study

Treesearch

Jingxin Wang; Chris LeDoux; Michael Vanderberg; Li Yaoxiang

2006-01-01

A preliminary study that quantified the impacts of soil compaction on residual tree growth associated with ground-based skidding traffic intensity and turn payload size was investigated in the central Appalachian hardwood forest. The field study was carried out on a 20-acre tract of the West Virginia University Research Forest. Skid trails were laid out in 170' -...

The Role of Collaborative Learning on Training and Development Practices within the Australian Men's Shed Movement: A Study of Five Men's Sheds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Jillian; Southcombe, Amie; Bartram, Tim

2014-01-01

This study examines the role and impact of collaborative learning on training and development practices in Australian Men's Sheds. We use a case study approach, underpinned by Peters and Armstrong's theoretical framework of collaborative learning in adult education, to investigate five Men's Sheds. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with…

"Disruptive Technologies", "Pedagogical Innovation": What's New? Findings from an In-Depth Study of Students' Use and Perception of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conole, Grainne; de Laat, Maarten; Dillon, Teresa; Darby, Jonathan

2008-01-01

The paper describes the findings from a study of students' use and experience of technologies. A series of in-depth case studies were carried out across four subject disciplines, with data collected via survey, audio logs and interviews. The findings suggest that students are immersed in a rich, technology-enhanced learning environment and that…

Exploring Cultural Content of Three Prominent EFL Textbooks in Iran (A Case Study of American English Files, Top Notch and Four Corners)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dehbozorgi, Mehrnoosh; Amalsaleh, Ehya; Kafipour, Reza

2014-01-01

Cultural content has become an important issue after the advent of intercultural communicative approach (ICC) in language teaching field. The current study analyzed cultural content of three mainstream intermediate level EFL textbooks. This study was carried out using Chen's (2004) and Lee's (2009) suggested themes for detecting big "C"…

Reporting of HIV-infected pregnant women: estimates from a Brazilian study.

PubMed

Domingues, Rosa Maria Soares Madeira; Saraceni, Valéria; Leal, Maria do Carmo

2018-01-01

To estimate the coverage of the reporting of cases of HIV-infected pregnant women, to estimate the increase in the coverage of the reporting with the routine search of data in other Brazilian health information systems, and to identify missed opportunities for identification of HIV-infected pregnant women in Brazilian maternity hospitals. This is a descriptive study on the linkage of Brazilian databases with primary data from the "Nascer no Brasil" study and secondary database collection from national health information systems. The "Nascer no Brasil" is a national-based study carried out in 2011-2012 with 23,894 pregnant women, which identified HIV-infected pregnant women using prenatal and medical records. We searched for cases of HIV-infected pregnant women identified in the "Nascer no Brasil" study in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases, the Control System for Laboratory Tests of the National CD4+/CD8+ Lymphocyte Count and HIV Viral Load Network, and the Logistics Control System for Medications. We used the OpenRecLink software for the linkage of databases. We estimated the notification coverage, with the respective confidence interval, of the evaluated Brazilian health information systems. We estimated the coverage of the reporting of HIV-infected pregnant women in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases as 57.1% (95%CI 42.9-70.2), and we located 89.3% of the HIV-infected pregnant women (95%CI 81.2-94.2) in some of the Brazilian health information systems researched. The search in other national health information systems would result in an increase of 57.1% of the reported cases. We identified no missed opportunities for the diagnosis of HIV+ in pregnant women in the maternity hospitals evaluated by the "Nascer no Brasil" study. The routine search for information in other Brazilian health information systems, a procedure carried out by the Ministry of Health for cases of AIDS in adults and children, should be adopted for cases of HIV in pregnancy.

Risk factors for nonspecific low-back pain in Chinese adolescents: a case-control study.

PubMed

Yao, WeiGuang; Luo, ChenLing; Ai, FuZhi; Chen, Qing

2012-05-01

The objective of this study was to gain a basic understanding of the influential factors for nonspecific low-back pain (LBP) among adolescents of southern China. The study was designed as a school-based case control study. Nonspecific LBP is a common health problem in adolescence. Although some behaviors and socio-demographic factors are believed to contribute to the disorder, influential factors of LBP remain undefined. Moreover, until now there is no available information of influential factors for LBP in Chinese adolescents. A total of 1,214 adolescents were involved in the study, including 607 cases with nonspecific LBP and 607 controls without history of nonspecific LBP. A self-administered questionnaire was designed for epidemiological survey to investigate the risk factors for nonspecific LBP. All cases and controls were investigated for their family histories of nonspecific LBP, physical activities, sedentary activities, schoolbag weights, school performances, living conditions, and etc. A 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted on 1,214 adolescents from an elementary school and a secondary school in Guangzhou City, southern China. Family history (odds ratio [OR] 2.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85-3.58), long duration of carrying schoolbag (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.11-1.72) and rest position between classes (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01-1.39) were positively correlated with self-reported nonspecific LBP. Students regularly playing basketball (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.09-2.30) was found to be significantly more likely to have LBP. Also, students who feel schoolbag uncomfortable (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.11-1.72) was found to experience more LBP. Family history, feeling schoolbag uncomfortable, duration of schoolbag carrying, basketball playing and rest position between classes are the major risk factors for nonspecific LBP in adolescents. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Integrated study of fecal incontinence with defecography, anal ultrasonography, perineography, and manometry].

PubMed

Salzano, A; De Rosa, A; Amodio, F; Vallone, G; Pinto, A; Carbone, M; Gesuè, G; De Angelis, P

1998-12-01

Imaging methods such as defecography, anal US and perineography, combined with manometry, now permit to identify a growing number of causes of anorectal and pelvic floor deficiency. Fecal incontinence patients can thus be approached correctly relative to both diagnosis and treatment. We investigated the role of these techniques in the work-up of fecal incontinence. Thirty-eight subjects suffering from fecal incontinence were examined. Defecography was carried out with a special commode and videorecorded on a VHS cassette. Anal US was performed with a 7-MHz rotating probe (type 1846) with 3-cm focus length. Perineography was carried out in 15 female patients. The anorectal angle (ARA) at rest was increased (mean: 106 degrees; normal range: 90-100 degrees) in 34 cases; involuntary barium leakage was seen in 8 patients, especially on coughing. On squeezing, ARA was normal in 10 cases (mean: 72 degrees; normal range: 60-90 degrees); in 5 cases of puborectal hypotonia there was no angular excursion between rest and squeezing (mean: 105 degrees). During evacuation, the average ARA value was 166 degrees in 21 cases and ARA stretched to verticalization in 8 cases (mean: 179 degrees). Morphofunctional anorectal changes appeared as rectal mucosal prolapse (12 cases), rectocele (10 cases), perineal descent syndrome (8 cases) and external rectal prolapse (3 cases). Anal US identified 15 interruptions in sphincterial rings: 12 patterns were hypoechoic, 2 mixed and 1 hyperechoic. Atrophic thinning of internal anal sphincter was seen in 5 idiopathic incontinence patients. Perineography demonstrated cystocele in 5 cases and cystourethrocele in 1 case. Manometry showed sphincterial hypotonia at rest in 15 cases, lower values of anorectal pressure on squeezing in 8 and smaller air volumes inhibiting external sphincterial tone in 19 cases. Defecographic studies with evaluation of ARA and its changes are an important tool with high diagnostic yield. When combined with other techniques, they provide differential criteria for sphincterial and puborectal causes and permits to identify associated pelvic floor dysfunctions. We believe that defecography, anal US (and perineography in complex disorders) are necessary techniques for the correct clinical approach to fecal incontinence patients, whose role and diagnostic yield are a valid support to manometry.

50 CFR 259.30 - Application for Interim Capital Construction Fund Agreement (“Interim CCF Agreement”).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... of the applicant's actual intentions. Vague or contingent objectives will not be acceptable. (b...-carrying capacity, age, length, type of fishing gear, number of passengers carried or in the case of...) General characteristics (i.e., net tonnage, fish-carrying capacity, age, length, type of fishing gear...

Liver histopathology of fatal phosphine poisoning.

PubMed

Saleki, Sepideh; Ardalan, Farid Azmoudeh; Javidan-Nejad, Abdullah

2007-03-02

Two commonly used pesticides in agriculture are phosphides of aluminium and zinc. Both of these metal phosphides act through elaboration of toxic phosphine gas. The poisoning in Iran is mostly oral and suicidal. Phosphine is rapidly absorbed throughout the gastrointestinal tract after ingestion and it is partly carried to the liver by the portal vein. In this study the liver histopathology of fatal poisoning is scrutinized. A descriptive, retrospective study was performed on 38 fatal phosphine poisonings. The slides of liver specimens of the cases were retrieved and studied separately by two pathologists. The poisoning was suicidal in 33 (86.5%) of cases. Portal inflammation was negligible in 37 cases and only in one of the cases, a moderate degree of chronic inflammation accompanied by granuloma formation was observed. Major histopathologic findings were as follows: mild sinusoidal congestion; 12 cases (31.6%), severe sinusoidal congestion; 25 cases (45.8%), central vein congestion; 23 cases (60.5%), centrilobular necrosis; 3 cases (7.9%), hepatocytes nuclear fragmentation; 6 cases (15.8%), sinusoidal clusters of polymorphonuclear leukocytes; 12 cases (31.6%), and mild macrovesicular steatosis; 5 cases (13.2%). Fine isomorphic cytoplasmic vacuoles were observed in 36 cases (94.7%). These vacuoles were distributed uniformly in all hepatic zones in the majority (75%) of cases. This study reveals that the main histopathologic findings of fatal phosphine poisoning in the liver are fine cytoplasmic vacuolization of hepatocytes and sinusoidal congestion.

The Impact on Vocational Training of Studies. Analysing and Forecasting Trends in Occupations. Case Studies in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. CEDEFOP Document.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Thessaloniki (Greece).

This report describes a study to verify the impact on vocational training policies of research and development work carried out in the field of anticipation of educational and training needs, labor market forecasts, and skills analysis. Section I provides background. Section II presents the framework of the study. Section III includes the full…

[Tuberculosis control in the Central Health Region of Catalonia during the period 1986-2000].

PubMed

Miret Cuadras, P; Pina Gutiérrez, J M; López Sanmartín, J L; Sala Farré, M R

2003-10-01

To assess tuberculosis control in the Central Health Region, Catalonia, Spain, from the implementation of the area's Tuberculosis Control Program in 1986 until the year 2000. To study the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis and the outcome of the following control measures in sputum smear-positive patients: final outcome of treatment and monitoring, and the percentage of patients for whom a contact investigation (CI) was carried out. Tuberculosis control is considered effective if the sum of noncompliant patients, plus the cases in which treatment failed, plus the patients transferred out remains below 10% of the cohort of patients studied, and if a CI has been conducted in at least 80% of this cohort. The number of cases reported was 6326, of which 7% were retreatments. A total of 5865 new cases was detected. Of these, 5652 (96%) were patients born in Spain. The number of cases reported annually peaked in 1990 (474) and then declined continuously until 2000, when it was 54% lower (220). Foreign-born patients numbered 213 (4%), and 95% of them came from countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. In the cohort of patients studied between 1997 and 2000, the sum of noncompliant patients, plus cases in which treatment failed, plus the patients transferred out came to 11%. Since 1994, a CI has been carried out for over 80% of patients, and this figure reached 92% in 2000. We consider that a substantial degree of tuberculosis control has been achieved given the decline in tuberculosis morbidity among people born in Spain, the fact that the percentage of noncompliant patients, treatment failures and transfers was only slightly over 10%, and that a CI has been conducted for over 80% of patients since 1994 (92% in 2000).

Four centuries later: how to close the Galileo case?

PubMed

Segre, Michael

The "Galileo case" is still open: John Paul II's 1979 initiative to "recognize wrongs from whatever side they come" was carried out in an unsatisfactory manner. The task would have been easy had the Pontifical Study Commission created for that purpose concentrated on the 1616 decree alone and declared it not in line with the hermeneutical guidelines of the Council of Trent, in agreement with Galileo and not with Saint Robert Bellarmine. A possible avenue to closing the "Galileo case" on the part of the Church of Rome could, thus, be to change its current defensive attitude and declare itself no longer what it was in 1616, since another such "case" is, hopefully, no longer conceivable.

[Malignant ovarian tumors and second look operations].

PubMed

Yasuda, M

1983-08-01

There are many problems that, the timing of S.L.O. the range of reduction, and side effects etc., we studied retrospectively for the S.L.O. The number of subjects were 302 of common epithelial and 251 of germinal cell tumors, totalling 553 cases. Among them, 41 cases were common epithelial and 49 cases germ cell origine respectively, totalling 90 cases of S.L.O. were carried out. Conclusion The 5 year survival rate of S.L.O. was observed to a significant extent. The mean survival time of S.L.O. group: were significantly prolonged. Complete surgery at the S.L.O. of the patient with epithelial and germinal affected the survival rate significantly.

Valley-orbit splitting in doped nanocrystalline silicon: k•p calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyakov, Vladimir A.; Burdov, Vladimir A.

2007-07-01

The valley-orbit splitting in silicon quantum dots with shallow donors has been theoretically studied. In particular, the chemical-shift calculation was carried out within the frames of k•p approximation for single- and many-donor cases. For both cases, the great value of the chemical shift has been obtained compared to its bulk value. Such increase of the chemical shift becomes possible due to the quantum confinement effect in a dot. It is shown for the single-donor case that the level splitting and chemical shift strongly depend on the dot radius and donor position inside the nanocrystal. In the many-donor case, the chemical shift is almost proportional to the number of donors.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in P2X7 Gene Are Associated with Serum Immunoglobulin G Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Tuberculosis Patients

PubMed Central

Wu, Jiangdong; Lu, Lijun; Zhang, Le; Ding, Yulei; Wu, Fang; Zuo, Weize; Zhang, Wanjiang

2015-01-01

Objective. Our study investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in P2X7 gene and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in TB patients. Methods. A total of 103 TB patients were enrolled as case group and 87 healthy individuals at same geographical region as control group. The SNP detection of 1513A>C and -762T>C was performed using PCR-RFLP, and the levels of serum IgG responses to MTB in all subjects were determined. Results. AC and CC of 1513A>C and TC and CC of -762T>C had higher frequencies in case group than in control group. TB patients carrying TC and CC of -762T>C had higher positive rate of IgG responses to MTB than those carrying TT. Additionally, patients carrying TC and CC of -762T>C had more MTB in sputum than those carrying TT. Conclusion. P2X7 SNPs, 1513A>C and -762T>C, may be associated with the susceptibility to tuberculosis, and -762T>C SNP may contribute to the development of MTB. The mutant genotype of -762T>C (TC and CC) may lower human capability of phagocytosis to MTB, leading to an increased morbidity of TB. PMID:26798189

A fatal case of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus suis carrying tet (40) and tet (O/W/32/O), Italy.

PubMed

Mancini, Fabiola; Adamo, Francesco; Creti, Roberta; Monaco, Monica; Alfarone, Giovanna; Pantosti, Annalisa; Ciervo, Alessandra

2016-11-01

We report the first human fatal case of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) caused by Streptococcus suis serotype 2 carrying the tetracycline efflux tet (40) gene and the tetracycline ribosomal protection tet (O/W/32/O) gene. The patient was splenectomized. The case was characterized by multi-organ dysfunction and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, in accordance with the clinical parameters of STSS. More investigations are needed to improve the epidemiology and the pathogenesis of S. suis in human infection. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Molecular dynamics simulations to study the solvent influence on protein structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominguez, Hector

2016-05-01

Molecular simulations were carried out to study the influence of different water models in two protein systems. Most of the solvents used in protein simulations, e.g., SPC/E or TIP3P, fail to reproduce the bulk water static dielectric constant. Recently a new water model, TIP4P/ɛ, which reproduces the experimental dielectric constant was reported. Therefore, simulations for two different proteins, Lysozyme and Ubiquitin with SPC/E, TIP3P and TIP4P/ɛ solvents were carried out. Dielectric constants and structural properties were calculated and comparisons were conducted. The structural properties between the three models are very similar, however, the dielectric constants are different in each case.

Modern Air Occupation Strategy Case Study: Operation Southern Watch

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-03-25

American coffins, draped in flags, carried across a lonely tarmac to the echoing, mournful tones of a bugle, haunts responsible United States decision...Patton Papers, Vol. II, 1974, in Peter Tsouras, Warriors Words (London: Arms and Armour Press, 1994), p. 324. 68 Bill Sammon, “Bush rejects claim

Metamorphosis: Play, Spirituality and the Animal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bone, Jane

2010-01-01

Animal- and bird-becoming is an aspect of play as metamorphosis connected to spirituality in early childhood settings. The reconceptualisation of play presented here is supported by research that explored the spiritual experiences of young children in different early childhood contexts. Qualitative case study research carried out in Aotearoa New…

Principals' Sensemaking and Enactment of Teacher Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rigby, Jessica G.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to look across six first-year principals to investigate their engagement with and sensemaking of specific messages of instructional leadership around teacher evaluation. Design/methodology/approach: This research project, a cross-case study, was carried out using in-depth qualitative observations and…

Spacecraft Angular State Estimation After Sensor Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank (Technical Monitor); BarItzhack, Itzhack Y.; Harman, Richard R.

2002-01-01

This work describes two algorithms for computing the angular rate and attitude in case of a gyro failure in a spacecraft (SC) with a special mission profile. The source of the problem is presented, two algorithms are suggested, an observability study is carried out, and the efficiency of the algorithms is demonstrated.

A Case Study of How Teaching Practice Process Takes Place

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalin Ucar, Meltem

2012-01-01

The process of "learning" carries an important role in the teaching practice which provides teacher candidates with professional development. Being responsible for the learning experiences in that level, cooperating teacher, teacher candidate, mentor and practice school are the important variables which determine the quality of the…

24 CFR 570.402 - Technical assistance awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (24 CFR part 571); and the Special Purpose Grants for Insular Areas, Community Development Work Study... the assistance is limited to conferences/workshops attended by more than one unit of government. (d... section include: (1) In the case of technical assistance for States, the cost of carrying out the...

24 CFR 570.402 - Technical assistance awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (24 CFR part 571); and the Special Purpose Grants for Insular Areas, Community Development Work Study... the assistance is limited to conferences/workshops attended by more than one unit of government. (d... section include: (1) In the case of technical assistance for States, the cost of carrying out the...

24 CFR 570.402 - Technical assistance awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (24 CFR part 571); and the Special Purpose Grants for Insular Areas, Community Development Work Study... the assistance is limited to conferences/workshops attended by more than one unit of government. (d... section include: (1) In the case of technical assistance for States, the cost of carrying out the...

Teacher Modeling: Its Impact on an Extensive Reading Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loh, Jason Kok Khiang

2009-01-01

This case study investigates whether teachers model reading in 1 Singapore primary school during an exercise called "uninterrupted sustained silent reading" (USSR) carried out in the classroom. Even though reading is an important determinant of a student's growth in language skills and ability, and modeling the act of reading is…

Forecasting malaria incidence based on monthly case reports and environmental factors in Karuzi, Burundi, 1997–2003

PubMed Central

Gomez-Elipe, Alberto; Otero, Angel; van Herp, Michel; Aguirre-Jaime, Armando

2007-01-01

Background The objective of this work was to develop a model to predict malaria incidence in an area of unstable transmission by studying the association between environmental variables and disease dynamics. Methods The study was carried out in Karuzi, a province in the Burundi highlands, using time series of monthly notifications of malaria cases from local health facilities, data from rain and temperature records, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) methodology, a model showing the relation between monthly notifications of malaria cases and the environmental variables was developed. Results The best forecasting model (R2adj = 82%, p < 0.0001 and 93% forecasting accuracy in the range ± 4 cases per 100 inhabitants) included the NDVI, mean maximum temperature, rainfall and number of malaria cases in the preceding month. Conclusion This model is a simple and useful tool for producing reasonably reliable forecasts of the malaria incidence rate in the study area. PMID:17892540

The influence of para-seismic vibrations, induced by blasting works, on structures: a Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrusikiewicz, Wacław

2018-04-01

Underground mining operations are often associated with the necessity to use explosives. Several hundreds of kilograms of explosives, subdivided into small charges suitable for a specific mining job, are used each time in a blasting operation. In many cases, mining engineers carry out remote central blasting works, which means that all the charges placed at faces are initiated from one control point (usually, a control room in the mine) at the same time. Such coordinated explosions generate para-seismic movements whose consequences can be felt on land surface, with subsequent effects identified in buildings and structures. This paper discusses briefly selected standards applicable to the harmful para-seismic impacts. The author presents the results of the research conducted with the intention to identify harmful effects of the basting works carried out in the "Kłodawa" Salt Mine.

[HIV-1 infection after occupational accidents in the State of Amazonas: first reported case].

PubMed

Lucena, Noaldo Oliveira de; Pereira, Flávio Ribeiro; Barros, Flávio Silveira de; Silva, Nélson Barbosa da; Alexandre, Márcia Almeida de Araújo; Castilho, Márcia da Costa; Alecrim, Maria das Graças Costa

2011-10-01

The medical care of occupational accidents in Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Dourado (FMT-HVD), involving blood and body fluids, started routinely in 1999. The objective of this report is to emphasize the importance of the measures used for the control of accidents with biological material. This study is carried out after a detailed epidemiological investigation confirmed one case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion after an occupational accident involving bodily fluids and sharp instruments.

Globalization and Leadership and Management: A Comparative Analysis of Primary Schools in England and Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Rosemary; Vulliamy, Graham; Sarja, Anneli; Hamalainen, Seppo

2006-01-01

This article analyses the impact of processes of globalization on both policy and practice in relation to primary school leadership and management in England and Finland. Data are drawn from case study research carried out from 1994-1996 in six schools in Finland and six schools in England and a follow-up study on teacher professionalism…

An Investigation into the Length of Hospital Stay for Deaf Mental Health Service Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baines, Di; Patterson, Neil; Austen, Sally

2010-01-01

This study looked at the average length of hospital stay for inpatients in a specialist deaf mental health service over a 10-year period, in comparison to that of a general psychiatric hearing cohort. In addition, two case studies of deaf inpatients were carried out looking specifically at the prerequisite factors governing discharge. Finally, a…

The Latitudinal Analysis of Secondary School Students' Motivations towards Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Suleyman; Keles, Pinar Ural

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to investigate the comparison of different categories of secondary schools students' motivations for science lessons. In this research, the case study method was used latitudinally and it was carried out in the center schools of Agri in 2015-2016 academic years. The sample of the study was composed of totally 649…

Confidence and Perceived Competence of Preservice Teachers to Implement Biodiversity Education in Primary Schools--Four Comparative Case Studies from Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindemann-Matthies, Petra; Constantinou, Costas; Lehnert, Hans-Joachim; Nagel, Ueli; Raper, George; Kadji-Beltran, Chrysanthi

2011-01-01

This multinational research study was carried out between 2004 and 2006 in four teacher education institutions in Cyprus, England, Switzerland, and Germany. With the help of a written questionnaire, the confidence and perceived competence of preservice primary teachers (N = 690) to deliver biodiversity education in school were investigated. Data…

On the properties of circular beams: normalization, Laguerre-Gauss expansion, and free-space divergence.

PubMed

Vallone, Giuseppe

2015-04-15

Circular beams were introduced as a very general solution to the paraxial wave equation carrying orbital angular momentum. Here, we study their properties by looking at their normalization and their expansion in terms of Laguerre-Gauss modes. We also study their far-field divergence and, for particular cases of the beam parameters, their possible experimental generation.

Problems Students Experience with Inquiry Processes in the Study of Enzyme Kinetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrés Gurt, Concepció; Marbà Tallada, Anna

2018-01-01

This case study describes a classroom-based questionnaire that was carried out with a group of 36 high school students (17-18 years old) in Catalonia. The aim was to examine the usefulness of questionnaires focused on scientific inquiry, both to evaluate students' inquiry abilities and for their potential as tools to improve the understanding of…

"Sharks in Your Hands"--A Case Study on Effects of Teaching Strategies to Change Knowledge and Attitudes towards Sharks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hung-Shan; Liu, Shiang-Yao; Yeh, Ting-Kuang

2016-01-01

This study was designed to exemplify how hands-on based teaching strategies enhanced students' knowledge and positive attitudes towards sharks. Hands-on activities for sharks' biological and morphological features were carried out. Eleven elementary school students from a remote area in Taiwan were recruited and assigned to the hands-on condition.…

Educational Managers' Opinions Regarding the Inservice Training in Turkey: A Case Study of the Agri Province

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirel, Ihsan Nuri

2015-01-01

In this study, research was carried out in order to find out whether the certificate system which requires attendants of in-service training is adequate; whether their achievements are sufficiently evaluated in the appointment and ranking processes; whether in-service training is accepted as both a right and a responsibility of the institutions;…

What Is Secondary School Students' Awareness on Disasters? A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinar, Adnan

2017-01-01

The behaviors of individuals on the issue of being able to cope with disasters are directly proportional to their level of preparedness and awareness. For this reason, revealing the individual's level of awareness on disasters is both the first phase of the studies to be carried out on this issue and an important contribution to the social…

A Case Study of Collaboration with Multi-Robots and Its Effect on Children's Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Wu, Sheng-Yi

2014-01-01

Learning how to carry out collaborative tasks is critical to the development of a student's capacity for social interaction. In this study, a multi-robot system was designed for students. In three different scenarios, students controlled robots in order to move dice; we then examined their collaborative strategies and their behavioral…

Problem-Based Learning: Using Ill-Structured Problems in Biology Project Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Christine; Chia, Li-Gek

2006-01-01

This case study involved year 9 students carrying out project work in biology via problem-based learning. The purpose of the study was to (a) find out how students approach and work through ill-structured problems, (b) identify some issues and challenges related to the use of such problems, and (c) offer some practical suggestions on the…

Learning about Environmental Issues in Engineering Programmes: A Case Study of First-Year Civil Engineering Students' Contextualisation of an Ecology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundholm, Cecilia

2004-01-01

Describes how first-year civil engineering students interpreted the content and structure of an ecology course. Students' learning processes were analysed from an intentional perspective, i.e. a perspective that takes into account the students' educational aims and conceptions of the study situation. Interviews were carried out with six civil…

A Case Study in Effectively Bridging the Business Skills Gap for the Information Technology Professional

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorman, Michael F.

2011-01-01

A longitudinal study of information technology (IT) managers at a Fortune 200 company in the Southwest United States was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a training program at bridging the perceived business skills gap for IT employees. A needs assessment was carried out, resulting in a 4-module training program. The program was evaluated…

Determining Relationships between Young Children's Cognitive Stage of Development and Art Stage of Development as They Relate to Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, Judy A.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how children's responses to literature can help develop literacy. The subjects were 15 first-grade students at Overstreet Elementary School in Starkville (Mississippi). Two school observations were carried out prior to the collection of data on individual students. Case studies were conducted…

Development of Techniques for the Evaluation of Toxicant Impacts to Multispecies Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-28

that an unobserved feature of the community carried information about the stressor throughout the history of the system. In the case of the SAMs, we...the hypothesis that an unobserved feature of the community carried information about the stressor throughout the history of the system. In the case of...follow similar evolutions, without the divergences characteristic of nonlinear systems. Instead, we advanced the hypothesis that an unobserved feature of

[Consumption of psychoactive drugs and exposure to bacterial toxins carried by food: a dangerous association].

PubMed

Corma-Gómez, Anaïs; López-Sepúlveda, Rocío; Capitán-Del Río, Inés; Sánchez Mariscal, María Dolores; López-Hernández, Begoña

2017-11-01

To describe and analyse from a clinical and epidemiological point of view, a food borne outbreak in a psychiatric institution in Granada, in 2015, and to examine whether treatment with psychoactive drugs constitutes a risk factor for the development of a food borne disease, analysing the degree of susceptibility according to the therapeutic group consumed. Ambispective cohort study. Residents were the unit of analysis. Our group carried out an active case search and a food survey. A search for other risks was developed as well as a food inspection. Location, time and individual variables were studied. A descriptive analysis was conducted (absolute and relative frequencies). Calculation of attack rates by building and by menu was made. Bi-variant analysis (Chi-square test, t-Student test) and relative risk were used as a measure of strength of association. For risk analysis of medication, a multivariate analysis using logistic regression was carried out. 18 cases with diarrhoea without fever were found (incubation period from 6 to 16hours). Cases were mild and self-limiting. The clinical manifestations, the temporal grouping of cases and the characteristics of the ingested foods, focussed suspicion on a bacterial toxin. Being equal in the rest of variables, the N03AF, and N03AG therapeutic groups confer greater risk of disease (odds ratio [OR]: 8.626; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 2.050-36.308; p=0.003; and OR: 14.516; 95%CI: 3.155-66.784; p=0.001, respectively). Decreased intestinal transit, caused by the administration of anticonvulsants, may increase exposure time of the intestinal mucosa to the toxin, increasing the risk of disease and suffering from complications. An additional hygienic effort should be made in this type of institution to prevent these pathologies. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The influence of morphological awareness on reading and writing: a systematic review.

PubMed

Silva, Ainoã Athaide Macedo; Martins-Reis, Vanessa de Oliveira

2017-02-16

this study aimed to perform a systematic review of national and international studies about the relationship between morphological awareness, reading/writing, reading comprehension, and spelling. a search for national and international literature was carried out using databases Medline (via PubMed) and Portal de Periódicos da Capes (Eric, PsycINFO, LILACS, SciELO) from August to September 2015. the inclusion criteria were: studies that answered the guiding question and addressed the subject matter established by the descriptors and keywords. Studies with animals, laboratories, opinion/expert pieces, case series, case reports and review studies were excluded. the following markers were considered: type and objective of the study, the skills related to morphological awareness (reading, writing, reading comprehension and spelling), tests performed, and their main results. the search carried out in the pre-established databases with descriptors and free terms resulted in 203 articles. The search in PubMed resulted in 81 studies, and in Portal de Periódicos Capes, 122. Of the total, 154 were excluded according to the title and abstract, whereas 39 were excluded upon reading the full text. This allowed for the analysis of 10 articles. children with better scores in the morphological awareness test show better results in reading and writing across all school grades.

Do hernia operations in african international cooperation programmes provide good quality?

PubMed

Gil, J; Rodríguez, J M; Hernández, Q; Gil, E; Balsalobre, M D; González, M; Torregrosa, N; Verdú, T; Alcaráz, M; Parrilla, P

2012-12-01

Hernia is especially prevalent in developing countries where the population is obliged to undertake strenuous work in order to survive, and International Cooperation Programmes are helping to solve this problem. However, the quality of surgical interventions is unknown. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality of hernia repair processes carried out by the Surgical Solidarity Charity in Central African States. A total of 524 cases of inguinal hernia repair carried out in Cameroon and Mali during 2005 to 2009 were compared with 386 cases treated in a Multicentre Spanish Study (2003). General data (clinical, demographic, etc.), type of surgery, complications, and effectiveness and efficiency indicators were collected. Preoperative studies in the Spanish group were greater in number than in the African group. The use of local anesthesia was similar. Antibiotic prophylaxis was higher in the African group (100% to 75.4%). The use of mesh was similar. The incidence of hematomas was higher in the Spanish group (11.61% to 4.61%), but the incidence of infection of the wound and of hernia recurrence was similar, although follow-up was only carried out in 20.97% in the African group (70% in the Spanish group). Hospital stay of more than 24 h was higher in the Spanish group. The standard quality of surgery for the treatment of hernia in developing countries with few instrumental means, and in sub-optimal surgical conditions is similar to that provided in Spain.

Access to healthcare for undocumented migrants with communicable diseases in Germany: a quantitative study.

PubMed

Mylius, Maren; Frewer, Andreas

2015-08-01

Migrants without residence permits are de facto excluded from access to healthcare in Germany. There is one exception in relevant legislation: in the case of sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis, the legislator has instructed the local Public Health Authorities to offer free and anonymous counseling, testing and, if necessary, treatment in case of apparent need. Furthermore, recommended vaccinations may be carried out free of charge. This study intends to comprehensively capture the services for undocumented migrants at Public Health Authorities in Germany. An e-mail survey of all Local Public Health Authorities (n = 384) in Germany was carried out between January and March 2011 using a standardized questionnaire. One hundred thirty-nine of 384 targeted local Health Authorities completed the questionnaire (36.2%), of which approximately a quarter (n = 34) reported interaction with 'illegal' immigrants. Twenty-give authorities (18.4%) gave the indication to carry out treatment. This outpatient treatment option is mostly limited to patients afflicted with sexually transmitted infections with the distinct exception of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The study highlights the gap between legislation and the reality of restricted access to medical services for undocumented migrants in Germany. It underlines the need of increased financial and human resources in Public Health Authorities and, overall, the simplification of national legislation to assure the right to healthcare. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Clothing damage analysis in alleged sexual assaults--the need for a systematic approach.

PubMed

Boland, C A; McDermott, S D; Ryan, J

2007-04-11

Clothing damage analysis is an integral part of the examinations carried out in sexual assault type cases. This analysis can be used to corroborate different versions of events and is at its most powerful in elucidating false allegation cases and consent cases. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent people with varying levels of forensic awareness, experience and training could correctly carry out damage analysis. Two participant groups were asked to take part in this study. Group A ('forensic group') comprised participants at a forensic science conference, and Group B ('student group') comprised students undertaking a degree course in Forensic Science. Each group was given a practical workshop consisting of a lecture outlining common fabric types and general features observed in different damage types. Each participant was subsequently shown 25 pieces of 'damage' and asked to identify both the type of fabric construction (knit or weave) and the type of damage (cut, tear, rip, wear and tear). The ability to identify fabric construction and damage types varied within the two groups studied and across the groups. The forensic group performed better both in fabric and damage assessment than the student group. This paper suggests a systematic approach to clothing damage analysis to maximise the benefits that can be obtained from this area of forensic science and to minimise the subjectivity within the field.

Meta- and Pooled Analysis of GSTP1 Polymorphism and Lung Cancer: A HuGE-GSEC Review

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei; Smith, Daryn W.; Benhamou, Simone; Bouchardy, Christine; Butkiewicz, Dorota; Fong, Kwun M.; Gené, Manuel; Hirvonen, Ari; Kiyohara, Chikako; Larsen, Jill E.; Lin, Pinpin; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Povey, Andrew C.; Reszka, Edyta; Risch, Angela; Schneider, Joachim; Schwartz, Ann G.; Sorensen, Mette; To-Figueras, Jordi; Tokudome, Shinkan; Pu, Yuepu; Yang, Ping; Wenzlaff, Angela S.; Wikman, Harriet; Taioli, Emanuela

2009-01-01

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. Polymorphisms in genes associated with carcinogen metabolism may modulate risk of disease. Glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP1) detoxifies polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in cigarette smoke and is the most highly expressed glutathione S-transferase in lung tissue. A polymorphism in the GSTP1 gene, an A-to-G transition in exon 5 (Ile105Val, 313A → 313G), results in lower activity among individuals who carry the valine allele. The authors present a meta- and a pooled analysis of case-control studies that examined the association between this polymorphism in GSTP1 and lung cancer risk (27 studies, 8,322 cases and 8,844 controls and 15 studies, 4,282 cases and 5,032 controls, respectively). Overall, the meta-analysis found no significant association between lung cancer risk and the GSTP1 exon 5 polymorphism. In the pooled analysis, there was an overall association (odds ratio = 1.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.21) between lung cancer and carriage of the GSTP1 Val/Val or Ile/Val genotype compared with those carrying the Ile/Ile genotype. Increased risk varied by histologic type in Asians. There appears to be evidence for interaction between amount of smoking, the GSTP1 exon 5 polymorphism, and risk of lung cancer in whites. PMID:19240225

Improving health care costing with resource consumption accounting.

PubMed

Ozyapici, Hasan; Tanis, Veyis Naci

2016-07-11

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between a traditional costing system (TCS) and resource consumption accounting (RCA) based on a case study carried out in a hospital. Design/methodology/approach - A descriptive case study was first carried out to identify the current costing system of the case hospital. An exploratory case study was then conducted to reveal how implementing RCA within the case hospital assigns costs differently to gallbladder surgeries than the current costing system (i.e. a TCS). Findings - The study showed that, in contrast to a TCS, RCA considers the unused capacity, which is the difference between the work that can be performed based on current resources and the work that is actually being performed. Therefore, it assigns lower total costs to open and laparoscopic gallbladder surgeries. The study also showed that by separating costs into fixed and variable RCA allows managers to benefit from a pricing strategy based on the difference between the service's selling price and variable costs incurred in providing that service. Research limitations/implications - The limitation of this study is that, because of time constraints, the implementation was performed in the general surgery department only. However, since RCA is an advanced system that has the same application procedures for any department inside in a hospital, managers need only time gaps to implement this system to all parts of the hospital. Practical implications - This study concluded that RCA is better than a TCS for use in health care settings that have high overhead costs because it accurately assigns overhead costs to services by considering unused capacities incurred by a hospital. Consequently, this study provides insight into both measuring and managing unused capacities within the health care sector. This study also concluded that RCA helps health care administrators increase their competitive advantage by allowing them to determine the lowest service price. Originality/value - Since the literature review found no study comparing RCA with TCS in a real-life health care setting, little is known about differences arising from applying these systems in this context. Thus, the current study fills this gap in the literature by comparing RCA with TCS for both open and laparoscopic gallbladder surgeries.

Complexity quantification of dense array EEG using sample entropy analysis.

PubMed

Ramanand, Pravitha; Nampoori, V P N; Sreenivasan, R

2004-09-01

In this paper, a time series complexity analysis of dense array electroencephalogram signals is carried out using the recently introduced Sample Entropy (SampEn) measure. This statistic quantifies the regularity in signals recorded from systems that can vary from the purely deterministic to purely stochastic realm. The present analysis is conducted with an objective of gaining insight into complexity variations related to changing brain dynamics for EEG recorded from the three cases of passive, eyes closed condition, a mental arithmetic task and the same mental task carried out after a physical exertion task. It is observed that the statistic is a robust quantifier of complexity suited for short physiological signals such as the EEG and it points to the specific brain regions that exhibit lowered complexity during the mental task state as compared to a passive, relaxed state. In the case of mental tasks carried out before and after the performance of a physical exercise, the statistic can detect the variations brought in by the intermediate fatigue inducing exercise period. This enhances its utility in detecting subtle changes in the brain state that can find wider scope for applications in EEG based brain studies.

Is long-term physical activity safe for older adults with knee pain?: a systematic review.

PubMed

Quicke, J G; Foster, N E; Thomas, M J; Holden, M A

2015-09-01

To determine whether long-term physical activity is safe for older adults with knee pain. A comprehensive systematic review and narrative synthesis of existing literature was conducted using multiple electronic databases from inception until May 2013. Two reviewers independently screened, checked data extraction and carried out quality assessment. Inclusion criteria for study designs were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), prospective cohort studies or case control studies, which included adults of mean age over 45 years old with knee pain or osteoarthritis (OA), undertaking physical activity over at least 3 months and which measured a safety related outcome (adverse events, pain, physical functioning, structural OA imaging progression or progression to total knee replacement (TKR)). Of the 8614 unique references identified, 49 studies were included in the review, comprising 48 RCTs and one case control study. RCTs varied in quality and included an array of low impact therapeutic exercise interventions of varying cardiovascular intensity. There was no evidence of serious adverse events, increases in pain, decreases in physical function, progression of structural OA on imaging or increased TKR at group level. The case control study concluded that increasing levels of regular physical activity was associated with lower risk of progression to TKR. Long-term therapeutic exercise lasting 3 to 30 months is safe for most older adults with knee pain. This evidence supports current clinical guideline recommendations. However, most studies investigated selected, consenting older adults carrying out low impact therapeutic exercise which may affect result generalizability. PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014006913. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of oral CDP-choline. Drug surveillance study in 2817 cases.

PubMed

Lozano Fernández, R

1983-01-01

A drug surveillance study has been carried out with oral cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline, citicoline, Somazina) in 2817 patients of all ages, predominating those between 60 and 80 years old. They were suffering from several neurological processes, mainly the vasculocerebral insufficiency and senile involution. Treatment was carried out for between 15 days and 2 months, the mean dose being 6 ml/d. The efficacy of the treatment was determined on the basis of the disappearance, improvement or worsening of clinical manifestations, most frequently shown by patients. The most benefited clinical manifestations by the treatment were: dizziness disappearing in 48.4% of the cases, and improving in 25.2%, cephalea disappearing in 46.5% and improving in 26.7%, insomnia with 38.6% and 24.9%, respectively; depression with 36.9% and 24.1% and memory shortage with 21.2% and 44.7% respectively. The best results were obtained in chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency, the improvements obtained in dizziness, cephalea, insomnia, fatigue and speech troubles being the most important. The safety of the drug was excellent since side effects were observed only in 5.01% of the patients. Among these effects, the most frequently seen were digestive troubles, observed in 3.6% of the cases.

Effectiveness of Case-Based Learning Instruction on Epistemological Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çam, Aylin; Geban, Ömer

2011-02-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of case-based learning instruction over traditionally designed chemistry instruction on eleventh grade students' epistemological beliefs and their attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject. The subjects of this study consisted of 63 eleventh grade students from two intact classes of an urban high school instructed with same teacher. Each teaching method was randomly assigned to one class. The experimental group received case-based learning and the control group received traditional instruction. At the experimental group, life cases were presented with small group format; at the control group, lecturing and discussion was carried out. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control group with respect to their epistemological beliefs and attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject in favor of case-based learning method group. Thus, case base learning is helpful for development of students' epistemological beliefs and attitudes toward chemistry.

[Eccrine Porocarcinoma: clinical-pathological study of 19 cases in the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas, Lima - Peru].

PubMed

Casavilca, Sandro; Lama, Anny; Guerrero, Melvy; Essary, Lydia R; Mantilla, Raúl; Cano, Luis; Barrionuevo, Carlos

2013-07-01

In order to describe the clinical-pathological characteristics of the cases of Eccrine Porocarcinoma (EP) found in the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas (INEN), a cross-sectional study was carried out, including all EP cases recorded between 1998 and 2009. A revision of the clinical-pathological records indentified and a new reading of the pathology slides of the cases found were performed. 19 EP cases were found, the median age of which was 64 years (range: 37-98). EP was primarily found on male patients (57.9%) and was most commonly located on the foot (21.1%), followed by the head, thorax and thigh (15.8%, respectively). In one case, EP was located on the gluteal region, and showed an unusually invasive behavior and rectal involvement. We conclude that EP is a rather uncommon entity in Peru. Its most common location is on the foot and it affects mostly male patients for the most part.

[Vaginal colonization of group B Streptococcus: a study in 267 cases of factory women].

PubMed

Zhu, Y Z; Yang, Y H; Zhang, X L

1996-02-01

An epidemiologic study on vaginal colonization of group B streptococcus (GBS) from non-pregnancy women was carried out. Two hundred sixty seven female workers were studied. The carrier rate of GBS in vaginal specimens was 10.86%. Women aged 45 years old and above had more cases with genital tract GBS colonization. Women with vaginal colonization had more history of miscarriage and using IUD. We did not find the positive correlations between vaginal colonization and oral contraceptive, ovarian cyst, hysteromyoma in our study group. Women with gynecologic inflammation had more cases with vaginal GBS colonization. There is a significant increase for women with vaginitis and cervicitis. Serotyping study showed that types III and II were the most frequent GBS types isolated from the carriers. Antibiotic sensitivity test showed that more than half GBS strains were resistant to oxcillin and amikacin.

[STUDY OF SAFETY OF PAROTITIS VACCINE].

PubMed

Ignatiev, G M; Kulak, M V; Otrashevskaya, E V; Bukin, E K; Nesterov, A A E; Gorbunov, M A; Mikheev, V N

2015-01-01

Monitoring of post-vaccinal complications in children immunized with a parotitis vaccine. Observation of 198 945 children, immunized with 16 lots of parotitis vaccine with Leningrad-3 strain (L-3), was carried out for 3 years. Paired samples of sera and saliva were obtained from children, in whom adverse events were registered for 42 days after vaccination. Titers of specific IgM and IgG were determined in blood sera. Analysis of nucleotide sequences of genes F, SH and NH of RNA of parotitis virus was carried out from samples of blood and saliva. Intensive parameter of vaccine-associated aseptic meningitis under the conditions of the experiments was 0 for 100 000 immunized. Frequency of occurrence of post-vaccinal parotitis was 0.06% from the number of vaccinated--18 cases of vaccine-associated parotitis were registered and laboratory confirmed. A significant difference in specific activity was detected for 3 lots of the vaccine, that were associated with cases of development of parotitis, relative to that of 13 lots of vaccine, development of parotitis was not registered after administration of those. The study carried out confirmed low neurovirulence of the parotitis vaccine with the L-3 strain of parotitis virus, as well as a low degree of its reactogenicity. A relatively high immunization dose of the used vaccine could be one of the reasons of development of post-vaccinal complications in part of the immunized children.

Hawking radiation from a Reisner-Nordström domain wall

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenwood, Eric, E-mail: esg3@buffalo.edu

2010-01-01

We investigate the effect on the Hawking radiation given off during the time of collapse of a Reisner-Nordström domain wall. Using the functional Schrödinger formalism we are able to probe the time-dependent regime, which is out of the reach of the standard approximations like the Bogolyubov method. We calculate the occupation number of particles for a scalar field and complex scalar field. We demonstrate that the particles from the scalar field are unaffected by the charge of the Reisner-Nordström domain wall, as is expected since the scalar field doesn't carry any charge, which would couple to the charge of themore » Reisner-Nordström domain wall. Here the situation effectively reduces to the uncharged case, a spherically symmetric domain wall. To take the charge into account, we consider the complex scalar field which represents charged particles and anti-particles. Here investigate two different cases, first the non-extremal case and second the extremal case. In the non-extremal case we demonstrate that when the particle (anti-particle) carries charge opposite to that of the domain wall, the occupation number becomes suppressed during late times of the collapse. Therefore the dominate occupation number is when the particle (anti-particle) carries the same charge as the domain wall, as expected due to the Coulomb potential carried by the domain walls. In the extremal case we demonstrate that as time increases the temperature of the radiation decreases until when the domain wall reaches the horizon and the temperature then goes to zero. This is in agreement with the Hawking temperature for charged black holes.« less

[Clinical evaluation of propess for induction of term pregnancy].

PubMed

Gai, Ming-ying; Zhang, Jian-ping; Li, Yang; Han, Hong-jing; Yang, Jian-qiu; Wang, Shan-mi; Su, Qi-feng; Wu, Lian-fang

2003-04-01

To explore the efficacy and safety of continuously released prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) suppository-propess used for induction of term pregnancy. A multicenter, prospective, case control clinical study was carried out, propess was used in 100 cases as study group, the suppository without PGE(2) was used in 49 cases as control group. The cervical maturity (by Bishop scoring), the time to labor starting, membrane rupture and delivery, the application of oxytocin, ceserean section rate, fetal and neonatal condition were compared between 2 groups after inserting of the suppository. At the same time, side effects caused by propess were investigated. Bishop score was increased >or= 2 points in 93% cases, >or= 3 points in 87% cases in study group, whereas only 4% cases whose Bishop score increased >or= 2 points in control group. The time to labor starting, membrane rupture, and delivery was shortened obviously in study group than that in control group after inserting suppository. The application of oxytocin was much less in study group, cesarean section rate was reduced in study group (32% vs 61%). There was no significant difference between 2 groups in fetal and neonatal conditions. The overstimulation of uterine contraction and mild gastrointestinal tract reaction occurred in 3 cases and 2 cases respectively in study groups. Propess can be used for induction of term pregnancy effectively and safely.

Noun and verb differences in picture naming: past studies and new evidence.

PubMed

Mätzig, Simone; Druks, Judit; Masterson, Jackie; Vigliocco, Gabriella

2009-06-01

We re-examine the double dissociation view of noun-verb differences by critically reviewing past lesion studies reporting selective noun or verb deficits in picture naming, and reporting the results of a new picture naming study carried out with aphasic patients and comparison participants. Since there are theoretical arguments and empirical evidence that verb processing is more demanding than noun processing, in the review we distinguished between cases that presented with large and small differences between nouns and verbs. We argued that the latter cases may be accounted for in terms of greater difficulty in processing verbs than nouns. For the cases reporting large differences between nouns and verbs we assessed consistency in lesion localization and consistency in diagnostic classification. More variability both in terms of diagnostic category and lesion sites was found among the verb impaired than the noun impaired patients. In the experimental study, nine aphasic patients and nine age matched neurologically unimpaired individuals carried out a picture naming study that used a large set of materials matched for age of acquisition and in addition to accuracy measures, latencies were also recorded. Despite the patients' variable language deficits, diagnostic category and the matched materials, all patients performed faster and more accurately in naming the object than the action pictures. The comparison participants performed similarly. We also carried out a qualitative analysis of the errors patients made and showed that different types of errors were made in response to object and action pictures. We concluded that action naming places more and different demands on the language processor than object naming. The conclusions of the literature review and the results of the experimental study are discussed in relation to claims previous studies have made on the basis of the double dissociation found between nouns and verbs. We argue that these claims are only justified when it can be shown that the impairments to the two categories occur for the same underlying reason and that the differences between the two categories are large.

Piloting a programme tool to evaluate malaria case investigation and reactive case detection activities: results from 3 settings in the Asia Pacific.

PubMed

Cotter, Chris; Sudathip, Prayuth; Herdiana, Herdiana; Cao, Yuanyuan; Liu, Yaobao; Luo, Alex; Ranasinghe, Neil; Bennett, Adam; Cao, Jun; Gosling, Roly D

2017-08-22

Case investigation and reactive case detection (RACD) activities are widely-used in low transmission settings to determine the suspected origin of infection and identify and treat malaria infections nearby to the index patient household. Case investigation and RACD activities are time and resource intensive, include methodologies that vary across eliminating settings, and have no standardized metrics or tools available to monitor and evaluate them. In response to this gap, a simple programme tool was developed for monitoring and evaluating (M&E) RACD activities and piloted by national malaria programmes. During the development phase, four modules of the RACD M&E tool were created to assess and evaluate key case investigation and RACD activities and costs. A pilot phase was then carried out by programme implementers between 2013 and 2015, during which malaria surveillance teams in three different settings (China, Indonesia, Thailand) piloted the tool over a period of 3 months each. This study describes summary results of the pilots and feasibility and impact of the tool on programmes. All three study areas implemented the RACD M&E tool modules, and pilot users reported the tool and evaluation process were helpful to identify gaps in RACD programme activities. In the 45 health facilities evaluated, 71.8% (97/135; min 35.3-max 100.0%) of the proper notification and reporting forms and 20.0% (27/135; min 0.0-max 100.0%) of standard operating procedures (SOPs) were available to support malaria elimination activities. The tool highlighted gaps in reporting key data indicators on the completeness for malaria case reporting (98.8%; min 93.3-max 100.0%), case investigations (65.6%; min 61.8-max 78.4%) and RACD activities (70.0%; min 64.7-max 100.0%). Evaluation of the SOPs showed that knowledge and practices of malaria personnel varied within and between study areas. Average monthly costs for conducting case investigation and RACD activities showed variation between study areas (min USD $844.80-max USD $2038.00) for the malaria personnel, commodities, services and other costs required to carry out the activities. The RACD M&E tool was implemented in the three pilot areas, identifying key gaps that led to impacts on programme decision making. Study findings support the need for routine M&E of malaria case reporting, case investigation and RACD activities. Scale-up of the RACD M&E tool in malaria-eliminating settings will contribute to improved programme performance to the high level that is required to reach elimination.

Manual handling methods evaluation based on oxygen consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurmianto, E.; Ciptomulyono, U.; Suparno; Kromodihardjo, S.; Setijono, H.; Arief, N. A.

2018-04-01

Mining industry has become one of the largest industries in Indonesia, now competing in billions dollar market, with numbers people employed. Deliveries of a Return Rolls (RR) involve the use of a hand truck and, in many cases, a shoulder/elbow-mode of carriage. Workers usually prefer to the Gendong (carrying on the small of the back or the hip, supported by the waist and arm) mode or Manggul (carrying on some stuff shoulder) mode, because they feel safer by carrying RR on the shoulder/elbow. In this study, the physiological workload involved in shoulder/elbow-mode carrying was investigated, especially focusing on the effects of load weight and inclination. To measure heart rate and oxygen uptake while carrying on the shoulder/elbow, a laboratory experiment was conducted and safety guidelines for such tasks were proposed, based on the experimental results. Four healthy male subjects performed shoulder/elbow-mode carrying, weight between 20 and 24 kg: (1) on inclination of 10o, (2) 20o and (3) 30o. The results showed that inclination involved an increased physiological burden, and that a load of 24 kg entailed a significantly higher physiological cost than carrying a load of 20 kg. Although shoulder/elbow-mode carrying has some advantages, the worker should be advised to carry a load of less than 20 kg, to avoid a high physiological load. During shoulder/elbow-mode carrying, it is also recommended that a person prepare more training in order to have muscular strength.

Patterns of spontaneous reports on narcolepsy following administration of pandemic influenza vaccine; a case series of individual case safety reports in Eudravigilance.

PubMed

Gadroen, Kartini; Straus, Sabine M J M; Pacurariu, Alexandra; Weibel, Daniel; Kurz, Xavier; Sturkenboom, Miriam C J M

2016-09-22

This study aims to describe the frequency and quality of spontaneous narcolepsy case reports following administration of pandemic influenza vaccine as captured in the Eudravigilance database. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of spontaneous Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs), reporting narcolepsy following administration of pandemic influenza vaccine as received by Eudravigilance until July 2014. De-duplication was carried out by Eudravigilance. Frequency of reporting is described as number of ICSRs received per month over time. The quality of the ICSRs was evaluated by completeness of information and diagnostic certainty using the Automated Brighton Collaboration case definition tool (ABC-tool) for narcolepsy. After de-duplication, a total of 1333 ICSRs of narcolepsy and/or cataplexy following pandemic influenza vaccine were identified, originating from 18 countries worldwide. Most of the ICSRs (61.9%) originated from the signaling countries, Sweden and Finland. Although de-duplication of case reports was carried out, it is suspected that many duplicates exist, in particular from Sweden. The majority of the ICSRs (95.3%), reported exposure to Pandemrix®. Only few reports were received for Arepanrix® (1.6%) or Focetria® (0.5%), and Celvapan® (0.1%). Of those ICSRs reporting age, 73.1% concerned persons below age of 20years. When using the ABC-tool, all ICSRs were classified as having insufficient information to meet the Brighton Collaboration case definition of narcolepsy. An increase in reporting of narcolepsy appeared in Eudravigilance only after awareness was raised by the national authorities. Most narcolepsy reports were received from countries where the signal initially occurred, and were related to Pandemrix® in children/adolescents. Basic information about the patient and the exposure was present in most of the ICSRs. The ICSRs captured by Eudravigilance however, do not collect enough information to assess the diagnostic certainty according to the Brighton Collaboration case definition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation searching: a systematic review case study of multiple risk behaviour interventions

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The value of citation searches as part of the systematic review process is currently unknown. While the major guides to conducting systematic reviews state that citation searching should be carried out in addition to searching bibliographic databases there are still few studies in the literature that support this view. Rather than using a predefined search strategy to retrieve studies, citation searching uses known relevant papers to identify further papers. Methods We describe a case study about the effectiveness of using the citation sources Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and OVIDSP MEDLINE to identify records for inclusion in a systematic review. We used the 40 included studies identified by traditional database searches from one systematic review of interventions for multiple risk behaviours. We searched for each of the included studies in the four citation sources to retrieve the details of all papers that have cited these studies. We carried out two analyses; the first was to examine the overlap between the four citation sources to identify which citation tool was the most useful; the second was to investigate whether the citation searches identified any relevant records in addition to those retrieved by the original database searches. Results The highest number of citations was retrieved from Google Scholar (1680), followed by Scopus (1173), then Web of Science (1095) and lastly OVIDSP (213). To retrieve all the records identified by the citation tracking searching all four resources was required. Google Scholar identified the highest number of unique citations. The citation tracking identified 9 studies that met the review’s inclusion criteria. Eight of these had already been identified by the traditional databases searches and identified in the screening process while the ninth was not available in any of the databases when the original searches were carried out. It would, however, have been identified by two of the database search strategies if searches had been carried out later. Conclusions Based on the results from this investigation, citation searching as a supplementary search method for systematic reviews may not be the best use of valuable time and resources. It would be useful to verify these findings in other reviews. PMID:24893958

Factors Affecting Academic Resilience in Middle School Students: A Case Study (Factores que Afectan la Resiliencia Académica en Estudiantes de Bachillerato)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rojas Flórez, Luisa Fernanda

2015-01-01

This research was carried out with the purpose of identifying how and which risk and protective factors affect academic outcomes. The study explored how different family and individual environmental factors foster academic resilience. The exploratory study took place with a group of six students from a public school in Bogotá, Colombia. The school…

How Physics Teachers Approach Innovation: An Empirical Study for Reconstructing the Appropriation Path in the Case of Special Relativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Ambrosis, Anna; Levrini, Olivia

2010-01-01

This paper concerns an empirical study carried out with a group of high school physics teachers engaged in the Module on relativity of a Master course on the teaching of modern physics. The study is framed within the general research issue of how to promote innovation in school via teachers' education and how to foster fruitful interactions…

The Role of Conceptions of Value in Data Practices: A Multi-Case Study of Three Small Teams of Ecological Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akmon, Dharma R.

2014-01-01

This dissertation examines the role of conceptions of data's value in data practices. Based on a study of three small teams of scientists carrying out ecological research at a biological station, my study addresses the following main question: How do scientists conceive of the value of their data, and how do scientists enact conceptions of value…

Children's Use of Requests in Chinese (L1) and English (L2): A Case Study in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Li-feng

2010-01-01

Much research on requests has been carried out among L1 Chinese adults, L1 Chinese children, L1 children, L2 adults, and L2 children, but no studies to date have simultaneously examined Chinese children's requests in Chinese (L1) and English (L2). The aim of this study is to investigate how Taiwanese elementary school children vary requests…

Leukaemia and residence near electricity transmission equipment: a case-control study.

PubMed Central

Coleman, M. P.; Bell, C. M.; Taylor, H. L.; Primic-Zakelj, M.

1989-01-01

A population-based case-control study of leukaemia and residential proximity to electricity supply equipment has been carried out in south-east England. A total of 771 leukaemias was studied, matched for age, sex, year of diagnosis and district of residence to 1,432 controls registered with a solid tumour excluding lymphoma; 231 general population controls aged 18 and over from one part of the study area were also used. The potential for residential exposure to power frequency magnetic fields from power-lines and transformer substations was assessed indirectly from the distance, type and loading of the equipment near each subject's residence. Only 0.6% of subjects lived within 100 m of an overhead power-line, and the risk of leukaemia relative to cancer controls for residence within 100 m was 1.45 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-3.88); within 50 m the relative risk was 2.0 but with a wider confidence interval (95% CI 0.4-9.0). Over 40% of subjects lived within 100 m of a substation, for which the relative risk of leukaemia was 0.99. Residence within 25 m carried a risk of 1.3 (95% CI 0.8-2.0). Weighted exposure indices incorporating measures of the current load carried by the substations did not materially alter these risks estimates. For persons aged less than 18 the relative risk of leukaemia from residence within 50 m of a substation was higher than in adults (PR = 1.5, 95% CI 0.7-3.4). PMID:2486298

The use of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis in forensic medicine following incidents of sexual violence in Hamburg, Germany: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Ebert, Julia; Sperhake, Jan Peter; Degen, Olaf; Schröder, Ann Sophie

2018-05-18

In Hamburg, Germany, the initiation of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (HIV PEP) in cases of sexual violence is often carried out by forensic medical specialists (FMS) using the city's unique Hamburg Model. FMS-provided three-day HIV PEP starter packs include a combination of raltegravir and emtricitabine/tenofovir. This study aimed to investigate the practice of offering HIV PEP, reasons for discontinuing treatment, patient compliance, and whether or not potential perpetrators were tested for HIV. We conducted a retrospective study of forensic clinical examinations carried out by the Hamburg Department of Legal Medicine following incidents of sexual violence from 2009 to 2016. One thousand two hundred eighteen incidents of sexual violence were reviewed. In 18% of these cases, HIV PEP was initially prescribed by the FMS. HIV PEP indication depended on the examination occurring within 24 h after the incident, no/unknown condom use, the occurrence of ejaculation, the presence of any injury, and the perpetrator being from population at high risk for HIV. Half of the HIV PEP recipients returned for a reevaluation of the HIV PEP indication by an infectious disease specialist, and just 16% completed the full month of treatment. Only 131 potential perpetrators were tested for HIV, with one found to be HIV positive. No HIV seroconversion was registered among the study sample. Provision of HIV PEP by an FMS after sexual assault ensures appropriate and prompt care for victims. However, patient compliance and completion rates are low. HIV testing of perpetrators must be carried out much more rigorously.

In muscle lengthening surgery multiple aponeurotomy does not improve intended acute effects and may counter-indicate: an assessment by finite element modelling.

PubMed

Yucesoy, Can A; Seref-Ferlengez, Zeynep; Huijing, Peter A

2013-01-01

The goal was to assess the effects of multiple aponeurotomy on mechanics of muscle with extramuscular myofascial connections. Using finite element modelling, effects of combinations of the intervention carried out at a proximal (P), an intermediate (I) and a distal (D) location were studied: (1) Case P, (2) Case P-I, (3) Case P-D and (4) Case P-I-D. Compared to Case P, the effects of multiple interventions on muscle geometry and sarcomere lengths were sizable for the distal population of muscle fibres: e.g. at high muscle length (1) summed gap lengths between the cut ends of aponeurosis increased by 16, 25 and 27% for Cases P-I, P-D and P-I-D, respectively, (2) characteristic substantial sarcomere shortening became more pronounced (mean shortening was 26, 29, 30 and 31% for Cases P, P-I, P-D and P-I-D, respectively) and (3) fibre stresses decreased (mean stress equalled 0.49, 0.39, 0.38 and 0.33 for Cases P, P-I, P-D and P-I-D, respectively). In contrast, no appreciable effects were shown for the proximal population. The overall change in sarcomere length heterogeneity was limited. Consequently, the effects of multiple aponeurotomy on muscle length-force characteristics were marginal: (1) a limited reduction in active muscle force (maximal 'muscle weakening effect' remained between 5 and 11%) and (2) an even less pronounced change in slack to optimum length range of force exertion (maximal 'muscle lengthening effect' distally was 0.2% for Case P-I-D) were shown. The intended effects of the intervention were dominated by the one intervention carried out closer to the tendon suggesting that aponeurotomies done additionally to that may counter-indicated.

Work-related lesions of the supraspinatus tendon: a case-control study.

PubMed

Seidler, Andreas; Bolm-Audorff, Ulrich; Petereit-Haack, Gabriela; Ball, Elke; Klupp, Magdalena; Krauss, Noëlle; Elsner, Gine

2011-04-01

To examine the dose-response relationship between cumulative duration of work with highly elevated arms (work above shoulder level) as well as of manual material handling and ruptures of the supraspinatus tendon in a population-based case-control study. In 14 radiologic practices, we recruited 483 male patients aged 25-65 with radiographically confirmed partial (n = 385) or total (n = 98) supraspinatus tears associated with shoulder pain. A total of 300 male control subjects were recruited. Data were gathered in a structured personal interview. To calculate cumulative exposure, the self-reported duration of lifting/carrying of heavy loads (>20 kg) as well as the duration of work with highly elevated arms was added up over the entire working life. The results of our study support a dose-response relationship between cumulative duration of work with highly elevated arms and symptomatic supraspinatus tendon tears. For a cumulative duration of >3,195 h work above shoulder level, the risk of a supraspinatus tendon rupture is elevated to 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.5), adjusted for age, region, lifting/carrying of heavy loads, handheld vibration, apparatus gymnastics/shot put/javelin/hammer throwing/wrestling, and tennis. The cumulative duration of carrying/lifting of heavy loads also yields a positive dose-response relation with disease (independent from work above shoulder level and from handheld vibration), with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.8 (95% CI 1.0-3.2) in the highest exposure category (>77 h). We find an increased risk for subjects exposed to handheld vibration with an adjusted OR of 3.2 (95% CI 1.7-5.9) in the highest exposure category (16 years or more in the job with exposure), but a clear dose-response relationship is lacking. This study points to a potential etiologic role of long-term cumulative effects of work with highly elevated arms and heavy lifting/carrying on shoulder tendon disorders.

Modelling of carrying capacity in National Park - Fru\\vska Gora (Serbia) case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vujko, Aleksandra; Plavša, Jovan; Petrović, Marko D.; Radovanović, Milan; Gajić, Tamara

2017-03-01

Negative effects of tourism development in a destination are usually the consequence of the high concentration of tourists, accommodation facilities and the activities that are practiced in a relatively restricted area. One of the most important measures to protect the areas is to calculate the maximum number of tourists that can simultaneously reside in a region, i.e. the determination of the carrying capacity. This paper outlines a method for determining carrying capacity based on zoning of environmental resources and zoning within a region. The paper argues for a return to the idea of identifying maximum appropriate number of users. The main hypothesis of the paper is based on the statement that the development of tourism in Fru\\vska Gora (Mountain) National Park in Northern Serbia must be in accordance with the basic principles of sustainability, including the determination of carrying capacity. The main research goal was to show the opinion of local residents about the uncontrolled development of tourism, and to determine the carrying capacity in four sports and recreational zones of the mountain. The carrying capacity of the area is calculated by Lavery and Stanev formulas.

Numerical verification of two-component dental implant in the context of fatigue life for various load cases.

PubMed

Szajek, Krzysztof; Wierszycki, Marcin

2016-01-01

Dental implant designing is a complex process which considers many limitations both biological and mechanical in nature. In earlier studies, a complete procedure for improvement of two-component dental implant was proposed. However, the optimization tasks carried out required assumption on representative load case, which raised doubts on optimality for the other load cases. This paper deals with verification of the optimal design in context of fatigue life and its main goal is to answer the question if the assumed load scenario (solely horizontal occlusal load) leads to the design which is also "safe" for oblique occlussal loads regardless the angle from an implant axis. The verification is carried out with series of finite element analyses for wide spectrum of physiologically justified loads. The design of experiment methodology with full factorial technique is utilized. All computations are done in Abaqus suite. The maximal Mises stress and normalized effective stress amplitude for various load cases are discussed and compared with the assumed "safe" limit (equivalent of fatigue life for 5e6 cycles). The obtained results proof that coronial-appical load component should be taken into consideration in the two component dental implant when fatigue life is optimized. However, its influence in the analyzed case is small and does not change the fact that the fatigue life improvement is observed for all components within whole range of analyzed loads.

Imported Zika Virus in a European City: How to Prevent Local Transmission?

PubMed

Millet, Joan-Pau; Montalvo, Tomàs; Bueno-Marí, Ruben; Romero-Tamarit, Arancha; Prats-Uribe, Albert; Fernández, Lidia; Camprubí, Esteve; Del Baño, Lucía; Peracho, Victor; Figuerola, Jordi; Sulleiro, Elena; Martínez, Miguel J; Caylà, Joan A

2017-01-01

Background: On February 1st 2016 the WHO declared the Zika Virus (ZIKV) infection a worldwide public health emergency because of its rapid expansion and severe complications, such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome or microcephaly in newborn. The huge amount of people traveling to endemic areas and the presence of Aedes albopictus in Barcelona increase the risk of autochtonous transmission. The objective of this study was to describe the first ZIKV cases diagnosed in our city and to analyze the surveillance, prevention, and control measures implemented to avoid autochthonous transmission. Methods: An observational cross-sectional population-based study in Barcelona, Spain was performed.An analysis of the socio-demographic, epidemiological, clinical characteristics, and mosquito control activities of the ZIKV cases detected between January 1st and December 2016 was carried out using a specific ZIKV epidemiological survey of the Barcelona Public Health Agency. Results: A total of 118 notifications of possible ZIKV infections were received, and 44 corresponded to confirmed cases in Barcelona residents.Amongst these, the median age was 35 years and 57% were women. All cases were imported, 48% were Spanish-born and 52% foreign-born. Dominican Republic was the most visited country amongst foreign-born patients and Nicaragua amongst Spanish-born. The most frequent symptoms were exanthema, fever, and arthralgia. Among the 24 diagnosed women, 6 (25%) were pregnant. There was one case of microcephaly outside Barcelona city. Entomological inspections were done at the homes of 19 cases (43.2% of the total) and in 34 (77.3%) public spaces. Vector activity was found in one case of the 44 confirmed cases, and 134 surveillance and vector control were carried out associated to imported ZIKV cases. In all cases prevention measures were recommended to avoid mosquito bites on infected cases. Conclusion: Epidemiological and entomological surveillance are essential for the prevention of autochthonous transmission of arbovirosis that may have a great impact on Public Health.The good coordination between epidemiologists, entomologists, microbiologists, and clinicians is a priority in a touristic city with an intense relationship with endemic countries to minimize the risk of local transmission by competent vectors.

Imported Zika Virus in a European City: How to Prevent Local Transmission?

PubMed Central

Millet, Joan-Pau; Montalvo, Tomàs; Bueno-Marí, Ruben; Romero-Tamarit, Arancha; Prats-Uribe, Albert; Fernández, Lidia; Camprubí, Esteve; del Baño, Lucía; Peracho, Victor; Figuerola, Jordi; Sulleiro, Elena; Martínez, Miguel J.; Caylà, Joan A.; Álamo-Junquera, Dolores

2017-01-01

Background: On February 1st 2016 the WHO declared the Zika Virus (ZIKV) infection a worldwide public health emergency because of its rapid expansion and severe complications, such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome or microcephaly in newborn. The huge amount of people traveling to endemic areas and the presence of Aedes albopictus in Barcelona increase the risk of autochtonous transmission. The objective of this study was to describe the first ZIKV cases diagnosed in our city and to analyze the surveillance, prevention, and control measures implemented to avoid autochthonous transmission. Methods: An observational cross-sectional population-based study in Barcelona, Spain was performed.An analysis of the socio-demographic, epidemiological, clinical characteristics, and mosquito control activities of the ZIKV cases detected between January 1st and December 2016 was carried out using a specific ZIKV epidemiological survey of the Barcelona Public Health Agency. Results: A total of 118 notifications of possible ZIKV infections were received, and 44 corresponded to confirmed cases in Barcelona residents.Amongst these, the median age was 35 years and 57% were women. All cases were imported, 48% were Spanish-born and 52% foreign-born. Dominican Republic was the most visited country amongst foreign-born patients and Nicaragua amongst Spanish-born. The most frequent symptoms were exanthema, fever, and arthralgia. Among the 24 diagnosed women, 6 (25%) were pregnant. There was one case of microcephaly outside Barcelona city. Entomological inspections were done at the homes of 19 cases (43.2% of the total) and in 34 (77.3%) public spaces. Vector activity was found in one case of the 44 confirmed cases, and 134 surveillance and vector control were carried out associated to imported ZIKV cases. In all cases prevention measures were recommended to avoid mosquito bites on infected cases. Conclusion: Epidemiological and entomological surveillance are essential for the prevention of autochthonous transmission of arbovirosis that may have a great impact on Public Health.The good coordination between epidemiologists, entomologists, microbiologists, and clinicians is a priority in a touristic city with an intense relationship with endemic countries to minimize the risk of local transmission by competent vectors. PMID:28769893

[Epidemiological profile of 290 cases of human cystic echinococcosis diagnosed in the Mustapha University Hospital (Algiers) from 2006 to 2011].

PubMed

Zait, H; Achir, I; Guerchani, M K; Hamrioui, B

2013-10-01

This study reports a series of 290 cases of hydatidosis confirmed by the surgery and/or the imagery with a positive immuno-diagnosis collected between 1st January 2006 and 31 March 2011 at parasitology-mycology laboratory of hospital university center of Mustapha of Algiers. Our aim is to specify, through the listed cases, the epidemiological aspects of this affection and compared with those obtained in two previous Algerian epidemiological investigations carried out, between 1963-1964 and 1966-1975. It is a retrospective (2006-2008) and prospective (2008-2011) study. The parasitological diagnosis was carried out by the direct macroscopic and/or microscopic identification of the parasite and indirect diagnosis based on four techniques: passive hemagglutination, Elisa IgG "Echinococcus granulosus", Western Blot IgG "Echinococcus" and electrophoresis. The study shows that this affection is still prerogative of the young adult. It bring out also in this study that the child of school age (ten years), in particular the boy, pays a heavy tribute. At the child, the preferential pulmonary seat of the hydatic disease is not devoid of risk. At adult, this parasitic disease mainly affect the active woman. Generally, the epidemiological and clinical characteristics join the endemic countries data and confirmed the row of our country among them. The transmission seems as strong as in the past, in spite of a much better social educational level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Error propagation in energetic carrying capacity models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearse, Aaron T.; Stafford, Joshua D.

2014-01-01

Conservation objectives derived from carrying capacity models have been used to inform management of landscapes for wildlife populations. Energetic carrying capacity models are particularly useful in conservation planning for wildlife; these models use estimates of food abundance and energetic requirements of wildlife to target conservation actions. We provide a general method for incorporating a foraging threshold (i.e., density of food at which foraging becomes unprofitable) when estimating food availability with energetic carrying capacity models. We use a hypothetical example to describe how past methods for adjustment of foraging thresholds biased results of energetic carrying capacity models in certain instances. Adjusting foraging thresholds at the patch level of the species of interest provides results consistent with ecological foraging theory. Presentation of two case studies suggest variation in bias which, in certain instances, created large errors in conservation objectives and may have led to inefficient allocation of limited resources. Our results also illustrate how small errors or biases in application of input parameters, when extrapolated to large spatial extents, propagate errors in conservation planning and can have negative implications for target populations.

A critical analysis of user satisfaction surveys in addiction services: opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case study

PubMed Central

Trujols, Joan; Iraurgi, Ioseba; Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia; Guàrdia-Olmos, Joan

2014-01-01

Background Satisfaction with services represents a key component of the user’s perspective, and user satisfaction surveys are the most commonly used approach to evaluate the aforementioned perspective. The aim of this discursive paper is to provide a critical overview of user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, with a particular focus on opioid maintenance treatment as a representative case. Methods We carried out a selective critical review and analysis of the literature on user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services. Results Most studies that have reported results of satisfaction surveys have found that the great majority of users (virtually all, in many cases) are highly satisfied with the services received. However, when these results are compared to the findings of studies that use different methodologies to explore the patient’s perspective, the results are not as consistent as might be expected. It is not uncommon to find that “highly satisfied” patients report significant problems when mixed-methods studies are conducted. To understand this apparent contradiction, we explored two distinct (though not mutually exclusive) lines of reasoning, one of which concerns conceptual aspects and the other, methodological questions. Conclusion User satisfaction surveys, as currently designed and carried out in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, do not significantly help to improve service quality. Therefore, most of the enthusiasm and naiveté with which satisfaction surveys are currently performed and interpreted – and rarely acted on in the case of nonoptimal results – should be avoided. A truly participatory approach to program evaluation is urgently needed to reshape and transform patient satisfaction surveys. PMID:24482571

Emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST273 Carrying blaNDM-7 and ST656 Carrying blaNDM-1 in Manila, Philippines.

PubMed

Chou, Andrew; Roa, Marylette; Evangelista, Michael A; Sulit, Arielle Kae; Lagamayo, Evelina; Torres, Brian C; Klinzing, David C; Daroy, Maria Luisa G; Navoa-Ng, Josephine; Sucgang, Richard; Zechiedrich, Lynn

2016-10-01

We sought to determine the epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and to investigate the emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in two teaching hospitals in Manila, Philippines. We screened 364 Enterobacteriaceae for carbapenem resistance between 2012 and 2013 and detected four carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates from three different patients. We used whole genome sequencing to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles and confirmed the presence of carbapenemase genes by multiplex PCR. We used multilocus sequence typing and PCR-based replicon typing to genetically characterize the carbapenem-resistant isolates. The carbapenemase gene bla NDM was detected in K. pneumoniae isolates from two patients. The first patient had ventilator-associated pneumonia and lumbar shunt infection from K. pneumoniae ST273 carrying bla NDM-7 . The second patient had asymptomatic genitourinary colonization with K. pneumoniae ST656 carrying bla NDM-1 . The third patient had a gluteal abscess with K. pneumoniae ST1 that did not carry a carbapenemase gene, but did carry bla DHA-1 , bla OXA-1 , and bla SHV-1 . In this study, we report the first cases of bla NDM -carrying pathogens in the Philippines and add to the growing evidence of the worldwide spread of ST273 and NDM-7, a more efficient carbapenem hydrolyzer than NDM-1.

Comparison between Seed and Foliar Treatment as a Tool in Integrated Pest Management.

PubMed

Matyjaszczyk, Ewa

2017-08-02

A study into doses of seed treatments and foliar plant protection products containing an identical active substance registered to control the same pest in the same crops was carried out in the European Union. The results show that, for fungicides, the use of seed treatment is often connected with a significantly lower release of active substance per hectare when compared to foliar treatments. In 11 of 13 cases, the difference was 8-fold or higher. For insecticides, in most of the cases, the consumption of an active substance was several times higher for seed treatment, in one case for foliar application.

Optimal growth trajectories with finite carrying capacity.

PubMed

Caravelli, F; Sindoni, L; Caccioli, F; Ududec, C

2016-08-01

We consider the problem of finding optimal strategies that maximize the average growth rate of multiplicative stochastic processes. For a geometric Brownian motion, the problem is solved through the so-called Kelly criterion, according to which the optimal growth rate is achieved by investing a constant given fraction of resources at any step of the dynamics. We generalize these finding to the case of dynamical equations with finite carrying capacity, which can find applications in biology, mathematical ecology, and finance. We formulate the problem in terms of a stochastic process with multiplicative noise and a nonlinear drift term that is determined by the specific functional form of carrying capacity. We solve the stochastic equation for two classes of carrying capacity functions (power laws and logarithmic), and in both cases we compute the optimal trajectories of the control parameter. We further test the validity of our analytical results using numerical simulations.

Effects of an external circuit on a MHD slider bearing with couplestress fluid between conducting plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasneem Fathima, Syeda; Jamal, Salma; Hanumagowda, B. N.

2018-04-01

A MHD Slider bearing lubricated with conducting couplestress fluid (CCSF) between two electrical conducting plates under the influence of magnetic field in free space is theoretically investigated. A closed form solution for the film pressure and load carrying capacity is obtained analytically in terms of inlet-outlet (IO) film height ratio of slider bearings. The results are presented graphically for different values of operating parameters. The results suggest that the bearings with couplestress fluid as lubricant provide significant load carrying capacity than Newtonian lubricant case. Further, it is observed that the influence of applied magnetic field and induced magnetic field is to increase the load carrying capacity substantially while, the load decreases with increase in IO film ratio. Besides, the conductivity increases the load carrying capacity significantly. The results are compared with the Newtonian Fluid case.

Optimal growth trajectories with finite carrying capacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caravelli, F.; Sindoni, L.; Caccioli, F.; Ududec, C.

2016-08-01

We consider the problem of finding optimal strategies that maximize the average growth rate of multiplicative stochastic processes. For a geometric Brownian motion, the problem is solved through the so-called Kelly criterion, according to which the optimal growth rate is achieved by investing a constant given fraction of resources at any step of the dynamics. We generalize these finding to the case of dynamical equations with finite carrying capacity, which can find applications in biology, mathematical ecology, and finance. We formulate the problem in terms of a stochastic process with multiplicative noise and a nonlinear drift term that is determined by the specific functional form of carrying capacity. We solve the stochastic equation for two classes of carrying capacity functions (power laws and logarithmic), and in both cases we compute the optimal trajectories of the control parameter. We further test the validity of our analytical results using numerical simulations.

Knowledge and power necessary to reconstruct nursing after management changes at a teaching hospital.

PubMed

Bernardino, Elizabeth; Felli, Vanda Elisa Andres

2008-01-01

This study was carried out at a teaching hospital in Southern Brazil, which adopted a management model that provoked the dismantling of the nursing service and the disbandment of nursing professionals. Its general goal was to promote changes that would be implemented in the re-organization of nursing work. It is a case study with a historical-dialectic approach, whose data were collected in March and April 2005 through the focal group technique. The study subjects were eight nurses, two technicians and two nursing auxiliaries. Data were analyzed through thematic content analysis. Results evidenced that the greatest challenges nursing faced at this hospital were: to construct a new identity, carry out teamwork while maintaining its professional identity, acquire visibility in the institution, change care and expand management.

Virtual synthesis of crystals using ab initio MD: Case study on LiFePO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S. B.; Nanda, B. R. K.

2017-05-01

Molecular dynamics simulation technique is fairly successful in studying the structural aspects and dynamics of fluids. Here we study the ability of ab initio molecular dynamics (ab initio MD) to carry out virtual experiments to synthesize new crystalline materials and to predict their structures. For this purpose the olivine phosphate LiFePO4 (LFPO) is used as an example. As transition metal oxides in general are stabilized with layered geometry, we carried out ab initio MD simulations over a hypothetical layered configuration consisting of alternate LiPO2 and FeO2 layers. With intermittent steps of electron minimization, the resulted equilibrium lattice consist of PO4 tetrahedra and distorted Fe-O complexes similar to the one observed in the experimental lattice.

Using surveys as input to comprehensive watershed management: a case study from Minnesota.

Treesearch

Tim Kelly; Ron Sushak

1996-01-01

As a compliment to direct citizen participation, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources used a survey of area landowners to help inform its comprehensive watershed management initiative. Results from the survey have been useful to resource managers and area residents as they carry out this planning effort.

Every Teacher Carries a Leadership Wand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tubin, Dorit

2017-01-01

Turnaround schools require empowered teachers to discover their leadership wand. Based on a case study conducted on BART Charter School, this article highlights five steps for leaders who wish to empower their teachers and allow them to lead their schools to success: (1) Let your people know; (2) Nominate the fittest, (3) Connect teachers to a…

Academic Capitalism in Student Affairs Organizations: Examining the Business of Student Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carducci, Rozana

2010-01-01

This multiple institution case study examines the nature and scope of market(like) behaviors carried out within three student affairs organizations situated in distinct higher education institutional types: a public research university, a public master's university, and a small, private liberal arts residential college. Data was collected via the…

Driving Change: The Role of "Emotional Connectedness"--A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lacoste, Sylvie M.; Dekker, Janet

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand which change process the supplying organization should define for its customer-facing organization in order to successfully increase customer orientation and to be on the short list of their customers' key suppliers. Design/methodology/approach: Action research was used to carry out this…

Enquiry-Based Learning and Formative Assessment Environments: Student Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sambell, Kay

2010-01-01

This paper outlines case study research into first-year students' experiences of enquiry-based learning (EBL) on a year-long introductory theory module. Students were supported to carry out a series of authentic small-scale enquiries involving: (1) working in research teams; (2) gathering, disseminating and analysing data from the field; (3)…

Challenges in Texas Bond Elections: How Politricks Can Influence Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calvin, Chris; Henschel, Nancy; Tunstall, Kevin

2016-01-01

This position piece draws from experiences garnered during a case study near Houston, TX using the collaborative action research methodology (Sagor, 2000). In a fairly large Texas school district (63,000 school age students), carrying significant debt, some of the ethical and political issues come to ahead. Suggestions to address the crisis are…

Organizational Mechanisms and Practice of Innovative Talents Cultivation in Local Colleges--A Case Study of Hubei University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Xin; Wan, Hong; Yang, Dejin; Shen, Xi

2018-01-01

The organizational mechanisms of innovative talents cultivation in Hubei University are as follows. Firstly, make top-level design on organizational administration such as improving the organization structure, setting up a committee of teaching instruction, establishing the mechanism of coordinative cultivation. Secondly, carry out a series of…

Research Experiences of Staff within a Specialist UK Higher Education Institution: Challenges, Opportunities and Priorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmings, Brian; Hill, Doug; Sharp, John

2013-01-01

The study discussed here was based on a collective case approach involving a specialist UK higher education institution. Six individual interviews were carried out with a cross-sectional sample of the institution's staff members. Additional information was gained through observations and examination of relevant documents. These data were…

Improving Work Processes by Making the Invisible Visible

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakker, Arthur; Hoyles, Celia; Kent, Phillip; Noss, Richard

2006-01-01

Increasingly, companies are taking part in process improvement programmes, which brings about a growing need for employees to interpret and act on data representations. We have carried out case studies in a range of companies to identify the existence and need of what we call "techno-mathematical literacies" (TmL): functional mathematical…

Strategies for School Environmental Management in Nigerian Secondary Schools: A Case of Calabar, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obong, Linus Beba; Okey, Stella-Maris; Aniah, E. J.; Okaba, Lydia A.

2010-01-01

This paper on strategies for school environmental management in Nigerian secondary schools was carried out in Calabar, Nigeria. To guide the study three research questions were formulated. This was achieved through administration of structured questionnaires in three randomly sampled schools. Findings show regular grass clearing, sweeping of the…

An Economic Course for Elementary School Teachers. Second Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovell, Hugh; Harter, Charlotte

This handbook is intended to help economic educators develop teacher training courses for demonstrating to classroom teachers how to teach economics to children, grades 1-9. Teachers enrolled in the course carry out their own pupil activities which teach economic ideas. These activities include problem solving, case studies, skits, making posters,…

Functional Amnesia: Clinical Description and Neuropsychological Profile of 10 Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kritchevsky, Mark; Chang, Judy; Squire, Larry R.

2004-01-01

We carried out the first neuropsychological study of a series of patients with functional amnesia. We evaluated 10 patients, first with a neurological examination and then with three tests of anterograde amnesia and four tests of retrograde amnesia. Excluding one patient who later admitted to malingering, all patients had a significant premorbid…

Library Subject Guides: A Case Study of Evidence-Informed Library Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wakeham, Maurice; Roberts, Angharad; Shelley, Jane; Wells, Paul

2012-01-01

This paper describes the process whereby a university library investigated the value of its subject guides to its users. A literature review and surveys of library staff, library users and other libraries were carried out. Existing library subject guides and those of other higher education libraries were evaluated. The project team reported…

Development of Chemical Engineering Course Methods Using Action Research: Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virkki-Hatakka, Terhi; Tuunila, Ritva; Nurkka, Niina

2013-01-01

This paper reports on the systematic development of a teaching methodology for two chemical engineering courses. The aim was to improve the quality of teaching to achieve expected learning outcomes more effectively. The development was carried out over a period of several years based on an action research methodology with data systematically…

Students' Approaches to Open-Ended Science Investigation: The Importance of Substantive and Procedural Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Ros; Gott, Richard; Glaesser, Judith

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the respective roles of substantive and procedural understanding with regard to students' ability to carry out an open-ended science investigation. The research is a case study centred on an intervention in which undergraduate initial teacher training students are taught the basic building blocks of procedural…

Embedded Managers in Informal Learning Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raisin, Victoria; Fennewald, Joseph

2016-01-01

Many universities have decided to invest in updating their informal learning spaces. One decision to be made in planning the space is how to staff it. The researchers carried out a qualitative case study to better understand the perspective of learning space managers who work in offices within their assigned space. The research generated six…

School Students' Learning from Their Paid and Unpaid Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Erica; Green, Annette

A project carried out in New South Wales and South Australia examined ways in which Year 10, 11, and 12 students experience workplaces. A questionnaire administered to students in 13 schools received 1,451 responses. Case studies in five schools included interviews and focus groups with students and teachers. Interviews and focus groups with…

Learning and Propensity for Changing the Job Situation during Downsizing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gustavsson, Maria

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate individuals' learning and propensity for changing their job situation during downsizing in a company. Design/methodology/approach: A case study was carried out in an industrial company that had undergone major downsizing to adapt to changes in production. Approximately 100 employees retrained at…

Mapping the Linguistic Landscape of Athens: The Case of Shop Signs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolaou, Alexander

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the linguistic composition of commercial signs in the linguistic landscape (LL) of Athens, Greece. Previous studies have mainly been carried out in officially multilingual and multi-ethnic areas [Ben-Rafael, E., Shohamy, E., Amara, M. H., & Trumper-Hecht, N. (2006). "Linguistic landscape as symbolic construction of…

eCoaching: The Effects on Co-Teachers' Planning and Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ploessl, Donna M.; Rock, Marcia L.

2014-01-01

Although co-teaching has become a popular approach to special education service provision in inclusive classrooms, practitioners have struggled to carry it out well. One suggestion for improvement has been to provide co-teachers with training that includes coaching. In this study, we used single-case (ABAB) withdrawal design, to investigate the…

Oil, Floods, and Fish: The Social Role of Environmental Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesen, Amy E.

2012-01-01

The environmental and social effects of hurricane-related flooding and the recent oil disaster in southeastern Louisiana, and the current global crisis in world fisheries, are case studies that reveal the need for scientific work that is carried out and disseminated with conscious attention paid to the important relationship between scientists,…

Non-Timber Forest Products' Marketing in Nigeria. A Case Study of Osun State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aiyeloja, Adedapo Ayo; Ajewole, Opeyemi Isaac

2006-01-01

Research on markets and marketing of some non-timber forest products (NTFPs) was carried out in selected locations of Osun State. The NTFPs considered are chewing sticks such as "Massularia acuminata" and bush meat like "Thryonomys swinderianus", representing both the flora and fauna aspects of NTFPs, respectively. Five Local…

The Importance of Training in Operationalising HR Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Sue; McCracken, Martin

2005-01-01

Purpose: To understand how line managers make decisions about employee requests for time off at short notice and to consider the consequences for management training. Design/methodology/approach: Based on evidence from case studies carried out in four financial sector companies in Scotland, this paper illustrates a model of line manager decision…

Ethnic Variation in Service Utilisation among Children with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dura-Vila, G.; Hodes, M.

2009-01-01

Background: This study examined whether service utilisation among children with intellectual disability (ID) varied by ethnic cultural group. Method: Survey carried out in four special schools in London. Information was provided by school teachers using case files, and 242 children aged 7 to 17 years with mild and moderate ID were identified.…

Evaluating Automatic Speech Recognition-Based Language Learning Systems: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Doremalen, Joost; Boves, Lou; Colpaert, Jozef; Cucchiarini, Catia; Strik, Helmer

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a prototype of an automatic speech recognition (ASR)-based language learning system that provides feedback on different aspects of speaking performance (pronunciation, morphology and syntax) to students of Dutch as a second language. We carried out usability reviews, expert reviews and user tests to…

Multiple choice answers: what to do when you have too many questions.

PubMed

Jupiter, Daniel C

2015-01-01

Carrying out too many statistical tests in a single study throws results into doubt, for reasons statistical and ethical. I discuss why this is the case and briefly mention ways to handle the problem. Copyright © 2015 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Action Research and Teacher Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeets, Karel; Ponte, Petra

2009-01-01

The present article reports on a case study into the influence and impact of action research carried out by teachers in a special school. The action research was an important component of the two-year, post-initial, in-service course in special educational needs, provided by Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Department of Inclusive and…

High-order harmonic generation from a two-dimensional band structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Jian-Zhao; Xiao, Xiang-Ru; Liang, Hao; Wang, Mu-Xue; Chen, Si-Ge; Gong, Qihuang; Peng, Liang-You

2018-04-01

In the past few years, harmonic generation in solids has attracted tremendous attention. Recently, some experiments of two-dimensional (2D) monolayer or few-layer materials have been carried out. These studies demonstrated that harmonic generation in the 2D case shows a strong dependence on the laser's orientation and ellipticity, which calls for a quantitative theoretical interpretation. In this work, we carry out a systematic study on the harmonic generation from a 2D band structure based on a numerical solution to the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. By comparing with the 1D case, we find that the generation dynamics can have a significant difference due to the existence of many crossing points in the 2D band structure. In particular, the higher conduction bands can be excited step by step via these crossing points and the total contribution of the harmonic is given by the mixing of transitions between different clusters of conduction bands to the valence band. We also present the orientation dependence of the harmonic yield on the laser polarization direction.

Thirty Years of Music and Drama Education in the Madeira Island: Facing Future Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mota, Graça; Abreu, Liliana

2014-01-01

In this paper we give an overview of relevant findings of a three years long case study that was carried out in the Madeira Island, Portugal. It addresses a thirty years old project in music and drama education in primary schools, which involves all children within the school curriculum, but also in extra-curriculum activities. The study used…

Mental and Motor Growth Patterns and Growth Velocity of Indian Babies. (Longitudinal Growth of Indian Children). Research Report No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phatak, Pramila; And Others

This study reports various aspects of the analyses carried out on the longitudinal data reported in a previous study (PS 007 345) for determining the general growth patterns and growth velocity of mental and motor development. Preliminary analyses focused on the selection of the growth curve, its evaluation in the 208 individual cases, and the…

Student Achievement Outcomes of Immigrants and English Language Learners in an Urban Classroom: A Case Study of Great Strides and Hope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Benedict Lazarus

2017-01-01

This study entailed understanding how urban teachers supported a population of immigrant students (from non-English speaking countries) and English Language Leaners (ELLs) as well as how teachers made sense of and carried out instruction for this group of students in an urban classroom. The author's ultimate goal as a teacher educator was to…

A Case Study of Peer Review Practices of Four Adolescent English Language Learners in Face-to-Face and Online Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorobel, Oksana

2013-01-01

Peer review is a complex collaborative activity, which may engage English language learners in reading, writing, listening, and speaking and carry many potential benefits for their language learning (Hu, 2005). While many research studies focused on peer review practices of adult language learners in academic settings in the USA or abroad in…

Technical Training in the MNCs in Malaysia: A Case Study Analysis of the Petrochemical Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooi, Lai Wan

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to gain insight into some of the types of training and development practices that are carried out in the chemical industry for technical workers. A salient focus of the study is to make a comparative analysis of four MNCs, which were selected based on equity ownership, to ascertain whether T&D practices are…

Creation of Audiovisual Presentations as a Tool to Develop Key Competences in Secondary-School Students. A Case Study in Science Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezquerra, Ángel; Manso, Javier; Burgos, Mª Esther; Hallabrin, Carla

2014-01-01

New curricular plans based on key competences create the need for new educational proposals that allow their development. This article describes a proposal to develop key competences through project-based learning. The project's objective is the creation of a digital video. The following study was carried out with students in their final two years…

A Case Study Using Principal-Agent Theory to Explore How a Public, Four Year University Interacts with a System Office

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macias, Anaraquel

2012-01-01

The focus of this research was to examine the funding relationship between a single public institution of higher education and its accompanying system office. Such a study is important in order to obtain insight into the relationship between a System Office and an institution, and thus how institutions carry out their fiscal responsibilities, not…

Examination of 2015 Human Development Index in Terms of Education: Comparison of the Continents and Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nartgün, Senay Sezgin; Sezen-Gültekin, Gözde; Limon, Ibrahim

2017-01-01

This study aims to compare Turkey to the first three countries from each continent in terms of educational indicators in 2015 Human Development Report. In line with this aim, it is a case study utilizing document review method. Analysis of the data has been carried out on a single document which is United Nations Development Report (2015). To…

Research in the Rehabilitation Unit Presents Challenges to Nurse Researchers.

PubMed

Rose, Mary Ann; Neil, Janice A; Castles, Ricky; Pokorny, Marie; Watkins, Frank; Hand, Mark

Gathering data from patients on a rehabilitation unit poses challenges for nurse researchers. A case study is presented that describes ways the researchers attempted to meet these challenges while conducting their study. The case study presents the approaches that the investigators took to undertake the study and then described the ways in which these approaches could have been improved. Their successes and failures are described. Suggestions are made for future investigators. Clinical nursing research is required to develop an evidence base for practice in the rehabilitation unit. An analysis of the challenges and possible methods of overcoming these challenges is useful to both future investigators and nurses in practice to insure that studies can be carried out effectively.

Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies New Host Genomic Susceptibility Factors in Empyema Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in Children: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Salas, Antonio; Pardo-Seco, Jacobo; Barral-Arca, Ruth; Cebey-López, Miriam; Gómez-Carballa, Alberto; Rivero-Calle, Irene; Pischedda, Sara; Currás-Tuala, María-José; Amigo, Jorge; Gómez-Rial, José; Martinón-Torres, Federico

2018-05-03

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death amongst infectious diseases. Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for about 25% of pneumonia cases worldwide, and it is a major cause of childhood mortality. We carried out a whole exome sequencing (WES) study in eight patients with complicated cases of pneumococcal pneumonia (empyema). An initial assessment of statistical association of WES variation with pneumonia was carried out using data from the 1000 Genomes Project (1000G) for the Iberian Peninsula (IBS) as reference controls. Pseudo-replication statistical analyses were carried out using different European control groups. Association tests pointed to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs201967957 (gene MEIS1 ; chromosome 2; p -value IBS = 3.71 × 10 -13 ) and rs576099063 (gene TSPAN15 ; chromosome 10; p -value IBS = 2.36 × 10 -8 ) as the best candidate variants associated to pneumococcal pneumonia. A burden gene test of pathogenicity signaled four genes, namely, OR9G9 , MUC6 , MUC3A and APOB , which carry significantly increased pathogenic variation when compared to controls. By analyzing various transcriptomic data repositories, we found strong supportive evidence for the role of MEIS1, TSPAN15 and APOBR (encoding the receptor of the APOB protein) in pneumonia in mouse and human models. Furthermore, the association of the olfactory receptor gene OR9G9 has recently been related to some viral infectious diseases, while the role of mucin genes ( MUC6 and MUC3A ), encoding mucin glycoproteins, are well-known factors related to chronic obstructive airway disease. WES emerges as a promising technique to disentangle the genetic basis of host genome susceptibility to infectious respiratory diseases.

Grade-specific prostate cancer associations of IGF1 (CA)19 repeats and IGFBP3-202A/C in blacks and whites.

PubMed

Hoyo, Cathrine; Grubber, Janet; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Marks, Jeffrey R; Freedland, Stephen J; Jeffreys, Amy S; Grambow, Steven C; Wenham, Robert M; Walther, Philip J; Schildkraut, Joellen M

2007-07-01

Carrying the cytosine-adenosine (CA)19 repeat polymorphism in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) is associated with lower serum proteins and decreased prostate cancer risk. Carrying the -202A/C genotype in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) also has been associated with lower serum levels of the binding protein. However, the association between this variant and prostate cancer is inconsistent. To test the hypothesis that inconsistencies are partly due to cancer grade-specific differences in strength and direction of associations, we reanalyzed data from our previous Durham Veterans Administration Hospital study of blacks and whites comprising 47 cases (19 African Americans) with Gleason sum > or = 7, 50 cases (30 African Americans) with Gleason sum < 7 and 93 controls (49 African Americans). Compared to controls, the association between carrying the IGFBP3 C allele and prostate cancer risk was in OR(Low-Gleason) = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.4-12.3 compared to OR(High-Gleason) = 1.0; 95% CI: 0.4-2.2. Association patterns were similar in African Americans (OR(Low-Gleason) = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.0-13.2 vs. OR(High-Gleason) = 1.4; 95% CI: 0.4-2.3) and whites (OR(Low-Gleason) = 5.6; 95% CI: 0.6-49.0 vs. OR(High-Gleason) = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.2-2.2). The inverse association between carrying the IGF1 (CA)19 repeat variant did not vary by grade or ethnicity. If confirmed in larger studies, these findings support the hypothesis that the association between IGFBP3 C allele and prostate cancer is grade specific in both ethnic groups.

Grade-specific prostate cancer associations of IGF1 (CA)19 repeats and IGFBP3-202A/C in blacks and whites.

PubMed Central

Hoyo, Cathrine; Grubber, Janet; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Marks, Jeffrey R.; Freedland, Stephen J.; Jeffreys, Amy S.; Grambow, Steven C.; Wenham, Robert M.; Walther, Philip J.; Schildkraut, Joellen M.

2007-01-01

Carrying the cytosine-adenosine (CA)19 repeat polymorphism in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) is associated with lower serum proteins and decreased prostate cancer risk. Carrying the -202A/C genotype in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) also has been associated with lower serum levels of the binding protein. However, the association between this variant and prostate cancer is inconsistent. To test the hypothesis that inconsistencies are partly due to cancer grade-specific differences in strength and direction of associations, we reanalyzed data from our previous Durham Veterans Administration Hospital study of blacks and whites comprising 47 cases (19 African Americans) with Gleason sum > or = 7, 50 cases (30 African Americans) with Gleason sum < 7 and 93 controls (49 African Americans). Compared to controls, the association between carrying the IGFBP3 C allele and prostate cancer risk was in OR(Low-Gleason) = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.4-12.3 compared to OR(High-Gleason) = 1.0; 95% CI: 0.4-2.2. Association patterns were similar in African Americans (OR(Low-Gleason) = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.0-13.2 vs. OR(High-Gleason) = 1.4; 95% CI: 0.4-2.3) and whites (OR(Low-Gleason) = 5.6; 95% CI: 0.6-49.0 vs. OR(High-Gleason) = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.2-2.2). The inverse association between carrying the IGF1 (CA)19 repeat variant did not vary by grade or ethnicity. If confirmed in larger studies, these findings support the hypothesis that the association between IGFBP3 C allele and prostate cancer is grade specific in both ethnic groups. PMID:17668637

Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies New Host Genomic Susceptibility Factors in Empyema Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in Children: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Salas, Antonio; Barral-Arca, Ruth; Cebey-López, Miriam; Pischedda, Sara; Currás-Tuala, María-José; Gómez-Rial, José

2018-01-01

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death amongst infectious diseases. Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for about 25% of pneumonia cases worldwide, and it is a major cause of childhood mortality. We carried out a whole exome sequencing (WES) study in eight patients with complicated cases of pneumococcal pneumonia (empyema). An initial assessment of statistical association of WES variation with pneumonia was carried out using data from the 1000 Genomes Project (1000G) for the Iberian Peninsula (IBS) as reference controls. Pseudo-replication statistical analyses were carried out using different European control groups. Association tests pointed to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs201967957 (gene MEIS1; chromosome 2; p-valueIBS = 3.71 × 10−13) and rs576099063 (gene TSPAN15; chromosome 10; p-valueIBS = 2.36 × 10−8) as the best candidate variants associated to pneumococcal pneumonia. A burden gene test of pathogenicity signaled four genes, namely, OR9G9, MUC6, MUC3A and APOB, which carry significantly increased pathogenic variation when compared to controls. By analyzing various transcriptomic data repositories, we found strong supportive evidence for the role of MEIS1, TSPAN15 and APOBR (encoding the receptor of the APOB protein) in pneumonia in mouse and human models. Furthermore, the association of the olfactory receptor gene OR9G9 has recently been related to some viral infectious diseases, while the role of mucin genes (MUC6 and MUC3A), encoding mucin glycoproteins, are well-known factors related to chronic obstructive airway disease. WES emerges as a promising technique to disentangle the genetic basis of host genome susceptibility to infectious respiratory diseases. PMID:29751582

Intake of red meat and heterocyclic amines, metabolic pathway genes and bladder cancer risk

PubMed Central

Lin, Jie; Forman, Michele R.; Wang, Jianming; Grossman, H. Barton; Chen, Meng; Dinney, Colin P.; Hawk, Ernest T.; Wu, Xifeng

2012-01-01

We analyzed the association between meat intake, heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and bladder cancer (BC) risk in a large case-control study comprised of 884 BC cases and 878 healthy controls, recruited from 1999 to 2009. Epidemiologic and dietary data were collected via an in-person interview. Compared to the lowest quartile of red meat intake, the odds ratios (ORs) for the second, third and fourth quartiles were 1.17 (95% CI: 0.87–1.58), 1.47 (95% CI: 1.09–1.99) and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.41–2.68), respectively, (p-for trend <0.001). In a subset of participants with intakes of HCAs available, compared with those with the lowest quartile of intake, the ORs for the second, third and fourth quartiles were 1.47 (95% CI: 0.60–3.64), 2.58 (95% CI: 1.09–6.11) and 3.32 (95% CI: 1.37–8.01), respectively, (p for trend <0.001). In cumulative analysis of SNPs in the pathway, compared with subjects carrying 0–4 unfavorable genotypes, subjects carrying 5 and 6 or more unfavorable genotypes were at 1.60-fold (95% CI: 1.20–2.12) and 2.37-fold (95% CI: 1.82–3.10) increased risk, respectively. Moreover, subjects carrying six or more unfavorable genotypes and whose red meat intake was in the highest quartile were at 5.09-fold increased risk (95% CI: 2.89–8.96; p < 0.001). These results strongly support that high red meat intake, high intake of HCAs and carrying high number of unfavorable genotypes in the HCA metabolic pathways are associated with increased risk of BC in the study population. PMID:22261697

Molecular screening of deafness in Algeria: high genetic heterogeneity involving DFNB1 and the Usher loci, DFNB2/USH1B, DFNB12/USH1D and DFNB23/USH1F.

PubMed

Ammar-Khodja, Fatima; Faugère, Valérie; Baux, David; Giannesini, Claire; Léonard, Susana; Makrelouf, Mohamed; Malek, Rahia; Djennaoui, Djamel; Zenati, Akila; Claustres, Mireille; Roux, Anne-Françoise

2009-01-01

A systematic approach, involving haplotyping and genotyping, to the molecular diagnosis of non-syndromic deafness within 50 families and 9 sporadic cases from Algeria is described. Mutations at the DFNB1 locus (encompassing the GJB2 and GJB6 genes) are responsible for more than half of autosomal recessive prelingual non-syndromic deafness in various populations. A c.35delG mutation can account for up to 85% of GJB2 mutations and two large deletions del(GJB6-D13S1830) and del(GJB6-D13S1854) have also been reported in several population groups. In view of the genetic heterogeneity a strategy was developed which involved direct analysis of DFNB1. In negative familial cases, haplotype analysis was carried out, where possible, to exclude DFNB1 mutations. Following this, haplotype analysis of five Usher syndrome loci, sometimes involved in autosomal non-syndromic hearing loss, was carried out to identify cases in which Usher gene sequencing was indicated. When homozygosity was observed at a locus in a consanguineous family, the corresponding gene was exhaustively sequenced. Pathogenic DFNB1 genotypes were identified in 40% of the cases. Of the 21 cases identified with 2 pathogenic mutations, c.35delG represented 76% of the mutated alleles. The additional mutations were one nonsense, two missense and one splicing mutation. Four additional patients were identified with a single DFNB1 mutation. None carried the large deletions. Three families with non-syndromic deafness carried novel unclassified variants (UVs) in MYO7A (1 family) and CDH23 (2 families) of unknown pathogenic effect. Additionally, molecular diagnosis was carried out on two Usher type I families and pathogenic mutations in MYO7A and PCDH15 were found.

Siblings and the Coming-Out Process: A Comparative Case Study.

PubMed

Haxhe, Stephanie; Cerezo, Alison; Bergfeld, Jeannette; Walloch, Joseph C

2018-01-01

Siblings play a key, supportive role in the lives of many lesbian and gay adults. Yet siblings are rarely considered in the literature regarding the coming-out process (D'Augelli et al., 1998; Hilton & Szymanski, 2011; LaSala, 2010; Savin-Williams & Dubé, 1998). To fill this gap in the research literature, we carried out a comparative case study in the country of Belgium between two sets of siblings-three Romani brothers with one sibling identifying as a gay male and three White sisters with one sibling identifying as a lesbian. These two cases were pulled from a larger qualitative study (Haxhe & D'Amore, 2014) of 102 native French-speaking Belgian participants. Findings of the present study revealed that siblings offered critical socio-emotional support in the coming out of their lesbian and gay sibling, particularly with disclosing to parents and with fostering self-acceptance.

Impacts of a flash flood on drinking water quality: case study of areas most affected by the 2012 Beijing flood.

PubMed

Sun, Rubao; An, Daizhi; Lu, Wei; Shi, Yun; Wang, Lili; Zhang, Can; Zhang, Ping; Qi, Hongjuan; Wang, Qiang

2016-02-01

In this study, we present a method for identifying sources of water pollution and their relative contributions in pollution disasters. The method uses a combination of principal component analysis and factor analysis. We carried out a case study in three rural villages close to Beijing after torrential rain on July 21, 2012. Nine water samples were analyzed for eight parameters, namely turbidity, total hardness, total dissolved solids, sulfates, chlorides, nitrates, total bacterial count, and total coliform groups. All of the samples showed different degrees of pollution, and most were unsuitable for drinking water as concentrations of various parameters exceeded recommended thresholds. Principal component analysis and factor analysis showed that two factors, the degree of mineralization and agricultural runoff, and flood entrainment, explained 82.50% of the total variance. The case study demonstrates that this method is useful for evaluating and interpreting large, complex water-quality data sets.

Genetic polymorphisms of Th2 interleukins, history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia: Findings from the ESCALE study (SFCE).

PubMed

Bonaventure, A; Orsi, L; Rudant, J; Goujon-Bellec, S; Leverger, G; Baruchel, A; Bertrand, Y; Nelken, B; Pasquet, M; Michel, G; Sirvent, N; Chastagner, P; Ducassou, S; Thomas, C; Besse, C; Hémon, D; Clavel, J

2018-06-05

Previous studies on the putative role of allergy in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia have reported contradictory results. The present study aimed to analyse the relation between a medical history of asthma or eczema and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) in light of potential candidate gene-environment interactions. Analyses were based on a subset of 434 cases of ALL and 442 controls successfully genotyped and of European ancestry children enrolled in a French population-based case-control study conducted in 2003-2004. Information about medical history was obtained during a standardized interview with the mothers. Candidate polymorphisms in genes of the Th2 cytokines IL4, IL10, IL13 and IL4-receptor, were genotyped or imputed. None of the variant alleles were directly associated with childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia. A medical history of asthma or eczema was reported more often in the control group (OR = 0.7 [0.5-1.0]). This association was mostly seen in the group of children not carrying the IL13-rs20541 variant allele (Interaction Odds Ratio IOR 1.9, p-interaction = 0.07) and in those carrying the IL10 triple variant haplotype (IOR 0.5, p-interaction = 0.04). No interaction was observed with the candidate polymorphisms in IL4 and IL4R. This study provides a new insight into the relationship between allergic symptoms and childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia, by suggesting this inverse association could be limited to children carrying certain genetic polymorphisms. If confirmed, these results could help better understand the biological mechanisms involved in the development of childhood acute lymphoid leukaemia. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

OSL studies of local bricks for retrospective dosimetric application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A. K.; Menon, S. N.; Kadam, S. Y.; Koul, D. K.; Datta, D.

2016-09-01

Luminescence properties of quartz extracted from bricks has been reported worldwide for its use in dose estimation in case of nuclear or radiological accident. Accordingly, in this study the feasibility of utilizing the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) emission of quartz extracted from red bricks collected from three different locations in and around Mumbai, India for retrospective dosimetry was explored. Thermoluminescence and OSL characterization of the samples were carried out. The growth curve, thermal stability and equivalent dose plateau of the OSL signal suggested the signals to be well behaving. Subsequently, the dose recovery tests carried for different administered doses, using single aliquot regenerative protocol, demonstrated the feasibility of the OSL emissions of these samples for dose evaluation in retrospective dosimetry.

[Child abuse in Tlaxcala: a case-control study].

PubMed

Herrada-Huidobro, A; Nazar-Beutelspacher, A; Cassaball-Núñez, M; Vega-Ramos, R; Nava-Cruz, C B

1992-01-01

A longitudinal, retrospective and descriptive study about child abuse was carried out in the Hospitals of the Tlaxcala Secretariat of Health, Mexico. The information was obtained from hospitalized children's charts between January first and November 30, 1991. The charts included were those belonging to zero to 14 year old children with injuries, poisoning, and II-III degrees of malnutrition. Four child-abuse criteria were established: physical, sexual, non organic malnutrition and mixed (physical and non organic malnutrition). Two control groups were defined. Different patterns were observed between accidental and non accidental injuries, malnutrition and poisoning among the case and the control groups. The study provides useful information for the integral diagnosis of child abuse in hospitalized children.

The role of KRAS rs61764370 in invasive epithelial ovarian cancer: implications for clinical testing

PubMed Central

Pharoah, Paul D. P.; Palmieri, Rachel T.; Ramus, Susan J.; Gayther, Simon A.; Andrulis, Irene L.; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Antonenkova, Natalia; Antoniou, Antonis C.; Beattie, Mary S.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Birrer, Michael J.; Bogdanova, Natalia; Bolton, Kelly L.; Brewster, Wendy; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Brown, Robert; Butzow, Ralf; Caldes, Trinidad; Caligo, Maria Adelaide; Campbell, Ian; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chen, Y. Ann; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Cook, Linda S.; Couch, Fergus J.; Cramer, Daniel W.; Cunningham, Julie M.; Despierre, Evelyn; Doherty, Jennifer A.; Dörk, Thilo; Dürst, Matthias; Eccles, Diana M.; Ekici, Arif B.; Fasching, Peter A.; de Fazio, Anna; Fenstermacher, David A.; Flanagan, James M.; Fridley, Brooke L.; Friedman, Eitan; Gao, Bo; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Godwin, Andrew K.; Goode, Ellen L.; Goodman, Marc T.; Gross, Jenny; Hansen, Thomas V. O.; Harnett, Paul; Heikkinen, Tuomas; Hein, Rebecca; Høgdall, Claus; Høgdall, Estrid; Iversen, Edwin S.; Jakubowska, Anna; Johnatty, Sharon E.; Karlan, Beth Y.; Kauff, Noah D.; Kaye, Stanley B.; Kelemen, Linda E.; Kiemeney, Lambertus A.; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger; Lambrechts, Diether; LaPolla, James P.; Lázaro, Conxi; Le, Nhu D.; Leminen, Arto; Leunen, Karin; Levine, Douglas A.; Lu, Yi; Lundvall, Lene; Macgregor, Stuart; Marees, Tamara; Massuger, Leon F.; McLaughlin, John R.; Menon, Usha; Montagna, Marco; Moysich, Kirsten B.; Narod, Steven A.; Nathanson, Katherine L.; Nedergaard, Lotte; Ness, Roberta B.; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nickels, Stefan; Osorio, Ana; Paul, Jim; Pearce, Celeste Leigh; Phelan, Catherine M.; Pike, Malcolm C.; Radice, Paolo; Rossing, Mary Anne; Schildkraut, Joellen M.; Sellers, Thomas A.; Singer, Christian F.; Song, Honglin; Stram, Daniel O.; Sutphen, Rebecca; Terry, Kathryn L.; Tsai, Ya-Yu; van Altena, Anne M.; Vergote, Ignace; Vierkant, Robert A.; Vitonis, Allison F.; Walsh, Christine; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Wappenschmidt, Barbara; Wu, Anna H.; Ziogas, Argyrios; Berchuck, Andrew; Risch, Harvey A.

2011-01-01

Purpose An assay for the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs61764370 has recently been commercially marketed as a clinical test to aid ovarian cancer risk evaluation in women with family histories of the disease. rs67164370 is in a 3′UTR miRNA binding site of the KRAS oncogene, and is a candidate for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) susceptibility. However, only one published paper, analyzing fewer than 1,000 subjects in total, has examined this association. Experimental Design Risk association was evaluated in 8,669 cases of invasive EOC and 10,012 controls from nineteen studies participating in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium, and in 683 cases and 2,044 controls carrying BRCA1 mutations from studies in the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2. Prognosis association was also examined in a subset of five studies with progression-free survival data and eighteen studies with all-cause mortality data. Results No evidence of association was observed between genotype and risk of unselected EOC (odds ratio (OR)=1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.95-1.10), serous EOC (OR=1.08, 95%CI=0.98-1.18), familial EOC (OR=1.09, 95%CI=0.78-1.54), or among women carrying deleterious mutations in BRCA1 (OR=1.09, 95%CI=0.88-1.36). There was little evidence for association with survival time among unselected cases (hazard ratio (HR)=1.10, 95%CI=0.99-1.22), among serous cases (HR=1.12, 95%CI=0.99-1.28), or with progression-free survival in 540 cases treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel (HR=1.18, 95%CI=0.93-1.52). Conclusions These data exclude the possibility of an association between rs61764370 and a clinically significant risk of ovarian cancer or of familial ovarian cancer. Use of this SNP for ovarian cancer clinical risk prediction therefore appears unwarranted. PMID:21385923

[Biochemical and molecular diagnosis of primary hyperoxaluria type 1: Tunisian study about 15 cases].

PubMed

Belhaj, R; Hayder, N; Gargueh, T; Zorguati, M; Marrakchi, O; Abdelhak, S; Lakhoua, R; Abdelmoula, J

2011-08-01

The primary type 1 hyperoxaluria (HP1) is the most frequent and severe form of the primary hyperoxaluriae. It is related to an enzymatic deficit in alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT). It is a recessive autosomic disease. Rare in Europe, it is responsible for 13% of the end stage renal failure in the Tunisian child. The aim of this work is to evaluate the biological and molecular examinations contributing with the early diagnosis and the follow-up of the HP1 patients and to test their response to pyridoxin. A prospective study of 15 children who have oxaluria lower than 500 μmol/l and normal renal function is carried out. The cristalluria study, oxaluria and the glycolate-glycerate urinary ratio were carried out on all the patients. The so-called mutation maghrebean T853 (Ile244 Thr) was detected by direct sequencing of the exon 7 gene AGXT. The response to pyridoxin was tested among 13 patients. The oxaluria concentration was greater or equal to 1000 μmol/l in nine cases (60%) and ranging between 600 and 1000 μmol/l in the remaining cases. The oxaluria flow was significantly high depending on the age. The glycolaturia was high among eight patients (57%). In 61,5% of the cases, the most frequent crystalline species was whewellite (C1). The "maghrebin" mutation was identified in nine patients at the heterozygous state, showing 25% allelic frequency. The response to pyridoxin was observed in the 13 tested cases. The HP1 is frequent in our country from where the need for an early diagnosis. The use of simple biochemical tools such as the study of the cristalluria, the morphological analysis of stones and the oxaluria allow to direct the diagnosis towards a HP1, confirmed by the glycolaturia determination. The molecular biology is required in the atypical forms. Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Water ecological carrying capacity of urban lakes in the context of rapid urbanization: A case study of East Lake in Wuhan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Lei; Chen, Kun-lun; Cheng, Sheng-gao; Wang, Xu

With the excessive development of social economy, water scarcity and water environment deterioration become a common phenomenon in metropolis. As a crucial component of urban water environment system, urban lake is mainly influenced by social economic system and tourism system. In this paper, a framework for quantitatively evaluating development sustainability of urban lake was established by a multi-objective model that represented water ecological carrying capacity (WECC). And nine key indicators including population, irrigation area, tourist quantity, the average number of hotel daily reception, TP, TN, CODMn, BOD5 were chosen from urban social-economy system and natural resilience aspects, with their index weight was determined by using the Structure Entropy Weight method. Then, we took Wuhan East Lake, the largest urban lake in China as a case study, and selected five time sections including 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2012 to synthetically evaluate and comparatively analyze the dynamic change of WECC. The results showed that: firstly, the water ecological carrying capacity values of the East Lake in five time sections were 1.17, 1.07, 1.64, 1.53 and 2.01 respectively, which all exceeded 1 and increased fluctuation. The rapid growth of population and GDP lead to sharply increasing demand for water quantity. However, a large amount of the domestic sewage and industrial waste led by economic development increases pressure on ecological environment of urban lakes. Secondly, the carrying capacity of the East Lake for tourist activities was still low. The value in 2012 was only 0.22, keeping at a slowly increasing phase, which indicates that the East Lake has large opportunity and space for developing the water resource carrying capacity and could make further efforts to attract tourists. Moreover, the WECC of the East Lake was mainly affected by rapid social and economic development and water environment damage caused by organic pollutants. From the view of urban water sustainable management, we must deeply recognize the reality that water shortages and the limited carrying capacity, and dynamic assessment of WECC provides an early warning approach and control direction of water environment. For the East Lake, it is the primary target to mitigate the carrying capacity of social-economy, especially for prevention of lake area encroachment shrinking and domestic wastewater discharge.

Case-based Long-term Professional Development of Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dori, Yehudit J.; Herscovitz, Orit

2005-10-01

Reform efforts are often unsuccessful because they failed to understand that teachers play a key role in making educational reforms successful. This paper describes a long-term teacher professional development (PD) program aimed at educating and training teachers to teach interdisciplinary topics using case-based method in science. The research objective was to identify, follow and document the processes that science teachers went through as they assimilated the interdisciplinary, case-based science teaching approach. The research accompanied the PD program throughout its 3-year period. About 50 teachers, who took part in the PD program, were exposed to an interdisciplinary case-based teaching method. The research instruments included teacher portfolios, which contained projects and reflection questionnaires, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student feedback questionnaires. The portfolios contained the projects that the teachers had carried out during the PD program, which included case studies and accompanying student activities. We found that the teachers gradually moved from exposure to new teaching methods and subject matter, through active learning and preparing case-based team projects, to interdisciplinary, active classroom teaching using the case studies they developed.

The principles of effective case management of mental health services.

PubMed

Rapp, Charles A; Goscha, Richard J

2004-01-01

This paper identifies ten principles or active ingredients of case management that are common to interventions that produced statistically significant positive outcomes for people with serious psychiatric disabilities. Twenty-two studies employing experimental or quasi-experimental designs were selected for inclusion in this review. The use of the principles for systems design is briefly discussed. The term case management is used throughout this article because it is the term that is used in the studies reviewed. We acknowledge that this term is considered pejorative to many people with psychiatric disabilities. People with psychiatric disabilities are not "cases" and they do not need to be "managed." A more accurate reflection of what this service entails is that it is the services or resources that are managed in order to help people reach their goals. Until a more appropriate title becomes globally recognized, the term should be used with sensitivity to the negative connotations it carries.

From Engineering Science to Big Science: The NACA and NASA Collier Trophy Research Project Winners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mack, Pamela E. (Editor)

1998-01-01

The chapters of this book discuss a series of case studies of notable technological projects carried out at least in part by the NACA and NASA. The case studies chosen are those projects that won the National Aeronautic Association's (NAA) Collier Trophy for "the greatest achievement in aviation in America, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by use during the preceding year." Looking back on the whole series of projects we can examine both what successes were seen as important at various times, and how the goals and organization of these notable projects changed over time.

Schur polynomials and biorthogonal random matrix ensembles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tierz, Miguel

The study of the average of Schur polynomials over a Stieltjes-Wigert ensemble has been carried out by Dolivet and Tierz [J. Math. Phys. 48, 023507 (2007); e-print arXiv:hep-th/0609167], where it was shown that it is equal to quantum dimensions. Using the same approach, we extend the result to the biorthogonal case. We also study, using the Littlewood-Richardson rule, some particular cases of the quantum dimension result. Finally, we show that the notion of Giambelli compatibility of Schur averages, introduced by Borodin et al. [Adv. Appl. Math. 37, 209 (2006); e-print arXiv:math-ph/0505021], also holds in the biorthogonal setting.

The Use of ICTs in the Cameroonian School System: A Case Study of Some Primary and Secondary Schools in Yaoundé

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngoungouo, Abass

2017-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study carried out on some primary and secondary schools of Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon. The said study aimed at analyzing and evaluating the use of ICTs by teachers in the Cameroonian school system. More precisely, it sought to identify the types of ICTs used by teachers, to evaluate the state of equipment of…

Benchmarking in national health service procurement in Scotland.

PubMed

Walker, Scott; Masson, Ron; Telford, Ronnie; White, David

2007-11-01

The paper reports the results of a study on benchmarking activities undertaken by the procurement organization within the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland, namely National Procurement (previously Scottish Healthcare Supplies Contracts Branch). NHS performance is of course politically important, and benchmarking is increasingly seen as a means to improve performance, so the study was carried out to determine if the current benchmarking approaches could be enhanced. A review of the benchmarking activities used by the private sector, local government and NHS organizations was carried out to establish a framework of the motivations, benefits, problems and costs associated with benchmarking. This framework was used to carry out the research through case studies and a questionnaire survey of NHS procurement organizations both in Scotland and other parts of the UK. Nine of the 16 Scottish Health Boards surveyed reported carrying out benchmarking during the last three years. The findings of the research were that there were similarities in approaches between local government and NHS Scotland Health, but differences between NHS Scotland and other UK NHS procurement organizations. Benefits were seen as significant and it was recommended that National Procurement should pursue the formation of a benchmarking group with members drawn from NHS Scotland and external benchmarking bodies to establish measures to be used in benchmarking across the whole of NHS Scotland.

The Views of Pre-Service Teachers Who Take Special Teaching Course within the Context of Pedagogical Formation Certificate Program about Micro-Teaching Method and a Physics Lesson Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurbuz, Fatih

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the views of the pre-service teachers who received training on pedagogical formation certificate program about micro-teaching method. The study was carried out with a case study method. Semi-structured interviews were used in the study as a data collection tool to gather pre-service teachers' views about…

NCA Legal Alert. A Preview: 1986-1987 Supreme Court Cases Affecting Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corkill, Phillip M.

1987-01-01

Offers brief summaries of upcoming Supreme Court cases that have implications for education, including two cases involving religion, affirmative action, and school policy regarding employees and students who have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or carry AIDS antibodies. (DMM)

Numerical investigation of self-sustained oscillations in the flow over the spiked blunt body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantin, Babarykin

2018-05-01

Numerical simulation of the supersonic turbulent flow around spike-tipped cylindrical body is carried out. The self-sustained oscillating flow picture is studied. For the simulations the ANSYS Fluent finite-volume solver is employed, the calculations are performed mainly for 2d axisymmetric case, and some simulations are made in 3d version. The freestream Mach number is 2,22, the cases of sharp and obtuse needle of different length are considered. The numerical results are obtained using different turbulence models, are compared with experimental data.

Mixtures of beta distributions in models of the duration of a project affected by risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gładysz, Barbara; Kuchta, Dorota

2017-07-01

This article presents a method for timetabling a project affected by risk. The times required to carry out tasks are modelled using mixtures of beta distributions. The parameters of these beta distributions are given by experts: one corresponding to the duration of a task in stable conditions, with no risks materializing, and the other corresponding to the duration of a task in the case when risks do occur. Finally, a case study will be presented and analysed: the project of constructing a shopping mall in Poland.

Case Study of An Adopted Chinese Woman with Bulimia Nervosa: A Cultural and Transcultural Approach.

PubMed

de Montgremier, Marion Vu-Augier; Chen, Liangliang; Chen, Jue; Moro, Marie Rose

2017-08-25

For a long time, eating disorders were considered as culture-bound syndromes, specific to Western countries. This theory has been refuted for anorexia, but few transcultural studies have been carried out on bulimia nervosa. As a result, knowledge concerning this disorder is limited. On the basis of a clinical case involving a bulimic Chinese girl, we attempt to demonstrate the impact of cultural factors on the disorder. We discuss the atypical characteristics of her symptom profile, in particular the absence of preoccupations concerning her appearance and the psycho-pathological impact of the secrecy surrounding her adoption. In this particular case, bulimia triggered a search for filiation and identity that could have later enabled her to restore harmonious family ties and to gain autonomy. We also examine the case in the context of adoption in China. This clinical case points out how important it is to take cultural factors into account and how useful a transcultural approach is in order to understand bulimia, and suggest effective methods of care.

Genetic diversity among pandemic 2009 influenza viruses isolated from a transmission chain

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Influenza viruses such as swine-origin influenza A(H1N1) virus (A(H1N1)pdm09) generate genetic diversity due to the high error rate of their RNA polymerase, often resulting in mixed genotype populations (intra-host variants) within a single infection. This variation helps influenza to rapidly respond to selection pressures, such as those imposed by the immunological host response and antiviral therapy. We have applied deep sequencing to characterize influenza intra-host variation in a transmission chain consisting of three cases due to oseltamivir-sensitive viruses, and one derived oseltamivir-resistant case. Methods Following detection of the A(H1N1)pdm09 infections, we deep-sequenced the complete NA gene from two of the oseltamivir-sensitive virus-infected cases, and all eight gene segments of the viruses causing the remaining two cases. Results No evidence for the resistance-causing mutation (resulting in NA H275Y substitution) was observed in the oseltamivir-sensitive cases. Furthermore, deep sequencing revealed a subpopulation of oseltamivir-sensitive viruses in the case carrying resistant viruses. We detected higher levels of intra-host variation in the case carrying oseltamivir-resistant viruses than in those infected with oseltamivir-sensitive viruses. Conclusions Oseltamivir-resistance was only detected after prophylaxis with oseltamivir, suggesting that the mutation was selected for as a result of antiviral intervention. The persisting oseltamivir-sensitive virus population in the case carrying resistant viruses suggests either that a small proportion survive the treatment, or that the oseltamivir-sensitive virus rapidly re-establishes itself in the virus population after the bottleneck. Moreover, the increased intra-host variation in the oseltamivir-resistant case is consistent with the hypothesis that the population diversity of a RNA virus can increase rapidly following a population bottleneck. PMID:23587185

Aircraft-Assisted Pilot Suicides: Lessons to be Learned.

PubMed

Vuorio, Alpo; Laukkala, Tanja; Navathe, Pooshan; Budowle, Bruce; Eyre, Anne; Sajantila, Antti

2014-08-01

Aircraft assisted suicides were studied in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland during 1956-2012 by means of literature search and accident case analysis. According to our study the frequency varied slightly between the studies. Overall, the new estimate of aircraft assisted suicides in the United States in a 20-yr period (1993-2012) is 0.33% (95% CI 0.21-0.49) (24/7244). In the detailed accident case analysis, it was found that in five out of the eight cases from the United States, someone knew of prior suicidal ideation before the aircraft assisted fatality. The caveats of standard medico-legal autopsy and accident investigation methods in investigation of suspected aircraft assisted suicides are discussed. It is suggested that a psychological autopsy should be performed in all such cases. Also the social context and possibilities of the prevention of aviation-related suicides were analyzed. In addition, some recent aircraft assisted suicides carried out using commercial aircraft during scheduled services and causing many casualties are discussed.

Whole lot of parts: stress in extreme environments.

PubMed

Steel, G Daniel

2005-06-01

Stress has been a central interest for researchers of human behavior in extreme and unusual environments and also for those who are responsible for planning and carrying out expeditions involving such environments. This paper compares the actuarial and case study methods for predicting reactions to stress. Actuarial studies are useful, but do not tap enough variables to allow us to predict how a specific individual will cope with the rigors of an individual mission. Case histories provide a wealth of detail, but few investigators understand the challenges of properly applying this method. This study reviews some of the strengths and weaknesses of the actuarial and case history methods, and presents a four celled taxonomy of stress based on method (actuarial and case history) and effects (distress and eustress). For both research and operational purposes, the person, the setting, and time should not be considered independently; rather, it is an amalgam of these variables that provides the proper basis of analysis.

Stressful life events and occupational accidents.

PubMed

Cordeiro, Ricardo; Dias, Adriano

2005-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stressful life events and occupational accidents. This was a population-based case-control study, carried out in the city of Botucatu, in southeast Brazil. The cases consisted of 108 workers who had recently experienced occupational accidents. Each case was matched with three controls. The cases and controls answered a questionnaire about recent exposure to stressful life events. Reporting of "environmental problems", "being a victim of assault", "not having enough food at home" and "nonoccupational fatigue" were found to be risk factors for work-related accidents with estimated incidence rate ratios of 1.4 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-1.7], 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.7), 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.6), and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.7) respectively. The findings of the study suggested that nonwork variables contribute to occupational accidents, thus broadening the understanding of these phenomena, which can support new approaches to the prevention of occupational accidents.

Black tobacco, wine and mate in oropharyngeal cancer. A case-control study from Uruguay.

PubMed

De Stefani, E; Correa, P; Oreggia, F; Deneo-Pellegrini, H; Fernandez, G; Zavala, D; Carzoglio, J; Leiva, J; Fontham, E; Rivero, S

1988-01-01

A case-control study of oral and pharyngeal cancer involving interviews with 108 cases and 286 controls was carried out in the University Hospital of Montevideo, Uruguay. The study was restricted to males and cases afflicted with lip, salivary gland and nasopharyngeal cancer were excluded. Point estimates of RR associated with smoking variables, alcohol variables, nutritional items and ingestion of hot infusions of the herb Ilex paraguariensis ('Mate') were obtained by logistic regression analysis. Dark tobacco smokers showed a RR 3.4 times higher than light tobacco users and heavy drinkers of wine displayed an OR of 17.2. Mate exposure showed a significant dose-response, after adjustment for age, tobacco and alcohol intake, with a fivefold increase in risk for heavy consumers. Joint exposure to black tobacco and wine displayed very high risks and no significant interactions were observed. The results suggest that the high rates of oropharyngeal cancer could be explained by the multiplicative effect of black tobacco smoking, wine drinking and mate ingestion.

[Shigellosis outbreak with 146 cases related to a fair].

PubMed

Castell Monsalve, Juan; Gutiérrez Avila, Gonzalo; Rodolfo Saavedra, Remedios; Santos Azorín, Antonia

2008-01-01

On September 3, 2005, the Ciudad Real Public Health Service (Spain) received a report of 20 cases of gastroenteritis in the municipality of Daimiel. We conducted an investigation to determine the cause or causes of the outbreak and to implement control measures. Most of the cases involved young people who visited the municipality's fair. We carried out a descriptive study and an analytic case-control study. In the descriptive study, all variables of interest available in the medical records were included. In the case-control study, each case was matched with a control by age (plus or minus 5 years), gender, and attendance at the fair. Sixty-five cases and 65 controls were finally included in the study. Samples of foods and stools from food handlers were taken. We found 196 cases, 146 of which were confirmed. The epidemic curve suggested a common source of infection with a short period of activity. The case-control study showed an association between infection and eating potatoes with a sauce at any of the fair's five food stalls (OR = 20.56; 95%CI, 6.15-75.93; p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed an association with eating potatoes in food stall number 2 (OR = 6.38; 95%CI, 1.70-23.90; p < 0.0059). Neither samples of foods nor stools from food handlers yielded any positive results. However, Shigella sonnei was isolated from stool samples from 20 cases. The epidemiological study suggested that the most probable cause of the outbreak was a sauce, handmade with garlic, milk, and oil and served with the potatoes.

[Malaria in the South of Madrid: a clinical and epidemiological review].

PubMed

Alvarez Fernández, B; García Esteban, C; Soto Insuga, V; Ruiz Jiménez, M; Rubio Gribble, B; Jiménez Fernández, F; Ramos Amador, J T

2009-09-01

Malaria has increased in Spain, and is potentially severe in children. Information on pediatric malaria in Spain is scarce. The aim is to evaluate the clinical, therapeutic and epidemiological characteristics of children diagnosed with malaria in our hospital. A retrospective descriptive study was performed on all pediatric cases of malaria diagnosed in Getafe University Hospital, from January 1995 to November 2006. Epidemiological and clinical features, as well as diagnostic methods, treatments and outcome were studied. An analysis of two comparative periods (before and after January 2000) was carried out. Eighteen cases of confirmed malaria were identified, twelve girls and six boys. The age range was from 13 months to 13 years with a median age of 60 months. All patients had recently travelled to or from endemic countries. Despite having a stable number of admissions to hospital over time, all but two patients were diagnosed in the second period (P<0.01). Fever and gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common symptoms, with liver or spleen enlargement in 75%. Thrombocytopenia and anemia were common. No cases of complicated malaria or death occurred. Plasmodium identification by microscopic examination was used in all cases. Identification of Plasmodium species with PCR was carried out in 16 children. P. falciparum was found in 89% of these cases. Quinine-sulphate and clindamycin were used in 72%. The incidence of pediatric malaria is increasing in the southern area of Madrid, with P. falciparum as the most frequently identified species. Microscopic visualization or identification of its antigen are gold-standard diagnostic methods, however, identification with PCR is essential upon admission to determine the species and discard possible multiple infestations. Pediatricians must learn to suspect this potentially severe disease, in order to establish an early treatment that may improve the prognosis.

[Association of biliary calculosis and portal cavernomatosis].

PubMed

Crespi, C; De Giorgio, A M

1992-08-01

This paper reports the case of a woman, who underwent surgery because of cholelithiasis, with intraoperative finding of prehepatic portal hypertension from portal vein thrombosis ("portal cavernoma") with healthy liver, later confirmed by angiographic studies. This rare pathologic association carries a higher risk of major operative complications; therefore the Authors agree with the general belief that, for these cases, biliary tract surgery should be as simple and safe as possible. In the case of preoperative diagnosis of biliary disease associated with portal cavernoma, should a surgical approach on the biliary tract be required, we agree on the advisability of performing a shunting procedure before any kind of biliary surgery. In case of variceal bleeding endoscopic sclerotherapy will be the first choice; surgical procedures (shunting) should be seen as a second choice in case of rebleeding after sclerotherapy.

Interaction Between Functional Genetic Variation of DRD2 and Cannabis Use on Risk of Psychosis

PubMed Central

Colizzi, Marco; Iyegbe, Conrad; Powell, John; Ursini, Gianluca; Porcelli, Annamaria; Bonvino, Aurora; Taurisano, Paolo; Romano, Raffaella; Masellis, Rita; Blasi, Giuseppe; Morgan, Craig; Aitchison, Katherine; Mondelli, Valeria; Luzi, Sonija; Kolliakou, Anna; David, Anthony; Murray, Robin M.; Bertolino, Alessandro; Forti, Marta Di

2015-01-01

Both cannabis use and the dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene have been associated with schizophrenia, psychosis-like experiences, and cognition. However, there are no published data investigating whether genetically determined variation in DRD2 dopaminergic signaling might play a role in individual susceptibility to cannabis-associated psychosis. We genotyped (1) a case-control study of 272 patients with their first episode of psychosis and 234 controls, and also from (2) a sample of 252 healthy subjects, for functional variation in DRD2, rs1076560. Data on history of cannabis use were collected on all the studied subjects by administering the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire. In the healthy subjects’ sample, we also collected data on schizotypy and cognitive performance using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and the N-back working memory task. In the case-control study, we found a significant interaction between the rs1076560 DRD2 genotype and cannabis use in influencing the likelihood of a psychotic disorder. Among cannabis users, carriers of the DRD2, rs1076560, T allele showed a 3-fold increased probability to suffer a psychotic disorder compared with GG carriers (OR = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–7.63). Among daily users, T carrying subjects showed a 5-fold increase in the odds of psychosis compared to GG carriers (OR = 4.82; 95% CI: 1.39–16.71). Among the healthy subjects, T carrying cannabis users had increased schizotypy compared with T carrying cannabis-naïve subjects, GG cannabis users, and GG cannabis-naïve subjects (all P ≤ .025). T carrying cannabis users had reduced working memory accuracy compared with the other groups (all P ≤ .008). Thus, variation of the DRD2, rs1076560, genotype may modulate the psychosis-inducing effect of cannabis use. PMID:25829376

Interaction Between Functional Genetic Variation of DRD2 and Cannabis Use on Risk of Psychosis.

PubMed

Colizzi, Marco; Iyegbe, Conrad; Powell, John; Ursini, Gianluca; Porcelli, Annamaria; Bonvino, Aurora; Taurisano, Paolo; Romano, Raffaella; Masellis, Rita; Blasi, Giuseppe; Morgan, Craig; Aitchison, Katherine; Mondelli, Valeria; Luzi, Sonija; Kolliakou, Anna; David, Anthony; Murray, Robin M; Bertolino, Alessandro; Di Forti, Marta

2015-09-01

Both cannabis use and the dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene have been associated with schizophrenia, psychosis-like experiences, and cognition. However, there are no published data investigating whether genetically determined variation in DRD2 dopaminergic signaling might play a role in individual susceptibility to cannabis-associated psychosis. We genotyped (1) a case-control study of 272 patients with their first episode of psychosis and 234 controls, and also from (2) a sample of 252 healthy subjects, for functional variation in DRD2, rs1076560. Data on history of cannabis use were collected on all the studied subjects by administering the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire. In the healthy subjects' sample, we also collected data on schizotypy and cognitive performance using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and the N-back working memory task. In the case-control study, we found a significant interaction between the rs1076560 DRD2 genotype and cannabis use in influencing the likelihood of a psychotic disorder. Among cannabis users, carriers of the DRD2, rs1076560, T allele showed a 3-fold increased probability to suffer a psychotic disorder compared with GG carriers (OR = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-7.63). Among daily users, T carrying subjects showed a 5-fold increase in the odds of psychosis compared to GG carriers (OR = 4.82; 95% CI: 1.39-16.71). Among the healthy subjects, T carrying cannabis users had increased schizotypy compared with T carrying cannabis-naïve subjects, GG cannabis users, and GG cannabis-naïve subjects (all P ≤ .025). T carrying cannabis users had reduced working memory accuracy compared with the other groups (all P ≤ .008). Thus, variation of the DRD2, rs1076560, genotype may modulate the psychosis-inducing effect of cannabis use. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Clinical spectrum of hypopituitarism in India: A single center experience

PubMed Central

Gundgurthi, Abhay; Garg, M. K.; Bhardwaj, Reena; Brar, Karninder S.; Kharb, Sandeep; Pandit, Aditi

2012-01-01

Objectives: There is paucity of information regarding clinical profile of hypopituitarism from India. We report the clinical profile of hypopituitarism from a tertiary center in North India. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in patients attending our endocrine center between January 2010 and December 2011. All new patients were studied prospectively and those registered before January 2010 retrospectively. Relevant clinical, hormonal, and imaging data were collected. Dynamic testing for pituitary functions was carried out as necessary. Hormonal deficiencies were defined as per prevailing recommendations. Results: This study included 113 subjects. The mean age was 38.6 ± 17.8 years (range, 4 – 76 years). There were 78 (69%) males and 35 females (31%). There were 22 subjects aged ≤18 years (childhood and adolescence) and 91 adults (>18 years). Visual disturbances were the most common presenting complaint (33%), though headache was the most common symptom (81%). Fifteen percent presented with pituitary apoplexy. Tumors comprised of 84% of cases. Hypogonadism (97%) was the most common abnormality seen followed by hypothyroidism (83.2%), hypoadrenalism (79.6%), growth hormone deficiency (88.1% of the 42 patients tested), and diabetes insipidus (13.3%). Panhypopituitarism was seen in 104 (92%) patients. There were no cases of hypopituitarism secondary to traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, central nervous system infections, or cranial irradiation to extrasellar tumors. Conclusion: The most common cause of hypopituitarism at tertiary care center is pituitary tumors and the commonest presenting complaint is visual symptoms. Panhypopituitarism is present in 92% cases. PMID:23087868

Prognosis of Parkinson disease: risk of dementia and mortality: the Rotterdam Study.

PubMed

de Lau, Lonneke M L; Schipper, C Maarten A; Hofman, Albert; Koudstaal, Peter J; Breteler, Monique M B

2005-08-01

Most prognostic studies on Parkinson disease have been hospital based or have applied register-based case-finding methods. Potential under-representation of mild cases may have given biased results. To evaluate whether Parkinson disease is associated with an increased risk of dementia and death. Population-based cohort study. Parkinson disease and dementia were assessed through in-person examination at baseline (1990-1993) and 2 follow-up visits (1993-1994 and 1997-1999). Computerized linkage to medical and municipality records provided additional information on disease outcomes and mortality. General population. A total of 6969 participants, including 99 prevalent and 67 incident cases of Parkinson disease. Incident dementia and death. Adjusted hazard ratios were calculated through Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Patients with Parkinson disease had an increased risk of dementia (hazard ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-4.4), which was especially pronounced in participants carrying at least 1 apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) epsilon2 allele (13.5; 4.5-40.6). Parkinson disease was associated with an increased mortality risk (1.8; 1.5-2.3). The association consistently diminished when analyses were sequentially restricted to patients with shorter disease duration and after adjustment for the occurrence of dementia. Especially patients with Parkinson disease who carry an APOE epsilon2 allele have an increased risk of developing dementia. Increased mortality risk in Parkinson disease is dependent on disease duration and is only modest in the absence of dementia.

3D Visualization Types in Multimedia Applications for Science Learning: A Case Study for 8th Grade Students in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korakakis, G.; Pavlatou, E. A.; Palyvos, J. A.; Spyrellis, N.

2009-01-01

This research aims to determine whether the use of specific types of visualization (3D illustration, 3D animation, and interactive 3D animation) combined with narration and text, contributes to the learning process of 13- and 14- years-old students in science courses. The study was carried out with 212 8th grade students in Greece. This…

Changes in the Social Networks of Three Women with an Intellectual Disability: A Qualitative Follow-Up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saarinen, Minna; Holm, Laura; Uusitalo-Malmivaara, Lotta

2018-01-01

There is ample evidence to show that people with intellectual disabilities (ID) face an increased risk of being socially excluded. The longer life expectancy of persons with ID carries new challenges. In this paper, we report on a follow-up case study of three Finnish women with ID. The women were interviewed twice (in 1995 and in 2013) and…

Traditions and Customs in Community Development: The Case of Nkanu West and Nkanu East Local Government Areas of Enugu State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adekola, G.; Egbo, Nwoye Charles

2016-01-01

This study examined the influence of traditions and customs on community development in Nkanu West and Nkanu East Local Government Areas of Enugu State. The study was carried out with three objectives and three null hypotheses. The research adopted descriptive survey design with a population of 2,125 members of community Based Organizations in the…

Basic Design, a Needed Foundation for Designing a Successful Garment: A Case Study of Dressmakers in the Ho Municipality, Volta Region, Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gbetodeme, Selom; Amankwa, Joana; Dzegblor, Noble Komla

2016-01-01

To facilitate the design process in every art form, there are certain guidelines that all professional designers should use. These are known as elements and principles of design. This study is a survey carried out to assess the knowledge of dressmakers about basic design in the Ho Municipality of Ghana. Sixty dressmakers were randomly sampled for…

Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies: Preparation, design, and enrollment of cases and controls.

PubMed

Verani, Jennifer R; Baqui, Abdullah H; Broome, Claire V; Cherian, Thomas; Cohen, Cheryl; Farrar, Jennifer L; Feikin, Daniel R; Groome, Michelle J; Hajjeh, Rana A; Johnson, Hope L; Madhi, Shabir A; Mulholland, Kim; O'Brien, Katherine L; Parashar, Umesh D; Patel, Manish M; Rodrigues, Laura C; Santosham, Mathuram; Scott, J Anthony; Smith, Peter G; Sommerfelt, Halvor; Tate, Jacqueline E; Victor, J Chris; Whitney, Cynthia G; Zaidi, Anita K; Zell, Elizabeth R

2017-06-05

Case-control studies are commonly used to evaluate effectiveness of licensed vaccines after deployment in public health programs. Such studies can provide policy-relevant data on vaccine performance under 'real world' conditions, contributing to the evidence base to support and sustain introduction of new vaccines. However, case-control studies do not measure the impact of vaccine introduction on disease at a population level, and are subject to bias and confounding, which may lead to inaccurate results that can misinform policy decisions. In 2012, a group of experts met to review recent experience with case-control studies evaluating the effectiveness of several vaccines; here we summarize the recommendations of that group regarding best practices for planning, design and enrollment of cases and controls. Rigorous planning and preparation should focus on understanding the study context including healthcare-seeking and vaccination practices. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies are best carried out soon after vaccine introduction because high coverage creates strong potential for confounding. Endpoints specific to the vaccine target are preferable to non-specific clinical syndromes since the proportion of non-specific outcomes preventable through vaccination may vary over time and place, leading to potentially confusing results. Controls should be representative of the source population from which cases arise, and are generally recruited from the community or health facilities where cases are enrolled. Matching of controls to cases for potential confounding factors is commonly used, although should be reserved for a limited number of key variables believed to be linked to both vaccination and disease. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies can provide information useful to guide policy decisions and vaccine development, however rigorous preparation and design is essential. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Analysis of GPR101 and AIP genes mutations in acromegaly: a multicentric study.

PubMed

Ferraù, Francesco; Romeo, P D; Puglisi, S; Ragonese, M; Torre, M L; Scaroni, C; Occhi, G; De Menis, E; Arnaldi, G; Trimarchi, F; Cannavò, S

2016-12-01

This multicentric study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the G protein-coupled receptor 101 (GPR101) p.E308D variant and aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene mutations in a representative cohort of Italian patients with acromegaly. 215 patients with GH-secreting pituitary adenomas, referred to 4 Italian referral centres for pituitary diseases, have been included. Three cases of gigantism were present. Five cases were classified as FIPA. All the patients have been screened for germline AIP gene mutations and GPR101 gene p.E308D variant. Heterozygous AIP gene variants have been found in 7 patients (3.2 %). Five patients carried an AIP mutation (2.3 %; 4 females): 3 patients harboured the p.R3O4Q mutation, one had the p.R304* mutation and the last one the IVS3+1G>A mutation. The prevalence of AIP mutations was 3.3 % and 2.8 % when considering only the patients diagnosed when they were <30 or <40-year old, respectively. Furthermore, 2.0 % of the patients with a pituitary macroadenoma and 4.2 % of patients resistant to somatostatin analogues treatment were found to harbour an AIP gene mutation. None of the patients was found to carry the GPR101 p.E308D variant. The prevalence of AIP gene mutations among our sporadic and familial acromegaly cases was similar to that one reported in previous studies, but lower when considering only the cases diagnosed before 40 years of age. The GPR101 p.E308D change is unlikely to have a role in somatotroph adenomas tumorigenesis, since none of our sporadic or familial patients tested positive for this variant.

Analysis of hemoglobin electrophoresis results and physicians investigative practices in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Mehdi, Syed Riaz; Al Dahmash, Badr Abdullah

2013-07-01

Riyadh and central province falls in a moderate prevalent zone of hemoglobinopathies in Saudi Arabia. However, it has been observed that the physicians working in Saudi Arabia invariably advise all cases of anemia for hemoglobin electrophoresis (HE). The present work was carried out to study the yield of the HE in Riyadh and the investigative practices of the physicians advising HE. The study was carried out in the hospitals of King Saud University from 2009 to 2011 in order to assess the yield of HE in referred cases of clinical anemia. A total of 1073 cases divided in two groups of males and females had undergone complete blood count and red blood cell morphology. Cellulose acetate HE was performed and all the positive results were reconfirmed on the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results were analyzed for the type of hemoglobinopathies. For statistical analysis Statistical Package for Social Sciences 15 version (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used. A total of 405 males and 668 females blood samples were included in the present study. 116 (28.5%) males and 167 (25%) females showed an abnormal pattern on HE. The incidence of beta thalassemia trait was higher in females while sickle cell trait was predominantly seen in males. Red cell indices were reduced considerably in thalassemias, but were unaffected in sickle cell disorders, except those which had concurrent alpha trait. The total yield of HE was 26.6% which was much less than expected. The physicians are advised to rule out iron deficiency and other common causes of anemia before investigating the cases for hemoglobinopathies, which employs time consuming and expensive tests of HE and HPLC.

Analysis of hemoglobin electrophoresis results and physicians investigative practices in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Mehdi, Syed Riaz; Al Dahmash, Badr Abdullah

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Riyadh and central province falls in a moderate prevalent zone of hemoglobinopathies in Saudi Arabia. However, it has been observed that the physicians working in Saudi Arabia invariably advise all cases of anemia for hemoglobin electrophoresis (HE). The present work was carried out to study the yield of the HE in Riyadh and the investigative practices of the physicians advising HE. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was carried out in the hospitals of King Saud University from 2009 to 2011 in order to assess the yield of HE in referred cases of clinical anemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1073 cases divided in two groups of males and females had undergone complete blood count and red blood cell morphology. Cellulose acetate HE was performed and all the positive results were reconfirmed on the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results were analyzed for the type of hemoglobinopathies. For statistical analysis Statistical Package for Social Sciences 15 version (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used. RESULTS: A total of 405 males and 668 females blood samples were included in the present study. 116 (28.5%) males and 167 (25%) females showed an abnormal pattern on HE. The incidence of beta thalassemia trait was higher in females while sickle cell trait was predominantly seen in males. Red cell indices were reduced considerably in thalassemias, but were unaffected in sickle cell disorders, except those which had concurrent alpha trait. The total yield of HE was 26.6% which was much less than expected. CONCLUSION: The physicians are advised to rule out iron deficiency and other common causes of anemia before investigating the cases for hemoglobinopathies, which employs time consuming and expensive tests of HE and HPLC. PMID:24339548

Understanding Market Size and Reporting Gaps for Paediatric TB in Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan: Supporting Improved Treatment of Childhood TB in the Advent of New Medicines

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Objective of the Study We sought to understand gaps in reporting childhood TB cases among public and private sector health facilities (dubbed “non-NTP” facilities) outside the network of national TB control programmes, and the resulting impact of under-reporting on estimates of paediatric disease burden and market demand for new medicines. Methodology Exploratory assessments were carried out in Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan, reaching a range of facility types in two selected areas of each country. Record reviews and interviews of healthcare providers were carried out to assess numbers of unreported paediatric TB cases, diagnostic pathways followed and treatment regimens prescribed. Main Findings A total of 985 unreported diagnosed paediatric TB cases were identified over a three month period in 2013 in Indonesia from 64 facilities, 463 in Pakistan from 35 facilities and 24 in Nigeria from 20 facilities. These represent an absolute additional annualised yield to 2013 notifications reported to WHO of 15% for Indonesia, 2% for Nigeria and 7% for Pakistan. Only 12% of all facilities provided age and sex-disaggregated data. Findings highlight the challenges of confirming childhood TB. Diagnosis patterns in Nigeria highlight a very low suspicion for childhood TB. Providers note the need for paediatric medicines aligned to WHO recommendations. Conclusion: How Market Data Can Support Better Public Health Interventions This study emphasises the impact of incomplete reporting on the estimation of disease burden and potential market size of paediatric TB medicines. Further studies on “hubs” (facilities treating large numbers of childhood TB cases) will improve our understanding of the epidemic, support introduction efforts for new treatments and better measure markets for new paediatric medicines. PMID:26460607

A Case Study of a Student-Run Advertising/Public Relations Agency: The Oregon State University Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, B. G.

Perhaps the most important course in an advertising curriculum is the student-run agency. This paper describes a program instituted and carried out at Oregon State University from 1985 to 1989 which provided students with experiential training resulting in valuable real-client contact and strong portfolios, making students "hot…

Visual Literacy in Primary Science: Exploring Anatomy Cross-Section Production Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

García Fernández, Beatriz; Ruiz-Gallardo, José Reyes

2017-01-01

Are children competent producing anatomy cross-sections? To answer this question, we carried out a case study research aimed at testing graphic production skills in anatomy of nutrition. The graphics produced by 118 children in the final year of primary education were analysed. The children had to draw a diagram of a human cross section,…

Safety performance enhancement analysis of rumble stripes with elements : a case study on rural highway US 285 in New Mexico : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-31

U.S. 285 is a major highway that runs through Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas with a large portion acting as a crucial corridor for the eastern portion of New Mexico, and also carries a significant portion of overturn crashes. Shoulder rumble strips ...

Lack of Correlation between Metallic Elements Analyzed in Hair by ICP-MS and Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Palma, Giuseppe; Catalani, Simona; Franco, Anna; Brighenti, Maurizio; Apostoli, Pietro

2012-01-01

A cross-sectional case-control study was carried out to evaluate the concentrations of metallic elements in the hair of 44 children with diagnosis of autism and 61 age-balanced controls. Unadjusted comparisons showed higher concentrations of molybdenum, lithium and selenium in autistic children. Logistic regression analysis confirmed the role of…

Tidal Waves of School Reform: Types of Reforms, Government Controls, and Community Advocates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Samuel

The more revolutionary, drastic education reform efforts are usually supported by new governmental legislation. This book offers three case studies of drastic reform carried out in Kentucky, Alberta, and Chicago. The reforms can be visualized in terms of how close they are to the alternative aims of expert guidance, social activism, and an…

Student Perceptions of Service Quality in a Multi-Campus Higher Education System in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallifa, Josep; Batalle, Pere

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present an in-depth case study with student perceptions of service quality, discussing the relevance of these perceptions for the important issue of quality improvement in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents institutional research carried out in a multi-campus system in Spain made up of…

Total Quality Management Elements and Results in Higher Education Institutions: The Greek Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Psomas, Evangelos; Antony, Jiju

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the main total quality management (TQM) elements adopted and the respective results achieved by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Greece. Design/methodology/approach: A research study was designed and carried out in private sector Greek HEIs. Fifteen HEIs were approached through interviews…

A Descriptive-Comparative Analysis of Apology Strategies: The Case of Iranian EFL and Malaysian ESL University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farashaiyan, Atieh; Amirkhiz, Seyed Yasin Yazdi

2011-01-01

This paper reports on a study that was carried out to describe and compare the apology strategies utilized by Iranian EFL and Malaysian ESL learners in confronting identical apology situations. For this purpose, data were elicited from 15 Iranian and 15 Malaysian students through a "Discourse completion tasks" questionnaire. The…

Environmental Management Systems for Educational Institutions: A Case Study of Teri University, New Delhi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jain, Suresh; Pant, Pallavi

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to put forth a model for implementation of an environmental management system (EMS) in institutes of higher education in India. Design/methodology/approach: The authors carried out initial environmental review (IER) and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify the major…

Dissecting a Gendered Organization: Implications for Career Trajectories for Mid-Career Faculty Women in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Jeni

2016-01-01

This paper traces the workplace practices within which mid-career women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) carry out their careers. Findings from this case study of 25 faculty at one research university revealed three institutional processes that constrained their careers: (a) access to and integration into career…

The Role of Chemistry Museums in Chemical Education for Students and the General Public. A Case Study from Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domenici, Valentina

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the educational role of museums of chemistry in presenting chemistry to the public in Italy, particularly to students. The activities carried out by Italian museums and scientific collections completely dedicated to chemistry have been analyzed, focusing on the relationship between these institutions and students with…

About Creativity, Giftedness, and Teaching the Creatively Gifted in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sak, Ugur

2004-01-01

In this case study the author explored a teacher's beliefs about creativity and giftedness and investigated the classroom practices of this teacher of gifted students for 20 years. Seven semi-structured and 2 open observations were carried out in her classroom, and 2 prefigured interviews were conducted with her. She believed that creative…

Indonesian Private University Lecturer Performance Improvement Model to Improve a Sustainable Organization Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suryaman

2018-01-01

Lecturer performance will affect the quality and carrying capacity of the sustainability of an organization, in this case the university. There are many models developed to measure the performance of teachers, but not much to discuss the influence of faculty performance itself towards sustainability of an organization. This study was conducted in…

Small World: Access to Higher Education between Methodological Nationalism and International Organisations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goastellec, Gaele

2010-01-01

What do the shared norms emerging in the regulation of access reveal about the higher education internationalisation process? The history of access norms brings to light two characteristics of this process: the spreading of sociotechnic tools and the emergence of moral entrepreneurs. Based on case studies carried out in France, the US, South…

A Mobile Augmented Reality System for the Learning of Dental Morphology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juan, M.-Carmen; Alexandrescu, Lucian; Folguera, Fernando; García-García, Inmaculada

2016-01-01

Three-dimensional models are important when the learning content is difficult to acquire from 2D images or other traditional methods. This is the case for learning dental morphology. In this paper, we present a mobile augmented reality (AR) system for learning dental morphology. A study with students was carried out to determine whether learning…

School Leadership Challenges along Kenya's Borabu-Sotik Border

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abaya, Joel

2016-01-01

This article is based on a qualitative multi-case study carried out in southwestern Kenya along the border areas of Nyanza and Rift Valley province. The purpose of the research was to examine the challenges public secondary school principals faced in their leadership roles and suggest efforts they might adopt to minimize the effects of these…

Vegetative Measures for Streambank Stabilization: Case Studies from Illinois and Missouri

Treesearch

Teri Heyer

1997-01-01

Streambank erosion is a common problem throughout the United States. A stream naturally loses bank material and redeposits it elsewhere. However, sediment carried by the stream can decrease water quality especially for the aquatic population by covering substrate and increasing turbidity. Once begun, streambank erosion can be a chronic problem, causing continual loss...

Students' Learning Performance and Transitions in Different Learning Pathways to Higher Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biemans, Harm; Mariën, Hans; Fleur, Erik; Tobi, Hilde; Nieuwenhuis, Loek; Runhaar, Piety

2016-01-01

To improve students' transitions between successive educational levels, continuing learning pathways are being designed and implemented in many countries. This study was carried out to examine the effects of the Green Lycea (GL) as critical cases of continuing learning pathways in vocational education in The Netherlands. The GL were compared with…

Techniques in Television Drama: A Case for a Revised Dramaturgy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfram, Manfred K.

One approach to the study of the televised image is through the combination of signs, created through production choices. Just as a linguistic sign does not carry exclusively the thoughts of its author but interposes its own material form (thus affecting reading of the text), so does the production choice (technique) infect the thought of the…

AIDS: An ICT Model for Integrating Teaching, Learning and Research in Technical University Education in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asabere, Nana; Togo, Gilbert; Acakpovi, Amevi; Torby, Wisdom; Ampadu, Kwame

2017-01-01

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has changed the way we communicate and carry out certain daily activities. Globally, ICT has become an essential means for disseminating information. Using Accra Technical University in Ghana as a case study, this paper proposes an ICT model called Awareness Incentives Demand and Support (AIDS). Our…

EVALUATION OF THE PROTOCOL FOR THE NATURAL ATTENUATION OF CHLORINATED SOLVENTS: CASE STUDY AT THE TWIN CITIES ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT

EPA Science Inventory

At the request of staff in the EPA Regions, EPA?s Office of Research and Development carried out an independent evaluation of the Technical Protocol for Evaluating Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents in Ground Water (EPA/600/R-98/128). The Protocol was developed around c...

Working Life Changes and Training of Older Workers. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikkanen, Tarja; Lahn, Leif Christian; Withnall, Alexandra; Ward, Peter; Lyng, Kolbein

WORKTOW was a multidisciplinary action research project carried out in 27 small and medium-sized enterprises in the United Kingdom, Finland, and Norway. The main focus was on the learning of workers aged 45 and older. In-depth case studies were conducted in all three countries involving a range of learning interventions. Results showed age was not…

Implicit Emotional Biases in Decision Making: The Case of the Iowa Gambling Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stocco, Andrea; Fum, Danilo

2008-01-01

Many authors have endorsed the hypothesis that previous emotional experiences may exert a covert influence on behavior, but some findings and replications of the original studies challenged this view. We investigated this topic by carrying out an experiment with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), where a dissociation procedure was adopted to…

A Methodology for the Assessment of Experiential Learning Lean: The Lean Experience Factory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Zan, Giovanni; De Toni, Alberto Felice; Fornasier, Andrea; Battistella, Cinzia

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology to assess the experiential learning processes of learning lean in an innovative learning environment: the lean model factories. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review on learning and lean management literatures was carried out to design the methodology. Then, a case study…

Games and Learning Come Together to Maximise Effectiveness: The Challenge of Bridging the Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pannese, Lucia; Carlesi, Maria

2007-01-01

The authors are designing and carrying out some training sessions based on serious games with customers from different business environments and with some university student groups, both in northern Italy. Some business case studies are described in this article specifying the context, the training goal, the adopted training solution and the main…

Urban Farming as a Civic Virtue Development in the Environmental Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prasetiyo, Wibowo Heru; Budimansyah, Dasim; Roslidah, Navila

2016-01-01

This research aims to describe the impact of urban farming carried out by Bandung Berkebun community as an attempt to develop the civic virtue in the environmental field. Research method used is a case study with qualitative approach. The results show that this program has educational, economic, social, and ecological impact to the society. This…

Effect of Participatory Research on Farmers' Knowledge and Practice of IPM: The Case of Cotton in Benin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Togbé, Codjo Euloge; Haagsma, Rein; Aoudji, Augustin K. N.; Vodouhê, Simplice D.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study assesses the effect of participatory research on farmers' knowledge and practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Benin. The participatory field experiments were carried out during the 2011-2012 cotton growing season, and focused on the development and application of pest management knowledge. Methodology: A…

Broadening Public Participation in Systematic Reviews: A Case Example Involving Young People in Two Configurative Reviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Kathryn; Rees, Rebecca; Brady, Louca-Mai; Kavanagh, Josephine; Oliver, Sandy; Thomas, James

2015-01-01

Background: Arguments supporting the involvement of users in research have even more weight when involving the public in systematic reviews of research. We aimed to explore the potential for public involvement in systematic reviews of observational and qualitative studies. Methods: Two consultative workshops were carried out with a group of young…

Innovative Subjectivity of Transeditors in Intercultural Communication--A Case Study of the Translated News of the 2008 Olympic Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Wei

2011-01-01

This paper deals with transeditors' innovative subjectivity in facilitating intercultural communication from both the journalistic and the translational perspectives. By applying the basic notions of Douglas Robinson's 'dialogical' mode to the analysis of the translated news carried by "The Global Times" that relates to the Summer…

The Varying Vulnerability of African Orphans: The Case of the Langi, Northern Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oleke, Christopher; Blystad, Astrid; Moland, Karen Marie; Rekdal, Ole Bjorn; Heggenhougen, Kristian

2006-01-01

This article is based on a qualitative study carried out in Lira District, northern Uganda, to assess the situation of orphans cared for in extended families. The objective of the article is to bring attention to the varying vulnerability of different categories of orphans. The methods employed in data collection included ethnographic fieldwork,…

Unlicensed EFL Teachers Co-Constructing Knowledge and Transforming Curriculum through Collaborative-Reflective Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garzón, Edgar Augusto Aguirre

2018-01-01

This paper describes a case study research project carried out in a public school in Bogotá, Colombia, with four unlicensed teachers of English as a foreign language. Although the institutional guidelines in the school suggest that teachers should collectively propose changes to shape pedagogical realities, there is evidence of little…

Successful Women Researchers in the Social Sciences: A Case Study of Catalan Public Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ion, Georgeta; Duran Belloch, Maria del Mar

2013-01-01

This article examines the factors which contribute to the success of female academics engaging in research in social sciences. The data were obtained through a series of interviews carried out at public universities in Catalonia with women, all of whom were the heads of research groups recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan…

The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Active Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keser, Filiz; Akar, Hanife; Yildirim, Ali

2011-01-01

There have been multiple trends of building democratic citizens through formal education, and in the European context the trials have been dramatically increased with the Europeanization process since the 1980s. In line with this trend, an in-depth qualitative case study was carried out in a private primary school in Turkey to shed light on the…

Evidence-Based Administration for Decision Making in the Framework of Knowledge Strategic Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Del Junco, Julio Garcia; Zaballa, Rafael De Reyna; de Perea, Juan Garcia Alvarez

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to present a model based on evidence-based administration (EBA), which aims to facilitate the creation, transformation and diffusion of knowledge in learning organizations. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical framework is proposed based on EBA and the case method. Accordingly, an empirical study was carried out in…

A Content Analysis of Dissertations in the Field of Educational Technology: The Case of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durak, Gurhan; Cankaya, Serkan; Yunkul, Eyup; Misirli, Zeynel Abidin

2018-01-01

The present study aimed at conducting content analysis on dissertations carried out so far in the field of Educational Technology in Turkey. A total of 137 dissertations were examined to determine the key words, academic discipline, research areas, theoretical frameworks, research designs and models, statistical analyses, data collection tools,…

49 CFR 176.5 - Application to vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... purpose of carrying flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk in its own tanks, when only carrying... (explosive) materials, Class 3 (flammable liquids), or Division 2.1 (flammable gas) materials, in which case... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY...

49 CFR 176.5 - Application to vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... purpose of carrying flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk in its own tanks, when only carrying... (explosive) materials, Class 3 (flammable liquids), or Division 2.1 (flammable gas) materials, in which case... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY...

49 CFR 176.5 - Application to vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... purpose of carrying flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk in its own tanks, when only carrying... (explosive) materials, Class 3 (flammable liquids), or Division 2.1 (flammable gas) materials, in which case... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY...

49 CFR 176.5 - Application to vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... purpose of carrying flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk in its own tanks, when only carrying... (explosive) materials, Class 3 (flammable liquids), or Division 2.1 (flammable gas) materials, in which case... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY...

49 CFR 176.5 - Application to vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... purpose of carrying flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk in its own tanks, when only carrying... (explosive) materials, Class 3 (flammable liquids), or Division 2.1 (flammable gas) materials, in which case... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY...

Using a case-mix-adjusted pressure sore incidence study in a surgical directorate to improve patient outcomes in pressure ulcer prevention.

PubMed

Watret, L

1999-10-01

The Glasgow Acute Clinical Audit Sub-Committee on Pressure Sores has previously carried out studies of incidence of pressure ulcers in the medical directorates and case-mix-adjusted the figures for length of hospital stay and risk assessment score. Case-mix classification is 'classification of people or treatment placed into groups using characteristics associated with condition, treatment or outcome that can be used to predict need, resource, use of outcomes'. In this instance, crude pressure ulcer incidence figures may be adjusted for length of hospital stay and pressure sore risk assessment score, and stratified into groups, which allows like to be compared with like. The value in case-mix-adjusted figures lies in repeating the exercise, thus determining the trend for individual areas and assessing whether improvement in the quality of care is being achieved. This is more positive than creation of 'league tables' comparing simultaneous studies in a number of areas. The figures showed that there was no statistically significant difference between surgical directorates in trusts with regard to risk assessment scores and length of hospital stay. Gathering data on the incidence of pressure ulcer development allows us to identify where new sores are occurring, but does not critically analyse the nursing intervention taken in individual cases, which identifies preventive strategies. The Glasgow group's primary aim was to gather data on case-mix-adjusted incidence of pressure damage; the secondary objectives were to scrutinize the data to gather more general information on intrinsic and extrinsic factors which may predispose to pressure ulcer development. The study was carried out in the surgical directorate. Findings showed that incidence was low (1.1%), with the majority of sores being superficial. There was a correlation between pressure ulcer development and incontinence, evidence of under-utilization of moving and handling aids for prevention of pressure ulcers, and a need for greater collaboration between nursing staff and dietitians. All patients had access to pressure-reducing surfaces, with cut-foam pressure-reducing mattresses with vapour-permeable covers on all beds. Dynamic systems were available if the primary nurse identified a need for them.

Blueprint for the development of low carbon society scenarios for Asian regions- case study of Iskandar Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, C. S.; Matsuoka, Y.; Chau, L. W.; Teh, B. T.; Simson, J. J.; Gomi, K.

2013-06-01

Malaysian government aims to reduce 40% reduction of carbon emission intensity by the year 2020 using 2005 as the base year. Several mitigation and adaptation strategies in addressing environmental and climate change are formulated at national, regional and local level to mitigate greenhouse gases. This paper aims to examine local and regional resilient policy actions to reduce greenhouse gases using the empirical case of Iskandar Malaysia. The study case is selected because it is one of the fast developing economic corridor regions in Malaysia. In this study, a low carbon society blueprint is initiated to guide the rapid development of this economic corridor towards low carbon green growth. The blueprint provides the sustainable green growth roadmap with major 12 actions for the region. It is done through a bottom-up approach where stakeholder discussions are carried out to allow local communities participation in the plan formulation.

A Case Study of SSP for Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mostavan, A.; Kaya, N.

2002-01-01

The market of the Solar Power Satellite must be worldwide, because it can be provide electricity anywhre in the world from the Earth's orbits. We have perform case studies of various countries to understand their benefits and disadvantages provide by the Space Solar Power, because each country has much different condition on energy from other countries. We are starting the international collaboration between Indonesia and Japan to carry out the case study for Indonesia. In Japan, METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) has already organized a committee to investigate the feasibility of the Space Solar Power and to make a plan to launch a space demonstration of the Solar Power Satellite. While, Indonesia is quickly developing economy and increasing their energy demand. We are investigating the detailed energy conditions of Indonesia and the benefits and disadvantages of he SSP for Indonesia. Especially, we will perform the investigation on the receiving system for the Japanese pilot SPS.

Ways of optimization of pregnancy gingivitis treatment.

PubMed

Mdivani, M; Betaneli, M; Margvelashvili, V; Kharabadze, M

2011-01-01

Pregnancy gingivitis is developed in 30-75% of cases and it is a result of complicated hormonal and immunological changes in the organism. 100 pregnant women with various degree of severity of gingivitis have been observed. Acute generalized gingivitis, gingival edema with bleeding, hyperplasia, have been observed in all patients, while in bad cases - with ulcers' formation at gingival. Decrease of hemoreological index of gingival tissue (down to 0,15-0,19 Ohm) have been mentioned, too. Complete clinical and laboratory studies, as well as screening of obtained data have been carried out before the treatment, in its process and after the course. Pregnant women have been under the supervision, to whom according to various indications (rhesus-imcompatibility, antiphospholipidic syndrome, early interruption of pregnancy with disorder of the system of hemostasis basically towards hypercoagulation) has been carried out curative discrete plasmapheresis. All pregnant women have been diagnosed by the gingivitis of varying severity. After completion of curative course of plasmapheresis has been carried out evaluation of patients' condition. It has been reached improvement of subjective and objective data, regulation of hemoreological data in gingival tissue (0,21-0,23 Ohm). Respectively, the period of recurrence-free course of disease have been increased and the quality of patients' life have been improved.

Association between biomass fuel and pulmonary tuberculosis: a nested case-control study.

PubMed

Kolappan, C; Subramani, R

2009-08-01

To quantify the association between biomass fuel usage and sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. A tuberculosis prevalence survey was conducted in a random sample of 50 rural units (villages) and three urban units in the Tiruvallur district of Tamilnadu, India during the period 2001-2003. Additional data regarding exposure to tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, biomass fuel usage and Standard of Living Index (SLI) were also collected from the study participants. A nested case-control study was carried out in this population. Cases are defined as bacteriological-positive cases diagnosed by either sputum smear or culture examination. For each case, five age- (within +/-5 years of age) and sex-matched controls were selected randomly from the non-cases residing in the same village/unit. Thus, 255 cases and 1275 controls were included in this study. The unadjusted OR measured from univariate analysis for biomass fuel is 2.9 (95% CI 1.8 to 4.7). The adjusted OR measured from multivariate analysis using Cox regression is 1.7 (95% CI 1.0 to 2.9). Thirty-six percent of cases are attributable to biomass fuel usage. The findings from this case-control study add to the evidence for an independent association between biomass smoke and pulmonary tuberculosis. Improvement in standards of living brought about by economic development will lead to more people using cleaner fuels for cooking than biomass fuel which in turn will lead to a reduction in the occurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis in the community.

Effective school actions for mitigating seasonal influenza outbreaks in Niigata, Japan.

PubMed

Sugisaki, Koshu; Seki, Nao; Tanabe, Naohito; Saito, Reiko; Sasaki, Asami; Sasaki, Satoshi; Suzuki, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Japan has implemented various school actions during seasonal influenza outbreaks since the 1950's under the School Health Law. However, the effective duration, extent, and timing of closures remain unresolved. We conducted a retrospective study on the relationship between elementary class closures and influenza outbreak control during four consecutive influenza seasons from the 2004-2005 to 2007-2008 school years in Joetsu, Niigata, Japan. Among a total of 1,061 classes of 72 schools, 624 cases of influenza outbreaks were documented among 61 schools. Class closures were carried out in a total of 62 cases in response to influenza outbreak, which was defined as a student absentee rate of greater than 10% due to influenza or influenza-like illness. Of these cases, two-day class closures were conducted the day after reaching a 10% student absentee rate in 28 cases and other types of closures were initiated in 34 cases. A markedly higher number of outbreak cases ended within one week for two-day class closures compared to the other types of closures (82.1% vs. 20.6%, respectively). The significant association between two-day class closures and interruption of an outbreak within one week was confirmed using a multivariable model adjusted for the season, grade, day of the week of an outbreak start, and absentee rate on the day of an outbreak start (OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.12-9.07; p = 0.030). Our results suggest that a two-day class closure carried out the day after reaching a 10% absentee rate is an effective approach for mitigating influenza outbreaks in elementary schools.

Correlation of karyotype and immunophenotype in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia; experience at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt.

PubMed

Hamouda, Faiza; El-Sissy, Azza H; Radwan, Ashraf K; Hussein, Hany; Gadallah, Farida H; Al-Sharkawy, Nahla; Sedhom, Eman; Ebeid, Emad; Salem, Shereen I

2007-06-01

To identify chromosomal pattern among the major immunophenotypic subgroups in Egyptian children with ALL, and its correlation with clinical presentation and disease free survival. Cytogenetic and immunophenotypic analysis were done for all patients. Patients received ALL-PNCI-III/98 chemotherapy protocol used at NCI, Cairo University. The frequency of pseudodiploidy and normal karyotype in the whole group was 42.9% and 33.3% respectively. The frequency of pseudodiploidy was 36.8% in CALLA positive early pre B, 30.7% in pre B cases, 71.4% in T cell cases and 100% in mature B cell cases. At 12 months, DFS was 50% for pseudodiploid group having pre B phenotype, compared to 16.6% for pseudodiploid group with CALLA positive early pre B ALL. Sixteen percent of the studied cases showed T cell phenotype, 71.4% of them showed pseudodiploid karyotype, all of them had high risk features. Hyperdiploidy was found in 31.5% of CALLA positive early pre B cases and was associated with favorable prognostic features and DFS of 66.6% at 12 months. Hyperdiploidy of >50 chromosome represented 62.5% of hyperdipoid cases, 80% of them were CALLA positive early pre B ALL carrying good risk features. Fifty percent of normal karyotypic patients showed pre B phenotype, while 42.8% showed CALLA positive early pre B ALL. Their age, TLC, DFS, were almost comparable. CALLA early pre B phenotype has a positive impact on chromosomal pattern having best outcome among patients with hyperdiploidy. The Pseudodiploid karyotype carries a better outcome with pre B phenotype.

Emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST273 Carrying blaNDM-7 and ST656 Carrying blaNDM-1 in Manila, Philippines

PubMed Central

Chou, Andrew; Roa, Marylette; Evangelista, Michael A.; Sulit, Arielle Kae; Lagamayo, Evelina; Torres, Brian C.; Klinzing, David C.; Daroy, Maria Luisa G.; Navoa-Ng, Josephine; Sucgang, Richard

2016-01-01

We sought to determine the epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and to investigate the emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in two teaching hospitals in Manila, Philippines. We screened 364 Enterobacteriaceae for carbapenem resistance between 2012 and 2013 and detected four carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates from three different patients. We used whole genome sequencing to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles and confirmed the presence of carbapenemase genes by multiplex PCR. We used multilocus sequence typing and PCR-based replicon typing to genetically characterize the carbapenem-resistant isolates. The carbapenemase gene blaNDM was detected in K. pneumoniae isolates from two patients. The first patient had ventilator-associated pneumonia and lumbar shunt infection from K. pneumoniae ST273 carrying blaNDM-7. The second patient had asymptomatic genitourinary colonization with K. pneumoniae ST656 carrying blaNDM-1. The third patient had a gluteal abscess with K. pneumoniae ST1 that did not carry a carbapenemase gene, but did carry blaDHA-1, blaOXA-1, and blaSHV-1. In this study, we report the first cases of blaNDM-carrying pathogens in the Philippines and add to the growing evidence of the worldwide spread of ST273 and NDM-7, a more efficient carbapenem hydrolyzer than NDM-1. PMID:27032000

Computer-based simulation training in emergency medicine designed in the light of malpractice cases.

PubMed

Karakuş, Akan; Duran, Latif; Yavuz, Yücel; Altintop, Levent; Calişkan, Fatih

2014-07-27

Using computer-based simulation systems in medical education is becoming more and more common. Although the benefits of practicing with these systems in medical education have been demonstrated, advantages of using computer-based simulation in emergency medicine education are less validated. The aim of the present study was to assess the success rates of final year medical students in doing emergency medical treatment and evaluating the effectiveness of computer-based simulation training in improving final year medical students' knowledge. Twenty four Students trained with computer-based simulation and completed at least 4 hours of simulation-based education between the dates Feb 1, 2010 - May 1, 2010. Also a control group (traditionally trained, n =24) was chosen. After the end of training, students completed an examination about 5 randomized medical simulation cases. In 5 cases, an average of 3.9 correct medical approaches carried out by computer-based simulation trained students, an average of 2.8 correct medical approaches carried out by traditionally trained group (t = 3.90, p < 0.005). We found that the success of students trained with simulation training in cases which required complicated medical approach, was statistically higher than the ones who didn't take simulation training (p ≤ 0.05). Computer-based simulation training would be significantly effective in learning of medical treatment algorithms. We thought that these programs can improve the success rate of students especially in doing adequate medical approach to complex emergency cases.

Outbreak of hepatitis A in two federal states of Germany: bakery products as vehicle of infection.

PubMed

Schenkel, K; Bremer, V; Grabe, C; Van Treeck, U; Schreier, E; Höhne, M; Ammon, A; Alpers, K

2006-12-01

In April 2004, increased numbers of hepatitis A were noted in six neighbouring districts in Germany. Exploratory interviews showed that patients had consumed bakery products from company X where two employees had been diagnosed with hepatitis A in February. A case-control study of consumption of products of company X was carried out through telephone interviews. Altogether, 64 cases were identified. Fifty-two cases and 112 controls aged >or=16 years were included in the case-control study. In total, 46/52 cases and 37/112 controls had consumed company X products [odds ratio (OR) 15.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.1-39.7]. Of these, 36/46 cases and 16/37 controls had consumed pastries (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.8-12.3), 25/46 cases and 12/37 controls had consumed filled doughnuts (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0-6.1). Sequence analysis of the VP1-2A junction region indicated 100% strain homology between cases and an infected employee of company X. We recommended reinforcement of hygiene precautions, and consideration of a prolongation of compulsory work absence after post-exposure vaccination.

Frequency of suspected cases of neurocysticercosis detected by computed skull tomography in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.

PubMed

Silva, J E; Diefenthäler, A P; Palma, J K

2000-01-01

Due to the lack of studies about neurocysticercosis in the South of Brazil, an investigation was conducted to determine the percentage of suspected cases of neurocysticercosis in computed tomography diagnoses in Santa Maria, RS, from January 1997 to December 1998. Of 6300 computed tomographies (CT) of the skull performed at the private Hospital de Caridade Astrogildo de Azevedo, 80, i.e., 1.27% were suspected of neurocysticercosis. Fifty were women (62.5%) and 30 were men (37.5%). The most frequent radiological manifestation indicating neurocysticercosis was the presence of calcifications (isolated or associated), with a 95% rate (76 cases), while the presence of hypodense lesions reached a 5% rate (4 cases). After routine analysis, each CT was evaluated again and the suspected cases were confirmed. The percentage of suspected cases of neurocysticercosis detected by CT in the present study carried out in Santa Maria was considered low (1.27%). This can be explained by the fact that tomography is not accessible to the economically underprivileged population of Santa Maria. We hope that the present study can alert the population and the professionals to the fact that neurocysticercosis is a more frequent disease than indicated by the few diagnoses made.

Surgical repair and analysis of penile fracture complications.

PubMed

Moreno Sierra, Jesús; Garde Garcia, Hector; Fernandez Perez, Cristina; Galante Romo, Isabel; Chavez Roa, Cesar; Senovilla Perez, Jose Luis; Silmi Moyano, Angel

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to describe and analyze the experience over a period of 10 years at our center through a retrospective study of a series of diagnosed and treated cases of penile fracture. From 2005 to 2009 the Urology Department of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos of Madrid carried out a retrospective case study of a total of 15 cases of penile fracture. The diagnosis was reached through physical exploration of the patient aided by a penile ultrasound; the immediate treatment performed on the patients was emergency surgical repair. From the total in the series (n = 15), only 1 case was associated with a complete urethral fracture (6.6%). Surgical repair was performed in all cases; the average hospital stay was 2.6 days (range 1-5), and the most frequent long-term complication was erectile dysfunction in 3 of 15 cases (20%). A penis fracture diagnosis is mostly clinical; complementary tests, such as ultrasound, are helpful but not definitive. Surgical treatment consists of an incision that allows adequate exposure of the corpora cavernosa and urethra to repair the suspected lesions found upon diagnosis. Ambulatory follow-up is essential to diagnose and treat possible complications. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Association between age and high-risk human papilloma virus in Mexican oral cancer patients.

PubMed

González-Ramírez, I; Irigoyen-Camacho, M E; Ramírez-Amador, V; Lizano-Soberón, M; Carrillo-García, A; García-Carrancá, A; Sánchez-Pérez, Y; Méndez-Martínez, R; Granados-García, M; Ruíz-Godoy, Lm; García-Cuellar, Cm

2013-11-01

Studies reporting low prevalence of HPV in OSCC with declining age at presentation are increasing. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV in a group of OSCC cases and controls in a Mexican population. The matched case-control study included 80 OSCC cases and 320 controls. HPV/DNA presence was evaluated through PCR amplification using three sets of consensus primers for the L1 gene. A conditional logistic regression analysis was carried out for the matched OSCC cases and controls. Interactions between risk factors and OCSS were tested in the construction process of the models. HPV prevalence was 5% in OSCC cases and 2.5% in controls. HPV-detected types were 16, 18 and 56. According to conditional logistics regression model, an association was detected between HR-HPV and OSCC. All HR-HPV-positive OSCC cases corresponded to young patients (<45 years), non-smokers and non-alcohol drinkers. The HR-HPV can be a contributing factor to oral carcinogenesis, especially in younger individuals without known risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Screening for antibody to HTLV-III in blood donors of Liguria. Ligurian Committee for the Study of Infections Transmitted through Blood and Blood Products.

PubMed

1985-01-01

Anti-HTLV III had been detected in 12,689 serum samples collected within August 1985 from 12 Transfusion Centres of Liguria. In the course of the first test, carried out by ELISA using disrupted virions as antigen, 12,666 samples (99.81%) resulted non reactive; 14 (0.1%) belonged to the grey-zone and 9 (0.08%) were clearly reactive. The samples of the last two classes were tested again in the same way and, whenever the cases were suspect as positive, by Western-blot technique. All positive cases, but three, were linked with risk factors such as intravenous drug use or drug addicts partners. Even if the prevalence of blood donors anti-HTLV III positive resulted, on the whole, very low (0.063%), the investigations carried out prove the importance of regular screening of blood units for the prevention of HTLV III infection.

Effect of Periodontal Disease on Preeclampsia

PubMed Central

Sayar, F; Hoseini, M Sadat; Abbaspour, S

2011-01-01

Background: A lot of studies have shown periodontal diseases as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. The association between periodontitis and preeclampsia has been studied recently with controversy. Considering the importance of preventing preeclampsia as a dangerous and life-threatening disease in pregnant women, the present study was carried out. Methods: Two hundred and ten pregnant women participated in this case-control study (105 controls & 105 cases) during years 2007 and 2008. Preeclamptic cases were defined as blood pressure ≥140/90mmHg and proteinuria +1. Control group were pregnant women with normal blood pressure without proteinuria. Both groups were examined during 48 hours after child delivery. Plaque Index (PLI), Pocket Depth (PD), Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), Bleeding On Probing (BOP), Gingival Recession (GR) were measured on all teeth except for third molars and recorded as periodontal examination. Data was analyzed using t-test, chi-square, and Mann-Whitney U statistical tests. Results: There was no significant difference between the two study groups for PD. CAL, GR, BOP significantly increased in the case group (P< 0.02). This study showed that preeclamptic cases were more likely to develop periodontal disease (P< 0.0001). Eighty three percent of the control group and 95% of the case group had periodontal disease (P< 0.005) which had shown that preeclamptic cases were 4.1 times more likely to have periodontal disease (OR= 4.1). Conclusion: Preeclamptic cases significantly had higher attachment loss and gingival recession than the control group. PMID:23113094

a Study on Satellite Diagnostic Expert Systems Using Case-Based Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Young-Tack; Kim, Jae-Hoon; Park, Hyun-Soo

1997-06-01

Many research works are on going to monitor and diagnose diverse malfunctions of satellite systems as the complexity and number of satellites increase. Currently, many works on monitoring and diagnosis are carried out by human experts but there are needs to automate much of the routine works of them. Hence, it is necessary to study on using expert systems which can assist human experts routine work by doing automatically, thereby allow human experts devote their expertise more critical and important areas of monitoring and diagnosis. In this paper, we are employing artificial intelligence techniques to model human experts' knowledge and inference the constructed knowledge. Especially, case-based approaches are used to construct a knowledge base to model human expert capabilities which use previous typical exemplars. We have designed and implemented a prototype case-based system for diagnosing satellite malfunctions using cases. Our system remembers typical failure cases and diagnoses a current malfunction by indexing the case base. Diverse methods are used to build a more user friendly interface which allows human experts can build a knowledge base in as easy way.

Serologic evaluation of toxoplasmosis in matrimonial women in Babol, Iran.

PubMed

Youssefi, M R; Sefidgar, A A; Mostafazadeh, A; Omran, S Mahdavi

2007-05-01

To investigate anti-toxoplasmosis in matrimonial women, samples collected from who referred to Babol health center, that is the only pre-marriage laboratory guide center in Babol. This descriptive-cross sectional study has carried out on 241 matrimonial women to consider anti toxoplasmosis antibodies (IgG, IgM) by ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay). In this study, 241 women between 13 to 40 years old were considered. The average age was 20.98 years. Of these cases, 47.3% were urban and 52.7% were rural. 63.9% had IgG and 12.4% had IgM anti-toxoplasmosis antibody. This study carried out to determine anti toxoplasmosis antibodies in Babol in the first half of 2004. Dispersed studies have been done to determine the prevalence oftoxoplasmosis in Iran and mostly have reported a high and different prevalence oftoxoplasmosis in different parts of country.

Mutational spectrum in breast cancer associated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in Colombia

PubMed Central

Gómez-Gutiérrez, Alberto; Díaz-Dussán, Natalia Andrea; Noguera-Santamaría, María Claudia; Díaz-Rincón, Diego; Casas-Gómez, María Consuelo

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer is higher in families that carry mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, and timely mutation detection is critical. Objective: To identify the presence of mutations in the Colombian population and evaluate two testing strategies. Methods: From a total universe of 853 individual blood samples referred for BRCA1 and BRCA2 typing, 256 cases were analyzed by complete direct sequencing of both genes in Myriad Genetics, and the remaining 597 cases were studied by partial sequencing based on founder mutations in a PCR test designed by ourselves ("Profile Colombia"). Results: We found 107 patients carrying deleterious mutations in this group of patients, 69 (64.5%) located in BRCA1, and 38 (35.5%) in BRCA2. Overall, we detected 39 previously unreported mutations in Colombia (22 in BRCA1 and 17 in BRCA2) and only 4 out of the 6 previously reported founder mutations. Sixty four out of 597 patients (10.7%) studied by "Profile Colombia" showed mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2, and 41/256 patients (16%) showed mutations by complete BRCA1-BRCA2 sequencing. Conclusions: The spectrum of 44 different mutations in Colombia as detected in our study is broader than the one previously reported for this country. "Profile Colombia" is a useful screening test to establish both founder and new mutations (detection rate of 10.7%) in cases with family history of breast cancer. Complete sequencing shows a detection rate of 16.0%, and should complement the study of the genetic basis of this disease. PMID:29021639

Photon interaction studies using 241Am g-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, N.; Karunakaran Nair, K.; Abdullah, K. K.; Varier, K. M.

2006-09-01

We have carried out some photon interaction measurements using 59.54 keV γ-rays from a ^{241}Am source. These include γ attenuation studies as well as photoelectric absorption studies in various samples. The attenuation studies have been made using leaf and wood samples, samples like sand, sugar etc., which contain particles of varying sizes as well as pellets and aqueous solutions of rare earth compounds. In the case of the leaf and wood samples, we have used the γ-ray attenuation technique for the determination of the water content in fresh and dried samples. The variation of the attenuation coefficient with particle size has been investigated for sand and sugar samples. The attenuation studies as well as the photoelectric studies in the case of rare earth elements have been carried out on samples containing such elements whose K-absorption edge energies lie below and close to the γ-energy used. Suitable compounds of the rare earth elements have been chosen as mixture absorbers in these investigations. A narrow beam good geometry set-up was used for the attenuation measurements. A well-shielded scattering geometry was used for the photoelectric measurements. The mixture rule was invoked to extract the values of the mass attenuation coefficients for the elements from those of the corresponding compounds. The results are consistent with theoretical values derived from the XCOM package.

pSK41-Like Plasmid Is Necessary for Inc18-Like vanA Plasmid Transfer from Enterococcus faecalis to Staphylococcus aureus In Vitro

PubMed Central

Clark, Nancye; Patel, Jean B.

2013-01-01

Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) is thought to result from the in vivo conjugative transfer of a vanA plasmid from an Enterococcus sp. to S. aureus. We studied bacterial isolates from VRSA cases that occurred in the United States to identify microbiological factors which may contribute to this plasmid transfer. First, vancomycin-susceptible, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates from five VRSA cases were tested for their ability to accept foreign DNA by conjugation in mating experiments with Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 containing pAM378, a pheromone-response conjugative plasmid. All of the MRSA isolates accepted the plasmid DNA with similar transfer efficiencies (∼10−7/donor CFU) except for one isolate, MRSA8, for which conjugation was not successful. The MRSA isolates were also tested as recipients in mating experiments between an E. faecalis isolate with an Inc18-like vanA plasmid that was isolated from a VRSA case patient. Conjugative transfer was successful for 3/5 MRSA isolates. Successful MRSA recipients carried a pSK41-like plasmid, a staphylococcal conjugative plasmid, whereas the two unsuccessful MRSA recipients did not carry pSK41. The transfer of a pSK41-like plasmid from a successful MRSA recipient to the two unsuccessful recipients resulted in conjugal transfer of the Inc18-like vanA plasmid from E. faecalis at a frequency of 10−7/recipient CFU. In addition, conjugal transfer could be achieved for pSK41-negative MRSA in the presence of a cell-free culture filtrate from S. aureus carrying a pSK41-like plasmid at a frequency of 10−8/recipient CFU. These results indicated that a pSK41-like plasmid can facilitate the transfer of an Inc18-like vanA plasmid from E. faecalis to S. aureus, possibly via an extracellular factor produced by pSK41-carrying isolates. PMID:23089754

Features of surface phase formation during case-hardening of iron- and titanium-based alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vintaikin, B. E.; Kamynin, A. V.; Kraposhin, V. S.; Smirnov, A. E.; Terezanova, K. V.; Cherenkova, S. A.; Sheykina, V. I.

2017-11-01

The article provides a detailed analysis of formation features for surface phases in technical iron and Cr20-Ni80 alloy samples that undergo case-hardening at a temperature of 850°C for 2, 4 and 6 hours of saturation in two different environments: acetylene, and molten salt consisting of sodium tetraborate and amorphous boron. We carried out an X-ray phase analysis to determine the phase structure of surface material layers that formed as a result of the case-hardening process. We discovered that after carburising it was possible to detect Fe3C and Fe-α phases on the surface of technical iron samples, and after boriding we found FeB, Fe2B and Fe3B phases; we noted a lack of characteristic Fe-α and Fe-γ peaks on the X-ray diffraction pattern. We detected many different phases in the Cr20-Ni80 alloy after the same type of case-hardening. Titanium oxides appeared after case-hardening of titanium in air at 800°C. We provide data on surface structure of samples subjected to vacuum carburising: over a 2 to 6 hour interval, the layer thickness is a parabolic function of time. When carrying out electrolysis-free liquid boriding, increasing exposure time from 2 to 6 hours alters the thickness of the strengthened layer only slightly, so, when carrying out case-hardening, it is less efficient to increase saturation time in molten salt containing sodium tetraborate and amorphous boron.

Understanding Market Size and Reporting Gaps for Paediatric TB in Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan: Supporting Improved Treatment of Childhood TB in the Advent of New Medicines.

PubMed

Coghlan, Renia; Gardiner, Elizabeth; Amanullah, Farhana; Ihekweazu, Chikwe; Triasih, Rina; Grzemska, Malgorzata; Sismanidis, Charalambos

2015-01-01

We sought to understand gaps in reporting childhood TB cases among public and private sector health facilities (dubbed "non-NTP" facilities) outside the network of national TB control programmes, and the resulting impact of under-reporting on estimates of paediatric disease burden and market demand for new medicines. Exploratory assessments were carried out in Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan, reaching a range of facility types in two selected areas of each country. Record reviews and interviews of healthcare providers were carried out to assess numbers of unreported paediatric TB cases, diagnostic pathways followed and treatment regimens prescribed. A total of 985 unreported diagnosed paediatric TB cases were identified over a three month period in 2013 in Indonesia from 64 facilities, 463 in Pakistan from 35 facilities and 24 in Nigeria from 20 facilities. These represent an absolute additional annualised yield to 2013 notifications reported to WHO of 15% for Indonesia, 2% for Nigeria and 7% for Pakistan. Only 12% of all facilities provided age and sex-disaggregated data. Findings highlight the challenges of confirming childhood TB. Diagnosis patterns in Nigeria highlight a very low suspicion for childhood TB. Providers note the need for paediatric medicines aligned to WHO recommendations. This study emphasises the impact of incomplete reporting on the estimation of disease burden and potential market size of paediatric TB medicines. Further studies on "hubs" (facilities treating large numbers of childhood TB cases) will improve our understanding of the epidemic, support introduction efforts for new treatments and better measure markets for new paediatric medicines.

Maternal sleep deprivation, sedentary lifestyle and cooking smoke: Risk factors for miscarriage: A case control study.

PubMed

Samaraweera, Yasindu; Abeysena, Chrishantha

2010-08-01

To determine risk factors for miscarriage. A case control study was carried out at the gynaecological wards and antenatal clinics of the De Soysa Maternity Hospital in Sri Lanka. A case was defined as that of mothers with a confirmed diagnosis of partial or full expulsion of the fetus during the first 28 weeks of gestation. Controls comprised ante-natal clinic attendees whose period of gestation was <28 weeks and carrying a viable fetus. Two hundred and thirty cases and 504 controls were selected. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire and modified life events inventory were used to gather data. Multivariate logistic regression was applied separately for first and second trimester miscarriages and the results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) and as 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Sleeping < or =8 h/day (OR:3.80, 95% CI:1.01-14.3) was found to be a risk factor for first trimester miscarriage controlling for the effect of period of gestation. Sleeping < or =8 h/day (OR:2.04, 95% CI:1.24-3.37), standing < or =3 h/day (OR:1.83, 95% CI:1.08-3.10), exposure to cooking smoke (OR:3.83, 95% CI:1.50-9.90) and physical trauma during the pregnancy (OR:43.2, 95% CI:4.55-411.4) were found to be risk factors for second trimester miscarriage controlling for the effect of period of gestation. Sleep deprivation, a sedentary lifestyle, exposure to cooking smoke and physical trauma during pregnancy were risk factors for miscarriage. Most of the risk factors are therefore modifiable.

Complete Spinal Accessory Nerve Palsy From Carrying Climbing Gear.

PubMed

Coulter, Jess M; Warme, Winston J

2015-09-01

We report an unusual case of spinal accessory nerve palsy sustained while transporting climbing gear. Spinal accessory nerve injury is commonly a result of iatrogenic surgical trauma during lymph node excision. This particular nerve is less frequently injured by blunt trauma. The case reported here results from compression of the spinal accessory nerve for a sustained period-that is, carrying a load over the shoulder using a single nylon rope for 2.5 hours. This highlights the importance of using proper load-carrying equipment to distribute weight over a greater surface area to avoid nerve compression in the posterior triangle of the neck. The signs and symptoms of spinal accessory nerve palsy and its etiology are discussed. This report is particularly relevant to individuals involved in mountaineering and rock climbing but can be extended to anyone carrying a load with a strap over one shoulder and across the body. Copyright © 2015 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Mele, A; Stazi, M A; Pulsoni, A; Visani, G; Monarca, B; Castelli, G; Rocchi, L; Avvisati, G; Mandelli, F

1995-01-01

The estimated incidence of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is approximately 6 cases per 10 million people per year with no apparent differences between sexes. The age of APL cases is younger than that of other acute myeloid leukemias (AML). Spatial and temporal clusters of APL have been reported. These observations suggest a possible selective role for environmental and/or occupational factors in APL development. A multicenter case-control study was carried out on risk factors for acute leukemias and preleukemias. In this report data related to APL are selectively analyzed from the larger study to identify specific risk factors. The case-control study on 38 cases of APL showed a strong association with shoemaking (odds ration 6.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3-31.1). A moderate leukemogenic effect from living in houses built with tuff, a polous building material containing gamma-emitting radionuclides and having a high radon concentration, and from using hair dyes was also suggested. These data, together with the reported spatial and temporal clustering of APL, support the hypothesis of specific environmental and/or occupational risk factors for APL among other AML subtypes and indicate the need for additional ad hoc multicenter studies.

Development of urbanization in arid and semi arid regions based on the water resource carrying capacity -- a case study of Changji, Xinjiang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, H.; Zhang, L.; Chai, Z.

2017-07-01

The arid and semiarid region in China where have a relatively weak economic foundation, independent development capacity, and the low-level of urbanization. The new urbanization within these regions is facing severe challenges brought by the constraints of resources. In this paper, we selected the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as study area. We found that agricultural planting structure is the key water consumption index based on the research about the main water demands of domestic, agriculture and industry. Finally, we suggest that more attentions should be paid to the rational utilization of water resources, population carrying capacity, and adjust and upgrade the industrial structure, with the purpose of coordination with the Silk Road Economic Belt.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS IN POST RENAL TRANSPLANT OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS: A FRESH LOOK.

PubMed

Chopra, G S; Narula, A S; Reddy, P S; Bhardwaj, J R

1999-04-01

A total of 86 renal transplant patients who were transplanted with live related donor (LRD) and live unrelated donor (LURD) kidneys were studied for opportunistic infections. Immune diagnosis of Toxoplasma, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes-simplex virus type II (HSV-2), Aspergillosis and Tuberculosis was carried out in these patients along with sputum examination, CSF studies and biopsy of lymphnode and other tissues in few cases. A high degree of Toxoplasma, CMV & HSV-2 positivity was seen in transplanted patients. However sensitivity of serological diagnosis of tuberculos was found to be low with standard criteria, which increased significantly when modified criteria were used. It is concluded that regular immunological monitoring should be carried out in transplanted patients so as to reach an early diagnosis and management of opportunistic infections.

A study of angular dependence in the ablation rate of polymers by nanosecond pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedder, James E. A.; Holmes, Andrew S.

2006-02-01

Measurements of ablation rate have traditionally been carried out only at normal incidence. However, in real-world applications ablation is often carried out at oblique angles, and it is useful to have prior knowledge of the ablation rate in this case. Detailed information about the angular dependence is also important for the development of ablation simulation tools, and can provide additional insight into the ablation mechanism. Previously we have reported on the angular dependence of direct-write ablation at 266 nm wavelength in solgel and polymer materials. In this paper we present a systematic study of angular dependence for excimer laser ablation of two polymer materials of interest for microfabrication: polycarbonate and SU8 photoresist. The results are used to improve simulation models to aid in mask design.

Acquired resistance L747S mutation in an epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor-naïve patient: A report of three cases.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Fumihiro; Fukuchi, Kunihiko; Yamazaki, Yohei; Takayasu, Hiromi; Tazawa, Sakiko; Tateno, Hidetsugu; Kato, Eisuke; Wakabayashi, Aya; Fujimori, Mami; Iwasaki, Takuya; Hayashi, Makoto; Tsuchiya, Yutaka; Yamashita, Jun; Takeda, Norikazu; Kokubu, Fumio

2014-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to report cases of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI)-naïve patients carrying a mutation associated with acquired resistance to the drug. Gene alterations in 77 lung carcinoma patients were analyzed by collecting and studying curette lavage fluid at the time of diagnosis. PCRs were performed to amplify mutation hotspot regions in EGFR genes. The PCR products were direct-sequenced and the mutations confirmed by resequencing using different primers. Case 1 was a 78-year-old Japanese male diagnosed with stage IB lung adenocarcinoma who was found to have two EGFR mutations, G719S and L747S. Case 2 was a 73-year-old Japanese male diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell lung carcinoma and bone metastasis who had the EGFR mutation, L747S. Case 3 was an 82-year-old Japanese male diagnosed with hyponatremia due to inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone and stage IIIB small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) who had the EGFR mutation, L747S. Thus, the EGFR mutation L747S associated with acquired EGFR-TKI resistance was detected in two non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients and one SCLC patient, none of whom had ever received EGFR-TKI. The patients were current smokers with stages at diagnosis ranging from IB to IV, and their initial tumors contained resistant clones carrying L747S. L747S may be associated with primary resistance. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first report of an EGFR mutation associated with resistance to EGFR-TKI in SCLC patients. The early detection of EGFR-TKI resistance mutations may be beneficial in making treatment decisions for lung carcinoma patients, including those with SCLC.

A Large Cohort of Hemoglobin Variants in Thailand: Molecular Epidemiological Study and Diagnostic Consideration

PubMed Central

Srivorakun, Hataichanok; Singha, Kritsada; Fucharoen, Goonnapa; Sanchaisuriya, Kanokwan; Fucharoen, Supan

2014-01-01

Background Hemoglobin (Hb) variants are structurally inherited changes of globin chains. Accurate diagnoses of these variants are important for planning of appropriate management and genetic counseling. Since no epidemiological study has been conducted before, we have investigated frequencies, molecular and hematological features of Hb variants found in a large cohort of Thai subjects. Materials and Methods Study was conducted on 26,013 unrelated subjects, inhabiting in all geographical parts of Thailand over a period of 11 years from January 2002-December 2012. Hb analysis was done on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or capillary electrophoresis (CE). Mutations causing Hb variants were identified using PCR and related techniques. Results Among 26,013 subjects investigated, 636 (2.4%) were found to carry Hb variants. Of these 636 subjects, 142 (22.4%) carried α-chain variants with 13 different mutations. The remaining included 451 (70.9%) cases with 16 β-chain variants, 37 (5.8%) cases with Hb Lepore (δβ-hybrid Hb) and 6 (0.9%) cases with a single δ-chain variant. The most common α-globin chain variant was the Hb Q-Thailand (α74GAC-CAC, Asp-His) which was found in 101 cases (15.8%). For β-globin chain variants, Hb Hope (β136GGT-GAT, Gly-Asp) and Hb Tak (β146+AC, Ter-Thr) are the two most common ones, found in 121 (19.0%) and 90 (14.2%) cases, respectively. Seven Hb variants have never been found in Thai population. Hb analysis profiles on HPLC or CE of these variants were illustrated to guide presumptive diagnostics. Conclusions Hb variants are common and heterogeneous in Thai population. With varieties of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies in the population, interactions between them leading to complex syndromes are common and render their diagnoses difficult in routine practices. Knowledge of the spectrum, molecular basis, genotype-phenotype correlation and diagnostic features should prove useful for prevention and control of the diseases in the region. PMID:25244406

Molecular studies of achondroplasia

PubMed Central

Nahar, Risha; Saxena, Renu; Kohli, Sudha; Puri, Ratna; Verma, Ishwar Chandra

2009-01-01

Background: Achondroplasia (ACH) is the most frequent form of short-limbed dwarfism, caused by mutations in the FGFR3 gene. It follows an autosomal dominant inheritance, though most cases are sporadic. The molecular techniques are the only available methods to confirm the diagnosis of a skeletal dysplasia. Clinical and radiological features are only suggestive and not confirmatory. The present study was conducted to find out how often the clinical diagnosis of achondroplasia is verified on molecular studies. Materials and Methods: From 1998 through 2007, we carried out molecular analysis for the two common mutations in the FGFR3 gene in 130 cases clinically suspected to have ACH. Results: A diagnostic mutation was identified in 53 (40.8%) cases. The common mutation (1138G>A) was present in 50 (94.7%) of the positive cases, while the rare 1138 G>C substitution was found in three (5.3%). Conclusion: This study shows that confirmation of clinical diagnosis of ACH by molecular genetic testing is essential to distinguish it from other skeletal dysplasias, to plan therapeutic options, and to offer genetic counseling. Management (medical and surgical) in patients confirmed to have ACH, is briefly discussed. PMID:19838370

Adjusting a biochemistry course for physical education majors: A case study.

PubMed

da Costa, Caetano; Torres, Bayardo B

2004-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the events responsible for curricular characteristics that lead to positive outcomes in university teaching using a biochemistry course taught to physical education students as a model. The research was carried out as a case study, supported by questionnaires, classroom observation, document analysis, and interviews. The overall analyses of obtained data were validated by means of triangulation protocols, which proved the following reasons for the course achievements: 1) teaching staff deeply committed to the course; 2) contents adaptation to students' careers; 3) gradual adjustment of the teaching strategies and evaluation tools; 4) valorization of formative evaluation; and 5) providing a suitable affective milieu. Copyright © 2004 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Compassionate use programs in Italy: ethical guidelines.

PubMed

De Panfilis, Ludovica; Satolli, Roberto; Costantini, Massimo

2018-03-09

This article proposes a retrospective analysis of a compassionate use (CU), using a case study of request for Avelumab for a patient suffering from Merkel Cell Carcinoma. The study is the result of a discussion within a Provincial Ethics Committee (EC) following the finding of a high number of requests for CU program. The primary objective of the study is to illustrate the specific ethical and clinical profiles that emerge from the compassionate use program (CUP) issue. The secondary goals are: a) to promote a moral reflection among physicians who require approval for the CUP and b) provide the basis for recommendations on how to request CUP. The instruments for carrying out the analysis of the case study and the discussion are as follows: Analysis of the audio-recording of the EC meeting regarding the selected Case study. In-depth discussion of topics that emerged during the meeting by means of administration of 5 semi-structured interviews with 2 doctors involved in the case (proposing physician and palliative physician) and with 3 components of the EC who played a major role in the EC internal discussion. In an exploration of emerging clinical and ethical issues, four primary themes arise: 1. efficacy, safety of the treatment and patient's quality of life; 2. clear, realistic, adequate communication; 3. right to hope; 4. simultaneous Palliative Care approach. The results of ethical analysis carried out concern two areas: 1) ethical profiles relating to the use of CUP; 2) the role of the EC concerning the compassionate use of drugs and the need to provide recommendations on how to request CUP. With the aim of implementing these conclusions, the provincial EC of Reggio Emilia chose to steer the request for drugs for compassionate use through recommendations for good clinical and ethical practice based on the following assumptions: 1) the "simultaneous care" approach must be preferred. Secondly, 2) the EC's assessment must be part of the decision-making process that the care team conducts before proposing compassionate use to the patient.

Bone metastasis from ovarian cancer. Clinical analysis of 26 cases.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Sun, Jimei

2013-12-01

To study the clinical characteristics of bone metastasis from ovarian cancer, and facilitate physicians to develop treatment strategies. This retrospective study was carried out in the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong, China. Twenty-six cases of bone metastasis from ovarian cancer treated between January 2002 and May 2008 were reviewed, and the clinical data were collected. In the current study, the incidence of bone metastasis is 0.82%. Twelve cases of bone metastasis occurred in the cervical vertebra, 10 in the lumbar vertebra, 8 in the pelvis, 7 in the thoracic vertebra, 5 in the limbs, one in the ribs, and 2 in the sternum. Lung metastasis occurred concomitantly in 9 cases, liver metastasis in 5 cases, brain metastasis in 4 cases, splenic metastasis in 3 cases, adrenal metastasis in 2 cases, and lymphatic metastasis in 12 cases. Twenty-three cases (88.5%) of bone metastasis were detected in stage III-IV, and 3 (11.5%) in stage II (p=0.000). The survival time in cases treated using comprehensive therapy was longer than those using radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone (p=0.047). Bone metastasis from ovarian cancer is rare, however, the increasing pathological stage of ovarian cancer may add to the risk of bone metastasis, especially in the cases with lung or lymphatic metastasis. The pelvis and vertebral bone are the most common location of bone metastasis, and comprehensive treatment may improve the survival time of patients.

Cultural Heritage Through Time: a Case Study at Hadrian's Wall, United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fieber, K. D.; Mills, J. P.; Peppa, M. V.; Haynes, I.; Turner, S.; Turner, A.; Douglas, M.; Bryan, P. G.

2017-02-01

Diachronic studies are central to cultural heritage research for the investigation of change, from landscape to architectural scales. Temporal analyses and multi-temporal 3D reconstruction are fundamental for maintaining and safeguarding all forms of cultural heritage. Such studies form the basis for any kind of decision regarding intervention on cultural heritage, helping assess the risks and issues involved. This article introduces a European-wide project, entitled "Cultural Heritage Through Time", and the case study research carried out as a component of the project in the UK. The paper outlines the initial stages of the case study of landscape change at three locations on Hadrian's Wall, namely Beckfoot Roman Fort, Birdoswald Roman Fort and Corbridge Roman Station, all once part of the Roman Empire's north-west frontier. The main aim of the case study is to integrate heterogeneous information derived from a range of sources to help inform understanding of temporal aspects of landscape change. In particular, the study sites are at risk from natural hazards, notably erosion and flooding. The paper focuses on data collection and collation aspects, including an extensive archive search and field survey, as well as the methodology and preliminary data processing.

Do socioeconomic inequalities in mortality vary between different Spanish cities? a pooled cross-sectional analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The relationship between deprivation and mortality in urban settings is well established. This relationship has been found for several causes of death in Spanish cities in independent analyses (the MEDEA project). However, no joint analysis which pools the strength of this relationship across several cities has ever been undertaken. Such an analysis would determine, if appropriate, a joint relationship by linking the associations found. Methods A pooled cross-sectional analysis of the data from the MEDEA project has been carried out for each of the causes of death studied. Specifically, a meta-analysis has been carried out to pool the relative risks in eleven Spanish cities. Different deprivation-mortality relationships across the cities are considered in the analysis (fixed and random effects models). The size of the cities is also considered as a possible factor explaining differences between cities. Results Twenty studies have been carried out for different combinations of sex and causes of death. For nine of them (men: prostate cancer, diabetes, mental illnesses, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease; women: diabetes, mental illnesses, respiratory diseases, cirrhosis) no differences were found between cities in the effect of deprivation on mortality; in four cases (men: respiratory diseases, all causes of mortality; women: breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease) differences not associated with the size of the city have been determined; in two cases (men: cirrhosis; women: lung cancer) differences strictly linked to the size of the city have been determined, and in five cases (men: lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease; women: ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, all causes of mortality) both kinds of differences have been found. Except for lung cancer in women, every significant relationship between deprivation and mortality goes in the same direction: deprivation increases mortality. Variability in the relative risks across cities was found for general mortality for both sexes. Conclusions This study provides a general overview of the relationship between deprivation and mortality for a sample of large Spanish cities combined. This joint study allows the exploration of and, if appropriate, the quantification of the variability in that relationship for the set of cities considered. PMID:23679869

Paleomagnetic and Rock Magnetic Study of Oligocene-Holocene Sedimentary Rocks from Northern Dominican Republic: Evidence of Vertical Axis Rotations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anson Sanchez, M.; Kodama, K. P.; Pueyo, E. L.; Soto, R.; Garcia-Senz, J.; Escuder-Viruete, J.; Pastor-Galan, D.

2017-12-01

A paleomagnetic and rock magnetic study was conducted in the northern Dominican Republic to detect vertical axis rotations in an active left-lateral, strike slip fault zone. 191 samples from 21 sites were collected from a variety of lithologies including limestones, conglomerates, calcarenites and marls that ranged in age from the Oligocene to the Holocene. The rock magnetic portion of the study focused on the identification of magnetic minerals using coercivity, and Curie temperature (c vs temperature) measurement, modeling of IRM acquisition curves, and thermal demagnetization of IRMs (Lowrie, 19901). In the paleomagnetic portion of the study characteristic remanences (ChRMs) were isolated using thermal demagnetization (19 steps up to 680ºC) and alternating field (AF) demagnetization (17 steps up to 100 mT). In most cases the characteristic remanence is carried by magnetite, with peak unblocking temperatures of 575ºC. This interpretation was supported by c vs. T results that yielded Curie temperatures of 580˚C. In only a few cases (7 samples) higher unblocking temperatures suggested hematite as the magnetic carrier. The modeling of IRM acquisition curves, that shows two coercivity components, further supports the presence of magnetite. 75% of the IRM is carried by the low-coercivity component (100-300 mT, magnetite). 25% of the IRM is carried by the high-coercivity component (1.2-1.6T) characteristic of hematite. The IRM acquisition data was collected from 24 samples (3-4 from each of the lithologies sampled). IRMs were acquired in fields from 4mT to 1T in 23 steps. The paleomagnetic results show a grouping by tectonic blocks with one group having westerly ChRM declinations (268˚-295˚) and a second group having northerly ChRM declinations (357˚-035˚). In most cases, inclinations are intermediate ( 35˚), in agreement with the 24˚-31˚ expected inclinations for Dominican Republic in the period Oligocene to Holocene. The rotation of the tectonic blocks, as detected by the declinations, is consistent with a left-lateral strike-slip motion across the main fault in the area. 1Lowrie, 1990, GRL, 17, 159-162

Do socioeconomic inequalities in mortality vary between different Spanish cities? a pooled cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Martinez-Beneito, Miguel A; Zurriaga, Oscar; Botella-Rocamora, Paloma; Marí-Dell'Olmo, Marc; Nolasco, Andreu; Moncho, Joaquín; Daponte, Antonio; Domínguez-Berjón, M Felicitas; Gandarillas, Ana; Martos, Carmen; Montoya, Imanol; Sánchez-Villegas, Pablo; Taracido, Margarita; Borrell, Carme

2013-05-16

The relationship between deprivation and mortality in urban settings is well established. This relationship has been found for several causes of death in Spanish cities in independent analyses (the MEDEA project). However, no joint analysis which pools the strength of this relationship across several cities has ever been undertaken. Such an analysis would determine, if appropriate, a joint relationship by linking the associations found. A pooled cross-sectional analysis of the data from the MEDEA project has been carried out for each of the causes of death studied. Specifically, a meta-analysis has been carried out to pool the relative risks in eleven Spanish cities. Different deprivation-mortality relationships across the cities are considered in the analysis (fixed and random effects models). The size of the cities is also considered as a possible factor explaining differences between cities. Twenty studies have been carried out for different combinations of sex and causes of death. For nine of them (men: prostate cancer, diabetes, mental illnesses, Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular disease; women: diabetes, mental illnesses, respiratory diseases, cirrhosis) no differences were found between cities in the effect of deprivation on mortality; in four cases (men: respiratory diseases, all causes of mortality; women: breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease) differences not associated with the size of the city have been determined; in two cases (men: cirrhosis; women: lung cancer) differences strictly linked to the size of the city have been determined, and in five cases (men: lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease; women: ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, all causes of mortality) both kinds of differences have been found. Except for lung cancer in women, every significant relationship between deprivation and mortality goes in the same direction: deprivation increases mortality. Variability in the relative risks across cities was found for general mortality for both sexes. This study provides a general overview of the relationship between deprivation and mortality for a sample of large Spanish cities combined. This joint study allows the exploration of and, if appropriate, the quantification of the variability in that relationship for the set of cities considered.

[Retrospective census of cancers between 1994 and 2002 around the municipal solid waste incinerator of Gilly-sur-Isère].

PubMed

Thabuis, A; Schmitt, M; Megas, F; Fabres, B

2007-12-01

The retrospective cancer incidence study carried out around the municipal solid waste incinerator of Gilly-sur-Isère (Savoie, France) was ordered in a context of crisis during its closing in the late 2001. Its purpose was to determine whether or not there was an excessive number of cancers around the incinerator. In the absence of cancer registry in Savoie, this study consisted in counting as exhaustively as possible the cancers that occurred between 1994 and 2002 in the study area, which was exposed to the atmospheric fallouts from the incinerator. Thus, it was planned to compare the observed cancer incidence to the French cancer registries'. This work describes the main difficulties encountered as well as the solutions found during the census of cancer cases; the results of the incidence study are not included. The collection of medical data was carried out thanks to multiple sources of information: pathology and hematology laboratories, hospitals' and clinics' departments of medical information, health insurance funds, liberal practitioners or specialised cancer registries. The collected medical data files were dealt with: looking for the missing addresses, selecting patients from the study area, homogenizing cancers coding, merging files into a single database, analysing available information on each cancer and de-duplicating the database. Most cancers were validated by consulting medical folders so as to exclude the false cases like metastasises of a known primary cancer or recurrences. Two thousand eight hundred and forty-five cancers were initially collected, and 28% of them were excluded because they did not correspond to the case definition (no proof of cancer, diagnosis date before the study period...); the final database was made of 2055 cancer cases. Quality indicators showed that the database could be considered as exhaustive and valid as a registry's. Three types of sources allowed to identify 94% of cases: laboratories, hospitals' departments of medical information and health insurance funds. Using administrative data and consulting medical folders turned out to be necessary considering uncertainties about: the patients' residence at the time of the diagnosis, errors in coding cancers in some databases that were collected and difficulties to identify false cases. This census required very important means.

Medication exposure and spontaneous abortion: a case-control study using a French medical database.

PubMed

Abadie, D; Hurault-Delarue, C; Damase-Michel, C; Montastruc, J L; Lacroix, I

2015-01-01

Few studies have been conducted to investigate drug effects on spontaneous abortion risk. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential association between first trimester drug exposure and spontaneous abortion occurrence. The authors performed a nested case-control study using data from TERAPPEL, a French medical database. Cases were the women who had a spontaneous abortion (before the 22nd week of amenorrhea) and controls were women who gave birth to a child. Analyzed variables were: maternal age, obstetric history, tobacco, and alcohol and drug consumption during the first trimester of pregnancy. For comparison of drug exposures between cases and controls, the authors calculated odds ratios (ORs) by means of multivariate logistic regressions adjusted on age and on other drug exposures. The study included 838 cases and 4,508 controls that were identified in the database. In adjusted analyses, cases were more exposed than controls to "non-selective monoamine reuptake inhibitors" [OR=2.2 (CI 95% 1.5-3.3)], "antiprotozoals" [OR = 1.6 (CI 95% 1.1 - 2.5)] and "centrally acting antiobesity products" [OR = 3.4 (CI 95% 1.9 - 6.2)]. Conversely, controls were more exposed than cases to H1 antihistamines [OR = 0.6 (CI 95% 0.4 - 0.9)]. This exploratory study highlights some potential associations between first trimester drug exposure and risk of spontaneous abortion. Further studies have to be carried out to investigate these findings.

Effectiveness of pre-travel consultation in the prevention of travel-related diseases: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Tafuri, Silvio; Guerra, Rocco; Gallone, Maria Serena; Cappelli, Maria Giovanna; Lanotte, Serafina; Quarto, Michele; Germinario, Cinzia

2014-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-travel counselling carried out in Travel Clinics. This is a retrospective cohort. Three hundred international travellers were enrolled; 150 people were from users of Bari Travel Clinic, 150 were users of a travel agency. Enrolled subjects were interviewed using a questionnaire. The average age of the enrolled subjects was 37.5 ± 13.9, without statistically significant differences between the two groups. 86% of cases and 19.3% of the controls reported the use of anti-malaria prophylaxis (p < 0.0001). Vaccination against cholera was given to 62% of cases and 7.3% of the controls (p < 0.001). Travel Clinic users, 6% reported diarrhoea and these figures were 27% in the control group (p < 0.0001). The proportion of those interviewed who reported fever (3.7) or insomnia (1.3) did not differ between the two groups. Mosquito bites were reported by 8% of cases and 20% of the controls (p = 0.003). Three cases of malaria were reported among the controls but no cases were detected among the cases (chi-square = 3.03; p = 0.08). Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of pre-travel counselling; in the future, new studies must investigate the cost-effectiveness of pre-travel prevention measures.

Cerebral malaria and sequelar epilepsy: first matched case-control study in Gabon.

PubMed

Ngoungou, Edgard Brice; Koko, Jean; Druet-Cabanac, Michel; Assengone-Zeh-Nguema, Yvonne; Launay, Marylène Ndong; Engohang, Edouard; Moubeka-Mounguengui, Martine; Kouna-Ndouongo, Philomène; Loembe, Paul-Marie; Preux, Pierre-Marie; Kombila, Maryvonne

2006-12-01

Cerebral malaria (CM) is suspected to be a potential cause of epilepsy in tropical areas. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the relationship between CM and epilepsy in Gabon. A matched case-control study was carried out on a sample of subjects aged six months to 25 years and hospitalized between 1990 and 2004 in three hospitals in Libreville, Gabon. Cases were defined as patients suffering from epilepsy and confirmed by a neurologist. Controls were defined as patients without epilepsy. The exposure of interest was CM according to WHO criteria. In total, 296 cases and 296 controls were included. Of these, 36 (26 cases and 10 controls) had a CM history. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) to develop epilepsy after CM was 3.9 [95% CI: 1.7-8.9], p<0.001. Additional risk factors were identified: family history of epilepsy: aOR=6.0 [95% CI: 2.6-14.1], p<0.0001, and febrile convulsions: aOR=9.2 [95% CI 4.0-21.1], p<0.0001. This first case-control study on that issue suggests that epilepsy-related CM is an underrecognized problem. It emphasizes the need for further studies to better evaluate the role of convulsions during CM.

Critical evaluation as an aid to improved report writing: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Mirabelle; Williams, Judith

2014-05-01

Report writing is an important employability skill for Engineers and Technologists, and this case study describes how a Technology degree module took a novel approach to developing students' report writing skills. Students learned how to use a criterion-referenced critical evaluation framework for reports and other technological documents. They were given opportunities to practise using the framework both through exemplars and through evaluating the work of their peers. They also carried out self-assessment. The authors' analysis of this novel approach shows that most students responded well to it and benefited from it. Lessons are drawn from this work for others who wish to improve their students' report writing skills.

Formal concept analysis with background knowledge: a case study in paleobiological taxonomy of belemnites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belohlavek, Radim; Kostak, Martin; Osicka, Petr

2013-05-01

We present a case study in identification of taxa in paleobiological data. Our approach utilizes formal concept analysis and is based on conceiving a taxon as a group of individuals sharing a collection of attributes. In addition to the incidence relation between individuals and their attributes, the method uses expert background knowledge regarding importance of attributes which helps to filter out correctly formed but paleobiologically irrelevant taxa. We present results of experiments carried out with belemnites-a group of extinct cephalopods which seems particularly suitable for such a purpose. We demonstrate that the methods are capable of revealing taxa and relationships among them that are relevant from a paleobiological point of view.

Sewage-treatment under substantial load variations in winter tourism areas--a full case study.

PubMed

Winkler, S; Matsché, N; Gamperer, T; Dum, M

2004-01-01

The sewage-load variations in winter tourism areas are characterized by sudden increases--in the range of a factor two to three--within only a few days at the start and the end of the tourist season, especially at Christmas. The sudden load increases occur during periods of low wastewater temperatures, which is an additional demanding factor with respect to nitrogen removal. A full case study was carried out at WWTP Saalfelden, which is located near one of Austria's largest skiing resorts. The plant is designed for 80,000 PE and built according to the HYBRID-concept, which is a special two stage activated sludge process for extensive nutrient removal.

Anatomical study of blood supply to the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig.

PubMed

Mazensky, David; Danko, Jan; Petrovova, Eva; Flesarova, Slavka; Supuka, Peter; Supukova, Anna; Luptakova, Lenka; Purzyc, Halina

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to describe the arterial arrangement of the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig. The study was carried out on 20 adult English self guinea pigs using corrosion and dissection technique. Batson's corrosion casting kit no. 17(©) was used as a casting medium. The origin of the ventral spinal artery from the left vertebral artery was found on average in 35% of the cases and from the right vertebral artery on average in 40% of the cases. The ventral spinal artery with origin from the anastomosis of two medial branches was found on average in 25% of the cases. The presence of ventral radicular branches of rami spinales entering the ventral spinal artery in the cervical region was observed in 42% of the cases on the right side and in 58% of the cases on the left side. The presence of dorsal radicular branches of rami spinales that reached the spinal cord was observed in 63% of the cases on the left side and in 37% of the cases on the right side. The number of radicular branches supplying the spinal cord is greater in guinea pig than in humans. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Strategies for Dealing with Low Adoption of Agricultural Innovations: A Case Study of Farmers in Udenu L.G.A. of Enugu State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uguru, Chike; Ajayi, S. L.; Ogbu, Oliver C.

2015-01-01

A study to access the level of acceptance/adoption of agricultural innovations by farmers in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State was carried out. The aim was to find out the reasons behind the low acceptance/adoption of agricultural innovations by farmers in the area and to suggest possible strategies to address this ugly situation; as a…

How Did an Antismoking Campaign with a Neuro Linguistic Program Work out? A Case Study of Secondary School Students' Experiences in One Finnish School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahi, Salme; Maatta, Kaarina

2013-01-01

This article describes the use of a Neuro Linguistic Program (NLP) in an antismoking campaign and studies how successful this campaign was according to secondary school students. This campaign was carried out in a small town in northern Finland as an intensive three-day-long campaign. The data consisted of the essays and interviews of those…

Patients with primary breast and primary female genital tract diffuse large B cell lymphoma have a high frequency of MYD88 and CD79B mutations.

PubMed

Cao, Xin-Xin; Li, Jian; Cai, Hao; Zhang, Wei; Duan, Ming-Hui; Zhou, Dao-Bin

2017-11-01

This study is to retrospectively evaluate the prevalence of MYD88 and CD79B mutations and the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with primary diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the female genital tract and breast. The characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of 19 patients diagnosed with primary DLBCL of the female genital tract and breast, who had formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues obtained from diagnostic samples diagnosed between January 2004 and June 2016, were analyzed retrospectively. Nineteen female patients (7 with primary breast and 12 with primary female genital tract DLBCL) were included in this retrospective study. Eleven patients (57.9%) carried a MYD88 mutation, including 10 with MYD8 L265P and 1 with the MYD88 L265S mutation. Seven patients (36.8%) harbored a CD79B mutation, which included two cases with CD79B Y196H, two cases with CD79B Y196N, one case with CD79B Y196D, one case with CD79B Y196F, and one case with CD79B Y196X. Four cases had both MYD88 and CD79B mutations. The clinicopathologic parameters, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of the MYD88 mutation-carrying group were not significantly different from those of the MYD88 wild-type group except for higher LDH levels. Six patients received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP), while 13 patients received rituximab plus CHOP, and 13 patients received central nervous system prophylaxis. The median OS and PFS were 73 and 56 months, respectively. Patients with primary breast and primary female genital tract DLBCL have a high frequency of MYD88 and CD79B mutations. The presence of these mutations does not affect survival but may offer additional therapeutic options.

Low mortality after mild measles infection compared to uninfected children in rural West Africa.

PubMed

Aaby, Peter; Simondon, Francois; Samb, Badara; Cisse, Badara; Jensen, Henrik; Lisse, Ida Maria; Soumaré, Masserigne; Whittle, Hilton

2002-11-22

It has been assumed that measles infection may be associated with persistent immune suppression and long-term excess mortality. However, few community studies of mortality after measles infection have been carried out. We examined long-term mortality for measles cases, sub-clinical measles cases, and uninfected contacts after an epidemic in rural Senegal. The study was carried out in Niakhar, a rural area of Senegal. Index cases of measles were identified and children less than 7 years of age exposed to measles in the same compound had acute and convalescent blood samples collected. Clinically diagnosed measles cases were serologically confirmed. Children without clinical symptoms were classified as sub-clinical cases if they had a four-fold or greater change in antibody levels between samples collected at exposure and 1 month later and as uninfected if there was no or a two-fold change in antibody levels. There were 31 index cases, and among 184 exposed contacts, 35 (19%) children developed clinical measles. Among contacts that did not develop clinical measles, 45% had sub-clinical infection. Measles cases, sub-clinical cases, and uninfected contacts did not differ with respect to nutritional status. However, uninfected children without clinical symptoms and change in antibody level had higher initial measles specific IgG antibody levels and less intensive exposure to the index case. No index or secondary case of measles died in the acute phase of infection nor did any of the children exposed to measles die in the first 2 months after exposure. Exposed children developing clinical measles had lower age-adjusted mortality over the next 4 years than exposed children who did not develop clinical measles (P<0.05). Sub-clinical measles cases tended to have low mortality and compared with uninfected children, exposed children with clinical or sub-clinical measles had lower age-adjusted mortality (mortality ratio (MR)=0.20 (0.06-0.74)). Controlling for background factors had no impact of the estimates. When measles infection is mild, clinical measles has no long-term excess mortality and may be associated with better overall survival than no clinical measles infection. Sub-clinical measles is common among immunised children and is not associated with excess mortality.

[Design requirements for clinical trials on re-evaluation of safety and efficacy of post-marketed Chinese herbs].

PubMed

Xie, Yanming; Wei, Xu

2011-10-01

Re-evaluation of post-marketed based on pharmacoepidemiology is to study and collect clinical medicine safety in large population under practical applications for a long time. It is necessary to conduct re-evaluation of clinical effectiveness because of particularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Right before carrying out clinical trials on re-evaluation of post-marketed TCM, we should determine the objective of the study and progress it in the assessment mode of combination of disease and syndrome. Specical population, involving children and seniors who were excluded in pre-marketed clinical trial, were brought into drug monitoring. Sample size needs to comply with statistical requirement. We commonly use cohort study, case-control study, nested case-control, pragmatic randomized controlled trials.

Evaluation by University Students of the Use of Applets for Learning Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohigas, Xavier; Periago, Christina; Jaen, Xavier; Pejuan, Arcadi

2011-01-01

We present the results of a study carried out with students in their second year of Industrial Engineering to find out students' levels of satisfaction concerning the use of simulation tools (in this case an applet was used) as a tool for helping students learn the topic of movement by charged particles within electrical and magnetic fields. The…

Educational Poverty by Design: A Case of Mismanagement of National Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Nisar

2013-01-01

The primary purpose of this paper is to review and evaluate the causes of educational poverty in less developed countries. The basic intent in carrying out such a study is to define and derive the role of governing agencies in deliberately creating educational poverty in the country, so that the private interest of the rich and powerful ruling…

WASTE MINIMIZATION AUDIT REPORT: CASE STUDIES OF MINIMIZATION OF SOLVENT WASTES AND ELECTROPLATING WASTES AT A DOD (DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE) INSTALLATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report results of a waste minimization audit carried out in 1987 at a tank reconditioning facility operated by the DOD. The audit team developed recommendations for reducing the generation FOO6 wastewater treatment sludge, and FOO2, and FOO4 solvent wastes. In addition to det...

Boundary-Work in Science Education: A Case Study of GM Food

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yin-Ling

2016-01-01

The term "boundary-work" is used to refer to the constant effort to draw and re-draw the boundary of science; it has long been portrayed as constructed by the stakeholders of science to demarcate science from non-science to establish the authority of science. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were carried out with students from one…

Learner Agency and Its Effect on Spoken Interaction Time in the Target Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Janine; Barberà, Elena

2017-01-01

This paper presents the results of how four dyads in an online task-based synchronous computer-mediated (TB-SCMC) interaction event use their agency to carry out speaking tasks, and how their choices and actions affect time spent interacting in the target language. A case study approach was employed to analyse the language functions and cognitive…

Status and Developments of eLearning in the EU10 Member States: The Cases of Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ala-Mutka, Kirsti; Gaspar, Pal; Kismihok, Gabor; Suurna, Margit; Vehovar, Vasja

2010-01-01

This article summarises research carried out between 2006 and 2008 by IPTS (Institution for Prospective Technological Studies) in collaboration with a consortium of experts from 10 member states, led by ICEGEC. The project gathered information on eLearning developments to assess drivers and barriers and to suggest implications for policy and…

Carrying capacity for species richness as context for conservation: a case study of North American birds

Treesearch

Andrew J. Hansen; Linda Bowers Phillips; Curtis H. Flather; Jim Robinson-Cox

2011-01-01

We evaluated the leading hypotheses on biophysical factors affecting species richness for Breeding Bird Survey routes from areas with little influence of human activities.We then derived a best model based on information theory, and used this model to extrapolate SK across North America based on the biophysical predictor variables. The predictor variables included the...

Data-Division-Specific Robustness and Power of Randomization Tests for ABAB Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manolov, Rumen; Solanas, Antonio; Bulte, Isis; Onghena, Patrick

2010-01-01

This study deals with the statistical properties of a randomization test applied to an ABAB design in cases where the desirable random assignment of the points of change in phase is not possible. To obtain information about each possible data division, the authors carried out a conditional Monte Carlo simulation with 100,000 samples for each…

A Delphi-Based Approach for Detecting Key E-Learning Trends in Postgraduate Education: The Spanish Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Catalan, Blanca; Bañuls, Victor A.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the results of national level Delphi study carried out in Spain aimed at providing inputs for higher education administrators and decision makers about key e-learning trends for supporting postgraduate courses. Design/methodology/approach: The ranking of the e-learning trends is based on a…