Identifying aspects of neighbourhood deprivation associated with increased incidence of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Bhavsar, Vishal; Boydell, Jane; Murray, Robin; Power, Paddy

2014-06-01

Several studies have found an association between area deprivation and incidence of schizophrenia. However, not all studies have concurred and definitions of deprivation have varied between studies. Relative deprivation and inequality seem to be particularly important, but which aspects of deprivation or how this effect might operate is not known. The Lambeth Early Onset case register is a database of all cases of first episode psychosis aged 16 to 35years from the London Borough of Lambeth, a highly urban area. We identified 405 people with first onset schizophrenia who presented between 2000 and 2007. We calculated the overall incidence of first onset schizophrenia and tested for an association with area-level deprivation, using a multi-domain index of deprivation (IMD 2004). Specific analyses into associations with individual sub-domains of deprivation were then undertaken. Incidence rates, directly standardized for age and gender, were calculated for Lambeth at two geographical levels (small and large neighbourhood level). The Poisson regression model predicting incidence rate ratios for schizophrenia using overall deprivation score was statistically significant at both levels after adjusting for ethnicity, ethnic density, population density and population turnover. The incidence rate ratio for electoral ward deprivation was 1.03 (95% CI=1.004-1.04) and for the super output area deprivation was 1.04 (95% CI=1.02-1.06). The individual domains of crime, employment deprivation and educational deprivation were statistically significant predictors of incidence but, after adjusting for the other domains as well as age, gender, ethnicity and population density, only crime and educational deprivation, remained statistically significant. Low income, poor housing and deprived living environment did not predict incidence. In a highly urban area, an association was found between area-level deprivation and incidence of schizophrenia, after controlling for age, gender

STUDY TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT PARAMETERS FOR CHARACTERIZING PESTICIDE RESIDUE TRANSFER EFFICIENCIES

EPA Science Inventory

To reduce the uncertainty associated with current estimates of children's exposure to pesticides by dermal contact and non-dietary ingestion, residue transfer data are required. Prior to conducting exhaustive studies, a screening study to identify the important parameters for...

Aspects regarding the use of the INFREP network for identifying possible seismic precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolea, Paul; Cristea, Octavian; Dascal, Paul Vladut; Moldovan, Iren-Adelina; Biagi, Pier Francesco

even global causes generated by high-intensity solar flares. As a consequence, classifying these perturbations and minimizing them (when possible) would represent an important step towards identifying significant pattern deviations caused by seismic activities. Taken into consideration some of the issues mentioned above, this paper intends to present some aspects meant to improve the overall performance of the existing INFREP network. The signal-to-noise ratio improvement of the monitoring receiver may be achieved by relocating the antenna (or even the entire monitoring system if possible) in areas with less electromagnetic pollution within the VLF and LF bands. Other solution may involve replacing the existing electric ;whip; antennas with magnetic loop antennas. Regarding the measuring method, long-term averaging of the received signal to reduce the electromagnetic noise should be carefully applied. If the averaging time is too long, there is a risk that, during a seismic event, the details of the received signal envelope would be lost. Moreover, this may reduce the possibility of making correlations between the monitored stations and INFREP receivers in case of sudden ERP (Effective Radiated Power) variations of the VLF/LF stations. For the same reason, the time synchronization of the recorded data using (for instance) GPS technology is highly recommended. Other aspects related to the overall performance improvement of the INFREP network consist of monitoring other VLF/LF stations such as the Krasnodar station (south of Russia), part of the ALPHA/RSDN-20 VLF navigation system, or the 77.5 kHz DCF77 time signal transmitter (near Frankfurt am Main, Germany). Moreover, the installation of a new reception point in Romania (near Cluj-Napoca) for monitoring the Vrancea area (within the Carpathians Mountains) and the Adriatic region will provide complementary scientific data within the network.

Women's expectations and experiences of maternity care in NSW--what women highlight as most important.

PubMed

Jenkins, Mary G; Ford, Jane B; Morris, Jonathan M; Roberts, Christine L

2014-09-01

Although surveys have identified that women are generally highly satisfied with maternity care provision, those aspects of care that women highlight as most important for achieving satisfaction and a satisfactory maternity care experience have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate how women understand and experience their maternity care and to report which aspects of care women highlight as most important. This large qualitative study explored women's expectations and experiences of maternity care provision. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 women experiencing maternity care in a range of tertiary, regional, rural, remote hospitals and midwife-led practices in the state of New South Wales, Australia during 2011-2012. Included in the interview schedule was the question 'What 3 aspects would you see as most important for delivery of maternity care?' Descriptive analyses of entire transcripts and responses to the question on most important aspects of care were undertaken. Descriptive analyses of women's responses identified 5 important aspects of care: woman-focused care, staff qualities, systems and facilities, family-focused care and continuity of care/information. First-time mothers were more likely to identify woman-focused care, staff qualities and continuity of care/information as important aspects than multiparous mothers. Urban and regional mothers highlighted staff qualities as having greater importance for satisfaction with their care while rural and particularly remote women nominated systems and facilities as important. Our study showed that women from a range of settings are more concerned with staff and relational issues than facilities. Differences in perceptions among primiparous versus multiparous women, at different stages of pregnancy and among women from rural and remote compared to urban settings highlight the need to include women with a diversity of experience when trying to understand the aspects

Important aspects of participation and participation restrictions in people with a mild intellectual disability.

PubMed

Arvidsson, Patrik; Granlund, Mats; Thyberg, Ingrid; Thyberg, Mikael

2014-01-01

This study explored a possibility to assess the concepts of participation and participation restrictions in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) by combining self-ratings of the perceived importance with the actual performance of different everyday activities in people with a mild intellectual disability. Structured interviews regarding 68 items from the ICF activity/participation domain were conducted (n = 69). The items were ranked by perceived importance, performance and by combined measures. Furthermore, the measures were related to a single question about subjective general well-being. Rankings of performance highlighted about the same items as "important participation", while rankings of low performance addressed quite different items compared with "important participation restriction". Significant correlations were found between subjective general well-being and high performance (r = 0.56), high performance/high importance (important participation) (r = 0.56), low performance (r = -0.56) and low performance/high importance (important participation restriction; r = -0.55). The results support the clinical relevance of the ICF and the studied selection of 68 items. Although performance only may sometimes be a relevant aspect, knowledge about the relationship between the perceived importance and the actual performance is essential for clinical interventions and for research aiming to understand specific needs regarding participation. The concepts of participation and participation restriction are highly relevant in people with a mild intellectual disability. Self-rated performance might be sufficient to assess participation at a group level. In clinical practices, the relationship between the perceived importance and the actual performance of an activity is essential to assess.

Identifying Outcomes that Are Important to Living Kidney Donors: A Nominal Group Technique Study.

PubMed

Hanson, Camilla S; Chapman, Jeremy R; Gill, John S; Kanellis, John; Wong, Germaine; Craig, Jonathan C; Teixeira-Pinto, Armando; Chadban, Steve J; Garg, Amit X; Ralph, Angelique F; Pinter, Jule; Lewis, Joshua R; Tong, Allison

2018-06-07

Living kidney donor candidates accept a range of risks and benefits when they decide to proceed with nephrectomy. Informed consent around this decision assumes they receive reliable data about outcomes they regard as critical to their decision making. We identified the outcomes most important to living kidney donors and described the reasons for their choices. Previous donors were purposively sampled from three transplant units in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and Canada (Vancouver). In focus groups using the nominal group technique, participants identified outcomes of donation, ranked them in order of importance, and discussed the reasons for their preferences. An importance score was calculated for each outcome. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Across 14 groups, 123 donors aged 27-78 years identified 35 outcomes. Across all participants, the ten highest ranked outcomes were kidney function (importance=0.40, scale 0-1), time to recovery (0.27), surgical complications (0.24), effect on family (0.22), donor-recipient relationship (0.21), life satisfaction (0.18), lifestyle restrictions (0.18), kidney failure (0.14), mortality (0.13), and acute pain/discomfort (0.12). Kidney function and kidney failure were more important to Canadian participants, compared with Australian donors. The themes identified included worthwhile sacrifice, insignificance of risks and harms, confidence and empowerment, unfulfilled expectations, and heightened susceptibility. Living kidney donors prioritized a range of outcomes, with the most important being kidney health and the surgical, lifestyle, functional, and psychosocial effects of donation. Donors also valued improvements to their family life and donor-recipient relationship. There were clear regional differences in the rankings. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Nephrology.

The Acceptance of Universalism: The Importance of Selected Aspects of School Structure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Robert A.

This report describes a study that investigated empirically the relationships between selected aspects of the organizational structure of elementary schools and the extent to which students endorsed the norm of universalism. Four aspects of structure were studied: degree of departmentalization, school enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and extent…

Ranking product aspects through sentiment analysis of online reviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Wang, Hongwei; Song, Yuan

2017-03-01

The electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) is one of the most important among all the factors affecting consumers' behaviours. Opinions towards a product through online reviews will influence purchase decisions of other online consumers by changing their perceptions on the product quality. Furthermore, each product aspect may impact consumers' intentions differently. Thus, sentiment analysis and econometric models are incorporated to examine the relationship between purchase intentions and aspect-opinion pairs, which enable the weight estimation for each product aspect. We first identify product aspects and reduce dimensions to extract aspect-opinion pairs. Next the information gain is calculated for each aspect through entropy theory. Based on sentiment polarity and sentiment strength, we formulate an econometric model by integrating the information gain to measure the aspect's weight. In the experiment, we track 386 digital cameras on Amazon for 39 months, and results show that the aspect weight for digital cameras is detected more precisely than TF-ID and HAC algorithms. The results will bridge product aspects and consumption intention to facilitate e-WOM-based marketing.

A lifestyle intervention study targeting individuals with low socioeconomic status of different ethnic origins: important aspects for successful implementation.

PubMed

Teuscher, Dorit; Bukman, Andrea J; van Baak, Marleen A; Feskens, Edith J M; Renes, Reint Jan; Meershoek, Agnes

2017-07-25

Evaluation of the implementation process of trials is important, because the way a study is implemented modifies its outcomes. Furthermore, lessons learned during implementation can inform other researchers on factors that play a role when implementing interventions described in research. This study evaluates the implementation of the MetSLIM study, targeting individuals with low socioeconomic status of different ethnic origins. The MetSLIM study was set up to evaluate the effectiveness of a lifestyle programme on waist circumference and other cardio-metabolic risk factors. The objective of this evaluation was to identify components that were essential for the implementation of the MetSLIM study and to inform other researchers on methodological aspects when working with inadequately reached populations in health research. In this evaluation study the experiences of health professionals, study assistants, a community worker and regional research coordinators involved in the MetSLIM study were explored using semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were used to evaluate participants' satisfaction with the lifestyle intervention. Our analyses show that a flexible recruitment protocol eventually leads to recruitment of sufficient participants; that trust in the recruiter is an important factor in the recruitment of individuals with low socioeconomic status of different ethnic origins; and that health professionals will unavoidably shape the form of intervention activities. Furthermore, our evaluation shows that daily practice and research mutually influence each other and that the results of an intervention are a product of this interaction. Health promotion research would benefit from a perspective that sees intervention activities not as fixed entities but rather as social interaction that can take on numerous forms. Analysing and reporting the implementation process of studies, like in this evaluation, will allow readers to get a detailed view on the

Resampling procedures to identify important SNPs using a consensus approach.

PubMed

Pardy, Christopher; Motyer, Allan; Wilson, Susan

2011-11-29

Our goal is to identify common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (minor allele frequency > 1%) that add predictive accuracy above that gained by knowledge of easily measured clinical variables. We take an algorithmic approach to predict each phenotypic variable using a combination of phenotypic and genotypic predictors. We perform our procedure on the first simulated replicate and then validate against the others. Our procedure performs well when predicting Q1 but is less successful for the other outcomes. We use resampling procedures where possible to guard against false positives and to improve generalizability. The approach is based on finding a consensus regarding important SNPs by applying random forests and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) on multiple subsamples. Random forests are used first to discard unimportant predictors, narrowing our focus to roughly 100 important SNPs. A cross-validation LASSO is then used to further select variables. We combine these procedures to guarantee that cross-validation can be used to choose a shrinkage parameter for the LASSO. If the clinical variables were unavailable, this prefiltering step would be essential. We perform the SNP-based analyses simultaneously rather than one at a time to estimate SNP effects in the presence of other causal variants. We analyzed the first simulated replicate of Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 without knowledge of the true model. Post-conference knowledge of the simulation parameters allowed us to investigate the limitations of our approach. We found that many of the false positives we identified were substantially correlated with genuine causal SNPs.

27 CFR 478.92 - How must licensed manufacturers and licensed importers identify firearms, armor piercing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Conduct of Business § 478.92 How must licensed manufacturers and licensed importers identify firearms... business; and (E) In the case of an imported firearm, the name of the country in which it was manufactured... place of business. For additional requirements relating to imported firearms, see Customs regulations at...

Emotional Aspects of Childhood Career Development: Importance and Future Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira, Íris M.; Taveira, Maria do Céu; Porfeli, Erik J.

2015-01-01

Childhood is a central period for career and social-emotional development. However, the literature covering childhood career development and the role of emotions in careers is scarce. In this article, we advocate for the consideration of emotions in childhood career development. Emotional aspects of children's career exploration, key-figures and…

Dream content: Individual and generic aspects.

PubMed

Hobson, Allan; Kahn, David

2007-12-01

Dream reports were collected from normal subjects in an effort to determine the degree to which dream reports can be used to identify individual dreamers. Judges were asked to group the reports by their authors. The judges scored the reports correctly at chance levels. This finding indicated that dreams may be at least as much like each other as they are the signature of individual dreamers. Our results suggest that dream reports cannot be used to identify the individuals who produced them when identifiers like names and gender of friends and family members are removed from the dream report. In addition to using dreams to learn about an individual, we must look at dreams as telling us about important common or generic aspects of human consciousness.

A review on non-linear aeroelasticity of high aspect-ratio wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afonso, Frederico; Vale, José; Oliveira, Éder; Lau, Fernando; Suleman, Afzal

2017-02-01

Current economic constraints and environmental regulations call for design of more efficient aircraft configurations. An observed trend in aircraft design to reduce the lift induced drag and improve fuel consumption and emissions is to increase the wing aspect-ratio. However, a slender wing is more flexible and subject to higher deflections under the same operating conditions. This effect may lead to changes in dynamic behaviour and in aeroelastic response, potentially resulting in instabilities. Therefore, it is important to take into account geometric non-linearities in the design of high aspect-ratio wings, as well as having accurate computational codes that couple the aerodynamic and structural models in the presence of non-linearities. Here, a review on the state-of-the-art on non-linear aeroelasticity of high aspect-ratio wings is presented. The methodologies employed to analyse high aspect-ratio wings are presented and their applications discussed. Important observations from the state-of-the-art studies are drawn and the current challenges in the field are identified.

Identifying hub stations and important lines of bus networks: A case study in Xiamen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hui; Zhuge, Chengxiang; Yu, Xiaohua

2018-07-01

Hub stations and important lines play key roles in transfers between stations. In this paper, a node failure model is proposed to identify hub stations. In the model, we introduce two new indicators called neighborhood degree ratio and transfer index to evaluate the importance of stations, which consider neighborhood stations' degree of station and the initial transfer times between stations. Moreover, line accessibility is developed to measure the importance of lines in the bus network. Xiamen bus network in 2016 is utilized to test the model. The results show that the two introduced indicators are more effective to identify hub stations compared with traditional complex network indicators such as degree, clustering coefficient and betweenness.

Important caves to be identified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criteria to identify significant caves on federal land are being developed by the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management and the Agriculture Department's Forest Service under requirements of the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988. The departments gave advance notice of proposed rulemaking March 3 and invited suggestions and comments from the public for 30 days.The law requires protection, to the extent practical, of significant caves on lands administered by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior and includes authority to issue and revoke permits for collection and removal of cave resources and special provisions for regulation of cave resources on Indian lands. Final regulations must be published by August 18, 1989.

Which aspects of health are most important for patients with spondyloarthritis? A Best Worst Scaling based on the ASAS Health Index.

PubMed

Kiltz, Uta; Essers, Ivette; Hiligsmann, Mickael; Braun, Juergen; Maksymowych, Walter P; Taylor, William J; van der Heijde, Désirée; Boonen, Annelies

2016-10-01

The aim was to investigate the importance of aspects of health for patients with axial SpA (axSpA) and to explore differences across different subgroups. A Best Worst Scaling exercise was conducted in patients with axSpA from 20 countries (10 patients per country) worldwide. Using the 17 items of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society Health Index, a set of 17 choice tasks was generated. Patients had to indicate in each choice task the most and least important out of four varying items. The hierarchical Bayes method was used to estimate the relative importance score for each item (summing to 100). Subgroup comparisons were performed for relevant demographic (gender, age, work status, geographical area and education) and disease characteristics (SpA phenotype, disease duration and disease activity) using one-way analysis of variance or the Mann-Whitney U-test. The experiment was completed by 199 patients with axSpA [117 (58.8%) men, mean (sd) age 42.3 (13.6) years, mean (sd) disease duration 11.1 (11.2) years, 130 (65.3%) AS]. The highest relative importance was assigned to pain (14.2; 95% CI: 13.8, 14.6), sleep (10.3; 95% CI: 9.6, 11.0), being exhausted (9.6; 95% CI: 9.0, 10.3), standing (9.25; 95% CI: 8.5, 10.0) and motivation to do anything that requires physical effort (8.7; 95% CI: 8.1, 9.3). The lowest relative importance was assigned to sexual relationships, toileting, contact with people, driving and washing hair. Differences between subgroups were small or in aspects with lower importance. A clear gradient was seen in the importance of the different aspects of health that impact functioning of patients with axSpA. Differences between subgroups were small or non-existent. These findings help to align clinical care to patients' needs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Statistical Analyses of Scatterplots to Identify Important Factors in Large-Scale Simulations

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

Kleijnen, J.P.C.; Helton, J.C.

1999-04-01

The robustness of procedures for identifying patterns in scatterplots generated in Monte Carlo sensitivity analyses is investigated. These procedures are based on attempts to detect increasingly complex patterns in the scatterplots under consideration and involve the identification of (1) linear relationships with correlation coefficients, (2) monotonic relationships with rank correlation coefficients, (3) trends in central tendency as defined by means, medians and the Kruskal-Wallis statistic, (4) trends in variability as defined by variances and interquartile ranges, and (5) deviations from randomness as defined by the chi-square statistic. The following two topics related to the robustness of these procedures are consideredmore » for a sequence of example analyses with a large model for two-phase fluid flow: the presence of Type I and Type II errors, and the stability of results obtained with independent Latin hypercube samples. Observations from analysis include: (1) Type I errors are unavoidable, (2) Type II errors can occur when inappropriate analysis procedures are used, (3) physical explanations should always be sought for why statistical procedures identify variables as being important, and (4) the identification of important variables tends to be stable for independent Latin hypercube samples.« less

Cardiac Alpha1-Adrenergic Receptors: Novel Aspects of Expression, Signaling Mechanisms, Physiologic Function, and Clinical Importance

PubMed Central

O’Connell, Timothy D.; Jensen, Brian C.; Baker, Anthony J.

2014-01-01

Adrenergic receptors (AR) are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that have a crucial role in cardiac physiology in health and disease. Alpha1-ARs signal through Gαq, and signaling through Gq, for example, by endothelin and angiotensin receptors, is thought to be detrimental to the heart. In contrast, cardiac alpha1-ARs mediate important protective and adaptive functions in the heart, although alpha1-ARs are only a minor fraction of total cardiac ARs. Cardiac alpha1-ARs activate pleiotropic downstream signaling to prevent pathologic remodeling in heart failure. Mechanisms defined in animal and cell models include activation of adaptive hypertrophy, prevention of cardiac myocyte death, augmentation of contractility, and induction of ischemic preconditioning. Surprisingly, at the molecular level, alpha1-ARs localize to and signal at the nucleus in cardiac myocytes, and, unlike most GPCRs, activate “inside-out” signaling to cause cardioprotection. Contrary to past opinion, human cardiac alpha1-AR expression is similar to that in the mouse, where alpha1-AR effects are seen most convincingly in knockout models. Human clinical studies show that alpha1-blockade worsens heart failure in hypertension and does not improve outcomes in heart failure, implying a cardioprotective role for human alpha1-ARs. In summary, these findings identify novel functional and mechanistic aspects of cardiac alpha1-AR function and suggest that activation of cardiac alpha1-AR might be a viable therapeutic strategy in heart failure. PMID:24368739

Different approaches for identifying important concepts in probabilistic biomedical text summarization.

PubMed

Moradi, Milad; Ghadiri, Nasser

2018-01-01

Automatic text summarization tools help users in the biomedical domain to acquire their intended information from various textual resources more efficiently. Some of biomedical text summarization systems put the basis of their sentence selection approach on the frequency of concepts extracted from the input text. However, it seems that exploring other measures rather than the raw frequency for identifying valuable contents within an input document, or considering correlations existing between concepts, may be more useful for this type of summarization. In this paper, we describe a Bayesian summarization method for biomedical text documents. The Bayesian summarizer initially maps the input text to the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concepts; then it selects the important ones to be used as classification features. We introduce six different feature selection approaches to identify the most important concepts of the text and select the most informative contents according to the distribution of these concepts. We show that with the use of an appropriate feature selection approach, the Bayesian summarizer can improve the performance of biomedical summarization. Using the Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation (ROUGE) toolkit, we perform extensive evaluations on a corpus of scientific papers in the biomedical domain. The results show that when the Bayesian summarizer utilizes the feature selection methods that do not use the raw frequency, it can outperform the biomedical summarizers that rely on the frequency of concepts, domain-independent and baseline methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying important motivational factors for professionals in Greek hospitals

PubMed Central

Kontodimopoulos, Nick; Paleologou, Victoria; Niakas, Dimitris

2009-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to identify important motivational factors according to the views of health-care professionals in Greek hospitals and particularly to determine if these might differ in the public and private sectors. Methods A previously developed -and validated- instrument addressing four work-related motivators (job attributes, remuneration, co-workers and achievements) was used. Three categories of health care professionals, doctors (N = 354), nurses (N = 581) and office workers (N = 418), working in public and private hospitals, participated and motivation was compared across socio-demographic and occupational variables. Results The range of reported motivational factors was mixed and Maslow's conclusions that lower level motivational factors must be met before ascending to the next level were not confirmed. The highest ranked motivator for the entire sample, and by professional subgroup, was achievements (P < 0.001). Within subgroups, motivators were similar, and only one significant difference was observed, namely between doctors and nurses in respect to co-workers (P < 0.05). Remuneration (and salary in particular) was reported as a significant incentive only for professionals in managerial positions. Health professionals in private hospitals were motivated by all factors significantly more than their public-hospital counterparts. Conclusion The results are in agreement with the literature which focuses attention to management approaches employing both monetary and non-monetary incentives to motivate health care workers. This study showed that intrinsic factors are particularly important and should become a target for effective employee motivation. PMID:19754968

Aspects of depression associated with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Rogers, J H; Widiger, T A; Krupp, A

1995-02-01

Shared symptoms between borderline personality disorder and depression have resulted in inherent difficulties in evaluating the relationship between these disorders. Some theorists have argued that depression in patients with borderline personality disorder is qualitatively distinct from depression in nonborderline patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically identify aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder. Through interview and self-report measures, the authors studied depression in 50 inpatients, 21 of whom had borderline personality disorder. The aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder were self-condemnation, emptiness, abandonment fears, self-destructiveness, and hopelessness; boredom and somatic complaints exhibited no association. Depression associated with borderline pathology appears to be in some respects unique, as well as distinct from nonborderline depression. The study's implications delineate the importance of considering the phenomenological aspects of depression in borderline personality disorder.

Factors contributing to the perpetration of workplace incivility: the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others

PubMed Central

Torkelson, Eva; Holm, Kristoffer; Bäckström, Martin; Schad, Elinor

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT In recent years a growing amount of research has been conducted in the area of workplace incivility. Whereas many studies have focused on the victims and the consequences of incivility, little attention has been paid to the perpetrators and antecedents of workplace incivility. This study aims to identify possible antecedents of workplace incivility, by investigating organizational aspects as well as the possibility that being the target of incivility from co-workers and supervisors could induce incivility. A total of 512 employees (378 women and 133 men) in the school sector in a Swedish municipality completed an online questionnaire. Overall, the results of structural equation modelling analyses showed that organizational variables were related to the perpetration of incivility. A direct relationship was found between being uncivil and organizational change, job insecurity, low social support from co-workers and high job demands. However, the strongest relationship was found between experienced incivility from co-workers and instigated incivility. This could be reflecting a climate or culture of incivility in the organization, and carry implications for future practice in interventions against workplace incivility. The results indicate the importance of focusing on the perspective of the instigator to gain knowledge about the process of workplace incivility. PMID:27226677

Importance of Plein-Air Practice in Professional Art Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shokorova, Larisa Vladimirovna; Grechneva, Natalia Vladislavovna; Bochkovskay, Vera Igorevna

2016-01-01

The article discusses the role and importance of plein-air practice in vocational training of art specialties' students. It analyzes the historical aspect of plein-air drawing in nature origin. It identifies psychophysiological characteristics of visual perception in fine and decorative art. It characterizes methods of artistic perception of…

PTEN IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

PubMed Central

Hosgood, H Dean; Menashe, Idan; He, Xingzhou; Chanock, Stephen; Lan, Qing

2009-01-01

Common genetic variation may play an important role in altering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk. In Xuanwei, China, the COPD rate is more than twice the Chinese national average, and COPD is strongly associated with in-home coal use. To identify genetic variation that may be associated with COPD in a population with substantial in-home coal smoke exposures, we evaluated 1,261 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 380 candidate genes potentially relevant for cancer and other human diseases in a population-based case-control study in Xuanwei (53 cases; 107 controls). PTEN was the most significantly associated gene with COPD in a minP analysis using 20,000 permutations (P = 0.00005). SNP-based analyses found that homozygote variant carriers of PTEN rs701848 (ORTT = 0.12, 95%CI = 0.03 - 0.47) had a significant decreased risk of COPD. PTEN, or phosphatase and tensin homolog, is an important regulator of cell cycle progression and cellular survival via the AKT signaling pathway. Our exploratory analysis suggests that genetic variation in PTEN may be an important risk factor of COPD in Xuanwei. However, due to the small sample size, additional studies are needed to evaluate these associations within Xuanwei and other populations with coal smoke exposures. PMID:19625176

Following the Social Media: Aspect Evolution of Online Discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xuning; Yang, Christopher C.

Due to the advance of Internet and Web 2.0 technologies, it is easy to extract thousands of threads about a topic of interest from an online forum but it is nontrivial to capture the blueprint of different aspects (i.e., subtopic, or facet) associated with the topic. To better understand and analyze a forum discussion given topic, it is important to uncover the evolution relationships (temporal dependencies) between different topic aspects (i.e. how the discussion topic is evolving). Traditional Topic Detection and Tracking (TDT) techniques usually organize topics as a flat structure but it does not present the evolution relationships between topic aspects. In addition, the properties of short and sparse messages make the content-based TDT techniques difficult to perform well in identifying evolution relationships. The contributions in this paper are two-folded. We formally define a topic aspect evolution graph modeling framework and propose to utilize social network information, content similarity and temporal proximity to model evolution relationships between topic aspects. The experimental results showed that, by incorporating social network information, our technique significantly outperformed content-based technique in the task of extracting evolution relationships between topic aspects.

Development of DNA markers for newly identified high-oleate peanut mutants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Development of high-oleate cultivars is one of the important objectives of peanut breeding because consuming products containing high oleate can benefit human health in many aspects. By screening the entire USDA cultivated peanut collection, we have identified two new high-oleate mutants (PI 342664...

Estimate variable importance for recurrent event outcomes with an application to identify hypoglycemia risk factors.

PubMed

Duan, Ran; Fu, Haoda

2015-08-30

Recurrent event data are an important data type for medical research. In particular, many safety endpoints are recurrent outcomes, such as hypoglycemic events. For such a situation, it is important to identify the factors causing these events and rank these factors by their importance. Traditional model selection methods are not able to provide variable importance in this context. Methods that are able to evaluate the variable importance, such as gradient boosting and random forest algorithms, cannot directly be applied to recurrent events data. In this paper, we propose a two-step method that enables us to evaluate the variable importance for recurrent events data. We evaluated the performance of our proposed method by simulations and applied it to a data set from a diabetes study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Learning to Identify and Actualize Affordances in a New Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haines, Karen J.

2015-01-01

Keeping abreast of new technologies and the opportunities they offer is a challenge for inservice teachers (Blake, 2008; Egbert, Akasha, Huff, & Lee, 2011; Hanson-Smith, 2006; Hubbard, 2007; Robb, 2006). An important aspect of teacher learning about the use of technology is the ability to identify the affordances of new tools and how they can…

Chronic pancreatitis. Some important historical aspects.

PubMed

Navarro, Salvador

2018-06-08

Since ancient times the increase of size and hardness sometimes presented by the abdominal structure known as the pancreas has attracted attention. Portal was the first to describe the clinical signs of chronic pancreatitis in 1803. In 1815, Fleischman speculated about the potential role of excessive alcohol consumption. Comfort coined the term "chronic relapsing pancreatitis" in 1946 and described hereditary pancreatitis 6 years later. Zuidema defined tropical pancreatitis in 1959 and 2 years later Sarles described another form of pancreatitis to which Yoshida gave the name autoimmune pancreatitis in 1995. Groove pancreatitis was described by Potet in 1970. Obstructive pancreatitis was defined in 1984 and Ammann identified idiopathic pancreatitis 3 years later. This article gives a historical account of the pioneers who developed the knowledge of how to assess the characteristics that allowed the different forms of chronic pancreatitis to be defined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A review on plant importance, biotechnological aspects, and cultivation challenges of jojoba plant.

PubMed

Al-Obaidi, Jameel R; Halabi, Mohammed Farouq; AlKhalifah, Nasser S; Asanar, Shanavaskhan; Al-Soqeer, Abdulrahman A; Attia, M F

2017-08-24

Jojoba is considered a promising oil crop and is cultivated for diverse purposes in many countries. The jojoba seed produces unique high-quality oil with a wide range of applications such as medical and industrial-related products. The plant also has potential value in combatting desertification and land degradation in dry and semi-dry areas. Although the plant is known for its high-temperature and high-salinity tolerance growth ability, issues such as its male-biased ratio, relatively late flowering and seed production time hamper the cultivation of this plant. The development of efficient biotechnological platforms for better cultivation and an improved production cycle is a necessity for farmers cultivating the plant. In the last 20 years, many efforts have been made for in vitro cultivation of jojoba by applying different molecular biology techniques. However, there is a lot of work to be done in order to reach satisfactory results that help to overcome cultivation problems. This review presents a historical overview, the medical and industrial importance of the jojoba plant, agronomy aspects and nutrient requirements for the plant's cultivation, and the role of recent biotechnology and molecular biology findings in jojoba research.

How wide is the gap in defining quality care? Comparison of patient and nurse perceptions of important aspects of patient care.

PubMed

Young, W B; Minnick, A F; Marcantonio, R

1996-05-01

The authors determine the importance that patients, nurses, and nurse managers place on aspects of care and measure nurses' care values based on their perceptions of their patients and nurse manager care values and their desire to meet these care expectations. The literature has documented gaps in how nurses and patients define quality and value specific care aspects, but little is known about the situation in the current continuous quality improvement and patient-centered care environment, which emphasizes a customer focus. Misunderstanding patients' values and expectations may impede service improvement. Information about any existing gaps could help managers begin to devise patient satisfaction improvement strategies. Two thousand fifty-one medical-surgical patients, 1264 staff members, and 97 nurse managers from 17 randomly selected hospitals participated in study activities related to selected aspects of patient care. Trained interviewers surveyed patients by telephone within 26 days of discharge using a pretested instrument. Staff members and managers completed a coordinated written tool. Descriptive and correlational statistics were used in individual and unit-level analyses. Staff members perceive correctly that patients value differently various aspects of care but do not agree with their managers on patients' value of aspects of care. Unit staff members' and managers' beliefs regarding patients' care values did not match those of their patients (-14 to 0.11 and -0.01 to 0.06 zero order correlations, respectively). A unit's errors in defining patients' values may be self-reinforcing. Strategies to reorient personnel, including adoption of those suggested by the diffusion of innovation literature, may help bridge the gap and change practice.

Terminological aspects of data elements

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

Strehlow, R.A.; Kenworthey, W.H. Jr.; Schuldt, R.E.

1991-01-01

The creation and display of data comprise a process that involves a sequence of steps requiring both semantic and systems analysis. An essential early step in this process is the choice, definition, and naming of data element concepts and is followed by the specification of other needed data element concept attributes. The attributes and the values of data element concept remain associated with them from their birth as a concept to a generic data element that serves as a template for final application. Terminology is, therefore, centrally important to the entire data creation process. Smooth mapping from natural language tomore » a database is a critical aspect of database, and consequently, it requires terminology standardization from the outset of database work. In this paper the semantic aspects of data elements are analyzed and discussed. Seven kinds of data element concept information are considered and those that require terminological development and standardization are identified. The four terminological components of a data element are the hierarchical type of a concept, functional dependencies, schematas showing conceptual structures, and definition statements. These constitute the conventional role of terminology in database design. 12 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.« less

Structural aspects of denitrifying enzymes.

PubMed

Moura, I; Moura, J J

2001-04-01

The reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas via nitrite, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide is the metabolic pathway usually known as denitrification, a key step in the nitrogen cycle. As observed for other elemental cycles, a battery of enzymes are utilized, namely the reductases for nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide, as well as multiple electron donors that interact with these enzymes, in order to carry out the stepwise reactions that involve key intermediates. Because of the importance of this pathway (of parallel importance to the nitrogen-fixation pathway), efforts are underway to understand the structures of the participating enzymes and to uncover mechanistic aspects. Three-dimensional structures have been solved for the majority of these enzymes in the past few years, revealing the architecture of the active metal sites as well as global structural aspects, and possible mechanistic aspects. In addition, the recognition of specific electron-transfer partners raises important questions regarding specific electron-transfer pathways, partner recognition and control of metabolism.

Ethical aspects of human biobanks: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Budimir, Danijela; Polašek, Ozren; Marušić, Ana; Kolčić, Ivana; Zemunik, Tatijana; Boraska, Vesna; Jerončić, Ana; Boban, Mladen; Campbell, Harry; Rudan, Igor

2011-01-01

Aim To systematically assess the existing literature on ethical aspects of human biobanks. Method We searched the Web of Science and PubMed databases to find studies addressing ethical problems in biobanks with no limits set (study design, study population, time period, or language of publication). All identified articles published until November 2010 were included. We analyzed the type of published articles, journals publishing them, involvement of countries/institutions, year of publication, and citations received, and qualitatively assessed every article in order to identify ethical issues addressed by the majority of published research on human biobanking. Results Hundred and fifty four studies satisfied our review criteria. The studies mainly came from highly developed countries and were all published in the last two decades, with over half of them published in 2009 or 2010. They most commonly discussed the informed consent, privacy and identifiability, return of results to participants, importance of public trust, involvement of children, commercialization, the role of ethics boards, international data exchange, ownership of samples, and benefit sharing. Conclusions The focus on ethical aspects is strongly present through the whole biobanking research field. Although there is a consensus on the old and most typical ethical issues, with further development of the field and increasingly complex structure of human biobanks, these issues will likely continue to arise and accumulate, hence requiring constant re-appraisal and continuing discussion. PMID:21674823

Preschoolers' Use of Morphosyntactic Cues to Identify Generic Sentences: Indefinite Singular Noun Phrases, Tense, and Aspect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cimpian, Andrei; Meltzer, Trent J.; Markman, Ellen M.

2011-01-01

Generic sentences (e.g., "Birds lay eggs") convey generalizations about entire categories and may thus be an important source of knowledge for children. However, these sentences cannot be identified by a simple rule, requiring instead the integration of multiple cues. The present studies focused on 3- to 5-year-olds' (N = 91) use of…

Identifying pneumonia outbreaks of public health importance: can emergency department data assist in earlier identification?

PubMed

Hope, Kirsty; Durrheim, David N; Muscatello, David; Merritt, Tony; Zheng, Wei; Massey, Peter; Cashman, Patrick; Eastwood, Keith

2008-08-01

To retrospectively review the performance of a near real-time Emergency Department (ED) Syndromic Surveillance System operating in New South Wales for identifying pneumonia outbreaks of public health importance. Retrospective data was obtained from the NSW Emergency Department data collection for a rural hospital that has experienced a cluster of pneumonia diagnoses among teenage males in August 2006. ED standard reports were examined for signals in the overall count for each respiratory syndrome, and for elevated counts in individual subgroups including; age, sex and admission to hospital status. Using the current thresholds, the ED syndromic surveillance system would have trigged a signal for pneumonia syndrome in children aged 5-16 years four days earlier than the notification by a paediatrician and this signal was maintained for 14 days. If the ED syndromic surveillance system had been operating it could have identified the outbreak earlier than the paediatrician's notification. This may have permitted an earlier public health response. By understanding the behaviour of syndromes during outbreaks of public health importance, response protocols could be developed to facilitate earlier implementation of control measures.

Automatically extracting the significant aspects evaluated in game reviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fong, Chiok Hoong; Ng, Yen Kaow

2017-04-01

Understanding the criteria (or "aspects") that reviewers use to evaluate games is important to game developers and publishers, since this will give them important input on how to improve their products. Techniques for the extraction of such aspects have been studied by others, albeit not specific to the gaming industry. In this paper we demonstrate an aspect extraction and analysis system specific to computer games. The system extracts game review texts from a list of known websites and automatically extracts candidate aspects from the review text using techniques from natural language processing and sentiment analysis. It then ranks the candidate aspects using the HITS algorithm. To evaluate the correctness of the extracted aspects, we used the system to calculate an overall score for each game by aggregating its highly-rated aspects, weighted by the importance of the respective aspects. The aggregated scores resulted in a ranking of games, which we compared to a known ranking from a popular website - the rankings showed overall consistency, which suggests that the system has extracted valuable aspects from the reviews. Using the extracted aspect, our system also facilitates the analysis of a game, by evaluating how review articles have rated its performance in these extracted aspects.

On the importance of identifying, characterizing, and predicting fundamental phenomena towards microbial electrochemistry applications.

PubMed

Torres, César Iván

2014-06-01

The development of microbial electrochemistry research toward technological applications has increased significantly in the past years, leading to many process configurations. This short review focuses on the need to identify and characterize the fundamental phenomena that control the performance of microbial electrochemical cells (MXCs). Specifically, it discusses the importance of recent efforts to discover and characterize novel microorganisms for MXC applications, as well as recent developments to understand transport limitations in MXCs. As we increase our understanding of how MXCs operate, it is imperative to continue modeling efforts in order to effectively predict their performance, design efficient MXC technologies, and implement them commercially. Thus, the success of MXC technologies largely depends on the path of identifying, understanding, and predicting fundamental phenomena that determine MXC performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde- known as Lyral: quantitative aspects and risk assessment of an important fragrance allergen.

PubMed

Johansen, J D; Frosch, P J; Svedman, C; Andersen, K E; Bruze, M; Pirker, C; Menné, T

2003-06-01

Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, also known as Lyral, is a fragrance ingredient identified as the cause of contact allergic reactions in 2-3% of eczema patients undergoing patch testing. Lyral has been included in the standard patch test series in many clinics due to its importance as an allergen. It has been used without restrictions in cosmetic products, until now. In the present study, the dose-response relationship of Lyral contact allergy was studied with doses relevant for normal exposure in cosmetic products. 18 eczema patients, who previously had given a positive patch test to Lyral 5% petrolatum, were included along with 7 control subjects. All cases were tested with a serial dilution of Lyral in ethanol 6% to 6 p.p.m and subjected to a 2-week, repeated open application test with a low dose of Lyral in ethanol. In the case of no reaction, this was followed by another 2 weeks of testing with a higher dose. The test was performed at the volar aspect of the forearm. In 16 of 18 cases (89%), a positive use test developed, 11 reacting to the low and 5 to the high concentration. None reacted to the vehicle control of ethanol applied to the contralateral arm. All controls were negative to both the test solutions of Lyral and the ethanol control. The difference between the test and the control group was statistically significant (Fisher's test, P < 0.001). It is concluded that Lyral at the current usage levels is inducing sensitization in the community. The same levels were shown to elicit allergic contact dermatitis in almost all sensitized individuals. A significant reduction in usage concentrations is recommended to prevent contact allergic reactions.

Identifying important and feasible policies and actions for health at community sports clubs: a consensus-generating approach.

PubMed

Kelly, Bridget; King, Lesley; Bauman, Adrian E; Baur, Louise A; Macniven, Rona; Chapman, Kathy; Smith, Ben J

2014-01-01

Children's high participation in organised sport in Australia makes sport an ideal setting for health promotion. This study aimed to generate consensus on priority health promotion objectives for community sports clubs, based on informed expert judgements. Delphi survey using three structured questionnaires. Forty-six health promotion, nutrition, physical activity and sport management/delivery professionals were approached to participate in the survey. Questionnaires used an iterative process to determine aspects of sports clubs deemed necessary for developing healthy sporting environments for children. Initially, participants were provided with a list of potential standards for a range of health promotion areas and asked to rate standards based on their importance and feasibility, and any barriers to implementation. Subsequently, participants were provided with information that summarised ratings for each standard to indicate convergence of the group, and asked to review and potentially revise their responses where they diverged. In a third round, participants ranked confirmed standards by priority. 26 professionals completed round 1, 21 completed round 2, and 18 completed round 3. The highest ranked standards related to responsible alcohol practices, availability of healthy food and drinks at sports canteens, smoke-free club facilities, restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol during junior sporting activities, and restricting unhealthy food and beverage company sponsorship. Identifying and prioritising health promotion areas that are relevant to children's sports clubs assists in focusing public health efforts and may guide future engagement of sports clubs. Approaches for providing informational and financial support to clubs to operationalise these standards are proposed. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global Sensitivity Analysis for Identifying Important Parameters of Nitrogen Nitrification and Denitrification under Model and Scenario Uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, M.; Chen, Z.; Shi, L.; Zhu, Y.; Yang, J.

2017-12-01

Nitrogen reactive transport modeling is subject to uncertainty in model parameters, structures, and scenarios. While global sensitivity analysis is a vital tool for identifying the parameters important to nitrogen reactive transport, conventional global sensitivity analysis only considers parametric uncertainty. This may result in inaccurate selection of important parameters, because parameter importance may vary under different models and modeling scenarios. By using a recently developed variance-based global sensitivity analysis method, this paper identifies important parameters with simultaneous consideration of parametric uncertainty, model uncertainty, and scenario uncertainty. In a numerical example of nitrogen reactive transport modeling, a combination of three scenarios of soil temperature and two scenarios of soil moisture leads to a total of six scenarios. Four alternative models are used to evaluate reduction functions used for calculating actual rates of nitrification and denitrification. The model uncertainty is tangled with scenario uncertainty, as the reduction functions depend on soil temperature and moisture content. The results of sensitivity analysis show that parameter importance varies substantially between different models and modeling scenarios, which may lead to inaccurate selection of important parameters if model and scenario uncertainties are not considered. This problem is avoided by using the new method of sensitivity analysis in the context of model averaging and scenario averaging. The new method of sensitivity analysis can be applied to other problems of contaminant transport modeling when model uncertainty and/or scenario uncertainty are present.

Australian primary health care nurses most and least satisfying aspects of work.

PubMed

Halcomb, Elizabeth; Ashley, Christine

2017-02-01

To identify the aspects of working in Australian primary health care that nurses rate as the most and least satisfying. The nursing workforce in Australian primary health care has grown exponentially to meet the growing demand for health care. To maintain and further growth requires the recruitment and retention of nurses to this setting. Understanding the factors that nurses' rate as the most and least satisfying about their job will inform strategies to enhance nurse retention. A cross-sectional online survey. Nurses employed in primary health care settings across Australia were recruited (n = 1166) to participate in a survey which combined items related to the respondent, their job, type of work, clinical activities, job satisfaction and future intention, with two open-ended items about the most and least satisfying aspects of their work. Patient interactions, respect, teamwork, collegiality and autonomy were identified as the most satisfying professional aspects of their role. Personal considerations such as family friendly work arrangements and a satisfactory work-life balance were also important, overriding negative components of the role. The least satisfying aspects were poor financial support and remuneration, lack of a career path, physical work environment and time constraints. National restructuring of the primary health care environment was seen as a barrier to role stability and ability to work to a full scope of practice. This study has identified a range of positive and negative professional and personal aspects of the primary health care nursing role, which may impact on staff recruitment and retention. Findings from the study should be considered by employers seeking to retain and maximise the skills of their primary health care workforce. Understanding the factors that nurses perceive as being the most and least satisfying aspects of the work is can open up dialogue about how to improve the working experience of nurses in primary health care. �

Barcode Identifiers as a Practical Tool for Reliable Species Assignment of Medically Important Black Yeast Species

PubMed Central

Heinrichs, Guido; de Hoog, G. Sybren

2012-01-01

Herpotrichiellaceous black yeasts and relatives comprise severe pathogens flanked by nonpathogenic environmental siblings. Reliable identification by conventional methods is notoriously difficult. Molecular identification is hampered by the sequence variability in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) domain caused by difficult-to-sequence homopolymeric regions and by poor taxonomic attribution of sequences deposited in GenBank. Here, we present a potential solution using short barcode identifiers (27 to 50 bp) based on ITS2 ribosomal DNA (rDNA), which allows unambiguous definition of species-specific fragments. Starting from proven sequences of ex-type and authentic strains, we were able to describe 103 identifiers. Multiple BLAST searches of these proposed barcode identifiers in GenBank revealed uniqueness for 100 taxonomic entities, whereas the three remaining identifiers each matched with two entities, but the species of these identifiers could easily be discriminated by differences in the remaining ITS regions. Using the proposed barcode identifiers, a 4.1-fold increase of 100% matches in GenBank was achieved in comparison to the classical approach using the complete ITS sequences. The proposed barcode identifiers will be made accessible for the diagnostic laboratory in a permanently updated online database, thereby providing a highly practical, reliable, and cost-effective tool for identification of clinically important black yeasts and relatives. PMID:22785187

Identifying 1st instar larvae for three forensically important blowfly species using "fingerprint" cuticular hydrocarbon analysis.

PubMed

Moore, Hannah E; Adam, Craig D; Drijfhout, Falko P

2014-07-01

Calliphoridae are known to be the most forensically important insects when it comes to establishing the minimum post mortem interval (PMImin) in criminal investigations. The first step in calculating the PMImin is to identify the larvae present to species level. Accurate identification which is conventionally carried out by morphological analysis is crucial because different insects have different life stage timings. Rapid identification in the immature larvae stages would drastically cut time in criminal investigations as it would eliminate the need to rear larvae to adult flies to determine the species. Cuticular hydrocarbon analysis on 1st instar larvae has been applied to three forensically important blowflies; Lucilia sericata, Calliphora vicina and Calliphora vomitoria, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and principal component analysis (PCA). The results show that each species holds a distinct "fingerprint" hydrocarbon profile, allowing for accurate identification to be established in 1-day old larvae, when it can be challenging to apply morphological criteria. Consequently, this GC-MS based technique could accelerate and strengthen the identification process, not only for forensically important species, but also for other entomological samples which are hard to identify using morphological features. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Report: EPA Can Better Reduce Risks From Illegal Pesticides by Effectively Identifying Imports for Inspection and Sampling

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #17-P-0412, September 28, 2017. Low rates of inspections and sampling can create a risk that the EPA may not be identifying and deterring the import of pesticides harmful to people or the environment.

Teachers’ perceptions of aspects affecting seminar learning: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Many medical schools have embraced small group learning methods in their undergraduate curricula. Given increasing financial constraints on universities, active learning groups like seminars (with 25 students a group) are gaining popularity. To enhance the understanding of seminar learning and to determine how seminar learning can be optimised it is important to investigate stakeholders’ views. In this study, we qualitatively explored the views of teachers on aspects affecting seminar learning. Methods Twenty-four teachers with experience in facilitating seminars in a three-year bachelor curriculum participated in semi-structured focus group interviews. Three focus groups met twice with an interval of two weeks led by one moderator. Sessions were audio taped, transcribed verbatim and independently coded by two researchers using thematic analysis. An iterative process of data reduction resulted in emerging aspects that influence seminar learning. Results Teachers identified seven key aspects affecting seminar learning: the seminar teacher, students, preparation, group functioning, seminar goals and content, course coherence and schedule and facilities. Important components of these aspects were: the teachers’ role in developing seminars (‘ownership’), the amount and quality of preparation materials, a non-threatening learning climate, continuity of group composition, suitability of subjects for seminar teaching, the number and quality of seminar questions, and alignment of different course activities. Conclusions The results of this study contribute to the unravelling of the ‘the black box’ of seminar learning. Suggestions for ways to optimise active learning in seminars are made regarding curriculum development, seminar content, quality assurance and faculty development. PMID:23399475

Cognitive aspects of color

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derefeldt, Gunilla A. M.; Menu, Jean-Pierre; Swartling, Tiina

1995-04-01

This report surveys cognitive aspects of color in terms of behavioral, neuropsychological, and neurophysiological data. Color is usually defined as psychophysical color or as perceived color. Behavioral data on categorical color perception, absolute judgement of colors, color coding, visual search, and visual awareness refer to the more cognitive aspects of color. These are of major importance in visual synthesis and spatial organization, as already shown by the Gestalt psychologists. Neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings provide evidence for an interrelation between cognitive color and spatial organization. Color also enhances planning strategies, as has been shown by studies on color and eye movements. Memory colors and the color- language connections in the brain also belong among the cognitive aspects of color.

Behavioural aspects of terrorism.

PubMed

Leistedt, Samuel J

2013-05-10

Behavioural and social sciences are useful in collecting and analysing intelligence data, understanding terrorism, and developing strategies to combat terrorism. This article aims to examine the psychopathological concepts of terrorism and discusses the developing roles for behavioural scientists. A systematic review was conducted of studies investigating behavioural aspects of terrorism. These studies were identified by a systematic search of databases, textbooks, and a supplementary manual search of references. Several fundamental concepts were identified that continue to influence the motives and the majority of the behaviours of those who support or engage in this kind of specific violence. Regardless of the psychological aspects and new roles for psychiatrists, the behavioural sciences will continue to be called upon to assist in developing better methods to gather and analyse intelligence, to understand terrorism, and perhaps to stem the radicalisation process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Automated Summarization Assessment Algorithm for Identifying Summarizing Strategies

PubMed Central

Abdi, Asad; Idris, Norisma; Alguliyev, Rasim M.; Aliguliyev, Ramiz M.

2016-01-01

Background Summarization is a process to select important information from a source text. Summarizing strategies are the core cognitive processes in summarization activity. Since summarization can be important as a tool to improve comprehension, it has attracted interest of teachers for teaching summary writing through direct instruction. To do this, they need to review and assess the students' summaries and these tasks are very time-consuming. Thus, a computer-assisted assessment can be used to help teachers to conduct this task more effectively. Design/Results This paper aims to propose an algorithm based on the combination of semantic relations between words and their syntactic composition to identify summarizing strategies employed by students in summary writing. An innovative aspect of our algorithm lies in its ability to identify summarizing strategies at the syntactic and semantic levels. The efficiency of the algorithm is measured in terms of Precision, Recall and F-measure. We then implemented the algorithm for the automated summarization assessment system that can be used to identify the summarizing strategies used by students in summary writing. PMID:26735139

Perceived importance of caring behaviors to Swedish psychiatric inpatients and staff, with comparisons to somatically-ill samples.

PubMed

von Essen, L; Sjödén, P O

1993-08-01

The present study identified psychiatric inpatient (N = 61) and staff (N = 63) perceptions of most and least important nurse caring behaviors using a modified Swedish version of the CARE-Q instrument (Larson, 1981) and compared the results with data from somatic care (von Essen & Sjödén, 1991a, 1991b). The results demonstrated 13 significant mean between-group differences in the rating of 50 specific CARE-Q behaviors. Two significant mean value differences out of six subscales combining individual items were demonstrated between groups. Psychiatric inpatients considered the cognitive aspect, and somatic inpatients the task-oriented aspect of caring as the most important. Staff, in psychiatric as well as somatic care, considered the emotional aspect of caring as the most important. The results suggest that staff has a relatively invariant, human-oriented perception of caring, irrespective of subdisciplines, while patients' perceptions of caring vary more over specialties.

Public Attitudes towards Socio-Cultural Aspects of Water Supply and Sanitation Services: Palestine as a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddad, Marwan

2005-01-01

Identifying and considering public attitudes towards various aspects of water supply and sanitation services by planners and decision makers represent an important developmental element relating to the quality, efficiency, and performance of those services. A sample of 1000 Palestinian adults completed a questionnaire assessing attitudes towards…

Using the Developmental Gene Bicoid to Identify Species of Forensically Important Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

PubMed Central

Park, Seong Hwan; Park, Chung Hyun; Zhang, Yong; Piao, Huguo; Chung, Ukhee; Kim, Seong Yoon; Ko, Kwang Soo; Yi, Cheong-Ho; Jo, Tae-Ho; Hwang, Juck-Joon

2013-01-01

Identifying species of insects used to estimate postmortem interval (PMI) is a major subject in forensic entomology. Because forensic insect specimens are morphologically uniform and are obtained at various developmental stages, DNA markers are greatly needed. To develop new autosomal DNA markers to identify species, partial genomic sequences of the bicoid (bcd) genes, containing the homeobox and its flanking sequences, from 12 blowfly species (Aldrichina grahami, Calliphora vicina, Calliphora lata, Triceratopyga calliphoroides, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya pinguis, Phormia regina, Lucilia ampullacea, Lucilia caesar, Lucilia illustris, Hemipyrellia ligurriens and Lucilia sericata; Calliphoridae: Diptera) were determined and analyzed. This study first sequenced the ten blowfly species other than C. vicina and L. sericata. Based on the bcd sequences of these 12 blowfly species, a phylogenetic tree was constructed that discriminates the subfamilies of Calliphoridae (Luciliinae, Chrysomyinae, and Calliphorinae) and most blowfly species. Even partial genomic sequences of about 500 bp can distinguish most blowfly species. The short intron 2 and coding sequences downstream of the bcd homeobox in exon 3 could be utilized to develop DNA markers for forensic applications. These gene sequences are important in the evolution of insect developmental biology and are potentially useful for identifying insect species in forensic science. PMID:23586044

Holistic aspects of children's ways of understanding in making sense of genetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hui-Ju

The study examined the nature of how children make sense of phenomena in the area of genetics and inheritance. I proposed the phrase, way of understanding to capture a unified entity which children use to make sense of phenomena. The methodology was semi-structured probing interviews with six sixth grade students. Seven specific ways of understanding were discussed in the results section. Overall, the study described and discovered children's ways of understanding in terms of five aspects: cognitive aspects, affective aspects, social aspects, playfulness, and mode of awareness. Students' propositional knowledge, a holistic view of looking at how people resemble each other, syntactic knowledge, and an extension of rational explanations belonged to the cognitive aspects. Four categories of affective expressions were: an enjoyment of thinking and learning, a special feeling about the instructional activity, a deep personal involvement, and an anxiety in finding correct answers. Two types of social context were identified, one had somewhat of a connection to the science world, and the other did not have much of an scientific tie. The playfulness and the mode of awareness were two emerging aspects through the study. The playfulness represented the spontaneity, freedom, and sense of fun associated with the social interaction activity, such as the playfulness in expressing ideas to others. The modes of awareness included two types of metacognition, one was a conscious reflection on one's cognitive abilities, and the other was a continuous process of monitoring knowledge. In addition, the importance of considering language aspect in science learning was an emerging issue. Students' talking about genetics was embedded in the larger framework of social relationships and social institutions. Their social identify might influence the development of concepts, ways of talking and science learning. The study reflects the richness of children's sense-making processes

American Bird conservancy's approach to the U.S. Important Bird Area Program - identifying the top 500 global sites

Treesearch

Robert M. Chipley

2005-01-01

The idea for the Important Bird Area Program originated in a series of studies in the early 1980s conducted by BirdLife International. Recognizing that these studies could become a powerful tool for conservation, BirdLife International began an effort to identify and gather data regarding the most important areas for birds in Europe and to make this information...

Effect on Public Policy from Macro to Nano Aspects of the Deadliest Illness of Mankind: Important Role of Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Arjun

2013-04-01

The effect on public policy of macro to nano aspects of the deadliest Illness known to mankind is given. The focus is on the important role of physics which has been ignored so far to solve its problems. It is now acknowledged that the deadliest illness is actually a group of illnesses which are lumped together as mental illnesses. They are the most widespread and damaging illnesses in the world. Their impact on the entire society globally is huge because they afflict majority of the people irrespective of race, religion, sex, age, education and economic status. In USA alone, the number afflicted according to the official count is about 80 million (out of a total population of 315 million), and it is projected to increase to about 25 to 30% of the population within two decades. A model is given in this paper to address some of the key issues from macro to nano aspects of the deadliest illness. The information given in this paper is scientific though easy to understand. It will help the elected policy makers, public, physicists, neuroscientists, doctors, and care giving personnel world wide. The model explains the missing links in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. Additional evidence from other recent studies shall also be given.

Operationalising the health aspects of sustainable diets: a review.

PubMed

Mertens, Elly; Van't Veer, Pieter; Hiddink, Gerrit J; Steijns, Jan Mjm; Kuijsten, Anneleen

2017-03-01

Shifting towards a more sustainable food consumption pattern is an important strategy to mitigate climate change. In the past decade, various studies have optimised environmentally sustainable diets using different methodological approaches. The aim of the present review was to categorise and summarise the different approaches to operationalise the health aspects of environmentally sustainable diets. Conventional keyword and reference searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge and CAB Abstracts. Inclusion criteria were: (i) English-language publication; (ii) published between 2005 and October 2015; (iii) dietary data collected for the diet as a whole at the national, household or individual level; (iv) comparison of the current diet with dietary scenarios; and (v) for results to consider the health aspect in some way. Consumer diets. Adult population. We reviewed forty-nine studies that combined the health and environmental aspects of consumer diets. Hereby, five approaches to operationalise the health aspect of the diet were identified: (i) food item replacements; (ii) dietary guidelines; (iii) dietary quality scores; (iv) diet modelling techniques; and (v) diet-related health impact analysis. Although the sustainability concept is increasingly popular and widely advocated by nutritional and environmental scientists, the journey towards designing sustainable diets for consumers has only just begun. In the context of operationalising the health aspects, diet modelling might be considered the preferred approach since it captures the complexity of the diet as a whole. For the future, we propose SHARP diets: environmentally Sustainable (S), Healthy (H), Affordable (A), Reliable (R) and Preferred from the consumer's perspective (P).

Patients' priorities in assessing organisational aspects of a general dental practice.

PubMed

Sonneveld, Rutger E; Brands, Wolter G; Bronkhorst, Ewald M; Welie, Jos V M; Truin, Gert-Jan

2013-02-01

To explore which organisational aspects are considered most important by patients when assessing a general dental practice, and which patients' characteristics influence their views on these aspects by a paper questionnaire. The questionnaire was handed out to a sample of 5,000 patients in the Netherlands. The response rate was 63%. Six organisational aspects out of a list of 41 aspects were valued as most important by at least 50%. In decreasing order of importance, these were: accessibility by telephone; continuing education for general dental practitioners; Dutch-speaking general dental practitioners; in-office waiting times; information about treatments offered; and waiting lists. For four out of these six aspects, respondents' age and education significantly influenced their preferences. Aspects concerning the infrastructure of a general dental practice were chosen more often than aspects such as working to professional standards, working according to protocols and guidelines, quality assessment and guaranteed treatment outcomes. The findings will enable organisations to increase the transparency of health-care delivery systems to focus on those organisational aspects of dental practices that patients themselves consider most important. These findings can also assist general dental practitioners in adapting their organisational services to the preferences of patients or specific patient groups. © 2013 FDI World Dental Federation.

Important Aspects of Nutrition in Children with Cancer1

PubMed Central

Bauer, Jacqueline; Jürgens, Heribert; Frühwald, Michael C.

2011-01-01

Adequate nutrition during cancer plays a decisive role in several clinical outcome measures, such as treatment response, quality of life, and cost of care. However, the importance of nutrition in children and young adults with malignancies is still an underestimated topic within pediatric oncology. The importance of our work is to reinforce and indicate that malnutrition in children with cancer should not be accepted at any stage of the disease or tolerated as an inevitable process. Unique to our manuscript is the close collaboration, the exchange of knowledge and expertise between pediatric oncologists and a nutritional specialist, as well as the comprehension of the mechanisms during cancer cachexia and malnutrition. We provide a critical review of the current state of research and new knowledge related to nutritional management in childhood cancer. PMID:22332035

[Measurement of the importance of user satisfaction dimensions in healthcare provision].

PubMed

Murillo, Carles; Saurina, Carme

2013-01-01

Identifying users' perceptions of the quality of care is essential to improve health services delivery. The main objective of this article was to describe the application of a methodology to identify factors that facilitate the identification of areas for improvement. A questionnaire was applied in three health areas in Catalonia (Spain) (primary care [n=332], outpatient specialty care [n=410] and hospital emergency care [n=413]) to measure user satisfaction and assess the importance given to the aspects analyzed. The main areas for improvement in primary care identified by an importance-performance analysis involved the time devoted to patients as well as health professionals' willingness to listen to their views. In hospital emergency care, the main area of improvement was related to the hospital's physical conditions. The tools designed and implemented by the Catalan Health Service (Spain) have proved to be valid for the detection of priority areas to improve service delivery and promote regional equity. Copyright © 2012 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Scanning genomic areas under selection sweep and association mapping as tools to identify horticultural important genes in watermelon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) contains 88% water, sugars, and several important health-related compounds, including lycopene, citrulline, arginine, and glutathione. The current genetic diversity study uses microsatellites with known map positions to identify genomic regions that under...

[Mothers of visually impaired children: difficult and easy aspects faced in care].

PubMed

Pintanel, Aline Campelo; Gomes, Giovana Calcagno; Xavier, Daiani Modernel

2013-06-01

This study aimed to identify the difficult and easy aspects faced by mothers of visually impaired (VI) children in their care. It is a descriptive qualitative study, developed in the second semester of 2011, with ten mothers of children with visual impairment from an Educational Center for the Visually Impaired located in southern Brazil. Data were collected by means of semistructured interviews and submitted to thematic content analysis. The identified difficulties were the lack of knowledge regarding the disease and how to take care of the child, the lack of access to health services, overload generated by the dependence of the child and lack of support and prejudice within their own family. The easy aspects involved the desire for the child's healthy development the chance of being in touch with qualified professionals for their education, and the contact with other VI children. Therefore, it is important to qualify the family for the care of VI children so as to ensure the development of skills and competencies enabling them to live with quality.

Identifying geoscience knowledge likely to affect foreign policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelmelis, J. A.

2006-12-01

The earth sciences play an important role in foreign policy and have done so throughout history. Whether it is access to resources, knowledge of weather or other earth system conditions, planning for or responding to disasters, protecting the environment, facilitating transportation and communication, or any of a number of other important topics, the geosciences continue to inform our decision making. The importance of science, technology, and health (STH) is being increasingly recognized in the foreign policy community. The National Research Council (NRC) recommended that the Department of State (State) expand its scientific base to address the importance of STH issues. In part, this consists of increasing the number of scientists within State. Another important aspect is not only identifying the STH issues that are of current concern, but also the issues that will be of importance in the future. A number of studies funded by the U.S. Government have identified some important STH areas of concern at a high level. These provide a basis for more in-depth investigations. However, there are additional phenomena, beyond those identified in the studies, which have foreign policy implications. The scientific findings may be well known to scientists but their foreign policy importance is not always obvious. The scientific and foreign policy communities could improve their dialog to better develop strategies for foreign policy and future scientific research. One way to help facilitate that is to ease identification of scientific issues with potential significance to foreign policy and to clarify uncertainties around those issues. A qualitative method relating the likelihood that the scientific finding has foreign policy importance to the potential level of foreign policy importance has been used to clarify the significance of a variety of scientific findings including Arctic warming, methane hydrates, atmospheric dust, disease, and natural hazards. From a foreign policy

Identifying the domains of context important to implementation science: a study protocol.

PubMed

Squires, Janet E; Graham, Ian D; Hutchinson, Alison M; Michie, Susan; Francis, Jill J; Sales, Anne; Brehaut, Jamie; Curran, Janet; Ivers, Noah; Lavis, John; Linklater, Stefanie; Fenton, Shannon; Noseworthy, Thomas; Vine, Jocelyn; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2015-09-28

There is growing recognition that "context" can and does modify the effects of implementation interventions aimed at increasing healthcare professionals' use of research evidence in clinical practice. However, conceptual clarity about what exactly comprises "context" is lacking. The purpose of this research program is to develop, refine, and validate a framework that identifies the key domains of context (and their features) that can facilitate or hinder (1) healthcare professionals' use of evidence in clinical practice and (2) the effectiveness of implementation interventions. A multi-phased investigation of context using mixed methods will be conducted. The first phase is a concept analysis of context using the Walker and Avant method to distinguish between the defining and irrelevant attributes of context. This phase will result in a preliminary framework for context that identifies its important domains and their features according to the published literature. The second phase is a secondary analysis of qualitative data from 13 studies of interviews with 312 healthcare professionals on the perceived barriers and enablers to their application of research evidence in clinical practice. These data will be analyzed inductively using constant comparative analysis. For the third phase, we will conduct semi-structured interviews with key health system stakeholders and change agents to elicit their knowledge and beliefs about the contextual features that influence the effectiveness of implementation interventions and healthcare professionals' use of evidence in clinical practice. Results from all three phases will be synthesized using a triangulation protocol to refine the context framework drawn from the concept analysis. The framework will then be assessed for content validity using an iterative Delphi approach with international experts (researchers and health system stakeholders/change agents). This research program will result in a framework that identifies the

The "Gainful Employment Rule" and Student Loan Defaults: How the Policy Frame Overlooks Important Normative Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serna, Gabriel

2014-01-01

This essay examines normative aspects of the gainful employment rule and how the policy frame and image miss important implications for student aid policy. Because the economic and social burdens associated with the policy are typically borne by certain socioeconomic and ethnic groups, the policy frame and image do not identify possible negative…

Exercise based interventions for alcohol use disorder: A comment on motivational aspects of participation.

PubMed

Roessler, Kirsten K; Bramsen, Rikke Holm; Dervisevic, Ajla; Bilberg, Randi

2017-02-01

Exercise based treatment for alcohol use disorders have shown an impact on mental health (e.g., depression or anxiety), and alcohol outcomes (e.g., craving or abstinence). However, there is a lack of information on the role of motivational aspects of participation in the process of designing exercise interventions for alcohol use disorder. This study aims to examine: (1) whether motivational aspects are taken into account when the type and delivery method of exercise interventions are chosen; (2) whether motivational aspects are taken into account post intervention; and (3) whether there are different traditions regarding payment for participants. A systematic search was conducted to identify eligible studies in order to investigate the impact of motivational aspects including payment for participation. Twelve samples including ten to 620 participants were investigated. Participants were predominantly male and in their 40s, ranging from 20 to 69 years. Aerobic exercise (running, walking, fitness) either in a group or individual condition is the most frequently used exercise form. Two studies included ball games or cycling, while only one study offered the opportunity to choose between a wide range of sports. Motivational aspects are mentioned explicitly in half of the studies, mostly with regard to adherence to participation and social integration as the reason for using a group condition. Achievement is mentioned in two studies but not explicitly with regard to planning the intervention design. Five studies include payment for participation in exercise. Findings of the present study identify that motivational aspects for participation are rarely involved in the planning of an exercise intervention. With regard to the specific psychosocial vulnerability of an alcohol use disorder population, this should be an important aspect of further research studies. © 2016 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations

Environmental aspects and renewable energy sources in the production of construction aggregate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrzypczak, Izabela; Kokoszka, Wanda; Buda-Ożóg, Lidia; Kogut, Janusz; Słowik, Marta

2017-11-01

The main activity of open pit mining of aggregates are aggregates' exploitation of natural mineral deposits and its modification in order to obtain high-quality aggregates. The development of aggregate production is conditioned by a number of factors. The most important are: documented material resources, mining and manufacturing capabilities, the need of environmental protection (environmental aspects), the subordination of the plan of spatial development, formal and legal issues, as well as economic and financial aspects. While identifying and assessing the environmental impacts of manufacturing aggregates one may distinguish those environmental aspects that have or may have the greatest magnitude of the impact on the environment as a result of industrial activities. Manufacturers producing aggregates located in the areas covered by the special environmental protection require extra diligence in the conduct of mining activities for preservation of natural resources. The article discusses some main environmental aspects of the production of construction aggregates on the example of one of the largest producers of this material in Subcarpathian province of Poland. Environmental protection in production of aggregates may refer to four aspects: the use of natural resources, having excluded land from agriculture and forestry, land reclamation after exploitation, and use of energy from renewable energy sources. The economic and environmental impact of production volume of aggregates is evaluated by the index information capacity method and the method of graphs.

Triangulating Principal Effectiveness: How Perspectives of Parents, Teachers, and Assistant Principals Identify the Central Importance of Managerial Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grissom, Jason A.; Loeb, Susanna

2011-01-01

While the importance of effective principals is undisputed, few studies have identified specific skills that principals need to promote school success. This study draws on unique data combining survey responses from principals, assistant principals, teachers, and parents with rich administrative data to determine which principal skills correlate…

Task-specific Aspects of Goal-directed Word Generation Identified via Simultaneous EEG-fMRI.

PubMed

Shapira-Lichter, Irit; Klovatch, Ilana; Nathan, Dana; Oren, Noga; Hendler, Talma

2016-09-01

Generating words according to a given rule relies on retrieval-related search and postretrieval control processes. Using fMRI, we recently characterized neural patterns of word generation in response to episodic, semantic, and phonemic cues by comparing free recall of wordlists, category fluency, and letter fluency [Shapira-Lichter, I., Oren, N., Jacob, Y., Gruberger, M., & Hendler, T. Portraying the unique contribution of the default mode network to internally driven mnemonic processes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., 110, 4950-4955, 2013]. Distinct selectivity for each condition was evident, representing discrete aspects of word generation-related memory retrieval. For example, the precuneus, implicated in processing spatiotemporal information, emerged as a key contributor to the episodic condition, which uniquely requires this information. Gamma band is known to play a central role in memory, and increased gamma power has been observed before word generation. Yet, gamma modulation in response to task demands has not been investigated. To capture the task-specific modulation of gamma power, we analyzed the EEG data recorded simultaneously with the aforementioned fMRI, focusing on the activity locked to and immediately preceding word articulation. Transient increases in gamma power were identified in a parietal electrode immediately before episodic and semantic word generation, however, within a different time frame relative to articulation. Gamma increases were followed by an alpha-theta decrease in the episodic condition, a gamma decrease in the semantic condition. This pattern indicates a task-specific modulation of the gamma signal corresponding to the specific demands of each word generation task. The gamma power and fMRI signal from the precuneus were correlated during the episodic condition, implying the existence of a common cognitive construct uniquely required for this task, possibly the reactivation or processing of

Chromobacterium violaceum and its important metabolites--review.

PubMed

Durán, M; Faljoni-Alario, A; Durán, N

2010-11-01

C. violaceum appeared as important bacterium in different applications and mainly these aspects are related to the production of violacein. This review discusses the last reports on biosynthetic pathways, production, genetic aspects, biological activities, pathological effects, antipathogenic screening through quorum sensing, environmental effects and the products of C. violaceum with industrial interest. An important discussion is on biological applications in medicine and as industrial products such as textile and in cosmetics.

Identifying future directions for subsurface hydrocarbon migration research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leifer, I.; Clark, J. F.; Luyendyk, B.; Valentine, D.

Subsurface hydrocarbon migration is important for understanding the input and impacts of natural hydrocarbon seepage on the environment. Great uncertainties remain in most aspects of hydrocarbon migration, including some basic mechanisms of this four-phase flow of tar, oil, water, and gas through the complex fracture-network geometry particularly since the phases span a wide range of properties. Academic, government, and industry representatives recently attended a workshop to identify the areas of greatest need for future research in shallow hydrocarbon migration.Novel approaches such as studying temporal and spatial seepage variations and analogous geofluid systems (e.g., geysers and trickle beds) allow deductions of subsurface processes and structures that remain largely unclear. Unique complexities exist in hydrocarbon migration due to its multiphase flow and complex geometry, including in-situ biological weathering. Furthermore, many aspects of the role of hydrocarbons (positive and negative) in the environment are poorly understood, including how they enter the food chain (respiration, consumption, etc.) and “percolate” to higher trophic levels. But understanding these ecological impacts requires knowledge of the emissions' temporal and spatial variability and trajectories.

'I want to feel at home': establishing what aspects of environmental design are important to people with dementia nearing the end of life.

PubMed

Fleming, Richard; Kelly, Fiona; Stillfried, Gillian

2015-05-12

The design of environments in which people with dementia live should be understandable, reinforce personal identity and maintain their abilities. The focus on supporting people with dementia to live well has omitted considering the needs or wishes for a supportive physical environment of those who are nearing the end of their lives. Using a combination of focus groups and a Delphi survey, this study explored the views of people with dementia, family carers and professionals on what aspects of the physical environment would be important to support a good quality of life to the very end. Three focus groups were carried out in three cities along the East Coast of Australia using a discussion guide informed by a literature review. Focus groups comprised recently bereaved family carers of people with dementia (FG1), people with dementia and family carers of people with dementia (FG2) and practitioners caring for people with dementia nearing or at the end of their lives (FG3). Focus group conversations were audio-recorded with participants' consent. Audio files were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically to identify environmental features that could contribute to achieving the goal of providing a comfortable life to the end. A list of design features derived from analysis of focus group transcripts was distributed to a range of experts in the dementia field and a consensus sought on their appropriateness. From this, a set of features to inform the design of environments for people with dementia nearing the end of life was defined. Eighteen people took part in three focus groups: two with dementia, eleven current or recently bereaved family carers and five practitioners. There were differences in opinion on what were important environmental considerations. People with dementia and family carers identified comfort through engagement, feeling at home, a calm environment, privacy and dignity and use of technology to remain connected as important. For practitioners

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifying Candidate Genes Influencing Important Agronomic Traits of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Using SLAF-seq

PubMed Central

Xie, Dongwei; Dai, Zhigang; Yang, Zemao; Sun, Jian; Zhao, Debao; Yang, Xue; Zhang, Liguo; Tang, Qing; Su, Jianguang

2018-01-01

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important cash crop, and its agronomic traits directly affect yield and quality. Molecular studies on flax remain inadequate because relatively few flax genes have been associated with agronomic traits or have been identified as having potential applications. To identify markers and candidate genes that can potentially be used for genetic improvement of crucial agronomic traits, we examined 224 specimens of core flax germplasm; specifically, phenotypic data for key traits, including plant height, technical length, number of branches, number of fruits, and 1000-grain weight were investigated under three environmental conditions before specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) was employed to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for these five agronomic traits. Subsequently, the results were used to screen single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci and candidate genes that exhibited a significant correlation with the important agronomic traits. Our analyses identified a total of 42 SNP loci that showed significant correlations with the five important agronomic flax traits. Next, candidate genes were screened in the 10 kb zone of each of the 42 SNP loci. These SNP loci were then analyzed by a more stringent screening via co-identification using both a general linear model (GLM) and a mixed linear model (MLM) as well as co-occurrences in at least two of the three environments, whereby 15 final candidate genes were obtained. Based on these results, we determined that UGT and PL are candidate genes for plant height, GRAS and XTH are candidate genes for the number of branches, Contig1437 and LU0019C12 are candidate genes for the number of fruits, and PHO1 is a candidate gene for the 1000-seed weight. We propose that the identified SNP loci and corresponding candidate genes might serve as a biological basis for improving crucial agronomic flax traits. PMID:29375606

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifying Candidate Genes Influencing Important Agronomic Traits of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Using SLAF-seq.

PubMed

Xie, Dongwei; Dai, Zhigang; Yang, Zemao; Sun, Jian; Zhao, Debao; Yang, Xue; Zhang, Liguo; Tang, Qing; Su, Jianguang

2017-01-01

Flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important cash crop, and its agronomic traits directly affect yield and quality. Molecular studies on flax remain inadequate because relatively few flax genes have been associated with agronomic traits or have been identified as having potential applications. To identify markers and candidate genes that can potentially be used for genetic improvement of crucial agronomic traits, we examined 224 specimens of core flax germplasm; specifically, phenotypic data for key traits, including plant height, technical length, number of branches, number of fruits, and 1000-grain weight were investigated under three environmental conditions before specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) was employed to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for these five agronomic traits. Subsequently, the results were used to screen single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci and candidate genes that exhibited a significant correlation with the important agronomic traits. Our analyses identified a total of 42 SNP loci that showed significant correlations with the five important agronomic flax traits. Next, candidate genes were screened in the 10 kb zone of each of the 42 SNP loci. These SNP loci were then analyzed by a more stringent screening via co-identification using both a general linear model (GLM) and a mixed linear model (MLM) as well as co-occurrences in at least two of the three environments, whereby 15 final candidate genes were obtained. Based on these results, we determined that UGT and PL are candidate genes for plant height, GRAS and XTH are candidate genes for the number of branches, Contig1437 and LU0019C12 are candidate genes for the number of fruits, and PHO1 is a candidate gene for the 1000-seed weight. We propose that the identified SNP loci and corresponding candidate genes might serve as a biological basis for improving crucial agronomic flax traits.

Asteroid Secular Dynamics: Ceres’ Fingerprint Identified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novaković, Bojan; Maurel, Clara; Tsirvoulis, Georgios; Knežević, Zoran

2015-07-01

Here we report on the significant role of a so far overlooked dynamical aspect, namely, a secular resonance between the dwarf planet Ceres and other asteroids. We demonstrate that this type of secular resonance can be the dominant dynamical factor in certain regions of the main asteroid belt. Specifically, we performed a dynamical analysis of the asteroids belonging to the (1726) Hoffmeister family. To identify which dynamical mechanisms are actually at work in this part of the main asteroid belt, i.e., to isolate the main perturber(s), we study the evolution of this family in time. The study is accomplished using numerical integrations of test particles performed within different dynamical models. The obtained results reveal that the post-impact evolution of the Hoffmeister asteroid family is a direct consequence of the nodal secular resonance with Ceres. This leads us to the conclusion that similar effects must exist in other parts of the asteroid belt. In this respect, the obtained results shed light on an important and entirely new aspect of the long-term dynamics of small bodies. Ceres’ fingerprint in asteroid dynamics, expressed through the discovered secular resonance effect, completely changes our understanding of the way in which perturbations by Ceres-like objects affect the orbits of nearby bodies.

Crowd-sourced Ontology for Photoleukocoria: Identifying Common Internet Search Terms for a Potentially Important Pediatric Ophthalmic Sign.

PubMed

Staffieri, Sandra E; Kearns, Lisa S; Sanfilippo, Paul G; Craig, Jamie E; Mackey, David A; Hewitt, Alex W

2018-02-01

Leukocoria is the most common presenting sign for pediatric eye disease including retinoblastoma and cataract, with worse outcomes if diagnosis is delayed. We investigated whether individuals could identify leukocoria in photographs (photoleukocoria) and examined their subsequent Internet search behavior. Using a web-based questionnaire, in this cross-sectional study we invited adults aged over 18 years to view two photographs of a child with photoleukocoria, and then search the Internet to determine a possible diagnosis and action plan. The most commonly used search terms and websites accessed were recorded. The questionnaire was completed by 1639 individuals. Facebook advertisement was the most effective recruitment strategy. The mean age of all respondents was 38.95 ± 14.59 years (range, 18-83), 94% were female, and 59.3% had children. An abnormality in the images presented was identified by 1613 (98.4%) participants. The most commonly used search terms were: "white," "pupil," "photo," and "eye" reaching a variety of appropriate websites or links to print or social media articles. Different words or phrases were used to describe the same observation of photoleukocoria leading to a range of websites. Variations in the description of observed signs and search words influenced the sites reached, information obtained, and subsequent help-seeking intentions. Identifying the most commonly used search terms for photoleukocoria is an important step for search engine optimization. Being directed to the most appropriate websites informing of the significance of photoleukocoria and the appropriate actions to take could improve delays in diagnosis of important pediatric eye disease such as retinoblastoma or cataract.

The enduring importance of animal modelsin understanding periodontal disease

PubMed Central

Hajishengallis, George; Lamont, Richard J; Graves, Dana T

2015-01-01

Whereas no single animal model can reproduce the complexity of periodontitis, different aspects of the disease can be addressed by distinct models. Despite their limitations, animal models are essential for testing the biological significance of in vitro findings and for establishing cause-and-effect relationships relevant to clinical observations, which are typically correlative. We provide evidence that animal-based studies have generated a durable framework for dissecting the mechanistic basis of periodontitis. These studies have solidified the etiologic role of bacteria in initiating the inflammatory response that leads to periodontal bone loss and have identified key mediators (IL-1, TNF, prostaglandins, complement, RANKL) that induce inflammatory breakdown. Moreover, animal studies suggest that dysbiosis, rather than individual bacterial species, are important in initiating periodontal bone loss and have introduced the concept that organisms previously considered commensals can play important roles as accessory pathogens or pathobionts. These studies have also provided insight as to how systemic conditions, such as diabetes or leukocyte adhesion deficiency, contribute to tissue destruction. In addition, animal studies have identified and been useful in testing therapeutic targets. PMID:25574929

Perceived participation and autonomy: aspects of functioning and contextual factors predicting participation after stroke.

PubMed

Fallahpour, Mandana; Tham, Kerstin; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi; Jonsson, Hans

2011-04-01

To describe perceived participation and autonomy among a sample of persons with stroke in Iran and to identify different aspects of functioning and contextual factors predicting participation after stroke. A cross-sectional study. A total of 102 persons, between 27 and 75 years of age, diagnosed with first-ever stroke. Participants were assessed for different aspects of functioning, contextual factors and health conditions. Participation was assessed using the Persian version of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy questionnaire. This study demonstrated that the majority of the study population perceived their participation and autonomy to be good to fair in the different domains of their participation, but not with respect to the autonomy outdoors domain. In addition, physical function was found to be the most important variable predicting performance-based participation, whereas mood state was the most important variable predicting social-based participation. The results emphasize the importance of physical function, mood state and access to caregiving services as predictors of participation in everyday life after stroke. Whilst there are two dimensions of participation in this Persian sample of persons with stroke, the factors explaining participation seem to be the same across the cultures.

[Pulmonary Echinococcosis: Surgical Aspects].

PubMed

Eichhorn, M E; Hoffmann, H; Dienemann, H

2015-10-01

Pulmonary cystic echinococcosis is a very rare disease in Germany. It is caused by the larvae of the dog tapeworm (echinococcus granulosus). The liver is the most affected organ, followed by the lungs. Surgery remains the main therapeutic approach for pulmonary CE. Whenever possible, parenchyma-preserving lung surgery should be preferred over anatomic lung resections. To ensure best therapeutic results, surgery needs to be performed under precise consideration of important infectiological aspects and patients should be treated in specialised centres based on interdisciplinary consensus. In addition to surgical aspects, this review summarises special infectiological features of this disease, which are crucial to the surgical approach. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Nuclear Structure Aspects in Nuclear Astrophysics

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

Smith, Michael Scott

2006-12-01

Nuclear Astrophysics as a broad and diverse field of study can be viewed as a magnifier of the impact of microscopic processes on the evolution of macroscopic events. One of the primary goals in Nuclear Astrophysics is the understanding of the nucleosynthesis processes that take place in the cosmos and the simulation of the correlated stellar and explosive burning scenarios. These simulations are strongly dependent on the input from Nuclear Physics which sets the time scale for all stellar dynamic processes--from giga-years of stellar evolution to milliseconds of stellar explosions--and provides the basis for most of the signatures that wemore » have for the interpretation of these events--from stellar luminosities, elemental and isotopic abundances to neutrino flux from distant supernovae. The Nuclear Physics input comes through nuclear structure, low energy reaction rates, nuclear masses, and decay rates. There is a common perception that low energy reaction rates are the most important component of the required nuclear physics input; however, in this article we take a broader approach and present an overview of the close correlation between various nuclear structure aspects and their impact on nuclear astrophysics. We discuss the interplay between the weak and the strong forces on stellar time scales due to the limitations they provide for the evolution of slow and rapid burning processes. The effects of shell structure in nuclei on stellar burning processes as well as the impact of clustering in nuclei is outlined. Furthermore we illustrate the effects of the various nuclear structure aspects on the major nucleosynthesis processes that have been identified in the last few decades. We summarize and provide a coherent overview of the impact of all aspects of nuclear structure on nuclear astrophysics.« less

Value innovation: an important aspect of global surgical care

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction Limited resources in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) drive tremendous innovation in medicine, as well as in other fields. It is not often recognized that several important surgical tools and methods, widely used in high-income countries, have their origins in LMICs. Surgical care around the world stands much to gain from these innovations. In this paper, we provide a short review of some of these succesful innovations and their origins that have had an important impact in healthcare delivery worldwide. Review Examples of LMIC innovations that have been adapted in high-income countries include the Bogotá bag for temporary abdominal wound closure, the orthopaedic external fixator for complex fractures, a hydrocephalus fluid valve for normal pressure hydrocephalus, and intra-ocular lens and manual small incision cataract surgery. LMIC innovations that have had tremendous potential global impact include mosquito net mesh for inguinal hernia repair, and a flutter valve for intercostal drainage of pneumothorax. Conclusion Surgical innovations from LMICs have been shown to have comparable outcomes at a fraction of the cost of tools used in high-income countries. These innovations have the potential to revolutionize global surgical care. Advocates should actively seek out these innovations, campaign for the financial gains from these innovations to benefit their originators and their countries, and find ways to develop and distribute them locally as well as globally. PMID:24393237

Value innovation: an important aspect of global surgical care.

PubMed

Cotton, Michael; Henry, Jaymie Ang; Hasek, Lauren

2014-01-06

Limited resources in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) drive tremendous innovation in medicine, as well as in other fields. It is not often recognized that several important surgical tools and methods, widely used in high-income countries, have their origins in LMICs. Surgical care around the world stands much to gain from these innovations. In this paper, we provide a short review of some of these successful innovations and their origins that have had an important impact in healthcare delivery worldwide. Examples of LMIC innovations that have been adapted in high-income countries include the Bogotá bag for temporary abdominal wound closure, the orthopaedic external fixator for complex fractures, a hydrocephalus fluid valve for normal pressure hydrocephalus, and intra-ocular lens and manual small incision cataract surgery. LMIC innovations that have had tremendous potential global impact include mosquito net mesh for inguinal hernia repair, and a flutter valve for intercostal drainage of pneumothorax. Surgical innovations from LMICs have been shown to have comparable outcomes at a fraction of the cost of tools used in high-income countries. These innovations have the potential to revolutionize global surgical care. Advocates should actively seek out these innovations, campaign for the financial gains from these innovations to benefit their originators and their countries, and find ways to develop and distribute them locally as well as globally.

Distinguishing transient versus stable aspects of depression in New Zealand Pacific Island children using Generalizability Theory.

PubMed

Paterson, Janis; Medvedev, Oleg N; Sumich, Alexander; Tautolo, El-Shadan; Krägeloh, Christian U; Sisk, Rose; McNamara, Robert K; Berk, Michael; Narayanan, Ajit; Siegert, Richard J

2018-02-01

The distinction between temporary versus enduring or state/trait aspects of depression is important. More precise distinction would improve understanding of the aetiology of depression and those aspects most amenable to intervention thus identifying more homogeneous, dynamic targets for clinical trials. Generalizability Theory has been proposed as useful for disentangling state and trait components of psychopathology. We applied Generalizability Theory to determine the relative contributions of temporary and enduring aspects of depression in a widely used screening measure of depression the - 10-item Children's Depression Inventory (CDI-10; Kovacs, 1985). Participants were children of Pacific Island descent living in New Zealand (n = 668). Data were collected at ages - 9, 11, and 14 years. The CDI-10 demonstrated acceptable generalizability across occasions (G = 0.79) with about one third of variance in total scores attributed to temporary and two thirds to more enduring aspects of depression. There were no other significant sources of error variance. Two items were identified as more sensitive than the remaining eight to more dynamic symptoms. Studies with briefer test-retest intervals are warranted. Use of this Pacific Island cohort limits generalizability of findings to other cultures and ethnicities. No data were collected on whether participants had received intervention for depression. While the CDI-10 reliably measures both stable and transient aspects of depression in children, the scale does not permit clear distinction between them. We advocate application of Generalizability Theory for developing state/trait depression measures and determining which existing measures are most suitable for capturing modifiable features of depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental and Energy Aspects of Construction Industry and Green Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauskale, L.; Geipele, I.; Zeltins, N.; Lecis, I.

2017-04-01

Green building is an important component of sustainable real estate market development, and one of the reasons is that the construction industry consumes a high amount of resources. Energy consumption of construction industry results in greenhouse gas emissions, so green buildings, energy systems, building technologies and other aspects play an important role in sustainable development of real estate market, construction and environmental development. The aim of the research is to analyse environmental aspects of sustainable real estate market development, focusing on importance of green buildings at the industry level and related energy aspects. Literature review, historical, statistical data analysis and logical access methods have been used in the research. The conducted research resulted in high environmental rationale and importance of environment-friendly buildings, and there are many green building benefits during the building life cycle. Future research direction is environmental information process and its models.

Aspect-object alignment with Integer Linear Programming in opinion mining.

PubMed

Zhao, Yanyan; Qin, Bing; Liu, Ting; Yang, Wei

2015-01-01

Target extraction is an important task in opinion mining. In this task, a complete target consists of an aspect and its corresponding object. However, previous work has always simply regarded the aspect as the target itself and has ignored the important "object" element. Thus, these studies have addressed incomplete targets, which are of limited use for practical applications. This paper proposes a novel and important sentiment analysis task, termed aspect-object alignment, to solve the "object neglect" problem. The objective of this task is to obtain the correct corresponding object for each aspect. We design a two-step framework for this task. We first provide an aspect-object alignment classifier that incorporates three sets of features, namely, the basic, relational, and special target features. However, the objects that are assigned to aspects in a sentence often contradict each other and possess many complicated features that are difficult to incorporate into a classifier. To resolve these conflicts, we impose two types of constraints in the second step: intra-sentence constraints and inter-sentence constraints. These constraints are encoded as linear formulations, and Integer Linear Programming (ILP) is used as an inference procedure to obtain a final global decision that is consistent with the constraints. Experiments on a corpus in the camera domain demonstrate that the three feature sets used in the aspect-object alignment classifier are effective in improving its performance. Moreover, the classifier with ILP inference performs better than the classifier without it, thereby illustrating that the two types of constraints that we impose are beneficial.

Comprehensive Aspectual UML approach to support AspectJ.

PubMed

Magableh, Aws; Shukur, Zarina; Ali, Noorazean Mohd

2014-01-01

Unified Modeling Language is the most popular and widely used Object-Oriented modelling language in the IT industry. This study focuses on investigating the ability to expand UML to some extent to model crosscutting concerns (Aspects) to support AspectJ. Through a comprehensive literature review, we identify and extensively examine all the available Aspect-Oriented UML modelling approaches and find that the existing Aspect-Oriented Design Modelling approaches using UML cannot be considered to provide a framework for a comprehensive Aspectual UML modelling approach and also that there is a lack of adequate Aspect-Oriented tool support. This study also proposes a set of Aspectual UML semantic rules and attempts to generate AspectJ pseudocode from UML diagrams. The proposed Aspectual UML modelling approach is formally evaluated using a focus group to test six hypotheses regarding performance; a "good design" criteria-based evaluation to assess the quality of the design; and an AspectJ-based evaluation as a reference measurement-based evaluation. The results of the focus group evaluation confirm all the hypotheses put forward regarding the proposed approach. The proposed approach provides a comprehensive set of Aspectual UML structural and behavioral diagrams, which are designed and implemented based on a comprehensive and detailed set of AspectJ programming constructs.

Comprehensive Aspectual UML Approach to Support AspectJ

PubMed Central

Magableh, Aws; Shukur, Zarina; Mohd. Ali, Noorazean

2014-01-01

Unified Modeling Language is the most popular and widely used Object-Oriented modelling language in the IT industry. This study focuses on investigating the ability to expand UML to some extent to model crosscutting concerns (Aspects) to support AspectJ. Through a comprehensive literature review, we identify and extensively examine all the available Aspect-Oriented UML modelling approaches and find that the existing Aspect-Oriented Design Modelling approaches using UML cannot be considered to provide a framework for a comprehensive Aspectual UML modelling approach and also that there is a lack of adequate Aspect-Oriented tool support. This study also proposes a set of Aspectual UML semantic rules and attempts to generate AspectJ pseudocode from UML diagrams. The proposed Aspectual UML modelling approach is formally evaluated using a focus group to test six hypotheses regarding performance; a “good design” criteria-based evaluation to assess the quality of the design; and an AspectJ-based evaluation as a reference measurement-based evaluation. The results of the focus group evaluation confirm all the hypotheses put forward regarding the proposed approach. The proposed approach provides a comprehensive set of Aspectual UML structural and behavioral diagrams, which are designed and implemented based on a comprehensive and detailed set of AspectJ programming constructs. PMID:25136656

Integrating multiple disturbance aspects: management of an invasive thistle, Carduus nutans.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Shea, Katriona

2012-11-01

Disturbances occur in most ecological systems, and play an important role in biological invasions. We delimit five key disturbance aspects: intensity, frequency, timing, duration and extent. Few studies address more than one of these aspects, yet interactions and interdependence between aspects may lead to complex outcomes. In a two-cohort experimental study, we examined how multiple aspects (intensity, frequency and timing) of a mowing disturbance regime affect the survival, phenology, growth and reproduction of an invasive thistle Carduus nutans (musk thistle). Our results show that high intensity and late timing strongly delay flowering phenology and reduce plant survival, capitulum production and plant height. A significant interaction between intensity and timing further magnifies the main effects. Unexpectedly, high frequency alone did not effectively reduce reproduction. However, a study examining only frequency and intensity, and not timing, would have erroneously attributed the importance of timing to frequency. We used management of an invasive species as an example to demonstrate the importance of a multiple-aspect disturbance framework. Failure to consider possible interactions, and the inherent interdependence of certain aspects, could result in misinterpretation and inappropriate management efforts. This framework can be broadly applied to improve our understanding of disturbance effects on individual responses, population dynamics and community composition.

Perceived stress and cognitive function in older adults: which aspect of perceived stress is important?

PubMed

Korten, Nicole C M; Comijs, Hannie C; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Deeg, Dorly J H

2017-04-01

Few studies examined the association between perceived stress and cognitive function in older adults. This study will examine which aspects of perceived stress especially impact cognitive function. Cross-sectional data of 1099 older adults between 64 and 100 years from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used. Perceived stress and its subscales perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy were measured with the Perceived Stress Scale. Cognitive function was assessed regarding memory, processing speed and executive function. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed between the stress measures and the domains of cognitive function. Perceived stress was associated with worse processing speed, direct and delayed recall, semantic fluency and digit span backwards (range β = -0.10; -0.11; p < 0.01). The subscale perceived helplessness showed negative associations only with processing speed (β = -0.06, p < 0.05) and delayed recall (β = -0.06, p < 0.05), which became nonsignificant after the adjustment for depressive symptoms or sense of mastery. The subscale perceived self-efficacy was significantly associated with better cognitive function, also after adjustment for depressive symptoms or sense of mastery (range β = 0.10; 0.18; p < 0.01). In older adults, especially perceived self-efficacy showed independent associations with a broad range of cognitive functions. Perceived self-efficacy might be an important factor in reducing stress and the prevention of cognitive decline. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cellular signaling identifiability analysis: a case study.

PubMed

Roper, Ryan T; Pia Saccomani, Maria; Vicini, Paolo

2010-05-21

Two primary purposes for mathematical modeling in cell biology are (1) simulation for making predictions of experimental outcomes and (2) parameter estimation for drawing inferences from experimental data about unobserved aspects of biological systems. While the former purpose has become common in the biological sciences, the latter is less common, particularly when studying cellular and subcellular phenomena such as signaling-the focus of the current study. Data are difficult to obtain at this level. Therefore, even models of only modest complexity can contain parameters for which the available data are insufficient for estimation. In the present study, we use a set of published cellular signaling models to address issues related to global parameter identifiability. That is, we address the following question: assuming known time courses for some model variables, which parameters is it theoretically impossible to estimate, even with continuous, noise-free data? Following an introduction to this problem and its relevance, we perform a full identifiability analysis on a set of cellular signaling models using DAISY (Differential Algebra for the Identifiability of SYstems). We use our analysis to bring to light important issues related to parameter identifiability in ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. We contend that this is, as of yet, an under-appreciated issue in biological modeling and, more particularly, cell biology. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Kidney patients: aspects related to compliance with renal treatment].

PubMed

Caraballo Nazario, G L; Lebrón de avilés, C; Dávila Torres, R R; Burgos Calderón, R

2001-12-01

The Objective of this study was identify the aspects related with the adherence of medical treatment recommended to the patients that received hemodialysis in the tertiary public hospital. A non experimental transectional correlation design was utilized in this study. Fifty-three patients constituted the population study. A structure interview was utilized to gathered the data. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were utilized to analysis. The response rate was 91.0%. The 75.0% of patients not compliance with the medical treatment. Significant association between compliance variable and educational level was encountered (p < or = 0.05). This study provides important findings to will develops educative intervention in the Renal Unit, directed to improve the adherence of the patient with medical treatment.

Identifying the needs of elderly, hearing-impaired persons: the importance and utility of hearing aid attributes.

PubMed

Meister, Hartmut; Lausberg, Isabel; Kiessling, Juergen; von Wedel, Hasso; Walger, Martin

2002-11-01

Older patients represent the majority of hearing-aid users. The needs of elderly, hearing-impaired subjects are not entirely identified. The present study aims to determine the importance of fundamental hearing-aid attributes and to elicit the utility of associated hypothetical hearing aids for older patients. This was achieved using a questionnaire-based conjoint analysis--a decompositional approach to preference measurement offering a realistic study design. A random sample of 200 experienced hearing-aid users participated in the study. Though three out of the six examined attributes revealed age-related dependencies, the only significant effect was found for the attribute "handling", which was considerably more important for older than younger hearing-aid users. A trend of decreasing importance of speech intelligibility in noise and increasing significance of speech in quiet was observed for subjects older than 70 years. In general, the utility of various hypothetical hearing aids was similar for older and younger subjects. Apart from the attribute "handling", older and younger subjects have comparable needs regarding hearing-aid features. On the basis of the examined attributes, there is no requirement for hearing aids designed specifically for elderly hearing-aid users, provided that ergonomic features are considered and the benefits of modern technology are made fully available for older patients.

Behavioral aspects of children's sports.

PubMed

Pratt, Helen D; Patel, Dilip R; Greydanus, Donald E

2003-08-01

This article considers some of the numerous behavioral aspects that are related to children's sports. The pediatrician, during various encounters with the athlete and his or her parents in the office, or on the field, can positively influence the sport participation experience of the athlete, by screening and identifying potential problem areas as well as providing anticipatory guidance on various issues.

Systematic reviews identify important methodological flaws in stroke rehabilitation therapy primary studies: review of reviews.

PubMed

Santaguida, Pasqualina; Oremus, Mark; Walker, Kathryn; Wishart, Laurie R; Siegel, Karen Lohmann; Raina, Parminder

2012-04-01

A "review of reviews" was undertaken to assess methodological issues in studies evaluating nondrug rehabilitation interventions in stroke patients. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from January 2000 to January 2008 within the stroke rehabilitation setting. Electronic searches were supplemented by reviews of reference lists and citations identified by experts. Eligible studies were systematic reviews; excluded citations were narrative reviews or reviews of reviews. Review characteristics and criteria for assessing methodological quality of primary studies within them were extracted. The search yielded 949 English-language citations. We included a final set of 38 systematic reviews. Cochrane reviews, which have a standardized methodology, were generally of higher methodological quality than non-Cochrane reviews. Most systematic reviews used standardized quality assessment criteria for primary studies, but not all were comprehensive. Reviews showed that primary studies had problems with randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding. Baseline comparability, adverse events, and co-intervention or contamination were not consistently assessed. Blinding of patients and providers was often not feasible and was not evaluated as a source of bias. The eligible systematic reviews identified important methodological flaws in the evaluated primary studies, suggesting the need for improvement of research methods and reporting. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of quality aspects of GP care among ethnic minorities: role of cultural attitudes, language and healthcare system of reference.

PubMed

Lamkaddem, Majda; Spreeuwenberg, Peter M; Devillé, Walter L; Foets, Marleen M; Groenewegen, Peter P

2012-02-01

This study examines the mechanisms responsible for ethnic differences in perceived quality of care in The Netherlands. The specific role of cultural attitudes, language proficiency, and the health system in the country of origin was examined, taking socio-demographic characteristics into account. Interview data of 1339 respondents of Moroccan, Turkish, Surinamese and Antillean origin were combined with interview data of Dutch respondents (n = 405) and of Western immigrants (n = 102) in The Netherlands and of a random sample of Dutch privately or publicly insured persons (n = 9675). Data collection took place within the Second Dutch National Survey of General Practice (DNSGP-2, 2001). Items from the QUality Of care Through the patient's Eyes (QUOTE) questionnaire were used to measure expectations, as well as items from the QUOTE-Mi (adapted version for migrant groups). Items on normative orientations were used to measure cultural attitudes. In contrast to our hypothesis, respondents with more egalitarian/modern attitudes attached less importance to quality aspects related to access and quality. Tests on the role of the health system of reference were generally conclusive, showing that respondents accustomed to (parts of) another system have different expectations regarding several aspects of general practitioner healthcare quality, e.g. access to specialist care. Besides socio-demographic characteristics, culture influences patients' expectations regarding general practitioner care quality. However, the role of culture can be more clearly ascribed to the characteristics of the health system which is held as the reference than to the general attitudes on normative orientations.

Perceptions of the Host Country's Food Culture among Female Immigrants from Africa and Asia: Aspects Relevant for Cultural Sensitivity in Nutrition Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garnweidner, Lisa Maria; Terragni, Laura; Pettersen, Kjell Sverre; Mosdol, Annhild

2012-01-01

Objective: To explore how female immigrants from Africa and Asia perceive the host country's food culture, to identify aspects of their original food culture they considered important to preserve, and to describe how they go about preserving them. Design: Qualitative in-depth interviews. Setting: Oslo, Norway. Participants: Twenty one female…

To identify or not to identify parathyroid glands during total thyroidectomy.

PubMed

Chang, Yuk Kwan; Lang, Brian H H

2017-12-01

Hypoparathyroidism is one of the most common complications after total thyroidectomy and may impose a significant burden to both the patient and clinician. The extent of thyroid resection, surgical techniques, concomitant central neck dissection, parathyroid gland (PG) autotransplantation and inadvertent parathyroidectomy have long been some of the risk factors for postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Although routine identification of PGs has traditionally been advocated by surgeons, recent evidence has suggested that perhaps identifying fewer number of in situ PGs during surgery (i.e., selective identification) may further lower the risk of hypoparathyroidism. One explanation is that visual identification may often lead to subtle damages to the nearby blood supply of the in situ PGs and that may increase the risk of hypoparathyroidism. However, it is worth highlighting the current literature supporting either approach (i.e., routine vs. selective) remains scarce and because of the significant differences in study design, inclusions, definitions and management protocol between studies, a pooled analysis on this important but controversial topic remains an impossible task. Furthermore, it is worth nothing that identification of PGs does not equal safe preservation, as some studies demonstrated that it is not the number of PGs identified, but the number of PG preserved in situ that matters. Therefore a non-invasive, objective and reliable way to localize PGs and assess their viability intra-operatively is warranted. In this aspect, modern technology such as the indocyanine green (ICG) as near-infrared fluorescent dye for real-time in situ PG perfusion monitoring may have a potential role in the future.

Evaluation and its importance for nursing practice.

PubMed

Moule, Pam; Armoogum, Julie; Douglass, Emma; Taylor, Dr Julie

2017-04-26

Evaluation of service delivery is an important aspect of nursing practice. Service evaluation is being increasingly used and led by nurses, who are well placed to evaluate service and practice delivery. This article defines evaluation of services and wider care delivery and its relevance in NHS practice and policy. It aims to encourage nurses to think about how evaluation of services or practice differs from research and audit activity and to consider why and how they should use evaluation in their practice. A process for planning and conducting an evaluation and disseminating findings is presented. Evaluation in the healthcare context can be a complicated activity and some of the potential challenges of evaluation are described, alongside possible solutions. Further resources and guidance on evaluation activity to support nurses' ongoing development are identified.

Identifying important comorbidity among cancer populations using administrative data: Prevalence and impact on survival.

PubMed

Sarfati, Diana; Gurney, Jason; Lim, Bee Teng; Bagheri, Nasser; Simpson, Andrew; Koea, Jonathan; Dennett, Elizabeth

2016-03-01

Our study sought to optimize the identification and investigate the impact of comorbidity in cancer patients using routinely collected hospitalization data. We undertook an iterative process of classification of important clinical conditions involving evaluation of relevant literature and consultation with clinicians. Patients diagnosed with colon, rectal, breast, ovarian, uterine, stomach, liver, renal or bladder cancers (n = 14,096) between 2006 and 2008 were identified from the New Zealand Cancer Registry. Conditions were identified using data on diagnoses from hospital admissions for 5 years prior to cancer diagnosis. Patients were followed up until end of 2009 using routine mortality data. Prevalence estimates for each condition by site were calculated. All-cause mortality impact of common conditions was investigated using Cox regression models adjusted for age and stage at diagnosis. Patients with liver and stomach cancers tended to have higher comorbidity and those with breast cancer, lower comorbidity than other cancer patients. Of the 50 conditions, the most common were hypertension (prevalence 8.0-20.9%), cardiac conditions (2.1-13.5%) and diabetes with (2.3-13.3%) and without (2.9-12.9%) complications. Comorbidity was associated with higher all-cause mortality but the impact varied by condition and across cancer site, with impact less for cancers with poor prognoses. Conditions most consistently associated with adverse outcomes across all cancer sites were renal disease, coagulopathies and congestive heart failure. Comorbidity is highly prevalent in cancer populations, but prevalence and impact of conditions differ markedly by cancer type. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Modeling Submarine Lava Flow with ASPECT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storvick, E. R.; Lu, H.; Choi, E.

2017-12-01

Submarine lava flow is not easily observed and experimented on due to limited accessibility and challenges posed by the fast solidification of lava and the associated drastic changes in rheology. However, recent advances in numerical modeling techniques might address some of these challenges and provide unprecedented insight into the mechanics of submarine lava flow and conditions determining its wide-ranging morphologies. In this study, we explore the applicability ASPECT, Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth's ConvecTion, to submarine lava flow. ASPECT is a parallel finite element code that solves problems of thermal convection in the Earth's mantle. We will assess ASPECT's capability to model submarine lava flow by observing models of lava flow morphology simulated with GALE, a long-term tectonics finite element analysis code, with models created using comparable settings and parameters in ASPECT. From these observations we will contrast the differing models in order to identify the benefits of each code. While doing so, we anticipate we will learn about the conditions required for end-members of lava flow morphology, for example, pillows and sheet flows. With ASPECT specifically we focus on 1) whether the lava rheology can be implemented; 2) how effective the AMR is in resolving morphologies of the solidified crust; 3) whether and under what conditions the end-members of the lava flow morphologies, pillows and sheets, can be reproduced.

SOME ASPECTS OF HEALTH CARE IN MEDIEVAL INDIA

PubMed Central

Rao, B. Rama

1992-01-01

It appears that from medieval period onwards the subjects having practical application were given more importance than the philosophical and theoretical aspects. But the physicians were keen observes and new drugs and information were added and the effect of religion, astrology and other systems is also seen. While the womenfolk used to collect from the nearby forests, drugs that were useful for common ailments, some drugs were also imported from other countries. Specialization in certain diseases or practices was prevalent and the physicians enjoyed a high status and respect in the society. Several such other aspects are dealt with in this article. PMID:22556577

Perceptions of the host country's food culture among female immigrants from Africa and Asia: aspects relevant for cultural sensitivity in nutrition communication.

PubMed

Garnweidner, Lisa Maria; Terragni, Laura; Pettersen, Kjell Sverre; Mosdøl, Annhild

2012-01-01

To explore how female immigrants from Africa and Asia perceive the host country's food culture, to identify aspects of their original food culture they considered important to preserve, and to describe how they go about preserving them. Qualitative in-depth interviews. Oslo, Norway. Twenty one female immigrants from 11 African and Asian countries, residing in areas of Oslo with a population having a low-to-middle socioeconomic status and a high proportion of immigrants. Participants varied in years of residence, employment status, and marital status. Analysis of the interviews was guided by a phenomenological approach. Participants emphasized the importance of preserving aspects of their original food cultures and related these aspects to taste, preparation effort and method, and adherence to religious dietary rules. They often perceived the food of the host country as "tasteless and boring." The authors observed strict, flexible, or limited continuity with the original food culture. Some elements that possibly influenced participants' degree of continuity are indicated. Immigrants may strive to preserve aspects of their original food culture after immigration. Nutrition communication becomes more culturally sensitive when it takes such aspects into account. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new process sensitivity index to identify important system processes under process model and parametric uncertainty

DOE PAGES

Dai, Heng; Ye, Ming; Walker, Anthony P.; ...

2017-03-28

A hydrological model consists of multiple process level submodels, and each submodel represents a process key to the operation of the simulated system. Global sensitivity analysis methods have been widely used to identify important processes for system model development and improvement. The existing methods of global sensitivity analysis only consider parametric uncertainty, and are not capable of handling model uncertainty caused by multiple process models that arise from competing hypotheses about one or more processes. To address this problem, this study develops a new method to probe model output sensitivity to competing process models by integrating model averaging methods withmore » variance-based global sensitivity analysis. A process sensitivity index is derived as a single summary measure of relative process importance, and the index includes variance in model outputs caused by uncertainty in both process models and their parameters. Here, for demonstration, the new index is used to assign importance to the processes of recharge and geology in a synthetic study of groundwater reactive transport modeling. The recharge process is simulated by two models that convert precipitation to recharge, and the geology process is simulated by two models of hydraulic conductivity. Each process model has its own random parameters. Finally, the new process sensitivity index is mathematically general, and can be applied to a wide range of problems in hydrology and beyond.« less

A new process sensitivity index to identify important system processes under process model and parametric uncertainty

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

Dai, Heng; Ye, Ming; Walker, Anthony P.

A hydrological model consists of multiple process level submodels, and each submodel represents a process key to the operation of the simulated system. Global sensitivity analysis methods have been widely used to identify important processes for system model development and improvement. The existing methods of global sensitivity analysis only consider parametric uncertainty, and are not capable of handling model uncertainty caused by multiple process models that arise from competing hypotheses about one or more processes. To address this problem, this study develops a new method to probe model output sensitivity to competing process models by integrating model averaging methods withmore » variance-based global sensitivity analysis. A process sensitivity index is derived as a single summary measure of relative process importance, and the index includes variance in model outputs caused by uncertainty in both process models and their parameters. Here, for demonstration, the new index is used to assign importance to the processes of recharge and geology in a synthetic study of groundwater reactive transport modeling. The recharge process is simulated by two models that convert precipitation to recharge, and the geology process is simulated by two models of hydraulic conductivity. Each process model has its own random parameters. Finally, the new process sensitivity index is mathematically general, and can be applied to a wide range of problems in hydrology and beyond.« less

Global sensitivity analysis for identifying important parameters of nitrogen nitrification and denitrification under model uncertainty and scenario uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhuowei; Shi, Liangsheng; Ye, Ming; Zhu, Yan; Yang, Jinzhong

2018-06-01

Nitrogen reactive transport modeling is subject to uncertainty in model parameters, structures, and scenarios. By using a new variance-based global sensitivity analysis method, this paper identifies important parameters for nitrogen reactive transport with simultaneous consideration of these three uncertainties. A combination of three scenarios of soil temperature and two scenarios of soil moisture creates a total of six scenarios. Four alternative models describing the effect of soil temperature and moisture content are used to evaluate the reduction functions used for calculating actual reaction rates. The results show that for nitrogen reactive transport problem, parameter importance varies substantially among different models and scenarios. Denitrification and nitrification process is sensitive to soil moisture content status rather than to the moisture function parameter. Nitrification process becomes more important at low moisture content and low temperature. However, the changing importance of nitrification activity with respect to temperature change highly relies on the selected model. Model-averaging is suggested to assess the nitrification (or denitrification) contribution by reducing the possible model error. Despite the introduction of biochemical heterogeneity or not, fairly consistent parameter importance rank is obtained in this study: optimal denitrification rate (Kden) is the most important parameter; reference temperature (Tr) is more important than temperature coefficient (Q10); empirical constant in moisture response function (m) is the least important one. Vertical distribution of soil moisture but not temperature plays predominant role controlling nitrogen reaction. This study provides insight into the nitrogen reactive transport modeling and demonstrates an effective strategy of selecting the important parameters when future temperature and soil moisture carry uncertainties or when modelers face with multiple ways of establishing nitrogen

Distributed design approach in persistent identifiers systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golodoniuc, Pavel; Car, Nicholas; Klump, Jens

2017-04-01

The need to identify both digital and physical objects is ubiquitous in our society. Past and present persistent identifier (PID) systems, of which there is a great variety in terms of technical and social implementations, have evolved with the advent of the Internet, which has allowed for globally unique and globally resolvable identifiers. PID systems have catered for identifier uniqueness, integrity, persistence, and trustworthiness, regardless of the identifier's application domain, the scope of which has expanded significantly in the past two decades. Since many PID systems have been largely conceived and developed by small communities, or even a single organisation, they have faced challenges in gaining widespread adoption and, most importantly, the ability to survive change of technology. This has left a legacy of identifiers that still exist and are being used but which have lost their resolution service. We believe that one of the causes of once successful PID systems fading is their reliance on a centralised technical infrastructure or a governing authority. Golodoniuc et al. (2016) proposed an approach to the development of PID systems that combines the use of (a) the Handle system, as a distributed system for the registration and first-degree resolution of persistent identifiers, and (b) the PID Service (Golodoniuc et al., 2015), to enable fine-grained resolution to different information object representations. The proposed approach solved the problem of guaranteed first-degree resolution of identifiers, but left fine-grained resolution and information delivery under the control of a single authoritative source, posing risk to the long-term availability of information resources. Herein, we develop these approaches further and explore the potential of large-scale decentralisation at all levels: (i) persistent identifiers and information resources registration; (ii) identifier resolution; and (iii) data delivery. To achieve large-scale decentralisation

Temps, aspect et modalisation dans un acte de communication (Tense, Aspect and Mood in an Act of Communication)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentolila, Alain

1977-01-01

Syntactic analysis identifies the "conductor wires" permitting the listener to conceptualize the speaker's image of reality from information furnished by the linguistic message. Syntactic study is thus situated in the economy of the communication process. Mood, aspect and tense are studied in this framework. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

The aspects of safety in future care settings.

PubMed

Pharow, Peter; Blobel, Bernd G M E; Savastano, Mario

2007-01-01

Communication and cooperation processes in the growing healthcare and welfare domain require a well-defined set of security services provided by a standards-based interoperable security infrastructure. Any communication and collaboration procedures require a verifiable purpose. Without such a purpose for communicating with each other, there's no need to communicate at all. But security is not the only aspect that needs to carefully be investigated. More and more, aspects of safety, privacy, and quality get importance while discussing about future-proof health information systems and health networks--regardless whether local, regional and national ones or even pan-European networks. The patient needs to be moved into the center of each care process. During the course of the current paradigm change from an organization centered via a process-related to a person-centered healthcare and welfare system approach, different new technologies need to be applied in order to meet the new challenges arising from both legal and technical circumstances. International organizations like WHO, UNESCO and the European Parliament increasingly aim at enhancing the safety aspect in future care settings, and so do many projects and studies. Beside typical information and communication devices, extended use of modern IT technology in healthcare and welfare includes large medical devices like, e.g., CT, X-ray and MR but also very tiny devices like sensors worn or implemented in a person's clothing. Safety gets on top of the nations priority list for several reasons. The paper aims at identifying some of these reasons along with possible solutions on how to increase patient's awareness, confidence, and acceptance in future care settings.

Quality of care and service trajectories for people with intellectual disabilities: defining the aspects of quality from the client's perspective.

PubMed

Barelds, Anna; van de Goor, Ien; van Heck, Guus; Schols, Jos

2010-03-01

Care and service trajectories for people with intellectual disabilities (i.e. people with mental retardations) are routes within the healthcare delivery system that consist of all the steps that people with intellectual disabilities and their families have to take in order to realise the needed care and services. This article aims to identify the quality aspects of trajectories that are considered important by people with intellectual disabilities and their parents/relatives. In addition, it examines how these aspects are related to quality determinants mentioned in the literature on integrated care and to authoritative models for quality assessment of care and service delivery. Quality aspects were collected during eight focus group discussions with people with intellectual disabilities or their parents/relatives. In addition, quality determinants of integrated care and authoritative models for quality assessment were selected by means of a thorough review of the literature. Finally, the quality aspects identified using focus groups were compared to the determinants and models found in the literature. The quality aspects presented by people with intellectual disabilities referred particularly to the immediate situation in receiving care and services, such as 'keeping appointments' and 'time and attention', whereas parents/relatives also referred to broader 'organisational issues', such as 'access to support' and 'problems with placement'. The quality aspects, however, are minimally related to the quality determinants of integrated care, probably because clients and their parents/relatives find it difficult to have an overview of the coherence between the various actions that have to be performed, when going through the trajectories. In contrast, the quality aspects seem to fit into the domains of the authoritative models for quality assessment, probably because of the minimal focus of the models on long-term aspects in care and service delivery.

A bootstrap based Neyman-Pearson test for identifying variable importance.

PubMed

Ditzler, Gregory; Polikar, Robi; Rosen, Gail

2015-04-01

Selection of most informative features that leads to a small loss on future data are arguably one of the most important steps in classification, data analysis and model selection. Several feature selection (FS) algorithms are available; however, due to noise present in any data set, FS algorithms are typically accompanied by an appropriate cross-validation scheme. In this brief, we propose a statistical hypothesis test derived from the Neyman-Pearson lemma for determining if a feature is statistically relevant. The proposed approach can be applied as a wrapper to any FS algorithm, regardless of the FS criteria used by that algorithm, to determine whether a feature belongs in the relevant set. Perhaps more importantly, this procedure efficiently determines the number of relevant features given an initial starting point. We provide freely available software implementations of the proposed methodology.

A side-effect free method for identifying cancer drug targets.

PubMed

Ashraf, Md Izhar; Ong, Seng-Kai; Mujawar, Shama; Pawar, Shrikant; More, Pallavi; Paul, Somnath; Lahiri, Chandrajit

2018-04-27

Identifying effective drug targets, with little or no side effects, remains an ever challenging task. A potential pitfall of failing to uncover the correct drug targets, due to side effect of pleiotropic genes, might lead the potential drugs to be illicit and withdrawn. Simplifying disease complexity, for the investigation of the mechanistic aspects and identification of effective drug targets, have been done through several approaches of protein interactome analysis. Of these, centrality measures have always gained importance in identifying candidate drug targets. Here, we put forward an integrated method of analysing a complex network of cancer and depict the importance of k-core, functional connectivity and centrality (KFC) for identifying effective drug targets. Essentially, we have extracted the proteins involved in the pathways leading to cancer from the pathway databases which enlist real experimental datasets. The interactions between these proteins were mapped to build an interactome. Integrative analyses of the interactome enabled us to unearth plausible reasons for drugs being rendered withdrawn, thereby giving future scope to pharmaceutical industries to potentially avoid them (e.g. ESR1, HDAC2, F2, PLG, PPARA, RXRA, etc). Based upon our KFC criteria, we have shortlisted ten proteins (GRB2, FYN, PIK3R1, CBL, JAK2, LCK, LYN, SYK, JAK1 and SOCS3) as effective candidates for drug development.

[Transplant Surgeon Meets Nephrologist: Important Nephrological Aspects Before and After Kidney or Liver Transplantation].

PubMed

Vondran, F W R; Wintterle, S; Bräsen, J H; Haller, H; Klempnauer, J; Richter, N; Lehner, F; Schiffer, M

2017-04-01

In cases of chronic renal insufficiency, successful kidney transplantation is the method of choice to restore patients' health, well-being and physical fitness. The interdisciplinary collaboration of nephrologists and transplant surgeons has always been a prerequisite for the successful pre-, peri- and post-transplant care of renal transplant patients. The same holds true for liver transplant patients. Here the nephrologist is often involved in cases requiring pre- or post-transplant dialysis as well as in decision making for combined liver-kidney transplantation. This review focuses on nephrological aspects in patient care before and after kidney and liver transplantation. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[The clinical history in surgical processes. Bioethical aspects and basic professional ethics].

PubMed

Collazo Chao, Eliseo

2008-11-01

Surgeons are increasingly facing multiple civil liability claims from their patients. Against this background and taking any eventual liability claims into account, surgeons must be increasingly aware of the importance of maintaining patient medical histories, which raises numerous questions on the length of time and form of keeping them. Ethical and legal obligations need to be taken into account in order to identify the controversial aspects related to patients and their environment, as well as shedding light on the most appropriate behaviour in each case. We must never forget the case history is a clinical document, subjected to the medical art and medical ethics which regulate it.

Identifying specific beliefs to target to improve restaurant employees' intentions for performing three important food safety behaviors.

PubMed

Pilling, Valerie K; Brannon, Laura A; Shanklin, Carol W; Howells, Amber D; Roberts, Kevin R

2008-06-01

Current national food safety training programs appear ineffective at improving food safety practices in foodservice operations, given the substantial number of Americans affected by foodborne illnesses after eating in restaurants each year. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) was used to identify important beliefs that may be targeted to improve foodservice employees' intentions for three food safety behaviors that have the most substantial affect on public health: hand washing, using thermometers, and proper handling of food contact surfaces. In a cross-sectional design, foodservice employees (n=190) across three midwestern states completed a survey assessing TpB components and knowledge for the three food safety behaviors. Multiple regression analyses were performed on the TpB components for each behavior. Independent-samples t tests identified TpB beliefs that discriminated between participants who absolutely intend to perform the behaviors and those with lower intention. Employees' attitudes were the one consistent predictor of intentions for performing all three behaviors. However, a unique combination of important predictors existed for each separate behavior. Interventions for improving employees' behavioral intentions for food safety should focus on TpB components that predict intentions for each behavior and should bring all employees' beliefs in line with those of the employees who already intend to perform the food safety behaviors. Registered dietitians; dietetic technicians, registered; and foodservice managers can use these results to enhance training sessions and motivational programs to improve employees' food safety behaviors. Results also assist these professionals in recognizing their responsibility for enforcing and providing adequate resources for proper food safety behaviors.

Imported Wines: Identifying and Removing Wines Contaminated with Diethylene Glycol.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

at controlling health risks, BATF has used its labeling authority to prohibit the marketing of alcoholic beverages that are mislabeled by virtue of...or beverages contaminated with harmful substances into the U.S. market . DEG, a toxic substance, would be such a contaminant. The BATF’S authority in...representing a significant risk to health are identified and removed from k the market . BATF did not conduct a risk assessment or seek an assess- ment from

Satisfaction with organizational aspects of health care provision among Lithuanian physicians.

PubMed

Kairys, Jonas; Zebiene, Egle; Sapoka, Virginijus; Zokas, Ignas

2008-03-01

Physician satisfaction is considered an important factor influencing quality of health care provision, patient compliance, and costs to health care systems. Dissatisfaction leads to an increase in turnover of physicians and early retirement, which has a negative impact on continuity and quality of health care. Physician dissatisfaction with certain aspects of health care provision may also help to identify potential weaknesses in satisfactory functioning of health care systems. The aim of the current research project is to study the satisfaction with different organizational aspects of health care provision in Lithuania as judged by a selection of physicians. The study was conducted in Lithuania in June 2004. Physicians in randomly selected health care centers were invited to take part in the survey, 505 primary and secondary care physicians were interviewed by external interviewers during the study period. Physicians were asked to express their satisfaction on items presented in a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 22 questions, evaluating different aspects of health care services - working conditions, workload, financial remuneration, organization of health care infrastructure and availability of laboratory services. Answers were presented by the 5 point Likert type scale, ranging from "very satisfied" (5) to "very dissatisfied" (1). Physicians who were most satisfied with their working conditions were working in private primary health care practices (91.1% satisfied or very satisfied), as compared with 54% of physicians working in state-owned primary care institutions and 49.7% in hospitals. Physicians working in cities and regional centers or towns were more satisfied with organizational aspects of health care services than physicians working in rural health care centers. Satisfaction with their financial remuneration showed that 74% of respondents stated they were "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied". While asked about potential deficiencies in

Novel aspects of plasma control in ITER

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

Humphreys, D.; Jackson, G.; Walker, M.

2015-02-15

ITER plasma control design solutions and performance requirements are strongly driven by its nuclear mission, aggressive commissioning constraints, and limited number of operational discharges. In addition, high plasma energy content, heat fluxes, neutron fluxes, and very long pulse operation place novel demands on control performance in many areas ranging from plasma boundary and divertor regulation to plasma kinetics and stability control. Both commissioning and experimental operations schedules provide limited time for tuning of control algorithms relative to operating devices. Although many aspects of the control solutions required by ITER have been well-demonstrated in present devices and even designed satisfactorily formore » ITER application, many elements unique to ITER including various crucial integration issues are presently under development. We describe selected novel aspects of plasma control in ITER, identifying unique parts of the control problem and highlighting some key areas of research remaining. Novel control areas described include control physics understanding (e.g., current profile regulation, tearing mode (TM) suppression), control mathematics (e.g., algorithmic and simulation approaches to high confidence robust performance), and integration solutions (e.g., methods for management of highly subscribed control resources). We identify unique aspects of the ITER TM suppression scheme, which will pulse gyrotrons to drive current within a magnetic island, and turn the drive off following suppression in order to minimize use of auxiliary power and maximize fusion gain. The potential role of active current profile control and approaches to design in ITER are discussed. Issues and approaches to fault handling algorithms are described, along with novel aspects of actuator sharing in ITER.« less

Novel aspects of plasma control in ITER

DOE PAGES

Humphreys, David; Ambrosino, G.; de Vries, Peter; ...

2015-02-12

ITER plasma control design solutions and performance requirements are strongly driven by its nuclear mission, aggressive commissioning constraints, and limited number of operational discharges. In addition, high plasma energy content, heat fluxes, neutron fluxes, and very long pulse operation place novel demands on control performance in many areas ranging from plasma boundary and divertor regulation to plasma kinetics and stability control. Both commissioning and experimental operations schedules provide limited time for tuning of control algorithms relative to operating devices. Although many aspects of the control solutions required by ITER have been well-demonstrated in present devices and even designed satisfactorily formore » ITER application, many elements unique to ITER including various crucial integration issues are presently under development. We describe selected novel aspects of plasma control in ITER, identifying unique parts of the control problem and highlighting some key areas of research remaining. Novel control areas described include control physics understanding (e.g. current profile regulation, tearing mode suppression (TM)), control mathematics (e.g. algorithmic and simulation approaches to high confidence robust performance), and integration solutions (e.g. methods for management of highly-subscribed control resources). We identify unique aspects of the ITER TM suppression scheme, which will pulse gyrotrons to drive current within a magnetic island, and turn the drive off following suppression in order to minimize use of auxiliary power and maximize fusion gain. The potential role of active current profile control and approaches to design in ITER are discussed. Finally, issues and approaches to fault handling algorithms are described, along with novel aspects of actuator sharing in ITER.« less

The Importance of Bridging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zamboni, Camilla

2014-01-01

In this article, I will discuss the importance of the fundamental aspect of "bridging" in the wider context of language teaching. I will use "bridging" particularly in terms of cultural differences and underline the pivotal role of specific techniques, in a language class as well as in a pedagogy class or seminar, to help…

Identifying decohering paths in closed quantum systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albrecht, Andreas

1990-01-01

A specific proposal is discussed for how to identify decohering paths in a wavefunction of the universe. The emphasis is on determining the correlations among subsystems and then considering how these correlations evolve. The proposal is similar to earlier ideas of Schroedinger and of Zeh, but in other ways it is closer to the decoherence functional of Griffiths, Omnes, and Gell-Mann and Hartle. There are interesting differences with each of these which are discussed. Once a given coarse-graining is chosen, the candidate paths are fixed in this scheme, and a single well defined number measures the degree of decoherence for each path. The normal probability sum rules are exactly obeyed (instantaneously) by these paths regardless of the level of decoherence. Also briefly discussed is how one might quantify some other aspects of classicality. The important role that concrete calculations play in testing this and other proposals is stressed.

The Extension of the Progressive Aspect in Black South African English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Rooy, Bertus

2006-01-01

The extension of the progressive aspect to stative verbs has been identified as a characteristic feature of New Varieties of English across the world, including the English of black South Africans (BSAfE). This paper examines the use of the progressive aspect in BSAfE, by doing a comparative analysis of three corpora of argumentative student…

Why geriatrics? Academic geriatricians' perceptions of the positive, attractive aspects of geriatrics.

PubMed

Cravens, D D; Campbell, J D; Mehr, D R

2000-01-01

Recruitment of geriatrics trainees has been poor, and the current shortage of academic geriatricians is expected to worsen. Although barriers to entering geriatrics practice have been identified, a review of the literature found few studies about why people choose to enter geriatrics. We used qualitative methods to investigate the positive, attractive aspects of geriatrics. Long interviews with six academic geriatricians were taped and transcribed. Transcripts were entered into a textual database computer program and reviewed independently by two investigators. Six themes emerged: 1) traditional learning experiences, 2) value on personal relationships, 3) a perception of distinctive differences, 4) a desire to feel needed personally and societally, 5) prefer democracy versus autocracy, and 6) desire intellectual challenges. Academic geriatrics, therefore, is particularly attractive to people who value enduring relationships, see challenges in complexity, practice social responsibility, prefer working within a multidisciplinary team, and derive satisfaction from making seemingly small but nonetheless important changes in peoples' lives. If further studies validate these findings, they could promote geriatrics as a career, by, for example, identifying students and family practice and internal medicine residents who share these values, beliefs, and attitudes and encouraging them to consider this important field.

Genomic Analyses Yield Markers for Identifying Agronomically Important Genes in Potato

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study explores the genetic architecture underling the potato evolution through a comprehensive assessment of wild and cultivated potato species based on the re-sequencing of 201 accessions of Solanum section Petota with >12 × genome coverage. We identified 450 domesticated genes, which showed e...

Novel Aspects of the Liver Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Pathogenesis and Development

PubMed Central

Tu, Thomas; Budzinska, Magdalena A.; Maczurek, Annette E.; Cheng, Robert; Di Bartolomeo, Anna; Warner, Fiona J.; McCaughan, Geoffrey W.; McLennan, Susan V.; Shackel, Nicholas A.

2014-01-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent primary liver cancer that is derived from hepatocytes and is characterised by high mortality rate and poor prognosis. While HCC is driven by cumulative changes in the hepatocyte genome, it is increasingly recognised that the liver microenvironment plays a pivotal role in HCC propensity, progression and treatment response. The microenvironmental stimuli that have been recognised as being involved in HCC pathogenesis are diverse and include intrahepatic cell subpopulations, such as immune and stellate cells, pathogens, such as hepatitis viruses, and non-cellular factors, such as abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM) and tissue hypoxia. Recently, a number of novel environmental influences have been shown to have an equally dramatic, but previously unrecognized, role in HCC progression. Novel aspects, including diet, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microflora and circulating microvesicles, are now being recognized as increasingly important in HCC pathogenesis. This review will outline aspects of the HCC microenvironment, including the potential role of GIT microflora and microvesicles, in providing new insights into tumourigenesis and identifying potential novel targets in the treatment of HCC. PMID:24871369

Identifying organisational principles and management practices important to the quality of health care services for chronic conditions.

PubMed

Frølich, Anne

2012-02-01

effect of financial incentives and public performance reporting on the behaviour of professionals and quality of care. Using secondary data, KP and the Danish health care system were compared in terms of six central dimensions: population, health care professionals, health care organisations, utilization patterns, quality measurements, and costs. Differences existed between the two systems on all dimensions, complicating the interpretation of findings. For instance, observed differences might be due to similar tendencies in the two health care systems that were observed at different times, rather than true structural differences. The expenses in the two health care systems were corrected for differences in the populations served and the purchasing power of currencies. However, no validated methods existed to correct for observed differences in case-mixes of chronic conditions. Data from a population of about half a million patients with diabetes in a large U.S. integrated health care delivery system affiliated with 41 medical centers employing 15 different CCM management practices was the basis for identifying effective management practices. Through the use of statistical modelling, the management practice of provider alerts was identified as most effective for promoting screening for hemoglobin A1c and lipid profile. The CCM was used as a framework for implementing four rehabilitation programs. The model promoted continuity of care and quality of health care services. New management practices were developed in the study, and known practices were further developed. However, the observational nature of the study limited the generalisability of the findings. In a structured literature survey focusing on the effect of financial incentives and public performance reporting on the quality of health care services, few studies documenting an effect were identified. The results varied, and important program aspects or contextual variables were often omitted. A model describing

Specialties differ in which aspects of doctor communication predict overall physician ratings.

PubMed

Quigley, Denise D; Elliott, Marc N; Farley, Donna O; Burkhart, Q; Skootsky, Samuel A; Hays, Ron D

2014-03-01

Effective doctor communication is critical to positive doctor-patient relationships and predicts better health outcomes. Doctor communication is the strongest predictor of patient ratings of doctors, but the most important aspects of communication may vary by specialty. To determine the importance of five aspects of doctor communication to overall physician ratings by specialty. For each of 28 specialties, we calculated partial correlations of five communication items with a 0-10 overall physician rating, controlling for patient demographics. Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician and Group (CG-CAHPS®) 12-month Survey data collected 2005-2009 from 58,251 adults at a 534-physician medical group. CG-CAHPS includes a 0 ("Worst physician possible") to 10 ("Best physician possible") overall physician rating. Five doctor communication items assess how often the physician: explains things; listens carefully; gives easy-to-understand instructions; shows respect; and spends enough time. Physician showing respect was the most important aspect of communication for 23/28 specialties, with a mean partial correlation (0.27, ranging from 0.07 to 0.44 across specialties) that accounted for more than four times as much variance in the overall physician rating as any other communication item. Three of five communication items varied significantly across specialties in their associations with the overall rating (p < 0.05). All patients valued respectful treatment; the importance of other aspects of communication varied significantly by specialty. Quality improvement efforts by all specialties should emphasize physicians showing respect to patients, and each specialty should also target other aspects of communication that matter most to their patients. The results have implications for improving provider quality improvement and incentive programs and the reporting of CAHPS data to patients. Specialists make important contributions to coordinated patient

Identifying selectively important amino acid positions associated with alternative habitat environments in fish mitochondrial genomes.

PubMed

Xia, Jun Hong; Li, Hong Lian; Zhang, Yong; Meng, Zi Ning; Lin, Hao Ran

2018-05-01

Fish species inhabitating seawater (SW) or freshwater (FW) habitats have to develop genetic adaptations to alternative environment factors, especially salinity. Functional consequences of the protein variations associated with habitat environments in fish mitochondrial genomes have not yet received much attention. We analyzed 829 complete fish mitochondrial genomes and compared the amino acid differences of 13 mitochondrial protein families between FW and SW fish groups. We identified 47 specificity determining sites (SDS) that associated with FW or SW environments from 12 mitochondrial protein families. Thirty-two (68%) of the SDS sites are hydrophobic, 13 (28%) are neutral, and the remaining sites are acidic or basic. Seven of those SDS from ND1, ND2 and ND5 were scored as probably damaging to the protein structures. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree based Bayes Empirical Bayes analysis also detected 63 positive sites associated with alternative habitat environments across ten mtDNA proteins. These signatures could be important for studying mitochondrial genetic variation relevant to fish physiology and ecology.

Triangulating Principal Effectiveness: How Perspectives of Parents, Teachers, and Assistant Principals Identify the Central Importance of Managerial Skills. Working Paper 35

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grissom, Jason A.; Loeb, Susanna

2009-01-01

While the importance of effective principals is undisputed, few studies have addressed what specific skills principals need to promote school success. This study draws on unique data combining survey responses from principals, assistant principals, teachers and parents with rich administrative data to identify which principal skills matter most…

Social aspects of automation: Some critical insights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nouzil, Ibrahim; Raza, Ali; Pervaiz, Salman

2017-09-01

Sustainable development has been recognized globally as one of the major driving forces towards the current technological innovations. To achieve sustainable development and attain its associated goals, it is very important to properly address its concerns in different aspects of technological innovations. Several industrial sectors have enjoyed productivity and economic gains due to advent of automation technology. It is important to characterize sustainability for the automation technology. Sustainability is key factor that will determine the future of our neighbours in time and it must be tightly wrapped around the double-edged sword of technology. In this study, different impacts of automation have been addressed using the ‘Circles of Sustainability’ approach as a framework, covering economic, political, cultural and ecological aspects and their implications. A systematic literature review of automation technology from its inception is outlined and plotted against its many outcomes covering a broad spectrum. The study is more focused towards the social aspects of the automation technology. The study also reviews literature to analyse the employment deficiency as one end of the social impact spectrum. On the other end of the spectrum, benefits to society through technological advancements, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) coupled with automation are presented.

Self-efficacy: a means of identifying problems in nursing education and career progress.

PubMed

Harvey, V; McMurray, N

1994-10-01

Two nursing self-efficacy scales (academic and clinical) were developed and refined for use in identifying problems in progress in undergraduate nurses. Emergent factors within each scale contained items representing important aspects of nursing education. Both measures showed good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. Sensitivity to content and focus of tuition at time of completion was shown with some changes in factor structure over samples of first year nursing students. Academic self-efficacy (but not clinical self-efficacy) was predictive of course withdrawal. Applications to nursing education, progress in pursuing a nursing career and attrition are discussed.

[Microbiological and clinical aspects of tularaemia].

PubMed

Pavliš, Oto; Pohanka, Miroslav

2011-10-01

Francisella tularensis belongs to the most important biological agents potentially applicable in biological warfare and bioterrorism. High virulence, easy and rapid spread among individual vectors, stability of the cells in aerosol and good penetration into the lungs make F. tularensis one of the most important biological warfare agents in both human and veterinary medicine. The text provides comprehensive data about tularaemia and outlines the fate of the pathogen in the host. Special attention is paid to immunological aspects of the disease, therapy, and diagnostic methods.

Determination of important topographic factors for landslide mapping analysis using MLP network.

PubMed

Alkhasawneh, Mutasem Sh; Ngah, Umi Kalthum; Tay, Lea Tien; Mat Isa, Nor Ashidi; Al-batah, Mohammad Subhi

2013-01-01

Landslide is one of the natural disasters that occur in Malaysia. Topographic factors such as elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, general curvature, plan curvature, and profile curvature are considered as the main causes of landslides. In order to determine the dominant topographic factors in landslide mapping analysis, a study was conducted and presented in this paper. There are three main stages involved in this study. The first stage is the extraction of extra topographic factors. Previous landslide studies had identified mainly six topographic factors. Seven new additional factors have been proposed in this study. They are longitude curvature, tangential curvature, cross section curvature, surface area, diagonal line length, surface roughness, and rugosity. The second stage is the specification of the weight of each factor using two methods. The methods are multilayer perceptron (MLP) network classification accuracy and Zhou's algorithm. At the third stage, the factors with higher weights were used to improve the MLP performance. Out of the thirteen factors, eight factors were considered as important factors, which are surface area, longitude curvature, diagonal length, slope angle, elevation, slope aspect, rugosity, and profile curvature. The classification accuracy of multilayer perceptron neural network has increased by 3% after the elimination of five less important factors.

Determination of Important Topographic Factors for Landslide Mapping Analysis Using MLP Network

PubMed Central

Alkhasawneh, Mutasem Sh.; Ngah, Umi Kalthum; Mat Isa, Nor Ashidi; Al-batah, Mohammad Subhi

2013-01-01

Landslide is one of the natural disasters that occur in Malaysia. Topographic factors such as elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, general curvature, plan curvature, and profile curvature are considered as the main causes of landslides. In order to determine the dominant topographic factors in landslide mapping analysis, a study was conducted and presented in this paper. There are three main stages involved in this study. The first stage is the extraction of extra topographic factors. Previous landslide studies had identified mainly six topographic factors. Seven new additional factors have been proposed in this study. They are longitude curvature, tangential curvature, cross section curvature, surface area, diagonal line length, surface roughness, and rugosity. The second stage is the specification of the weight of each factor using two methods. The methods are multilayer perceptron (MLP) network classification accuracy and Zhou's algorithm. At the third stage, the factors with higher weights were used to improve the MLP performance. Out of the thirteen factors, eight factors were considered as important factors, which are surface area, longitude curvature, diagonal length, slope angle, elevation, slope aspect, rugosity, and profile curvature. The classification accuracy of multilayer perceptron neural network has increased by 3% after the elimination of five less important factors. PMID:24453846

Human Aspects of High Tech in Special Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bichteler, Julie

1986-01-01

This investigation of library employees who spend significant portion of time in online computer interaction provides information on intellectual, psychological, social, and physical aspects of their work. Long- and short-term effects of special libraries are identified and solutions to "technostress" problems are suggested. (16…

The Clinical Aspects of Newborn Screening: Importance of Newborn Screening Follow-Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Philip M.; Levy, Harvey L.

2006-01-01

The aim of newborn screening is to identify presymptomatic healthy infants that will develop significant metabolic or endocrine derangements if left undiagnosed and untreated. The goal of ultimately reducing or eliminating irreversible sequelae is reached by maximizing test sensitivity of the primary newborn screening that measures specific…

Identifying signs and symptoms of intimate partner violence in an oncology setting.

PubMed

Mick, JoAnn

2006-08-01

Domestic violence (DV), or intimate partner violence (IPV), is a prevailing problem in public health. Often, healthcare providers may be the first people that victims of DV will approach to reveal their problem or seek assistance. IPV is a pattern of control using assault and intimidating behaviors that has devastating effects on individuals, their families, and communities. Oncology nurses need to become familiar with common indicators of DV so that signs and symptoms of abuse can be identified when assessing patients in an oncology setting. Standards of oncology nursing practice support that the psychosocial impact of cancer on patients and their families or significant others needs to be considered at all stages of diagnosis and treatment. The psychosocial impact of other personal situations or concerns, such as IPV, can add to the complexity of cancer management. Routine screening for signs and symptoms of psychosocial distress helps identify patients who require additional interventions. Oncology nursing practice is based on a holistic approach to patient care, which supports that identification of physical and psychosocial needs are equally important. Oncology nursing provides many unique opportunities to help patients cope with cancer. Routine nursing assessment for signs and symptoms of abuse will provide an opportunity to assist patients with cancer to manage not only the life-threatening aspects of their diagnosis but also the life-threatening aspects of IPV.

Some Aspects of Part-Time Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Dept. of Labour and National Service, Melbourne. Women's Bureau.

Of major importance to many married women seeking employment in Australia is the availability of part-time work. To describe the economic aspects of part-time employment for women, a review was made of statistics published by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics and of research on part-time employment in overseas countries, and a…

Health-Related Quality of Life of Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Central Nervous System Tumors: Identifying Domains From a Survivor Perspective.

PubMed

Kuhlthau, Karen; Luff, Donna; Delahaye, Jennifer; Wong, Alicia; Yock, Torunn; Huang, Mary; Park, Elyse R

2015-01-01

This article uses qualitative methods to describe the domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumors identify as important. Survivors clearly attributed aspects of their current HRQoL to their disease or its treatment. We identified 7 key domains of AYA CNS tumor survivorship: physical health, social well-being, mental health, cognitive functioning, health behaviors, sexual and reproductive health, and support systems. Although most aspects of HRQoL that survivors discussed represented new challenges, there were several areas where survivors pointed out positive outcomes. There is a need for a HRQoL tool designed for this population of survivors, given their unique treatment and survivorship experience. Aspects of HRQoL related to cognition, sexual and reproductive health, health behaviors, and support systems are not typically included in generic HRQoL tools but should be assessed for this population. Developing HRQoL measurement instruments that capture the most significant aspects of HRQoL will improve the ability to track HRQoL in AYA CNS tumor survivors and in the long-term management of common sequelae from CNS tumors and their treatments. © 2015 by Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses.

Psychosocial Aspects of Siblings' Experiences of Pediatric Cancer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Marla; Brack, Gregory

1994-01-01

Identified those aspects of experiences of siblings of children with cancer that might have impact on school functioning. Also examined extent to which parents and siblings concurred in their reports of siblings' psychosocial functioning and adjustment. Findings from 15 children and adults attending pediatric oncology camp revealed that most…

Trustworthy persistent identifier systems of the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golodoniuc, Pavel; Klump, Jens; Car, Nicholas

2016-04-01

Over the last two decades, persistent identifier (PID) systems have seen some significant changes in their governance policies, system capabilities, and technology. The development of most systems was driven by two main application areas, namely archives and libraries. Guidelines and criteria for trustworthy PID systems have been clearly devised (Bütikofer, 2009) and many PID system implementations for the identification of static digital objects have been built (e.g., PURL). However systems delivering persistent identifiers for dynamic datasets are not yet mature. There has been a rapid proliferation of different PID systems caused by the specific technical or organisational requirements of various communities that could not be met by existing systems such as DOI, ISBN, and EAN. Many of these different systems were limited by their inability to provide native means of persistent identifier resolution. This has prompted a decoupling of PID-associated data from the resolution service and this is where the Handle system has played a significant role. The Handle allowed to build a distributed system of independently managed resolver services. A trustworthy PID system must be designed to outlive the objects it provides persistent identifiers for, which may cease to exist or otherwise be deprecated, and the technology used to implement it, which will certainly need to change with time. We propose that such a system should rest on four pillars of agreements - (i) definitions, (ii) policies, (iii) services, and (iv) data services, to ensure longevity. While we believe all four pillars are equally important, we intentionally leave regulating aspects of issuing of identifiers and their registration out of the scope of this paper and focus on the agreements that have to be established between PID resolver services and the data sources indicated by the persistent identifiers. We propose an approach to development of PID systems that combines the use of (a) the Handle system

Quantitative DNA Methylation Analysis Identifies a Single CpG Dinucleotide Important for ZAP-70 Expression and Predictive of Prognosis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

PubMed Central

Claus, Rainer; Lucas, David M.; Stilgenbauer, Stephan; Ruppert, Amy S.; Yu, Lianbo; Zucknick, Manuela; Mertens, Daniel; Bühler, Andreas; Oakes, Christopher C.; Larson, Richard A.; Kay, Neil E.; Jelinek, Diane F.; Kipps, Thomas J.; Rassenti, Laura Z.; Gribben, John G.; Döhner, Hartmut; Heerema, Nyla A.; Marcucci, Guido; Plass, Christoph; Byrd, John C.

2012-01-01

Purpose Increased ZAP-70 expression predicts poor prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Current methods for accurately measuring ZAP-70 expression are problematic, preventing widespread application of these tests in clinical decision making. We therefore used comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of the ZAP-70 regulatory region to identify sites important for transcriptional control. Patients and Methods High-resolution quantitative DNA methylation analysis of the entire ZAP-70 gene regulatory regions was conducted on 247 samples from patients with CLL from four independent clinical studies. Results Through this comprehensive analysis, we identified a small area in the 5′ regulatory region of ZAP-70 that showed large variability in methylation in CLL samples but was universally methylated in normal B cells. High correlation with mRNA and protein expression, as well as activity in promoter reporter assays, revealed that within this differentially methylated region, a single CpG dinucleotide and neighboring nucleotides are particularly important in ZAP-70 transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, by using clustering approaches, we identified a prognostic role for this site in four independent data sets of patients with CLL using time to treatment, progression-free survival, and overall survival as clinical end points. Conclusion Comprehensive quantitative DNA methylation analysis of the ZAP-70 gene in CLL identified important regions responsible for transcriptional regulation. In addition, loss of methylation at a specific single CpG dinucleotide in the ZAP-70 5′ regulatory sequence is a highly predictive and reproducible biomarker of poor prognosis in this disease. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using quantitative specific ZAP-70 methylation analysis as a relevant clinically applicable prognostic test in CLL. PMID:22564988

Colonial and post-colonial aspects of Australian identity.

PubMed

Tranter, Bruce; Donoghue, Jed

2007-06-01

Since the 1988 Bicentennial and the 2001 centenary of federation celebrations colonial images have flourished in Australia, highlighting the roles of convicts and free settlers during early colonization. Old sites, such as Port Arthur have been re-invigorated, and in 2004 Tasmanians celebrated the bicentenary of 'white' settlement. However, social scientists have given little attention to the role of colonial and post-colonial figures and myths as aspects of Australian national identity. We seek to address this issue by examining how convicts, free settlers, bushrangers and ANZACs are associated with contemporary identity in Australia. We examine evidence from the 2003 Australian Survey of Social Attitudes and find that historical figures such as the ANZACs and post-World War II immigrants comprise important aspects of national identity. A substantial majority of Australians judged ANZACs to be important, countering recent claims of the 'demise of the digger'. Sporting heroes are also at the core of Australian identity. Colonial figures appear to be far less important, although views on national identity vary according to social location. In particular, left-wing, university educated, younger, postmaterialist Australians view convicts and bushrangers as relatively important, indicating the salience of the larrikin in Australian identity.

Mass Casualty Decontamination Guidance and Psychosocial Aspects of CBRN Incident Management: A Review and Synthesis

PubMed Central

Carter, Holly; Amlôt, Richard

2016-01-01

Introduction: Mass casualty decontamination is an intervention employed by first responders at the scene of an incident involving noxious contaminants.  Many countries have sought to address the challenge of decontaminating large numbers of affected casualties through the provision of rapidly deployable temporary showering structures, with accompanying decontamination protocols.  In this paper we review decontamination guidance for emergency responders and associated research evidence, in order to establish to what extent psychosocial aspects of casualty management have been considered within these documents. The review focuses on five psychosocial aspects of incident management: likely public behaviour; responder management style; communication strategy; privacy/ modesty concerns; and vulnerable groups. Methods: Two structured literature reviews were carried out; one to identify decontamination guidance documents for first responders, and another to identify evidence which is relevant to the understanding of the psychosocial aspects of mass decontamination.  The guidance documents and relevant research were reviewed to identify whether the guidance documents contain information relating to psychosocial issues and where it exists, that the guidance is consistent with the existing evidence-base. Results: Psychosocial aspects of incident management receive limited attention in current decontamination guidance.  In addition, our review has identified a number of gaps and inconsistencies between guidance and research evidence.  For each of the five areas we identify: what is currently presented in guidance documents, to what extent this is consistent with the existing research evidence and where it diverges.  We present a series of evidence-based recommendations for updating decontamination guidance to address the psychosocial aspects of mass decontamination. Conclusions: Effective communication and respect for casualties’ needs are critical in ensuring

A new process sensitivity index to identify important system processes under process model and parametric uncertainty

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

Dai, Heng; Ye, Ming; Walker, Anthony P.

Hydrological models are always composed of multiple components that represent processes key to intended model applications. When a process can be simulated by multiple conceptual-mathematical models (process models), model uncertainty in representing the process arises. While global sensitivity analysis methods have been widely used for identifying important processes in hydrologic modeling, the existing methods consider only parametric uncertainty but ignore the model uncertainty for process representation. To address this problem, this study develops a new method to probe multimodel process sensitivity by integrating the model averaging methods into the framework of variance-based global sensitivity analysis, given that the model averagingmore » methods quantify both parametric and model uncertainty. A new process sensitivity index is derived as a metric of relative process importance, and the index includes variance in model outputs caused by uncertainty in both process models and model parameters. For demonstration, the new index is used to evaluate the processes of recharge and geology in a synthetic study of groundwater reactive transport modeling. The recharge process is simulated by two models that converting precipitation to recharge, and the geology process is also simulated by two models of different parameterizations of hydraulic conductivity; each process model has its own random parameters. The new process sensitivity index is mathematically general, and can be applied to a wide range of problems in hydrology and beyond.« less

Identifying plant traits: a key aspect for suitable species selection in ecological restoration of semiarid slopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bochet, Esther; García-Fayos, Patricio

2017-04-01

In the context of ecological restoration, one of the greatest challenges for practitioners and scientists is to select suitable species for revegetation purposes. In semiarid environments where restoration projects often fail, little attention has been paid so far to the contribution of plant traits to species success. The objective of this study was to (1) identify plant traits associated with species success on four roadside situations along an erosion-productivity gradient, and (2) to provide an ecological framework for selecting suitable species on the basis of their morphological and functional traits, applied to semiarid environments. We analyzed the association of 10 different plant traits with species success of 296 species surveyed on the four roadside situations in a semiarid region (Valencia, Spain). Plant traits included general plant traits (longevity, woodiness) and more specific root-, seed- and leaf-related traits (root type, sprouting ability, seed mucilage, seed mass, seed susceptibility to removal, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content). All of them were selected according to the prevailing limiting ecogeomorphological processes acting along the erosion-productivity gradient. We observed strong shifts along the erosion-productivity gradient in the traits associated to species success. At the harshest end of the gradient, the most intensely eroded and driest one, species success was mainly associated to seed resistance to removal by runoff and to resistance to drought. At the opposite end of the gradient, the most productive one, species success was associated to a competitive-ruderal plant strategy (herbaceous successful species with high specific leaf area and low leaf dry matter content). Our study provides an ecologically-based approach for selecting suitable native species on the basis or their morphological and functional traits and supports a differential trait-based selection of species as regards roadslope type and aspect. In

Identifying the Most Important 21st Century Workforce Competencies: An Analysis of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Research Report. ETS RR-13-21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrus, Jeremy; Jackson, Teresa; Xi, Nuo; Steinberg, Jonathan

2013-01-01

To identify the most important competencies for college graduates to succeed in the 21st century workforce, we conducted an analysis of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database. O*NET is a large job analysis operated and maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor. We specifically analyzed ratings of the importance of abilities (52…

Aspects of seasonality.

PubMed

Battey, N H

2000-11-01

The seasons are astronomical, astrological, meteorological, biological, and agricultural. From a perspective outside the biological sciences, the questions of interest about plant seasonality are linked to this wider context. In this review I try to see flowering time, as one important aspect of seasonality, from an outsider's point of view, and describe what is known about it in different types of plants. What is known about it is conditioned by what particular scientists have asked about it, so the variety of approaches to seasonality is another point of emphasis. Detailed consideration is given to flowering seasonality in perennials compared with annuals, and both molecular and whole plant perspectives are presented.

Employees' perspectives on ethically important aspects of genetic research participation: a pilot study.

PubMed

Roberts, Laura Weiss; Warner, Teddy D; Geppert, Cynthia M A; Rogers, Melinda; Green Hammond, Katherine A

2005-01-01

Insights from genetic research may greatly improve our understanding of physical and mental illnesses and assist in the prevention of disease. Early experience with genetic information suggests that it may lead to stigma, discrimination, and other psychosocial harms, however, and this may be particularly salient in some settings, such as the workplace. Despite the importance of these issues, little is known about how healthy adults, including workers, perceive and understand ethically important issues in genetic research pertaining to physical and mental illness. We developed, pilot tested, and administered a written survey and structured interview to 63 healthy working adults in 2 settings. For this paper, we analyzed a subset of items that assessed attitudes toward ethically relevant issues related to participation in genetic research on physical and mental illness, such as its perceived importance, its acceptability for various populations, and appropriate motivations for participation. Our respondents strongly endorsed the importance of physical and mental illness genetic research. They viewed participation as somewhat to very acceptable for all 12 special population groups we asked about, including persons with mental illness. They perceived more positives than negatives in genetic research participation, giving neutral responses regarding potential risks. They affirmed many motivations for participation to varying degrees. Men tended to affirm genetic research participation importance, acceptability, and motivations more strongly than women. Healthy working persons may be willing partners in genetic research related to physical and mental illnesses in coming years. This project suggests the feasibility and value of evidence-based ethics inquiry, although further study is necessary. Evidence regarding stakeholders' perspectives on ethically important issues in science may help in the development of research practices and policy.

A hypothetical model for predicting the toxicity of high aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, C. L.; Tantra, R.; Donaldson, K.; Stone, V.; Hankin, S. M.; Ross, B.; Aitken, R. J.; Jones, A. D.

2011-12-01

The ability to predict nanoparticle (dimensional structures which are less than 100 nm in size) toxicity through the use of a suitable model is an important goal if nanoparticles are to be regulated in terms of exposures and toxicological effects. Recently, a model to predict toxicity of nanoparticles with high aspect ratio has been put forward by a consortium of scientists. The High aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN) model is a platform that relates the physical dimensions of HARN (specifically length and diameter ratio) and biopersistence to their toxicity in biological environments. Potentially, this model is of great public health and economic importance, as it can be used as a tool to not only predict toxicological activity but can be used to classify the toxicity of various fibrous nanoparticles, without the need to carry out time-consuming and expensive toxicology studies. However, this model of toxicity is currently hypothetical in nature and is based solely on drawing similarities in its dimensional geometry with that of asbestos and synthetic vitreous fibres. The aim of this review is two-fold: (a) to present findings from past literature, on the physicochemical property and pathogenicity bioassay testing of HARN (b) to identify some of the challenges and future research steps crucial before the HARN model can be accepted as a predictive model. By presenting what has been done, we are able to identify scientific challenges and research directions that are needed for the HARN model to gain public acceptance. Our recommendations for future research includes the need to: (a) accurately link physicochemical data with corresponding pathogenicity assay data, through the use of suitable reference standards and standardised protocols, (b) develop better tools/techniques for physicochemical characterisation, (c) to develop better ways of monitoring HARN in the workplace, (d) to reliably measure dose exposure levels, in order to support future epidemiological

Identifying influential individuals on intensive care units: using cluster analysis to explore culture.

PubMed

Fong, Allan; Clark, Lindsey; Cheng, Tianyi; Franklin, Ella; Fernandez, Nicole; Ratwani, Raj; Parker, Sarah Henrickson

2017-07-01

The objective of this paper is to identify attribute patterns of influential individuals in intensive care units using unsupervised cluster analysis. Despite the acknowledgement that culture of an organisation is critical to improving patient safety, specific methods to shift culture have not been explicitly identified. A social network analysis survey was conducted and an unsupervised cluster analysis was used. A total of 100 surveys were gathered. Unsupervised cluster analysis was used to group individuals with similar dimensions highlighting three general genres of influencers: well-rounded, knowledge and relational. Culture is created locally by individual influencers. Cluster analysis is an effective way to identify common characteristics among members of an intensive care unit team that are noted as highly influential by their peers. To change culture, identifying and then integrating the influencers in intervention development and dissemination may create more sustainable and effective culture change. Additional studies are ongoing to test the effectiveness of utilising these influencers to disseminate patient safety interventions. This study offers an approach that can be helpful in both identifying and understanding influential team members and may be an important aspect of developing methods to change organisational culture. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Constituent Aspects of Workplace Guidance in Secondary VET

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swager, Robert; Klarus, Ruud; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J. G.; Nieuwenhuis, Loek F. M.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present an integrated model of workplace guidance to enhance awareness of what constitutes good guidance, to improve workplace guidance practices in vocational education and training. Design/methodology/approach: To identify constituent aspects of workplace guidance, a systematic search of Web of Science was conducted,…

Morphological, kinetic, membrane biochemical and genetic aspects of intestinal enteroplasticity

PubMed Central

Drozdowski, Laurie A; Clandinin, M Tom; Thomson, Alan BR

2009-01-01

The process of intestinal adaptation (“enteroplasticity”) is complex and multifaceted. Although a number of trophic nutrients and non-nutritive factors have been identified in animal studies, successful, reproducible clinical trials in humans are awaited. Understanding mechanisms underlying this adaptive process may direct research toward strategies that maximize intestinal function and impart a true clinical benefit to patients with short bowel syndrome, or to persons in whom nutrient absorption needs to be maximized. In this review, we consider the morphological, kinetic and membrane biochemical aspects of enteroplasticity, focus on the importance of nutritional factors, provide an overview of the many hormones that may alter the adaptive process, and consider some of the possible molecular profiles. While most of the data is derived from rodent studies, wherever possible, the results of human studies of intestinal enteroplasticity are provided. PMID:19230039

NGST telescope aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghibaudo, J.-B.

2017-11-01

This paper is focused on the NGST telescope aspects and presents the main results of the ESA study "NGST Payload Suite and Telescope". The first part summarises the trade-off analyses on optical, mechanical and control telescope concepts, and eventually proposes a baseline design for the telescope. The second part describes the possible European contributions to the NGST telescope : invitations to tender based on the selected telescope design have been sent out to specialised European companies, and the results have been reported as well as the identified critical areas and needed associated developments. Alcatel is well known in the field of cryogenic optics through the realisation of the Infrared Space Observatory, and in the field of high resolution telescopes, notably in the framework of military programmes.

Insomnia: psychological and neurobiological aspects and non-pharmacological treatments.

PubMed

Molen, Yara Fleury; Carvalho, Luciane Bizari Coin; Prado, Lucila Bizari Fernandes do; Prado, Gilmar Fernandes do

2014-01-01

Insomnia involves difficulty in falling asleep, maintaining sleep or having refreshing sleep. This review gathers the existing informations seeking to explain insomnia, including those that focus on psychological aspects and those considered neurobiological. Insomnia has been defined in psychological (cognitive components, such as worries and rumination, and behavioral aspects, such as classic conditioning) and physiological terms (increased metabolic rate, with increased muscle tone, heart rate and temperature). From the neurobiological point of view, there are two perspectives: one which proposes that insomnia occurs in association with a failure to inhibit wakefulness and another that considers hyperarousal as having an important role in the physiology of sleep. The non-pharmacological interventions developed to face different aspects of insomnia are presented.

Isolated severe tricuspid regurgitation: the importance of identifying underlying mechanism.

PubMed

Poh, Kian Keong; Solis, Jorge; Hung, Judy

2008-07-21

An 88-year-old woman presented with right heart failure, history of diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weight lost, dyspnoea over several weeks and a new pan-systolic murmur. Echocardiography showed retracted tricuspid leaflets with incomplete coaptation resulting in severe regurgitation. Subcostal view showed an adjacent hepatic cyst leading to biopsy, which revealed neoplastic neuroendocrine cells. Her 24-hour urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid level was elevated. The unifying diagnosis was carcinoid syndrome for which she was treated. Echocardiography is an important tool for diagnosis, management and prognosis of carcinoid heart disease.

Perceived cultural importance and actual self-importance of values in cultural identification.

PubMed

Wan, Ching; Chiu, Chi-yue; Tam, Kim-pong; Lee, Sau-lai; Lau, Ivy Yee-man; Peng, Siqing

2007-02-01

Cross-cultural psychologists assume that core cultural values define to a large extent what a culture is. Typically, core values are identified through an actual self-importance approach, in which core values are those that members of the culture as a group strongly endorse. In this article, the authors propose a perceived cultural importance approach to identifying core values, in which core values are values that members of the culture as a group generally believe to be important in the culture. In 5 studies, the authors examine the utility of the perceived cultural importance approach. Results consistently showed that, compared with values of high actual self-importance, values of high perceived cultural importance play a more important role in cultural identification. These findings have important implications for conceptualizing and measuring cultures. ((c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

The Importance of Context: Risk-based De-identification of Biomedical Data.

PubMed

Prasser, Fabian; Kohlmayer, Florian; Kuhn, Klaus A

2016-08-05

Data sharing is a central aspect of modern biomedical research. It is accompanied by significant privacy concerns and often data needs to be protected from re-identification. With methods of de-identification datasets can be transformed in such a way that it becomes extremely difficult to link their records to identified individuals. The most important challenge in this process is to find an adequate balance between an increase in privacy and a decrease in data quality. Accurately measuring the risk of re-identification in a specific data sharing scenario is an important aspect of data de-identification. Overestimation of risks will significantly deteriorate data quality, while underestimation will leave data prone to attacks on privacy. Several models have been proposed for measuring risks, but there is a lack of generic methods for risk-based data de-identification. The aim of the work described in this article was to bridge this gap and to show how the quality of de-identified datasets can be improved by using risk models to tailor the process of de-identification to a concrete context. We implemented a generic de-identification process and several models for measuring re-identification risks into the ARX de-identification tool for biomedical data. By integrating the methods into an existing framework, we were able to automatically transform datasets in such a way that information loss is minimized while it is ensured that re-identification risks meet a user-defined threshold. We performed an extensive experimental evaluation to analyze the impact of using different risk models and assumptions about the goals and the background knowledge of an attacker on the quality of de-identified data. The results of our experiments show that data quality can be improved significantly by using risk models for data de-identification. On a scale where 100 % represents the original input dataset and 0 % represents a dataset from which all information has been removed, the

The iliopubic tract: an important anatomical landmark in surgery

PubMed Central

TEOH, LAURENCE S. G.; HINGSTON, GUY; AL-ALI, SAAD; DAWSON, BRENDA; WINDSOR, JOHN A.

1999-01-01

A band of fascial thickening, termed the iliopubic tract, lies on the posterior aspect of the inguinal region and has been described in the surgical literature as playing an important role during herniorraphy. This study was undertaken to examine the gross and microscopic anatomy of the iliopubic tract in 12 cadavers. The results confirmed that the iliopubic tract can be readily identified as a thickening of the transversalis fascia running deep and parallel to the inguinal ligament. It attaches to the superomedial part of the pubic bone medially, but laterally its fibres fan out within the fascia transversalis and fascia iliaca without bony attachment to the iliac spines. In contrast to the inguinal ligament, the histological analysis of the iliopubic tract shows a high elastin to collagen ratio. The functional signficance of this structure merits further study, but there is no doubt that it is important in many approaches to inguinal herniorraphy. For this reason it is considered that the iliopubic tract deserves greater emphasis in the anatomy teaching of the inguinal region. PMID:10227675

Role of geospatial technology in identifying natural habitat of malarial vectors in South Andaman, India.

PubMed

Shankar, Shiva; Agrawal, Deepak Kumar

2016-03-01

Malaria is a serious disease which has repeatedly threatened Andaman, an island territory of India. Uncharted dense vegetation and inaccessibility are the salient features of the area and the major areas are covered by remotely sensed data to identify the malaria vector's natural habitat. The present investigation appraises the role of geospatial technologies in identifying the natural habitat of malarial vectors. The base map was prepared from Survey of India's toposheets, the landuse map was prepared from indices techniques like normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalised difference water index (NDWI), modified normalised difference water index (MNDWI), normalised difference pond index (NDPI), and normalized difference turbidity index (NDTI) in conjugation with visual interpretation. The soil moisture content map was reproduced from the soil atlas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands followed by generation of an aspect profile from ASTER-GDEM satellite data. Both the landuse map and aspect profile were validated for accuracy in the field. A weighted overlay analysis of the classes like landuse, soil moisture and aspect profile of the study area resulted in identification of the potential natural habitat map of malaria vector surrounding the areas of Tushnabad, Garacharma, Manglutan, Chouldari, Ferrargunj and Wimberlygunj hamlets. The natural habitat of malaria vector indicated that Tushnabad, Garacharma, Manglutan, Chouldari, Ferrargunj and Wimberlygunj hamlets are within the proximity of 2.5 km from the prime habitat location with more number of malaria positive cases. Also these hamlets are surrounded by dense evergreen forest and the land surface is draped by clay loam and clay soil texture exhibiting high soil moisture content warranting high rates of survival and proliferation of the vector ensuring resurgence of malaria every year. It is thus concluded that application of geospatial technologies plays an important role in identifying the natural

A Collaborative Support Approach on UML Sequence Diagrams for Aspect-Oriented Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Almeida Naufal, Rafael; Silveira, Fábio F.; Guerra, Eduardo M.

AOP and its broader application on software projects brings the importance to provide the separation between aspects and OO components at design time, to leverage the understanding of AO systems, promote aspects' reuse and obtain the benefits of AO modularization. Since the UML is a standard for modeling OO systems, it can be applied to model the decoupling between aspects and OO components. The application of UML to this area is the subject of constant study and is the focus of this paper. In this paper it is presented an extension based on the default UML meta-model, named MIMECORA-DS, to show object-object, object-aspect and aspect-aspect interactions applying the UML's sequence diagram. This research also presents the application of MIMECORA-DS in a case example, to assess its applicability.

Control-based method to identify underlying delays of a nonlinear dynamical system.

PubMed

Yu, Dongchuan; Frasca, Mattia; Liu, Fang

2008-10-01

We suggest several stationary state control-based delay identification methods which do not require any structural information about the controlled systems and are applicable to systems described by delayed ordinary differential equations. This proposed technique includes three steps: (i) driving a system to a steady state; (ii) perturbing the control signal for shifting the steady state; and (iii) identifying all delays by detecting the time that the system is abruptly drawn out of stationarity. Some aspects especially important for applications are discussed as well, including interaction delay identification, stationary state convergence speed, performance comparison, and the influence of noise on delay identification. Several examples are presented to illustrate the reliability and robustness of all delay identification methods suggested.

Identifying Important Career Indicators of Undergraduate Geoscience Students Upon Completion of Their Degree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C. E.; Keane, C. M.; Houlton, H. R.

2012-12-01

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) decided to create the National Geoscience Student Exit Survey in order to identify the initial pathways into the workforce for these graduating students, as well as assess their preparedness for entering the workforce upon graduation. The creation of this survey stemmed from a combination of experiences with the AGI/AGU Survey of Doctorates and discussions at the following Science Education Research Center (SERC) workshops: "Developing Pathways to Strong Programs for the Future", "Strengthening Your Geoscience Program", and "Assessing Geoscience Programs". These events identified distinct gaps in understanding the experiences and perspectives of geoscience students during one of their most profound professional transitions. Therefore, the idea for the survey arose as a way to evaluate how the discipline is preparing and educating students, as well as identifying the students' desired career paths. The discussions at the workshops solidified the need for this survey and created the initial framework for the first pilot of the survey. The purpose of this assessment tool is to evaluate student preparedness for entering the geosciences workforce; identify student decision points for entering geosciences fields and remaining in the geosciences workforce; identify geosciences fields that students pursue in undergraduate and graduate school; collect information on students' expected career trajectories and geosciences professions; identify geosciences career sectors that are hiring new graduates; collect information about salary projections; overall effectiveness of geosciences departments regionally and nationally; demonstrate the value of geosciences degrees to future students, the institutions, and employers; and establish a benchmark to perform longitudinal studies of geosciences graduates to understand their career pathways and impacts of their educational experiences on these decisions. AGI's Student Exit Survey went through

Experimental assessment of the importance of amino acid positions identified by an entropy-based correlation analysis of multiple-sequence alignments.

PubMed

Dietrich, Susanne; Borst, Nadine; Schlee, Sandra; Schneider, Daniel; Janda, Jan-Oliver; Sterner, Reinhard; Merkl, Rainer

2012-07-17

The analysis of a multiple-sequence alignment (MSA) with correlation methods identifies pairs of residue positions whose occupation with amino acids changes in a concerted manner. It is plausible to assume that positions that are part of many such correlation pairs are important for protein function or stability. We have used the algorithm H2r to identify positions k in the MSAs of the enzymes anthranilate phosphoribosyl transferase (AnPRT) and indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) that show a high conn(k) value, i.e., a large number of significant correlations in which k is involved. The importance of the identified residues was experimentally validated by performing mutagenesis studies with sAnPRT and sIGPS from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. For sAnPRT, five H2r mutant proteins were generated by replacing nonconserved residues with alanine or the prevalent residue of the MSA. As a control, five residues with conn(k) values of zero were chosen randomly and replaced with alanine. The catalytic activities and conformational stabilities of the H2r and control mutant proteins were analyzed by steady-state enzyme kinetics and thermal unfolding studies. Compared to wild-type sAnPRT, the catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(M)) were largely unaltered. In contrast, the apparent thermal unfolding temperature (T(M)(app)) was lowered in most proteins. Remarkably, the strongest observed destabilization (ΔT(M)(app) = 14 °C) was caused by the V284A exchange, which pertains to the position with the highest correlation signal [conn(k) = 11]. For sIGPS, six H2r mutant and four control proteins with alanine exchanges were generated and characterized. The k(cat)/K(M) values of four H2r mutant proteins were reduced between 13- and 120-fold, and their T(M)(app) values were decreased by up to 5 °C. For the sIGPS control proteins, the observed activity and stability decreases were much less severe. Our findings demonstrate that positions with high conn(k) values have an

The Importance of Experimental Design, Quality Assurance, and Control in Plant Metabolomics Experiments.

PubMed

Martins, Marina C M; Caldana, Camila; Wolf, Lucia Daniela; de Abreu, Luis Guilherme Furlan

2018-01-01

The output of metabolomics relies to a great extent upon the methods and instrumentation to identify, quantify, and access spatial information on as many metabolites as possible. However, the most modern machines and sophisticated tools for data analysis cannot compensate for inappropriate harvesting and/or sample preparation procedures that modify metabolic composition and can lead to erroneous interpretation of results. In addition, plant metabolism has a remarkable degree of complexity, and the number of identified compounds easily surpasses the number of samples in metabolomics analyses, increasing false discovery risk. These aspects pose a large challenge when carrying out plant metabolomics experiments. In this chapter, we address the importance of a proper experimental design taking into consideration preventable complications and unavoidable factors to achieve success in metabolomics analysis. We also focus on quality control and standardized procedures during the metabolomics workflow.

Recent advances in cross-cultural measurement in psychiatric epidemiology: utilizing 'what matters most' to identify culture-specific aspects of stigma.

PubMed

Yang, Lawrence Hsin; Thornicroft, Graham; Alvarado, Ruben; Vega, Eduardo; Link, Bruce George

2014-04-01

While stigma measurement across cultures has assumed growing importance in psychiatric epidemiology, it is unknown to what extent concepts arising from culture have been incorporated. We utilize a formulation of culture-as the everyday interactions that 'matter most' to individuals within a cultural group-to identify culturally-specific stigma dynamics relevant to measurement. A systematic literature review from January 1990 to September 2012 was conducted using PsycINFO, Medline and Google Scholar to identify articles studying: (i) mental health stigma-related concepts; (ii) ≥ 1 non-Western European cultural group. From 5292 abstracts, 196 empirical articles were located. The vast majority of studies (77%) utilized adaptations of existing Western-developed stigma measures to new cultural groups. Extremely few studies (2.0%) featured quantitative stigma measures derived within a non-Western European cultural group. A sizeable amount (16.8%) of studies employed qualitative methods to identify culture-specific stigma processes. The 'what matters most' perspective identified cultural ideals of the everyday activities that comprise 'personhood' of 'preserving lineage' among specific Asian groups, 'fighting hard to overcome problems and taking advantage of immigration opportunities' among specific Latino-American groups, and 'establishing trust among religious institutions due to institutional discrimination' among African-American groups. These essential cultural interactions shaped culture-specific stigma manifestations. Mixed method studies (3.6%) corroborated these qualitative results. Quantitatively-derived, culturally-specific stigma measures were lacking. Further, the vast majority of qualitative studies on stigma were conducted without using stigma-specific frameworks. We propose the 'what matters most' approach to address this key issue in future research.

Numerical studies of the reversed-field pinch at high aspect ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sätherblom, H.-E.; Drake, J. R.

1998-10-01

The reversed field pinch (RFP) configuration at an aspect ratio of 8.8 is studied numerically by means of the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic code DEBS [D. D. Schnack et al., J. Comput. Phys. 70, 330 (1987)]. This aspect ratio is equal to that of the Extrap T1 experiment [S. Mazur et al., Nucl. Fusion 34, 427 (1994)]. A numerical study of a RFP with this level of aspect ratio requires extensive computer achievements and has hitherto not been performed. The results are compared with previous studies [Y. L. Ho et al., Phys. Plasmas 2, 3407 (1995)] of lower aspect ratio RFP configurations. In particular, an evaluation of the extrapolation to the aspect ratio of 8.8 made in this previous study shows that the extrapolation of the spectral spread, as well as most of the other findings, are confirmed. An important exception, however, is the magnetic diffusion coefficient, which is found to decrease with aspect ratio. Furthermore, an aspect ratio dependence of the magnetic energy and of the helicity of the RFP is found.

Positive aspects of being a heterosexual ally to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

PubMed

Rostosky, Sharon S; Black, Whitney W; Riggle, Ellen D B; Rosenkrantz, Dani

2015-07-01

Research on heterosexual allies has focused on heterosexual identity development models and pathways to ally activism. The positive aspects or positive experiences of identifying as an ally to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) identified individuals and communities have received little attention. Using an online survey of participants recruited from LGBT ally related social media, we collected open-ended responses to a question about the positive aspects of self-identifying as a heterosexual ally. A final analytic sample of 292 self-identified male and female heterosexual adults (age 18-71, M = 33.47, SD = 13.32) provided responses that generated 8 themes. Positive aspects of being a heterosexual ally were: (a) increased knowledge and awareness, (b) upholding values of justice, (c) beneficial individual relationships, (d) community belonging, (e) educating others, (f) being a role model, (g) using social privilege, and (h) speaking out and taking a stand. The findings suggest that being a heterosexual ally is rewarding and may enhance individual well-being. These findings provide information that may contribute to effective ally development efforts. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Aspects of Cognitive Functioning in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, Elizabeth A.; Small, Brent J.

2006-01-01

Recently, more attention is being given to identifying aging-related and dementia-related pathological changes in performance and cognition among persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). This literature review examines age-related differences in specific aspects of cognitive functioning and cognitive performance of people with ID and…

A landscape ecology approach identifies important drivers of urban biodiversity.

PubMed

Turrini, Tabea; Knop, Eva

2015-04-01

Cities are growing rapidly worldwide, yet a mechanistic understanding of the impact of urbanization on biodiversity is lacking. We assessed the impact of urbanization on arthropod diversity (species richness and evenness) and abundance in a study of six cities and nearby intensively managed agricultural areas. Within the urban ecosystem, we disentangled the relative importance of two key landscape factors affecting biodiversity, namely the amount of vegetated area and patch isolation. To do so, we a priori selected sites that independently varied in the amount of vegetated area in the surrounding landscape at the 500-m scale and patch isolation at the 100-m scale, and we hold local patch characteristics constant. As indicator groups, we used bugs, beetles, leafhoppers, and spiders. Compared to intensively managed agricultural ecosystems, urban ecosystems supported a higher abundance of most indicator groups, a higher number of bug species, and a lower evenness of bug and beetle species. Within cities, a high amount of vegetated area increased species richness and abundance of most arthropod groups, whereas evenness showed no clear pattern. Patch isolation played only a limited role in urban ecosystems, which contrasts findings from agro-ecological studies. Our results show that urban areas can harbor a similar arthropod diversity and abundance compared to intensively managed agricultural ecosystems. Further, negative consequences of urbanization on arthropod diversity can be mitigated by providing sufficient vegetated space in the urban area, while patch connectivity is less important in an urban context. This highlights the need for applying a landscape ecological approach to understand the mechanisms shaping urban biodiversity and underlines the potential of appropriate urban planning for mitigating biodiversity loss. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fisheries Aspects of Seamounts and Taylor Columns

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

the armorhead population. Due to a probable combination of overfishing and poor recruitment, the large fishery of the early 1970’s began a rapid...ACCESSION NO T I TLE (include Security Classification) FISHERIES ASPECTS OF SEAMOUNTS AND TAYLOR COLUMNS 2 PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Brainard, Russell E. 13a...retention Seamount oceanography Taylor column Fisheries Nutrient enrichment 𔄃 3ASTRACT (Continue on reverse of necessary and identify by block number

Hospital-physician relations: the relative importance of economic, relational and professional attributes to organizational attractiveness.

PubMed

Trybou, Jeroen; Gemmel, Paul; Van Vaerenbergh, Yves; Annemans, Lieven

2014-05-21

Belgian hospitals face a growing shortage of physicians and increasingly competitive market conditions. In this challenging environment hospitals are struggling to build effective hospital-physician relationships which are considered to be a critical determinant of organizational success. Employed physicians of a University hospital were surveyed. Organizational attributes were identified through the literature and two focus groups. Variables were measured using validated questionnaires. Descriptive analyses and linear regression were used to test the model and relative importance analyses were performed. The selected attributes predict hospital attractiveness significantly (79.3%). The relative importance analysis revealed that hospital attractiveness is most strongly predicted by professional attributes (35.3%) and relational attributes (29.7%). In particular, professional development opportunities (18.8%), hospital prestige (16.5%), organizational support (17.2%) and leader support (9.3%) were found to be most important. Besides these non-economic aspects, the employed physicians indicated pay and financial benefits (7.4%) as a significant predictor of hospital attractiveness. Work-life balance and job security were not significantly related to hospital attractiveness. This study shows that initiatives aimed at strengthening physicians' positive perceptions of professional and relational aspects of practicing medicine in hospitals, while assuring satisfactory financial conditions, may offer useful avenues for increasing the level of perceived hospital attractiveness. Overall, hospitals are advised to use a differentiated approach to increase their attractiveness to physicians.

Hospital-physician relations: the relative importance of economic, relational and professional attributes to organizational attractiveness

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Belgian hospitals face a growing shortage of physicians and increasingly competitive market conditions. In this challenging environment hospitals are struggling to build effective hospital-physician relationships which are considered to be a critical determinant of organizational success. Methods Employed physicians of a University hospital were surveyed. Organizational attributes were identified through the literature and two focus groups. Variables were measured using validated questionnaires. Descriptive analyses and linear regression were used to test the model and relative importance analyses were performed. Results The selected attributes predict hospital attractiveness significantly (79.3%). The relative importance analysis revealed that hospital attractiveness is most strongly predicted by professional attributes (35.3%) and relational attributes (29.7%). In particular, professional development opportunities (18.8%), hospital prestige (16.5%), organizational support (17.2%) and leader support (9.3%) were found to be most important. Besides these non-economic aspects, the employed physicians indicated pay and financial benefits (7.4%) as a significant predictor of hospital attractiveness. Work-life balance and job security were not significantly related to hospital attractiveness. Conclusions This study shows that initiatives aimed at strengthening physicians’ positive perceptions of professional and relational aspects of practicing medicine in hospitals, while assuring satisfactory financial conditions, may offer useful avenues for increasing the level of perceived hospital attractiveness. Overall, hospitals are advised to use a differentiated approach to increase their attractiveness to physicians. PMID:24884491

Forge into the Future: Identifying Core Competencies and Important Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities (SKAs) for Junior Navy Medical Service Corps Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-20

operations and business practices, drug therapy management, and leadership, where as senior pharmacists placed a greater emphasis on the importance of SKAs...Commanders reviewed , sorted, and identified competencies from Wave I into 11 domains. From the expert analysis, the researcher developed a ...Y, a force of as many as 70 million are now beginning to embark on their career including the military health system. This generation as suggested

The valuation of nursing begins with identifying value drivers.

PubMed

Rutherford, Marcella M

2010-03-01

Adequate investment in a profession links to its ability to define and document its value. This requires identifying those elements or value drivers that demonstrate its worth. To completely identify nursing's value drivers requires meshing the economic, technical, and caring aspects of its profession. Nursing's valuation includes assessing nursing's tangible and intangible assets and documenting these assets. This information communicates nursing's worth and ensures adequate economic investment in its services.

Trade-Off Analysis between Concerns Based on Aspect-Oriented Requirements Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurito, Abelyn Methanie R.; Takada, Shingo

The identification of functional and non-functional concerns is an important activity during requirements analysis. However, there may be conflicts between the identified concerns, and they must be discovered and resolved through trade-off analysis. Aspect-Oriented Requirements Engineering (AORE) has trade-off analysis as one of its goals, but most AORE approaches do not actually offer support for trade-off analysis; they focus on describing concerns and generating their composition. This paper proposes an approach for trade-off analysis based on AORE using use cases and the Requirements Conflict Matrix (RCM) to represent compositions. RCM shows the positive or negative effect of non-functional concerns over use cases and other non-functional concerns. Our approach is implemented within a tool called E-UCEd (Extended Use Case Editor). We also show the results of evaluating our tool.

Terminology, the importance of defining.

PubMed

van Mil, J W Foppe; Henman, Martin

2016-06-01

Multiple terms and definitions exist to describe specific aspects of pharmacy practice and service provision. This commentary explores the reasons for different interpretations of words and concepts in pharmaceutical care and pharmacy practice research. Reasons for this variation can be found in language, culture, profession and may also depend on developments over time. A list of words is provided where the authors think that currently multiple interpretations are possible. To make sure that the reader understands the essence, it seems imperative that authors include a definition of the topics that they actually study in their papers, and that they clearly cite existing definitions or refer to collections of definitions such as existing glossaries. It is important that presenters, authors and reviewers of pharmacy practice papers pay more attention to this aspect of describing studies.

Complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI; I: structure and function.

PubMed

Mulkern, Robert V; Davis, Peter E; Haker, Steven J; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Panych, Lawrence P; Maier, Stephan E; Rivkin, Michael J

2006-05-01

Studying the intersection of brain structure and function is an important aspect of modern neuroscience. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over the last 25 years has provided new and powerful tools for the study of brain structure and function. Two tools in particular, diffusion imaging and functional MRI (fMRI), are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating the complementary aspects of brain structure and function. In this work, we review basic technical features of diffusion imaging and fMRI for studying the integrity of white matter structural components and for determining the location and extent of cortical activation in gray matter, respectively. We then review a growing body of literature in which the complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI, applied as separate examinations but analyzed in tandem, have been exploited to enhance our knowledge of brain structure and function.

Quality and Safety Aspects of Cereals (Wheat) and Their Products.

PubMed

Varzakas, Theo

2016-11-17

Cereals and, most specifically, wheat are described in this chapter highlighting on their safety and quality aspects. Moreover, wheat quality aspects are adequately addressed since they are used to characterize dough properties and baking quality. Determination of dough properties is also mentioned and pasta quality is also described in this chapter. Chemometrics-multivariate analysis is one of the analyses carried out. Regarding production weighing/mixing of flours, kneading, extruded wheat flours, and sodium chloride are important processing steps/raw materials used in the manufacturing of pastry products. Staling of cereal-based products is also taken into account. Finally, safety aspects of cereal-based products are well documented with special emphasis on mycotoxins, acrylamide, and near infrared methodology.

Developmental and Psychological Aspects of the Savant Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wehmeyer, Michael L.

1992-01-01

This literature review examines the psychological aspects of the savant syndrome in people with intellectual disabilities, focusing on the means by which such abilities as calendar calculation are accomplished and highlighting variables (such as intense motivation in one area) postulated as important for development of the syndrome. (Author/DB)

How important is importance for prospective memory? A review

PubMed Central

Walter, Stefan; Meier, Beat

2014-01-01

Forgetting to carry out an intention as planned can have serious consequences in everyday life. People sometimes even forget intentions that they consider as very important. Here, we review the literature on the impact of importance on prospective memory performance. We highlight different methods used to manipulate the importance of a prospective memory task such as providing rewards, importance relative to other ongoing activities, absolute importance, and providing social motives. Moreover, we address the relationship between importance and other factors known to affect prospective memory and ongoing task performance such as type of prospective memory task (time-, event-, or activity-based), cognitive loads, and processing overlaps. Finally, we provide a connection to motivation, we summarize the effects of task importance and we identify important venues for future research. PMID:25018743

Aspects of Complexity in Sleep Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitão, José M. N.; Da Rosa, Agostinho C.

The paper presents a selection of sleep analysis problems where some aspects and concepts of complexity come about. Emphasis is given to the electroencephalogram (EEG) as the most important sleep related variable. The conception of the EEG as a message to be deciphered stresses the importance of the communication and information theories in this field. An optimal detector of K complexes and vertex sharp waves based on a stochastic model of sleep EEG is considered. Besides detecting, the algorithm is also able to follow the evolution of the basic ongoing activity. It is shown that both the ostructure and microstructure of sleep can be described in terms of symbols and interpreted as sentences of a language. Syntactic models and Markov chain representations play in this context an important role.

DrivAbility: teaching medical aspects of driving.

PubMed

Gibson, Jeremy; Whiteman, Liz

2012-06-01

Teaching medical aspects of fitness to drive (FTD) is currently inconsistent across UK medical schools, with almost one-third of UK medical schools offering no tuition on medical aspects of FTD. It is, therefore, not surprising to find that medical students and doctors tend to lack confidence regarding the medical aspects of FTD and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) medical standards. In response to this inconsistency we developed an innovative new learning module to teach our medical students the importance of giving appropriate advice to patients about driving, the role of the DVLA regarding medical aspects of FTD, how to recognise when patients should be referred to a driving assessment centre and what adaptations are available to allow patients with physical disabilities to drive safely. As far as we are aware Derby is the first centre in the world to incorporate the practical experience of driving adapted vehicles (at a driving assessment centre) into the undergraduate medical curriculum as an aid to teaching medical aspects of FTD. This practical learning module has proven popular with the students. Driving these adapted vehicles has allowed our students to appreciate some of the practical difficulties disabled drivers experience when learning new driving techniques. However, as only 18 driving assessment centres exist within the UK, an exact replication of this learning module will be limited elsewhere. Nevertheless, we would encourage other medical schools to evaluate the local resources that could enhance the delivery of their undergraduate curricula. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Literacy Course Priorities and Signature Aspects of Nine Elementary Initial Licensure Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenski, Susan; Ganske, Kathy; Chambers, Sandy; Wold, Linda; Dobler, Elizabeth; Grisham, Dana L.; Scales, Roya; Smetana, Linda; Wolsey, Thomas Devere; Yoder, Karen K.; Young, Janet

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the first part of a three-phase study to learn what makes an effective elementary literacy initial licensure program. The first step was to identify how nine programs prioritized research-based literacy practices and to identify each program's unique features, which we called "signature aspects." Findings…

Importance of multi-modal approaches to effectively identify cataract cases from electronic health records.

PubMed

Peissig, Peggy L; Rasmussen, Luke V; Berg, Richard L; Linneman, James G; McCarty, Catherine A; Waudby, Carol; Chen, Lin; Denny, Joshua C; Wilke, Russell A; Pathak, Jyotishman; Carrell, David; Kho, Abel N; Starren, Justin B

2012-01-01

There is increasing interest in using electronic health records (EHRs) to identify subjects for genomic association studies, due in part to the availability of large amounts of clinical data and the expected cost efficiencies of subject identification. We describe the construction and validation of an EHR-based algorithm to identify subjects with age-related cataracts. We used a multi-modal strategy consisting of structured database querying, natural language processing on free-text documents, and optical character recognition on scanned clinical images to identify cataract subjects and related cataract attributes. Extensive validation on 3657 subjects compared the multi-modal results to manual chart review. The algorithm was also implemented at participating electronic MEdical Records and GEnomics (eMERGE) institutions. An EHR-based cataract phenotyping algorithm was successfully developed and validated, resulting in positive predictive values (PPVs) >95%. The multi-modal approach increased the identification of cataract subject attributes by a factor of three compared to single-mode approaches while maintaining high PPV. Components of the cataract algorithm were successfully deployed at three other institutions with similar accuracy. A multi-modal strategy incorporating optical character recognition and natural language processing may increase the number of cases identified while maintaining similar PPVs. Such algorithms, however, require that the needed information be embedded within clinical documents. We have demonstrated that algorithms to identify and characterize cataracts can be developed utilizing data collected via the EHR. These algorithms provide a high level of accuracy even when implemented across multiple EHRs and institutional boundaries.

Importance of multi-modal approaches to effectively identify cataract cases from electronic health records

PubMed Central

Rasmussen, Luke V; Berg, Richard L; Linneman, James G; McCarty, Catherine A; Waudby, Carol; Chen, Lin; Denny, Joshua C; Wilke, Russell A; Pathak, Jyotishman; Carrell, David; Kho, Abel N; Starren, Justin B

2012-01-01

Objective There is increasing interest in using electronic health records (EHRs) to identify subjects for genomic association studies, due in part to the availability of large amounts of clinical data and the expected cost efficiencies of subject identification. We describe the construction and validation of an EHR-based algorithm to identify subjects with age-related cataracts. Materials and methods We used a multi-modal strategy consisting of structured database querying, natural language processing on free-text documents, and optical character recognition on scanned clinical images to identify cataract subjects and related cataract attributes. Extensive validation on 3657 subjects compared the multi-modal results to manual chart review. The algorithm was also implemented at participating electronic MEdical Records and GEnomics (eMERGE) institutions. Results An EHR-based cataract phenotyping algorithm was successfully developed and validated, resulting in positive predictive values (PPVs) >95%. The multi-modal approach increased the identification of cataract subject attributes by a factor of three compared to single-mode approaches while maintaining high PPV. Components of the cataract algorithm were successfully deployed at three other institutions with similar accuracy. Discussion A multi-modal strategy incorporating optical character recognition and natural language processing may increase the number of cases identified while maintaining similar PPVs. Such algorithms, however, require that the needed information be embedded within clinical documents. Conclusion We have demonstrated that algorithms to identify and characterize cataracts can be developed utilizing data collected via the EHR. These algorithms provide a high level of accuracy even when implemented across multiple EHRs and institutional boundaries. PMID:22319176

Safe and effective pharmacotherapy in infants and preschool children: importance of formulation aspects

PubMed Central

van Riet-Nales, Diana A; Schobben, Alfred F A M; Vromans, Herman; Egberts, Toine C G; Rademaker, Carin M A

2016-01-01

Safe and effective paediatric pharmacotherapy requires careful evaluation of the type of drug substance, the necessary dose and the age-appropriateness of the formulation. Generally, the younger the child, the more the attention that is required. For decades, there has been a general lack of (authorised) formulations that children are able to and willing to take. Moreover, little was known on the impact of pharmaceutical aspects on the age-appropriateness of a paediatric medicine. As a result of legislative incentives, such knowledge is increasingly becoming available. It has become evident that rapidly dissolving tablets with a diameter of 2 mm (mini-tablets) can be used in preterm neonates and non-rapidly dissolving 2 mm mini-tablets in infants from 6 months of age. In addition, uncoated 4 mm mini-tablets can be used in infants from the age of 1 year. Also, there is some evidence that children prefer mini-tablets over a powder, suspension or syrup. Other novel types of age-appropriate oral formulations such as orodispersible films may further add to the treatment possibilities. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on oral formulations for infants and preschool children, the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of dosage forms and the age groups by which these can likely be used. PMID:26979250

Identifying Motives of Midlife Black Triathlete Women Using Survey Transformation to Guide Qualitative Inquiry.

PubMed

Brown, Candace S; Masters, Kevin S; Huebschmann, Amy G

2018-03-01

Demonstrating health disparities related to race, age, and gender, older Black women (BW) are the most sedentary demographic group in the United States. Increasing PA in mid-life is important, as it improves health as BW age into their later years. Advancing our understanding of the exercise motives of BW triathletes presents a "reverse engineering" opportunity to identify motives that could influence sedentary mid-life BW to increase their activity. The purposes of this study were to: (a) utilize an innovative survey transformation method to adapt a measure developed primarily in Caucasian males, i.e., the Motivations of Marathoners Scale for Triathletes (MOMS-T) into a qualitative interview guide for use with BW triathletes; (b) use this interview guide to identify culturally based motives for triathlon participation among BW not previously addressed by the MOMS-T and; (c) interpret the novel motivational domains of the MOMS-T discovered, in order to gain understanding and influence subsequent interventions. Purposive sampling was used to select 12 interview participants from 121 self-identified Black female US residents aged ≥36 years with recent experience completing or training for a triathlon. The interviews identified four culturally based themes, including improving body composition to become "more lean", physical attractiveness, triathlete family, and camaraderie. These novel themes were related to existing MOMS-T scales, but the current MOMS-T questions did not illuminate their culturally distinct aspects. The process of survey transformation provides a viable approach to identify important culturally based characteristics and to adapt surveys to cultural minority populations, particularly when study resources are limited.

Effect of Cell Aspect Ratio on Swarming Bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilkanaiv, Bella; Kearns, Daniel B.; Ariel, Gil; Be'er, Avraham

2017-04-01

Swarming bacteria collectively migrate on surfaces using flagella, forming dynamic whirls and jets that consist of millions of individuals. Because some swarming bacteria elongate prior to actual motion, cell aspect ratio may play a significant role in the collective dynamics. Extensive research on self-propelled rodlike particles confirms that elongation promotes alignment, strongly affecting the dynamics. Here, we study experimentally the collective dynamics of variants of swarming Bacillus subtilis that differ in length. We show that the swarming statistics depends on the aspect ratio in a critical, fundamental fashion not predicted by theory. The fastest motion was obtained for the wild-type and variants that are similar in length. However, shorter and longer cells exhibit anomalous, non-Gaussian statistics and nonexponential decay of the autocorrelation function, indicating lower collective motility. These results suggest that the robust mechanisms to maintain aspect ratios may be important for efficient swarming motility. Wild-type cells are optimal in this sense.

Identifying factors of activities of daily living important for cost and caregiver outcomes in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Reed, Catherine; Belger, Mark; Vellas, Bruno; Andrews, Jeffrey Scott; Argimon, Josep M; Bruno, Giuseppe; Dodel, Richard; Jones, Roy W; Wimo, Anders; Haro, Josep Maria

2016-02-01

We aimed to obtain a better understanding of how different aspects of patient functioning affect key cost and caregiver outcomes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Baseline data from a prospective observational study of community-living AD patients (GERAS) were used. Functioning was assessed using the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale. Generalized linear models were conducted to analyze the relationship between scores for total activities of daily living (ADL), basic ADL (BADL), instrumental ADL (IADL), ADL subdomains (confirmed through factor analysis) and individual ADL questions, and total societal costs, patient healthcare and social care costs, total and supervision caregiver time, and caregiver burden. Four distinct ADL subdomains were confirmed: basic activities, domestic/household activities, communication, and outside activities. Higher total societal costs were associated with impairments in all aspects of ADL, including all subdomains; patient costs were associated with total ADL and BADL, and basic activities subdomain scores. Both total and supervision caregiver hours were associated with total ADL and IADL scores, and domestic/household and outside activities subdomain scores (greater hours associated with greater functional impairments). There was no association between caregiver burden and BADL or basic activities subdomain scores. The relationship between total ADL, IADL, and the outside activities subdomain and outcomes differed between patients with mild and moderate-to-severe AD. Identification of ADL subdomains may lead to a better understanding of the association between patient function and costs and caregiver outcomes at different stages of AD, in particular the outside activities subdomain within mild AD.

[Immunologic aspects of pathologic pain].

PubMed

Evseev, V A; Igon'kina, S I; Vetrilé, L A

2003-01-01

The scientific review is devoted to an analysis of neuro-immune aspects of the pathological pain and to the role of disregulation between the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system in triggering the mechanisms of such pain. The importance of anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukins, and tumor necrosis factor) as well as of autoantibodies to neuro-mediators in the pathogenesis of different forms of hyperalgetic conditions is evaluated. New data are discussed, which are related with the possibility of modulating the antibodies to neuro-transmitters (serotonin and catecholamines) of experimental neuropathic pain syndromes.

Identifying Important Atlantic Areas for the conservation of Balearic shearwaters: Spatial overlap with conservation areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Roda, Amparo; Delord, Karine; Boué, Amélie; Arcos, José Manuel; García, David; Micol, Thierry; Weimerskirch, Henri; Pinaud, David; Louzao, Maite

2017-07-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are considered one of the main tools in both fisheries and conservation management to protect threatened species and their habitats around the globe. However, MPAs are underrepresented in marine environments compared to terrestrial environments. Within this context, we studied the Atlantic non-breeding distribution of the southern population of Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus) breeding in Eivissa during the 2011-2012 period based on global location sensing (GLS) devices. Our objectives were (1) to identify overall Important Atlantic Areas (IAAs) from a southern population, (2) to describe spatio-temporal patterns of oceanographic habitat use, and (3) to assess whether existing conservation areas (Natura 2000 sites and marine Important Bird Areas (IBAs)) cover the main IAAs of Balearic shearwaters. Our results highlighted that the Atlantic staging (from June to October in 2011) dynamic of the southern population was driven by individual segregation at both spatial and temporal scales. Individuals ranged in the North-East Atlantic over four main IAAs (Bay of Biscay: BoB, Western Iberian shelf: WIS, Gulf of Cadiz: GoC, West of Morocco: WoM). While most individuals spent more time on the WIS or in the GoC, a small number of birds visited IAAs at the extremes of their Atlantic distribution range (i.e., BoB and WoM). The chronology of the arrivals to the IAAs showed a latitudinal gradient with northern areas reached earlier during the Atlantic staging. The IAAs coincided with the most productive areas (higher chlorophyll a values) in the NE Atlantic between July and October. The spatial overlap between IAAs and conservation areas was higher for Natura 2000 sites than marine IBAs (areas with and without legal protection, respectively). Concerning the use of these areas, a slightly higher proportion of estimated positions fell within marine IBAs compared to designated Natura 2000 sites, with Spanish and Portuguese conservation

A Solar Aspect System for the HEROES Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christe, Steven; Shih, Albert; Rodriguez, Marcello; Gregory, Kyle; Cramer, Alexander; Edgerton, Melissa; Gaskin, Jessica; O'Connor, Brian; Sobey, Alexander

2014-01-01

A new Solar Aspect System (SAS) has been developed to provide the ability to observe the Sun on an existing balloon payload HERO (short for High Energy Replicated Optics). Developed under the HEROES program (High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun), the SAS aspect system provides solar pointing knowledge in pitch, yaw, and roll. The required precision of these measurements must be better than the HEROES X-ray resolution of approximately 20 arcsec Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) so as to not degrade the image resolution. The SAS consists of two separate systems: the Pitch-Yaw Aspect System (PYAS) and the Roll Aspect System (RAS). The PYAS functions by projecting an image of the Sun onto a screen with precision fiducials. A CCD camera takes an image of these fiducials, and an automated algorithm determines the location of the Sun as well as the location of the fiducials. The spacing between fiducials is unique and allows each to be identified so that the location of the Sun on the screen can be precisely determined. The RAS functions by imaging the Earth's horizon in opposite directions using a silvered prism imaged by a CCD camera. The design and first results of the performance of these systems during the HEROES flight which occurred in September 2013 are presented here.

Three faces of node importance in network epidemiology: Exact results for small graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holme, Petter

2017-12-01

We investigate three aspects of the importance of nodes with respect to susceptible-infectious-removed (SIR) disease dynamics: influence maximization (the expected outbreak size given a set of seed nodes), the effect of vaccination (how much deleting nodes would reduce the expected outbreak size), and sentinel surveillance (how early an outbreak could be detected with sensors at a set of nodes). We calculate the exact expressions of these quantities, as functions of the SIR parameters, for all connected graphs of three to seven nodes. We obtain the smallest graphs where the optimal node sets are not overlapping. We find that (i) node separation is more important than centrality for more than one active node, (ii) vaccination and influence maximization are the most different aspects of importance, and (iii) the three aspects are more similar when the infection rate is low.

Triple-aspect monism: physiological, mental unconscious and conscious aspects of brain activity.

PubMed

Pereira, Alfredo

2014-06-01

Brain activity contains three fundamental aspects: (a) The physiological aspect, covering all kinds of processes that involve matter and/or energy; (b) the mental unconscious aspect, consisting of dynamical patterns (i.e., frequency, amplitude and phase-modulated waves) embodied in neural activity. These patterns are variously operated (transmitted, stored, combined, matched, amplified, erased, etc), forming cognitive and emotional unconscious processes and (c) the mental conscious aspect, consisting of feelings experienced in the first-person perspective and cognitive functions grounded in feelings, as memory formation, selection of the focus of attention, voluntary behavior, aesthetical appraisal and ethical judgment. Triple-aspect monism (TAM) is a philosophical theory that provides a model of the relation of the three aspects. Spatially distributed neuronal dendritic potentials generate amplitude-modulated waveforms transmitted to the extracellular medium and adjacent astrocytes, prompting the formation of large waves in the astrocyte network, which are claimed to both integrate distributed information and instantiate feelings. According to the valence of the feeling, the large wave feeds back on neuronal synapses, modulating (reinforcing or depressing) cognitive and behavioral functions.

Principals Of Radiation Toxicology: Important Aspects.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, Dmitri; Maliev, Slava; Jones, Jeffrey

“All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose permits something not to be poisonous.” Paracelsus Key Words: Radiation Toxins (RT), Radiation Toxicants (RTc), Radiation Poisons (RP), Radiation Exposure (RE), Radiation Toxicology is the science about radiation poisons. [D.Popov et al. 2012,J.Zhou et al. 2007,] Radiation Toxins is a specific proteins with high enzymatic activity produced by living irradiated mammals. [D.Popov et al. 2012,] Radiation Toxicants is a substances that produce radiomimetics effects, adverse biological effects which specific for radiation. [D.Popov et al. 2012,] Radiation Toxic agent is specific proteins that can produce pathological biological effects specific for physical form of radiation.[D.Popov et al. 1990,2012,V. Maliev 2007] Different Toxic Substances isolated from cells or from blood or lymph circulation. [Kudriashov I. et al. 1970, D.Popov et al. 1990,2012,V. Maliev et al. 2007,] Radiation Toxins may affects many organs or specific organ, tissue, specific group of cells. [Kudriashov I. et al. 1970, D.Popov et al. 1990,2012,V. Maliev et al. 2007] For example: Radiation Toxins could induce collective toxic clinical states to include: systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS),toxic multiple organ injury (TMOI), toxic multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (TMODS),and finally, toxic multiple organ failure (TMOF). [T. Azizova et al. 2005, Konchalovsky et al., 2005, D. Popov et al 2012] However, Radiation Toxins could induce specific injury of organs or tissue and induce Acute Radiation Syndromes such as Acute Radiation Cerebrovascular Syndrome, Acute Radiation Cardiovascular Syndrome, Acute Radiation Hematopoietic Syndrome, Acute Radiation GastroIntestinal Syndrome. [ D.Popov et al. 1990, 2012, V. Maliev et al. 2007] Radiation Toxins correlates with Radiation Exposure and the dose-response relationship is a fundamental and essential concept in classic Toxicology and Radiation Toxicology.[ D.Popov et al. 1990, 2012] Moderate and high doses of radiation induces necrosis of radiosensitive cells with the subsequent formation of radiation toxins and their induced acute inflammatory processes. Radiation necrosis is the most substantial and most severe form of radiation induced injury, and when widespread, has grave therapeutic implications. [D. Popov et al. 1990, 2012,Claudio A. et al. 2002, Robertson J. et al. 2002, ] Relatively small doses of Radiation Toxins induce apoptosis and high doses of Radiation Toxins induce necrosis. [Rastogi P. et al. 2009, D. Popov et al. 1990, 2012,] Threshold of Toxic Effects occurs and can be defined. [D. Popov et al. 2012, ] Radiation Toxins affects Somatic cells and Germ Cells. Radiation Toxins can induce teratogenic processes. Specific Toxicity of Radiation Toxins can affects developing fetus. Material and Methods, Results: http://www.intechopen.com/books/current-topics-in-ionizing-radiation-research/radiation-toxins-molecular-mechanisms-of-toxicity-and-radiomimetic-properties- Conclusion: Radiation is a physical agent - induce activation of some secretory proteins with high enzymatic activity. This proteins called as Radiation Toxins can produce specific for radiation biological and toxic effects after administration to radiation naive mammals. [V. Maliev et al. 2007, D. Popov et al. 1990, 2012] Radiation Toxins are teratogenic and oncogenic. Radiation Toxins effects depend on Administered Dose and Radiation effects depend on Exposure Dose and Absorbed Dose. The levels of Radiation Toxins correlates with Radiation Exposure.

Promoting cognitive and social aspects of inquiry through classroom discourse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Hui; Wei, Xin; Duan, Peiran; Guo, Yuying; Wang, Wenxia

2016-01-01

We investigated how Chinese physics teachers structured classroom discourse to support the cognitive and social aspects of inquiry-based science learning. Regarding the cognitive aspect, we examined to what extent the cognitive processes underlying the scientific skills and the disciplinary reasoning behind the content knowledge were taught. Regarding the social aspect, we examined how classroom discourse supported student learning in terms of students' opportunities to talk and interaction patterns. Our participants were 17 physics teachers who were actively engaged in teacher education programs in universities and professional development programs in local school districts. We analyzed one lesson video from each participating teacher. The results suggest both promises and challenges. Regarding the cognitive aspect of inquiry, the teachers in general recognized the importance of teaching the cognitive processes and disciplinary reasoning. However, they were less likely to address common intuitive ideas about science concepts and principles. Regarding the social aspect of inquiry, the teachers frequently interacted with students in class. However, it appeared that facilitating conversations among students and prompting students to talk about their own ideas are challenging. We discuss the implications of these findings for teacher education programs and professional development programs in China.

Generic Attributes as Espoused Theory: The Importance of Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Anna

2009-01-01

There has been considerable interest in generic attributes in higher education for over a decade and yet while generic skills or attributes are an important aspect of policy, there is often a lack of consistency between beliefs about the importance of these skills and attributes and the degree to which exist in teaching practice. There has been an…

Implementing Subduction Models in the New Mantle Convection Code Aspect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arredondo, Katrina; Billen, Magali

2014-05-01

The geodynamic community has utilized various numerical modeling codes as scientific questions arise and computer processing power increases. Citcom, a widely used mantle convection code, has limitations and vulnerabilities such as temperature overshoots of hundreds or thousands degrees Kelvin (i.e., Kommu et al., 2013). Recently Aspect intended as a more powerful cousin, is in active development with additions such as Adaptable Mesh Refinement (AMR) and improved solvers (Kronbichler et al., 2012). The validity and ease of use of Aspect is important to its survival and role as a possible upgrade and replacement to Citcom. Development of publishable models illustrates the capacity of Aspect. We present work on the addition of non-linear solvers and stress-dependent rheology to Aspect. With a solid foundational knowledge of C++, these additions were easily added into Aspect and tested against CitcomS. Time-dependent subduction models akin to those in Billen and Hirth (2007) are built and compared in CitcomS and Aspect. Comparison with CitcomS assists in Aspect development and showcases its flexibility, usability and capabilities. References: Billen, M. I., and G. Hirth, 2007. Rheologic controls on slab dynamics. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. Kommu, R., E. Heien, L. H. Kellogg, W. Bangerth, T. Heister, E. Studley, 2013. The Overshoot Phenomenon in Geodynamics Codes. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. M. Kronbichler, T. Heister, W. Bangerth, 2012, High Accuracy Mantle Convection Simulation through Modern Numerical Methods, Geophys. J. Int.

Initial Performance of the Aspect System on the Chandra Observatory: Post-Facto Aspect Reconstruction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldcroft, T.; Karovska, M.; Cresitello-Dittmar, M.; Cameron, R.

2000-01-01

The aspect system of the Chandra Observatory plays a key role in realizing the full potential of Chandra's x-ray optics and detectors. To achieve the highest spatial and spectral resolution (for grating observations), an accurate post-facto time history of the spacecraft attitude and internal alignment is needed. The CXC has developed a suite of tools which process sensor data from the aspect camera assembly and gyroscopes, and produce the spacecraft aspect solution. In this poster, the design of the aspect pipeline software is briefly described, followed by details of aspect system performance during the first eight months of flight. The two key metrics of aspect performance are: image reconstruction accuracy, which measures the x-ray image blurring introduced by aspect; and celestial location, which is the accuracy of detected source positions in absolute sky coordinates.

Aspects of manual wheelchair configuration affecting mobility: a review.

PubMed

Medola, Fausto Orsi; Elui, Valeria Meirelles Carril; Santana, Carla da Silva; Fortulan, Carlos Alberto

2014-02-01

Many aspects relating to equipment configuration affect users' actions in a manual wheelchair, determining the overall mobility performance. Since the equipment components and configuration determine both stability and mobility efficiency, configuring the wheelchair with the most appropriate set-up for individual users' needs is a difficult task. Several studies have shown the importance of seat/backrest assembly and the relative position of the rear wheels to the user in terms of the kinetics and kinematics of manual propulsion. More recently, new studies have brought to light evidence on the inertial properties of different wheelchair configurations. Further new studies have highlighted the handrim as a key component of wheelchair assembly, since it is the interface through which the user drives the chair. In light of the new evidence on wheelchair mechanics and propulsion kinetics and kinematics, this article presents a review of the most important aspects of wheelchair configuration that affect the users' actions and mobility.

Aspects of Manual Wheelchair Configuration Affecting Mobility: A Review

PubMed Central

Medola, Fausto Orsi; Elui, Valeria Meirelles Carril; Santana, Carla da Silva; Fortulan, Carlos Alberto

2014-01-01

Many aspects relating to equipment configuration affect users’ actions in a manual wheelchair, determining the overall mobility performance. Since the equipment components and configuration determine both stability and mobility efficiency, configuring the wheelchair with the most appropriate set-up for individual users’ needs is a difficult task. Several studies have shown the importance of seat/backrest assembly and the relative position of the rear wheels to the user in terms of the kinetics and kinematics of manual propulsion. More recently, new studies have brought to light evidence on the inertial properties of different wheelchair configurations. Further new studies have highlighted the handrim as a key component of wheelchair assembly, since it is the interface through which the user drives the chair. In light of the new evidence on wheelchair mechanics and propulsion kinetics and kinematics, this article presents a review of the most important aspects of wheelchair configuration that affect the users’ actions and mobility. PMID:24648656

Psychological aspects of male fertility treatment.

PubMed

Mikkelsen, Alice Toft; Madsen, Svend Aage; Humaidan, Peter

2013-09-01

To explore and to identify the possible need for psychological communicative support in men undergoing fertility treatment. Male infertility affects many aspects of a man's life and may cause a life crisis. Although infertility treatment is now commonplace in men, they often feel remote and disconnected from the treatment process. A descriptive survey. A questionnaire with structured and open-ended questions was completed by 210 Danish men undergoing fertility treatment. The questionnaire covered three issues: individual perception of male infertility, gender equality issues, and communication with health professionals in the clinic. Data were collected during 2008. Of the participants, 28% believed that their reduced sperm quality affected their perception of masculinity. 46% stated that equal involvement between partners was a very important element of the treatment; however, 63% said that the health professionals communicated primarily with their female partner. Finally, 62% found that there was a need for a deeper dialogue with the nurses concerning male infertility and 72% lacked information about the psychological consequences of male infertility. In general, participants wanted a more open and balanced dialogue about infertility treatment and the role of the male partner during this process. Infertile men want health professionals to view them on equal terms with their partner. When treating the infertile man, there is a further need to develop more inclusive communication skills. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

What Aspects of Face Processing Are Impaired in Developmental Prosopagnosia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Grand, Richard; Cooper, Philip A.; Mondloch, Catherine J.; Lewis, Terri L.; Sagiv, Noam; de Gelder, Beatrice; Maurer, Daphne

2006-01-01

Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a severe impairment in identifying faces that is present from early in life and that occurs despite no apparent brain damage and intact visual and intellectual function. Here, we investigated what aspects of face processing are impaired/spared in developmental prosopagnosia by examining a relatively large group…

A parallel genome-wide RNAi screening strategy to identify host proteins important for entry of Marburg virus and H5N1 influenza virus.

PubMed

Cheng, Han; Koning, Katie; O'Hearn, Aileen; Wang, Minxiu; Rumschlag-Booms, Emily; Varhegyi, Elizabeth; Rong, Lijun

2015-11-24

Genome-wide RNAi screening has been widely used to identify host proteins involved in replication and infection of different viruses, and numerous host factors are implicated in the replication cycles of these viruses, demonstrating the power of this approach. However, discrepancies on target identification of the same viruses by different groups suggest that high throughput RNAi screening strategies need to be carefully designed, developed and optimized prior to the large scale screening. Two genome-wide RNAi screens were performed in parallel against the entry of pseudotyped Marburg viruses and avian influenza virus H5N1 utilizing an HIV-1 based surrogate system, to identify host factors which are important for virus entry. A comparative analysis approach was employed in data analysis, which alleviated systematic positional effects and reduced the false positive number of virus-specific hits. The parallel nature of the strategy allows us to easily identify the host factors for a specific virus with a greatly reduced number of false positives in the initial screen, which is one of the major problems with high throughput screening. The power of this strategy is illustrated by a genome-wide RNAi screen for identifying the host factors important for Marburg virus and/or avian influenza virus H5N1 as described in this study. This strategy is particularly useful for highly pathogenic viruses since pseudotyping allows us to perform high throughput screens in the biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) containment instead of the BSL-3 or BSL-4 for the infectious viruses, with alleviated safety concerns. The screening strategy together with the unique comparative analysis approach makes the data more suitable for hit selection and enables us to identify virus-specific hits with a much lower false positive rate.

Identifying lubricant options for compressor bearing designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karnaz, J.; Seeton, C.; Dixon, L.

2017-08-01

Today’s refrigeration and air conditioning market is not only driven by the environmental aspects of the refrigerants, but also by the energy efficiency and reliability of system operation. Numerous types of compressor designs are used in refrigeration and air conditioning applications which means that different bearings are used; and in some cases, multiple bearing types within a single compressor. Since only one lubricant is used, it is important to try to optimize the lubricant to meet the various demands and requirements for operation. This optimization entails investigating different types of lubricant chemistries, viscosities, and various formulation options. What makes evaluating these options more challenging is the refrigerant which changes the properties of the lubricant delivered to the bearing. Once the lubricant and refrigerant interaction are understood, through various test methods, then work can start on collaborating with compressor engineers on identifying the lubricant chemistry and formulation options. These interaction properties are important to the design engineer to make decisions on the adequacy of the lubricant before compressor tests are started. This paper will discuss the process to evaluate lubricants for various types of compressors and bearing design with focus on what’s needed for current refrigerant trends. In addition, the paper will show how the lubricant chemistry choice can be manipulated through understanding of the bearing design and knowledge of interaction with the refrigerant to maximize performance. Emphasis will be placed on evaluation of synthetic lubricants for both natural and synthetic low GWP refrigerants.

Geomorphic Implications of Fire and Slope Aspect in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitch, E. P.; Meyer, G. A.

2011-12-01

Following a fire, extensive erosion may occur on hillslopes due to reduced infiltration and increased runoff as well as a decrease in vegetative anchoring and surface roughness. This increased erosion and subsequent sedimentation on alluvial fans at the base of the hillslope may be the primary process of geomorphic change in fire-prone mountains in the Western US. Insolation differences on north and south facing slopes may also be another potential influence on geomorphic change due to soil moisture and vegetation differences, which may affect the spatial distribution of erosion as well as sediment transport processes. Due to the long recovery period of forest stands in fire-prone areas, it is important to understand the natural variability of erosion for the purposes of forest and river ecology and management as well as mass movement-flooding hazard. The 2002 Lakes Fire area in the Jemez Mountains, NM, provides a natural study area with incision of alluvial fans after the Lakes Fire exposing the internal structure of these fans. The study area displays steeper, drier ponderosa pine dominated south-facing slopes and less steep, moister Douglas-fir dominated north-facing slopes, which suggests that slope aspect may influence fire regime and post-fire erosion in the Jemez Mountains. In order to determine the importance of fire and aspect on erosion and sedimentation, over 15 sections within alluvial fans with both north and south aspect were studied. Debris flow, hyperconcentrated flow and stream flow make up the majority of sediment transport processes in this area. Therefore, deposits formed by these processes were described, and evidence for fire-related sedimentation was assessed. Additionally, the relative importance of sediment transport types in relation to north versus south slope aspects was examined. Finally, charcoal fragments within deposits from north and south aspects were analyzed in terms of their abundance and angularity in order to aid in estimating

Analytical aspects of hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Engen, John R.; Wales, Thomas E.

2016-01-01

The analytical aspects of measuring hydrogen exchange by mass spectrometry are reviewed. The nature of analytical selectivity in hydrogen exchange is described followed by review of the analytical tools required to accomplish fragmentation, separation, and the mass spectrometry measurements under restrictive exchange quench conditions. In contrast to analytical quantitation that relies on measurements of peak intensity or area, quantitation in hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry depends on measuring a mass change with respect to an undeuterated or deuterated control, resulting in a value between zero and the maximum amount of deuterium that could be incorporated. Reliable quantitation is a function of experimental fidelity and to achieve high measurement reproducibility, a large number of experimental variables must be controlled during sample preparation and analysis. The method also reports on important qualitative aspects of the sample, including conformational heterogeneity and population dynamics. PMID:26048552

Crisis management aspects of bam catastrophic earthquake: review article.

PubMed

Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Kazemi, Abdolhassan; Ziapour, Behrad

2015-01-01

Bam earthquake was the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent years. The aim of this study was to review different aspects of crisis management during and after the catastrophic earthquake in Bam City, Iran. Data needed for this systematic review were collected through searching PubMed, EMBASE and SID databases, for the period from 2003 to 2011. Keywords included earthquake, Iran and Bam earthquake. The data were summarized and were analyzed using Content Analysis. Out of 422 articles, 25 articles were included in the study. Crisis Management aspects and existing pitfalls were classified into seven categories including planning and organization, human resource management, management of logistics, international humanitarian aids, field performance of the military and security forces, health and medical service provision, and information management. Positive aspects and major pitfalls of crisis management have been introduced in all the mentioned categories. The available evidence indicated poor crisis management during Bam earthquake that resulted in aggravating the losses as well as diminishing the effect of interventions. Thus, concerning the importance of different aspects of the crisis management and the high prevalence of disasters in Iran, the observed vulnerability in disaster management process should be addressed.

Valued aspects of primary palliative care: content analysis of bereaved carers' descriptions.

PubMed

Grande, Gunn E; Farquhar, Morag C; Barclay, Stephen Ig; Todd, Chris J

2004-10-01

Informal carers provide the bulk of palliative home care. They largely rely on general practitioners (GPs) and district nurses to support them in this role, yet little is known about what carers themselves consider important in this support. To identify what informal carers valued in the palliative support provided by GPs and district nurses by using carers' own descriptions of such support. Retrospective interviews. Primary care in Cambridgeshire. Semi-structured interviews with bereaved carers of 48 patients with cancer and 12 patients with non-cancer diagnoses. Content analysis of carers' evaluative descriptions of GP and district nurse support. The accessibility of the GP and district nurse emerged as the most important aspect of support. Enlistment of help from other agencies was also extensively mentioned, together with provision of equipment. Attitude or approach during interactions, and relationship with the professional were important, particularly regarding GP support, whereas support for the carer, information, and symptom control were mentioned less often. Data suggested that support was not as good for older patients (> or =75 years), but this finding requires further investigation. Results largely confirmed findings of previous, quantitative research and the importance of a patient-centred approach. What emerged most strongly, however, was the central importance of accessibility of support services for lay carers responsible for end-of-life home care. This mainly concerned GP and district nurse support, but accessibility of additional care and equipment were also important. In short, carers' main focus was the basic support that enabled them to sustain care in the home.

Identifying Aspects of Parental Involvement that Affect the Academic Achievement of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roulette-McIntyre, Ovella; Bagaka's, Joshua G.; Drake, Daniel D.

2005-01-01

This study identified parental practices that relate positively to high school students' academic performance. Parents of 643 high school students participated in the study. Data analysis, using a multiple linear regression model, shows parent-school connection, student gender, and race are significant predictors of student academic performance.…

The assessment of aesthetic and perceptual aspects within environmental impact assessment of renewable energy projects in Italy

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

Tolli, Michela, E-mail: michela.tolli@uniroma1.it; Recanatesi, Fabio, E-mail: fabio.rec@unitus.it; Piccinno, Matteo

The main aim of this paper is to explore how perceptual and aesthetic impact analyses are considered in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), with specific reference to Italian renewable energy projects. To investigate this topic, the paper starts by establishing which factors are linked with perceptual and aesthetic impacts and why it is important to analyze these aspects, which are also related to legislative provisions and procedures in Europe and in Italy. In particular the paper refers to renewable energy projects because environmental policies are encouraging more and more investment in this kind of primary resource. The growing interest in thismore » type of energy is leading to the realization of projects which change the governance of territories, with inevitable effects on the landscape from the aesthetic and perceptual points of view. Legislative references to EIA, including the latest directive regarding this topic show the importance of integrating the assessment of environmental and perceptual impacts, thus there is a need to improve EIA methodological approaches to this purpose. This paper proposes a profile of aesthetic and perceptual impact analysis in EIA for renewable energy projects in Italy, and concludes with recommendations as to how this kind of analysis could be improved. - Highlights: • We analyze 29 EIA Reports of Italian renewable energy projects. • We examine esthetic and perceptual aspects present in Italian EIA reports. • We identified inconsistency in use of methods for esthetic and perceptual aspects. • Local populations are rarely included as stakeholders in EIAs. • A shared understanding of perceptual and esthetic issues in EIA proceedings is required.« less

Combining Methods to Describe Important Marine Habitats for Top Predators: Application to Identify Biological Hotspots in Tropical Waters.

PubMed

Thiers, Laurie; Louzao, Maite; Ridoux, Vincent; Le Corre, Matthieu; Jaquemet, Sébastien; Weimerskirch, Henri

2014-01-01

In tropical waters resources are usually scarce and patchy, and predatory species generally show specific adaptations for foraging. Tropical seabirds often forage in association with sub-surface predators that create feeding opportunities by bringing prey close to the surface, and the birds often aggregate in large multispecific flocks. Here we hypothesize that frigatebirds, a tropical seabird adapted to foraging with low energetic costs, could be a good predictor of the distribution of their associated predatory species, including other seabirds (e.g. boobies, terns) and subsurface predators (e.g., dolphins, tunas). To test this hypothesis, we compared distribution patterns of marine predators in the Mozambique Channel based on a long-term dataset of both vessel- and aerial surveys, as well as tracking data of frigatebirds. By developing species distribution models (SDMs), we identified key marine areas for tropical predators in relation to contemporaneous oceanographic features to investigate multi-species spatial overlap areas and identify predator hotspots in the Mozambique Channel. SDMs reasonably matched observed patterns and both static (e.g. bathymetry) and dynamic (e.g. Chlorophyll a concentration and sea surface temperature) factors were important explaining predator distribution patterns. We found that the distribution of frigatebirds included the distributions of the associated species. The central part of the channel appeared to be the best habitat for the four groups of species considered in this study (frigatebirds, brown terns, boobies and sub-surface predators).

Authentic early experience in Medical Education: a socio-cultural analysis identifying important variables in learning interactions within workplaces.

PubMed

Yardley, Sarah; Brosnan, Caragh; Richardson, Jane; Hays, Richard

2013-12-01

This paper addresses the question 'what are the variables influencing social interactions and learning during Authentic Early Experience (AEE)?' AEE is a complex educational intervention for new medical students. Following critique of the existing literature, multiple qualitative methods were used to create a study framework conceptually orientated to a socio-cultural perspective. Study participants were recruited from three groups at one UK medical school: students, workplace supervisors, and medical school faculty. A series of intersecting spectra identified in the data describe dyadic variables that make explicit the parameters within which social interactions are conducted in this setting. Four of the spectra describe social processes related to being in workplaces and developing the ability to manage interactions during authentic early experiences. These are: (1) legitimacy expressed through invited participation or exclusion; (2) finding a role-a spectrum from student identity to doctor mindset; (3) personal perspectives and discomfort in transition from lay to medical; and, (4) taking responsibility for 'risk'-moving from aversion to management through graded progression of responsibility. Four further spectra describe educational consequences of social interactions. These spectra identify how the reality of learning is shaped through social interactions and are (1) generic-specific objectives, (2) parallel-integrated-learning, (3) context specific-transferable learning and (4) performing or simulating-reality. Attention to these variables is important if educators are to maximise constructive learning from AEE. Application of each of the spectra could assist workplace supervisors to maximise the positive learning potential of specific workplaces.

Biological preservation of plant derived animal feed with antifungal microorganisms: safety and formulation aspects.

PubMed

Melin, Petter; Sundh, Ingvar; Håkansson, Sebastian; Schnürer, Johan

2007-08-01

During storage of moist animal feed, growth of detrimental fungi causing spoilage, or being mycotoxigenic or pathogenic, is a severe problem. Addition of biopreservative yeasts or lactic acid bacteria can significantly reduce this problem. However, their use requires several careful considerations. One is the safety to the animal, humans and the environment, tightly connected to legal aspects and the need for pre-market authorisation when supplementing feed with microorganisms. Although both yeasts and lactic acid bacteria are considered comparatively safe organisms due to low production of toxic metabolites, it is of great importance to understand the mechanisms behind the biopreservative abilities. Another important issue concerns practical aspects, such as the economic production of large amounts of the organisms and the development of a suitable formulation giving the organisms a long shelf life. These aspects are discussed and a recommendation of this review is that both safety and formulation aspects of a specific microbe should be considered at an early stage in the selection of new organisms with biopreservation potential.

Importance/performance analysis: a tool for service quality control by clinical laboratories.

PubMed

Scammon, D L; Weiss, R

1991-01-01

A study of customer satisfaction with clinical laboratory service is used as the basis for identifying potential improvements in service and more effectively targeting marketing activities to enhance customer satisfaction. Data on customer satisfaction are used to determine the aspects of service most critical to customers, how well the organization is doing in delivery of service, and how consistent service delivery is. Importance-performance analysis is used to highlight areas for future resource reallocation and strategic emphasis. Suggestions include the establishment of performance guidelines for customer contact personnel, the enhancement of timely delivery of reports via electronic transmission (computer and fax), and the development of standardized graphics for request and report forms to facilitate identification of appropriate request forms and guide clients to key items of information on reports.

Status and prospects of DNA barcoding in medically important parasites and vectors.

PubMed

Ondrejicka, Danielle A; Locke, Sean A; Morey, Kevin; Borisenko, Alex V; Hanner, Robert H

2014-12-01

For over 10 years, DNA barcoding has been used to identify specimens and discern species. Its potential benefits in parasitology were recognized early, but its utility and uptake remain unclear. Here we review studies using DNA barcoding in parasites and vectors affecting humans and find that the technique is accurate (accords with author identifications based on morphology or other markers) in 94-95% of cases, although aspects of DNA barcoding (vouchering, marker implicated) have often been misunderstood. In a newly compiled checklist of parasites, vectors, and hazards, barcodes are available for 43% of all 1403 species and for more than half of 429 species of greater medical importance. This is encouraging coverage that would improve with an active campaign targeting parasites and vectors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pair correlation functions for identifying spatial correlation in discrete domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavagnin, Enrico; Owen, Jennifer P.; Yates, Christian A.

2018-06-01

Identifying and quantifying spatial correlation are important aspects of studying the collective behavior of multiagent systems. Pair correlation functions (PCFs) are powerful statistical tools that can provide qualitative and quantitative information about correlation between pairs of agents. Despite the numerous PCFs defined for off-lattice domains, only a few recent studies have considered a PCF for discrete domains. Our work extends the study of spatial correlation in discrete domains by defining a new set of PCFs using two natural and intuitive definitions of distance for a square lattice: the taxicab and uniform metric. We show how these PCFs improve upon previous attempts and compare between the quantitative data acquired. We also extend our definitions of the PCF to other types of regular tessellation that have not been studied before, including hexagonal, triangular, and cuboidal. Finally, we provide a comprehensive PCF for any tessellation and metric, allowing investigation of spatial correlation in irregular lattices for which recognizing correlation is less intuitive.

[Psychosomatic aspects of expert judgement in gastro-intestinal disease (author's transl)].

PubMed

Freyberger, H; Wellmann, W

1980-06-01

Psychosomatic aspects in expert judgement about gastro-intestinal disease are important in regard to 3 particular problems: (1) establishing physical fitness for prison confinement, (2) establishing causal relationships between disease and military service, (3) judging the fitness for work, when annuities are demanded from the state insurance agencies. The point last mentioned is most important nowadays and is discussed therefore in more detail.

ASPECT

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Able to deploy within one hour of notification, EPA's Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) is the nation’s only airborne real-time chemical and radiological detection, infrared and photographic imagery platform.

Charles Darwin and Evolution: Illustrating Human Aspects of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kampourakis, Kostas; McComas, William F.

2010-01-01

Recently, the nature of science (NOS) has become recognized as an important element within the K-12 science curriculum. Despite differences in the ultimate lists of recommended aspects, a consensus is emerging on what specific NOS elements should be the focus of science instruction and inform textbook writers and curriculum developers. In this…

Serious and Playful Inquiry: Epistemological Aspects of Collaborative Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Florence R.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the results of a micro-genetic analysis of the development of a creative solution arrived at by students working collaboratively to solve a robotics problem in a sixth grade science classroom. Results indicate that four aspects of the enacted curriculum proved important to developing the creative solution, including the…

The Body of Knowledge & Content Framework. Identifying the Important Knowledge Required for Productive Performance of a Plastics Machine Operator. Blow Molding, Extrusion, Injection Molding, Thermoforming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., Washington, DC.

Designed to guide training and curriculum development to prepare machine operators for the national certification exam, this publication identifies the important knowledge required for productive performance by a plastics machine operator. Introductory material discusses the rationale for a national standard, uses of the Body of Knowledge,…

Turbulence management: Application aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirschel, E. H.; Thiede, P.; Monnoyer, F.

1989-04-01

Turbulence management for the reduction of turbulent friction drag is an important topic. Numerous research programs in this field have demonstrated that valuable net drag reduction is obtainable by techniques which do not involve substantial, expensive modifications or redesign of existing aircraft. Hence, large projects aiming at short term introduction of turbulence management technology into airline service are presently under development. The various points that have to be investigated for this purpose are presented. Both design and operational aspects are considered, the first dealing with optimizing of turbulence management techniques at operating conditions, and the latter defining the technical problems involved by application of turbulence management to in-service aircraft. The cooperative activities of Airbus Industrie and its partners are cited as an example.

The Importance of Radio News to Listeners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Ernie

While the news is considered a vitally important aspect of most radio stations' formats, broadcasters need to determine what a listener wants from the news-listening experience and how a station can program news in the form most desirable for the listener. This study, based on a Lawrence, Kansas, telephone survey of radio listeners, found that…

Measuring three aspects of motivation among health workers at primary level health facilities in rural Tanzania.

PubMed

Sato, Miho; Maufi, Deogratias; Mwingira, Upendo John; Leshabari, Melkidezek T; Ohnishi, Mayumi; Honda, Sumihisa

2017-01-01

The threshold of 2.3 skilled health workers per 1,000 population, published in the World Health Report in 2006, has galvanized resources and efforts to attain high coverage of skilled birth attendance. With the inception of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new threshold of 4.45 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 population has been identified. This SDG index threshold indicates the minimum density to respond to the needs of health workers to deliver a much broader range of health services, such as management of non-communicable diseases to meet the targets under Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all people of all ages. In the United Republic of Tanzania, the density of skilled health workers in 2012 was 0.5 per 1,000 population, which more than doubled from 0.2 per 1,000 in 2002. However, this showed that Tanzania still faced a critical shortage of skilled health workers. While training, deployment, and retention are important, motivation is also necessary for all health workers, particularly those who serve in rural areas. This study measured the motivation of health workers who were posted at government-run rural primary health facilities. We sought to measure three aspects of motivation-Management, Performance, and Individual Aspects-among health workers deployed in rural primary level government health facilities. In addition, we also sought to identify the job-related attributes associated with each of these three aspects. Two regions in Tanzania were selected for our research. In each region, we further selected two districts in which we carried out our investigation. The two regions were Lindi, where we carried out our study in the Nachingwea District and the Ruangwa District, and Mbeya, within which the Mbarali and Rungwe Districts were selected for research. All four districts are considered rural. This cross-sectional study was conducted by administering a two-part questionnaire in the Kiswahili language. The first

Identifying unintended consequences of quality indicators: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Lester, Helen E; Hannon, Kerin L; Campbell, Stephen M

2011-12-01

For the first 5 years of the UK primary care pay for performance scheme, the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), quality indicators were introduced without piloting. However, in 2009, potential new indicators were piloted in a nationally representative sample of practices. This paper describes an in-depth exploration of family physician, nurse and other primary-care practice staff views of the value of piloting with a particular focus on unintended consequences of 13 potential new QOF indicators. Fifty-seven family-practice professionals were interviewed in 24 representative practices across England. Almost all interviewees emphasised the value of piloting in terms of an opportunity to identify unintended consequences of potential QOF indicators in 'real world' settings with staff who deliver day-to-day care to patients. Four particular types of unintended consequences were identified: measure fixation, tunnel vision, misinterpretation and potential gaming. 'Measure fixation,' an inappropriate attention on isolated aspects of care, appeared to be the key unintended consequence. In particular, if the palliative care indicator had been introduced without piloting, this might have incentivised poorer care in a minority of practices with potential harm to vulnerable patients. It is important to identify concerns and experiences about unintended consequences of indicators at an early stage when there is time to remove or adapt problem indicators. Since the UK government currently spends over £1 billion each year on QOF, the £150,000 spent on each piloting cohort (0.0005% of the total QOF budget) appears to be good value for money.

Comparative Transcriptional Profiling of the Axolotl Limb Identifies a Tripartite Regeneration-Specific Gene Program

PubMed Central

Knapp, Dunja; Schulz, Herbert; Rascon, Cynthia Alexander; Volkmer, Michael; Scholz, Juliane; Nacu, Eugen; Le, Mu; Novozhilov, Sergey; Tazaki, Akira; Protze, Stephanie; Jacob, Tina; Hubner, Norbert; Habermann, Bianca; Tanaka, Elly M.

2013-01-01

Understanding how the limb blastema is established after the initial wound healing response is an important aspect of regeneration research. Here we performed parallel expression profile time courses of healing lateral wounds versus amputated limbs in axolotl. This comparison between wound healing and regeneration allowed us to identify amputation-specific genes. By clustering the expression profiles of these samples, we could detect three distinguishable phases of gene expression – early wound healing followed by a transition-phase leading to establishment of the limb development program, which correspond to the three phases of limb regeneration that had been defined by morphological criteria. By focusing on the transition-phase, we identified 93 strictly amputation-associated genes many of which are implicated in oxidative-stress response, chromatin modification, epithelial development or limb development. We further classified the genes based on whether they were or were not significantly expressed in the developing limb bud. The specific localization of 53 selected candidates within the blastema was investigated by in situ hybridization. In summary, we identified a set of genes that are expressed specifically during regeneration and are therefore, likely candidates for the regulation of blastema formation. PMID:23658691

Neurological aspects of human parvovirus B19 infection: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Barah, Faraj; Whiteside, Sigrid; Batista, Sonia; Morris, Julie

2014-01-01

Parvovirus B19 has been linked with various clinical syndromes including neurological manifestations. However, its role in the latter remains not completely understood. Although the last 10 years witnessed a surge of case reports on B19-associated neurological aspects, the literature data remains scattered and heterogeneous, and epidemiological information on the incidence of B19-associated neurological aspects cannot be accurately extrapolated. The aim of this review is to identify the characteristics of cases of B19-associated neurological manifestations. A computerized systematic review of existing literature concerning cases of B19-related neurological aspects revealed 89 articles describing 129 patients; 79 (61.2%) were associated with CNS manifestations, 41 (31.8%) were associated with peripheral nervous system manifestations, and 9 (7.0%) were linked with myalgic encephalomyelitis. The majority of the cases (50/129) had encephalitis. Clinical characteristic features of these cases were analyzed, and possible pathological mechanisms were also described. In conclusion, B19 should be included in differential diagnosis of encephalitic syndromes of unknown etiology in all age groups. Diagnosis should rely on investigation of anti-B19 IgM antibodies and detection of B19 DNA in serum or CSF. Treatment of severe cases might benefit from a combined regime of intravenous immunoglobulins and steroids. To confirm these outcomes, goal-targeted studies are recommended to exactly identify epidemiological scenarios and explore potential pathogenic mechanisms of these complications. Performing retrospective and prospective and multicenter studies concerning B19 and neurological aspects in general, and B19 and encephalitic syndromes in particular, are required. © 2014 The Authors. Reviews in Medical Virology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:24459081

The Multidimensional Aspects of Sleep Spindles and Their Relationship to Word-Pair Memory Consolidation

PubMed Central

Lustenberger, Caroline; Wehrle, Flavia; Tüshaus, Laura; Achermann, Peter; Huber, Reto

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: Several studies proposed a link between sleep spindles and sleep dependent memory consolidation in declarative learning tasks. In addition to these state-like aspects of sleep spindles, they have also trait-like characteristics, i.e., were related to general cognitive performance, an important distinction that has often been neglected in correlative studies. Furthermore, from the multitude of different sleep spindle measures, often just one specific aspect was analyzed. Thus, we aimed at taking multidimensional aspects of sleep spindles into account when exploring their relationship to word-pair memory consolidation. Design: Each subject underwent 2 study nights with all-night high-density electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. Sleep spindles were automatically detected in all EEG channels. Subjects were trained and tested on a word-pair learning task in the evening, and retested in the morning to assess sleep related memory consolidation (overnight retention). Trait-like aspects refer to the mean of both nights and state-like aspects were calculated as the difference between night 1 and night 2. Setting: Sleep laboratory. Participants: Twenty healthy male subjects (age: 23.3 ± 2.1 y) Measurements and Results: Overnight retention was negatively correlated with trait-like aspects of fast sleep spindle density and positively with slow spindle density on a global level. In contrast, state-like aspects were observed for integrated slow spindle activity, which was positively related to the differences in overnight retention in specific regions. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the importance of a multidimensional approach when investigating the relationship between sleep spindles and memory consolidation and thereby provide a more complete picture explaining divergent findings in the literature. Citation: Lustenberger C, Wehrle F, Tüshaus L, Achermann P, Huber R. The multidimensional aspects of sleep spindles and their relationship to word

Collapse of elongated voids in porous energetic materials: Effects of void orientation and aspect ratio on initiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, Nirmal Kumar; Schmidt, Martin J.; Udaykumar, H. S.

2017-04-01

The sensitivity of porous energetic materials depends on mesostructural heterogeneities such as voids, defects, cracks, and grain boundaries. The mesostructure of pressed explosives contains voids of arbitrary shapes including elongated voids of various orientations and aspect ratios. Mesoscale simulations to date have analyzed the effect of void morphology on the sensitivity of energetic materials for idealized shapes such as cylindrical, conical, and elliptical. This work analyzes the sensitivity behavior of elongated voids in an HMX matrix subject to shock loading. Simulations show that sensitivity of elongated voids depends strongly on orientation as well as aspect ratio. Ranges of orientations and aspects ratios are identified that enhance or inhibit initiation. Insights obtained from single elongated void analyses are used to identify sensitive locations in an imaged mesostructure of a pressed explosive sample.

Nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections associated with contaminated imported black and red pepper: warehouse membership cards provide critical clues to identify the source.

PubMed

Gieraltowski, L; Julian, E; Pringle, J; Macdonald, K; Quilliam, D; Marsden-Haug, N; Saathoff-Huber, L; Von Stein, D; Kissler, B; Parish, M; Elder, D; Howard-King, V; Besser, J; Sodha, S; Loharikar, A; Dalton, S; Williams, I; Barton Behravesh, C

2013-06-01

In November 2009, we initiated a multistate investigation of Salmonella Montevideo infections with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern JIXX01.0011. We identified 272 cases in 44 states with illness onset dates ranging from 1 July 2009 to 14 April 2010. To help generate hypotheses, warehouse store membership card information was collected to identify products consumed by cases. These records identified 19 ill persons who purchased company A salami products before onset of illness. A case-control study was conducted. Ready-to-eat salami consumption was significantly associated with illness (matched odds ratio 8·5, 95% confidence interval 2·1-75·9). The outbreak strain was isolated from company A salami products from an environmental sample from one manufacturing plant, and sealed containers of black and red pepper at the facility. This outbreak illustrates the importance of using membership card information to assist in identifying suspect vehicles, the potential for spices to contaminate ready-to-eat products, and preventing raw ingredient contamination of these products.

Negative Aspects of Close Relationships as Risk Factors for Cognitive Aging

PubMed Central

Liao, Jing; Head, Jenny; Kumari, Meena; Stansfeld, Stephen; Kivimaki, Mika; Singh-Manoux, Archana; Brunner, Eric J.

2014-01-01

The extent to which social relationships influence cognitive aging is unclear. In this study, we investigated the association of midlife quality of close relationships with subsequent cognitive decline. Participants in the Whitehall II Study (n = 5,873; ages 45–69 years at first cognitive assessment) underwent executive function and memory tests 3 times over a period of 10 years (1997–1999 to 2007–2009). Midlife negative and positive aspects of close relationships were assessed twice using the Close Persons Questionnaire during the 8 years preceding cognitive assessment. Negative aspects of close relationships, but not positive aspects, were associated with accelerated cognitive aging. Participants in the top third of reported negative aspects of close relationships experienced a faster 10-year change in executive function (−0.04 standard deviation, 95% confidence interval: −0.08, −0.01) than those in the bottom third, which was comparable with 1 extra year of cognitive decline for participants aged 60 years after adjustment for sociodemographic and health status. Longitudinal analysis found no evidence of reverse causality. This study highlights the importance of differentiating aspects of social relationships to evaluate their unique associations with cognitive aging. PMID:25342204

Four aspects of self-image close to death at home.

PubMed

Carlander, Ida; Ternestedt, Britt-Marie; Sahlberg-Blom, Eva; Hellström, Ingrid; Sandberg, Jonas

2011-04-21

Living close to death means an inevitable confrontation with one's own existential limitation. In this article, we argue that everyday life close to death embodies an identity work in progress. We used a narrative approach and a holistic-content reading to analyze 12 interviews conducted with three persons close to death. By illuminating the unique stories and identifying patterns among the participants' narratives, we found four themes exemplifying important aspects of the identity work related to everyday life close to death. Two of the themes, named "Inside and outside of me" and "Searching for togetherness," represented the core of the self-image and were framed by the other themes, "My place in space" and "My death and my time." Our findings elucidate the way the individual stories moved between the past, the present, and the future. This study challenges the idea that everyday life close to impending death primarily means limitations. The findings show that the search for meaning, new knowledge, and community can form a part of a conscious and ongoing identity work close to death.

Systematic Approaches for Identifying and Organizing Content for Training Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammerman, Harry L.

This paper concentrates on two aspects in the development of curriculums for technical training: the identification of curriculum content for specific courses of study; and the organization of such content in training programs. Seven steps in the HumRRO procedure for systematic curriculum engineering are identified: determining the performance…

Identifying obstacles and ranking common biological control research priorities for Europe to manage most economically important pests in arable, vegetable and perennial crops.

PubMed

Lamichhane, Jay Ram; Bischoff-Schaefer, Monika; Bluemel, Sylvia; Dachbrodt-Saaydeh, Silke; Dreux, Laure; Jansen, Jean-Pierre; Kiss, Jozsef; Köhl, Jürgen; Kudsk, Per; Malausa, Thibaut; Messéan, Antoine; Nicot, Philippe C; Ricci, Pierre; Thibierge, Jérôme; Villeneuve, François

2017-01-01

EU agriculture is currently in transition from conventional crop protection to integrated pest management (IPM). Because biocontrol is a key component of IPM, many European countries recently have intensified their national efforts on biocontrol research and innovation (R&I), although such initiatives are often fragmented. The operational outputs of national efforts would benefit from closer collaboration among stakeholders via transnationally coordinated approaches, as most economically important pests are similar across Europe. This paper proposes a common European framework on biocontrol R&I. It identifies generic R&I bottlenecks and needs as well as priorities for three crop types (arable, vegetable and perennial crops). The existing gap between the market offers of biocontrol solutions and the demand of growers, the lengthy and expensive registration process for biocontrol solutions and their varying effectiveness due to variable climatic conditions and site-specific factors across Europe are key obstacles hindering the development and adoption of biocontrol solutions in Europe. Considering arable, vegetable and perennial crops, a dozen common target pests are identified for each type of crop and ranked by order of importance at European level. Such a ranked list indicates numerous topics on which future joint transnational efforts would be justified. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Multidimensional Aspects of Sleep Spindles and Their Relationship to Word-Pair Memory Consolidation.

PubMed

Lustenberger, Caroline; Wehrle, Flavia; Tüshaus, Laura; Achermann, Peter; Huber, Reto

2015-07-01

Several studies proposed a link between sleep spindles and sleep dependent memory consolidation in declarative learning tasks. In addition to these state-like aspects of sleep spindles, they have also trait-like characteristics, i.e., were related to general cognitive performance, an important distinction that has often been neglected in correlative studies. Furthermore, from the multitude of different sleep spindle measures, often just one specific aspect was analyzed. Thus, we aimed at taking multidimensional aspects of sleep spindles into account when exploring their relationship to word-pair memory consolidation. Each subject underwent 2 study nights with all-night high-density electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. Sleep spindles were automatically detected in all EEG channels. Subjects were trained and tested on a word-pair learning task in the evening, and retested in the morning to assess sleep related memory consolidation (overnight retention). Trait-like aspects refer to the mean of both nights and state-like aspects were calculated as the difference between night 1 and night 2. Sleep laboratory. Twenty healthy male subjects (age: 23.3 ± 2.1 y). Overnight retention was negatively correlated with trait-like aspects of fast sleep spindle density and positively with slow spindle density on a global level. In contrast, state-like aspects were observed for integrated slow spindle activity, which was positively related to the differences in overnight retention in specific regions. Our results demonstrate the importance of a multidimensional approach when investigating the relationship between sleep spindles and memory consolidation and thereby provide a more complete picture explaining divergent findings in the literature. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Examples of testing global identifiability of biological and biomedical models with the DAISY software.

PubMed

Saccomani, Maria Pia; Audoly, Stefania; Bellu, Giuseppina; D'Angiò, Leontina

2010-04-01

DAISY (Differential Algebra for Identifiability of SYstems) is a recently developed computer algebra software tool which can be used to automatically check global identifiability of (linear and) nonlinear dynamic models described by differential equations involving polynomial or rational functions. Global identifiability is a fundamental prerequisite for model identification which is important not only for biological or medical systems but also for many physical and engineering systems derived from first principles. Lack of identifiability implies that the parameter estimation techniques may not fail but any obtained numerical estimates will be meaningless. The software does not require understanding of the underlying mathematical principles and can be used by researchers in applied fields with a minimum of mathematical background. We illustrate the DAISY software by checking the a priori global identifiability of two benchmark nonlinear models taken from the literature. The analysis of these two examples includes comparison with other methods and demonstrates how identifiability analysis is simplified by this tool. Thus we illustrate the identifiability analysis of other two examples, by including discussion of some specific aspects related to the role of observability and knowledge of initial conditions in testing identifiability and to the computational complexity of the software. The main focus of this paper is not on the description of the mathematical background of the algorithm, which has been presented elsewhere, but on illustrating its use and on some of its more interesting features. DAISY is available on the web site http://www.dei.unipd.it/ approximately pia/. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The importance of ground truth data in remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffer, R. M.

1972-01-01

Surface observation data is discussed as an essential part of remote sensing research. One of the most important aspects of ground truth is the collection of measurements and observations about the type, size, condition and other physical or chemical properties of importance concerning the materials on the earth's surface that are being sensed remotely. The use of a variety of sensor systems in combination at different altitudes is emphasized.

Challenges in Identifying Patients with Type 2 Diabetes for Quality-Improvement Interventions in Primary Care Settings and the Importance of Valid Disease Registries.

PubMed

Wozniak, Lisa; Soprovich, Allison; Rees, Sandra; Johnson, Steven T; Majumdar, Sumit R; Johnson, Jeffrey A

2015-10-01

Patient registries are considered an important foundation of chronic disease management, and diabetes patient registries are associated with better processes and outcomes of care. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and use of registries in the Alberta's Caring for Diabetes (ABCD) project to identify and reach target populations for quality-improvement interventions in the primary care setting. We applied the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework and expanded the definition of reach beyond the individual (i.e. patient) level to include the ability to identify target populations at an organizational level. To characterize reach and the implementation of registries, semistructured interviews were conducted with key informants, and a usual-care checklist was compiled for each participating Primary Care Network (PCN). Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Using registries to identify and recruit participants for the ABCD interventions proved challenging. The quality of the registries depended on whether physicians granted PCN access to patient lists, the strategies used in development, the reliability of diagnostic information and the data elements collected. In addition, once a diabetes registry was developed, there was limited ability to update it. Proactive management of chronic diseases like diabetes requires the ability to reach targeted patients at the population level. We observed several challenges to the development and application of patient registries. Given the importance of valid registries, strong collaborations and novel strategies that involve policy-makers, PCNs and providers are needed to help find solutions to improve registry quality and resolve maintenance issues. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are Parents Identifying Positive Aspects to Parenting Their Child with an Intellectual Disability or Are They Just Coping? A Qualitative Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beighton, Carole; Wills, Jane

2017-01-01

Although acknowledging the stress of raising their child with intellectual disabilities, parents also report that their child has brought about many positive changes in themselves and family. This study reports what parents perceive to be a positive aspect of parenting their child, as currently what constitutes a "positive" is unclear.…

Which Aspects of the English Language Do Distance Learners Find Difficult?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teoh, George Boon Sai; Lin, Agnes Liau Wei; Belaja, Kathy

2016-01-01

This study reports the findings of a research carried out on distance learners at the School of Distance Education (SDE), University Sains Malaysia (USM). The study was explorative in nature with the purpose identifying the aspects of the English language which distance learners found difficult to learn. A quantitative survey questionnaire design…

4C-ker: A Method to Reproducibly Identify Genome-Wide Interactions Captured by 4C-Seq Experiments.

PubMed

Raviram, Ramya; Rocha, Pedro P; Müller, Christian L; Miraldi, Emily R; Badri, Sana; Fu, Yi; Swanzey, Emily; Proudhon, Charlotte; Snetkova, Valentina; Bonneau, Richard; Skok, Jane A

2016-03-01

4C-Seq has proven to be a powerful technique to identify genome-wide interactions with a single locus of interest (or "bait") that can be important for gene regulation. However, analysis of 4C-Seq data is complicated by the many biases inherent to the technique. An important consideration when dealing with 4C-Seq data is the differences in resolution of signal across the genome that result from differences in 3D distance separation from the bait. This leads to the highest signal in the region immediately surrounding the bait and increasingly lower signals in far-cis and trans. Another important aspect of 4C-Seq experiments is the resolution, which is greatly influenced by the choice of restriction enzyme and the frequency at which it can cut the genome. Thus, it is important that a 4C-Seq analysis method is flexible enough to analyze data generated using different enzymes and to identify interactions across the entire genome. Current methods for 4C-Seq analysis only identify interactions in regions near the bait or in regions located in far-cis and trans, but no method comprehensively analyzes 4C signals of different length scales. In addition, some methods also fail in experiments where chromatin fragments are generated using frequent cutter restriction enzymes. Here, we describe 4C-ker, a Hidden-Markov Model based pipeline that identifies regions throughout the genome that interact with the 4C bait locus. In addition, we incorporate methods for the identification of differential interactions in multiple 4C-seq datasets collected from different genotypes or experimental conditions. Adaptive window sizes are used to correct for differences in signal coverage in near-bait regions, far-cis and trans chromosomes. Using several datasets, we demonstrate that 4C-ker outperforms all existing 4C-Seq pipelines in its ability to reproducibly identify interaction domains at all genomic ranges with different resolution enzymes.

4C-ker: A Method to Reproducibly Identify Genome-Wide Interactions Captured by 4C-Seq Experiments

PubMed Central

Raviram, Ramya; Rocha, Pedro P.; Müller, Christian L.; Miraldi, Emily R.; Badri, Sana; Fu, Yi; Swanzey, Emily; Proudhon, Charlotte; Snetkova, Valentina

2016-01-01

4C-Seq has proven to be a powerful technique to identify genome-wide interactions with a single locus of interest (or “bait”) that can be important for gene regulation. However, analysis of 4C-Seq data is complicated by the many biases inherent to the technique. An important consideration when dealing with 4C-Seq data is the differences in resolution of signal across the genome that result from differences in 3D distance separation from the bait. This leads to the highest signal in the region immediately surrounding the bait and increasingly lower signals in far-cis and trans. Another important aspect of 4C-Seq experiments is the resolution, which is greatly influenced by the choice of restriction enzyme and the frequency at which it can cut the genome. Thus, it is important that a 4C-Seq analysis method is flexible enough to analyze data generated using different enzymes and to identify interactions across the entire genome. Current methods for 4C-Seq analysis only identify interactions in regions near the bait or in regions located in far-cis and trans, but no method comprehensively analyzes 4C signals of different length scales. In addition, some methods also fail in experiments where chromatin fragments are generated using frequent cutter restriction enzymes. Here, we describe 4C-ker, a Hidden-Markov Model based pipeline that identifies regions throughout the genome that interact with the 4C bait locus. In addition, we incorporate methods for the identification of differential interactions in multiple 4C-seq datasets collected from different genotypes or experimental conditions. Adaptive window sizes are used to correct for differences in signal coverage in near-bait regions, far-cis and trans chromosomes. Using several datasets, we demonstrate that 4C-ker outperforms all existing 4C-Seq pipelines in its ability to reproducibly identify interaction domains at all genomic ranges with different resolution enzymes. PMID:26938081

Identifying Immune Drivers of Gulf War Illness Using a Novel Daily Sampling Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-12-1-0557 TITLE: Identifying Immune Drivers of Gulf War Illness Using a Novel Daily Sampling Approach PRINCIPAL...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Identifying Immune Drivers of Gulf War Illness Using A Novel 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Daily Sampling Approach 5b. GRANT NUMBER...INTRODUCTION: The major aim of this research project is to identify aspects of the immune system that are dysregulated in veterans with Gulf War Illness

Utilization of wheel dop based on ergonomic aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widiasih, Wiwin; Murnawan, Hery; Setiawan, Danny

2017-06-01

Time is an important thing in life. People need a tool or equipment to measure time which is divided into two types, namely clock and watch. Everyone needs those kinds of tool. It becomes an opportunity for manufacturer to build a business. However, establishing a business by depending on the demand is not enough, it is necessary to take a consideration of making innovation. Innovation is a difficult thing to find out, but it is not impossible to do it. By creating an innovative product, it can be a strategy to win the competitive market. This study aimed to create an innovative product based on the ergonomic aspects, which was by utilizing wheel dop. This methodology consisted of pre-study, planning and product development, and product analysis. This product utilized wheel dop and was made based on the ergonomic aspects.

Design aspects of harmonic drive gear and performance improvement of its by problems identification: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Routh, Bikash

2018-04-01

The present paper aims at review on different aspects of harmonic drive gear to identify literature gap for future research. The present article is started first making the comparative study of harmonic drive gear over conventional gear, highlighting its historical background, its application, limitation etc. and then describing working principle of each and every components of it with detail dimensioning and modelling. The present article is further extended to study the different design aspects i.e. synthesis of tooth profiles, lubrication, stress, strain, torque, load sharing, kinematics error and vibration in details etc., identifying problems and then suggesting future perspective for the performance improvement of harmonic drive gear.

Molecular insights into the novel aspects of diatom biology.

PubMed

Scala, S; Bowler, C

2001-10-01

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes that are thought to contribute as much as 25% of global primary productivity. In spite of their ecological importance in the worlds oceans, very little information is available at the molecular level about the novel aspects of their biology. Recent advances, such as the development of gene transfer protocols, are now allowing the genetic dissection of diatom biology. Notable examples are advances in understanding the genetic basis for the silica-based bioinorganic pattern formation of their cell walls and for elucidating key aspects of diatom ecophysiology. The potentiation of current research will allow an evaluation of the use of diatoms to construct submicrometre-scale silicon structures for the nanotechnology industry and will reveal the molecular secrets underlying their ecological success.

Important Clinical Rehabilitation Principles Unique to People with Non-traumatic Spinal Cord Dysfunction.

PubMed

New, Peter Wayne; Eriks-Hoogland, Inge; Scivoletto, Giorgio; Reeves, Ronald K; Townson, Andrea; Marshall, Ruth; Rathore, Farooq A

2017-01-01

Background: Non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys) is caused by a large range of heterogeneous etiologies. Although most aspects of rehabilitation for traumatic spinal cord injury and SCDys are the same, people with SCDys have some unique rehabilitation issues. Purpose: This article presents an overview of important clinical rehabilitation principles unique to SCDys. Methods: Electronic literature search conducted (January 2017) using MEDLINE and Embase (1990-2016) databases for publications regarding SCDys. The focus of the literature search was on identifying publications that present suggestions regarding the clinical rehabilitation of SCDys. Results: The electronic search of MEDLINE and Embase identified no relevant publications, and the publications included were from the authors' libraries. A number of important clinical rehabilitation principles unique to people with SCDys were identified, including classification issues, general rehabilitation issues, etiology-specific issues, and a role for the rehabilitation physician as a diagnostic clinician. The classification issues were regarding the etiology of SCDys and the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. The general rehabilitation issues were predicting survival, improvement, and rehabilitation outcomes; admission to spinal rehabilitation units, including selection decision issues; participation in rehabilitation; and secondary health conditions. The etiology-specific issues were for SCDys due to spinal cord degeneration, tumors, and infections. Conclusions: Although there are special considerations regarding the rehabilitation of people with SCDys, such as the potential for progression of the underlying condition, functional improvement is typically significant with adequate planning of rehabilitation programs and special attention regarding the clinical condition of patients with SCDys.

[Important vector-borne infectious diseases among humans in Germany. Epidemiological aspects].

PubMed

Frank, C; Faber, M; Hellenbrand, W; Wilking, H; Stark, K

2014-05-01

Vector-borne infections pathogenic to humans play an important role in Germany. The relevant zoonotic pathogens are either endemic throughout Germany (e.g. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu) or only in specific regions, e.g. tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and hantavirus. They cause a substantial burden of disease. Prevention and control largely rely on public advice and the application of personal protective measures (e.g. TBE virus vaccination and protection against vectors). High quality surveillance and targeted epidemiological studies are fundamental for the evaluation of temporal and spatial risks of infection and the effectiveness of preventive measures. Aside from endemic pathogens, vector-borne infections acquired abroad, mostly transmitted by mosquitoes, have to be systematically and intensively monitored as well, to assess the risk of infection for German residents traveling abroad and to adequately evaluate the risk of autochthonous transmission. Related issues, such as invasive species of mosquitoes in Germany and climate change, have to be taken into consideration. Such pathogens include West Nile, dengue and chikungunya viruses, as well as malaria parasites (Plasmodium species). The article presents an overview of the epidemiological situation of selected relevant vector-borne infections in Germany.

Organisational aspects of dental practices: do dental students think like patients or like general dental practitioners?

PubMed

Sonneveld, R E; Brands, W G; Bronkhorst, E M; Welie, J V M; Truin, G J

2013-02-01

In view of transparency in health care, the widespread desire for more patient-centred care, and in an attempt to facilitate educational programmes that effectively respond to these changes, two research questions are formulated: (i) How do dental students rate the importance of various organisational aspects of dental practices compared with dental patients and general dental practitioners (GDPs), and what prescripts, defined as specific operational responsibilities of GDPs in these matters, do dental students propose? and (ii) In doing so, do students resemble patients or GDPs? In two survey studies, dental students (n = 198), patients (n = 3127) and GDPs (n = 303) were asked to rate by questionnaire the importance of 41 organisational aspects of a general dental practice and proposed specific operational responsibilities ('prescripts'). Seven of 41 aspects were rated as important by the majority of the students. Although in a different rank order, three aspects were predominantly selected by all three groups: continuing education, accessibility by telephone and Dutch-speaking GDP. For most aspects, significant differences were found between the prescripts proposed by students and those proposed by patients, and few differences were found between students and GDPs. The findings do not permit the general conclusion that the views of dental students resemble those of patients or GPDs. Looking at the overall rank order, the three respondent groups showed a great resemblance although significant differences were found for specific aspects. With regard to the proposed prescripts, students showed realistic views and the majority wants to participate in continuing education and work with protocols and guidelines. In this, they tend to resemble GDPs more than they resemble patients. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Simulating Future Changes in Spatio-temporal Precipitation by Identifying and Characterizing Individual Rainstorm Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, W.; Stein, M.; Wang, J.; Kotamarthi, V. R.; Moyer, E. J.

2015-12-01

A growing body of literature suggests that human-induced climate change may cause significant changes in precipitation patterns, which could in turn influence future flood levels and frequencies and water supply and management practices. Although climate models produce full three-dimensional simulations of precipitation, analyses of model precipitation have focused either on time-averaged distributions or on individual timeseries with no spatial information. We describe here a new approach based on identifying and characterizing individual rainstorms in either data or model output. Our approach enables us to readily characterize important spatio-temporal aspects of rainstorms including initiation location, intensity (mean and patterns), spatial extent, duration, and trajectory. We apply this technique to high-resolution precipitation over the continental U.S. both from radar-based observations (NCEP Stage IV QPE product, 1-hourly, 4 km spatial resolution) and from model runs with dynamical downscaling (WRF regional climate model, 3-hourly, 12 km spatial resolution). In the model studies we investigate the changes in storm characteristics under a business-as-usual warming scenario to 2100 (RCP 8.5). We find that in these model runs, rainstorm intensity increases as expected with rising temperatures (approximately 7%/K, following increased atmospheric moisture content), while total precipitation increases by a lesser amount (3%/K), consistent with other studies. We identify for the first time the necessary compensating mechanism: in these model runs, individual precipitation events become smaller. Other aspects are approximately unchanged in the warmer climate. Because these spatio-temporal changes in rainfall patterns would impact regional hydrology, it is important that they be accurately incorporated into any impacts assessment. For this purpose we have developed a methodology for producing scenarios of future precipitation that combine observational data and

The perceived importance and the presence of creative potential in the health professional's work environment.

PubMed

Lukersmith, Sue; Burgess-Limerick, Robin

2013-01-01

The value of creative employees to an organisation's growth and innovative development, productivity, quality and sustainability is well established. This study examined the perceived relationship between creativity and work environment factors of 361 practicing health professionals, and whether these factors were present (realised) in their work environment. Job design (challenges, team work, task rotation, autonomy) and leadership (coaching supervisor, time for thinking, creative goals, recognition and incentives for creative ideas and results) were perceived as the most important factors for stimulating creativity. There was room for improvement of these in the work environment. Many aspects of the physical work environment were less important. Public health sector employers and organisations should adopt sustainable strategies which target the important work environment factors to support employee creativity and so enhance service quality, productivity, performance and growth. Implications of the results for ergonomists and workplace managers are discussed with a participatory ergonomics approach recommended. Creative employees are important to an organisation's innovation, productivity and sustainability. The survey identified health professionals perceive a need to improve job design and leadership factors at work to enhance and support employee creativity. There are implications for organisations and ergonomists to investigate the creative potential of work environments.

Identifying predictors of physics item difficulty: A linear regression approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesic, Vanes; Muratovic, Hasnija

2011-06-01

Large-scale assessments of student achievement in physics are often approached with an intention to discriminate students based on the attained level of their physics competencies. Therefore, for purposes of test design, it is important that items display an acceptable discriminatory behavior. To that end, it is recommended to avoid extraordinary difficult and very easy items. Knowing the factors that influence physics item difficulty makes it possible to model the item difficulty even before the first pilot study is conducted. Thus, by identifying predictors of physics item difficulty, we can improve the test-design process. Furthermore, we get additional qualitative feedback regarding the basic aspects of student cognitive achievement in physics that are directly responsible for the obtained, quantitative test results. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of data that came from two large-scale assessments of student physics achievement at the end of compulsory education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Foremost, we explored the concept of “physics competence” and performed a content analysis of 123 physics items that were included within the above-mentioned assessments. Thereafter, an item database was created. Items were described by variables which reflect some basic cognitive aspects of physics competence. For each of the assessments, Rasch item difficulties were calculated in separate analyses. In order to make the item difficulties from different assessments comparable, a virtual test equating procedure had to be implemented. Finally, a regression model of physics item difficulty was created. It has been shown that 61.2% of item difficulty variance can be explained by factors which reflect the automaticity, complexity, and modality of the knowledge structure that is relevant for generating the most probable correct solution, as well as by the divergence of required thinking and interference effects between intuitive and formal physics knowledge

Philosophical Aspects of Space Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poghosyan, Gevorg

2015-07-01

The modern astronomy and physics are closely related to the philosophy. If in the past philosophy was largely confined to interpretations of the results obtained by the natural sciences, in the present times it becomes a full member of the scientific research process. Philosophy is currently involved not only in the methodological problems of the natural sciences and formulation process of the general conclusions. In most cases, the philosophical considerations are allowed to make a choice between the different physical hypotheses and assumptions. A unified approach to solving the problems of philosophy and natural sciences becomes more important as the physical and philosophical aspects are often intertwined, forming a mold that defines our knowledge of today's leading edge.

Imported Schistosomiasis in Children: Clinical, Diagnostic Aspects And Outcome in 5 Tertiary Hospitals in France.

PubMed

Leblanc, Claire; Pham, Luu-Ly; Mariani, Patricia; Titomanlio, Luigi; El Ghoneimi, Alaa; Paris, Luc; Escoda, Simon; Lottmann, Henri; Toubiana, Julie; Paugam, André; Ulinski, Tim; Bouchaud, Olivier; Brun, Sophie; Izri, Arezki; Faye, Albert; De Pontual, Loïc

2017-12-01

The objective of this retrospective study is to describe imported schistosomiasis in children in the Paris region between 2010 and 2015. Forty children with a diagnosis of schistosomiasis were included. Thirty-seven (93%) had a chronic urinary form with hematuria. The lost-to-follow up rate for the second consultation was 25%. The diagnosis and management of imported schistosomiasis must be improved-notably by raising awareness among clinicians and providing families with more information.

Importance-Performance Analysis of Personal Health Records in Taiwan: A Web-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Rau, Hsiao-Hsien; Chen, Kang-Hua

2017-01-01

Background Empowering personal health records (PHRs) provides basic human right, awareness, and intention for health promotion. As health care delivery changes toward patient-centered services, PHRs become an indispensable platform for consumers and providers. Recently, the government introduced “My health bank,” a Web-based electronic medical records (EMRs) repository for consumers. However, it is not yet a PHR. To date, we do not have a platform that can let patients manage their own PHR. Objective This study creates a vision of a value-added platform for personal health data analysis and manages their health record based on the contents of the "My health bank." This study aimed to examine consumer expectation regarding PHR, using the importance-performance analysis. The purpose of this study was to explore consumer perception regarding this type of a platform: it would try to identify the key success factors and important aspects by using the importance-performance analysis, and give some suggestions for future development based on it. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Taiwan. Web-based invitation to participate in this study was distributed through Facebook. Respondents were asked to watch an introductory movie regarding PHR before filling in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was focused on 2 aspects, including (1) system functions, and (2) system design and security and privacy. The questionnaire would employ 12 and 7 questions respectively. The questionnaire was designed following 5-points Likert scale ranging from 1 (“disagree strongly”) to 5 (“Agree strongly”). Afterwards, the questionnaire data was sorted using IBM SPSS Statistics 21 for descriptive statistics and the importance-performance analysis. Results This research received 350 valid questionnaires. Most respondents were female (219 of 350 participants, 62.6%), 21-30 years old (238 of 350 participants, 68.0%), with a university degree (228 of 350 participants, 65

Identifying, Protecting, and Restoring (?) Fine-Scale Thermal Heterogeneity in Streams

EPA Science Inventory

The functional role of thermal heterogeneity to fish in warm streams has been well recognized in the scientific literature, and is increasingly invoked as an important aspect of biodiversity conservation. Water temperature standards designed to protect cold-water taxa are also be...

Molecular characterization of NRXN1 deletions from 19,263 clinical microarray cases identifies exons important for neurodevelopmental disease expression

PubMed Central

Lowther, Chelsea; Speevak, Marsha; Armour, Christine M.; Goh, Elaine S.; Graham, Gail E.; Li, Chumei; Zeesman, Susan; Nowaczyk, Malgorzata J.M.; Schultz, Lee-Anne; Morra, Antonella; Nicolson, Rob; Bikangaga, Peter; Samdup, Dawa; Zaazou, Mostafa; Boyd, Kerry; Jung, Jack H.; Siu, Victoria; Rajguru, Manjulata; Goobie, Sharan; Tarnopolsky, Mark A.; Prasad, Chitra; Dick, Paul T.; Hussain, Asmaa S.; Walinga, Margreet; Reijenga, Renske G.; Gazzellone, Matthew; Lionel, Anath C.; Marshall, Christian R.; Scherer, Stephen W.; Stavropoulos, Dimitri J.; McCready, Elizabeth; Bassett, Anne S.

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to assess the penetrance of NRXN1 deletions. Methods We compared the prevalence and genomic extent of NRXN1 deletions identified among 19,263 clinically referred cases to that of 15,264 controls. The burden of additional clinically relevant CNVs was used as a proxy to estimate the relative penetrance of NRXN1 deletions. Results We identified 41 (0.21%) previously unreported exonic NRXN1 deletions ascertained for developmental delay/intellectual disability, significantly greater than in controls [OR=8.14 (95% CI 2.91–22.72), p< 0.0001)]. Ten (22.7%) of these had a second clinically relevant CNV. Subjects with a deletion near the 3′ end of NRXN1 were significantly more likely to have a second rare CNV than subjects with a 5′ NRXN1 deletion [OR=7.47 (95% CI 2.36–23.61), p=0.0006]. The prevalence of intronic NRXN1 deletions was not statistically different between cases and controls (p=0.618). The majority (63.2%) of intronic NRXN1 deletion cases had a second rare CNV, a two-fold greater prevalence than for exonic NRXN1 deletion cases (p=0.0035). Conclusions The results support the importance of exons near the 5′ end of NRXN1 in the expression of neurodevelopmental disorders. Intronic NRXN1 deletions do not appear to substantially increase the risk for clinical phenotypes. PMID:27195815

Molecular characterization of NRXN1 deletions from 19,263 clinical microarray cases identifies exons important for neurodevelopmental disease expression.

PubMed

Lowther, Chelsea; Speevak, Marsha; Armour, Christine M; Goh, Elaine S; Graham, Gail E; Li, Chumei; Zeesman, Susan; Nowaczyk, Malgorzata J M; Schultz, Lee-Anne; Morra, Antonella; Nicolson, Rob; Bikangaga, Peter; Samdup, Dawa; Zaazou, Mostafa; Boyd, Kerry; Jung, Jack H; Siu, Victoria; Rajguru, Manjulata; Goobie, Sharan; Tarnopolsky, Mark A; Prasad, Chitra; Dick, Paul T; Hussain, Asmaa S; Walinga, Margreet; Reijenga, Renske G; Gazzellone, Matthew; Lionel, Anath C; Marshall, Christian R; Scherer, Stephen W; Stavropoulos, Dimitri J; McCready, Elizabeth; Bassett, Anne S

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to assess the penetrance of NRXN1 deletions. We compared the prevalence and genomic extent of NRXN1 deletions identified among 19,263 clinically referred cases to that of 15,264 controls. The burden of additional clinically relevant copy-number variations (CNVs) was used as a proxy to estimate the relative penetrance of NRXN1 deletions. We identified 41 (0.21%) previously unreported exonic NRXN1 deletions ascertained for developmental delay/intellectual disability that were significantly greater than in controls (odds ratio (OR) = 8.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.91-22.72; P < 0.0001). Ten (22.7%) of these had a second clinically relevant CNV. Subjects with a deletion near the 3' end of NRXN1 were significantly more likely to have a second rare CNV than subjects with a 5' NRXN1 deletion (OR = 7.47; 95% CI: 2.36-23.61; P = 0.0006). The prevalence of intronic NRXN1 deletions was not statistically different between cases and controls (P = 0.618). The majority (63.2%) of intronic NRXN1 deletion cases had a second rare CNV at a prevalence twice as high as that for exonic NRXN1 deletion cases (P = 0.0035). The results support the importance of exons near the 5' end of NRXN1 in the expression of neurodevelopmental disorders. Intronic NRXN1 deletions do not appear to substantially increase the risk for clinical phenotypes.Genet Med 19 1, 53-61.

Institutional and environmental aspects of geothermal energy development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Citron, O. R.

1977-01-01

Until recently, the majority of work in geothermal energy development has been devoted to technical considerations of resource identification and extraction technologies. The increasing interest in exploiting the variety of geothermal resources has prompted an examination of the institutional barriers to their introduction for commercial use. A significant effort was undertaken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a part of a national study to identify existing constraints to geothermal development and possible remedial actions. These aspects included legislative and legal parameters plus environmental, social, and economic considerations.

Measuring three aspects of motivation among health workers at primary level health facilities in rural Tanzania

PubMed Central

Mwingira, Upendo John; Leshabari, Melkidezek T.; Ohnishi, Mayumi

2017-01-01

Background The threshold of 2.3 skilled health workers per 1,000 population, published in the World Health Report in 2006, has galvanized resources and efforts to attain high coverage of skilled birth attendance. With the inception of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new threshold of 4.45 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 population has been identified. This SDG index threshold indicates the minimum density to respond to the needs of health workers to deliver a much broader range of health services, such as management of non-communicable diseases to meet the targets under Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all people of all ages. In the United Republic of Tanzania, the density of skilled health workers in 2012 was 0.5 per 1,000 population, which more than doubled from 0.2 per 1,000 in 2002. However, this showed that Tanzania still faced a critical shortage of skilled health workers. While training, deployment, and retention are important, motivation is also necessary for all health workers, particularly those who serve in rural areas. This study measured the motivation of health workers who were posted at government-run rural primary health facilities. Objectives We sought to measure three aspects of motivation—Management, Performance, and Individual Aspects—among health workers deployed in rural primary level government health facilities. In addition, we also sought to identify the job-related attributes associated with each of these three aspects. Two regions in Tanzania were selected for our research. In each region, we further selected two districts in which we carried out our investigation. The two regions were Lindi, where we carried out our study in the Nachingwea District and the Ruangwa District, and Mbeya, within which the Mbarali and Rungwe Districts were selected for research. All four districts are considered rural. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted by administering a two-part questionnaire in

Identifying psychological contract breaches to guide improvements in faculty recruitment, retention, and development.

PubMed

Peirce, Gretchen L; Desselle, Shane P; Draugalis, JoLaine R; Spies, Alan R; Davis, Tamra S; Bolino, Mark

2012-08-10

To identify pharmacy faculty members' perceptions of psychological contract breaches that can be used to guide improvements in faculty recruitment, retention, and development. A list of psychological contract breaches was developed using a Delphi procedure involving a panel of experts assembled through purposive sampling. The Delphi consisted of 4 rounds, the first of which elicited examples of psychological contract breaches in an open-ended format. The ensuing 3 rounds consisting of a survey and anonymous feedback on aggregated group responses. Usable responses were obtained from 11 of 12 faculty members who completed the Delphi procedure. The final list of psychological contract breaches included 27 items, after modifications based on participant feedback in subsequent rounds. The psychological contract breach items generated in this study provide guidance for colleges and schools of pharmacy regarding important aspects of faculty recruitment, retention, and development.

Do patient experiences on priority aspects of health care predict their global rating of quality of care? A study in five patient groups

PubMed Central

De Boer, Dolf; Delnoij, Diana; Rademakers, Jany

2010-01-01

Abstract Background  Patient‐given global ratings are frequently interpreted as summary measures of the patient perspective, with limited understanding of what these ratings summarize. Global ratings may be determined by patient experiences on priority aspects of care. Objectives  (i) identify patient priorities regarding elements of care for breast cancer, hip‐ or knee surgery, cataract surgery, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, (ii) establish whether experiences regarding priorities are associated with patient‐given global ratings, and (iii) determine whether patient experiences regarding priorities are better predictors of global ratings than experiences concerning less important aspects of care. Setting and participants  Data collected for the development of five consumer quality index surveys – disease‐specific questionnaires that capture patient experiences and priorities – were used. Results  Priorities varied: breast cancer patients for example, prioritized rapid access to care and diagnostics, while diabetics favoured dignity and appropriate frequency of tests. Experiences regarding priorities were inconsistently related to global ratings of care. Regression analyses indicated that demographics explain 2.4–8.4% of the variance in global rating. Introducing patient experiences regarding priorities increased the variance explained to 21.1–35.1%; models with less important aspects of care explained 11.8–23.2%. Conclusions  Some experiences regarding priorities are strongly related to the global rating while others are poorly related. Global ratings are marginally dependent on demographics, and experiences regarding priorities are somewhat better predictors of global rating than experiences regarding less important elements. As it remains to be fully determined what global ratings summarize, caution is warranted when using these ratings as summary measures. PMID:20550597

Behavioral and Psychological Aspects of Exercise across Stages of Eating Disorder Recovery

PubMed Central

Bardone-Cone, Anna M.; Higgins, M. K.; St George, Sara M.; Rosenzweig, Ilyssa; Schaefer, Lauren M.; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E.; Henning, Taylor M.; Preston, Brittany F.

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationship between behavioral and psychological aspects of exercise and eating disorder recovery. Participants were categorized as having an eating disorder (n = 53), partially recovered (n = 15), fully recovered (n = 20), or non-eating disorder controls (n = 67). Groups did not differ significantly in time spent exercising, but did differ in exercise intensity, guilt related exercise, obsessive exercise cognitions, and appearance/weight management and stress/mood management motivations for exercise. Results support the importance of measuring psychological aspects of exercise in particular across the course of an eating disorder. PMID:27463591

Phylogenetic analysis of rubella viruses identified in Uganda, 2003-2012.

PubMed

Namuwulya, Prossy; Abernathy, Emily; Bukenya, Henry; Bwogi, Josephine; Tushabe, Phionah; Birungi, Molly; Seguya, Ronald; Kabaliisa, Theopista; Alibu, Vincent P; Kayondo, Jonathan K; Rivailler, Pierre; Icenogle, Joseph; Bakamutumaho, Barnabas

2014-12-01

Molecular data on rubella viruses are limited in Uganda despite the importance of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Routine rubella vaccination, while not administered currently in Uganda, is expected to begin by 2015. The World Health Organization recommends that countries without rubella vaccination programs assess the burden of rubella and CRS before starting a routine vaccination program. Uganda is already involved in integrated case-based surveillance, including laboratory testing to confirm measles and rubella, but molecular epidemiologic aspects of rubella circulation have so far not been documented in Uganda. Twenty throat swab or oral fluid samples collected from 12 districts during routine rash and fever surveillance between 2003 and 2012 were identified as rubella virus RNA positive and PCR products encompassing the region used for genotyping were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the 20 sequences identified 19 genotype 1G viruses and 1 genotype 1E virus. Genotype-specific trees showed that the Uganda viruses belonged to specific clusters for both genotypes 1G and 1E and grouped with similar sequences from neighboring countries. Genotype 1G was predominant in Uganda. More epidemiological and molecular epidemiological data are required to determine if genotype 1E is also endemic in Uganda. The information obtained in this study will assist the immunization program in monitoring changes in circulating genotypes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Grammatical aspect, lexical aspect, and event duration constrain the availability of events in narratives.

PubMed

Becker, Raymond B; Ferretti, Todd R; Madden-Lombardi, Carol J

2013-11-01

The present study investigates how readers' representations of narratives are constrained by three sources of temporal information; grammatical aspect, lexical aspect, and the duration of intervening events. Participants read short stories in which a target event with an intrinsic endpoint or not (lexical aspect: accomplishments/activities) was described as ongoing or completed (grammatical aspect: imperfective/perfective). An intervening sentence described either a long or short duration event before the target situation was reintroduced later in the story. The electroencephalogram time-locked to the reintroduction of the target event elicited a larger N400 for perfective versus imperfective accomplishments, and this effect occurred only after short intervening events. Alternatively, the N400 to targets in the activity condition did not vary as a function of grammatical aspect or duration of intervening events. These results provide novel insight into how the temporal properties of events interact to constrain the availability of concepts in situation models. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Psychosocial aspects in the rehabilitation of patients with anophthalmic socket: implications of the use of ocular prosthesis].

PubMed

Goulart, Douglas Rangel; Queiroz, Elizabeth; Fernandes, Aline Úrsula Rocha; Oliveira, Luciana Martins de

2011-01-01

Facial integrity is a condition which interferes in the daily life of the individual. The loss of an eyeball has psychological impact, requiring adaptation. Interventions such as prosthetic repair seem to lead to emotional and behavioral change. The objective of this study was to identify the psychosocial aspects related to unilateral anophthalmic socket and evaluate patient adaptation to prosthesis. All participants responded to a semi-structured interview. This was composed of two parts, the first regarding the general data of patient identification and socioeconomic aspects. The second part included information about eye loss and rehabilitation, with 31 questions. Twenty-eight volunteers were interviewed. Most were male (53.57%). Ages ranged between 11 and 67. Trauma was the prevalent etiological factor (60.71%). A significant statistical difference (p<0.05) was found between the scores of the feelings of loss before and after prosthesis (z Wilcoxon=-4.41; p<0.001). The data showed emotional difficulties in the initial contact with the loss of an eye and the role of the prosthesis as an element of social inclusion, stressing the importance of teamwork and access to fitting services in adapting these patients.

Chloroplast Biogenesis: Control of Plastid Development, Protein Import, Division and Inheritance

PubMed Central

Sakamoto, Wataru; Miyagishima, Shin-ya; Jarvis, Paul

2008-01-01

The chloroplast is a multi-copy cellular organelle that not only performs photosynthesis but also synthesizes amino acids, lipids and phytohormones. The plastid also responds to environmental stimuli such as gravitropism. Biogenesis of chloroplasts is initiated from proplastids in shoot meristems, and involves a series of important events. In the last decade, considerable progress has been made towards understanding various aspects of chloroplast biogenesis at the molecular level, via studies in model systems such as Arabidopsis. This review focuses on two important aspects of chloroplast biogenesis, synthesis/assembly and division/transmission. Chloroplasts originated through endosymbiosis from an ancestor of extant cyanobacteria, and thus contain their own genomes. DNA in chloroplasts is organized into complexes with proteins, and these are called nucleoids. The synthesis of chloroplast proteins is regulated at various steps. However, a majority of proteins are synthesized in the cytosol, and their proper import into chloroplast compartments is a prerequisite for chloroplast development. Fundamental aspects of plastid gene expression/regulation and chloroplast protein transport are described, together with recent proteome analyses of the organelle. Chloroplasts are not de novo synthesized, but instead are propagated from pre-existing plastids. In addition, plastids are transmitted from generation to generation with a unique mode of inheritance. Our current knowledge on the division machinery and the inheritance of plastids is described. PMID:22303235

Psychosocial aspects of osteogenesis imperfecta.

PubMed Central

Shea-Landry, G L; Cole, D E

1986-01-01

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterized by bone fragility and recurrent fractures. It is currently classified into four types on clinical grounds and appears to arise from different disorders of bone collagen synthesis. The biochemical identification of disturbances in collagen metabolism and the genetic delineation of new mutations of collagen genes have made prenatal diagnosis by molecular methods feasible in some cases. Most people with osteogenesis imperfecta suffer frequent fractures (and sometimes consequent serious disability), for which there are few effective preventive measures. This disorder may have a profound psychosocial influence on patients and their families. In this report the extent of this influence is reviewed and aspects important to the medical community are highlighted; these include the emotional burdens imposed by unfounded suspicions of child abuse, the social and financial costs of repeated hospitalization and immobility, and the frustrations generated by the lack of helpful, practical information for families and health care workers. An important social outcome has been the rise of self-help organizations, exemplified by the Canadian Osteogenesis Imperfecta Society. For Canadian families the society has been an important vehicle for exchange of information and an active, positive response to a lifelong, often severely disabling disorder. PMID:3756737

Lifelong-RL: Lifelong Relaxation Labeling for Separating Entities and Aspects in Opinion Targets.

PubMed

Shu, Lei; Liu, Bing; Xu, Hu; Kim, Annice

2016-11-01

It is well-known that opinions have targets. Extracting such targets is an important problem of opinion mining because without knowing the target of an opinion, the opinion is of limited use. So far many algorithms have been proposed to extract opinion targets. However, an opinion target can be an entity or an aspect (part or attribute) of an entity. An opinion about an entity is an opinion about the entity as a whole, while an opinion about an aspect is just an opinion about that specific attribute or aspect of an entity. Thus, opinion targets should be separated into entities and aspects before use because they represent very different things about opinions. This paper proposes a novel algorithm, called Lifelong-RL , to solve the problem based on lifelong machine learning and relaxation labeling . Extensive experiments show that the proposed algorithm Lifelong-RL outperforms baseline methods markedly.

Designing Learning Objects that Afford Learners the Experience of Important Variations in Chinese Characters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, H. C.; Ki, W. W.; Chung, A. L. S.; Ko, P. Y.; Lai, A. C. Y.; Lai, S. M. S.; Chou, P. W. Y.; Lau, E. C. C.

2004-01-01

Effective teaching should focus the attention of learners to its essential aspects. It follows that instructional software can be designed in such a way that allows learners to experience the important variations in the critical aspects of the content to be learned. This paper reports on the experience of designing such special kinds of…

Importance of Rain Evaporation and Continental Convection in the Tropical Water Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Worden, John; Noone, David; Bowman, Kevin; Beer, R.; Eldering, A.; Fisher, B.; Gunson, M.; Goldman, Aaron; Kulawik, S. S.; Lampel, Michael;

Importance of rain evaporation and continental convection in the tropical water cycle.

PubMed

Worden, John; Noone, David; Bowman, Kevin

2007-02-01

Atmospheric moisture cycling is an important aspect of the Earth's climate system, yet the processes determining atmospheric humidity are poorly understood. For example, direct evaporation of rain contributes significantly to the heat and moisture budgets of clouds, but few observations of these processes are available. Similarly, the relative contributions to atmospheric moisture over land from local evaporation and humidity from oceanic sources are uncertain. Lighter isotopes of water vapour preferentially evaporate whereas heavier isotopes preferentially condense and the isotopic composition of ocean water is known. Here we use this information combined with global measurements of the isotopic composition of tropospheric water vapour from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) aboard the Aura spacecraft, to investigate aspects of the atmospheric hydrological cycle that are not well constrained by observations of precipitation or atmospheric vapour content. Our measurements of the isotopic composition of water vapour near tropical clouds suggest that rainfall evaporation contributes significantly to lower troposphere humidity, with typically 20% and up to 50% of rainfall evaporating near convective clouds. Over the tropical continents the isotopic signature of tropospheric water vapour differs significantly from that of precipitation, suggesting that convection of vapour from both oceanic sources and evapotranspiration are the dominant moisture sources. Our measurements allow an assessment of the intensity of the present hydrological cycle and will help identify any future changes as they occur.

Systems aspects of a space nuclear reactor power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L.; Fujita, T.; Beatty, R.; Bhandari, P.; Chow, E.; Deininger, W.; Ewell, R.; Grossman, M.; Bloomfield, H.; Heller, J.

1988-01-01

Various system aspects of a 300-kW nuclear reactor power system for spacecraft have been investigated. Special attention is given to the cases of a reusable OTV and a space-based radar. It is demonstrated that the stowed length of the power system is important to mission design, and that orbital storage for months to years may be needed for missions involving orbital assembly.

A review of the biological and clinical aspects of radiation caries.

PubMed

Aguiar, Gabrielle P; Jham, Bruno C; Magalhães, Cláudia S; Sensi, Luis Guilherme; Freire, Addah R

2009-07-01

The aim of this article is to review the clinical and biological features underlying the development and progression of radiation caries. Although radiotherapy (RT) plays an important role in the management of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), it is also associated with several undesired side effects such as radiation caries which is a common, yet serious, complication. To review the condition, the Pubmed database was searched using the keywords "radiotherapy," "radiation," "caries," "hyposalivation," "prevention" and "management". Only studies published in the English language were selected. Cross-referencing identified additionally relevant studies. RT leads to alterations in the dentition, saliva, oral microflora, and diet of patients. Consequently, irradiated patients are at increased risk for the development of a rapid, rampant carious process known as radiation caries. Motivation of patients, adequate plaque control, stimulation of salivary flow, fluoride use, and nutritional orientation are essential to reduce the incidence of radiation caries and ultimately improve the quality of life for HNC patients. Radiation caries is an aggressive side effect of RT. Dentists play an important role in the prevention of the condition via comprehensive oral healthcare before, during, and after the active cancer therapy. Dentists should understand the clinical and biological aspects underlying radiation caries to prevent the development of lesions and provide optimal treatment when needed.

[Particular aspects of rhinitis and rhino-conjunctivitis].

PubMed

Favennec, F; Sonneville, A; De Luca, H; Castros, A

2003-03-01

The authors report their experience of 28 years of practice in the opthalmology service of the CHRU at Rennes. The describe certain particular aspects of rhinitis and rhino-conjuctivitis where the danger resides in an extensive risk to the uvula or the bronchi. They insist on the importance of understanding polyvalents in internal medicine (rôle of the seat of gingivodentary "ideas", value of research into indicative markers of protection A2 and B40 in the HLA system. In the region of nutrition, they emphasize the importance of the rôle of zinc, of vitamin C and of magnesium. They base their hopes on study of the local markers of sensitivity, in order to assess the elements of preventative action for an eventual ocular and bronchial extension.

Identifying Immune Drivers of Gulf War Illness Using Novel Daily Sampling Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

of Gulf War Illness (GWI). We are targeting an enrollment of 60 men (40 veterans with GWI, 10 veterans with no GWI, and 10 with fibromyalgia ) over... treatment of the disorder. In order to make gains in curing GWI, it is essential that we develop objective, physiologic-based tests for the disorder...and identify physiological targets for treatments . The major aim of this research project is to identify aspects of the immune system that are

Regional sensitivities of seasonal snowpack to elevation, aspect, and vegetation cover in western North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tennant, Christopher J.; Harpold, Adrian A.; Lohse, Kathleen Ann; Godsey, Sarah E.; Crosby, Benjamin T.; Larsen, Laurel G.; Brooks, Paul D.; Van Kirk, Robert W.; Glenn, Nancy F.

2017-08-01

In mountains with seasonal snow cover, the effects of climate change on snowpack will be constrained by landscape-vegetation interactions with the atmosphere. Airborne lidar surveys used to estimate snow depth, topography, and vegetation were coupled with reanalysis climate products to quantify these interactions and to highlight potential snowpack sensitivities to climate and vegetation change across the western U.S. at Rocky Mountain (RM), Northern Basin and Range (NBR), and Sierra Nevada (SNV) sites. In forest and shrub areas, elevation captured the greatest amount of variability in snow depth (16-79%) but aspect explained more variability (11-40%) in alpine areas. Aspect was most important at RM sites where incoming shortwave to incoming net radiation (SW:NetR↓) was highest (˜0.5), capturing 17-37% of snow depth variability in forests and 32-37% in shrub areas. Forest vegetation height exhibited negative relationships with snow depth and explained 3-6% of its variability at sites with greater longwave inputs (NBR and SNV). Variability in the importance of physiography suggests differential sensitivities of snowpack to climate and vegetation change. The high SW:NetR↓ and importance of aspect suggests RM sites may be more responsive to decreases in SW:NetR↓ driven by warming or increases in humidity or cloud cover. Reduced canopy-cover could increase snow depths at SNV sites, and NBR and SNV sites are currently more sensitive to shifts from snow to rain. The consistent importance of aspect and elevation indicates that changes in SW:NetR↓ and the elevation of the rain/snow transition zone could have widespread and varied effects on western U.S. snowpacks.

Historic importance of some aspects of research by O. Wilford Olsen on hookworms (Uncinaria lucasi) in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus) in 1951 on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

PubMed

Lyons, E T

2005-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to disseminate, more widely, certain historically important aspects of research by O. Wilford Olsen on hookworms (Uncinaria lucasi) in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus) in 1951 on St. Paul Island, Alaska. Highly meaningful facets of the research were recorded only in a report with limited availability by Olsen in 1952. Portions of his research presented here include measurements of hookworm free-living infective third-stage larvae (L3) and adults, photographs of bursae, and the conclusion that the species of hookworms (U. lucasi) is probably the same in both pinniped hosts. This information is especially important because very little has been published on taxonomy of hookworms in E. jubatus.

Engineering aspects of seismological studies in Peru

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ocola, L.

1982-01-01

In retrospect, the Peruvian national long-range earthquake-study program began after the catastrophic earthquake of May 31, 1970. This earthquake triggered a large snow avalanche from Huascaran mountain, killing over 60,000 people, and covering with mud small cities and tens of villages in the Andean valley of Callejon de Huaylas, Huaraz. Since then, great efforts have been made to learn about the natural seismic environment and its engineering and social aspects. The Organization of American States (OAS)has been one of the most important agencies in the development of the program. 

Psychosomatic aspects of end-stage renal failure.

PubMed

Sensky, T

1993-01-01

End-stage renal failure (ESRD) is more than a typical chronic disease. Its treatment includes features which arguably make this condition unique. Selected psychosomatic aspects of ESRD are reviewed, including psychiatric morbidity, patients' adherence to their treatments, quality of life and the emotional impact on staff involved in treating patients with ESRD. Rather than presenting a comprehensive review of the results of published research, particular emphasis is laid on the critical appraisal of the methodology of published studies, to examine the extent to which these have provided answers to clinically important questions.

Flow dichroism as a reliable method to measure the hydrodynamic aspect ratio of gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Reddy, Naveen Krishna; Pérez-Juste, Jorge; Pastoriza-Santos, Isabel; Lang, Peter R; Dhont, Jan K G; Liz-Marzán, Luis M; Vermant, Jan

2011-06-28

Particle shape plays an important role in controlling the optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties of nanoparticle suspensions as well as nanocomposites. However, characterizing the size, shape, and the associated polydispersity of nanoparticles is not straightforward. Electron microscopy provides an accurate measurement of the geometric properties, but sample preparation can be laborious, and to obtain statistically relevant data many particles need to be analyzed separately. Moreover, when the particles are suspended in a fluid, it is important to measure their hydrodynamic properties, as they determine aspects such as diffusion and the rheological behavior of suspensions. Methods that evaluate the dynamics of nanoparticles such as light scattering and rheo-optical methods accurately provide these hydrodynamic properties, but do necessitate a sufficient optical response. In the present work, three different methods for characterizing nonspherical gold nanoparticles are critically compared, especially taking into account the complex optical response of these particles. The different methods are evaluated in terms of their versatility to asses size, shape, and polydispersity. Among these, the rheo-optical technique is shown to be the most reliable method to obtain hydrodynamic aspect ratio and polydispersity for nonspherical gold nanoparticles for two reasons. First, the use of the evolution of the orientation angle makes effects of polydispersity less important. Second, the use of an external flow field gives a mathematically more robust relation between particle motion and aspect ratio, especially for particles with relatively small aspect ratios.

Beyond Self-Esteem: Some Neglected Aspects of the Self-Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenberg, Morris

The purpose of this paper is to call attention to certain important aspects of self-concept which have been largely neglected in behavioral science research literature. Self-concept is defined as the totality of the individual's thoughts and feelings with reference to himself as an object. Three broad areas of self-concept are discussed. The first…

Chronic Mountain Sickness: Clinical Aspects, Etiology, Management, and Treatment

PubMed Central

Corante, Noemí

2016-01-01

Abstract Villafuerte, Francisco C., and Noemí Corante. Chronic mountain sickness: clinical aspects, etiology, management, and treatment. High Alt Med Biol. 17:61–69, 2016.—Millions of people worldwide live at a high altitude, and a significant number are at risk of developing Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS), a progressive incapacitating syndrome caused by lifelong exposure to hypoxia. CMS is characterized by severe symptomatic excessive erythrocytosis (EE; Hb ≥19 g/dL for women and Hb ≥21 g/dL for men) and accentuated hypoxemia, which are frequently associated with pulmonary hypertension. In advanced cases, the condition may evolve to cor pulmonale and congestive heart failure. Current knowledge indicates a genetic predisposition to develop CMS. However, there are important risk factors and comorbidities that may trigger and aggravate the condition. Thus, appropriate medical information on CMS is necessary to provide adequate diagnosis and healthcare to high-altitude inhabitants. After reviewing basic clinical aspects of CMS, including its definition, diagnosis, and common clinical findings, we discuss aspects of its etiology, and address its epidemiology, risk factors, and treatment. PMID:27218284

Is Pain Intensity Really That Important to Assess in Chronic Pain Patients? A Study Based on the Swedish Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation (SQRP)

PubMed Central

Bromley Milton, Maria; Börsbo, Björn; Rovner, Graciela; Lundgren-Nilsson, Åsa; Stibrant-Sunnerhagen, Katharina; Gerdle, Björn

2013-01-01

Background Incorporating the patient's view on care and treatment has become increasingly important for health care. Patients describe the variety of consequences of their chronic pain conditions as significant pain intensity, depression, and anxiety. We hypothesised that intensities of common symptoms in chronic pain conditions carry important information that can be used to identify clinically relevant subgroups. This study has three aims: 1) to determine the importance of different symptoms with respect to participation and ill-health; 2) to identify subgroups based on data concerning important symptoms; and 3) to determine the secondary consequences for the identified subgroups with respect to participation and health factors. Methods and Subjects This study is based on a cohort of patients referred to a multidisciplinary pain centre at a university hospital (n = 4645, participation rate 88%) in Sweden. The patients answered a number of questionnaires concerning symptoms, participation, and health aspects as a part of the Swedish Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation (SQRP). Results Common symptoms (such as pain intensity, depression, and anxiety) in patients with chronic pain showed great variability across subjects and 60% of the cohort had normal values with respect to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Pain intensity more than psychological symptoms showed stronger relationships with participation and health. It was possible to identify subgroups based on pain intensity, depression, and anxiety. With respect to participation and health, high depressive symptomatology had greater negative consequences than high anxiety. Conclusions Common symptoms (such as pain intensity and depressive and anxiety symptoms) in chronic pain conditions carry important information that can be used to identify clinically relevant subgroups. PMID:23805183

Mind over matter? I: philosophical aspects of the mind-brain problem.

PubMed

Schimmel, P

2001-08-01

To conceptualize the essence of the mind-body or mind-brain problem as one of metaphysics rather than science, and to propose a formulation of the problem in the context of current scientific knowledge and its limitations. The background and conceptual parameters of the mind-body problem are delineated, and the limitations of brain research in formulating a solution identified. The problem is reformulated and stated in terms of two propositions. These constitute a 'double aspect theory'. The problem appears to arise as a consequence of the conceptual limitations of the human mind, and hence remains essentially a metaphysical one. A 'double aspect theory' recognizes the essential unity of mind and brain, while remaining consistent with the dualism inherent in human experience.

[Types of medical registries - definitions, methodological aspects and quality of the scientific work with registries].

PubMed

Mathis-Edenhofer, Stefan; Piso, Brigitte

2011-12-01

This work presents a comprehensive list of registry definitions including broader and narrower definitions. Compared to each other different methodological issues can be identified. Some of these issues are common for all registry types; some can be assigned more easily to a specific registry type. Instruments for evaluating the quality of registers reflect many of the mentioned aspects. Generally, and especially at registers with a descriptive or exploratory research dimension it is important to consider their intended purpose and in about it was achieved. This includes, for instance, whether the purpose and the methodology are coordinated. From the start of registration an initiator should be - based on the purpose - aware of the methodological dimension of the registry. This helps to apply the correct type of the registry, the appropriate guidance and, ultimately, the arguments for the effort (cost-benefit ratio).

Four aspects of self-image close to death at home

PubMed Central

Carlander, Ida; Ternestedt, Britt-Marie; Sahlberg-Blom, Eva; Hellström, Ingrid; Sandberg, Jonas

2011-01-01

Living close to death means an inevitable confrontation with one's own existential limitation. In this article, we argue that everyday life close to death embodies an identity work in progress. We used a narrative approach and a holistic-content reading to analyze 12 interviews conducted with three persons close to death. By illuminating the unique stories and identifying patterns among the participants’ narratives, we found four themes exemplifying important aspects of the identity work related to everyday life close to death. Two of the themes, named “Inside and outside of me” and “Searching for togetherness,” represented the core of the self-image and were framed by the other themes, “My place in space” and “My death and my time.” Our findings elucidate the way the individual stories moved between the past, the present, and the future. This study challenges the idea that everyday life close to impending death primarily means limitations. The findings show that the search for meaning, new knowledge, and community can form a part of a conscious and ongoing identity work close to death. PMID:21526139

Special Important Aspects of the Thomson Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lashkevych, Igor; Velázquez, J. E.; Titov, Oleg Yu.; Gurevich, Yuri G.

2018-06-01

A comprehensive study of the mechanisms of heating and cooling originating from an electrical current in semiconductor devices is reported. The variation in temperature associated with the Peltier effect is not related to the presence of heat sources and sinks if the heat flux is correctly determined. The Thomson effect is commonly regarded as a heat source/sink proportional to the Thomson coefficient, which is added to the Joule heating. In the present work, we will show that this formulation of the Thomson effect is not sufficiently clear. When the heat flux is correctly defined, the Thomson heat source/sink is proportional to the Seebeck coefficient. In the conditions in which the Peltier effect takes place, the temperature gradient is created, and, consequently, the Thomson effect will occur naturally.

Special Important Aspects of the Thomson Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lashkevych, Igor; Velázquez, J. E.; Titov, Oleg Yu.; Gurevich, Yuri G.

2018-03-01

A comprehensive study of the mechanisms of heating and cooling originating from an electrical current in semiconductor devices is reported. The variation in temperature associated with the Peltier effect is not related to the presence of heat sources and sinks if the heat flux is correctly determined. The Thomson effect is commonly regarded as a heat source/sink proportional to the Thomson coefficient, which is added to the Joule heating. In the present work, we will show that this formulation of the Thomson effect is not sufficiently clear. When the heat flux is correctly defined, the Thomson heat source/sink is proportional to the Seebeck coefficient. In the conditions in which the Peltier effect takes place, the temperature gradient is created, and, consequently, the Thomson effect will occur naturally.

On a categorial aspect of knowledge representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tataj, Emanuel; Mulawka, Jan; Nieznański, Edward

Adequate representation of data is crucial for modeling any type of data. To faithfully present and describe the relevant section of the world it is necessary to select the method that can easily be implemented on a computer system which will help in further description allowing reasoning. The main objective of this contribution is to present methods of knowledge representation using categorial approach. Next to identify the main advantages for computer implementation. Categorical aspect of knowledge representation is considered in semantic networks realisation. Such method borrows already known metaphysics properties for data modeling process. The potential topics of further development of categorical semantic networks implementations are also underlined.

Streamlining Software Aspects of Certification: Report on the SSAC Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayhurst, Kelly J.; Dorsey, Cheryl A.; Knight, John C.; Leveson, Nancy G.; McCormick, G. Frank

1999-01-01

The aviation system now depends on information technology more than ever before to ensure safety and efficiency. To address concerns about the efficacy of software aspects of the certification process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began the Streamlining Software Aspects of Certification (SSAC) program. The SSAC technical team was commissioned to gather data, analyze results, and propose recommendations to maximize efficiency and minimize cost and delay, without compromising safety. The technical team conducted two public workshops to identify and prioritize software approval issues, and conducted a survey to validate the most urgent of those issues. The SSAC survey, containing over two hundred questions about the FAA's software approval process, reached over four hundred industry software developers, aircraft manufacturers, and FAA designated engineering representatives. Three hundred people responded. This report presents the SSAC program rationale, survey process, preliminary findings, and recommendations.

Identifying Psychological Contract Breaches to Guide Improvements in Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Development

PubMed Central

Desselle, Shane P.; Draugalis, JoLaine R.; Spies, Alan R.; Davis, Tamra S.; Bolino, Mark

2012-01-01

Objective. To identify pharmacy faculty members’ perceptions of psychological contract breaches that can be used to guide improvements in faculty recruitment, retention, and development. Methods. A list of psychological contract breaches was developed using a Delphi procedure involving a panel of experts assembled through purposive sampling. The Delphi consisted of 4 rounds, the first of which elicited examples of psychological contract breaches in an open-ended format. The ensuing 3 rounds consisting of a survey and anonymous feedback on aggregated group responses. Results. Usable responses were obtained from 11 of 12 faculty members who completed the Delphi procedure. The final list of psychological contract breaches included 27 items, after modifications based on participant feedback in subsequent rounds. Conclusion. The psychological contract breach items generated in this study provide guidance for colleges and schools of pharmacy regarding important aspects of faculty recruitment, retention, and development. PMID:22919084

Behavioral and psychological aspects of exercise across stages of eating disorder recovery.

PubMed

Bardone-Cone, Anna M; Higgins, M K; St George, Sara M; Rosenzweig, Ilyssa; Schaefer, Lauren M; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Henning, Taylor M; Preston, Brittany F

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationship between behavioral and psychological aspects of exercise and eating disorder recovery. Participants were categorized as having an eating disorder (n = 53), partially recovered (n = 15), fully recovered (n = 20), or non-eating disorder controls (n = 67). Groups did not differ significantly in time spent exercising, but did differ in exercise intensity, guilt-related exercise, obsessive exercise cognitions, and appearance/weight management and stress/mood management motivations for exercise. Results support the importance of measuring psychological aspects of exercise in particular across the course of an eating disorder.

Historical aspects of immunization and vaccine safety communication.

PubMed

Helfert, Stephanie M

2015-01-01

It has been a long journey starting from the beginnings of variolation [3] leading up to the greatest success in the history of immunization: the eradication of smallpox [39]. Today, vaccines are an acknowledged important medical advance [40]. Nevertheless, immunization has been the subject of public controversy on several occasions [15, 24, 31]. This article shall provide a short overview of some aspects of the early stages of immunization in Western countries, including some examples of vaccine safety controversies in the past.

Further Tests of Belief-Importance Theory

PubMed Central

Petrides, K. V.; Furnham, Adrian

2015-01-01

Belief-importance (belimp) theory hypothesizes that personality traits confer a propensity to perceive convergences or divergences between the belief that we can attain certain goals and the importance that we place on these goals. Belief and importance are conceptualized as two coordinates, together defining the belimp plane. We tested fundamental aspects of the theory using four different planes based on the life domains of appearance, family, financial security, and friendship as well as a global plane combining these four domains. The criteria were from the areas of personality (Big Five and trait emotional intelligence) and learning styles. Two hundred and fifty eight participants were allocated into the four quadrants of the belimp plane (Hubris, Motivation, Depression, and Apathy) according to their scores on four reliable instruments. Most hypotheses were supported by the data. Results are discussed with reference to the stability of the belimp classifications under different life domains and the relationship of the quadrants with the personality traits that are hypothesized to underpin them. PMID:25874374

Further tests of belief-importance theory.

PubMed

Petrides, K V; Furnham, Adrian

2015-01-01

Belief-importance (belimp) theory hypothesizes that personality traits confer a propensity to perceive convergences or divergences between the belief that we can attain certain goals and the importance that we place on these goals. Belief and importance are conceptualized as two coordinates, together defining the belimp plane. We tested fundamental aspects of the theory using four different planes based on the life domains of appearance, family, financial security, and friendship as well as a global plane combining these four domains. The criteria were from the areas of personality (Big Five and trait emotional intelligence) and learning styles. Two hundred and fifty eight participants were allocated into the four quadrants of the belimp plane (Hubris, Motivation, Depression, and Apathy) according to their scores on four reliable instruments. Most hypotheses were supported by the data. Results are discussed with reference to the stability of the belimp classifications under different life domains and the relationship of the quadrants with the personality traits that are hypothesized to underpin them.

Functional, communicative and critical health literacy of chronic disease patients and their importance for self-management.

PubMed

Heijmans, Monique; Waverijn, Geeke; Rademakers, Jany; van der Vaart, Rosalie; Rijken, Mieke

2015-01-01

To provide insight into the level of health literacy among chronic disease patients in the Netherlands, to identify subgroups with low literacy and to examine the associations between health literacy and self-management. Self-report questionnaires were sent to a nationwide sample of 1.341 chronic disease patients. The Dutch Functional Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale (FCCHL), the Partners in Health scale (PIH) and Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Doctor Interactions (PEPPI-5) were used to assess health literacy and aspects of self-management. In general, health literacy skills were good. A higher age, lower education, lower income, multi-morbidity and/or functional limitations were associated with lower levels of health literacy. Communicative and critical health literacy were related to some aspects of self-management but not to all. Functional health literacy was less important. Communicative and critical health literacy play a role in successful self-management of chronic disease but the impact differs by context. Health literacy levels vary according to socio-demographic and disease characteristics of patients. Health care professionals should tailor their information and support to the health literacy skills and personal context of their patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aspect ratio has no effect on genotoxicity of multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Sik; Lee, Kyu; Lee, Young Hee; Cho, Hyun Sun; Kim, Ki Heon; Choi, Kyung Hee; Lee, Sang Hee; Song, Kyung Seuk; Kang, Chang Soo; Yu, Il Je

2011-07-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have specific physico-chemical and electrical properties that are useful for telecommunications, medicine, materials, manufacturing processes and the environmental and energy sectors. Yet, despite their many advantages, it is also important to determine whether CNTs may represent a hazard to the environment and human health. Like asbestos, the aspect ratio (length:diameter) and metal components of CNTs are known to have an effect on the toxicity of carbon nanotubes. Thus, to evaluate the toxic potential of CNTs in relation to their aspect ratio and metal contamination, in vivo and in vitro genotoxicity tests were conducted using high-aspect-ratio (diameter: 10-15 nm, length: ~10 μm) and low-aspect-ratio multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs, diameter: 10-15 nm, length: ~150 nm) according to OECD test guidelines 471 (bacterial reverse mutation test), 473 (in vitro chromosome aberration test), and 474 (in vivo micronuclei test) with a good laboratory practice system. To determine the treatment concentration for all the tests, a solubility and dispersive test was performed, and a 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) solution found to be more suitable than distilled water. Neither the high- nor the low-aspect-ratio MWCNTs induced any genotoxicity in a bacterial reverse mutation test (~1,000 μg/plate), in vitro chromosome aberration test (without S9: ~6.25 μg/ml, with S9: ~50 μg/ml), or in vivo micronuclei test (~50 mg/kg). However, the high-aspect-ratio MWCNTs were found to be more toxic than the low-aspect-ratio MWCNTs. Thus, while high-aspect-ratio MWCNTs do not induce direct genotoxicity or metabolic activation-mediated genotoxicity, genotoxicity could still be induced indirectly through oxidative stress or inflammation.

Which Brain Regions are Important for Seizure Dynamics in Epileptic Networks? Influence of Link Identification and EEG Recording Montage on Node Centralities.

PubMed

Geier, Christian; Lehnertz, Klaus

2017-02-01

Nodes in large-scale epileptic networks that are crucial for seizure facilitation and termination can be regarded as potential targets for individualized focal therapies. Graph-theoretical approaches based on centrality concepts can help to identify such important nodes, however, they may be influenced by the way networks are derived from empirical data. Here we investigate evolving functional epileptic brain networks during 82 focal seizures with different anatomical onset locations that we derive from multichannel intracranial electroencephalographic recordings from 51 patients. We demonstrate how the various methodological steps (from the recording montage via node and link inference to the assessment of node centralities) affect importance estimation and discuss their impact on the interpretability of findings in the context of pathophysiological aspects of seizure dynamics.

The Importance of Romantic Love to People with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Claire; Terry, Louise; Popple, Keith

2017-01-01

Background: Love is important aspect of life, including to people with learning disabilities both historically and more recently. Participants value the companionship, support and social status associated with a partner. Relationships are considered mechanisms to meet certain needs including feeling loved, company, intimacy and enabling…

Clinical trials update: IMPROVEMENT-HF, COPERNICUS, MUSTIC, ASPECT-II, APRICOT and HEART.

PubMed

Witte, K; Thackray, S; Clark, A L; Cooklin, M; Cleland, J G

2000-12-01

Important new studies relevant to the field of heart failure reported at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), held in Amsterdam in August 2000, are reviewed. The IMPROVEMENT of Heart Failure survey investigated the knowledge and perceptions of over 1300 primary care physicians from 14 ESC member nations and the actual practice in over 11000 of their patients. Guidelines and clinical practice were compared. The survey suggested, in this large sample, that the quality of care was higher than previous smaller surveys have suggested but have also identified important deficiencies in knowledge and management that should be rectified. The COPERNICUS study demonstrated that carvedilol was remarkably well tolerated even in patients with very severe heart failure and that treatment was associated with a substantial reduction in mortality even among patients that would conventionally not be considered, by many, for beta-blocker therapy. The MUSTIC trial suggested that cardiac resynchronisation using biventricular pacing improved patients symptomatically whether or not the patient was in atrial fibrillation. Morbidity and mortality studies of cardiac resynchronisation are now underway. The ASPECT-II and APRICOT-II studies investigated the role of warfarin, aspirin and their combination for the long-term management of myocardial infarction. One interpretation of the data from these studies is that the combination of aspirin and warfarin is about as effective as warfarin alone but with a much higher incidence of side effects. Warfarin alone appeared superior to aspirin alone. In summary, the annual congress of the ESC provided important new information for clinical practice and, to date, was, by far, the most important cardiology congress in the world this year.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Rubella Viruses Identified in Uganda, 2003–2012

PubMed Central

Namuwulya, Prossy; Abernathy, Emily; Bukenya, Henry; Bwogi, Josephine; Tushabe, Phionah; Birungi, Molly; Seguya, Ronald; Kabaliisa, Theopista; Alibu, Vincent P.; Kayondo, Jonathan K.; Rivailler, Pierre; Icenogle, Joseph; Bakamutumaho, Barnabas

2014-01-01

Molecular data on rubella viruses are limited in Uganda despite the importance of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Routine rubella vaccination, while not administered currently in Uganda, is expected to begin by 2015. The World Health Organization recommends that countries without rubella vaccination programs assess the burden of rubella and CRS before starting a routine vaccination program. Uganda is already involved in integrated case-based surveillance, including laboratory testing to confirm measles and rubella, but molecular epidemiologic aspects of rubella circulation have so far not been documented in Uganda. Twenty throat swab or oral fluid samples collected from 12 districts during routine rash and fever surveillance between 2003 and 2012 were identified as rubella virus RNA positive and PCR products encompassing the region used for genotyping were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the 20 sequences identified 19 genotype 1G viruses and 1 genotype 1E virus. Genotype-specific trees showed that the Uganda viruses belonged to specific clusters for both genotypes 1G and 1E and grouped with similar sequences from neighboring countries. Genotype 1G was predominant in Uganda. More epidemiological and molecular epidemiological data are required to determine if genotype 1E is also endemic in Uganda. The information obtained in this study will assist the immunization program in monitoring changes in circulating genotypes. PMID:24700073

The "General Aspects" Conceptualization as a Pragmatic and Effective Means to Introducing Students to Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kampourakis, Kostas

2016-01-01

Teaching about nature of science (NOS) is considered as an important goal of science education in various countries. Extensive empirical research about how some aspects of NOS can be effectively taught is also available. The most widely adopted conceptualization of NOS is based on a small number of general aspects of NOS, which fall into two…

AIDS-MEDICOLEGAL ASPECTS.

PubMed

Kotabagi, R B; Pathak, P R; Apte, V V

1999-04-01

AIDS/HIV Positivity has been the most widely debated disease of this century. Reasons for this are manifold, viz-the non-availability of cure and consequent 100% mortality of a full blown case; its mode of transmission-homosexual and heterosexual activities; widespread occurrence amongst 'main liners'; and patients receiving blood and blood products etc. These aspects have created a dreaded halo around AIDS as well as social stigma. Even the medical community is not exempt from these problems. Unfortunately, legislatures around the world, more so in India, have lagged behind in clarifying many legal issues involved by not enacting specific laws pertaining to AIDS. Consequently many legal & ethical doubts arise in the minds of doctors when confronted with a case of AIDS either in a live patient or in a dead body. In addition, the disease being incurable & 100% fatal, makes it essential to adopt effective preventive measures which in turn need thorough knowledge of social aspects of the epidemic. Certain medicolegal, and ethical aspects of the problem of AIDS are recapitulated in this article for the benefit of the medical community.

Developing Tools for Identifying Employer and Employee Satisfaction of Nursing New Graduates in China

PubMed Central

Fan, Yuying; Li, Qiujie; Yang, Shufen; Guo, Ying; Yang, Libin; Zhao, Shibin

2014-01-01

Purpose. Researchers developed evaluation tools measuring employment relevant satisfaction for nursing new graduates. The evaluation tools were designed to be relevant to nursing managers who make employment decisions and nursing new graduates who were just employed. Methods. In-depth interviews and an expert panel were established to review the activities that evaluate the employee and employer satisfaction of nursing new graduates. Based on individual interviews and literature review, evaluation items were selected. A two-round Delphi study was then conducted from September 2008 to May 2009 with a panel of experts from a range of nursing colleges in China. Results. The response rate was 100% and Kendall's W was 0.73 in the second round of Delphi study. After two rounds of Delphi surveys, a list of 5 employee satisfaction items and 4 employer satisfaction items was identified for nursing new graduates. Conclusions. The findings of this study identified a different but multidimensional set of factors for employment relevant satisfaction, which confirmed the importance of certain fundamental aspects of practice. We developed the evaluation tools to assess the employer and employee satisfaction of nursing new graduates, which provided a database for further study. PMID:25097876

Developing tools for identifying employer and employee satisfaction of nursing new graduates in China.

PubMed

Fan, Yuying; Li, Qiujie; Yang, Shufen; Guo, Ying; Yang, Libin; Zhao, Shibin

2014-01-01

Researchers developed evaluation tools measuring employment relevant satisfaction for nursing new graduates. The evaluation tools were designed to be relevant to nursing managers who make employment decisions and nursing new graduates who were just employed. In-depth interviews and an expert panel were established to review the activities that evaluate the employee and employer satisfaction of nursing new graduates. Based on individual interviews and literature review, evaluation items were selected. A two-round Delphi study was then conducted from September 2008 to May 2009 with a panel of experts from a range of nursing colleges in China. The response rate was 100% and Kendall's W was 0.73 in the second round of Delphi study. After two rounds of Delphi surveys, a list of 5 employee satisfaction items and 4 employer satisfaction items was identified for nursing new graduates. The findings of this study identified a different but multidimensional set of factors for employment relevant satisfaction, which confirmed the importance of certain fundamental aspects of practice. We developed the evaluation tools to assess the employer and employee satisfaction of nursing new graduates, which provided a database for further study.

Computational identification of post-translational modification-based nuclear import regulations by characterizing nuclear localization signal-import receptor interaction.

PubMed

Lin, Jhih-Rong; Liu, Zhonghao; Hu, Jianjun

2014-10-01

The binding affinity between a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and its import receptor is closely related to corresponding nuclear import activity. PTM-based modulation of the NLS binding affinity to the import receptor is one of the most understood mechanisms to regulate nuclear import of proteins. However, identification of such regulation mechanisms is challenging due to the difficulty of assessing the impact of PTM on corresponding nuclear import activities. In this study we proposed NIpredict, an effective algorithm to predict nuclear import activity given its NLS, in which molecular interaction energy components (MIECs) were used to characterize the NLS-import receptor interaction, and the support vector regression machine (SVR) was used to learn the relationship between the characterized NLS-import receptor interaction and the corresponding nuclear import activity. Our experiments showed that nuclear import activity change due to NLS change could be accurately predicted by the NIpredict algorithm. Based on NIpredict, we developed a systematic framework to identify potential PTM-based nuclear import regulations for human and yeast nuclear proteins. Application of this approach has identified the potential nuclear import regulation mechanisms by phosphorylation of two nuclear proteins including SF1 and ORC6. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Predictors of Student Persistence: Student Satisfaction and Aspects of the Residential Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nayor, Gregory J.

2009-01-01

Research in higher education over the past several decades has extensively examined the extent to which various aspects of the college environment affect student persistence (Astin, 1962, 1993; Bean, 1980; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Tinto, 1975, 1988, 1993). Furthermore, researchers have noted the importance of the residential living…

[Socio-economic aspects of epidemiology of helicobateriosis].

PubMed

Fedichkina, T P; Solenova, L G; Zykova, I E; German, S V; Modestova, A V; Kislitsyn, V A; Rakhmanin, Yu A; Bobrovnitsky, I P

There are considered special social and economic aspects of the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori. These aspects acquired the particular importance for the last time due to the fact that the provision of the people with pure water has been becoming the focus of the attention of geopolitical and socio-economic interests in a number of countries. The availability ofpure drinking water serves a marker of the socio-economic state of the territory and the population living there. In Russia where different climatic conditions are deposited by considerable regional differences in the conditions of communal services caused both by various level of the socio-economic development of the territory, the supplementation with pure drinking water serves as the social determinant of the ecological conditions of the population’s life. This particularly has impact on the unfeasible technical state of the water distribution systems, microorganism ecology of which can substantially affect public health. The performed by authors a specialized screening ofpresented at the official web site of the joint-stock company «Mosvodokanal» current data concerning the quality of drinking water consumed by 2500 Moscovites, tested for the Helicobacter pylori infection revealed no deviations from the sanitary standards in the water received by the consumers. Along with that, the comparison of the map documents of the distribution of the Helicobacter pylori infection in Moscow with the distribution of citizens’ complaints of the decline of the quality of tap water has revealed a territorial fastening of the high values of the population infection rate of n^ylori and the urban sites with the greatest number of complaints. In the microbial ecology of water-distribution systems there are tightly aligned problems of their epidemiological safety, technical state and economic damage caused by corrosion as a result of microbiotic activity. In contrast to acute bacterial and viral infections which

HLA-G in human reproduction: aspects of genetics, function and pregnancy complications.

PubMed

Hviid, Thomas Vauvert F

2006-01-01

The non-classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class Ib genes, HLA-E, -G and -F, are located on chromosome 6 in the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC). HLA class Ib antigens resemble the HLA class Ia antigens in many ways, but several major differences have been described. This review will, in particular, discuss HLA-G and its role in human reproduction and in the human MHC. HLA-G seems to be important in the modulation of the maternal immune system during pregnancy and thereby the maternal acceptance of the semiallogenic fetus. Recent findings regarding aspects of HLA-G polymorphism, the possible significance of this polymorphism in respect to HLA-G function and certain complications of pregnancy (such as pre-eclampsia and recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA)) are discussed together with possible importance to IVF. Finally, aspects of a possible role of HLA-G in organ transplantation and in inflammatory or autoimmune disease, and of HLA-G in an evolutionary context, are also briefly examined.

Important factors to consider when treating children with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): perspectives of health professionals from specialist services.

PubMed

Parslow, Roxanne M; Shaw, Alison; Haywood, Kirstie L; Crawley, Esther

2017-02-01

Paediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is relatively common and disabling. Improving treatment requires the development of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) that enable clinicians and researchers to collect patient-centred evidence on outcomes. Health professionals are well placed to provide clinical insight into the condition, its treatment and possible outcomes. This study aimed to understand the perspectives of specialist paediatric CFS/ME health professionals and identify outcomes that are clinically important. Focus groups and interviews were held with 15 health professionals involved in the care of children with CFS/ME from the four largest specialist paediatric CFS/ME services in the NHS in England. A range of clinical disciplines were included and experience in paediatric CFS/ME ranged from 2 months to 25 years. Ten participants (67%) were female. Focus groups and interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using thematic analysis. All health professionals identified the impact of CFS/ME across multiple aspects of health. Health professionals described four areas used to assess the severity of the illness and outcome in children: 1) symptoms; 2) physical function; 3) participation (school, activities and social life); and 4) emotional wellbeing. They also described the complexity of the condition, contextual factors and considerations for treatment to help children to cope with the condition. Clinically important outcomes in paediatric CFS/ME involve a range of aspects of health. Health professionals consider increases in physical function yet maintaining school functioning and participation more widely as important outcomes from treatment. The results are similar to those described by children in a recent study and will be combined to develop a new child-specific PROM that has strong clinical utility and patient relevance.

Charles Darwin and Evolution: Illustrating Human Aspects of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kampourakis, Kostas; McComas, William F.

2010-06-01

Recently, the nature of science (NOS) has become recognized as an important element within the K-12 science curriculum. Despite differences in the ultimate lists of recommended aspects, a consensus is emerging on what specific NOS elements should be the focus of science instruction and inform textbook writers and curriculum developers. In this article, we suggest a contextualized, explicit approach addressing one core NOS aspect: the human aspects of science that include the domains of creativity, social influences and subjectivity. To illustrate these ideas, we have focused on Charles Darwin, a scientist whose life, work and thought processes were particularly well recorded at the time and analyzed by scholars in the succeeding years. Historical facts are discussed and linked to core NOS ideas. Creativity is illustrated through the analogies between the struggle for existence in human societies and in nature, between artificial and natural selection, and between the division of labor in human societies and in nature. Social influences are represented by Darwin’s aversion of criticism of various kinds and by his response to the methodological requirements of the science of that time. Finally, subjectivity is discussed through Darwin’s development of a unique but incorrect source for the origin of variations within species.

Socio-Cultural Aspects of Chagas Disease: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Research

PubMed Central

Ventura-Garcia, Laia; Roura, Maria; Pell, Christopher; Posada, Elisabeth; Gascón, Joaquim; Aldasoro, Edelweis; Muñoz, Jose; Pool, Robert

2013-01-01

Background Globally, more than 10 million people are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes about 20 000 annual deaths. Although Chagas disease is endemic to certain regions of Latin America, migratory flows have enabled its expansion into areas where it was previously unknown. Economic, social and cultural factors play a significant role in its presence and perpetuation. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of qualitative research on Chagas disease, both in endemic and non-endemic countries. Methodology/Principal Findings Searches were carried out in ten databases, and the bibliographies of retrieved studies were examined. Data from thirty-three identified studies were extracted, and findings were analyzed and synthesized along key themes. Themes identified for endemic countries included: socio-structural determinants of Chagas disease; health practices; biomedical conceptions of Chagas disease; patient's experience; and institutional strategies adopted. Concerning non-endemic countries, identified issues related to access to health services and health seeking. Conclusions The emergence and perpetuation of Chagas disease depends largely on socio-cultural aspects influencing health. As most interventions do not address the clinical, environmental, social and cultural aspects jointly, an explicitly multidimensional approach, incorporating the experiences of those affected is a potential tool for the development of long-term successful programs. Further research is needed to evaluate this approach. PMID:24069473

Genome-wide siRNA screen identifies the retromer as a cellular entry factor for human papillomavirus

PubMed Central

Lipovsky, Alex; Popa, Andreea; Pimienta, Genaro; Wyler, Michael; Bhan, Ashima; Kuruvilla, Leena; Guie, Marie-Aude; Poffenberger, Adrian C.; Nelson, Christian D. S.; Atwood, Walter J.; DiMaio, Daniel

2013-01-01

Despite major advances in our understanding of many aspects of human papillomavirus (HPV) biology, HPV entry is poorly understood. To identify cellular genes required for HPV entry, we conducted a genome-wide screen for siRNAs that inhibited infection of HeLa cells by HPV16 pseudovirus. Many retrograde transport factors were required for efficient infection, including multiple subunits of the retromer, which initiates retrograde transport from the endosome to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). The retromer has not been previously implicated in virus entry. Furthermore, HPV16 capsid proteins arrive in the TGN/Golgi in a retromer-dependent fashion during entry, and incoming HPV proteins form a stable complex with retromer subunits. We propose that HPV16 directly engages the retromer at the early or late endosome and traffics to the TGN/Golgi via the retrograde pathway during cell entry. These results provide important insights into HPV entry, identify numerous potential antiviral targets, and suggest that the role of the retromer in infection by other viruses should be assessed. PMID:23569269

Is the Use of Information and Communication Technology Associated With Aspects of Women's Primary Health Care in Brazil?

PubMed

Matta-Machado, Antônio Thomaz Gonzaga; de Lima, Ângela Maria L Dayrell; de Abreu, Daisy Maria Xavier; Araújo, Lucas Lobato; Sobrinho, Délcio Fonseca; Silva Lopes, Érica Araújo; Teixeira, Gabriel Henrique Silva; Dos Santos, Alaneir de Fátima

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is on the increase in the health systems, representing a means of improving the quality of health care. This study analyzed the ICT incorporation in primary care in Brazil and identified the different aspects that may be associated with better quality in the care provided, in relation to certain aspects of women's care. We noted an unevenness regarding ICT incorporation in Brazil. However, the findings indicate an association between ICT and certain aspects of the quality provided in women's health care, which reinforces the need for further studies on this type of evaluation.

Accuracy of Gradient Reconstruction on Grids with High Aspect Ratio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, James

2008-01-01

Gradient approximation methods commonly used in unstructured-grid finite-volume schemes intended for solutions of high Reynolds number flow equations are studied comprehensively. The accuracy of gradients within cells and within faces is evaluated systematically for both node-centered and cell-centered formulations. Computational and analytical evaluations are made on a series of high-aspect-ratio grids with different primal elements, including quadrilateral, triangular, and mixed element grids, with and without random perturbations to the mesh. Both rectangular and cylindrical geometries are considered; the latter serves to study the effects of geometric curvature. The study shows that the accuracy of gradient reconstruction on high-aspect-ratio grids is determined by a combination of the grid and the solution. The contributors to the error are identified and approaches to reduce errors are given, including the addition of higher-order terms in the direction of larger mesh spacing. A parameter GAMMA characterizing accuracy on curved high-aspect-ratio grids is discussed and an approximate-mapped-least-square method using a commonly-available distance function is presented; the method provides accurate gradient reconstruction on general grids. The study is intended to be a reference guide accompanying the construction of accurate and efficient methods for high Reynolds number applications

The importance of histopathological and clinical variables in predicting the evolution of colon cancer.

PubMed

Diculescu, Mircea; Iacob, Răzvan; Iacob, Speranţa; Croitoru, Adina; Becheanu, Gabriel; Popeneciu, Valentin

2002-09-01

It has been a consensus that prognostic factors should always be taken into account before planning treatment in colorectal cancer. A 5 year prospective study was conducted, in order to assess the importance of several histopathological and clinical prognostic variables in the prediction of evolution in colon cancer. Some of the factors included in the analysis are still subject to dispute by different authors. 46 of 53 screened patients qualified to enter the study and underwent a potentially curative resection of the tumor, followed, when necessary, by adjuvant chemotherapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out in order to identify independent prognostic indicators. The endpoint of the study was considered the recurrence of the tumor or the detection of metastases. 65.2% of the patients had a good evolution during the follow up period. Multivariate survival analysis performed by Cox proportional hazard model identified 3 independent prognostic factors: Dukes stage (p = 0.00002), the grade of differentiation (p = 0.0009) and the weight loss index, representing the weight loss of the patient divided by the number of months when it was actually lost (p = 0.02). Age under 40 years, sex, microscopic aspect of the tumor, tumor location, anemia degree were not identified by our analysis as having prognostic importance. Histopathological factors continue to be the most valuable source of information regarding the possible evolution of patients with colorectal cancer. Individual clinical symptoms or biological parameters such as erytrocyte sedimentation rate or hemoglobin level are of little or no prognostic value. More research is required relating to the impact of a performance status index (which could include also weight loss index) as another reliable prognostic variable.

The experimental research on electrodischarge drilling of high aspect ratio holes in Inconel 718

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipiec, Piotr; Machno, Magdalena; Skoczypiec, Sebastian

2018-05-01

In recent years the drilling operations become important area of electrodischarge machining (EDM) application. This especially concerns drilling of, small (D< 1mm), cylindrical and high-aspect ratio (L/D > 10) holes in difficult-to-cut materials (i.e. nickel or titanium alloys). Drilling of such a holes is significantly beyond mechanical drilling capabilities. Therefore electrodischarge machining is good and cost efficient alternative for such application. EDM gives possibility to drill accurate, burr free and high aspect ratio holes and is applicable to machine wide range of conductive materials, irrespective of their hardness and toughness. However it is worth to underline its main disadvantages such as: significant tool wear, low material removal rate and poor surface integrity. The last one is especially important in reliable applications in aircraft or medical industry.

AspectAssay: A Technique for Expanding the Pool of Available Aspect Mining Test Data Using Concern Seeding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, David G., Jr.

2013-01-01

Aspect-oriented software design (AOSD) enables better and more complete separation of concerns in software-intensive systems. By extracting aspect code and relegating crosscutting functionality to aspects, software engineers can improve the maintainability of their code by reducing code tangling and coupling of code concerns. Further, the number…

Aspects of physical medicine and rehabilitation in geriatrics.

PubMed

Pils, Katharina

2016-02-01

Specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation are important partners during the ageing process: health promotion and prevention for fit elderly people, training and rehabilitation for prefrail people and support for frail people focusing on usage of what is left and dignity in the latest period of life. The main focus is the relationship between IC diagnoses and functioning in everyday life based on the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). The diseases lead to possible treatments; functioning shows the importance of rehabilitative strategies in a team approach. Physiatrists are experts on this complex issue.The main goal of rehabilitative strategies during life course is to maintain function, improve quality of life and delay dependency and need of care.Three settings are chosen to show the different aspects of physical medicine and rehabilitation: health promotion and prevention, rehabilitation and palliative-rehabilitative procedures in long-term care. The non-pharmaceutical treatment of pain, the geriatric assessment, knowledge in discharge management and team communications are important skills.

Comparison of Gait Aspects According to FES Stimulation Position Applied to Stroke Patients

PubMed Central

Mun, Byeong-mu; Kim, Tae-ho; Lee, Jin-hwan; Lim, Jin-youg; Seo, Dong-kwon; Lee, Dong-jin

2014-01-01

[Purpose] This study sought to identify the gait aspects according to the FES stimulation position in stroke patients during gait training. [Subjects and Methods] To perform gait analysis, ten stroke patients were grouped based on 4 types of gait conditions: gait without FES stimulation (non-FES), gait with FES stimulation on the tibialis anterior (Ta), gait with FES stimulation on the tibialis anterior and quadriceps (TaQ), and gait with FES stimulation on the tibialis anterior and gluteus medius (TaGm). [Results] Based on repeated measures analysis of variance of measurements of gait aspects comprised of gait speed, gait cycle, and step length according to the FES stimulation position, the FES stimulation significantly affected gait aspects. [Conclusion] In conclusion, stimulating the tibialis anterior and quadriceps and stimulating the tibialis anterior and gluteus medius are much more effective than stimulating only the tibialis anterior during gait training in stroke patients using FES. PMID:24764634

Interactional aspects of care during hospitalization: perspectives of family caregivers of psychiatrically ill in a tertiary care setting in India.

PubMed

Dinakaran, P; Mehrotra, Seema; Bharath, Srikala

2014-12-01

There are very few studies on user-perspectives about mental health care services that explore perspectives of family caregivers in India. An exploratory study was undertaken to understand the perceived importance of various aspects of interactions with mental health service providers during hospitalization, from the perspectives of family caregivers. In addition, it also aimed at documenting their actual experience of interactional aspects of care during the hospitalization of their relatives. The study was conducted on fifty family caregivers of patients with varied psychiatric diagnoses hospitalized in a tertiary psychiatric care setting in South India. Measures of Interactional aspects of care were developed to assess perceived importance of six different interactional domains of care and the actual experience of care in these domains. Provision of informational inputs and addressing of concerns raised emerged as the domains of care given highest importance. The item pertaining to 'sharing with the caregiver about different alternatives for treatment' received negative ratings in terms of actual experience by maximum number of participants (18%). Significant differences on perceived importance of four domains of interactional aspects of care (dignity, confidentiality and fairness, addressing concerns raised, informational inputs and prompt attention and consistent care) emerged between caregiver subgroups based on educational level of the caregiver, socio-economic status, hospitalization history and broad diagnostic categories. In addition, the care givers of patients with psychoses assigned significantly more positive ratings on actual experience for all the domains of interactional aspects of care. The findings have implications for further research and practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying, studying and making good use of macromolecular crystals

PubMed Central

Calero, Guillermo; Cohen, Aina E.; Luft, Joseph R.; Newman, Janet; Snell, Edward H.

2014-01-01

Structural biology has contributed tremendous knowledge to the understanding of life on the molecular scale. The Protein Data Bank, a depository of this structural knowledge, currently contains over 100 000 protein structures, with the majority stemming from X-ray crystallography. As the name might suggest, crystallography requires crystals. As detectors become more sensitive and X-ray sources more intense, the notion of a crystal is gradually changing from one large enough to embellish expensive jewellery to objects that have external dimensions of the order of the wavelength of visible light. Identifying these crystals is a prerequisite to their study. This paper discusses developments in identifying these crystals during crystallization screening and distinguishing them from other potential outcomes. The practical aspects of ensuring that once a crystal is identified it can then be positioned in the X-ray beam for data collection are also addressed. PMID:25084371

A Group of Indonesian Adult EFL Students' Mastery of Tenses and Aspects: Investigating the Internal and External Factors of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muhlisin; Salikin, Hairus

2015-01-01

The study aimed, firstly, to assess a group of Indonesian adult EFL students' mastery of tenses and aspects as part of their mastery of English grammar and, secondly, to identify if their experience of going through the instructional processes, their perceptions of and habits in studying English grammar shaped their mastery of tenses and aspects.…

[Establishing and operating a human biobank. Ethical aspects].

PubMed

Jahns, Roland

2016-03-01

Particularly in the past decade which has been marked by efforts to foster individualized/personalized medicine the need for well-characterized high-quality collections of human biological material has significantly increased. When establishing and operating a human biobank the interests and the "freedom" of biomedical research must always be weighed against the interests and rights of patients and/or donors; in this process ethical aspects should be considered systematically. In addition, the importance of quality control and quality assurance has largely increased in human biobanking, both from a scientific and even more from an ethical point of view, because donated biological materials are potentially stored for decades and (on request) might serve for currently not foreseeable biomedical research purposes. In addition, the compatibility of national human biobanks with international biobank networks becomes increasingly important.

Aspect-Oriented Subprogram Synthesizes UML Sequence Diagrams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Matthew R.; Osborne, Richard N.

2006-01-01

The Rational Sequence computer program described elsewhere includes a subprogram that utilizes the capability for aspect-oriented programming when that capability is present. This subprogram is denoted the Rational Sequence (AspectJ) component because it uses AspectJ, which is an extension of the Java programming language that introduces aspect-oriented programming techniques into the language

Understanding How Grammatical Aspect Influences Legal Judgment

PubMed Central

Sherrill, Andrew M.; Eerland, Anita; Zwaan, Rolf A.; Magliano, Joseph P.

2015-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that grammatical aspect can bias how individuals perceive criminal intentionality during discourse comprehension. Given that criminal intentionality is a common criterion for legal definitions (e.g., first-degree murder), the present study explored whether grammatical aspect may also impact legal judgments. In a series of four experiments participants were provided with a legal definition and a description of a crime in which the grammatical aspect of provocation and murder events were manipulated. Participants were asked to make a decision (first- vs. second-degree murder) and then indicate factors that impacted their decision. Findings suggest that legal judgments can be affected by grammatical aspect but the most robust effects were limited to temporal dynamics (i.e., imperfective aspect results in more murder actions than perfective aspect), which may in turn influence other representational systems (i.e., number of murder actions positively predicts perceived intentionality). In addition, findings demonstrate that the influence of grammatical aspect on situation model construction and evaluation is dependent upon the larger linguistic and semantic context. Together, the results suggest grammatical aspect has indirect influences on legal judgments to the extent that variability in aspect changes the features of the situation model that align with criteria for making legal judgments. PMID:26496364

Investigating Conceptual, Procedural, and Intuitive Aspects of Area Measurement with Non-Square Area Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Amanda L.

2013-01-01

This dissertation reports the results of a qualitative research project on area measurement. The study utilized structured, task-based interviews with students to (a) investigate the ways students enumerate and structure two-dimensional space with a variety of area units; (b) identify conceptual, procedural, and intuitive aspects of area…

Identifying and analyzing the construction and effectiveness of offensive plays in basketball by using systematic observation.

PubMed

Fernandez, Jordi; Camerino, Oleguer; Anguera, M Teresa; Jonsson, Gudberg K

2009-08-01

In the field of sports research, there is a growing need for the rigorous collection of data that provide empirical evidence about the complex reality they refer to. Although sports psychology research has advanced considerably in recent years, in both extent and quality, one area of research that remains relatively unexplored is the dynamics of the sports group and the influence of the group on its members (George & Feltz, 1995; Widmeyer, Brawley, & Carron, 1992). Key aspects in this regard include the presence of regularities that are not detectable through visual inference or traditional methods of data analysis, the lack of standard observation instruments, and, assuming priority, the need to develop powerful, computerized coding systems, all of which must form part of an approach that is suitable for natural and habitual contexts. The present study is part of a broader research project concerning ACB teams (first Spanish basketball division) and considers the interaction context before teams try to score (where this is understood as how teams create scoring opportunities) as the core aspect that links team play. This investigation proposes a new model of analysis for studying the effectiveness and construction of offensive basketball plays in order to identify their outcomes, thus providing coaches with an important device for improving or consolidating them.

Legal, ethical and professional aspects of duty of care for nurses.

PubMed

Dowie, Iwan

2017-12-13

Duty of care is a fundamental aspect of nursing, and many nurses consider this to be an important part of their professional duties as a nurse. However, the legal underpinnings of duty of care are often overlooked, and, as such, nurses may be unsure about when to act if they encounter emergency situations or serious incidents, especially when they are off duty. This article examines the legal, ethical and professional aspects of duty of care, what these mean for nurses in practice, and how duty of care is intrinsically linked with standards of care and negligence. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

New epidemiological aspects of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Taza, Morocco.

PubMed

Hakkour, Maryam; Hmamouch, Asmae; El Alem, Mohamed Mahmoud; Rhalem, Abdelkbir; Amarir, Fatima; Touzani, Mohamed; Sadak, Abderrahim; Fellah, Hajiba; Sebti, Faiza

2016-11-29

Leishmaniasis is considered among the main endemic diseases in Morocco. However, further knowledge about epidemiological aspects of this disease is needed in several provinces to plan control and preventive strategies to tackle the disease. The present study aims to determine the epidemiological aspect of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in Taza Province from 2007-2014 and to identify the circulating species in this province. The temporal study from 2007 to 2014 showed that the number of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases increased since 2010. During the period of study, most leishmaniasis cases were detected in both urban and rural areas with 34% of cases detected in two urban localities, Bab Zitouna and Bab tété with 297 and 106 cases, respectively. The molecular study of cutaneous leishmaniasis showed the presence of non-sporadic Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica in this province. Regarding visceral leishmaniasis, Leishmania infantum is the species that has been identified. The epidemio-molecular study of leishmaniasis in Taza Province showed the coexistence of two species of Leishmania in the same foci. They also indicated that CL due to Leishmania infantum is more prevalent than reported in the literature. These results will be helpful for the implementation of control strategies by targeting dogs that constitute a reservoir of Leishmania infantum.

Tense or Aspect?: Effects of L1 Tense/Aspect Prominence in L2 Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinovic-Zic, Aida

2009-01-01

This study introduces a typological model of the "conceptual language-specific approach" to the L2 research on the acquisition of tense-aspect. The model is based on the typological notion of prominence, classifying languages into tense-prominent and aspect-prominent (Bhat 1999) and the L1 research proposal that language-specific…

Strategic and tactical aspect of the relations between the participants of ICP in high-rise construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, Maksim; Matys, Elena; Kopytova, Anna

2018-03-01

Outlined the main trends in the development of the construction sector in the Russian Federation at the present stage of its development are identified problems and shortcomings of current investment in the construction industry. It is proved that to consider the investment and construction process should be in terms of the strategic and tactical aspects. It was established that, on the basis of the spirit and the participants of investment and construction process, the strategic aspect it should be focused primarily on the formation of financial resources (through various mechanisms) and to attract investors. A tactical aspect of the investment and construction process is focused on the choice of organizational form of the project and the rational use of resources generated by the investment in construction.

[Clinical aspects of witchcraft delusions].

PubMed

Pashkovskiĭ, V E

2005-01-01

To distinguish clinical variants and to specify nosologic entity of witchcraft delusions, 69 patients (10 males, aged 15-72 years) have been examined. It was found that witchcraft delusions exist in passive and active forms. In a passive form, the patient is sure that unknown (mystic) power damaged him/her; in an active form the patient, possessing a gift for unusual abilities, can influence the others (bewitches, heals, etc). Five clinical syndromes, in the structure of which the above delusions were found, namely, paranoiac-hypochondriac, hallucination-paranoid, depressive-paranoid, paraphrenic and delirious, were identified. Psychoses of schizophrenia spectrum were diagnosed in 52 patients, organic--in 8, alcoholic--in 7 and recurrent depressive disorder--in 2. Clinical significance of witchcraft delusions is closely related to its social aspect. Being combined with ideas of persecution, poisoning and damage, it results in the brutal forms of delusions defense and may be considered as an unfavorable prognostic trait.

Physical aspects of computing the flow of a viscous fluid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehta, U. B.

1984-01-01

One of the main themes in fluid dynamics at present and in the future is going to be computational fluid dynamics with the primary focus on the determination of drag, flow separation, vortex flows, and unsteady flows. A computation of the flow of a viscous fluid requires an understanding and consideration of the physical aspects of the flow. This is done by identifying the flow regimes and the scales of fluid motion, and the sources of vorticity. Discussions of flow regimes deal with conditions of incompressibility, transitional and turbulent flows, Navier-Stokes and non-Navier-Stokes regimes, shock waves, and strain fields. Discussions of the scales of fluid motion consider transitional and turbulent flows, thin- and slender-shear layers, triple- and four-deck regions, viscous-inviscid interactions, shock waves, strain rates, and temporal scales. In addition, the significance and generation of vorticity are discussed. These physical aspects mainly guide computations of the flow of a viscous fluid.

Identifying, protecting and restoring fine-scale thermal heterogeneity in Oregon coastal streams

EPA Science Inventory

The functional role of thermal heterogeneity to fish in warm streams has been well recognized in the scientific literature, and is increasingly invoked as an important aspect of biodiversity conservation. Water temperature standards designed to protect cold-water taxa are also be...

Using patients’ experiences to identify priorities for quality improvement in breast cancer care: patient narratives, surveys or both?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Patients’ experiences have become central to assessing the performance of healthcare systems worldwide and are increasingly being used to inform quality improvement processes. This paper explores the relative value of surveys and detailed patient narratives in identifying priorities for improving breast cancer services as part of a quality improvement process. Methods One dataset was collected using a narrative interview approach, (n = 13) and the other using a postal survey (n = 82). Datasets were analyzed separately and then compared to determine whether similar priorities for improving patient experiences were identified. Results There were both similarities and differences in the improvement priorities arising from each approach. Day surgery was specifically identified as a priority in the narrative dataset but included in the survey recommendations only as part of a broader priority around improving inpatient experience. Both datasets identified appointment systems, patients spending enough time with staff, information about treatment and side effects and more information at the end of treatment as priorities. The specific priorities identified by the narrative interviews commonly related to ‘relational’ aspects of patient experience. Those identified by the survey typically related to more ‘functional’ aspects and were not always sufficiently detailed to identify specific improvement actions. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that whilst local survey data may act as a screening tool to identify potential problems within the breast cancer service, they do not always provide sufficient detail of what to do to improve that service. These findings may have wider applicability in other services. We recommend using an initial preliminary survey, with better use of survey open comments, followed by an in-depth qualitative analysis to help deliver improvements to relational and functional aspects of patient experience. PMID:22913525

Psychopathological aspects of kidney transplantation: Efficacy of a multidisciplinary team

PubMed Central

De Pasquale, Concetta; Veroux, Massimiliano; Indelicato, Luisa; Sinagra, Nunzia; Giaquinta, Alessia; Fornaro, Michele; Veroux, Pierfrancesco; Pistorio, Maria L

2014-01-01

Renal transplantation is a well established treatment for end-stage renal disease, allowing most patients to return to a satisfactory quality of life. Studies have identified many problems that may affect adaptation to the transplanted condition and post-operative compliance. The psychological implications of transplantation have important consequences even on strictly physical aspects. Organ transplantation is very challenging for the patient and acts as an intense stressor stimulus to which the patient reacts with neurotransmitter and endocrine-metabolic changes. Transplantation can result in a psychosomatic crisis that requires the patient to mobilize all bio-psycho-social resources during the process of adaptation to the new foreign organ which may result in an alteration in self-representation and identity, with possible psychopathologic repercussions. These reactions are feasible in mental disorders, e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and psychosomatic disorders. In organ transplantation, the fruitful collaboration between professionals with diverse scientific expertise, calls for both a guarantee for mental health and greater effectiveness in challenging treatments for a viable association between patients, family members and doctors. Integrated and multidisciplinary care should include uniform criteria and procedures for standard assessments, for patient autonomy, adherence to therapy, new coping strategies and the adoption of more appropriate lifestyles. PMID:25540735

Parallel Aspects of the Microenvironment in Cancer and Autoimmune Disease

PubMed Central

Rahat, Michal A.

2016-01-01

Cancer and autoimmune diseases are fundamentally different pathological conditions. In cancer, the immune response is suppressed and unable to eradicate the transformed self-cells, while in autoimmune diseases it is hyperactivated against a self-antigen, leading to tissue injury. Yet, mechanistically, similarities in the triggering of the immune responses can be observed. In this review, we highlight some parallel aspects of the microenvironment in cancer and autoimmune diseases, especially hypoxia, and the role of macrophages, neutrophils, and their interaction. Macrophages, owing to their plastic mode of activation, can generate a pro- or antitumoral microenvironment. Similarly, in autoimmune diseases, macrophages tip the Th1/Th2 balance via various effector cytokines. The contribution of neutrophils, an additional plastic innate immune cell population, to the microenvironment and disease progression is recently gaining more prominence in both cancer and autoimmune diseases, as they can secrete cytokines, chemokines, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as acquire an enhanced ability to produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that are now considered important initiators of autoimmune diseases. Understanding the contribution of macrophages and neutrophils to the cancerous or autoimmune microenvironment, as well as the role their interaction and cooperation play, may help identify new targets and improve therapeutic strategies. PMID:26997761

[Oppositional defiant disorder: aspects related to sex differences and informant].

PubMed

Cardo, E; Meisel, V; García-Banda, G; Palmer, C; Riutort, L; Bernad, M; Servera, M

2009-02-27

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of the most common externalizing disorders in childhood. ODD prevalence global rates vary from 2% to 16%. Along with conduct disorder and attention deficit disorder, ODD is one of the leading reasons for referral to neuropediatric and psychiatric services. Even though ODD has recognized clinical importance, key aspects of its conceptualization and prevalence in childhood and adolescence remain uncertain. We examine previous research findings of ODD prevalence and analyze sex differences and differences according to informants. ODD prevalence rates present high variability. A number of studies suggest that ODD is more common in boys than in girls. Nevertheless, some authors point that this sex differences may be due to methodological bias. We recommend the validation of an ODD scale that has into consideration the following aspects: level of the subject's development (age), gender and environment.

Operational and design aspects of accelerators for medical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schippers, Jacobus Maarten; Seidel, Mike

2015-03-01

Originally, the typical particle accelerators as well as their associated beam transport equipment were designed for particle and nuclear physics research and applications in isotope production. In the past few decades, such accelerators and related equipment have also been applied for medical use. This can be in the original physics laboratory environment, but for the past 20 years also in hospital-based or purely clinical environments for particle therapy. The most important specific requirements of accelerators for radiation therapy with protons or ions will be discussed. The focus will be on accelerator design, operational, and formal aspects. We will discuss the special requirements to reach a high reliability for patient treatments as well as an accurate delivery of the dose at the correct position in the patient using modern techniques like pencil beam scanning. It will be shown that the technical requirements, safety aspects, and required reliability of the accelerated beam differ substantially from those in a nuclear physics laboratory. It will be shown that this difference has significant implications on the safety and interlock systems. The operation of such a medical facility should be possible by nonaccelerator specialists at different operating sites (treatment rooms). The organization and role of the control and interlock systems can be considered as being the most crucially important issue, and therefore a special, dedicated design is absolutely necessary in a facility providing particle therapy.

Young People's Satisfaction with Residential Care: Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses in Service Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southwell, Jenni; Fraser, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

This paper presents findings from a landmark Australian study investigating the experiences and perspectives of young people in residential care. Data from a representative sample are analyzed to identify young people's satisfaction with various aspects of their residential care experience: their sense of safety, normality, support, comfort in…

[Cruciate ligament injuries under gender aspects].

PubMed

Grabau, D E; Vitzthum, K; Mache, S; Groneberg, D A; Quarcoo, D

2011-12-01

An injury of cruciate ligament is one the most common knee injuries. This accident happens mostly without external impact and towards the end of training and competition sessions. Women, especially athletes playing team sports ball games such as soccer or disciplines such as tennis, are affected 2 to 8 times more often than men. Anatomic, biomechanical and endocrinological differences are currently discussed as potential risk factors. In terms of prevention, biomechanical impact is of greatest importance given its influenceability through various training opportunities. Training programs including endurance aspects, strengthening knee musculature, balance as well as plyometric trainings were most effective. Further studies should focus more on concomitants of course of injuries. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Towards aspect-oriented functional--structural plant modelling.

PubMed

Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Hanan, Jim

2011-10-01

Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) are used to integrate knowledge and test hypotheses of plant behaviour, and to aid in the development of decision support systems. A significant amount of effort is being put into providing a sound methodology for building them. Standard techniques, such as procedural or object-oriented programming, are not suited for clearly separating aspects of plant function that criss-cross between different components of plant structure, which makes it difficult to reuse and share their implementations. The aim of this paper is to present an aspect-oriented programming approach that helps to overcome this difficulty. The L-system-based plant modelling language L+C was used to develop an aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling based on multi-modules. Each element of the plant structure was represented by a sequence of L-system modules (rather than a single module), with each module representing an aspect of the element's function. Separate sets of productions were used for modelling each aspect, with context-sensitive rules facilitated by local lists of modules to consider/ignore. Aspect weaving or communication between aspects was made possible through the use of pseudo-L-systems, where the strict-predecessor of a production rule was specified as a multi-module. The new approach was used to integrate previously modelled aspects of carbon dynamics, apical dominance and biomechanics with a model of a developing kiwifruit shoot. These aspects were specified independently and their implementation was based on source code provided by the original authors without major changes. This new aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling is well suited for studying complex phenomena in plant science, because it can be used to integrate separate models of individual aspects of plant development and function, both previously constructed and new, into clearly organized, comprehensive FSPMs. In a future work, this approach could be further

Towards aspect-oriented functional–structural plant modelling

PubMed Central

Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N.; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Hanan, Jim

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Functional–structural plant models (FSPMs) are used to integrate knowledge and test hypotheses of plant behaviour, and to aid in the development of decision support systems. A significant amount of effort is being put into providing a sound methodology for building them. Standard techniques, such as procedural or object-oriented programming, are not suited for clearly separating aspects of plant function that criss-cross between different components of plant structure, which makes it difficult to reuse and share their implementations. The aim of this paper is to present an aspect-oriented programming approach that helps to overcome this difficulty. Methods The L-system-based plant modelling language L+C was used to develop an aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling based on multi-modules. Each element of the plant structure was represented by a sequence of L-system modules (rather than a single module), with each module representing an aspect of the element's function. Separate sets of productions were used for modelling each aspect, with context-sensitive rules facilitated by local lists of modules to consider/ignore. Aspect weaving or communication between aspects was made possible through the use of pseudo-L-systems, where the strict-predecessor of a production rule was specified as a multi-module. Key Results The new approach was used to integrate previously modelled aspects of carbon dynamics, apical dominance and biomechanics with a model of a developing kiwifruit shoot. These aspects were specified independently and their implementation was based on source code provided by the original authors without major changes. Conclusions This new aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling is well suited for studying complex phenomena in plant science, because it can be used to integrate separate models of individual aspects of plant development and function, both previously constructed and new, into clearly organized, comprehensive FSPMs. In

Supporting the Breastfeeding Relationship during Child Care: Why Is It Important?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Sandra L.

1995-01-01

Suggests that, considering the many benefits to mothers, babies, and caregivers, maintaining the breastfeeding relationship is an important aspect of quality child care. Provides an extended list of breastfeeding advantages. Proposes that care providers should fully realize the positive difference breastfeeding can make, encourage mothers' choice…

Linking the salt transcriptome with physiological responses of a salt-resistant Populus species as a strategy to identify genes important for stress acclimation.

PubMed

Brinker, Monika; Brosché, Mikael; Vinocur, Basia; Abo-Ogiala, Atef; Fayyaz, Payam; Janz, Dennis; Ottow, Eric A; Cullmann, Andreas D; Saborowski, Joachim; Kangasjärvi, Jaakko; Altman, Arie; Polle, Andrea

2010-12-01

To investigate early salt acclimation mechanisms in a salt-tolerant poplar species (Populus euphratica), the kinetics of molecular, metabolic, and physiological changes during a 24-h salt exposure were measured. Three distinct phases of salt stress were identified by analyses of the osmotic pressure and the shoot water potential: dehydration, salt accumulation, and osmotic restoration associated with ionic stress. The duration and intensity of these phases differed between leaves and roots. Transcriptome analysis using P. euphratica-specific microarrays revealed clusters of coexpressed genes in these phases, with only 3% overlapping salt-responsive genes in leaves and roots. Acclimation of cellular metabolism to high salt concentrations involved remodeling of amino acid and protein biosynthesis and increased expression of molecular chaperones (dehydrins, osmotin). Leaves suffered initially from dehydration, which resulted in changes in transcript levels of mitochondrial and photosynthetic genes, indicating adjustment of energy metabolism. Initially, decreases in stress-related genes were found, whereas increases occurred only when leaves had restored the osmotic balance by salt accumulation. Comparative in silico analysis of the poplar stress regulon with Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) orthologs was used as a strategy to reduce the number of candidate genes for functional analysis. Analysis of Arabidopsis knockout lines identified a lipocalin-like gene (AtTIL) and a gene encoding a protein with previously unknown functions (AtSIS) to play roles in salt tolerance. In conclusion, by dissecting the stress transcriptome of tolerant species, novel genes important for salt endurance can be identified.

Understanding the P×S Aspect of Within-Person Variation: A Variance Partitioning Approach

PubMed Central

Lakey, Brian

2016-01-01

This article reviews a variance partitioning approach to within-person variation based on Generalizability Theory and the Social Relations Model. The approach conceptualizes an important part of within-person variation as Person × Situation (P×S) interactions: differences among persons in their profiles of responses across the same situations. The approach provided the first quantitative method for capturing within-person variation and demonstrated very large P×S effects for a wide range of constructs. These include anxiety, five-factor personality traits, perceived social support, leadership, and task performance. Although P×S effects are commonly very large, conceptual, and analytic obstacles have thwarted consistent progress. For example, how does one develop a psychological, versus purely statistical, understanding of P×S effects? How does one forecast future behavior when the criterion is a P×S effect? How can understanding P×S effects contribute to psychological theory? This review describes potential solutions to these and other problems developed in the course of conducting research on the P×S aspect of social support. Additional problems that need resolution are identified. PMID:26858661

[Research advances in identifying nitrate pollution sources of water environment by using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes].

PubMed

Mao, Wei; Liang, Zhi-wei; Li, Wei; Zhu, Yao; Yanng, Mu-yi; Jia, Chao-jie

2013-04-01

Water body' s nitrate pollution has become a common and severe environmental problem. In order to ensure human health and water environment benign evolution, it is of great importance to effectively identify the nitrate pollution sources of water body. Because of the discrepant composition of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in different sources of nitrate in water body, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes can be used to identify the nitrate pollution sources of water environment. This paper introduced the fractionation factors of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in the main processes of nitrogen cycling and the composition of these stable isotopes in main nitrate sources, compared the advantages and disadvantages of five pre-treatment methods for analyzing the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate, and summarized the research advances in this aspect into three stages, i. e. , using nitrogen stable isotope alone, using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes simultaneously, and combining with mathematical models. The future research directions regarding the nitrate pollution sources identification of water environment were also discussed.

Tic Tac TOE: Effects of Predictability and Importance on Acoustic Prominence in Language Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Duane G.; Arnold, Jennifer E.; Tanenhaus, Michael K.

2008-01-01

Importance and predictability each have been argued to contribute to acoustic prominence. To investigate whether these factors are independent or two aspects of the same phenomenon, naive participants played a verbal variant of Tic Tac Toe. Both importance and predictability contributed independently to the acoustic prominence of a word, but in…

Cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Hofmann, Stefan G; Hinton, Devon E

2014-06-01

A person's cultural background influences the experience and expression of emotions. In reviewing the recent literature on cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders, we identified some culturally related ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors (the culture's conceptualizations of how the mind and body function) and contextual factors that influence anxiety disorders. Ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors include the person's ideas about the mental and bodily processes (and their interaction), whereas contextual factors are associated with the social norms and rules that may contribute to anxiety, including individualism vs. collectivism and self-construals. From the perspective of ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology and contextual factors, we will discuss "khyâl cap" ("wind attacks"), taijin kyofusho, and ataques de nervios, three prominent examples of culture-specific expressions of anxiety disorders that have all been included in the DSM-5 list of cultural concepts of distress.

Cross-Cultural Aspects of Anxiety Disorders

PubMed Central

Hofmann, Stefan G.; Hinton, Devon E.

2014-01-01

A person’s cultural background influences the experience and expression of emotions. In reviewing the recent literature on cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders, we identified some culturally related ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors (the culture’s conceptualizations of how the mind and body function) and contextual factors that influence anxiety disorders. Ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors include the person’s ideas about the mental and bodily processes (and their interaction), whereas contextual factors are associated with the social norms and rules that may contribute to anxiety, including individualism vs. collectivism and self-construals. From the perspective of ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology and contextual factors, we will discuss “khyâl cap” (“wind attacks”), taijin kyofusho, and ataques de nervios, three prominent examples of culture-specific expressions of anxiety disorders that have all been included in the DSM-5 list of cultural concepts of distress, PMID:24744049

Cultural affiliation and the importance of health care attributes. Marketers can develop segmentation strategies for targeted patient groups.

PubMed

Dolinsky, A L; Stinerock, R

1998-01-01

Culturally based values are known to influence consumer purchase decisions, but little is known about how those values affect health care choices. To rectify that situation and provide health care marketers with a framework for developing culturally based segmentation strategies, the authors undertook an exploratory research project in which Hispanic-, African-, and Anglo-Americans were asked to rate the importance of 16 different health care attributes. Those attributes can be grouped under five categories: quality of physician, quality of nurses and other medical staff, economic issues, access to health care, and nonmedically related experiential aspects. Survey responses identified distinct differences in the importance attached to the various attributes by the three cultural groups. The study also looks at the impact of six demographic and social characteristics on the evaluations made by each cultural group. Those characteristics are educational level, gender, age, health status, marital status, and number of people living in the household.

Ethical aspects of tissue engineering: a review.

PubMed

de Vries, Rob B M; Oerlemans, Anke; Trommelmans, Leen; Dierickx, Kris; Gordijn, Bert

2008-12-01

Tissue engineering (TE) is a promising new field of medical technology. However, like other new technologies, it is not free of ethical challenges. Identifying these ethical questions at an early stage is not only part of science's responsibility toward society, but also in the interest of the field itself. In this review, we map which ethical issues related to TE have already been documented in the scientific literature. The issues that turn out to dominate the debate are the use of human embryonic stem cells and therapeutic cloning. Nevertheless, a variety of other ethical aspects are mentioned, which relate to different phases in the development of the field. In addition, we discuss a number of ethical issues that have not yet been raised in the literature.

Aspects of science engagement, student background, and school characteristics: Impacts on science achievement of U.S. students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabau, Larry J.

and hands-on activities). Focused implementation of these research findings could enhance both science engagement and science achievement of U.S. students. I identified five keylimitations of my research project: the age of the dataset, the lack of racial/ethnic identifiers, the low proportion of student-level variance accounted for by multilevel models with aspects of science engagement as outcome variables, the lack of class-level measures, and the lack of inclusion of students' epistemological and fixed/flexible beliefs. These limitations provide opportunities for further investigations into these critical issues in science education.

Aspectual asymmetries in the mental representation of events: Role of lexical and grammatical aspect.

PubMed

Yap, Foong Ha; Chu, Patrick Chun Kau; Yiu, Emily Sze Man; Wong, Stella Fay; Kwan, Stella Wing Man; Matthews, Stephen; Tan, Li Hai; Li, Ping; Shirai, Yasuhiro

2009-07-01

Temporal information is important in the construction of situation models, and many languages make use of perfective and imperfective aspect markers to distinguish between completed situations (e.g., He made a cake) and ongoing situations (e.g., He is making a cake). Previous studies in which the effect of grammatical aspect has been examined have shown that perfective sentences are often processed more quickly than imperfective ones (e.g., Chan, Yap, Shirai, & Matthews, 2004; Madden & Zwaan, 2003; Yap et al., 2004; Yap et al., 2006). However, these studies used only accomplishment verbs (i.e., verbs with an inherent endpoint, such as bake a cake). The present study on the processing of Cantonese includes activity verbs (i.e., durative verbs with no inherent endpoint, such as play the piano), and the results indicate a strong interaction between lexical aspect (i.e., verb type) and grammatical aspect. That is, perfective sentences were processed more quickly with accomplishment verbs, consistent with previous findings, but imperfective sentences were processed more quickly with activity verbs. We suggest that these different aspectual asymmetries emerge as a result of the inherent associations between accomplishment verbs and the bounded features of perfective aspect and between activity verbs and the unbounded features of imperfective aspect. The sentence stimuli from this study may be downloaded from mc.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

The temporal aspect of the drake equation and SETI.

PubMed

Cirković, Milan M

2004-01-01

We critically investigate some evolutionary aspects of the famous Drake equation, which is usually presented as the central guide for research on extraterrestrial intelligence. It is shown that the Drake equation tacitly relies on unverified assumptions on both the physicochemical history of our galaxy and the properties of advanced intelligent communities. In this manner, the conventional approach fails to take into account various evolutionary processes forming prerequisites for quantification of the Drake equation parameters. The importance of recent results of Lineweaver and collaborators on chemical build-up of inhabitable planets for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is emphasized. Two important evolutionary effects are briefly discussed, and the resolution of the difficulties within the context of the phase-transition astrobiological models is sketched.

Unravelling positive aspects of caregiving in dementia: An integrative review of research literature.

PubMed

Yu, Doris S F; Cheng, Sheung-Tak; Wang, Jungfang

2018-03-01

Family caregiving is the crucial informal care resource to lessen the burdens associated with dementia. Research in this field has focused on reducing the caregiver's burden, but little attention has been given to promoting the positive aspects of caregiving. To conduct a systematic critical review of research on the nature of positive aspects of caregiving, and the factors predicting this phenomenon among family caregivers of dementia patients, with the ultimate purpose of gaining insights to explain how and why it emerges. A systematic search of the literature was undertaken in the databases OvidMedline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus, using the keywords 'care* AND Alzheimer OR dementia AND 'positive aspect' OR 'positive experience' OR 'positive perceptions' OR reward OR gain OR 'satisfaction with care*' OR 'care* satisfaction' OR benefit OR uplift OR meaning OR enjoyment OR pleasure OR growth OR hope OR gratification. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists for qualitative and cohort studies were used to evaluate data quality. Narrative data synthesis was undertaken using the five-stage Whittermore and Knafl method. A total of 3862 articles were identified, of which 41 were included in this review. The key findings are that positive aspects of caregiving among family caregivers of dementia patients form a multi-dimensional construct which covers four key domains: a sense of personal accomplishment and gratification, feelings of mutuality in a dyadic relationship, an increase of family cohesion and functionality, and a sense of personal growth and purpose in life. By integrating the findings about the nature and conditions predicting positive aspects of caregiving, the presence of three conditions was identified as promoting the emergence of such qualities i) personal and social affirmation of role fulfilment, ii) effective cognitive emotional regulation and iii) contexts which favour finding meaning in the caregiving process. The findings

An evaluation of patient attitudes to colonoscopy and the importance of endoscopist interaction and the endoscopy environment to satisfaction and value.

PubMed

McEntire, Jude; Sahota, Jagdeep; Hydes, Theresa; Trebble, Timothy Mark

2013-03-01

Understanding patients' attitudes to their medical experience is essential for identifying value in the patient pathway, optimizing care and use of resources. This service evaluation was undertaken to determine patients' preferences and expectations for day case colonoscopy, a common gastrointestinal procedure for which there is limited such data. Patients attending for elective colonoscopy were invited to complete a composite, validated dedicated endoscopy questionnaire, with Likert-scale questions and a 15-point preference (ranking) scale of domains of endoscopy care that were considered most important (1) to least important (15) as contributing to a satisfactory experience. Two hundred and sixteen out of 224 patients returned questionnaires. Moderate to severe anxiety was recorded in 56% of patients, commonly with respect to anticipation of pain or the results of the procedure. The median values for ranked preference scores consistent with greatest importance for satisfaction were technical skill of the endoscopist (1), discomfort during the procedure (4), and manner of the endoscopist (5). Factors considered of relatively low importance included the single-sex environment (15) (although this was more important to female patients), noise levels (13), and explanation of delay (11). Only 14% of patients responded that they would be prepared to delay an appointment for a single-sex environment. Patients undergoing colonoscopy highly prioritize aspects of care relating to the interaction with the endoscopist and the procedure itself. Environment factors are considered to be less important. These findings may assist in service redesign around patient-identified value within the patient pathway.

Palliative care for patients with cancer: do patients receive the care they consider important? A survey study.

PubMed

Heins, Marianne; Hofstede, Jolien; Rijken, Mieke; Korevaar, Joke; Donker, Gé; Francke, Anneke

2018-04-17

In many countries, GPs and home care nurses are involved in care for patients with advanced cancer. Given the varied and complex needs of these patients, providing satisfactory care is a major challenge for them. We therefore aimed to study which aspects of care patients, GPs and home care nurses consider important and whether patients receive these aspects. Seventy-two Dutch patients with advanced cancer, 87 GPs and 26 home care nurses rated the importance of support when experiencing symptoms, respect for patients' autonomy and information provision. Patients also rated whether they received these aspects. Questionnaires were based on the CQ index palliative care. Almost all patients rated information provision and respect for their autonomy as important. The majority also rated support when suffering from specific symptoms as important, especially support when in pain. In general, patients received the care they considered important. However, 49% of those who considered it important to receive support when suffering from fatigue and 23% of those who wanted to receive information on the expected course of their illness did not receive this or only did so sometimes. For most patients with advanced cancer, the palliative care that they receive matches what they consider important. Support for patients experiencing fatigue may need more attention. When symptoms are difficult to control, GPs and nurses may still provide emotional support and practical advice. Furthermore, we recommend that GPs discuss patients' need for information about the expected course of their illness.

Importance-Performance Analysis of Personal Health Records in Taiwan: A Web-Based Survey.

PubMed

Rau, Hsiao-Hsien; Wu, Yi-Syuan; Chu, Chi-Ming; Wang, Fu-Chung; Hsu, Min-Huei; Chang, Chi-Wen; Chen, Kang-Hua; Lee, Yen-Liang; Kao, Senyeong; Chiu, Yu-Lung; Wen, Hsyien-Chia; Fuad, Anis; Hsu, Chien-Yeh; Chiu, Hung-Wen

2017-04-27

Empowering personal health records (PHRs) provides basic human right, awareness, and intention for health promotion. As health care delivery changes toward patient-centered services, PHRs become an indispensable platform for consumers and providers. Recently, the government introduced "My health bank," a Web-based electronic medical records (EMRs) repository for consumers. However, it is not yet a PHR. To date, we do not have a platform that can let patients manage their own PHR. This study creates a vision of a value-added platform for personal health data analysis and manages their health record based on the contents of the "My health bank." This study aimed to examine consumer expectation regarding PHR, using the importance-performance analysis. The purpose of this study was to explore consumer perception regarding this type of a platform: it would try to identify the key success factors and important aspects by using the importance-performance analysis, and give some suggestions for future development based on it. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Taiwan. Web-based invitation to participate in this study was distributed through Facebook. Respondents were asked to watch an introductory movie regarding PHR before filling in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was focused on 2 aspects, including (1) system functions, and (2) system design and security and privacy. The questionnaire would employ 12 and 7 questions respectively. The questionnaire was designed following 5-points Likert scale ranging from 1 ("disagree strongly") to 5 ("Agree strongly"). Afterwards, the questionnaire data was sorted using IBM SPSS Statistics 21 for descriptive statistics and the importance-performance analysis. This research received 350 valid questionnaires. Most respondents were female (219 of 350 participants, 62.6%), 21-30 years old (238 of 350 participants, 68.0%), with a university degree (228 of 350 participants, 65.1%). They were still students (195 out of 350

Cultural and historical aspects of Mediterranean nuts with emphasis on their attributed healthy and nutritional properties.

PubMed

Salas-Salvadó, J; Casas-Agustench, P; Salas-Huetos, A

2011-06-01

Nuts have been part of the human diet since prehistoric times. The aim of the present article is to describe the most important historical and cultural aspects of nut consumption throughout history. We discuss the following historical aspects of nuts originating in the Mediterranean: prehistory, the Egyptian civilization, their spread through the Mediterranean region by the Greek, Phoenician and Roman civilizations, and their reintroduction into Europe by means of the Al-Andalus culture. Particular emphasis is placed on the healthy and nutritional attributes that nuts have had throughout history. We also consider the role of the first globalization of food--the exchange of nuts between continents--and discuss the symbolism that nuts have had for humans throughout history in the context of cultural aspects of the Mediterranean region. Nuts and fruits are probably the earliest foods consumed by humans and are considered to be important because of their nutritional properties. Nuts have also been used in the past by different civilizations as drugs to prevent or treat several diseases. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Domain-Specific Aspects of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Music Education and the Importance of Affect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macrides, Elena; Angeli, Charoula

2018-01-01

The present study addresses the lack of a theoretical framework for the integration of technology in music teaching and learning, and explores, within the framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), the importance of affect in the instructional design of music lessons. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to extend the…

Seasonal spatial patterns in seabird and marine mammal distribution in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort seas: Identifying biologically important pelagic areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuletz, Kathy J.; Ferguson, Megan C.; Hurley, Brendan; Gall, Adrian E.; Labunski, Elizabeth A.; Morgan, Tawna C.

2015-08-01

The Chukchi and Beaufort seas are undergoing rapid climate change and increased human activity. Conservation efforts for upper trophic level predators such as seabirds and marine mammals require information on species' distributions and identification of important marine areas. Here we describe broad-scale distributions of seabirds and marine mammals. We examined spatial patterns of relative abundance of seabirds and marine mammals in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort seas during summer (15 June-31 August) and fall (1 September-20 November) from 2007 to 2012. We summarized 49,206 km of shipboard surveys for seabirds and 183,157 km of aerial surveys for marine mammals into a grid of 40-km × 40-km cells. We used Getis-Ord Gi∗ hotspot analysis to test for cells with higher relative abundance than expected when compared to all cells within the study area. We identified cells representing single species and taxonomic group hotspots, cells representing hotspots for multiple species, and cells representing hotspots for both seabirds and marine mammals. The locations of hotspots varied among species but often were located near underwater canyons or over continental shelf features and slopes. Hotspots for seabirds, walrus, and gray whales occurred primarily in the Chukchi Sea. Hotspots for bowhead whales and other pinnipeds (i.e., seals) occurred near Barrow Canyon and along the Beaufort Sea shelf and slope. Hotspots for belugas occurred in both the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. There were three hotspots shared by both seabirds and marine mammals in summer: off Wainwright in the eastern Chukchi Sea, south of Hanna Shoal, and at the mouth of Barrow Canyon. In fall, the only identified shared hotspot occurred at the mouth of Barrow Canyon. Shared hotspots are characterized by strong fronts caused by upwelling and currents, and these areas can have high densities of euphausiids in summer and fall. Due to the high relative abundance of animals and diversity of taxa

Phenomenological aspects of the cognitive rumination construct.

PubMed

Meyer, Leonardo Fernandez; Taborda, José Geraldo Vernet; da Costa, Fábio Antônio; Soares, Ana Luiza Alfaya Galego; Mecler, Kátia; Valença, Alexandre Martins

2015-01-01

To evaluate the importance of phenomenological aspects of the cognitive rumination (CR) construct in current empirical psychiatric research. We searched SciELO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, OneFile (GALE), SpringerLink, Cambridge Journals and Web of Science between February and March of 2014 for studies whose title and topic included the following keywords: cognitive rumination; rumination response scale; and self-reflection. The inclusion criteria were: empirical clinical study; CR as the main object of investigation; and study that included a conceptual definition of CR. The studies selected were published in English in biomedical journals in the last 10 years. Our phenomenological analysis was based on Karl Jaspers' General Psychopathology. Most current empirical studies adopt phenomenological cognitive elements in conceptual definitions. However, these elements do not seem to be carefully examined and are indistinctly understood as objective empirical factors that may be measured, which may contribute to misunderstandings about CR, erroneous interpretations of results and problematic theoretical models. Empirical studies fail when evaluating phenomenological aspects of the cognitive elements of the CR construct. Psychopathology and phenomenology may help define the characteristics of CR elements and may contribute to their understanding and hierarchical organization as a construct. A review of the psychopathology principles established by Jasper may clarify some of these issues.

Cognitive aspect of diagnostic errors.

PubMed

Phua, Dong Haur; Tan, Nigel C K

2013-01-01

Diagnostic errors can result in tangible harm to patients. Despite our advances in medicine, the mental processes required to make a diagnosis exhibits shortcomings, causing diagnostic errors. Cognitive factors are found to be an important cause of diagnostic errors. With new understanding from psychology and social sciences, clinical medicine is now beginning to appreciate that our clinical reasoning can take the form of analytical reasoning or heuristics. Different factors like cognitive biases and affective influences can also impel unwary clinicians to make diagnostic errors. Various strategies have been proposed to reduce the effect of cognitive biases and affective influences when clinicians make diagnoses; however evidence for the efficacy of these methods is still sparse. This paper aims to introduce the reader to the cognitive aspect of diagnostic errors, in the hope that clinicians can use this knowledge to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

Future perspectives on space psychology: Recommendations on psychosocial and neurobehavioural aspects of human spaceflight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De La Torre, Gabriel G.; van Baarsen, Berna; Ferlazzo, Fabio; Kanas, Nick; Weiss, Karine; Schneider, Stefan; Whiteley, Iya

2012-12-01

Recently the psychological effects of space flight have gained in attention. In uncovering the psychological challenges that individuals and teams can face, we need research options that integrate psychosocial aspects with behavioral, performance, technical and environmental issues. Future perspectives in Space Psychology and Human Spaceflight are reviewed in this paper. The topics covered include psychosocial and neurobehavioural aspects, neurocognitive testing tools, decision making, autonomy and delayed communications, well being, mental health, situational awareness, and methodology. Authors were members of a European Space Agency (ESA) Research Topical Team on Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Human Spaceflight. They discuss the different topics under a common perspective of a theoretical and practical framework, showing interactions, relationships and possible solutions for the different aspects and variables in play. Recommendations for every topic are offered and summarized for future research in the field. The different proposed research ideas can be accomplished using analogs and simulation experiments, short- and long-duration bed rest, and in-flight microgravity studies. These topics are especially important for future Moon and Mars mission design and training.

The Aspect Hypothesis Revisited: A Cross-Sectional Study of Tense and Aspect Marking in Interlanguage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robison, Richard E.

1995-01-01

This article examined the aspect hypothesis, which asserts that verb inflections in early interlanguage systems function primarily as markers of lexical aspect independent of the target language. A study of interviews conducted with 26 Puerto Rican college students grouped into 4 proficiency levels found that the association of inflections with…

Statistical aspects of carbon fiber risk assessment modeling. [fire accidents involving aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gross, D.; Miller, D. R.; Soland, R. M.

1980-01-01

The probabilistic and statistical aspects of the carbon fiber risk assessment modeling of fire accidents involving commercial aircraft are examined. Three major sources of uncertainty in the modeling effort are identified. These are: (1) imprecise knowledge in establishing the model; (2) parameter estimation; and (3)Monte Carlo sampling error. All three sources of uncertainty are treated and statistical procedures are utilized and/or developed to control them wherever possible.

Nanocomposites with increased energy density through high aspect ratio PZT nanowires.

PubMed

Tang, Haixiong; Lin, Yirong; Andrews, Clark; Sodano, Henry A

2011-01-07

High energy storage plays an important role in the modern electric industry. Herein, we investigated the role of filler aspect ratio in nanocomposites for energy storage. Nanocomposites were synthesized using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with two different aspect ratio (nanowires, nanorods) fillers at various volume fractions dispersed in a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. The permittivity constants of composites containing nanowires (NWs) were higher than those with nanorods (NRs) at the same inclusion volume fraction. It was also indicated that the high frequency loss tangent of samples with PZT nanowires was smaller than for those with nanorods, demonstrating the high electrical energy storage efficiency of the PZT NW nanocomposite. The high aspect ratio PZT NWs showed a 77.8% increase in energy density over the lower aspect ratio PZT NRs, under an electric field of 15 kV mm(-1) and 50% volume fraction. The breakdown strength was found to decrease with the increasing volume fraction of PZT NWs, but to only change slightly from a volume fraction of around 20%-50%. The maximum calculated energy density of nanocomposites is as high as 1.158 J cm(-3) at 50% PZT NWs in PVDF. Since the breakdown strength is lower compared to a PVDF copolymer such as poly(vinylidene fluoride-tertrifluoroethylene-terchlorotrifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TreEE-CTFE) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) P(VDF-HFP), the energy density of the nanocomposite could be significantly increased through the use of PZT NWs and a polymer with greater breakdown strength. These results indicate that higher aspect ratio fillers show promising potential to improve the energy density of nanocomposites, leading to the development of advanced capacitors with high energy density.

Strategic Aspects of Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, Edward; Hammerstein, Peter; Hess, Nicole

Rarely do human behavioral scientists and scholars study language, music, and other forms of communication as strategies—a means to some end. Some even deny that communication is the primary function of these phenomena. Here we draw upon selections of our earlier work to briefly define the strategy concept and sketch how decision theory, developed to explain the behavior of rational actors, is applied to evolved agents. Communication can then be interpreted as a strategy that advances the "fitness interests" of such agents. When this perspective is applied to agents with conflicts of interest, deception emerges as an important aspect of communication. We briefly review costly signaling, one solution to the problem of honest communication among agents with conflicts of interest. We also explore the subversion of cooperative signals by parasites and by plants defending themselves against herbivores, and we touch on biases in human gossip. Experiments with artificial embodied and communicating agents confirm that when there are conflicts of interest among agents, deception readily evolves. Finally, we consider signaling among super-organisms and the possible implications for understanding human music and language.

Tailoring Software Inspections for Aspect-Oriented Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Charlette Ward

2009-01-01

Aspect-Oriented Software Development (AOSD) is a new approach that addresses limitations inherent in conventional programming, especially the principle of separation of concerns by emphasizing the encapsulation and modularization of crosscutting concerns through a new abstraction, the "aspect." Aspect-oriented programming is an emerging AOSD…

Cause and Cure-Deterioration in Accuracy of CFD Simulations with Use of High-Aspect-Ratio Triangular/Tetrahedral Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Sin-Chung; Chang, Chau-Lyan; Venkatachari, Balaji

2017-01-01

In the multi-dimensional space-time conservation element and solution element16 (CESE) method, triangles and tetrahedral mesh elements turn out to be the most natural building blocks for 2D and 3D spatial grids, respectively. As such, the CESE method is naturally compatible with the simplest 2D and 3D unstructured grids and thus can be easily applied to solve problems with complex geometries. However, because (a) accurate solution of a high-Reynolds number flow field near a solid wall requires that the grid intervals along the direction normal to the wall be much finer than those in a direction parallel to the wall and, as such, the use of grid cells with extremely high aspect ratio (103 to 106) may become mandatory, and (b) unlike quadrilateral hexahedral grids, it is well-known that accuracy of gradient computations involving triangular tetrahedral grids tends to deteriorate rapidly as cell aspect ratio increases. As a result, the use of triangular tetrahedral grid cells near a solid wall has long been deemed impractical by CFD researchers. In view of (a) the critical role played by triangular tetrahedral grids in the CESE development, and (b) the importance of accurate resolution of high-Reynolds number flow field near a solid wall, as will be presented in the main paper, a comprehensive and rigorous mathematical framework that clearly identifies the reasons behind the accuracy deterioration as described above has been developed for the 2D case involving triangular cells. By avoiding the pitfalls identified by the 2D framework, and its 3D extension, it has been shown numerically.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Service Quality: The Moderating Role of the Institutional Aspects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duževic, Ines; Ceh Casni, Anita

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore key attributes of service quality in the Croatian higher education system. In particular, the study aims to compare student and faculty perceptions of service quality and to identify institutional aspects that may affect the perceptions of these two customers. Principal component analysis is used to define…

Treatment Fidelity: Its Importance and Reported Frequency in Aphasia Treatment Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinckley, Jacqueline J.; Douglas, Natalie F.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Treatment fidelity is a measure of the reliability of the administration of an intervention in a treatment study. It is an important aspect of the validity of a research study, and it has implications for the ultimate implementation of evidence-supported interventions in typical clinical settings. Method: Aphasia treatment studies…

Project management: importance for diagnostic laboratories.

PubMed

Croxatto, A; Greub, G

2017-07-01

The need for diagnostic laboratories to improve both quality and productivity alongside personnel shortages incite laboratory managers to constantly optimize laboratory workflows, organization, and technology. These continuous modifications of the laboratories should be conducted using efficient project and change management approaches to maximize the opportunities for successful completion of the project. This review aims at presenting a general overview of project management with an emphasis on selected critical aspects. Conventional project management tools and models, such as HERMES, described in the literature, associated personal experience, and educational courses on management have been used to illustrate this review. This review presents general guidelines of project management and highlights their importance for microbiology diagnostic laboratories. As an example, some critical aspects of project management will be illustrated with a project of automation, as experienced at the laboratories of bacteriology and hygiene of the University Hospital of Lausanne. It is important to define clearly beforehand the objective of a project, its perimeter, its costs, and its time frame including precise duration estimates of each step. Then, a project management plan including explanations and descriptions on how to manage, execute, and control the project is necessary to continuously monitor the progression of a project to achieve its defined goals. Moreover, a thorough risk analysis with contingency and mitigation measures should be performed at each phase of a project to minimize the impact of project failures. The increasing complexities of modern laboratories mean clinical microbiologists must use several management tools including project and change management to improve the outcome of major projects and activities. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Pathological jealousy: romantic relationship characteristics, emotional and personality aspects, and social adjustment.

PubMed

Costa, Andrea Lorenada; Sophia, Eglacy C; Sanches, Cíntia; Tavares, Hermano; Zilberman, Monica L

2015-03-15

The aim of this study was to identify romantic relationship characteristics, emotional and personality aspects and social adjustment in subjects with pathological jealousy (PJ) and to compare them to control group. The participants, 32 individuals with PJ and 31 healthy volunteers completed measures of jealousy intensity, attachment type, love and relationship styles, personality, impulsivity, aggressiveness and social adjustment. Socio-demographic profiles were also obtained. Participants with PJ were significantly older than the control group, but no other important socio-demographic differences were observed. Participants with PJ were significantly more jealous and were predominately categorized with anxious-ambivalent attachment type, and Mania love style. They presented with elevated novelty seeking and harm avoidance, low self-directedness and cooperativeness, high levels of impulsivity and trait anxiety, and poor social adjustment. Multivariate analysis showed that jealousy intensity and trait anxiety were the variables that best distinguished participants with PJ from the control group. This study was limited by the cross-sectional design and relatively small sample size. PJ presents a particular pattern of attachment, love style, and personality structure, and deserves further attention as a specific potential disorder of the romantic bonding. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrating the epistemic and ontological aspects of content knowledge in science teaching and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papadouris, Nicos; Constantinou, Constantinos P.

2017-04-01

Promoting facility with content knowledge is one of the most important objectives of science teaching. Conventionally, the focus for this objective is placed on the substantive side of content knowledge (e.g. science concepts/laws), whereas its epistemic or ontological aspects (e.g. why do we construct concepts?) rarely receive explicit attention. In this article, we develop a theoretical argument for the value of elevating the attention paid to the epistemic/ontological aspects of content knowledge and integrating them with its substantive side. Our argument is structured in two parts. The first unpacks the epistemic/ontological aspects of content knowledge and their role in science. For this, we focus on two specific aspects (i.e. ontological status and epistemic value of science concepts), which we elaborate in the context of two particular content domains, namely magnetism and energy. The second part of the argument highlights the potential of discourse on epistemic/ontological aspects to facilitate learning in science. We delineate how such discourse could (a) promote coherent conceptual understanding, (b) foster a productive epistemological stance towards science learning, and (c) enhance students' appreciation of ideas associated with the nature of science. The article concludes with a discussion of ensuing implications for science education.

Patients', clinicians' and the research communities' priorities for treatment research: there is an important mismatch.

PubMed

Crowe, Sally; Fenton, Mark; Hall, Matthew; Cowan, Katherine; Chalmers, Iain

2015-01-01

There is some evidence that there is a mismatch between what patients and health professionals want to see researched and the research that is actually done. The James Lind Alliance (JLA) research Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) were created to address this mismatch. Between 2007 and 2014, JLA partnerships of patients, carers and health professionals agreed on important treatment research questions (priorities) in a range of health conditions, such as Type 1 diabetes, eczema and stroke. We were interested in how much these JLA PSP priorities were similar to treatments undergoing evaluation and research over the same time span. We identified the treatments described in all the JLA PSP research priority lists and compared these to the treatments described in a group of research studies (randomly selected) registered publically. The priorities identified by JLA PSPs emphasised the importance of non-drug treatment research, compared to the research actually being done over the same time period, which mostly involved evaluations of drugs. These findings suggest that the research community should make greater efforts to address issues of importance to users of research, such as patients and healthcare professionals. Background Comparisons of treatment research priorities identified by patients and clinicians with research actually being done by researchers are very rare. One of the best known of these comparisons (Tallon et al. Relation between agendas of the research community and the research consumer 355:2037-40, 2000) revealed important mismatches in priorities in the assessment of treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee: researchers preferenced drug trials, patients and clinicians prioritised non-drug treatments. These findings were an important stimulus in creating the James Lind Alliance (JLA). The JLA supports research Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) of patients, carers and clinicians, who are actively involved in all aspects of the process, to

Towards a Methodology to Identify a Talent by Using Psychological Cognitive Prototyping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammer, Matthijs H. M.

2015-01-01

Since education became an important aspect of society, teachers have a prelove for highly talented students. Especially young talented people relish profound attention of universities, firms, music ensembles, sports societies and artist groups. In higher education, students are encouraged to develop their unique strong point, named as talents.…

The Arabidopsis USL1 controls multiple aspects of development by affecting late endosome morphology.

PubMed

Yuan, Rongrong; Lan, Jingqiu; Fang, Yuxing; Yu, Hao; Zhang, Jinzhe; Huang, Jiaying; Qin, Genji

2018-06-13

The polar transport of auxin controls many aspects of plant development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying auxin tranport regulation remain to be further elucidated. We identified a mutant named as usl1 (unflattened and small leaves) in a genetic screen in Arabidopsis thaliana. The usl1 displayed multiple aspects of developmental defects in leaves, embryogenesis, cotyledons, silique phyllotaxy and lateral roots in addition to abnormal leaves. USL1 encodes a protein orthologous to the yeast vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) 38p and human UV RADIATION RESISTANCE-ASSOCIATED GENE (UVRAG). Cell biology, Co-IP/MS and yeast two-hybrid were used to identify the function of USL1. USL1 colocalizes at the subcellular level with VPS29, a key factor of the retromer complex that controls auxin transport. The morphology of the VPS29-associated late endosomes (LE) is altered from small dots in the wild-type to aberrant enlarged circles in the usl1 mutants. The usl1 mutant synergistically interacts with vps29. We also found that USL1 forms a complex with AtVPS30 and AtVPS34. We propose that USL1 controls multiple aspects of plant development by affecting late endosome morphology and by regulating the PIN1 polarity. Our findings provide a new layer of the understanding on the mechanisms of plant development regulation. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Understanding the Emotional Aspects of Escalation of Commitment: The Role of Negative Affect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Kin Fai Ellick; Yik, Michelle; Kwong, Jessica Y. Y.

2006-01-01

Despite the importance of understanding the emotional aspects of organizational decision making, prior research has paid scant attention to the role of emotion in escalation of commitment. This article attempts to fill this gap by examining the relationship between negative affect and escalation of commitment. Results showed that regardless of…

49 CFR 236.23 - Aspects and indications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Rules and Instructions: All Systems Roadway Signals and Cab Signals § 236.23 Aspects and indications. (a) Aspects shall be... with any other name and indication. (d) The fundamental indications of signal aspects shall conform to...

The positive aspects of being the parent of an LGBTQ Child.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Kirsten A; Rostosky, Sharon S; Odom, Robert D; Riggle, Ellen D B

2013-06-01

Parenting an LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer) identified child presents unique opportunities for growth and development. This study focused on self-reported perceptions of the positive aspects of being the parent of an LGBTQ child. Participants (N = 142) were mothers (83.8%) and fathers (16.2%) of LGBTQ identified individuals who responded to an open-ended online survey. Thematic analysis revealed five primary themes: Personal Growth (open mindedness, new perspectives, awareness of discrimination, and compassion), Positive Emotions (pride and unconditional love), Activism, Social Connection, and Closer Relationships (closer to child and family closeness). The practice implications of these findings for supporting parents in envisioning positive relationship outcomes for themselves and their children are highlighted in the discussion. © FPI, Inc.

Investigation of evolution-related aspects of bacterial rhodopsins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

We have investigated evolution-related aspects of bacterial rhodopsins, the unique retinal-based energy transducing systems of halophilic archae. The approach was to describe both structural and functional aspects: the structure by sequencing genes to explore which regions are conserved, and the function by comparing proton and chloride transport in the closely related systems, bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin, respectively. In the latter, we have made a good start toward the ultimate goal of separating the attributes of the general principles of retinal-based ionic pumps from those of the specific ion specificities, by determining the thermodynamics of the internal steps of the protein-mediated active transport process, as well as some of the intraprotein ion-transfer steps. Our present emphasis is on continuing to acquire the tools for studying what distinguishes proton transport from chloride transport. We consider it important, therefore, that we have been able to provide firm mathematical grounds for the kinetics analyses which underlies these studies. Our molecular biological studies have received a great boost from the expression vector for the bop gene based on a halobacterial plasmid, that we recently developed.

Biomarkers of systemic lupus erythematosus identified using mass spectrometry-based proteomics: a systematic review.

PubMed

Nicolaou, Orthodoxia; Kousios, Andreas; Hadjisavvas, Andreas; Lauwerys, Bernard; Sokratous, Kleitos; Kyriacou, Kyriacos

2017-05-01

Advances in mass spectrometry technologies have created new opportunities for discovering novel protein biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We performed a systematic review of published reports on proteomic biomarkers identified in SLE patients using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and highlight their potential disease association and clinical utility. Two electronic databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, were systematically searched up to July 2015. The methodological quality of studies included in the review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Twenty-five studies were included in the review, identifying 241 SLE candidate proteomic biomarkers related to various aspects of the disease including disease diagnosis and activity or pinpointing specific organ involvement. Furthermore, 13 of the 25 studies validated their results for a selected number of biomarkers in an independent cohort, resulting in the validation of 28 candidate biomarkers. It is noteworthy that 11 candidate biomarkers were identified in more than one study. A significant number of potential proteomic biomarkers that are related to a number of aspects of SLE have been identified using mass spectrometry proteomic approaches. However, further studies are required to assess the utility of these biomarkers in routine clinical practice. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

Mechanical Aspects of Interfaces and Surfaces in Ceramic Containing Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-14

of a computer model to simulate the crack damage. The model is based on the fracture mechanics of cracks engulfed by the short stress pulse generated...by drop impact. Inertial effects of the crack faces are a particularly important aspect of the model. The computer scheme thereby allows the stress...W. R. Beaumont, "On the Toughness of Particulate Filled Polymers." Water Drop Impact X. E. D. Case and A. G. Evans, "A Computer -Generated Simulation

Aesthetic Experience as an Aspect of Embodied Learning: Stories from Physical Education Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maivorsdotter, Ninitha; Lundvall, Suzanne

2009-01-01

In this article we explore aesthetic experience as an aspect of embodied learning with focus on the moving body. Our theoretical framework is mainly based on the work of John Dewey. In the first part of the article we identify our understanding of central concepts and draw some lines to their implication for physical education (PE). In the second…

Girls' Schooling Empowerment in Rural China: Identifying Capabilities and Social Change in the Village

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seeberg, Vilma

2014-01-01

This study proposes an elaboration of the human development capability approach by theorizing empowerment capabilities as an essential aspect of the education of excluded village girls. Seeking to explain Chinese village girls' demand for schooling, the article identifies intangible and instrumental capabilities that have often been overlooked and…

Systemic lupus erythematosus: Clinical and experimental aspects

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

Smolen, J.S.

1987-01-01

This text covers questions related to the history, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical aspects and therapy of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both animal models and human SLE are considered. With regard to basic science, concise information on cellular immunology, autoantibodies, viral aspects and molecular biology in SLE is provided. Clinical topics then deal with medical, dermatologic, neurologic, radiologic, pathologic, and therapeutic aspects. The book not only presents the most recent information on clinical and experimental insights, but also looks at future aspects related to the diagnosis and therapy of SLE.

Robots in Space -Psychological Aspects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sipes, Walter E.

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on the psychological aspects of developing robots to perform routine operations associated with monitoring, inspection, maintenance and repair in space is shown. The topics include: 1) Purpose; 2) Vision; 3) Current Robots in Space; 4) Ground Based Robots; 5) AERCam; 6) Rotating Bladder Robot (ROBLR); 7) DART; 8) Robonaut; 9) Full Immersion Telepresence Testbed; 10) ERA; and 11) Psychological Aspects

Bridging Cognitive And Neural Aspects Of Classroom Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Posner, Michael I.

2009-11-01

A major achievement of the first twenty years of neuroimaging is to reveal the brain networks that underlie fundamental aspects of attention, memory and expertise. We examine some principles underlying the activation of these networks. These networks represent key constraints for the design of teaching. Individual differences in these networks reflect a combination of genes and experiences. While acquiring expertise is easier for some than others the importance of effort in its acquisition is a basic principle. Networks are strengthened through exercise, but maintaining interest that produces sustained attention is key to making exercises successful. The state of the brain prior to learning may also represent an important constraint on successful learning and some interventions designed to investigate the role of attention state in learning are discussed. Teaching remains a creative act between instructor and student, but an understanding of brain mechanisms might improve opportunity for success for both participants.

Nano-material aspects of shock absorption in bone joints.

PubMed

Tributsch, H; Copf, F; Copf, P; Hindenlang, U; Niethard, F U; Schneider, R

2010-01-01

This theoretical study is based on a nano-technological evaluation of the effect of pressure on the composite bone fine structure. It turned out, that the well known macroscopic mechano-elastic performance of bones in combination with muscles and tendons is just one functional aspect which is critically supported by additional micro- and nano- shock damping technology aimed at minimising local bone material damage within the joints and supporting spongy bone material. The identified mechanisms comprise essentially three phenomena localised within the three-dimensional spongy structure with channels and so called perforated flexible tensulae membranes of different dimensions intersecting and linking them. Kinetic energy of a mechanical shock may be dissipated within the solid-liquid composite bone structure into heat via the generation of quasi-chaotic hydromechanic micro-turbulence. It may generate electro-kinetic energy in terms of electric currents and potentials. And the resulting specific structural and surface electrochemical changes may induce the compressible intra-osseal liquid to build up pressure dependent free chemical energy. Innovative bone joint prostheses will have to consider and to be adapted to the nano-material aspects of shock absorption in the operated bones.

Nano-Material Aspects of Shock Absorption in Bone Joints

PubMed Central

Tributsch, H; Copf, F; Copf, p; Hindenlang, U; Niethard, F.U; Schneider, R

2010-01-01

This theoretical study is based on a nano-technological evaluation of the effect of pressure on the composite bone fine structure. It turned out, that the well known macroscopic mechano-elastic performance of bones in combination with muscles and tendons is just one functional aspect which is critically supported by additional micro- and nano- shock damping technology aimed at minimising local bone material damage within the joints and supporting spongy bone material. The identified mechanisms comprise essentially three phenomena localised within the three–dimensional spongy structure with channels and so called perforated flexible tensulae membranes of different dimensions intersecting and linking them. Kinetic energy of a mechanical shock may be dissipated within the solid-liquid composite bone structure into heat via the generation of quasi-chaotic hydromechanic micro-turbulence. It may generate electro-kinetic energy in terms of electric currents and potentials. And the resulting specific structural and surface electrochemical changes may induce the compressible intra-osseal liquid to build up pressure dependent free chemical energy. Innovative bone joint prostheses will have to consider and to be adapted to the nano-material aspects of shock absorption in the operated bones. PMID:21625375

Using host-pathogen protein interactions to identify and characterize Francisella tularensis virulence factors.

PubMed

Wallqvist, Anders; Memišević, Vesna; Zavaljevski, Nela; Pieper, Rembert; Rajagopala, Seesandra V; Kwon, Keehwan; Yu, Chenggang; Hoover, Timothy A; Reifman, Jaques

2015-12-29

Francisella tularensis is a select bio-threat agent and one of the most virulent intracellular pathogens known, requiring just a few organisms to establish an infection. Although several virulence factors are known, we lack an understanding of virulence factors that act through host-pathogen protein interactions to promote infection. To address these issues in the highly infectious F. tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 strain, we deployed a combined in silico, in vitro, and in vivo analysis to identify virulence factors and their interactions with host proteins to characterize bacterial infection mechanisms. We initially used comparative genomics and literature to identify and select a set of 49 putative and known virulence factors for analysis. Each protein was then subjected to proteome-scale yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screens with human and murine cDNA libraries to identify potential host-pathogen protein-protein interactions. Based on the bacterial protein interaction profile with both hosts, we selected seven novel putative virulence factors for mutant construction and animal validation experiments. We were able to create five transposon insertion mutants and used them in an intranasal BALB/c mouse challenge model to establish 50 % lethal dose estimates. Three of these, ΔFTT0482c, ΔFTT1538c, and ΔFTT1597, showed attenuation in lethality and can thus be considered novel F. tularensis virulence factors. The analysis of the accompanying Y2H data identified intracellular protein trafficking between the early endosome to the late endosome as an important component in virulence attenuation for these virulence factors. Furthermore, we also used the Y2H data to investigate host protein binding of two known virulence factors, showing that direct protein binding was a component in the modulation of the inflammatory response via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and in the oxidative stress response. Direct interactions with specific host proteins and the

The Self in Movement: Being Identified and Identifying Oneself in the Process of Migration and Asylum Seeking.

PubMed

Watzlawik, Meike; Brescó de Luna, Ignacio

2017-06-01

How migration influences the processes of identity development has been under longstanding scrutiny in the social sciences. Usually, stage models have been suggested, and different strategies for acculturation (e.g., integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization) have been considered as ways to make sense of the psychological transformations of migrants as a group. On an individual level, however, identity development is a more complex endeavor: Identity does not just develop by itself, but is constructed as an ongoing process. To capture these processes, we will look at different aspects of migration and asylum seeking; for example, the cultural-specific values and expectations of the hosting (European) countries (e.g., as identifier), but also of the arriving individuals/groups (e.g., identified as refugees). Since the two may contradict each other, negotiations between identities claims and identity assignments become necessary. Ways to solve these contradictions are discussed, with a special focus on the experienced (and often missing) agency in different settings upon arrival in a new country. In addition, it will be shown how sudden events (e.g., 9/11, the Charlie Hebdo attack) may challenge identity processes in different ways.

Brain-Mind Operational Architectonics Imaging: Technical and Methodological Aspects

PubMed Central

Fingelkurts, Andrew A; Fingelkurts, Alexander A

2008-01-01

This review paper deals with methodological and technical foundations of the Operational Architectonics framework of brain and mind functioning. This theory provides a framework for mapping and understanding important aspects of the brain mechanisms that constitute perception, cognition, and eventually consciousness. The methods utilized within Operational Architectonics framework allow analyzing with an incredible detail the operational behavior of local neuronal assemblies and their joint activity in the form of unified and metastable operational modules, which constitute the whole hierarchy of brain operations, operations of cognition and phenomenal consciousness. PMID:19526071

Methodical aspects of text testing in a driving simulator.

PubMed

Sundin, A; Patten, C J D; Bergmark, M; Hedberg, A; Iraeus, I-M; Pettersson, I

2012-01-01

A test with 30 test persons was conducted in a driving simulator. The test was a concept exploration and comparison of existing user interaction technologies for text message handling with focus on traffic safety and experience (technology familiarity and learning effects). Focus was put on methodical aspects how to measure and how to analyze the data. Results show difficulties with the eye tracking system (calibration etc.) per se, and also include the subsequent raw data preparation. The physical setup in the car where found important for the test completion.

Competence Description for Personal Recommendations: The Importance of Identifying the Complexity of Learning and Performance Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prins, Frans J.; Nadolski, Rob J.; Berlanga, Adriana J.; Drachsler, Hendrik; Hummel, Hans G. K.; Koper, Rob

2008-01-01

For competences development of learners and professionals, target competences and corresponding competence development opportunities have to be identified. Personal Recommender Systems (PRS) provide personal recommendations for learners aimed at finding and selecting learning activities that best match their needs. This article argues that a…

Nutrigenomics and ethics interface: direct-to-consumer services and commercial aspects.

PubMed

Ries, Nola M; Castle, David

2008-12-01

A growing variety and number of genetic tests are advertised and sold directly to consumers (DTC) via the Internet, including nutrigenomic tests and associated products and services. Consumers have more access to genetic information about themselves, but access does not entail certainty about the implications of test results. Potential personal and public health harms and benefits are associated with DTC access to genetic testing services. Early policy responses to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing often involved calls for bans, and some jurisdictions prohibited DTC genetic tests. Recent policy responses by oversight bodies acknowledge expansion in the range of DTC tests available and suggest that a "one-size-fits-all" regulatory approach is not appropriate for all genetic tests. This review discusses ethical and regulatory aspects of DTC genetic testing, focusing particularly on nutrigenomic tests. We identify policy options for regulating DTC genetic tests, including full or partial prohibitions, enforcement of existing truth-in-advertising laws, and more comprehensive information disclosure about genetic tests. We advocate the latter option as an important means to improve transparency about current evidence on the strengths and limits of gene-disease associations and allow consumers to make informed purchasing decisions in the DTC marketplace.

Identifying "social smoking" U.S. young adults using an empirically-driven approach.

PubMed

Villanti, Andrea C; Johnson, Amanda L; Rath, Jessica M; Williams, Valerie; Vallone, Donna M; Abrams, David B; Hedeker, Donald; Mermelstein, Robin J

2017-07-01

The phenomenon of "social smoking" emerged in the past decade as an important area of research, largely due to its high prevalence in young adults. The purpose of this study was to identify classes of young adult ever smokers based on measures of social and contextual influences on tobacco use. Latent class models were developed using social smoking measures, and not the frequency or quantity of tobacco use. Data come from a national sample of young adult ever smokers aged 18-24 (Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort Study, N=1564). The optimal models identified three latent classes: Class 1 - nonsmokers (52%); Class 2 - social smokers (18%); and Class 3 - smokers (30%). Nearly 60% of the "social smoker" class self-identified as a social smoker, 30% as an ex-smoker/tried smoking, and 12% as a non-smoker. The "social smoker" class was most likely to report using tobacco mainly or only with others. Past 30-day cigarette use was highest in the "smoker" class. Hookah use was highest in the "social smoker" class. Other tobacco and e-cigarette use was similar in the "social smoker" and "smoker" classes. Past 30-day tobacco and e-cigarette use was present for all products in the "non-smoker" class. Young adult social smokers emerge empirically as a sizable, distinct class from other smokers, even without accounting for tobacco use frequency or intensity. The prevalence of hookah use in "social smokers" indicates a group for which the social aspect of tobacco use could drive experimentation and progression to regular use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic problem lists: a thematic analysis of a systematic literature review to identify aspects critical to success.

PubMed

Hodge, Chad M; Narus, Scott P

2018-05-01

Problem list data is a driving force for many beneficial clinical tools, yet these data remain underutilized. We performed a systematic literature review, pulling insights from previous research, aggregating insights into themes, and distilling themes into actionable advice. We sought to learn what changes we could make to existing applications, to the clinical workflow, and to clinicians' perceptions that would improve problem list utilization and increase the prevalence of problems data in the electronic medical record. We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to systematically curate a corpus of pertinent articles. We performed a thematic analysis, looking for interesting excerpts and ideas. By aggregating excerpts from many authors, we gained broader, more inclusive insights into what makes a good problem list and what factors are conducive to its success. Analysis led to a list of 7 benefits of using the problem list, 15 aspects critical to problem list success, and knowledge to help inform policy development, such as consensus on what belongs on the problem list, who should maintain the problem list, and when. A list of suggestions is made on ways in which the problem list can be improved to increase utilization by clinicians. There is also a need for standard measurements of the problem list, so that lists can be measured, compared, and discussed with rigor and a common vocabulary.

[Aspects of the innate immune response to intramammary Staphylococcus aureus infections in cattle].

PubMed

Pereyra, Elizabet A L; Dallard, Bibiana E; Calvinho, Luis F

2014-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is the pathogen most frequently isolated from bovine mastitis worldwide, causing chronic intramammary infections that limit profitable dairying. The objective of this article is to characterize the mechanisms involved in S. aureus mammary gland infections considering two different aspects of the infectious process; on the one hand, the aspects involved in the host innate immune response and on the other hand, the capacity of this organism to evade the immune system and interact with different cell types. The exploration of S. aureus interactions with the immune response of bovine mammary gland will help identify targets to outline new preventive or curative alternatives for intramammary infections caused by this organism. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Metacognitive aspects influence subjective well-being in parents of children with cancer.

PubMed

Toffalini, Enrico; Veltri, Alessia; Cornoldi, Cesare

2015-02-01

Research suggests that metacognitive beliefs may be involved in psychological distress and even in the pathogenesis of emotional disorders. The present research is a first attempt to investigate how certain metacognitive aspects operate as favorable or adverse factors influencing subjective wellbeing (SWB) in the parents of children with cancer. Thirty parents of children being treated for cancer completed questionnaires on their metacognitive beliefs (Metacognition Questionnaire), sensitivity to autobiographical memory, and self-reported measures of positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). Results in the study group were compared with those obtained from 36 control parents of children being treated for acute, not life-threatening illnesses (hospitalized control group) and from 30 control parents of healthy children (healthy control group). Parents in both the study group and the hospitalized control group reported less SWB than the healthy control group. Most important, metacognitive aspects explained up to 77% of the variance in SWB in parents of children with cancer, as opposed to only 23% in hospitalized control group and 33% in the healthy control group. Differentmetacognitive aspects have a crucial role—both negative and positive—inSWB of parents of children with cancer. It is suggested that the psychological support for parents copingwith a child suffering from oncological disease should assess such aspects and try to address them in clinical practice.

Identifying organizational cultures that promote patient safety.

PubMed

Singer, Sara J; Falwell, Alyson; Gaba, David M; Meterko, Mark; Rosen, Amy; Hartmann, Christine W; Baker, Laurence

2009-01-01

Safety climate refers to shared perceptions of what an organization is like with regard to safety, whereas safety culture refers to employees' fundamental ideology and orientation and explains why safety is pursued in the manner exhibited within a particular organization. Although research has sought to identify opportunities for improving safety outcomes by studying patterns of variation in safety climate, few empirical studies have examined the impact of organizational characteristics such as culture on hospital safety climate. This study explored how aspects of general organizational culture relate to hospital patient safety climate. In a stratified sample of 92 U.S. hospitals, we sampled 100% of senior managers and physicians and 10% of other hospital workers. The Patient Safety Climate in Healthcare Organizations and the Zammuto and Krakower organizational culture surveys measured safety climate and group, entrepreneurial, hierarchical, and production orientation of hospitals' culture, respectively. We administered safety climate surveys to 18,361 personnel and organizational culture surveys to a 5,894 random subsample between March 2004 and May 2005. Secondary data came from the 2004 American Hospital Association Annual Hospital Survey and Dun & Bradstreet. Hierarchical linear regressions assessed relationships between organizational culture and safety climate measures. Aspects of general organizational culture were strongly related to safety climate. A higher level of group culture correlated with a higher level of safety climate, but more hierarchical culture was associated with lower safety climate. Aspects of organizational culture accounted for more than threefold improvement in measures of model fit compared with models with controls alone. A mix of culture types, emphasizing group culture, seemed optimal for safety climate. Safety climate and organizational culture are positively related. Results support strategies that promote group orientation and

Important aspects of oral paracoccidioidomycosis--a literature review.

PubMed

Abreu e Silva, Mariana Àlvares de; Salum, Fernanda Gonçalves; Figueiredo, Maria Antonia; Cherubini, Karen

2013-05-01

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a deep mycosis endemic to Latin America, with considerable morbidity and mortality. It is caused by the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which affects, among other organs in the human body, the oral cavity. Fungus virulence and immunocompetence of the host determine the establishment of infection or active disease, whose severity and clinical behaviour depend mostly on the cellular immune response of the host. Often, oral lesions constitute the first sign and site of confirmation of diagnosis, which in most cases is delayed. The success of the treatment depends on early and correct diagnosis, as well as on the patient's adherence to the drug therapy. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Recently described clinically important anaerobic bacteria: medical aspects.

PubMed

Finegold, S M; Jousimies-Somer, H

1997-09-01

There is still inadequate information on the role of certain newly described or reclassified anaerobes in disease processes, on their normal sites of carriage, and on their antimicrobial susceptibilities. Herein, we summarize this information (most of the literature reviewed is from the past 5 years, but a few of the articles are approximately 10 years old). Porphyromonas species had seemed to be relatively nonpathogenic, but recent work indicates that this belief is incorrect. P. gingivalis, P levii-like organisms, and P. endodontalis-like organisms have been recovered from a variety of oral and extraoral infections. P. macacae has been recovered from infected cat bite wounds. Sutterella wadsworthensis, recently differentiated from Campylobacter gracilis, has been found in a variety of infections. Bilophila wadsworthia has also been recovered from a wide variety of infections. Newly described anaerobic cocci, gram-positive nonsporeforming rods, and clostridia have also been isolated from various infections.

Important Aspects of Post-Prandial Antidiabetic Drug, Acarbose.

PubMed

Singla, Rajeev Kumar; Singh, Radha; Dubey, Ashok Kumar

2016-01-01

Acarbose, a well known and efficacious α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitor, is a postprandial acting antidiabetic drug. DNS-based α-amylase inhibitory assays showed that use of acarbose at concentrations above 125 µg/ml resulted in release of reducing sugar in the reaction, an unexpected observation. Objective of the present study was to design experimental strategies to address this unusual finding. Acarbose was found to be susceptible to thermo-lysis. Further, besides being an inhibitor, it could also be hydrolyzed by porcine pancreatic α-amylase, but had weaker affinity for α - amylase compared to starch. GRIP docking was done for the mechanistic analysis of the active site in the enzyme for substrate, inhibitor and, inhibitor's metabolite (K2). Interaction between acarbose and α-amylase involved significant hydrogen binding compared to that of starch, producing a stronger enzyme-inhibitor complex. Further, docking analysis led us to predict the site on α-amylase where the inhibitor (acarbose) bound more tightly, which possibly affected the binding and hydrolysis of starch exerting its effective anti-diabetic function.

A nonmusical paradigm for identifying absolute pitch possessors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, David A.; Olson, Ingrid R.; Marks, Lawrence E.; Gore, John C.

2004-09-01

The ability to identify and reproduce sounds of specific frequencies is remarkable and uncommon. The etiology and defining characteristics of this skill, absolute pitch (AP), have been very controversial. One theory suggests that AP requires a specific type of early musical training and that the ability to encode and remember tones depends on these learned musical associations. An alternate theory argues that AP may be strongly dependent on hereditary factors and relatively independent of musical experience. To date, it has been difficult to test these hypotheses because all previous paradigms for identifying AP have required subjects to employ knowledge of musical nomenclature. As such, these tests are insensitive to the possibility of discovering AP in either nonmusicians or musicians of non-Western training. Based on previous literature in pitch memory, a paradigm is presented that is intended to distinguish between AP possessors and nonpossessors independent of the subjects' musical experience. The efficacy of this method is then tested with 20 classically defined AP possessors and 22 nonpossessors. Data from these groups strongly support the validity of the paradigm. The use of a nonmusical paradigm to identify AP may facilitate research into many aspects of this phenomenon.

A nonmusical paradigm for identifying absolute pitch possessors.

PubMed

Ross, David A; Olson, Ingrid R; Marks, Lawrence E; Gore, John C

2004-09-01

The ability to identify and reproduce sounds of specific frequencies is remarkable and uncommon. The etiology and defining characteristics of this skill, absolute pitch (AP), have been very controversial. One theory suggests that AP requires a specific type of early musical training and that the ability to encode and remember tones depends on these learned musical associations. An alternate theory argues that AP may be strongly dependent on hereditary factors and relatively independent of musical experience. To date, it has been difficult to test these hypotheses because all previous paradigms for identifying AP have required subjects to employ knowledge of musical nomenclature. As such, these tests are insensitive to the possibility of discovering AP in either nonmusicians or musicians of non-Western training. Based on previous literature in pitch memory, a paradigm is presented that is intended to distinguish between AP possessors and nonpossessors independent of the subjects' musical experience. The efficacy of this method is then tested with 20 classically defined AP possessors and 22 nonpossessors. Data from these groups strongly support the validity of the paradigm. The use of a nonmusical paradigm to identify AP may facilitate research into many aspects of this phenomenon.

Some physicochemical aspects of water-soluble mineral flotation.

PubMed

Wu, Zhijian; Wang, Xuming; Liu, Haining; Zhang, Huifang; Miller, Jan D

2016-09-01

Some physicochemical aspects of water-soluble mineral flotation including hydration phenomena, associations and interactions between collectors, air bubbles, and water-soluble mineral particles are presented. Flotation carried out in saturated salt solutions, and a wide range of collector concentrations for effective flotation of different salts are two basic aspects of water-soluble mineral flotation. Hydration of salt ions, mineral particle surfaces, collector molecules or ions, and collector aggregates play an important role in water-soluble mineral flotation. The adsorption of collectors onto bubble surfaces is suggested to be the precondition for the association of mineral particles with bubbles. The association of collectors with water-soluble minerals is a complicated process, which may include the adsorption of collector molecules or ions onto such surfaces, and/or the attachment of collector precipitates or crystals onto the mineral surfaces. The interactions between the collectors and the minerals include electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and specific interactions, with electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions being the common mechanisms. For the association of ionic collectors with minerals with an opposite charge, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions could have a synergistic effect, with the hydrophobic interactions between the hydrophobic groups of the previously associated collectors and the hydrophobic groups of oncoming collectors being an important attractive force. Association between solid particles and air bubbles is the key to froth flotation, which is affected by hydrophobicity of the mineral particle surfaces, surface charges of mineral particles and bubbles, mineral particle size and shape, temperature, bubble size, etc. The use of a collector together with a frother and the use of mixed surfactants as collectors are suggested to improve flotation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Work Importance and Its Measurement: Review of the Literature

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

main dimensions . Both have seen considerable use and validation. Specific Aspects of Satisfaction Of the 10 measures described in detail here, the Job... multitrait - multimethod study of work related needs, values, and preferences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 30, 1-15. Merton, R. K., Reader, G. G...Navy Personnel Research and Development Center San Diego. CA 921 52-6800 TN 89-24 June 1989 to 0 Work Importance and its Measurement : N Review of the

Practical aspects of vaccination of poultry against avian influenza virus.

PubMed

Spackman, Erica; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary J

2014-12-01

Although little has changed in vaccine technology for avian influenza virus (AIV) in the past 20 years, the approach to vaccination of poultry (chickens, turkeys and ducks) for avian influenza has evolved as highly pathogenic AIV has become endemic in several regions of the world. Vaccination for low pathogenicity AIV is also becoming routine in regions where there is a high level of field challenge. In contrast, some countries will not use vaccination at all and some will only use it on an emergency basis during eradication efforts (i.e. stamping-out). There are pros and cons to each approach and, since every outbreak situation is different, no one method will work equally well in all situations. Numerous practical aspects must be considered when developing an AIV control program with vaccination as a component, such as: (1) the goals of vaccination must be defined; (2) the population to be vaccinated must be clearly identified; (3) there must be a plan to obtain and administer good quality vaccine in a timely manner and to achieve adequate coverage with the available resources; (4) risk factors for vaccine failure should be mitigated as much as possible; and, most importantly, (5) biosecurity must be maintained as much as possible, if not enhanced, during the vaccination period. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Exploring aspects of physiotherapy care valued by breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Pidlyskyj, K; Roddam, H; Rawlinson, G; Selfe, J

2014-06-01

To explore the reported value of physiotherapy care received by patients who had accessed a Specialist Breast Care Physiotherapy Service. Exploratory qualitative study using in-depth interviews to explore aspects of physiotherapy care valued by breast cancer patients. Thematic network analysis was used to interpret the data and bring together the different experiences of the participants and identify common themes. Physiotherapy Department at a NHS Foundation Trust Teaching Hospital. Nineteen participants were recruited and three were selected to take part in the in-depth interviews. All participants had received physiotherapy care from a Specialist Breast Care Physiotherapy Service and had been discharged within the last six months. Participants valued a patient-centred holistic approach to care and access to a Specialist Service with an experienced clinician. In particular the importance of the therapeutic alliance and the value of psychological, emotional and educational support emerged, with the participants feeling empowered in their recovery. Participants reported an overall positive experience of their physiotherapy care. This study supports the need for service providers to evaluate their current physiotherapy provision and subsequently develop Specialised Services to meet the physiotherapy needs of breast cancer patients throughout all stages of their treatment pathway from the delivery of pre-operative care through to post-treatment follow-up. Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Topics in Microblogs Using Wikipedia.

PubMed

Yıldırım, Ahmet; Üsküdarlı, Suzan; Özgür, Arzucan

2016-01-01

Twitter is an extremely high volume platform for user generated contributions regarding any topic. The wealth of content created at real-time in massive quantities calls for automated approaches to identify the topics of the contributions. Such topics can be utilized in numerous ways, such as public opinion mining, marketing, entertainment, and disaster management. Towards this end, approaches to relate single or partial posts to knowledge base items have been proposed. However, in microblogging systems like Twitter, topics emerge from the culmination of a large number of contributions. Therefore, identifying topics based on collections of posts, where individual posts contribute to some aspect of the greater topic is necessary. Models, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), propose algorithms for relating collections of posts to sets of keywords that represent underlying topics. In these approaches, figuring out what the specific topic(s) the keyword sets represent remains as a separate task. Another issue in topic detection is the scope, which is often limited to specific domain, such as health. This work proposes an approach for identifying domain-independent specific topics related to sets of posts. In this approach, individual posts are processed and then aggregated to identify key tokens, which are then mapped to specific topics. Wikipedia article titles are selected to represent topics, since they are up to date, user-generated, sophisticated articles that span topics of human interest. This paper describes the proposed approach, a prototype implementation, and a case study based on data gathered during the heavily contributed periods corresponding to the four US election debates in 2012. The manually evaluated results (0.96 precision) and other observations from the study are discussed in detail.

Identifying Topics in Microblogs Using Wikipedia

PubMed Central

Yıldırım, Ahmet; Üsküdarlı, Suzan; Özgür, Arzucan

2016-01-01

Twitter is an extremely high volume platform for user generated contributions regarding any topic. The wealth of content created at real-time in massive quantities calls for automated approaches to identify the topics of the contributions. Such topics can be utilized in numerous ways, such as public opinion mining, marketing, entertainment, and disaster management. Towards this end, approaches to relate single or partial posts to knowledge base items have been proposed. However, in microblogging systems like Twitter, topics emerge from the culmination of a large number of contributions. Therefore, identifying topics based on collections of posts, where individual posts contribute to some aspect of the greater topic is necessary. Models, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), propose algorithms for relating collections of posts to sets of keywords that represent underlying topics. In these approaches, figuring out what the specific topic(s) the keyword sets represent remains as a separate task. Another issue in topic detection is the scope, which is often limited to specific domain, such as health. This work proposes an approach for identifying domain-independent specific topics related to sets of posts. In this approach, individual posts are processed and then aggregated to identify key tokens, which are then mapped to specific topics. Wikipedia article titles are selected to represent topics, since they are up to date, user-generated, sophisticated articles that span topics of human interest. This paper describes the proposed approach, a prototype implementation, and a case study based on data gathered during the heavily contributed periods corresponding to the four US election debates in 2012. The manually evaluated results (0.96 precision) and other observations from the study are discussed in detail. PMID:26991442

Comparing the importance of quality measurement themes in juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myositis between patients and families and healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Tory, Heather O; Carrasco, Ruy; Griffin, Thomas; Huber, Adam M; Kahn, Philip; Robinson, Angela Byun; Zurakowski, David; Kim, Susan

2018-04-19

A standardized set of quality measures for juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM) is not in use. Discordance has been shown between the importance ascribed to quality measures between patients and families and physicians. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the importance of various aspects of high quality care to patients with JIIM and their families with healthcare providers, to aid in future development of comprehensive quality measures. Surveys were developed by members of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Juvenile Dermatomyositis Workgroup through a consensus process and administered to patients and families through the CureJM Foundation and to healthcare professionals through CARRA. The survey asked respondents to rate the importance of 19 items related to aspects of high quality care, using a Likert scale. Patients and families gave generally higher scores for importance to most of the quality measurement themes compared with healthcare professionals, with ratings of 13 of the 19 measures reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05). Of particular importance, however, was consensus between the groups on the top five most important items: quality of life, timely diagnosis, access to rheumatology, normalization of functioning/strength, and ability for self care. Despite overall differences in the rating of importance of quality indicators between patients and families and healthcare professionals, the groups agreed on the most important aspects of care. Recognizing areas of particular importance to patients and families, and overlapping in importance with providers, will promote the development of standardized quality measures with the greatest potential for improving care and outcomes for children with JIIM.

Identifying novel members of the Wntless interactome through genetic and candidate gene approaches.

PubMed

Petko, Jessica; Tranchina, Trevor; Patel, Goral; Levenson, Robert; Justice-Bitner, Stephanie

2018-04-01

Wnt signaling is an important pathway that regulates several aspects of embryogenesis, stem cell maintenance, and neural connectivity. We have recently determined that opioids decrease Wnt secretion, presumably by inhibiting the recycling of the Wnt trafficking protein Wntless (Wls). This effect appears to be mediated by protein-protein interaction between Wls and the mu-opioid receptor (MOR), the primary cellular target of opioid drugs. The goal of this study was to identify novel protein interactors of Wls that are expressed in the brain and may also play a role in reward or addiction. Using genetic and candidate gene approaches, we show that among a variety of protein, Wls interacts with the dopamine transporter (target of cocaine), cannabinoid receptors (target of THC), Adenosine A2A receptor (target of caffeine), and SGIP1 (endocytic regulator of cannabinoid receptors). Our study shows that aside from opioid receptors, Wntless interacts with additional proteins involved in reward and/or addiction. Future studies will determine whether Wntless and WNT signaling play a more universal role in these processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factor analysis in the Genetics of Asthma International Network family study identifies five major quantitative asthma phenotypes.

PubMed

Pillai, S G; Tang, Y; van den Oord, E; Klotsman, M; Barnes, K; Carlsen, K; Gerritsen, J; Lenney, W; Silverman, M; Sly, P; Sundy, J; Tsanakas, J; von Berg, A; Whyte, M; Ortega, H G; Anderson, W H; Helms, P J

2008-03-01

Asthma is a clinically heterogeneous disease caused by a complex interaction between genetic susceptibility and diverse environmental factors. In common with other complex diseases the lack of a standardized scheme to evaluate the phenotypic variability poses challenges in identifying the contribution of genes and environments to disease expression. To determine the minimum number of sets of features required to characterize subjects with asthma which will be useful in identifying important genetic and environmental contributors. Methods Probands aged 7-35 years with physician diagnosed asthma and symptomatic siblings were identified in 1022 nuclear families from 11 centres in six countries forming the Genetics of Asthma International Network. Factor analysis was used to identify distinct phenotypes from questionnaire, clinical, and laboratory data, including baseline pulmonary function, allergen skin prick test (SPT). Five distinct factors were identified:(1) baseline pulmonary function measures [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and forced vital capacity (FVC)], (2) specific allergen sensitization by SPT, (3) self-reported allergies, (4) symptoms characteristic of rhinitis and (5) symptoms characteristic of asthma. Replication in symptomatic siblings was consistent with shared genetic and/or environmental effects, and was robust across age groups, gender, and centres. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.719 to 0.983 suggesting acceptable internal scale consistencies. Derived scales were correlated with serum IgE, methacholine PC(20), age and asthma severity (interrupted sleep). IgE correlated with all three atopy-related factors, the strongest with the SPT factor whereas severity only correlated with baseline lung function, and with symptoms characteristic of rhinitis and of asthma. In children and adolescents with established asthma, five distinct sets of correlated patient characteristics appear to represent important aspects of the disease. Factor scores as

Identifying emerging issues in forestry as a tool for research planning.

Treesearch

Hans M. Gregersen; Allen L. Lundgren; Pamela J. Jakes; David N. Bengston

1989-01-01

A Delphi exercise is used to identify emerging issues in National Forest management and use, the relative importance of the issues, and barriers to resolving issues. USDA Forest Service managers agree on the importance of the 11 issues identified; however, researchers and National Forest managers do not always agree on the importance of issues or barriers.

Ecology of Anopheles darlingi Root with respect to vector importance: a review

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Anopheles darlingi is one of the most important malaria vectors in the Americas. In this era of new tools and strategies for malaria and vector control it is essential to have knowledge on the ecology and behavior of vectors in order to evaluate appropriateness and impact of control measures. This paper aims to provide information on the importance, ecology and behavior of An. darlingi. It reviews publications that addressed ecological and behavioral aspects that are important to understand the role and importance of An. darlingi in the transmission of malaria throughout its area of distribution. The results show that Anopheles darlingi is especially important for malaria transmission in the Amazon region. Although numerous studies exist, many aspects determining the vectorial capacity of An. darlingi, i.e. its relation to seasons and environmental conditions, its gonotrophic cycle and longevity, and its feeding behavior and biting preferences, are still unknown. The vector shows a high degree of variability in behavioral traits. This makes it difficult to predict the impact of ongoing changes in the environment on the mosquito populations. Recent studies indicate a good ability of An. darlingi to adapt to environments modified by human development. This allows the vector to establish populations in areas where it previously did not exist or had been controlled to date. The behavioral variability of the vector, its adaptability, and our limited knowledge of these impede the establishment of effective control strategies. Increasing our knowledge of An. darlingi is necessary. PMID:21923902

Profiling Synaptic Proteins Identifies Regulators of Insulin Secretion and Lifespan

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Joshua M.

2008-01-01

Cells are organized into distinct compartments to perform specific tasks with spatial precision. In neurons, presynaptic specializations are biochemically complex subcellular structures dedicated to neurotransmitter secretion. Activity-dependent changes in the abundance of presynaptic proteins are thought to endow synapses with different functional states; however, relatively little is known about the rules that govern changes in the composition of presynaptic terminals. We describe a genetic strategy to systematically analyze protein localization at Caenorhabditis elegans presynaptic specializations. Nine presynaptic proteins were GFP-tagged, allowing visualization of multiple presynaptic structures. Changes in the distribution and abundance of these proteins were quantified in 25 mutants that alter different aspects of neurotransmission. Global analysis of these data identified novel relationships between particular presynaptic components and provides a new method to compare gene functions by identifying shared protein localization phenotypes. Using this strategy, we identified several genes that regulate secretion of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and influence lifespan in a manner dependent on insulin/IGF signaling. PMID:19043554

A new approach to identify the sensitivity and importance of physical parameters combination within numerical models using the Lund-Potsdam-Jena (LPJ) model as an example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Guodong; Mu, Mu

2017-05-01

An important source of uncertainty, which causes further uncertainty in numerical simulations, is that residing in the parameters describing physical processes in numerical models. Therefore, finding a subset among numerous physical parameters in numerical models in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences, which are relatively more sensitive and important parameters, and reducing the errors in the physical parameters in this subset would be a far more efficient way to reduce the uncertainties involved in simulations. In this context, we present a new approach based on the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation related to parameter (CNOP-P) method. The approach provides a framework to ascertain the subset of those relatively more sensitive and important parameters among the physical parameters. The Lund-Potsdam-Jena (LPJ) dynamical global vegetation model was utilized to test the validity of the new approach in China. The results imply that nonlinear interactions among parameters play a key role in the identification of sensitive parameters in arid and semi-arid regions of China compared to those in northern, northeastern, and southern China. The uncertainties in the numerical simulations were reduced considerably by reducing the errors of the subset of relatively more sensitive and important parameters. The results demonstrate that our approach not only offers a new route to identify relatively more sensitive and important physical parameters but also that it is viable to then apply "target observations" to reduce the uncertainties in model parameters.

Yesterday’s Doctors: The Human Aspects of Medical Education in Britain, 1957–93

PubMed Central

Bates, Victoria

2017-01-01

In the wake of the Second World War there was a movement to counterbalance the apparently increasingly technical nature of medical education. These reforms sought a more holistic model of care and to put people – rather than diseases – back at the centre of medical practice and medical education. This article shows that students often drove the early stages of education reform. Their innovations focused on relationships between doctors and their communities, and often took the form of informal discussions about medical ethics and the social dimensions of primary care. Medical schools began to pursue ‘humanistic’ education more formally from the 1980s onwards, particularly within the context of general practice curricula and with a focus on individual doctor–patient relationships. Overall from the 1950s to the 1990s there was a broad shift in discussions of the human aspects of medical education: from interest in patient communities to individuals; from social concerns to personal characteristics; and from the relatively abstract to the measurable and instrumental. There was no clear shift from ‘less’ to ‘more’ humanistic education, but rather a shift in the perceived goals of integrating human aspects of medical education. The human aspects of medicine show the importance of student activism in driving forward community and ethical medicine, and provide an important backdrop to the rise of competencies within general undergraduate education. PMID:27998331

Lateralized hippocampal oscillations underlie distinct aspects of human spatial memory and navigation.

PubMed

Miller, Jonathan; Watrous, Andrew J; Tsitsiklis, Melina; Lee, Sang Ah; Sheth, Sameer A; Schevon, Catherine A; Smith, Elliot H; Sperling, Michael R; Sharan, Ashwini; Asadi-Pooya, Ali Akbar; Worrell, Gregory A; Meisenhelter, Stephen; Inman, Cory S; Davis, Kathryn A; Lega, Bradley; Wanda, Paul A; Das, Sandhitsu R; Stein, Joel M; Gorniak, Richard; Jacobs, Joshua

2018-06-21

The hippocampus plays a vital role in various aspects of cognition including both memory and spatial navigation. To understand electrophysiologically how the hippocampus supports these processes, we recorded intracranial electroencephalographic activity from 46 neurosurgical patients as they performed a spatial memory task. We measure signals from multiple brain regions, including both left and right hippocampi, and we use spectral analysis to identify oscillatory patterns related to memory encoding and navigation. We show that in the left but not right hippocampus, the amplitude of oscillations in the 1-3-Hz "low theta" band increases when viewing subsequently remembered object-location pairs. In contrast, in the right but not left hippocampus, low-theta activity increases during periods of navigation. The frequencies of these hippocampal signals are slower than task-related signals in the neocortex. These results suggest that the human brain includes multiple lateralized oscillatory networks that support different aspects of cognition.

Identification of Circular RNAs from the Parental Genes Involved in Multiple Aspects of Cellular Metabolism in Barley

PubMed Central

Darbani, Behrooz; Noeparvar, Shahin; Borg, Søren

2016-01-01

RNA circularization made by head-to-tail back-splicing events is involved in the regulation of gene expression from transcriptional to post-translational levels. By exploiting RNA-Seq data and down-stream analysis, we shed light on the importance of circular RNAs in plants. The results introduce circular RNAs as novel interactors in the regulation of gene expression in plants and imply the comprehensiveness of this regulatory pathway by identifying circular RNAs for a diverse set of genes. These genes are involved in several aspects of cellular metabolism as hormonal signaling, intracellular protein sorting, carbohydrate metabolism and cell-wall biogenesis, respiration, amino acid biosynthesis, transcription and translation, and protein ubiquitination. Additionally, these parental loci of circular RNAs, from both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, encode for different transcript classes including protein coding transcripts, microRNA, rRNA, and long non-coding/microprotein coding RNAs. The results shed light on the mitochondrial exonic circular RNAs and imply the importance of circular RNAs for regulation of mitochondrial genes. Importantly, we introduce circular RNAs in barley and elucidate their cellular-level alterations across tissues and in response to micronutrients iron and zinc. In further support of circular RNAs' functional roles in plants, we report several cases where fluctuations of circRNAs do not correlate with the levels of their parental-loci encoded linear transcripts. PMID:27375638

Identifying Students "At Risk" of Withdrawal Using ROC Analysis of Attendance Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCluckie, Barry

2014-01-01

Student retention has become increasingly important as student numbers continue to rise. Early identification of those students who are disengaging from their course is crucial if steps are to be taken to turn this around. Attendance data from the compulsory aspects of courses were gathered on a centrally held database during teaching week six of…

Innovations in recreation management: importance, diffusion, and implementation.

Treesearch

Ingrid Schneider; Dorothy Anderson; Pamela Jakes

1993-01-01

Uses a Delphi technique to (1) identify important innovations in recreation resource management, (2) determine their relative importance in meeting recreation management objectives, (3) and gather information about their diffusion and implementation.

Cutaneous field cancerization: clinical, histopathological and therapeutic aspects*

PubMed Central

Torezan, Luís Antônio Ribeiro; Festa-Neto, Cyro

2013-01-01

The concept of "field cancerization" was first introduced by Slaughter in 1953 when studying the presence of histologically abnormal tissue surrounding oral squamous cell carcinoma. It was proposed to explain the development of multiple primary tumors and locally recurrent cancer. Organ systems in which field cancerization has been described since then are: head and neck (oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx), lung, vulva, esophagus, cervix, breast, skin, colon, and bladder. Recent molecular studies support the carcinogenesis model in which the development of a field with genetically altered cells plays a central role. An important clinical implication is that fields often remain after the surgery for the primary tumor and may lead to new cancers, designated presently as "a second primary tumor" or "local recurrence," depending on the exact site and time interval. In conclusion, the development of an expanding pre-neoplastic field appears to be a critical step in epithelial carcinogenesis with important clinical consequences. Diagnosis and treatment of epithelial cancers should not only be focused on the tumor but also on the field from which it developed. The most important etiopathogenetic, clinical, histopathological and therapeutic aspects of field cancerization are reviewed in this article. PMID:24173184

HES factors regulate specific aspects of chondrogenesis and chondrocyte hypertrophy during cartilage development

PubMed Central

Rutkowski, Timothy P.; Kohn, Anat; Sharma, Deepika; Ren, Yinshi; Mirando, Anthony J.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT RBPjκ-dependent Notch signaling regulates multiple processes during cartilage development, including chondrogenesis, chondrocyte hypertrophy and cartilage matrix catabolism. Select members of the HES- and HEY-families of transcription factors are recognized Notch signaling targets that mediate specific aspects of Notch function during development. However, whether particular HES and HEY factors play any role(s) in the processes during cartilage development is unknown. Here, for the first time, we have developed unique in vivo genetic models and in vitro approaches demonstrating that the RBPjκ-dependent Notch targets HES1 and HES5 suppress chondrogenesis and promote the onset of chondrocyte hypertrophy. HES1 and HES5 might have some overlapping function in these processes, although only HES5 directly regulates Sox9 transcription to coordinate cartilage development. HEY1 and HEYL play no discernable role in regulating chondrogenesis or chondrocyte hypertrophy, whereas none of the HES or HEY factors appear to mediate Notch regulation of cartilage matrix catabolism. This work identifies important candidates that might function as downstream mediators of Notch signaling both during normal skeletal development and in Notch-related skeletal disorders. PMID:27160681

Verb Aspect and the Activation of Event Knowledge

PubMed Central

Ferretti, Todd R.; Kutas, Marta; McRae, Ken

2011-01-01

The authors show that verb aspect influences the activation of event knowledge with 4 novel results. First, common locations of events (e.g., arena) are primed following verbs with imperfective aspect (e.g., was skating) but not verbs with perfect aspect (e.g., had skated). Second, people generate more locative prepositional phrases as completions to sentence fragments with imperfective than those with perfect aspect. Third, the amplitude of the N400 component to location nouns varies as a function of aspect and typicality, being smallest for imperfective sentences with highly expected locations and largest for imperfective sentences with less expected locations. Fourth, the amplitude of a sustained frontal negativity spanning prepositional phrases is larger following perfect than following imperfective aspect. Taken together, these findings suggest a dynamic interplay between event knowledge and the linguistic stream. PMID:17201561

COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF COMPLEX TECHNOLOGIES: INTEGRATING VARIOUS ASPECTS IN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.

PubMed

Lysdahl, Kristin Bakke; Mozygemba, Kati; Burns, Jacob; Brönneke, Jan Benedikt; Chilcott, James B; Ward, Sue; Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-01-01

Despite recent development of health technology assessment (HTA) methods, there are still methodological gaps for the assessment of complex health technologies. The INTEGRATE-HTA guidance for effectiveness, economic, ethical, socio-cultural, and legal aspects, deals with challenges when assessing complex technologies, such as heterogeneous study designs, multiple stakeholder perspectives, and unpredictable outcomes. The objective of this article is to outline this guidance and describe the added value of integrating these assessment aspects. Different methods were used to develop the various parts of the guidance, but all draw on existing, published knowledge and were supported by stakeholder involvement. The guidance was modified after application in a case study and in response to feedback from internal and external reviewers. The guidance consists of five parts, addressing five core aspects of HTA, all presenting stepwise approaches based on the assessment of complexity, context, and stakeholder involvement. The guidance on effectiveness, health economics and ethics aspects focus on helping users choose appropriate, or further develop, existing methods. The recommendations are based on existing methods' applicability for dealing with problems arising with complex interventions. The guidance offers new frameworks to identify socio-cultural and legal issues, along with overviews of relevant methods and sources. The INTEGRATE-HTA guidance outlines a wide range of methods and facilitates appropriate choices among them. The guidance enables understanding of how complexity matters for HTA and brings together assessments from disciplines, such as epidemiology, economics, ethics, law, and social theory. This indicates relevance for a broad range of technologies.

FHWA LTBP Workshop to Identify Bridge Substructure Performance Issues : March 4–6, 2010, in Orlando, FL

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program was created to identify, collect, and analyze research-quality data on the most critical aspects of bridge performance. To complete a thorough investigation of bridge performance issues, the Federal Hig...

Diagnosed, identified, current and complete depression among patients attending primary care in southern Catalonia: different aspects of the same concept.

PubMed

Montesó-Curto, Pilar; Ferré-Grau, Carme; Lleixà-Fortuño, Mar; Albacar-Riobóo, Nuria; Lejeune, Marylene

2014-02-01

The aims of this study were to explore the prevalence and the conceptualizations of depression detected by the healthcare system, identified by the patient or classified/identified in the validated Goldberg's questionnaire in a community. We conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of 317 patients. The different types of depression diagnosed, identified, current or total were stratified by age and gender groups. The difference in the conceptualization of depression from the medical or ordinary people point of view indicate that depression care requires the understanding of the lifestyle, beliefs, attitudes, family and social networks of the people the physicians and nurses care for. © 2014.

Aspects of the non-pharmacological treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

PubMed Central

Eriksson, Elsa Maria; Andrén, Kristina Ingrid; Kurlberg, Göran Karl; Eriksson, Henry Ture

2015-01-01

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal conditions. It represents a significant healthcare burden and remains a clinical challenge. Over the years IBS has been described from a variety of different perspectives; from a strict illness of the gastrointestinal tract (medical model) to a more complex multi-symptomatic disorder of the brain-gut axis (biopsychosocial/psychosomatic model). In this article we present aspects of the pathophysiology and the non-pharmacological treatment of IBS based on current knowledge. Effects of conditioned stress and/or traumatic influences on the emotional system (top-down) as well as effects on the intestine through stressors, infection, inflammation, food and dysbiosis (bottom-up) can affect brain-gut communication and result in dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), playing an important role in the pathophysiology of IBS. Conditioned stress together with dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and the emotional system may involve reactions in which the distress inside the body is not recognized due to low body awareness. This may explain why patients have difficulty identifying their symptoms despite dysfunction in muscle tension, movement patterns, and posture and biochemical functions in addition to gastrointestinal symptoms. IBS shares many features with other idiopathic conditions, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and somatoform disorders. The key to effective treatment is a thorough examination, including a gastroenterological examination to exclude other diseases along with an assessment of body awareness by a body-mind therapist. The literature suggests that early interdisciplinary diagnostic co-operation between gastroenterologists and body-mind therapists is necessary. Re-establishing balance in the ANS is an important component of IBS treatment. This article discusses the current knowledge of body-mind treatment, addressing the topic from a

Questioning our Questions: Do frequently asked questions adequately cover the aspects of women's lives most affected by abnormal uterine bleeding? Opinions of women with abnormal uterine bleeding participating in focus group discussions

PubMed Central

Matteson, Kristen A.; Clark, Melissa A.

2010-01-01

Objectives: (1) To explore the effects on women's lives by heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding; (2) To examine whether aspects of women's lives most affected by heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding were adequately addressed by questions that are frequently used in clinical encounters and available questionnaires. Methods: We conducted four focus group sessions with a total of 25 English-speaking women who had reported abnormal uterine bleeding. Discussions included open-ended questions that pertained to bleeding, aspects of life affected by bleeding, and questions frequently used in clinical settings about bleeding and quality of life. Results: We identified five themes that reflected how women's lives were affected by heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding: irritation/inconvenience, bleeding-associated pain, self-consciousness about odor, social embarrassment, and ritual like behavior. Although women responded that the frequently used questions about bleeding and quality of life were important, they felt that the questions failed to go into enough depth to adequately characterize their experiences. Conclusions: Based on the themes identified in our focus group sessions, clinicians and researchers may need to change the questions used to capture “patient experience” with abnormal uterine bleeding more accurately. PMID:20437305

Preceptor Perceptions of the Importance of Experiential Guidelines

PubMed Central

Godwin, Donald; Thompson, Megan E.; Wittstrom, Kristina

2013-01-01

Objectives. To assess preceptors’ perceptions of the importance of experiential guidelines and identify and compare differences in perceptions. Methods. Active advanced and introductory pharmacy practice experience preceptors for the University of New Mexico were invited to participate in an anonymous electronic survey regarding the importance of specific tasks and abilities expected in new pharmacist practitioners as outlined in Appendix C of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards and Guidelines. Results. While the majority of preceptors rated most tasks (eg, communication, patient counseling) as very important or important, emerging tasks (eg, health literacy, public health, physical assessment) were not rated as highly by a majority of preceptors. Conclusion. The deficiencies identified in the study suggest potential reductions in the transfer of learning from preceptors to experiential students. Preceptor training programs should be structured to raise the perceived level of importance of these tasks. PMID:24052647

Cross-sectional aspect ratio modulated electronic properties in Si/Ge core/shell nanowires

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

Liu, Nuo; Lu, Ning; Yao, Yong-Xin

2013-02-28

Electronic structures of (4, n) and (m, 4) (the NW has m layers parallel to the {1 1 1} facet and n layers parallel to {1 1 0}) Si/Ge core/shell nanowires (NWs) along the [1 1 2] direction with cross-sectional aspect ratio (m/n) from 0.36 to 2.25 are studied by first-principles calculations. An indirect to direct band gap transition is observed as m/n decreases, and the critical values of m/n and diameter for the transition are also estimated. The size of the band gap also depends on the aspect ratio. These results suggest that m/n plays an important role inmore » modulating the electronic properties of the NWs.« less

Echovirus-4 meningitis outbreak imported from India.

PubMed

Gobbi, Federico; Calleri, Guido; Spezia, Claudia; Lipani, Filippo; Balbiano, Rosanna; De Agostini, Maura; Milia, Maria Grazia; Caramello, Pietro

2010-01-01

We describe seven cases of meningitis in a group of young Italian travelers coming back from India. Virologic studies identified echovirus-4 as the cause of this cluster of cases, the first imported echovirus outbreak in Italy. Enteroviruses may play an important role in undiagnosed fevers in travelers.

Teaching the Ethical Aspects of Environmental Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palinkas, C. M.

2014-12-01

Environmental and societal issues are often inherently linked, especially in coastal and estuarine environments, and science and social values must often be balanced in ecosystem management and decision-making. A new seminar course has been developed for the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science (MEES) graduate program, an inter-institutional program within the University System of Maryland, to examine these issues. This 1-credit course, offered for the first time in Spring 2015, takes a complex systems perspective on major environmental and societal challenges to examine these linked issues in a variety of contexts. After a brief introduction to the emerging field of "geoethics," students develop a list of issues to examine throughout the seminar. Example topics could include fracking, offshore wind technology, dam removal, and iron fertilization, among others. A case-study approach is taken, with each class meeting focusing on one issue. For each case study, students are asked to 1) identify relevant scientific principles and major knowledge gaps, 2) predict potential outcomes, 3) identify stakeholders and likely viewpoints, and 4) construct communication plans to disseminate findings to these stakeholders. At the end of the semester, students give a brief presentation of the ethical aspects of their own research topics.

Aspect: A Formal Specification Language for Detecting Bugs

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

the Aspect state from Chapter 6 and, below it, the definition of the approximating state used by the checker. The additional component Multilocs marks...stages. First, each collection object in Multilocs is expanded into a set of objects whose dependency and value sets are subsets of those of the... Multilocs x Prelocs Env = Var ý7 PLoc x PSource Store = Loc x Aspect F-k Val x PSource Vat = Unknown + PLoc Aspect = PlainAspect + Pointer + Collection

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data

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

McMurry, Julie A.; Juty, Nick; Blomberg, Niklas

In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases). Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers are a core component of this integration infrastructure. Drawing on our experience and on work by other groups, we outline 10 lessons we have learned about the identifier qualities and best practices that facilitate large-scale data integration. Specifically, we propose actions that identifier practitioners (database providers) should take in the design, provision and reuse of identifiers. We also outline themore » important considerations for those referencing identifiers in various circumstances, including by authors and data generators. While the importance and relevance of each lesson will vary by context, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines.« less

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data

PubMed Central

Juty, Nick; Blomberg, Niklas; Burdett, Tony; Conlin, Tom; Conte, Nathalie; Courtot, Mélanie; Deck, John; Dumontier, Michel; Fellows, Donal K.; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Gormanns, Philipp; Grethe, Jeffrey; Hastings, Janna; Hériché, Jean-Karim; Hermjakob, Henning; Ison, Jon C.; Jimenez, Rafael C.; Jupp, Simon; Kunze, John; Laibe, Camille; Le Novère, Nicolas; Malone, James; Martin, Maria Jesus; McEntyre, Johanna R.; Morris, Chris; Muilu, Juha; Müller, Wolfgang; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Sariyar, Murat; Snoep, Jacky L.; Soiland-Reyes, Stian; Stanford, Natalie J.; Swainston, Neil; Washington, Nicole; Williams, Alan R.; Wimalaratne, Sarala M.; Winfree, Lilly M.; Wolstencroft, Katherine; Goble, Carole; Mungall, Christopher J.; Haendel, Melissa A.; Parkinson, Helen

2017-01-01

In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases). Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers are a core component of this integration infrastructure. Drawing on our experience and on work by other groups, we outline 10 lessons we have learned about the identifier qualities and best practices that facilitate large-scale data integration. Specifically, we propose actions that identifier practitioners (database providers) should take in the design, provision and reuse of identifiers. We also outline the important considerations for those referencing identifiers in various circumstances, including by authors and data generators. While the importance and relevance of each lesson will vary by context, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines. PMID:28662064

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data.

PubMed

McMurry, Julie A; Juty, Nick; Blomberg, Niklas; Burdett, Tony; Conlin, Tom; Conte, Nathalie; Courtot, Mélanie; Deck, John; Dumontier, Michel; Fellows, Donal K; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Gormanns, Philipp; Grethe, Jeffrey; Hastings, Janna; Hériché, Jean-Karim; Hermjakob, Henning; Ison, Jon C; Jimenez, Rafael C; Jupp, Simon; Kunze, John; Laibe, Camille; Le Novère, Nicolas; Malone, James; Martin, Maria Jesus; McEntyre, Johanna R; Morris, Chris; Muilu, Juha; Müller, Wolfgang; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Sariyar, Murat; Snoep, Jacky L; Soiland-Reyes, Stian; Stanford, Natalie J; Swainston, Neil; Washington, Nicole; Williams, Alan R; Wimalaratne, Sarala M; Winfree, Lilly M; Wolstencroft, Katherine; Goble, Carole; Mungall, Christopher J; Haendel, Melissa A; Parkinson, Helen

2017-06-01

In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases). Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers are a core component of this integration infrastructure. Drawing on our experience and on work by other groups, we outline 10 lessons we have learned about the identifier qualities and best practices that facilitate large-scale data integration. Specifically, we propose actions that identifier practitioners (database providers) should take in the design, provision and reuse of identifiers. We also outline the important considerations for those referencing identifiers in various circumstances, including by authors and data generators. While the importance and relevance of each lesson will vary by context, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines.

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data

DOE PAGES

McMurry, Julie A.; Juty, Nick; Blomberg, Niklas; ...

2017-06-29

In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases). Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers are a core component of this integration infrastructure. Drawing on our experience and on work by other groups, we outline 10 lessons we have learned about the identifier qualities and best practices that facilitate large-scale data integration. Specifically, we propose actions that identifier practitioners (database providers) should take in the design, provision and reuse of identifiers. We also outline themore » important considerations for those referencing identifiers in various circumstances, including by authors and data generators. While the importance and relevance of each lesson will vary by context, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines.« less

What Is Important to Young Children Who Have Cancer while in Hospital?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldiss, Susie; Horstman, Maire; O'Leary, Chris; Richardson, Alison; Gibson, Faith

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a participatory research project exploring children's experiences and views of cancer care services. It focusses on findings from interviews conducted with 10 children aged four and five years old. Play and puppets were used to help children express their views. The themes elicited reveal important aspects of hospital care…

A Digital Solar Aspect Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albus, James S.

1961-01-01

The solar aspect sensor described herein performs the analog-to-digital conversion of data optically. To accomplish this, it uses a binary "Gray code" light mask to produce a digital indication, in vehicle-fixed coordinates, of the elevation and azimuth angles of incident light from the sun. This digital solar aspect sensor system, in Explorer X, provided measurements of both elevation and azimuth angles to +/- 2 degrees at a distance of over 140,000 statute miles.

Distribution of Lepidopteran Larvae on Norway Spruce: Effects of Slope and Crown Aspect.

PubMed

Kulfan, Ján; Dvořáčková, Katarína; Zach, Peter; Parák, Michal; Svitok, Marek

2016-04-01

Lepidoptera associated with Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karsten, play important roles in ecosystem processes, acting as plant pests, prey for predators, and hosts for parasites and parasitoids. Their distribution patterns in spruce crowns and forests are only poorly understood. We examined how slope and crown aspect affect the occurrence and abundance of moth larvae on solitary spruce trees in a montane region in Central Europe. Moth larvae were collected from southern and northern crowns of trees growing on south- and north-facing slopes (four treatments) using emergence boxes at the end of winter and by the beating method during the growing season. Species responses to slope and crown aspect were not uniform. Treatment effects on moth larvae were stronger in the winter than during the growing season. In winter, the abundance of bud-boring larvae was significantly higher in northern than in southern crowns regardless of the slope aspect, while both slope and aspect had marginally significant effects on abundance of miners. During the growing season, the occurrence of free-living larvae was similar among treatments. Emergence boxes and beating spruce branches are complementary techniques providing valuable insights into the assemblage structure of moth larvae on Norway spruce. Due to the uneven distribution of larvae detected in this study, we recommend adoption of a protocol that explicitly includes sampling of trees from contrasting slopes and branches from contrasting crown aspect in all seasons. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Different aspects of virus persistence (review).

PubMed

Barnabishvili, N; Topuria, T; Gamtsemlidze, P; Topuria, M

2012-05-01

The article reviews different aspects of virus persistence in human organism. Persistence is a capability acquired and strengthened in the process of evolution of many viruses that is the means of maintenance of species. Viruses of measles, poliomyelitis, mite-like encephalitis, B and C hepatitis, herpes, retro and HIV viruses persist in human organism. Persistence is used by various viruses at various levels; they have different adaptive power and no different pathologic output. But in any case, the necessary condition is that virus should escape from elimination reactions of immune control system. At the same time, the important thing is not to save free virus but to save infected cell. While discussing long-term viral persistence, it is impossible to mark off distinctly the importance of biological participation of macroorganism and provoker in this process. The output of the relationship with infect cell is conditioned on the one hand by permissiveness of cell system, on the other hand by strain pathogen city. The details of attenuation mechanisms of microorganism's different reactions in cases of illness with the same strain are not known well yet. Although, it is clear that in chronic persistence the leading role still has immune system disbalance. In disbalance genesis of immunological equilibration virus-induced changes of immunocompetent cells are high.

Identifying Factors for Worker Motivation in Zambia's Rural Health Facilities.

PubMed

Cross, Samuel S; Baernholdt, Dr Marianne

2017-01-01

Within Zambia there is a shortage of health workers in rural areas. This study aims to identify motivating factors for retaining rural health workers. Sixty rural health workers completed surveys and 46 were interviewed. They rated the importance of six motivating factors and discussed these and other factors in interviews. An interview was conducted with a Government Human Resources Manager (HR Manager) to elicit contextual information. All six factors were identified as being very important motivators, as were two additional factors. Additional career training was identified by many as the most important factor. Comparison of results and the HR Manager interview revealed that workers lacked knowledge about opportunities and that the HR manager was aware of barriers to career development. The Zambian government might better motivate and retain rural health workers by offering them any combination of identified factors, and by addressing the barriers to career development.

Quality_Family Deployment: A New Perspective in Determining Priority Importance for Improving Work Performance in Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fatimah, P. L. Rika; Jemain, A. A.; Ibrahim, K.; Nasir, S. Mohammad; Anuar, M. A. Khairul

2009-01-01

Determining priority importance is a matter of concerns among the organization to improve their performance. One of the important aspects that should be considered by the organization is management of human resources, comprising of members who have their own family life. In this paper, we deliver a new perspective for organization to provide…

Integrating the Epistemic and Ontological Aspects of Content Knowledge in Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadouris, Nicos; Constantinou, Constantinos P.

2017-01-01

Promoting facility with content knowledge is one of the most important objectives of science teaching. Conventionally, the focus for this objective is placed on the substantive side of content knowledge (e.g. science concepts/laws), whereas its epistemic or ontological aspects (e.g. why do we construct concepts?) rarely receive explicit attention.…

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: Clinical and molecular aspects of recently identified kidney cancer syndrome.

PubMed

Hasumi, Hisashi; Baba, Masaya; Hasumi, Yukiko; Furuya, Mitsuko; Yao, Masahiro

2016-03-01

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disease that predisposes patients to develop fibrofolliculoma, lung cysts and bilateral multifocal renal tumors, histologically hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumors, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, oncocytoma, papillary renal cell carcinoma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The predominant forms of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome-associated renal tumors, hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumors and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma are typically less aggressive, and a therapeutic principle for these tumors is a surgical removal with nephron-sparing. The timing of surgery is the most critical element for postoperative renal function, which is one of the important prognostic factors for Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome patients. The folliculin gene (FLCN) that is responsible for Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome was isolated as a novel tumor suppressor for kidney cancer. Recent studies using murine models for FLCN, a protein encoded by the FLCN gene, and its two binding partners, folliculin-interacting protein 1 (FNIP1) and folliculin-interacting protein 2 (FNIP2), have uncovered important roles for FLCN, FNIP1 and FNIP2 in cell metabolism, which include AMP-activated protein kinase-mediated energy sensing, Ppargc1a-driven mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and mTORC1-dependent cell proliferation. Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome is a hereditary hamartoma syndrome, which is triggered by metabolic alterations under a functional loss of FLCN/FNIP1/FNIP2 complex, a critical regulator of kidney cell proliferation rate; a mechanistic insight into the FLCN/FNIP1/FNIP2 pathway could provide us a basis for developing new therapeutics for kidney cancer. © 2015 The Japanese Urological Association.

Sexual dimorphism in multiple aspects of 3D facial symmetry and asymmetry defined by spatially dense geometric morphometrics

PubMed Central

Claes, Peter; Walters, Mark; Shriver, Mark D; Puts, David; Gibson, Greg; Clement, John; Baynam, Gareth; Verbeke, Geert; Vandermeulen, Dirk; Suetens, Paul

2012-01-01

Accurate measurement of facial sexual dimorphism is useful to understanding facial anatomy and specifically how faces influence, and have been influenced by, sexual selection. An important facial aspect is the display of bilateral symmetry, invoking the need to investigate aspects of symmetry and asymmetry separately when examining facial shape. Previous studies typically employed landmarks that provided only a sparse facial representation, where different landmark choices could lead to contrasting outcomes. Furthermore, sexual dimorphism is only tested as a difference of sample means, which is statistically the same as a difference in population location only. Within the framework of geometric morphometrics, we partition facial shape, represented in a spatially dense way, into patterns of symmetry and asymmetry, following a two-factor anova design. Subsequently, we investigate sexual dimorphism in symmetry and asymmetry patterns separately, and on multiple aspects, by examining (i) population location differences as well as differences in population variance-covariance; (ii) scale; and (iii) orientation. One important challenge in this approach is the proportionally high number of variables to observations necessitating the implementation of permutational and computationally feasible statistics. In a sample of gender-matched young adults (18–25 years) with self-reported European ancestry, we found greater variation in male faces than in women for all measurements. Statistically significant sexual dimorphism was found for the aspect of location in both symmetry and asymmetry (directional asymmetry), for the aspect of scale only in asymmetry (magnitude of fluctuating asymmetry) and, in contrast, for the aspect of orientation only in symmetry. Interesting interplays with hypotheses in evolutionary and developmental biology were observed, such as the selective nature of the force underpinning sexual dimorphism and the genetic independence of the structural patterns