Measuring Decision-Making During Thyroidectomy: Validity Evidence for a Web-Based Assessment Tool.

PubMed

Madani, Amin; Gornitsky, Jordan; Watanabe, Yusuke; Benay, Cassandre; Altieri, Maria S; Pucher, Philip H; Tabah, Roger; Mitmaker, Elliot J

2018-02-01

Errors in judgment during thyroidectomy can lead to recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and other complications. Despite the strong link between patient outcomes and intraoperative decision-making, methods to evaluate these complex skills are lacking. The purpose of this study was to develop objective metrics to evaluate advanced cognitive skills during thyroidectomy and to obtain validity evidence for them. An interactive online learning platform was developed ( www.thinklikeasurgeon.com ). Trainees and surgeons from four institutions completed a 33-item assessment, developed based on a cognitive task analysis and expert Delphi consensus. Sixteen items required subjects to make annotations on still frames of thyroidectomy videos, and accuracy scores were calculated based on an algorithm derived from experts' responses ("visual concordance test," VCT). Seven items were short answer (SA), requiring users to type their answers, and scores were automatically calculated based on their similarity to a pre-populated repertoire of correct responses. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and correlation of scores with self-reported experience and training level (novice, intermediate, expert) were calculated. Twenty-eight subjects (10 endocrine surgeons and otolaryngologists, 18 trainees) participated. There was high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.96; n = 10) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.93). The assessment demonstrated significant differences between novices, intermediates, and experts in total score (p < 0.01), VCT score (p < 0.01) and SA score (p < 0.01). There was high correlation between total case number and total score (ρ = 0.95, p < 0.01), between total case number and VCT score (ρ = 0.93, p < 0.01), and between total case number and SA score (ρ = 0.83, p < 0.01). This study describes the development of novel metrics and provides validity evidence for an interactive Web-based platform to objectively assess decision-making during thyroidectomy.

[Comparing different treatments for femoral neck fracture of displacement type in the elderly:a meta analysis].

PubMed

Zhao, Wenbo; Tu, Chongqi; Zhang, Hui; Fang, Yue; Wang, Guanglin; Liu, Lei

2014-04-01

To compare the effects and security between internal fixation and total hip arthroplasty for the patients in elderly with femoral neck fracture of displacement type through a meta analysis. Studies on comparison between internal fixation and total hip arthroplasty for the patients in the elderly with femoral neck fracture of displacement type were identified from PubMed database,EMBase database, COCHRANE library, CMB database, CNKI database and MEDLINE database. Data analysis were performed using Revman 5.2.6(the Cochrane Collaboration). Six published randomized controlled trials including 627 patients were suitable for the review, 286 cases in internal fixation group and 341 cases in total hip arthroplasty group. The results of meta analysis indicated that statistically significant difference were observed between the two groups in the quality of life which was reflected by the Harris scale (RR = 0.82, 95%CI:0.72-0.93, P < 0.05) , the reoperation rate (RR = 5.81, 95%CI:3.09-10.95, P < 0.05) and the major complications rate (RR = 3.60, 95%CI:2.29-5.67, P < 0.05) postoperatively. There were no difference in the mortality at 1 year and 5 years postoperatively(P > 0.05). For the patients with femoral neck fracture of displacement type in the elderly, there is no statistical difference between two groups in the mortality postoperatively. The quality of life and the security of operation in internal fixation group is worse than the total hip arthroplasty group.

[Validation of a scale measuring coping with extreme risks].

PubMed

López-Vázquez, Esperanza; Marván, María Luisa

2004-01-01

The objective of this study was to validate, in Mexico, the French coping scale "Echelle Toulousaine de Coping". In the fall of 2001, the scale questionnaire was applied to 209 subjects living in different areas of Mexico, exposed to five different types of extreme natural or industrial risks. The discriminatory capacity of the items, as well as the factorial structure and internal consistency of the scale, were analyzed using Mann-Whitney's U test, principal components factorial analysis, and Cronbach's alpha. The final scale was composed of 26 items forming two groups: active coping and passive coping. Internal consistency of the instrument was high, both in the total sample and in the subsample of natural and industrial risks. The coping scale is reliable and valid for the Mexican population. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

Even illumination in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy using laser light.

PubMed

Fiolka, R; Belyaev, Y; Ewers, H; Stemmer, A

2008-01-01

In modern fluorescence microscopy, lasers are a widely used source of light, both for imaging in total internal reflection and epi-illumination modes. In wide-field imaging, scattering of highly coherent laser light due to imperfections in the light path typically leads to nonuniform illumination of the specimen, compromising image analysis. We report the design and construction of an objective-launch total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy system with excellent evenness of specimen illumination achieved by azimuthal rotation of the incoming illuminating laser beam. The system allows quick and precise changes of the incidence angle of the laser beam and thus can also be used in an epifluorescence mode. 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Concurrent Validity Between a Shared Curriculum, the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination, and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination

PubMed Central

Sisson, Stephen D.; Bertram, Amanda; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2015-01-01

Background A core objective of residency education is to facilitate learning, and programs need more curricula and assessment tools with demonstrated validity evidence. Objective We sought to demonstrate concurrent validity between performance on a widely shared, ambulatory curriculum (the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Curriculum), the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE), and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (ABIM-CE). Methods A cohort study of 443 postgraduate year (PGY)-3 residents at 22 academic and community hospital internal medicine residency programs using the curriculum through the Johns Hopkins Internet Learning Center (ILC). Total and percentile rank scores on ILC didactic modules were compared with total and percentile rank scores on the IM-ITE and total scores on the ABIM-CE. Results The average score on didactic modules was 80.1%; the percentile rank was 53.8. The average IM-ITE score was 64.1% with a percentile rank of 54.8. The average score on the ABIM-CE was 464. Scores on the didactic modules, IM-ITE, and ABIM-CE correlated with each other (P < .05). Residents completing greater numbers of didactic modules, regardless of scores, had higher IM-ITE total and percentile rank scores (P < .05). Resident performance on modules covering back pain, hypertension, preoperative evaluation, and upper respiratory tract infection was associated with IM-ITE percentile rank. Conclusions Performance on a widely shared ambulatory curriculum is associated with performance on the IM-ITE and the ABIM-CE. PMID:26217421

Design of an efficient Fresnel-type lens utilizing double total internal reflection for solar energy collection.

PubMed

Wallhead, Ian; Jiménez, Teresa Molina; Ortiz, Jose Vicente García; Toledo, Ignacio Gonzalez; Toledo, Cristóbal Gonzalez

2012-11-05

A novel of Fresnel-type lens for use as a solar collector has been designed which utilizes double total internal reflection (D-TIR) to optimize collection efficiency for high numerical aperture lenses (in the region of 0.3 to 0.6 NA). Results show that, depending on the numerical aperture and the size of the receiver, a collection efficiency theoretical improvement on the order of 20% can be expected with this new design compared with that of a conventional Fresnel lens.

Is Visually Guided Reaching in Early Infancy a Myth?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifton, Rachel K.; And Others

1993-01-01

Seven infants were tested between the ages of 6 and 25 weeks to see how they would grasp objects presented in full light and glowing or sounding objects presented in total darkness. In all three conditions, the infants first grasped the objects at nearly the same time, suggesting that internal stimuli, not visual guidance, directed their actions.…

76 FR 45223 - Notice of Funding Availability: Inviting Applications for McGovern-Dole International Food for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-28

... Applications for McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Announcement Type... Service (FAS) announces it is inviting applications for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education... program resources toward achieving two objectives: (1) Improve the literacy of school age children and (2...

An International Comparison Study of Pharmacy Students’ Achievement Goals and their Relationship to Assessment Type and Scores

PubMed Central

Anderson, Claire; Coulman, Sion A.; John, Dai N.; Tordoff, June; Sainsbury, Erica; Rose, Grenville; Smith, Lorraine

2015-01-01

Objective: To identify pharmacy students’ preferred achievement goals in a multi-national undergraduate population, to investigate achievement goal preferences across comparable degree programs, and to identify relationships between achievement goals, academic performance, and assessment type. Methods: The Achievement Goal Questionnaire was administered to second year students in 4 universities in Australia, New Zealand, England, and Wales. Academic performance was measured using total scores, multiple-choice questions, and written answers (short essay). Results: Four hundred eighty-six second year students participated. Students showed an overall preference for the mastery-approach goal orientation across all sites. The predicted relationships between goal orientation and multiple-choice questions, and written answers scores, were significant. Conclusion: This study is the first of its kind to examine pharmacy students’ achievement goals at a multi-national level and to differentiate between assessment type and measures of achievement motivation. Students adopting a mastery-approach goal are more likely to gain high scores in assessments that measure understanding and depth of knowledge. PMID:25995510

Comparison of growth curve parameters of organs and body components in meat- (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) and laying-type (Coturnix coturnix japonica) quail show interactions between gender and genotype.

PubMed

Grieser, D O; Marcato, S M; Furlan, A C; Zancanela, V; Ton, A P S; Batista, E; Perine, T P; Pozza, P C; Sakomura, N K

2015-01-01

1. The objective of this study was to estimate growth parameters of carcass components (wing, thighs and drumsticks, back and breast) and organs (heart, liver, gizzard and gut) in males and females of one meat-type quail strain (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) and two laying strains (Coturnix coturnix japonica) designated either yellow or red. 2. A total of 1350 quail from 1 to 42 d old were distributed in a completely randomised design, with 5 replicates of each strain. The carcass component weights and body organs were analysed weekly and evaluated using the Gompertz function; growth rates were evaluated through derivative equations. 3. The meat-type strain presented the highest growth rates in carcass components and organs. Across strains, females showed the highest weight of internal organs at maturity compared to males. 4. Females had greater growth potential in breast, wings and back than males for both yellow and red laying quail.

Preliminary Results for the PAR-PRO: A Measure of Home and Community Participation

PubMed Central

Ostir, Glenn V.; Granger, Carl V.; Black, Terrie; Roberts, Pamela; Burgos, Laura; Martinkewiz, Paula; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J.

2007-01-01

Objective To develop a measure of home and community participation related to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Design Cross-sectional analysis of survey data. Setting Nine medical inpatient rehabilitation facilities from 6 states. Participants A total of 594 patients of mixed impairment type admitted for inpatient rehabilitation in 2002. Mean age was 74.0 years and 61.4% were women. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Reliability and validity of the participation instrument. Results A 20-item instrument of home and community participation was developed (PAR-PRO). The instrument showed good internal consistency and good Rasch person and item fit statistics. Four subfactors were identified beyond the unidimensional construct of participation including domestic management, socialization, physical vigor, and generative activities. The PAR-PRO total participation score correlated inversely with age (r=−.31, P<.001) but did not differ by sex. Conclusions The 20-item PAR-PRO instrument of home and community participation displayed good psychometric characteristics. The instrument shows promise as a broad measure of home and community involvement for persons with disabilities. Further work is needed to support its application for people without disability. PMID:16876548

The aerodynamic properties of thick aerofoils suitable for internal bracing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norton, F H

1920-01-01

The object of this investigation was to determine the characteristics of various types of wings having sufficient depth to entirely inclose the wing bracing, and also to provide data for the further design of such sections. This type of wing is of interest because it eliminates the resistance of the interplane bracing, a portion of the airplane that sometimes absorbs one-quarter of the total power required to fly, and because these wings may be made to give a very high maximum lift. Results of the investigation of the following subjects are given: (1) effect of changing the upper and lower camber of thick aerofoils of uniform section; (2) effect of thickening the center and thinning the tips of a thin aerofoil; (3) effect of adding a convex lower surface to a tapered section; (4) effect of changing the mean thickness with constant center and tip sections; and (5) effect of varying the chord along the span.

GLADIS: GLobal AIS & Data-X International Satellite Constellation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

1Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited GLADIS : GLobal AIS & Data-X International Satellite Constellation Space-Based System for...TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE GLADIS : GLobal AIS & Data-X International Satellite Constellation 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b...Maritime & Technology Challenges • GLADIS Mission Objective • AIS & Data-X capabilities • GLADIS Architecture • International Strategy – MSSIS as Model

Temporal trends in pharmacology publications by pharmacy institutes: A deeper dig

PubMed Central

Bhatt, Parloop Amit; Patel, Zarana

2016-01-01

Objective: Publications in Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) are the face of contemporary pharmacology practices followed in health-care profession - a knowledge-based profession. It depicts trends in terms of quantity (proportions), quality, type (preclinical/clinical), thrust areas, etc., of pharmacology followed by biomedical community professions both nationally and internationally. This article aims to establish temporal trends in pharmacology research by pharmacy institutes in light of its publications to IJP from 2010 to 2015. Methodology: The website of IJP was searched for publications year and issue wise for contributing authors from pharmacy institutions and analyzed for types of publications, their source and the categories of research documented in these publications. Results: A total of 1034 articles were published, of which 189 (18%) articles were published by pharmacy institutes, of which 90% (n = 170) were contributed from pharmacy institutes within India whereas 10% (n = 19) from international pharmacy institutes. 75% of these were research publication, the majority of which (65%) were related to preclinical screening of phytochemical constituents from plants. Conclusion: With multi and interdisciplinary collaborations in pharmacy profession the trend needs to improve toward molecular and cellular pharmacology and clinical studies. PMID:28031614

Surgical management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with main duct involvement: an international expert survey and case-vignette study.

PubMed

Scholten, Lianne; van Huijgevoort, Nadine C M; Bruno, Marco J; Fernandez-Del Castillo, Carlos; Satoi, Sohei; Sauvanet, Alain; Wolfgang, Christopher; Fockens, Paul; Chari, Suresh T; Del Chiaro, Marco; van Hooft, Jeanin E; Besselink, Marc G

2018-05-16

The risk of invasive cancer in resected intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with main pancreatic duct involvement is 33%-60%. Most guidelines, therefore, advise resection of main duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and mixed type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm in surgically fit patients, although advice on the surgical strategy (partial or total pancreatectomy) differs. We performed a survey amongst international experts to guide the design of future studies and help to prepare for a single international set of guidelines. An online survey including case vignettes was sent to 221 international experts who had published on main duct/mixed type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm in the previous decade and to all surgeon and gastroenterologist members of the pancreatic cyst guideline committees of the European Study Group and the International Association of Pancreatology. Overall, 97 experts (67 surgeons, 30 gastroenterologists) from 19 countries replied (44% response rate). Most (93%) worked in an academic hospital, with a median of 15 years' experience with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm treatment. In main duct/mixed type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm patients with pancreatic duct dilation (>5 mm) in the entire pancreas, 41% (n = 37) advised nonoperative surveillance every 3-6 months, whereas 59% (n = 54) advised operative intervention. Of those who advised operative intervention, 46% (n = 25) would perform a total pancreatectomy and 31% (n = 17) pancreatoduodenectomy with follow-up. No structural differences in advice were seen between surgeons and gastroenterologists, between continents where the respondents lived, and based on years of experience. This international survey identified a clinically relevant lack of consensus in the treatment strategy in main duct/mixed type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm among experts. Studies with long-term follow-up including quality of life after partial and total pancreatectomy for main duct/mixed type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm are required. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in upper cervical spine

PubMed Central

Guo, Fei; Dai, Jianhao; Zhang, Junxiang; Ma, Yichuan; Zhu, Guanghui; Shen, Junjie; Niu, Guoqi

2017-01-01

Purpose Pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine is a difficult and high-risk procedure. The screw is difficult to place rapidly and accurately, and can lead to serious injury of spinal cord or vertebral artery. The aim of this study was to design an individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine. Methods Using CT thin slices data, we employed computer software to design the navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine (atlas and axis). The upper cervical spine models and navigation templates were produced by 3D printer with equal proportion, two sets for each case. In one set (Test group), pedicle screws fixation were guided by the navigation template; in the second set (Control group), the screws were fixed under fluoroscopy. According to the degree of pedicle cortex perforation and whether the screw needed to be refitted, the fixation effects were divided into 3 types: Type I, screw is fully located within the vertebral pedicle; Type II, degree of pedicle cortex perforation is <1 mm, but with good internal fixation stability and no need to renovate; Type III, degree of pedicle cortex perforation is >1 mm or with the poor internal fixation stability and in need of renovation. Type I and Type II were acceptable placements; Type III placements were unacceptable. Results A total of 19 upper cervical spine and 19 navigation templates were printed, and 37 pedicle screws were fixed in each group. Type I screw-placements in the test group totaled 32; Type II totaled 3; and Type III totaled 2; with an acceptable rate of 94.60%. Type I screw placements in the control group totaled 23; Type II totaled 3; and Type III totaled 11, with an acceptable rate of 70.27%. The acceptability rate in test group was higher than the rate in control group. The operation time and fluoroscopic frequency for each screw were decreased, compared with control group. Conclusion The individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation is easy and safe, with a high success rate in the upper cervical spine surgery. PMID:28152039

Individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in upper cervical spine.

PubMed

Guo, Fei; Dai, Jianhao; Zhang, Junxiang; Ma, Yichuan; Zhu, Guanghui; Shen, Junjie; Niu, Guoqi

2017-01-01

Pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine is a difficult and high-risk procedure. The screw is difficult to place rapidly and accurately, and can lead to serious injury of spinal cord or vertebral artery. The aim of this study was to design an individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine. Using CT thin slices data, we employed computer software to design the navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine (atlas and axis). The upper cervical spine models and navigation templates were produced by 3D printer with equal proportion, two sets for each case. In one set (Test group), pedicle screws fixation were guided by the navigation template; in the second set (Control group), the screws were fixed under fluoroscopy. According to the degree of pedicle cortex perforation and whether the screw needed to be refitted, the fixation effects were divided into 3 types: Type I, screw is fully located within the vertebral pedicle; Type II, degree of pedicle cortex perforation is <1 mm, but with good internal fixation stability and no need to renovate; Type III, degree of pedicle cortex perforation is >1 mm or with the poor internal fixation stability and in need of renovation. Type I and Type II were acceptable placements; Type III placements were unacceptable. A total of 19 upper cervical spine and 19 navigation templates were printed, and 37 pedicle screws were fixed in each group. Type I screw-placements in the test group totaled 32; Type II totaled 3; and Type III totaled 2; with an acceptable rate of 94.60%. Type I screw placements in the control group totaled 23; Type II totaled 3; and Type III totaled 11, with an acceptable rate of 70.27%. The acceptability rate in test group was higher than the rate in control group. The operation time and fluoroscopic frequency for each screw were decreased, compared with control group. The individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation is easy and safe, with a high success rate in the upper cervical spine surgery.

Anatomical nuances of the internal carotid artery in relation to the quadrangular space.

PubMed

Dolci, Ricardo L L; Ditzel Filho, Leo F S; Goulart, Carlos R; Upadhyay, Smita; Buohliqah, Lamia; Lazarini, Paulo R; Prevedello, Daniel M; Carrau, Ricardo L

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomical variations of the internal carotid artery (ICA) in relation to the quadrangular space (QS) and to propose a classification system based on the results. METHODS A total of 44 human cadaveric specimens were dissected endonasally under direct endoscopic visualization. During the dissection, the anatomical variations of the ICA and their relationship with the QS were noted. RESULTS The space between the paraclival ICAs (i.e., intercarotid space) can be classified as 1 of 3 different shapes (i.e., trapezoid, square, or hourglass) based on the trajectory of the ICAs. The ICA trajectories also directly influence the volumetric area of the QS. Based on its geometry, the QS was classified as one of the following: 1) Type A has the smallest QS area and is associated with a trapezoid intercarotid space, 2) Type B corresponds to the expected QS area (not minimized or enlarged) and is associated with a square intercarotid space, and 3) Type C has the largest QS area and is associated with an hourglass intercarotid space. CONCLUSIONS The different trajectories of the ICAs can modify the area of the QS and may be an essential parameter to consider for preoperative planning and defining the most appropriate corridor to reach Meckel's cave. In addition, ICA trajectories should be considered prior to surgery to avoid injuring the vessels.

Characterization of convective heating in full scale wildland fires

Treesearch

Bret Butler

2010-01-01

Data collected in the International Crown Fire modeling Experiment during 1999 are evaluated to characterize the magnitude and duration of convective energy heating in full scale crown fires. To accomplish this objective data on total and radiant incident heat flux, air temperature, and horizontal and vertical gas velocities were evaluated. Total and radiant energy...

Research on SNS and Education: The State of the Art and Its Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodríguez-Hoyos, Carlos; Haya Salmón, Ignacio; Fernández-Díaz, Elia

2015-01-01

This paper presents, for further discussion, a review of the scientific literature produced internationally on the use of Social Network Sites (SNS) in different levels of education and settings. A total of 62 articles published in international scientific journals with peer review have been analysed. The main objective of this paper is to discuss…

Comparison of implant component fractures in external and internal type: A 12-year retrospective study.

PubMed

Yi, Yuseung; Koak, Jai-Young; Kim, Seong-Kyun; Lee, Shin-Jae; Heo, Seong-Joo

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the fracture of implant component behavior of external and internal type of implants to suggest directions for successful implant treatment. Data were collected from the clinical records of all patients who received WARANTEC implants at Seoul National University Dental Hospital from February 2002 to January 2014 for 12 years. Total number of implants was 1,289 and an average of 3.2 implants was installed per patient. Information about abutment connection type, implant locations, platform sizes was collected with presence of implant component fractures and their managements. SPSS statistics software (version 24.0, IBM) was used for the statistical analysis. Overall fracture was significantly more frequent in internal type. The most frequently fractured component was abutment in internal type implants, and screw fracture occurred most frequently in external type. Analyzing by fractured components, screw fracture was the most frequent in the maxillary anterior region and the most abutment fracture occurred in the maxillary posterior region and screw fractures occurred more frequently in NP (narrow platform) and abutment fractures occurred more frequently in RP (regular platform). In external type, screw fracture occurred most frequently, especially in the maxillary anterior region, and in internal type, abutment fracture occurred frequently in the posterior region. placement of an external type implant rather than an internal type is recommended for the posterior region where abutment fractures frequently occur.

Progress on the Journey to Total Quality Management: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Adjective Check List in Management Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mani, Bonnie G.

1995-01-01

In an Internal Revenue Service office using total quality management (TQM), the management development program uses Myers Briggs Type Indicator and Adjective Check List for manager self-assessment. Because management commitment is essential to TQM, the process is a way of enhancing leadership skills and demonstrating appreciation of diversity. (SK)

Kinematic evaluation of patients with total and reverse shoulder arthroplasty during rehabilitation exercises with different loads.

PubMed

de Toledo, Joelly Mahnic; Loss, Jefferson Fagundes; Janssen, Thomas W; van der Scheer, Jan W; Alta, Tjarco D; Willems, W Jaap; Veeger, DirkJan H E J

2012-10-01

Following shoulder arthroplasty, any well-planned rehabilitation program should include muscle strengthening. However, it is not always clear how different external loads influence shoulder kinematics in patients with shoulder prostheses. The objective of this study was to describe shoulder kinematics and determine the contribution of the scapulothoracic joint to total shoulder motion of patients with total and reverse shoulder arthroplasties and of healthy individuals during rehabilitation exercises (anteflexion and elevation in the scapular plane) using different loading conditions (without external load, 1 kg and elastic resistance). Shoulder motions were measured using an electromagnetic tracking device. A force transducer was used to record force signals during loaded conditions using elastic resistance. Statistical comparisons were made using a three-way repeated-measures analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post hoc testing. The scapula contributed more to movement of the arm in subjects with prostheses compared to healthy subjects. The same applies for loaded conditions (1 kg and elastic resistance) relative to unloaded tasks. For scapular internal rotation, upward rotation and posterior tilt no significant differences among groups were found during both exercises. Glenohumeral elevation angles during anteflexion were significantly higher in the total shoulder arthroplasty group compared to the reverse shoulder arthroplasty group. Differences in contribution of the scapula to total shoulder motion between patients with different types of arthroplasties were not significant. However, compared to healthy subjects, they were. Furthermore, scapular kinematics of patients with shoulder arthroplasty was influenced by implementation of external loads, but not by the type of load. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motives and Measures of Higher Education Internationalisation: A Case Study of a Canadian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yesufu, Lawal O.

2018-01-01

Internationalisation is the inclusion of international, intercultural and global dimensions into the objectives, policies and practices in the delivery of postsecondary education. The objective of the research was to investigate the types of partnerships and internationalisation approaches that exist in higher education, the motives of…

Total Body Irradiation: Guidelines from the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG).

PubMed

Wong, Jeffrey Y C; Filippi, Andrea Riccardo; Dabaja, Bouthaina Shbib; Yahalom, Joachim; Specht, Lena

2018-07-01

Total body irradiation (TBI) remains an effective myeloablative treatment in regimens used for preparation and conditioning before allogeneic stem cell transplantation for leukemia. The regimens used vary across institutions in terms of dose, dose rate, fractionation, and technique. The objective of this document is to provide comprehensive guidelines for the current practice of delivering total body irradiation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Thin-Ideal Internalization across Puberty and Pre-Adolescent, Adolescent, and Young Adult Development

PubMed Central

Suisman, Jessica L.; Thompson, J. Kevin; Keel, Pamela K.; Burt, S. Alexandra; Neale, Michael; Boker, Steven; Sisk, Cheryl; Klump, Kelly L.

2014-01-01

Objective Mean-levels of thin-ideal internalization increase during adolescence and pubertal development, but it is unknown whether these phenotypic changes correspond to developmental changes in etiological (i.e., genetic and environmental) risk. Given the limited knowledge on risk for thin-ideal internalization, research is needed to guide the identification of specific types of risk factors during critical developmental periods. The present twin study examined genetic and environmental influences on thin-ideal internalization across adolescent and pubertal development. Method Participants were 1,064 female twins (ages 8–25 years) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Thin-ideal internalization and pubertal development were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Twin moderation models were used to examine if age and/or pubertal development moderate genetic and environmental influences on thin-ideal internalization. Results Phenotypic analyses indicated significant increases in thin-ideal internalization across age and pubertal development. Twin models suggested no significant differences in etiologic effects across development. Nonshared environmental influences were most important in the etiology of thin-ideal internalization, with genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental accounting for approximately 8%, 15%, and 72%, respectively, of the total variance. Discussion Despite mean-level increases in thin-ideal internalization across development, the relative influence of genetic versus environmental risk did not differ significantly across age or pubertal groups. The majority of variance in thin-ideal internalization was accounted for by environmental factors, suggesting that mean-level increases in thin-ideal internalization may reflect increases in the magnitude/strength of environmental risk across this period. Replication is needed, particularly with longitudinal designs that assess thin-ideal internalization across key developmental phases. PMID:24962440

Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) care pathways: "patients after total knee arthroplasty".

PubMed

Ribinik, P; Le Moine, F; de Korvin, G; Coudeyre, E; Genty, M; Rannou, F; Yelnik, A; Calmels, P

2012-11-01

This document is part of a series of documents designed by the French Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Society (SOFMER) and the French Federation of PRM (FEDMER). These documents describe the needs for or a specific type of patients; PRM care objectives, human and material resources to be implemented, chronology as well as expected outcomes. "Care pathways in PRM" is a short document designed to enable the reader (physicians, decision-maker, administrator, lawyer or finance manager) to quickly apprehend the needs of these patients and the available therapeutic care structures for proper organization and pricing of these activities. Patients after total knee arthroplasty are classified into three care sequences and two clinical categories, each one being treated with the same six parameters according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO), while taking into account personal and environmental factors that could influence the needs of these patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) care pathways: "patients after total hip arthroplasty".

PubMed

Ribinik, P; Le Moine, F; de Korvin, G; Coudeyre, E; Genty, M; Rannou, F; Yelnik, A; Calmels, P

2012-11-01

This document is part of a series of documents designed by the French Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Society (SOFMER) and the French Federation of PRM (FEDMER). These documents describe the needs for or a specific type of patients; PRM care objectives, human and material resources to be implemented, chronology as well as expected outcomes. "Care pathways in PRM" is a short document designed to enable the reader (physicians, decision-maker, administrator, lawyer or finance manager) to quickly apprehend the needs of these patients and the available therapeutic care structures for proper organization and pricing of these activities. Patients after total hip arthroplasty are classified into three care sequences and two clinical categories, each one being treated with the same six parameters according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO), while taking into account personal and environmental factors that could influence the needs of these patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Differences in levels of physical activity between White and South Asian populations within a healthcare setting: impact of measurement type in a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Yates, Thomas; Henson, Joe; Edwardson, Charlotte; Bodicoat, Danielle H; Davies, Melanie J; Khunti, Kamlesh

2015-01-01

Objective We investigate differences between White and South Asian (SA) populations in levels of objectively measured and self-reported physical activity. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Leicestershire, UK, 2010–2011. Participants Baseline data were pooled from two diabetes prevention trials that recruited a total of 4282 participants from primary care with a high risk score for type 2 diabetes. For this study, 2843 White (age=64±8, female=37%) and 243 SA (age=58±9, female=34%) participants had complete physical activity data and were included in the analysis. Outcome measures Moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and walking activity were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a combination of piezoelectric pedometer (NL-800) and accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X) were used to objectively measure physical activity. Results Compared to White participants, SA participants self-reported less MVPA (30 vs 51 min/day; p<0.001) and walking activity (11 vs 17 min/day; P=0.001). However, there was no difference in objectively measured ambulatory activity (5992 steps/day vs 6157 steps/day; p=0.75) or in time spent in MVPA (18.0 vs 21.5 min/day; p=0.23). Results were largely unaffected when adjusted for age, sex and social deprivation. Compared to accelerometer data, White participants overestimated their time in MVPA by 51 min/day and SA participants by 21 min/day. Conclusions SA and White groups undertook similar levels of physical activity when measured objectively despite self-reported estimates being around 40% lower in the SA group. This emphasises the limitations of comparing self-reported lifestyle measures across different populations and ethnic groups. Trial registration number Reports baseline data from: Walking Away from Type 2 Diabetes (ISRCTN31392913) and Let's Prevent Diabetes (NCT00677937). PMID:26204908

Life comparative analysis of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of different building structural frame types.

PubMed

Kim, Sangyong; Moon, Joon-Ho; Shin, Yoonseok; Kim, Gwang-Hee; Seo, Deok-Seok

2013-01-01

The objective of this research is to quantitatively measure and compare the environmental load and construction cost of different structural frame types. Construction cost also accounts for the costs of CO₂ emissions of input materials. The choice of structural frame type is a major consideration in construction, as this element represents about 33% of total building construction costs. In this research, four constructed buildings were analyzed, with these having either reinforced concrete (RC) or steel (S) structures. An input-output framework analysis was used to measure energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of input materials for each structural frame type. In addition, the CO₂ emissions cost was measured using the trading price of CO₂ emissions on the International Commodity Exchange. This research revealed that both energy consumption and CO₂ emissions were, on average, 26% lower with the RC structure than with the S structure, and the construction costs (including the CO₂ emissions cost) of the RC structure were about 9.8% lower, compared to the S structure. This research provides insights through which the construction industry will be able to respond to the carbon market, which is expected to continue to grow in the future.

A versatile optical microscope for time-dependent single-molecule and single-particle spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hao; Yang, Haw

2018-03-01

This work reports the design and implementation of a multi-function optical microscope for time-dependent spectroscopy on single molecules and single nanoparticles. It integrates the now-routine single-object measurements into one standalone platform so that no reconfiguration is needed when switching between different types of sample or spectroscopy modes. The illumination modes include evanescent field through total internal reflection, dark-field illumination, and epi-excitation onto a diffraction-limited spot suitable for confocal detection. The detection modes include spectrally resolved line imaging, wide-field imaging with dual-color capability, and two-color single-element photon-counting detection. The switch between different spectroscopy and data acquisition modes is fully automated and executed through computer programming. The capability of this microscope is demonstrated through selected proof-of-principle experiments.

A versatile optical microscope for time-dependent single-molecule and single-particle spectroscopy.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Yang, Haw

2018-03-28

This work reports the design and implementation of a multi-function optical microscope for time-dependent spectroscopy on single molecules and single nanoparticles. It integrates the now-routine single-object measurements into one standalone platform so that no reconfiguration is needed when switching between different types of sample or spectroscopy modes. The illumination modes include evanescent field through total internal reflection, dark-field illumination, and epi-excitation onto a diffraction-limited spot suitable for confocal detection. The detection modes include spectrally resolved line imaging, wide-field imaging with dual-color capability, and two-color single-element photon-counting detection. The switch between different spectroscopy and data acquisition modes is fully automated and executed through computer programming. The capability of this microscope is demonstrated through selected proof-of-principle experiments.

Internalization of Rituximab and the Efficiency of B Cell Depletion in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Cambridge, Geraldine; Isenberg, David A.; Glennie, Martin J.; Cragg, Mark S.; Leandro, Maria

2015-01-01

Objective Rituximab, a type I anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb), induces incomplete B cell depletion in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), thus contributing to a poor clinical response. The mechanisms of this resistance remain elusive. The purpose of this study was to determine whether type II mAb are more efficient than type I mAb at depleting B cells from RA and SLE patients, whether internalization influences the efficiency of depletion, and whether Fcγ receptor type IIb (FcγRIIb) and the B cell receptor regulate this internalization process. Methods We used an in vitro whole blood B cell–depletion assay to assess the efficiency of depletion, flow cytometry to study cell surface protein expression, and surface fluorescence–quenching assays to assess rituximab internalization, in samples from patients with RA and patients with SLE. Paired t‐test or Mann‐Whitney U test was used to compare groups, and Spearman's rank correlation test was used to assess correlation. Results We found that type II mAb internalized significantly less rituximab than type I mAb and depleted B cells from patients with RA and SLE at least 2‐fold more efficiently than type I mAb. Internalization of rituximab was highly variable between patients, was regulated by FcγRIIb, and inversely correlated with cytotoxicity in whole blood B cell–depletion assays. The lowest levels of internalization were seen in IgD– B cells, including postswitched (IgD–CD27+) memory cells. Internalization of type I anti‐CD20 mAb was also partially inhibited by anti‐IgM stimulation. Conclusion Variability in internalization of rituximab was observed and was correlated with impaired B cell depletion. Therefore, slower‐internalizing type II mAb should be considered as alternative B cell–depleting agents for the treatment of RA and SLE. PMID:25916583

From sixty-two interviews on 'the worst and the best episode of your life'. Relationships between internal working models and a grammatical scale of subject-object affective connections.

PubMed

Seganti, A; Carnevale, G; Mucelli, R; Solano, L; Target, M

2000-06-01

The authors address the issue of inferring unconscious internal working models of interaction through language. After reviewing Main's seminal work of linguistic assessment through the 'adult attachment interview', they stress the idea of adults' internal working models (IWMs) as information-processing devices, which give moment-to-moment sensory orientation in the face of any past or present, animate or inanimate object. They propose that a selective perception of the objects could match expected with actual influence of objects on the subject's self, through very simple 'parallel-processed' categories of internal objects. They further hypothesise that the isomorphism between internal working models of interaction and grammatical connections between subjects and objects within a clause could be a key to tracking positive and negative images of self and other during discourse. An experiment is reported applying the authors' 'scale of subject/object affective connection' to the narratives of sixty-two subjects asked to write about the 'worst' and 'best' episodes of their lives. Participants had previously been classified using Hazan & Shaver's self-reported 'attachment types' (avoidant, anxious and secure) categorising individuals' general expectations in relation to others. The findings were that the subject/object distribution of positive and negative experience, through verbs defined for this purpose as either performative or state verbs, did significantly differ between groups. In addition, different groups tended, during the best episodes, significantly to invert the trend of positive/negative subject/object distribution shown during the worst episode. Results are discussed in terms of a psychoanalytic theory of improvement through co-operative elaboration of negative relational issues.

Analysis of Services Received Under Medicare by Specialty of Physician

PubMed Central

Pine, Penelope L.; Gornick, Marian; Lubitz, James; Newton, Marilyn

1981-01-01

This paper examines use of physicians' services by Medicare beneficiaries according to the specialty of the physician providing care. The major objectives of this study were to determine which types of physicians are most frequently used, the average charge per service by specialty, the mix of physicians (by specialty) that patients saw during the year, and the amount Medicare reimburses in relation to total physician income. Data were studied for the total Medicare population and by age, sex, race, and geographic area. Claims data for 1975 and 1977 were used from the Part B Bill Summary System. This system collects information from bills for a 5 percent sample of Medicare enrollees. Major findings from this study indicate: (1) Physicians in general practice and internal medicine provided about the same number of services and each far outranked all other types of physicians in numbers of Medicare beneficiaries with reimbursed services. (2) There were marked differences by census region in the use of certain specialists, particularly pathologists, podiatrists, dermatologists, and the specialty group otology, laryngology, rhinology. (3) Average charges per service varied considerably by specialty. Internists' charges averaged 35 percent higher per service than charges by general practitioners. Charges submitted by the surgical specialties far outranked all others and showed the greatest increase during the period under study. (4) Of the total persons with reimbursed physicians' services in 1977, 85 percent saw a primary care physician during the year, while the remaining 15 percent received services from specialists only. (5) Of the total reimbursements made by Medicare, internists received 20 percent, general practitioners received 14 percent, and general surgeons 12 percent. Medicare's payments were estimated to be 21 percent of total gross income for internists, 20 percent for anesthesiologists, and 18 percent for surgical specialties. PMID:10309476

Quebec's Child Care Services: What Are the Mechanisms Influencing Children's Behaviors across Quantity, Type, and Quality of Care Experienced?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemay, Lise; Bigras, Nathalie; Bouchard, Caroline

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine how quantity, type, and quality of care interact in predicting externalizing and internalizing behaviors of 36-month-old children attending Quebec's educational child care from their first years of life. To do so, the authors examined two hypothesized models: (1) a mediation model where quantity, type,…

Development of a Digital-Based Instrument to Assess Perceived Motor Competence in Children: Face Validity, Test-Retest Reliability, and Internal Consistency

PubMed Central

Palmer, Kara K.

2017-01-01

Assessing children’s perceptions of their movement abilities (i.e., perceived competence) is traditionally done using picture scales—Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance for Young Children or Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. Pictures fail to capture the temporal components of movement. To address this limitation, we created a digital-based instrument to assess perceived motor competence: the Digital Scale of Perceived Motor Competence. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity, reliability, and internal consistency of the Digital-based Scale of Perceived Motor Skill Competence. The Digital-based Scale of Perceived Motor Skill Competence is based on the twelve fundamental motor skills from the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition with a similar layout and item structure as the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. Face Validity of the instrument was examined in Phase I (n = 56; Mage = 8.6 ± 0.7 years, 26 girls). Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were assessed in Phase II (n = 54, Mage = 8.7 years ± 0.5 years, 26 girls). Intra-class correlations (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha were conducted to determine test-retest reliability and internal consistency for all twelve skills along with locomotor and object control subscales. The Digital Scale of Perceived Motor Competence demonstrates excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.83, total; ICC = 0.77, locomotor; ICC = 0.79, object control) and acceptable/good internal consistency (α = 0.62, total; α = 0.57, locomotor; α = 0.49, object control). Findings provide evidence of the reliability of the three level digital-based instrument of perceived motor competence for older children. PMID:29910408

Investigation of School-Based Staff Development Programs as a Means to Promote International Cooperation in Curriculum Improvement Through Teacher Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurber, John C.

This study explores the feasibility of utilizing school-focused staff development programs in promoting international cooperation through transferability and/or adaptation of relevant aspects of this type of inservice education by foreign countries. The objective of this presentation is to develop interest in ways in which teachers in various…

"I Wish My People Can Be Like the Ducks": Children's References to Internal States with Siblings and Friends from Early to Middle Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Jamie; Howe, Nina; DeHart, Ganie

2017-01-01

The present study investigated children's internal state language during play with their sibling and friend across early and middle childhood. Specifically, the category type of internal state language (e.g., cognitions and goals), referent (e.g., own and other), and associations with children's birth order were examined. A total of 65 (T1: Time…

Stability Control of Grasping Objects with Different Locations of Center of Mass and Rotational Inertia

PubMed Central

Slota, Gregory P.; Suh, Moon Suk; Latash, Mark L.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to observe how the digits of the hand adjust to varying location of the center of mass (CoM) above/below the grasp and rotational inertia (RI) of a hand held object. Such manipulations do not immediately affect the equilibrium equations while stability control is affected. Participants were instructed to hold a handle, instrumented with five force/torque transducers and a 3-D rotational tilt sensor, while either the location of the CoM or the RI values were adjusted. On the whole, people use two mechanisms to adjust to the changed stability requirements; they increase the grip force and redistribute the total moment between the normal and tangential forces offsetting internal torques. The increase in grip force, an internal force, and offsetting internal torques allows for increases in joint and hand rotational apparent stiffness while not creating external forces/torques which would unbalance the equations of equilibrium. PMID:22456054

Comparison of Different Physical Activity Measurement Methods in Adults Aged 45 to 64 Years Under Free-Living Conditions.

PubMed

Lipert, Anna; Jegier, Anna

2017-07-01

To compare physical activity (PA) measured by 4 methods in adults under free-living conditions in relation to selected demographic and anthropometric variables. Cohort study. Department of Sports Medicine. Clinically healthy men (81) and women (69) aged 45 to 64 years. Physical activity monitoring for 7 consecutive days under free-living conditions by pedometer (P) and accelerometer (A) simultaneously and PA questionnaires: International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Seven-Day Physical Activity Questionnaire Recall (SDPAR) completed after the 7-day PA. Comparison of PA measured by pedometer, IPAQ, and SDPAR with accelerometer with regard to age, body mass, gender, and obesity type. Total energy expenditure (EE) by IPAQ was higher than A (P < 0.001) in both groups regardless of age, body mass, or obesity type. Mean EE value by P was greater than A (P < 0.001) in central-obesity males and lower than A (P < 0.001) in central-obesity females. There were differences in step counts in women, unnoticed in men. SDPAR overestimated total EE in gynoid-obesity males and in central-obesity females compared with A. Ninety-five percent CI was the largest around IPAQ compared with P and SDPAR, with SDPAR showing the best agreement with A. Body mass and obesity type influenced PA measurements. To monitor PA, it is recommended to use pedometer in normal bodyweight and overweight groups while accelerometer is advisable in obese subjects. A combined approach of objective and subjective PA monitoring tools is preferable.

Narrative Writing Competence and Internal State Terms of Young Adults Clinically Diagnosed with Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miranda, Ana; Baixauli, Inmaculada; Colomer, Carla

2013-01-01

Objective: The first objective of this study was to compare the written expression competence of young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with that of young adults without ADHD on three types of measures: indicators of the story's microstructure with regard to productivity and morphosyntax; indicators of the macrostructure…

Optical design and evaluation of a 4 mm cost-effective ultra-high-definition arthroscope.

PubMed

Cheng, Dewen; Wang, Yongtian; Yu, Lu; Liu, Xiaohua

2014-08-01

High definition and magnification rigid endoscope plays an important role in modern minimally invasive medical surgery and diagnosis. In this paper, we present the design and evaluation methods of a high definition rigid endoscope, specifically an arthroscope, with a large depth of field (DOF). The incident heights and exit angles of the sampled rays on the relay lens are controlled during the optimization process to ensure an effective field view (70°) and a normal ray path within the limited lens diameter of 2.7 mm. The lens is set up as a multi-configuration system with two extreme and one middle object distances to cover a large DOF. As a result, an entrance pupil of 0.3 mm is achieved for the first time, to bring the theoretical resolution to 23.1 lps/mm in the object space at a working distance of 20 mm, with the wavelength of 0.532 um. The modulation transfer function (MTF) curves approach diffraction limit, and the values are all higher than 0.3 at 160 line pairs/mm (lps/mm) in the image space. Meanwhile, stray light caused by total internal reflection on the inner wall of the rod lenses and the objective lens is eliminated. The measured resolution in the object space at a 20 mm working distance is 22.3 lps/mm, and test results show that other performance characteristics also fulfill design requirements. The relay lenses are designed with only one type of the spacer and two types of lenses to greatly reduce the fabrication and assembly cost. The design method has important research and application values for lens systems used in modern minimally invasive medical surgery and industrial non-destructive testing area.

International open trial of uniform multidrug therapy regimen for leprosy patients: Findings & implications for national leprosy programmes

PubMed Central

Manickam, Ponnaiah; Mehendale, Sanjay M.; Nagaraju, Bathyala; Katoch, Kiran; Jamesh, Abdul; Kutaiyan, Ramalingam; Jianping, Shen; Mugudalabetta, Shivakumar; Jadhav, Vitthal; Rajkumar, Prabu; Padma, Jayasree; Kaliaperumal, Kanagasabai; Pannikar, Vijayakumar; Krishnamurthy, Padabettu; Gupte, Mohan D.

2016-01-01

Background & objectives: Uniform therapy for all leprosy patients will simplify leprosy treatment. In this context, we evaluated six-month multidrug therapy (MDT) currently recommended for multibacillary (MB) patients as uniform MDT (U-MDT) in a single-arm open trial under programme conditions. Primary objective was to determine efficacy to prevent five-year cumulative five per cent relapse. Secondary objectives were to assess acceptability, safety and compliance. Methods: Newly detected, treatment-naive leprosy patients were enrolled in India (six sites) and P. R. China (two sites). Primary outcome was clinically confirmed relapse of occurrence of one or more new skin patches consistent with leprosy, without evidence of reactions post-treatment. Event rates per 100 person years as well as five-year cumulative risk of relapse, were calculated. Results: A total of 2091 paucibacillary (PB) and 1298 MB leprosy patients were recruited from the 3437 patients screened. Among PB, two relapsed (rate=0.023; risk=0.11%), eight had suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (rate=0.79) and rate of new lesions due toreactions was 0.24 (n=23). Rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 0.39 (n=37), 0.54 (n=51) and 0.03 (n=3), respectively. Among MB, four relapsed (rate=0.07; risk=0.37%) and 16 had suspected ADR (rate=2.64). Rate of new lesions due to reactions among MB was 1.34 (n=76) and rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 1.37 (n=78), 2.01 (n=114) and 0.49 (n=28), respectively. Compliance to U-MDT was 99 per cent. Skin pigmentation due to clofazimine was of short duration and acceptable. Interpretation & conclusions: We observed low relapse, minimal ADR and other adverse clinical events. Clofazimine-related pigmentation was acceptable. Evidence supports introduction of U-MDT in national leprosy programmes. [CTRI No: 2012/ 05/ 002696] PMID:28256460

Reliabilities of mental rotation tasks: limits to the assessment of individual differences.

PubMed

Hirschfeld, Gerrit; Thielsch, Meinald T; Zernikow, Boris

2013-01-01

Mental rotation tasks with objects and body parts as targets are widely used in cognitive neuropsychology. Even though these tasks are well established to study between-groups differences, the reliability on an individual level is largely unknown. We present a systematic study on the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of individual differences in mental rotation tasks comparing different target types and orders of presentations. In total n = 99 participants (n = 63 for the retest) completed the mental rotation tasks with hands, feet, faces, and cars as targets. Different target types were presented in either randomly mixed blocks or blocks of homogeneous targets. Across all target types, the consistency (split-half reliability) and stability (test-retest reliabilities) were good or acceptable both for intercepts and slopes. At the level of individual targets, only intercepts showed acceptable reliabilities. Blocked presentations resulted in significantly faster and numerically more consistent and stable responses. Mental rotation tasks-especially in blocked variants-can be used to reliably assess individual differences in global processing speed. However, the assessment of the theoretically important slope parameter for individual targets requires further adaptations to mental rotation tests.

Dynamics of clinical semiotics in children with pathological tortuosity of internal carotid arteries in remote period after surgical management.

PubMed

Shoĭkhet, Ya N; Khorev, N G; Kulikova, N I; Beller, A V; Kulikov, V P; Miller, V E

2010-01-01

The present study enrolling a total of eighty-eight 4-to-16-year-old children and adolescents was aimed at detailed elaboration and formalization of clinical signs of the internal carotid artery pathological kinking syndrome. To achieve these objectives, the authors carried out a comparative analysis of clinical manifestations of the disease in the surgically treated subjects (constituting the Surgery Group comprising 43 children and adolescents) and non-operated patients (making up the Comparison Group consisting of 45 age- and gender-matched subjects). There were no baseline differences in the incidence rate of clinical syndromes and symptoms between the groups of the would-be operated and conservatively treated patients. Also studied were the remote outcomes (1-to-12-year follow up) of surgical correction for pathological tortuosity of the internal carotid artery. The incidence rate of regression of neurological symptomatology along different clinical signs after surgery was shown to vary within a wide range from 11.6% to 96.3%. Resection of the proximal portion of the internal carotid artery with re-implantation into the old ostium turned out to be clinically effective in 90.0% of cases, with the haemodynamic efficacy amounting to 83.3%. Arteriolysis of the internal carotid artery rendered a clinical effect in 75% of cases, with a haemodynamical effect thereof equalling 25.0%. The decision as to the type of a surgical intervention to perform was primarily made based on the findings of angiography of the internal carotid artery. The operation of arteriolysis did not lead to deterioration of the child's condition.

Objective Classification of Radar Profile Types, and Their Relationship to Lightning Occurrence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boccippio, Dennis

2003-01-01

A cluster analysis technique is used to identify 16 "archetypal" vertical radar profile types from a large, globally representative sample of profiles from the TRMM Precipitation Radar. These include nine convective types (7 of these deep convective) and seven stratiform types (5 of these clearly glaciated). Radar profile classification provides an alternative to conventional deep convective storm metrics, such as 30 dBZ echo height, maximum reflectivity or VIL. As expected, the global frequency of occurrence of deep convective profile types matches satellite-observed total lightning production, including to very small scall local features. Each location's "mix" of profile types provides an objective description of the local convective spectrum, and in turn, is a first step in objectively classifying convective regimes. These classifiers are tested as inputs to a neural network which attempts to predict lightning occurrence based on radar-only storm observations, and performance is compared with networks using traditional radar metrics as inputs.

Life Comparative Analysis of Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions of Different Building Structural Frame Types

PubMed Central

Kim, Sangyong; Moon, Joon-Ho; Shin, Yoonseok; Kim, Gwang-Hee; Seo, Deok-Seok

2013-01-01

The objective of this research is to quantitatively measure and compare the environmental load and construction cost of different structural frame types. Construction cost also accounts for the costs of CO2 emissions of input materials. The choice of structural frame type is a major consideration in construction, as this element represents about 33% of total building construction costs. In this research, four constructed buildings were analyzed, with these having either reinforced concrete (RC) or steel (S) structures. An input-output framework analysis was used to measure energy consumption and CO2 emissions of input materials for each structural frame type. In addition, the CO2 emissions cost was measured using the trading price of CO2 emissions on the International Commodity Exchange. This research revealed that both energy consumption and CO2 emissions were, on average, 26% lower with the RC structure than with the S structure, and the construction costs (including the CO2 emissions cost) of the RC structure were about 9.8% lower, compared to the S structure. This research provides insights through which the construction industry will be able to respond to the carbon market, which is expected to continue to grow in the future. PMID:24227998

New findings on object permanence: A developmental difference between two types of occlusion

PubMed Central

Moore, M. Keith; Meltzoff, Andrew N.

2013-01-01

Manual search for totally occluded objects was investigated in 10-, 12- and 14-month-old infants. Infants responded to two types of total hiding in different ways, supporting the inference that object permanence is not a once-and-for-all attainment. Occlusion of an object by movement of a screen over it was solved at an earlier age than occlusion in which an object was carried under the screen. This dissociation was not explained by motivation, motor skill or means–ends coordination, because for both tasks the same object was hidden in the same place under the same screen and required the same uncovering response. This dissociation generalized across an experimentally manipulated change in recovery means—infants removed cloths while seated at a table in Expt 1 and were required to crawl through 3-D space to displace semi-rigid pillows in Expt 2. Further analysis revealed that emotional response varied as a function of hiding, suggesting an affective correlate of infant cognition. There are four empirical findings to account for: developmental change, task dissociation, generalization of the effects across recovery means, and emotional reactions. An identity-development theory is proposed explaining these findings in terms of infants’ understanding of object identity and the developmental relationship between object identity and object permanence. Object identity is seen as a necessary precursor to the development of object permanence. PMID:25364086

New findings on object permanence: A developmental difference between two types of occlusion.

PubMed

Moore, M Keith; Meltzoff, Andrew N

1999-11-01

Manual search for totally occluded objects was investigated in 10-, 12- and 14-month-old infants. Infants responded to two types of total hiding in different ways, supporting the inference that object permanence is not a once-and-for-all attainment. Occlusion of an object by movement of a screen over it was solved at an earlier age than occlusion in which an object was carried under the screen. This dissociation was not explained by motivation, motor skill or means-ends coordination, because for both tasks the same object was hidden in the same place under the same screen and required the same uncovering response. This dissociation generalized across an experimentally manipulated change in recovery means-infants removed cloths while seated at a table in Expt 1 and were required to crawl through 3-D space to displace semi-rigid pillows in Expt 2. Further analysis revealed that emotional response varied as a function of hiding, suggesting an affective correlate of infant cognition. There are four empirical findings to account for: developmental change, task dissociation, generalization of the effects across recovery means, and emotional reactions. An identity-development theory is proposed explaining these findings in terms of infants' understanding of object identity and the developmental relationship between object identity and object permanence. Object identity is seen as a necessary precursor to the development of object permanence.

Concurrent Validity Between a Shared Curriculum, the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination, and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination.

PubMed

Sisson, Stephen D; Bertram, Amanda; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2015-03-01

A core objective of residency education is to facilitate learning, and programs need more curricula and assessment tools with demonstrated validity evidence. We sought to demonstrate concurrent validity between performance on a widely shared, ambulatory curriculum (the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Curriculum), the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE), and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (ABIM-CE). A cohort study of 443 postgraduate year (PGY)-3 residents at 22 academic and community hospital internal medicine residency programs using the curriculum through the Johns Hopkins Internet Learning Center (ILC). Total and percentile rank scores on ILC didactic modules were compared with total and percentile rank scores on the IM-ITE and total scores on the ABIM-CE. The average score on didactic modules was 80.1%; the percentile rank was 53.8. The average IM-ITE score was 64.1% with a percentile rank of 54.8. The average score on the ABIM-CE was 464. Scores on the didactic modules, IM-ITE, and ABIM-CE correlated with each other (P < .05). Residents completing greater numbers of didactic modules, regardless of scores, had higher IM-ITE total and percentile rank scores (P < .05). Resident performance on modules covering back pain, hypertension, preoperative evaluation, and upper respiratory tract infection was associated with IM-ITE percentile rank. Performance on a widely shared ambulatory curriculum is associated with performance on the IM-ITE and the ABIM-CE.

Implementing Total Quality Management in Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navaratnam, K. K.; Mountney, Peter

In an internationally competitive training environment, implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in vocational education can provide a comparative advantage in preparing the type of work force required for micro and macro economic reforms. The concept of TQM can be used as a management tool to improve the standards of vocational training.…

Environmental Technology Verification Report for Avante International Technology, Inc., PanaSec Mobile Personnel and Asset Visibility System

EPA Science Inventory

Ths test simulated through routine land transportation routes and across international ports of entry in the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez trade area. RFID tags were attached to four of each container type for a total of 12 containers which were loaded onto a standard 53-foot semi-truck...

12 CFR 652.60 - Corporation board guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... (a) Your board of directors is responsible for ensuring that you maintain total capital at a level... developing the capital adequacy plan: (1) Capability of management; (2) Strategies and objectives in your business plan; (3) Quality of operating policies, procedures, and internal controls; (4) Quality and...

12 CFR 652.60 - Corporation board guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... (a) Your board of directors is responsible for ensuring that you maintain total capital at a level... developing the capital adequacy plan: (1) Capability of management; (2) Strategies and objectives in your business plan; (3) Quality of operating policies, procedures, and internal controls; (4) Quality and...

Weather types in the South Shetlands (Antarctica) using a circulation type approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mora, Carla; João Rocha, Maria; Dutra, Emanuel; Trigo, Isabel; Vieira, Gonçalo; Fragoso, Marcelo; Ramos, Miguel

2010-05-01

Weather types in the South Shetlands (Antarctica) were defined using an automated method based on the Lamb Weather Type classification scheme (Jones et al. 1993). This is an objective classification originally developed for the British Isles (Jones et al., 1993) and also applied to southeast (Goodess and Palutikof 1998) and northwest Spain (Lorenzo et al, 2009), Portugal (Trigo and DaCamara 2000) and Greece (Maheras et al. 2004) with good results. Daily atmospheric circulation in the South Shetlands region from 1989 to 2009 was classified using a 16-node grid of sea level pressure data from the ERA Interim. The classification is obtained through the comparison of the magnitudes of the directional and rotational components of the geostrophic flow. Basic circulation types were combined into 10 groups of weather types: four directional types (NW, N, S and SW), three anticyclonic types (A, ASW and ANW), and three cyclonic types (C, CSW and CNW). Westerly flow and cyclonic circulation are the most frequent events throughout the year. The sea level pressure field for each weather type is presented and the synoptic characteristics are described. The analysis is based on ERA-Interim fields, including mean sea level pressure, precipitation, cloud cover, humidity and air temperature. Snow thickess modelled using HTESSEL is also considered. Analysis of variance (anova) and multivariate analysis (principal component analysis) are applied to evaluate the characteristics of each weather type. This circulation-type approach showed good results in the past for the downscaling of precipitation in other regions, and we are interested in evaluating the possibilities that the classification offers for downscaling precipitation, but also for snow and air temperature. For this we will be using observational data at test sites in Livingston and Deception islands. We are also motivated by the possibility of using the circulation-type approach as a predictor in statistical downscaling. References: Goodess CM, Palutikof JP.1998. Development of daily rainfall scenarios for southeast Spain using a Circulation-type approach to downscaling. International Journal of Climatology. 10: 1051-1083. JonesPD, Hulme M, Briffa KR. 1993. A comparison of Lamb circulation types with an objective classification scheme. International Journal of Climatology, 13:655-663. Lorenzo M N, Iglesias I , Taboada JJ , Gómez-Gesteira M. 2009. Relationship between monthly rainfall in northwest Iberian Peninsula and North Atlantic sea surface temperature. International Journal of Climatology. Maheras P, Tolika K, Anagnostopoulou C, Vafiadis M, Patrikas I, Flocas H. 2004. On the relationship between circulation types and changes in rainfall variability in Grece. International Journal of Climatology 24: 1695-1712. Trigo RM, DaCamara C. 2000. Circulation weather types and their influence on the precipitation regime in Portugal. International Journal of Climatology. 20: 1559-1581.

Update on Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis Typing Based on Nucleotide Sequence Variations in Internal Transcribed Spacer Regions of rRNA Genes

PubMed Central

Lee, Chao-Hung; Helweg-Larsen, Jannik; Tang, Xing; Jin, Shaoling; Li, Baozheng; Bartlett, Marilyn S.; Lu, Jang-Jih; Lundgren, Bettina; Lundgren, Jens D.; Olsson, Mats; Lucas, Sebastian B.; Roux, Patricia; Cargnel, Antonietta; Atzori, Chiara; Matos, Olga; Smith, James W.

1998-01-01

Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis isolates from 207 clinical specimens from nine countries were typed based on nucleotide sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer regions I and II (ITS1 and ITS2, respectively) of rRNA genes. The number of ITS1 nucleotides has been revised from the previously reported 157 bp to 161 bp. Likewise, the number of ITS2 nucleotides has been changed from 177 to 192 bp. The number of ITS1 sequence types has increased from 2 to 15, and that of ITS2 has increased from 3 to 14. The 15 ITS1 sequence types are designated types A through O, and the 14 ITS2 types are named types a through n. A total of 59 types of P. carinii f. sp. hominis were found in this study. PMID:9508304

Structure and Function in Constructivism: Examples from Children's Play and Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cocking, Rodney R.

A study was undertaken in order to examine (1) the nature of the representation or prototypes underlying children's make-believe object uses, (2) the types of mental activities through which objects are allowed to substitute for real objects, and (3) the awareness children have of processes involved in their choosing and pretending. A total of 18…

Load balancing and closed chain multiple arm control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kreutz, Kenneth; Lokshin, Anatole

1988-01-01

The authors give the general dynamical equations for several rigid link manipulators rigidly grasping a commonly held rigid object. It is shown that the number of arm-configuration degrees of freedom lost due to imposing the closed-loop kinematic constraints is the same as the number of degrees of freedom gained for controlling the internal forces of the closed-chain system. This number is equal to the dimension of the kernel of the Jacobian operator which transforms contact forces to the net forces acting on the held object, and it is shown that this kernel can be identified with the subspace of controllable internal forces of the closed-chain system. Control of these forces makes it possible to regulate the grasping forces imparted to the held object or to control the load taken by each arm. It is shown that the internal forces can be influenced without affecting the control of the configuration degrees of freedom. Control laws of the feedback linearization type are shown to be useful for controlling the location and attitude of a frame fixed with respect to the held object, while simultaneously controlling the internal forces of the closed-chain system. Force feedback can be used to linearize and control the system even when the held object has unknown mass properties. If saturation effects are ignored, an unconstrained quadratic optimization can be performed to distribute the load optimally among the joint actuators.

Planning for Mars Sample Return: Results from the MEPAG Mars Sample Return End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLennan, S. M.; Sephton, M.; Mepag E2E-Isag

2011-12-01

The National Research Council 2011 Planetary Decadal Survey (2013-2022) placed beginning a Mars sample return campaign (MSR) as the top priority for large Flagship missions in the coming decade. Recent developments in NASA-ESA collaborations and Decadal Survey recommendations indicate MSR likely will be an international effort. A joint ESA-NASA 2018 rover (combining the previously proposed ExoMars and MAX-C missions), designed, in part, to collect and cache samples, would thus represent the first of a 3-mission MSR campaign. The End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG) was chartered by MEPAG in August 2010 to develop and prioritize MSR science objectives and investigate implications of these objectives for defining the highest priority sample types, landing site selection criteria (and identification of reference landing sites to support engineering planning), requirements for in situ characterization on Mars to support sample selection, and priorities/strategies for returned sample analyses to determine sample sizes and numbers that would meet the objectives. MEPAG approved the E2E-iSAG report in June 2011. Science objectives, summarized in priority order, are: (1) critically assess any evidence for past life or its chemical precursors, and place constraints on past habitability and potential for preservation of signs of life, (2) quantitatively constrain age, context and processes of accretion, early differentiation and magmatic and magnetic history, (3) reconstruct history of surface and near-surface processes involving water, (4) constrain magnitude, nature, timing, and origin of past climate change, (5) assess potential environmental hazards to future human exploration, (6) assess history and significance of surface modifying processes, (7) constrain origin and evolution of the Martian atmosphere, (8) evaluate potential critical resources for future human explorers. All returned samples also would be fully evaluated for extant life as a fundamental science question and to meet planetary protection needs. Sample types most likely to achieve these objectives are, in priority order: (1A) subaqueous or hydrothermal sediments, (1B) hydrothermally altered rocks or low-T fluid-altered rocks, (2) unaltered igneous rocks, (3) regolith, including air fall dust, (4) present atmosphere and sedimentary-igneous rocks containing ancient trapped atmosphere. Among the 34 separate findings made by E2E-iSAG are (a) ~30-40 rock samples should be collected, each ~15-16g and mostly in suites, along with ≥1 regolith sample, appropriate blanks and standards, all totaling ~500g, (b) an ability to swap-out ≥25% of the samples as the mission proceeds, (c) a high priority for subsurface sample(s) obtained by the ExoMars 2m drill, (d) ≥40% of each sample be preserved for future research, (e) obtain 1-2 atmosphere samples, (f) incorporate appropriate sealing until Earth return, (g) fully characterize geological context of sampling sites with remote sensing and contact instruments, (h) landing sites exist that could achieve top science objectives.

Management of diabetes mellitus and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Brazil – the Brazilian study on the practice of diabetes care

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Brazilian Study on the Practice of Diabetes Care main objective was to provide an epidemiological profile of individuals with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in Brazil, concerning therapy and adherence to international guidelines in the medical practice. Methods This observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study collected and analyzed data from individuals with type 1 and 2 DM attending public or private clinics in Brazil. Each investigator included the first 10 patients with type 2 DM who visited his/her office, and the first 5 patients with type 1 DM. Results A total of 1,358 patients were analyzed; 375 (27.6%) had type 1 and 983 (72.4%) had type 2 DM. Most individuals were women, Caucasian, and private health care users. High prevalence rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia and central obesity were observed, particularly in type 2 DM. Only 7.3% and 5.1% of the individuals with types 1 and 2 DM, respectively, had optimal control of blood pressure, plasma glucose and lipids. The absence of hypertension and female sex were associated with better control of type 1 DM and other cardiovascular risk factors. In type 2 DM, older age was also associated with better control. Conclusions Female sex, older age, and absence of hypertension were associated with better metabolic control. An optimal control of plasma glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors are obtained only in a minority of individuals with diabetes. Local numbers, compared to those from other countries are worse. PMID:23972112

Analyzing Internal Fragmentation of Electrosprayed Ubiquitin Ions During Beam-Type Collisional Dissociation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durbin, Kenneth R.; Skinner, Owen S.; Fellers, Ryan T.; Kelleher, Neil L.

2015-05-01

Gaseous fragmentation of intact proteins is multifaceted and can be unpredictable by current theories in the field. Contributing to the complexity is the multitude of precursor ion states and fragmentation channels. Terminal fragment ions can be re-fragmented, yielding product ions containing neither terminus, termed internal fragment ions. In an effort to better understand and capitalize upon this fragmentation process, we collisionally dissociated the high (13+), middle (10+), and low (7+) charge states of electrosprayed ubiquitin ions. Both terminal and internal fragmentation processes were quantified through step-wise increases of voltage potential in the collision cell. An isotope fitting algorithm matched observed product ions to theoretical terminal and internal fragment ions. At optimal energies for internal fragmentation of the 10+, nearly 200 internal fragments were observed; on average each of the 76 residues in ubiquitin was covered by 24.1 internal fragments. A pertinent finding was that formation of internal ions occurs at similar energy thresholds as terminal b- and y-ion types in beam-type activation. This large amount of internal fragmentation is frequently overlooked during top-down mass spectrometry. As such, we present several new approaches to visualize internal fragments through modified graphical fragment maps. With the presented advances of internal fragment ion accounting and visualization, the total percentage of matched fragment ions increased from approximately 40% to over 75% in a typical beam-type MS/MS spectrum. These sequence coverage improvements offer greater characterization potential for whole proteins with no needed experimental changes and could be of large benefit for future high-throughput intact protein analysis.

A study of adherence to antibiotic treatment in ambulatory respiratory infections.

PubMed

Llor, Carl; Hernández, Silvia; Bayona, Carolina; Moragas, Ana; Sierra, Nuria; Hernández, Marta; Miravitlles, Marc

2013-03-01

To assess the different types of antibiotic-taking behavior and to compare self-reported with objectively measured adherence to antibiotic regimens in respiratory infections. This was a prospective study of patients with suspected bacterial pharyngitis and lower respiratory tract infections recruited from five primary care clinics in Catalonia. Adherence to various antibiotic regimens was assessed by the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS), which recorded every opening of the patient's bottle of tablets, and a self-reported adherence question. The outcome variables were antibiotic-taking adherence, correct dosing, and timing adherence. A total of 428 patients were included in the analysis. Five types of antibiotic use behavior were observed: excellent adherence (130 patients, 30.4%), acceptable adherence over time (53; 12.4%), declining adherence over time (123; 28.7%), non-adherence to correct dosing (108; 25.2%), and unacceptable adherence (14; 3.3%). Excellent adherence was significantly associated with the number of daily doses of antibiotic and antibiotic duration. A total of 254 patients reported never forgetting to take the antibiotic (59.3%), achieving a negative predictive value of 100% and a positive predictive value of 51.2%. Outpatients with respiratory infections treated with antibiotics showed poor adherence outcomes. Self-reported adherence was remarkably higher than that observed with the use of MEMS and failed to predict true patient adherence. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing citations to systematic reviews in skin diseases: a cross-sectional study through Web of Sciences and Scopus*

PubMed Central

Manriquez, Juan; Cataldo, Karina; Harz, Isidora

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Disseminating information derived from systematic reviews is a fundamental step for translating evidence into practice. OBJECTIVE To determine which features of dermatological SR are associated with systematic review dissemination, using citation rates as an indicator. METHODS Dermatological systematic reviews published between 2008 and 2012 were obtained from Scopus, the ISI Web of Sciences and the Cochrane Skin Group. Bibliometric data of every systematic review were collected and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 320 systematic reviews were analyzed. Univariable analysis showed that the journal impact factor, number of authors, and total references cited were positively associated with the number of citations. There was a significant difference in the median number of citations with regard to the corresponding author's country, type of skin disease, type of funding, and presence of international collaboration. Cochrane reviews were significantly associated with a lower number of citations. Multivariable analysis found that the number of authors, number of references cited and the corresponding author from United Kingdom were independently correlated with many citations. Cochrane systematic reviews tended to be independently associated with a lower number of citations. CONCLUSIONS Citation number to systematic reviews may be improving by increasing the number of authors, especially collaborative authors, and the number of cited references. The reasons for the association of Cochrane SRs with fewer citations should be addressed in future studies. PMID:26560209

A comparison of subjective and objective measures of physical activity from the Newcastle 85+ study.

PubMed

Innerd, Paul; Catt, Michael; Collerton, Joanna; Davies, Karen; Trenell, Michael; Kirkwood, Thomas B L; Jagger, Carol

2015-07-01

Little is known about physical activity (PA) in the very old, the fastest growing age group in the population. We aimed to examine the convergent validity of subjective and objective measures of PA in adults aged over 85 years. A total of 484 participants aged 87-89 years recruited to the Newcastle 85+ study completed a purpose-designed physical activity questionnaire (PAQ), which categorised participants as mildly active, moderately active and very active. Out of them, 337 participants wore a triaxial, raw accelerometer on the right wrist over a 5-7-day period to obtain objective measures of rest/activity, PA intensity and PA type. Data from subjective and objective measurement methods were compared. Self-reported PA was significantly associated with objective measures of the daily sedentary time, low-intensity PA and activity type classified as sedentary, activities of daily living and walking. Objective measures of PA were significantly different when low, moderate and high self-reported PA categories were compared (all P < 0.001). The Newcastle 85+ PAQ demonstrated convergent validity with objective measures of PA. Our findings suggest that this PAQ can be used in the very old to rank individuals according to their level of total PA. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

Complex Dynamic Scene Perception: Effects of Attentional Set on Perceiving Single and Multiple Event Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanocki, Thomas; Sulman, Noah

2013-01-01

Three experiments measured the efficiency of monitoring complex scenes composed of changing objects, or events. All events lasted about 4 s, but in a given block of trials, could be of a single type (single task) or of multiple types (multitask, with a total of four event types). Overall accuracy of detecting target events amid distractors was…

Higher Education in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doucette, Donald S.

Issues concerning higher education in the United States are considered, with attention to historical developments; functions and objectives; types of institutions and degrees; internal and external organization; finance; admissions, access, and financial assistance; student and faculty characteristics; distance and recurrent education;…

Stereological and Morphometric Analysis of MRI Chiari Malformation Type-1

PubMed Central

Alkoç, Ozan Alper; Songur, Ahmet; Eser, Olcay; Toktas, Muhsin; Esi, Ertap; Haktanir, Alpay

2015-01-01

Objective In this study, we aimed to investigate the underlying ethiological factors in chiari malformation (CM) type-I (CMI) via performing volumetric and morphometric length-angle measurements. Methods A total of 66 individuals [33 patients (20-65 years) with CMI and 33 control subjects] were included in this study. In sagittal MR images, tonsillar herniation length and concurrent anomalies were evaluated. Supratentorial, infratentorial, and total intracranial volumes were measured using Cavalieri method. Various cranial distances and angles were used to evaluate the platybasia and posterior cranial fossa (PCF) development. Results Tonsillar herniation length was measured 9.09±3.39 mm below foramen magnum in CM group. Tonsillar herniation/concurrent syringomyelia, concavity/defect of clivus, herniation of bulbus and fourth ventricle, basilar invagination and craniovertebral junction abnormality rates were 30.3, 27, 18, 2, 3, and 3 percent, respectively. Absence of cisterna magna was encountered in 87.9% of the patients. Total, IT and ST volumes and distance between Chamberlain line and tip of dens axis, Klaus index, clivus length, distance between internal occipital protuberance and opisthion were significantly decreased in patient group. Also in patient group, it was found that Welcher basal angle/Boogard angle increased and tentorial slope angle decreased. Conclusion Mean cranial volume and length-angle measurement values significantly decreased and there was a congenital abnormality association in nearly 81.5 percent of the CM cases. As a result, it was concluded that CM ethiology can be attributed to multifactorial causes. Moreover, congenital defects can also give rise to this condition. PMID:26713146

Models for Total-Dose Radiation Effects in Non-Volatile Memory

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

Campbell, Philip Montgomery; Wix, Steven D.

The objective of this work is to develop models to predict radiation effects in non- volatile memory: flash memory and ferroelectric RAM. In flash memory experiments have found that the internal high-voltage generators (charge pumps) are the most sensitive to radiation damage. Models are presented for radiation effects in charge pumps that demonstrate the experimental results. Floating gate models are developed for the memory cell in two types of flash memory devices by Intel and Samsung. These models utilize Fowler-Nordheim tunneling and hot electron injection to charge and erase the floating gate. Erase times are calculated from the models andmore » compared with experimental results for different radiation doses. FRAM is less sensitive to radiation than flash memory, but measurements show that above 100 Krad FRAM suffers from a large increase in leakage current. A model for this effect is developed which compares closely with the measurements.« less

Handbook of Adult Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Robert M., Ed.; And Others

The 1970 edition of this handbook is an attempt to reflect the totality of adult education -- its background, function, objectives, and roles -- as a discipline and in American society. It is divided into three parts. Part I discusses forms, functions, and the future of adult education -- social setting and international dimension for adult…

[Demographic characteristics, malaria chemoprophylaxis and vaccination in 6,783 international travelers attended in a specialized unit].

PubMed

Jaén-Sánchez, N; Suárez-Hormiga, L; Carranza-Rodríguez, C; Hernández-Cabrera, M; Pisos-Álamo, E; García-Reina, L; Pérez-Arellano, J L

2016-10-01

The objective of this paper was to determine the demographic characteristics and the evolution of international travelers treated at the Unit of Infectious and Tropical Medicine in order to improve precautions prior to travel and, thus reduce the occurrence of these diseases. A retrospective study of all international travelers served in UEIMT (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) during the period 1998-2013 was performed. The following variables were collected using a standardized protocol were analyzed: age, gender, date of consultation, type of traveler, countries of destination and preventive measures undertaken (malaria chemoprophylaxis and vaccines). A total of 6,783 international travelers of which 52% were women were analyzed. The average age was 36 years (SD 13). The most frequent destination continent was Africa (39%) followed by Asia (36%) and Latin America (23%). The most common country of destination was India 13% (882), followed by Senegal 7.5% (509) and Thailand 6.3% (429). The most frequently recommended vaccines were typhoid fever (82.9%) and hepatitis A (66.9%). As for malaria prophylaxis, the indicated drugs were atovaquone-proguanil (56.5%), mefloquine (36.7%), in regard to travelers returning to visit relatives and friends with a 26.81% were children (0-9 years).. The overall profile of the traveler is a young man who chooses holiday destination Africa followed by Asia and Latin America. Over 50% of travelers received vaccination against typhoid and hepatitis A. The most commonly used malaria chemoprophylaxis was atovaquone / proguanil followed by mefloquine.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Empowerment Scale – Short Form

PubMed Central

Chaves, Fernanda Figueredo; Reis, Ilka Afonso; Pagano, Adriana Silvina; Torres, Heloísa de Carvalho

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To translate, cross-culturally adapt and validate the Diabetes Empowerment Scale – Short Form for assessment of psychosocial self-efficacy in diabetes care within the Brazilian cultural context. METHODS Assessment of the instrument’s conceptual equivalence, as well as its translation and cross-cultural adaptation were performed following international standards. The Expert Committee’s assessment of the translated version was conducted through a web questionnaire developed and applied via the web tool e-Surv. The cross-culturally adapted version was used for the pre-test, which was carried out via phone call in a group of eleven health care service users diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pre-test results were examined by a group of experts, composed by health care consultants, applied linguists and statisticians, aiming at an adequate version of the instrument, which was subsequently used for test and retest in a sample of 100 users diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus via phone call, their answers being recorded by the web tool e-Surv. Internal consistency and reproducibility of analysis were carried out within the statistical programming environment R. RESULTS Face and content validity were attained and the Brazilian Portuguese version, entitled Escala de Autoeficácia em Diabetes – Versão Curta, was established. The scale had acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.634 (95%CI 0.494– 0.737), while the correlation of the total score in the two periods was considered moderate (0.47). The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.50. CONCLUSIONS The translated and cross-culturally adapted version of the instrument to spoken Brazilian Portuguese was considered valid and reliable to be used for assessment within the Brazilian population diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The use of a web tool (e-Surv) for recording the Expert Committee responses as well as the responses in the validation tests proved to be a reliable, safe and innovative method. PMID:28355337

Development of the adult PedsQL™ neurofibromatosis type 1 module: initial feasibility, reliability and validity.

PubMed

Nutakki, Kavitha; Hingtgen, Cynthia M; Monahan, Patrick; Varni, James W; Swigonski, Nancy L

2013-02-21

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant genetic disorder with significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Research in understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms of neurofibroma development has led to the use of new clinical trials for the treatment of NF1. One of the most important outcomes of a trial is improvement in quality of life, however, no condition specific HRQOL instrument for NF1 exists. The objective of this study was to develop an NF1 HRQOL instrument as a module of PedsQL™ and to test for its initial feasibility, internal consistency reliability and validity in adults with NF1. The NF1 specific HRQOL instrument was developed using a standard method of PedsQL™ module development - literature review, focus group/semi-structured interviews, cognitive interviews and experts' review of initial draft, pilot testing and field testing. Field testing involved 134 adults with NF1. Feasibility was measured by the percentage of missing responses, internal consistency reliability was measured with Cronbach's alpha and validity was measured by the known-groups method. Feasibility, measured by the percentage of missing responses was 4.8% for all subscales on the adult version of the NF1-specific instrument. Internal consistency reliability for the Total Score (alpha =0.97) and subscale reliabilities ranging from 0.72 to 0.96 were acceptable for group comparisons. The PedsQL™ NF1 module distinguished between NF1 adults with excellent to very good, good, and fair to poor health status. The results demonstrate the initial feasibility, reliability and validity of the PedsQL™ NF1 module in adult patients. The PedsQL™ NF1 Module can be used to understand the multidimensional nature of NF1 on the HRQOL patients with this disorder.

Best one hundred papers of International Orthopaedics: a bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Mavrogenis, Andreas F; Megaloikonomos, Panayiotis D; Panagopoulos, Georgios N; Mauffrey, Cyril; Quaile, Andrew; Scarlat, Marius M

2017-04-01

International Orthopaedics was founded in 1977. Within the 40 volumes and 247 issues since its launch, 5462 scientific articles have been published. This article identifies, analyses and categorises the best cited articles published by the journal to date. We searched Elsevier Scopus database for citations of all papers published in International Orthopaedics since its foundation. Source title was selected, and the journal's title was introduced in the search engine. The identified articles were sorted based on their total number of received citations, forming a descending list from 1 to 100. Total citations and self-citations of all co-authors were recorded. Year of publication, number of co-authors, number of pages, country and institution of origin and study type were identified. The best 100 papers and their citations correspond approximately to 2% of all the journal's publications. Total citations ranged from 62 to 272; 26 papers had >100 citations, of which self-citations accounted for <4%. Mean authorship number per paper was four and mean page number 6.5. United States, Japan and Germany ranked the top three countries of origin. The most common study type was case series, and most common topics were adult reconstruction, sports medicine and trauma. This article identifies topics, authors and institutions that contributed with their high-quality work in the journal's development over time. International Orthopaedics remains faithful to its authors and readers by publishing topical, well-written articles in excellent English.

Bad splits in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy: systematic review of fracture patterns.

PubMed

Steenen, S A; Becking, A G

2016-07-01

An unfavourable and unanticipated pattern of the mandibular sagittal split osteotomy is generally referred to as a 'bad split'. Few restorative techniques to manage the situation have been described. In this article, a classification of reported bad split pattern types is proposed and appropriate salvage procedures to manage the different types of undesired fracture are presented. A systematic review was undertaken, yielding a total of 33 studies published between 1971 and 2015. These reported a total of 458 cases of bad splits among 19,527 sagittal ramus osteotomies in 10,271 patients. The total reported incidence of bad split was 2.3% of sagittal splits. The most frequently encountered were buccal plate fractures of the proximal segment (types 1A-F) and lingual fractures of the distal segment (types 2A and 2B). Coronoid fractures (type 3) and condylar neck fractures (type 4) have seldom been reported. The various types of bad split may require different salvage approaches. Copyright © 2016 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integer programming model for distal humerus fracture fixation planning.

PubMed

Maratt, Joseph D; Peaks, Ya-Sin A; Doro, Lisa Case; Karunakar, Madhav A; Hughes, Richard E

2008-05-01

To demonstrate the feasibility of an integer programming model to assist in pre-operative planning for open reduction and internal fixation of a distal humerus fracture. We describe an integer programming model based on the objective of maximizing the reward for screws placed while satisfying the requirements for sound internal fixation. The model maximizes the number of bicortical screws placed while avoiding screw collision and favoring screws of greater length that cross multiple fracture planes. The model was tested on three types of total articular fractures of the distal humerus. Solutions were generated using 5, 9, 21 and 33 possible screw orientations per hole. Solutions generated using 33 possible screw orientations per hole and five screw lengths resulted in the most clinically relevant fixation plan and required the calculation of 1,191,975 pairs of screws that resulted in collision. At this level of complexity, the pre-processor took 104 seconds to generate the constraints for the solver, and a solution was generated in under one minute in all three cases. Despite the large size of this problem, it can be solved in a reasonable amount of time, making use of the model practical in pre-surgical planning.

Differential Item Functioning Detection with the Mantel-Haenszel Procedure: The Effects of Matching Types and Other Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Socha, Alan; DeMars, Christine E.; Zilberberg, Anna; Phan, Ha

2015-01-01

The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) procedure is commonly used to detect items that function differentially for groups of examinees from various demographic and linguistic backgrounds--for example, in international assessments. As in some other DIF methods, the total score is used to match examinees on ability. In thin matching, each of the total score…

Radiographic prevalence of CAM-type femoroacetabular impingement after open reduction and internal fixation of femoral neck fractures.

PubMed

Mathew, G; Kowalczuk, M; Hetaimish, B; Bedi, A; Philippon, M J; Bhandari, M; Simunovic, N; Crouch, S; Ayeni, O R

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the radiographic prevalence of CAM-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in elderly patients (≥ 50 years) who have undergone internal fixation for femoral neck fracture. A total of 187 frog-leg lateral radiographs of elderly patients who underwent internal fixation for a femoral neck fracture were reviewed by two independent reviewers. The alpha angle, beta angle, and femoral head-neck offset ratio were calculated. The presence of two abnormal radiographic parameters was deemed to be diagnostic of radiographic CAM-type impingement. Radiographic CAM-type FAI was identified in 157 out of 187 (84 %) patients who underwent internal fixation for fractures of the femoral neck. Moderate-to-good inter-observer reliability was achieved in the measurement of radiographic parameters. With reference to fracture subtypes and prevalence of radiographic features of CAM-type morphology, 97 (72 %) out of 134 patients were positive for CAM in Garden subtypes I and II, whereas 49 (85.9 %) out of 57 patients had radiographic CAM in Garden III and IV subtypes. There was a high prevalence of CAM-type FAI in patients that underwent surgical fixation of femoral neck fractures. This is significantly higher than the reported prevalence in non-fracture patient populations. The high prevalence of CAM morphology could be related to several factors, including age, fracture morphology, quality of reduction, type of fixation, and fracture healing.

Junior physicians' workplace experiences in clinical fields in German-speaking Switzerland.

PubMed

Buddeberg-Fischer, Barbara; Klaghofer, Richard; Abel, Thomas; Buddeberg, Claus

2005-01-08

To date, there have been several prospective cohort studies investigating the workplace experiences of junior physicians, but with limited focus on gender issues. The objective of the present study is to explore the workplace experiences of first-year residents according to gender, type of training hospital, and clinical field. Data reported are from the second assessment of the longitudinal Swiss physicians' career development study, begun in 2001. In 2003, 497 residents (54.7% females, 45.3% males) assessed their workplace conditions, social support at work, and effort-reward imbalance. There are few, but relevant, gender related differences in workplace experiences, with female physicians experiencing less mentoring and higher over-commitment, yet more positive social relationships at work. In a multivariate model, significant differences in some workplace variables with regard to type of training hospital and/or clinical field are found: workplace conditions are rated worse in type "A" hospitals (university and cantonal hospitals) than in type "B"/"C"/"D" hospitals (regional hospitals and highly specialised units), and in surgical fields than in internal medicine. In "A" hospitals mentoring is assessed as better, but positive social relationships as worse. Both scales are rated worse in surgical fields than in internal medicine. The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) is rated significantly higher (unfavourable) in "A" hospitals than in "B"/"C"/"D" hospitals, regardless of gender and clinical field. Significantly more subjects with an ERI quotient above 1 (which is unfavourable) work in "A" hospitals, and in surgical fields regardless of hospital type. Of the total sample, 81 subjects (16.3%), 41 males and 40 females, show an ERI quotient above 1. The greater the workload, the worse the rating of workplace conditions, effort-reward imbalance, and over-commitment. Institutional determinants are crucial factors for the workplace experiences and first career steps of junior physicians. Medical educators, especially those in "A" hospitals, should become more involved in structured residency programs and be aware of potential gender inequalities in the career support of female physicians.

Elevated Serum Osmolality and Total Water Deficit Indicate Impaired Hydration Status in Long Term Care Residents Regardless of Low or High Body Mass Index

PubMed Central

Marra, Melissa Ventura; Hudson, Abbie L.; Hollingsworth, Emily K.; Long, Emily; Kuertz, Britt; Simmons, Sandra F.; Shotwell, Matthew S.; Silver, Heidi J.

2016-01-01

Background Dehydration is typically associated with underweight and malnutrition in long term care (LTC) settings. Evidence is lacking regarding the influence of the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity on risk factors, prevalence and presentation of dehydration. Objective The aim of this study was to objectively assess hydration status and the adequacy of total water intake, and determine relationships between hydration status, total water intake, and body mass index (BMI) in LTC residents. Design A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data was performed. Participants and setting Baseline data from 247 subjects recruited from 8 community-based LTC facilities participating in two randomized trials comparing nutrient and cost efficacy of between-meal snacks versus oral nutrition supplements. Main outcomes Hydration status was assessed by serum osmolality concentration and total water intakes were quantified by weighed food, beverage, water and oral nutrition supplement (ONS) intake. Statistical analyses Simple and multiple linear regression methods were applied. Results Forty-nine (38.3%) subjects were dehydrated (>300 mOsm/kg) and another 39 (30.5%) had impending dehydration (295–300 mOsm/kg). The variance in serum osmolality was significantly accounted for by blood urea nitrogen level, mental status score, and having diabetes (R2 = 0.46, P < 0.001). Total water intake averaged 1147.2 ± 433.1 mL/d. Thus, 96–100% subjects did not meet estimated requirements, with a deficit range of 700–1800 mL/d. The variance in total water intake was significantly accounted for by type of liquid beverages (thin vs thick), type of ONS, total energy intake, total activities of daily living dependence, sex and BMI (R2 = 0.56, P < 0.001). Conclusions Dehydration and inadequate total water intake is prevalent in LTC residents across all BMI categories. Type of liquid beverages, type of ONS, and type of between-meal snacks are factors that could be targeted for nutrition interventions designed to prevent or reverse dehydration. PMID:27126154

Widefield and total internal reflection fluorescent structured illumination microscopy with scanning galvo mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Youhua; Cao, Ruizhi; Liu, Wenjie; Zhu, Dazhao; Zhang, Zhiming; Kuang, Cuifang; Liu, Xu

2018-04-01

We present an alternative approach to realize structured illumination microscopy (SIM), which is capable for live cell imaging. The prototype utilizes two sets of scanning galvo mirrors, a polarization converter and a piezo-platform to generate a fast shifted, s-polarization interfered and periodic variable illumination patterns. By changing the angle of the scanning galvanometer, we can change the position of the spots at the pupil plane of the objective lens arbitrarily, making it easy to switch between widefield and total internal reflection fluorescent-SIM mode and adapting the penetration depth in the sample. Also, a twofold resolution improvement is achieved in our experiments. The prototype offers more flexibility of pattern period and illumination orientation changing than previous systems.

An Objective Evaluation of Mass Scaling Techniques Utilizing Computational Human Body Finite Element Models.

PubMed

Davis, Matthew L; Scott Gayzik, F

2016-10-01

Biofidelity response corridors developed from post-mortem human subjects are commonly used in the design and validation of anthropomorphic test devices and computational human body models (HBMs). Typically, corridors are derived from a diverse pool of biomechanical data and later normalized to a target body habitus. The objective of this study was to use morphed computational HBMs to compare the ability of various scaling techniques to scale response data from a reference to a target anthropometry. HBMs are ideally suited for this type of study since they uphold the assumptions of equal density and modulus that are implicit in scaling method development. In total, six scaling procedures were evaluated, four from the literature (equal-stress equal-velocity, ESEV, and three variations of impulse momentum) and two which are introduced in the paper (ESEV using a ratio of effective masses, ESEV-EffMass, and a kinetic energy approach). In total, 24 simulations were performed, representing both pendulum and full body impacts for three representative HBMs. These simulations were quantitatively compared using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO-TS18571 standard. Based on these results, ESEV-EffMass achieved the highest overall similarity score (indicating that it is most proficient at scaling a reference response to a target). Additionally, ESEV was found to perform poorly for two degree-of-freedom (DOF) systems. However, the results also indicated that no single technique was clearly the most appropriate for all scenarios.

Sensitivity images for multi-view ultrasonic array inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budyn, Nicolas; Bevan, Rhodri; Croxford, Anthony J.; Zhang, Jie; Wilcox, Paul D.; Kashubin, Artem; Cawley, Peter

2018-04-01

The multi-view total focusing method (TFM) is an imaging technique for ultrasonic full matrix array data that typically exploits ray paths with zero, one or two internal reflections in the inspected object and for all combinations of longitudinal and transverse modes. The fusion of this vast quantity of views is expected to increase the reliability of ultrasonic inspection; however, it is not trivial to determine which views and which areas are the most suited for the detection of a given type and orientation of defect. This work introduces sensitivity images that give the expected response of a defect in any part of the inspected object and for any view. These images are based on a ray-based analytical forward model. They can be used to determine which views and which areas lead to the highest probability of detection of the defect. They can also be used for quantitatively analyzing the effects of the parameters of the inspection (probe angle and position, for example) on the overall probability of detection. Finally, they can be used to rescale TFM images so that the different views have comparable amplitudes. This methodology is applied to experimental data and discussed.

Visualizing substructure of Ca2+ waves by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Yongqiang; Tang, Aihui; Wang, Shiqiang; Zhu, Xing

2005-02-01

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscope is a new optical microscopic system based on near-field optical theory. Its character of illumination by evanescent wave, together with the great signal-to-noise ratio and temporal resolution achieved by high quality CCD, allows us to analyze the spatiotemporal details of local Ca2+ dynamics within the nanoscale microdomain surrounding different Ca2+ channels. We have recently constructed a versatile objective TIRFM equipped with a high numerical aperture (NA=1.45) objective. Using fluo-4 as the Ca2+ indicator, we visualized the near-membrane profiles of Ca2+ waves and elementary Ca2+ sparks generated by Ca2+ release channels in rat ventricular myocytes. Different from those detected using conventional and confocal microscopy, Ca2+ waves observed with TIRFM exhibited fine inhomogenous substructures composed of fluctuating Ca2+ sparks. The anfractuous routes of spark recruitment suggested that the propagation of Ca2+ waves is much more complicated than previously imagined. We believe that TIRFM will provide a unique tool for dissecting the microscopic mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ signaling.

Measuring mental workload: ocular astigmatism aberration as a novel objective index.

PubMed

Jiménez, Raimundo; Cárdenas, David; González-Anera, Rosario; Jiménez, José R; Vera, Jesús

2018-04-01

This study assessed the effect of two perceptually matched mental tasks with different levels of mental demand on ocular aberrations in a group of young adults. We measured ocular aberration with a wavefront sensor, and total, internal and corneal RMS (root mean square) aberrations were calculated from Zernike coefficients, considering natural and scaled pupils (5, 4.5, and 4 mm). We found that total, internal and corneal astigmatism RMS showed significant differences between mental tasks with natural pupils (p < .05), and this effect was maintained with 5 mm scaled pupils (total RMS astigmatism, p < .05). Consistently, pupil size, intraocular pressure, perceived mental load and cognitive performance were influenced by the level of mental complexity (p < .05 for all). The findings suggest that ocular astigmatism aberration, mediated by intraocular pressure, could be an objective, valid reliable index to evaluate the impact of cognitive processing in conjunction with others physiological markers in real world contexts. Practitioner Summary: The search continues for a valid, reliable, convenient method of measuring mental workload. In this study we found ocular astigmatism aberration is sensitive to the cumulative effect of mental effort. It shows promise of being a novel ocular index which may help to assess mental workload in real situations.

Implant-Abutment Contact Surfaces and Microgap Measurements of Different Implant Connections Under 3-Dimensional X-Ray Microtomography.

PubMed

Scarano, Antonio; Valbonetti, Luca; Degidi, Marco; Pecci, Raffaella; Piattelli, Adriano; de Oliveira, P S; Perrotti, Vittoria

2016-10-01

The presence of a microgap between implant and abutment could produce a bacterial reservoir which could interfere with the long-term health of the periimplant tissues. The aim of this article was to evaluate, by x-ray 3-dimensional microtomography, implant-abutment contact surfaces and microgaps at the implant-abutment interface in different types of implant-abutment connections. A total of 40 implants were used in this in vitro study. Ten implants presented a screw-retained internal hexagon abutment (group I), 10 had a Morse Cone taper internal connection (group II), 10 another type of Morse Cone taper internal connection (group III), and 10 had a screwed trilobed connection (group IV). In both types of Morse Cone internal connections, there was no detectable separation at the implant-abutment in the area of the conical connection, and there was an absolute congruity without any microgaps between abutment and implant. No line was visible separating the implant and the abutment. On the contrary, in the screwed abutment implants, numerous gaps and voids were present. The results of this study support the hypothesis that different types of implant-abutment joints are responsible for the observed differences in bacterial penetration.

Who Has Used Internal Company Documents for Biomedical and Public Health Research and Where Did They Find Them?

PubMed Central

Wieland, L. Susan; Rutkow, Lainie; Vedula, S. Swaroop; Kaufmann, Christopher N.; Rosman, Lori M.; Twose, Claire; Mahendraratnam, Nirosha; Dickersin, Kay

2014-01-01

Objective To describe the sources of internal company documents used in public health and healthcare research. Methods We searched PubMed and Embase for articles using internal company documents to address a research question about a health-related topic. Our primary interest was where authors obtained internal company documents for their research. We also extracted information on type of company, type of research question, type of internal documents, and funding source. Results Our searches identified 9,305 citations of which 357 were eligible. Scanning of reference lists and consultation with colleagues identified 4 additional articles, resulting in 361 included articles. Most articles examined internal tobacco company documents (325/361; 90%). Articles using documents from pharmaceutical companies (20/361; 6%) were the next most common. Tobacco articles used documents from repositories; pharmaceutical documents were from a range of sources. Most included articles relied upon internal company documents obtained through litigation (350/361; 97%). The research questions posed were primarily about company strategies to promote or position the company and its products (326/361; 90%). Most articles (346/361; 96%) used information from miscellaneous documents such as memos or letters, or from unspecified types of documents. When explicit information about study funding was provided (290/361 articles), the most common source was the US-based National Cancer Institute. We developed an alternative and more sensitive search targeted at identifying additional research articles using internal pharmaceutical company documents, but the search retrieved an impractical number of citations for review. Conclusions Internal company documents provide an excellent source of information on health topics (e.g., corporate behavior, study data) exemplified by articles based on tobacco industry documents. Pharmaceutical and other industry documents appear to have been less used for research, indicating a need for funding for this type of research and well-indexed and curated repositories to provide researchers with ready access to the documents. PMID:24800999

Vortex Generators in a Two-Dimensional, External-Compression Supersonic Inlet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baydar, Ezgihan; Lu, Frank K.; Slater, John W.

2016-01-01

Computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed as part of a process to design a vortex generator array for a two-dimensional inlet for Mach 1.6. The objective is to improve total pressure recovery a on at the engine face of the inlet. Both vane-type and ramp-type vortex generators are examined.

MEPAG Recommendations for a 2018 Mars Sample Return Caching Lander - Sample Types, Number, and Sizes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton C.

2011-01-01

The return to Earth of geological and atmospheric samples from the surface of Mars is among the highest priority objectives of planetary science. The MEPAG Mars Sample Return (MSR) End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (MEPAG E2E-iSAG) was chartered to propose scientific objectives and priorities for returned sample science, and to map out the implications of these priorities, including for the proposed joint ESA-NASA 2018 mission that would be tasked with the crucial job of collecting and caching the samples. The E2E-iSAG identified four overarching scientific aims that relate to understanding: (A) the potential for life and its pre-biotic context, (B) the geologic processes that have affected the martian surface, (C) planetary evolution of Mars and its atmosphere, (D) potential for future human exploration. The types of samples deemed most likely to achieve the science objectives are, in priority order: (1A). Subaqueous or hydrothermal sediments (1B). Hydrothermally altered rocks or low temperature fluid-altered rocks (equal priority) (2). Unaltered igneous rocks (3). Regolith, including airfall dust (4). Present-day atmosphere and samples of sedimentary-igneous rocks containing ancient trapped atmosphere Collection of geologically well-characterized sample suites would add considerable value to interpretations of all collected rocks. To achieve this, the total number of rock samples should be about 30-40. In order to evaluate the size of individual samples required to meet the science objectives, the E2E-iSAG reviewed the analytical methods that would likely be applied to the returned samples by preliminary examination teams, for planetary protection (i.e., life detection, biohazard assessment) and, after distribution, by individual investigators. It was concluded that sample size should be sufficient to perform all high-priority analyses in triplicate. In keeping with long-established curatorial practice of extraterrestrial material, at least 40% by mass of each sample should be preserved to support future scientific investigations. Samples of 15-16 grams are considered optimal. The total mass of returned rocks, soils, blanks and standards should be approximately 500 grams. Atmospheric gas samples should be the equivalent of 50 cubic cm at 20 times Mars ambient atmospheric pressure.

[Complications of open reduction and internal fixation versus external fixation for unstable distal radius fractures: a meta-analysis].

PubMed

Yang, Z; Yuan, Z Z; Ma, J X; Ma, X L

2016-12-20

Objective: To make a systematic assessment of the complications of open reduction and internal fixation versus external fixation for unstable distal radius fractures. Method: A computer-based online search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Springer and Cochrane Library were performed.The randomized and controlled trials of open reduction and internal fixation versus external fixation for unstable distal radius fractures were collected.The included trials were screened out strictly based on the criterion of inclusion and exclusion.The quality of included trials was evaluated.RevMan 5.0 was used for data analysis. Result: A total of 17 studies involving 1 402 patients were included.There were 687 patients with open reduction and internal fixation and 715 with external fixation.The results of Meta-analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences with regard to the postoperatively total complications, infection, malunion, tendon rupture ( I 2 =8%, RR =0.77(95% CI 0.65-0.91, Z =3.10, P <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences observed between two approaches with respect to nounion, re-operation, complex regional pain syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, neurapraxia, tendonitis, painful hardware, scar( P >0.05). Conclusion: Postoperative complications are present in both open reduction and internal fixation and external fixation.Compared with external fixation, open reduction and internal fixation is lower in total complications postoperatively, infection and malunion, but external fixation has lower tendon rupture incidence.

Research on the International Space Station: Understanding Future Potential from Current Accomplishments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Julie A.

2007-01-01

In November 2007, the International Space Station (ISS) will have supported seven years of continuous presence in space, with 15 Expeditions completed. These years have been characterized by the numerous technical challenges of assembly as well as operational and logistical challenges related to the availability of transportation by the Space Shuttle. During this period, an active set of early research objectives have also been accomplished alongside the assembly. This paper will review the research accomplishments on ISS to date, with the objective of drawing insights on the potential of future research following completion of ISS assembly. By the end of Expedition 15, an expected 121 U.S.-managed investigations will have been conducted on ISS, with 91 of these completed. Many of these investigations include multiple scientific objectives, with an estimated total of 334 scientists served. Through February 2007, 101 scientific publications have been identified. Another 184 investigations have been sponsored by ISS international partners, which independently track their scientists served and results publication. Through this survey of U.S. research completed on ISS, three different themes will be addressed: (1) How have constraints on transportation of mass to orbit affected the types of research successfully completed on the ISS to date? What lessons can be learned for increasing the success of ISS as a research platform during the period following the retirement of the Space Shuttle? (2) How have constraints on crew time for research during assembly and the active participation of crewmembers as scientists affected the types of research successfully completed on the ISS to date? What lessons can be learned for optimizing research return following the increase in capacity from 3 to 6 crewmembers (planned for 2009)? What lessons can be learned for optimizing research return after assembly is complete? (3) What do early research results indicate about the various scientific disciplines represented in investigations on ISS? Are there lessons specific to human research, technology development, life sciences, and physical sciences that can be used to increase future research accomplishments? Research has been conducted and completed on ISS under a set of challenging constraints during the past 7 years. The history of research accomplished on ISS during this time serves as an indicator of the value and potential of ISS when full utilization begins. By learning from our early experience in completing research on ISS, NASA and our partners can be positioned to optimize research returns as a full crew complement comes onboard, assembly is completed, and research begins in full.

Evaluation of the internal construct validity of the Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART) using Rasch analysis.

PubMed

Darzins, Susan; Imms, Christine; Di Stefano, Marilyn; Taylor, Nicholas F; Pallant, Julie F

2014-11-05

The Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART) is a 43-item, clinician-administered assessment, designed to identify patients' unmet needs (participation restrictions) in activities of daily living (ADL) required for community life. This information is important for identifying problems that need addressing to enable, for example, discharge from inpatient settings to community living. The objective of this study was to evaluate internal construct validity of the PC-PART using Rasch methods. Fit to the Rasch model was evaluated for 41 PC-PART items, assessing threshold ordering, overall model fit, individual item fit, person fit, internal consistency, Differential Item Functioning (DIF), targeting of items and dimensionality. Data used in this research were taken from admission data from a randomised controlled trial conducted at two publically funded inpatient rehabilitation units in Melbourne, Australia, with 996 participants (63% women; mean age 74 years) and with various impairment types. PC-PART items assessed as one scale, and original PC-PART domains evaluated as separate scales, demonstrated poor fit to the Rasch model. Adequate fit to the Rasch model was achieved in two newly formed PC-PART scales: Self-Care (16 items) and Domestic Life (14 items). Both scales were unidimensional, had acceptable internal consistency (PSI =0.85, 0.76, respectively) and well-targeted items. Rasch analysis did not support conventional summation of all PC-PART item scores to create a total score. However, internal construct validity of the newly formed PC-PART scales, Self-Care and Domestic Life, was supported. Their Rasch-derived scores provided interval-level measurement enabling summation of scores to form a total score on each scale. These scales may assist clinicians, managers and researchers in rehabilitation settings to assess and measure changes in ADL participation restrictions relevant to community living. Data used in this research were gathered during a registered randomised controlled trial: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000973213. Ethics committee approval was gained for secondary analysis of data for this study.

Phobos and Deimos: Satellites of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zharkov, V. M.; Kozenko, A. V.

1986-01-01

The physical characteristics of Phobos and Deimos, satellites of Mars, are discussed. Phobos and Deimos are used as an example to discuss the probable internal structure of objects of this type and the structural formations on their surfaces. The history of astronomical observations of Mars is also described.

Effectiveness of Computer Tailoring Versus Peer Support Web-Based Interventions in Promoting Physical Activity Among Insufficiently Active Canadian Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Côté, José

2016-01-01

Background Type 2 diabetes is a major challenge for Canadian public health authorities, and regular physical activity is a key factor in the management of this disease. Given that less than half of people with type 2 diabetes in Canada are sufficiently active to meet the Canadian Diabetes Association's guidelines, effective programs targeting the adoption of regular physical activity are in demand for this population. Many researchers have argued that Web-based interventions targeting physical activity are a promising avenue for insufficiently active populations; however, it remains unclear if this type of intervention is effective among people with type 2 diabetes. Objective This research project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of two Web-based interventions targeting the adoption of regular aerobic physical activity among insufficiently active adult Canadian Francophones with type 2 diabetes. Methods A 3-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial with 2 experimental groups and 1 control group was conducted in the province of Quebec, Canada. A total of 234 participants were randomized at a 1:1:1 ratio to receive an 8-week, fully automated, computer-tailored, Web-based intervention (experimental group 1); an 8-week peer support (ie, Facebook group) Web-based intervention (experimental group 2); or no intervention (control group) during the study period. Results The primary outcome of this study is self-reported physical activity level (total min/week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity). Secondary outcomes are attitude, social influence, self-efficacy, type of motivation, and intention. All outcomes are assessed at baseline and 3 and 9 months after baseline with a self-reported questionnaire filled directly on the study websites. Conclusions By evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of 2 Web-based interventions characterized by different behavior change perspectives, findings of this study will contribute to advances in the field of physical activity promotion in adult populations with type 2 diabetes. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): ISRCTN15747108; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15747108 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6eJTi0m3r) PMID:26869015

Total internal reflection optical switch using the reverse breakdown of a pn junction in silicon.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Hun; Park, Hyo-Hoon

2015-11-01

We demonstrate a new type of silicon total-internal-reflection optical switch with a simple pn junction functioning both as a reflector and a heater. The reflector is placed between asymmetrically y-branched multimode waveguides with an inclination angle corresponding to half of the branch angle. When the reflector is at rest, incident light is reflected in accordance to the refractive index difference due to the plasma dispersion effect of the pre-doped carriers. Switching to the transmission state is attained under a reverse breakdown of the pn junction by the thermo-optic effect which smears the refractive index difference. From this switching scheme, we confirmed the switching operation with a shallow total-internal-reflection region of 1 μm width. At a 6° branch angle, an extinction ratio of 12 dB and an insertion loss of -4.2  dB are achieved along with a thermal heating power of 151.5 mW.

Soluble Ions with ICP-MS are Superior to Total Elements with XRF in Assessing Component-specific Cardiovascular Effects of Fine Particulate Matter

EPA Science Inventory

Background: We previously reported that total fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was associated with flow-mediated dilation (FMD), interleukin-6 (lL-6) and tumor-necrosisfactor-alpha (TNFa) in 22 individuals with type 2 diabetes. Objectives: We now compare two laboratory methods of ...

Objective functional visual outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with good preoperative visual acuity

PubMed Central

Zhu, X; Ye, H; He, W; Yang, J; Dai, J; Lu, Y

2017-01-01

Purpose To explore the objective functional visual outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with good preoperative visual acuity. Methods We enrolled 130 cataract patients whose best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/40 or better preoperatively. Objective visual functions were evaluated with a KR-1W analyzer before and at 1 month after cataract surgery. Results The nuclear (N), cortical (C), and N+C groups had very high preoperative ocular and internal total high-order aberrations (HOAs), coma, and abnormal spherical aberrations. At 1 month after cataract surgery, in addition to the remarkable increase of both uncorrected visual acuity and BCVA, both ocular and internal HOAs in the three groups decreased significantly after cataract surgery (all P<0.05). Point spread function and modulation transfer functions were also improved significantly in these patients (all P<0.05). Conclusions The objective functional vision of patients with 20/40 or better preoperative BCVA improved significantly after cataract surgery. This finding shows that the arbitrary threshold of BCVA worse than 20/40 in China cannot always be used to determine who will benefit from cataract surgery. PMID:27858933

Wavefront aberrations and retinal image quality in different lenticular opacity types and densities.

PubMed

Wu, Cheng-Zhe; Jin, Hua; Shen, Zhen-Nv; Li, Ying-Jun; Cui, Xun

2017-11-10

To investigate wavefront aberrations in the entire eye and in the internal optics (lens) and retinal image qualities according to different lenticular opacity types and densities. Forty-one eyes with nuclear cataract, 33 eyes with cortical cataract, and 29 eyes with posterior subcapsular cataract were examined. In each group, wavefront aberrations in the entire eye and in the internal optics and retinal image quality were measured using a raytracing aberrometer. Eyes with cortical cataracts showed significantly higher coma-like aberrations compared to the other two groups in both entire eye and internal optic aberrations (P = 0.012 and P = 0.007, respectively). Eyes with nuclear cataract had lower spherical-like aberrations than the other two groups in both entire eye and internal optics aberrations (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). In the nuclear cataract group, nuclear lens density was negatively correlated with internal spherical aberrations (r = -0.527, P = 0.005). Wavefront technology is useful for objective and quantitative analysis of retinal image quality deterioration in eyes with different early lenticular opacity types and densities. Understanding the wavefront optical properties of different crystalline lens opacities may help ophthalmic surgeons determine the optimal time to perform cataract surgery.

Analysis of warm season thunderstorms using an object-oriented tracking method based on radar and total lightning data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigo, T.; Pineda, N.; Bech, J.

2010-09-01

Monitoring thunderstorms activity is an essential part of operational weather surveillance given their potential hazards, including lightning, hail, heavy rainfall, strong winds or even tornadoes. This study has two main objectives: firstly, the description of a methodology, based on radar and total lightning data to characterise thunderstorms in real-time; secondly, the application of this methodology to 66 thunderstorms that affected Catalonia (NE Spain) in the summer of 2006. An object-oriented tracking procedure is employed, where different observation data types generate four different types of objects (radar 1-km CAPPI reflectivity composites, radar reflectivity volumetric data, cloud-to-ground lightning data and intra-cloud lightning data). In the framework proposed, these objects are the building blocks of a higher level object, the thunderstorm. The methodology is demonstrated with a dataset of thunderstorms whose main characteristics, along the complete life cycle of the convective structures (development, maturity and dissipation), are described statistically. The development and dissipation stages present similar durations in most cases examined. On the contrary, the duration of the maturity phase is much more variable and related to the thunderstorm intensity, defined here in terms of lightning flash rate. Most of the activity of IC and CG flashes is registered in the maturity stage. In the development stage little CG flashes are observed (2% to 5%), while for the dissipation phase is possible to observe a few more CG flashes (10% to 15%). Additionally, a selection of thunderstorms is used to examine general life cycle patterns, obtained from the analysis of normalized (with respect to thunderstorm total duration and maximum value of variables considered) thunderstorm parameters. Among other findings, the study indicates that the normalized duration of the three stages of thunderstorm life cycle is similar in most thunderstorms, with the longest duration corresponding to the maturity stage (approximately 80% of the total time).

Debris disc constraints on planetesimal formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivov, Alexander V.; Ide, Aljoscha; Löhne, Torsten; Johansen, Anders; Blum, Jürgen

2018-02-01

Two basic routes for planetesimal formation have been proposed over the last decades. One is a classical `slow-growth' scenario. Another one is particle concentration models, in which small pebbles are concentrated locally and then collapse gravitationally to form planetesimals. Both types of models make certain predictions for the size spectrum and internal structure of newly born planetesimals. We use these predictions as input to simulate collisional evolution of debris discs left after the gas dispersal. The debris disc emission as a function of a system's age computed in these simulations is compared with several Spitzer and Herschel debris disc surveys around A-type stars. We confirm that the observed brightness evolution for the majority of discs can be reproduced by classical models. Further, we find that it is equally consistent with the size distribution of planetesimals predicted by particle concentration models - provided the objects are loosely bound `pebble piles' as these models also predict. Regardless of the assumed planetesimal formation mechanism, explaining the brightest debris discs in the samples uncovers a `disc mass problem'. To reproduce such discs by collisional simulations, a total mass of planetesimals of up to ˜1000 Earth masses is required, which exceeds the total mass of solids available in the protoplanetary progenitors of debris discs. This may indicate that stirring was delayed in some of the bright discs, that giant impacts occurred recently in some of them, that some systems may be younger than previously thought or that non-collisional processes contribute significantly to the dust production.

Development and Comparison of a Rapid Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Test for Typing of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 on a Portable Fluorescence Detector

PubMed Central

Tong, Yanhong; McCarthy, Kaitlin; Kong, Huimin; Lemieux, Bertrand

2013-01-01

We have developed a rapid and simple molecular test, the IsoGlow HSV Typing assay, for the detection and typing of herpes simplex virus (type 1 and 2) from genital or oral lesions. Clinical samples suspended in viral transport mediums are simply diluted and then added to a helicase-dependent amplification master mix. The amplification and detection were performed on a portable fluorescence detector called the FireFly instrument. Detection of amplification products is based on end-point analysis using cycling probe technology. An internal control nucleic acid was included in the amplification master mix to monitor the presence of amplification inhibitors in the samples. Because the device has only two fluorescence detection channels, two strategies were developed and compared to detect the internal control template: internal control detected by melting curve analysis using a dual-labeled probe, versus internal control detection using end-point fluorescence release by a CPT probe at a lower temperature. Both have a total turnaround time of about 1 hour. Clinical performance relative to herpes viral culture was evaluated using 176 clinical specimens. Both formats of the IsoGlow HSV typing assay had sensitivities comparable to that of the Food and Drug Administration–cleared IsoAmp HSV (BioHelix Corp., Beverly MA) test and specificity for the two types of HSV comparable to that of ELVIS HSV (Diagnostic Hybrids, Athens, OH). PMID:22951487

1ST International Conference on Small Satellites: New Technologies, Achievements, Problems and Prospects for International Co-Operation in the New Millenium

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

still more higher . Consequently, it is appropriate to distribute rationally the researches complex and the applied tasks between different types of...manufacturing of satellites through its spin -off company. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. A new 350kg minisatellite (UoSAT-12) is being built at Surrey for...implement feedback from the Joint Science Team. INTRODUCTION RAMOS is a research program with multiple scientific objectives included in the dual mis

Study of the impact of automation on productivity in bus-maintenance facilities. Final report

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

Sumanth, D.J.; Weiss, H.J.; Adya, B.

1988-12-01

Whether or not the various types of automation and new technologies introduced in a bus-transit system really have an impact on productivity is the question addressed in the study. The report describes a new procedure of productivity measurement and evaluation for a county-transit system and provides an objective perspective on the impact of automation on productivity in bus maintenance facilities. The research objectives were: to study the impact of automation on total productivity in transit maintenance facilities; to develop and apply a methodology for measuring the total productivity of a Floridian transit maintenance facility (Bradenton-Manatee County bus maintenance facility whichmore » has been introducing automation since 1983); and to develop a practical step-by-step implementation scheme for the total productivity-based productivity measurement system that any bus manager can use. All 3 objectives were successfully accomplished.« less

Tidal evolution in close binary systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopal, Z.

1972-01-01

Mathematical outline of the theory of tidal evolution in close binary systems of secularly constant total momentum. Following a general outline of the problem the basic expressions for the energy and momenta of close binaries consisting of components of arbitrary internal structure are established, and the maximum and minimum values of the energy (kinetic and potential) which such systems can attain for a given amount of total momentum are investigated. These results are compared with the actual facts encountered in binaries with components whose internal structure (and, therefore, rotational momenta) are known from evidence furnished by the observed rates of apsidal advance. The results show that all such systems whether of detached or semidetached type - disclose that more than 99% of their total momenta are stored in the orbital momentum. The sum of the rotational momenta of the constituent components amounts to less than 1% of the total -a situation characteristic of a state close to the minimum energy for given total momentum.

Quantifying object and material surface areas in residences

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

Hodgson, Alfred T.; Ming, Katherine Y.; Singer, Brett C.

2005-01-05

The dynamic behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environments depends, in part, on sorptive interactions between VOCs in the gas phase and material surfaces. Since information on the types and quantities of interior material surfaces is not generally available, this pilot-scale study was conducted in occupied residences to develop and demonstrate a method for quantifying surface areas of objects and materials in rooms. Access to 33 rooms in nine residences consisting of bathrooms, bedroom/offices and common areas was solicited from among research group members living in the East San Francisco Bay Area. A systematic approach was implemented formore » measuring rooms and objects from 300 cm{sup 2} and larger. The ventilated air volumes of the rooms were estimated and surface area-to-volume ratios were calculated for objects and materials, each segregated into 20 or more categories. Total surface area-to-volume ratios also were determined for each room. The bathrooms had the highest total surface area-to-volume ratios. Bedrooms generally had higher ratios than common areas consisting of kitchens, living/dining rooms and transitional rooms. Total surface area-to-volume ratios for the 12 bedrooms ranged between 2.3 and 4.7 m{sup 2} m{sup -3}. The importance of individual objects and materials with respect to sorption will depend upon the sorption coefficients for the various VOC/materials combinations. When combined, the highly permeable material categories, which may contribute to significant interactions, had a median ratio of about 0.5 m{sup 2} m{sup -3} for all three types of rooms.« less

Canal Configuration of Mesiobuccal Roots in Permanent Maxillary First Molars in Iranian Population: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Naseri, Mandana; Kharazifard, Mohammad Javad

2016-01-01

Objectives: It is essential for clinicians to have adequate knowledge about root canal configurations; although its morphology varies largely in different ethnicities and even in different individuals with the same ethnic background. The current study aims to review the root canal configurations of mesiobuccal roots of maxillary first molars in an Iranian population based on different epidemiological studies. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to retrieve articles related to root canal configuration and prevalence of each type of root canal based on Vertucci’s classification for the mesiobuccal root of maxillary first molars. An electronic search was conducted in Medline, Scopus and Google Scholar from January 1984 to September 2015. The articles were evaluated and methods, population, number of teeth and percentage of each root canal type evaluated in each study were summarized in the data table. Websites such as http://www.magiran.com/ , http://health.barakatkns.com/journal-internal-list and www.sid.ir were used to search all related studies published in Persian. Results: Totally, out of nine studies conducted on the Iranian populations in nine provinces of Iran and 798 teeth, the Vertucci’s type I was the most common type (35.70%), followed by type II (30.37%), type IV (16.66%), type III (7.93%) and type V (2.61%). Conclusions: From this review article, it is concluded that the root canal morphology of mesiobuccal roots of maxillary first molars in the Iranian population predominantly has more than one canal. Therefore, careful evaluation of radiographs and anatomy of the pulp chamber is essential in order to achieve a successful root canal therapy. PMID:28243306

Dentoalveolar oral surgery in children and adolescents: organization and surgical treatment in a large, Danish municipal dental service.

PubMed

Grønbæk, Anni Birgitte; Petersen, Flemming; Haubek, Dorte; Poulsen, Sven

2017-11-01

To describe a population-based organization of dentoalveolar surgical service for 0 to 18-year old subjects in a Danish municipal dental service, and analyze the type of dentoalveolar surgical interventions needed. The study was conducted in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark during five consecutive school-years. An internal referral system was established within the municipality where patients could be referred to colleagues with a higher level of competencies and more experiences with paediatric dentoalveolar surgery. The analysis includes a total of 1812 children and a total of 2854 surgical interventions. Almost 80% of the patients, representing more than 80% of the dentoalveolar surgical interventions needed, were referred internally. Denudations were the most frequent treatment type (40.3%) carried out, followed by removal of third molars (18.0%). Furthermore, 22 odontomas and 100 supernumerary teeth were removed. The need of dentoalveolar surgery in children and adolescents is relatively low, but includes a wide range of interventions. An organizational system, where dentists can refer to colleagues who have developed special competencies in this field, results in most of these surgical patients being referred and treated internally.

Evaluation of skill-based training program on rational drug treatment for medical interns

PubMed Central

Venkatesan, Murugan; Dongre, Amol R; Ganapathy, Kalaiselvan

2017-01-01

Context: A module-based training program for medical interns using World Health Organization guide for good prescription along with the individual feedback on their prescription was developed and implemented. Objective: The objective of the study was to obtain the medical interns’ reactions to newly developed skill-based training program on rational treatment. Study Setting: This study was conducted at the Department of Community Medicine. Participants: A total of 96 medical interns were included in the study. Study Design: A cross-sectional study consisting of retro-prefeedback and open-ended questions about self-assessment of perceived skill on rational treatment. Analysis: Collected data were entered in Epi Info (3.5.4) and analyzed. Results: After training, there was a significant increase in self-perceived posttest scores of setting up the therapeutic objective for the treatment (2.9–4.9), ability to select the correct drug (2.8–5.1), ability to select right dose, schedule, and duration of drugs (2.5–4.9). and overall prescription skill (2.9–4.9). There is a significant decrease in self-perceived scores in the skill of practicing polypharmacy (4.1–2.5). Conclusions: Overall, the training program was taken well and interns perceived their skill on rational treatment was improved as shown by the feedback. PMID:29564272

Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) variation in the Anastrepha fraterculus cryptic species complex (Diptera, Tephritidae) of the Andean region.

PubMed

Sutton, Bruce D; Steck, Gary J; Norrbom, Allen L; Rodriguez, Erick J; Srivastava, Pratibha; Alvarado, Norma Nolazco; Colque, Fredy; Landa, Erick Yábar; Sánchez, Juan José Lagrava; Quisberth, Elizabeth; Peñaranda, Emilio Arévalo; Clavijo, P A Rodriguez; Alvarez-Baca, Jeniffer K; Zapata, Tito Guevara; Ponce, Patricio

2015-01-01

The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) was sequenced for Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830) originating from 85 collections from the northern and central Andean countries of South America including Argentina (Tucumán), Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The ITS1 regions of additional specimens (17 collections) from Central America (México, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panamá), Brazil, Caribbean Colombia, and coastal Venezuela were sequenced and together with published sequences (Paraguay) provided context for interpretation. A total of six ITS1 sequence variants were recognized in the Andean region comprising four groups. Type I predominates in the southernmost range of Anastrepha fraterculus. Type II predominates in its northernmost range. In the central and northern Andes, the geographic distributions overlap and interdigitate with a strong elevational effect. A discussion of relationships between observed ITS1 types and morphometric types is included.

Analytical Assessment of a Gross Leakage Event Within the International Space Station (ISS) Node 2 Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, James M.; Clanton, Stephen E.

1999-01-01

Results of the International Space Station (ISS) Node 2 Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS) gross leakage analysis are presented for evaluating total leakage flowrates and volume discharge caused by a gross leakage event (i.e. open boundary condition). A Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer and Fluid Integrator (SINDA/FLUINT) thermal hydraulic mathematical model (THMM) representing the Node 2 IATCS was developed to simulate system performance under steady-state nominal conditions as well as the transient flow effects resulting from an open line exposed to ambient. The objective of the analysis was to determine the adequacy of the leak detection software in limiting the quantity of fluid lost during a gross leakage event to within an acceptable level.

Analytical Assessment of a Gross Leakage Event Within the International Space Station (ISS) Node 2 Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, James M.; Clanton, Stephen E.

2001-01-01

Results of the International Space Station (ISS) Node 2 Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS) gross leakage analysis are presented for evaluating total leakage flow rates and volume discharge caused by a gross leakage event (i.e. open boundary condition). A Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer and Fluid Integrator (SINDA85/FLUINT) thermal hydraulic mathematical model (THMM) representing the Node 2 IATCS was developed to simulate system performance under steady-state nominal conditions as well as the transient flow effect resulting from an open line exposed to ambient. The objective of the analysis was to determine the adequacy of the leak detection software in limiting the quantity of fluid lost during a gross leakage event to within an acceptable level.

Spasmodic dysphonia: a seven-year audit of dose titration and demographics in the Indian population.

PubMed

Nerurkar, N K; Banu, T P

2014-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate the demographics of spasmodic dysphonia in the Indian population and to analyse the optimum dose titration of botulinum toxin type A in this group. A comparative analysis with international studies was also performed. The study involved a retrospective analysis and audit of botulinum toxin type A dose titration in spasmodic dysphonia patients who visited our voice clinic between January 2005 and January 2012. The average total therapeutic dose required for patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia was 4.2 U per patient per vocal fold (total 8.4 U per patient), and for patients with abductor spasmodic dysphonia, it was 4.6 U per patient. Our audit revealed that 80 per cent of the spasmodic dysphonia patients were male, which contrasts dramatically with international studies, wherein around 80 per cent of spasmodic dysphonia patients were female. Our study also revealed a higher dose titration of botulinum toxin for the Indian spasmodic dysphonia population in both adductor and abductor spasmodic dysphonia cases.

Different Modes of Digital Learning Object Use in School Settings: Do We Design for Individual or Collaborative Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akpinar, Yavuz

2014-01-01

The aim of the studies reported in this paper is to gain classroom based empirical evidence on the learning effectiveness of learning objects used in two types of study settings: Collaborative and individual. A total of 127 seventh and ninth grade students participated in the experiments. They were assigned into one of the study modes and worked…

International open trial of uniform multidrug therapy regimen for leprosy patients: Findings & implications for national leprosy programmes.

PubMed

Manickam, Ponnaiah; Mehendale, Sanjay M; Nagaraju, Bathyala; Katoch, Kiran; Jamesh, Abdul; Kutaiyan, Ramalingam; Jianping, Shen; Mugudalabetta, Shivakumar; Jadhav, Vitthal; Rajkumar, Prabu; Padma, Jayasree; Kaliaperumal, Kanagasabai; Pannikar, Vijayakumar; Krishnamurthy, Padabettu; Gupte, Mohan D

2016-10-01

Uniform therapy for all leprosy patients will simplify leprosy treatment. In this context, we evaluated six-month multidrug therapy (MDT) currently recommended for multibacillary (MB) patients as uniform MDT (U-MDT) in a single-arm open trial under programme conditions. Primary objective was to determine efficacy to prevent five-year cumulative five per cent relapse. Secondary objectives were to assess acceptability, safety and compliance. Newly detected, treatment-naive leprosy patients were enrolled in India (six sites) and P. R. China (two sites). Primary outcome was clinically confirmed relapse of occurrence of one or more new skin patches consistent with leprosy, without evidence of reactions post-treatment. Event rates per 100 person years as well as five-year cumulative risk of relapse, were calculated. A total of 2091 paucibacillary (PB) and 1298 MB leprosy patients were recruited from the 3437 patients screened. Among PB, two relapsed (rate=0.023; risk=0.11%), eight had suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (rate=0.79) and rate of new lesions due toreactions was 0.24 (n=23). Rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 0.39 (n=37), 0.54 (n=51) and 0.03 (n=3), respectively. Among MB, four relapsed (rate=0.07; risk=0.37%) and 16 had suspected ADR (rate=2.64). Rate of new lesions due to reactions among MB was 1.34 (n=76) and rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 1.37 (n=78), 2.01 (n=114) and 0.49 (n=28), respectively. Compliance to U-MDT was 99 per cent. Skin pigmentation due to clofazimine was of short duration and acceptable. We observed low relapse, minimal ADR and other adverse clinical events. Clofazimine-related pigmentation was acceptable. Evidence supports introduction of U-MDT in national leprosy programmes. [CTRI No: 2012/ 05/ 002696].

Reliability of Measurement of Glenohumeral Internal Rotation, External Rotation, and Total Arc of Motion in 3 Test Positions

PubMed Central

Kevern, Mark A.; Beecher, Michael; Rao, Smita

2014-01-01

Context: Athletes who participate in throwing and racket sports consistently demonstrate adaptive changes in glenohumeral-joint internal and external rotation in the dominant arm. Measurements of these motions have demonstrated excellent intrarater and poor interrater reliability. Objective: To determine intrarater reliability, interrater reliability, and standard error of measurement for shoulder internal rotation, external rotation, and total arc of motion using an inclinometer in 3 testing procedures in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball and softball athletes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Athletic department. Patients or Other Participants Thirty-eight players participated in the study. Shoulder internal rotation, external rotation, and total arc of motion were measured by 2 investigators in 3 test positions. The standard supine position was compared with a side-lying test position, as well as a supine test position without examiner overpressure. Results: Excellent intrarater reliability was noted for all 3 test positions and ranges of motion, with intraclass correlation coefficient values ranging from 0.93 to 0.99. Results for interrater reliability were less favorable. Reliability for internal rotation was highest in the side-lying position (0.68) and reliability for external rotation and total arc was highest in the supine-without-overpressure position (0.774 and 0.713, respectively). The supine-with-overpressure position yielded the lowest interrater reliability results in all positions. The side-lying position had the most consistent results, with very little variation among intraclass correlation coefficient values for the various test positions. Conclusions: The results of our study clearly indicate that the side-lying test procedure is of equal or greater value than the traditional supine-with-overpressure method. PMID:25188316

Types of Bullying in the Senior High Schools in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antiri, Kwasi Otopa

2016-01-01

The main objective of the study was to examine the types of bullying that were taking place in the senior high schools in Ghana. A multi-stage sampling procedure, comprising purposive, simple random and snowball sampling technique, was used in the selection of the sample. A total of 354 respondents were drawn six schools in Ashanti, Central and…

Characterization of Seasonal Influenza Virus Type and Subtypes Isolated from Influenza Like Illness Cases of 2012.

PubMed

Upadhyay, B P; Ghimire, P; Tashiro, M; Banjara, M R

Background Seasonal influenza is one of the increasing public health burdens in Nepal. Objective The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize the influenza virus type and subtypes of Nepal. Method A total of 1536 throat swab specimens were collected from January to December 2012. Total ribonucleic acid was extracted using Qiagen viral nucleic acid extraction kit and polymerase chain reaction assay was performed following the US; CDC Real-time PCR protocol. Ten percent of positive specimens were inoculated onto Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells. Isolates were characterized by using reference ferret antisera. Result Of the total specimens (n=1536), influenza virus type A was detected in 196 (22%) cases; of which 194 (99%) were influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and 2 (1 %) were influenza A/H3 subtype. Influenza B was detected in 684 (76.9%) cases. Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09, A/H3 and influenza B virus were antigenically similar to the recommended influenza virus vaccine candidate of the year 2012. Although sporadic cases of influenza were observed throughout the year, peak was observed during July to November. Conclusion Similar to other tropical countries, A (H1N1) pdm09, A/H3 and influenza B viruses were co-circulated in Nepal.

Judging hardness of an object from the sounds of tapping created by a white cane.

PubMed

Nunokawa, K; Seki, Y; Ino, S; Doi, K

2014-01-01

The white cane plays a vital role in the independent mobility support of the visually impaired. Allowing the recognition of target attributes through the contact of a white cane is an important function. We have conducted research to obtain fundamental knowledge concerning the exploration methods used to perceive the hardness of an object through contact with a white cane. This research has allowed us to examine methods that enhance accuracy in the perception of objects as well as the materials and structures of a white cane. Previous research suggest considering the roles of both auditory and tactile information from the white cane in determining objects' hardness is necessary. This experimental study examined the ability of people to perceive the hardness of an object solely through the tapping sounds of a white cane (i.e., auditory information) using a method of magnitude estimation. Two types of sounds were used to estimate hardness: 1) the playback of recorded tapping sounds and 2) the sounds produced on-site by tapping. Three types of handgrips were used to create different sounds of tapping on an object with a cane. The participants of this experiment were five sighted university students wearing eye masks and two totally blind students who walk independently with a white cane. The results showed that both sighted university students and totally blind participants were able to accurately judge the hardness of an object solely by using auditory information from a white cane. For the blind participants, different handgrips significantly influenced the accuracy of their estimation of an object's hardness.

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

PubMed

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

2017-02-16

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

External carotid artery stenosis after internal and common carotid stenting.

PubMed

Siracuse, Jeffrey J; Epelboym, Irene; Li, Boyangzi; Hoque, Rahima; Catz, Diana; Morrissey, Nicholas J

2015-04-01

The external carotid artery (ECA) can be an important collateral for cerebral perfusion in the presence of severe internal carotid artery (ICA) disease. ICA stenting that covers the ECA origin may put the ECA at increased risk of stenosis. Our objective was to determine the rate of ECA stenosis secondary to ICA stenting, determine predictive factors, and describe any subsequent associated symptoms. We retrospectively reviewed clinical data on all ICA stents crossing the origin of the ECA placed by vascular surgeons at our institution. We analyzed patient demographics, comorbidities, stent type and sizes, as well as medication profile to determine predictors of ECA stenosis. Between 2005 and 2013, there were 72 (out of 119 total ICA stenting) patients (mean age 71, 68% male) who underwent placement of ICA stents that also crossed the origin of the ECA. Six patients (8.3%) had a significantly increased ECA stenosis postprocedure. There were no occlusions. All patients with ECA stenosis maintained patency of their ICA stent and were asymptomatic. Age, gender, comorbidities, stent type and size, and medication profile were not associated with ECA stenosis after stenting. ECA stenosis after ICA stenting covering the ECA origin is uncommon and not clinically significant in patients with patent ICA stents. The clinical significance of concurrent ECA and ICA stenosis after stenting is unclear as it is not captured here. The potential for ECA stenosis should not deter stenting across the ECA origin if necessary. Patient and stent factors are not predictive of ECA stenosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Values and Objectives in Computing Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pears, Arnold; Malmi, Lauri

2009-01-01

What is Computing Education Research (CER), why are we doing this type of research, and what should the community achieve? As associate editors to this special edition we provide our perspectives and discuss how they have influenced the evolution of the Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research over the last nine years.…

Reverse total shoulder replacement for nonunion of a fracture of the proximal humerus.

PubMed

Zafra, M; Uceda, P; Flores, M; Carpintero, P

2014-09-01

Patients with pain and loss of shoulder function due to nonunion of a fracture of the proximal third of the humerus may benefit from reverse total shoulder replacement. This paper reports a prospective, multicentre study, involving three hospitals and three surgeons, of 35 patients (28 women, seven men) with a mean age of 69 years (46 to 83) who underwent a reverse total shoulder replacement for the treatment of nonunion of a fracture of the proximal humerus. Using Checchia's classification, nine nonunions were type I, eight as type II, 12 as type III and six as type IV. The mean follow-up was 51 months (24 to 99). Post-operatively, the patients had a significant decrease in pain (p < 0.001), and a significant improvement in flexion, abduction, external rotation and Constant score (p < 0.001), but not in internal rotation. A total of nine complications were recorded in seven patients: six dislocations, one glenoid loosening in a patient who had previously suffered dislocation, one transitory paresis of the axillary nerve and one infection. Reverse total shoulder replacement may lead to a significant reduction in pain, improvement in function and a high degree of satisfaction. However, the rate of complications, particularly dislocation, was high. ©2014 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes of femoral head fractures: excision vs. fixation of fragment in Pipkin type I: what is the optimal choice for femoral head fracture?

PubMed

Park, Kyung-Soon; Lee, Keun-Bae; Na, Bo-Ram; Yoon, Taek-Rim

2015-07-01

In this work, we present relatively long-term results of femoral head fractures with a specific focus on Pipkin type I fractures. Fifty-nine femoral head fractures were treated according to modified Pipkin's classification as follows: type I, small fragment distal to the fovea centralis (FC); type II, large fragment distal to the FC; type III, large fragment proximal to the FC; type IV, comminuted fracture. There were 15 cases of type I, 28 of type II, 9 of type III, and 7 of type IV fractures. Conservative treatment with skeletal traction was performed in 4 type II cases, excision of the fragment in 15 type I and 10 type II cases, fixation of the fragment in 14 type II and all 9 type III cases, and total hip replacement in all 7 type IV cases. The overall clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated using previously published criteria, focusing on the results in Pipkin type I fractures with relatively large fragments. Based on Epstein criteria, in type II fractures, excellent or good clinical results were seen in 6 of 10 patients (60.0 %) treated by excision of the fragment and 12 of 14 patients (85.7 %) treated by internal fixation (p = 0.05). Also, excellent or good radiologic results were seen in 4 of 10 (40.0 %) patients treated by excision of the fragment and 12 of 14 (85.7 %) patients treated by internal fixation (p = 0.03). Even in Pipkin type I fractures, if the fragment is large (modified Pipkin type II), early reduction and internal fixation can produce good results.

A qualitative study on the impact of internalized stigma on type 2 diabetes self-management.

PubMed

Kato, Asuka; Fujimaki, Yuko; Fujimori, Shin; Izumida, Yoshihiko; Suzuki, Ryo; Ueki, Kohjiro; Kadowaki, Takashi; Hashimoto, Hideki

2016-07-01

To explore how patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) psychologically and behaviorally respond to internalized stigma through social stigma. A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was recorded on audiotapes, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Participants were adults aged 30-64 years and diagnosed with T2DM. A total of 26 patients participated. The qualitative data revealed that participants' responses to social stigma, although varied, could be organized into a four-step process: Encountering Negative Experiences, Reevaluating the Self with Type 2 Diabetes, Reconstructing a Sense of Identity, and Maintaining Balance between Patient and Social Roles. When participants form a negative image of and relationship to their illness, they tend to internalize stigma, which can affect their sense of self-worth, attitude toward social participation, and compliance. Participants who internalize stigma tend to have a lower sense of self-worth and their social participation falls somewhere between severely limited (Social Avoidance) and highly active (Role Conflict). This can hinder devotion to their treatment regimen and affect their degree of compliance with physicians. Internalized stigma can be assessed by observing a patient's illness-related negative self-image. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 86 new variables in Andromed (Dimitrov+, 2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitrov, D.; Popov, V.

2016-05-01

One of the most extensive sky surveys in the recent years is the Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS, Wozniak et al., 2004AJ....127.2436W). Light curves of about 14000000 objects with instrumental magnitudes between 8 and 15.5 are included in the database of that survey, for the period April 1999 - March 2000, covering all of the Northern hemisphere and reaching DE=-38° in the South. To look for different types of variables, we rely only upon internal NSVS data. We select an area on the sky and check for variability in the NSVS database. Our test area covers 46 deg in Andromeda, its coordinates are: 23:00<=RA<=23:45 and 43:30<=DE<=29:30 (2000.0). The galactic latitude is in the -10° - -20° range. The total number of NSVS light curves in this area is and every star has between 1 and 4 light curves, the mean value being 1.875 light curves per star. (2 data files).

Coherent total internal reflection dark-field microscopy: label-free imaging beyond the diffraction limit.

PubMed

von Olshausen, Philipp; Rohrbach, Alexander

2013-10-15

Coherent imaging is barely applicable in life-science microscopy due to multiple interference artifacts. Here, we show how these interferences can be used to improve image resolution and contrast. We present a dark-field microscopy technique with evanescent illumination via total internal reflection that delivers high-contrast images of coherently scattering samples. By incoherent averaging of multiple coherent images illuminated from different directions we can resolve image structures that remain unresolved by conventional (incoherent) fluorescence microscopy. We provide images of 190 nm beads revealing resolution beyond the diffraction limit and slightly increased object distances. An analytical model is introduced that accounts for the observed effects and which is confirmed by numerical simulations. Our approach may be a route to fast, label-free, super-resolution imaging in live-cell microscopy.

Micro-XRF for characterization of Moroccan glazed ceramics and Portuguese tiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guilherme, A.; Manso, M.; Pessanha, S.; Zegzouti, A.; Elaatmani, M.; Bendaoud, R.; Coroado, J.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Carvalho, M. L.

2013-02-01

A set of enamelled terracotta samples (Zellij) collected from five different monuments in Morocco were object of study. With the aim of characterizing these typically Moroccan artistic objects, X-ray spectroscopic techniques were used as analytical tool to provide elemental and compound information. A lack of information about these types of artistic ceramics is found by the research through international scientific journals, so this investigation is an opportunity to fulfill this gap. For this purpose, micro-Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (μ-EDXRF), and wavelength dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were the chosen methods. As complementary information, a comparison with other sort of artistic pottery objects is given, more precisely with Portuguese glazed wall tiles (Azulejos), based in the Islamic pottery traditions. Differences between these two types of decorative pottery were found and presented in this manuscript.

Development and comparison of a rapid isothermal nucleic acid amplification test for typing of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 on a portable fluorescence detector.

PubMed

Tong, Yanhong; McCarthy, Kaitlin; Kong, Huimin; Lemieux, Bertrand

2012-11-01

We have developed a rapid and simple molecular test, the IsoGlow HSV Typing assay, for the detection and typing of herpes simplex virus (type 1 and 2) from genital or oral lesions. Clinical samples suspended in viral transport mediums are simply diluted and then added to a helicase-dependent amplification master mix. The amplification and detection were performed on a portable fluorescence detector called the FireFly instrument. Detection of amplification products is based on end-point analysis using cycling probe technology. An internal control nucleic acid was included in the amplification master mix to monitor the presence of amplification inhibitors in the samples. Because the device has only two fluorescence detection channels, two strategies were developed and compared to detect the internal control template: internal control detected by melting curve analysis using a dual-labeled probe, versus internal control detection using end-point fluorescence release by a CPT probe at a lower temperature. Both have a total turnaround time of about 1 hour. Clinical performance relative to herpes viral culture was evaluated using 176 clinical specimens. Both formats of the IsoGlow HSV typing assay had sensitivities comparable to that of the Food and Drug Administration-cleared IsoAmp HSV (BioHelix Corp., Beverly MA) test and specificity for the two types of HSV comparable to that of ELVIS HSV (Diagnostic Hybrids, Athens, OH). Copyright © 2012 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

International Cooperation of Payload Operations on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melton, Tina; Onken, Jay

2003-01-01

One of the primary goals of the International Space Station (ISS) is to provide an orbiting laboratory to be used to conduct scientific research and commercial products utilizing the unique environment of space. The ISS Program has united multiple nations into a coalition with the objective of developing and outfitting this orbiting laboratory and sharing in the utilization of the resources available. The primary objectives of the real- time integration of ISS payload operations are to ensure safe operations of payloads, to avoid mutual interference between payloads and onboard systems, to monitor the use of integrated station resources and to increase the total effectiveness of ISS. The ISS organizational architecture has provided for the distribution of operations planning and execution functions to the organizations with expertise to perform each function. Each IPP is responsible for the integration and operations of their payloads within their resource allocations and the safety requirements defined by the joint program. Another area of international cooperation is the sharing in the development and on- orbit utilization of unique payload facilities. An example of this cooperation is the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The hardware was developed by ESA and provided to NASA as part of a barter arrangement.

A Comparative Study of the efficacy by using different stent-grafts in bell-bottom technique for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm concomitant with iliac artery aneurysm.

PubMed

Wang, Lixin; Liang, Shuangchao; Xu, Xin; Chen, Bin; Jiang, Junhao; Shi, Zhenyu; Tang, Xiao; Zhou, Xiushi; Zhou, Min; Guo, Daqiao; Fu, Weiguo

2018-06-06

Bell-bottom technique (BBT) is one method to preserve the internal iliac artery during EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA) that extend to iliac artery. The data on the efficacy of this technique is still limited. We sought to evaluate the mid-term efficacy of BBT by using different stent-grafts in the treatment of AAA combined with iliac artery aneurysm (IAA). From January 2011 to December 2016, AAA patients with IAA using BBT to preserve the internal iliac artery were retrospectively analyzed in our institution. Patients were followed up at 3, 6 and then every 12 months after surgery. The outcomes among three types of stent-grafts (Zenith, Excluder and Endurant) were compared. BBT related endpoints including type Ib endoleak, IAA sac expansion, distal neck expansion and rupture during follow-up were compared. Other events including perioperative death, any other types of endoleak and corresponding management were also documented. A total of 125 patients with 141 IAAs were identified. Ninety-eight patients (78.4%) with 113 lesions (80.4%) received a median follow-up time of 38 months. The incidence of type Ib endoleak was 22.9%, 8.3%, 11.9% and 14.2% (P=0.19) in Zenith, Excluder, Endurant group and total patients respectively. The incidence of IAA sac enlargement was 17.1%, 5.6%, 7.1% and 9.7% (P=0.20). The incidence of IAA rupture was 8.6%, 0.0%, 0.0% and 2.7%(P=0.03). The incidence of IAA neck enlargement was 34.3%, 13.9%, 16.7% and 21.2%(P=0.07). Totally 14 cases (10.7%) received further treatment for BBT related issues. Although BBT remains a safe and effective treatment option to preserve internal iliac artery during standard EVAR with acceptable complication rates in Asians, different IAA rupture rates were found among three different stent-grafts. Our data first time revealed that the types of stent-grafts have influence on the final clinical outcome. Based on that, iliac extension should be selected appropriately while treating AAA-IAA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CLASH: Extending galaxy strong lensing to small physical scales with distant sources highly magnified by galaxy cluster members

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

Grillo, C.; Christensen, L.; Gobat, R.

2014-05-01

We present a complex strong lensing system in which a double source is imaged five times by two early-type galaxies. We take advantage in this target of the extraordinary multi-band photometric data set obtained as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) program, complemented by the spectroscopic measurements of the VLT/VIMOS and FORS2 follow-up campaign. We use a photometric redshift value of 3.7 for the source and confirm spectroscopically the membership of the two lenses to the galaxy cluster MACS J1206.2–0847 at redshift 0.44. We exploit the excellent angular resolution of the HST/ACS images to modelmore » the two lenses in terms of singular isothermal sphere profiles and derive robust effective velocity dispersion values of 97 ± 3 and 240 ± 6 km s{sup –1}. Interestingly, the total mass distribution of the cluster is also well characterized by using only the local information contained in this lensing system, which is located at a projected distance of more than 300 kpc from the cluster luminosity center. According to our best-fitting lensing and composite stellar population models, the source is magnified by a total factor of 50 and has a luminous mass of approximately (1.0 ± 0.5) × 10{sup 9} M {sub ☉} (assuming a Salpeter stellar initial mass function). By combining the total and luminous mass estimates of the two lenses, we measure luminous over total mass fractions projected within the effective radii of 0.51 ± 0.21 and 0.80 ± 0.32. Remarkably, with these lenses we can extend the analysis of the mass properties of lens early-type galaxies by factors that are approximately two and three times smaller than previously done with regard to, respectively, velocity dispersion and luminous mass. The comparison of the total and luminous quantities of our lenses with those of astrophysical objects with different physical scales, like massive early-type galaxies and dwarf spheroidals, reveals the potential of studies of this kind for improving our knowledge about the internal structure of galaxies. These studies, made possible thanks to the CLASH survey, will allow us to go beyond the current limits posed by the available lens samples in the field.« less

Comorbidity of Depression and Anxiety: Association with Poor Quality of Life in Type 1 and 2 Diabetic Patients

PubMed Central

de Ornelas Maia, Ana Claudia C.; Braga, Arthur de Azevedo; Paes, Flávia; Machado, Sergio; Carta, Mauro Giovanni; Nardi, Antonio Egidio; Silva, Adriana Cardoso

2013-01-01

Background: Diabetes is associates with depression and impairment in Quality of Life (QoL). Objective: The objective is to define the frequencies of depressive and anxiety symptoms in a sample of patients diagnosed with type 1 and 2 diabetes, the amount of impairment of QoL and the weight of depression and anxiety in determining the QoL in such of patients. Methods: A total of 210 patients were divided into two groups (type 1 and type 2). Patients completed the HADS and WHOQoL-bref. Results: Groups showed a high prevalence of anxiety (type 1 = 60%, type 2 = 43.8%) and depression (type 1 = 52.4%, type 2 = 38.1%), both measures were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in diabetes type 1 patients. Type 1 patients also showed a QoL in the overall assessment and the physical, psychological and social relations domains. In both Type 1 and 2 diabetes poor QoL was found associated by anxiety and depression comorbidity. Conclusion: In overall diabetes patients depression and anxiety seems to be a determinant of poor QoL. PMID:23935696

The development of optical microscopy techniques for the advancement of single-particle studies

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

Marchuk, Kyle

2013-05-15

Single particle orientation and rotational tracking (SPORT) has recently become a powerful optical microscopy tool that can expose many molecular motions. Unfortunately, there is not yet a single microscopy technique that can decipher all particle motions in all environmental conditions, thus there are limitations to current technologies. Within, the two powerful microscopy tools of total internal reflection and interferometry are advanced to determine the position, orientation, and optical properties of metallic nanoparticles in a variety of environments. Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that has been applied to microscopy to produce either fluorescent or scattered light. The non-invasive far-fieldmore » imaging technique is coupled with a near-field illumination scheme that allows for better axial resolution than confocal microscopy and epi-fluorescence microscopy. By controlling the incident illumination angle using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, a new type of imaging probe called “non-blinking” quantum dots (NBQDs) were super-localized in the axial direction to sub-10-nm precision. These particles were also used to study the rotational motion of microtubules being propelled by the motor protein kinesin across the substrate surface. The same instrument was modified to function under total internal reflection scattering (TIRS) microscopy to study metallic anisotropic nanoparticles and their dynamic interactions with synthetic lipid bilayers. Utilizing two illumination lasers with opposite polarization directions at wavelengths corresponding to the short and long axis surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the nanoparticles, both the in-plane and out-of-plane movements of many particles could be tracked simultaneously. When combined with Gaussian point spread function (PSF) fitting for particle super-localization, the binding status and rotational movement could be resolved without degeneracy. TIRS microscopy was also used to find the 3D orientation of stationary metallic anisotropic nanoparticles utilizing only long-axis SPR enhancement. The polarization direction of the illuminating light was rotated causing the relative intensity of p-polarized and s-polarized light within the evanescent field to change. The interaction of the evanescent field with the particles is dependent on the orientation of the particle producing an intensity curve. This curve and the in-plane angle can be compared with simulations to accurately determine the 3D orientation. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy is another non-invasive far-field technique based upon interferometry that does not rely on staining or other contrast enhancing techniques. In addition, high numerical aperture condensers and objectives can be used to give a very narrow depth of field allowing for the optical tomography of samples, which makes it an ideal candidate to study biological systems. DIC microscopy has also proven itself in determining the orientation of gold nanorods in both engineered environments and within cells. Many types of nanoparticles and nanostructures have been synthesized using lithographic techniques on silicon wafer substrates. Traditionally, reflective mode DIC microscopes have been developed and applied to the topographical study of reflective substrates and the imaging of chips on silicon wafers. Herein, a laser-illuminated reflected-mode DIC was developed for studying nanoparticles on reflective surfaces.« less

The development of optical microscopy techniques for the advancement of single-particle studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchuk, Kyle

Single particle orientation and rotational tracking (SPORT) has recently become a powerful optical microscopy tool that can expose many molecular motions. Unfortunately, there is not yet a single microscopy technique that can decipher all particle motions in all environmental conditions, thus there are limitations to current technologies. Within, the two powerful microscopy tools of total internal reflection and interferometry are advanced to determine the position, orientation, and optical properties of metallic nanoparticles in a variety of environments. Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that has been applied to microscopy to produce either fluorescent or scattered light. The non-invasive far-field imaging technique is coupled with a near-field illumination scheme that allows for better axial resolution than confocal microscopy and epi-fluorescence microscopy. By controlling the incident illumination angle using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, a new type of imaging probe called "non-blinking" quantum dots (NBQDs) were super-localized in the axial direction to sub-10-nm precision. These particles were also used to study the rotational motion of microtubules being propelled by the motor protein kinesin across the substrate surface. The same instrument was modified to function under total internal reflection scattering (TIRS) microscopy to study metallic anisotropic nanoparticles and their dynamic interactions with synthetic lipid bilayers. Utilizing two illumination lasers with opposite polarization directions at wavelengths corresponding to the short and long axis surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the nanoparticles, both the in-plane and out-of-plane movements of many particles could be tracked simultaneously. When combined with Gaussian point spread function (PSF) fitting for particle super-localization, the binding status and rotational movement could be resolved without degeneracy. TIRS microscopy was also used to find the 3D orientation of stationary metallic anisotropic nanoparticles utilizing only long-axis SPR enhancement. The polarization direction of the illuminating light was rotated causing the relative intensity of p-polarized and s-polarized light within the evanescent field to change. The interaction of the evanescent field with the particles is dependent on the orientation of the particle producing an intensity curve. This curve and the in-plane angle can be compared with simulations to accurately determine the 3D orientation. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy is another non-invasive far-field technique based upon interferometry that does not rely on staining or other contrast enhancing techniques. In addition, high numerical aperture condensers and objectives can be used to give a very narrow depth of field allowing for the optical tomography of samples, which makes it an ideal candidate to study biological systems. DIC microscopy has also proven itself in determining the orientation of gold nanorods in both engineered environments and within cells. Many types of nanoparticles and nanostructures have been synthesized using lithographic techniques on silicon wafer substrates. Traditionally, reflective mode DIC microscopes have been developed and applied to the topographical study of reflective substrates and the imaging of chips on silicon wafers. Herein, a laser-illuminated reflected-mode DIC was developed for studying nanoparticles on reflective surfaces.

Axial computed tomography evaluation of the internal nasal valve correlates with clinical valve narrowing and patient complaint.

PubMed

Moche, Jason A; Cohen, Justin C; Pearlman, Steven J

2013-07-01

The objective of this work was to explore the utility of axial computed tomography (CT) imaging to objectively define a narrow internal nasal valve, and compare those findings with clinical examination and patient complaint. Retrospective review from a single facial plastic surgery center. We reviewed 40 consecutive patients evaluated for either sinusitis or nasal airway obstruction for which a CT scan was obtained at a single radiology institution. Thirty-six complete office records were examined for the presence of clinical internal valve narrowing and complaints of nasal obstruction. In total, 72 internal nasal valves were analyzed using axial plane CT and measurements were compared to clinical findings and presence of airway obstruction. Measured valve areas for clinically normal internal nasal valves averaged 0.47 cm(2) vs 0.28 cm(2) for clinically narrow valves, a decrease of 40.4%. In unobstructed nasal airways the valve area averaged 0.51 cm(2) vs 0.38 cm(2) in obstructed airways, a difference of 25.5%. A radiographically measured valve area of <0.30 cm(2) suggests clinical narrowing with a sensitivity of 71.4%, specificity of 88.9%, positive predictive value of 62.5%, and negative predictive value of 92.3%. Using standard axial CT imaging we describe an objective method of radiographically evaluating the nasal valve, demonstrating strong correlation with physical examination and patient complaint. Additionally, radiographic valve areas can be used to screen for clinically narrow nasal valves with good sensitivity and specificity, providing a novel straightforward method for nasal valve assessment. © 2012 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Ipsilateral renal function preservation after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN): an objective analysis using mercapto-acetyltriglycine (MAG3) renal scan data and volumetric assessment.

PubMed

Zargar, Homayoun; Akca, Oktay; Autorino, Riccardo; Brandao, Luis Felipe; Laydner, Humberto; Krishnan, Jayram; Samarasekera, Dinesh; Stein, Robert J; Kaouk, Jihad H

2015-05-01

To objectively assess ipsilateral renal function (IRF) preservation and factors influencing it after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). Our database was queried to identify patients who had undergone RAPN from 2007 to 2013 and had complete pre- and postoperative mercapto-acetyltriglycine (MAG3) renal scan assessment. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for the operated kidney was calculated by multiplying the percentage of contribution from the renal scan by the total eGFR. IRF preservation was defined as a ratio of the postoperative eGFR for the operated kidney to the preoperative eGFR for the operated kidney. The percentage of total eGFR preservation was calculated in the same manner (postoperative eGFR/preoperative eGFR × 100). The amount of healthy rim of renal parenchyma removed was assessed by deducting the volume of tumour from the volume of the PN specimen assessed on pathology. Multivariable linear regression was used for analysis. In all, 99 patients were included in the analysis. The overall median (interquartile range) total eGFR preservation and IRF preservation for the operated kidney was 83.83 (75.2-94.1)% and 72 (60.3-81)%, respectively (P < 0.01). On multivariable analysis, volume of healthy rim of renal parenchyma removed, warm ischaemia time (WIT) > 30 min, body mass index (BMI) and operated kidney preoperative eGFR were predictive of IRF preservation. Using total eGFR tends to overestimate the degree of renal function preservation after RAPN. This is particularly relevant when studying factors affecting functional outcomes after nephron-sparing surgery. IRF may be a more precise assessment method in this setting. Operated kidney baseline renal function, BMI, WIT >30 min, and amount of resected healthy renal parenchyma represent the factors with a significant impact on the IRF preservation. RAPN provides significant preservation of renal function as shown by objective assessment criteria. © 2014 The Authors. BJU International © 2014 BJU International.

Certification of a reference material for determination of total cyanide in soil to support implementation of the International Standard ISO 11262:2011.

PubMed

Scharf, Holger; Bremser, Wolfram

2015-04-01

Cyanides are among the most important inorganic pollutants to be tested and monitored in environmental compartments. They can be distinguished and determined as free cyanide, weak acid dissociable cyanide or as total cyanide. However, in any case obtained, measurement results are operationally defined referring to the applied analytical method. In 2011, the International Standard ISO 11262 has been published which specifies a normative analytical method for the determination of total cyanide in soil. The objective of the project described in this paper was to provide the first soil reference material (CRM) certified for its mass fraction of total cyanide on the basis of this standard. A total of 12 German laboratories with proven experience in the determination of cyanides in environmental samples participated in the certification study. Measurement results were evaluated in full compliance with the requirements of ISO Guide 35. Taking into account the results of the inter-laboratory comparison as well as the outcome of the homogeneity and stability studies, a certified mass fraction of total cyanide of 21.1 mg/kg and an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 1.3 mg/kg were assigned to the material. The reference material has been issued as CRM BAM-U114.

Self-report vs. objectively assessed physical activity: which is right for public health?

PubMed

Loney, Tom; Standage, Martyn; Thompson, Dylan; Sebire, Simon J; Cumming, Sean

2011-01-01

To examine the agreement between self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity (PA) according to current public health recommendations. One-hundred and fourteen British University students wore a combined accelerometer and heart rate monitor (Actiheart; AHR) to estimate 24-hour energy expenditure over 7 consecutive days. Data were extracted based on population-based MET-levels recommended to improve and maintain health. On day 8, participants were randomly assigned to complete either the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) or the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ). Estimates of duration (IPAQ; N = 46) and frequency (LTEQ; N = 41) of PA were compared with those recorded by the AHR. Bland-Altman analysis showed the mean bias between the IPAQ and AHR to be small for moderate-intensity and total PA, however the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were wide. The mean number of moderate bouts of PA estimated by the LTEQ was similar to those derived by the AHR but the 95% LOA between the 2 measures were large. Although self-report questionnaires may provide an approximation of PA at a population level, they may not determine whether an individual is participating in the type, intensity, and amount of PA advocated in current public health recommendations. ©2011 Human Kinetics, Inc.

Apparatus for time-resolved and energy-resolved measurement of internal conversion electron emission induced by nuclear resonant excitation with synchrotron radiation

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

Kawauchi, Taizo; Matsumoto, Masuaki; Fukutani, Katsuyuki

2007-01-15

A high-energy and large-object-spot type cylindrical mirror analyzer (CMA) was constructed with the aid of electron trajectory simulations. By adopting a particular shape for the outer cylinder, an energy resolution of 7% was achieved without guide rings as used in conventional CMAs. Combined with an avalanche photodiode as an electron detector, the K-shell internal conversion electrons were successfully measured under irradiation of synchrotron radiation at 14.4 keV in an energy-resolved and time-resolved manner.

KSC-07pd3322

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians install the second Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard Endeavour for mission STS-123. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Datamining in der OGLE-Datenbank - erste Versuche, erste Erfolge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huemmerich, Stefan

2012-01-01

Three eclipsing binaries are presented, which were identified by investigation on OGLE-II I-band photmetry: OGLE-II CAR_SC3_64191 / 2MASS J11093656-6051588 (Type: EA,P=3.170361d); OGLE-II BUL_SC10_268243 (Type: EB, P=0.606285d); OGLE-II BUL_SC34_94176 / 2MASS J17575092-2911317 (Type: E/GS, P=16.427655d). Amplitude and period were derived by use of Period04. All objects were checked against the Strasbourg CDS Vizir service and the International Variable Star Index for pre-existence in variability catalogues.

Aircraft and Ground Vehicle Winter Runway Friction Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yager, Thomas J.

1999-01-01

Some background information is given together with the scope and objectives of a 5-year, Joint Winter Runway Friction Measurement Program between the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), Transport Canada (TC), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The primary objective of this effort is to perform instrumented aircraft and ground vehicle tests aimed at identifying a common number that all the different ground vehicle devices would report. This number, denoted the International Runway Friction Index (IRFI), will be related to all types of aircraft stopping performance. The range of test equipment, the test sites, test results and accomplishments, the extent of the substantial friction database compiled, and future test plans will be described. Several related studies have also been implemented including the effects of contaminant type on aircraft impingement drag, and the effectiveness of various runway and aircraft de-icing chemical types, and application rates.

[Validation of the German version of Eating Assessment Tool for head and neck cancer patients].

PubMed

Zaretsky, Eugen; Steinbach-Hundt, Silke; Pluschinski, Petra; Grethel, Isabel

2018-04-10

The assessment of subjective swallowing complaints constitutes an important element in a multidimensional, modern management of head and neck cancer patients suffering from dysphagia. For this purpose, an internationally recognized and validated 10-item questionnaire EAT-10 is used that was developed and validated by Belafski et al. in 2008. The purpose of the present study is the translation of EAT-10 into the German language and its validation for head and neck cancer patients. After the translation of EAT-10 into German according to the guidelines for the translation of foreign measuring instruments, a validation of gEAT-10 was carried out on the basis of the sample of 210 head and neck cancer patients. The reliability was determined by means of the internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) and item-total correlations (Spearman). The construct validity was verified by the uni- and multivariate analyses of the distribution of gEAT-10 total scores depending on gender, age, BMI, tumor stage and localization as well as type of the oncological therapy. The internal consistency amounted to α = .94, the item-total correlations varied between ρ = .59 and ρ = .85. No significant associations between gEAT-10 total scores and gender as well as age were identified in univariate calculations. Such associations were found for BMI, tumor stage and localization as well as type of the oncological therapy. However, only the tumor stage yielded a significant result in a regression. The gEAT-10 was shown to be a reliable and construct valid questionnaire for the assessment of subjective swallowing complaints in patients with head and neck cancer. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

P-type surface effects for thickness variation of 2um and 4um of n-type layer in GaN LED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, N. S. A. Abdul; Wahid, M. H. A.; Hambali, N. A. M. Ahmad; Rashid, S.; Ramli, M. M.; Shahimin, M. M.

2017-09-01

The internal quantum efficiency of III-Nitrides group, GaN light-emitting diode (LED) has been considerably limited due to the insufficient hole injection and this is caused by the lack of performance p-type doping and low hole mobility. The low hole mobility makes the hole less energetic, thus reduced the performance operation of GaN LED itself. The internal quantum efficiency of GaN-based LED with surface roughness (texture) can be changed by texture size, density, and thickness of GaN film or by the combined effects of surface shape and thickness of GaN film. Besides, due to lack of p-type GaN, attempts to look forward the potential of GaN LED relied on the thickness of n-type layer and surface shape of p-type GaN layer. This work investigates the characteristics of GaN LED with undoped n-GaN layer of different thickness and the surface shape of p-type layer. The LEDs performance is significantly altered by modifying the thickness and shape. Enhancement of n-GaN layer has led to the annihilation of electrical conductivity of the chip. Different surface geometry governs the emission rate extensively. Internal quantum efficiency is also predominantly affected by the geometry of n-GaN layer which subjected to the current spreading. It is recorded that the IQE droop can be minimized by varying the thickness of the active layer without amplifying the forward voltage. Optimum forward voltage (I-V), total emission rate relationship with the injected current and internal quantum efficiency (IQE) for 2,4 µm on four different surfaces of p-type layer are also reported in this paper.

Spa typing and identification of pvl genes of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a Libyan hospital in Tripoli.

PubMed

Ahmed, Mohamed O; Baptiste, Keith E; Daw, Mohamed A; Elramalli, Asma K; Abouzeed, Yousef M; Petersen, Andreas

2017-09-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the molecular characteristics of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from clinical sources in Tripoli, Libya. A total of 95 MRSA strains collected at the Tripoli medical Centre were investigated by spa typing and identification of the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (pvl) genes. A total of 26 spa types were characterized and distributed among nine clonal complexes; CC5 (n=32), CC80 (n=18), CC8 (n=17) and CC22 (n=12) were the most prevalent clonal complexes. In total, 34% of the isolates were positive for PVL. This study demonstrated the presence of CA-MRSA and pvl positive strains in hospital settings and underlines the importance of using molecular typing to investigate the epidemiology of MRSA. Preventative measures and surveillance systems are needed to control and minimize the spread of MRSA in the Libyan health care system. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' Mental Health Outcomes According to Different Types of Exposure to Ongoing Terror Attacks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun-Lewensohn, Orna; Celestin-Westreich, Smadar; Celestin, Leon-Patrice; Verte, Dominique; Ponjaert-Kristoffersen, Ingrid

2009-01-01

This study investigates the impact of several types of exposure to terror attacks on adolescents' psychological outcomes in the context of ongoing terror. A total of 913 adolescents (51 girls) aged 12 to 18 years (12-13.6 = 33%; 13.7-15.6 = 38%; 15.7-18 = 28%) took part in the study. Detailed data were collected concerning objective, subjective…

77 FR 54571 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Office of Postsecondary Education; Assessing Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-05

... Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs Phone Interviews SUMMARY: The U.S. Department... Language Programs Phone Interviews. OMB Control Number: Pending. Type of Review: New. Total Estimated... collected through phone interviews will be used to document the implementation of individual projects as...

45 CFR 2516.820 - What types of internal evaluation activities are required of programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... required to: (a) Continuously assess management effectiveness, the quality of services provided, and the... evaluation methods, such as community advisory councils, participant advisory councils, peer reviews, quality... following data: (1) The total number of participants in each program and basic demographic characteristics...

Identifying Loci for the Overlap between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Genome-Wide QTL Linkage Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nijmeijer, Judith S.; Arias-Vasquez, Alejandro; Rommelse, Nanda N. J.; Altink, Marieke E.; Anney, Richard J. L.; Asherson, Philip; Banaschewski, Tobias; Buschgens, Cathelijne J. M.; Fliers, Ellen A.; Gill, Michael; Minderaa, Ruud B.; Poustka, Luise; Sergeant, Joseph A.; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Franke, Barbara; Ebstein, Richard P.; Miranda, Ana; Mulas, Fernando; Oades, Robert D.; Roeyers, Herbert; Rothenberger, Aribert; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J. S.; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph; Faraone, Stephen V.; Hartman, Catharina A.; Hoekstra, Pieter J.

2010-01-01

Objective: The genetic basis for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was addressed using a genome-wide linkage approach. Method: Participants of the International Multi-Center ADHD Genetics study comprising 1,143 probands with ADHD and 1,453 siblings were analyzed. The total and…

Metric Properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy): An Environmental Assessment Tool for Measuring Indicators of Violence, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Exposures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furr-Holden, C. D. M.; Campbell, K. D. M.; Milam, A. J.; Smart, M. J.; Ialongo, N. A.; Leaf, P. J.

2010-01-01

Objectives: Establish metric properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy). Method: A total of 919 residential block faces were assessed by paired raters using the NIfETy. Reliability was evaluated via interrater and internal consistency reliability; validity by comparing NIfETy data with youth self-reported…

The Relationship between Experiences of Discrimination and Mental Health among Lesbians and Gay Men: An Examination of Internalized Homonegativity and Rejection Sensitivity as Potential Mechanisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feinstein, Brian A.; Goldfried, Marvin R.; Davila, Joanne

2012-01-01

Objective: The current study used path analysis to examine potential mechanisms through which experiences of discrimination influence depressive and social anxiety symptoms. Method: The sample included 218 lesbians and 249 gay men (total N = 467) who participated in an online survey about minority stress and mental health. The proposed model…

Neuropsychomotor developmental delay: conceptual map, term definitions, uses and limitations

PubMed Central

Dornelas, Lílian de Fátima; Duarte, Neuza Maria de Castro; Magalhães, Lívia de Castro

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To retrieve the origin of the term neuropsychomotor developmental delay" (NPMD), its conceptual evolution over time, and to build a conceptual map based on literature review. DATA SOURCE: A literature search was performed in the SciELO Brazil, Web of Science, Science Direct, OneFile (GALE), Pubmed (Medline), Whiley Online, and Springer databases, from January of 1940 to January of 2013, using the following keywords: NPMD delay, NPMD retardation, developmental delay, and global developmental delay. A total of 71 articles were selected, which were used to build the conceptual map of the term. DATA SYNTHESIS: Of the 71 references, 55 were international and 16 national. The terms developmental delay and global developmental delay were the most frequently used in the international literature and, in Brazil, delayed NPMD was the most often used. The term developmental delay emerged in the mid 1940s, gaining momentum in the 1990s. In Brazil, the term delayed NPMD started to be used in the 1980s, and has been frequently cited and published in the literature. Delayed development was a characteristic of 13 morbidities described in 23 references. Regarding the type of use, 19 references were found, with seven forms of use. Among the references, 34 had definitions of the term, and 16 different concepts were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Developmental delay is addressed in the international and national literature under different names, various applications, and heterogeneous concepts. Internationally, ways to improve communication between professionals have been indicated, with standardized definition of the term and use in very specific situations up to the fifth year of life, which was not found in Brazilian publications. PMID:25662016

Carbon fiber internal pressure vessels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, R. A.

1973-01-01

Internal pressure vessels were designed; the filament was wound of carbon fibers and epoxy resin and tested to burst. The fibers used were Thornel 400, Thornel 75, and Hercules HTS. Additional vessels with type A fiber were made. Polymeric linears were used, and all burst testing was done at room temperature. The objective was to produce vessels with the highest attainable PbV/W efficiencies. The type A vessels showed the highest average efficiency: 2.56 x 10 to the 6th power cm. Next highest efficiency was with Thornel 400 vessels: 2.21 x 10 to the 6th power cm. These values compare favorably with efficiency values from good quality S-glass vessels, but strains averaged 0.97% or less, which is less than 1/3 the strain of S-glass vessels.

The Measurement of Protein in Powdered Milk Products and Infant Formulas: A Review and Recent Developments.

PubMed

Elgar, Dave; Evers, Jaap M; Holroyd, Stephen E; Johnson, Richard; Rowan, Angela

2016-01-01

Proteins are a key nutritional component of both powdered milk and infant formula types of product, and reliable methods for their determination are important for manufacturing and international trade. In this review, we distinguish between methods used for determining protein quality for nutrition purposes and those used for determining chemically defined protein. The former methods cover the ability of a dietary protein source to meet human nutritional requirements for the indispensable amino acids. The latter are chemical methods for the determination of total protein and can be divided into three broad types: total nitrogen determination, direct protein determination, and indirect protein determination. Current techniques and recent developments in each are reviewed.

Variation in the total lengths of abutment/implant assemblies generated with a function of applied tightening torque in external and internal implant-abutment connection.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Seong; Lim, Young-Jun; Kim, Myung-Joo; Kwon, Ho-Beom; Yang, Jae-Ho; Lee, Jai-Bong; Yim, Soon-Ho

2011-08-01

Settling (embedment relaxation), which is the main cause for screw loosening, is developed by microroughness between implant and abutment metal surface. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the relationship between the level of applied torque and the settling of abutments into implants in external and internal implant-abutment connection. Five different implant-abutment connections were used (Ext, External butt joint + two-piece abutment; Int-H2, Internal hexagon + two-piece abutment; Int-H1, Internal hexagon + one-piece abutment; Int-O2, Internal octagon + two-piece abutment; Int-O1, Internal octagon + one-piece abutment). All abutments of each group were assembled and tightened with corresponding implants by a digital torque gauge. The total lengths of implant-abutment samples were measured at each torque (5, 10, 30 N cm and repeated 30 N cm with 10-min interval) by an electronic digital micrometer. The settling values were calculated by changes between the total lengths of implant-abutment samples. All groups developed settling with repeated tightening. The Int-H2 group showed markedly higher settling for all instances of tightening torque and the Ext group was the lowest. Statistically significant differences were found in settling values between the groups and statistically significant increases were observed within each group at different tightening torques (P<0.05). After the second tightening of 30 N cm, repeated tightening showed almost constant settling values. Results from the present study suggested that to minimize the settling effect, abutment screws should be retightened at least twice at 30 N cm torque at a 10-min interval in all laboratory and clinical procedures. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Reuse of disposable laparoscopic instruments: cost analysis*

PubMed Central

DesCôteaux, Jean-Gaston; Tye, Lucille; Poulin, Eric C.

1996-01-01

Objective To evaluate the cost benefits of reusing disposable laparoscopic instruments. Design A cost-analysis study based on a review of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures performed between August 1990 and January 1994, including analysis of disposable instrument use, purchase records, and reprocessing costs for each instrument. Setting The general surgery department of a 461-bed teaching hospital where disposable laparoscopic instruments are routinely reused according to internally validated reprocessing protocols. Methods Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic interventions performed between August 1990 and January 1994 for which the number and types of disposable laparoscopic instruments were standardized. Main Outcome Measures Reprocessing cost per instrument, the savings realized by reusing disposable laparoscopic instruments and the cost-efficient number of reuses per instrument. Results The cost of reprocessing instruments varied from $2.64 (Can) to $4.66 for each disposable laparoscopic instrument. Purchases of 10 commonly reused disposable laparoscopic instruments totalled $183 279, and the total reprocessing cost was estimated at $35 665 for the study period. Not reusing disposable instruments would have cost $527 575 in instrument purchases for the same period. Disposable laparoscopic instruments were reused 1.7 to 68 times each. Conclusions Under carefully monitored conditions and strict guidelines, reuse of disposable laparoscopic and thoracoscopic instruments can be cost-effective. PMID:8769924

Development of a scale to measure consumer perception of the risks involved in consuming raw vegetable salad in full-service restaurants.

PubMed

Danelon, Mariana Schievano; Salay, Elisabete

2012-12-01

The importance of the number of meals taken away-from-home represents an opportunity to promote consumption of vegetables in this context. However, the perception of risk may interfere with the food consumption behavior. The objective of this research was to develop a scale to measure consumer perception of the risks involved in consuming raw vegetable salad in full-service restaurants. The following research steps were carried out: item elaboration; content validity; scale purification (item-total correlation, internal consistency and exploratory factor analysis); and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis). Non-probabilistic samples of consumers were interviewed (a total of 672 individuals) in the city of Campinas, Brazil. Several analyses were carried out using the Predictive Analytics Software 18.0 and LISREL 8.80. The final scale contained 26 items with an adequate content validity index (0.97) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.93). The confirmatory factor analysis validates a six risk type factor model: physical, psychological, social, time, financial and performance (chi-square/degrees of freedom=2.29, root mean square error of approximation - RMSEA=0.060 and comparative fit index - CFI=0.98). The scale developed presented satisfactory reliability and validity results and could therefore be employed in further studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Costa Rica publications in the Science Citation Index Expanded: a bibliometric analysis for 1981-2010.

PubMed

Monge-Nájera, Julián; Ho, Yuh-Shan

2012-12-01

Despite of its small size, the Central American country of Costa Rica is internationally recognized as one of the world leaders in conservation and as the Central American leader in science. There have been no recent studies on the country's scientific production. The objective of this study was to analyze the Costa Rican scientific output as represented in the Science Citation Index Expanded. All documents with "Costa Rica" in the address field from 1981 to 2010 were included (total 6 801 publications). Articles (79%) were more frequent than other types of publication and were mostly in English (83%). Revista de Biología Tropical published the most articles (17%), followed by Toxicon and Turrialba (2.5%). The New England Journal of Medicine had the highest impact factor (53.484) with nine articles. Of 5 343 articles with known institutional address, 63%were internationally collaborative articles (most with the USA) with h index 91 and citation per publication 18. A total of 81% of all articles were inter-institutionally collaborative articles, led by the Universidad de Costa Rica. This reflects research and education agreements among these countries. Universidad de Costa Rica ranked top one in inter-institutionally collaborative articles, the rank of the total inter-institutionally collaborative articles, and the rank of first author articles and corresponding author articles. Studied subjects and journals in our sample are in agreement with dominant science fields and journals in Costa Rica. Articles with the highest citation were published in New England Journal of Medicine. The largest citation of medical articles reflects the general interest and wider readership of this subject. All corresponding and first authors of the high impact articles were not from Costa Rica. In conclusion, the scientific output of Costa Rican authors is strong in the areas related to conservation but the impact is higher for biomedical articles, and Costa Rican authors need to improve their position within research teams.

Probabilistic estimates of number of undiscovered deposits and their total tonnages in permissive tracts using deposit densities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singer, Donald A.; Kouda, Ryoichi

2011-01-01

Empirical evidence indicates that processes affecting number and quantity of resources in geologic settings are very general across deposit types. Sizes of permissive tracts that geologically could contain the deposits are excellent predictors of numbers of deposits. In addition, total ore tonnage of mineral deposits of a particular type in a tract is proportional to the type’s median tonnage in a tract. Regressions using size of permissive tracts and median tonnage allow estimation of number of deposits and of total tonnage of mineralization. These powerful estimators, based on 10 different deposit types from 109 permissive worldwide control tracts, generalize across deposit types. Estimates of number of deposits and of total tonnage of mineral deposits are made by regressing permissive area, and mean (in logs) tons in deposits of the type, against number of deposits and total tonnage of deposits in the tract for the 50th percentile estimates. The regression equations (R2 = 0.91 and 0.95) can be used for all deposit types just by inserting logarithmic values of permissive area in square kilometers, and mean tons in deposits in millions of metric tons. The regression equations provide estimates at the 50th percentile, and other equations are provided for 90% confidence limits for lower estimates and 10% confidence limits for upper estimates of number of deposits and total tonnage. Equations for these percentile estimates along with expected value estimates are presented here along with comparisons with independent expert estimates. Also provided are the equations for correcting for the known well-explored deposits in a tract. These deposit-density models require internally consistent grade and tonnage models and delineations for arriving at unbiased estimates.

Fodder Resource Uses and Assessment of Nitrogen Flows on Livestock Farming with Crop Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirahase, Kyoko; Kobayashi, Hisashi

With understanding the livestock farming on cattle breeding practiced increasing of self-production of fodders by the farmland's operation as “Livestock Farming with crop production”, we investigated the utilizations of actual fodder resources and farmland for two selected different types of livestock farming systems: “Multiple Type” which practices cattle raising with fodder cultivation, and “Grazing Type” which practices grazing and fodder cultivation with similar feed self-sufficiency rates. We also prepared and compared material and nitrogen flow of both livestock farming systems. The amount of nitrogen flow is clearly different between the two types though feed self-sufficiency rates are at similar level. Moreover, we defined “Internal Nitrogen Rate (INR)” which indicates the rate of internal nitrogen use to total nitrogen use in cattle raising, “Internal Nitrogen Circulation Rate (NCR)” which indicates the ratio of nitrogen amount in internal circulation to the nitrogen amount introduced from outside, and Nitrogen Outflow Potential (Op), which is the balance of nitrogen amount between input to farmlands and uptake by plants, and analyzed the balance of the amounts of nitrogen flows in both livestock farming type. It is suggested that “Grazing type”, which had the values of relatively high NCR and absolutely low Op, was the livestock farming type with high rates of nitrogen procurement from the interregional farming and low risk of nitrogen outflow.

Validation of Yoruba Version of Family Burden Interview Schedule (Y-FBIS) on Caregivers of Schizophrenia Patients

PubMed Central

Lasebikan, Victor Olufolahan

2012-01-01

Objective. To validate the Yoruba version of Family Burden Interview Schedule (Y-FBIS) for assessing the burden on caregivers of persons with schizophrenia. Methods. Three hundred and sixty-eight dyads of persons with schizophrenia and their caregivers were recruited from a psychiatric outpatient clinic. The (Y-FBIS) and the Yoruba version of the GHQ-12 (Y-GHQ-12) were applied to the caregivers. Patients' level of social functioning was assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning scale. Results. All (368) caregivers were used for tests of internal consistency, 180 for interrater reliability, and another 180 for test-retest reliability. Internal consistency of the Y-FBIS was demonstrated by a significant Cronbach α of between 0.62 and 0.82 for each item. Concurrent validity of the Y-FBIS was illustrated by its significant positive correlation with Y-GHQ-12 (r = 0.633 , P < 0.01). Split-half reliability was 0.849. Intraclass correlation coefficient for the total score of Y-FBIS was 0.849 at 95% confidence interval. Test-retest reliability of individual scales ranged from 0.780 to 0.874 and was 0.830 for total objective scale score. Convergent validity was shown by the significant positive correlation (r = 0.83) between the objective burden score and subjective burden score of Y-FBIS. ROC curve area was 0.981. Conclusion. The Y-FBIS is a valid, reliable, and sensitive instrument for assessing the burden on caregivers of persons with schizophrenia in Nigeria. PMID:23738196

Representation Elements of Spatial Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiantika, F. R.

2017-04-01

This paper aims to add a reference in revealing spatial thinking. There several definitions of spatial thinking but it is not easy to defining it. We can start to discuss the concept, its basic a forming representation. Initially, the five sense catch the natural phenomenon and forward it to memory for processing. Abstraction plays a role in processing information into a concept. There are two types of representation, namely internal representation and external representation. The internal representation is also known as mental representation; this representation is in the human mind. The external representation may include images, auditory and kinesthetic which can be used to describe, explain and communicate the structure, operation, the function of the object as well as relationships. There are two main elements, representations properties and object relationships. These elements play a role in forming a representation.

Relation between the Z-1 type expansion of the total energy of isoelectronic atoms and the many-electron theory on the electron correlation by Sinanoǧlu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anno, Tosinobu; Teruya, Hirohide

1987-07-01

By applying the economical formula for the total energies of isoelectronic atoms presented by the present authors [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 6895 (1986)] to both the nonrelativistic exact energy and the Hartree-Fock energy, an expression of the Z-1 expansion type for the correlation energy is obtained for isoelectronic series involving the first-row atoms. Based upon the expression obtained, the following conclusions are derived on the relation between the Z-1 type expansion theory and Sinanoǧlu's many-electron theory (MET): (i) the Z2 term has nothing to do with the electron correlation; (ii) the term proportional to Z represents the internal correlation energy Eint in MET, at least when Z is large in comparison with the number of electrons N; (iii) the constant term in the Z-1 type expansion is the limiting value of the sum of the semi-internal and the all-external correlation energy (EF+Eu) when Z→∞ and its values for the ground-state atoms show a systematic trend when plotted against N; (iv) the sum of the Z-1 and the higher order terms in Z-1 represents the Z dependence of EF+Eu, although its small amount is attributable to a part of Eint when Z-N≲1.

Infection after transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy: increased relative risks after recent international travel or antibiotic use.

PubMed

Patel, Uday; Dasgupta, Prokar; Amoroso, Peter; Challacombe, Ben; Pilcher, James; Kirby, Roger

2012-06-01

Study Type - Prognosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Septicaemia is the most frequent cause of hospitalization after transtrectal prostate biopsy; fatalities have been reported and the incidence is on the rise. This study shows that men with a history of recent international travel or antibiotic use have up to four times increased risk of septicaemia and hospitalization. When they do occur, infections are usually due to multi-resistant E coli and additional care, e.g. delay before biopsy, different antibiotic prophylaxis or transperineal biopsy, should be considered in these cases. OBJECTIVE • To study the infection rate after prostate biopsy in those who have travelled overseas or used antibiotics in the 4 weeks before biopsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS • A total of 316 men with a mean (range) age of 61 (45-85) years were studied. All had undergone transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy after standard antibiotic prophylaxis. • Before their biopsy the patients were risk stratified and a history of recent international travel or antibiotic use was recorded. • Those who suffered sufficiently severe infection/sepsis so as to require hospitalization were identified at the end of the study period. • The characteristics of these patients and the types of infections were explored and the relative risk (RR) of infection after recent travel or antibiotic use was calculated. RESULTS • Of the 316 men, 16 were hospitalized with infection. • The group with (n= 16) and without (n= 300) infection were equivalent in age, prostate-specific antigen level, disease status and number of biopsy cores taken. • Either recent travel or antibiotic use were independent risk factors for infection [travel: 8/16 vs 76/300; P= 0.04; RR 2.7 and antibiotic use: 4/16 vs 20/300; P= 0.025; RR 4]. There was no significant pattern in the countries visited or the type of antibiotic used. • Culture results were positive in 10/16 men, and all cultures grew multiresistant Escherichia coli. The strains were uniformly resistant to ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin, and variably resistant to gentamicin and co-amoxiclav, but nearly all were sensitive to meropenem. • All patients made a full recovery after antibiotic and supportive treatment. CONCLUSIONS • Either recent international travel or antibiotic use are independent risk factors for severe infection after TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. • When infection does occur it should be treated aggressively as the causative agent is usually a multiresistant E. coli. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

King's Parkinson's disease pain scale, the first scale for pain in PD: An international validation.

PubMed

Chaudhuri, K Ray; Rizos, A; Trenkwalder, C; Rascol, O; Pal, S; Martino, D; Carroll, C; Paviour, D; Falup-Pecurariu, C; Kessel, B; Silverdale, M; Todorova, A; Sauerbier, A; Odin, P; Antonini, A; Martinez-Martin, P

2015-10-01

Pain is a key unmet need and a major aspect of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). No specific validated scales exist to identify and grade the various types of pain in PD. We report an international, cross-sectional, open, multicenter, one-point-in-time evaluation with retest study of the first PD-specific pain scale, the King's PD Pain Scale. Its seven domains include 14 items, each item scored by severity (0-3) multiplied by frequency (0-4), resulting in a subscore of 0 to 12, with a total possible score range from 0 to 168. One hundred seventy-eight PD patients with otherwise unexplained pain (age [mean ± SD], 64.38 ± 11.38 y [range, 29-85]; 62.92% male; duration of disease, 5.40 ± 4.93 y) and 83 nonspousal non-PD controls, matched by age (64.25 ± 11.10 y) and sex (61.45% males) were studied. No missing data were noted, and floor effect was observed in all domains. The difference between mean and median King's PD Pain Scale total score was less than 10% of the maximum observed value. Skewness was marginally high (1.48 for patients). Factor analysis showed four factors in the King's PD Pain Scale, explaining 57% of the variance (Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin, 0.73; sphericity test). Cronbach's alpha was 0.78, item-total correlation mean value 0.40, and item homogeneity 0.22. Correlation coefficients of the King's PD Pain Scale domains and total score with other pain measures were high. Correlation with the Scale for Outcomes in PD-Motor, Non-Motor Symptoms Scale total score, and quality of life measures was high. The King's PD Pain Scale seems to be a reliable and valid scale for grade rating of various types of pain in PD. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Using Rate of Divergence as an Objective Measure to Differentiate between Voice Signal Types Based on the Amount of Disorder in the Signal.

PubMed

Calawerts, William M; Lin, Liyu; Sprott, J C; Jiang, Jack J

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the rate of divergence as an objective measure to differentiate between the four voice types based on the amount of disorder present in a signal. We hypothesized that rate of divergence would provide an objective measure that can quantify all four voice types. A total of 150 acoustic voice recordings were randomly selected and analyzed using traditional perturbation, nonlinear, and rate of divergence analysis methods. We developed a new parameter, rate of divergence, which uses a modified version of Wolf's algorithm for calculating Lyapunov exponents of a system. The outcome of this calculation is not a Lyapunov exponent, but rather a description of the divergence of two nearby data points for the next three points in the time series, followed in three time-delayed embedding dimensions. This measure was compared to currently existing perturbation and nonlinear dynamic methods of distinguishing between voice signals. There was a direct relationship between voice type and rate of divergence. This calculation is especially effective at differentiating between type 3 and type 4 voices (P < 0.001) and is equally effective at differentiating type 1, type 2, and type 3 signals as currently existing methods. The rate of divergence calculation introduced is an objective measure that can be used to distinguish between all four voice types based on the amount of disorder present, leading to quicker and more accurate voice typing as well as an improved understanding of the nonlinear dynamics involved in phonation. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A pilot study evaluating a new questionnaire for prostatic symptom scoring, the SPSS, and its sensitivity as constructed to objective measures of outflow obstruction.

PubMed

Yano, Masataka; Kitahara, Satoshi; Yasuda, Kosaku; Yamanishi, Tomonori; Nakai, Hideo; Yanagisawa, Ryouzo; Morozumi, Makoto; Homma, Yukio

2004-05-01

To evaluate the extent to which our newly developed questionnaire, the Saitama Prostate Symptom Score (SPSS), for prostatic symptom scoring reflects objective findings in benign prostatic hyperplasia (clinical BPH) and to compare it with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) with regard to diagnostic sensitivity in clinical BPH. In this study, both the SPSS and the IPSS were self-administered by patients. Free uroflowmetry, a pressure-flow study and the measurement of prostatic volume were carried out. There was no significant correlation between the results of the IPSS questionnaire and the urethral obstruction grade estimated by Schaefer or Abrams-Griffiths nomograms. The total score of the SPSS was correlated with these nomograms (P = 0.0487 and P = 0.0413, respectively). There was no significant correlation between the results of the IPSS questionnaire and the total volume or transition zone volume of the prostate, whereas the total score of the SPSS correlated with the total volume of the gland and transition zone volume (P = 0.0044 and P= 0.0051, respectively). This study revealed the SPSS to correlate with objective findings satisfactorily. However, there are still several aspects of the SPSS which need to be improved upon, and the questionnaire should be studied in larger numbers of patients suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms.

A novel model of motor learning capable of developing an optimal movement control law online from scratch.

PubMed

Shimansky, Yury P; Kang, Tao; He, Jiping

2004-02-01

A computational model of a learning system (LS) is described that acquires knowledge and skill necessary for optimal control of a multisegmental limb dynamics (controlled object or CO), starting from "knowing" only the dimensionality of the object's state space. It is based on an optimal control problem setup different from that of reinforcement learning. The LS solves the optimal control problem online while practicing the manipulation of CO. The system's functional architecture comprises several adaptive components, each of which incorporates a number of mapping functions approximated based on artificial neural nets. Besides the internal model of the CO's dynamics and adaptive controller that computes the control law, the LS includes a new type of internal model, the minimal cost (IM(mc)) of moving the controlled object between a pair of states. That internal model appears critical for the LS's capacity to develop an optimal movement trajectory. The IM(mc) interacts with the adaptive controller in a cooperative manner. The controller provides an initial approximation of an optimal control action, which is further optimized in real time based on the IM(mc). The IM(mc) in turn provides information for updating the controller. The LS's performance was tested on the task of center-out reaching to eight randomly selected targets with a 2DOF limb model. The LS reached an optimal level of performance in a few tens of trials. It also quickly adapted to movement perturbations produced by two different types of external force field. The results suggest that the proposed design of a self-optimized control system can serve as a basis for the modeling of motor learning that includes the formation and adaptive modification of the plan of a goal-directed movement.

Citations of Brazilian physical therapy journals in national publications

PubMed Central

Teixeira, Renan K. C.; Yamaki, Vitor N.; Botelho, Nara M.; Teixeira, Renato C.

2014-01-01

Background Quotations in Brazilian journals are mainly obtained from national articles (articles from Brazilian journals); thus, it is essential to determine how frequently these articles reference Brazilian journals. Objective This study sought to verify how frequently national papers are cited in the references of three Brazilian physical therapy journals. Method All references for articles published in Fisioterapia em Movimento, Fisioterapia e Pesquisa and Revista Brasileira de Fisioterapia between 2010 and 2012 were evaluated. In particular, the numbers of national articles and international articles (articles from international journals) cited in these references were determined. Results A total of 13,009 references cited by 456 articles were analyzed, and 2,924 (22.47%) of the cited works were national articles. There were no significant differences among the three examined years. A total of 36 (7.89%) articles did not cite national articles, whereas 65 (13.25%) articles cited more national articles than international articles. Conclusion On average, 22.47% of the works cited by the evaluated articles were national articles. No significant differences were detected among the three analyzed years. PMID:24675917

The prospective association between total and type of fish intake and type 2 diabetes in 8 European countries: EPIC-InterAct Study123

PubMed Central

Patel, Pinal S; Kuijsten, Anneleen; Schulze, Matthias B; van Woudenbergh, Geertruida J; Ardanaz, Eva; Amiano, Pilar; Arriola, Larraitz; Balkau, Beverley; Barricarte, Aurelio; Beulens, Joline WJ; Boeing, Heiner; Buijsse, Brian; Crowe, Francesca L; de Lauzon-Guillan, Blandine; Fagherazzi, Guy; Franks, Paul W; Gonzalez, Carlos; Grioni, Sara; Halkjaer, Jytte; Huerta, José María; Key, Timothy J; Kühn, Tilman; Masala, Giovanna; Nilsson, Peter; Overvad, Kim; Panico, Salvatore; Quirós, Jose Ramón; Rolandsson, Olov; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Sánchez, María-José; Schmidt, Erik B; Slimani, Nadia; Spijkerman, Annemieke MW; Teucher, Birgit; Tjonneland, Anne; Tormo, Maria-Jose; Tumino, Rosario; van der A, Daphne L; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Sharp, Stephen J; Langenberg, Claudia; Feskens, Edith JM; Riboli, Elio; Wareham, Nicholas J

2012-01-01

Background: Epidemiologic evidence of an association between fish intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is inconsistent and unresolved. Objective: The objective was to examine the association between total and type of fish intake and T2D in 8 European countries. Design: This was a case-cohort study, nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, with 3.99 million person-years of follow-up, 12,403 incident diabetes cases, and a random subcohort of 16,835 individuals from 8 European countries. Habitual fish intake (lean fish, fatty fish, total fish, shellfish, and combined fish and shellfish) was assessed by country-specific dietary questionnaires. HRs were estimated in each country by using Prentice-weighted Cox regression models and pooled by using a random-effects meta-analysis. Results: No overall association was found between combined fish and shellfish intake and incident T2D per quartile (adjusted HR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.06; P-trend = 0.99). Total fish, lean fish, and shellfish intakes separately were also not associated with T2D, but fatty fish intake was weakly inversely associated with T2D: adjusted HR per quartile 0.97 (0.94, 1.00), with an HR of 0.84 (0.70, 1.01), 0.85 (0.76, 0.95), and 0.87 (0.78, 0.97) for a comparison of the second, third, and fourth quartiles with the lowest quartile of intake, respectively (P-trend = 0.06). Conclusions: These findings suggest that lean fish, total fish, and shellfish intakes are not associated with incident diabetes but that fatty fish intake may be weakly inversely associated. Replication of these findings in other populations and investigation of the mechanisms underlying these associations are warranted. Meanwhile, current public health recommendations on fish intake should remain unchanged. PMID:22572642

Applying the WHO conceptual framework for the International Classification for Patient Safety to a surgical population

PubMed Central

McElroy, L. M.; Woods, D. M.; Yanes, A. F.; Skaro, A. I.; Daud, A.; Curtis, T.; Wymore, E.; Holl, J. L.; Abecassis, M. M.; Ladner, D. P.

2016-01-01

Objective Efforts to improve patient safety are challenged by the lack of universally agreed upon terms. The International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) was developed by the World Health Organization for this purpose. This study aimed to test the applicability of the ICPS to a surgical population. Design A web-based safety debriefing was sent to clinicians involved in surgical care of abdominal organ transplant patients. A multidisciplinary team of patient safety experts, surgeons and researchers used the data to develop a system of classification based on the ICPS. Disagreements were reconciled via consensus, and a codebook was developed for future use by researchers. Results A total of 320 debriefing responses were used for the initial review and codebook development. In total, the 320 debriefing responses contained 227 patient safety incidents (range: 0–7 per debriefing) and 156 contributing factors/hazards (0–5 per response). The most common severity classification was ‘reportable circumstance,’ followed by ‘near miss.’ The most common incident types were ‘resources/organizational management,’ followed by ‘medical device/equipment.’ Several aspects of surgical care were encompassed by more than one classification, including operating room scheduling, delays in care, trainee-related incidents, interruptions and handoffs. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a framework for patient safety can be applied to facilitate the organization and analysis of surgical safety data. Several unique aspects of surgical care require consideration, and by using a standardized framework for describing concepts, research findings can be compared and disseminated across surgical specialties. The codebook is intended for use as a framework for other specialties and institutions. PMID:26803539

Oxidative and proteolysis-related parameters of skeletal muscle from hamsters with experimental pulmonary emphysema: a comparison between papain and elastase induction.

PubMed

Brunnquell, Cláudia R; Vieira, Nichelle A; Sábio, Laís R; Sczepanski, Felipe; Cecchini, Alessandra L; Cecchini, Rubens; Guarnier, Flávia A

2015-06-01

The objective of this study was to investigate whether emphysema induced by elastase or papain triggers the same effects on skeletal muscle, related to oxidative stress and proteolysis, in hamsters. For this purpose, we evaluated pulmonary lesions, body weight, muscle loss, oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, total and oxidized glutathiones, chemiluminescence stimulated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide and carbonyl proteins), chymotrypsin-like and calpain-like proteolytic activities and muscle fibre cross-sectional area in the gastrocnemius muscles of emphysemic hamsters. Two groups of animals received different intratracheal inductions of experimental emphysema: by 40 mg/ml papain (EP) or 5.2 IU/100 g animal (EE) elastase (n = 10 animals/group). The control group received intratracheal instillation of 300 μl sterile NaCl 0.9%. Compared with the control group, the EP group had reduced muscle weight (18.34%) and the EE group had increased muscle weight (8.37%). Additionally, tert-butyl hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence, carbonylated proteins and chymotrypsin-like proteolytic activity were all elevated in the EP group compared to the CS group, while total glutathione was decreased compared to the EE group. The EE group showed more fibres with increased cross-sectional areas and increased calpain-like activity. Together, these data show that elastase and papain, when used to induce experimental models of emphysema, lead to different speeds and types of adaptation. These findings provide more information on choosing a suitable experimental model for studying skeletal muscle adaptations in emphysema. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Experimental Pathology © 2015 International Journal of Experimental Pathology.

Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Khan, Alam; Safdar, Mahpara; Ali Khan, Mohammad Muzaffar; Khattak, Khan Nawaz; Anderson, Richard A

2003-12-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether cinnamon improves blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. A total of 60 people with type 2 diabetes, 30 men and 30 women aged 52.2 +/- 6.32 years, were divided randomly into six groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 consumed 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon daily, respectively, and groups 4, 5, and 6 were given placebo capsules corresponding to the number of capsules consumed for the three levels of cinnamon. The cinnamon was consumed for 40 days followed by a 20-day washout period. After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced the mean fasting serum glucose (18-29%), triglyceride (23-30%), LDL cholesterol (7-27%), and total cholesterol (12-26%) levels; no significant changes were noted in the placebo groups. Changes in HDL cholesterol were not significant. The results of this study demonstrate that intake of 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon per day reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes and suggest that the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Object motion computation for the initiation of smooth pursuit eye movements in humans.

PubMed

Wallace, Julian M; Stone, Leland S; Masson, Guillaume S

2005-04-01

Pursuing an object with smooth eye movements requires an accurate estimate of its two-dimensional (2D) trajectory. This 2D motion computation requires that different local motion measurements are extracted and combined to recover the global object-motion direction and speed. Several combination rules have been proposed such as vector averaging (VA), intersection of constraints (IOC), or 2D feature tracking (2DFT). To examine this computation, we investigated the time course of smooth pursuit eye movements driven by simple objects of different shapes. For type II diamond (where the direction of true object motion is dramatically different from the vector average of the 1-dimensional edge motions, i.e., VA not equal IOC = 2DFT), the ocular tracking is initiated in the vector average direction. Over a period of less than 300 ms, the eye-tracking direction converges on the true object motion. The reduction of the tracking error starts before the closing of the oculomotor loop. For type I diamonds (where the direction of true object motion is identical to the vector average direction, i.e., VA = IOC = 2DFT), there is no such bias. We quantified this effect by calculating the direction error between responses to types I and II and measuring its maximum value and time constant. At low contrast and high speeds, the initial bias in tracking direction is larger and takes longer to converge onto the actual object-motion direction. This effect is attenuated with the introduction of more 2D information to the extent that it was totally obliterated with a texture-filled type II diamond. These results suggest a flexible 2D computation for motion integration, which combines all available one-dimensional (edge) and 2D (feature) motion information to refine the estimate of object-motion direction over time.

Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) variation in the Anastrepha fraterculus cryptic species complex (Diptera, Tephritidae) of the Andean region

PubMed Central

Sutton, Bruce D.; Steck, Gary J.; Norrbom, Allen L.; Rodriguez, Erick J.; Srivastava, Pratibha; Alvarado, Norma Nolazco; Colque, Fredy; Landa, Erick Yábar; Sánchez, Juan José Lagrava; Quisberth, Elizabeth; Peñaranda, Emilio Arévalo; Clavijo, P. A. Rodriguez; Alvarez-Baca, Jeniffer K.; Zapata, Tito Guevara; Ponce, Patricio

2015-01-01

Abstract The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) was sequenced for Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830) originating from 85 collections from the northern and central Andean countries of South America including Argentina (Tucumán), Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The ITS1 regions of additional specimens (17 collections) from Central America (México, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panamá), Brazil, Caribbean Colombia, and coastal Venezuela were sequenced and together with published sequences (Paraguay) provided context for interpretation. A total of six ITS1 sequence variants were recognized in the Andean region comprising four groups. Type I predominates in the southernmost range of Anastrepha fraterculus. Type II predominates in its northernmost range. In the central and northern Andes, the geographic distributions overlap and interdigitate with a strong elevational effect. A discussion of relationships between observed ITS1 types and morphometric types is included. PMID:26798259

Methods for estimating heterocyclic amine concentrations in cooked meats in the US diet.

PubMed

Keating, G A; Bogen, K T

2001-01-01

Heterocyclic amines (HAs) are formed in numerous cooked foods commonly consumed in the diet. A method was developed to estimate dietary HA levels using HA concentrations in experimentally cooked meats reported in the literature and meat consumption data obtained from a national dietary survey. Cooking variables (meat internal temperature and weight loss, surface temperature and time) were used to develop relationships for estimating total HA concentrations in six meat types. Concentrations of five individual HAs were estimated for specific meat type/cooking method combinations based on linear regression of total and individual HA values obtained from the literature. Using these relationships, total and individual HA concentrations were estimated for 21 meat type/cooking method combinations at four meat doneness levels. Reported consumption of the 21 meat type/cooking method combinations was obtained from a national dietary survey and the age-specific daily HA intake calculated using the estimated HA concentrations (ng/g) and reported meat intakes. Estimated mean daily total HA intakes for children (to age 15 years) and adults (30+ years) were 11 and 7.0 ng/kg/day, respectively, with 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) estimated to comprise approximately 65% of each intake. Pan-fried meats were the largest source of HA in the diet and chicken the largest source of HAs among the different meat types.

APEX-CAMBIUM: A Case Study in Advantages and Challenges of International Cooperation for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, David; Buckley, Nicole

2008-01-01

It is generally agreed that space science benefits from an international collaboration. There are different mechanisms to make this happen but to recognize opportunities requires a keen awareness of the activities, people and respective strengths. Apex- Cambium is a joint Canadian Space Agency (CSA)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiative. It was made possible in large part through the good relations and shared willingness to meet a common objective, that of doing exciting science in space. The actual mechanics of bringing an international project together can be divided into two perspectives: programmatic and implementation. The programmatic component includes recognizing complementarities, bringing science together, and the need to have Agencies approve and accept joint responsibility for the mission. The implementation component involves working to define science requirements, available resources and assigning individual responsibilities while keeping the overall success criteria as a collective objective. The APEX-CAMB11.JM mission will be described from the point of view of both CSA and NASA. Suggestions on how to facilitate these types of initiatives will be provided and highlights of the APEX-Cambium collaboration will be provided.

Temporal lobe cortical pathology and inhibitory GABA interneuron cell loss are associated with seizures in multiple sclerosis

PubMed Central

Nicholas, Richard; Magliozzi, Roberta; Campbell, Graham; Mahad, Don; Reynolds, Richard

2016-01-01

Background: Seizures are recognised in multiple sclerosis (MS), but their true incidence and the mechanism by which they are associated with MS is unclear. Objective: The objective of this paper is to determine the lifetime frequency of seizures in the United Kingdom MS Tissue Bank (UKMSTB) population and any pathological features associated with seizures. Methods: We evaluated 255 individuals from the UKMSTB. A subset underwent analysis of cortical thickness, grey matter lesion (GML) (type and number) and cortical neuronal numbers (total and GABAergic). Results: A total of 37/255 patients had seizures (14.5% lifetime incidence); in 47% they were associated with concurrent infection. In those with seizures, death and wheelchair use occurred earlier and in 59% seizures developed after 15 years of disease. Seizures were associated with Type 1 GMLs and reduced cortical thickness in the middle temporal gyrus. Localised selective GABAergic interneuron loss in layers IV and VI was related to GMLs but was not explained by the presence of inflammation or by mitochondrial dysfunction within Type I GMLs. Conclusion: We confirm that seizure frequency rises in MS. Type I GMLs in the temporal lobe underlie a loss of inhibitory interneurons in cortical layers IV and VI and these changes could together with concurrent infection enhance susceptibility to seizures. PMID:25921040

Weather types and the regime of wildfires in Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, M. G.; Trigo, R. M.; Dacamara, C. C.

2009-04-01

An objective classification scheme, as developed by Trigo and DaCamara (2000), was applied to classify the daily atmospheric circulation affecting Portugal between 1980 and 2007 into a set of 10 basic weather types (WTs). The classification scheme relies on a set of atmospheric circulation indices, namely southerly flow (SF), westerly flow (WF), total flow (F), southerly shear vorticity (ZS), westerly shear vorticity (ZW) and total vorticity (Z). The weather-typing approach, together with surfacemeteorological variables (e.g. intensity and direction of geostrophic wind, maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation) were then associated to wildfire events as recorded in the official Portuguese fire database consisting of information on each fire occurred in the 18 districts of Continental Portugal within the same period (>450.000 events). The objective of this study is to explore the dependence of wildfire activity on weather and climate and then evaluate the potential of WTs to discriminate among recorded wildfires on what respects to their occurrence and development. Results show that days characterised by surface flow with an eastern component (i.e. NE, E and SE) account for a high percentage of daily burnt area, as opposed to surface westerly flow (NW, W and SW), which represents about a quarter of the total number of days but only accounts for a very low percentage of active fires and of burnt area. Meteorological variables such as minimum and maximum temperatures, that are closely associated to surface wind intensity and direction, also present a good ability to discriminate between the different types of fire events.. Trigo R.M., DaCamara C. (2000) "Circulation Weather Types and their impact on the precipitation regime in Portugal". Int J of Climatology, 20, 1559-1581.

Integrated Library Systems in Canadian Public, Academic and Special Libraries: The Sixth Annual Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merilees, Bobbie

1992-01-01

Reports results of a survey of vendors of large and microcomputer-based integrated library systems. Data presented on Canadian installations include total systems installed, comparisons with earlier years, market segments, and installations by type of library (excluding school). International sales and automation requirements for music are…

76 FR 12971 - Anastasios Pappas: Debarment Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... for a total of six vials of botulinum toxin type A (TRI-toxin) from Toxin Research International (TRI). Between September and November 2004, Dr. Pappas administered TRI-toxin to patients. TRI was not duly registered with FDA and, therefore, the TRI-toxin is deemed misbranded under 21 U.S.C. 352(o). As a result of...

Body Fat Patterning, Hepatic Fat and Pancreatic Volume of Non-Obese Asian Indians with Type 2 Diabetes in North India: A Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Misra, Anoop; Anoop, Shajith; Gulati, Seema; Mani, Kalaivani; Bhatt, Surya Prakash; Pandey, Ravindra Mohan

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate body fat patterning and phenotype including hepatic fat and pancreatic volume of non-obese (BMI: < 25 kg/m2) Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes residing in North India. Methods Non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 93) and non-obese, normo-glycemic subjects (n = 40) were recruited. BMI, waist & hip circumferences, skinfold thickness at 8 sites, body fat, lean mass and detailed abdominal fat evaluation [total abdominal fat, total subcutaneous fat (superficial, deep, anterior, and posterior), total intra-abdominal fat (intra-peritoneal, retroperitoneal)], liver span, grades of fatty liver and pancreatic volume were compared. Results Waist circumference, subscapular skinfolds and total truncal fat (on DEXA) were higher whereas calf, total peripheral skinfolds and total leg fat (on DEXA) lower in patients. Specifically, the following volumes were higher in cases as compared to controls; total abdominal fat (19.4%), total intra-abdominal fat (49.7%), intra-peritoneal fat (47.7%), retroperitoneal fat (70.7%), pancreatic volume (26.6%), pancreatic volume index (21.3%) and liver span (10.8%). In cases, significant positive correlations were observed for pancreatic volume with BMI, waist and hip circumferences, W-HR, subscapular, abdominal and total truncal skinfolds, truncal, total subcutaneous, total intra-abdominal, intra-peritoneal, retroperitoneal fat depots, liver span and fatty liver. Conclusions In non-obese Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes, subcutaneous and intra-abdominal obesity, including fatty liver, and pancreatic volume were higher and peripheral subcutaneous adiposity was lower than BMI matched non-diabetic subjects. Importantly, increased pancreatic volume in patients was highly correlated with multiple measures of abdominal obesity and liver fat. PMID:26474415

Leadership in Broadcasting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Fred

The objective for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is leadership that grows from excellence. This type of leadership requires that the network serve the diversity of the total population, present programs that develop new approaches to viewers' interests, strive for excellence in craftsmanship, program content, and management, and exercise…

Direct visual internal urethrotomy: Is it a durable treatment option?

PubMed Central

Pal, Dilip Kumar; Kumar, Sanjay; Ghosh, Bastab

2017-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the long-term success rate of direct vision internal urethrotomy as a treatment for anterior urethral strictures. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results for patients who underwent internal urethrotomy from January 2009 to January 2014 for anterior urethral strictures. Patients were followed till January 2016. Patients with complicated urethral strictures with a history of previous urethroplasty, hypospadias repair, or previous radiation were excluded from the study, as anticipated low success rate of direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) in these patients. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze stricture-free probability after the first, second, and third urethrotomy. Results: A total of 186 patients were included in this study. Stricture-free rates after first, second, and third urethrotomy were 29.66%, 22.64%, and 13.33%, respectively. Conclusions: Although DVIU may be a management option for anterior urethral stricture disease, it seems that long-term results are disappointing. PMID:28216923

Orbital Evolution of Jupiter-Family Comets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ipatov, S. I.; Mather, J. S.; Oegerle, William R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We investigated the evolution for periods of at least 5-10 Myr of 2500 Jupiter-crossing objects (JCOs) under the gravitational influence of all planets, except for Mercury and Pluto (without dissipative factors). In the first series we considered N=2000 orbits near the orbits of 30 real Jupiter-family comets with period less than 10 yr, and in the second series we took 500 orbits close to the orbit of Comet 10P Tempel 2. We calculated the probabilities of collisions of objects with the terrestrial planets, using orbital elements obtained with a step equal to 500 yr and then summarized the results for all time intervals and all bodies, obtaining the total probability P(sub sigma) of collisions with a planet and the total time interval T(sub sigma) during which perihelion distance of bodies was less than a semimajor axis of the planet. The values of P = 10(exp 6)P(sub sigma)/N and T = T(sub sigma)/1000 yr are presented in Table together with the ratio r of the total time interval when orbits were of Apollo type (at e less than 0.999) to that of Amor type.

Measuring intra-operative decision-making during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: validity evidence for a novel interactive Web-based assessment tool.

PubMed

Madani, Amin; Watanabe, Yusuke; Bilgic, Elif; Pucher, Philip H; Vassiliou, Melina C; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Fried, Gerald M; Mitmaker, Elliot J; Feldman, Liane S

2017-03-01

Errors in judgment during laparoscopic cholecystectomy can lead to bile duct injuries and other complications. Despite correlations between outcomes, expertise and advanced cognitive skills, current methods to evaluate these skills remain subjective, rater- and situation-dependent and non-systematic. The purpose of this study was to develop objective metrics using a Web-based platform and to obtain validity evidence for their assessment of decision-making during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. An interactive online learning platform was developed ( www.thinklikeasurgeon.com ). Trainees and surgeons from six institutions completed a 12-item assessment, developed based on a cognitive task analysis. Five items required subjects to draw their answer on the surgical field, and accuracy scores were calculated based on an algorithm derived from experts' responses ("visual concordance test", VCT). Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and correlation with self-reported experience, Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS) score and Objective Performance Rating Scale (OPRS) score were calculated. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate the platform's usability, feasibility and educational value. Thirty-nine subjects (17 surgeons, 22 trainees) participated. There was high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95; n = 10) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.87). The assessment demonstrated significant differences between novices, intermediates and experts in total score (p < 0.01) and VCT score (p < 0.01). There was high correlation between total case number and total score (ρ = 0.83, p < 0.01) and between total case number and VCT (ρ = 0.82, p < 0.01), and moderate to high correlations between total score and GOALS (ρ = 0.66, p = 0.05), VCT and GOALS (ρ = 0.83, p < 0.01), total score and OPRS (ρ = 0.67, p = 0.04), and VCT and OPRS (ρ = 0.78, p = 0.01). Most subjects agreed or strongly agreed that the platform and assessment was easy to use [n = 29 (78 %)], facilitates learning intra-operative decision-making [n = 28 (81 %)], and should be integrated into surgical training [n = 28 (76 %)]. This study provides preliminary validity evidence for a novel interactive platform to objectively assess decision-making during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Reporting and use of the OECD Health Care Quality Indicators at national and regional level in 15 countries.

PubMed

Rotar, Alexandru M; van den Berg, Michael J; Kringos, Dionne S; Klazinga, Niek S

2016-06-01

OECD member states are involved since 2003 in a project coordinated by the OECD on Health Care Quality Indicators (HCQI). All OECD countries are biennially requested by the OECD to deliver national data on the quality indicators for international benchmarking purposes. Currently, there is no knowledge whether the OECD HCQI information is used by the countries themselves for healthcare system accountability and improvement purposes. The objective of the study is to explore the reporting and use of OECD HCQI in OECD member-states. Data were collected through a questionnaire sent to all OECD member-states containing factual questions on the reporting on all OECD HCQ-indicators. Responses were received between June and December 2014. In this timeframe, two reminders were sent to the participants. The work progress was presented during HCQI Meetings in November 2014 and May 2015. Fifteen countries reported to have a total of 163 reports in which one or more HCQIs were reported. One hundred and sixteen were national and 47 were regional reports. Forty-nine reports had a general system focus, 80 were disease specific, 10 referred to a specific type of care setting, 22 were thematic and 2 were a combination of two (disease specific for a particular type of care and thematic for a specific type of care). Most reports were from Canada: 49. All 15 countries use one or more OECD indicators. The OECD quality indicators have acquired a clear place in national and regional monitoring activities. Some indicators are reported more often than others. These differences partly reflect differences between healthcare systems. Whereas some indicators have become very common, such as cancer care indicators, others, such as mental healthcare and patient experience indicators are relatively new and require some more time to be adopted more widely. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

A Comparison of Concentrations of Sodium and Related Nutrients (Potassium, Total Dietary Fiber, Total and Saturated Fat, and Total Sugar) in Private-Label and National Brands of Popular, Sodium-Contributing, Commercially Packaged Foods in the United States.

PubMed

Ahuja, Jaspreet K C; Pehrsson, Pamela R; Cogswell, Mary

2017-05-01

Private-label brands account for about one in four foods sold in US supermarkets. They provide value to consumers due to their low cost. We know of no US studies comparing the nutrition content of private-label products with corresponding national brand products. The objective was to compare concentrations of sodium and related nutrients (potassium, total dietary fiber, total and saturated fat, and total sugar) in popular sodium-contributing, commercially packaged foods by brand type (national or private-label brand). During 2010 to 2014, the Nutrient Data Laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture obtained 1,706 samples of private-label and national brand products from up to 12 locations nationwide and chemically analyzed 937 composites for sodium and related nutrients. The samples came from 61 sodium-contributing, commercially packaged food products for which both private-label and national brands were among the top 75% to 80% of brands for US unit sales. In this post hoc comparative analysis, the authors assigned a variable brand type (national or private label) to each composite and determined mean nutrient contents by brand type overall and by food product and type. The authors tested for significant differences (P<0.05) by brand type using independent sample t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests when appropriate. Overall for all foods sampled, differences between brand types were not statistically significant for any of the nutrients studied. However, differences in both directions exist for a few individual food products and food categories. Concentrations of sodium and related nutrients (potassium, total dietary fiber, total and saturated fat, and total sugar) do not differ systematically between private-label and national brands, suggesting that brand type is not a consideration for nutritional quality of foods in the United States. The study data provide public health officials with baseline nutrient content by brand type to help focus US sodium-reduction efforts. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Development of a Total Quality Management Plan for David Grant USAF Medical Center Travis Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

customer satisfaction (DOD, 1988). While the application of TQM in the manufacturing industry and the military acquisition system has been successful, the...improvement of products and services. The overriding objective of TOM is to increase customer satisfaction (DOD, 1988). While the application of TOM in the...25 Description of the Organization ................... 26 Internal Customers ..................... ....... 30 External Customers

Dynamic Network Formation Using Ant Colony Optimization

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

backhauls, VRP with pick-up and delivery, VRP with satellite facilities, and VRP with time windows (Murata & Itai , 2005). The general vehicle...given route is only visited once. The objective of the basic problem is to minimize a total cost as follows (Murata & Itai , 2005): M m mc 1 min...Problem based on Ant Colony System. Second Internation Workshop on Freight Transportation and Logistics. Palermo, Italy. Murata, T., & Itai , R. (2005

Objectively assessed physical activity levels in Spanish cancer survivors.

PubMed

Ruiz-Casado, Ana; Verdugo, Ana Soria; Solano, María J Ortega; Aldazabal, Itziar Pagola; Fiuza-Luces, Carmen; Alejo, Lidia Brea; del Hierro, Julio R Padilla; Palomo, Isabel; Aguado-Arroyo, Oscar; Garatachea, Nuria; Cebolla, Héctor; Lucia, Alejandro

2014-01-01

To objectively assess physical activity (PA) levels in a cohort of Spanish cancer survivors. Descriptive, cross-sectional. The Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada and two healthcare centers in Madrid, Spain. 204 cancer survivors and 115 adults with no history of cancer. Participants wore a triaxial accelerometer for seven or more consecutive days to assess PA levels. Body mass index (BMI), indirect indicators of adiposity (waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio), and cardiorespiratory fitness also were determined. Light, moderate, vigorous, and total PA (sum of the former). Most (94%) of the cancer survivors met international recommendations for moderate PA, but very few (3%) fulfilled those (75 minutes or more per week) for vigorous PA. Except for lower total (minute per day, p=0.048) and vigorous PA levels (p<0.001 for both minute per day and minute per week) recorded in the cancer survivors group, no between-group differences were detected (p>0.05). A high percentage of the survivors (33%) were obese (BMI greater than 30 kg/m2), and many also showed poor cardiorespiratory fitness (45% were below the 8 metabolic equivalent threshold). Although cancer survivors overall met international PA recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, their BMI and cardiorespiratory profiles were not within the healthy range. Cancer survivors need to be informed about healthy lifestyle habits and should be regularly monitored.

The Internet and Some International Regulatory Issues Relating to Content: A Pilot Comparative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Broadcasting Authority.

In December 1996 UNESCO commissioned the Australian Broadcasting Authority to conduct a pilot study which considered a range of online issues; this report outlines the findings of the pilot study, based on data collected between February and May 1997 and updated in July 1997. The objective is to identify the main types of Internet content which…

Ground-water and surface-water elevations in the Fairbanks International Airport area, Alaska, 1990-96, and selected geohydrologic report references

USGS Publications Warehouse

Claar, David V.; Lilly, Michael R.

1997-01-01

Ground-water and surface-water elevation data were collected at 61 sites from 1990 to 1996 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Fairbanks International Airport. Water-surface elevations were measured in 41 ground-water observation wells and at 20 surface-water sites to help characterize the geohydrology of the Fairbanks International Airport area. From 1990 to 1993, data were collected in the vicinity of the former fire-training area at the airport. From 1993 to 1996, the data-collection area was expanded to include the entire airport area. The total number of data-collection sites varied each year because of changing project objectives and increased understanding of the geohydrology in the area.

Effects of Job Burnout and Emotional Labor on Objective Structured Clinical Examination Performance Among Interns and Residents in Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, Chen-Yu; Chen, Jen-De; Wang, Chih-Hung; Wang, Jong-Yi; Tai, Chih-Jaan; Hsieh, Tsu-Yi; Chen, Der-Yuan

2017-01-01

Medical education faces challenges concerning job burnout and emotional labor among junior physicians, which poses a potential threat to the quality of medical care. Although studies have investigated job burnout and emotional labor among physicians, empirical research on the association between job burnout, emotional labor, and clinical performance is lacking. This study investigated the effects of job burnout and emotional labor on clinical performance by using the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores of interns and residents. Specifically, this cross-sectional study utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Emotional Labor Questionnaire as measurement instruments. A total of 225 interns and residents in central Taiwan answered structured questionnaires before beginning their OSCE. The major statistical analysis method employed was logistic regression. After adjustment for covariates, first-year residents were less likely than other residents to obtain high OSCE scores. The odds of high OSCE performance among interns and residents with high interaction component scores in emotional labor were significantly higher than those with low interaction scores. A high score in the interaction dimension of emotional labor was associated with strong clinical performance. The findings suggest that interventions which motivate positive attitudes and increase interpersonal interaction skills among physicians should receive higher priority.

An empirically derived short form of the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey II.

PubMed

Grabman, J; Vajda Bailey, K; Schmidt, K; Cariou, B; Vaur, L; Madani, S; Cox, D; Gonder-Frederick, L

2017-04-01

To develop an empirically derived short version of the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey II that still accurately measures fear of hypoglycaemia. Item response theory methods were used to generate an 11-item version of the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey from a sample of 487 people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subsequently, this scale was tested on a sample of 2718 people with Type 1 or insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes taking part in DIALOG, a large observational prospective study of hypoglycaemia in France. The short form of the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey II matched the factor structure of the long form for respondents with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, while maintaining adequate internal reliability on the total scale and all three subscales. The two forms were highly correlated on both the total scale and each subscale (Pearson's R > 0.89). The short form of the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey II is an important first step in more efficiently measuring fear of hypoglycaemia. Future prospective studies are needed for further validity testing and exploring the survey's applicability to different populations. © 2016 Diabetes UK.

KSC-07pd3320

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, is lowered into space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay for installation. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard Endeavour for mission STS-123. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3321

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, the second of two Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, is lowered into space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay for installation. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard Endeavour for mission STS-123. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3319

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, is lowered into space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay for installation. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard Endeavour for mission STS-123. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Work Loads and Practice Patterns of General Surgeons in the United States, 1995–1997

PubMed Central

Ritchie, Wallace P.; Rhodes, Robert S.; Biester, Thomas W.

1999-01-01

Objective To characterize the work loads and practice patterns of general surgeons in the United States over a 3-year period (1995 to 1997). Methods The surgical operative logs of 2434 “generalist” general surgeons recertifying in surgery form the basis of this report. Selected demographics of the group are as follows: location: 50% Northeast and Southeast, 21% Midwest, 29% West and Southwest; practice type: 45% solo, 40% group, 9% academics; size of practice community: 46% highly urban, 19% rural. Parameters evaluated were the average number of procedures and their distribution by category related to geographic area, practice type, community size, and other parameters. Statistical analysis was accomplished using analysis of variance. Results No significant year-to-year differences were observed between cohorts. The average numbers of procedures per surgeon per year was 398, distributed as follows: abdomen 102, alimentary tract 63, breast 54, endoscopic 51, vascular 39, trauma 6, endocrine 4, and head and neck, 3. Eleven percent of the 398 procedures were performed laparoscopically. Major index cases were largely concentrated with small groups of surgeons representing 5% to 10% of the total. Significant differences were as follows: surgeons in the Northeast and West performed far fewer procedures than those elsewhere. Urban surgeons performed a few more tertiary-type procedures than did rural ones; however, rural surgeons performed many more total procedures, especially in endoscopy, laparoscopy, gynecology, genitourinary, and orthopedics. Academic surgeons performed substantially fewer total procedures as a group than did nonacademic ones and in all categories except liver, transplant, and pancreas. Male surgeons performed more procedures than did female surgeons, except those involving the breast. More procedures were done by surgeons in group practice than by those in solo practice. U.S. medical graduates and international medical graduates had similar work loads but with a different distribution. Conclusions This unique database will be useful in tracking trends over time. More importantly, it demonstrates that general surgery practice in the United States is extremely heterogeneous, a fact that must be acknowledged in any future workforce deliberations. PMID:10522723

How internal drainage affects evaporation dynamics from soil surfaces ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Or, D.; Lehmann, P.; Sommer, M.

2017-12-01

Following rainfall, infiltrated water may be redistributed internally to larger depths or lost to the atmosphere by evaporation (and by plant uptake from depths at longer time scales). A large fraction of evaporative losses from terrestrial surfaces occurs during stage1 evaporation during which phase change occurs at the wet surface supplied by capillary flow from the soil. Recent studies have shown existence of a soil-dependent characteristic length below which capillary continuity is disrupted and a drastic shift to slower stage 2 evaporation ensues. Internal drainage hastens this transition and affect evaporative losses. To predict the transition to stage 2 and associated evaporative losses, we developed an analytical solution for evaporation dynamics with concurrent internal drainage. Expectedly, evaporative losses are suppressed when drainage is considered to different degrees depending on soil type and wetness. We observe that high initial water content supports rapid drainage and thus promotes the sheltering of soil water below the evaporation depth. The solution and laboratory experiments confirm nonlinear relationship between initial water content and total evaporative losses. The concept contributes to establishing bounds on regional surface evaporation considering rainfall characteristics and soil types.

[A structural protein study of the influenza A (H1N1) virus by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis].

PubMed

Pérez Guevara, M T; Savón Valdés, C; Rivas Arjona, M; Goyenechea Hernández, A

1992-01-01

Influenza is an acute respiratory disease typically appearing as an epidemic. Three immunological types of the influenza virus are known: A, B and C. Continually, antigen changes occur, especially in type A. Therefore, a comparative study was carried out on 4 influenza A(H1N1) virus strains in relation to protein structure (surface antigens), by using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by the modified Laemmli method. The objective was to compare the structural proteins of the A/Havana/1292/78 (H1N1) national strain with the proteins of 3 international pattern strains. In all the cases, 6 bands were detected by densitometry. In the 4 strains studied the most abundant protein was M. Great differences between the Cuban strain and the 3 international patterns were not seen.

Use of high-rise structures for sustainable tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vavilova, Tatiana Ya.; Vyshkin, Efim G.

2018-03-01

The paper deals with such issues as formation and development of the infrastructure of objects for serving tourists in urban environment and specially protected natural areas with particular focus on open tower structures - a type of object which is so popular in Russia. The authors systematize international experience of integrating watchtowers in natural and anthropogenic environment as well as specific features of their modern architectural solutions. A number of examples are given. Summing up the results of the analysis we have come to conclusion that in the field of tourism the most promising tendency in functional use of vertical structures is the demonstration of cultural and natural attractions. It is also noted that in national and natural parks objects of the tower type can be built for other purposes, e.g. for conducting research, monitoring weather conditions and emergency situations. It is shown that the development of infrastructure of high-rise buildings for educational tourism contributes to sustainable development of territories and settlements.

Evaluation of marginal bone loss of dental implants with internal or external connections and its association with other variables: A systematic review.

PubMed

de Medeiros, Rodrigo Antonio; Pellizzer, Eduardo Piza; Vechiato Filho, Aljomar José; Dos Santos, Daniela Micheline; da Silva, Emily Vivianne Freitas; Goiato, Marcelo Coelho

2016-10-01

Different factors can influence marginal bone loss around dental implants, including the type of internal and external connection between the implant and the abutment. The evidence needed to evaluate these factors is unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate marginal bone loss by radiographic analysis around dental implants with internal or external connections. A systematic review was conducted following the criteria defined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Initially, a population, intervention, comparison, and outcome(s) (PICO) question was defined: does the connection type (internal or external) influence marginal bone loss in patients undergoing implantation? An electronic search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases was performed for studies in English language published between January 2000 and December 2014 by 2 independent reviewers, who analyzed the marginal bone loss of dental implants with an internal and/or external connection. From an initial screening yield of 595 references and after considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 articles were selected for this review. Among them, 10 studies compared groups of implants with internal and external connections; 1 study evaluated external connections; and 6 studies analyzed internal connections. A total of 2708 implants were placed in 864 patients. Regarding the connection type, 2347 implants had internal connections, and 361 implants had external connections. Most studies showed lower marginal bone loss values for internal connection implants than for external connection implants. Osseointegrated dental implants with internal connections exhibited lower marginal bone loss than implants with external connections. This finding is mainly the result of the platform switching concept, which is more frequently found in implants with internal connections. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in Energy Cost and Total External Work of Muscles in Elite Race Walkers Walking at Different Speeds

PubMed Central

Chwała, Wiesław; Klimek, Andrzej; Mirek, Wacław

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess energy cost and total external work (total energy) depending on the speed of race walking. Another objective was to determine the contribution of external work to total energy cost of walking at technical, threshold and racing speed in elite competitive race walkers. The study involved 12 competitive race walkers aged 24.9 4.10 years with 6 to 20 years of experience, who achieved a national or international sports level. Their aerobic endurance was determined by means of a direct method involving an incremental exercise test on the treadmill. The participants performed three tests walking each time with one of the three speeds according to the same protocol: an 8-minute walk with at steady speed was followed by a recovery phase until the oxygen debt was repaid. To measure exercise energy cost, an indirect method based on the volume of oxygen uptake was employed. The gait of the participants was recorded using the 3D Vicon opto-electronic motion capture system. Values of changes in potential energy and total kinetic energy in a gate cycle were determined based on vertical displacements of the centre of mass. Changes in mechanical energy amounted to the value of total external work of muscles needed to accelerate and lift the centre of mass during a normalised gait cycle. The values of average energy cost and of total external work standardised to body mass and distance covered calculated for technical speed, threshold and racing speeds turned out to be statistically significant (p 0.001). The total energy cost ranged from 51.2 kJ.m-1 during walking at technical speed to 78.3 kJ.m-1 during walking at a racing speed. Regardless of the type of speed, the total external work of muscles accounted for around 25% of total energy cost in race walking. Total external work mainly increased because of changes in the resultant kinetic energy of the centre of mass movement. PMID:25713673

Globular cluster systems as tracers of environmental effects on Virgo early-type dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Janssen, R.; Aguerri, J. A. L.

2012-08-01

Early-type dwarfs (dEs) are by far the most abundant galaxy population in nearby clusters. Whether these objects are primordial, or the recent end products of the different physical mechanisms that can transform galaxies once they enter these high-density environments, is still a matter of debate. Here we present a novel approach to test these scenarios by comparing the properties of the globular cluster systems (GCSs) of Virgo dEs and their potential progenitors with simple predictions from gravitational and hydrodynamical interaction models. We show that low-mass (M★ ≲ 2 × 108 M⊙) dEs have GCSs consistent with the descendants of gas-stripped late-type dwarfs. On the other hand, higher mass dEs have properties - including the high mass specific frequencies of their GCSs and their concentrated spatial distribution within Virgo - incompatible with a recent, environmentally driven evolution. They mostly comprise nucleated systems, but also dEs with recent star formation and/or disc features. Bright, nucleated dEs appear to be a population that has long resided within the cluster potential well, but have surprisingly managed to retain very rich and spatially extended GCSs - possibly an indication of high total masses. Our analysis does not favour violent evolutionary mechanisms that result in significant stellar mass-losses, but more gentle processes involving gas removal by a combination of internal and external factors, and highlights the relevant role of initial conditions. Additionally, we briefly comment on the origin of luminous cluster S0 galaxies.

Behavioral Profiles Associated with Objective Sleep Duration in Young Children with Insomnia Symptoms.

PubMed

Calhoun, Susan L; Fernandez-Mendoza, Julio; Vgontzas, Alexandros N; Mayes, Susan D; Liao, Duanping; Bixler, Edward O

2017-02-01

Based on previous studies reporting on the association of objective sleep duration and physiologic changes (i.e., increased cortisol) in children, we examined the role of objective sleep duration on differentiating behavioral profiles in children with insomnia symptoms. Seven hundred children (ages 5-12, 47.8% male) from the Penn State Child Cohort underwent a nine-hour polysomnography and parent completed Pediatric Behavior Scale. Insomnia symptoms were defined as parent report of difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, sleep disordered breathing as an AHI of ≥1, and objective short sleep duration as a total sleep time < 7.7 h. Children with insomnia symptoms demonstrated more overall behavioral problems than controls. Significant interactions between insomnia symptoms and objective sleep duration on scores of externalizing behaviors, mood variability and school problems were found. Profile analyses showed that children with insomnia symptoms and normal sleep duration were associated with clinically elevated externalizing behaviors, inattention, mood variability, and school problems, while children with insomnia and short sleep duration were associated with an overall elevated profile in which internalizing behaviors were more prominent. Childhood insomnia symptoms are associated with a wide array of behavioral problems, for which objective sleep duration is useful in differentiating behavioral profiles. Children with insomnia symptoms and normal sleep duration had a behavioral profile consistent with limit-setting and rule-breaking behaviors, while children with insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration had a behavioral profile more consistent with internalizing behaviors resembling that of psychophysiological disorders.

Applications of Micro-CT scanning in medicine and dentistry: Microstructural analyses of a Wistar Rat mandible and a urinary tract stone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latief, F. D. E.; Sari, D. S.; Fitri, L. A.

2017-08-01

High-resolution tomographic imaging by means of x-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) has been widely utilized for morphological evaluations in dentistry and medicine. The use of μCT follows a standard procedure: image acquisition, reconstruction, processing, evaluation using image analysis, and reporting of results. This paper discusses methods of μCT using a specific scanning device, the Bruker SkyScan 1173 High Energy Micro-CT. We present a description of the general workflow, information on terminology for the measured parameters and corresponding units, and further analyses that can potentially be conducted with this technology. Brief qualitative and quantitative analyses, including basic image processing (VOI selection and thresholding) and measurement of several morphometrical variables (total VOI volume, object volume, percentage of total volume, total VOI surface, object surface, object surface/volume ratio, object surface density, structure thickness, structure separation, total porosity) were conducted on two samples, the mandible of a wistar rat and a urinary tract stone, to illustrate the abilities of this device and its accompanying software package. The results of these analyses for both samples are reported, along with a discussion of the types of analyses that are possible using digital images obtained with a μCT scanning device, paying particular attention to non-diagnostic ex vivo research applications.

The Ballet Dancing Profession: A Career Transition Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roncaglia, Irina

2008-01-01

What type of emotional transition is experienced by professional dancers who face the end of their career? What does this journey imply? This article discusses the transition experiences of two case studies out of a total sample of fourteen (N = 14) international professional ballet dancers who left their careers between the ages of 21 and 49…

Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions across the World: (Under) Investing in the Very Young

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nores, Milagros; Barnett, W. Steven

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the international (non-U.S.) evidence on the benefits of early childhood interventions. A total of 38 contrasts of 30 interventions in 23 countries were analyzed. It focuses on studies applying a quasi-experimental or random assignment. Studies were coded according to: the type of intervention (cash transfer, nutritional,…

Comparing human papillomavirus vaccine concerns on Twitter: a cross-sectional study of users in Australia, Canada and the UK

PubMed Central

Shapiro, Gilla K; Surian, Didi; Dunn, Adam G; Perry, Ryan; Kelaher, Margaret

2017-01-01

Objective Opposition to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is common on social media and has the potential to impact vaccine coverage. This study aims to conduct an international comparison of the proportions of tweets about HPV vaccines that express concerns, the types of concerns expressed and the social connections among users posting about HPV vaccines in Australia, Canada and the UK. Design Using a cross-sectional design, an international comparison of English language tweets about HPV vaccines and social connections among Twitter users posting about HPV vaccines between January 2014 and April 2016 was conducted. The Health Belief Model, one of the most widely used theories in health psychology, was used as the basis for coding the types of HPV vaccine concerns expressed on Twitter. Setting The content of tweets and the social connections between users who posted tweets about HPV vaccines from Australia, Canada and the UK. Population 16 789 Twitter users who posted 43 852 tweets about HPV vaccines. Main outcome measures The proportions of tweets expressing concern, the type of concern expressed and the proportions of local and international social connections between users. Results Tweets expressing concerns about HPV vaccines made up 14.9% of tweets in Canada, 19.4% in Australia and 22.6% in the UK. The types of concerns expressed were similar across the three countries, with concerns related to ‘perceived barriers’ being the most common. Users expressing concerns about HPV vaccines in each of the three countries had a relatively high proportion of international followers also expressing concerns. Conclusions The proportions and types of HPV vaccine concerns expressed on Twitter were similar across the three countries. Twitter users who mostly expressed concerns about HPV vaccines were better connected to international users who shared their concerns compared with users who did not express concerns about HPV vaccines. PMID:28982821

Differences in reporting of analyses in internal company documents versus published trial reports: comparisons in industry-sponsored trials in off-label uses of gabapentin.

PubMed

Vedula, S Swaroop; Li, Tianjing; Dickersin, Kay

2013-01-01

Details about the type of analysis (e.g., intent to treat [ITT]) and definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in the analysis) are necessary for interpreting a clinical trial's findings. Our objective was to compare the description of types of analyses and criteria for including participants in the publication (i.e., what was reported) with descriptions in the corresponding internal company documents (i.e., what was planned and what was done). Trials were for off-label uses of gabapentin sponsored by Pfizer and Parke-Davis, and documents were obtained through litigation. For each trial, we compared internal company documents (protocols, statistical analysis plans, and research reports, all unpublished), with publications. One author extracted data and another verified, with a third person verifying discordant items and a sample of the rest. Extracted data included the number of participants randomized and analyzed for efficacy, and types of analyses for efficacy and safety and their definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in each type of analysis). We identified 21 trials, 11 of which were published randomized controlled trials, and that provided the documents needed for planned comparisons. For three trials, there was disagreement on the number of randomized participants between the research report and publication. Seven types of efficacy analyses were described in the protocols, statistical analysis plans, and publications, including ITT and six others. The protocol or publication described ITT using six different definitions, resulting in frequent disagreements between the two documents (i.e., different numbers of participants were included in the analyses). Descriptions of analyses conducted did not agree between internal company documents and what was publicly reported. Internal company documents provide extensive documentation of methods planned and used, and trial findings, and should be publicly accessible. Reporting standards for randomized controlled trials should recommend transparent descriptions and definitions of analyses performed and which study participants are excluded.

Non-destructive inspection of polymer composite products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anoshkin, A. N.; Sal'nikov, A. F.; Osokin, V. M.; Tretyakov, A. A.; Luzin, G. S.; Potrakhov, N. N.; Bessonov, V. B.

2018-02-01

The paper considers the main types of defects encountered in products made of polymer composite materials for aviation use. The analysis of existing methods of nondestructive testing is carried out, features of their application are considered taking into account design features, geometrical parameters and internal structure of objects of inspection. The advantages and disadvantages of the considered methods of nondestructive testing used in industrial production are shown.

A survey for pulsations in A-type stars using SuperWASP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holdsworth, Daniel L.

2015-12-01

"It is sound judgement to hope that in the not too distant future we shall be competent to understand so simple a thing as a star." - Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, The Internal Constitution of Stars, 1926 A survey of A-type stars is conducted with the SuperWASP archive in the search for pulsationally variable stars. Over 1.5 million stars are selected based on their (J-H) colour. Periodograms are calculated for light curves which have been extracted from the archive and cleaned of spurious points. Peaks which have amplitudes greater than 0.5 millimagnitude are identified in the periodograms. In total, 202 656 stars are identified to show variability in the range 5-300 c/d. Spectroscopic follow-up was obtained for 38 stars which showed high-frequency pulsations between 60 and 235 c/d, and a further object with variability at 636 c/d. In this sample, 13 were identified to be normal A-type δ Sct stars, 14 to be pulsating metallic-lined Am stars, 11 to be rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) stars, and one to be a subdwarf B variable star. The spectra were used not only to classify the stars, but to determine an effective temperature through Balmer line fitting. Hybrid stars have been identified in this study, which show pulsations in both the high- and low-overtone domains; an observation not predicted by theory. These stars are prime targets to perform follow-up observations, as a confirmed detection of this phenomenon will have significant impact on the theory of pulsations in A-type stars. The detected number of roAp stars has expanded the known number of this pulsator class by 22 per cent. Within these results both the hottest and coolest roAp star have been identified. Further to this, one object, KIC 7582608, was observed by the Kepler telescope for 4 yr, enabling a detailed frequency analysis. This analysis has identified significant frequency variations in this star, leading to the hypothesis that this is the first close binary star of its type. The observational results presented in this thesis are able to present new challenges to the theory of pulsations in A-type stars, with potentially having the effect of further delaying the full understanding of 'so simple a thing as a star'.

Comparisons of external fixator combined with limited internal fixation and open reduction and internal fixation for Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures: Finite element analysis and clinical outcome.

PubMed

Pan, M; Chai, L; Xue, F; Ding, L; Tang, G; Lv, B

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability and clinical outcome of external fixator combined with limited internal fixation (EFLIF) and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in treating Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures. Two types of fixation systems were selected for finite element analysis and a dual cohort study. Two fixation systems were simulated to fix the fracture in a finite element model. The relative displacement and stress distribution were analysed and compared. A total of 71 consecutive patients with closed Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the treatment to which they chose: the EFLIF group and the ORIF group. The radiological and clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared. The relative displacement of the EFLIF was less than that of the plate (0.1363 mm to 0.1808 mm). The highest von Mises stress value on the plate was 33% higher than that on the EFLIF. A normal restoration of the Böhler angle was achieved in both groups. No significant difference was found in the clinical outcome on the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle Hindfoot Scale, or on the Visual Analogue Scale between the two groups (p > 0.05). Wound complications were more common in those who were treated with ORIF (p = 0.028). Both EFLIF and ORIF systems were tested to 160 N without failure, showing the new construct to be mechanically safe to use. Both EFLIF and ORIF could be effective in treating Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures. The EFLIF may be superior to ORIF in achieving biomechanical stability and less blood loss, shorter surgical time and hospital stay, and fewer wound complications. Cite this article : M. Pan, L. Chai, F. Xue, L. Ding, G. Tang, B. Lv. Comparisons of external fixator combined with limited internal fixation and open reduction and internal fixation for Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures: Finite element analysis and clinical outcome. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:433-438. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.67.2000640. © 2017 Xue et al.

Evaluation of Liver Biomarkers as Prognostic Factors for Outcomes to Yttrium-90 Radioembolization of Primary and Secondary Liver Malignancies.

PubMed

Henrie, Adam M; Wittstrom, Kristina; Delu, Adam; Deming, Paulina

2015-09-01

The objective of this study was to examine indicators of liver function and inflammation for prognostic value in predicting outcomes to yttrium-90 radioembolization (RE). In a retrospective analysis, markers of liver function and inflammation, biomarkers required to stage liver function and inflammation, and data regarding survival, tumor response, and progression after RE were recorded. Univariate regression models were used to investigate the prognostic value of liver biomarkers in predicting outcome to RE as measured by survival, tumor progression, and radiographic and biochemical tumor response. Markers from all malignancy types were analyzed together. A subgroup analysis was performed on markers from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. A total of 31 patients received RE from 2004 to 2014. Median survival after RE for all malignancies combined was 13.6 months (95% CI: 6.7-17.6 months). Results from an exploratory analysis of patient data suggest that liver biomarkers, including albumin concentrations, international normalized ratio, bilirubin concentrations, and the model for end-stage liver disease score, possess prognostic value in predicting outcomes to RE.

Artificial Nutritional Support Registries: systematic review.

PubMed

Castelló-Botía, I; Wanden-Berghe, C; Sanz-Valero, J

2009-01-01

The nutritional registries are data bases through which we obtain the information to understand the nutrition of populations. Several main nutrition societies of the world have these types of registries, outstanding the NADYA (Home artificial and Ambulatory nutrition) group in Spain. The object of this study is to determine by means of a systematic review, the existent scientific production in the international data bases referred to nutritional support registries. Descriptive transversal study of the results of a critical bibliographic research done in the bioscience data bases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, ISI (Web of Sciences), LILACS, CINHAL. A total of 20 original articles related to nutritional registries were found and recovered. Eleven registries of eight countries were identified: Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, United Status and United Kingdom. The Price Index was of 65% and all the articles were published in the last 20 years. The Price Index highlights the innovativeness of this practice. The articles related to nutritional support are heterogeneous with respect to data and population, which exposes this as a limitation for a combined analysis.

The 2010 Global Proficiency Study of Human Papillomavirus Genotyping in Vaccinology

PubMed Central

Eklund, Carina; Forslund, Ola; Wallin, Keng-Ling; Zhou, Tiequn

2012-01-01

Accurate and internationally comparable human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA genotyping is essential both for evaluation of HPV vaccines and for effective monitoring and implementation of vaccination programs. The World Health Organization (WHO) HPV Laboratory Network (LabNet) regularly issues international proficiency studies. The 2010 HPV genotyping proficiency panel for HPV vaccinology contained 43 coded samples composed of purified plasmids of 16 HPV types (HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68a and 68b) and 3 coded extraction controls. Proficient typing was defined as detection in both single and multiple infections of 50 international units (IU) of HPV type 16 (HPV-16) and HPV-18 DNA and 500 genome equivalents (GE) for the other 14 HPV types. Ninety-eight laboratories worldwide submitted a total of 132 data sets. Twenty-four different HPV genotyping assay methods were used, with Linear Array being the most commonly used. Other major assays used were a line blot assay (Inno-LiPa), CLART, type-specific real-time PCR, PCR Luminex, and different microarray assays. Altogether, 72 data sets were proficient for detection of more than 1 type, and only 26 data sets proficiently detected all 16 HPV types. The major oncogenic HPV types, 16 and 18, were proficiently detected in 95.0% (114/120) and 87.0% (94/108) of data sets, respectively. Forty-six data sets reported multiple false-positive results and were considered nonproficient. A trend toward increased sensitivity of assays was seen for the 41 laboratories that participated in both 2008 and 2010. In conclusion, continued global proficiency studies will be required for establishing comparable and reliable HPV genotyping services for vaccinology worldwide. PMID:22535980

Effects of Grazing on Bacteria-Mediated Corrosion of Metals in Seawater

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

NUMBEER2. GOVT ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT’S CATA’.00 NJUMIIER 4. TITLE (mESubtitle) S*TYPE OF REPORT a ’!;.iOO COVERED IL’ Effects of Grazing on... Effects of Grazing on Bacteria-Mediated Corrosion of Metals in Seawater ONR Contract No. : N00014-83-0652 Project Period: August 1983-August, 1985 Principal...the laboratory to address the next two objectives. II. Effect of Protozoa on Total Numbers of Bacteria on Metals This objective included testing a

Imaging exocytosis of single glucagon-like peptide-1 containing granules in a murine enteroendocrine cell line with total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy

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

Ohara-Imaizumi, Mica; Aoyagi, Kyota; Akimoto, Yoshihiro

To analyze the exocytosis of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) granules, we imaged the motion of GLP-1 granules labeled with enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (Venus) fused to human growth hormone (hGH-Venus) in an enteroendocrine cell line, STC-1 cells, by total internal reflection fluorescent (TIRF) microscopy. We found glucose stimulation caused biphasic GLP-1 granule exocytosis: during the first phase, fusion events occurred from two types of granules (previously docked granules and newcomers), and thereafter continuous fusion was observed mostly from newcomers during the second phase. Closely similar to the insulin granule fusion from pancreatic {beta} cells, the regulated biphasic exocytosis from two typesmore » of granules may be a common mechanism in glucose-evoked hormone release from endocrine cells.« less

Auto-calibrated scanning-angle prism-type total internal reflection microscopy for nanometer-precision axial position determination and optional variable-illumination-depth pseudo total internal reflection microscopy

DOEpatents

Fang, Ning; Sun, Wei

2015-04-21

A method, apparatus, and system for improved VA-TIRFM microscopy. The method comprises automatically controlled calibration of one or more laser sources by precise control of presentation of each laser relative a sample for small incremental changes of incident angle over a range of critical TIR angles. The calibration then allows precise scanning of the sample for any of those calibrated angles for higher and more accurate resolution, and better reconstruction of the scans for super resolution reconstruction of the sample. Optionally the system can be controlled for incident angles of the excitation laser at sub-critical angles for pseudo TIRFM. Optionally both above-critical angle and sub critical angle measurements can be accomplished with the same system.

Self-stigma and schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Vrbova, Kristyna; Prasko, Jan; Holubova, Michaela; Kamaradova, Dana; Ociskova, Marie; Marackova, Marketa; Latalova, Klara; Grambal, Ales; Slepecky, Milos; Zatkova, Marta

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of self-stigma in schizophrenia and its association with clinical and demographic factors. Patients and methods A total of 197 outpatients (54.3% females) diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder) according to International Classification of Diseases – tenth edition participated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 40.10±11.49 years. All individuals completed the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale and a demographic questionnaire. The disorder severity was assessed by both a psychiatrist (the objective version of Clinical Global Impression – severity scale [objCGI-S]) and the patients (the subjective version of Clinical Global Impression – severity scale [subjCGI-S]). Treatment with antipsychotics stabilized the patients. Results The overall level of self-stigma measured by the total score of the ISMI was 63.32±13.59. The total score of the ISMI positively correlated with the severity of the disorder measured by the objCGI-S and subjCGI-S. In addition, self-stigma positively correlated with the treatment duration and the number of psychiatric hospitalizations. The backward stepwise regression was applied to identify the most significant factors connected to self-stigma. The regression analysis identified the following regressors as the most relevant to self-stigma: the number of previous psychiatric hospitalizations, the severity of the disorder rated by a psychiatrist, and the difference between the objective rating and the subjective rating of the severity of the disorder. Conclusion Outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, who have undergone a higher number of psychiatric hospitalizations, who dispose of a higher severity of the disorder and show a higher discrepancy between their rating of the severity and the psychiatric rating, showed a greater degree of self-stigma. The management of self-stigma in patients with schizophrenia should be implemented in the routine care. PMID:27920538

Efficiency assessment of shock wave therapy in patients with pelvic pain employing harmonic analysis of penile bioimpedance.

PubMed

Khodyreva, L A; Dudareva, A A; Mudraya, I S; Markosyan, T G; Revenko, S V; Kumachev, K V; Logvinov, L A

2013-06-01

In searching for novel objective methods to diagnosticate pelvic pain and assess efficiency of analgesic therapy, 37 male patients were examined prior to and after the course of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (5-10 sessions) with the waves directed to projections of prostate and/or crura and shaft of the penis. The repetition rate of mechanical pulses was 3-5 Hz. The range of energy pulse density was 0.09-0.45 mJ/mm(2). The overall number of pulses in a session was 1500-3000 in any treated zone with total energy smaller than 60 J. The applicator was relocated every other series of 300-500 pulses. Effect of the shock wave therapy was assessed according to subjective symptomatic scales: International Prostate Symptom Score, International Index of Erectile Function, Quality of Life, and nociceptive Visual Analog Scale. The objective assessment of shock wave therapy was performed with harmonic analysis of penile bioimpedance variability, which quantitatively evaluated the low-frequency rhythmic and asynchronous activities at rest as well as the total pulsatile activity of the penis. The magnitude of spectrum components of bioimpedance variations was assessed with a novel parameter, the effective impedance. The spectral parameters were measured in 16 patients prior to and after the treatment course. The corresponding control values were measured in the group of healthy patients. Prior to the shock wave therapy course, all spectrum parameters of penile bioimpedance significantly differed from the control (p<0.05). After this course, low-frequency rhythmic and the total pulsatile activity decreased to normal, while asynchronous activity remained significantly different from the normal. The novel objective physiological criteria of pelvic pain diagnostics and efficiency of its treatment reflecting the regional features of circulation and neural activity corresponded to the clinical symptom scaling prior to and after the shock wave course, and on the whole, these criteria corroborated improvement of the patient state after this therapy.

Effect of Ethnicity, Dietary Intake and Physical Activity on Plasma Adiponectin Concentrations Among Malaysian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Chin, Koo Hui; Sathyasurya, Daniel Robert; Abu Saad, Hazizi; Jan Mohamed, Hamid Jan B

2013-01-01

Background The Malaysian Health and morbidity Survey (2006) reported the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among the Indian population compared to the Malay and Chinese populations. Many studies have supported the important role of adiponectin in insulin-sensitizing, which is associated with T2DM. These studies have raised a research question whether the variation in prevalence is related to the adiponectin concentrations or the lifestyle factors. Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine whether the adiponectin concentrations differ between the Malay, Chinese and the Indian populations with T2DM. It is to investigate the association of adiponectin concentrations with ethnicity, dietary intake and physical activity too. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 210 T2DM patients with mean (SD) age of 56.73 (10.23) years were recruited from Penang, Malaysia. Data on demographic background, medical history, anthropometry (weight, height, visceral fat, percentage of body fat and waist circumference), dietary intake (3 days 24 hours diet recall) and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were obtained accordingly. Plasma adiponectin and routine laboratory tests (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride) were performed according to standard procedure. Results After adjustment for physical activity and dietary intakes, the Indian population had significantly lower adiponectin concentrations (P = 0.003) when compared with the Malay and the Chinese populations, The Indian population also had significantly higher value of HbA1c (P = 0.017) and significantly lower HDL (P = 0.013). Plasma adiponectin concentrations was significantly associated with ethnicity (P = 0.011), dietary carbohydrate (P = 0.003) and physical activity total MET score (P = 0.026), after medical history, age, sex, total cholesterol and visceral fat adjusted. However, dietary carbohydrate and physical activity did not show significantly difference among the various ethnic groups. Conclusions In conclusion, lower concentration of adiponectin in the Indian population when compared with the Malay and the Chinese populations is not associated with lifestyle factors. The possibility of adiponectin gene polymorphism should be discussed further. PMID:24348588

The influence of abutment angulation on screw loosening of implants in the anterior maxilla.

PubMed

Ha, Chun-Yeo; Lim, Yung-Jun; Kim, Myung-Joo; Choi, Jung-Han

2011-01-01

This study compared the removal torque values (RTVs) of different abutments (straight, angled, and gold premachined UCLA-type) in external- and internal-hex implants after dynamic cyclic loading with the clinical situation of the anterior maxilla simulated. An ideal cast of a maxilla with a missing right central incisor was fabricated in dental stone, and an implant analog was embedded in this model at a 15-degree angle labial to the long axis of the left central incisor. Thirty external-hex and 30 internal-hex implants were used. A total of 10 straight abutments, 10 angled abutments, and 10 gold premachined UCLA-type abutments of each system and 60 abutment screws were tested. Initial RTVs were measured after each assembly was tightened to 30 Ncm. Straight abutments and angled abutments were prepared and gold-premachined UCLA-type abutments were waxed and cast with low-fusing gold alloy for the central incisor. RTVs were then measured again. After each assembly was tightened, a metal crown was temporarily cemented. After cyclic loading of 20 to 200 N was applied 1 million times, RTVs were measured for a third time. Statistical analysis (alpha = .05) was performed to evaluate the results. The angled abutment group showed significantly higher RTVs than the straight abutment and gold premachined UCLA-type abutment groups in external-hex implants. However, no significant difference in RTVs was found among abutments in internal-hex implants. The time of analysis of RTV was found to significantly influence mean RTVs. Mean RTVs of external- and internal-hex implants showed significant differences. Within the limitations of this study, there were significant differences in RTVs among different abutment groups in external-hex implants. There were no significant differences in RTVs among different abutment groups in internal-hex implants.

ASAS 095221-4329.8 und ASAS 123034-7703.9 - zwei R-CrB-Stern-Kandidaten aus der ASAS-Datenbank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huemmerich, Stefan

2011-04-01

During an examination of ASAS Misc-type objects, the stars ASAS 095221-4329.8 GSC 07706-00560, 09:52:21.38 -43:29:40.5) and ASAS 123034-7703.9 (GSC 09416-00380, 12:30:34.22 -77:03:52.7) - both of which show semi-regular variability - were found to exhibit significant obscuration events in their V-band lightcurves. Both stars are likely to be red giants undergoing fading events, possibly of DY Per-type. However, spectroscopy of both stars is needed for a conclusive classification. The corresponding entries in the International Variable Star Index (VSX) have been revised accordingly; variability type was set to "RCB:".

Ergonomics perspective for identifying and reducing internal operative flow disruption for laparoscopic urological surgery.

PubMed

Al-Hakim, Latif; Xiao, Jiaquan; Sengupta, Shomik

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to examine operative flow disruption that occurs inside the surgical field, (internal operative flow disruption (OFD)), during urological laparoscopies, and to relate those events to external ergonomics environment in terms of monitor location, level of instruments' handles, and location of surgical team members. According to the our best knowledge, this is the first study of its kind. A combination of real and video-aided observational study was conducted in the operating rooms at hospitals in Australia and China. Brain storming sessions were first conducted to identify the main internal OFD events, and the observable reasons, potential external, and latent ergonomic factors were listed. A prospective observational study was then conducted. The observer's records and the related video records of internal surgical fields were analysed. Procedures were categorised into groups based on similarity in ergonomics environment. The mapping process revealed 39 types of internal OFD events resulted from six reasons. A total of 24 procedures were selected and arranged into two groups, each with twelve procedures. Group A was carried out under satisfactory ergonomics environment, while Group B was conducted under unsatisfactory ergonomics environment. A total of 1178 OFD events were detected delaying the total observed operative times (2966 min) by 220 min (7.43%). Average OFD/h in group A was less than 15, while in group B about 29 OFD/h. There are two main latent ergonomics factors affecting the surgeon's performance; non-physiological posture and long-period static posture. The delays and number of internal OFD were nearly doubled where procedures were conducted under unsatisfactory external ergonomics environment. Some events such as stopping operation and irrelevant conversations during long procedures may have a positive influence on the surgeon's performance.

Augmenting cognitive architectures to support diagrammatic imagination.

PubMed

Chandrasekaran, Balakrishnan; Banerjee, Bonny; Kurup, Unmesh; Lele, Omkar

2011-10-01

Diagrams are a form of spatial representation that supports reasoning and problem solving. Even when diagrams are external, not to mention when there are no external representations, problem solving often calls for internal representations, that is, representations in cognition, of diagrammatic elements and internal perceptions on them. General cognitive architectures--Soar and ACT-R, to name the most prominent--do not have representations and operations to support diagrammatic reasoning. In this article, we examine some requirements for such internal representations and processes in cognitive architectures. We discuss the degree to which DRS, our earlier proposal for such an internal representation for diagrams, meets these requirements. In DRS, the diagrams are not raw images, but a composition of objects that can be individuated and thus symbolized, while, unlike traditional symbols, the referent of the symbol is an object that retains its perceptual essence, namely, its spatiality. This duality provides a way to resolve what anti-imagists thought was a contradiction in mental imagery: the compositionality of mental images that seemed to be unique to symbol systems, and their support of a perceptual experience of images and some types of perception on them. We briefly review the use of DRS to augment Soar and ACT-R with a diagrammatic representation component. We identify issues for further research. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Genomic Sequencing of Bordetella pertussis for Epidemiology and Global Surveillance of Whooping Cough.

PubMed

Bouchez, Valérie; Guglielmini, Julien; Dazas, Mélody; Landier, Annie; Toubiana, Julie; Guillot, Sophie; Criscuolo, Alexis; Brisse, Sylvain

2018-06-01

Bordetella pertussis causes whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory disease that is reemerging in many world regions. The spread of antigen-deficient strains may threaten acellular vaccine efficacy. Dynamics of strain transmission are poorly defined because of shortcomings in current strain genotyping methods. Our objective was to develop a whole-genome genotyping strategy with sufficient resolution for local epidemiologic questions and sufficient reproducibility to enable international comparisons of clinical isolates. We defined a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme comprising 2,038 loci and demonstrated its congruence with whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism variation. Most cases of intrafamilial groups of isolates or of multiple isolates recovered from the same patient were distinguished from temporally and geographically cocirculating isolates. However, epidemiologically unrelated isolates were sometimes nearly undistinguishable. We set up a publicly accessible core genome multilocus sequence typing database to enable global comparisons of B. pertussis isolates, opening the way for internationally coordinated surveillance.

Effects of levan-type fructan on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, diarrhoea scores, faecal shedding of total lactic acid bacteria and coliform bacteria, and faecal gas emission in weaning pigs.

PubMed

Lei, Xin Jian; Kim, Yong Min; Park, Jae Hong; Baek, Dong Heon; Nyachoti, Charles Martin; Kim, In Ho

2018-03-01

The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in feed has been fully or partially banned in several countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of levan-type fructan on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal shedding of lactic acid bacteria and coliform bacteria, diarrhoea scores, and faecal gas emission in weaning pigs. A total of 144 weaning pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] were randomly allocated to four diets: corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with 0, 0.1, 0.5, or 1.0 g kg -1 levan-type fructan during this 42-day experiment. During days 0 to 21 and 0 to 42, average daily gain and average daily feed intake were linearly increased (P < 0.01) with increasing dietary levan-type fructan inclusion. The apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and gross energy were linearly increased (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary levan-type fructan content. With increasing levels of levan-type fructan, faecal lactic acid bacteria counts were linearly increased (P = 0.001). The results indicate that dietary supplementation with increasing levan-type fructan enhanced growth performance, improved nutrient digestibility, and increased faecal lactic acid bacteria counts in weaning pigs linearly. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Application of water quality index to evaluate groundwater quality (temporal and spatial variation) of an intensively exploited aquifer (Puebla valley, Mexico).

PubMed

Salcedo-Sánchez, Edith R; Garrido Hoyos, Sofía E; Esteller Alberich, Ma Vicenta; Martínez Morales, Manuel

2016-10-01

The spatial and temporal variation of water quality in the urban area of the Puebla Valley aquifer was evaluated using historical and present data obtained during this investigation. The current study assessed water quality based on the Water Quality Index developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME-WQI), which provides a mathematical framework to evaluate the quality of water in combination with a set of conditions representing quality criteria, or limits. This index is flexible regarding the type and number of variables used by the evaluation given that the variables of interest are selected according to the characteristics and objectives of development, conservation and compliance with regulations. The CCME-WQI was calculated using several variables that assess the main use of the wells in the urban area that is public supply, according to criteria for human use and consumption established by Mexican law and international standards proposed by the World Health Organization. The assessment of the index shows a gradual deterioration in the quality of the aquifer over time, as the amount of wells with excellent quality have decreased and those with lower index values (poor quality) have increased throughout the urban area of the Puebla Valley aquifer. The parameters affecting groundwater quality are: total dissolved solids, sulfate, calcium, magnesium and total hardness.

Idiopathic dental pulp calcifications in a tertiary care setting in South India

PubMed Central

Satheeshkumar, PS; Mohan, Minu P; Saji, Sweta; Sadanandan, Sudheesh; George, Giju

2013-01-01

Background: Dental pulp calcifications are unique and represent the dental pulp regenerative process. Dental pulp calcifications are sometimes routine findings in oral radiographs and may later serve as an important diagnostic criterion for a hidden aspect of systemic illness. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the patterns and prevalence of idiopathic dental pulp calcifications in a tertiary care setting in South India. Materials and Methods: A total of 227 patients were included in the study fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Age range of the study population was from 15 to 70 years. Teeth were examined under digital panoramic radiograph. The presence or absence of pulp stones was recorded. The presence of pulp stone were categorized according to the types classified as Type I, Type IA, Type II, Type IIA, Type II B, and Type III. The frequency of occurrence of pulp stones with sex, tooth type, dental arches, and types were compared with the types of calcification. Results: Total no. of patients with pulpal calcification were 227 [females 133 (58.59%) and males 94 (41.40%)]. The most common type between both sexes was Type I (48%). Total no. of teeth with calcification was 697; maxilla (48%), mandible (52%). The prevalence of pulp stone was found to be higher in the molars in both the arches. Most no. of pulp stones are reported at the third and fourth decade of life. Conclusion: Idiopathic dental pulp calcifications are incidental radiographic findings of the pulp tissue and also may be an indicator of underlying disease. PMID:23349577

RT-MATRIX: Measuring Total Organic Carbon by Photocatalytic Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inevitably accumulate in enclosed habitats such as the International Space Station and the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) as a result of human metabolism, material off-gassing, and leaking equipment. Some VOCs can negatively affect the quality of the crew's life, health, and performance; and consequently, the success of the mission. Air quality must be closely monitored to ensure a safe living and working environment. Currently, there is no reliable air quality monitoring system that meets NASA's stringent requirements for power, mass, volume, or performance. The ultimate objective of the project -- the development of a Real-Time, Miniaturized, Autonomous Total Risk Indicator System (RT.MATRIX).is to provide a portable, dual-function sensing system that simultaneously determines total organic carbon (TOC) and individual contaminants in air streams.

Description of the case mix experienced by chiropractic students during a clinical internship.

PubMed

Puhl, Aaron A; Reinhart, Christine J; Injeyan, H Stephen; Tibbles, Anthony

2017-10-01

The primary objective of this study was to describe the case mix experienced by chiropractic students during their clinical internship at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Secondary objectives were to characterize teaching clinic patient populations, assess the similarity to previously published data for practicing chiropractors, and describe the treatment plans being recommended by interns. A prospective, observational study was conducted using a convenience sample of 24 chiropractic interns. Data were collected by interns using a standardized form that was completed for each new patient and each new complaint examined during the 1-year internship. Standardized forms included data regarding patient demographics, complaint characteristics, and treatment recommendations. Data were included for 23 of 24 participating interns, who described 828 patients and a total of 948 unique complaint presentations. Overall, 60% of patients were female, 86% were 18 to 64 years old, and 23% were naive to chiropractic care. Of all presenting complaints, 93% were pain-based, 67% were chronic, 65% included spinal complaints, and 7% presented with red flags; individual interns' experiences were variable and are described. On average, treatment recommendations called for 9.4 visits and often included multimodal treatment approaches, most commonly soft-tissue therapies (91%), home-based active care (84%), and spine manipulation (70%). The findings of this study suggest that patients presenting to CMCC teaching clinics are similar to those reported previously to attend private chiropractic clinics. While all participating interns encountered multiple complex clinical cases, very few had experience with pediatric populations. This study adds to the few that detail the characteristics of patients attending chiropractic teaching clinics; to our knowledge it is the first to describe average case loads of chiropractic interns.

KSC-07pd3316

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians help lift the first of the Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, from a shipping container. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard space shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-123. It will be installed in Endeavour's payload bay. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3317

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians get ready to remove another Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, from a shipping container. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard space shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-123. It will be installed in Endeavour's payload bay. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3315

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians get ready to remove one of two Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, from a shipping container. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard space shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-123. It will be installed in Endeavour's payload bay. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3318

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two Materials International Space Station Experiments, or MISSE, is moved across facility toward space shuttle Endeavour. The MISSE is part of the payload onboard Endeavour for mission STS-123 and will be installed in the payload bay. The MISSE project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the International Space Station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Terminology and classification of muscle injuries in sport: The Munich consensus statement

PubMed Central

Mueller-Wohlfahrt, Hans-Wilhelm; Haensel, Lutz; Mithoefer, Kai; Ekstrand, Jan; English, Bryan; McNally, Steven; Orchard, John; van Dijk, C Niek; Kerkhoffs, Gino M; Schamasch, Patrick; Blottner, Dieter; Swaerd, Leif; Goedhart, Edwin; Ueblacker, Peter

2013-01-01

Objective To provide a clear terminology and classification of muscle injuries in order to facilitate effective communication among medical practitioners and development of systematic treatment strategies. Methods Thirty native English-speaking scientists and team doctors of national and first division professional sports teams were asked to complete a questionnaire on muscle injuries to evaluate the currently used terminology of athletic muscle injury. In addition, a consensus meeting of international sports medicine experts was established to develop practical and scientific definitions of muscle injuries as well as a new and comprehensive classification system. Results The response rate of the survey was 63%. The responses confirmed the marked variability in the use of the terminology relating to muscle injury, with the most obvious inconsistencies for the term strain. In the consensus meeting, practical and systematic terms were defined and established. In addition, a new comprehensive classification system was developed, which differentiates between four types: functional muscle disorders (type 1: overexertion-related and type 2: neuromuscular muscle disorders) describing disorders without macroscopic evidence of fibre tear and structural muscle injuries (type 3: partial tears and type 4: (sub)total tears/tendinous avulsions) with macroscopic evidence of fibre tear, that is, structural damage. Subclassifications are presented for each type. Conclusions A consistent English terminology as well as a comprehensive classification system for athletic muscle injuries which is proven in the daily practice are presented. This will help to improve clarity of communication for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and can serve as the basis for future comparative studies to address the continued lack of systematic information on muscle injuries in the literature. What are the new things Consensus definitions of the terminology which is used in the field of muscle injuries as well as a new comprehensive classification system which clearly defines types of athletic muscle injuries. Level of evidence Expert opinion, Level V. PMID:23080315

FRED: an innovative approach to nursing home level-of-care assignments.

PubMed

Morris, J N; Sherwood, S; May, M I; Bernstein, E

1987-04-01

A clear need currently exists to consider new approaches for classifying nursing home residents. The traditional intermediate care facility/skilled nursing facility (ICF/SNF) dichotomy cannot provide adequate information on the type of care required by any one individual, and it provides only the most limited information required to address the care and quality-of-life needs of the total patient population within a facility, as well as the level of reimbursement appropriate for their care. This article describes an alternative procedure for allocating nursing home residents according to a more comprehensive array of internally homogeneous categories. This system is based on an operational perspective focused on the total nursing and staffing requirements for types of nursing home residents. The tool is titled "Functionally Ranked Explanatory Designations," or FRED.

FRED: an innovative approach to nursing home level-of-care assignments.

PubMed Central

Morris, J N; Sherwood, S; May, M I; Bernstein, E

1987-01-01

A clear need currently exists to consider new approaches for classifying nursing home residents. The traditional intermediate care facility/skilled nursing facility (ICF/SNF) dichotomy cannot provide adequate information on the type of care required by any one individual, and it provides only the most limited information required to address the care and quality-of-life needs of the total patient population within a facility, as well as the level of reimbursement appropriate for their care. This article describes an alternative procedure for allocating nursing home residents according to a more comprehensive array of internally homogeneous categories. This system is based on an operational perspective focused on the total nursing and staffing requirements for types of nursing home residents. The tool is titled "Functionally Ranked Explanatory Designations," or FRED. PMID:3570811

Three-dimensional description and mathematical characterization of the parasellar internal carotid artery in human infants

PubMed Central

Meng, Stefan; da F Costa, Luciano; Geyer, Stefan H; Viana, Matheus P; Reiter, Christian; Müller, Gerd B; Weninger, Wolfgang J

2008-01-01

Inside the ‘cavernous sinus’ or ‘parasellar region’ the human internal carotid artery takes the shape of a siphon that is twisted and torqued in three dimensions and surrounded by a network of veins. The parasellar section of the internal carotid artery is of broad biological and medical interest, as its peculiar shape is associated with temperature regulation in the brain and correlated with the occurrence of vascular pathologies. The present study aims to provide anatomical descriptions and objective mathematical characterizations of the shape of the parasellar section of the internal carotid artery in human infants and its modifications during ontogeny. Three-dimensional (3D) computer models of the parasellar section of the internal carotid artery of infants were generated with a state-of-the-art 3D reconstruction method and analysed using both traditional morphometric methods and novel mathematical algorithms. We show that four constant, demarcated bends can be described along the infant parasellar section of the internal carotid artery, and we provide measurements of their angles. We further provide calculations of the curvature and torsion energy, and the total complexity of the 3D skeleton of the parasellar section of the internal carotid artery, and compare the complexity of this in infants and adults. Finally, we examine the relationship between shape parameters of the parasellar section of the internal carotid artery in infants, and the occurrence of intima cushions, and evaluate the reliability of subjective angle measurements for characterizing the complexity of the parasellar section of the internal carotid artery in infants. The results can serve as objective reference data for comparative studies and for medical imaging diagnostics. They also form the basis for a new hypothesis that explains the mechanisms responsible for the ontogenetic transformation in the shape of the parasellar section of the internal carotid artery. PMID:18397239

Responsive eLearning exercises to enhance student interaction with metabolic pathways.

PubMed

Roesler, William J; Dreaver-Charles, Kristine

2018-05-01

Successful learning of biochemistry requires students to engage with the material. In the past this often involved students writing out pathways by hand, and more recently directing students to online resources such as videos, songs, and animated slide presentations. However, even these latter resources do not really provide students an opportunity to engage with the material in an active fashion. As part of an online introductory metabolism course that was developed at our university, we created a series of twelve online interactive activities using Adobe Captivate 9. These activities targeted glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, glycogen metabolism, the citric acid cycle, and fatty acid oxidation. The interactive exercises consisted of two types. One involved dragging objects such as names of enzymes or allosteric modifiers to their correct drop locations such as a particular point in a metabolic pathway, a specific enzyme, and so forth. A second type involved clicking on objects, locations within a pathway, and so forth, in response to a particular question. In both types of exercises, students received feedback on their decisions in order to enhance learning. The student feedback received on these activities was very positive, and indicated that they found them to increase their confidence in the material and that they had learned the key principles of each pathway. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(3):223-229, 2018. © 2018 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Comparison of Hand Function Between Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Children Without Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Atay, Canan; Kaya Mutlu, Ebru; Taskiran, Hanifegul; Ozgen, Ilker Tolga

2018-01-01

This study compared the hand function of children between the ages of 8 and 12 years with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with that of children without diabetes. The Modified Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test and the Purdue Pegboard Test were used to assess hand function. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 was used for evaluating health-related quality of life. Duration of writing was found to be significantly longer on the dominant side of the T1DM group compared with the children without T1DM. The durations of card turning, moving large, light objects, and large, heavy objects on the nondominant side of the T1DM group were also found to be significantly longer than those in the children without T1DM. The total scale score of health-related quality of life was significantly lower in the T1DM group compared with the children without T1DM. T1DM affects hand function, particularly the dominant side for writing and nondominant side for card turning and moving large objects.

International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) ultraviolet spectral atlas of selected astronomical objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Chi-Chao; Reichert, Gail A.; Ake, Thomas B.; Boggess, Albert; Holm, Albert V.; Imhoff, Catherine L.; Kondo, Yoji; Mead, Jaylee M.; Shore, Steven N.

1992-01-01

The IUE Ultraviolet Spectral Atlas of Selected Astronomical Objects (or 'the Atlas'), is based on the data that were available in the IUE archive in 1986, and is intended to be a quick reference for the ultraviolet spectra of many categories of astronomical objects. It shows reflected sunlight from the Moon, planets, and asteroids, and also shows emission from comets. Comprehensive compilations of UV spectra for main sequence, subgiant, giant, bright giant, and supergiant stars are published elsewhere. This Atlas contains the spectra for objects occupying other areas of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram: pre-main sequence stars, chemically peculiar stars, pulsating variables, subluminous stars, and Wolf-Rayet stars. This Atlas also presents phenomena such as the chromospheric and transition region emissions from late-type stars; composite spectra of stars, gas streams, accretion disks and gas envelopes of binary systems; the behavior of gas ejecta shortly after the outburst of novac and supernovac; and the H II regions, planetary nebulae, and supernova remnants. Population 2 stars, globular clusters, and luminous stars in the Magellanic Clouds, M31, and M33, are also included in this publication. Finally, the Atlas gives the ultraviolet spectra of galaxies of different Hubble types and of active galaxies.

The effects of fabric type, fabric width and model type on the cost of unit raw material in terms of apparel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilgiç, H.; Duru Baykal, P.

2017-10-01

The cost of the fabric which is the raw material of apparel constitutes approximately the half of the total product cost. So, it is highly important that the fabric should be used with the greatest productivity. Cost analysis are of great importance in terms of competitiveness of readymade clothing and apparel sector both in national and international markets. The proximity of costs to international average and the average cost of the countries that are competitors of Turkey in clothing market is essential for Turkey to sustain its effect in textile sector. In the contrary case, the sector won’t be able to maintain its competitive capacity sustainably [1].The main cost elements of textile and apparel sector consist of raw material, labor, energy and financing [2].

Total brain death: a reply to Alan Shewmon.

PubMed

Lee, Patrick; GriseZ, Germain

2012-06-01

D. Alan Shewmon has advanced a well-documented challenge to the widely accepted total brain death criterion for death of the human being. We show that Shewmon’s argument against this criterion is unsound, though he does refute the standard argument for that criterion. We advance a distinct argument for the total brain death criterion and answer likely objections. Since human beings are rational animals--sentient organisms of a specific type--the loss of the radical capacity for sentience (the capacity to sense or to develop the capacity to sense) involves a substantial change, the passing away of the human organism. In human beings total brain death involves the complete loss of the radical capacity for sentience, and so in human beings total brain death is death.

Social Disparity of Family Involvement in Hong Kong: Effect of Family Resources and Family Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Esther Sui-Chu

2006-01-01

Using data from Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this study examines the social disparity of family involvement. A total of 4,405 students from 140 Hong Kong secondary schools participated in the first cycle of PISA study identifying four types of…

Geographical Education and Society. Papers Presented at Commission on Geographical Education International Geographical Union (Sitges, Spain, August 25-31, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernando, Agustin, Ed.

Educational discourse is totally completely imbued with the values that affect the societies to which individuals belong. Those in the field of geographical education must examine those values in order to determine what type of geographical education is best for each society. The following papers contribute to this knowledge: "Presentation"…

Aquarius/SAC-D mission overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen, Amit; Kim, Yunjin; Caruso, Daniel; Lagerloef, Gary; Colomb, Raul; Yueh, Simon; Le Vine, David

2006-09-01

Aquarius/SAC-D is a cooperative international mission developed between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of United States of America (USA) and the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE) of Argentina. The overall mission objective is to contribute to the understanding of the total Earth system and the consequences of the natural and man-made changes in the environment of the planet. Major themes are: ocean surface salinity, carbon, water cycle, geo-hazards, and cryosphere.

Development of a Fitness-for-Duty Assessment Battery for Recovering Dismounted Warriors

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-07

pressure waves and can include injury to internal organs due to air pressure; secondary effects are due to objects that strike the victim, and tertiary...battery with a narrow stance ( knee to heel ) 3 lane configuration 1 target at a time, 10 targets total, targets appear at 75m; Targets appear at...balance himself due to the narrow base of support ( knee -to- heel ). 23 Figure 12. Phase 2: Mean (±SE

Self-stigma and quality of life in patients with depressive disorder: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Holubova, Michaela; Prasko, Jan; Ociskova, Marie; Marackova, Marketa; Grambal, Ales; Slepecky, Milos

2016-01-01

Self-stigma is a maladaptive psychosocial phenomenon that can affect many areas of patients' lives and have a negative impact on their quality of life (QoL). This study explored the association between self-stigma, QoL, demographic data, and the severity of symptoms in patients with depressive disorder. Patients who met the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, research criteria for depressive disorder were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All outpatients completed the following measurements: the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, demographic questionnaire, and the objective and subjective Clinical Global Impression-Severity scales that measure the severity of disorder. A total of 81 depressive disorder patients (with persistent affective disorder - dysthymia, major depressive disorder, or recurrent depressive disorder) and 43 healthy controls participated in this study. Compared with the healthy control group, a lower QoL was observed in patients with depressive disorder. The level of self-stigma correlated positively with total symptom severity score and negatively with QoL. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the overall rating of objective symptom severity and score of self-stigma were significantly associated with QoL. This study suggests a lower QoL in patients with depressive disorder in comparison with healthy controls and a negative impact of self-stigma level on QoL in patients suffering from depressive disorders.

Assessment of Disaster Relief Preparedness Capabilities Networks in the EUCOM, PACOM, and SOUTHCOM Areas of Responsibility

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

and livelihoods assets are looted or destroyed. Consistent with saving lives and curbing malnutrition , the overall objective of this core activity...Humanitarian NGOs in the PACOM AOR NGO Description Source Action Against Hunger Leader in the fight against malnutrition , Action Against Hunger... malnutrition , assessments are conducted using internationally accepted methods to understand the type, degree and extent of malnutrition and

Dexterous Robotic Hands: Kinematics and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-01

Halstead. Our first implementation was based largely on their Concert system. Secondly, I would like to thank David Kriegman, and George Gerpheide for...environment and the grasped object (see Brost et al. [1983]). It practice, using this type of control, we have been able to perform a number of...May, 1986. 19. Brost , R. C., "Automatic Grasp Planning in the Presence of Uncertainty", Proc. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and

Habitual sugar intake and cognitive function among middle-aged and older Puerto Ricans without diabetes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intake of added sugars, mainly fructose and sucrose, has been associated with risk factors for cognitive impairment, such as obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The objective of this analysis was to examine whether habitual intakes of total sugars, added sugars, sugar-sweetened bev...

Etravirine in CSF is highly protein bound

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Anh; Rossi, Steven; Croteau, David; Best, Brookie M.; Clifford, David; Collier, Ann C.; Gelman, Benjamin; Marra, Christina; McArthur, Justin; McCutchan, J. Allen; Morgello, Susan; Simpson, David; Ellis, Ronald J.; Grant, Igor; Capparelli, Edmund; Letendre, Scott; Ellis, Ronald J.; Letendre, Scott; Abramson, Ian; Al-Lozi, Muhammad; Atkinson, J. Hampton; Capparelli, Edmund; Clifford, David; Collier, Ann C.; Fennema-Notestine, Christine; Gamst, Anthony C.; Gelman, Benjamin; Heaton, Robert K.; Marcotte, Thomas D.; Marra, Christina; McCutchan, J. Allen; McArthur, Justin; Morgello, Susan; Simpson, David; Smith, Davey M.; Taylor, Michael J.; Theilmann, Rebecca; Vaida, Florin; Paul Woods, Steven; Cushman, Clint; Dawson, Matthew; Franklin, Donald; Jones, Trudy; Lewis, Kristen; Mintz, Letty; Teshome, Mengesha; Toperoff, Will

2013-01-01

Objectives Etravirine has high affinity for plasma drug-binding proteins, such as albumin and α1-acid glycoprotein, which limits the amount of unbound etravirine available to enter the CNS. The objective of this study was to compare total and unbound etravirine concentrations in CSF with plasma concentrations and the in vitro median inhibitory concentration (IC50) for wild-type HIV (0.9 ng/mL). Methods Total and bound etravirine concentrations were measured in 17 CSF and plasma pairs by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy, radioligand displacement and ultracentrifugation. Unbound etravirine concentrations were calculated from the bound fraction. The dynamic range of the assay was 7.8–2000 (plasma) and 0.78–200 (CSF) ng/mL. Results Subjects were mostly middle-aged (median 43 years) white (78%) men (89%). All CSF etravirine concentrations were above the limit of quantification. Total and unbound median etravirine concentrations in CSF were 9.5 (IQR 6.4, 26.4) and 0.13 (IQR 0.08, 0.27) ng/mL, respectively. Etravirine was 96% (IQR 94.5, 97.2) protein bound in plasma and 98.4% (IQR 97.8, 98.8) in CSF. Total etravirine in CSF was 4.3% (IQR 3, 5.9) of total and 101% (IQR 76, 160) of unbound etravirine in plasma. There were no significant correlations between unbound etravirine concentrations and concentrations of albumin in plasma or CSF. Unbound etravirine concentrations in CSF did not reach the wild-type IC50 in any of the specimens. Conclusions Unbound etravirine may not achieve optimal concentrations to inhibit HIV replication in the CNS. PMID:23335197

Factors Associated With Pharmacy Student Interest in International Study

PubMed Central

Owen, Chelsea; Breheny, Patrick; Ingram, Richard; Pfeifle, William; Cain, Jeff

2013-01-01

Objectives. To examine the interest of pharmacy students in international study, the demographic factors and involvement characteristics associated with that interest, and the perceived advantages and barriers of engaging in international opportunities during pharmacy school. Methods. A self-administered electronic survey instrument was distributed to first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Results. There were 192 total respondents, for a response rate of 50.9%. Seventy-two percent reported interest in international study. Previous international study experience (p=0.001), previous international travel experience (p=0.002), year in pharmacy school (p=0.03), level of academic involvement (p<0.001), and level of diversity involvement (p<0.001) were associated with international study interest. Positive influences to international study included desire to travel and availability of scholarships. Perceived barriers included an inability to pay expenses and lack of foreign language knowledge. Conclusions. The needs and interests of pharmacy students should be considered in the development and expansion of internationalization programs in order to effectively optimize global partnerships and available international experiences. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should engage students early in the curriculum when interest in study-abroad opportunities is highest and seek to alleviate concerns about expenses as a primary influence on study-abroad decisions through provision of financial assistance. PMID:23610472

Factors associated with pharmacy student interest in international study.

PubMed

Owen, Chelsea; Breheny, Patrick; Ingram, Richard; Pfeifle, William; Cain, Jeff; Ryan, Melody

2013-04-12

OBJECTIVES. To examine the interest of pharmacy students in international study, the demographic factors and involvement characteristics associated with that interest, and the perceived advantages and barriers of engaging in international opportunities during pharmacy school. METHODS. A self-administered electronic survey instrument was distributed to first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. RESULTS. There were 192 total respondents, for a response rate of 50.9%. Seventy-two percent reported interest in international study. Previous international study experience (p=0.001), previous international travel experience (p=0.002), year in pharmacy school (p=0.03), level of academic involvement (p<0.001), and level of diversity involvement (p<0.001) were associated with international study interest. Positive influences to international study included desire to travel and availability of scholarships. Perceived barriers included an inability to pay expenses and lack of foreign language knowledge. CONCLUSIONS. The needs and interests of pharmacy students should be considered in the development and expansion of internationalization programs in order to effectively optimize global partnerships and available international experiences. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should engage students early in the curriculum when interest in study-abroad opportunities is highest and seek to alleviate concerns about expenses as a primary influence on study-abroad decisions through provision of financial assistance.

Evolutionary behaviour of AGN: Investigations on BL Lac objects and Seyfert II galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckmann, V.

2000-12-01

The evolution and nature of AGN is still one of the enigmatic questions in astrophysics. While large and complete Quasar samples are available, special classes of AGN, like BL Lac objects and Seyfert II galaxies, are still rare objects. In this work I present two new AGN samples. The first one is the HRX-BL Lac survey, resulting in a sample of X-ray selected BL Lac objects. This sample results from 223 BL Lac candidates based on a correlation of X-ray sources with radio sources. The identification of this sample is 98% complete. 77 objects have been identified as BL Lac objects and form the HRX-BL Lac complete sample, the largest homogeneous sample of BL Lac objects existing today. For this sample, redshifts are now known for 62 objects (81 %). In total I present 101 BL Lac objects in the enlarged HRX-BL Lac survey, for which redshift information is available for 84 objects. During the HRX-BL Lac survey I found several objects of special interest. 1ES 1517+656 turned out to be the brightest known BL Lac object in the universe. 1ES 0927+500 could be the first BL Lac object with a line detected in the X-ray region. RX J1211+2242 is probably the the counterpart of the up to now unidentified gamma-ray source 3EG J1212+2304. Additionally I present seven candidates for ultra high frequency peaked BL Lac objects. RX J1054+3855 and RX J1153+3517 are rare high redshift X-ray bright QSO or accreting binary systems with huge magnetic fields. For the BL Lac objects I suggest an unified scenario in which giant elliptical galaxies, formed by merging events of spiral galaxies at z > 2, start as powerful, radio dominated BL Lacs. As the jet gets less powerful, the BL Lacs start to get more X-ray dominated, showing less total luminosities (for z < 1). This effect is seen in the different evolutionary behavior detected in high and low frequency cut off BL Lac objects (HBL and LBL, respectively). The model of negative evolution is supported by assumptions about the energetic effects which contribute to the BL Lac phenomenon. I also suggest an extension of the BL Lac definition to objects with a calcium break up to 40%, but do not support for the HBL the idea of allowing emission lines in the spectra of BL Lac galaxies. A way to find high redshift BL Lac objects might be the identification of faint X-ray sources (e.g. from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey) with neither optical nor radio counterpart in prominent databases (e.g. POSS plates for the optical, and NVSS/FIRST radio catalogues). The Seyfert II survey on the southern hemisphere derived a sample of 29 galaxies with 22 in a complete sample. The selection procedure developed in this work is able to select Seyfert II candidates with a success rate of ~40%. The Seyfert II galaxies outnumber the Seyfert I by a factor of 3...4 when comparing the total flux of the objects, but are less numerous than the type I objects when studying the core luminosity function. This luminosity function of the Seyfert II cores is the first one presented up to now. Hence it is possible to estimate the number of luminous Type II AGN, and the conclusion is drawn that absorbed AGN with MV < -28 mag might not exist within the universe. In 25 % of the Seyfert II galaxies I find evidence for merging events. In collaboration with Roberto Della Ceca I also showed that it is possible to find Type II AGN by selecting "hard" X-ray sources. I present a prototype of a Type II AGN found within this project. This work might be the basis to explore the universe for rare objects like BL Lacs and Seyfert II galaxies at higher redshifts. This could give an answer to the question: Whether there are BL Lac objects at redshifts z >> 1 and Type II Quasars or not. In summary the AGN phenomenon appears to be linked closely to merging and interacting events. For the BL Lac phenomenon the merging area seems to form the progenitor, while the Seyfert II phenomenon could be triggered by merging events. The role of star burst activity in terms of activity of the central engine remains illusive.

Age, environment, object recognition and morphological diversity of GFAP-immunolabeled astrocytes.

PubMed

Diniz, Daniel Guerreiro; de Oliveira, Marcus Augusto; de Lima, Camila Mendes; Fôro, César Augusto Raiol; Sosthenes, Marcia Consentino Kronka; Bento-Torres, João; da Costa Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando; Anthony, Daniel Clive; Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço

2016-10-10

Few studies have explored the glial response to a standard environment and how the response may be associated with age-related cognitive decline in learning and memory. Here we investigated aging and environmental influences on hippocampal-dependent tasks and on the morphology of an unbiased selected population of astrocytes from the molecular layer of dentate gyrus, which is the main target of perforant pathway. Six and twenty-month-old female, albino Swiss mice were housed, from weaning, in a standard or enriched environment, including running wheels for exercise and tested for object recognition and contextual memories. Young adult and aged subjects, independent of environment, were able to distinguish familiar from novel objects. All experimental groups, except aged mice from standard environment, distinguish stationary from displaced objects. Young adult but not aged mice, independent of environment, were able to distinguish older from recent objects. Only young mice from an enriched environment were able to distinguish novel from familiar contexts. Unbiased selected astrocytes from the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus were reconstructed in three-dimensions and classified using hierarchical cluster analysis of bimodal or multimodal morphological features. We found two morphological phenotypes of astrocytes and we designated type I the astrocytes that exhibited significantly higher values of morphological complexity as compared with type II. Complexity = [Sum of the terminal orders + Number of terminals] × [Total branch length/Number of primary branches]. On average, type I morphological complexity seems to be much more sensitive to age and environmental influences than that of type II. Indeed, aging and environmental impoverishment interact and reduce the morphological complexity of type I astrocytes at a point that they could not be distinguished anymore from type II. We suggest these two types of astrocytes may have different physiological roles and that the detrimental effects of aging on memory in mice from a standard environment may be associated with a reduction of astrocytes morphological diversity.

Field Measurement of Surface Ship Magnetic Signature Using Multiple AUVs

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

been equipped with a tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer and used to perform preliminary magnetic field measurements. Measurements of this type will be...mounted on the AUVs, shown in Fig. 1, was a three-axis fluxgate type [16] magnetometer with a range of ±100,000 nT and a sensitivity of 100μV/nT. The...surface ship. The system will employ a formation of multiple AUVs, each equipped with a magnetometer . The objective is to measure total magnetic

Substorm Occurrence and Intensity Associated With Three Types of Solar Wind Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Kan; Sotirelis, Thomas; Richardson, Ian

2018-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study of the characteristics of substorms that occurred during three distinct types of solar wind: coronal mass ejection (CME) associated, high-speed streams (HSS), and slow solar wind (SSW). A total number of 53,468 geomagnetic substorm onsets from 1983 to 2009 is used and sorted by the three solar wind types. It is found that the probability density function (PDF) of the intersubstorm time can be fitted by the combination of a dominant power law with an exponential cutoff component and a minor lognormal component, implying that substorms are associated with two distinctly different dynamical processes corresponding, perhaps, to the "externally driven" and "internally driven" processes, respectively. We compare substorm frequency and intensity associated with the three types of solar wind. It is found that the intersubstorm time is the longest during SSW and shortest during CME intervals. The averaged intersubstorm time for the internally driven substorms is 3.13, 3.15, and 7.96 h for CME, HSS, and SSW, respectively. The substorm intensity PDFs, as represented by the peak value of |SML| (the generalization of AL), can be fitted by two lognormal distribution functions. The averaged substorm intensity for either component is largest for CME (292 and 674 nT) and smallest for SSW (265 and 434 nT). We argue that the externally driven substorms are more intense than those driven internally. We conclude that the dynamical process of substorms is controlled mainly by the direct solar wind-magnetosphere coupling, whereas the internally driven process only plays a very modest minor role.

Built-in hyperspectral camera for smartphone in visible, near-infrared and middle-infrared lights region (second report): sensitivity improvement of Fourier-spectroscopic imaging to detect diffuse reflection lights from internal human tissues for healthcare sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawashima, Natsumi; Hosono, Satsuki; Ishimaru, Ichiro

2016-05-01

We proposed the snapshot-type Fourier spectroscopic imaging for smartphone that was mentioned in 1st. report in this conference. For spectroscopic components analysis, such as non-invasive blood glucose sensors, the diffuse reflection lights from internal human skins are very weak for conventional hyperspectral cameras, such as AOTF (Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter) type. Furthermore, it is well known that the spectral absorption of mid-infrared lights or Raman spectroscopy especially in long wavelength region is effective to distinguish specific biomedical components quantitatively, such as glucose concentration. But the main issue was that photon energies of middle infrared lights and light intensities of Raman scattering are extremely weak. For improving sensitivity of our spectroscopic imager, the wide-field-stop & beam-expansion method was proposed. Our line spectroscopic imager introduced a single slit for field stop on the conjugate objective plane. Obviously to increase detected light intensities, the wider slit width of the field stop makes light intensities higher, regardless of deterioration of spatial resolutions. Because our method is based on wavefront-division interferometry, it becomes problems that the wider width of single slit makes the diffraction angle narrower. This means that the narrower diameter of collimated objective beams deteriorates visibilities of interferograms. By installing the relative inclined phaseshifter onto optical Fourier transform plane of infinity corrected optical systems, the collimated half flux of objective beams derived from single-bright points on objective surface penetrate through the wedge prism and the cuboid glass respectively. These two beams interfere each other and form the infererogram as spatial fringe patterns. Thus, we installed concave-cylindrical lens between the wider slit and objective lens as a beam expander. We successfully obtained the spectroscopic characters of hemoglobin from reflected lights from human fingers.

Development of a Thiolysis HPLC Method for the Analysis of Procyanidins in Cranberry Products.

PubMed

Gao, Chi; Cunningham, David G; Liu, Haiyan; Khoo, Christina; Gu, Liwei

2018-03-07

The objective of this study was to develop a thiolysis HPLC method to quantify total procyanidins, the ratio of A-type linkages, and A-type procyanidin equivalents in cranberry products. Cysteamine was utilized as a low-odor substitute of toluene-α-thiol for thiolysis depolymerization. A reaction temperature of 70 °C and reaction time of 20 min, in 0.3 M of HCl, were determined to be optimum depolymerization conditions. Thiolytic products of cranberry procyanidins were separated by RP-HPLC and identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Standards curves of good linearity were obtained on thiolyzed procyanidin dimer A2 and B2 external standards. The detection and quantification limits, recovery, and precision of this method were validated. The new method was applied to quantitate total procyanidins, average degree of polymerization, ratio of A-type linkages, and A-type procyanidin equivalents in cranberry products. Results showed that the method was suitable for quantitative and qualitative analysis of procyanidins in cranberry products.

Peripheral vestibular pathology in Mondini dysplasia.

PubMed

Kaya, Serdar; Hızlı, Ömer; Kaya, Fatıma Kübra; Monsanto, Rafael DaCosta; Paparella, Michael M; Cureoglu, Sebahattin

2017-01-01

In this study, our objective was to histopathologically analyze the peripheral vestibular system in patients with Mondini dysplasia. Comparative human temporal bone study. We assessed the sensory epithelium of the human vestibular system with a focus on the number of type I and type II hair cells, as well as the total number of hair cells. We compared those numbers in our Mondini dysplasia group versus our control group. The loss of type I and type II hair cells in the cristae of the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals, as well as in the saccular and utricular macula, was significantly higher in our Mondini dysplasia group than in our control group. The total number of hair cells significantly decreased in the cristae of the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals, as well as in the saccular and utricular macula, in our Mondini dysplasia group. Loss of vestibular hair cells can lead to vestibular dysfunction in patients with Mondini dysplasia. NA Laryngoscope, 127:206-209, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

What Kinds of Skills Are Necessary for Physicians Involved in International Disaster Response?

PubMed

Noguchi, Norihito; Inoue, Satoshi; Shimanoe, Chisato; Shibayama, Kaoru; Matsunaga, Hitomi; Tanaka, Sae; Ishibashi, Akina; Shinchi, Koichi

2016-08-01

Introduction Physicians are key disaster responders in foreign medical teams (FMTs) that provide medical relief to affected people. However, few studies have examined the skills required for physicians in real, international, disaster-response situations. Problem The objectives of this study were to survey the primary skills required for physicians from a Japanese FMT and to examine whether there were differences in the frequencies of performed skills according to demographic characteristics, previous experience, and dispatch situations to guide future training and certification programs. This cross-sectional survey used a self-administered questionnaire given to 64 physicians with international disaster-response site experience. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics (sex, age, years of experience as a physician, affiliation, and specialty), previous experience (domestic disaster-relief experience, international disaster-relief experience, or disaster medicine training experience), and dispatch situation (length of dispatch, post-disaster phase, disaster type, and place of dispatch). In addition, the frequencies of 42 performed skills were assessed via a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the participants' characteristics and total scores as the frequencies of performed skills. Mean scores for surgical skills, health care-related skills, public health skills, and management and coordination skills were compared according to the demographic characteristics, previous experience, and dispatch situations. Fifty-two valid questionnaires (81.3% response rate) were collected. There was a trend toward higher skill scores among those who had more previous international disaster-relief experience (P=.03). The more disaster medicine training experience the participants had, the higher their skill score was (P<.001). Physicians reported involvement in 23 disaster-relief response skills, nine of which were performed frequently. There was a trend toward higher scores for surgical skills, health care-related skills, and management and coordination skills related to more disaster medicine training experience. This study's findings can be used as evidence to boost the frequency of physicians' performed skills by promoting previous experience with international disaster relief and disaster medicine training. Additionally, these results may contribute to enhancing the quality of medical practice in the international disaster relief and disaster training curricula. Noguchi N , Inoue S , Shimanoe C , Shibayama K , Matsunaga H , Tanaka S , Ishibashi A , Shinchi K . What kinds of skills are necessary for physicians involved in international disaster response? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(4):397-406.

Primacy of the 3B approach to control risk factors for cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes patients.

PubMed

Ji, Linong; Hu, Dayi; Pan, Changyu; Weng, Jianping; Huo, Yong; Ma, Changsheng; Mu, Yiming; Hao, Chuanming; Ji, Qiuhe; Ran, Xingwu; Su, Benli; Zhuo, Hanjing; Fox, Keith A A; Weber, Michael; Zhang, Danyi

2013-10-01

Individually, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. While traditional management of Type 2 diabetes has focused mainly on glycemic control, robust evidence supports the integration of hypertension and dyslipidemia management to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The primary objective of this study was to assess the level of control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids (3Bs) among patients with type 2 diabetes. An additional objective was to investigate the impact of hospital type, physician specialty, treatment pattern, and patient profile on clinical outcomes. This was a cross-sectional, multicenter observational study. A nationally representative sample of outpatients with established type 2 diabetes were enrolled at hospitals representative of geographic regions, tiers, and physician specialties in China. Main clinical measurements were the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure, and total serum cholesterol in reference to target goals. A total of 25,817 adults with type 2 diabetes (mean age 62.6 years, 47% male) were enrolled at 104 hospitals. Seventy-two percent reported comorbid hypertension, dyslipidemia, or both. Patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were 6 times more likely to report a prior history of cardiovascular disease compared with those with type 2 diabetes alone. The mean HbA1c level was 7.6%. While 47.7%, 28.4%, and 36.1% of patients achieved the individual target goals for control of blood glucose (HbA1c <7%), blood pressure (systolic blood pressure <130 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure <80 mm Hg), and blood lipids (total cholesterol <4.5 mmol/L), respectively, only 5.6% achieved all 3 target goals. Lower body mass index (<24 kg/m(2)), no active smoking or drinking, higher education, and diabetes duration <5 years were independent predictors of better cardiovascular disease risk control. Achieving adequate control of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes remains a clinical challenge. Interventions to achieve control of 3Bs coupled with modification of additional cardiovascular disease predictors are crucial for optimization of clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AO Distal Radius Fracture Classification: Global Perspective on Observer Agreement.

PubMed

Jayakumar, Prakash; Teunis, Teun; Giménez, Beatriz Bravo; Verstreken, Frederik; Di Mascio, Livio; Jupiter, Jesse B

2017-02-01

Background  The primary objective of this study was to test interobserver reliability when classifying fractures by consensus by AO types and groups among a large international group of surgeons. Secondarily, we assessed the difference in inter- and intraobserver agreement of the AO classification in relation to geographical location, level of training, and subspecialty. Methods  A randomized set of radiographic and computed tomographic images from a consecutive series of 96 distal radius fractures (DRFs), treated between October 2010 and April 2013, was classified using an electronic web-based portal by an invited group of participants on two occasions. Results  Interobserver reliability was substantial when classifying AO type A fractures but fair and moderate for type B and C fractures, respectively. No difference was observed by location, except for an apparent difference between participants from India and Australia classifying type B fractures. No statistically significant associations were observed comparing interobserver agreement by level of training and no differences were shown comparing subspecialties. Intra-rater reproducibility was "substantial" for fracture types and "fair" for fracture groups with no difference accounting for location, training level, or specialty. Conclusion  Improved definition of reliability and reproducibility of this classification may be achieved using large international groups of raters, empowering decision making on which system to utilize. Level of Evidence  Level III.

AO Distal Radius Fracture Classification: Global Perspective on Observer Agreement

PubMed Central

Jayakumar, Prakash; Teunis, Teun; Giménez, Beatriz Bravo; Verstreken, Frederik; Di Mascio, Livio; Jupiter, Jesse B.

2016-01-01

Background The primary objective of this study was to test interobserver reliability when classifying fractures by consensus by AO types and groups among a large international group of surgeons. Secondarily, we assessed the difference in inter- and intraobserver agreement of the AO classification in relation to geographical location, level of training, and subspecialty. Methods A randomized set of radiographic and computed tomographic images from a consecutive series of 96 distal radius fractures (DRFs), treated between October 2010 and April 2013, was classified using an electronic web-based portal by an invited group of participants on two occasions. Results Interobserver reliability was substantial when classifying AO type A fractures but fair and moderate for type B and C fractures, respectively. No difference was observed by location, except for an apparent difference between participants from India and Australia classifying type B fractures. No statistically significant associations were observed comparing interobserver agreement by level of training and no differences were shown comparing subspecialties. Intra-rater reproducibility was “substantial” for fracture types and “fair” for fracture groups with no difference accounting for location, training level, or specialty. Conclusion Improved definition of reliability and reproducibility of this classification may be achieved using large international groups of raters, empowering decision making on which system to utilize. Level of Evidence Level III PMID:28119795

Very Luminous X-ray Point Sources in Starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Ptak, A.; Weaver, K. A.; Strickland, D.

Extranuclear X-ray point sources in external galaxies with luminosities above 1039.0 erg/s are quite common in elliptical, disk and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~ 0.5 and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~0.5 sources per galaxy. These objects may be a new class of object, perhaps accreting intermediate-mass black holes, or beamed stellar mass black hole binaries. Starburst galaxies tend to have a larger number of these intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects (IXOs), as well as a large number of lower-luminosity (1037 - 1039 erg/s) point sources. These point sources dominate the total hard X-ray emission in starburst galaxies. We present a review of both types of objects and discuss possible schemes for their formation.

A search for optical variability of type 2 quasars in SDSS stripe 82

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

Barth, Aaron J.; Carson, Daniel J.; Voevodkin, Alexey

Hundreds of Type 2 quasars have been identified in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, and there is substantial evidence that they are generally galaxies with highly obscured central engines, in accord with unified models for active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A straightforward expectation of unified models is that highly obscured Type 2 AGNs should show little or no optical variability on timescales of days to years. As a test of this prediction, we have carried out a search for variability in Type 2 quasars in SDSS Stripe 82 using difference-imaging photometry. Starting with the Type 2 AGN catalogs of Zakamskamore » et al. and Reyes et al., we find evidence of significant g-band variability in 17 out of 173 objects for which light curves could be measured from the Stripe 82 data. To determine the nature of this variability, we obtained new Keck spectropolarimetry observations for seven of these variable AGNs. The Keck data show that these objects have low continuum polarizations (p ≲ 1% in most cases) and all seven have broad Hα and/or Mg II emission lines in their total (unpolarized) spectra, indicating that they should actually be classified as Type 1 AGNs. We conclude that the primary reason variability is found in the SDSS-selected Type 2 AGN samples is that these samples contain a small fraction of Type 1 AGNs as contaminants, and it is not necessary to invoke more exotic possible explanations such as a population of 'naked' or unobscured Type 2 quasars. Aside from misclassified Type 1 objects, the Type 2 quasars do not generally show detectable optical variability over the duration of the Stripe 82 survey.« less

Fluid Structural Analysis of Human Cerebral Aneurysm Using Their Own Wall Mechanical Properties

PubMed Central

Valencia, Alvaro; Burdiles, Patricio; Ignat, Miguel; Mura, Jorge; Rivera, Rodrigo; Sordo, Juan

2013-01-01

Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD) simulations, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, and Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations were carried out in an anatomically realistic model of a saccular cerebral aneurysm with the objective of quantifying the effects of type of simulation on principal fluid and solid mechanics results. Eight CSD simulations, one CFD simulation, and four FSI simulations were made. The results allowed the study of the influence of the type of material elements in the solid, the aneurism's wall thickness, and the type of simulation on the modeling of a human cerebral aneurysm. The simulations use their own wall mechanical properties of the aneurysm. The more complex simulation was the FSI simulation completely coupled with hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin material, normal internal pressure, and normal variable thickness. The FSI simulation coupled in one direction using hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin material, normal internal pressure, and normal variable thickness is the one that presents the most similar results with respect to the more complex FSI simulation, requiring one-fourth of the calculation time. PMID:24151523

Internal consistency of the self-reporting questionnaire-20 in occupational groups

PubMed Central

Santos, Kionna Oliveira Bernardes; Carvalho, Fernando Martins; de Araújo, Tânia Maria

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To assess the internal consistency of the measurements of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) in different occupational groups. METHODS A validation study was conducted with data from four surveys with groups of workers, using similar methods. A total of 9,959 workers were studied. In all surveys, the common mental disorders were assessed via SRQ-20. The internal consistency considered the items belonging to dimensions extracted by tetrachoric factor analysis for each study. Item homogeneity assessment compared estimates of Cronbach’s alpha (KD-20), the alpha applied to a tetrachoric correlation matrix and stratified Cronbach’s alpha. RESULTS The SRQ-20 dimensions showed adequate values, considering the reference parameters. The internal consistency of the instrument items, assessed by stratified Cronbach’s alpha, was high (> 0.80) in the four studies. CONCLUSIONS The SRQ-20 showed good internal consistency in the professional categories evaluated. However, there is still a need for studies using alternative methods and additional information able to refine the accuracy of latent variable measurement instruments, as in the case of common mental disorders. PMID:27007682

Total variation iterative constraint algorithm for limited-angle tomographic reconstruction of non-piecewise-constant structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauze, W.; Makowski, P.; Kujawińska, M.

2015-06-01

Standard tomographic algorithms applied to optical limited-angle tomography result in the reconstructions that have highly anisotropic resolution and thus special algorithms are developed. State of the art approaches utilize the Total Variation (TV) minimization technique. These methods give very good results but are applicable to piecewise constant structures only. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for 3D limited-angle tomography - Total Variation Iterative Constraint method (TVIC) which enhances the applicability of the TV regularization to non-piecewise constant samples, like biological cells. This approach consists of two parts. First, the TV minimization is used as a strong regularizer to create a sharp-edged image converted to a 3D binary mask which is then iteratively applied in the tomographic reconstruction as a constraint in the object domain. In the present work we test the method on a synthetic object designed to mimic basic structures of a living cell. For simplicity, the test reconstructions were performed within the straight-line propagation model (SIRT3D solver from the ASTRA Tomography Toolbox), but the strategy is general enough to supplement any algorithm for tomographic reconstruction that supports arbitrary geometries of plane-wave projection acquisition. This includes optical diffraction tomography solvers. The obtained reconstructions present resolution uniformity and general shape accuracy expected from the TV regularization based solvers, but keeping the smooth internal structures of the object at the same time. Comparison between three different patterns of object illumination arrangement show very small impact of the projection acquisition geometry on the image quality.

IPHAS and the symbiotic stars . II. New discoveries and a sample of the most common mimics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corradi, R. L. M.; Valentini, M.; Munari, U.; Drew, J. E.; Rodríguez-Flores, E. R.; Viironen, K.; Greimel, R.; Santander-García, M.; Sabin, L.; Mampaso, A.; Parker, Q.; DePew, K.; Sale, S. E.; Unruh, Y. C.; Vink, J. S.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Barlow, M. J.; Lennon, D. J.; Groot, P. J.; Giammanco, C.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Walton, N. A.

2010-01-01

Context. Knowledge of the total population of symbiotic stars in the Galaxy is important for understanding basic aspects of stellar evolution in interacting binaries and the relevance of this class of objects in the formation of supernovae of type Ia. Aims: In a previous paper, we presented the selection criteria needed to search for symbiotic stars in IPHAS, the INT Hα survey of the Northern Galactic plane. IPHAS gives us the opportunity to make a systematic, complete search for symbiotic stars in a magnitude-limited volume. Methods: Follow-up spectroscopy at different telescopes worldwide of a sample of sixty two symbiotic star candidates is presented. Results: Seven out of nineteen S-type candidates observed spectroscopically are confirmed to be genuine symbiotic stars. The spectral type of their red giant components, as well as reddening and distance, were computed by modelling the spectra. Only one new D-type symbiotic system, out of forty-three candidates observed, was found. This was as expected (see discussion in our paper on the selection criteria). The object shows evidence for a high density outflow expanding at a speed ≥65 km s-1. Most of the other candidates are lightly reddened classical T Tauri stars and more highly reddened young stellar objects that may be either more massive young stars of HAeBe type or classical Be stars. In addition, a few notable objects have been found, such as three new Wolf-Rayet stars and two relatively high-luminosity evolved massive stars. We also found a helium-rich source, possibly a dense ejecta hiding a WR star, which is surrounded by a large ionized nebula. Conclusions: These spectroscopic data allow us to refine the selection criteria for symbiotic stars in the IPHAS survey and, more generally, to better understand the behaviour of different Hα emitters in the IPHAS and 2MASS colour-colour diagrams. Based on observations obtained at; the 2.6 m Nordic Optical Telescope operated by NOTSA; the 2.5 m INT and 4.2 m WHT telescopes of the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias; the 2.3 m ANU telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia; the Asiago 1.82 m telescope of the INAF Astronomical Observatory of Padova, Italy; and the 2.1 m telescope at San Pedro Martir, Mexico. Some of the INT spectra incorporated into this paper were obtained as part of a CCI International Time Programme awarded to the IPHAS collaboration. This publication makes use of data products from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, which is a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. This research has also made use of the SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France.

The associations between oxygen radical absorbance capacity of dietary intake and hypertension in type 2 diabetic patients.

PubMed

Farvid, M S; Homayouni, F; Kashkalani, F; Shirzadeh, L; Valipour, G; Farahnak, Z

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential associations between oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients in Tehran. In a cross-sectional study of 506 type 2 diabetic patients, aged 28-75 years, usual dietary intakes were assessed by means of a 168-item food-frequency questionnaire. To calculate the estimated hydrophilic-ORAC, total ORAC, and total phenolics (TP) of fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts for each participant, we used the United States Department of Agriculture Database for ORAC. We examined the associations between total ORAC and TP scores, and hypertension using logistic regression. After adjustment for potential confounders, a higher total ORAC score was associated with lower risk of hypertension. The odds ratios (ORs) of systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mm Hg across increasing quartiles of the total ORAC score were 1.0, 0.71, 0.38 and 0.56 (P for trend=0.016). The ORs of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mm Hg across increasing quartiles of the total ORAC score were 1.0, 0.59, 0.47 and 0.35 (P for trend=0.008). Further adjustment for energy, protein and sodium intakes slightly strengthened these associations. Multivariate ORs of elevated SBP across quartiles of TP score were 1.0, 0.83, 0.41 and 0.63 (P for trend=0.027), and for elevated DBP were 1.0, 0.50, 0.40 and 0.38 (P for trend=0.006). Further adjustment for energy, protein and sodium intakes did not change the results materially. Our findings suggest that total antioxidant capacity of the dietary intake was negatively associated with hypertension in type 2 diabetic patients.

Psychometric testing of a Mandarin Chinese Version of the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Hsu, Lan-Fang; Kao, Ching-Chiu; Wang, Mei-Yeh; Chang, Chun-Jen; Tsai, Pei-Shan

2014-12-01

The Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) is a self-report instrument that assesses symptoms and the severity of depression, but its psychometric properties in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese-Speaking populations are unknown. To examine the psychometric properties of the Mandarin Chinese version of the CUDOS (CUDOS-Chinese). A methodological research design. Endocrinology and metabolism outpatient clinics at 2 university-affiliated hospitals in northern Taiwan. Two-hundred and fourteen type 2 diabetic patients with the mean age of 62.6 years were enrolled, and two-hundred and twelve of them completed the study. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, concurrent, and contrasted-groups validity were assessed. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess sensitivity and specificity. Construct validity by means of confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Internal consistency (Cronbach α of total scale and four subscales=0.93, 0.80, 0.66, 0.80, and 0.83, respectively), test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients of total scale and four subscales=0.92, 0.89, 0.94, 0.89, and 0.91, respectively), and strong correlations with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (r=0.87) suggested good reliability and validity. The confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor model. A cut-off score of 19/20 yielded 77.8% sensitivity and 75.6% specificity. The CUDOS-Chinese demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability for detecting depression in type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ego Defense Mechanisms and Types of Object Relations in Adults With ADHD.

PubMed

de Almeida Silva, Vanessa; Louzã, Mario Rodrigues; da Silva, Maria Aparecida; Nakano, Eduardo Yoshio

2016-11-01

This research evaluates the personality structure of adults with ADHD from a psychodynamic perspective. The hypothesis was that possible structural characteristics in personality could be correlated with this syndrome. Assessment tools for ego functions (Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory [BORRTI-Form O], Defense Style Questionnaire ( DSQ-40)) were applied to a sample of 90 adults with ADHD, recruited in a specialized clinic. Among the ADHD sample, 84.4% of the participants were identified as having object relations pathologies. Pathological elevations were observed mainly in the Alienation, Egocentricity, and Insecure Attachment subscales. Statistically, significant differences were found especially in the use of immature and neurotic defense mechanisms, compared with normative data. The findings indicate that adults with ADHD make more use of immature and neurotic defense mechanisms, and presented pathological internalized object relations that are typical of an archaic and poorly structured egoic structure. © The Author(s) 2012.

The Short International Physical Activity Questionnaire: cross-cultural adaptation, validation and reliability of the Hausa language version in Nigeria.

PubMed

Oyeyemi, Adewale L; Oyeyemi, Adetoyeje Y; Adegoke, Babatunde O; Oyetoke, Fatima O; Aliyu, Habeeb N; Aliyu, Salamatu U; Rufai, Adamu A

2011-11-22

Accurate assessment of physical activity is important in determining the risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. The absence of culturally relevant measures in indigenous languages could pose challenges to epidemiological studies on physical activity in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) to the Hausa language, and to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Hausa version of IPAQ-SF in Nigeria. The English IPAQ-SF was translated into the Hausa language, synthesized, back translated, and subsequently subjected to expert committee review and pre-testing. The final product (Hausa IPAQ-SF) was tested in a cross-sectional study for concurrent (correlation with the English version) and construct validity, and test-retest reliability in a sample of 102 apparently healthy adults. The Hausa IPAQ-SF has good concurrent validity with Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) ranging from 0.78 for vigorous activity (Min Week-1) to 0.92 for total physical activity (Metabolic Equivalent of Task [MET]-Min Week-1), but poor construct validity, with cardiorespiratory fitness (ρ = 0.21, p = 0.01) and body mass index (ρ = 0.22, p = 0.04) significantly correlated with only moderate activity and sitting time (Min Week-1), respectively. Reliability was good for vigorous (ICC = 0.73, 95% C.I = 0.55-0.84) and total physical activity (ICC = 0.61, 95% C.I = 0.47-0.72), but fair for moderate activity (ICC = 0.33, 95% C.I = 0.12-0.51), and few meaningful differences were found in the gender and socioeconomic status specific analyses. The Hausa IPAQ-SF has acceptable concurrent validity and test-retest reliability for vigorous-intensity activity, walking, sitting and total physical activity, but demonstrated only fair construct validity for moderate and sitting activities. The Hausa IPAQ-SF can be used for physical activity measurements in Nigeria, but further construct validity testing with objective measures such as an accelerometer is needed.

Internal Versus External Fixation of Charcot Midfoot Deformity Realignment.

PubMed

Lee, Daniel J; Schaffer, Joseph; Chen, Tien; Oh, Irvin

2016-07-01

Internal and external fixation techniques have been described for realignment and arthrodesis of Charcot midfoot deformity. There currently is no consensus on the optimal method of surgical reconstruction. This systematic review compared the clinical results of surgical realignment with internal and external fixation, specifically in regard to return to functional ambulation, ulcer occurrence, nonunion, extremity amputation, unplanned further surgery, deep infection, wound healing problems, peri- or intraoperative fractures, and total cases with any complication. A search of multiple databases for all relevant articles published from January 1, 1990, to March 22, 2014, was performed. A logistic regression model evaluated each of the outcomes and its association with the type of fixation method. The odds of returning to functional ambulation were 25% higher for internal fixation (odds ratio [OR], 1.259). Internal fixation had a 42% reduced rate of ulcer occurrence (OR, 0.578). External fixation was 8 times more likely to develop radiographic nonunion than internal fixation (OR, 8.2). Internal fixation resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in extremity amputation (OR, 1.488), a 2-fold increase in deep infection (OR, 2.068), a 3.4-fold increase in wound healing complications (OR, 3.405), and a 1.5-fold increase in the total number of cases experiencing any complication (OR, 1.525). This was associated with a 20% increase in the need for unplanned further surgery with internal fixation (OR, 1.221). Although internal fixation may decrease the risk of nonunion and increase return to functional ambulation, it had a higher rate of overall complications than external fixation for realignment and arthrodesis of Charcot midfoot deformity. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(4):e595-e601.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

National Trends in Surgery for Rotator Cuff Disease in Korea

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the national trends in rotator cuff surgery in Korea and analyze hospital type-specific trends. We analyzed a nationwide database acquired from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from 2007 to 2015. International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes, procedure codes, and arthroscopic device code were used to identify patients who underwent surgical treatment for rotator cuff disease. A total of 383,719 cases of rotator cuff surgeries were performed from 2007 to 2015. The mean annual percentage change in the age-adjusted rate of rotator cuff surgery per population of 100,000 persons rapidly increased from 2007 to 2012 (53.3%, P < 0.001), while that between 2012 to 2015 remained steady (2.3%, P = 0.34). The proportion of arthroscopic surgery among all rotator cuff surgeries steadily rose from 89.9% in 2007 to 96.8% in 2015 (P < 0.001). In terms of hospital types, the rate of rotator cuff surgery increased to the greatest degree in hospitals with 30–100 inpatient beds, and isolated acromioplasty procedure accounted for a larger proportion of the rotator cuff surgeries in small hospitals and clinics compared to large hospitals. Overall, our findings indicate that cases of rotator cuff surgery have increased rapidly recently in Korea, of which arthroscopic surgeries account for the greatest proportion. While rotator cuff surgery is a popular procedure that is commonly performed even in small hospitals, there was a difference in the component ratio of the procedure code in accordance with hospital type. PMID:28049250

HTTM - Design and Implementation of a Type-2 Hypervisor for MIPS64 Based Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ain, Qurrat ul; Anwar, Usama; Mehmood, Muhammad Amir; Waheed, Abdul

2017-01-01

Virtualization has emerged as an attractive software solution for many problems in server domain. Recently, it has started to enrich embedded systems domain by offering features such as hardware consolidation, security, and isolation. Our objective is to bring virtualization to high-end MIPS64 based systems, such as network routers, switches, wireless base station, etc. For this purpose a Type-2 hypervisor is a viable software solution which is easy to deploy and requires no changes in host system. In this paper we present the internal design HTTM -A Type-2 hypervisor for MIPS64 based systems and demonstrate its functional correctness by using Linux Testing Project (LTP) tests. Finally, we performed LMbench tests for performance evaluation.

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

PubMed

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

2012-12-01

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

Mapping the impact of patient and public involvement on health and social care research: a systematic review.

PubMed

Brett, Jo; Staniszewska, Sophie; Mockford, Carole; Herron-Marx, Sandra; Hughes, John; Tysall, Colin; Suleman, Rashida

2014-10-01

There is an increasing international interest in patient and public involvement (PPI) in research, yet relatively little robust evidence exists about its impact on health and social care research. To identify the impact of patient and public involvement on health and social care research. A systematic search of electronic databases and health libraries was undertaken from 1995 to 2009. Data were extracted and quality assessed utilizing the guidelines of the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination 2009 and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Grey literature was assessed using the Dixon-Woods et al. (2005) checklist. All study types that reported the impact PPI had on the health and/or social care research study. A total of 66 studies reporting the impact of PPI on health and social care research were included. The positive impacts identified enhanced the quality and appropriateness of research. Impacts were reported for all stages of research, including the development of user-focused research objectives, development of user-relevant research questions, development of user-friendly information, questionnaires and interview schedules, more appropriate recruitment strategies for studies, consumer-focused interpretation of data and enhanced implementation and dissemination of study results. Some challenging impacts were also identified. This study provides the first international evidence of PPI impact that has emerged at all key stages of the research process. However, much of the evidence base concerning impact remains weak and needs significant enhancement in the next decade. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of a Physical Examination Teaching Program on the Behavior of Medical Residents

PubMed Central

McMahon, Graham T; Marina, Ovidiu; Kritek, Patricia A; Katz, Joel T

2005-01-01

Context The reliance on physical examination as a diagnostic aid is in decline. Objective To determine whether an educational program can increase the use of physical examination by medical residents. Design and Participants A series of educational workshops were provided to 47 second- and third-year medical residents at a large academic teaching hospital. Measurements Interns and students reported the frequency and depth of clinical examination performance on morning rounds by their residents before and up to six months after the workshops. Behavior before and after the workshops was compared using a mixed model. Results A total of 374 reports were returned (77% response). After adjusting for the type of service and observer, there was a statistically significant 23% increase (P=.02) in the performance of physical examination among residents who attended the course. Residents significantly increased the fraction of patients they examined on rounds (absolute increase 11%, P=.002) but did not increase the depth of their examination. The change was greatest on general medical teams, among whom the performance of physical examination had been least frequent. Teaching and feedback events on medicine teams by residents to their interns (2.8 and 1.1 events per 2 weeks, respectively) and medical students (5.9 and 2.8 events per 2 weeks, respectively) remained infrequent. Conclusions A skills improvement program can significantly increase the frequency of physical examination, but teaching and feedback events remain sporadic and infrequent. PMID:16050879

Effect of foot shape on the three-dimensional position of foot bones.

PubMed

Ledoux, William R; Rohr, Eric S; Ching, Randal P; Sangeorzan, Bruce J

2006-12-01

To eliminate some of the ambiguity in describing foot shape, we developed three-dimensional (3D), objective measures of foot type based on computerized tomography (CT) scans. Feet were classified via clinical examination as pes cavus (high arch), neutrally aligned (normal arch), asymptomatic pes planus (flat arch with no pain), or symptomatic pes planus (flat arch with pain). We enrolled 10 subjects of each foot type; if both feet were of the same foot type, then each foot was scanned (n=65 total). Partial weightbearing (20% body weight) CT scans were performed. We generated embedded coordinate systems for each foot bone by assuming uniform density and calculating the inertial matrix. Cardan angles were used to describe five bone-to-bone relationships, resulting in 15 angular measurements. Significant differences were found among foot types for 12 of the angles. The angles were also used to develop a classification tree analysis, which determined the correct foot type for 64 of the 65 feet. Our measure provides insight into how foot bone architecture differs between foot types. The classification tree analysis demonstrated that objective measures can be used to discriminate between feet with high, normal, and low arches. Copyright (c) 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society.

Quality requirements for veterinary hematology analyzers in small animals-a survey about veterinary experts' requirements and objective evaluation of analyzer performance based on a meta-analysis of method validation studies: bench top hematology analyzer.

PubMed

Cook, Andrea M; Moritz, Andreas; Freeman, Kathleen P; Bauer, Natali

2016-09-01

Scarce information exists about quality requirements and objective evaluation of performance of large veterinary bench top hematology analyzers. The study was aimed at comparing the observed total error (TEobs ) derived from meta-analysis of published method validation data to the total allowable error (TEa ) for veterinary hematology variables in small animals based on experts' opinions. Ideally, TEobs should be < TEa . An online survey was sent to veterinary experts in clinical pathology and small animal internal medicine for providing the maximal allowable deviation from a given result for each variable. Percent of TEa = (allowable median deviation/clinical threshold) * 100%. Second, TEobs for 3 laser-based bench top hematology analyzers (ADVIA 2120; Sysmex XT2000iV, and CellDyn 3500) was calculated based on method validation studies published between 2005 and 2013 (n = 4). The percent TEobs = 2 * CV (%) + bias (%). The CV was derived from published studies except for the ADVIA 2120 (internal data), and bias was estimated from the regression equation. A total of 41 veterinary experts (19 diplomates, 8 residents, 10 postgraduate students, 4 anonymous specialists) responded. The proposed range of TEa was wide, but generally ≤ 20%. The TEobs was < TEa for all variables and analyzers except for canine and feline HGB (high bias, low CV) and platelet counts (high bias, high CV). Overall, veterinary bench top analyzers fulfilled experts' requirements except for HGB due to method-related bias, and platelet counts due to known preanalytic/analytic issues. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

The Price Sensitivity of Cigarette Consumption in Bangladesh: Evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) Surveys

PubMed Central

Nargis, Nigar; Ruthbah, Ummul H.; Hussain, AKM Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Huq, Iftekharul; Ashiquzzaman, SM

2014-01-01

Background In Bangladesh, the average excise tax on cigarettes accounted for merely 38% in 2009 and 45% in 2010 of the average retail price of cigarettes. It is well below the WHO recommended share of 70% of the retail price at a minimum. There is thus ample room for raising taxes on cigarettes in Bangladesh. Objective The objective of the paper is to estimate the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes and the effect of tax increases on the consumption of cigarettes and on tax revenue in Bangladesh. Methods Based on data from Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) of the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh Survey, we estimate the overall impact of a price change on cigarette demand using a two-part model. The total price elasticity of cigarettes is measured by the sum of the elasticity of smoking prevalence and the elasticity of average daily consumption conditional on smoking participation. The price elasticity estimates are used in a simulation model to predict changes in cigarette consumption and tax revenue from tax and price increases. Findings The total price elasticity of demand for cigarettes is estimated at −0.49. The elasticity of smoking prevalence accounts for 59% of the total price elasticity. The price elasticity of cigarette consumption is higher for people belonging to lower socio-economic status. Increases in taxes would result in significant reduction in cigarette consumption while tax revenue increases. Conclusion Raising cigarette price through increased taxation can lead to a win-win-win situation in Bangladesh—it will reduce cigarette consumption, increase tobacco tax revenue and potentially decrease socio-economic inequities. PMID:24105828

U.S. National Arctic Strategy: Preparing Defensive Lines of Effort for the Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

publications hint at new political posturing and suggest China should develop a more assertive approach to the international debates on controlling ...currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 01-04-2014 2. REPORT TYPE...importance of the Arctic, but lacks the infrastructure, command and control structure, and Arctic-capable assets to meet national strategic objectives

Time perspective and weight management behaviors in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes: a mediational analysis.

PubMed

Hall, Peter A; Fong, Geoffrey T; Cheng, Alice Y

2012-12-01

The primary objective of the current study was to examine the extent to which domain-specific time perspective predicts weight management behaviors (dietary behavior and physical activity) among those newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. A secondary objective was to test potential mediators of the hypothesized effect (behavioral intention, self-efficacy and control beliefs). A total of 204 adults newly diagnosed (≤6 months) with Type 2 diabetes participated in the study, which included a baseline assessment of domain-general and domain-specific time perspective, as well as strength of intention to perform two weight-management behaviors (dietary choice and physical activity); both weight-management behaviors were assessed again at 6 month follow-up. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a prospective association between domain-specific time perspective and uptake of weight management behaviors. Individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM possessing a future-oriented time perspective reported making less frequent fatty food choices and greater increases in physical activity over the 6-month follow-up interval. These effects were selectively mediated by intention strength, and not competing social cognitive variables. For both behaviors, the total effects and meditational models were robust to adjustments for demographics, body composition and disease variables. A future-oriented time perspective is prospectively associated with superior uptake of weight management behaviors among those with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. The facilitating effect of future-oriented thinking appears to occur via enhanced strength of intentions to perform weight management behaviors.

Consideration of adding a commercial module to the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friefeld, J.; Fugleberg, D.; Patel, J.; Subbaraman, G.

1999-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently assembling the International Space Station in Low Earth Orbit. One of NASA's program objectives is to encourage space commercialization. Through NASA's Engineering Research and Technology Development program, Boeing is conducting a study to ascertain the feasibility of adding a commercial module to the International Space Station. This module (facility) that can be added, following on-orbit assembly is described. The facility would have the capability to test large, engineering scale payloads in a space environment. It would also have the capability to provide services to co-orbiting space vehicles as well as gathering data for commercial terrestrial applications. The types of industries to be serviced are described as are some of the technical and business considerations that need to be addressed in order to achieve commercial viability.

Coronal Flux Rope Catastrophe Associated With Internal Energy Release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Bin; Hu, Youqiu; Wang, Yuming; Zhang, Quanhao; Liu, Rui; Gou, Tingyu; Shen, Chenglong

2018-04-01

Magnetic energy during the catastrophe was predominantly studied by the previous catastrophe works since it is believed to be the main energy supplier for the solar eruptions. However, the contribution of other types of energies during the catastrophe cannot be neglected. This paper studies the catastrophe of the coronal flux rope system in the solar wind background, with emphasis on the transformation of different types of energies during the catastrophe. The coronal flux rope is characterized by its axial and poloidal magnetic fluxes and total mass. It is shown that a catastrophe can be triggered by not only an increase but also a decrease of the axial magnetic flux. Moreover, the internal energy of the rope is found to be released during the catastrophe so as to provide energy for the upward eruption of the flux rope. As far as the magnetic energy is concerned, it provides only part of the energy release, or even increases during the catastrophe, so the internal energy may act as the dominant or even the unique energy supplier during the catastrophe.

The Danish Inguinal Hernia database.

PubMed

Friis-Andersen, Hans; Bisgaard, Thue

2016-01-01

To monitor and improve nation-wide surgical outcome after groin hernia repair based on scientific evidence-based surgical strategies for the national and international surgical community. Patients ≥18 years operated for groin hernia. Type and size of hernia, primary or recurrent, type of surgical repair procedure, mesh and mesh fixation methods. According to the Danish National Health Act, surgeons are obliged to register all hernia repairs immediately after surgery (3 minute registration time). All institutions have continuous access to their own data stratified on individual surgeons. Registrations are based on a closed, protected Internet system requiring personal codes also identifying the operating institution. A national steering committee consisting of 13 voluntary and dedicated surgeons, 11 of whom are unpaid, handles the medical management of the database. The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database comprises intraoperative data from >130,000 repairs (May 2015). A total of 49 peer-reviewed national and international publications have been published from the database (June 2015). The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database is fully active monitoring surgical quality and contributes to the national and international surgical society to improve outcome after groin hernia repair.

The International Costs and Utilities Related to Osteoporotic Fractures Study (ICUROS)--quality of life during the first 4 months after fracture.

PubMed

Borgström, F; Lekander, I; Ivergård, M; Ström, O; Svedbom, A; Alekna, V; Bianchi, M L; Clark, P; Curiel, M D; Dimai, H P; Jürisson, M; Kallikorm, R; Lesnyak, O; McCloskey, E; Nassonov, E; Sanders, K M; Silverman, S; Tamulaitiene, M; Thomas, T; Tosteson, A N A; Jönsson, B; Kanis, J A

2013-03-01

The quality of life during the first 4 months after fracture was estimated in 2,808 fractured patients from 11 countries. Analysis showed that there were significant differences in the quality of life (QoL) loss between countries. Other factors such as QoL prior fracture and hospitalisation also had a significant impact on the QoL loss. The International Costs and Utilities Related to Osteoporotic Fractures Study (ICUROS) was initiated in 2007 with the objective of estimating costs and quality of life related to fractures in several countries worldwide. The ICUROS is ongoing and enrols patients in 11 countries (Australia, Austria, Estonia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, Spain, UK and the USA). The objective of this paper is to outline the study design of ICUROS and present results regarding the QoL (measured using the EQ-5D) during the first 4 months after fracture based on the patients that have been thus far enrolled ICUROS. ICUROS uses a prospective study design where data (costs and quality of life) are collected in four phases over 18 months after fracture. All countries use the same core case report forms. Quality of life was collected using the EQ-5D instrument and a time trade-off questionnaire. The total sample for the analysis was 2,808 patients (1,273 hip, 987 distal forearm and 548 vertebral fracture). For all fracture types and countries, the QoL was reduced significantly after fracture compared to pre-fracture QoL. A regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in the QoL loss between countries. Also, a higher level of QoL prior to the fracture significantly increased the QoL loss and patients who were hospitalised for their fracture also had a significantly higher loss compared to those who were not. The findings in this study indicate that there appear to be important variations in the QoL decrements related to fracture between countries.

Ischaemic heart disease incidence and mortality in an extended cohort of Mayak workers first employed in 1948–1982

PubMed Central

Grigoryeva, Evgeniya S; Haylock, Richard G E; Pikulina, Maria V; Moseeva, Maria B

2015-01-01

Objective: Incidence and mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was studied in an extended cohort of 22,377 workers first employed at the Mayak Production Association during 1948–82 and followed up to the end of 2008. Methods: Relative risks and excess relative risks per unit dose (ERR/Gy) were calculated based on the maximum likelihood using Epicure software (Hirosoft International Corporation, Seattle, WA). Dose estimates used in analyses were provided by an updated “Mayak Worker Dosimetry System—2008”. Results: A significant increasing linear trend in IHD incidence with total dose from external γ-rays was observed after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and dose from internal radiation {ERR/Gy = 0.10 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04 to 0.17]}. The pure quadratic model provided a better fit of the data than did the linear one. No significant association of IHD mortality with total dose from external γ-rays after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and dose from internal alpha radiation was observed in the study cohort [ERR/Gy = 0.06 (95% CI: <0 to 0.15)]. A significant increasing linear trend was observed in IHD mortality with total absorbed dose from internal alpha radiation to the liver after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and dose from external γ-rays in both the whole cohort [ERR/Gy = 0.21 (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.58)] and the subcohort of workers exposed at alpha dose <1.00 Gy [ERR/Gy = 1.08 (95% CI: 0.34 to 2.15)]. No association of IHD incidence with total dose from internal alpha radiation to the liver was found in the whole cohort after having adjusted for non-radiation factors and external gamma dose [ERR/Gy = 0.02 (95% CI: not available to 0.10)]. Statistically significant dose effect was revealed in the subcohort of workers exposed to internal alpha radiation at dose to the liver <1.00 Gy [ERR/Gy = 0.44 (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.85)]. Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence of IHD incidence and mortality association with external γ-ray exposure and some evidence of IHD incidence and mortality association with internal alpha-radiation exposure. Advances in knowledge: It is the first time the validity of internal radiation dose estimates has been shown to affect the risk of IHD incidence. PMID:26224431

Perceptions of Geography Teachers to Integrating Technology to Teaching and Their Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanli, Cennet; Sezer, Adem; Pinar, Adnan

2016-01-01

In present study the objective has been to manifest perceptions and practices of geography teachers towards integrating technology to teaching geography. In 5 different types of schools within Nevsehir (Turkey) city center, a total of 22 geography teachers volunteering to participate in the research were included in this study in which data were…

Alerting, Orienting, and Executive Attention in Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullane, Jennifer C.; Corkum, Penny V.; Klein, Raymond M.; McLaughlin, Elizabeth N.; Lawrence, Michael A.

2011-01-01

Objective: This study evaluated the alerting, orienting, and executive attention abilities of children with ADHD and their typically developing (TD) peers using a modified version of the adult attention network test (ANT-I). Method: A total of 25 children with ADHD, Combined Type (ADHD-C, mean age = 9.20 years), 20 children with ADHD,…

Psychopathy among Pedophilic and Nonpedophilic Child Molesters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strassberg, Donald S.; Eastvold, Angela; Kenney, J. Wilson; Suchy, Yana

2012-01-01

Objective: Among men who commit sexual offenses against children, at least 2 distinct groups can be identified on the basis of the age of the primary targets of their sexual interest; pedophiles and nonpedophiles. Method: In the present report, across 2 independent samples of both types of child molesters as well as controls, a total of 104 men…

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection: A Simple Application and Demonstration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zanella, F. P.; Magalhaes, D. V.; Oliveira, M. M.; Bianchi, R. F.; Misoguti, L.; Mendonca, C. R.

2003-01-01

Describes the total internal reflection process that occurs when the internal angle of incidence is equal to or greater than the critical angle. Presents a demonstration of the effect of frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR). (YDS)

Internal audit in a microbiology laboratory.

PubMed Central

Mifsud, A J; Shafi, M S

1995-01-01

AIM--To set up a programme of internal laboratory audit in a medical microbiology laboratory. METHODS--A model of laboratory based process audit is described. Laboratory activities were examined in turn by specimen type. Standards were set using laboratory standard operating procedures; practice was observed using a purpose designed questionnaire and the data were analysed by computer; performance was assessed at laboratory audit meetings; and the audit circle was closed by re-auditing topics after an interval. RESULTS--Improvements in performance scores (objective measures) and in staff morale (subjective impression) were observed. CONCLUSIONS--This model of process audit could be applied, with amendments to take local practice into account, in any microbiology laboratory. PMID:7665701

[Deep brain recording and length of surgery in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery for movement disorders].

PubMed

Teijeiro, Juan; Macías, Raúl J; Maragoto, Carlos; García, Iván; Alvarez, Mario; Quintanal, Nelson E

2014-01-01

Our objectives were to study the length of multi-unit recordings (MURs) of brain activity in 20 years of movement disorder neurosurgeries and to determine the number of times in which it was necessary for the teams using single-unit recording (SUR) to explore all the electrode tracks in the simultaneously recorded sites (SRS). This was a retrospective descriptive statistical analysis of MUR length on 4,296 tracks in 952 surgeries. The exclusion criteria were: tracks with fewer than 5 recorded signals, tracks that had a signal length different from the habitual 2s, or there being unusual situations not related to the MUR, as well as the first 20 surgeries of each surgical target. This yielded a total of 3,448 tracks in 805 surgeries. We also determined the number of the total 952 surgeries in which all the tracks in the SURs of the SRS were explored. The mean and its confidence interval (P=.05) of time per MUR track were 5.49±0.16min in subthalamic nucleus surgery, 8.82±0.24min in the medial or internal globus pallidus) and 18.51±1.31min in the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus. For the total sum of tracks per surgery, in 75% of cases the total time was less than 39min in subthalamic nucleus, almost 42min in the medial or internal globus pallidus and less than 1h and 17min in ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus. All the tracks in the SUR SRS were explored in only 4.2% of the surgeries. The impact of MUR on surgical time is acceptable for this guide in objective localization for surgical targets, without having to use several simultaneous electrodes (not all indispensable in most of the cases). Consequently, there is less risk for the patient. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

International perspectives on backsourcing in health: is it just a merry-go-round?

PubMed

Macinati, Manuela S; Young, Suzanne

2009-01-01

Outsourcing in health was increasingly used in the 1990s as managerialism was adopted across the Italian and Australian public sectors. Many reasons have been given for outsourcing, such as focusing on core competencies, reducing costs and improving efficiency, reducing risk, and improving the management of labor, to name a few. Notwithstanding this, some health organizations have moved to backsourcing. This research aimed to contribute to the debate and literature on managerial practices in health care by analyzing the extent of backsourcing in public health in Italy and Australia, the reasons, and expected benefits and criticalities. To achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire was developed, and after a pilot test, it was mailed out to all Italian and Australian public providers. The questionnaire had 10 questions. Most of the responses were indicated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Descriptive analysis was performed, such as obtaining mean and standard deviation. The total response rate was 46% in Italy and 29% in Australia. Results showed that nearly 15% of the Italian and 30% of the Australian health care providers had backsourced. In both countries, a lack of complete satisfaction with outsourcing was reported. When backsourcing did occur in Italy, it was due to more freedom becoming available in hiring personnel, whereas in Australia, it was due to quality issues with outsourcing. Outsourcing can be considered to be an important tool that health care management may use to reach their objectives, but often, similar objectives are in place for backsourcing. This managerial learning-by-doing process seemed to emerge based on past results rather than a clear understanding of the environment and critical evaluation of criticalities prior to the event.

German version, inter- and intrarater reliability and internal consistency of the "Agitated Behavior Scale" (ABS-G) in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Hellweg, Stephanie; Schuster-Amft, Corina

2016-07-19

Agitation is frequently observed during early recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Agitated behaviour often interferes with a goal-orientated rehabilitation and can be a substantial hindrance to therapy. Despite the relatively high occurance of agitation in TBI population there is no objective assessement in German (G) available. An existing scale with excellent psychometric properties is the "Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS)" developed by Corrigan in 1989. The aim of the study was to translate the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) into German (ABS-G) and investigate the inter- and intrarater reliability and internal consistency in patients with moderate to severe TBI. A formal nine-step translation and cross-cultural adaptation procedure (TCCA) was applied. Subsequently a prospective observational patient study was conducted. To examine the interrater reliability and internal consistency, two therapists rated 20 patients independently after a therapy session. This procedure was repeated twice on a weekly basis. The intrarater reliability was assessed through video recordings from three patients. Nine raters scored the demonstrated behaviour on the videotape with the ABS-G independently twice within one month. The inter- and intrarater reliability were evaluated with the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the quadratic weighted kappa. The internal consistency was tested with Cronbach's alpha. Behaviour of 20 patients (18 males; mean age 41 ± 20.7; mean Functional Independence Measure (FIM) cognitive score on admission 7.1 ± 4.04; mean ABS-G score at first observation 17.3 ± 2.83) was assessed threefold. Interrater reliability yielded a correlation coefficient for ABS-G total score of all 60 paired observations of r s 0.845 and a weighted Kappa of 0.738. Intrarater reliability for ABS-G total score ranged between r s 0.719 and 0.953 and showed a weighted Kappa between 0.871 and 0.953. Cronbach's alpha indicated moderate internal consistency with 0.661. This study demonstrates that the ABS-G is a reliable instrument for evaluating agitation in patients with moderate to severe TBI. Hereby it would be possible to monitor agitation objectively and optimise the management of agitated patients according to international recommendations.

New White Dwarfs and Cataclysmic Variables from the FBS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, Areg M.

The Second part of the First Byurakan Survey (FBS) is the continuation of the Markarian Survey and is aimed at discovery of UVX stellar objects: QSOs Seyferts white dwarfs hot subdwarfs cataclysmic variables etc. +33o<δ<+45o and +61o<δ<+90o regions at |b|>15o has been covered so far. 1103 blue stellar objects have been selected including 716 new ones. Observations with the Byurakan 2.6m SAO (Russia) 6m and Haute-Provence 1.93m telescopes revealed more than 50 new white dwarfs and 7 cataclysmic variables including a new bright (V=12.6) novalike cataclysmic variable of SW Sex subclass RXS J16437+3402 found by cross-correlation of ROSAT/USNO objects and further inspection of the FBS spectra and having a period within the period ``gap"" for such objects. The white dwarfs are being studied to reveal pulsating ones (ZZ Ceti stars) magnetic WDs polars (AM Her type objects) planetary nebulae nuclei (DO stars PG 1159 type objects) etc. Polarimetric observations have been undertaken as well: FBS 1704+347 is found to be a possible polar and FBS 1815+381 a variable magnetic WD. The total number of WDs is estimated to be 270 in the whole sample (24%) and cataclysmic variables - 35 (3%)

Self-Reported Physical Activity is Not a Valid Method for Measuring Physical Activity in 15-Year-Old South African Boys and Girls.

PubMed

Monyeki, Makama Andries; Moss, Sarah J; Kemper, Han C G; Twisk, Jos W R

2018-06-06

Physical activity plays an important role in the prevention of chronic lifestyle-related diseases. The development of valid instruments for the assessment of physical activity remains a challenge in field studies. The purpose of the present study was therefore to determine the level of agreement between physical activity objectively measured by the ActiHeart ® (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd, Cambridge, UK) device and subjectively reported physical activity by means of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) among adolescents attending schools in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa. A cross-sectional study design was used with a total of 63 boys and 45 girls aged 15 years who took part in the Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PHALS). Stature and weight were measured according to standard International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocols. Objective physical activity (PA) was measured by a combined heart rate and accelerometer device (ActiHeart ® ) for seven consecutive days. Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was assessed. Subjective physical activity was assessed with the self-reported IPAQ-SF. Objective PA indicated that 93% of the participants were inactive and only 6% were highly active. The IPAQ-SF showed that 24% were inactive, with 57% active. A non-significant correlation ( r = 0.11; p = 0.29) between the ActiHeart ® measure of activity energy expenditure (AEE) and total physical activity (IPAQ-SF) was observed. The Bland⁻Altman plot showed no agreement between the two measurement instruments and also a variation in the level of equivalence. When Cohen’s kappa ( κ ) was run to determine the agreement between the two measurement instruments for estimated physical activity, a poor agreement (κ = 0.011, p < 0.005) between the two was found. The poor level of agreement between the objective measure of physical activity (ActiHeart ® ) and the IPAQ-SF questionnaire should be interpreted cautiously. Future physical activity research using a combination of subjective and objective assessment methods in a large-scale cohort in adolescents is recommended.

Estimation of the state of solar activity type stars by virtual observations of CrAVO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgov, A. A.; Shlyapnikov, A. A.

2012-05-01

The results of precosseing of negatives with direct images of the sky from CrAO glass library are presented in this work, which became a part of on-line archive of the Crimean Astronomical Virtual Observatory (CrAVO). Based on the obtained data, the parameters of dwarf stars have been estimated, included in the catalog "Stars with solar-type activity" (GTSh10). The following matters are considered: searching methodology of negatives with positions of studied stars and with calculated limited magnitude; image viewing and reduction with the facilities of the International Virtual Observatory; the preliminary results of the photometry of studied objects.

The management of technology assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayo, L. H.

1972-01-01

The total problem concept of technology assessment, involving a comprehensive information management activity with an objective orientation to the assessment function is discussed. A brief overview of the technology assessment function and some past experiences are given. Fragmentation of assessment systems, optimum social subsystem for examination in particular assessments, and adequacy of assessments are studied. The magnitude of the technology assessment function and the level of support required for the effective performance of this function are also discussed. One type of institutional arrangement which might produce a close approximation to the total problem assessment approach is suggested.

Total and cause-specific mortality of Finnish military personnel following service in international peacekeeping operations 1990–2010: a comprehensive register-based cohort study

PubMed Central

Laukkala, T; Parkkola, K; Henriksson, M; Pirkola, S; Kaikkonen, N; Pukkala, E; Jousilahti, P

2016-01-01

Objectives To estimate total and cause-specific mortality after international peacekeeping deployments among the Finnish military peacekeeping personnel in comparison to the general population of similar age and sex. Design A register-based study of a cohort of military peacekeeping personnel in 1990–2010 followed for mortality until the end of 2013. Causes of death were obtained from the national Causes of Death Register. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for total and cause-specific mortality was calculated as the ratio of observed and expected number of deaths. Setting Finland (peacekeeping operations in different countries in Africa, Asia and in an area of former Yugoslavia in Europe). Participants 14 584 men and 418 women who had participated in international military peacekeeping operations ending between 1990 and 2010. Interventions Participation in military peacekeeping operations. Main outcome Total and cause-specific mortality. Results 209 men and 3 women died after their peacekeeping service. The SMR for all-cause mortality was 0.55 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.62). For the male peacekeeping personnel, the SMR for all diseases was 0.44 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.53) and for accidental and violent deaths 0.69 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.82). The SMR for suicides was 0.71 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.92). Conclusions Even though military peacekeeping personnel are working in unique and often stressful conditions, their mortality after their service is lower compared with the general population. Military peacekeeping personnel appear to be a selected population group with low general mortality and no excess risk of any cause of death after peacekeeping service. PMID:27799241

Experimental results with fuel cell start-up and shut-down. Impact of type of carbon for cathode catalyst support

DOE PAGES

Lottin, Olivier; Dillet, Jerome; Maranzana, Gael; ...

2015-09-14

Separate testing protocols for fuel cell startups and shutdowns were developed to distinguish between their effects on reverse currents and CO 2 evolution. The internal currents and the local potentials were measured with different membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs): we examined the influence of the type of carbon for cathode catalyst support as well as the mitigating effect of low anode Pt loading. In conclusion, significant differences were observed and the experiments also confirmed previous results that the evolved CO 2 accounts for less than 25% of the total exchanged charge.

Experimental results with fuel cell start-up and shut-down. Impact of type of carbon for cathode catalyst support

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

Lottin, Olivier; Dillet, Jerome; Maranzana, Gael

Separate testing protocols for fuel cell startups and shutdowns were developed to distinguish between their effects on reverse currents and CO 2 evolution. The internal currents and the local potentials were measured with different membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs): we examined the influence of the type of carbon for cathode catalyst support as well as the mitigating effect of low anode Pt loading. In conclusion, significant differences were observed and the experiments also confirmed previous results that the evolved CO 2 accounts for less than 25% of the total exchanged charge.

TVT-Secur mini-sling for stress urinary incontinence: a review of outcomes at 12 months.

PubMed

Walsh, Colin A

2011-09-01

• Synthetic mid-urethral slings (MUSs) are considered the first choice surgical procedure for stress urinary incontinence. Recent publications have raised concerns about the efficacy of third generation single-incision mini-slings. The present paper is a systematic review of studies reporting 12-month outcomes after the TVT-Secur (TVT-S) procedure. • Pubmed/Medline online databases, abstracts from recent International Continence Society and International Urogynecological Association annual scientific meetings and the Clinicaltrials.gov and Controlled-trials.com online trial registries were searched for English-language articles containing the terms 'TVT-Secur', 'TVT Secur' or 'mini-sling'. The primary outcomes were objective and subjective cure rates at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included peri-operative (vaginal perforation, urinary retention, urinary tract infection [UTI]) and postoperative (mesh exposure, de novo overactive bladder (OAB), dyspareunia and return to theatre) complication rates. • Among 1178 women undergoing the TVT-S procedure, from 10 studies, both objective and subjective cure rate at 12 months was 76%, with objective cure significantly higher in women undergoing the 'U-type' approach. Vaginal perforation was a complication in 1.5% of cases, with a 2.4% incidence of mesh exposure in the first year. The incidence of de novo OAB symptoms was 10%. Rates of urinary retention (2.3%), UTI (4.4%), dyspareunia (1%) and return to theatre for complications (0.8%) were low. In the first year after a TVT-S procedure 5% of women required repeat continence surgery. • Longer-term studies and randomized comparisons with more established MUSs are required before TVT-S should be routinely used in the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence. © 2011 THE AUTHOR. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

Differences in Reporting of Analyses in Internal Company Documents Versus Published Trial Reports: Comparisons in Industry-Sponsored Trials in Off-Label Uses of Gabapentin

PubMed Central

Vedula, S. Swaroop; Li, Tianjing; Dickersin, Kay

2013-01-01

Background Details about the type of analysis (e.g., intent to treat [ITT]) and definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in the analysis) are necessary for interpreting a clinical trial's findings. Our objective was to compare the description of types of analyses and criteria for including participants in the publication (i.e., what was reported) with descriptions in the corresponding internal company documents (i.e., what was planned and what was done). Trials were for off-label uses of gabapentin sponsored by Pfizer and Parke-Davis, and documents were obtained through litigation. Methods and Findings For each trial, we compared internal company documents (protocols, statistical analysis plans, and research reports, all unpublished), with publications. One author extracted data and another verified, with a third person verifying discordant items and a sample of the rest. Extracted data included the number of participants randomized and analyzed for efficacy, and types of analyses for efficacy and safety and their definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in each type of analysis). We identified 21 trials, 11 of which were published randomized controlled trials, and that provided the documents needed for planned comparisons. For three trials, there was disagreement on the number of randomized participants between the research report and publication. Seven types of efficacy analyses were described in the protocols, statistical analysis plans, and publications, including ITT and six others. The protocol or publication described ITT using six different definitions, resulting in frequent disagreements between the two documents (i.e., different numbers of participants were included in the analyses). Conclusions Descriptions of analyses conducted did not agree between internal company documents and what was publicly reported. Internal company documents provide extensive documentation of methods planned and used, and trial findings, and should be publicly accessible. Reporting standards for randomized controlled trials should recommend transparent descriptions and definitions of analyses performed and which study participants are excluded. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:23382656

Integration of a Low-Cost Introductory Ultrasound Curriculum Into Existing Procedural Skills Education for Preclinical Medical Students.

PubMed

Maloney, Lauren; Zach, Kristen; Page, Christopher; Tewari, Neera; Tito, Matthew; Seidman, Peggy

2017-02-01

We evaluated integration of an introductory ultrasound curriculum into our existing mandatory procedural skills program for preclinical medical students. Phantoms consisting of olives, pimento olives, and grapes embedded in opaque gelatin were developed. Four classes encouraged progressive refinement of phantom-scanning and object identification skills. Students improved their ability to identify hidden objects, although each object type achieved a statistically significant improvement in correct identification at different time points. The total phantom cost per student was $0.76. Our results suggest that short repeated experiences scanning simple, low-cost ultrasound phantoms confer basic ultrasound skills. © 2016 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

How Far Has the International Neurourology Journal Progressed Since Its Transformation Into an English Language Journal?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Purpose The publisher of the International Neurourology Journal changed the text to English in 2010 to promote the journal as an international publication. Four years later, what has happened to this journal? This paper will use citation indicators to describe the degree of internationalization. Methods Citation indicators such as impact factors, total citations from Web of Science, Science Journal Rankings (SJR), cites per documents (2 years), and Hirsch indexes (h-indexes) from Web of Science, digital object identifier (DOI)/CrossRef, ScimagoJR, or Scopus were calculated. In addition, the native countries of the authors and researchers citing the journal in Web of Science were analyzed. Results Impact factors in 2012 and 2013 were 0.645 and 0.857, respectively. Total citations in 2011, 2012, and 2013 from Web of Science were 15, 51, and 99, respectively, and the SJRs in 2011 and 2012 were 0.220 and 0.390, respectively. The h-indexes from DOI/CrossRef, Scopus, and Web of Science were 7, 8, and 6, respectively. Out of 153 unsolicited published papers, 27 (17.6%) were from outside of Korea. The researchers citing the journal in Web of Science and Scopus were primarily from the United States, Korea, China, the United Kingdom, and France. Funding agencies supported 39 of 101 original articles (38.6%). Conclusions After changing the text to the English language, the citation indicators show that the International Neurourology Journal has been elevated to an international journal. Although the nationality of authors varies from year to year, the increase in the number of manuscripts from international authors is obvious. PMID:24729921

Osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle: a classification system based on computed tomographic appearances.

PubMed

Chen, Min-jie; Yang, Chi; Qiu, Ya-ting; Zhou, Qin; Huang, Dong; Shi, Hui-min

2014-09-01

The objectives of this study were to introduce the classification of osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle based on computed tomographic images and to present our treatment experiences. From January 2002 and December 2012, a total of 61 patients with condylar osteochondroma were treated in our division. Both clinical and radiologic aspects were reviewed. The average follow-up period was 24.3 months with a range of 6 to 120 months. Two types of condylar osteochondroma were presented: type 1 (protruding expansion) in 50 patients (82.0%) and type 2 (globular expansion) in 11 patients (18.0%). Type 1 condylar osteochondroma presented 5 forms: anterior/anteromedial (58%), posterior/posteromedial (6%), medial (16%), lateral (6%), and gigantic (14%). Local resection was performed on patients with type 1 condylar osteochondroma. Subtotal condylectomy/total condylectomy using costochondral graft reconstruction with/without orthognathic surgeries was performed on patients with type 2 condylar osteochondroma. During the follow-up period, tumor reformation, condyle absorption, and new deformity were not detected. The patients almost reattained facial symmetry. Preoperative classification based on computed tomographic images will help surgeons to choose the suitable surgical procedure to treat the condylar osteochondroma.

[MEDIUM-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTERIOR RELEASE INTERNAL DISTRACTION FOR SEVERE AND RIGID SCOLIOSIS].

PubMed

Ling, Tingxian; Liu, Limin; Song, Yueming; Zhou, Chunguang; Yang, Xi; Hu, Xingxin; Qiang, Zhe; Zhou, Bangjian

2015-09-01

To observe the medium-term clinical and radiological outcomes of anterior release internal distraction in treatment of severe and rigid scoliosis. Between March 2009 and March 2012, 26 patients with severe and rigid scoliosis were treated with anterior release, posterior internal distraction, and two stage posterior spinal fusion. There were 11 males and 15 females with an average age of 19.6 years (range, 14-25 years). The average disease duration was 13.6 years (range, 3-2:4 years). All cases were idiopathic scoliosis. Of 26 cases, 2 cases were rated as Lenke type I, 8 as type II, 13 as type IV, 1 as type V, and 2 as type VI. The apical vertebrae located at T6 in 1 case, at T7 in 3 cases, at T8 in 7 cases, at T9 in 13 cases, and at T10 in 2 cases. The average 4 vertebral bodies were released by anterior approach, and average 14 vertebral bodies were fused after posterior surgery. Fourteen patients received 2 times distraction. Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire was used to access health-related quality of life. The radiological parameters were measured, including coronal plane Cobb angel of major curve, apical vertebral translation (AVT), C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line (C7PL-CSVL), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and thoracic kyphosis (TK) at pre- and post-operation. Results The average total operation time was 592.7 minutes; the average total blood loss volume was 1 311.2 mL; and total hospitalization cost was (14.7±1.4)x10(4) yuan RMB. The coronal plane Cobb angle of major curve was (55.7±16.5)°, and the TK was (43.2±16.2)° after first distraction. The patients were followed up 2-5 years (mean, 3.8 years). Temporary dyspnea and pleural effusion occurred in 1 case respectively after distraction, and symptoms disappeared after symptomatic treatment. Screw loosening and pseudoarthrosis formation was observed in 1 case at 6 months after fusion, good recovery was achieved after revision. No infection or neurological complication was found. The coronal plane Cobb angel of major curve, TK, and AVT after fusion and at last follow-up were significantly lower than preoperative ones (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between at post-fusion and last follow-up (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in C,PL-CSVL and SVA between at pre- and post-operation (P>0.05). At last follow-up, SRS-22 questionnaire scores were 4.32±0.42 for active degree, 4.54±0.58 for mental health, 3.97±0.76 for self-image, 4.09±0.64 for pain, and 4.03±0.83 for satisfaction degree. Anterior release internal distraction can provide satisfactory correction results for severe and rigid scoliosis with higher safety and lower incidence of complication.

Barriers and Solutions to Conducting Large International, Interdisciplinary Research Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pischke, Erin C.; Knowlton, Jessie L.; Phifer, Colin C.; Gutierrez Lopez, Jose; Propato, Tamara S.; Eastmond, Amarella; de Souza, Tatiana Martins; Kuhlberg, Mark; Picasso Risso, Valentin; Veron, Santiago R.; Garcia, Carlos; Chiappe, Marta; Halvorsen, Kathleen E.

2017-12-01

Global environmental problems such as climate change are not bounded by national borders or scientific disciplines, and therefore require international, interdisciplinary teamwork to develop understandings of their causes and solutions. Interdisciplinary scientific work is difficult enough, but these challenges are often magnified when teams also work across national boundaries. The literature on the challenges of interdisciplinary research is extensive. However, research on international, interdisciplinary teams is nearly non-existent. Our objective is to fill this gap by reporting on results from a study of a large interdisciplinary, international National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) research project across the Americas. We administered a structured questionnaire to team members about challenges they faced while working together across disciplines and outside of their home countries in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Analysis of the responses indicated five major types of barriers to conducting interdisciplinary, international research: integration, language, fieldwork logistics, personnel and relationships, and time commitment. We discuss the causes and recommended solutions to the most common barriers. Our findings can help other interdisciplinary, international research teams anticipate challenges, and develop effective solutions to minimize the negative impacts of these barriers to their research.

Barriers and Solutions to Conducting Large International, Interdisciplinary Research Projects.

PubMed

Pischke, Erin C; Knowlton, Jessie L; Phifer, Colin C; Gutierrez Lopez, Jose; Propato, Tamara S; Eastmond, Amarella; de Souza, Tatiana Martins; Kuhlberg, Mark; Picasso Risso, Valentin; Veron, Santiago R; Garcia, Carlos; Chiappe, Marta; Halvorsen, Kathleen E

2017-12-01

Global environmental problems such as climate change are not bounded by national borders or scientific disciplines, and therefore require international, interdisciplinary teamwork to develop understandings of their causes and solutions. Interdisciplinary scientific work is difficult enough, but these challenges are often magnified when teams also work across national boundaries. The literature on the challenges of interdisciplinary research is extensive. However, research on international, interdisciplinary teams is nearly non-existent. Our objective is to fill this gap by reporting on results from a study of a large interdisciplinary, international National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) research project across the Americas. We administered a structured questionnaire to team members about challenges they faced while working together across disciplines and outside of their home countries in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Analysis of the responses indicated five major types of barriers to conducting interdisciplinary, international research: integration, language, fieldwork logistics, personnel and relationships, and time commitment. We discuss the causes and recommended solutions to the most common barriers. Our findings can help other interdisciplinary, international research teams anticipate challenges, and develop effective solutions to minimize the negative impacts of these barriers to their research.

Amygdala lesions in rhesus monkeys fail to disrupt object choices based on internal context

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Sarah E. V.; Charles, David P.; Howland, Emily J.; Murray, Elisabeth A.

2012-01-01

We assessed the involvement of the amygdala in a task in which object choices were guided by internal context. Rhesus monkeys were trained on a biconditional discrimination whereby objects associated with food (but not water) were baited when the monkey was hungry, and objects associated with water (but not food) were baited when the monkey was thirsty. To solve this task monkeys were required to choose objects yielding the reward congruent with their internal motivational state. Lesions of the amygdala did not disrupt learning or performance of this task. We conclude that the involvement of the amygdala in selective-satiation tasks, which depends in part on a change in internal context, is not due to the amygdala playing a general role in representing, or using, internal context. PMID:22352788

A meta-analysis of the differential relations of traditional and cyber-victimization with internalizing problems.

PubMed

Gini, Gianluca; Card, Noel A; Pozzoli, Tiziana

2018-03-01

This meta-analysis examined the associations between cyber-victimization and internalizing problems controlling for the occurrence of traditional victimization. Twenty independent samples with a total of 90,877 participants were included. Results confirmed the significant intercorrelation between traditional and cyber-victimization (r = .43). They both have medium-to-large bivariate correlations with internalizing problems. Traditional victimization (sr = .22) and cyber-victimization (sr = .12) were also uniquely related to internalizing problems. The difference in the relations between each type of victimization and internalizing problems was small (differential d = .06) and not statistically significant (p = .053). Moderation of these effect sizes by sample characteristics (e.g., age and proportion of girls) and study features (e.g., whether a definition of bullying was provided to participants and the time frame used as reference) was investigated. Results are discussed within the extant literature on cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization and future directions are proposed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measuring the effect of femoral malrotation on knee joint biomechanics for total knee arthroplasty using computational simulation

PubMed Central

Kang, K-T.; Koh, Y-G.; Son, J.; Kwon, O-R.; Baek, C.; Jung, S. H.

2016-01-01

Objectives Malrotation of the femoral component can result in post-operative complications in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), including patellar maltracking. Therefore, we used computational simulation to investigate the influence of femoral malrotation on contact stresses on the polyethylene (PE) insert and on the patellar button as well as on the forces on the collateral ligaments. Materials and Methods Validated finite element (FE) models, for internal and external malrotations from 0° to 10° with regard to the neutral position, were developed to evaluate the effect of malrotation on the femoral component in TKA. Femoral malrotation in TKA on the knee joint was simulated in walking stance-phase gait and squat loading conditions. Results Contact stress on the medial side of the PE insert increased with internal femoral malrotation and decreased with external femoral malrotation in both stance-phase gait and squat loading conditions. There was an opposite trend in the lateral side of the PE insert case. Contact stress on the patellar button increased with internal femoral malrotation and decreased with external femoral malrotation in both stance-phase gait and squat loading conditions. In particular, contact stress on the patellar button increased by 98% with internal malrotation of 10° in the squat loading condition. The force on the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) increased with internal and external femoral malrotations, respectively. Conclusions These findings provide support for orthopaedic surgeons to determine a more accurate femoral component alignment in order to reduce post-operative PE problems. Cite this article: K-T. Kang, Y-G. Koh, J. Son, O-R. Kwon, C. Baek, S. H. Jung, K. K. Park. Measuring the effect of femoral malrotation on knee joint biomechanics for total knee arthroplasty using computational simulation. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:552–559. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.511.BJR-2016-0107.R1. PMID:28094763

Elevated Serum Osmolality and Total Water Deficit Indicate Impaired Hydration Status in Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities Regardless of Low or High Body Mass Index.

PubMed

Marra, Melissa Ventura; Simmons, Sandra F; Shotwell, Matthew S; Hudson, Abbie; Hollingsworth, Emily K; Long, Emily; Kuertz, Brittany; Silver, Heidi J

2016-05-01

Dehydration is typically associated with underweight and malnutrition in long-term care (LTC) settings. Evidence is lacking regarding the influence of the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity on risk factors, prevalence, and presentation of dehydration. The aim of this study was to objectively assess hydration status and the adequacy of total water intake, and determine relationships between hydration status, total water intake, and body mass index (BMI) in LTC residents. A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data was performed. Baseline data from 247 subjects recruited from eight community-based LTC facilities participating in two randomized trials comparing nutrient and cost-efficacy of between-meal snacks vs oral nutrition supplements (ONS). Hydration status was assessed by serum osmolality concentration and total water intakes were quantified by weighed food, beverage, water, and ONS intake. Simple and multiple linear regression methods were applied. Forty-nine (38.3%) subjects were dehydrated (>300 mOsm/kg) and another 39 (30.5%) had impending dehydration (295 to 300 mOsm/kg). The variance in serum osmolality was significantly accounted for by blood urea nitrogen level, mental status score, and having diabetes (R(2)=0.46; P<0.001). Total water intake averaged 1,147.2±433.1 mL/day. Thus, 96% to 100% of subjects did not meet estimated requirements, with a deficit range of 700 to 1,800 mL/day. The variance in total water intake was significantly accounted for by type of liquid beverages (thin vs thick), type of ONS, total energy intake, total activities of daily living dependence, sex, and BMI (R(2)=0.56; P<0.001). Dehydration and inadequate total water intake is prevalent in LTC residents across all BMI categories. Type of liquid beverages, type of ONS, and type of between-meal snacks are factors that could be targeted for nutrition interventions designed to prevent or reverse dehydration. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability and Validity of the Persian HIT-6 Questionnaire in Migraine and Tension-type Headache.

PubMed

Zandifar, Alireza; Banihashemi, Mahboobeh; Haghdoost, Faraidoon; Masjedi, Samaneh S; Manouchehri, Navid; Asgari, Fatemeh; Najafi, Mohammad R; Ghorbani, Abbas; Zandifar, Samaneh; Saadatnia, Mohammad; White, Michelle K

2014-09-01

Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) measures the impact headaches in a 1-month period. We validated the Persian translation of HIT-6, compared the HIT-6 psychometric analysis between migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) patients, and evaluated the capability of HIT-6 to differentiate between TTH, chronic migraine, and episodic migraine. Qualified participants, including 274 patients diagnosed with migraine or TTH, were required to complete HIT-6, SF-36v2, and a symptoms questionnaire on their first visit. At 3 and 8 weeks from first visit, participants completed HIT-6. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and test-retest reproducibility (Pearson's correlation coefficient) were used to assess reliability. Convergent validity was also assessed. Tension-type headache, episodic, and chronic migraines included 24.5%, 61.9%, and 13.6% of the participants, respectively. Internal consistency among all patients, TTH, and migraine in the first visit were 0.74, 0.77, and 0.73, respectively. Test-retest reliability for HIT-6 between visit 1 and 2 showed a moderate level of correlation (r = 0.50). Convergent validity and also item total correlation were acceptable. There was no significant difference in HIT-6 total score between TTH and migraine. Persian HIT-6 is a valid and reliable questionnaire for the evaluation of headache. However, it cannot differentiate between chronic migraine, episodic migraine, and TTH in Iranian population. © 2013 World Institute of Pain.

Phase Imaging using Focusing Polycapillary Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, Sajid

The interaction of X rays in diagnostic energy range with soft tissues can be described by Compton scattering and by the complex refractive index, which together characterize the attenuation properties of the tissue and the phase imparted to X rays passing through it. Many soft tissues exhibit extremely similar attenuation, so that their discrimination using conventional radiography, which generates contrast in an image through differential attenuation, is challenging. However, these tissues will impart phase differences significantly greater than attenuation differences to the X rays passing through them, so that phase-contrast imaging techniques can enable their discrimination. A major limitation to the widespread adoption of phase-contrast techniques is that phase contrast requires significant spatial coherence of the X-ray beam, which in turn requires specialized sources. For tabletop sources, this often requires a small (usually in the range of 10-50 micron) X-ray source. In this work, polycapillary optics were employed to create a small secondary source from a large spot rotating anode. Polycapillary optics consist of arrays of small hollow glass tubes through which X rays can be guided by total internal reflection from the tube walls. By tapering the tubes to guide the X rays to a point, they can be focused to a small spot which can be used as a secondary source. The polycapillary optic was first aligned with the X-ray source. The spot size was measured using a computed radiography image plate. Images were taken at a variety of optic-to-object and object-to-detector distances and phase-contrast edge enhancement was observed. Conventional absorption images were also acquired at a small object-to detector distances for comparison. Background division was performed to remove strong non-uniformity due to the optics. Differential phase contrast reconstruction demonstrates promising preliminary results. This manuscript is divided into six chapters. The second chapter describes the limitations of conventional imaging methods and benefits of the phase imaging. Chapter three covers different types of X-ray photon interactions with matter. Chapter four describes the experimental set-up and different types of images acquired along with their analysis. Chapter five summarizes the findings in this project and describes future work as well.

Development and Validation of the Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) for Primary Care Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Fu, Sau Nga; Chin, Weng Yee; Wong, Carlos King Ho; Yeung, Vincent Tok Fai; Yiu, Ming Pong; Tsui, Hoi Yee; Chan, Ka Hung

2013-01-01

Objectives To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese questionnaire which assesses the barriers and enablers to commencing insulin in primary care patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes. Research Design and Method Questionnaire items were identified using literature review. Content validation was performed and items were further refined using an expert panel. Following translation, back translation and cognitive debriefing, the translated Chinese questionnaire was piloted on target patients. Exploratory factor analysis and item-scale correlations were performed to test the construct validity of the subscales and items. Internal reliability was tested by Cronbach’s alpha. Results Twenty-seven identified items underwent content validation, translation and cognitive debriefing. The translated questionnaire was piloted on 303 insulin naïve (never taken insulin) Type 2 diabetes patients recruited from 10 government-funded primary care clinics across Hong Kong. Sufficient variability in the dataset for factor analysis was confirmed by Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (P<0.001). Using exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation, 10 factors were generated onto which 26 items loaded with loading scores > 0.4 and Eigenvalues >1. Total variance for the 10 factors was 66.22%. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was 0.725. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the first four factors were ≥0.6 identifying four sub-scales to which 13 items correlated. Remaining sub-scales and items with poor internal reliability were deleted. The final 13-item instrument had a four scale structure addressing: ‘Self-image and stigmatization’; ‘Factors promoting self-efficacy; ‘Fear of pain or needles’; and ‘Time and family support’. Conclusion The Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ) appears to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing barriers to starting insulin. This short instrument is easy to administer and may be used by healthcare providers and researchers as an assessment tool for Chinese diabetic primary care patients, including the elderly, who are unwilling to start insulin. PMID:24236071

Post-Cam Design and Contact Stress on Tibial Posts in Posterior-Stabilized Total Knee Prostheses: Comparison Between a Rounded and a Squared Design.

PubMed

Watanabe, Toshifumi; Koga, Hideyuki; Horie, Masafumi; Katagiri, Hiroki; Sekiya, Ichiro; Muneta, Takeshi

2017-12-01

The post-cam mechanism in posterior stabilized (PS) prostheses plays an important role in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study is to clarify the difference of the contact stress on the tibial post between a rounded post-cam design and a squared design during deep knee flexion and at hyperextension using the three-dimensional (3D) finite element models. We created 2 types of 3D, finite element models of PS prostheses (types A and B), whose surfaces were identical except for the post-cam geometries: type A has a rounded post-cam design, while type B has a squared design. Both types have a similar curved-shape intercondylar notch of the femoral component. Stress distributions, peak contact stresses, and contact areas on the tibial posts at 90°, 120°, and 150° flexion with/without 10° tibial internal rotation and at 10° hyperextension were compared between the 2 models. Type B demonstrated more concentrated stress distribution compared to type A. The peak contact stresses were similar in both groups during neutral flexion; however, the stresses were much higher in type B during flexion with 10° rotation and at hyperextension. The higher peak contact stresses corresponded to the smaller contact areas in the tibial post. A rounded post-cam design demonstrated less stress concentration during flexion with rotation and at hyperextension compared with a squared design. The results would be useful for development of implant designs and prediction of the contact stress on the tibial post in PS total knee arthroplasty. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The external-internal loop of interference: Two types of attention and their influence on the learning abilities of mice

PubMed Central

Sauce, Bruno; Wass, Christopher; Smith, Andrew; Kwan, Stephanie; Matzel, Louis D.

2016-01-01

Attention is a component of the working memory system, and as such, is responsible for protecting task-relevant information from interference. Cognitive performance (particularly outside of the laboratory) is often plagued by interference, and the source of this interference, either external or internal, might influence the expression of individual differences in attentional ability. By definition, external attention (also described as “selective attention”) protects working memory against sensorial distractors of all kinds, while internal attention (also called “inhibition”) protects working memory against emotional impulses, irrelevant information from memory, and automatically-generated responses. At present, it is unclear if these two types of attention are expressed independently in non-human animals, and how they might differentially impact performance on other cognitive processes, such as learning. By using a diverse battery of four attention tests (with varying levels of internal and external sources of interference), here we aimed both to explore this issue, and to obtain a robust and general (less task-specific) measure of attention in mice. Exploratory factor analyses revealed two factors (external and internal attention) that in total, accounted for 73% of the variance in attentional performance. Confirmatory factor analyses found an excellent fit with the data of the model of attention that assumed an external and internal distinction (with a resulting correlation of 0.43). In contrast, a model of attention that assumed one source of variance (i.e., “general attention”) exhibited a poor fit with the data. Regarding the relationship between attention and learning, higher resistance against external sources of interference promoted better new learning, but tended to impair performance when cognitive flexibility was required, such as during the reversal of a previously instantiated response. The present results suggest that there can be (at least) two types of attention that contribute to the common variance in attentional performance in mice, and that external and internal attentions might have opposing influences on the rate at which animals learn. PMID:25452087

Child maltreatment risk as a function of poverty and race/ethnicity in the USA.

PubMed

Kim, Hyunil; Drake, Brett

2018-01-29

Child maltreatment is a pressing social problem in the USA and internationally. There are increasing calls for the use of a public health approach to child maltreatment, but the effective adoption of such an approach requires a sound foundation of epidemiological data. This study estimates for the first time, using national data, total and type-specific official maltreatment risks while simultaneously considering environmental poverty and race/ethnicity. National official maltreatment data (2009-13) were linked to census data. We used additive mixed models to estimate race/ethnicity-specific rates of official maltreatment (total and subtypes) as a function of county-level child poverty rates. The additive model coupled with the multilevel design provided empirically sound estimates while handling both curvilinearity and the nested data structure. With increasing county child poverty rates, total and type-specific official maltreatment rates increased in all race/ethnicity groups. At similar poverty levels, White maltreatment rates trended higher than Blacks and Hispanics showed lower rates, especially where the data were most sufficient. For example, at the 25% poverty level, total maltreatment report rates were 6.91% [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.43%-7.40%] for Whites, 6.30% (5.50%-7.11%) for Blacks and 3.32% (2.88%-3.76%) for Hispanics. We find strong positive associations between official child maltreatment and environmental poverty in all race/ethnicity groups. Our data suggest that Black/White disproportionality in official maltreatment is largely driven by Black/White differences in poverty. Our findings also support the presence of a 'Hispanic paradox' in official maltreatment, where Hispanics have lower risks compared with similarly economically situated Whites and Blacks. © The Author(s) 2018; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association

Application of visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for predicting internal and external quality in pepper.

PubMed

Toledo-Martín, Eva María; García-García, María Carmen; Font, Rafael; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Gómez, Pedro; Salinas-Navarro, María; Del Río-Celestino, Mercedes

2016-07-01

The characterization of internal (°Brix, pH, malic acid, total phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and total carotenoid content) and external (color, firmness and pericarp wall thickness) pepper quality is necessary to better understand its possible applications and increase consumer awareness of its benefits. The main aim of this work was to examine the feasibility of using visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (VIS-NIRS) to predict quality parameters in different pepper types. Commercially available spectrophotometers were evaluated for this purpose: a Polychromix Phazir spectrometer for intact raw pepper, and a scanning monochromator for freeze-dried pepper. The RPD values (ratio of the standard deviation of the reference data to the standard error of prediction) obtained from the external validation exceeded a value of 3 for chlorophyll a and total carotenoid content; values ranging between 2.5 < RPD < 3 for total phenolic compounds; between 1.5 < RPD <2.5 for °Brix, pH, color parameters a* and h* and chlorophyll b; and RPD values below 1.5 for fruit firmness, pericarp wall thickness, color parameters C*, b* and L*, vitamin C and malic acid content. The present work has led to the development of multi-type calibrations for pepper quality parameters in intact and freeze-dried peppers. The majority of NIRS equations obtained were suitable for screening purposes in pepper breeding programs. Components such as pigments (xanthophyll, carotenes and chlorophyll), glucides, lipids, cellulose and water were used by modified partial least-squares regression for modeling the predicting equations. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Imaging characteristics and pathogenesis of intracranial artery stenosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction

PubMed Central

Xu, Wenyuan; Xie, Ning; Zhang, Cheng; Huang, Qin

2018-01-01

The current study aimed to investigate the imaging characteristics and pathogenesis of intracranial artery stenosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction. In total, 84 patients diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction were recruited. Magnetic resonance angiography was performed to detect the existence of intracranial artery stenosis or occlusion. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion weighted imaging were employed to analyze the infarction types and characteristics. In the majority of patients, the infarction resulted from internal carotid stenosis (77 cases; 91.7%), while it was caused by vertebral artery stenosis in a small number of cases (7 cases; 8.3%). Multiple infarction was identified the most common type of infarction among all cases (69.0%). The most common types of infarctions in the internal carotid system were multiple infarction implicating both the cortex and centrum ovale (23.4%), and internal watershed infarction (22.1%). Although the number of cases was relatively small, multiple infarction was observed to have a high incidence in the vertebral artery system. Bedside electrocardiogram was also recorded to determine the sinus rhythm and examine the abnormal hemodynamics. The sinus bradycardia rate of patients with multiple infarction was markedly greater in comparison with that in single infarction patients (χ2=0.01, P<0.05). Transcranial Doppler plus microembolus monitoring was utilized to explore the possible pathogenesis of all types of infarctions, such as arterial embolization. As compared with the single infarction patients, the embolus rate in patients with multiple infarction was notably increased by ~3.7-fold (χ2=8.65, P<0.05). In conclusion, the cerebral infarction was common in the internal carotid system, with multiple infarction observed in the majority of cases. The pathogenesis of cerebral infarction included arterial embolization and inadequate hemoperfusion. PMID:29725389

Comet and Asteroid Hazard to the Terrestrial Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ipatov, S. I.; Mather, J. C.; Oegerle, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We made computer simulations of orbital evolution for intervals of at least 5-10 Myr of N=2000 Jupiter-crossing objects (JCOs) with initial orbits close to those of real comets with period P less than 10 yr, 500 objects with orbits close to that of Comet 10P, and the asteroids initially located at the 3:1 and 5:2 resonances with Jupiter at initial eccentricity e(sub 0)=0.15 and initial inclination i(sub 0)=10(sup 0). The gravitational influence of all planets, except for Mercury and Pluto, was taken into account (without dissipative factors). We calculated the probabilities of collisions of bodies with the terrestrial planets, using orbital elements obtained with a step equal to 500 yr, and then summarized the results for all bodies, obtaining, the total probability Psigma of collisions with a planet and the total time interval Tsigma during which perihelion distance q of bodies was less than a semimajor axis of the planet. The values of p(sub r) =10(exp 6)Psigma/N and T(sub r)=T/1000 yr (where T=Tsigma/N) are presented in a table together with the ratio r of the total time interval when orbits were of Apollo type (at a greater than 1 AU, q less than 1.017 AU, e less than 0.999) to that of Amor type (1.017 less than q less than 1.33 AU), r(sub 2) is the same as r but for Apollo objects with e less than 0.9. For asteroids we present only results obtained by direct integration, as a symplectic method can give large errors for these resonances.

Generalization of turbojet and turbine-propeller engine performance in windmilling condition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallner, Ewis E; Welna, Henry J

1951-01-01

Windmilling characteristics of several turbojet and turbine-propeller engines were investigated individually over a wide range of flight conditions in the NACA Lewis altitude wind tunnel. A study was made of all these data and windmilling performance of gas turbine engines was generalized. Although internal-drag, air-flow, and total-pressure-drop parameters were generalized to a single curve for both the axial-flow type engines and another for the centrifugal-flow engine. The engine speed, component pressure changes, and windmilling-propeller drag were generalized to single curves for the two turbine-propeller-type engines investigated. By the use of these curves the windmilling performance can be estimated for axial-flow type gas turbine engines similar to the types investigated over a wide range of flight conditions.

Multi-Objective Lake Superior Regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asadzadeh, M.; Razavi, S.; Tolson, B.

2011-12-01

At the direction of the International Joint Commission (IJC) the International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) Board is investigating possible changes to the present method of regulating the outflows of Lake Superior (SUP) to better meet the contemporary needs of the stakeholders. In this study, a new plan in the form of a rule curve that is directly interpretable for regulation of SUP is proposed. The proposed rule curve has 18 parameters that should be optimized. The IUGLS Board is also interested in a regulation strategy that considers potential effects of climate uncertainty. Therefore, the quality of the rule curve is assessed simultaneously for multiple supply sequences that represent various future climate scenarios. The rule curve parameters are obtained by solving a computationally intensive bi-objective simulation-optimization problem that maximizes the total increase in navigation and hydropower benefits of the new regulation plan and minimizes the sum of all normalized constraint violations. The objective and constraint values are obtained from a Microsoft Excel based Shared Vision Model (SVM) that compares any new SUP regulation plan with the current regulation policy. The underlying optimization problem is solved by a recently developed, highly efficient multi-objective optimization algorithm called Pareto Archived Dynamically Dimensioned Search (PA-DDS). To further improve the computational efficiency of the simulation-optimization problem, the model pre-emption strategy is used in a novel way to avoid the complete evaluation of regulation plans with low quality in both objectives. Results show that the generated rule curve is robust and typically more reliable when facing unpredictable climate conditions compared to other SUP regulation plans.

Rate of displacement for Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures treated with a cast.

PubMed

Zale, C; Winthrop, Z A; Hennrikus, W

2018-04-01

The aim of this retrospective study is to report the rate of displacement of Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures that were initially treated in a cast. We performed a retrospective review of all patients that were treated for a non-displaced (Jakob Type 1 < 2 mm) lateral condyle fracture of the humerus at our institution between 2002 and 2015. A total of 59 patients were initially treated with casting. Five fractures displaced and were converted to a closed pinning treatment plan with a conversion rate of 8.5%. There was a mean of 13.2 days (4 to 21) between treatment by initial casting and closed pinning. This study demonstrates an 8.5% displacement and conversion rate from cast treatment to closed pinning for initially non-displaced Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures of the humerus. The internal oblique radiograph is most accurate to determine displacement. We recommend obtaining an internal oblique view at initial evaluation and at follow-up in the cast for lateral condyle fractures. To minimize movement at the fracture site, we recommend treating Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures with a long arm cast with the elbow at 90° and the forearm in the supine position with a sling-loop design. IV - retrospective therapeutic study.

[An analysis of residents' self-evaluation and faculty-evaluation in internal medicine standardized residency training program using Milestones evaluation system].

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Chu, X T; Zeng, X J; Li, H; Zhang, F C; Zhang, S Y; Shen, T

2018-06-01

Objective: To assess the value of internal medicine residency training program at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), and the feasibility of applying revised Milestones evaluation system. Methods: Postgraduate-year-one to four (PGY-1 to PGY-4) residents in PUMCH finished the revised Milestones evaluation scales in September 2017. Residents' self-evaluation and faculty-evaluation scores were calculated. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data. Results: A total of 207 residents were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Both self and faculty scores showed an increasing trend in senior residents. PGY-1 residents were assessed during their first month of residency with scores of 4 points or higher, suggesting that residents have a high starting level. More strikingly, the mean score in PGY-4 was 7 points or higher, proving the career development of residency training program. There was no statistically significant difference between total self- and faculty-evaluation scores. Evaluation scores of learning ability and communication ability were lower in faculty group ( t =-2.627, -4.279, all P <0.05). The scores in graduate students were lower than those in standardized training residents. Conclusions: The goal of national standardized residency training is to improve the quality of healthcare and residents' career development. The evaluation results would guide curriculum design and emphasize the importance and necessity of multi-level teaching. Self-evaluation contributes to the understanding of training objectives and personal cognition.

THE DISCOVERY OF SOLAR-LIKE ACTIVITY CYCLES BEYOND THE END OF THE MAIN SEQUENCE?

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

Route, Matthew, E-mail: mroute@purdue.edu

2016-10-20

The long-term magnetic behavior of objects near the cooler end of the stellar main sequence is poorly understood. Most theoretical work on the generation of magnetism in these ultracool dwarfs (spectral type ≥M7 stars and brown dwarfs) suggests that their magnetic fields should not change in strength and direction. Using polarized radio emission measurements of their magnetic field orientations, I demonstrate that these cool, low-mass, fully convective objects appear to undergo magnetic polarity reversals analogous to those that occur on the Sun. This powerful new technique potentially indicates that the patterns of magnetic activity displayed by the Sun continue tomore » exist, despite the fully convective interiors of these objects, in contravention of several leading theories of the generation of magnetic fields by internal dynamos.« less

DICOM-compatible format for analytical cytology data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leif, Robert C.; Leif, Suzanne B.

1998-04-01

The addition of a list mode data type to the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard, DICOM will enhance the storage and transmission of digital microscopy data and extend DICOM to include flow cytometry data. This would permit the present International Society for analytical Cytology Flow Cytometry Standard to be retired. DICOM includes: image graphics objects, specifications for describing: studies, reports, the acquisition of the data, work list management, and the individuals involved (physician, patient, etc.) The glossary of terms (objects) suitable for use with DICOM has been extended to include the collaborative effort of Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes (LOINC) and Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine (SNOMED) to create a consistent, unambiguous clinical reference terminology. It also appears that DICOM will be a significant part of the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, CORBA.

Prescription, Dispensation, and Generic Medicine Replacement Ratios: Influence on Japanese Medicine Costs

PubMed Central

Yokoi, Masayuki; Tashiro, Takao

2016-01-01

This study used publicly available data to examine the effect of the separation of dispensing and prescribing medicines between pharmacists in pharmacies and doctors in medical institutions (the separation system) and the generic medicine replacement ratio on the cost of various medicines in Japanese prefectures. For Japanese medical institutions, participation in the separation system is optional. Consequently, the expansion rate of the separation system for each administrative district is highly variable. In our multiple regression analysis, the dependent variables were the costs of daily medicines, specifically, total, internal, external, and injection medicines, as well as medical devices, and the independent variables were the expansion rate of the separation system and generic medicine replacement ratio. The expansion rate of the separation system showed a significant negative partial correlation with the daily costs of total, internal, and injection medicines as well as medical devices. Moreover, the rate of replacing brand name medicines with generic medicines showed a significant negative partial correlation with the daily costs of total and internal medicines. However, external and injection medicines and medical devices did not because only a few or no generic products of these types were sold in the Japanese market. Otherwise, expansion of the separation system was effective in reducing medicine costs, except in the case of external medicines. This suggests that the cost efficiency effect of the separation system does not function all the time. PMID:26234979

Severe physical punishment: risk of mental health problems for poor urban children in Brazil

PubMed Central

Duarte, Cristiane S; Peres, Clovis A; Nascimento, Rosimeire; Curto, Bartira M; Paula, Cristiane S

2009-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between specific types of child mental health problems and severe physical punishment, in combination with other important known risk factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in Embu, São Paulo, Brazil, as the Brazilian component of a multicountry survey on abuse in the family environment. From a probabilistic sample of clusters that included all eligible households (women aged 15–49 years with a son or daughter < 18 years of age), we randomly selected one mother–child pair per household (n = 813; attrition rate: 17.6%). This study focused on children aged 6–17 years (n = 480). Child Behaviour Checklist CBCL/6–18 was used to identify children with internalizing problems only, externalizing problems only, and both internalizing and externalizing problems (comorbidity). Severe physical punishment was defined as being hit with an object, being kicked, choked, smothered, burnt, scalded, branded, beaten or threatened with a weapon. We examined other potential correlates from four domains: child (gender, age, ever witnessing marital violence); mother (education, unemployment, anxiety or depression, marital violence); father (absence, drunkenness); and family (socioeconomic status). The WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to identify maternal anxiety or depression (score > 7). Backward logistic regression analysis identified independent correlates and significant interactions. Findings Multivariate modelling showed that severe punishment was an independent correlate of comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems but was not associated with internalizing problems only. It increased the risk of externalizing problems alone only for children and adolescents not exposed to maternal anxiety or depression. Maternal anxiety or depression increased the risk only for children or adolescents not exposed to severe punishment. Conclusion Severe punishment may be related to child mental health problems, with the mechanism depending on the type of problem. Its influence persists in the presence of family stressors such as the father’s absence and maternal anxiety or depression. PMID:19551251

Depression is associated with the metabolic syndrome among patients with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Ahola, Aila J; Thorn, Lena M; Saraheimo, Markku; Forsblom, Carol; Groop, Per-Henrik

2010-10-01

Both depression and the metabolic syndrome are frequently found among patients with type 1 diabetes, but their potential association has not yet been investigated. In this paper the relationship between depression and the metabolic syndrome among patients with type 1 diabetes was evaluated. A total of 1226 patients participating in the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study between 2003 and 2009 were included. Depression was defined as use of antidepressive medication or Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score ≥16. The metabolic syndrome was defined using the criteria established by the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention (IDF); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); American Heart Association (AHA); World Heart Federation (WHF); International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS); and International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO). The metabolic syndrome was more frequently observed among depressed patients (57% versus 46%, P = 0.008). Of the individual components of the metabolic syndrome, waist, triglyceride, and HDL components were more frequently fulfilled among patients with depression. The BDI score increased with the number of components of the metabolic syndrome present. The BDI score was independently associated with the waist component (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.05) when adjusted for gender, age, socio-economic status, smoking, nephropathy, and HbA(1c). The metabolic syndrome is frequently found among depressed patients with type 1 diabetes. Whether this association influences the development of diabetic complications is not known.

Management of patients with type 2 diabetes and multiple chronic conditions: A Delphi consensus of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine.

PubMed

Ena, Javier; Gómez-Huelgas, Ricardo; Sánchez-Fuentes, Demetrio; Camafort-Babkowsk, Miguel; Formiga, Francesc; Michán-Doña, Alfredo; Casariego, Emilio

2016-01-01

To develop consensus-based recommendations for the management of chronic complex patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a two round Delphi technique. Experts from the Diabetes and Obesity Working Group (DOWG) of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI) reviewed MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS and Cochrane Library databases up to September 2014 to gather information on organization and health care management, stratification of therapeutic targets and therapeutic approach for glucose control in chronic complex patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A list of 6 recommendations was created and rated by a panel of 75 experts from the DOWG by email (first round) and by open discussion (second round). A written document was produced and sent back to DOWG experts for clarification purposes. A high degree of consensus was achieved for all recommendations summarized as 1) there is a need to redesign and test new health care programs for chronic complex patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; 2) therapeutic targets in patients with short life expectancy should be individualized in accordance to their personal, clinical and social characteristics; 3) patients with chronic complex conditions and type 2 diabetes mellitus should be stratified by hypoglycemia risk; 4) age and specific comorbidities should guide the objectives for glucose control; 5) the risk of hypoglycemia should be a key factor when choosing a treatment; and 6) basal insulin analogs compared to human insulin are cost-effective options. The assessment and recommendations provided herein represent our best professional judgment based on current data and clinical experience. Copyright © 2015 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contamination of RR Lyrae stars from Binary Evolution Pulsators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karczmarek, Paulina; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Belczyński, Krzysztof; Stępień, Kazimierz; Wiktorowicz, Grzegorz; Iłkiewicz, Krystian

2016-06-01

Binary Evolution Pulsator (BEP) is an extremely low-mass member of a binary system, which pulsates as a result of a former mass transfer to its companion. BEP mimics RR Lyrae-type pulsations but has different internal structure and evolution history. We present possible evolution channels to produce BEPs, and evaluate the contamination value, i.e. how many objects classified as RR Lyrae stars can be undetected BEPs. In this analysis we use population synthesis code StarTrack.

26 CFR 301.6021-1 - Listing by district directors of taxable objects owned by nonresidents of internal revenue...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Listing by district directors of taxable objects owned by nonresidents of internal revenue districts. 301.6021-1 Section 301.6021-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION...

Promoting Success: A Professional Development Coaching Program for Interns in Medicine

PubMed Central

Palamara, Kerri; Kauffman, Carol; Stone, Valerie E.; Bazari, Hasan; Donelan, Karen

2015-01-01

Background Residency is an intense period. Challenges, including burnout, arise as new physicians develop their professional identities. Residency programs provide remediation, but emotional support for interns is often limited. Professional development coaching of interns, regardless of their performance, has not been reported. Objective Design, implement, and evaluate a program to support intern professional development through positive psychology coaching. Methods We implemented a professional development coaching program in a large residency program. The program included curriculum development, coach-intern interactions, and evaluative metrics. A total of 72 internal medicine interns and 26 internal medicine faculty participated in the first year. Interns and coaches were expected to meet quarterly; expected time commitments per year were 9 hours (per individual coached) for coaches, 5 1/2 hours for each individual coachee, and 70 hours for the director of the coaching program. Coaches and interns were asked to complete 2 surveys in the first year and to participate in qualitative interviews. Results Eighty-two percent of interns met with their coaches 3 or more times. Coaches and their interns assessed the program in multiple dimensions (participation, program and professional activities, burnout, coping, and coach-intern communication). Most of the interns (94%) rated the coaching program as good or excellent, and 96% would recommend this program to other residency programs. The experience of burnout was lower in this cohort compared with a prior cohort. Conclusions There is early evidence that a coaching program of interactions with faculty trained in positive psychology may advance intern development and partially address burnout. PMID:26692977

Numerical simulations of convection at the surface of a ZZ Ceti white dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwig, H.-G.; Jordan, S.; Steffen, M.

1994-04-01

We applied two-dimensional hydrodynamics and non-grey radiative transfer calculations to the surface layers of a hydrogen-rich white dwarf (spectral type DA) with Teff = 12600 K and log g = 8.0, corresponding to a position in the HR-diagram slightly cooler than the hot boundary of the ZZ Ceti instability strip. In our simulation the entire convection zone including the overshoot layers is embedded in the computational box so that we obtain a complete and detailed model of convection for this representative object. We address the important question to what extent models based on mixing length theory (MLT) are able to predict the physical properties of convection. We find a rapidly (timescale approximately equals 100 ms) evolving flow pattern with fast concentrated downdrafts surrounded by slow broad upflows of warmer material. Convection carries up to 30% of the total flux and excites internal gravity waves by dynamical processes associated with the merging of downdrafts. The mean entropy gradient is reversed with respect to MLT predictions in the deeper layers of the convection zone. Strong overshoot occurs at its upper and lower boundary. A synthetic spectrum calculated from the mean photospheric temperature stratification can be fitted satisfactorily with a MLT model adopting alpha = 1.5. At greater depth the temperature profile approaches a model with alpha = 4. The total depth of the convective layers is rather small compared to values suggested by studies of the excitation mechanism for the pulsations of DAs.

Coffee consumption and risk of total and cardiovascular mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Bidel, S; Hu, G; Qiao, Q; Jousilahti, P; Antikainen, R; Tuomilehto, J

2006-11-01

Higher habitual coffee drinking has been associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The relation between coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been examined in many studies, but the issue remains controversial. This study was designed to assess the association between coffee consumption and CVD mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes. We prospectively followed 3,837 randomly ascertained Finnish patients with type 2 diabetes aged 25 to 74 years. Coffee consumption and other study parameters were determined at baseline. The International Classification of Diseases was used to identify CHD, CVD and stroke cases using computerised record linkage to the national Death Registry. The associations between coffee consumption at baseline and risk of total, CVD, CHD, and stroke mortality were analysed by using Cox proportional hazards models. During the average follow-up of 20.8 years, 1,471 deaths were recorded, of which 909 were coded as CVD, 598 as CHD and 210 as stroke. The respective multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios in participants who drank 0-2, 3-4, 5-6, and > or =7 cups of coffee daily were 1.00, 0.77, 0.68 and 0.70 for total mortality (P<0.001 for trend), 1.00, 0.79, 0.70 and 0.71 for CVD mortality (P=0.006 for trend), 1.00, 0.78, 0.70 and 0.63 for CHD mortality (p=0.01 for trend), and 1.00, 0.77, 0.64 and 0.90 for stroke mortality (p=0.12 for trend). In this large prospective study we found that in type 2 diabetic patients coffee drinking is associated with reduced total, CVD and CHD mortality.

Do lacunar strokes benefit from thrombolysis? Evidence from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network.

PubMed

Shobha, Nandavar; Fang, Jiming; Hill, Michael D

2013-10-01

Lacunar infarcts constitute up to 25% of all ischaemic strokes. As acute intracranial vascular imaging has become widely available with computed tomographic angiography, thrombolysis of lacunar strokes has become contentious because an intracranial vascular lesion cannot be visualized. We studied the effect of thrombolysis on lacunar strokes compared to other clinical ischaemic stroke sub-types. Ischaemic stroke patients from phase 3 of the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network data (July 2003-March 2008) were included. Lacunar stroke was defined as a lacunar syndrome supported by computed tomography brain showing a subcortical hypodense lesion with a diameter <20 mm. Clinical syndromes were used to define other stroke sub-types. The outcomes were mortality at 90 days, modified Rankin Scale score 0-2 at discharge, occurrence of intracranial haemorrhage as a complication of stroke in-hospital, and discharge disposition to home. A total of 11,503 patients of ischaemic stroke were included from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network 3 between July 2003 and March 2008. Lacunar strokes formed 19.1% of the total strokes. The total number of patients who received tissue plasminogen activator was 1630 (14.2%). A significant association was found between tissue plasminogen activator treatment and outcomes after controlling Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project types--for modified Rankin Scale at discharge and discharge to home, but not for mortality. A thrombolysis-by-Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project stroke sub-type interaction was observed due to lack of benefit among the posterior circulation stroke sub-types. Patients with lacunar strokes, partial anterior circulation stroke, and total anterior circulation strokes all benefited approximately equally from thrombolysis. Thrombolysis is associated with clinically improved outcome among patients with lacunar stroke syndromes. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke Organization.

The impact of duty cycle workflow on sign-out practices: a qualitative study of an internal medicine residency program in Maryland, USA

PubMed Central

Lee, Soo-Hoon; Desai, Sanjay V

2017-01-01

Objectives Although JCAHO requires a standardised approach to handoffs, and while many standardised protocols have been tested, sign-out practices continue to vary. We believe this is due to the variability in workflow during inpatient duty cycle. We investigate the impact of such workflows on intern sign-out practices. Design We employed a prospective, grounded theory mixed-method design. Setting The study was conducted at a residency programme in the mid-Atlantic USA. Two observers randomly evaluated three types of daily sign-outs for 1 week every 3 months from September 2013 to March 2014. The compliance of each observed behaviour to JCAHO’s Handoff Communication Checklist was recorded. Participants Thirty one interns conducting 134 patient sign-outs were observed randomly among the 52 in the programme. Results In the 06:00 to 07:00 sign-back, the night-cover focused on providing information on overnight events to the day interns. In the 11:00 to 12:00 sign-out, the night-cover focused on transferring task accountability to a day-cover intern before departure. In the 20:00 to 21:00 sign-out, the day interns focused on transferring responsibility of their patients to a night-cover. Conclusion Different sign-out periods had different emphases regarding information exchange, personal responsibility and task accountability. Sign-outs are context-specific, implying that across-the-board standardised sign-out protocols are likely to have limited efficacy and compliance. Standardisation may need to be relative to the specific type and purpose of each sign-out to be supported by interns. PMID:28487461

Mental health in primary care: an evaluation using the Item Response Theory.

PubMed

Rocha, Hugo André da; Santos, Alaneir de Fátima Dos; Reis, Ilka Afonso; Santos, Marcos Antônio da Cunha; Cherchiglia, Mariângela Leal

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE To determine the items of the Brazilian National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care that better evaluate the capacity to provide mental health care. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study carried out using the Graded Response Model of the Item Response Theory using secondary data from the second cycle of the National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care, which evaluates 30,523 primary care teams in the period from 2013 to 2014 in Brazil. The internal consistency, correlation between items, and correlation between items and the total score were tested using the Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's correlation, and point biserial coefficients, respectively. The assumptions of unidimensionality and local independence of the items were tested. Word clouds were used as one way to present the results. RESULTS The items with the greatest ability to discriminate were scheduling of the agenda according to risk stratification, keeping of records of the most serious cases of users in psychological distress, and provision of group care. The items that required a higher level of mental health care in the parameter of location were the provision of any type of group care and the provision of educational and mental health promotion activities. Total Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87. The items that obtained the highest correlation with total score were the recording of the most serious cases of users in psychological distress and scheduling of the agenda according to risk stratification. The final scores obtained oscillated between -2.07 (minimum) and 1.95 (maximum). CONCLUSIONS There are important aspects in the discrimination of the capacity to provide mental health care by primary health care teams: risk stratification for care management, follow-up of the most serious cases, group care, and preventive and health promotion actions.

Amygdala lesions in rhesus monkeys fail to disrupt object choices based on internal context.

PubMed

Rhodes, Sarah E V; Charles, David P; Howland, Emily J; Murray, Elisabeth A

2012-04-01

We assessed the involvement of the amygdala in a task in which object choices were guided by internal context. Rhesus monkeys were trained on a biconditional discrimination whereby objects associated with food (but not water) were baited when the monkey was hungry, and objects associated with water (but not food) were baited when the monkey was thirsty. To solve this task, monkeys were required to choose objects yielding the reward congruent with their internal motivational state. Lesions of the amygdala did not disrupt learning or performance of this task. We conclude that the involvement of the amygdala in selective-satiation tasks, which depends in part on a change in internal context, is not due to the amygdala playing a general role in representing, or using, internal context. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Deficit-Lesion Correlations in Syntactic Comprehension in Aphasia

PubMed Central

Caplan, David; Michaud, Jennifer; Hufford, Rebecca; Makris, Nikos

2015-01-01

The effects of lesions on syntactic comprehension were studied in thirty one people with aphasia (PWA). Participants were tested for the ability to parse and interpret four types of syntactic structures and elements -- passives, object extracted relative clauses, reflexives and pronouns – in three tasks – object manipulation, sentence picture matching with full sentence presentation and sentence picture matching with self-paced listening presentation. Accuracy, end-of-sentence RT and self-paced listening times for each word were measured. MR scans were obtained and analyzed for total lesion volume and for lesion size in 48 cortical areas. Lesion size in several areas of the left hemisphere was related to accuracy in particular sentence types in particular tasks and to self-paced listening times for critical words in particular sentence types. The results support a model of brain organization that includes areas that are specialized for the combination of particular syntactic and interpretive operations and the use of the meanings produced by those operations to accomplish task-related operations. PMID:26688433

Deficit-lesion correlations in syntactic comprehension in aphasia.

PubMed

Caplan, David; Michaud, Jennifer; Hufford, Rebecca; Makris, Nikos

2016-01-01

The effects of lesions on syntactic comprehension were studied in thirty-one people with aphasia (PWA). Participants were tested for the ability to parse and interpret four types of syntactic structures and elements - passives, object extracted relative clauses, reflexives and pronouns - in three tasks - object manipulation, sentence picture matching with full sentence presentation and sentence picture matching with self-paced listening presentation. Accuracy, end-of-sentence RT and self-paced listening times for each word were measured. MR scans were obtained and analyzed for total lesion volume and for lesion size in 48 cortical areas. Lesion size in several areas of the left hemisphere was related to accuracy in particular sentence types in particular tasks and to self-paced listening times for critical words in particular sentence types. The results support a model of brain organization that includes areas that are specialized for the combination of particular syntactic and interpretive operations and the use of the meanings produced by those operations to accomplish task-related operations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Small vs. Large Convective Cloud Objects from CERES Aqua Observations: Where are the Intraseasonal Variation Signals?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Kuan-Man

2016-01-01

During inactive phases of Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), there are plenty of deep but small convective systems and far fewer deep and large ones. During active phases of MJO, a manifestation of an increase in the occurrence of large and deep cloud clusters results from an amplification of large-scale motions by stronger convective heating. This study is designed to quantitatively examine the roles of small and large cloud clusters during the MJO life cycle. We analyze the cloud object data from Aqua CERES observations for tropical deep convective (DC) and cirrostratus (CS) cloud object types according to the real-time multivariate MJO index. The cloud object is a contiguous region of the earth with a single dominant cloud-system type. The size distributions, defined as the footprint numbers as a function of cloud object diameters, for particular MJO phases depart greatly from the combined (8-phase) distribution at large cloud-object diameters due to the reduced/increased numbers of cloud objects related to changes in the large-scale environments. The medium diameter corresponding to the combined distribution is determined and used to partition all cloud objects into "small" and "large" groups of a particular phase. The two groups corresponding to the combined distribution have nearly equal numbers of footprints. The medium diameters are 502 km for DC and 310 km for cirrostratus. The range of the variation between two extreme phases (typically, the most active and depressed phases) for the small group is 6-11% in terms of the numbers of cloud objects and the total footprint numbers. The corresponding range for the large group is 19-44%. In terms of the probability density functions of radiative and cloud physical properties, there are virtually no differences between the MJO phases for the small group, but there are significant differences for the large groups for both DC and CS types. These results suggest that the intreseasonal variation signals reside at the large cloud clusters while the small cloud clusters represent the background noises resulting from various types of the tropical waves with different wavenumbers and propagation directions/speeds.

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

Azimi, H.R.

This study examines several mechanisms by which the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) resistance of shear-yielding thermoset polymers can be improved. Specifically, this research has four objectives as follows: first, to develop a mechanistic understanding of the FCP behavior of rubber-modified thermoset polymers; second, to understand the effect of strength and shape of the inorganic fillers on the FCP resistance and micromechanisms in filled epoxy polymers; third, to elucidate the nature of the interactions among the crack-tip shielding mechanisms in thermoset polymers subjected to cyclic loading and synergistically toughened with both rubber and inorganic particles (i.e., hybrid composites); fourth, to studymore » the role of interfaces on the synergistic interactions in FCP behavior of hybrid composites. The model - matrix material consists of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) based type epoxy cured with piperidine. Parallel to the first objective, the epoxy matrix was modified with rubber while changing volume fraction, type, and size of the rubber particles. To accomplish the second goal, the epoxy polymers were modified by a total 10 volume percent of either one of the following three types of inorganic modifiers: hollow glass spheres (HGS); solid glass spheres (SGS); and short glass fibers (SGF). The third goal was met by processing three different systems of hybrid epoxy composites modified by (1) CTBN rubber and HGS, (2) CTBN rubber and SGS, and (3) CTBN rubber and SGF. The total volume fraction of the two modifiers in each hybrid system was kept constant at 10 percent while systematically changing their ratio. To meet the fourth objective, the surface properties of the SGS particles in the hybrid system were altered using adhesion promoter. A mechanistic understanding of the FCP behavior of rubber-modified epoxies was achieved by relating fractographs to observed FCP behavior.« less

A 10-Year Prospective Study of Prodromal Patterns for Bipolar Disorder among Amish Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Jon A.; Egeland, Janice A.; Endicott, Jean; Allen, Cleona R.; Hostetter, Abram M.

2005-01-01

Objective: Prospective study of well children at risk of bipolarity to identify the frequency and pattern of potentially prodromal symptoms/behaviors for bipolar disorder type I (BPI) disorder. Method: A total of 110 at-risk children with a BPI parent and 112 children with well parents were studied. Ten-year data collection used structured and…

Adiposity and Different Types of Screen Time

PubMed Central

Rosner, Bernard; Willett, Walter C.; Sonneville, Kendrin R.; Hu, Frank B.; Field, Alison E.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Few prospective studies have examined separate forms of screen time in relation to adiposity. Our objective was to assess independent relations of television, electronic games (video/computer), and digital versatile disc (DVD)/videos and total screen time with change in adolescent BMI. METHODS: Using data from the 2004, 2006, and 2008 waves of the ongoing Growing up Today Study II, we assessed baseline and 2-year change in reported screen time in relation to concurrent change in BMI among 4287 girls and 3505 boys aged 9 to 16 years in 2004. Gender-specific models adjusted for previous BMI, age, race/ethnicity, growth/development, months between questionnaires, and physical activity. RESULTS: Among girls and boys, each hour per day increase in reported television viewing was associated with a 0.09 increase in BMI (Ps < .001), and each hour per day increase in total screen time was associated with a 0.07 increase among girls and 0.05 increase among boys (Ps < .001). Among girls only, greater baseline television, games, and total screen time and change in DVDs/videos were associated with gains in BMI (Ps < .05). BMI gains associated with change in television and total screen time were stronger among overweight girls than lean girls (Ps-heterogeneity < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Television, which remains the steadiest source of food advertising, was most consistently associated with BMI gains. Among girls, electronic games and DVDs/videos were also related to increased BMI, possibly due to influences of product placements and advergames on diet and/or distracted eating. Adolescents, especially overweight adolescents, may benefit from reduced time with multiple types of media. PMID:24276840

Use of Balanced Indicators as a Management Tool in Nursing1

PubMed Central

Fugaça, Neidamar Pedrini Arias; Cubas, Marcia Regina; Carvalho, Deborah Ribeiro

2015-01-01

Objective: to develop a proposal for a nursing panel of indicators based on the guiding principles of Balanced Scorecard. Method: a single case study that ranked 200 medical records of patients, management reports and protocols, which are capable of generating indicators. Results: we identified 163 variables that resulted in 72 indicators; of these, 32 nursing-related: two financial indicators (patient's average revenue per day and patient's revenue per day by product used); two client indicators (overall satisfaction rate of patient with nursing care and adherence rate to the patient satisfaction survey); 23 process indicators, and five learning and growth indicators (average total hours of training, total of approved nursing professionals in the internal selection process, absenteeism rate, turnover rate and index of performance evaluation). Conclusion: although there is a limit related to the amount of data generated, the methodology of Balanced Scorecard has proved to be flexible and adaptable to incorporate nursing services. It was possible to identify indicators with adherence to more than one area. Internal processes was the area with the higher number of indicators. PMID:26625995

Assessments of plasma ghrelin levels in the early stages of parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Song, Ning; Wang, Weiwei; Jia, Fengjv; Du, Xixun; Xie, Anmu; He, Qing; Shen, Xiaoli; Zhang, Jing; Rogers, Jack T; Xie, Junxia; Jiang, Hong

2017-10-01

Gastrointestinal symptoms are early events in Parkinson's disease (PD). The gastrointestinal hormone ghrelin was neuroprotective in the nigrostriatal dopamine system. The objective of this study was to assess ghrelin levels in the early stages of PD. Plasma was collected in the fasting state in 291 PD patients in stages 1-3 and 303 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Additional samples were taken in the glucose response test to assess nutrition-related ghrelin levels in 20 PD patients and 20 healthy controls. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure total and active plasma ghrelin levels. We reported that total and active plasma ghrelin levels were decreased in PD, although there was no difference across progressive PD stages. Postprandial ghrelin suppression and preprandial peak responses were both attenuated in PD. Plasma ghrelin levels were decreased in PD; however, this event might be irrelevant to PD progression. Ghrelin responses to meals were also impaired in PD. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Educational environment as perceived by dental students at King Saud University.

PubMed

Al-Saleh, Samar; Al-Madi, Ebtissam M; AlMufleh, Balqees; Al-Degheishem, Al-Hanoof

2018-07-01

Main objectives of the present study were to develop a baseline information about dental students' perception of their educational environment at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh; and to investigate the role of four different variables on the students' perception. Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was distributed among 497 undergraduate dental students, in the second week of the first semester of the academic year, from second year students to interns studying in the College of Dentistry of King Saud University (KSU). Response rate was 60.73%. Mean for the total DREEM scores was 108.42/200. DREEM subscales mean were above 50% of the total score. DREEM overall score showed no significant statistical difference among the four variables investigated, except the academic year, where the second year students scored significantly higher (118.36 ± 15.8) compared to the interns (105 ± 21.3). Students' perception of educational environment in the KSU College of Dentistry was satisfactory. However, several weak areas were identified which need some attention and consideration.

Novel Bio, Chemical, Environmental Sensing Based on New Model of Total Internal Reflection in Turbid Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bali, Samir; Judge, Patrick; Phillip, Nathan; Boivin, Jordan; Scaffidi, Jonathan; Berberich, Jason; Bali, Lalit

2014-05-01

We have initiated a collaborative experimental research program that combines new advances in optical physics, field portable chemical analysis, and biosensing. Our goal is to discover and characterize new optical sensing methodologies in opaque, highly scattering (i.e., ``turbid'') media, and demonstrate new paradigms for optical sensing in research and industry. We have three specific objectives. First, we propose to fully characterize and validate a new model of total internal reflection (TIR) from highly turbid media thus enabling a first demonstration of non-invasive, in-situ, real-time particle sizing for the case of arbitrary scattering particle size-a holy grail in colloidal science. Second, we propose to implement a first demonstration of real-time non-invasive measurement of nanoparticle aggregation in highly turbid media. Third, we propose to use our new sensing methodology to demonstrate real-time in-situ label-free monitoring of molecular interactions and adsorption at surfaces. We gratefully acknowledge support from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund and Miami University's Interdisciplinary Roundtable Fund. We also gratefully acknowledge experimental help from the Miami University Instrumentation Laboratory.

Pentachlorophenol and cancer risk: Focusing the lens on ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Objective: Pentachlorophenol is a fungicide widely used as a wood preservative, classified in 1999 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a “possible human carcinogen”. We review currently available epidemiological research to determine the extent to which recent studies address the limitations of the previous data, particularly with respect to distinguishing the effect of pentachlorophenol from that of its contaminants (e.g., dioxins) and other chlorophenols. Data Sources and Extraction: We examined published studies with a quantitative or qualitative pentachlorophenol measure, or an assessment of chlorophenol exposure and additional information on specific jobs that would likely have used pentachlorophenol rather than other chlorophenols. The data collection process focused on results pertaining specifically to all cancer sites and specific hematopoietic cancers, and data pertaining to risks associated with other types of chlorophenols, dioxins, or furans. Synthesis: In contrast with dioxin, pentachlorophenol exposure was not associated with total cancer incidence or mortality. However, the pentachlorophenol studies present considerable evidence pertaining to lymphopoietic cancers, with strong associations seen in multiple studies, in different locations and using different designs. The extension of a large cohort study of sawmill workers, with follow-up to 1995, provides information about risks of relatively rare cancers (e.g.,

A scientometric analysis of Indian research output in medicine during 1999–2008

PubMed Central

Gupta, B. M.; Bala, Adarsh

2011-01-01

Objective: This study analyzes the research activities of India in medicine during 1999–2008, based on the total publication output, its growth rate, quality of papers published and rank of India in the global context. Patterns of international collaborative research output and the major partner countries of India are also discussed. This study also evaluates the research performance of different types of Indian medical colleges, hospitals, research institutes, universities and research foundations and the characteristics of published literature in Indian and foreign journals. It also analyzes the medical research output by disease and organs. Materials and Methods: The publication data on medicine has been retrieved by using SCOPUS database. Results: India holds 12th rank among the productive countries in medicine research consisting of 65,745 papers with a global publication share of 1.59% and registering a growth rate of 76.68% for the papers published during 1999–2003 to 2004–2008. Conclusion: High quality research in India is grossly inadequate and requires strategic planning, investment and resource support. There is also a need to improve the existing medical education system, which should foster research culture. PMID:22470241

Prevalence and correlates of major depressive disorder in breast cancer survivors in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Qiu, Jianyin; Yang, Min; Chen, Weijun; Gao, Xiufei; Liu, Sheng; Shi, Shenxun; Xie, Bin

2012-12-01

Our objective is to measure the prevalence and correlates of major depressive disorder (MDD) among Chinese breast cancer patients after surgery, which is essential for analyzing the service needs and allocating mental health resources. A total of 505 patients were randomly recruited from 1580 post-surgery breast cancer outpatients from one tertiary hospital in Shanghai, and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to assess 1-month prevalence of MDD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) in a two-phase design. The adjusted 1-month prevalence of MDD was 20.59% (95% CI 17.06-23.82). The risk for depression within the first year was two times as higher as that in more than 1 year. Patients within 1 year after surgery, with lower income, disrupted marriage or being single, recurrent breast cancer and psychiatric history were more likely to have MDD. There was no significant association between depression and disease stage, type of surgery, receptor status and cancer treatment. Depression is quite common in Chinese breast cancer patients and survivors. A more sensitive and responsive mental health service is recommended for this population. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Restoration and Archiving of Data from the Plasma Composition Experiment on the International Sun-Earth Explorer One (ISEE 1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lennartsson, O. W.

1997-01-01

The objective of this project has been to complete the archiving of energetic (10 eV/epsilon - 18 keV/epsilon) ion composition data from the Lockheed Plasma Composition Experiment on the International Sun-Earth Explorer One (ISEE 1) satellite, using a particular data format that had previously been approved by NASA and the NSSDC. That same format, a combination of ion velocity moments and differential flux spectra, had been used in 1991 to archive, at the NSSDC, the first 28 months (the "Prime" period of ISEE investigations) of data from the Lockheed instrument under NASA Contract NAS5-33047. With the completion of this project, the almost 4 1/2-year time span of these unique data is now covered by a very compact set, approximately 1 gigabyte in total, of electronic files with physical quantities, all in ASCII. The files are organized by data type and time of data acquisition, in Universal Time, and named according to year and day of year. Each calendar day has five separate files (five types of data), the lengths of which vary from day to day, depending on the instrument mode of operation. The data format and file structure are described in detail in appendices 1 and 2. The physical medium consists of high-density (6250 cpi) 9-track magnetic tapes, complemented by a set of hardcopy line plots of certain plasma parameters. In this case there are five tapes, to be added to the six previous ones from 1991, and 25 booklets of plots, one per month, to be added to the previous 28. The tapes, including an extra standard-density (1600 cpi) tape with electronic versions of the Data User's Guide and self-guiding VAX/VMS command files, and the hardcopy plots are being boxed for shipment to the NSSDC.

Mistakes in a stat laboratory: types and frequency.

PubMed

Plebani, M; Carraro, P

1997-08-01

Application of Total Quality Management concepts to laboratory testing requires that the total process, including preanalytical and postanalytical phases, be managed so as to reduce or, ideally, eliminate all defects within the process itself. Indeed a "mistake" can be defined as any defect during the entire testing process, from ordering tests to reporting results. We evaluated the frequency and types of mistakes found in the "stat" section of the Department of Laboratory Medicine of the University-Hospital of Padova by monitoring four different departments (internal medicine, nephrology, surgery, and intensive care unit) for 3 months. Among a total of 40490 analyses, we identified 189 laboratory mistakes, a relative frequency of 0.47%. The distribution of mistakes was: preanalytical 68.2%, analytical 13.3%, and postanalytical 18.5%. Most of the laboratory mistakes (74%) did not affect patients' outcome. However, in 37 patients (19%), laboratory mistakes were associated with further inappropriate investigations, thus resulting in an unjustifiable increase in costs. Moreover, in 12 patients (6.4%) laboratory mistakes were associated with inappropriate care or inappropriate modification of therapy. The promotion of quality control and continuous improvement of the total testing process, including pre- and postanalytical phases, seems to be a prerequisite for an effective laboratory service.

Advances in Numerical Boundary Conditions for Computational Aeroacoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher K. W.

1997-01-01

Advances in Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA) depend critically on the availability of accurate, nondispersive, least dissipative computation algorithm as well as high quality numerical boundary treatments. This paper focuses on the recent developments of numerical boundary conditions. In a typical CAA problem, one often encounters two types of boundaries. Because a finite computation domain is used, there are external boundaries. On the external boundaries, boundary conditions simulating the solution outside the computation domain are to be imposed. Inside the computation domain, there may be internal boundaries. On these internal boundaries, boundary conditions simulating the presence of an object or surface with specific acoustic characteristics are to be applied. Numerical boundary conditions, both external or internal, developed for simple model problems are reviewed and examined. Numerical boundary conditions for real aeroacoustic problems are also discussed through specific examples. The paper concludes with a description of some much needed research in numerical boundary conditions for CAA.

Phytochemical Characteristics of Coffee Bean Treated by Coating of Ginseng Extract

PubMed Central

Choi, Sang Yoon; Hong, Hee-Do; Bae, Hye-Min; Choi, Changsun; Kim, Kyung-Tack

2011-01-01

The principal objective of this study was to assess the instrumental and sensory characteristics of ginseng coffee with different ratios of the ingredients: type of coffee bean (Colombia, Brazil, and Indonesia), type of ginseng extract (white ginseng, red ginseng, and America ginseng) and concentration of ginseng extract (3, 6, and 9 w/v %). The sensory optimal condition of white ginseng coffee, red ginseng coffee and America ginseng coffee were as follows: 3% Indonesian coffee bean coated with 3% white ginseng extract, Colombian coffee bean coated with 6% red ginseng extract and Colombian coffee bean coated with 3% American ginseng extract, respectively. In particular, the Colombian coffee bean coated with 6% red ginseng extract had significantly higher scores than other samples in terms of flavor, taste, and overall preference. Additionally, the contents of total ginsenoside and total sugar and total phenolic compounds were also highest in the Colombian coffee bean coated with 6% red ginseng extract. PMID:23717089

Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2005 through June 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2009-01-01

The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, processing, and analysis. The quality-assurance and quality-control data were stored in the laboratory's Lab Master data-management system, which provides efficient review, compilation, and plotting of data. This report presents and discusses results of quality-assurance and quality control samples analyzed from July 2005 through June 2007. Results for the quality-control samples for 19 analytical procedures were evaluated for bias and precision. Control charts indicate that data for eight of the analytical procedures were occasionally biased for either high-concentration or low-concentration samples but were within control limits; these procedures were: total aluminum, calcium, magnesium, nitrate (colorimetric method), potassium, silicon, sodium, and sulfate. Eight of the analytical procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for the high-concentration sample, but were within control limits; these procedures were: total aluminum, calcium, dissolved organic carbon, chloride, nitrate (ion chromatograph), potassium, silicon, and sulfate. The magnesium and pH procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for the low-concentration sample, but were within control limits. The acid-neutralizing capacity, total monomeric aluminum, nitrite, and specific conductance procedures were biased for the high-concentration and low-concentration samples, but were within control limits. Results from the filter-blank and analytical-blank analyses indicated that the procedures for 16 of 17 analytes were within control limits, although the concentrations for blanks were occasionally outside the control limits. The data-quality objective was not met for dissolved organic carbon. Sampling and analysis precision are evaluated herein in terms of the coefficient of variation obtained for triplicate samples in the procedures for 18 of the 21 analytes. At least 93 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for all analytes except acid-neutralizing capacity (85 percent of samples met objectives), total monomeric aluminum (83 percent of samples met objectives), total aluminum (85 percent of samples met objectives), and chloride (85 percent of samples met objectives). The ammonium and total dissolved nitrogen did not meet the data-quality objectives. Results of the USGS interlaboratory Standard Reference Sample (SRS) Project met the Troy Laboratory data-quality objectives for 87 percent of the samples analyzed. The P-sample (low-ionic-strength constituents) analysis had two outliers each in two studies. The T-sample (trace constituents) analysis and the N-sample (nutrient constituents) analysis had one outlier each in two studies. Results of Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute (NWRI) program indicated that at least 85 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for 11 of the 14 analytes; the exceptions were acid-neutralizing capacity, total aluminum and ammonium. Data-quality objectives were not met in 41 percent of samples analyzed for acid-neutralizing capacity, 50 percent of samples analyzed for total aluminum, and 44 percent of samples analyzed for ammonium. Results from blind reference-sample analyses indicated that data-quality objectives were met by at least 86 percent of the samples analyzed for calcium, magnesium, pH, potassium, and sodium. Data-quality objectives were met by 76 percent of the samples analyzed for chloride, 80 percent of the samples analyzed for specific conductance, and 77 percent of the samples analyzed for sulfate.

Psychological assessment in children and adolescents with Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo.

PubMed

Reale, Laura; Guarnera, Manuela; Grillo, Caterina; Maiolino, Luigi; Ruta, Liliana; Mazzone, Luigi

2011-02-01

Migraine in childhood and adolescence has been associated with the presence of behavioural and emotional difficulties, but only few data are available with respect to unusual types of headache syndromes such as Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo of Childhood (BPVC). Aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioural and emotional profiles of clinically referred children and adolescents suffering from BPVC and migraine, as compared to normal controls. According to the revised International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2) the BPVC belongs to the category of "primary headache", as a migraine equivalent, in a subset that is called "periodic syndromes of childhood". A total of 60 clinically referred children and adolescents (4-15 years) 21 suffering from BPVC and 20 from migraine, according to the diagnostic criteria of the ICHD-2, and 19 normal control (NC) were recruited in this study. Psychological assessment were performed using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). Although most of the patients suffering from headache had scores within the normative non-pathological range, both BPVC and migraine patients had significantly higher CBCL total, internalizing, and externalizing scores, as compared to NC. Furthermore, both BPVC and migraine groups displayed significantly higher CDI and MASC scores than NC group. No differences were found between the two types of headache. In conclusion, clinically referred children and adolescents with BPVC and migraine showed higher indices of behavioural and emotional symptoms, both internalizing and externalizing, as compared to normal peers. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of 5-item and 2-item questionnaires in Chinese version of Dizziness Handicap Inventory for screening objective benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Shu, Liang; Wang, Qian; Pan, Hui; Wu, Jing; Fang, Jie; Sun, Xu-Hong; Zhai, Yu; Dong, You-Rong; Liu, Jian-Ren

2016-08-01

As possible candidate screening instruments for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), studies to validate the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) sub-scale (5-item and 2-item) and total scores are rare in China. From May 2014 to December 2014, 108(55 with and 53 without BPPV) patients complaining of episodic vertigo in the past week from a vertigo outpatient clinic were enrolled for DHI evaluation, as well as demographic and other clinical data. Objective BPPV was subsequently determined by positional evoking maneuvers under the record of optical Frenzel glasses. Cronbach's coefficient α was used to evaluate the reliability of psychometric scales. The validity of DHI total, 5-item and 2-item questionnaires to screen for BPPV was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. It revealed that the DHI 5-item questionnaire had good internal consistency (Cronbach's coefficient α = 0.72). Area under the curve of total DHI, 5-item and 2-item scores for discriminating BPPV from those without was 0.678 (95 % CI 0.578-0.778), 0.873(95 % CI 0.807-0.940) and 0.895(95 % CI 0.836-0.953), respectively. It revealed 74.5 % sensitivity and 88.7 % specificity in separating BPPV and those without, with a cutoff value of 12 in the 5-item questionnaire. The corresponding rate of sensitivity and specificity was 78.2 and 88.7 %, respectively, with a cutoff value of 6 in 2-item questionnaire. The present study indicated that both 5-item and 2-item questionnaires in the Chinese version of DHI may be more valid than DHI total score for screening objective BPPV and merit further application in clinical practice in China.

Decoding a wide range of hand configurations from macaque motor, premotor, and parietal cortices.

PubMed

Schaffelhofer, Stefan; Agudelo-Toro, Andres; Scherberger, Hansjörg

2015-01-21

Despite recent advances in decoding cortical activity for motor control, the development of hand prosthetics remains a major challenge. To reduce the complexity of such applications, higher cortical areas that also represent motor plans rather than just the individual movements might be advantageous. We investigated the decoding of many grip types using spiking activity from the anterior intraparietal (AIP), ventral premotor (F5), and primary motor (M1) cortices. Two rhesus monkeys were trained to grasp 50 objects in a delayed task while hand kinematics and spiking activity from six implanted electrode arrays (total of 192 electrodes) were recorded. Offline, we determined 20 grip types from the kinematic data and decoded these hand configurations and the grasped objects with a simple Bayesian classifier. When decoding from AIP, F5, and M1 combined, the mean accuracy was 50% (using planning activity) and 62% (during motor execution) for predicting the 50 objects (chance level, 2%) and substantially larger when predicting the 20 grip types (planning, 74%; execution, 86%; chance level, 5%). When decoding from individual arrays, objects and grip types could be predicted well during movement planning from AIP (medial array) and F5 (lateral array), whereas M1 predictions were poor. In contrast, predictions during movement execution were best from M1, whereas F5 performed only slightly worse. These results demonstrate for the first time that a large number of grip types can be decoded from higher cortical areas during movement preparation and execution, which could be relevant for future neuroprosthetic devices that decode motor plans. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/351068-14$15.00/0.

Depression among Transgender Older adults: General and Minority Stress

PubMed Central

Hoy-Ellis, Charles P.; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aims to (1) examine the direct and indirect effects internalized heterosexism, concealment of gender identity, and perceived general stress in association with depression among transgender older adults; and (2) to assess the relative contribution of each relationship. Methods Secondary analyses of data from a large community-based study of older sexual and gender minorities were conducted utilizing structural equation modeling with a subsample (n = 174) of transgender adults aged 50 to 86-years old. Results Disclosure of gender identity had no significant direct or indirect effects on either perceived general stress or depression. Internalized heterosexism did not have a direct effect on depression, but did have a significant indirect effect through perceived general stress. Finally, perceived general stress had an additional significant direct effect on depression, over and above internalized heterosexism. Total effect sizes appear to be considerable with standardized betas greater than 5.0. Conclusion Perceived general stress and internalized heterosexism independently and cumulatively have significant direct and indirect effects on depression among transgender older adults. Implications for depression among transgender older adults and the role of community psychology are discussed. PMID:28369987

Effects on Engagement and Health Literacy Outcomes of Web-Based Materials Promoting Physical Activity in People With Diabetes: An International Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Rowsell, Alison; Stuart, Beth; Hayter, Victoria; Little, Paul; Ganahl, Kristin; Müller, Gabriele; Doyle, Gerardine; Chang, Peter; Lyles, Courtney R; Nutbeam, Don; Yardley, Lucy

2017-01-01

Background Developing accessible Web-based materials to support diabetes self-management in people with lower levels of health literacy is a continuing challenge. Objective The objective of this international study was to develop a Web-based intervention promoting physical activity among people with type 2 diabetes to determine whether audiovisual presentation and interactivity (quizzes, planners, tailoring) could help to overcome the digital divide by making digital interventions accessible and effective for people with all levels of health literacy. This study also aimed to determine whether these materials can improve health literacy outcomes for people with lower levels of health literacy and also be effective for people with higher levels of health literacy. Methods To assess the impact of interactivity and audiovisual features on usage, engagement, and health literacy outcomes, we designed two versions of a Web-based intervention (one interactive and one plain-text version of the same content) to promote physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes. We randomly assigned participants from the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Ireland, and Taiwan to either an interactive or plain-text version of the intervention in English, German, or Mandarin. Intervention usage was objectively recorded by the intervention software. Self-report measures were taken at baseline and follow-up (immediately after participants viewed the intervention) and included measures of health literacy, engagement (website satisfaction and willingness to recommend the intervention to others), and health literacy outcomes (diabetes knowledge, enablement, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and intention to undertake physical activity). Results In total, 1041 people took part in this study. Of the 1005 who completed health literacy information, 268 (26.67%) had intermediate or low levels of health literacy. The interactive intervention overall did not produce better outcomes than did the plain-text version. Participants in the plain-text intervention group looked at significantly more sections of the intervention (mean difference –0.47, 95% CI –0.64 to –0.30, P<.001), but this did not lead to better outcomes. Health literacy outcomes, including attitudes and intentions to engage in physical activity, significantly improved following the intervention for participants in both intervention groups. These improvements were similar across higher and lower health literacy levels and in all countries. Participants in the interactive intervention group had acquired more diabetes knowledge (mean difference 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.94, P<.001). Participants from both groups reported high levels of website satisfaction and would recommend the website to others. Conclusions Following established practice for simple, clear design and presentation and using a person-based approach to intervention development, with in-depth iterative feedback from users, may be more important than interactivity and audiovisual presentations when developing accessible digital health interventions to improve health literacy outcomes. ClinicalTrial International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 43587048; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN43587048. (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6nGhaP9bv) PMID:28115299

Diabetes in Algeria and challenges for health policy: a literature review of prevalence, cost, management and outcomes of diabetes and its complications

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Diabetes has become an increasingly prevalent and severe public health issue in Algeria. This article investigates the prevalence, the cost and the management of this disease. Its first objective is to better understand the burden (both from an epidemiological and economic perspective) and management of diabetes. The second objective is to understand the health policy strategy adopted by Algeria in order to respond to the disease. Methods We conducted a literature review of prevalence, costs, management and outcomes of diabetes and its complications. This was complemented by data compilations and results of expert consultations. Results The epidemiology of diabetes is continually evolving and is becoming more problematic. The national evidence suggests that the prevalence of diabetes in Algeria has increased from 6.8% in 1990 to 12.29% in 2005, but is quite higher among certain groups and areas of the country. This disease affects all population groups, especially 35–70 year olds, who constitute a large segment of the working population. There are very few estimates of the cost of diabetes. These include a 1998 study on the total cost of type 1 diabetes (USD 11.6 million, which, inflated to 2013 value, totals to USD 16.6 million), a study on the cost of complications in 2010 (at 2013 value, ranging from USD 141 for first-year treatment of peripheral vascular disease to USD 30,441 for first-year cost of renal transplantation) and the 2013 IDF estimates of total cost of type 1 and type 2 diabetes (USD 513 million). Conclusions As the prevalence of diabetes continues to increase, the financial burden will increasingly weigh heavily on social security resources and the government budget. Future priorities must focus on empowering general practitioners in treating type 2 diabetes, improving screening of diabetes and its complications, tackling the growing obesity epidemic, strengthening health information systems and implementing the national diabetes prevention and control plan. PMID:24564974

Control of Glycemia and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care in Catalonia (Spain)

PubMed Central

Vinagre, Irene; Mata-Cases, Manel; Hermosilla, Eduard; Morros, Rosa; Fina, Francesc; Rosell, Magdalena; Castell, Conxa; Franch-Nadal, Josep; Bolíbar, Bonaventura; Mauricio, Didac

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and levels of glycemic and cardiovascular risk factor control in patients with type 2 diabetes that are in primary health care centers in Catalonia (Spain). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of a total population of 3,755,038 individuals aged 31–90 years at the end of 2009. Clinical data were obtained retrospectively from electronic clinical records. RESULTS A total of 286,791 patients with type 2 diabetes were identified (7.6%). Fifty-four percent were men, mean (SD) age was 68.2 (11.4) years, and mean duration of disease was 6.5 (5.1) years. The mean (SD) A1C value was 7.15 (1.5)%, and 56% of the patients had A1C values ≤7%. The mean (SD) blood pressure (BP) values were 137.2 (13.8)/76.4 (8.3) mmHg, mean total cholesterol concentration was 192 (38.6) mg/dL, mean HDL cholesterol concentration was 49.3 (13.2) mg/dL, mean LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration was 112.5 (32.4) mg/dL, and mean BMI was 29.6 (5) kg/m2. Thirty-one percent of the patients had BP values ≤130/80 mmHg, 37.9% had LDL-C values ≤100 mg/dL, and 45.4% had BMI values ≤30 kg/m2. Twenty-two percent were managed exclusively with lifestyle changes. Regarding medicated diabetic patients, 46.9, 22.9, and 2.8% were prescribed one, two, or three antidiabetic drugs, respectively, and 23.4% received insulin therapy. CONCLUSIONS The results from this study indicate a similar or improved control of glycemia, lipids, and BP in patients with type 2 diabetes when compared with previous studies performed in Spain and elsewhere. PMID:22344609

[Correlation between premature ejaculation diagnostic tool and International Index of Erectile Function-15 in different types of premature ejaculation].

PubMed

Li, Chao; Zhang, Xian-Sheng; Tang, Dong-Dong; Gao, Jing-Jing; Huang, Yuan-Yuan; Gao, Pan; Liu, Wei-Qun; Liang, Chao-Zhao

2016-09-01

To investigate the correlation between the premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) in different types of premature ejaculation (PE). We performed a cross-section survey among 352 PE patients received in the andrology clinic from December 2014 to December 2015 and 104 healthy men from the health examination center using basic demographic information (as on age, height, weight, education status, occupation, income, etc.), PEDT results, and IIEF-15 scores of the subjects. The PE patients had remarkably higher PEDT and lower IIEF-15 scores than the healthy men (P<0.01). The PEDT score of the PE patients was negatively correlated with their total IIEF-15 score as well as with the scores in the domains of erectile function, sexual intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction after adjusted for age (P<0.01). The patients with acquired PE (APE) showed a lower IIEF-15 score than those with lifelong PE (LPE) (P<0.01). The PEDT score of the APE patients was correlated negatively with the total IIEF-15 score (r=－0.391, P<0.01) and the scores in the domains of erectile function (r=－0.362, P<0.01) and overall satisfaction (r=－0.621, P<0.01), but not correlated with intercourse satisfaction, sexual orgasm, or sexual desire. The PEDT score of the LPE group was correlated negatively with intercourse satisfaction (r=－0.286, P<0.05) but not correlated with either the total IIEF-15 score or the scores in the domains of erectile function, overall satisfaction, sexual orgasm, or sexual desire. PE patients have a higher PEDT score and a lower IIEF-15 score than normal males. The PEDT score of APE patients is significantly correlated with the total IIEF-15 score, while that of LPE patients is correlated not with the total IIEF-15 score but with intercourse satisfaction.

The modulation of inhibition of return by object-internal structure: implications for theories of object-based attentional selection.

PubMed

Reppa, Irene; Leek, E Charles

2003-06-01

Recently, Vecera, Behrmann, and McGoldrick (2000), using a divided-attention task, reported that targets are detected more accurately when they occur on the same structural part of an object, suggesting that attention can be directed toward object-internal features. We present converging evidence using the object-based inhibition of return (IOR) paradigm as an implicit measure of selection. The results show that IOR is attenuated when cues and targets appear on the same part of an object relative to when they are separated by a part boundary. These findings suggest that object-based mechanisms of selection can operate over shape representations that make explicit information about object-internal structure.

Women’s Individual Asset Ownership and Experience of Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence From 28 International Surveys

PubMed Central

Pereira, Audrey; Bleck, Jennifer; Palermo, Tia M.; Yount, Kathryn M.

2017-01-01

Objectives. To assess the oft-perceived protective relationship between women’s asset ownership and experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the previous 12 months. Methods. We used international survey data from women aged 15 to 49 years from 28 Demographic and Health Surveys (2010–2014) to examine the association between owning assets and experience of recent IPV, matching on household wealth by using multivariate probit models. Matching methods helped to account for the higher probability that women in wealthier households also have a higher likelihood of owning assets. Results. Asset ownership of any type was negatively associated with IPV in 3 countries, positively associated in 5 countries, and had no significant relationship in 20 countries (P < .10). Disaggregation by asset type, sole or joint ownership, women’s age, and community level of women’s asset ownership similarly showed no conclusive patterns. Conclusions. Results suggest that the relationship between women’s asset ownership and IPV is highly context specific. Additional methodologies and data are needed to identify causality, and to understand how asset ownership differs from other types of women’s economic empowerment. PMID:28398779

Sedentary behavior as a mediator of type 2 diabetes

PubMed Central

Hamilton, Marc T.; Hamilton, Deborah G.; Zderic, Theodore W.

2015-01-01

Over the past 5 years, the fastest growing new area of physical activity research centered around the concept that the large amount of time people spend sitting inactive may have significant physiological consequences hazardous to human health, including risk for type 2 diabetes and poor metabolism of lipids and glucose. Meta-analysis (10 studies) suggest there is a 112% greater relative risk associated with a large duration of sedentary behavior for type 2 diabetes. Meta-analysis also indicates significantly greater odds for metabolic syndrome. We also summarize results for 7 studies using objective measures of total sedentary time and focusing on cardiometabolic risks in persons at high risk for type 2 diabetes or already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The underlying hypothesis introduced in 2004 by the inactivity physiology paradigm, has been that frequent and abundant contractile activity by certain types of skeletal muscle can have a potent influence on key physiological processes, even when the intensity is below that achieved through exercise. We explain some of the mechanisms for why the metabolism in slow-twitch oxidative skeletal muscle is key for understanding the healthy responses to low intensity physical activity (LIPA). Findings from objective measures from inclinometry indicated that the quartile range for weekly sedentary time is ~29 hours/week. The total daily time that people sit, stand, and accumulate non-exercise steps is independent of traditionally recommended moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The large amount of sedentary time associated with risk for disease can only be reduced significantly with safe and non-fatiguing LIPA, especially in the most at risk proportion of the population. Importantly, experimental studies are starting to indicate that it will be especially insightful to understand the acute dose-response effects of LIPA in order to understand why reducing sedentary time can improve lipid and glucose metabolism for the prevention and treatment of chronic disorders related to type 2 diabetes. PMID:25226797

Dietary flavonoid intakes and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women12345

PubMed Central

Wedick, Nicole M; Pan, An; Cassidy, Aedín; Rimm, Eric B; Sampson, Laura; Rosner, Bernard; Willett, Walter; Hu, Frank B; Sun, Qi; van Dam, Rob M

2012-01-01

Background: Data from mechanistic studies support a beneficial effect of specific flavonoids on insulin sensitivity. However, few studies have evaluated the relation between intakes of different flavonoid subclasses and type 2 diabetes. Objective: The objective was to evaluate whether dietary intakes of major flavonoid subclasses (ie, flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins) are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes in US adults. Design: We followed up a total of 70,359 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; 1984–2008), 89,201 women in the NHS II (1991–2007), and 41,334 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2006) who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline. Results: During 3,645,585 person-years of follow-up, we documented 12,611 incident cases of type 2 diabetes. Higher intakes of anthocyanins were significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (pooled HR for the 3 cohorts from a comparison of extreme quintiles: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.91; P-trend < 0.001) after multivariate adjustment for age, BMI, and lifestyle and dietary factors. Consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods, particularly blueberries (pooled HR: 0.77 from a comparison of ≥2 servings/wk with <1 serving/mo; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.87; P-trend < 0.001) and apples/pears (pooled HR: 0.77 from a comparison of ≥5 servings/wk with <1 serving/mo; 95% CI: 0.65, 0.83; P-trend < 0.001), was also associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. No significant associations were found for total flavonoid intake or other flavonoid subclasses. Conclusion: A higher consumption of anthocyanins and anthocyanin-rich fruit was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. PMID:22357723

Identification of mutated driver pathways in cancer using a multi-objective optimization model.

PubMed

Zheng, Chun-Hou; Yang, Wu; Chong, Yan-Wen; Xia, Jun-Feng

2016-05-01

New-generation high-throughput technologies, including next-generation sequencing technology, have been extensively applied to solve biological problems. As a result, large cancer genomics projects such as the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium are producing large amount of rich and diverse data in multiple cancer types. The identification of mutated driver genes and driver pathways from these data is a significant challenge. Genome aberrations in cancer cells can be divided into two types: random 'passenger mutation' and functional 'driver mutation'. In this paper, we introduced a Multi-objective Optimization model based on a Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) to solve the maximum weight submatrix problem, which can be employed to identify driver genes and driver pathways promoting cancer proliferation. The maximum weight submatrix problem defined to find mutated driver pathways is based on two specific properties, i.e., high coverage and high exclusivity. The multi-objective optimization model can adjust the trade-off between high coverage and high exclusivity. We proposed an integrative model by combining gene expression data and mutation data to improve the performance of the MOGA algorithm in a biological context. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addiction and rehabilitation in autobiographical books by rock artists, 1974-2010.

PubMed

Oksanen, Atte

2013-01-01

This paper explores excessive appetites, addiction and rehabilitation as described in the autobiographies, memoirs and diaries of rock artists. The data collection focused on autobiographical rock books written in English by internationally recognised rock artists before 2011. In total, 96 autobiographical books were published between 1974 and 2010. The mean age of the authors was 50 years and 17% of the books were by female authors. Data were encoded for: (i) addiction; (ii) the object of addiction; (iii) personal addiction; (iv) rehabilitation; (v) personal rehabilitation; and (vi) the type of recovery from the addiction. Of the books, 82% described addiction, 62% personal addiction, 57% rehabilitation and 40% personal participation in rehabilitation. The most common addictions were alcoholism, opiate addiction and cocaine addiction. Addicted rock stars described addictions differently from non-addicts. Of addicted rock artists, 51% recovered with the help of rehabilitation, 42% self-recovered and 7% continued the excess. There has been an increase in the prevalence of addiction in autobiographical rock books over time. In addition, it was found that gender affected the type of recovery. Autobiographical books by rock artists have been published in increasing numbers in the last two decades. The artists in question have described their personal experiences of addiction and rehabilitation and discussed the problems related to alcohol, drugs and excessive behaviour. The books do not glamorise addiction or excessive lifestyles. Rather, they indicate that attitudes towards drugs and alcohol are changing in the rock business. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Free space-planning solutions in the architecture of multi-storey buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibragimov, Alexander; Danilov, Alexander

2018-03-01

Here some aspects of the development of steel frame structure design from the standpoint of geometry and morphogenesis of bearing steel structures of civil engineering objects. An alternative approach to forming constructive schemes may be application of curved steel elements in the main load-bearing system. As an example, it may be circular and parabolic arches or segments of varying outline and orientation. The considered approach implies creating large internal volumes without loss in the load-bearing capacity of the frame. The basic concept makes possible a wide variety of layout and design solutions. The presence of free internal spaces of large volume in buildings of a "skyscraper" type contributes to resolving a great number of problems, including those of communicative nature.

The effectiveness of dried cranberries ( Vaccinium macrocarpon) in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.

PubMed

Vidlar, Ales; Vostalova, Jitka; Ulrichova, Jitka; Student, Vladimir; Stejskal, David; Reichenbach, Richard; Vrbkova, Jana; Ruzicka, Filip; Simanek, Vilim

2010-10-01

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a common condition in older men. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) powder in men at risk of prostate disease with LUTS, elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA), negative prostate biopsy and clinically confirmed chronic non-bacterial prostatitis. Forty-two participants received either 1500 mg of the dried powdered cranberries per d for 6 months (cranberry group; n 21) or no cranberry treatment (control group; n 21). Physical examination, International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life (QoL), five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), basic clinical chemistry parameters, haematology, Se, testosterone, PSA (free and total), C-reactive protein (CRP), antioxidant status, transrectal ultrasound prostate volume, urinary flow rate, ultrasound-estimated post-void residual urine volume at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months, and urine ex vivo anti-adherence activity were determined in all subjects. In contrast to the control group, patients in the cranberry group had statistically significant improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score, QoL, urination parameters including voiding parameters (rate of urine flow, average flow, total volume and post-void residual urine volume), and lower total PSA level on day 180 of the study. There was no influence on blood testosterone or serum CRP levels. There was no statistically significant improvement in the control group. The results of the present trial are the first firm evidence that cranberries may ameliorate LUTS, independent of benign prostatic hyperplasia or C-reactive protein level.

Circadian typology and the Alternative Five-Factor Model of personality.

PubMed

Tonetti, Lorenzo; Pascalis, Vilfredo De; Fabbri, Marco; Martoni, Monica; Russo, Paolo Maria; Natale, Vincenzo

2016-10-01

Two studies were carried out to explore the relationship between circadian typology and the Alternative Five-Factor Model of personality. In the first study, 379 participants (232 females) were administered the reduced version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire. Evening types reported higher impulsive sensation-seeking scores than morning and intermediate types, whereas morning types scored higher than evening types on activity factor. In the second study, the association between morningness and activity personality factor was verified through the objective-actigraphic monitoring of the rest-activity cycle. Actigraphy allowed us to operationalise both circadian typology, through the computing of midpoint of sleep (early values, expressed in hours and minutes, correspond to an advanced phase of the sleep/wake cycle), and activity factor by the means of motor activity recording. Fifty-one individuals (30 females) wore an actigraph on the nondominant wrist continuously for 1 week. A negative correlation was observed between midpoint of sleep and mean diurnal motor activity, demonstrating that an early phase of the sleep/wake cycle (i.e. morningness preference) was related to higher diurnal motor activity. Assessed both subjectively and objectively, the results of both studies highlight a significant relationship between morningness and activity personality factor. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

The first case of a major avian type C botulism outbreak in Poland.

PubMed

Wlodarczyk, Radoslaw; Minias, Piotr; Kukier, Elibieta; Grenda, Tomasz; Smietanka, Krzysztof; Janiszewski, Tomasz

2014-09-01

Major outbreaks of avian type C botulism have been rarely reported from Central Europe. In this paper, we report the first severe outbreak of avian type C botulism in Poland. In 2011-12, two epizootics caused by Clostridium botulinum took place at Jeziorsko dam reservoir and affected an estimated number of 5500 birds in 2011 and 1600 birds in 2012. In total, 24 species ofwaterbirds were affected, including mainly waterfowl (37.0%), shorebirds (27.0%), rallids (25.7%), and larids (9.1%). Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and coots (Fulica atra) were most commonly represented among all affected species (27.5% and 25.0% of all recorded carcasses, respectively). Laboratory analyses confirmed the presence of type C botulinum toxin in the internal organs of paralyzed birds. This case study from the Jeziorsko dam reservoir demonstrates that this type of shallow-water habitat is especially prone to avian botulism outbreaks in the climatic conditions of Central Europe.

Intraocular lenses in age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Grzybowski, Andrzej; Wasinska-Borowiec, Weronika; Alio, Jorge L; Amat-Peral, Pedro; Tabernero, Juan

2017-09-01

The aim of this work is to review the lenses, assessing their advantages and disadvantages. We describe a total of seven types of intraocular lenses (IOLs) recommended for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We used the PubMed web platform to search for implantable devices in various stages of AMD. We searched for both prospective and retrospective studies and also case reports. Clinical results in AMD patients have been described for a total of seven types of IOLs recommended for AMD: an implantable miniature telescope (IMT), IOL-VIP System, Lipshitz macular implant (LMI), sulcus-implanted Lipshitz macular implant, LMI-SI, Fresnel Prism Intraocular Lens, iolAMD and Scharioth Macula Lens. We conclude that to objectively ascertain the effectiveness and safety of these lenses, further independent clinical studies with longer follow-up data are necessary prior to the general use of these optical devices.

Benefits and Safety of Long-Term Fenofibrate Therapy in People With Type 2 Diabetes and Renal Impairment

PubMed Central

Ting, Ru-Dee; Keech, Anthony C.; Drury, Paul L.; Donoghoe, Mark W.; Hedley, John; Jenkins, Alicia J.; Davis, Timothy M.E.; Lehto, Seppo; Celermajer, David; Simes, R. John; Rajamani, Kushwin; Stanton, Kim

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE Diabetic patients with moderate renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m2) are at particular cardiovascular risk. Fenofibrate’s safety in these patients is an issue because it may elevate plasma creatinine. Furthermore, guidelines regarding fenofibrate dosing in renal impairment vary internationally. We investigated fenofibrate’s effects on cardiovascular and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) events, according to eGFR, in the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) Study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Type 2 diabetic patients (aged 50–75 years) with eGFR ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2 were randomly allocated to a fixed dose of fenofibrate (200 mg daily) (n = 4,895) or placebo (n = 4,900) for 5 years. Baseline renal function (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation) was grouped by eGFR (30–59, 60–89, and ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2). The prespecified outcome was total cardiovascular events (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary/carotid revascularization). Serious adverse events and instances of ESRD (plasma creatinine >400 μmol/L, dialysis, renal transplant, or renal death) were recorded. Analysis was by intention to treat. RESULTS Overall, fenofibrate reduced total cardiovascular events, compared with placebo (hazard ratio 0.89 [95% CI 0.80–0.99]; P = 0.035). This benefit was not statistically different across eGFR groupings (P = 0.2 for interaction) (eGFR 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m2: 0.68 [0.47–0.97], P = 0.035; eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2: 0.85 [0.70–1.02], P = 0.08). ESRD rates were similar between treatment arms, without adverse safety signals of fenofibrate use in renal impairment. CONCLUSIONS Patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment benefit from long-term fenofibrate, without excess drug-related safety concerns compared with those with no or mild renal impairment. Fenofibrate treatment should not be contraindicated in moderate renal impairment, suggesting that current guidelines may be too restrictive. PMID:22210576

Adaptation and validation of Common Object Token (COT) test into the Sinhalese language.

PubMed

Jeyaraman, Janani; Kumarasinghe, Chameera; Mohamed Rafi, Shabnam Fathima; Mendis, Thirimadura Lakna Amalie; Abdul Rasheed, Fathima Shameema

2016-04-01

This manuscript presents a translation and adaptation of the Common Object Token (COT) test, which assesses speech perception, into the Sinhalese language and an attempt to validate it for use on children with normal hearing (NH) and children with a cochlear implant (CI). Ninety-five children (70 with NH, 25 with a CI) participated in the study. The COT test was translated, back-translated, and evaluated by a team of experts until the Sinhalese translation was deemed acceptable. Data of Sinhalese children with NH and values of children with a CI were analysed. Internal reliability and consistency of the COT total score were determined. Lastly, a quick version of the COT test was created. The total mean scores and subtest mean scores improved with age for children with NH. For children with a CI, a strong relationship between the COT total score and device experience, i.e. hearing age, was found. A Quick Sinhalese COT test version, suitable for children with a CI, could be created from Subtests 2, 3, and 4. The Sinhalese COT test is valid for assessing the age-related development of speech perception and identification skills of children with NH. Results suggest that the COT is valid for use in children with a CI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health Outcomes of Sexual-Minority Youth in Canada: An Overview

PubMed Central

Blais, Martin; Bergeron, Félix-Antoine; Duford, Julie; Boislard, Marie-Aude; Hébert, Martine

2016-01-01

Objectives The objectives of this review are to (1) document health outcomes among sexual-minority youth (SMY) in Canada; and (2) identify sexual-minority-specific risk and protective factors Data Sources We conducted a review of Canadian data published after 2005 on the mental, physical and sexual health outcomes of SMY using relevant keywords. A total of 19 empirical studies and 2 research reports was included. Data Synthesis The study reviewed included 53 to 30 588 respondents (total = 81 567). SMY counted for 15.86% of the total sample. Overall, SMY in Canada show negative health outcomes in proportions varying from 7% to 69.4%, the most common issues being psychological distress and maladjustment. SMY are more likely than their heterosexual peers to report psychological distress/malfunctioning, suicidality, substance misuse, condomless intercourse, pregnancy involvement. Main SMY-specific risk factors were family rejection of one’s minority sexual orientation, homophobic bullying and victimization, and internalized homophobia. Among the few protective factors that were reported, school and family connectedness, school safety, parental support and sports involvement decreased the odds of negative health outcomes. Conclusions Canadian data show that SMY are more likely to experience negative health outcomes than their heterosexual peers. These results are consistent with data from around the world. Recommendations for research and intervention are discussed. PMID:28111592

Consistent Measurement and Physical Character of the DSD: Disdrometer to Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, Walt; Thurai, Merhala; Gatlin, Patrick; Tokay, Ali; Morris, Bob; Wolff, David; Pippitt, Jason; Marks, David; Berendes, Todd

2017-01-01

Objective: Validate GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) Drop Size Distribution Retrievals: Drop size distributions (DSD) are critical to GPM DPR (Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar)-based rainfall retrievals; NASA GPM Science Requirements stipulate that the GPM Core observatory radar estimation of D (sub m) (mean diameter) shall be within plus or minus 0.5 millimeters of GV (Ground Validation); GV translates disdrometer measurements to polarimetric radar-based DSD and precipitation type retrievals (e.g., convective vs. stratiform (C/S)) for coincident match-up to GPM core overpasses; How well do we meet the requirement across product versions, rain types (e.g., C/S partitioning), and rain rates (heavy, light) and is behavior physically and internally consistent?

A multi-wavelength investigation of Seyfert 1.8 and 1.9 galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trippe, Margaret L.

We focus on determining the underlying physical cause of a Seyfert galaxy's appearance as type a 1.8 or 1.9. Are these "intermediate" Seyfert types typical Seyfert 1 nuclei reddened by central dusty tori or by nuclear dust lanes/spirals in the narrow-line region? Or, are they similar to NGC 2992, objects that have intrinsically weak continua and weak broad emission lines? Our study compares measurements of the reddenings of the narrow and broad-line regions with each other and with the X-ray column derived from XMM Newton 0.5--10 keV spectra to determine the presence and location of dust in the line of sight for a sample of 35 Seyfert 1.8s and 1.9s. From this, we find that Seyfert 1.9s are an almost equal mix of low-flux objects with unreddened broad line regions, and objects with broad line regions reddened by an internal dust source, either the torus or dust structures on the same size scale as the narrow line region. The 1.9s that recieved this designation due to a low continuum flux state showed variable type classifications. All three of the Seyfert 1.8s in our study are probably in low continuum states. Many objects have been misclassified as Seyfert 1.8/1.9s in the past, probably due to improper [N II]/Halpha deconvolution leading to a false detection of weak broad Halpha. INDEX WORDS: Active galaxies, Seyfert galaxies, Optical spectroscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, Astronomical dust

Age-related changes in frequency of mind-wandering and task-related interferences during memory encoding and their impact on retrieval.

PubMed

Maillet, David; Rajah, M Natasha

2013-01-01

During the performance of cognitive tasks such as memory encoding, attention can become decoupled from the external environment and instead focused on internal thoughts related to the appraisal of the current task (task-related interferences; TRI), or personal thoughts unrelated to the task at hand (mind-wandering; MW). However, the association between the frequency of these thoughts experienced at encoding and retrieval accuracy in young and older adults remains poorly understood. In this study young and older adults encoded lists of words using one of two encoding tasks: judging whether words are man-made/natural (objective task), or whether they are pleasant/neutral (subjective task). We measured the frequency of TRI and MW at encoding, and related them to retrieval accuracy in both age groups. We found that encoding task influenced the type of internal thoughts experienced by young, but not older, adults: young exhibited greater MW in the subjective vs the objective task, and greater TRI in the objective vs subjective encoding task. Second, across both tasks we found marked age-related decreases in both MW and TRI at encoding, and frequency of these thoughts negatively impacted memory retrieval in young adults only. We discuss these findings in relation to current theories of ageing, attention and memory.

Small Layer-wound ReBCO Solenoids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, A. V.; Shcherbakov, V. I.; Shevchenko, S. A.; Surin, M. I.

The development of the next generation of high field superconducting magnet systems demands studies of new technological approach for its internal sections. Several small HTS solenoids (21 mm inner diameter, 32 layers) were fabricated by layer-winding technique from SuperPower type SCS-4050 ReBCO wire insulated by polyimide wrapping. Different designs of external and internal joints also were also tested. The highest field generated by HTS coil was 2.4 T in a 10 T background field (total field was 12.4 T) at 4.2 K and achieved current density in the coil was 498 A/mm2. The results will be used in development of HTS inner sections for 25 T superconducting magnet.

Stable structures of coalitions in competitive and altruistic military teams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aurangzeb, M.; Mikulski, D.; Hudas, G.; Lewis, F. L.; Gu, Edward

2013-05-01

In heterogeneous battlefield teams, the balance between team and individual objectives forms the basis for the internal topological structure of teams. The stability of team structure is studied by presenting a graphical coalitional game (GCG) with Positional Advantage (PA). PA is Shapley value strengthened by the Axioms of value. The notion of team and individual objectives is studied by defining altruistic and competitive contribution made by an individual; altruistic and competitive contributions made by an agent are components of its total or marginal contribution. Moreover, the paper examines dynamic team effects by defining three online sequential decision games based on marginal, competitive and altruistic contributions of the individuals towards team. The stable graphs under these sequential decision games are studied and found to be structurally connected, complete, or tree respectively.

Quality-assurance data for routine water analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2003 through June 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2009-01-01

The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, processing, and analysis. The quality-assurance and quality-control data were stored in the laboratory's Lab Master data-management system, which provides efficient review, compilation, and plotting of data. This report presents and discusses results of quality-assurance and quality control samples analyzed from July 2003 through June 2005. Results for the quality-control samples for 20 analytical procedures were evaluated for bias and precision. Control charts indicate that data for five of the analytical procedures were occasionally biased for either high-concentration or low-concentration samples but were within control limits; these procedures were: acid-neutralizing capacity, total monomeric aluminum, pH, silicon, and sodium. Seven of the analytical procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for the high-concentration sample, but were within control limits; these procedures were: dissolved organic carbon, chloride, nitrate (ion chromatograph), nitrite, silicon, sodium, and sulfate. The calcium and magnesium procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for the low-concentration sample, but were within control limits. The total aluminum and specific conductance procedures were biased for the high-concentration and low-concentration samples, but were within control limits. Results from the filter-blank and analytical-blank analyses indicate that the procedures for 17 of 18 analytes were within control limits, although the concentrations for blanks were occasionally outside the control limits. The data-quality objective was not met for dissolved organic carbon. Sampling and analysis precision are evaluated herein in terms of the coefficient of variation obtained for triplicate samples in the procedures for 18 of the 22 analytes. At least 85 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for all analytes except total monomeric aluminum (82 percent of samples met objectives), total aluminum (77 percent of samples met objectives), chloride (80 percent of samples met objectives), fluoride (76 percent of samples met objectives), and nitrate (ion chromatograph) (79 percent of samples met objectives). The ammonium and total dissolved nitrogen did not meet the data-quality objectives. Results of the USGS interlaboratory Standard Reference Sample (SRS) Project indicated good data quality over the time period, with ratings for each sample in the satisfactory, good, and excellent ranges or less than 10 percent error. The P-sample (low-ionic-strength constituents) analysis had one marginal and two unsatisfactory ratings for the chloride procedure. The T-sample (trace constituents)analysis had two unsatisfactory ratings and one high range percent error for the aluminum procedure. The N-sample (nutrient constituents) analysis had one marginal rating for the nitrate procedure. Results of Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute (NWRI) program indicated that at least 84 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for 11 of the 14 analytes; the exceptions were ammonium, total aluminum, and acid-neutralizing capacity. The ammonium procedure did not meet data quality objectives in all studies. Data-quality objectives were not met in 23 percent of samples analyzed for total aluminum and 45 percent of samples analyzed acid-neutralizing capacity. Results from blind reference-sample analyses indicated that data-quality objectives were met by at least 86 percent of the samples analyzed for calcium, chloride, fluoride, magnesium, pH, potassium, sodium, and sulfate. Data-quality objectives were not met by samples analyzed for fluoride. 

Incidence of anemia in pediatric cancer patients in Europe: results of a large, international survey.

PubMed

Michon, Jean

2002-10-01

Anemia occurs frequently in children with cancer, but there is little information quantifying the incidence of anemia or treatment. A survey was conducted in 1998 in Europe by The Research Partnership with the objective of determining the incidence of anemia, identifying the hemoglobin triggers that initiated anemia treatment, and the current anemia treatment options available to clinicians. The survey was conducted in the 10 largest pediatric oncology centers each in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, and in the 8 largest centers in both Belgium and The Netherlands. Telephone interviews with the most senior physician available in the institution were used to collect data, which included the numbers of patients treated or under follow-up, cancer types, and treatment practices for anemia. Data were collected for 25,093 patients. Over 80% of patients were anemic (WHO: hemoglobin

Can subepithelial connective tissue grafts be considered the gold standard procedure in the treatment of Miller Class I and II recession-type defects?

PubMed

Chambrone, Leandro; Chambrone, Daniela; Pustiglioni, Francisco E; Chambrone, Luiz A; Lima, Luiz A

2008-09-01

The objective of this systematic review was to answer the following question: 'Can subepithelial connective tissue grafts (SCTG) be considered the gold standard procedure in the treatment of recession-type defects?' DATA AND SOURCE: An electronic search (MEDLIINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL) for randomized controlled clinical trials with at least 6 months' follow-up comparing SCTG with other procedures for the treatment of gingival recession was performed up to December 2007. To be eligible to this review patients had to present a diagnosis of gingival recession with the following characteristics: (a) recession areas selected for treatment classified as Miller [Miller Jr PD. A classification of marginal tissue recession. International Journal of Periodontics & Restorative Dentistry 1985;5:8-13.] Class I or Class II of at least 2mm; (b) recession areas containing teeth with no caries or restorations; and (c) at least 10 participants per group at final examination. From a total of 568 references, 23 studies were considered relevant. The results indicated a statistically significant greater reduction in gingival recession for SCTG, when compared to acellular dermal matrix grafts and guided tissue regeneration with resorbable membranes (GTR rm). For clinical attachment level changes, differences between all groups were not significant. For changes in the keratinized tissue (KT), the results showed a statistically significant gain in the width of KT for SCTG when compared to GTR rm. The results of this review show that subepithelial connective tissue grafts provided significant root coverage, clinical attachment and keratinized tissue gain. Overall comparisons allow us to consider it as the 'gold standard' procedure in the treatment of recession-type defects.

Influence of aeration implements, phosphorus fertilizers, and soil taxa on phosphorus losses from grasslands.

PubMed

Franklin, D H; Butler, D M; Cabrera, M L; Calvert, V H; West, L T; Rema, J A

2011-01-01

Attenuation of rainfall within the solum may help to move contaminants and nutrients into the soil to be better sequestered or utilized by crops. Surface application of phosphorus (P) amendments to grasslands may lead to elevated concentrations of P in surface runoff and eutrophication of surface waters. Aeration of grasslands has been proposed as a treatment to reduce losses of applied P. Here, results from two small-plot aeration studies and two field-scale, paired-watershed studies are supplemented with previously unpublished soil P data and synthesized. The overall objective of these studies was to determine the impact of aeration on soil P, runoff volume, and runoff P losses from mixed tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.]-bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) grasslands fertilized with P. Small-scale rainfall simulations were conducted on two soil taxa using three types of aeration implements: spikes, disks, and cores. The-field scale study was conducted on four soil taxa with slit and knife aeration. Small-plot studies showed that core aeration reduced loads of total P and dissolved reactive P (DRP) in runoff from plots fertilized with broiler litter and that aeration was effective in reducing P export when it increased soil P in the upper 5 cm. In the field-scale study, slit aeration reduced DRP losses by 35% in fields with well-drained soils but not in poorly drained soils. Flow-weighted concentrations of DRP in aerated fields were related to water-soluble P applied in amendments and soil test P in the upper 5 cm. These studies show that the overall effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration on runoff volume and P losses is controlled by the interaction of soil characteristics such as internal drainage and compaction, soil P, type of surface-applied manure, and type of aeration implement.

A multicentre study of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections in China: susceptibility to ceftaroline and molecular epidemiology.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Xiao, Meng; Kong, Fanrong; O'Sullivan, Matthew V N; Mao, Lei-Li; Zhao, Hao-Ran; Zhao, Ying; Wang, He; Xu, Ying-Chun

2015-04-01

Ceftaroline is a novel cephalosporin with activity against Gram-positive organisms, including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The objective of this study was to investigate the susceptibility to ceftaroline of hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) isolates causing acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSIs) in China and to examine their relationship by genotyping. A total of 251 HA-MRSA isolates causing ABSSSIs were collected from a multicentre study involving 56 hospitals in 38 large cities across 26 provinces in mainland China. All isolates were characterised by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, spa typing and detection of the Panton-Valentine leukocidin locus (lukS-PV and lukF-PV). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 14 antimicrobial agents, including ceftaroline, were determined by broth microdilution and were interpreted using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints. The ceftaroline MIC50 and MIC90 values (MICs that inhibit 50% and 90% of the isolates, respectively) were 1 μg/mL and 2 μg/mL, respectively; 33.5% (n=84) of the isolates studied were ceftaroline-non-susceptible, with MICs of 2 μg/mL, but no isolate exhibited ceftaroline resistance (MIC>2 μg/mL). All of the ceftaroline-non-susceptible isolates belonged to the predominant HA-MRSA clones: 95.2% (n=80) from MLST clonal complex 8 (CC8), with the remaining 4.8% (n=4) from CC5. The high rate of non-susceptibility to ceftaroline amongst HA-MRSA causing ABSSSIs in China is concerning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Adding Hierarchical Objects to Relational Database General-Purpose XML-Based Information Managements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shu-Chun; Knight, Chris; La, Tracy; Maluf, David; Bell, David; Tran, Khai Peter; Gawdiak, Yuri

2006-01-01

NETMARK is a flexible, high-throughput software system for managing, storing, and rapid searching of unstructured and semi-structured documents. NETMARK transforms such documents from their original highly complex, constantly changing, heterogeneous data formats into well-structured, common data formats in using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and/or Extensible Markup Language (XML). The software implements an object-relational database system that combines the best practices of the relational model utilizing Structured Query Language (SQL) with those of the object-oriented, semantic database model for creating complex data. In particular, NETMARK takes advantage of the Oracle 8i object-relational database model using physical-address data types for very efficient keyword searches of records across both context and content. NETMARK also supports multiple international standards such as WEBDAV for drag-and-drop file management and SOAP for integrated information management using Web services. The document-organization and -searching capabilities afforded by NETMARK are likely to make this software attractive for use in disciplines as diverse as science, auditing, and law enforcement.

Chondromalacia as pathological finding in arthroscopy of the temporomandibular joint: A retrospective study.

PubMed

Martin-Granizo, Rafael; Correa-Muñoz, Diana Carolina

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to describe the arthroscopic findings of chondromalacia and its relation with the internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A total of 161 patients (299 TMJs) who underwent arthroscopy were included in the study. The TMJs were evaluated objectively under arthroscopic vision, and 4 groups of patients were established according to the degree of involvement, degree I, II, III and IV. Statistical analyses were conducted using logistic regression models (P < 0.05). It was observed that 95 patients (59%) had no sign of chondromalacia and 66 (41%) in 88 joints exhibited some degree of chondromalacia (44 patients unilaterally and 22 bilaterally). Of the 88 joints with chondromalacia, 14 (15.9%) had chondromalacia degree I, 12 (13.6%) chondromalacia degree II, 20 (22.7%) chondromalacia degree III and 42 (47.7%) chondromalacia degree IV. The chondromalacia was more significantly found in patients with ADDwR and discal perforation (P < 0.05), even as a common finding in patients without any internal deragement. Chondromalacia degree IV was a significant finding in cases of ADDwoR (P = 0.000619). Chondromalacia of the TMJ is a common finding in patients with internal derangement even at the early stages. Copyright © 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Where are lengths of stay longer and total charges higher for pediatric burn patients?

PubMed

Myers, John; Lehna, Carlee

2014-01-01

Treatment of pediatric burn patients is costly and may require long length of stay in the hospital (LOS). Establishing where these LOS and charges are highest is warranted. The current study investigated whether pediatric burn patients had higher total charges and longer LOS when seen at teaching hospitals, when compared with nonteaching hospitals. The study reviewed inpatient admissions for pediatric burn patients in 2003, 2006, and 2009 by using the Kids' Inpatient Database, which is part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes 940-947 were used to define burn injury, LOS, total charges, and type of hospital. The authors tested for differences between the LOS and total charges between children seen at three types of hospitals (pediatric, nonpediatric/teaching, nonpediatric/nonteaching) while adjusting for traditional risk factors (eg age, total burn surface area) by using generalized linear mixed-effects modeling. A total of N=28,777 children had burn injuries (n=16,115, 56.0% seen at pediatric hospitals; n=9353, 32.5% seen at nonpediatric/teaching hospitals; and n=3309, 11.5% seen at nonpediatric/nonteaching hospitals). Pediatric burn patients seen at pediatric hospitals, unadjusted, have significantly longer LOS (5.54 days vs 4.25 days and 4.00 days, P<.001) and more total charges in 2009 dollars ($31,319 vs $24,413 and $21,499, P<.001). In addition, patients seen at pediatric hospitals had significantly more total burn surface area (P<.001), more comorbidities (P=.021), and were younger (P<.001). After adjusting for total burn surface area, number of comorbidities, and age, no differences existed between teaching and nonteaching hospitals for LOS (P=.481) or total charges (P=.758). Although pediatric burn patients may have increased LOS and total charges when seen at teaching hospitals, when taking an unadjusted perspective, this may be an artifact that teaching hospitals see pediatric burn patients who are younger, have more comorbidities, and have more total burn surface area. As such, after adjustment, type of hospital may have no influence on LOS and total charges.

Common and differential electrophysiological mechanisms underlying semantic object memory retrieval probed by features presented in different stimulus types.

PubMed

Chiang, Hsueh-Sheng; Eroh, Justin; Spence, Jeffrey S; Motes, Michael A; Maguire, Mandy J; Krawczyk, Daniel C; Brier, Matthew R; Hart, John; Kraut, Michael A

2016-08-01

How the brain combines the neural representations of features that comprise an object in order to activate a coherent object memory is poorly understood, especially when the features are presented in different modalities (visual vs. auditory) and domains (verbal vs. nonverbal). We examined this question using three versions of a modified Semantic Object Retrieval Test, where object memory was probed by a feature presented as a written word, a spoken word, or a picture, followed by a second feature always presented as a visual word. Participants indicated whether each feature pair elicited retrieval of the memory of a particular object. Sixteen subjects completed one of the three versions (N=48 in total) while their EEG were recorded simultaneously. We analyzed EEG data in four separate frequency bands (delta: 1-4Hz, theta: 4-7Hz; alpha: 8-12Hz; beta: 13-19Hz) using a multivariate data-driven approach. We found that alpha power time-locked to response was modulated by both cross-modality (visual vs. auditory) and cross-domain (verbal vs. nonverbal) probing of semantic object memory. In addition, retrieval trials showed greater changes in all frequency bands compared to non-retrieval trials across all stimulus types in both response-locked and stimulus-locked analyses, suggesting dissociable neural subcomponents involved in binding object features to retrieve a memory. We conclude that these findings support both modality/domain-dependent and modality/domain-independent mechanisms during semantic object memory retrieval. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Standard operating procedures for female orgasmic disorder: consensus of the International Society for Sexual Medicine.

PubMed

Laan, Ellen; Rellini, Alessandra H; Barnes, Tricia

2013-01-01

As the field of sexual medicine evolves, it is important to continually improve patient care by developing contemporary "standard operating procedures" (SOPs), reflecting the consensus view of experts in sexual medicine. Few, if any, consensus SOPs have been developed for the diagnosis and treatment of Female Orgasmic Disorder (FOD). The objective is to provide standard operating procedures for FOD. The SOP Committee was composed of a chair, selected by the International Society for the Study of Sexual Medicine, and two additional experts. To inform its key recommendations, the Committee used systematic reviews of available evidence and discussions during a group meeting, conference calls and e-mail communications. The Committee received no corporate funding or remuneration. A total of 12 recommendations for the assessment and treatment of FOD were generated, including suggestions for further research. Evidence-based, practice recommendations for the treatment of FOD are provided that will hopefully inform clinical decision making for those treating this common condition. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Female Adolescents in Jordan: A comparison between Two International Reference Standards

PubMed Central

O. Musaiger, Abdulrahman; Al-Mannai, Mariam; Tayyem, Reema

2013-01-01

Objective: To find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among female adolescents in Jordan. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey on females aged 15–18 in Amman, Jordan, was carried out using a multistage stratified random sampling method. The total sample size was 475 girls. Weight and height were measured and body mass index for age was used to determine overweight and obesity using the IOTF and WHO international standards. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased with age. The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was reported at age 15 (24.4% and 8.9%, respectively). The WHO standard showed a higher prevalence of obesity than the IOTF standard in all age groups. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity are serious public health problems among adolescents in Jordan, using both international standards. A program to combat obesity among schoolchildren, therefore, should be given a high priority in school health policy in Jordan. PMID:24353605

Use of wood-based materials in beef bedded manure packs: 2. Effect on odorous volatile organic compounds, odor activity value, Escherichia coli, and nutrient concentrations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of three types of wood-based bedding materials (kiln-dried pine wood chips, dry cedar chips, and green cedar chips) and corn stover on concentration of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOC) and total Escherichia coli in bedded pack materi...

Instructional Practices for Spelling by Spanish-Speaking Children with and without Learning Disabilities in Early Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzmán, Remedios; O'Shanahan, Isabel; Camacho, Juan

2017-01-01

The main objectives of this study were to examine the type of adaptations made by Grades 1 through 3 primary school teachers working with children who are poor spellers of a transparent language such as Spanish and to analyze whether these adaptations were determined by the grade taught by these teachers. Using the total population of primary…

Retention and readability of radio frequency identification transponders in beef cows over a five-year period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective of this study was to evaluate failure (loss or inability to read) of radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags in beef cows over a 2 to 5 year period under ranching conditions. One of 5 types of RFID tags was applied in the ear of a total of 4316 cows on 4 separate ranches. Tags wer...

A Hydrogen Containment Process for Nuclear Thermal Engine Ground testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Ten-See; Stewart, Eric; Canabal, Francisco

2016-01-01

The objective of this study is to propose a new total hydrogen containment process to enable the testing required for NTP engine development. This H2 removal process comprises of two unit operations: an oxygen-rich burner and a shell-and-tube type of heat exchanger. This new process is demonstrated by simulation of the steady state operation of the engine firing at nominal conditions.

Working Memory Deficits in ADHD: The Contribution of Age, Learning/Language Difficulties, and Task Parameters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sowerby, Paula; Seal, Simon; Tripp, Gail

2011-01-01

Objective: To further define the nature of working memory (WM) impairments in children with combined-type ADHD. Method: A total of 40 Children with ADHD and an age and gender-matched control group (n = 40) completed two measures of visuo-spatial WM and two measures of verbal WM. The effects of age and learning/language difficulties on performance…

Perceived Leadership Behavior of Physical Education Teacher-Coaches: When They Teach vs. when They Coach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Hyungil Harry; Pyun, Do young; Kim, May

2010-01-01

The objective of the study was to see whether a teacher-coach exhibits different types of leadership behavior when s/he teaches a PE class and coaches a group of athletes. The participants in this study were 17-18 year old second-year preuniversity students from two local junior colleges in Singapore. A total of 159 students of mixed gender…

Piloting a Structured Practice Audit to Assess ACGME Milestones in Written Handoff Communication in Internal Medicine

PubMed Central

Martin, Shannon K.; Farnan, Jeanne M.; McConville, John F.; Arora, Vineet M.

2015-01-01

Background Written communication skills are integral to patient care handoffs. Residency programs require feasible assessment tools that provide timely formative and summative feedback, ideally linked to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones. Objective We describe the use of 1 such tool—UPDATED—to assess written handoff communication skills in internal medicine interns. Methods During 2012–2013, the authors piloted a structured practice audit at 1 academic institution to audit written sign-outs completed by 45 interns, using the UPDATED tool, which scores 7 aspects of sign-out communication linked to milestones. Intern sign-outs were audited by trained faculty members throughout the year. Results were incorporated into intern performance reviews and Clinical Competency Committees. Results A total of 136 sign-outs were audited (averaging 3.1 audits per intern). In the first trimester, 14 interns (31%) had satisfactory audit results. Five interns (11%) had critical deficiencies and received immediate feedback, and the remaining 26 (58%) were assigned future audits due to missing audits or unsatisfactory scores. In the second trimester, 21 interns (68%) had satisfactory results, 1 had critical deficiencies, and 9 (29%) required future audits. Nine of the 10 remaining interns in the final trimester had satisfactory audits. Faculty time was estimated at 10 to 15 minutes per sign-out audited. Conclusions The UPDATED audit is a milestone-based tool that can be used to assess written sign-out communication skills in internal medicine residency programs. Future work is planned to adapt the tool for use by senior supervisory residents to appraise sign-outs in real time. PMID:26221442

Validating the Danish adaptation of the World Health Organization's International Classification for Patient Safety classification of patient safety incident types

PubMed Central

Mikkelsen, Kim Lyngby; Thommesen, Jacob; Andersen, Henning Boje

2013-01-01

Objectives Validation of a Danish patient safety incident classification adapted from the World Health Organizaton's International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS-WHO). Design Thirty-three hospital safety management experts classified 58 safety incident cases selected to represent all types and subtypes of the Danish adaptation of the ICPS (ICPS-DK). Outcome Measures Two measures of inter-rater agreement: kappa and intra-class correlation (ICC). Results An average number of incident types used per case per rater was 2.5. The mean ICC was 0.521 (range: 0.199–0.809) and the mean kappa was 0.513 (range: 0.193–0.804). Kappa and ICC showed high correlation (r = 0.99). An inverse correlation was found between the prevalence of type and inter-rater reliability. Results are discussed according to four factors known to determine the inter-rater agreement: skill and motivation of raters; clarity of case descriptions; clarity of the operational definitions of the types and the instructions guiding the coding process; adequacy of the underlying classification scheme. Conclusions The incident types of the ICPS-DK are adequate, exhaustive and well suited for classifying and structuring incident reports. With a mean kappa a little above 0.5 the inter-rater agreement of the classification system is considered ‘fair’ to ‘good’. The wide variation in the inter-rater reliability and low reliability and poor discrimination among the highly prevalent incident types suggest that for these types, precisely defined incident sub-types may be preferred. This evaluation of the reliability and usability of WHO's ICPS should be useful for healthcare administrations that consider or are in the process of adapting the ICPS. PMID:23287641

Burnout, Coping, and Spirituality Among Internal Medicine Resident Physicians

PubMed Central

Doolittle, Benjamin R.; Windish, Donna M.; Seelig, Charles B.

2013-01-01

Background Burnout in physicians is common, and studies show a prevalence of 30% to 78%. Identifying constructive coping strategies and personal characteristics that protect residents against burnout may be helpful for reducing errors and improving physician satisfaction. Objective We explored the complex relationships between burnout, behaviors, emotional coping, and spirituality among internal medicine and internal medicine-pediatrics residents. Methods We anonymously surveyed 173 internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics residents to explore burnout, coping, and spiritual attitudes. We used 3 validated survey instruments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Carver Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) Inventory, and the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS). Results A total of 108 (63%) residents participated, with 31 (28%) reporting burnout. Residents who employed strategies of acceptance, active coping, and positive reframing had lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (all, P < .03). Residents who reported denial or disengagement had higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores. Personal accomplishment was positively correlated with the SIBS total score (r  =  +.28, P  =  .003), as well as the internal/fluid domain (r  =  +.32, P  =  .001), existential axes (r  =  +.32, P  =  .001), and humility/personal application domain (r  =  +.23, P  =  .02). The humility/personal application domain also was negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (r  =  −.20, P  =  .04) and depersonalization (r  =  −.25, P  =  .009). No activity or demographic factor affected any burnout domain. Conclusions Burnout is a heterogeneous syndrome that affects many residents. We identified a range of emotional and spiritual coping strategies that may have protective benefit. PMID:24404269

TraceContract

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kavelund, Klaus; Barringer, Howard

2012-01-01

TraceContract is an API (Application Programming Interface) for trace analysis. A trace is a sequence of events, and can, for example, be generated by a running program, instrumented appropriately to generate events. An event can be any data object. An example of a trace is a log file containing events that a programmer has found important to record during a program execution. Trace - Contract takes as input such a trace together with a specification formulated using the API and reports on any violations of the specification, potentially calling code (reactions) to be executed when violations are detected. The software is developed as an internal DSL (Domain Specific Language) in the Scala programming language. Scala is a relatively new programming language that is specifically convenient for defining such internal DSLs due to a number of language characteristics. This includes Scala s elegant combination of object-oriented and functional programming, a succinct notation, and an advanced type system. The DSL offers a combination of data-parameterized state machines and temporal logic, which is novel. As an extension of Scala, it is a very expressive and convenient log file analysis framework.

Current Practices in Global/International Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences: Preceptor and Student Considerations.

PubMed

Dornblaser, Emily K; Ratka, Anna; Gleason, Shaun E; Ombengi, David N; Tofade, Toyin; Wigle, Patricia R; Zapantis, Antonia; Ryan, Melody; Connor, Sharon; Jonkman, Lauren J; Ochs, Leslie; Jungnickel, Paul W; Abrons, Jeanine P; Alsharif, Naser Z

2016-04-25

The objective of this article is to describe the key areas of consideration for global/international advanced pharmacy practice experience (G/I APPE) preceptors, students and learning objectives. At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the GPE SIG prepared and presented an initial report on the G/IAPPE initiatives. Round table discussions were conducted at the 2014 AACP Annual Meeting to document GPE SIG member input on key areas in the report. Literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar and EMBASE with keywords was conducted to expand this report. In this paper, considerations related to preceptors and students and learning outcomes are described. Preceptors for G/I APPEs may vary based on the learning outcomes of the experience. Student learning outcomes for G/I APPEs may vary based on the type of experiential site. Recommendations and future directions for development of G/IAPPEs are presented. Development of a successful G/I APPE requires significant planning and consideration of appropriate qualifications for preceptors and students.

The clinical efficacy of dietary fat restriction in treatment of dogs with intestinal lymphangiectasia.

PubMed

Okanishi, H; Yoshioka, R; Kagawa, Y; Watari, T

2014-01-01

Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL), a type of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), is a dilatation of lymphatic vessels within the gastrointestinal tract. Dietary fat restriction previously has been proposed as an effective treatment for dogs with PLE, but limited objective clinical data are available on the efficacy of this treatment. To investigate the clinical efficacy of dietary fat restriction in dogs with IL that were unresponsive to prednisolone treatment or showed relapse of clinical signs and hypoalbuminemia when the prednisolone dosage was decreased. Twenty-four dogs with IL. Retrospective study. Body weight, clinical activity score, and hematologic and biochemical variables were compared before and 1 and 2 months after treatment. Furthermore, the data were compared between the group fed only an ultra low-fat (ULF) diet and the group fed ULF and a low-fat (LF) diet. Nineteen of 24 (79%) dogs responded satisfactorily to dietary fat restriction, and the prednisolone dosage could be decreased. Clinical activity score was significantly decreased after dietary treatment compared with before treatment. In addition, albumin (ALB), total protein (TP), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration were significantly increased after dietary fat restriction. At 2 months posttreatment, the ALB concentrations in the ULF group were significantly higher than that of the ULF + LF group. Dietary fat restriction appears to be an effective treatment in dogs with IL that are unresponsive to prednisolone treatment or that have recurrent clinical signs and hypoalbuminemia when the dosage of prednisolone is decreased. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Preliminary validation of the Malay Yale Food Addiction Scale: Factor structure and item analysis in an obese population.

PubMed

Swarna Nantha, Yogarabindranath; Abd Patah, Norafidza Ashiquin; Ponnusamy Pillai, Mahalakshmi

2016-12-01

Researchers suggest that the rise in obesity rates may be explained by the addictive properties of certain types of food. In view of the growing obesity epidemic in South-East Asia, there is a need for a psychometric tool to assess the concept of food addiction amongst high-risk populations. The objective of this study is to translate the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) into the Malay language and subsequently validate its use in an obese population. Between the year 2014 and 2015, a total of 250 obese adults were assessed for food addiction utilizing the Malay version of the YFAS at a primary care clinic. An assessment of the psychometric properties of the scale was performed to determine the factor structure, item statistics and internal consistency of the scale. A one factorial structure of YFAS was confirmed in this study through factor analysis. All items except 4 (items 19, 22, 24 and 25) had factor loadings >0.42. The internal reliability (KR-20) coefficient of the one-factor solution was α = 0.76. The mean YFAS symptom count was M = 2.74 (SD = 1.57) with 10.4% (N = 26) of the participants received the diagnosis of food addiction. The determination of construct validity and the identification of other latent variables in the Malay food addiction model is necessary prior to the formal utilization of the scale as a tool to detect addictive eating patterns in the community. Copyright © 2016 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Bauxite Mining — A Global Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Christian

In 2008 the International Aluminium Institute commissioned its fourth sustainable bauxite mining report with the aim to collect global data on the environmental, social and economic impacts of bauxite mining operations and their rehabilitation programmes. The report shows that bauxite mining has become sustainable and land area footprint neutral;it is a relatively small land use operation when compared to most other types of mining. All operations have clearly defined rehabilitation objectives, fully integrated rehabilitation programmes, and written rehabilitation procedures. The rehabilitation objectives can be summarized as follows: "The bauxite mining operations aim to restore pre-mining environment and the respective conditions; this can be a self-sustaining ecosystem consisting of native flora and fauna or any other land-use to the benefit of the local community".

Physical parameters of late M-type members of Chamaeleon I and TW Hydrae Association: dust settling, age dispersion and activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayo, A.; Barrado, D.; Allard, F.; Henning, T.; Comerón, F.; Morales-Calderón, M.; Rajpurohit, A. S.; Peña Ramírez, K.; Beamín, J. C.

2017-02-01

Although mid-to-late type M dwarfs are the most common stars in our stellar neighbourhood, our knowledge of these objects is still limited. Open questions include the evolution of their angular momentum, internal structures, dust settling in their atmospheres and age dispersion within populations. In addition, at young ages, late-type Ms have masses below the hydrogen burning limit and therefore are key objects in the debate on the brown dwarf mechanism of formation. In this work, we determine and study in detail the physical parameters of two samples of young, late M-type sources belonging to either the Chamaeleon I dark cloud or the TW Hydrae Association and compare them with the results obtained in the literature for other young clusters and also for older, field, dwarfs. We used multiwavelength photometry to construct and analyse SEDs to determine general properties of the photosphere and disc presence. We also used low-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy to study activity, accretion, gravity and effective temperature sensitive indicators. We propose a Virtual Observatory-based spectral index that is both temperature and age sensitive. We derived physical parameters using independent techniques confirming the already common feature/problem of the age/luminosity spread. In particular, we highlight two brown dwarfs showing very similar temperatures but clearly different surface gravity (explained invoking extreme early accretion). We also show how, despite large improvement in the dust treatment in theoretical models, there is still room for further progress in the simultaneous reproduction of the optical and near-infrared features of these cold young objects.

An Examination of Differences in Psychological Resilience between Social Anxiety Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Context of Early Childhood Trauma

PubMed Central

Marx, Melanie; Young, Susanne Y.; Harvey, Justin; Rosenstein, David; Seedat, Soraya

2017-01-01

Background: Much of the research on anxiety disorders has focused on associated risk factors with less attention paid to factors such as resilience that may mitigate risk or offer protection in the face of psychopathology. Objective: This study sought to compare resilience in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) relative to age-, gender- and education- matched individuals with no psychiatric disorder. We further assessed the correlation of resilience scores with childhood trauma severity and type. Method: The sample comprised of 93 participants, 40 with SAD with childhood trauma), 22 with PTSD with childhood trauma, and 31 with no psychiatric disorder (i.e., healthy matched controls). Participants were administered the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire—Short Form (CTQ-SF), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The mean age of participants was 34 years (SD = 11). 52 Participants were female (55.9%) and 54 Caucasian (58.1%). Analysis of variance was used to assess for significant group differences in resilience scores. Non-parametric correlation analyses were conducted for resilience and different types of childhood trauma. Results: There were significant differences in resilience between the SAD and PTSD groups with childhood trauma, and controls. Both disorder groups had significantly lower levels of resilience than healthy controls. No significant correlation was found between total resilience scores and childhood trauma scores in the childhood trauma (SAD and PTSD) groups. However, in the combined dataset (SAD, PTSD, healthy controls), significant negative correlations were found between resilience scores and emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and total childhood trauma scores. Conclusions: Patients who have PTSD and SAD with childhood trauma appear to be significantly less resilient than those with no disorder. Assessing and addressing resilience in these disorders, particularly when childhood trauma is present, may facilitate long-term recovery and warrants further investigation. PMID:29312023

An Examination of Differences in Psychological Resilience between Social Anxiety Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Context of Early Childhood Trauma.

PubMed

Marx, Melanie; Young, Susanne Y; Harvey, Justin; Rosenstein, David; Seedat, Soraya

2017-01-01

Background: Much of the research on anxiety disorders has focused on associated risk factors with less attention paid to factors such as resilience that may mitigate risk or offer protection in the face of psychopathology. Objective: This study sought to compare resilience in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) relative to age-, gender- and education- matched individuals with no psychiatric disorder. We further assessed the correlation of resilience scores with childhood trauma severity and type. Method: The sample comprised of 93 participants, 40 with SAD with childhood trauma), 22 with PTSD with childhood trauma, and 31 with no psychiatric disorder (i.e., healthy matched controls). Participants were administered the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The mean age of participants was 34 years ( SD = 11). 52 Participants were female (55.9%) and 54 Caucasian (58.1%). Analysis of variance was used to assess for significant group differences in resilience scores. Non-parametric correlation analyses were conducted for resilience and different types of childhood trauma. Results: There were significant differences in resilience between the SAD and PTSD groups with childhood trauma, and controls. Both disorder groups had significantly lower levels of resilience than healthy controls. No significant correlation was found between total resilience scores and childhood trauma scores in the childhood trauma (SAD and PTSD) groups. However, in the combined dataset (SAD, PTSD, healthy controls), significant negative correlations were found between resilience scores and emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and total childhood trauma scores. Conclusions: Patients who have PTSD and SAD with childhood trauma appear to be significantly less resilient than those with no disorder. Assessing and addressing resilience in these disorders, particularly when childhood trauma is present, may facilitate long-term recovery and warrants further investigation.

Functional and Radiological Outcome of Schatzker type V and VI Tibial Plateau Fracture Treatment with Dual Plates with Minimum 3 years follow-up: A Prospective Study

PubMed Central

Suri, Harpreet Singh; Gangrade, Kewal

2016-01-01

Introduction High energy intra-articular fractures involving the tibial plateau causes various problems related to management like wound dehiscence, severe comminution leading to malalignment and delayed complications like varus collapse, implant failure and arthritis of knee joint. Aim This study was done to determine functional, radiological outcome and the complications of Schatzker V and VI tibial plateau fractures treated with bipillar plating with dual plates with a regular follow-up of atleast 3 years. Materials and Methods Total 34 cases of tibial plateau fracture type V and VI treated with dual plating were studied from January 2011 to December 2013 in KIMS Hospital were followed for minimum of 3 years. The patients were operated through an anterolateral approach for lateral plate and a medial column plate was put through a minimally invasive medial approach or an open posteromedial approach. Results Total 34 patients were evaluated postoperatively thoroughly for functional outcome using The Knee Society Score and radiological outcomes by Modified Rasmussen Assessment criteria which showed 29 patients (85.29%) had excellent and 5 patients (14.71%) had good objective knee society score. 24 patients (70.59%) had excellent, 8 patients (23.53%) had good and 1patient (2.94%) were each of poor and fair functional knee society score. Eleven patients (32.35%) had excellent, 21patients (61.76%) had good and 2 patients (5.88%) had fair radiological outcome. Conclusion We conclude that open reduction and internal fixation of high-energy tibial plateau fractures with dual plates via 2 incisions gives excellent to good functional outcome with minimal soft tissue complications. Thus, a minimally invasive approach should be used which helps in preventing soft tissue problems and helps in early wound healing. Fixation done by bipillar plating is important for early mobilization of knee joint. Early mobilization leads to better range of movements and thereby better functional outcome. PMID:27437315

StarCAT: A Catalog of Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Ultraviolet Echelle Spectra of Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres, Thomas R.

2010-03-01

StarCAT is a catalog of high resolution ultraviolet spectra of objects classified as "stars," recorded by Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) during its initial seven years of operations (1997-2004). StarCAT is based on 3184 echelle observations of 545 distinct targets, with a total exposure duration of 5.2 Ms. For many of the objects, broad ultraviolet coverage has been achieved by splicing echellegrams taken in two or more FUV (1150-1700 Å) and/or NUV (1600-3100 Å) settings. In cases of multiple pointings on conspicuously variable sources, spectra were separated into independent epochs. Otherwise, different epochs were combined to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). A post-facto correction to the calstis pipeline data sets compensated for subtle wavelength distortions identified in a previous study of the STIS calibration lamps. An internal "fluxing" procedure yielded coherent spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for objects with broadly overlapping wavelength coverage. The best StarCAT material achieves 300 m s-1 internal velocity precision; absolute accuracy at the 1 km s-1 level; photometric accuracy of order 4%; and relative flux precision several times better (limited mainly by knowledge of SEDs of UV standard stars). While StarCAT represents a milestone in the large-scale post-processing of STIS echellegrams, a number of potential improvements in the underlying "final" pipeline are identified.

Management of diabetes in Morocco: results of the International Diabetes Management Practices Study (IDMPS) – wave 5

PubMed Central

Chadli, Asmae; El Aziz, Siham; El Ansari, Nawal; Ajdi, Farida; Seqat, Mehdi; Latrech, Hanane; Belmejdoub, Ghizlaine

2016-01-01

Objectives: The International Diabetes Mellitus Practice Study (IDMPS) is a 5-year survey documenting changes in diabetes treatment practices in developing countries. The primary objective of this survey was to assess the therapeutic management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in real-life medical practice. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the clinical management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to assess the proportion of all diabetic patients failing to reach the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) <7% target. Methods: Data were analysed for 738 patients (240 with T1DM and 498 with T2DM) included in wave 5 of the IDMPS in Morocco in 2011. Results: Nearly two-thirds (61%) of T2DM patients were treated with oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs) alone, 13.1% were treated with insulin alone and 23.3% were treated with OGLDs plus insulin. Insulin use was less frequent, was initiated later and involved a greater use of premixes versus basal/prandial schedules compared to other populations evaluated in the IDMPS. The majority (92.5%) of T1DM patients were treated with insulin alone and the remainder received insulin plus an OGLD. Insulin protocols included basal + prandial dosing (37.5%) and premix preparations (41.3%). The recommended target of HbA1c <7% was achieved by only 22.2% of T1DM patients and 26.8% of T2DM patients. More macrovascular but fewer microvascular complications were reported in T2DM compared to T1DM patients. Late complications increased with disease duration so that 20 years after diagnosis, 75.7% of T2DM patients were found to have at least one late complication. Conclusions: The clinical burden of diabetes is high in Morocco and the majority of patients do not achieve the recommended glycaemia target, suggesting that there is a huge gap between evidence-based diabetic management and real-life practice. Better education of patients and improved compliance with international recommendations are necessary to deliver a better quality of diabetic care. PMID:27293539

Central Compact Objects in Kes 79 and RCW 103 as `Hidden' Magnetars with Crustal Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, S. B.; Kaurov, A. A.; Kaminker, A. D.

2015-05-01

We propose that observations of `hidden' magnetars in central compact objects can be used to probe crustal activity of neutron stars with large internal magnetic fields. Estimates based on calculations by Perna & Pons, Pons & Rea and Kaminker et al. suggest that central compact objects, which are proposed to be `hidden' magnetars, must demonstrate flux variations on the time scale of months-years. However, the most prominent candidate for the `hidden' magnetars - CXO J1852.6+0040 in Kes 79 - shows constant (within error bars) flux. This can be interpreted by lower variable crustal activity than in typical magnetars. Alternatively, CXO J1852.6+0040 can be in a high state of variable activity during the whole period of observations. Then we consider the source 1E161348 - 5055 in RCW103 as another candidate. Employing a simple 2D-modelling we argue that properties of the source can be explained by the crustal activity of the magnetar type. Thus, this object may be supplemented for the three known candidates for the `hidden' magnetars among central compact objects discussed in literature.

Comparison of dietary conjugated linoleic acid with safflower oil on body composition in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus1234

PubMed Central

Norris, Leigh E; Collene, Angela L; Asp, Michelle L; Hsu, Jason C; Liu, Li-Fen; Richardson, Julia R; Li, Dongmei; Bell, Doris; Osei, Kwame; Jackson, Rebecca D

2009-01-01

Background: Weight loss may improve glucose control in persons with type 2 diabetes. The effects of fat quality, as opposed to quantity, on weight loss are not well understood. Objective: We compared the effects of 2 dietary oils, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and safflower oil (SAF), on body weight and composition in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Design: This was a 36-wk randomized, double-masked, crossover study. Fifty-five obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes received SAF or CLA (8 g oil/d) during two 16-wk diet periods separated by a 4-wk washout period. Subjects met monthly with the study coordinator to receive new supplements and for assessment of energy balance, biochemical endpoints, or anthropometric variables. Results: Thirty-five women completed the 36-wk intervention. Supplementation with CLA reduced body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.0022) and total adipose mass (P = 0.0187) without altering lean mass. The effect of CLA in lowering BMI was detected during the last 8 wk of each 16-wk diet period. In contrast, SAF had no effect on BMI or total adipose mass but reduced trunk adipose mass (P = 0.0422) and increased lean mass (P = 0.0432). SAF also significantly lowered fasting glucose (P = 0.0343) and increased adiponectin (P = 0.0051). No differences were observed in dietary energy intake, total fat intake, and fat quality in either diet period for either intervention. Conclusions: Supplementation with CLA and SAF exerted different effects on BMI, total and trunk adipose mass, and lean tissue mass in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Supplementation with these dietary oils may be beneficial for weight loss, glycemic control, or both. PMID:19535429

Active Control of Liner Impedance by Varying Perforate Orifice Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahuji, K. K.; Gaeta, R. J., Jr.

2000-01-01

The present work explored the feasibility of controlling the acoustic impedance of a resonant type acoustic liner. This was accomplished by translating one perforate over another of the same porosity creating a totally new perforate that had an intermediate porosity. This type of adjustable perforate created a variable orifice perforate whose orifices were non-circular. The key objective of the present study was to quantify, the degree of attenuation control that can be achieved by applying such a concept to the buried septum in a two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) acoustic liner. An additional objective was to examine the adequacy of the existing impedance models to explain the behavior of the unique orifice shapes that result from the proposed silding perforate concept. Different orifice shapes with equivalent area were also examined to determine if highly non-circular orifices had a significant impact on the impedance.

A catalog of low surface brightness galaxies - List II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schombert, James M.; Bothun, Gregory D.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Mcgaugh, Stacy S.

1992-01-01

A list of galaxies characterized by low surface brightness (LSB) is presented which facilitates the recognition of galaxies with brightnesses close to that of the sky. A total of 198 objects and 140 objects are listed in the primary and secondary catalogs respectively, and LSB galaxies are examined by means of H I redshift distributions. LSB disk galaxies are shown to have similar sizes and masses as the high-surface-brightness counterparts, and ellipticals and SOs are rarely encountered. Many LSB spirals have stellarlike nuclei, and most of the galaxies in the present catalog are late-type galaxies in the Sc, Sm, and Im classes. The LSB region of observational parameter space is shown to encompass a spectrum of types as full as that of the Hubble sequence. It is suggested that studies of LSB galaxies can provide important data regarding the formation and star-formation history of all galaxies.

A Systematic Evaluation of Collagen Crosslinks in the Human Cervix

PubMed Central

Zork, Noelia M; Myers, Kristin Marie; Yoshida, Ms. Kyoko; Cremers, Serge; Jiang, Hongfeng; Ananth, Cande V; Wapner, Ronald; Kitajewski, Jan; Vink, Joy

2014-01-01

Objective The mechanical strength of the cervix relies on crosslinking of the tissue’s collagen network. Clinically, the internal os is functionally distinct from the external os. We sought to detect specific collagen crosslinks in human cervical tissue and determine if crosslink profiles were similar at the internal and external os. Study Design Transverse slices of cervical tissue were obtained at the internal and external os from 13 non-pregnant, premenopausal women undergoing a benign hysterectomy. To understand how crosslinks were distributed throughout the entire cervix and at the internal and external os, biopsies were obtained from three circumferential zones in four quadrants from each slice. Biopsies were pulverized, lyophilized, reduced with sodium borohydride, hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid and reconstituted in heptafluorobutyric acid buffer. Hydroxyproline was measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS), converted to total collagen, and normalized by dry weight. Collagen crosslinks pyridinoline (PYD), deoxypyridinoline (DPD), dihydroxylysinonorleucine (DHLNL), and the nonenzymatic advanced glycation end product pentosidine [PEN] were measured by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and reported as crosslink density ratio (crosslink:total collagen). Generalized estimated equation analysis was used to compare results between the internal and external os and to compare quadrants and zones within slices from the internal and external os to determine if crosslink profiles were similar. Results 592 samples from 13 patients were analyzed. Collagen crosslinks are detectable in the human cervix by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. When comparing all samples from the internal and external os, similar levels of collagen content, PYD, DHLNL and DPD were found but PEN density was higher at the external os (0.005 vs 0.004, P=0.001). When comparing all internal os samples, significant heterogeneity was found in collagen content and crosslink densities across zones and quadrants. The external os exhibited heterogeneity only across zones. Conclusion Collagen crosslinks (PYD, DPD, DHLNL, and PEN) are detectable by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS in the human cervix. The internal os exhibits significant collagen crosslink heterogeneity compared to the external os. Further studies are needed to evaluate how collagen crosslink heterogeneity correlates to the mechanical strength and function of the human cervix. PMID:25281365

Tension-free vaginal tape for treatment of pure urodynamic stress urinary incontinence: efficacy and adverse effects at 17-year follow-up.

PubMed

Braga, Andrea; Caccia, Giorgio; Sorice, Paola; Cantaluppi, Simona; Coluccia, Anna Chiara; Di Dedda, Maria Carmela; Regusci, Luca; Ghezzi, Fabio; Uccella, Stefano; Serati, Maurizio

2018-07-01

To assess the efficacy and safety of retropubic tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) 17 years after implantation for the treatment of female pure stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A prospective study was conducted in two urogynaecological units in two countries. All consecutive women with urodynamically proven pure SUI treated by TVT were included. Patients with mixed incontinence and/or anatomical evidence of pelvic organ prolapse were excluded. Data regarding subjective outcomes (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form, Patient Global Impression of Improvement, and patient satisfaction scores), objective cure (stress test) rates, and adverse events were collected during follow-up. Univariable analysis was performed to investigate outcomes. A total of 52 women underwent TVT implantation. At 17-year follow-up, 46 women (88.4%) were available for the evaluation. We did not find any significant change in surgical outcomes during this time. At 17 years after surgery, 41 of 46 women (89.1%) declared themselves cured (P = 0.98). Similarly, at 17-year evaluation, 42 of 46 women (91.4%) were objectively cured. No significant deterioration in objective cure rates was observed over time (P for trend 0.50). The univariate analysis did not find any risk factor statistically associated with the recurrence of SUI. Of the 46 women, 15 (32.6%) reported the onset of de novo overactive bladder at 17-year follow-up. No other late complications were reported. The 17-year results of this study showed that TVT is a highly effective and safe option for the treatment of SUI. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Progress toward polio eradication - worldwide, 2014-2015.

PubMed

Hagan, José E; Wassilak, Steven G F; Craig, Allen S; Tangermann, Rudolf H; Diop, Ousmane M; Burns, Cara C; Quddus, Arshad

2015-05-22

In 1988, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) resolved to eradicate polio worldwide. Wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission has been interrupted in all but three countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan). No WPV type 2 cases have been detected worldwide since 1999, and the last WPV type 3 case was detected in Nigeria in November 2012; since 2012, only WPV type 1 has been detected. Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV), usually type 2, continues to cause cases of paralytic polio in communities with low population immunity. In 2012, the World Health Assembly declared global polio eradication "a programmatic emergency for global public health", and in 2014, WHO declared the international spread of WPV to previously polio-free countries to be "a public health emergency of international concern". This report summarizes global progress toward polio eradication during 2014-2015 and updates previous reports. In 2014, a total of 359 WPV cases were reported in nine countries worldwide. Although reported WPV cases increased in Pakistan and Afghanistan, cases in Nigeria decreased substantially in 2014, and encouraging progress toward global WPV transmission interruption has occurred. Overcoming ongoing challenges to interruption of WPV transmission globally will require sustained programmatic enhancements, including improving the quality of supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) to interrupt transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan and to prevent WPV exportation to polio-free countries.

High Energy Wide Area Blunt Impact on Composite Aircraft Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeFrancisci, Gabriela K.

The largest source of damage to commercial aircraft is caused by accidental contact with ground service equipment (GSE). The cylindrical bumper typically found on GSE distributes the impact load over a large contact area, possibly spanning multiple internal structural elements (frame bays) of a stiffened-skin fuselage. This type of impact can lead to damage that is widespread and difficult to detect visually. To address this problem, monolithic composite panels of various size and complexity have been modeled and tested quasi-statically and dynamically. The experimental observations have established that detectability is dependent on the impact location and immediately-adjacent internal structure of the panel, as well as the impactor geometry and total deformation of the panel. A methodology to model and predict damage caused by wide area blunt impact events was established, which was then applied to more general cases that were not tested in order to better understand the nature of this type of impact event and how it relates to the final damage state and visual detectability.

From abstract to publication: the fate of research presented at an annual forensic meeting.

PubMed

Tambuscio, Silvia; Boghossian, Elie; Sauvageau, Anny

2010-11-01

In forensic sciences, the fate of abstracts presented at international meetings has not yet been assessed. The purpose of this study is to estimate publication ratio and evaluate possible predictors of publication after the 58th edition of the 2006 American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting. Section of the meeting, type of presentation (oral platform or poster), number of authors per abstract and per paper, time span to publication, countries involved, and journal of publication were tabulated. A total of 623 abstracts were presented, from which 102 were subsequently published as a full paper. The overall publication rate was 16.4%, ranging from 3.4% (jurisprudence) to 28.8% (toxicology). The type of presentation (oral platform or poster) did not significantly affect the outcome of the abstract. However, a higher number of authors, foreign authors, and international collaboration were found to be good predictive factors of publication. © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Testing clinical competencies in undergraduate nursing education using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) – a literature review of international practice

PubMed

Beyer, Angelika; Dreier, Adina; Kirschner, Stefanie; Hoffmann, Wolfgang

2016-07-01

Background: In response to demographic trends in Germany nursing competencies are currently reevaluated. Since these have to be taught and trained in nursing education programs, efficient verification of the success is necessary. OSCEs are internationally well-recognized as a comprehensive tool for that. Aim: In this analysis we identified competencies worldwide, which are tested by OSCEs in undergraduate nursing education programs. Method: An international literature research was conducted. The selection criterion for an article was the specification of at least one verifiable competency. Afterwards the competencies were categorized into knowledge, skills and attitudes according to the German “Fachqualifikationsrahmen Pflege für die hochschulische Bildung”. Results: A total of 36 publications fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Relevant studies were predominantly initiated in the UK, Canada and Australia. Within all categories a total of n = 166 different competencies are mentioned. OSCEs are developed and performed in a broad range of methods. Most frequently skills were verified. The most common topic was sure handling of medication. Other important themes were communicative competencies in relation to patients and the ability of self-evaluation. Discussion/Conclusions: A variation in examination methods is appropriate as different competencies are acquired in preparation of the test. Evaluation took place on an individual or institutional level. Further research is needed.

Marginal and internal fit of nano-composite CAD/CAM restorations

PubMed Central

Park, So-Hyun; Shin, Yoo-Jin

2016-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the marginal and internal fit of nano-composite CAD-CAM restorations. Materials and Methods A full veneer crown and an mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) inlay cavity, which were prepared on extracted human molars, were used as templates of epoxy resin replicas. The prepared teeth were scanned and CAD-CAM restorations were milled using Lava Ultimate (LU) and experimental nano-composite CAD/CAM blocks (EB) under the same milling parameters. To assess the marginal and internal fit, the restorations were cemented to replicas and were embedded in an acrylic mold for sectioning at 0.5 mm intervals. The measured gap data were pooled according to the block types and measuring points for statistical analysis. Results Both the block type and measuring point significantly affected gap values, and their interaction was significant (p = 0.000). In crowns and inlays made from the two blocks, gap values were significantly larger in the occlusal area than in the axial area, while gap values in the marginal area were smallest (p < 0.001). Among the blocks, the restorations milled from EB had a significantly larger gap at all measuring points than those milled from LU (p = 0.000). Conclusions The marginal and internal gaps of the two nano-composite CAD/CAM blocks differed according to the measuring points. Among the internal area of the two nano-composite CAD/CAM restorations, occlusal gap data were significantly larger than axial gap data. The EB crowns and inlays had significantly larger gaps than LU restorations. PMID:26877989

Towards accurate radial velocities from early type spectra in the framework of an ESO key programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verschueren, Werner; David, M.; Hensberge, Herman

In order to elucidate the internal kinematics in very young stellar groups, a dedicated machinery was set up, which made it possible to proceed from actual observations to reductions and correlation analysis to the ultimate derivation of early-type stellar radial velocities (RVs) with the requisite precision. The following ingredients are found to be essential to obtain RVs of early-type stars at the 1-km/s level of precision: high-resolution, high-S/N spectra covering a large wavelength range; maximal reduction of observational errors and the use of optimal reduction procedures; the intelligent use of a versatile cross-correlation package; and comparison of velocities derived from different regions of the spectrum in order to detect systematic mismatches between object and template spectrum in some of the lines.

Inside-the-wall detection of objects with low metal content using the GPR sensor: effects of different wall structures on the detection performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dogan, Mesut; Yesilyurt, Omer; Turhan-Sayan, Gonul

2018-04-01

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is an ultra-wideband electromagnetic sensor used not only for subsurface sensing but also for the detection of objects which may be hidden behind a wall or inserted within the wall. Such applications of the GPR technology are used in both military and civilian operations such as mine or IED (improvised explosive device) detection, rescue missions after earthquakes and investigation of archeological sites. Detection of concealed objects with low metal content is known to be a challenging problem in general. Use of A-scan, B-scan and C-scan GPR data in combination provides valuable information for target recognition in such applications. In this paper, we study the problem of target detection for potentially explosive objects embedded inside a wall. GPR data is numerically simulated by using an FDTD-based numerical computation tool when dielectric targets and targets with low metal content are inserted into different types of walls. A small size plastic bottle filled with trinitrotoluene (TNT) is used as the target with and without a metal fuse in it. The targets are buried into two different types of wall; a homogeneous brick wall and an inhomogeneous wall constructed by bricks having periodically located air holes in it. Effects of using an inhomogeneous wall structure with internal boundaries are investigated as a challenging scenario, paying special attention to preprocessing.

Effect of 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Duty-Hour Regulations on Objective Measures of Surgical Training.

PubMed

Condren, Audree B; Divino, Celia M

2015-01-01

In July 2011, new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty-hour regulations were implemented in surgical residency programs. We examined whether differences in objective measures of surgical training exist at our institution since implementation. Retrospective reviews of the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination performance and surgical case volume were collected for 5 academic years. Data were separated into 2 groups, Period 1: July 2008 through June 2011 and Period 2: July 2011 through June 2013. Single-institution study conducted at the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, a tertiary-care academic center. All general surgery residents, levels postgraduate year 1 through 5, from July 2008 through June 2013. No significant differences in the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination total correct score or overall test percentile were noted between periods for any levels. Intern case volume increased significantly in Period 2 (90 vs 77, p = 0.036). For chief residents graduating in Period 2, there was a significant increase in total major cases (1062 vs 945, p = 0.002) and total chief cases (305 vs 267, p = 0.02). The duty-hour regulations did not negatively affect objective measures of surgical training in our program. Compliance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty-hour regulations correlated with an increase in case volume. Adaptations made by our institution, such as maximizing daytime duty hours and increasing physician extenders, likely contributed to our findings. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design of an fMRI-compatible optical touch stripe based on frustrated total internal reflection.

PubMed

Jarrahi, Behnaz; Wanek, Johann

2014-01-01

Previously we developed a low-cost, multi-configurable handheld response system, using a reflective-type intensity modulated fiber-optic sensor (FOS) to accurately gather participants' behavioral responses during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Inspired by the popularity and omnipresence of the fingertip-based touch sensing user interface devices, in this paper we present the design of a prototype fMRI-compatible optical touch stripe (OTS) as an alternative configuration. The prototype device takes advantage of a proven frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) technique. By using a custom-built wedge-shaped optically transparent acrylic prism as an optical waveguide, and a plano-concave lens to provide the required light beam profile, the position of a fingertip touching the surface of the wedge prism can be determined from the deflected light beams that become trapped within the prism by total internal reflection. To achieve maximum sensitivity, the optical design of the wedge prism and lens were optimized through a series of light beam simulations using WinLens 3D Basic software suite. Furthermore, OTS performance and MRI-compatibility were assessed on a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner running echo planar imaging (EPI) sequences. The results show that the OTS can detect a touch signal at high spatial resolution (about 0.5 cm), and is well suited for use within the MRI environment with average time-variant signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) loss < 3%.

Administering and Detecting Protein Marks on Arthropods for Dispersal Research.

PubMed

Hagler, James R; Machtley, Scott A

2016-01-28

Monitoring arthropod movement is often required to better understand associated population dynamics, dispersal patterns, host plant preferences, and other ecological interactions. Arthropods are usually tracked in nature by tagging them with a unique mark and then re-collecting them over time and space to determine their dispersal capabilities. In addition to actual physical tags, such as colored dust or paint, various types of proteins have proven very effective for marking arthropods for ecological research. Proteins can be administered internally and/or externally. The proteins can then be detected on recaptured arthropods with a protein-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Here we describe protocols for externally and internally tagging arthropods with protein. Two simple experimental examples are demonstrated: (1) an internal protein mark introduced to an insect by providing a protein-enriched diet and (2) an external protein mark topically applied to an insect using a medical nebulizer. We then relate a step-by-step guide of the sandwich and indirect ELISA methods used to detect protein marks on the insects. In this demonstration, various aspects of the acquisition and detection of protein markers on arthropods for mark-release-recapture, mark-capture, and self-mark-capture types of research are discussed, along with the various ways that the immunomarking procedure has been adapted to suit a wide variety of research objectives.

Adapting clinical guidelines in low‐resources countries: a study on the guideline on the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Wangge, Grace; van der Graaf, Yolanda; van der Heijden, Geert J. M. G.

2016-01-01

Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives Most of the clinical guidelines in low‐resource countries are adaptations from preexisting international guidelines. This adaptation can be problematic when those international guidelines are not based on current evidence or original evidence‐based international guidelines are not followed. This study aims to evaluate the quality of an Indonesian type 2 diabetes mellitus guideline adapted from selected international guidelines. Methods The “Consensus on the Management and Prevention of type 2 Diabetes in Indonesia 2011” is a guideline by the Indonesian Society of Endocrinology (Perkeni). Four parent guidelines identified from its list of references were from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist (AACE), American Diabetes Association (ADA), and one jointly released by ADA and European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Two reviewers independently assessed its quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation Collaboration (AGREE II) instrument. Six recommendations were compared: (1) screening for diabetes; (2) diagnosis; (3) control of hyperglycemia; (4) target blood glucose; (5) target blood pressure; and (6) treatment of dyslipidemia. Results Perkeni's guideline satisfied 55% of the AGREE II items, while its parent guidelines satisfied 59% to 74%. Perkeni's shows low score on “rigor of development” and “applicability” and the lowest score in the “scope and purpose” domain. Differences were found in 4 recommendations: the screening of diabetes, control of hyperglycemia, target blood glucose, and treatment of dyslipidemia. In 3 of 4, Perkeni followed the ADA's recommendation. Conclusion Derivation of recommendations from parent guidelines and their adaptation to the context of Indonesian health care lacks transparency. When guidelines are either derived from other guidelines or adapted for use in different context, evidence‐based practice principles should be followed and adhered to. PMID:27592587

Esophagojejunal anastomosis leakage after total gastrectomy for esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma: options of treatment.

PubMed

Carboni, Fabio; Valle, Mario; Federici, Orietta; Levi Sandri, Giovanni Battista; Camperchioli, Ida; Lapenta, Rocco; Assisi, Daniela; Garofalo, Alfredo

2016-08-01

Esophagojejunal anastomosis leakage after total gastrectomy (TG) for esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma (ADC) constitutes one of the most serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. Management remains controversial and still challenging. A total of 198 patients operated for type I and II EGJ ADC were reviewed. Diagnosis of leakage was based on a combination of clinical and radiological findings. It was classified including objective endoscopic and clinical parameters requiring different type of treatment. Anastomotic leakage was diagnosed in 14 patients (7%). Two cases recovered with conservative therapy. Six cases underwent endoscopy with clips placement in 2 and partially covered self-expandable metal stent placement in 4. Other two cases underwent reoperation with reconstruction of anastomosis and primary repair respectively. In the last four cases emergency surgery with total esophagectomy and diversion was required. Mortality occurred only in 3 of these patients and overall treatment was successful in 11 patients (78.5%). No consensus has been reached on the best method of esophagojejunal anastomosis leakage management and the rate of failure remains significant. Different options of treatment are available but early detection and multidisciplinary approaches are the keys to obtain successful results irrespective of the employed strategy.

Anxiety symptoms in regular school students in Mumbai City, India.

PubMed

Karande, S; Gogtay, N J; Bala, N; Sant, H; Thakkar, A; Sholapurwala, R

2018-01-01

Anxiety disorders usually remain undiagnosed in school students owing to the internalized nature of their symptoms. The present study was conducted with the primary objective of evaluating the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in school students in Mumbai. A secondary objective was to assess the impact of variables (age, gender, presence of sibling, and type of school curriculum or school) on anxiety symptoms. Study cases (8-15 year olds) were recruited by nonprobability sampling from four English-medium schools. Anxiety was measured using Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS)-child self-report questionnaire. T-scores (total and subscales) were calculated and cut-off scores of> 60 were considered as significant. Symptoms of overall anxiety were present in 10.8% (53/493) of the students. Older students (12-15 year olds) had greater odds of having overall anxiety symptoms (crude OR = 4.36, 95% CI 2.27 to 8.39, P < 0.0001). Symptoms of all anxiety disorders were present in the 493 participants, with obsessions/compulsions and fears of physical injury being the most common (in 29.6% and 27.2%, respectively). Older students and boys had greater odds of having obsessions/compulsions (crude OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.44, P < 0.0001; and crude OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.27, P= 0.035, respectively]. Students with sibling (s) had greater odds of having fears of physical injury (crude OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.78, P= 0.003). There is an urgent need to screen school students in our city for anxiety disorders.

Study samples are too small to produce sufficiently precise reliability coefficients.

PubMed

Charter, Richard A

2003-04-01

In a survey of journal articles, test manuals, and test critique books, the author found that a mean sample size (N) of 260 participants had been used for reliability studies on 742 tests. The distribution was skewed because the median sample size for the total sample was only 90. The median sample sizes for the internal consistency, retest, and interjudge reliabilities were 182, 64, and 36, respectively. The author presented sample size statistics for the various internal consistency methods and types of tests. In general, the author found that the sample sizes that were used in the internal consistency studies were too small to produce sufficiently precise reliability coefficients, which in turn could cause imprecise estimates of examinee true-score confidence intervals. The results also suggest that larger sample sizes have been used in the last decade compared with those that were used in earlier decades.

Objective and subjective treatment evaluation of scars using optical coherence tomography, sonography, photography, and standardised questionnaires.

PubMed

Reinholz, Markus; Schwaiger, Hannah; Poetschke, Julian; Epple, Andreas; Ruzicka, Thomas; Von Braunmühl, Tanja; Gauglitz, Gerd G

2016-12-01

Currently, different types of treatments for pathological scars are available, however, to date, there is no established method of measurement to objectively assess therapeutic outcome. Treatment success is usually evaluated clinically by the physician and patient. Non-invasive imaging techniques, such as HD-OCT (high-definition optical coherence tomography), may represent a valuable diagnostic tool to objectively measure therapeutic outcome. To compare HD-OCT with ultrasound and subjective evaluation tools, such as questionnaires. In total, eight patients with pathological scars were treated in this pilot study with cryotherapy and intralesional steroid injections, and evaluated pre- and post-treatment using clinical examination, photography, sonography, and HD-OCT. The analysis of objective and subjective measuring methods was used to draw direct comparisons. HD-OCT revealed reduced epidermal and dermal thickness of the scar after four treatments with triamcinolone acetonide and cryotherapy. Based on sonography, a total reduction in scar height and reduction in scar depth was demonstrated. Both methods correlated well with the injected amount of triamcinolone acetonide. In addition, a positive correlation between well-established subjective and objective evaluation methods was found. We demonstrate that HD-OCT may be used as an objective diagnostic instrument to evaluate skin thickness under therapy for pathological scars, and serves as a valuable adjunctive device in combination with ultrasound and subjective evaluation tools. This provides additional information for the therapist concerning the quality and success of the applied treatment.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 569: Area 3 Yucca Flat Atmospheric Test Sites Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Patrick Matthews; Christy Sloop

2012-02-01

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 569 is located in Area 3 of the Nevada National Security Site, which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 569 comprises the nine numbered corrective action sites (CASs) and one newly identified site listed below: (1) 03-23-09, T-3 Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Annie, Franklin, George, and Moth); (2) 03-23-10, T-3A Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Harry and Hornet); (3) 03-23-11, T-3B Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Fizeau); (4) 03-23-12, T-3S Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Rio Arriba); (5) 03-23-13, T-3T Contamination Area (hereafter referred tomore » as Catron); (6) 03-23-14, T-3V Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Humboldt); (7) 03-23-15, S-3G Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Coulomb-B); (8) 03-23-16, S-3H Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Coulomb-A); (9) 03-23-21, Pike Contamination Area (hereafter referred to as Pike); and (10) Waste Consolidation Site 3A. Because CAU 569 is a complicated site containing many types of releases, it was agreed during the data quality objectives (DQO) process that these sites will be grouped. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives (CAAs). Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each study group. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable CAAs that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the DQOs developed on September 26, 2011, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 569. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 569 will be evaluated based on information collected from a field investigation. Radiological contamination will be evaluated based on a comparison of the total effective dose (TED) at sample locations to the dose-based final action level (FAL). The TED will be calculated as the total of separate estimates of internal and external dose. Results from the analysis of soil samples will be used to calculate internal radiological dose. Thermoluminescent dosimeters placed at the center of each sample location will be used to measure external radiological dose. A field investigation will be performed to define any areas where TED exceeds the FAL and to determine whether contaminants of concern are present at the site from other potential releases. The presence and nature of contamination from other types of releases (e.g., excavation, migration, and any potential releases discovered during the investigation) will be evaluated using soil samples collected from biased locations indicating the highest levels of contamination. Appendix A provides a detailed discussion of the DQO methodology and the objectives specific to each study group.« less

Background Noises Versus Intraseasonal Variation Signals: Small vs. Large Convective Cloud Objects From CERES Aqua Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Kuan-Man

2015-01-01

During inactive phases of Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), there are plenty of deep but small convective systems and far fewer deep and large ones. During active phases of MJO, a manifestation of an increase in the occurrence of large and deep cloud clusters results from an amplification of large-scale motions by stronger convective heating. This study is designed to quantitatively examine the roles of small and large cloud clusters during the MJO life cycle. We analyze the cloud object data from Aqua CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) observations between July 2006 and June 2010 for tropical deep convective (DC) and cirrostratus (CS) cloud object types according to the real-time multivariate MJO index, which assigns the tropics to one of the eight MJO phases each day. The cloud object is a contiguous region of the earth with a single dominant cloud-system type. The criteria for defining these cloud types are overcast footprints and cloud top pressures less than 400 hPa, but DC has higher cloud optical depths (=10) than those of CS (<10). The size distributions, defined as the footprint numbers as a function of cloud object diameters, for particular MJO phases depart greatly from the combined (8-phase) distribution at large cloud-object diameters due to the reduced/increased numbers of cloud objects related to changes in the large-scale environments. The medium diameter corresponding to the combined distribution is determined and used to partition all cloud objects into "small" and "large" groups of a particular phase. The two groups corresponding to the combined distribution have nearly equal numbers of footprints. The medium diameters are 502 km for DC and 310 km for cirrostratus. The range of the variation between two extreme phases (typically, the most active and depressed phases) for the small group is 6-11% in terms of the numbers of cloud objects and the total footprint numbers. The corresponding range for the large group is 19-44%. In terms of the probability density functions of radiative and cloud physical properties, there are virtually no differences between the MJO phases for the small group, but there are significant differences for the large groups for both DC and CS types. These results suggest that the intreseasonal variation signals reside at the large cloud clusters while the small cloud clusters represent the background noises resulting from various types of the tropical waves with different wavenumbers and propagation speeds/directions.

Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

The United States spends approximately four million dollars each year searching for near-Earth objects (NEOs). The objective is to detect those that may collide with Earth. The majority of this funding supports the operation of several observatories that scan the sky searching for NEOs. This, however, is insufficient in detecting the majority of NEOs that may present a tangible threat to humanity. A significantly smaller amount of funding supports ways to protect the Earth from such a potential collision or "mitigation." In 2005, a Congressional mandate called for NASA to detect 90 percent of NEOs with diameters of 140 meters of greater by 2020. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies identifies the need for detection of objects as small as 30 to 50 meters as these can be highly destructive. The book explores four main types of mitigation including civil defense, "slow push" or "pull" methods, kinetic impactors and nuclear explosions. It also asserts that responding effectively to hazards posed by NEOs requires national and international cooperation. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies is a useful guide for scientists, astronomers, policy makers and engineers.

Availability and Diversity of Training Programs for Responders to International Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

PubMed Central

Jacquet, Gabrielle A.; Obi, Chioma C.; Chang, Mary P.; Bayram, Jamil D.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Volunteers and members of relief organizations increasingly seek formal training prior to international field deployment. This paper identifies training programs for personnel responding to international disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies, and provides concise information – if available- regarding the founding organization, year established, location, cost, duration of training, participants targeted, and the content of each program. Methods: An environmental scan was conducted through a combination of a peer-reviewed literature search and an open Internet search for the training programs. Literature search engines included EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science databases using the search terms “international,” “disaster,” “complex humanitarian emergencies,” “training,” and “humanitarian response”. Both searches were conducted between January 2, 2013 and September 12, 2013. Results: 14 peer-reviewed articles mentioned or described eight training programs, while open Internet search revealed 13 additional programs. In total, twenty-one training programs were identified as currently available for responders to international disasters and CHE. Each of the programs identified has different goals and objectives, duration, expenses, targeted trainees and modules. Each of the programs identified has different goals and objectives, duration, expenses, targeted trainees and modules. Seven programs (33%) are free of charge and four programs (19%) focus on the mental aspects of disasters. The mean duration for each training program is 5 to 7 days. Fourteen of the trainings are conducted in multiple locations (66%), two in Cuba (9%) and two in Australia (9%). The cost-reported in US dollars- ranges from $100 to $2,400 with a mean cost of $480 and a median cost of $135. Most of the programs are open to the public, but some are only available by invitation only, such as the International Mobilization Preparation for Action (IMPACT) and the United Nations Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination (UN-CMCoord) Field Course. Conclusions: A variety of training programs are available for responders to disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies. These programs vary in their objectives, audiences, modules, geographical locations, eligibility and financial cost. This paper presents an overview of available programs and serves as a resource for potential responders interested in capacity-building training prior to deployment. PMID:24987573

VizieR Online Data Catalog: VEGAS: A VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey (Capaccioli+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capaccioli, M.; Spavone, M.; Grado, A.; Iodice, E.; Limatola, L.; Napolitano, N. R.; Cantiello, M.; Paolillo, M.; Romanowsky, A. J.; Forbes, D. A.; Puzia, T. H.; Raimondo, G.; Schipani, P.

2015-11-01

The VST Elliptical GAlaxies Survey (VEGAS) is a deep multiband (g,r,i) imaging survey of early-type galaxies in the southern hemisphere carried out with VST at the ESO Cerro Paranal Observatory (Chile). The large field of view (FOV) of the OmegaCAM mounted on VST (one square degree matched by pixels 0.21-arcsec wide), together with its high efficiency and spatial resolution (typically better than 1-arcsec; Kuijken, 2011Msngr.146....8K) allows us to map with a reasonable integration time the surface brightness of a galaxy out to isophotes encircling about 95% of the total light. Observations started in October 2011 (ESO Period 88), and since then, the survey has acquired exposures for about 20 bright galaxies (and for a wealth of companion objects in the field), for a totality of ~80h (up to Period 93). (1 data file).

Internal Cluster Validation on Earthquake Data in the Province of Bengkulu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rini, D. S.; Novianti, P.; Fransiska, H.

2018-04-01

K-means method is an algorithm for cluster n object based on attribute to k partition, where k < n. There is a deficiency of algorithms that is before the algorithm is executed, k points are initialized randomly so that the resulting data clustering can be different. If the random value for initialization is not good, the clustering becomes less optimum. Cluster validation is a technique to determine the optimum cluster without knowing prior information from data. There are two types of cluster validation, which are internal cluster validation and external cluster validation. This study aims to examine and apply some internal cluster validation, including the Calinski-Harabasz (CH) Index, Sillhouette (S) Index, Davies-Bouldin (DB) Index, Dunn Index (D), and S-Dbw Index on earthquake data in the Bengkulu Province. The calculation result of optimum cluster based on internal cluster validation is CH index, S index, and S-Dbw index yield k = 2, DB Index with k = 6 and Index D with k = 15. Optimum cluster (k = 6) based on DB Index gives good results for clustering earthquake in the Bengkulu Province.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: AAVSO International Variable Star Index VSX (Watson+, 2006-2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, C.; Henden, A. A.; Price, A.

2017-05-01

This file contains Galactic stars known or suspected to be variable. It lists all stars that have an entry in the AAVSO International Variable Star Index (VSX; http://www.aavso.org/vsx). The database consisted initially of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS) and the New Catalogue of Suspected Variables (NSV) and was then supplemented with a large number of variable star catalogues, as well as individual variable star discoveries or variables found in the literature. Effort has also been invested to update the entries with the latest information regarding position, type and period and to remove duplicates. The VSX database is being continually updated and maintained. For historical reasons some objects outside of the Galaxy have been included. (3 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: AAVSO International Variable Star Index VSX (Watson+, 2006-2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, C.; Henden, A. A.; Price, A.

2018-05-01

This file contains Galactic stars known or suspected to be variable. It lists all stars that have an entry in the AAVSO International Variable Star Index (VSX; http://www.aavso.org/vsx). The database consisted initially of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS) and the New Catalogue of Suspected Variables (NSV) and was then supplemented with a large number of variable star catalogues, as well as individual variable star discoveries or variables found in the literature. Effort has also been invested to update the entries with the latest information regarding position, type and period and to remove duplicates. The VSX database is being continually updated and maintained. For historical reasons some objects outside of the Galaxy have been included. (3 data files).

The external-internal loop of interference: two types of attention and their influence on the learning abilities of mice.

PubMed

Sauce, Bruno; Wass, Christopher; Smith, Andrew; Kwan, Stephanie; Matzel, Louis D

2014-12-01

Attention is a component of the working memory system, and is responsible for protecting task-relevant information from interference. Cognitive performance (particularly outside of the laboratory) is often plagued by interference, and the source of this interference, either external or internal, might influence the expression of individual differences in attentional ability. By definition, external attention (also described as "selective attention") protects working memory against sensorial distractors of all kinds, while internal attention (also called "inhibition") protects working memory against emotional impulses, irrelevant information from memory, and automatically-generated responses. At present, it is unclear if these two types of attention are expressed independently in non-human animals, and how they might differentially impact performance on other cognitive processes, such as learning. By using a diverse battery of four attention tests (with varying levels of internal and external sources of interference), here we aimed both to explore this issue, and to obtain a robust and general (less task-specific) measure of attention in mice. Exploratory factor analyses revealed two factors (external and internal attention) that in total, accounted for 73% of the variance in attentional performance. Confirmatory factor analyses found an excellent fit with the data of the model of attention that assumed an external and internal distinction (with a resulting correlation of 0.43). In contrast, a model of attention that assumed one source of variance (i.e., "general attention") exhibited a poor fit with the data. Regarding the relationship between attention and learning, higher resistance against external sources of interference promoted better new learning, but tended to impair performance when cognitive flexibility was required, such as during the reversal of a previously instantiated response. The present results suggest that there can be (at least) two types of attention that contribute to the common variance in attentional performance in mice, and that external and internal attentions might have opposing influences on the rate at which animals learn. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Development of Sediment Micro-Interface Under Physical and Chironomus plumosus Combination Disturbance].

PubMed

Wang, Ren; Li, Da-peng; Huang, Yong; Liu, Yan-jian; Chen, Jun

2015-11-01

Synergistic effect of physical and Chironomus plumosus combination disturbance on the characteristics of the micro-environment and micro-interface was investigated by the Rhizon samplers and Unisense micro sensor system. The results showed that the oxygen penetration depth (OPD), total oxygen exchange (TOE), water content and total microbial activity increased under the combination disturbance and bioturbation and were kept at the higher level, compared with the control. These parameters increased with the physical intensity under combination disturbance. However, the content of Fe2+ decreased under the combination disturbance and bioturbation and the decrease was more obvious than that in the control. The changes of the Fe2+, the water content and the total microbial activity were large at 0-4 cm depth in the sediments. Therefore, the area might be the active area for the transformation of internal sedimentary phosphorus forms. The curve fitting was used for the OPD, TOE, the content of Fe2+, the water content and the total microbial activity with the physical intensity under combination disturbance. It was observed that the second-order polynomial equation was suitable for the curve fitting. In addition, jump type synergistic effect was presented in the above mentioned parameters under combination disturbance when the physical intensity was higher than 34 r x min(-1). The remodeling on the sediment micro-interface and micro-environment might be the main inducing mechanism for the transformation of internal phosphorus.

Trauma and PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

PubMed

Kessler, Ronald C; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Benjet, Corina; Bromet, Evelyn J; Cardoso, Graça; Degenhardt, Louisa; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Dinolova, Rumyana V; Ferry, Finola; Florescu, Silvia; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Huang, Yueqin; Karam, Elie G; Kawakami, Norito; Lee, Sing; Lepine, Jean-Pierre; Levinson, Daphna; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Piazza, Marina; Posada-Villa, José; Scott, Kate M; Stein, Dan J; Ten Have, Margreet; Torres, Yolanda; Viana, Maria Carmen; Petukhova, Maria V; Sampson, Nancy A; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Koenen, Karestan C

2017-01-01

Background : Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) onset-persistence is thought to vary significantly by trauma type, most epidemiological surveys are incapable of assessing this because they evaluate lifetime PTSD only for traumas nominated by respondents as their 'worst.' Objective : To review research on associations of trauma type with PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys, a series of epidemiological surveys that obtained representative data on trauma-specific PTSD. Method : WMH Surveys in 24 countries (n = 68,894) assessed 29 lifetime traumas and evaluated PTSD twice for each respondent: once for the 'worst' lifetime trauma and separately for a randomly-selected trauma with weighting to adjust for individual differences in trauma exposures. PTSD onset-persistence was evaluated with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results : In total, 70.4% of respondents experienced lifetime traumas, with exposure averaging 3.2 traumas per capita. Substantial between-trauma differences were found in PTSD onset but less in persistence. Traumas involving interpersonal violence had highest risk. Burden of PTSD, determined by multiplying trauma prevalence by trauma-specific PTSD risk and persistence, was 77.7 person-years/100 respondents. The trauma types with highest proportions of this burden were rape (13.1%), other sexual assault (15.1%), being stalked (9.8%), and unexpected death of a loved one (11.6%). The first three of these four represent relatively uncommon traumas with high PTSD risk and the last a very common trauma with low PTSD risk. The broad category of intimate partner sexual violence accounted for nearly 42.7% of all person-years with PTSD. Prior trauma history predicted both future trauma exposure and future PTSD risk. Conclusions : Trauma exposure is common throughout the world, unequally distributed, and differential across trauma types with respect to PTSD risk. Although a substantial minority of PTSD cases remits within months after onset, mean symptom duration is considerably longer than previously recognized.

Goals Set by Patients Using the ICF Model before Receiving Botulinum Injections and Their Relation to Spasticity Distribution

PubMed Central

Choi, Kevin; Peters, Jaclyn; Tri, Andrew; Chapman, Elizabeth; Sasaki, Ayako; Ismail, Farooq; Boulias, Chris; Reid, Shannon

2017-01-01

Purpose: Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is used to assess functional gains in response to treatment. Specific characteristics of the functional goals set by individuals receiving botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) injections for spasticity management are unknown. The primary objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of the goals set by patients before receiving BoNTA injections using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and to determine whether the pattern of spasticity distribution affected the goals set. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective chart review was carried out in an outpatient spasticity-management clinic in Toronto. A total of 176 patients with a variety of neurological lesions attended the clinic to receive BoNTA injections and completed GAS from December 2012 to December 2013. The main outcome measures were the characteristics of the goals set by the participants on the basis of ICF categories (body functions and structures, activity and participation) and the spasticity distribution using Modified Ashworth Scale scores. Results: Of the patients, 73% set activity and participation goals, and 27% set body functions and structures goals (p<0.05). In the activity and participation category, 30% of patients set moving and walking goals, 28% set self-care and dressing goals, and 12% set changing and maintaining body position goals. In the body functions and structures category, 18% set neuromuscular and movement-related goals, and 8% set pain goals. The ICF goal categories were not related to the patterns of spasticity (upper limb vs. lower limb or unilateral vs. bilateral spasticity) or type of upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion (p>0.05). Conclusion: Our results show that patients receiving BoNTA treatment set a higher percentage of activity and participation goals than body functions and structures goals. Goal classification was not affected by type of spasticity distribution or type of UMN disorder. PMID:28539691

Trauma and PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

PubMed Central

Kessler, Ronald C.; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Benjet, Corina; Bromet, Evelyn J.; Cardoso, Graça; Degenhardt, Louisa; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Dinolova, Rumyana V.; Ferry, Finola; Florescu, Silvia; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Huang, Yueqin; Karam, Elie G.; Kawakami, Norito; Lee, Sing; Lepine, Jean-Pierre; Levinson, Daphna; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Piazza, Marina; Posada-Villa, José; Scott, Kate M.; Stein, Dan J.; Ten Have, Margreet; Torres, Yolanda; Viana, Maria Carmen; Petukhova, Maria V.; Sampson, Nancy A.; Zaslavsky, Alan M.; Koenen, Karestan C.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) onset-persistence is thought to vary significantly by trauma type, most epidemiological surveys are incapable of assessing this because they evaluate lifetime PTSD only for traumas nominated by respondents as their ‘worst.’ Objective: To review research on associations of trauma type with PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys, a series of epidemiological surveys that obtained representative data on trauma-specific PTSD. Method: WMH Surveys in 24 countries (n = 68,894) assessed 29 lifetime traumas and evaluated PTSD twice for each respondent: once for the ‘worst’ lifetime trauma and separately for a randomly-selected trauma with weighting to adjust for individual differences in trauma exposures. PTSD onset-persistence was evaluated with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results: In total, 70.4% of respondents experienced lifetime traumas, with exposure averaging 3.2 traumas per capita. Substantial between-trauma differences were found in PTSD onset but less in persistence. Traumas involving interpersonal violence had highest risk. Burden of PTSD, determined by multiplying trauma prevalence by trauma-specific PTSD risk and persistence, was 77.7 person-years/100 respondents. The trauma types with highest proportions of this burden were rape (13.1%), other sexual assault (15.1%), being stalked (9.8%), and unexpected death of a loved one (11.6%). The first three of these four represent relatively uncommon traumas with high PTSD risk and the last a very common trauma with low PTSD risk. The broad category of intimate partner sexual violence accounted for nearly 42.7% of all person-years with PTSD. Prior trauma history predicted both future trauma exposure and future PTSD risk. Conclusions: Trauma exposure is common throughout the world, unequally distributed, and differential across trauma types with respect to PTSD risk. Although a substantial minority of PTSD cases remits within months after onset, mean symptom duration is considerably longer than previously recognized. PMID:29075426

Development of Primer Pairs from Molecular Typing of Rabies Virus Variants Present in Mexico

PubMed Central

Ramírez-Hernández, Dolores G.; Lara-Padilla, Eleazar; Zárate-Segura, Paola

2016-01-01

Nucleoprotein (N) gene from rabies virus (RABV) is a useful sequence target for variant studies. Several specific RABV variants have been characterized in different mammalian hosts such as skunk, dog, and bats by using anti-nucleocapsid monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) via indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test, a technique not available in many laboratories in Mexico. In the present study, a total of 158 sequences of N gene from RABV were used to design eight pairs of primers (four external and four internal primers), for typing four different RABV variants (dog, skunk, vampire bat, and nonhematophagous bat) which are most common in Mexico. The results indicate that the primer and the typing variant from the brain samples, submitted to nested and/or real-time PCR, are in agreement in all four singleplex reactions, and the designed primer pairs are an alternative for use in specific variant RABV typing. PMID:27563666

Development of Primer Pairs from Molecular Typing of Rabies Virus Variants Present in Mexico.

PubMed

Bastida-González, Fernando; Ramírez-Hernández, Dolores G; Chavira-Suárez, Erika; Lara-Padilla, Eleazar; Zárate-Segura, Paola

2016-01-01

Nucleoprotein (N) gene from rabies virus (RABV) is a useful sequence target for variant studies. Several specific RABV variants have been characterized in different mammalian hosts such as skunk, dog, and bats by using anti-nucleocapsid monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) via indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test, a technique not available in many laboratories in Mexico. In the present study, a total of 158 sequences of N gene from RABV were used to design eight pairs of primers (four external and four internal primers), for typing four different RABV variants (dog, skunk, vampire bat, and nonhematophagous bat) which are most common in Mexico. The results indicate that the primer and the typing variant from the brain samples, submitted to nested and/or real-time PCR, are in agreement in all four singleplex reactions, and the designed primer pairs are an alternative for use in specific variant RABV typing.

Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates and the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States: an ecologic assessment.

PubMed

Gross, Lee S; Li, Li; Ford, Earl S; Liu, Simin

2004-05-01

Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic that is affecting an ever-increasing proportion of the US population. Although consumption of refined carbohydrates has increased and is thought to be related to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the ecologic effect of changes in the quality of carbohydrates in the food supply on the risk of type 2 diabetes remains to be quantified. The objective was to examine the correlation between consumption of refined carbohydrates and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the United States. In this ecologic correlation study, the per capita nutrient consumption in the United States between 1909 and 1997 obtained from the US Department of Agriculture was compared with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a univariate analysis, a significant correlation with diabetes prevalence was observed for dietary fat (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), carbohydrate (r = 0.55, P < 0.001), protein (r = 0.71, P < 0.001), fiber (r = 0.16, P = 0.03), corn syrup (r = 0.83, P < 0.001), and total energy (r = 0.75, P < 0.001) intakes. In a multivariate nutrient-density model, in which total energy intake was accounted for, corn syrup was positively associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (beta = 0.0132, P = 0.038). Fiber (beta = -13.86, P < 0.01) was negatively associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, protein (P = 0.084) and fat (P = 0.79) were not associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes when total energy was controlled for. Increasing intakes of refined carbohydrate (corn syrup) concomitant with decreasing intakes of fiber paralleled the upward trend in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes observed in the United States during the 20th century.

Rewarding Teaching Faculty with a Reimbursement Plan

PubMed Central

Rouan, Gregory W; Wones, Robert G; Tsevat, Joel; Galla, John H; Dorfmeister, John W; Luke, Robert G

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE To develop a system for measuring the teaching effort of medical school faculty and to implement a payment system that is based on it. DESIGN An interventional study with outcomes measured before and after the intervention. SETTING A department of internal medicine with a university hospital and an affiliated Veterans Administration hospital. INTERVENTION We assigned a value in teaching units to each teaching activity in proportion to the time expended by the faculty and the intensity of their effort. We then calculated total teaching units for each faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine and for combined faculty effort in each subspecialty division in the Department of Medicine. After determining the dollar value for a teaching unit, we distributed discretionary teaching dollars to each faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine and to each subspecialty division according to total teaching units. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The distribution of discretionary teaching dollars was determined. In the year after the intervention, there was a substantial redistribution of discretionary teaching dollars among divisions. Compared with an increase in total discretionary dollars of 11.4%, the change in allocation for individual divisions ranged from an increase of 78.2% to a decrease of −28.5%. Further changes in the second year after the intervention were modest. The distribution of teaching units among divisions was similar to the distribution of questions across subspecialties on the American College of Physicians In-Training Examination (r = .67) and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (r = .88). CONCLUSIONS It is possible to measure the value of teaching effort by medical school faculty and to distribute discretionary teaching funds among divisions according to the value of teaching effort. When this intervention was used at our institution, there were substantial changes in the amounts received by some divisions. We believe that the new distribution more closely approximates the desired distribution because it reflects the desired emphasis on knowledge as measured by two of the most experienced professional groups in internal medicine. We also believe that our method is flexible and adaptable to the needs of most clinical teaching PMID:10354251

Non-inferiority trials: are they inferior? A systematic review of reporting in major medical journals

PubMed Central

Morris, Tim P; Fielding, Katherine; Carpenter, James R; Phillips, Patrick P J

2016-01-01

Objective To assess the adequacy of reporting of non-inferiority trials alongside the consistency and utility of current recommended analyses and guidelines. Design Review of randomised clinical trials that used a non-inferiority design published between January 2010 and May 2015 in medical journals that had an impact factor >10 (JAMA Internal Medicine, Archives Internal Medicine, PLOS Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine). Data sources Ovid (MEDLINE). Methods We searched for non-inferiority trials and assessed the following: choice of non-inferiority margin and justification of margin; power and significance level for sample size; patient population used and how this was defined; any missing data methods used and assumptions declared and any sensitivity analyses used. Results A total of 168 trial publications were included. Most trials concluded non-inferiority (132; 79%). The non-inferiority margin was reported for 98% (164), but less than half reported any justification for the margin (77; 46%). While most chose two different analyses (91; 54%) the most common being intention-to-treat (ITT) or modified ITT and per-protocol, a large number of articles only chose to conduct and report one analysis (65; 39%), most commonly the ITT analysis. There was lack of clarity or inconsistency between the type I error rate and corresponding CIs for 73 (43%) articles. Missing data were rarely considered with (99; 59%) not declaring whether imputation techniques were used. Conclusions Reporting and conduct of non-inferiority trials is inconsistent and does not follow the recommendations in available statistical guidelines, which are not wholly consistent themselves. Authors should clearly describe the methods used and provide clear descriptions of and justifications for their design and primary analysis. Failure to do this risks misleading conclusions being drawn, with consequent effects on clinical practice. PMID:27855102

Frequency of Specific Categories of Aviation Accidents and Incidents During 2001-2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Joni K.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of accidents or incidents that are most important to the aviation safety risk. All accidents and incidents from 2001-2010 were assigned occurrence categories based on the taxonomy developed by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team/International Civil Aviation Organization (CAST/ICAO) Common Taxonomy Team (CICTT). The most frequently recorded categories were selected within each of five metrics: total accidents, fatal accidents, total injuries, fatal injuries and total incidents. This analysis was done separately for events within Part 121, Scheduled Part 135, Non-Scheduled Part 135 and Part 91. Combining those five sets of categories resulted in groups of between seven and eleven occurrence categories, depending on the flight operation. These groups represent 65-85% of all accidents and 68-81% of incidents.

Compact 3D printed module for fluorescence and label-free imaging using evanescent excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Vikas; Gupta, Shalini; Elangovan, Ravikrishnan

2018-01-01

Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is widely used for selective excitation and high-resolution imaging of fluorophores, and more recently label-free nanosized objects, with high vertical confinement near a liquid-solid interface. Traditionally, high numerical aperture objectives (>1.4) are used to simultaneously generate evanescent waves and collect fluorescence emission signals which limits their use to small area imaging (<0.1 mm2). Objective-based TIRFs are also expensive as they require dichroic mirrors and efficient notch filters to prevent specular reflection within the objective lenses. We have developed a compact 3D module called cTIRF that can generate evanescent waves in microscope glass slides via a planar waveguide illumination. The module can be attached as a fixture to any existing optical microscope, converting it into a TIRF and enabling high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) fluorescence imaging using any magnification objective. As the incidence optics is perpendicular to the detector, label-free evanescent scattering-based imaging of submicron objects can also be performed without using emission filters. SNR is significantly enhanced in this case as compared to cTIRF alone, as seen through our model experiments performed on latex beads and mammalian cells. Extreme flexibility and the low cost of our approach makes it scalable for limited resource settings.

The Impact of the Rock Mass Deformation on Geometric Changes of a Historical Chimney in the Salt Mine of Bochnia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szafarczyk, Anna; Gawałkiewicz, Rafał

2018-03-01

There are many ways of the geometry measurement of slim objects, with the application of geodetic and photogrammetric methods. A modern solution in the diagnostics of slim objects is the application of laser scanning, with the use of a scanner of a scanning total station. The point cloud, obtained from the surface of the scanned object gives the possibility of generating not only information on structural surface deformations, but also facilitates obtaining the data on the geometry of the axis of the building, as a basic indicator of the characteristics of its deformation. The cause of the change in the geometry of slim objects is the impact of many external and internal factors. These objects are located in the areas of working or closed underground mines. They can be impacted by the ground and they can face the results of the convergence of cavities. A specific structure of the salt rock mass causes subsequent convergence of the post-exploitation cavities, which has the influence on the behaviour of the terrain surface and the related objects. The authors analysed the impact of the changes in the rock mass and the surface on the changes of the industrial chimney in the Bochnia Salt Mine.

Part II: arthroscopic treatment of tibial plateau fractures: intercondylar eminence avulsion fractures.

PubMed

Lubowitz, James H; Elson, Wylie S; Guttmann, Dan

2005-01-01

Arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation (ARIF) of tibial intercondylar eminence fractures is the emerging state-of-the-art. ARIF is recommended for displaced type III fractures and should be considered for all cases of displaced type II fractures. Fractures without displacement after closed reduction require careful evaluation to rule out meniscal entrapment. Subjective results of ARIF are uniformly excellent, despite reports of objective anteroposterior laxity. Early range-of-motion exercises are essential to prevent loss of extension. Repair using nonabsorbable suture fixation, when of adequate strength to allow early range-of-motion, has the advantages of eliminating the risks of comminution of the fracture fragment, posterior neurovascular injury, and need for hardware removal, compared with ARIF using screws.

Validation of a combined health literacy and numeracy instrument for patients with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Luo, Huabin; Patil, Shivajirao P; Wu, Qiang; Bell, Ronny A; Cummings, Doyle M; Adams, Alyssa D; Hambidge, Bertha; Craven, Kay; Gao, Fei

2018-05-20

This study aimed to validate a new consolidated measure of health literacy and numeracy (health literacy scale [HLS] plus the subjective numeracy scale [SNS]) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A convenience sample (N = 102) of patients with T2DM was recruited from an academic family medicine center in the southeastern US between September-December 2017. Participants completed a questionnaire that included the composite HLS/SNS (22 questions) and a commonly used objective measure of health literacy-S-TOFHLA (40 questions). Internal reliability of the HLS/SNS was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Criterion and construct validity was assessed against the S-TOFHLA. The composite HLS/SNS had good internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83). A confirmatory factor analysis revealed there were four factors in the new instrument. Model fit indices showed good model-data fit (RMSEA = 0.08). The Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient between the HLS/SNS and the S-TOFHLA was 0.45 (p < 0.01). Our study suggests that the composite HLS/SNS is a reliable, valid instrument. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Translation and validation of the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index for use in Nigeria.

PubMed

Asoegwu, C N; Nwawolo, C C; Okubadejo, N U

2017-07-01

The Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) is a validated and reliable measure of severity of chronic rhinosinusitis. The objective of this study was to translate and validate the instrument for use in Nigeria. This is a methodological study. 71 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis attending two Otolaryngology clinics in Lagos, Nigeria. Using standardized methods and trained translators, the RSDI was translated to vernacular (Yoruba language) and back-translated to culturally appropriate English. Data analysis comprised of assessment of the item quality, content validity and internal consistency of the back-translated Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (bRSDI), and correlation to the original RSDI. Content validity (floor and ceiling effects) showed 0% floor and ceiling effects for the total scores, 0% ceiling effects for all domains and floor effect for physical domain, and 9.9 and 8.5% floor effects for functional and emotional domains, respectively. The mean item-own correlation for physical domain was 0.54 ± 0.08, 0.72 ± 0.08 for functional domain and 0.74 ± 0.07 for emotional domain. All domain item-own correlations were higher than item-other domain correlations. The total Cronbach's alpha was 0.936 and was higher than 0.70 for all the domains representing good internal consistency. Pearson correlation analysis showed strong correlation of RSDI to bRSDI (total score 0.881; p = 0.000, and domain subscores-physical: 0.788; p = 0.000, functional: 0.830; p = 0.000, and emotional: 0.888; p = 0.000). The back-translated Rhinosinusitis Disability Index shows good face and content validity with good internal consistency while correlating linearly and significantly with the original Rhinosinusitis Disability Index and is recommended for use in Nigeria.

Shoulder-Rotator Strength, Range of Motion, and Acromiohumeral Distance in Asymptomatic Adolescent Volleyball Attackers

PubMed Central

Harput, Gulcan; Guney, Hande; Toprak, Ugur; Kaya, Tunca; Colakoglu, Fatma Filiz; Baltaci, Gul

2016-01-01

Context: Sport-specific adaptations at the glenohumeral joint could occur in adolescent athletes because they start participating in high-performance sports in early childhood. Objective: To investigate shoulder-rotator strength, internal-rotation (IR) and external-rotation (ER) range of motion (ROM), and acromiohumeral distance (AHD) in asymptomatic adolescent volleyball attackers to determine if they have risk factors for injury. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University laboratory. Participants: Thirty-nine adolescent high school-aged volleyball attackers (22 boys, 17 girls; age = 16.0 ± 1.4 years, height = 179.2 ± 9.0 cm, mass = 67.1 ± 10.9 kg, body mass index = 20.7 ± 2.6 kg/m2). Main Outcome Measure(s): Shoulder IR and ER ROM, total-rotation ROM, glenohumeral IR deficit, AHD, and concentric and eccentric strength of the shoulder internal and external rotators were tested bilaterally. Results: External-rotation ROM was greater (t38 = 4.92, P < .001), but IR ROM (t38 = −8.61, P < .001) and total ROM (t38 = −3.55, P = .01) were less in the dominant shoulder, and 15 athletes had a glenohumeral IR deficit (IR ROM loss > 18°). We observed greater concentric internal-rotator (t38 = 2.89, P = .006) and eccentric external-rotator (t38 = 2.65, P = .01) strength in the dominant than in the nondominant shoulder. The AHD was less in the dominant shoulder (t38 = −3.60, P < .001). Conclusions: Adolescent volleyball attackers demonstrated decreased IR ROM, total ROM, and AHD and increased ER ROM in their dominant shoulder. Therefore, routine screening of adolescent athletes and designing training programs for hazardous adaptive changes could be important in preventing shoulder injuries. PMID:27813683

Translation to Spanish and Validation of the Specific Saint George's Questionnaire for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

PubMed

Capparelli, Ignacio; Fernandez, Martín; Saadia Otero, Marcela; Steimberg, Jimena; Brassesco, María; Campobasso, Ana; Palacios, Sandra; Caro, Fabian; Alberti, María Laura; Rabinovich, Roberto A; Paulin, Francisco

2018-02-01

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with low exercise tolerance, dyspnea, and decreased health-related quality of life (HRQL). Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of the most prevalent in the group. A specific version of the Saint George's questionnaire (SGRQ-I) has been developed to quantify the HRQL of IPF patients. However, this tool is not currently validated in the Spanish language. The objective was to translate into Spanish and validate the specific Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (SGRQ-I). The repeatability, internal consistency and construct validity of the SGRQ-I in Spanish were analyzed after a backtranslation process. In total, 23 outpatients with IPF completed the translated SGRQ-I twice, 7 days apart. Repeatability was studied, revealing good concordance in test-retest with an ICC (interclass correlation coefficient) of 0.96 (P<.001). Internal consistency was good for different questionnaire items (Cronbach's alpha of 0.9 including and 0.81 excluding the total value) (P<.001). The total score of the questionnaire showed good correlation with forced vital capacity FVC% (r=-0.44; P=.033), diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DL CO %) (r=-0.55; P=.011), partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood PaO 2 (r=-0.44; P=.036), Medical Research Council Dyspnea scale (r=-0.65; P<.001), and number of steps taken in 24hours (r=-0.47; P=.024). The Spanish version of SGRQ-Ideveloped by our group shows good internal consistency, reproducibility and validity, so it can be used for the evaluation of quality of life (QOL) in IPF patients. Copyright © 2017 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Health-Related Quality of Life in University Dance Students.

PubMed

White, Hayley M; Hoch, Johanna M; Hoch, Matthew C

2018-03-01

Injuries are common among dancers and may negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQL). The modified Disablement in the Physically Active Scale (mDPA) is a generic patient-reported outcome instrument that could be used when providing care to patients participating in performing arts. The objective of this pilot study was to examine the internal consistency of the mDPA and assess overall HRQL using the mDPA in university dance students. Thirty-one female university dance students completed the mDPA during one data collection session. Higher scores on the Physical Summary Component (mDPA-PSC), the Mental Summary Component (mDPAMSC), and mDPA-Total indicated increased disablement. The internal consistency was determined using Cronbachs alpha. The mDPA-Total, mDPA-PSC, and mDPAMSC scores were examined descriptively using mean and standard deviations. Individual item responses were also examined. The proportion of university dance students with clinically relevant levels of disablement on the mDPA-Total was examined using a previously established minimally clinically important difference value. The internal consistency for the mDPA-MSC (a=0.91) and mDPATotal (a=0.90) was excellent and good for the mDPA-PSC (a=0.88). A large proportion (71%) of university dance students demonstrated clinically relevant levels of disablement despite fully participating in dance-related activities. Pain, impaired motion, and stress were the greatest contributors to increased disablement in these individuals. The mDPA scores observed in this pilot study indicate that many dance students experience levels of disablement and decreased HRQL which may warrant physical and mental intervention. Clinicians providing healthcare services to performing artists should consider using the mDPA to provide patient-centered care.

Global rotation has high sensitivity in ACL lesions within stress MRI.

PubMed

Espregueira-Mendes, João; Andrade, Renato; Leal, Ana; Pereira, Hélder; Skaf, Abdala; Rodrigues-Gomes, Sérgio; Oliveira, J Miguel; Reis, Rui L; Pereira, Rogério

2017-10-01

This study aims to objectively compare side-to-side differences of P-A laxity alone and coupled with rotatory laxity within magnetic resonance imaging, in patients with total anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. This prospective study enrolled sixty-one patients with signs and symptoms of unilateral total anterior cruciate ligament rupture, which were referred to magnetic resonance evaluation with simultaneous instrumented laxity measurements. Sixteen of those patients were randomly selected to also have the contralateral healthy knee laxity profile tested. Images were acquired for the medial and lateral tibial plateaus without pressure, with postero-anterior translation, and postero-anterior translation coupled with maximum internal and external rotation, respectively. All parameters measured were significantly different between healthy and injured knees (P < 0.05), with exception of lateral plateau without stress. The difference between injured and healthy knees for medial and lateral tibial plateaus anterior displacement (P < 0.05) and rotation (P < 0.001) was statistically significant. It was found a significant correlation between the global rotation of the lateral tibial plateau (lateral plateau with internal + external rotation) with pivot-shift, and between the anterior global translation of both tibial plateaus (medial + lateral tibial plateau) with Lachman. The anterior global translation of both tibial plateaus was the most specific test with a cut-off point of 11.1 mm (93.8 %), and the global rotation of the lateral tibial plateau was the most sensitive test with a correspondent cut-off point of 15.1 mm (92.9 %). Objective laxity quantification of ACL-injured knees showed increased sagittal laxity, and simultaneously in sagittal and transversal planes, when compared to their healthy contralateral knee. Moreover, when measuring instability from anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, the anterior global translation of both tibial plateaus and global rotation of the lateral tibial plateau add diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. This work strengthens the evidence that the anterior cruciate ligament plays an important biomechanical role in controlling the anterior translation, but also both internal and external rotation. The high sensitivity and specificity of this device in objectively identifying and measuring the multiplanar instability clearly guides stability restoration clinical procedures. Level of evidence Cross-sectional study, Level III.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: The Million Quasars (Milliquas) catalog (V5.2) (Flesch, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flesch, E. W.

2017-08-01

This is a compendium of 607,208 type-I QSOs and AGN, largely complete from the literature to 5-August-2017, including the release of SDSS-DR14. Also included are ~1.35M high-confidence (80%+ likelihood) quasar candidates from the NBCKDE, NBCKDE-v3, XDQSO, AllWISE and Peters photometric quasar catalogs (citations in Note 7 below) and from all-sky radio/X-ray associated objects which are calculated here. Type-II and Bl Lac objects are also included, bringing the total count to 1,998,464. Changes from version 5.1 are: (1) SDSS-DR14 and SDSS-DR14Q have been added, using the processing rules from the Half Million Quasars catalog (HMQ: Flesch 2015PASA...32...10F). (2) WISE quasar candidates have been added from Secrest et al, 2015, Cat. J/ApJS/221/12; these are ~430K candidates over the whole sky for which 2-color optical objects were found within a 2-arcsec radius. They have been processed into pQSOs from calibration against the SDSS-DR12Q multi-class superset, and photometric redshifts obtained using the four-color based method from the HMQ appendix 2. The four colors used were B-R, R-W1, W1-W2 & W2-W3. (3) Type-II narrow emission-line galaxies, (NELGs, class='N') are added as the luminosity class corresponding to the type-I AGN galaxies. High-luminosity type-II NLAGN (class='K') correspond to the type-I quasars. The NLAGN/NELG divider is the same luminosity/psf function which separates QSOs from AGNs. Type-II NELGs include unquantified contamination by LINERs and probably a few starbursts which eluded removal, so it serves as a catch-all category presented for completeness, rather than as a strict type-II class. (4) Small publications to 5 August 2017 have been added. (5) Positional fixes (of about 2 arcsec) have been applied to ~150 objects. Low-confidence or questionable objects (so deemed by their researchers) are not included in Milliquas. Additional quality cuts can be applied as detailed in Flesch 2015PASA...32...10F). Multiple lensed images are excluded and only the brightest one kept. The aim here is to present one unique reliable object per each data row. The catalog format is simple, each object is shown as one line bearing the J2000 coordinates, its original name, object class, red and blue optical magnitudes, PSF class, redshift, the citations for the name and redshift, plus up to four radio/X-ray identifiers where applicable. This catalog can be cited as Milliquas, Flesch E., 2015PASA...32...10F which was the published version of this catalog as at 2015 after the release of SDSS-DR12. Questions/comments/praise/complaints may be directed to me at eric(at)flesch.org. (1 data file).

Energy demand and environmental implications in urban transport — Case of Delhi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Ranjan Kumar

A simple model of passenger transport in the city of Delhi has been developed using a computer-based software called—Long Range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) and the associated Environmental Database (EDB) model. The hierarchical structure of LEAP represents the traffic patterns in terms of passenger travel demand, mode (rail/road), type of vehicle and occupancy (persons per vehicle). Transport database in Delhi together with fuel consumption values for the vehicle types, formed the basis of the transport demand and energy consumption calculations. Emission factors corresponding to the actual vehicle types and driving conditions in Delhi is introduced into the EDB and linked to the energy consumption values for estimating total emission of CO, HC, NO x, SO 2 Pb and TSP. The LEAP model is used to estimate total energy demand and the vehicular emissions for the base year-1990/91 and extrapolate for the future—1994/95, 2000/01, 2004/05 and 2009/10, respectively. The model is run under five alternative scenarios to study the impact of different urban transport policy initiatives that would reduce total energy requirement in the transport sector of Delhi and also reduce emission. The prime objective is to arrive at an optimal transport policy which limits the future growth of fuel consumption as well as air pollution.

Wide-Field Plate Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsvetkov, M. K.; Stavrev, K. Y.; Tsvetkova, K. P.; Semkov, E. H.; Mutatov, A. S.

The Wide-Field Plate Database (WFPDB) and the possibilities for its application as a research tool in observational astronomy are presented. Currently the WFPDB comprises the descriptive data for 400 000 archival wide field photographic plates obtained with 77 instruments, from a total of 1 850 000 photographs stored in 269 astronomical archives all over the world since the end of last century. The WFPDB is already accessible for the astronomical community, now only in batch mode through user requests sent by e-mail. We are working on on-line interactive access to the data via INTERNET from Sofia and parallel from the Centre de Donnees Astronomiques de Strasbourg. (Initial information can be found on World Wide Web homepage URL http://www.wfpa.acad.bg.) The WFPDB may be useful in studies of a variety of astronomical objects and phenomena, andespecially for long-term investigations of variable objects and for multi-wavelength research. We have analysed the data in the WFPDB in order to derive the overall characteristics of the totality of wide-field observations, such as the sky coverage, the distributions by observation time and date, by spectral band, and by object type. We have also examined the totality of wide-field observations from point of view of their quality, availability and digitisation. The usefulness of the WFPDB is demonstrated by the results of identification and investigation of the photometrical behaviour of optical analogues of gamma-ray bursts.

Depression in patients with epilepsy in Northwestern Nigeria: Prevalence and clinical correlates

PubMed Central

Owolabi, Shakirah Desola; Owolabi, Lukman Femi; Udofia, Owoidoho; Sale, Shehu

2016-01-01

Background: The impact of seizure disorder on people living with epilepsy (PWE) is worsened by the occurrence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, such as depression, which have been found commonly in PWE. Despite the dire consequences comorbid depression has on PWE, it still remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression and associated clinical factors in PWE in Northwestern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 255 consecutive patients with epilepsy aged 18 years and above, from two health facilities, were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Following completion of a structured proforma detailing sociodemographic and seizure characteristics, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was administered to diagnose depression in the patients. Results: A total of 255 patients, with a mean age of 32 years (standard deviation = 1.31), comprising 147 (57.6%) males and 108 (42.4%) females were studied. Majority (79.2%) of the patients had primarily generalized seizure type. Overall, depressive disorder was present in 52 (20.4%) patients. A significant association was found between previous hospitalization for epilepsy (P = 0.009), increased frequency of seizures, (P = 0.004), and prolonged duration of epilepsy, (P = 0.006). The independent predictors of depression included duration of epilepsy (P = 0.0001), previous hospitalization for epilepsy (P = 0.011), and frequency of seizures (P = 0.028). Conclusion: Depression was common in PWE. Female gender, previous hospitalization for epilepsy, increased frequency of seizures and prolonged duration of epilepsy were associated with depression in PWE. Previous hospitalization for epilepsy, increased frequency of seizures, and prolonged duration of epilepsy were independent predictors of depression. PMID:27853032

Reliability of the Cooking Task in adults with acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Poncet, Frédérique; Swaine, Bonnie; Taillefer, Chantal; Lamoureux, Julie; Pradat-Diehl, Pascale; Chevignard, Mathilde

2015-01-01

Acquired brain injury (ABI) often leads to deficits in executive functioning (EF) responsible for severe and long-standing disabilities in daily life activities. The Cooking Task is an ecological and valid test of EF involving multi-tasking in a real environment. Given its complex scoring system, it is important to establish the tool's reliability. The objective of the study was to examine the reliability of the Cooking Task (internal consistency, inter-rater and test-retest reliability). A total of 160 patients with ABI (113 men, mean age 37 years, SD = 14.3) were tested using the Cooking Task. For test-retest reliability, patients were assessed by the same rater on two occasions (mean interval 11 days) while two raters independently and simultaneously observed and scored patients' performances to estimate inter-rater reliability. Internal consistency was high for the global scale (Cronbach α = .74). Inter-rater reliability (n = 66) for total errors was also high (ICC = .93), however the test-retest reliability (n = 11) was poor (ICC = .36). In general the Cooking Task appears to be a reliable tool. The low test-retest results were expected given the importance of EF in the performance of novel tasks.

Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Attitudes Scale - third version into Brazilian Portuguese 1

PubMed Central

Vieira, Gisele de Lacerda Chaves; Pagano, Adriana Silvino; Reis, Ilka Afonso; Rodrigues, Júlia Santos Nunes; Torres, Heloísa de Carvalho

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to perform the translation, adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Attitudes Scale - third version instrument into Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: methodological study carried out in six stages: initial translation, synthesis of the initial translation, back-translation, evaluation of the translated version by the Committee of Judges (27 Linguists and 29 health professionals), pre-test and validation. The pre-test and validation (test-retest) steps included 22 and 120 health professionals, respectively. The Content Validity Index, the analyses of internal consistency and reproducibility were performed using the R statistical program. Results: in the content validation, the instrument presented good acceptance among the Judges with a mean Content Validity Index of 0.94. The scale presented acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.60), while the correlation of the total score at the test and retest moments was considered high (Polychoric Correlation Coefficient = 0.86). The Intra-class Correlation Coefficient, for the total score, presented a value of 0.65. Conclusion: the Brazilian version of the instrument (Escala de Atitudes dos Profissionais em relação ao Diabetes Mellitus) was considered valid and reliable for application by health professionals in Brazil. PMID:29319739