Pilot study of brain morphometry in a sample of Brazilian children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: influence of clinical presentation.

PubMed

Pastura, Giuseppe; Kubo, Tadeu Takao Almodovar; Gasparetto, Emerson Leandro; Figueiredo, Otavio; Mattos, Paulo; Prüfer Araújo, Alexandra

2017-12-01

Currently, the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rests on clinical criteria. Nonetheless, neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that children with ADHD have different cortical thickness and volume measures to typically developing children (TDC). In general, studies do not evaluate the influence of clinical presentation in the brain morphometry of ADHD children. Our objective was to perform a pilot study in order to evaluate cortical thickness and brain volume in a sample of Brazilian ADHD children and compare these to those of TDC, taking into account the influence of clinical presentation. We performed an analytic study comparing 17 drug-naïve ADHD children of both genders, aged between 7 and 10, and 16 TDC. ADHD subjects were first considered as one group and further separated based on clinical presentation. The brain volume did not differ between patients and TDC. Smaller cortical thicknesses were identified on the left superior, medium and inferior temporal cortex, as well as in the left inferior parietal cortex. When compared to TDC, combined and inattentive ADHD presentations depicted smaller cortical thickness with high significance and power. The same magnitude of results was not observed when comparing inattentive ADHD and TDC. In this pilot study, ADHD is associated with abnormalities involving the cortical thickness of the posterior attentional system. The cortical thickness in the left superior, medium and inferior temporal cortex, as well as in the left inferior parietal cortex may differ according to ADHD presentations.

Labour Outcomes After Successful External Cephalic Version Compared With Spontaneous Cephalic Version.

PubMed

Krueger, Samantha; Simioni, Julia; Griffith, Lauren E; Hutton, Eileen K

2018-01-01

This study sought to compare obstetrical outcomes for women with a cephalic presentation at birth resulting from successful external cephalic version (ECV) compared to those resulting from spontaneous cephalic version (SCV). Secondary analysis was performed on Early External Cephalic Version Trial data. A total of 931 study participants had breech presentations between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation and cephalic presentations at birth. The incidence of intrapartum interventions was compared between patients with successful ECV (557) and those with SCV (374). A generalized linear mixed model was used to determine ORs for our primary outcomes. Parity, maternal BMI, previous CS, and enrolment centre were controlled for in the analysis. No differences were found after ECV compared with SCV in the incidence of CS (96 of 557 and 76 of 374, respectively; adjusted OR [aOR] 0.89; 95% CI 0.63-1.26), instrumental birth (68 of 557 and 29 of 373, respectively; aOR 1.55; 95% CI 0.96-2.50), or normal vaginal birth (393 of 557 and 268 of 373, respectively; aOR 0.92; 95% CI 0.68-1.24). Multiparous women with successful ECV were half as likely to require a CS compared with those with SCV and no ECV (28 of 313 and 42 of 258, respectively; aOR 0.45; 95% CI 0.26-0.80). This is the first study to compare birth outcomes of breech pregnancies that convert to cephalic presentation by means of SCV with birth outcomes of breech pregnancies that have ECV. Women with a cephalic-presenting fetus at birth as a result of successful ECV are not at greater risk of obstetrical interventions at birth when compared with women with fetuses who spontaneously turn to a cephalic presentation in the third trimester. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of ACTN3 gene on strength and endurance in soccer players.

PubMed

Pimenta, Eduardo M; Coelho, Daniel B; Veneroso, Christiano E; Barros Coelho, Ering J; Cruz, Izinara R; Morandi, Rodrigo F; De A Pussieldi, Guilherme; Carvalho, Maria R S; Garcia, Emerson S; De Paz Fernández, José A

2013-12-01

Sports efficiency in activities in which strength and speed are the determining factors has been associated to the ACTN3 gene, which is responsible for the expression of α-actinin-3. Soccer is a mainly aerobic sport because of its long duration, but the acute actions that define the game demand a lot of strength and speed. The purpose of the present study was to compare the performance capacity of soccer players with different genotype groups of ACTN3 (XX, RX, and RR) in strength, speed, and endurance tests. Two hundred professional players of Brazilian soccer first division teams participated in this study. Speed, jump, and endurance test results were compared with the polymorphisms of the ACTN3 gene. It was noticed that RR individuals spent less time to run a 10-m path, compared with XX individuals (p < 0.05). The RR individuals also presented lower time rates at the 20- and 30-m path, compared with RX and XX individuals (p < 0.05). In jump tests, RR individuals presented higher rates, compared with RX and XX individuals (p < 0.05). As for aerobic tests, the XX individuals presented higher rates of V[Combining Dot Above]O2 max, compared with the RR group (p < 0.05), and did not differ from the RX group. The main conclusion of this study is that soccer players of genotype ACTN3/RR are the fastest in short distances and present higher jump potential. ACTN3/XX individuals presented the highest aerobic capacity. These findings can be used in training load adjustment and can influence the development of tactical schemes in soccer matches.

Patients’ Need for Tailored Comparative Health Care Information: A Qualitative Study on Choosing a Hospital

PubMed Central

Zwijnenberg, Nicolien C; Bloemendal, Evelien; Damman, Olga C; de Jong, Judith D; Delnoij, Diana MJ; Rademakers, Jany JD

2016-01-01

Background The Internet is increasingly being used to provide patients with information about the quality of care of different health care providers. Although online comparative health care information is widely available internationally, and patients have been shown to be interested in this information, its effect on patients’ decision making is still limited. Objective This study aimed to explore patients’ preferences regarding information presentation and their values concerning tailored comparative health care information. Meeting patients’ information presentation needs might increase the perceived relevance and use of the information. Methods A total of 38 people participated in 4 focus groups. Comparative health care information about hip and knee replacement surgery was used as a case example. One part of the interview focused on patients’ information presentation preferences, whereas the other part focused on patients’ values of tailored information (ie, showing reviews of patients with comparable demographics). The qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results The following themes were deduced from the transcripts: number of health care providers to be presented, order in which providers are presented, relevancy of tailoring patient reviews, and concerns about tailoring. Participants’ preferences differed concerning how many and in which order health care providers must be presented. Most participants had no interest in patient reviews that were shown for specific subgroups based on age, gender, or ethnicity. Concerns of tailoring were related to the representativeness of results and the complexity of information. A need for information about the medical specialist when choosing a hospital was stressed by several participants. Conclusions The preferences for how comparative health care information should be presented differ between people. “Information on demand” and information about the medical specialist might be promising ways to increase the relevancy and use of online comparative health care information. Future research should focus on how different groups of people use comparative health care information for different health care choices in real life. PMID:27895006

Comparing University Organizations across Boundaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleiklie, Ivar

2014-01-01

The article discusses comparative organizational studies, focusing on change in higher education institutions, and in particular (but not only) on studies that compare organizations in different national settings. It first presents and discusses different approaches to comparison based on a couple of typologies that have been developed to identify…

Comparative Study of the Use of ICT in English Teaching-Learning Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zare-ee, Abbas; Shekary, Abbas

2010-01-01

The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in cultural, political, social, economic, and academic activities has recently attracted the attention of many researchers and it should now be an important component of the comparative study of education. The present study was conducted to compare the amount and quality of ICT use in English…

Nuclear binding energy using semi empirical mass formula

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

Ankita,, E-mail: ankitagoyal@gmail.com; Suthar, B.

2016-05-06

In the present communication, semi empirical mass formula using the liquid drop model has been presented. Nuclear binding energies are calculated using semi empirical mass formula with various constants given by different researchers. We also compare these calculated values with experimental data and comparative study for finding suitable constants is added using the error plot. The study is extended to find the more suitable constant to reduce the error.

Comparative Packaging Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perchonok, Michele; Antonini, David

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes a comparative packaging study for use on long duration space missions. The topics include: 1) Purpose; 2) Deliverables; 3) Food Sample Selection; 4) Experimental Design Matrix; 5) Permeation Rate Comparison; and 6) Packaging Material Information.

Endogenous inhibition of somatic pain is impaired in girls with irritable bowel syndrome compared with healthy girls

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Endogenous pain inhibition is often deficient in adults with chronic pain conditions including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is unclear whether deficiencies in pain inhibition are present in young children with IBS. The present study compared endogenous pain inhibition, somatic pain threshold, ...

A Historical Perspective on Presentations of Hypertensive Acute Heart Failure.

PubMed

Darling, Chad E; Sun, Jiaoyuan Elisabeth; Goldberg, Jordan; Pang, Peter; Baugh, Christopher W; Lessard, Darleen; McManus, David D

2017-05-01

The initial systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients presenting to the hospital with acute heart failure (AHF) informs prognosis, diagnosis, and guides initial treatment. However, over time AHF presentations with elevated SBP appear to have declined. The present study examined whether the frequency of AHF presentations with systolic hypertension (SBP >160 mmHg) declined over a nearly two-decade time interval. This study compares four historical, cross-sectional cohorts with AHF who were admitted to tertiary care medical centres in the North-eastern USA in 1995, 2000, 2006, and 2011-13. The main outcome was the proportion of AHF patients presenting with an initial SBP >160 mmHg. 2,366 patients comprised the study sample. The average age was 77 years, 55% were female, 94% white, and 75% had prior heart failure. In 1995, 34% of AHF patients presented with an initial SBP >160 mmHg compared to 20% in 2011-2013 (p<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated reduced odds of presenting with a SBP >160 mmHg in 2006 (0.64, 95% CI 0.42-0.96) and 2011-13 (0.46, 95% CI 0.28-0.74) compared with patients in 1995. The proportion of patients with AHF and initial SBP >160 mmHg significantly declined over the study time period. There are several potential reasons for this observation and these findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance of patients with AHF as changing clinical characteristics can impact early treatment decisions.

A comparative study between shielded and open coplanar waveguide discontinuities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dib, Nihad I.; Harokopus, W. P., Jr.; Ponchak, G. E.; Katehi, L. P. B.

1993-01-01

A comparative study between open and shielded coplanar waveguide (CPW) discontinuities is presented. The space domain integral equation method is used to characterize several discontinuities such as the open-end CPW and CPW series stubs. Two different geometries of CPW series stubs (straight and bent stubs) are compared with respect to resonant frequency and radiation loss. In addition, the encountered radiation loss due to different CPW shunt stubs is evaluated experimentally. The notion of forced radiation simulation is presented, and the results of such a simulation are compared to the actual radiation loss obtained rigorously. It is shown that such a simulation cannot give reliable results concerning radiation loss from printed circuits.

Teaching the Comparative Approach to American Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seaberg, Stanley

The rationale behind this book of five suggested or sample comparative units contains several elements: 1) an interdisciplinary social science approach to studying the American past, present, and future; and 2) a view of our country's history in terms of a world setting and in the light on contemporary concerns. The global comparative method…

Ultra wide-band localization and SLAM: a comparative study for mobile robot navigation.

PubMed

Segura, Marcelo J; Auat Cheein, Fernando A; Toibero, Juan M; Mut, Vicente; Carelli, Ricardo

2011-01-01

In this work, a comparative study between an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) localization system and a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is presented. Due to its high bandwidth and short pulses length, UWB potentially allows great accuracy in range measurements based on Time of Arrival (TOA) estimation. SLAM algorithms recursively estimates the map of an environment and the pose (position and orientation) of a mobile robot within that environment. The comparative study presented here involves the performance analysis of implementing in parallel an UWB localization based system and a SLAM algorithm on a mobile robot navigating within an environment. Real time results as well as error analysis are also shown in this work.

Encoding of physics concepts: concreteness and presentation modality reflected by human brain dynamics.

PubMed

Lai, Kevin; She, Hsiao-Ching; Chen, Sheng-Chang; Chou, Wen-Chi; Huang, Li-Yu; Jung, Tzyy-Ping; Gramann, Klaus

2012-01-01

Previous research into working memory has focused on activations in different brain areas accompanying either different presentation modalities (verbal vs. non-verbal) or concreteness (abstract vs. concrete) of non-science concepts. Less research has been conducted investigating how scientific concepts are learned and further processed in working memory. To bridge this gap, the present study investigated human brain dynamics associated with encoding of physics concepts, taking both presentation modality and concreteness into account. Results of this study revealed greater theta and low-beta synchronization in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during encoding of concrete pictures as compared to the encoding of both high and low imageable words. In visual brain areas, greater theta activity accompanying stimulus onsets was observed for words as compared to pictures while stronger alpha suppression was observed in responses to pictures as compared to words. In general, the EEG oscillation patterns for encoding words of different levels of abstractness were comparable but differed significantly from encoding of pictures. These results provide insights into the effects of modality of presentation on human encoding of scientific concepts and thus might help in developing new ways to better teach scientific concepts in class.

Comparing emergency department presentations among children with cerebral palsy with general childhood presentations: a data linkage study.

PubMed

Meehan, Elaine; Williams, Katrina; Reid, Susan M; Freed, Gary L; Babl, Franz E; Sewell, Jillian R; Vidmar, Suzanna; Donath, Susan; Reddihough, Dinah S

2017-11-01

The aims of this study were to estimate the proportion of emergency department presentations attributable to children with cerebral palsy (CP), investigate the frequency of emergency department presentations in a CP cohort, and compare emergency department presentations among children with CP with those of other children. This was a retrospective cohort study. The Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register was linked to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset. Data on emergency department presentations for the CP cohort occurring between 2007 and 2014 and population control data were obtained. The CP cohort (n=1748) had 7015 emergency department presentations during the 7-year period, accounting for 0.4% of the 1.69 million age-specific presentations during that time. The number of annual presentations per 1000 children rose with increasing CP severity. Compared with presentations among the general population, higher proportions of presentations among the CP cohort were preceded by ambulance arrivals (27% vs 8%), triaged as urgent (66% vs 32%), and required hospital admission (38% vs 12%). The marked differences in presentations between the CP cohort and the general population in the proportions that were urgent and required ambulance arrivals and hospital admissions was an important finding. Strategies to ensure appropriate use of services, including encouragement to seek earlier assistance from primary care providers, may prevent problems escalating to the need for urgent care. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) account for 0.4% of childhood emergency department presentations. More emergency department presentations among children with CP require ambulance arrival. More CP emergency department presentations are urgent and require hospital admission. Traditional emergency department triage scales seem less accurate for this group. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

Comparative Effects of Seven Verbal-Visual Presentation Modes Upon Learning Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Josiah Johnson, IV

A study was made of the comparative media effects upon teaching the component learning tasks of concept learning: classification, generalization, and application. The seven selected methods of presenting stimuli to the learners were: motion pictures with spoken verbal; motion pictures, silent; still pictures with spoken verbal; still pictures,…

Story Comprehension as a Function of Modality and Reading Ability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marlowe, Wendy; And Others

1979-01-01

In a study 12 normal children and 12 reading disabled (word recognition difficulties) children (mean age 9.2 years) were compared for reading and listening comprehension to test whether disabled readers, given an auditory presentation, would show comprehension of material comparable to that of normal readers given visual presentation. (PHR)

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment between Warm SMA and Conventional SMA

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-01

This report presents the comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) between warm stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and conventional : SMA. Specifically, the study evaluated and compared the life cycle environmental and economic performances of two mixtures: a ...

Study on Lexical Cohesion in English and Persian Research Articles (A Comparative Study)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirzapour, Fatemeh; Ahmadi, Maryam

2011-01-01

The present study aims to analyze comparatively English and Persian research articles (Linguistics, Literature, and Library and Information disciplines) in terms of number and degree of utilization of sub-types of lexical cohesion in order to appreciate textualization processes in the two languages concerned. The study analyzes 60 research…

Patients' Need for Tailored Comparative Health Care Information: A Qualitative Study on Choosing a Hospital.

PubMed

Zwijnenberg, Nicolien C; Hendriks, Michelle; Bloemendal, Evelien; Damman, Olga C; de Jong, Judith D; Delnoij, Diana Mj; Rademakers, Jany Jd

2016-11-28

The Internet is increasingly being used to provide patients with information about the quality of care of different health care providers. Although online comparative health care information is widely available internationally, and patients have been shown to be interested in this information, its effect on patients' decision making is still limited. This study aimed to explore patients' preferences regarding information presentation and their values concerning tailored comparative health care information. Meeting patients' information presentation needs might increase the perceived relevance and use of the information. A total of 38 people participated in 4 focus groups. Comparative health care information about hip and knee replacement surgery was used as a case example. One part of the interview focused on patients' information presentation preferences, whereas the other part focused on patients' values of tailored information (ie, showing reviews of patients with comparable demographics). The qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the constant comparative method. The following themes were deduced from the transcripts: number of health care providers to be presented, order in which providers are presented, relevancy of tailoring patient reviews, and concerns about tailoring. Participants' preferences differed concerning how many and in which order health care providers must be presented. Most participants had no interest in patient reviews that were shown for specific subgroups based on age, gender, or ethnicity. Concerns of tailoring were related to the representativeness of results and the complexity of information. A need for information about the medical specialist when choosing a hospital was stressed by several participants. The preferences for how comparative health care information should be presented differ between people. "Information on demand" and information about the medical specialist might be promising ways to increase the relevancy and use of online comparative health care information. Future research should focus on how different groups of people use comparative health care information for different health care choices in real life. ©Nicolien C Zwijnenberg, Michelle Hendriks, Evelien Bloemendal, Olga C Damman, Judith D de Jong, Diana MJ Delnoij, Jany JD Rademakers. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 28.11.2016.

What is AIDS in Guadeloupe? A descriptive and comparative study.

PubMed

Elenga, Narcisse; Georger-Sow, Marie-Thérèse; Messiaen, Thierry; Lamaury, Isabelle; Favre, Isabelle; Nacher, Mathieu; Beaucaire, Gilles

2014-03-01

Since the pathogen ecology differs between Caribbean regions, specific differences in the most frequent clinical presentations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may be expected. We therefore conducted the present retrospective cohort study in order to describe the main AIDS-defining events in Guadeloupe and to compare them with those observed in Metropolitan France and in French Guiana. We discuss the local pathogen ecology, the diagnostic limitations of hospitals in overseas territories and the drivers of the epidemic.

The comparison between limited open carpal tunnel release using direct vision and tunneling technique and standard open carpal tunnel release: a randomized controlled trial study.

PubMed

Suppaphol, Sorasak; Worathanarat, Patarawan; Kawinwongkovit, Viroj; Pittayawutwinit, Preecha

2012-04-01

To compare the operative outcome of carpal tunnel release between limited open carpal tunnel release using direct vision and tunneling technique (group A) with standard open carpal tunnel release (group B). Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the present study. A single blind randomized control trial study was conducted to compare the postoperative results between group A and B. The study parameters were Levine's symptom severity and functional score, grip and pinch strength, and average two-point discrimination. The postoperative results between two groups were comparable with no statistical significance. Only grip strength at three months follow up was significantly greater in group A than in group B. The limited open carpal tunnel release in the present study is effective comparable to the standard open carpal tunnel release. The others advantage of this technique are better cosmesis and improvement in grip strength at the three months postoperative period.

A Comparative Literature Review of the Studies on Drama in English Language Teaching in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ustuk, Özgehan; Inan, Dilek

2017-01-01

This study presents a comparative literature review of the research studies related to the effects of drama in teaching English as a foreign language. First, the study explains drama in education with regard to foreign language education. In a narrative review design, it demonstrates international studies in four categories under which the…

A Comparative Study on Power Point Presentation and Traditional Lecture Method in Material Understandability, Effectiveness and Attitude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sewasew, Daniel; Mengestle, Missaye; Abate, Gebeyehu

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare PPT and traditional lecture method in material understandability, effectiveness and attitude among university students. Comparative descriptive survey research design was employed to answer the research questions raised. Four hundred and twenty nine participants were selected randomly using stratified sampling…

Mobile Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Lessons: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furió, D.; Juan, M.-C.; Seguí, I.; Vivó, R.

2015-01-01

Different methods can be used for learning, and they can be compared in several aspects, especially those related to learning outcomes. In this paper, we present a study in order to compare the learning effectiveness and satisfaction of children using an iPhone game for learning the water cycle vs. the traditional classroom lesson. The iPhone game…

Comparative Study Of Four Models Of Turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menter, Florian R.

1996-01-01

Report presents comparative study of four popular eddy-viscosity models of turbulence. Computations reported for three different adverse pressure-gradient flowfields. Detailed comparison of numerical results and experimental data given. Following models tested: Baldwin-Lomax, Johnson-King, Baldwin-Barth, and Wilcox.

Sequential matched analysis of racial disparities in breast cancer hospitalization outcomes among African American and White patients.

PubMed

Ogunsina, Kemi; Naik, Gurudatta; Vin-Raviv, Neomi; Akinyemiju, Tomi F

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study is to determine if racial disparities in inpatient outcomes persist among hospitalized patients comparing African American and White breast cancer patients matched on demographics, presentation and treatment. A total of 136,211 African American and White breast cancer patients from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project - Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) database, matched on demographics alone, demographics and presentation or demographics, presentation and treatment were studied. Conditional logistic regression was conducted to evaluate post-surgical complications, length of stay and in-hospital mortality outcomes. Analysis was further stratified by age (≤65 years and >65years) to evaluate whether disparities were larger in younger or older patients. All analysis was conducted using SAS 9.3. White women had significantly shorter hospital length of stay when matched on demographics (β=-0.87, p-value=<0.0001), demographics and presentation (β=-0.63, p-value=<0.0001), and demographics, presentation and treatment (β=-0.51, p-value=<0.0001) compared with African Americans. White women also had lower odds of mortality compared with African American women when matched on demographics (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.65-0.79), demographics and presentation (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.71-0.85), or matched on demographics, presentation and treatment (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.88). The racial difference observed in length of stay and mortality was larger in the age group ≤65 years compared with >65years CONCLUSION: African American women experienced higher odds of inpatient mortality and longer length of stay compared with White women even after accounting for differences in demographics, presentation and treatment characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Historical Perspective on Presentations of Hypertensive Acute Heart Failure

PubMed Central

Darling, Chad E; Sun, Jiaoyuan Elisabeth; Goldberg, Jordan; Pang, Peter; Baugh, Christopher W; Lessard, Darleen; McManus, David D

2017-01-01

Background The initial systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients presenting to the hospital with acute heart failure (AHF) informs prognosis, diagnosis, and guides initial treatment. However, over time AHF presentations with elevated SBP appear to have declined. The present study examined whether the frequency of AHF presentations with systolic hypertension (SBP >160 mmHg) declined over a nearly two-decade time interval. Methods This study compares four historical, cross-sectional cohorts with AHF who were admitted to tertiary care medical centres in the North-eastern USA in 1995, 2000, 2006, and 2011–13. The main outcome was the proportion of AHF patients presenting with an initial SBP >160 mmHg. Results 2,366 patients comprised the study sample. The average age was 77 years, 55% were female, 94% white, and 75% had prior heart failure. In 1995, 34% of AHF patients presented with an initial SBP >160 mmHg compared to 20% in 2011–2013 (p<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated reduced odds of presenting with a SBP >160 mmHg in 2006 (0.64, 95% CI 0.42–0.96) and 2011–13 (0.46, 95% CI 0.28–0.74) compared with patients in 1995. Conclusion The proportion of patients with AHF and initial SBP >160 mmHg significantly declined over the study time period. There are several potential reasons for this observation and these findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance of patients with AHF as changing clinical characteristics can impact early treatment decisions. PMID:28824930

Comparative study of performance of neutral axis tracking based damage detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soman, R.; Malinowski, P.; Ostachowicz, W.

2015-07-01

This paper presents a comparative study of a novel SHM technique for damage isolation. The performance of the Neutral Axis (NA) tracking based damage detection strategy is compared to other popularly used vibration based damage detection methods viz. ECOMAC, Mode Shape Curvature Method and Strain Flexibility Index Method. The sensitivity of the novel method is compared under changing ambient temperature conditions and in the presence of measurement noise. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the DTU 10 MW Wind Turbine was conducted to compare the local damage identification capability of each method and the results are presented. Under the conditions examined, the proposed method was found to be robust to ambient condition changes and measurement noise. The damage identification in some is either at par with the methods mentioned in the literature or better under the investigated damage scenarios.

Stories in Conversations and Presentations--A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Barry; Guerin, Suzanne

2018-01-01

Students receive little guidance on how to give the oral presentations that increasingly feature in third level modules. It has been observed that several communication tools employed effectively in conversation--in particular stories--are not used in presentations. The aim of this study was to demonstrate this effect and explore possible reasons…

Ultra Wide-Band Localization and SLAM: A Comparative Study for Mobile Robot Navigation

PubMed Central

Segura, Marcelo J.; Auat Cheein, Fernando A.; Toibero, Juan M.; Mut, Vicente; Carelli, Ricardo

2011-01-01

In this work, a comparative study between an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) localization system and a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is presented. Due to its high bandwidth and short pulses length, UWB potentially allows great accuracy in range measurements based on Time of Arrival (TOA) estimation. SLAM algorithms recursively estimates the map of an environment and the pose (position and orientation) of a mobile robot within that environment. The comparative study presented here involves the performance analysis of implementing in parallel an UWB localization based system and a SLAM algorithm on a mobile robot navigating within an environment. Real time results as well as error analysis are also shown in this work. PMID:22319397

The Role of Comparative Pedagogy in Evaluating Education Systems of Different Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hnatiuk, Michal

2017-01-01

The article presents the definition of comparative pedagogy according to comparisons from different parts of the world. The subject of the pedagogical sub-disciplinary study, which in its own particular way relates to the research method, has been presented. The obtained results provide the basis for the argument that the scope of comparative…

A Comparative Study of Mindfulness between Male and Female Intervarsity Taekwondo Players of India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahaman, Abdul

2015-01-01

Mindfulness refers to being completely in touch with and aware of the present moment, as well as taking a non-evaluative and non-judgmental approach to one's inner experience. The present empirical investigation was conducted to compare the mindfulness of male and female intervarsity Taekwondo players of India. One hundred and four Taekwondo…

From Turkey to Russia with Love: A Comparative Study of Higher Education Policy Strategies in Light of Ongoing Reforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gazizova, Alfiya

2012-01-01

The article presents a comparative analysis of Turkish and Russian higher education sector development, focusing upon private-state partnership in the academic sphere, the role of universities in contemporary life, and their integration into present-day European structures. The author describes prospects, constructive ideas, and six strategies in…

Observer-rated coping associated with borderline personality disorder: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Kramer, Ueli

2014-01-01

Little is known about coping specificities, as operationalization of the concept of affect regulation, in borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is most important to take into account methodological criticisms addressed to the self-report questionnaire approach and to compare BPD coping specificities to the ones of neighbouring diagnostic categories, such as bipolar disorder (BD). The present exploratory study compared the coping profiles of N = 25 patients presenting BPD to those of N = 25 patients presenting BD and to those of N = 25 healthy controls. All participants underwent a clinical interview that was transcribed and rated using the Coping Patterns observer-rater system. Results partially confirmed study hypotheses and showed differences between BPD patients and healthy controls in all coping domains (competence, resources and autonomy), whereas the only coping domain presenting a BPD-specific lack of skills, compared with the BD patients, was autonomy, a set of coping strategies facing stress appraised as challenge. These coping processes were linked to general and BPD symptomatology. These results extend conclusions of earlier studies on affect regulation processes in BPD and bear important clinical implications, in the context of dialectical behavior therapy and other therapeutic approaches. Limitations of this exploratory study, such as the small sample size, are acknowledged. Coping can be reliably assessed in the narrative process in an non-structured interview frame. Patients with borderline personality disorder present with a specific lack of skills in affect regulation related to autonomy issues, compared to patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls. Lack of skills in accommodation to distressing emotions in borderline personality disorder is related to symptom gravity and may be treated using radical acceptance strategies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

TRANSMISSION NETWORK PLANNING METHOD FOR COMPARATIVE STUDIES (JOURNAL VERSION)

EPA Science Inventory

An automated transmission network planning method for comparative studies is presented. This method employs logical steps that may closely parallel those taken in practice by the planning engineers. Use is made of a sensitivity matrix to simulate the engineers' experience in sele...

Re-bordering comparative education in Latin America: Between global limits and local characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acosta, Felicitas; Perez Centeno, Cristian G.

2011-08-01

Conceived for presentation at the XIV WCCES conference in Istanbul in 2010, the topic of which was "Bordering Comparative Education", this paper, within that framework, aims to present the current state of the discipline in Latin America in relation to a quick overview of its present-day situation at a global level. After providing an overview of the current debates on comparative education, with special emphasis on what the authors refer to as motor nuclei (a series of milestones or episodes which have become transdiscursive as the discipline has evolved), as well as pinpointing current challenges in the field, this paper looks into the development of the discipline in Latin America and how it has contributed to the understanding of the region's educational systems. The paper also examines the unique relationship between comparative studies and the field of educational planning in Latin America. The authors then go on to provide a thematic analysis, categorising the papers presented at three conferences held by the Sociedad Argentina de Estudios Comparados en Educación (SAECE, the Argentine Society for Comparative Education Studies) in 2005, 2007 and 2009. The paper closes with several conclusions regarding the current debate on the discipline in the region and its possibilities for the future.

Coming to Journalism: A Comparative Case Study of Postgraduate Students in Dublin and Amman

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Boyle, Neil; Knowlton, Steven

2015-01-01

This article presents findings from a pilot study of postgraduate journalism students in Dublin and Amman. The study compared professional outlooks and social characteristics of students in both contexts and examined institutional settings. The study finds that journalism students in Dublin and Amman have very similar views on the profession,…

Learning Center and Study Carrels: A Comparative Study. Technical Report #18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chun, Sherlyn; And Others

This Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) report presents a comparative study of the work rates of kindergarten and first grade children in two classroom environments: a learning-center and a study-carrel environment. The subjects, seven matched pairs of kindergarten and first grade students, were chosen on the basis of the results of a…

Mark My Words: Tone of Voice Changes Affective Word Representations in Memory

PubMed Central

Schirmer, Annett

2010-01-01

The present study explored the effect of speaker prosody on the representation of words in memory. To this end, participants were presented with a series of words and asked to remember the words for a subsequent recognition test. During study, words were presented auditorily with an emotional or neutral prosody, whereas during test, words were presented visually. Recognition performance was comparable for words studied with emotional and neutral prosody. However, subsequent valence ratings indicated that study prosody changed the affective representation of words in memory. Compared to words with neutral prosody, words with sad prosody were later rated as more negative and words with happy prosody were later rated as more positive. Interestingly, the participants' ability to remember study prosody failed to predict this effect, suggesting that changes in word valence were implicit and associated with initial word processing rather than word retrieval. Taken together these results identify a mechanism by which speakers can have sustained effects on listener attitudes towards word referents. PMID:20169154

Prevalence of gingivitis and calculus in 12-year-old Puerto Ricans: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Elias-Boneta, Augusto R; Ramirez, Karol; Rivas-Tumanyan, Sona; Murillo, Margarita; Toro, Milagros J

2018-01-19

Gingivitis is a common oral health problem. Untreated gingivitis may progress to periodontitis, a common cause of tooth loss. The prevalence of gingivitis and calculus among Puerto Rican children is unknown. Understanding this prevalence can support early public health preventative strategies. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of gingivitis and calculus among 12-year-old Puerto Ricans by health region and to explore differences in distribution by school type (proxy for socio-economic status) and gender. A probability-based sample of 113 schools was selected proportional to enrollment size and stratified by health region, school type, and gender. Two trained examiners evaluated the presence of gingivitis and both supragingival and subgingival dental calculus. Gingivitis was defined as the presence of gingival bleeding upon gentle probing (BOP) in at least one site, and the extent of the problem was classified according to the percentage of teeth whose gingiva presented BOP (limited: 25-49% of the teeth tested; extensive: >50% of teeth tested). Logistic and linear regression models, adjusted for health regions, were used to compare gingivitis and calculus prevalence and extent between genders and school types. Gingivitis was found in 80.41% of the 1586 children evaluated. Urban-public schoolchildren had a slightly higher prevalence (83.24%) compared to private (79.15%, p = 0.16); those in rural-public (77.59%) and private schools had similar prevalence (p = 0.15). Extensive gingivitis was present in 60.81% of all children. The mean percentage of sites presenting BOP (BOP%) was 17.79%. Rural and urban public schoolchildren presented significantly higher BOP% compared to children from private schools (p = 0.0005, p = 0.002, respectively). Dental calculus was detected in 61.59% of the sample, boys presenting significantly higher (p = 0.005) total and supragingival calculus. Rural-public schoolchildren had a significantly higher prevalence of subgingival calculus compared to private schoolchildren (p = 0.02). Gingivitis prevalence is higher among 12-year-old Puerto Ricans compared to data reported for U.S. adolescents. Public schoolchildren presented significantly higher BOP% sites compared to private schoolchildren. Boys presented a significantly higher total and supragingival calculus prevalence than girls. Oral health disparities related to gender and school type were identified by this study. Studies exploring the reasons for these disparities are recommended.

Perceived Reachability in Hemispace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabbard, C.; Ammar, D.; Rodrigues, L.

2005-01-01

A common observation in studies of perceived (imagined) compared to actual movement in a reaching paradigm is the tendency to overestimate. Of the studies noted, reaching tasks have been presented in the general midline range. In the present study, strong right-handers were asked to judge the reachability of visual targets projected onto a table…

A Comparative Study of Acousto-Optic Time-Integrating Correlators for Adaptive Jamming Cancellation

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-01

This final report presents a comparative study of the space-integrating and time-integrating configurations of an acousto - optic correlator...systematically evaluate all existing acousto - optic correlator architectures and to determine which would be most suitable for adaptive jamming

How Effective Are Self- and Peer Assessment of Oral Presentation Skills Compared with Teachers' Assessments?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Grez, Luc; Valcke, Martin; Roozen, Irene

2012-01-01

Assessment of oral presentation skills is an underexplored area. The study described here focuses on the agreement between professional assessment and self- and peer assessment of oral presentation skills and explores student perceptions about peer assessment. The study has the merit of paying attention to the inter-rater reliability of the…

Dosimetry and microdosimetry using COTS ICs: A comparative study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheick, L.; Swift, G.; Guertin, S.; Roth, D.; McNulty, P.; Nguyen, D.

2002-01-01

A new method using an array of MOS transistors formeasuring dose absorbed from ionizing radiation is compared to previous dosimetric methods., The accuracy and precision of dosimetry based on COTS SRAMs, DRAMs, and WPROMs are compared and contrasted. Applications of these devices in various space missions will be discussed. TID results are presented for this summary and microdosimetricresults will be added to the full paper. Finally, an analysis of the optimal condition for a digital dosimeter will be presented.

Spatial and temporal order memory in Korsakoff patients.

PubMed

Postma, Albert; Van Asselen, Marieke; Keuper, Olga; Wester, Arie J; Kessels, Roy P C

2006-05-01

This study directly compared how well Korsakoff patients can process spatial and temporal order information in memory under conditions that included presentation of only a single feature (i.e., temporal or spatial information), combined spatiotemporal presentation, and combined spatiotemporal order recall. Korsakoff patients were found to suffer comparable spatial and temporal order recall deficits. Of interest, recall of a single feature was the same when only spatial or temporal information was presented compared to conditions that included combined spatiotemporal, presentation and recall. In contrast, control participants performed worse when they have to recall both spatial and temporal order compared to when they have to recall only one of these features. These findings together indicate that spatial and temporal information are not automatically integrated. Korsakoff patients have profound problems in coding the feature at hand. Moreover, their lower recall of both features at the same time suggests that Korsakoff patients are impaired in binding different contextual attributes together in memory.

Challenges for Teachers of Religious Education in Catholic and State Schools in Poland: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makosa, Pawel

2016-01-01

The present work aims at presenting and comparing challenges faced by religion teachers in Catholic and state schools in Poland. For that purpose, 10 religion teachers from Catholic and 10 from state high schools were interviewed. First of all, the concept of teaching religion was discussed, followed by an analysis of the Catholic schools'…

Reality Presentation and Communication: A Comparative Discussion of the Smithsonian Institution and The Washington Post as Communications Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Lisa St. Clair

A comparative study of two types of media, a newspaper and a museum, reveals substantive differences in the ways each of these communications organizations alters the information which it presents to the public. Interviews conducted with spokespeople from the Washington Post and the Smithsonian Institution focused on three major theories of…

Antihyperglycaemic effects of ethanol extracts of Carica papaya and Pandanus amaryfollius leaf in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

PubMed

Sasidharan, Sreenivasan; Sumathi, Vello; Jegathambigai, Naidu Rameshwar; Latha, Lachimanan Yoga

2011-12-01

Diabetes mellitus is a global disease that is increasing in an alarming rate. The present study was undertaken to study the antidiabetic effect of the ethanol extracts of Carica papaya and Pandanus amaryfollius on streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. The results of the present study indicated that there was no significant difference in the body weight of the treated groups when compared to diabetic control. Whereas, there was significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the blood glucose level of the plant-treated groups compared to the diabetic control. Histologically the pancreas of the treated groups indicated significant regeneration of the β-cells when compared to the diabetic control. The liver tissues of the treated group indicated a reduction in fatty changes and pyknotic nucleus. The kidney tissues of the treated groups indicated significant recovery in the cuboidal tissue. The results from the phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponin and tannin in C. papaya and P. amaryfollius. The antidiabetic effect of C. papaya and P. amaryfollius observed in the present study may be due to the presence of these phytochemicals.

Fronto-limbic dysfunction in borderline personality disorder: a 18F-FDG positron emission tomography study.

PubMed

Salavert, José; Gasol, Miquel; Vieta, Eduard; Cervantes, Ana; Trampal, Carlos; Gispert, Juan Domingo

2011-06-01

Several functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated abnormalities in fronto-limbic pathways when comparing borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients with controls. The present study aimed to evaluate regional cerebral metabolism in euthymic BPD patients with similar measured impulsivity levels by means of 18F-FDG PET during resting state and to compare them against a control group. The present study evaluates regional cerebral metabolism in 8 euthymic BPD patients with 18F-FDG PET during resting state as compared to 8 controls with similar socio-geographic characteristics. BPD patients presented a marked hypo-metabolism in frontal lobe and showed hyper-metabolism in motor cortex (paracentral lobules and post-central cortex), medial and anterior cingulus, occipital lobe, temporal pole, left superior parietal gyrus and right superior frontal gyrus. No significant differences appeared in basal ganglia or thalamus. Results reveal a dysfunction in patients' frontolimbic network during rest and provide further evidence for the importance of these regions in relation to BPD symptomatology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Presentation Of Comparative Data for Transportation Planning Studies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Clear, yet detailed, presentations of transportation planning data to lay groups as well as to technical groups is becoming more and more of a necessity in the planning process. Presentation of technical information in understandable terms has become...

Effects of interstimulus intervals on behavioral, heart rate, and event-related potential indices of infant engagement and sustained attention

PubMed Central

Xie, Wanze; Richards, John E.

2016-01-01

Maximizing infant attention to stimulus presentation during an EEG or ERP experiment is important for making valid inferences about the neural correlates of infant cognition. The present study examined the effects of stimulus presentation interstimulus interval (ISI) on behavioral and physiological indices of infant attention including infants’ fixation to visual presentation, the amount of heart rate (HR) change during sustained attention, and ERP components. This study compared an ISI that is typically used in infant EEG/ERP studies (e.g., 1,500–2,000 ms) with two shorter durations (400–600 ms and 600–1,000 ms). Thirty-six infants were tested cross-sectionally at 3, 4.5, and 6 months. It was found that using the short (400–600 ms) and medium (600–1,000 ms) ISIs resulted in more visually fixated trials and reduced frequency of fixation disengagement per experimental block. We also found larger HR changes during sustained attention to both of the shorter ISIs compared with the long ISI, and larger ERP responses when using the medium ISI compared to using the short and long ISIs. These data suggest that utilizing an optimal ISI (e.g., 600– 1,000 ms), which increases the presentation complexity and provides sufficient time for information processing, can promote infant engagement and sustained attention during stimulus presentation. PMID:27159263

Publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meeting of International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.

PubMed

Ekşi, Murat Şakir; Özcan-Ekşi, Emel Ece

2018-01-19

Publication of a study is the end point of the process to contribute to the literature and confirm the scientific value of the study. Publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meetings of neurosurgery have been studied, previously. However, publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meetings of pediatric neurosurgery have not been reported, yet. We evaluated abstracts presented at the 38th annual meeting of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN) held in South Korea, 2010. We conducted this cross-sectional study by reviewing the abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the ISPN, 2010. Titles and authors of the abstracts were surveyed using Google Scholar and PubMed/MEDLINE. Time to publication, origin of the study, journal name in which the study has been accepted and published, and type of study has been analyzed for each abstract. The abstract booklet included 235 abstracts, consisted of 128 oral presentations (54%) and 107 electronic posters (46%). Fifty-nine (46%) of the oral presentations were published in a peer-reviewed journal. Laboratory studies were more likely to be published when compared to the clinical studies (72 vs. 39%). Thirty-two (30%) of the electronic posters were published in peer-reviewed journals. Most of the published abstracts were from Asia and Europe. Most of the abstracts were published in Child's Nervous System and Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. Publication rates of the abstracts presented at annual meeting of the ISPN were comparable to the other similar congresses. Oral presentations were more likely to be published. High publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the ISPN suggested that the meeting had a high scientific value.

A bi-level environmental impact assessment framework for comparing construction and demolition waste management strategies.

PubMed

Yazdanbakhsh, Ardavan

2018-04-27

Several pioneering life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have been conducted in the past to assess the environmental impact of specific methods for managing mineral construction and demolition waste (MCDW), such as recycling the waste for use in concrete. Those studies focus on comparing the use of recycled MCDW and that of virgin components to produce materials or systems that serve specified functions. Often, the approaches adopted by the studies do not account for the potential environmental consequence of avoiding the existing or alternative waste management practices. The present work focuses on how product systems need to be defined in recycling LCA studies and what processes need to be within the system boundaries. A bi-level LCA framework is presented for modelling alternative waste management approaches in which the impacts are measured and compared at two scales of strategy and decision-making. Different functional units are defined for each level, all of which correspond to the same flow of MCDW in a cascade of product systems. For the sole purpose of demonstrating how the framework is implemented an illustrative example is presented, based on real data and a number of simplifying assumptions, which compares the impacts of a number of potential MCDW management strategies in New York City. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age Differences in Five Personality Domains across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allemand, Mathias; Zimprich, Daniel; Hendriks, A. A. Jolijn

2008-01-01

The present study addresses the issue of age differences in 5 personality domains across the life span in a cross-sectional study. In contrast to most previous studies, the present study follows a methodologically more rigorous approach to warrant that age-related differences in personality structure and mean level can be meaningfully compared. It…

Kids in Germany: Comparing Students from Different Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzhugh, William P.

This unit of study, intended for intermediate grade students, focuses on comparing students from different cultures: Germany and the United States. The unit addresses National Social Studies Standards (NCSS) standards; presents an introduction, such as purpose/rationale; cites a recommended grade level; states objectives; provides a time…

A Comparative Study of Performance in the Conners' Continuous Performance Test between Brazilian and North American Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miranda, Monica Carolina; Sinnes, Elaine Girao; Pompeia, Sabine; Bueno, Orlando Francisco Amodeo

2008-01-01

Objective: The present study investigated the performance of Brazilian children in the Continuous Performance Test, CPT-II, and compared results to those of the norms obtained in the United States. Method: The U.S. norms were compared to those of a Brazilian sample composed of 6- to 11-year-olds separated into 4 age-groups (half boys) that…

How well do commonly used data presentation formats support comparative effectiveness evaluations?

PubMed

Dolan, James G; Qian, Feng; Veazie, Peter J

2012-01-01

Good decisions depend on an accurate understanding of the comparative effectiveness of decision alternatives. The best way to convey data needed to support these comparisons is unknown. To determine how well 5 commonly used data presentation formats convey comparative effectiveness information. The study was an Internet survey using a factorial design. Participants consisted of 279 members of an online survey panel. Study participants compared outcomes associated with 3 hypothetical screening test options relative to 5 possible outcomes with probabilities ranging from 2 per 5000 (0.04%) to 500 per 1000 (50%). Data presentation formats included a table, a "magnified" bar chart, a risk scale, a frequency diagram, and an icon array. Outcomes included the number of correct ordinal judgments regarding the more likely of 2 outcomes, the ratio of perceived versus actual relative likelihoods of the paired outcomes, the intersubject consistency of responses, and perceived clarity. The mean number of correct ordinal judgments was 12 of 15 (80%), with no differences among data formats. On average, there was a 3.3-fold difference between perceived and actual likelihood ratios (95% confidence interval = 3.0-3.6). Comparative judgments based on flowcharts, icon arrays, and tables were all significantly more accurate and consistent than those based on risk scales and bar charts (P < 0.001). The most clearly perceived formats were the table and the flowchart. Low subjective numeracy was associated with less accurate and more variable data interpretations and lower perceived clarity for icon displays, bar charts, and flow diagrams. None of the data presentation formats studied can reliably provide patients, especially those with low subjective numeracy, with an accurate understanding of comparative effectiveness information.

External cephalic version for breech presentation before term.

PubMed

Hutton, Eileen K; Hofmeyr, G Justus; Dowswell, Therese

2015-07-29

External cephalic version (ECV) of the breech fetus at term (after 37 weeks) has been shown to be effective in reducing the number of breech presentations and caesarean sections, but the rates of success are relatively low. This review examines studies initiating ECV prior to term (before 37 weeks' gestation). To assess the effectiveness of a policy of beginning ECV before term (before 37 weeks' gestation) for breech presentation on fetal presentation at birth, method of delivery, and the rate of preterm birth, perinatal morbidity, stillbirth or neonatal mortality. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 March 2015) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of ECV attempted before term (37 weeks' gestation) or commenced before term, compared with a control group of women (in breech presentation) in which either no ECV attempted or ECV was attempted at term. Cluster-randomised trials were eligible for inclusion but none were identified. Quasi-RCTs or studies using a cross-over design were not eligible for inclusion. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked for accuracy. Studies were assessed for risk of bias and for important outcomes the overall quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Five studies are included (2187 women). It was not possible for the intervention to be blinded, and it is not clear what impact lack of blinding would have on the outcomes reported. For other 'Risk of bias' domains studies were either at low or unclear risk of bias.One study reported on ECV that was undertaken and completed before 37 weeks' gestation compared with no ECV. No difference was found in the rate of non-cephalic presentation at birth (risk ratio (RR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64 to 1.69; participants = 102). One study reported on a policy of ECV that was initiated before term (33 weeks) and up until 40 weeks' gestation and which could be repeated up until delivery compared with no ECV. This study showed a decrease in the rate of non-cephalic presentation at birth (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.77; participants = 179).Three studies reported on ECV started at between 34 to 35 weeks' gestation compared with beginning at 37 to 38 weeks' gestation. Pooled results suggested that early ECV reduced the risk of non-cephalic presentation at birth (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.90; participants = 1906; studies = three; I² = 0%, evidence graded high quality), failure to achieve vaginal cephalic birth (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.97; participants = 1888; studies = three; I² = 0%, evidence graded high quality), and vaginal breech delivery (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.78; participants = 1888; studies = three; I² = 0%, evidence graded high quality). The difference between groups for risk of caesarean was not statistically significant (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.00; participants = 1888; studies = three; I² = 0%, evidence graded high quality). There was evidence that risk of preterm labour was increased with early ECV compared with ECV after 37 weeks (6.6% in the ECV group and 4.3% for controls) (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.21; participants = 1888; studies = three; I² = 0%, evidence graded high quality). There was no clear difference between groups for low infant Apgar score at five minutes or perinatal death (stillbirth plus neonatal mortality up to seven days) (evidence graded as low quality for both outcomes). Compared with no ECV attempt, ECV commenced before term reduces non-cephalic presentation at birth. Compared with ECV at term, beginning ECV at between 34 to 35 weeks may have some benefit in terms of decreasing the rate of non-cephalic presentation, and risk of vaginal breech birth. However, early ECV may increase risk of late preterm birth, and it is important that any future research reports infant morbidity outcomes. Results of the review suggest that there is a need for careful discussion with women about the timing of the ECV procedure so that they can make informed decisions.

Comparative study on the measurement of learning outcomes after powerpoint presentation and problem based learning with discussion in family medicine amongst fifth year medical students.

PubMed

Khobragade, Sujata; Abas, Adinegara Lutfi; Khobragade, Yadneshwar Sudam

2016-01-01

Learning outcomes after traditional teaching methods were compared with problem-based learning (PBL) among fifth year medical students. Six students participated each in traditional teaching and PBL methods, respectively. Traditional teaching method involved PowerPoint (PPT) presentation and PBL included study on case scenario and discussion. Both methods were effective in improving performance of students. Postteaching, we did not find significant differences in learning outcomes between these two teaching methods. (1) Study was conducted with an intention to find out which method of learning is more effective; traditional or PBL. (2) To assess the level of knowledge and understanding in anemia/zoonotic diseases as against diabetes/hypertension. All the students posted from February 3, 2014, to March 14, 2014, participated in this study. Six students were asked to prepare and present a lecture (PPT) and subsequent week other six students were asked to present PBL. Both groups presented different topics. Since it was a pre- and post-test, same students were taken as control. To maintain uniformity and to avoid bias due cultural diversity, language etc., same questions were administered. After taking verbal consent, all 34 students were given pretest on anemia and zoonotic diseases. Then lecture (PPT) by six students on the same topic was given it followed by posttest questionnaire. Subsequent week pretest was conducted on hypertension and diabetes. Then case scenario presentation and discussion (PBL) was done by different six students followed by posttest. Both the methods were compared. Analysis was done manually and standard error of means and students t -test was used to find out statistical significance. We found statistically significant improvement in performance of students after PPT presentation as well as PBL. Both methods are equally effective. However, Pretest results of students in anemia and zoonotic diseases (Group A) were poor compared to pretest results of students in hypertension and diabetes (Group B). The students who participated in presentation did not influence their performance as they were covering a small part of the topic and there were no differences in their marks compared to other students. We did not find significant differences in outcome after teaching between PBL and traditional methods. Performances of students were poor in anemia and zoonotic diseases which need remedial teaching. Assessment may influence retention ability and performance.

A Study of Mathematics Infusion in Middle School Technology Education Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burghardt, M. David; Hecht, Deborah; Russo, Maria; Lauckhardt, James; Hacker, Michael

2010-01-01

The present study examined the impact of introducing a mathematics infused engineering/technology education (ETE) curriculum on students' mathematics content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics. The purpose of the present study was to: (a) compare the effects of a mathematics infused ETE curriculum and a control curriculum on student…

Time perspective as a predictor of massive multiplayer online role-playing game playing.

PubMed

Lukavska, Katerina

2012-01-01

This article focuses on the relationship between the time perspective (TP) personality trait and massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing. We investigate the question of frequency of playing. The TP was measured with Zimbardo's TP Inventory (ZTPI), which includes five factors-past negative, past positive, present hedonistic, present fatalistic, and future. The study used data from 154 MMORPG players. We demonstrated that TP partially explained differences within a group of players with respect to the frequency of playing. Significant positive correlations were found between present factors and the amount of time spent playing MMORPGs, and significant negative correlation was found between the future factor and the time spent playing MMORPGs. Our study also revealed the influence of future-present balance on playing time. Players who scored lower in future-present balance variables (their present score was relatively high compared with their future score) reported higher values in playing time. In contrast to referential studies on TP and drug abuse and gambling, present fatalistic TP was demonstrated to be a stronger predictor of extensive playing than present hedonistic TP, which opened the question of motivation for playing. The advantage of our study compared with other personality-based studies lies in the fact that TP is a stable but malleable personality trait with a direct link to playing behavior. Therefore, TP is a promising conceptual resource for excessive playing therapy.

Psychiatric disorders and cardiac anxiety in exercising and sedentary coronary artery disease patients: a case-control study.

PubMed

Sardinha, A; Araújo, C G S; Nardi, A E

2012-12-01

Regular physical exercise has been shown to favorably influence mood and anxiety; however, there are few studies regarding psychiatric aspects of physically active patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of the present study was to compare the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and cardiac anxiety in sedentary and exercising CAD patients. A total sample of 119 CAD patients (74 men) were enrolled in a case-control study. The subjects were interviewed to identify psychiatric disorders and responded to the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire. In the exercise group (N = 60), there was a lower prevalence (45 vs 81%; P < 0.001) of at least one psychiatric diagnosis, as well as multiple comorbidities, when compared to the sedentary group (N = 59). Considering the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire, sedentary patients presented higher scores compared to exercisers (mean ± SEM = 55.8 ± 1.9 vs 37.3 ± 1.6; P < 0.001). In a regression model, to be attending a medically supervised exercise program presented a relevant potential for a 35% reduction in cardiac anxiety. CAD patients regularly attending an exercise program presented less current psychiatric diagnoses and multiple mental-related comorbidities and lower scores of cardiac anxiety. These salutary mental effects add to the already known health benefits of exercise for CAD patients.

Psychiatric disorders and cardiac anxiety in exercising and sedentary coronary artery disease patients: a case-control study

PubMed Central

Sardinha, A.; Araújo, C.G.S.; Nardi, A.E.

2012-01-01

Regular physical exercise has been shown to favorably influence mood and anxiety; however, there are few studies regarding psychiatric aspects of physically active patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of the present study was to compare the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and cardiac anxiety in sedentary and exercising CAD patients. A total sample of 119 CAD patients (74 men) were enrolled in a case-control study. The subjects were interviewed to identify psychiatric disorders and responded to the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire. In the exercise group (N = 60), there was a lower prevalence (45 vs 81%; P < 0.001) of at least one psychiatric diagnosis, as well as multiple comorbidities, when compared to the sedentary group (N = 59). Considering the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire, sedentary patients presented higher scores compared to exercisers (mean ± SEM = 55.8 ± 1.9 vs 37.3 ± 1.6; P < 0.001). In a regression model, to be attending a medically supervised exercise program presented a relevant potential for a 35% reduction in cardiac anxiety. CAD patients regularly attending an exercise program presented less current psychiatric diagnoses and multiple mental-related comorbidities and lower scores of cardiac anxiety. These salutary mental effects add to the already known health benefits of exercise for CAD patients. PMID:23011407

Empirical development of brief smoking prevention videotapes which target African-American adolescents.

PubMed

Sussman, S; Parker, V C; Lopes, C; Crippens, D L; Elder, P; Scholl, D

1995-07-01

Two studies are described which provide evaluations for two brief videotapes developed as supplemental materials in the prevention of tobacco use among African-American adolescents. One videotape (the "soap opera") provides a more general audience-oriented presentation of prevention material and it was filmed primarily at a shopping mall, whereas the other videotape (the "rap") provides a "hip-hop generation" presentation, and it was filmed primarily at an outdoor hangout. The first study compared the two videotapes against each other. The second study compared the two videotapes combined in the same presentation, controlling for order of presentation, against a discussion group control. The results of the two studies indicated few differences in receptivity to the two videotapes among primarily African-American and Latino young adolescents. The rap videotape was rated as more accurate in its depiction of the African-American lifestyle, although both videotapes were equally liked. When shown together, the videotapes were not found to be superior in decreasing behavioral intention to smoke compared to a discussion group control. No change in trial of smoking was observed within or across conditions measured over a pre-post summer interval. These data suggest that "culturally sensitive" videotapes have no more of a short-term effect on youth than do other types of brief interventions which involve minority implementers.

A Comparative Study of Male and Female Early Childhood Teachers' Job Satisfaction in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Fatma Tezel; Sak, Ramazan

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to provide a comparative analysis of job satisfaction among male and female teachers in early childhood education. A total of 163 teachers participated in the study, which utilized Tahta's (An analysis of job satisfaction of preschool teachers, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 1995) Job Satisfaction Survey and a…

Diverse Assessment and Active Student Engagement Sustain Deep Learning: A Comparative Study of Outcomes in Two Parallel Introductory Biochemistry Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bevan, Samantha J.; Chan, Cecilia W. L.; Tanner, Julian A.

2014-01-01

Although there is increasing evidence for a relationship between courses that emphasize student engagement and achievement of student deep learning, there is a paucity of quantitative comparative studies in a biochemistry and molecular biology context. Here, we present a pedagogical study in two contrasting parallel biochemistry introductory…

Possibilities and limitations of current stereo-endoscopy.

PubMed

Mueller-Richter, U D A; Limberger, A; Weber, P; Ruprecht, K W; Spitzer, W; Schilling, M

2004-06-01

Stereo-endoscopy has become a commonly used technology. In many comparative studies striking advantages of stereo-endoscopy over two-dimensional presentation could not be proven. To show the potential and fields for further improvement of this technology is the aim of this article. The physiological basis of three-dimensional vision limitations of current stereo-endoscopes is discussed and fields for further research are indicated. New developments in spatial picture acquisition and spatial picture presentation are discussed. Current limitations of stereo-endoscopy that prevent a better ranking in comparative studies with two-dimensional presentation are mainly based on insufficient picture acquisition. Devices for three-dimensional picture presentation are at a more advanced developmental stage than devices for three-dimensional picture acquisition. Further research should emphasize the development of new devices for three-dimensional picture acquisition.

Why do children present to emergency departments? Exploring motivators and measures of presentation appropriateness for children presenting to a paediatric emergency department.

PubMed

Cheek, John A; Braitberg, George; Craig, Simon; West, Adam

2017-05-01

To compare the parental motivators and referring general practitioner's (GP's) reasons for advising emergency department (ED) attendance with the assessment of ED medical staff. To compare ED clinician opinion with other published methods that have attempted to define 'primary care suitable' presentations to the ED. A prospective observational study and series of surveys regarding the attendance of children presenting to a single tertiary paediatric ED. Surveys were distributed to the treating ED clinician, the child's parent/guardian, and the referring GP. Results between the three groups were analysed and compared. There were a total of 1069 presentations during the study period. Six hundred (58.4%, 95% CI 55.3-61.4%) presentations were judged as 'ED appropriate' by the treating ED clinician. When compared with methods used to retrospectively judge whether ED patients are considered 'primary care suitable', ED clinicians disagree between 22.4 and 38.8% of the time. For patients who presented directly to ED, 85.6% did so for a medical reason, whilst 32.1% did so for a GP access reason. Being referred by a GP improved the ED clinicians' opinion of the appropriateness of the presentation (49.2 vs. 73.9%, P < 0.05). We caution that many strategies attempting to 'solve' the issue of increasing ED attendances by paediatric patients have been driven by opinion, and a better understanding of the motivators that drive this behaviour is needed. We believe the solution to increasing utilisation of EDs by children must be a balanced approach that addresses community expectations and appropriately resources EDs. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Publication rates following pancreas meetings.

PubMed

Timmer, A; Blum, T; Lankisch, P G

2001-08-01

Publication rates and determinants of publication were studied based on abstracts presented at pancreatic meetings. All abstracts presented at the 1994 and 1995 annual meetings of the European Pancreatic Club (EPC) and the American Pancreatic Association (APA) were followed up by searching MEDLINE. Publication rates were compared using log-rank tests and multiple logistic regression. The prestige of the publishing journals was compared using Kruskal-Wallis tests on scientific impact factors (SIF). Overall, 340 abstracts were presented at the EPC, and 254 were presented at the APA. Of these, 203 (59.7%, EPC) and 138 (54.3%, APA) were later published in peer-reviewed journals. Publication rates did not differ by study type or country region of origin. In addition, median SIFs were similar by conference (APA vs. EPC) and research type (basic science vs. clinical studies) (overall, 1.7). However, North American and North/West European articles were published in higher impact journals as compared with those from other countries. Publication rates and median journal SIFs in pancreas research are similar to those reported from other medical specialty meetings. There is no difference by conference, type of research, or origin (North American vs. European).

Characteristics of hospital-treated intentional drug overdose in Ireland and Northern Ireland

PubMed Central

Griffin, Eve; Corcoran, Paul; Cassidy, Linda; O'Carroll, Amanda; Perry, Ivan J; Bonner, Brendan

2014-01-01

Objectives This study compared the profile of intentional drug overdoses (IDOs) presenting to emergency departments in Ireland and in the Western Trust Area of Northern Ireland between 2007 and 2012. Specifically the study aimed to compare characteristics of the patients involved, to explore the factors associated with repeated IDO and to report the prescription rates of common drug types in the population. Methods We utilised data from two comparable registries which monitor the incidence of hospital-treated self-harm, recording data from deliberate self-harm presentations involving an IDO to all hospital emergency departments for the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012. Results Between 2007 and 2012 the registries recorded 56 494 self-harm presentations involving an IDO. The study showed that hospital-treated IDO was almost twice as common in Northern Ireland than in Ireland (278 vs 156/100 000, respectively). Conclusions Despite the overall difference in the rates of IDO, the profile of such presentations was remarkably similar in both countries. Minor tranquillisers were the drugs most commonly involved in IDOs. National campaigns are required to address the availability and misuse of minor tranquillisers, both prescribed and non-prescribed. PMID:25079938

Anxiety and Charles Bonnet Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geueke, Anna; Morley, Michael G.; Morley, Katharine; Lorch, Alice; Jackson, MaryLou; Lambrou, Angeliki; Wenberg, June; Oteng-Amoako, Afua

2012-01-01

Introduction: Some persons with Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) suffer significant anxiety because of their visual hallucinations, while others do not. The aim of the study presented here was to compare levels of anxiety in persons with low vision with and without CBS. Methods: This retrospective study compared the level of anxiety in 31 persons…

Ontological, Epistemological and Methodological Assumptions: Qualitative versus Quantitative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Abdelhamid

2008-01-01

The review to follow is a comparative analysis of two studies conducted in the field of TESOL in Education published in "TESOL QUARTERLY." The aspects to be compared are as follows. First, a brief description of each study will be presented. Second, the ontological, epistemological and methodological assumptions underlying each study…

Auditory Morphological Knowledge among Children with Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiff, Rachel; Cohen, Miki; Ben-Artzi, Elisheva; Sasson, Ayelet; Ravid, Dorit

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to examine the morphological knowledge of readers with developmental dyslexia compared to chronological age and reading-level matched controls. The study also analyzes the errors dyslexics make and their metamorphological awareness compared to controls. Participants included 31 seventh-grade dyslexic children and…

Job Satisfaction in Fisheries Compared

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollnac, Richard; Bavinck, Maarten; Monnereau, Iris

2012-01-01

This article draws comparative lessons from seven job satisfaction studies on marine capture fishing that were recently carried out in nine countries and three geographical regions--Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. The seven studies made use of an identical job satisfaction assessment tool and present information on a selection of metiers mainly…

A comparative study of Venus and Mars - Upper atmospheres, ionospheres and solar wind interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahajan, K. K.; Kar, J.

1990-01-01

The neutral atmospheres of Mars and Venus are discussed. A comparative study is presented of the upper atmospheres, ionospheres, and solar wind interactions of these two planets. The review is mainly concerned with the region about 100 km above the surface of the planets.

Interpretive Excursions in Educational Administration: Reconstructing Weberian Theory as a Comparative Historical Sociology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samier, Eugenie A.

1996-01-01

Examines the presentation of Max Weber's work in educational administration. Shows how the nature and scope of Weber's methodological writings and studies have been misrepresented and how the potential value of Weber's comparative historical sociology has been reduced to administrative studies. Considers Weber's historical principles of…

Site-Based Leadership: Extrapolating from Small Business to Charter Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arbisi Little, Joan

2012-01-01

Using a participant-observer perspective, this comparative case study sought to identify similarities between business and education to contribute to charter school training, leadership development, and school reform. This inquiry is a qualitative comparative case study using a participant observer perspective presented in a scholarly personal…

A Comparative Study of the Application of FACTS Devices in Wind Power Plants of the Southeast Area of the Mexican Electric System

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

Beltran-Valle, Omar; Pena-Gallardo, Rafael; Segundo-Ramirez, Juan

This paper presents a comparative study of the application of Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices, as Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC), Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) and Unified Power Controller (UPFC) on congestion management and voltage support in the area of the Istmo of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. The present work provides an analysis about the performance of the control of active and reactive power of the FACTS controllers applied to mentioned problems in the power system.

A Pilot Investigation Comparing Instructional Packages for MTS Training: "Manual Alone" vs. "Manual-Plus-Computer-Aided Personalized System of Instruction"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira, Marileide; Goyos, Celso; Pear, Joseph

2012-01-01

Matching-to-sample (MTS) training consists of presenting a stimulus as a sample followed by stimuli called comparisons from which a subject makes a choice. This study presents results of a pilot investigation comparing two packages for teaching university students to conduct MTS training. Two groups--control and experimental--with 2 participants…

The conclusion of a comparative efficacy study of fluralaner and sarolaner against the tick Amblyomma americanum on dogs is based on results obtained at study times that are outside the fluralaner label recommendations.

PubMed

Armstrong, Rob

2017-03-24

The only fluralaner-related conclusion presented in a study comparing the efficacy of fluralaner and sarolaner for control of the tick Amblyomma americanum on dogs is based on study times that are outside the label administration recommendations. Label recommendations for fluralaner treatment of A. americanum on dogs in the USA require re-administration at 56 days. This 56 day re-administration was not conducted in the study; therefore, all assessed time points following 56 days post-treatment in the study present comparisons that are not consistent with fluralaner administration recommendations. The only comparative time point assessed prior to 56 days showing a difference between treatments was at 42 days post-administration, a time point when methodological problems were identified by the investigators. Therefore, the only comparative study conclusion that a difference was shown between fluralaner and sarolaner beyond 6 weeks (42 days) after treatment is not based on recommended product use. Furthermore, if the study does not show that there is a difference between the treatments at times when the products are used as recommended, then there also can be no comparative discussion of the risk of tick-borne pathogen transmission risk between treatments.

Processing Instruction and Dictogloss: A Study on Object Pronouns and Word Order in Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanPatten, Bill; Inclezan, Daniela; Salazar, Hilda; Farley, Andrew P.

2009-01-01

In the current study, we present the findings of an experiment with 108 participants of Spanish as a second language in which we compared the effects of dictogloss (DG) and processing instruction (PI) and compared both sets of effects to a control group. Our findings do not support the results of a recent study, Qin (2008). In that study, DG and…

A Corpus-Based Study of Theme and Thematic Progression in English and Russian Non-Translated Texts and in Russian Translated Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alekseyenko, Nataliya V.

2013-01-01

The present study is a corpus-based comparative investigation of Theme and thematic progression in English and Russian. While monolingual thematic studies have a long history in Linguistics, comparative studies are relatively few, in particular for the given language pair. In addition to filling the existing gap in the field of Translation…

Confronting Crisis. A Comparative Study of Household Responses to Poverty and Vulnerability in Four Poor Urban Communities. Environmentally Sustainable Development Studies and Monographs Series No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moser, Caroline O. N.

This volume presents the main findings of a comparative study of four poor urban communities in countries experiencing economic difficulties during the late 1980s: Chawama (Zambia), Cisne Dos (Ecuador), Commonwealth (the Philippines), and Angyalfold (Hungary). The study extended a longitudinal community panel study begun in Ecuador by using a…

A comparative, epidemiological study of acute renal colic presentations to emergency departments in Doha, Qatar, and Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Pathan, Sameer A; Mitra, Biswadev; Bhutta, Zain A; Qureshi, Isma; Spencer, Elle; Hameed, Asmaa A; Nadeem, Sana; Tahir, Ramsha; Anjum, Shahzad; Cameron, Peter A

2018-01-03

This study aimed to compare the epidemiology, clinical presentations, management, and outcomes of renal colic presentations in two major academic centers from geographically diverse populations: Qatar (a country in the Afro-Asian stone belt) and South-Eastern Australia (not within a stone belt). We undertook a retrospective cohort study of patients with renal colic who presented to the Hamad General Hospital Emergency Department (HGH-ED), Qatar, and The Alfred ED, Melbourne, Australia, during a period of 1 year from August 1, 2012, to July 31, 2013. Cases were identified using ICD-9-CM codes, and an electronic template was used to record the data on predefined clinical variables. A total of 12,223 from the HGH-ED and 384 from The Alfred ED were identified as renal colic presentations during the study period. The rate of renal colic presentations at the HGH-ED was 27.9 per 1000 ED visits compared to 6.7 per 1000 ED visits at The Alfred ED. Patients presenting to the HGH-ED were significantly younger [34.9 years (29.0-43.4) than The Alfred ED [48 years (37-60); P < 0.001]. The median stone size was larger in the HGH-ED group [6 (4-8) mm] versus The Alfred ED group [4 (3-6) mm, P < 0.001]. The intervention rate in the stone-positive population was significantly higher in the HGH-ED group as opposed to The Alfred ED group (38.7 versus 11.9%, P < 0.001). At the time of discharge, The Alfred ED group received fewer analgesic prescriptions (55.8 versus 83.5%, P < 0.001) and more tamsulosin prescriptions (25.3 versus 11.7%, P < 0.001). Renal colic presentations to the HGH-ED, Qatar, were younger, with larger stone size mostly located in the lower ureter, compared to The Alfred ED, Melbourne, Australia. The findings suggest that the benefits of treatment including medical expulsion therapy will vary between the two populations. Differences in epidemiology and patient mix should be considered while tailoring strategies for effective management of patients with renal colic in a given setting.

Unmatched Case-Control Study on Late Presentation of HIV Infection in Santiago, Cape Verde (2004–2011)

PubMed Central

Moreira, António L.; Fronteira, Inês; Augusto, Gonçalo Figueiredo; Martins, Maria Rosario O.

2016-01-01

Access to free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Sub-Saharan Africa has been steadily increasing over the past decade. However, the success of large-scale ART programmes depends on timely diagnosis and early initiation of HIV care. This study characterizes late presenters to HIV care in Santiago (Cape Verde) between 2004 and 2011, and identifies factors associated with late presentation for care. We defined late presentation as persons presenting to HIV care with a CD4 count below 350 cells/mm3. An unmatched case-control study was conducted using socio-demographic and behavioural data of 368 individuals (191 cases and 177 controls) collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire, comparing HIV patients late and early presented to care. Logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Results show that 51.9% were late presenters for HIV. No differences were found in gender distribution, marital status, or access to health services between cases and controls. Participants who undertook an HIV test by doctor indication were more likely to present late compared with those who tested for HIV by their own initiative. Also, individuals taking less time to initiate ART are more likely to present late. This study highlights the need to better understand reasons for late presentation to HIV care in Cape Verde. People in older age groups should be targeted in future approaches focused on late presenters to HIV care. PMID:26999167

Unmatched Case-Control Study on Late Presentation of HIV Infection in Santiago, Cape Verde (2004-2011).

PubMed

Moreira, António L; Fronteira, Inês; Augusto, Gonçalo Figueiredo; Martins, Maria Rosario O

2016-03-15

Access to free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Sub-Saharan Africa has been steadily increasing over the past decade. However, the success of large-scale ART programmes depends on timely diagnosis and early initiation of HIV care. This study characterizes late presenters to HIV care in Santiago (Cape Verde) between 2004 and 2011, and identifies factors associated with late presentation for care. We defined late presentation as persons presenting to HIV care with a CD4 count below 350 cells/mm³. An unmatched case-control study was conducted using socio-demographic and behavioural data of 368 individuals (191 cases and 177 controls) collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire, comparing HIV patients late and early presented to care. Logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Results show that 51.9% were late presenters for HIV. No differences were found in gender distribution, marital status, or access to health services between cases and controls. Participants who undertook an HIV test by doctor indication were more likely to present late compared with those who tested for HIV by their own initiative. Also, individuals taking less time to initiate ART are more likely to present late. This study highlights the need to better understand reasons for late presentation to HIV care in Cape Verde. People in older age groups should be targeted in future approaches focused on late presenters to HIV care.

A comparative study of two shovel designs.

PubMed

Degani, A; Asfour, S S; Waly, S M; Koshy, J G

1993-10-01

In the present study a modified shovel design with two perpendicular shafts is presented. This modified, two-shaft shovel was compared with a regular shovel. The modified shovel was evaluated and tested in a controlled laboratory environment using surface electromyography recorded from the lumbar paraspinal muscles. The new shovel design was also tested in a field study using ratings of perceived exertion. The results indicate that there was a significant reduction in EMG values of the lumbar paraspinal muscles and a consistent reduction in perceived exertion ratings while the modified shovel was being used for removing dirt in digging trenches up to 90 cm in depth.

Longer time to antibiotics and higher mortality among septic patients with non-specific presentations--a cross sectional study of Emergency Department patients indicating that a screening tool may improve identification.

PubMed

Wallgren, Ulrika Margareta; Antonsson, Viktor Erik; Castrén, Maaret Kaarina; Kurland, Lisa

2016-01-06

The presentation of sepsis is varied and our hypotheses were that septic patients with non-specific presentations such as decreased general condition (DGC) have a less favourable outcome, and that a screening tool could increase identification of these patients. We aimed to: 1) assess time to antibiotics and in-hospital mortality among septic patients with ED chief complaint DGC, as compared with septic patients with other ED chief complaints, and 2) determine whether a screening tool could improve identification of septic patients with non-specific presentations such as DGC. Cross sectional study comparing time to antibiotics (Mann Whitney and Kaplan-Meier tests), and in-hospital mortality (logistic regression), between 61 septic patients with ED chief complaint DGC and 516 septic patients with other ED chief complaints. The sensitivity and specificity of the modified Robson screening tool was compared with that of ED doctor clinical judgment (McNemar's two related samples test) among 122 patients presenting to the ED with chief complaint DGC, of which 61 were discharged with ICD code sepsis. Septic patients presenting to the ED with the chief complaint DGC had a longer median time to antibiotics (05:26 h:minutes; IQR 4:00-10:40, vs. 03:56 h:minutes; IQR 2:21-7:32) and an increased in-hospital mortality (crude OR = 4.01; 95% CI, 2.19-7.32), compared to septic patients with other ED chief complaints. This association remained significant when adjusting for sex, age, priority, comorbidity and fulfilment of the Robson score (OR 4.31; 95% CI, 2.12-8.77). The modified Robson screening tool had a higher sensitivity (63.0 vs. 24.6%, p < 0.001), but a lower specificity (68.3 vs. 100.0%, p < 0.001), as compared to clinical judgment. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study comparing outcome of septic patients according to ED chief complaint. Septic patients presenting with a non-specific ED presentation, here exemplified as the chief complaint DGC, have a less favourable outcome. Our results indicate that implementation of a screening tool may increase the identification of septic patients. The results indicate that septic patients presenting with ED chief complaint DGC constitute a vulnerable patient group with delayed time to antibiotics and high in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, the results support that implementation of a screening tool may be beneficial to improve identification of these patients.

Fiber-MZI-based FBG sensor interrogation: comparative study with a CCD spectrometer.

PubMed

Das, Bhargab; Chandra, Vikash

2016-10-10

We present an experimental comparative study of the two most commonly used fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation techniques: a charge-coupled device (CCD) spectrometer and a fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (F-MZI). Although the interferometric interrogation technique is historically known to offer the highest sensitivity measurements, very little information exists regarding how it compares with the current commercially available spectral-characteristics-based interrogation systems. It is experimentally established here that the performance of a modern-day CCD spectrometer interrogator is very close to a F-MZI interrogator with the capability of measuring Bragg wavelength shifts with sub-picometer-level accuracy. The results presented in this research study can further be used as a guideline for choosing between the two FBG sensor interrogator types for small-amplitude dynamic perturbation measurements down to nano-level strain.

Parametric and experimental analysis using a power flow approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuschieri, J. M.

1990-01-01

A structural power flow approach for the analysis of structure-borne transmission of vibrations is used to analyze the influence of structural parameters on transmitted power. The parametric analysis is also performed using the Statistical Energy Analysis approach and the results are compared with those obtained using the power flow approach. The advantages of structural power flow analysis are demonstrated by comparing the type of results that are obtained by the two analytical methods. Also, to demonstrate that the power flow results represent a direct physical parameter that can be measured on a typical structure, an experimental study of structural power flow is presented. This experimental study presents results for an L shaped beam for which an available solution was already obtained. Various methods to measure vibrational power flow are compared to study their advantages and disadvantages.

Using different physical activity measurements in eight European countries. Results of the European Physical Activity Surveillance System (EUPASS) time series survey.

PubMed

Rütten, A; Ziemainz, H; Schena, F; Stahl, T; Stiggelbout, M; Auweele, Y Vanden; Vuillemin, A; Welshman, J

2003-06-01

The European Physical Activity Surveillance System (EUPASS) research project compared several physical activity (PA) measures (including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)) in a time series survey in eight countries of the European Union. The present paper describes first results provided by the different instruments regarding PA participation, frequency and duration, both at the European and national levels. The purpose of the present study is to explore and compare the specific quality and usefulness of different indicators rather than to provide valid and reliable prevalence data. Thus, the main focus is on discussion of the methodological implications of the results presented. A time series survey based on computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI) was carried out in eight European countries over a six-month period. The study provided for about 100 realised interviews per month in each country (i.e. approximately 600 per country). Descriptive statistical analysis was used to: (1) report IPAQ results on vigorous, moderate and light PA and sitting, as well as on the overall measure of calories expenditure (MET min-1), in the different countries; (2) compare these results with national PA indicators tested in EUPASS; and (3) compare IPAQ results with other European studies. First, the scores for the different PA categories as well as for the overall measure of calories expenditure provided by the IPAQ appeared rather high compared with previous studies and public health recommendations. Second, the different PA measurements used in EUPASS provided completely different results. For example, national indicators used in Germany and The Netherlands to date neither corresponded in absolute values (e.g. means of PA or sitting) nor correlated with the IPAQ in any significant way. Third, comparing EU countries, the ranking for vigorous, moderate and light activities by use of the IPAQ differed from that of other European studies. For example, in the present analysis, German respondents generally showed higher scores for PA than the Finns and the Dutch, while, in contrast, findings from other studies ranked Finland before The Netherlands and Germany. The present analysis highlights some methodological implications of the IPAQ instrument. Among other things, differences in overall scores for PA as well as in the ranking of nations between the present results using IPAQ and other measures and studies may partly be due to the concepts of PA behind the measurements. Further analysis should investigate if the range of PA-related categories provided by the IPAQ is fully appropriate to measure all relevant daily activities; it may also consider the public health implications of mixing up different contexts of PA (e.g. work, leisure-time, transportation) in the IPAQ short version.

Asymmetry in gait pattern following bicondylar tibial plateau fractures-A prospective one-year cohort study.

PubMed

Elsoe, Rasmus; Larsen, Peter

2017-07-01

Despite the high number of studies evaluating outcomes following tibial plateau fractures, the literature lacks studies including the objective assessment of gait pattern. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate asymmetry in gait patterns at 12 months after frame removal following ring fixation of a tibial plateau fracture. The study design was a prospective cohort study. The primary outcome measurement was the gait patterns 12 months after frame removal measured with a pressure-sensitive mat. The mat registers footprints and present gait speed, cadence, as well as temporal and spatial parameters of the gait cycle. Gait patterns were compared to a healthy reference population. Twenty-three patients were included with a mean age of 54.4 years (32-78 years). Patients presented with a shorter step-length of the injured leg compared to the non-injured leg (asymmetry of 11.3%). Analysis of single-support showed shorter support time of the injured leg compared to the non-injured leg (asymmetry of 8.7%). Moreover, analysis of swing-time showed increased swing-time of the injured leg (asymmetry of 8.9%). Compared to a healthy reference population, increased asymmetry in all gait patterns was observed. The association between asymmetry and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) showed moderate associations (single-support: R=0.50, P=0.03; step-length: R=0.43, P=0.07; swing-time: R=0.46, P=0.05). Compared to a healthy reference population, gait asymmetry is common 12 months after frame removal in patients treated with external ring fixation following a tibial plateau fracture of the tibia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual Reality Exposure and Imaginal Exposure in the Treatment of Fear of Flying: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rus-Calafell, Mar; Gutierrez-Maldonado, Jose; Botella, Cristina; Banos, Rosa M.

2013-01-01

Fear of flying (FF) is an impairing psychological disorder that is extremely common in developed countries. The most effective treatment for this particular type of phobia is exposure therapy. However, there are few studies comparing imaginal exposure (IE) and virtual reality (VR) exposure for the treatment of FF. The present study compared the…

Comparative Study of Teaching Content in Teacher Education Programmes in Canada, Denmark, Finland and Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Jens; Bayer, Martin

2014-01-01

This article presents the results of a comparative study of the content in selected teacher education programmes for primary and lower secondary teachers in Canada, Denmark, Finland and Singapore. First and foremost, the study is a comparison between teacher education programmes in, on the one hand, Canada, Finland and Singapore, all of which…

Models of Transformative Learning for Social Justice: Comparative Case Studies of Non-Formal Development Education in Britain and Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Eleanor J.

2015-01-01

This paper presents comparative case studies of non-formal development education by non-profit organisations in two European countries. The study aimed to explore the extent to which such activities provide opportunities for transformative learning. The research was qualitative and began with interviews with educators across 14 organisations in…

Teacher Empowerment as an Important Component of Job Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of Teachers' Perspectives in Al-Farwaniya District, Kuwait

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Yaseen, Wafaa Salem; Al-Musaileem, Mohammad Yousef

2015-01-01

The present comparative study investigates the perceptions of male and female teachers regarding the relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction. The study aims to look at factors that empower teachers and lead to job satisfaction from teachers' perspectives. For that purpose, teachers were selected from three educational levels…

The New Instructional Technologies: Are They Worth It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tickton, Sidney G.; Kohn, Sherwood Davidson

Two authors discuss educational technology innovations, costs, and effectiveness. Sidney Tickton summarizes the CIT report of 1969-70 and new data highlights from the present study. He recommends that government agency sponsors of technology projects demand cost and result information and comparative studies with other systems presenting identical…

Language Skills of Males with Fragile X Syndrome or Nonsyndromic Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurman, Angela John; McDuffie, Andrea; Hagerman, Randi J.; Josol, Cynde K.; Abbeduto, Leonard

2017-01-01

Despite the similarities observed between the fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotypes, few studies have compared their behavioral profiles outside of ASD symptomatology. In the present study, we sought to compare lexical and grammatical abilities in these two conditions. Comparisons of language abilities in both of…

Comparative study of three Plumbago L. species (Plumbaginaceae) by microscopy, UPLC–UV and HPTLC analyses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper presents a comparative study of anatomy of leaves, stems and roots of three species of Plumbago, namely P. auriculata Lam., P. indica L. and P. zeylanica L. by light microscopy. The paper also provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of the naphthoquinone, plumbagin, a major constit...

Competence-Based Approach in the Education of Pedagogues--Comparative View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ermenc, Klara Skubic; Vujisic-Živkovic, Nataša

2015-01-01

The paper presents some of the findings of a comparative qualitative study conducted at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and University of Belgrade, Serbia. It discusses the findings related to the opinions and experiences of the university professors about the role of competences in the pedagogy study programmes. Competence-based approach has…

Collision problems treated with the Generalized Hyperspherical Sturmian method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitnik, D. M.; Gasaneo, G.; Ancarani, L. U.; Ambrosio, M. J.

2014-04-01

An hyperspherical Sturmian approach recently developed for three-body break-up processes is presented. To test several of its features, the method is applied to two simplified models. Excellent agreement is found when compared with the results of an analytically solvable problem. For the Temkin-Poet model of the double ionization of He by high energy electron impact, the present method is compared with the Spherical Sturmian approach, and again excellent agreement is found. Finally, a study of the channels appearing in the break-up three-body wave function is presented.

Presentation of economic evaluation results.

PubMed

Chaikledkaew, Usa

2014-05-01

The first HTA guidelines for Thailand included a chapter outlining a set of guidelines on how best to report the findings of health economic evaluations, based on a review of best practice and existing guidelines on the presentation of economic evaluation results from around the world. In this second edition of HTA guidelines for Thailand, the recommendations build on the first edition by using a case study to illustrate how the guidelines can be applied in a real research context. The guidelines propose that all reporting include ten key elements: defining the scope of the study, selection of comparator(s), defining the type of economic evaluation, measurement of costs, measurement of clinical effects, handling time in economic evaluation studies, handling uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, presentation of the results, discussion of the results, and disclosure of funding and authors conflict of interest.

Comparative Evaluation of Phase 1 Results from the Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS). [coal utilization for electric power plants feasibility analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Ten advanced energy conversion systems for central-station, based-load electric power generation using coal and coal-derived fuels which were studied by NASA are presented. Various contractors were selected by competitive bidding to study these systems. A comparative evaluation is provided of the contractor results on both a system-by-system and an overall basis. Ground rules specified by NASA, such as coal specifications, fuel costs, labor costs, method of cost comparison, escalation and interest during construction, fixed charges, emission standards, and environmental conditions, are presented. Each system discussion includes the potential advantages of the system, the scope of each contractor's analysis, typical schematics of systems, comparison of cost of electricity and efficiency for each contractor, identification and reconciliation of differences, identification of future improvements, and discussion of outside comments. Considerations common to all systems, such as materials and furnaces, are also discussed. Results of selected in-house analyses are presented, in addition to contractor data. The results for all systems are then compared.

A comparative laboratory diagnosis of malaria: microscopy versus rapid diagnostic test kits.

PubMed

Azikiwe, C C A; Ifezulike, C C; Siminialayi, I M; Amazu, L U; Enye, J C; Nwakwunite, O E

2012-04-01

To compare the two methods of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and microscopy in the diagnosis of malaria. RDTs and microscopy were carried out to diagnose malaria. Percentage malaria parasitaemia was calculated on thin films and all non-acute cases of plasmodiasis with less than 0.001% malaria parasitaemia were regarded as negative. Results were simply presented as percentage positive of the total number of patients under study. The results of RDTs were compared to those of microscopy while those of RDTs based on antigen were compared to those of RDTs based on antibody. Patients' follow-up was made for all cases. All the 200 patients under present study tested positive to RDTs based on malaria antibodies (serum) method (100%). 128 out of 200 tested positive to RDTs based on malaria antigen (whole blood) method (64%), while 118 out of 200 patients under present study tested positive to visual microscopy of Lieshman and diluted Giemsa (59%). All patients that tested positive to microscopy also tested positive to RDTs based on antigen. All patients on the second day of follow-up were non-febrile and had antimalaria drugs. We conclude based on the present study that the RDTs based on malaria antigen (whole blood) method is as specific as the traditional microscopy and even appears more sensitive than microscopy. The RDTs based on antibody (serum) method is unspecific thus it should not be encouraged. It is most likely that Africa being an endemic region, formation of certain levels of malaria antibody may not be uncommon. The present study also supports the opinion that a good number of febrile cases is not due to malaria. We support WHO's report on cost effectiveness of RDTs but, recommend that only the antigen based method should possibly, be adopted in Africa and other malaria endemic regions of the world.

Sustaining and Improving Study Abroad Experiences Through Comparative Evaluation.

PubMed

Johanson, Linda S

Researchers have related participation in study abroad experiences to many positive outcomes for nursing students; however, educators are faced with the task of not only developing meaningful study abroad opportunities but sustaining and improving them as well. Educators can evaluate repeat study abroad programs by comparing experiences, looking for trends, and conjecturing rationales. To illustrate this process, an example of a study abroad opportunity that has been repeated over 11 years is presented. The first six years have been compared to the most recent five years, revealing three categories of change for evaluation and the resulting course improvements.

A Comparative Study of Thought Fusion Beliefs and Thought Control Strategies in Patient With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder and Normal People

PubMed Central

Amiri Pichakolaei, Ahmad; Fahimi, Samad; Bakhshipour Roudsari, Abbas; Fakhari, Ali; Akbari, Ebrahim; Rahimkhanli, Masoumeh

2014-01-01

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), through a comparative study of thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies between patients with OCD, depression, and normal people. Methods: This is a causal-comparative study. About 20 patients were selected with OCD, and 20 patients with major depression disorder (MDD), and 20 normal individuals. Participants completed a thought fusion instrument and thought control questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Results indicated that patients with OCD obtained higher scores than two other groups. Also, there was a statistical significant difference between the three groups in thought control strategies and punishment, worry, and distraction subscales. Conclusion: Therefore, the results of the present study supported the metacognitive model of obsessive and showed thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies can be effective in onset and continuity of OCD. PMID:25780373

Stress, health and satisfaction of Australian and German doctors--a comparative study.

PubMed

Mache, Stefanie; Vitzthum, Karin; Klapp, Burghard F; Groneberg, David A

2012-01-01

Currently no study exists focusing on international differences in perception of stress, working conditions and satisfaction of hospital staff. Therefore the present study aimed to examine and compare the work and privacy situation of Australian and German physicians. The present study was designed as a cross-sectional comparison using questionnaire data. The population consisted of representative samples of 310 German and 256 Australian hospital doctors who received mailed questionnaires. The questionnaires contained items on demography, perception of stress, working conditions, job satisfaction and Life satisfaction. According to the comparison, German physicians perceived higher values of work stress. They work significantly longer hours than Australian doctors. In general, work intensity and demands are highly rated in both countries. In terms of job and life satisfaction, Australian doctors responded more positively than German doctors. This is the first comparative study illustrating a subjective evaluation of physicians' perception of stress, their work and privacy situation in two different countries. Based on these results health policy decisions can be developed.

Treatment effectiveness and fidelity of manual therapy to the knee: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Salamh, Paul; Cook, Chad; Reiman, Michael P; Sheets, Charles

2017-09-01

Manual therapy (MT) is a commonly used treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA) but to date only one systematic review has explored its effectiveness. The purpos e of the present study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, to determine the effectiveness and fidelity of studies using MT techniques in individuals with knee OA. Relevant studies were assessed for inclusion. Effectiveness was measured using effect sizes, and methodological bias and treatment fidelity were both explored. Effect sizes were calculated using standardized mean differences (SMD) based on pooled data depending on statistical and clinical heterogeneity, as well as risk of bias. The search captured 2,969 studies; after screening, 12 were included. Four had a low risk of bias and high treatment fidelity. For self-reported function, comparing MT with no treatment resulted in a large effect size (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.84), as did adding MT to a comparator treatment (SMD 0.78). A significant difference was found for pain when adding MT to a comparator treatment (SMD 0.73). The findings in the present meta-analytical review support the use of MT versus a number of different comparators for improvement in self-reported knee function. Lesser support is present for pain reduction, and no endorsement of functional performance can be made at this time. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cue reactivity and its inhibition in pathological computer game players.

PubMed

Lorenz, Robert C; Krüger, Jenny-Kathinka; Neumann, Britta; Schott, Björn H; Kaufmann, Christian; Heinz, Andreas; Wüstenberg, Torsten

2013-01-01

Despite a rising social relevance of pathological computer game playing, it remains unclear whether the neurobiological basis of this addiction-like behavioral disorder and substance-related addiction are comparable. In substance-related addiction, attentional bias and cue reactivity are often observed. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance study using a dot probe paradigm with short-presentation (attentional bias) and long-presentation (cue reactivity) trials in eight male pathological computer game players (PCGPs) and nine healthy controls (HCs). Computer game-related and neutral computer-generated pictures, as well as pictures from the International Affective Picture System with positive and neutral valence, served as stimuli. PCGPs showed an attentional bias toward both game-related and affective stimuli with positive valence. In contrast, HCs showed no attentional bias effect at all. PCGPs showed stronger brain responses in short-presentation trials compared with HCs in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and anterior cingulate gyrus and in long-presentation trials in lingual gyrus. In an exploratory post hoc functional connectivity analyses, for long-presentation trials, connectivity strength was higher between right inferior frontal gyrus, which was associated with inhibition processing in previous studies, and cue reactivity-related regions (left orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum) in PCGPs. We observed behavioral and neural effects in PCGPs, which are comparable with those found in substance-related addiction. However, cue-related brain responses were depending on duration of cue presentation. Together with the connectivity result, these findings suggest that top-down inhibitory processes might suppress the cue reactivity-related neural activity in long-presentation trials. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction Biology © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The Importance of Considering Differences in Study Design in Network Meta-analysis: An Application Using Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Drugs for Ulcerative Colitis.

PubMed

Cameron, Chris; Ewara, Emmanuel; Wilson, Florence R; Varu, Abhishek; Dyrda, Peter; Hutton, Brian; Ingham, Michael

2017-11-01

Adaptive trial designs present a methodological challenge when performing network meta-analysis (NMA), as data from such adaptive trial designs differ from conventional parallel design randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aim to illustrate the importance of considering study design when conducting an NMA. Three NMAs comparing anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs for ulcerative colitis were compared and the analyses replicated using Bayesian NMA. The NMA comprised 3 RCTs comparing 4 treatments (adalimumab 40 mg, golimumab 50 mg, golimumab 100 mg, infliximab 5 mg/kg) and placebo. We investigated the impact of incorporating differences in the study design among the 3 RCTs and presented 3 alternative methods on how to convert outcome data derived from one form of adaptive design to more conventional parallel RCTs. Combining RCT results without considering variations in study design resulted in effect estimates that were biased against golimumab. In contrast, using the 3 alternative methods to convert outcome data from one form of adaptive design to a format more consistent with conventional parallel RCTs facilitated more transparent consideration of differences in study design. This approach is more likely to yield appropriate estimates of comparative efficacy when conducting an NMA, which includes treatments that use an alternative study design. RCTs based on adaptive study designs should not be combined with traditional parallel RCT designs in NMA. We have presented potential approaches to convert data from one form of adaptive design to more conventional parallel RCTs to facilitate transparent and less-biased comparisons.

Presenting Cost and Efficiency Measures That Support Consumers to Make High-Value Health Care Choices.

PubMed

Greene, Jessica; Sacks, Rebecca M

2018-02-25

To identify approaches to presenting cost and resource use measures that support consumers in selecting high-value hospitals. Survey data were collected from U.S. employees of Analog Devices (n = 420). In two online experiments, participants viewed comparative data on four hospitals. In one experiment, participants were randomized to view one of five versions of the same comparative cost data, and in the other experiment they viewed different versions of the same readmissions data. Bivariate and multivariate analyses examined whether presentation approach was related to selecting the high-value hospital. Consumers were approximately 16 percentage points more likely to select a high-value hospital when cost data were presented using actual dollar amounts or using the word "affordable" to describe low-cost hospitals, compared to when the Hospital Compare spending ratio was used. Consumers were 33 points more likely to select the highest performing hospital when readmission performance was shown using word icons rather than percentages. Presenting cost and resource use measures effectively to consumers is challenging. This study suggests using actual dollar amounts for cost, but presenting performance on readmissions using evaluative symbols. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

25G compared with 20G vitrectomy under Resight non-contact wide-angle lenses for Terson syndrome.

PubMed

Mao, Xinbang; You, Zhipeng

2017-08-01

The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of 25G vitrectomy to standard 20G vitrectomy for treatment of Terson syndrome under Resight non-contact wide-angle lenses. This was a case-control study of 20 patients with Terson syndrome (study group) that underwent 25G vitrectomy under Resight non-contact wide-angle lenses, with those of 20 matched patients that underwent 20G vitrectomy (control group). Medical records were reviewed from between July 2011 and October 2013. Data included results of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study examination, ophthalmology B-scan ultrasonography and fundus photography. The mean age, follow-up time, the preoperative visual acuity of LogMAR and the preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) were all comparable in the two groups (all P>0.05). There were statistically significant differences in postoperative visual acuity of LogMAR compared with preoperative visual acuity (P<0.001) in both groups, but no difference between the groups (P=0.845). However, the operative times (13.5 min in study group vs. 42 min in control group) and post-operative IOP at day 1 (13.5 vs. 20 mmHg) were significantly reduced in the study group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Therefore, the present findings suggest that 25G Vitrectomy for Terson syndrome under Resight non-contact wide-angle lenses can achieve a significantly shorter operative time and lower post-operative IOP compared with 20G Vitrectomy.

When is selective self-presentation effective? An investigation of the moderation effects of "self-esteem" and "social trust".

PubMed

Kim, Yoonkyung; Baek, Young Min

2014-11-01

This study investigates the relationship between selective self-presentation and online life satisfaction, and how this relationship is influenced by respondents' perceptions of "self" (operationalized by "self-esteem") and "others" (operationalized by "social trust"). Relying on survey data from 712 Korean online users, two important findings were detected in our study. First, the positive relationship between selective self-presentation and online life satisfaction becomes more prominent among people with low self-esteem compared to those with high self-esteem, and second, this positive relationship is enhanced among people with high levels of social trust compared to those with low trust levels. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings as well as potential limitations are discussed.

Making health care quality reports easier to use.

PubMed

Hibbard, J H; Peters, E; Slovic, P; Finucane, M L; Tusler, M

2001-11-01

Although there is evidence that consumers want comparative quality information, most studies indicate that consumers make limited use of the data in decision making. The reasons for the limited use appear to be the complexity of the information and the difficulty of processing and using the amount of information in reports. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether there are approaches to reporting comparative information that make it easier for consumers to comprehend the information. Further, the degree to which consumers who have a low level of skill can accurately use that information when it is presented in a format that is easier to use was examined. The study used an experimental design to examine how different presentation approaches affect the use of information. Participants were randomly assigned to different conditions and were asked to review information and complete a decision task related to using comparative information and making health plan selections. Two separate convenience samples were used in the study: an elderly Medicare sample (N = 253), and a nonelderly sample (N = 239). The findings indicate that there are data presentation approaches that help consumers who have lower skills use information more accurately. Some of these presentation strategies (for example, relative stars) improve comprehension among the lower skilled, and other strategies (for example, evaluative labels) appear to aid those in the midrange of comprehension skill. Using these approaches in reporting would likely increase the use of the comparative information and increase the efficacy of reporting efforts.

Chemical and pharmacological comparison of modern and traditional dosage forms of Joshanda.

PubMed

Parveen, Sajida; Irfan Bukhari, Nadeem; Shehzadi, Naureen; Qamar, Shaista; Ali, Ejaz; Naheed, Surriya; Latif, Abida; Yuchi, Alamgeer; Hussain, Khalid

2017-12-11

Recently, a traditional remedy (Joshanda) has been replaced largely by modern ready-to-use dosage forms, which have not been compared to the original remedy. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare a number of modern dosage forms with traditional remedy. Seven brands, 3 batches each, were compared with a Lab-made formulation with reference to analytical (proximate analyses, spectroscopic and chromatographic metabolomes) and pharmacological profiles (anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities). Chemical and pharmacological differences were found between Lab-made Joshanda and modern dosage forms. Such variations were also found within the brands and batches of modern formulations (p < 0.05). The Lab-made Joshanda showed significantly higher pharmacological activities as compared to modern brands (p ). The results of the present study indicate that modern dosage forms are unstandardised and less effective than the traditional remedy. Characteristic profiles obtained from Lab-made Joshanda may be used as reference to produce comparable dosage forms.

Emergency presentations of head and neck cancer: a modern perspective.

PubMed

Bannister, M; Vallamkondu, V; Ah-See, K W

2016-06-01

Head and neck cancer emergency presentations are uncommon but persistent. However, there is little published literature on this aspect of cancer and patient demographics. This study aimed to assess the incidence, patient profile, tumour site and stage of emergency cancer presentations in our region. Retrospective review of regional cancer database over a five-year period. Emergency presentations accounted for 7 per cent of all cases. There was no difference in patient age and risk factors between the emergency and non-emergency presentations. The emergency presentation group showed a greater proportion of female patients compared to the non-emergency presentation group (30 vs 15 per cent). In all emergency presentations, the cancer was at advanced stages. Oropharyngeal cancer was the commonest emergency presentation of cancer, but the third commonest in the non-emergency group. Emergency presentations are increasing annually. Female patients and oropharyngeal cancer showed greater representation compared to male patients and laryngeal cancer.

Somatoform and dissociative disorders in children and adolescents: A comparative study

PubMed Central

Malhotra, Savita; Singh, Gagandeep; Mohan, Ashwin

2005-01-01

Background: Somatoform and dissociative (conversion) disorders in adults have been reported to have a close relationship because of a diagnostic overlap and comparable aetiological models. The literature on these disorders in children and adolescents is scarce. Aim: The present study attempted to compare these two disorders in children and adolescents since antecedents of these disorders are said to be laid in childhood. Methods: Case files of 118 patients (69 of somatoform disorders and 49 of dissociative disorders) were reviewed and the two groups were compared with respect to sociodemographic profile, clinical profile, neurotic traits, behavioural problems, temperament, intelligence and family dysfunction. Results: Age at presentation and intelligence were significantly higher in those with somatoform disorders than in those with dissociative disorders. Patients with dissociative disorders had a significantly higher number of co-morbid somatoform symptoms. Conclusion: Somatoform and dissociative disorders are closely linked.

A comparative study of electrochemical machining process parameters by using GA and Taguchi method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, S. K.; Thomas, B.

2017-11-01

In electrochemical machining quality of machined surface strongly depend on the selection of optimal parameter settings. This work deals with the application of Taguchi method and genetic algorithm using MATLAB to maximize the metal removal rate and minimize the surface roughness and overcut. In this paper a comparative study is presented for drilling of LM6 AL/B4C composites by comparing the significant impact of numerous machining process parameters such as, electrolyte concentration (g/l),machining voltage (v),frequency (hz) on the response parameters (surface roughness, material removal rate and over cut). Taguchi L27 orthogonal array was chosen in Minitab 17 software, for the investigation of experimental results and also multiobjective optimization done by genetic algorithm is employed by using MATLAB. After obtaining optimized results from Taguchi method and genetic algorithm, a comparative results are presented.

Change in the Caries Status of Pregnant Women in Southeast Hungary and Its Background.

PubMed

Práger, Nándor; Kiss, Gabriella; Orvos, Hajnalka; Novák, Tibor; Virág, Katalin; Gorzó, István; Radnai, Márta

2018-01-01

To examine the caries status of pregnant women in southeast Hungary and compare the results with a similar study completed in the same region ten years earlier to determine whether any improvement has taken place in the past decade. Another objective was to assess the effects of age, socioeconomic status and number of pregnancies on oral health. The dental examination of 130 pregnant women was carried out at the Dental Clinic of University of Szeged, Faculty of Dentistry in 2011-2013 (group 1). Caries status was examined according to WHO guidelines. In order to compare demographic and socioeconomic factors with DMF indices, find the decisive influencing factors and compare the results with the results of the previous study (group 2), two-way ANOVA and regression analyses were conducted. The number of highly educated, professional, urban participants included in the present group (group 1) was greater compared with that of group 2. Despite the higher age of the pregnant women in present study, statistically significantly lower DMFT (10.05 vs 12.57, p = 0.008) and DMFS (19.41 vs 26.26, p = 0.001) scores were found than ten years ago. In both studies, the regression analyses showed that women's age was the main contributing factor to caries status. The lower DMFT and DMFS values and the participants' willingness to participate in the dental screening in the present study group were probably the result of their higher educational background and that they worked as professionals.

Processing and Memory of Central versus Peripheral Information as a Function of Reading Goals: Evidence from Eye-Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeari, Menahem; van den Broek, Paul; Oudega, Marja

2015-01-01

The present study examined the effect of reading goals on the processing and memory of central and peripheral textual information. Using eye-tracking methodology, we compared the effect of four common reading goals--entertainment, presentation, studying for a close-ended (multiple-choice) questions test, and studying for an open-ended questions…

Cell-Phone Use and Cancer: A Case Study Exploring the Scientific Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colon Parrilla, Wilma V.

2007-01-01

Designed for an introductory nonmajors biology course, this case study presents students with a series of short news stories describing a scientific study of cell-phone use and its health effects. Students read the news stories and then the scientific paper they are based on, comparing the information presented by the news media to the information…

Reciprocal Relations between Intrinsic Reading Motivation and Reading Competence: A Comparison between Native and Immigrant Students in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyamoto, Ai; Pfost, Maximilian; Artelt, Cordula

2018-01-01

The present study compares native and immigrant students regarding the direction and the strength of the relation between intrinsic reading motivation and reading competence. Within the framework of the German National Educational Panel Study, 4,619 secondary school students were included in the analyses. The present study confirmed the reciprocal…

Benchmarking Controlled Trial--a novel concept covering all observational effectiveness studies.

PubMed

Malmivaara, Antti

2015-06-01

The Benchmarking Controlled Trial (BCT) is a novel concept which covers all observational studies aiming to assess effectiveness. BCTs provide evidence of the comparative effectiveness between health service providers, and of effectiveness due to particular features of the health and social care systems. BCTs complement randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the sources of evidence on effectiveness. This paper presents a definition of the BCT; compares the position of BCTs in assessing effectiveness with that of RCTs; presents a checklist for assessing methodological validity of a BCT; and pilot-tests the checklist with BCTs published recently in the leading medical journals.

The Uses of Literacy in Studying Computer Games: Comparing Students' Oral and Visual Representations of Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelletier, Caroline

2005-01-01

This paper compares the oral and visual representations which 12 to 13-year-old students produced in studying computer games as part of an English and Media course. It presents the arguments for studying multimodal texts as part of a literacy curriculum and then provides an overview of the games course devised by teachers and researchers. The…

Comparing Video Modeling and Graduated Guidance Together and Video Modeling Alone for Teaching Role Playing Skills to Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akmanoglu, Nurgul; Yanardag, Mehmet; Batu, E. Sema

2014-01-01

Teaching play skills is important for children with autism. The purpose of the present study was to compare effectiveness and efficiency of providing video modeling and graduated guidance together and video modeling alone for teaching role playing skills to children with autism. The study was conducted with four students. The study was conducted…

A Clinical Evaluation of Cone Beam Computed Tomography

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-31

body of literature lacks in vivo studies comparing CBCT images with clinical findings. The purpose of this descriptive case series was to...All (18/18) bone measurements were underrepresented on CBCT images in this study . This case series also identified limitations in accuracy when... study was to compare pre-surgical CBCT images against the actual clinical presentation of the hard tissues. METHOD: Eleven patients requiring

A Comparative Study of Identity Styles, Quality of Life and Behavioral Problems between Single Parent and Two Parent Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abedini, Zoleykha; Mirnasab, Mirmahmoud; Fathi Azar, Eskander

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate identity styles, quality of life and behavioral difficulties between adolescents with single and two-parent status. In this causal- comparative study, a total of 214 high school students were selected, then 112 single parent students (59 females and 53 males) were selected by the voluntary response sampling…

Evaluation of nutraceutical and antinutritional properties in barnyard and finger millet varieties grown in Himalayan region.

PubMed

Panwar, Priyankar; Dubey, Ashutosh; Verma, A K

2016-06-01

Five elite varieties of barnyard (Echinochloa frumentacea) and finger (Eleusine coracana) growing at northwestern Himalaya were investigated for nutraceutical and antinutritional properties. Barnyard millet contained higher amount of crude fiber, total dietary fiber, tryptophan content, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol compared to the finger millet whereas the finger millet contains higher amount of methionine and ascorbic acid as compared to the barnyard millet. The secondary metabolites of biological functions were analyzed and found that barnyard millet contained the higher amount of polyphenols, tannins and ortho-dihydroxy phenol content compared to finger millet. Among antinutitional compounds barnyard millet contained lower phytic acid content compare to finger millet whereas no significant difference in trypsin inhibition activity of barnyard millet and finger millet varieties were found. Barnyard millet contained higher acid phosphatase, α-galactosidase and α-amylase inhibitor activity compared to finger millet. Finger millet seeds contained about 10-13 folds higher calcium content and double amount of manganese content in comparison to barnyard millet seeds. Present study suggests that barnyard millet varieties studied under present investigation were found nutritionally superior compared to finger millet varieties.

A study of surgeons' postural muscle activity during open, laparoscopic, and endovascular surgery.

PubMed

Szeto, G P Y; Ho, P; Ting, A C W; Poon, J T C; Tsang, R C C; Cheng, S W K

2010-07-01

Different surgical procedures impose different physical demands on surgeons and high prevalence rates of neck and shoulder pain have been reported among general surgeons. Past research has examined electromyography in surgeons mainly during simulated conditions of laparoscopic and open surgery but not during real-time operations and not for long durations. The present study compares the neck-shoulder muscle activities in three types of surgery and between different surgeons. The relationships of postural muscle activities to musculoskeletal symptoms and personal factors also are examined. Twenty-five surgeons participated in the study (23 men). Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded in the bilateral cervical erector spinae, upper trapezius, and anterior deltoid muscles during three types of surgical procedures: open, laparoscopic, and endovascular. In each procedure, EMG data were captured for 30 min to more than 1 h. The surgeons were asked to rate any musculoskeletal symptoms before and after surgery. The present study showed significantly higher muscle activities in the cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscles in open surgery compared with endovascular and laparoscopic procedures. Muscle activities were fairly similar between endovascular and laparoscopic surgery. The upper trapezius usually has an important role in stabilizing both the neck and upper limb posture, and this muscle also recorded higher activities in open compared with laparoscopic and endovascular surgeries. Surgeons reported similar degrees of musculoskeletal symptoms in open and laparoscopic surgeries, which were higher than endovascular surgery. The present study showed that open surgery imposed significantly greater physical demands on the neck muscles compared with endovascular and laparoscopic surgeries. This may be due to the lighter manual task demands of these minimally invasive surgeries compared with open procedures, which generally required more dynamic movements and more forceful exertions.

The Contingent Valuation Method in Public Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Hye-Kyung

2008-01-01

This study aims to present a new model measuring the economic value of public libraries, combining the dissonance minimizing (DM) and information bias minimizing (IBM) format in the contingent valuation (CV) surveys. The possible biases which are tied to the conventional CV surveys are reviewed. An empirical study is presented to compare the model…

Effects of Presentation Mode and Computer Familiarity on Summarization of Extended Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Guoxing

2010-01-01

Comparability studies on computer- and paper-based reading tests have focused on short texts and selected-response items via almost exclusively statistical modeling of test performance. The psychological effects of presentation mode and computer familiarity on individual students are under-researched. In this study, 157 students read extended…

Presenting Lexical Bundles for Explicit Noticing with Schematic Linguistic Representation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Haidee Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Lexical bundles are essential for fluency, but their incompleteness is a stumbling block for learners. In this study, two presentation methods to increase awareness of lexical bundles through explicit noticing are explored and compared with incidental exposure. The three conditions in this study were as follows: noticing with schematic linguistic…

Study of Visual and Auditory Presentation in Dental Lecture and Laboratory Instruction. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, William H.; And Others

This study compared the relative effectiveness of an automated teaching machine with instructor presented instruction in graduate dental teaching. The objectives were to: (1) determine the effects of 3 laboratory instructional procedures used in combination with 2 lectures on the acquisition of manual operative skills, the learning of information…

MetaSpider: Meta-Searching and Categorization on the Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsinchun; Fan, Haiyan; Chau, Michael; Zeng, Daniel

2001-01-01

Discusses the difficulty of locating relevant information on the Web and studies two approaches to addressing the low precision and poor presentation of search results: meta-search and document categorization. Introduces MetaSpider, a meta-search engine, and presents results of a user evaluation study that compared three search engines.…

Comparing student understanding of quantum physics when embedding multimodal representations into two different writing formats: Presentation format versus summary report format

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunel, Murat; Hand, Brian; Gunduz, Sevket

2006-11-01

Physics as a subject for school students requires an understanding and ability to move between different modes of representation for the concepts under review. However, the inability of students to have a multimodal understanding of the concepts is seen as restricting their understandings of the concepts. The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of using writing-to-learn strategies that required students to embed multimodal representations of the concepts. In particular, the study compared a presentation format with a summary report format for students learning quantum theory. A pre-post test design was used to compare performances of these two groups across two units. For unit 1, students' scores from groups that completed either a presentation format (PowerPoint presentation) or a summary report format (chapter summary) were compared. No limits were placed on the amount of text or the number of representations used. For unit 2, products of both groups were constructed for an audience of year 10 students. The presentation format group (PowerPoint) was limited to 15 slides, with a maximum of 10 words displayed per slide; a script was written to accompany the presentation. Slides could include graphical and mathematical formulae; however, the text could not. The summary report format group that wrote out its explanations was limited to four pages and was required to incorporate multimodal representations. Results indicated that for both units students using the presentation format group scored significantly better on tests than the summary report format group. The effect size difference between the groups increased for the second unit, indicating that more practice was leading to better student understanding of the physics concepts.

10 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... alternatives in comparative form. Where important to the comparative evaluation of alternatives, appropriate... eliminated from detailed study will be identified and a discussion of those alternatives will be confined to...

10 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... alternatives in comparative form. Where important to the comparative evaluation of alternatives, appropriate... eliminated from detailed study will be identified and a discussion of those alternatives will be confined to...

10 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... alternatives in comparative form. Where important to the comparative evaluation of alternatives, appropriate... eliminated from detailed study will be identified and a discussion of those alternatives will be confined to...

10 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... alternatives in comparative form. Where important to the comparative evaluation of alternatives, appropriate... eliminated from detailed study will be identified and a discussion of those alternatives will be confined to...

10 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... alternatives in comparative form. Where important to the comparative evaluation of alternatives, appropriate... eliminated from detailed study will be identified and a discussion of those alternatives will be confined to...

Comparing Visual Representations of DNA in Two Multimedia Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Michelle; Wiebe, Eric; Carter, Glenda

2011-01-01

This study is part of an ongoing research project examining middle school girls' attention to and interpretation of visual representations of DNA replication. Specifically, this research examined differences between two different versions of a multimedia presentation on DNA, where the second version of the presentation was redesigned as a result…

Geometrical accuracy of metallic objects produced with additive or subtractive manufacturing: A comparative in vitro study.

PubMed

Braian, Michael; Jönsson, David; Kevci, Mir; Wennerberg, Ann

2018-07-01

To evaluate the accuracy and precision of objects produced by additive manufacturing systems (AM) for use in dentistry and to compare with subtractive manufacturing systems (SM). Ten specimens of two geometrical objects were produced by five different AM machines and one SM machine. Object A mimics an inlay-shaped object, while object B imitates a four-unit bridge model. All the objects were sorted into different measurement dimensions (x, y, z), linear distances, angles and corner radius. None of the additive manufacturing or subtractive manufacturing groups presented a perfect match to the CAD file with regard to all parameters included in the present study. Considering linear measurements, the precision for subtractive manufacturing group was consistent in all axes for object A, presenting results of <0.050mm. The additive manufacturing groups had consistent precision in the x-axis and y-axis but not in the z-axis. With regard to corner radius measurements, the SM group had the best overall accuracy and precision for both objects A and B when compared to the AM groups. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the conclusion can be made that subtractive manufacturing presented overall precision on all measurements below 0.050mm. The AM machines also presented fairly good precision, <0.150mm, on all axes except for the z-axis. Knowledge regarding accuracy and precision for different production techniques utilized in dentistry is of great clinical importance. The dental community has moved from casting to milling and additive techniques are now being implemented. Thus all these production techniques need to be tested, compared and validated. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Platelet morphology, soluble P selectin and platelet P-selectin in acute ischaemic stroke. The West Birmingham Stroke Project.

PubMed

Nadar, Sunil K; Lip, Gregory Y H; Blann, Andrew D

2004-12-01

The pathophysiology of ischaemic stroke involves the platelet. In this study, we hypothesised that abnormalities in platelet morphology, as well as soluble (sPsel) and total platelet P-selectin (pPsel) levels would be present in patients presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke, and that these changes would improve at > or = 3 months' follow-up. We studied 59 hypertensive patients (34 male; mean age 68 +/- 12 years) who presented with an acute ischaemic stroke (ictus < 24 hours), and compared them with 2 groups: (i) age-, sex- and ethnic- origin matched normotensive healthy controls; and (ii) uncomplicated 'high risk' hypertensive patients as 'risk factor control' subjects. Platelet morphology (volume and mass) was quantified, and sPsel (plasma marker of platelet activation) was measured (ELISA) in citrated plasma. The mass of P-selectin in each platelet (pPsel) was determined by lysing a fixed number of platelets and then determining the levels of P-selectin in the lysate. Results show that patients who presented with a stroke had significantly higher levels of sPsel and pPsel (both p < 0.001), compared to the normal controls and the hypertensive patients. Patients with an acute stroke had lower mean platelet mass (MPM) and mean platelet volume (MPV) as compared to the uncomplicated hypertensive patients, who had significantly higher mean MPM and MPV values, as compared to normal controls. On follow-up, the levels of both sPsel (p = 0.011), pPsel (< 0.001) and MPV (p = 0.03) were significantly lower. Mean MPM levels remained unchanged. We conclude that patients presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke have activated platelets, as evident by the increased levels of soluble and platelet P-selectin. Further study of platelet activation and the role of P-selectin is warranted.

Word-Level and Sentence-Level Automaticity in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners: a Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Dongmei; Yu, Xiaoru; Zhang, Haomin

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate second language (L2) word-level and sentence-level automatic processing among English as a foreign language students through a comparative analysis of students with different proficiency levels. As a multidimensional and dynamic construct, automaticity is conceptualized as processing speed, stability, and…

Comparing Technology-Related Teacher Professional Development Designs: A Multilevel Study of Teacher and Student Impacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Andrew; Recker, Mimi; Ye, Lei; Robertshaw, M. Brooke; Sellers, Linda; Leary, Heather

2012-01-01

This article presents a quasi-experimental study comparing the impact of two technology-related teacher professional development (TTPD) designs, aimed at helping junior high school science and mathematics teachers design online activities using the rapidly growing set of online learning resources available on the Internet. The first TTPD design…

Government Approaches to Foster Competitive Intelligence Practice in SMEs: A Comparative Study of Eight Governments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergeron, Pierrette

2000-01-01

Presents results from a study examining approaches developed by seven governments to foster competitive intelligence practice in SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and compares them with the approach taken by the government of Quebec. Suggests a need for a better understanding of information needs and uses in SMEs. (Contains 22 references.)…

Do Mathematicians Integrate Computer Algebra Systems in University Teaching? Comparing a Literature Review to an International Survey Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Neil; Buteau, Chantal; Jarvis, Daniel H.; Lavicza, Zsolt

2012-01-01

We present a comparative study of a literature review of 326 selected contributions (Buteau, Marshall, Jarvis & Lavicza, 2010) to an international (US, UK, Hungary) survey of mathematicians (Lavicza, 2008) regarding the use of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) in post-secondary mathematics education. The comparison results are organized with respect…

A comparative study of advanced shock-capturing schemes applied to Burgers' equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, H. Q.; Przekwas, A. J.

1990-01-01

Several variations of the TVD scheme, ENO scheme, FCT scheme, and geometrical schemes, such as MUSCL and PPM, are considered. A comparative study of these schemes as applied to the Burgers' equation is presented. The objective is to assess their performance for problems involving formation and propagation of shocks, shock collisions, and expansion of discontinuities.

Comparing Offenders against Women and Offenders against Children on Treatment Outcome in Offenders with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, William R.; Michie, Amanda M.; Steptoe, Lesley; Moore, Fhionna; Haut, Fabian

2011-01-01

Background: Several studies have shown the positive effects of sex offender treatment for men with intellectual disabilities who have perpetrated sex offences or inappropriate sexual behaviour. The present study investigates the process of treatment change and compares two groups of offenders against adults and offenders against children. Method:…

A Study of the NASS-CDS System for Injury/Fatality Rates of Occupants in Various Restraints and A Discussion of Alternative Presentation Methods

PubMed Central

Stucki, Sheldon Lee; Biss, David J.

2000-01-01

An analysis was performed using the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) database to compare the injury/fatality rates of variously restrained driver occupants as compared to unrestrained driver occupants in the total database of drivers/frontals, and also by Delta-V. A structured search of the NASS-CDS was done using the SAS® statistical analysis software to extract the data for this analysis and the SUDAAN software package was used to arrive at statistical significance indicators. In addition, this paper goes on to investigate different methods for presenting results of accident database searches including significance results; a risk versus Delta-V format for specific exposures; and, a percent cumulative injury versus Delta-V format to characterize injury trends. These alternative analysis presentation methods are then discussed by example using the present study results. PMID:11558105

A cross-sectional evidence-based review of pharmaceutical promotional marketing brochures and their underlying studies: Is what they tell us important and true?

PubMed Central

Cardarelli, Roberto; Licciardone, John C; Taylor, Lockwood G

2006-01-01

Background A major marketing technique used by pharmaceutical companies is direct-to-physician marketing. This form of marketing frequently employs promotional marketing brochures, based on clinical research, which may influence how a physician prescribes medicines. This study's objective was to investigate whether or not the information in promotional brochures presented to physicians by pharmaceutical representatives is accurate, consistent, and valid with respect to the actual studies upon which the promotional brochures are based. Methods Physicians in five clinics were asked to consecutively collect pharmaceutical promotional brochures and to send them all to a centralized location. The brochures for any class of medication were collected on a continuous basis until 20 distinct promotional brochures were received by a central location. Once the brochure was received, the corresponding original study was obtained. Two blinded reviewers performed an evidence-based review of the article, comparing data that was printed on the brochure to what was found in the original study. Results Among the 20 studies, 75% of the studies were found to be valid, 80% were funded by the pharmaceutical company, 60% of the studies and the corresponding brochures presented patient-oriented outcomes, and 40% were compared to another treatment regimen. Of the 19 brochures that presented the data as graphs, 4 brochures presented a relative risk reduction while only 1 brochure presented an absolute risk reduction. 15% of the promotional marketing brochures presented data that was different from what was in the original published study. Conclusion Given the present findings, physicians should be cautious about drawing conclusions regarding a medication based on the marketing brochures provided by pharmaceutical companies. PMID:16515686

A cross-sectional evidence-based review of pharmaceutical promotional marketing brochures and their underlying studies: is what they tell us important and true?

PubMed

Cardarelli, Roberto; Licciardone, John C; Taylor, Lockwood G

2006-03-03

A major marketing technique used by pharmaceutical companies is direct-to-physician marketing. This form of marketing frequently employs promotional marketing brochures, based on clinical research, which may influence how a physician prescribes medicines. This study's objective was to investigate whether or not the information in promotional brochures presented to physicians by pharmaceutical representatives is accurate, consistent, and valid with respect to the actual studies upon which the promotional brochures are based. Physicians in five clinics were asked to consecutively collect pharmaceutical promotional brochures and to send them all to a centralized location. The brochures for any class of medication were collected on a continuous basis until 20 distinct promotional brochures were received by a central location. Once the brochure was received, the corresponding original study was obtained. Two blinded reviewers performed an evidence-based review of the article, comparing data that was printed on the brochure to what was found in the original study. Among the 20 studies, 75% of the studies were found to be valid, 80% were funded by the pharmaceutical company, 60% of the studies and the corresponding brochures presented patient-oriented outcomes, and 40% were compared to another treatment regimen. Of the 19 brochures that presented the data as graphs, 4 brochures presented a relative risk reduction while only 1 brochure presented an absolute risk reduction. 15% of the promotional marketing brochures presented data that was different from what was in the original published study. Given the present findings, physicians should be cautious about drawing conclusions regarding a medication based on the marketing brochures provided by pharmaceutical companies.

Randomized clinical study comparing piezosurgery and conventional rotatory surgery in mandibular cyst enucleation.

PubMed

Pappalardo, Sabrina; Guarnieri, Renzo

2014-07-01

The aim of the present study is to compare piezoelectric surgery to the conventional rotatory surgery in mandibular cyst enucleation, and to determine the 2 method's suitability and the postoperative outcomes. Eighty patients were included in the study. 35 male and 45 female, which showed cystic mandibular lesions, compared with the inferior alveolar nerve or the mental nerve. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. In the test group, cystectomy was performed using conventional rotatory instrumentation (rotatory-group), and in the other one piezoelectric surgery (piezo-group). The swelling was documented 24/48/72 h and 1 week post-surgery and the patients recorded their subjective postoperative pain daily for 7 days using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Patients treated with piezoelectric technique have presented a lower VAS, minor swelling and less recovery time compared to the rotatory-group. No lesions of the mandible nerve were detected with piezosurgery whereas surgery with rotary instruments resulted in 8% hypesthesia at least up to one week. The results of this study suggest that piezosurgery may be considered effective in cyst enucleation compared to traditional procedures with burs, since it grants the patients significantly less post-surgical pain and swelling. Copyright © 2013 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Big Money: The Effect of Money Size on Value Perceptions and Saving Motivation.

PubMed

Peetz, Johanna; Soliman, Monica

2016-01-28

Motivated perception has been shown to affect people's estimates of money (e.g., perceiving coins as larger than real size). In the present research, we examine whether simply varying the size of a picture of money can affect its perceived value and subsequent decisions. Participants presented with a picture of money enlarged by 15% perceived the depicted money as more valuable compared with those seeing a real-size picture (Study 1). When told to imagine their own cash and banked money in the depicted form, participants presented with a picture enlarged by 15% felt more subjectively wealthy and reported fewer intentions to conserve their money compared with those seeing a real-size picture of the same money (Study 2). Together, these studies suggest that judgments about money and even attitudes toward personal spending can be influenced by manipulating the size of a picture of money. © The Author(s) 2016.

Interaction of native and apo-carbonic anhydrase with hydrophobic adsorbents: A comparative structure-function study.

PubMed

Salemi, Zahra; Hosseinkhani, Saman; Ranjbar, Bijan; Nemat-Gorgani, Mohsen

2006-09-30

Our previous studies indicated that native carbonic anhydrase does not interact with hydrophobic adsorbents and that it acquires this ability upon denaturation. In the present study, an apo form of the enzyme was prepared by removal of zinc and a comparative study was performed on some characteristic features of the apo and native forms by far- and near-UV circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic fluorescent spectroscopy, 1-anilino naphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) binding, fluorescence quenching by acrylamide, and Tm measurement. Results indicate that protein flexibility is enhanced and the hydrophobic sites become more exposed upon conversion to the apo form. Accordingly, the apo structure showed a greater affinity for interaction with hydrophobic adsorbents as compared with the native structure. As observed for the native enzyme, heat denaturation of the apo form promoted interaction with alkyl residues present on the adsorbents and, by cooling followed by addition of zinc, catalytically-active immobilized preparations were obtained.

Evidence-based risk communication: a systematic review.

PubMed

Zipkin, Daniella A; Umscheid, Craig A; Keating, Nancy L; Allen, Elizabeth; Aung, KoKo; Beyth, Rebecca; Kaatz, Scott; Mann, Devin M; Sussman, Jeremy B; Korenstein, Deborah; Schardt, Connie; Nagi, Avishek; Sloane, Richard; Feldstein, David A

2014-08-19

Effective communication of risks and benefits to patients is critical for shared decision making. To review the comparative effectiveness of methods of communicating probabilistic information to patients that maximize their cognitive and behavioral outcomes. PubMed (1966 to March 2014) and CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1966 to December 2011) using several keywords and structured terms. Prospective or cross-sectional studies that recruited patients or healthy volunteers and compared any method of communicating probabilistic information with another method. Two independent reviewers extracted study characteristics and assessed risk of bias. Eighty-four articles, representing 91 unique studies, evaluated various methods of numerical and visual risk display across several risk scenarios and with diverse outcome measures. Studies showed that visual aids (icon arrays and bar graphs) improved patients' understanding and satisfaction. Presentations including absolute risk reductions were better than those including relative risk reductions for maximizing accuracy and seemed less likely than presentations with relative risk reductions to influence decisions to accept therapy. The presentation of numbers needed to treat reduced understanding. Comparative effects of presentations of frequencies (such as 1 in 5) versus event rates (percentages, such as 20%) were inconclusive. Most studies were small and highly variable in terms of setting, context, and methods of administering interventions. Visual aids and absolute risk formats can improve patients' understanding of probabilistic information, whereas numbers needed to treat can lessen their understanding. Due to study heterogeneity, the superiority of any single method for conveying probabilistic information is not established, but there are several good options to help clinicians communicate with patients. None.

Determinant Factors of Poor Visual Outcome After Ocular Trauma: A Retrospective Study in Central Sarawak, Malaysia.

PubMed

Yong, Geng-Yi; Pan, Shin-Wei; Humayun Akhter, Faisal; Law, Thomas Ngo-Hieng; Toh, Teck-Hock

2016-01-01

To study the demographic characteristics of ocular trauma in Central Sarawak and identify the determinant factors of poor visual outcome. A retrospective study of ocular trauma cases presenting at the referral hospital in 2013. Patients were identified and recruited from hospital records. Those presenting for follow-up review were excluded. Case records were retrieved and reviewed after recruitment. We studied 168 patients with 179 ocular injuries, of which 44% were work related. Compared with non-work-related cases, work-related cases were more likely to be male [odds ratio (OR), 19.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.6-150.9] and foreign (OR, 18.0; 95% CI, 2.3-142.0). Open globe injuries constituted a higher percentage of impaired visual acuity (VA) during the first visit: 84.6% compared with 18.1% for closed globe injuries (OR, 25.0; 95% CI, 5.3-118.4; P < 0.001). Of the open globe injuries, 61.5% worsened or showed no improvement in VA after 3 months compared with closed globe injuries (28.9%) (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-12.7; P = 0.015). Of cases presenting 7 or more days after trauma, 76.9% worsened or showed no improvement in VA after 3 months compared with those presenting in less than 7 days (27.7%) (OR, 8.7; 95% CI, 2.3-33.0; P < 0.001). Among those with work-related injuries, 23.1% had used eye protective devices (EPDs). Ocular injuries in Central Sarawak were predominantly work related, occurring at industrial premises, and involving males and foreigners. Both open globe injuries and a delay in seeking treatment resulted in significantly poorer visual outcomes.

A Comparative Study on American and Turkish Students? Self Esteem in Terms of Sport Participation: A Study on Psychological Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yigiter, Korkmaz

2014-01-01

The present research was conducted in order to compare self-esteem of American students with Turkish students in terms of the sport participation at the universities. For this purpose, a total of 460 students (M age = 19,61 ± 1,64) voluntarily participated in the study from two universities. As data collection tool, Rosenberg (1965) Self-esteem…

A Comparative Study of English Language Arts Content Standards Test Scores in California for Online and Traditional Public High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddox, Pamela Rena

2013-01-01

Every educator's quest is to help students learn in the environment that will allow them to obtain and retain the information presented to them. In the new age of technology, more students are able to choose the environment in which they learn. This study is a quantitative comparative study of the academic performance between online and…

An Interpretative Model of Early Indicators of Specific Developmental Dyslexia in Preschool Age: A Comparative Presentation of Three Studies in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zakopoulou, Victoria; Anagnostopoulou, Areti; Christodoulides, Pavlos; Stavrou, Lambros; Sarri, Ioanna; Mavreas, Venetsanos; Tzoufi, Meropi

2011-01-01

The detection of specific factors of the developmental dyslexia at an early stage, and the identification of the role of those factors responsible for its manifestation, is a fundamental area of study on dyslexia in the recent literature. The objective of the present study is to clarify that dysfunctions in the following specific domains…

Rates of self-harm presenting to general hospitals: a comparison of data from the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England and Hospital Episode Statistics

PubMed Central

Turnbull, Pauline; Hawton, Keith; Geulayov, Galit; Waters, Keith; Ness, Jennifer; Townsend, Ellen; Khundakar, Kazem; Kapur, Nav

2016-01-01

Objective Rates of hospital presentation for self-harm in England were compared using different national and local data sources. Design The study was descriptive and compared bespoke data collection methods for recording self-harm presentations to hospital with routinely collected hospital data. Setting Local area data on self-harm from the 3 centres of the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England (Oxford, Manchester and Derby) were used along with national and local routinely collected data on self-harm admissions and emergency department attendances from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Primary outcome Rate ratios were calculated to compare rates of self-harm generated using different data sources nationally and locally (between 2010 and 2012) and rates of hospital presentations for self-harm were plotted over time (between 2003 and 2012), based on different data sources. Results The total number of self-harm episodes between 2010 and 2012 was 13 547 based on Multicentre Study data, 9600 based on HES emergency department data and 8096 based on HES admission data. Nationally, routine HES data underestimated overall rates of self-harm by approximately 60% compared with rates based on Multicentre Study data (rate ratio for HES emergency department data, 0.41 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.49); rate ratio for HES admission data, 0.42 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.49)). Direct local area comparisons confirmed an overall underascertainment in the HES data, although the difference varied between centres. There was a general increase in self-harm over time according to HES data which contrasted with a fall and then a rise in the Multicentre Study data. Conclusions There was a consistent underestimation of presentations for self-harm recorded by HES emergency department data, and fluctuations in year-on-year figures. HES admission data appeared more reliable but missed non-admitted episodes. Routinely collected data may miss important trends in self-harm and cannot be used in isolation as the basis for a robust national indicator of self-harm. PMID:26883238

The effect of presentation level on memory performance.

PubMed

Heinrich, Antje; Schneider, Bruce A

2011-01-01

A loss of speech intelligibility at high presentation levels is called rollover. It is a phenomenon that increases in prevalence as people age. Whether the adverse effect of high presentation levels extends to processes subsequent to speech intelligibility, such as memory, is unknown. The present study examined this question on the basis of the previous finding that older but not younger adults showed memory impairment when acoustically distorted words were presented at 50 dB SL compared with an undistorted baseline presented at 65 dB SPL. One question investigated in the present study was whether a presentation level of 50 dB SL put older listeners at the cusp of rollover and whether this subsequently impaired memory. Moreover, we wanted to know whether and at what level it was possible to induce a similar impairment in younger listeners. We used a paired-associate memory paradigm in which five word pairs per list were presented at a rate of 4 secs per word pair. After each list, the first word of one of the pairs was presented again and the listener was asked to recall the second word. Over the course of the experiment, all list positions were tested an equal number of times. The word pairs, which were acoustically distorted using a jittering algorithm, were presented at 40 dB SL to all younger and older participants and just below an uncomfortably loud level for younger listeners only. Intelligibility of the distorted words was equated across age groups for each presentation level. The effect of presentation level on memory performance was investigated and compared with data of a previous study that used the same design but presented the distorted and undistorted words at 50 dB SL to both age groups. A total of 58 younger and 24 older adults were tested in two experiments. The results showed that for older adults, memory performance for distorted words was decreased in all list positions at a presentation level of 50 dB SL compared with 40 dB SL and an undistorted 65 dB SPL baseline. This effect did not occur for younger listeners. However, when younger adults were tested at a very high presentation level, they showed the same memory decrease compared with the baseline as older adults showed for 50 dB SL. A high presentation level of distorted words can adversely affect memory even after intelligibility is equated for. Moreover, older listeners are affected at lower presentation levels. Hence, the choice of sound level, particularly for older listeners, is important and may affect their level of cognitive performance beyond its effects on intelligibility. Higher presentation levels may not always lead to better performance when the task involves recall of words previously heard.

Simulation of multiple personalities: a review of research comparing diagnosed and simulated dissociative identity disorder.

PubMed

Boysen, Guy A; VanBergen, Alexandra

2014-02-01

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) has long been surrounded by controversy due to disagreement about its etiology and the validity of its associated phenomena. Researchers have conducted studies comparing people diagnosed with DID and people simulating DID in order to better understand the disorder. The current research presents a systematic review of this DID simulation research. The literature consists of 20 studies and contains several replicated findings. Replicated differences between the groups include symptom presentation, identity presentation, and cognitive processing deficits. Replicated similarities between the groups include interidentity transfer of information as shown by measures of recall, recognition, and priming. Despite some consistent findings, this research literature is hindered by methodological flaws that reduce experimental validity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economics and Comparative and International Education: Past, Present, Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolhuter, Charl

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to map this place of economics in the field of study of Comparative and International Education. Interrelationship between economy and education is concerned, two broad lines of enquiry lie within the scope of Comparative and International Education: economy as shaping force of education systems and the effect of education…

The Social Kindergartener: Comparing Children's Perspectives of Full- and Half-Day Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heagle, Kaitlyn; Timmons, Kristy; Hargreaves, Fabienne; Pelletier, Janette

2017-01-01

The objective of the present study is to capture children's voices to compare traditional half-day and play-based full-day kindergarten children's perspectives on two research questions: What is important about kindergarten, and what is your favourite thing about school? Children's responses were compared for emerging academic and social themes.…

Publication Rate of Abstracts Presented at the Annual Congress of the European Society for Surgical Research during 2008-2011.

PubMed

Meral, Ulvi Mehmet; Alakus, Umit; Urkan, Murat; Ureyen, Orhan; Oren, Nisa Cem; Ozturk Meral, Aylin; Çağıltay, Eylem; Can, Mehmet Fatih

2016-01-01

The presentation of scientific studies at major meetings serves to rapidly share study results with the scientific community. On the other hand, full-text publication of abstracts in peer-reviewed journals ensures the dissemination of science. This study examines the publication rate (PR) of meeting abstracts presented at the European Society for Surgical Research (ESSR) congresses and determines/compares the factors affecting the PRs. All presentations at the ESSR congresses held during 2008-2011 were retrospectively assessed. Manuscripts indexed in PubMed were included. The meeting year, journal impact factor (IF) in the publication year, study type, presentation type, time to publication and geographic origin of studies were assessed. Among a total of 1,368 oral and poster abstracts, 48.7% (n = 391) of the oral presentations (OPs) and 29.7% (n = 168) of the poster presentations (PPs) were published in medical journals indexed in PubMed. The mean IF of the journals was 2.696 (0.17-14.95). The journals that published OPs had a higher IF than the journals in which PPs were published (2.944 vs. 2.118; p < 0.001). The PR was also higher in the OP group than in the PP group of journals (p < 0.001). The time to publication was 17.5 months (-166 to 82) and was shorter for PPs than for OPs (14.02 vs. 19.09 months; p = 0.01). According to the study type, experimental studies had a significantly higher PR (53.7%; p < 0.001); however, there was no significant difference in PR in terms of the prospective or retrospective nature of clinical studies. The clinical studies were also compared according to the IF values of the journals in terms of the prospective or retrospective nature of the study, and no significant difference was found (p = 0.62). The ESSR congress is an efficient meeting for researchers from varied surgical disciplines and has a PR equivalent to that of similar scientific meetings. The congress has achieved a PR of 40.9% over 4 years with an average IF of 2.696 and a mean time to publication of 17.5 months, which is equivalent to that of similar scientific meetings. OPs have a higher PR in journals with greater IF values as compared with PPs. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Comparison of Gated Audiovisual Speech Identification in Elderly Hearing Aid Users and Elderly Normal-Hearing Individuals

PubMed Central

Lidestam, Björn; Rönnberg, Jerker

2016-01-01

The present study compared elderly hearing aid (EHA) users (n = 20) with elderly normal-hearing (ENH) listeners (n = 20) in terms of isolation points (IPs, the shortest time required for correct identification of a speech stimulus) and accuracy of audiovisual gated speech stimuli (consonants, words, and final words in highly and less predictable sentences) presented in silence. In addition, we compared the IPs of audiovisual speech stimuli from the present study with auditory ones extracted from a previous study, to determine the impact of the addition of visual cues. Both participant groups achieved ceiling levels in terms of accuracy in the audiovisual identification of gated speech stimuli; however, the EHA group needed longer IPs for the audiovisual identification of consonants and words. The benefit of adding visual cues to auditory speech stimuli was more evident in the EHA group, as audiovisual presentation significantly shortened the IPs for consonants, words, and final words in less predictable sentences; in the ENH group, audiovisual presentation only shortened the IPs for consonants and words. In conclusion, although the audiovisual benefit was greater for EHA group, this group had inferior performance compared with the ENH group in terms of IPs when supportive semantic context was lacking. Consequently, EHA users needed the initial part of the audiovisual speech signal to be longer than did their counterparts with normal hearing to reach the same level of accuracy in the absence of a semantic context. PMID:27317667

Implications of Therapist Effects for the Design and Analysis of Comparative Studies of Psychotherapies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crits-Christoph, Paul; Mintz, Jim

1991-01-01

Presents reasons therapist should be included as random design factor in nested analysis of (co)variance (AN[C]OVA) design used in psychotherapy research. Reviews studies which indicate majority of investigators ignore issue of effects from incorrect specification of ANOVA design. Presents reanalysis of data from 10 psychotherapy outcome studies…

The Development of Education in Venezuela. Bulletin, 1963, No. 7. OE-14086

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, George I.

1963-01-01

The present study is one of the regular series of Office of Education bulletins presenting salient features and analysis of the educational systems of other countries. Such studies in the field of comparative education are designed to serve educators, educational institutions and organizations concerned with the planning and conduct of programs in…

Description of alpha-nucleus interaction cross sections for cosmic ray shielding studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Townsend, Lawrence W.; Wilson, John W.

1993-01-01

Nuclear interactions of high-energy alpha particles with target nuclei important for cosmic ray studies are discussed. Models for elastic, quasi-elastic, and breakup reactions are presented and compared with experimental data. Energy-dependent interaction cross sections and secondary spectra are presented based on theoretical models and the limited experimental data base.

Examining Mental Health Differences among Transfer University Students Seeking Counseling Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daltry, Rachel; Mehr, Kristin E.

2016-01-01

This brief report was designed as a follow-up to a study that found that compared to nontransfer students that presented to the counseling center, transfer students who presented to the counseling center endorsed higher levels of symptoms of depression and social anxiety, as well as more academic and family problems. The current study investigated…

Scientific Temper among Academically High and Low Achieving Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kour, Sunmeet

2015-01-01

The present study was undertaken to compare the scientific temper of high and low achieving adolescent girl students. Random sampling technique was used to draw the sample from various high schools of District Srinagar. The sample for the present study consisted of 120 school going adolescent girls (60 high and 60 low achievers). Data was…

Can You Teach in a Normal Way? Examining Chinese and US Curricula's Approach to Teaching Fraction Divisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feil, YingYing Crystal

2010-01-01

This dissertation presents two studies designed to examine the topic of fraction division in selected Chinese and US curricula. By comparing the structure and content of the Chinese and "Everyday Mathematics" textbooks and teacher's guides, Study 1 revealed many different features presented in the selected curricula. Major differences…

Concurrent Validity of the Classroom Strategies Scale for Elementary School--Observer Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddy, Linda A.; Fabiano, Gregory A.; Dudek, Christopher M.

2013-01-01

The present study is an initial investigation of the concurrent validity of a new assessment, the Classroom Strategies Scale (CSS version 2.0) for Elementary School--Observer Form. The CSS assesses teachers' use of instructional and behavioral management strategies. In the present study, the CSS is compared to the Classroom Assessment Scoring…

Comparative study on the nutritional and antioxidant properties of two Mexican corn (Zea mays) based meals versus processed cereals.

PubMed

Sánchez-Herrera, Marissa; Martínez-Cano, Evelia; Maldonado-Santoyo, María; Aparicio-Fernández, Xochitl

2014-06-01

The present study was conducted to analyze the chemical composition, total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity of two whole corn (Zea mays) based meals traditional from Mexico: "traditional pinole" and "seven grain pinole"; and compare it with information available from ready to eat cereal products based on refined corn and whole grain cereals. Proximate analyses (moisture, ash, fat, protein and fiber) were carried out according to the procedures of AOAC, sugars content was determined by HPLC method; calcium and iron were quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Total phenolic compounds were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method; the antiradical capacity was determined by DPPH colorimetric method and total antioxidant capacity was determined by FRAP method. Traditional and seven grain pinole presented higher energy content and nutrient density (protein and fat) than processed cereals. Calcium content was higher in processed cereals than pinole; seven grain pinole presented the highest conentration of iron. Polyphenolic concentration was higher in both kinds of pinole compared to processed cereals; traditional pinole presented the highest antioxidant activity measured by DPPH and FRAP methods. The results provide evidence about the important nutrient and antioxidant content of traditional and seven grain pinole compared to processed cereals based on corn and other grains. It is recommended their incorporation in to regular diet as a healthy food, with a good protein level, low sugar content and good antioxidant capacity.

How well do commonly used data presentation formats support comparative effectiveness evaluations?

PubMed Central

Dolan, James G.; Qian, Feng; Veazie, Peter J.

2012-01-01

Background Good decisions depend on an accurate understanding of the comparative effectiveness of decision alternatives. The best way convey data needed to support these comparisons is unknown. Objective To determine how well five commonly used data presentation formats convey comparative effectiveness information. Design Internet survey using a factorial design. Subjects 279 members of an online survey panel. Intervention Study participants compared outcomes associated with three hypothetical screening test options relative to five possible outcomes with probabilities ranging from 2 per 5,000 (0.04%) to 500 per 1,000 (50%). Data presentation formats included a table, a “magnified” bar chart, a risk scale, a frequency diagram, and an icon array. Measurements Outcomes included the number of correct ordinal judgments regarding the more likely of two outcomes, the ratio of perceived versus actual relative likelihoods of the paired outcomes, the inter-subject consistency of responses, and perceived clarity. Results The mean number of correct ordinal judgments was 12 of 15 (80%), with no differences among data formats. On average, there was a 3.3-fold difference between perceived and actual likelihood ratios,95%CI: 3.0 to 3.6. Comparative judgments based on flow charts, icon arrays, and tables were all significantly more accurate and consistent than those based on risk scales and bar charts, p < 0.001. The most clearly perceived formats were the table and the flow chart. Low subjective numeracy was associated with less accurate and more variable data interpretations and lower perceived clarity for icon displays, bar charts, and flow diagrams. Conclusions None of the data presentation formats studied can reliably provide patients, especially those with low subjective numeracy, with an accurate understanding of comparative effectiveness information. PMID:22618998

Virtual reality treatment versus exposure in vivo: a comparative evaluation in acrophobia.

PubMed

Emmelkamp, P M G; Krijn, M; Hulsbosch, A M; de Vries, S; Schuemie, M J; van der Mast, C A P G

2002-05-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-budget virtual reality (VR) exposure versus exposure in vivo in a between-group design in 33 patients suffering from acrophobia. The virtual environments used in treatment were exactly copied from the real environments used in the exposure in vivo program. VR exposure was found to be as effective as exposure in vivo on anxiety and avoidance as measured with the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ), the Attitude Towards Heights Questionnaire (ATHQ) and the Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT). Results were maintained up to six months follow-up. The present study shows that VR exposure can be effective with relatively cheap hardware and software on stand-alone computers currently on the market. Further studies into the effectiveness of VR exposure are recommended in other clinical groups as agoraphobics and social phobics and studies in which VR exposure is compared with more emerging virtual worlds as presented in CAVE-type systems.

Impaired temporal contrast sensitivity in dyslexics is specific to retain-and-compare paradigms.

PubMed

Ben-Yehudah, G; Sackett, E; Malchi-Ginzberg, L; Ahissar, M

2001-07-01

Developmental dyslexia is a specific reading disability that affects 5-10% of the population. Recent studies have suggested that dyslexics may experience a deficit in the visual magnocellular pathway. The most extensively studied prediction deriving from this hypothesis is impaired contrast sensitivity to transient, low-luminance stimuli at low spatial frequencies. However, the findings are inconsistent across studies and even seemingly contradictory. In the present study, we administered several different paradigms for assessing temporal contrast sensitivity, and found both impaired and normal contrast sensitivity within the same group of dyslexic participants. Under sequential presentation, in a temporal forced choice paradigm, dyslexics showed impaired sensitivity to both drifting and flickering gratings. However, under simultaneous presentation, with a spatial forced choice paradigm, dyslexics' sensitivity did not differ from that of the controls. Within each paradigm, dyslexics' sensitivity was poorer at higher temporal frequencies, consistent with the magnocellular hypothesis. These results suggest that a basic perceptual impairment in dyslexics may be their limited ability to retain-and-compare perceptual traces across brief intervals.

How Single-Parent Children Speak about Poverty and Social Exclusion: Policy Implications from a Comparative, Qualitative, Cross-National Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spyrou, Spyros

2013-01-01

This article presents some of the key findings from a comparative, qualitative research study carried out in the United Kingdom, Greece, and Cyprus. The main goal of the study was to investigate single-parent children's experiences and understandings of poverty and social exclusion in their everyday lives and to make relevant policy…

Comparative Study of Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme at Secondary Stage in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yadav, S. K.

2011-01-01

The present research work has studied and compared the different issues of pre-service teacher education programme in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The data were collected from 24 principals, 88 teacher educators and 157 student teachers from institutions and universities where Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) course were. The data were…

Comparative Financial Statistics for Public Two-Year Colleges: FY 1995 Peer Groups Sample.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meeker, Bradley

Comparative financial information derived from a national sample of 405 two-year colleges is presented in this report for fiscal year 1994-95, including data for the national sample and for 6groups of peer institutions. The first section provides introductory information on the annual study, discussing the study sample and the use of study…

Comparative Financial Statistics for Public Two-Year Colleges: FY 1994 Peer Groups Sample.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickmeyer, Nathan; Meeker, Bradley

Comparative financial information derived from a national sample of 427 two-year colleges is presented in this report for fiscal year 1993-94, including data for the national sample and 6 groups of peer institutions. The first section provides introductory information on the annual study, reviewing the objectives of the study and potential uses of…

Internet-Users and Internet Non-Users Attitude towards Research: A Comparative Study on Post-Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noor ul Amin, Syed

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to compare the Internet-user and Internet Non-user post-graduate students on their attitude towards research. The sample comprised 600 post graduate students (300 Internet-users and 300 Internet-Non-users) drawn from different faculties of University of Kashmir (J&K), India. Random sampling technique was…

Curriculum-Making in Pre-Vocational Education in the Lower Secondary School: A Regional Comparative Analysis within Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berger, Susanne; Canning, Roy; Dolan, Michael; Kurek, Slawomir; Pilz, Matthias; Rachwal, Tomasz

2012-01-01

This paper presents a pilot comparative research project on pre-vocational education in lower secondary schools (ISCED level 2) within regions in three European countries. The primary aim of the study was to better understand how the pre-vocational education curriculum is constructed and taught within schools. A case study methodology was selected…

Conventional Gymnasium vs. Geodesic Field House. A Comparative Study of High School Physical Education and Assembly Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Facilities Labs., Inc., New York, NY.

A description is presented of the design features of a high school's geodesic dome field house. Following consideration of various design features and criteria for the physical education facility, a comprehensive analysis is given of comparative costs of a geodesic dome field house and conventional gymnasium. On the basis of the study it would…

Study of Planck's Law with a Small USB Grating Spectrometer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navratil, Zdenek; Dosoudilova, Lenka; Jurmanova, Jana

2013-01-01

In this paper an experiment to study Planck's radiation law is presented. The spectra of a heated furnace and of a halogen lamp under various conditions were measured with a small USB grating spectrometer and fitted using Planck's law. The temperature determined from the fit was then compared with the results of comparative temperature…

Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Adolescents' Adaptation: A Longitudinal Study of Albanian Immigrant Youth Living in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motti-Stefanidi, Frosso; Pavlopoulos, Vassilis; Tantaros, Spyros

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the relationship between the frequency of parent-adolescent conflict and the quality of adaptation of immigrant Albanian adolescents and of their native Greek classmates. Aims of the present study were: (a) to compare the frequency of immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents' conflicts with their parents; (b) to compare the…

Policies of Access and Quality of Higher Education in China and Kenya: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malechwanzi, J. Muthiani; Shen, Hong; Mbeke, Caroline

2016-01-01

This paper traces the development and current situations of higher education in China and Kenya. This paper calls for rethinking on how to address increasing demand for access and quality through creating a conducive environment for learning and researching for both students and faculties. The paper presents a comparative study where China has…

The Comparative Effects of Comprehensible Input, Output and Corrective Feedback on the Receptive Acquisition of L2 Vocabulary Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nowbakht, Mohammad; Shahnazari, Mohammadtaghi

2015-01-01

In the present study, the comparative effects of comprehensible input, output and corrective feedback on the receptive acquisition of L2 vocabulary items were investigated. Two groups of beginning EFL learners participated in the study. The control group received comprehensible input only, while the experimental group received input and was…

Favoured Free-Time: Comparing Children's Activity Preferences in the UK and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Merris

2011-01-01

This study presents a comparative study of the free-time activity preferences of 9- to 11-year-old children in the UK and USA, as drawn by them in art workshops. Six themes emerged relating to sport, outdoor play, family/peers, media, special occasions and other (indefinable) activities. The children's talk about their drawings revealed additional…

Studying Student Benefits of Assigning a Service-Learning Project Compared to a Traditional Final Project in a Business Statistics Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phelps, Amy L.; Dostilio, Lina

2008-01-01

The present study addresses the efficacy of using service-learning methods to meet the GAISE guidelines (http://www.amstat.org/education/gaise/GAISECollege.htm) in a second business statistics course and further explores potential advantages of assigning a service-learning (SL) project as compared to the traditional statistics project assignment.…

Order of Stimulus Presentation Influences Children's Acquisition in Receptive Identification Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petursdottir, Anna Ingeborg; Aguilar, Gabriella

2016-01-01

Receptive identification is usually taught in matching-to-sample format, which entails the presentation of an auditory sample stimulus and several visual comparison stimuli in each trial. Conflicting recommendations exist regarding the order of stimulus presentation in matching-to-sample trials. The purpose of this study was to compare acquisition…

Differential Age Effects on Spatial and Visual Working Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oosterman, Joukje M.; Morel, Sascha; Meijer, Lisette; Buvens, Cleo; Kessels, Roy P. C.; Postma, Albert

2011-01-01

The present study was intended to compare age effects on visual and spatial working memory by using two versions of the same task that differed only in presentation mode. The working memory task contained both a simultaneous and a sequential presentation mode condition, reflecting, respectively, visual and spatial working memory processes. Young…

Supporting Pre-Service Teachers in Designing Technology-Infused Lesson Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssen, N.; Lazonder, A. W.

2016-01-01

The present study compared the effectiveness of two types of just-in-time support for lesson planning. Both types contained the same technological information but differed regarding pedagogical and content information. The first type presented this information separately (i.e., separate support); the second type presented this information in an…

A Comparison of Simplified-Visually Rich and Traditional Presentation Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Douglas A.; Christensen, Jack

2011-01-01

Microsoft PowerPoint and similar presentation tools have become commonplace in higher education, yet there is very little research on the effectiveness of different PowerPoint formats for implementing this software. This study compared two PowerPoint presentation techniques: a more traditional format employing heavy use of bullet points with text…

Excitons in Potassium Bromide: A Study using Embedded Time-dependent Density Functional Theory and Equation-of-Motion Coupled Cluster Methods

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

Govind, Niranjan; Sushko, Petr V.; Hess, Wayne P.

2009-03-05

We present a study of the electronic excitations in insulating materials using an embedded- cluster method. The excited states of the embedded cluster are studied systematically using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and high-level equation-of-motion coupled cluster (EOMCC) methods. In particular, we have used EOMCC models with singles and doubles (EOMCCSD) and two approaches which account for the e®ect of triply excited con¯gurations in non-iterative and iterative fashions. We present calculations of the lowest surface excitations of the well-studied potassium bromide (KBr) system and compare our results with experiment. The bulk-surface exciton shift is also calculated at the TDDFT levelmore » and compared with experiment.« less

Comparative pharmacokinetics of perfluorononanoic acid in rat and mouse

EPA Science Inventory

Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) is a fluorinated organic chemical found at low levels in the environment, but is detectable in humans and wildlife. The present study compared the pharmacokinetic properties of PFNA in two laboratory rodent species. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rat...

Making pH Tangible.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Elizabeth; Moss, Robert

1995-01-01

Presents a laboratory exercise in which students test the pH of different substances, study the effect of a buffer on acidic solutions by comparing the behavior of buffered and unbuffered solutions upon the addition of acid, and compare common over-the-counter antacid remedies. (MKR)

Howard University: A Comparative Fiscal Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inman, Deborah; And Others

This report presents a fiscal analysis of Howard University (District of Columbia) including: (1) general education revenues; (2) education and general expenditures; and (3) faculty salaries. The study compared Howard University to four different groups of higher education institutions: similar private institutions with hospitals; public…

Communications payload concepts for geostationary facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poley, William A.; Lekan, Jack

1987-01-01

Summarized and compared are the major results of two NASA sponsored studies that defined potential communication payload concepts to meet the satellite traffic forecast for the turn of the century for the continental US and Region 2 of the International Telecommunications Union. The studies were performed by the Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation and RCA Astro-Electronics (now GE-RCA Astro-Space Division). Future scenarios of aggregations of communications services are presented. Payload concepts are developed and defined in detail for nine of the scenarios. Payload costs and critical technologies per payload are also presented. Finally the payload concepts are compared and the findings of the reports are discussed.

Benchmarking Controlled Trial—a novel concept covering all observational effectiveness studies

PubMed Central

Malmivaara, Antti

2015-01-01

Abstract The Benchmarking Controlled Trial (BCT) is a novel concept which covers all observational studies aiming to assess effectiveness. BCTs provide evidence of the comparative effectiveness between health service providers, and of effectiveness due to particular features of the health and social care systems. BCTs complement randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the sources of evidence on effectiveness. This paper presents a definition of the BCT; compares the position of BCTs in assessing effectiveness with that of RCTs; presents a checklist for assessing methodological validity of a BCT; and pilot-tests the checklist with BCTs published recently in the leading medical journals. PMID:25965700

Dread of uncertain pain: An event-related potential study

PubMed Central

Huang, Yujing; Shang, Qian; Dai, Shenyi; Ma, Qingguo

2017-01-01

Humans experience more stress about uncertain situations than certain situations. However, the neural mechanism underlying the uncertainty of a negative stimulus has not been determined. In the present study, event-related potential was recorded to examine neural responses during the dread of unpredictable pain. We used a cueing paradigm in which predictable cues were always followed by electric shocks, unpredictable cues by electric shocks at a 50/50 ratio and safe cues by no electric shock. Visual analogue scales following electric shocks were presented to quantify subjective anxiety levels. The behavioral results showed that unpredictable cues evoked high-level anxiety compared with predictable cues in both painful and unpainful stimulation conditions. More importantly, the ERPs results revealed that unpredictable cues elicited a larger P200 at parietal sites than predictable cues. In addition, unpredictable cues evoked larger P200 compared with safe cues at frontal electrodes and compared with predictable cues at parietal electrodes. In addition, larger P3b and LPP were observed during perception of safe cues compared with predictable cues at frontal and central electrodes. The similar P3b effect was also revealed in the left sites. The present study underlined that the uncertain dread of pain was associated with threat appraisal process in pain system. These findings on early event-related potentials were significant for a neural marker and development of therapeutic interventions. PMID:28832607

ASCO 2017 meeting summary: updates to practice-changing studies in untreated non-Hodgkin lymphoma

PubMed Central

Laneuville, P.; Larouche, J.F.; Tosikyan, A.; Christofides, A.

2017-01-01

The 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology took place in Chicago, Illinois, 2–6 June. At the meeting, results from key studies in the first-line treatment of indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (inhl) were presented. Of those studies, two were selected for oral presentations: 9-year follow-up data from the stil nhl1 trial, which compared the efficacy and safety of bendamustine plus rituximab (br) with those of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide–vincristine–prednisone–doxorubicin (r-chop); and 5-year follow-up data from the bright study, which compared br with r-chop and r-cvp (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide–vincristine–prednisone) combined. Our meeting report describes the foregoing studies and includes interviews with key investigators, plus commentaries from three Quebec hematologists on the potential effects for Canadian practice.

Quantity judgments of sequentially presented food items by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella).

PubMed

Evans, Theodore A; Beran, Michael J; Harris, Emily H; Rice, Daniel F

2009-01-01

Recent assessments have shown that capuchin monkeys, like chimpanzees and other Old World primate species, are sensitive to quantitative differences between sets of visible stimuli. In the present study, we examined capuchins' performance in a more sophisticated quantity judgment task that required the ability to form representations of food quantities while viewing the quantities only one piece at a time. In three experiments, we presented monkeys with the choice between two sets of discrete homogeneous food items and allowed the monkeys to consume the set of their choice. In Experiments 1 and 2, monkeys compared an entirely visible food set to a second set, presented item-by-item into an opaque container. All monkeys exhibited high accuracy in choosing the larger set, even when the entirely visible set was presented last, preventing the use of one-to-one item correspondence to compare quantities. In Experiment 3, monkeys compared two sets that were each presented item-by-item into opaque containers, but at different rates to control for temporal cues. Some monkeys performed well in this experiment, though others exhibited near-chance performance, suggesting that this species' ability to form representations of food quantities may be limited compared to previously tested species such as chimpanzees. Overall, these findings support the analog magnitude model of quantity representation as an explanation for capuchin monkeys' quantification of sequentially presented food items.

Current rates of publication for podium and poster presentations at the american society for surgery of the hand annual meetings.

PubMed

Abzug, Joshua M; Osterman, Meredith; Rivlin, Michael; Paryavi, Ebrahim; Osterman, A Lee

2014-09-01

Research projects are presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). It is unknown how many achieve publication in peer-reviewed journals. We sought to determine current rates of publication of podium and poster presentations. All ASSH podium and poster presentations from 2000 to 2005 were reviewed, and an Internet-based search using PubMed and Google was conducted to determine whether the presented studies had been published. Times to publication and journal names were recorded. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Fisher's exact test was conducted to compare current trends with previous trends. Of 1127 podium and poster presentations reviewed, 46% were published in peer-reviewed journals. Forty-seven percent of published presentations (242 presentations) were in Journal of Hand Surgery, and 11% (59 presentations) were in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Forty-five percent of presentations were published within 2 years and 66% within 3 years. The publication rate for podium presentations was significantly higher than that previously reported for Journal of Hand Surgery, at 54% compared with 44% (P=0.004). Currently, fewer than half of the studies presented at Annual Meetings of the ASSH achieve publication in peer-reviewed journals. Presentations are most likely to be published within 3 years, and almost half are published in Journal of Hand Surgery.

Comparative Pessimism or Optimism: Depressed Mood, Risk-Taking, Social Utility and Desirability.

PubMed

Milhabet, Isabelle; Le Barbenchon, Emmanuelle; Cambon, Laurent; Molina, Guylaine

2015-03-05

Comparative optimism can be defined as a self-serving, asymmetric judgment of the future. It is often thought to be beneficial and socially accepted, whereas comparative pessimism is correlated with depression and socially rejected. Our goal was to examine the social acceptance of comparative optimism and the social rejection of comparative pessimism in two dimensions of social judgment, social desirability and social utility, considering the attributions of dysphoria and risk-taking potential (studies 2 and 3) on outlooks on the future. In three experiments, the participants assessed either one (study 1) or several (studies 2 and 3) fictional targets in two dimensions, social utility and social desirability. Targets exhibiting comparatively optimistic or pessimistic outlooks on the future were presented as non-depressed, depressed, or neither (control condition) (study 1); non-depressed or depressed (study 2); and non-depressed or in control condition (study 3). Two significant results were obtained: (1) social rejection of comparative pessimism in the social desirability dimension, which can be explained by its depressive feature; and (2) comparative optimism was socially accepted on the social utility dimension, which can be explained by the perception that comparatively optimistic individuals are potential risk-takers.

Comparing organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration.

PubMed

Mátyás, Bence; Chiluisa Andrade, Maritza Elizabeth; Yandun Chida, Nora Carmen; Taipe Velasco, Carina Maribel; Gavilanes Morales, Denisse Estefania; Miño Montero, Gisella Nicole; Ramirez Cando, Lenin Javier; Lizano Acevedo, Ronnie Xavier

2018-01-01

Soil management has great potential to affect soil respiration. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration.  We measured the main soil physical-chemical properties from conventional and organic managed soil in Ecuador. Soil respiration was determined using alkaline absorption according to Witkamp.  Soil properties such as organic matter, nitrogen, and humidity, were comparable between conventional and organic soils in the present study, and in a further analysis there was no statically significant correlation with soil respiration. Therefore, even though organic farmers tend to apply more organic material to their fields, but this did not result in a significantly higher CO2 production in their soils in the present study.

Comparing organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration

PubMed Central

Mátyás, Bence; Chiluisa Andrade, Maritza Elizabeth; Yandun Chida, Nora Carmen; Taipe Velasco, Carina Maribel; Gavilanes Morales, Denisse Estefania; Miño Montero, Gisella Nicole; Ramirez Cando, Lenin Javier; Lizano Acevedo, Ronnie Xavier

2018-01-01

Soil management has great potential to affect soil respiration. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration.  We measured the main soil physical-chemical properties from conventional and organic managed soil in Ecuador. Soil respiration was determined using alkaline absorption according to Witkamp.  Soil properties such as organic matter, nitrogen, and humidity, were comparable between conventional and organic soils in the present study, and in a further analysis there was no statically significant correlation with soil respiration. Therefore, even though organic farmers tend to apply more organic material to their fields, but this did not result in a significantly higher CO2 production in their soils in the present study. PMID:29623193

Hydrogen species motion in piezoelectrics: A quasi-elastic neutron scattering study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvine, K. J.; Tyagi, M.; Brown, C. M.; Udovic, T. J.; Jenkins, T.; Pitman, S. G.

2012-03-01

Hydrogen is known to damage or degrade piezoelectric materials, at low pressure for ferroelectric random access memory applications, and at high pressure for hydrogen-powered vehicle applications. The piezoelectric degradation is in part governed by the motion of hydrogen species within the piezoelectric materials. We present here quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements of the local hydrogen species motion within lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and barium titanate (BTO) on samples charged by exposure to high-pressure gaseous hydrogen (≈17 MPa). Neutron vibrational spectroscopy (NVS) studies of the hydrogen-enhanced vibrational modes are presented as well. Results are discussed in the context of theoretically predicted interstitial hydrogen lattice sites and compared to comparable bulk diffusion studies of hydrogen diffusion in lead zirconate titanate.

Weekend Compared with Weekday Presentations of Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Peritonitis

PubMed Central

Johnson, David W.; Clayton, Philip; Cho, Yeoungjee; Badve, Sunil V.; Hawley, Carmel M.; McDonald, Stephen; Boudville, Neil; Wiggins, Kathryn J.; Bannister, Kym; Brown, Fiona

2012-01-01

♦ Objective: Management of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis requires timely intervention by experienced staff, which may not be uniformly available throughout the week. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of weekend compared with weekday presentation on peritonitis outcomes. ♦ Methods: The study, which used data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, included all Australian patients receiving PD between 1 October 2003 and 31 December 2008. The independent predictors of weekend presentation and subsequent peritonitis outcomes were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. ♦ Results: Peritonitis presentation rates were significantly lower on Saturdays [0.46 episodes per year; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42 to 0.49 episodes per year] and on Sundays (0.43 episodes per year; 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.47 episodes per year) than all other weekdays; they peaked on Mondays (0.76 episodes per year; 95% CI: 0.72 to 0.81 episodes per year). Weekend presentation with a first episode of peritonitis was independently associated with lower body mass index and residence less than 100 km away from the nearest PD unit. Patients presenting with peritonitis on the weekend were significantly more likely to be hospitalized [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.32; 95% CI: 1.85 to 2.90], although microbial profiles and empiric antimicrobial treatments were comparable between the weekend and weekday groups. Antimicrobial cure rates were also comparable (79% vs 79%, p = 0.9), with the exception of cure rates for culture-negative peritonitis, which were lower on the weekend (80% vs 88%, p = 0.047). Antifungal prophylaxis was less likely to be co-prescribed for first peritonitis episodes presenting on weekdays (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.89). ♦ Conclusions: Patients on PD are less likely to present with peritonitis on the weekend. Nevertheless, the microbiology, treatment, and outcomes of weekend and weekday PD peritonitis presentations are remarkably similar. Exceptions include the associations of weekend presentation with a higher hospitalization rate and a lower cure rate in culture-negative infection. PMID:22302768

On the Value of Second Life for Students' Engagement in Blended and Online Courses: A Comparative Study from the Higher Education in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellas, Nikolaos; Kazanidis, Ioannis

2015-01-01

Nowadays three-dimensional (3D) multi-user virtual worlds (VWs) are the most well-known candidate platforms in Higher education. Despite the growing number of notable studies that have presented VWs as valuable platforms for the e-Education, there is still a paucity of a comparative study in order to be determined the degree of the students'…

Neurological soft signs in obsessive compulsive disorder with good and poor insight.

PubMed

Karadag, Filiz; Tumkaya, Selim; Kırtaş, Duygu; Efe, Muharrem; Alacam, Hüseyin; Oguzhanoglu, Nalan K

2011-06-01

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder; OCD with poor insight has been suggested to be a specific clinical subtype. Neurological soft signs (NSSs) may be helpful to identify the specific subtypes of OCD patients. In the present study, we aimed to compare OCD patients with poor insight with OCD patients having good insight, and healthy individuals. Sixty-four OCD patients (38 with good insight and 26 with poor insight), and 32 healthy subjects were enrolled in the present study. The Overvalued Ideas Scale (OVIS) was used to determine OCD patients with poor insight. NSSs were assessed by using the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES). Two OCD groups had significantly higher total NES scores compared to controls (p=.000). Compared to healthy controls, OCD patients with poor insight performed significantly worse on all NES subscales, and they had significantly more NSSs on motor coordination, and sensory integration subscales compared to the OCD with good insight group. Our results suggested that OCD patients with poor insight exhibit more extensive neurodevelopmental impairments compared to OCD patients with good insight. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Decision Making Impairment: A Shared Vulnerability in Obesity, Gambling Disorder and Substance Use Disorders?

PubMed Central

Mallorquí-Bagué, Nuria; Fagundo, Ana B.; Jimenez-Murcia, Susana; de la Torre, Rafael; Baños, Rosa M.; Botella, Cristina; Casanueva, Felipe F.; Crujeiras, Ana B.; Fernández-García, Jose C.; Fernández-Real, Jose M.; Frühbeck, Gema; Granero, Roser; Rodríguez, Amaia; Tolosa-Sola, Iris; Ortega, Francisco J.; Tinahones, Francisco J.; Alvarez-Moya, Eva; Ochoa, Cristian; Menchón, Jose M.

2016-01-01

Introduction Addictions are associated with decision making impairments. The present study explores decision making in Substance use disorder (SUD), Gambling disorder (GD) and Obesity (OB) when assessed by Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and compares them with healthy controls (HC). Methods For the aims of this study, 591 participants (194 HC, 178 GD, 113 OB, 106 SUD) were assessed according to DSM criteria, completed a sociodemographic interview and conducted the IGT. Results SUD, GD and OB present impaired decision making when compared to the HC in the overall task and task learning, however no differences are found for the overall performance in the IGT among the clinical groups. Results also reveal some specific learning across the task patterns within the clinical groups: OB maintains negative scores until the third set where learning starts but with a less extend to HC, SUD presents an early learning followed by a progressive although slow improvement and GD presents more random choices with no learning. Conclusions Decision making impairments are present in the studied clinical samples and they display individual differences in the task learning. Results can help understanding the underlying mechanisms of OB and addiction behaviors as well as improve current clinical treatments. PMID:27690367

Characteristics of hospital-treated intentional drug overdose in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

PubMed

Griffin, Eve; Corcoran, Paul; Cassidy, Linda; O'Carroll, Amanda; Perry, Ivan J; Bonner, Brendan

2014-07-29

This study compared the profile of intentional drug overdoses (IDOs) presenting to emergency departments in Ireland and in the Western Trust Area of Northern Ireland between 2007 and 2012. Specifically the study aimed to compare characteristics of the patients involved, to explore the factors associated with repeated IDO and to report the prescription rates of common drug types in the population. We utilised data from two comparable registries which monitor the incidence of hospital-treated self-harm, recording data from deliberate self-harm presentations involving an IDO to all hospital emergency departments for the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012. Between 2007 and 2012 the registries recorded 56 494 self-harm presentations involving an IDO. The study showed that hospital-treated IDO was almost twice as common in Northern Ireland than in Ireland (278 vs 156/100 000, respectively). Despite the overall difference in the rates of IDO, the profile of such presentations was remarkably similar in both countries. Minor tranquillisers were the drugs most commonly involved in IDOs. National campaigns are required to address the availability and misuse of minor tranquillisers, both prescribed and non-prescribed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Differences in Procrastination and Motivation between Undergraduate and Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cao, Li

2012-01-01

Procrastination became increasingly prevalent among students in recent years. However, little research was found that directly compares academic procrastination across different academic grade levels. The present study used a self-regulated learning perspective to compare procrastination types and associated motivation between undergraduate and…

The Practical Implication of Comparing How Adults with and without Intellectual Disability Respond to Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooper, Jeff; Wigram, Tony; Carson, Derek; Lindsay, Bill

2011-01-01

Previous researchers who compared how people with, and without, an intellectual disability respond to music focused on musical aptitude, but not on arousal. This paper presents the background, methodology, and results of a study that selected fifteen different pieces of music, and compared the arousal response of adults with (n = 48), and without…

Gender and ethnic differences in chronic myelogenous leukemia prognosis and treatment response: a single-institution retrospective study

PubMed Central

Lee, Justin P; Birnstein, Elliott; Masiello, David; Yang, Dongyun; Yang, Allen S

2009-01-01

Background In the last decade the importance of ethnicity, socio-economic and gender differences in relation to disease incidence, diagnosis, and prognosis has been realized. Differences in these areas have become a major health policy focus in the United States. Our study was undertaken to examine the demographic and clinical features of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients presenting initially at the LAC+USC Medical Center, which serves an ethnically diverse population. Results Patients were evenly split by gender, overwhelmingly Hispanic (60.9%), and quite young (median age 39, range 17–65) compared with previously reported CML patient populations. Previous CML studies identified significant anemia (Hgb <12 g/dl), significant thrombocytosis (platelets >450 × 109/l), and significant leukocytosis (WBC >50 × 109/l) as significant adverse pretreatment prognostic factors. Using these indicators, in addition to the validated Hasford and Sokal scores, patients were stratified and analyzed via gender and ethnicity. A significantly greater proportion of women presented with significant anemia (p = 0.019, Fisher's exact test) and significant thrombocytosis (p = 0.041, Fisher's exact test) compared to men, although no differences were found in risk stratification or treatment response. MCV values for women were significantly (p = 0.02, 2-sample t-test) lower than those for men, suggesting iron deficiency anemia. Focusing on ethnicity, Hispanics as a whole had significantly lower Hasford risk stratification (p = 0.046, Fisher's exact test), and significantly greater likelihood (p = 0.016, Fisher's exact test) of achieving 3-month complete haematological remission (CHR) compared with non-Hispanics at LAC+USC Medical Center, though differences in treatment outcome were no longer significant with analysis limited to patients treated with first-line imatinib. Conclusion Female CML patients at LAC+USC Medical Center present with more significant adverse pre-treatment prognostic factors compared to men, but achieve comparable outcomes. Hispanic patients present with lower risk profile CML and achieve better treatment responses compared to non-Hispanic patients as a whole; these ethnic differences are no longer significant when statistical analysis is limited to patients given imatinib as first-line therapy. Our patients achieve response rates inferior to those of large-scale national studies. This constellation of findings has not been reported in previous studies, and is likely reflective of a unique patient population. PMID:19630970

A comparison of the electrocortical response to monetary and social reward

PubMed Central

Distefano, Amanda; Jackson, Felicia; Levinson, Amanda R; Infantolino, Zachary P; Jarcho, Johanna M; Nelson, Brady D

2018-01-01

Abstract Affective science research on reward processing has primarily focused on monetary rewards. There has been a growing interest in evaluating the neural basis of social decision-making and reward processing. The present study employed a within-subject design and compared the reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential component that is present following favorable feedback and absent or reduced following unfavorable feedback, during monetary and social reward tasks. Specifically, 114 participants (75 females) completed a monetary reward task and a novel social reward task that were matched on trial structure, timing, and feedback stimuli in a counterbalanced order. Results indicated that the monetary and social RewP were of similar magnitude, positively correlated and demonstrated comparable psychometric properties, including reliability and dependability. Across both the monetary and social tasks, women demonstrated a greater RewP compared with men. This study provides a novel methodological approach toward examining the electrocortical response to social reward that is comparable to monetary reward. PMID:29373743

The active comparator, new user study design in pharmacoepidemiology: historical foundations and contemporary application

PubMed Central

Lund, Jennifer L.; Richardson, David B.; Stürmer, Til

2016-01-01

Better understanding of biases related to selective prescribing of, and adherence to, preventive treatments has led to improvements in the design and analysis of pharmacoepidemiologic studies. One influential development has been the “active comparator, new user” study design, which seeks to emulate the design of a head-to-head randomized controlled trial. In this review, we first discuss biases that may affect pharmacoepidemiologic studies and describe their direction and magnitude in a variety of settings. We then present the historical foundations of the active comparator, new user study design and explain how this design conceptually mitigates biases leading to a paradigm shift in pharmacoepidemiology. We offer practical guidance on the implementation of the study design using administrative databases. Finally, we provide an empirical example in which the active comparator, new user study design addresses biases that have previously impeded pharmacoepidemiologic studies. PMID:26954351

A comparative study of integrated pest management strategies based on impulsive control.

PubMed

Páez Chávez, Joseph; Jungmann, Dirk; Siegmund, Stefan

2018-12-01

The paper presents a comprehensive numerical study of mathematical models used to describe complex biological systems in the framework of integrated pest management. Our study considers two specific ecosystems that describe the application of control mechanisms based on pesticides and natural enemies, implemented in an impulsive and periodic manner, due to which the considered models belong to the class of impulsive differential equations. The present work proposes a numerical approach to study such type of models in detail, via the application of path-following (continuation) techniques for nonsmooth dynamical systems, via the novel continuation platform COCO (Dankowicz and Schilder). In this way, a detailed study focusing on the influence of selected system parameters on the effectiveness of the pest control scheme is carried out for both ecological scenarios. Furthermore, a comparative study is presented, with special emphasis on the mechanisms upon which a pest outbreak can occur in the considered ecosystems. Our study reveals that such outbreaks are determined by the presence of a branching point found during the continuation analysis. The numerical investigation concludes with an in-depth study of the state-dependent pesticide mortality considered in one of the ecological scenarios.

Microbursts in JAWS depicted by Doppler radars, PAM, and aerial photographs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujita, T. T.; Wakimoto, R. M.

1983-01-01

Preliminary results obtained from the JAWS (Joint Airport Weather Studies) Project near Denver, Colorado in the spring and summer of 1982 using Doppler radar, PAM, and aerial photography are presented. The definitions of the microburst phenomenon are discussed, and statistics comparing NIMROD (Northern Illinois Meteorological Research On Downbursts) for the Midwest region are compared with JAWS for the High Plains region. Possible parent clouds of the microburst are considered, and an analysis of a macroburst/microburst event on July 14, 1982 is presented.

Spatial resolution requirements for soft-copy reporting in digital radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Andrew G.; Cowen, Arnold R.; Fowler, Richard C.; Bury, Robert F.; Parkin, Geoff J. S.; Lintott, David J.; Martinez, Delia; Safudim, Asif

1996-04-01

The issue of the spatial resolution required in order to present diagnostic quality digital images, especially for softcopy reporting, has received much attention over recent years. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance reporting from hardcopy and optimized softcopy image presentations. One-hundred-fifteen radiographs of the hand acquired on a photostimulable phosphor computed radiography (CR) system were chosen as the image material. The study group was taken from patients who demonstrated subtle erosions of the bone in the digits. The control group consisted of radiologically normal bands. The images were presented in three modes, the CR system's hardcopy output, and softcopy presentations at full and half spatial resolutions. Four consultant radiologists participated as observers. Results were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) technique, and showed a statistically significant improvement in observer performance for both softcopy formats, when compared to the hardcopy presentation. However, no significant difference in observer performance was found between the two softcopy presentations. We therefore conclude that, with appropriate attention to the processing and presentation of digital image data, softcopy reporting can, for most examinations, provide superior diagnostic performance, even for images viewed at modest (1 k2) resolutions.

A Concealed Information Test with multimodal measurement.

PubMed

Ambach, Wolfgang; Bursch, Stephanie; Stark, Rudolf; Vaitl, Dieter

2010-03-01

A Concealed Information Test (CIT) investigates differential physiological responses to deed-related (probe) vs. irrelevant items. The present study focused on the detection of concealed information using simultaneous recordings of autonomic and brain electrical measures. As a secondary issue, verbal and pictorial presentations were compared with respect to their influence on the recorded measures. Thirty-one participants underwent a mock-crime scenario with a combined verbal and pictorial presentation of nine items. The subsequent CIT, designed with respect to event-related potential (ERP) measurement, used a 3-3.5s interstimulus interval. The item presentation modality, i.e. pictures or written words, was varied between subjects; no response was required from the participants. In addition to electroencephalogram (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA), electrocardiogram (ECG), respiratory activity, and finger plethysmogram were recorded. A significant probe-vs.-irrelevant effect was found for each of the measures. Compared to sole ERP measurement, the combination of ERP and EDA yielded incremental information for detecting concealed information. Although, EDA per se did not reach the predictive value known from studies primarily designed for peripheral physiological measurement. Presentation modality neither influenced the detection accuracy for autonomic measures nor EEG measures; this underpins the equivalence of verbal and pictorial item presentation in a CIT, regardless of the physiological measures recorded. Future studies should further clarify whether the incremental validity observed in the present study reflects a differential sensitivity of ERP and EDA to different sub-processes in a CIT. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of Analgesic Efficacy of Intrathecal Buprenorphine with Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postcesarean Delivery Analgesia.

PubMed

Marappa, Prakash; Chikkapillappa, Manjunath Abloodu; Chennappa, Nagaraj Mungasuvalli; Pujari, Vinayak Seenappa

2017-01-01

Women undergoing cesarean (CS) delivery present a unique set of challenges to the anesthetist in terms of postoperative pain management. This study was conducted to compare the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal buprenorphine (ITB) with ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in post-CS delivery pain. A prospective randomized comparative study of sixty American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II pregnant patients divided into two groups of thirty each as ITB group and TAP block group after satisfying the inclusion criteria. In the present study, demographic data were comparable between both groups. The time to first analgesic request was significantly longer in ITB group (389.67 ± 90.78 min) compared to TAP group (669.17 ± 140.65 min) and was statistically significant, P < 0.001. The mean paracetamol consumption in the first 24 h was higher in the TAP group (3.5 g) compared to the ITB group (1.13 g) and was statistically significant, P < 0.0001, and the mean tramadol consumed in first 24 h was higher in the TAP (46.66 mg) group as compared to the ITB group (16.66 mg) and was statistically significant, P < 0.001. The mean visual analog scale scores assessed at 4, 6, 12, and 24 h was higher in the TAP group and was statistically significant, P < 0.001. Our study showed that patients receiving ITB for post-CS pain management reported longer duration of analgesia, lower pain scores, and lower analgesic consumption during the first 24 h. The benefits of neuraxial opiates are significant and far outweigh the side effects.

Comparative secretome analysis of rat stomach under different nutritional status.

PubMed

Senin, Lucia L; Roca-Rivada, Arturo; Castelao, Cecilia; Alonso, Jana; Folgueira, Cintia; Casanueva, Felipe F; Pardo, Maria; Seoane, Luisa M

2015-02-26

Obesity is a major public health threat for many industrialised countries. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment against obesity, suggesting that gut derived signals are crucial for energy balance regulation. Several descriptive studies have proven the presence of gastric endogenous systems that modulate energy homeostasis; however, these systems and the interactions between them are still not well known. In the present study, we show for the first time the comparative 2-DE gastric secretome analysis under different nutritional status. We have identified 38 differently secreted proteins by comparing stomach secretomes from tissue explant cultures of rats under feeding, fasting and re-feeding conditions. Among the proteins identified, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was found to be more abundant in gastric secretome and plasma after re-feeding, and downregulated in obesity. Additionally, two calponin-1 species were decreased in feeding state, and other were modulated by nutritional and metabolic conditions. These and other secreted proteins identified in this work may be considered as potential gastrokines implicated in food intake regulation. The present work has an important impact in the field of obesity, especially in the regulation of body weight maintenance by the stomach. Nowadays, the most effective treatment in the fight against obesity is bariatric surgery, which suggests that stomach derived signals might be crucial for the regulation of the energy homeostasis. However, until now, the knowledge about the gastrokines and its mechanism of action has been poorly elucidated. In the present work, we had updated a previously validated explant secretion model for proteomic studies; this analysis allowed us, for the first time, to study the gastric secretome without interferences from other organs. We had identified 38 differently secreted proteins comparing ex vivo cultured stomachs from rats under feeding, fasting and re-feeding regimes. The results in the present article provide novel targets to study the role of the stomach in body weight and appetite regulation, and suggest new potential therapeutic targets for treating obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Workshop Training versus Intensive, Experiential Training for Improving Behavior Support Skills in Early Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fabiano, Gregory A.; Vujnovic, Rebecca K.; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Yu, Jihnhee; Mashtare, Terry; Pariseau, Meaghan E.; Pelham, William E.; Parham, Brittany R.; Smalls, Kalima J.

2013-01-01

Effective behavior support is an important component of high-quality and nurturing early childhood classroom settings. At present, there are few studies that investigate the best way to train and support teachers in these strategies. The present study compared two different training approaches: (1) a workshop that included a one-day…

Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Educational Environment Supported by Computer Aided Presentations at Primary School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kose, Erdogan

2009-01-01

The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the educational environment supported by computer aided presentations at primary school. The effectiveness of the environment has been evaluated in terms of students' learning and remembering what they have learnt. In the study, we have compared experimental group and control group in…

Brief Report: Vision in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Should Clinicians Expect?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anketell, Pamela M.; Saunders, Kathryn J.; Gallagher, Stephen M.; Bailey, Clare; Little, Julie-Anne

2015-01-01

Anomalous visual processing has been described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but relatively few studies have profiled visual acuity (VA) in this population. The present study describes presenting VA in children with ASD (n = 113) compared to typically developing controls (n = 206) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in a…

Spelling Practice Intervention: A Comparison of Tablet PC and Picture Cards as Spelling Practice Methods for Students with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seok, Soonhwa; DaCosta, Boaventura; Yu, Byeong Min

2015-01-01

The present study compared a spelling practice intervention using a tablet personal computer (PC) and picture cards with three students diagnosed with developmental disabilities. An alternating-treatments design with a non-concurrent multiple-baseline across participants was used. The aims of the present study were: (a) to determine if…

The Role of the Scientific Discovery Narrative in Middle School Science Education: An Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arya, Diana J.; Maul, Andrew

2012-01-01

In an experimental study (N = 209), the authors compared the effects of exposure to typical middle-school written science content when presented in the context of the scientific discovery narrative and when presented in a more traditional nonnarrative format on 7th and 8th grade students in the United States. The development of texts was…

Using Complexity Metrics to Assess Silent Reading Fluency: A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Oral and Silent Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Beth A.; Wallot, Sebastian; Haussmann, Anna; Kloos, Heidi

2014-01-01

Reading typically undergoes a qualitative shift around Grade 4, becoming more fluent and silent, but there is no established measure for fluency in children's silent reading. The present study presents a measure of self-paced reading in children, examining the use of complexity measures for time-series analyses recently established with…

Reader Reaction On the generalized Kruskal-Wallis test for genetic association studies incorporating group uncertainty

PubMed Central

Wu, Baolin; Guan, Weihua

2015-01-01

Summary Acar and Sun (2013, Biometrics, 69, 427-435) presented a generalized Kruskal-Wallis (GKW) test for genetic association studies that incorporated the genotype uncertainty and showed its robust and competitive performance compared to existing methods. We present another interesting way to derive the GKW test via a rank linear model. PMID:25351417

Reader reaction on the generalized Kruskal-Wallis test for genetic association studies incorporating group uncertainty.

PubMed

Wu, Baolin; Guan, Weihua

2015-06-01

Acar and Sun (2013, Biometrics 69, 427-435) presented a generalized Kruskal-Wallis (GKW) test for genetic association studies that incorporated the genotype uncertainty and showed its robust and competitive performance compared to existing methods. We present another interesting way to derive the GKW test via a rank linear model. © 2014, The International Biometric Society.

Vibrations of cantilevered circular cylindrical shells Shallow versus deep shell theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. K.; Leissa, A. W.; Wang, A. J.

1983-01-01

Free vibrations of cantilevered circular cylindrical shells having rectangular planforms are studied in this paper by means of the Ritz method. The deep shell theory of Novozhilov and Goldenveizer is used and compared with the usual shallow shell theory for a wide range of shell parameters. A thorough convergence study is presented along with comparisons to previously published finite element solutions and experimental results. Accurately computed frequency parameters and mode shapes for various shell configurations are presented. The present paper appears to be the first comprehensive study presenting rigorous comparisons between the two shell theories in dealing with free vibrations of cantilevered cylindrical shells.

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Drug Regimens on Cognitive Performance of Patients with Parkinson's disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emsaki, Golit; Asgari, Karim; Molavi, Hossein; Chitsaz, Ahmad

2013-01-01

In the present study, the effectiveness of 3 drug regimen on cognitive performance of PD patients was compared. 12 patients who had been using pramipexole, levodopa and amantadine for at least 1 month entered the study and compared with those 12 who had been using trihexiphenidyle, levodopa and amantadine. There was also a control group…

How to Cope with Stress in Special Needs Education? Stress-Inducing Dysfunctional Cognitions of Teacher Students: The Perspective of Professionalisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiel, Ewald; Heimlich, Ulrich; Markowetz, Reinhard; Braun, Annika; Weiß, Sabine

2016-01-01

The goal of the present study is to identify prospective special education teachers (SETs) who may have difficulties in coping with occupational stresses and burdens. International comparative studies show that SETs have a higher level of stress than their colleagues who work in the general school system. Compared with teachers in regular schools,…

Information Technology Diffusion: A Comparative Case Study of Intranet Adoption

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-07-01

Information Technology Diffusion: A Comparative Case Study of Intranet Adoption George A. Zolla Jr. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 93943...and diffusion of intranet technology is then presented. I. INTRODUCTION An intranet is an organization’s internal computer network protected from the... Information Systems (IS) strategy links to implementation [16]. More research dealing with the implementation of new technology in organizations is needed

Direct stenting versus balloon predilation: Jury is still out.

PubMed

Belardi, Jorge A; Albertal, Mariano

2017-08-01

Compared to balloon predilation, direct stenting (DS) shortens procedural time and reduces radiation and contrast exposure. A meta-analysis that included 7 studies comparing these 2 strategies revealed lower adverse event rate with DS. Studies included in the present meta-analysis were mostly observational and utilized first generation drug-eluting stent. Patient and lesion selection may explain these positive results. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Future of Swiss Foreign and Security Policy: Increasing International Cooperation is the Key to National Autonomy

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

government,14 the “comparison cases ” in the present analysis—Austria, Finland , Ireland and Sweden—and the various security studies institutions.15 The...comparative cases are those of Austria, Finland , Ireland, and Sweden, the larger European neutrals.22 The study is limited to these five cases because the...17   III.   COMPARING SWITZERLAND WITH FOUR CASES

A Comparative Study of the Impact of Students' Feelings regarding the Use of Nuclear Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maharaj-Sharma, Rawatee

2011-01-01

This article presents the results of a comparative study of two groups of learners--group 1 (25 non-science students) and group 2 (25 A-level physics students). It explores the extent to which their feelings and emotions in conjunction with their knowledge about nuclear energy impacts and influences their views and feelings about the use of…

A Comparative Study of Stress Profiles in Mothers of Children with Autism and Those of Children with Down's Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pisula, Ewa

2007-01-01

Background: The purpose of the present study was to determine the stress in mothers whose children have autism and to compare it with the stress in mothers whose children have Down's syndrome. Method: Fifty mothers whose children had autism (n = 25) or Down's syndrome (n = 25) completed the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress (QRS) and answered…

Analyzing the Perceptions and Use of Interactive Whiteboards by Prekindergarten Teachers in Presentation of Classroom Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosetti, Jennifer

2012-01-01

In an attempt to improve poor academic performance of students, many schools are purchasing interactive whiteboards to enhance lesson presentations. Interactive whiteboards are seldom being used to present lessons. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare how frequently interactive whiteboards are used by prekindergarten teachers in…

Incorporating Multiple Secondary Targets into Learning Trials for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nottingham, Casey L.; Vladescu, Jason C.; Kodak, Tiffany; Kisamore, April N.

2017-01-01

The current study examined the outcome of presenting multiple secondary targets in learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. We compared conditions in which (a) a secondary target was presented in the antecedent and consequence of trials, (b) two secondary targets were presented in the consequence of trials, (c) one secondary…

Increasing Instructional Efficiency by Presenting Additional Stimuli in Learning Trials for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vladescu, Jason C.; Kodak, Tiffany M.

2013-01-01

The current study examined the effectiveness and efficiency of presenting secondary targets within learning trials for 4 children with an autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we compared 4 instructional conditions using a progressive prompt delay. In 3 conditions, we presented secondary targets in the antecedent or consequence portion of…

Concerns about covert HIV testing are associated with delayed presentation of suspected malaria in Ethiopian children: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Early diagnosis is important in preventing mortality from malaria. The hypothesis that guardians’ fear of covert human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing delays presentation of children with suspected malaria was tested. Methods The study design is a cross-sectional survey. The study population consisted of guardians of children with suspected malaria who presented to health centres in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Data were collected on attitudes to HIV testing and the duration of children’s symptoms using interview administered questionnaires. Results Some 830 individuals provided data representing a response rate of 99% of eligible participants. Of these, 423 (51%) guardians perceived that HIV testing was routinely done on blood donated for malaria diagnosis, and 353 (43%) were aware of community members who delayed seeking medical advice because of these concerns. Children whose guardians suspected that blood was covertly tested for HIV had longer median delay to presentation for evaluation at health centres compared to those children whose guardians did not hold this belief (three days compared to two days, p < 0.001). Children whose guardians were concerned about covert HIV testing were at a higher odds of a prolonged delay before being seen at a health centre (odds ratio 1.73, 95% confidence intervals: 1.10 to 270 for a delay of ≥3 days compared to those seen in ≤2 days). Conclusion Children whose guardians believed that covert testing for HIV was routine clinical practice presented later for investigation of suspected malaria. This may account for up to 14% of the delay in presentation and represents a reversible risk factor for suboptimal management of malaria. PMID:25098338

The undermining effect of facial attractiveness on brain responses to fairness in the Ultimatum Game: an ERP study

PubMed Central

Ma, Qingguo; Hu, Yue; Jiang, Shushu; Meng, Liang

2015-01-01

To investigate the time course of the neural processing of facial attractiveness and its influence on fairness consideration during social interactions, event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded from 21 male subjects performing a two-person Ultimatum Game (UG). During this bargaining game, the male subjects played responders who decided whether to accept offers from female proposers, whose facial images (grouped as “attractive” and “unattractive”) were presented prior to the offer presentation. The behavioral data demonstrated that the acceptance ratio increased with the fairness level of the offers and, more importantly, the subjects were more likely to accept unfair offers when presented with the attractive-face condition compared with the unattractive-face condition. The reaction times (RTs) for five offers (1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, and 5:5) in the unattractive-face condition were not significantly different. In contrast, the subjects reacted slower to the attractive proposers' unfair offers and quicker to fair offers. The ERP analysis of the face presentation demonstrated a decreased early negativity (N2) and enhanced late positive potentials (LPPs) elicited by the attractive faces compared with the unattractive faces. In addition, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) in response to an offer presentation was not significantly different for the unfair (1:9 and 2:8) and fair (4:6 and 5:5) offers in the attractive-face condition. However, the unfair offers generated larger FRNs compared with the fair offers in the unattractive-face condition (consistent with prior studies). A similar effect was identified for P300. The present study demonstrated an undermining effect of proposer facial attractiveness on responder consideration of offer fairness during the UG. PMID:25805967

Gender differences in emotion recognition: Impact of sensory modality and emotional category.

PubMed

Lambrecht, Lena; Kreifelts, Benjamin; Wildgruber, Dirk

2014-04-01

Results from studies on gender differences in emotion recognition vary, depending on the types of emotion and the sensory modalities used for stimulus presentation. This makes comparability between different studies problematic. This study investigated emotion recognition of healthy participants (N = 84; 40 males; ages 20 to 70 years), using dynamic stimuli, displayed by two genders in three different sensory modalities (auditory, visual, audio-visual) and five emotional categories. The participants were asked to categorise the stimuli on the basis of their nonverbal emotional content (happy, alluring, neutral, angry, and disgusted). Hit rates and category selection biases were analysed. Women were found to be more accurate in recognition of emotional prosody. This effect was partially mediated by hearing loss for the frequency of 8,000 Hz. Moreover, there was a gender-specific selection bias for alluring stimuli: Men, as compared to women, chose "alluring" more often when a stimulus was presented by a woman as compared to a man.

Effect of electrospun nanofibers on flexural properties of fiberglass composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Fatima T.

In the present study, sintered electrospun TEOS nanofibers were interleaved in S2 fiberglass woven fabric layers, and composite panels were fabricated using the heated vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (H-VARTM) process. Cured panels were water jet cut to obtain the flexural test coupons. Flexural coupons were then tested using ASTM D7264 standard. The mechanical properties such as flexural strength, ultimate flexural failure strains, flexural modulus, and fiber volume fraction were measured. The S-2 fiberglass composite with the sintered TEOS electrospun nanofibers displayed lower flexural stiffness and strength as compared to the composites that were fabricated using S-2 fiberglass composite without the TEOS electrospun nanofibers. The present study also indicated that the composites fabricated with sintered TEOS electrospun nanofibers have larger failure strains as compared to the ones that were fabricated without the presence of electrospun nanofibers. The study indicates that the nanoengineered composites have better energy absorbing mechanism under flexural loading as compared to conventional fiberglass composites without presence of nanofibers.

Comparison of Thermal Performances between Low Porosity Perforate Plate and Flat Plate Solar Air Collector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Hoy-Yen; Vinson, A. A.; Baljit, S. S. S.; Ruslan, M. H.

2018-04-01

Flat plate solar air collector is the most common collector design, which is relatively simpler to fabricate and lower cost. In the present study, perforated plate solar collector was developed to improve the system thermal performance. A glazed perforated plate of 6mm holes diameter with square geometry was designed and installed as the absorber of the collector. The influences of solar radiation intensity and mass flow rate on the thermal performance were investigated. The perforated collector was compared with the flat plate solar collector under the same operating conditions. The highest values of thermal efficiency in this study for the perforated plate (PP) and the flat plate (FP) solar collectors were 59% and 36% respectively, at solar radiation intensity of 846 Wm-2 and mass flow rate of 0.02 kgs-1. Furthermore, PP collector gave better thermal performance compared to FP collector; and compared to previous studies, the present perforated design was compatible with the flat plate with double pass designs.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF VIDEO TAPE RECORDINGS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WIENS, JACOB H.

THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRESENTLY AVAILABLE VIDEO TAPE MACHINES IS REPORTED, FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PLANNING TO USE SUCH EQUIPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. TESTS WERE CONDUCTED AT THE WIENS ELECTRONIC LABORATORIES. MACHINE BRANDS TESTED WERE AMPEX, CONCORD, MACHTRONICS, PRECISION, RCA, SONY, AND WOLLENSAK. A DETAILED…

A double-blind, randomized, comparative study of the use of a combination of uridine triphosphate trisodium, cytidine monophosphate disodium, and hydroxocobalamin, versus isolated treatment with hydroxocobalamin, in patients presenting with compressive neuralgias.

PubMed

Goldberg, Henrique; Mibielli, Marco Antonio; Nunes, Carlos Pereira; Goldberg, Stephanie Wrobel; Buchman, Luiz; Mezitis, Spyros Ge; Rzetelna, Helio; Oliveira, Lisa; Geller, Mauro; Wajnsztajn, Fernanda

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the results of treatment of compressive neuralgia using a combination of nucleotides (uridine triphosphate trisodium [UTP] and cytidine monophosphate disodium [CMP]) and vitamin B 12 . To assess the safety and efficacy of the combination of nucleotides (UTP and CMP) and vitamin B 12 in patients presenting with neuralgia arising from neural compression associated with degenerative orthopedic alterations and trauma, and to compare these effects with isolated administration of vitamin B 12 . A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, consisting of a 30-day oral treatment period: Group A (n=200) receiving nucleotides + vitamin B 12, and Group B (n=200) receiving vitamin B 12 alone. The primary study endpoint was the percentage of subjects presenting pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores ≤20 at end of study treatment period. Secondary study endpoints included the percentage of subjects presenting improvement ≥5 points on the patient functionality questionnaire (PFQ); percentage of subjects presenting pain reduction (reduction in VAS scores at study end in relation to pretreatment); and number of subjects presenting adverse events. The results of this study showed a more expressive improvement in efficacy evaluations among subjects treated with the combination of nucleotides + vitamin B 12 , with a statistically significant superiority of the combination in pain reduction (evidenced by VAS scores). There were adverse events in both treatment groups, but these were transitory and no severe adverse event was recorded during the study period. Safety parameters were maintained throughout the study in both treatment groups. The combination of uridine, cytidine, and vitamin B 12 was safe and effective in the treatment of neuralgias arising from neural compression associated with degenerative orthopedic alterations and trauma.

NASTRAN Analysis Comparison to Shock Tube Tests Used to Simulate Nuclear Overpressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheless, T. K.

1985-01-01

This report presents a study of the effectiveness of the NASTRAN computer code for predicting structural response to nuclear blast overpressures. NASTRAN's effectiveness is determined by comparing results against shock tube tests used to simulate nuclear overpressures. Seven panels of various configurations are compared in this study. Panel deflections are the criteria used to measure NASTRAN's effectiveness. This study is a result of needed improvements in the survivability/vulnerability analyses subjected to nuclear blast.

The regional cerebral blood flow changes in major depressive disorder with and without psychotic features.

PubMed

Gonul, Ali Saffet; Kula, Mustafa; Bilgin, Arzu Guler; Tutus, Ahmet; Oguz, Aslan

2004-09-01

Depressive patients with psychotic features demonstrate distinct biological abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), dopaminergic activity, electroencephalogram sleep profiles and measures of serotonergic function when compared to nonpsychotic depressive patients. However, very few functional neuroimaging studies were specifically designed for studying the effects of psychotic features on neuroimaging findings in depressed patients. The objective of the present study was to compare brain Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) images in a group of unmedicated depressive patients with and without psychotic features. Twenty-eight patients who fully met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD, 12 had psychotic features) were included in the study. They were compared with 16 control subjects matched for age, gender and education. Both psychotic and nonpsychotic depressed patients showed significantly lower regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values in the left and right superior frontal cortex, and left anterior cingulate cortex compared to those of controls. In comparison with depressive patients without psychotic features (DwoPF), depressive patients with psychotic features (DwPF) showed significantly lower rCBF perfusion ratios in left parietal cortex, left cerebellum but had higher rCBF perfusion ratio in the left inferior frontal cortex and caudate nucleus. The present study showed that DwPF have a different rCBF pattern compared to patients without psychotic features. Abnormalities involving inferior frontal cortex, striatum and cerebellum may play an important role in the generation of psychotic symptoms in depression.

A Trade Study of Two Membrane-Aerated Biological Water Processors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allada, Ram; Lange, Kevin; Vega. Leticia; Roberts, Michael S.; Jackson, Andrew; Anderson, Molly; Pickering, Karen

2011-01-01

Biologically based systems are under evaluation as primary water processors for next generation life support systems due to their low power requirements and their inherent regenerative nature. This paper will summarize the results of two recent studies involving membrane aerated biological water processors and present results of a trade study comparing the two systems with regards to waste stream composition, nutrient loading and system design. Results of optimal configurations will be presented.

Reporting of harms outcomes: a comparison of journal publications with unpublished clinical study reports of orlistat trials.

PubMed

Hodkinson, Alex; Gamble, Carrol; Smith, Catrin Tudur

2016-04-22

The quality of harms reporting in journal publications is often poor, which can impede the risk-benefit interpretation of a clinical trial. Clinical study reports can provide more reliable, complete, and informative data on harms compared to the corresponding journal publication. This case study compares the quality and quantity of harms data reported in journal publications and clinical study reports of orlistat trials. Publications related to clinical trials of orlistat were identified through comprehensive literature searches. A request was made to Roche (Genentech; South San Francisco, CA, USA) for clinical study reports related to the orlistat trials identified in our search. We compared adverse events, serious adverse events, and the reporting of 15 harms criteria in both document types and compared meta-analytic results using data from the clinical study reports against the journal publications. Five journal publications with matching clinical study reports were available for five independent clinical trials. Journal publications did not always report the complete list of identified adverse events and serious adverse events. We found some differences in the magnitude of the pooled risk difference between both document types with a statistically significant risk difference for three adverse events and two serious adverse events using data reported in the clinical study reports; these events were of mild intensity and unrelated to the orlistat. The CONSORT harms reporting criteria were often satisfied in the methods section of the clinical study reports (70-90 % of the methods section criteria satisfied in the clinical study reports compared to 10-50 % in the journal publications), but both document types satisfied 80-100 % of the results section criteria, albeit with greater detail being provided in the clinical study reports. In this case study, journal publications provided insufficient information on harms outcomes of clinical trials and did not specify that a subset of harms data were being presented. Clinical study reports often present data on harms, including serious adverse events, which are not reported or mentioned in the journal publications. Therefore, clinical study reports could support a more complete, accurate, and reliable investigation, and researchers undertaking evidence synthesis of harm outcomes should not rely only on incomplete published data that are presented in the journal publications.

Comparison of Gated Audiovisual Speech Identification in Elderly Hearing Aid Users and Elderly Normal-Hearing Individuals: Effects of Adding Visual Cues to Auditory Speech Stimuli.

PubMed

Moradi, Shahram; Lidestam, Björn; Rönnberg, Jerker

2016-06-17

The present study compared elderly hearing aid (EHA) users (n = 20) with elderly normal-hearing (ENH) listeners (n = 20) in terms of isolation points (IPs, the shortest time required for correct identification of a speech stimulus) and accuracy of audiovisual gated speech stimuli (consonants, words, and final words in highly and less predictable sentences) presented in silence. In addition, we compared the IPs of audiovisual speech stimuli from the present study with auditory ones extracted from a previous study, to determine the impact of the addition of visual cues. Both participant groups achieved ceiling levels in terms of accuracy in the audiovisual identification of gated speech stimuli; however, the EHA group needed longer IPs for the audiovisual identification of consonants and words. The benefit of adding visual cues to auditory speech stimuli was more evident in the EHA group, as audiovisual presentation significantly shortened the IPs for consonants, words, and final words in less predictable sentences; in the ENH group, audiovisual presentation only shortened the IPs for consonants and words. In conclusion, although the audiovisual benefit was greater for EHA group, this group had inferior performance compared with the ENH group in terms of IPs when supportive semantic context was lacking. Consequently, EHA users needed the initial part of the audiovisual speech signal to be longer than did their counterparts with normal hearing to reach the same level of accuracy in the absence of a semantic context. © The Author(s) 2016.

Comparative study of the clinical presentation of Legionella pneumonia and other community-acquired pneumonias.

PubMed

Sopena, N; Sabrià-Leal, M; Pedro-Botet, M L; Padilla, E; Dominguez, J; Morera, J; Tudela, P

1998-05-01

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical, biological, and radiologic features of presentation in the emergency ward of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by Legionella pneumophila (LP) and other community-acquired bacterial pneumonias to help in early diagnosis of CAP by LP. Three hundred ninety-two patients with CAP were studied prospectively in the emergency department of a 600-bed university hospital. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare epidemiologic and demographic data and clinical, analytical, and radiologic features of presentation in 48 patients with CAP by LP and 125 patients with CAP by other bacterial etiology (68 by Streptococcus pneumoniae, 41 by Chlamydia pneumoniae, 5 by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, 4 by Coxiella burnetii, 3 by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 2 by Haemophilus influenzae, and 2 by Nocardia species. Univariate analysis showed that CAP by LP was more frequent in middle-aged, male healthy (but alcohol drinking) patients than CAP by other etiology. Moreover, the lack of response to previous beta-lactamic drugs, headache, diarrhea, severe hyponatremia, and elevation in serum creatine kinase (CK) levels on presentation were more frequent in CAP by LP, while cough, expectoration, and thoracic pain were more frequent in CAP by other bacterial etiology. However, multivariate analysis only confirmed these differences with respect to lack of underlying disease, diarrhea, and elevation in the CK level. We conclude that detailed analysis of features of presentation of CAP allows suspicion of Legionnaire's disease in the emergency department. The initiation of antibiotic treatment, including a macrolide, and the performance of rapid diagnostic techniques are mandatory in these cases.

Order of stimulus presentation influences children's acquisition in receptive identification tasks.

PubMed

Petursdottir, Anna Ingeborg; Aguilar, Gabriella

2016-03-01

Receptive identification is usually taught in matching-to-sample format, which entails the presentation of an auditory sample stimulus and several visual comparison stimuli in each trial. Conflicting recommendations exist regarding the order of stimulus presentation in matching-to-sample trials. The purpose of this study was to compare acquisition in receptive identification tasks under 2 conditions: when the sample was presented before the comparisons (sample first) and when the comparisons were presented before the sample (comparison first). Participants included 4 typically developing kindergarten-age boys. Stimuli, which included birds and flags, were presented on a computer screen. Acquisition in the 2 conditions was compared in an adapted alternating-treatments design combined with a multiple baseline design across stimulus sets. All participants took fewer trials to meet the mastery criterion in the sample-first condition than in the comparison-first condition. © 2015 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Depression in Adults with Intellectual Disability: Symptoms and Challenging Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurley, A. D.

2008-01-01

Background: Psychiatric evaluation of adults with intellectual disability (ID) remains complex because of limitations in verbal abilities, atypical clinical presentation and challenging behaviour. This study examines the clinical presentation of adults with depression compared with bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and non-psychiatric control…

Asian-Pacific Papers. Occasional Papers Number 10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Brian, Ed.

Sixteen papers are presented. Topics covered include language teaching, discourse analysis, code switching, phonetics, language and cultural identity, and descriptive and comparative studies. All presenters were from the Asia-Pacific area of the world. Papers include: "The Baba Malay Lexicon: Hokkien Loanwords in Baba Malay" (Anne…

Planning Readings: A Comparative Exploration of Basic Algorithms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piater, Justus H.

2009-01-01

Conventional introduction to computer science presents individual algorithmic paradigms in the context of specific, prototypical problems. To complement this algorithm-centric instruction, this study additionally advocates problem-centric instruction. I present an original problem drawn from students' life that is simply stated but provides rich…

Intuitive presentation of clinical forensic data using anonymous and person-specific 3D reference manikins.

PubMed

Urschler, Martin; Höller, Johannes; Bornik, Alexander; Paul, Tobias; Giretzlehner, Michael; Bischof, Horst; Yen, Kathrin; Scheurer, Eva

2014-08-01

The increasing use of CT/MR devices in forensic analysis motivates the need to present forensic findings from different sources in an intuitive reference visualization, with the aim of combining 3D volumetric images along with digital photographs of external findings into a 3D computer graphics model. This model allows a comprehensive presentation of forensic findings in court and enables comparative evaluation studies correlating data sources. The goal of this work was to investigate different methods to generate anonymous and patient-specific 3D models which may be used as reference visualizations. The issue of registering 3D volumetric as well as 2D photographic data to such 3D models is addressed to provide an intuitive context for injury documentation from arbitrary modalities. We present an image processing and visualization work-flow, discuss the major parts of this work-flow, compare the different investigated reference models, and show a number of cases studies that underline the suitability of the proposed work-flow for presenting forensically relevant information in 3D visualizations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speech fluency profile on different tasks for individuals with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Juste, Fabiola Staróbole; Andrade, Claudia Regina Furquim de

2017-07-20

To characterize the speech fluency profile of patients with Parkinson's disease. Study participants were 40 individuals of both genders aged 40 to 80 years divided into 2 groups: Research Group - RG (20 individuals with diagnosis of Parkinson's disease) and Control Group - CG (20 individuals with no communication or neurological disorders). For all of the participants, three speech samples involving different tasks were collected: monologue, individual reading, and automatic speech. The RG presented a significant larger number of speech disruptions, both stuttering-like and typical dysfluencies, and higher percentage of speech discontinuity in the monologue and individual reading tasks compared with the CG. Both groups presented reduced number of speech disruptions (stuttering-like and typical dysfluencies) in the automatic speech task; the groups presented similar performance in this task. Regarding speech rate, individuals in the RG presented lower number of words and syllables per minute compared with those in the CG in all speech tasks. Participants of the RG presented altered parameters of speech fluency compared with those of the CG; however, this change in fluency cannot be considered a stuttering disorder.

Clinical data, clinicopathologic findings and outcome in dogs with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia.

PubMed

Cooper, S A; Huang, A A; Raskin, R E; Weng, H-Y; Scott-Moncrieff, J C

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to identify distinguishing characteristics between dogs diagnosed with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and those diagnosed with presumed primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. Presenting clinical and clinicopathologic data and outcomes were compared between the two groups. Retrospective study performed on seven client-owned dogs diagnosed with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and 34 client-owned dogs with primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. All dogs in the amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia group were anaemic on presentation with a median haematocrit of 23% (range 9·4 to 36), while the primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopoenia group had a median presenting haematocrit of 35% (range 10 to 53). Dogs with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia had a median of five (range 4 to 7) clinical signs of bleeding compared to a median of three (range 0 to 6) in the primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia group with 86% (6 of 7) of amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia dogs requiring a blood transfusion compared to 41% (14 of 34) of primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia dogs. Six of the seven amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia dogs did not survive to discharge, while only five of the 34 primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia dogs did not survive to discharge. The clinical presentation of dogs with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia is similar, but dogs with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia had a more severe clinical course compared to primary peripheral immune-mediated thrombocytopenia dogs. The prognosis for dogs with amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia is poor. © 2016 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Comparative Analysis of Academic Grades in Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain Using Statistical Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veas, Alejandro; Gilar, Raquel; Miñano, Pablo; Castejón, Juan Luis

2017-01-01

The present study, based on the construct comparability approach, performs a comparative analysis of general points average for seven courses, using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the Partial Credit model (PCM) with a sample of 1398 student subjects (M = 12.5, SD = 0.67) from 8 schools in the province of Alicante (Spain). EFA confirmed a…

Comparative study between ultrasonography and optical coherence tomography in interventional cardiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanjul-Vélez, Félix; de la Torre-Hernández, José María; Ortega-Quijano, Noé; Zueco-Gil, José Javier; Arce-Diego, José Luis

2009-07-01

In this work, we present clinical images of IVUS and OCT in the evaluation of pharmacological stent endothelization. These preliminary imaging results are analyzed and compared in order to determine the ability of these technologies to visualize relevant intravascular features of interest in interventional cardiology. The results enable to compare the performance of both techniques and to evaluate their potential for clinical purposes.

Differences between perception of human faces and body shapes: evidence from the composite illusion.

PubMed

Soria Bauser, Denise A; Suchan, Boris; Daum, Irene

2011-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate whether human body forms--like human faces--undergo holistic processing. Evidence for holistic face processing comes from the face composite effect: two identical top halves of a face are perceived as being different if they are presented with different bottom parts. This effect disappears if both bottom halves are shifted laterally (misaligned) or if the stimulus is rotated by 180°. We investigated whether comparable composite effects are observed for human faces and human body forms. Matching of upright faces was more accurate and faster for misaligned compared to aligned presentations. By contrast, there were no processing differences between aligned and misaligned bodies. An inversion effect emerged, with better recognition performance for upright compared to inverted bodies but not faces. The present findings provide evidence for the assumption that holistic processing--investigated with the composite illusion--is not involved in the perception of human body forms. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meaning-Making Coping Among Cancer Patients in Sweden and South Korea: A Comparative Perspective.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Fereshteh; Park, Jisung; Kim, Kyung Mee; Ahmadi, Nader

2017-10-01

The present study compared meaning-making coping among cancer patients in Sweden and South Korea, with a focus on the sociocultural context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 Swedes and 33 Koreans. The results showed significant differences between the two countries as well as similarities in existential, spiritual, and religious coping. For example, Swedes primarily used meaning-making coping as a means of meditation or relaxation, whereas Koreans relied on coping with prayer and using healthy foods as a means to survive. The present study confirms the significance of investigating cultural context when we explore the use of meaning-making coping among people who have experienced cancer.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TUMORIGENESIS AND TUMOR IMMUNITY IN INVERTEBRATES AND NONMAMMALIAN VERTEBRATES

PubMed Central

Robert, Jacques

2010-01-01

Despite intense study in mammals, the different roles played by the immune system in detecting (immunosurveillance), controlling and remodeling (immunoediting) neoplasia, and perhaps in metastasis are not fully understood. In this review, I will present evidence of neoplasia and invasive malignancy, as well as tumor immunity in invertebrates and nonmammalian vertebrates. I will also present a comparative and evolutionary view of the complex interactions between neoplasia and the host immune system. Overall, I wish to go beyond the too simplistic dichotomy between invertebrates with innate immunity that are only affected with benign neoplasia and vertebrates with adaptive immunity that are affected by metastatic malignancies or cancer. PMID:20553753

A new version of the helicopter aural detection program, ICHIN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, A. W.; Smith, C. D.; Shepherd, K. P.; Sullivan, B. M.

1986-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center personnel have conducted an evaluation of the helicopter aural detection program I Can Hear It Now (ICHIN version-5). This was accomplished using flight noise data of five helicopters, obtained from a joint NASA and U.S. Army acoustics measurement program. The evaluation consisted of presenting the noise data to a jury of 20 subjects and to the ICHIN-5 program. A comparative study was then made of the detection distances determined by the jury and predicted by ICHIN-5. This report presents the changes made in the ICHIN-5 program as a result of this comparative study. The changes represent current psychoacoustics and propagation knowledge.

Clinical management of occupational low back pain in Australia: what is the real picture?

PubMed

Hush, Julia M

2008-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical management of patients with occupational low back pain (LBP) presenting to secondary care practitioners in Australia with national and international practice guidelines. A consecutive cohort of 401 patients with LBP following a work injury was assembled at the time of referral to secondary rehabilitation. A comprehensive assessment was performed to collect demographic, clinical and occupational data, which were analysed using descriptive statistics. Clinical and occupational management data were compared with evidence-based guidelines for the management of LBP. This study revealed that in this cohort presenting to secondary care, referral for guideline-based active treatment was delayed until, on average, 10 months post-injury; radiographic investigations had been ordered for almost every patient, including those presenting in the first three months of their injury; the prevalence of co-morbidities was high and there were signs that psychological distress was under-diagnosed. This study reveals a lack of compliance with clinical guidelines for occupational back pain management in Australia.

Activating situation schemas: the effects of multiple thematic roles on related verbs in a continuous priming paradigm.

PubMed

Herlofsky, Stacey M; Edmonds, Lisa A

2013-02-01

Extensive evidence has shown that presentation of a word (target) following a related word (prime) results in faster reaction times compared to unrelated words. Two primes preceding a target have been used to examine the effects of multiple influences on a target. Several studies have observed greater, or additive, priming effects of multiple related primes compared to single related primes. The present study aims to eliminate attentional factors that may have contributed to findings in previous studies that used explicitly presented primes and targets. Thus, a continuous priming paradigm where targets are unknown to participants is used with noun-noun-verb triads filling agent, patient, and action roles in situation schemas (tourist, car, rent). Results replicate priming of single nouns preceding related verbs but do not suggest an additive effect for two nouns versus one. The absence of additive priming suggests that attentional processes may have been a factor in previous research.

Occupational and environmental lead exposure to adolescent workers in battery recycling workshops.

PubMed

Kazi, Tasneem Gul; Shah, Faheem; Afridi, Hassan Imran; Naeemullah

2015-12-01

Lead (Pb), as other environmental neurotoxicant substances, has the capability to interfere with many biochemical events present in cells throughout the body. In the present study, the environmental and occupational exposure to Pb has been assessed by analyzing the scalp hair samples of male adolescents aged 12-15 years, who have worked for the last 12-36 months in Pb battery recycling workshops (BRWs). For comparative purposes, gender and age-matched subjects living in the vicinity of recycling workshops as well as in areas without industrial activity were used as controls. The scalp hair samples were oxidized by acid in a microwave oven prior to determination of Pb by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicated that both workers and nonworking exposed subjects had higher levels of Pb than nonexposed controls. The contents of Pb in scalp hair of adolescent workers in the present study were compared with those reported in other studies. © The Author(s) 2013.

The dissociable effects of stereotype threat on older adults’ memory encoding and retrieval

PubMed Central

Krendl, Anne C.; Ambady, Nalini; Kensinger, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

The present study asks how subliminal exposure to negative stereotypes about age-related memory deficits affects older adults’ memory performance. Whereas prior research has focused on the effect of “stereotype threat” on older adults’ memory for neutral material, the present study additionally examines the effect on memory for positive and negative words, as well as whether the subliminal “threat” has a larger impact on memory performance when it occurs prior to encoding or prior to retrieval (as compared to a control condition). Results revealed that older adults’ memory impairments were most pronounced when the threat was placed prior to retrieval as compared to when the threat was placed prior to encoding or no threat occurred. Moreover, the threat specifically increased false memory rates, particularly for neutral items compared to positive and negative ones. These results emphasize that stereotype threat effects vary depending upon the phase of memory it impacts. PMID:26029498

NASA N3-X with Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Felder, James L.

2014-01-01

Presentation summarizing the phase I study of the NASA N3-X turboelectric distributed propulsion power aircraft to the IMechE Disruptive Green Propulsion Technologies conference in London, UK November 16th and 17th, 2014. This presentation contains the results of a NASA internal study funded by the NASA Fixed Wing program to look at the application of turboelectric distributed propulsion to a long-range 300 seat aircraft. The reference aircraft is the Boeing 777-200LR. The N3-X reduced energy consumption by 70 compared to the 777-200LR, LTO NOx by 85 compared to the CAEP 6 limits, and noise by 32-64 EPNdB depending on engine placement compared to the stage 4 noise standards. This exceeded the N+3 metrics of reducing energy by 60, LTO NOx by 80, and noise by 52 EPNdB. Cruise NOx was not estimated, but likely meet the 80 reduction goal as well.

Research Design and Statistical Methods in Indian Medical Journals: A Retrospective Survey

PubMed Central

Hassan, Shabbeer; Yellur, Rajashree; Subramani, Pooventhan; Adiga, Poornima; Gokhale, Manoj; Iyer, Manasa S.; Mayya, Shreemathi S.

2015-01-01

Good quality medical research generally requires not only an expertise in the chosen medical field of interest but also a sound knowledge of statistical methodology. The number of medical research articles which have been published in Indian medical journals has increased quite substantially in the past decade. The aim of this study was to collate all evidence on study design quality and statistical analyses used in selected leading Indian medical journals. Ten (10) leading Indian medical journals were selected based on impact factors and all original research articles published in 2003 (N = 588) and 2013 (N = 774) were categorized and reviewed. A validated checklist on study design, statistical analyses, results presentation, and interpretation was used for review and evaluation of the articles. Main outcomes considered in the present study were – study design types and their frequencies, error/defects proportion in study design, statistical analyses, and implementation of CONSORT checklist in RCT (randomized clinical trials). From 2003 to 2013: The proportion of erroneous statistical analyses did not decrease (χ2=0.592, Φ=0.027, p=0.4418), 25% (80/320) in 2003 compared to 22.6% (111/490) in 2013. Compared with 2003, significant improvement was seen in 2013; the proportion of papers using statistical tests increased significantly (χ2=26.96, Φ=0.16, p<0.0001) from 42.5% (250/588) to 56.7 % (439/774). The overall proportion of errors in study design decreased significantly (χ2=16.783, Φ=0.12 p<0.0001), 41.3% (243/588) compared to 30.6% (237/774). In 2013, randomized clinical trials designs has remained very low (7.3%, 43/588) with majority showing some errors (41 papers, 95.3%). Majority of the published studies were retrospective in nature both in 2003 [79.1% (465/588)] and in 2013 [78.2% (605/774)]. Major decreases in error proportions were observed in both results presentation (χ2=24.477, Φ=0.17, p<0.0001), 82.2% (263/320) compared to 66.3% (325/490) and interpretation (χ2=25.616, Φ=0.173, p<0.0001), 32.5% (104/320) compared to 17.1% (84/490), though some serious ones were still present. Indian medical research seems to have made no major progress regarding using correct statistical analyses, but error/defects in study designs have decreased significantly. Randomized clinical trials are quite rarely published and have high proportion of methodological problems. PMID:25856194

Research design and statistical methods in Indian medical journals: a retrospective survey.

PubMed

Hassan, Shabbeer; Yellur, Rajashree; Subramani, Pooventhan; Adiga, Poornima; Gokhale, Manoj; Iyer, Manasa S; Mayya, Shreemathi S

2015-01-01

Good quality medical research generally requires not only an expertise in the chosen medical field of interest but also a sound knowledge of statistical methodology. The number of medical research articles which have been published in Indian medical journals has increased quite substantially in the past decade. The aim of this study was to collate all evidence on study design quality and statistical analyses used in selected leading Indian medical journals. Ten (10) leading Indian medical journals were selected based on impact factors and all original research articles published in 2003 (N = 588) and 2013 (N = 774) were categorized and reviewed. A validated checklist on study design, statistical analyses, results presentation, and interpretation was used for review and evaluation of the articles. Main outcomes considered in the present study were - study design types and their frequencies, error/defects proportion in study design, statistical analyses, and implementation of CONSORT checklist in RCT (randomized clinical trials). From 2003 to 2013: The proportion of erroneous statistical analyses did not decrease (χ2=0.592, Φ=0.027, p=0.4418), 25% (80/320) in 2003 compared to 22.6% (111/490) in 2013. Compared with 2003, significant improvement was seen in 2013; the proportion of papers using statistical tests increased significantly (χ2=26.96, Φ=0.16, p<0.0001) from 42.5% (250/588) to 56.7 % (439/774). The overall proportion of errors in study design decreased significantly (χ2=16.783, Φ=0.12 p<0.0001), 41.3% (243/588) compared to 30.6% (237/774). In 2013, randomized clinical trials designs has remained very low (7.3%, 43/588) with majority showing some errors (41 papers, 95.3%). Majority of the published studies were retrospective in nature both in 2003 [79.1% (465/588)] and in 2013 [78.2% (605/774)]. Major decreases in error proportions were observed in both results presentation (χ2=24.477, Φ=0.17, p<0.0001), 82.2% (263/320) compared to 66.3% (325/490) and interpretation (χ2=25.616, Φ=0.173, p<0.0001), 32.5% (104/320) compared to 17.1% (84/490), though some serious ones were still present. Indian medical research seems to have made no major progress regarding using correct statistical analyses, but error/defects in study designs have decreased significantly. Randomized clinical trials are quite rarely published and have high proportion of methodological problems.

Risk of fragility fracture among patients with sarcoidosis: a population-based study 1976-2013-supplementary presentation.

PubMed

Ungprasert, P; Crowson, C S; Matteson, E L

2018-05-01

Incidence of fragility fracture of a population-based cohort of 345 patients with sarcoidosis was compared with age- and sex-matched comparators. The incidence of fragility fracture was higher among patients with sarcoidosis with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.18.

A Comparative Approach to Art Education Policy Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewey, Patricia

2008-01-01

The challenges and opportunities of globalization require art education scholars and practitioners to develop international competencies, but research in the specific field of comparative art education is very limited at present. In this article, I provide a pragmatic framework for studying art education policy as a subfield of comparative…

What Is HRD? A Definitional Review and Synthesis of the HRD Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamlin, Bob; Stewart, Jim

2011-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to present the findings of a definitional review and comparative study of HRD definitions. It also reports the results of comparing and contrasting a synthesis of the "intended purposes" and "processes" constituting these definitions against various definitions and conceptualisations of…

12 CFR 611.1223 - Plan of termination-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... plan of termination to us, presented on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the... on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the previous 2 fiscal years; (D) A pro forma... the disclosures not misleading. We may require you to disclose any assessments, analyses, studies, or...

12 CFR 611.1223 - Plan of termination-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... plan of termination to us, presented on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the... on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the previous 2 fiscal years; (D) A pro forma... the disclosures not misleading. We may require you to disclose any assessments, analyses, studies, or...

12 CFR 611.1223 - Plan of termination-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... plan of termination to us, presented on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the... on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the previous 2 fiscal years; (D) A pro forma... the disclosures not misleading. We may require you to disclose any assessments, analyses, studies, or...

12 CFR 611.1223 - Plan of termination-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... plan of termination to us, presented on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the... on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the previous 2 fiscal years; (D) A pro forma... the disclosures not misleading. We may require you to disclose any assessments, analyses, studies, or...

12 CFR 611.1223 - Plan of termination-contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... plan of termination to us, presented on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the... on a comparative basis with the corresponding period of the previous 2 fiscal years; (D) A pro forma... the disclosures not misleading. We may require you to disclose any assessments, analyses, studies, or...

Clinical profile, predisposing factors, and associated co-morbidities of children with cerebral palsy in South India

PubMed Central

Gowda, Vykuntaraju K.; Kumar, Anil; Shivappa, Sanjay K.; Srikanteswara, Praveen Kumar; Shivananda; Mahadeviah, M. S.; Govindraj, M.; Ramaswamy, Premalatha

2015-01-01

Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disorder of children. Causes like jaundice and birth injury though are decreasing; complications resulting from the survival of low birth weight babies are replacing some of the older etiologies. Hence, this study was planned. Objectives: The objective was to study the clinical patterns, predisposing factors, and co-morbidities in children with CP. Materials and Methods: The present study is a hospital based prospective study conducted from January 2012 to January 2013 in children presenting to neurodevelopmental clinic at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India. Hundred cases with clinical features suggestive of CP were included in the study. Cases were evaluated by history, clinical examination, and necessary investigations. Results: Results of the study showed 81% of spastic, 12% of hypotonic, 5% of dystonic, and 2% of mixed CP cases. The mean age of presentation was 2 year, 2 month, and male to female ratio of 1:2. Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) was the most common antenatal complication observed in 6%. Four percent had neonatal sepsis and 19% were born premature. Associated co-morbidities were mental retardation (55%), seizure disorder (46%), visual problems (26%), hearing problems (19%), and failure to thrive (47%). Discussion: Sex distribution observed in our study was male to female ratio of 1.2, which was comparable with a multicenter study in Europe. PIH was observed in 6% of cases, which was comparable with prior studies. Birth asphyxia was observed in 43% of cases. Eighty-one percent of the cases constituted a spastic variety of CP which was comparable to other studies. Conclusion: Perinatal asphyxia was the important etiological factor. We found preventable intranatal causes (60%) and antenatal causes (20%) forming a significant proportion. Co-morbidities were significantly observed in our study. PMID:26167210

A Clinical Comparison Study of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (DSM-IV) and Hyperkinetic Disorder (ICD-10) in Indian children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sitholey, Prabhat; Agarwal, Vivek; Bharti, Vikram

2012-01-01

Aims: To compare the usefulness of DSM IV and ICD-10 DCR criteria in clinic children presenting with the symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Methods: 62 children (54 boys and 8 girls) participated in the study. Children were assessed on Kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia--present and lifetime version and…

The Effect of Different Types of Perceptual Manipulations on the Dimensionality of Automatically Generated Figural Matrices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendasy, M.; Sommer, M.

2005-01-01

Two pilot studies (n"1=155, n"2=451) are presented in this article, which were carried out within the development of an item generator for the automatic generation of figural matrices items. The focus of the presented studies was to compare two types of item designs with regard to the effect of variations of the property ''perceptual…

Improving stroke knowledge through a 'volunteer-led' community education program in Australia.

PubMed

Kilkenny, Monique F; Purvis, Tara; Werner, Megan; Reyneke, Megan; Czerenkowski, Jude; Cadilhac, Dominique A

2016-05-01

Public awareness of stroke risks and warning signs remains poor. The National Stroke Foundation (NSF) in Australia has been undertaking a StrokeSafe Ambassador Education program to raise awareness of stroke. The format includes presentations by volunteers trained to be 'ambassadors' to spread standard information about stroke to the public. Our aim was to determine the change in knowledge of participants who attended presentations. Participants completed questionnaires before immediately after presentations, and at 3months following the presentation. Information was collected on knowledge of risk factors and signs of stroke. McNemar's test was used to compare paired-responses over time. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. Between March and April 2014, 591 participants attended 185 presentations and 591 (100%) completed them before and immediately after presentation questionnaires: 68% were female and 75% were aged 65years or more. 258 consented for further follow-up with 192 completing follow-up. Comparing immediately after with before presentation showed significantly improved knowledge for all 10 stroke risk factors and all signs of stroke. Significantly improved knowledge for 7/10 risk factors and 1/3 signs of stroke was found when comparing follow-up and immediately after presentation results. Knowledge of 5/10 risk factors and 2/3 signs of stroke improved when comparing follow-up and before presentation. This study describes a novel approach to support the use of trained volunteers to provide a community-based, standardised education program for stroke. This program shows that community presentations can improve immediate and short-term knowledge of signs and risk factors for stroke. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Apology Strategies Employed by Iranian EFL Learners and English Native Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abedi, Elham

2016-01-01

The development of speech-act theory has provided the hearers with a better understanding of what speakers intend to perform in the act of communication. One type of speech act is apologizing. When an action or utterance has resulted in an offense, the offender needs to apologize. In the present study, an attempt was made to compare the apology…

Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of WRF/NMM and WRF/ARW Meteorology on CMAQ Simulations for PM2.5 and its Related Precursors during the 2006 TexAQS/GoMACCS Study

EPA Science Inventory

This study presents a comparative evaluation of the impact of WRF-NMM and WRF-ARW meteorology on CMAQ simulations of PM_2.5, its composition and related precursors over the eastern United States with the intensive observations obtained by aircraft (NOAA WP-3), ship and ...

How Do Argumentation Diagrams Compare when Student Pairs Use Them as a Means for Debate or as a Tool for Representing Debate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lund, Kristine; Molinari, Gaelle; Sejourne, Arnauld; Baker, Michael

2007-01-01

The objective of the research presented here was to study the influence of two types of instruction for using an argumentation diagram during pedagogical debates over the Internet. In particular, we studied how using an argumentation diagram as a medium of debate compared to using an argumentation diagram as a way of representing a debate. Two…

A Comparative Study of Coping Strategies and the Features of Interpersonal Relations and Life Orientations of People with Congenital and Acquired Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romanova, E. V.; Tolkacheva, O. N.

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of a comparative study of the features of the coping strategies, life orientations, and interpersonal relations of disabled people with acquired and congenital diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The authors discovered differences in interpersonal behavior in the area of control, and they revealed factors that…

Comparing the Effect of Thinking Maps Training Package Developed by the Thinking Maps Method on the Reading Performance of Dyslexic Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faramarzi, Salar; Moradi, Mohammadreza; Abedi, Ahmad

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to develop the thinking maps training package and compare its training effect with the thinking maps method on the reading performance of second and fifth grade of elementary school male dyslexic students. For this mixed method exploratory study, from among the above mentioned grades' students in Isfahan, 90 students who…

CsSNP: A Web-Based Tool for the Detecting of Comparative Segments SNPs.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Wang, Shuangshuang; Zhou, Dongjie; Yang, Shuai; Xu, Yongchao; Yang, Chao; Yang, Long

2016-07-01

SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) is a popular tool for the study of genetic diversity, evolution, and other areas. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a convenient, utility, robust, rapid, and open source detecting-SNP tool for all researchers. Since the detection of SNPs needs special software and series steps including alignment, detection, analysis and present, the study of SNPs is limited for nonprofessional users. CsSNP (Comparative segments SNP, http://biodb.sdau.edu.cn/cssnp/ ) is a freely available web tool based on the Blat, Blast, and Perl programs to detect comparative segments SNPs and to show the detail information of SNPs. The results are filtered and presented in the statistics figure and a Gbrowse map. This platform contains the reference genomic sequences and coding sequences of 60 plant species, and also provides new opportunities for the users to detect SNPs easily. CsSNP is provided a convenient tool for nonprofessional users to find comparative segments SNPs in their own sequences, and give the users the information and the analysis of SNPs, and display these data in a dynamic map. It provides a new method to detect SNPs and may accelerate related studies.

High Amylose White Rice Reduces Post-Prandial Glycemic Response but Not Appetite in Humans

PubMed Central

Zenel, Alison M.; Stewart, Maria L.

2015-01-01

The present study compared the effects of three rice cultivars on postprandial glycemic control and appetite. A single-blind, randomized, crossover clinical trial was performed with 18 healthy subjects, nine males and nine females. Three treatments were administered at three separate study visits: commercially available conventional white rice (short grain), specialty high amylose white rice 1 (Dixiebelle), and specialty high amylose white rice 2 (Rondo). Postprandial capillary blood glucose, venous blood glucose and insulin measurements, and appetite visual analog scale (VAS) surveys were done over the course of two hours. The capillary blood glucose concentrations were significantly lower for Rondo compared to short grain rice at 30 min, and for Dixiebelle and Rondo compared to short grain rice at 45, 60, and 120 min. Capillary blood glucose area under the curve (AUC) was significantly lower for Dixiebelle and Rondo compared to short grain rice. Subjects were significantly more hungry at 30 min after Dixiebelle intake than Rondo intake, but there were no other significant effects in appetite ratings. The present study determined that intake of high amylose rice with resistant starch (RS) can attenuate postprandial blood glucose and insulin response in comparison to short grain rice. PMID:26147654

Symptom Profile of ADHD in Youth With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Study in Psychiatrically Referred Populations.

PubMed

Joshi, Gagan; Faraone, Stephen V; Wozniak, Janet; Tarko, Laura; Fried, Ronna; Galdo, Maribel; Furtak, Stephannie L; Biederman, Joseph

2017-08-01

To compare the clinical presentation of ADHD between youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD and a sample of youth with ADHD only. A psychiatrically referred sample of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) youth with ADHD attending a specialized ambulatory program for ASD ( n = 107) and a sample of youth with ADHD attending a general child psychiatry ambulatory clinic ( n = 74) were compared. Seventy-six percent of youth with ASD met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD. The clinical presentation of ADHD in youth with ASD was predominantly similar to its typical presentation including age at onset (3.5 ± 1.7 vs. 4.0 ± 1.9; p = .12), distribution of diagnostic subtypes, the qualitative and quantitative symptom profile, and symptom severity. Combined subtype was the most frequent presentation of ADHD in ASD youth. Despite the robust presentation of ADHD, a significant majority of ASD youth with ADHD failed to receive appropriate ADHD treatment (41% vs. 24%; p = .02). A high rate of comorbidity with ADHD was observed in psychiatrically referred youth with ASD, with a clinical presentation typical of the disorder.

A retrospective descriptive study of the characteristics of deliberate self-poisoning patients with single or repeat presentations to an Australian emergency medicine network in a one year period.

PubMed

Martin, Catherine A; Chapman, Rose; Rahman, Asheq; Graudins, Andis

2014-08-23

A proportion of deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) patients present repeatedly to the emergency department (ED). Understanding the characteristics of frequent DSP patients and their presentation is a first step to implementing interventions that are designed to prevent repeated self-poisoning. All DSP presentations to three networked Australian ED's were retrospectively identified from the ED electronic medical record and hospital scanned medical records for 2011. Demographics, types of drugs ingested, emergency department length of stay and disposition for the repeat DSP presenters were extracted and compared to those who presented once with DSP in a one year period. Logistic regression was used to analyse repeat versus single DSP data. The study determined 755 single presenters and 93 repeat DSP presenters. The repeat presenters contributed to 321 DSP presentations. They were more likely to be unemployed (61.0% versus 39.9%, p = 0.008) and have a psychiatric illness compared to single presenters (36.6% versus 15.5%, p < 0.001). Repeat presenters were less likely to receive a toxicology consultation (11.5% versus 27.3%, p < 0.001) and were more likely to abscond from the ED (7.5% versus 3.4%, p = 0.004). Repeat presenters were more likely to ingest paracetamol and antipsychotics than single presenters. The defined daily dose for the most common antipsychotic ingested, quetiapine, was less in the repeat presenter group (median 1.9 [IQR: 1.3-3.5]) compared with the single presenter group (4 [1.4-9.5]), (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.99). Patients who present repeatedly to the ED with DSP have pre-existing disadvantages, with increased likelihood of being unemployed and having a mental illness. These patients are also more likely to have health service inequities given the greater likelihood to abscond from the ED and lower likelihood of receiving toxicology consultation for their DSP. Early recognition of repeat DSP patients in the ED may facilitate the development of individualised care plans with the aim to reduce repeat episodes of self-poisoning and subsequent risk of successful suicide.

Patterns of paediatric emergency presentations to a tertiary referral centre in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Buntsma, Davina; Lithgow, Anna; O'Neill, Evan; Palmer, Didier; Morris, Peter; Acworth, Jason; Babl, Franz E

2017-12-01

To describe epidemiological data concerning paediatric attendances at the ED of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of paediatric emergency presentations to the RDH ED during 2004 and 2013. Epidemiological data, including demographics, admission rates and diagnostic grouping, were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. We compared data with findings from a baseline epidemiological study by the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) conducted in 2004. A total of 12 745 and 15 378 paediatric presentations (age 0-18 years) to the RDH ED were analysed for the years 2004 and 2013 respectively. In 2004, the mean age of children presenting to RDH was 7.1 years, and 56.0% were female. Indigenous patients accounted for 31.2% of presentations at RDH and were significantly more likely to be admitted than non-Indigenous patients (31.6% vs 12.8%, OR 3.24, 95% CI 2.95-3.55). Children <5 years old accounted for the highest number of presentations (45.2%) and admissions (51.2%), and there was a high proportion of adolescent presentations (18.0%). Similar to the PREDICT study, viral infectious conditions (bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infections) were the most common cause for presentations. Key differences included a higher proportion of patients presenting with cellulitis and head injury at RDH and an increasing proportion of adolescent psychiatric presentations at RDH from 2004 to 2013. This study provides important information regarding paediatric presentations to a major referral hospital in the Northern Territory. Overall, there was a disproportionate rate of presentation and admission among Indigenous children. Other key findings were higher proportions of cellulitis, head injury and adolescent presentations. These findings can assist in service planning and in directing future research specific to children in the Northern Territory. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

It's All a Matter of Perspective: Viewing First-Person Video Modeling Examples Promotes Learning of an Assembly Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiorella, Logan; van Gog, Tamara; Hoogerheide, Vincent; Mayer, Richard E.

2017-01-01

The present study tests whether presenting video modeling examples from the learner's (first-person) perspective promotes learning of an assembly task, compared to presenting video examples from a third-person perspective. Across 2 experiments conducted in different labs, university students viewed a video showing how to assemble an 8-component…

Initial results from SKiYMET meteor radar at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E): 1. Comparison of wind measurements with MF spaced antenna radar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Karanam Kishore; Ramkumar, Geetha; Shelbi, S. T.

2007-12-01

In the present communication, initial results from the allSKy interferometric METeor (SKiYMET) radar installed at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E) are presented. The meteor radar system provides hourly zonal and meridional winds in the mesosphere lower thermosphere (MLT) region. The meteor radar measured zonal and meridional winds are compared with nearby MF radar at Tirunalveli (8.7°N, 77.8°E). The present study provided an opportunity to compare the winds measured by the two different techniques, namely, interferometry and spaced antenna drift methods. Simultaneous wind measurements for a total number of 273 days during September 2004 to May 2005 are compared. The comparison showed a very good agreement between these two techniques in the height region 82-90 km and poor agreement above this height region. In general, the zonal winds compare very well as compared to the meridional winds. The observed discrepancies in the wind comparison above 90 km are discussed in the light of existing limitations of both the radars. The detailed analysis revealed the consistency of the measured winds by both the techniques. However, the discrepancies are observed at higher altitudes and are attributed to the contamination of MF radar neutral wind measurements with Equatorial Electro Jet (EEJ) induced inospheric drifts rather than the limitations of the spaced antenna technique. The comparison of diurnal variation of zonal winds above 90 km measured by both the radars is in reasonably good agreement in the absence of EEJ (during local nighttime). It is also been noted that the difference in the zonal wind measurements by both the radars is directly related to the strength of EEJ, which is a noteworthy result from the present study.

Comparative study of resist stabilization techniques for metal etch processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Gerry; Ross, Matthew F.; Wong, Selmer S.; Minter, Jason P.; Marlowe, Trey; Livesay, William R.

1999-06-01

This study investigates resist stabilization techniques as they are applied to a metal etch application. The techniques that are compared are conventional deep-UV/thermal stabilization, or UV bake, and electron beam stabilization. The electron beam tool use din this study, an ElectronCure system from AlliedSignal Inc., ELectron Vision Group, utilizes a flood electron source and a non-thermal process. These stabilization techniques are compared with respect to a metal etch process. In this study, two types of resist are considered for stabilization and etch: a g/i-line resist, Shipley SPR-3012, and an advanced i-line, Shipley SPR 955- Cm. For each of these resist the effects of stabilization on resist features are evaluated by post-stabilization SEM analysis. Etch selectivity in all cases is evaluated by using a timed metal etch, and measuring resists remaining relative to total metal thickness etched. Etch selectivity is presented as a function of stabilization condition. Analyses of the effects of the type of stabilization on this method of selectivity measurement are also presented. SEM analysis was also performed on the features after a compete etch process, and is detailed as a function of stabilization condition. Post-etch cleaning is also an important factor impacted by pre-etch resist stabilization. Results of post- etch cleaning are presented for both stabilization methods. SEM inspection is also detailed for the metal features after resist removal processing.

Multiple sclerosis in India: An institutional study.

PubMed

Singhal, Ankit; Bhatia, Rohit; Srivastava, M V Padma; Prasad, Kameshwar; Singh, Mamta Bhushan

2015-05-01

Few population based studies on multiple sclerosis have been published from India. There is an increasing demand to establish a nationwide MS registry in India especially in view of the percieved increased incidence and prevalence. To create a registry data base for all MS patients presenting at our institute and understand the disease characteristics in our population and compare them with the published reports from the west. MS was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and imaging features (Revised McDonald׳s criteria 2010). Demographics, clinical data, treatment details and disease behavior were recorded over a follow up of one year. Descriptive analyses was performed. 101 patients (61 females) were recruited in the study period from June 2011 to December 2012. Mean age of the patients at the time of presentation was 33.3±9.2 years and mean duration of illness was 5.98±4.95. 68.4% patients had RRMS, 16.8% had SPMS whereas 14.8% patients had PPMS. Site(s) involved in first relapse was spinal cord in 43.7% patients followed by brainstem 25.3% and optic nerve in 24.1% patients. Mean number of relapses were 3.26±2.026. Mean EDSS at the time of presentation was 3.20±2.11. Overall, 55.44% patients took DMT at some point during their course of disease. No significant differences were observed between our patient characteristics when compared to publications from west. Demographic data in the present study are comparable to those reported in population-based epidemiological studies from west. A nationwide registry network will help establish stronger data on incidence, prevalence and disease profile of MS in India. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maternal natural killer cell immunoglobulin receptor genes and human leukocyte antigen-C ligands influence recurrent spontaneous abortion in the Han Chinese population

PubMed Central

Su, Ning; Wang, Hongdan; Zhang, Bowei; Kang, Yiqing; Guo, Qiannan; Xiao, Hai; Yang, Hecai; Liao, Shixiu

2018-01-01

The underlying mechanism of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) has remained elusive for many years. Several previous studies have suggested that the killer cell immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) gene family is associated with RSA, however, it is not clear exactly how. The present study detected KIR and human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) genes in 110 Han Chinese women with unexplained RSA and 105 Han Chinese healthy females. The aim of the present study was to determine if certain genotypes were more susceptible to the occurrence of miscarriage. The frequency of KIR genes and different KIR haplotypes in the 2 groups demonstrated no statistical differences. However, in women who had miscarried ≥3 times, the frequency of KIR3DL1 was significantly reduced and the BB haplotype frequency was significantly higher compared with the control group. HLA-C2C2 was significantly increased in the KIR AB and KIR BB groups in the RSA groups compared with the control group. The women in the RSA group who had a homozygous HLA-C2C2 had a significantly higher frequency of the 2DS1 gene compared with the control group. The reduction of inhibitory gene and increased activation combinations may induce the activation of uterine natural killer cells, which may reduce the probability of fetal survival. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report demonstrating the association between maternal KIR and HLA-C genes and RSA in women of a Han Chinese ethnicity. The present study revealed that females who miscarry ≥3 times may be used as selection criteria for RSA and so may exhibit higher research value. PMID:29387191

The Problem is People, Social Studies: 6425.07.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratchford, Frank

Population education is the focus of this quinmester curriculum guide for secondary students. By examining and comparing past population theories of Malthus and Marx with present theories students will better understand the present situation, cultural attitudes toward the problems, and the ecological consequences of overpopulation. Objectives are…

World Class Schools: An Evolving Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, John M., Ed.; And Others

The concept of "world class," often used in reference to education, lacks a precise, universal definition. This book presents case studies of exemplary schools. The foreword by Fenwick W. English presents a developmental concept of world-class education, in which fair and comparable standards, with sufficient room for sociocultural…

Colorectal Cancer Safety Net: Is It Catching Patients Appropriately?

PubMed

Althans, Alison R; Brady, Justin T; Times, Melissa L; Keller, Deborah S; Harvey, Alexis R; Kelly, Molly E; Patel, Nilam D; Steele, Scott R

2018-01-01

Disparities in access to colorectal cancer care are multifactorial and are affected by socioeconomic elements. Uninsured and Medicaid patients present with advanced stage disease and have worse outcomes compared with similar privately insured patients. Safety net hospitals are a major care provider to this vulnerable population. Few studies have evaluated outcomes for safety net hospitals compared with private institutions in colorectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare demographics, screening rates, presentation stage, and survival rates between a safety net hospital and a tertiary care center. Comparative review of patients at 2 institutions in the same metropolitan area were conducted. The study included colorectal cancer care delivered either at 1 safety net hospital or 1 private tertiary care center in the same city from 2010 to 2016. A total of 350 patients with colorectal cancer from each hospital were evaluated. Overall survival across hospital systems was measured. The safety net hospital had significantly more uninsured and Medicaid patients (46% vs 13%; p < 0.001) and a significantly lower median household income than the tertiary care center ($39,299 vs $49,741; p < 0.0001). At initial presentation, a similar percentage of patients at each hospital presented with stage IV disease (26% vs 20%; p = 0.06). For those undergoing resection, final pathologic stage distribution was similar across groups (p = 0.10). After a comparable median follow-up period (26.6 mo for safety net hospital vs 29.2 mo for tertiary care center), log-rank test for overall survival favored the safety net hospital (p = 0.05); disease-free survival was similar between hospitals (p = 0.40). This was a retrospective review, reporting from medical charts. Our results support the value of safety net hospitals for providing quality colorectal cancer care, with survival and recurrence outcomes equivalent or improved compared with a local tertiary care center. Because safety net hospitals can provide equivalent outcomes despite socioeconomic inequalities and financial constraints, emphasis should be focused on ensuring that adequate funding for these institutions continues. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A454.

Te Ira Tangata: a Zelen randomised controlled trial of a culturally informed treatment compared to treatment as usual in Māori who present to hospital after self-harm.

PubMed

Hatcher, Simon; Coupe, Nicole; Wikiriwhi, Karen; Durie, Sir Mason; Pillai, Avinesh

2016-06-01

Indigenous people have high rates of suicide and self-harm compared to other population groups. The aim of this trial was to see if a package of interventions delivered in a culturally appropriate way improved outcomes at one year in Maori who presented with intentional self-harm to emergency departments. Participants were Maori who presented with intentional self-harm to emergency departments in New Zealand. The study design was a double consent Zelen randomised controlled trial. The intervention included regular postcards, problem solving therapy, patient support, risk management, improved access to primary care and cultural assessment in addition to usual care. The control group received usual care. The main outcome measure was the self-rated change in scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale at one year. 182 people were randomized to the intervention group 95 of whom consented to take part in the study. 183 people were randomized to the control group 72 of whom consented to take part in the study. For those who consented comparing the intervention group with the control group there was a statistically significant greater change in hopelessness scores at 3 months (difference -1.7 95 % CI -3.4 to -0.01, p = 0.05) but not at one year (difference -1.6 95 % CI -3.4 to 0.3, p = 0.11). Maori who consented and received the intervention were also significantly less likely to present to hospital for non-self-harm reasons in the year after the index episode (44.2 vs. 61.1 %, p = 0.03). Those participants randomised to the intervention were less likely to re-present with self-harm at 3 months (10.4 vs. 18 %, p = 0.04) but not at 12 months compared to the control group. In Maori who presented to hospital with intentional self-harm a culturally informed intervention had an effect on hopelessness and re-presentation with self-harm in the short term but not at 12 months. There was a significant decrease in hospital presentations for non-self harm over the next year. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000952246.

Investigating the anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation in different directions in chronic ankle instability patients.

PubMed

Ebrahimabadi, Zahra; Naimi, Sedigheh Sadat; Rahimi, Abbas; Sadeghi, Heydar; Hosseini, Seyed Majid; Baghban, Alireza Akbarzadeh; Arslan, Syed Asadullah

2018-01-01

The main objective of the present study was to analyze how supra spinal motor control mechanisms are altered in different directions during anticipatory postural phase of gait initiation in chronic ankle instability patients. It seems that supra spinal pathways modulate anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation. Yet, there is a dearth of research on the effect of chronic ankle instability on the anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation in different directions. A total of 20 chronic ankle instability participants and 20 healthy individuals initiated gait on a force plate in forward, 30° lateral, and 30° medial directions. According to the results of the present study, the peak lateral center of pressure shift decreased in forward direction compared to that in other directions in both groups. Also, it was found that the peak lateral center of pressure shift and the vertical center of mass velocity decreased significantly in chronic ankle instability patients, as compared with those of the healthy individuals. According to the results of the present study, it seems that chronic ankle instability patients modulate the anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation, compared with healthy control group, in order to maintain postural stability. These changes were observed in different directions, too. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic perspective of saliva in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus children: An in vivo study.

PubMed

Lakshmi, P V S Deepa; Sridevi, E; Sai Sankar, A J; Manoj Kumar, M G; Sridhar, M; Sujatha, B

2015-01-01

The absence, destruction, or loss of β-cells of pancreas results in type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM]). Presently, diagnosis and periodic monitoring of diabetes is achieved by evaluating blood glucose levels as it is relatively invasive and dreaded by children. In the light of this, present study was planned to compare salivary glucose values with blood glucose values and the biochemical characteristics of saliva in IDDM children were evaluated and obtained results were compared with the salivary parameters of normal children. Thirty IDDM children and 30 healthy children were selected for the study. Fasting blood sample and unstimulated salivary sample were collected from all the subjects and were subjected for analysis. A weak positive correlation was noticed between fasting blood glucose and salivary glucose values in IDDM children. But a mean average of salivary glucose was high in IDDM children when compared with healthy children. The biochemical parameters like acid phosphatase, total protein count, and α-amylase were increased, whereas salivary urea did not show significant variation between the groups. With presently used diagnostic armamentarium, estimation of salivary glucose cannot replace the standard method of estimation of glucose in diabetic mellitus children. The established relationship was very weak with many variations.

Syntactic learning by mere exposure - An ERP study in adult learners

PubMed Central

Mueller, Jutta L; Oberecker, Regine; Friederici, Angela D

2009-01-01

Background Artificial language studies have revealed the remarkable ability of humans to extract syntactic structures from a continuous sound stream by mere exposure. However, it remains unclear whether the processes acquired in such tasks are comparable to those applied during normal language processing. The present study compares the ERPs to auditory processing of simple Italian sentences in native and non-native speakers after brief exposure to Italian sentences of a similar structure. The sentences contained a non-adjacent dependency between an auxiliary and the morphologically marked suffix of the verb. Participants were presented four alternating learning and testing phases. During learning phases only correct sentences were presented while during testing phases 50 percent of the sentences contained a grammatical violation. Results The non-native speakers successfully learned the dependency and displayed an N400-like negativity and a subsequent anteriorily distributed positivity in response to rule violations. The native Italian group showed an N400 followed by a P600 effect. Conclusion The presence of the P600 suggests that native speakers applied a grammatical rule. In contrast, non-native speakers appeared to use a lexical form-based processing strategy. Thus, the processing mechanisms acquired in the language learning task were only partly comparable to those applied by competent native speakers. PMID:19640301

Syntactic learning by mere exposure--an ERP study in adult learners.

PubMed

Mueller, Jutta L; Oberecker, Regine; Friederici, Angela D

2009-07-29

Artificial language studies have revealed the remarkable ability of humans to extract syntactic structures from a continuous sound stream by mere exposure. However, it remains unclear whether the processes acquired in such tasks are comparable to those applied during normal language processing. The present study compares the ERPs to auditory processing of simple Italian sentences in native and non-native speakers after brief exposure to Italian sentences of a similar structure. The sentences contained a non-adjacent dependency between an auxiliary and the morphologically marked suffix of the verb. Participants were presented four alternating learning and testing phases. During learning phases only correct sentences were presented while during testing phases 50 percent of the sentences contained a grammatical violation. The non-native speakers successfully learned the dependency and displayed an N400-like negativity and a subsequent anteriorily distributed positivity in response to rule violations. The native Italian group showed an N400 followed by a P600 effect. The presence of the P600 suggests that native speakers applied a grammatical rule. In contrast, non-native speakers appeared to use a lexical form-based processing strategy. Thus, the processing mechanisms acquired in the language learning task were only partly comparable to those applied by competent native speakers.

HIV impact on women: gender difference among late testers and advanced HIV infection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukmawati, N. M. D. D.; Merati, T. P.; Somia, A.; Utama, S.; Gayatri, Y.

2018-03-01

This study reported the effect of gender difference on HIV seropositive late testers or advanced infection. A retrospective cohort study of newly diagnosed HIV seropositive based on adatabase in the main referral hospital in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia from 2004 – 2016. Women and man were categorized as late testers (CD4 ≤ 200 cells/uL and/or AIDS diagnosis ≤ 12 months from first HIV test date). Non-late testers (CD4 > 200 cells/uL and/or no AIDS diagnosis during study period or diagnosis of AIDS >12 months from HIV diagnosis), of reproductive age (13 – 49 years old), and not of reproductive age (>49 years old). Logistic regression was used to estimate risk and its statistical significance. The model consists of gender and age correctly classified 83.5% of cases. Women were almost two times more likely to present as non-late testers compared to men, and reproductive age of 15 – 49 years were 1.5 times more likely to present as non-late testers compared to those with age > 49 years. Women affected by HIV almost in equal as for men. Women and those within reproductive age were more likely to present before the advanced stage compared to men and those aged > 49 years.

Caffeine Improves Left Hemisphere Processing of Positive Words

PubMed Central

Kuchinke, Lars; Lux, Vanessa

2012-01-01

A positivity advantage is known in emotional word recognition in that positive words are consistently processed faster and with fewer errors compared to emotionally neutral words. A similar advantage is not evident for negative words. Results of divided visual field studies, where stimuli are presented in either the left or right visual field and are initially processed by the contra-lateral brain hemisphere, point to a specificity of the language-dominant left hemisphere. The present study examined this effect by showing that the intake of caffeine further enhanced the recognition performance of positive, but not negative or neutral stimuli compared to a placebo control group. Because this effect was only present in the right visual field/left hemisphere condition, and based on the close link between caffeine intake and dopaminergic transmission, this result points to a dopaminergic explanation of the positivity advantage in emotional word recognition. PMID:23144893

Directed forgetting: differential effects on typical and distinctive faces.

PubMed

Metzger, Mitchell M

2011-01-01

Directed forgetting (DF) occurs when stimuli presented during the study phase are followed by "forget" and "remember" cues. On a subsequent memory test, poor memory is observed for stimuli followed by the forget cues, compared to stimuli followed by the remember cues. Although DF is most commonly observed with verbal tasks, the present study extended intentional forgetting research for nonverbal stimuli and examined whether faces were susceptible to DF. Results confirmed that the presentation of a forget cue significantly reduced recognition for faces, as compared to faces followed by a remember cue. Additionally, a well-established finding in face recognition is that distinctive faces are better remembered than typical faces, and Experiment 2 assessed whether face appearance influenced the degree of DF. Results indicate that the DF effect observed in Experiment 1 was replicated in Experiment 2 and that the effect was more pronounced for those faces that were typical in appearance.

Comparative drug dose and drug combinations in patients that present to hospital due to self-poisoning.

PubMed

Armstrong, Thomas M; Davies, Matthew S; Kitching, Gary; Waring, W Stephen

2012-11-01

Self-poisoning is a common reason for acute presentation to hospital. Commonly involved drugs have been reported, but few data exist concerning the different combinations of agents or comparative doses ingested. The present study sought to better characterise the typical patterns of drug overdose that may present via the emergency department. Consecutive adults ≥16 years of age that presented to York Hospital owing to self-poisoning were studied for 2010-2011 inclusive. The primary outcome measure was reported dose, expressed as a multiple of the defined daily dose (DDD) to allow comparison between different agents. There were 1024 patients, including 622 women (60.7%), and median age was 32 years (range, 16 to 92 years). Overdose in men was associated with a higher overall quantity of drugs: arithmetic mean of 20 DDD multiples (95% CI, 15-26) versus 13 (11-15), p = 0.001. Overdose involved a single agent only in 538 patients (52.5%). The mean paracetamol dose was 4.0 (95% CI, 3.7-4.3) DDD multiples; the doses of antidepressants (19.4, 17.0-21.7, p < 0.0001) and benzodiazepines (18.0, 12.8-23.2, p < 0.0001) were comparatively higher. The types of agents involved in self-poisoning and common combinations of agents are characterised. Psychotropic medications were ingested in comparatively larger quantities than analgesic agents and had worse clinical outcome. Further work is required to understand the factors that determine the quantity of drug ingested in patients at risk of drug overdose so as to minimise the risk of significant toxicity. © 2012 The Authors Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology © 2012 Nordic Pharmacological Society.

Comparative study of dihydroartemisinin and artesunate safety in healthy Thai volunteers.

PubMed

Kongpatanakul, S; Chatsiricharoenkul, S; Khuhapinant, A; Atipas, S; Kaewkungwal, J

2009-09-01

As part of new drug development initiatives in Thailand, a new tablet formulation of dihydroartemisinin (DHA, an antimalarial drug) has been developed. Our previous bioequivalence study indicated that the new and reference DHA formulations were well tolerated; however, a significant decrease in hemoglobin was detected after a single 200-mg oral dose. To explore further, a clinical study with an emphasis on hematological parameters was conducted. A single-center, randomized, single-blind, cross-over clinical study was conducted in 18 healthy volunteers with a dosage of 300 mg daily for 2 days. Artesunate was used as a comparator. Adverse events were monitored and laboratory parameters on study Days 0, 2, 5, and 7 post drug administrations were analyzed. Eighteen volunteers completed both rounds of the study. Both drugs were well tolerated. All adverse events were mild. Significant decrease in hemoglobin compared to baseline was detected for both drugs 7 days after administration (DHA: 0.48 g/dl, p = 0.007; artesunate 0.38 g/dl, p = 0.001). Transient bone marrow suppression was evidenced by reduction of reticulocytes with a lowest number on study Day 5 (artesunate 75% reduction in reticulocyte count; DHA 47%, p < 0.001 for both drugs compared to baseline). The present study confirmed our previous finding on significant decrease in hemoglobin. Artesunate appeared to have more negative effects on the numbers of reticulocytes and white blood cells than DHA. Systemic laboratory and toxicity profiles presented in this study may be used as a framework for future clinical studies of artemisinin and its derivatives.

Presentation patterns and outcomes of patients with cancer accessing care in emergency departments in Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

van der Meer, Dania M; Weiland, Tracey J; Philip, Jennifer; Jelinek, George A; Boughey, Mark; Knott, Jonathan; Marck, Claudia H; Weil, Jennifer L; Lane, Heather P; Dowling, Anthony J; Kelly, Anne-Maree

2016-03-01

People with cancer attend emergency departments (EDs) for many reasons. Improved understanding of the specific needs of these patients may assist in optimizing health service delivery. ED presentation and hospital utilization characteristics were explored for people with cancer and compared with those patients without cancer. This descriptive, retrospective, multicentre cohort study used hospital administrative data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarise and compare ED presentation characteristics amongst cancer and non-cancer groups. Predictive analyses were used to identify ED presentation features predictive of hospital admission for cancer patients. Outcomes of interest were level of acuity, ED and inpatient length of stay, re-presentation rates and admission rates amongst cancer patients and non-cancer patients. ED (529,377) presentations occurred over the 36 months, of which 2.4% (n = 12,489) were cancer-related. Compared with all other attendances, cancer-related attendances had a higher level of acuity, requiring longer management time and length of stay in ED. Re-presentation rates for people with cancer were nearly double those of others (64 vs 33%, p < 0.001), with twice the rate of hospital admission (90 vs 46%, p < 0.001), longer inpatient length of stay (5.6 vs 2.8 days, p < 0.001) and had higher inpatient mortality (7.9 vs 1.0%, p < 0.001). Acuity and arriving by ambulance were significant predictors of hospital admission, with cancer-related attendances having ten times the odds of admission compared to other attendances (OR = 10.4, 95% CI 9.8-11.1). ED presentations by people with cancer represent a more urgent, complex caseload frequently requiring hospital admission when compared to other presentations, suggesting that for optimal cancer care, close collaboration and integration of oncology, palliative care and emergency medicine providers are needed to improve pathways of care.

Effect of a road safety training program on drivers' comparative optimism.

PubMed

Perrissol, Stéphane; Smeding, Annique; Laumond, Francis; Le Floch, Valérie

2011-01-01

Reducing comparative optimism regarding risk perceptions in traffic accidents has been proven to be particularly difficult (Delhomme, 2000). This is unfortunate because comparative optimism is assumed to impede preventive action. The present study tested whether a road safety training course could reduce drivers' comparative optimism in high control situations. Results show that the training course efficiently reduced comparative optimism in high control, but not in low control situations. Mechanisms underlying this finding and implications for the design of road safety training courses are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of Advanced Glaucoma Study: a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing primary medical treatment with primary trabeculectomy for people with newly diagnosed advanced glaucoma-study protocol.

PubMed

King, Anthony J; Fernie, Gordon; Azuara-Blanco, Augusto; Burr, Jennifer M; Garway-Heath, Ted; Sparrow, John M; Vale, Luke; Hudson, Jemma; MacLennan, Graeme; McDonald, Alison; Barton, Keith; Norrie, John

2017-10-26

Presentation with advanced glaucoma is the major risk factor for lifetime blindness. Effective intervention at diagnosis is expected to minimise risk of further visual loss in this group of patients. To compare clinical and cost-effectiveness of primary medical management compared with primary surgery for people presenting with advanced open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Design : A prospective, pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT). Twenty-seven UK hospital eye services. Four hundred and forty patients presenting with advanced OAG, according to the Hodapp-Parish-Anderson classification of visual field loss. Participants will be randomised to medical treatment or augmented trabeculectomy (1:1 allocation minimised by centre and presence of advanced disease in both eyes). The primary outcome is vision-related quality of life measured by the National Eye Institute-Visual Function Questionnaire-25 at 24 months. Secondary outcomes include generic EQ-5D-5L, Health Utility Index-3 and glaucoma-related health status (Glaucoma Utility Index), patient experience, visual field measured by mean deviation value, logarithm of the mean angle of resolution visual acuity, intraocular pressure, adverse events, standards for driving and eligibility for blind certification. Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) based on EQ-5D-5L and glaucoma profile instrument will be estimated. The study will report the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of medical treatment against augmented trabeculectomy in patients presenting with advanced glaucoma in terms of patient-reported health and visual function, clinical outcomes and incremental cost per QALY at 2 years. Treatment of Advanced Glaucoma Study will be the first RCT reporting outcomes from the perspective of those with advanced glaucoma. ISRCTN56878850, Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Epidemic of fractures during a period of snow and ice: has anything changed 33 years on?

PubMed Central

Al-Azzani, Waheeb; Adam Maliq Mak, Danial; Hodgson, Paul; Williams, Rhodri

2016-01-01

Objectives We reproduced a frequently cited study that was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 1981 assessing the extent of ‘snow-and-ice’ fractures during the winter period. Setting This study aims to provide an insight into how things have changed within the same emergency department (ED) by comparing the findings of the BMJ paper published 33 years ago with the present date. Participants As per the original study, all patients presenting to the ED with a radiological evidence of fracture during three different 4-day periods were included. The three 4-day periods included 4 days of snow-and-ice conditions and two control 4-day periods when snow and ice was not present; the first was 4 days within the same year, with a similar amount of sunshine hours, and the second was 4 days 1 calendar year later. Primary and secondary outcome measures To identify the frequency, distribution and pattern of fractures sustained in snow-and-ice conditions compared to control conditions as well as comparisons with the index study 33 years ago. Results A total of 293 patients with fractures were identified. Overall, there was a 2.20 (CI 1.7 to 3.0, p <0.01) increase in risk of fracture during snow-and-ice periods compared to control conditions. There was an increase (p <0.01) of fractures of the arm, forearm and wrist (RR 3.2 (CI 1.4 to 7.6) and 2.9 (CI 1.5 to 5.4) respectively). Conclusions While the relative risk was not of the magnitude 33 years ago, the overall number of patients presenting with a fracture during snow-and-ice conditions remains more than double compared to control conditions. This highlights the need for improved understanding of the impact of increased fracture burden on hospitals and more effective preventative measures. PMID:27630066

Comparative Evaluation of Efficacy of Physics Forceps versus Conventional Forceps in Orthodontic Extractions: A Prospective Randomized Split Mouth Study.

PubMed

Patel, Harsh S; Managutti, Anil M; Menat, Shailesh; Agarwal, Arvind; Shah, Dishan; Patel, Jigar

2016-07-01

Tooth extraction is one of the most commonly performed procedures in dentistry. It is usually a traumatic procedure often resulting in immediate destruction and loss of alveolar bone and surrounding soft tissues. Various instruments have been described to perform atraumatic extractions which can prevent damage to the paradental structures. Recently developed physics forceps is one of the instruments which is claimed to perform atraumatic extractions. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of physics forceps with conventional forceps in terms of operating time, prevention of marginal bone loss & soft tissue loss, postoperative pain and postoperative complications following bilateral premolar extractions for orthodontic purpose. In this prospective split-mouth study, outcomes of the 2 groups (n = 42 premolars) requiring extraction of premolars for orthodontic treatment purpose using Physics forceps and Conventional forceps were compared. Clinical outcomes in form of time taken, loss of buccal soft tissue and buccal cortical plate based on extraction defect classification system, postoperative pain and other complication associated with extraction were recorded and compared. Statistically significant reduction in the operating time was noted in physics forceps group. Marginal bone loss and soft tissue loss was also significantly lesser in physics forceps group when compared to conventional forceps group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in severity of postoperative pain between both groups. The results of the present study suggest that physics forceps was more efficient in reducing operating time and prevention of marginal bone loss & soft tissue loss when compared to conventional forceps in orthodontically indicated premolar extractions.

Warm ''pasta'' phase in the Thomas-Fermi approximation

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

Avancini, Sidney S.; Menezes, Debora P.; Chiacchiera, Silvia

In the present article, the 'pasta' phase is studied at finite temperatures within a Thomas-Fermi (TF) approach. Relativistic mean-field models, both with constant and density-dependent couplings, are used to describe this frustrated system. We compare the present results with previous ones obtained within a phase-coexistence description and conclude that the TF approximation gives rise to a richer inner ''pasta'' phase structure and the homogeneous matter appears at higher densities. Finally, the transition density calculated within TF is compared with the results for this quantity obtained with other methods.

The effect of prognostic data presentation format on perceived risk among surrogate decision makers of critically ill patients: a randomized comparative trial.

PubMed

Chapman, Andy R; Litton, Edward; Chamberlain, Jenny; Ho, Kwok M

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether varying the format used to present prognostic data alters the perception of risk among surrogate decision makers in the intensive care unit (ICU). This was a prospective randomized comparative trial conducted in a 23-bed adult tertiary ICU. Enrolled surrogate decision makers were randomized to 1 of 2 questionnaires, which presented hypothetical ICU scenarios, identical other than the format in which prognostic data were presented (eg, frequencies vs percentages). Participants were asked to rate the risk associated with each prognostic statement. We enrolled 141 surrogate decision makers. The perception of risk varied significantly dependent on the presentation format. For "quantitative data," risks were consistently perceived as higher, when presented as frequencies (eg, 1 in 50) compared with equivalent percentages (eg, 2%). Framing "qualitative data" in terms of chance of "death" rather than "survival" led to a statistically significant increase in perceived risks. Framing "quantitative" data in this way did not significantly affect risk perception. Data format had a significant effect on how surrogate decision makers interpreted risk. Qualitative statements are interpreted widely and affected by framing. Where possible, multiple quantitative formats should be used for presenting prognostic information. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of 2D ultrasound imaging methods in the f-k domain and evaluation of their performances in a realistic NDT configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merabet, Lucas; Robert, Sébastien; Prada, Claire

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present two frequency-domain algorithms for 2D imaging with plane wave emissions, namely Stolt's migration and Lu's method. The theoretical background is first presented, followed by an analysis of the algorithm complexities. The frequency-domain methods are then compared to the time-domain plane wave imaging in a realistic inspection configuration where the array elements are not in contact with the specimen. Imaging defects located far away from the array aperture is assessed and computation times for the three methods are presented as a function of the number of pixels of the reconstructed image. We show that Lu's method provides a time gain of up to 33 compared to the time-domain algorithm, and demonstrate the limitations of Stolt's migration for defects far away from the aperture.

Natural frequencies facilitate diagnostic inferences of managers

PubMed Central

Hoffrage, Ulrich; Hafenbrädl, Sebastian; Bouquet, Cyril

2015-01-01

In Bayesian inference tasks, information about base rates as well as hit rate and false-alarm rate needs to be integrated according to Bayes’ rule after the result of a diagnostic test became known. Numerous studies have found that presenting information in a Bayesian inference task in terms of natural frequencies leads to better performance compared to variants with information presented in terms of probabilities or percentages. Natural frequencies are the tallies in a natural sample in which hit rate and false-alarm rate are not normalized with respect to base rates. The present research replicates the beneficial effect of natural frequencies with four tasks from the domain of management, and with management students as well as experienced executives as participants. The percentage of Bayesian responses was almost twice as high when information was presented in natural frequencies compared to a presentation in terms of percentages. In contrast to most tasks previously studied, the majority of numerical responses were lower than the Bayesian solutions. Having heard of Bayes’ rule prior to the study did not affect Bayesian performance. An implication of our work is that textbooks explaining Bayes’ rule should teach how to represent information in terms of natural frequencies instead of how to plug probabilities or percentages into a formula. PMID:26157397

Salivary flow rate and biochemical composition analysis in stimulated whole saliva of children with cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

da Silva Modesto, Karine Barros; de Godói Simões, Jéssica Bueno; de Souza, Amanda Ferreira; Damaceno, Neiva; Duarte, Danilo Antonio; Leite, Mariana Ferreira; de Almeida, Eliete Rodrigues

2015-11-01

It is recognized that cystic fibrosis (CF) patients present a risk for oral diseases, since it affects exocrine glands, and the treatment consists of a carbohydrate-rich diet. Recognizing the protective function of saliva on maintaining oral health, the aim of the study was to evaluate salivary parameters in stimulated whole saliva from children with CF. A case-control study was conducted comparing stimulated whole saliva of healthy (n=28; control group) and CF children (n=21; experimental group). Salivary flow rate, initial pH, buffer capacity (total and in each range of pH), total protein and sialic acid (total, free, and conjugated) concentration, α-amylase and salivary peroxidase activities were evaluated. Data were compared by two-tailed Student t test (95% CI; p ≤ 0.05). CF patients presented a significant reduction in salivary parameters compared with the control group (p ≤ 0.05): salivary flow rate (36%), buffer capacity (pH range from 6.9 to 6.0), sialic acid concentration (total 75%, free 61%, and conjugated 83%); α-amylase and salivary peroxidase activities (55%). Additionally, a significant increase in total protein concentration (180%) of stimulated whole saliva from CF patients was verified compared with the control group (p ≤ 0.05). Children with CF presented significant changes in salivary composition, including salivary flow rate, buffering capacity and protective proteins of the oral cavity, compared with children without CF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Very long-term sequelae of craniopharyngioma.

PubMed

Wijnen, Mark; van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M; Janssen, Joseph A M J L; Catsman-Berrevoets, Coriene E; Michiels, Erna M C; van Veelen-Vincent, Marie-Lise C; Dallenga, Alof H G; van den Berge, J Herbert; van Rij, Carolien M; van der Lely, Aart-Jan; Neggers, Sebastian J C M M

2017-06-01

Studies investigating long-term health conditions in patients with craniopharyngioma are limited by short follow-up durations and generally do not compare long-term health effects according to initial craniopharyngioma treatment approach. In addition, studies comparing long-term health conditions between patients with childhood- and adult-onset craniopharyngioma report conflicting results. The objective of this study was to analyse a full spectrum of long-term health effects in patients with craniopharyngioma according to initial treatment approach and age group at craniopharyngioma presentation. Cross-sectional study based on retrospective data. We studied a single-centre cohort of 128 patients with craniopharyngioma treated from 1980 onwards (63 patients with childhood-onset disease). Median follow-up since craniopharyngioma presentation was 13 years (interquartile range: 5-23 years). Initial craniopharyngioma treatment approaches included gross total resection ( n  = 25), subtotal resection without radiotherapy ( n  = 44), subtotal resection with radiotherapy ( n  = 25), cyst aspiration without radiotherapy ( n  = 8), and 90 Yttrium brachytherapy ( n  = 21). Pituitary hormone deficiencies (98%), visual disturbances (75%) and obesity (56%) were the most common long-term health conditions observed. Different initial craniopharyngioma treatment approaches resulted in similar long-term health effects. Patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngioma experienced significantly more growth hormone deficiency, diabetes insipidus, panhypopituitarism, morbid obesity, epilepsy and psychiatric conditions compared with patients with adult-onset disease. Recurrence-/progression-free survival was significantly lower after initial craniopharyngioma treatment with cyst aspiration compared with other therapeutic approaches. Survival was similar between patients with childhood- and adult-onset craniopharyngioma. Long-term health conditions were comparable after different initial craniopharyngioma treatment approaches and were generally more frequent in patients with childhood- compared with adult-onset disease. © 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.

Does presentation at the Registrars' Papers Day predict future publication?

PubMed

Wong, Shing W; Crowe, Philip J

2006-06-01

There are research requirements for trainees to be eligible to present for their final examinations (Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, FRACS). One option is the presentation of a paper or poster at a meeting of which abstracts are subject to review and selection. This includes presentation at the annual Registrars' Papers Day (RPD) in New South Wales. There has been some debate surrounding whether research requirements are fulfilled by presentation at such meetings. Publication in a peer-reviewed journal should be the ultimate aim. A high publication rate will validate the quality of the meeting. All abstracts submitted to the RPD in 1998 and 1999 were analysed. A Medline search was performed in 2005 to identify publication of these presentations in a peer-reviewed journal. Variables of the study that were potentially predictive of subsequent publication were analysed. This included type of presentation, surgical specialty, clinical or laboratory-based study, study design (prospective or retrospective) and sample size. Chi-squared test with Yates' continuity correction was used to compare two independent proportions and significance was set at P < 0.05. The publication rates were: oral presentations 50% (17/34), poster presentations 39% (9/23) and rejected presentations 20% (2/10). The mean and median time to publication was 23.8 and 21.0 months. Prospective design was the only variable identified to have a statistically significant effect on the publication rate (P < 0.002). The most common publishing journal was the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery (12 of 26). Overall consistency (author and study sample consistency) from presentation to publication was 32%. The overall 46% publication rate of this state-based trainees-organized meeting compares favourably with international meetings. The research requirement of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), which includes presentation at the RPD in New South Wales, produces good quality papers for publication.

A Comparative Study: Completion of Fine Motor Office Related Tasks by High School Students with Autism Using Video Models on Large and Small Screen Sizes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mechling, Linda C.; Ayres, Kevin M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to compare fine motor task completion when using video models presented on a smaller screen size (Personal Digital Assistant) compared to a larger laptop screen size. The investigation included four high school students with autism spectrum disorders and mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and used an…

A comparative study on the environmental impact of supermarket refrigeration systems using low GWP refrigerants

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

Beshr, M.; Aute, V.; Sharma, V.

Supermarket refrigeration systems have high environmental impact due to their large refrigerant charge and high leak rates. Consequently, the interest in using low GWP refrigerants such as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and new refrigerant blends is increasing. In this study, an open-source Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) framework is presented and used to compare the environmental impact of four supermarket refrigeration systems: a transcritical CO 2 booster system, a cascade CO 2/N-40 system, a combined secondary circuit with central DX N-40/L-40 system, and a baseline multiplex direct expansion system utilizing R-404A and N-40. The study is performed for different climatesmore » within the USA using EnergyPlus to simulate the systems' hourly performance. Finally, further analyses are presented such as parametric, sensitivity, and uncertainty analyses to study the impact of different system parameters on the LCCP.« less

Investigator Sensitivity to Alibi Witness Inconsistency after a Long Delay.

PubMed

Price, Heather L; Dahl, Leora C

2017-01-01

In two studies, mock investigators conducted a computer-based investigation of a crime involving an alibi witness who varied in the consistency of his statements taken 5 years apart. Investigators showed evidence of skepticism of alibi witness statements in which major contradictions (activity, location) were present, and some skepticism of statements in which minor (activity) details were contradictory. Entirely consistent statements were judged favorably, and reduced perceptions of suspect guilt (Study 2). The age of the alibi witness did not impact judgments of suspect guilt when children (6 years) and adults (25 years) were compared (Study 1, N = 254), or when children of different ages were compared (6, 8, 11 years; Study 2, N = 234). The present data suggest that investigators were relatively more sensitive to considerations of accuracy than honesty. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A comparative study on the environmental impact of supermarket refrigeration systems using low GWP refrigerants

DOE PAGES

Beshr, M.; Aute, V.; Sharma, V.; ...

2015-04-09

Supermarket refrigeration systems have high environmental impact due to their large refrigerant charge and high leak rates. Consequently, the interest in using low GWP refrigerants such as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and new refrigerant blends is increasing. In this study, an open-source Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) framework is presented and used to compare the environmental impact of four supermarket refrigeration systems: a transcritical CO 2 booster system, a cascade CO 2/N-40 system, a combined secondary circuit with central DX N-40/L-40 system, and a baseline multiplex direct expansion system utilizing R-404A and N-40. The study is performed for different climatesmore » within the USA using EnergyPlus to simulate the systems' hourly performance. Finally, further analyses are presented such as parametric, sensitivity, and uncertainty analyses to study the impact of different system parameters on the LCCP.« less

Pediatric nuclear medicine

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

Not Available

1986-01-01

This symposium presented the latest techniques and approaches to the proper medical application of radionuclides in pediatrics. An expert faculty, comprised of specialists in the field of pediatric nuclear medicine, discussed the major indications as well as the advantages and potential hazards of nuclear medicine procedures compared to other diagnostic modalities. In recent years, newer radiopharmaceuticals labeled with technetium-99m and other short-lived radionuclides with relatively favorable radiation characteristics have permitted a variety of diagnostic studies that are very useful clinically and carry a substantially lower radiation burden then many comparable X-ray studies. This new battery of nuclear medicine procedures ismore » now widely available for diagnosis and management of pediatric patients. Many recent research studies in children have yielded data concerning the effacacy of these procedures, and current recommendations will be presented by those involved in conducting such studies. Individual papers are processed separately for the Energy Data Base.« less

Colonic Mucosal Microbiota in Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Center Metagenomic Study in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alomair, Ahmed O; Masoodi, Ibrahim; Alyamani, Essam J; Allehibi, Abed A; Qutub, Adel N; Alsayari, Khalid N; Altammami, Musaad A; Alshanqeeti, Ali S

2018-01-01

Because genetic and geographic variations in intestinal microbiota are known to exist, the focus of this study was to establish an estimation of microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in Saudi Arabia by means of metagenomic studies. From July 2010 to November 2012, colorectal cancer patients attending our hospital were enrolled for the metagenomic studies. All underwent clinical, endoscopic, and histological assessment. Mucosal microbiota samples were collected from each patient by jet-flushing colonic mucosa with distilled water at unified segments of the colon, followed by aspiration, during colonoscopy. Total purified dsDNA was extracted and quantified prior to metagenomic sequencing using an Illumina platform. Satisfactory DNA samples ( n = 29) were subjected to metagenomics studies, followed by comprehensive comparative phylogenetic analysis. An equal number of healthy age-matched controls were also examined for colonic mucosal microbiota. Metagenomics data on 29 patients (14 females) in the age range 38-77 years were analyzed. The majority 11 (37%) of our patients were overweight (BMI = 25-30). Rectal bleeding was the presenting symptom in 18/29 (62%), while symptomatic anemia was the presenting symptom in 11/29 (37%). The location of colon cancer was rectal in 14 (48%), while cecal growth was observed in 8 (27%). Hepatic flexure growth was found in 1 (3%), descending colonic growth was found in 2 (6%), and 4 (13%) patients had transverse colon growth. The metagenomics analysis was carried out, and a total of 3.58G reads were sequenced, and about 321.91G data were used in the analysis. This study identified 11 genera specific to colorectal cancer patients when compared to genera in the control group. Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium were found to be significantly prevalent in the carcinoma group when compared to the control group. The current study has given an insight into the microbiota of colorectal cancer patients in Saudi Arabia and has identified various genera significantly present in these patients when compared to those of the control group.

Context as Support for Learning Computer Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tew, Allison Elliott; Dorn, Brian; Leahy, William D., Jr.; Guzdial, Mark

2008-01-01

The ubiquity of personal computational devices in the lives of today's students presents a meaningful context for courses in computer organization beyond the general-purpose or imaginary processors routinely used. This article presents results of a comparative study examining student performance in a conventional organization course and in one…

Counteracting Educational Injustice with Applied Critical Leadership: Culturally Responsive Practices Promoting Sustainable Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santamaría, Lorri J.; Santamaría, Andrés P.

2015-01-01

This contribution considers educational leadership practice to promote and sustain diversity. Comparative case studies are presented featuring educational leaders in the United States and New Zealand who counter injustice in their practice. The leaders' leadership practices responsive to the diversity presented in their schools offer…

Subject Indicators to Present the Nature and Limit of Environmental Studies in U.S. Graduate Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, H. S.; Dixon, James P.

1993-01-01

Examines the lack of interdisciplinary communication in environmental education programs in U.S. graduate schools. Following comparative historical reviews of environmental protection activities, presents a computer-developed curriculum model base containing 15 subject areas: philosophy, politics, economics, architecture, sociology, biology,…

Sex Stereotyping in Mexican Reading Primers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heathcote, Olivia

A study was conducted comparing the sex stereotypes present in selected Mexican reading primers published in 1960 with those present in primers published in 1972 to determine whether any significant changes in sex stereotyping were reflected in the 1972 primers. Comparisons were made between four primers published in 1960 for grades one through…

Creating Aliens: The Ultimate Life Sciences Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beltramo, Dan

2001-01-01

Describes a seven-week project completed by the author's eighth-grade science students (as they studied "the chemistry of living things") in which they designed an alien and its world using the scientific concepts that they learned in class. Compares class presentations using PowerPoint software to presentations using posterboard. (SR)

Assessing the Accessibility of Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badge, Joanne L.; Dawson, Emma; Cann, Alan J.; Scott, Jon

2008-01-01

A wide range of tools is now available to enable teaching practitioners to create web-based educational materials from PowerPoint presentations, adding a variety of different digital media, such as audio and animation. The pilot study described in this paper compared three different systems for producing multimedia presentations from existing…

Tax Wealth in Fifty States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halstead, D. Kent

This study presents a scheme for yearly, comparative, computation of state and local government tax capacity and effort. Figures for all states for fiscal year 1975 are presented in extensive tables. The system used is a simplified version of the Representative Tax System, which identifies tax bases, determines national average tax rates for those…

Anxiety and Sensitivity to Eye Gaze in Emotional Faces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Amanda; Richards, Anne; Green, Simon

2006-01-01

This paper reports three studies in which stronger orienting to perceived eye gaze direction was revealed when observers viewed faces showing fearful or angry, compared with happy or neutral, emotional expressions. Gaze-related spatial cueing effects to laterally presented fearful faces and centrally presented angry faces were also modulated by…

Learning about Locomotion Patterns from Visualizations: Effects of Presentation Format and Realism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imhof, Birgit; Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter

2011-01-01

The rapid development of computer graphics technology has made possible an easy integration of dynamic visualizations into computer-based learning environments. This study examines the relative effectiveness of dynamic visualizations, compared either to sequentially or simultaneously presented static visualizations. Moreover, the degree of realism…

Social Studies Doctoral Dissertations in the United States and Turkey: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savas, Behsat

2016-01-01

This study delves into 169 social studies doctoral dissertations published from January 2012 to October 2015. The results of the included studies were qualitatively synthesized and presented in narrative form in the results section. In preliminary searching for systematic reviews concerning social studies, we concentrated on 169 doctoral…

Quality of life and response of negative symptoms in schizophrenia to haloperidol and the atypical antipsychotic remoxipride. The Canadian Remoxipride Group.

PubMed

Awad, A G; Lapierre, Y D; Angus, C; Rylander, A

1997-07-01

In a large, multicenter, double-blind study of the effect of haloperidol and the atypical antipsychotic remoxipride on improvement of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, quality of life was also assessed using a modified version of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). Compared with previous studies, this study had a longer duration (28 weeks), and the dose of the comparator, haloperidol, was much lower. At the end of the study, compared with the baseline, both treatment groups reported comparable improvement in negative symptoms as defined by the protocol (at least 20% improvement). Similarly, both groups showed comparable changes on global and multidimensional self-assessments of quality of life. All the subfactors of the modified version of the SIP were similar in both groups, except for the subfactor that relates to alertness behavior, which possibly reflects remoxipride's lack of any sedating properties compared with haloperidol. This study presents an approach for inclusion of quality of life as an outcome measure in the design of clinical trials of new antipsychotic medications.

Subacute Thyroiditis: Clinical Presentation and Long Term Outcome

PubMed Central

Alfadda, Assim A.; Sallam, Reem M.; Elawad, Ghadi E.; AlDhukair, Hisham; Alyahya, Mossaed M.

2014-01-01

Few studies have been reported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA) to describe the clinical presentation and long term outcomes of subacute thyroiditis (SAT). Our aim was to review the demographic, anthropometric, clinical presentation, laboratory results, treatment, and disease outcome in Riyadh region and to compare those with results from different regions of the Kingdom and different parts of the world. We reviewed the medical files of patients who underwent thyroid uptake scan during an 8-year period in King Khalid University Hospital. Only 25 patients had confirmed diagnosis of thyroiditis. Age and gender distribution were similar to other studies. Most patients presented with palpitation, goiter, and weight change. Elevated thyroid hormones, suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone, and elevated ESR were reported. Among those, 7 cases of SAT were recorded. β-Blockers were prescribed to 57% and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to 29% of SAT. Long follow-up demonstrated that 85.7% of SAT cases recovered, while 14.3% developed permanent hypothyroidism. In conclusion, SAT is uncommon in the central region of SA. Compared to the western region, corticosteroid is not commonly prescribed, and permanent hypothyroidism is not uncommon. A nation-wide epidemiological study to explain these interprovincial differences is warranted. PMID:24803929

Studies in Teaching: 2012 Research Digest. Action Research Projects Presented at Annual Research Forum (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 29, 2012)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCoy, Leah P., Ed.

2012-01-01

This document presents the proceedings of the 17th Annual Research Forum held June 29, 2012, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included herein are the following 25 action research papers: (1) "Reading and Writing": A Study Comparing the Strengths of Peer Review and Visible Author Writing Strategies (Elizabeth Behar); (2)…

Neural and Behavioral Evidence for the Role of Mental Simulation in Meaning in Life

PubMed Central

Waytz, Adam; Hershfield, Hal E; Tamir, Diana I

2014-01-01

Mental simulation, the process of self-projection into alternate temporal, spatial, social, or hypothetical realities is a distinctively human capacity. Numerous lines of research also suggest that the tendency for mental simulation is associated with enhanced meaning. The present research tests this association specifically examining the relationship between two forms of simulation (temporal and spatial) and meaning in life. Study 1 uses neuroimaging to demonstrate that enhanced connectivity in the medial temporal lobe network, a subnetwork of the brain’s default network implicated in prospection and retrospection, correlates with self-reported meaning in life. Study 2 demonstrates that experimentally inducing people to think about the past or future versus the present enhances self-reported meaning in life, through the generation of more meaningful events. Study 3 demonstrates that experimentally inducing people to think specifically versus generally about the past or future enhances self-reported meaning in life. Study 4 turns to spatial simulation to demonstrate that experimentally inducing people to think specifically about an alternate spatial location (from the present) increases meaning derived from this simulation compared to thinking generally about another location or specifically about one’s present location. Study 5 demonstrates that experimentally inducing people to think about an alternate spatial location versus one’s present location enhances meaning in life, through meaning derived from this simulation. Study 6 demonstrates that simply asking people to imagine completing a measure of meaning in life in an alternate location compared to asking them to do so in their present location enhances reports of meaning. This research sheds light on an important determinant of meaning in life and suggests that undirected mental simulation benefits psychological well-being. PMID:25603379

Study of short term memory status in adult bipolar disorder patients in south Indian population.

PubMed

Aslam, Mohammed; Siddiq, Mohamed; Dhundasi, Salim A; Das, Kusal K; Kulkarni, B R

2011-01-01

The present study was undertaken to establish short term memory status in bipolar disorder cases as compared with normal age and sex matched control group in Bijapur (Karnataka). Results showed that a significant decrease in short term memory status in bipolar disorder cases as compared to their control group .Loss of attention, decreased processing speed and executive function patterns may be the probable causes of such observations.

The diagnosis and natural history of false preterm labor.

PubMed

Chao, Tamara T; Bloom, Steven L; Mitchell, Judith S; McIntire, Donald D; Leveno, Kenneth J

2011-12-01

To estimate the natural history of pregnancies in women who present with preterm labor symptoms and who are sent home with a diagnosis of false labor. A prospective observational study of women with singletons and intact membranes who presented to triage between 24 0/7 and 33 6/7 weeks of gestation with preterm labor symptoms and cervical dilation less than 2 cm was conducted. Women sent home with a diagnosis of false preterm labor were analyzed against a comparable general obstetric population delivered during the same time period. The primary outcome was delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. Secondary outcomes included the interval between presentation and delivery, as well as maternal and neonatal outcomes. Of the 843 women who met inclusion criteria, 690 (82%) were sent home with a diagnosis of false preterm labor and 153 (18%) were admitted to labor and delivery. When analyzed compared with a comparable general obstetric population, women sent home had a similar rate of birth before 34 weeks of gestation (2% compared with 1%, P=.28) but a higher rate of birth between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation (5% compared with 2%, P<.001). There was no difference in neonatal mortality (0% compared with 0.3%, P=.18). Women with cervical dilation of 1 cm at discharge were more likely to deliver before 34 weeks of gestation compared with nondilated women (5% compared with 1%, P=.02); however, 89% of the 1-cm group delivered more than 21 days after presentation. Women sent home with a diagnosis of false preterm labor are not at increased risk for early preterm birth or neonatal mortality; however, they are at increased risk for late preterm birth. II.

Effectiveness of an Online Graduate Preparation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brucato, Brittany; Neimeyer, Greg J.

2011-01-01

The present study reports the results of a controlled examination of the effectiveness of an online graduate preparation program, the Virtual Advisor. The effects of the Virtual Advisor were compared to a website preparation group and a wait-list control group. Results indicated that, compared to the control group, students who utilized the…

The Biology and Evolution of Music: A Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitch, W. Tecumseh

2006-01-01

Studies of the biology of music (as of language) are highly interdisciplinary and demand the integration of diverse strands of evidence. In this paper, I present a comparative perspective on the biology and evolution of music, stressing the value of comparisons both with human language, and with those animal communication systems traditionally…

Informing Teacher Education through the Use of Multiple Classroom Observation Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Nancy Dubinski; Waxman, Hersh C.; Brown, Danielle B.; Kelly, Larry J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to examine how first-year secondary teaching interns' classrooms compare to those of more experienced teachers. Through the simultaneous use of three unique observation instruments, the authors addressed the following research questions: (a) How do first-year secondary teachers' classroom behaviors compare to…

Dispersed or Clustered Housing for Adults with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansell, Jim; Beadle-Brown, Julie

2009-01-01

Background: The purpose of this review was to evaluate the available research on the quality and costs of dispersed community-based housing when compared with clustered housing. Methods: Searches against specified criteria yielded 19 papers based on 10 studies presenting data comparing dispersed housing with some kind of clustered housing (village…

Laryngeal Aerodynamics in Healthy Older Adults and Adults with Parkinson's Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matheron, Deborah; Stathopoulos, Elaine T.; Huber, Jessica E.; Sussman, Joan E.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The present study compared laryngeal aerodynamic function of healthy older adults (HOA) to adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) while speaking at a comfortable and increased vocal intensity. Method: Laryngeal aerodynamic measures (subglottal pressure, peak-to-peak flow, minimum flow, and open quotient [OQ]) were compared between HOAs and…

Reference Management Software: A Comparative Analysis of Four Products

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmour, Ron; Cobus-Kuo, Laura

2011-01-01

Reference management (RM) software is widely used by researchers in the health and natural sciences. Librarians are often called upon to provide support for these products. The present study compares four prominent RMs: CiteULike, RefWorks, Mendeley, and Zotero, in terms of features offered and the accuracy of the bibliographies that they…

Access to Information in Both CitaDel and FirstSearch: A Comparative Study of Dissertation Coverage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Stephen; Salisbury, Lutishoor

1995-01-01

Presents a comparative analysis of electronic access to theses and dissertations through CitaDel and FirstSearch. Highlights include the effectiveness and ease of use in providing enduser access; strengths and weaknesses of searching capabilities; coverage; pricing; and examples of direct retrieval comparison. (LRW)

Reaction Times of Normal Listeners to Laryngeal, Alaryngeal, and Synthetic Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evitts, Paul M.; Searl, Jeff

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare listener processing demands when decoding alaryngeal compared to laryngeal speech. Fifty-six listeners were presented with single words produced by 1 proficient speaker from 5 different modes of speech: normal, tracheosophageal (TE), esophageal (ES), electrolaryngeal (EL), and synthetic speech (SS).…

In-Service Education within Schools: A Comparative Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahawy, Bayoumi M.

This paper prepared in the United States by a visiting faculty member of the Suez Canal University in Egypt, presents a comparative study that finds that school-based in-service training sessions, in which teachers learn within their own teaching environments, do much to encourage more teachers to adopt a more positive attitude to the…

Children's Mental Representation When Comparing Fractions with Common Numerators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chunhui; Xin, Ziqiang; Lin, Chongde; Thompson, Clarissa A.

2013-01-01

Researchers debate whether one represents the magnitude of a fraction according to its real numerical value or just the discrete numerosity of its numerator or denominator. The present study examined three effects based on the notion that people possess a mental number line to explore how children represent fractions when they compare fractions…

A Look at Derailment Today: North America and Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, Jean Brittain; Van Velsor, Ellen

Executives with a track record of success are sometimes fired, demoted, or plateaued. This publication presents findings of a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), which compared contemporary derailed and successful executives in the United States and Europe. Results are compared to those of earlier CCL findings. Data were…

Impact of Static Graphics, Animated Graphics and Mental Imagery on a Complex Learning Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Feng-Qi; Newby, Timothy J.

2012-01-01

The present study compared the impact of different categories of graphics used within a complex learning task. One hundred eighty five native English speaking undergraduates participated in a task that required learning 18 Chinese radicals and their English equivalent translations. A post-test only control group design compared performance…

Measuring Person-Centered Care: A Critical Comparative Review of Published Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edvardsson, David; Innes, Anthea

2010-01-01

Purpose of the study: To present a critical comparative review of published tools measuring the person-centeredness of care for older people and people with dementia. Design and Methods: Included tools were identified by searches of PubMed, Cinahl, the Bradford Dementia Group database, and authors' files. The terms "Person-centered,"…

On Synchronization Primitive Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

The report studies the question: what synchronization primitive should be used to handle inter-process communication. A formal model is presented...between these synchronization primitives. Although only four synchronization primitives are compared, the general methods can be used to compare other... synchronization primitives. Moreover, in the definitions of these synchronization primitives, conditional branches are explicitly allowed. In addition

A Comparative History of Church-State Relations in Irish Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donoghue, Tom; Harford, Judith

2011-01-01

This essay argues for the development of a research agenda on the comparative history of Catholic education internationally from the nineteenth century to the present. This requires, in the first instance, the production of a series of individual-country case studies, concentrating on relations between the Catholic Church and the particular state…

Career Indecision in Adult Women: A Comparative and Descriptive Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slaney, Robert B.; And Others

1981-01-01

Compared high-school women, first-year college women, and adult women on four measures of career indecision. Results suggested that the adult women were experiencing more career indecision than the high-school and college women. Variables included: marital status, present work experience, the career-related goals and possible impediments to…

The Effects of Culture on Psychological Mobility: Comparative Analyses of Turkish and Canadian Academicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogmus, Nihat; Aytekin, Ihsan

2012-01-01

The present study comparatively examines the effects of culture on psychological mobility of academicians in Turkey and Canada. Questionnaires were completed by 382 respondents, of them 277 Turkish and 105 Canadian. Data were collected using INDCOL for measuring the four cultural dimensions. Psychological mobility that consisted of boundaryless…

Visual Processing of Verbal and Nonverbal Stimuli in Adolescents with Reading Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boden, Catherine; Brodeur, Darlene A.

1999-01-01

A study investigated whether 32 adolescents with reading disabilities (RD) were slower at processing visual information compared to children of comparable age and reading level, or whether their deficit was specific to the written word. Adolescents with RD demonstrated difficulties in processing rapidly presented verbal and nonverbal visual…

Underrepresentation of Women in the Academic Profession: A Comparative Analysis of the North American Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalfe, Amy Scott; Gonzalez, Laura Padilla

2013-01-01

The present study addresses women's underrepresentation in the academic profession, as well as the need for policies and practices aimed at this issue. It compares underrepresentation of academic women in North American countries, and explores, throughout a bivariate analysis, personal, professional, as well as institutional variables related to…

Renaissance Epyllions: A Comparative Reading of Christopher Marlowe's "Hero and Leander," Thomas Lodge's "Scylla's Metamorphosis" and Francis Beaumont's "Salmacis and Hermaphroditus"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmoudi, Yazdan

2016-01-01

The present paper is supposed to compare and contrast three of these masterpieces written the Renaissance period. The epyllions under study are Christopher Marlowe's "Hero and Leander," Thomas Lodge's "Scylla's Metamorphosis" and Francis Beaumont's "Salmacis and Hermaphroditus." Bush believes that "the influence…

Structures of School Systems Worldwide: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popov, Nikolay

2012-01-01

In the past 20 years I have been examining the structures of school systems worldwide. This ongoing research has been enriched by the findings obtained from the lecture course on Comparative Education I have been delivering to students in the Bachelor and Master's Education Programs at Sofia University, Bulgaria. This paper presents some results…

Harmonic versus LigaSure hemostasis technique in thyroid surgery: A meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Upadhyaya, Arun; Hu, Tianpeng; Meng, Zhaowei; Li, Xue; He, Xianghui; Tian, Weijun; Jia, Qiang; Tan, Jian

2016-01-01

Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure vessel sealing systems have been suggested as options for saving surgical time and reducing postoperative complications. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to compare surgical time, postoperative complications and other parameters between them in for the open thyroidectomy procedure. Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and ISI Web of Science until December 2015. All the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure during open thyroidectomy were selected. Following data extraction, statistical analyses were performed. Among the 24 studies that were evaluated for eligibility, 7 RCTs with 981 patients were included. The Harmonic scalpel significantly reduced surgical time compared with LigaSure techniques (8.79 min; 95% confidence interval, −15.91 to −1.67; P=0.02). However, no significant difference was observed for the intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, duration of hospital stay, thyroid weight and serum calcium level postoperatively in either group. The present meta-analysis indicated superiority of Harmonic Scalpel only in terms of surgical time compared with LigaSure hemostasis techniques in open thyroid surgery. PMID:27446546

Craniopharyngioma: Survivin expression and ultrastructure

PubMed Central

ZHU, JIANG; YOU, CHAO

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the significance of survivin protein expression levels in craniopharyngioma. Tumor samples and clinical data were obtained from 50 patients with craniopharyngioma who were admitted to the West China Hospital of Sichuan University (Chengdu, China). The morphology of the craniopharyngioma samples was observed using optical and electron microscopes, and survivin expression was investigated in the samples by immunohistochemical analysis. The immunohistochemical results revealed survivin expression in all of the craniopharyngioma samples, but not in the healthy brain tissue samples. It was identified that survivin was expressed at a higher level in cases of the adamantinomatous type compared with those of the squamous-papillary type, in male patients compared with female patients, in children compared with adults and in recurrent cases compared with non-recurrent cases. Furthermore, no significant difference was detected in survivin expression levels among the tumors of different subtypes and different disease stages. The results of the present study indicate that survivin is significant in the development of craniopharyngioma, and that survivin protein expression levels are a meaningful indicator for assessing craniopharyngioma recurrence. PMID:25435936

Is Health-Related Quality of Life after Radical Cystectomy Using Validated Questionnaires Really Better in Patients with Ileal Orthotopic Neobladder Compared to Ileal Conduit: A Meta-Analysis of Retrospective Comparative Studies.

PubMed

Cerruto, Maria A; D'Elia, Carolina; Siracusano, Salvatore; Porcaro, Antonio B; Cacciamani, Giovanni; De Marchi, Davide; Niero, Mauro; Lonardi, Cristina; Iafrate, Massimo; Bassi, Pierfrancesco; Belgrano, Emanuele; Imbimbo, Ciro; Racioppi, Marco; Talamini, Renato; Ciciliato, Stefano; Toffoli, Laura; Rizzo, Michele; Visalli, Francesco; Verze, Paolo; Artibani, Walter

2017-07-01

From the most recent systematic revision of the literature, an orthotopic neobladder would seem to show marginally better health related quality of life (HR-QoL) scores compared with an ileal conduit. The aim of this study was to review all relevant published studies about the comparison between ileal orthotopic neobladder (IONB) and ileal conduit using validated HR-QoL questionnaires. Studies were identified by searching multiple literature databases. Data were synthesized using meta-analytic methods conformed to the PRISMA statement. The literature search identified 10 papers; pooled effect sizes of combined quality of life outcomes for ileal conduit versus IONB showed a significantly better HR-QoL in patients with IONB (Hedges' g = 0.278; p = 0.000);. The present study has an important limitation due to the type of the analyzed comparative studies, all retrospective and not randomized. This meta-analysis of not-randomized, retrospective comparative studies on the impact of ileal conduit versus IONB on HR-QoL showed a significant advantage of IONB subgroups.

Different Strokes for Different Folks: Visual Presentation Design between Disciplines

PubMed Central

Gomez, Steven R.; Jianu, Radu; Ziemkiewicz, Caroline; Guo, Hua; Laidlaw, David H.

2015-01-01

We present an ethnographic study of design differences in visual presentations between academic disciplines. Characterizing design conventions between users and data domains is an important step in developing hypotheses, tools, and design guidelines for information visualization. In this paper, disciplines are compared at a coarse scale between four groups of fields: social, natural, and formal sciences; and the humanities. Two commonplace presentation types were analyzed: electronic slideshows and whiteboard “chalk talks”. We found design differences in slideshows using two methods – coding and comparing manually-selected features, like charts and diagrams, and an image-based analysis using PCA called eigenslides. In whiteboard talks with controlled topics, we observed design behaviors, including using representations and formalisms from a participant’s own discipline, that suggest authors might benefit from novel assistive tools for designing presentations. Based on these findings, we discuss opportunities for visualization ethnography and human-centered authoring tools for visual information. PMID:26357149

Different Strokes for Different Folks: Visual Presentation Design between Disciplines.

PubMed

Gomez, S R; Jianu, R; Ziemkiewicz, C; Guo, Hua; Laidlaw, D H

2012-12-01

We present an ethnographic study of design differences in visual presentations between academic disciplines. Characterizing design conventions between users and data domains is an important step in developing hypotheses, tools, and design guidelines for information visualization. In this paper, disciplines are compared at a coarse scale between four groups of fields: social, natural, and formal sciences; and the humanities. Two commonplace presentation types were analyzed: electronic slideshows and whiteboard "chalk talks". We found design differences in slideshows using two methods - coding and comparing manually-selected features, like charts and diagrams, and an image-based analysis using PCA called eigenslides. In whiteboard talks with controlled topics, we observed design behaviors, including using representations and formalisms from a participant's own discipline, that suggest authors might benefit from novel assistive tools for designing presentations. Based on these findings, we discuss opportunities for visualization ethnography and human-centered authoring tools for visual information.

Comparative health technology assessment of robotic-assisted, direct manual laparoscopic and open surgery: a prospective study.

PubMed

Turchetti, Giuseppe; Pierotti, Francesca; Palla, Ilaria; Manetti, Stefania; Freschi, Cinzia; Ferrari, Vincenzo; Cuschieri, Alfred

2017-02-01

Despite many publications reporting on the increased hospital cost of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) compared to direct manual laparoscopic surgery (DMLS) and open surgery (OS), the reported health economic studies lack details on clinical outcome, precluding valid health technology assessment (HTA). The present prospective study reports total cost analysis on 699 patients undergoing general surgical, gynecological and thoracic operations between 2011 and 2014 in the Italian Public Health Service, during which period eight major teaching hospitals treated the patients. The study compared total healthcare costs of RAS, DMLS and OS based on prospectively collected data on patient outcome in addition to healthcare costs incurred by the three approaches. The cost of RAS operations was significantly higher than that of OS and DMLS for both gynecological and thoracic operations (p < 0.001). The study showed no significant difference in total costs between OS and DMLS. Total costs of general surgery RAS were significantly higher than those of OS (p < 0.001), but not against DMLS general surgery. Indirect costs were significantly lower in RAS compared to both DMLS general surgery and OS gynecological surgery due to the shorter length of hospital stay of RAS approach (p < 0.001). Additionally, in all specialties compared to OS, patients treated by RAS experienced a quicker recovery and significantly less pain during the hospitalization and after discharge. The present HTA while confirming higher total healthcare costs for RAS operations identified significant clinical benefits which may justify the increased expenditure incurred by this approach.

Mode of childbirth and neonatal outcome after external cephalic version: A prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Rosman, A N; Vlemmix, F; Ensing, S; Opmeer, B C; Te Hoven, S; Velzel, J; de Hundt, M; van den Berg, S; Rota, H; van der Post, J A M; Mol, B W J; Kok, M

2016-08-01

to assess the mode of childbirth and adverse neonatal outcomes in women with a breech presentation with or without an external cephalic version attempt, and to compare the mode of childbirth among women with successful ECV to women with a spontaneous cephalic presentation. prospective matched cohort study. 25 clusters (hospitals and its referring midwifery practices) in the Netherlands. Data of the Netherlands perinatal registry for the matched cohort. singleton pregnancies from January 2011 to August 2012 with a fetus in breech presentation and a childbirth from 36 weeks gestation onwards. Spontaneous cephalic presentations (selected from national registry 2009 and 2010) were matched in a 2:1 ratio to cephalic presentations after a successful version attempt. Matching criteria were maternal age, parity, gestational age at childbirth and fetal gender. Main outcomes were mode of childbirth and neonatal outcomes. of 1613 women eligible for external cephalic version, 1169 (72.5%) received an ECV attempt. The overall caesarean childbirth rate was significantly lower compared to women who did not receive a version attempt (57% versus 87%; RR 0.66 (0.62-0.70)). Women with a cephalic presentation after ECV compared to women with a spontaneous cephalic presentation had a decreased risk for instrumental vaginal childbirth (RR 0.52 (95% CI 0.29-0.94)) and an increased risk of overall caesarean childbirth (RR 1.7 (95%CI 1.2-2.5)). women who had a successful ECV are at increased risk for a caesarean childbirth but overall, ECV is an important tool to reduce the caesarean rate. ECV is an important tool to reduce the caesarean section rates. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Holocaust cancer patients: a comparative study.

PubMed

Baider, L; Peretz, T; De-Nour, A K

1993-11-01

There is as yet no consensus on the long-term effects of severe life-threatening stresses. In an earlier study (Baider et al. 1992), we gained some understanding of this issue by addressing a specific question: How do individuals who have undergone severe stress in the past cope with a current stress? We investigated whether severe stress occurring in the past had a long-term effect on present coping capabilities. We addressed the question by studying a group of Holocaust survivors (severe past stress) who were diagnosed as having cancer (current stress) and compared them to a matched group of cancer patients with no past history of trauma. The matching was done on most demographic variables (gender, age, marital status, and education), as well as on disease variables (site and stage of cancer, time since cancer diagnosis, previous and present treatments). The results were unequivocal.

SuperJet International case study: a business network start-up in the aeronautics industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corallo, Angelo; de Maggio, Marco; Storelli, Davide

This chapter presents the SuperJet International case study, a start-up in the aeronautics industry characterized by a process-oriented approach and a complex and as yet evolving network of partnerships and collaborations. The chapter aims to describe the key points of the start-up process, highlighting common factors and differences compared to the TEKNE Methodology of Change, with particular reference to the second and third phase, namely, the design and deployment of new techno-organizational systems. The SuperJet International startup is presented as a case study where strategic and organizational aspects have been jointly conceived from a network-driven perspective. The chapter compares some of the guidelines of the TEKNE Methodology of Change with experiences and actual practices deriving from interviews with key players in SJI's start-up process.

A Potential Biofilm Metabolite Signature for Caries Activity - A Pilot Clinical Study

PubMed Central

Zandona, F; Soini, HA; Novotny, MV; Santiago, E; Eckert, GJ; Preisser, JS; Benecha, HK; Arthur, RA; Zero, DT

2016-01-01

Background This study's aim was to compare the dental biofilm metabolite-profile of caries-active (N=11) or caries-free (N=4) children by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. Methods Samples collected after overnight fasting, with or without a previous glucose rinse, were combined for each child based on the caries status of the site, re-suspended in ethanol and analyzed by GC/MS. Results Biofilm from caries-active sites exhibited a different chromatographic profile compared to caries-free sites. Qualitative and quantitative analysis suggested a special cluster of branched alcohols and esters present at substantially higher intensity in biofilms of caries-active sites. Conclusions This pilot study indicates that there are metabolites present in the biofilm which have the potential to provide a characteristic metabolomics signature for caries activity. PMID:27885354

Self-esteem: a comparative study of adolescents from mainstream and minority religious groups in Pakistan.

PubMed

Iqbal, Shahid; Ahmad, Riaz; Ayub, Nadia

2013-02-01

The present study aimed to investigate the level of self-esteem among religious minority adolescents (Christians and Hindus) by making a comparison with their dominant counterparts (Muslims) in Pakistan. It was hypothesized that adolescents of religious minorities would have lower level of self-esteem than their dominant counterparts. In the present study 320 adolescents participated, in which 160 adolescents belonged to minority religious groups (i.e. 76 Christians and 84 Hindus) and 160 adolescents belonged to dominant religious group i.e. Muslims. To assess self-esteem of the participants, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg in Society and the adolescent self image, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1965) was used. One Way Analysis of Variance reveals that religious minority adolescents (Christians and Hindus) inclined to have lower self-esteem as compared to their dominant counterpart (Muslim adolescents).

Effects of Different Types of Statins on Lipid Profile: A Perspective on Asians.

PubMed

Meor Anuar Shuhaili, Meor Fairuz Rizal; Samsudin, Intan Nureslyna; Stanslas, Johnson; Hasan, Shariful; Thambiah, Subashini C

2017-04-01

The present review aimed at reviewing the effects of different statins on lipid profile, particularly in Asians. PubMed searches were conducted using the keywords 'statin, effect, and lipid profile' from database inception through March 2016. In this review, 718 articles were retrieved from the primary search. After reviewing the titles, abstracts, and full texts, we found that 59 studies met our inclusion criteria. These also included subsequent reference searches of retrieved articles. CURVES study compared the effect on lipid profile between atorvastatin and other statins. This study demonstrated that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) were reduced more with atorvastatin compared to simvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, and fluvastatin. However, simvastatin provided a greater elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) compared to atorvastatin. The STELLAR trial was based on dose-to-dose comparisons between atorvastatin and rosuvastatin efficacy in reducing LDL-C. Te present study also revealed that as the doses of rosuvastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin increased, HDL-C also increased, with rosuvastatin having the greatest effect. However, HDL-C levels decreased as the dose of atorvastatin increased. The DISCOVERY study involving the Asian population revealed that the percentage of patients achieving the European goals for LDL-C and TC at 12 weeks was higher in rosuvastatin group compared to atorvastatin group. The effects of statins on lipid profile are dose dependent. Most studies showed that rosuvastatin has the best effect on lipid profile. Prescribing lower doses of statins in Asians seems necessary.

Esophageal motility disorders-Symptomatic and manometric spectrum in Punjab, northern India.

PubMed

Goyal, Omesh; Bansal, Monika; Sood, Ajit

2017-05-01

Data on the spectrum of esophageal motility disorders in Indian population are scarce. We aimed to study the symptomatic and manometric profile of patients with suspected esophageal motility disorders. Consecutive patients with esophageal symptoms who underwent esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) from January 2010 to December 2014 were included in this retrospective analysis of prospectively acquired data. HRM was performed with 22-channel water-perfusion system and patients classified using Chicago classification v3.0. Of the 401 patients studied [median age 43 (18-85) years; 61% males], 217 presented with dysphagia, 157 with predominant retrosternal discomfort and 27 with predominant regurgitation. Among patients with dysphagia, 43.8% had ineffective esophageal motility [IEM], 26.3% had achalasia cardia [AC], 6.9% had distal esophageal spasm [DES] and 19.4% had normal manometry [NM]. Among patients with retrosternal discomfort, 42.7% had IEM, 5.7% had AC, 4.5% had DES and 42% had NM. AC was significantly more common among patients presenting with dysphagia compared to those with retrosternal discomfort [p< 0.001] or regurgitation [p< 0.001]. NM was significantly more common among patients presenting with retrosternal symptoms compared to those with dysphagia [p< 0.001]. AC patients had longer duration of dysphagia, more frequent bolus obstruction and more weight loss compared to those with IEM or NM [p< 0.05]. Dysphagia was the commonest presenting symptom followed by retrosternal discomfort. Ineffective esophageal motility (not achalasia cardia) was the commonest manometric finding both among patients with dysphagia and retrosternal discomfort. This study highlights the high prevalence of IEM among patients with esophageal symptoms, which can present with dysphagia or retrosternal discomfort due to poor bolus transit.

Protein comparability assessments and potential applicability of high throughput biophysical methods and data visualization tools to compare physical stability profiles

PubMed Central

Alsenaidy, Mohammad A.; Jain, Nishant K.; Kim, Jae H.; Middaugh, C. Russell; Volkin, David B.

2014-01-01

In this review, some of the challenges and opportunities encountered during protein comparability assessments are summarized with an emphasis on developing new analytical approaches to better monitor higher-order protein structures. Several case studies are presented using high throughput biophysical methods to collect protein physical stability data as function of temperature, agitation, ionic strength and/or solution pH. These large data sets were then used to construct empirical phase diagrams (EPDs), radar charts, and comparative signature diagrams (CSDs) for data visualization and structural comparisons between the different proteins. Protein samples with different sizes, post-translational modifications, and inherent stability are presented: acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1) mutants, different glycoforms of an IgG1 mAb prepared by deglycosylation, as well as comparisons of different formulations of an IgG1 mAb and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF). Using this approach, differences in structural integrity and conformational stability profiles were detected under stress conditions that could not be resolved by using the same techniques under ambient conditions (i.e., no stress). Thus, an evaluation of conformational stability differences may serve as an effective surrogate to monitor differences in higher-order structure between protein samples. These case studies are discussed in the context of potential utility in protein comparability studies. PMID:24659968

Intrafascial versus interfascial nerve sparing in radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Weng, Hong; Zeng, Xian-Tao; Li, Sheng; Meng, Xiang-Yu; Shi, Ming-Jun; He, Da-Lin; Wang, Xing-Huan

2017-09-13

The present study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the intrafascial and interfascial nerve sparing (ITR-NS and ITE-NS) radical prostatectomy. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for eligible studies. Meta-analysis with random-effects model was performed. Six comparative trials were selected and embraced in this research, including one randomized controlled trial, three prospective comparative trials, and two retrospective comparative trials. With regard to perioperative parameters, no significant association of operative time, blood loss, transfusion rates, duration of catheterization, and hospital stay existed between ITR-NS and ITE-NS. With respect to the functional results, ITR-NS had advantages in terms of both continence and potency recovery compared with ITE-NS. In reference to the oncologic results, the ITR-NS showed lower overall positive surgical margin (PSM) compared with ITE-NS but pT2 PSM and biochemical recurrence free rates were similar to the two surgical types. This study demonstrates that ITR-NS has better continence at 6 mo and 36 mo and better potency recovery at 6 mo and 12 mo postoperatively, regardless of the surgical technique. The cancer control of ITR-NS was also better than that of ITE-NS. This may be explained by the fact that patients in ITE-NS group present higher risk cancer than patients in ITR-NS group.

Protein comparability assessments and potential applicability of high throughput biophysical methods and data visualization tools to compare physical stability profiles.

PubMed

Alsenaidy, Mohammad A; Jain, Nishant K; Kim, Jae H; Middaugh, C Russell; Volkin, David B

2014-01-01

In this review, some of the challenges and opportunities encountered during protein comparability assessments are summarized with an emphasis on developing new analytical approaches to better monitor higher-order protein structures. Several case studies are presented using high throughput biophysical methods to collect protein physical stability data as function of temperature, agitation, ionic strength and/or solution pH. These large data sets were then used to construct empirical phase diagrams (EPDs), radar charts, and comparative signature diagrams (CSDs) for data visualization and structural comparisons between the different proteins. Protein samples with different sizes, post-translational modifications, and inherent stability are presented: acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1) mutants, different glycoforms of an IgG1 mAb prepared by deglycosylation, as well as comparisons of different formulations of an IgG1 mAb and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF). Using this approach, differences in structural integrity and conformational stability profiles were detected under stress conditions that could not be resolved by using the same techniques under ambient conditions (i.e., no stress). Thus, an evaluation of conformational stability differences may serve as an effective surrogate to monitor differences in higher-order structure between protein samples. These case studies are discussed in the context of potential utility in protein comparability studies.

Influence of Tension Stiffening on the Flexural Stiffness of Reinforced Concrete Circular Sections

PubMed Central

Morelli, Francesco; Amico, Cosimo; Salvatore, Walter; Squeglia, Nunziante; Stacul, Stefano

2017-01-01

Within this paper, the assessment of tension stiffening effects on a reinforced concrete element with circular section subjected to axial and bending loads is presented. To this purpose, an enhancement of an analytical model already present within the actual technical literature is proposed. The accuracy of the enhanced method is assessed by comparing the experimental results carried out in past research and the numerical ones obtained by the model. Finally, a parametric study is executed in order to study the influence of axial compressive force on the flexural stiffness of reinforced concrete elements that are characterized by a circular section, comparing the secant stiffness evaluated at yielding and at maximum resistance, considering and not considering the effects of tension stiffness. PMID:28773028

Influence of Tension Stiffening on the Flexural Stiffness of Reinforced Concrete Circular Sections.

PubMed

Morelli, Francesco; Amico, Cosimo; Salvatore, Walter; Squeglia, Nunziante; Stacul, Stefano

2017-06-18

Within this paper, the assessment of tension stiffening effects on a reinforced concrete element with the circular sections subjected to axial and bending loads is presented. To this purpose, an enhancement of an analytical model already present within the actual technical literature is proposed. The accuracy of the enhanced method is assessed by comparing the experimental results carried out in past research and the numerical ones obtained by the model. Finally, a parametric study is executed in order to study the influence of axial compressive force on the flexural stiffness of reinforced concrete elements that are characterized by a circular section, comparing the secant stiffness evaluated at yielding and at maximum resistance, considering and not considering the effects of tension stiffness.

Self-regulated learning in simulation-based training: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Brydges, Ryan; Manzone, Julian; Shanks, David; Hatala, Rose; Hamstra, Stanley J; Zendejas, Benjamin; Cook, David A

2015-04-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) requires an active learner who has developed a set of processes for managing the achievement of learning goals. Simulation-based training is one context in which trainees can safely practise learning how to learn. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate, in the simulation-based training context, the effectiveness of interventions designed to support trainees in SRL activities. We used the social-cognitive model of SRL to guide a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the links between instructor supervision, supports or scaffolds for SRL, and educational outcomes. We searched databases including MEDLINE and Scopus, and previous reviews, for material published until December 2011. Studies comparing simulation-based SRL interventions with another intervention for teaching health professionals were included. Reviewers worked independently and in duplicate to extract information on learners, study quality and educational outcomes. We used random-effects meta-analysis to compare the effects of supervision (instructor present or absent) and SRL educational supports (e.g. goal-setting study guides present or absent). From 11,064 articles, we included 32 studies enrolling 2482 trainees. Only eight of the 32 studies included educational supports for SRL. Compared with instructor-supervised interventions, unsupervised interventions were associated with poorer immediate post-test outcomes (pooled effect size: -0.34, p = 0.09; n = 19 studies) and negligible effects on delayed (i.e. > 1 week) retention tests (pooled effect size: 0.11, p = 0.63; n = 8 studies). Interventions including SRL supports were associated with small benefits compared with interventions without supports on both immediate post-tests (pooled effect size: 0.23, p = 0.22; n = 5 studies) and delayed retention tests (pooled effect size: 0.44, p = 0.067; n = 3 studies). Few studies in the simulation literature have designed SRL training to explicitly support trainees' capacity to self-regulate their learning. We recommend that educators and researchers shift from thinking about SRL as learning alone to thinking of SRL as comprising a shared responsibility between the trainee and the instructional designer (i.e. learning using designed supports that help prepare individuals for future learning). © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strength-Power Performance of Visually Impaired Paralympic and Olympic Judo Athletes From the Brazilian National Team: A Comparative Study.

PubMed

Loturco, Irineu; Nakamura, Fábio Y; Winckler, Ciro; Bragança, Jaime R; da Fonseca, Roger A; Moraes-Filho, Josué; Zaccani, Wagner A; Kobal, Ronaldo; Cal Abad, Cesar C; Kitamura, Katia; Pereira, Lucas A; Franchini, Emerson

2017-03-01

Loturco, I, Nakamura, FY, Winckler, C, Bragança, JR, da Fonseca, RA, Filho, JM, Zaccani, WA, Kobal, R, Cal Abad, CC, Kitamura, K, Pereira, LA, and Franchini, E. Strength-power performance of visually impaired paralympic and olympic judo athletes from the brazilian national team: a comparative study. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 743-749, 2017-The aim of this study was to compare the muscle power and maximal isometric strength capacities of Olympic and visually impaired Paralympic judo athletes. Twenty-eight elite judo athletes (7 men and 7 women per group) from the permanent Brazilian National Paralympic and Olympic teams took part in this study. After a specific warm-up, the athletes performed loaded jump squat (JS), bench press (BP), and standing barbell row (SBR) exercises to determine their values of maximum mean propulsive power (MPP) in these respective exercises. The maximal isometric strength (MIS) was also determined for both upper and lower limbs, through the use of BP and half-squat (HS) exercises. Finally, the jumping ability was assessed using unloaded squat jump (SJ). The magnitude-based inference was used to compare the groups. The Olympic judo athletes presented a likely higher SJ height than the Paralympic athletes. The Olympic group presented almost certainly higher MPP in the loaded JS and in the SBR exercises and likely higher MPP in the BP exercise. Importantly, in the MIS assessments the differences between groups in the HS and BP exercises were rated as unclear. In conclusion, our results showed that both Olympic and Paralympic judo athletes present similar levels of maximal isometric strength, but muscle power performance is superior in Olympic athletes.

Using a Multimedia Presentation to Enhance Informed Consent in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

PubMed

Spencer, Sandra P; Stoner, Michael J; Kelleher, Kelly; Cohen, Daniel M

2015-08-01

Informed consent is an ethical process for ensuring patient autonomy. Multimedia presentations (MMPs) often aid the informed consent process for research studies. Thus, it follows that MMPs would improve informed consent in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to determine if an MMP for the informed consent process for ketamine sedation improves parental satisfaction and comprehension as compared with standard practice. This 2-phase study compared 2 methods of informed consent for ketamine sedation of pediatric patients. Phase 1 was a randomized, prospective study that compared the standard verbal consent to an MMP. Phase 2 implemented the MMP into daily work flow to validate the previous year's results. Parents completed a survey evaluating their satisfaction of the informed consent process and assessing their knowledge of ketamine sedation. Primary outcome measures were parental overall satisfaction with the informed consent process and knowledge of ketamine sedation. One hundred eighty-four families from a free-standing, urban, tertiary pediatric emergency department with over 85,000 annual visits were enrolled. Different demographics were not associated with a preference for the MMP or improved scores on the content quiz. Intervention families were more likely "to feel involved in the decision to use ketamine" and to understand that "they had the right to refuse the ketamine" as compared with control families. The intervention group scored significantly higher overall on the content section than the control group. Implementation and intervention families responded similarly to all survey sections. Multimedia presentation improves parental understanding of ketamine sedation, whereas parental satisfaction with the informed consent process remains unchanged. Use of MMP in the emergency department for informed consent shows potential for both patients and providers.

Expectant management compared with physical examination-indicated cerclage (EM-PEC) in selected women with a dilated cervix at 14(0/7)-25(6/7) weeks: results from the EM-PEC international cohort study.

PubMed

Pereira, Leonardo; Cotter, Amanda; Gómez, Ricardo; Berghella, Vincenzo; Prasertcharoensuk, Witoon; Rasanen, Juha; Chaithongwongwatthana, Surasith; Mittal, Suneeta; Daly, Sean; Airoldi, Jim; Tolosa, Jorge E

2007-11-01

The objective of the study was to compare pregnancy outcomes in selected women with a dilated cervix who underwent expectant management or physical examination-indicated cerclage. This was a historical cohort study conducted by the Global Network for Perinatal and Reproductive Health. Women between 14(0/7) and 25(6/7) weeks' gestation with a dilated cervix were identified at 10 centers by ultrasound or digital examination. Primary outcome was time from presentation until delivery (weeks). Secondary outcomes were neonatal survival, birthweight greater than 1500 g and preterm birth less than 28 weeks. Multivariate regression was used to assess the likelihood of neonatal outcomes and control for confounders. Of 225 women, 152 received a physical examination-indicated cerclage, and 73 were managed expectantly without cerclage. Cervical dilation, gestational age at presentation, and antenatal steroid use differed between groups. In the adjusted analyses, cerclage was associated with longer interval from presentation until delivery, improved neonatal survival, birthweight greater than 1500 g and preterm birth less than 28 weeks, compared with expectant management. Similar results were obtained in the analyses limited to women dilated between 2 and 4 cm (n = 122). In this study, the largest cohort reported to date, physical examination-indicated cerclage appears to prolong gestation and improve neonatal survival, compared with expectant management in selected women with cervical dilation between 14(0/7) and 25(6/7) weeks. A randomized, controlled trial should be conducted to determine whether these potential benefits outweigh the risks of cerclage placement in this population.

Is physiotherapy self-referral with telephone triage viable, cost-effective and beneficial to musculoskeletal outpatients in a primary care setting?

PubMed

Mallett, Ross; Bakker, Edward; Burton, Maria

2014-12-01

The aim of the present study was to establish if physiotherapy self-referral (SR) is viable, cost effective and beneficial to musculoskeletal outpatients in a primary care setting. In an urban National Health Service (NHS) primary care physiotherapy service, waiting times, attendance rates and treatment ratios (thus, episode-of-care costs) were deemed unsustainable. The introduction of 'Any Qualified Provider' is imminent and will drive NHS physiotherapy services to compete directly with private counterparts. Current literature, healthcare policy and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy strongly advocate SR to promote value for money and improve the patient experience. A repeated measure prospective cohort study introduced an SR pathway parallel to existing general practice (GP) referrals and compared costs, attendance and data relating to the patient experience across groups. SR referral groups were found to have a higher proportion of female patients presenting with acute conditions. Cost minimization analysis indicated an average 32.3% reduction in episode-of-care cost with an SR-initiated intervention. An estimated cost minimization of between £84,387.80 and £124,472.06 was calculated if SR were to be expanded service-wide. SR referral reduced waiting times and improved patient satisfaction relating to waiting times and communication compared with traditional pathways. The results of the present study showed that the introduction of the described SR pathway was feasible, cost-effective and offered comparable care. Certain aspects of the SR patient experience compared more favourably than those studied in traditional GP referral routes. They also added to an existing body of evidence supporting SR with a variety of administrative processes in various socioeconomic settings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Out of sight, out of mind? Does terminating the physical presence of a geriatric consultant in the community clinic reduce the implementation rate for geriatric recommendations.

PubMed

Freud, Tamar; Punchik, Boris; Biderman, Aya; Peleg, Roni; Kagan, Ella; Barzak, Alex; Press, Yan

2016-01-01

To assess the effect of moving the geriatric consultation from the primary care clinic to another setting, on the rate of implementation of geriatric recommendations by family physicians. A retrospective review of the computerized medical records of elderly patients in four primary care clinics. The rate of implementation of geriatric recommendations was compared between clinics in which a geriatric consultant was physically present (control clinics) and a clinic where the consultation took place elsewhere (study clinic). In addition, the results of the present study were compared to a previous study in which the geriatric consultation was carried out in the study clinic and the family doctor was an active participant. 127 computerized files were reviewed in the study clinic and 133 in the control clinics. The mean age of the patients was 81.1±6.3 years and 63.1% were women. The overall implementation of geriatric recommendations by family doctors in the study clinic was 55.9%, a statistically significant decrease compared to the previous study where the rate was 73.9% (p<0.0001). In contrast, there was no change in the implementation rate in the control clinics at 65.0% in the present study and 59.9% in the previous one (p=0.205). Direct, person-to-person contact between the geriatric consultant and the family doctor has a beneficial effect on the implementation of geriatric recommendations. This should be considered by healthcare policy makers when planning geriatric services in the community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Ongoing Investigation of Science Literacy: Results of a 22-Year Study Probing Students' Knowledge and Attitude Towards Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C.; Buxner, S.; Antonellis, J.; CATS

2013-04-01

This talk presents findings related to our ongoing work investigating students' knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology. We present an overview of research studies and findings including a comparison of the science literacy measures of University of Arizona students compared to national studies, conceptions related to astrology, views of radiation, and students' pseudoscience and religious beliefs. We discuss implications for instructors and researchers interested in improving students' science literacy scores and diagnosing alternative beliefs.

Nicotine Levels and Presence of Selected Tobacco-Derived Toxins in Tobacco Flavoured Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids

PubMed Central

Farsalinos, Konstantinos E.; Gillman, I. Gene; Melvin, Matt S.; Paolantonio, Amelia R.; Gardow, Wendy J.; Humphries, Kathy E.; Brown, Sherri E.; Poulas, Konstantinos; Voudris, Vassilis

2015-01-01

Background. Some electronic cigarette (EC) liquids of tobacco flavour contain extracts of cured tobacco leaves produced by a process of solvent extraction and steeping. These are commonly called Natural Extract of Tobacco (NET) liquids. The purpose of the study was to evaluate nicotine levels and the presence of tobacco-derived toxins in tobacco-flavoured conventional and NET liquids. Methods. Twenty-one samples (10 conventional and 11 NET liquids) were obtained from the US and Greek market. Nicotine levels were measured and compared with labelled values. The levels of tobacco-derived chemicals were compared with literature data on tobacco products. Results. Twelve samples had nicotine levels within 10% of the labelled value. Inconsistency ranged from −21% to 22.1%, with no difference observed between conventional and NET liquids. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were present in all samples at ng/mL levels. Nitrates were present almost exclusively in NET liquids. Acetaldehyde was present predominantly in conventional liquids while formaldehyde was detected in almost all EC liquids at trace levels. Phenols were present in trace amounts, mostly in NET liquids. Total TSNAs and nitrate, which are derived from the tobacco plant, were present at levels 200–300 times lower in 1 mL of NET liquids compared to 1 gram of tobacco products. Conclusions. NET liquids contained higher levels of phenols and nitrates, but lower levels of acetaldehyde compared to conventional EC liquids. The lower levels of tobacco-derived toxins found in NET liquids compared to tobacco products indicate that the extraction process used to make these products did not transfer a significant amount of toxins to the NET. Overall, all EC liquids contained far lower (by 2–3 orders of magnitude) levels of the tobacco-derived toxins compared to tobacco products. PMID:25811768

Nicotine levels and presence of selected tobacco-derived toxins in tobacco flavoured electronic cigarette refill liquids.

PubMed

Farsalinos, Konstantinos E; Gillman, I Gene; Melvin, Matt S; Paolantonio, Amelia R; Gardow, Wendy J; Humphries, Kathy E; Brown, Sherri E; Poulas, Konstantinos; Voudris, Vassilis

2015-03-24

Some electronic cigarette (EC) liquids of tobacco flavour contain extracts of cured tobacco leaves produced by a process of solvent extraction and steeping. These are commonly called Natural Extract of Tobacco (NET) liquids. The purpose of the study was to evaluate nicotine levels and the presence of tobacco-derived toxins in tobacco-flavoured conventional and NET liquids. Twenty-one samples (10 conventional and 11 NET liquids) were obtained from the US and Greek market. Nicotine levels were measured and compared with labelled values. The levels of tobacco-derived chemicals were compared with literature data on tobacco products. Twelve samples had nicotine levels within 10% of the labelled value. Inconsistency ranged from -21% to 22.1%, with no difference observed between conventional and NET liquids. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were present in all samples at ng/mL levels. Nitrates were present almost exclusively in NET liquids. Acetaldehyde was present predominantly in conventional liquids while formaldehyde was detected in almost all EC liquids at trace levels. Phenols were present in trace amounts, mostly in NET liquids. Total TSNAs and nitrate, which are derived from the tobacco plant, were present at levels 200-300 times lower in 1 mL of NET liquids compared to 1 gram of tobacco products. NET liquids contained higher levels of phenols and nitrates, but lower levels of acetaldehyde compared to conventional EC liquids. The lower levels of tobacco-derived toxins found in NET liquids compared to tobacco products indicate that the extraction process used to make these products did not transfer a significant amount of toxins to the NET. Overall, all EC liquids contained far lower (by 2-3 orders of magnitude) levels of the tobacco-derived toxins compared to tobacco products.

Brain Imaging, Forward Inference, and Theories of Reasoning

PubMed Central

Heit, Evan

2015-01-01

This review focuses on the issue of how neuroimaging studies address theoretical accounts of reasoning, through the lens of the method of forward inference (Henson, 2005, 2006). After theories of deductive and inductive reasoning are briefly presented, the method of forward inference for distinguishing between psychological theories based on brain imaging evidence is critically reviewed. Brain imaging studies of reasoning, comparing deductive and inductive arguments, comparing meaningful versus non-meaningful material, investigating hemispheric localization, and comparing conditional and relational arguments, are assessed in light of the method of forward inference. Finally, conclusions are drawn with regard to future research opportunities. PMID:25620926

Comparative study of FDMA, TDMA and hybrid 30/20 GHz satellite communications systems for small users

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berk, G.; Jean, P. N.; Rotholz, E.

1982-01-01

This study compares several satellite uplink and downlink accessing schemes for a Customer Premises Service. Four conceptual system designs are presented: Satellite-Routed FDMA, Frequency-Routed TDMA, Satellite-Switched TDMA, and Processor-Routed TDMA, operating in the 30/20 GHz band. The designs are compared on the basis of estimated satellite weight, power consumption, and cost. The system capacities are analyzed for a fixed multibeam coverage of CONUS. Analysis shows that the system capacity is limited by the available satellite resources and by the terminal size and cost.

Comparative psychology and the great apes - Their competence in learning, language, and numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumbaugh, Duane M.

1990-01-01

An overview of comparative studies conducted for the past three decades is presented. These studies have led to the establishment of the Language Research Center that provides facilities for research into questions of primate behavior and cognition. Several experiments conducted among chimpanzees are discussed and comparative analyses with the lesser apes, monkeys, and humans are offered. Among the primates, brain complexity varies widely and the evidence is strong that encephalization and enhanced brain complexity facilitate the learning of concepts, the transfer of learning to an advantage, and mediational and observational learning.

Brain imaging, forward inference, and theories of reasoning.

PubMed

Heit, Evan

2014-01-01

This review focuses on the issue of how neuroimaging studies address theoretical accounts of reasoning, through the lens of the method of forward inference (Henson, 2005, 2006). After theories of deductive and inductive reasoning are briefly presented, the method of forward inference for distinguishing between psychological theories based on brain imaging evidence is critically reviewed. Brain imaging studies of reasoning, comparing deductive and inductive arguments, comparing meaningful versus non-meaningful material, investigating hemispheric localization, and comparing conditional and relational arguments, are assessed in light of the method of forward inference. Finally, conclusions are drawn with regard to future research opportunities.

Study Skills Course Impact on Academic Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wernersbach, Brenna M.; Crowley, Susan L.; Bates, Scott C.; Rosenthal, Carol

2014-01-01

Although study skills courses improve student retention, the impact of study skills courses on students' academic self-efficacy has not been investigated. The present study examined pre- and posttest levels of academic self-efficacy in college students enrolled in a study skills course (n = 126) compared to students enrolled in a general education…

Meta-analysis of haplotype-association studies: comparison of methods and empirical evaluation of the literature

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Meta-analysis is a popular methodology in several fields of medical research, including genetic association studies. However, the methods used for meta-analysis of association studies that report haplotypes have not been studied in detail. In this work, methods for performing meta-analysis of haplotype association studies are summarized, compared and presented in a unified framework along with an empirical evaluation of the literature. Results We present multivariate methods that use summary-based data as well as methods that use binary and count data in a generalized linear mixed model framework (logistic regression, multinomial regression and Poisson regression). The methods presented here avoid the inflation of the type I error rate that could be the result of the traditional approach of comparing a haplotype against the remaining ones, whereas, they can be fitted using standard software. Moreover, formal global tests are presented for assessing the statistical significance of the overall association. Although the methods presented here assume that the haplotypes are directly observed, they can be easily extended to allow for such an uncertainty by weighting the haplotypes by their probability. Conclusions An empirical evaluation of the published literature and a comparison against the meta-analyses that use single nucleotide polymorphisms, suggests that the studies reporting meta-analysis of haplotypes contain approximately half of the included studies and produce significant results twice more often. We show that this excess of statistically significant results, stems from the sub-optimal method of analysis used and, in approximately half of the cases, the statistical significance is refuted if the data are properly re-analyzed. Illustrative examples of code are given in Stata and it is anticipated that the methods developed in this work will be widely applied in the meta-analysis of haplotype association studies. PMID:21247440

Photochemical Reaction Altered Cardiac Toxicity of Diesel Exhaust Inhalation

EPA Science Inventory

Rationale: Epidemiological studies have indicated an association between urban air pollution exposure and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The present study was designed to evaluate the cardiac effects of inhaled diesel exhaust and compared with photochemically altered d...

The academic value of rehabilitation medicine meetings.

PubMed

Sivan, Manoj; Smith, Matthew; Bavikatte, Ganesh; Bradley, Lloyd

2010-01-01

Twice-yearly meetings of The British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine (BSRM) take place at which posters and free papers are generated, as abstracts, to present novel research findings, audits and case reports. The aim of this study was to evaluate the academic value of these meetings, by determining the subsequent rate of publication in peer-reviewed journals of abstracts presented. This was compared to the publication rate of other European medical specialist society meetings. The authors used MEDLINE, PubMed and Google Scholar search engines to look for publication of abstracts presented at BSRM meetings within peer-reviewed journals over a 7-year period (2000-2006). The abstracts were categorised into sub-groups (original study, audit, review, case report and service description) to determine which type was more likely to be published. The above databases were used also to extract studies on publication rate of other medical specialties in Europe. In 7 years, a total of 251 abstracts (of which 152 are original studies) have been presented as free papers or posters in a total of 13 meetings. The publication rate for the described study categories were: total 34%, original study 52%, review 50%, case report 5%, audit 0% and service description 0%. Publication rates from other specialist meetings in Europe range from 10% to 70%. The average publication rate for an abstract submitted to a BSRM meeting is 34% for any abstract and 52% for an original study suggesting that the meeting is generating abstracts of comparable academic interest to other specialist societies.

Live and Web-based orientations are comparable for a required rotation.

PubMed

Prunuske, Jacob

2010-03-01

Studies show equivalency in knowledge when measured following Web-based learning and live lecture. However, the effectiveness of a Web-based orientation for a required clinical rotation is unknown. Medical students viewed a Web-based orientation and completed a 13-item evaluation before beginning a required 6-week community medicine rotation. Evaluation data from 2007-2008 live orientation sessions were compared to responses from 2008-2009 Web-based orientation sessions. Data were analyzed by two-sample tests of proportion. A total of 169 students completed surveys during the study period--78 following the live and 91 following the Web-based orientation. Response rates were equal in the two groups. The survey tool had a high level of reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.96). There was no statistical difference in student evaluations for 12 of 13 orientation evaluation items. Live and Web-based formats are comparable for presenting orientation materials to a required clinical rotation. Students felt the purpose of the rotation, educational goals, course structure, and requirements were clearly presented regardless of format. Transition from a live to Web-based format reduced faculty time required to present at rotation orientations.

Bioavailability enhancement of curcumin by complexation with phosphatidyl choline.

PubMed

Gupta, Nishant Kumar; Dixit, Vinod Kumar

2011-05-01

Curcumin is a major constituent of rhizomes of Curcuma longa. Pharmacokinetic studies of curcumin reveal its poor absorption through intestine. Objective of the present study was to enhance bioavailability of curcumin by its complexation with phosphatidyl choline (PC). Complex of curcumin was prepared with PC and characterized on the basis of solubility, melting point, differential scanning calorimetry, thin layer chromatography, and infrared spectroscopic analysis. Everted intestine sac technique was used to study ex vivo drug absorption of curcumin-PC (CU-PC) complex and plain curcumin. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed in rats, and hepatoprotective activity of CU-PC complex was also compared with curcumin and CU-PC physical mixture in isolated rat hepatocytes. Analytical reports along with spectroscopic data revealed the formation of complex. The results of ex vivo study show that CU-PC complex has significantly increased absorption compared with curcumin, when given in equimolar doses. Complex showed enhanced bioavailability, improved pharmacokinetics, and increased hepatoprotective activity as compared with curcumin or CU-PC physical mixture. Enhanced bioavailability of CU-PC complex may be due to the amphiphilic nature of the complex, which greatly enhance the water and lipid solubility of the curcumin. The present study clearly indicates the superiority of complex over curcumin, in terms of better absorption, enhanced bioavailability, and improved pharmacokinetics. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Factorial design studies of antiretroviral drug-loaded stealth liposomal injectable: PEGylation, lyophilization and pharmacokinetic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudhakar, Beeravelli; Krishna, Mylangam Chaitanya; Murthy, Kolapalli Venkata Ramana

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to formulate and evaluate the ritonavir-loaded stealth liposomes by using 32 factorial design and intended to delivered by parenteral delivery. Liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection method using 32 factorial designs and characterized for various physicochemical parameters such as drug content, size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release. The optimization process was carried out using desirability and overlay plots. The selected formulation was subjected to PEGylation using 10 % PEG-10000 solution. Stealth liposomes were characterized for the above-mentioned parameters along with surface morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, differential scanning calorimeter, stability and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats. Stealth liposomes showed better result compared to conventional liposomes due to effect of PEG-10000. The in vivo studies revealed that stealth liposomes showed better residence time compared to conventional liposomes and pure drug solution. The conventional liposomes and pure drug showed dose-dependent pharmacokinetics, whereas stealth liposomes showed long circulation half-life compared to conventional liposomes and pure ritonavir solution. The results of statistical analysis showed significance difference as the p value is (<0.05) by one-way ANOVA. The result of the present study revealed that stealth liposomes are promising tool in antiretroviral therapy.

Long-term exposure to a butter-rich diet induces mild-to-moderate steatosis in Chang liver cells and Swiss albino mice models.

PubMed

Nalloor, Thomas John Philip; Kumar, Nitesh; Narayanan, Kasinathan; Palanimuthu, Vasanth Raj

2017-05-01

Butter is one of the widely used fats present in the diet. However, there is no satisfactory study available that evaluates the effect of a high-fat diet containing butter as the principal fat on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In the present study, butter was used for the development of steatosis in Chang liver cells in an in vitro study and Swiss albino mice in an in vivo study. In vitro steatosis was established, and butter was compared with oleic acid in Chang liver cells using an oil red O (ORO)-based colorimetric assay. In the in vivo study, a butter-rich special diet was fed for 15 weeks to mice, who showed no significant change in body weight. The expression pattern of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and miR-21 was compared by reverse transcriptase-PCR. Special diet-fed animals showed downregulated PTEN compared to normal diet-fed animals, while levels of miR-21 remained the same. Elevations in biochemical parameters, viz., triglycerides and liver function tests showed symptoms of onset of NAFLD. Histophathological study of livers of test animals confirmed mild-to-moderate degree of NAFLD.

Mimicking gluten functionality with β-conglycinin concentrate: Evaluation in gluten free yeast-leavened breads.

PubMed

Espinosa-Ramírez, Johanan; Garzon, Raquel; Serna-Saldivar, Sergio O; Rosell, Cristina M

2018-04-01

Fractionation of soy proteins has proved to produce protein concentrates with viscoelastic properties. In the present study, a β-conglycinin concentrate (βCC) obtained by a pH fractionation of soy flour was tested as structuring agent in gluten-free yeast-leavened bread model. A lean formulation with βCC and corn starch was used to produce gluten-free breads with two hydration conditions and three levels of protein (5%, 10% and 15%). Vital gluten was used to compare the functionality of βCC protein and its performance for breadmaking. Breads were characterized in moisture, color, textural parameters and image analysis. βCC presented lower hydration properties and higher emulsifying activity compared to vital gluten. Blends βCC:starch had higher water binding capacity compared to vital gluten blends. The hydration conditions tested affected the moisture, color and cell density of breads. Breads produced with βCC presented higher 2D area and height and presented higher crumb softness and cohesiveness, and did not present significant differences in springiness and resilience compared to vital gluten breads. The image analysis of crumbs showed higher cell density but lower porosity and mean cell areas in βCC breads. Thus, βCC proved to have potential as a structuring agent in gluten-free breads. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative analysis of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Italy and Tunisia

PubMed Central

Leporatti, Maria Lucia; Ghedira, Kamel

2009-01-01

Background Italy and Tunisia (Africa for the Romans), facing each other on the opposite sides of the Mediterranean Sea, have been historically linked since the ancient times. Over the centuries both countries were mutually dominated so the vestiges and traces of a mutual influence are still present. The aim of the present study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the medicinal species present in the respective Floras in order to explore potential analogies and differences in popular phytotherapy that have come out from those reciprocal exchanges having taken place over the centuries Methods The comparative analysis based on the respective floras of both countries takes into consideration the bulk of medicinal species mutually present in Italy and Tunisia, but it focuses on the species growing in areas which are similar in climate. The medicinal uses of these species are considered in accordance with the ethnobotanical literature. Results A list of 153 medicinal species belonging to 60 families, present in both floras and used in traditional medicine, was drawn. A considerable convergence in therapeutic uses of many species emerged from these data. Conclusion This comparative analysis strengthens the firm belief that ethno-botanical findings represent not only an important shared heritage, developed over the centuries, but also a considerable mass of data that should be exploited in order to provide new and useful knowledge. PMID:19857257

Difference in clinical presentation, immunology profile and treatment response of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis between United Kingdom and Singapore patients.

PubMed

Than, Nwe Ni; Ching, Doreen Koay Siew; Hodson, James; McDowell, Patrick; Mann, Jake; Gupta, Ravi; Salazar, Ennaliza; Ngu, Jing Hieng; Oo, Ye Htun

2016-07-01

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated liver disease of unknown etiology. Increasing incidence of AIH in Asian patients has been reported. However, the phenotypic difference of Asian patients in Europe and Asia has still not been explored. To evaluate the clinical presentation, biochemical and immunological profiles, treatment response and survival outcome of type 1 AIH from two tertiary liver transplant centres (United Kingdom and Singapore). Patients who fulfilled the simplified diagnostic scoring criteria of AIH were included in the study. Patients with overlap syndrome were excluded. Totals of 40 Asian patients and 159 Caucasian patients from the University Hospital of Birmingham National Health Service Foundation Trust, UK, were compared with 57 Asian patients from Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Asian patients from Singapore present significantly much later (median 55 vs. 32 years, p < 0.001), had higher MELD (p < 0.001) with lower albumin (p < 0.001) and higher bilirubin (p < 0.001) and lower ASMA positivity (p < 0.001) at diagnosis compared to UK Asian. Jaundice at presentation was much higher in Singapore Asian patients compared to UK Asian (53 vs. 30 %) but cirrhosis at diagnosis was more common in UK patients. Associated autoimmune conditions were less commonly seen in Singapore Asians. Comparing between UK cohorts, Asian patients present at younger age and have higher IgG level compared to Caucasian. Overall, 5-year transplant-free survival in all three cohorts was similar (p = 0.846). We demonstrate that AIH patients from Singapore present at older age with jaundice and have a low positivity of SMA. Despite these differences, transplant-free survival is similar in the two groups.

Unveiling the potential of novel yeast protein extracts in white wines clarification and stabilization

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Joana P.; Neto, Rodrigo; Centeno, Filipe; De Fátima Teixeira, Maria; Gomes, Ana Catarina

2015-01-01

Fining agents derived from animal and mineral sources are widely used to clarify and stabilize white wines. Nevertheless, health and environmental problems are being raised, concerning the allergenic and environmental impact of some of those fining products. In this study, our aim is to validate the potential of yeast protein extracts, obtained from an alternative and safe source, naturally present in wine: oenological yeasts. Three untreated white wines were used in this work in order to evaluate the impact of these novel yeast protein extracts (YPE) in terms of the wine clarification and stabilization improvement. Two separated fining trials were thus conducted at laboratory scale and the yeast alternatives were compared with reference fining agents, obtained from mineral, animal and vegetable origins. Our results indicate that YPE were capable to promote (i) brilliance/color improvement, (ii) turbidity reduction (76–89% comparing with the untreated wines), and (iii) production of compact and homogeneous lees (44% smaller volume than obtained with bentonite). Additionally, after submitting wines to natural and forced oxidations, YPE treatments revealed (iv) different forms of colloidal stabilization, by presenting comparable or superior effects when particularly compared to casein. Altogether, this study reveals that YPE represent a promising alternative for white wine fining, since they are resultant from a natural and more sustainable origin, at present not regarded as potential allergenic according to Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011. PMID:25853122

The first 62 AGN observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA - II: resolved stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallmann, Nícolas Dullius; Riffel, Rogério; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Barboza Rembold, Sandro; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Schimoia, Jaderson; da Costa, Luiz Nicolaci; Ávila-Reese, Vladimir; Sanchez, Sebastian F.; Machado, Alice D.; Cirolini, Rafael; Ilha, Gabriele S.; do Nascimento, Janaína C.

2018-05-01

We present spatially resolved stellar population age maps, average radial profiles and gradients for the first 62 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA to study the effects of the active nuclei on the star formation history of the host galaxies. These results, derived using the STARLIGHT code, are compared with a control sample of non-active galaxies matching the properties of the AGN hosts. We find that the fraction of young stellar populations (SP) in high-luminosity AGN is higher in the inner (R≤0.5 Re) regions when compared with the control sample; low-luminosity AGN, on the other hand, present very similar fractions of young stars to the control sample hosts for the entire studied range (1 Re). The fraction of intermediate age SP of the AGN hosts increases outwards, with a clear enhancement when compared with the control sample. The inner region of the galaxies (AGN and control galaxies) presents a dominant old SP, whose fraction decreases outwards. We also compare our results (differences between AGN and control galaxies) for the early and late-type hosts and find no significant differences. In summary, our results suggest that the most luminous AGN seems to have been triggered by a recent supply of gas that has also triggered recent star formation (t ≤ 40 Myrs) in the central region.

Intramyocardial injection of autologous bone marrow-derived ex vivo expanded mesenchymal stem cells in acute myocardial infarction patients is feasible and safe up to 5 years of follow-up.

PubMed

Rodrigo, Sander F; van Ramshorst, Jan; Hoogslag, Georgette E; Boden, Helèn; Velders, Matthijs A; Cannegieter, Suzanne C; Roelofs, Helene; Al Younis, Imad; Dibbets-Schneider, Petra; Fibbe, Willem E; Zwaginga, Jaap Jan; Bax, Jeroen J; Schalij, Martin J; Beeres, Saskia L; Atsma, Douwe E

2013-10-01

In experimental studies, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) models has been associated with enhanced neovascularization and myogenesis. Clinical data however, are scarce. Therefore, the present study evaluates the safety and feasibility of intramyocardial MSC injection in nine patients, shortly after AMI during short-term and 5-year follow-up. Periprocedural safety analysis demonstrated one transient ischemic attack. No other adverse events related to MSC treatment were observed during 5-year follow-up. Clinical events were compared to a nonrandomized control group comprising 45 matched controls. A 5-year event-free survival after MSC-treatment was comparable to controls (89 vs. 91 %, P = 0.87). Echocardiographic imaging for evaluation of left ventricular function demonstrated improvements up to 5 years after MSC treatment. These findings were not significantly different when compared to controls. The present safety and feasibility study suggest that intramyocardial injection of MSC in patients shortly after AMI is feasible and safe up to 5-year follow-up.

To compare the gingival melanin repigmentation after diode laser application and surgical removal.

PubMed

Mahajan, Gaurav; Kaur, Harjit; Jain, Sanjeev; Kaur, Navnit; Sehgal, Navneet Kaur; Gautam, Aditi

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study is to compare the gingival melanin repigmentation after diode laser application and surgical removal done by scraping with Kirkland knife. This study was a randomized split-mouth study where 10 patients presenting with unattractive, diffuse, dark brown to black gingival discoloration on the facial aspect of the maxillary gingiva were treated by diode laser application and surgical removal and followed up for 3-, 6-, and 9-month intervals. The results showed a statistically significant difference in repigmentation between the groups at the interval of 3 months ( P = 0.040), but the difference was statistically not significant at 6 months ( P = 0.118) and 9 months ( P = 0.146). On surgically treated sites, all cases showed repigmentation of the gingiva, but in laser treated, there were two individuals which did not show repigmentation of the gingiva even at the end of 9-month observation time. The incidence of repigmentation was slightly less in laser-treated sites as compared to surgical depigmentation although the difference was statistically significant only up to 3 months.

Methods for microbiological quality assessment in drinking water: a comparative study.

PubMed

Helmi, K; Barthod, F; Méheut, G; Henry, A; Poty, F; Laurent, F; Charni-Ben-Tabassi, N

2015-03-01

The present study aimed to compare several methods for quantifying and discriminating between the different physiological states of a bacterial population present in drinking water. Flow cytometry (FCM), solid-phase cytometry (SPC), epifluorescence microscopy (MSP) and culture method performances were assessed by comparing the results obtained for different water samples. These samples, including chlorinated and non-chlorinated water, were collected in a drinking water treatment plant. Total bacteria were quantified by using SYBR Green II (for FCM) and 4',6'-diamino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) (for MSP), viable and non-viable bacteria were distinguished by using SYBR Green II and propidium iodide dual staining (for FCM), and active cells were distinguished by using CTC (for MSP) and Chemchrome V6 (for FCM and SPC). In our conditions, counts using microscopy and FCM were significantly correlated regarding total bacteria and active cells. Conversely, counts were not significantly similar using solid-phase and FCM for active bacteria. Moreover, the R2A medium showed that bacterial culturability could be recovered after chlorination. This study highlights that FCM appears to be a useful and powerful technique for drinking water production monitoring.

Aboveground biomass, wood volume, nutrient stocks and leaf litter in novel forests compared to native forests and tree plantations in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

A.E. Lugo; O. Abelleira Martínez; J. Fonseca da Silva

2012-01-01

The article presents comparative data for aboveground biomass, wood volume, nutirent stocks (N, P, K) and leaf litter in different types of forests in Puerto Rico. The aim of the study is to assess how novel forests of Castilla elastica, Panama Rubber Tree, and Spathodea campanulata, African Tulip Tree, compare with tree plantations and native historical forests (both...

Validation of High-Speed Turbulent Boundary Layer and Shock-Boundary Layer Interaction Computations with the OVERFLOW Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, A. B.; Lillard, R. P.; Blaisdell, G. A.; Lyrintizis, A. S.

2006-01-01

The capability of the OVERFLOW code to accurately compute high-speed turbulent boundary layers and turbulent shock-boundary layer interactions is being evaluated. Configurations being investigated include a Mach 2.87 flat plate to compare experimental velocity profiles and boundary layer growth, a Mach 6 flat plate to compare experimental surface heat transfer,a direct numerical simulation (DNS) at Mach 2.25 for turbulent quantities, and several Mach 3 compression ramps to compare computations of shock-boundary layer interactions to experimental laser doppler velocimetry (LDV) data and hot-wire data. The present paper describes outlines the study and presents preliminary results for two of the flat plate cases and two small-angle compression corner test cases.

The effect of lineup member similarity on recognition accuracy in simultaneous and sequential lineups.

PubMed

Flowe, Heather D; Ebbesen, Ebbe B

2007-02-01

Two experiments investigated whether remembering is affected by the similarity of the study face relative to the alternatives in a lineup. In simultaneous and sequential lineups, choice rates and false alarms were larger in low compared to high similarity lineups, indicating criterion placement was affected by lineup similarity structure (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, foil choices and similarity ranking data for target present lineups were compared to responses made when the target was removed from the lineup (only the 5 foils were presented). The results indicated that although foils were selected more often in target-removed lineups in the simultaneous compared to the sequential condition, responses shifted from the target to one of the foils at equal rates across lineup procedures.

Asymmetry in gait pattern following tibial shaft fractures - a prospective one-year follow-up study of 49 patients.

PubMed

Larsen, Peter; Laessoe, Uffe; Rasmussen, Sten; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas; Berre Eriksen, Christian; Elsoe, Rasmus

2017-01-01

Despite the high number of studies evaluating the outcomes following tibial shaft fractures, the literature lacks studies including objective assessment of patients' recovery regarding gait pattern. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether gait patterns at 6 and 12 months post-operatively following intramedullary nailing of a tibial shaft fracture are different compared with a healthy reference population. The study design was a prospective cohort study. The primary outcome measurement was the gait patterns at 6 and 12 months post-operatively measured with a 6-metre-long pressure-sensitive mat. The mat registers footprints and present gait speed, cadence as well as temporal and spatial parameters of the gait cycle. Gait patterns were compared to a healthy reference population. 49 patients were included with a mean age of 43.1 years (18-79 years). Forty-three patients completed the 12-month follow-up (88%). Gait speed and cadence were significantly increased between the 6- and 12-month follow-up (P<0.001). At 6-month follow-up, patients showed considerable asymmetry in the injured leg compared with the non-injured leg: single-support time 12.8% shorter, swing-time 12.8% longer, step-length 11.9% shorter, and rotation of the foot increased by 32.3%. At the 12-month follow-up, gait asymmetry become almost normalized compared to a healthy reference group. In patients treated by intramedullary nailing following a tibial shaft fracture, gait asymmetry accompanied with slower speed and cadence are common during the first 6 months and become normalized compared with a healthy reference population between 6 and 12 months post-operatively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comparative study: use of a Brain-computer Interface (BCI) device by people with cerebral palsy in interaction with computers.

PubMed

Heidrich, Regina O; Jensen, Emely; Rebelo, Francisco; Oliveira, Tiago

2015-01-01

This article presents a comparative study among people with cerebral palsy and healthy controls, of various ages, using a Brain-computer Interface (BCI) device. The research is qualitative in its approach. Researchers worked with Observational Case Studies. People with cerebral palsy and healthy controls were evaluated in Portugal and in Brazil. The study aimed to develop a study for product evaluation in order to perceive whether people with cerebral palsy could interact with the computer and compare whether their performance is similar to that of healthy controls when using the Brain-computer Interface. Ultimately, it was found that there are no significant differences between people with cerebral palsy in the two countries, as well as between populations without cerebral palsy (healthy controls).

The FODA-TDMA satellite access scheme - Presentation, study of the system, and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celandroni, Nedo; Ferro, Erina

1991-12-01

A description is given of FODA-TDMA, a satellite access scheme designed for mixed traffic. The study of the system is presented and the choice of some parameters is justified. A simplified analytic solution is found, describing the steady-state behavior of the system. Some results of the simulation tests for an already existing hardware environment are also presented for the channel speeds of 2 and 8 Mb/s, considering both the stationary and the transient cases. The results of the experimentation at 2 Mb/s on the satellite Eutelsat-F2 are also presented and compared with the results of the simulation.

A comparative study of velocity increment generation between the rigid body and flexible models of MMET

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

Ismail, Norilmi Amilia, E-mail: aenorilmi@usm.my

The motorized momentum exchange tether (MMET) is capable of generating useful velocity increments through spin–orbit coupling. This study presents a comparative study of the velocity increments between the rigid body and flexible models of MMET. The equations of motions of both models in the time domain are transformed into a function of true anomaly. The equations of motion are integrated, and the responses in terms of the velocity increment of the rigid body and flexible models are compared and analysed. Results show that the initial conditions, eccentricity, and flexibility of the tether have significant effects on the velocity increments ofmore » the tether.« less

A comparative study of controlled random search algorithms with application to inverse aerofoil design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzanares-Filho, N.; Albuquerque, R. B. F.; Sousa, B. S.; Santos, L. G. C.

2018-06-01

This article presents a comparative study of some versions of the controlled random search algorithm (CRSA) in global optimization problems. The basic CRSA, originally proposed by Price in 1977 and improved by Ali et al. in 1997, is taken as a starting point. Then, some new modifications are proposed to improve the efficiency and reliability of this global optimization technique. The performance of the algorithms is assessed using traditional benchmark test problems commonly invoked in the literature. This comparative study points out the key features of the modified algorithm. Finally, a comparison is also made in a practical engineering application, namely the inverse aerofoil shape design.

Highly Reusable Space Transportation (HRST) Baseline Concepts and Analysis: Rocket/RBCC Options. Part 2; A Comparative Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodcock, Gordon

1997-01-01

This study is an extension of a previous effort by the Principal Investigator to develop baseline data to support comparative analysis of Highly Reusable Space Transportation (HRST) concepts. The analyses presented herin develop baseline data bases for two two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) concepts: (1) Assisted horizontal take-off all rocket (assisted HTOHL); and (2) Assisted vertical take-off rocket based combined cycle (RBCC). The study objectives were to: (1) Provide configuration definitions and illustrations for assisted HTOHL and assisted RBCC; (2) Develop a rationalization approach and compare these concepts with the HRST reference; and (3) Analyze TSTO configurations which try to maintain SSTO benefits while reducing inert weight sensitivity.

Ethnicity and the first diagnosis of a wide range of cardiovascular diseases: Associations in a linked electronic health record cohort of 1 million patients.

PubMed

George, Julie; Mathur, Rohini; Shah, Anoop Dinesh; Pujades-Rodriguez, Mar; Denaxas, Spiros; Smeeth, Liam; Timmis, Adam; Hemingway, Harry

2017-01-01

While the association of ethnic group with individual cardiovascular diseases has been studied, little is known about ethnic differences in the initial lifetime presentation of clinical cardiovascular disease in contemporary populations. We studied 1,068,318 people, aged ≥30 years and free from diagnosed CVD at baseline (90.9% White, 3.6% South Asian and 2.9% Black), using English linked electronic health records covering primary care, hospital admissions, acute coronary syndrome registry and mortality registry (CALIBER platform). During 5.7 years median follow-up between 1997-2010, 95,224 people experienced an incident cardiovascular diagnosis. 69.9% (67.2%-72.4%) of initial presentation in South Asian <60 yrs were coronary heart disease presentations compared to 47.8% (47.3%-48.3%) in White and 40.1% (36.3%-43.9%) in Black patients. Compared to White patients, Black patients had significantly lower age-sex adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for initial lifetime presentation of all the coronary disease diagnoses (stable angina HR 0.80 (95% CI 0.68-0.93); unstable angina- 0.75 (0.59-0.97); myocardial infarction 0.49 (0.40-0.62)) while South Asian patients had significantly higher HRs (stable angina- 1.67 (1.52-1.84); unstable angina 1.82 (1.56-2.13); myocardial infarction- 1.67 (1.49-1.87). We found no ethnic differences in initial presentation with heart failure (Black 0.97 (0.79-1.20); S Asian 1.04(0.87-1.26)). Compared to White patients, Black patients were more likely to present with ischaemic stroke (1.24 (0.97-1.58)) and intracerebral haemorrhage (1.44 (0.97-2.12)). Presentation with peripheral arterial disease was less likely for Black (0.63 (0.50-0.80)) and South Asian patients (0.70 (0.57-0.86)) compared with White patients. While we found the anticipated substantial predominance of coronary heart disease presentations in South Asian and predominance of stroke presentations in Black patients, we found no ethnic differences in presentation with heart failure. We consider the public health and research implications of our findings. NCT02176174, www.clinicaltrials.gov.

TPF-I Emma X-Array: 2007 Design Team Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Stefan R.; Rodriguez, Jose; Scharf, Dan; Smith, Jim; McKinstry, David; Wirz, Richie; Purcell, George; Wayne, Len; Scherr, Larry; Mennesson, Bertrand;

Asperger Syndrome and Schizophrenia: A Comparative Neuropsychological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marinopoulou, Maria; Lugnegård, Tove; Unenge Hallerbäck, Maria; Gillberg, Christopher; Billstedt, Eva

2016-01-01

There has been an increasing interest in possible connections between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia in the last decade. Neuropsychological comparison studies have, however, been few. The present study examined similarities and differences in intellectual and executive functioning between adults with Asperger syndrome (AS) and…

Study of Simple MPPT Converter Topologies for Grid Integration of Photovoltaic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakis, Janis; Vinnikov, Dmitri

2011-01-01

This paper presents a study of two simple MPPT converter topologies for grid integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems. A general description and a steady state analysis of the discussed converters are presented. Main operating modes of the converters are explained. Calculations of main circuit element parameters are provided. Experimental setups of the MPPT converters with the power of 800 W were developed and verified by means of main operation waveforms. Also, experimental and theoretical boost properties of the studied topologies are compared. Finally, the integration possibilities of the presented MPPT converters with a grid side inverter are discussed and verified by simulations.

QuickView video preview software of colon capsule endoscopy: reliability in presenting colorectal polyps as compared to normal mode reading.

PubMed

Farnbacher, Michael J; Krause, Horst H; Hagel, Alexander F; Raithel, Martin; Neurath, Markus F; Schneider, Thomas

2014-03-01

OBJECTIVE. Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) proved to be highly sensitive in detection of colorectal polyps (CP). Major limitation is the time-consuming video reading. The aim of this prospective, double-center study was to assess the theoretical time-saving potential and its possible impact on the reliability of "QuickView" (QV), in the presentation of CP as compared to normal mode (NM). METHODS. During NM reading of 65 CCE videos (mean patient´s age 56 years), all frames showing CPs were collected and compared to the number of frames presented by QV at increasing QV settings (10, 20, ... 80%). Reliability of QV in presenting polyps <6 mm and ≥6 mm (significant polyp), and identifying patients for subsequent therapeutic colonoscopy, capsule egestion rate, cleansing level, and estimated time-saving potential were assessed. RESULTS. At a 30% QV setting, the QV video presented 89% of the significant polyps and 86% of any polyps with ≥1 frame (per-polyp analysis) identified in NM before. At a 10% QV setting, 98% of the 52 patients with significant polyps could be identified (per-patient analysis) by QV video analysis. Capsule excretion rate was 74% and colon cleanliness was adequate in 85%. QV´s presentation rate correlates to the QV setting, the polyp size, and the number of frames per finding. CONCLUSIONS. Depending on its setting, the reliability of QV in presenting CP as compared to NM reading is notable. However, if no significant polyp is presented by QV, NM reading must be performed afterwards. The reduction of frames to be analyzed in QV might speed up identification of candidates for therapeutic colonoscopy.

Presenting symptoms and long-term survival in head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Douglas, C M; Ingarfield, K; McMahon, A D; Savage, S A; Conway, D I; MacKenzie, K

2018-06-01

To assess how type and number of symptoms are related to survival in patients with head and neck cancer. Patients were followed up for over 10 years from the Scottish Audit of Head and Neck Cancer (national cohort of head and neck cancer patients in Scotland 1999-2001). September 2013, cohort was linked to national mortality data. First, second and third presenting symptoms were recorded at diagnosis. National prospective audit-Scotland. A subset of 1589 patients, from the original cohort of 1895, who had cancer arising from one of the four main subsites; larynx, oropharynx, oral cavity and hypopharynx. Median survival in relation to patients' presenting symptoms. A total of 1146 (72%) males and 443 (28%) females, mean age at diagnosis 64 years (13-95). There was a significant difference in survival in relation to the number of the patient's presenting symptoms; one symptom had a median survival of 5.3 years compared with 1.1 years for three symptoms. Patients who presented with weight loss had a median survival of 0.8 years, compared to 4.2 years if they did not (P < .001). Patients who presented with hoarseness had a median survival of 5.9 years compared to 2.6 years without (P < .001). There was no significant difference in long-term survival for patients who presented with an ulcer, compared to those that did not (P = .105). This study highlights the importance of patients' presenting symptoms, giving valuable information in highlighting appropriate "red flag" symptoms and subsequent treatment planning and prognosis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The evidence of neuraxial administration of analgesics for cancer-related pain: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kurita, G P; Benthien, K S; Nordly, M; Mercadante, S; Klepstad, P; Sjøgren, P

2015-10-01

The present systematic review analysed the existing evidence of analgesic efficacy and side effects of opioids without and with adjuvant analgesics delivered by neuraxial route (epidural and subarachnoid) in adult patients with cancer. Search strategy was elaborated with words related to cancer, pain, neuraxial route, analgesic and side effects. The search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane for the period until February 2014. Studies were analysed according to methods, results, quality of evidence, and strength of recommendation. The number of abstracts retrieved was 2147, and 84 articles were selected for full reading. The final selection comprised nine articles regarding randomised controlled trials (RCTs) divided in four groups: neuraxial combinations of opioid and adjuvant analgesic compared with neuraxial administration of opioid alone (n = 4); single neuraxial drug in bolus compared with continuous administration (n = 2); single neuraxial drug compared with neuraxial placebo (n = 1); and neuraxial opioid combined with or without adjuvant analgesic compared with other comprehensive medical management than neuraxial analgesics (n = 2). The RCTs presented clinical and methodological diversity that precluded a meta-analysis. They also presented several limitations, which reduced study internal validity. However, they demonstrated better pain control for all interventions analysed. Side effects were described, but there were few significant differences in favour of the tested interventions. Heterogeneous characteristics and several methodological limitations of the studies resulted in evidence of low quality and a weak recommendation for neuraxial administration of opioids with or without adjuvant analgesics in adult patients with cancer. © 2015 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Clinical Significance of Digital Examination-Indicated Cerclage in Women with a Dilated Cervix at 14 0/7 - 29 6/7 Weeks

PubMed Central

Ko, Hyun Sun; Jo, Yun Seong; Kil, Ki Cheol; Chang, Ha Kyun; Park, Yong-Gyu; Park, In Yang; Lee, Guisera; Kim, Sajin; Shin, Jong Chul

2011-01-01

Objective. This study was to compare pregnancy outcomes between cerclage and expectant management in wemen with a dilated cervix. Design. Retrospective multicenter cohort study. Setting. Five hospitals of Catholic University Medical Center Network in Korea. Population. A total of 173 women between 14 0/7 and 29 6/7 weeks' gestation with cervical dilation of 1 cm or greater by digital examination. Methods. Pregnancy outcomes were compared according to cerclage or expectant management, with the use of propensity-score matching. Main Outcome Measures. Primary outcome was time from presentation until delivery (weeks). Secondary outcomes were gestational age at delivery, neonatal survival, morbidity, preterm birth, and so on. Results. Of 173 women, 116 received a cerclage (cerclage group), and 57 were managed expectantly without cerclage (expectant group). Cervical dilation at presentation, and the use of amniocentesis performed to exclude subclinical chorioamnionitis differed between two groups. In the overall matched cohort, there was significant difference in the time from presentation until delivery (cerclage vs. expectant group, 10.6±6.2 vs. 2.9±3.2 weeks, p <0.0001). While there was no significant difference in the neonatal survival between two groups, there werelower neonatal morbidity as well as higher pregnancy maintenance rate at 28, 32, 34 and 37 weeks' gestation in the cerclage group, compared with the expectant group. Conclusion. This study suggests that digital examination-indicated cerclage appears to prolong gestation and decrease neonatal morbidity, compared with expectant management in women with cervical dilation between 14 0/7 and 29 6/7 weeks. PMID:21960743

An experimental comparison of various methods of nearfield acoustic holography

DOE PAGES

Chelliah, Kanthasamy; Raman, Ganesh; Muehleisen, Ralph T.

2017-05-19

An experimental comparison of four different methods of nearfield acoustic holography (NAH) is presented in this study for planar acoustic sources. The four NAH methods considered in this study are based on: (1) spatial Fourier transform, (2) equivalent sources model, (3) boundary element methods and (4) statistically optimized NAH. Two dimensional measurements were obtained at different distances in front of a tonal sound source and the NAH methods were used to reconstruct the sound field at the source surface. Reconstructed particle velocity and acoustic pressure fields presented in this study showed that the equivalent sources model based algorithm along withmore » Tikhonov regularization provided the best localization of the sources. Reconstruction errors were found to be smaller for the equivalent sources model based algorithm and the statistically optimized NAH algorithm. Effect of hologram distance on the performance of various algorithms is discussed in detail. The study also compares the computational time required by each algorithm to complete the comparison. Four different regularization parameter choice methods were compared. The L-curve method provided more accurate reconstructions than the generalized cross validation and the Morozov discrepancy principle. Finally, the performance of fixed parameter regularization was comparable to that of the L-curve method.« less

An experimental comparison of various methods of nearfield acoustic holography

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

Chelliah, Kanthasamy; Raman, Ganesh; Muehleisen, Ralph T.

An experimental comparison of four different methods of nearfield acoustic holography (NAH) is presented in this study for planar acoustic sources. The four NAH methods considered in this study are based on: (1) spatial Fourier transform, (2) equivalent sources model, (3) boundary element methods and (4) statistically optimized NAH. Two dimensional measurements were obtained at different distances in front of a tonal sound source and the NAH methods were used to reconstruct the sound field at the source surface. Reconstructed particle velocity and acoustic pressure fields presented in this study showed that the equivalent sources model based algorithm along withmore » Tikhonov regularization provided the best localization of the sources. Reconstruction errors were found to be smaller for the equivalent sources model based algorithm and the statistically optimized NAH algorithm. Effect of hologram distance on the performance of various algorithms is discussed in detail. The study also compares the computational time required by each algorithm to complete the comparison. Four different regularization parameter choice methods were compared. The L-curve method provided more accurate reconstructions than the generalized cross validation and the Morozov discrepancy principle. Finally, the performance of fixed parameter regularization was comparable to that of the L-curve method.« less

Study Habits and Academic Achievement of Kashmiri & Ladakhi Adolescent Girls: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadeem, N. A.; Puja, Javeed Ahamd; Bhat, Shabir Ahmad

2014-01-01

The present study was conducted to study the Study Habits and Academic Achievement of Adolescents girls in Jammu and Kashmir. 400 sample subjects were selected randomly from two ethnic groups' viz. Kashmiri and Ladakhi. The investigators used Palsane & Sharma's study habits inventory (PSSHI) to collect data from the field. Certain statistical…

[Quality of the structured abstracts presented at a congress].

PubMed

dos Santos, Edilson F; Pereira, Maurício G

2007-01-01

To assess and compare quality of abstracts presented at a medical congress (XIV Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia, November, 2005). The hypothesis is that material of better quality is chosen for oral presentation. All the 63 abstracts selected for oral presentation were compared with a random sample (n=63) of the 664 abstracts registered as poster presentations. Quality was measured by a structured questionnaire comprised of 33 criteria, distributed in eight categories: purpose, research design, setting, subjects, intervention, measurement, results and conclusions. The questionnaire was applied by one of the authors who were not blind to the objective of the study. The final score could range from 0 (bad) to 1 (excellent). Abstracts quality was considered moderately good. The overall mean quality scores were 0.60 and 0.62 respectively, for poster and oral presentation (p = 0.086). The criteria rated poorly were: subjects, variable measurements, location and conclusion. The tested hypothesis of better quality in abstracts selected for oral presentation has not been confirmed. It is recommended that organizers of the congresses the use of objective quality criteria to select the form of presentation while improving on quality.

Symptom Profile of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Youth with High-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Study in Psychiatrically Referred Populations

PubMed Central

Joshi, Gagan; Faraone, Stephen V.; Wozniak, Janet; Tarko, Laura; Fried, Ronna; Galdo, Maribel; Furtak, Stephannie L.; Biederman, Joseph

2014-01-01

Objective To compare the clinical presentation of ADHD between youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD and a sample of youth with ADHD only. Method A psychiatrically referred sample of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) youth with ADHD attending a specialized ambulatory program for ASD (n = 107) and a sample of youth with ADHD attending a general child psychiatry ambulatory clinic (n = 74) were compared. Results Seventy-six percent of youth with ASD met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD. The clinical presentation of ADHD in youth with ASD was predominantly similar to its typical presentation including age at onset (3.5 ± 1.7 vs. 4.0 ± 1.9; p = .12), distribution of diagnostic subtypes, the qualitative and quantitative symptom profile, and symptom severity. Combined subtype was the most frequent presentation of ADHD in ASD youth. Conclusion Despite the robust presentation of ADHD, a significant majority of ASD youth with ADHD failed to receive appropriate ADHD treatment (41% vs. 24%; p = .02). A high rate of comorbidity with ADHD was observed in psychiatrically referred youth with ASD, with a clinical presentation typical of the disorder. PMID:25085653

[A comparative study of the efficacy of antiseptics used for preventing infectious complications].

PubMed

Paliĭ, G K; Koval'chuk, V P; Kravets, V P; Paliĭ, I G; Shevnia, P S

1993-01-01

The results of comparative study of antimicrobial properties of decamethoxine and chlorhexidine bigluconate are presented. It is established that resistant to antibiotics strains of pathogens of nosocomial infections were highly susceptible to decamethoxine. Decamethoxine and, to a lesser degree, chlorhexidine bigluconate have a bactericidal effect in treatment of hand skin of the medical staff of surgical department. The authors consider it expedient to use the mentioned preparations for prevention of nosocomial infection.

Study on Collaborative Object Manipulation in Virtual Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayangsari, Maria Niken; Yong-Moo, Kwon

This paper presents comparative study on network collaboration performance in different immersion. Especially, the relationship between user collaboration performance and degree of immersion provided by the system is addressed and compared based on several experiments. The user tests on our system include several cases: 1) Comparison between non-haptics and haptics collaborative interaction over LAN, 2) Comparison between non-haptics and haptics collaborative interaction over Internet, and 3) Analysis of collaborative interaction between non-immersive and immersive display environments.

Proceedings of an International Symposium on Developments and Innovations in Interpreting for Deafblind People (Leeuwenhorst, Netherlands, June 1999) and Report on a Comparative Study of Roles, Training of and Rights to Interpreters for Deafblind People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durham Univ. (England). Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People.

The proceedings of a 1999 international symposium on interpreting for deafblind people presents 15 papers and a report of a survey of 20 countries and 5 organizations concerning the roles, training, and rights of interpreters for deafblind people. The papers are: "European Deafblind Comparative Study--Interim Report" (Lynne Hawcroft,…

Rural Schools and Technology: Connecting for Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barter, Barbara

2013-01-01

Placed within the context of rural teaching and learning and the use of new technologies, this paper presents a comparative study of three technological approaches to the presentation of curriculum in schools. Supported by three different research projects in one Canadian province, it highlights three areas of e-learning: the use of video…

Constructivized Calculus in College Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Barbara Ann

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to present some of the classical concepts, definitions, and theorems of calculus from the constructivists' point of view in the spirit of the philosophies of L.E.J. Brouwer and Errett Bishop. This presentation will compare the classical statements to the constructivized statements. The method focuses on giving…

Feet and Syllables in "Elephants" and "Missiles": A Reappraisal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zonneveld, Wim; van der Pas, Brigit; de Bree, Elise

2007-01-01

Using data from a case study presented in Chiat (1989), Marshall and Chiat (2003) compare two different approaches to account for the realization of intervocalic consonants in child phonology: "coda capture theory" and the "foot domain account". They argue in favour of the latter account. In this note, we present a reappraisal…

Spatial-Sequential and Spatial-Simultaneous Working Memory in Individuals with Williams Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanfranchi, Silvia; De Mori, Letizia; Mammarella, Irene C.; Carretti, Barbara; Vianello, Renzo

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to compare visuospatial working memory performance in 18 individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) and 18 typically developing (TD) children matched for nonverbal mental age. Two aspects were considered: task presentation format (i.e., spatial-sequential or spatial-simultaneous), and level of attentional control…

The Effectiveness of PowerPoint Presentation and Conventional Lecture on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosgun Ögeyik, Muhlise

2017-01-01

In English language teaching settings, the type of lecture is important since students should be exposed to instantly recognisable linguistic features in the target language through interaction. This quasi-experimental study was designed to compare the effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations (PPP) and conventional lecture/discussion sessions on…

Learning Efficiency of Two ICT-Based Instructional Strategies in Greek Sheep Farmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellos, Georgios; Mikropoulos, Tassos A.; Deligeorgis, Stylianos; Kominakis, Antonis

2016-01-01

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to compare the learning efficiency of two information and communications technology (ICT)-based instructional strategies (multimedia presentation (MP) and concept mapping) in a sample (n = 187) of Greek sheep farmers operating mainly in Western Greece. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 15…

Perceived Parental Bonding, Fear of Failure and Stress during Class Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sideridis, Georgios D.; Kafetsios, Konstantinos

2008-01-01

The purpose of the present studies was to test the hypothesis that students' perceptions of parental bonding may be predictive of how individuals approach achievement situations. It was hypothesized that reports of parental overprotection would be predictive of elevated fears and subsequent stress and low achievement compared to perceived parental…

Metaphor Comprehension by Deaf Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gold, Rinat; Segal, Osnat

2017-01-01

In the present study, we compared the processing of both conventional and novel metaphors by deaf versus hearing young adults. Eighteen deaf participants with severe-to-profound hearing loss and 18 controls matched for age, sex, and years of education were presented with word pairs of 4 types (literal, conventional metaphors, novel metaphors, and…

A Preliminary Assessment of Buddhism's Contextualisation to the English RE Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thanissaro, Phra Nicholas

2011-01-01

In a preliminary study, 20 "migrant" Buddhist parents and children from England participated in semi-structured interviews to compare their home nurture with classroom presentation of Buddhism. In the home Buddhism received more time allocation and was presented mainly by the mother and monks--the content being that of "perpetuating…

A Specific Deficit in Visuospatial Simultaneous Working Memory in Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanfranchi, S.; Carretti, B.; Spano, G.; Cornoldi, C.

2009-01-01

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) present both central and verbal working memory deficits compared with controls matched for mental age, whereas evidence on visuospatial working memory (VSWM) has remained ambiguous. The present paper uses a battery of VSWM tasks to test the hypothesis that…

[Visual representation of biological structures in teaching material].

PubMed

Morato, M A; Struchiner, M; Bordoni, E; Ricciardi, R M

1998-01-01

Parameters must be defined for presenting and handling scientific information presented in the form of teaching materials. Through library research and consultations with specialists in the health sciences and in graphic arts and design, this study undertook a comparative description of the first examples of scientific illustrations of anatomy and the evolution of visual representations of knowledge on the cell. The study includes significant examples of illustrations which served as elements of analysis.

The effect of graphical and numerical presentation of hypothetical prenatal diagnosis results on risk perception.

PubMed

Siegrist, Michael; Orlow, Pascale; Keller, Carmen

2008-01-01

To evaluate various formats for the communication of prenatal test results. In study 1 (N=400), female students completed a questionnaire assessing risk perception, affect, and perceived usefulness of prenatal test results. A randomized, 2 (risk level; low, high) x 4 (format; ratio with numerator 1, ratio with denominator 1000, Paling Perspective Scale, pictograms) design was used. Study 2 (N=200) employed a 2 (risk level; low, high) x 2 (format; Paling Perspective Scale, risk comparisons in numerical format) design. In study 1, the Paling Perspective Scale resulted in a higher level of perceived risk across different risk levels compared with the other formats. Furthermore, participants in the low-risk group perceived the test results as less risky compared with participants in the high-risk group (P < 0.001) when the Paling Perspective Scale was used. No significant differences between low and high risks were observed for the other 3 formats. In study 2, the Paling Perspective Scale evoked higher levels of perceived risks relative to the numerical presentation of risk comparisons. For both formats, we found that participants confronted with a high risk perceived test results as more risky compared with participants confronted with a low risk. The Paling Perspective Scale resulted in a higher level of perceived risk compared with the other formats. This effect must be taken into account when choosing a graphical or numerical format for risk communication.

Effects of local vibration and pulsed electromagnetic field on bone fracture: A comparative study.

PubMed

Bilgin, Hakkı Murat; Çelik, Ferhat; Gem, Mehmet; Akpolat, Veysi; Yıldız, İsmail; Ekinci, Aysun; Özerdem, Mehmet Siraç; Tunik, Selçuk

2017-07-01

The effectiveness of various therapeutic methods on bone fracture has been demonstrated in several studies. In the present study, we tried to evaluate the effect of local low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration (LMHFV) on rat tibia fracture in comparison with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) during the healing process. Mid-diaphysis tibiae fractures were induced in 30 Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were assigned into groups such as control (CONT), LMHFV (15 min/day, 7 days/week), and PEMF (3.5 h/day, 7 days/week) for a three-week treatment. Nothing was applied to control group. Radiographs, serum osteocalcin levels, and stereological bone analyses of the three groups were compared. The X-rays of tibiae were taken 21 days after the end of the healing process. PEMF and LMHFV groups had more callus formation when compared to CONT group; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.375). Serum osteocalcin levels were elevated in the experimental groups compared to CONT (P ≤ 0.001). Stereological tests also showed higher osteogenic results in experimental groups, especially in LMHFV group. The results of the present study suggest that application of direct local LMHFV on fracture has promoted bone formation, showing great potential in improving fracture outcome. Bioelectromagnetics. 38:339-348, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An innovative method of ocular prosthesis fabrication by bio-CAD and rapid 3-D printing technology: A pilot study.

PubMed

Alam, Md Shahid; Sugavaneswaran, M; Arumaikkannu, G; Mukherjee, Bipasha

2017-08-01

Ocular prosthesis is either a readymade stock shell or custom made prosthesis (CMP). Presently, there is no other technology available, which is either superior or even comparable to the conventional CMP. The present study was designed to fabricate ocular prosthesis using computer aided design (CAD) and rapid manufacturing (RM) technology and to compare it with custom made prosthesis (CMP). The ocular prosthesis prepared by CAD was compared with conventional CMP in terms of time taken for fabrication, weight, cosmesis, comfort, and motility. Two eyes of two patients were included. Computerized tomography scan of wax model of socket was converted into three dimensional format using Materialize Interactive Medical Image Control System (MIMICS)software and further refined. This was given as an input to rapid manufacturing machine (Polyjet 3-D printer). The final painting on prototype was done by an ocularist. The average effective time required for fabrication of CAD prosthesis was 2.5 hours; and weight 2.9 grams. The same for CMP were 10 hours; and 4.4 grams. CAD prosthesis was more comfortable for both the patients. The study demonstrates the first ever attempt of fabricating a complete ocular prosthesis using CAD and rapid manufacturing and comparing it with conventional CMP. This prosthesis takes lesser time for fabrication, and is more comfortable. Studies with larger sample size will be required to further validate this technique.

Adaptive memory: Animacy enhances free recall but impairs cued recall.

PubMed

Popp, Earl Y; Serra, Michael J

2016-02-01

Recent research suggests that human memory systems evolved to remember animate things better than inanimate things. In the present experiments, we examined whether these effects occur for both free recall and cued recall. In Experiment 1, we directly compared the effect of animacy on free recall and cued recall. Participants studied lists of objects and lists of animals for free-recall tests, and studied sets of animal-animal pairs and object-object pairs for cued-recall tests. In Experiment 2, we compared participants' cued recall for English-English, Swahili-English, and English-Swahili word pairs involving either animal or object English words. In Experiment 3, we compared participants' cued recall for animal-animal, object-object, animal-object, and object-animal pairs. Although we were able to replicate past effects of animacy aiding free recall, animacy typically impaired cued recall in the present experiments. More importantly, given the interactions found in the present experiments, we conclude that some factor associated with animacy (e.g., attention capture or mental arousal) is responsible for the present patterns of results. This factor seems to moderate the relationship between animacy and memory, producing a memory advantage for animate stimuli in scenarios where the moderator leads to enhanced target retrievability but a memory disadvantage for animate stimuli in scenarios where the moderator leads to impaired association memory. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Antipsychotic profile of cannabidiol and rimonabant in an animal model of emotional context processing in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Levin, Raquel; Almeida, Valeria; Peres, Fernanda Fiel; Calzavara, Mariana Bendlin; da Silva, Neide Derci; Suiama, Mayra Akimi; Niigaki, Suzy Tamie; Zuardi, Antonio Waldo; Hallak, Jaime Eduardo Cecilio; Crippa, Jose Alexandre; Abílio, Vanessa Costhek

2012-01-01

Clinical and neurobiological findings suggest that cannabinoids and their receptors are implicated in schizophrenia. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotomimetic compound of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been reported to have central therapeutic actions, such as antipsychotic and anxiolytic effects. We have recently reported that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) present a deficit in contextual fear conditioning (CFC) that is specifically ameliorated by antipsychotics and aggravated by proschizophrenia manipulations. These results led us to suggest that the CFC deficit presented by SHR could be used as a model to study emotional processing impairment in schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of CBD and rimonabant (CB1 receptor antagonist) on the contextual fear conditioning in SHR and Wistar rats (WR). Rats were submitted to CFC task after treatment with different doses of CBD (experiment 1) and rimonabant (experiment 2). In experiment 1, SHR showed a decreased freezing response when compared to WR that was attenuated by 1 mg/kg CBD. Moreover, all CBD-treated WR presented a decreased freezing response when compared to control rats. In experiment 2, SHR showed a decreased freezing response when compared to WR that was attenuated by 3 mg/kg rimonabant. Our results suggest a potential therapeutical effect of CBD and rimonabant to treat the emotional processing impairment presented in schizophrenia. In addition, our results reinforce the anxiolytic profile of CBD.

Comparative analysis of endodontic smear layer removal efficacy of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 7% maleic acid, and 2% chlorhexidine using scanning electron microscope: An in vitro study.

PubMed

Attur, Kailash; Joy, Mathew T; Karim, Riyas; Anil Kumar, V J; Deepika, C; Ahmed, Haseena

2016-08-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of different endodontic irrigants in the removal of smear layer through scanning electron microscopic image analysis. The present in vitro study was carried out on 45 single-rooted extracted human mandibular premolar teeth with single canal and complete root formation. Teeth were randomly assigned to three groups with 15 teeth in each group. Group I samples were irrigated with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) irrigation, Group II with 7% maleic acid irrigation, and Group III with 2% chlorhexidine irrigation. Scanning electron microscope evaluation was done for the assessment of smear layer removal in the coronal, middle, and apical thirds. Comparison of the smear layer removal between the three different groups was done by Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Mann-Whitney U test for comparing individual groups. A P value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Statistically significant difference was seen between the two test groups (17% EDTA vs. 7% maleic acid and 17% EDTA vs. 2% chlorhexidine) in smear layer removal at coronal, middle, and apical thirds of the root canal. The most efficient smear layer removal was seen in Group I with 17% EDTA irrigation compared with other groups (P < 0.05) and the least by 2% chlorhexidine. The present study shows that 17% EDTA efficiently removes the smear layer from root canal walls.

Guidelines and sample protocol for sampling forest gaps.

Treesearch

J.R. Runkle

1992-01-01

A protocol for sampling forest canopy gaps is presented. Methods used in published gap studies are reviewed. The sample protocol will be useful in developing a broader understanding of forest structure and dynamics through comparative studies across different forest ecosystems.

Comparative evaluation of terminalia chebula extract mouthwash and chlorhexidine mouthwash on plaque and gingival inflammation - 4-week randomised control trial.

PubMed

Gupta, Devanand; Gupta, Rajendra Kumar; Bhaskar, Dara John; Gupta, Vipul

2015-01-01

The present study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Terminalia chebula on plaque and gingival inflammation and compare it with the gold standard chlorhexidine (CHX 0.2%) and distilled water as control (placebo). A double-blind randomised control trial was conducted among undergraduate students who volunteered. They were randomly allocated into three study groups: 1) Terminalia chebula mouthwash (n = 30); 2) chlorhexidine (active control) (n = 30); 3) distilled water (placebo) (n = 30). Assessment was carried out according to plaque score and gingival score. Statistical analysis was carried out to compare the effect of both mouthwashes. ANOVA and post-hoc LSD tests were performed using SPSS version 17 with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Our result showed that Terminalia chebula mouthrinse is as effective as chlorhexidine in reducing dental plaque and gingival inflammation. The results demonstrated a significant reduction of gingival bleeding and plaque indices in both groups over a period of 15 and 30 days as compared to the placebo. The results of the present study indicate that Terminalia chebula may prove to be an effective mouthwash. Terminalia chebula extract mouthrinse can be used as an alternative to chlorhexidine mouthrinse as it has similar properties without the side-effects of the latter.

Comparative study of three xenic media culture for cultivation of Balantidium coli strains.

PubMed

Barbosa, Alynne da Silva; Cardozo, Matheus Lessa; Dib, Laís Verdan; Fonseca, Ana Beatriz Monteiro; Uchôa, Claudia Maria Antunes; Bastos, Otilio Machado Pereira; Amendoeira, Maria Regina Reis

2018-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the growth rate of Balantidium coli in three xenic media cultures. Between 2013 and 2015, 10 B. coli isolates obtained from feces of Cynomolgus macaques, and 30 isolates from feces of pigs were studied. An inoculum of 500 trophozoites was transferred to tubes containing LES, TYSGM-9 and Pavlova media. These cultures were evaluated at incubation times of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. In most of strains analyzed wasn't showed significant difference in the growth rate comparing TYSGM-9 and Pavlova media (Wilcoxon p>0.016). In Pavlova medium, the trophozoites showed a maximum growth at 72 hours with significant difference when compared with the times of 24 h and 96 h (Wilcoxon <0.008). In LES, viable trophozoites were observed until 24 hours, with a significant difference (Friedman p<0.05, Wilcoxon p<0.016) in the number of parasite cells compared with Pavlova and TYSGM-9 media cultures. Thus, LES medium seemed to be less adequate than the other media for maintenance of B. coli. Despite the satisfactory results in TYSGM-9, Pavlova medium was considered ideal for the maintenance of this protozoan strain, guaranteeing the viability of the parasite with subculture every three days, presenting lower costs.

Science-based HRA: experimental comparison of operator performance to IDAC (Information-Decision-Action Crew) simulations

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

Shirley, Rachel; Smidts, Carol; Boring, Ronald

Information-Decision-Action Crew (IDAC) operator model simulations of a Steam Generator Tube Rupture are compared to student operator performance in studies conducted in the Ohio State University’s Nuclear Power Plant Simulator Facility. This study is presented as a prototype for conducting simulator studies to validate key aspects of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) methods. Seven student operator crews are compared to simulation results for crews designed to demonstrate three different decision-making strategies. The IDAC model used in the simulations is modified slightly to capture novice behavior rather that expert operators. Operator actions and scenario pacing are compared. A preliminary review of availablemore » performance shaping factors (PSFs) is presented. After the scenario in the NPP Simulator Facility, student operators review a video of the scenario and evaluate six PSFs at pre-determined points in the scenario. This provides a dynamic record of the PSFs experienced by the OSU student operators. In this preliminary analysis, Time Constraint Load (TCL) calculated in the IDAC simulations is compared to TCL reported by student operators. We identify potential modifications to the IDAC model to develop an “IDAC Student Operator Model.” This analysis provides insights into how similar experiments could be conducted using expert operators to improve the fidelity of IDAC simulations.« less

Comparative evaluation of humic substances in oral drug delivery.

PubMed

Mirza, Mohd Aamir; Ahmad, Niyaz; Agarwal, Suraj Prakash; Mahmood, Danish; Khalid Anwer, M; Iqbal, Z

2011-05-01

Major and biologically most explored components of natural organic matter (NOM) are humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA). We have explored rock shilajit as a source of NOM. On the other hand carbamazepine (CBZ) is a well known anticonvulsant drug and has a limited accessibility to brain. Bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles of CBZ have been improved by complexation and different techniques also. Present study has assessed the comparative abilities of FA and HA as complexing agent for CBZ in order to enhance pharmacokinetic profile of CBZ and accessibility to the brain. These two complexing agents have been compared on various indices such as their abilities to cause complexation and enhance solubility, permeability and dissolution. The present study also compared pharmacodynamic and biochemical profiles after oral administration of complexes. With the help of various pharmaceutical techniques such as freeze drying, physical mixture, kneading and solvent evaporation, two molar ratios (1:1 and 1:2) were selected for complexation and evaluated for conformational analysis (molecular modeling). Complex formed was further characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mass spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Preclinical study on rodents with CBZ-HA and CBZ-FA has yielded appreciable results in terms of their anticonvulsant and antioxidants activities. However, CBZ-HA (1:2) demonstrated better result than any other complex.

In vivo pharmacological evaluation and efficacy study of methotrexate-encapsulated polymer-coated layered double hydroxide nanoparticles for possible application in the treatment of osteosarcoma.

PubMed

Ray, Sayantan; Saha, Suman; Sa, Biswanath; Chakraborty, Jui

2017-04-01

Considering the existing drawbacks of methotrexate (MTX) with respect to its solubility and toxicity, we incorporated it in a nanoceramic matrix, Mg-Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) to form LDH-MTX nanoparticles, and the same was in turn encapsulated in a nontoxic and biodegradable polymer, poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), to arrest the initial burst release and dose-dumping-related toxicity, already reported by our group. Our present study was designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, survival rate of the test animals, and antitumor efficacy of the PLGA-LDH-MTX nanoparticles and its counterpart without LDH, PLGA-MTX nanoparticles compared with bare MTX. The median lethal dose (LD 50 ) of the former was higher, compared with bare MTX, using Balb/c nude mice, indicating it to be completely safe for use. Also, a comparative pharmacokinetic and antitumour efficacy study using MTX, PLGA-MTX, and PLGA-LDH-MTX nanoparticles in osteosarcoma-induced Balb/c nude mice in vivo demonstrated superiority of PLGA-LDH-MTX as compared to PLGA-MTX and bare MTX. The results suggest that PLGA-LDH-MTX nanoparticles might exhibit potential advantages over the present-day chemotherapy over bare MTX, for the possibility of treatment of osteosarcoma.

Comparative Behaviour of Nitrite and Nitrate for the Protection of Rebar Corrosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Altaf; Kumar, Anil

2017-10-01

Corrosion of rebar steel due to environmental causes has been studied through various approaches, and among the protection techniques use of inhibitors has gained encouragement. Nitrites and nitrates of sodium have gained sufficient scientific coverage. Recently, nitrites and nitrates of calcium have been verified in some studies, which, however, needs further experimentation through different angles. Simple polarization technique has been utilized in the present study to compare inhibitive efficiency of these salts of sodium and calcium, which indicate that calcium salts are more efficient.

Resistance of three implant-abutment interfaces to fatigue testing

PubMed Central

RIBEIRO, Cleide Gisele; MAIA, Maria Luiza Cabral; SCHERRER, Susanne S.; CARDOSO, Antonio Carlos; WISKOTT, H. W. Anselm

2011-01-01

The design and retentive properties of implant-abutment connectors affect the mechanical resistance of implants. A number of studies have been carried out to compare the efficacy of connecting mechanisms between abutment and fixture. Objectives The aims of this study were: 1) to compare 3 implant-abutment interfaces (external hexagon, internal hexagon and cone-in-cone) regarding the fatigue resistance of the prosthetic screw, 2) to evaluate the corresponding mode of failure, and 3) to compare the results of this study with data obtained in previous studies on Nobel Biocare and Straumann connectors. Materials and Methods In order to duplicate the alternating and multivectorial intraoral loading pattern, the specimens were submitted to the rotating cantilever beam test. The implants, abutments and restoration analogs were spun around their longitudinal axes while a perpendicular force was applied to the external end. The objective was to determine the force level at which 50% of the specimens survived 106 load cycles. The mean force levels at which 50% failed and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were determined using the staircase procedure. Results The external hexagon interface presented better than the cone-in-cone and internal hexagon interfaces. There was no significant difference between the cone-in-cone and internal hex interfaces. Conclusion Although internal connections present a more favorable design, this study did not show any advantage in terms of strength. The external hexagon connector used in this study yielded similar results to those obtained in a previous study with Nobel Biocare and Straumann systems. However, the internal connections (cone-in-cone and internal hexagon) were mechanically inferior compared to previous results. PMID:21710094

Primary closure versus delayed closure for non bite traumatic wounds within 24 hours post injury.

PubMed

Eliya-Masamba, Martha C; Banda, Grace W

2013-10-22

Acute traumatic wounds are one of the common reasons why people present to the emergency department. Primary closure has traditionally been reserved for traumatic wounds presenting within six hours of injury and considered 'clean' by the attending surgeon, with the rest undergoing delayed primary closure as a means of controlling wound infection. Primary closure has the potential benefit of rapid wound healing but poses the potential threat of increased wound infection. There is currently no evidence to guide clinical decision-making on the best timing for closure of traumatic wounds. To determine the effect on time to healing of primary closure versus delayed closure for non bite traumatic wounds presenting within 24 hours post injury. To explore the adverse effects of primary closure compared with delayed closure for non bite traumatic wounds presenting within 24 hours post injury. In May 2013, for this first update we searched the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library); Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid MEDLINE (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations); Ovid EMBASE; and EBSCO CINAHL. There were no restrictions with respect to language, date of publication or study setting. Randomised controlled trials comparing primary closure with delayed closure of non bite traumatic wounds. Two review authors independently evaluated the results of the searches against the inclusion criteria. No studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Since no studies met the inclusion criteria, neither a meta-analysis nor a narrative description of studies was possible. There is currently no systematic evidence to guide clinical decision-making regarding the timing for closure of traumatic wounds. There is a need for robust research to investigate the effect of primary closure compared with delayed closure for non bite traumatic wounds presenting within 24 hours of injury.

Class Attendance and Students' Evaluations of Teaching: Do No-Shows Bias Course Ratings and Rankings?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolbring, Tobias

2012-01-01

Background: Many university departments use students' evaluations of teaching (SET) to compare and rank courses. However, absenteeism from class is often nonrandom and, therefore, SET for different courses might not be comparable. Objective: The present study aims to answer two questions. Are SET positively biased due to absenteeism? Do…

Comparison of Creativity and Self-Esteem in Students with Employed and Household Mothers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safara, Maryam; Alkaran, Zeinab Blori; Salmabadi, Mojtaba; Rostami, Najmieh

2017-01-01

Objective: The present study was carried out to compare creativity and self-esteem in the university students with employed and household mothers in academic years 2014-2015. Method: This research is a descriptive one which is of comparative-casual type. The statistical population includes all undergraduate students of Azad universities of…

Live versus Video Observations: Comparing the Reliability and Validity of Two Methods of Assessing Classroom Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curby, Timothy W.; Johnson, Price; Mashburn, Andrew J.; Carlis, Lydia

2016-01-01

When conducting classroom observations, researchers are often confronted with the decision of whether to conduct observations live or by using pre-recorded video. The present study focuses on comparing and contrasting observations of live and video administrations of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System-PreK (CLASS-PreK). Associations between…

Influence of Linguistic Environment on Children's Language Development: Flemish versus Dutch Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiefferink, C. H.; Spaai, G. W. G.; Uilenburg, N.; Vermeij, B. A. M.; De Raeve, L.

2008-01-01

In the present study, language development of Dutch children with a cochlear implant (CI) in a bilingual educational setting and Flemish children with a CI in a dominantly monolingual educational setting is compared. In addition, we compared the development of spoken language with the development of sign language in Dutch children. Eighteen…

Comparative Rhetorical Organization of ELT Thesis Introductions Composed by Thai and American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuttisrisiriporn, Niwat

2017-01-01

Genre analysis is today's dominant approach for textual analysis, especially in the ESP learning and teaching profession. Adopting this approach, the present study compares the Introduction chapters of MA theses in ELT (English Language Teaching) written by Thai students to those written by American university students based on the move-step…

MOOC & B-Learning: Students' Barriers and Satisfaction in Formal and Non-Formal Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutiérrez-Santiuste, Elba; Gámiz-Sánchez, Vanesa-M.; Gutiérrez-Pérez, Jose

2015-01-01

The study presents a comparative analysis of two virtual learning formats: one non-formal through a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and the other formal through b-learning. We compare the communication barriers and the satisfaction perceived by the students (N = 249) by developing a qualitative analysis using semi-structured questionnaires and…

Assessing the Comparative Effectiveness of Teaching Undergraduate Intermediate Accounting in the Online Classroom Format

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Anne J.; Dereshiwsky, Mary I.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study assessing the comparative effectiveness of teaching an undergraduate intermediate accounting course in the online classroom format. Students in a large state university were offered an opportunity to complete the first course in intermediate accounting either online or on-campus. Students were required to…

Self-Cutting: Patient Characteristics Compared with Self-Poisoners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawton, Keith; Harriss, Louise; Simkin, Sue; Bale, Elizabeth; Bond, Alison

2004-01-01

A large (n = 14,892) consecutive sample of deliberate self-harm (attempted suicide) patients who presented to a general hospital in the United Kingdom during a 23-year study period was examined (over two consecutive time periods) in order to compare the characteristics of those who used self-cutting (n = 428) and those who self-poisoned (n =…

A New Experimental Method Assessing Attitudes toward Adolescent Dating and Sibling Violence Using Observations of Violent Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese-Weber, Marla

2008-01-01

The present study provides experimental data comparing emerging adults' attitudes toward dating and sibling violence in adolescence using a new methodology in which participants observe a violent interaction between adolescents. The reported amount of violence experienced in dating and sibling relationships among emerging adults is also compared.…