Correlation between Post-LASIK Starburst Symptom and Ocular Wavefront Aberrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yong-Ji; Mu, Guo-Guang; Wang, Zhao-Qi; Wang-Yan

2006-06-01

Monochromatic aberrations in post laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eyes are measured. The data are categorized into reference group and starburst group according to the visual symptoms. Statistic analysis has been made to find the correlation between the ocular wavefront aberrations and the starburst symptom. The rms aberrations of the 3rd and 4th orders for the starburst group are significantly larger than those for the reference group. The starburst symptom shows a strong correlation with vertical coma, total coma, spherical aberrations. For 3-mm pupil size and 5.8-mm pupil size, the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the starburst group are lower than those of the reference group, but their visual acuities are close. MTF and PSF analyses are made for two groups, and the results are consistent with the statistical analysis, which means the difference between the two groups is mainly due to the third- and fourth-order Zernike aberrations.

Paediatric Cochlear Implantation in Patients with Waardenburg Syndrome.

PubMed

van Nierop, Josephine W I; Snabel, Rebecca R; Langereis, Margreet; Pennings, Ronald J E; Admiraal, Ronald J C; Mylanus, Emmanuel A M; Kunst, Henricus P M

2016-01-01

To analyse the benefit of cochlear implantation in young deaf children with Waardenburg syndrome (WS) compared to a reference group of young deaf children without additional disabilities. A retrospective study was conducted on children with WS who underwent cochlear implantation at the age of 2 years or younger. The post-operative results for speech perception (phonetically balanced standard Dutch consonant-vocal-consonant word lists) and language comprehension (the Reynell Developmental Language Scales, RDLS), expressed as a language quotient (LQ), were compared between the WS group and the reference group by using multiple linear regression analysis. A total of 14 children were diagnosed with WS, and 6 of them had additional disabilities. The WS children were implanted at a mean age of 1.6 years and the 48 children of the reference group at a mean age of 1.3 years. The WS children had a mean phoneme score of 80% and a mean LQ of 0.74 at 3 years post-implantation, and these results were comparable to those of the reference group. Only the factor additional disabilities had a significant negative influence on auditory perception and language comprehension. Children with WS performed similarly to the reference group in the present study, and these outcomes are in line with the previous literature. Although good counselling about additional disabilities concomitant to the syndrome is relevant, cochlear implantation is a good rehabilitation method for children with WS. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

What happens if we compare chopsticks with forks? The impact of making inappropriate comparisons in cross-cultural research.

PubMed

Chen, Fang Fang

2008-11-01

It is a common practice to export instruments developed in one culture to another. Little is known about the consequences of making inappropriate comparisons in cross-cultural research. Several studies were conducted to fill in this gap. Study 1 examined the impact of lacking factor loading invariance on regression slope comparisons. When factor loadings of a predictor are higher in the reference group (e.g., United States), for which the scale was developed, than in the focal group (e.g., China), into which the scale was imported, the predictive relationship (e.g., self-esteem predicting life satisfaction) is artificially stronger in the reference group but weaker in the focal group, creating a bogus interaction effect of predictor by group (e.g., self-esteem by culture); the opposite pattern is found when the reference group has higher loadings in an outcome variable. Studies 2 and 3 examined the impact of lacking loading and intercept (i.e., point of origin) invariance on factor means, respectively. When the reference group has higher loadings or intercepts, the mean is overestimated in that group but underestimated in the focal group, resulting in a pseudo group difference. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Hearing Tests on Mobile Devices: Evaluation of the Reference Sound Level by Means of Biological Calibration.

PubMed

Masalski, Marcin; Kipiński, Lech; Grysiński, Tomasz; Kręcicki, Tomasz

2016-05-30

Hearing tests carried out in home setting by means of mobile devices require previous calibration of the reference sound level. Mobile devices with bundled headphones create a possibility of applying the predefined level for a particular model as an alternative to calibrating each device separately. The objective of this study was to determine the reference sound level for sets composed of a mobile device and bundled headphones. Reference sound levels for Android-based mobile devices were determined using an open access mobile phone app by means of biological calibration, that is, in relation to the normal-hearing threshold. The examinations were conducted in 2 groups: an uncontrolled and a controlled one. In the uncontrolled group, the fully automated self-measurements were carried out in home conditions by 18- to 35-year-old subjects, without prior hearing problems, recruited online. Calibration was conducted as a preliminary step in preparation for further examination. In the controlled group, audiologist-assisted examinations were performed in a sound booth, on normal-hearing subjects verified through pure-tone audiometry, recruited offline from among the workers and patients of the clinic. In both the groups, the reference sound levels were determined on a subject's mobile device using the Bekesy audiometry. The reference sound levels were compared between the groups. Intramodel and intermodel analyses were carried out as well. In the uncontrolled group, 8988 calibrations were conducted on 8620 different devices representing 2040 models. In the controlled group, 158 calibrations (test and retest) were conducted on 79 devices representing 50 models. Result analysis was performed for 10 most frequently used models in both the groups. The difference in reference sound levels between uncontrolled and controlled groups was 1.50 dB (SD 4.42). The mean SD of the reference sound level determined for devices within the same model was 4.03 dB (95% CI 3.93-4.11). Statistically significant differences were found across models. Reference sound levels determined in the uncontrolled group are comparable to the values obtained in the controlled group. This validates the use of biological calibration in the uncontrolled group for determining the predefined reference sound level for new devices. Moreover, due to a relatively small deviation of the reference sound level for devices of the same model, it is feasible to conduct hearing screening on devices calibrated with the predefined reference sound level.

The Influence of Social Comparison and Peer Group Size on Risky Decision-Making.

PubMed

Wang, Dawei; Zhu, Liping; Maguire, Phil; Liu, Yixin; Pang, Kaiyuan; Li, Zhenying; Hu, Yixin

2016-01-01

This study explores the influence of different social reference points and different comparison group sizes on risky decision-making. Participants were presented with a scenario describing an exam, and presented with the opportunity of making a risky decision in the context of different information provided about the performance of their peers. We found that behavior was influenced, not only by comparison with peers, but also by the size of the comparison group. Specifically, the larger the reference group, the more polarized the behavior it prompted. In situations describing social loss, participants were led to make riskier decisions after comparing themselves against larger groups, while in situations describing social gain, they become more risk averse. These results indicate that decision making is influenced both by social comparison and the number of people making up the social reference group.

Ethnic identity salience improves recognition memory in Tibetan students via priming.

PubMed

Li, Hongxia; Wang, Echo Xue; Jin, Shenghua; Wu, Song

2016-04-01

Social identity salience affects group-reference effect in memory. However, limited studies have examined the influence of ethnic identity salience on group-reference effect among minority group people in conditions where the minority group dominates. In the present research, we aim to investigate, in a Tibetan-dominant context, whether the salience of ethnic identity among Tibetan students could display an influence on their group-reference effect via priming method. We recruited 50 Tibetan and 62 Han Chinese students from Tibetan University in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, where Tibetans were the majority. A month before the experiment, we tested the baseline of ethnic identity salience of both Tibetan and Han Chinese students using the Twenty Statements Test. In the formal experiment, we assessed the effectiveness of priming method first and then conducted a recognition memory test 2 week later via priming approach. The results showed that the ethnic identity both of Tibetan and Han Chinese participants was not salient in the baseline assessment. However, it was successfully induced via priming among Tibetan students. Tibetan students showed a significant group-reference effect in recognition memory task when their ethnic identity was induced via priming. On the contrary, Han Chinese students did not show increased ethnic awareness and superiority of ethnic in-group reference memory after being primed. Current research provides new evidence for the influence of salience of ethnic identity on group-reference effect, contributing to the application and extension of social identity theory among minority group people. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Determination of Age-Dependent Reference Ranges for Coagulation Tests Performed Using Destiny Plus.

PubMed

Arslan, Fatma Demet; Serdar, Muhittin; Merve Ari, Elif; Onur Oztan, Mustafa; Hikmet Kozcu, Sureyya; Tarhan, Huseyin; Cakmak, Ozgur; Zeytinli, Merve; Yasar Ellidag, Hamit

2016-06-01

In order to apply the right treatment for hemostatic disorders in pediatric patients, laboratory data should be interpreted with age-appropriate reference ranges. The purpose of this study was to determining age-dependent reference range values for prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen tests, and D-dimer tests. A total of 320 volunteers were included in the study with the following ages: 1 month - 1 year (n = 52), 2 - 5 years (n = 50), 6 - 10 years (n = 48), 11 - 17 years (n = 38), and 18 - 65 years (n = 132). Each volunteer completed a survey to exclude hemostatic system disorder. Using a nonparametric method, the lower and upper limits, including 95% distribution and 90% confidence intervals, were calculated. No statistically significant differences were found between PT and aPTT values in the groups consisting of children. Thus, the reference ranges were separated into child and adult age groups. PT and aPTT values were significantly higher in the children than in the adults. Fibrinogen values in the 6 - 10 age group and the adult age group were significantly higher than in the other groups. D-dimer levels were significantly lower in those aged 2 - 17; thus, a separate reference range was established. These results support other findings related to developmental hemostasis, confirming that adult and pediatric age groups should be evaluated using different reference ranges.

Priming us and them: automatic assimilation and contrast in group attitudes.

PubMed

Ledgerwood, Alison; Chaiken, Shelly

2007-12-01

Social judgment theory holds that a person's own attitudes function as reference points, influencing the perception of others' attitudes. The authors argue that attitudes themselves are influenced by reference points, namely, the presumed attitudes of others. Whereas exposure to a group that acts as a contextual reference should cause attitude assimilation, exposure to a group that acts as a comparative reference should cause attitude contrast. In Study 1, participants subliminally primed with their political ingroup or outgroup endorsed more extreme political positions than did controls. Study 2 demonstrated that prime types known to uniquely facilitate assimilation and contrast enhanced the polarization effect in the ingroup and outgroup conditions, respectively. Study 3 established an important boundary condition for whether group salience produces attitude assimilation or contrast by showing that perceived closeness to the elderly moderates the direction and strength of the group priming effect. The results suggest that the transition from assimilation to contrast occurs when a group ceases to function as a context and becomes a comparison point. Implications for social judgment theory, assimilation and contrast research, and conflict escalation are discussed. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

The Influence of Social Comparison and Peer Group Size on Risky Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Wang, Dawei; Zhu, Liping; Maguire, Phil; Liu, Yixin; Pang, Kaiyuan; Li, Zhenying; Hu, Yixin

2016-01-01

This study explores the influence of different social reference points and different comparison group sizes on risky decision-making. Participants were presented with a scenario describing an exam, and presented with the opportunity of making a risky decision in the context of different information provided about the performance of their peers. We found that behavior was influenced, not only by comparison with peers, but also by the size of the comparison group. Specifically, the larger the reference group, the more polarized the behavior it prompted. In situations describing social loss, participants were led to make riskier decisions after comparing themselves against larger groups, while in situations describing social gain, they become more risk averse. These results indicate that decision making is influenced both by social comparison and the number of people making up the social reference group. PMID:27582723

Neurobehavioral Factors Associated with Referral for Learning Problems in a Community Sample: Evidence for an Adaptational Model for Learning Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waber, Deborah P.; Weiler, Michael D.; Forbes, Peter W.; Bernstein, Jane H.; Bellinger, David C.; Rappaport, Leonard

2003-01-01

Comparison of community children referred for learning disability evaluation (CR, n=17) with children not-referred in community general education (CGE, n=161), community special education (CSE, n=30), or from outpatient hospital referrals (HR). CR group performance was equivalent to that of CSE and HR groups. Results suggest conceptualizing…

[Tasks and duties of veterinary reference laboratories for food borne zoonoses].

PubMed

Ellerbroek, Lüppo; Alter, T; Johne, R; Nöckler, K; Beutin, L; Helmuth, R

2009-02-01

Reference laboratories are of central importance for consumer protection. Field expertise and high scientific competence are basic requirements for the nomination of a national reference laboratory. To ensure a common approach in the analysis of zoonotic hazards, standards have been developed by the reference laboratories together with national official laboratories on the basis of Art. 33 of Directive (EG) No. 882/2004. Reference laboratories function as arbitrative boards in the case of ambivalent or debatable results. New methods for detection of zoonotic agents are developed and validated to provide tools for analysis, e. g., in legal cases, if results from different parties are disputed. Besides these tasks, national reference laboratories offer capacity building and advanced training courses and control the performance of ring trials to ensure consistency in the quality of analyses in official laboratories. All reference laboratories work according to the ISO standard 17025 which defines the grounds for strict laboratory quality rules and in cooperation with the respective Community Reference Laboratories (CRL). From the group of veterinary reference laboratories for food-borne zoonoses, the national reference laboratories are responsible for Listeria monocytogenes, for Campylobacter, for the surveillance and control of viral and bacterial contamination of bivalve molluscs, for E. coli, for the performance of analysis and tests on zoonoses (Salmonella), and from the group of parasitological zoonotic agents, the national reference laboratory for Trichinella.

Reference interval for thyrotropin in a ultrasonography screened Korean population

PubMed Central

Kim, Mijin; Kim, Soo Han; Lee, Yunkyoung; Park, Su-yeon; Kim, Hyung-don; Kwon, Hyemi; Choi, Yun Mi; Jang, Eun Kyung; Jeon, Min Ji; Kim, Won Gu; Shong, Young Kee; Kim, Won Bae

2015-01-01

Background/Aims The diagnostic accuracy of thyroid dysfunctions is primarily affected by the validity of the reference interval for serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Thus, the present study aimed to establish a reference interval for TSH using a normal Korean population. Methods This study included 19,465 subjects who were recruited after undergoing routine health check-ups. Subjects with overt thyroid disease, a prior history of thyroid disease, or a family history of thyroid cancer were excluded from the present analyses. The reference range for serum TSH was evaluated in a normal Korean reference population which was defined according to criteria based on the guidelines of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry, ultrasound (US) findings, and smoking status. Sex and age were also taken into consideration when evaluating the distribution of serum TSH levels in different groups. Results In the presence of positive anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies or abnormal US findings, the central 95 percentile interval of the serum TSH levels was widened. Additionally, the distribution of serum TSH levels shifted toward lower values in the current smokers group. The reference interval for TSH obtained using a normal Korean reference population was 0.73 to 7.06 mIU/L. The serum TSH levels were higher in females than in males in all groups, and there were no age-dependent shifts. Conclusions The present findings demonstrate that the serum TSH reference interval in a normal Korean reference population was higher than that in other countries. This result suggests that the upper and lower limits of the TSH reference interval, which was previously defined by studies from Western countries, should be raised for Korean populations. PMID:25995664

The effects of ageing and divided attention on the self-reference effect in emotional memory: spontaneous or effortful mnemonic benefits?

PubMed

Yang, Lixia; Truong, Linda; Fuss, Samantha; Bislimovic, Sanja

2012-01-01

The self-reference effect (SRE) is a powerful memory advantage associated with encoding in reference to the self (e.g., Rogers, Kuiper, & Kirker, 1977). To explore whether this mnemonic benefit occurs spontaneously, the current study assessed how ageing and divided attention affect the magnitude of the SRE in emotional memory (i.e., memory for emotional stimuli). The sample included a young Full Attention group (young-FA), a young Divided Attention group (young-DA), and an older adult group. The division of attention was manipulated at encoding where participants incidentally studied positive, negative, and neutral trait adjectives in either a self-reference (i.e., rating how well each word describes themselves) or an other-reference condition (i.e., rating how well each word describes another person). Memory for these words was assessed with both recall and recognition tasks. The results from both tasks demonstrated equivalent SRE for all three groups across emotional valence categories of stimuli, suggesting that the SRE is a spontaneous, effortless, and robust effect in memory.

Comprehensive haematological indices reference intervals for a healthy Omani population: First comprehensive study in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle Eastern countries based on age, gender and ABO blood group comparison.

PubMed

Al-Mawali, Adhra; Pinto, Avinash Daniel; Al-Busaidi, Raiya; Al-Lawati, Rabab H; Morsi, Magdi

2018-01-01

Reference intervals for venous blood parameters differs with age, gender, geographic region, and ethnic groups. Hence local laboratory reference intervals are important to improve the diagnostic accuracy of health assessments and diseases. However, there have been no comprehensive published reference intervals established in Oman, the Gulf Cooperation Council or Middle Eastern countries. Hence, the aim of this study was to establish reference intervals for full blood count in healthy Omani adults. Venous blood specimens were collected from 2202 healthy individuals aged 18 to 69 years from January 2012 to April 2017, and analysed by Sysmex XS-1000i and Cell-Dyn Sapphire automated haematology analysers. Results were statistically analysed and compared by gender, age, and ABO blood group. The lower and upper reference limits of the haematology reference intervals were established at the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles respectively. Reference intervals were calculated for 17 haematology parameters which included red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelet parameters. Red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HCT), platelet and platelet haematocrit counts of the healthy donors were significantly different between males and females at all ages (p < 0.05), with males having higher mean values of RBC, HGB and HCT than females. Other complete blood count parameters showed no significant differences between genders, age groups, instruments, or blood groups. Our study showed a lower haemoglobin limit for the normal reference interval in males and females than the currently used in Oman. Data from this study established specific reference intervals which could be considered for general use in Oman. The differences in haematology reference intervals highlights the necessity to establish reference intervals for venous blood parameters among the healthy population in each country or at least in each region.

Standardization of gamma-glutamyltransferase assays by intermethod calibration. Effect on determining common reference limits.

PubMed

Steinmetz, Josiane; Schiele, Françoise; Gueguen, René; Férard, Georges; Henny, Joseph

2007-01-01

The improvement of the consistency of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity results among different assays after calibration with a common material was estimated. We evaluated if this harmonization could lead to reference limits common to different routine methods. Seven laboratories measured GGT activity using their own routine analytical system both according to the manufacturer's recommendation and after calibration with a multi-enzyme calibrator [value assigned by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) reference procedure]. All samples were re-measured using the IFCC reference procedure. Two groups of subjects were selected in each laboratory: a group of healthy men aged 18-25 years without long-term medication and with alcohol consumption less than 44 g/day and a group of subjects with elevated GGT activity. The day-to-day coefficients of variation were less than 2.9% in each laboratory. The means obtained in the group of healthy subjects without common calibration (range of the means 16-23 U/L) were significantly different from those obtained by the IFCC procedure in five laboratories. After calibration, the means remained significantly different from the IFCC procedure results in only one laboratory. For three calibrated methods, the slope values of linear regression vs. the IFCC procedure were not different from the value 1. The results obtained with these three methods for healthy subjects (n=117) were gathered and reference limits were calculated. These were 11-49 U/L (2.5th-97.5th percentiles). The calibration also improved the consistency of elevated results when compared to the IFCC procedure. The common calibration improved the level of consistency between different routine methods. It permitted to define common reference limits which are quite similar to those proposed by the IFCC. This approach should lead to a real benefit in terms of prevention, screening, diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring and for epidemiological studies.

The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect for Academic Self-Concept, Test Anxiety, and School Grades in Gifted Children.

PubMed

Zeidner; Schleyer

1999-10-01

This study reports data extending work by Marsh and colleagues on the "big-fish-little-pond effect" (BFLPE). The BFLPE hypothesizes that it is better for academic self-concept to be a big fish in a little pond (gifted student in regular reference group) than to be a small fish in a big pond (gifted student in gifted reference group). The BFLPE effect was examined with respect to academic self-concept, test anxiety, and school grades in a sample of 1020 gifted Israeli children participating in two different educational programs: (a) special homogeneous classes for the gifted and (b) regular mixed-ability classes. The central hypothesis, deduced from social comparison and reference group theory, was that academically talented students enrolled in special gifted classes will perceive their academic ability and chances for academic success less favorably compared to students in regular mixed-ability classes. These negative self-perceptions, in turn, will serve to deflate students' academic self-concept, elevate their levels of evaluative anxiety, and result in depressed school grades. A path-analytic model linking reference group, academic self-concept, evaluative anxiety, and school performance, was employed to test this conceptualization. Overall, the data lend additional support to reference group theory, with the big-fish-little-pond effect supported for all three variables tested. In addition, academic self-concept and test anxiety were observed to mediate the effects of reference group on school grades. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Inhibited attachment behaviour and disinhibited social engagement behaviour as relevant concepts in referred home reared children.

PubMed

Scheper, F Y; Abrahamse, M E; Jonkman, C S; Schuengel, C; Lindauer, R J L; de Vries, A L C; Doreleijers, T A H; Jansen, L M C

2016-07-01

Disorders of attachment and social engagement have mainly been studied in children, reared in institutions and foster care. There are few studies amongst home reared children living with biological parents. The aim of this study was to test the clinical significance of inhibited attachment behaviour and disinhibited social engagement behaviour in young home reared children, referred for treatment of emotional and behavioural problems, compared with young children in treatment foster care. The Disturbances of Attachment Interview, Maltreatment Classification System, the Child Behaviour Checklist and Parenting Stress Index were used in 141 referred home reared children and 59 referred foster children, aged 2.0-7.9 years (M = 4.7, SE = 1.3), 71% boys. Inhibited attachment behaviour was less prevalent in the referred home reared group (9%) than in the foster care group (27%). Disinhibited social engagement behaviour was found in 42% of the home reared group, similar to the foster care group. Inhibited attachment behaviour and disinhibited social engagement behaviour were not associated with child maltreatment. More inhibited attachment behaviour was associated with clinical levels of child internalizing and externalizing behaviour in the home reared group, not in the foster care group. In both groups, more disinhibited social engagement behaviour was associated with clinical levels of externalizing behaviour and with more parenting stress. Even without evident links to maltreatment, results of this study suggest clinical significance of inhibited attachment behaviour and disinhibited social engagement behaviour in young home reared children referred for treatment of emotional and behavioural problems. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Metabolic profiles and lipoprotein lipid concentrations in non-obese and obese patients with polycystic ovarian disease.

PubMed

Mahabeer, S; Naidoo, C; Norman, R J; Jialal, I; Reddi, K; Joubert, S M

1990-10-01

Clinical parameters, androgen status and lipoprotein lipid profiles were assessed in 10 non-obese and 10 obese patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and reference subjects matched for age, height and weight. Both obese and non-obese women with PCOD had significantly higher androgen levels when compared to the reference groups. When comparison of lipoprotein lipid profiles were made between groups, non-obese women with PCOD had significantly higher total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol levels than non-obese reference subjects. Obese PCOD women manifested significantly higher total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, cholesterol/HDL, and LDL/HDL values than did obese reference subjects. Correlations between serum androgens and lipoprotein lipid concentrations in PCOD and normal women were unhelpful. Both non-obese and obese patients with PCOD had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BPs) than the reference groups. Thus, both non-obese and obese women with PCOD manifest hyperandrogenaemia which may result in a male pattern of lipoprotein lipid concentrations.

Visuo-vestibular interaction: predicting the position of a visual target during passive body rotation.

PubMed

Mackrous, I; Simoneau, M

2011-11-10

Following body rotation, optimal updating of the position of a memorized target is attained when retinal error is perceived and corrective saccade is performed. Thus, it appears that these processes may enable the calibration of the vestibular system by facilitating the sharing of information between both reference frames. Here, it is assessed whether having sensory information regarding body rotation in the target reference frame could enhance an individual's learning rate to predict the position of an earth-fixed target. During rotation, participants had to respond when they felt their body midline had crossed the position of the target and received knowledge of result. During practice blocks, for two groups, visual cues were displayed in the same reference frame of the target, whereas a third group relied on vestibular information (vestibular-only group) to predict the location of the target. Participants, unaware of the role of the visual cues (visual cues group), learned to predict the location of the target and spatial error decreased from 16.2 to 2.0°, reflecting a learning rate of 34.08 trials (determined from fitting a falling exponential model). In contrast, the group aware of the role of the visual cues (explicit visual cues group) showed a faster learning rate (i.e. 2.66 trials) but similar final spatial error 2.9°. For the vestibular-only group, similar accuracy was achieved (final spatial error of 2.3°), but their learning rate was much slower (i.e. 43.29 trials). Transferring to the Post-test (no visual cues and no knowledge of result) increased the spatial error of the explicit visual cues group (9.5°), but it did not change the performance of the vestibular group (1.2°). Overall, these results imply that cognition assists the brain in processing the sensory information within the target reference frame. Copyright © 2011 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Postural stabilization after single-leg vertical jump in individuals with chronic ankle instability.

PubMed

Nunes, Guilherme S; de Noronha, Marcos

2016-11-01

To investigate the impact different ways to define reference balance can have when analysing time to stabilization (TTS). Secondarily, to investigate the difference in TTS between people with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and healthy controls. Cross-sectional study. Laboratory. Fifty recreational athletes (25 CAI, 25 controls). TTS of the center of pressure (CoP) after maximal single-leg vertical jump using as reference method the single-leg stance, pre-jump period, and post-jump period; and the CoP variability during the reference methods. The post-jump reference period had lower values for TTS in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction when compared to single-leg stance (P = 0.001) and to pre-jump (P = 0.002). For TTS in the medio-lateral (ML) direction, the post-jump reference period showed lower TTS when compared to single-leg stance (P = 0.01). We found no difference between CAI and control group for TTS for any direction. The CAI group showed more CoP variability than control group in the single-leg stance reference period for both directions. Different reference periods will produce different results for TTS. There is no difference in TTS after a maximum vertical jump between groups. People with CAI have more CoP variability in both directions during single-leg stance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-Similar Compressible Free Vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vonEllenrieder, Karl

1998-01-01

Lie group methods are used to find both exact and numerical similarity solutions for compressible perturbations to all incompressible, two-dimensional, axisymmetric vortex reference flow. The reference flow vorticity satisfies an eigenvalue problem for which the solutions are a set of two-dimensional, self-similar, incompressible vortices. These solutions are augmented by deriving a conserved quantity for each eigenvalue, and identifying a Lie group which leaves the reference flow equations invariant. The partial differential equations governing the compressible perturbations to these reference flows are also invariant under the action of the same group. The similarity variables found with this group are used to determine the decay rates of the velocities and thermodynamic variables in the self-similar flows, and to reduce the governing partial differential equations to a set of ordinary differential equations. The ODE's are solved analytically and numerically for a Taylor vortex reference flow, and numerically for an Oseen vortex reference flow. The solutions are used to examine the dependencies of the temperature, density, entropy, dissipation and radial velocity on the Prandtl number. Also, experimental data on compressible free vortex flow are compared to the analytical results, the evolution of vortices from initial states which are not self-similar is discussed, and the energy transfer in a slightly-compressible vortex is considered.

Newton-Cartan Gravity in Noninertial Reference Frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Leo; St. Germaine-Fuller, James; Wickramasekara, Sujeev

2015-03-01

We study Newton-Cartan gravity under transformations into all noninertial, nonrelativistic reference frames. These transformations form an infinite dimensional Lie group, called the Galilean line group, which contains as a subgroup the Galilei group. The fictitious forces of noninertial reference frames are encoded in the Cartan connection transformed under the Galilean line group. These fictitious forces, which are coordinate effects, do not contribute to the Ricci tensor. Only the 00-component of the Ricci tensor is non-zero and equals (4 π times) the matter density in all reference frames. While the Ricci field equation and Gauss' law are fulfilled by the physical matter density in inertial and linearly accelerating reference frames, in rotating reference frames Gauss' law holds for an effective mass density that differs from the physical matter density. This effective density has its origin in the simulated magnetic field of rotating frames, highlighting a striking difference between linearly and rotationally accelerating frames. The equations governing the simulated fields have the same form as Maxwell's equations, a surprising result given that these equations obey special relativity (and U (1) -gauge symmetry), rather than Galilean symmetry. This work was supported in part by the HHMI Undergraduate Science Education Award 52006298 and the Grinnell College Academic Affairs' CSFS and MAP programs.

Positive and Negative Affect in Clinic-Referred Youth With ADHD.

PubMed

Okado, Izumi; Mueller, Charles W; Nakamura, Brad J

2016-01-01

To examine self-reported positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) among youth with ADHD (only and comorbid) and other non-ADHD-referred youth in an ethnically diverse clinical sample. Semi-structured interviews identified 80 pure ADHD, 284 ADHD plus one or more comorbidities, and 730 non-ADHD youth (e.g., other diagnoses or no diagnosis). The Positive and Negative Affect Scale-Children (PANAS-C) was used to assess affective states. Even after controlling for the influence of potential confounds, youth with only ADHD reported higher PA and lower NA than other clinic-referred youth. The ADHD-comorbid group reported higher PA than the "non-ADHD" group, but these groups did not differ on level of NA. ADHD subtype did not influence results. Among clinic-referred youth, ADHD is associated with higher levels of PA and when there are no comorbid disorders, lower levels of NA. © The Author(s) 2013.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a standardised intracameral combination of mydriatics and anaesthetics for cataract surgery.

PubMed

Labetoulle, Marc; Findl, Oliver; Malecaze, François; Alió, Jorge; Cochener, Béatrice; Lobo, Conceição; Lazreg, Sihem; Hartani, Dahbia; Colin, Joseph; Tassignon, Marie-José; Behndig, Anders

2016-07-01

To compare the efficacy and safety of intracameral (IC) administration at the beginning of cataract surgery, of Mydrane, a standardised ophthalmic combination of tropicamide 0.02%, phenylephrine 0.31% and lidocaine 1%, to a standard topical regimen. In this international phase III, prospective, randomised study, the selected eye of 555 patients undergoing phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation received 200 μL of Mydrane (Mydrane group) just after the first incision or a topical regimen of one drop each of tropicamide 0.5% and phenylephrine 10% repeated three times (reference group). The primary efficacy variable was achievement of capsulorhexis without additional mydriatics. The non-inferiority of Mydrane to the topical regimen was tested. The main outcome measures were pupil size, patient perception of ocular discomfort and safety. Capsulorhexis without additional mydriatics was performed in 98.9% of patients and 94.7% in the Mydrane and reference groups, respectively. Both groups achieved adequate mydriasis (>7 mm) during capsulorhexis, phacoemulsification and IOL insertion. IOL insertion was classified as 'routine' in a statistically greater number of eyes in the Mydrane group compared with the reference group (p=0.047). Patients in the Mydrane group reported statistically greater comfort than the reference group before IOL insertion (p=0.034). Safety data were similar between groups. Mydrane is an effective and safe alternative to standard eye drops for initiating and maintaining intraoperative mydriasis and analgesia. Patients who received IC Mydrane were significantly more comfortable before IOL insertion than the reference group. Surgeons found IOL insertion less technically challenging with IC Mydrane. NCT02101359; Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Vocabulary comprehension and strategies in name construction among children using aided communication.

PubMed

Deliberato, Débora; Jennische, Margareta; Oxley, Judith; Nunes, Leila Regina d'Oliveira de Paula; Walter, Cátia Crivelenti de Figueiredo; Massaro, Munique; Almeida, Maria Amélia; Stadskleiv, Kristine; Basil, Carmen; Coronas, Marc; Smith, Martine; von Tetzchner, Stephen

2018-03-01

Vocabulary learning reflects the language experiences of the child, both in typical and atypical development, although the vocabulary development of children who use aided communication may differ from children who use natural speech. This study compared the performance of children using aided communication with that of peers using natural speech on two measures of vocabulary knowledge: comprehension of graphic symbols and labeling of common objects. There were 92 participants not considered intellectually disabled in the aided group. The reference group consisted of 60 participants without known disorders. The comprehension task consisted of 63 items presented individually in each participant's graphic system, together with four colored line drawings. Participants were required to indicate which drawing corresponded to the symbol. In the expressive labelling task, 20 common objects presented in drawings had to be named. Both groups indicated the correct drawing for most of the items in the comprehension tasks, with a small advantage for the reference group. The reference group named most objects quickly and accurately, demonstrating that the objects were common and easily named. The aided language group named the majority correctly and in addition used a variety of naming strategies; they required more time than the reference group. The results give insights into lexical processing in aided communication and may have implications for aided language intervention.

Plaque, caries level and oral hygiene habits in young patients receiving orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Martignon, S; Ekstrand, K R; Lemos, M I; Lozano, M P; Higuera, C

2010-09-01

To assess plaque, caries, and oral hygiene habits amongst patients receiving fixed-orthodontic treatment at the Dental-Clinic, Universidad-El-Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia. Test-group: 74 12-29-year-olds receiving fixed-orthodontic treatment; reference-group: 63 12-29-year-olds before they started the orthodontic treatment. Visual examinations (one examiner) recorded the following: Ortho-plaque-Index (OPI) expressed per patient as good, fair and poor-oral-hygiene. Caries was scored with the modified-ICDAS-II criteria as: 0-sound; 1B/1W-brown/white-opacity-after-air-drying; 2B/2W-brown/white-opacity-without-air-drying; 3-microcavity; 4-underlying-shadow; 5/6-distinct/extensive-cavity. Filled/missing surfaces due-to-caries and caries-lesions on buccal surfaces at three sites around the brackets were recorded. A 7-item self-administered oral-hygiene habits' questionnaire was used. Chi-square test revealed that the oral-hygiene level was significantly better in the reference group compared to the test group (p < 0.05). The traditional mean DMF-S was 6.7 +/- 6.3 in the test- and 6.2 +/- 5.9 in the reference-group (p > 0.05). When adding modified-ICDAS-II lesions scores 1-4, the figure increased to 23.6 +/- 9.4 in the test- and to 13.6 +/- 10.3 in the reference-group (p < 0.001). A total of 96% had > or = 1 white-opacity in the test group versus 56% in the reference group (P < 0.001). In the test-group the buccal-surfaces accounted for most white-opacities and close to 1/3 of these lesions on the upper-anterior teeth were located around the brackets. The questionnaire disclosed that 58% in the test- vs. 44% in the reference-group did not accept having dental caries lesions during the orthodontic treatment. The results showed a high prevalence of white-opacities related to orthodontic appliances and indicate the need to implement preventive programmes at the dental clinic.

The self-reference effect on episodic memory recollection in young and older adults and Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Lalanne, Jennifer; Rozenberg, Johanna; Grolleau, Pauline; Piolino, Pascale

2013-12-01

The Self-reference effect (SRE) on long-term episodic memory and autonoetic consciousness has been investigated in young adults, scarcely in older adults, but never in Alzheimer's patients. Is the functional influence of Selfreference still present when the individual's memory and identity are impaired? We investigated this issue in 60 young subjects, 41 elderly subjects, and 28 patients with Alzheimer's disease, by using 1) an incidental learning task of personality traits in three encoding conditions, inducing variable degrees of depth of processing and personal involvement, 2) a 2- minute retention interval free recall task, and 3) a 20-minute delayed recognition task, combined with a remember-know paradigm. Each recorded score was corrected for errors (intrusions in free recall, false alarms in recognition, and false source memory in remember responses). Compared with alternative encodings, the Self-reference significantly enhanced performance on the free recall task in the young group, and on the recognition task both in the young and older groups but not in the Alzheimer group. The most important finding in the Alzheimer group is that the Self-reference led the most often to a subjective sense of remembering (especially for the positive words) with the retrieval of the correct encoding source. This Self-reference recollection effect in patients was related to independent subjective measures of a positive and definite sense of Self (measured by the Tennessee Self Concept Scale), and to memory complaints in daily life. In conclusion, these results demonstrated the power and robustness of the Self-reference effect on recollection in long-term episodic memory in Alzheimer's disease, albeit the retrieval is considerably reduced. These results should open new perspectives for the development of rehabilitation programs for memory deficits.

Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Normalization under Abiotic Stresses and Hormone Stimulation in Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb)

PubMed Central

Wang, Peihong; Xiong, Aisheng; Gao, Zhihong; Yu, Xinyi; Li, Man; Hou, Yingjun; Sun, Chao; Qu, Shenchun

2016-01-01

The success of quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to quantify gene expression depends on the stability of the reference genes used for data normalization. To date, systematic screening for reference genes in persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb) has never been reported. In this study, 13 candidate reference genes were cloned from 'Nantongxiaofangshi' using information available in the transcriptome database. Their expression stability was assessed by geNorm and NormFinder algorithms under abiotic stress and hormone stimulation. Our results showed that the most suitable reference genes across all samples were UBC and GAPDH, and not the commonly used persimmon reference gene ACT. In addition, UBC combined with RPII or TUA were found to be appropriate for the "abiotic stress" group and α-TUB combined with PP2A were found to be appropriate for the "hormone stimuli" group. For further validation, the transcript level of the DkDREB2C homologue under heat stress was studied with the selected genes (CYP, GAPDH, TUA, UBC, α-TUB, and EF1-α). The results suggested that it is necessary to choose appropriate reference genes according to the test materials or experimental conditions. Our study will be useful for future studies on gene expression in persimmon. PMID:27513755

Effects of electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture plus Tao Hong Si Wu Wan in treating primary dysmenorrhea.

PubMed

Miao, Edwin Yong; Miao, Miranda Yi-mo; Kildea, Daniel George; Lao, Yi-Wen

2014-02-01

This study investigated the efficacies of electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture combined with Tao Hong Si Wu Wan in treating primary dysmenorrhea and compared the results with those obtained using conventional medical treatment. One treatment group, group 1, was administered Tao Hong Si Wu Wan (2625 mg) while the other, group 2, was administered a placebo (2625 mg) twice daily for 3 months. Electroacupuncture was used in both treatment groups: two sessions per menstrual cycle for three menstrual cycles. The reference group, group 3, was administered ibuprofen, 600 mg, twice daily, for five menstrual cycles. Uses of the herb, placebo and ibuprofen were blinded. A ridit analysis was used for testing and interpreting the effects of treatment. Pain intensity was determined using a qualitative grading method in a blinded manner. The ridit scores in groups 1 and 2 were significantly higher than those in reference group immediately after treatment and three months later. Twelve months after the treatment, group 1 had a higher ridit score than group 2. In comparison to the reference group, groups 1 and 2 achieved better menstrual pain relief both immediately and 3 months after treatment. In addition, group 1 had better long-term pain relief than group 2. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Motivational interviewing of unemployed acceptance and effects of counselling to improve health-related behaviour].

PubMed

Hanewinkel, R; Wewel, M; Stephan, C; Isensee, B; Wiborg, G

2006-04-01

Conception, implementation and evaluation of a risk-reducing and health-promoting brief intervention addressed to unemployed. Control-group-study with repeated measurement. 131 unemployed took part in the intervention group and 95 persons were matched according to age and sex and served as a reference group. The intervention group were recruited via flyers, press articles and several institutions, the reference group via the journal of a health insurance company. The reference group received a questionnaire twice assessing the same health-related variables as the intervention group. In the intervention group, life style-related variables - eating habits, exercising, smoking, alcohol consumption - were assessed via questionnaire. In a one-hour counselling session based on Motivational Interviewing, participants received an individual feedback on their results of the questionnaire, including a comparison against standards and a review of their personal risks and negative consequences as well as advice and recommendations, while the decision for or against a behaviour change was left to the participant. 85.2 % of the participants of the intervention reported that the counselling met their expectations, and 86.2 % would recommend the intervention to a friend. Statistically significant effects for the intervention group compared to the control group from pre- to post-measurement could be shown for alcohol consumption, eating habits, and exercise (p

Learning from other people’s fear: amygdala-based social reference learning in social anxiety disorder

PubMed Central

Blair, K. S.; Otero, M.; Teng, C.; Geraci, M.; Lewis, E.; Hollon, N.; Blair, R. J. R.; Ernst, Monique; Grillon, C.; Pine, D. S.

2016-01-01

Background Social anxiety disorder involves fear of social objects or situations. Social referencing may play an important role in the acquisition of this fear and could be a key determinant in future biomarkers and treatment pathways. However, the neural underpinnings mediating such learning in social anxiety are unknown. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined social reference learning in social anxiety disorder. Specifically, would patients with the disorder show increased amygdala activity during social reference learning, and further, following social reference learning, show particularly increased response to objects associated with other people’s negative reactions? Method A total of 32 unmedicated patients with social anxiety disorder and 22 age-, intelligence quotient- and gender-matched healthy individuals responded to objects that had become associated with others’ fearful, angry, happy or neutral reactions. Results During the social reference learning phase, a significant group × social context interaction revealed that, relative to the comparison group, the social anxiety group showed a significantly greater response in the amygdala, as well as rostral, dorsomedial and lateral frontal and parietal cortices during the social, relative to non-social, referencing trials. In addition, during the object test phase, relative to the comparison group, the social anxiety group showed increased bilateral amygdala activation to objects associated with others’ fearful reactions, and a trend towards decreased amygdala activation to objects associated with others’ happy and neutral reactions. Conclusions These results suggest perturbed observational learning in social anxiety disorder. In addition, they further implicate the amygdala and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in the disorder, and underscore their importance in future biomarker developments. PMID:27476529

Prediction of Change in Prescription Ingredient Costs and Co-payment Rates under a Reference Pricing System in South Korea.

PubMed

Heo, Ji Haeng; Rascati, Karen L; Lee, Eui-Kyung

2017-05-01

The reference pricing system (RPS) establishes reference prices within interchangeable reference groupings. For drugs priced higher than the reference point, patients pay the difference between the reference price and the total price. To predict potential changes in prescription ingredient costs and co-payment rates after implementation of an RPS in South Korea. Korean National Health Insurance claims data were used as a baseline to develop possible RPS models. Five components of a potential RPS policy were varied: reference groupings, reference pricing methods, co-pay reduction programs, manufacturer price reductions, and increased drug substitutions. The potential changes for prescription ingredient costs and co-payment rates were predicted for the various scenarios. It was predicted that transferring the difference (total price minus reference price) from the insurer to patients would reduce ingredient costs from 1.4% to 22.8% for the third-party payer (government), but patient co-payment rates would increase from a baseline of 20.4% to 22.0% using chemical groupings and to 25.0% using therapeutic groupings. Savings rates in prescription ingredient costs (government and patient combined) were predicted to range from 1.6% to 13.7% depending on various scenarios. Although the co-payment rate would increase, a 15% price reduction by manufacturers coupled with a substitution rate of 30% would result in a decrease in the co-payment amount (change in absolute dollars vs. change in rates). Our models predicted that the implementation of RPS in South Korea would lead to savings in ingredient costs for the third-party payer and co-payments for patients with potential scenarios. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reference Value Advisor: a new freeware set of macroinstructions to calculate reference intervals with Microsoft Excel.

PubMed

Geffré, Anne; Concordet, Didier; Braun, Jean-Pierre; Trumel, Catherine

2011-03-01

International recommendations for determination of reference intervals have been recently updated, especially for small reference sample groups, and use of the robust method and Box-Cox transformation is now recommended. Unfortunately, these methods are not included in most software programs used for data analysis by clinical laboratories. We have created a set of macroinstructions, named Reference Value Advisor, for use in Microsoft Excel to calculate reference limits applying different methods. For any series of data, Reference Value Advisor calculates reference limits (with 90% confidence intervals [CI]) using a nonparametric method when n≥40 and by parametric and robust methods from native and Box-Cox transformed values; tests normality of distributions using the Anderson-Darling test and outliers using Tukey and Dixon-Reed tests; displays the distribution of values in dot plots and histograms and constructs Q-Q plots for visual inspection of normality; and provides minimal guidelines in the form of comments based on international recommendations. The critical steps in determination of reference intervals are correct selection of as many reference individuals as possible and analysis of specimens in controlled preanalytical and analytical conditions. Computing tools cannot compensate for flaws in selection and size of the reference sample group and handling and analysis of samples. However, if those steps are performed properly, Reference Value Advisor, available as freeware at http://www.biostat.envt.fr/spip/spip.php?article63, permits rapid assessment and comparison of results calculated using different methods, including currently unavailable methods. This allows for selection of the most appropriate method, especially as the program provides the CI of limits. It should be useful in veterinary clinical pathology when only small reference sample groups are available. ©2011 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Safety perception referents of permanent and temporary employees: safety climate boundaries in the industrial workplace.

PubMed

Luria, Gil; Yagil, Dana

2010-09-01

To explore the significant referents of safety perceptions among permanent and temporary employees in order to identify the boundaries of safety climate in a heterogeneous workforce. Collection of data from semi-structured interviews with employees in manufacturing organizations, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to identify basic safety perceptions. Independent raters used content analysis to examine the data. Analysis of the data revealed differences between safety themes at organization, group and individual levels. Themes relating to the individual were more prevalent among temporary employees, while those relating to the group and the organization prevailed among permanent employees. Permanent employees view organizational and group levels as significant referents of safety perceptions, while temporary employees focus on the individual level. The results challenge the current view of safety climate as a uniform concept for all employees and prescribe boundary conditions for safety climate. It is suggested that organizations should implement "tailor-made" safety-climate practices according to the referents of employee sub-groups. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of in-service education to promote emergent literacy in child care centers: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Girolametto, Luigi; Weitzman, Elaine; Lefebvre, Pascal; Greenberg, Janice

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a 2-day in-service education program for (a) promoting the use of two emergent literacy strategies by early childhood educators and (b) increasing children's responses to these strategies. Sixteen early childhood educators were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. The experimental in-service program sought to increase educators' use of abstract utterances and print references. Educators were videotaped with small groups of preschoolers during storybook reading and a post-story craft activity. Pretest and posttest videotapes were coded to yield rates of abstract language, verbal print references, and children's responses. In comparison to the control group, educators in the experimental program used more abstract utterances that elicited talk about emotions and children's past experiences during storybook reading. They also used significantly more print references during a post-story craft activity. In addition, children in the experimental group responded more often with appropriate responses to abstract utterances and print references in comparison to children in the control group. A 2-day in-service education program resulted in short-term behavioral changes in educators' use of abstract language and print references. Suggestions for improving instruction include providing opportunities for classroom practice with feedback, modeling the use of strategies in classroom routines, and long-term mentoring of educators to promote retention of gains.

Clinical trial registration in oral health journals.

PubMed

Smaïl-Faugeron, V; Fron-Chabouis, H; Durieux, P

2015-03-01

Prospective registration of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represents the best solution to reporting bias. The extent to which oral health journals have endorsed and complied with RCT registration is unknown. We identified journals publishing RCTs in dentistry, oral surgery, and medicine in the Journal Citation Reports. We classified journals into 3 groups: journals requiring or recommending trial registration, journals referring indirectly to registration, and journals providing no reference to registration. For the 5 journals with the highest 2012 impact factors in each group, we assessed whether RCTs with results published in 2013 had been registered. Of 78 journals examined, 32 (41%) required or recommended trial registration, 19 (24%) referred indirectly to registration, and 27 (35%) provided no reference to registration. We identified 317 RCTs with results published in the 15 selected journals in 2013. Overall, 73 (23%) were registered in a trial registry. Among those, 91% were registered retrospectively and 32% did not report trial registration in the published article. The proportion of trials registered was not significantly associated with editorial policies: 29% with results in journals that required or recommended registration, 15% in those that referred indirectly to registration, and 21% in those providing no reference to registration (P = 0.05). Less than one-quarter of RCTs with results published in a sample of oral health journals were registered with a public registry. Improvements are needed with respect to how journals inform and require their authors to register their trials. © International & American Associations for Dental Research.

Potential of pin-by-pin SPN calculations as an industrial reference

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

Fliscounakis, M.; Girardi, E.; Courau, T.

2012-07-01

This paper aims at analysing the potential of pin-by-pin SP{sub n} calculations to compute the neutronic flux in PWR cores as an alternative to the diffusion approximation. As far as pin-by-pin calculations are concerned, a SPH equivalence is used to preserve the reactions rates. The use of SPH equivalence is a common practice in core diffusion calculations. In this paper, a methodology to generalize the equivalence procedure in the SP{sub n} equations context is presented. In order to verify and validate the equivalence procedure, SP{sub n} calculations are compared to 2D transport reference results obtained with the APOLL02 code. Themore » validation cases consist in 3x3 analytical assembly color sets involving burn-up heterogeneities, UOX/MOX interfaces, and control rods. Considering various energy discretizations (up to 26 groups) and flux development orders (up to 7) for the SP{sub n} equations, results show that 26-group SP{sub 3} calculations are very close to the transport reference (with pin production rates discrepancies < 1%). This proves the high interest of pin-by-pin SP{sub n} calculations as an industrial reference when relying on 26 energy groups combined with SP{sub 3} flux development order. Additionally, the SP{sub n} results are compared to diffusion pin-by-pin calculations, in order to evaluate the potential benefit of using a SP{sub n} solver as an alternative to diffusion. Discrepancies on pin-production rates are less than 1.6% for 6-group SP{sub 3} calculations against 3.2% for 2-group diffusion calculations. This shows that SP{sub n} solvers may be considered as an alternative to multigroup diffusion. (authors)« less

Lunar Regolith Characterization for Simulant Design and Evaluation using Figure of Merit Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schrader, Christian M.; Rickman, Douglas L.; Melemore, Carole A.; Fikes, John C.; Stoeser, Douglas B.; Wentworth, Susan J.; McKay, David S.

2009-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and aided by personnel from the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science group at Johnson Space Center (ARES-JSC), is implementing a new data acquisition strategy to support the development and evaluation of lunar regolith simulants. The first analyses of lunar regolith samples by the simulant group were carried out in early 2008 on samples from Apollo 16 core 64001/64002. The results of these analyses are combined with data compiled from the literature to generate a reference composition and particle size distribution (PSD)) for lunar highlands regolith. In this paper we present the specifics of particle type composition and PSD for this reference composition. Furthermore. we use Figure-of-Merit (FoM) routines to measure the characteristics of a number of lunar regolith simulants against this reference composition. The lunar highlands regolith reference composition and the FoM results are presented to guide simulant producers and simulant users in their research and development processes.

Evaluation of hemostatic and fibrinolytic markers in dogs with ascites attributable to right-sided congestive heart failure.

PubMed

Zoia, Andrea; Augusto, Monica; Drigo, Michele; Caldin, Marco

2012-11-15

To determine whether dogs with ascites secondary to right-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) have bleeding disorders associated with hypofibrinogenemia and discordant plasma fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs) and D-dimer assay results (ie, a circulating concentration of FDPs higher than the reference range and a circulating concentration of D-dimer within the reference range). Retrospective case-control study. 80 client-owned dogs. Dogs with ascites secondary to right-sided CHF (group 1; n = 20), unhealthy dogs without cardiac disease (group 2; 40), and dogs with left-sided CHF (group 3; 20) were included in the study. Urine bile acids-to-creatinine concentration ratios were calculated as a marker of liver function. Differences among groups regarding coagulation profile analysis results and prevalence of discordant FDPs and D-dimer assay results were determined. No significant differences were detected among the 3 groups regarding urine bile acids-to-creatinine concentration ratios. Plasma fibrinogen concentration was significantly lower for group 1 versus groups 2 or 3. Prevalence of discordant FDPs and D-dimer assay results was significantly higher for group 1 versus groups 2 or 3. Eighteen group 1 dogs had discordant FDPs and D-dimer assay results. Ten of these dogs had concurrent hypofibrinogenemia, 2 of which had clinical signs of bleeding. Only 10 dogs in groups 2 or 3 had discordant FDPs and D-dimer assay results; none of these dogs had hypofibrinogenemia or clinical signs of bleeding. Dogs with right-sided CHF and ascites may be at increased risk for primary hyperfibrinogenolysis (ie, hypofibrinogenemia and discordant FDPs and D-dimer assay results).

Reference Values for Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Kawakami, Ryoko; Sawada, Susumu S.; Matsushita, Munehiro; Okamoto, Takashi; Tsukamoto, Koji; Higuchi, Mitsuru; Miyachi, Motohiko

2014-01-01

Background In “Physical Activity Reference for Health Promotion 2013” the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publication gives reference values for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) required for good health. We examined the associations between the CRF reference values and incidence of type 2 diabetes. Methods This prospective cohort study enrolled 4633 nondiabetic Japanese men aged 20 to 39 years at baseline. CRF was measured using the cycle ergometer test, and maximal oxygen uptake was estimated. On the basis of the CRF reference value, participants were classified into 2 groups: those with values less than the reference value (under-RV) and those with values equal to or greater than reference value (over-RV). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for incident type 2 diabetes were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results A total of 266 participants developed type 2 diabetes during the 14 years of follow-up. As compared with the under-RV group, the over-RV group had a significantly lower multivariable-adjusted HR for type 2 diabetes (HR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51–0.89). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal CRF cut-off value for predicting incident type 2 diabetes was 10.8 metabolic equivalents (sensitivity, 0.64; specificity, 0.64), which was close to the CRF reference value of 11.0 metabolic equivalents. Conclusions The reference CRF value appears to be reasonably valid for prevention of type 2 diabetes, especially among Japanese men younger than 40 years. Development of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by maintaining a CRF level above the reference value. PMID:24240630

Anthropometrics and body composition by dual energy X-ray in children of obese women: a follow-up of a randomized controlled trial (the Lifestyle in Pregnancy and Offspring [LiPO] study).

PubMed

Tanvig, Mette; Vinter, Christina A; Jørgensen, Jan S; Wehberg, Sonja; Ovesen, Per G; Lamont, Ronald F; Beck-Nielsen, Henning; Christesen, Henrik T; Jensen, Dorte M

2014-01-01

In obese women, 1) to assess whether lower gestational weight gain (GWG) during pregnancy in the lifestyle intervention group of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) resulted in differences in offspring anthropometrics and body composition, and 2) to compare offspring outcomes to a reference group of children born to women with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). The LiPO (Lifestyle in Pregnancy and Offspring) study was an offspring follow-up of a RCT with 360 obese pregnant women with a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy including dietary advice, coaching and exercise. The trial was completed by 301 women who were eligible for follow-up. In addition, to the children from the RCT, a group of children born to women with a normal BMI were included as a reference group. At 2.8 (range 2.5-3.2) years, anthropometrics were measured in 157 children of the RCT mothers and in 97 reference group children with Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-score as a primary outcome. Body composition was estimated by Dual Energy X-ray (DEXA) in 123 successful scans out of 147 (84%). No differences between randomized groups were seen in mean (95% C.I.) BMI Z-score (intervention group 0.06 [-0.17; 0.29] vs. controls -0.18 [-0.43; 0.05]), in the percentage of overweight or obese children (10.9% vs. 6.7%), in other anthropometrics, or in body composition values by DEXA. Outcomes between children from the RCT and the reference group children were not significantly different. The RCT with lifestyle intervention in obese pregnant women did not result in any detectable effect on offspring anthropometrics or body composition by DEXA at 2.8 years of age. This may reflect the limited difference in GWG between intervention and control groups. Offspring of obese mothers from the RCT were comparable to offspring of mothers with a normal BMI.

Multidisciplinary approach in the management of advanced ovarian cancer patients: A personalized approach. Results from a specialized ovarian cancer unit.

PubMed

Aletti, Giovanni Damiano; Garbi, Annalisa; Messori, Pietro; Achilarre, Maria Teresa; Zanagnolo, Vanna; Rizzo, Stefania; Alessi, Sarah; Bocciolone, Luca; Landoni, Fabio; Biffi, Roberto; Carinelli, Silvestro; Colombo, Nicoletta; Maggioni, Angelo

2017-03-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary approach in patients' selection with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) for different therapeutic strategies. Patients referred at our institution between 2009 and 2012 for AOC were included. Primary multidisciplinary evaluation was performed in all patients. Different strategies included: 1. patients referred to primary neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval surgery (IDS) (group A); 2. patients considered for surgical exploration. After surgical exploration, patients were either considered for primary debulking (PDS; group B), or NACT (group C). A total of 363 patients were included. Of 38 patients (10.5%) in group A, 24 (63%) had sovradiaphragmatic/multiple liver metastases; 14 (37%) were excluded for PDS for anestehesiologic/medical reasons. Of 325 (89.5%) considered for surgical exploration, 295 (91%; group B) had primary surgery with debulking intent (N: 277) and were cytoreduced to no macroscopic disease (R0: N:200; 68%) o minimal RD<5mm (R1: N:77; 26%) or palliative intent (N:18; 6%); 30 (9%; group C) were referred for NACT. Of those, 27 (90%) underwent IDS, 3 had progressive disease. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) was different between the groups: OS: Group A: 34months; Group B: 59months; Group C: 29months; p<0.001. PFS: Group A: 10months; Group B; 21months; Group C: 12months; p<0.001. A multidisciplinary approach to patients referred to a tertiary center with AOC allows optimization of the treatment strategy, based on patients' characteristics (age, performance/nutritional status, comorbidities, functional status) and tumor diffusion (evaluated pre- and intraoperatively). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Promotional Perspectives of Reference Group Influence: Advertising Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lessig, V. Parker; Park, C. Whan

1978-01-01

Examines the role of reference groups and promotional appeals in satisfying consumer motivations. Emphasizes three motivational reference group functions: informational, utilitarian, and value-expressive. (RL)

How Flexible is the Use of Egocentric Versus Allocentric Frame of Reference in the Williams Syndrome Population?

PubMed

Heiz, J; Majerus, S; Barisnikov, K

2017-09-28

This study examined the spontaneous use of allocentric and egocentric frames of reference and their flexible use as a function of instructions. The computerized spatial reference task created by Heiz and Barisnikov (2015) was used. Participants had to choose a frame of reference according to three types of instructions: spontaneous, allocentric and egocentric. The performances of 16 Williams Syndrome participants between 10 and 41 years were compared to those of two control groups (chronological age and non-verbal intellectual ability). The majority of Williams Syndrome participants did not show a preference for a particular frame of reference. When explicitly inviting participants to use an allocentric frame of reference, all three groups showed an increased use of the allocentric frame of reference. At the same time, an important heterogeneity of type of frame of reference used by Williams Syndrome participants was observed. Results demonstrate that despite difficulties in the spontaneous use of allocentric and egocentric frames of reference, some Williams Syndrome participants show flexibility in the use of an allocentric frame of reference when an explicit instruction is provided. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Marriage Meets the Joneses: Relative Income, Identity, and Marital Status

PubMed Central

Watson, Tara; McLanahan, Sara

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the effect of relative income on marriage. Accounting flexibly for absolute income, the ratio between a man's income and a local reference group median is a strong predictor of marital status, but only for low-income men. Relative income affects marriage even among those living with a partner. A ten percent higher reference group income is associated with a two percent reduction in marriage. We propose an identity model to explain the results. PMID:24639593

Efficacy and tolerability of two different formulations of atorvastatin in Korean patients with hypercholesterolemia: a multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

Lee, Ju-Hee; Kim, Sang-Hyun; Choi, Dong-Ju; Tahk, Seung-Jea; Yoon, Jung-Han; Choi, Si Wan; Hong, Taek-Jong; Kim, Hyo-Soo

2017-01-01

Purpose This study was designed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the generic formulation (Atorva®) and the reference formulation (Lipitor®) of atorvastatin, both at a dosage of 20 mg once daily. Methods This study was a prospective open-label, randomized controlled study. Hypercholesterolemic patients who had not achieved low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) guideline were randomized to generic formulation or reference formulation of atorvastatin. The primary end point was the percent change of blood LDL cholesterol at 8 weeks from the baseline. The secondary end points included the percent changes of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) levels, the percent changes of ApoB/ApoA1 and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratios, and the change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. The LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate according to the NCEP-ATP III guideline was also evaluated. Results Three hundred and seventy-six patients were randomized, and 346 patients (176 in the generic group and 170 in the reference group) completed the study. After the 8 weeks of treatment, LDL cholesterol level was significantly decreased in both the groups, and the decrement was comparable between the two groups (−43.9%±15.3% in the generic group, −43.3%±17.0% in the reference group, P=0.705). The percent changes of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, TG, ApoB, ApoA1, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio, and hsCRP showed insignificant difference between the two groups. However, LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate was significantly higher in the generic group compared to the reference group (90.6% vs 83.0%, P=0.039) in per-protocol analysis. Adverse event rate was comparable between the two groups (12.0% vs 13.7%, P=0.804). Conclusion The generic formulation of atorvastatin 20 mg was not inferior to the reference formulation of atorvastatin 20 mg in the management of hypercholesterolemia. PMID:28814835

Elasmobranch qPCR reference genes: a case study of hypoxia preconditioned epaulette sharks

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Elasmobranch fishes are an ancient group of vertebrates which have high potential as model species for research into evolutionary physiology and genomics. However, no comparative studies have established suitable reference genes for quantitative PCR (qPCR) in elasmobranchs for any physiological conditions. Oxygen availability has been a major force shaping the physiological evolution of vertebrates, especially fishes. Here we examined the suitability of 9 reference candidates from various functional categories after a single hypoxic insult or after hypoxia preconditioning in epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum). Results Epaulette sharks were caught and exposed to hypoxia. Tissues were collected from 10 controls, 10 individuals with single hypoxic insult and 10 individuals with hypoxia preconditioning (8 hypoxic insults, 12 hours apart). We produced sequence information for reference gene candidates and monitored mRNA expression levels in four tissues: cerebellum, heart, gill and eye. The stability of the genes was examined with analysis of variance, geNorm and NormFinder. The best ranking genes in our study were eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 beta (eef1b), ubiquitin (ubq) and polymerase (RNA) II (DNA directed) polypeptide F (polr2f). The performance of the ribosomal protein L6 (rpl6) was tissue-dependent. Notably, in one tissue the analysis of variance indicated statistically significant differences between treatments for genes that were ranked as the most stable candidates by reference gene software. Conclusions Our results indicate that eef1b and ubq are generally the most suitable reference genes for the conditions and tissues in the present epaulette shark studies. These genes could also be potential reference gene candidates for other physiological studies examining stress in elasmobranchs. The results emphasise the importance of inter-group variation in reference gene evaluation. PMID:20416043

Specificity, contexts, and reference groups matter when assessing autistic traits

PubMed Central

Stevenson, Jennifer L.; Dern, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Many of the personality and behavioral traits (e.g., social imperviousness, directness in conversation, lack of imagination, affinity for solitude, difficulty displaying emotions) that are known to be sensitive to context (with whom?) and reference group (according to whom?) also appear in questionnaire-based assessments of autistic traits. Therefore, two experiments investigated the effects of specifying contexts and reference groups when assessing autistic traits in autistic and non-autistic participants. Experiment 1 (124 autistic and 124 non-autistic participants) demonstrated that context matters when assessing autistic traits (F(1,244) = 267.5, p < .001, η2p = .523). When the context of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire was specified as the participants’ out-group (e.g., “I like being around non-autistic people” or “I like being around autistic people”), both autistic and non-autistic participants self-reported having more autistic traits; when the context was specified as the participants’ in-group, participants reported having fewer autistic traits. Experiment 2 (82 autistic and 82 non-autistic participants) demonstrated that reference group matters when assessing autistic traits (F(2,160) = 94.38, p < .001, η2p = .541). When the reference group on the Social Responsiveness Scale was specified as the participants’ out-group (e.g., “According to non-autistic people, I have unusual eye contact”), autistic participants reported having more autistic traits; when the reference group was their in-group, autistic participants reported having fewer autistic traits. Non-autistic participants appeared insensitive to reference group on the Social Responsiveness Scale. Exploratory analyses suggested that when neither the context nor the reference group is specified (for assessing autistic traits on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient), both autistic and non-autistic participants use the majority (“non-autistic people”) as the implied context and reference group. PMID:28192464

Diabetes and work: 12-year national follow-up study of the association of diabetes incidence with socioeconomic group, age, gender and country of origin.

PubMed

Poulsen, Kjeld; Cleal, Bryan; Willaing, Ingrid

2014-12-01

To investigate the extent and socioeconomic distribution of incident diabetes among the Danish working-age population. The Danish National Diabetes Register was linked with socioeconomic and population-based registers covering the entire population. We analysed the 12-year diabetes incidence using multivariate Poisson regression for 2,086,682 people, adjusting for gender, 10-year age groups, main population groups defined by country of origin, and seven socioeconomic groups: professionals, managers, technicians, workers skilled at basic level, unskilled workers, unemployed and pensioners. The crude 12-year incidence of diabetes was 5.8%. The saturated multivariate model, adjusted for gender, age, country of origin and socioeconomic status; showed a relative risk (RR) for diabetes incidence of 1.44 for male (reference: female), 3.95 for the age range of 50-59 years (reference: 30-39 years), 2.07 for unskilled workers (reference: professionals) and 2.15 for people from countries of 'non-Western origin' (reference: Danish origin). Diabetes incidence increases with age, male gender and low socioeconomic status; and also among people from countries of 'non-Western origin'. The results indicate that getting a more senior workforce will substantially increase the proportion of workers with diabetes, especially among already vulnerable groups. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

[GLIATILIN CORRECTION OF WORKING AND REFERENCE SPATIAL MEMORY IMPAIRMENT IN AGED RATS].

PubMed

Tyurenkov, I N; Volotova, E V; Kurkin, D V

2015-01-01

This work was aimed at evaluating the influence of gliatilin administration on the spatial memory in aged rats. Cognitive function and spatial memory in animals was evaluated using radial (8-beam) maze test. Errors of working spatial memory and reference memory were used as indicators of impaired cognitive function. It was found that aged (24-month) rats compared with younger (6-months) age group exhibited cognitive impairment, as manifested by deterioration of short- and long-term memory processes. Course administration of gliatilin in rats of the older age group at a dose of 100 mg/kg resulted in significant improvement of the working and reference spatial memory in aged rats.

Reading Comprehension Assessment through Retelling: Performance Profiles of Children with Dyslexia and Language-Based Learning Disability

PubMed Central

Kida, Adriana de S. B.; de Ávila, Clara R. B.; Capellini, Simone A.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To study reading comprehension performance profiles of children with dyslexia as well as language-based learning disability (LBLD) by means of retelling tasks. Method: One hundred and five children from 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school were gathered into six groups: Dyslexia group (D; n = 19), language-based learning disability group (LBLD; n = 16); their respective control groups paired according to different variables – age, gender, grade and school system (public or private; D-control and LBLD-control); and other control groups paired according to different reading accuracy (D-accuracy; LBLD-accuracy). All of the children read an expository text and orally retold the story as they understood it. The analysis quantified propositions (main ideas and details) and retold links. A retelling reference standard (3–0) was also established from the best to the worst performance. We compared both clinical groups (D and LBLD) with their respective control groups by means of Mann–Whitney tests. Results: D showed the same total of propositions, links and reference standards as D-control, but performed better than D-accuracy in macro structural (total of links) and super structural (retelling reference standard) measures. Results suggest that dyslexic children are able to use their linguistic competence and their own background knowledge to minimize the effects of their decoding deficit, especially at the highest text processing levels. LBLD performed worse than LBLD-control in all of the retelling measures and LBLD showed worse performance than LBLD-accuracy in the total retold links and retelling reference standard. Those results suggest that both decoding and linguistic difficulties affect reading comprehension. Moreover, the linguistic deficits presented by LBLD students do not allow these pupils to perform as competently in terms of text comprehension as the children with dyslexia do. Thus, failure in the macro and super-structural information processing of the expository text were evidenced. Conclusion: Each clinical group showed a different retelling profile. Such findings support the view that there are differences between these two clinical populations in the non-phonological dimensions of language. PMID:27313551

Does who you know in the positional hierarchy protect or hurt? Social capital, comparative reference group, and depression in two societies.

PubMed

Song, Lijun

2015-07-01

Does the socioeconomic status (SES) that one's (ego's) network members (alters) occupy indicate social resources or social comparison standards in the dynamics of health across culture? Using nationally representative data simultaneously collected from the United States and urban China, this study examines two competing theories-social capital and comparative reference group-in the two societies and compares their different application across the two societies using two cultural explanations, relational dependence and self-evaluation motive. Social capital theory expects absolute accessed SES and the size of higher accessed socioeconomic positions to protect health, and the size of lower accessed socioeconomic positions to harm health. But comparative reference group theory predicts the opposite. Additionally, the relational dependence explanation anticipates social capital theory to be more applicable to urban China and comparative reference group theory to be more applicable to the United States. The self-evaluation motive explanation expects the same pattern across the two societies in the examination of the size of lower accessed socioeconomic positions but the opposite pattern in the analysis of absolute accessed SES and the size of higher accessed socioeconomic positions. This study focuses on depressive symptoms and measures accessed occupational status. Results are consistent with the self-evaluation motive explanation. They support both social capital theory and comparative reference group theory in the United States but only the latter theory in urban China. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Muscular trunk stability in professional and amateur volleyball players].

PubMed

Miltner, O; Siebert, C; Tschaepe, R; Maus, U; Kieffer, O

2010-03-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the efficiency of muscular activity in the trunk stabilisation of professional volleyball players compared to a group of amateur hobby players. The results were compared amongst the groups as well as with a reference group consisting of asymptomatic individuals. The question to be answered was whether or not professional volleyball players possess a characteristic strength profile in their trunk musculature and if differences exist with regard to the individuals' competitive playing level. In this comparative study 12 professional volleyball players (German Bundesliga) and 18 non-professional volleyball players were analysed with regard to their isometric strength profile in all three planes. The reference group was provided by the Proxomed company, which had previously analysed healthy untrained individuals (n = 1045) of various age groups. A sports-specific profile for the musculature of volleyball players revealed a significant reduction in the flexion and rotation strength as well as a well-developed lateral flexion strength (highly significant when compared to the reference group). With reference to the level played, better strength values in flexion and lateral flexion were found among the professional athletes. Professional volleyball players present with a characteristic trunk musculature strength profile. A detailed analysis of the muscle strength of the spine as part of a sports medicine work-up could prove helpful in preventing injuries and overuse problems in professional and hobby volleyball players.

Establishment of reference values for various coagulation tests in healthy Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and evaluation of coagulation in debilitated manatees during rehabilitation.

PubMed

Gerlach, Trevor J; Bandt, Carsten; Conner, Bobbi; Ball, Ray L

2015-11-01

To establish reference ranges for coagulation parameters in healthy Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and compare results with those for debilitated manatees undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation facility. Prospective study. 29 healthy manatees and 45 debilitated manatees with various diseases. Manatees considered healthy on the basis of results of physical examination, CBC, and serum biochemical analysis underwent coagulation testing including measurement of prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer concentration, platelet count, and fibrinogen concentration to establish reference ranges. For comparison, a group of manatees undergoing rehabilitation was also tested, and the results were compared. Thromboelastography was also performed on some animals. Values for D-dimer concentration were significantly higher in debilitated versus healthy animals. There was no significant difference for prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, or fibrinogen concentration between groups. Thromboelastography was performed on 8 healthy animals. Reference ranges were established for various tests of coagulation that may assist clinicians during the initial evaluation and rehabilitation of Florida manatees. Future research to evaluate the effect of specific disease processes on the coagulation cascade is recommended.

Assessment of phytoplankton class abundance using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix by parallel factor analysis and nonnegative least squares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Rongguo; Chen, Xiaona; Wu, Zhenzhen; Yao, Peng; Shi, Xiaoyong

2015-07-01

The feasibility of using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) along with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and nonnegative least squares (NNLS) method for the differentiation of phytoplankton taxonomic groups was investigated. Forty-one phytoplankton species belonging to 28 genera of five divisions were studied. First, the PARAFAC model was applied to EEMs, and 15 fluorescence components were generated. Second, 15 fluorescence components were found to have a strong discriminating capability based on Bayesian discriminant analysis (BDA). Third, all spectra of the fluorescence component compositions for the 41 phytoplankton species were spectrographically sorted into 61 reference spectra using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and then, the reference spectra were used to establish a database. Finally, the phytoplankton taxonomic groups was differentiated by the reference spectra database using the NNLS method. The five phytoplankton groups were differentiated with the correct discrimination ratios (CDRs) of 100% for single-species samples at the division level. The CDRs for the mixtures were above 91% for the dominant phytoplankton species and above 73% for the subdominant phytoplankton species. Sixteen of the 85 field samples collected from the Changjiang River estuary were analyzed by both HPLC-CHEMTAX and the fluorometric technique developed. The results of both methods reveal that Bacillariophyta was the dominant algal group in these 16 samples and that the subdominant algal groups comprised Dinophyta, Chlorophyta and Cryptophyta. The differentiation results by the fluorometric technique were in good agreement with those from HPLC-CHEMTAX. The results indicate that the fluorometric technique could differentiate algal taxonomic groups accurately at the division level.

Effects of a cost-effective surgical workflow on cosmesis and patient's satisfaction in open thyroid surgery.

PubMed

Billmann, Franck; Bokor-Billmann, Therezia; Voigt, Joachim; Kiffner, Erhard

2013-01-01

In thyroid surgery, minimally invasive procedures are thought to improve cosmesis and patient's satisfaction. However, studies using standardized tools are scarce, and results are controversial. Moreover, minimally invasive techniques raise the question of material costs in a context of health spending cuts. The aim of the present study is to test a cost-effective surgical workflow to improve cosmesis in conventional open thyroid surgery. Our study ran between January 2009 and November 2010, and was based on a prospectively maintained thyroid surgery register. Patients operated for benign thyroid diseases were included. Since January 2010, a standardized surgical workflow was used in addition to the reference open procedure to improve the outcome. Two groups were created: (1) G1 group (patients operated with the reference technique), (2) G2 group (patients operated with our workflow in addition to reference technique). Patients were investigated for postoperative outcomes, self-evaluated body image, cosmetic and self-confidence scores. 820 patients were included in the present study. The overall body image and cosmetic scores were significantly better in the G2 group (P < 0.05). No significant difference was noted in terms of surgical outcomes, scar length, and self-confidence. Our surgical workflow in conjunction with the reference technique is safe and shows significant better results in terms of body image and cosmesis than do the reference technique alone. Thus, we recommend its implementation in order to improve outcomes in a cost-effective way. The limitations of the present study should be kept in mind in the elaboration of future studies. Copyright © 2012 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does whom you work with matter? Effects of referent group gender and age composition on managers' compensation.

PubMed

Ostroff, Cheri; Atwater, Leanne E

2003-08-01

Much research has examined gender and age effects on compensation, concluding that a wage gap exists favoring men and negative stereotypes against older workers persist. Although the effect of an employee's gender or age has been widely studied, little work has examined the impact of the demographic characteristics of a focal employee's immediate referent groups (e.g., subordinates, peers, or supervisors) on pay. The effect of the gender and age composition of a focal manager's subordinates, peers, and supervisor on the manager's compensation levels was investigated in a sample of 2,178 managers across a wide range of organizations and functional areas. After controlling for a number of human capital variables, results indicated that not only does a wage gap favoring men exist, but also managerial pay is lower when managers' referent groups are largely female, when subordinates are outside the prime age group, and when peers and supervisors are younger.

First in line: Prioritizing receipt of Social Security disability benefits based on likelihood of death during adjudication

PubMed Central

Rasch, Elizabeth K.; Huynh, Minh; Ho, Pei-Shu; Heuser, Aaron; Houtenville, Andrew; Chan, Leighton

2014-01-01

Background: Given the complexity of the adjudication process and volume of applications to Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability programs, many individuals with serious medical conditions die while awaiting an application decision. Limitations of traditional survival methods called for a new empirical approach to identify conditions resulting in rapid mortality. Objective: To identify health conditions associated with significantly higher mortality than a key reference group among applicants for SSA disability programs. Research design: We identified mortality patterns and generated a survival surface for a reference group using conditions already designated for expedited processing. We identified conditions associated with significantly higher mortality than the reference group and prioritized them by the expected likelihood of death during the adjudication process. Subjects: Administrative records of 29 million Social Security disability applicants, who applied for benefits from 1996 – 2007, were analyzed. Measures: We computed survival spells from time of onset of disability to death, and from date of application to death. Survival data were organized by entry cohort. Results: In our sample, we observed that approximately 42,000 applicants died before a decision was made on their disability claims. We identified 24 conditions with survival profiles comparable to the reference group. Applicants with these conditions were not likely to survive adjudication. Conclusions: Our approach facilitates ongoing revision of the conditions SSA designates for expedited awards and has applicability to other programs where survival profiles are a consideration. PMID:25310524

Chromosome damage in lymphocytes of stainless steel welders related to past and current exposure to manual metal arc welding fumes.

PubMed

Jelmert, O; Hansteen, I L; Langård, S

1994-02-01

Cytogenetic damage was studied in lymphocytes from 42 welders using the manual metal arc (MMA) method on stainless steel (SS). A detailed characterization of previous exposure by job interviews, and for current exposure with personal air sampling and biological monitoring of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) in blood and urine, was done for 32 of these welders. A subgroup of 20 welders was studied before and after 1-4 months of MMA/SS welding. A matched reference group I, and a larger reference group II were established for comparison. A significant increase in chromatid breaks (1.4 vs. 0.9 and 0.8 for group I and II) and for cells with aberrations (2.2 vs. 1.6 in group II) was found in the welders. An even larger difference was found when comparing non-smoking welders with their non-smoking referents. No synergistic effect between smoking and MMA/SS welding fumes was observed for any type of aberrations. Current welding fume exposure during the week before sampling was not associated with increases in any type of cytogenetic damage. The results indicated that the increase in chromatid breaks was associated with cumulated welding fume exposure for more than a year, and with not using respirators. Exposure to MMA/SS welding fumes for up to 4 months gave a slight, but significant increase in chromatid breaks when using the welders as their own referents. However, when using matched referents in the study after exposure, no difference was found between these welders and their matched referents. No differences between the groups were observed in the DNA synthesis and repair-inhibited cultures or for SCE.

CMR Reference Values for Left Ventricular Volumes, Mass and Ejection Fraction Using Computer-Aided Analysis: The Framingham Heart Study

PubMed Central

Chuang, Michael L.; Gona, Philimon; Hautvast, Gilion L.T.F.; Salton, Carol J.; Breeuwer, Marcel; O’Donnell, Christopher J.; Manning, Warren J.

2013-01-01

Purpose To determine sex-specific reference values for left ventricular (LV) volumes, mass and ejection fraction (EF) in healthy adults using computer-aided analysis and to examine the effect of age on LV parameters. Methods and Methods We examined data from 1494 members of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, obtained using short-axis stack cine SSFP CMR, identified a healthy reference group (without cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or LV wall motion abnormality) and determined sex-specific upper 95th percentile thresholds for LV volumes and mass, and lower 5th percentile thresholds for EF using computer-assisted border detection. In secondary analyses we stratified participants by age-decade and tested for linear trend across age groups. Results The reference group comprised 685 adults (423F; 61±9 years). Men had greater LV volumes and mass, before and after indexation to common measures of body size (all p<0.001). Women had greater EF (73±6 vs. 71±6%, p=0.0002). LV volumes decreased with greater age in both sexes, even after indexation. Indexed LV mass did not vary with age. LV EF and concentricity increased with greater age in both sexes. Conclusion We present CMR-derived LV reference values. There are significant age and sex differences in LV volumes, EF and geometry, while mass differs between sexes but not age groups. PMID:24123369

76 FR 66192 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Monkfish; Framework Adjustment 7

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-26

... with the new annual catch target, and establishes revised biomass reference points for the Northern and... biomass reference points in the Monkfish FMP to be consistent with the results of SARC 50. Approved... SARC 50 report, the Southern Demersal Working Group recommended an approach that would set biomass...

National Evaluation Program. Issues in Team Policing: A Review of the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gay, William G.; And Others

This report presents the results of a literature survey on team policing, based on references currently available and accessible through the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, the National Technical Information Service, and commercial publishers. (In team policing a group of officers under common supervision are responsible for all…

Analysis of Pulsed Flow Modification Alternatives, Lower Missouri River, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.

2008-01-01

The graphical, tabular, and statistical data presented in this report resulted from analysis of alternative flow regime designs considered by a group of Missouri River managers, stakeholders, and scientists during the summer of 2005. This plenary group was charged with designing a flow regime with increased spring flow pulses to support reproduction and survival of the endangered pallid sturgeon. Environmental flow components extracted from the reference natural flow regime were used to design and assess performance of alternative flow regimes. The analysis is based on modeled flow releases from Gavins Point Dam (near Yankton, South Dakota) for nine design alternatives and two reference scenarios; the reference scenarios are the run-of-the-river and the water-control plan implemented in 2004. The alternative designs were developed by the plenary group with the goal of providing pulsed spring flows, while retaining traditional social and economic uses of the river.

Growth in Indigenous and Nonindigenous Chilean Schoolchildren From 3 Poverty Strata

PubMed Central

Bustos, Patricia; Amigo, Hugo; Muñoz, Sergio R.; Martorell, Reynaldo

2001-01-01

Objectives. This study sought to determine whether the short stature of Mapuche children, an indigenous group in Chile, reflects poverty or genetic heritage and whether the international reference population, derived from studies of US children of mostly European origin, is appropriate for assessing growth failure in indigenous peoples of the Americas. Methods. The study assessed 768 schoolchildren of Mapuche and non-Mapuche ancestry, aged 6 to 9 years, living under conditions of extreme, medium, and low poverty. Results. Growth retardation was strongly related to poverty in both ethnic groups. Within poverty levels, there were no significant differences in stature between ethnic groups, and in low-poverty areas in Santiago, the capital city, mean stature was only slightly less than in the reference population. Conclusions. Poverty, not ancestry, explains the short stature of Mapuche children, and use of the international reference to assess growth in this population is appropriate. PMID:11574328

American College Health Association National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) Spring 2005 Reference Group Data Report (Abridged).

PubMed

2006-01-01

Assessing and understanding the health needs and capacities of college students is paramount to creating healthy campus communities. The American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) is a survey instrument developed by the ACHA in 1998 to assist institutions of higher education in achieving this goal. The ACHA-NCHA contains approximately 300 questions assessing student health status and health problems, risk and protective behaviors, access to health information, impediments to academic performance, and perceived norms across a variety of content areas (eg, injury prevention; personal safety and violence; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; sexual health; weight, nutrition, and exercise; mental health). Twice a year, the ACHA compiles aggregate data from participating institutions in a reference group report for data comparison. Results from the Spring 2005 Reference Group (N = 54,111) are presented in this article.

American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) Spring 2004 Reference Group data report (abridged).

PubMed

2006-01-01

Assessing and understanding the health needs and capacities of college students is paramount to creating healthy campus communities. The American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) is a survey instrument developed by the ACHA in 1998 to assist institutions of higher education in achieving this goal. The ACHA-NCHA contains approximately 300 questions assessing student health status and health problems, risk and protective behaviors, access to health information, impediments to academic performance, and perceived norms across a variety of content areas, including injury prevention; personal safety and violence; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; sexual health; weight, nutrition, and exercise; and mental health. Twice a year, the ACHA compiles aggregate data from participating institutions in a reference group report for data comparison. Results from the Spring 2004 Reference Group (N = 47,202) are presented in this article.

American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment spring 2007 reference group data report (abridged).

PubMed

2008-01-01

Assessing and understanding the health needs and capacities of college students is paramount to creating healthy campus communities. The American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) is a survey that ACHA developed in 1998 to assist institutions of higher education in achieving this goal. The ACHA-NCHA contains approximately 300 questions assessing student health status and health problems, risk and protective behaviors, and impediments to academic performance. The spring 2007 reference group includes ACHA-NCHA data from 71,860 students at 107 institutions of higher education. Officials at participating institutions administered the ACHA-NCHA to all students, to randomly selected students, or to students in randomly selected classrooms. ACHA collected data between January and May 2007. Results from the spring 2007 reference group (N= 71,860) are presented. These data expand the understanding of the health needs and capacities of college students.

Association of Reference Pricing with Drug Selection and Spending

PubMed Central

Robinson, James C.; Whaley, Christopher M.; Brown, Timothy T.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND In the United States, prices for therapeutically similar drugs vary widely, which has prompted efforts by public and private insurers to steer patients toward the lower-priced options. Under reference pricing, the insurer or employer establishes a maximum contribution it will make toward the price of a drug or procedure, and the patient pays the remainder. METHODS We used difference-in-differences multivariable regression methods to analyze changes in prescriptions and pricing for 1302 drugs in 78 therapeutic classes in the United States, before and after implementation of reference pricing by an alliance of private employers. We assessed trends for the study group relative to those for an employee group that was not subject to reference pricing. The study included 1,122,741 prescriptions that were reimbursed during the period from 2010 through 2014. RESULTS Implementation of reference pricing was associated with a higher percentage of prescriptions that were filled for the lowest-priced reference drug within its therapeutic class (difference in probability, 7.0 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0 to 9.9), a lower average price paid per prescription (−13.9%; 95% CI, −23.8 to −2.7), and a higher rate of copayment by patients (5.2%; 95% CI, 0.2 to 10.4) than in the comparison group. During the first 18 months after implementation, spending for employers was $1.34 million lower and the amount of copayments for employees was $0.12 million higher than in the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of reference pricing was associated with significant changes in drug selection and spending for a population of patients covered by employment-based insurance in the United States. (Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Genentech Foundation.) PMID:28813219

[The reference of normal values of the sacroiliac joint index in bone scintigraphy].

PubMed

Sebastjanowicz, Przemysław; Iwanowski, Jacek; Piwowarska-Bilska, Hanna; Elbl, Bogumiła; Birkenfeld, Bożena

Scintigraphy of sacroiliac joints as functional imaging provides unique information on the existing disease process. By using radiopharmaceuticals that allow imaging of the metabolic activity within the joint, it is possible to assess the stage of the disease, even when there are no lesions in radiological images. Quantitative analysis of scintigrams of sacroiliac joints is performed by comparing the uptake in both of them in relation to the uptake in the sacral bone area. The values of sacroiliac (SI/S) indices are influenced by the age of the patient, sex, state of health, and a range of individual biological features. Therefore, reference values of SI/S ratios are very important for medical specialists who describe and diagnose locomotor system diseases. The aim of this paper is to develop a reference range of sacroiliac ratios. The innovativeness of this paper involves examining sacroiliac ratios for various age groups, in children and adult patients, taking their sex into consideration. The study comprised a group of 335 people with proper bone scintigraphy. These people were divided into children and patients aged ≥21. Children were divided into 4 age groups (1–5; 6–10; 11–15; 16–20) and adults into 6 age groups (21–30; 31–40; 41–50; 51–60; 61–70; ≥71). Sacroiliac ratios were calculated using the method of three rectangular region of interests located on the left and right sacroiliac joint and on the sacral bone. The sacroiliac ratio was calculated for both joints by dividing the average number of counts within a selected sacroiliac joint by the average number of counts within the sacral bone. SI/S borderline reference values covered the range of 1.18÷2.28 that was obtained for children aged ≤5 and for the group of 11–15-year-olds. Considerable discrepancies in the values of the coefficient for women and men were seen among 31–50-year-olds. Borderline reference results for the entire control group cover the range of 1.18 ±2.28. The lower reference value applies to ≤5-year-olds, whereas the higher value applies to the group of 11–15-year-olds. The standard deviation value obtained was highest in paediatric patients. The results indicate the occurrence of significant individual differences between patients in this age group.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health of 74 Children From Women Previously Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Comparison With a Population-Based Reference Cohort.

PubMed

de Wilde, Marlieke A; Eising, Jacobien B; Gunning, Marlise N; Koster, Maria P H; Evelein, Annemieke M V; Dalmeijer, Geertje W; Uiterwaal, Cuno S P M; Eijkemans, Marinus J C; van der Ent, Cornelis K; Meijboom, Folkert J; Fauser, Bart C J M

2018-01-01

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have compromised cardiovascular health profiles and an increased risk of pregnancy complications. In order to evaluate potential consequences, we aim to compare the cardiovascular and metabolic health of the children from women with PCOS with a population-based reference cohort. We included children from women with PCOS between the age of 2.5 to 4 years (n = 42) and 6 to 8 years (n = 32). The reference groups consisted of 168 (3-4 years old) and 130 children (7-8 years old). In an extensive cardiovascular screening program, we measured anthropometrics and blood pressure (all children), heart function and vascular rigidity (young children), metabolic laboratory assessment and carotid intima thickness (old age-group). Results showed that young PCOS offspring have a significantly lower diastolic blood pressure (β = 2.3 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.5-4.0]) and higher aortic pulse pressure (β = -1.4 [95% CI: -2.5 to -0.2]), compared to the reference population. Furthermore, a higher left ventricle internal diameter but a lower tissue Doppler imaging of the right wall in systole compared to the reference group was found. Older offspring of women with PCOS presented with a significantly lower breast and abdominal circumference, but higher triglycerides (β = -0.1 [95% CI: -0.2 to -0.1]), LDL-cholesterol (β = -0.4 [95% CI: -0.6 to -0.1]), and higher carotid intima-media thickness (β = -31.7 [95% CI: -46.6 to -16.9]) compared to the reference group. In conclusion, we observe subtle but distinct cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities already at an early age in PCOS offspring compared to a population-based reference group, despite a lower diastolic blood pressure, breast, and abdominal circumference. These preliminary findings require confirmation in independent data sets.

River bottom sediment from the Vistula as matrix of candidate for a new reference material.

PubMed

Kiełbasa, Anna; Buszewski, Bogusław

2017-08-01

Bottom sediments are very important in aquatic ecosystems. The sediments accumulate heavy metals and compounds belonging to the group of persistent organic pollutants. The accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was used for extraction of 16 compounds from PAH group from bottom sediment of Vistula. For the matrix of candidate of a new reference material, moisture content, particle size, loss on ignition, pH, and total organic carbon were determined. A gas chromatograph with a selective mass detector (GC/MS) was used for the final analysis. The obtained recoveries were from 86% (SD=6.9) for anthracene to 119% (SD=5.4) for dibenzo(ah)anthracene. For the candidate for a new reference material, homogeneity and analytes content were determined using a validated method. The results are a very important part of the development and certification of a new reference materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of an information literacy course on students' information search behavior.

PubMed

Weinert, Daniel J; Palmer, Erin M

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an information literacy course on students' information gathering behavior. Two student groups, consisting of 69 (Group One) and 177 (Group Two) students, were compared in their performance on a literature review assignment. Group one did not have an information literacy course, while group two was the first class to receive a newly introduced course in information literacy. Assignment references served as the dependent variables and included the following categories: total number of references, number and percentage of peer reviewed journal references, number and percentage of non-peer reviewed journal references, number and percentage of website references, number and percentage of authority opinion references, and number and percentage of textbook references. Referenced websites were further divided into the following: .com, .org, .edu, .gov. for both total number and percent utilization.Independent T-tests were performed between the information literacy course status and each of the dependent variables. Descriptive data (prior education, cumulative GPA, average age of student groups) was similar for both groups. Independent T-test analysis revealed a strong association (p < .05) between increasing both the number and percentage of peer reviewed references and having the information literacy course. The introduction of an information literacy course did influence the information gathering behavior of students. Students showed an increased reliance on peer-reviewed references.

Stabilized-solubilized ferric pyrophosphate as a new iron source for food fortification. Bioavailability studies by means of the prophylactic-preventive method in rats.

PubMed

Salgueiro, M J; Arnoldi, S; Kaliski, M A; Torti, H; Messeri, E; Weill, R; Zubillaga, M; Boccio, J

2009-02-01

The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the iron bioavailability of a new ferric pyrophosphate salt stabilized and solubilized with glycine. The prophylactic-preventive test in rats, using ferrous sulfate as the reference standard, was applied as the evaluating methodology both using water and yogurt as vehicles. Fifty female Sprague-Dawley rats weaned were randomized into five different groups (group 1: FeSO(4); group 2: pyr; group 3: FeSO(4) + yogurt; group 4: pyr + yogurt and group 5: control). The iron bioavailability (BioFe) of each compound was calculated using the formula proposed by Dutra-de-Oliveira et al. where BioFe % = (HbFef - HbFei) x 100/ToFeIn. Finally, the iron bioavailability results of each iron source were also given as relative biological value (RBV) using ferrous sulfate as the reference standard. The results showed that both BioFe % and RBV % of the new iron source tested is similar to that of the reference standard independently of the vehicle employed for the fortification procedure (FeSO(4) 49.46 +/- 12.0% and 100%; Pyr 52.66 +/- 15.02% and 106%; FeSO(4) + yogurth 54.39 +/- 13.92% and 110%; Pyr + yogurt 61.97 +/- 13.54% and 125%; Control 25.30 +/- 6.60, p < 0.05). Therefore, the stabilized and soluble ferric pyrophosphate may be considered as an optimal iron source for food fortification.

American Mathematics from 1940 to the Day Before Yesterday

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewing, J. H.; And Others

1976-01-01

Ten recent results in pure mathematics are described, covering the continuum hypothesis, Diophantine equations, simple groups, resolution of singularities, Weil conjectures, Lie groups, Poincare conjecture, exotic spheres, differential equations, and the index theorem. Proofs are omitted, but references are provided. (DT)

[Functional results of Hirschsprung's disease patients after Duhamel and De la Torre procedures].

PubMed

Fernández Ibieta, M; Sánchez Morote, J M; Martínez Castaño, I; Reyes Ríos, P; Cabrejos Perotti, K; Rojas Ticona, J; Ruiz Pruneda, R; Aranda García, M J; Roqués Serradilla, J L; Trujillo Ascanio, A; Hernández Bermejo, J P; Ruiz Jiménez, J I

2013-10-01

Long term results of different surgical techniques in Hirschsprung's Disease (HD) are contradictory. There are still no long term large or multicentric reports about functional results of De la Torre technique. We have studied the mid term functional results of the patients operated on Duhamel (D) and De la Torre (dlT) pull-through procedures. We collected data from medical records and telephone interviews of the HD patients operated in our unit in the last 16 years. 38 patients were found. Ages ranged from 1.5 to 21 years. Mean age was 7.7 years. Median follow up was 5.9 years. 33 (86.8%) had rectosigmoid disease and 5 (13.2%) had long segment disease. D procedure was performed in 17 (44.7%), Soave in 1 (2.6%), Duhamel-Lester-Martin in 4 (10.5%) and dlT pull-through in 16(42%). In the last visit record, 12 (31.6%), had constipation, and fecal leaks were noted in 11 (33.3%) of the 33 patients > or = 4 years old.. 10 patients (29.4% of the > or = 4 years old group) referred encopresis along the follow-up. Patients from the D group referred higher rates of constipation than those in the dlT group (53.3% vs 20% p=0.048). dlT patients referred more frequency of leaks (46,1% vs 13,3%, p=0,05) Children with very short resections (< or = 10 cm) were more prone to constipation than children with longer resections (66,6% vs 17.4% p=0.007), and less prone to present leaks (12.5% vs 47.3% p=0.08). Encopresis was similar in all groups. Both techniques show similar functional results in the mid term, although children in the D group were more prone to constipation and those in the dlT group presented more fecal leaks. All patients with EH need long follow-ups.

JXTA: A Technology Facilitating Mobile P2P Health Management System

PubMed Central

Rajkumar, Rajasekaran; Nallani Chackravatula Sriman, Narayana Iyengar

2012-01-01

Objectives Mobile JXTA (Juxtapose) gaining momentum and has attracted the interest of doctors and patients through P2P service that transmits messages. Audio and video can also be transmitted through JXTA. The use of mobile streaming mechanism with the support of mobile hospital management and healthcare system would enable better interaction between doctors, nurses, and the hospital. Experimental results demonstrate good performance in comparison with conventional systems. This study evaluates P2P JXTA/JXME (JXTA functionality to MIDP devices.) which facilitates peer-to-peer application+ using mobile-constraint devices. Also a proven learning algorithm was used to automatically send and process sorted patient data to nurses. Methods From December 2010 to December 2011, a total of 500 patients were referred to our hospital due to minor health problems and were monitored. We selected all of the peer groups and the control server, which controlled the BMO (Block Medical Officer) peer groups and BMO through the doctor peer groups, and prescriptions were delivered to the patient’s mobile phones through the JXTA/ JXME network. Results All 500 patients were registered in the JXTA network. Among these, 300 patient histories were referred to the record peer group by the doctors, 100 patients were referred to the external doctor peer group, and 100 patients were registered as new users in the JXTA/JXME network. Conclusion This system was developed for mobile streaming applications and was designed to support the mobile health management system using JXTA/ JXME. The simulated results show that this system can carry out streaming audio and video applications. Controlling and monitoring by the doctor peer group makes the system more flexible and structured. Enhanced studies are needed to improve knowledge mining and cloud-based M health management technology in comparison with the traditional system. PMID:24159509

Sexpectations: Male College Students' Views about Displayed Sexual References on Females' Social Networking Web Sites

PubMed Central

Moreno, Megan A.; Swanson, Michael J.; Royer, Heather; Roberts, Linda J.

2011-01-01

Study Objective Sexual reference display on a social networking web site (SNS) is associated with self-reported sexual intention; females are more likely to display sexually explicit content on SNSs. The purpose of this study was to investigate male college students' views towards sexual references displayed on publicly available SNSs by females. Design Focus groups Setting One large state university Participants Male college students age 18–23 Interventions All tape recorded data was fully transcribed, then discussed to determine thematic consensus. Main Outcome Measures A trained male facilitator asked participants about views on sexual references displayed on SNSs by female peers and showed examples of sexual references from female's SNS profiles to facilitate discussion. Results A total of 28 heterosexual male participants participated in 7 focus groups. Nearly all participants reported using Facebook to evaluate potential female partners. Three themes emerged from our data. First, participants reported that displays of sexual references on social networking web sites increased sexual expectations. Second, sexual reference display decreased interest in pursuing a dating relationship. Third, SNS data was acknowledged as imperfect but valuable. Conclusion Females who display sexual references on publicly available SNS profiles may be influencing potential partners' sexual expectations and dating intentions. Future research should examine females' motivations and beliefs about displaying such references, and educate women about the potential impact of these sexual displays. PMID:21190872

Patterns of Mortality in Patients Treated with Dental Implants: A Comparison of Patient Age Groups and Corresponding Reference Populations.

PubMed

Jemt, Torsten; Kowar, Jan; Nilsson, Mats; Stenport, Victoria

2015-01-01

Little is known about the relationship between implant patient mortality compared to reference populations. The aim of this study was to report the mortality pattern in patients treated with dental implants up to a 15-year period, and to compare this to mortality in reference populations with regard to age at surgery, sex, and degree of tooth loss. Patient cumulative survival rate (CSR) was calculated for a total of 4,231 treated implant patients from a single clinic. Information was based on surgical registers in the clinic and the National Population Register in Sweden. Patients were arranged into age groups of 10 years, and CSR was compared to that of the reference population of comparable age and reported in relation to age at surgery, sex, and type of jaw/dentition. A similar, consistent, general relationship between CSR of different age groups of implant patients and reference populations could be observed for all parameters studied. Completely edentulous patients presented higher mortality than partially edentulous patients (P < .05). Furthermore, implant patients in younger age groups showed mortality similar to or higher than reference populations, while older patient age groups showed increasingly lower mortality than comparable reference populations for edentulous and partially edentulous patients (P < .05). A consistent pattern of mortality in different age groups of patients compared to reference populations was observed, indicating higher patient mortality in younger age groups and lower in older groups. The reported pattern is not assumed to be related to implant treatment per se, but is assumed to reflect the variation in general health of a selected subgroup of treated implant patients compared to the reference population in different age groups.

In-vitro evaluation of the accuracy of conventional and digital methods of obtaining full-arch dental impressions.

PubMed

Ender, Andreas; Mehl, Albert

2015-01-01

To investigate the accuracy of conventional and digital impression methods used to obtain full-arch impressions by using an in-vitro reference model. Eight different conventional (polyether, POE; vinylsiloxanether, VSE; direct scannable vinylsiloxanether, VSES; and irreversible hydrocolloid, ALG) and digital (CEREC Bluecam, CER; CEREC Omnicam, OC; Cadent iTero, ITE; and Lava COS, LAV) full-arch impressions were obtained from a reference model with a known morphology, using a highly accurate reference scanner. The impressions obtained were then compared with the original geometry of the reference model and within each test group. A point-to-point measurement of the surface of the model using the signed nearest neighbour method resulted in a mean (10%-90%)/2 percentile value for the difference between the impression and original model (trueness) as well as the difference between impressions within a test group (precision). Trueness values ranged from 11.5 μm (VSE) to 60.2 μm (POE), and precision ranged from 12.3 μm (VSE) to 66.7 μm (POE). Among the test groups, VSE, VSES, and CER showed the highest trueness and precision. The deviation pattern varied with the impression method. Conventional impressions showed high accuracy across the full dental arch in all groups, except POE and ALG. Conventional and digital impression methods show differences regarding full-arch accuracy. Digital impression systems reveal higher local deviations of the full-arch model. Digital intraoral impression systems do not show superior accuracy compared to highly accurate conventional impression techniques. However, they provide excellent clinical results within their indications applying the correct scanning technique.

Reference values for anxiety questionnaires: the Leiden Routine Outcome Monitoring Study.

PubMed

Schulte-van Maaren, Yvonne W M; Giltay, Erik J; van Hemert, Albert M; Zitman, Frans G; de Waal, Margot W M; Carlier, Ingrid V E

2013-09-25

The monitoring of patients with an anxiety disorder can benefit from Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM). As anxiety disorders differ in phenomenology, several anxiety questionnaires are included in ROM: Brief Scale for Anxiety (BSA), PADUA Inventory Revised (PI-R), Panic Appraisal Inventory (PAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ), Social Interaction, Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Social Phobia Scale (SPS), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). We aimed to generate reference values for both 'healthy' and 'clinically anxious' populations for these anxiety questionnaires. We included 1295 subjects from the general population (ROM reference-group) and 5066 psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with a specific anxiety disorder (ROM patient-group). The MINI was used as diagnostic device in both the ROM reference group and the ROM patient group. To define limits for one-sided reference intervals (95th percentile; P95) the outermost 5% of observations were used. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses were used to yield alternative cut-off values for the anxiety questionnaires. For the ROM reference-group the mean age was 40.3 years (SD=12.6), and for the ROM patient-group it was 36.5 years (SD=11.9). Females constituted 62.8% of the reference-group and 64.4% of the patient-group. P95 ROM reference group cut-off values for reference versus clinically anxious populations were 11 for the BSA, 43 for the PI-R, 37 for the PAI Anticipated Panic, 47 for the PAI Perceived Consequences, 65 for the PAI Perceived Self-efficacy, 66 for the PSWQ, 74 for the WDQ, 32 for the SIAS, 19 for the SPS, and 36 for IES-R. ROC analyses yielded slightly lower reference values. The discriminative power of all eight anxiety questionnaires was very high. Substantial non-response and limited generalizability. For eight anxiety questionnaires a comprehensive set of reference values was provided. Reference values were generally higher in women than in men, implying the use of gender-specific cut-off values. Each instrument can be offered to every patient with MAS disorders to make responsible decisions about continuing, changing or terminating therapy. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Higher limb asymmetry in deceased human fetuses and infants with aneuploidy

PubMed Central

Bots, Jessica; ten Broek, Clara M. A.; Belien, Jeroen A. M.; Bugiani, Marianna; Galis, Frietson; Van Dongen, Stefan

2014-01-01

Aneuploidies cause gene-dosage imbalances that presumably result in a generalized decreased developmental homeostasis, which is expected to be detectable through an increase in fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral symmetric traits. However, support for the link between aneuploidy and FA is currently limited and no comparisons among different aneuploidies have been made. Here, we study FA in deceased human fetuses and infants from a 20-year hospital collection. Mean FA of limb bones was compared among groups of aneuploidies with different prenatal and postnatal survival chances and two reference groups (normal karyogram or no congenital anomalies). Limb asymmetry was 1.5 times higher for aneuploid cases with generally very short life expectancies (trisomy 13, trisomy 18, monosomy X, triploidy) than for trisomy 21 patients and both reference groups with higher life expectancies. Thus, FA levels are highest in groups for which developmental disturbances have been highest. Our results show a significant relationship between fluctuating asymmetry, human genetic disorders and severity of the associated abnormalities. PMID:24424506

Ethnic Differences in Gestational Weight Gain: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Norway.

PubMed

Kinnunen, Tarja I; Waage, Christin W; Sommer, Christine; Sletner, Line; Raitanen, Jani; Jenum, Anne Karen

2016-07-01

Objectives To explore ethnic differences in gestational weight gain (GWG). Methods This was a population-based cohort study conducted in primary care child health clinics in Groruddalen, Oslo, Norway. Participants were healthy pregnant women (n = 632) categorised to six ethnic groups (43 % were Western European women, the reference group). Body weight was measured at 15 and 28 weeks' gestation on average. Data on pre-pregnancy weight and total GWG until delivery were self-reported. The main method of analysis was linear regression adjusting for age, weeks' gestation, pre-pregnancy body mass index, education and severe nausea. Results No ethnic differences were observed in GWG by 15 weeks' gestation. By 28 weeks' gestation, Eastern European women had gained 2.71 kg (95 % confidence interval, CI 1.10-4.33) and Middle Eastern women 1.32 kg (95 % CI 0.14-2.50) more weight on average than the Western European women in the fully adjusted model. Among Eastern European women, the total adjusted GWG was 3.47 kg (95 % CI 1.33-5.61) above the reference group. Other ethnic groups (South Asian, East Asian and African) did not differ from the reference group. When including non-smokers (n = 522) only, observed between-group differences increased and Middle Eastern women gained more weight than the reference group by all time points. Conclusions Eastern European and Middle Eastern women had higher GWG on average than Western European women, especially among the non-smokers. Although prevention of excessive GWG is important for all pregnant women, these ethnic groups might need special attention during pregnancy.

[Establishing biological reference intervals of alanine transaminase for clinical laboratory stored database].

PubMed

Guo, Wei; Song, Binbin; Shen, Junfei; Wu, Jiong; Zhang, Chunyan; Wang, Beili; Pan, Baishen

2015-08-25

To establish an indirect reference interval based on the test results of alanine aminotransferase stored in a laboratory information system. All alanine aminotransferase results were included for outpatients and physical examinations that were stored in the laboratory information system of Zhongshan Hospital during 2014. The original data were transformed using a Box-Cox transformation to obtain an approximate normal distribution. Outliers were identified and omitted using the Chauvenet and Tukey methods. The indirect reference intervals were obtained by simultaneously applying nonparametric and Hoffmann methods. The reference change value was selected to determine the statistical significance of the observed differences between the calculated and published reference intervals. The indirect reference intervals for alanine aminotransferase of all groups were 12 to 41 U/L (male, outpatient), 12 to 48 U/L (male, physical examination), 9 to 32 U/L (female, outpatient), and 8 to 35 U/L (female, physical examination), respectively. The absolute differences when compared with the direct results were all smaller than the reference change value of alanine aminotransferase. The Box-Cox transformation combined with the Hoffmann and Tukey methods is a simple and reliable technique that should be promoted and used by clinical laboratories.

Two-year follow-up biomonitoring pilot study of residents' and controls' PFC plasma levels after PFOA reduction in public water system in Arnsberg, Germany.

PubMed

Brede, Edna; Wilhelm, Michael; Göen, Thomas; Müller, Johannes; Rauchfuss, Knut; Kraft, Martin; Hölzer, Jürgen

2010-06-01

Residents in Arnsberg, Germany, had been supplied by drinking water contaminated with perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Biomonitoring data from 2006 evidenced that plasma PFOA concentrations of residents from Arnsberg were 4.5-8.3 times higher than those in reference groups. The introduction of charcoal filtration in July 2006 distinctly reduced PFOA concentrations in drinking water. Our one-year follow-up study showed a 10-20% reduction of PFOA plasma levels in residents from Arnsberg. Here we report the first results of the two-year follow-up study Arnsberg 2008. Additionally, the results of the two-year follow-up examination of the reference group are included. Paired plasma samples of 138 study participants (45 children, 46 mothers and 47 men) collected in 2006 and 2008 were considered in the statistical analyses. Within the two years plasma concentrations of PFOA, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) decreased in residents from Arnsberg and in control groups. The geometric means of PFOA plasma levels declined by 39% (children and mothers) and 26% (men) in Arnsberg and by 13-15% in the corresponding subgroups from the reference areas. For the population from Arnsberg a geometric mean plasma PFOA half-life of 3.26 years (range 1.03-14.67 years) was calculated. Our results confirm an ongoing reduction of the PFOA load in residents from Arnsberg. The decline of PFC levels in plasma of participants from the reference areas reflects the general decrease of human PFC exposure during the very recent years. Copyright 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Weight loss among female health care workers- a 1-year workplace based randomized controlled trial in the FINALE-health study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Weight management constitutes a substantial problem particularly among groups of low socio-economic status. Interventions at work places may be a solution, but high quality worksite interventions documenting prolonged weight loss are lacking. This paper presents results of an intervention aimed to achieve a 12 months weight loss among overweight health care workers. Methods Ninety-eight overweight female health care workers were randomized into an intervention or a reference group. The intervention consisted of diet, physical exercise and cognitive behavioral training during working hours 1 hour/week. The reference group was offered monthly oral presentations. Several anthropometric measures, blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, maximal muscle strength, and musculoskeletal pain were measured before and after the 12-months intervention period. Data were analyzed by intention-to-treat analysis. Results The intervention group significantly reduced body weight by 6 kg (p < 0.001), BMI by 2.2 (p < 0.001) and body fat percentage by 2.8 (p < 0.001). There were no statistical reductions in the control group, resulting in significant differences between the two groups over time. Conclusions The intervention generated substantial reductions in body weight, BMI and body fat percentage among overweight female health care workers over 12 months. The positive results support the workplace as an efficient arena for weight loss among overweight females. Trial registration NCT01015716. PMID:22871173

Identification and Evaluation of Reliable Reference Genes in the Medicinal Fungus Shiraia bambusicola.

PubMed

Song, Liang; Li, Tong; Fan, Li; Shen, Xiao-Ye; Hou, Cheng-Lin

2016-04-01

The stability of reference genes plays a vital role in real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis, which is generally regarded as a convenient and sensitive tool for the analysis of gene expression. A well-known medicinal fungus, Shiraia bambusicola, has great potential in the pharmaceutical, agricultural and food industries, but its suitable reference genes have not yet been determined. In the present study, 11 candidate reference genes in S. bambusicola were first evaluated and validated comprehensively. To identify the suitable reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis, three software-based algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder and Best Keeper, were applied to rank the tested genes. RNA samples were collected from seven fermentation stages using different media (potato dextrose or Czapek medium) and under different light conditions (12-h light/12-h dark and all-dark). The three most appropriate reference genes, ubi, tfc and ags, were able to normalize the qRT-PCR results under the culturing conditions of 12-h light/12-h dark, whereas the other three genes, vac, gke and acyl, performed better in the culturing conditions of all-dark growth. Therefore, under different light conditions, at least two reference genes (ubi and vac) could be employed to assure the reliability of qRT-PCR results. For both the natural culture medium (the most appropriate genes of this group: ubi, tfc and ags) and the chemically defined synthetic medium (the most stable genes of this group: tfc, vac and ef), the tfc gene remained the best gene used for normalizing the gene expression found with qRT-PCR. It is anticipated that these results would improve the selection of suitable reference genes for qRT-PCR assays and lay the foundation for an accurate analysis of gene expression in S. bambusicola.

IQ, handedness, and pedophilia in adult male patients stratified by referral source.

PubMed

Blanchard, Ray; Kolla, Nathan J; Cantor, James M; Klassen, Philip E; Dickey, Robert; Kuban, Michael E; Blak, Thomas

2007-09-01

This study investigated whether the previously observed association of pedophilia with lower IQs is an artifact of heterogeneity in referral source. The subjects were 832 adult male patients referred to a specialty clinic for evaluation of their sexual behavior. The patients' erotic preferences for prepubescent, pubescent, or adult partners were assessed with phallometric testing. Full scale IQ was estimated using six subtests from the WAIS-R. The results showed that the relations between pedophilia and lower IQ, lesser education, and increased rates of non-right-handedness were the same in homogeneous groups referred by lawyers or parole and probation officers as they were in a heterogeneous group referred by a miscellany of other sources. Those results, along with secondary analyses in the study, supported the conclusion that the relation between pedophilia and cognitive function is genuine and not artifactual. The findings were interpreted as evidence for the hypothesis that neurodevelopmental perturbations increase the risk of pedophilia in males.

Determination of the platinum - Group elements (PGE) and gold (Au) in manganese nodule reference samples by nickel sulfide fire-assay and Te coprecipitation with ICP-MS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Balaram, V.; Mathur, R.; Banakar, V.K.; Hein, J.R.; Rao, C.R.M.; Gnaneswara, Rao T.; Dasaram, B.

2006-01-01

Platinum group elements (PGE) and Au data in polymetallic oceanic ferromanganese nodule reference samples and crust samples obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), after separation and pre-concentration by nickel sulfide fire-assay and Te coprecipitation, are presented. By optimizing several critical parameters such as flux composition, matrix matching calibration, etc., best experimental conditions were established to develop a method suitable for routine analysis of manganese nodule samples for PGE and Au. Calibrations were performed using international PGE reference materials, WMG-1 and WMS-1. This improved procedure offers extremely low detection limits in the range of 0.004 to 0.016 ng/g. The results obtained in this study for the reference materials compare well with previously published data wherever available. New PGE data arc also provided on some international manganese nodule reference materials. The analytical methodology described here can be used for the routine analysis of manganese nodule and crust samples in marine geochemical studies.

Visual Grouping in Accordance With Utterance Planning Facilitates Speech Production.

PubMed

Zhao, Liming; Paterson, Kevin B; Bai, Xuejun

2018-01-01

Research on language production has focused on the process of utterance planning and involved studying the synchronization between visual gaze and the production of sentences that refer to objects in the immediate visual environment. However, it remains unclear how the visual grouping of these objects might influence this process. To shed light on this issue, the present research examined the effects of the visual grouping of objects in a visual display on utterance planning in two experiments. Participants produced utterances of the form "The snail and the necklace are above/below/on the left/right side of the toothbrush" for objects containing these referents (e.g., a snail, a necklace and a toothbrush). These objects were grouped using classic Gestalt principles of color similarity (Experiment 1) and common region (Experiment 2) so that the induced perceptual grouping was congruent or incongruent with the required phrasal organization. The results showed that speech onset latencies were shorter in congruent than incongruent conditions. The findings therefore reveal that the congruency between the visual grouping of referents and the required phrasal organization can influence speech production. Such findings suggest that, when language is produced in a visual context, speakers make use of both visual and linguistic cues to plan utterances.

[Study on the correlation between adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems and life events].

PubMed

Huang, Xue-zhu; Guo, Lan-ting; Tang, Guang-zheng

2006-03-01

To study the life events which are correlated with adolescent's emotion and behavior problems, and to provide evidence for clinicians and school staff to develop intervention for those problems. Youth's Self Report (YSR) and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC) were used to assess adolescent's emotional and behavioral problems and life events by 'spot' study. The referred group consisted of 585 patients from 11 to 18 years old in a Mental Health Centre of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from July in 2002 to March in 2004. Level of IQ was above 5th grade of primary school among the study subjects who were willing to fill in the YSR and ASLEC. The non-referred group was selected in a 1280 students cluster-sample from the schools of Chengdu city, whose sex, age and father's career were matched with the referred group. Variance inflation factor (VIF) was used to verify that there was no collinearity to each other in the 6 factors of ASLEC: interpersonal relationship, learning pressure, being punished, losing good adaptation and other. Linear stepwise regression was adopted. The YSR scores in referred group were higher than those in non-referred group, and the referred group had more emotional and behavioral problems than the non-referred one. Partial correlations ranged from 0.124 to 0.418 in referred group, and from 0.104 to 0.388 in non-referred group. Unsatisfied interpersonal relationship, heavy learning pressure, having been punished and poor adaptation were likely to increase the risk of youth's emotional and behavioral problems. More attention should be paid to help adolescents in the following areas: solving intrapersonal affairs, relieving pressure from learning, avoiding punishment, and improving ability to fit themselves to their surroundings.

The first reference equations for the 6-minute walk distance over a 10 m course.

PubMed

Beekman, Emmylou; Mesters, Ilse; Gosselink, Rik; Klaassen, Mariska P M; Hendriks, Erik J M; Van Schayck, Onno C P; de Bie, Rob A

2014-09-01

As primary care practice space is mostly limited to 10 m, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) over a 10 m course is a frequently used alternative to evaluate patients' performance in COPD. Considering that course length significantly affects distance walked in 6 minutes (6MWD), this study aims to develop appropriate reference equations for the 10 m 6MWT. 181 healthy subjects, aged 40-90 years, performed two standardised 6MWTs over a straight 10 m course in a cross-sectional study. Average distance achieved was 578±108 m and differed between males and females (p<0.001). Resulting sex-specific reference equations from multiple regression analysis included age, body mass index and change in heart rate, explaining 62% of the variance in 6MWD for males and 71% for females. The presented reference equations are the first to evaluate 6MWD over a 10 m course and expand the usefulness of the 6MWT. 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.

Reference Intervals of Alpha-Fetoprotein and Carcinoembryonic Antigen in the Apparently Healthy Population.

PubMed

Zhang, Gao-Ming; Guo, Xu-Xiao; Ma, Xiao-Bo; Zhang, Guo-Ming

2016-12-12

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to calculate 95% reference intervals and double-sided limits of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) according to the CLSI EP28-A3 guideline. MATERIAL AND METHODS Serum AFP and CEA values were measured in samples from 26 000 healthy subjects in the Shuyang area receiving general health checkups. The 95% reference intervals and upper limits were calculated by using MedCalc. RESULTS We provided continuous reference intervals from 20 years old to 90 years old for AFP and CEA. The reference intervals were: AFP, 1.31-7.89 ng/ml (males) and 1.01-7.10 ng/ml (females); CEA, 0.51-4.86 ng/ml (males) and 0.35-3.45ng/ml (females). AFP and CEA were significantly positively correlated with age in both males (r=0.196 and r=0.198) and females (r=0.121 and r=0.197). CONCLUSIONS Different races or populations and different detection systems may result in different reference intervals for AFP and CEA. Continuous reference intervals of age changes are more accurate than age groups.

Familial Aggregation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Kamel, Freya; Lichtenstein, Paul; Bellocco, Rino; Sparén, Pär; Sandler, Dale P; Ye, Weimin

2009-01-01

Objective To assess the relative risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in families of ALS patients. Methods We conducted a cohort study based on the Swedish Multi-Generation Register (MGR) in 1961-2005. Among 6,671 probands (first ALS case in the family), 1,909 full siblings, 13,947 children, and 5,405 spouses were identified (exposed group). Other persons in MGR, who were siblings, children, or spouses to persons without ALS, served as the reference group. Relative risks of ALS among the exposed group, compared to the reference group, were calculated from Poisson regression models. Concurrence of ALS within twins was assessed in 86,441 twin pairs registered in the Swedish Twin Register. Results Nine cases of ALS were noted among the siblings and 37 cases among the children of the probands, giving a 17-fold risk among the siblings (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.1-30.4) and a 9-fold risk among the children (95% CI, 6.2-12.0), compared to the reference group. Siblings and children had a higher excess risk if the proband was diagnosed at younger age, and the excess risks decreased with increasing age at diagnosis of the proband (p < 0.001). Spouses had no significantly increased risk (p = 0.27). Two cases were identified among the co-twins of ALS probands, giving a relative risk of 32 (95% CI, 5.2-102.6). Interpretation The siblings and children of ALS patients have an around 10-fold risk of ALS compared to the reference group. The excess risks vary with both age and kinship, indicating a major genetic role in familial ALS. PMID:19670447

Reference values for muscle strength: a systematic review with a descriptive meta-analysis.

PubMed

Benfica, Poliana do Amaral; Aguiar, Larissa Tavares; Brito, Sherindan Ayessa Ferreira de; Bernardino, Luane Helena Nunes; Teixeira-Salmela, Luci Fuscaldi; Faria, Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais

2018-05-03

Muscle strength is an important component of health. To describe and evaluate the studies which have established the reference values for muscle strength on healthy individuals and to synthesize these values with a descriptive meta-analysis approach. A systematic review was performed in MEDLINE, LILACS, and SciELO databases. Studies that investigated the reference values for muscle strength of two or more appendicular/axial muscle groups of health individuals were included. Methodological quality, including risk of bias was assessed by the QUADAS-2. Data extracted included: country of the study, sample size, population characteristics, equipment/method used, and muscle groups evaluated. Of the 414 studies identified, 46 were included. Most of the studies had adequate methodological quality. Included studies evaluated: appendicular (80.4%) and axial (36.9%) muscles; adults (78.3%), elderly (58.7%), adolescents (43.5%), children (23.9%); isometric (91.3%) and isokinetic (17.4%) strength. Six studies (13%) with similar procedures were synthesized with meta-analysis. Generally, the coefficient of variation values that resulted from the meta-analysis ranged from 20.1% to 30% and were similar to those reported by the original studies. The meta-analysis synthesized the reference values of isometric strength of 14 muscle groups of the dominant/non-dominant sides of the upper/lower limbs of adults/elderly from developed countries, using dynamometers/myometer. Most of the included studies had adequate methodological quality. The meta-analysis provided reference values for the isometric strength of 14 appendicular muscle groups of the dominant/non-dominant sides, measured with dynamometers/myometers, of men/women, of adults/elderly. These data may be used to interpret the results of the evaluations and establish appropriate treatment goals. Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Five road safety education programmes for young adolescent pedestrians and cyclists: a multi-programme evaluation in a field setting.

PubMed

Twisk, Divera A M; Vlakveld, Willem P; Commandeur, Jacques J F; Shope, Jean T; Kok, Gerjo

2014-05-01

A practical approach was developed to assess and compare the effects of five short road safety education (RSE) programmes for young adolescents that does not rely on injury or crash data but uses self reported behaviour. Questionnaires were administered just before and about one month after participation in the RSE programmes, both to youngsters who had participated in a RSE programme, the intervention group, and to a comparable reference group of youngsters who had not, the reference group. For each RSE programme, the answers to the questionnaires in the pre- and post-test were checked for internal consistency and then condensed into a single safety score using categorical principal components analysis. Next, an analysis of covariance was performed on the obtained safety scores in order to compare the post-test scores of the intervention and reference groups, corrected for their corresponding pre-test scores. It was found that three out of five RSE programmes resulted in significantly improved self-reported safety behaviour. However, the proportions of participants that changed their behaviour relative to the reference group were small, ranging from 3% to 20%. Comparisons among programme types showed cognitive approaches not to differ in effect from programmes that used fear-appeal approaches. The method used provides a useful tool to assess and compare the effects of different education programmes on self-reported behaviour. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chronic heart failure and aging - effects of exercise training on endothelial function and mechanisms of endothelial regeneration: Results from the Leipzig Exercise Intervention in Chronic heart failure and Aging (LEICA) study.

PubMed

Sandri, Marcus; Viehmann, Manuel; Adams, Volker; Rabald, Kristin; Mangner, Norman; Höllriegel, Robert; Lurz, Philipp; Erbs, Sandra; Linke, Axel; Kirsch, Katharina; Möbius-Winkler, Sven; Thiery, Joachim; Teupser, Daniel; Hambrecht, Rainer; Schuler, Gerhard; Gielen, Stephan

2016-03-01

A reduction in number and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) occurs in both physiologic aging and chronic heart failure (CHF). We assessed whether disease and aging have additive effects on EPCs or whether beneficial effects of exercise training are diminished in old age. We randomized 60 patients with stable CHF and 60 referent controls to a training or a control group. To detect possible aging effects we included subjects below 55 (young) and above 65 years (older). Subjects in the training group exercised four times daily at 60% to 70% of VO2max for four weeks under supervision. At baseline and after the intervention the number and function of EPCs were assessed. As compared with young referent controls, older referent controls showed at baseline a reduced EPC number (young: 190 ± 37 CD34/KDR positive cells/ml blood; older: 131 ± 26 CD34/KDR positive cells/ml blood; p < 0.05) and function (young: 230 ± 41 migrated cells/1000 plated cells; older: 185 ± 28 cells/1000 plated cells; p < 0.05). In young and older CHF patients EPC-number (young: 85 ± 21 CD34/KDR positive cells/ml blood; older: 78 ± 20 CD34/KDR positive cells/ml blood) and EPC-function (young: 113 ± 26 cells/1000 plated cells; older: 120 ± 27 cells/1000 plated cells) were impaired. As a result of exercise training, EPC function improved by 24% in older referent controls (p < 0.05), while it remained unchanged in young training referent controls and controls respectively. In young and older patients with CHF four weeks of exercise training resulted in a significant improvement in EPC numbers and EPC function (young: number +66% function +43%; p < 0.05; older: number +69% function +36%; p < 0.05). These results were accompanied by a significant increase in flow mediated dilatation in the training groups of young/older CHF patients and in older referent controls. Four weeks of exercise training are effective in improving EPC number and EPC function in CHF patients. These training effects were not impaired among older patients, emphasizing the potentials of rehabilitation interventions in a patient group where CHF has a high prevalence. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Degenerate SDEs with singular drift and applications to Heisenberg groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xing; Wang, Feng-Yu

2018-09-01

By using the ultracontractivity of a reference diffusion semigroup, Krylov's estimate is established for a class of degenerate SDEs with singular drifts, which leads to existence and pathwise uniqueness by means of Zvonkin's transformation. The main result is applied to singular SDEs on generalized Heisenberg groups.

MMPI Modal Profiles in a Juvenile Delinquent Population.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickett, Lawrence K., Jr.

1981-01-01

The MMPI results obtained from 245 adolescent males referred to the evaluation unit of a Juvenile Court were submitted to a multivariate classification system. By correlating individual subject profiles with the modal profiles, six membership groups were formed. No relationship was found between group membership and age or race. (Author)

Muscle strength and kinetic gait pattern in children with bilateral spastic CP.

PubMed

Eek, Meta Nyström; Tranberg, Roy; Beckung, Eva

2011-03-01

Cerebral palsy is often associated with an abnormal gait pattern. This study put focus on relation between muscle strength and kinetic gait pattern in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy and compares them with a reference group. In total 20 children with CP and 20 typically developing children participated. They were all assessed with measurement of muscle strength in eight muscle groups in the legs and a 3-dimensional gait analysis including force data. It was found that children with CP were not only significantly weaker in all muscle groups but also walked with slower velocity and shorter stride length when compared with the reference group. Gait moments differed at the ankle level with significantly lower moments in children with CP. Gait moments were closer to the maximal muscle strength in the group of children with CP. Furthermore a correlation between plantarflexing gait moment and muscle strength was observed in six of the eight muscle groups in children with CP, a relation not found in the reference group. A similar pattern was seen between muscle strength and generating ankle power with a rho=0.582-0.766. The results of this study state the importance of the relationship of the overall muscle strength pattern in the lower extremity, not only the plantarflexors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Labelling as reference Centre of GRACE (Groupe francophone de Réhabilitation Améliorée après ChirurgiE) for colorectal surgery: its impact on the implementation of enhanced recovery programme at the University Hospital of Liège.

PubMed

Daenen, Coralie; Coimbra, Carla; Hans, Grégory; Joris, Jean

2018-01-15

Enhanced recovery programme (ERP) has been used in our hospital since 2005 for selected colorectal surgeries. Since October 2015, after labelling as GRACE reference centre, we included all patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgery in this programme. We assessed the impact of our labelling on the implementation of ERP. Results of our first 100 patients entered in the GRACE database were analyzed: length of stay, complications, readmission, adherence to the protocol. These results are compared to those of the last 100 patients undergoing colorectal surgery before our labelling. Patients' characteristics in both groups were similar. The complications rate was similar in both groups. The global length of hospital stay was 4 [5] days vs. 8.5 [8] (median [IQR]), respectively after and before labelling; p < .001. The duration of hospitalization for the different subgroups (age, surgical approach, types of surgery) were significantly shorter after our labelling (respectively: p < .001, p < .01, and p < .05). Our results demonstrate that labelling as reference centre increases the efficiency of the implementation of ERP. The fact that all subgroups of patients benefit from ERP must encourage inclusion of all patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery in ERP.

Anthropometrics and Body Composition by Dual Energy X-Ray in Children of Obese Women: A Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial (the Lifestyle in Pregnancy and Offspring [LiPO] Study)

PubMed Central

Tanvig, Mette; Vinter, Christina A.; Jørgensen, Jan S.; Wehberg, Sonja; Ovesen, Per G.; Lamont, Ronald F.; Beck-Nielsen, Henning

2014-01-01

Objective In obese women, 1) to assess whether lower gestational weight gain (GWG) during pregnancy in the lifestyle intervention group of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) resulted in differences in offspring anthropometrics and body composition, and 2) to compare offspring outcomes to a reference group of children born to women with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). Research design and methods The LiPO (Lifestyle in Pregnancy and Offspring) study was an offspring follow-up of a RCT with 360 obese pregnant women with a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy including dietary advice, coaching and exercise. The trial was completed by 301 women who were eligible for follow-up. In addition, to the children from the RCT, a group of children born to women with a normal BMI were included as a reference group. At 2.8 (range 2.5–3.2) years, anthropometrics were measured in 157 children of the RCT mothers and in 97 reference group children with Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-score as a primary outcome. Body composition was estimated by Dual Energy X-ray (DEXA) in 123 successful scans out of 147 (84%). Results No differences between randomized groups were seen in mean (95% C.I.) BMI Z-score (intervention group 0.06 [−0.17; 0.29] vs. controls −0.18 [−0.43; 0.05]), in the percentage of overweight or obese children (10.9% vs. 6.7%), in other anthropometrics, or in body composition values by DEXA. Outcomes between children from the RCT and the reference group children were not significantly different. Conclusions The RCT with lifestyle intervention in obese pregnant women did not result in any detectable effect on offspring anthropometrics or body composition by DEXA at 2.8 years of age. This may reflect the limited difference in GWG between intervention and control groups. Offspring of obese mothers from the RCT were comparable to offspring of mothers with a normal BMI. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov NCT00530439, NCT01918319 and NCT01918423. URL: NCT00530439?term = NCT00530439&rank = 1, NCT01918319?term = NCT00530439&rank = 2 and NCT01918423?term = NCT00530439&rank = 3. PMID:24586896

One for all: social power increases self-anchoring of traits, attitudes, and emotions.

PubMed

Overbeck, Jennifer R; Droutman, Vitaliya

2013-08-01

We argue that powerful people tend to engage in social projection. Specifically, they self-anchor: They use the self as a reference point when judging others' internal states. In Study 1, which used a reaction-time paradigm, powerful people used their own traits as a reference when assessing the traits of group members, classifying group descriptors more quickly if they had previously reported that those terms described themselves. Study 2, which used a classic false-consensus paradigm, showed that powerful people believed that their group-related attitudes were shared by group members. Study 3 showed that more-powerful people relied more on their own state affect when judging other people's ambiguous emotional expressions. These results support our argument that power fosters self-anchoring, because powerful individuals are often called on to act as the representative face of their groups, and the association between power and representation prompts the heuristic use of the self to infer group properties.

Visual-spatial cognition in children using aided communication.

PubMed

Stadskleiv, Kristine; Batorowicz, Beata; Massaro, Munique; van Balkom, Hans; von Tetzchner, Stephen

2018-03-01

Children with severe motor impairments are restricted in their manipulation and exploration of objects, but little is known about how such limitations influence cognitive development. This study investigated visual-constructional abilities in 75 children and adolescents, aged 5;0-15;11 (years;months), with severe speech impairments and no intellectual disabilities (aided group) and in 56 children and adolescents with typical development (reference group). Verbal comprehension, non-verbal reasoning, and visual-spatial perception were assessed with standardized tests. The task of the participants was to verbally instruct communication partners to make physical constructions identical to models that the partner could not see. In the aided group, 55.7% of the constructions were identical to the models participants described, compared to 91.3% in the reference group. In the aided group, test results explained 51.4% of the variance in construction errors. The results indicate that the participants' language skills were decisive for construction success. Visual-perceptual challenges were common among the aided communicators, and their instructions included little information about size and spatial relations. This may reflect less experience with object manipulation and construction than children with typical development, and using aided communication to instruct others to make three-dimensional constructions. The results imply a need for interventions that compensate for the lack of relevant experience.

The retest reliability of the six-minute walk test in patients referred to a cardiac rehabilitation programme.

PubMed

Hanson, Lisa C; McBurney, Helen; Taylor, Nicholas F

2012-03-01

The purpose of this paper was to determine if the Six-minute Walk Test (6MWT) was a reliable exercise test for patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation when up to three tests were performed and to determine if test scores differed according to between-test time interval. Thirty adults aged 63 ± 7.9 years referred to cardiac rehabilitation participated in a repeated measures reliability trial. Participants completed three 6MWTs within a one-week period. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups: on the first day, Group A completed three walks, Group B completed two walks and Group C completed one walk. Relative reliability was expressed in a ratio (ICC(2,1) ), and absolute reliability was expressed in metres (95% confidence intervals) for group and individuals. The 6MWT demonstrated a high level of relative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC] = 0.94) across the three walks. There was no statistically significant difference between the test scores of the three groups. However, there was an increase in distance walked from the first to the second to the third 6MWT. Absolute reliability indicated that a change of at least 44 m would be required to be interpreted as true change in a group, and at least 95 m to be interpreted as true change in an individual with 95% confidence. Three 6MWTs completed in relatively short timeframes were not sufficient for reliable results as there was an increase in the distance walked, and relatively large increases in distances would be required to be interpreted as change. It did not make any difference whether the tests were all completed on one day or over one week. This study highlighted problems that may arise when relying on reliability coefficients alone to interpret reliability. These results suggest that the 6MWT may not have sufficient reliability to be a suitable test to evaluate exercise tolerance in patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improved motion correction in PROPELLER by using grouped blades as reference.

PubMed

Liu, Zhe; Zhang, Zhe; Ying, Kui; Yuan, Chun; Guo, Hua

2014-03-01

To develop a robust reference generation method for improving PROPELLER (Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction) reconstruction. A new reference generation method, grouped-blade reference (GBR), is proposed for calculating rotation angle and translation shift in PROPELLER. Instead of using a single-blade reference (SBR) or combined-blade reference (CBR), our method classifies blades by their relative correlations and groups similar blades together as the reference to prevent inconsistent data from interfering the correction process. Numerical simulations and in vivo experiments were used to evaluate the performance of GBR for PROPELLER, which was further compared with SBR and CBR in terms of error level and computation cost. Both simulation and in vivo experiments demonstrate that GBR-based PROPELLER provides better correction for random motion or bipolar motion comparing with SBR or CBR. It not only produces images with lower error level but also needs less iteration steps to converge. A grouped-blade for reference selection was investigated for PROPELLER MRI. It helps to improve the accuracy and robustness of motion correction for various motion patterns. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reference Groups for Female Attractiveness Among Black and White College Females.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Algea O.; Stoner, David M.

This study is concerned with the comparative reference group used by black and white women when evaluating female attractiveness. The study's examination of this issue is part of a larger report on the relationship between self-concept, attractiveness and reference group for black and white women. The study used the technique proposed by McGuire…

Beam hardening artifact reduction using dual energy computed tomography: implications for myocardial perfusion studies

PubMed Central

Carrascosa, Patricia; Cipriano, Silvina; De Zan, Macarena; Deviggiano, Alejandro; Capunay, Carlos; Cury, Ricardo C.

2015-01-01

Background Myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) using conventional single energy (SE) imaging is influenced by the presence of beam hardening artifacts (BHA), occasionally resembling perfusion defects and commonly observed at the left ventricular posterobasal wall (PB). We therefore sought to explore the ability of dual energy (DE) CTP to attenuate the presence of BHA. Methods Consecutive patients without history of coronary artery disease who were referred for computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) due to atypical chest pain and a normal stress-rest SPECT and had absence or mild coronary atherosclerosis constituted the study population. The study group was acquired using DE and the control group using SE imaging. Results Demographical characteristics were similar between groups, as well as the heart rate and the effective radiation dose. Myocardial signal density (SD) levels were evaluated in 280 basal segments among the DE group (140 PB segments for each energy level from 40 to 100 keV; and 140 reference segments), and in 40 basal segments (at the same locations) among the SE group. Among the DE group, myocardial SD levels and myocardial SD ratio evaluated at the reference segment were higher at low energy levels, with significantly lower SD levels at increasing energy levels. Myocardial signal-to-noise ratio was not significantly influenced by the energy level applied, although 70 keV was identified as the energy level with the best overall signal-to-noise ratio. Significant differences were identified between the PB segment and the reference segment among the lower energy levels, whereas at ≥70 keV myocardial SD levels were similar. Compared to DE reconstructions at the best energy level (70 keV), SE acquisitions showed no significant differences overall regarding myocardial SD levels among the reference segments. Conclusions BHA that influence the assessment of myocardial perfusion can be attenuated using DE at 70 keV or higher. PMID:25774354

Osteoarthritis Prevalence in Retired National Football League Players With a History of Concussion and Lower Extremity Injury

PubMed Central

Pietrosimone, Brian; Kerr, Zachary Y.; Mauntel, Timothy C.; Mihalik, Jason P.; Guskiewicz, Kevin M.

2017-01-01

Context:  Dynamic balance deficits have been described postconcussion, even after athletes return to play. Lower extremity (LE) musculoskeletal injury rates increase for up to 1 year after concussion, but the long-term musculoskeletal implications of concussion are unclear. Objective:  To (1) examine the association of concussion and LE injury histories with osteoarthritis (OA) prevalence in retired National Football League players and (2) examine the association of concussion and LE injury histories with OA prevalence in those ≤55 years of age. Design:  Case-control study. Setting:  Survey. Patients or Other Participants:  We administered the Health Survey of Retired National Football League Players, which collects information about demographics, OA, LE injury, and concussion history. Main Outcome Measure(s):  Twelve discrete categories were created based on concussion and LE injury history, ranging from 0 concussions and 0 LE injuries (referent group) to 3+ concussions and 2+ LE injuries. Binomial regression analysis modeled lifetime OA prevalence. Covariates were body mass index, age at the time of the survey, and total years playing professional football. Results:  Complete data were available for 2696 participants. Lifetime OA prevalence was smallest in the referent group (21.1%) and largest in the 3+ concussion and 2+ LE group (50.6%; 2.5 times the referent; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 3.1). Participants in all concussion groups (1, 2, 3+) who reported a history of 0 LE injuries had a greater OA prevalence than the referent group. When participants were stratified by age, the ≤55 years of age, 3+ concussions, and 2+ LE injuries group prevalence ratio (3.6; 95% CI = 2.7, 5.2) was larger than that of the >55 years of age, 3+ concussions, and 2+ LE injuries group (1.8; 95% CI = 1.3, 2.4) compared with the respective referent groups. Conclusions:  Concussion with or without a history of LE injury may be an important moderator of OA. Future researchers should seek to better understand the mechanisms that influence the association among concussion, LE injury, and OA. PMID:28653870

Application of 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Society of Echocardiography appropriateness use criteria in hospitalized patients referred for transthoracic echocardiography in a community setting.

PubMed

Ballo, Piercarlo; Bandini, Fabrizio; Capecchi, Irene; Chiodi, Leandro; Ferro, Giuseppe; Fortini, Alberto; Giuliani, Gabriele; Landini, Giancarlo; Laureano, Raffaele; Milli, Massimo; Nenci, Gabriele; Pizzarelli, Francesco; Santoro, Giovanni Maria; Vannelli, Pasquale; Cappelletti, Carlo; Zuppiroli, Alfredo

2012-06-01

A recent American College of Cardiology Foundation and American Society of Echocardiography document updated previous appropriate use criteria (AUC) for echocardiography. The aim of this study was to explore the application of the new AUC, and the resulting appropriateness rate, in hospitalized patients referred for transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in a community setting. A total of 931 consecutive inpatients referred for TTE were prospectively recruited in five community hospitals. Patients were categorized as having appropriate, uncertain, or inappropriate indications for TTE according to the AUC. An additional group of 259 inpatients, discharged without having been referred for TTE, was also considered. In the group referred for TTE, the large majority of indications (98.8%) were classifiable according to the AUC with good interobserver reproducibility. Indications were appropriate in 739 patients (80.3%), of uncertain appropriateness in 46 (5.0%), and inappropriate in 135 (14.7%). Compared with patients with appropriate or uncertain indications, those with inappropriate indications were younger and more often referred by noncardiologists. Most common causes of inappropriate indications were related to the lack of changes in clinical status or to the absence of cardiovascular symptoms and signs. Examinations with appropriate or uncertain indications had an impact on clinical decision making more often than those with inappropriate indications (86.7% vs 14.1%, P < .0001). In the group discharged without having been referred for TTE, TTE might have been appropriate in 16.2% of cases. Clinical application of the new AUC was highly feasible in a community setting. Although inpatient referral for TTE was appropriate in most patients, strategies aimed at implementing these criteria in clinical practice are desirable. Copyright © 2012 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Referred Pain Patterns Provoked on Intra-Pelvic Structures among Women with and without Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Descriptive Study

PubMed Central

Butler, Stephen; Peterson, Magnus; Eriksson, Margaretha

2015-01-01

Objectives To describe referred pain patterns provoked from intra-pelvic structures in women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) persisting after childbirth with the purpose to improve diagnostics and give implications for treatment. Materials and Methods In this descriptive and comparative study 36 parous women with CPP were recruited from a physiotherapy department waiting list and by advertisements in newspapers. A control group of 29 parous women without CPP was consecutively assessed for eligibility from a midwifery surgery. Inclusion criterion for CPP was: moderate pain in the sacral region persisting at least six months after childbirth confirmed by pelvic pain provocation tests. Exclusion criteria in groups with and without CPP were: persistent back or pelvic pain with onset prior to pregnancy, previous back surgery and positive neurological signs. Pain was provoked by palpation of 13 predetermined intra-pelvic anatomical landmarks. The referred pain distribution was expressed in pain drawings and described in pain maps and calculated referred pain areas. Results Pain provoked by palpation of the posterior intra-pelvic landmarks was mostly referred to the sacral region and pain provoked by palpation of the ischial and pubic bones was mostly referred to the groin and pubic regions, with or without pain referred down the ipsilateral leg. The average pain distribution area provoked by palpation of all 13 anatomical landmarks was 30.3 mm² (19.2 to 53.7) in women with CPP as compared to 3.2 mm² (1.0 to 5.1) in women without CPP, p< 0.0001. Conclusions Referred pain patterns provoked from intra-pelvic landmarks in women with CPP are consistent with sclerotomal sensory innervation. Magnification of referred pain patterns indicates allodynia and central sensitization. The results suggest that pain mapping can be used to evaluate and confirm the pain experience among women with CPP and contribute to diagnosis. PMID:25793999

An Assessment of Drug Education-Prevention Programs in the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-01

education program at one post. In addition, group interviews were conducted with a total of 191 enlisted men. Both the survey data and the pretest ...with Drug Education Effects of Education on Drug Use Pretest - Posttest Results Interview Results DISCUSSION REFERENCES DISTRIBUTION LIST Page...evaluated by means of a separate-sample pretest - posttest design, using 220 subjects.8 In addition, group Interviews were conducted with randomly

Assessment of Fundamental Movement Skills in Childhood Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Naumann, Fiona L; Hunt, Mitchell; Hunt, Mitchel; Ali, Dulfikar; Wakefield, Claire E; Moultrie, Kevin; Cohn, Richard J

2015-12-01

The improved treatment protocols and subsequent improved survival rates among childhood cancer patients have shifted the focus toward the long-term consequences arising from cancer treatment. Children who have completed cancer treatment are at a greater risk of delayed development, diminished functioning, disability, compromised fundamental movement skill (FMS) attainment, and long-term chronic health conditions. The aim of the study was to compare FMS of childhood cancer patients with an aged matched healthy reference group. Pediatric cancer patients aged 5-8 years (n = 26; median age 6.91 years), who completed cancer treatment (<5 years) at the Sydney Children's Hospital, were assessed performing seven key FMS: sprint, side gallop, vertical jump, catch, over-arm throw, kick, and leap. Results were compared to the reference group (n = 430; 6.56 years). Childhood cancer patients scored significantly lower on three out of seven FMS tests when compared to the reference group. These results equated to a significantly lower overall score for FMS. This study highlighted the significant deficits in FMS within pediatric patients having completed cancer treatment. In order to reduce the occurrence of significant FMS deficits in this population, FMS interventions may be warranted to assist in recovery from childhood cancer, prevent late effects, and improve the quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Annual decline in forced expiratory volume is steeper in aluminum potroom workers than in workers without exposure to potroom fumes

PubMed Central

Henneberger, Paul K.; Einvik, Gunnar; Virji, Mohammed Abbas; Bakke, Berit; Kongerud, Johny

2016-01-01

Background Aluminum potroom exposure is associated with increased mortality of COPD but the association between potroom exposure and annual decline in lung function is unknown. We have measured lung volumes annually using spirometry from 1986 to 1996. The objective was to compare annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (dFEV1) and forced vital capacity (dFVC). Methods The number of aluminum potroom workers was 4,546 (81% males) and the number of workers in the reference group was 651 (76% males). The number of spirometries in the index group and the references were 24,060 and 2,243, respectively. Results After adjustment for confounders, the difference in dFEV1 and dFVC between the index and reference groups were 13.5 (P < 0.001) and −8.0 (P = 0.060) ml/year. Conclusion Aluminum potroom operators have increased annual decline in FEV1 relative to a comparable group with non‐exposure to potroom fumes and gases. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:322–329, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:26853811

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Pyrheliometer Comparisons: 24 September - 5 October 2012 (NPC-2012)

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

Stoffel, T.; Reda, I.

2013-05-01

The NREL Pyrheliometer Comparisons for 2012 (NPC-2012) were held at the Solar Radiation Research Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, from September 24 through October 5 for the purpose of transferring the World Radiometric Reference (WRR) to participating instrument. Twenty scientists and engineers operated 32 absolute cavity radiometers and 18 conventional thermopile-based pyrheliometers to simultaneously measure clear-sky direct normal irradiance during the comparisons. The transfer standard group of reference radiometers for NPC-2012 consisted of four NREL radiometers with direct traceability to the WRR, having participated in the Eleventh International Pyrheliometer Comparisons (IPC-XI) hosted by the World Radiation Center in the fall ofmore » 2010. As the result of NPC-2012, each participating absolute cavity radiometer was assigned a new WRR transfer factor, computed as the reference irradiance computed by the transfer standard group divided by the observed irradiance from the participating radiometer. The performance of the transfer standard group during NPC-2012 was consistent with previous comparisons, including IPC-XI. The measurement performance of the transfer standard group allowed the transfer of the WRR to each participating radiometer with an estimated uncertainty of +/- 0.33% with respect to the International System of Units.« less

Short- and long-term effectiveness of a three-month individualized need-supportive physical activity counseling intervention at the workplace.

PubMed

Arrogi, Anass; Schotte, Astrid; Bogaerts, An; Boen, Filip; Seghers, Jan

2017-01-09

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the short- and long-term intervention and mediation effects of a 3-month individualized need-supportive physical activity (PA) counseling intervention on employees' PA and sedentary behavior. Insufficiently active employees (n = 300; mean age 42 ± 9 years; 78% female) were recruited from a large pharmaceutical company in Flanders, Belgium. A quasi-experimental design was used in which the intervention group (N = 246) was recruited separately from the reference group (N = 54). Intervention group participants received a 3-month behavioral support intervention, which consisted of two one-hour face-to-face counseling sessions and three follow-up counseling contacts by e-mail or telephone at weeks three, six and nine. PA counseling, delivered by qualified PA counselors, aimed to satisfy participants' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Reference group participants did not receive individualized PA counseling. Outcome measures included objectively assessed and self-reported PA and sedentary time and psychological need satisfaction. Assessments were held at baseline, immediately after the intervention (short-term) and 6 months post-intervention (long-term). Mixed model analyses and bootstrapping analyses were used to determine intervention and mediation effects, respectively. The intervention group increased weekday daily steps both in the short- and long-term, while the reference group showed reductions in daily step count (ES = .65 and ES = .48 in the short- and long-term, respectively). In the short-term, weekday moderate-to-vigorous PA increased more pronouncedly in the intervention group compared to the reference group (ES = .34). Moreover, the intervention group demonstrated reductions in self-reported sitting time during weekends both in the short- and long-term, whereas the reference group reported increased sitting time (ES = .44 and ES = .32 in the short- and long-term, respectively). Changes in perceived autonomy and competence need satisfaction mediated the long-term intervention effects on daily step count. A 3-month individualized need-supportive PA counseling intervention among employees resulted in significant and sustained improvements in weekday daily step count and in decreased self-reported sitting during weekends. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence of the long-term effectiveness of need-supportive PA counseling. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01759927 . Registered December 30, 2012.

Reference intervals: current status, recent developments and future considerations.

PubMed

Ozarda, Yesim

2016-01-01

Reliable and accurate reference intervals (RIs) for laboratory analyses are an integral part of the process of correct interpretation of clinical laboratory test results. RIs given in laboratory reports have an important role in aiding the clinician in interpreting test results in reference to values for healthy populations. Since the 1980s, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) has been proactive in establishing recommendations to clarify the true significance of the term 'RIs, to select the appropriate reference population and statistically analyse the data. The C28-A3 guideline published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and IFCC is still the most widely-used source of reference in this area. In recent years, protocols additional to the Guideline have been published by the IFCC, Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL), including all details of multicenter studies on RIs to meet the requirements in this area. Multicentric RIs studies are the most important development in the area of RIs. Recently, the C-RIDL has performed many multicentric studies to obtain common RIs. Confusion of RIs and clinical decision limits (CDLs) remains an issue and pediatric and geriatric age groups are a significant problem. For future studies of RIs, the genetic effect would seem to be the most challenging area. 
The aim of the review is to present the current theory and practice of RIs, with special emphasis given to multicenter RIs studies, RIs studies for pediatric and geriatric age groups, clinical decision limits and partitioning by genetic effects on RIs.

Reference intervals: current status, recent developments and future considerations

PubMed Central

Ozarda, Yesim

2016-01-01

Reliable and accurate reference intervals (RIs) for laboratory analyses are an integral part of the process of correct interpretation of clinical laboratory test results. RIs given in laboratory reports have an important role in aiding the clinician in interpreting test results in reference to values for healthy populations. Since the 1980s, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) has been proactive in establishing recommendations to clarify the true significance of the term ‘RIs, to select the appropriate reference population and statistically analyse the data. The C28-A3 guideline published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and IFCC is still the most widely-used source of reference in this area. In recent years, protocols additional to the Guideline have been published by the IFCC, Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL), including all details of multicenter studies on RIs to meet the requirements in this area. Multicentric RIs studies are the most important development in the area of RIs. Recently, the C-RIDL has performed many multicentric studies to obtain common RIs. Confusion of RIs and clinical decision limits (CDLs) remains an issue and pediatric and geriatric age groups are a significant problem. For future studies of RIs, the genetic effect would seem to be the most challenging area.
The aim of the review is to present the current theory and practice of RIs, with special emphasis given to multicenter RIs studies, RIs studies for pediatric and geriatric age groups, clinical decision limits and partitioning by genetic effects on RIs. PMID:26981015

I thought we were good: social cognition, figurative language, and adolescent psychopathology.

PubMed

Im-Bolter, Nancie; Cohen, Nancy J; Farnia, Fataneh

2013-07-01

Language has been shown to play a critical role in social cognitive reasoning in preschool and school-aged children, but little research has been conducted with adolescents. During adolescence, the ability to understand figurative language becomes increasingly important for social relationships and may affect social adjustment. This study investigated the contribution of structural and figurative language to social cognitive skills in adolescents who present for mental health services and those who do not. One hundred and thirty-eight adolescents referred to mental health centers (clinic group) and 186 nonreferred adolescents (nonclinic group) aged 12-17 were administered measures of structural and figurative language, working memory, and social cognitive problem solving. We found that adolescents in the clinic group demonstrated less mature social problem solving overall, but particularly with respect to anticipating and overcoming potential obstacles and conflict resolution compared with the nonclinic group. In addition, results demonstrated that age, working memory, and structural and figurative language predicted social cognitive maturity in the clinic group, but only structural language was a predictor in the nonclinic group. Social problem solving may be particularly difficult for adolescents referred for mental health services and places higher demands on their cognitive and language skills compared with adolescents who have never been referred for mental health services. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Referent group proximity, social norms, and context: alcohol use in a low-use environment.

PubMed

Cox, Jared M; Bates, Scott C

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived normative use of alcohol and reported consumption in an environment where relatively little alcohol use occurs. A total of 585 undergraduate students completed an online survey on alcohol use in March 2006. Participants reported personal alcohol use and perceptions of use by "friends," "the average student," and "the average student who drinks." Due to the large number of students reporting zero alcohol use, zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to analyze the data. Results showed that perceptions of use and beliefs about the acceptability of use by proximal groups were strongly and positively correlated with personal alcohol use. Perceptions of distal groups were either not correlated or were correlated negatively with personal use. These findings suggest that the use of distal referent groups for a social norms campaign in a low-use environment may have paradoxical effects.

Basic anthropometry and health status of elderly: findings of the Maracaibo Aging Study.

PubMed

Muñoz, Angélica M; Falque-Madrid, Luis; Zambrano, Raquel Ch; Maestre, Gladys E

2010-03-01

Determine basic anthropometry for elderly participants in a Venezuelan community and compare results for subgroups with different health status. Standardized anthropometric, nutritional, neurological, neuropsychiatric, and cardiovascular assessments generated data on weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) by sex and age for the total sample, for normative groups without health problems that might impact anthropometry, and for reference groups with no major health problems. Centile curves of anthropometric measurements versus age are determined for women and men in the normative group. Mean weight and height are significantly different between sexes, but not BMI. All three parameters show gradual declines with age. The mean 90% central interval for BMI in the normative and reference groups is 20-29 kg/m(2). The anthropometric data for healthy elderly Venezuelans can be used in monitoring anthropometric changes and disease risk analysis for this population and possibly for other Latin American populations.

Does a SLAP lesion affect shoulder muscle recruitment as measured by EMG activity during a rugby tackle?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The study objective was to assess the influence of a SLAP lesion on onset of EMG activity in shoulder muscles during a front on rugby football tackle within professional rugby players. Methods Mixed cross-sectional study evaluating between and within group differences in EMG onset times. Testing was carried out within the physiotherapy department of a university sports medicine clinic. The test group consisted of 7 players with clinically diagnosed SLAP lesions, later verified on arthroscopy. The reference group consisted of 15 uninjured and full time professional rugby players from within the same playing squad. Controlled tackles were performed against a tackle dummy. Onset of EMG activity was assessed from surface EMG of Pectorialis Major, Biceps Brachii, Latissimus Dorsi, Serratus Anterior and Infraspinatus muscles relative to time of impact. Analysis of differences in activation timing between muscles and limbs (injured versus non-injured side and non injured side versus matched reference group). Results Serratus Anterior was activated prior to all other muscles in all (P = 0.001-0.03) subjects. In the SLAP injured shoulder Biceps was activated later than in the non-injured side. Onset times of all muscles of the non-injured shoulder in the injured player were consistently earlier compared with the reference group. Whereas, within the injured shoulder, all muscle activation timings were later than in the reference group. Conclusions This study shows that in shoulders with a SLAP lesion there is a trend towards delay in activation time of Biceps and other muscles with the exception of an associated earlier onset of activation of Serratus anterior, possibly due to a coping strategy to protect glenohumeral stability and thoraco-scapular stability. This trend was not statistically significant in all cases PMID:20184752

Neurologic outcomes of toxic oil syndrome patients 18 years after the epidemic.

PubMed Central

de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Philen, Rossanne M; Gerr, Fredric; Letz, Richard; Ferrari Arroyo, Maria José; Vela, Lydia; Izquierdo, Maravillas; Arribas, Concepción Martín; Borda, Ignacio Abaitua; Ramos, Alejandro; Mora, Cristina; Matesanz, Gloria; Roldán, Maria Teresa; Pareja, Juan

2003-01-01

Toxic oil syndrome (TOS) resulted from consumption of rapeseed oil denatured with 2% aniline and affected more than 20,000 persons. Eighteen years after the epidemic, many patients continue to report neurologic symptoms that are difficult to evaluate using conventional techniques. We conducted an epidemiologic study to determine whether an exposure to toxic oil 18 years ago was associated with current adverse neurobehavioral effects. We studied a case group of 80 adults exposed to toxic oil 18 years ago and a referent group of 79 adult age- and sex-frequency-matched unexposed subjects. We interviewed subjects for demographics, health status, exposures to neurotoxicants, and responses to the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), Programa Integrado de Exploracion Neuropsicologica (PIEN), and Goldberg depression questionnaires and administered quantitative neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic tests by computer or trained nurses. The groups did not differ with respect to educational background or other critical variables. We examined associations between case and referent groups and the neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic outcomes of interest. Decreased distal strength of the dominant and nondominant hands and increased vibrotactile thresholds of the fingers and toes were significantly associated with exposure to toxic oil. Finger tapping, simple reaction time latency, sequence B latency, symbol digit latency, and auditory digit span were also significantly associated with exposure. Case subjects also had statistically significantly more neuropsychologic symptoms compared with referents. Using quantitative neurologic tests, we found significant adverse central and peripheral neurologic effects in a group of TOS patients 18 years after exposure to toxic oil when compared with a nonexposed referent group. These effects were not documented by standard clinical examination and were found more frequently in women. PMID:12896854

Neurologic outcomes of toxic oil syndrome patients 18 years after the epidemic.

PubMed

de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Philen, Rossanne M; Gerr, Fredric; Letz, Richard; Ferrari Arroyo, Maria José; Vela, Lydia; Izquierdo, Maravillas; Arribas, Concepción Martín; Borda, Ignacio Abaitua; Ramos, Alejandro; Mora, Cristina; Matesanz, Gloria; Roldán, Maria Teresa; Pareja, Juan

2003-08-01

Toxic oil syndrome (TOS) resulted from consumption of rapeseed oil denatured with 2% aniline and affected more than 20,000 persons. Eighteen years after the epidemic, many patients continue to report neurologic symptoms that are difficult to evaluate using conventional techniques. We conducted an epidemiologic study to determine whether an exposure to toxic oil 18 years ago was associated with current adverse neurobehavioral effects. We studied a case group of 80 adults exposed to toxic oil 18 years ago and a referent group of 79 adult age- and sex-frequency-matched unexposed subjects. We interviewed subjects for demographics, health status, exposures to neurotoxicants, and responses to the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), Programa Integrado de Exploracion Neuropsicologica (PIEN), and Goldberg depression questionnaires and administered quantitative neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic tests by computer or trained nurses. The groups did not differ with respect to educational background or other critical variables. We examined associations between case and referent groups and the neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic outcomes of interest. Decreased distal strength of the dominant and nondominant hands and increased vibrotactile thresholds of the fingers and toes were significantly associated with exposure to toxic oil. Finger tapping, simple reaction time latency, sequence B latency, symbol digit latency, and auditory digit span were also significantly associated with exposure. Case subjects also had statistically significantly more neuropsychologic symptoms compared with referents. Using quantitative neurologic tests, we found significant adverse central and peripheral neurologic effects in a group of TOS patients 18 years after exposure to toxic oil when compared with a nonexposed referent group. These effects were not documented by standard clinical examination and were found more frequently in women.

Jumping to conclusions and the continuum of delusional beliefs.

PubMed

Warman, Debbie M; Lysaker, Paul H; Martin, Joel M; Davis, Louanne; Haudenschield, Samantha L

2007-06-01

The present study examined the jumping to conclusions reasoning bias across the continuum of delusional ideation by investigating individuals with active delusions, delusion prone individuals, and non-delusion prone individuals. Neutral and highly self-referent probabilistic reasoning tasks were employed. Results indicated that individuals with delusions gathered significantly less information than delusion prone and non-delusion prone participants on both the neutral and self-referent tasks, (p<.001). Individuals with delusions made less accurate decisions than the delusion prone and non-delusion prone participants on both tasks (p<.001), yet were more confident about their decisions than were delusion prone and non-delusion prone participants on the self-referent task (p=.002). Those with delusions and those who were delusion prone reported higher confidence in their performance on the self-referent task than they did the neutral task (p=.02), indicating that high self-reference impacted information processing for individuals in both of these groups. The results are discussed in relation to previous research in the area of probabilistic reasoning and delusions.

Medial prefrontal cortex supports source memory for self-referenced materials in young and older adults

PubMed Central

Leshikar, Eric D.; Duarte, Audrey

2013-01-01

Behavioral evidence suggests that young and older adults show a benefit in source memory accuracy when processing materials in reference to the self. In the young, activity within the medial prefrontal cortex supports this source memory benefit at study. This investigation examined whether the same neural regions support this memory benefit in both age groups. Using fMRI, participants were scanned while studying and retrieving pictures of objects paired with one of three scenes (source) under self-reference and other-reference conditions. At the time of study, half of the items were presented once and half twice, allowing us to match behavioral performance between groups. Both groups showed equivalent source accuracy benefit for objects encoded self-referentially. Activity in the left dorsal medial prefrontal cortex supported subsequent source memory in both age groups for the self-referenced relative to the other-referenced items. At the time of test, source accuracy for both self- and other-referenced items was supported by a network of regions including the precuneus in both age groups. At both study and test, little in the way of age-differences emerged, suggesting that when matched on behavioral performance young and older adults engage similar regions in support of source memory when processing materials in reference to the self; however, when performance was not matched, age differences in functional recruitment were prevalent. These results suggest that by capitalizing on preserved processes (self-referential encoding), older adults can show improvement in memory for source details which typically are not well remembered relative to the young. PMID:23904335

Reference Intervals of Alpha-Fetoprotein and Carcinoembryonic Antigen in the Apparently Healthy Population

PubMed Central

Zhang, Gao-Ming; Guo, Xu-Xiao; Ma, Xiao-Bo; Zhang, Guo-Ming

2016-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to calculate 95% reference intervals and double-sided limits of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) according to the CLSI EP28-A3 guideline. Material/Methods Serum AFP and CEA values were measured in samples from 26 000 healthy subjects in the Shuyang area receiving general health checkups. The 95% reference intervals and upper limits were calculated by using MedCalc. Results We provided continuous reference intervals from 20 years old to 90 years old for AFP and CEA. The reference intervals were: AFP, 1.31–7.89 ng/ml (males) and 1.01–7.10 ng/ml (females); CEA, 0.51–4.86 ng/ml (males) and 0.35–3.45ng/ml (females). AFP and CEA were significantly positively correlated with age in both males (r=0.196 and r=0.198) and females (r=0.121 and r=0.197). Conclusions Different races or populations and different detection systems may result in different reference intervals for AFP and CEA. Continuous reference intervals of age changes are more accurate than age groups. PMID:27941709

Genetic differentiation of spring-spawning and fall-spawning male Atlantic sturgeon in the James River, Virginia

PubMed Central

Balazik, Matthew T.; Farrae, Daniel J.; Darden, Tanya L.; Garman, Greg C.

2017-01-01

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, Acipenseridae) populations are currently at severely depleted levels due to historic overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. The importance of biologically correct stock structure for effective conservation and management efforts is well known. Recent improvements in our understanding of Atlantic sturgeon migrations, movement, and the occurrence of putative dual spawning groups leads to questions regarding the true stock structure of this endangered species. In the James River, VA specifically, captures of spawning Atlantic sturgeon and accompanying telemetry data suggest there are two discrete spawning groups of Atlantic sturgeon. The two putative spawning groups were genetically evaluated using a powerful microsatellite marker suite to determine if they are genetically distinct. Specifically, this study evaluates the genetic structure, characterizes the genetic diversity, estimates effective population size, and measures inbreeding of Atlantic sturgeon in the James River. The results indicate that fall and spring spawning James River Atlantic sturgeon groups are genetically distinct (overall FST = 0.048, F’ST = 0.181) with little admixture between the groups. The observed levels of genetic diversity and effective population sizes along with the lack of detected inbreeding all indicated that the James River has two genetically healthy populations of Atlantic sturgeon. The study also demonstrates that samples from adult Atlantic sturgeon, with proper sample selection criteria, can be informative when creating reference population databases. The presence of two genetically-distinct spawning groups of Atlantic sturgeon within the James River raises concerns about the current genetic assignment used by managers. Other nearby rivers may also have dual spawning groups that either are not accounted for or are pooled in reference databases. Our results represent the second documentation of genetically distinct dual spawning groups of Atlantic sturgeon in river systems along the U.S. Atlantic coast, suggesting that current reference population database should be updated to incorporate both new samples and our increased understanding of Atlantic sturgeon life history. PMID:28686610

Simplified risk assessment of noise induced hearing loss by means of 2 spreadsheet models.

PubMed

Lie, Arve; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2016-11-18

The objective of this study has been to test 2 spreadsheet models to compare the observed with the expected hearing loss for a Norwegian reference population. The prevalence rates of the Norwegian and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) definitions of hearing outcomes were calculated in terms of sex and age, 20-64 years old, for a screened (with no occupational noise exposure) (N = 18 858) and unscreened (N = 38 333) Norwegian reference population from the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study (NTHLS). Based on the prevalence rates, 2 different spreadsheet models were constructed in order to compare the prevalence rates of various groups of workers with the expected rates. The spreadsheets were then tested on 10 different occupational groups with varying degrees of hearing loss as compared to a reference population. Hearing of office workers, train drivers, conductors and teachers differed little from the screened reference values based on the Norwegian and the NIOSH criterion. The construction workers, miners, farmers and military had an impaired hearing and railway maintenance workers and bus drivers had a mildly impaired hearing. The spreadsheet models give a valid assessment of the hearing loss. The use of spreadsheet models to compare hearing in occupational groups with that of a reference population is a simple and quick method. The results are in line with comparable hearing thresholds, and allow for significance testing. The method is believed to be useful for occupational health services in the assessment of risk of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and the preventive potential in groups of noise-exposed workers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):991-999. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

The impacts of speed cameras on road accidents: an application of propensity score matching methods.

PubMed

Li, Haojie; Graham, Daniel J; Majumdar, Arnab

2013-11-01

This paper aims to evaluate the impacts of speed limit enforcement cameras on reducing road accidents in the UK by accounting for both confounding factors and the selection of proper reference groups. The propensity score matching (PSM) method is employed to do this. A naïve before and after approach and the empirical Bayes (EB) method are compared with the PSM method. A total of 771 sites and 4787 sites for the treatment and the potential reference groups respectively are observed for a period of 9 years in England. Both the PSM and the EB methods show similar results that there are significant reductions in the number of accidents of all severities at speed camera sites. It is suggested that the propensity score can be used as the criteria for selecting the reference group in before-after control studies. Speed cameras were found to be most effective in reducing accidents up to 200 meters from camera sites and no evidence of accident migration was found. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Coping with everyday stress in different problem areas- comparison of clinically referred and healthy adolescents].

PubMed

Escher, Fabian; Seiffge-Krenke, Inge

2013-09-01

Studies are lacking that analyze how clinically referred adolescents and healthy adolescents cope with everyday stressors. Clinically referred adolescents from three problematic domains (diverse disorders including delinquency, drug abuse, and depression) were compared to healthy adolescents using the Coping Across Situations Questionnaire (Seiffge-Krenke, 1995) and a short version of the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach, 1991). The different clinical groups (n = 469) showed unique patterns concerning their coping styles. The group of depressed youth altogether showed lower coping activities. The youth from institutions for drug abusive youth used more dysfunctional coping. The adolescents from youth welfare services (diverse disorders including delinquency) were more active in both dysfunctional and functional coping than the other two clinically referred groups. The control group showed more functional and less dysfunctional coping. The clinically referred adolescents did not differentiate in their coping behavior, depending on the type of stressor. Gender effects were apparent, albeit negligible. Clinically referred youth are unable to adapt their coping behavior according to the given situation.

Quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames: Time-dependent rotations and loop prolongations

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

Klink, W.H., E-mail: william-klink@uiowa.edu; Wickramasekara, S., E-mail: wickrama@grinnell.edu; Department of Physics, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112

2013-09-15

This is the fourth in a series of papers on developing a formulation of quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames. This formulation is grounded in a class of unitary cocycle representations of what we have called the Galilean line group, the generalization of the Galilei group to include transformations amongst non-inertial reference frames. These representations show that in quantum mechanics, just as the case in classical mechanics, the transformations to accelerating reference frames give rise to fictitious forces. In previous work, we have shown that there exist representations of the Galilean line group that uphold the non-relativistic equivalence principle asmore » well as representations that violate the equivalence principle. In these previous studies, the focus was on linear accelerations. In this paper, we undertake an extension of the formulation to include rotational accelerations. We show that the incorporation of rotational accelerations requires a class of loop prolongations of the Galilean line group and their unitary cocycle representations. We recover the centrifugal and Coriolis force effects from these loop representations. Loops are more general than groups in that their multiplication law need not be associative. Hence, our broad theoretical claim is that a Galilean quantum theory that holds in arbitrary non-inertial reference frames requires going beyond groups and group representations, the well-established framework for implementing symmetry transformations in quantum mechanics. -- Highlights: •A formulation of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames is presented. •The Galilei group is generalized to infinite dimensional Galilean line group. •Loop prolongations of Galilean line group contain central extensions of Galilei group. •Unitary representations of the loops are constructed. •These representations lead to terms in the Hamiltonian corresponding to fictitious forces, including centrifugal and Coriolis forces.« less

Effect of Direct Marketing for Uterine Artery Embolization on Rates of Leiomyomas, Incidental Findings, and Management After Pelvic MRI.

PubMed

Gurwara, Sheena; Allen, Brian C; Kouri, Brian; Clingan, M Jennings; Picard, Melissa; Leyendecker, John R

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether a self-referred population screened by an interventional radiology (IR) clinic and a non-IR, physician-referred population differed with regard to suitability for uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic leiomyomas on the basis of preprocedure MRI. This was an institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective study of 301 women evaluated in an IR clinic for possible UAE from January 2009 to September 2012. Subjects were retrospectively divided into two groups: self-referred via direct marketing (group A, n = 203; mean age, 41.8 years; range, 22-58 years) and physician referred (group B, n = 98; mean age, 42.9 years; range, 30-65 years). There was no significant difference between groups in presenting symptoms (multiple symptoms, bleeding, bulk-related symptoms, pain). After initial screening, 73.4% of group A (149 of 203) and 79.6% of group B (78 of 98) underwent MRI (P = .242). On the basis of MRI findings, 91.3% of group A (136 of 149) and 94.9% of group B (74 of 78) had uterine leiomyomas (P = .328). Adenomyosis without leiomyoma was present in 4.0% of group A (6 of 149) and 3.8% of group B (3 of 78) (P = .947). Incidental findings requiring further clinical or imaging evaluation were found in 20.8% of group A (31 of 149) and 24.4% of group B (19 of 78) (P = .539). After MRI, 41.6% of group A (62 of 149) and 48.7% of group B (38 of 78) proceeded to UAE (P = .306). After initial screening, similar proportions of self-referred and physician-referred patients were candidates for UAE. The rates of confirmed leiomyomas and incidental findings on MRI were similar between groups. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. All rights reserved.

Establishing Upper Limits for Item Ratings for the Angoff Method: Are Resulting Standards More 'Realistic'?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Jerry B.

This report investigates an area of uncertainty in using the Angoff method for setting standards, namely whether or not a judge's conceptualizations of borderline group performance are realistic. Ratings are usually made with reference to the performance of this hypothetical group, therefore the Angoff method's success is dependent on this point.…

Performance Studies in Practice: An Investigation of Students' Approaches to Practice in a University Music Department

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burwell, Kim; Shipton, Matthew

2011-01-01

In higher education music, individual practice remains a unique and solitary activity, perhaps the least accessible to the scrutiny of either teachers or researchers. This study reports on an investigation of the variety among student approaches to practice, with reference to year groups, age, instrumental groups and examination results. Data were…

Selection of suitable endogenous reference genes for relative copy number detection in sugarcane.

PubMed

Xue, Bantong; Guo, Jinlong; Que, Youxiong; Fu, Zhiwei; Wu, Luguang; Xu, Liping

2014-05-19

Transgene copy number has a great impact on the expression level and stability of exogenous gene in transgenic plants. Proper selection of endogenous reference genes is necessary for detection of genetic components in genetically modification (GM) crops by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) or by qualitative PCR approach, especially in sugarcane with polyploid and aneuploid genomic structure. qPCR technique has been widely accepted as an accurate, time-saving method on determination of copy numbers in transgenic plants and on detection of genetically modified plants to meet the regulatory and legislative requirement. In this study, to find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) DNA content quantification, we evaluated a set of potential "single copy" genes including P4H, APRT, ENOL, CYC, TST and PRR, through qualitative PCR and absolute quantitative PCR. Based on copy number comparisons among different sugarcane genotypes, including five S. officinarum, one S. spontaneum and two S. spp. hybrids, these endogenous genes fell into three groups: ENOL-3--high copy number group, TST-1 and PRR-1--medium copy number group, P4H-1, APRT-2 and CYC-2--low copy number group. Among these tested genes, P4H, APRT and CYC were the most stable, while ENOL and TST were the least stable across different sugarcane genotypes. Therefore, three primer pairs of P4H-3, APRT-2 and CYC-2 were then selected as the suitable reference gene primer pairs for sugarcane. The test of multi-target reference genes revealed that the APRT gene was a specific amplicon, suggesting this gene is the most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference target for sugarcane DNA content quantification. These results should be helpful for establishing accurate and reliable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM sugarcane.

Neural correlates of free recall of "famous events" in a "hypermnestic" individual as compared to an age- and education-matched reference group.

PubMed

Fehr, Thorsten; Staniloiu, Angelica; Markowitsch, Hans J; Erhard, Peter; Herrmann, Manfred

2018-06-19

Memory performance of an individual (within the age range: 50-55 years old) showing superior memory abilities (protagonist PR) was compared to an age- and education-matched reference group in a historical facts ("famous events") retrieval task. Contrasting task versus baseline performance both PR and the reference group showed fMRI activation patterns in parietal and occipital brain regions. The reference group additionally demonstrated activation patterns in cingulate gyrus, whereas PR showed additional widespread activation patterns comprising frontal and cerebellar brain regions. The direct comparison between PR and the reference group revealed larger fMRI contrasts for PR in right frontal, superior temporal and cerebellar brain regions. It was concluded that PR generally recruits brain regions as normal memory performers do, but in a more elaborate way, and furthermore, that he applied a memory-strategy that potentially includes executively driven multi-modal transcoding of information and recruitment of implicit memory resources.

Prospective randomized comparison of standard didactic lecture versus high-fidelity simulation for radiology resident contrast reaction management training.

PubMed

Wang, Carolyn L; Schopp, Jennifer G; Petscavage, Jonelle M; Paladin, Angelisa M; Richardson, Michael L; Bush, William H

2011-06-01

The objective of our study was to assess whether high-fidelity simulation-based training is more effective than traditional didactic lecture to train radiology residents in the management of contrast reactions. This was a prospective study of 44 radiology residents randomized into a simulation group versus a lecture group. All residents attended a contrast reaction didactic lecture. Four months later, baseline knowledge was assessed with a written test, which we refer to as the "pretest." After the pretest, the 21 residents in the lecture group attended a repeat didactic lecture and the 23 residents in the simulation group underwent high-fidelity simulation-based training with five contrast reaction scenarios. Next, all residents took a second written test, which we refer to as the "posttest." Two months after the posttest, both groups took a third written test, which we refer to as the "delayed posttest," and underwent performance testing with a high-fidelity severe contrast reaction scenario graded on predefined critical actions. There was no statistically significant difference between the simulation and lecture group pretest, immediate posttest, or delayed posttest scores. The simulation group performed better than the lecture group on the severe contrast reaction simulation scenario (p = 0.001). The simulation group reported improved comfort in identifying and managing contrast reactions and administering medications after the simulation training (p ≤ 0.04) and was more comfortable than the control group (p = 0.03), which reported no change in comfort level after the repeat didactic lecture. When compared with didactic lecture, high-fidelity simulation-based training of contrast reaction management shows equal results on written test scores but improved performance during a high-fidelity severe contrast reaction simulation scenario.

WAIS differences between murderers and attackers referred for evaluation.

PubMed

Wagner, E E; Klein, I

1977-02-01

12 first and second degree murderers were matched on sex and age with subjects who had perpetrated aggressive interpersonal attacks short of homicide. Both groups had been referred for psychological testing by courts and social agencies. A substantial and significant difference in IQ was found in favor of the attackers over the murderers. Results were interpreted as lending credence to the hypothesis that differences in IQ exist among important sub-populations of murderers.

Long-term exposure to jet fuel: an investigation on occupationally exposed workers with special reference to the nervous system.

PubMed

Knave, B; Persson, H E; Goldberg, J M; Westerholm, P

1976-09-01

In the present study the results of a neurological and neurophysiological health examination of 29 aircraft factory workers chronically exposed to jet fuel vapors are presented. The exposed subjects were classified into a heavily exposed and a less heavily exposed group. The examination included a standardized clinical neurological examination, measurements of the conduction velocities in the peripheral nerves, and threshold determinations of vibratory sensations in the extremities. All 13 persons examined in the heavily exposed group and 7 of the 16 in the less heavily exposed group stated that they had repeatedly experienced acute effects (dizziness, respiratory tract symptoms, heart palpitations, a feeling of pressure on the chest, nausea, headache) of the jet fuel vapors in the inhaled air. A high rate of symptoms indicative of neurasthenia and psychasthenia and symptoms and signs indicative of polyneuropathy was observed both in the heavily exposed group and in the two groups combined in comparison with reference groups. Considering the presented facts concerning (a) the acute effects on repeated occasions, (b) the high rates of symptoms indicative of neurasthenia and psychasthenia and symptoms and signs indicative of polyneuropathy, and (c) the differences in the observations made between the two groups with varying degrees of exposure to jet fuel, the authors interpreted the results as indicative of a possible effect of long-term exposure to jet fuel on the nervous system.

Performance in the 6-minute walk test and postoperative pulmonary complications in pulmonary surgery: an observational study.

PubMed

Santos, Bruna F A; Souza, Hugo C D; Miranda, Aline P B; Cipriano, Federico G; Gastaldi, Ada C

2016-01-01

To assess functional capacity in the preoperative phase of pulmonary surgery by comparing predicted and obtained values for the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with and without postoperative pulmonary complication (PPC) METHOD: Twenty-one patients in the preoperative phase of open thoracotomy were evaluated using the 6MWT, followed by monitoring of the postoperative evolution of each participant who underwent the routine treatment. Participants were then divided into two groups: the group with PPC and the group without PPC. The results were also compared with the predicted values using reference equations for the 6MWT RESULTS: Over half (57.14%) of patients developed PPC. The 6MWT was associated with the odds for PPC (odds ratio=22, p=0.01); the group without PPC in the postoperative period walked 422.38 (SD=72.18) meters during the 6MWT, while the group with PPC walked an average of 340.89 (SD=100.93) meters (p=0.02). The distance traveled by the group without PPC was 80% of the predicted value, whereas the group with PPC averaged less than 70% (p=0.03), with more appropriate predicted values for the reference equations The 6MWT is an easy, safe, and feasible test for routine preoperative evaluation in pulmonary surgery and may indicate patients with a higher chance of developing PPC.

Unitary cocycle representations of the Galilean line group: Quantum mechanical principle of equivalence

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

MacGregor, B.R.; McCoy, A.E.; Wickramasekara, S., E-mail: wickrama@grinnell.edu

2012-09-15

We present a formalism of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames and discuss its implications for the equivalence principle. This extension of quantum mechanics rests on the Galilean line group, the semidirect product of the real line and the group of analytic functions from the real line to the Euclidean group in three dimensions. This group provides transformations between all inertial and non-inertial reference frames and contains the Galilei group as a subgroup. We construct a certain class of unitary representations of the Galilean line group and show that these representations determine the structure of quantum mechanics in non-inertialmore » reference frames. Our representations of the Galilean line group contain the usual unitary projective representations of the Galilei group, but have a more intricate cocycle structure. The transformation formula for the Hamiltonian under the Galilean line group shows that in a non-inertial reference frame it acquires a fictitious potential energy term that is proportional to the inertial mass, suggesting the equivalence of inertial mass and gravitational mass in quantum mechanics. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A formulation of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames is given. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The key concept is the Galilean line group, an infinite dimensional group. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Unitary, cocycle representations of the Galilean line group are constructed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A non-central extension of the group underlies these representations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quantum equivalence principle and gravity emerge from these representations.« less

Comparison of two different methods of preoperative marking for toric intraocular lens implantation: bubble marker versus pendulum marker

PubMed Central

Farooqui, Javed Hussain; Koul, Archana; Dutta, Ranjan; Shroff, Noshir Minoo

2016-01-01

AIM To compare the accuracy of two different methods of preoperative marking for toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, bubble marker versus pendulum marker, as a means of establishing the reference point for the final alignment of the toric IOL to achieve an outcome as close as possible to emmetropia. METHODS Toric IOLs were implanted in 180 eyes of 110 patients. One group (55 patients) had preoperative marking of both eyes done with bubble marker (ASICO AE-2791TBL) and the other group (55 patients) with pendulum marker (Rumex®3-193). Reference marks were placed at 3-, 6-, and 9-o'clock positions on the limbus. Slit-lamp photographs were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop (version 7.0). Amount of alignment error (in degrees) induced in each group was measured. RESULTS Mean absolute rotation error in the preoperative marking in the horizontal axis was 2.42±1.71 in the bubble marker group and 2.83±2.31in the pendulum marker group (P=0.501). Sixty percent of the pendulum group and 70% of the bubble group had rotation error ≤3 (P=0.589), and 90% eyes of the pendulum group and 96.7% of the bubble group had rotation error ≤5 (P=0.612). CONCLUSION Both preoperative marking techniques result in approximately 3 of alignment error. Both marking techniques are simple, predictable, reproducible and easy to perform. PMID:27275425

Umbilical hernia: Influence of adhesive strapping on outcome.

PubMed

Hayashida, Makoto; Shimozono, Takashi; Meiri, Satoru; Kurogi, Jun; Yamashita, Naoto; Ifuku, Toshinobu; Yamamura, Yoshiko; Tanaka, Etsuko; Ishii, Shigeki; Shimonodan, Hidemi; Mihara, Yuka; Kono, Keiichiro; Nakatani, Keigo; Nishiguchi, Toshihiro

2017-12-01

Adhesive strapping for umbilical hernia has been re-evaluated as a promising treatment. We evaluated the influence of adhesive strapping on the outcome of umbilical hernia. We retrospectively evaluated patients with umbilical hernia referred to the present institution from April 2011 to December 2015. Patients who were treated with adhesive strapping were compared with an observation alone group. The adhesive strapping group was also subdivided into two groups: the cure group and the treatment failure group. A total of 212 patients with umbilical hernia were referred to the present institution. Eighty-nine patients were treated with adhesive strapping, while 27 had observation only. The cure rate in the adhesive strapping group was significantly higher than that in the observation group. The duration of treatment of the adhesive strapping group was significantly shorter than that of the observation group. In the adhesive strapping group, the patients in the cure group were treated significantly earlier than those in the treatment failure group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, even in cases of umbilical hernia non-closure, surgical repair was easier after adhesive strapping. Adhesive strapping represents a promising treatment for umbilical hernia. To achieve the best results, adhesive strapping should be initiated as early as possible. © 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.

Health, work, social trust, and financial situation in persons with Usher syndrome type 1.

PubMed

Ehn, Mattias; Wahlqvist, Moa; Danermark, Berth; Dahlström, Örjan; Möller, Claes

2018-05-28

Research has demonstrated that persons with Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1) have significantly poorer physical and psychological health compared to a reference group. To explore the relation between work, health, social trust, and financial situation in USH1 compared to a reference group. Sixty-six persons (18-65 y) from the Swedish Usher database received a questionnaire and 47 were included, 23 working and 24 non-working. The reference group comprised 3,049 working and 198 non-working persons. The Swedish Health on Equal Terms questionnaire was used and statistical analysis with multiple logistic regression was conducted. The USH1 non-work group had a higher Odds ratio (95% CI) in poor psychological and physical health, social trust, and financial situation compared to the USH1 work group and reference groups. Age, gender, hearing, and vision impairment did not explain the differences. The relation between the USH1 work and non-work groups showed the same pattern as the reference groups, but the magnitude of problems was significantly higher. Both disability and unemployment increased the risk of poor health, social trust and financial situation in persons with USH1, but having an employment seemed to counteract the risks related to disability.

Utility of Reference Change Values for Delta Check Limits.

PubMed

Ko, Dae-Hyun; Park, Hae-Il; Hyun, Jungwon; Kim, Hyun Soo; Park, Min-Jeong; Shin, Dong Hoon

2017-10-01

To assess the utility of reference change values (RCVs) as delta check limits. A total of 1,650,518 paired results for 23 general chemistry test results from June 1, 2014, to October 31, 2016, were analyzed. The RCVs for each analyte were calculated from the analytical imprecision and within-subject biological variation. The percent differences between two consecutive results in one patient were categorized into one of four groups: outpatients, inpatients, emergency care, and general health care. For each, 2.5th and 97.5th percentile values were computed and compared with their RCVs. The distributions were assessed for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Most of the estimated limits were larger than the corresponding RCVs and, furthermore, with notable differences across the groups. Patients in the emergency care group usually demonstrated larger delta percent values than those in the other groups. None of the distributions of the percent differences passed tests of normality when subjected to Kolmogorov-Smirnov analysis. Comparison of estimated RCVs and real-world patient data revealed the pitfalls of applying RCVs in clinical laboratories. Laboratory managers should be aware of the limitations of RCVs and exercise caution when using them. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Clinical pathology accreditation: standards for the medical laboratory

PubMed Central

Burnett, D; Blair, C; Haeney, M R; Jeffcoate, S L; Scott, K W M; Williams, D L

2002-01-01

This article describes a new set of revised standards for the medical laboratory, which have been produced by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd (CPA). The original standards have been in use since 1992 and it was recognised that extensive revision was required. A standards revision group was established by CPA and this group used several international standards as source references, so that the resulting new standards are compatible with the most recent international reference sources. The aim is to make the assessment of medical laboratories as objective as possible in the future. CPA plans to introduce these standards in the UK in 2003 following extensive consultation with professional bodies, piloting in selected laboratories, and training of assessors. PMID:12354795

Contrasting Complement Control, Temporal Adjunct Control and Controlled Verbal Gerund Subjects in ASD: The Role of Contextual Cues in Reference Assignment.

PubMed

Janke, Vikki; Perovic, Alexandra

2017-01-01

This study examines two complex syntactic dependencies (complement control and sentence-final temporal adjunct control) and one pragmatic dependency (controlled verbal gerund subjects) in children with ASD. Sixteen high-functioning (HFA) children (aged 6-16) with a diagnosis of autism and no language impairment, matched on age, gender and non-verbal MA to one TD control group, and on age, gender and verbal MA to another TD control group, undertook three picture-selection tasks. Task 1 measured their base-line interpretations of the empty categories ( ec ). Task 2 preceded these sentence sets with a weakly established topic cueing an alternative referent and Task 3 with a strongly established topic cueing an alternative referent. In complement control (Ron persuaded Hermione ec to kick the ball) and sentence-final temporal adjunct control (Harry tapped Luna while ec feeding the owl), the reference of the ec is argued to be related obligatorily to the object and subject respectively. In controlled verbal-gerund subjects (VGS) ( ec Rowing the boat clumsily made Luna seasick), the ec 's reference is resolved pragmatically. Referent choices across the three tasks were compared. TD children chose the object uniformly in complement control across all tasks but in adjunct control, preferences shifted toward the object in Task 3. In controlled VGSs, they exhibited a strong preference for an internal-referent interpretation in Task 1, which shifted in the direction of the cues in Tasks 2 and 3. HFA children gave a mixed performance. They patterned with their TD counterparts on complement control and controlled VGSs but performed marginally differently on adjunct control: no TD groups were influenced by the weakly established topic in Task 2 but all groups were influenced by the strongly established topic in Task 3. HFA children were less influenced than the TD children, resulting in their making fewer object choices overall but revealing parallel patterns of performance. In this first study of three sub-types of control in ASD, we demonstrate that HFA children consult the same pragmatic cues to the same degree as TD children, in spite of the diverse pragmatic deficits reported for this population.

Contrasting Complement Control, Temporal Adjunct Control and Controlled Verbal Gerund Subjects in ASD: The Role of Contextual Cues in Reference Assignment

PubMed Central

Janke, Vikki; Perovic, Alexandra

2017-01-01

This study examines two complex syntactic dependencies (complement control and sentence-final temporal adjunct control) and one pragmatic dependency (controlled verbal gerund subjects) in children with ASD. Sixteen high-functioning (HFA) children (aged 6–16) with a diagnosis of autism and no language impairment, matched on age, gender and non-verbal MA to one TD control group, and on age, gender and verbal MA to another TD control group, undertook three picture-selection tasks. Task 1 measured their base-line interpretations of the empty categories (ec). Task 2 preceded these sentence sets with a weakly established topic cueing an alternative referent and Task 3 with a strongly established topic cueing an alternative referent. In complement control (Ron persuaded Hermione ec to kick the ball) and sentence-final temporal adjunct control (Harry tapped Luna while ec feeding the owl), the reference of the ec is argued to be related obligatorily to the object and subject respectively. In controlled verbal-gerund subjects (VGS) (ec Rowing the boat clumsily made Luna seasick), the ec's reference is resolved pragmatically. Referent choices across the three tasks were compared. TD children chose the object uniformly in complement control across all tasks but in adjunct control, preferences shifted toward the object in Task 3. In controlled VGSs, they exhibited a strong preference for an internal-referent interpretation in Task 1, which shifted in the direction of the cues in Tasks 2 and 3. HFA children gave a mixed performance. They patterned with their TD counterparts on complement control and controlled VGSs but performed marginally differently on adjunct control: no TD groups were influenced by the weakly established topic in Task 2 but all groups were influenced by the strongly established topic in Task 3. HFA children were less influenced than the TD children, resulting in their making fewer object choices overall but revealing parallel patterns of performance. In this first study of three sub-types of control in ASD, we demonstrate that HFA children consult the same pragmatic cues to the same degree as TD children, in spite of the diverse pragmatic deficits reported for this population. PMID:28400743

Evaluating the construct of triage acuity against a set of reference vignettes developed via modified Delphi method.

PubMed

Twomey, Michèle; Wallis, Lee A; Myers, Jonathan E

2014-07-01

To evaluate the construct of triage acuity as measured by the South African Triage Scale (SATS) against a set of reference vignettes. A modified Delphi method was used to develop a set of reference vignettes. Delphi participants completed a 2-round consensus-building process, and independently assigned triage acuity ratings to 100 written vignettes unaware of the ratings given by others. Triage acuity ratings were summarised for all vignettes, and only those that reached 80% consensus during round 2 were included in the reference set. Triage ratings for the reference vignettes given by two independent experts using the SATS were compared with the ratings given by the international Delphi panel. Measures of sensitivity, specificity, associated percentages for over-triage/under-triage were used to evaluate the construct of triage acuity (as measured by the SATS) by examining the association between the ratings by the two experts and the international panel. On completion of the Delphi process, 42 of the 100 vignettes reached 80% consensus on their acuity rating and made up the reference set. On average, over all acuity levels, sensitivity was 74% (CI 64% to 82%), specificity 92% (CI 87% to 94%), under-triage occurred 14% (CI 8% to 23%) and over-triage 12% (CI 8% to 23%) of the time. The results of this study provide an alternative to evaluating triage scales against the construct of acuity as measured with the SATS. This method of using 80% consensus vignettes may, however, systematically bias the validity estimate towards better performance. 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.

The new face of America’s family forest owners: results from the 2011–2013 USDA Forest Service, national woodland owner survey

Treesearch

Brett J. Butler; Jake H. Hewes; Sarah M. Butler; Marla Lindsay; David B. Kittredge

2015-01-01

Family forest owners rule! Across the United States, no other groups owns more forestland than families, individuals, trusts, and estates – collectively referred to as family forest owners. In total this group owns 117 million hectares of forestland, or 36% of the US forestland. Understanding the attitudes, behaviors, and general characteristics of this group of owners...

Nonparametric spirometry reference values for Hispanic Americans.

PubMed

Glenn, Nancy L; Brown, Vanessa M

2011-02-01

Recent literature sites ethnic origin as a major factor in developing pulmonary function reference values. Extensive studies established reference values for European and African Americans, but not for Hispanic Americans. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey defines Hispanic as individuals of Spanish speaking cultures. While no group was excluded from the target population, sample size requirements only allowed inclusion of individuals who identified themselves as Mexican Americans. This research constructs nonparametric reference value confidence intervals for Hispanic American pulmonary function. The method is applicable to all ethnicities. We use empirical likelihood confidence intervals to establish normal ranges for reference values. Its major advantage: it is model free, but shares asymptotic properties of model based methods. Statistical comparisons indicate that empirical likelihood interval lengths are comparable to normal theory intervals. Power and efficiency studies agree with previously published theoretical results.

Dispersion of TE modes in slab waveguides with reference to double heterostructure semiconductor lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buus, J.

1980-06-01

The group index for TE modes in an asymmetrical slab waveguide is investigated, and a simple analytical expression is derived. It is shown that the product of the phase and group indices is related to the power fraction in each of the three layers of the waveguide. The results are of interest in the analysis of double heterostructure semiconductor lasers. Theoretical and experimental results for lasers emitting at 1.55 microns are compared.

Smartphone-Based Point-of-Care Urinalysis Under Variable Illumination

PubMed Central

Ra, Moonsoo; Lim, Chiawei; Han, Sehui; Jung, Chansung; Kim, Whoi-Yul

2018-01-01

Urine tests are performed by using an off-the-shelf reference sheet to compare the color of test strips. However, the tabular representation is difficult to use and more prone to visual errors, especially when the reference color-swatches to be compared are spatially apart. Thus, making it is difficult to distinguish between the subtle differences of shades on the reagent pads. This manuscript represents a new arrangement of reference arrays for urine test strips (urinalysis). Reference color swatches are grouped in a doughnut chart, surrounding each reagent pad on the strip. The urine test can be evaluated using naked eye by referring to the strip with no additional sheet necessary. Along with this new strip, an algorithm for smartphone based application is also proposed as an alternative to deliver diagnostic results. The proposed colorimetric detection method evaluates the captured image of the strip, under various color spaces and evaluates ten different tests for urine. Thus, the proposed system can deliver results on the spot using both naked eye and smartphone. The proposed scheme delivered accurate results under various environmental illumination conditions without any calibration requirements, exhibiting performances suitable for real-life applications and an ease for a common user. PMID:29333352

Early Relapse of Follicular Lymphoma After Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone Defines Patients at High Risk for Death: An Analysis From the National LymphoCare Study

PubMed Central

Casulo, Carla; Byrtek, Michelle; Dawson, Keith L.; Zhou, Xiaolei; Farber, Charles M.; Flowers, Christopher R.; Hainsworth, John D.; Maurer, Matthew J.; Cerhan, James R.; Link, Brian K.; Zelenetz, Andrew D.; Friedberg, Jonathan W.

2015-01-01

Purpose Twenty percent of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) experience progression of disease (POD) within 2 years of initial chemoimmunotherapy. We analyzed data from the National LymphoCare Study to identify whether prognostic FL factors are associated with early POD and whether patients with early POD are at high risk for death. Patients and Methods In total, 588 patients with stage 2 to 4 FL received first-line rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). Two groups were defined: patients with early POD 2 years or less after diagnosis and those without POD within 2 years, the reference group. An independent validation set, 147 patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, was analyzed for reproducibility. Results Of 588 patients, 19% (n = 110) had early POD, 71% (n = 420) were in the reference group, 8% (n = 46) were lost to follow-up, and 2% (n = 12) died without POD less than 2 years after diagnosis. Five-year overall survival was lower in the early-POD group than in the reference group (50% v 90%). This trend was maintained after we adjusted for FL International Prognostic Index (hazard ratio, 6.44; 95% CI, 4.33 to 9.58). Results were similar for the validation set (FL International Prognostic Index–adjusted hazard ratio, 19.8). Conclusion In patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, POD within 2 years after diagnosis was associated with poor outcomes and should be further validated as a standard end point of chemoimmunotherapy trials of untreated FL. This high-risk FL population warrants further study in directed prospective clinical trials. PMID:26124482

A comparison of body image concern in candidates for rhinoplasty and therapeutic surgery.

PubMed

Hashemi, Seyed Amirhosein Ghazizadeh; Edalatnoor, Behnoosh; Edalatnoor, Behnaz; Niksun, Omid

2017-09-01

Body dysmorphic disorder among patients referring for cosmetic surgeries is a disorder that if not diagnosed by a physician, can cause irreparable damage to the doctor and the patient. The aim of this study was to compare body image concern in candidates for rhinoplasty and therapeutic surgery. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 212 patients referring to Loghman Hospital of Tehran for rhinoplasty and therapeutic surgery during the period from 2014 through 2016. For each person in a cosmetic surgery group, a person of the same sex and age in a therapeutic surgery group was matched, and the study was conducted on 60 subjects in the rhinoplasty group and 62 patients in the therapeutic surgery group. Then, the Body Image Concern Inventory and demographic data were filled by all patients and the level of body image concern in both groups was compared. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 16, Chi-square test as well as paired-samples t-test. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In this study, 122 patients (49 males and 73 females) with mean age of 27.1±7.3 between 18 and 55 years of age were investigated. Sixty subjects were candidates for rhinoplasty and 62 subjects for therapeutic surgery. Candidates for rhinoplasty were mostly male (60%) and single (63.3%). Results of the t-test demonstrated that body image concern and body dysmorphic disorder were higher in the rhinoplasty group compared to the therapeutic group (p<0.05). Results of this study showed that the frequency of rhinoplasty candidates is higher in single male subjects. In addition, body image concern was higher in rhinoplasty candidates compared to candidates for other surgeries. Visiting and correct interviewing of people who referred for rhinoplasty is very important to measure their level of body image concern to diagnose any disorders available and to consider required treatments.

Plasma creatinine in dogs: intra- and inter-laboratory variation in 10 European veterinary laboratories

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is substantial variation in reported reference intervals for canine plasma creatinine among veterinary laboratories, thereby influencing the clinical assessment of analytical results. The aims of the study was to determine the inter- and intra-laboratory variation in plasma creatinine among 10 veterinary laboratories, and to compare results from each laboratory with the upper limit of its reference interval. Methods Samples were collected from 10 healthy dogs, 10 dogs with expected intermediate plasma creatinine concentrations, and 10 dogs with azotemia. Overlap was observed for the first two groups. The 30 samples were divided into 3 batches and shipped in random order by postal delivery for plasma creatinine determination. Statistical testing was performed in accordance with ISO standard methodology. Results Inter- and intra-laboratory variation was clinically acceptable as plasma creatinine values for most samples were usually of the same magnitude. A few extreme outliers caused three laboratories to fail statistical testing for consistency. Laboratory sample means above or below the overall sample mean, did not unequivocally reflect high or low reference intervals in that laboratory. Conclusions In spite of close analytical results, further standardization among laboratories is warranted. The discrepant reference intervals seem to largely reflect different populations used in establishing the reference intervals, rather than analytical variation due to different laboratory methods. PMID:21477356

Developing patient reference groups within general practice: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Smiddy, Jane; Reay, Joanne; Peckham, Stephen; Williams, Lorraine; Wilson, Patricia

2015-03-01

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to demonstrate meaningful patient and public engagement and involvement (PPEI). Recent health service reforms have included financial incentives for general practices to develop patient reference groups (PRGs). To explore the impact of the patient participation direct enhanced service (DES) on development of PRGs, the influence of PRGs on decision making within general practice, and their interface with CCGs. A mixed-methods approach within three case study sites in England. Three case study sites were tracked for 18 months as part of an evaluation of PPEI in commissioning. A sub-study focused on PRGs utilising documentary and web-based analysis; results were mapped against findings of the main study. Evidence highlighted variations in the establishment of PRGs, with the number of active PRGs via practice websites ranging from 27% to 93%. Such groups were given a number of descriptions such as patient reference groups, patient participation groups, and patient forums. Data analysis highlighted that the mode of operation varied between virtual and tangible groups and whether they were GP- or patient-led, such analysis enabled the construction of a typology of PRGs. Evidence reviewed suggested that groups functioned within parameters of the DES with activities limited to practice level. Data analysis highlighted a lack of strategic vision in relation to such groups, particularly their role within an overall patient and PPEI framework). Findings identified diversity in the operationalisation of PRGs. Their development does not appear linked to a strategic vision or overall PPEI framework. Although local pragmatic issues are important to patients, GPs must ensure that PRGs develop strategic direction if health reforms are to be addressed. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Reference interval computation: which method (not) to choose?

PubMed

Pavlov, Igor Y; Wilson, Andrew R; Delgado, Julio C

2012-07-11

When different methods are applied to reference interval (RI) calculation the results can sometimes be substantially different, especially for small reference groups. If there are no reliable RI data available, there is no way to confirm which method generates results closest to the true RI. We randomly drawn samples obtained from a public database for 33 markers. For each sample, RIs were calculated by bootstrapping, parametric, and Box-Cox transformed parametric methods. Results were compared to the values of the population RI. For approximately half of the 33 markers, results of all 3 methods were within 3% of the true reference value. For other markers, parametric results were either unavailable or deviated considerably from the true values. The transformed parametric method was more accurate than bootstrapping for sample size of 60, very close to bootstrapping for sample size 120, but in some cases unavailable. We recommend against using parametric calculations to determine RIs. The transformed parametric method utilizing Box-Cox transformation would be preferable way of RI calculation, if it satisfies normality test. If not, the bootstrapping is always available, and is almost as accurate and precise as the transformed parametric method. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cooperative path following control of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots.

PubMed

Cao, Ke-Cai; Jiang, Bin; Yue, Dong

2017-11-01

Cooperative path following control problem of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots has been considered in this paper. Based on the framework of decomposition, the cooperative path following problem has been transformed into path following problem and cooperative control problem; Then cascaded theory of non-autonomous system has been employed in the design of controllers without resorting to feedback linearization. One time-varying coordinate transformation based on dilation has been introduced to solve the uncontrollable problem of nonholonomic robots when the whole group's reference converges to stationary point. Cooperative path following controllers for nonholonomic robots have been proposed under persistent reference or reference target that converges to stationary point respectively. Simulation results using Matlab have illustrated the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aging Phenomena among People with Mental Retardation in Community Residence in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lifshitz, Hefziba

2001-01-01

A survey investigated aging in 37 men and 28 women with mental retardation in three age groups: 40-49, 50-59, and 60+ living in group homes and apartments in Israel. Results indicate declines as early as age 40 in physical health. The most common ailment is diabetes, followed by weight problems. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A combined reference panel from the 1000 Genomes and UK10K projects improved rare variant imputation in European and Chinese samples

PubMed Central

Chou, Wen-Chi; Zheng, Hou-Feng; Cheng, Chia-Ho; Yan, Han; Wang, Li; Han, Fang; Richards, J. Brent; Karasik, David; Kiel, Douglas P.; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang

2016-01-01

Imputation using the 1000 Genomes haplotype reference panel has been widely adapted to estimate genotypes in genome wide association studies. To evaluate imputation quality with a relatively larger reference panel and a reference panel composed of different ethnic populations, we conducted imputations in the Framingham Heart Study and the North Chinese Study using a combined reference panel from the 1000 Genomes (N = 1,092) and UK10K (N = 3,781) projects. For rare variants with 0.01% < MAF ≤ 0.5%, imputation in the Framingham Heart Study with the combined reference panel increased well-imputed genotypes (with imputation quality score ≥0.4) from 62.9% to 76.1% when compared to imputation with the 1000 Genomes. For the North Chinese samples, imputation of rare variants with 0.01% < MAF ≤ 0.5% with the combined reference panel increased well-imputed genotypes by from 49.8% to 61.8%. The predominant European ancestry of the UK10K and the combined reference panels may explain why there was less of an increase in imputation success in the North Chinese samples. Our results underscore the importance and potential of larger reference panels to impute rare variants, while recognizing that increasing ethnic specific variants in reference panels may result in better imputation for genotypes in some ethnic groups. PMID:28004816

Innovative solutions in monitoring systems in flood protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekuła, Klaudia; Połeć, Marzena; Borecka, Aleksandra

2018-02-01

The article presents the possibilities of ISMOP - IT System of Levee Monitoring. This system is able to collecting data from the reference and experimental control and measurement network. The experimental levee is build in a 1:1 scale and located in the village of Czernichow, near Cracow. The innovation is the utilization of a series of sensors monitoring the changes in the body of levee. It can be done by comparing the results of numerical simulations with results from installed two groups of sensors: reference sensors and experimental sensors. The reference control and measurement sensors create network based on pore pressure and temperature sensors. Additionally, it contains the fiber-optic technology. The second network include design experimental sensors, constructed for the development of solutions that can be used in existing flood embankments. The results are important to create the comprehensive and inexpensive monitoring system, which could be helpful for state authorities and local governments in flood protection.

Rime-, mixed- and glaze-ice evaluations of three scaling laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.

1994-01-01

This report presents the results of tests at NASA Lewis to evaluate three icing scaling relationships or 'laws' for an unheated model. The laws were LWC x time = constant, one proposed by a Swedish-Russian group and one used at ONERA in France. Icing tests were performed in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) with cylinders ranging from 2.5- to 15.2-cm diameter. Reference conditions were chosen to provide rime, mixed and glaze ice. Scaled conditions were tested for several scenarios of size and velocity scaling, and the resulting ice shapes compared. For rime-ice conditions, all three of the scaling laws provided scaled ice shapes which closely matched reference ice shapes. For mixed ice and for glaze ice none of the scaling laws produced consistently good simulation of the reference ice shapes. Explanations for the observed results are proposed, and scaling issues requiring further study are identified.

Standardization of the capillary electrophoresis procedures Capillarys® CDT and Minicap® CDT in comparison to the IFCC reference measurement procedure.

PubMed

Schellenberg, François; Humeau, Camille

2017-06-01

CDT is at present the most relevant routinely available biological marker of alcohol use and is widely used for screening and monitoring of patients. The lack of standardization leads to specific reference intervals for each procedure. The IFCC working group devoted to CDT demonstrated that the standardization is possible using calibrators assigned to the reference measurement procedure. In this study, we compare the capillary electrophoresis (CE) techniques Capillarys® CDT and Minicap® CDT (Sebia, Lisses, France) to the reference procedure before and after standardization in 126 samples covering the range of CDT measurement. Both capillary electrophoresis procedures show a high correlation (r=0,997) with the reference procedure and the concordance correlation coefficient evaluated according to Mc Bride is "almost perfect" (>0.997 for both CE procedures). The number of results with a relative difference higher than the acceptable difference limit is only 1 for Capillarys® CDT and 5 for Minicap® CDT. These results demonstrate the efficiency of the standardization of CDT measurements for both CE techniques from Sebia, achieved using calibrators assigned to the reference measurement procedure.

The impact of different definitions and reference groups on the prevalence of cognitive impairment: a study in postmenopausal breast cancer patients before the start of adjuvant systemic therapy.

PubMed

Schilder, Christina M; Seynaeve, Caroline; Linn, Sabine C; Boogerd, Willem; Gundy, Chad M; Beex, Louk V; van Dam, Frits S; Schagen, Sanne B

2010-04-01

Several prospective studies into the effects of adjuvant systemic therapy on cognitive functioning suggest that a proportion of breast cancer patients show cognitive deficits already before the start of systemic therapy. Owing to, among others, methodological inconsistency, studies report different rates of this pre-treatment cognitive impairment. We examined the impact of four different criteria of cognitive impairment and two types of reference groups (a study-specific healthy reference group versus published normative data) on the prevalence of cognitive impairment. Two hundred and five postmenopausal breast cancer patients underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests before the start of endocrine therapy, 124 healthy subjects underwent the same tests. Proportions of cognitive impaired patients were calculated for each of four criteria for cognitive impairment, using (1) study-specific healthy controls and (2) published norms of healthy controls as reference groups. The prevalence of cognitive impairment varied greatly with the strictness of the criterion, as expected, but also was dependent on the reference group used. Cognitive impairment, relative to published norms, ranged from 1% for the strictest to 36.6% for the less strict criterion, cognitive impairment relative to study-specific healthy controls, ranged from 13.7 to 45.4% for the same criteria. This study highlights contrasting proportions of cognitive impairment by using different criteria for cognitive impairment and different reference groups. (Dis)advantages of the methods using a criterion for cognitive impairment, and of the use of published norms versus a study-specific reference group are discussed. Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Explicit self-esteem mediates the relationship between implicit self-esteem and memory biases in major depression.

PubMed

Romero, Nuria; Sanchez, Alvaro; Vázquez, Carmelo; Valiente, Carmen

2016-08-30

This study examines the relationships between explicit and implicit self-esteem and self-referent memory biases in depression. We specifically tested the hypothesis that implicit self-esteem would influence depression-related memory biases via its association with explicit self-esteem. Self-esteem was assessed in patients with a current Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; n=38) and in a control group of participants who had never experienced depression (ND; n=40) by using explicit (Rosenberg Self-esteem Questionnaire) and implicit (Go/No-go Association Task) measures. A self-referent processing task of negative and positive adjectives was used to assess memory bias. Our analyses revealed that participants diagnosed with MDD showed lower levels of both explicit and implicit self-esteem in comparison to ND participants. MDD compared to ND participants also recalled a greater number of depressed self-referent adjectives and lower recall of positive self-referent information. Mediation analyses showed an indirect effect of explicit self-esteem on the relationship between implicit self-esteem and depression-related memory biases in the MDD group. These findings suggest an association between implicit and explicit self-esteem in depression that may result in negative cognitive processing, as reflected by self-referent memory biases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress, improves glutathione metabolism and modifies antioxidant defense systems in lead-exposed workers

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

Kasperczyk, Sławomir, E-mail: kaslav@mp.pl; Dobrakowski, Michał; Kasperczyk, Janusz

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether beta-carotene administration reduces oxidative stress and influences antioxidant, mainly glutathione-related, defense systems in workers chronically exposed to lead. The population consisted of two randomly divided groups of healthy male volunteers exposed to lead. Workers in the first group (reference group) were not administered any antioxidants, while workers in the second group (CAR group) were treated orally with 10 mg of beta-carotene once a day for 12 weeks. Biochemical analysis included measuring markers of lead-exposure and oxidative stress in addition to the levels and activities of selected antioxidants. After treatment, levels ofmore » malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides and lipofuscin significantly decreased compared with the reference group. However, the level of glutathione significantly increased compared with the baseline. Treatment with beta-carotene also resulted in significantly decreased glutathione peroxidase activity compared with the reference group, while the activities of other glutathione-related enzymes and of superoxide dismutase were not significantly changed. However, the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and catalase, as well as the level of alpha-tocopherol, were significantly higher after treatment compared with the baseline. Despite controversy over the antioxidant properties of beta-carotene in vivo, our findings showed reduced oxidative stress after beta-carotene supplementation in chronic lead poisoning. - Highlights: • Beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress in lead-exposed workers. • Beta-carotene elevates glutathione level in lead-exposed workers. • Beta-carotene administration could be beneficial in lead poisoning.« less

Comparison of tiered formularies and reference pricing policies: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Morgan, Steve; Hanley, Gillian; Greyson, Devon

2009-01-01

Objectives To synthesize methodologically comparable evidence from the published literature regarding the outcomes of tiered formularies and therapeutic reference pricing of prescription drugs. Methods We searched the following electronic databases: ABI/Inform, CINAHL, Clinical Evidence, Digital Dissertations & Theses, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (which incorporates ACP Journal Club, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, Health Technology Assessments and NHS Economic Evaluation Database), EconLit, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, MEDLINE, PAIS International and PAIS Archive, and the Web of Science. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and several grey literature sources. We sought English-language studies published from 1986 to 2007 that examined the effects of either therapeutic reference pricing or tiered formularies, reported on outcomes relevant to patient care and cost-effectiveness, and employed quantitative study designs that included concurrent or historical comparison groups. We abstracted and assessed potentially appropriate articles using a modified version of the data abstraction form developed by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group. Results From an initial list of 2964 citations, 12 citations (representing 11 studies) were deemed eligible for inclusion in our review: 3 studies (reported in 4 articles) of reference pricing and 8 studies of tiered formularies. The introduction of reference pricing was associated with reduced plan spending, switching to preferred medicines, reduced overall drug utilization and short-term increases in the use of physician services. Reference pricing was not associated with adverse health impacts. The introduction of tiered formularies was associated with reduced plan expenditures, greater patient costs and increased rates of non-compliance with prescribed drug therapy. From the data available, we were unable to examine the hypothesis that tiered formulary policies result in greater use of physician services and potentially worse health outcomes. Conclusion The available evidence does not clearly differentiate between reference pricing and tiered formularies in terms of policy outcomes. Reference pricing appears to have a slight evidentiary advantage, given that patients’ health outcomes under tiered formularies have not been well studied and that tiered formularies are associated with increased rates of medicine discontinuation. PMID:21603047

Considerable decrease of antibody titers against measles, mumps, and rubella in preschool children from an e-waste recycling area.

PubMed

Lin, Yucong; Xu, Xijin; Dai, Yifeng; Zhang, Yuling; Li, Weiqiu; Huo, Xia

2016-12-15

Data on vaccination effects in children chronically exposed to heavy metals are extremely scarce. This study aims to investigate the immune responsiveness to measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination in children from an e-waste recycling area. 378 healthy children from Guiyu (exposed group) and Haojiang (reference group) were surveyed. Blood lead (Pb) levels were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption. Titers of antibodies against MMR were quantified by ELISA. Blood Pb levels of children from the exposed group were significantly higher than those from the reference group (5.61μg/dL vs. 3.57μg/dL, p<0.001). In contrast, the antibody titers against MMR of the children from the exposed group were significantly lower than those from the reference group. The median titer of the anti-measles antibody of the exposed group was 669.64mIU/mL, with an interquartile range of 372.88-1068.42mIU/mL; this was decreased by nearly 40% compared to that of the reference group (median 1046.79mIU/mL, interquartile range 603.29-1733.10mIU/mL). For antibody titers against mumps, there was an about 45% decrease in the exposed group (median 272.24U/mL, interquartile range 95.19-590.16U/mL), compared to the reference group (median 491.78U/mL, interquartile range 183.38-945.96U/mL). In the case of rubella, the median titer of the antibody was also significantly lower in the exposed group (median 37.08IU/mL, interquartile range 17.67-66.66IU/mL) compared to the reference group (median 66.50IU/mL, interquartile range 25.32-105.59IU/mL); the decrease in this case was nearly 44%. The proportion of children whose antibody titers against MMR were below protective level in the exposed group was higher than it was in the reference group. The present study demonstrates that the immune responsiveness to routine vaccination was suppressed in children chronically exposed to lead. Thus, the vaccination strategies for these children living in an e-waste recycling area should be modified. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effects of coaching on educators' and preschoolers' use of references to print and phonological awareness during a small-group craft/writing activity.

PubMed

Milburn, Trelani F; Hipfner-Boucher, Kathleen; Weitzman, Elaine; Greenberg, Janice; Pelletier, Janette; Girolametto, Luigi

2015-04-01

The current study investigated the effects of coaching as part of an emergent literacy professional development program to increase early childhood educators' use of verbal references to print and phonological awareness during interactions with children. Thirty-one educators and 4 children from each of their classrooms (N = 121) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (21 hr of in-service workshops plus 5 coaching sessions) and a comparison group (workshops alone). The in-service workshops included instruction on how to talk about print and phonological awareness during a post-story craft/writing activity. All educators were video-recorded during a 15-min craft/writing activity with a small group of preschoolers at pretest and posttest. All videotapes were transcribed and coded for verbal references to print and phonological awareness by the educators and children. Although at posttest, there were no significant group differences in the educators' or the children's references to print as measured by rate per minute, both the educators and the children in the experimental group used a significantly higher rate per minute of references to phonological awareness relative to the comparison group. Professional development that included coaching with a speech-language pathologist enabled educators and children to engage in more phonological awareness talk during this activity.

SU-F-T-243: Major Risks in Radiotherapy. A Review Based On Risk Analysis Literature

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

López-Tarjuelo, J; Guasp-Tortajada, M; Iglesias-Montenegro, N

Purpose: We present a literature review of risk analyses in radiotherapy to highlight the most reported risks and facilitate the spread of this valuable information so that professionals can be aware of these major threats before performing their own studies. Methods: We considered studies with at least an estimation of the probability of occurrence of an adverse event (O) and its associated severity (S). They cover external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, intraoperative radiotherapy, and stereotactic techniques. We selected only the works containing a detailed ranked series of elements or failure modes and focused on the first fully reported quartile as much.more » Afterward, we sorted the risk elements according to a regular radiotherapy procedure so that the resulting groups were cited in several works and be ranked in this way. Results: 29 references published between 2007 and February 2016 were studied. Publication trend has been generally rising. The most employed analysis has been the Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA). Among references, we selected 20 works listing 258 ranked risk elements. They were sorted into 31 groups appearing at least in two different works. 11 groups appeared in at least 5 references and 5 groups did it in 7 or more papers. These last sets of risks where choosing another set of images or plan for planning or treating, errors related with contours, errors in patient positioning for treatment, human mistakes when programming treatments, and planning errors. Conclusion: There is a sufficient amount and variety of references for identifying which failure modes or elements should be addressed in a radiotherapy department before attempting a specific analysis. FMEA prevailed, but other studies such as “risk matrix” or “occurrence × severity” analyses can also lead professionals’ efforts. Risk associated with human actions ranks very high; therefore, they should be automated or at least peer-reviewed.« less

Reference values for biochemical parameters in blood serum of young and adult alpacas (Vicugna pacos).

PubMed

Husakova, T; Pavlata, L; Pechova, A; Hauptmanova, K; Pitropovska, E; Tichy, L

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to establish reference interval for biochemical parameters in blood of alpacas on the basis of large population of clinically healthy animals, and to determine the influence of sex, age and season on nitrogen and lipid metabolites, enzymes, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals in blood of alpacas. Blood samples were collected from 311 alpacas (61 males and 201 females >6 months of age and 49 crias (21 males and 28 females) ⩽6 months of age). Selected farms were located in Central Europe (Czech Republic and Germany). We determined 24 biochemical parameters from blood serum. We performed the comparison of results by the sex of animals and for the older group also the comparison of the results with regard to the season, respectively, to the feeding period. We found no highly significant difference (P<0.01) between males and females with the exception of γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cholesterol. We found 15 significantly different parameters between the group of crias 6 months of age and the older alpacas. Based on our findings we suggest for most parameters to use different reference intervals (especially ALP, cholesterol, total protein, globulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), GGT and phosphorus) for the two above-mentioned age groups. Another important finding is the differences between some parameters in older group of alpacas in summer/winter feeding period. Animals in the summer feeding period have higher values of parameters related to fat mobilization (β-hydroxybutyrate, NEFA) and liver metabolism (bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase). The winter period with increased feeding of supplements with higher amount of fat, vitamins and minerals is characteristic by increased values of cholesterol, triglycerides, vitamins A and E, and some minerals (K, Ca, Mg and Cl) in blood serum. Clinical laboratory diagnosis of metabolic disturbances may be improved with use of age-based reference values and with consideration of seasonal differences.

Nutritional intake of various groups of Flemish vegetarians

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The most recent national nutritional survey (2004) indicates that 1.2% of the Flemish population follows a vegetarian diet. Information on nutritional intake in vegetarians in this population is scarce. Objective The aim of the present study is to describe the nutritional intake and dietary adequacy of various groups of Flemish vegetarians. Materials and methods Nutritional intake was assessed in various vegetarian groups from different study designs: young children (aged 1 to 10 y; n = 27) (Group 1), adolescents and adults (aged 11 to 32 y; n = 50) (Group 2), college students (aged 18 to 24 y; n= 24) (Group 3), life-long vegetarians (aged 14 to 71 y; n = 36) (Group 4) and adults (aged 20 to 98; n= 106) (Group 5). Additionally, blood samples were collected and analysed in groups 3 and 4. Comparisons were made with standard references or with omnivores (Group 3). Results Nutritional intake was found to be close to the Belgian RDA. However, all groups showed a number of outliers with an intake of some nutrients above or below the RDAs. Blood biochemistry showed low cholesterol, iron and vitamin B12 levels in vegetarians when comparing respectively with omnivores pairs (Group 3) and with reference values (Group 4). Conclusions Data collected in Flemish vegetarians indicate that a vegetarian diet may be adequate. However, the outliers in all groups show that proper dietary planning is advisable.

Interprofessional, multiple step simulation course improves pediatric resident and nursing staff management of pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis

PubMed Central

Larson-Williams, Linnea M; Youngblood, Amber Q; Peterson, Dawn Taylor; Zinkan, J Lynn; White, Marjorie L; Abdul-Latif, Hussein; Matalka, Leen; Epps, Stephen N; Tofil, Nancy M

2016-01-01

AIM To investigate the use of a multidisciplinary, longitudinal simulation to educate pediatric residents and nurses on management of pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. METHODS A multidisciplinary, multiple step simulation course was developed by faculty and staff using a modified Delphi method from the Pediatric Simulation Center and pediatric endocrinology department. Effectiveness of the simulation for the residents was measured with a pre- and post-test and a reference group not exposed to simulation. A follow up post-test was completed 3-6 mo after the simulation. Nurses completed a survey regarding the education activity. RESULTS Pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents (n = 20) and pediatric nurses (n = 25) completed the simulation course. Graduating residents (n = 16) were used as reference group. Pretest results were similar in the control and intervention group (74% ± 10% vs 76% ± 15%, P = 0.658). After completing the intervention, participants improved in the immediate post-test in comparison to themselves and the control group (84% ± 12% post study; P < 0.05). The 3-6 mo follow up post-test results demonstrated knowledge decay when compared to their immediate post-test results (78% ± 14%, P = 0.761). Residents and nurses felt the interdisciplinary and longitudinal nature of the simulation helped with learning. CONCLUSION Results suggest a multidisciplinary, longitudinal simulation improves immediate post-intervention knowledge but important knowledge decay occurs, future studies are needed to determine ways to decrease this decay. PMID:27896145

Relative Deprivation, Poor Health Habits and Mortality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eibner, Christine E.; Evans, William N.

2005-01-01

The results of the study conducted, using the data from National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (BRFSS), to find the relationship between the relative deprivation and mortality, while controlling individual income and reference group fixed effects, are presented.

Mental Health in School-Aged Children Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol and Other Substances

PubMed Central

Sandtorv, Lisbeth Beate; Hysing, Mari; Rognlid, Malin; Nilsen, Sondre Aasen; Elgen, Irene Bircow

2017-01-01

Prenatal exposure to substances can possibly influence a child’s neurodevelopment and may impact on subsequent mental health. We investigated the mental health status of school-aged children referred to a pediatric hospital with a history of prenatal exposure to alcohol or other substances. Mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and compared with a reference group. A total of 105 of 128 (82%) eligible children prenatally exposed to substances participated in the study, with 48 children exposed to alcohol and 57 to other substances. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscale mean scores, total difficulties scores, and total impact scores were statistically significantly higher in the group of exposed children, compared with the reference group. In this hospital-based population of school-aged children prenatally exposed to alcohol or other substances, the exposed group had an increased risk of mental health problems, compared with the reference group. PMID:29581703

The SPAI-18, a brief version of the social phobia and anxiety inventory: reliability and validity in clinically referred and non-referred samples.

PubMed

de Vente, Wieke; Majdandžić, Mirjana; Voncken, Marisol J; Beidel, Deborah C; Bögels, Susan M

2014-03-01

We developed a new version of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) in order to have a brief instrument for measuring social anxiety and social anxiety disorder (SAD) with a strong conceptual foundation. In the construction phase, a set of items representing 5 core aspects of social anxiety was selected by a panel of social anxiety experts. The selected item pool was validated using factor analysis, reliability analysis, and diagnostic analysis in a sample of healthy participants (N = 188) and a sample of clinically referred participants diagnosed with SAD (N = 98). This procedure resulted in an abbreviated version of the Social Phobia Subscale of the SPAI consisting of 18 items (i.e. the SPAI-18), which correlated strongly with the Social Phobia Subscale of the original SPAI (both groups r = .98). Internal consistency and diagnostic characteristics using a clinical cut-off score > 48 were good to excellent (Cronbach's alpha healthy group = .93; patient group = .91; sensitivity: .94; specificity: .88). The SPAI-18 was further validated in a community sample of parents-to-be without SAD (N = 237) and with SAD (N = 65). Internal consistency was again excellent (both groups Cronbach's alpha = .93) and a screening cut-off of > 36 proved to result in good sensitivity and specificity. The SPAI-18 also correlated strongly with other social anxiety instruments, supporting convergent validity. In sum, the SPAI-18 is a psychometrically sound instrument with good screening capacity for social anxiety disorder in clinical as well as community samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection of appropriate reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis in a streptozotocin-induced Alzheimer's disease model of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

PubMed

Park, Sang-Je; Kim, Young-Hyun; Lee, Youngjeon; Kim, Kyoung-Min; Kim, Heui-Soo; Lee, Sang-Rae; Kim, Sun-Uk; Kim, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Ji-Su; Jeong, Kang-Jin; Lee, Kyoung-Min; Huh, Jae-Won; Chang, Kyu-Tae

2013-01-01

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has been widely used to quantify relative gene expression because of the specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of this technique. In order to obtain reliable gene expression data from RT-qPCR experiments, it is important to utilize optimal reference genes for the normalization of target gene expression under varied experimental conditions. Previously, we developed and validated a novel icv-STZ cynomolgus monkey model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. However, in order to enhance the reliability of this disease model, appropriate reference genes must be selected to allow meaningful analysis of the gene expression levels in the icv-STZ cynomolgus monkey brain. In this study, we assessed the expression stability of 9 candidate reference genes in 2 matched-pair brain samples (5 regions) of control cynomolgus monkeys and those who had received intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (icv-STZ). Three well-known analytical programs geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper were used to choose the suitable reference genes from the total sample group, control group, and icv-STZ group. Combination analysis of the 3 different programs clearly indicated that the ideal reference genes are RPS19 and YWHAZ in the total sample group, GAPDH and RPS19 in the control group, and ACTB and GAPDH in the icv-STZ group. Additionally, we validated the normalization accuracy of the most appropriate reference genes (RPS19 and YWHAZ) by comparison with the least stable gene (TBP) using quantification of the APP and MAPT genes in the total sample group. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first study to identify and validate the appropriate reference genes in cynomolgus monkey brains. These findings provide useful information for future studies involving the expression of target genes in the cynomolgus monkey.

VLBI astrometry and the Hipparcos link to the extragalactic reference frame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lestrade, J.-F.; Preston, R. A.; Gabuzda, D. C.; Phillips, R. B.

1991-01-01

Intermediate results are reported from a program of VLBI radio observations designed to establish a link between the rotating reference frame of the ESA Hipparcos astrometric satellite and the extragalactic VLBI frame being developed by the International Earth Rotation Service. A group of 12 link stars have been observed at various epochs since 1982, and more observations are being undertaken during the 3-yr Hipparcos mission (1989-1992). Analysis of data on Algol indicates that phase-reference VLBI can determine an expected sky displacement of 4 marcsec with an uncertainty of 0.5 marcsec, even when the activity is only a few mJy.

Query Health: standards-based, cross-platform population health surveillance.

PubMed

Klann, Jeffrey G; Buck, Michael D; Brown, Jeffrey; Hadley, Marc; Elmore, Richard; Weber, Griffin M; Murphy, Shawn N

2014-01-01

Understanding population-level health trends is essential to effectively monitor and improve public health. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Query Health initiative is a collaboration to develop a national architecture for distributed, population-level health queries across diverse clinical systems with disparate data models. Here we review Query Health activities, including a standards-based methodology, an open-source reference implementation, and three pilot projects. Query Health defined a standards-based approach for distributed population health queries, using an ontology based on the Quality Data Model and Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture, Health Quality Measures Format (HQMF) as the query language, the Query Envelope as the secure transport layer, and the Quality Reporting Document Architecture as the result language. We implemented this approach using Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) and hQuery for data analytics and PopMedNet for access control, secure query distribution, and response. We deployed the reference implementation at three pilot sites: two public health departments (New York City and Massachusetts) and one pilot designed to support Food and Drug Administration post-market safety surveillance activities. The pilots were successful, although improved cross-platform data normalization is needed. This initiative resulted in a standards-based methodology for population health queries, a reference implementation, and revision of the HQMF standard. It also informed future directions regarding interoperability and data access for ONC's Data Access Framework initiative. Query Health was a test of the learning health system that supplied a functional methodology and reference implementation for distributed population health queries that has been validated at three sites. 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.

The effects of cognitive rehabilitation on Alzheimer's dementia patients' cognitive assessment reference diagnosis system performance based on level of cognitive functioning.

PubMed

Hwang, Jung-Ha; Cha, Hyun-Gyu; Cho, Hyuk-Shin

2015-09-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to apply cognitive rehabilitation according to Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients' level of cognitive functioning to compare changes in Cognitive Assessment Reference Diagnosis System performance and present standards for effective intervention. [Subjects] Subjects were 30 inpatients diagnosed with AD. Subjects were grouped by Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) class (CDR-0.5, CDR-1, or CDR-2, n = 10 per group), which is based on level of cognitive functioning, and cognitive rehabilitation was applied for 50 minutes per day, five days per week, for four weeks. [Methods] After cognitive rehabilitation intervention, CARDS tests were conducted to evaluate memory. [Results] Bonferroni tests comparing the three groups revealed that the CDR-0.5 and CDR-1 groups showed significant increases in Delayed 10 word-list, Delayed 10 object-list, Recognition 10 object, and Recent memory performance compared to the CDR-2 group. In addition, the CDR-0.5 group showed significant decreases in Recognition 10 word performance compared to the CDR-1 group. [Conclusion] Cognitive rehabilitation, CDR-0.5 or CDR-1 subjects showed significantly greater memory improvements than CDR-2 subjects. Moreover, was not effective for CDR-2 subjects.

Eating and rumination behaviour in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

PubMed

Braun, U; Tschoner, T; Hässig, M; Nuss, K

2017-02-01

Eating and rumination behaviour in 22 cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis was recorded after the start of treatment. Based on the results of clinical, ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations, the cows were divided into two groups: Group A consisted of 12 cows without an intramural or perforating foreign body and group B had 10 cows with an intramural or perforating foreign body. Cows of group A received amoxicillin, flunixin meglumine and a NaCl-glucose infusion, and cows of group B received the same treatment accompanied by foreign body removal via ruminotomy. All cows were fitted with a horse halter equipped with a pressure sensor integrated into the noseband, and eating and rumination activities were recorded continuously for 7 days. Additional 24-hour- recording periods occurred on days 14 and 30. Results obtained previously from 300 healthy cows were used for comparison. Median daily eating time in group A was 168 minutes (reference interval 211 to 319 min) on day 1 and increased to within the reference interval by day 3. Eating time on day 14 was 290 minutes and significantly longer than on day 1. Eating time was 294 minutes on day 30. Eating time in group B was comparable, and the patterns of normalisation for the number of chewing cycles related to eating, rumination time, the number of regurgitated cuds per day and the number of chewing cycles per cud were similar to that of group A: all variables were significantly reduced on day 1 and normalised within 3 to 5 days. The findings showed that eating and rumination are reduced in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis and that successful treatment results in rapid normalisation. Monitoring eating and rumination behaviour using a pressure sensor integrated into a halter allows objective clinical assessment of cows recovering from traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

[Characteristics of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria referred to the Hamburg Gender Identity Clinic].

PubMed

Becker, Inga; Gjergji-Lama, Voltisa; Romer, Georg; Möller, Birgit

2014-01-01

Given the increasing demand for counselling in gender dysphoria in childhood in Germany, there is a definite need for empirical data on characteristics and developmental trajectories of this clinical group. This study aimed to provide a first overview by assessing demographic characteristics and developmental trajectories of a group of gender variant boys and girls referred to the specialised Gender Identity Clinic in Hamburg. Data were extracted from medical charts, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis methods. Categories were set up by inductive-deductive reasoning based on the patients' parents' and clinicians' information in the files. Between 2006 and 2010, 45 gender variant children and adolescents were seen by clinicians; 88.9% (n = 40) of these were diagnosed with gender identity disorder (ICD-10). Within this group, the referral rates for girls were higher than for boys (1:1.5). Gender dysphoric girls were on average older than the boys and a higher percentage of girls was referred to the clinic at the beginning of adolescence (> 12 years of age). At the same time, more girls reported an early onset age. More girls made statements about their (same-sex) sexual orientation during adolescence and wishes for gender confirming medical interventions. More girls than boys revealed self-mutilation in the past or present as well as suicidal thoughts and/or attempts. Results indicate that the presentation of clinically referred gender dysphoric girls differs from the characteristics boys present in Germany; especially with respect to the most salient age differences. Therefore, these two groups require different awareness and individual treatment approaches.

Physical profile of elite young motorcyclists.

PubMed

Sánchez-Muñoz, C; Rodríguez, M A; Casimiro-Andújar, A J; Ortega, F B; Mateo-March, M; Zabala, M

2011-10-01

The aim of the study was to describe anthropometric and physical characteristics of elite young road-race motorcyclists (MC). 27 riders (15.6±1.1 years, 54.6±6.9 kg, 166.9±6.7 cm) competing at international elite level participated in this study. Anthropometric variables, hand grip and lumbar isometric strength, and lower-body muscular strength were measured. Comparisons of the MC and a reference group of Spanish physically active adolescents (16.0±0.6 years) showed that the riders were significantly lighter (-12.5 kg), and smaller (-4.7 cm). Riders also had significantly lower values for almost all skinfolds, and for all the measured girths (except forearm) than the reference group. Motorcyclists showed significantly less percent body fat (%BF) and higher muscle mass, and differences were observed for somatotype components compared to the reference group, except for the ectomorphy. Somatotype could be defined as mesomorphic-ectomorph (2.5-4.4-3.7). Mean (±SD) values of all riders were 34.8±5.0 cm for vertical jump height, 402.1±74.5 N for the right hand and 370.7±77.5 N for the left hand strengths, and 120.6±19.3 kg for lumbar isometric strength, respectively. Results demonstrate that MC are small and light, with lower body mass index, skinfolds, girth and breadth dimensions, and %BF than a reference group and other athletes, with high values of hand grip and lumbar isometric strength. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

From classical to eclectic psychodrama: conceptual similarities between psychodrama and psychodynamic and interpersonal group treatments.

PubMed

Kipper, David A; Matsumoto, Mia

2002-01-01

A study was conducted to explore the hypothesis that contemporary U.S. psychodramatists evince a shift from strict adherence to the conceptual frame of reference espoused by classical psychodrama toward a degree of sharing concepts with those valued by psychodynamic and interpersonal group therapists. Sixty-two senior psychodramatists ranked a form comprised of 44 concepts. Their rankings were compared to the results of a study by Dies (1992). In general, the results supported the hypothesis.

Evaluating the effectiveness of infant mental health enhanced case management for dependency populations.

PubMed

Congdon, David

2010-10-01

Children who are receiving services for abuse and neglect are likely to have reduced developmental levels and are less prepared for success in school as a result. The progress of 144 children receiving services from The Children's Home Society of Florida was tracked with half being randomly assigned to a control group and half to an experimental group receiving enhanced infant mental health oriented case management services from two social work professionals in each of two locations in Tallahassee and West Palm Beach Florida. Those receiving enhanced case management showed significantly higher results in the following areas: more visits with their parents (for those removed from the family home), more service referrals, more completed assessments for services, more services based on the assessments they received, and more success in completing goals of treatment for which they were referred. Their parents had more contact with professionals to whom they were referred and had more success in completing goals of the treatment for which they were referred. Children who received intensive case management also showed improvement in their developmental skills related to problem solving from inception to completion of services. Implications for further research are considered.

Assessment of the genetic diversity of the Tunisian citrus rootstock germplasm

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Citrus represents a substantial income for farmers in the Mediterranean Basin. However, the Mediterranean citrus industry faces increasing biotic and abiotic constraints. Therefore the breeding and selection of new rootstocks are now of the utmost importance. In Tunisia, in addition to sour orange, the most widespread traditional rootstock of the Mediterranean area, other citrus rootstocks and well adapted to local environmental conditions, are traditionally used and should be important genetic resources for breeding. To characterize the diversity of Tunisian citrus rootstocks, two hundred and one local accessions belonging to four facultative apomictic species (C. aurantium, sour orange; C. sinensis, orange; C. limon, lemon; and C. aurantifolia, lime) were collected and genotyped using 20 nuclear SSR markers and four indel mitochondrial markers. Multi-locus genotypes (MLGs) were compared to references from French and Spanish collections. Results The differentiation of the four varietal groups was well-marked. The groups displayed a relatively high allelic diversity, primarily due to very high heterozygosity. Sixteen distinct MLGs were identified. Ten of these were noted in sour oranges. However, the majority of the analysed sour orange accessions corresponded with only two MLGs, differentiated by a single allele, likely due to a mutation. The most frequent MLG is shared with the reference sour oranges. No polymorphism was found within the sweet orange group. Two MLGs, differentiated by a single locus, were noted in lemon. The predominant MLG was shared with the reference lemons. Limes were represented by three genotypes. Two corresponded to the 'Mexican lime' and 'limonette de Marrakech' references. The MLG of 'Chiiri' lime was unique. Conclusions The Tunisian citrus rootstock genetic diversity is predominantly due to high heterozygosity and differentiation between the four varietal groups. The phenotypic diversity within the varietal groups has resulted from multiple introductions, somatic mutations and rare sexual recombination events. Finally, this diversity study enabled the identification of a core sample of accessions for further physiological and agronomical evaluations. These core accessions will be integrated into citrus rootstock breeding programs for the Mediterranean Basin. PMID:22429788

Impact of adolescent age on maternal and neonatal outcomes in the Born in Bradford cohort

PubMed Central

Marvin-Dowle, Katie; Kilner, Karen; Burley, Victoria Jane; Soltani, Hora

2018-01-01

Objectives Explore associations between maternal and neonatal outcomes and maternal age, with particular reference to adolescent women. Design Population-based cohort study. Setting Maternity department of a large hospital in Northern England. Participants Primiparous women delivering a singleton at Bradford Royal Infirmary between March 2007 and December 2010 aged ≤19 years (n=640) or 20–34 years (n=3951). Subgroup analysis was performed using women aged ≤16 years (n=68). Women aged 20–34 years were used as the reference group. Primary outcome measures Maternal and neonatal outcomes. Results The odds of extremely low birth weight (<1000 g) were significantly higher in the adolescent group (≤19 years) compared with the reference group (adjusted OR (aOR) 4.13, 95% CI 1.41 to 12.11). The odds of very (<32 weeks) and extremely (<28 weeks) preterm delivery were also higher in the adolescent group (aOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.25 and aOR 5.06, 95% CI 1.23 to 20.78, respectively). Women in the adolescent group had lower odds of gestational diabetes (aOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.62), caesarean delivery (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.67 and instrumental delivery (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.67). Conclusions This study identifies important differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes between women by age group. These findings could help in identifying at-risk groups for additional support and tailored interventions to minimise the risk of adverse outcomes for these vulnerable groups. Further work is needed to identify the causal mechanisms linking age with outcomes in adolescent women where significant gaps in the literature exist. PMID:29549196

Effects of Admission and Treatment Strategies of DWI Courts on Offender Outcomes

PubMed Central

Sloan, Frank A.; Chepke, Lindsey M.; Davis, Dontrell V.; Acquah, Kofi; Zold-Kilbourne, Phyllis

2013-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study is to classify DWI courts on the basis of the mix of difficult cases participating in the court (casemix severity) and the amount of involvement between the court and participant (service intensity). Using our classification typology, we assess how casemix severity and service intensity are associated with program outcomes. We expected that holding other factors constant, greater service intensity would improve program outcomes while a relatively severe casemix would result in worse program outcomes. Methods The study used data from 8 DWI courts, 7 from Michigan and 1 from North Carolina. Using a 2-way classification system based on court casemix severity and program intensity, we selected participants in 1 of the courts, and alternatively 2 courts as reference groups. Reference group courts had relatively severe casemixes and high service intensity. We used propensity score matching to match participants in the other courts to participants in the reference group court programs. Program outcome measures were the probabilities of participants’: failing to complete the court’s program; increasing educational attainment; participants improving employment from time of program enrollment; and re-arrest. Results For most outcomes, our main finding was that higher service intensity is associated with better outcomes for court participants, as anticipated, but a court’s casemix severity was unrelated to study outcomes. Conclusions Our results imply that devoting more resources to increasing duration of treatment is productive in terms of better outcomes, irrespective of the mix of participants in the court’s program PMID:23416679

The spatial representation of power in children.

PubMed

Lu, Lifeng; Schubert, Thomas W; Zhu, Lei

2017-11-01

Previous evidence demonstrates that power is mentally represented as vertical space by adults. However, little is known about how power is mentally represented in children. The current research examines such representations. The influence of vertical information (motor cues) was tested in both an explicit power evaluation task (judge whether labels refer to powerless or powerful groups) and an incidental task (judge whether labels refer to people or animals). The results showed that when power was explicitly evaluated, vertical motor responses interfered with responding in children and adults, i.e., they responded to words representing powerful groups faster with the up than the down cursor key (and vice versa for powerless groups). However, this interference effect disappeared in the incidental task in children. The findings suggest that children have developed a spatial representation of power before they have been taught power-space associations formally, but that they do not judge power spontaneously.

Does platelet count in platelet-rich plasma influence slope, maximal amplitude and lag phase in healthy individuals? Results of light transmission aggregometry.

PubMed

Chandrashekar, Vani

2015-01-01

Light transmission aggregometry lacks in standardisation and normal reference values are not widely available. The aims of our study were to establish reference ranges for aggregation, slope and lag phase in healthy controls with platelet counts between 150 and 450 × 10(9)/l in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as well as evaluate the influence of platelet count. Ninety-nine subjects were evaluated with four agonists and divided into two groups based on platelet count and the groups were compared by Student's t-test. There was no difference between the means of the two groups for amplitude and slope barring the lag phase for collagen. Platelet counts between 150 and 450 × 10(9)/l have no effects on light transmission aggregometry and hence adjustment of platelet count is not necessary.

Distance Education and Virtual Reference: Implementing a Marketing Plan at Texas A&M University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDonald, Karen I.; vanDuinkerken, Wyoma

2005-01-01

Texas A&M University Libraries has been testing virtual reference services since February 2004, but during the fall semester 2005, the Libraries began implementing and actively promoting the services to various target groups. Distance education students were identified as a primary target group for virtual reference services, and as of the…

Soft-tissue facial characteristics of attractive Chinese men compared to normal men

PubMed Central

Wu, Feng; Li, Junfang; He, Hong; Huang, Na; Tang, Youchao; Wang, Yuanqing

2015-01-01

Objective: To compare the facial characteristics of attractive Chinese men with those of reference men. Materials and Methods: The three-dimensional coordinates of 50 facial landmarks were collected in 40 healthy reference men and in 40 “attractive” men, soft tissue facial angles, distances, areas, and volumes were computed and compared using analysis of variance. Results: When compared with reference men, attractive men shared several similar facial characteristics: relatively large forehead, reduced mandible, and rounded face. They had a more acute soft tissue profile, an increased upper facial width and middle facial depth, larger mouth, and more voluminous lips than reference men. Conclusions: Attractive men had several facial characteristics suggesting babyness. Nonetheless, each group of men was characterized by a different development of these features. Esthetic reference values can be a useful tool for clinicians, but should always consider the characteristics of individual faces. PMID:26221357

Determination of reference values and frequency of occurrence of patella alta in German shepherd dogs: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Łojszczyk-Szczepaniak, Anna; Silmanowicz, Piotr; Komsta, Renata; Osiński, Zbigniew

2017-05-31

Patella alta and patella baja are important conditions underlying a predisposition to many joint diseases, including patellar luxation and patellar chondromalacia of the articular cartilage. The frequencies of patella alta and patella baja have not yet been determined. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of patella alta and to determine reference values to the position of the vertical patella according to two modified techniques of the Insall-Salvati method in a group of 65 German shepherd dogs (115 stifle joints). The upper limits of reference values for the normal vertical position of the patella were 1.79 and 2.13, depending on the method of measurement. A high prevalence of patella alta was observed in the group of German shepherd dogs. A correlation was demonstrated between the classification of dogs' joints in the patella alta group and the multiplied risk of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) through the estimation of odds ratios. Dogs with patella alta were healthy dogs that did not exhibit orthopaedic problems in the stifle joints. The results revealed that the risk of CHD is twice as high in dogs with higher patellar ligament length to patella length ratio.

The impact of generic reference pricing in Italy, a decade on.

PubMed

Ghislandi, Simone; Armeni, Patrizio; Jommi, Claudio

2013-12-01

The generic reference price (GRP) was introduced in Italy in 2001. The main purpose of this paper is: (a) producing evidence regarding the effect of GRP on prices; (b) testing the hypothesis that there is a reallocation of demand from the genericated (and reference-priced) molecules to patent-protected products that have the same therapeutic indication. The analysis used a unique dataset of quantities and revenues of six therapeutic groups that were observed for more than a decade. Difference-in-differences analysis is applied. Prices are adjusted for all the regulatory interventions in the ten years of observations, to control for confounding impact of these interventions. On average, prices dropped 13% more in groups to which GRP was applied than in other groups. Moreover, each entry of a new generic was associated with a price drop of around 2.8%. On the other hand, GRP did not induce any significant switching towards in-patent molecules. We provide the first empirical results of the impact of GRP on prices in Italy and evidence that GRP cannot be held solely responsible for the often reported demand reallocation towards new and in-patent molecules.

Effect of lubricant extreme-pressure additives on surface fatigue life of AISI 9310 spur gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scibbe, H. W.; Townsend, D. P.; Aron, P. R.

1984-01-01

Surface fatigue tests were conducted with AISI 9310 spur gears using a formulated synthetic tetraester oil (conforming to MIL-L-23699 specifications) as the lubricant containing either sulfur or phosphorus as the EP additive. Four groups of gears were tested. One group of gears tested without an additive in the lubricant acted as the reference oil. In the other three groups either a 0.1 wt % sulfur or phosphorus additive was added to the tetraester oil to enhance gear surface fatigue life. Test conditions included a gear temperature of 334 K (160 F), a maximum Hertz stress of 1.71 GPa (248 000 psi), and a speed of 10,000 rpm. The gears tested with a 0.1 wt % phosphorus additive showed pitting fatigue life 2.6 times the life of gears tested with the reference tetraester based oil. Although fatigue lives of two groups of gears tested with the sulfur additive in the oil showed improvement over the control group gear life, the results, unlike those obtained with the phosphorus oil, were not considered to be statistically significant.

Behavior of variable V3 region from 16S rDNA of lactic acid bacteria in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

PubMed

Ercolini, D; Moschetti, G; Blaiotta, G; Coppola, S

2001-03-01

Separation of amplified V3 region from 16S rDNA by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was tested as a tool for differentiation of lactic acid bacteria commonly isolated from food. Variable V3 regions of 21 reference strains and 34 wild strains referred to species belonging to the genera Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Weissella, and Streptococcus were analyzed. DGGE profiles obtained were species-specific for most of the cultures tested. Moreover, it was possible to group the remaining LAB reference strains according to the migration of their 16S V3 region in the denaturing gel. The results are discussed with reference to their potential in the analysis of LAB communities in food, besides shedding light on taxonomic aspects.

Standardization of glycohemoglobin results and reference values in whole blood studied in 103 laboratories using 20 methods.

PubMed

Weykamp, C W; Penders, T J; Miedema, K; Muskiet, F A; van der Slik, W

1995-01-01

We investigated the effect of calibration with lyophilized calibrators on whole-blood glycohemoglobin (glyHb) results. One hundred three laboratories, using 20 different methods, determined glyHb in two lyophilized calibrators and two whole-blood samples. For whole-blood samples with low (5%) and high (9%) glyHb percentages, respectively, calibration decreased overall interlaboratory variation (CV) from 16% to 9% and from 11% to 6% and decreased intermethod variation from 14% to 6% and from 12% to 5%. Forty-seven laboratories, using 14 different methods, determined mean glyHb percentages in self-selected groups of 10 nondiabetic volunteers each. With calibration their overall mean (2SD) was 5.0% (0.5%), very close to the 5.0% (0.3%) derived from the reference method used in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. In both experiments the Abbott IMx and Vision showed deviating results. We conclude that, irrespective of the analytical method used, calibration enables standardization of glyHb results, reference values, and interpretation criteria.

Long-Term Outcome of Bodily Distress Syndrome in Primary Care: A Follow-Up Study on Health Care Costs, Work Disability, and Self-Rated Health

PubMed Central

Rask, Mette Trollund; Ørnbøl, Eva; Rosendal, Marianne; Fink, Per

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective The upcoming International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision for primary care use suggests inclusion of a new diagnostic construct, bodily (di)stress syndrome (BDS), for individuals with medically unexplained symptoms. We aimed to explore the long-term outcome of BDS in health care costs, work disability, and self-rated health. Methods Consecutive patients consulting their family physician for a new health problem were screened for physical and mental symptoms by questionnaires (n = 1785). A stratified subsample was examined with a standardized diagnostic interview (n = 701). Patients with single-organ BDS (n = 124) and multiorgan BDS (n = 35), and a reference group with a family physician–verified medical condition (n = 880) were included. All included patients completed a questionnaire at 3, 12, and 24 months of follow-up. Register data on health care costs and work disability were obtained after 2 and 10 years of follow-up, respectively. Results Patients with BDS displayed poorer self-rated health and higher illness worry at index consultation and throughout follow-up than the reference group (p ≤ .001). The annual health care costs were higher in the BDS groups (2270 USD and 4066 USD) than in the reference group (1392 USD) (achieved significance level (ASL) ≤ 0.001). Both BDS groups had higher risk of sick leave during the first 2 years of follow-up (RRsingle-organ BDS = 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8–5.0; RRmultiorgan BDS = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.5–7.5) and substantially higher risk of newly awarded disability pension than the reference group (HRsingle-organ BDS = 4.9; 95% CI = 2.8–8.4; HRmultiorgan BDS = 8.7; 95% CI = 3.7–20.7). Conclusions Patients with BDS have poor long-term outcome of health care costs, work disability, and subjective suffering. These findings stress the need for adequate recognition and management of BDS. PMID:27768649

Standardising the descriptive epidemiology of osteoporosis: recommendations from the Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group of IOF.

PubMed

Kanis, J A; Adachi, J D; Cooper, C; Clark, P; Cummings, S R; Diaz-Curiel, M; Harvey, N; Hiligsmann, M; Papaioannou, A; Pierroz, D D; Silverman, S L; Szulc, P

2013-11-01

The Committee of Scientific Advisors of International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) recommends that papers describing the descriptive epidemiology of osteoporosis using bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck include T-scores derived from an international reference standard. The prevalence of osteoporosis as defined by the T-score is inconsistently reported in the literature which makes comparisons between studies problematic. The Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group of IOF convened to make its recommendations and endorsement sought thereafter from the Committee of Scientific Advisors of IOF. The Committee of Scientific Advisors of IOF recommends that papers describing the descriptive epidemiology of osteoporosis using BMD at the femoral neck include T-scores derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III reference database for femoral neck measurements in Caucasian women aged 20-29 years. It is expected that the use of the reference standard will help resolve difficulties in the comparison of results between studies and the comparative assessment of new technologies.

Increased gender variance in autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Strang, John F; Kenworthy, Lauren; Dominska, Aleksandra; Sokoloff, Jennifer; Kenealy, Laura E; Berl, Madison; Walsh, Karin; Menvielle, Edgardo; Slesaransky-Poe, Graciela; Kim, Kyung-Eun; Luong-Tran, Caroline; Meagher, Haley; Wallace, Gregory L

2014-11-01

Evidence suggests over-representation of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and behavioral difficulties among people referred for gender issues, but rates of the wish to be the other gender (gender variance) among different neurodevelopmental disorders are unknown. This chart review study explored rates of gender variance as reported by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in children with different neurodevelopmental disorders: ASD (N = 147, 24 females and 123 males), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; N = 126, 38 females and 88 males), or a medical neurodevelopmental disorder (N = 116, 57 females and 59 males), were compared with two non-referred groups [control sample (N = 165, 61 females and 104 males) and non-referred participants in the CBCL standardization sample (N = 1,605, 754 females and 851 males)]. Significantly greater proportions of participants with ASD (5.4%) or ADHD (4.8%) had parent reported gender variance than in the combined medical group (1.7%) or non-referred comparison groups (0-0.7%). As compared to non-referred comparisons, participants with ASD were 7.59 times more likely to express gender variance; participants with ADHD were 6.64 times more likely to express gender variance. The medical neurodevelopmental disorder group did not differ from non-referred samples in likelihood to express gender variance. Gender variance was related to elevated emotional symptoms in ADHD, but not in ASD. After accounting for sex ratio differences between the neurodevelopmental disorder and non-referred comparison groups, gender variance occurred equally in females and males.

40 CFR 63.652 - Emissions averaging provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... emissions average. This must include any Group 1 emission points to which the reference control technology... controls for a Group 1 emission point, the pollution prevention measure alone does not have to reduce... in control after November 15, 1990; (2) Group 1 emission points that are controlled by a reference...

40 CFR 63.652 - Emissions averaging provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... emissions average. This must include any Group 1 emission points to which the reference control technology... controls for a Group 1 emission point, the pollution prevention measure alone does not have to reduce... in control after November 15, 1990; (2) Group 1 emission points that are controlled by a reference...

When neuroscience met clinical pathology: partitioning experimental variation to aid data interpretation in neuroscience.

PubMed

Jeffery, Nick D; Bate, Simon T; Safayi, Sina; Howard, Matthew A; Moon, Lawrence; Jeffery, Unity

2018-03-01

In animal experiments, neuroscientists typically assess the effectiveness of interventions by comparing the average response of groups of treated and untreated animals. While providing useful insights, focusing only on group effects risks overemphasis of small, statistically significant but physiologically unimportant, differences. Such differences can be created by analytical variability or physiological within-individual variation, especially if the number of animals in each group is small enough that one or two outlier values can have considerable impact on the summary measures for the group. Physicians face a similar dilemma when comparing two results from the same patient. To determine whether the change between two values reflects disease progression or known analytical and physiological variation, the magnitude of the difference between two results is compared to the reference change value. These values are generated by quantifying analytical and within-individual variation, and differences between two results from the same patient are considered clinically meaningful only if they exceed the combined effect of these two sources of 'noise'. In this article, we describe how the reference change interval can be applied within neuroscience. This form of analysis provides a measure of outcome at an individual level that complements traditional group-level comparisons, and therefore, introduction of this technique into neuroscience can enrich interpretation of experimental data. It can also safeguard against some of the possible misinterpretations that may occur during analysis of the small experimental groups that are common in neuroscience and, by illuminating analytical error, may aid in design of more efficient experimental methods. © 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Looking Down or Looking Up: Status and Subjective Well-Being among Asian and Latino Immigrants in the United States

PubMed Central

Gelatt, Julia

2013-01-01

Foundational theories of international migration rest on the assumption that immigrants maintain reference groups in their country of origin even after settling in a new place, while the transnationalism perspective suggests that immigrants maintain a dual frame of reference. This paper uses the nationally-representative National Latino and Asian American Survey to test the location of immigrants’ reference groups. I find that the relationship between various measures of subjective social standing and subjective well-being suggests that immigrants maintain simultaneous reference groups in both the United States and the country of origin, supporting transnational theories, and refuting earlier theories. PMID:24151347

Assessing and Evaluating Department of Defense Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade: Desk Reference

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

128 O’Hanlon, Michael, 187n107 OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), 1, 299 Olshefsky, Alisa M., 308n39 one - group pretest - posttest design, 154–155 online...procedures may result in differences between the pretest and posttest . Hawthorne effect Subjects may react positively to being part of the treatment group ...and Devra Moehler, used a four- group posttest -only design with two controls. Tro tro riders in Ghana were randomized to one of four conditions: a

Women's attitude toward smoking: effect of a community-based intervention on smoking-related social norms.

PubMed

Toghianifar, Nafiseh; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal; Gharipour, Mojgan

2014-12-01

Smoking has long been discouraged in Iranian women. However, in recent years, more women have started smoking. This study aimed to investigate the role of women's attitude towards smoking on smoking prevalence in women in the context of a community-based intervention program. Participants were samples of the third and fifth evaluation stages of the 'Isfahan Healthy Heart Program', which is a comprehensive community-based intervention program for noncommunicable disease prevention and control. A total of 3112 and 4794 women were investigated in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Intervention and reference groups were assessed for smoking habits and attitude towards smoking. T test and chi-square test were used to compare the parameters between the intervention and the reference groups. Negative attitude towards smoking increased significantly in the intervention and the reference groups from 2004 to 2007 (P = 0.0001). Negative attitude towards smoking in women decreased significantly in the intervention group (P = 0.0001), whereas it increased significantly in the reference group (P = 0.0001). However, smoking prevalence showed a significant decrease in women in the intervention group, from 2.5 to 1% (P < 0.0001) and a nonsignificant decrease in the reference group. A change in social norms towards acceptability of smoking for women can be overcome by effective strategies that discourage the population from smoking.

Quantum mechanics in noninertial reference frames: Violations of the nonrelativistic equivalence principle

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

Klink, W.H.; Wickramasekara, S., E-mail: wickrama@grinnell.edu; Department of Physics, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112

2014-01-15

In previous work we have developed a formulation of quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames. This formulation is grounded in a class of unitary cocycle representations of what we have called the Galilean line group, the generalization of the Galilei group that includes transformations amongst non-inertial reference frames. These representations show that in quantum mechanics, just as is the case in classical mechanics, the transformations to accelerating reference frames give rise to fictitious forces. A special feature of these previously constructed representations is that they all respect the non-relativistic equivalence principle, wherein the fictitious forces associated with linear acceleration canmore » equivalently be described by gravitational forces. In this paper we exhibit a large class of cocycle representations of the Galilean line group that violate the equivalence principle. Nevertheless the classical mechanics analogue of these cocycle representations all respect the equivalence principle. -- Highlights: •A formulation of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames is given. •The key concept is the Galilean line group, an infinite dimensional group. •A large class of general cocycle representations of the Galilean line group is constructed. •These representations show violations of the equivalence principle at the quantum level. •At the classical limit, no violations of the equivalence principle are detected.« less

Relationship between burnout and communication skill training among Japanese hospital nurses: a pilot study.

PubMed

Shimizu, Takashi; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Kubota, Shinya; Mishima, Norio; Nagata, Shoji

2003-05-01

We investigated the relationship between burnout and communication skill training among Japanese hospital nurses to improve the mental health of human service workers. The subjects were forty-five registered nurses referred to a self-expression skill intervention program by their section superiors, with each superior choosing from two to five nurses. The hospital was located in the Kyushu area and staffed by about four hundred nurses. The subjects were divided into an intervention group (19 nurses) and a reference group (26 nurses). The intervention group received the communication skill training in July and August, 2001. The communication skill training was carried out in accordance with the assertiveness training (AsT) precepts of Anne Dickson. In June, 2001, we delivered a set of questionnaires including age, gender, working years, a burnout scale, and a communication skill check-list as a baseline survey. The baseline questionnaires were returned at the end of June, 2001. In January, 2002, we delivered the same questionnaire again to the two groups and collected them at the end of the month. Excluding the only male and insufficient answers, twenty-six nurses (58%) returned complete answers in the initial and subsequent surveys. We found that the personal accomplishment and the two communication skills such as "accepting valid criticisms" and "negotiation" of the intervention group had improved significantly five months after the training as compared with that of the reference. Our results implied that communication skill training might have a favorable effect on burnout among Japanese hospital nurses.

A coproduced patient and public event: An approach to developing and prioritizing ambulance performance measures.

PubMed

Irving, Andy; Turner, Janette; Marsh, Maggie; Broadway-Parkinson, Andrea; Fall, Dan; Coster, Joanne; Siriwardena, A Niroshan

2018-02-01

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is recognized as an important component of high-quality health services research. PPI is integral to the Pre-hospital Outcomes for Evidence Based Evaluation (PhOEBE) programme. The PPI event described in detail in this article focusses on the process of involving patients and public representatives in identifying, prioritizing and refining a set of outcome measures that can be used to support ambulance service performance measurement. To obtain public feedback on little known, complex aspects of ambulance service performance measurement. The event was codesigned and coproduced with the PhOEBE PPI reference group and PhOEBE research team. The event consisted of brief researcher-led presentations, group discussions facilitated by the PPI reference group members and electronic voting. Data were collected from eighteen patient and public representatives who attended an event venue in Yorkshire. The results of the PPI event showed that this interactive format and mode of delivery was an effective method to obtain public feedback and produced a clear indication of which ambulance performance measures were most highly favoured by event participants. The event highlighted valuable contributions the PPI reference group made to the design process, supporting participant recruitment and facilitation of group discussions. In addition, the positive team working experience of the event proved a catalyst for further improvements in PPI within the PhOEBE project. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fatty fish intake and attention performance in 14-15 year old adolescents: FINS-TEENS - a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Handeland, Katina; Øyen, Jannike; Skotheim, Siv; Graff, Ingvild E; Baste, Valborg; Kjellevold, Marian; Frøyland, Livar; Lie, Øyvind; Dahl, Lisbeth; Stormark, Kjell M

2017-10-02

Fatty fish is the dominant dietary source of n-3 LCPUFAs but it also contains other micronutrients considered important for brain development and function. To our knowledge, the effect of fatty fish intake on cognitive function in adolescents has not been investigated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) previously. The aim of the present trial was to investigate whether consumption of fatty fish meals three times per week for 12 weeks could alter attention performance in adolescents compared to similar meals with meat or n-3 LCPUFA supplements. In the Fish Intervention Studies-TEENS (FINS-TEENS), adolescents from eight secondary schools (n = 426; age: 14-15y) were individually randomized. Attention performance was assessed with the d2 test of attention. Differences between groups from pre to post intervention were assessed with linear mixed effect models and general estimates equation. The fish group was set as reference. Dietary compliance was recorded for each meal throughout the trial and controlled for in the adjusted analyses. The improvement in processing speed was significantly lower in the meat (-11.8; 95% CI: -23.3, -0.4) and supplement (-13.4; 95% CI: -24.9, -1.8) group compared to the fish group (reference). The supplement group also showed inferior improvement in total performance (-10.4; 95% CI: -20.0, -0.7) compared to the fish group (reference). The results were slightly affected when controlling for dietary compliance. Omission errors decreased in the meat group compared to the fish group (Incidence rate ratio = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.98), but the difference disappeared when controlling for dietary compliance. We observed a small beneficial effect of fatty fish, compared to meat meals and supplements on processing speed. However, these results are difficult to interpret due to low dietary compliance. This study shows that different taste preferences among participants is challenging in intervention trials with food. A prospective cohort design may be a better alternative when studying diet in the future. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT02350322 .

Slavic Americans: A Comparative and Critical Analysis of Leading Reference Sources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wertsman, Vladimir F.

2002-01-01

Examines how Slavic American groups are treated in a variety of reference sources and what should be done in the future to provide more complete and accurate information to interested researchers. A table compares the 10 reference sources (excluding the U.S. Census) with respect to the information they provide on the 20 Slavic American groups. (SM)

All-cause mortality of elderly Australian veterans using COX-2 selective or non-selective NSAIDs: a longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Kerr, Stephen J; Rowett, Debra S; Sayer, Geoffrey P; Whicker, Susan D; Saltman, Deborah C; Mant, Andrea

2011-01-01

AIM To determine hazard ratios for all-cause mortality in elderly Australian veterans taking COX-2 selective and non-selective NSAIDs. METHODS Patient cohorts were constructed from claims databases (1997 to 2007) for veterans and dependants with full treatment entitlement irrespective of military service. Patients were grouped by initial exposure: celecoxib, rofecoxib, meloxicam, diclofenac, non-selective NSAID. A reference group was constructed of patients receiving glaucoma/hypothyroid medications and none of the study medications. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for each exposure group against each of the reference group. The final model was adjusted for age, gender and co-prescription as a surrogate for cardiovascular risk. Patients were censored if the gap in supply of study prescription exceeded 30 days or if another study medication was initiated. The outcome measure in all analyses was death. RESULTS Hazard ratios and 95% CIs, adjusted for age, gender and cardiovascular risk, for each group relative to the reference group were: celecoxib 1.39 (1.25, 1.55), diclofenac 1.44 (1.28, 1.62), meloxicam 1.49 (1.25, 1.78), rofecoxib 1.58 (1.39, 1.79), non-selective NSAIDs 1.76 (1.59, 1.94). CONCLUSIONS In this large cohort of Australian veterans exposed to COX-2 selective and non-selective NSAIDs, there was a significant increased mortality risk for those exposed to either COX-2-selective or non-selective NSAIDs relative to those exposed to unrelated (glaucoma/hypothyroid) medications. PMID:21276041

Quantum mechanics in noninertial reference frames: Relativistic accelerations and fictitious forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klink, W. H.; Wickramasekara, S.

2016-06-01

One-particle systems in relativistically accelerating reference frames can be associated with a class of unitary representations of the group of arbitrary coordinate transformations, an extension of the Wigner-Bargmann definition of particles as the physical realization of unitary irreducible representations of the Poincaré group. Representations of the group of arbitrary coordinate transformations become necessary to define unitary operators implementing relativistic acceleration transformations in quantum theory because, unlike in the Galilean case, the relativistic acceleration transformations do not themselves form a group. The momentum operators that follow from these representations show how the fictitious forces in noninertial reference frames are generated in quantum theory.

Nature of Science and Decision-Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khishfe, Rola

2012-01-01

The study investigated the relationship of nature of science (NOS) instruction and students' decision-making (DM) related to a controversial socioscientific issue about genetically modified food. Participants were ninth-grade students in four intact sections (two regulars and two honors) in a public high school in the Midwest. All four groups were taught by their regular science teacher. The treatment comprised a four-week unit about genetic engineering. Two groups (one regular and one honors), referred to as comparison groups, received instruction in genetic engineering and how to formulate arguments and make decisions related to this controversial issue. The other two groups (one regular and one honors), referred to as treatment groups, received instruction in genetic engineering and how to apply NOS aspects as they formulate arguments and make decisions in relation to this controversial issue. Chi-square analyses showed significant differences between the comparison and the treatment groups in relation to the understandings of four NOS aspects. There were no differences in their decisions, but there were differences in their DM factors in the context of the controversial socioscientific issue about genetically modified food. These results are discussed in light of the relationship between students' understandings of NOS and their DM related to controversial socioscientific issues.

Cartilage collagen damage in hip osteoarthritis similar to that seen in knee osteoarthritis; a case-control study of relationship between collagen, glycosaminoglycan and cartilage swelling.

PubMed

Hosseininia, Shahrzad; Lindberg, Lisbeth R; Dahlberg, Leif E

2013-01-09

It remains to be shown whether OA shares molecular similarities between different joints in humans. This study provides evidence for similarities in cartilage molecular damage in osteoarthritic (OA) joints. Articular cartilage from osteoarthritic hip joints were analysed and compared to non-OA controls regarding collagen, glycosaminoglycan and water content. Femoral heads from 16 osteoarthritic (OA) and 20 reference patients were obtained from hip replacement surgery due to OA and femoral neck fracture, respectively. Cartilage histological changes were assessed by Mankin grading and denatured collagen type II immunostaining and cartilage was extracted by α-chymotrypsin. Hydroxyproline and Alcian blue binding assays were used to measure collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content, respectively. Mankin and immunohistology scores were significantly higher in hip OA samples than in reference samples. Cartilage water content was 6% higher in OA samples than in references. 2.5 times more collagen was extracted from OA than from reference samples. There was a positive association between water content and percentage of extractable collagen pool (ECP) in both groups. The amounts of collagen per wet and dry weights did not differ statistically between OA and reference cartilage. % Extractable collagen was not related to collagen per dry weight in either group. However when collagen was expressed by wet weight there was a negative correlation between % extractable and collagen in OA cartilage. The amount of GAG per wet weight was similar in both groups but the amount of GAG per dry weight was higher in OA samples compared to reference samples, which suggests a capacity for GAG biosynthesis in hip OA cartilage. Neither of the studied parameters was related to age in either group. Increased collagen extractability and water content in human hip cartilage is associated with OA pathology and can be observed at early stages of the degenerative hip OA process. Our results suggest a common degradative pathway of collagen in articular cartilage of different joints. Furthermore, the study suggests that biochemical changes precede more overt OA changes and that chondrocytes may have a capability to compensate molecular loss in the early phase of OA.

[Medical problems associated with the national reference pricing system in Hungary].

PubMed

Kerpel-Fronius, Sándor

2004-04-25

The author analyses the medical problems associated with the proposed reference pricing system prepared for the 2004 pharmaceutical price and reimbursement negotiations by the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund (HNIF). In case of drugs containing identical active ingredients the author does not consider it acceptable that from the criteria of reference grouping bioequivalence was omitted, since bioequivalence is the basic clinical pharmacologic principle underlying the safe utilization of generic drugs. The proposal introduces in Hungary the therapeutic reference pricing for drugs belonging to the same ATC 5 level group, having different chemical structures but identical mechanisms of action. The products are listed according to their defined daily dose (DDD) and the arithmetic mean of the cheapest products giving together 50% market share is calculated. Each ATC 5 group has a given per cent reimbursement level and the fixed amount paid by the HNIF for all drugs in the group is defined as the given percentage of the mean price. This sum is reimbursed irrespective whether the products are patent protected or not, furthermore those drugs whose price is three times higher than the fixed mean price are excluded from the reimbursement system. As a result the patients' co-payment for the more expensive drugs will be significantly increased in the future. The basis of the therapeutic reference price is the assumption that the outcome of the treatment will be the same using drugs with the same mechanism of action. However, this assumption lacks valid scientific proof. According to the author, the proposed budget centric reference pricing system, which does not take into account the differing clinical pharmacologic profiles of the drugs, will significantly inhibit the use of new, innovative drugs, the establishment and continuous improvement of truly cost-effective patient care. Several alternative approaches are proposed for controlling drug budget. Finally the author recommends that a Committee should be established to develop a comprehensive proposal for the reorganization of the pricing and reimbursement system of the drugs available for general and/or hospital use, and for the follow-up of the health care effects of these measures.

Numbers of Beauty: An Innovative Aesthetic Analysis for Orthognathic Surgery Treatment Planning.

PubMed

Marianetti, Tito Matteo; Gasparini, Giulio; Midulla, Giulia; Grippaudo, Cristina; Deli, Roberto; Cervelli, Daniele; Pelo, Sandro; Moro, Alessandro

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to validate a new aesthetic analysis and establish the sagittal position of the maxilla on an ideal group of reference. We want to demonstrate the usefulness of these findings in the treatment planning of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. We took a reference group of 81 Italian women participating in a national beauty contest in 2011 on which we performed Arnett's soft tissues cephalometric analysis and our new "Vertical Planning Line" analysis. We used the ideal values to elaborate the surgical treatment planning of a second group of 60 consecutive female patients affected by skeletal class III malocclusion. Finally we compared both pre- and postoperative pictures with the reference values of the ideal group. The ideal group of reference does not perfectly fit in Arnett's proposed norms. From the descriptive statistical comparison of the patients' values before and after orthognathic surgery with the reference values we observed how all parameters considered got closer to the ideal population. We consider our "Vertical Planning Line" a useful help for orthodontist and surgeon in the treatment planning of patients with skeletal malocclusions, in combination with the clinical facial examination and the classical cephalometric analysis of bone structures.

Genetics Home Reference: succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase deficiency

MedlinePlus

... more common in particular ethnic groups? Genetic Changes Mutations in the OXCT1 gene cause SCOT deficiency. The ... as during illness or when exercising. OXCT1 gene mutations result in the production of a SCOT enzyme ...

SCGICAR: Spatial concatenation based group ICA with reference for fMRI data analysis.

PubMed

Shi, Yuhu; Zeng, Weiming; Wang, Nizhuan

2017-09-01

With the rapid development of big data, the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data analysis of multi-subject is becoming more and more important. As a kind of blind source separation technique, group independent component analysis (GICA) has been widely applied for the multi-subject fMRI data analysis. However, spatial concatenated GICA is rarely used compared with temporal concatenated GICA due to its disadvantages. In this paper, in order to overcome these issues and to consider that the ability of GICA for fMRI data analysis can be improved by adding a priori information, we propose a novel spatial concatenation based GICA with reference (SCGICAR) method to take advantage of the priori information extracted from the group subjects, and then the multi-objective optimization strategy is used to implement this method. Finally, the post-processing means of principal component analysis and anti-reconstruction are used to obtain group spatial component and individual temporal component in the group, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed SCGICAR method has a better performance on both single-subject and multi-subject fMRI data analysis compared with classical methods. It not only can detect more accurate spatial and temporal component for each subject of the group, but also can obtain a better group component on both temporal and spatial domains. These results demonstrate that the proposed SCGICAR method has its own advantages in comparison with classical methods, and it can better reflect the commonness of subjects in the group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening for Alzheimer's Disease: Cognitive Impairment in Self-Referred and Memory Clinic-Referred Patients.

PubMed

Kirsebom, Bjørn-Eivind; Espenes, Ragna; Waterloo, Knut; Hessen, Erik; Johnsen, Stein Harald; Bråthen, Geir; Aarsland, Dag; Fladby, Tormod

2017-01-01

Cognitive assessment is essential in tracking disease progression in AD. Presently, cohorts including preclinical at-risk participants are recruited by different means, which may bias cognitive and clinical features. We compared recruitment strategies to levels of cognitive functioning. We investigate recruitment source biases in self-referred and memory clinic-referred patient cohorts to reveal potential differences in cognitive performance and demographics among at-risk participants. We included 431 participants 40-80 years old. Participants were classified as controls (n = 132) or symptom group (n = 299). The symptom group comprised of subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 163) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 136). We compared cognitive performance and demographics in memory clinic-referrals (n = 86) to self-referred participants responding to advertisements and news bulletins (n = 179). Participants recruited by other means were excluded from analysis (n = 34). At symptom group level, we found significant reductions in cognitive performance in memory clinic-referrals compared to self-referrals. However, here reductions were only found within the MCI group. We found no differences in cognitive performance due to recruitment within the SCD group. The MCI group was significantly impaired compared to controls on all measures. Significant reductions in learning, and executive functions were also found for the SCD group. Regardless of recruitment method, both the SCD and MCI groups showed reductions in cognitive performance compared to controls. We found differences in cognitive impairment for memory clinic-referrals compared to self-referrals only within the MCI group, SCD-cases being equally affected irrespective of referral type.

The validity of a web-based FFQ assessed by doubly labelled water and multiple 24-h recalls.

PubMed

Medin, Anine C; Carlsen, Monica H; Hambly, Catherine; Speakman, John R; Strohmaier, Susanne; Andersen, Lene F

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to validate the estimated habitual dietary intake from a newly developed web-based FFQ (WebFFQ), for use in an adult population in Norway. In total, ninety-two individuals were recruited. Total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by doubly labelled water was used as the reference method for energy intake (EI) in a subsample of twenty-nine women, and multiple 24-h recalls (24HR) were used as the reference method for the relative validation of macronutrients and food groups in the entire sample. Absolute differences, ratios, crude and deattenuated correlations, cross-classifications, Bland-Altman plot and plots between misreporting of EI (EI-TEE) and the relative misreporting of food groups (WebFFQ-24HR) were used to assess the validity. Results showed that EI on group level was not significantly different from TEE measured by doubly labelled water (0·7 MJ/d), but ranking abilities were poor (r -0·18). The relative validation showed an overestimation for the majority of the variables using absolute intakes, especially for the food groups 'vegetables' and 'fish and shellfish', but an improved agreement between the test and reference tool was observed for energy adjusted intakes. Deattenuated correlation coefficients were between 0·22 and 0·89, and low levels of grossly misclassified individuals (0-3 %) were observed for the majority of the energy adjusted variables for macronutrients and food groups. In conclusion, energy estimates from the WebFFQ should be used with caution, but the estimated absolute intakes on group level and ranking abilities seem acceptable for macronutrients and most food groups.

Do mental speed and musical abilities interact?

PubMed

Gruhn, Wilfried; Galley, Niels; Kluth, Christine

2003-11-01

The relation between mental speed and musical ability was investigated. Seventeen subjects aged 3-7 years were divided into two subgroups: one (G1; n = 9) consisted of children who participated in an early childhood music program and who received informal musical guidance, but no special training; the other (G2; n = 8) consisted of highly talented young violin players who received intensive parental support and special training by daily deliberate practice. Mental and musical abilities of both groups were controlled by standardized tests (Kaufman's ABC and Gordon's PMMA) and compared with data taken from recordings of saccadic eye movement using online identification from an electrooculogram (EOG). Results of EOG measurement are referred to as "mental speed," which correlates highly with general mental abilities (intelligence). These results were compared with EOG scores taken from a larger sample of children of the same age range (n = 82) who received no music instruction. The grand average of their scores served as a reference line for mental speed, which is normally expected to be performed by an equivalent age group. Data in the two experimental groups did not differ statistically; however, all musically experienced children had a highly significant advantage in mental age (P <0.01) compared to the reference line of the normal population who did not exhibit any effect of training and practice. This indicates strong interaction between mental speed and music ability, which can be interpreted in terms of the expertise model and cognitive transfer effects.

TP53 mutation and human papilloma virus status of oral squamous cell carcinomas in young adult patients.

PubMed

Braakhuis, B J M; Rietbergen, M M; Buijze, M; Snijders, P J F; Bloemena, E; Brakenhoff, R H; Leemans, C R

2014-09-01

Little is known about the molecular carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in young adult patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the detailed TP53 mutation and human papilloma virus (HPV) status of OSCC in patients, younger than 45 years. TP53 mutations were determined with direct sequencing on paraffin-embedded carcinoma tissue from 31 young patients and compared with two older age OSCC reference groups: one from the same institute (N = 87) and an independent one (N = 675). Biologically active tumour HPV was detected by p16-immunohistochemistry followed by a HPV-DNA GP5 + /6 + -PCR. HPV16 was present in one OSCC (3%). TP53 mutations were found in 14 (45%) OSCC: five were missense and nine resulted in a truncated protein. Six of these latter were insertions or deletions of one or more nucleotides leading to frameshift, one was at a splice site and two resulted in a stop codon. The percentage of truncating mutations (64% of all mutations) was higher than that observed in the institute's reference group (44%, P = 0.23) and in the independent reference group (24%, P = 0.002). This study shows that TP53 mutations are common in OSCC of young adult patients; infection with biologically active HPV is rare. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Serum level of vitamin D3 in cutaneous melanoma

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Renato Santos; de Oliveira, Daniel Arcuschin; Martinho, Vitor Augusto Melão; Antoneli, Célia Beatriz Gianotti; Marcussi, Ludmilla Altino de Lima; Ferreira, Carlos Eduardo dos Santos

2014-01-01

Objective To compare the level of vitamin D3 in cutaneous melanoma patients, with or without disease activity, with reference values and with patients from a general hospital. Methods The serum levels of vitamin D3 were measured in cutaneous melanoma patients, aged 20 to 88 years, both genders, from January 2010 to December 2013. The samples from the general group were processed at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (control group). Data analysis was performed using the Statistics software. Results A total of 100 patients were studied, 54 of them men, with mean age of 54.67 years, and 95 Caucasian. Out of these 100 patients, 17 had active disease. The average levels of vitamin D3 in the melanoma patients were lower than the level considered sufficient, but above the average of the control group. Both groups (with or without active disease) of patients showed a similar distribution of vitamin D3 deficiency. Conclusion Vitamin D3 levels in melanoma patients were higher than those of general patients and lower than the reference level. If the reference values are appropriate, a large part of the population had insufficient levels of vitamin D, including those with melanoma, or else, this standard needs to be reevaluated. No difference in vitamin D3 levels was found among melanoma patients with or without active disease. More comprehensive research is needed to assess the relation between vitamin D and melanoma. PMID:25628199

Improving the competency of dental hygiene students in detecting dental restorations using quantitative light-induced fluorescence technology.

PubMed

Oh, Hye-Young; Jung, Hoi-In; Lee, Jeong-Woo; de Jong, Elbert de Josselin; Kim, Baek-Il

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of a quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) technology in detecting dental restorations by comparing the detection ability of dental hygiene students between using conventional visual inspection alone and visual inspection combined with QLF technology. The subjects of this study comprised 92 dental hygiene students. The students assigned to the control group only used white-light images to visually assess the mouth environment, while those in the experimental group additionally used fluorescence images. Using the test results of an experienced inspector as a reference value, the agreement between the reference value and the evaluation results of the students in the experimental and control groups was evaluated using Cohen's kappa and the percentage agreement. The subjects were then classified into groups covering three percentage ranges according to the score distribution and agreement values of the three groups were compared. The percentage agreement was calculated according to the type of dental restorations. The mean kappa value was significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group (0.70 vs 0.60, p<0.001), as was the percentage agreement (80.06% vs 72.64%, p<0.001). The agreement rate when using QLF technology increased by 8% more in the middle and bottom percentage groups than in the top percentage group (p<0.001). The agreement rate also varied with the type of restoration, being significantly higher for a sound tooth or tooth-colored restoration in the experimental group (p<0.001). Combining QLF technology with conventional visual inspections could improve the ability to detect dental restorations and distinguish sound teeth from aesthetic restorations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health surveillance under adverse ergonomics conditions--validity of a screening method adapted for the occupational health service.

PubMed

Jonker, Dirk; Gustafsson, Ewa; Rolander, Bo; Arvidsson, Inger; Nordander, Catarina

2015-01-01

A new health surveillance protocol for work-related upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders has been validated by comparing the results with a reference protocol. The studied protocol, Health Surveillance in Adverse Ergonomics Conditions (HECO), is a new version of the reference protocol modified for application in the Occupational Health Service (OHS). The HECO protocol contains both a screening part and a diagnosing part. Sixty-three employees were examined. The screening in HECO did not miss any diagnosis found when using the reference protocol, but in comparison to the reference protocol considerable time savings could be achieved. Fair to good agreement between the protocols was obtained for one or more diagnoses in neck/shoulders (86%, k = 0.62) and elbow/hands (84%, k = 0.49). Therefore, the results obtained using the HECO protocol can be compared with a reference material collected with the reference protocol, and thus provide information of the magnitude of disorders in an examined work group. Practitioner Summary: The HECO protocol is a relatively simple physical examination protocol for identification of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and upper extremities. The protocol is a reliable and cost-effective tool for the OHS to use for occupational health surveillance in order to detect workplaces at high risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders.

On the Reporting of Experimental and Control Therapies in Stroke Rehabilitation Trials: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lohse, Keith R; Pathania, Anupriya; Wegman, Rebecca; Boyd, Lara A; Lang, Catherine E

2018-03-01

To use the Centralized Open-Access Rehabilitation database for Stroke to explore reporting of both experimental and control interventions in randomized controlled trials for stroke rehabilitation (including upper and lower extremity therapies). The Centralized Open-Access Rehabilitation database for Stroke was created from a search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health from the earliest available date to May 31, 2014. A total of 2892 titles were reduced to 514 that were screened by full text. This screening left 215 randomized controlled trials in the database (489 independent groups representing 12,847 patients). Using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods, we performed a text-based analysis of how the procedures of experimental and control therapies were described. Experimental and control groups were rated by 2 independent coders according to the Template for Intervention Description and Replication criteria. Linear mixed-effects regression with a random effect of study (groups nested within studies) showed that experimental groups had statistically more words in their procedures (mean, 271.8 words) than did control groups (mean, 154.8 words) (P<.001). Experimental groups had statistically more references in their procedures (mean, 1.60 references) than did control groups (mean, .82 references) (P<.001). Experimental groups also scored significantly higher on the total Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist (mean score, 7.43 points) than did control groups (mean score, 5.23 points) (P<.001). Control treatments in stroke motor rehabilitation trials are underdescribed relative to experimental treatments. These poor descriptions are especially problematic for "conventional" therapy control groups. Poor reporting is a threat to the internal validity and generalizability of clinical trial results. We recommend authors use preregistered protocols and established reporting criteria to improve transparency. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A REFERENCE-INVARIANT HEALTH DISPARITY INDEX BASED ON RÉNYI DIVERGENCE

PubMed Central

Talih, Makram

2015-01-01

One of four overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) is to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. In health disparity indices (HDIs) such as the mean log deviation (MLD) and Theil index (TI), disparities are relative to the population average, whereas in the index of disparity (IDisp) the reference is the group with the least adverse health outcome. Although the latter may be preferable, identification of a reference group can be affected by statistical reliability. To address this issue, we propose a new HDI, the Rényi index (RI), which is reference-invariant. When standardized, the RI extends the Atkinson index, where a disparity aversion parameter can incorporate societal values associated with health equity. In addition, both the MLD and TI are limiting cases of the RI. Also, a symmetrized Rényi index (SRI) can be constructed, resulting in a symmetric measure in the two distributions whose relative entropy is being evaluated. We discuss alternative symmetric and reference-invariant HDIs derived from the generalized entropy (GE) class and the Bregman divergence, and argue that the SRI is more robust than its GE-based counterpart to small changes in the distribution of the adverse health outcome. We evaluate the design-based standard errors and bootstrapped sampling distributions for the SRI, and illustrate the proposed methodology using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on the 2001–04 prevalence of moderate or severe periodontitis among adults aged 45–74, which tracks Oral Health objective OH-5 in HP2020. Such data, which uses a binary individual-level outcome variable, are typical of HP2020 data. PMID:26568778

A REFERENCE-INVARIANT HEALTH DISPARITY INDEX BASED ON RÉNYI DIVERGENCE.

PubMed

Talih, Makram

One of four overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) is to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. In health disparity indices (HDIs) such as the mean log deviation (MLD) and Theil index (TI), disparities are relative to the population average, whereas in the index of disparity (IDisp) the reference is the group with the least adverse health outcome. Although the latter may be preferable, identification of a reference group can be affected by statistical reliability. To address this issue, we propose a new HDI, the Rényi index (RI), which is reference-invariant. When standardized, the RI extends the Atkinson index, where a disparity aversion parameter can incorporate societal values associated with health equity. In addition, both the MLD and TI are limiting cases of the RI. Also, a symmetrized Rényi index (SRI) can be constructed, resulting in a symmetric measure in the two distributions whose relative entropy is being evaluated. We discuss alternative symmetric and reference-invariant HDIs derived from the generalized entropy (GE) class and the Bregman divergence, and argue that the SRI is more robust than its GE-based counterpart to small changes in the distribution of the adverse health outcome. We evaluate the design-based standard errors and bootstrapped sampling distributions for the SRI, and illustrate the proposed methodology using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on the 2001-04 prevalence of moderate or severe periodontitis among adults aged 45-74, which tracks Oral Health objective OH-5 in HP2020. Such data, which uses a binary individual-level outcome variable, are typical of HP2020 data.

Online and call center referral for endocrine surgical pathology within institutions.

PubMed

Dhillon, Vaninder K; Al Khadem, Mai G; Tufano, Ralph P; Russell, Jonathon O

2017-10-08

We hypothesized that self-referred patients to academic centers will be equally distributed between general surgery and otolaryngology departments that perform thyroid surgery. We sought to quantify disparities in the assignment of these self-referred patients who may reach an institution through call centers or online pathways. Cross-sectional survey. Key words "thyroid surgery" and "thyroid cancer" were used along with the name of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-listed otolaryngology program in both Google and Bing search engines. The top three search results for departments were reviewed, and a tally was given to general surgery (GS), otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OLHNS), or neither. A multidisciplinary center with both GS and OLHNS was recorded as "equitable." Telephone calls were tallied if they were directed to GS or OLHNS. Out of 400 program tallies, 117 (29.25%) patients were directed to GS and 50 (12.5%) were directed to OLHNS. An additional 181 (45.25%) were directed to neither group ("neither") (P < .05). Fifty-two (13%) of the patients were referred to multidisciplinary groups ("equitable"). A telephone call survey had 62 patients (62%) assigned to a general surgeon, as opposed to 38 (38%) for OLHNS (P < .05). Five institutions offered a multidisciplinary group when searching with Bing, and 11 were found by searching with Google. There is not an equal distribution of self-referred patients with thyroid surgical pathology. It may be important to increase the online presence of OLHNS surgeons who perform thyroid surgery at academic medical institutions. Multidisciplinary centers focused on thyroid and parathyroid surgical disease represents one model of assigning self-referred patients. NA Laryngoscope, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Self-Regulatory Capacities Are Depleted in a Domain-Specific Manner

PubMed Central

Zhang, Rui; Stock, Ann-Kathrin; Rzepus, Anneka; Beste, Christian

2017-01-01

Performing an act of self-regulation such as making decisions has been suggested to deplete a common limited resource, which impairs all subsequent self-regulatory actions (ego depletion theory). It has however remained unclear whether self-referred decisions truly impair behavioral control even in seemingly unrelated cognitive domains, and which neurophysiological mechanisms are affected by these potential depletion effects. In the current study, we therefore used an inter-individual design to compare two kinds of depletion, namely a self-referred choice-based depletion and a categorization-based switching depletion, to a non-depleted control group. We used a backward inhibition (BI) paradigm to assess the effects of depletion on task switching and associated inhibition processes. It was combined with EEG and source localization techniques to assess both behavioral and neurophysiological depletion effects. The results challenge the ego depletion theory in its current form: Opposing the theory’s prediction of a general limited resource, which should have yielded comparable effects in both depletion groups, or maybe even a larger depletion in the self-referred choice group, there were stronger performance impairments following a task domain-specific depletion (i.e., the switching-based depletion) than following a depletion based on self-referred choices. This suggests at least partly separate and independent resources for various cognitive control processes rather than just one joint resource for all self-regulation activities. The implications are crucial to consider for people making frequent far-reaching decisions e.g., in law or economy. PMID:29033798

Self-Regulatory Capacities Are Depleted in a Domain-Specific Manner.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Stock, Ann-Kathrin; Rzepus, Anneka; Beste, Christian

2017-01-01

Performing an act of self-regulation such as making decisions has been suggested to deplete a common limited resource, which impairs all subsequent self-regulatory actions (ego depletion theory). It has however remained unclear whether self-referred decisions truly impair behavioral control even in seemingly unrelated cognitive domains, and which neurophysiological mechanisms are affected by these potential depletion effects. In the current study, we therefore used an inter-individual design to compare two kinds of depletion, namely a self-referred choice-based depletion and a categorization-based switching depletion, to a non-depleted control group. We used a backward inhibition (BI) paradigm to assess the effects of depletion on task switching and associated inhibition processes. It was combined with EEG and source localization techniques to assess both behavioral and neurophysiological depletion effects. The results challenge the ego depletion theory in its current form: Opposing the theory's prediction of a general limited resource, which should have yielded comparable effects in both depletion groups, or maybe even a larger depletion in the self-referred choice group, there were stronger performance impairments following a task domain-specific depletion (i.e., the switching-based depletion) than following a depletion based on self-referred choices. This suggests at least partly separate and independent resources for various cognitive control processes rather than just one joint resource for all self-regulation activities. The implications are crucial to consider for people making frequent far-reaching decisions e.g., in law or economy.

Introducing an Equal Rights Framework for Older Persons in Residential Care

PubMed Central

Jönson, Håkan; Harnett, Tove

2016-01-01

This article reconceptualizes residential care for older persons by introducing a framework developed from a rights-based principle of disability policies: the normalization principle. This principle is part of the social model and states that society should make available for people who have impairments living conditions that are as close as possible to those of “others.” Using the framework on the case of eldercare in Sweden shows that although disability policies have used people without impairments as a comparative (external) reference group for claiming rights, eldercare policies use internal reference groups, basing comparisons on other care users. The article highlights the need for external comparisons in eldercare and suggests that the third age, which so far has been a normative reference group for older people, could be a comparative reference group when older persons in need of care claim rights to equal conditions. PMID:26035884

A Systematic Literature Review of Studies Analyzing Inequalities in Health Expectancy among the Older Population

PubMed Central

Pongiglione, Benedetta; De Stavola, Bianca L.; Ploubidis, George B.

2015-01-01

Aim To collect, organize and appraise evidence of socioeconomic and demographic inequalities in health and mortality among the older population using a summary measure of population health: Health Expectancy. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted. Literature published in English before November 2014 was searched via two possible sources: three electronic databases (Web of Science, Medline and Embase), and references in selected articles. The search was developed combining terms referring to outcome, exposure and participants, consisting in health expectancy, socioeconomic and demographic groups, and older population, respectively. Results Of 256 references identified, 90 met the inclusion criteria. Six references were added after searching reference lists of included articles. Thirty-three studies were focused only on gender-based inequalities; the remaining sixty-three considered gender along with other exposures. Findings were organized according to two leading perspectives: the type of inequalities considered and the health indicators chosen to measure health expectancy. Evidence of gender-based differentials and a socioeconomic gradient were found in all studies. A remarkable heterogeneity in the choice of health indicators used to compute health expectancy emerged as well as a non-uniform way of defining same health conditions. Conclusions Health expectancy is a useful and convenient measure to monitor and assess the quality of ageing and compare different groups and populations. This review showed a general agreement of results obtained in different studies with regard to the existence of inequalities associated with several factors, such as gender, education, behaviors, and race. However, the lack of a standardized definition of health expectancy limits its comparability across studies. The need of conceiving health expectancy as a comparable and repeatable measure was highlighted as fundamental to make it an informative instrument for policy makers. PMID:26115099

Intracrystalline site preference of hydrogen isotopes in borax

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

Pradhananga, T.M.; Matsuo, S.

1985-01-03

The total hydrogen involved in borax synthesized at 25/sup 0/C in aqueous solution is enriched in deuterium by 5.3% compared with the mother liquor. There is no change in the value of the D/H fractionation factor between the hydrogen in borax and those in the mother liquor with changes in the degree of supersaturation. The fractionation factor changes slightly with a change in the crystallization temperature of borax in the range from 5 to 25/sup 0/C. The D/H ratio in the different sites of borax was estimated by a fractional dehydration technique. The results show that hydrogen atoms of themore » polyanionic group (B/sub 4/O/sub 5/(OH)/sub 4/) are much more enriched in deuterium than those of the cationic group (Na/sub 2/ x 8H/sub 2/O). The delta D values, referred to the mother liquor from which the borax was crystallized, for the cationic group (site A) and the polyanionic group (site B) are -35 +/- 3 and 167 +/- 13%, respectively based on the fractional dehydration results obtained at -21/sup 0/C. At -21/sup 0/C, isotopic exchange between different sites during dehydration is assumed not to occur. The mechanism for dehydration of borax is discussed. 48 references, 8 figures, 3 tables.« less

Hispanic ethnicity and Caucasian race: Relations with posttraumatic stress disorder's factor structure in clinic-referred youth.

PubMed

Contractor, Ateka A; Claycomb, Meredith A; Byllesby, Brianna M; Layne, Christopher M; Kaplow, Julie B; Steinberg, Alan M; Elhai, Jon D

2015-09-01

The severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is linked to race and ethnicity, albeit with contradictory findings (reviewed in Alcántara, Casement, & Lewis-Fernández, 2013; Pole, Gone, & Kulkarni, 2008). We systematically examined Caucasian (n = 3,767) versus non-Caucasian race (n = 2,824) and Hispanic (n = 2,395) versus non-Hispanic ethnicity (n = 3,853) as candidate moderators of PTSD's 5-factor model structural parameters (Elhai et al., 2013). The sample was drawn from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's Core Data Set, currently the largest national data set of clinic-referred children and adolescents exposed to potentially traumatic events. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we tested the invariance of PTSD symptom structural parameters by race and ethnicity. Chi-square difference tests and goodness-of-fit values showed statistical equivalence across racial and ethnic groups in the factor structure of PTSD and in mean item-level indicators of PTSD symptom severity. Results support the structural invariance of PTSD's 5-factor model across the compared racial and ethnic groups. Furthermore, results indicated equivalent item-level severity across racial and ethnic groups; this supports the use of item-level comparisons across these groups. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

With Reference to Reference Genes: A Systematic Review of Endogenous Controls in Gene Expression Studies.

PubMed

Chapman, Joanne R; Waldenström, Jonas

2015-01-01

The choice of reference genes that are stably expressed amongst treatment groups is a crucial step in real-time quantitative PCR gene expression studies. Recent guidelines have specified that a minimum of two validated reference genes should be used for normalisation. However, a quantitative review of the literature showed that the average number of reference genes used across all studies was 1.2. Thus, the vast majority of studies continue to use a single gene, with β-actin (ACTB) and/or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) being commonly selected in studies of vertebrate gene expression. Few studies (15%) tested a panel of potential reference genes for stability of expression before using them to normalise data. Amongst studies specifically testing reference gene stability, few found ACTB or GAPDH to be optimal, whereby these genes were significantly less likely to be chosen when larger panels of potential reference genes were screened. Fewer reference genes were tested for stability in non-model organisms, presumably owing to a dearth of available primers in less well characterised species. Furthermore, the experimental conditions under which real-time quantitative PCR analyses were conducted had a large influence on the choice of reference genes, whereby different studies of rat brain tissue showed different reference genes to be the most stable. These results highlight the importance of validating the choice of normalising reference genes before conducting gene expression studies.

Sickness absence and subsequent disposable income: A population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Wiberg, Michael; Friberg, Emilie; Palmer, Edward; Stenbeck, Magnus

2015-06-01

Studies show a negative association between an absence from work due to disease of injury (sickness absence (SA)) and subsequent earnings; however, little is known about the association between SA and an individuals' subsequent overall economic welfare. Our primary objective was to evaluate individuals' disposable income (DI) following a spell of SA. Our secondary objective was to examine if the potential association between SA and DI differs, depending on the diagnosis given to that sickness or the duration of the SA spell. We used a cohort based on a linked individual register database that includes all individuals living in Sweden from 2001 to 2005, aged 30-54. DI was measured 2-6 years after a spell of SA and compared with a propensity score-matched reference group (individuals without SA in 2005). Each year of follow-up during 2007-2011 was estimated by linear regression for three different forms of exposure: SA (yes/no), diagnosis specific (cancer, circulatory, injuries, musculoskeletal or mental illnesses), and by duration of the SA spell (15-29, 30-89, 90-179 or > 179 days). Individuals with SA during 2005 had 4% lower disposable income in subsequent years than the reference group. Our results were similar across diagnoses, except for mental diagnoses, where disposable income was 7-10% lower than the reference group; and for cancer, where we found only a marginal difference among those with SA and the reference group. Furthermore, DI was negatively associated with the SA spell duration. SA was associated with lower subsequent DI, 2–6 years after a SA spell, especially after a mental illness diagnosis and if the SA was for longer spells. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Indirect methods for reference interval determination - review and recommendations.

PubMed

Jones, Graham R D; Haeckel, Rainer; Loh, Tze Ping; Sikaris, Ken; Streichert, Thomas; Katayev, Alex; Barth, Julian H; Ozarda, Yesim

2018-04-19

Reference intervals are a vital part of the information supplied by clinical laboratories to support interpretation of numerical pathology results such as are produced in clinical chemistry and hematology laboratories. The traditional method for establishing reference intervals, known as the direct approach, is based on collecting samples from members of a preselected reference population, making the measurements and then determining the intervals. An alternative approach is to perform analysis of results generated as part of routine pathology testing and using appropriate statistical techniques to determine reference intervals. This is known as the indirect approach. This paper from a working group of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) aims to summarize current thinking on indirect approaches to reference intervals. The indirect approach has some major potential advantages compared with direct methods. The processes are faster, cheaper and do not involve patient inconvenience, discomfort or the risks associated with generating new patient health information. Indirect methods also use the same preanalytical and analytical techniques used for patient management and can provide very large numbers for assessment. Limitations to the indirect methods include possible effects of diseased subpopulations on the derived interval. The IFCC C-RIDL aims to encourage the use of indirect methods to establish and verify reference intervals, to promote publication of such intervals with clear explanation of the process used and also to support the development of improved statistical techniques for these studies.

Evaluation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Songbirds

PubMed Central

Zinzow-Kramer, Wendy M.; Horton, Brent M.; Maney, Donna L.

2014-01-01

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is becoming a popular tool for the quantification of gene expression in the brain and endocrine tissues of songbirds. Accurate analysis of qPCR data relies on the selection of appropriate reference genes for normalization, yet few papers on songbirds contain evidence of reference gene validation. Here, we evaluated the expression of ten potential reference genes (18S, ACTB, GAPDH, HMBS, HPRT, PPIA, RPL4, RPL32, TFRC, and UBC) in brain, pituitary, ovary, and testis in two species of songbird: zebra finch and white-throated sparrow. We used two algorithms, geNorm and NormFinder, to assess the stability of these reference genes in our samples. We found that the suitability of some of the most popular reference genes for target gene normalization in mammals, such as 18S, depended highly on tissue type. Thus, they are not the best choices for brain and gonad in these songbirds. In contrast, we identified alternative genes, such as HPRT, RPL4 and PPIA, that were highly stable in brain, pituitary, and gonad in these species. Our results suggest that the validation of reference genes in mammals does not necessarily extrapolate to other taxonomic groups. For researchers wishing to identify and evaluate suitable reference genes for qPCR songbirds, our results should serve as a starting point and should help increase the power and utility of songbird models in behavioral neuroendocrinology. PMID:24780145

Towards a Framework for Developing Semantic Relatedness Reference Standards

PubMed Central

Pakhomov, Serguei V.S.; Pedersen, Ted; McInnes, Bridget; Melton, Genevieve B.; Ruggieri, Alexander; Chute, Christopher G.

2010-01-01

Our objective is to develop a framework for creating reference standards for functional testing of computerized measures of semantic relatedness. Currently, research on computerized approaches to semantic relatedness between biomedical concepts relies on reference standards created for specific purposes using a variety of methods for their analysis. In most cases, these reference standards are not publicly available and the published information provided in manuscripts that evaluate computerized semantic relatedness measurement approaches is not sufficient to reproduce the results. Our proposed framework is based on the experiences of medical informatics and computational linguistics communities and addresses practical and theoretical issues with creating reference standards for semantic relatedness. We demonstrate the use of the framework on a pilot set of 101 medical term pairs rated for semantic relatedness by 13 medical coding experts. While the reliability of this particular reference standard is in the “moderate” range; we show that using clustering and factor analyses offers a data-driven approach to finding systematic differences among raters and identifying groups of potential outliers. We test two ontology-based measures of relatedness and provide both the reference standard containing individual ratings and the R program used to analyze the ratings as open-source. Currently, these resources are intended to be used to reproduce and compare results of studies involving computerized measures of semantic relatedness. Our framework may be extended to the development of reference standards in other research areas in medical informatics including automatic classification, information retrieval from medical records and vocabulary/ontology development. PMID:21044697

EXPLORATORY PLASMA BIOCHEMISTRY REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR URAL OWLS (STRIX URALENSIS, PALLAS 1771) FROM THE AUSTRIAN REINTRODUCTION PROJECT.

PubMed

Scope, Alexandra; Schwendenwein, Ilse; Stanclova, Gabriela; Vobornik, Angela; Zink, Richard

2016-06-01

The Ural owl (Strix uralensis) is the biggest forest-living owl in Austria; however, it became extinct in Austria through poaching and habitat loss more than half a century ago. The birds examined in the present study were breeding pairs from the reintroduction project with the aim of determining exploratory plasma biochemistry reference intervals in Ural owls and evaluating the amount of biological variation between seasons, sexes, and ages. A total of 45 birds were sampled, including 13 adult males, 14 adult females, and 18 juvenile birds. Remarkably, almost all of the analytes showed significant differences between the subgroups, primarily between seasons, followed by age and sex. Only creatinkinase, glucose, lactatdehydrogenase, and triglycerides did not show any significant variations. Despite partitioning of reference values into subgroups according to biological variation diminishing the number of reference individuals in the respective groups, the resulting smaller reference intervals will improve medical assessment. The results of the present study once again demonstrate that significant seasonal fluctuations must be expected and considered in the interpretation. It can be assumed that these differences are probably even greater in free-range birds with considerable changes in food quantity and quality during and between years.

Children of Parents with Intellectual Disability: Facing Poor Outcomes or Faring Okay?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collings, Susan; Llewellyn, Gwynnyth

2012-01-01

Background: Children of parents with intellectual disability are assumed to be at risk of poor outcomes but a comprehensive review of the literature has not previously been undertaken. Method: A database and reference search from March 2010 to March 2011 resulted in 26 studies for review. Results: Two groups of studies were identified. The first…

Genotype Imputation for Latinos Using the HapMap and 1000 Genomes Project Reference Panels.

PubMed

Gao, Xiaoyi; Haritunians, Talin; Marjoram, Paul; McKean-Cowdin, Roberta; Torres, Mina; Taylor, Kent D; Rotter, Jerome I; Gauderman, William J; Varma, Rohit

2012-01-01

Genotype imputation is a vital tool in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and meta-analyses of multiple GWAS results. Imputation enables researchers to increase genomic coverage and to pool data generated using different genotyping platforms. HapMap samples are often employed as the reference panel. More recently, the 1000 Genomes Project resource is becoming the primary source for reference panels. Multiple GWAS and meta-analyses are targeting Latinos, the most populous, and fastest growing minority group in the US. However, genotype imputation resources for Latinos are rather limited compared to individuals of European ancestry at present, largely because of the lack of good reference data. One choice of reference panel for Latinos is one derived from the population of Mexican individuals in Los Angeles contained in the HapMap Phase 3 project and the 1000 Genomes Project. However, a detailed evaluation of the quality of the imputed genotypes derived from the public reference panels has not yet been reported. Using simulation studies, the Illumina OmniExpress GWAS data from the Los Angles Latino Eye Study and the MACH software package, we evaluated the accuracy of genotype imputation in Latinos. Our results show that the 1000 Genomes Project AMR + CEU + YRI reference panel provides the highest imputation accuracy for Latinos, and that also including Asian samples in the panel can reduce imputation accuracy. We also provide the imputation accuracy for each autosomal chromosome using the 1000 Genomes Project panel for Latinos. Our results serve as a guide to future imputation based analysis in Latinos.

Descriptive Biomarkers for Assessing Breast Cancer Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

studies are being conducted with the archived milk samples. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Breast milk; recruitment; promoter hypermethylation; RASSF1, GSTP1 ...difference between the two populations is the greater number of outlier scores in the Biopsy Group, particularly for GSTP1 . This might be expected given...Biopsy and Reference Groups. The percentage of outlier scores is significantly greater in the Biopsy Group than in the Reference Group for GSTP1

[Social representations of illness: Comparison of "expert" knowledge and "naïve" knowledge].

PubMed

Jeoffrion, C; Dupont, P; Tripodi, D; Roland-Lévy, C

2016-06-01

The link between social practices and representations is now well known. But while many studies have focused on the social representation of mental illness, in various populations, few studies have focused on the notion of disease/illness by comparing professionals and non-professionals health workers representations. Indeed, the disease is both a reality described, explained and treated by medicine; for those who are affected by a disease, it is an individual experience with psychological, social and cultural impacts. The social representation is determined by the structure of the social groups in which it develops; therefore, it is a form of knowledge socially shaped and shared by the members of a social group. Several theoretical extensions have been elaborated and particularly, the structural approach and the central core theory. These approaches sustain the arguments of a hierarchical organization of a social representation with a central core surrounded by peripheral zones. The central core is common and shared by the majority of the members of a given group, whereas the peripheral zones provide space for the individualization of the social knowledge. The main goal of our study is to highlight the social representations of disease in health professionals (HP) and in non-health professionals (NHP). The group of HP has been differentiated into three subgroups: "medical doctors", "nurses" and "pharmacists", while that of NHP in two subgroups: those submitted to a "long period medical treatment" and those "without treatment". Our aim is to show that there are different social and professional Representations of disease. The professional representations are specific social representations related to professional contexts. We formulate the following assumptions (a) that the social representations of HP and NHP will be articulated around a common central core. Nevertheless, we expect to find specific peripheral elements related to professional status, based on different knowledge and a differentiated "practice"; (b) the HP should refer to more descriptive aspects of the disease and monitoring of patients, while (c) NHP should refer more to the experience of illness around emotional aspects. Our sample is composed of 270 participants (135 HP and 135 HNP). Representations are measured by a free association task based on the target term: disease. The data have been submitted to prototypical and categorical analyses in agreement with the central core theory. The results confirm that there is a common social representation of disease shared by the two groups, which refers essentially to suffering and pain. The analysis of each group brings to light two different registers: the one of the HP with more descriptive words referring to the nature and the illness's characteristics, and the other ones of the HNP with more words connected to emotions and referring to personal real experience of the illness. As expected, the social representation of the HP is referring to the "professional representations" of the disease, while the one for the HNP is linked to "practices" of an illness. An analysis of intra-group differences shows specificities for each of the questioned subgroups. In the HP, medical doctors focus on the diagnosis and consequences of the disease, pharmacists refer to the treatment of the disease and its management, while nurses focus on the treatment and on the relation while monitoring patients. In the NHP, people submitted to a "long period medical treatment" refer to the emotional aspects and to the consequences of the illness on their live, while those without treatment use more descriptive and formal terms. These results suggest to the PS to expand exchanges related to the disease in order to facilitate communication centered on taking care of the patient, considered in its wholeness and not only as an actual or potential patient. This is an important step in improving the health of the patient. Copyright © 2015 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Quantum mechanics in noninertial reference frames: Relativistic accelerations and fictitious forces

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

Klink, W.H., E-mail: william-klink@uiowa.edu; Wickramasekara, S., E-mail: wickrama@grinnell.edu

2016-06-15

One-particle systems in relativistically accelerating reference frames can be associated with a class of unitary representations of the group of arbitrary coordinate transformations, an extension of the Wigner–Bargmann definition of particles as the physical realization of unitary irreducible representations of the Poincaré group. Representations of the group of arbitrary coordinate transformations become necessary to define unitary operators implementing relativistic acceleration transformations in quantum theory because, unlike in the Galilean case, the relativistic acceleration transformations do not themselves form a group. The momentum operators that follow from these representations show how the fictitious forces in noninertial reference frames are generated inmore » quantum theory.« less

Reference datasets for bioequivalence trials in a two-group parallel design.

PubMed

Fuglsang, Anders; Schütz, Helmut; Labes, Detlew

2015-03-01

In order to help companies qualify and validate the software used to evaluate bioequivalence trials with two parallel treatment groups, this work aims to define datasets with known results. This paper puts a total 11 datasets into the public domain along with proposed consensus obtained via evaluations from six different software packages (R, SAS, WinNonlin, OpenOffice Calc, Kinetica, EquivTest). Insofar as possible, datasets were evaluated with and without the assumption of equal variances for the construction of a 90% confidence interval. Not all software packages provide functionality for the assumption of unequal variances (EquivTest, Kinetica), and not all packages can handle datasets with more than 1000 subjects per group (WinNonlin). Where results could be obtained across all packages, one showed questionable results when datasets contained unequal group sizes (Kinetica). A proposal is made for the results that should be used as validation targets.

External Quality Assessment Scheme for reference laboratories - review of 8 years' experience.

PubMed

Kessler, Anja; Siekmann, Lothar; Weykamp, Cas; Geilenkeuser, Wolf Jochen; Dreazen, Orna; Middle, Jonathan; Schumann, Gerhard

2013-05-01

We describe an External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) intended for reference (calibration) laboratories in laboratory medicine and supervised by the Scientific Division of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine and the responsible Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine. The official EQAS website, RELA (www.dgkl-rfb.de:81), is open to interested parties. Information on all requirements for participation and results of surveys are published annually. As an additional feature, the identity of every participant in relation to the respective results is disclosed. The results of various groups of measurands (metabolites and substrates, enzymes, electrolytes, glycated hemoglobins, proteins, hormones, thyroid hormones, therapeutic drugs) are discussed in detail. The RELA system supports reference measurement laboratories preparing for accreditation according to ISO 17025 and ISO 15195. Participation in a scheme such as RELA is one of the requirements for listing of the services of a calibration laboratory by the Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine.

Comparison of two different methods of preoperative marking for toric intraocular lens implantation: bubble marker versus pendulum marker.

PubMed

Farooqui, Javed Hussain; Koul, Archana; Dutta, Ranjan; Shroff, Noshir Minoo

2016-01-01

To compare the accuracy of two different methods of preoperative marking for toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, bubble marker versus pendulum marker, as a means of establishing the reference point for the final alignment of the toric IOL to achieve an outcome as close as possible to emmetropia. Toric IOLs were implanted in 180 eyes of 110 patients. One group (55 patients) had preoperative marking of both eyes done with bubble marker (ASICO AE-2791TBL) and the other group (55 patients) with pendulum marker (Rumex(®)3-193). Reference marks were placed at 3-, 6-, and 9-o'clock positions on the limbus. Slit-lamp photographs were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop (version 7.0). Amount of alignment error (in degrees) induced in each group was measured. Mean absolute rotation error in the preoperative marking in the horizontal axis was 2.42±1.71 in the bubble marker group and 2.83±2.31in the pendulum marker group (P=0.501). Sixty percent of the pendulum group and 70% of the bubble group had rotation error ≤3 (P=0.589), and 90% eyes of the pendulum group and 96.7% of the bubble group had rotation error ≤5 (P=0.612). Both preoperative marking techniques result in approximately 3 of alignment error. Both marking techniques are simple, predictable, reproducible and easy to perform.

Temperamental reactivity and negative emotionality in uncooperative children referred to specialized paediatric dentistry compared to children in ordinary dental care.

PubMed

Arnrup, Kristina; Broberg, Anders G; Berggren, Ulf; Bodin, Lennart

2007-11-01

Current treatment of children with dental behaviour management problems (DBMP) is based on the presupposition that their difficulties are caused by dental fear, but is this always the case? The aim of this study was to study temperamental reactivity, negative emotionality, and other personal characteristics in relation to DBMP in 8- to 12-year-old children. Forty-six children referred because of DBMP (study group) and 110 children in ordinary dental care (reference group) participated. The EASI tempramental survey assessed temperamental reactivity and negative emotionality, the Child Behaviour Questionnaire internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems, and the Children's Fear Survey Schedule general and dental fears. Cluster analyses and tree-based modelling were used for data analysis. Among the five clusters identified, one could be characterized as 'balanced temperament'. Thirty-five per cent of the reference group compared to only 7% of the study group belonged to this cluster. Negative emotionality was the most important sorting variable. Children referred because of DBMP differed from children in ordinary dental care, not only in dental fear level, but also in personal characteristics. Few of the referred children were characterized by a balanced temperament profile. It is important to consider the dual impact of emotion dysregulation and emotional reactivity in the development of DBMP.

Age dependency for coagulation parameters in paediatric populations. Results of a multicentre study aimed at defining the age-specific reference ranges.

PubMed

Toulon, Pierre; Berruyer, Micheline; Brionne-François, Marie; Grand, François; Lasne, Dominique; Telion, Caroline; Arcizet, Julien; Giacomello, Roberta; De Pooter, Neila

2016-07-04

Understanding of developmental haemostasis is critical to ensure optimal prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of haemorrhagic and thrombotic diseases in children. As coagulation test results are known to be dependent on the reagents/analysers used, it is recommended for each laboratory to define the age-dependent reference ranges by using its own technical condition. That study was carried out in seven centers to establish age-specific reference ranges using the same reagents and analyser. Plasma samples were obtained from 1437 paediatric patients from the following age groups: 15 days-4 weeks (n=36), 1-5 months (n=320), 6-12 months (n=176), 1-5 years (n=507), 6-10 years (n=132) and 11-17 years (n=262). Indication of coagulation testing was pre-operative screening for non-acute diseases in most cases. PT values were similar in the different age groups to those in adults, whereas longer aPTTs were demonstrated in the younger children. Plasma levels of all clotting factors, except for FV, were significantly decreased (p<0.0001) in the youngest children, adult values being usually reached before the end of the first year. The same applied to antithrombin, protein C/S, and plasminogen. In contrast, FVIII and VWF levels were elevated in the youngest children and returned to adult values within six months. The same applied to D-dimer levels, which were found elevated, particularly until six months of life, until puberty. These data suggest that most coagulation test results are highly dependent on age, mainly during the first year of life, and that age-specific reference ranges must be used to ensure proper evaluation of coagulation in children.

Lyme Disease Diagnosed by Alternative Methods: A Phenotype Similar to That of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

PubMed

Patrick, David M; Miller, Ruth R; Gardy, Jennifer L; Parker, Shoshana M; Morshed, Muhammad G; Steiner, Theodore S; Singer, Joel; Shojania, Kam; Tang, Patrick

2015-10-01

A subset of patients reporting a diagnosis of Lyme disease can be described as having alternatively diagnosed chronic Lyme syndrome (ADCLS), in which diagnosis is based on laboratory results from a nonreference Lyme specialty laboratory using in-house criteria. Patients with ADCLS report symptoms similar to those reported by patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We performed a case-control study comparing patients with ADCLS and CFS to each other and to both healthy controls and controls with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Subjects completed a history, physical exam, screening laboratory tests, 7 functional scales, reference serology for Lyme disease using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, reference serology for other tick-associated pathogens, and cytokine expression studies. The study enrolled 13 patients with ADCLS (12 of whom were diagnosed by 1 alternative US laboratory), 25 patients with CFS, 25 matched healthy controls, and 11 SLE controls. Baseline clinical data and functional scales indicate significant disability among ADCLS and CFS patients and many important differences between these groups and controls, but no significant differences between each other. No ADCLS patient was confirmed as having positive Lyme serology by reference laboratory testing, and there was no difference in distribution of positive serology for other tick-transmitted pathogens or cytokine expression across the groups. In British Columbia, a setting with low Lyme disease incidence, ADCLS patients have a similar phenotype to that of CFS patients. Disagreement between alternative and reference laboratory Lyme testing results in this setting is most likely explained by false-positive results from the alternative laboratory. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Relative Gains, Losses, and Reference Points in Probabilistic Choice in Rats

PubMed Central

Marshall, Andrew T.; Kirkpatrick, Kimberly

2015-01-01

Theoretical reference points have been proposed to differentiate probabilistic gains from probabilistic losses in humans, but such a phenomenon in non-human animals has yet to be thoroughly elucidated. Three experiments evaluated the effect of reward magnitude on probabilistic choice in rats, seeking to determine reference point use by examining the effect of previous outcome magnitude(s) on subsequent choice behavior. Rats were trained to choose between an outcome that always delivered reward (low-uncertainty choice) and one that probabilistically delivered reward (high-uncertainty). The probability of high-uncertainty outcome receipt and the magnitudes of low-uncertainty and high-uncertainty outcomes were manipulated within and between experiments. Both the low- and high-uncertainty outcomes involved variable reward magnitudes, so that either a smaller or larger magnitude was probabilistically delivered, as well as reward omission following high-uncertainty choices. In Experiments 1 and 2, the between groups factor was the magnitude of the high-uncertainty-smaller (H-S) and high-uncertainty-larger (H-L) outcome, respectively. The H-S magnitude manipulation differentiated the groups, while the H-L magnitude manipulation did not. Experiment 3 showed that manipulating the probability of differential losses as well as the expected value of the low-uncertainty choice produced systematic effects on choice behavior. The results suggest that the reference point for probabilistic gains and losses was the expected value of the low-uncertainty choice. Current theories of probabilistic choice behavior have difficulty accounting for the present results, so an integrated theoretical framework is proposed. Overall, the present results have implications for understanding individual differences and corresponding underlying mechanisms of probabilistic choice behavior. PMID:25658448

Pilot program on patient dosimetry in pediatric interventional cardiology in Chile

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

Ubeda, Carlos; Vano, Eliseo; Miranda, Patricia

2012-05-15

Purpose: The aim of this study was to present the results of a pilot program on patient dosimetry carried out in Chile during the last 5 yr, using a biplane x-ray angiography system settled for pediatrics. This research was conducted in Latin America under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supporting programs on radiological protection (RP) of patients. Methods: Patient age, gender, weight, height, number of cine series, total number of cine frames, fluoroscopy time, and two dosimetric quantities [air kerma-area product (P{sub ka}) and cumulative dose (CD) at the patient entrance reference point] were recorded formore » each procedure. Results: The study includes 544 patients grouped into four age groups. The distributions by age group were 150 for <1 yr; 203 for 1 to <5 yr; 97 for 5 to <10 yr; and 94 for 10 to <16 yr. Median values of P{sub ka} and CD for the four age groups were 0.94, 1.46, 2.13, and 5.03 Gy cm{sup 2} and 23.9, 26.8, 33.5, and 51.6 mGy, respectively. No significant statistical differences were found between diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A moderate correlation (r = 0.64) was seen between P{sub ka} and patient weight. Conclusions: The dose values reported in this paper were lower than those published in the previous work for the same age groups as a result of the optimization actions carried out by cardiologists and medical physicists with the support of the IAEA. Methodology and results will be used as a starting point for a wider survey in Chile and Latin America with the goal to obtain regional diagnostic reference levels as recently recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for interventional procedures.« less

Post-surgical effects on language in patients with presumed low-grade glioma.

PubMed

Antonsson, M; Jakola, A; Longoni, F; Carstam, L; Hartelius, L; Thordstein, M; Tisell, M

2018-05-01

Low-grade glioma (LGG) is a slow-growing brain tumour often situated in or near areas involved in language and/or cognitive functions. Thus, language impairments due to tumour growth or surgical resection are obvious risks. We aimed to investigate language outcome following surgery in patients with presumed LGG, using a comprehensive and sensitive language assessment. Thirty-two consecutive patients with presumed LGG were assessed preoperative, early post-operative, and 3 months post-operative using sensitive tests including lexical retrieval, language comprehension and high-level language. The patients' preoperative language ability was compared with a reference group, but also with performance at post-operative controls. Further, the association between tumour location and language performance pre- and post-operatively was explored. Before surgery, the patients with presumed LGG performed worse on tests of lexical retrieval when compared to a reference group (BNT: LGG-group median 52, Reference-group median 54, P = .002; Animals: LGG-group mean 21.0, Reference-group mean 25, P = 001; Verbs: LGG-group mean 17.3, Reference-group mean 21.4, P = .001). At early post-operative assessment, we observed a decline in all language tests, whereas at 3 months there was only a decline on a single test of lexical retrieval (Animals: preoperative. median 20, post-op median 14, P = .001). The highest proportion of language impairment was found in the group with a tumour in language-eloquent areas at all time-points. Although many patients with a tumour in the left hemisphere deteriorated in their language function directly after surgery, their prognosis for recovery was good. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using cooperative learning for a drug information assignment.

PubMed

Earl, Grace L

2009-11-12

To implement a cooperative learning activity to engage students in analyzing tertiary drug information resources in a literature evaluation course. The class was divided into 4 sections to form expert groups and each group researched a different set of references using the jigsaw technique. Each member of each expert group was reassigned to a jigsaw group so that each new group was composed of 4 students from 4 different expert groups. The jigsaw groups met to discuss search strategies and rate the usefulness of the references. In addition to group-based learning, teaching methods included students' writing an independent research paper to enhance their abilities to search and analyze drug information resources. The assignment and final course grades improved after implementation of the activity. Students agreed that class discussions were a useful learning experience and 75% (77/102) said they would use the drug information references for other courses. The jigsaw technique was successful in engaging students in cooperative learning to improve critical thinking skills regarding drug information.

ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF EXOGENOUS LACTASE IN TABLETS FOR PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH LACTOSE INTOLERANCE DUE TO PRIMARY HYPOLACTASIA.

PubMed

Francesconi, Carlos Fernando de Magalhães; Machado, Marta Brenner; Steinwurz, Flavio; Nones, Rodrigo Bremer; Quilici, Flávio Antonio; Catapani, Wilson Roberto; Miszputen, Sender Jankiel; Bafutto, Mauro

2016-01-01

Primary hypolactasia is a common condition where a reduced lactase activity in the intestinal mucosa is present. The presence of abdominal symptoms due to poor absorption of lactose, which are present in some cases, is a characteristic of lactose intolerance. Evaluate the efficacy of a product containing exogenous lactase in tablet form compared to a reference product with proven effectiveness in patients with lactose intolerance. Multicentre, randomized, parallel group, single-blind, comparative non-inferiority study. One hundred twenty-nine (129) adult lactose intolerance patients with hydrogen breath test results consistent with a diagnosis of hypolactasia were randomly assigned to receive the experimental product (Perlatte(r) - Eurofarma Laboratórios S.A.) or the reference product (Lactaid(r) - McNeilNutritionals, USA) orally (one tablet, three times per day) for 42 consecutive days. Data from 128 patients who actually received the studied treatments were analysed (66 were treated with the experimental product and 62 with the reference product). The two groups presented with similar baseline clinical and demographic data. Mean exhaled hydrogen concentration tested at 90 minutes after the last treatment (Day 42) was significantly lower in the experimental product treated group (17±18 ppm versus 34±47 ppm) in the per protocol population. The difference between the means of the two groups was -17 ppm (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: -31.03; -3.17). The upper limit of the 95% CI did not exceed the a priori non-inferiority limit (7.5 ppm). Secondary efficacy analyses confirmed that the treatments were similar (per protocol and intention to treat population). The tolerability was excellent in both groups, and there were no reports of serious adverse events related to the study treatment. The experimental product was non-inferior to the reference product, indicating that it was an effective replacement therapy for endogenous lactase in lactose intolerance patients.

Albumin and all-cause mortality risk in insurance applicants.

PubMed

Fulks, Michael; Stout, Robert L; Dolan, Vera F

2010-01-01

Determine the relationship between albumin levels and all-cause mortality in life insurance applicants. By use of the Social Security Death Master File, mortality was determined in 1,704,566 insurance applicants for whom blood samples were submitted to Clinical Reference Laboratory. There were 53,211 deaths observed in this healthy adult population during a median follow-up of 12 years. Results were stratified by 6 age-sex groups: females: ages 20 to 49, 50 to 69 and 70+; and males: ages 20 to 49, 50 to 69 and 70+. The middle 50% of albumin values specific to each group was used as the reference band for that group. The mortality in bands representing other percentiles of albumin values higher and lower than the middle 50% were compared to the mortality in the reference band for each age-sex group. The highest percentile bands represent the lowest albumin values. Relative risk exceeded 150% of each age- and sex-specific reference band for all groups between the 90th and 95th percentile of albumin values. This translates into 150% risk thresholds at approximately 3.8 mg/dL for all females and for males 70+, and 4.1 mg/dL for males ages 20 to 69. Conversely, the highest 25% of albumin values were associated with approximately a 20% reduction in risk in males and a variable 10% reduction in risk in females when compared to the middle 50% of albumin values. Excluding those with total cholesterol < or = 160 mg/dL, or with AST, GGT or alkaline phosphatase elevations, had little impact on relative risk except at the lowest 0.5% of albumin values. When stratified by age and sex, albumin discriminated between all-cause mortality risks in healthy adults at all ages and across a wide range of values independent of other laboratory tests.

Work-life balance among shift workers: results from an intervention study about self-rostering.

PubMed

Albertsen, Karen; Garde, Anne Helene; Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Hansen, Ase Marie; Lund, Henrik; Hvid, Helge

2014-04-01

The aims of the study were to explore the effects of the implementation of IT-based tools for planning of rosters among shift workers on work-family-related outcomes and to interpret the results in light of the different implementation processes. A quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted with 12-month follow-up at 14 intervention and 14 reference worksites in Denmark. Workplaces planning to introduce IT-supported self-rostering were recruited, and three different kinds of interventions were implemented. Intervention A and B aimed at increasing workers satisfaction and well-being, while intervention C was designed to optimize the personnel resources. Questionnaire data were collected from 840 employees at baseline and 784 at follow-up. Process evaluation encompassed interviews with about 25 employees and 15 managers at baseline and follow-up. Work-family-related outcomes were work-life conflicts, work-life facilitation, marital conflicts and time with children. An overall decline in work-family conflicts and increase in work-family facilitation were found in the total intervention group. More specifically, in group B, work-family conflicts and marital conflicts decreased while work-family facilitation increased. In group C, work-family conflicts increased while work-family facilitation and time spend with children decreased, and no significant changes were observed in the reference group and in group A. An overall positive effect of the implementation of self-rostering was found on the balance between work and private life. However, results from the process evaluation suggested that the organizational aim with the intervention was crucial for the effect.

Dietary safety assessment of genetically modified rice EH rich in β-carotene.

PubMed

Wu, Yangyang; Xu, Yan; Du, Yanan; Zhao, Xiao; Hu, Ruili; Fan, Xiaorui; Ren, Fangfang; Yao, Quanhong; Peng, Rihe; Tang, Xueming; Zhao, Kai

2017-08-01

This 90-day study aimed to assess the dietary safety of transgenic rice EH which is rich in β-carotene. Two experimental groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 45% rice flour of Zhonghua 11 rice and transgenic rice EH rich in β-carotene, respectively. The reference group was fed a diet containing standard feed nutrition. During the trial period, each rat was weighed and the food intake was recorded twice a week. Their behaviors were observed daily. In the end, blood samples were obtained from all anesthetized rats to measure the hematologic and serum chemistry indicators. Growth performance, anatomy and pathology of all organs in each group were analyzed. Although a few parameters were found to be statistically significantly different across groups, they were within the normal reference range for this breed and age of rats. Therefore, the changes were not considered to be diet related. The results revealed that the transgenic rice EH rich in β-carotene was as nutritious as Zhonghua 11 rice and showed a lack of biologically meaningful unintended effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A randomised, single-blind, single-dose, three-arm, parallel-group study in healthy subjects to demonstrate pharmacokinetic equivalence of ABP 501 and adalimumab

PubMed Central

Kaur, Primal; Chow, Vincent; Zhang, Nan; Moxness, Michael; Kaliyaperumal, Arunan; Markus, Richard

2017-01-01

Objective To demonstrate pharmacokinetic (PK) similarity of biosimilar candidate ABP 501 relative to adalimumab reference product from the USA and European Union (EU) and evaluate safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of ABP 501. Methods Randomised, single-blind, single-dose, three-arm, parallel-group study; healthy subjects were randomised to receive ABP 501 (n=67), adalimumab (USA) (n=69) or adalimumab (EU) (n=67) 40 mg subcutaneously. Primary end points were area under the serum concentration-time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf) and the maximum observed concentration (Cmax). Secondary end points included safety and immunogenicity. Results AUCinf and Cmax were similar across the three groups. Geometrical mean ratio (GMR) of AUCinf was 1.11 between ABP 501 and adalimumab (USA), and 1.04 between ABP 501 and adalimumab (EU). GMR of Cmax was 1.04 between ABP 501 and adalimumab (USA) and 0.96 between ABP 501 and adalimumab (EU). The 90% CIs for the GMRs of AUCinf and Cmax were within the prespecified standard PK equivalence criteria of 0.80 to 1.25. Treatment-related adverse events were mild to moderate and were reported for 35.8%, 24.6% and 41.8% of subjects in the ABP 501, adalimumab (USA) and adalimumab (EU) groups; incidence of antidrug antibodies (ADAbs) was similar among the study groups. Conclusions Results of this study demonstrated PK similarity of ABP 501 with adalimumab (USA) and adalimumab (EU) after a single 40-mg subcutaneous injection. No new safety signals with ABP 501 were identified. The safety and tolerability of ABP 501 was similar to the reference products, and similar ADAb rates were observed across the three groups. Trial registration number EudraCT number 2012-000785-37; Results. PMID:27466231

Evaluation of the Effect of Perceived Social Support on Promoting Self-Care Behaviors of Heart Failure Patients Referred to The Cardiovascular Research Center of Isfahan

PubMed Central

Khaledi, Gholam Hassan; Mostafavi, Firoozeh; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Rooh Afza, Hamidreza; Mostafavi, Firoozeh; Akbar, Hassanzadeh

2015-01-01

Background: Self-care is one of the most important aspects of treatment in patients with heart failure and ranks among the most important coping strategies against the events and stresses of life. Perceived social support plays an important role in performing self-care behaviors in these patients. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of perceived social support on promoting self-care behaviors among heart failure patients. Patients and Methods: This educational intervention with a randomized control group was performed on 64 heart failure patients referred to The Cardiovascular Research Center of Isfahan. The study population was divided randomly into two groups of intervention and control. The indicators of self-care behavior and perceived social support (before, immediately after, and 2 months after the intervention) were completed by the two groups. The intervention group received educational interventions in 120-minute sessions once a week for 4 weeks. SPSS software (version 20) was used for data analysis in addition to methods of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Based on the obtained results, educational intervention was effective in the improvement of perceived social support among our heart failure patients. The results also showed that an increase in perceived social support significantly promoted self-care behaviors in the case group after the intervention compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Perceived social support played an important role in improving the performance of self-care behaviors in our heart failure patients. Given the strengths of the present study, these findings can be considered in future research in this domain. PMID:26328063

Identification and Validation of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in Non-Heading Chinese Cabbage Flowers

PubMed Central

Wang, Cheng; Cui, Hong-Mi; Huang, Tian-Hong; Liu, Tong-Kun; Hou, Xi-Lin; Li, Ying

2016-01-01

Non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis Makino) is an important vegetable member of Brassica rapa crops. It exhibits a typical sporophytic self-incompatibility (SI) system and is an ideal model plant to explore the mechanism of SI. Gene expression research are frequently used to unravel the complex genetic mechanism and in such studies appropriate reference selection is vital. Validation of reference genes have neither been conducted in Brassica rapa flowers nor in SI trait. In this study, 13 candidate reference genes were selected and examined systematically in 96 non-heading Chinese cabbage flower samples that represent four strategic groups in compatible and self-incompatible lines of non-heading Chinese cabbage. Two RT-qPCR analysis software, geNorm and NormFinder, were used to evaluate the expression stability of these genes systematically. Results revealed that best-ranked references genes should be selected according to specific sample subsets. DNAJ, UKN1, and PP2A were identified as the most stable reference genes among all samples. Moreover, our research further revealed that the widely used reference genes, CYP and ACP, were the least suitable reference genes in most non-heading Chinese cabbage flower sample sets. To further validate the suitability of the reference genes identified in this study, the expression level of SRK and Exo70A1 genes which play important roles in regulating interaction between pollen and stigma were studied. Our study presented the first systematic study of reference gene(s) selection for SI study and provided guidelines to obtain more accurate RT-qPCR results in non-heading Chinese cabbage. PMID:27375663

Precise Relative Earthquake Magnitudes from Cross Correlation

DOE PAGES

Cleveland, K. Michael; Ammon, Charles J.

2015-04-21

We present a method to estimate precise relative magnitudes using cross correlation of seismic waveforms. Our method incorporates the intercorrelation of all events in a group of earthquakes, as opposed to individual event pairings relative to a reference event. This method works well when a reliable reference event does not exist. We illustrate the method using vertical strike-slip earthquakes located in the northeast Pacific and Panama fracture zone regions. Our results are generally consistent with the Global Centroid Moment Tensor catalog, which we use to establish a baseline for the relative event sizes.

Health effects of exposure to herb dust in valerian growing farmers.

PubMed

Skórska, Czesława; Golec, Marcin; Mackiewicz, Barbara; Góra, Anna; Dutkiewicz, Jacek

2005-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the health status of farmers cultivating valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) and occupationally exposed to dust from this plant. A group of 75 valerian growing farmers were examined. As a reference group, 50 urban dwellers, not exposed to any kind of organic dust were examined. All people were interviewed for the presence of work-related symptoms and subjected to physical and spirometric examinations. Skin prick tests were conducted with 4 microbial antigens associated with organic dust and 3 herbal extracts, precipitin tests with 12 microbial antigens and 4 herbal extracts and tests for specific inhibition of leukocyte migration with 4 microbial antigens. 30.7 % of the valerian farmers reported occurrence of work-related symptoms. No significant differences were found between the spirometric values in the group of valerian farmers and the reference group. Valerian farmers showed a low frequency of positive skin reactions to all tested antigens (0-4.0 %), not significantly greater compared to reference group. The frequency of positive precipitin reactions to the antigen of Gram-negative bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was very high in valerian farmers (45.5 %) with 3-fold concentrated sera and significantly greater compared to the reference group (p < 0.001). The positive precipitin response of valerian farmers to other microbial and herbal antigens was much lower or absent and did not show any difference compared to reference group. In the test for specific inhibition of leukocyte migration, the highest frequencies of positive reactions in valerian farmers were noted with Pantoea agglomerans and Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (15.0 % each), in both cases significantly greater compared to reference group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the farmers growing valerian showed a moderate frequency of work-related symptoms and low reactivity to most microbial and herbal allergens. They exhibited an increased immunologic response to Gram-negative bacterium Pantoea agglomerans which appears to be the most important risk factor associated with valerian dust.

Validating the weight gain of preterm infants between the reference growth curve of the fetus and the term infant

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Current fetal-infant growth references have an obvious growth disjuncture around 40 week gestation overlapping where the fetal and infant growth references are combined. Graphical smoothening of the disjuncture to connect the matching percentile curves has never been validated. This study was designed to compare weight gain patterns of contemporary preterm infants with a fetal-infant growth reference (derived from a meta-analysis) to validate the previous smoothening assumptions and inform the revision of the Fenton chart. Methods Growth and descriptive data of preterm infants (23 to 31 weeks) from birth through 10 weeks post term age were collected in three cities in Canada and the USA between 2001 and 2010 (n = 977). Preterm infants were grouped by gestational age into 23–25, 26–28, and 29–31 weeks. Comparisons were made between the weight data of the preterm cohort and the fetal-infant growth reference. Results Median weight gain curves of the three preterm gestational age groups were almost identical and remained between the 3rd and the 50th percentiles of the fetal-infant-growth-reference from birth through 10 weeks post term. The growth velocity of the preterm infants decreased in a pattern similar to the decreased velocity of the fetus and term infant estimates, from a high of 17–18 g/kg/day between 31–34 weeks to rates of 4–5 g/kg/day by 50 weeks in each gestational age group. The greatest discrepancy in weight gain velocity between the preterm infants and the fetal estimate was between 37 and 40 weeks; preterm infants grew more rapidly than the fetus. The infants in this study regained their birthweight earlier compared to those in the 1999 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development report. Conclusion The weight gain velocity of preterm infants through the period of growth data disjuncture between 37 and 50 weeks gestation is consistent with and thus validates the smoothening assumptions made between preterm and post-term growth references. PMID:23758808

Using liver enzymes as screening tests to predict mortality risk.

PubMed

Fulks, Michael; Stout, Robert L; Dolan, Vera F

2008-01-01

Determine the relationship between liver function test results (GGT, alkaline phosphatase, AST, and ALT) and all-cause mortality in life insurance applicants. By use of the Social Security Master Death File, mortality was examined in 1,905,664 insurance applicants for whom blood samples were submitted to the Clinical Reference Laboratory. There were 50,174 deaths observed in this study population. Results were stratified by 3 age/sex groups: females, age <60; males, age <60; and all, age 60+. Liver function test values were grouped using percentiles of their distribution in these 3 age/sex groups, as well as ranges of actual values. Using the risk of the middle 50% of the population by distribution as a reference, relative mortality observed for GGT and alkaline phosphatase was linear with a steep slope from very low to relatively high values. Relative mortality was increased at lower values for both AST and ALT. ALT did not predict mortality for values above the middle 50% of its distribution. GGT and alkaline phosphatase are significant predictors of mortality risk for all values. ALT is still useful for triggering further testing for hepatitis, but AST should be used instead to assess mortality risk linked with transaminases.

Efficacy and tolerability of two different formulations of atorvastatin in Korean patients with hypercholesterolemia: a multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Lee, Ju-Hee; Kim, Sang-Hyun; Choi, Dong-Ju; Tahk, Seung-Jea; Yoon, Jung-Han; Choi, Si Wan; Hong, Taek-Jong; Kim, Hyo-Soo

2017-01-01

This study was designed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the generic formulation (Atorva ® ) and the reference formulation (Lipitor ® ) of atorvastatin, both at a dosage of 20 mg once daily. This study was a prospective open-label, randomized controlled study. Hypercholesterolemic patients who had not achieved low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) guideline were randomized to generic formulation or reference formulation of atorvastatin. The primary end point was the percent change of blood LDL cholesterol at 8 weeks from the baseline. The secondary end points included the percent changes of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) levels, the percent changes of ApoB/ApoA1 and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratios, and the change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. The LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate according to the NCEP-ATP III guideline was also evaluated. Three hundred and seventy-six patients were randomized, and 346 patients (176 in the generic group and 170 in the reference group) completed the study. After the 8 weeks of treatment, LDL cholesterol level was significantly decreased in both the groups, and the decrement was comparable between the two groups (-43.9%±15.3% in the generic group, -43.3%±17.0% in the reference group, P =0.705). The percent changes of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, TG, ApoB, ApoA1, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio, and hsCRP showed insignificant difference between the two groups. However, LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate was significantly higher in the generic group compared to the reference group (90.6% vs 83.0%, P =0.039) in per-protocol analysis. Adverse event rate was comparable between the two groups (12.0% vs 13.7%, P =0.804). The generic formulation of atorvastatin 20 mg was not inferior to the reference formulation of atorvastatin 20 mg in the management of hypercholesterolemia.

Clinical biochemistry, haematology and body weight in piglets.

PubMed

Egeli, A K; Framstad, T; Morberg, H

1998-01-01

Reference ranges for clinical biochemical parameters commonly investigated in pigs were determined in one- (day 1), 21- and 35-day old piglets. The mean and standard deviation were also estimated for body weight, and haematological and clinical biochemical parameters at these ages. The piglets were divided into 2 investigation groups according to whether they had a haemoglobin concentration < or = 80 g/l ("anaemic group") or > 80 g/l ("normal group") on days 14, 21 and 28. The "anaemic group" was compared to the "normal group" on days 21 and 35. Many of the clinical biochemical parameters varied according to age. Some of the enzymes had high average values and wide reference ranges in piglets, especially on day 1, compared to the reference ranges for sows given in the literature. The reference ranges for some of the metabolic parameters were broader on day 1 than later in the preweaning period. The reference ranges for albumin, total iron-binding capacity and serum iron were, however, lower and more narrow on day 1. On days 21 and 35, relatively high values for phosphorus must be considered "normal" compared to the figures given in the literature for adult pigs. The other minerals seemed to be quite unaffected of age, but some were affected by anaemia. The anaemic piglets had lower average serum iron but higher total iron-binding capacity than the "normal" piglets on days 21 and 35. However, variation between piglets gave wide reference ranges, indicating that these parameters will only have limited usefulness in detecting iron deficiency anaemia in piglets. The electrolytes seemed also to be affected by the existence of anaemia. The body weight and leukocyte counts were significantly lower in the "anaemic group" than the "normal group" on day 35, while the greatest differences in clinical biochemical parameters between the groups were found on day 21, when the piglets in the "anaemic group" were most severely anaemic. Although these piglets suffered from severe iron-deficiency anaemia, only a few clinical biochemical parameters were affected, and the differences between groups were mostly small.

Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on bone regeneration: biochemical and radiologic analyses.

PubMed

Pomini, Karina T; Andreo, Jesus C; Rodrigues, Antonio de C; de O Gonçalves, Jéssica B; Daré, Letícia R; German, Iris J S; Rosa, Geraldo M; Buchaim, Rogerio L

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound at 1.0 MHz on the healing process of fractures with bone loss in the rat fibula by alkaline phosphate level measurement and radiologic analyses. Thirty 70-day-old male Wistar rats underwent a bone resection of 2.5 to 3.0 mm between the proximal and middle third of the right fibular diaphysis. The animals were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: reference (uninjured), control (injured only), and treated (injured and treated with 5 applications of ultrasound, interspersed by 2 days of rest, beginning 24 hours after the osteotomy). Euthanasia was performed at experimental periods of 7 and 14 days. The right hind limb was removed for radiologic analysis. The blood was collected via cardiac puncture to determine the serum alkaline phosphatase activity. The bone fractures had not been completely consolidated in the treated and control group when analysis of the bone took place. At day 7, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity was higher in the treated group (mean ± SD, 72.17 ± 7.02 U/L) compared to the control (65.26 ± 8.41 U/L) and reference (67.21 ± 7.86 U/L) groups. At day 14, higher alkaline phosphatase activity was seen in the control group (68.96 ± 8.12 U/L) compared to the treated (66.09 ± 8.46 U/L) and reference (67.14 ± 7.96 U/L) groups. The biochemical and radiologic results suggest that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound can be used as an auxiliary method to consolidate fractures and probably reduces the bone healing time, offering clinical benefits.

Sibling sex ratio and birth order in early-onset gender dysphoric adolescents.

PubMed

Schagen, Sebastian E E; Delemarre-van de Waal, Henriette A; Blanchard, Ray; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T

2012-06-01

Several sibship-related variables have been studied extensively in sexual orientation research, especially in men. Sibling sex ratio refers to the ratio of brothers to sisters in the aggregate sibships of a group of probands. Birth order refers to the probands' position (e.g., first-born, middle-born, last-born) within their sibships. Fraternal birth order refers to their position among male siblings only. Such research was extended in this study to a large group of early-onset gender dysphoric adolescents. The probands comprised 94 male-to-female and 95 female-to-male gender dysphoric adolescents. The overwhelming majority of these were homosexual or probably prehomosexual. The control group consisted of 875 boys and 914 girls from the TRAILS study. The sibling sex ratio of the gender dysphoric boys was very high (241 brothers per 100 sisters) compared with the expected ratio (106:100). The excess of brothers was more extreme among the probands' older siblings (300:100) than among their younger siblings (195:100). Between-groups comparisons showed that the gender dysphoric boys had significantly more older brothers, and significantly fewer older sisters and younger sisters, than did the control boys. In contrast, the only notable finding for the female groups was that the gender dysphoric girls had significantly fewer total siblings than did the control girls. The results for the male probands were consistent with prior speculations that a high fraternal birth order (i.e., an excess of older brothers) is found in all homosexual male groups, but an elevated sibling sex ratio (usually caused by an additional, smaller excess of younger brothers) is characteristic of gender dysphoric homosexual males. The mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain unknown.

Nutrient and food group intakes of women with and without Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder during pregnancy

PubMed Central

Siega-Riz, Anna Maria; Haugen, Margaretha; Meltzer, Helle M; Von Holle, Ann; Hamer, Robert; Torgersen, Leila; Knopf-Berg, Cecilie; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted; Bulik, Cynthia M

2009-01-01

Background Little is known concerning the dietary habits of eating disordered women during pregnancy that may lie in the causal pathway of adverse birth outcomes. Objective To examine the nutrient and food group intake of women with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) during pregnancy and compare their intake to women with no eating disorders. Design Data on 30,040 mother-child pairs are from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study was used in cross-sectional analyses. Dietary information was collected using a food frequency questionnaire during the first half of pregnancy. Statistical testing by eating disorder categories with the non-eating disorder category as the referent group were conducted using log (means) adjusted for confounding and multiple comparisons. Food group differences were conducted using a Wilcoxon two-sided normal approximation test also adjusting for multiple comparisons. Results Women with BED before and during pregnancy had higher intakes of total energy, total mono-saturated and saturated fat, and lower intakes of folate, potassium, and vitamin C compared to the referent (p<.02). Women with incident BED during pregnancy had higher total energy and saturated fat intake compared to the referent (p=.01). Several differences emerged in food group consumption between women with and without eating disorders including intakes of artificial sweeteners, sweets, juice, fruits and fats. Conclusions Women with BN before and during pregnancy and those with BED before pregnancy exhibit dietary patterns different from women without eating disorders, that are reflective of their symptomatology, and may influence pregnancy outcomes. PMID:18469258

Polyhydramnios or Excessive Fetal Growth Are Markers for Abnormal Perinatal Outcome in Euglycemic Pregnancies.

PubMed

Crimmins, Sarah; Mo, Cecilia; Nassar, Yomna; Kopelman, Jerome N; Turan, Ozhan M

2018-01-01

 This study aims to investigate the perinatal outcome of fetuses with polyhydramnios and/or accelerated growth among women with a normal oral glucose challenge test (oGCT).  Singleton, nonanomalous pregnancies with an oGCT(< 130 mg/dL) at 24 to 28 weeks, who subsequently demonstrate polyhydramnios (amniotic fluid index > 24 cm or maximum vertical pocket > 8 cm) and/or accelerated growth (abdominal circumference > 95th percentile) on two-third trimester examinations were studied. Maternal demographics, delivery, and neonatal information were recorded. Cases were compared with a reference group (normal oGCT with neither abnormal third-trimester growth nor polyhydramnios).  A total of 282 pregnancies were in the study group, and 663 were in the reference group. Deliveries in the study group were at a higher risk for birth weight (BW)% > 90%, standard deviation, and postpartum hemorrhage when compared with the reference group (adjusted odds ratio: 2.3-5.6). Pregnancies complicated by both polyhydramnios and accelerated fetal growth were significantly more likely to result in a BW% > 90% (odds ratio [OR]: 18.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.9-38.6) and PPH (OR: 4.2; 95% CI: 2.4-7.6).  Pregnancies with normal oGCT that develop polyhydramnios and accelerated growth are at higher risk for maternal and neonatal complications. Isolated polyhydramnios without accelerated growth increases the risk for delivery complications but not neonatal morbidity. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Open access gastroscopy: too much to swallow?

PubMed Central

Kerrigan, D D; Brown, S R; Hutchinson, G H

1990-01-01

OBJECTIVES--To ascertain the proportion of endoscopic examinations with normal findings in patients referred for gastroscopy through hospital medical staff or directly by their general practitioner and to assess the likely effect of targeting endoscopy in older patients. DESIGN--Retrospective audit of the gastroscopy practice of one consultant from 1986 to 1988 from information recorded on a standard form completed at the time of the examination, which contained details of patients, their endoscopic findings, and mode of referral (open access or clinic). SETTING--One district general hospital. PATIENTS--1545 Consecutive patients from primary catchment area attending for their first gastroscopy; 454 were referred through the outpatient clinic or by hospital colleagues (clinic group) and 1091 were accepted for endoscopy solely on their general practitioner's clinical diagnosis (open access group). RESULTS--Similar numbers (about 40%) of examinations with normal findings were performed in each group, although in patients aged over 40 the proportion with normal findings was significantly higher in the clinic group (p less than 0.03). Endoscopic evidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulceration, and gastroduodenal inflammation was equally common in each group; upper gastrointestinal malignancy, however, was significantly more common in patients referred through hospital doctors (5%, 23/454 v 2%, 22/1091 respectively; p less than 0.005) (although many of these patients had already been extensively investigated). IMPLICATIONS--Open access gastroscopy does not increase the number of unnecessary examinations and should become more widely available. Targeting this service to patients aged over 40 would reduce the number of requests but increase the diagnostic yield. PMID:2106992

Physical Model Study of Wave Action in New Thomsen Harbor, Sitka, Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

approached from the southwest. DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising , publication, or promotional purposes...Wave height and period for irregular wave conditions refer to Hm0 and Tp, respectively. For mono- chromatic waves, wave height is the actual height...sec, respectively. Plotted along with the Group 12 results are corresponding tests from Group 13 that used mono- chromatic waves. Looking only at

Differential Item Functioning for Accommodated Students with Disabilities: Effect of Differences in Proficiency Distributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quesen, Sarah

2016-01-01

When studying differential item functioning (DIF) with students with disabilities (SWD) focal groups typically suffer from small sample size, whereas the reference group population is usually large. This makes it possible for a researcher to select a sample from the reference population to be similar to the focal group on the ability scale. Doing…

In vivo efficacy and bioavailability of lumefantrine: Evaluating the application of Pheroid technology.

PubMed

du Plessis, Lissinda H; Govender, Katya; Denti, Paolo; Wiesner, Lubbe

2015-11-01

The oral absorption of compounds with low aqueous solubility, such as lumefantrine, is typically limited by the dissolution rate in the gastro-intestinal tract, resulting in erratic absorption and highly variable bioavailability. In previous studies we reported on the ability of Pheroid vesicles to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In the present study a Pro-Pheroid formulation, a modification of the previous formulation, was applied to improve the solubility of lumefantrine after oral administration and compared to lumefantrine in DMSO:water (1:9 v/v) solution (reference solution). A bioavailability study of lumefantrine was conducted in a mouse model in fed and fasted states. When using the reference solution, the bioavailability of the lumefantrine heavily depended on food intake, resulting in a 2.7 times higher bioavailability in the fed state when compared to the fasted state. It also showed large between-subject variability. When formulated using Pro-Pheroid, the bioavailability of lumefantrine was 3.5 times higher as compared to lumefantrine in the reference solution and fasting state. Pro-Pheroid also dramatically reduced the effects of food intake and the between-subject variability for bioavailability observed with the reference. In vivo antimalarial efficacy was also evaluated with lumefantrine formulated using Pro-Pheroid technology compared to the reference solution. The results indicated that lumefantrine in Pro-Pheroid formulation exhibited improved antimalarial activity in vitro by 46.8%, when compared to the reference. The results of the Peters' 4-day suppressive test indicated no significant difference in the efficacy or mean survival time of the mice in the Pro-Pheroid formulation and reference test groups when compared to the positive control, chloroquine. These findings suggest that using the Pro-Pheroid formulation improves the bioavailability of lumefantrine, eliminates the food effect associated with lumefantrine as well as significantly reduces the between subject variability in bioavailability when compared to the reference solution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The EEG Split Alpha Peak: Phenomenological Origins and Methodological Aspects of Detection and Evaluation.

PubMed

Olejarczyk, Elzbieta; Bogucki, Piotr; Sobieszek, Aleksander

2017-01-01

Electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns were analyzed in a group of ambulatory patients who ranged in age and sex using spectral analysis as well as Directed Transfer Function, a method used to evaluate functional brain connectivity. We tested the impact of window size and choice of reference electrode on the identification of two or more peaks with close frequencies in the spectral power distribution, so called "split alpha." Together with the connectivity analysis, examination of spatiotemporal maps showing the distribution of amplitudes of EEG patterns allowed for better explanation of the mechanisms underlying the generation of split alpha peaks. It was demonstrated that the split alpha spectrum can be generated by two or more independent and interconnected alpha wave generators located in different regions of the cerebral cortex, but not necessarily in the occipital cortex. We also demonstrated the importance of appropriate reference electrode choice during signal recording. In addition, results obtained using the original data were compared with results obtained using re-referenced data, using average reference electrode and reference electrode standardization techniques.

Comparison of clinico-microbiological profile and treatment outcome of in-house and referred post cataract surgery endophthalmitis in a tertiary care center in South India.

PubMed

Ambiya, Vikas; Das, Taraprasad; Sharma, Savitri; Chhablani, Jay; Dave, Vivek; Jalali, Subhadra; Narayanan, Raja; Joseph, Joveeta

2016-12-01

The purpose of the study is to compare the clinico-microbiological profile and treatment outcome of in-house vs referred cases of post cataract surgery endophthalmitis in a tertiary eye care facility in South India. The clinical records of 50 culture-positive cases each of in-house (group A) and referred (group B) post cataract surgery endophthalmitis were analyzed. The management protocol was similar in both groups. The time to report to the institute was longer in group B (group B 13.63 [±11.67; 95% CI, 9.95-17.31] days; group A 6.83 [±7.61; 95% CI, 4.57-9.09] days; P = 0.002). The average inflammatory scores in presentation were comparable (group A 17.85 ± 5.83; group B 18.18 ± 7.35; P = 0.243). The final visual outcome was clinically superior in group A (≥20/200-group A 60.42% and group B 44%, P = 0.11; ≤20/400-group A 37.5% and group B 52%, P = 0.62), but statistically not significant. There were more gram-positive organisms in group A (62% vs 38%; P = 0.027) and more gram-negative organisms in group B (52% vs 24%; P = 0.007). Gram-positive bacteria were mostly sensitive to vancomycin (95.24% to 96.67%), but gram-negative bacteria were partly sensitive to ceftazidime (58.33% to 64%). One could suspect gram-negative infection more often in the referred cases of endophthalmitis. While vancomycin could continue to be the antibiotic of choice in gram-positive bacteria, specific antibiotic following due sensitivity for gram-negative bacteria should replace the empiric use of ceftazidime.

Pitfalls in the measurement of muscle mass: a need for a reference standard

PubMed Central

Landi, Francesco; Cesari, Matteo; Fielding, Roger A.; Visser, Marjolein; Engelke, Klaus; Maggi, Stefania; Dennison, Elaine; Al‐Daghri, Nasser M.; Allepaerts, Sophie; Bauer, Jurgen; Bautmans, Ivan; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Bruyère, Olivier; Cederholm, Tommy; Cerreta, Francesca; Cherubini, Antonio; Cooper, Cyrus; Cruz‐Jentoft, Alphonso; McCloskey, Eugene; Dawson‐Hughes, Bess; Kaufman, Jean‐Marc; Laslop, Andrea; Petermans, Jean; Reginster, Jean‐Yves; Rizzoli, René; Robinson, Sian; Rolland, Yves; Rueda, Ricardo; Vellas, Bruno; Kanis, John A.

2018-01-01

Abstract Background All proposed definitions of sarcopenia include the measurement of muscle mass, but the techniques and threshold values used vary. Indeed, the literature does not establish consensus on the best technique for measuring lean body mass. Thus, the objective measurement of sarcopenia is hampered by limitations intrinsic to assessment tools. The aim of this study was to review the methods to assess muscle mass and to reach consensus on the development of a reference standard. Methods Literature reviews were performed by members of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis working group on frailty and sarcopenia. Face‐to‐face meetings were organized for the whole group to make amendments and discuss further recommendations. Results A wide range of techniques can be used to assess muscle mass. Cost, availability, and ease of use can determine whether the techniques are better suited to clinical practice or are more useful for research. No one technique subserves all requirements but dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry could be considered as a reference standard (but not a gold standard) for measuring muscle lean body mass. Conclusions Based on the feasibility, accuracy, safety, and low cost, dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry can be considered as the reference standard for measuring muscle mass. PMID:29349935

Balanced scorecards for specialists: a tool for quality improvement.

PubMed

Marr, Thomas J; Mullen, Deborah M

2004-04-01

This article describes a program that HealthPartners uses to assess and compare the performance of specialists that serve its members. HealthPartners' Balanced Scorecards program focuses on cardiologist and orthopedist practices in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and St. Cloud, Minnesota. The scorecards assess the clinical and business processes of specialist practices, their use of resources, the degree to which patients and referring physicians are satisfied with their performance, and their patient outcomes. Unblinded comparative data is made available to referring physicians, employers, and consumers only after each individual specialist group has had the opportunity to review its own data against blinded results, discuss the methodology, and comment on the results.

Similarity regularized sparse group lasso for cup to disc ratio computation.

PubMed

Cheng, Jun; Zhang, Zhuo; Tao, Dacheng; Wong, Damon Wing Kee; Liu, Jiang; Baskaran, Mani; Aung, Tin; Wong, Tien Yin

2017-08-01

Automatic cup to disc ratio (CDR) computation from color fundus images has shown to be promising for glaucoma detection. Over the past decade, many algorithms have been proposed. In this paper, we first review the recent work in the area and then present a novel similarity-regularized sparse group lasso method for automated CDR estimation. The proposed method reconstructs the testing disc image based on a set of reference disc images by integrating the similarity between testing and the reference disc images with the sparse group lasso constraints. The reconstruction coefficients are then used to estimate the CDR of the testing image. The proposed method has been validated using 650 images with manually annotated CDRs. Experimental results show an average CDR error of 0.0616 and a correlation coefficient of 0.7, outperforming other methods. The areas under curve in the diagnostic test reach 0.843 and 0.837 when manual and automatically segmented discs are used respectively, better than other methods as well.

PAEDIATRIC CT EXPOSURE PRACTICE IN THE COUNTY OF RIO DE JANEIRO: THE NEED TO ESTABLISH DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS.

PubMed

de Jesus, Fillipe M; Magalhães, Luis A G; Kodlulovich, Simone

2016-11-01

A pilot study of dose indicators in paediatric computed tomography (CT) was conducted to prove the need to establish diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for the county of Rio de Janeiro. The dose descriptors were estimated from the beam dosimetry by applying the protocols used in each examination. The total patient sample included 279 children. Regarding the comparison of the dose-length product values among the hospitals, the high-resolution chest CT scans were distinguished among the three types of examinations, due to the discrepancies of 1148 % (1-5 y age group) and 2248 % (5-10 y age group) presented in Hospital A's dose-length product values relative to Hospital D's dose-length product values. The results showed that without DRL, the dose variation can be significant between hospitals in the same county for the same age group in the same examination. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Spontaneous lexical alignment in children with an autistic spectrum disorder and their typically developing peers.

PubMed

Branigan, Holly P; Tosi, Alessia; Gillespie-Smith, Karri

2016-11-01

It is well established that adults converge on common referring expressions in dialogue, and that such lexical alignment is important for successful and rewarding communication. The authors show that children with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and chronological- and verbal-age-matched typically developing (TD) children also show spontaneous lexical alignment. In a card game, both groups tended to refer to an object using the same name as their partner had previously used for the same or a different token of the object. This tendency to align on a pragmatically conditioned aspect of language did not differ between ASD and TD groups, and was unaffected by verbal/chronological age, or (in the ASD group) Theory of Mind or social functioning. The authors suggest that lexical priming can lead to automatic lexical alignment in both ASD and TD children's dialogue. Their results further suggest that ASD children's conversational impairments do not involve an all-encompassing deficit in linguistic imitation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Identification of health risks in workers staying and working on the terrains contaminated with depleted uranium.

PubMed

Milacic, Snezana; Simic, Jadranko

2009-05-01

This study investigated health risks in workers residing and working in terrains contaminated by low ionizing radiation doses which originated from ammunition containing depleted uranium (DU). The studied population was composed of two test groups (T-I, T-II) who were occasionally exposed to DU, and two referent (R-I, R-II) groups not exposed at any time to DU. All of them were evaluated for the following: complete clinical examination and blood count, presence of immature forms and blasts, leukocyte alkaline phosphatase activity and cytogenetic tests. The probability of onset of the characteristic complete biomarkers--chromosomal aberrations, was analyzed using logarithmic function of the Poisson regression. The estimated function of the density of probabilities of Poisson distribution of the chromosomal aberrations in the test group T-II was drastically different from the corresponding distribution of the referent group R-I and to a somewhat lesser extent from the group R-II; Wilcoxon test exactly confirms the presence of a significant difference between the reference group R-II and test group T-II, p < 0.05. The damages to chromosomes and cells were highest in the test group T-II of workers additionally occupationally exposed to DU. The group of workers T-I, who had been exposed to DU working on contaminated terrain, have had certain risks of cell and chromosome damages, and that risk was not greater than the risk to the referent group R-II of workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation.

Radiation- and reference base-free navigation procedure for placement of instruments and implants: application to retrograde drilling of osteochondral lesions of the knee joint.

PubMed

Müller, Matthias; Gras, Florian; Marintschev, Ivan; Mückley, Thomas; Hofmann, Gunter O

2009-01-01

A novel, radiation- and reference base-free procedure for placement of navigated instruments and implants was developed and its practicability and precision in retrograde drillings evaluated in an experimental setting. Two different guidance techniques were used: One experimental group was operated on using the radiation- and reference base-free navigation technique (Fluoro Free), and the control group was operated on using standard fluoroscopy for guidance. For each group, 12 core decompressions were simulated by retrograde drillings in different artificial femurs following arthroscopic determination of the osteochondral lesions. The final guide-wire position was evaluated by postoperative CT analysis using vector calculation. High precision was achieved in both groups, but operating time was significantly reduced in the navigated group as compared to the control group. This was due to a 100% first-pass accuracy of drilling in the navigated group; in the control group a mean of 2.5 correction maneuvers per drilling were necessary. Additionally, the procedure was free of radiation in the navigated group, whereas 17.2 seconds of radiation exposure time were measured in the fluoroscopy-guided group. The developed Fluoro Free procedure is a promising and simplified approach to navigating different instruments as well as implants in relation to visually or tactilely placed pointers or objects without the need for radiation exposure or invasive fixation of a dynamic reference base in the bone.

Can Eosinophil Count, Platelet Count, and Mean Platelet Volume Be a Positive Predictive Factor in Penile Arteriogenic Erectile Dysfunction Etiopathogenesis?

PubMed Central

Sönmez, Mehmet Giray; Göğer, Yunus Emre; Sönmez, Leyla Öztürk; Aydın, Arif; Balasar, Mehmet; Kara, Cengiz

2016-01-01

Blood count parameters of patients referring with erectile dysfunction (ED) were examined in this study and it was investigated whether eosinophil count (EC), platelet count (PC), and mean platelet volume values among the suspected predictive parameters which may play a role in especially penile arteriogenic ED etiopathogenesis had a contribution on pathogenesis. Patients referring with ED complaint were evaluated. Depending on the medical story, ED degree was determined by measuring International Index of Erectile Function. Penile Doppler ultrasonography was taken in patients suspected to have vasculogenic ED. According to penile Doppler ultrasonography result, patients with arterial deficiency were included in the penile arteriogenic ED group and the patients with normal results were included in the nonvasculogenic ED group. A total of 36 patients participated in the study from the penile arteriogenic ED group and 32 patients from the nonvasculogenic ED group. Compared with the nonvasculogenic ED group, the penile arteriogenic ED group’s low International Index of Erectile Function score, high EC, mean platelet volume and PC values were detected to be statistically significant (p < .001, p = .021, p = .018, p = .034, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed among the two groups when age, white blood cells, red blood cells, and hemoglobin values were considered. Pansystolic volume velocities were detected as statistically significantly low compared with the nonvasculogenic ED group in the measurements made in 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th minutes on the right and left sides in the penile arteriogenic ED group. High MPV value and PC is a significant predictive factor for penile arteriogenic ED and vasculogenic ED and high EC is specifically predictive of arteriogenic ED. PMID:27895254

Pizza and pop and the student identity: the role of referent group norms in healthy and unhealthy eating.

PubMed

Louis, Winnifred; Davies, Sarah; Smith, Joanne; Terry, Deborah

2007-02-01

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (I. Ajzen, 1985, 1991) and referent group (student) norms and identification (D. J. Terry & M. A. Hogg, 1996), the authors longitudinally predicted healthy eating intentions and behavior in a sample of 137 university students. Specifically, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control predicted intentions at Time 1, which predicted self-reported behavior at Time 2. There was also a link between intentions and observed behavior at Time 2. Beyond the planned behavior variables, referent group norms for university students' eating behavior interacted with participants' identification as students to predict healthy eating intentions. The authors discussed implications for researcher's conceptualization of normative influence and for interventions into this group's eating behavior.

Refer prior to biopsy of suspected appendicular soft tissue sarcoma.

PubMed

Elliott, Robert S J; Flint, Michael; French, Gary

2012-11-23

Appendicular soft tissue tumours are rare and inappropriate investigation can result in unnecessary loss of limb or life. We reviewed the investigation and referrals of patients to our institution. This is a review of prospectively collected data stored in a tumour registry database. We included all patients (126) referred to the service for investigation and management with a primary soft tissue tumour in 2006 and 2007. There was a highly significant association (RR=6.2) between pre referral procedures (PRPs) and suffering a complication (P<0.0001) in comparison to non-biopsied referrals (NBRs). Those referred by general surgeons were more likely (RR=2.6) to have undergone PRP (p<0.0017). The median interval between referral and senior author review was 8 days for the PRP group and 10 days for the NBR group (P=0.2574). Biopsy of suspected appendicular soft tissue sarcoma should be performed by a tumour specialist or in prior consultation with, to minimise adverse outcomes. There was minimal delay till review by an orthopaedic tumour specialist at Middlemore Hospital and achieving a tissue diagnosis does not expedite this.

Occupational Choice: A Conditional Logit Model with Special Reference to Wage Subsidies and Occupational Choice. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boskin, Michael J.

A model of occupational choice based on the theory of human capital is developed and estimated by conditional logit analysis. The empirical results estimated the probability of individuals with certain characteristics (such as race, sex, age, and education) entering each of 11 occupational groups. The results indicate that individuals tend to…

[Reference values of carbohydrates for the Venezuelan population].

PubMed

Marisela, Granito; Suhey, Pérez; Yolmar, Valero; Colina, Jhoana

2013-12-01

An update of the nutritional recommendations for carbohydrate intake to the Venezuelan population was performed. For this work the concepts, data and methodology followed by other countrie's or groups of countries to obtain and document their own reference, in order to provide basic information to facilitate the establishment of reference values can be revised to better adapt to the Venezuelan population. The data correspond to healthy populations and taken as reference the recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S., the Committees of Experts on Energy and Protein FAO/WHO, among others. As a result of the literature review, the historical caloric formula of population and dietary patterns of Venezuela was propose the consumption of total carbohydrate intake between 50 and 60% of total caloric intake and simple sugars do not exceed 10% of intake. It is suggested to increase the consumption of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, vegetables and whole tropical fruits.

Comparison of effectiveness of biosimilar filgrastim (Nivestim™), reference Amgen filgrastim and pegfilgrastim in febrile neutropenia primary prevention in breast cancer patients treated with neo(adjuvant) TAC: a non-interventional cohort study.

PubMed

Brito, M; Esteves, S; André, R; Isidoro, M; Moreira, A

2016-02-01

Biosimilars are supported by limited clinical data at the time of approval. Recently, Nivestim™, a biosimilar of reference of filgrastim, was approved for prevention of chemotherapy-related febrile neutropenia (FN). To add clinical experience to this new biosimilar, we performed a study to compare the effectiveness of Nivestim™ with reference filgrastim and pegfilgrastim in FN prevention in patients receiving high-risk FN chemotherapy. This is a comparative cohort study, with retrospective data collection. Three cohorts were identified according to the type of primary prophylaxis employed over different time periods: reference filgrastim (2004-2006), pegfilgrastim (2007-2008) and biosimilar filgrastim (2011-2012). The study included female patients with early breast cancer that received FN primary prophylaxis during (neo)adjuvant docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (TAC). Reference filgrastim cohort included 147 patients and pegfilgrastim and biosimilar filgrastim cohorts 139 and 134 patients, respectively. FN rates per patient/cycle were 16 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 10.2-22.5 %)/3 % (95 % CI 2.1-4.7 %) in the reference filgrastim group, 9 % (95 % CI 4.5-14.6 %)/2 % (95 % CI 1.3-3.6 %) in the pegfilgrastim group and 16 % (95 % CI 10.0-22.9 %)/4 % (95 % CI 2.5-5.3 %) in the biosimilar filgrastim cohort. The median absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at FN presentation was lower in the biosimilar group in comparison with reference filgrastim. FN episodes with ANC < 100 cells/μL were more frequent in the biosimilar group (50 %) when compared with reference filgrastim (4 %) and pegfilgrastim (6 %). No differences concerning FN complications were seen, with the exception of more chemotherapy delays in the biosimilar group when compared with pegfilgrastim. No differences in biosimilar effectiveness were detected. The clinical relevance of the profound neutropenia found in the biosimilar cohort needs further attention.

The Issue of Saliency and the Effect of Tracking on Self-Esteem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nachmias, Chava

1977-01-01

This article discusses the effects of tracking on student self esteem. From a study of 650 Israeli students, the author concludes that low self esteem of non college-bound students results only when they use academic track students as a reference group. (GC)

Work and Eldercare: Reciprocity between Older Mothers and Their Employed Daughters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe, Janice M.; Fancey, Pamela J.

2002-01-01

A study of older women and their employed daughters used social exchange theory and a life-course perspective in focus groups with 12 daughters/caregivers. Results showed that being reliant on a busy employee for care has negative consequences. (Contains 55 references.) (JOW)

Establishing the reference value for “timed up-and-go” test in healthy adults of Gujarat, India

PubMed Central

Khant, Nency; Dani, Vyoma Bharat; Patel, Purvi; Rathod, Rachana

2018-01-01

CONTEXT: Timed up-and-go (TUG) test is a valid, reliable, and an objective test for quantifying functional mobility and assessing the fall risk in all age groups. The analysis of patient scores on TUG test is limited by lack of data, having a wide range of performance scores among people without disabilities. AIM: The objective of the study was to provide the reference value for TUG test in healthy individuals of Gujarat, India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional observational study. Five hundred and twenty healthy individuals, aged 40–70 years, were recruited from various regions of Gujarat based on convenient sampling. All the participants were made to perform TUG test in a controlled environment in community. Three readings of the actual test were obtained and averaged. RESULTS: Data were analyzed with mean, standard deviation, confidence intervals (CIs 95%) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) with α = 0.05 by age groups (40–50, 51–60, and 61–70 years) and gender. The mean (CI 95%) TUG time for healthy adults of Gujarat was 8.46 (8.35–8.57) s and demonstrated age-related decline for both male and female participants. TUG time also demonstrated strong correlation with the height of individuals. CONCLUSION: This preliminary data can be used as a reference only for specific population with specific age groups due to variability in test results among the different population due to age, gender, anthropometric measures such as height, weight, and body mass index, geographical variation, nutritional support, and cognitive status.

Revision surgery in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a cohort study of 17,682 patients from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register.

PubMed

Desai, Neel; Andernord, Daniel; Sundemo, David; Alentorn-Geli, Eduard; Musahl, Volker; Fu, Freddie; Forssblad, Magnus; Samuelsson, Kristian

2017-05-01

To investigate the association between surgical variables and the risk of revision surgery after ACL reconstruction in the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register. This cohort study was based on data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register. Patients who underwent primary single-bundle ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon were included. Follow-up started with primary ACL reconstruction and ended with ACL revision surgery or on 31 December, 2014, whichever occurred first. Details on surgical technique were collected using an online questionnaire. All group comparisons were made in relation to an "anatomic" reference group, comprised of essential AARSC items, defined as utilization of accessory medial portal drilling, anatomic tunnel placement, visualization of insertion sites and pertinent landmarks. Study end-point was revision surgery. A total of 108 surgeons (61.7%) replied to the questionnaire. A total of 17,682 patients were included [n = 10,013 males (56.6%) and 7669 females (43.4%)]. The overall revision rate was 3.1%. Older age as well as cartilage injury evident at index surgery was associated with a decreased risk of revision surgery. The group using transtibial drilling and non-anatomic bone tunnel placement was associated with a lower risk of revision surgery [HR 0.694 (95% CI 0.490-0.984); P = 0.041] compared with the anatomic reference group. The anatomic reference group showed no difference in risk of revision surgery compared with the transtibial drilling groups with partial anatomic [HR 0.759 (95% CI 0.548-1.051), n.s.] and anatomic tunnel placement [HR 0.944 (95% CI 0.718-1.241), n.s.]. The anatomic reference group showed a decreased risk of revision surgery compared with the transportal drilling group with anatomic placement [HR 1.310 (95% CI 1.047-1.640); P = 0.018]. Non-anatomic bone tunnel placement via transtibial drilling resulted in the lowest risk of revision surgery after ACL reconstruction. The risk of revision surgery increased when using transportal drilling. Performing anatomic ACL reconstruction utilizing eight selected essential items from the AARSC lowered the risk of revision surgery associated with transportal drilling and anatomic bone tunnel placement. Detailed knowledge of surgical technique using the AARSC predicts the risk of ACL revision surgery. III.

Cognitive training with action-related verbs induces neural plasticity in the action representation system as assessed by gray matter brain morphometry.

PubMed

Ghio, Marta; Locatelli, Matteo; Tettamanti, Andrea; Perani, Daniela; Gatti, Roberto; Tettamanti, Marco

2018-06-01

Embodied cognition theories of semantic memory still face the need for multiple sources of converging evidence in support of the involvement of sensory-motor systems in action-related knowledge. Previous studies showed that training manual actions improves semantic processing of verbs referring to the trained actions. The present work aimed to provide complementary evidence by measuring the brain plasticity effects of a cognitive training requiring sustained lexical-semantic processing of action-related verbs. We included two groups of participants, namely the Proximal Group (PG) and the Distal Group (DG), which underwent a 3-week training with verbs referring to actions involving the proximal and the distal upper limb musculature, respectively. Before and after training, we measured gray matter voxel brain morphometry based on T1 structural magnetic resonance imaging. By means of this 2 (Group: PG, DG) × 2 (Time: pre-, post-training) factorial design, we tested whether sustained cognitive experience with specific action-related verbs induces congruent brain plasticity modifications in target regions of interest pertaining to the action representation system. We found significant post- versus pre-training gray matter volume increases, specifically for PG in the left dorsal precentral gyrus, and for DG in the right cerebellar lobule VIIa. These preliminary results suggest that a cognitive training can induce structural plasticity modifications in brain regions specifically coding for the distal and proximal motor actions the trained verbs refer to. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consistency-based rectification of nonrigid registrations

PubMed Central

Gass, Tobias; Székely, Gábor; Goksel, Orcun

2015-01-01

Abstract. We present a technique to rectify nonrigid registrations by improving their group-wise consistency, which is a widely used unsupervised measure to assess pair-wise registration quality. While pair-wise registration methods cannot guarantee any group-wise consistency, group-wise approaches typically enforce perfect consistency by registering all images to a common reference. However, errors in individual registrations to the reference then propagate, distorting the mean and accumulating in the pair-wise registrations inferred via the reference. Furthermore, the assumption that perfect correspondences exist is not always true, e.g., for interpatient registration. The proposed consistency-based registration rectification (CBRR) method addresses these issues by minimizing the group-wise inconsistency of all pair-wise registrations using a regularized least-squares algorithm. The regularization controls the adherence to the original registration, which is additionally weighted by the local postregistration similarity. This allows CBRR to adaptively improve consistency while locally preserving accurate pair-wise registrations. We show that the resulting registrations are not only more consistent, but also have lower average transformation error when compared to known transformations in simulated data. On clinical data, we show improvements of up to 50% target registration error in breathing motion estimation from four-dimensional MRI and improvements in atlas-based segmentation quality of up to 65% in terms of mean surface distance in three-dimensional (3-D) CT. Such improvement was observed consistently using different registration algorithms, dimensionality (two-dimensional/3-D), and modalities (MRI/CT). PMID:26158083

Hemodialysis catheter implantation in the axillary vein by ultrasound guidance versus palpation or anatomical reference

PubMed Central

Valencia, Cesar A Restrepo; Villa, Carlos A Buitrago; Cardona, Jose A Chacon

2013-01-01

Background We compared the results of four different methods of hemodialysis catheter insertion in the medial segment of the axillary vein: ultrasound guidance, palpation, anatomical reference, and prior transient catheter. Methods All patients that required acute or chronic hemodialysis and for whom it was determined impossible or not recommended either to place a catheter in the internal jugular vein (for instance, those patients with a tracheostomy), or to practice arteriovenous fistula or graft; it was then essential to obtain an alternative vascular access. When the procedure of axillary vein catheter insertion was performed in the Renal Care Facility (RCF), ultrasound guidance was used, but in the intensive care unit (ICU), this resource was unavailable, so the palpation or anatomical reference technique was used. Results Two nephrologists with experience in the technique performed 83 procedures during a period lasting 15 years and 8 months (from January 1997–August 2012): 41 by ultrasound guidance; 19 by anatomical references; 15 by palpation of the contiguous axillary artery; and 8 through a temporary axillary catheter previously placed. The ultrasound-guided patients had fewer punctures than other groups, but the value was not statistically significant. Arterial punctures were infrequent in all techniques. Analyzing all the procedure-related complications, such as hematoma, pneumothorax, brachial-plexus injury, as well as the reasons for catheter removal, no differences were observed among the groups. The functioning time was longer in the ultrasound-guided and previous catheter groups. In 15 years and 8 months of surveillance, no clinical or image evidence for axillary vein stenosis was found. Conclusion The ultrasound guide makes the procedure of inserting catheters in the axillary veins easier, but knowledge of the anatomy of the midaxillary region and the ability to feel the axillary artery pulse (for the palpation method) also allow relatively easy successful implant of catheters in the axillary veins. PMID:24143120

Towards a framework for developing semantic relatedness reference standards.

PubMed

Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Pedersen, Ted; McInnes, Bridget; Melton, Genevieve B; Ruggieri, Alexander; Chute, Christopher G

2011-04-01

Our objective is to develop a framework for creating reference standards for functional testing of computerized measures of semantic relatedness. Currently, research on computerized approaches to semantic relatedness between biomedical concepts relies on reference standards created for specific purposes using a variety of methods for their analysis. In most cases, these reference standards are not publicly available and the published information provided in manuscripts that evaluate computerized semantic relatedness measurement approaches is not sufficient to reproduce the results. Our proposed framework is based on the experiences of medical informatics and computational linguistics communities and addresses practical and theoretical issues with creating reference standards for semantic relatedness. We demonstrate the use of the framework on a pilot set of 101 medical term pairs rated for semantic relatedness by 13 medical coding experts. While the reliability of this particular reference standard is in the "moderate" range; we show that using clustering and factor analyses offers a data-driven approach to finding systematic differences among raters and identifying groups of potential outliers. We test two ontology-based measures of relatedness and provide both the reference standard containing individual ratings and the R program used to analyze the ratings as open-source. Currently, these resources are intended to be used to reproduce and compare results of studies involving computerized measures of semantic relatedness. Our framework may be extended to the development of reference standards in other research areas in medical informatics including automatic classification, information retrieval from medical records and vocabulary/ontology development. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health surveillance under adverse ergonomics conditions – validity of a screening method adapted for the occupational health service

PubMed Central

Jonker, Dirk; Gustafsson, Ewa; Rolander, Bo; Arvidsson, Inger; Nordander, Catarina

2015-01-01

A new health surveillance protocol for work-related upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders has been validated by comparing the results with a reference protocol. The studied protocol, Health Surveillance in Adverse Ergonomics Conditions (HECO), is a new version of the reference protocol modified for application in the Occupational Health Service (OHS). The HECO protocol contains both a screening part and a diagnosing part. Sixty-three employees were examined. The screening in HECO did not miss any diagnosis found when using the reference protocol, but in comparison to the reference protocol considerable time savings could be achieved. Fair to good agreement between the protocols was obtained for one or more diagnoses in neck/shoulders (86%, k = 0.62) and elbow/hands (84%, k = 0.49). Therefore, the results obtained using the HECO protocol can be compared with a reference material collected with the reference protocol, and thus provide information of the magnitude of disorders in an examined work group. Practitioner Summary: The HECO protocol is a relatively simple physical examination protocol for identification of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and upper extremities. The protocol is a reliable and cost-effective tool for the OHS to use for occupational health surveillance in order to detect workplaces at high risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders. PMID:25761380

Enterprise Reference Library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bickham, Grandin; Saile, Lynn; Havelka, Jacque; Fitts, Mary

2011-01-01

Introduction: Johnson Space Center (JSC) offers two extensive libraries that contain journals, research literature and electronic resources. Searching capabilities are available to those individuals residing onsite or through a librarian s search. Many individuals have rich collections of references, but no mechanisms to share reference libraries across researchers, projects, or directorates exist. Likewise, information regarding which references are provided to which individuals is not available, resulting in duplicate requests, redundant labor costs and associated copying fees. In addition, this tends to limit collaboration between colleagues and promotes the establishment of individual, unshared silos of information The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) team has utilized a centralized reference management tool during the development, test, and operational phases of this project. The Enterprise Reference Library project expands the capabilities developed for IMM to address the above issues and enhance collaboration across JSC. Method: After significant market analysis for a multi-user reference management tool, no available commercial tool was found to meet this need, so a software program was built around a commercial tool, Reference Manager 12 by The Thomson Corporation. A use case approach guided the requirements development phase. The premise of the design is that individuals use their own reference management software and export to SharePoint when their library is incorporated into the Enterprise Reference Library. This results in a searchable user-specific library application. An accompanying share folder will warehouse the electronic full-text articles, which allows the global user community to access full -text articles. Discussion: An enterprise reference library solution can provide a multidisciplinary collection of full text articles. This approach improves efficiency in obtaining and storing reference material while greatly reducing labor, purchasing and duplication costs. Most importantly, increasing collaboration across research groups provides unprecedented access to information relevant to NASA s mission. Conclusion: This project is an expansion and cost-effective leveraging of the existing JSC centralized library. Adding key word and author search capabilities and an alert function for notifications about new articles, based on users profiles, represent examples of future enhancements.

[Prevention of HIV transmission: application of the theory of reasoned action to the prediction of condom use].

PubMed

Diaz-loving, R; Rivera Aragon, S

1995-01-01

1203 sexually active workers in six government agencies in Mexico City participated in a study of the applicability of the theory of reasoned action to prediction of condom use for AIDS prevention. The theory of reasoned action is one of a series of models of attitudes that have had consistent success in predicting various types of intentions and behaviors, especially in the area of sexual and contraceptive behavior. The theory specifies that the intention of executing a particular behavior is determined as the function of attitude toward the behavior and a social factor termed "subjective norm", referring to the perception of social pressure supporting or opposing a particular behavior. The 1203 subjects, who ranged from low to high educational and socioeconomic status, completed self-administered questionnaires concerning their beliefs, attitudes, and intentions regarding condom use, motivation to comply with the subjective norm, and actual condom use. Various scales were constructed to measure the different components of the theory. Hierarchical regression analysis was carried out separately for men and women and for condom use with regular or occasional partners. The model explained over 20% of condom use behavior. The total explained variance was similar in all groups, but the components of the model determining the variance were different. Personal beliefs and attitudes were more important in reference to occasional sexual partners, but the subjective norm and motivation to comply with the reference group were more important with regular sexual partners. The results demonstrate the need for interventions to be adapted to gender groups and in reference to regular or occasional partners.

Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restoration.

PubMed

Cole, Rebecca J; Holl, Karen D; Zahawi, Rakan A; Wickey, Philipp; Townsend, Alan R

2016-08-01

Soil and litter arthropods represent a large proportion of tropical biodiversity and perform important ecosystem functions, but little is known about the efficacy of different tropical forest restoration strategies in facilitating their recovery in degraded habitats. We sampled arthropods in four 7- to 8-year-old restoration treatments and in nearby reference forests. Sampling was conducted during the wet and dry seasons using extractions from litter and pitfall samples. Restoration treatments were replicated in 50 × 50-m plots in four former pasture sites in southern Costa Rica: plantation - trees planted throughout the plot; applied nucleation/islands - trees planted in patches of different sizes; and natural regeneration - no tree planting. Arthropod abundance, measures of richness and diversity, and a number of functional groups were greater in the island treatment than in natural regeneration or plantation treatments and, in many cases, were similar to reference forest. Litter and pitfall morphospecies and functional group composition in all three restoration treatments were significantly different than reference sites, but island and plantation treatments showed more recovery than natural regeneration. Abundance and functional group diversity showed a much greater degree of recovery than community composition. Synthesis and applications: The less resource-intensive restoration strategy of planting tree islands was more effective than tree plantations in restoring arthropod abundance, richness, and functional diversity. None of the restoration strategies, however, resulted in similar community composition as reference forest after 8 years of recovery, highlighting the slow rate of recovery of arthropod communities after disturbance, and underscoring the importance of conservation of remnant forests in fragmented landscapes.

A Comparison of Two Teaching Methodologies for a Course in Basic Reference. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gothberg, Helen M.

The purpose of the investigation was to develop and test an audio-tutorial program for a course in Basic Reference. The design of the investigation was a posttest-only-control group design with 63 students randomly assigned to either an audio-tutorial or a lecture group. Data were collected and analyzed using a t-test for two groups and four…

[The effects of psychostimulants on the cognitive results and behaviour of children with the combined subtype of attention deficit with hyperactivity].

PubMed

Mulas, F; Roselló, B; Morant, A; Hernández, S; Pitarch, I

Many studies have shown the efficacy of methylphenidate in treating children with attention deficit and hyperactivity to reduce the main symptoms of the disorder and problems of behaviour: behaviour which is disruptive, antisocial, negative and aggressive. 1. Analyze the therapeutic effects of methylphenidate on the cognitive function of children with TDAH, combined subtype, evaluated by means of neuropsychological tests of attention and inhibitory control. 2. Determine the efficacy of methylphenidate in improving the basic symptoms of TDAH C according to the DSM 1V for parents and teachers, and their behaviour, evaluated by their teachers, in the combined subtype. The sample was made up of 48 children with TDAH C. 24 of these had been referred by paediatricians and received drug treatment with methylphenidate, 0.5 mg/kg once in the morning and once after lunch (TDAH C/CTF). The other group of 24 children with TDAH C were referred from their teachers to a school psychologist so that they followed the usual guidelines for orientation but not a systematically developed treatment (TDAH C/C or control group). RESULTS. In relation to the first objective the results were good for the TDAH C/CTF compared with the TDAH C/C group regarding the proportion of children who improved their results on neuropsychological testing of planning inhibitory control and attention. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant in the latent period of the reflexive impulsive test (MFF), arithmetic, cancellation of rhomboids and cancellation of numbers. Regarding the second objective, the improvement in the TDAH C/CTF group according to the teachers opinions were statistically significant with respect to attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, as compared with the control group. However, according to the parents assessment, although improvement was greater in both dimensions, the differences between the two groups did not reach statistical significance. Finally, the teachers observed greater improvement in the medicated group as compared to the control group regarding three variables: learning problems, antisocial conduct and failure to adapt to school. Overall, our results coincide with those of other excellent reviews, which have shown the effectiveness of methylphenidate in the treatment of cognitive and behaviour disorders in this group.

Respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation in asphalt workers

PubMed Central

Randem, B; Ulvestad, B; Burstyn, I; Kongerud, J

2004-01-01

Aims: To assess the occurrence of respiratory symptoms and signs of airflow limitations in a group of asphalt workers. Methods: All 64 asphalt workers and a reference group of 195 outdoor construction workers from the same company participated in a cross-sectional study. Spirometric tests and a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and smoking habits were administered. Respiratory symptoms and lung function were adjusted for age and smoking. Results: The FEV1/FVC% ratio was significantly lower in the asphalt workers than in the referents. Symptoms of eye irritation, chest tightness, shortness of breath on exertion, chest wheezing, physician diagnosed asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were all significantly more prevalent among the asphalt workers. Conclusion: In asphalt workers there is an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, lung function decline, and COPD compared to other construction workers. PMID:15031397

Reference intervals for plasma free metanephrines with an age adjustment for normetanephrine for optimized laboratory testing of phaeochromocytoma

PubMed Central

Eisenhofer, Graeme; Lattke, Peter; Herberg, Maria; Siegert, Gabriele; Qin, Nan; Därr, Roland; Hoyer, Jana; Villringer, Arno; Prejbisz, Aleksander; Januszewicz, Andrzej; Remaley, Alan; Martucci, Victoria; Pacak, Karel; Ross, H Alec; Sweep, Fred C G J; Lenders, Jacques W M

2016-01-01

Background Measurements of plasma normetanephrine and metanephrine provide a useful diagnostic test for phaeochromocytoma, but this depends on appropriate reference intervals. Upper cut-offs set too high compromise diagnostic sensitivity, whereas set too low, false-positives are a problem. This study aimed to establish optimal reference intervals for plasma normetanephrine and metanephrine. Methods Blood samples were collected in the supine position from 1226 subjects, aged 5–84 y, including 116 children, 575 normotensive and hypertensive adults and 535 patients in whom phaeochromocytoma was ruled out. Reference intervals were examined according to age and gender. Various models were examined to optimize upper cut-offs according to estimates of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in a separate validation group of 3888 patients tested for phaeochromocytoma, including 558 with confirmed disease. Results Plasma metanephrine, but not normetanephrine, was higher (P < 0.001) in men than in women, but reference intervals did not differ. Age showed a positive relationship (P < 0.0001) with plasma normetanephrine and a weaker relationship (P = 0.021) with metanephrine. Upper cut-offs of reference intervals for normetanephrine increased from 0.47 nmol/L in children to 1.05 nmol/L in subjects over 60 y. A curvilinear model for age-adjusted compared with fixed upper cut-offs for normetanephrine, together with a higher cut-off for metanephrine (0.45 versus 0.32 nmol/L), resulted in a substantial gain in diagnostic specificity from 88.3% to 96.0% with minimal loss in diagnostic sensitivity from 93.9% to 93.6%. Conclusions These data establish age-adjusted cut-offs of reference intervals for plasma normetanephrine and optimized cut-offs for metanephrine useful for minimizing false-positive results. PMID:23065528

Activity measurements of a suite of radionuclides (241Am, 239,240Pu, 238Pu, 238U, 234U, 235U, 232Th, 230Th, 228Th, 228Ra, 137Cs, 210Pb, 90Sr and 40K) in biota reference material (Ocean Shellfish): CCRI(II)-S3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nour, S.; Karam, L. R.; Inn, K. G. W.

2012-01-01

In 2005, the CCRI decided that a comparison undertaken from 2002 to 2008 by the NIST (under the auspices of the Inter-America Metrology System [SIM]) in the development of a new biota (Ocean Shellfish) standard reference material (SRM) was sufficiently well constructed that it could be converted into a supplementary comparison under CCRI(II), with comparison identifier CCRI(II)-S3. This would enable the comparison to be used to support calibration and measurement capability (CMC) claims for radionuclide measurements in reference materials (specifically, animal-based organic materials). Previous comparisons of radionuclides have been of single or multiple nuclides in non-complex matrices and results of such could not be extended to support capabilities to measure the same nuclides in reference materials. The results of this comparison have been used to determine the certified reference value of the SRM. The key comparison working group (KCWG) of the CCRI(II) has approved this approach as a mechanism to link all the results to certified 'reference values' in lieu of the key comparison reference value (KCRV) of these specified radionuclides in this type of matrix (shellfish) so as to support CMCs of similar materials submitted by the present participants. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Issues in Sexuality for Adolescents with Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities. CYDLINE Reviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. National Center for Youth with Disabilities.

This annotated bibliography focuses on sexuality issues regarding adolescents and young adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The resources are grouped into the following categories: psychosocial development (23 references); attitudes and knowledge (11 references); sex education (34 references); sexual abuse (four references);…

DNA-Based Methods in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory

PubMed Central

Denomme, Gregory A

2010-01-01

Although hemagglutination serves the immunohematology reference laboratory well, when used alone, it has limited capability to resolve complex problems. This overview discusses how molecular approaches can be used in the immunohematology reference laboratory. In order to apply molecular approaches to immunohematology, knowledge of genes, DNA-based methods, and the molecular bases of blood groups are required. When applied correctly, DNA-based methods can predict blood groups to resolve ABO/Rh discrepancies, identify variant alleles, and screen donors for antigen-negative units. DNA-based testing in immunohematology is a valuable tool used to resolve blood group incompatibilities and to support patients in their transfusion needs. PMID:21257350

Reference memory, anxiety and estrous cyclicity in C57BL/6NIA mice are affected by age and sex.

PubMed

Frick, K M; Burlingame, L A; Arters, J A; Berger-Sweeney, J

2000-01-01

Age-related changes in learning and memory are common in rodents. However, direct comparisons of the effects of aging on learning and memory in both males and females are lacking. The present study examined whether memory deteriorates with increasing age in C57BL/6NIA mice, and whether age-related changes in learning and memory are similar in both sexes. Male and female mice (five, 17 and 25 months of age) were tested in a battery of behavioral tasks including the Morris water maze (spatial and non-spatial reference memory), simple odor discrimination (olfactory reference memory), plus maze (anxiety/exploration), locomotor activity, and basic reflexes. Five-month-old mice learned the water maze and odor discrimination tasks rapidly. Relative to five-month-old mice, 25-month-old mice exhibited impaired spatial and olfactory reference memory, but intact non-spatial reference memory. The spatial reference memory of 17-month-old mice was also impaired, but less so than 25-month mice. Seventeen-month-old mice exhibited intact non-spatial (visual and olfactory) reference memory. Five and 25-month-old mice had similar levels of plus maze exploration and locomotor activity, whereas 17-month-old mice were more active than both groups and were slightly less exploratory than five-month-old mice. Although sex differences were not observed in the five- and 25-month groups, 17-month-old females exhibited more impaired spatial reference memory and increased anxiety relative to 17-month-old males. Estrous cycling in females deteriorated significantly with increased age; all 25-month-old females had ceased cycling and 80% of 17-month-old females displayed either irregular or absent estrous cycling. This study is the first to directly compare age-related mnemonic decline in male and female mice. The results suggest that: (i) aged mice exhibit significant deficits in spatial and olfactory reference memory relative to young mice, whereas middle-aged mice exhibit only a moderate spatial memory deficit and; (ii) spatial reference memory decline begins at an earlier age in females than in males, a finding that may be related to the cessation of estrous cycling.

Word learning in adults with second language experience: Effects of phonological and referent familiarity

PubMed Central

Kaushanskaya, Margarita; Yoo, Jeewon; Van Hecke, Stephanie

2014-01-01

Purpose The goal of this research was to examine whether phonological familiarity exerts different effects on novel word learning for familiar vs. unfamiliar referents, and whether successful word-learning is associated with increased second-language experience. Method Eighty-one adult native English speakers with various levels of Spanish knowledge learned phonologically-familiar novel words (constructed using English sounds) or phonologically-unfamiliar novel words (constructed using non-English and non-Spanish sounds) in association with either familiar or unfamiliar referents. Retention was tested via a forced-choice recognition-task. A median-split procedure identified high-ability and low-ability word-learners in each condition, and the two groups were compared on measures of second-language experience. Results Findings suggest that the ability to accurately match newly-learned novel names to their appropriate referents is facilitated by phonological familiarity only for familiar referents but not for unfamiliar referents. Moreover, more extensive second-language learning experience characterized superior learners primarily in one word-learning condition: Where phonologically-unfamiliar novel words were paired with familiar referents. Conclusions Together, these findings indicate that phonological familiarity facilitates novel word learning only for familiar referents, and that experience with learning a second language may have a specific impact on novel vocabulary learning in adults. PMID:22992709

Verbal memory decline from hippocampal depth electrodes in temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy.

PubMed

Ljung, Hanna; Nordlund, Arto; Strandberg, Maria; Bengzon, Johan; Källén, Kristina

2017-12-01

To explore whether patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy risk aggravated verbal memory loss from intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) recording with longitudinal hippocampal electrodes in the language-dominant hemisphere. A long-term neuropsychological follow-up (mean 61.5 months, range 22-111 months) was performed in 40 patients after ictal registration with left hippocampal depth electrodes (study group, n = 16) or no invasive EEG, only extracranial registration (reference group, n = 24). The groups were equal with respect to education, age at seizure onset, epilepsy duration, and prevalence of pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE; 75%) versus seizure freedom (25%). Retrospective neuropsychological data from preoperative surgical workup (T1) and prospective follow-up neuropsychological data (T2) were compared. A ≥1 SD intrapatient decline was considered as clinically relevant deterioration of verbal memory. Significant decline in verbal memory was seen in 56% of the patients in the study group compared to 21% in the reference group. At T1, there were no statistical between-group differences in memory performance. At T2, between-group comparison showed significantly greater verbal memory decline for the study group (Claeson Dahl Learning and Retention Test, Verbal Learning: p = 0.05; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Total Learning: p = 0.04; Claeson Dahl Learning and Retention Test, Verbal Retention: p = 0.04). An odds ratio (OR) of 7.1 (90% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-37.7) for verbal memory decline was seen if right temporal lobe resection (R TLR) had been performed between T1 and T2. The difference between groups remained unchanged when patients who had undergone R TLR were excluded from the analysis, with a remaining aggravated significant decline in verbal memory performance for the study group compared to the reference group. Our results suggest a risk of verbal memory deterioration after the use of depth electrodes along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. Until this issue is further investigated, caution regarding depth electrodes in the language-dominant hemisphere hippocampus seems advisable. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

Comparing age-wise reference intervals for serum creatinine concentration in a "Reality check" of the recommended cut-off.

PubMed

Verma, Mascha; Khadapkar, Rashmi; Sahu, Priyadarshi Soumyaranjan; Das, Bibhu Ranjan

2006-09-01

An increase in the communication within the healthcare services, both nationally and internationally, has strengthened the need for harmonization of measurements and reference intervals in laboratory medicine. In the present report, the calculated reference interval for serum creatinine (sCr) levels of healthy normal individuals (n=1121) in different sex and age groups are compared with the established interval. The calculated reference interval for sCr level was 0.4-1.3 mg/dL and 0.6 to 1.3 mg/dL in the age groups of 21-40 and 41-60 years respectively. The difference between the mean sCr values in total males and total females (age range 21-60 years) was statistically significant (p<0.0001); When male and female subjects were analyzed age-group wise, the data showed a significant difference in mean sCr values (p<0.0001) in three age groups (21-30, 31-40 and 41-50 years) however, in older age group (51-60 years), the difference was non-significant (p=0.07). The reference ranges were 0.7-1.3 and 0.4-1.0 mg/dL for males and females respectively where the lower limit was 0.1-0.2 units less than that of standard limits. An increase in the mean value of sCr was observed particularly in females with an increase in age. Hence it is of interest to validate an age specific reference ranges for sCr in our population.

Reference values of aortic pulse wave velocity in the elderly.

PubMed

Alecu, Cosmin; Labat, Carlos; Kearney-Schwartz, Anna; Fay, Renaud; Salvi, Paolo; Joly, Laure; Lacolley, Patrick; Vespignani, Hervé; Benetos, Athanase

2008-11-01

Increased aortic pulse wave velocity (AoPWV) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are, however, no generally accepted limits for defining the normal or reference values. The aim of the present study was to define reference values for AoPWV. AoPWV was assessed using applanation tonometry (PulsePen device) in a community living ambulatory population of 455 individuals aged 60-75 years. AoPWV was studied in a group of 206 individuals without hypertension or diabetes, called the 'reference-values group' (RVG), and in a group of 249 individuals with hypertension or diabetes, called the hypertension-diabetes group (HDG). The 95th percentile of the samples was used to determine the upper limit of AoPWV reference values. Mean AoPWV was 8.7+/-2.3 m/s in the RVG and 10.2+/-2.5 m/s in the hypertension-diabetes group (P<0.0001). In the RVG, median AoPWV in the three age subgroups was 8.0 m/s (7.6-8.5) in the 60-64-, 8.0 m/s (7.5-9.0) in the 65-69- and 9.0 m/s (7.9-9.5) in the 70-75-year-old group (NS among groups). In the entire RVG, the upper bounds of the 75th and the 95th percentile of the sample's AoPWV were 10 and 13 m/s, respectively, with no difference between sexes. In elderly individuals of 60-75 years, an AoPWV value below 10 m/s, measured with the PulsePen device, can be considered as a normal value. Values of 10-13 m/s can be considered as 'high normal' or 'borderline', whereas an AoPWV above 13 m/s is frankly elevated. This study provides, for the first time in the elderly, reference values of AoPWV.

The accuracy of references in PhD theses: a case study.

PubMed

Azadeh, Fereydoon; Vaez, Reyhaneh

2013-09-01

Inaccurate references and citations cause confusion, distrust in the accuracy of a report, waste of time and unnecessary financial charges for libraries, information centres and researchers. The aim of the study was to establish the accuracy of article references in PhD theses from the Tehran and Tabriz Universities of Medical Sciences and their compliance with the Vancouver style. We analysed 357 article references in the Tehran and 347 in the Tabriz. Six bibliographic elements were assessed: authors' names, article title, journal title, publication year, volume and page range. Referencing errors were divided into major and minor. Sixty two percent of references in the Tehran and 53% of those in the Tabriz were erroneous. In total, 164 references in the Tehran and 136 in the Tabriz were complete without error. Of 357 reference articles in the Tehran, 34 (9.8%) were in complete accordance with the Vancouver style, compared with none in the Tabriz. Accuracy of referencing did not differ significantly between the two groups, but compliance with the Vancouver style was significantly better in the Tehran. The accuracy of referencing was not satisfactory in both groups, and students need to gain adequate instruction in appropriate referencing methods. © 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group.

Accuracy of pharmaceutical advertisements in medical journals.

PubMed

Villanueva, Pilar; Peiró, Salvador; Librero, Julián; Pereiró, Inmaculada

2003-01-04

Because of the effect of the ever-growing evidence-based medicine movement on prescribing behaviour of doctors, the pharmaceutical industry incorporates bibliographical references to clinical trials that endorse their products in their advertisements. We aimed to assess whether the references about efficacy, safety, convenience, or cost of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs included in advertisements supported the promotional claims. We assessed all advertisements for antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs published in six Spanish medical journals in 1997 that had at least one bibliographical reference. Two pairs of investigators independently reviewed the advertisements to see whether the studies quoted to endorse the advertising messages supported the corresponding claims. We identified 264 different advertisements for antihypertensive drugs and 23 different advertisements for lipid-lowering drugs. We recorded at least one reference in 31 advertisements in the antihypertensive group and at least one reference in every seven advertisements in the lipid-lowering group, providing a total of 125 promotional claims with references. We could not retrieve 23 (18%) references from monographic works and non-published data on file. 79 (63%) of the 125 references were from journals with a high impact factor; 84 (82%) of the 102 references retrieved were from randomised clinical trials. In 45 claims (44.1%; 95% CI 34.3-54.3) the promotional statement was not supported by the reference, most frequently because the slogan recommended the drug in a patient group other than that assessed in the study. Doctors should be cautious in assessment of advertisements that claim a drug has greater efficacy, safety, or convenience, even though these claims are accompanied by bibliographical references to randomised clinical trials published in reputable medical journals and seem to be evidence-based.

The relationship of post-acute home care use to Medicaid utilization and expenditures.

PubMed

Payne, Susan M C; DiGiuseppe, David L; Tilahun, Negussie

2002-06-01

To describe the use of post-acute home care (PAHC) and total Medicaid expenditures among hospitalized nonelderly adult Medicaid eligibles and to test whether health services utilization rates or total Medicaid expenditures were lower among Medicaid eligibles who used PAHC compared to those who did not. 5,299 Medicaid patients aged 18-64 discharged in 1992-1996 from 29 hospitals in the Cleveland Health Quality Choice (CHQC) project. Linked Ohio Medicaid claims and CHQC medical record abstract data. One stay per patient was randomly selected. Observational study. To control for treatment selection bias, we developed a model predicting the probability (propensity) a patient would be referred to PAHC, as a proxy for the patient's need for PAHC. We matched 430 patients who used Medicaid-covered PAHC ("USE") to patients who did not ("NO USE") by their propensity scores. Study outcomes were inpatient re-admission rates and days of stay (DOS), nursing home admission rates and DOS, and mean total Medicaid expenditures 90 and 180 days after discharge. Of 3,788 medical patients, 12.1 percent were referred to PAHC; 64 percent of those referred used PAHC. Of 1,511 surgical patients, 10.9 percent were referred; 99 percent of those referred used PAHC. In 430 pairs of patients matched by propensity score, mean total Medicaid expenditures within 90 days after discharge were $7,649 in the USE group and $5,761 in the NO USE group. Total Medicaid expenditures were significantly higher in the USE group compared to the NO USE group for medical patients after 180 days (p < .05) and surgical patients after 90 and 180 days (p < .001). There were no significant differences for any other outcome. Sensitivity analysis indicates the results may be influenced by unmeasured variables, most likely functional status and/or care-giver support. Thirty-six percent of the medical patients referred to PAHC did not receive Medicaid-covered services. This suggests potential underuse among medical patients. The high post-discharge expenditures suggest opportunities for reducing costs through coordinating utilization or diverting it to lower-cost settings. Controlling for patients' need for services, PAHC utilization was not associated with lower utilization rates or lower total Medicaid expenditures. Medicaid programs are advised to proceed cautiously before expanding PAHC utilization and to monitor its use carefully. Further study, incorporating non-economic outcomes and additional factors influencing PAHC use, is warranted.

Sociodemographic and smoking associated with obesity in adult women in Iran: results from the National Health Survey.

PubMed

Bakhshi, Enayatollah; Eshraghian, Mohammad Reza; Mohammad, Kazem; Foroushani, Abbas Rahimi; Zeraati, Hojat; Fotouhi, Akbar; Siassi, Fraidon; Seifi, Behjat

2008-12-01

There is no study that had a sample size sufficient to study the association between sociodemographic and smoking with obesity in Iran. The goal was to investigate these associations in the Iranian women. Multivariate statistical techniques included 14 176 women between 20 and 69 years of age. Height and weight were measured rather than self-reported. In Iranian adult women, obesity OR(S) for the moderate and high education were 0.78 and 0.41, respectively, compared with basic level. Using low economy index as the reference, Obesity OR(S) for the urban women were 1.29, 1.25 and 1.28 for the lower-middle, upper-middle and high groups, respectively. Obesity OR(S) for the rural women were 1.71, 1.71 and 2.02 for the lower-middle, upper-middle and high groups, respectively. Obesity OR was 0.48 for active workforce compared with inactive group. Obesity OR was 0.70 for smokers women compared with nonsmokers. Using non-married as the reference group, Obesity OR(S) were 1.23 and 2.34 for married urban and rural women, respectively. Our results on the associations between age, smoking, education level, workforce and obesity are consistent with most studies, but between economic level and obesity are consistent with some study in developing countries.

Prevalence of and referred pain from myofascial trigger points in the forearm muscles in patients with lateral epicondylalgia.

PubMed

Fernández-Carnero, Josué; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César; de la Llave-Rincón, Ana Isabel; Ge, Hong-You; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars

2007-05-01

Referred pain and pain characteristics evoked from the extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor digitorum communis, and brachioradialis muscles was investigated in 20 patients with lateral epicondylalgia (LE) and 20-matched controls. Both groups were examined for the presence of myofascial trigger points (TrPs) in a blinded fashion. The quality and location of the evoked referred pain, and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) at the lateral epicondyle on the right upper extremity (symptomatic side in patients, and dominant-side on controls) were recorded. Several lateral elbow pain parameters were also evaluated. Within the patient group, the elicited referred pain by manual exploration of 13 out of 20 (65%) extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles, 12/20 (70%) extensor carpi radialis longus muscles, 10/20 (50%) brachioradialis muscles, and 5/20 (25%) extensor digitorum communis muscles, shares similar pain patterns as their habitual lateral elbow and forearm pain. The mean number of muscles with TrPs for each patient was 2.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1,4] of which 2 (95% CI 1,3) were active, and 0.9 (95% CI 0,2) were latent TrPs. Control participants only had latent TrPs (mean: 0.4; 95% CI 0,2). TrP occurrence between the 2 groups was significantly different for active TrPs (P<0.001), but not for latent TrPs (P>0.05). The referred pain pattern was larger in patients than in controls, with pain referral to the lateral epicondyle (proximally) and to the dorso-lateral aspect of the forearm in the patients, and confined to the dorso-lateral aspect of the forearm in the controls. Patients with LE showed a significant (P<0.001) lower PPT (mean: 2.1 kg/cm; 95% CI 0.8, 4 kg/cm) as compared with controls (mean: 4.5 kg/cm; 95% CI 3, 7 kg/cm). Within the patient group, PPT at the lateral epicondyle was negatively correlated with both the total number of TrPs (rs=-0.63; P=0.003) and the number of active TrPs (rs=-0.5; P=0.02): the greater the number of active TrPs, the lower the PPT at the lateral epicondyle. Our results suggest that in patients with LE, the evoked referred pain and its sensory characteristics shared similar patterns as their habitual elbow and forearm pain, consistent with active TrPs. Lower PPT and larger referred pain patterns suggest that peripheral and central sensitization exists in LE.

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 60 - Performance Specifications

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 6216-98 is the reference for design specifications, manufacturer's performance specifications, and test... representative of a group of monitors produced during a specified period or lot, for conformance with the design... technique and a single analytical program are used. One Run may include results for more than one test...

Mexican Americans: Labeling and Mislabeling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lampe, Philip E.

Although the study of self-selected ethnic labels may aid scientists in their understanding of an ethnic group, the uncoordinated use of ethnic labels applied by social scientists and others can result in confusion and misinformation. A literature review yields a plethora of terms used to refer to Mexican Americans. Terms currently popular are…

Foreign Language Skills and Tourism Management Courses in the UK.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, David; Russell, Hilary; Forbes, Allison

2002-01-01

A survey of first-year and final-year management students (n=104) and 17 tourism employers revealed differences in the perceptions of the two groups regarding the role of foreign language skills. Results raised concerns in light of the demand for multilingual tourism staff. (Contains 24 references.) (JOW)

Making Sense of the Performance (Dis)Advantage for Immigrant Students across Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volante, Louis; Klinger, Don; Bilgili, Özge; Siegel, Melissa

2017-01-01

International achievement measures such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have traditionally reported a significant gap between non-migrant and immigrant student groups--a result that is often referred to as the "immigrant performance disadvantage". This article examines first- and second-generation immigrant…

Nonparametric tests for interaction and group differences in a two-way layout.

PubMed

Fisher, A C; Wallenstein, S

1991-01-01

Nonparametric tests of group differences and interaction across strata are developed in which the null hypotheses for these tests are expressed as functions of rho i = P(X > Y) + 1/2P(X = Y), where X refers to a random observation from one group and Y refers to a random observation from the other group within stratum i. The estimator r of the parameter rho is shown to be a useful way to summarize and examine data for ordinal and continuous data.

[The algorithm for the determination of the sufficient number of dynamic electroneurostimulation procedures based on the magnitude of individual testing voltage at the reference point].

PubMed

Chernysh, I M; Zilov, V G; Vasilenko, A M; Frolkov, B K

This article was designed to present evidence of the advantages of the personified approach to the treatment of the patients presenting with arterial hypertension (AH), lumbar spinal dorsopathy (LSD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and duodenal ulcer (DU) at the stage of exacerbation obtained by the measurements of testing voltage at the reference point (Utest). The objective of the present study was to develop the algorithm for the determination of the sufficient number (optimal duration) of therapeutic procedures of the protracted treatment with the use of the Utest at the reference point. The study included 647 patients (439 women and 208 men at the age varying from 25 to 72 years) with grade I-II AH, DU at the stage of exacerbation, grades II and III lumbar spinal dorsopathy, grade II-III COPD. The informed written content to participate in the study was obtained from all the patients. They were divided into three groups. Those comprising group 1 were treated by standard therapy, patients of group 2 received the same treatment supplemented by dynamic electroneurostimulation (DENS) while the patients of the third group were given personified DENS in accordance with the determined sufficient number of DENS procedures. The blood pressure in the patients with AH comprising group 3 was found to decrease more significantly in comparison with those in groups 1 an 2 (by 9% and 3% respectively). The intensity of pain syndrome in the patients with lumbar spinal dorsopathy evaluated based on the visual analog scale decreased two-fold in group 3 in comparison with the 1.2 and 1.8 times decrease in groups 1 and 2 respectively. The level of pH in the stomach of patients with DU increased by 33.3% in group 3 in comparison with 12,5%, in group 1 and 21,8% in group 2. Vital capacity of the lungs in the patients of group 3 presenting with COPD and treated with the use of the personified approach was found to increase almost up to 612 ml in comparison with 477 ml in the patients given DENS in combination with standard therapy and only 219 ml in the control group. The results of the present study give evidence of the advantage of the personified treatment based on the determination of the sufficient number of the therapeutic procedures needed for the protracted treatment with the use of the Utest at the reference point. This approach can be used as a tool for the evaluation of the functional state of the patients and a method for the management of a chosen therapeutic strategy.

Exploring the utility of narrative analysis in diagnostic decision making: picture-bound reference, elaboration, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Thorne, John C; Coggins, Truman E; Carmichael Olson, Heather; Astley, Susan J

2007-04-01

To evaluate classification accuracy and clinical feasibility of a narrative analysis tool for identifying children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Picture-elicited narratives generated by 16 age-matched pairs of school-aged children (FASD vs. typical development [TD]) were coded for semantic elaboration and reference strategy by judges who were unaware of age, gender, and group membership of the participants. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to examine the classification accuracy of the resulting set of narrative measures for making 2 classifications: (a) for the 16 children diagnosed with FASD, low performance (n = 7) versus average performance (n = 9) on a standardized expressive language task and (b) FASD (n = 16) versus TD (n = 16). Combining the rates of semantic elaboration and pragmatically inappropriate reference perfectly matched a classification based on performance on the standardized language task. More importantly, the rate of ambiguous nominal reference was highly accurate in classifying children with an FASD regardless of their performance on the standardized language task (area under the ROC curve = .863, confidence interval = .736-.991). Results support further study of the diagnostic utility of narrative analysis using discourse level measures of elaboration and children's strategic use of reference.

A Comparative Study of Different EEG Reference Choices for Diagnosing Unipolar Depression.

PubMed

Mumtaz, Wajid; Malik, Aamir Saeed

2018-06-02

The choice of an electroencephalogram (EEG) reference has fundamental importance and could be critical during clinical decision-making because an impure EEG reference could falsify the clinical measurements and subsequent inferences. In this research, the suitability of three EEG references was compared while classifying depressed and healthy brains using a machine-learning (ML)-based validation method. In this research, the EEG data of 30 unipolar depressed subjects and 30 age-matched healthy controls were recorded. The EEG data were analyzed in three different EEG references, the link-ear reference (LE), average reference (AR), and reference electrode standardization technique (REST). The EEG-based functional connectivity (FC) was computed. Also, the graph-based measures, such as the distances between nodes, minimum spanning tree, and maximum flow between the nodes for each channel pair, were calculated. An ML scheme provided a mechanism to compare the performances of the extracted features that involved a general framework such as the feature extraction (graph-based theoretic measures), feature selection, classification, and validation. For comparison purposes, the performance metrics such as the classification accuracies, sensitivities, specificities, and F scores were computed. When comparing the three references, the diagnostic accuracy showed better performances during the REST, while the LE and AR showed less discrimination between the two groups. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the choice of appropriate reference is critical during the clinical scenario. The REST reference is recommended for future applications of EEG-based diagnosis of mental illnesses.

Melasma and its association with different types of nevi in women: A case-control study

PubMed Central

Adalatkhah, Hassan; Sadeghi-bazargani, Homayoun; Amini-sani, Nayereh; Zeynizadeh, Somayeh

2008-01-01

Background Very little is known about possible association of nevi and melasma. The study objective was to determine if there is an association between melasma and existence of different kinds of nevi. Methods In a case-control study, 120 female melasma patients referred to dermatology clinic of Ardabil and 120 patients referred to other specialty clinics who lacked melasma were enrolled after matching for age. Number of different types of nevi including lentigines and melanocytic nevi were compared between case and control group patients. Data were entered into the computer and analyzed by SPSS 13 statistical software. Results Mean number of lentigines was 25.5 in melasma group compared to 8 in control group(P < 0.01). Mean number of melanocytic nevi was 13.2 in cases compared to 2.8 in control group(P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that existence of freckles, lentigines and more than three melanocytic nevi were positively related to developing melasma. The chance of melasma increased up to 23 times for patients having more than three melanocytic nevi. Congenital nevi were observed among 10% both in case and control groups. Campbell de morgan angiomas were seen among 26 patients(21.8%) in case group compared to 6 patients(5%) in control group. Conclusion Existence of lentigines and melanocytic nevi increases chance of having melasma PMID:18680608

40 CFR 63.126 - Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Wastewater § 63.126 Transfer operations provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each Group 1... control device. (1) Each vapor collection system shall be designed and operated to collect the organic... process, fuel gas system, or control device shall be operating. (b) For each Group 1 transfer rack the...

Relative Deprivation and Health: Which Reference Groups Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangyo, Eiji; Park, Albert

2011-01-01

We examine the extent to which self-reported health and psychosocial health are affected by relative economic status in China, for the first time examining the importance of reference groups not defined by geographic location or demographic characteristics. We propose a methodology to address potential bias from subjective reporting biases and…

A cybernetic approach to osteoporosis in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Fricke, O; Tutlewski, B; Stabrey, A; Lehmkuhl, G; Schöenau, E

2005-06-01

A group of 25 female individuals, who had been admitted to the University Hospital with the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN) 3 to 10 years before, was seen for a follow-up visit in the hospital. These women got a psychiatric exploration to detect a present eating disorder. Moreover, parameters of the muskuloskeletal interaction were determined on the non-dominant forearm. Bone mineral content (BMC) of the radius was measured by pQCT and maximal grip force was evaluated by the use of a dynamometer. Eating disorders were present in 12 females. The mean of BMC standard deviation (SD) score was significantly reduced in comparison with reference values. Furthermore, the mean of BMC SD score was also significantly lower than the mean of grip force in SD score. These results gave the suggestion that the adaptation of bone mass to biomechanical forces is disturbed in AN. The linear regression analyses between the parameters grip force and BMC were compared between the study and the reference group. The comparison delivered a significantly lower constant in the regression equation of the study group. This result can be interpreted on the background of the mechanostat theory. The affection with an eating disorder decreases the set point in the feedback loop of bone modeling. The results offer for the first time the possibility to analyse osteoporosis in anorexic females under the paradigm of muskuloskeletal interaction.

[Correlation between the thresholds acquired with ASSR and sbjective thresholds in cochlear implants in prelingually deaf children].

PubMed

Wang, Z; Gu, J; Jiang, X J

2017-04-20

Objective: To learn the relationship between the auditory steady state responses(ASSR)threshold and C-level and behavior T-level in cochlear implants in prelingually deaf children. Method: One hundred and twelve children with Nucleus CI24R(CA) cochlear implants were divided into residual hearing group and no residual hearing group on the basis of the results of ASSR before operation in this study.Compare the difference between the two groups in C-level and behavior T-level one year after operation. Result: There was difference in C-level and behavior T-level between residual hearing group and no residual hearing group( P <0.05 or P <0.01). Conclusion: According to the results of ASSR before operation,we can estimate the effect of cochlear implants,providing reference for the selection of choosing operating ears,and providing a reasonable expectation for physicians and parents of the patients. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

GHEP-ISFG collaborative simulated exercise for DVI/MPI: Lessons learned about large-scale profile database comparisons.

PubMed

Vullo, Carlos M; Romero, Magdalena; Catelli, Laura; Šakić, Mustafa; Saragoni, Victor G; Jimenez Pleguezuelos, María Jose; Romanini, Carola; Anjos Porto, Maria João; Puente Prieto, Jorge; Bofarull Castro, Alicia; Hernandez, Alexis; Farfán, María José; Prieto, Victoria; Alvarez, David; Penacino, Gustavo; Zabalza, Santiago; Hernández Bolaños, Alejandro; Miguel Manterola, Irati; Prieto, Lourdes; Parsons, Thomas

2016-03-01

The GHEP-ISFG Working Group has recognized the importance of assisting DNA laboratories to gain expertise in handling DVI or missing persons identification (MPI) projects which involve the need for large-scale genetic profile comparisons. Eleven laboratories participated in a DNA matching exercise to identify victims from a hypothetical conflict with 193 missing persons. The post mortem database was comprised of 87 skeletal remain profiles from a secondary mass grave displaying a minimal number of 58 individuals with evidence of commingling. The reference database was represented by 286 family reference profiles with diverse pedigrees. The goal of the exercise was to correctly discover re-associations and family matches. The results of direct matching for commingled remains re-associations were correct and fully concordant among all laboratories. However, the kinship analysis for missing persons identifications showed variable results among the participants. There was a group of laboratories with correct, concordant results but nearly half of the others showed discrepant results exhibiting likelihood ratio differences of several degrees of magnitude in some cases. Three main errors were detected: (a) some laboratories did not use the complete reference family genetic data to report the match with the remains, (b) the identity and/or non-identity hypotheses were sometimes wrongly expressed in the likelihood ratio calculations, and (c) many laboratories did not properly evaluate the prior odds for the event. The results suggest that large-scale profile comparisons for DVI or MPI is a challenge for forensic genetics laboratories and the statistical treatment of DNA matching and the Bayesian framework should be better standardized among laboratories. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pediatric reference intervals for random urine calcium, phosphorus and total protein.

PubMed

Slev, Patricia R; Bunker, Ashley M; Owen, William E; Roberts, William L

2010-09-01

The aim of this study was to establish age appropriate reference intervals for calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and total protein (UTP) in random urine samples. All analytes were measured using the Roche MODULAR P analyzer and normalized to creatinine (Cr). Our study cohort consisted of 674 boys and 728 girls between 7 and 17 years old (y.o.), which allowed us to determine the central 95% reference intervals with 90% confidence intervals by non-parametric analysis partitioned by both gender and 2-year age intervals for each analyte [i.e. boys in age group 7-9 years (7-9 boys); girls in age group 7-9 years (7-9 girls), etc.]. Results for the upper limits of the central 95% reference interval were: for Ca/Cr, 0.27 (16,17 y.o.) to 0.46 mg/mg (7-9 y.o.) for the girls and 0.26 (16,17 y.o.) to 0.43 mg/mg (7-9 y.o.) for the boys; for P/Cr, 0.85 (16,17 y.o.) to 1.44 mg/mg (7-9 y.o.) for the girls and 0.87 (16,17 y.o.) to 1.68 mg/mg (7-9 y.o.) for the boys; for UTP/Cr, 0.30 (7-9 y.o.) to 0.34 mg/mg (10-12 y.o.) for the girls and 0.19 (16,17, y.o.) to 0.26 mg/mg (13-15 y.o.) for the boys. Upper reference limits decreased with increasing age, and age was a statistically significant variable for all analytes. Eight separate age- and gender-specific reference intervals are proposed per analyte.

Reducing visual deficits caused by refractive errors in school and preschool children: results of a pilot school program in the Andean region of Apurimac, Peru.

PubMed

Latorre-Arteaga, Sergio; Gil-González, Diana; Enciso, Olga; Phelan, Aoife; García-Muñoz, Angel; Kohler, Johannes

2014-01-01

Refractive error is defined as the inability of the eye to bring parallel rays of light into focus on the retina, resulting in nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (Hyperopia) or astigmatism. Uncorrected refractive error in children is associated with increased morbidity and reduced educational opportunities. Vision screening (VS) is a method for identifying children with visual impairment or eye conditions likely to lead to visual impairment. To analyze the utility of vision screening conducted by teachers and to contribute to a better estimation of the prevalence of childhood refractive errors in Apurimac, Peru. Design : A pilot vision screening program in preschool (Group I) and elementary school children (Group II) was conducted with the participation of 26 trained teachers. Children whose visual acuity was<6/9 [20/30] (Group I) and ≤ 6/9 (Group II) in one or both eyes, measured with the Snellen Tumbling E chart at 6 m, were referred for a comprehensive eye exam. Specificity and positive predictive value to detect refractive error were calculated against clinical examination. Program assessment with participants was conducted to evaluate outcomes and procedures. A total sample of 364 children aged 3-11 were screened; 45 children were examined at Centro Oftalmológico Monseñor Enrique Pelach (COMEP) Eye Hospital. Prevalence of refractive error was 6.2% (Group I) and 6.9% (Group II); specificity of teacher vision screening was 95.8% and 93.0%, while positive predictive value was 59.1% and 47.8% for each group, respectively. Aspects highlighted to improve the program included extending training, increasing parental involvement, and helping referred children to attend the hospital. Prevalence of refractive error in children is significant in the region. Vision screening performed by trained teachers is a valid intervention for early detection of refractive error, including screening of preschool children. Program sustainability and improvements in education and quality of life resulting from childhood vision screening require further research.

Impact of maternal age on obstetric and neonatal outcome with emphasis on primiparous adolescents and older women: a Swedish Medical Birth Register Study.

PubMed

Blomberg, Marie; Birch Tyrberg, Rasmus; Kjølhede, Preben

2014-11-11

To evaluate the associations between maternal age and obstetric and neonatal outcomes in primiparous women with emphasis on teenagers and older women. A population-based cohort study. The Swedish Medical Birth Register. Primiparous women with singleton births from 1992 through 2010 (N=798,674) were divided into seven age groups: <17 years, 17-19 years and an additional five 5-year classes. The reference group consisted of the women aged 25-29 years. Obstetric and neonatal outcome. The teenager groups had significantly more vaginal births (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.04 (1.79 to 2.32) and 1.95 (1.88 to 2.02) for age <17 years and 17-19 years, respectively); fewer caesarean sections (aOR 0.57 (0.48 to 0.67) and 0.55 (0.53 to 0.58)), and instrumental vaginal births (aOR 0.43 (0.36 to 0.52) and 0.50 (0.48 to 0.53)) compared with the reference group. The opposite was found among older women reaching a fourfold increased OR for caesarean section. The teenagers showed no increased risk of adverse neonatal outcome but presented an increased risk of prematurity <32 weeks (aOR 1.66 (1.10 to 2.51) and 1.20 (1.04 to 1.38)). Women with advancing age (≥30 years) revealed significantly increased risk of prematurity, perineal lacerations, preeclampsia, abruption, placenta previa, postpartum haemorrhage and unfavourable neonatal outcomes compared with the reference group. For clinicians counselling young women it is of importance to highlight the obstetrically positive consequences that fewer maternal complications and favourable neonatal outcomes are expected. The results imply that there is a need for individualising antenatal surveillance programmes and obstetric care based on age grouping in order to attempt to improve the outcomes in the age groups with less favourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Such changes in surveillance programmes and obstetric interventions need to be evaluated in further studies. 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.

The use of a rehabilitation team for stroke patients.

PubMed

Pendarvis, J F; Grinnell, R M

1980-01-01

A multidisciplinary team affiliated with a large urban hospital is described and evaluated with respect to its effects on stroke patients. Twenty-six patients who had been referred to the team in a 7-month period were compared with a group of 32 patients who had not been referred to the team. Patients were evaluated on the basis of their scores on a functional health scale mailed to them 3 months after their discharge from the hospital. The results of this project indicate that patients seen by the team scored higher on functional health than those not seen by the team.

In vitro activation of cord blood mononuclear cells and cytokine production in a remote coastal population exposed to organochlorines and methyl mercury.

PubMed Central

Bilrha, Houda; Roy, Raynald; Moreau, Brigitte; Belles-Isles, Marthe; Dewailly, Eric; Ayotte, Pierre

2003-01-01

Remote coastal populations that rely on seafood for subsistence often receive unusually high doses of organochlorines and methyl mercury. Immunosuppression resulting from prenatal exposure to organochlorines has been reported in wildlife species and humans. In this study, we assessed lymphocyte activation and associated cytokine secretion in 47 newborns from a remote maritime population living on the Mid and Lower North Shore regions of the St. Lawrence River (Québec, Canada; subsistence fishing group) and 65 newborns from nearby urban settings (reference group). Cord blood samples were collected for organochlorine and mercury analyses and also to isolate cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) for the in vitro assessment of cytokine production and expression of surface markers after mitogenic stimulation (CD4(+)CD45RO(+), CD8(+)CD45RO(+), CD3(+)CD25(+), and CD8(+)HLA-DR(+)). Blood mercury and plasma concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were significantly higher in the subsistence fishing group than in the reference group (p < 0.001). No difference was observed between the two groups regarding subsets of lymphocytes showing markers of activation. In vitro secretion of cytokines by CBMCs after mitogenic stimulation was lower in the subsistence fishing group than in the reference group (p < 0.05). Moreover, we found an inverse correlation between tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion and plasma PCB, p,p'-DDE, and HCB concentrations (p < 0.05). Our data support a negative association between TNF-alpha secretion by CBMCs and prenatal organochlorine exposure. If the relationship between organochlorine and TNF-alpha secretion is causal, it would suggest a role for this important proinflammatory cytokine in mediating organochlorine-induced immunotoxicity in infants developmentally exposed to these compounds. PMID:14644672

Comparison of ambulatory blood pressure reference standards in children evaluated for hypertension

PubMed Central

Jones, Deborah P.; Richey, Phyllis A.; Alpert, Bruce S.

2009-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to systematically compare methods for standardization of blood pressure levels obtained by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in a group of 111 children studied at our institution. Methods Blood pressure indices, blood pressure loads and standard deviation scores were calculated using he original ABPM and the modified reference standards. Bland—Altman plots and kappa statistics for the level of agreement were generated. Results Overall, the agreement between the two methods was excellent; however, approximately 5% of children were classified differently by one as compared with the other method. Conclusion Depending on which version of the German Working Group’s reference standards is used for interpretation of ABPM data, the classification of the individual as having hypertension or normal blood pressure may vary. PMID:19433980

A cross-sectional study of hearing thresholds among 4627 Norwegian train and track maintenance workers

PubMed Central

Lie, Arve; Skogstad, Marit; Johnsen, Torstein Seip; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2014-01-01

Objective Railway workers performing maintenance work of trains and tracks could be at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss, since they are exposed to noise levels of 75–90 dB(A) with peak exposures of 130–140 dB(C). The objective was to make a risk assessment by comparing the hearing thresholds among train and track maintenance workers with a reference group not exposed to noise and reference values from the ISO 1999. Design Cross-sectional. Setting A major Norwegian railway company. Participants 1897 and 2730 male train and track maintenance workers, respectively, all exposed to noise, and 2872 male railway traffic controllers and office workers not exposed to noise. Outcome measures The primary outcome was the hearing threshold (pure tone audiometry, frequencies from 0.5 to 8 kHz), and the secondary outcome was the prevalence of audiometric notches (Coles notch) of the most recent audiogram. Results Train and track maintenance workers aged 45 years or older had a small mean hearing loss in the 3–6 kHz area of 3–5 dB. The hearing loss was less among workers younger than 45 years. Audiometric notches were slightly more prevalent among the noise exposed (59–64%) group compared with controls (49%) for all age groups. They may therefore be a sensitive measure in disclosing an early hearing loss at a group level. Conclusions Train and track maintenance workers aged 45 years or older, on average, have a slightly greater hearing loss and more audiometric notches compared with reference groups not exposed to noise. Younger (<45 years) workers have hearing thresholds comparable to the controls. PMID:25324318

The Relationship Between Cognitive Functioning and the JNC-8 Guidelines for Hypertension in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Hajjar, Ihab M.; Dunn, Callie B.; Levey, Allan I.; Wharton, Whitney

2017-01-01

Background: Guidelines for hypertension treatment by the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) in 2014 recommended a target systolic blood pressure (BP) of <150/<90 mmHg in persons older than 60 years, in contrast to the 2003 JNC-7 recommendations of systolic BP <140 mmHg. This study evaluated the implications of raising the BP target on cognitive functioning and conversion from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: This was a longitudinal study of individuals older than 60 years enrolled in the NIH-NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Centers. All had normal cognition at baseline. 453 participants were taking BP medications and had readings of <140/<90 mmHg at four annual visits (reference group). Two other groups consisted of participants with either systolic BP of 140–149 mmHg (n = 112) or ≥150 mmHg (n = 280) on three or four annual visits. Results: Compared with the reference and the 140–149 mmHg groups, those with BP ≥150 mmHg exhibited poorer cognitive status by Year 4 on the Mini-Mental State Exam, and they had a higher risk of conversion to MCI. The 140–149 mmHg exhibited poorer performance than the reference group on domains assessing attention and executive functioning. In contrast, their performance was not significantly different from those with BP ≥150 mmHg. Conclusions: Persons with BP ≥150 mmHg show a faster global cognitive decline and transition to MCI than those with lower BP readings. However, the poor cognitive performance in the attention and executive functioning domains for the 140–149 mmHg group indicates the need for further research evaluating the newer recommended cutoff. PMID:27678289

Evaluation of the use of Swedish integrated electronic health records and register health care data as support clinical trials in severe asthma: the PACEHR study.

PubMed

Franzén, Stefan; Janson, Christer; Larsson, Kjell; Petzold, Max; Olsson, Urban; Magnusson, Gunnar; Telg, Gunilla; Colice, Gene; Johansson, Gunnar; Sundgren, Mats

2016-11-15

In the development of new drugs for severe asthma, it is a challenge from an ethical point of view to randomize severe asthma patients to placebo, and to obtain long-term safety data due to discontinuations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using electronic health record (EHR) data to create a real-world reference population of uncontrolled asthmatic patients to supplement the concurrent control/placebo group in long-term studies of asthma. EHR data from 36 primary care centres and a University hospital in Sweden were linked to Swedish mandatory health registers (2005-2013), creating a population covering 33 890 asthma patients, including data on co-morbidities, risk factors and laboratory/respiratory measurements. A severe asthma EHR reference cohort was established. We used logistic regression to estimate the propensity score (probability) of each RCT or EHR patient existing in the EHR cohort given their covariates. We created an EHR-derived reference cohort of 240 patients, matching the placebo group (N = 151) in an RCT of severe asthma. The exacerbation rate during follow-up in the EHR study population was 1.24 (weighted) compared to 0.9 in the RCT placebo group. Patients in the EHR cohort were of similar age as in the RCT placebo group, 50.6 years versus 50.1 years; had slightly higher body mass index 27.0 kg/m 2 versus 27.3 kg/m 2 ; and consisted of 40% versus 34% males. The results indicate that EHRs provide an opportunity to supplement the control group in RCTs of severe diseases.

Developing primary care in Hong Kong: evidence into practice and the development of reference frameworks.

PubMed

Griffiths, Sian M; Lee, Jeff P M

2012-10-01

Enhancing primary care is one of the proposals put forward in the Healthcare Reform Consultation Document "Your Health, Your Life" issued in March 2008. In 2009, the Working Group on Primary Care, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, recommended the development of age-group and disease-specific primary care conceptual models and reference frameworks. Drawing on international experience and best evidence, the Task Force on Conceptual Model and Preventive Protocols of the Working Group on Primary Care has developed two reference frameworks for the management of two common chronic diseases in Hong Kong, namely diabetes and hypertension, in primary care settings. Adopting a population approach for the prevention and control of diabetes and hypertension across the life course, the reference frameworks aim to provide evidence-based and appropriate recommendations for the provision of continuing and comprehensive care for patients with chronic diseases in the community.

Salvage treatment for childhood ependymoma after surgery only: Pitfalls of omitting 'at once' adjuvant treatment

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

Massimino, Maura; Giangaspero, Felice; INM Neuromed, Pozzilli

2006-08-01

Purpose: To discuss the results obtained by giving adjuvant treatment for childhood ependymoma (EPD) at relapse after complete surgery only. Methods and Materials: Between 1993 and 2002, 63 children older than 3 years old entered the first Italian Association for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology protocol for EPD (group A), and another 14 patients were referred after relapsing after more tumor excisions only (group B). Prognostic factors were homogeneously matched in the two groups. We report on the outcome of group B. Results: Mean time to first local progression in group B had been 14 months. Tumors originated in the posteriormore » fossa (PF) in 10 children and were supratentorial (ST) in 4; 11 had first been completely excised (NED) and 3 had residual disease (ED). Diagnoses were classic EPD in 9 patients, anaplastic in 5. Eight children were referred NED and 6 ED after two or more operations, 5 had cranial nerve palsy, 1 had recurrent meningitis, and 2 had persistent hydrocephalus. All received radiotherapy (RT) to tumor bed and 5 also had pre-RT chemotherapy. Six of 14 patients (6/10 with PF tumors) had a further relapse a mean 6 months after the last surgery; 4 of 6 died: progression-free survival and overall survival at 4 years after referral were 54.4% and 77%, respectively. Considering only PF tumors and setting time 0 as at the last surgery for group B, progression-free survival and overall survival were 32% and 50% for group B and 52% (p < 0.20)/70% (p < 0.29) for the 46 patients in group A with PF tumors. Local control was 32% in group B and 70.5% in group A (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Relapsers after surgery only, especially if with PF-EPD, do worse than those treated after first diagnosis; subsequent surgery for tumor relapse has severe neurologic sequelae.« less

Charge localization and ordering in A 2 Mn 8 O 16 hollandite group oxides: Impact of density functional theory approaches

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

Kaltak, Merzuk; Fernandez-Serra, Marivi; Hybertsen, Mark S.

The phases of A 2Mn 8O 16 hollandite group oxides emerge from the competition between ionic interactions, Jahn-Teller effects, charge ordering, and magnetic interactions. Their balanced treatment with feasible computational approaches can be challenging for commonly used approximations in density functional theory. Three examples (A = Ag, Li, and K) are studied with a sequence of different approximate exchange-correlation functionals. Starting from a generalized gradient approximation (GGA), an extension to include van der Waals interactions and a recently proposed meta-GGA are considered. Then local Coulomb interactions for the Mn 3d electrons are more explicitly considered with the DFT + Umore » approach. Finally, selected results from a hybrid functional approach provide a reference. Results for the binding energy of the A species in the parent oxide highlight the role of van der Waals interactions. Relatively accurate results for insertion energies can be achieved with a low-U and a high-U approach. In the low-U case, the materials are described as band metals with a high-symmetry, tetragonal crystal structure. In the high-U case, the electrons donated by A result in formation of local Mn 3+ centers and corresponding Jahn-Teller distortions characterized by a local order parameter. The resulting degree of monoclinic distortion depends on charge ordering and magnetic interactions in the phase formed. The reference hybrid functional results show charge localization and ordering. Comparison to low-temperature experiments of related compounds suggests that charge localization is the physically correct result for the hollandite group oxides studied here. Lastly, while competing effects in the local magnetic coupling are subtle, the fully anisotropic implementation of DFT + U gives the best overall agreement with results from the hybrid functional.« less

Charge localization and ordering in A 2 Mn 8 O 16 hollandite group oxides: Impact of density functional theory approaches

DOE PAGES

Kaltak, Merzuk; Fernandez-Serra, Marivi; Hybertsen, Mark S.

2017-12-01

The phases of A 2Mn 8O 16 hollandite group oxides emerge from the competition between ionic interactions, Jahn-Teller effects, charge ordering, and magnetic interactions. Their balanced treatment with feasible computational approaches can be challenging for commonly used approximations in density functional theory. Three examples (A = Ag, Li, and K) are studied with a sequence of different approximate exchange-correlation functionals. Starting from a generalized gradient approximation (GGA), an extension to include van der Waals interactions and a recently proposed meta-GGA are considered. Then local Coulomb interactions for the Mn 3d electrons are more explicitly considered with the DFT + Umore » approach. Finally, selected results from a hybrid functional approach provide a reference. Results for the binding energy of the A species in the parent oxide highlight the role of van der Waals interactions. Relatively accurate results for insertion energies can be achieved with a low-U and a high-U approach. In the low-U case, the materials are described as band metals with a high-symmetry, tetragonal crystal structure. In the high-U case, the electrons donated by A result in formation of local Mn 3+ centers and corresponding Jahn-Teller distortions characterized by a local order parameter. The resulting degree of monoclinic distortion depends on charge ordering and magnetic interactions in the phase formed. The reference hybrid functional results show charge localization and ordering. Comparison to low-temperature experiments of related compounds suggests that charge localization is the physically correct result for the hollandite group oxides studied here. Lastly, while competing effects in the local magnetic coupling are subtle, the fully anisotropic implementation of DFT + U gives the best overall agreement with results from the hybrid functional.« less

Charge localization and ordering in A2Mn8O16 hollandite group oxides: Impact of density functional theory approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaltak, Merzuk; Fernández-Serra, Marivi; Hybertsen, Mark S.

2017-12-01

The phases of A2Mn8O16 hollandite group oxides emerge from the competition between ionic interactions, Jahn-Teller effects, charge ordering, and magnetic interactions. Their balanced treatment with feasible computational approaches can be challenging for commonly used approximations in density functional theory. Three examples (A = Ag, Li, and K) are studied with a sequence of different approximate exchange-correlation functionals. Starting from a generalized gradient approximation (GGA), an extension to include van der Waals interactions and a recently proposed meta-GGA are considered. Then local Coulomb interactions for the Mn 3 d electrons are more explicitly considered with the DFT + U approach. Finally, selected results from a hybrid functional approach provide a reference. Results for the binding energy of the A species in the parent oxide highlight the role of van der Waals interactions. Relatively accurate results for insertion energies can be achieved with a low-U and a high-U approach. In the low-U case, the materials are described as band metals with a high-symmetry, tetragonal crystal structure. In the high-U case, the electrons donated by A result in formation of local Mn3 + centers and corresponding Jahn-Teller distortions characterized by a local order parameter. The resulting degree of monoclinic distortion depends on charge ordering and magnetic interactions in the phase formed. The reference hybrid functional results show charge localization and ordering. Comparison to low-temperature experiments of related compounds suggests that charge localization is the physically correct result for the hollandite group oxides studied here. Finally, while competing effects in the local magnetic coupling are subtle, the fully anisotropic implementation of DFT + U gives the best overall agreement with results from the hybrid functional.

An improved procedure for integrated behavioral z-scoring illustrated with modified Hole Board behavior of male inbred laboratory mice.

PubMed

Labots, M Maaike; Laarakker, M C Marijke; Schetters, D Dustin; Arndt, S S Saskia; van Lith, H A Hein

2018-01-01

Guilloux et al. introduced: integrated behavioral z-scoring, a method for behavioral phenotyping of mice. Using this method multiple ethological variables can be combined to show an overall description of a certain behavioral dimension or motivational system. However, a problem may occur when the control group used for the calculation has a standard deviation of zero or when no control group is present to act as a reference group. In order to solve these problems, an improved procedure is suggested: taking the pooled data as reference. For this purpose a behavioral study with male mice from three inbred strains was carried out. The integrated behavioral z-scoring methodology was applied, thereby taking five different reference group options. The outcome regarding statistical significance and practical importance was compared. Significant effects and effect sizes were influenced by the choice of the reference group. In some cases it was impossible to use a certain population and condition, because one or more behavioral variables in question had a standard deviation of zero. Based on the improved method, male mice from the three inbred strains differed regarding activity and anxiety. Taking the method described by Guilloux et al. as basis, the present procedure improved the generalizability to all types of experimental designs in animal behavioral research. To solve the aforementioned problems and to avoid getting the diagnosis of data manipulation, the pooled data (combining the data from all experimental groups in a study) as reference option is recommended. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stakeholder involvement facilitates decision making for UK nuclear accident recovery.

PubMed

Alexander, C; Burt, R; Nisbet, A F

2005-01-01

The importance of major stakeholders participating in the formulation of strategies for maintaining food safety and agricultural production following a nuclear accident has been successfully demonstrated by the UK 'Agriculture and Food Countermeasures Working Group' (AFCWG). The organisation, membership and terms of reference of the group are described. Details are given of the achievements of the AFCWG and its sub-groups, which include agreeing management options that would be included in a recovery handbook for decision-makers in the UK and tackling the disposal of large volumes of contaminated milk, potentially resulting from a nuclear accident.

Technical attributes, health attribute, consumer attributes and their roles in adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Luo, Meifen; Nie, Rui; Zhang, Yan

2017-12-01

This paper aims to explore factors influencing the healthcare wearable technology adoption intention from perspectives of technical attributes (perceived convenience, perceived irreplaceability, perceived credibility and perceived usefulness), health attribute (health belief) and consumer attributes (consumer innovativeness, conspicuous consumption, informational reference group influence and gender difference). By integrating technology acceptance model, health belief model, snob effect and conformity and reference group theory, hypotheses and research model are proposed. The empirical investigation (N=436) collects research data through questionnaire. Results show that the adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology is influenced by technical attributes, health attribute and consumer attributes simultaneously. For technical attributes, perceived convenience and perceived credibility both positively affect perceived usefulness, and perceived usefulness influences adoption intention. The relation between perceived irreplaceability and perceived usefulness is only supported by males. For health attribute, health belief affects perceived usefulness for females. For consumer attributes, conspicuous consumption and informational reference group influence can significantly moderate the relation between perceived usefulness and adoption intention and the relation between consumer innovativeness and adoption intention respectively. What's more, consumer innovativeness significantly affects adoption intention for males. This paper aims to discuss technical attributes, health attribute and consumer attributes and their roles in the adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology. Findings may provide enlightenment to differentiate product developing and marketing strategies and provide some implications for clinical medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of self-disclosure skill training on communication patterns of referred couples to counseling clinics.

PubMed

Zarei, Eghbal; Sanaeimanesh, Mehri

2014-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effect of self-disclosure skill training on communication patterns of referred couples to counseling clinics in Bandar Abbas. The applied research design was an experimental study using pre-test and post-test, which was performed on a population of all referred couples to counseling clinics in Bandar Abbas who were interested to participate in a self-disclosure training workshop in response to the announcement. This study was performed on 26 couples who were selected by simple, convenient sampling method; however, they were randomly assigned to the control and experiment groups. A pre-test was administrated before self-disclosure training. The applied instrument includes Christensen and Salavy's scale of communication patterns. Participants in the experiment group had six sessions of training workshop, each lasted for 90 min. After the intervention, both groups answered the questionnaire again. The collected data were analyzed with paired t-test and covariance statistics. The results showed that the intervention led to significant (p < 0.05) increase in mutual constructive communication pattern and a reduction in mutual avoidance, demand/withdraw, demanding man/withdrawing woman communication patterns. It was also found that the training was not effective on the communication pattern of demanding woman/withdrawing man. The training of simple, but important skills of self-disclosure can help couples to improve their communication and consequently improve their marital satisfaction.

Anthropometric and performance measures for the development of a talent detection and identification model in youth handball.

PubMed

Mohamed, Hasan; Vaeyens, Roel; Matthys, Stijn; Multael, Marc; Lefevre, Johan; Lenoir, Matthieu; Philppaerts, Renaat

2009-02-01

The first part of this study examined in which basic morphological and fitness measures Under-14 (n=34) and Under-16 (n=47) male youth handball players differ from reference samples of the same age (n=430 and n=570, respectively). To help develop a talent identification model, the second part of the study investigated which specific morphological and performance measures describe differences between elite (n=18) and non-elite (n=29) Under-16 youth handball players. The results showed that Under-16 handball players were significantly taller than the reference group; this was not the case in the Under-14 age group. Physical fitness in handball players was significantly better than in the reference groups. Multivariate analysis of covariance (maturation and chronological age as covariates) showed that the Under-16 elite players were heavier and had greater muscle circumferences than their non-elite peers. Elite players scored significantly better on strength, speed and agility, and cardiorespiratory endurance but not on balance, upper limb speed, flexibility or upper body muscular endurance. Maturation was a significant covariate in anthropometric measures but not in physical performance. Discriminant analysis between elite and non-elite players revealed that height, running speed, and agility are important parameters for talent identification. Specific anthropometric measures, in addition to some performance measures, are useful for talent identification in youth handball.

The knowledge-attitude dissociation in geriatric education: can it be overcome?

PubMed

Koh, Gerald C H; Merchant, Reshma A; Lim, Wee Shiong; Amin, Zubair

2012-09-01

A knowledge-attitude dissociation often exists in geriatrics where knowledge but not attitudes towards elderly patients improve with education. This study aims to determine whether a holistic education programme incorporating multiple educational strategies such as early exposure, ageing simulation and small group teaching results in improving geriatrics knowledge and attitudes among medical students. We administered the 18-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Geriatric Knowledge Test (GKT) and the Singapore-modified 16-item UCLA Geriatric Attitudes Test (GAT) to 2nd year students of the old curriculum in 2009 (baseline reference cohort, n = 254), and before and after the new module to students of the new curriculum in 2010 (intervention cohort, n = 261), both at the same time of the year. At baseline, between the baseline reference and intervention cohort, there was no difference in knowledge (UCLA-GKT Score: 31.6 vs 33.5, P = 0.207) but attitudes of the intervention group were worse than the baseline reference group (UCLA-GAT Score: 3.53 vs 3.43, P = 0.003). The new module improved both the geriatric knowledge (UCLA-GKT Score: 34.0 vs 46.0, P <0.001) and attitudes (UCLA-GAT Score: 3.43 vs 3.50, P <0.001) of the intervention cohort. A geriatric education module incorporating sound educational strategies improved both geriatric knowledge and attitudes among medical students.

Moving beyond Assumptions: The Use of Virtual Reference Data in an Academic Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolen, David S.; Powers, Amanda Clay; Zhang, Li; Xu, Yue; Cannady, Rachel E.; Li, Judy

2012-01-01

The Mississippi State University Libraries' Virtual Reference Service collected statistics about virtual reference usage. Analysis of the data collected by an entry survey from chat and e-mail transactions provided librarians with concrete information about what patron groups were the highest and lowest users of virtual reference services. These…

The Effectiveness of Group Logo Therapy on the Hope among the Leukemic Patients

PubMed Central

Ebrahimi, Nazila; Bahari, Farshad; Zare-Bahramabadi, Mehdi

2014-01-01

Background The present study has investigated the effectiveness of group logo therapy to increase the hope among the leukemic patients. Methods This research has composed of 80 leukemic patients who have referred to Golestan Hospital in 2012 fall, and then have responded to the Snyder’s Hope Scale, The research design has included pre - post - and follow up tests with a control group. First, both groups have responded to the pre-tests. Then the experimental group has received 10 sessions of counseling through group logo therapy; however, the control group has not received any specific training. Afterwards, both groups have undergone a post-test. After an interval of one month, follow-up tests have implemented in order to evaluate the permanency of the given tests .The SPSS software and covariance analysis tests have used in order to analyze the resulted tests data, and Cronbach alpha method has measured reliability coefficient. Results The research results have shown that logo therapy training might increase the hope of the leukemic patients (p<0.0001); moreover, permanency assessment of this study has shown the same result (p<0.0001). Conclusion Group logo therapy could be effective on the hope of the leukemic patients, and then this effect would be permanent. PMID:25250142

Optimizing Personalized Normative Feedback: The Use of Gender-Specific Referents*

PubMed Central

LEWIS, MELISSA A.; NEIGHBORS, CLAYTON

2008-01-01

Objective Many brief interventions include personalized normative feedback (PNF) using gender-specific or gender-neutral referents. Several theories suggest that information pertaining to more socially proximal referents should have greater influence on one’s behavior compared with more socially distal referents. The current research evaluated whether gender specificity of the normative referent employed in PNF related to intervention efficacy. Method Following baseline assessment, 185 college students (45.2% women) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions: gender-specific feedback, gender-neutral feedback, or assessment-only control. Immediately after completing measures of perceived norms, alcohol consumption, and gender identity, participants in the gender-neutral and gender-specific intervention conditions were provided with computerized information detailing their own drinking behavior, their perceptions of student drinking, and actual student drinking. Results After a 1-month follow-up, the results indicated that normative feedback was effective in changing perceived norms and reducing alcohol consumption for both intervention groups for women and men. The results provide support, however, for changes in perceived gender-specific norms as a mediator of the effects of normative feedback on reduced drinking behavior for women only. Additionally, gender-specific feedback was found to be more effective for women higher in gender identity, relative to the gender-neutral feedback. A post-assessment follow-up telephone survey administered to assess potential demand characteristics corroborated the intervention effects. Conclusions Results extend previous research documenting efficacy of computer delivered PNF. Gender specificity and gender identity appear to be important elements to consider for PNF intervention efficacy for women. PMID:17286341

Predictive Factors for Patients Undergoing ASD Device Occlusion Who "Crossover" to Surgery.

PubMed

Mulukutla, Venkatachalam; Qureshi, Athar M; Pignatelli, Ricardo; Ing, Frank F

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to define characteristics of those patients who are referred for device closure of an Atrial septal defect (ASD), but identified to "crossover" surgery. All patients who underwent surgical and device (Amplatzer or Helex occluder) closures of secundum ASDs from 2001 to 2010 were reviewed and organized into three groups: surgical closure, device closure, and "crossover" group. 369 patients underwent ASD closure (265 device, 104 surgical). 42 of the 265 patients referred for device closure "crossed over" to the surgical group at various stages of the catheterization procedure. The device group had defect size measuring 14.2 mm (mean) and an ASD index (Defect Size (mm)/BSA) of 14.0 compared to the corresponding values in the surgical group (20.1 mm, ASD index 25.9) (P < 0.001) and in the "crossover" group (20.7 mm, 22.6 ASD index) (P < 0.001). 79 patients in the device group had a deficient rim, and 86% were located in the retroaortic region. 33 patients in the "crossover" group had deficient rims with 70% deficiency in the posterior/inferior rim. The device group with deficient rims had an ASD index of 14.7 compared with the crossover group ASD index of 23.8 (P < 0.001). Comparing the device and "crossover" groups, an ASD index greater than 23.7 had a 90% specificity in "crossing over" to surgery. The crossover and surgical groups had statistically larger ASD defect size indexes compared with the device group. Deficient rim in the posterior/inferior rim is associated with a large ASD size index which is a predictive factor for crossing over to surgery. Catheterization did not negatively impact surgical results in the "crossover" group.

The influence of an academic representative on prescribing by general practitioners.

PubMed Central

Newton-Syms, F A; Dawson, P H; Cooke, J; Feely, M; Booth, T G; Jerwood, D; Calvert, R T

1992-01-01

1. The effect of providing information about medicines by a short 'sales' interview between individual general practitioners and an 'academic representative' on prescribing was investigated. 2. The promotional campaign was designed to encourage a rational approach to prescribing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents in an intervention group of 101 general practitioners selected at random from the Leeds Family Practitioner Committee (FPC). The remaining general practitioners in the Leeds FPC acted as a reference group. 3. The prescribing data for each group for 5 months immediately prior to and 5 months following intervention were compared. 4. Intervention produced a significant increase (P less than 0.005) in the prescribing cost of ibuprofen, the non-steroidal promoted as first choice agent, which was sustained for at least 5 months. 5. Prescribing of the second choice agent, piroxicam, decreased in the reference group but not in the intervention group. 6. There was a decrease in the average prescribing cost of pounds 6.60 per doctor per month in the intervention group compared with the reference group. PMID:1540493

Assessing return on investment of defined-population disease management interventions.

PubMed

Wilson, Thomas W; Gruen, Jeff; William, Thar; Fetterolf, Donald; Minalkumar, Patel; Popiel, Richard G; Lewis, Al; Nash, David B

2004-11-01

Strategies to reduce health expenditures through the improvement of health and quality of care are in high demand. A group of experts formed a nonpartisan, independent work group, under the sponsorship of the National Managed Health Care Congress. Its goal was to establish a list of easy-to-understand, actionable, and usable recommendations to enable disease management program advocates to conduct basic-level evaluations. The work group made recommendations concerning identification of reference and intervention population, population definitions, quantitative methods and data quality, confounding and bias, and stakeholder agreements/contracting. A case study was created to quantitatively illustrate some of the major issues raised by the work group. Five typical errors were simulated by applying different rules to the intervention population than to the reference population: differential inclusion (high versus low risk), differential exclusion (high versus low risk) and differential claims run-out. Compared with the true impact, four of the five errors resulted in a bias toward "intervention effect," while one (differential inclusion of high-risk patients) was biased against the "intervention effect." The direction and magnitude of the bias in natural settings will not necessarily follow this pattern.

The effect of flooring on musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower extremities and low back among female nursing assistants.

PubMed

Wahlström, Jens; Ostman, Christina; Leijon, Ola

2012-01-01

This study examines the effect of changing the floor from a 2-mm homogenous vinyl floor to a 4-mm heterogeneous vinyl floor (1.5-mm wear layer and 2.5-mm foam layer) on musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower extremities and low back among nursing assistants in a geriatric care centre. A pre-post design with a reference group consisting of nursing assistants from a similar geriatric care centre was used. Follow-up measurements were carried out 12 and 24 months after the intervention by means of questionnaires. At the 1-year follow-up, the pain intensity score in the feet of the intervention group had decreased compared with the baseline value and remained statistically significant at the 2-year follow-up. The decrease in pain intensity score of the feet in the intervention group was statistically significantly different from the reference group, both after 1 and 2 years. The results show the importance of flooring in the workplace with regard to reducing musculoskeletal symptoms. Appropriate flooring is especially important in the female-dominated health care sector, where workers must stand or walk for long periods.

E-inclusion: Digital equality - young people with disabilities.

PubMed

Hemmingsson, H; Bolic-Baric, V; Lidström, H

2015-01-01

The United Nations' position is that digital access is a matter involving equality between groups of people, the securing of democratic rights, and equal opportunities for all citizens. This study investigates digital equality in school and leisure between young people with and without disabilities. A cross-sectional design with group comparisons was applied. Participants were young people (10-18 years of age) with disabilities (n=389) and a reference group in about the same ages. Data were collected by a survey focusing on access to and engagement in ICT activities in school and during leisure time. The results demonstrated young people with disabilities had restricted participation in computer use in educational activities, in comparison to young people in general. During leisure time young people with disabilities had a leading position compared to the reference group with respect to internet use in a variety of activities. Beneficial environmental conditions at home (and the reverse in schools) are discussed as parts of the explanation for the differing engagement levels at home and in school, and among young people with disabilities and young people in general. Schools need to prioritise use of ICT by young people with disabilities.

Optimizing personalized normative feedback: the use of gender-specific referents.

PubMed

Lewis, Melissa A; Neighbors, Clayton

2007-03-01

Many brief interventions include personalized normative feedback (PNF) using gender-specific or gender-neutral referents. Several theories suggest that information pertaining to more socially proximal referents should have greater influence on one's behavior compared with more socially distal referents. The current research evaluated whether gender specificity of the normative referent employed in PNF related to intervention efficacy. Following baseline assessment, 185 college students (45.2% women) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions: gender-specific feedback, gender-neutral feedback, or assessment-only control. Immediately after completing measures of perceived norms, alcohol consumption, and gender identity, participants in the gender-neutral and gender-specific intervention conditions were provided with computerized information detailing their own drinking behavior, their perceptions of student drinking, and actual student drinking. After a 1-month follow-up, the results indicated that normative feedback was effective in changing perceived norms and reducing alcohol consumption for both intervention groups for women and men. The results provide support, however, for changes in perceived gender-specific norms as a mediator of the effects of normative feedback on reduced drinking behavior for women only. Additionally, gender-specific feedback was found to be more effective for women higher in gender identity, relative to the gender-neutral feedback. A post-assessment follow-up telephone survey administered to assess potential demand characteristics corroborated the intervention effects. Results extend previous research documenting efficacy of computer delivered PNF. Gender specificity and gender identity appear to be important elements to consider for PNF intervention efficacy for women.

The Longitudinal Impact of Cognitive Speed of Processing Training on Driving Mobility

PubMed Central

Edwards, Jerri D.; Myers, Charlsie; Ross, Lesley A.; Roenker, Daniel L.; Cissell, Gayla M.; McLaughlin, Alexis M.; Ball, Karlene K.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To examine how cognitive speed of processing training affects driving mobility across a 3-year period among older drivers. Design and Methods: Older drivers with poor Useful Field of View (UFOV) test performance (indicating greater risk for subsequent at-fault crashes and mobility declines) were randomly assigned to either a speed of processing training or a social and computer contact control group. Driving mobility of these 2 groups was compared with a group of older adults who did not score poorly on the UFOV test (reference group) across a 3-year period. Results: Older drivers with poor UFOV test scores who did not receive training experienced greater mobility declines as evidenced by decreased driving exposure and space and increased driving difficulty at 3 years. Those at risk for mobility decline who received training did not differ across the 3-year period from older adults in the reference group with regard to driving exposure, space, and most aspects of driving difficulty. Implications: Cognitive speed of processing training can not only improve cognitive performance but also protect against mobility declines among older drivers. Scientifically proven cognitive training regimens have the potential to enhance the everyday lives of older adults. PMID:19491362

Comparing health locus of control in patients with Spasmodic Dysphonia, Functional Dysphonia and Nonlaryngeal Dystonia.

PubMed

Haselden, Karen; Powell, Theresa; Drinnan, Mike; Carding, Paul

2009-11-01

Locus of Control (LoC) refers to an individuals' perception of whether they are in control of life events. Health Locus of Control refers to whether someone feels they have influence over their health. Health Locus of Control has not been studied in any depth in voice-disordered patients. The objective of this study was to examine Health Locus of Control in three patient groups: (1) Spasmodic Dysphonia, (2) Functional Dysphonia and (3) a nondysphonic group with Nonlaryngeal Dystonia. LoC was measured and compared in a total of 57 patients using the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales (diagnostic specific) Form C. Internal, Chance, and Powerful others LoC were measured and comparisons were made using one-way analysis of variance. Contrary to expectations Internal LoC was found to be significantly higher in the Functional Dysphonia group when compared to the other two groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in Chance or Powerful others LoC. The two organic groups, Spasmodic Dysphonia and Nonlaryngeal Dystonia, were more alike in Internal Health Locus of Control than the Functional Dysphonia group. The diagnostic nature of the groups was reflected in their LoC scores rather than their voice loss. These results contribute to the debate about the etiology of Spasmodic Dysphonia and will be of interest to those involved in the psychology of voice and those managing voice-disordered patients.

Effect of protein source in liquid formula diets on food intake, physiologic values, and growth of equine neonates.

PubMed

Buffington, C A; Knight, D A; Kohn, C W; Madigan, J E; Scaman, P A

1992-10-01

The effects of 2 liquid formula diets differing in protein source were evaluated in orphan foals. The response of 7 foals fed a diet containing casein as the protein source, and 6 foals fed a diet containing a combination of whey and casein, was compared with the response in a reference group of 8 mare-raised foals. Orphaned foals were fed 150 kcal/kg of body weight/d, divided into 6 equal feedings of 25 kcal/kg. Formula intake was comparable among the experimental groups, and foals fed the liquid formula diet grew as well as mare-raised foals. There was no difference among groups in mean daily body weight gain, wither height, heart girth, body temperature, pulse, respiration rate, capillary refill time, or skin tenting. Insulin and blood glucose concentrations increased in both groups of foals fed formula diets, returning to prefeeding values within 4 hours. Differences among groups were found for serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, cholesterol, creatinine, and glucose values; all other serum chemical values were comparable among groups. Plasma amino acid determinations revealed that arginine and ornithine were significantly lower in foals in both experimental groups than in reference foals, suggesting that arginine may have been the limiting amino acid in these diets. Diarrhea developed in foals in all treatment groups, but in most cases was self-limiting. These results suggest that the protein source of liquid formula diets may be less important in foals than in infants.

Bleeding pattern and cycle control of a low-dose transdermal contraceptive patch compared with a combined oral contraceptive: a randomized study.

PubMed

Merz, M; Kroll, R; Lynen, R; Bangerter, K

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the bleeding pattern and cycle control of a contraceptive patch containing 0.55 mg ethinyl estradiol (EE) and 2.1 mg gestodene (GSD) compared with a combined oral contraceptive (COC) containing 0.02 mg EE and 0.1 mg levonorgestrel (LNG). In this phase III, randomized, controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter trial, healthy women aged 18-45 years (smokers aged 18-35 years) received either the EE/GSD patch and a placebo tablet (n=171), or a placebo patch and the COC (n=175) for seven 28-day cycles. Bleeding control was assessed in two 90-day reference periods. Mean number of bleeding/spotting days was comparable across treatment groups in both reference periods (p>.05). Mean number of bleeding/spotting episodes was also comparable in reference period 1; however, there were fewer bleeding/spotting episodes for COC in reference period 2 (3.4 versus 3.1; p=.01). Mean length of bleeding/spotting episodes was comparable across treatment groups for both reference periods (p>.05). Withdrawal bleeding occurred consistently in both groups over the entire treatment period, but its absence was more common in the COC group in cycles 4 and 6 of reference period 2 (p<.01). Intracyclic bleeding was comparable between groups. Bleeding pattern and cycle control with the EE/GSD patch was comparable to an EE/LNG-containing COC. The findings suggest that bleeding patterns with the EE/GSD patch are similar to an EE/LNG-containing COC, except for absence of withdrawal bleeding, which was less common in patch users. The EE/GSD patch may constitute an additional contraceptive option for women. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low-molecular-weight heparin biosimilars: potential implications for clinical practice. Australian Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Biosimilar Working Group (ALBW).

PubMed

Nandurkar, H; Chong, B; Salem, H; Gallus, A; Ferro, V; McKinnon, R

2014-05-01

A working group of clinicians and scientists was formed to review the clinical considerations for use of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) biosimilars. LMWH are biological molecules of significant complexity; the full complexity of chemical structure is still to be elucidated. LMWH biosimilars are products that are biologically similar to their reference product and rely on clinical data from a reference product to establish safety and efficacy. The complex nature of LMWH molecules means that it is uncertain whether a LMWH biosimilar is chemically identical to its reference product; this introduces the possibility of differences in activity and immunogenicity. The challenge for regulators and clinicians is to evaluate the level of evidence required to demonstrate that a LMWH is sufficiently similar to the reference product. The consensus opinion of the working group is that prior to clinical use a LMWH biosimilar should have proven efficacy and safety, similar to the reference product with prospective studies, which should be confirmed with a proactive post-marketing pharmacovigilance programme. © 2014 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2014 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

A Test and Reformulation of Reference Group and Role Correlates of Premarital Sexual Permissiveness Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Libby, Roger W.; And Others

1978-01-01

Propositions concerned with reference group and role correlates of Ira Reiss' premarital sexual permissiveness theory were tested. Reiss' basic propositions are only partially supported. Closeness to mother's sexual standards is considerably more predictive of self-permissiveness than was obvious in Reiss' theory. Closeness to friends' and peers'…

Automated processing of shoeprint images based on the Fourier transform for use in forensic science.

PubMed

de Chazal, Philip; Flynn, John; Reilly, Richard B

2005-03-01

The development of a system for automatically sorting a database of shoeprint images based on the outsole pattern in response to a reference shoeprint image is presented. The database images are sorted so that those from the same pattern group as the reference shoeprint are likely to be at the start of the list. A database of 476 complete shoeprint images belonging to 140 pattern groups was established with each group containing two or more examples. A panel of human observers performed the grouping of the images into pattern categories. Tests of the system using the database showed that the first-ranked database image belongs to the same pattern category as the reference image 65 percent of the time and that a correct match appears within the first 5 percent of the sorted images 87 percent of the time. The system has translational and rotational invariance so that the spatial positioning of the reference shoeprint images does not have to correspond with the spatial positioning of the shoeprint images of the database. The performance of the system for matching partial-prints was also determined.

The Effect of a Multi-Strategy Program on Developing Social Behaviors Based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model to Prevent Loneliness of Old Women Referred to Gonabad Urban Health Centers

PubMed Central

Alaviani, Mehri; Khosravan, Shahla; Alami, Ali; Moshki, Mahdi

2015-01-01

Background Loneliness is one of the most significant problems during aging. This research has been done to determine the effect of a multi-strategy program based on Pender’s Health Promotion model to prevent loneliness of elderly women by improving social relationships. Methods In this quasi-experimental study done in 2013 from January to November, 150 old women suffering medium loneliness referred to Gonabad urban Health Centers were enrolled. Data were gathered using Russell’s UCLA loneliness questionnaire and the questionnaires based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model about loneliness. The results were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square, T-pair, and independent-T tests through SPSS, version 20. Results Loneliness decreased significantly in the interventional group compared to the control group (P<0.00). In addition, mean scores related to variables of Health Promotion Model (received benefits and barriers, self-efficacy, interpersonal effectives of loneliness) in both groups were significantly different before and after the study (P<0.05). Conclusion Constructs of Pender’s Health Promotion Model can be used as a framework for planning interventions in order to anticipate, improve and modify related behaviors related to loneliness in old women.   PMID:26005693

The effects of data-driven learning activities on EFL learners' writing development.

PubMed

Luo, Qinqin

2016-01-01

Data-driven learning has been proved as an effective approach in helping learners solve various writing problems such as correcting lexical or grammatical errors, improving the use of collocations and generating ideas in writing, etc. This article reports on an empirical study in which data-driven learning was accomplished with the assistance of the user-friendly BNCweb, and presents the evaluation of the outcome by comparing the effectiveness of BNCweb and a search engine Baidu which is most commonly used as reference resource by Chinese learners of English as a foreign language. The quantitative results about 48 Chinese college students revealed that the experimental group which used BNCweb performed significantly better in the post-test in terms of writing fluency and accuracy, as compared with the control group which used the search engine Baidu. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of writing complexity. The qualitative results about the interview revealed that learners generally showed a positive attitude toward the use of BNCweb but there were still some problems of using corpora in the writing process, thus the combined use of corpora and other types of reference resource was suggested as a possible way to counter the potential barriers for Chinese learners of English.

Genetic susceptibility to beryllium: a case-referent study of men and women of working age with sarcoidosis or other chronic lung disease.

PubMed

Cherry, Nicola; Beach, Jeremy; Burstyn, Igor; Parboosingh, Jillian; Schouchen, Janine; Senthilselvan, Ambikaipakan; Svenson, Larry; Tamminga, Jan; Yiannakoulias, Niko

2015-01-01

The study was designed to investigate whether beryllium exposure was related to illness diagnosed as sarcoidosis. Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and sarcoidosis are clinically and pathologically indistinguishable, with only the presence of beryllium-specific T-lymphocytes identifying CBD. Testing for such cells is not feasible in community studies of sarcoidosis but a second characteristic of CBD, its much greater incidence in those with a glutamic acid residue at position 69 of the HLA-DPB1 gene (Glu69), provides an alternative approach to answering this question. Cases of sarcoidosis aged 18-60 years diagnosed in Alberta, Canada, from 1999 to 2005 were approached through their specialist physician, together with age-matched and sex-matched referents with other chronic lung disease. Referents were grouped into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and other lung disease. Participants completed a telephone questionnaire, including industry-specific questionnaires. DNA was extracted from mailed-in mouthwash samples and genotyped for Glu69. Duration of employment in types of work with independently documented beryllium exposure was calculated. DNA was extracted for 655 cases (270 Glu69 positive) and 1382 referents (561 positive). No increase in sarcoidosis was seen with either Glu69 or beryllium exposure (none, <10, ≥10 years) as main effects: longer duration in possible beryllium jobs was related to COPD. In Glu69 positive men with exposure ≥10 years, the trend towards increasing rate of COPD was reversed, and a significant interaction of duration of exposure and Glu69 was detected (OR=4.51 95% CI 1.17 to 17.48). The gene-environment interaction supports the hypothesis that some cases diagnosed as sarcoidosis result from occupational beryllium exposure. 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.

Pointing at targets by children with congenital and transient blindness.

PubMed

Gaunet, Florence; Ittyerah, Miriam; Rossetti, Yves

2007-04-01

The study investigated pointing at memorized targets in reachable space in congenitally blind (CB) and blindfolded sighted (BS) children (6, 8, 10 and 12 years; ten children in each group). The target locations were presented on a sagittal plane by passive positioning of the left index finger. A go signal for matching the target location with the right index finger was provided 0 or 4 s after demonstration. An age effect was found only for absolute distance errors and the surface area of pointing was smaller for the CB children. Results indicate that early visual experience and age are not predictive factors for pointing in children. The delay was an important factor at all ages and for both groups, indicating distinct spatial representations such as egocentric and allocentric frames of reference, for immediate and delayed pointing, respectively. Therefore, the CB like the BS children are able to use both ego- and allocentric frames of reference.

Risk factors associated with neural tube defects in infants referred to western Iranian obstetrical centers; 2013–2014

PubMed Central

Zaheri, Farzaneh; Ranaie, Fariba; Shahoei, Roonak; Hasheminasab, Leila; Roshani, Daem

2017-01-01

Background Neural tubes defects (NTDs) are known to be the second most prevalent congenital disorder worldwide whose risk factors have not been explicitly addressed yet. Aim To determine the risk factors affecting NTDs among infants who referred to obstetrical centers in Kurdistan, a western province of Iran. Methods This prospective case-control study was conducted in the form of prospective case-control. Sample population included all women (27,153 cases) who referred to obstetrical centers in Kurdistan for either delivery or abortion during 2013 and 2014. Inclusion criterion was the presence of a known NTD in infants, and exclusion criterion was the reluctance of patients to participate in the study. Accordingly, 46 cases participated in the study as the case group, and 138 cases (three times higher than case group) were selected to be the control group. Case and control groups were matched in terms of the number of pregnancies and place of birth. The variables investigated in the present study were as follows: age, occupation, BMI, abortion history, family relation with husband, fetus’ sex, number of twins, history of previous children with NTD, receiving prenatal surveillance, consumption of folic acid and multivitamins, smoking, alcohol drinking, passive smoking, and suffering from such diseases as epilepsy and diabetes. Data were analyzed using various statistical tests, including chi-square, Fishers’ exact test, multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS version 20. In the study group, inclusion criteria included all women who had an infant with tube defects that their total number was 46 individuals. In the control group inclusion criteria included mothers with healthy infants who were similar to the study group in terms of birth place and frequency of pregnancy. Results The results of the present study demonstrated that prenatal surveillance (p<0.002), multivitamin consumption (p<0.001), history of having a child with NTD (p<0.001), alcohol drinking (p<0.014), and passive smoking were related to NTDs (p<0.001). Conclusion Before fertilization and during pregnancy, mothers should be examined in terms of exposure to harmful agents, diet, and nutritional status in order to identify possible risk factors and find opportunities to prevent NTDs in infants. PMID:28848641

Changes in medication use after dementia diagnosis in an observational cohort of diabetes patients

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Urmimala; Lyles, Courtney; Steinman, Michael; Huang, Elbert S.; Moffet, Howard H.; Whitmer, Rachel A.; Warton, E. Margaret; Karter, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

Background/objective Clinical guidelines recommend avoidance of polypharmacy in patients with dementia. We assessed changes in medication use following a diagnosis of dementia among patients with type 2 diabetes. Design Difference-in-differences analysis of pre-post changes in the number of dispensed chronic medications, comparing patients with and without newly diagnosed dementia. Setting Integrated health care delivery system, Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC). Participants Patients with type 2 diabetes, enrolled in a baseline survey, ≥50 years of age without prevalent dementia. During 5 years of follow-up, we identified 193 patients with a new diagnosis of dementia and used risk-set sampling to randomly select 5 reference subjects per case, matched on 5-year age categories and sex (965 matched patients). This resulted in an analytic sample of 1,158. Measurements The exposure was new diagnosis of dementia. Our primary outcome was the change in the number (count) of current chronic medications (total, cardiovascular (blood pressure and lipid control), and diabetes) at three time points: (a) pre-index date (one year prior to the index date); (b) index date (date of diagnosis of dementia or matched reference date); and (c) post-index date (up to one year subsequent to the index date). Results After adjustment, the overall number of chronic medications and the subset of cardiovascular medications declined following a dementia diagnosis and among age, sex, and time-matched reference individuals, but the decline was significantly greater among the dementia group (−0.71 medications compared to reference, p<0.05). The number of diabetes medications declined in both groups, but the declines were not statistically different (−0.18 medications compared to reference, p<0.05). Conclusions Patients and their providers reduced use of cardio-metabolic medications subsequent to a diagnosis of dementia as recommended in national guidelines. PMID:27642180

Diagnosis and constitutional and laboratory features of Korean girls referred for precocious puberty

PubMed Central

Kim, Doosoo; Cho, Sung-Yoon; Maeng, Se-Hyun; Yi, Eun Sang; Jung, Yu Jin; Park, Sung Won; Sohn, Young Bae

2012-01-01

Purpose Precocious puberty is defined as breast development before the age of 8 years in girls. The present study aimed to reveal the diagnosis of Korean girls referred for precocious puberty and to compare the constitutional and endocrinological features among diagnosis groups. Methods The present study used a retrospective chart review of 988 Korean girls who had visited a pediatric endocrinology clinic from 2006 to 2010 for the evaluation of precocious puberty. Study groups comprised fast puberty, true precocious puberty (PP), pseudo PP, premature thelarche, and control. We determined the height standard deviation score (HSDS), weight standard deviation score (WSDS), and body mass index standard deviation score (BMISDS) of each group using the published 2007 Korean growth charts. Hormone tests were performed at our outpatient clinic. Results The PP groups comprised fast puberty (67%), premature thelarche (17%), true PP (15%), and pseudo PP (1%). Advanced bone age and levels of estradiol, basal luteinizing hormone (LH), and peak LH after gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation testing were significantly high in the fast puberty and true PP groups compared with the control group. HSDS, WSDS, and BMISDS were significantly higher in the true PP group than in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The frequent causes of PP were found to be fast puberty, true PP, and premature thelarche. Furthermore, BMISDS were significantly elevated in the true PP group. Therefore, we emphasize the need for regular follow-up of girls who are heavier or taller than others in the same age group. PMID:23300504

Pharmacological evaluation of NSAID-induced gastropathy as a "Translatable" model of referred visceral hypersensitivity

PubMed Central

Hummel, Michele; Knappenberger, Terri; Reilly, Meghan; Whiteside, Garth T

2017-01-01

AIM To evaluate whether non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-induced gastropathy is a clinically predictive model of referred visceral hypersensitivity. METHODS Gastric ulcer pain was induced by the oral administration of indomethacin to male, CD1 mice (n = 10/group) and then assessed by measuring referred abdominal hypersensitivity to tactile application. A diverse range of pharmacological mechanisms contributing to the pain were subsequently investigated. These mechanisms included: transient receptor potential (TRP), sodium and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) as well as opioid receptors and guanylate cyclase C (GC-C). RESULTS Results showed that two opioids and a GC-C agonist, morphine, asimadoline and linaclotide, respectively, the TRP antagonists, AMG9810 and HC-030031 and the sodium channel blocker, carbamazepine, elicited a dose- and/or time-dependent attenuation of referred visceral hypersensitivity, while the ASIC blocker, amiloride, was ineffective at all doses tested. CONCLUSION Together, these findings implicate opioid receptors, GC-C, and sodium and TRP channel activation as possible mechanisms associated with visceral hypersensitivity. More importantly, these findings also validate NSAID-induced gastropathy as a sensitive and clinically predictive mouse model suitable for assessing novel molecules with potential pain-attenuating properties. PMID:28970722

Assessment of fracture risk: value of random population-based samples--the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

PubMed

Henry, M J; Pasco, J A; Seeman, E; Nicholson, G C; Sanders, K M; Kotowicz, M A

2001-01-01

Fracture risk is determined by bone mineral density (BMD). The T-score, a measure of fracture risk, is the position of an individual's BMD in relation to a reference range. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of change in the T-score when different sampling techniques were used to produce the reference range. Reference ranges were derived from three samples, drawn from the same region: (1) an age-stratified population-based random sample, (2) unselected volunteers, and (3) a selected healthy subset of the population-based sample with no diseases or drugs known to affect bone. T-scores were calculated using the three reference ranges for a cohort of women who had sustained a fracture and as a group had a low mean BMD (ages 35-72 yr; n = 484). For most comparisons, the T-scores for the fracture cohort were more negative using the population reference range. The difference in T-scores reached 1.0 SD. The proportion of the fracture cohort classified as having osteoporosis at the spine was 26, 14, and 23% when the population, volunteer, and healthy reference ranges were applied, respectively. The use of inappropriate reference ranges results in substantial changes to T-scores and may lead to inappropriate management.

Effects on Anthropometry and Appetite of Vitamins and Minerals Given in Lipid Nutritional Supplements for Malnourished HIV-Infected Adults Referred for Antiretroviral Therapy: Results From the NUSTART Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Rehman, Andrea M.; Woodd, Susannah; PrayGod, George; Chisenga, Molly; Siame, Joshua; Koethe, John R.; Heimburger, Douglas C.; Kelly, Paul; Friis, Henrik

2015-01-01

Background: The evidence base for effects of nutritional interventions for malnourished HIV-infected patients starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) is limited and inconclusive. Objective: We hypothesized that both vitamin and mineral deficiencies and poor appetite limit weight gain in malnourished patients starting ART and that vitamin and mineral supplementation would improve appetite and permit nutritional recovery. Design: The randomized controlled Nutritional Support for Africans Starting Antiretroviral Therapy trial was conducted in Mwanza, Tanzania, and Lusaka, Zambia. ART-naive adults referred for ART and with body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 received lipid-based nutritional supplements either without (LNS) or with added vitamins and minerals (LNS-VM), beginning before ART initiation. Participants were given 30 g/d LNS from recruitment until 2 weeks after starting ART and 250 g/d from weeks 2 to 6 of ART. Results: Of 1815 patients recruited, 365 (20%) died during the study and 813 (45%) provided data at 12 weeks. Controlling for baseline values, anthropometric measures were consistently higher at 12-week ART in the LNS-VM than in the LNS group but statistically significant only for calf and mid-upper arm circumferences and triceps skinfold. Appetite did not differ between groups. Using piecewise mixed-effects quadratic models including all patients and time points, the main effects of LNS-VM were seen after starting ART and were significant for weight, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference. Conclusions: Provision of high levels of vitamins and minerals to patients referred for ART, delivered with substantial macronutrients, increased nutritional recovery but did not seem to act through treatment group differences in appetite. PMID:25501607

Elevated hair cortisol concentrations in recently fled asylum seekers in comparison to permanently settled immigrants and non-immigrants.

PubMed

Mewes, R; Reich, H; Skoluda, N; Seele, F; Nater, U M

2017-03-07

Recently fled asylum seekers generally live in stressful conditions. Their residency status is mostly insecure and, similar to other immigrants, they experience stress due to acculturation. Moreover, they often suffer from traumatization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All of these factors can result in chronic maladaptive biological stress responses in terms of hyper- or hypocortisolism and, ultimately, illness. We believe the current study is the first to compare hair cortisol concentration (HCC) of recently fled asylum seekers with PTSD to those without PTSD, and to compare HCC of asylum seekers to HCC of permanently settled immigrants and non-immigrant individuals. HCC of the previous 2 months was compared between 24 asylum seekers without PTSD, 32 asylum seekers with PTSD, 24 permanently settled healthy Turkish immigrants and 28 non-immigrant healthy Germans as the reference group. Statistical comparisons were controlled for age, sex and body mass index. No significant difference in HCC was found between asylum seekers with and without PTSD. However, the asylum seekers showed a 42% higher HCC than the reference group. In contrast, the permanently settled immigrants exhibited a 23% lower HCC than the reference group. We found relative hypercortisolism in recently fled asylum seekers, but no difference between persons with and without PTSD. These findings add to the very few studies investigating HCC in groups with recent traumatization and unsafe living conditions. Contrary to the findings in asylum seekers, permanently settled immigrants showed relative hypocortisolism. Both hyper- and hypocortisolism may set the stage for the development of stress-related illnesses.

Bilingualism and Cognitive-Linguistic Development: Evidence from a Word Association Task and a Sorting Task.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appel, Rene

1989-01-01

Analysis of the responses of monolingual Dutch and bilingual Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese children living in the Netherlands to word association and sorting tasks revealed no significant differences among the groups. Results of the study indicated that bilingualism does not affect cognitive-linguistic development. (22 references) (Author/VWL)

A genetic map and germplasm diversity estimation of Mangifera indica (mango) with SNPs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mango (Mangifera indica) is often referred to as the “King of Fruits”. As the first steps in developing a mango genomics project, we genotyped 582 individuals comprising six mapping populations with 1054 SNP markers. The resulting consensus map had 20 linkage groups defined by 726 SNP markers with...

Work Integration Issues Go beyond the Nature of the Communication Disorder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Linda J.; Laroche, Chantal; Barrette, Jacques

2002-01-01

A study gathered perceptions from persons with communication disorders (CD) (n=78), 13 service providers, and 22 employers on barriers to work integration. Results show many barriers are common across types of CD, including noise, tasks requiring speed, having to speak to groups of persons, and attitudes of others. (Contains references.)…

Ultrasonic Testing, Aviation Quality Control (Advanced): 9227.03.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

This unit of instruction covers the theory of ultrasonic sound, methods of applying soundwaves to test specimens and interpreting results, calibrating the ultrasonic equipment, and the use of standards. Study periods, group discussions, and extensive use of textbooks and training manuals are to be used. These are listed along with references and…

End-User Searching in a Large Library Network: A Case Study of Patent Attorneys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vollaro, Alice J.; Hawkins, Donald T.

1986-01-01

Reports results of study of a group of end users (patent attorneys) doing their own online searching at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Highlights include DIALOG databases used by the attorneys, locations and searching modes, characteristics of patent attorney searchers, and problem areas. Questionnaire is appended. (5 references) (EJS)

The Interrelations between Diagrammatic Representations and Verbal Explanations in Learning from Social Science Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guri-Rozenblit, Sarah

1988-01-01

Describes study that examined the instructional effectiveness of abstract diagrams and verbal explanations in learning from social science texts. The control and treatment groups of adult learners at Everyman's University (Israel) are described, verbal and visual aptitude tests are explained, and results are analyzed. (25 references) (Author/LRW)

The library as a reference tool: online catalogs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stark, M.

1991-01-01

Online catalogs are computerized listings of materials in a particular library or group of libraries. General characteristics of online catalogs include ability for searching interactively and for locating descriptions of books, maps, and reports on regional or topical geology. Suggestions for searching, evaluating results, modifying searches, and limitations of searching are presented. -Author

Special Education Referrals for African American Students: Behavior versus Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Charmaine D.

2012-01-01

A higher percentage of African American students in a local school district were referred to special education than were students in other ethnic groups. Placement of a student in a special education program results in that student receiving a curriculum that has modified achievement standards. This correlational study examined patterns in…

Visitor perception of wilderness recreation carrying capacity

Treesearch

George H. Stankey

1973-01-01

Presents results of a study of wilderness users in the Bob Marshall, Bridger, High Uintas, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) to determine their perception of, and reaction to, problems such as crowding, littering, and conflicts between user groups, and to management actions to alleviate such problems. Definitions of crowding included references to conflicts...

Maximal isometric muscle strength values obtained By hand-held dynamometry in children between 6 and 15 years of age.

PubMed

Escobar, Raul G; Munoz, Karin T; Dominguez, Angelica; Banados, Pamela; Bravo, Maria J

2017-01-01

In this study we aimed to determine the maximal isometric muscle strength of a healthy, normal-weight, pediatric population between 6 and 15 years of age using hand-held dynamometry to establish strength reference values. The secondary objective was determining the relationship between strength and anthropometric parameters. Four hundred normal-weight Chilean children, split into 10 age groups, separated by 1-year intervals, were evaluated. Each age group included between 35 and 55 children. The strength values increased with increasing age and weight, with a correlation of 0.83 for age and 0.82 for weight. The results were similar to those reported in previous studies regarding the relationships among strength, age, and anthropometric parameters, but the reported strength differed. These results provide normal strength parameters for healthy and normal-weight Chilean children between 6 and 15 years of age and highlight the relevance of ethnicity in defining reference values for muscle strength in a pediatric population. Muscle Nerve 55: 16-22, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relationship Between Occlusal Plane and Three Levels of Ala Tragus line in Dentulous and Partially Dentulous Patients in Different Age Groups: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Shaikh, Saquib Ahmed; K, Lekha

2015-01-01

Statement of problem: Correct orientation of the occlusal plane plays a vital role in achieving optimal aesthetics, occlusal balance and function of complete dentures. The use of ala tragus line for determination of occlusal plane has been a topic of debate over past many years. Also, the effect of age on level of ala tragal line has not been investigated in the past. Purpose: To determine the effect of age on location of Ala-Tragus line. Materials and Methods: A total of 180 patients (90 males and 90 females) were selected with complete dentition and were grouped according to their age in three age groups with 60 subjects in each age group (Group A: 20-35 y, Group B: 36-50 y, Group C: 51-65 y). Right lateral profile photographs were taken with subjects having fox plane placed intraorally parallel to occlusal plane. Reference points corresponding to inferior border, middle or superior border of tragus and inferior border of ala of nose were marked on photographs. These were joined to get three different levels of Ala-Tragus line. Images were analysed photometrically and most parallel relationship was determined in between arms of fox plane (that represented the occlusal plane) and three different levels of ala tragus line. Data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using Pearson chi-square and Likelihood-ratio chi-square test. Results: Significant correlation was found between age and level of Ala-Tragus line. The occlusal plane was found to be more parallel to Ala-tragus line when inferior border of tragus was considered as posterior reference point in young adult age group (20-35 y). In older age groups, occlusal plane was found to be more parallel to Ala-tragus line when middle of tragus was considered as posterior reference point. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that a definite relationship exists in between age and level of ala tragus line. PMID:25859523

Group art therapy as an adjunctive treatment for people with schizophrenia: multicentre pragmatic randomised trial

PubMed Central

Killaspy, Helen; Barnes, Thomas R E; Barrett, Barbara; Byford, Sarah; Clayton, Katie; Dinsmore, John; Floyd, Siobhan; Hoadley, Angela; Johnson, Tony; Kalaitzaki, Eleftheria; King, Michael; Leurent, Baptiste; Maratos, Anna; O’Neill, Francis A; Osborn, David P; Patterson, Sue; Soteriou, Tony; Tyrer, Peter; Waller, Diane

2012-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of group art therapy for people with schizophrenia and to test whether any benefits exceed those of an active control treatment. Design Three arm, rater blinded, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial. Setting Secondary care services across 15 sites in the United Kingdom. Participants 417 people aged 18 or over, who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and provided written informed consent to take part in the study. Interventions Participants, stratified by site, were randomised to 12 months of weekly group art therapy plus standard care, 12 months of weekly activity groups plus standard care, or standard care alone. Art therapy and activity groups had up to eight members and lasted for 90 minutes. In art therapy, members were given access to a range of art materials and encouraged to use these to express themselves freely. Members of activity groups were offered various activities that did not involve use of art or craft materials and were encouraged to collectively select those they wanted to pursue. Main outcome measures The primary outcomes were global functioning, measured using the global assessment of functioning scale, and mental health symptoms, measured using the positive and negative syndrome scale, 24 months after randomisation. Main secondary outcomes were levels of group attendance, social functioning, and satisfaction with care at 12 and 24 months. Results 417 participants were assigned to either art therapy (n=140), activity groups (n=140), or standard care alone (n=137). Primary outcomes between the three study arms did not differ. The adjusted mean difference between art therapy and standard care at 24 months on the global assessment of functioning scale was −0.9 (95% confidence interval −3.8 to 2.1), and on the positive and negative syndrome scale was 0.7 (−3.1 to 4.6). Secondary outcomes did not differ between those referred to art therapy or those referred to standard care at 12 or 24 months. Conclusions Referring people with established schizophrenia to group art therapy as delivered in this trial did not improve global functioning, mental health, or other health related outcomes. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN46150447. PMID:22374932

The importance of group-wise registration in tract based spatial statistics study of neurodegeneration: a simulation study in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Keihaninejad, Shiva; Ryan, Natalie S; Malone, Ian B; Modat, Marc; Cash, David; Ridgway, Gerard R; Zhang, Hui; Fox, Nick C; Ourselin, Sebastien

2012-01-01

Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) is a popular method for the analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data. TBSS focuses on differences in white matter voxels with high fractional anisotropy (FA), representing the major fibre tracts, through registering all subjects to a common reference and the creation of a FA skeleton. This work considers the effect of choice of reference in the TBSS pipeline, which can be a standard template, an individual subject from the study, a study-specific template or a group-wise average. While TBSS attempts to overcome registration error by searching the neighbourhood perpendicular to the FA skeleton for the voxel with maximum FA, this projection step may not compensate for large registration errors that might occur in the presence of pathology such as atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases. This makes registration performance and choice of reference an important issue. Substantial work in the field of computational anatomy has shown the use of group-wise averages to reduce biases while avoiding the arbitrary selection of a single individual. Here, we demonstrate the impact of the choice of reference on: (a) specificity (b) sensitivity in a simulation study and (c) a real-world comparison of Alzheimer's disease patients to controls. In (a) and (b), simulated deformations and decreases in FA were applied to control subjects to simulate changes of shape and WM integrity similar to what would be seen in AD patients, in order to provide a "ground truth" for evaluating the various methods of TBSS reference. Using a group-wise average atlas as the reference outperformed other references in the TBSS pipeline in all evaluations.

The Importance of Group-Wise Registration in Tract Based Spatial Statistics Study of Neurodegeneration: A Simulation Study in Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Keihaninejad, Shiva; Ryan, Natalie S.; Malone, Ian B.; Modat, Marc; Cash, David; Ridgway, Gerard R.; Zhang, Hui; Fox, Nick C.; Ourselin, Sebastien

2012-01-01

Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) is a popular method for the analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data. TBSS focuses on differences in white matter voxels with high fractional anisotropy (FA), representing the major fibre tracts, through registering all subjects to a common reference and the creation of a FA skeleton. This work considers the effect of choice of reference in the TBSS pipeline, which can be a standard template, an individual subject from the study, a study-specific template or a group-wise average. While TBSS attempts to overcome registration error by searching the neighbourhood perpendicular to the FA skeleton for the voxel with maximum FA, this projection step may not compensate for large registration errors that might occur in the presence of pathology such as atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases. This makes registration performance and choice of reference an important issue. Substantial work in the field of computational anatomy has shown the use of group-wise averages to reduce biases while avoiding the arbitrary selection of a single individual. Here, we demonstrate the impact of the choice of reference on: (a) specificity (b) sensitivity in a simulation study and (c) a real-world comparison of Alzheimer's disease patients to controls. In (a) and (b), simulated deformations and decreases in FA were applied to control subjects to simulate changes of shape and WM integrity similar to what would be seen in AD patients, in order to provide a “ground truth” for evaluating the various methods of TBSS reference. Using a group-wise average atlas as the reference outperformed other references in the TBSS pipeline in all evaluations. PMID:23139736

Effectiveness of Coping Skills Education Program to Reduce Craving Beliefs among Addicts Referred To Addiction Centers in Hamadan: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Mirzaei Alavijeh, Mehdi; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Jalilian, Farzad; Haghighi, Mohammad; Afsar, Ali; Gharibnavaz, Hassan

2013-01-01

Abstract Background One of the most important factors affecting relapse of addiction is craving beliefs of substance use. The goal of the present study was assessment of the effectiveness of coping skills education program to reduce craving beliefs among opium addicts. Methods In a randomized controlled trial, during September 2011 to August 2012, 70 opium addicted men referred to the Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse Research Center in Hamadan, western Iran were assigned to intervention group (receiving coping skills education program) and control groups. The study information was analyzed using SPSS software. Results Regarding craving beliefs for continuing drug use, the two groups had similar scales at the beginning of interventional program, while the level of these beliefs was significantly reduced in the intervention group (P= 0.002), but not in the control group (P= 0.105). Also, a significant correlation was also revealed between taking advantage of the educational program and increase awareness of the signs of relapse in the intervention group (P=0.003) that was not revealed in the control (P= 0.174). On the other hand, executing coping skills education program led to reducecraving beliefs and improve knowledge towards signs of relapse. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate positive impact of coping skills education program after detoxification process on decrease of craving beliefs among opium addicts. PMID:26060622

Effect of Extended 30 μg Ethinyl Estradiol with Continuous Low-Dose Ethinyl Estradiol and Cyclic 20 μg Ethinyl Estradiol Oral Contraception on Adolescent Bone Density: A Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Gersten, Janet; Hsieh, Jennifer; Weiss, Herman; Ricciotti, Nancy A

2016-12-01

To compare changes in lumbar spine bone mineral density after 12 months of a 91-day extended regimen or 28-day combined oral contraceptive with those in a healthy reference group not using hormonal contraceptives. Phase 2, multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled study. Forty-five academic centers, clinical research centers, and community practices in the United States. Eight hundred twenty-nine postmenarcheal adolescent girls aged 12-18 years. Adolescents were randomly assigned to 91-day levonorgestrel (LNG)/ethinyl estradiol (EE) extended regimen (84 days of LNG 150 μg/EE 30 μg with 7 days of EE 10 μg [LNG/EE extended regimen]) or 28 days of LNG/EE (21 days of LNG 100 μg/EE 20 μg with 7 days of placebo [LNG/EE 21/7]) for 12 months. A reference group not seeking hormonal contraception was also evaluated. The primary end point was mean percent change in lumbar spine bone mineral density measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Of 1361 adolescents randomized/enrolled, 829 were included in the primary analysis. Mean changes in lumbar spine bone mineral density were +2.26% with LNG/EE extended regimen, +1.45% with LNG/EE 21/7, and +2.50% in the reference group. Noninferiority of the LNG/EE extended regimen compared with the reference group was shown. A statistically significant treatment difference was found between LNG/EE 21/7 and the reference group (1.05%; 95% confidence interval, 0.61%-1.49%) but not between LNG/EE extended regimen and the reference group (0.23%; 95% confidence interval, -0.20% to 0.67%). No new safety signals were noted. Compared with the reference group, bone accrual was statistically significantly lower among LNG/EE 21/7 users but not among LNG/EE 30-μg extended regimen users. Additional research is needed to clarify the clinical relevance of these findings. Copyright © 2016 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for diagnosis and fracture risk assessment; WHO-criteria, T- and Z-score, and reference databases.

PubMed

Dimai, Hans P

2017-11-01

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a two-dimensional imaging technology developed to assess bone mineral density (BMD) of the entire human skeleton and also specifically of skeletal sites known to be most vulnerable to fracture. In order to simplify interpretation of BMD measurement results and allow comparability among different DXA-devices, the T-score concept was introduced. This concept involves an individual's BMD which is then compared with the mean value of a young healthy reference population, with the difference expressed as a standard deviation (SD). Since the early nineties of the past century, the diagnostic categories "normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis", as recommended by a WHO working Group, are based on this concept. Thus, DXA is still the globally accepted "gold-standard" method for the noninvasive diagnosis of osteoporosis. Another score obtained from DXA measurement, termed Z-score, describes the number of SDs by which the BMD in an individual differs from the mean value expected for age and sex. Although not intended for diagnosis of osteoporosis in adults, it nevertheless provides information about an individual's fracture risk compared to peers. DXA measurement can either be used as a "stand-alone" means in the assessment of an individual's fracture risk, or incorporated into one of the available fracture risk assessment tools such as FRAX® or Garvan, thus improving the predictive power of such tools. The issue which reference databases should be used by DXA-device manufacturers for T-score reference standards has been recently addressed by an expert group, who recommended use National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) databases for the hip reference standard but own databases for the lumbar spine. Furthermore, in men it is recommended use female reference databases for calculation of the T-score and use male reference databases for calculation of Z-score. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reducing visual deficits caused by refractive errors in school and preschool children: results of a pilot school program in the Andean region of Apurimac, Peru

PubMed Central

Latorre-Arteaga, Sergio; Gil-González, Diana; Enciso, Olga; Phelan, Aoife; García-Muñoz, Ángel; Kohler, Johannes

2014-01-01

Background Refractive error is defined as the inability of the eye to bring parallel rays of light into focus on the retina, resulting in nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (Hyperopia) or astigmatism. Uncorrected refractive error in children is associated with increased morbidity and reduced educational opportunities. Vision screening (VS) is a method for identifying children with visual impairment or eye conditions likely to lead to visual impairment. Objective To analyze the utility of vision screening conducted by teachers and to contribute to a better estimation of the prevalence of childhood refractive errors in Apurimac, Peru. Design A pilot vision screening program in preschool (Group I) and elementary school children (Group II) was conducted with the participation of 26 trained teachers. Children whose visual acuity was<6/9 [20/30] (Group I) and≤6/9 (Group II) in one or both eyes, measured with the Snellen Tumbling E chart at 6 m, were referred for a comprehensive eye exam. Specificity and positive predictive value to detect refractive error were calculated against clinical examination. Program assessment with participants was conducted to evaluate outcomes and procedures. Results A total sample of 364 children aged 3–11 were screened; 45 children were examined at Centro Oftalmológico Monseñor Enrique Pelach (COMEP) Eye Hospital. Prevalence of refractive error was 6.2% (Group I) and 6.9% (Group II); specificity of teacher vision screening was 95.8% and 93.0%, while positive predictive value was 59.1% and 47.8% for each group, respectively. Aspects highlighted to improve the program included extending training, increasing parental involvement, and helping referred children to attend the hospital. Conclusion Prevalence of refractive error in children is significant in the region. Vision screening performed by trained teachers is a valid intervention for early detection of refractive error, including screening of preschool children. Program sustainability and improvements in education and quality of life resulting from childhood vision screening require further research. PMID:24560253

Production and Comprehension of Time Reference in Korean Nonfluent Aphasia

PubMed Central

Lee, Jiyeon; Kwon, Miseon; Na, Hae Ri; Bastiaanse, Roelien; Thompson, Cynthia K.

2015-01-01

Objectives Individuals with nonfluent agrammatic aphasia show impaired production and comprehension of time reference via verbal morphology. However, cross-linguistic findings to date suggest inconsistent evidence as to whether tense processing in general is impaired or time reference to the past is selectively difficult in this population. This study examined production and comprehension of time reference via verb morphology in Korean-speaking individuals with nonfluent aphasia. Methods A group of 9 healthy controls and 8 individuals with nonfluent aphasia (5 for the production task) participated in the study. Sentence priming production and auditory sentence to picture matching tasks were used, parallel with the previous cross-linguistic experiments in English, Chinese, Turkish, and others. Results The participants with nonfluent aphasia showed different patterns of impairment in production and comprehension. In production, they were impaired in all time references with errors being dominated by substitution of incorrect time references and other morpho-phonologically well-formed errors, indicating a largely intact morphological affixation process. In comprehension, they showed selective impairment of the past, consistent with the cross-linguistic evidence from English, Chinese, Turkish, and others. Conclusion The findings suggest that interpretation of past time reference poses particular difficulty in nonfluent aphasia irrespective of typological characteristics of languages; however, in production, language-specific morpho-semantic functions of verbal morphology may play a significant role in selective breakdowns of time reference. PMID:26290861

Some of My Best Friends... A Report on Race Relations Attitudes. Reference Series No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Community Relations Commission, London (England).

This report sets out the results of a survey of what people from majority and minority groups think about race relation matters in Britain. The main conclusions are: (1) The concentration of minorities in urban areas has had the result that half of the population still see the area where they live as "all white" and 9 out of 10 see it as…

Recommendations for a Standardized Pulmonary Function Report. An Official American Thoracic Society Technical Statement.

PubMed

Culver, Bruce H; Graham, Brian L; Coates, Allan L; Wanger, Jack; Berry, Cristine E; Clarke, Patricia K; Hallstrand, Teal S; Hankinson, John L; Kaminsky, David A; MacIntyre, Neil R; McCormack, Meredith C; Rosenfeld, Margaret; Stanojevic, Sanja; Weiner, Daniel J

2017-12-01

The American Thoracic Society committee on Proficiency Standards for Pulmonary Function Laboratories has recognized the need for a standardized reporting format for pulmonary function tests. Although prior documents have offered guidance on the reporting of test data, there is considerable variability in how these results are presented to end users, leading to potential confusion and miscommunication. A project task force, consisting of the committee as a whole, was approved to develop a new Technical Standard on reporting pulmonary function test results. Three working groups addressed the presentation format, the reference data supporting interpretation of results, and a system for grading quality of test efforts. Each group reviewed relevant literature and wrote drafts that were merged into the final document. This document presents a reporting format in test-specific units for spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusing capacity that can be assembled into a report appropriate for a laboratory's practice. Recommended reference sources are updated with data for spirometry and diffusing capacity published since prior documents. A grading system is presented to encourage uniformity in the important function of test quality assessment. The committee believes that wide adoption of these formats and their underlying principles by equipment manufacturers and pulmonary function laboratories can improve the interpretation, communication, and understanding of test results.

Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia Mesh Repair: Effect on Testicular Blood Flow and Sperm Autoimmunity.

PubMed

Krnić, Dragan; Družijanić, Nikica; Štula, Ivana; Čapkun, Vesna; Krnić, Duška

2016-05-05

BACKGROUND The aim of our study was to determine an influence of incarcerated inguinal hernia mesh repair on testicular circulation and to investigate consequent sperm autoimmunity as a possible reason for infertility. MATERIAL AND METHODS This prospective study was performed over a 3-year period, and 50 male patients were included; 25 of these patients underwent elective open mesh hernia repair (Group I). Group II consisted of 25 patients who had surgery for incarcerated inguinal hernia. Doppler ultrasound evaluation of the testicular blood flow and blood samplings for antisperm antibodies (ASA) was performed in all patients before the surgery, on the second day, and 5 months after. Main outcome ultrasound measures were resistive index (RI) and pulsative index (PI), as their values are inversely proportional to testicular blood flow. RESULTS In Group I, RI, and PI temporarily increased after surgery and then returned to basal values in the late postoperative period. Friedman analysis showed a significant difference in RI and PI for all measurements in Group II (p<0.05), with a significant decrease between the preoperative, early, and late postoperative periods. All final values were within reference range, including ASA, despite significant increase of ASA in the late postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS Although statistically significant differences in values of testicular flow parameters and immunologic sensitization in observed time, final values remained within the reference ranges in all patients. Our results suggest that the polypropylene mesh probably does not cause any clinically significant effect on testicular flow and immunologic response in both groups of patients.

Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia Mesh Repair: Effect on Testicular Blood Flow and Sperm Autoimmunity

PubMed Central

Krnić, Dragan; Družijanić, Nikica; Štula, Ivana; Čapkun, Vesna; Krnić, Duška

2016-01-01

Background The aim of our study was to determine an influence of incarcerated inguinal hernia mesh repair on testicular circulation and to investigate consequent sperm autoimmunity as a possible reason for infertility. Material/Methods This prospective study was performed over a 3-year period, and 50 male patients were included; 25 of these patients underwent elective open mesh hernia repair (Group I). Group II consisted of 25 patients who had surgery for incarcerated inguinal hernia. Doppler ultrasound evaluation of the testicular blood flow and blood samplings for antisperm antibodies (ASA) was performed in all patients before the surgery, on the second day, and 5 months after. Main outcome ultrasound measures were resistive index (RI) and pulsative index (PI), as their values are inversely proportional to testicular blood flow. Results In Group I, RI, and PI temporarily increased after surgery and then returned to basal values in the late postoperative period. Friedman analysis showed a significant difference in RI and PI for all measurements in Group II (p<0.05), with a significant decrease between the preoperative, early, and late postoperative periods. All final values were within reference range, including ASA, despite significant increase of ASA in the late postoperative period. Conclusions Although statistically significant differences in values of testicular flow parameters and immunologic sensitization in observed time, final values remained within the reference ranges in all patients. Our results suggest that the polypropylene mesh probably does not cause any clinically significant effect on testicular flow and immunologic response in both groups of patients. PMID:27149257

[Influence of parental smoking on pediatric hospitalization for respiratory illness among children aged less than 2 years].

PubMed

Pardo Crespo , M R; Pérez Iglesias , R; Llorca, J; Rodrigo Calabia , E; Alvarez Granda , L; Delgado Rodríguez, M

2000-10-01

To determine whether parental smoking increased the risk of hospitalization among children aged less than 2 years. Case-reference study conducted from April 1995-May 1996. The group of cases was composed of 40% of all the children aged 2 years or less years admitted to our hospital (n=392). The reference population was composed of 15% of the live newborns in the same the hospital (n=493). The information was obtained by face-to-face interview after delivery in both populations and by telephone interview or postal survey and was completed in the reference population one year after delivery. Maternal smoking increased the risk of hospitalization for lower respiratory illness (adjusted RR - 1.79; 95% CI = 1.03-3.11). Moreover, the risk of hospitalization for upper or lower respiratory illness, lower respiratory illness and bronchiolitis was increased when the mother smoked more than 19 cigarettes per day. The results were adjusted for confounding factors such as prenatal age, ethnic group, maternal education, social class, breastfeeding and hospitalization of the newborn. Parental smoking, specifically maternal smoking, affects children's health, increasing the risk of hospitalization for respiratory illness in the first 2 years of life.

Description of polymerase chain reaction and sequencing DNA Mycobacterium tuberculosis from specimen sputum of tuberculosis patients in Medan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lily; Siregar, Y.; Ilyas, S.

2018-03-01

This study purposed to describe the product Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing of DNA Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis from sputum of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Medan. Sputum was collected from patients that diagnosed with pulmonary TB by a physician. Specimen processed by PCR method of Li et al. and sequencing at Macrogen Laboratory. All of 12 product PCR were showed brightness bands at 126 base pair (bp). These results indicated similarity to the study of Li et al. Sequencing analysis showed the presence of a mutation and non-mutation groups of M. tuberculosis. The reference and outcome berange of the mutation and non-mutation of M. tuberculosis were 56-107, 59-85, 60-120 and 63-94, respectively. The percentage bp difference between the outcome and references for mutation and non-mutation were 3.448-6.569and 3.278-7.428%, respectively. In conclusion, the successful amplification of PCR products in a 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis where all 12 sputa contained rpoB-positive M. tuberculosis and 0.644% difference was found between the outcome with reference bp of the mutation and non-mutation M. tuberculosis groups.

Identification of Dynapenia in Older Adults Through the Use of Grip Strength T-Scores

PubMed Central

Bohannon, Richard W; Magasi, Susan

2014-01-01

Objective To generate reference values and t-scores (1.0 to 2.5 standard deviations below average) for grip strength for healthy young adults and to examine the utility of t-scores from this group for the identification of dynapenia in older adults. Design Secondary analysis of cross-sectional grip strength data from the NIH Toolbox norming sample. Setting Population-based general community sample. Participants Community dwelling adults, between the ages 20 and 40 years (n=558); and 60 to 85 years (n=390) Main Outcomes Measures Grip strength measured with a Jamar plus dynamometer. Results Maximum grip strengths were consistent over the 20–40 year age span. For men they were 108.0 lbs (S.D. 22.6). For women, they were 65.8 lbs (S.D. 14.6) Comparison of older participant grip strengths to those of the younger reference group revealed (depending on age strata) that 46.2–87.1% of older men and 50.0–82.4% of older women could be designated as dynapenic on the basis of t-scores. Conclusion The use of reference value t-scores from younger adults is a promising method for determining dynapenia in older adults. PMID:24729356

Privacy enhanced group communication in clinical environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Mingyan; Narayanan, Sreeram; Poovendran, Radha

2005-04-01

Privacy protection of medical records has always been an important issue and is mandated by the recent Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards. In this paper, we propose security architectures for a tele-referring system that allows electronic group communication among professionals for better quality treatments, while protecting patient privacy against unauthorized access. Although DICOM defines the much-needed guidelines for confidentiality of medical data during transmission, there is no provision in the existing medical security systems to guarantee patient privacy once the data has been received. In our design, we address this issue by enabling tracing back to the recipient whose received data is disclosed to outsiders, using watermarking technique. We present security architecture design of a tele-referring system using a distributed approach and a centralized web-based approach. The resulting tele-referring system (i) provides confidentiality during the transmission and ensures integrity and authenticity of the received data, (ii) allows tracing of the recipient who has either distributed the data to outsiders or whose system has been compromised, (iii) provides proof of receipt or origin, and (iv) can be easy to use and low-cost to employ in clinical environment.

The reference frame for encoding and retention of motion depends on stimulus set size.

PubMed

Huynh, Duong; Tripathy, Srimant P; Bedell, Harold E; Öğmen, Haluk

2017-04-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the reference frames used in perceptual encoding and storage of visual motion information. In our experiments, observers viewed multiple moving objects and reported the direction of motion of a randomly selected item. Using a vector-decomposition technique, we computed performance during smooth pursuit with respect to a spatiotopic (nonretinotopic) and to a retinotopic component and compared them with performance during fixation, which served as the baseline. For the stimulus encoding stage, which precedes memory, we found that the reference frame depends on the stimulus set size. For a single moving target, the spatiotopic reference frame had the most significant contribution with some additional contribution from the retinotopic reference frame. When the number of items increased (Set Sizes 3 to 7), the spatiotopic reference frame was able to account for the performance. Finally, when the number of items became larger than 7, the distinction between reference frames vanished. We interpret this finding as a switch to a more abstract nonmetric encoding of motion direction. We found that the retinotopic reference frame was not used in memory. Taken together with other studies, our results suggest that, whereas a retinotopic reference frame may be employed for controlling eye movements, perception and memory use primarily nonretinotopic reference frames. Furthermore, the use of nonretinotopic reference frames appears to be capacity limited. In the case of complex stimuli, the visual system may use perceptual grouping in order to simplify the complexity of stimuli or resort to a nonmetric abstract coding of motion information.

Sense of belonging, sense of exclusion, and racial and ethnic identities in Korean transracial adoptees.

PubMed

Kim, Grace S; Suyemoto, Karen L; Turner, Castellano B

2010-04-01

Although many Korean transracial adoptees (KTAs) have White European American (WEA) family members, their racial features place them in the minority group. Thus, they navigate the meanings of race and culture from two reference groups: the majority WEA group and the Korean American group. This study explored the processes through which perceptions of group meanings and sense of belonging and exclusion related to the development of racial and ethnic identities. Fourteen adult KTAs in the Northeast participated in interviews analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results indicated that KTAs' racial and ethnic identities were coconstructed in relation to experiences of belonging and exclusion with their families and both WEA and Korean American groups. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Clinical availability of a self-administered odor questionnaire for patients with olfactory disorders.

PubMed

Takebayashi, Hironori; Tsuzuki, Kenzo; Oka, Hideki; Fukazawa, Keijiro; Daimon, Takashi; Sakagami, Masafumi

2011-02-01

This study demonstrated statistical correlations between a novel self-administered odor questionnaire (SAOQ) and other olfaction tests in patients with olfactory disorders, and the usefulness of this questionnaire was discussed. Between December 2004 and November 2009 (5 years), the SAOQ was completed by 405 healthy people without any nasal diseases (Group A) and 539 patients with an olfactory disorder (Group B) at the Department of Otolaryngology, Hyogo College of Medicine. This was a prospective study. The SAOQ proposed by the Japan Rhinology Society is a self-administered survey consisting of 20 smell-related items: "steamed rice, miso, seaweed, soy sauce, baked bread, butter, curry, garlic, orange, strawberry, green tea, coffee, chocolate, household gas, garbage, timber, stercus, sweat, flower, and perfume". The normal reference range of scores (%) of the SAOQ was calculated in Group A. To determine whether the results of the SAOQ were correlated with those of visual analogue scale (VAS) and T&T olfactometer, pre- and post-treatment results of the SAOQ and olfaction tests were analyzed. The questionnaire response rates were 99.5% (403/405 people) in Group A and 95.9% (517/539 patients) in Group B. The statistically normal reference level of the SAOQ was determined as more than 70%. In Group B, the mean pre-treatment SAOQ score (20.4%), VAS score (16.5%), and T&T recognition threshold (5.0) significantly improved to values of 46.7%, 41.1%, and 4.1 after treatments, respectively (n=249). Both pre- and post-treatment SAOQ scores (ΔQ) had statistically significant relationships with those of VAS and T&T (n=249). The utility of the SAOQ as an easy method of estimating olfaction was suggested. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating the Effect of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Reducing Chronic Pain in Patients with Pes Anserine Bursitis: A Randomized, Clinical- Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Khosrawi, Saeid; Taheri, Parisa; Ketabi, Marziyeh

2017-01-01

Background: Knee pain, is one of the most common causes of patients’ referring to physiatric clinics, and several factors, are involved in its creation. One of these factors is pes anserine bursitis (PAB) for which various treatment methods are used. This study aims to investigate the effect of this method on reducing chronic pain in these patients. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted in 2013- 2014 on patients with PAB referring to academic, physical medicine clinics. The patients with chronic PAB (pain duration more than 3 months), who were refractory to conservative treatments, were randomly divided into two 20-member experimental groups (extracorporeal shock wave therapy [ESWT] and sham ESWT). Pain scores of all patients were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) (total and present pain indexes [TPIs and PPIs]) before intervention, immediately after intervention (3rd week), and after 8 weeks. The pain scores were then compared and statistically analyzed. Results: In the ESWT group, the mean patient pain score of the VAS and TPI in MPQ were significantly lower than in the sham ESWT group immediately after intervention (3rd week): P =0.02, P = 0.04 respectively; and 8 weeks after the end of treatment: P =0.01, P = 0.000. Moreover, the PPI in both groups had significantly decreased over time, although in ESWT group this decrement was significantly more than sham ESWT group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that ESWT could be effective in reducing the pain and treating PAB. PMID:28626745

Health-Related Quality of Life, Gender, and Culture of Older People Users of Health Services in the Multicultural Landscape of the City of Ceuta (Spain): A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Olmedo-Alguacil, Maria Milagrosa; Ramírez-Rodrigo, Jesús; Villaverde-Gutiérrez, Carmen; Sánchez-Caravaca, Maria Angeles; Aguilar Ferrándiz, Encarnación; Ruiz-Villaverde, Alberto

2016-11-01

Perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are influenced by sociodemographic variables and by cultural-religious concepts of health, disease, and old age, among others. To assess the HRQOL of older people in a population with a long history of multiculturalism, the city of Ceuta (Spain), and to compare the results with Spanish reference values. A total of 372 individuals (55.4% females) were interviewed using the Spanish version of the Short Form-36 questionnaire. The subjects' mean age was 70.9 (SD = 5) years: 253 were Christians, 93 Muslims, and 26 Jews, representing the proportions in the overall population of these cultural-religious groups. HRQOL differs according to the cultural-religious affiliation, which specifically affects social and psychological dimensions. All groups obtained lower social function scores than the reference values, especially the Muslim and Jewish groups. Health care providers may consider integrating culturally sensitive interventions to improve HRQOL. © The Author(s) 2015.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and intraoperative blood pressure.

PubMed

van Haelst, Ingrid M M; van Klei, Wilton A; Doodeman, Hieronymus J; Kalkman, Cor J; Egberts, Toine C G

2012-02-01

The influence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on blood pressure is poorly understood. We hypothesized that if SSRIs have an influence on blood pressure, this might become manifest in changes in intraoperative blood pressure. We aimed to study the association between perioperative use of SSRIs and changes in intraoperative blood pressure by measuring the occurrence of intraoperative hyper- and hypotension. We conducted a retrospective observational follow-up study among patients who underwent elective primary total hip arthroplasty. The index group included users of SSRIs. The reference group included a random sample (ratio 1:3) of nonusers of an antidepressant agent. The outcome was the occurrence of intraoperative hypo- and hypertensive episodes (number, mean and total duration, and area under the curve (AUC)). The outcome was adjusted for confounding factors using regression techniques. The index group included 20 users of an SSRI. The reference group included 60 nonusers. Users of SSRIs showed fewer intraoperative hypotensive episodes, a shorter mean and total duration, and a smaller AUC when compared to the reference group. After adjustment for confounders, SSRI use was associated with a significantly shorter total duration of hypotension: mean difference of -29.4 min (95% confidence interval (CI) -50.4 to -8.3). Two users of an SSRI and two patients in the reference group had a hypertensive episode. Continuation of treatment with SSRIs before surgery was associated with a briefer duration of intraoperative hypotension.

21 CFR 660.25 - Potency tests without reference preparations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... manufacturer's package insert using red blood cells showing heterozygous or diminished expression of the... SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES FOR LABORATORY TESTS Blood Grouping Reagent § 660.25 Potency tests without reference preparations. Products for which Reference Blood...

21 CFR 660.25 - Potency tests without reference preparations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... manufacturer's package insert using red blood cells showing heterozygous or diminished expression of the... SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES FOR LABORATORY TESTS Blood Grouping Reagent § 660.25 Potency tests without reference preparations. Products for which Reference Blood...

21 CFR 660.25 - Potency tests without reference preparations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... manufacturer's package insert using red blood cells showing heterozygous or diminished expression of the... SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES FOR LABORATORY TESTS Blood Grouping Reagent § 660.25 Potency tests without reference preparations. Products for which Reference Blood...

21 CFR 660.25 - Potency tests without reference preparations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... manufacturer's package insert using red blood cells showing heterozygous or diminished expression of the... SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES FOR LABORATORY TESTS Blood Grouping Reagent § 660.25 Potency tests without reference preparations. Products for which Reference Blood...

21 CFR 660.25 - Potency tests without reference preparations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... manufacturer's package insert using red blood cells showing heterozygous or diminished expression of the... SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES FOR LABORATORY TESTS Blood Grouping Reagent § 660.25 Potency tests without reference preparations. Products for which Reference Blood...

Influences of removing linear and nonlinear trends from climatic variables on temporal variations of annual reference crop evapotranspiration in Xinjiang, China.

PubMed

Li, Yi; Yao, Ning; Chau, Henry Wai

2017-08-15

Reference crop evapotranspiration (ET o ) is a key parameter in field irrigation scheduling, drought assessment and climate change research. ET o uses key prescribed (or fixed or reference) land surface parameters for crops. The linear and nonlinear trends in different climatic variables (CVs) affect ET o change. This research aims to reveal how ET o responds after the related CVs were linearly and nonlinearly detrended over 1961-2013 in Xinjiang, China. The ET o -related CVs included minimum (T min ), average (T ave ), and maximum air temperatures (T max ), wind speed at 2m (U 2 ), relative humidity (RH) and sunshine hour (n). ET o was calculated using the Penman-Monteith equation. A total of 29 ET o scenarios, including the original scenario, 14 scenarios in Group I (ET o was recalculated after removing linear trends from single or more CVs) and 14 scenarios in Group II (ET o was recalculated after removing nonlinear trends from the CVs), were generated. The influence of U 2 was stronger than influences of the other CVs on ET o for both Groups I and II either in northern, southern or the entirety of Xinjiang. The weak influences of increased T min , T ave and T max on increasing ET o were masked by the strong effects of decreased U 2 &n and increased RH on decreasing ET o . The effects of the trends in CVs, especially U 2 , on changing ET o were clearly shown. Without the general decreases of U 2 , ET o would have increased in the past 53years. Due to the non-monotone variations of the CVs and ET o , the results of nonlinearly detrending CVs on changing ET o in Group II should be more plausible than the results of linearly detrending CVs in Group I. The decreasing ET o led to a general relief in drought, which was indicated by the recalculated aridity index. Therefore, there would be a slightly lower risk of water utilization in Xinjiang, China. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using Picture Books as a Vehicle to Teach Young Children about Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dever, Martha Taylor; Sorenson, Brooke; Broderick, Julie

2005-01-01

Most teachers and administrators have witnessed children using a derogatory reference to a group of people as a put down. Put downs usually reference non-mainstream groups who are different in ethnicity, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, class, or appearance. Hurtful name calling is but one example of how children express prejudiced…

Copper Corrosion in Nuclear Waste Disposal: A Swedish Case Study on Stakeholder Insight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersson, Kjell

2013-01-01

The article describes the founding principles, work program, and accomplishments of a Reference Group with both expert and layperson stakeholders for the corrosion of copper canisters in a proposed deep repository in Sweden for spent nuclear fuel. The article sets the Reference Group as a participatory effort within a broader context of…

43 CFR 3160.0-7 - Cross references.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) ONSHORE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS Onshore Oil and Gas Operations: General § 3160.0-7 Cross references. 25 CFR parts 221, 212, 213, and 227 30 CFR Group 200 40 CFR Chapter V 43 CFR parts 2, 4, and 1820 and Groups 3000, 3100 and 3500 [48 FR 36584, Aug. 12, 1983] ...

Reference Group Interaction and Sex Role Orientation: A Comparative Analysis by Sex and Mother's Achieved Role.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomeh, Aida K.; Vasko, Catherine

This paper examines the role of parents and friends (reference groups) in forming college students' sex-role orientations. Emphasis is placed on the mother's domestic, parental, and achieved (professional/occupational) role and on the mother's modeling transmission effect on her daughter's and son's sex-role attitudes. The hypothesis is that…

The Effect of Models, Reference Groups, and Social Responsibility Norms Upon Participation in Prosocial Action Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, David W.; Neale, Daniel C.

1970-01-01

A sample of undergraduate students and members of a social action project did not differ on the Berkowitz and Daniels social responsibility scale. Participation in prosocial action is related to perceived reference group norms and to perceived exposure to prosocial action models both within and outside the family." (Author/DB)

Resolving Cognitive Conflict in a Realistic Situation with Modeling Characteristics: Coping with a Changing Reference in Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahbari, Juhaina Awawdeh; Peled, Irit

2015-01-01

This study investigates the effect of using a realistic situation with modeling characteristics in creating and resolving a cognitive conflict to promote understanding of a changing reference in fraction calculations. The study was conducted among 96 seventh graders divided into 2 experimental groups and 1 control group. The experimental groups…

Using Cochran's Z Statistic to Test the Kernel-Smoothed Item Response Function Differences between Focal and Reference Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Yinggan; Gierl, Mark J.; Cui, Ying

2010-01-01

This study combined the kernel smoothing procedure and a nonparametric differential item functioning statistic--Cochran's Z--to statistically test the difference between the kernel-smoothed item response functions for reference and focal groups. Simulation studies were conducted to investigate the Type I error and power of the proposed…

An Examination of Pay Facets and Referent Groups for Assessing Pay Satisfaction of Male Elementary School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, I. Phillip; Young, Karen Holsey; Okhremtchouk, Irina; Castaneda, Jose Moreno

2009-01-01

Pay satisfaction was assessed according to different facets (pay level, benefits, pay structure, and pay raises) and potential referent groups (teachers and elementary school principals) for a random sample of male elementary school principals. A structural model approach was used that considers facets of the pay process, potential others as…

Randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled clinical study with lice shampoo (Licener®) versus dimethicone (Jacutin® Pedicul Fluid) for the treatment of infestations with head lice.

PubMed

Semmler, Margit; Abdel-Ghaffar, Fathy; Gestmann, Falk; Abdel-Aty, Mohammed; Rizk, Ibrahim; Al-Quraishy, Saleh; Lehmacher, Walter; Hoff, Norman-Philipp

2017-07-01

The present clinical trial was conducted to obtain additional data for the safety and efficacy of a head lice shampoo that is free of silicone compared with an anti-head lice product containing dimethicone. Both products act by a physical mode of action. This randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled clinical study was conducted between July and November 2016 in households of two villages (Abou Rawash and Shandalat) in Egypt. Children older than 2 years with an active head lice infestation were treated with either a shampoo-based head lice treatment containing neem extract (Licener®) or dimethicone (Jacutin® Pedicul Fluid) on day 1 and additionally on day 9. Assessment for living lice by combing was conducted before and 1-2 h after treatment and on days 5 and 13. The main objective was to demonstrate a cure rate of the test product of at least 85% after a single application (day 5 and 9). Secondary objectives were to scrutinize patient safety and satisfaction as well as cure rates on day 13 after two treatments and the evaluation of ovicidal and licicidal efficacies of the products. Sixty-one children in the test-group (Licener®) and 58 children in the reference group (Jacutin® Pedicul Fluid) were included in this study. The test product and the reference product were very well tolerated. Both products exceeded the objective of cure rates of over 85% after single treatment (test group 60/60 = 100%; 95% CI = 94.04-100.00%; reference group 54/57 = 94.74%; 95% CI = 85.38-98.90%; p = 0.112; CI by Clopper-Pearson) and after two treatments (test group 58/58 = 100%; 95% CI = 93.84-100.00%; reference group 52/54 = 96.30%; 95% CI = 87.25-99.55%; p = 0.230) with higher cure rates and non-inferiority for the test product. The combined success rate shows significant superiority of the test product against the reference product (test group 58/58 = 100%; 95% CI = 93.84-100.00%; reference group 49/54 = 90.7%; 95% CI = 79.70-96.92%; p = 0.024). The test product showed higher ovicidal efficacy than the reference product. Thus, the present study demonstrates that a single treatment with a head lice product like Licener® can be sufficient to eliminate a head lice infestation.

Psychiatric comorbidity among children with gender identity disorder.

PubMed

Wallien, Madeleine S C; Swaab, Hanna; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T

2007-10-01

To investigate the prevalence and type of comorbidity in children with gender identity disorder (GID). The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Parent version was used to assess psychopathology according to the DSM in two groups of children. The first group consisted of 120 Dutch children (age range 4-11 years) who were referred to a gender identity clinic between 1998 and 2004 (GID group) and the second group consisted of 47 Dutch children who were referred to an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) clinic between 1998 and 2004 (ADHD group; 100% response rate for both groups). Fifty-two percent of the children diagnosed with GID had one or more diagnoses other than GID. As expected, more internalizing (37%) than externalizing (23%) psychopathology was present in both boys and girls. Furthermore, the odds ratios of having internalizing or externalizing comorbidity were 1.28 and 1.39 times higher, respectively, in the clinical comparison group (ADHD group) than in the GID group. Finally, 31% of the children with GID suffered from an anxiety disorder. The results of this categorical diagnostic study show that children with GID are at risk for developing co-occurring problems. Because 69% of the children do not have an anxiety disorder, a full-blown anxiety disorder does not seem to be a necessary condition for the development of GID. Clinicians working with children with GID should be aware of the risk for co-occurring psychiatric problems and must realize that externalizing comorbidity, if present, can make a child with GID more vulnerable to social ostracism.

Group navigation and the "many-wrongs principle" in models of animal movement.

PubMed

Codling, E A; Pitchford, J W; Simpson, S D

2007-07-01

Traditional studies of animal navigation over both long and short distances have usually considered the orientation ability of the individual only, without reference to the implications of group membership. However, recent work has suggested that being in a group can significantly improve the ability of an individual to align toward and reach a target direction or point, even when all group members have limited navigational ability and there are no leaders. This effect is known as the "many-wrongs principle" since the large number of individual navigational errors across the group are suppressed by interactions and group cohesion. In this paper, we simulate the many-wrongs principle using a simple individual-based model of movement based on a biased random walk that includes group interactions. We study the ability of the group as a whole to reach a target given different levels of individual navigation error, group size, interaction radius, and environmental turbulence. In scenarios with low levels of environmental turbulence, simulation results demonstrate a navigational benefit from group membership, particularly for small group sizes. In contrast, when movement takes place in a highly turbulent environment, simulation results suggest that the best strategy is to navigate as individuals rather than as a group.

Heightened clinical utility of smartphone versus body-worn inertial system for shoulder function B-B score

PubMed Central

Aminian, Kamiar; Ancey, Céline; Jaccard, Hervé; Lécureux, Estelle; Duc, Cyntia; Farron, Alain; Jolles, Brigitte M.; Gleeson, Nigel

2017-01-01

Background The B-B Score is a straightforward kinematic shoulder function score including only two movements (hand to the Back + lift hand as to change a Bulb) that demonstrated sound measurement properties for patients for various shoulder pathologies. However, the B-B Score results using a smartphone or a reference system have not yet been compared. Provided that the measurement properties are comparable, the use of a smartphone would offer substantial practical advantages. This study investigated the concurrent validity of a smartphone and a reference inertial system for the measurement of the kinematic shoulder function B-B Score. Methods Sixty-five patients with shoulder conditions (with rotator cuff conditions, adhesive capsulitis and proximal humerus fracture) and 20 healthy participants were evaluated using a smartphone and a reference inertial system. Measurements were performed twice, alternating between two evaluators. The B-B Score differences between groups, differences between devices, relationship between devices, intra- and inter-evaluator reproducibility were analysed. Results The smartphone mean scores (SD) were 94.1 (11.1) for controls and 54.1 (18.3) for patients (P < 0.01). The difference between devices was non-significant for the control (P = 0.16) and the patient group (P = 0.81). The analysis of the relationship between devices showed 0.97 ICC, −0.6 bias and −13.2 to 12.0 limits of agreement (LOA). The smartphone intra-evaluator ICC was 0.92, the bias 1.5 and the LOA −17.4 to 20.3. The smartphone inter-evaluator ICC was 0.92, the bias 1.5 and the LOA −16.9 to 20.0. Conclusions The B-B Score results measured with a smartphone were comparable to those of an inertial system. While single measurements diverged in some cases, the intra- and inter-evaluator reproducibility was excellent and was equivalent between devices. The B-B score measured with a smartphone is straightforward and as efficient as a reference inertial system measurement. PMID:28319141

Pitfalls associated with the therapeutic reference pricing practice of asthma medication

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Therapeutic reference pricing (TRP) based on the WHO daily defined dose (DDD) is a method frequently employed for the cost-containment of pharmaceuticals. Our objective was to compare average drug use in the real world with DDD and to evaluate whether TRP based on DDD could result in cost savings on maintenance medication and the total direct health expenditures for asthma patients treated with Symbicort Turbuhaler (SYT) and Seretide Diskus (SED) in Hungary. Methods Real-world data were derived from the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund database. Average doses and costs were compared between the high-dose and medium-dose SYT and SED groups. Multiple linear regressions were employed to adjust the data for differences in the gender and age distribution of patients. Results 27,779 patients with asthma were included in the analysis. Average drug use was lower than DDD in all groups, 1.38-1.95 inhalations in both SED groups, 1.28-1.97 and 1.74-2.49 inhalations in the medium and high-dose SYT groups, respectively. Although the cost of SED based on the DDD would be much lower than the cost of SYT in the medium-dose groups, no difference was found in the actual cost of the maintenance therapy. No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of total medical costs. Conclusions Cost-containment initiatives by payers may influence clinical decisions. TRP for inhalation asthma drugs raises special concern, because of differences in the therapeutic profile of pharmaceuticals and the lack of proven financial benefits after exclusion of the effect of generic price erosion. Our findings indicate that the presented TRP approach of asthma medications based on the daily therapeutic costs according to the WHO DDD does not result in reduced public healthcare spending in Hungary. Further analysis is required to show whether TRP generates additional expenditures by inducing switching costs and reducing patient compliance. Potential confounding factors may limit the generalisability of our conclusions. PMID:22818402

[Bioethical study on the expectations of women awaiting assisted reproduction in a public hospital in the Federal District, Brazil].

PubMed

Samrsla, Mônica; Nunes, Juliana Cezar; Kalume, Carolina; da Cunha, Antônio Carlos Rodrigues; Garrafa, Volnei

2007-01-01

To analyze the expectations of women who wait for Assisted Reproduction Treatment-RA in the public hospital chosen as the reference in the Public Health Network in the Federal District-HRAS, Brazil. For thirty days, 51 women of the 56 who went to the HRAS for infertility treatment were interviewed by a questionnaire including 10 objective questions related to the topic. This trial was divided into two groups. The first, the "control group", comprised 27 patients recently sent to the reference public hospital from local health care centers or a regional hospital. The second, the "study group", comprising 24 women already diagnosed by the medical staff of HRAS and in the waiting line for "in vitro" fertilization. According to the input provided by the two groups, results show that the average waiting time for treatment is so long that women actually age during this time and face the risk of having a dangerous pregnancy before they receive treatment. These results show that women unable to pay for treatment in a private fertilization clinic have a poorer chance of achieving RA: the health problem concerning this specific population ignores redressing or income distribution processes. Data show that, notwithstanding, this waiting period imposed by the State, expectations of the patients waiting for RA are reinforced. There is no basis to provide information about the waiting time. The unpredictable availability of the medication needed for in vitro fertilization, jeopardizes the future of this service offering the treatment.

Depression and anxiety in the reindeer-herding Sami population of Sweden.

PubMed

Kaiser, Niclas; Sjölander, Per; Liljegren, Annette Edin; Jacobsson, Lars; Renberg, Ellinor Salander

2010-09-01

The objective of this study was to investigate symptoms and predicting factors of depression and anxiety among reindeer-herding Sami in Sweden. A total of 319 reindeer-herding Sami (168 men, 151 women) were compared with urban and rural reference populations comprising 1,393 persons (662 men, 731 women). A cross-sectional questionnaire study on mental health, which included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Data were analysed with regard to population, gender, age group, education and work-related stress. The Sami population disclosed higher mean values for both depression and anxiety than the reference groups, with Sami men reporting the highest rates. Work-related stress was associated with anxiety and depression in the Sami group. By comparing Sami men and women with reference groups of men and women living in urban and rural areas in northern Sweden, this study identified that reindeer-herding Sami men require special attention with regard to mental health problems.

Adapting the ISO 20462 softcopy ruler method for online image quality studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Peter D.; Phillips, Jonathan B.; Williams, Don

2013-01-01

In this paper we address the problem of Image Quality Assessment of no reference metrics, focusing on JPEG corrupted images. In general no reference metrics are not able to measure with the same performance the distortions within their possible range and with respect to different image contents. The crosstalk between content and distortion signals influences the human perception. We here propose two strategies to improve the correlation between subjective and objective quality data. The first strategy is based on grouping the images according to their spatial complexity. The second one is based on a frequency analysis. Both the strategies are tested on two databases available in the literature. The results show an improvement in the correlations between no reference metrics and psycho-visual data, evaluated in terms of the Pearson Correlation Coefficient.

Creating a comprehensive customer service program to help convey critical and acute results of radiology studies.

PubMed

Towbin, Alexander J; Hall, Seth; Moskovitz, Jay; Johnson, Neil D; Donnelly, Lane F

2011-01-01

Communication of acute or critical results between the radiology department and referring clinicians has been a deficiency of many radiology departments. The failure to perform or document these communications can lead to poor patient care, patient safety issues, medical-legal issues, and complaints from referring clinicians. To mitigate these factors, a communication and documentation tool was created and incorporated into our departmental customer service program. This article will describe the implementation of a comprehensive customer service program in a hospital-based radiology department. A comprehensive customer service program was created in the radiology department. Customer service representatives were hired to answer the telephone calls to the radiology reading rooms and to help convey radiology results. The radiologists, referring clinicians, and customer service representatives were then linked via a novel workflow management system. This workflow management system provided tools to help facilitate the communication needs of each group. The number of studies with results conveyed was recorded from the implementation of the workflow management system. Between the implementation of the workflow management system on August 1, 2005, and June 1, 2009, 116,844 radiology results were conveyed to the referring clinicians and documented in the system. This accounts for more than 14% of the 828,516 radiology cases performed in this time frame. We have been successful in creating a comprehensive customer service program to convey and document communication of radiology results. This program has been widely used by the ordering clinicians as well as radiologists since its inception.

BrainSnail: A dynamic information display system for the Sciences

PubMed Central

Telefont, Martin; Asaithambi, Asai

2009-01-01

Scientific reference management has become crucial in rapidly expanding fields of biology. Many of the reference management systems currently employed are reference centric and not object/process focused. BrainSnail is a reference management/knowledge representation application that tries to bridge disconnect between subject and reference in the fields of neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. BrainSnail has been developed with considering both individual researcher and research group efforts. PMID:19293992

Randomized Trial of a Yogurt-type Amino Acid-based Formula in Infants and Children With Severe Cow's Milk Allergy.

PubMed

Payot, François; Lachaux, Alain; Lalanne, Florent; Kalach, Nicolas

2018-01-01

Evaluation of a spoon-fed amino acid-based formula (AAF) with a yogurt-type texture compared to the reference oral liquid formula (Neocate). Phase III/IV, prospective, randomized (1:1), open-label, multicenter study in infants/young children (6-36 months) with severe cow's milk protein allergy (CMA) who had consumed AAF for ≥1 month before the study. Patients received reference+test formula (Neocate with a yogurt-type texture for spoon-feeding: group 1) or reference formula (group 2) for 28 days. The study formulae were integrated into the patients' usual daily diet. Efficacy on Day 0, 14, and 28 was assessed primarily in terms of symptoms associated with CMA. The evolution of symptoms, amount of formula consumed, nutritional and energy intake, anthropometric data, and tolerability were also assessed. The incidence of CMA symptoms was similar in each group (P > 0.05) on day 0, 14, and 28. For specific symptoms, there was little change from day 0 and no significant difference between groups for incidence on day 0 or evolution at day 14 or 28. There was no difference in formula consumption (day 0-day 28) between groups (P = 0.90), but nutritional value was generally higher for group 1 and calcium intake was statistically higher for group 1 (P < 0.05). Weight-for-height, weight-for age, and body mass index-for-age z scores were higher for group 1 than group 2 (P < 0.05). Both formulae were well tolerated. There was no difference in efficacy, formula consumption, and tolerability between the new spoon-fed yogurt-type AAF formula and the reference formula, whereas significantly higher calcium intake was achieved with the new formula.

An integrated intervention program to control diabetes in overweight Chinese women and men with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Sun, Jianqin; Wang, Yanfang; Chen, Xiafei; Chen, Yanqiu; Feng, Ying; Zhang, Xinyi; Pan, Yiru; Hu, Ting; Xu, Jianhua; Du, Luyuan; Zhou, Wei; Zhao, Huiping; Riley, Rosemary E; Mustad, Vikkie A

2008-01-01

This study evaluated a structured and integrated intervention program on diabetes management in individuals with type 2 diabetes in Shanghai, China. Men and women with type 2 diabetes and body mass index > 23 kg/m2 were randomized into a 24-week, prospective, randomized clinical trial. The Reference Group (n=50) received diabetes education including diet and physical activity instruction only; the Intervention Group (n=100) received more intensive intervention, including diabetes education with frequent blood glucose monitoring, nutritional counseling, meal plans with diabetes-specific nutritional meal replacement, and weekly progress updates with study staff. Major study assessments were obtained at baseline, and after 12 and/or 24 weeks of intervention. The Intervention Group improved fasting blood glucose, insulin, systolic and diastolic blood pressures compared to Reference Group ( p <0.05). Importantly, HbA1c was lower ( p <0.001) in the Intervention Group at 12 weeks (-0.6 +/- 0.1%) and 24 weeks (-0.8 +/- 0.1%). Weight loss was modest, but significant differences were observed between groups ( p <0.05). Weight change from baseline after 12 and 24 weeks was -2.8 +/- 0.2% and -3.7 +/- 0.3%, respectively, in the Intervention Group vs -1.8 +/- 0.4% and -2.5 +/- 0.4% in the Reference Group. Additionally, waist and hip circumferences and waist:hip ratio decreased in the Intervention compared to the Reference Group ( p <0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Chinese men and women with type 2 diabetes following an integrated intervention program including diabetes education, frequent blood glucose monitoring and daily use of a diabetes-specific meal replacement, can achieve significant improvements in glycemic control and markers of cardiovascular health.

Ethnic Distribution of Microscopic Colitis in the United States.

PubMed

Turner, Kevin; Genta, Robert M; Sonnenberg, Amnon

2015-11-01

A large electronic database of histopathology reports was used to study the ethnic distribution of microscopic colitis in the United States. Miraca Life Sciences is a nation-wide pathology laboratory that receives biopsy specimens submitted by 1500 gastroenterologists distributed throughout the United States. In a case-control study, the prevalence of microscopic colitis in 4 ethnic groups (East Asians, Indians, Hispanics, and Jews) was compared with that of all other ethnic groups (composed of American Caucasians and African Americans), serving as reference group. A total of 11,706 patients with microscopic colitis were included in the analysis. In all ethnic groups alike, microscopic colitis was more common in women than men (78% versus 22%, odds ratio = 3.40, 95% confidence interval = 3.26-3.55). In all ethnic groups, the prevalence of microscopic colitis showed a continuous age-dependent rise. Hispanic patients with microscopic colitis were on average younger than the reference group (59.4 ± 16.2 years versus 64.2 ± 13.8 years, P < 0.001). Jewish patients with microscopic colitis were slightly older than the reference group (65.6 ± 13.4 years, P = 0.015). Compared with the reference group (prevalence = 1.20%), microscopic colitis was significantly less common among patients of Indian (prevalence = 0.28%, odds ratio = 0.32, 95% confidence interval = 0.13-0.65), East Asian (0.22%, 0.19, 0.14-0.26), or Hispanic decent (0.48%, 0.40, 0.36-0.45) and significantly more common among Jewish patients (1.30%, 1.10, 1.01-1.21). Microscopic colitis shows striking variations of its occurrence among different ethnic groups. Such variations could point at differences in the exposure to environmental risk factors.

Effects of Person-Centered Physical Therapy on Fatigue-Related Variables in Persons With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Feldthusen, Caroline; Dean, Elizabeth; Forsblad-d'Elia, Helena; Mannerkorpi, Kaisa

2016-01-01

To examine effects of person-centered physical therapy on fatigue and related variables in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Randomized controlled trial. Hospital outpatient rheumatology clinic. Persons with RA aged 20 to 65 years (N=70): intervention group (n=36) and reference group (n=34). The 12-week intervention, with 6-month follow-up, focused on partnership between participant and physical therapist and tailored health-enhancing physical activity and balancing life activities. The reference group continued with regular activities; both groups received usual health care. Primary outcome was general fatigue (visual analog scale). Secondary outcomes included multidimensional fatigue (Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Multi-Dimensional Questionnaire) and fatigue-related variables (ie, disease, health, function). At posttest, general fatigue improved more in the intervention group than the reference group (P=.042). Improvement in median general fatigue reached minimal clinically important differences between and within groups at posttest and follow-up. Improvement was also observed for anxiety (P=.0099), and trends toward improvements were observed for most multidimensional aspects of fatigue (P=.023-.048), leg strength/endurance (P=.024), and physical activity (P=.023). Compared with the reference group at follow-up, the intervention group improvement was observed for leg strength/endurance (P=.001), and the trends toward improvements persisted for physical (P=.041) and living-related (P=.031) aspects of fatigue, physical activity (P=.019), anxiety (P=.015), self-rated health (P=.010), and self-efficacy (P=.046). Person-centered physical therapy focused on health-enhancing physical activity and balancing life activities showed significant benefits on fatigue in persons with RA. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 63.126 - Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology. 63.126 Section 63.126 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Wastewater § 63.126 Transfer operations provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each Group 1...

40 CFR 63.126 - Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology. 63.126 Section 63.126 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Wastewater § 63.126 Transfer operations provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each Group 1...

40 CFR 63.126 - Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology. 63.126 Section 63.126 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Wastewater § 63.126 Transfer operations provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each Group 1...

40 CFR 63.126 - Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Transfer operations provisions-reference control technology. 63.126 Section 63.126 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Wastewater § 63.126 Transfer operations provisions—reference control technology. (a) For each Group 1...

Subclinical delusional ideation and a self-reference bias in everyday reasoning.

PubMed

Galbraith, Niall; Manktelow, Ken; Morris, Neil

2008-02-01

Previous studies (e.g. Moller & Husby, 2000; Blackwood et al., 2004) have revealed that delusional thinking is accompanied by an exaggerated focus upon the self and upon stimuli that are perceived to be related to the self. The objective was to examine whether those high in subclinical delusional ideation exhibit a heightened tendency for self-reference. Using a mixed design, healthy individuals, classified into high- and low-scoring groups on the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (Peters, Day, & Garety, 1996), were compared on everyday reasoning tasks across three experiments. High-PDI scorers, in contrast to the low-PDI group, rated self-referent objections to everyday arguments as stronger than other-referent objections and formulated more self-referent assertion-based objections to everyday arguments. The findings support the notion that subclinical delusional ideation is linked to a self-reference bias, which is evident in the sort of everyday thinking that people engage in when forming or evaluating their beliefs and which may contribute to delusion formation.

CMR reference values for left ventricular volumes, mass, and ejection fraction using computer-aided analysis: the Framingham Heart Study.

PubMed

Chuang, Michael L; Gona, Philimon; Hautvast, Gilion L T F; Salton, Carol J; Breeuwer, Marcel; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Manning, Warren J

2014-04-01

To determine sex-specific reference values for left ventricular (LV) volumes, mass, and ejection fraction (EF) in healthy adults using computer-aided analysis and to examine the effect of age on LV parameters. We examined data from 1494 members of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, obtained using short-axis stack cine SSFP CMR, identified a healthy reference group (without cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or LV wall motion abnormality) and determined sex-specific upper 95th percentile thresholds for LV volumes and mass, and lower 5th percentile thresholds for EF using computer-assisted border detection. In secondary analyses, we stratified participants by age-decade and tested for linear trend across age groups. The reference group comprised 685 adults (423F; 61 ± 9 years). Men had greater LV volumes and mass, before and after indexation to common measures of body size (all P = 0.001). Women had greater EF (73 ± 6 versus 71 ± 6%; P = 0.0002). LV volumes decreased with greater age in both sexes, even after indexation. Indexed LV mass did not vary with age. LV EF and concentricity increased with greater age in both sexes. We present CMR-derived LV reference values. There are significant age and sex differences in LV volumes, EF, and geometry, whereas mass differs between sexes but not age groups. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Inclusion of vulnerable groups in health policies: Regional policies on health priorities in Africa

PubMed Central

Eide, Arne Henning; Amin, Mutamad; MacLachlan, Malcom; Mannan, Hasheem

2013-01-01

Background If access to equitable health care is to be achieved for all, policy documents must mention and address in some detail different needs of groups vulnerable to not accessing such health care. If these needs are not addressed in the policy documents, there is little chance that they will be addressed at the stage of implementation. Objectives This paper reports on an analysis of 11 African Union (AU) policy documents to ascertain the frequency and the extent of mention of 13 core concepts in relation to 12 vulnerable groups, with a specific focus on people with disabilities. Method The paper applied the EquiFrame analytical framework to the 11 AU policy documents. The 11 documents were analysed in terms of how many times a core concept was mentioned and the extent of information on how the core concept should be addressed at the implementation level. Each core concept mention was further analysed in terms of the vulnerable group in referred to. Results The analysis of regional AU policies highlighted the broad nature of the reference made to vulnerable groups, with a lack of detailed specifications of different needs of different groups. This is confirmed in the highest vulnerable group mention being for ‘universal’. The reading of the documents suggests that vulnerable groups are homogeneous in their needs, which is not the case. There is a lack of recognition of different needs of different vulnerable groups in accessing health care. Conclusion The need for more information and knowledge on the needs of all vulnerable groups is evident. The current lack of mention and of any detail on how to address needs of vulnerable groups will significantly impair the access to equitable health care for all. PMID:28729986

Referral for competency committee review for poor performance on the internal medicine clerkship is associated with poor performance in internship.

PubMed

Hemann, Brian A; Durning, Steven J; Kelly, William F; Dong, Ting; Pangaro, Louis N; Hemmer, Paul A

2015-04-01

To determine how students who are referred to a competency committee for concern over performance, and ultimately judged not to require remediation, perform during internship. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' students who graduated between 2007 and 2011 were included in this study. We compared the performance during internship of three groups: students who were referred to the internal medicine competency committee for review who met passing criterion, students who were reviewed by the internal medicine competency committee who were determined not to have passed the clerkship and were prescribed remediation, and students who were never reviewed by this competency committee. Program Director survey results and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 3 examination results were used as the outcomes of interest. The overall survey response rate for this 5-year cohort was 81% (689/853). 102 students were referred to this competency committee for review. 63/102 students were reviewed by this competency committee, given passing grades in the internal medicine clerkship, and were not required to do additional remediation. 39/102 students were given less than passing grades by this competency committee and required to perform additional clinical work in the department of medicine to remediate their performance. 751 students were never presented to this competency committee. Compared to students who were never presented for review, the group of reviewed students who did not require remediation was 5.6 times more likely to receive low internship survey ratings in the realm of professionalism, 8.6 times more likely to receive low ratings in the domain of medical expertise, and had a higher rate of USMLE Step 3 failure (9.4% vs. 2.8%). When comparing the reviewed group to students who were reviewed and also required remediation, the only significant difference between groups regarding professionalism ratings with 50% of the group requiring remediation garnering low ratings compared to 18% of the reviewed group. Students who are referred to a committee for review following completion of their internal medicine clerkship are more likely to receive poor ratings in internship and fail USMLE Step 3 compared to students whose performance in the medicine clerkship does not trigger a committee review. These findings provide validity evidence for our competency committee review in that the students identified as requiring further clinical work had significantly higher rates of poor ratings in professionalism than students who were reviewed by the competency committee but not required to remediate. Additionally, students reviewed but not required to remediate were nonetheless at risk of low internship ratings, suggesting that these students might need some intervention prior to graduation. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Chronology of the halo globular cluster system formation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salaris, M.; Weiss, A.

1997-11-01

Using up-to-date stellar models and isochrones we determine the age of 25 galactic halo clusters. The clusters are distributed into four groups according to metallicity. We measure the absolute age of a reference cluster in each group, and then find the relative ages of the other clusters relative to this one. This combination yields the most reliable results. We find that the oldest cluster group on average is 11.8+/-0.9Gyr or 12.3+/-0.3Gyr old, depending on whether we include Arp 2 and Rup 106. The average age of all clusters is about 10.5Gyr. Questions concerning a common age for all clusters and a relation between metallicity and age are addressed. The groups of lower metallicity appear to be coeval, but our results indicate that globally the sample has an age spread, and age and metallicity are correlated but not with a simple linear relation.

The effects of electrical stimulation and exercise therapy in patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy

PubMed Central

Kılınç, Muhammed; Yıldırım, Sibel A.; Tan, Ersin

2015-01-01

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effects of exercise therapy and electrical stimulation on muscle strength and functional activities in patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). Methods: This controlled clinical trial included 24 subjects who were diagnosed with LGMD by the Neurology Department of the Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey and were referred to the Physical Therapy Department between May 2013 and December 2014. Subjects were enrolled into an electrical stimulation (11 patients) group, or an exercise therapy (13 patients) group. Results: The mean age of patients was 31.62 years in the electrical stimulation group, and 30.14 years in the exercise therapy group. The most important results in this controlled clinical study were that the muscle strength in both groups was significantly decreased and post-treatment evaluation results indicated that muscle strength of the Deltoideus was higher in the electrical stimulation group, and the difference between the groups was maintained in the follow-up period (p<0.05). However, the muscle strength of quadriceps was similar in both groups, according to the post-treatment and follow-up evaluation results (p>0.05). Additionally, the electrical stimulation group presented more obvious overall improvements than the exercise therapy group according to muscle strength, endurance, and timed performance tests. Conclusions: Since no definitive treatments currently exist for patients with LGMD, these results provide important information on the role of exercise therapy and electrical stimulation for clinicians working in rehabilitation. PMID:26166595

Efficacy and safety of CT-P13 (biosimilar infliximab) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: comparison between switching from reference infliximab to CT-P13 and continuing CT-P13 in the PLANETRA extension study

PubMed Central

Yoo, Dae Hyun; Prodanovic, Nenad; Jaworski, Janusz; Miranda, Pedro; Ramiterre, Edgar; Lanzon, Allan; Baranauskaite, Asta; Wiland, Piotr; Abud-Mendoza, Carlos; Oparanov, Boycho; Smiyan, Svitlana; Kim, HoUng; Lee, Sang Joon; Kim, SuYeon; Park, Won

2017-01-01

Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of switching from the infliximab reference product (RP; Remicade) to its biosimilar CT-P13 (Remsima, Inflectra) or continuing CT-P13 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for an additional six infusions. Methods This open-label extension study recruited patients with RA who had completed the 54-week, randomised, parallel-group study comparing CT-P13 with RP (PLANETRA; NCT01217086). CT-P13 (3 mg/kg) was administered intravenously every 8 weeks from weeks 62 to 102. All patients received concomitant methotrexate. Endpoints included American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response, ACR50, ACR70, immunogenicity and safety. Data were analysed for patients who received CT-P13 for 102 weeks (maintenance group) and for those who received RP for 54 weeks and then switched to CT-P13 (switch group). Results Overall, 302 of 455 patients who completed the PLANETRA study enrolled into the extension. Of these, 158 had received CT-P13 (maintenance group) and 144 RP (switch group). Response rates at week 102 for maintenance versus switch groups, respectively, were 71.7% vs 71.8% for ACR20, 48.0% vs 51.4% for ACR50 and 24.3% vs 26.1% for ACR70. The proportion of patients with antidrug antibodies was comparable between groups (week 102: 40.3% vs 44.8%, respectively). Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in similar proportions of patients in the two groups during the extension study (53.5% and 53.8%, respectively). Conclusions Comparable efficacy and tolerability were observed in patients who switched from RP to its biosimilar CT-P13 for an additional year and in those who had long-term CT-P13 treatment for 2 years. Trial registration number NCT01571219; Results. PMID:27130908

A comparative study on vaccination pain in the methods of massage therapy and mothers’ breast feeding during injection of infants referring to Navabsafavi Health Care Center in Isfahan

PubMed Central

Esfahani, Mitra Savabi; Sheykhi, Sanaz; Abdeyazdan, Zahra; Jodakee, Mohamadreza; Boroumandfar, Khadijeh

2013-01-01

Background: Vaccination is one of the most common painful procedures in infants. The irreversible consequences due to pain experiences in infants are enormous. Breast feeding and massage therapy methods are the non-drug methods of pain relief. Therefore, this research aimed to compare the vaccination-related pain in infants who underwent massage therapy or breast feeding during injection. Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial. Ninety-six infants were allocated randomly and systematically to three groups (breast feeding, massage, and control groups). The study population comprised all infants, accompanied by their mothers, referring to one of the health centers in Isfahan for vaccination of hepatitis B and DPT at 6 months of age and for MMR at 12 months of age. Data gathering was done using questionnaire and checklist [neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS)]. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistical methods with SPSS software. Results: Findings of the study showed that the three groups had no statistically significant difference in terms of demographic characteristics (P > 0/05). The mean pain scores in the breast feeding group, massage therapy, and control group were 3.4, 3.9, and 4.8, respectively (P < 0.05). Then the least significant difference (LSD) post hoc test was performed. Differences between the groups, i.e. massage therapy and breast feeding (P = 0.041), breast feeding group and control (P < 0.001), and massage therapy and control groups (P = 0.002) were statistically significant. Conclusion: Considering the results of the study, it seems that breast feeding during vaccination has more analgesic effect than massage therapy. Therefore, it is suggested as a noninvasive, safe, and accessible method without any side effects for reducing vaccination-related pain. PMID:24554949

Genetics Home Reference: Fanconi anemia

MedlinePlus

... D1 Genetic Testing Registry: Fanconi anemia, complementation group D2 Genetic Testing Registry: Fanconi anemia, complementation group E ... ANEMIA, COMPLEMENTATION GROUP D1 FANCONI ANEMIA, COMPLEMENTATION GROUP D2 FANCONI ANEMIA, COMPLEMENTATION GROUP E FANCONI ANEMIA, COMPLEMENTATION ...

The consequences of ignoring measurement invariance for path coefficients in structural equation models

PubMed Central

Guenole, Nigel; Brown, Anna

2014-01-01

We report a Monte Carlo study examining the effects of two strategies for handling measurement non-invariance – modeling and ignoring non-invariant items – on structural regression coefficients between latent variables measured with item response theory models for categorical indicators. These strategies were examined across four levels and three types of non-invariance – non-invariant loadings, non-invariant thresholds, and combined non-invariance on loadings and thresholds – in simple, partial, mediated and moderated regression models where the non-invariant latent variable occupied predictor, mediator, and criterion positions in the structural regression models. When non-invariance is ignored in the latent predictor, the focal group regression parameters are biased in the opposite direction to the difference in loadings and thresholds relative to the referent group (i.e., lower loadings and thresholds for the focal group lead to overestimated regression parameters). With criterion non-invariance, the focal group regression parameters are biased in the same direction as the difference in loadings and thresholds relative to the referent group. While unacceptable levels of parameter bias were confined to the focal group, bias occurred at considerably lower levels of ignored non-invariance than was previously recognized in referent and focal groups. PMID:25278911

The Relationship of Post-acute Home Care Use to Medicaid Utilization and Expenditures

PubMed Central

Payne, Susan MC; DiGiuseppe, David L; Tilahun, Negussie

2002-01-01

Research Objectives To describe the use of post-acute home care (PAHC) and total Medicaid expenditures among hospitalized nonelderly adult Medicaid eligibles and to test whether health services utilization rates or total Medicaid expenditures were lower among Medicaid eligibles who used PAHC compared to those who did not. Study Population 5,299 Medicaid patients aged 18–64 discharged in 1992–1996 from 29 hospitals in the Cleveland Health Quality Choice (CHQC) project. Data Sources Linked Ohio Medicaid claims and CHQC medical record abstract data. Data Extraction One stay per patient was randomly selected. Design Observational study. To control for treatment selection bias, we developed a model predicting the probability (propensity) a patient would be referred to PAHC, as a proxy for the patient's need for PAHC. We matched 430 patients who used Medicaid-covered PAHC (“USE”) to patients who did not (“NO USE”) by their propensity scores. Study outcomes were inpatient re-admission rates and days of stay (DOS), nursing home admission rates and DOS, and mean total Medicaid expenditures 90 and 180 days after discharge. Principal Findings Of 3,788 medical patients, 12.1 percent were referred to PAHC; 64 percent of those referred used PAHC. Of 1,511 surgical patients, 10.9 percent were referred; 99 percent of those referred used PAHC. In 430 pairs of patients matched by propensity score, mean total Medicaid expenditures within 90 days after discharge were $7,649 in the USE group and $5,761 in the NO USE group. Total Medicaid expenditures were significantly higher in the USE group compared to the NO USE group for medical patients after 180 days (p<.05) and surgical patients after 90 and 180 days (p<.001). There were no significant differences for any other outcome. Sensitivity analysis indicates the results may be influenced by unmeasured variables, most likely functional status and/or care-giver support. Conclusions Thirty-six percent of the medical patients referred to PAHC did not receive Medicaid-covered services. This suggests potential underuse among medical patients. The high post-discharge expenditures suggest opportunities for reducing costs through coordinating utilization or diverting it to lower-cost settings. Controlling for patients' need for services, PAHC utilization was not associated with lower utilization rates or lower total Medicaid expenditures. Medicaid programs are advised to proceed cautiously before expanding PAHC utilization and to monitor its use carefully. Further study, incorporating non-economic outcomes and additional factors influencing PAHC use, is warranted. PMID:12132601

The Prevalence of Only-Child Status Among Children and Adolescents Referred to a Gender Identity Service Versus a Clinical Comparison Group.

PubMed

Hughes, S Kathleen; VanderLaan, Doug P; Blanchard, Ray; Wood, Hayley; Wasserman, Lori; Zucker, Kenneth J

2017-08-18

Several studies indicate that homosexual males have a high proportion of older brothers compared to heterosexual males. Natal males with gender dysphoria who are likely to be homosexual also display this sibship pattern. Until recently, there was little evidence linking homosexuality and/or gender dysphoria in females to unique sibship characteristics. Two studies have indicated that natal female youth clinically referred for gender dysphoria are more likely to be only children (Schagen, Delemarre-van de Waal, Blanchard, & Cohen-Kettenis, 2012; VanderLaan, Blanchard, Wood, & Zucker, 2014). However, these studies did not include control groups of youth clinically referred for other reasons. Thus, it is unclear whether the increased likelihood of only-child status is specific to gender-referred natal females. This study compared only-child status among youth referred to a mental health service for gender dysphoria (778 males, 245 females) versus other reasons (783 males, 281 females). Prehomosexual gender-referred males were less likely to be only children than clinical controls. Contrary to previous findings, gender-referred females were not more likely to be only children, indicating that increased likelihood of only-child status is not specific to gender-referred females, but is characteristic of clinic-referred females more generally.

Fluorinated monomers useful for preparing fluorinated polyquinoline polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, Neil H. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A new class of polymers is provided, as well as the monomers used for their preparation. The polymers provided in accordance with practice of the present invention include repeating units comprising one or more quinoline groups, wherein at least a portion of the repeating units includes a hexafluoroisopropylidene (6F) group or a 1-aryl-2,2,2-trifluoroethylidene (3F) group, or both. The hexafluoroisopropylidene group is referred to herein as a 6F group and has the following structure: ##STR1## The 6F group includes a tetravalent carbon atom bound to two trifluoromethyl moieties, with its other two bonds forming linkages in the polymer chain. The 1-aryl-2,2,2-trifluoroethylidene group is referred to herein as a 3F group and has the following structure: ##STR2## wherein Ar' is an aryl group.

Response to letter to the editor from Dr Rahman Shiri: The challenging topic of suicide across occupational groups.

PubMed

Niedhammer, Isabelle; Milner, Allison; Witt, Katrina; Klingelschmidt, Justine; Khireddine-Medouni, Imane; Alexopoulos, Evangelos C; Toivanen, Susanna; Chastang, Jean-François; LaMontagne, Anthony D

2018-01-01

We thank Dr Rahman Shiri (1) for his careful reading of our systematic review and meta-analysis on suicide among agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers (2). Our paper had the objective of providing a pooled effect size of suicide for this occupational group. Suicide is a crucial issue in public and occupational health. Suicide has a multifactorial etiology and recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have pointed out the role of occupational exposures, mainly psychosocial work stressors, as risk factors for suicide (3, 4). Suicide is a very rare event in the general population and still more seldom in the working population. Indeed, unemployed and economically inactive people have a higher risk of suicide compared to employed people (5, 6). However, the total number of suicides is greater in the employed population than among the economically inactive or unemployed (6). Shiri's letter (1) questioned several aspects of our review and meta-analysis. One comment related to the single reference database used in our review and a suggestion that our review could not be considered to be systematic. The review was based on Medline because our main interest was in quantitative epidemiologic studies. This is the largest database for biomedical literature and we would argue the most pertinent. Furthermore, we checked the reference lists of the most recent papers and literature reviews, and Shiri did not report any paper that was missing. No review, whether searching one or more databases, can expect to be totally exhaustive. There may always be missing studies, especially if we consider grey literature. Thus we assert that our review was systematic, while acknowledging that it may not be perfectly comprehensive. Shiri suggested an absence of quality assessment of the studies included in our meta-analysis. First, quality was considered in the context of our comments in the discussion section. Second, as suggested by Rothman et al (7), quality assessment was replaced by regression analyses of the effect of each quality item (study characteristics, ie, study design, effect measure, reference group, and adjustment). Third, because most studies included in this review were based on objective data (census, administrative, or register data), they were free of many of the sources of bias that exist in studies where information on exposure and outcome must be collected from participants. Consequently, many of the items related to quality were not pertinent, such as response and follow-up rates, coverage and representativeness of the sample, selection, etc. Contrary to what Shiri suggested, all study designs can be informative in this topic because all of them are able to provide an unbiased estimate of the effect size. In addition, the prospective and case-control studies may have shortcomings. For example, we excluded five studies including three prospective and case-control studies in the sensibility analysis because the group of interest was defined on the basis of the exposure to chemicals (pesticides) rather than job title. Our choice to retain the least adjusted models was justified because aggregated data were used for the meta-analysis. Therefore, unless all included studies adjusted for the same covariates measured in the same way, adjusted estimates cannot be meaningfully provided in an aggregate data meta-analysis. In addition, as the objective was above all descriptive and not etiological or explanatory, and as it is the norm in the exploration of social inequalities in health (8), the results from the least (gender- and age-) adjusted models were in line with the objective. Indeed, including more adjustment variables could lead to overadjustment as they may be intermediate variables on the causal pathways between occupation and suicide. Our strategy was in line with previous meta-analyses on similar topics (9-11). Consequently, we would argue that our results are not likely to be largely due to confounding, contrary to the comment by Shiri. Indeed, the study of the contribution of underlying factors in explaining social inequalities in health outcomes is a fully-fledged topic of research (12-15), but this is relevant research to conduct after demonstrating that inequalities exist between social or occupational groups. Several of Shiri's comments were about statistical aspects of our analyses. First, it was suggested that we did not correctly extract the confidence intervals for the estimates of several studies. We disagree. We used the STATA metan suite of commands using log-transformed effect sizes and standard errors. Our figure 1 and the values of effect sizes and confidence intervals were provided by STATA, this explains why there may be small differences in these values compared with the results published in some studies. Using log-transformed effect sizes and confidence intervals, the analysis provided the same results. Second, our subgroup comparison was based on subsamples that were independent. As not all studies provided information for these subgroups, each subgroup was treated as a unit of analysis. This strategy allows the use of all relevant subgroups and comparisons between them (16). Third, we were also criticized for the use of random-effects models. Random-effects models are generally more plausible for meta-analysis based on studies from the published literature, because the fixed-effect model assumed that the entire corpus of literature has been obtained, ie, that every study has been or ever will be written on the topic has been included, which is an implausible assumption. We also assumed differences in effect size between studies and between subgroups, and the use of random-effects models was consistent with such an assumption. However, random-effects models produce wider confidence intervals compared to fixed-effect models (16). These models are thus more conservative, making our results all the more robust. One of Shiri's comments related to the reference group used in the studies for the comparison of agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers. Although we reported that the studies using a specific occupational group as reference group provided a higher effect size than the studies using other reference groups, we did not explicitly recognize and state in the paper that the results for Japan were based on two studies using a specific occupational group as reference; we concede that this may explain why we found a much more elevated effect size for Japan. Shiri's results (1) allow to conclude that the difference between Japan and the other geographic areas could be explained by the choice of reference group-we are grateful to him for raising this point. However, we would note that the effect size of suicide was still elevated and significant for agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers even after this change in the reference group for these two studies. Nevertheless, the choice of the optimal reference group is not obvious. If we consider the general population as the reference group, as unemployed people and economically inactive people (including people who may not be working due to illness or disability) are part of it and have a higher risk of suicide than employed people, the effect size provided by the nine studies using the general population as the reference is likely to be underestimated, which may contribute to an underestimation of the observed effect size of suicide among agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers in our study. The comparison was made in our paper with the other occupational groups (ie, the working population except the group of interest) as the reference, which was used by nine other studies, but this did not allow to determine the exact rank of the group of interest in the occupational hierarchy. Another relevant choice would have been to retain the group with the lowest suicide risk (for example, the high-skilled occupational group) as the reference, which would have led to a much higher effect size of suicide for agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers. To conclude, as statistical power in detecting differences between subgroups may be low in subgroup analyses and meta-regression, the absence of significant results according to subgroups found in our results cannot be interpreted as evidence that the effect size is the same across subgroups. Consequently, our meta-analysis reporting a significant excess of risk of suicide among agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers may also be a good incentive for more research among this group of workers to (i) confirm this observed excess of risk using differing methodological approaches to meta-analysis and (ii) explore the potential differences within this group and the underlying factors that may explain this excess of risk. References 1. Shiri R. Suicide among agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers. Scand J Work Environ Health - online first. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3697 2. Klingelschmidt J, Milner A, Khireddine-Medouni I, Witt K, Alexopoulos EC, Toivanen S, et al. Suicide among agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Scand J Work Environ Health - online first. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3682 3. Milner A, Witt K, LaMontagne AD, Niedhammer I. Psychosocial job stressors and suicidality: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Occup Environ Med - online first. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2017-104531 4. Leach LS, Poyser C, Butterworth P. Workplace bullying and the association with suicidal ideation/thoughts and behaviour: a systematic review. Occup Environ Med. 2017;74(1):72-9. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2016-103726 5. Milner A, Page A, LaMontagne AD. Long-term unemployment and suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e51333. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051333 6. Milner A, Morrell S, Lamontagne AD. Economically inactive, unemployed and employed suicides in Australia by age and sex over a 10-year period: what was the impact of the 2007 economic recession? Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(5):1500-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyu148 7. Rothman KJ, Greenland S, Lash TL. Modern Epidemiology - Third Edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. 8. Lundberg I, Hemmingsson T, Hogstedt C. Work and social inequalities in health in Europe. Brussels: P.I.E. Peter Lang SA; 2007. 9. Milner A, Spittal MJ, Pirkis J, Lamontagne AD. Suicide by occupation: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2013;203(6):409-16. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.128405 10. Lorant V, Deliege D, Eaton W, Robert A, Philippot P, Ansseau M. Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2003;157(2):98-112. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwf182 11. Grittner U, Kuntsche S, Gmel G, Bloomfield K. Alcohol consumption and social inequality at the individual and country levels--results from an international study. Eur J Public Health. 2013;23(2):332-9. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cks044 12. Niedhammer I, Bourgkard E, Chau N. Occupational and behavioural factors in the explanation of social inequalities in premature and total mortality: a 12.5-year follow-up in the Lorhandicap study. Eur J Epidemiol. 2011;26(1):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9506-9 13. Niedhammer I, Chastang JF, David S, Kelleher C. The contribution of occupational factors to social inequalities in health: findings from the national French SUMER survey. Soc Sci Med. 2008;67(11):1870-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.09.007 14. Chazelle E, Lemogne C, Morgan K, Kelleher CC, Chastang JF, Niedhammer I. Explanations of educational differences in major depression and generalised anxiety disorder in the Irish population. J Affect Disord. 2011;134(1-3):304-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.05.049 15. Niedhammer I, Lesuffleur T, Coutrot T, Chastang JF. Contribution of working conditions to occupational inequalities in depressive symptoms: results from the national French SUMER survey. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2016;89(6):1025-37.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1142-6 16. Borenstein M, Hedges LV, Higgins JPT, Rothstein HR. Introduction to meta-analysis: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-05724-7; 2009. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470743386.

Floristic composition, beta diversity, and nestedness of reference sites for restoration of xeroriparian areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beauchamp, Vanessa B.; Shafroth, P.B.

2011-01-01

In restoration ecology, reference sites serve as models for areas to be restored and can provide a standard of comparison for restoration project outcomes. When reference sites are located a relatively long distance from associated restoration projects, differences in climate, disturbance history, and biogeography can increase beta diversity and may decrease the relevance of reference sites. Variation in factors at the scale of individual reference sites such as patch size, microclimate, barriers to dispersal, or soil chemistry can result in reference site species composition that is a nested subset of the regional species pool. In the western United States, restoration of riparian areas, particularly those occupied by Tamarix spp., has become a priority; however, little is known about suitable native replacement vegetation communities for relatively dry and saline riparian terraces that comprise many of the sites where Tamarix is removed prior to restoration activities. We studied plant communities on riparian terraces along five rivers in New Mexico, USA, to (1) determine whether the floristic composition of reference sites can be predicted by easily measured soil variables such as pH, salinity (electric conductivity), and texture; (2) examine the extent of distance decay in the compositional similarity of xeroriparian plant communities in the southwestern United States; and (3) determine the degree of nestedness in xeroriparian plant communities in relationship to soil variables. We found that sites clustered into groups based largely on variation in soil salinity and texture. Vegetation across all sites was highly nested with dominant, salt-tolerant species found on most soil groups and salt-intolerant subordinate species restricted to lowsalinity soils. The identity of subordinate species was largely site dependent, causing all sites to have the same low degree of similarity regardless of the distance between them. We conclude that, when planning restoration projects on dry and saline riparian sites, soil salinity and texture are good predictors of which species will be most suited to the area being restored, but a candidate species pool should be developed from the nearest possible reference sites, particularly for subordinate species. ?? 2011 by the Ecological Society of America.

Validating Reference Equations for Impulse Oscillometry in Healthy Mexican Children.

PubMed

Gochicoa-Rangel, Laura; Del Río-Hidalgo, Rodrigo; Hernández-Ruiz, Juana; Rodríguez-Moreno, Luis; Martínez-Briseño, David; Mora-Romero, Uri; Cid-Juárez, Silvia; García-Sancho, Cecilia; Torre-Bouscoulet, Luis

2017-09-01

The impulse oscillometry system (IOS) measures the impedance (Z) of the respiratory system, but proper interpretation of its results requires adequate reference values. The objectives of this work were: (1) to validate the reference equations for the IOS published previously by our group and (2) to compare the adjustment of new available reference equations for the IOS from different countries in a sample of healthy children. Subjects were healthy 4-15-y-old children from the metropolitan area of Mexico City, who performed an IOS test. The functional IOS parameters obtained were compared with the predicted values from 12 reference equations determined in studies of different ethnic groups. The validation methods applied were: analysis of the differences between measured and predicted values for each reference equation; correlation and concordance coefficients; adjustment by Z-score values; percentage of predicted value; and the percentage of patients below the lower limit of normality or above the upper limit of normality. Of the 224 participants, 117 (52.3%) were girls, and the mean age was 8.6 ± 2.3 y. The equations that showed the best adjustment for the different parameters were those from the studies by Nowowiejska et al (2008) and Gochicoa et al (2015). The equations proposed by Frei et al (2005), Hellinckx et al (1998), Kalhoff et al (2011), Klug and Bisgaard (1998), de Assumpção et al (2016), and Dencker et al (2006) overestimated the airway resistance of the children in our sample, whereas the equation of Amra et al (2008) underestimated it. In the analysis of the lower and upper limits of normality, Gochicoa et al equation was the closest, since 5% of subjects were below or above percentiles 5 and 95, respectively. The study found that, in general, all of the equations showed greater error at the extremes of the age distribution. Because of the robust adjustment of the present study reference equations for the IOS, it can be recommended for both clinical and research purposes in our population. The differential adjustment of other equations underlines the need to obtain local reference values. Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Reference Determinant Dependence of the Random Phase Approximation in 3d Transition Metal Chemistry.

PubMed

Bates, J E; Mezei, P D; Csonka, G I; Sun, J; Ruzsinszky, A

2017-01-10

Without extensive fitting, accurate prediction of transition metal chemistry is a challenge for semilocal and hybrid density funcitonals. The Random Phase Approximation (RPA) has been shown to yield superior results to semilocal functionals for main group thermochemistry, but much less is known about its performance for transition metals. We have therefore analyzed the behavior of reaction energies, barrier heights, and ligand dissociation energies obtained with RPA and compare our results to several semilocal and hybrid functionals. Particular attention is paid to the reference determinant dependence of RPA. We find that typically the results do not vary much between semilocal or hybrid functionals as a reference, as long as the fraction of exact exchange (EXX) mixing in the hybrid functional is small. For large fractions of EXX mixing, however, the Hartree-Fock-like nature of the determinant can severely degrade the performance. Overall, RPA systematically reduces the errors of semilocal functionals and delivers excellent performance from a single reference determinant for inherently multireference reactions. The behavior of dual hybrids that combine RPA correlation with a hybrid exchange energy was also explored, but ultimately did not lead to a systematic improvement compared to traditional RPA for these systems. We rationalize this conclusion by decomposing the contributions to the reaction energies, and briefly discuss the possible implications for double-hybrid functionals based on RPA. The correlation between EXX mixing and spin-symmetry breaking is also discussed.

The Effect of Drug Treatment on Inmate Misconduct in Federal Prisons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langan, Neal P.; Pelissier, Bernadette M. M.

2001-01-01

Evaluates the Federal Bureau of Prisons' substance abuse treatment program's effectiveness in reducing prisoner misconduct. Results show that program graduates are 74 percent less likely to engage in misconduct over a 14-month period than a comparison group. This benefit is shared by male and female inmates alike. (Contains 25 references and 2…

Developing Managerial Learning Styles in the Context of the Strategic Application of Information and Communications Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holtham, Clive; Courtney, Nigel

2001-01-01

Training for 561 executives in the use of information and communications technologies was based on a model, the Executive Learning Ladder. Results indicated that sense making was accelerated when conducted in peer groups before being extended to less-experienced managers. Learning preference differences played a role. (Contains 38 references.) (SK)

Business Administration Students as Surrogates for IT Professionals: Summary of a Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cline, Melinda; St. John, Jeremy; Guynes, Carl S.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report a summary of the results of a study which examined the appropriateness of using business school students as surrogates for IT professionals by comparing cognitive styles, physiological characteristics, and basic demographic data among the two groups. Cognitive style refers to the way individuals think,…

Three Methods of Estimating a Model of Group Effects: A Comparison with Reference to School Effect Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Igra, Amnon

1980-01-01

Three methods of estimating a model of school effects are compared: ordinary least squares; an approach based on the analysis of covariance; and, a residualized input-output approach. Results are presented using a matrix algebra formulation, and advantages of the first two methods are considered. (Author/GK)

Education and Cultural Pluralism in South East Asia, with Special Reference to Peninsular Malaysia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, J. K. P.

1980-01-01

This paper examines educational policies in certain culturally plural South East Asian societies in relation to hypotheses concerning differences in educational policies resulting from the threat felt by the dominant elite and the effects of educational and national language policies on the assimilation or alienation of different ethnic groups.…

Starting a Day Care Center: The Day Care Center Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Checkett, Donald

Designed to be of help to individuals and groups seeking to establish a day care center in the metropolitan St. Louis area, this manual calls attention to important and basic information which must be taken into account if planning is to produce tangible results. Following a brief section defining commonly used terms referring to organized…

Does Every Cell Get Blood? Young Students' Discussions about Illustrations of Human Blood Circulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westman, Anna-Karin; Karlsson, Karl-Goran

2016-01-01

This article presents a study of how groups of young students discuss illustrations of human blood circulation. Transparency is not an innate quality of illustrations, visual information is always coded and interpretations are always related to culture and context. Results of this study are discussed with reference to Kress and van Leeuwens'…

Successful Reference Training on a Shoestring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalvee, Debbie

1996-01-01

The Anchorage Library Information Network created the STAR (State of the Art Reference) group to deliver reference training to Alaskan librarians and information providers. Librarians were trained to run workshops that focused on acquiring communications skills through practice, coaching, and reinforcement on the job. Due to budget constraints,…

Methodology and preliminary results of a systematic literature review of ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis.

PubMed

Downs, Sara H; Parry, Jessica E; Upton, Paul A; Broughan, Jennifer M; Goodchild, Anthony V; Nuñez-Garcia, Javier; Greiner, Matthias; Abernethy, Darrell A; Cameron, Angus R; Cook, Alasdair J; de la Rua-Domenech, Ricardo; Gunn, Jane; Pritchard, Elizabeth; Rhodes, Shelley; Rolfe, Simon; Sharp, Michael; Vordermeier, H Martin; Watson, Eamon; Welsh, Michael; Whelan, Adam O; Woolliams, John A; More, Simon J; Clifton-Hadley, Richard S

2018-05-01

A systematic review was conducted to identify studies with data for statistical meta-analyses of sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. Members of a working group (WG) developed and tested search criteria and developed a standardised two-stage review process, to identify primary studies with numerator and denominator data for test performance and an agreed range of covariate data. No limits were applied to year, language, region or type of test in initial searches of electronic databases. In stage 1, titles and available abstracts were reviewed. References that complied with stage 1 selection criteria were reviewed in entirety and agreed data were extracted from references that complied with stage 2 selection criteria. At stage 1, 9782 references were reviewed and 261 (2.6%) passed through to stage 2 where 215 English language references were each randomly allocated to two of 18 WG reviewers and 46 references in other languages were allocated to native speakers. Agreement regarding eligibility between reviewers of the same reference at stage 2 was moderate (Kappa statistic = 0.51) and a resolution procedure was conducted. Only 119 references (published 1934-2009) were identified with eligible performance estimates for one or more of 14 different diagnostic test types; despite a comprehensive search strategy and the global impact of bTB. Searches of electronic databases for diagnostic test performance data were found to be nonspecific with regard to identifying references with diagnostic test Se or Sp data. Guidelines for the content of abstracts to research papers reporting diagnostic test performance are presented. The results of meta-analyses of the sensitivity and specificity of the tests, and of an evaluation of the methodological quality of the source references, are presented in accompanying papers (Nuñez-Garcia et al., 2017; Downs et al., 2017). Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Better Leveled Playing Field for Assessing Satisfactory Job Performance of Superintendents on the Basis of High-Stakes Testing Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, I. Phillip; Cox, Edward P.; Buckman, David G.

2014-01-01

To assess satisfactory job performance of superintendents on the basis of school districts' high-stakes testing outcomes, existing teacher models were reviewed and critiqued as potential options for retrofit. For these models, specific problems were identified relative to the choice of referent groups. An alternate referent group (statewide…

Grey Comprehensive Evaluation of Biomass Power Generation Project Based on Group Judgement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Huicong; Niu, Dongxiao

2017-06-01

The comprehensive evaluation of benefit is an important task needed to be carried out at all stages of biomass power generation projects. This paper proposed an improved grey comprehensive evaluation method based on triangle whiten function. To improve the objectivity of weight calculation result of only reference comparison judgment method, this paper introduced group judgment to the weighting process. In the process of grey comprehensive evaluation, this paper invited a number of experts to estimate the benefit level of projects, and optimized the basic estimations based on the minimum variance principle to improve the accuracy of evaluation result. Taking a biomass power generation project as an example, the grey comprehensive evaluation result showed that the benefit level of this project was good. This example demonstrates the feasibility of grey comprehensive evaluation method based on group judgment for benefit evaluation of biomass power generation project.

[Serological diagnosis of whooping cough using immunoblot methods].

PubMed

Lochman, I; Pokorná, L; Mertová, H

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to challenge the conclusion presented in the current recommendations of the EU Perstrain Group (European group of reference laboratories) [17] that immunoblotting methods are not appropriate serological methods for the diagnosis of pertussis because their results cannot be quantified. To consider benefits of these methods for the diagnosis of Bordetella infections was another aim of this work. The residual sera from routine testing intended for disposal and results of routine tests for Bordetella infections performed in Spadia Lab in 2015 and 2016 were used in this study. The test samples were anonymized. Standard commercial ELISA and immunoblot kits were used for analyses. Using the TestLine Clinical Diagnostics Company kits, we have shown that, contrary to the conclusion of the EU Perstrain Group, quantification of the immunoblot results is possible and that these methods can improve the diagnosis of Bordetella infections, ultimately making it more effective.

Massive Sorghum Collection Genotyped with SSR Markers to Enhance Use of Global Genetic Resources

PubMed Central

Bouchet, Sophie; Chantereau, Jacques; Deu, Monique; Gardes, Laetitia; Noyer, Jean-Louis; Rami, Jean-François; Rivallan, Ronan; Li, Yu; Lu, Ping; Wang, Tianyu; Folkertsma, Rolf T.; Arnaud, Elizabeth; Upadhyaya, Hari D.; Glaszmann, Jean-Christophe; Hash, C. Thomas

2013-01-01

Large ex situ collections require approaches for sampling manageable amounts of germplasm for in-depth characterization and use. We present here a large diversity survey in sorghum with 3367 accessions and 41 reference nuclear SSR markers. Of 19 alleles on average per locus, the largest numbers of alleles were concentrated in central and eastern Africa. Cultivated sorghum appeared structured according to geographic regions and race within region. A total of 13 groups of variable size were distinguished. The peripheral groups in western Africa, southern Africa and eastern Asia were the most homogeneous and clearly differentiated. Except for Kafir, there was little correspondence between races and marker-based groups. Bicolor, Caudatum, Durra and Guinea types were each dispersed in three groups or more. Races should therefore better be referred to as morphotypes. Wild and weedy accessions were very diverse and scattered among cultivated samples, reinforcing the idea that large gene-flow exists between the different compartments. Our study provides an entry to global sorghum germplasm collections. Our reference marker kit can serve to aggregate additional studies and enhance international collaboration. We propose a core reference set in order to facilitate integrated phenotyping experiments towards refined functional understanding of sorghum diversity. PMID:23565161

Increased longitudinal growth in rats on a silicon-depleted diet☆

PubMed Central

Jugdaohsingh, Ravin; Calomme, Mario R.; Robinson, Karen; Nielsen, Forrest; Anderson, Simon H.C.; D'Haese, Patrick; Geusens, Piet; Loveridge, Nigel; Thompson, Richard P.H.; Powell, Jonathan J.

2008-01-01

Silicon-deficiency studies in growing animals in the early 1970s reported stunted growth and profound defects in bone and other connective tissues. However, more recent attempts to replicate these findings have found mild alterations in bone metabolism without any adverse health effects. Thus the biological role of silicon remains unknown. Using a specifically formulated silicon-depleted diet and modern methods for silicon analysis and assessment of skeletal development, we undertook, through international collaboration between silicon researchers, an extensive study of long-term silicon depletion on skeletal development in an animal. 21-day old female Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 20) were fed a silicon-depleted diet (3.2 µg Si/g feed) for 26 weeks and their growth and skeletal development were compared with identical rats (n = 10) on the same diet but with silicon added as Si(OH)4 to their drinking water (53.2 µg Si/g water); total silicon intakes were 24 times different. A third group of rats, receiving a standard rodent stock feed (322 µg Si/g feed) and tap water (5 µg Si/g water), served as a reference group for optimal growth. A series of anthropometric and bone quality measures were undertaken during and following the study. Fasting serum silicon concentrations and especially urinary silicon excretion were significantly lower in the silicon-deprived group compared to the supplemented group (P = 0.03 and 0.004, respectively). Tibia and soft-tissue silicon contents did not differ between the two groups, but tibia silicon levels were significantly lower compared to the reference group (P < 0.0001). Outward adverse health effects were not observed in the silicon-deprived group. However, body lengths from week 18 onwards (P < 0.05) and bone lengths at necropsy (P ≤ 0.002) were longer in this group. Moreover, these measures correlated inversely with serum silicon concentrations (P ≤ 0.02). A reduction in bone growth plate thickness and an apparent increase in chondrocyte density were also observed in the silicon-deprived animals. No other differences were observed between the two groups, except for tibia phosphorus concentrations, which were lower in the silicon-deprived animals (P = 0.0003). Thus in this study we were unable to reproduce the profound deficiency state reported in rats and chicks in the early 1970s. Indeed, although silicon intake and circulating fasting serum levels differed between the silicon-deprived and silicon-supplemented animals, tibia and soft-tissue levels did not and may explain the lack of difference in bone quality and bone markers (except serum CTx) between these two groups. Markedly higher tibia silicon levels in the reference group and nutritional differences between the formulated low-Si and reference diets suggest that one or more co-factors may be absent from the low-Si diet that affect silicon incorporation into bone. However, evidence for urinary silicon conservation (to maintain tissue levels), changes in bone/body lengths, bone calcium:phosphorus ratio and differences at the growth plate with silicon deprivation are all novel and deserve further study. These results suggest that rats actively maintain body silicon levels via urinary conservation, but the low circulating serum silicon levels during silicon deficiency result in inhibition of growth plate closure and increased longitudinal growth. Silicon-responsive genes and Si transporters are being investigated in the kidneys of these rats. PMID:18550464