Observational study of differences in head position for high notes in famous classical and non-classical male singers.

PubMed

Amarante Andrade, Pedro; Švec, Jan G

2016-07-01

Differences in classical and non-classical singing are due primarily to aesthetic style requirements. The head position can affect the sound quality. This study aimed at comparing the head position for famous classical and non-classical male singers performing high notes. Images of 39 Western classical and 34 non-classical male singers during live performances were obtained from YouTube. Ten raters evaluated the frontal rotational head position (depression versus elevation) and transverse head position (retraction versus protraction) visually using a visual analogue scale. The results showed a significant difference for frontal rotational head position. Most non-classical singers in the sample elevated their heads for high notes while the classical singers were observed to keep it around the neutral position. This difference may be attributed to different singing techniques and phonatory system adjustments utilized by each group.

Changes in Ocular Surface Characteristics after Switching from Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Latanoprost to Preservative-Free Tafluprost or Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Tafluprost.

PubMed

Tokuda, Naoto; Kitaoka, Yasushi; Matsuzawa, Akiko; Tsukamoto, Ayaka; Sase, Kana; Sakae, Shinsuke; Takagi, Hitoshi

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of switching from Latanoprost ophthalmic solution containing a preservative to preservative-free Tafluprost ophthalmic solution or Tafluprost containing a preservative on ocular surfaces. Forty patients (40 eyes) with glaucoma (mean age: 62.0 ± 10.9 years) using Latanoprost with preservative for six months or longer were assigned either to a Tafluprost-containing-preservative group (20 eyes) or preservative-free-Tafluprost group (20 eyes). The intraocular pressure, corneal epithelial barrier function (fluorescein uptake concentration with fluorophotometer FL-500), superficial punctate keratopathy (AD classification), and tear film breakup time (TBUT) were assessed before switching and at 12 weeks after switching. No significant differences in intraocular pressure were noted after switching in either group. Corneal epithelial barrier function was improved significantly after switching in both the Tafluprost-containing-preservative and the preservative-free-Tafluprost groups. There were no significant differences in AD scores after switching in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative group, but significant improvements were noted in the preservative-free-Tafluprost group. No significant differences in TBUT were noted in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative or preservative-free-Tafluprost groups after switching. After switching from preservative Latanoprost to Tafluprost containing-preservative or preservative-free Tafluprost, corneal epithelial barrier function was improved while the intraocular pressure reduction was retained.

Acute and subchronic toxicity of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil in mallards and ferrets

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

Stubblefield, W.A.; Hancock, G.A.; Ford, W.H.

1995-11-01

The toxic properties of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil (WEVC) were assessed in a battery of acute and subchronic toxicity tests using mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, and European ferrets, Mustela putorius. Adult mallard acute oral toxicity study results indicated no mortalities or signs o toxicity, i.e., no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and median lethal dose (LD50) > 5,000 mg/kg. Acute oral feeding and food avoidance tests with ducklings also indicated no toxicity (NOAEL and LC50 > 50,000 mg/kg diet) with no evidence of food avoidance (FAC50 > 20,000 mg/kg diet). No mortalities or toxic signs were noted in a 14-d feeding studymore » with adult birds at dietary concentrations up to 100,000 mg WEVC/kg diet. Among clinical and physiological end points evaluated, the only significant difference noted was an increase in liver: body weight ratios in the 100,000-mg WEVC/kg diet dose group. No differences in clinical chemistry or hematological parameters were noted, and there were no consistent differences in histological evaluations of organ tissues. Daily oral doses of up to 5,000 mg/kg of WEVC over 5 d resulted in minimal effects on ferrets. Increased serum albumin concentrations were observed in the 5,000-mg/kg dose group females and decreased spleen weights were noted in females of all WEVC treatment groups. No other significant observations were noted.« less

An randomized controlled trial of Post-it® notes did not increase postal response rates in older depressed participants.

PubMed

Lewis, Helen; Keding, Ada; Bosanquet, Katharine; Gilbody, Simon; Torgerson, David

2017-02-01

Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Post-it® note to increase response rates and shorten response times to a 4-month postal follow-up questionnaire sent to participants taking part in the Collaborative Care in Screen-Positive Elders (CASPER) trials. Our trial was a two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing response rates to questionnaires with a printed Post-it® note (intervention) and without (control), nested in multi centred randomized controlled trials of older people with varying levels of depressive symptoms; the CASPER + and CASPER Self Help for those At Risk of Depression (SHARD) trials. A total of 611 participants were eligible and randomized. The primary outcome was response rates, secondary outcomes were time to response and need for a reminder. Of 297 participants, 266 (89.6%) returned their 4-month questionnaire in the post-it note arm, compared with 282 of 314 participants (89.8%) in the control arm (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.57, 1.65, P = 0.913). There were no statistically significant differences in time to respond or the need to be sent a reminder. Patients with a major depressive episode were more likely to return questionnaires with post-it notes (P of interaction = .019). There was no significant difference in response rates, time to response, or the need for a reminder between the intervention and control at 4-month follow up for older people with depressive symptoms. However, there was a significant interaction between the Post-it® note group and level of depression. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Superimpositional assessment of treatment-associated changes in the temporomandibular joint and the mandibular symphysis.

PubMed

Baumrind, S; Korn, E L; Isaacson, R J; West, E E; Molthen, R

1983-12-01

This article analyzes differences in the measured displacement of the condyle and of progonion when different vectors of force are delivered to the maxilla in the course of non-full-banded, Phase 1, mixed-dentition treatment for the correction of Class II malocclusion. The 238-case sample is identical to that for which changes in other parameters of facial form have been reported previously. Relative to superimposition on anterior cranial base and measured in a Frankfort-plane-determined coordinate system, we have attempted to identify and quantitate (1) the displacement of each structure which results from local remodeling and (2) the displacement of each structure which occurs as a secondary consequence of changes in other regions of the skull. We have also attempted to isolate treatment effects from those attributable to spontaneous growth and development. At the condyle, we note that in all three treatment groups and in the control group there is a small but real downward and backward displacement of the glenoid fossa. This change is not treatment induced but, rather, is associated with spontaneous growth and development. (See Fig. 5.) Some interesting differences in pattern of "growth at the condyle" were noted between samples. In the intraoral (modified activator) sample, there were small but statistically significant increases in growth rate as compared to the untreated group of Class II controls. To our surprise, similar statistically significant increases over the growth rate of the control group were noted in the cervical sample. (See Table III, variables 17 and 18.) Small but statistically significant differences between treatments were also noted in the patterns of change at pogonion. As compared to the untreated control group, the rate of total displacement in the modified activator group was significantly greater in the forward direction, while the rate of total displacement in the cervical group was significantly greater in the downward direction. There were no statistically significant differences in the rate of total displacement of pogonion between the high-pull sample and the control sample. (See Table IV, variables 21 and 22.

Which Measures Count for the Public Interest?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frankenstein, Marilyn

2015-01-01

The "measure" of this article is a bit different from most--there are almost as many words in the notes as in the body of the text. Notes are a significant part of my writing, both in terms of recognizing the connections and complexities among issues, trying to capture the richness of interdisciplinary teaching, and in terms of…

Using Medical Text Extraction, Reasoning and Mapping System (MTERMS) to Process Medication Information in Outpatient Clinical Notes

PubMed Central

Zhou, Li; Plasek, Joseph M; Mahoney, Lisa M; Karipineni, Neelima; Chang, Frank; Yan, Xuemin; Chang, Fenny; Dimaggio, Dana; Goldman, Debora S.; Rocha, Roberto A.

2011-01-01

Clinical information is often coded using different terminologies, and therefore is not interoperable. Our goal is to develop a general natural language processing (NLP) system, called Medical Text Extraction, Reasoning and Mapping System (MTERMS), which encodes clinical text using different terminologies and simultaneously establishes dynamic mappings between them. MTERMS applies a modular, pipeline approach flowing from a preprocessor, semantic tagger, terminology mapper, context analyzer, and parser to structure inputted clinical notes. Evaluators manually reviewed 30 free-text and 10 structured outpatient clinical notes compared to MTERMS output. MTERMS achieved an overall F-measure of 90.6 and 94.0 for free-text and structured notes respectively for medication and temporal information. The local medication terminology had 83.0% coverage compared to RxNorm’s 98.0% coverage for free-text notes. 61.6% of mappings between the terminologies are exact match. Capture of duration was significantly improved (91.7% vs. 52.5%) from systems in the third i2b2 challenge. PMID:22195230

2012 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Reserve Component Members: Survey Note and Briefing

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-08

to be a statistically significant difference at the .05 leve l of significance. Overview The abi li ty to calculate annual prevalence rates is a...understand that to be a statistically significant difference at the .05 level of significance. Overview The ability to calculate annual prevalence...statistically significant differences for women or men in the overall rate between 2008 and 2012. Of the 2.8% of women who experienced UMAN

Review and Process Effects of Spontaneous Note-Taking on Text Comprehension.

PubMed

Slotte; Lonka

1999-01-01

This study examines how quantitative and qualitative differences in spontaneously taken notes are related to text comprehension in combination with reviewing or not reviewing previously made notes. High school graduates (N = 226) were allowed to take notes in any way they desired while reading a philosophical text. Approximately half the participants were told that they could review their notes during writing tasks designed to measure the ability to define, compare, and evaluate text content. The other half of the participants answered the subsequent questions without their notes. The process of taking notes was rated on the basis of note quality and quantity. The results revealed significant review and process effects in spontaneous note-taking. Reviewing the notes during essay-writing generally resulted in good performance in an exam calling for deep-level text comprehension. However, this review effect was mainly limited to detailed learning instead of making one's own inferences. Results pertaining to note quality indicated that the participants who summarized the content of the text resulted in better performance in all tasks in comparison with those who produced notes following the text order or verbatim notes. The amount of note-taking was also positively related to text comprehension. The discussion focuses upon the situational appropriateness of note-taking effects that pose challenges to educators. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Comparison of insulin sensitivity, glucose sensitivity, and first phase insulin secretion in patients treated with repaglinide or gliclazide.

PubMed

Wu, Chung-Ze; Pei, Dee; Hsieh, An-Tsz; Wang, Kun; Lin, Jiunn-Diann; Lee, Li-Hsiu; Chu, Yi-Min; Hsiao, Fone-Ching; Pei, Chun; Hsia, Te-Lin

2010-03-01

The traditional sulfonylureas with long half-lives have sustained stimulatory effects on insulin secretion compared to the short-acting insulin secretagogue. In this study, we used the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT) to evaluate the insulin sensitivity (IS), glucose sensitivity (SG), and acute insulin response after glucose load (AIRg) after 4 months treatment with either gliclazide or repaglinide. The design of study was randomizedcrossover. We enrolled 20 patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes (mean age, 49.3 years). Totally three FSIGTs were performed, one before and one after each of the two treatment periods as aforementioned. No significant differences in fasting plasma glucose, insulin, body mass index, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, or lipids were noted between the two treatments. After the repaglinide treatment, higher AIRg, lower IS, and lower SG were noted, but they did not reach statistical significance. The disposal index (DI) was also not significantly different between the two treatments. In conclusion, since non-significantly higher DI, AIRg, lower IS and SG were noted after repaglinide treatment, it might be a better treatment for diabetes, relative to gliclazide.

ZENK expression in the auditory pathway of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) as a function of D note number and duty cycle of chick-a-dee calls.

PubMed

Scully, Erin N; Schuldhaus, Brenna C; Congdon, Jenna V; Hahn, Allison H; Campbell, Kimberley A; Wilson, David R; Sturdy, Christopher B

2018-06-08

Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) use their namesake chick-a-dee call for multiple functions, altering the features of the call depending on context. For example, duty cycle (the proportion of time filled by vocalizations) and fine structure traits (e.g., number of D notes) can encode contextual factors, such as predator size and food quality. Wilson and Mennill [1] found that chickadees show stronger behavioral responses to playback of chick-a-dee calls with higher duty cycles, but not to the number of D notes. That is, independent of the number of D notes in a call, but dependent on the overall proportion of time filled with vocalization, birds responded more to higher duty cycle playback compared to lower duty cycle playback. Here we presented chickadees with chick-a-dee calls that contained either two D (referred to hereafter as 2 D) notes with a low duty cycle, 2 D notes with a high duty cycle, 10 D notes with a high duty cycle, or 2 D notes with a high duty cycle but played in reverse (a non-signaling control). We then measured ZENK expression in the auditory nuclei where perceptual discrimination is thought to occur. Based on the behavioral results of Wilson and Mennill [1], we predicted we would observe the highest ZENK expression in response to forward-playing calls with high duty cycles; we predicted we would observe no significant difference in ZENK expression between forward-playing high duty cycle playbacks (2 D or 10 D). We found no significant difference between forward-playing 2 D and 10 D high duty cycle playbacks. However, contrary to our predictions, we did not find any effects of altering the duty cycle or note number presented. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An investigation of sex differences in acoustic features in black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) chick-a-dee calls.

PubMed

Campbell, Kimberley A; Hahn, Allison H; Congdon, Jenna V; Sturdy, Christopher B

2016-09-01

Sex differences have been identified in a number of black-capped chickadee vocalizations and in the chick-a-dee calls of other chickadee species [i.e., Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis)]. In the current study, 12 acoustic features in black-capped chickadee chick-a-dee calls were investigated, including both frequency and duration measurements. Using permuted discriminant function analyses, these features were examined to determine if any features could be used to identify the sex of the caller. Only one note type (A notes) classified male and female calls at levels approaching significance. In particular, a permuted discriminant function analysis revealed that the start frequency of A notes best allowed for categorization between the sexes compared to any other acoustic parameter. This finding is consistent with previous research on Carolina chickadee chick-a-dee calls that found that the starting frequency differed between male- and female-produced A notes [Freeberg, Lucas, and Clucas (2003). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, 2127-2136]. Taken together, these results and the results of studies with other chickadee species suggest that sex differences likely exist in the chick-a-dee call, specifically acoustic features in A notes, but that more complex features than those addressed here may be associated with the sex of the caller.

The effect of various disinfectants on dental shade guides.

PubMed

Huang, Peterson Y; Masri, Radi; Romberg, Elaine; Driscoll, Carl F

2014-09-01

Dental shade guides are used to evaluate tooth color before prosthodontic procedures and are subjected to disinfection after use. The effect of disinfection on shade guides has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of disinfectants on the color of shade tabs. Changes in the color (ΔE) of VITA Classical Shade Guide tabs were measured with a VITA Easyshade spectrophotometer in the CIELAB system and calculated after being subjected to Cavicide, Asepticare TB, Sporicidin, and distilled water (control) over a simulated period of 2 years. Statistical analysis was accomplished by a 2-way analysis of variance followed by the Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test (α=.05). A significant difference was noted in the degree of shade tab color change, depending on the type of disinfectant used (F=153.2, P<.001). No significant difference was noted in the amount of shade tab color change that occurred after disinfection among the different shade tabs used (F=0.611, P=.865), nor was a significant interaction noted between the type of disinfectant and the different shade tabs used (F=0.7, P=.919). Asepticare TB showed the least significant amount of change (ΔE=0.401), and Sporicidin (ΔE=0.889) and the control (ΔE=0.969) showed significantly more color change than Asepticare TB but less than Cavicide (ΔE=1.198). The average total CIELAB color difference for 50% human perceptibility is approximately 1 unit (under standardized laboratory conditions). In the oral cavity, however, an average change of 3.7 ΔE units could still allow teeth to be perceived as having the same color. Therefore, although the results are statistically significant, they may not be clinically important. Copyright © 2014 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children's note taking as a mnemonic tool.

PubMed

Eskritt, Michelle; McLeod, Kellie

2008-09-01

When given the opportunity to take notes in memory tasks, children sometimes make notes that are not useful. The current study examined the role that task constraints might play in the production of nonmnemonic notes. In Experiment 1, children played one easy and one difficult memory game twice, once with the opportunity to make notes and once without that opportunity. More children produced functional notations for the easier task than for the more difficult task, and their notations were beneficial to memory performance. Experiment 2 found that the majority of children who at first made nonmnemonic notations were able to produce functional notations with minimal training, and there was no significant difference in notation quality or memory performance between spontaneous and trained note takers. Experiment 3 revealed that the majority of children could transfer their training to a novel task. The results suggest that children's production of nonmnemonic notes may be due in part to a lack of knowledge regarding what task information is important to represent or how to represent it in their notes rather than to an inability to make functional notes in general.

Effects of hypotensive anesthesia on blood transfusion rates in craniosynostosis corrections.

PubMed

Fearon, Jeffrey A; Cook, T Kevin; Herbert, Morley

2014-05-01

Hypotensive anesthesia is routinely used during craniosynostosis corrections to reduce blood loss. Noting that cerebral oxygenation levels often fell below recommended levels, the authors sought to measure the effects of hypotensive versus standard anesthesia on blood transfusion rates. One hundred children undergoing craniosynostosis corrections were randomized prospectively into two groups: a target mean arterial pressure of either 50 mm Hg or 60 mm Hg. Aside from anesthesiologists, caregivers were blinded and strict transfusion criteria were followed. Multiple variables were analyzed, and appropriate statistical testing was performed. The hypotensive and standard groups appeared similar, with no statistically significant differences in mean age (46.5 months versus 46.5 months), weight (19.25 kg versus 19.49 kg), procedure [anterior remodeling (34 versus 31) versus posterior (19 versus 16)], or preoperative hemoglobin level (13 g/dl versus 12.9 g/dl). Intraoperative mean arterial pressures differed significantly (56 mm Hg versus 66 mm Hg; p < 0.001). The captured cell saver amount was lower in the hypotensive group (163 cc versus 204 cc; p = 0.02), yet no significant differences were noted in postoperative hemoglobin levels (8.8 g/dl versus 9.3 g/dl). Fifteen of 100 patients (15 percent) received allogenic transfusions, but no statistically significant differences were noted in transfusion rates between the hypotensive [nine of 53 (17.0 percent)] and standard anesthesia [six of 47 (13 percent)] group (p = 0.056). No significant difference in transfusion requirements was found between hypotensive and standard anesthesia during craniosynostosis corrections. Considering potential benefits of improved cerebral blood flow and total body perfusion, surgeons might consider performing craniosynostosis corrections without hypotension. Therapeutic, II.

Detecting clinically relevant new information in clinical notes across specialties and settings.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Arsoniadis, Elliot G; Lee, Janet T; Wang, Yan; Melton, Genevieve B

2017-07-05

Automated methods for identifying clinically relevant new versus redundant information in electronic health record (EHR) clinical notes is useful for clinicians and researchers involved in patient care and clinical research, respectively. We evaluated methods to automatically identify clinically relevant new information in clinical notes, and compared the quantity of redundant information across specialties and clinical settings. Statistical language models augmented with semantic similarity measures were evaluated as a means to detect and quantify clinically relevant new and redundant information over longitudinal clinical notes for a given patient. A corpus of 591 progress notes over 40 inpatient admissions was annotated for new information longitudinally by physicians to generate a reference standard. Note redundancy between various specialties was evaluated on 71,021 outpatient notes and 64,695 inpatient notes from 500 solid organ transplant patients (April 2015 through August 2015). Our best method achieved at best performance of 0.87 recall, 0.62 precision, and 0.72 F-measure. Addition of semantic similarity metrics compared to baseline improved recall but otherwise resulted in similar performance. While outpatient and inpatient notes had relatively similar levels of high redundancy (61% and 68%, respectively), redundancy differed by author specialty with mean redundancy of 75%, 66%, 57%, and 55% observed in pediatric, internal medicine, psychiatry and surgical notes, respectively. Automated techniques with statistical language models for detecting redundant versus clinically relevant new information in clinical notes do not improve with the addition of semantic similarity measures. While levels of redundancy seem relatively similar in the inpatient and ambulatory settings in the Fairview Health Services, clinical note redundancy appears to vary significantly with different medical specialties.

Assessing the efficacy of perioperative oral carprofen after cranial cruciate surgery using noninvasive, objective pressure platform gait analysis.

PubMed

Horstman, Christopher L; Conzemius, Michael G; Evans, Richard; Gordon, Wanda J

2004-01-01

To document, using pressure platform gait analysis, the effect of perioperative oral carprofen on limb function and pain after cranial cruciate ligament surgery in dogs. Blinded, prospective clinical investigation. Twenty dogs with naturally occurring unilateral cranial cruciate disease. Physiologic indices, subjective pain scoring, and pressure platform gait analyses were performed before and 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery. Correlations were assessed between methods of evaluation and the data was compared across treatment groups. No strong correlations were noted between physiologic data, subjective scoring systems, or gait analysis data at a walk or stance. Although average measures of limb function were nearly twice as large in dogs treated with carprofen, no significant differences between groups over time were identified. No significant differences were noted in any other measure of pain or limb function. Power analysis of peak vertical force at a walk indicated that significant difference would have been detected had the number of dogs in each group been increased to 35. When limb function was assessed with pressure platform gait analysis no statistical difference was noted between groups with respect to PVF and VI at a walk or stance, although average ground reaction forces for dogs in the carprofen group were greater than the traditional pain management group at all time points. Oral carprofen appears to provide some benefit for the treatment of postoperative orthopedic pain.

[A clinical study of associated bladder tumor in patients with renal pelvic and ureteral tumor].

PubMed

Sugano, O; Shouji, N; Horigome, T; Uchi, K; Katou, H

1995-08-01

We investigated the incidence of associated bladder tumor and prognosis in 101 cases with a pathological diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma, selected from those with renal pelvic and ureteral tumor whom we had encountered over the 18 years between April 1976 and March 1993. Among these 101 cases, the incidence of associated bladder tumor was noted in 42 (41.6%), 23 (22.8%) with coexistence and 19 (18.8%) with subsequence. As for the primary site of renal pelvis and ureter, the coexistence was 15.4% and subsequence 20.5% in renal pelvis, and the coexistence was 24.6% and subsequence 19.3% in ureter, and the coexistence was 60.0% and subsequence 0.0% in both renal pelvis and ureter. The incidence of coexistent bladder tumor was high in both renal pelvis and ureter, but no significant difference was noted. As for the stage, the incidence of coexistence was high in T1, while subsequence was high in T2, but no significant difference was noted. As for the grade, the incidence of coexistence was high in G2, but no significant difference was noted. The 5 year survival rate was 58.2% in those without, 54.2% with coexistence, and 82.5% with subsequent bladder tumor, with a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the last two groups. The interval of subsequent bladder tumor ranged from 4 to 164 months (mean 27.7 months), with the incidence within 2 years being approximately 70.0%. It was found that the renal pelvic and ureteral tumors are frequently associated bladder tumor while associated bladder tumor dose not appear to have an ill effect on the prognosis. Therefore it is necessary that patients with renal pelvic and ureteral tumor be observed closely for 5 years, especially for the initial 2 years.

Impact of positional difference on the measurement of breast density using MRI.

PubMed

Chen, Jeon-Hor; Chan, Siwa; Tang, Yi-Ting; Hon, Jia Shen; Tseng, Po-Chuan; Cheriyan, Angela T; Shah, Nikita Rakesh; Yeh, Dah-Cherng; Lee, San-Kan; Chen, Wen-Pin; McLaren, Christine E; Su, Min-Ying

2015-05-01

This study investigated the impact of arms/hands and body position on the measurement of breast density using MRI. Noncontrast-enhanced T1-weighted images were acquired from 32 healthy women. Each subject received four MR scans using different experimental settings, including a high resolution hands-up, a low resolution hands-up, a high resolution hands-down, and finally, another high resolution hands-up after repositioning. The breast segmentation was performed using a fully automatic chest template-based method. The breast volume (BV), fibroglandular tissue volume (FV), and percent density (PD) measured from the four MR scan settings were analyzed. A high correlation of BV, FV, and PD between any pair of the four MR scans was noted (r > 0.98 for all). Using the generalized estimating equation method, a statistically significant difference in mean BV among four settings was noted (left breast, score test p = 0.0056; right breast, score test p = 0.0016), adjusted for age and body mass index. Despite differences in BV, there were no statistically significant differences in the mean PDs among the four settings (p > 0.10 for left and right breasts). Using Bland-Altman plots, the smallest mean difference/bias and standard deviations for BV, FV, and PD were noted when comparing hands-up high vs low resolution when the breast positions were exactly the same. The authors' study showed that BV, FV, and PD measurements from MRI of different positions were highly correlated. BV may vary with positions but the measured PD did not differ significantly between positions. The study suggested that the percent density analyzed from MRI studies acquired using different arms/hands and body positions from multiple centers can be combined for analysis.

Geographic differences in allele frequencies of susceptibility SNPs for cardiovascular disease

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background We hypothesized that the frequencies of risk alleles of SNPs mediating susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases differ among populations of varying geographic origin and that population-specific selection has operated on some of these variants. Methods From the database of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we selected 36 cardiovascular phenotypes including coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke, as well as related quantitative traits (eg, body mass index and plasma lipid levels). We identified 292 SNPs in 270 genes associated with a disease or trait at P < 5 × 10-8. As part of the Human Genome-Diversity Project (HGDP), 158 (54.1%) of these SNPs have been genotyped in 938 individuals belonging to 52 populations from seven geographic areas. A measure of population differentiation, FST, was calculated to quantify differences in risk allele frequencies (RAFs) among populations and geographic areas. Results Large differences in RAFs were noted in populations of Africa, East Asia, America and Oceania, when compared with other geographic regions. The mean global FST (0.1042) for 158 SNPs among the populations was not significantly higher than the mean global FST of 158 autosomal SNPs randomly sampled from the HGDP database. Significantly higher global FST (P < 0.05) was noted in eight SNPs, based on an empirical distribution of global FST of 2036 putatively neutral SNPs. For four of these SNPs, additional evidence of selection was noted based on the integrated Haplotype Score. Conclusion Large differences in RAFs for a set of common SNPs that influence risk of cardiovascular disease were noted between the major world populations. Pairwise comparisons revealed RAF differences for at least eight SNPs that might be due to population-specific selection or demographic factors. These findings are relevant to a better understanding of geographic variation in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. PMID:21507254

Effect of Elicitation Variables on Analysis of Language Samples for Normal and Language-Disordered Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Thomas A.; Ashmore, Lear L.

1980-01-01

Expressive language samples were obtained from 20 children in four location-stimulus combinations and from wireless radio telemetry. No significant differences existed between the locations of home and clinic, but significant differences were noted among samples elicited using pictures as opposed to open-ended questions as compared to telemetry…

Beyond Readability: Investigating Coherence of Clinical Text for Consumers

PubMed Central

Hetzel, Scott; Dalrymple, Prudence; Keselman, Alla

2011-01-01

Background A basic tenet of consumer health informatics is that understandable health resources empower the public. Text comprehension holds great promise for helping to characterize consumer problems in understanding health texts. The need for efficient ways to assess consumer-oriented health texts and the availability of computationally supported tools led us to explore the effect of various text characteristics on readers’ understanding of health texts, as well as to develop novel approaches to assessing these characteristics. Objective The goal of this study was to compare the impact of two different approaches to enhancing readability, and three interventions, on individuals’ comprehension of short, complex passages of health text. Methods Participants were 80 university staff, faculty, or students. Each participant was asked to “retell” the content of two health texts: one a clinical trial in the domain of diabetes mellitus, and the other typical Visit Notes. These texts were transformed for the intervention arms of the study. Two interventions provided terminology support via (1) standard dictionary or (2) contextualized vocabulary definitions. The third intervention provided coherence improvement. We assessed participants’ comprehension of the clinical texts through propositional analysis, an open-ended questionnaire, and analysis of the number of errors made. Results For the clinical trial text, the effect of text condition was not significant in any of the comparisons, suggesting no differences in recall, despite the varying levels of support (P = .84). For the Visit Note, however, the difference in the median total propositions recalled between the Coherent and the (Original + Dictionary) conditions was significant (P = .04). This suggests that participants in the Coherent condition recalled more of the original Visit Notes content than did participants in the Original and the Dictionary conditions combined. However, no difference was seen between (Original + Dictionary) and Vocabulary (P = .36) nor Coherent and Vocabulary (P = .62). No statistically significant effect of any document transformation was found either in the open-ended questionnaire (clinical trial: P = .86, Visit Note: P = .20) or in the error rate (clinical trial: P = .47, Visit Note: P = .25). However, post hoc power analysis suggested that increasing the sample size by approximately 6 participants per condition would result in a significant difference for the Visit Note, but not for the clinical trial text. Conclusions Statistically, the results of this study attest that improving coherence has a small effect on consumer comprehension of clinical text, but the task is extremely labor intensive and not scalable. Further research is needed using texts from more diverse clinical domains and more heterogeneous participants, including actual patients. Since comprehensibility of clinical text appears difficult to automate, informatics support tools may most productively support the health care professionals tasked with making clinical information understandable to patients. PMID:22138127

A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture.

PubMed

Kane, Michael J; Smeekens, Bridget A; von Bastian, Claudia C; Lurquin, John H; Carruth, Nicholas P; Miyake, Akira

2017-11-01

A combined experimental-correlational study with a diverse sample (N = 182) from 2 research sites tested a set of 5 a priori hypotheses about mind wandering and learning, using a realistic video lecture on introductory statistics. Specifically, the study examined whether students' vulnerability to mind wandering during the lecture would predict learning from, and situational interest in, the video and also whether longhand note-taking would help reduce mind wandering, at least for some students. One half of the participants took notes during the video, and all were subsequently tested on lecture content without notes. Regression and mediation analyses indicated that (a) several individual-differences variables (e.g., pretest score, prior math interest, classroom media multitasking habits) uniquely predicted in-lecture mind wandering frequency; (b) although the note-taking manipulation did not reduce mind wandering at the group level, note-taking still reduced mind wandering for some individuals (i.e., those with lower prior knowledge and those who took notes of high quality and quantity); (c) mind wandering uniquely predicted both learning (posttest) and situational interest outcomes above and beyond all other individual-differences variables; (d) moreover, mind wandering significantly mediated the effects of several individual differences; and, finally, (e) not all types of mind wandering were problematic-in fact, off-task reflections about lecture-related topics positively predicted learning. These results, which were generally robust across the 2 sites, suggest that educationally focused cognitive research may benefit from considering attentional processes during learning as well as cognitive and noncognitive individual differences that affect attention and learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Intestinal helminths infection of rats (Ratus norvegicus) in the Belgrade area (Serbia): the effect of sex, age and habitat*

PubMed Central

Kataranovski, M.; Mirkov, I.; Belij, S.; Popov, A.; Petrović, Z.; Gačić, Z.; Kataranovski, D.

2011-01-01

Gastrointestinal helminths of Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) from the Belgrade area were studied as a part of a wider ecological research of rats in Serbia (data on the distribution, population ecology, economic and epizoothiological-epidemiological importance, and density control). Rats were captured from May 2005 to July 2009 at both urban and suburban-rural sites. Of a total of 302 trapped rats 48% were males and 52% females, with 36.5% and 38.8% of juvenile-subadult individuals, per sex respectively. Intestinal helminth infection was noted in 68.5% of rats, with a higher prevalence in male hosts and in adult individuals. Higher numbers of infected juveniles-subadults were noted in suburban-rural habitats, while an opposite tendency was noted in adult rats. Seven helminth species were recovered, of which five were nematode (Heterakis spumosa, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Capillaria sp., Trichuris muris and Syphacia muris) and two cestode species (Hymenolepis diminuta and Rodentolepis fraterna). The most prevalent parasites were Heterakis spumosa (36.7%) and Hymenolepis diminuta (30.5%). Sex and habitat-related differences were noted in the prevalence of infection with Capillaria sp. and Trichuris muris, while there were no age-related differences in the prevalence of infection with any individual helminth species. Significantly higher prevalence of infection was noted in summer as compared to spring or winter, with a tendency to be higher in autumn as compared to spring. The only significant difference in the prevalence of infection between habitat-related was noted during spring. H. spumosa was most prevalent in summer, while H. diminuta and N. brasiliensis in autumn. The mean intensity of infection with H. spumosa, R. fraterna, S. muris and T. muris was higher in autumn than in the other seasons, while N. brasiliensis and Capillaria sp. occured in winter. No more than four helminth species were found in one host. PMID:21678796

Intestinal helminths infection of rats (Ratus norvegicus) in the Belgrade area (Serbia): the effect of sex, age and habitat.

PubMed

Kataranovski, M; Mirkov, I; Belij, S; Popov, A; Petrovic, Z; Gaci, Z; Kataranovski, D

2011-05-01

Gastrointestinal helminths of Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) from the Belgrade area were studied as a part of a wider ecological research of rats in Serbia (data on the distribution, population ecology, economic and epizoothiological-epidemiological importance, and density control). Rats were captured from May 2005 to July 2009 at both urban and suburban-rural sites. Of a total of 302 trapped rats 48% were males and 52% females, with 36.5% and 38.8% of juvenile-subadult individuals, per sex respectively. Intestinal helminth infection was noted in 68.5% of rats, with a higher prevalence in male hosts and in adult individuals. Higher numbers of infected juveniles-subadults were noted in suburban-rural habitats, while an opposite tendency was noted in adult rats. Seven helminth species were recovered, of which five were nematode (Heterakis spumosa, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Capillaria sp., Trichuris muns and Syphacia muris) and two cestode species (Hymenolepis diminuta and Rodentolepis fraterna). The most prevalent parasites were Heterakis spumosa (36.7%) and Hymenolepis diminuta (30.5 %). Sex and habitat-related differences were noted in the prevalence of infection with Capillaria sp. and Trichuris muris, while there were no age-related differences in the prevalence of infection with any individual helminth species. Significantly higher prevalence of infection was noted in summer as compared to spring or winter, with a tendency to be higher in autumn as compared to spring. The only significant difference in the prevalence of infection between habitat-related was noted during spring. H. spumosa was most prevalent in summer, while H. diminuta and N. brasiliensis in autumn. The mean intensity of infection with H. spumosa, R. fraterna, S. muris and T muris was higher in autumn than in the other seasons, while N. brasiliensis and Capillaria sp. occured in winter. No more than four helminth species were found in one host.

Metric Selection for Evaluation of Human Supervisory Control Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

finding a significant effect when there is none becomes more likely. The inflation of type I error due to multiple dependent variables can be handled...with multivariate analysis techniques, such as Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) (Johnson & Wichern, 2002). However, it should be noted that...the few significant differences among many insignificant ones. The best way to avoid failure to identify significant differences is to design an

Early versus delayed rehabilitation following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: A systematic review.

PubMed

Gallagher, Brian P; Bishop, Meghan E; Tjoumakaris, Fotios P; Freedman, Kevin B

2015-05-01

Early passive range of motion (ROM) following arthroscopic cuff repair is thought to decrease postoperative stiffness and improve functionality. However, early aggressive rehabilitation may compromise repair integrity. Our purpose was to perform a systematic review to determine if there are differences between early and delayed rehabilitation after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in terms of clinical outcomes and healing. We performed a literature search with the terms 'arthroscopic rotator cuff', 'immobilization', 'early', 'delayed', 'late', and 'rehabilitation' using PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE. Selection criteria included: level I/II evidence ≤ 6 months in duration, comparing early versus delayed rehabilitation following arthroscopic repair. Data regarding demographics, sample sizes, duration, cuff pathology, surgery, rehabilitation, functional outcomes, pain, ROM and anatomic assessment of healing were analyzed. PRIMSA criteria were followed. We identified six articles matching our criteria. Three reported significantly increased functional scores within the first 3-6 months with early rehabilitation compared to the delayed group, only one of which continued to observe a difference at a final follow-up of 15 months. Four articles showed improved ROM in the first 3-6 months post-operatively with early rehabilitation. One noted transient differences in pain scores. Only one study noted significant differences in ROM at final follow-up. No study reported any significant difference in rates of rotator cuff re-tear. However, two studies noted a trend towards increased re-tear with early rehabilitation that did not reach significance. This was more pronounced in studies including medium-large tears. Early rehabilitation after arthroscopic cuff repair is associated with some initial improvements in ROM and function. Ultimately, similar clinical and anatomical outcomes between groups existed at 1 year. While there was no significant difference between groups in anatomic failure of the repaired cuff, there may be a trend towards increased re-tear with larger tears.

Seasonal and geographical patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic Ocean.

PubMed

Morano, Janelle L; Salisbury, Daniel P; Rice, Aaron N; Conklin, Karah L; Falk, Keri L; Clark, Christopher W

2012-08-01

Male fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, produce a song consisting of 20 Hz notes at regularly spaced time intervals. Previous studies identified regional differences in fin whale internote intervals (INI), but seasonal changes within populations have not been closely examined. To understand the patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic, the seasonal abundance and acoustic features of fin whale song are measured from two years of archival passive acoustic recordings at two representative locations: Massachusetts Bay and New York Bight. Fin whale 20 Hz notes are detected on 99% of recorded days. In both regions, INI varies significantly throughout the year as two distinct periods: a "short-INI" season in September-January (9.6 s) and a "long-INI" season in March-May (15.1 s). February and June-August are transitional-INI months, with higher variability. Note abundance decreases with increasing INI, where note abundance is significantly lower in April-August than in September-January. Short-INI and high note abundance correspond to the fin whale reproductive season. The temporal variability of INI may be a mechanism by which fin whale individuals encode and communicate a variety of behaviorally relevant information.

Asian-Chinese patient perceptions of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Teoh, Anthony Yuen Bun; Ng, Enders Kwok Wai; Chock, Alana; Swanstrom, Lee; Varadarajulu, Shyam; Chiu, Philip Wai Yan

2014-05-01

Patient and physician perceptions of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) have been reported for the Western population. However, whether Asian-Chinese patients share the same perspectives as compared to the Western population is unknown. This was a cross-sectional survey carried out in the surgical outpatient's clinic at the Prince of Wales Hospital between June and September 2011. Patients were provided with an information leaflet and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their perceptions of and preferences for NOTES cholecystectomy. Female patients attending the clinic were given an additional questionnaire regarding attitudes towards transvaginal surgery. Two hundred patients were recruited to complete the questionnaire(s) and the male to female ratio was 1:1. One hundred and fourteen patients (57%) preferred to undergo NOTES cholecystectomy for cosmetic reasons (P=0.009). Oral and anal routes were both acceptable for NOTES accesses in males and females. Forty-one percent of the female patients would consider transvaginal NOTES. Of these patients, significantly more patients indicated that the reason for choosing transvaginal NOTES was to minimize the risk of hernia (P=0.016) and to reduce pain associated with the procedure (P=0.017). The risk of complications (84.5%) and the cost of the procedure (58%) were considered the most important aspects when choosing a surgical approach by Asian-Chinese patients. Asian-Chinese preferred NOTES mainly for cosmetic reasons. However, the transvaginal route was less acceptable to females. Significant differences in patient perception on NOTES were observed between Asian-Chinese and Western patients. © 2013 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2013 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Perceiving individuality in harpsichord performance

PubMed Central

Koren, Réka; Gingras, Bruno

2014-01-01

Can listeners recognize the individual characteristics of unfamiliar performers playing two different musical pieces on the harpsichord? Six professional harpsichordists, three prize-winners and three non prize-winners, made two recordings of two pieces from the Baroque period (a variation on a Partita by Frescobaldi and a rondo by François Couperin) on an instrument equipped with a MIDI console. Short (8 to 15 s) excerpts from these 24 recordings were subsequently used in a sorting task in which 20 musicians and 20 non-musicians, balanced for gender, listened to these excerpts and grouped together those that they thought had been played by the same performer. Twenty-six participants, including 17 musicians and nine non-musicians, performed significantly better than chance, demonstrating that the excerpts contained sufficient information to enable listeners to recognize the individual characteristics of the performers. The grouping accuracy of musicians was significantly higher than that observed for non-musicians. No significant difference in grouping accuracy was found between prize-winning performers and non-winners or between genders. However, the grouping accuracy was significantly higher for the rondo than for the variation, suggesting that the features of the two pieces differed in a way that affected the listeners’ ability to sort them accurately. Furthermore, only musicians performed above chance level when matching variation excerpts with rondo excerpts, suggesting that accurately assigning recordings of different pieces to their performer may require musical training. Comparisons between the MIDI performance data and the results of the sorting task revealed that tempo and, to a lesser extent, note onset asynchrony were the most important predictors of the perceived distance between performers, and that listeners appeared to rely mostly on a holistic percept of the excerpts rather than on a comparison of note-by-note expressive patterns. PMID:24605104

[Contrastive analysis of Latin terms for denoting human organs and structural body parts and parts of organs in anatomy literature in English and Serbian].

PubMed

Vukčević-Lacković, Biljana

2011-01-01

This paper is concerned with the analysis of the use of Latin terms in the field of human anatomy through the contrastive analysis of examples from anatomy atlases and textbooks, and research papers in the area of human anatomy in English and Serbian. The contrastive analysis of examples has highlighted a certain tendency towards the use of original Latin terms in anatomy literature in the Serbian language, while the tendency of anatomy literature in English is towards the use of English terms which most often have a Latin root. It has also been noted that Serbian literature, in addition to original Latin terms, uses a significant number of terms with a Latin root. The noted tendencies differ depending on the type of literature (anatomy atlas, textbook or research paper). A significantly greater uniformity in the use of terminology has been noted in editions in English as compared to the Serbian anatomy literature where a lack of such a uniform system is evident. Bearing in mind the ever increasing significance of the English language in the world of science, one of the conclusions of this paper is that these differences may be of practical significance for authors from Serbia looking to publish their work in English as well as for translators of medical literature.

Idea units in notes and summaries for read texts by keyboard and pencil in middle childhood students with specific learning disabilities: Cognitive and brain findings

PubMed Central

Richards, Todd; Peverly, Stephen; Wolf, Amie; Abbott, Robert; Tanimoto, Steven; Thompson, Rob; Nagy, William; Berninger, Virginia

2016-01-01

Seven children with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia (2 girls, 5 boys, M=11 years) completed fMRI connectivity scans before and after twelve weekly computerized lessons in strategies for reading source material, taking notes, and writing summaries by touch typing or groovy pencils. During brain scanning they completed two reading comprehension tasks—one involving single sentences and one involving multiple sentences. From before to after intervention, fMRI connectivity magnitude changed significantly during sentence level reading comprehension (from right angular gyrus→right Broca’s) and during text level reading comprehension (from right angular gyrus→cingulate). Proportions of ideas units in children’s writing compared to idea units in source texts did not differ across combinations of reading-writing tasks and modes. Yet, for handwriting/notes, correlations insignificant before the lessons became significant after the strategy instruction between proportion of idea units and brain connectivity at all levels of language in reading comprehension (word-, sentence-, and text) during scanning; but for handwriting/summaries, touch typing/notes, and touch typing/summaries changes in those correlations from insignificant to significant after strategy instruction occurred only at text level reading comprehension during scanning. Thus, handwriting during note-taking may benefit all levels of language during reading comprehension, whereas all other combinations of modes and writing tasks in this exploratory study appear to benefit only the text level of reading comprehension. Neurological and educational significance of the interdisciplinary research findings for integrating reading and writing and future research directions are discussed. PMID:28133634

Idea units in notes and summaries for read texts by keyboard and pencil in middle childhood students with specific learning disabilities: Cognitive and brain findings.

PubMed

Richards, Todd; Peverly, Stephen; Wolf, Amie; Abbott, Robert; Tanimoto, Steven; Thompson, Rob; Nagy, William; Berninger, Virginia

2016-09-01

Seven children with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia (2 girls, 5 boys, M =11 years) completed fMRI connectivity scans before and after twelve weekly computerized lessons in strategies for reading source material, taking notes, and writing summaries by touch typing or groovy pencils. During brain scanning they completed two reading comprehension tasks-one involving single sentences and one involving multiple sentences. From before to after intervention, fMRI connectivity magnitude changed significantly during sentence level reading comprehension (from right angular gyrus→right Broca's) and during text level reading comprehension (from right angular gyrus→cingulate). Proportions of ideas units in children's writing compared to idea units in source texts did not differ across combinations of reading-writing tasks and modes. Yet, for handwriting/notes, correlations insignificant before the lessons became significant after the strategy instruction between proportion of idea units and brain connectivity at all levels of language in reading comprehension (word-, sentence-, and text) during scanning; but for handwriting/summaries, touch typing/notes, and touch typing/summaries changes in those correlations from insignificant to significant after strategy instruction occurred only at text level reading comprehension during scanning. Thus, handwriting during note-taking may benefit all levels of language during reading comprehension, whereas all other combinations of modes and writing tasks in this exploratory study appear to benefit only the text level of reading comprehension. Neurological and educational significance of the interdisciplinary research findings for integrating reading and writing and future research directions are discussed.

Location of colorectal cancer: colonoscopy versus surgery. Yield of colonoscopy in predicting actual location.

PubMed

Blum-Guzman, Juan Pablo; Wanderley de Melo, Silvio

2017-07-01

 Recent studies suggest that differences in biological characteristics and risk factors across cancer site within the colon and rectum may translate to differences in survival. It can be challenging at times to determine the precise anatomical location of a lesion with a luminal view during colonoscopy. The aim of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference between the location of colorectal cancers described by gastroenterologists in colonoscopies and the actual anatomical location noted on operative and pathology reports after colon surgery.  A single-center retrospective analysis of colonoscopies of patient with reported colonic masses from January 2005 to April 2014 (n = 380) was carried. Assessed data included demography, operative and pathology reports. Findings were compared: between the location of colorectal cancers described by gastroenterologists in colonoscopies and the actual anatomical location noted on operative reports or pathology samples.  We identified 380 colonic masses, 158 were confirmed adenocarcinomas. Of these 123 underwent surgical resection, 27 had to be excluded since no specific location was reported on their operative or pathology report. An absolute difference between endoscopic and surgical location was found in 32 cases (33 %). Of these, 22 (23 %) differed by 1 colonic segment, 8 (8 %) differed by 2 colonic segments and 2 (2 %) differed by 3 colonic segments.  There is a significant difference between the location of colorectal cancers reported by gastroenterologists during endoscopy and the actual anatomical location noted on operative or pathology reports after colon surgery. Endoscopic tattooing should be used when faced with any luminal lesions of interest.

Recruitment and retention strategies for hospital laboratory personnel in urban and rural settings.

PubMed

Slagle, Derek R

2013-01-01

Laboratory directors and administrators play vital roles in the recruitment and retention processes of their employees. A total of 71 laboratory directors from hospitals across 51 counties in Tennessee responded to questionnaires regarding recruitment and retention strategies. Respondents reported strategies for recruitment and retention, which were agreed to be effective by management. Overall, these major strategies were consistent regardless of geographic location and limited differences were noted with regard to urban-rural locations. The findings that varied significantly between urban and rural locations included: 1) rural employees needed additional supervision; 2) rural hospitals relied on local residents more so than urban hospitals; 3) rural laboratory administrators noted more limited access to resources; and the 4) lower effectiveness of recruitment agencies and family relocation programs for rural hospitals. This is significant given the disparities often associated with rural areas, and the potential to develop more successful recruitment and retention strategies for those areas. Active managers in clinical laboratory science programs in the hospital setting should note effective strategies for both, recruitment and retention of personnel, and note the potential impact of geography on such processes.

Sex differences in the association between perceived stress and adiposity in a nationally representative sample.

PubMed

Suglia, Shakira F; Pamplin, John R; Forde, Allana T; Shelton, Rachel C

2017-10-01

Prior studies examining the association between perceived stress and adiposity have reported mixed findings, and sex differences have largely not been examined. We examined the relationship between perceived stress and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in young adults in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Participants (mean age 29 years; N = 14,044) completed the short form of Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale during a home visit. Height, weight, and waist circumference were assessed during the same visit. BMI was calculated based on measured height and weight. In the sample, 52% were male and 65% were identified as white. In adjusted linear regression analyses, a sex by Perceived Stress Scale interaction was noted (P < .05) for both BMI and waist circumference. Perceived stress was statistically significantly associated with lower BMI (β: -0.09; standard error [SE]: 0.05) and was associated with lower waist circumference, although not statistically significant (β: -0.18; SE: 0.10) among men. No associations were noted among women. In this nationally representative sample of young adults, perceived stress was associated with lower levels of adiposity among men. Noted differences could be attributed to different behavioral and coping strategies in response to stress between men and women as well as biological mechanisms which should be explored further. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A blended learning program on undergraduate nursing students' learning of electrocardiography.

PubMed

Jang, Keum-Seong; Kim, Yun-Min; Park, Soon-Joo

2006-01-01

This study sought to evaluate the feasibility of applying the blended learning program that combines the advantages of face-to-face(FTF) learning and e-learning. The blended learning program was developed by the authors and implemented for 4 weeks. 56 senior nursing students were recruited at a university in Korea. Significant improvement was noted in learning achievement. No significant differences were noted between FTF and web-based learning in learning motivation. Learning satisfaction and students' experience in taking this course revealed some positive effects of blended learning. The use of blended learning program for undergraduate nursing students will provide an effective learning model.

A controlled study of the effect of neck school in medical secretaries.

PubMed

Kamwendo, K; Linton, S J

1991-01-01

The effect of "neck school" on neck and shoulder disorders was studied in medical secretaries. A neck school reinforced with compliance enhancing measures (group B) was compared with a traditional neck school (group A) and a control group (group C). The results show that ergonomical knowledge was good even before the secretaries attended the neck schools and that compliance was significantly higher for group B. When comparisons were made within groups some improvements on neck and shoulder fatigue and pain were noted, particularly for group B. When workload was controlled no significant group differences were found. No differences were noted for range of neck motion, or sick leave in any group. Our conclusion is that neck schools, despite good compliance, appear to be of limited clinical value for prevention of neck and shoulder disorders.

Once daily vs multiple daily mesalamine therapy for mild to moderate ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, W; Zhang, Z-M; Jiang, X-L

2016-07-01

5-Aminosalicylic acid is the first-line drug for mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). The most commonly used 5-aminosalicylic acid is mesalamine. Several systematic reviews have demonstrated that mesalamine is effective in inducing and maintaining remission. Efficacy, safety and adherence to once daily (OD) and multiple daily (MD) dosing of mesalamine for the induction and maintenance of remission in mild to moderate UC were systematically reviewed and compared. PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to November 2014. Only randomized controlled trials were considered eligible. STATA software (version 12.0) was used to calculate the pooled risk ratios with 95% confidence interval. Seventeen randomized studies containing 5439 patients were identified. No significant differences were noted in comparisons between OD and MD dosing for maintenance and induction of remission. No significant differences were noted in rates of medication adherence or adverse events between OD and MD dosing. With regard to mesalamine suppository, no significant differences were noted for comparisons between dosing regimens and adverse events for induction of remission. OD dose of mesalamine is as effective and safe as MD doses for the induction and maintenance treatment of mild to moderate UC. OD mesalamine given as a suppository can attain the same effect and safety as MD mesalamine in inducing remission of mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. Colorectal Disease © 2016 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Piano Transcription with Convolutional Sparse Lateral Inhibition

DOE PAGES

Cogliati, Andrea; Duan, Zhiyao; Wohlberg, Brendt Egon

2017-02-08

This paper extends our prior work on contextdependent piano transcription to estimate the length of the notes in addition to their pitch and onset. This approach employs convolutional sparse coding along with lateral inhibition constraints to approximate a musical signal as the sum of piano note waveforms (dictionary elements) convolved with their temporal activations. The waveforms are pre-recorded for the specific piano to be transcribed in the specific environment. A dictionary containing multiple waveforms per pitch is generated by truncating a long waveform for each pitch to different lengths. During transcription, the dictionary elements are fixed and their temporal activationsmore » are estimated and post-processed to obtain the pitch, onset and note length estimation. A sparsity penalty promotes globally sparse activations of the dictionary elements, and a lateral inhibition term penalizes concurrent activations of different waveforms corresponding to the same pitch within a temporal neighborhood, to achieve note length estimation. Experiments on the MAPS dataset show that the proposed approach significantly outperforms a state-of-the-art music transcription method trained in the same context-dependent setting in transcription accuracy.« less

Piano Transcription with Convolutional Sparse Lateral Inhibition

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

Cogliati, Andrea; Duan, Zhiyao; Wohlberg, Brendt Egon

This paper extends our prior work on contextdependent piano transcription to estimate the length of the notes in addition to their pitch and onset. This approach employs convolutional sparse coding along with lateral inhibition constraints to approximate a musical signal as the sum of piano note waveforms (dictionary elements) convolved with their temporal activations. The waveforms are pre-recorded for the specific piano to be transcribed in the specific environment. A dictionary containing multiple waveforms per pitch is generated by truncating a long waveform for each pitch to different lengths. During transcription, the dictionary elements are fixed and their temporal activationsmore » are estimated and post-processed to obtain the pitch, onset and note length estimation. A sparsity penalty promotes globally sparse activations of the dictionary elements, and a lateral inhibition term penalizes concurrent activations of different waveforms corresponding to the same pitch within a temporal neighborhood, to achieve note length estimation. Experiments on the MAPS dataset show that the proposed approach significantly outperforms a state-of-the-art music transcription method trained in the same context-dependent setting in transcription accuracy.« less

Impact of a Dietary Supplement Containing 1,3-Dimethylamylamine on Blood Pressure and Bloodborne Markers of Health: a 10-Week Intervention Study

PubMed Central

Whitehead, Paul N.; Schilling, Brian K.; Farney, Tyler M.; Bloomer, Richard J.

2012-01-01

Background: 1,3-dimethylamylamine is a commonly used ingredient within dietary supplements. Our prior work with this agent indicates a transient increase in blood pressure (systolic in particular) following oral ingestion of a single dosage, but no significant increase in resting blood pressure following chronic ingestion. Moreover, intervention studies involving both two and eight weeks of treatment with finished products containing 1,3-dimethylamylamine indicate minimal or no change in bloodborne markers of health. The present study sought to extend these findings by using a 10-week intervention trial to determine the change in selected markers of health in a sample of men. Methods: 25 healthy men were randomly assigned to either a placebo (n = 13) or to a supplement containing 1,3-dimethylamylamine (n = 12) for a period of 10 weeks. Before and after the intervention, resting blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and blood samples were collected for determination of complete blood count, metabolic panel, and lipid panel. Results: No significant differences were noted between conditions for blood pressure (P > 0.05), although systolic blood pressure increased approximately 6 mmHg with the supplement (diastolic blood pressure decreased approximately 4 mmHg). A main effect for time was noted for heart rate (P = 0.016), with values decreasing from pre to post intervention. There were significant main effects for time for creatinine (increased from pre to post intervention; P = 0.043) and alkaline phosphatase (decreased from pre to post intervention; P = 0.009), with no condition differences noted (P > 0.05). There was a significant interaction noted for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.043), with values decreasing in the supplement group from pre to post intervention approximately 7 mg · dL−1 (P = 0.034). No other effects of significance were noted for bloodborne variables. Conclusion: These data indicate that a dietary supplement containing 1,3-dimethylamylamine does not result in a statistically significant increase in resting heart rate or blood pressure (although systolic blood pressure is increased ∼6 mmHg with supplement use). The supplement does not negatively impact bloodborne markers of health. Further study is needed involving a longer intervention period, a larger sample size, and additional measures of health and safety. PMID:23882146

Effects of high-impact aerobics vs. low-impact aerobics and strength training in overweight and obese women.

PubMed

Said, Mohamed; Lamya, Ncir; Olfa, Nejlaoui; Hamda, Mansour

2017-03-01

Regular exercise is one of the factors determining weight reduction and fat loss, and at the same time it is associated with important health benefits. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different modalities of exercise on changes in body composition, physical fitness, and CVR factors in healthy overweight and obese women. Thirty-two women were randomly assigned in 2 groups: a high-impact aerobics group (HIA, N.=16) and a low-impact aerobics combined with a strength training program group (LIAS, N.=16). Body weight (BW), body composition, aerobic fitness (AF), speed and agility, vertical-jump distance (VJ), abdominal muscle endurance (AME), the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings, heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-c, LDL-c, apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) and B (Apo B) were measured at baseline and at the end of the training period. A significant decrease was noted in all anthropometric variables excepting fat-free mass (FFM) which increased in LIAS group (P<0.05). Comparisons between groups noted significant differences in favor of HIA group in BW, fat percentage and FM, and in favor of LIAS group in FFM (P<0.05 for all). DBP, HR, TC, LDL-c, TG, and Apo B significantly decreased, and HDL-c and Apo A-I significantly increased in both groups. No significant modifications were noted in SBP and glucose concentrations. Significant improvements in all physical fitness components were also noted in HIA group (P<0.05), however, only the AF, VJ, AME, and the flexibility were improved in LIAS group (P<0.01). Comparison between groups reported that values related to VJ and AME were higher in LIAS compared to HIA group (P<0.01). Our findings noted that a 24-week of HIA or LIAS training improved body composition, physical fitness and CVR factors in overweight and obese women. Nevertheless, the use of each training method remains tributary to wished effects. In fact, HIA training method is more effective in body weight reduction and fat loss, however, LIAS training method is more appropriate when the improvement of FFM, aerobic fitness and muscle strength is claimed.

Anterior cervical corpectomy: review and comparison of results using titanium mesh cages and carbon fibre reinforced polymer cages.

PubMed

Kabir, Syed M R; Alabi, J; Rezajooi, Kia; Casey, Adrian T H

2010-10-01

Different types of cages have recently become available for reconstruction following anterior cervical corpectomy. We review the results using titanium mesh cages (TMC) and stackable CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced polymer) cages. Forty-two patients who underwent anterior cervical corpectomy between November 2001 and September 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Pathologies included cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), cervical radiculopathy, OPLL (ossified posterior longitudinal ligament), metastasis/primary bone tumour, rheumatoid arthritis and deformity correction. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically. Outcome was assessed on the basis of the Odom's criteria, neck disability index (NDI) and myelopathy disability index (MDI). Mean age was 60 years and mean follow-up was 1½ years. Majority of the patients had single-level corpectomy. Twenty-three patients had TMC cages while 19 patients had CFRP cages. The mean subsidence noted with TMC cage was 1.91 mm, while with the stackable CFRP cage it was 0.5 mm. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correlation noted between subsidence and clinical outcome (p > 0.05) or between subsidence and post-operative sagittal alignment (p > 0.05) in either of the groups. Three patients had significant subsidence (> 3 mm), one of whom was symptomatic. There were no hardware-related complications. On the basis of the Odom's criterion, 9 patients (21.4%) had an excellent outcome, 14 patients (33.3%) had a good outcome, 9 patients (21.4%) had a fair outcome and 5 patients (11.9%) had a poor outcome, i.e. symptoms and signs unchanged or exacerbated. Mean post-operative NDI was 26.27% and mean post-operative MDI was 19.31%. Fusion was noted in all 42 cases. Both TMC and stackable CFRP cages provide solid anterior column reconstruction with good outcome following anterior cervical corpectomy. However, more subsidence is noted with TMC cages though this might not significantly alter the clinical outcome unless the subsidence is significant (>3 mm).

The European Academy laparoscopic “Suturing Training and Testing’’ (SUTT) significantly improves surgeons’ performance

PubMed Central

Sleiman, Z.; Tanos, V.; Van Belle, Y.; Carvalho, J.L.; Campo, R.

2015-01-01

The efficiency of suturing training and testing (SUTT) model by laparoscopy was evaluated, measuring the suturingskill acquisition of trainee gynecologists at the beginning and at the end of a teaching course. During a workshop organized by the European Academy of Gynecological Surgery (EAGS), 25 participants with three different experience levels in laparoscopy (minor, intermediate and major) performed the 4 exercises of the SUTT model (Ex 1: both hands stitching and continuous suturing, Ex 2: right hand stitching and intracorporeal knotting, Ex 3: left hand stitching and intracorporeal knotting, Ex 4: dominant hand stitching, tissue approximation and intracorporeal knotting). The time needed to perform the exercises is recorded for each trainee and group and statistical analysis used to note the differences. Overall, all trainees achieved significant improvement in suturing time (p < 0.005) as measured before and after completion of the training. Similar significantly improved suturing time differences (p < 0.005) were noted among the groups of trainees with different laparoscopic experience. In conclusion a short well-guided training course, using the SUTT model, improves significantly surgeon’s laparoscopic suturing ability, independently of the level of experience in laparoscopic surgery. Key words: Endoscopy, laparoscopic suturing, psychomotor skills, surgery, teaching, training suturing model. PMID:26977264

Effects of lower extremity injuries on aerobic exercise capacity, anaerobic power, and knee isokinetic muscular function in high school soccer players.

PubMed

Ko, Kwang-Jun; Ha, Gi-Chul; Kim, Dong-Woo; Kang, Seol-Jung

2017-10-01

[Purpose] The study investigated the effects of lower extremity injuries on aerobic exercise capacity, anaerobic power, and knee isokinetic muscular function in high school soccer players. [Subjects and Methods] The study assessed U High School soccer players (n=40) in S area, South Korea, divided into 2 groups: a lower extremity injury group (n=16) comprising those with knee and ankle injuries and a control group (n=24) without injury. Aerobic exercise capacity, anaerobic power, and knee isokinetic muscular function were compared and analyzed. [Results] Regarding the aerobic exercise capacity test, significant differences were observed in maximal oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold between both groups. For the anaerobic power test, no significant difference was observed in peak power and average power between the groups; however, a significant difference in fatigue index was noted. Regarding the knee isokinetic muscular test, no significant difference was noted in knee flexion, extension, and flexion/extension ratio between both groups. [Conclusion] Lower extremity injury was associated with reduced aerobic exercise capacity and a higher fatigue index with respect to anaerobic exercise capacity. Therefore, it seems necessary to establish post-injury training programs that improve aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity for soccer players who experience lower extremity injury.

Life in Special Schools in South Africa: Voices of Former Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Emma Louise; Swartz, Leslie

2016-01-01

We describe educational experiences of people with disabilities who attended special schools in South Africa. We found significant differences in education between White and Black participants in terms of teaching quality, access to therapy and assistive devices, class sizes, subjects, and grades offered. Additional differences were noted between…

Hanging Out: Community-Based After-School Programs for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Ruth, Ed.

Noting the major changes in mothers' work lives and the significance that out-of-home care arrangements take on in children's lives, this book is a collection of accounts of what children do after school, both outside and inside after-school centers. The centers described are in differing communities, with differing values and differing ways of…

"Seeing things in my head": a synesthete's images for music and notes.

PubMed

Mills, Carol Bergfeld; Boteler, Edith Howell; Larcombe, Glenda K

2003-01-01

We explored synesthetic experiences (photisms) elicited by music and notes for GS, a 22-year-old female college student, who is a genuine digit synesthete (Mills et al 1999 Cognitive Neuropsychology 16 181-191). After extensive interviews, we conducted five studies using synthesizer notes in different octaves and in different instrument sounds. GS described, drew, or selected her photisms from alternatives. The results were: (a) her photisms had shape, color, movement, and texture: (b) different instruments had photisms with different shapes and families of instruments had similar shapes; (c) low-pitched notes were darker and larger than high notes; (d) instrument and pitch affected each other; (e) a given note was perceived as darker after a high note than after a low note; and (f) GS's drawings of notes became more consistent with repeated trials. Theoretical observations are discussed on the basis of these results.

Efficacy of "talking books" for a group of reading disabled boys.

PubMed

Abelson, A G; Petersen, M

1983-10-01

No significant differences in proficiency of reading-listening comprehension among 24 reading-disabled boys in Grades 4, 5, and 6 were noted after hearing "talking book," taped stories, and teacher-read presentations.

Can we find the perfect oil to protect the perineum? A randomized-controlled double-blind trial.

PubMed

Harlev, Avi; Pariente, Gali; Kessous, Roy; Aricha-Tamir, Barak; Weintraub, Adi Y; Eshkoli, Tamar; Dukler, Doron; Ayun, Saviona Ben; Sheiner, Eyal

2013-09-01

To determine whether perineal massage during the second stage of labor using oil enriched with vitamins, increases the chances of delivering with an intact perineum as compared to perineal massage using pure liquid wax. A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was conducted. Women were assigned to liquid wax (jojoba oil) versus purified formula of almond and olive oil, enriched with vitamin B1, B2, B6, E and fatty acids. The caregivers used the oils during the second stage of labor. A total of 164 women undergoing vaginal delivery were recruited. No significant differences regarding perineal lacerations, number of sutures and length of suturing were noted between the two groups. Likewise, while analyzing separately nulliparous and multiparous women, no significant differences were noted. Controlling for birth weight >4000 g, using the Mantel-Haenszel technique, no association was noted between perineal lacerations and the type of oil used (weighted OR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.3-2.4; p = 0.818). The type of the oil used during the second stage of labor for prevention of perineal tears has no effect on the integrity of the perineum. Accordingly, it seems that there is no perfect oil.

Clinical decision support improves quality of telephone triage documentation - an analysis of triage documentation before and after computerized clinical decision support

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Clinical decision support (CDS) has been shown to be effective in improving medical safety and quality but there is little information on how telephone triage benefits from CDS. The aim of our study was to compare triage documentation quality associated with the use of a clinical decision support tool, ExpertRN©. Methods We examined 50 triage documents before and after a CDS tool was used in nursing triage. To control for the effects of CDS training we had an additional control group of triage documents created by nurses who were trained in the CDS tool, but who did not use it in selected notes. The CDS intervention cohort of triage notes was compared to both the pre-CDS notes and the CDS trained (but not using CDS) cohort. Cohorts were compared using the documentation standards of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN). We also compared triage note content (documentation of associated positive and negative features relating to the symptoms, self-care instructions, and warning signs to watch for), and documentation defects pertinent to triage safety. Results Three of five AAACN documentation standards were significantly improved with CDS. There was a mean of 36.7 symptom features documented in triage notes for the CDS group but only 10.7 symptom features in the pre-CDS cohort (p < 0.0001) and 10.2 for the cohort that was CDS-trained but not using CDS (p < 0.0001). The difference between the mean of 10.2 symptom features documented in the pre-CDS and the mean of 10.7 symptom features documented in the CDS-trained but not using was not statistically significant (p = 0.68). Conclusions CDS significantly improves triage note documentation quality. CDS-aided triage notes had significantly more information about symptoms, warning signs and self-care. The changes in triage documentation appeared to be the result of the CDS alone and not due to any CDS training that came with the CDS intervention. Although this study shows that CDS can improve documentation, further study is needed to determine if it results in improved care. PMID:24645674

Clinical decision support improves quality of telephone triage documentation--an analysis of triage documentation before and after computerized clinical decision support.

PubMed

North, Frederick; Richards, Debra D; Bremseth, Kimberly A; Lee, Mary R; Cox, Debra L; Varkey, Prathibha; Stroebel, Robert J

2014-03-20

Clinical decision support (CDS) has been shown to be effective in improving medical safety and quality but there is little information on how telephone triage benefits from CDS. The aim of our study was to compare triage documentation quality associated with the use of a clinical decision support tool, ExpertRN©. We examined 50 triage documents before and after a CDS tool was used in nursing triage. To control for the effects of CDS training we had an additional control group of triage documents created by nurses who were trained in the CDS tool, but who did not use it in selected notes. The CDS intervention cohort of triage notes was compared to both the pre-CDS notes and the CDS trained (but not using CDS) cohort. Cohorts were compared using the documentation standards of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN). We also compared triage note content (documentation of associated positive and negative features relating to the symptoms, self-care instructions, and warning signs to watch for), and documentation defects pertinent to triage safety. Three of five AAACN documentation standards were significantly improved with CDS. There was a mean of 36.7 symptom features documented in triage notes for the CDS group but only 10.7 symptom features in the pre-CDS cohort (p < 0.0001) and 10.2 for the cohort that was CDS-trained but not using CDS (p < 0.0001). The difference between the mean of 10.2 symptom features documented in the pre-CDS and the mean of 10.7 symptom features documented in the CDS-trained but not using was not statistically significant (p = 0.68). CDS significantly improves triage note documentation quality. CDS-aided triage notes had significantly more information about symptoms, warning signs and self-care. The changes in triage documentation appeared to be the result of the CDS alone and not due to any CDS training that came with the CDS intervention. Although this study shows that CDS can improve documentation, further study is needed to determine if it results in improved care.

Optimising the Use of Note-Taking as an External Cognitive Aid for Increasing Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makany, Tamas; Kemp, Jonathan; Dror, Itiel E.

2009-01-01

Taking notes is of uttermost importance in academic and commercial use and success. Different techniques for note-taking utilise different cognitive processes and strategies. This experimental study examined ways to enhance cognitive performance via different note-taking techniques. By comparing performances of traditional, linear style…

Effects of Physical Activity on Mathematical Computation among Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabbard, Carl; Barton, Joel

1979-01-01

When 106 second-grade children were tested for simple computation ability in various conditions of induced physical exertion (no exertion v 20, 30, 40, or 50 minutes of activity), significantly higher scores were observed after the 50-minute treatment, and no significant differences were noted between male and female scores. (Author/RL)

Longitudinal Analysis of New Information Types in Clinical Notes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei; Melton, Genevieve B.

2014-01-01

It is increasingly recognized that redundant information in clinical notes within electronic health record (EHR) systems is ubiquitous, significant, and may negatively impact the secondary use of these notes for research and patient care. We investigated several automated methods to identify redundant versus relevant new information in clinical reports. These methods may provide a valuable approach to extract clinically pertinent information and further improve the accuracy of clinical information extraction systems. In this study, we used UMLS semantic types to extract several types of new information, including problems, medications, and laboratory information. Automatically identified new information highly correlated with manual reference standard annotations. Methods to identify different types of new information can potentially help to build up more robust information extraction systems for clinical researchers as well as aid clinicians and researchers in navigating clinical notes more effectively and quickly identify information pertaining to changes in health states. PMID:25717418

Perspectives of physicians and nurses regarding end-of-life care in the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Festic, Emir; Wilson, Michael E; Gajic, Ognjen; Divertie, Gavin D; Rabatin, Jeffrey T

2012-02-01

The delivery of end-of-life care (EOLC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) varies widely among medical care providers. The differing opinions of nurses and physicians regarding EOLC may help identify areas of improvement. To explore the differences of physicians and nurses on EOLC in the ICU and how these differences vary according to self-reported proficiency level and primary work unit. Cross-sectional survey of 69 ICU physicians and 629 ICU nurses. Single tertiary care academic medical institution. A total of 50 physicians (72%) and 331 nurses (53%) participated in the survey. Significant differences between physicians and nurses were noted in the following areas: ability to safely raise concerns, do not resuscitate (DNR) decision making, discussion of health care directives, timely hospice referral, spiritual assessment documentation, utilization of social services, and the availability of EOLC education. In every domain of EOLC, physicians reported a more positive perception than nurses. Additional differences were noted among physicians based on experience, as well as among nurses based on their primary work unit and self-reported proficiency level. Even with an increased focus on improving EOLC, significant differences continue to exist between the perspectives of nurses and physicians, as well as physicians among themselves and nurses among themselves. These differences may represent significant barriers toward providing comprehensive, consistent, and coordinated EOLC in the ICU.

The isokinetic strength profile of elite soccer players according to playing position

PubMed Central

Grygorowicz, Monika; Hojszyk, Radosław; Jadczak, Łukasz

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare isokinetic strength performance profiles in elite soccer players across different field positions. A total of 111 elite international players of Polish Ekstraklasa (the top division in Poland) were examined during the 2010–2015 seasons. The players were classified into six positional roles: central defenders (CD), external defenders (ED), central midfielders (CM), external midfielders (EM), forwards (F), and goalkeepers (G). The concentric isokinetic strength (peak torque [PT] of quadriceps and hamstrings, H/Q ratios) was calculated for the dominant leg and the non-dominant leg at angular velocity of 1.05 rad ·s–1, whereas to assess isokinetic muscle endurance, the total work [TW] at angular velocity of 4.19 rad ·s–1, was taken into consideration. The results showed that isokinetic strength performance varies significantly among players in different playing positions. The analysis of PT for quadriceps (PT-Q) and hamstrings (PT-H) generally showed that the goalkeepers and central midfielders had lower strength levels compared to other playing positions. In the case of PT-H and hamstring/quadricep (H/Q) peak torque ratios, statistically significant differences were also noted for the legs, where mean values noted for the dominant leg were higher than for the non-dominant leg. For TW for quadriceps (TW-Q) and hamstrings (TW-H), statistically significant differences were noted only between playing positions. TW-Q values for goalkeepers were lower than for central defenders and external midfielders. TW-H values for goalkeepers were lower than for central midfielders, central defenders and external midfielders. This study showed that specific functional activity of players in individual positions on the field influences the varied profile of isokinetic strength performance. PMID:28759603

The isokinetic strength profile of elite soccer players according to playing position.

PubMed

Śliwowski, Robert; Grygorowicz, Monika; Hojszyk, Radosław; Jadczak, Łukasz

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare isokinetic strength performance profiles in elite soccer players across different field positions. A total of 111 elite international players of Polish Ekstraklasa (the top division in Poland) were examined during the 2010-2015 seasons. The players were classified into six positional roles: central defenders (CD), external defenders (ED), central midfielders (CM), external midfielders (EM), forwards (F), and goalkeepers (G). The concentric isokinetic strength (peak torque [PT] of quadriceps and hamstrings, H/Q ratios) was calculated for the dominant leg and the non-dominant leg at angular velocity of 1.05 rad ·s-1, whereas to assess isokinetic muscle endurance, the total work [TW] at angular velocity of 4.19 rad ·s-1, was taken into consideration. The results showed that isokinetic strength performance varies significantly among players in different playing positions. The analysis of PT for quadriceps (PT-Q) and hamstrings (PT-H) generally showed that the goalkeepers and central midfielders had lower strength levels compared to other playing positions. In the case of PT-H and hamstring/quadricep (H/Q) peak torque ratios, statistically significant differences were also noted for the legs, where mean values noted for the dominant leg were higher than for the non-dominant leg. For TW for quadriceps (TW-Q) and hamstrings (TW-H), statistically significant differences were noted only between playing positions. TW-Q values for goalkeepers were lower than for central defenders and external midfielders. TW-H values for goalkeepers were lower than for central midfielders, central defenders and external midfielders. This study showed that specific functional activity of players in individual positions on the field influences the varied profile of isokinetic strength performance.

Teacher Philosophy and Program Implementation and the Impact on Sex Education Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Gaston, Jacqueline F.; And Others

1994-01-01

Reports a study that evaluated teacher influence and impact in a middle school abstinence sex education program, noting pre-post change, teacher differences, and student differences. Surveys indicated abstinence sex education programs can produce positive outcomes that are significantly influenced by the teacher's own philosophy and commitment to…

Differences in the Processes of Solving Physics Problems between Good Physics Problem Solvers and Poor Physics Problem Solvers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finegold, M.; Mass, R.

1985-01-01

Good problem solvers and poor problem solvers in advanced physics (N=8) were significantly different in their ability in translating, planning, and physical reasoning, as well as in problem solving time; no differences in reliance on algebraic solutions and checking problems were noted. Implications for physics teaching are discussed. (DH)

Does syntax contribute to the function of duets in a parrot, Amazona auropalliata?

PubMed

Dahlin, Christine R; Wright, Timothy F

2012-07-01

Complex acoustic signals in many animal species are characterized by a syntax that governs how different notes are combined, but the importance of syntax to the communicative function of signals is not well understood. Mated pairs of yellow-naped amazons, Amazona auropalliata, produce coordinated vocal duets that are used for territory maintenance and defense. These duets follow rules that specify the ordering of notes within duets, such as a strict alternation of sex-specific notes and a defined progression of note types through each duet. These syntactical rules may function to define sex-specific roles, improve coordination, and allow individuals to combine calls into meaningful sequences. As a first step toward understanding the functional significance of syntax, we conducted two separate audio playback experiments in which we presented nesting pairs with normal duets and duets with broken syntax (i.e., one of the syntactic rules was broken). In Experiment One, we reversed the order of female and male notes within note pairs while retaining the typical progression of note types through a duet. In Experiment Two we reversed the order of note types across a whole duet while retaining the typical female-male ordering within note pairs. We hypothesized that duets with broken syntax would be less-effective signals than duets with normal syntax and predicted that pairs would respond less to broken syntax than to normal duets. Contrary to predictions, we did not observe differences in response between treatments for any variables except latency to approach the speaker. After we combined data across experiments post hoc, we observed longer latencies to approach the speakers after playbacks of broken syntax duets, suggesting that pairs could differentiate between playbacks. These responses suggest that breaking one rule of duet syntax at a time does not result in detectable loss of signal efficacy in the context of territorial intrusions.

Experimental Analysis of Algorithms.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

solution ratio in the Bin Packing study) were suggested by theoretical analysis. Gnanadesikan and Gustafson [16] note that significantly different sizes...34’ [16] M. Gnanadesikan and H. W. Gustafson. * Properties of Performance Measures. 1985. Summary of poster presentation. Gnanadesikan is at Farleigh

How did women count? A note on gender-specific age heaping differences in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries.

PubMed

Földvári, Peter; Van Leeuwen, Bas; Van Leeuwen-Li, Jieli

2012-01-01

The role of human capital in economic growth is now largely uncontested. One indicator of human capital frequently used for the pre-1900 period is age heaping, which has been increasingly used to measure gender-specific differences. In this note, we find that in some historical samples, married women heap significantly less than unmarried women. This is still true after correcting for possible selection effects. A possible explanation is that a percentage of women adapted their ages to that of their husbands, hence biasing the Whipple index. We find the same effect to a lesser extent for men. Since this bias differs over time and across countries, a consistent comparison of female age heaping should be made by focusing on unmarried women.

Introduction to Sexuality Education for Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind and Significantly Developmentally Delayed.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Kate; Blaha, Robbie

The ten chapters of this book address sexuality issues in the lives of school age individuals who are deaf-blind or significantly developmentally delayed. It notes that these individuals usually do not experience sexuality through typical relationships and thus require a different type of instruction. Chapters have the following titles: (1)…

Detecting Protected Health Information in Heterogeneous Clinical Notes.

PubMed

Henriksson, Aron; Kvist, Maria; Dalianis, Hercules

2017-01-01

To enable secondary use of healthcare data in a privacy-preserving manner, there is a need for methods capable of automatically identifying protected health information (PHI) in clinical text. To that end, learning predictive models from labeled examples has emerged as a promising alternative to rule-based systems. However, little is known about differences with respect to PHI prevalence in different types of clinical notes and how potential domain differences may affect the performance of predictive models trained on one particular type of note and applied to another. In this study, we analyze the performance of a predictive model trained on an existing PHI corpus of Swedish clinical notes and applied to a variety of clinical notes: written (i) in different clinical specialties, (ii) under different headings, and (iii) by persons in different professions. The results indicate that domain adaption is needed for effective detection of PHI in heterogeneous clinical notes.

On the effects of higher alcohols on red wine aroma.

PubMed

de-la-Fuente-Blanco, Arancha; Sáenz-Navajas, María-Pilar; Ferreira, Vicente

2016-11-01

This work aims to assess the aromatic sensory contribution of the four most relevant wine higher alcohols (isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, methionol and β-phenylethanol) on red wine aroma. The four alcohols were added at two levels of concentration, within the natural range of occurrence, to eight different wine models (WM), close reconstitutions of red wines differing in levels of fruity (F), woody (W), animal (A) or humidity (H) notes. Samples were submitted to discriminant and descriptive sensory analysis. Results showed that the contribution of methionol and β-phenylethanol to wine aroma was negligible and confirmed the sensory importance of the pair isobutanol-isoamyl alcohol. Sensory effects were only evident in WM containing intense aromas, demonstrating a strong dependence on the aromatic context. Higher alcohols significantly suppress strawberry/lactic/red fruity, coconut/wood/vanilla and humidity/TCA notes, but not the leather/animal/ink note. The spirit/alcoholic/solvent character generated by higher alcohols has been shown to be wine dependent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Examinee Performance on the Step 2 Clinical Skills[R] Data Gathering (DG) and Patient Note (PN) Components

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swygert, Kimberly A.; Cuddy, Monica M.; van Zanten, Marta; Haist, Steven A.; Jobe, Ann C.

2012-01-01

Multiple studies examining the relationship between physician gender and performance on examinations have found consistent significant gender differences, but relatively little information is available related to any gender effect on interviewing and written communication skills. The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE[R]) Step 2…

Comparing effects of citalopram with fluoxetine on sleep quality in patients with major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Shahsavand-Ananloo, E; Berenji, F; Sadeghniiat, K; Alimadadi, A; Zahiroddin, A R; Tabatabaee, M; Abbasi-Asl, M; Ghaeli, P

2013-05-01

Sleep disturbance is a common complaint in major depressive disorder (MDD) including impairment of both subjective and objective parameters. All antidepressants affect sleep architecture and quality. This trial was designed to compare the effects of short-term use of citalopram with fluoxetine on sleep quality (SQ) of patients with MDD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders - Text Revision 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) criteria. Patients who met the study criteria entered this open-label study. Sleep quality and depression severity were evaluated by using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), respectively. Patients could not have received any antidepressant for at least one month prior entering the study. Subjects were assigned to receive either fluoxetine or citalopram for 8 weeks. The relationships between SQ and severity of depression were also studied at weeks 4 and 8. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 11.5 version. Nineteen patients received fluoxetine 20-40 mg/day and 21 received citalopram 20-40 mg/day. After 4 and 8 weeks treatment with both fluoxetine and citalopram, significant improvements in SQ were noted in both groups. However, no significant difference between the two groups was observed. Additionally, a significant and positive correlation between improvements in SQ and depression was noted after 8 weeks treatment with citalopram but not with fluoxetine. This study noted that both citalopram and fluoxetine improved SQ in outpatients with MDD after 8 weeks without any significant difference between the 2 groups.

Effect of Developmental Binocular Vision Abnormalities on Visual Vertigo Symptoms and Treatment Outcome.

PubMed

Pavlou, Marousa; Acheson, James; Nicolaou, Despina; Fraser, Clare L; Bronstein, Adolfo M; Davies, Rosalyn A

2015-10-01

Customized vestibular rehabilitation incorporating optokinetic (OK) stimulation improves visual vertigo (VV) symptoms; however, the degree of improvement varies among individuals. Binocular vision abnormalities (misalignment of ocular axis, ie, strabismus) may be a potential risk factor. This study aimed to investigate the influence of binocular vision abnormalities on VV symptoms and treatment outcome. Sixty subjects with refractory peripheral vestibular symptoms underwent an orthoptic assessment after being recruited for participation in an 8-week customized program incorporating OK training via a full-field visual environment rotator or video display, supervised or unsupervised. Treatment response was assessed at baseline and at 8 weeks with dynamic posturography, Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), and questionnaires for symptoms, symptom triggers, and psychological state. As no significant effect of OK training type was noted for any variables, data were combined and new groups identified on the basis of the absence or presence of a binocular vision abnormality. A total of 34 among 60 subjects consented to the orthoptic assessment, of whom 8 of the 34 had binocular vision abnormalities and 30 of the 34 subjects completed both the binocular function assessment and vestibular rehabilitation program. No significant between-group differences were noted at baseline. The only significant between-group difference was observed for pre-/post-VV symptom change (P = 0.01), with significant improvements noted only for the group without binocular vision abnormalities (P < 0.0005). Common vestibular symptoms, posturography, and the FGA improved significantly for both groups (P < 0.05). Binocular vision abnormalities may affect VV symptom improvement. These findings may have important implications for the management of subjects with refractory vestibular symptoms.Video Abstract available for insights from the authors regarding clinical implication of the study findings (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A115).

Complementary approaches to decreasing discomfort during shockwave lithotripsy (SWL).

PubMed

Ngee-Ming, Goh; Tamsin, Drake; Rai, B P; Somani, B K

2014-06-01

Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is an established treatment for renal stones. Although non-invasive, it can cause significant pain and anxiety during the procedure. Our purpose was to review the literature to look at the effect of complimentary therapy in patients undergoing SWL and whether it led to a reduction in the requirement of analgesics and anxiolytics. A systematic review was performed on the use of acupuncture, auricular acupressure, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and music during SWL. Only prospective randomized controlled trials were selected. Two reviewers independently extracted the data from each study. Outcomes relating to analgesia requirement, anxiety and stone-free rates (SFR) were compared. Seven papers were identified reporting on 591 patients (acupuncture-3, TENS-1 and music-3). Pain control/analgesia requirement was significantly better in four studies (music-2, acupuncture-1, TENS-1). Significantly lower anxiety was noted in one study with music and two using acupuncture. No difference in SFR was noted with the use of complementary therapy. No major or minor side effects were noted. Complementary therapy for SWL can help lower analgesia requirement and the anxiety associated with it. However, it does not have any effect on the SFR.

Unilateral Congenital Cataract: Clinical Profile and Presentation.

PubMed

Khokhar, Sudarshan; Jose, Cijin P; Sihota, Ramanjit; Midha, Neha

2018-03-01

To study the clinical profile and presentation of children with unilateral cataract. In this hospital-based, observational, cross-sectional study, patients 15 years of age or younger who presented with unilateral cataract were recruited. Cases of cataract secondary to causes such as trauma or uveitis were excluded. Age at detection and presentation, distance from the treatment center, presenting complaints, cataract morphology, and biometry were noted for each case. A total of 76 patients were recruited. Most patients presented with complaints of leukocoria. Persistent fetal vasculature accounted for 27.6% of cases and was the most common identifiable cause of cataract in this study. Subsequently, patients were divided into two groups: no persistent fetal vasculature (control) and persistent fetal vasculature. A male predominance was noted in both groups. The mean age at detection was 27.58 ± 37.02 and 6.17 ± 8.42 months and the mean age at presentation was 55.613 ± 45.21 and 14.83 ± 17.75 months in the control and persistent fetal vasculature groups, respectively. In the persistent fetal vasculature group, a significant difference was noted in the axial length, keratometry, and corneal diameter between the affected and normal eyes (P = .027, .00176, and .0114, respectively). In the control group, this difference was observed only in keratometry readings (P = .0464). The mean distance traveled by patients to reach the treatment center was 211 km. Persistent fetal vasculature is an important and less identified cause of unilateral cataract. A significant delay is noted in the detection and presentation of unilateral cataract. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2018;55(2):107-112.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Efficacy of Cool-Down Exercises In the Practice Regimen of Elite Singers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottliebson, Renee O.

Cool-down exercises are routinely prescribed for singers, yet few data exist about the efficacy of active recovery or cooling down of the vocal mechanism. The purpose of the present study was to compare three aspects of vocal function after using different recovery methods following rigorous voice use. Vocal function was assessed using (1) phonation threshold pressure (PTP); (2) acoustic measures (accuracy of tone production, duration of notes and duration of intervals between notes); and (3) measures of subjective perception: perceived phonatory effort (PPE) and Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI). Data were collected after 10-minutes of cool-down exercises, complete voice rest, and conversation immediately following a 50-minute voice lesson. Data were collected again 12-24 hours later. Participants included actively performing elite singers (7 women, 2 men) enrolled in the graduate program (M.M., D.M.A.) at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. While it was expected that PTP estimates after cool downs would be significantly lower than baselines and the other conditions, it turns out that PTP estimates after cool downs were significantly higher at the 80% level of the pitch range. Statistically significant correlations between PTP estimates and PPE scores were found when comparing levels of the participants' pitch ranges (10%, 20%, 80%). Mean PPE scores were highest at the 80% level of the pitch range. The acoustic measures yielded variable results. Cool-down exercises did not result in significantly more accurate tone production and shorter staccato note duration and duration of intervals between staccato notes as compared to baselines and recovery conditions. Instead, participants demonstrated greater accuracy of tone production during baselines and lesser accuracy after voice rest. Staccato notes were significantly shorter in duration after the conversation condition as compared to voice rest. Duration between staccato notes was significantly shorter 12-24 hours after voice rest compared to baselines and the other follow-up conditions. SVHI mean scores were higher during baselines than after the recovery conditions and during follow-up sessions. Statistical significance is noted in comparison of mean SVHI scores 12-24 hours after cool downs (overall lowest mean score) and baselines. The relationship between vocal cool downs and their aerodynamic and acoustic effects remains unclear. What was found was that perhaps the perceived benefit of vocal cool downs is not apparent immediately after their use, but is evident 12-24 hours later. While it appears that conversation may be an acceptable form of active vocal recovery, cool-down exercises may be most beneficial as they raise a conscious awareness of optimum, resonant voice use which may carryover into conversational speech. Future research may benefit from examination of long-term use of vocal cool-down exercises in subsequent vocal performance.

Adjunctive antipsychotic in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder - A retrospective naturalistic case note study.

PubMed

Rashid, Haroon; Khan, Akif A; Fineberg, Naomi A

2015-06-01

A retrospective naturalistic case note study to determine the frequency, co-morbidity and treatment-response of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Records from 280 patients attending a highly specialised obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)/BDD service were analysed. The clinical outcome was measured either through scoring of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) for OCD/BDD, or textual analysis of case notes for evidence of symptomatic improvement, treatment tolerability, and premature disengagement. A total of 32 patients (11.43%) were diagnosed with BDD. Of these, 28 (87.5%) had at least one co-morbidity. All patients were offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Adjunctive low-dose antipsychotic was prescribed for 21 (66%) patients. Overall, 18/32 (56%) responded, and 7/32 (22%) disengaged prematurely. Patients offered antipsychotic, SSRI and CBT (n = 21) were compared with those offered SSRI and CBT only (n = 11). The treatment was well-tolerated. Whereas there was no significant inter-group difference in the clinical response rate, premature disengagement occurred less frequently in the antipsychotic-treated patients (9.5% versus 45%; Fisher's Exact Test P = 0.0318). BDD frequently presents with co-morbidity, treatment-resistance and premature disengagement. Adjunctive antipsychotic was associated with significantly better treatment adherence, but responder rates did not differ significantly, possibly related to the small sample-size. A well-powered randomised controlled study is warranted, to determine clinical outcomes with adjunctive antipsychotic in BDD.

Relationship Between Physicians' Active Participation in Maintenance of Certification and Patients' Perspective of Care Surveys.

PubMed

Morrell, Jessica; Stratman, Erik J

2016-06-01

Medical specialty boards have a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) paradigm whose intention is to ensure high-quality patient care. How the patient experience is affected by physician MOC enrollment/participation is unknown. Our goal was to determine if patient experience is associated with physician board certification and MOC status. We analyzed physician experience and MOC databases to determine the relationships among physicians' patient experience national percentile rankings and board certification status and MOC enrollment and activity status. Board-certified physicians enrolled in MOC did not have statistically significant different patient experience scores compared to board-certified physicians not enrolled in MOC. Mid-career physicians enrolled in MOC had patients more likely to recommend them and reported higher confidence in them. Patients did not perceive physicians participating in MOC patient safety modules as more cautious in providing patient care. Although most analyses did not demonstrate significant differences in patient experience scores for physicians actively participating in MOC compared to those not, some differences were noted. Higher provider-specific patient experience scores were noted, particularly for mid-career physicians.

Gender Differences in Hip Anatomy: Possible Implications for Injury Tolerance in Frontal Collisions

PubMed Central

Wang, Stewart C.; Brede, Chris; Lange, David; Poster, Craig S.; Lange, Aaron W.; Kohoyda-Inglis, Carla; Sochor, Mark R.; Ipaktchi, Kyros; Rowe, Stephen A.; Patel, Smita; Garton, Hugh J.

2004-01-01

Male occupants in frontal motor vehicle collisions have reduced tolerance for hip fractures than females in similar crashes. We studied 92 adult pelvic CT scans and found significant gender differences in bony pelvic geometry, including acetabular socket depth and femoral head width. Significant differences were also noted in the presentation angle of the acetabular socket to frontal loading. The observed differences provide biomechanical insight into why hip injury tolerance may differ with gender. These findings have implications for the future design of vehicle countermeasures as well as finite element models capable of more accurately predicting body tolerances to injury. PMID:15319131

Clinical comparison of a novel extracapsular stabilization procedure and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs.

PubMed

Cook, James L; Luther, Jill K; Beetem, Jodi; Karnes, Josh; Cook, Cristi R

2010-04-01

To develop and test a novel extracapsular technique, TightRope CCL technique (TR), and compare its 6-month clinical outcomes to tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency. Prospective clinical cohort study. Medium, large, and giant breed dogs (n=47) with CCL deficiency. Before clinical use, TR was evaluated by mechanical testing and the surgical technique was developed and evaluated in canine cadavers. For the clinical study, dogs were assigned to either TR (n=24) or TPLO (n=23) groups and the assigned technique performed after arthroscopic assessment and treatment of joint pathology. Postoperative management was standardized for both groups. Outcome measures were performed immediately postoperatively and up to 6 months after surgery and included complication types and rate, subjective measurement of cranial drawer and tibial thrust, subjective assessment of radiographic progression of osteoarthritis (OA), and function using a validated client questionnaire (6 months only). TR with a fiber tape suture had superior mechanical properties for creep, stiffness, yield load, and load at failure. Duration of anesthesia, total surgical time, and stabilization procedure (TR versus TPLO) were all significantly (P<.001) shorter for TR compared with TPLO. Complications requiring further treatment occurred in 12.5% of TR cases and 17.4% of TPLO cases. No significant differences were noted between groups for cranial tibial thrust, but cranial drawer was significantly (P<.05) lower in TR stifles at all postoperative time points. No significant differences were noted between groups for radiographic OA scores. No statistically or clinically significant differences were noted between TR and TPLO for scores for each of the client questionnaire categories. TR resulted in 6-month outcomes that were not different than TPLO in terms of radiographic progression of OA and client-evaluated level of function. TR was associated with shorter anesthesia and surgery times as well as a lower complication rate. The TR technique is safe and effective and can be considered an appropriate surgical option as part of the overall treatment plan for CCL deficiency in dogs.

Tumoral cavitation in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with antiangiogenic therapy using bevacizumab

PubMed Central

Nishino, Mizuki; Cryer, Sarah K.; Okajima, Yuka; Sholl, Lynette M.; Hatabu, Hiroto; Rabin, Michael S.; Jackman, David M.; Johnson, Bruce E.

2012-01-01

Abstract Rationale and objectives: To investigate the frequency and radiographic patterns of tumoral cavitation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with bevacizumab, and correlate the imaging findings with the pathology, clinical characteristics and outcome. Materials and methods: Seventy-two patients with NSCLC treated with bevacizumab therapy were identified retrospectively. Baseline and follow-up chest computed tomography scan were reviewed to identify tumoral cavitation and subsequent filling in of cavitation. Radiographic cavitation patterns were classified into 3 groups. The clinical and outcome data were correlated with cavity formation and patterns. Results: Out of 72 patients, 14 patients developed cavitation after the initiation of bevacizumab therapy (19%; median time to event, 1.5 months; range 1.0–24.8 months). Three radiographic patterns of tumoral cavitation were noted: (1) development of cavity within the dominant lung tumor (n = 8); (2) development of non-dominant cavitary nodules (n = 3); and (3) development of non-dominant cavitary nodules with adjacent interstitial abnormalities (n = 3). Eleven patients (79%) demonstrated subsequent filling in of cavitation (the time from the cavity formation to filling in; median 3.7 months; range 1.9–22.7 months). No significant difference was observed in the clinical characteristics, including smoking history, or in the survival between patients who developed cavitation and those who did not. Smoking history demonstrated a significant difference across 3 radiographic cavitation patterns (P = 0.006). Hemoptysis was noted in 1 patient with cavity formation and 4 patients without, with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Tumoral cavitation occurred in 19% in patients with NSCLC treated with bevacizumab and demonstrated 3 radiographic patterns. Subsequent filling in of cavitation was noted in the majority of cases. PMID:22743083

Duly noted: Lessons from a two-site intervention to assess and improve the quality of clinical documentation in the electronic health record.

PubMed

Fanucchi, Laura; Yan, Donglin; Conigliaro, Rosemarie L

2016-07-06

Communication errors are identified as a root cause contributing to a majority of sentinel events. The clinical note is a cornerstone of physician communication, yet there are few published interventions on teaching note writing in the electronic health record (EHR). This is a prospective, two-site, quality improvement project to assess and improve the quality of clinical documentation in the EHR using a validated assessment tool. Internal Medicine (IM) residents at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine (UK) and Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine (MMC) received one of two interventions during an inpatient ward month: either a lecture, or a lecture and individual feedback on progress notes. A third group of residents in each program served as control. Notes were evaluated with the Physician Documentation Quality Instrument 9 (PDQI-9). Due to a significant difference in baseline PDQI-9 scores at MMC, the sites were not combined. Of 75 residents at the UK site, 22 were eligible, 20 (91%) enrolled, 76 notes in total were scored. Of 156 residents at MMC, 22 were eligible, 18 (82%) enrolled, 40 notes in total were scored. Note quality did not improve as measured by the PDQI-9. This educational quality improvement project did not improve the quality of clinical documentation as measured by the PDQI-9. This project underscores the difficulty in improving note quality. Further efforts should explore more effective educational tools to improve the quality of clinical documentation in the EHR.

Adaptive Waveform Correlation Detectors for Arrays: Algorithms for Autonomous Calibration

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

March 17, 2005. The seismic signals from both master and detected events are followed by infrasound arrivals. Note the long duration of the...correlation coefficient traces with a significant array -gain. A detected event that is co-located with the master event will record the same time-difference...estimating the detection threshold reduction for a range of highly repeating seismic sources using arrays of different configurations and at different

Middle Ear Pressures in Wind Instrument Musicians.

PubMed

Osborne, Max Sallis; Morris, Simon; Clark, Matthew P; Begg, Philip

2018-05-22

This study aimed to assess if playing wind instruments leads to a measurable increase in middle ear pressure during note generation and to provide evidence to clinicians to advise musicians undergoing middle ear surgery. An observational cohort study of 40 volunteers in 7 different wind instrument categories underwent tympanometry at rest and during note production. Community. Recreational musicians aged over 18 years recruited from the student body attending Birmingham University, UK. None. Tympanometry is used as a noninvasive measure of middle ear pressure. The pressure at which peak compliance occurred was taken as an indirect measure of middle ear pressure. The data produced at rest and during note production was statistically analysed with paired t testing and significance set at a p value less than 0.01. Overall a statistically significant increase in middle ear pressure change of 0.63 mm Hg (p = 0.0001) during note production was identified. Musicians playing the oboe and trumpet demonstrate the largest increase in middle ear pressure of 1.46 mm Hg (p = 0.0053) and 0.78 mm Hg (p = 0.0005) respectively. The data provided by this study gives evidence for the first time that playing wind instruments does increase middle ear pressure. Although the clinical significance of this is yet to be determined the authors would advise that musicians who undergo otological procedures should refrain from playing their instruments until full recovery has been achieved as advised by their clinician following direct microscopic review.

Experience affects immediate early gene expression in response to conspecific call notes in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

PubMed

Hahn, Allison H; Guillette, Lauren M; Lee, Daniel; McMillan, Neil; Hoang, John; Sturdy, Christopher B

2015-01-01

Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) produce numerous vocalizations, including the acoustically complex chick-a-dee call that is composed of A, B, C, and D notes. D notes are longer in duration and lower in frequency than the other note types and contain information regarding flock and species identification. Adult wild-caught black-capped chickadees have been shown to have similar amounts of immediate early gene (IEG) expression following playback of vocalizations with harmonic-like acoustic structure, similar to D notes. Here we examined how different environmental experiences affect IEG response to conspecific D notes. We hand-reared black-capped chickadees under three conditions: (1) with adult conspecifics, (2) with adult heterospecific mountain chickadees, and (3) without adults. We presented all hand-reared birds and a control group of field-reared black-capped chickadees, with conspecific D notes and quantified IEG expression in the caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) and caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). We found that field-reared birds that heard normal D notes had a similar neural response as a group of field-reared birds that heard playback of reversed D notes. Field-reared birds that heard normal D notes also had a similar neural response as birds reared with adult conspecifics. Birds reared without adults had a significantly reduced IEG response, whereas the IEG expression in birds reared with heterospecifics was at intermediate levels between birds reared with conspecifics and birds reared without adults. Although acoustic characteristics have been shown to drive IEG expression, our results demonstrate that experience with adults or normal adult vocalizations is also an important factor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methamphetamine Use by High School Students: Recent Trends, Gender and Ethnicity Differences, and Use of Other Drugs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oetting, Eugene R.; Deffenbacher, Jerry L.; Taylor, Matthew J.; Luther, Nathan; Beauvais, Fred; Edwards, Ruth W.

2000-01-01

Recent data on 9th-12th grade methamphetamine use (both lifetime and last month prevalence) are summarized. Since 1992 methamphetamine use has increased. There were no significant differences in use noted across school year. Males are more likely to use than females, although female use has also increased. Implications for research, prevention,…

Airport noise and teratogenesis.

PubMed

Edmonds, L D; Layde, P M; Erickson, J D

1979-01-01

It has been suggested that exposures to high-noise levels near major airports may cause increased incidence of birth defects in the offspring of parents residing near these airports. Using data gathered in Metropolitan Atlanta during 1970 to 1972, we compared the rates of seventeen categories of defects in high- and low-noise census tracts. No significant differences were observed. However, when we subdivided the category of central nervous system defects into several subcategories of specific defects, we noted a significantly increased incidence of spina bifida without hydrocephalus in the high-noise areas. Because the small number of cases associated with this finding we did a matched case-control study using all cases of central nervous system defects born during the years 1968 to 1976. No significantly increased risk for residents in the high-noise areas was noted in this study. It is our opinion that noise or other factors associated with residence near airports are unlikely to be important environmental teratogens.

Do Structural Equity Issues in Middle Schools Lead to Achievement Disparities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Chyrese S.

2012-01-01

Striking statistically significant differences were noted across school ranking conditions in terms of professional teacher preparation, organizational health variables, school leadership characteristics, academic emphasis, and resource support. The general conclusion of this study is that a strong correlation exists between structural equity…

Emotional Considerations in Spasmodic Dysphonia: Psychometric Quantification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannito, Michael P.

1991-01-01

This study examined emotional characteristics of 18 female spasmodic dysphonic subjects in comparison to matched normal controls across psychometric measures of depression, anxiety, and somatic complaints. Statistically significant differences were noted between groups for all measures and over half of the dysphonic subjects exhibited clinically…

Physical fitness of secondary school adolescents in relation to the body weight and the body composition: classification according to Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Part II.

PubMed

Chwałczyńska, Agnieszka; Jędrzejewski, Grzegorz; Lewandowski, Zdzisław; Jonak, Wiesława; Sobiech, Krzysztof A

2017-03-01

Underweight and obesity are important factors affecting the level of physical fitness. The aim of this study was to assess physical fitness of lower secondary school adolescents in relation to BMI. Two-hundred students, aged 14-16, were examined. Respondents were divided into 4 groups according to BMI classification. The body height and weight were determined. Physical fitness was assessed on the basis Zuchora's ISF tests. The body weight deficiency occurred in 3% of girls and 5% of boys, overweight was noted in 14% of both groups, and obesity in 6% and 12% accordingly. Statistically significant differences were determined in the components of physical fitness. They were noted in both genders between the group of children with standard body weight and overweight as well as obese children. Significant negative correlations were determined between and the components of physical fitness. More significant correlations giving evidence to the decrease of Zuchora's ISF score along with the increase of BMI were more significant in girls. Statistically significant differences between the boys and girls were determined in all five Zuchora's tests. The highest scores in physical fitness were achieved by the boys and girls with weight deficiency.

Physical fitness of secondary school adolescents in relation to the body weight and the body composition: classification according to World Health Organization. Part I.

PubMed

Chwałczyńska, Agnieszka; Jędrzejewski, Grzegorz; Socha, Małgorzata; Jonak, Wiesława; Sobiech, Krzysztof A

2017-03-01

Underweight and obesity are important factors affecting the level of physical fitness. The aim of this study was to assess physical fitness of lower secondary school adolescents in relation to BMI. Two-hundred students, aged 14-16, were examined. Respondents were divided into 4 groups according to BMI classification. The body height and weight were determined. Physical fitness was assessed on the basis Zuchora's ISF tests. The body weight deficiency occurred in 3% of girls and 5% of boys, overweight was noted in 14% of both groups, and obesity in 6% and 12% accordingly. Statistically significant differences were determined in the components of physical fitness. They were noted in both genders between the group of children with standard body weight and overweight as well as obese children. Significant negative correlations were determined between and the components of physical fitness. More significant correlations giving evidence to the decrease of Zuchora's ISF score along with the increase of BMI were more significant in girls. Statistically significant differences between the boys and girls were determined in all five Zuchora's tests. The highest scores in physical fitness were achieved by the boys and girls with weight deficiency.

"A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture": Correction to Kane et al. (2017).

PubMed

2018-04-01

Reports an error in "A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture" by Michael J. Kane, Bridget A. Smeekens, Claudia C. von Bastian, John H. Lurquin, Nicholas P. Carruth and Akira Miyake ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 2017[Nov], Vol 146[11], 1649-1674). In the article, the legends for Figure 2 and Figure 4 were erroneous. The correct figures are included in the errata. The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-48585-001.) A combined experimental-correlational study with a diverse sample (N = 182) from 2 research sites tested a set of 5 a priori hypotheses about mind wandering and learning, using a realistic video lecture on introductory statistics. Specifically, the study examined whether students' vulnerability to mind wandering during the lecture would predict learning from, and situational interest in, the video and also whether longhand note-taking would help reduce mind wandering, at least for some students. One half of the participants took notes during the video, and all were subsequently tested on lecture content without notes. Regression and mediation analyses indicated that (a) several individual-differences variables (e.g., pretest score, prior math interest, classroom media multitasking habits) uniquely predicted in-lecture mind wandering frequency; (b) although the note-taking manipulation did not reduce mind wandering at the group level, note-taking still reduced mind wandering for some individuals (i.e., those with lower prior knowledge and those who took notes of high quality and quantity); (c) mind wandering uniquely predicted both learning (posttest) and situational interest outcomes above and beyond all other individual-differences variables; (d) moreover, mind wandering significantly mediated the effects of several individual differences; and, finally, (e) not all types of mind wandering were problematic-in fact, off-task reflections about lecture-related topics positively predicted learning. These results, which were generally robust across the 2 sites, suggest that educationally focused cognitive research may benefit from considering attentional processes during learning as well as cognitive and noncognitive individual differences that affect attention and learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Analysis of the arterial anatomical variations of thyroid gland: anatomic guide for surgical neck dissection.

PubMed

Ray, B; Pugazhandhi, B; D'Souza, A S; Saran, S; Fasil, M; Srinivasa, R S

2012-01-01

Aim of this study was to establish preliminary data on the variations of arterial supply of thyroid gland in Karnataka population. The anterior triangles in the neck of formalin fixed cadavers were dissected. The length, branching pattern, number and length of branches of superior thyroid artery (STA) were noted. We measured the length of inferior thyroid artery (ITA) from its point of emergence from thyrocervical trunk (TCT) to lower pole of thyroid gland. The length of the external carotid artery (ECA), TCT from the point of its emergence to the point of its branching was noted. We noted the number of branches from ITA and TCT. Presence of any additional artery supplying the thyroid gland was searched for. Difference in the length of STA and ITA between the two sexes and sides were noted. Statistical analysis was done by Student's t-test. In our study the maximum length of STA was 5.34cm and that of ITA was 5.07cm and there were no statistically significant side-to-side differences in level of bifurcation. Observations of the present study on the course and branching pattern of arteries around thyroid gland will help in easier approach during thyroid surgeries and interventional techniques (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 38).

The Crossroads between Workforce and Education

PubMed Central

Jackson, Kathryn; Lower, Christi L.; Rudman, William J.

2016-01-01

Concern is growing among industry leaders that students may not be obtaining the necessary skills for entry into the labor market. To gain an understanding of the perceived disconnect in the skill set of graduates entering the health information workforce, a survey was developed to examine the opinions of educators and employers related to graduate preparedness. The concern related to graduate preparedness is supported by findings in this research study, in which those working in industry and those in academia noted a disconnect between academic training and preparedness to enter the labor market. A statistically significant difference was found between labor leaders and academics in their assessment of graduates' preparation in the areas of technical, communication, and leadership skills. Educators noted higher levels of preparedness of students with regard to professional and technical skills and leadership skills, while both educators and industry respondents noted a need for improved employability skills (e.g., communication skills and workplace etiquette). No difference was found between the two groups with regard to the need to increase apprenticeships and professional practice experience to cover this gap in formal training. Finally, when asked how the federal government might assist with preparing students, more than half of the respondents noted the importance of apprenticeships and funding for these opportunities. PMID:27134612

The Crossroads between Workforce and Education.

PubMed

Jackson, Kathryn; Lower, Christi L; Rudman, William J

2016-01-01

Concern is growing among industry leaders that students may not be obtaining the necessary skills for entry into the labor market. To gain an understanding of the perceived disconnect in the skill set of graduates entering the health information workforce, a survey was developed to examine the opinions of educators and employers related to graduate preparedness. The concern related to graduate preparedness is supported by findings in this research study, in which those working in industry and those in academia noted a disconnect between academic training and preparedness to enter the labor market. A statistically significant difference was found between labor leaders and academics in their assessment of graduates' preparation in the areas of technical, communication, and leadership skills. Educators noted higher levels of preparedness of students with regard to professional and technical skills and leadership skills, while both educators and industry respondents noted a need for improved employability skills (e.g., communication skills and workplace etiquette). No difference was found between the two groups with regard to the need to increase apprenticeships and professional practice experience to cover this gap in formal training. Finally, when asked how the federal government might assist with preparing students, more than half of the respondents noted the importance of apprenticeships and funding for these opportunities.

Peritoneal macrophage and blood monocyte functions after open and laparoscopic-assisted cecectomy in rats.

PubMed

Lee, S W; Feingold, D L; Carter, J J; Zhai, C; Stapleton, G; Gleason, N; Whelan, R L

2003-12-01

It has been well established that open abdominal surgery results in systemic immunosuppression postoperatively; in contrast, laparoscopic surgery is associated with significantly better preserved systemic immune function. However, when intraperitoneal (local) immune function is considered, laparoscopic procedures done under a CO2 pneumoperitoneum (pneumo) have been shown to result in greater immunosuppression compared to that of open surgery. Few studies have simultaneously assessed systemic and local immune function. The purpose of this study was to assess peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and peritoneal macrophage tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels, H2O2 production, and MHC class II antigen expression after open and laparoscopically assisted cecectomy in a rat model. A total of 75 Sprague Dawley rats were used for three separate experiments. For each study, rats were randomly divided into three groups: anesthesia alone (AC), laparoscopic-assisted cecectomy (LC), and open cecectomy via full laparotomy (OP). A CO2 pneumo was used for laparoscopic operations. On postoperative day 1 the animals were sacrificed, macrophages were harvested via intraperitoneal lavage, and PBMCs were isolated from whole blood obtained by cardiac puncture. In experiment 1, macrophages and PBMC from each animal were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, after which TNF-alpha levels of the supernatant were determined. In experiment 2, after stimulation with PMA, H2O2 release was assessed by measuring fluorescence. In experiment 3, via flow cytometry, the number of cells with surface MHC class II proteins were determined. Data from the three groups in each experiment were compared using analysis of variance Tukey-Kramer tests. Macrophages and PBMC from rats in the OP group released significantly more TNF-alpha than cells from rats in the LC ( p < 0.05) or AC ( p < 0.05) groups. Macrophages from rats in the OP group released significantly less H2O2 than cells from the AC ( p < 0.01) and LC ( p < 0.05) groups. There was no difference between the AC and LC results. No significant differences in PBMC H2O2 release were noted among any of the groups. OP group macrophages expressed significantly less MHC class II antigen than did AC group macrophages ( p < 0.05). No differences were noted among the LC results and either the OP or AC group's outcomes. No differences were noted in PBMC MHC class II expression among any of the groups. In all instances, the LC group's macrophage results were similar to the AC group's results. OC group macrophages produced significantly more TNF-alpha and less H2O2 than both the AC and LC groups. MHC class II protein expression was less for the OC group than for the AC group. OC group PBMCs produced more TNF-alpha. No differences in PBMC H2O2 release or MHC class II expression were noted. Laparoscopic methods better preserves the baseline values of the parameters studied.

Is cocaine use recognised as a risk factor for acute coronary syndrome by doctors in the UK?

PubMed Central

Wood, David M; Hill, Duncan; Gunasekera, Awini; Greene, Shaun L; Jones, Alison L; Dargan, Paul I

2007-01-01

Background Cocaine is a sympathomimetic agent that can cause coronary artery vasospasm leading to myocardial ischaemia, acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial infarction (ACS/AMI). The management of cocaine‐induced ACS/AMI is different to classical atheromatous ACS/MI, because the mechanisms are different. Methods Knowledge study—Junior medical staff were given a scenario of a patient with ACS and asked to identify potential risk factors for ACS and which ones they routinely asked about in clinical practice. Retrospective study—Retrospective notes reviews of patients with suspected and proven (elevated troponin T concentration) ACS were undertaken to determine the recording of cocaine use/non‐use in clinical notes. Results Knowledge study—There was no significant difference in the knowledge that cocaine was a risk factor compared to other “classical” cardiovascular risk factors, but juniors doctors were less likely to ask routinely about cocaine use compared to other “classical” risk factors (52.9% vs >90% ,respectively). Retrospective study—Cocaine use or non‐use was documented in 3.7% (4/109) and 4% (2/50) of clinical notes of patients with suspected and proven ACS, respectively. Discussion Although junior medical staff are aware that cocaine is a risk factor for ACS/AMI, they are less likely to ask about it in routine clinical practice or record its use/non‐use in clinical notes. It is essential that patients presenting with suspected ACS are asked about cocaine use, since the management of these patients is different to those with ACS secondary to “classical” cardiovascular risk factors. PMID:17488862

A Note on Comparing the Power of Test Statistics at Low Significance Levels.

PubMed

Morris, Nathan; Elston, Robert

2011-01-01

It is an obvious fact that the power of a test statistic is dependent upon the significance (alpha) level at which the test is performed. It is perhaps a less obvious fact that the relative performance of two statistics in terms of power is also a function of the alpha level. Through numerous personal discussions, we have noted that even some competent statisticians have the mistaken intuition that relative power comparisons at traditional levels such as α = 0.05 will be roughly similar to relative power comparisons at very low levels, such as the level α = 5 × 10 -8 , which is commonly used in genome-wide association studies. In this brief note, we demonstrate that this notion is in fact quite wrong, especially with respect to comparing tests with differing degrees of freedom. In fact, at very low alpha levels the cost of additional degrees of freedom is often comparatively low. Thus we recommend that statisticians exercise caution when interpreting the results of power comparison studies which use alpha levels that will not be used in practice.

Reexamining free flap breast reconstruction in the community and university setting: is there a difference?

PubMed

Nelson, Jonas A; Stransky, Carrie A; Fischer, John P; Fosnot, Joshua; Serletti, Joseph M; Wu, Liza C

2014-12-01

This study aimed to compare free flap breast reconstruction outcomes in community and university settings to determine whether the latter is necessary for successful performance of this complex procedure. Free tissue transfer procedures for breast reconstruction from 1 university and 1 community hospital performed between 2005 and 2011 were included. Procedures were performed by the same 2 surgeons at both institutions. Demographics and outcome measures were evaluated. Of the 1293 free tissue breast reconstructions performed, 99 (7.7%) were performed in a community hospital and 1194 (92.3%) were performed in a university center. No differences were noted in demographics, comorbidities, or type of free flap reconstruction. However, a number of perioperative characteristics differed. In the community setting, operative time was less (7.3 vs 8.3 hours, P < 0.0001), estimated blood loss was higher (330 vs 248 mL, P < 0.0001), and blood transfusions were more prevalent (24.6% vs 8.3%, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, no significant differences were noted in overall postoperative complications, although a higher rate of abdominal wound infections was noted in the community setting (7.2% vs 2.6%, P = 0.03). The mean number of hospital days was similar between the community and the university (should include value P = 0.44). Although slight differences were noted in a number of perioperative variables and wound complications, we conclude that the key to a successful free tissue transfer reconstruction is in the expertise of the surgeon and not the setting in which it is performed. Despite its complexity, free flap breast reconstruction can be safely and successfully performed in the community setting.

Effects of acute chlorpyrifos exposure on in vivo acetylcholine accumulation in rat striatum

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

Karanth, Subramanya; Liu, Jing; Mirajkar, Nikita

2006-10-01

This study examined the acute effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF) on cholinesterase inhibition and acetylcholine levels in the striatum of freely moving rats using in vivo microdialysis. Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with vehicle (peanut oil, 2 ml/kg) or CPF (84, 156 or 279 mg/kg, sc) and functional signs of toxicity, body weight and motor activity recorded. Microdialysis was conducted at 1, 4 and 7 days after CPF exposure for measurement of acetylcholine levels in striatum. Rats were then sacrificed and the contralateral striatum and diaphragm were collected for biochemical measurements. Few overt signs of cholinergic toxicity were noted inmore » any rats. Body weight gain was significantly affected in the high-dose (279 mg/kg) group only, while motor activity (nocturnal rearing) was significantly reduced in all CPF-treated groups at one day (84 mg/kg) or from 1-4 days (156 and 279 mg/kg) after dosing. Cholinesterase activities in both diaphragm and striatum were markedly inhibited (50-92%) in a time-dependent manner, but there were relatively minimal dose-related changes. In contrast, time- and dose-dependent changes in striatal acetylcholine levels were noted, with significantly higher levels noted in the high-dose group compared to other groups. Maximal increases in striatal acetylcholine levels were observed at 4-7 days after dosing (84 mg/kg, 7-9-fold; 156 mg/kg, 10-13-fold; 279 mg/kg, 35-57-fold). Substantially higher acetylcholine levels were noted when an exogenous cholinesterase inhibitor was included in the perfusion buffer, but CPF treatment-related differences were substantially lower in magnitude under those conditions. The results suggest that marked differences in acetylcholine accumulation can occur with dosages of CPF eliciting relatively similar degrees of cholinesterase inhibition. Furthermore, the minimal expression of classic signs of cholinergic toxicity in the presence of extensive brain acetylcholine accumulation suggests that some compensatory process(es) downstream from synaptic neurotransmitter accumulation limits the expression of toxicity following acute CPF exposure.« less

Inflammation role in sensory neuropathy in Chinese patients with diabetes/prediabetes.

PubMed

Zeng, Jing; Xu, Yalin; Shi, Yao; Jiang, Chenyin

2018-03-01

Prediabetes involves people with glucose-metabolism impairment, and is related to different diabetic complications, like peripheral neuropathy. We aimed to explore the relationship among inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFα]) and antiinflammatory (interleukin 10 [IL10]) cytokines as well as neuropathy of very distal-sensory-nerves in Chinese patients with prediabetes/diabetes. In the present study, 55 patients having prediabetes, 55 patients having type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and 48 controls were included. TNFα, HbA1c, and IL10 plasma levels were measured. Electrodiagnosis was conducted on dorsal-sural/medial-plantar sensory nerve, that is most distal feet sensory-nerves. Nerve conduction test (NCT) irregularities of dorsal-sural/medial-plantar sensory nerve were considerably greater in patients with prediabetes or diabetes. The means of TNFα levels demonstrated a significant increase in patients with diabetes when compared to prediabetes patients as well as controls showed a significant decrease in patients with prediabetes and diabetes contrasted with controls. No significant contrast with respect to serum biomarkers among patients having regular as well as irregular medial-plantar/dorsal-sural NCT was noted. Critical correlationship among TNFα as well as HbA1c with symptoms severity as well as disability while negative correlations of IL10 with neuropathy severity was noted. Biomarker levels of TNFα, IL10, and HbA1c were noted to differ significantly among patients without/with neuropathy. All in all, the proinflammatory phase appears to start from initial pre-clinical phases, sometime prior to advancement of diabetes. The higher neuropathy frequency in patients with prediabetes indicates conceivable causative impact; although, the prospective part of inflammation in pathogenetics of peripheral neuropathy requires more elucidation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Animation Cues on Vocabulary Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Norman C.; Cocks, Patricia

1999-01-01

Investigates effectiveness of animated cues in electronic books on children's vocabulary development. Notes that subjects were 15 third-grade students from a suburban elementary school who participated in a one-group pretest-posttest program evaluation. Finds significant differences favoring the posttest. Describes suggestions for using electronic…

Evaluation of changes to foot shape in females 5 years after mastectomy: a case-control study.

PubMed

Głowacka-Mrotek, Iwona; Sowa, Magdalena; Siedlecki, Zygmunt; Nowikiewicz, Tomasz; Hagner, Wojciech; Zegarski, Wojciech

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in foot shape of women 5 years after undergoing breast amputation. Evaluation of foot shape was performed using a non-invasive device for computer analysis of the plantar surface of the foot. Obtained results were compared between feet on the healthy breast side (F1) and on the amputated breast side (F2). 128 women aged 63.60 ± 8.83, 5-6 years after breast amputation were enrolled in this case-control study. Weight bearing on the lower extremity on the amputated breast side (F1) compared with the healthy breast side (F2) showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.01). Patients put more weight onto the healthy breast side. No statistically significant difference was found with regard to F1 and F2 foot length (p = 0.4239), as well as BETA (p = 0.4470) and GAMMA (p = 0.4566) angles. Highly statistically significant differences were noted with respect to foot width, ALPHA angle, and Sztriter-Godunov index-higher values were observed on the healthy breast side (p < 0.001). Highly statistically significant differences were also noted while comparing Clark's angles, higher values being observed on the operated breast side (p < 0.001). Differences in foot shape on the healthy breast side and amputated breast side constitute a long-term negative consequence of mastectomy, and can be caused by unbalanced weight put on feet on the healthy breast side compared to the amputated breast side.

Morphological Variations and Biometrics of Ear: An Aid to Personal Identification.

PubMed

Verma, Pradhuman; Sandhu, Harpreet Kaur; Verma, Kanika Gupta; Goyal, Sharry; Sudan, Madhu; Ladgotra, Amit

2016-05-01

The morphological characteristics and dimensions of external ear vary in different human ethnic races which can be utilized in forensics for personal identification of living or deceased. To determine uniqueness of morphological and biometric variations of both ears for individualization among North East (NE) and North West (NW) subpopulation of India. The study was conducted on randomly selected 80 students, 40 from each subgroup. Nine ear parameters were recorded twice using digital Vernier's caliper by single investigator and two indices (Ear Index and Lobule Index) were calculated for both the ears. Morphological ear shapes and lobule attachment were also noted. Pearson's coefficient correlation test was performed on cross-tabulations to evaluate significant relationship between different variables. Of the total 35% free and 65% attached ear lobes were noted in both population groups. Oval ear shape was most commonly noted followed by triangular, rectangular and round in both populations. On comparing anthropometric measurements of ears in two populations it was found that except the tragus length and lobule index all other values were noted more in NW population. No statistical difference was found in ear and lobular indices of males and females although the left ear index and lobule index were found to be higher than right in both populations except in NW females where right lobule index was recorded more than left. The results obtained can be used in anthropological and forensic sciences for the inclusion and exclusion of persons for identification on the basis of ear variations.

[Kennedy V Axis assessment in an Italian outpatient and inpatient population].

PubMed

Mundo, Emanuela; Bonalume, Laura; Del Corno, Franco; Madeddu, Fabio; Lang, Margherita

2010-01-01

Kennedy Axis V or K Axis acts is an alternative tool to the DSM-IVTR Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale, that many researchers describe as a scale with poor inter-rater reliability and clinical utility. Unlike the GAF scale, K Axis provides a multidimensional and multiaxial approach to measure personal, social and interpersonal functioning in psychiatric outpatients and inpatients. In this study, we examined K Axis's inter-raters reliability by using it with an Italian clinical population. Clinicians used Kennedy Axis V to assess global functioning among 180 inpatients, in 9 psychiatric services in Lombardia and Piemonte. Patients were divided into 4 different diagnostic groups, according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Intraclass correlations between two independent raters's scores reveal high level of interrater reliability for all K Axis scales (0,633 < ICC < 0,813). Highly significant results in the Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrate that the patient diagnosis influence all the scales scores. Significant differences in patients functioning profiles in all K Axis scales, apart from Violence one, were noted between different diagnosis groups. In this study high level of raters agreement was noted, even if K Axis scales were used in different mental health services from different clinicians. K Axis scales provide a useful profile of patient global functioning, in line with the specific pathology.

Age identity, social influence and socialization through physical activity in elderly people living in a nursing home.

PubMed

Prevc, Petra; Doupona Topic, Mojca

2009-12-01

Elderly people perceive their own ageing in very different ways and the aim of the present study was to explore age identity, the perception of "old age", the role of physical activity in the socialization of elderly people and social influences on physical activity in elderly people living in a nursing home. Questionnaires were answered by 75 nursing home residents (79 +/- 8 years old; 19 males, 56 females), coming from two different Slovenian regions. Subjective age ("felt age") was on average 5.5 years less than chronological age. Neither increasing chronological age nor subjective age was significantly correlated with a negative perception of health. Subjective age was neither correlated with any of the statements related to well-being and satisfaction with life. The importance of health in old age was confirmed by significant correlation of health status with perception of one's well-being and satisfaction with life. Interestingly, the age at which one perceives a person as having become old was not significantly related to one's own age. Nursing home residents in general associate old age with physical impairment and poor health. Slight differences between genders were noted; men grade retirement and communication difficulties with younger people as more prominent in old age. Interaction with other residents seems to be an important component of physical activity, as participants grade the importance of socializing during exercise quite highly; no significant differences between regions nor between men and women were noted. The social influence on physical activity did not differ significantly between genders and observed regions; the presence of negative social influence was relatively low. Furthermore, in the third period of life, physical activity plays an important socialization role and is, at the same time, influenced by the beliefs and ideas of the environment.

"Turn Up the Taste": Assessing the Role of Taste Intensity and Emotion in Mediating Crossmodal Correspondences between Basic Tastes and Pitch.

PubMed

Wang, Qian Janice; Wang, Sheila; Spence, Charles

2016-05-01

People intuitively match basic tastes to sounds of different pitches, and the matches that they make tend to be consistent across individuals. It is, though, not altogether clear what governs such crossmodal mappings between taste and auditory pitch. Here, we assess whether variations in taste intensity influence the matching of taste to pitch as well as the role of emotion in mediating such crossmodal correspondences. Participants were presented with 5 basic tastants at 3 concentrations. In Experiment 1, the participants rated the tastants in terms of their emotional arousal and valence/pleasantness, and selected a musical note (from 19 possible pitches ranging from C2 to C8) and loudness that best matched each tastant. In Experiment 2, the participants made emotion ratings and note matches in separate blocks of trials, then made emotion ratings for all 19 notes. Overall, the results of the 2 experiments revealed that both taste quality and concentration exerted a significant effect on participants' loudness selection, taste intensity rating, and valence and arousal ratings. Taste quality, not concentration levels, had a significant effect on participants' choice of pitch, but a significant positive correlation was observed between individual perceived taste intensity and pitch choice. A significant and strong correlation was also demonstrated between participants' valence assessments of tastants and their valence assessments of the best-matching musical notes. These results therefore provide evidence that: 1) pitch-taste correspondences are primarily influenced by taste quality, and to a lesser extent, by perceived intensity; and 2) such correspondences may be mediated by valence/pleasantness. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

“Turn Up the Taste”: Assessing the Role of Taste Intensity and Emotion in Mediating Crossmodal Correspondences between Basic Tastes and Pitch

PubMed Central

Wang, Sheila; Spence, Charles

2016-01-01

People intuitively match basic tastes to sounds of different pitches, and the matches that they make tend to be consistent across individuals. It is, though, not altogether clear what governs such crossmodal mappings between taste and auditory pitch. Here, we assess whether variations in taste intensity influence the matching of taste to pitch as well as the role of emotion in mediating such crossmodal correspondences. Participants were presented with 5 basic tastants at 3 concentrations. In Experiment 1, the participants rated the tastants in terms of their emotional arousal and valence/pleasantness, and selected a musical note (from 19 possible pitches ranging from C2 to C8) and loudness that best matched each tastant. In Experiment 2, the participants made emotion ratings and note matches in separate blocks of trials, then made emotion ratings for all 19 notes. Overall, the results of the 2 experiments revealed that both taste quality and concentration exerted a significant effect on participants’ loudness selection, taste intensity rating, and valence and arousal ratings. Taste quality, not concentration levels, had a significant effect on participants’ choice of pitch, but a significant positive correlation was observed between individual perceived taste intensity and pitch choice. A significant and strong correlation was also demonstrated between participants’ valence assessments of tastants and their valence assessments of the best-matching musical notes. These results therefore provide evidence that: 1) pitch–taste correspondences are primarily influenced by taste quality, and to a lesser extent, by perceived intensity; and 2) such correspondences may be mediated by valence/pleasantness. PMID:26873934

The effect of an acute ingestion of Turkish coffee on reaction time and time trial performance.

PubMed

Church, David D; Hoffman, Jay R; LaMonica, Michael B; Riffe, Joshua J; Hoffman, Mattan W; Baker, Kayla M; Varanoske, Alyssa N; Wells, Adam J; Fukuda, David H; Stout, Jeffrey R

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the ergogenic benefits of Turkish coffee consumed an hour before exercise. In addition, metabolic, cardiovascular, and subjective measures of energy, focus and alertness were examined in healthy, recreationally active adults who were regular caffeine consumers (>200 mg per day). Twenty males (n = 10) and females (n = 10), age 24.1 ± 2.9 y; height 1.70 ± 0.09 m; body mass 73.0 ± 13.0 kg (mean ± SD), ingested both Turkish coffee [3 mg · kg(-1) BW of caffeine, (TC)], and decaffeinated Turkish coffee (DC) in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over design. Performance measures included a 5 km time trial, upper and lower body reaction to visual stimuli, and multiple object tracking. Plasma caffeine concentrations, blood pressure (BP), heart rate and subjective measures of energy, focus and alertness were assessed at baseline (BL), 30-min following coffee ingestion (30+), prior to endurance exercise (PRE) and immediately-post 5 km (IP). Metabolic measures [VO2, V E , and respiratory exchange rate (RER)] were measured during the 5 km. Plasma caffeine concentrations were significantly greater during TC (p < 0.001) at 30+, PRE, and IP compared to DC. Significantly higher energy levels were reported at 30+ and PRE for TC compared to DC. Upper body reaction performance (p = 0.023) and RER (p = 0.019) were significantly higher for TC (85.1 ± 11.6 "hits," and 0.98 ± 0.05 respectively) compared to DC (81.2 ± 13.7 "hits," and 0.96 ± 0.05, respectively). Although no significant differences (p = 0.192) were observed in 5 km run time, 12 of the 20 subjects ran faster (p = 0.012) during TC (1662 ± 252 s) compared to DC (1743 ± 296 s). Systolic BP was significantly elevated during TC in comparison to DC. No other differences (p > 0.05) were noted in any of the other performance or metabolic measures. Acute ingestion of TC resulted in a significant elevation in plasma caffeine concentrations within 30-min of consumption. TC ingestion resulted in significant performance benefits in reaction time and an increase in subjective feelings of energy in habitual caffeine users. No significant differences were noted in time for the 5 km between trials, however 60 % of the participants performed the 5 km faster during the TC trial and were deemed responders. When comparing TC to DC in responders only, significantly faster times were noted when consuming TC compared to DC. No significant benefits were noted in measures of cognitive function.

Flavor lexicon for sensory descriptive profiling of different rice types.

PubMed

Limpawattana, M; Shewfelt, R L

2010-05-01

Rice flavor is a significant factor in determining quality and consumer acceptability as exemplified by scented rice, which is highly favored and commands a price premium. Sensory descriptive analysis has primarily been performed to assess rice flavor characteristics, but these studies feature only a limited lexicon for characterizing specific flavors or the range of flavor types is limited. This study was undertaken to establish a descriptive lexicon with reference standards for describing the flavor properties of a broad spectrum of rice types and use the developed lexicon to characterize which sensory attributes are most important in rice flavor quality. A rice flavor lexicon consisting of 24 descriptive notes was developed and expanded by 8 trained sensory panelists to characterize the flavor of cooked rice differing in terms of forms, types, and specialty (n = 36). Of these 24 descriptive terms, 19 were aromatic notes and 5 were fundamental tastes and oral feeling factors. Eighteen aromatic terms were significantly present in most rice samples whereas some descriptors exhibited unique characteristics of a specific-rice type. Subsequent multivariate analysis indicated that 18 descriptive terms were required to fully understand the characteristics of rice flavor in greater details. This lexicon covered a wider range of rice samples than in the previous studies and will facilitate targeting the characteristic notes important to rice processors as well as producers.

Anatomical Reproducibility of a Head Model Molded by a Three-dimensional Printer

PubMed Central

KONDO, Kosuke; NEMOTO, Masaaki; MASUDA, Hiroyuki; OKONOGI, Shinichi; NOMOTO, Jun; HARADA, Naoyuki; SUGO, Nobuo; MIYAZAKI, Chikao

We prepared rapid prototyping models of heads with unruptured cerebral aneurysm based on image data of computed tomography angiography (CTA) using a three-dimensional (3D) printer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anatomical reproducibility and accuracy of these models by comparison with the CTA images on a monitor. The subjects were 22 patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysm who underwent preoperative CTA. Reproducibility of the microsurgical anatomy of skull bone and arteries, the length and thickness of the main arteries, and the size of cerebral aneurysm were compared between the CTA image and rapid prototyping model. The microsurgical anatomy and arteries were favorably reproduced, apart from a few minute regions, in the rapid prototyping models. No significant difference was noted in the measured lengths of the main arteries between the CTA image and rapid prototyping model, but errors were noted in their thickness (p < 0.001). A significant difference was also noted in the longitudinal diameter of the cerebral aneurysm (p < 0.01). Regarding the CTA image as the gold standard, reproducibility of the microsurgical anatomy of skull bone and main arteries was favorable in the rapid prototyping models prepared using a 3D printer. It was concluded that these models are useful tools for neurosurgical simulation. The thickness of the main arteries and size of cerebral aneurysm should be comprehensively judged including other neuroimaging in consideration of errors. PMID:26119896

Improving medical students' written communication skills: design and evaluation of an educational curriculum.

PubMed

Melvin, L; Connolly, K; Pitre, L; Dore, K L; Wasi, P

2015-06-01

Written and verbal communication skills are important skills for all physicians. While verbal skills are taught and assessed in medical school, medical students report limited instruction in written communication skills. This study examined the impact of a curriculum delivered during a 6-week clinical rotation in Internal Medicine on the objective assessment of medical students' written communication skills. The curriculum consisted of two educational programmes: a medical student communication tutorial and a resident feedback workshop. The study was conducted from March 2012 to January 2013 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The study featured three arms: (1) control, (2) medical student communication tutorial alone and (3) student tutorial and resident feedback workshop. Data were collected on 126 students during 6-week Internal Medicine clerkship rotations. Students' written consultation notes were collected prior to the educational programmes and at 6 weeks. Blinded faculty assessors used an independently validated Assessment Checklist to evaluate consultation notes. Consultation note scores improved from week 1 to week 6 across all study arms. However, the change was statistically significant only in arm 3, featuring both the medical student tutorial and the resident feedback workshop, with mean scores improving from 4.75 (SD=1.496) to 5.56 (SD=0.984) out of 7. The mean difference between week 1 and week 6 was significantly different (0.806, p=0.002, 95% CI 0.306 to 1.058). The combination of a resident feedback workshop with medical student written communication tutorial improves objective evaluations of consultation note scores over student tutorial alone. 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 a shared, Intranet science learning environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Mary Jo

This study investigated the effects of a shared, Intranet science environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection. Seventy-eight subjects included 9th and 10th grade male and female biology students. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test data collection and randomization occurring through assignment of biology classes to traditional or shared, Intranet learning groups was employed. Pilot, web-based distance education software (CourseInfo) created the Intranet learning environment. A modified ecology curriculum provided contextualization and content for traditional and shared learning environments. The effect of this environment on problem-solving, was measured using the standardized Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test. Metacognitive reflection, was measured in three ways: (a) number of concepts used, (b) number of concept links noted, and (c) number of concept nodes noted. Visual learning software, Inspiration, generated concept maps. Secondary research questions evaluated the pilot CourseInfo software for (a) tracked user movement, (b) discussion forum findings, and (c) difficulties experienced using CourseInfo software. Analysis of problem-solving group means reached no levels of significance resulting from the shared, Intranet environment. Paired t-Test of individual differences in problem-solving reached levels of significance. Analysis of metacognitive reflection by number of concepts reached levels of significance. Metacognitive reflection by number of concept links noted also reach significance. No significance was found for metacognitive reflection by number of concept nodes. No gender differences in problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection emerged. Lack of gender differences in the shared, Intranet environment strongly suggests an equalizing effect due to the cooperative, collaborative nature of Intranet environments. Such environments appeal to, and rank high with, the female gender. Tracking learner movements in web-based, science environments has metacognitive and problem-solving learner implications. CourseInfo software offers one method of informing instruction within web-based learning environments focusing on academic behaviors. A shared, technology-supported learning environment may pose one model which science classrooms can use to create equitable scientific study across gender. The lack of significant differences resulting from this environment presents one model for improvement of individual problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection across gender.

Anthropometric Indices in Children With Refractory Epilepsy.

PubMed

Aminzadeh, Vahid; Dalili, Setila; Ashoorian, Yalda; Kohmanaee, Shahin; Hassanzadeh Rad, Afagh

2016-01-01

We aimed to assess the effect of body mass index (BMI) on reducing the risk of refractory seizure due to lipoid tissue factors. This matched case-control study, consisted of cases (Patients with refractory epilepsy) and controls (Healthy children) referred to 17 Shahrivar Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Guilan, Iran during 2013-2014. Data were gathered by a form including demographic characteristics, type of epilepsy, predominant time of epilepsy, therapeutic approach, frequency of epilepsy, time of disease onset and anthropometric indices. We measured anthropometric indices and transformed them into Z-scores. Data were reported by descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient, paired t test and multinomial regression analysis test using SPSS 19. There was no significant difference between sex groups regarding anthropometric indices. Generalized and focal types of epilepsies were noted on 57.5% and 38.75% of patients, respectively. Daytime epilepsies happened in 46.25% of patients and 33.75% noted no predominant time for epilepsies. Clinicians indicated poly-therapy for the majority of patients (92.5%). The most common onset times for epilepsies were 36-72 months for 32.5% of patients. Lower onset time indicated lower frequency of refractory epilepsies. Although, there was significant difference between Zheight and predominant time of epilepsies but no significant relation was found between types of epilepsies and frequency of epilepsies with anthropometric indices. Using multivariate regression analysis by backward LR, Zweight and birth weight were noted as the predicting factors of refractory epilepsies. This effect may be because of leptin. Therefore, researchers recommend further investigations regarding this issue in children with epilepsy.

One-year prospective comparison of vaginal pessaries and surgery for pelvic organ prolapse using the validated ICIQ-VS and ICIQ-UI (SF) questionnaires.

PubMed

Lone, Farah; Thakar, Ranee; Sultan, Abdul H

2015-09-01

Vaginal pessaries, pelvic floor exercises and surgery are treatment options for women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of pessaries and surgery in women with symptomatic POP using the validated International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Vaginal Symptoms (ICIQ-VS) and Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI) Short Form (SF). Women attending the Urogynecology clinics with symptomatic POP were recruited. All women were treated using either a vaginal pessary or surgery. Outcomes were evaluated and then compared at 1 year using the validated ICIQ-VS and ICIQ-UI (SF) questionnaires. A total of 287 women with symptomatic prolapse were recruited. 269 women completed the questionnaires at baseline and 183 at 1 year. At 1 year, improvement was noted in quality of life (QOL), frequency of urinary leak and vaginal symptoms in both groups except for the symptom of vaginal soreness in the pessary group and the symptom of a tight vagina in the surgery group. However, both these symptoms were not bothersome. Women who underwent surgery demonstrated an improvement in faecal evacuation and sex life. There was an overall statistically significant improvement in vaginal, sex, QOL and urinary symptom scores in both groups. No statistically significant difference was noted between the surgery and the pessary groups. Using validated questionnaires 1 year after treatment, women with symptomatic POP report improvement in vaginal, bowel, urinary and quality of life scores when treated with either pessary use or surgery. No statistically significant difference was noted in the two groups.

Aerobic Exercise as a Warm-up for Singing: Acoustic Impacts.

PubMed

McHenry, Monica A; Evans, Joseph

2017-07-01

In a previous work, it was found that a 30-minute aerobic workout significantly increased singers' sound pressure level and airflow during voicing, suggesting a shift to flow phonation. This companion study was designed to assess the impact of the same workout on pitch accuracy, vibrato rate, extent and regularity, and the singing power ratio. This study is a cohort experimental study. Twenty-two students in an academic vocal performance program participated. They performed an aerobic workout for 30 minutes. Before and after the workout, they sang the first seven notes of the "Star-Spangled Banner" on /pa/, producing seven /pa/s on the last note. The students then sang an ascending and descending scale to the ninth on "ah." The following measures were obtained from the "Star-Spangled Banner": pitch accuracy calculated on the seventh note ("by"); and vibrato rate, regularity, and extent, calculated on the most sustained sixth note ("see"). For the scale, the following measures were calculated from each note: pitch accuracy; vibrato rate, regularity, and extent; and the singing power ratio. There were no significant differences from pre- to postworkout across any measures. It appears that an aerobic workout positively impacts the respiratory driving force for voice production but does little for phonation. Critical for performance is the fine tuning and balancing across the respiratory, laryngeal, and resonance systems. It appears that this can only be achieved with vocalization exercises, facilitating coordination within and across the physiological systems involved in the complex art of bel canto. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

West Nile virus antibody prevalence in wild mammals, southern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Docherty, D.E.; Samuel, M.D.; Nolden, C.A.; Egstad, Kristina F.; Griffin, K.M.

2006-01-01

Twenty percent prevalence of West Nile virus antibody was found in free-ranging medium-sized Wisconsin mammals. No significant differences were noted in antibody prevalence with regard to sex, age, month of collection, or species. Our results suggest a similar route of infection in these mammals.

West Nile Virus Antibody Prevalence in Wild Mammals, Southern Wisconsin

PubMed Central

Docherty, Douglas E.; Nolden, Cherrie A.; Egstad, Kristina F.; Griffin, Kathryn M.

2006-01-01

Twenty percent prevalence of West Nile virus antibody was found in free-ranging medium-sized Wisconsin mammals. No significant differences were noted in antibody prevalence with regard to sex, age, month of collection, or species. Our results suggest a similar route of infection in these mammals. PMID:17326959

Awareness of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Indian women: An evaluation of Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale.

PubMed

Gopinathan, Nirmal Raj; Sen, Ramesh Kumar; Behera, Prateek; Aggarwal, Sameer; Khandelwal, Niranjan; Sen, Mitali

2016-01-01

The level of awareness about osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who are the common sufferers. This study aims to evaluate the level of awareness in postmenopausal women using the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS). Osteoporosis has emerged as a common health problem in geriatric population. A proactive role needs to be played for preventing its consequences. Before initiating any preventive measures, an evaluation of awareness level of the target population is necessary. The questionnaire-based study design was used for this study. A questionnaire (OHBS)-based study in 100 postmenopausal women in Chandigarh was conducted. The bone mineral density (BMD) was measured in each case by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were noted. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate any correlation between the various components of the OHBS and the BMD. No statistically significant difference was noted in the seven component parameters of OHBS among the normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic women suggesting that the health belief regarding susceptibility is not much different between the three groups of the study population. A statistically significant difference between the mean BMI of normal and osteoporotic population was noted. The results show that there is a great deficit in the awareness level of postmenopausal Indian women regarding osteoporosis. Most of the women were unaware of the condition and the means to prevent it. The study emphasizes that health care professionals have lot of ground to cover to decrease the incidence of osteoporosis and its associated health problem.

Interventions to increase physician efficiency and comfort with an electronic health record system.

PubMed

Jalota, L; Aryal, M R; Mahmood, M; Wasser, T; Donato, A

2015-01-01

To determine comfort when using the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and increase in documentation efficiency after an educational intervention for physicians to improve their transition to a new EHR. This study was a single-center randomized, parallel, non-blinded controlled trial of real-time, focused educational interventions by physician peers in addition to usual training in the intervention arm compared with usual training in the control arm. Participants were 44 internal medicine physicians and residents stratified to groups using a survey of comfort with electronic media during rollout of a system-wide EHR and order entry system. Outcomes were median time to complete a progress note, notes completed after shift, and comfort with EHR at 20 and 40 shifts. In the intervention group, 73 education sessions averaging 14.4 (SD: 7.7) minutes were completed with intervention group participants, who received an average of 3.47 (SD: 2.1) interventions. Intervention group participants decreased their time to complete a progress note more quickly than controls over 30 shifts (p < 0.001) and recorded significantly fewer progress notes after scheduled duty hours (77 versus 292, p < 0.001). Comfort with EHRs increased significantly in both groups from baseline but did not differ significantly by group. Intervention group participants felt that the intervention was more helpful than their standard training (3.47 versus 1.95 on 4-point scale). Physicians teaching physicians during clinical work improved physician efficiency but not comfort with EHRs. More study is needed to determine best methods to assist those most challenged with new EHR rollouts.

Overcoming learning barriers through knowledge management.

PubMed

Dror, Itiel E; Makany, Tamas; Kemp, Jonathan

2011-02-01

The ability to learn highly depends on how knowledge is managed. Specifically, different techniques for note-taking utilize different cognitive processes and strategies. In this paper, we compared dyslexic and control participants when using linear and non-linear note-taking. All our participants were professionals working in the banking and financial sector. We examined comprehension, accuracy, mental imagery & complexity, metacognition, and memory. We found that participants with dyslexia, when using a non-linear note-taking technique outperformed the control group using linear note-taking and matched the performance of the control group using non-linear note-taking. These findings emphasize how different knowledge management techniques can avoid some of the barriers to learners. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A polyphonic acoustic vortex and its complementary chords

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C.; Padgett, M. J.

2010-02-01

Using an annular phased array of eight loudspeakers, we generate sound beams that simultaneously contain phase singularities at a number of different frequencies. These frequencies correspond to different musical notes and the singularities can be set to overlap along the beam axis, creating a polyphonic acoustic vortex. Perturbing the drive amplitudes of the speakers means that the singularities no longer overlap, each note being nulled at a slightly different lateral position, where the volume of the other notes is now nonzero. The remaining notes form a tri-note chord. We contrast this acoustic phenomenon to the optical case where the perturbation of a white light vortex leads to a spectral spatial distribution.

Telephone vs. mail survey gives different SF-36 quality-of-life scores among cancer survivors.

PubMed

Buskirk, Trent D; Stein, Kevin D

2008-10-01

To assess whether SF-36 quality-of-life (QOL) subscale scores varied across two survey modes controlling for cancer type and diagnosis cohort. Stratified random samples of 720 cancer survivors from six cancer types and three time-since diagnosis cohorts were selected from two state cancer registries. Selected survivors were randomly assigned to mail, telephone, or choice of these for survey administration. This study analyzes completed questionnaires obtained from 140 and 155 survivors who were assigned to telephone and mail, respectively. A significant multivariate effect for survey mode was noted. Mean levels for each subscale controlling for age and accounting for cancer type were higher for telephone compared to mail respondents; significant differences were noted for vitality, role physical, and mental health. The impact of cancer type on QOL subscales was not significant, and the effect of mode was consistent across cancer type. Previous findings in mode effects for the SF-36 are reproduced here among cancer survivors who may feel more comfortable revealing physical and emotional deficits via mail rather than by telephone. For cancer survivors, it may be that "social desirability" favors responses implying more functioning be it perceived, mental, or physical.

Does the mind map learning strategy facilitate information retrieval and critical thinking in medical students?

PubMed

D'Antoni, Anthony V; Zipp, Genevieve Pinto; Olson, Valerie G; Cahill, Terrence F

2010-09-16

A learning strategy underutilized in medical education is mind mapping. Mind maps are multi-sensory tools that may help medical students organize, integrate, and retain information. Recent work suggests that using mind mapping as a note-taking strategy facilitates critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between mind mapping and critical thinking, as measured by the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), and whether a relationship existed between mind mapping and recall of domain-based information. In this quasi-experimental study, 131 first-year medical students were randomly assigned to a standard note-taking (SNT) group or mind map (MM) group during orientation. Subjects were given a demographic survey and pre-HSRT. They were then given an unfamiliar text passage, a pre-quiz based upon the passage, and a 30-minute break, during which time subjects in the MM group were given a presentation on mind mapping. After the break, subjects were given the same passage and wrote notes based on their group (SNT or MM) assignment. A post-quiz based upon the passage was administered, followed by a post-HSRT. Differences in mean pre- and post-quiz scores between groups were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, whereas differences in mean pre- and post-HSRT total scores and subscores between groups were analyzed using ANOVA. Mind map depth was assessed using the Mind Map Assessment Rubric (MMAR). There were no significant differences in mean scores on both the pre- and post-quizzes between note-taking groups. And, no significant differences were found between pre- and post-HSRT mean total scores and subscores. Although mind mapping was not found to increase short-term recall of domain-based information or critical thinking compared to SNT, a brief introduction to mind mapping allowed novice MM subjects to perform similarly to SNT subjects. This demonstrates that medical students using mind maps can successfully retrieve information in the short term, and does not put them at a disadvantage compared to SNT students. Future studies should explore longitudinal effects of mind-map proficiency training on both short- and long-term information retrieval and critical thinking.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide response in different categories of tuberculosis patients.

PubMed

Chakraborty, U; Goswami, A; Saha, S; Mukherjee, T; Dey, S K; Majumdar, S; Pal, N K

2013-04-01

To compare the magnitude of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and nitric oxide (NO) response in different categories of active tuberculosis (TB) patients by ex vivo experiment. New, relapsed (recurrent), miliary and pleural effusion TB cases were recruited with matched healthy controls. TNF-α and NO were measured from the culture supernatant of peripheral blood monocytes derived from cases and controls with and without challenge with live Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. TNF-α and NO production varied significantly among the different categories of TB patients. The magnitude was highest among patients with pleural effusion and lowest in miliary TB cases. In between, progressive decreases in response were noted in new and relapse cases. Overall, positive correlations between TNF-α and NO were noted among the diseased and healthy groups. Distinct TNF-α and NO levels appear to be associated with different clinical forms of TB and might help to assess prognosis and contribute to a better understanding of underlying immunopathological mechanisms.

The influence of prior training on GPs' attitudes to sickness absence certification post-fit note.

PubMed

Money, Annemarie; Hann, Mark; Turner, Susan; Hussey, Louise; Agius, Raymond

2015-09-01

Aim To investigate the attitudes to health and work of general practitioners (GPs) with training in occupational medicine (OM) compared with non-OM trained GPs, since the introduction of the fit note. Changes to the UK sickness certification system since 2010 and the introduction of the fit note required GPs to change their focus to what patients can do, rather than what they cannot do in relation to work. In an effort to reduce the UK sickness absence burden, GPs completion of the fit note should help to keep people in work, or assist patients to return to work as quickly as possible after a period of absence. Questionnaire data were collected via the 7th National General Practitioner Worklife Survey. Findings Results indicate that responses from GPs who had undertaken training in OM, and GPs having received some form of work and health training in the 12-month period before the study were associated with significantly more positive attitudes to patients' returning to work and to the fit note. This study reveals evidence of a difference between trained and non-trained GPs in their attitude to the fit note, and to work and health generally. Further work investigating the effect of specific training in OM on the management and recognition of ill-health by GPs is recommended.

Digital assist: A comparison of two note-taking methods (traditional vs. digital pen) for students with emotional behavioral disorders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rody, Carlotta A.

High school biology classes traditionally follow a lecture format to disseminate content and new terminology. With the inclusive practices of No Child Left Behind, the Common Core State Standards, and end-of-course exam requirement for high school diplomas, classes include a large range of achievement levels and abilities. Teachers assume, often incorrectly, that students come to class prepared to listen and take notes. In a standard diploma, high school biology class in a separate school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, five students participated in a single-subject, alternating treatment design study that compared the use of regular pens and digital pens to take notes during 21 lecture sessions. Behavior measures were threefold between the two interventions: (a) quantity of notes taken per minute during lectures, (b) quantity of notes or notations taken during review pauses, and (c) percent of correct responses on the daily comprehension quizzes. The study's data indicated that two students were inclined to take more lecture notes when using the digital pen. Two students took more notes with the regular pen. One student demonstrated no difference in her performance with either pen type. Both female students took more notes per minute, on average, than the three males regardless of pen type. During the review pause, three of the five students only added notes or notations to their notes when using the regular pen. The remaining two students did not add to their notes. Quiz scores differed in favor of the regular pen. All five participants earned higher scores on quizzes given during regular pen sessions. However, the differences were minor, and recommendations are made for specific training in note-taking, the pause strategy, and digital pen fluency which may produce different results for both note-taking and quiz scores.

To a Deeper Understanding of Loneliness amongst Older Irish Adults.

PubMed

Squires, Susan Elaine

2015-06-01

Loneliness can play a significant role in the wellbeing of older adults. This article describes a qualitative method for using case notes from the clinical records of older individuals in order to investigate the priority concerns spontaneously reported by older adults to deepen our understanding of both the context in which reported loneliness occurs in Ireland and the potential triggers. The participants in this study represent a cross-section of older adults who participated in the Technology Research for Independent Living Clinic (TRIL). Data were collected from participants through interviewer case notes at the TRIL centre in St James's hospital, Dublin. 624 participants (431 females; 193 males) ranging in age from 60-92 years (Mean 73 years, SD 7 years) took part in the study. All were community dwelling and provided consent. A thematic analysis from grounded theory was used to evaluate the case notes for each participant. Preliminary results highlight the richness of phenomenological experience to enhance our understanding of loneliness and provide an opportunity to better understand the precursors and variability that loneliness may take. In this study we found themes in the case note analysis linking social loneliness with self-imposed limitations on social engagement due to declining health while predominate themes for emotionally lonely focused on psychological issues of stress and anxiety associated with adverse life events. The results suggest the importance of case notes to inform clinical practice. Qualitative results provided insights into differing live events of older Irish adults, which help distinguish the causal differences between social and emotional loneliness.

Absolute Pitch: Effects of Timbre on Note-Naming Ability

PubMed Central

Vanzella, Patrícia; Schellenberg, E. Glenn

2010-01-01

Background Absolute pitch (AP) is the ability to identify or produce isolated musical tones. It is evident primarily among individuals who started music lessons in early childhood. Because AP requires memory for specific pitches as well as learned associations with verbal labels (i.e., note names), it represents a unique opportunity to study interactions in memory between linguistic and nonlinguistic information. One untested hypothesis is that the pitch of voices may be difficult for AP possessors to identify. A musician's first instrument may also affect performance and extend the sensitive period for acquiring accurate AP. Methods/Principal Findings A large sample of AP possessors was recruited on-line. Participants were required to identity test tones presented in four different timbres: piano, pure tone, natural (sung) voice, and synthesized voice. Note-naming accuracy was better for non-vocal (piano and pure tones) than for vocal (natural and synthesized voices) test tones. This difference could not be attributed solely to vibrato (pitch variation), which was more pronounced in the natural voice than in the synthesized voice. Although starting music lessons by age 7 was associated with enhanced note-naming accuracy, equivalent abilities were evident among listeners who started music lessons on piano at a later age. Conclusions/Significance Because the human voice is inextricably linked to language and meaning, it may be processed automatically by voice-specific mechanisms that interfere with note naming among AP possessors. Lessons on piano or other fixed-pitch instruments appear to enhance AP abilities and to extend the sensitive period for exposure to music in order to develop accurate AP. PMID:21085598

The effect of red cell and plasma transfusion on serum zinc and copper levels in the neonate.

PubMed

Lockitch, G; Godolphin, W J; Pendray, M R; Quigley, G

1983-11-01

Transfusion of packed red cells (15 to 20 ml/kg) in 11 preterm infants resulted in a slight increase in mean serum zinc levels on the 3rd post transfusion day but no effect was noted on serum copper levels. No significant difference was found between the changes in serum zinc in 141 paired specimens collected a week apart when zero, one, two or three packed cell transfusions were given in the intervening week. A slight decrease in the mean copper level was noted when one transfusion was given. Transfusion of fresh frozen plasma in six newborns with abdominal wall defects resulted in initial serum copper levels two to three times greater than the reference mean for newborns. No effect was noted on zinc levels. Serum copper results should be interpreted with caution in infants who have been transfused with plasma.

[Perinatal mortality in foreign workers (author's transl)].

PubMed

Höfling, H J; Jonas, R; Brusis, E; Lochmüller, H; Selbmann, H K; Holzmann, K; Zander, J

1975-03-01

From 1970 to 1972, there were 216 perinatal deaths among 5595 newborns at the I. Frauenklinik der Universität München. 54 of these deaths were children of foreign workers (so-called "Gastarbeiter"). The data have been processed on punch cards and analysed by a computer. The differences noted underwent significance testing by the CHI-Quadrat test. Only statistical significant results are published. The perinatal mortality in the above period shows no difference between foreign and German ward patients. There is, however, a significant lower perinatal mortality in private patients. We feel that this difference is due to a significant lower rate of prematures in the private patient group. The cocial status as well as higher interest and motivation in health resulting in better prenatal care are discussed as causal reasons for this fact.

Maternal note-taking and infant care: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kistin, Caroline J; Barrero-Castillero, Alejandra; Lewis, Sheilajane; Hoch, Rachel; Philipp, Barbara L; Bauchner, Howard; Wang, C Jason

2012-10-01

A pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted with postpartum mothers to assess the feasibility and impact of note-taking during newborn teaching. Controls received standard teaching; the intervention group received pen and paper to take notes. Subjects were called 2 days post-discharge to assess infant sleep position, breastfeeding, car seat use, satisfaction and information recall. 126 mothers were randomised. There was a consistent trend that intervention subjects were more likely to report infant supine sleep position (88% vs 78%, relative risks (RR) 1.13; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.34), breastfeeding (96% vs 86%, RR 1.11; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.25) and correct car seat use (98% vs 87%, RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.25). Satisfaction and information recall did not differ. Among first-time mothers, intervention subjects were significantly more likely to report infant supine sleep position (95% vs 65%, RR 1.46; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.00). Maternal note-taking is feasible and potentially efficacious in promoting desirable infant care.

Biosafety, risk assessment and regulation of plant-made pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Sparrow, Penelope A C; Twyman, Richard M

2009-01-01

The technology for plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs) has progressed significantly over the last few years, with the first commercial products for human use expected to reach the market by 2009 (see Note 1). As part of the 'next generation' of genetically modified (GM) crops, PMPs will be subject to additional biosafety considerations and are set to challenge the complex and overlapping regulations that currently govern GM plants, plant biologics (see Note 2) and 'conventional' pharmaceutical production. The areas of responsibility are being mapped out between the different regulatory agencies (Sparrow, P.A.C., Irwin, J., Dale, P., Twyman, R.M., and Ma, J.K.C. (2007) Pharma-Planta: Road testing the developing regulatory guidelines for plant-made pharmaceuticals. Transgenic Res., 2007), with specific guidelines currently being drawn up for the regulation of PMPs. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the biosafety (see Note 3), risk assessment (see Note 4) and regulation of this emerging technology. While reference will be made to EU regulations, the underlying principles of biosafety and risk assessment are generic to most countries.

Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study

PubMed Central

Yu, Hong

2017-01-01

Background Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients’ comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. Objective The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople’s perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas’ appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. Methods We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople’s perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. Results The distributions of both readability formulas’ scores (P<.001) and laypeople’s perceptions (P=.002) on the 2 genres were different. Correlations of readability predictions and laypeople’s perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different difficulty (P<.001). Word usage in the 2 related genres still differed significantly (P<.001). Conclusions Our findings suggested that the readability formulas’ predictions did not align with perceived difficulty in either text genre. The widely used readability formulas were highly correlated with each other but did not show adequate correlation with readers’ perceived difficulty. Therefore, they were not appropriate to assess the readability of EHR notes. PMID:28254738

Enhanced tissue factor pathway activity and fibrin turnover in the alveolar compartment of patients with interstitial lung disease.

PubMed

Günther, A; Mosavi, P; Ruppert, C; Heinemann, S; Temmesfeld, B; Velcovsky, H G; Morr, H; Grimminger, F; Walmrath, D; Seeger, W

2000-06-01

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP; n = 35), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, n = 41) and sarcoidosis (SARC, n = 48) were investigated for alterations in the alveolar hemostatic balance. Healthy individuals (n = 21) served as Controls. Procoagulant activity (PCA), tissue factor (TF) activity and F VII activity were assessed by means of specific recalcification assays. The overall fibrinolytic activity (FA) was measured using the (125)I-labeled fibrin plate assay. Fibrinopeptide A (FP-A), D-Dimer, plasminogen activators (PA) of the urokinase (u-PA) or tissue type (t-PA), PA-inhibitor I (PAI-1) and alpha2-antiplasmin (alpha2-AP) were determined by ELISA technique. As compared to Controls, all groups with interstitial lung disease (ILD) displayed an increase in BALF PCA by approximately one order of magnitude, and this was ascribed to enhanced TF activity by >98%. Accordingly, F VII-activity was increased in all ILD groups, and elevated FP-A levels were noted. There was no significant difference in procoagulant activities between the different ILD entities, but the increase in TF was significantly correlated with deterioration of lung compliance. Overall fibrinolytic activity did not significantly differ between ILD entities and Controls, although some reduction in IPF subjects was observed. Nevertheless, changes in the profile of the different pro- and antifibrinolytic compounds were noted. U-PA, but not t-PA levels were significantly reduced in all ILD groups. alpha2-AP was markedly elevated throughout, whereas PAI-1 levels were lowered. As a balance of

Multiple component patient safety intervention in English hospitals: controlled evaluation of second phase

PubMed Central

Benning, Amirta; Dixon-Woods, Mary; Nwulu, Ugochi; Ghaleb, Maisoon; Dawson, Jeremy; Barber, Nick; Franklin, Bryony Dean; Girling, Alan; Hemming, Karla; Carmalt, Martin; Rudge, Gavin; Naicker, Thirumalai; Kotecha, Amit; Derrington, M Clare

2011-01-01

Objective To independently evaluate the impact of the second phase of the Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Initiative (SPI2) on a range of patient safety measures. Design A controlled before and after design. Five substudies: survey of staff attitudes; review of case notes from high risk (respiratory) patients in medical wards; review of case notes from surgical patients; indirect evaluation of hand hygiene by measuring hospital use of handwashing materials; measurement of outcomes (adverse events, mortality among high risk patients admitted to medical wards, patients’ satisfaction, mortality in intensive care, rates of hospital acquired infection). Setting NHS hospitals in England. Participants Nine hospitals participating in SPI2 and nine matched control hospitals. Intervention The SPI2 intervention was similar to the SPI1, with somewhat modified goals, a slightly longer intervention period, and a smaller budget per hospital. Results One of the scores (organisational climate) showed a significant (P=0.009) difference in rate of change over time, which favoured the control hospitals, though the difference was only 0.07 points on a five point scale. Results of the explicit case note reviews of high risk medical patients showed that certain practices improved over time in both control and SPI2 hospitals (and none deteriorated), but there were no significant differences between control and SPI2 hospitals. Monitoring of vital signs improved across control and SPI2 sites. This temporal effect was significant for monitoring the respiratory rate at both the six hour (adjusted odds ratio 2.1, 99% confidence interval 1.0 to 4.3; P=0.010) and 12 hour (2.4, 1.1 to 5.0; P=0.002) periods after admission. There was no significant effect of SPI for any of the measures of vital signs. Use of a recommended system for scoring the severity of pneumonia improved from 1.9% (1/52) to 21.4% (12/56) of control and from 2.0% (1/50) to 41.7% (25/60) of SPI2 patients. This temporal change was significant (7.3, 1.4 to 37.7; P=0.002), but the difference in difference was not significant (2.1, 0.4 to 11.1; P=0.236). There were no notable or significant changes in the pattern of prescribing errors, either over time or between control and SPI2 hospitals. Two items of medical history taking (exercise tolerance and occupation) showed significant improvement over time, across both control and SPI2 hospitals, but no additional SPI2 effect. The holistic review showed no significant changes in error rates either over time or between control and SPI2 hospitals. The explicit case note review of perioperative care showed that adherence rates for two of the four perioperative standards targeted by SPI2 were already good at baseline, exceeding 94% for antibiotic prophylaxis and 98% for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. Intraoperative monitoring of temperature improved over time in both groups, but this was not significant (1.8, 0.4 to 7.6; P=0.279), and there were no additional effects of SPI2. A dramatic rise in consumption of soap and alcohol hand rub was similar in control and SPI2 hospitals (P=0.760 and P=0.889, respectively), as was the corresponding decrease in rates of Clostridium difficile and meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection (P=0.652 and P=0.693, respectively). Mortality rates of medical patients included in the case note reviews in control hospitals increased from 17.3% (42/243) to 21.4% (24/112), while in SPI2 hospitals they fell from 10.3% (24/233) to 6.1% (7/114) (P=0.043). Fewer than 8% of deaths were classed as avoidable; changes in proportions could not explain the divergence of overall death rates between control and SPI2 hospitals. There was no significant difference in the rate of change in mortality in intensive care. Patients’ satisfaction improved in both control and SPI2 hospitals on all dimensions, but again there were no significant changes between the two groups of hospitals. Conclusions Many aspects of care are already good or improving across the NHS in England, suggesting considerable improvements in quality across the board. These improvements are probably due to contemporaneous policy activities relating to patient safety, including those with features similar to the SPI, and the emergence of professional consensus on some clinical processes. This phenomenon might have attenuated the incremental effect of the SPI, making it difficult to detect. Alternatively, the full impact of the SPI might be observable only in the longer term. The conclusion of this study could have been different if concurrent controls had not been used. PMID:21292720

Comparison of Tibiofemoral Contact Mechanics After Various Transtibial and All-Inside Fixation Techniques for Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Radial Tears in a Porcine Model.

PubMed

Chung, Kyu Sung; Choi, Choong Hyeok; Bae, Tae Soo; Ha, Jeong Ku; Jun, Dal Jae; Wang, Joon Ho; Kim, Jin Goo

2018-04-01

To compare tibiofemoral contact mechanics after fixation for medial meniscus posterior root radial tears (MMPRTs). Seven fresh knees from mature pigs were used. Each knee was tested under 5 conditions: normal knee, MMPRT, pullout fixation with simple sutures, fixation with modified Mason-Allen sutures, and all-inside fixation using Fastfix 360. The peak contact pressure and contact surface area were evaluated using a capacitive sensor positioned between the meniscus and tibial plateau, under a 1,000-N compression force, at different flexion angles (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°). The peak contact pressure was significantly higher in MMPRTs than in normal knees (P = .018). Although the peak contact pressure decreased significantly after fixation at all flexion angles (P = .031), it never recovered to the values noted in the normal meniscus. No difference was observed among fixation groups (P = .054). The contact surface area was significantly lower in MMPRTs than in the normal meniscus (P = .018) and increased significantly after fixation at all flexion angles (P = .018) but did not recover to within normal limits. For all flexion angles except 60°, the contact surface area was significantly higher for fixation with Mason-Allen sutures than for fixation with simple sutures or all-inside fixation (P = .027). At 90° of flexion, the contact surface area was significantly better for fixation with simple sutures than for all-inside fixation (P = .031). The peak contact pressure and contact surface area improved significantly after fixation, regardless of the fixation method, but did not recover to the levels noted in the normal meniscus after any type of fixation. Among the fixation methods evaluated in this time 0 study, fixation using modified Mason-Allen sutures provided a superior contact surface area compared with that noted after fixation using simple sutures or all-inside fixation, except at 60° of flexion. However, this study had insufficient power to accurately detect the differences between the outcomes of various fixation methods. Our results in a porcine model suggest that fixation can restore tibiofemoral contact mechanics in MMPRT and that fixation with a locking mechanism leads to superior biomechanical properties. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychiatry and emergency medicine: medical student and physician attitudes toward homeless persons.

PubMed

Morrison, Ann; Roman, Brenda; Borges, Nicole

2012-05-01

The purpose of the study was to explore changes in medical students' attitudes toward homeless persons during the Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine clerkships. Simultaneously, this study explored attitudes toward homeless persons held by Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine residents and faculty in an attempt to uncover the "hidden curriculum" in medical education, in which values are communicated from teacher to student outside of the formal instruction. A group of 79 students on Psychiatry and 66 on Emergency Medicine clerkships were surveyed at the beginning and end of their rotation regarding their attitudes toward homeless persons by use of the Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory (HPATHI). The HPATHI was also administered to 31 Psychiatry residents and faculty and 41 Emergency Medicine residents and faculty one time during the course of this study. For Psychiatry clerks, t-tests showed significant differences pre- and post-clerkship experiences on 2 of the 23 items on the HPATHI. No statistically significant differences were noted for the Emergency Medicine students. An analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences on 7 out of the 23 survey questions for residents and faculty in Psychiatry, as compared with those in Emergency Medicine. Results suggest that medical students showed small differences in their attitudes toward homeless people following clerkships in Psychiatry but not in Emergency Medicine. Regarding resident and faculty results, significant differences between specialties were noted, with Psychiatry residents and faculty exhibiting more favorable attitudes toward homeless persons than residents and faculty in Emergency Medicine. Given that medical student competencies should be addressing the broader social issues of homelessness, medical schools need to first understand the attitudes of medical students to such issues, and then develop curricula to overcome inaccurate or stigmatizing beliefs.

What Predicts Skill in Lecture Note Taking?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peverly, Stephen T.; Ramaswamy, Vivek; Brown, Cindy; Sumowski, James; Alidoost, Moona; Garner, Joanna

2007-01-01

Despite the importance of good lecture notes to test performance, very little is known about the cognitive processes that underlie effective lecture note taking. The primary purpose of the 2 studies reported (a pilot study and Study 1) was to investigate 3 processes hypothesized to be significantly related to quality of notes: transcription…

College Student Drug Use: A Note on Some Correlates of Cessation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slappy, Charles A.

1985-01-01

A study of self-reported drug use by 433 undergraduates revealed significant differences between current and former users. Former users are less alienated, less likely to endorse drug use wholeheartedly, and less likely to condemn the law and legal institutions. Nonetheless, the attitudes of former users are closer to current users' than…

Exceptionally Gifted Children: Long-Term Outcomes of Academic Acceleration and Nonacceleration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Miraca U. M.

2006-01-01

A 20-year longitudinal study has traced the academic, social, and emotional development of 60 young Australians with IQs of 160 and above. Significant differences have been noted in the young people's educational status and direction, life satisfaction, social relationships, and self-esteem as a function of the degree of academic acceleration…

The Effect of Assessment Style on Student Epistemologies in Introductory Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Mark Ryan

2011-01-01

Epistemologies were measured across two separate lecture sections of introductory algebra-based physics at UC Davis. Remarkable differences in epistemologies, as measured by the MPEX II survey were noted with one section's students (section A) showing significantly better gains in almost all epistemological categories than the other (section…

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference. Computer and Communications Security Section. Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, Inc., Washington, DC.

In his paper, "European Needs and Attitudes towards Information Security," Richard I. Polis notes that the needs for security in computer systems, telecommunications, and media are rather uniform throughout Western Europe, and are seen as being significantly different from the needs in the United States. Recognition of these needs is,…

Treatment of Menorrhagia with Tranexamic Acid. A Double-blind Trial

PubMed Central

Callender, Shei La T.; Warner, G. T.; Cope, E.

1970-01-01

In a double-blind trial tranexamic acid (Cyclokapron) 1 g. four times a day for the first four days of menstruation, significantly decreased menstrual blood loss in women with menorrhagia for which no organic cause had been found. No difference in side-effects was noted between the active and placebo treatment. PMID:4919554

Calling behavior of spotted owls in Northern Arizona

Treesearch

Jospeh L. Ganey

1990-01-01

I studied the calling behavior of radio-tagged Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) in northern Arizona. Owls used a variety of calls, with three call types (Four-note Location Call, Contact Call, and Bark Series) accounting for 86% of calling bouts heard. These calls were used by both sexes, but in significantly different proportions....

Ethnic Differences in Self Poisoning: A Comparative Study between an Asian and White Adolescent Group.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biswas, Sheela

1990-01-01

Conducted retrospective case note study comparing various characteristics of self-poisoning between White (N=34) and Asian adolescents (N=38). Results showed "Culture Conflict" was implicated in slightly more Asian female self-poisonings as compared to males, Asian females used "non ingestants" significantly more than White…

Iron versus Copper II. Principles and Applications in Bioinorganic Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochiai, Ei-Ichiro

1986-01-01

Discusses the differences between iron and copper. Describes various aspects of the behaviors of these two elements, including those of biological and environmental significance. Addresses the evolution of the atmosphere and sedimentary ore formation, the phylogeny of iron and copper, and some anthropological notes regarding the use of the metals.…

[Protein content in urine of male and female water vole (Arvicola amphibious) at the period of spring growth and sexual maturation].

PubMed

Nazarova, G G; Proskurniak, L P

2012-01-01

The study was carried out on the captive bread water voles Arvicola amphibious kept in vivarium. At the first decade of January, March, and June, the body length and anogenital distance were measured, the body mass was determined, and urine was collected for determination of its protein content. The obtained results have shown that the protein content depends on sex of the animals and is connected with the reproductive status of males and their dimension-weight characteristics. The urinary protein excretion level in females remained stable at different months, whereas in males its sharp rise was noted at the period of spring growth and sexual maturation. The significant sexual differences were established in March and enhanced in June. In March the urine protein content in males was noted to correlate positively with the body mass and length and with the anogenital distance. The males reached sexual maturity at the earlier calendar terms than the females did; in sexually mature males the urine protein content was significantly higher than in the sexually immature ones.

A numerical exercise in musical scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, George C.

1987-03-01

This paper investigates why the 12-note scale, having equal intervals, seems to be the best representation of scales constructed from purely harmonic intervals. Is it possible that other equal temperament scales with more or less than 12 notes would serve just as well? The investigation is done by displaying the difference between a set of harmonic notes and scales with equal intervals having n notes per octave. The difference is small when n is equal to 12, but also when n equals 19 and 29. The number density of notes per unit frequency intervals is also investigated.

In vitro effect of chlorhexidine gel on torque and detorque values of implant abutment screw.

PubMed

Asli, Hamid Neshandar; Saberi, Bardia Vadiati; Fatemi, Arezoo Sadat

2017-01-01

Use of chlorhexidine (CHX) gel to eliminate the malodor of implant cavity may decrease the friction coefficient and effective preload and result in abutment screw loosening. This study aimed to assess the effect of CHX gel on the preload, torque, and detorque values. This in vitro experimental study was conducted on three groups of five implants. Group A (G1) was the control group and no material was applied to the implant cavity. In Group B (G2), implant cavity was filled with saliva before abutment screw tightening. In Group C (G3), implant cavity was first filled with saliva and then with CHX gel. The abutments were torqued to 24 N/cm2 according to the manufacturer's instructions and were then loosened. These processes were repeated five times. The ratio of the mean percentage of detorque to torque values was measured in all groups. The collected data were analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test. No significant difference was noted between G1 and G2. Group G2 had significantly higher detorque value (p < 0.05). ANOVA detected a significant difference in the mean torque (p < 0.05) and detorque (p < 0.001) values among the three groups. G3 showed maximum difference between torque and detorque values; the minimum difference was noted in G2. Application of CHX gel (to decrease the malodor of the implant cavity) decreases the detorque and preload values and increases the risk of screw loosening.

Correlation of the health-promoting lifestyle, enrollment level, and academic performance of College of Nursing students in Kuwait.

PubMed

Al-Kandari, Fatimah; Vidal, Victoria L

2007-06-01

This descriptive study of 224 nursing students assessed their health-promoting lifestyle profile and correlated it with the levels of enrollment in nursing courses and academic performance. The health-promoting lifestyle profile was measured by Walker's Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile II instrument. Academic performance was measured by assessing the nursing grade point average and general grade point average of the students. The students had positive health-promoting lifestyles with significant differences noted between males and females in the overall profile, physical activity, interpersonal relations, and stress management. Sociodemographic variables, such as age, nationality, and marital status, but not income, showed an association with students' health-promoting lifestyles. A significant correlation was noted between students' nursing enrollment and level of health responsibility. No significant correlation was established between a health-promoting lifestyle and academic performance. This study poses a challenge for nurse educators to provide an effective environment to maximize students' potential to be future vanguards of health.

Blind separation of overlapping partials in harmonic musical notes using amplitude and phase reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de León, Jesús Ponce; Beltrán, José Ramón

2012-12-01

In this study, a new method of blind audio source separation (BASS) of monaural musical harmonic notes is presented. The input (mixed notes) signal is processed using a flexible analysis and synthesis algorithm (complex wavelet additive synthesis, CWAS), which is based on the complex continuous wavelet transform. When the harmonics from two or more sources overlap in a certain frequency band (or group of bands), a new technique based on amplitude similarity criteria is used to obtain an approximation to the original partial information. The aim is to show that the CWAS algorithm can be a powerful tool in BASS. Compared with other existing techniques, the main advantages of the proposed algorithm are its accuracy in the instantaneous phase estimation, its synthesis capability and that the only input information needed is the mixed signal itself. A set of synthetically mixed monaural isolated notes have been analyzed using this method, in eight different experiments: the same instrument playing two notes within the same octave and two harmonically related notes (5th and 12th intervals), two different musical instruments playing 5th and 12th intervals, two different instruments playing non-harmonic notes, major and minor chords played by the same musical instrument, three different instruments playing non-harmonically related notes and finally the mixture of a inharmonic instrument (piano) and one harmonic instrument. The results obtained show the strength of the technique.

The perceived value of clinical pharmacy service provision by pharmacists and physicians: an initial assessment of family medicine and internal medicine providers.

PubMed

Wietholter, Jon P; Ponte, Charles D; Long, Dustin M

2017-10-01

Few publications have addressed the perceptions of pharmacists and physicians regarding the value of clinical pharmacist services. A survey-based study was conducted to determine whether Internal Medicine (IM) and Family Medicine (FM) pharmacists and physicians differed in their attitudes regarding the benefits of collaboration in an acute care setting. The primary objective was to evaluate perceived differences regarding self-assessment of value between IM and FM pharmacists. The secondary objective was to evaluate perceived differences of clinical pharmacist benefit between IM and FM physicians. An eight-item questionnaire assessed the attitudes and beliefs of pharmacists and physicians regarding the value of clinical pharmacy services. Surveys were emailed and participants marked their responses using a 7-point Likert scale for each item. Demographic data and overall comments were collected from each participant. Overall, 167 surveys were completed. When comparing cumulative physician and pharmacist responses, none of the eight questions showed significant differences. Statistically significant differences were noted when comparing IM and FM clinical pharmacists on five of the eight survey items; for each of these items, FM pharmacists had more favourable perceptions than their IM counterparts. No statistically significant differences were noted when comparing responses of IM and FM physicians. This study found that FM pharmacists perceived a greater benefit regarding participation in inpatient acute care rounds when compared to their IM pharmacist counterparts. Future studies are necessary to determine if other medical specialties' perceptions of clinical pharmacy provision differ from our findings and to evaluate the rationale behind specific attitudes and behaviours. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

A Comparison of Student Understanding of Seasons Using Inquiry and Didactic Teaching Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashcraft, Paul G.

2006-02-01

Student performance on open-ended questions concerning seasons in a university physical science content course was examined to note differences between classes that experienced inquiry using a 5-E lesson planning model and those that experienced the same content with a traditional, didactic lesson. The class examined is a required content course for elementary education majors and understanding the seasons is part of the university's state's elementary science standards. The two self-selected groups of students showed no statistically significant differences in pre-test scores, while there were statistically significant differences between the groups' post-test scores with those who participated in inquiry-based activities scoring higher. There were no statistically significant differences between the pre-test and the post-test for the students who experienced didactic teaching, while there were statistically significant improvements for the students who experienced the 5-E lesson.

Spatial, temporal, molecular, and intraspecific differences of haemoparasite infection and relevant selected physiological parameters of wild birds in Georgia, USA☆

PubMed Central

Astudillo, Viviana González; Hernández, Sonia M.; Kistler, Whitney M.; Boone, Shaun L.; Lipp, Erin K.; Shrestha, Sudip; Yabsley, Michael J.

2013-01-01

The prevalence of five avian haemoparasite groups was examined for effects on health and associations with extrinsic factors. Overall, 786 samples were examined from six sites in two Georgia (USA) watersheds, during breeding and non-breeding periods in 2010 and 2011. Among the four most commonly infected species, Haemoproteus prevalence was significantly higher in Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) compared to Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) and Tufted Titmice (Baeolophus bicolor) while prevalence in White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) was significantly higher than in Indigo Buntings. Higher prevalence of Plasmodium was noted in Tufted Titmice and Northern Cardinals. While Leucocytozoon prevalence was highest in White-throated Sparrows, Trypanosoma prevalence was highest in Tufted Titmice. Interesting differences in infection probabilities were noted between foraging guilds with Haemoproteus associated with low-middle level strata and birds in the middle-upper strata were more likely to be infected with Plasmodium and Trypanosoma. In contrast, ground-foraging birds were more likely to be infected with Leucocytozoon. Breeding season was correlated with higher polychromasia counts and higher prevalence of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Trypanosoma. In addition, prevalence of infection with certain haemoparasite genera and packed cell volume (PCV) were different among host species. Body mass index was inversely correlated with prevalence of microfilaria infection but positively related to Haemoproteus infection. However, we found no relationship between PCV or polychromasia levels with haemoparasite infection. Molecular characterization of 61 samples revealed 19 unique Haemoproteus (n = 7) and Plasmodium (n = 12) haplotypes with numerous new host records. No differences were noted in haplotype diversity among birds with different migratory behaviors or foraging heights, thus additional studies are needed that incorporate molecular analysis, host biology, and vector biology into comprehensive models on parasite ecology. Detailed morphological examination of these parasites is also necessary to determine if closely related haplotypes represent single species or morphologically distinct, but closely related, haplotypes. PMID:24533333

Environmental surveys during operation and following removal of the OTEC-1 system off Keahole Point, Hawaii. Final report, January-April 1981

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

Noda, E.K.; Bienfang, P.K.; Kimmerer, W.J.

1981-09-01

Detailed are two biological chemical cruises off Keahole Point, Hawaii, which took place during (HOTEC-11, January 1981) and immediately after cessation (HOTEC-12, April 1981) of operation of OTEC-1. The objectives of the study were to: (1) compare site specific data taken before OTEC-1 was operating to data taken after OTEC-1 left the site; and (2) perform an analysis of OTEC environmental effects to indicate areas in which future sampling efforts might be expended. Data from temperature, nutrient, phytoplankton and zooplankton analyses taken immediately after OTEC-1 left the site show only minor differences with data taken before OTEC-1 occupied the sitemore » (HOTEC-01-06, MSG-82-013). The differences were not significant, and therefore, OTEC-1 had no demonstrable post-operational impacts on these environmental variables. From temperature records the minimum /sup 0/T between surface waters (0-30 m) and 700 m water was about 18/sup 0/C. There was no demonstrable temperature effect due to operation of OTEC-1. Significant increases in near surface water (0 to 70 m) nitrate concentrations were noted at Station 1 (Control) during OTEC-1 operations; while after shut-down no effect was seen. This effect can not be directly attributed to OTEC-1. Increased chlorophyll a standing stock downstream of OTEC-1 indicated some effect of OTEC-1. No toxic effect was noted and primary productivity rates were the same at all stations. The chlorophyll a biomass in the < 5 ..mu..m size fraction was significantly higher at the downstream station. No effect on zooplankton were noted at any station. Abundance of ichthytoplankton taxa are reported but there is insufficient data to perform an analysis.« less

Changes in salivary testosterone concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance following the presentation of short video clips.

PubMed

Cook, Christian J; Crewther, Blair T

2012-01-01

Previous studies have shown that visual images can produce rapid changes in testosterone concentrations. We explored the acute effects of video clips on salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance in highly trained male athletes (n=12). Saliva samples were collected on 6 occasions immediately before and 15 min after watching a brief video clip (approximately 4 min in duration) on a computer screen. The watching of a sad, erotic, aggressive, training motivational, humorous or a neutral control clip was randomised. Subjects then performed a squat workout aimed at producing a 3 repetition maximum (3RM) lift. Significant (P<0.001) relative (%) increases in testosterone concentrations were noted with watching the erotic, humorous, aggressive and training videos (versus control and sad), with testosterone decreasing significantly (versus control) after the sad clip. The aggressive video also produced an elevated cortisol response (% change) and more so than the control and humorous videos (P<0.001). A significant (P<0.003) improvement in 3RM performance was noted after the erotic, aggressive and training clips (versus control). A strong within-individual correlation (mean r=0.85) was also noted between the relative changes in testosterone and the 3RM squats across all video sessions (P<0.001). In conclusion, different video clips were associated with different changes in salivary free hormone concentrations and the relative changes in testosterone closely mapped 3RM squat performance in a group of highly trained males. Thus, speculatively, using short video presentations in the pre-workout environment offers an opportunity for understanding the outcomes of hormonal change, athlete behaviour and subsequent voluntary performance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

4G/5G plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and -308 A/G tumor necrosis factor-α promoter gene polymorphisms in Argentinean lupus patients: focus on lupus nephritis.

PubMed

Muñoz, Sebastián Andrés; Aranda, Federico; Allievi, Alberto; Orden, Alberto Omar; Perés Wingeyer, Silvia; Trobo, Rosana; Alvarez, Analía; Eimon, Alicia; Barreira, Juan Carlos; Schneeberger, Emilce; Dal Pra, Fernando; Sarano, Judith; Hofman, Julio; Chamorro, Julián; de Larrañaga, Gabriela

2014-02-01

We investigated the relationship between the 4G/5G plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and -308 A/G tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) polymorphisms and the clinical and biochemical features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an Argentinean patient cohort. A total of 402 patients were studied, including 179 SLE patients and 223 healthy individuals. PCR-RLFP was used to determine the genotypes of the 4G/5G PAI-1 and -308 A/G TNF-α polymorphisms. SLE patients with lupus nephritis (LN) (n = 86) were compared with patients without LN (n = 93). Additionally, LN patients were divided into proliferative LN and non-proliferative LN groups according to the results of the renal biopsies. No significant differences were noted in the genotype distributions or allele frequencies of these TNF-α and PAI-1 polymorphisms between SLE patients and controls. There were higher numbers of criteria for SLE, more lupus flares and higher damage scores in LN patients, but there were similar frequencies of anti-phospholipid antibody (APA) positivity and anti-phospholipid syndrome. No significant difference was noted for any studied variable between the proliferative LN and non-proliferative LN groups except for the presence of APA. We found no significant differences in the TNF-α and PAI-1 genotype distributions or allele frequencies between groups. We found that the -308 A/G TNF-α and 4G/5G PAI-1 polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to SLE in an Argentinean population. We also did not find any association between the presence of any specific allele or genotype and the development of LN in SLE patients. Finally, no association was noted between either of the two polymorphisms and the severity of renal disease.

Are lexical tones musical? Native language's influence on neural response to pitch in different domains.

PubMed

Chen, Ao; Peter, Varghese; Wijnen, Frank; Schnack, Hugo; Burnham, Denis

2018-04-21

Language experience shapes musical and speech pitch processing. We investigated whether speaking a lexical tone language natively modulates neural processing of pitch in language and music as well as their correlation. We tested tone language (Mandarin Chinese), and non-tone language (Dutch) listeners in a passive oddball paradigm measuring mismatch negativity (MMN) for (i) Chinese lexical tones and (ii) three-note musical melodies with similar pitch contours. For lexical tones, Chinese listeners showed a later MMN peak than the non-tone language listeners, whereas for MMN amplitude there were no significant differences between groups. Dutch participants also showed a late discriminative negativity (LDN). In the music condition two MMNs, corresponding to the two notes that differed between the standard and the deviant were found for both groups, and an LDN were found for both the Dutch and the Chinese listeners. The music MMNs were significantly right lateralized. Importantly, significant correlations were found between the lexical tone and the music MMNs for the Dutch but not the Chinese participants. The results suggest that speaking a tone language natively does not necessarily enhance neural responses to pitch either in language or in music, but that it does change the nature of neural pitch processing: non-tone language speakers appear to perceive lexical tones as musical, whereas for tone language speakers, lexical tones and music may activate different neural networks. Neural resources seem to be assigned differently for the lexical tones and for musical melodies, presumably depending on the presence or absence of long-term phonological memory traces. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of glycemic effects of glimepiride, repaglinide, and insulin glargine in type 2 diabetes mellitus during Ramadan fasting.

PubMed

Cesur, Mustafa; Corapcioglu, Demet; Gursoy, Alptekin; Gonen, Sait; Ozduman, Mine; Emral, Rifat; Uysal, Ali Riza; Tonyukuk, Vedia; Yilmaz, Arif Ender; Bayram, Fahri; Kamel, Nuri

2007-02-01

Although diabetics may be exempted from Ramadan fasting, many patients still insist on this worship. Aim of the present study is to compare the effects of glimepiride, repaglinide, and insulin glargine in type 2 diabetics during Ramadan fasting on the glucose metabolism. Patients, who were willing to fast, were treated with glimepiride (n=21), repaglinide (n=18), and insulin glargine (n=10). Sixteen non-fasting control type 2 diabetics matched for age, sex, and body mass index were also included. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), post-prandial blood glucose (PBG), HbA1c, and fructosamine as well as lipid metabolism were evaluated in pre-Ramadan, post-Ramadan, and 1-month post-Ramadan time points. There was no significant change from pre-Ramadan in FBG, PBG, and HbA1c variables in fasting diabetics at post-Ramadan and 1-month post-Ramadan. However, PBG was found higher in non-fasting control diabetics at post-Ramadan and 1-month post-Ramadan (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively). In fructosamine levels, a significant increase was noted both in fasting group and non-fasting group at 1-month post-Ramadan (p<0.01 for all). However, no significant difference was found in the comparison of the changes in fructosamine levels between fasting group and non-fasting group. Risk of hypoglycemia did not significantly differ between fasting and non-fasting diabetics. There was no significant difference between three drug therapies regarding glucose metabolism and rate of hypoglycemia. No adverse effects on plasma lipids were noted in fasting diabetics. In this fasting sample of patients with type 2 diabetes, glimepiride, repaglinide, and insulin glargine did not produce significant changes in glucose and lipid parameters.

Ethical Dilemmas in Office Practice: Physician Response and Rationale

PubMed Central

Secundy, Marian Gray

1985-01-01

A survey of black and white family physicians in the District of Columbia is described. The survey provides insight into decision-making processes and the ability to recognize ethical dilemmas in medical practice. Comments were elicited to hypothetical case vignettes typical of ethical conflict in office practice. Findings note physician ability to recognize ethical dilemmas in day-to-day aspects of medical practice. Methods of decision making and rationale for decisions made, however, appear to be inconsistent, nonuniversal, and individualistic without evidence of specific models or criteria. No significant differences were noted between black and white physicians. The need in physician training for clarification and development of criteria is evident. PMID:4078929

A randomized comparison of laparoscopic, flexible endoscopic, and wired and wireless magnetic cameras on ex vivo and in vivo NOTES surgical performance.

PubMed

Chang, Victoria C; Tang, Shou-Jiang; Swain, C Paul; Bergs, Richard; Paramo, Juan; Hogg, Deborah C; Fernandez, Raul; Cadeddu, Jeffrey A; Scott, Daniel J

2013-08-01

The influence of endoscopic video camera (VC) image quality on surgical performance has not been studied. Flexible endoscopes are used as substitutes for laparoscopes in natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), but their optics are originally designed for intralumenal use. Manipulable wired or wireless independent VCs might offer advantages for NOTES but are still under development. To measure the optical characteristics of 4 VC systems and to compare their impact on the performance of surgical suturing tasks. VC systems included a laparoscope (Storz 10 mm), a flexible endoscope (Olympus GIF 160), and 2 prototype deployable cameras (magnetic anchoring and guidance system [MAGS] Camera and PillCam). In a randomized fashion, the 4 systems were evaluated regarding standardized optical characteristics and surgical manipulations of previously validated ex vivo (fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery model) and in vivo (live porcine Nissen model) tasks; objective metrics (time and errors/precision) and combined surgeon (n = 2) performance were recorded. Subtle differences were detected for color tests, and field of view was variable (65°-115°). Suitable resolution was detected up to 10 cm for the laparoscope and MAGS camera but only at closer distances for the endoscope and PillCam. Compared with the laparoscope, surgical suturing performances were modestly lower for the MAGS camera and significantly lower for the endoscope (ex vivo) and PillCam (ex vivo and in vivo). This study documented distinct differences in VC systems that may be used for NOTES in terms of both optical characteristics and surgical performance. Additional work is warranted to optimize cameras for NOTES. Deployable systems may be especially well suited for this purpose.

The First Call Note Plays a Crucial Role in Frog Vocal Communication.

PubMed

Yue, Xizi; Fan, Yanzhu; Xue, Fei; Brauth, Steven E; Tang, Yezhong; Fang, Guangzhan

2017-08-31

Vocal Communication plays a crucial role in survival and reproductive success in most amphibian species. Although amphibian communication sounds are often complex consisting of many temporal features, we know little about the biological significance of each temporal component. The present study examined the biological significance of notes of the male advertisement calls of the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina) using the optimized electroencephalogram (EEG) paradigm of mismatch negativity (MMN). Music frog calls generally contain four to six notes separated approximately by 150 millisecond intervals. A standard stimulus (white noise) and five deviant stimuli (five notes from one advertisement call) were played back to each subject while simultaneously recording multi-channel EEG signals. The results showed that the MMN amplitude for the first call note was significantly larger than for that of the others. Moreover, the MMN amplitudes evoked from the left forebrain and midbrain were typically larger than those from the right counterpart. These results are consistent with the ideas that the first call note conveys more information than the others for auditory recognition and that there is left-hemisphere dominance for processing information derived from conspecific calls in frogs.

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

Lopez, A.L.; Kohrs, M.B.; Horwitz, D.L.

To determine the effect of glucose loading on serum zinc concentrations, 34 elderly subjects aged 60-86 y were studied. Anthropometric data, medical and dietary histories were obtained. Serum zinc and glucose concentrations were obtained fasting and 1/2, 1, 1 1/2, 2 and 3 h after 75 g oral glucose load; glycohemoglobin and fasting serum lipids were also determined. For comparison, the subjects were categorized as: normal or low serum zinc concentrations; normal or high body mass index BMI; normal or high sum of skinfolds and normal or high serum cholesterol. Results showed that low serum zinc concentrations increased significantly overmore » baseline values after the glucose load and did not return to fasting levels. On the other hand, mean serum zinc concentrations significantly declined without recovery for those with normal zinc values. For the total group, no significant differences were noted between fasting values and subsequent time periods. No correlations were noted between fasting serum zinc and area under the curve for zinc except in the high BMI group (positive correlation observed). For the high BMI group, fasting serum zinc differed significantly from the succeeding measurements except for 30 min. For the group as a whole, mean serum zinc concentration was within normal limits (76.9 +/- 2.8 mcg/ml): mean zinc intake was less than 2/3rds the RDA. They conclude that glucose ingestion may alter serum zinc and should be considered in interpreting these levels.« less

Transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization with mucopexy versus open hemorrhoidectomy in the treatment of hemorrhoids: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials.

PubMed

Xu, L; Chen, H; Lin, G; Ge, Q; Qi, H; He, X

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the outcomes of transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization with mucopexy (THDm) versus open hemorrhoidectomy (OH) in the management of hemorrhoids. Randomized controlled trials in English were found by searching PubMed, Web of science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library database. Trials that compared THDm with OH were identified. Data were extracted independently for each study, and a meta-analysis was performed using fixed and random effects models. Four trials, including 316 patients, met the inclusion criteria. No statistically significant differences were noted in either total complications or postoperative bleeding, incontinence, recurrent prolapse, and urinary retention rate. Operative time was significantly longer for THDm with Doppler guidance than for THDm without Doppler guidance. Patients returned to normal activities faster after THDm than after OH. No statistically significant differences between THDm and OH were noted with regard to recurrence and reoperation rates. Our meta-analysis shows that THDm and OH are equally effective and can be attempted for the management of hemorrhoids. However, for THDm with Doppler guidance, more instruments and a longer operative time are required. Future large-scale, high-quality, multicenter trials with long-term outcomes are needed to prove these results and determine whether Doppler guidance in THD is truly necessary or not.

Comparison of clomiphene citrate and letrozole for ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective randomized trial.

PubMed

Liu, Chang; Feng, Guimei; Huang, Wei; Wang, Qiuyi; Yang, Shiyuan; Tan, Jing; Fu, Jing; Liu, Dong

2017-11-01

To compare the therapeutic efficacy of clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole (LE) on ovulation, pregnancy, and live birth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); and to ensure if LE can replace CC as the first-line therapy for ovulation induction in these women. This is a prospectively, randomized, controlled trial in the tertiary hospital. Two-hundred and sixty-eight anovulatory PCOS patients were treated by CC or CC plus metformin and LE or LE plus metformin for three continuous cycles or conception; their ovulation rates, pregnancy rates, and live birth rates were calculated and compared. No significant difference was noted among the four groups regarding to the baseline data of clinical manifestations, serum sex hormone levels, and serum insulin levels. A total of 240 patients completed the therapies. The ovulation rate was significantly higher in the group LE than the group CC; however, no significant difference was noted between the groups LE and CC, CC, and CC + MET, or LE and LE + MET in the pregnancy rate, abortion rate, and live birth rate. No birth defect was found in the total of 63 newborns. CC regimen was still recommended to be the first-line therapy of ovulation induction for PCOS.

Shell cracking strength in almond (Prunus dulcis [Mill.] D.A. Webb.) and its implication in uses as a value-added product.

PubMed

Ledbetter, C A

2008-09-01

Researchers are currently developing new value-added uses for almond shells, an abundant agricultural by-product. Almond varieties are distinguished by processors as being either hard or soft shelled, but these two broad classes of almond also exhibit varietal diversity in shell morphology and physical characters. By defining more precisely the physical and chemical characteristics of almond shells from different varieties, researchers will better understand which specific shell types are best suited for specific industrial processes. Eight diverse almond accessions were evaluated in two consecutive harvest seasons for nut and kernel weight, kernel percentage and shell cracking strength. Shell bulk density was evaluated in a separate year. Harvest year by almond accession interactions were highly significant (p0.01) for each of the analyzed variables. Significant (p0.01) correlations were noted for average nut weight with kernel weight, kernel percentage and shell cracking strength. A significant (p0.01) negative correlation for shell cracking strength with kernel percentage was noted. In some cases shell cracking strength was independent of the kernel percentage which suggests that either variety compositional differences or shell morphology affect the shell cracking strength. The varietal characterization of almond shell materials will assist in determining the best value-added uses for this abundant agricultural by-product.

A Comparative Study of a Research-Oriented High School Advanced Biology Class and a Conventional Textbook-Centered Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Alva Nelson

Two instructional methods were identified and compared to determine if any significant differences could be noted on three criterion measures. Measurements were conducted in the areas of achievement in biology, science attitudes, and critical thinking ability. Student ability was measured using pre-tests and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Students…

Convergence of Educational Attainment Levels in the OECD: More Data, More Problems?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crespo Cuaresma, Jesus

2006-01-01

This note shows that the dynamics of the dispersion of educational attainment across OECD countries in the period 1960-1990 differ enormously depending on the dataset used, as do the results of the test of significance in the change of the cross-country standard deviation of schooling years between subperiods. The three datasets studied (the…

Online vs. On-Campus: An Analysis of Course Prices of U.S. Educational Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shouhong

2015-01-01

Pricing online courses is an important issue for managing online education. This research note reports a statistical analysis of price differences between online courses and on-campus courses at 103 US educational institutions based on the data available on the Internet. The finding indicates that educational institutions set significantly lower…

Lonely Parents: Observations by Public Health Nurses of Alienation in Child Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Marjorie

Public health nurses (n=191) were queried regarding their observations of alienation in families who abuse their children. Comparison was made of social isolation and powerlessness in abusive families and a control group of non-abusive families, through the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale and FIRO-B, with significant differences noted in…

Unique songs of African wood-owls (Strix woodfordii) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Treesearch

B.G. Marcot

2007-01-01

Statistical analysis of African wood-owl (Strix woodfordii) song spectrograms suggest a significantly different song type in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), central Africa, than elsewhere in eastern or southern Africa. Songs of DRC owls tend to be consistently shorter in duration and more monotone in overall frequency range. The first note is...

Faculty Gender and Student-Centered Pedagogical Approaches in the Use of a Course Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Meghan E. Murphy

2011-01-01

The use of technology for instruction continues to increase and is playing a more significant role in higher education (DeAngelo et al., 2009). As instructional technology has become a more integral part of college and university teaching, researchers have noted gender-related differences in regard to faculty approach, perception, and…

Note Taking and Recall

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Judith L.; Harris, Mary B.

1974-01-01

To study the effect of note taking and opportunity for review on subsequent recall, 88 college students were randomly assigned to five treatment groups utilizing different note taking and review combinations. No treatment effects were found, although quality of notes was positively correlated with free recall an multiple-choice measures.…

A Comparison of 1- and 3.2-MHz Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Osteogenesis on Porous Titanium Alloy Scaffolds: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

PubMed

Feng, Lifang; Liu, Xiaohan; Cao, Hongjuan; Qin, Limei; Hou, Wentao; Wu, Lin

2018-05-21

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) combined with porous scaffolds can be used as a new therapy to treat bone defect repair. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 1 and 3.2 MHz LIPUS on osteogenesis on porous Ti64 alloy scaffolds for both in vitro and in vivo studies. Scaffolds were randomly divided into the high-frequency ultrasound group, low-frequency ultrasound group, and control group. Mouse pre-osteoblast cells were cultured with porous Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds in vitro to evaluate cell proliferation and differentiation. In addition, scaffolds were implanted into rabbit mandibular defects in vivo. The effects of LIPUS on bone regeneration were evaluated by observing the micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), toluidine blue staining, and von Kossa staining. The results revealed no significant difference in the cell counting kit-8 values between the ultrasound groups and control groups (P > .05). Compared with the control group, ultrasound promoted alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin levels of the cells on the scaffolds (P < .05), but there was no significant difference between the two frequencies. In addition, histomorphologic analyses revealed that the volume and amount of new bone formation increased and that bone maturity improved in the ultrasound groups compared with the control group, but no significant difference was noted between the two frequencies. Under the present experimental conditions, LIPUS promoted osteoblast differentiation and promoted bone maturity on porous Ti64 scaffolds. No significant differences were noted between the two frequencies. © 2018 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Blue treatment enhances cyclic fatigue resistance of vortex nickel-titanium rotary files.

PubMed

Plotino, Gianluca; Grande, Nicola M; Cotti, Elisabetta; Testarelli, Luca; Gambarini, Gianluca

2014-09-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the difference in cyclic fatigue resistance between Vortex Blue (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK) and Profile Vortex nickel-titanium (Dentsply Tulsa Dental) rotary instruments. Two groups of nickel-titanium endodontic instruments, ProFile Vortex and Vortex Blue, consisting of identical instruments in tip size and taper (15/.04, 20/.06, 25/.04, 25/.06, 30/.06, 35/.06, and 40/.04) were tested. Ten instruments from each system and size were tested for cyclic fatigue resistance, resulting in a total of 140 new instruments. All instruments were rotated in a simulated root canal with a 60° angle of curvature and a 5-mm radius of curvature of a specific cyclic fatigue testing device until fracture occurred. The number of cycles to failure and the length of the fractured tip were recorded for each instrument in each group. The mean values and standard deviation were calculated, and data were subjected to 1-way analysis of variance and a Bonferroni t test. Significance was set at the 95% confidence level. When comparing the same size of the 2 different instruments, a statistically significant difference (P < .05) was noted between all sizes of Vortex Blue and Profile Vortex instruments except for tip size 15 and .04 taper (P = 1.000). No statistically significant difference (P > .05) was noted among all groups tested in terms of fragment length. Vortex Blue showed a significant increase in cyclic fatigue resistance when compared with the same sizes of ProFile Vortex. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intelligence and Academic Achievement With Asymptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection.

PubMed

Lopez, Adriana S; Lanzieri, Tatiana M; Claussen, Angelika H; Vinson, Sherry S; Turcich, Marie R; Iovino, Isabella R; Voigt, Robert G; Caviness, A Chantal; Miller, Jerry A; Williamson, W Daniel; Hales, Craig M; Bialek, Stephanie R; Demmler-Harrison, Gail

2017-11-01

To examine intelligence, language, and academic achievement through 18 years of age among children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection identified through hospital-based newborn screening who were asymptomatic at birth compared with uninfected infants. We used growth curve modeling to analyze trends in IQ (full-scale, verbal, and nonverbal intelligence), receptive and expressive vocabulary, and academic achievement in math and reading. Separate models were fit for each outcome, modeling the change in overall scores with increasing age for patients with normal hearing ( n = 78) or with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) diagnosed by 2 years of age ( n = 11) and controls ( n = 40). Patients with SNHL had full-scale intelligence and receptive vocabulary scores that were 7.0 and 13.1 points lower, respectively, compared with controls, but no significant differences were noted in these scores among patients with normal hearing and controls. No significant differences were noted in scores for verbal and nonverbal intelligence, expressive vocabulary, and academic achievement in math and reading among patients with normal hearing or with SNHL and controls. Infants with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection identified through newborn screening with normal hearing by age 2 years do not appear to have differences in IQ, vocabulary or academic achievement scores during childhood, or adolescence compared with uninfected children. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Low-Density Lipoproteins Oxidation and Endometriosis

PubMed Central

Polak, Grzegorz; Barczyński, Bartłomiej; Kwaśniewski, Wojciech; Bednarek, Wiesława; Wertel, Iwona; Derewianka-Polak, Magdalena; Kotarski, Jan

2013-01-01

The etiopathogenesis of endometriosis still remains unknown. Recent data provide new valuable information concerning the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of the disease. It has been proved that levels of different lipid peroxidation end products are increased in both peritoneal fluid (PF) and serum of endometriotic patients. We assessed the concentration of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) in PF of 110 women with different stages of endometriosis and 119 women with serous (n = 78) or dermoid (n = 41) ovarian cysts, as the reference groups. PF oxLDL levels were evaluated by ELISA. We found that concentrations of oxLDL in PF of endometriotic women were significantly higher compared to women with serous but not dermoid ovarian cysts. Interestingly, by analyzing concentrations of oxLDL in women with different stages of the disease, it was noted that they are significantly higher only in the subgroup of patients with stage IV endometriosis as compared to women with ovarian serous cysts. In case of minimal, mild, and moderate disease, PF oxLDL levels were similar to those noted in reference groups. Our results indicate that disrupted oxidative status in the peritoneal cavity of women with endometriosis may play a role in the pathogenesis of advanced stages of the disease. PMID:23861560

Physicochemical and sensory properties of chicken nuggets with washed mechanically deboned chicken meat: Research note.

PubMed

Perlo, F; Bonato, P; Teira, G; Fabre, R; Kueider, S

2006-04-01

The effects of different proportions (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%) of washed mechanically deboned chicken meat (WM) as a substitute for hand deboned chicken meat, on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of chicken nuggets were evaluated. The addition of WM increased fat content, but it was only significant (P<0.05) when 40% of WM was added, whereas the protein content was significantly (P<0.05) reduced as from 20%. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found in L(*), a(*) and b(*) values with different proportions of WM, however, these differences were evidently not discerned as shown by the no significant differences (P>0.05) in ΔE(*) color scores. The addition of WM did not affect (P>0.05) sensory attributes of chicken nuggets. From a technical viewpoint, up to 40% WM could be incorporated into nugget formulation instead of hand deboned chicken meat without affecting sensory attributes of the product. Minor changes in composition were observed but they were probably not detrimental to the product.

Relationships between Spontaneous Note-Taking, Self-Reported Strategies and Comprehension When Reading Multiple Texts in Different Task Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagen, Åste M.; Braasch, Jason L. G.; Bråten, Ivar

2014-01-01

This study investigated note-taking during multiple-text reading across two different task conditions in relation to comprehension performance and self-reports of strategy use. Forty-four undergraduates read multiple texts about climate change to write an argument or a summary. Analysis of students' spontaneous note-taking during reading…

Positive Effects of Restricting Student Note-Taking in a Capstone Psychology Course: Reducing the Demands of Divided Attention in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Gerald M.

2014-01-01

Two versions of a senior-level capstone course with differing note-taking strategies were compared. In one semester, a traditional student note-taking format was used; in another semester, student note-taking was rendered unnecessary by providing students with complete instructor notes. Student performance in the course as well as student opinions…

Context-specific and/or context-free challenges and opportunities in writing scholarly reviews in health care management: a conceptual note.

PubMed

Blair, John D

2011-01-01

Challenges and opportunities arise from the significantly different perspectives of context-specific versus context-free researchers and the literatures they contribute to. Reviews of one type or the other or both types of literatures may provide different understandings of the state of the art in a particular area of health care management. Suggestions for writing quality reviews are also included along with suggested topics for future reviews.

An efficient constraint to account for mistuning effects in the optimal design of engine rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murthy, Durbha V.; Pierre, Christophe; Ottarsson, Gisli

1992-01-01

Blade-to-blade differences in structural properties, unavoidable in practice due to manufacturing tolerances, can have significant influence on the vibratory response of engine rotor blade. Accounting for these differences, also known as mistuning, in design and in optimization procedures is generally not possible. This note presents an easily calculated constraint that can be used in design and optimization procedures to control the sensitivity of final designs to mistuning.

A comparative assessment of the potential of polysaccharide production and intracellular sugar composition within Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt.:Fr.)P. Karst. (Aphyllophoromycetideae).

PubMed

Stajić, Mirjana; Glamoclija, Jasmina; Maksimović, Vuk; Vukojević, Jelena; Simonić, Jasmina; Zervakis, George

2011-01-01

Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known medicinal mushroom species in which polysaccharides are one of the major sources of biological activity. The species was considered as a species-complex due to significant variations in morphological, biochemical, and genetic features among populations with a worldwide distribution. This fact was the basis for setting the aim of this research: to study intraspecific diversity in polysaccharide production and intracellular sugar composition among selected G. lucidum strains. The presence ofintraspecific diversity among 10 G. lucidum strains, from different areas worldwide, was noted. Values of produced mycelia biomass and intracellular polysaccharides were found in wide ranges (3.1 - 28.2 g L(-1) and 20.0 - 53.3 mg g(-1), respectively), while differences in extracellular polysaccharide amounts were minor (0.2 - 1.5 mg mL(-1)). The significant quantitative and qualitative differences in intracellular sugar composition were noted. Glucose was the predominant sugar in almost all strains except one (HAI 447), where sucrose was dominant. The potential of polysaccharide production and intracellular sugar composition could be one more taxonomic criterion for strain characterization within G. lucidum. The differences in intracellular sugar composition and proportions could be reflected in features of produced polysaccharides and also in their biological activities.

Frequency of Dehiscence in Hand-Sutured and Stapled Intestinal Anastomoses in Dogs.

PubMed

Duell, Jason R; Thieman Mankin, Kelley M; Rochat, Mark C; Regier, Penny J; Singh, Ameet; Luther, Jill K; Mison, Michael B; Leeman, Jessica J; Budke, Christine M

2016-01-01

To determine the frequency of dehiscence of hand-sutured and stapled intestinal anastomoses in the dog and compare the surgery duration for the methods of anastomosis. Historical cohort study. Two hundred fourteen client-owned dogs undergoing hand-sutured (n = 142) or stapled (n = 72) intestinal anastomoses. Medical records from 5 referral institutions were searched for dogs undergoing intestinal resection and anastomosis between March 2006 and February 2014. Demographic data, presence of septic peritonitis before surgery, surgical technique (hand-sutured or stapled), surgery duration, surgeon (resident versus faculty member), indication for surgical intervention, anatomic location of resection and anastomosis, and if dehiscence was noted postoperatively were retrieved. Estimated frequencies were summarized and presented as proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and continuous outcomes as mean (95% CI). Comparisons were made across methods of anastomosis. Overall, 29/205 dogs (0.14, 95% CI 0.10-00.19) had dehiscence, including 21/134 dogs (0.16, 0.11-0.23) undergoing hand-sutured anastomosis and 8/71 dogs (0.11, 0.06-0.21) undergoing stapled anastomosis. There was no significant difference in the frequency of dehiscence across anastomosis methods (χ(2), P = .389). The mean (95% CI) surgery duration of 140 minutes (132-147) for hand- sutured anastomoses and 108 minutes (99-119) for stapled anastomoses was significantly different (t-test, P < .001). No significant difference in frequency of dehiscence was noted between hand- sutured and stapled anastomoses in dogs but surgery duration is significantly reduced by the use of staples for intestinal closure. © Copyright 2015 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Comparing Differences in ADL Outcomes for the STOMP Intervention for Dementia in the Natural Home Environment Versus a Clinic Environment.

PubMed

Ciro, C A; Poole, J L; Skipper, B; Hershey, L A

2014-01-01

Few studies have examined structured rehabilitation techniques for improving activities of daily living in people with mild-moderate dementia. We sought to examine the advantages to delivering the Skill-building through Task-Oriented Motor Practice (STOMP) intervention in the home environment (versus the clinic), hypothesizing that ADL improvement would be significantly better, time to meeting goals would be faster and fewer displays of behavior would be noted. Compared results of two quasi-experimental studies of STOMP, one completed in the home, one completed previously in a clinic. Participants were English-speaking; community dwelling adults aged 50-90 diagnosed with mild-moderate dementia who could participate in an intensive rehabilitation program (5 days/week, 3 hours/day, for 2 weeks). Outcome measurements include examiner-observation of performance and proxy-report of performance and satisfaction with performance in patient-selected goals. No differences existed in the sociodemographic characteristics between the home and clinic groups where the groups were primarily white, married, had > high school education and had mild-moderate dementia. Results from the home group indicate that participants made significant improvement in ADL which was generally retained at the 90 day follow-up. These results were not significantly different than the clinic group. No significant advantages were noted for the home group in terms of time to meeting goals or exhibition of fewer behaviors. The STOMP intervention appeared to work equally as well in the home and in the clinic. Future studies should continue to examine the benefits of massed practice using high-dose regimens.

Duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing hepatectomy: a prospective randomized controlled trial using flomoxef.

PubMed

Togo, Shinji; Tanaka, Kuniya; Matsuo, Kenichi; Nagano, Yasuhiko; Ueda, Michio; Morioka, Daisuke; Endo, Itaru; Shimada, Hiroshi

2007-05-01

Although the usefulness of antimicrobial prophylaxis for clean-contaminated surgery has been recognized, only a few randomized controlled studies on the duration of administration after hepatectomy have been performed. We investigated the duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis after hepatectomy. The subjects were 180 patients who underwent hepatectomy without reconstruction of the biliary or intestinal tract between April 2003 and March 2006 at our department. The patients were randomly allocated to groups to be treated with flomoxef sodium as antimicrobial prophylaxis for 2 days (89 patients) or 5 days (91 patients), including the operation day. The presence or absence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and infections was investigated. No significant differences were noted in patient background between the two groups. Infections occurred in seven and six patients in the 2 day and 5 day treatment groups (7.9% and 6.6%), respectively, showing no significant difference between the two groups. No significant difference was noted when the cases were divided into surgical site infections and remote infections. The positive rate of SIRS was significantly higher in the 2 day treatment group than in the 5 day treatment group on days 2 and 3 after surgery. The risk factors in patients who developed infections were blood loss, operation time and the complication of biliary fistula. Two day administration of flomoxef sodium may be sufficient for antimicrobial prophylaxis after hepatectomy. However, when SIRS is positive on post-operative day 2, and induction of liver failure is of concern, it may be safer to continue antimicrobial drug administration until SIRS is eliminated.

CT Pelvis in Children; Should We Routinely Scan Pelvis for Wilms Tumor and Hepatoblastoma? Implications for Imaging Protocol Development.

PubMed

Mirza, Waseem; McHugh, Kieran; Aslam, Mubashir; Sajjad, Zafar; Abid, Waqas; Youssef, Talaat; Ali, Arif; Fadoo, Zahra

2015-10-01

Wilms tumor and hepatoblastoma are the most common intra-abdominal solid organ childhood tumors. CT examination is one of the routinely performed procedures in hospitals for children with these tumors inspite of high radiation exposure associated with CT scans. Sixty patients (Wilms tumor = 45, hepatoblastoma = 16) were evaluated retrospectively. Higher proportion (44.4%) of metastatic disease was identified at presentation in the Wilms tumor subset as compared to hepatoblastoma (6.3%) [p=0.006]. Metastatic disease was noted in 6 patients having Wilms tumor on follow-up while it was also low in hepatoblastoma which was noted in only 2 patients (p > 0.05). No significant difference was identified in pelvic extension of disease at presentation in both studied population (p > 0.05). Pelvic metastasis was noted in 1 patient only with Wilms tumor on follow-up while no pelvic metastasis was seen in the hepatoblastoma patients (p-value > 0.05).

Does the mind map learning strategy facilitate information retrieval and critical thinking in medical students?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A learning strategy underutilized in medical education is mind mapping. Mind maps are multi-sensory tools that may help medical students organize, integrate, and retain information. Recent work suggests that using mind mapping as a note-taking strategy facilitates critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between mind mapping and critical thinking, as measured by the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), and whether a relationship existed between mind mapping and recall of domain-based information. Methods In this quasi-experimental study, 131 first-year medical students were randomly assigned to a standard note-taking (SNT) group or mind map (MM) group during orientation. Subjects were given a demographic survey and pre-HSRT. They were then given an unfamiliar text passage, a pre-quiz based upon the passage, and a 30-minute break, during which time subjects in the MM group were given a presentation on mind mapping. After the break, subjects were given the same passage and wrote notes based on their group (SNT or MM) assignment. A post-quiz based upon the passage was administered, followed by a post-HSRT. Differences in mean pre- and post-quiz scores between groups were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, whereas differences in mean pre- and post-HSRT total scores and subscores between groups were analyzed using ANOVA. Mind map depth was assessed using the Mind Map Assessment Rubric (MMAR). Results There were no significant differences in mean scores on both the pre- and post-quizzes between note-taking groups. And, no significant differences were found between pre- and post-HSRT mean total scores and subscores. Conclusions Although mind mapping was not found to increase short-term recall of domain-based information or critical thinking compared to SNT, a brief introduction to mind mapping allowed novice MM subjects to perform similarly to SNT subjects. This demonstrates that medical students using mind maps can successfully retrieve information in the short term, and does not put them at a disadvantage compared to SNT students. Future studies should explore longitudinal effects of mind-map proficiency training on both short- and long-term information retrieval and critical thinking. PMID:20846442

Prevalence of depression among nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tung, Yi-Jung; Lo, Kenneth K H; Ho, Roger C M; Tam, Wai San Wilson

2018-04-01

To examine the global prevalence of depression among nursing students and the variation in depression rates influenced by demographic and educational factors. Depression affects approximately 350 million people worldwide and is the world's leading cause of disability. Nursing students struggle to cope with not only stressors common in higher education institutions but also anxiety towards clinical placements. Evidence has suggested high prevalence of depression among them, but no reviews have been conducted to report a consolidated prevalence. Systematic review and meta-analysis. A search was conducted from November 2015 to January 2016 on CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline OVID, Medline ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SCOPUS, using a combination of keywords "depression", "nursing students", "mood disorder", "affective disorder", 'undergraduate nursing', "nursing education", "nursing undergraduate", and "nursing diploma". A total of 27 cross-sectional studies were included. The sample comprised 8918 nursing students and the mean age ranged from 17.4 to 28.4 years. Among these studies, the proportion of female students ranged from 79.0% to 100.0%. A high pooled prevalence of depression of 34.0% was reported among nursing students. Significant differences in depression prevalence were noted for different subgroups of age, with a higher prevalence noted in younger students (41.0%), and for different geographical regions, with Asian nursing students experiencing a higher prevalence of depression (43.0%). No significant difference was noted between nursing and non-nursing students. The findings suggest a high prevalence of depression among nursing students. This serves as an impetus for educational reforms in nursing schools and proposes for further research to aid prospective nurses in safeguarding their psychological wellbeing. In the long run, it is imperative that competent nurses be nurtured to improve the standards of healthcare and patients' quality of life. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of note-taking and trial transcript access on mock jury decisions in a complex civil trial.

PubMed

Horowitz, I A; ForsterLee, L

2001-08-01

Mock juries were either permitted to take notes or not and provided with access to the trial transcript during deliberations or were not given access. Juries viewed a videotape of a complex trial involving multiple plaintiffs. Note-taking juries were able to distinguish among differentially worthy plaintiffs when assigning awards while non note takers did not distinguish among the plaintiffs and allocated higher overall compensation. Note-taking was significantly more effective than access to trial transcripts in increasing jury competence. Note-taking juries appeared better able to recognize probative evidence and reject false lures than were non note-taking juries. Limits and implications of the present study were discussed.

Depersonalization in a nonclinical population.

PubMed

Trueman, D

1984-01-01

The present study assessed the prevalence and characteristics of depersonalization phenomena in a nonclinical population. Undergraduate students (N = 388) responded to a questionnaire soliciting information regarding the experience of depersonalization, age at onset, number, frequency, duration, and intensity of depersonalization experiences, level of pleasantness/unpleasantness, diminution of experiences with and without professional assistance, and relation of depersonalization to other factors. Of the Ss, 34% reported depersonalization. No significant sex differences were noted but relationships between years of experience of depersonalization and intensity, frequency, and number of experiences were significant.

Effect of three ophthalmic solutions on chemical conjunctivitis in the neonate.

PubMed

Yasunaga, S

1977-02-01

In an attempt to reduce chemical conjunctivitis after silver nitrate prophylaxis, three different ophthalmic solutions (sodium chloride, sterile water, and a boric acid-sodium borate solution) were used to irrigate the eyes immediately after prophylaxis in 450 neonates. Sterile water significantly reduced (P less than .02) the prevalence of chemical conjunctivitis when compared to the conventional sodium chloride rinse. A significantly greater prevalence of chemical irritation in low-birth-weight infants was also noted (P less than .02).

A pilot study evaluating acute use of eszopiclone in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Russell; Roach, James M; Scharf, Martin; Amato, David A

2007-08-01

To evaluate the effects of eszopiclone on measures of respiration and sleep using polysomnography in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). This double-blind, randomized crossover study included patients (35-64 years) with mild-to-moderate OSAS [apnea and hypopnea index (AHI) range 10 and 40]. Patients received either eszopiclone 3mg or placebo for two consecutive nights, with a 5-7 day washout between treatments. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was not allowed on nights in the sleep laboratory. The primary endpoint, mean total AHI, was not significantly different from placebo (16.5 with placebo and 16.7 with eszopiclone; 90% confidence interval (CI) -1.7, 1.9). No significant differences in total arousals, respiratory arousals, duration of apnea and hypopnea episodes, or oxygen saturation were noted. Significant differences in spontaneous arousals (13.6 versus 11.4 for placebo and eszopiclone, respectively; 90% CI -3.7, -0.7), sleep efficiency (85.1% and 88.4%; p=0.0075), wake time after sleep onset (61.8 and 48.1 min; p=0.0125), and wake time during sleep (55.9 and 43.2 min; p=0.013) were noted after eszopiclone treatment. Eszopiclone was well tolerated. In this pilot study, eszopiclone did not worsen AHI, and it improved sleep maintenance and efficiency. Further study is warranted to determine whether eszopiclone could improve CPAP compliance or next-day function in patients with OSAS.

Condition and biochemical profile of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) cultured at different depths in a cold water coastal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallardi, Daria; Mills, Terry; Donnet, Sebastien; Parrish, Christopher C.; Murray, Harry M.

2017-08-01

The growth and health of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are affected by environmental conditions. Typically, culture sites are situated in sheltered areas near shore (i.e., < 1 km distance from land, < 20 m depth); however, land runoff, user conflicts and environmental impact in coastal areas are concerns and interest in developing deep water (> 20 m depth) mussel culture has been growing. This study evaluated the effect of culture depth on blue mussels in a cold water coastal environment (Newfoundland, Canada). Culture depth was examined over two years from September 2012 to September 2014; mussels from three shallow water (5 m) and three deep water (15 m) sites were compared for growth and biochemical composition; culture depths were compared for temperature and chlorophyll a. Differences between the two years examined were noted, possibly due to harsh winter conditions in the second year of the experiment. In both years shallow and deep water mussels presented similar condition; in year 2 deep water mussels had a significantly better biochemical profile. Lipid and glycogen analyses showed seasonal variations, but no significant differences between shallow and deep water were noted. Fatty acid profiles showed a significantly higher content of omega-3 s (20:5ω3; EPA) and lower content of bacterial fatty acids in deep water sites in year 2. Everything considered, deep water appeared to provide a more favorable environment for mussel growth than shallow water under harsher weather conditions.

Bank note recognition for the vision impaired.

PubMed

Hinwood, A; Preston, P; Suaning, G J; Lovell, N H

2006-06-01

Blind Australians find great difficulty in recognising bank notes. Each note has the same feel, with no Braille markings, irregular edges or other tangible features. In Australia, there is only one device available that can assist blind people recognise their notes. Internationally, there are devices available; however they are expensive, complex and have not been developed to cater for Australian currency. This paper discusses a new device, the MoneyTalker that takes advantage of the largely different colours and patterns on each Australian bank note and recognises the notes electronically, using the reflection and transmission properties of light. Different coloured lights are transmitted through the inserted note and the corresponding sensors detect distinct ranges of values depending on the colour of the note. Various classification algorithms were studied and the final algorithm was chosen based on accuracy and speed of recognition. The MoneyTalker has shown an accuracy of more than 99%. A blind subject has tested the device and believes that it is usable, compact and affordable. Based on the devices that are available currently in Australia, the MoneyTalker is an effective alternative in terms of accuracy and usability.

Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiaping; Yu, Hong

2017-03-02

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients' comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople's perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas' appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople's perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. The distributions of both readability formulas' scores (P<.001) and laypeople's perceptions (P=.002) on the 2 genres were different. Correlations of readability predictions and laypeople's perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different difficulty (P<.001). Word usage in the 2 related genres still differed significantly (P<.001). Our findings suggested that the readability formulas' predictions did not align with perceived difficulty in either text genre. The widely used readability formulas were highly correlated with each other but did not show adequate correlation with readers' perceived difficulty. Therefore, they were not appropriate to assess the readability of EHR notes. ©Jiaping Zheng, Hong Yu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 02.03.2017.

Information literacy skills retention over the first professional year of pharmacy school.

PubMed

Chiarella, Deborah; Khadem, Tina M; Brown, Jack E; Wrobel, Mark J

2014-01-01

The authors aimed to determine if first-professional-year pharmacy students retain library literature search skills throughout the school year. Students (n = 61 consented) were given an identical seven-item quiz on basic library search skills prior to library instruction in the fall semester and at the end of the spring semester. There was no significant difference between median scores on the two quizzes, nor were any significant differences noted in subgroup analyses. Search competency may be retained to a higher degree if library instruction is moved later in the pharmacy curriculum when literature search skills are used more often.

Expression of CDX-2 and Ki-67 in different grades of colorectal adenocarcinomas.

PubMed

Sen, Anway; Mitra, Sumit; Das, Ram Narayan; Dasgupta, Shatavisha; Saha, Koushik; Chatterjee, Uttara; Mukherjee, Krishnendu; Datta, Chhanda; Chattopadhyay, Bitan K

2015-01-01

CDX2 is a caudal homeobox gene essential for intestinal differentiation and is specifically expressed in colorectal adenocarcinomas. Its role in colorectal carcinogenesis is not fully elucidated. To study the expression pattern of CDX2 and Ki-67 in different grades of colorectal adenocarcinomas and to observe the relationship of their staining patterns in various tumor stages and to look for correlation if any, between Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67 LI) and CDX2 expression. A total of 74 cases were enrolled. Detailed clinical profile, peroperative findings, histological grading and staging were noted. Immunohistochemistry for CDX2 and Ki-67 was done, and Ki-67 LI was calculated. CDX2 staining was graded semi-quantitatively, and statistical analysis was done. Age of presentation ranged from 20 to 75 years, and the male:female ratio was 1.83:1. There were 8, 47 and 13 cases of well, moderate and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas, respectively. The mean Ki-67 LI of well, moderate and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas were 14.25, 31.34 and 43.08 respectively, and their difference was statistically significant, correlation was also noted with stage. CDX2 expression appeared to be stronger in poorly differentiated cases, but there was no significant difference in its expression in the different grades and stages. There was no correlation between Ki-67 LI and CDX2 immunostaining pattern. The lymph node metastasis showed CDX2 positivity in all the cases. Expression of CDX2 does not significantly change with the grade of colorectal adenocarcinomas. However, it is an important diagnostic marker in metastatic colonic lesions. The Ki-67 LI, on the other hand, showed a strong correlation with histopathological grades.

Phosphate homeostasis in Bartter syndrome: a case-control study.

PubMed

Bettinelli, Alberto; Viganò, Cristina; Provero, Maria Cristina; Barretta, Francesco; Albisetti, Alessandra; Tedeschi, Silvana; Scicchitano, Barbara; Bianchetti, Mario G

2014-11-01

Bartter patients may be hypercalciuric. Additional abnormalities in the metabolism of calcium, phosphate, and calciotropic hormones have occasionally been reported. The metabolism of calcium, phosphate, and calciotropic hormones was investigated in 15 patients with Bartter syndrome and 15 healthy subjects. Compared to the controls, Bartter patients had significantly reduced plasma phosphate {mean [interquartile range]:1.29 [1.16-1.46] vs. 1.61 [1.54-1.67] mmol/L} and maximal tubular phosphate reabsorption (1.16 [1.00-1.35] vs. 1.41 [1.37-1.47] mmol/L) and significantly increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) level (6.1 [4.5-7.7] vs. 2.8 [2.2-4.4] pmol/L). However, patients and controls did not differ in blood calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, and osteocalcin levels. In patients, an inverse correlation (P < 0.05) was noted between total plasma calcium or glomerular filtration rate and PTH concentration. A positive correlation was also noted between PTH and osteocalcin concentrations (P < 0.005), as well as between chloriduria or natriuria and phosphaturia (P < 0.001). No correlation was noted between calciuria and PTH concentration or between urinary or circulating phosphate and PTH. The results of this study demonstrate a tendency towards renal phosphate wasting and elevated circulating PTH levels in Bartter patients.

Diisocyanate-exposed auto body shop workers: a one-year follow-up.

PubMed

Redlich, C A; Stowe, M H; Coren, B A; Wisnewski, A V; Holm, C T; Cullen, M R

2002-12-01

Diisocyanates currently are the most commonly identified cause of occupational asthma in industrialized countries. Auto body shops, a common hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) exposure setting, are difficult to study due to their small size and episodic exposures. A 1-year follow-up was undertaken as an adjunct to the cross-sectional SPRAY study (Survey of Painters & Repairers of Auto bodies by Yale) to investigate the effects of HDI on auto body shop workers over time and whether or not the healthy worker effect may exist in this industry. Forty-eight workers from seven shops were re-contacted. Thirty-four subjects who stayed at the same shop and 11 who left their original shop participated. No statistically significant changes in physiology, symptoms, and immunologic responses from baseline to follow-up were noted. However, significant differences between those who left the shops and those who stayed were noted. Those who left were younger, less experienced in the industry, and more likely to have a history of asthma (23 vs. 3%; P < 0.05), bronchial hyper-responsiveness (23 vs. 9%), HDI-specific IgG (64 vs. 29%; P < 0.05), and HDI-specific proliferation (S.I. 2.0 vs. 1.3; P < 0.05). The differences in workers who stayed at their shop compared to those who left, combined with the low asthma prevalence and high job turnover rate, all suggest that a healthy worker effect may exist in the auto body industry, and may in part account for the low prevalence of asthma noted in SPRAY and other cross-sectional studies of diisocyante workers. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Endovascular Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms in Relation to Their Parent Artery Wall: A Single Center Study

PubMed Central

Mitsos, A.P.; Giannakopoulou, M.D.; Kaklamanos, I.G.; Kapritsou, M.; Konstantinou, M.I.; Fotis, T.; Mamoura, K.V.; Mariolis-Sapsakos, T.; Ntountas, I.T.; Konstantinou, E.A.

2013-01-01

We report our two-year experience in the endovascular treatment of brain aneurysms in relation to their parent artery wall. We prospectively recorded patients with intracranial aneurysms (107 ruptured - 38 unruptured) treated with coiling during a two-year period: 145 patients, 94 females and 51 males - mean age 56 years. The aneurysms were divided into side-wall (A) and bifurcation (B) groups. A total occlusion rate was noted in post-embolization angiograms in 101 aneurysms (70%) with a morbidity of 4%. No angiographic recurrence arose in the six-month follow-up. The two groups had a similar total occlusion rate (68.31% and 71.8% respectively), while the complication rate was 3% in group A and 4.7% in group B. Significant differences between the two groups were noted in the number of assisted coiling cases: 28 out of 60 cases (46.7%) in group A - 14 out of 85 cases (16.5%) in group B. Further statistical analysis showed strong dependencies for the type of endovascular procedure between the ruptured and unruptured aneurysms in both groups (p 0.000<0.05), but no dependencies between the aneurysm occlusion rate and the ruptured or non-ruptured aneurysms, or between the occlusion rate and the type of endovascular procedure (p 0.552 >0.05 and 0.071 >0.05 respectively). In conclusion, the anatomic relation of the aneurysm sac with the wall of the parent artery is important, as significant differences in endovascular practice, devices and techniques were noted between side-wall and bifurcation aneurysms. PMID:23859171

Comparative study of long-term outcomes of accelerated and conventional collagen crosslinking for progressive keratoconus.

PubMed

Males, J J; Viswanathan, D

2018-01-01

PurposeTo compare the long-term outcomes of accelerated corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) to conventional CXL for progressive keratoconus.Patients and methodsComparative clinical study of consecutive progressive keratoconic eyes that underwent either accelerated CXL (9 mW/cm 2 ultraviolet A (UVA) light irradiance for 10 min) or conventional CXL (3 mW/cm 2 UVA light irradiance for 30 min). Eyes with minimum 12 months' follow-up were included. Post-procedure changes in keratometry readings (Flat meridian: K1; steep meridian: K2), central corneal thickness (CCT), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) were analysed.ResultsA total of 42 eyes were included. In all, 21 eyes had accelerated CXL (20.5±5.5 months' follow-up) and 21 eyes had conventional CXL group (20.2±5.6 months' follow-up). In the accelerated CXL group, a significant reduction in K2 (P=0.02), however no significant change in K1 (P=0.35) and CCT (P=0.62) was noted. In the conventional CXL group, a significant reduction was seen in K1 (P=0.01) and K2 (P=0.04), but not in CCT (P=0.95). Although both groups exhibited significant reductions in K2 readings, no noteworthy differences were noted between them (P=0.36). Improvements in BSCVA (accelerated CXL; P=0.22 and conventional CXL; P=0.20) and MRSE (accelerated CXL; P=0.97 and conventional CXL; P=0.54) were noted, however were not significant in either group.ConclusionAccelerated and conventional CXL appear to be effective procedures for stabilising progressive keratoconus in the long-term.

Assessment of DNA damage and repair efficiency in drug naïve schizophrenia using comet assay.

PubMed

Muraleedharan, Aparna; Menon, Vikas; Rajkumar, Ravi Philip; Chand, Parkash

2015-09-01

The etiology of schizophrenia continues to be confounding and elusive. Some knowledge gaps exist in the neurodegenerative theory of schizophrenia. Oxidative DNA damage and repair deficits are relevant to the mechanisms of neurodegeneration but have not been studied in drug naïve schizophrenia. The present study used the comet assay technique to study the extent of DNA damage in circulating peripheral lymphocytes of patients with drug naïve schizophrenia (n = 40) along with an age and gender matched control group (n = 40). We also assessed the DNA repair efficiency in cases following incubation in a nutrient medium. All the assayed comet parameters demonstrated significantly greater baseline DNA damage in cases in comparison to the controls except for head diameter (p < 0.001 for all significant results, p = 0.32 for head diameter). Gender, age and duration of illness (p = 0.21, 0.69 and 0.12 respectively for tail length) did not influence any of the parameters significantly. Significant decrease was noted in the comet tail length and percentage of DNA in comet tail (p < 0.001 for both) in cases following incubation suggesting that the DNA repair machinery was preserved. No difference in DNA repair efficiency was noted between the genders (p = 0.23 for tail length). Our findings confirm the presence of significant baseline DNA damage in schizophrenia even prior to the initiation of anti-psychotic treatment. Additionally, intact genomic repair efficiency was noted in this group as a whole. These results provide some evidence for oxidative DNA damage as molecular link underpinning neurodegeneration in drug naïve schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Typical School Day Experiences of Indian Children in Different Contexts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaya, N.; Malar, G.

2003-01-01

Notes that India has experienced conditions that have lead to significant illiteracy, but that commitment to education can be found in lesser-known parts of India today. Profiles three schools in Tamil Nadu and describes a typical school day for a student with special needs, a student in a tribal setting, and a student in a rural setting. (TJQ)

Misbehaving Peer Models in the Classroom: An Investigation of the Effects of Social Class and Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kniveton, Bromley H.

1987-01-01

Investigates the effects on young male students of differing social backgrounds and varying levels of intelligence, of seeing a peer misbehave. Notes that working class boys imitated the misbehaving model significantly more than middle-class boys. Level of intelligence was not found to relate to the amount a student imitated a misbehaving peer.…

Comparison of case note review methods for evaluating quality and safety in health care.

PubMed

Hutchinson, A; Coster, J E; Cooper, K L; McIntosh, A; Walters, S J; Bath, P A; Pearson, M; Young, T A; Rantell, K; Campbell, M J; Ratcliffe, J

2010-02-01

To determine which of two methods of case note review--holistic (implicit) and criterion-based (explicit)--provides the most useful and reliable information for quality and safety of care, and the level of agreement within and between groups of health-care professionals when they use the two methods to review the same record. To explore the process-outcome relationship between holistic and criterion-based quality-of-care measures and hospital-level outcome indicators. Case notes of patients at randomly selected hospitals in England. In the first part of the study, retrospective multiple reviews of 684 case notes were undertaken at nine acute hospitals using both holistic and criterion-based review methods. Quality-of-care measures included evidence-based review criteria and a quality-of-care rating scale. Textual commentary on the quality of care was provided as a component of holistic review. Review teams comprised combinations of: doctors (n = 16), specialist nurses (n = 10) and clinically trained audit staff (n = 3) and non-clinical audit staff (n = 9). In the second part of the study, process (quality and safety) of care data were collected from the case notes of 1565 people with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure in 20 hospitals. Doctors collected criterion-based data from case notes and used implicit review methods to derive textual comments on the quality of care provided and score the care overall. Data were analysed for intrarater consistency, inter-rater reliability between pairs of staff using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and completeness of criterion data capture, and comparisons were made within and between staff groups and between review methods. To explore the process-outcome relationship, a range of publicly available health-care indicator data were used as proxy outcomes in a multilevel analysis. Overall, 1473 holistic and 1389 criterion-based reviews were undertaken in the first part of the study. When same staff-type reviewer pairs/groups reviewed the same record, holistic scale score inter-rater reliability was moderate within each of the three staff groups [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.46-0.52], and inter-rater reliability for criterion-based scores was moderate to good (ICC 0.61-0.88). When different staff-type pairs/groups reviewed the same record, agreement between the reviewer pairs/groups was weak to moderate for overall care (ICC 0.24-0.43). Comparison of holistic review score and criterion-based score of case notes reviewed by doctors and by non-clinical audit staff showed a reasonable level of agreement (p-values for difference 0.406 and 0.223, respectively), although results from all three staff types showed no overall level of agreement (p-value for difference 0.057). Detailed qualitative analysis of the textual data indicated that the three staff types tended to provide different forms of commentary on quality of care, although there was some overlap between some groups. In the process-outcome study there generally were high criterion-based scores for all hospitals, whereas there was more interhospital variation between the holistic review overall scale scores. Textual commentary on the quality of care verified the holistic scale scores. Differences among hospitals with regard to the relationship between mortality and quality of care were not statistically significant. Using the holistic approach, the three groups of staff appeared to interpret the recorded care differently when they each reviewed the same record. When the same clinical record was reviewed by doctors and non-clinical audit staff, there was no significant difference between the assessments of quality of care generated by the two groups. All three staff groups performed reasonably well when using criterion-based review, although the quality and type of information provided by doctors was of greater value. Therefore, when measuring quality of care from case notes, consideration needs to be given to the method of review, the type of staff undertaking the review, and the methods of analysis available to the review team. Review can be enhanced using a combination of both criterion-based and structured holistic methods with textual commentary, and variation in quality of care can best be identified from a combination of holistic scale scores and textual data review.

Effect of quadriceps and hamstrings muscle cooling on standing balance in healthy young men.

PubMed

Alghadir, A H; Anwer, S; Zafar, H; Al-Eisa, E S

2017-09-01

The present study compared the effect of quadriceps and hamstring muscle cooling on standing balance in healthy young men. Thirty healthy young men (18-30 years) participated in the study. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups (n=10 each): quadriceps cooling (QC), hamstring cooling (HC), or control group (no cooling). Participants in the QC and HC groups received 20 minutes of cooling using a cold pack (gel pack), placed on the anterior thigh (from the apex of the patella to the mid-thigh) and the posterior thigh (from the base of the popliteal fossa to the mid-thigh), respectively. Balance score including unilateral stance was measured at baseline and immediately after the application of the cold pack. No significant difference in the balance score was noted in any group after the application of the cold pack (p⟩0.05). Similarly, no significant differences in post-test balance score were noted among the three groups (p⟩0.05). Cooling of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles has no immediate effect on standing balance in healthy young men. However, longitudinal studies are warranted to investigate the long-term effects of cooling these muscles on standing balance.

Alcohol Involvement in Suicide and Self-Harm.

PubMed

Larkin, Celine; Griffin, Eve; Corcoran, Paul; McAuliffe, Carmel; Perry, Ivan J; Arensman, Ella

2017-11-01

Alcohol misuse and alcohol consumption are significant risk factors for suicidal behavior. This study sought to identify factors associated with alcohol consumption in cases of suicide and nonfatal self-harm presentations. Suicide cases in Cork, Ireland, from September 2008 to June 2012 were identified through the Suicide Support and Information System. Emergency department presentations of self-harm in the years 2007-2013 were obtained from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland. Alcohol consumption was detected in the toxicology of 44% out of 307 suicide cases. Only younger age was significantly associated with having consumed alcohol among suicides. Alcohol consumption was noted in the case notes in 21% out of 8,145 self-harm presentations. Logistic regression analyses indicated that variables associated with having consumed alcohol in a self-harm presentation included male gender, older age, overdose as a method, not being admitted to a psychiatric ward, and presenting out-of-hours. Data was limited to routinely collected variables by the two different monitoring systems. Alcohol consumption commonly precedes suicidal behavior, and several factors differentiated alcohol-related suicidal acts. Self-harm cases, in particular, differ in profile when alcohol is consumed and may require a tailored clinical approach to minimize risk of further nonfatal or fatal self-harm.

Effects of milk somatic cell counts on some physicochemical and functional characteristics of skim and whole milk powders.

PubMed

Sert, Durmuş; Mercan, Emin; Aydemir, Serdar; Civelek, Mustafa

2016-07-01

The aim of this work was to study the influence of milk somatic cell count (SCC) levels on spray-dried milk powders. For this reason, 3 cow milks with different SCC (<300,000, 300,000-700,000, >700,000 SCC/mL) were processed into skim (SMP) and whole milk powder (WMP). The effect of SCC on the physicochemical and functional characteristics of the milk powders and textural properties of set-type yogurts produced from reconstituted milk powders with different SCC was evaluated. A crucial difference was noted between milk powders depending on different SCC. Protein values and ash content of powder samples decreased correlatively with increasing SCC. The hydroxymethylfurfural content of SMP was higher than WMP. We noted an increase in hydroxymethylfurfural content of both SMP and WMP depending on elevated SCC. Solubility index of SMP and WMP was 1.280 to 1.632 and 0.940 to 1.208mL, respectively; with increasing SCC, solubility index was affected adversely. The highest foam stability was determined in SMP containing >700,000 SCC. Bulk density of SMP and WMP was between 0.682 and 0.708 and 0.660 to 0.685g/cm(3), respectively. An increase was observed in scorched particle of both SMP and WMP depending on increasing SCC. We found significant differences in particle size distribution of milk powders produced from milk with SCC at different levels. Although WMP had more uniform and big particle structure, SMP had more specific area. A negative correlation was noted between yogurt texture and SCC. Results indicate that milk SCC has negative influences on milk powder quality. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrothermal debonding of ceramic brackets. An in vitro study.

PubMed

Brouns, E M; Schopf, P M; Kocjancic, B

1993-04-01

Two different kinds of devices for electrothermal debonding of ceramic brackets are evaluated. Thirty human premolars were bonded with two types of ceramic brackets. Both devices were tested for electrothermal removal of the two bracket types. The pulpal wall temperature increase during electrothermal debonding was recorded in vitro under various circumstances. After debonding, the fracture site was located. The data were compared to the temperature rise after simulated exposure of the teeth to warm beverages. Irreversible pulp damage due to electrothermal debonding of ceramic brackets with both instruments is not to be expected because the obtained results stayed below established primate threshold temperatures and significantly below that of the stimulated control groups. A significant difference was noted when air cooling was initiated during electrothermal debonding. Fracture site location was significantly different in the two ceramic bracket types after electrothermal debonding.

Critical influence of finite rate chemistry and unmixedness on ignition and combustion of supersonic H2-air streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, J. S.; Schexnayder, C. J., Jr.

1979-01-01

Good agreement has been obtained between published profiles of composition and pitot pressure and the calculated results from a computer program in which finite rate chemistry was used. Significant differences are noted between results calculated using 7 species and 8 reactions and those calculated using 12 species and 25 reactions. Differences are also found between results in which the effect of unmixedness on reaction in turbulent flow is applied or is not applied.

Physiologic and Endocrine Correlates of Overweightness in African Americans and Caucasians

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

with fasting glucose, but not insulin resistance, as measured by HOMA IR . 5.0 Gender differences were also noted for select psychological...and insulin by HOMA IR differed significantly by BMI category [F (2,79) = 16.1, p < 0.001]. • In AA: IR was positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.39...and insulin resistance as a function of obesity and ethnicity after all subjects have been tested. Fasting IR was calculated from serum insulin by

A Comparison of Suicide Note Writers with Suicides Who Did Not Leave Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callanan, Valerie J.; Davis, Mark S.

2009-01-01

There is disagreement in the suicide literature on the value of suicide notes as a data source, particularly regarding the extent to which suicide decedents who write notes differ from those who do not. Using 10 years of suicide cases from Summit County, Ohio, these two groups were compared on 40 variables including sociodemographic…

Farewell to the World: Suicide Notes from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirel, Birol; Akar, Taner; Sayin, Aslihan; Candansayar, Selcuk; Leenaars, Antoon A.

2008-01-01

There has been limited study of suicide in Islamic countries. This paper marks the first study of suicide notes in Turkey, an Islamic country. Using a classification scheme, 49 suicide notes (a rate of 34.5%) were studied. The results show that note writers do not differ greatly from other suicides. Further analysis of younger (less than 40) and…

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Self-Medication Among Basic Science Undergraduate Medical Students in a Medical School in Western Nepal.

PubMed

Gyawali, Sudesh; Shankar, P Ravi; Poudel, Phanindra Prasad; Saha, Archana

2015-12-01

Studies have shown self-medication to be common among medical students. These studies are however, few in Nepal. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication among second and fourth semesters' undergraduate medical students and studied differences in knowledge and attitude (if any) among different subgroups of the respondents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire among basic science medical students of Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Nepal. Semester of study, gender, age, nationality, and the profession of their parents were noted. Students' knowledge and attitude about self-medication was studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 40 statements using a Likert-type scale. The average scores and frequency of occurrence of particular behaviors among different categories of respondents were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Two hundred and seventy-six of the 295 (93.6%) students participated. The mean (SD) knowledge, attitude, and total scores were 74.54 (6.92), 67.18 (5.68), and 141.73 (10.76) with maximum possible scores 100, 100 and 200, respectively. There was no significant difference in scores according to respondents' gender, age, and the profession of their parents. However, the mean knowledge, attitude and total scores were significantly different among students of different nationalities. Mean scores of fourth semester students were significantly higher compared to second semester students. There were differences in knowledge and total scores among students of different nationalities. Eighty two percent of respondents had self-medicated during the one year period preceding the study; 149 respondents (54%) shared that previous experience with the medicine was one of the information sources for self-medication. Prevalence of self-medication among respondents according to semester of study, gender, age, and profession of the parents was not significantly different. The use of self-medication was more common among Sri Lankan respondents compared to Nepalese. Painkillers (73.2%), antipyretics (68.8%), and antimicrobials (56.2%) were most commonly used for self-medication. Students' knowledge and attitude about self-medication is good. The prevalence of self-medication among medical students was high.

A Research Note on Time With Children in Different- and Same-Sex Two-Parent Families.

PubMed

Prickett, Kate C; Martin-Storey, Alexa; Crosnoe, Robert

2015-06-01

Public debate on same-sex marriage often focuses on the disadvantages that children raised by same-sex couples may face. On one hand, little evidence suggests any difference in the outcomes of children raised by same-sex parents and different-sex parents. On the other hand, most studies are limited by problems of sample selection and size, and few directly measure the parenting practices thought to influence child development. This research note demonstrates how the 2003-2013 American Time Use Survey (n=44,188) may help to address these limitations. Two-tier Cragg's Tobit alternative models estimated the amount of time that parents in different-sex and same-sex couples engaged in child-focused time. Women in same-sex couples were more likely than either women or men in different-sex couples to spend such time with children. Overall, women (regardless of the gender of their partners) and men coupled with other men spent significantly more time with children than men coupled with women, conditional on spending any child-focused time. These results support prior research that different-sex couples do not invest in children at appreciably different levels than same-sex couples. We highlight the potential for existing nationally representative data sets to provide preliminary insights into the developmental experiences of children in nontraditional families.

Considering the significance of ancestry through the prism of mixed-race identity.

PubMed

Tashiro, Cathy J

2002-12-01

People of mixed ancestry promise to be a significant percentage of the population of the United States in the 21st century. This article describes a qualitative study of 20 older mixed-race adults of African-American-white and Asian-American-white ancestries and focuses on how the participants construct identity. Using grounded theory methodology, racial identity did not emerge as a singular, distinct entity in this study, and five dimensions of racial identity were observed. Significant differences in patterns of identity dimensions were noted for the two mixed groups. Implications for nursing practice are discussed.

[Changes in the tryptophan content during the technological manufacturing processes of several wheat flour products].

PubMed

Horvatić, M; Grüner, M

1989-12-01

The change of tryptophan contents in proteins of bread and cookies under technological processing conditions were investigated. Tryptophan contents in all cookie samples were noted to be significantly (p = 0.05) reduced in relation to corresponding dough. The relative decreases are significantly correlated with fat content and the degree of unsaturation of fats in the dough of cookies (r = 0.802 and r = 0.777, p = 0.01), independently of various physical parameters during different cookie samples' processing. Tryptophan decrease in proteins of bread during baking was not significant.

After Chemotherapy Treatment for Maternal Cancer During Pregnancy, Is Breastfeeding Possible?

PubMed

Stopenski, Stephen; Aslam, Anum; Zhang, Xinmin; Cardonick, Elyce

2017-03-01

To report breastfeeding complaints of women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and correlate success with characteristics of their treatment. This is a prospective cohort study of women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy who attempted breastfeeding. We surveyed participants about breast engorgement, milk let down, and consistent breast milk production through mailed questionnaires. Treatment details, including the type and number of chemotherapy cycles given during pregnancy and antepartum or postpartum depression, were collected. A single pathologist evaluated surgical specimens to note lactational changes while blinded to patient's treatment. The primary endpoint was successful breastfeeding without reporting any lack of or decreased breast milk production. When comparing women who underwent chemotherapy during pregnancy to women who did not, there was a significant difference in reporting a lack of or a perceived decrease in breast milk supply and the need to provide supplemental feeding to their infants (63.5% and 9%, respectively, p < 0.001). In the women who received chemotherapy, there was no significant difference in maternal age, cancer type, or stage with regard to breastfeeding difficulties. Gestational age at the first cycle and the number of cycles were significant factors associated with breastfeeding difficulties (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0003, respectively). Antepartum and postpartum depression was not associated with decreased breast milk production. A lack of lactational changes and significant lobular atrophy were noted in the women given neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Women who undergo chemotherapy during a pregnancy are more likely to report breastfeeding difficulties.

Thumb-Rest Position and its Role in Neuromuscular Control of the Clarinet Task.

PubMed

Young, Kathryn E; Winges, Sara A

2017-06-01

Musicians spend long hours of practice and performance to master their instrument. Clarinet players support their roughly 2-lb instrument on the right-hand thumb, which results in cumulative static loading of the arm. This posture in turn can cause discomfort and, in some cases, evolve into debilitating overuse injuries and pain throughout the right upper limb. Altering the thumb-rest position has been proposed as a way to alleviate this discomfort, although no quantitative research has been conducted on this issue. The purpose of this study was to address the impact of thumb-rest position on the neuromuscular control of holding the clarinet. Surface electromyographic recordings of superficial muscles that control the right thumb, wrist, and arm were taken during realistic playing tasks. Twenty clarinetists performed 10 held notes and 10 exercises on the three different thumb-rest positions. The notes and exercises were chosen to isolate specific elements of playing. We hypothesized that a high thumb-rest position would result in a significantly different balance of muscle activity than traditional and low thumb-rest positions. The patterns of muscle activity recorded among clarinetists were idiosyncratic, but for all players these patterns were influenced by the note(s) played and thumb-rest position, and thus the hypothesis was partially supported. Muscles that acted on the thumb and wrist were most influenced by thumb-rest position. These results support the notion that adjustment of thumb-rest position may be a useful way to alleviate discomfort in the supporting limb but must be evaluated for each individual.

Counting Melodies: Recursion through Music for a Liberal Arts Audience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwick, Kurt

2016-01-01

In the study of music from a mathematical perspective, several types of counting problems naturally arise. For example, how many different rhythms of a specified length (in beats) can be written if we restrict ourselves to only quarter notes (one beat) and half notes (two beats)? What if we allow whole notes, dotted half notes, etc.? Or, what if…

Feasibility of a skills-based substance abuse prevention program following traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Vungkhanching, Martha; Heinemann, Allen W; Langley, Mervin J; Ridgely, Mary; Kramer, Karen M

2007-01-01

To demonstrate the feasibility of a skills-based substance abuse prevention counseling program in a community setting for adults who sustained traumatic brain injury. Convenience sample of 117 participants (mean age=35 years) with preinjury history of alcohol or other drug use. Intervention group participants (n=36) from 3 vocational rehabilitation programs; a no-intervention comparison group (n=81) from an outpatient rehabilitation service. 12 individual counseling sessions featuring skills-based intervention. Changes in self-reported alcohol and other drug use, coping skillfulness, affect, and employment status from baseline to 9 months postintervention. Significant differences were noted at baseline for the intervention and comparison groups on ethnicity, time postinjury, marital status, and employment (P<.05). At the 9-month follow-up, the intervention group participants achieved a statistically significant decrease in alcohol and drug use (P<.05), increase in coping skillfulness (P<.01), and increased likelihood of maintaining employment (P<.01) relative to the comparison group. Controlling for baseline-adjusted means for the intervention and comparison groups, a statistically significant group difference in adjusted change was noted; the intervention group participants reported lower negative affect at the 9-month follow-up assessment (P<.05). A skills-based intervention provides a promising approach to promoting abstinence from all substances and increasing readiness for employment for adults with traumatic brain injuries in outpatient settings.

ABO blood grouping: A potential risk factor for early childhood caries - A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Jeevanandan, Ganesh; Subramanian, E M G

2018-01-01

The paradigm of etiology of early childhood caries (ECC) is shifting toward genetics. Of various inherited factors, blood group of an individual is genetically determined. The aim of the study is to determine if blood group of an individual will serve as a potential risk factor in the development of ECC. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chennai. Blood samples were collected from a total of 500 children <71 months of age for determination of the blood group. Of which 96 children (24 per blood group) were randomly selected and were included in the study. Oral screening of the selected children was done by a pediatric dentist who was blinded to the blood group of the children. Decayed, extracted, and filling index was noted. Details on other associated factors for the development of ECC such as the socioeconomic status, oral hygiene measures, diet, and feeding practices were collected by directly interviewing the parents through a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc Tukey test with significance level set at 0.05. Intergroup analysis of the associated factors showed no significant differences between the children of different blood groups. A statistically significant relation was noted between the blood groups and development of ECC (P = 0.025). Blood group is a potential risk indicator for the development of ECC.

Phase locked neural activity in the human brainstem predicts preference for musical consonance.

PubMed

Bones, Oliver; Hopkins, Kathryn; Krishnan, Ananthanarayan; Plack, Christopher J

2014-05-01

When musical notes are combined to make a chord, the closeness of fit of the combined spectrum to a single harmonic series (the 'harmonicity' of the chord) predicts the perceived consonance (how pleasant and stable the chord sounds; McDermott, Lehr, & Oxenham, 2010). The distinction between consonance and dissonance is central to Western musical form. Harmonicity is represented in the temporal firing patterns of populations of brainstem neurons. The current study investigates the role of brainstem temporal coding of harmonicity in the perception of consonance. Individual preference for consonant over dissonant chords was measured using a rating scale for pairs of simultaneous notes. In order to investigate the effects of cochlear interactions, notes were presented in two ways: both notes to both ears or each note to different ears. The electrophysiological frequency following response (FFR), reflecting sustained neural activity in the brainstem synchronised to the stimulus, was also measured. When both notes were presented to both ears the perceptual distinction between consonant and dissonant chords was stronger than when the notes were presented to different ears. In the condition in which both notes were presented to the both ears additional low-frequency components, corresponding to difference tones resulting from nonlinear cochlear processing, were observable in the FFR effectively enhancing the neural harmonicity of consonant chords but not dissonant chords. Suppressing the cochlear envelope component of the FFR also suppressed the additional frequency components. This suggests that, in the case of consonant chords, difference tones generated by interactions between notes in the cochlea enhance the perception of consonance. Furthermore, individuals with a greater distinction between consonant and dissonant chords in the FFR to individual harmonics had a stronger preference for consonant over dissonant chords. Overall, the results provide compelling evidence for the role of neural temporal coding in the perception of consonance, and suggest that the representation of harmonicity in phase locked neural firing drives the perception of consonance. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Electronic health records improve clinical note quality.

PubMed

Burke, Harry B; Sessums, Laura L; Hoang, Albert; Becher, Dorothy A; Fontelo, Paul; Liu, Fang; Stephens, Mark; Pangaro, Louis N; O'Malley, Patrick G; Baxi, Nancy S; Bunt, Christopher W; Capaldi, Vincent F; Chen, Julie M; Cooper, Barbara A; Djuric, David A; Hodge, Joshua A; Kane, Shawn; Magee, Charles; Makary, Zizette R; Mallory, Renee M; Miller, Thomas; Saperstein, Adam; Servey, Jessica; Gimbel, Ronald W

2015-01-01

The clinical note documents the clinician's information collection, problem assessment, clinical management, and its used for administrative purposes. Electronic health records (EHRs) are being implemented in clinical practices throughout the USA yet it is not known whether they improve the quality of clinical notes. The goal in this study was to determine if EHRs improve the quality of outpatient clinical notes. A five and a half year longitudinal retrospective multicenter quantitative study comparing the quality of handwritten and electronic outpatient clinical visit notes for 100 patients with type 2 diabetes at three time points: 6 months prior to the introduction of the EHR (before-EHR), 6 months after the introduction of the EHR (after-EHR), and 5 years after the introduction of the EHR (5-year-EHR). QNOTE, a validated quantitative instrument, was used to assess the quality of outpatient clinical notes. Its scores can range from a low of 0 to a high of 100. Sixteen primary care physicians with active practices used QNOTE to determine the quality of the 300 patient notes. The before-EHR, after-EHR, and 5-year-EHR grand mean scores (SD) were 52.0 (18.4), 61.2 (16.3), and 80.4 (8.9), respectively, and the change in scores for before-EHR to after-EHR and before-EHR to 5-year-EHR were 18% (p<0.0001) and 55% (p<0.0001), respectively. All the element and grand mean quality scores significantly improved over the 5-year time interval. The EHR significantly improved the overall quality of the outpatient clinical note and the quality of all its elements, including the core and non-core elements. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the EHR significantly improves the quality of clinical notes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Auditory-motor Mapping for Pitch Control in Singers and Nonsingers

PubMed Central

Jones, Jeffery A.; Keough, Dwayne

2009-01-01

Little is known about the basic processes underlying the behavior of singing. This experiment was designed to examine differences in the representation of the mapping between fundamental frequency (F0) feedback and the vocal production system in singers and nonsingers. Auditory feedback regarding F0 was shifted down in frequency while participants sang the consonant-vowel /ta/. During the initial frequency-altered trials, singers compensated to a lesser degree than nonsingers, but this difference was reduced with continued exposure to frequency-altered feedback. After brief exposure to frequency altered auditory feedback, both singers and nonsingers suddenly heard their F0 unaltered. When participants received this unaltered feedback, only singers' F0 values were found to be significantly higher than their F0 values produced during baseline and control trials. These aftereffects in singers were replicated when participants sang a different note than the note they produced while hearing altered feedback. Together, these results suggest that singers rely more on internal models than nonsingers to regulate vocal productions rather than real time auditory feedback. PMID:18592224

Consumer opinions with ancillary hospital services: improving service delivery in Turkish hospitals.

PubMed

Tengilimoglu, D; Kisa, A; Dziegielewski, S F

1999-10-01

This article reports the results of 2,045 consumer interviews conducted after discharge from seven major public and private hospitals in the country of Turkey. The direct measurement of consumer-satisfaction and utilization of this information to improve service delivery is a relatively new phenomena for this country. Based on postdischarge consumer interviews information on satisfaction of several ancillary hospital service variables was identified and inclusion for achieving overall consumer satisfaction is emphasized. Two critical areas were examined: ancillary staff and consumer relations and overall impressions of the comfort of the facility. Relationships and percentages within and among these variables are reported. Overall, the majority of the complaints noted by consumers were not related to direct treatment rather they focused on interactions with the hospital's staff and other services provided by the facility (e.g., comfort, cleanliness, parking, etc.). When comparing the different hospitals across these variables significant differences were noted at the .05 level between the seven different hospitals examined. Findings and recommendations from this study are presented to assist in providing a basis for the development of improved consumer satisfaction.

Association of circulating adipokines with metabolic dyslipidemia in obese versus non-obese individuals.

PubMed

Rahimlou, Mehran; Mirzaei, Khadijeh; Keshavarz, Seyed Ali; Hossein-Nezhad, Arash

2016-01-01

Previous studies have shown that circulating adipokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of some obesity related chronic disease such as dyslipidemia and type2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between vaspin, omentin-1 and retinol binding protein-4 levels with metabolic dyslipidemia (MD) criteria in obese and non-obese individuals. The study was conducted on 170 obese and 81 non-obese individuals. After collecting the blood samples, serum levels metabolic parameters as well as three circulating adipokines and body composition were measured. No significant difference was noted regarding the mean serum levels of omentin-1 and vaspin between the obese and non-obese groups, while, serum level of RBP4 was significantly higher in the non-obese group. We found the 0.22 increased risk of MD in obese individuals with higher RBP4 concentration. After the adjustment for confounding factors, this association was still significant. No significant association was noted between MD and its components relative risks with omentin-1 and vaspin levels. Our study demonstrated that circulating RBP4 was significantly higher in the obese individuals which may increase the risk of MD in them. Further researches are needed to address this association. Copyright © 2015 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment and survival of second primary early-stage lung cancer, following treatment of head and neck cancer in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Louie, Alexander V; Damhuis, Ronald A; Haasbeek, Cornelis J; Warner, Andrew; Rodin, Danielle; Slotman, Ben J; Leemans, C Rene; Senan, Suresh

2016-04-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate treatment patterns and outcomes in early stage (ES) second primary lung cancer (SPLC) after head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), in the Netherlands. Details of patients diagnosed between 1997 and 2011 with either an ES primary, or a SPLC after HNSCC, were obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Survival outcomes were compared between treatment groups before, and after, 2005. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression modeling were performed to determine factors prognostic for OS in ES-SPLC. In total, 21,648 patients were diagnosed with ES primary (n=21,032) or SPLC (n=616). Use of surgery for ES-SPLC decreased significantly over time (range 71-44%, p<0.001), while the proportion of such patients receiving radiotherapy increased (range 17-41%, p<0.001). Prior to 2005, OS after surgery in ES-SPLC was significantly better than when compared to radiation, but no difference in OS was noted between surgery and radiotherapy after 2005 (p=0.116). There were no significant differences in OS between treatment eras for surgery (p=0.751) and with palliative care (p=0.306), but a significant improvement in OS was noted for radiotherapy (p=0.049). Multivariable modeling revealed that age, T-stage, HNSCC location and treatment type were associated with worse OS in the later era. Changes in the treatment patterns in HNSCC survivors presenting with ES-SPLC were observed in the Netherlands, with less surgery and increased utilization of radiotherapy. No differences in OS were observed between patients undergoing either surgery or radiotherapy after 2005, suggesting that both local modalities were equally effective. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of body site, topical melatonin and brushing on hair regrowth after clipping normal Siberian Husky dogs.

PubMed

Diaz, Sandra F; Torres, Sheila M F; Nogueira, Sandra A F; Gilbert, Sophie; Jessen, Carl R

2006-02-01

The aims of this study were to determine the impact of body site, vigorous brushing and topical melatonin treatment on hair regrowth after clipping normal dogs. Siberian Husky dogs were randomly assigned to three groups of eight dogs each. All dogs had the lumbosacral region and both lateral thighs clipped. The left thigh and lumbosacral area received no treatment and were compared in all 24 dogs. Eight dogs had the right thigh treated with 0.1% melatonin twice daily for 2 months, and hair regrowth was compared with the left thigh. Eight dogs had the right thigh brushed twice daily for 2 months, and hair regrowth was compared with the left thigh. Eight dogs had neither thigh treated. Hairs were plucked before and 2 months postclipping, and the proportion of hair growth from the original length was calculated and compared as described above. Biopsy samples were collected before and after treatment to determine if brushing induced dermal inflammation and melatonin increased the proportion of anagen follicles. Proportionally, left thigh hairs were significantly longer compared to lumbosacral hairs 2 months postclipping. No significant differences in hair regrowth were noted between the nontreated thigh and the thigh treated with melatonin or brushed. No significant difference in dermal inflammation was noted before and after brushing. No significant differences were observed in the proportion of anagen follicles before and after topical melatonin treatment. Our results showed that the hairs in the lumbosacral region were proportionally shorter than lateral thigh hairs 2 months postclipping. Moreover, topical melatonin and brushing had no impact on hair regrowth after clipping normal dogs.

[Stress-corrosion test of TIG welded CP-Ti].

PubMed

Li, H; Wang, Y; Zhou, Z; Meng, X; Liang, Q; Zhang, X; Zhao, Y

2000-12-01

In this study TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welded CP-Ti were subjected to stress-corrosion test under 261 MPa in artificial saliva of 37 degrees C for 3 months. No significant difference was noted on mechanical test (P > 0.05). No color-changed and no micro-crack on the sample's surface yet. These results indicate that TIG welded CP-Ti offers excellent resistance to stress corrosion.

Comparison of Verbal Learning and Memory in Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Crocker, Nicole; Vaurio, Linnea; Riley, Edward P.; Mattson, Sarah N.

2011-01-01

Background Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have deficits in verbal learning and recall. However, the specificity of these deficits has not been adequately tested. In the current study, verbal learning and memory performance of children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure was compared to children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disorder commonly seen in alcohol-exposed children. Methods Performance on the California Verbal Learning Test – Children's Version (CVLT-C) was examined in three groups of children (N=22/group): (1) heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and ADHD (ALC), (2) nonexposed with ADHD (ADHD), and (3) nonexposed typically developing (CON). Groups were matched on age, sex, race, ethnicity, handedness, and socioeconomic status. Results Group differences were noted on learning trials (CON > ADHD > ALC). On the delayed recall trial, CON children performed better than both clinical groups, who did not differ from each other. Children in the ALC group demonstrated poorer recognition than children in the CON and ADHD groups, who did not differ from each other. Marginally significant group differences were noted on retention of previously learned material. Post hoc analyses indicated that ADHD children showed worse retention relative to the CON group, whereas retention in the ALC children remained intact. Conclusions These data suggest that children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and nonexposed children with ADHD show differential patterns of deficit on the CVLT-C. Performance of alcohol-exposed children reflects inefficient encoding of verbal material, whereas performance of the ADHD group may be better characterized by a deficit in retrieval of learned material. Differences noted between clinical groups add to a growing neurobehavioral profile of FASD that may aid in differential diagnosis. PMID:21410480

Understanding Digital Note-Taking Practice for Visualization.

PubMed

Willett, Wesley; Goffin, Pascal; Isenberg, Petra

2015-05-13

We present results and design implications from a study of digital note-taking practice to examine how visualization can support revisitation, reflection, and collaboration around notes. As digital notebooks become common forms of external memory, keeping track of volumes of content is increasingly difficult. Information visualization tools can help give note-takers an overview of their content and allow them to explore diverse sets of notes, find and organize related content, and compare their notes with their collaborators. To ground the design of such tools, we conducted a detailed mixed-methods study of digital note-taking practice. We identify a variety of different editing, organization, and sharing methods used by digital note-takers, many of which result in notes becoming "lost in the pile''. These findings form the basis for our design considerations that examine how visualization can support the revisitation, organization, and sharing of digital notes.

Student Perceptions of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Geologic Note-taking with iPads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dohaney, J. A.; Kennedy, B.; Gravley, D. M.

2015-12-01

During fieldwork, students and professionals record information and hypotheses into their geologic notebook. In a pilot study, students on an upper-level volcanology field trip were given iPads, with an open-source geology note-taking application (GeoFieldBook) and volunteered to record notes at two sites (i.e., Tongariro Volcanic Complex and Orakei Korako) in New Zealand. A group of students (n=9) were interviewed several weeks after fieldwork to reflect on using this technology. We aimed to characterise their experiences, strategies and examine the perceived benefits and challenges of hardcopy and digital note-taking. Students reported having a diverse range of strategies when taking notes but the most common strategies mentioned were: a) looking for/describing the differences, b) supporting note-taking with sketches, c) writing everything down, and d) focusing first on structure, texture and then composition of an outcrop. Additionally, students said they that the strategies they used were context-dependent (i.e., bedrock mapping versus detailed outcrop descriptions). When using the iPad, students reported that they specifically used different strategies: varying the length of text (from more to less), increasing the number of sites described (i.e., preferring to describe sites in more spatial detail rather than summarising several features in close proximity), and taking advantage of the 'editability' of iPad notes (abandoning rigid, systematic approaches). Overall, the reported advantages to iPad note-taking included allowing the user to be more efficient, organised and using the GPS mapping function to help them make observations and interpretations in real-time. Students also reported a range of disadvantages, but focused predominantly on the inability to annotate/draw sketches with the iPad in the same manner as pen and paper methods. These differences likely encourage different overall approaches to note-taking and cognition in the field environment, and we suggest to instructors that using pen and paper note-taking first, and then introducing new technology may encourage both systematic and efficient evaluation of field areas.

Differences in X-chromosome transcriptional activity and cholesterol metabolism between placentae from swine breeds from Asian and Western origins.

PubMed

Bischoff, Steve R; Tsai, Shengdar Q; Hardison, Nicholas E; Motsinger-Reif, Alison A; Freking, Bradley A; Nonneman, Dan J; Rohrer, Gary A; Piedrahita, Jorge A

2013-01-01

To gain insight into differences in placental physiology between two swine breeds noted for their dissimilar reproductive performance, that is, the Chinese Meishan and white composite (WC), we examined gene expression profiles of placental tissues collected at 25, 45, 65, 85, and 105 days of gestation by microarrays. Using a linear mixed model, a total of 1,595 differentially expressed genes were identified between the two pig breeds using a false-discovery rate q-value ≤0.05. Among these genes, we identified breed-specific isoforms of XIST, a long non-coding RNA responsible X-chromosome dosage compensation in females. Additionally, we explored the interaction of placental gene expression and chromosomal location by DIGMAP and identified three Sus scrofa X chromosomal bands (Xq13, Xq21, Xp11) that represent transcriptionally active clusters that differ between Meishan and WC during placental development. Also, pathway analysis identified fundamental breed differences in placental cholesterol trafficking and its synthesis. Direct measurement of cholesterol confirmed that the cholesterol content was significantly higher in the Meishan versus WC placentae. Taken together, this work identifies key metabolic pathways that differ in the placentae of two swine breeds noted for differences in reproductive prolificacy.

Effect of increased leptin and C-reactive protein levels on mortality: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

PubMed

Amrock, Stephen M; Weitzman, Michael

2014-09-01

Leptin and C-reactive protein (CRP) have each been linked to adverse cardiovascular events, and prior cross-sectional research suggests that increased levels of both biomarkers pose an even greater risk. The effect of increased levels of both leptin and CRP on mortality has not, however, been previously assessed. We used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) to estimate the mortality effect of high leptin and high CRP levels. Outcomes were compared with the use of inverse-probability-weighting adjustment. Among 6259 participants included in the analysis, 766 were in their sex-specific, population-weighted highest quartiles of both leptin and CRP. Median follow-up time was 14.3 years. There was no significant difference in adjusted all-cause mortality between the groups (risk ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-1.54). Similar results were noted with the use of several different analytic methods and in many subgroups, though high leptin and CRP levels may increase all-cause mortality in males (hazard ratio, 1.80, 95% CI, 1.32-2.46; P for interaction, 0.011). A significant difference in cardiovascular mortality was also noted (risk ratio, 1.54, 95% CI, 1.08-2.18), though that finding was not confirmed in all sensitivity analyses.. In this observational study, no significant difference in overall all-cause mortality rates in those with high leptin and high CRP levels was found, though high leptin and CRP levels appear associated with increased mortality in males. High leptin and CRP levels also likely increase risk for cardiovascular death.. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An audit of the quality of operation notes in an otolaryngology unit.

PubMed

Bateman, N D; Carney, A S; Gibbin, K P

1999-04-01

Hand-written operation notes are often produced as evidence in medico-legal cases. Incomplete and illegible notes, along with the use of confusing abbreviations, are a common source of weakness in a surgeon's defence. An audit of 100 sets of operation notes was carried out in a single otolaryngology department. Notes were scrutinised for the accuracy of data, ward, department and name of surgeon, as well as for the inclusion of unacceptable abbreviations. Using an aide-memoire attached to the front of the operation sheet, the audit was repeated with identical criteria. The aide-memoire improved the standard of operation note with respect to all measured criteria. Clear identification of operating surgeon improved from 74% to 93%, and the avoidance of unacceptable abbreviations rose from 53% to 84%. We conclude that a simple aide-memoire attached to operation note sheets can significantly improve the quality of note-keeping and potentially avoid medico-legal problems.

[Mechanism underlying spatial vision deficit of monocular amblyopia based on the theory of Magnocellular and Parvocellular (M-P) pathways].

PubMed

Song, Feng-wei; Sun, Zhao-hui; Yang, Yi; Wang, Li-ping; Tang, Xia-jing; Chen, Bin-bin; Yu, Xiao-ning

2014-01-01

To investigate the relationship between the characteristics of spatial vision deficit and the degree of amblyopia in monocular amblyopes, and to analyze its mechanism with the theory of Magnocellular and Parvocellular pathways. One hundred and eleven patients with monocular amblyopes aged 7-34 were included in this study. Distance best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR units and contrast sensitivity function test were performed on both eyes in all patients with ETDRS digital visual chart and functional test system OPTECR 6500. The spatial vision of amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes was evaluated by the AULCSF, Smax, Frmax and cutSF derived from the curve of contrast sensitivity function. The degree of amblyopia was significantly correlated with the difference of AULCSF between the amblyopic and non-amblyopia eyes (r=-0.83, P<0.01). BCVA of amblyopic eyes was significantly correlated with AULCSF, CutSF, Smax, Frmax(r=-0.68, -0.80, -0.73, -0.56, respectively; P<0.01). In amblyopic eyes, significant difference in BCVA, AULCSF, Smax, Frmax and CutSF was seen among different amblyopic groups (P<0.01), which was defined by the degree of amblyopia. In non-amblyopic eyes,no significant difference in BCVA, AULCSF, Smax, Frmax and CutSF was noted among different amblyopic groups (P>0.05). In mild amblyopes, no significant difference in AULCSF and Frmax was found between the amblyopic eyes and non-amblyopic eyes (P>0.05), while Smax and CutSF were significantly different. However, in moderate and severe amblyopes, significant differences in BCVA, AULCSF, Smax, Frmax and CutSF was seen between the amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes (P<0.01). In amblyopic eyes, significant difference in contrast sensitivity was noted in all kinds of spatial frequencies among different amblyopic groups (P<0.01), and in non-amblyopic eyes, significant differences in contrast sensitivity was not seen in all kinds of spatial frequencies among different amblyopic groups. The AULCSF, CutSF, Smax and Frmax are accorded with visual acuity for evaluation of the spatial vision of amblyopia. As the severity of amblyopia increases, the overall function of spatial vision in amblyopic eyes gradually decreases, the resolution ability of high spatial frequency is gradually weaken, the peak of contrast detection function gradually descends, and the optimal spatial frequency for contrast detection offsets toward low level of spatial frequency. Mild monocular amblyopia produces spatial contrast sensitivity loss in high spatial vision, suggesting there may be decreased sensitivity of the Parvocellular pathway, and no significant anomalous processing of Magnocellular Pathway. Whereas, in moderate and severe amblyopes, a generalized loss of sensitivity is observed at each spatial frequency. This result shows that both Magnocellular and Parvocellular pathways are damaged in different degrees, especially in Parvocellular pathway.

Rofecoxib versus ibuprofen for acute treatment of migraine: a randomised placebo controlled trial

PubMed Central

Misra, U; Jose, M; Kalita, J

2004-01-01

Background: Rofecoxib is a potent cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor with a long duration of action. Its role in migraine has not been systematically evaluated. Aim: To study the efficacy of rofecoxib in migraine. Method: In a randomised placebo controlled trial rofecoxib 25 mg, ibuprofen 400 mg, and placebo were compared regarding their efficacy in relieving acute migraine attack. Migraine patients with 2–6 attacks per month were recruited. Headache severity, functional disability, and severity of associated symptoms were graded on a 0–3 scale. The primary endpoint was pain relief at two hours. Relief of associated symptoms and sustained pain relief for 24 hours were also noted. Result: One hundred and twenty four patients were randomised into rofecoxib (42), ibuprofen (40), and placebo (42) groups. One hundred and one patients were followed up: 33 on rofecoxib, 35 ibuprofen, and 33 placebo. Patients' ages ranged from 16–62 (mean 31.4) years, and 83 were females. Pain relief at two hours was noted in 45.5% on rofecoxib, 55.6% on ibuprofen, and 9.1% in the placebo group. The associated symptoms at two hours were reduced in 39.4% on rofecoxib, 50% on ibuprofen, and 9.1% in the placebo group. Sustained 24 hour pain relief was noted in 36.4% on rofecoxib, 41% on ibuprofen, and 6.1% in the placebo group. In the ibuprofen group, five patients had abdominal pain but there were no side effects in those on rofecoxib or in the control group. Both rofecoxib and ibuprofen were significantly effective in relieving pain, associated symptoms at two hours, and in sustained pain relief. There was no significant difference between rofecoxib and ibuprofen in aborting acute migraine attacks. Conclusions: Both ibuprofen and rofecoxib were superior to placebo in aborting an acute migraine attack, and there was no significant difference in their efficacy in an acute migraine attack. PMID:15579612

Spatial location influences vocal interactions in bullfrog choruses

PubMed Central

Bates, Mary E.; Cropp, Brett F.; Gonchar, Marina; Knowles, Jeffrey; Simmons, James A.; Simmons, Andrea Megela

2010-01-01

A multiple sensor array was employed to identify the spatial locations of all vocalizing male bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) in five natural choruses. Patterns of vocal activity collected with this array were compared with computer simulations of chorus activity. Bullfrogs were not randomly spaced within choruses, but tended to cluster into closely spaced groups of two to five vocalizing males. There were nonrandom, differing patterns of vocal interactions within clusters of closely spaced males and between different clusters. Bullfrogs located within the same cluster tended to overlap or alternate call notes with two or more other males in that cluster. These near-simultaneous calling bouts produced advertisement calls with more pronounced amplitude modulation than occurred in nonoverlapping notes or calls. Bullfrogs located in different clusters more often alternated entire calls or overlapped only small segments of their calls. They also tended to respond sequentially to calls of their farther neighbors compared to their nearer neighbors. Results of computational analyses showed that the observed patterns of vocal interactions were significantly different than expected based on random activity. The use of a multiple sensor array provides a richer view of the dynamics of choruses than available based on single microphone techniques. PMID:20370047

Quantifying Similarity and Distance Measures for Vector-Based Datasets: Histograms, Signals, and Probability Distribution Functions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

note, a number of different measures implemented in both MATLAB and Python as functions are used to quantify similarity/distance between 2 vector-based...this technical note are widely used and may have an important role when computing the distance and similarity of large datasets and when considering high...throughput processes. In this technical note, a number of different measures implemented in both MAT- LAB and Python as functions are used to

Standard and modified administrations of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills with learning disabled students.

PubMed

Estes, R E; Baum, D L; Bray, N M

1986-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of junior high school learning disabled students on standard and modified administrations of selected subtests from the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. No significant differences were noted for correlations between types of administration and teachers' ratings on any of the subtest comparisons. Grade placements for Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension using the modified administration were significantly higher than those using the standard administration and more closely aligned with teachers' ratings. Math Concept and Math Problem-solving grade-placement scores did not differ by type of administration; teachers' ratings were higher than those produced by either testing format.

Correlation of objectively measured light exposure and serum vitamin D in men aged over 60 years

PubMed Central

Fields, Alison J; Linnville, Steven E; Hoyt, Robert E

2016-01-01

Diminished vitamin D is common among older individuals. Sunlight contributes more to vitamin D synthesis than diet or supplementation. This study examined associations between objectively measured light exposure, vitamin D serum levels, and bone biomarkers in 100 men aged over 60 years. Light exposure was measured in lux via Actigraph monitors for 1 week. Significantly, greater levels of vitamin D were observed in participants with higher light exposure. Seasonal differences in lux were also noted. Significant differences in bone markers were not found. Objective measurement of light exposure is an inexpensive, simple, and effective way to address vitamin D deficiency. PMID:28070400

A note on deep space optical communication link parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolinar, S. J.; Yuen, J. H.

1982-01-01

Topical communication in the context of a deep space communication link. Communication link analysis at the optical frequencies differs significantly from that at microwave frequencies such as the traditional S and X-bands used in deep space applications, due to the different technology of transmitter, antenna, modulators, and receivers. In addition, the important role of quantum noise in limiting system performance is quite different than that of thermal noise. The optical link design is put in a design control table format similar to a microwave telecom link design. Key considerations unique to the optical link are discussed.

Theo van Rens Prize. Arthroscopic assessment of the unstable shoulder.

PubMed

Hintermann, B; Gächter, A

1994-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively the findings during shoulder arthroscopy in patients with recurrent anterior instability of the glenohumeral joint. One hundred and seventy-eight patients who fulfilled the criteria of having had at least one documented shoulder dislocation were included in the study. The pathological findings most frequently noted at arthroscopy were: anterior glenoid labral tears (85%), ventral capsule insufficiency (80%), Hill-Sachs compression fractures (67%), glenohumeral ligament insufficiency (55%), rotator cuff tears (20%), posterior glenoid labral tears (8%), and SLAP lesions (5%). Abnormalities were noted more frequently than expected, and there were significant differences between preoperative and postoperative diagnoses. Our study has taught us that a multiplicity of morphological changes are associated with instability of the glenohumeral joint, and that there is no single cause. The labrum and rim of the anterior inferior glenoid, for instance, showed typical abnormalities corresponding to different entities of anterior instability. In practice, this is very important, as the abnormalities visualized by imaging methods determine the surgical treatment.

Feasibility of a lifestyle intervention for overweight/obese endometrial and breast cancer survivors using an interactive mobile application.

PubMed

McCarroll, Michele L; Armbruster, Shannon; Pohle-Krauza, Rachael J; Lyzen, Amy M; Min, Sarah; Nash, David W; Roulette, G Dante; Andrews, Stephen J; von Gruenigen, Vivian E

2015-06-01

The study aimed to assess a one-month lifestyle intervention delivered via a web- and mobile-based weight-loss application (app) (LoseIt!) using a healthcare-provider interface. Early-stage overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI]≥25kg/m(2)) cancer survivors (CS) diagnosed in the past three years, and without recurrent disease were enrolled and received exercise and nutrition counseling using the LoseIt! app. Entry and exit quality of life (FACT-G) and Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL) measuring self-efficacy were measured along with anthropometrics, daily food intake, and physical activity (PA) using the app. Mean participant age was 58.4±10.3years (n=50). Significant reductions (p<0.0006) in anthropometrics were noted between pre- and post-intervention weight (105.0±21.8kg versus 98.6±22.5kg); BMI (34.9±8.7kg/m(2) versus 33.9±8.4kg/m(2)); and waist circumference (108.1±14.9cm versus 103.7±15.1cm). A significant improvement in pre- and post-intervention total WEL score was noted (99.38±41.8 versus 120.19±47.1, p=0.043). No significant differences were noted in FACT-G, macronutrient consumption, and PA patterns. These results indicate that a lifestyle intervention delivered via a web- and mobile-based weight-loss app is a feasible option by which to elicit short-term reductions in weight. Though these results parallel the recent survivors of uterine cancer empowered by exercise and healthy diet (SUCCEED) trial, it is notable that they were achieved without encumbering significant cost and barrier-access issues (i.e. time, transportation, weather, parking, etc.). Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relationship between polysomnographic sleep architecture and behavior in medication-free children with TS, ADHD, TS and ADHD, and controls.

PubMed

Stephens, Robyn J; Chung, Sharon A; Jovanovic, Dragana; Guerra, Randy; Stephens, Brandon; Sandor, Paul; Shapiro, Colin M

2013-01-01

To describe the relationship between sleep architecture and behavioral measures in unmedicated children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome (TS), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), TS and comorbid ADHD (TS + ADHD), and healthy controls. The study also set out to examine differences in sleep architecture with each diagnosis. A cross-sectional, 2-night consecutive polysomnographic sleep study was conducted in 90 children. All participants were matched for age, gender, and level of intelligence. Scores on the Child Behavior Checklist delinquency measure were modestly but significantly correlated with the number of movements during REM sleep (r = .36, p = .003). Significant correlations were also noted among the number of total arousals and arousals from slow wave sleep (SWS), and scores on the measures of conduct disorder, hyperactivity/immaturity, and restless/disorganized behaviors. There were a few significant differences in sleep architecture among the diagnostic groups. The ADHD-only group exhibited a significantly higher number of total arousals (p < .01) and arousals from SWS (p < .01) compared with the other three study groups. Our findings indicate that children with TS and/or ADHD and who have more arousals from sleep are significantly more likely to have issues with conduct disorder, hyperactivity/immaturity, and restless/disorganized behavior. It was also noted that having ADHD, alone or comorbid with TS, is associated with a significantly greater number of movements during both non-REM and REM sleep. This study underscores the compelling need for the diagnosis and treatment of any sleep disorders in children with TS and/or ADHD so as to facilitate better management of problem behaviors.

The ventrolateral medulla and medullary raphe in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

PubMed

Patodia, Smriti; Somani, Alyma; O'Hare, Megan; Venkateswaran, Ranjana; Liu, Joan; Michalak, Zuzanna; Ellis, Matthew; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Diehl, Beate; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Thom, Maria

2018-06-01

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a leading cause of premature death in patients with epilepsy. One hypothesis proposes that sudden death is mediated by post-ictal central respiratory depression, which could relate to underlying pathology in key respiratory nuclei and/or their neuromodulators. Our aim was to investigate neuronal populations in the ventrolateral medulla (which includes the putative human pre-Bötzinger complex) and the medullary raphe. Forty brainstems were studied comprising four groups: 14 SUDEP, six epilepsy controls, seven Dravet syndrome cases and 13 non-epilepsy controls. Serial sections through the medulla (from obex 1 to 10 mm) were stained for Nissl, somatostatin, neurokinin 1 receptor (for pre-Bötzinger complex neurons) and galanin, tryptophan hydroxylase and serotonin transporter (neuromodulatory systems). Using stereology total neuronal number and densities, with respect to obex level, were measured. Whole slide scanning image analysis was used to quantify immunolabelling indices as well as co-localization between markers. Significant findings included reduction in somatostatin neurons and neurokinin 1 receptor labelling in the ventrolateral medulla in sudden death in epilepsy compared to controls (P < 0.05). Galanin and tryptophan hydroxylase labelling was also reduced in sudden death cases and more significantly in the ventrolateral medulla region than the raphe (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05). With serotonin transporter, reduction in labelling in cases of sudden death in epilepsy was noted only in the raphe (P ≤ 0.01); however, co-localization with tryptophan hydroxylase was significantly reduced in the ventrolateral medulla. Epilepsy controls and cases with Dravet syndrome showed less significant alterations with differences from non-epilepsy controls noted only for somatostatin in the ventrolateral medulla (P < 0.05). Variations in labelling with respect to obex level were noted of potential relevance to the rostro-caudal organization of respiratory nuclear groups, including tryptophan hydroxylase, where the greatest statistical difference noted between all epilepsy cases and controls was at obex 9-10 mm (P = 0.034), the putative level of the pre-Bötzinger complex. Furthermore, there was evidence for variation with duration of epilepsy for somatostatin and neurokinin 1 receptor. Our findings suggest alteration to neuronal populations in the medulla in SUDEP with evidence for greater reduction in neuromodulatory neuropeptidergic and mono-aminergic systems, including for galanin, and serotonin. Other nuclei need to be investigated to evaluate if this is part of more widespread brainstem pathology. Our findings could be a result of previous seizures and may represent a pathological risk factor for SUDEP through impaired respiratory homeostasis during a seizure.

Distinct patterns of brain activity evoked by histamine-induced itch reveal an association with itch intensity and disease severity in atopic dermatitis

PubMed Central

Ishiuji, Y.; Coghill, R.C.; Patel, T.S.; Oshiro, Y.; Kraft, R.A.; Yosipovitch, G.

2009-01-01

Summary Background Little is known about brain mechanisms supporting the experience of chronic puritus in disease states. Objectives To examine the difference in brain processing of histamine-induced itch in patients with active atopic dermatitis (AD) vs. healthy controls with the emerging technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using arterial spin labelling (ASL). Methods Itch was induced with histamine iontophoresis in eight patients with AD and seven healthy subjects. Results We found significant differences in brain processing of histamine-induced itch between patients with AD and healthy subjects. Patients with AD exhibited bilateral activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), retrosplenial cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as well as contralateral activation of the caudate nucleus and putamen. In contrast, healthy subjects activated the primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex and superior parietal lobe. The PCC and precuneus exhibited significantly greater activity in patients vs. healthy subjects. A significant correlation between percentage changes of brain activation was noted in the activation of the ACC and contralateral insula and histamine-induced itch intensity as well as disease severity in patients with AD. In addition, an association was noted between DLPFC activity and disease severity. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that ASL fMRI is a promising technique to assess brain activity in chronic itch. Brain activity of acute itch in AD seems to differ from that in healthy subjects. Moreover, the activity in cortical areas involved in affect and emotion correlated to measures of disease severity. PMID:19663870

Smile analysis in rhinoplasty: a randomized study for comparing resection and transposition of the depressor septi nasi muscle.

PubMed

Kalantar-Hormozi, Abdoljalil; Beiraghi-Toosi, Arash

2014-02-01

The depressor septi nasi muscle is responsible for smiling deformity. Its manipulation is beneficial in patients with muscle hypertrophy. In addition, it enhances the smile and tip-lip relationship. In this study, depressor septi nasi muscle excision through a transfixion incision is compared with its transposition through an upper labial sulcus incision. Two techniques of depressor septi nasi muscle treatment were performed randomly for rhinoplasty cases. Smile analysis in rhinoplasty, consisting of measurements of nasal length, nasal diagonal, tip projection, and upper lip height, and noting transverse upper labial crease in repose and full smile, was performed on preoperative and postoperative photographs. One hundred patients were studied in two equal groups. Preoperatively, tip projection and upper lip height were decreased significantly with smiling. Generally, the effect of smiling on all five parameters was decreased significantly following rhinoplasty. The two different techniques were not significantly different in decreasing the effects of smiling on nasal length, nasal diagonal, tip projection, upper lip height, or transverse crease. The two different techniques were the same in decreasing the effects of smiling. The authors recommend smile analysis in rhinoplasty, consisting of measurement of nasal length, nasal diagonal, tip projection, and upper lip height, and noting transverse upper labial crease in repose and during smiling, before rhinoplasty for preoperative evaluation and after the operation for outcome assessment. Depressor septi nasi muscle treatment should be considered if a decrease in tip projection or upper lip height with smiling or a transverse upper labial crease during smiling is extraordinary or unsightly. Therapeutic, II.

Femoral stem size mismatch in women undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

PubMed

Dundon, John M; Felberbaum, Dvorah Leah; Long, William J

2018-06-01

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a highly successful surgery with a high prevalence in women. Women have been noted to have smaller proximal femoral anatomy and decreased bone strength compared to males. The goal of our study was to define the size discrepancy in femoral stem implants between men and women using a metaphyseal fitting single taper stem. We retrospectively reviewed the THA's performed by a single surgeon over the previous two years. Data was extracted from operative reports regarding stem size, neck length and offset, and conversion to a different type of stem. This data was reviewed with confidence intervals and a t -test was performed for independent samples with a p < 0.05 being determined significant. We analyzed the data from 276 THA's performed (129 in men, and 147 in women). Women were noted to be associated with smaller stem sizes compared to men (37.67% in women, 6.11% in men), with 7.48% of women requiring conversion to a different type of implant. There was a significant difference in mean stem size (9.21 in men, 6.70 in women, p < 0.0001). Women also required reduced neck options significantly more often than men (38.97% in women, 9.29% in men, p < 0.0001). Review of femoral stem sizes reveals that current femoral stem sizing may not appropriately account for women and alternative stem options should be available if using a metaphyseal fitting single tapered stems. Future consideration should be given to more anatomic female sized femoral stems or alternative options should be available.

Immediate postoperative complications of combined penetrating rectal and bladder injuries.

PubMed

Crispen, Paul L; Kansas, Bryan T; Pieri, Paola G; Fisher, Carol; Gaughan, John P; Pathak, Abhijit S; Mydlo, Jack H; Goldberg, Amy J

2007-02-01

Combined penetrating trauma involving the rectum and bladder has been associated with increased postoperative morbidity. Specific complications resulting from these injuries include colovesical fistula, urinoma, and abscess formation. A retrospective review of Temple University Hospital trauma database was performed. Patients were categorized by having an isolated rectal (n = 29), isolated bladder (n = 16), or combined injury (n = 24). Records were reviewed for sex, age, site of injury, location of rectal and bladder injuries, operative intervention, fistula formation, urinoma formation, abscess formation, time to urinary catheter removal, length of intensive care unit stay, and length of hospital stay. Patient sex and age did not differ significantly between groups, nor was there a significant difference in location of rectal injury between groups. Presacral drainage was utilized in all patients with extraperitoneal injuries. Fecal diversion was performed in all patients, except two with intraperitoneal rectal injuries. Omental flap interposition between rectal and bladder injuries was utilized in one patient. No significant difference was noted in immediate postoperative complications between groups including fistula, urinoma, and abscess formation. However, all cases of colovesical fistula (n = 2) and urinoma (n = 2) formation were noted in those patients with rectal and posterior bladder injuries. Combined rectal and bladder injuries were not associated with an increase in immediate postoperative complications compared with isolated rectal and bladder injuries. However, postoperative fistula and urinoma formation occurred only in patients with a combined rectal and posterior bladder injury. Consequently, these patients may benefit from omental flap interposition between injuries to decrease fistula and urinoma formation.

Note: A component-level frequency tunable isolator for vibration-sensitive chips using SMA beams.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoyong; Ding, Xin; Wu, Di; Qi, Junlei; Wang, Ruixin; Lu, Siwei; Yan, Xiaojun

2016-06-01

This note presents a component-level frequency tunable isolator for vibration-sensitive chips. The isolator employed 8 U-shaped shape memory alloy (SMA) beams to support an isolation island (used for mounting chips). Due to the temperature-induced Young's modulus variation of SMA, the system stiffness of the isolator can be controlled through heating the SMA beams. In such a way, the natural frequency of the isolator can be tuned. A prototype was fabricated to evaluate the concept. The test results show that the natural frequency of the isolator can be tuned in the range of 64 Hz-97 Hz by applying different heating strategies. Moreover, resonant vibration can be suppressed significantly (the transmissibility decreases about 65% near the resonant frequency) using a real-time tuning method.

Race and health in Guyana: an empirical assessment from survey data.

PubMed

Wilson, Leon C; Wilson, Colwick M; Johnson, Bridgette M

2010-01-01

This paper examines racial differences in physical health and mental well-being in Guyana, South America: a country with cultural ties to the Caribbean. It explores the complex relationship among race, socioeconomic status and health outcomes which in developed societies continues to be of significant research interest. Utilizing a random probability sample of over 900 adults, the analyses provide information on the general physical and mental health status of this population and examine the differences by racial groups when other factors are controlled. The results indicate significant age-specific racial differences in physical and mental health in Guyana. Higher rates of diabetes, arthritis or rheumatism, back and breathing problems among Indo-Guyanese when compared to other groups were noted. Racial differences in physical health were attenuated when gender and educational levels were controlled.

Cross Check of NOvA Oscillation Probabilities

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

Parke, Stephen J.; Messier, Mark D.

2018-01-12

In this note we perform a cross check of the programs used by NOvA to calculate the 3-flavor oscillation probabilities with a independent program using a different method. The comparison is performed at 6 significant figures and the agreement,more » $$|\\Delta P|/P$$ is better than $$10^{-5}$$, as good as can be expected with 6 significant figures. In addition, a simple and accurate alternative method to calculate the oscillation probabilities is outlined and compared in the L/E range and matter density relevant for the NOvA experiment.« less

Euro-NOTES Status Paper: from the concept to clinical practice.

PubMed

Fuchs, K H; Meining, A; von Renteln, D; Fernandez-Esparrach, G; Breithaupt, W; Zornig, C; Lacy, A

2013-05-01

The concept of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) consists of the reduction of access trauma by using a natural orifice access to the intra-abdominal cavity. This could possibly lead to less postoperative pain, quicker recovery from surgery, fewer postoperative complications, fewer wound infections, and fewer long-term problems such as hernias. The Euro-NOTES Foundation has organized yearly meetings to work on this concept to bring it safely into clinical practice. The aim of this Euro-NOTES status update is to assess the yearly scientific working group reports and provide an overview on the current clinical practice of NOTES procedures. After the Euro-NOTES meeting 2011 in Frankfurt, Germany, an analysis was started regarding the most important topics of the European working groups. All prospectively documented information was gathered from Euro-NOTES and D-NOTES working groups from 2007 to 2011. The top five topics were analyzed. The statements of the working group activities demonstrate the growing information and changing insights. The most important selected topics were infection issue, peritoneal access, education and training, platforms and new technology, closure, suture, and anastomosis. The focus on research topics changed over time. The principle of hybrid access has overcome the technical and safety limitations of pure NOTES. Currently the following NOTES access routes are established for several indications: transvaginal access for cholecystectomy, appendectomy and colon resections; transesophageal access for myotomy; transgastric access for full-thickness small-tumor resections; and transanal/transcolonic access for rectal and colon resections. NOTES and hybrid NOTES techniques have emerged for all natural orifices and were introduced into clinical practice with a good safety record. There are different indications for different natural orifices. Each technique has been optimized for the purpose of finding a safe and realistic solution to perform the procedure according to the specific indication.

Is thoracoscopic patent ductus arteriosus closure superior to conventional surgery?

PubMed

Stankowski, Tomasz; Aboul-Hassan, Sleiman Sebastian; Marczak, Jakub; Cichon, Romuald

2015-10-01

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether thoracoscopic patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure is superior to conventional surgery. Altogether 821 papers were found using the reported search, 11 of which represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. Eleven studies included in the analysis consisted of two prospective and three retrospective, non-randomized studies and six case series. Four included studies focused only on preterm infants, three studies enrolled neonates and the other four analysed all age groups from neonates to older children or young adults. There were no differences in mortality between video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and conventional surgery. Two studies suggested that VATS offers shorter operative times. Two papers observed shorter hospital stay, although the other two noted no significant difference. A large prospective trial found VATS to be associated with a lower number of postoperative complications in neonates and infants, whereas other studies suggested no significant differences in short-term postoperative complications. There is little evidence to suggest better musculoskeletal status and cosmesis in neonates following VATS. Conversion from thoracoscopy to thoracotomy described in six papers was seldom and it did not lead to any additional complications. All observational studies confirmed that both techniques are free from major adverse cardiovascular complications and these two techniques can be safely used in all patients qualified for surgical PDA closure. Two studies compared cost-effectiveness between the two techniques; one of them described VATS as significantly more cost-efficient, whereas the other study observed no difference. However, it should be noted that data were provided from different countries and time periods. The results presented suggest that there are no significant differences in early clinical outcomes between VATS and thoracotomy in all age groups. However, where differences have been shown, such as pain, postoperative complications, length of hospital and ICU stay and cost, these favour the VATS approach. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Output Levels and Frequencies of MP3 Players.

PubMed

Kim, Jinsook

2013-09-01

Exposure to high levels of music that could lead to music induced hearing loss (MIHL) has been of recent interest especially for young adults, considering their excessive use of personal listening devices such as MP3 player. More attention should be drawn to MIHL for noting that early noise exposure leads to earlier onset of presbycusis. In search of appropriate and safe listening habits for young adults, this investigation was aimed to evaluate output levels and frequencies generated by the Samsung galaxy note MP3 player depending on two earphone types; ear-bud and over-the-ear earphones and three music genres; rock, hip-hop, ballade. A sound level meter was used to measure output level and frequency spectrum between 12.5 and 16000 Hz at all 1/3-octave bands. The following results can be summarized. 1) The earphone styles did not produce significant difference in output levels, but the music genres did. However, the results of music genres varied. 2) Neither earphone styles nor music genres produced significant difference in frequency response spectrum, except music genres at the volume settings we usually listen to. Additionally, volume levels should be lower than 50% for usual listening situation. Through this investigation, it was noted that the frequency range was substantial between 50 and 1000 Hz regardless of the styles of earphones and music genres, implying that we should be cautious of this frequency range when we listen to music. Researchers should give more attention to the effects of the mixture of output level and frequency spectrum, considering that the auditory system has frequency specificity from the periphery to the central to provide refined methods for protecting our ears from MIHL.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Output Levels and Frequencies of MP3 Players

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Exposure to high levels of music that could lead to music induced hearing loss (MIHL) has been of recent interest especially for young adults, considering their excessive use of personal listening devices such as MP3 player. More attention should be drawn to MIHL for noting that early noise exposure leads to earlier onset of presbycusis. In search of appropriate and safe listening habits for young adults, this investigation was aimed to evaluate output levels and frequencies generated by the Samsung galaxy note MP3 player depending on two earphone types; ear-bud and over-the-ear earphones and three music genres; rock, hip-hop, ballade. A sound level meter was used to measure output level and frequency spectrum between 12.5 and 16000 Hz at all 1/3-octave bands. The following results can be summarized. 1) The earphone styles did not produce significant difference in output levels, but the music genres did. However, the results of music genres varied. 2) Neither earphone styles nor music genres produced significant difference in frequency response spectrum, except music genres at the volume settings we usually listen to. Additionally, volume levels should be lower than 50% for usual listening situation. Through this investigation, it was noted that the frequency range was substantial between 50 and 1000 Hz regardless of the styles of earphones and music genres, implying that we should be cautious of this frequency range when we listen to music. Researchers should give more attention to the effects of the mixture of output level and frequency spectrum, considering that the auditory system has frequency specificity from the periphery to the central to provide refined methods for protecting our ears from MIHL. PMID:24653908

Comparison of Long-term Differences in Dysphagia: Cervical Arthroplasty and Anterior Cervical Fusion.

PubMed

Smucker, Joseph D; Bassuener, Scott R; Sasso, Rick C; Riew, K Daniel

2017-10-01

Retrospective cohort study. This study investigates the incidence of long-term dysphagia in cervical disc arthroplasty, and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) patients. No long-term comparison of dysphagia between cervical arthroplasty and fusion patients has been published. Widely variable short-term postsurgical dysphagia rates have been reported. Cohorts for this study are patients with single-level cervical degenerative disc disease previously enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing cervical arthroplasty and ACDF. Subjective modified Bazaz Dysphagia Severity questionnaires were distributed to each patient at a minimum of 5 years postoperative for the long-term assessment. Dysphagia severity data were pooled to compare the rate of patients with dysphagia (grade>1) to asymptomatic (grade=1). In the arthroplasty cohort, 15 of 22 (68%) patients completed long-term swallowing questionnaires with no reports of dysphagia. Eighteen of 25 (72%) ACDF patients completed questionnaires, with 5 of 18 (28%) reporting dysphagia. This is a statistically significant difference (P=0.042) favoring lower rates of long-term dysphagia after cervical arthroplasty at an average interval of 7 years postoperative (range, 5.5-8.5 y). No significant difference between rates of self-reported short-term dysphagia was noted with 12% (3/25) and 9% (2/22) in the ACDF and arthroplasty groups, respectively (P=0.56). All short-term dysphagia cases in the arthroplasty cohort reported complete resolution of symptoms within 12 months postoperative. In the ACDF cohort, persistent symptoms at 7 years were noted in all responding patients. Three ACDF patients reported new late-onset, which was not noted in the arthroplasty cohort. To date, these findings represent the longest reported follow-up interval comparing rates of dysphagia between randomized cohorts of cervical arthroplasty and fusion patients. Our study suggests that cervical arthroplasty is less likely than ACDF to cause sustained long-term or late-presenting dysphagia.

Evaluation of a user guidance reminder to improve the quality of electronic prescription messages.

PubMed

Dhavle, A A; Corley, S T; Rupp, M T; Ruiz, J; Smith, J; Gill, R; Sow, M

2014-01-01

Prescribers' inappropriate use of the free-text Notes field in new electronic prescriptions can create confusion and workflow disruptions at receiving pharmacies that often necessitates contact with prescribers for clarification. The inclusion of inappropriate patient direction (Sig) information in the Notes field is particularly problematic. We evaluated the effect of a targeted watermark, an embedded overlay, reminder statement in the Notes field of an EHR-based e-prescribing application on the incidence of inappropriate patient directions (Sig) in the Notes field. E-prescriptions issued by the same exact cohort of 97 prescribers were collected over three time periods: baseline, three months after implementation of the reminder, and 15 months post implementation. Three certified and experienced pharmacy technicians independently reviewed all e-prescriptions for inappropriate Sig-related information in the Notes field. A physician reviewer served as the final adjudicator for e-prescriptions where the three reviewers could not reach a consensus. ANOVA and post hoc Tukey HSD tests were performed on group comparisons where statistical significance was evaluated at p<0.05. The incidence of inappropriate Sig-related information in the Notes field decreased from a baseline of 2.8% to 1.8% three months post-implementation and remained stable after 15 months. In addition, prescribers' use of the Notes decreased by 22% after 3 months and had stabilized at 18.7% below baseline after 15 months. Insertion of a targeted watermark reminder statement in the Notes field of an e-prescribing application significantly reduced the incidence of inappropriate Sig-related information in Notes and decreased prescribers' use of this field.

Note-taking skills of middle school students with and without learning disabilities.

PubMed

Boyle, Joseph R

2010-01-01

For middle school students with learning disabilities (LD), one major component of learning in content area classes, such as science, involves listening to lectures and recording notes. Lecture learning and note-taking are critical skills for students to succeed in these classes. Despite the importance of note-taking skills, no research has been reported on the problems that school-age students with LD encounter when recording notes during science lectures. Using a sample size of 90 middle school students, the performance of students with LD was compared to students with no learning disabilities (NLD). Results found that students with LD performed significantly worse than students with NLD in terms of the type and amount of notes recorded and test performance.

Note-Taking and Memory in Different Media Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Lin; Bigenho, Chris

2011-01-01

Through this study the authors investigated undergraduate students' memory recall in three media environments with three note-taking options, following an A x B design with nine experiments. The three environments included no-distraction, auditory-distraction, and auditory-visual-distraction; while the three note-taking options included…

Selecting Tasks for Evaluating Human Performance as a Function of Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norcross, J. R.; Gernhardt, M. L.

2010-01-01

A challenge in understanding human performance as a function of gravity is determining which tasks to research. Initial studies began with treadmill walking, which was easy to quantify and control. However, with the development of pressurized rovers, it is less important to optimize human performance for ambulation as rovers will likely perform gross translation for them. Future crews are likely to spend much of their extravehicular activity (EVA) performing geology, construction and maintenance type tasks, for which it is difficult to measure steady-state-workloads. To evaluate human performance in reduced gravity, we have collected metabolic, biomechanical and subjective data for different tasks at varied gravity levels. Methods: Ten subjects completed 5 different tasks including weight transfer, shoveling, treadmill walking, treadmill running and treadmill incline walking. All tasks were performed shirt-sleeved at 1-g, 3/8-g and 1/6-g. Off-loaded conditions were achieved via the Active Response Gravity Offload System. Treadmill tasks were performed for 3 minutes with reported oxygen consumption (VO2) averaged over the last 2 minutes. Shoveling was performed for 3 minutes with metabolic cost reported as ml O2 consumed per kg material shoveled. Weight transfer reports metabolic cost as liters O2 consumed to complete the task. Statistical analysis was performed via repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Statistically significant metabolic differences were noted between all 3 gravity levels for treadmill running and incline walking. For the other 3 tasks, there were significant differences between 1-g and each reduced gravity, but not between 1/6-g and 3/8-g. For weight transfer, significant differences were seen between gravities in both trial-average VO2 and time-to-completion with noted differences in strategy for task completion. Conclusion: To determine if gravity has a metabolic effect on human performance, this research may indicate that tasks should be selected that require the subject to work vertically against the force of gravity.

Concentrations of trace elements and PCDD/Fs around a municipal solid waste incinerator in Girona (Catalonia, Spain). Human health risks for the population living in the neighborhood.

PubMed

Rovira, Joaquim; Nadal, Martí; Schuhmacher, Marta; Domingo, José L

2018-07-15

Previously to the modernization of the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) of Campdorà (Girona, Catalonia, Spain) two sampling campaigns (2015 and 2016) were conducted. In each campaign, 8 soil and 4 air samples (PM 10 and total particle phase and gas phase) were collected. The levels of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Tl and V, and PCDD/Fs were analysed at different distances and wind directions around the MSWI. Environmental levels of trace elements and PCDD/Fs were used to assess exposure and health risks (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) for the population living around the facility. In soils, no significant differences were observed for trace elements and PCDD/Fs between both campaigns. In air, significant higher levels of As, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, Tl and V were detected in 2016. Regarding soil levels, only Cd (distances) and As, Cu, Mn, and Ni (wind directions) showed significant differences. No differences were noted in the concentrations of trace elements and PCDD/Fs in air levels with respect to distances and directions to the MSWI. No differences were registered in air levels (elements and PCDD/Fs) between points influenced by MSWI emissions and background point. However some differences in congener profile were noted regarding from where back-trajectories come from (HYSPLIT model results), pointing some influence of Barcelona metropolitan area. The concentrations of trace elements and PCDD/Fs were similar -or even lower- than those reported around other MSWIs in Catalonia and various countries. Non-carcinogenic risks were below the safety limit (HQ<1). In turn, carcinogenic risks due to exposure to trace elements and PCDD/Fs were in acceptable ranges, according to national and international standard regulations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of specific training and competition on myocardial structure and function in different age ranges of male handball players.

PubMed

Agrebi, Brahim; Tkatchuk, Vladimir; Hlila, Nawel; Mouelhi, Emna; Belhani, Ali

2015-01-01

Handball activity involves cardiac changes and demands a mixture of both eccentric and concentric remodeling within the heart. This study seeks to explore heart performance and cardiac remodeling likely to define cardiac parameters which influence specific performance in male handball players across different age ranges. Forty three players, with a regular training and competitive background in handball separated into three groups aged on average 11.78 ± 0.41 for youth players aka "schools", "elite juniors" 15.99 ± 0.81 and "elite adults" 24.46 ± 2.63 years, underwent echocardiography and ECG examinations. Incremental ergocycle and specific field (SFT) tests have also been conducted. With age and regular training and competition, myocardial remodeling in different age ranges exhibit significant differences in dilatation's parameters between "schools" and "juniors" players, such as the end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and the end-systolic diameter of the left ventricle (LVESD), the root of aorta (Ao) and left atrial (LA), while significant increase is observed between "juniors" and "adults" players in the interventricular septum (IVS), the posterior wall thicknesses (PWT) and LV mass index. ECG changes are also noted but NS differences were observed in studied parameters. For incremental maximal test, players demonstrate a significant increase in duration and total work between "schools" and "juniors" and, in total work only, between "juniors" and "seniors". The SFT shows improvement in performance which ranged between 26.17 ± 1.83 sec to 31.23 ± 2.34 sec respectively from "seniors" to "schools". The cross-sectional approach used to compare groups with prior hypothesis that there would be differences in exercise performance and cardiac parameters depending on duration of prior handball practice, leads to point out the early cardiac remodeling within the heart as adaptive change. Prevalence of cardiac chamber dilation with less hypertrophy remodeling was found from "schools" to "juniors" while a prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy with less pronounced chamber dilation remodeling was noted later.

The influence of heel height on sagittal plane knee kinematics during landing tasks in recreationally active and athletic collegiate females.

PubMed

Lindenberg, Kelly M; Carcia, Christopher R; Phelps, Amy L; Martin, Robroy L; Burrows, Anne M

2011-09-01

To determine if heel height alters sagittal plane knee kinematics when landing from a forward hop or drop landing. Knee angles close to extension during landing are theorized to increase ACL injury risk in female athletes. Fifty collegiate females performed two single-limb landing tasks while wearing heel lifts of three different sizes (0, 12 & 24 mm) attached to the bottom of a sneaker. Using an electrogoniometer, sagittal plane kinematics (initial contact [KA(IC)], peak flexion [KA(Peak)], and rate of excursion [RE]) were examined. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine the influence of heel height on the dependent measures. Forward hop task- KA(IC) with 0 mm, 12 mm, and 24 mm lifts were 8.88±6.5, 9.38±5.8 and 11.28±7.0, respectively. Significant differences were noted between 0 and 24 mm lift (p<.001) and 12 and 24 mm lifts (p=.003), but not between the 0 and 12 mm conditions (p=.423). KA(Peak) with 0 mm, 12 mm, and 24 mm lifts were 47.08±10.9, 48.18±10.3 and 48.88±9.7, respectively. A significant difference was noted between 0 and 24 mm lift (p=.004), but not between the 0 and 12 mm or 12 and 24 mm conditions (p=.071 and p=.282, respectively). The RE decreased significantly from 2128/sec±52 with the 12 mm lift to 1958/sec±55 with the 24 mm lift (p=.004). RE did not differ from 0 to 12 or 0 to 24 mm lift conditions (p=.351 and p=.086, respectively). Jump-landing task- No significant differences were found in KA(IC) (p=.531), KA(Peak) (p=.741), or the RE (p=.190) between any of the heel lift conditions. The addition of a 24 mm heel lift to the bottom of a sneaker significantly alters sagittal plane knee kinematics upon landing from a unilateral forward hop but not from a drop jump.

Hypothermia Severely Effects Performance of Nitinol-Based Endovascular Grafts In Vitro

PubMed Central

Robich, Michael P.; Hagberg, Robert; Schermerhorn, Marc L.; Pomposelli, Frank B.; Nilson, Michael C.; Gendron, Michelle L.; Sellke, Frank W.; Rodriguez, Roberto

2012-01-01

Background Nitinol is an alloy that serves as the base for numerous medical devices, including the GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) thoracic aortic graft device. Given the increasing use of therapeutic hypothermia used during the placement these devices and in post– cardiac arrest situations, we sought to understand the impact of hypothermia on this device. Methods Five 34-mm TAG devices were deployed in a temperature-controlled chamber at 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°, and 37°C (25 total devices). A halographic measurement device was used to measure radial expansive force and normalized to the force at 37°C. Three 34-mm TAG devices were similarly deployed in a temperature-controlled water bath at each of the above temperatures. A laser micrometer was utilized to measure deployed diameter. Results A statistically significant decrease in expansive force at 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C of 65%, 46%, and 6%, respectively, was noted. A statistically significant decrease in radial diameter at 20°C and 25°C of 17% and 11%, respectively, was noted. Although a 9% difference was noted at 30°C, it was not significant. Conclusions The nitinol-based TAG device shows marked decreases in radial expansive force and deployed diameter at temperatures at or below 30°C. Surgeons should be aware of the potential implications of placing nitinol-based endoprostheses in hypothermic conditions. In addition, all health care providers should be aware of the changes that occur in nitinol-based endoprostheses during therapeutic hypothermia. PMID:22385821

Giving women their own case notes to carry during pregnancy.

PubMed

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

2015-10-14

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

Growing number of female physicians changing the face of Canadian medicine.

PubMed Central

Birenbaum, R

1995-01-01

The growing number of female physicians is changing the way medicine is practised. One recent Canadian study found that "significant differences in practice characteristics and service mix and pattern between men and women." Another change involves differences in the way men and women communicate. One lawyer noted that most medical lawsuits involve a breakdown in communication between doctor and patient, and very few female physicians have been the target of malpractice suits--even in high-risk specialties such as obstetrics and anesthesiology. Images p1165-a PMID:7553527

Comparative study of quality characteristics of meju, a Korean soybean fermentation starter, made by soybeans germinated under dark and light conditions.

PubMed

Choi, Ung Kyu; Bajpai, Vivek K

2010-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dark and light conditions on the quality characteristics of whole soybean meju, a Koran soybean fermentation starter, made by germinated soybeans. The sprouting rates of soybeans under dark and light conditions after 24h were 25.6+/-1.2% and 20.5+/-1.5%, respectively and reaching to a level of 99.4+/-0.4% and 98.9+/-0.5%, respectively at 60h. The pH, moisture contents and amino-type nitrogen contents had no significant differences under dark and light conditions, however, the contents were significantly different as compared to control. Also there was a significant difference in the color change values of whole soybean meju under dark and light conditions. The compositions of total organic acids in MNG, MGD and MGL were noted to be 942.2+/-111.0, 1075+/-120.2 and 1019+/-108.1mg%, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in free amino acid contents of MNG, MGD and MGL. It was observed that isoflavone contents were significantly differed in MGD and MGL as compared to MNG. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can Access to Data Prevent Army Suicides Identifying Optimal Response Strategies for Army Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

activities. One shortfall of this approach, however, is the lack of guidance on how Army leaders should interpret and use these data. To address this gap ...records Personal relationships Divorce, Army Community Service records Financial problems Wage garnishment, creditor notification agreed that leaders...endorsed by three panelists. compared, noting that there are significant differences between battalions with respect to age, gender , and rank

Cholesterol in serum lipoprotein fractions after spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leach, Carolyn S.; Johnson, Philip C., Jr.; Krauhs, Jane M.; Cintron, Nitza M.

1988-01-01

Results are reported from blood-lipid measurements obtained from 125 Space Shuttle crew members before and after space flight. The data are presented in tables and discussed in detail. The main differences noted between preflight and postflight values are a 12.8-percent decrease in high-density lipoproteins on postflight day 1 and significant decreases in total cholesterol and both high- and low-density lipoproteins later in the 23-day postflight period.

Effectiveness of an Online Educational Module in Improving Evidence-Based Practice Skills of Practicing Registered Nurses.

PubMed

Moore, Lora

2017-10-01

Implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) at the bedside has been difficult to achieve. Significant gaps between current research and actual practice have been identified and must be addressed in effort to increase utilization of EBP. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an online EBP educational intervention and to examine the relationship between educational preparation and years of nursing experience on nurses' practice, attitudes, and knowledge and skills of EBP. An experimental pretest-posttest design study with three randomized groups utilizing the EBPQ instrument was conducted. No significant differences were noted in EBPQ subscale scores of practice, attitude, or knowledge and skills from pre- to posttest. In addition, no statistical difference in EBPQ subscale scores regarding educational preparation or years of experience were noted. While nurses report positive attitudes toward EBP, their perceptions of practice and knowledge and skills score much lower. Educational interventions are needed for practicing nurses to overcome this knowledge deficit to successfully implement EBP. However, the use of online, independent, computer-based learning modules, while cost-efficient and offer several benefits when educating nurses, may not necessarily be the most effective method for teaching EBP knowledge and skills to practicing nurses. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Safety and efficacy of fibrin glue versus infinity suture in SICS with extended scleral flap

PubMed Central

Ambastha, Anita; Kusumesh, Rakhi; Bhasker, Gyan; Sinha, Bibhuti Prassan

2018-01-01

Purpose: To study the safety and efficacy of biologic fibrin glue (FG) in comparison with infinity suture in SICS with compromised scleral flap. Methods: A retrospective comparative study of patients who were treated with FG (Group A) with 10–0 nylon (Group B) as sealing agent for intraoperative compromised tunnels in SICS. Parameters noted were postoperative inflammation, wound integrity, anterior chamber (AC) depth, intraocular pressure (IOP), and surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) at postoperative day 1, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 6 months, respectively. Epi Info 7 software and SIA calculator, Version 2.1 were used to analyze the result. Results: We reviewed the two groups of 18 patients each and noted that there was no statistically significant difference in postoperative inflammation (P > 0.05), AC depth (P > 0.05), and IOP (P > 0.05) between both groups at each postoperative visit. One patient in Group A showed postoperative shallow AC and subconjunctival bleb. Exposed sutures causing foreign body sensation had to be removed in five patients in Group B. At the end of 6-month postoperative period, no statistically significant difference was found in SIA (P = 0.92) between the two groups. Conclusion: Biologic FG can be safely used in securing the compromised scleral incisions in SICS. It also avoids suture-related complications. PMID:29676309

Hematological and TGF-beta variations after whole-body proton irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kajioka, E. H.; Andres, M. L.; Mao, X. W.; Moyers, M. F.; Nelson, G. A.; Gridley, D. S.

2000-01-01

The acute effects of proton whole-body irradiation on five bone-marrow-derived cell types and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) were examined and compared to the effects of photons (60Co). C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 3 Gy (0.4 Gy/min) protons at spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP), protons at entry (E), or 60Co and euthanized on days 0.5-17 thereafter. 60Co-irradiated animals had decreased erythrocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit at 12 hours post-exposure; depression was not noted in proton (SOBP or E)-irradiated groups until day 4. Significantly decreased leukocyte counts were observed at this same time in all irradiated groups, with lymphocyte loss being greater than that of monocytes, and the depression was generally maintained. In contrast, the levels of neutrophils and thrombocytes fluctuated, especially during the first week; significant differences were noted among irradiated groups in neutrophil levels. Plasma TGF-beta 1 was elevated on day 7 in the 60Co, but not proton, irradiated mice. Collectively, the data show that dramatic and persistent changes occurred in all irradiated groups. However, few differences in assay results were seen between animals exposed to protons (SOBP or E) or photons, as well as between the groups irradiated with either of the two regions of the proton Bragg curve.

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

Stone, J.P.; Holtsman, S.; Shellabarger, C.J.

Pellets containing 5 mg (/sup 3/H) diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 15 mg cholesterol were implanted S.C. in 84-day-old female Sprague-Dawley (S-D) and ACl rats. DES was released from the implanted pellets exponentially, and the release was not significantly different in S-D rats than in ACl rats. No mammary tumors developed in any treated or untreated S-D rats. In contrast, 90% of the DES-treated ACl rats developed mammary adenocarcinomas. A significant increase in the weight of the pituitary was noted in DES-treated ACl rats. The pituitarities of the treated ACl rats were 2 to 7 times as heavy as were controls, andmore » plasma prolactin levels were 10 to 40 times higher than in controls. In contrast, the pituitaries of treated S-D rats did not significantly increase in weight, and plasma prolactin levels were only 3 to 5 times higher than controls. The uteri of treated S-D rats were significantly heavier than those of control rats and contained large amounts of fluid. This effect was not seen in ACl rats. Although the release of DES from the implanted pellet was essentially the same in ACl and S-D rats, three distinctive strain differences in response to DES were noted: mammary adenocarcinomas were found only in treated ACl rats; pituitary prolactin-cell adenomas and associated elevated plasma prolactins levels were seen only in treated ACl rats; and pyometritis was induced only in treated S-D rats. Mammary adenocarcinomas and prolactin-cell adenoma responses in the treated ACl rats appear to be correlated with the increasing levels of plasma prolactin. This study demonstrates that the prolonged estrogen treatment of ACl and S-D female rats produces distinctly different mammary and pituitary neoplastic responses. This disparity in neoplastic responses appears to be reflected in the difference of degree to which the hypophysical prolactin cells are stimulated to grow and secrete hormone.« less

Reply to Comment on ``Effects of fast and slow solar wind on the correlations between interplanetary medium and geomagnetic activity'' by C. B. Wang and J. K. Chao

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballatore, Paola

2003-10-01

The paper [2002] (the paper commented) shows that the statistical significance of the correlations between the interplanetary parameters and the geomagnetic indices (Kp or Dst) is generally less significant during the fastest solar wind. On the other hand, at these fast solar wind periods, the significance of the Kp versus Dst correlation is equal to or higher than during slower solar wind. These results, together with further observations related to substorm periods and with previously published findings, are interpreted in terms of a difference in the interplanetary-magnetospheric coupling for solar wind faster or slower than a certain threshold (identified between about 500 and 600 km/s). Specifically, it is suggested that a possible linear approximation of the geomagnetic-interplanetary coupling is more appropriate during solar wind speed (Vsw) slower than this threshold, being nonlinear processes more dominant during the fastest speeds. This reply highlights that the correlation coefficients shown by [2003] are in agreement with these findings. In addition, Wang and Chao show that the statistical significance of the difference between the correlation coefficients for Vsw ≥ 550 km/s and those for Vsw < 550 km/s would indicate that the interplanetary-geomagnetic correlations during the fastest speeds are not significantly different from those at slower Vsw ranges. Here we give evidence of the fact that according to the common definition of this parameter, the calculation of the significance of the difference between two correlation coefficients made by Wang and Chao is wrong. Moreover, Wang and Chao recalculate the correlations between the interplanetary parameters and the ΔDst instead of Dst; in fact they note that the time derivative of this index (not the index itself) is driven by the interplanetary medium. Here we note that on the contrary, they show that the correlation coefficients between interplanetary parameters and Dst are larger than those obtained using ΔDst and we suggest a possible interpretation in terms of nonlinearity.

Safety Outcomes of NOTES Cholecystectomy Versus Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Peng, Cheng; Ling, Yan; Ma, Chi; Ma, Xiaochun; Fan, Wei; Niu, Weibo

2016-01-01

Objective: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is an endoscopic technique whereby surgical interventions can be performed with a flexible endoscope passed through a natural orifice (mouth, vulva, urethra, anus) then through a transluminal opening of the stomach, vagina, bladder, or colon. Although in the early stage of research and development, NOTES has been clinically applied across the globe, above all the transvaginal cholecystectomy is among the most frequently performed procedures. In the existing 2 types of transvaginal routes, the hybrid NOTES cholecystectomy (NC) is more likely to be accepted. However, there has been controversy regarding the safety outcomes of hybrid NC in comparison with classical laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The primary objective of this meta-analysis is to compare the characteristics between NC and classical LC. Materials and Methods: A meta-analysis of eligible studies comparing NC with classical LC was performed to evaluate the safety outcomes including wound complications, other postoperative complications and intraoperative conversion between the 2 groups. Results: Pooling 3 randomized controlled trials (n=157) and 7 nonrandomized trial (n=593) demonstrated that the rates of wound complications and other postoperative complications in NC group did not significantly differ from those of classical LC group [wound complications: ratio difference (RD)=−0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.04to 0.01, P=0.23; other postoperative complication: RD=−0.01; 95% CI, −0.03 to 0.02; P=0.6]. The intraoperative conversion rate in NC groups was higher than that of LC groups (RD=0.03; 95% CI, 0.01-0.06; P=0.02). Conclusions: There is no significate difference between the safety of NC and laparoscope cholecystectomy. NC is associated with a higher rate of intraoperative conversion when compared with LC. It is worthy of further promotion and validation in clinical settings. PMID:27557339

The effect of point-of-care personal digital assistant use on resident documentation discrepancies.

PubMed

Carroll, Aaron E; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter; O'Reilly, Eamon; Christakis, Dimitri A

2004-03-01

We recently found documentation discrepancies in 60% of resident daily-progress notes with respect to patient weight, medications, or vascular lines. To what extent information systems can decrease such discrepancies is unknown. To determine whether a point-of-care personal digital assistant (PDA)-based patient record and charting system could reduce the number of resident progress-note documentation discrepancies in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We conducted a before-and-after trial in an academic NICU. Our intervention was a PDA-based patient record and charting system used by all NICU resident physicians over the study period. We analyzed all resident daily-progress notes from 40 randomly selected days over 4 months in both the baseline and intervention periods. Using predefined reference standards, we determined the accuracy of recorded information for patient weights, medications, and vascular lines. Logistic and Poisson regression were used in analyses to control for potential confounding factors. A total of 339 progress notes in the baseline period and 432 progress notes in the intervention period were reviewed. When controlling for covariates in the regression, there were significantly fewer documentation discrepancies of patient weights in notes written by using the PDA system (14.4%-4.4% of notes; odds ratio [OR]: 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.15-0.56). When using the PDA system, there were no significant changes in the numbers of notes with documentation discrepancies of medications (27.7%-17.1% of notes; OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.35-1.13) or vascular lines (33.6%-36.1% of notes; OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.66-1.87). The use of our PDA-based point-of-care patient record and charting system showed a modest benefit in reducing the number of documentation discrepancies in resident daily-progress notes. Further study of PDAs in information systems is warranted before they are widely adopted.

Chitinolytic and pectinolytic community in the vertical structure of chernozem's zone ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukacheva, E.; Manucharova, N.

2012-04-01

Chitin is a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine and is found in many places throughout the natural world. Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. Roots of the plants and root crops contain pectin. Chitin and pectin are widely distributed throughout the natural world. For this reason it is important to investigate the structural and functional properties of complex organisms, offering degradation of these biopolymers in the terrestrial and soil ecosystems. It is known that ecosystems have their own structure. It is possible to allocate some vertical tiers: phylloplane, litter (soil covering), soil. We investigated chitinolytic and pektinolytic microbial communities dedicated to different layers of the ecosystem of the chernozem zone. Quantity of eukaryote and procaryote organisms increased in the test samples with chitin and pectin. Increasing of eukaryote in samples with pectin was more then in samples with chitin. Also should be noted the significant increasing of actinomycet`s quantity in the samples with chitin in comparison with samples with pectin. The variety and abundance of bacteria in the litter samples increased an order of magnitude as compared to other options investigated. Further prokaryote community was investigated by method FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization). FISH is a cytogenetic technique developed that is used to detect and localize the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences on chromosomes. Quantity of Actinomycets and Firmicutes was the largest among identified cells with metabolic activity in soil samples. Should be noted significant increasing of the quantity of Acidobateria and Bacteroidetes in pectinolytic community and Alphaproteobacteria in chitinolytic community. In considering of the phylogenetic structure investigated communities in samples of the litter should be noted increase in the segment of Proteobacteria. Increasing of this group of microorganisms was also detected in samples of the phylloplane. Also should be noted increasing of Baceroidetes in these samples. Further inoculation from investigated samples was provided. The dominant species of microorganisms were isolated on dense nutrient media. These microorganisms were detected by sequence analysis. Thus the differences of decomposing biopolymers were educed in the microbial communities in the terrestrial and soil ecosystems.

A Comparison of Athletic Movement Among Talent-Identified Juniors From Different Football Codes in Australia: Implications for Talent Development.

PubMed

Woods, Carl T; Keller, Brad S; McKeown, Ian; Robertson, Sam

2016-09-01

Woods, CT, Keller, BS, McKeown, I, and Robertson, S. A comparison of athletic movement among talent-identified juniors from different football codes in Australia: implications for talent development. J Strength Cond Res 30(9): 2440-2445, 2016-This study aimed to compare the athletic movement skill of talent-identified (TID) junior Australian Rules football (ARF) and soccer players. The athletic movement skill of 17 TID junior ARF players (17.5-18.3 years) was compared against 17 TID junior soccer players (17.9-18.7 years). Players in both groups were members of an elite junior talent development program within their respective football codes. All players performed an athletic movement assessment that included an overhead squat, double lunge, single-leg Romanian deadlift (both movements performed on right and left legs), a push-up, and a chin-up. Each movement was scored across 3 essential assessment criteria using a 3-point scale. The total score for each movement (maximum of 9) and the overall total score (maximum of 63) were used as the criterion variables for analysis. A multivariate analysis of variance tested the main effect of football code (2 levels) on the criterion variables, whereas a 1-way analysis of variance identified where differences occurred. A significant effect was noted, with the TID junior ARF players outscoring their soccer counterparts when performing the overhead squat and push-up. No other criterions significantly differed according to the main effect. Practitioners should be aware that specific sporting requirements may incur slight differences in athletic movement skill among TID juniors from different football codes. However, given the low athletic movement skill noted in both football codes, developmental coaches should address the underlying movement skill capabilities of juniors when prescribing physical training in both codes.

Studies of the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex on STS 7 and 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thornton, William E.; Uri, John J.; Moore, Thomas P.; Pool, Sam L.

1988-01-01

Unpaced voluntary horizontal head oscillation was used to study the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) on Shuttle flights STS 7 and 8. Ten subjects performed head oscillations at 0.33 Hz + or - 30 deg amplitude under the followng conditions: VVOR (visual VOR), eyes open and fixed on a stationary target; VOR-EC, with eyes closed and fixed on the same target in imagination; and VOR-S (VOR suppression), with eyes open and fixed on a head-synchronized target. Effects of weightlessness, flight phase, and Space Motion Sickness (SMS) on head oscillation characteristics were examined. A significant increase in head oscillation frequency was noted inflight in subjects free from SMS. In subjects susceptible to SMS, frequency was reduced during their Symptomatic period. The data also suggest that the amplitude and peak velocity of head oscillation were reduced early inflight. No significant changes were noted in reflex gain or phase in any of the test conditions; however, there was a suggestion of an increase in VVOR and VOR-ES gain early inflight in asymptomatic subjects. A significant difference in VOR-S was found between SMS susceptible and non-susceptible subjects. There is no evidence that any changes in VOR characteristics contributed to SMS.

Ebola virus infection induces irregular dendritic cell gene expression.

PubMed

Melanson, Vanessa R; Kalina, Warren V; Williams, Priscilla

2015-02-01

Filoviruses subvert the human immune system in part by infecting and replicating in dendritic cells (DCs). Using gene arrays, a phenotypic profile of filovirus infection in human monocyte-derived DCs was assessed. Monocytes from human donors were cultured in GM-CSF and IL-4 and were infected with Ebola virus Kikwit variant for up to 48 h. Extracted DC RNA was analyzed on SuperArray's Dendritic and Antigen Presenting Cell Oligo GEArray and compared to uninfected controls. Infected DCs exhibited increased expression of cytokine, chemokine, antiviral, and anti-apoptotic genes not seen in uninfected controls. Significant increases of intracellular antiviral and MHC I and II genes were also noted in EBOV-infected DCs. However, infected DCs failed to show any significant difference in co-stimulatory T-cell gene expression from uninfected DCs. Moreover, several chemokine genes were activated, but there was sparse expression of chemokine receptors that enabled activated DCs to home to lymph nodes. Overall, statistically significant expression of several intracellular antiviral genes was noted, which may limit viral load but fails to stop replication. EBOV gene expression profiling is of vital importance in understanding pathogenesis and devising novel therapeutic treatments such as small-molecule inhibitors.

Male-male competition and female choice are differentially affected by male call acoustics in the serrate-legged small treefrog, Kurixalus odontotarsus.

PubMed

Zhu, Bicheng; Wang, Jichao; Zhao, Longhui; Chen, Qinghua; Sun, Zhixin; Yang, Yue; Brauth, Steven E; Tang, Yezhong; Cui, Jianguo

2017-01-01

The evolution of exaggerated vocal signals in anuran species is an important topic. Males and females have both evolved the ability to discriminate communication sounds. However, the nature of sexual dimorphism in cognition and sensory discrimination and in the evolution and limitation of sexual signal exaggeration remain relatively unexplored. In the present study, we used male calls of varied complexity in the serrate-legged small treefrog, Kurixalus odontotarsus , as probes to investigate how both sexes respond to variations in call complexity and how sex differences in signal discrimination play a role in the evolution of sexual signal exaggeration. The compound calls of male K. odontotarsus consist of a series of one or more harmonic notes (A notes) which may be followed by one or more short broadband notes (B notes). Male playback experiments and female phonotaxis tests showed that increasing the number of A notes in stimulus calls elicits increased numbers of response calls by males and increases the attractiveness of the stimulus calls to females. The addition of B notes, however, reduces male calling responses. Moreover, call stimuli which contain only B notes suppress spontaneous male calling responses. Phonotaxis experiments show that females prefer calls with greater numbers of A notes and calls containing both A notes and B notes, but do not prefer calls with only B notes. Male-male competition and female choice appear to have played different roles in the evolution and limitation of signal complexity in K. odontotarsus . These results provide new insights into how exaggerated compound signals evolve and how signal complexity may be limited in anurans.

Effects of Sulbutiamine on Diabetic Polyneuropathy: An Open Randomised Controlled Study in Type 2 Diabetics

PubMed Central

Kiew, K.K.; Wan Mohamad, W.B.; Ridzuan, A.; Mafauzy, M.

2002-01-01

Thirty patients with diabetic polyneuropathy were recruited from the diabetic clinic in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from 1996 to 1998. They were randomly assigned either sulbutiamine (Arcalion®) (15 patients) or no treatment (control group; 15 patients). Glycaemic control was assessed by blood glucose and HbA1. Severity of neuropathy was assessed by symptom and sign score, and electrophysiological parameters (nerve conduction velocity and compound muscle action potential) at entry to the study and after 6 weeks. There were improvements in the electrophysiological parameters in the treatment group when compared to the controls with significant improvement in the median nerve conduction velocity (p<0.001), median compound muscle action potential (p<0.001), peroneal nerve conduction velocity (p<0.001), and peroneal compound muscle action potential (p<0.001). No significant improvement in symptom and sign scores were noted between the groups but a significant improvement compared to base line was noted for the sulbutiamine treated group. (p< 0.05). The glycaemic control in both groups was not significantly different at base line and was stable throughout the study. Sulbutiamine objectively improved peripheral nerve function in diabetic polyneuropathy although the symptom score did not improve, possibly due to the short duration of the study. PMID:22969314

Effects of sulbutiamine on diabetic polyneuropathy: an open randomised controlled study in type 2 diabetics.

PubMed

Kiew, K K; Wan Mohamad, W B; Ridzuan, A; Mafauzy, M

2002-01-01

Thirty patients with diabetic polyneuropathy were recruited from the diabetic clinic in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from 1996 to 1998. They were randomly assigned either sulbutiamine (Arcalion(®)) (15 patients) or no treatment (control group; 15 patients). Glycaemic control was assessed by blood glucose and HbA1. Severity of neuropathy was assessed by symptom and sign score, and electrophysiological parameters (nerve conduction velocity and compound muscle action potential) at entry to the study and after 6 weeks. There were improvements in the electrophysiological parameters in the treatment group when compared to the controls with significant improvement in the median nerve conduction velocity (p<0.001), median compound muscle action potential (p<0.001), peroneal nerve conduction velocity (p<0.001), and peroneal compound muscle action potential (p<0.001). No significant improvement in symptom and sign scores were noted between the groups but a significant improvement compared to base line was noted for the sulbutiamine treated group. (p< 0.05). The glycaemic control in both groups was not significantly different at base line and was stable throughout the study. Sulbutiamine objectively improved peripheral nerve function in diabetic polyneuropathy although the symptom score did not improve, possibly due to the short duration of the study.

Early cognitive development in children born to women with epilepsy: a prospective report.

PubMed

Bromley, Rebecca L; Mawer, George; Love, Jenna; Kelly, James; Purdy, Laura; McEwan, Lauren; Briggs, Maria; Clayton-Smith, Jill; Shi, Xin; Sin, Xin; Baker, Gus A

2010-10-01

In this prospective study the early cognitive development of children born to women with epilepsy (n = 198) was assessed and compared to a group of children representative of the general population (n = 230). The children were assessed when younger than the age of 2 years using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales, either in their local participating hospital or in their home. The assessments were completed by an assessor who was blinded to whether the child's mother had epilepsy and to antiepileptic drug type. Children exposed to sodium valproate had a statistically significant increased risk of delayed early development in comparison to the control children. Linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant effect of sodium valproate exposure on the child's overall developmental level that was not accounted for by confounding variables. Delayed early development is also noted for children within an ad hoc group of less commonly utilized antiepileptic drugs, although conclusions cannot be drawn due to the size of this group (n = 13). Children exposed to either carbamazepine or lamotrigine in utero did not differ significantly in their overall developmental ability. Differences noted in specific developmental areas for these two groups were not statistically significant after the control for confounders such as socioeconomic status and maternal IQ. Women with epilepsy should be informed of the risks posed to their potential offspring prior to pregnancy to allow for informed decisions regarding treatment. Children exposed in utero to antiepileptic drugs should be monitored throughout childhood to allow for early intervention when necessary. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2010 International League Against Epilepsy.

Awareness of basic life support among staff and students in a dental school.

PubMed

Reddy, Sahithi; Doshi, Dolar; Reddy, Padma; Kulkarni, Suhas; Reddy, Srikanth

2013-05-01

To assess and compare the knowledge of basic life support (BLS) among third, fourth and fifth (III, IV and V) year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) clinical students, dental interns, postgraduate students and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) faculty of Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Hyderabad, India. A BLS questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was used to assess the levels of III, IV and V years BDS clinical students, dental interns, postgraduate students and BDS and MDS faculty of Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Hyderabad, India. Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS version 12.0) was used to analyze the statistical data. The p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 338 respondents took part in the study. When gender comparison was done with correct knowledge responses, statistically significant differences were noted for Q6, Q9, Q12, Q13, Q15 and Q17. For age groups and educational qualifications, significant difference was observed for all questions. It was noted that III, IV and V year undergraduate clinical students and half of interns had adequate knowledge when compared to postgraduate students (6.9%), BDS tutors (0.00%) and MDS staff (10.7%). The study concludes that there is a significant lack of knowledge among postgraduates students BDS and MDS faculty, regarding BLS when compared to III, IV and V year's clinical BDS students and dental interns. This study emphasizes the need for all health care professionals to regularly update the knowledge and skills regarding BLS.

Fecal incontinence after minor anorectal surgery.

PubMed

Zbar, A P; Beer-Gabel, M; Chiappa, A C; Aslam, M

2001-11-01

Fecal leakage after open lateral internal anal sphincterotomy for chronic anal fissure is common, but underreported. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the physiologic and morphologic effects of sphincterotomy, comparing continent and incontinent patients after surgery. This group was further compared with an unselected group of patients presenting with incontinence after hemorrhoidectomy. Between January 1997 and June 1999, 23 patients were prospectively followed up through internal sphincterotomy with conventional and vector volume anorectal manometry, parametric assessment of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex, and endoanal magnetic resonance imaging. Fourteen continent patients were compared with 9 incontinent postoperative cases, 9 patients referred with incontinence after hemorrhoidectomy, and 33 healthy volunteers without anorectal disease. Significant differences were noted between continent and incontinent postsphincterotomy cases for all resting conventional and vector volume parameters and for some squeeze parameters. Although there was a significant reduction in postoperative high pressure zone length at rest, there were no differences between the postoperative groups. There was an increase in sphincter asymmetry of 6.7 percent (+/- 3.5 percent) in incontinent postsphincterotomy patients and a decrease of 2.8 percent (+/- 3.2 percent) in continent cases. Significant differences were noted for resting parameters between incontinent postsphincterotomy and posthemorrhoidectomy patients, with a higher resting sphincter asymmetry in the latter group. The area under the rectoanal inhibitory curve was smaller in postsphincterotomy incontinent patients when compared with continent cohorts over the distal and intermediate sphincter zones at rest with a reduced latency of inhibition. There was no difference in the magnetic resonance images of the sphincterotomy site between incontinent and continent postsphincterotomy cases and no posthemorrhoidectomy case had evidence of sphincteric damage. There are complex significant differences in the postoperative physiology of patients undergoing lateral internal sphincterotomy who become incontinent when compared with those who maintain continence. These physiologic changes are not reflected in detectable morphologic sphincteric differences. It is unknown whether these changes predict for long-term incontinence, and it is suggested that postoperative incontinence after minor anorectal surgery is not necessarily related either to a preexisting sphincter defect or inadvertent intraoperative sphincter injury.

Histomorphometry and bone mechanical property evolution around different implant systems at early healing stages: an experimental study in dogs.

PubMed

Jimbo, Ryo; Anchieta, Rodolfo; Baldassarri, Marta; Granato, Rodrigo; Marin, Charles; Teixeira, Hellen S; Tovar, Nick; Vandeweghe, Stefan; Janal, Malvin N; Coelho, Paulo G

2013-12-01

Commercial implants differ at macro-, micro-, and nanolevels, which makes it difficult to distinguish their effect on osseointegration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early integration of 5 commercially available implants (Astra OsseoSpeed, Straumann SLA, Intra-Lock Blossom Ossean, Nobel Active, and OsseoFix) by histomorphometry and nanoindentation. Implants were installed in the tibiae of 18 beagle dogs. Samples were retrieved at 1, 3, and 6 weeks (n = 6 for each time point) and were histologically and nanomechanically evaluated. The results presented that both time (P < 0.01) and implant system and time interaction (P < 0.02) significantly affected the bone-to-implant contact (BIC). At 1 week, the different groups presented statistically different outcomes. No significant changes in BIC were noted thereafter. There were no significant differences in rank elastic modulus (E) or in rank hardness (H) for time (E: P > 0.80; H: P > 0.75) or implant system (E: P > 0.90; H: P > 0.85). The effect of different implant designs on osseointegration was evident especially at early stages of bone healing.

Bisphosphonate therapy for osteogenesis imperfecta.

PubMed

Dwan, Kerry; Phillipi, Carrie A; Steiner, Robert D; Basel, Donald

2016-10-19

Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by a genetic defect resulting in an abnormal type I collagen bone matrix which typically results in multiple fractures with little or no trauma. Bisphosphonates are used in an attempt to increase bone mineral density and reduce these fractures in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. This is an update of a previously published Cochrane Review. To assess the effectiveness and safety of bisphosphonates in increasing bone mineral density, reducing fractures and improving clinical function in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Inborn Errors of Metabolism Trials Register which comprises references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches, handsearches of journals and conference proceedings. We additionally searched PubMed and major conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search of the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Inborn Errors of Metabolism Register: 28 April 2016. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing bisphosphonates to placebo, no treatment, or comparator interventions in all types of osteogenesis imperfecta. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included trials. Fourteen trials (819 participants) were included. Overall, the trials were mainly at a low risk of bias, although selective reporting was an issue in several of the trials. Data for oral bisphosphonates versus placebo could not be aggregated; a statistically significant difference favouring oral bisphosphonates in fracture risk reduction and number of fractures was noted in two trials. No differences were reported in the remaining three trials which commented on fracture incidence. Five trials reported data for spine bone mineral density; all found statistically significant increased lumbar spine density z scores for at least one time point studied. For intravenous bisphosphonates versus placebo, aggregated data from two trials showed no statistically significant difference for the number of participants with at least one fracture, risk ratio 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.30 to 1.06). In the remaining trial no statistically significant difference was noted in fracture incidence. For spine bone mineral density, no statistically significant difference was noted in the aggregated data from two trials, mean difference 9.96 (95% confidence interval -2.51 to 22.43). In the remaining trial a statistically significant difference in mean per cent change in spine bone mineral density z score favoured intravenous bisphosphonates at six and 12 months. Data describing growth, bone pain, and functional outcomes after oral or intravenous bisphosphonate therapy, or both, as compared to placebo were incomplete among all studies, but do not show consistent improvements in these outcomes. Two studies compared different doses of bisphosphonates. No differences were found between doses when bone mineral density, fractures, and height or length z score were assessed. One trial compared oral versus intravenous bisphosphonates and found no differences in primary outcomes. Two studies compared the intravenous bisphosphonates zoledronic acid and pamidronate. There were no significant differences in primary outcome. However, the studies were at odds as to the relative benefit of zoledronic acid over pamidronate for lumbosacral bone mineral density at 12 months. Bisphophonates are commonly prescribed to individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta. Current evidence, albeit limited, demonstrates oral or intravenous bisphosphonates increase bone mineral density in children and adults with this condition. These were not shown to be different in their ability to increase bone mineral density. It is unclear whether oral or intravenous bisphosphonate treatment consistently decreases fractures, though multiple studies report this independently and no studies report an increased fracture rate with treatment. The studies included here do not show bisphosphonates conclusively improve clinical status (reduce pain; improve growth and functional mobility) in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. Given their current widespread and expected continued use, the optimal method, duration of therapy and long-term safety of bisphosphonate therapy require further investigation. In addition, attention should be given to long-term fracture reduction and improvement in quality of life indicators.

Bisphosphonate therapy for osteogenesis imperfecta.

PubMed

Dwan, Kerry; Phillipi, Carrie A; Steiner, Robert D; Basel, Donald

2014-07-23

Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by a genetic defect resulting in an abnormal type I collagen bone matrix which typically results in multiple fractures with little or no trauma. Bisphosphonates are used in an attempt to increase bone mineral density and reduce these fractures in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. To assess the effectiveness and safety of bisphosphonates in increasing bone mineral density, reducing fractures and improving clinical function in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Inborn Errors of Metabolism Trials Register which comprises references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches, handsearches of journals and conference proceedings. We additionally searched PubMed and major conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search: 07 April 2014. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing bisphosphonates to placebo, no treatment, or comparator interventions in all types of osteogenesis imperfecta. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included trials. Fourteen trials (819 participants) were included. Overall, the trials were mainly at a low risk of bias, although selective reporting was an issue in several of the trials. Data for oral bisphosphonates versus placebo could not be aggregated; a statistically significant difference favouring oral bisphosphonates in fracture risk reduction and number of fractures was noted in two trials. No differences were reported in the remaining three trials which commented on fracture incidence. Five trials reported data for spine bone mineral density; all found statistically significant increased lumbar spine density z scores for at least one time point studied. For intravenous bisphosphonates versus placebo, aggregated data from two trials showed no statistically significant difference for the number of participants with at least one fracture, risk ratio 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.30 to 1.06). In the remaining trial no statistically significant difference was noted in fracture incidence. For spine bone mineral density, no statistically significant difference was noted in the aggregated data from two trials, mean difference 9.96 (95% confidence interval -2.51 to 22.43). In the remaining trial a statistically significant difference in mean per cent change in spine bone mineral density z score favoured intravenous bisphosphonates at six and 12 months. Data describing growth, bone pain, and functional outcomes after oral or intravenous bisphosphonate therapy, or both, as compared to placebo were incomplete among all studies, but do not show consistent improvements in these outcomes. Two studies compared different doses of bisphosphonates. No differences were found between doses when bone mineral density, fractures, and height or length z score were assessed. One study compared oral versus intravenous bisphosphonates and found no differences in primary outcomes. Two studies compared the intravenous bisphosphonates zoledronic acid and pamidronate. There were no significant differences in primary outcome. However, the studies were at odds as to the relative benefit of zoledronic acid over pamidronate for lumbosacral bone mineral density at 12 months. Bisphophonates are commonly prescribed to individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta. Current evidence, albeit limited, demonstrates oral or intravenous bisphosphonates increase bone mineral density in children and adults with this condition. These were not shown to be different in their ability to increase bone mineral density. It is unclear whether oral or intravenous bisphosphonate treatment consistently decreases fractures, though multiple studies report this independently and no studies report an increased fracture rate with treatment. The studies included here do not show bisphosphonates conclusively improve clinical status (reduce pain; improve growth and functional mobility) in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. Given their current widespread and expected continued use, the optimal method, duration of therapy and long-term safety of bisphosphonate therapy require further investigation. In addition, attention should be given to long-term fracture reduction and improvement in quality of life indicators.

In Search of Social Translucence: An Audit Log Analysis of Handoff Documentation Views and Updates.

PubMed

Jiang, Silis Y; Hum, R Stanley; Vawdrey, David; Mamykina, Lena

2015-01-01

Communication and information sharing are critical parts of teamwork in the hospital; however, achieving open and fluid communication can be challenging. Finding specific patient information within documentation can be difficult. Recent studies on handoff documentation tools show that resident handoff notes are increasingly used as an alternative information source by non-physician clinicians. Previous findings also show that residents have become aware of this unintended use. This study investigated the alignment of resident note updating patterns and team note viewing patterns based on usage log data of handoff notes. Qualitative interviews with clinicians were used to triangulate findings based on the log analysis. The study found that notes that were frequently updated were viewed significantly more frequently than notes updated less often (p < 2.2 × 10(-16)). Almost 44% of all notes had aligned frequency of views and updates. The considerable percentage (56%) of mismatched note utilization suggests an opportunity for improvement.

The "Hefferline Notes": B. F. Skinner's First Public Exposition of His Analysis of Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Terry J.

2009-01-01

B. F. Skinner's first public exposition of his analysis of verbal behavior was the "Hefferline Notes" (1947a), a written summary of a course Skinner taught at Columbia University during the summer of 1947 just prior to his presentation of the William James Lectures at Harvard University in the fall. The Notes are significant because they display…

Biodegradation of biodiesel fuels

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

Zhang, X.; Haws, R.; Wright, B.

1995-12-31

Biodiesel fuel test substances Rape Ethyl Ester (REE), Rape Methyl Ester (RME), Neat Rape Oil (NR), Say Methyl Ester (SME), Soy Ethyl Ester (SEE), Neat Soy Oil (NS), and proportionate combinations of RME/diesel and REE/diesel were studied to test the biodegradability of the test substances in an aerobic aquatic environment using the EPA 560/6-82-003 Shake Flask Test Method. A concurrent analysis of Phillips D-2 Reference Diesel was also performed for comparison with a conventional fuel. The highest rates of percent CO{sub 2} evolution were seen in the esterified fuels, although no significant difference was noted between them. Ranges of percentmore » CO{sub 2} evolution for esterified fuels were from 77% to 91%. The neat rape and neat soy oils exhibited 70% to 78% CO{sub 2} evolution. These rates were all significantly higher than those of the Phillips D-2 reference fuel which evolved from 7% to 26% of the organic carbon to CO{sub 2}. The test substances were examined for BOD{sub 5} and COD values as a relative measure of biodegradability. Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF) was experimentally derived and BOD{sub 5} and COD analyses were carried out with a diluted concentration at or below the WAF. The results of analysis at WAF were then converted to pure substance values. The pure substance BOD{sub 5} and COD values for test substances were then compared to a control substance, Phillips D-2 Reference fuel. No significant difference was noted for COD values between test substances and the control fuel. (p > 0.20). The D-2 control substance was significantly lower than all test substances for BCD, values at p << 0.01. RME was also significantly lower than REE (p < 0.05) and MS (p < 0.01) for BOD{sub 5} value.« less

The course of cognitive-behavioral development in children with the FMR1 mutation, Williams-Beuren syndrome, and neurofibromatosis type 1: The effect of gender.

PubMed

Fisch, Gene S; Carpenter, Nancy; Howard-Peebles, Patricia N; Holden, Jeanette J A; Tarleton, Jack; Simensen, Richard

2010-06-01

The course of cognitive-behavioral development in children with intellectual disabilities produced by genetic disorders has only recently begun to be examined systematically. Unfortunately, these studies are few in number. Previously, we examined cognitive-behavioral development in children with the fragile X (FMR1) mutation and found longitudinal decreases in both IQ and adaptive behavior (DQ) scores in most males and females with the full mutation. In this study, we examine longitudinal changes in IQ and DQ in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and Williams-Beuren Syndrome (WBS) by examining differences in composite IQ and DQ scores between the first test (T1) and retest (T2), and compare their developmental trajectory to children with the FMR1 mutation. Sixty-five children with the FMR1 mutation, or NF1, or WBS, ages 4-16 years, were retested two years after initial testing with the Stanford-Binet 4th Edition (SBFE) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). In addition to significant longitudinal declines in IQ and DQ noted previously in children with the FMR1 mutation, we found significant decreases in IQ in males compared to females in the remainder of our sample. We also observed statistically significant decreases in DQ scores among children the FMR1 mutation, as noted previously, but not among children with NF1 or WBS. Moreover, significant declines were found only among males with the FMR1 mutation. Unlike declines in IQ scores, decreases in DQ were not significantly different between males and females. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparison of small diameter stone baskets in an in vitro caliceal and ureteral model.

PubMed

Korman, Emily; Hendlin, Kari; Chotikawanich, Ekkarin; Monga, Manoj

2011-01-01

Three small diameter (<1.5F) stone baskets have recently been introduced. Our objective was to evaluate the stone capture rate of these baskets in an in vitro ureteral model and an in vitro caliceal model using novice, resident, and expert operators. Sacred Heart Medical Halo™ (1.5F), Cook N-Circle(®) Nitinol Tipless Stone Extractor (1.5F), and Boston Scientific OptiFlex(®) (1.3F) stone baskets were tested in an in vitro ureteral and a caliceal model by three novices, three residents, and three experts. The caliceal model consisted of a 7-cm length of 10-mm O.D. plastic tubing with a convex base. Each operator was timed during removal of a 3-mm calculus from each model with three repetitions for each basket. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance single factor tests and t tests assuming unequal variances. In the ureteral model, the Halo had the fastest average rate of stone extraction for experts and novices (0:02 ± 0:01 and 0:08 ± 0:04 min, respectively), as well as the overall fastest average stone extraction rate (0:08 ± 0:06 min). No statistical significant differences in extraction times between baskets were identified in the resident group. In the novice group, the Halo stone extraction rate was significantly faster than the OptiFlex (P=0.029). In the expert group, the OptiFlex had statistically significant slower average extraction rates compared with the Halo (P=0.005) and the N-Circle (P=0.017). In the caliceal model, no statistically significant differences were noted. While no significant differences were noted in extraction times for the caliceal model, the extraction times for the ureteral model were slowest with the OptiFlex basket. Other variables important in selection of the appropriate basket include operator preference, clinical setting, and cost.

Clinical Evaluation of Quality of Obturation and Instrumentation Time using Two Modified Rotary File Systems with Manual Instrumentation in Primary Teeth.

PubMed

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Jeevanandan, Ganesh; Subramanian, Emg

2017-09-01

Pulp therapy in primary teeth has been performed using various instrumentation techniques. However, the conventional instrumentation technique used for root canal preparation in primary teeth is hand instrumentation. Various Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments are available to perform efficient root canal preparation in primary teeth. These Ni-Ti instruments has been designed to aid in better root canal preparation in permanent teeth but are rarely used in primary teeth. It is necessary to assess the feasibility of using these adult rotary files with a modified sequence in primary teeth. To compare the quality of obturation and instrumentation time during root canal preparation using hand files and modified rotary file systems in primary molars. Forty-five primary mandibular molars were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n=15). Group I was instrumented using k-hand files, Group II with S2 ProTaper universal file and Group III with 0.25 tip 4% taper K3 rotary file. Standardized digital radiographs were taken before and after root canal instrumentation. Root canal preparation time was also recorded. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was done using SPSS Software version 17.0. An intergroup comparison of the instrumentation time and the quality of obturation was done using ANOVA and Chi-square test with the level of significance set at 0.05. No significant differences were noted with regard to the quality of obturation (p=0.791). However, a statistically significant difference was noted in the instrumentation time between the three groups (p<0.05). ProTaper rotary system had significantly lesser instrumentation time when compared to that of K3 rotary system and hand file system. The hand files, S2 ProTaper Universal and K3 0.25 tip 4% taper files systems performed similarly with respect to the quality of obturation. There was a significant difference in instrumentation time with manual instrumentation compared to the modified rotary file systems in primary teeth.

May preservation solution affect the incidence of graft vasculopathy in transplanted heart?

PubMed

Garlicki, Miroslaw

2003-01-01

Vasculopathy as a manifestation of chronic rejection of transplanted heart may limit long term patient survival. Development of vasculopathy can be associated with intima injury during ischemia and reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether preservation solution may improve posttransplant heart recovery and reduce the incidence of graft vasculopathy. From 93 to 99, 48 donors having received < 10 microg/kg/d of dopamine, were accepted for 40 male and 8 female recipients. They were prospectively assigned to three groups: Custodiol (n=15), Viaspan (n=17), and Celsior (n=16). Donor and recipient characteristics, cold ischemia time, organ procurement, transplantation procedure, and posttransplant immunosuppression were comparable among the groups. In Celsior group, spontaneous sinus rhythm recovered more often (12/16 pts, p=0.01) and higher cardiac output (6.5 l/min, p=0.03) was noted. No significant difference occurred among the groups in respect to inotropic support, cardiac index, pulmonary artery pressure, and biopsy performed during transplantation. The intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery performed one year posttransplant, revealed significantly lower values of arterial area and arterial wall area in Celsior group. No significant difference in arterial lumen area occurred in the three groups. In Celsior group, lowest percent of intimal hypertrophy (24.23% +/- 9.83%, p=0.001) and less frequent (11/16 pts, p=0.001) chronic rejection (arterial hypertrophy=0.5 mm) was noted. Endomyocardial biopsy performed simulaneously to IVUS examination revealed no difference in pathologic lesions, except significantly less extensive fibrosis in Celsior group. During the 3.4 yrs of follow-up, freedom of biopsy proven acute rejection (=2(o)ISHLT) was significantly higher in Celsior (p=0.01). In this study Celsior allowed for better post transplant heart recovery and accounted for less incidence of vasculopathy and chronic rejection in the midterm follow-up.

Skin condition and its relationship to systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Majewski, Sebastian; Pietrzak, Anna; Tworek, Damian; Szewczyk, Karolina; Kumor-Kisielewska, Anna; Kurmanowska, Zofia; Górski, Paweł; Zalewska-Janowska, Anna; Piotrowski, Wojciech Jerzy

2017-01-01

The systemic (extrapulmonary) effects and comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) contribute substantially to its burden. The supposed link between COPD and its systemic effects on distal organs could be due to the low-grade systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the systemic inflammation may influence the skin condition in COPD patients. Forty patients with confirmed diagnosis of COPD and a control group consisting of 30 healthy smokers and 20 healthy never-smokers were studied. Transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration, skin sebum content, melanin index, erythema index, and skin temperature were measured with worldwide-acknowledged biophysical measuring methods at the volar forearm of all participants using a multifunctional skin physiology monitor. Biomarkers of systemic inflammation, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), were measured in serum using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. There were significant differences between COPD patients and healthy never-smokers in skin temperature, melanin index, sebum content, and hydration level ( P <0.05), but not for transepidermal water loss and erythema index. No significant difference was noted between COPD patients and smokers in any of the biophysical properties of the skin measured. The mean levels of hsCRP and IL-6 in serum were significantly higher in COPD patients and healthy smokers in comparison with healthy never-smokers. There were significant correlations between skin temperature and serum hsCRP ( R =0.40; P =0.02) as well as skin temperature and serum IL-6 ( R =0.49; P =0.005) in smokers. Stratum corneum hydration correlated significantly with serum TNF-α ( R =0.37; P =0.01) in COPD patients. Differences noted in several skin biophysical properties and biomarkers of systemic inflammation between COPD patients, smokers, and healthy never-smokers may suggest a possible link between smoking-driven, low-grade systemic inflammation, and the overall skin condition.

The impact of domain knowledge on structured data collection and templated note design.

PubMed

Windle, T; McClay, J C; Windle, J R

2013-01-01

The objective of this case report is to evaluate the importance of specialized domain knowledge when designing and using structured templated notes in a clinical environment. To analyze the impact of specialization on structured note generation we compared notes generated for three scenarios: 1) We compared the templated history of present illness (HPI) for patients presenting with a dermatology concern to the dermatologist versus the emergency department. 2) We compared the evaluation of chest pain by ED physicians versus cardiologists. 3) Finally, we compared the data elements asked for in the evaluation of the gastrointestinal system between cardiologists and the liver transplant service (LTS). We used the SNOMED CT representation via BioPortal to evaluate specificity and grouping between data elements and specialized physician groups. We found few similarities in structured data elements designed by and for the specific physician groups. The distinctness represented both differences in granularity as well as fundamental differences in data elements requested. When compared to ED physicians, dermatologists had different and more granular elements while cardiologists requested much more granular data. Comparing cardiologists and LTS, there were differences in the data elements requested. This case study supports the importance of domain knowledge in EHR design and implementation. That different specialities should want and use different information is well supported by cognitive science literature. Despite this, it is rare for domain knowledge to be considered in EHR implementation. Physicians with correct domain knowledge should be involved in the design process of templated notes.

New trends in minimally invasive urological surgery: what is beyond the robot?

PubMed

Micali, Salvatore; Pini, Giovannalberto; Teber, Dogu; Sighinolfi, Maria Chiara; De Stefani, Stefano; Bianchi, Giampaolo; Rassweiler, Jens

2013-06-01

To review the minimal-invasive development of surgical technique in urology focusing on nomenclature, history and outcomes of Laparo-Endoscopic Single-site Surgery (LESS), Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) and Computer-Assisted Surgery (CAS). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in order to find article related to LESS, NOTES and CAS in urology. The most relevant papers over the last 10 years were selected in base to the experience from the panel of experts, journal, authorship and/or content. Seven hundred and fifty manuscripts were found. Papers on LESS describe feasibility/safety in most of the procedures with a clinical experience of more than 300 cases and five compared results to standard laparoscopy without showing significant differences. NOTES accesses have been proved their feasibility/safety in experimental study. In human, the only procedures performed are on kidney and through a hybrid-Transvaginal route. New robots overcome the main drawbacks of the DaVinci® platform. The use of CAS is increasing its popularity in urology. LESS has been applied in clinical practice, but only ongoing technical and instrumental refinement will define its future role and overall benefit. The transition to a clinical application of NOTES seems at present only possible with multiple NOTES access and transvaginal access. Robot and Soft Tissue Navigation appear to be important to improve surgical skills. We are already witness to the advantages offered by the former even if costs need to be redefined based on pending long-term results. The latter will probably upgrade the quality of surgery in a near future.

A Content Analysis of Online Suicide Notes: Attempted Suicide Versus Attempt Resulting in Suicide.

PubMed

Synnott, John; Ioannou, Maria; Coyne, Angela; Hemingway, Siobhan

2017-09-28

Fifty suicide notes of those who died by suicide and 50 suicide notes of those who survived their suicide attempt were analyzed using Smallest Space Analysis. The core of all suicide notes was discovered to be constructed with the use of four variables: saying goodbye to their audience, feelings of loneliness, method used to attempt suicide, and negative self-image. Furthermore, three different suicide note themes of those who died and three suicide note themes from those who survived were also identified. The analysis revealed that suicide note writers who died by their attempt were more likely to combine a dislike of themselves and a concern for loved ones. The implications of the work in terms of suicide prevention are discussed. © 2017 The American Association of Suicidology.

7 CFR 1901.509 - Loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement of insured notes, insurance contracts, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement... Notes § 1901.509 Loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement of insured notes, insurance... different from the present address; the capacity of person certifying, if other than owner; the identity of...

Evaluation of transcutaneous electrical simulation to improve recovery from corneal hypoesthesia after LASIK.

PubMed

Ghaffariyeh, Alireza; Peyman, Alireza; Puyan, Sadollah; Honarpisheh, Nazafarin; Bagheri, Babak; Peyman, Mohammadreza

2009-08-01

To evaluate the efficacy, and safety of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) to accelerate corneal nerve regeneration and improved recovery from corneal hypesthasia after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Khodadoust Eye Hospital, Shiraz, Fars, Iran This prospective, randomized, clinical study comprised 40 eyes of 20 patients scheduled to undergo bilateral LASIK. In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to receive transcutaneous electrical stimulation (20 HZ) for 60 minutes, and the other eye allocated as control. Corneal sensitivity was measured using the Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer in four areas outside and five areas inside the LASIK flap preoperatively, and at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. Best-corrected visual acuity and the incidence of adverse events were noted at each visit. For all four points outside the LASIK flap, normal corneal sensitivity was maintained throughout the study; no significant difference was found between the study eyes and the control eyes at these points (P > 0.05). All points within the LASIK flap except the point closest to the hinge demonstrated profound corneal hypoesthesia at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively, with no differences noted between the control and study eyes (P > 0.05). After 3 months, points within the flap had statistically significantly better corneal sensitivity in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Transcutaneous electrical stimulation significantly improves corneal sensitivity at 3 months after LASIK. This may be due to accelerated corneal nerve regeneration by electrical stimulation.

Early-stage chunking of finger tapping sequences by persons who stutter and fluent speakers.

PubMed

Smits-Bandstra, Sarah; De Nil, Luc F

2013-01-01

This research note explored the hypothesis that chunking differences underlie the slow finger-tap sequencing performance reported in the literature for persons who stutter (PWS) relative to fluent speakers (PNS). Early-stage chunking was defined as an immediate and spontaneous tendency to organize a long sequence into pauses, for motor planning, and chunks of fluent motor performance. A previously published study in which 12 PWS and 12 matched PNS practised a 10-item finger tapping sequence 30 times was examined. Both groups significantly decreased the duration of between-chunk intervals (BCIs) and within-chunk intervals (WCIs) over practice. PNS had significantly shorter WCIs relative to PWS, but minimal differences between groups were found for the number of, or duration of, BCI. Results imply that sequencing differences found between PNS and PWS may be due to differences in automatizing movements within chunks or retrieving chunks from memory rather than chunking per se.

Deconstructing Planning Ability in Children and Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa.

PubMed

Rose, Mark; Reville, Marie-Claire; Iszatt, Amber; Levinson, Simon; Frampton, Ian; Lask, Bryan

2017-01-01

Weaknesses in planning by patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) have been noted (e.g., Zakzanis, Campbell, & Polsinelli, 2010 ) and are generally based on adults. This study explored D-KEFS Tower Test performance to better understand learning styles and strategies used by child and adolescent patients with AN compared to healthy controls. Overall, no significant differences were found in achievement; however, Item 5 predicted performance across harder items. The AN group was significantly faster to move their first disc suggesting patients with AN did not spend as much time planning their strategies for item completion. The findings of this study in conjunction with other studies investigating planning in AN may suggest the existence of subtle differences in learning style and strategy, such as faster initiation times, rather than gross planning differences. Further research is required to better understand the relationship between these subtle differences and clinical presentations.

Overcoming Learning Barriers through Knowledge Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dror, Itiel E.; Makany, Tamas; Kemp, Jonathan

2011-01-01

The ability to learn highly depends on how knowledge is managed. Specifically, different techniques for note-taking utilize different cognitive processes and strategies. In this paper, we compared dyslexic and control participants when using linear and non-linear note-taking. All our participants were professionals working in the banking and…

Religious Media Use Among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Hispanic Whites

PubMed Central

Chatters, Linda M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of watching religious television programs and listening to religious radio programs. Data are taken from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative study of African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Hispanic Whites. Several significant findings were noted. Both African Americans and Black Caribbeans watched religious television programs and listened to religious radio programs significantly more frequently than non-Hispanic whites. These differences in electronic religious media consumption were particularly large, especially listening to religious radio programming. Among African Americans and Black Caribbeans, several significant demographic differences in frequency of consuming religious programming (e.g., age, gender, region, marital status, immigration status) emerged. Lastly, our analysis found that consuming electronic religious programming did not substitute for attending church service but, instead, complemented weekly service attendance. PMID:26045698

Gender differences in performance of script analysis by older adults.

PubMed

Helmes, E; Bush, J D; Pike, D L; Drake, D G

2006-12-01

Script analysis as a test of executive functions is presumed sensitive to cognitive changes seen with increasing age. Two studies evaluated if gender differences exist in performance on scripts for familiar and unfamiliar tasks in groups of cognitively intact older adults. In Study 1, 26 older adults completed male and female stereotypical scripts. Results were not significant but a tendency was present, with genders making fewer impossible errors on the gender-typical script. Such an interaction was also noted in Study 2, which contrasted 50 older with 50 younger adults on three scripts, including a script with neutral familiarity. The pattern of significant interactions for errors suggested the need to use scripts that are based upon tasks that are equally familiar to both genders.

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

Ballachey, B.E.; Kloecker, K.A.

Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed in hair, liver and intestinal samples taken from dead sea otters (Enhydra lutris) collected in spring and summer 1989 from Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island, along the path of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Hair showed significant differences in hydrocarbon concentrations among the three locations, but few significant differences were noted for liver or intestine samples. The highest concentrations of both aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were measured in hair samples from Prince William Sound. Hydrocarbon concentrations in intestine and liver samples from the three locations were generally similar and low,more » suggesting that uptake into the tissues was limited, or that hydrocarbons within the tissues had been metabolized by the time samples were collected.« less

Successful Treatment of Dry Mouth and Dry Eye Symptoms in Sjögren's Syndrome Patients With Oral Pilocarpine: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Adjustment Study.

PubMed

Papas, Athena S; Sherrer, Yvonne S; Charney, Michael; Golden, Harvey E; Medsger, Thomas A; Walsh, Bridget T; Trivedi, Madhu; Goldlust, Barry; Gallagher, Susan C

2004-08-01

: Sjögren's syndrome is characterized by the presence of xerostomia and/or xerophthalmia. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, has been proven to be efficacious in treating radiation-induced xerostomia (up to 30 mg/day) and symptoms of dry mouth in Sjögren's patients (up to 20 mg/day). : To compare the safety and efficacy of oral pilocarpine (dose-adjusted) versus placebo in the treatment of dry eye and dry mouth symptoms in Sjögren's syndrome at 6 and 12 weeks. : In this 11-center, 256-patient placebo-controlled study, the safety and efficacy of oral pilocarpine (20 mg to 30 mg daily) for relief of Sjögren's-related dry mouth and dry eye symptoms was assessed. Changes in symptoms and salivary flow were measured over 12 weeks. : Compared with placebo, salivary flow was significantly increased in the pilocarpine group (P

Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Patients With Different Types of Central Lines.

PubMed

Hord, Jeffrey D; Lawlor, John; Werner, Eric; Billett, Amy L; Bundy, David G; Winkle, Cindi; Gaur, Aditya H

2016-09-01

Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) patients. Understanding the differences in CLABSI rates by central line (CL) type is important to inform clinical decisions. CLABSI, using similar definitions, noted with three commonly used CL types (totally implanted catheter [port], tunneled externalized catheter [TEC], peripherally inserted central catheter [PICC]) and CL-specific line days were prospectively tracked across 15 US PHO centers from May 2012 until April 2015 and CLABSI rates (CLABSI per 1,000 CL-specific line days) were calculated. Host and organism characterstics associated with the CLABSI events were analyzed. Over the course of 2.8 million line days, 1,113 CLABSI events (397 in inpatients and 716 in ambulatory patients) were noted. The inpatient CLABSI rate was higher than the ambulatory CLABSI rate for each of the CL types: 1.48 versus 0.16 for ports, 3.51 versus 1.38 for TECs, and 3.07 versus 1.16 for PICCs, respectively. TECs and PICCs were associated with higher CLABSI rates than ports, inpatient and ambulatory. We found that CLABSI rates were significantly higher for inpatients compared to ambulatory PHO patients for all CL types. Among ambulatory patients, TECs had the highest CLABSI rate and ports the lowest. Among inpatients, TECs and PICCs had higher CLABSI rates than ports but were not statistically different from one another. Cognizant that host and underlying disease attributes may contribute to these differences, these results can still inform CL choice in clinical practice. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Military Interoperable Digital Hospital Testbed (MIDHT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

note build and system setup. There was significant progress in identifying workflows and processes. A sample note for a patient visit can be seen...between EMR systems did not exist when surveys were completed in early 2009. There is a significant opportunity to enhance patient care of military...interpret the provider’s handwriting . Many EHRs have included decision support into their functionality to help alert physicians to medication conflicts

[Quantitative analysis of the structure of neuronal dendritic spines in the striatum using the Leitz-ASM system].

PubMed

Leontovich, T A; Zvegintseva, E G

1985-10-01

Two principal classes of striatum long axonal neurons (sparsely ramified reticular cells and densely ramified dendritic cells) were analyzed quantitatively in four animal species: hedgehog, rabbit, dog and monkey. The cross section area, total dendritic length and the area of dendritic field were measured using "LEITZ-ASM" system. Classes of neurons studied were significantly different in dogs and monkeys, while no differences were noted between hedgehog and rabbit. Reticular neurons of different species varied much more than dendritic ones. Quantitative analysis has revealed the progressive increase in the complexity of dendritic tree in mammals from rabbit to monkey.

Torque loss of different abutment sizes before and after cyclic loading.

PubMed

Moris, Izabela Cristina; Faria, Adriana Cláudia; Ribeiro, Ricardo Faria; Rodrigues, Renata Cristina

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare 3.8- and 4.8-mm abutments submitted to simulations of masticatory cycles to examine whether abutment diameter and cemented vs screw-retained crowns affect torque loss of the abutments and crowns. Forty implant/abutment sets were divided into the following groups (n = 10 in each group): (1) G4.8S included 4.8-mm abutment with screw-retained crown; (2) G4.8C included 4.8-mm abutment with cemented crown; (3) G3.8S included 3.8-mm abutment with screw-retained crown; and (4) G3.8C included 3.8-mm abutment with cemented crown. All abutments were tightened with torque values of 20 Ncm, and 10 Ncm for screw-retained crowns. Torque loss was measured before and after cycling loading (300,000 cycles). Torque loss of screw-retained crowns significantly increased after cycling in abutments of groups G3.8S (P ≤ .05) and G4.8S (P = .001). No difference was noted between the abutments before cycling (P = .735), but G3.8S abutments presented greater torque loss than the other groups after cycling (P = .008). Significant differences were noted in the abutment torque loss before and after cycling loading only for the G3.8C group (P ≤ .05). The abutment diameter affects torque loss of screw-retained crowns and leads to failure during the test; mechanical cycling increases torque loss of abutment screw and screw-retained crowns.

The effects of using guided notes and review of science achievement for male and female students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyrrell, Diann Marie

2000-11-01

The National Science Foundation predicts a shortage of scientists and engineers within the next 15 years. Some agree that the participation of women in science will be required to help meet the future demand for scientists (Malcom, 1990). Consequently, conscientious teachers search for learning strategies that provide opportunities for young women to achieve success with others in their science classes. This research concerns a note taking and teaching strategy that involves seventh grade science students. The investigation measured student achievement under three prescribed conditions. The treatment conditions were reviewing, guided notes, and guided notes with reviewing. For this experiment, the Solomon four-group design was utilized. This 2 x 2 factorial design tested for treatment effect and pretest sensitivity. Data was collected on seventh grade boys (n = 119) and seventh grade girls (n = 139) in science. Comparisons were made between the boys and girls groups. The results showed that achievement improved significantly when reviewing car using guided notes independently. The results also shower that significant improvements in achievement were not observed when participants used guided notes and reviewing together. Analysis was completed to measure how well the participants performed according to gender. This research showed that both boys and girls significantly improved their achievement in science equally well for all treatment conditions. This research went a step further by factoring in cognitive ability test scores and comparing them to the treatment results. This provided the researcher with information on which treatment condition worked best for high or low achieving students.

Comparison between Greulich-Pyle and Girdany-Golden methods for estimating skeletal age of children in Pakistan.

PubMed

Awais, Muhammad; Nadeem, Naila; Husen, Yousuf; Rehman, Abdul; Beg, Madiha; Khattak, Yasir Jamil

2014-12-01

To compare Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Girdany-Golden (GG) methods for estimation of Skeletal Age (SA) in children referred to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Cross-sectional study. Department of Radiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2010 to June 2012. Children up to the age of 18 years, who had undergone X-ray for the evaluation of trauma were included. Each X-ray was interpreted using both methods by two consultant paediatric radiologists having at least 10 years experience, who were blinded to the actual Chronologic Age (CA) of children. A total of 283 children were included. No significant difference was noted in mean SA estimated by GP method and mean CA for female children (p=0.695). However, a significant difference was noted between mean CA and mean SA by GG method for females (p=0.011). For males, there was a significant difference between mean CA and mean SA estimated by both GP and GG methods. A stronger correlation was found between CA and SA estimated by GP method (r=0.943 for girls, r=0.915 for boys) as compared to GG method (r=0.909 for girls, r=0.865 for boys) respectively. Bland- Altman analysis also revealed that the two methods cannot be used interchangeably. Excellent correlation was seen between the two readers for both GP and GG methods. There was no additional benefit of using GP and GG methods simultaneously over using GP method alone. Moreover, although GP was reliable in estimating SA in girls, it was unable to accurately assess SA in boys. Therefore, it would be ideal to develop indigenous standards of bone age estimation based on a representative sample of healthy native children.

Effect of Membrane Permeability on Inflammation and Arterial Stiffness: A Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Cheng, Yuk Lun; Leung, Chi Bon; Szeto, Cheuk Chun; Chow, Kai Ming; Kwan, Bonnie Ching-Ha; Ng, Esther Siu-Chun; Fok, Queenie Wing-Yi; Poon, Yuet Ling; Yu, Alex Wai-Yin

2010-01-01

Background and objectives: Both larger molecule removal and dialyzer biocompatibility have been implicated in the high-flux hemodialysis (HD)-associated favorable outcome. In an attempt to delineate the effect of membrane permeability, we performed a randomized, crossover study to compare the inflammatory biomarkers, lipid profile, and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) of two dialyzers that are composed of identical membranes but with different flux characteristics. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Stable patients who had anuria and were on low-flux polysulfone membrane were randomly allocated either to HD with high-flux polyamide membrane (group A; 22 patients) or to HD with low-flux polyamide membrane (group B; 24 patients) for 24 weeks, then they were started on 24 weeks of the alternative HD treatment. Apart from the dialyzer, the dialysis prescription remained unchanged. Results: Nineteen patients from group A and 23 patients from group B completed the study. Predialysis β2-microglobulin levels decreased significantly when using the high-flux polyamide membrane. No difference between membranes was observed for serum albumin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, IL-6, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a) during the study. A significant increase in aortic PWV, a marker of aortic stiffness, was noted after patients switched from high-flux to low-flux polyamide membranes. Similarly, the rate of change in aortic PWV was significantly decreased with the use of the high-flux polyamide membrane. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that dialysis with polyamide membranes with different flux characteristics did not modify the inflammatory indices and lipid profile in stable HD patients; however, a seemingly beneficial effect on aortic stiffness was noted for patients who were maintained on high-flux polyamide membrane. PMID:20203165

Hypothalamic expression of anorexigenic and orexigenic hormone receptors in obese females Neotomodon alstoni: effect of fasting.

PubMed

Báez-Ruiz, Adrián; Luna-Moreno, Dalia; Carmona-Castro, Agustín; Cárdenas-Vázquez, René; Díaz-Muñoz, Mauricio; Carmona-Alcocer, Vania; Fuentes-Granados, Citlalli; Manuel, Miranda-Anaya

2014-01-01

Obesity is a world problem that requires a better understanding of its physiological and genetic basis, as well as the mechanisms by which the hypothalamus controls feeding behavior. The volcano mouse Neotomodon alstoni develops obesity in captivity when fed with regular chow diet, providing a novel model for the study of obesity. Females develop obesity more often than males; therefore, in this study, we analysed in females, in proestrous lean and obese, the differences in hypothalamus expression of receptors for leptin, ghrelin (growth hormone secretagogue receptor GHS-R), and VPAC, and correlates for plasma levels of total ghrelin. The main comparisons are between mice fed ad libitum and mice after 24 hours of fasting. Mice above 65 g body weight were considered obese, based on behavioral and physiological parameters such as food intake, plasma free fatty acids, and glucose tolerance. Hypothalamic tissue from obese and lean mice was analysed by western blot. Our results indicate that after ad libitum food access, obese mice show no significant differences in hypothalamic leptin receptors, but a significant increase of 60% in the GHS-R, and a nearly 62% decrease in VPAC2 was noted. After a 24-hour fast, plasma ghrelin increased nearly two fold in both lean and obese mice; increases of hypothalamic leptin receptors and GHS-R were also noted, while VPAC2 did not change significantly; levels of plasma free fatty acids were 50% less after fasting in obese than in lean animals. Our results indicate that in obese N. alstoni mice, the levels of orexigenic receptors in the hypothalamus correlate with overfeeding, and the fact that lean and obese females respond in different ways to a metabolic demand such as a 24-hour fast.

Application of reminiscence treatment on older people with dementia: a case study in Pingtung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Song-Lin; Li, Chih-Ming; Yang, Chiu-Yen; Chen, Jia-Jin J

2009-06-01

Reminiscence therapy has been utilized for many years in the treatment of dementia in older people. Purposes of the research included examining different methods of promoting interactivity, social participation, cognitive function improvement in those with dementia, and the effectiveness in reducing symptoms of depression following group treatment. This study used pretest and posttest electroencephalography (EEG) measurements to test reminiscence therapy efficacy on participants. This research organized a social group work with 12 elderly clients with dementia (mild to moderate stage) selected from among 90 residents of an older persons care facility in Pingtung. Eleven agreed to join the study, and 10 completed successfully all treatment sessions. Eight sessions of reminiscence cooking lessons were conducted. The effectiveness of interventions was evaluated by comparing presession and postsession EEG, mental health status, depression scale, and feeling of participation scale scores. Significant differences in values, particularly for EEG, were found between the two sets of scores. The average value of participants' fast waves rose from 43.88 to 55.12, whereas average slow-wave values fell from 56.12 to 44.13. After analysis using the Wilcoxon matched paired signed rank test, significant differences were noted. Findings and suggestions include the following: (a) The rise in Mini-Mental State Examination and reduction in depression scale scores, although noted, were not significant, and (b) the self-achievement, emotional stability, family atmosphere, and physical needs of participants were met. The authors recommend that reminiscence group work be promoted in the home for older persons and that childhood cooking sessions twice each week may be the ideal format for reminiscence group work.

Comparison of three different inhalant anesthetic agents (isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane) in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis).

PubMed

Granone, Tiffany D; de Francisco, Olga N; Killos, Maria B; Quandt, Jane E; Mandsager, Ron E; Graham, Lynelle F

2012-01-01

To compare isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane for inhalant anesthesia in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in terms of the speed and characteristics of induction; cardiovascular and respiratory parameters while anesthetized; and speed and quality of recovery. Prospective, cross over, randomized experimental study. 12 healthy adult red-tailed hawks. Anesthesia was induced with isoflurane, sevoflurane or desflurane in oxygen via face mask in a crossover, randomized design with a 1 week washout period between each treatment. Hawks were tracheally intubated, allowed to breathe spontaneously, and instrumented for cardiopulmonary monitoring. Data collected included heart rate, respiratory rate, end-tidal CO(2) , inspired and expired agent, SpO(2,) temperature, systolic blood pressure, time to intubation and time to recovery (tracking). Recovery was subjectively scored on a 4 point scale as well as a summary evaluation, by a single blinded observer. No significant difference in time to induction and time to extubation was noted with the administration of isoflurane, sevoflurane or desflurane. Time to the ability of the bird to follow a moving object with its eyes (tracking) was significantly faster with the administration of sevoflurane and desflurane. All recoveries were scored 1 or 2 and were assessed as good to excellent. No significant difference was noted in heart rate, blood pressure and temperature among the three inhalants. Administration of isoflurane resulted in lower respiratory rates. Overall, although isoflurane remains the most common inhaled anesthetic in avian practice, sevoflurane and desflurane both offer faster time to tracking, while similar changes in cardiopulmonary function were observed with each agent during anesthesia of healthy red-tailed hawks. © 2011 The Authors. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. © 2011 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists.

Comparison of autogenous cancellous bone grafting and extracorporeal shock wave therapy on osteotomy healing in the tibial tuberosity advancement procedure in dogs. Radiographic densitometric evaluation.

PubMed

Barnes, K; Lanz, O; Werre, S; Clapp, K; Gilley, R

2015-01-01

To compare optical values in the osteotomy gap created after a tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) treated with autogenous cancellous bone graft, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, a combination of autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy, and absence of both autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy using densitometry. Dogs that were presented for surgical repair of a cranial cruciate ligament rupture were randomly assigned to one of four groups: TTA with autogenous cancellous bone graft (TTA-G), TTA with autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (TTA-GS), TTA with extracorporeal shock wave therapy (TTA-S), and TTA with no additional therapy (TTA-O). Mediolateral radiographs at zero, four and eight weeks after surgery were evaluated to compare healing of the osteotomy gap via densitometry. An analysis of variance was used to compare the densitometric values between groups. At four weeks after surgery, a significant difference in osteotomy gap density was noted between TTA-GS (8.4 millimetres of aluminium equivalent [mmAleq]) and TTA-S (6.1 mmAleq), and between TTA-GS (8.4 mmAleq) and TTA-O (6.4 mmAleq). There were no significant differences noted between any groups at the eight week re-evaluation. There were no significant differences in the osteotomy gap density at eight weeks after surgery regardless of the treatment modality used. The combination of autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy may lead to increased radiographic density of the osteotomy gap in the first four weeks after surgery. Densitometry using an aluminium step wedge is a feasible method for comparison of bone density after TTA in dogs.

Lateral sesamoid position in hallux valgus: correlation with the conventional radiological assessment.

PubMed

Agrawal, Yuvraj; Desai, Aravind; Mehta, Jaysheel

2011-12-01

We aimed to quantify the severity of the hallux valgus based on the lateral sesamoid position and to establish a correlation of our simple assessment method with the conventional radiological assessments. We reviewed one hundred and twenty two dorso-plantar weight bearing radiographs of feet. The intermetatarsal and hallux valgus angles were measured by the conventional methods; and the position of lateral sesamoid in relation to first metatarsal neck was assessed by our new and simple method. Significant correlation was noted between intermetatarsal angle and lateral sesamoid position (Rho 0.74, p < 0.0001); lateral sesamoid position and hallux valgus angle (Rho 0.56, p < 0.0001). Similar trends were noted in different grades of severity of hallux valgus in all the three methods of assessment. Our method of assessing hallux valgus deformity based on the lateral sesamoid position is simple, less time consuming and has statistically significant correlation with that of the established conventional radiological measurements. Copyright © 2011 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of bone metabolism in premenopausal females with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Tuchendler, Dominika; Bolanowski, Marek

2013-01-01

Osteoporosis is one of the commonest metabolic diseases of bone. Its possible causes may include thyroid hormonal dysfunction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on osseous tissue metabolism in premenopausal women. 38 women with hyperthyroidism, 40 with hypothyroidism and 41 healthy women participated in this study. Initially after 6 and 12 months, each patient underwent selected hormonal, immunological and biochemical tests, measurement of concentrations of bone turnover markers and densitometry were also performed. On initial evaluation, lower cortical bone density was found in patients with hyperthyroidism (femoral neck). After 12 months, an increase in BMD was seen, but it was still lower than in the control group. Statistically significantly higher concentrations of bone turnover markers, decreasing from the sixth month of treatment, were noted only in the group with hyperthyroidism. Statistically significant differences were not noted in the femoral neck nor in the lumbar spine BMD in patients with hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism poses a negative effect on bone metabolism. Hypothyroidism in premenopausal females does not have any influence on bone density.

Relationship between body mass index and renal function deterioration among the Taiwanese chronic kidney disease population.

PubMed

Chang, Tian-Jong; Zheng, Cai-Mei; Wu, Mei-Yi; Chen, Tzu-Ting; Wu, Yun-Chun; Wu, Yi-Lien; Lin, Hsin-Ting; Zheng, Jing-Quan; Chu, Nain-Feng; Lin, Yu-Me; Su, Sui-Lung; Lu, Kuo-Cheng; Chen, Jin-Shuen; Sung, Fung-Chang; Lee, Chien-Te; Yang, Yu; Hwang, Shang-Jyh; Wang, Ming-Cheng; Hsu, Yung-Ho; Chiou, Hung-Yi; Kao, Senyeong; Lin, Yuh-Feng

2018-05-02

This study investigated the characteristics of patients with different chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages according to various body mass index (BMI) categories and determined the influence of BMI in renal function deterioration. We conducted a multicenter, longitudinal cohort study based on the Epidemiology and Risk Factors Surveillance of CKD project (2008-2013) and National Health Insurance Research Database (2001-2013). A total of 7357 patients with CKD aged 20-85 years from 14 hospitals were included in the study. A higher male sex, diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension were noted among overweight and obese CKD patients, while more cancer prevalence was noted among underweight CKD patients. Charlson comorbidity index was significantly higher and correlated with BMI among late CKD patients. Patients with BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 exhibited non-significantly higher events of eGFR decline events in both early and late CKD stages than other BMI groups. BMI alone is not a determinant of CKD progression among our Taiwanese CKD patients. Obesity should be re-defined and body weight manipulation should be individualized in CKD patients.

Load deflection characteristics and force level of nickel titanium initial archwires.

PubMed

Lombardo, Luca; Marafioti, Matteo; Stefanoni, Filippo; Mollica, Francesco; Siciliani, Giuseppe

2012-05-01

To investigate and compare the characteristics of commonly used types of traditional and heat-activated initial archwire by plotting their load/deflection graphs and quantifying three suitable parameters describing the discharge plateau phase. Forty-eight archwires (22 nickel titanium [NiTi] and 26 heat-activated) of cross-sectional diameter ranging from 0.010 to 0.016 inch were obtained from seven different manufacturers. A modified three-point wire-bending test was performed on three analogous samples of each type of archwire at a constant temperature (37.0°C). For each resulting load/deflection curve, the plateau section was isolated, along with the mean value of the average plateau force, the plateau length, and the plateau slope for each type of wire obtained. Statistically significant differences were found between almost all wires for the three parameters considered. Statistically significant differences were also found between traditional and heat-activated archwires, the latter of which generated longer plateaus and lighter average forces. The increase in average force seen with increasing diameter tended to be rather stable, although some differences were noted between traditional and heat-activated wires. Although great variation was seen in the plateau behavior, heat-activated versions appear to generate lighter forces over greater deflection plateaus. On average, the increase in plateau force was roughly 50% when the diameter was increased by 0.002 inch (from 0.012 to 0.014 and from 0.014 to 0.016 inch) and about 150% when the diameter was increased by 0.004 inch (from 0.012 to 0.016), with differences between traditional and heat-activated wires noted in this case.

Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, and Outcomes in Overdose With Acetaminophen Alone or With Combination Products: Results From the Acute Liver Failure Study Group.

PubMed

Serper, Marina; Wolf, Michael S; Parikh, Nikhil A; Tillman, Holly; Lee, William M; Ganger, Daniel R

2016-01-01

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the west. It is unknown if APAP overdose in combination with diphenhydramine or opioids confers a different clinical presentation or prognosis. Study objectives were to compare (1) baseline patient characteristics; (2) initial clinical presentation; and (3) clinical outcomes among patients with ALF due to APAP alone or in combination with diphenhydramine or opioids. We analyzed 666 cases of APAP-related liver failure using the Acute Liver Failure Study Group database from 1998 to 2012. The database contains detailed demographic, laboratory, and clinical outcome data, including hemodialysis, transplantation, and death and in-hospital complications such as arrhythmia and infection. The final sample included 666 patients with APAP liver injury. A total 30.3% of patients were overdosed with APAP alone, 14.1% with APAP/diphenhydramine, and 56.6% with APAP/opioids. Patients taking APAP with opioids were older, had more comorbidities, and were more likely to have unintentional overdose (all P<0.0001). On presentation, 58% in the APAP/opioid group had advanced encephalopathy as compared with 43% with APAP alone (P=0.001) The APAP/diphenhydramine group presented with the highest serum aminotransferase levels, no differences in laboratory values were noted at 3 days postenrollment. No significant differences were observed in clinical outcomes among the groups. Most patients with APAP-induced ALF were taking APAP combination products. There were significant differences in patient characteristics and clinical presentation based on the type of product ingested, however, there were no differences noted in delayed hepatotoxicity or clinical outcomes.

Gender differences in binaural speech-evoked auditory brainstem response: are they clinically significant?

PubMed

Jalaei, Bahram; Azmi, Mohd Hafiz Afifi Mohd; Zakaria, Mohd Normani

2018-05-17

Binaurally evoked auditory evoked potentials have good diagnostic values when testing subjects with central auditory deficits. The literature on speech-evoked auditory brainstem response evoked by binaural stimulation is in fact limited. Gender disparities in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results have been consistently noted but the magnitude of gender difference has not been reported. The present study aimed to compare the magnitude of gender difference in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results between monaural and binaural stimulations. A total of 34 healthy Asian adults aged 19-30 years participated in this comparative study. Eighteen of them were females (mean age=23.6±2.3 years) and the remaining sixteen were males (mean age=22.0±2.3 years). For each subject, speech-evoked auditory brainstem response was recorded with the synthesized syllable /da/ presented monaurally and binaurally. While latencies were not affected (p>0.05), the binaural stimulation produced statistically higher speech-evoked auditory brainstem response amplitudes than the monaural stimulation (p<0.05). As revealed by large effect sizes (d>0.80), substantive gender differences were noted in most of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response peaks for both stimulation modes. The magnitude of gender difference between the two stimulation modes revealed some distinct patterns. Based on these clinically significant results, gender-specific normative data are highly recommended when using speech-evoked auditory brainstem response for clinical and future applications. The preliminary normative data provided in the present study can serve as the reference for future studies on this test among Asian adults. Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Open Notes in Swedish Psychiatric Care (Part 1): Survey Among Psychiatric Care Professionals.

PubMed

Petersson, Lena; Erlingsdóttir, Gudbjörg

2018-02-02

When the Swedish version of Open Notes, an electronic health record (EHR) service that allows patients online access, was introduced in hospitals, primary care, and specialized care in 2012, psychiatric care was exempt. This was because psychiatric notes were considered too sensitive for patient access. However, as the first region in Sweden, Region Skåne added adult psychiatry to its Open Notes service in 2015. This made it possible to carry out a unique baseline study to investigate how different health care professionals (HCPs) in adult psychiatric care in the region expect Open Notes to impact their patients and their practice. This is the first of two papers about the implementation of Open Notes in adult psychiatric care in Region Skåne. The objective of this study was to describe, compare, and discuss how different HCPs in adult psychiatric care in Region Skåne expect Open Notes to impact their patients and their own practice. A full population Web-based questionnaire was distributed to psychiatric care professionals in Region Skåne in late 2015. The response rate was 28.86% (871/3017). Analyses show that the respondents were representative of the staff as a whole. A statistical analysis examined the relationships between different professionals and attitudes to the Open Notes service. The results show that the psychiatric HCPs are generally of the opinion that the service would affect their own practice and their patients negatively. The most striking result was that more than 60% of both doctors (80/132, 60.6%) and psychologists (55/90, 61%) were concerned that they would be less candid in their documentation in the future. Open Notes can increase the transparency between patients and psychiatric HCPs because patients are able to access their EHRs online without delay and thus, can read notes that have not yet been approved by the responsible HCP. This may be one explanation as to why HCPs are concerned that the service will affect both their own work and their patients. ©Lena Petersson, Gudbjörg Erlingsdóttir. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 02.02.2018.

Assessing the similarity of surface linguistic features related to epilepsy across pediatric hospitals.

PubMed

Connolly, Brian; Matykiewicz, Pawel; Bretonnel Cohen, K; Standridge, Shannon M; Glauser, Tracy A; Dlugos, Dennis J; Koh, Susan; Tham, Eric; Pestian, John

2014-01-01

The constant progress in computational linguistic methods provides amazing opportunities for discovering information in clinical text and enables the clinical scientist to explore novel approaches to care. However, these new approaches need evaluation. We describe an automated system to compare descriptions of epilepsy patients at three different organizations: Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the Children's Hospital Colorado, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. To our knowledge, there have been no similar previous studies. In this work, a support vector machine (SVM)-based natural language processing (NLP) algorithm is trained to classify epilepsy progress notes as belonging to a patient with a specific type of epilepsy from a particular hospital. The same SVM is then used to classify notes from another hospital. Our null hypothesis is that an NLP algorithm cannot be trained using epilepsy-specific notes from one hospital and subsequently used to classify notes from another hospital better than a random baseline classifier. The hypothesis is tested using epilepsy progress notes from the three hospitals. We are able to reject the null hypothesis at the 95% level. It is also found that classification was improved by including notes from a second hospital in the SVM training sample. With a reasonably uniform epilepsy vocabulary and an NLP-based algorithm able to use this uniformity to classify epilepsy progress notes across different hospitals, we can pursue automated comparisons of patient conditions, treatments, and diagnoses across different healthcare settings. 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.

Plantation establishment: site preparation and tree planting methods

Treesearch

J. W. Van Sambeek

2008-01-01

The Silviculture and Ecology of the Central Hardwoods research unit of the USDA Forest Service is developing a series of technical notes for the management of forest lands in the Midwest. Many of the technical notes on different aspects of hardwood plantation establishment have been completed. At the request of the editor, the technical notes for site preparation, slit...

The effect of maropitant on intraoperative isoflurane requirements and postoperative nausea and vomiting in dogs: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Swallow, Adam; Rioja, Eva; Elmer, Tim; Dugdale, Alex

2017-07-01

To establish if preoperative maropitant significantly reduced intraoperative isoflurane requirements and reduced clinical signs associated with postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in dogs. Randomized clinical trial. Twenty-four healthy, client-owned dogs undergoing routine ovariohysterectomy. Premedication involved acepromazine (0.03 mg kg -1 ) combined with methadone (0.3 mg kg -1 ) intramuscularly 45 minutes before anaesthetic induction with intravenous (IV) propofol, dosed to effect. Meloxicam (0.2 mg kg -1 ) was administered intravenously. Dogs were randomly assigned to administration of saline (group S; 0.1 mL kg -1 , n=12) or maropitant (group M; 1 mg kg -1 , n=12) subcutaneously at time of premedication. Methadone (0.1 mg kg -1 IV) was repeated 4 hours later. Anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen, dosed to effect by an observer unaware of group allocation. The dogs were assessed hourly, starting 1 hour postoperatively, using the short form of the Glasgow Composite Pain Score (GCPS), and for ptyalism and signs attributable to PONV [score from 0 (none) to 3 (severe)] by blinded observers. Owners completed a questionnaire at the postoperative recheck. Overall mean±standard deviation end-tidal isoflurane percentage was lower in group M (1.19±0.26%) than group S (1.44±0.23%) (p=0.022), but was not significantly different between groups at specific noxious events (skin incision, ovarian pedicle clamp application, cervical clamp application, wound closure). Cardiorespiratory variables and postoperative GCPS were not significantly different between groups. Overall, 50% of dogs displayed signs attributable to PONV, with no difference in PONV scores between groups (p=0.198). No difference in anaesthetic recovery was noted by owners between groups. Maropitant reduced overall intraoperative isoflurane requirements but did not affect the incidence of PONV. Maropitant provided no significant benefits to dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy with this anaesthetic and analgesic protocol, although clinically significant reductions in isoflurane requirements were noted. Copyright © 2017 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Note-Taking Quality and Performance on an L2 Academic Listening Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Min-Young

2012-01-01

This study investigated the relationships among the quality of L2 test takers' notes evaluated in terms of different levels of information and test takers' performance on open-ended listening tasks tapping into different comprehension subskills. In addition, this study examined the invariance of the structural relationships among the variables…

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy-Jig (Views and Reviews).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Wayne

1992-01-01

Discusses Roger Schank's book "Tell Me a Story," noting that understanding stories (their structure, acquisition, and retelling) is at the heart of understanding intelligence. Notes that the best reading teachers adapt their stories--rather than relying on rules--for the guidance they need to work with different students at different times. (SR)

Comparison of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser alone versus its combination with ultrapulse CO2 laser for the treatment of black tattoo.

PubMed

Vanarase, Mithila; Gautam, Ram Krishan; Arora, Pooja; Bajaj, Sonali; Meena, Neha; Khurana, Ananta

2017-10-01

Q-switched lasers are conventionally used for the treatment of black tattoo. However, they require multiple sittings, and the response may be slow due to competing epidermal pigment in dark skin. To compare the efficacy of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser alone with its combination with ultrapulse CO 2 for the removal of black tattoo. Sixty patients with black tattoo were randomized into two groups viz., group A and group B. Group A was treated with QS Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) alone, and group B received combination of ablative ultrapulse CO 2 followed by fixed-dose QS Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm), at 6-week interval for a maximum of 6 sittings. After each sitting, 3 independent physicians noted percentage of improvement that was evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) and grading system for tattoo ink lightening (TIL). Combination laser (group B) showed statistically significant improvement in mean VAS score in the last 2 noted visits as compared to 1st session (p < 0.007, p < 0.001) and TIL mean score in last three noted visits as compared to 1st session (p < 0.008, p < 0.020, and p < 0.004). There was no statistically significant difference in the side effect profile of both the groups. For refractory professional tattoos, combination of ultrapulse CO 2 laser and QS Nd:YAG laser is superior to QS Nd:YAG laser alone.

An audit of inpatient case records and suggestions for improvements.

PubMed

Arshad, A R; Ganesananthan, S; Ajik, S

2000-09-01

A study was carried out in Kuala Lumpur Hospital to review the adequacy of documentation of bio-data and clinical data including clinical examination, progress review, discharge process and doctor's identification in ten of our clinical departments. Twenty criteria were assessed in a retrospective manner to scrutinize the contents of medical notes and subsequently two prospective evaluations were conducted to see improvement in case notes documentation. Deficiencies were revealed in all the criteria selected. However there was a statistically significant improvement in the eleven clinical data criteria in the subsequent two evaluations. Illegibility of case note entries and an excessive usage of abbreviations were noted during this audit. All clinical departments and hospitals should carry out detailed studies into the contents of their medical notes.

Trunk position influences the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of the lead lower extremity during the forward lunge exercise.

PubMed

Farrokhi, Shawn; Pollard, Christine D; Souza, Richard B; Chen, Yu-Jen; Reischl, Stephen; Powers, Christopher M

2008-07-01

Experimental laboratory study. To examine how a change in trunk position influences the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of the lead lower extremity during the forward lunge exercise. Altering the position of the trunk during the forward lunge exercise is thought to affect the muscular actions of the lead lower extremity. However, no studies have compared the biomechanical differences between the traditional forward lunge and its variations. Ten healthy adults (5 males, 5 females; mean age +/- SD, 26.7 +/- 3.2 years) participated. Lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, and surface electromyographic (EMG) data were obtained while subjects performed 3 lunge exercises: normal lunge with the trunk erect (NL), lunge with the trunk forward (LTF), and lunge with trunk extension (LTE). A 1-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare lower extremity kinematics, joint impulse (area under the moment-time curve), and normalized EMG (highest 1-second window of activity for selected lower extremity muscles) among the 3 lunge conditions. During the LTF condition, significant increases were noted in peak hip flexion angle, hip extensor and ankle plantar flexor impulse, as well as gluteus maximus and biceps femoris EMG (P<.015) when compared to the NL condition. During the LTE condition, a significant increase was noted in peak ankle dorsiflexion and a significant decrease was noted in peak hip flexion angle (P<.015) compared to the NL condition. Performing a lunge with the trunk forward increased the hip extensor impulse and the recruitment of the hip extensors. In contrast, performing a forward lunge with the trunk extended did not alter joint impulse or activation of the lower extremity musculature. Therapy, level 5.

Performance of the diffraction grating on a bank note: the experience with the Australian Commemorative note

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardwick, Bruce A.

1990-04-01

In January 1988, we at the Note Printing Branch first released to the Reserve Bank a polymer based banknote containing an Optically Variable Device (OVD), a diffraction grating. This banknote was the culmination of many years of Research and Development effort, and represented a very significant departure from conventional banknote technology in many ways. It was a test bed. We are very pleased with its performance.

First-principles study of the effect of functional groups on polyaniline backbone

PubMed Central

Chen, X. P.; Jiang, J. K.; Liang, Q. H.; Yang, N.; Ye, H. Y.; Cai, M.; Shen, L.; Yang, D. G.; Ren, T. L.

2015-01-01

We present a first-principles density functional theory study focused on how the chemical and electronic properties of polyaniline are adjusted by introducing suitable substituents on a polymer backbone. Analyses of the obtained energy barriers, reaction energies and minimum energy paths indicate that the chemical reactivity of the polyaniline derivatives is significantly enhanced by protonic acid doping of the substituted materials. Further study of the density of states at the Fermi level, band gap, HOMO and LUMO shows that both the unprotonated and protonated states of these polyanilines are altered to different degrees depending on the functional group. We also note that changes in both the chemical and electronic properties are very sensitive to the polarity and size of the functional group. It is worth noting that these changes do not substantially alter the inherent chemical and electronic properties of polyaniline. Our results demonstrate that introducing different functional groups on a polymer backbone is an effective approach to obtain tailored conductive polymers with desirable properties while retaining their intrinsic properties, such as conductivity. PMID:26584671

[Evaluation of the surface of the new intraocular lenses in the scanning electron microscope].

PubMed

Kałuzny, B J; Szatkowski, J; Kałuzny, J J

2001-01-01

To evaluate the surface of the new PC IOLs commercially available in Poland in 2000. Representative samples of new posterior chamber IOLs produced by 6 different companies (Alcon, Lensita, Medicontur, Opsia, Rayner, Storz), 5 of each, underwent surface examination with Novoscan 30 scanning electron microscope. Although, in general, smooth surface of optic and haptic parts were observed, three samples with irregularities were found. Comparing to previous evaluation performed in 1994, significant improvement in quality of IOLs surface was noted. No considerable differences in this field between above mentioned producers were observed.

Motion sickness susceptibility related to ACTH, ADH and TSH

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohl, R. L.; Leach, C.; Homick, J. L.; Larochelle, F. T.

1983-01-01

The hypothesis that endogenous levels of certain hormones might be indicative of an individual's susceptibility to stressful motion is tested in a comparison of subjects classified as less prone to motion sickness with those of higher susceptibility. The levels of ACTH and vasopressin measured before exposure to stressful motion were twice as high in the less-suceptible group. No significant differences were noted in the levels of angiotensin, aldosterone, or TSH. The differences between the two groups were greater for a given hormone than for any of the changes induced by exposure to stressful motion.

The racial cohort phenomenon: seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in a multiracial South-East Asian country.

PubMed

Goh, K L; Parasakthi, N

2001-02-01

Malaysia is a multiracial country where three major Asian races live together: Malay, Chinese and Indian. In addition, there are a number of native or indigenous races, particularly in East Malaysia. Differences in prevalence of gastric diseases between races have been noted, particularly with respect to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rates and risk factors for Helicobacter pylori infection among various races in Malaysia. A large-scale prospective seroepidemiological study in West and East Malaysia using the HEL-p II commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (AMRAD, Melbourne, Australia) to detect H. pylori antibodies. Populations surveyed in West Malaysia were a rural community from Kuala Pilah, and blood donors from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Baru. Subjects studied in East Malaysia were volunteer blood donors from Kota Kinabalu, and blood donors and healthy volunteers from Sibu. Statistical analyses using multiple logistic regression analysis were carried out to identify independent risk factors for H. pylori infection A total of 2,381 subjects were evaluated. H. pylori prevalence varied from different areas of study and ranged from a low of 26.4% in blood donors from Kota Baru to a high of 55.0% in Kota Kinabalu. The most striking differences, however, were noted in the prevalence rates among different racial groups. Prevalence rates among the Malays ranged from 11.9 to 29.2%, while the Chinese ranged from 26.7 to 57.5%, and those of Indians in two studies were 49.4 and 52.3%. In every location, Malays had a significantly lower prevalence compared with the other races. The highest prevalence rates were recorded among the indigenous races in Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia. There was no difference between males and females in the studies. An increasing trend with age was noted in the majority of studies; however, no increase in prevalence rates was noted among the Malays. The pattern of infection in a multiracial population in Malaysia points to a 'racial cohort' phenomenon. The infection appears to be confined to a racial group, with the Malays having consistently low prevalence rates. This observation may provide clues to the mode of transmission of infection.

Analysis of Tonguing and Blowing Actions During Clarinet Performance.

PubMed

Pàmies-Vilà, Montserrat; Hofmann, Alex; Chatziioannou, Vasileios

2018-01-01

Articulation on the clarinet is achieved by a combination of precise actions taking place inside the player's mouth. With the aim to analyse the effects of tonguing and blowing actions during playing, several physical variables are measured and parameters related to articulation are studied. Mouth pressure, mouthpiece pressure and reed displacement are recorded in an experiment with clarinet players to evaluate the influence of the player's actions on the selected parameters and on the sound. The results show that different combinations of tongue and blowing actions are used during performance. Portato and legato playing show constant blowing throughout the musical phrase, which varies according to the dynamic level. In portato, short tongue-reed interaction is used homogeneously among players and playing conditions. In staccato playing, where the tongue-reed contact is longer, the mouth pressure is reduced significantly between notes. Such a mouth-pressure decrease might be used to stop the note in slow staccato playing. It is hereby shown that when the note is stopped by the action of the tongue both the attack and release transients are shorter compared to the case where the vibration of the reed is stopped by a decrease of mouth pressure.

Analysing playing using the note-time playing path.

PubMed

de Graaff, Deborah L E; Schubert, Emery

2011-03-01

This article introduces a new method of data analysis that represents the playing of written music as a graph. The method, inspired by Miklaszewski, charts low-level note timings from a sound recording of a single-line instrument using high-precision audio-to-MIDI conversion software. Note onset times of pitch sequences are then plotted against the score-predicted timings to produce a Note-Time Playing Path (NTPP). The score-predicted onset time of each sequentially performed note (horizontal axis) unfolds in performed time down the page (vertical axis). NTPPs provide a visualisation that shows (1) tempo variations, (2) repetitive practice behaviours, (3) segmenting of material, (4) precise note time positions, and (5) time spent on playing or not playing. The NTPP can provide significant new insights into behaviour and cognition of music performance and may also be used to complement established traditional approaches such as think-alouds, interviews, and video coding.

Osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines from patients with differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations display minimal differences in gene expression patterns

PubMed Central

de Sá Rodrigues, L. C.; Holmes, K. E.; Thompson, V.; Piskun, C. M.; Lana, S. E.; Newton, M. A.; Stein, T. J.

2016-01-01

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentration is a prognostic factor for osteosarcoma in multiple studies, although its biological significance remains incompletely understood. To determine whether gene expression patterns differed in osteosarcoma from patients with differing serum ALP concentrations, microarray analysis was performed on 18 primary osteosarcoma samples and six osteosarcoma cell lines from dogs with normal and increased serum ALP concentration. No differences in gene expression patterns were noted between tumours or cell lines with differing serum ALP concentration using a gene-specific two-sample t-test. Using a more sensitive empirical Bayes procedure, defective in cullin neddylation 1 domain containing 1 (DCUN1D1) was increased in both the tissue and cell lines of the normal ALP group. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), differences in DCUN1D1 expression between the two groups failed to reach significance. The homogeneity of gene expression patterns of osteosarcoma associated differing serum ALP concentrations are consistent with previous studies suggesting serum ALP concentration is not associated with intrinsic differences of osteosarcoma cells. PMID:25643733

Natural-orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): minimally invasive evolution or revolution?

PubMed

Mohan, Helen M; O'Riordan, James M; Winter, Desmond C

2013-06-01

Since the first animal experimental laparoscopy in 1902, minimal access techniques have revolutionized surgery. Using the natural orifice dates back to at least the second century when Soranus performed a vaginal hysterectomy. The main difference between traditional endolumenal surgery and the translumenal approach of natural-orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is the intentional puncture of a healthy organ in NOTES to access a cavity or other organ. The aim of this review was to examine the past, present, and potential future role of NOTES in the context of other developments in minimal access surgery. NOTES is at an early stage in its development and a convincing benefit over laparoscopy has not been demonstrated. Concerns regarding complications, for example of viscerotomy closure, have limited the widespread uptake of pure NOTES. However, it is likely that technological advances for NOTES surgery will enhance conventional laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques.

Notes on Linguistics, Number 41-43, 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Notes on Linguistics, 1988

1988-01-01

This document consists of the three 1988 issues of the normally quarterly journal "Notes on Linguistics." These issues include the following significant articles: "The Role of the Field Linguist" (Bernard Comrie); "Relational Grammar: An Update Report" (Stephen A. Marlett); "Tone and Stress Analysis by…

Assessment of the effect of Allium sativum on serum nitric oxide level and hepatic histopathology in experimental cystic echinococcosis in mice.

PubMed

Ali, Nehad Mahmoud; Ibrahim, Ayman Nabil; Ahmed, Naglaa Samier

2016-09-01

The current study was carried out to evaluate the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of Allium sativum on experimental cystic echinococcosis by measuring the serum nitric oxide level and studying hepatic histopathological changes. The experimental animals were divided into five groups, ten mice in each, group (I): prophylactic; group (II): therapeutic; group (III): prophylactic and therapeutic; group (IV): infected nontreated; group (V): non infected non treated. The results showed that serum nitric oxide was significantly increased as a result of infection in all infected groups compared to group V. Statistical significant difference was noted in serum nitrate level in group I at 1st and 8th week post infection compared to the same time interval in group IV. In group II, statistical significance was noticed only at the 1st week post infection. Statistical significant difference was noted in serum nitrate level in group III at 1st, 4th, 6th and 8th week post infection compared to same time interval in group IV. Hydatid cysts developed in livers of mice of group IV as early as 4 weeks of infection while no cysts were found in groups I,II and III. Histopathologically there were moderate pathological changes in group I and group II as hepatocytes showed moderate steatosis, moderate venous congestion and inflammatory cellular infiltrate with foci of degeneration and necrosis. While livers of mice of group III showed mild steatosis, mild venous congestion, mild inflammatory cellular infiltrate, no necrosis and no biliary hyperplasia. Accordingly, that garlic (Allium sativum) may be a promising phototherapeutic agent for cystic echinococcosis.

Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men.

PubMed

Schoenfeld, Brad J; Pope, Zachary K; Benik, Franklin M; Hester, Garrett M; Sellers, John; Nooner, Josh L; Schnaiter, Jessica A; Bond-Williams, Katherine E; Carter, Adrian S; Ross, Corbin L; Just, Brandon L; Henselmans, Menno; Krieger, James W

2016-07-01

Schoenfeld, BJ, Pope, ZK, Benik, FM, Hester, GM, Sellers, J, Nooner, JL, Schnaiter, JA, Bond-Williams, KE, Carter, AS, Ross, CL, Just, BL, Henselmans, M, and Krieger, JW. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1805-1812, 2016-The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of short rest intervals normally associated with hypertrophy-type training versus long rest intervals traditionally used in strength-type training on muscular adaptations in a cohort of young, experienced lifters. Twenty-one young resistance-trained men were randomly assigned to either a group that performed a resistance training (RT) program with 1-minute rest intervals (SHORT) or a group that employed 3-minute rest intervals (LONG). All other RT variables were held constant. The study period lasted 8 weeks with subjects performing 3 total body workouts a week comprised 3 sets of 8-12 repetition maximum (RM) of 7 different exercises per session. Testing was performed prestudy and poststudy for muscle strength (1RM bench press and back squat), muscle endurance (50% 1RM bench press to failure), and muscle thickness of the elbow flexors, triceps brachii, and quadriceps femoris by ultrasound imaging. Maximal strength was significantly greater for both 1RM squat and bench press for LONG compared to SHORT. Muscle thickness was significantly greater for LONG compared to SHORT in the anterior thigh, and a trend for greater increases was noted in the triceps brachii (p = 0.06) as well. Both groups saw significant increases in local upper body muscle endurance with no significant differences noted between groups. This study provides evidence that longer rest periods promote greater increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy in young resistance-trained men.

Heterogeneity of the IgE response to allergenic determinants of cefaclor in serum samples from patients with cefaclor-induced anaphylaxis.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Hoon; Choi, Jeong-Hee; Park, Hae-Sim

2005-06-01

Beta-lactam antibiotics, such as cefaclor, may cause IgE-mediated anaphylactic reactions. However, the clinically available serologic test has not been widely accepted, and the antigenic determinants of these drugs are unclear. To describe 4 cases of anaphylaxis caused by cefaclor in which a specific IgE response to cefaclor was demonstrated. Four patients with anaphylaxis to cefaclor and 35 nonatopic controls never exposed to cefaclor were studied. Skin tests and oral challenges with this drug were performed. The specific IgE response to the antigenic determinant of cefaclor-human serum albumin (HSA) conjugate was compared in each patient. The serum specific IgE to cefaclor-HSA conjugate was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Also, ELISA inhibition studies using various concentrations of cefaclor-HSA, HSA alone, and free cefaclor were performed, as were hapten inhibition studies using cefaclor, cephalexin, cefadroxil, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and cefotaxime. Three patients showed high levels of serum specific IgE to cefaclor-HSA and marked inhibition patterns to free cefaclor and cefaclor-HSA conjugate on ELISA inhibition testing. Hapten inhibition testing in 3 individual serum samples showed 2 different patterns. In patient 3, significant dose-dependent inhibitions (up to 92%) were noted with additions of free cefaclor and cefaclor-HSA conjugate, and lesser inhibitions (up to 74%) were noted with cephalexin, which shares the aminobenzyl side chain. In patients 1 and 2, marked dose-dependent inhibitions were noted only with additions of cefaclor-HSA conjugate and free cefaclor, whereas minimal inhibitions were noted with the other 5 compounds. The specific IgE response to cefaclor-HSA conjugate in patients with cefaclor anaphylaxis occurs against the hapten, in which heterogeneity of the antigenic determinant was noted to depend on the individual.

Fecal microbiota transplantation and its potential therapeutic uses in gastrointestinal disorders.

PubMed

Heath, Ryan D; Cockerell, Courtney; Mankoo, Ravinder; Ibdah, Jamal A; Tahan, Veysel

2018-01-01

Typical human gut flora has been well characterized in previous studies and has been noted to have significant differences when compared with the typical microbiome of various disease states involving the gastrointestinal tract. Such diseases include Clostridium difficile colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, functional bowel syndromes, and various states of liver disease. A growing number of studies have investigated the use of a fecal microbiota transplant as a potential therapy for these disease states.

Orbital elements of Charon from speckle interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beletic, J. W.; Goody, R. M.; Tholen, D. J.

1989-01-01

The semimajor axis and the inclination are the two most important quantities presently determined from 56 well-calibrated speckle-interferometric observations of the position of Charon, which are presented in conjunction with an orbit solution that incorporates them. Both values in the best solution obtained are noted to significantly differ from earlier determinations. The new value for the semimajor axis represents a 2.7 percent increase over the previously accepted value; the mean density of the system, however, remains unaltered.

Improved Wound Healing of Cutaneous Sulfur Mustard Injuries in a Weanling Pig Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-08

PS07 and PS 14, and delta C* on PS07 (data not shown). In general, by PSI4 the HD- exposed 51 JOURNAL OF BURNS AND WOUNDS VOLUME 5 sites (treated and...STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Published in Journal of Burns & Wounds, an online journal, at...dressed sites was not significantly different from that of sham- exposed skin. Upon dressing removal on postsurgery day 4, the neoepidermis

Fecal microbiota transplantation and its potential therapeutic uses in gastrointestinal disorders

PubMed Central

Heath, Ryan D.; Cockerell, Courtney; Mankoo, Ravinder; Ibdah, Jamal A.; Tahan, Veysel

2018-01-01

Typical human gut flora has been well characterized in previous studies and has been noted to have significant differences when compared with the typical microbiome of various disease states involving the gastrointestinal tract. Such diseases include Clostridium difficile colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, functional bowel syndromes, and various states of liver disease. A growing number of studies have investigated the use of a fecal microbiota transplant as a potential therapy for these disease states. PMID:29607440

Proliferation of pronephric lymphocytes of carp, Cyprinus carpio induced by extracts of Bothriocephalus acheilognathi.

PubMed

Nie, P; Hoole, D; Arme, C

1996-06-01

The interaction between Bothriocephalus acheilognathi Yamaguti, 1934 (Cestoda) and pronephric lymphocytes of carp, Cyprinus carpio L. was studied by examining proliferation of lymphocytes isolated from both naïve fish and fish injected intraperitoneally with cestode extract. Lymphocytes from naïve hosts were stimulated to proliferate in the presence of the extract depending upon the extract protein concentrations; lower concentrations (0.01-0.05 microgram/ml) induced the greatest response, and immunosuppression occurred at higher concentrations. Significant differences were noted in fish that received intraperitoneal injections of parasite extracts. Five days post-injection, lymphocyte proliferation was significantly greater in these individuals compared with sham injected or untreated controls. This difference was reduced at 10 days post-injection, although the response was dependent on the concentration of the parasite extract. The possible significance of the observed stimulation/suppression of lymphocyte activity to establishment of the parasite in the wild is discussed.

Experiment K305: Quantitative analysis of selected bone parameters. Supplement 3A: Trabecular spacing and orientation in the long bones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Judy, M. M.

1981-01-01

Values of mean trabecular spacing computed from optical diffraction patterns of 1:1 X-ray micrographs of tibial metaphysis and those obtained by standard image digitization techniques show excellent agreement. Upper limits on values of mean trabecular orientation deduced from diffraction patterns and the images are also in excellent agreement. Values of the ratio of mean trabecular spatial density in a region of 300 micrometers distal to the downwardly directed convexity in the cartilage growth plate to the value adjacent to the plate determined for flight animals sacrificed at recovery were significantly smaller than values for vivarium control animals. No significant differences were found in proximal regions. No significant differences in mean trabecular orientation were detected. Decreased values of trabecular spatial density and of both obsteoblastic activity and trabecular cross-sectional area noted in collateral researches suggest decreased modeling activity under weightlessness.

The use of computer-assisted image analysis in the evaluation of the effect of management systems on changes in the color, chemical composition and texture of m. longissimus dorsi in pigs.

PubMed

Zapotoczny, Piotr; Kozera, Wojciech; Karpiesiuk, Krzysztof; Pawłowski, Rodian

2014-08-01

The effect of management systems on selected physical properties and chemical composition of m. longissimus dorsi was studied in pigs. Muscle texture parameters were determined by computer-assisted image analysis, and the color of muscle samples was evaluated using a spectrophotometer. Highly significant correlations were observed between chemical composition and selected texture variables in the analyzed images. Chemical composition was not correlated with color or spectral distribution. Subject to the applied classification methods and groups of variables included in the classification model, the experimental groups were identified correctly in 35-95%. No significant differences in the chemical composition of m. longissimus dorsi were observed between experimental groups. Significant differences were noted in color lightness (L*) and redness (a*). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of vibratory stimulation on sexual response in women with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Sipski, Marca L; Alexander, Craig J; Gomez-Marin, Orlando; Grossbard, Marissa; Rosen, Raymond

2005-01-01

Women with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) have predictable alterations in sexual responses. They commonly have a decreased ability to achieve genital sexual arousal. This study determined whether the use of vibratory stimulation would result in increased genital arousal as measured by vaginal pulse amplitude in women with SCIs. Subjects included 46 women with SCIs and 11 nondisabled control subjects. Results revealed vibratory clitoral stimulation resulted in increased vaginal pulse amplitude as compared with manual clitoral stimulation in both SCI and nondisabled subjects; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Subjective levels of arousal were also compared between SCI and nondisabled control subjects. Both vibratory and manual clitoral stimulation resulted in significantly increased arousal levels in both groups of subjects; however, statistically significant differences between the two conditions were only noted in nondisabled subjects. Further studies of the effects of repetitive vibratory stimulation are underway.

Ethnic Differences in Nonverbal Pain Behaviors Observed in Older Adults with Dementia.

PubMed

Ford, Brianne; Snow, A Lynn; Herr, Keela; Tripp-Reimer, Toni

2015-10-01

Research supports using nonverbal pain behaviors to identify pain in persons with dementia. It is unknown whether variations exist among ethnic groups in the expression of nonverbal pain behaviors in this special population. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine ethnic differences in the presentation and intensity of nonverbal pain behaviors among African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic older adults with dementia when screened for pain by certified nursing assistants. Six certified nursing assistants were trained to review and score 28 video recordings of subjects with dementia for nonverbal pain behaviors using the Non-Communicative Patient's Pain Assessment Instrument. Chi-square was used to examine differences among ethnic groups with regard to the display of nonverbal pain behaviors, and ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in the intensity of overall pain across ethnic groups. Of the 168 assessments, pain words (28%), pain noises (29.8%), and pain faces (28%) were observed most often as indicators of pain. Rubbing, bracing, and restlessness were rarely noted. Chi-square analysis revealed ethnic differences in the expression of pain words (χ(2) = 19.167, p < .001). No significant differences were noted across ethnic groups with regards to overall pain intensity. These findings are the first to examine ethnic differences in nonverbal pain behaviors for older adults with dementia. However, future work should examine assessment tendencies of providers in a larger, more diverse sample. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. All rights reserved.

Time course effects of fermentation on fatty acid and volatile compound profiles of Cheonggukjang using new soybean cultivars.

PubMed

Cho, Kye Man; Lim, Ho-Jeong; Kim, Mi-So; Kim, Da Som; Hwang, Chung Eun; Nam, Sang Hae; Joo, Ok Soo; Lee, Byong Won; Kim, Jae Kyeom; Shin, Eui-Cheol

2017-07-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of the potential probiotic Bacillus subtilis CSY191 on the fatty acid profiles of Cheonggukjang, a fermented soybean paste, prepared using new Korean brown soybean cultivars, protein-rich cultivar (Saedanbaek), and oil-rich cultivar (Neulchan). Twelve fatty acids were identified in the sample set-myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, vaccenic, linoleic, α-linolenic, arachidic, gondoic, behenic, and lignoceric acids-yet, no specific changes driven by fermentation were noted in the fatty acid profiles. To further explore the effects of fermentation of B. subtilis CSY191, complete profiles of volatiles were monitored. In total, 121, 136, and 127 volatile compounds were detected in the Saedanbaek, Daewon (control cultivar), and Neulchan samples, respectively. Interestingly, the content of pyrazines-compounds responsible for pungent and unpleasant Cheonggukjang flavors-was significantly higher in Neulchan compared to that in Saedanbaek. Although the fermentation period was not a strong factor affecting the observed changes in fatty acid profiles, we noted that profiles of volatiles in Cheonggukjang changed significantly over time, and different cultivars represented specific volatile profiles. Thus, further sensory evaluation might be needed to determine if such differences influence consumers' preferences. Furthermore, additional studies to elucidate the associations between B. subtilis CSY191 fermentation and other nutritional components (e.g., amino acids) and their health-promoting potential are warranted. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Breast reconstruction by latissimus dorsi flap: Towards an evolution of ideas].

PubMed

Niddam, J; Guihard, T; Cothier-Savey, I; Chaussard, H; Lemasurier, P

2015-12-01

Breast reconstruction with latissimus dorsi flap and fat grafting is a technique widely used in current practice. Some operators still complain at the lack of final results at the first intervention and the need for repeated lipofilling sessions. The objective of this study was to compare the number of reoperations in patients who underwent reconstruction with latissimus dorsi with prosthesis versus without prosthesis. We included all patients operated for breast reconstruction with latissimus dorsi flap, with or without prosthesis between 2008 and 2012 in our center. We noted the number of new surgical interventions in these patients on the reconstructed breast. We also noted the average weight of mastectomy in two groups each year. One hundred and eighty-six patients were included in this study. Ninety-one patients underwent reconstruction with latissimus dorsi and prosthesis, and 95 patients reconstruction by latissimus dorsi and fat graft. It has not been demonstrated significant differences in the number of new surgical procedures between the two groups. The average weight of mastectomies in the autologous group has steadily increased over the five years. There was no significant difference in the average weight of mastectomies between the two groups over the last two years. For breast reconstruction with latissimus dorsi flap, surgical indications changed in our center to the absence of prosthetic implant, whatever the volume of the breast. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Wound healing complications in patients with and without systemic diseases following hallux valgus surgery.

PubMed

Kromuszczyńska, Justyna; Kołodziej, Łukasz; Jurewicz, Alina

2018-01-01

There are many defined risk factors for wound healing. Comorbidities and their treatment are identified to be one of them. The aim of this study is to verify whether there are significant differences in wound healing between patients with and without systemic diseases, who underwent hallux valgus correction with Scarf osteotomy. A total of 155 consecutive patients were included into this prospective study. All of the patients underwent Scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus correction. In 60,6% of patients comorbidities were present, most often hypertension (57 patients, 36,8%), hypothyroidism (19 patients 12,3%) and diabetes (7 patients, 4,5%) occurred. Most of the patients were women (96,1%). During the study complication rate was noted. Patients underwent follow-up: 1,2, 3, 6 and 12 weeks and 6 months after the surgery. Preoperatively and during the last visit treatment results were assessed with AOFAS HMI scale. Scar assessment was performed by independent observer with VAS followed by patient scar assessment with VSS. In 30 patients complications were noted (19,4%). Surgical site infection was found in 6 patients (3,9%). In 13 patients (8,4%) partial wound dehiscence occurred, in 5 of them (3,2%) additional skin closure (Steri-Strips) was applied. Treatment results assessed with AOFAS HMI scale were good and very good in both healthy and comorbidity group, and the results improved significantly after surgical procedure. Scar assessment with VAS was on the average 1,5 pts. Average result in VSS was 2 pts. Results in both scales were rated as very good. No statistically significant differences were found in both healthy and comorbidity group in scar assessment. Based on the results of the study authors believe there are no significant differences between patients with and without comorbidities in aspects like: complication rate, surgery result and scar assessment as long as foot surgery is concerned.

The Effects of Individualized Resistance Strength Programs on Knee Muscular Imbalances in Junior Elite Soccer Players

PubMed Central

Śliwowski, Robert; Jadczak, Łukasz; Hejna, Rafał; Wieczorek, Andrzej

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a resistance training program on the muscular strength of soccer players’ knees that initially presented unilateral and bilateral differences. For this study, a team of 24 male well-trained junior soccer players was divided into two strength program training groups: a Resistance Training Control Group (RTCG) composed of 10 players that did not have muscular imbalances and a Resistance Training Experimental Group (RTEG) composed of 14 players that had muscular imbalances. All players followed a resistance training program for six weeks, two times per week, during the transition period. The program of individualized strength training consisted of two parts. The first part, which was identical in terms of the choice of training loads, was intended for both training groups and contained two series of exercises including upper and lower body exercises. The second part of the program was intended only for RTEG and consisted of two additional series for the groups of muscles that had identified unilateral and bilateral differences. The applied program showed various directions in the isokinetic profile of changes. In the case of RTCG, the adaptations related mainly to the quadriceps muscle (the peak torque (PT) change for the dominant leg was statistically significant (p < 0.05)). There were statistically significant changes in RTEG (p < 0.05) related to PT for the hamstrings in both legs, which in turn resulted in an increase in the conventional hamstring/quadriceps ratio (H/Q). It is interesting that the statistically significant (p < 0.05) changes were noted only for the dominant leg. No statistically significant changes in bilateral differences (BD) were noted in either group. These results indicate that individualized resistance training programs could provide additional benefits to traditional strength training protocols to improve muscular imbalances in post-adolescent soccer players. PMID:26630271

Differential effects of P25 TiO2 nanoparticles on freshwater green microalgae: Chlorella and Scenedesmus species.

PubMed

Roy, Rajdeep; Parashar, Abhinav; Bhuvaneshwari, M; Chandrasekaran, N; Mukherjee, Amitava

2016-07-01

P25 TiO2 nanoparticles majorly used in cosmetic products have well known detrimental effects towards the aquatic environment. In a freshwater ecosystem, Chlorella and Scenedesmus are among the most commonly found algal species frequently used to study the effects of metal oxide nanoparticles. A comparative study has been conducted herein to investigate differences in the toxic effects caused by these nanoparticles towards the two algae species. The three different concentrations of P25 TiO2 NPs (0.01, 0.1 & 1μg/mL, i.e., 0.12, 1.25 and 12.52μM) were selected to correlate surface water concentrations of the nanoparticles, and filtered and sterilized fresh water medium was used throughout this study. There was significant increase (p<0.001) in hydrodynamic diameter of nanoparticles with respect to both, time (0, 24, 48 and 72h) as well as concentration under all the exposure conditions. Although, significant dose-dependent morphological (surface area & biovolume) interspecies variations were not observed, it was evident at the highest concentration of exposure within individuals. At 1μg/mL exposure concentration, a significant difference in toxicity was noted between Chlorella and Scenedesmus under only visible light (p<0.001) and UVA (p<0.01) irradiation conditions. The viability data were well supported by the results obtained for oxidative stress induced by NPs on the cells. At the highest exposure concentration, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione activities were assessed for both the algae under all the irradiation conditions. Increased catalase activity and LPO release complemented the cytotoxic effects observed. Significant interspecies variations were noted for these parameters under UVA and visible light exposed cells of Chlorella and Scenedesmus species, which could easily be correlated with the uptake of the NPs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR Appendix - Tables to Part 132

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... c CMCt=exp {mA[pH]+bA}. The CMCt shall be rounded to two significant digits. Notes: The term “exp...,b 0.846 +2.255 0.998 Pentachlorophenol c 1.005 −4.869 n/a Zinc a,b 0.8473 +0.884 0.978 a CMCtr=exp... CMCt=exp mA {[pH]+bA}. The CMCt shall be rounded to two significant digits. Notes: The term “exp...

Physical stability of 20% lipid injectable emulsions via simulated syringe infusion: effects of glass vs plastic product packaging.

PubMed

Driscoll, David F; Ling, Pei-Ra; Bistrian, Bruce R

2007-01-01

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has proposed large-globule-size limits to ensure the physical stability of lipid injectable emulsions, expressed as the percent fat >5 microm, or PFAT(5), not exceeding 0.05%. Visibly obvious phase separation as free oil has been shown to occur in some samples if PFAT(5) is >0.4%. We recently found that lipids, newly packaged in plastic (P), exceed the proposed USP limits and seem to produce less stable total nutrient admixtures compared with those made from conventional glass (G), which do meet proposed USP standards. We tested the possible stability differences between 20% lipid injectable emulsions in either P or G in a simulated neonatal syringe infusion study. Eighteen individual syringes were prepared from each 20% lipid injectable emulsion product (n = 36) and attached to a syringe pump set at an infusion rate of 0.5 mL/hour. The starting PFAT(5) levels were measured at time 0 and after 24 hours of infusion, using a laser-based light obscuration technique as described by the USP Chapter <729>. The data were assessed by a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Container (G vs P) and Time as the independent variables and PFAT as the dependent variable. At time 0, the starting PFAT(5) level for lipids packaged in G was 0.006% +/- 0.001% vs 0.162% +/- 0.026% for P, whereas at the end of the infusion they were 0.013% +/- 0.003% and 0.328% +/- 0.046%, respectively. Significant differences were noted overall between groups for Container, Time, and Container-Time interaction (all p < .001). Bonferroni tests showed significant differences in PFAT(5) levels between Containers at time 0 (T-0; p < .001) and T-0 vs T-24 for P-based lipids (p < .001), whereas no such differences were noted for Time for the G-based lipids. Similar results were noted for PFAT(10) levels. We confirm that presently available lipid injectable emulsions packaged in newly introduced plastic containers exceed the proposed USP <729> PFAT(5) limits and subsequently become significantly less stable during a simulated syringe-based infusion. Although modest growth (p = NS) in large-diameter fat globules was observed for the glass-based lipids, they remained within proposed USP globule size limits throughout the study. Glass-based lipids seem to be a more stable dosage form and potentially a safer way to deliver lipids via syringe infusion to critically ill neonates.

Doxorubicin and deracoxib adjuvant therapy for canine splenic hemangiosarcoma: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Kahn, S. Anthony; Mullin, Christine M.; de Lorimier, Louis-Philippe; Burgess, Kristine E.; Risbon, Rebecca E.; Fred, Rogers M.; Drobatz, Kenneth; Clifford, Craig A.

2013-01-01

Canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a highly malignant tumor for which standard chemotherapy has done little to substantially improve survival. Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) plays a role in the formation, growth, and metastasis of tumors and inhibitors have demonstrated therapeutic benefit with certain canine cancers. In this prospective study, 21 dogs received adjuvant therapy combining the selective Cox-2 inhibitor deracoxib with doxorubicin, following splenectomy for HSA. The combination was well-tolerated with only low-grade gastrointestinal and hematologic toxicities noted. An overall median survival of 150 days (range; 21 to 1506 days) was noted. Although there was no significant difference in survival based upon stage of disease, dogs with stage III HSA (n = 11) had a median survival of 149 days, which appears to be longer than previously reported. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the potential benefit of Cox-2 inhibitors in the treatment of canine HSA. PMID:23997259

Laser Assisted Free-Free Transition in Electron - Atom Collision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinha, C.; Bhatia, A. K.

2011-01-01

Free-free transition is studied for electron-Hydrogen atom system in ground state at very low incident energies in presence of an external homogeneous, monochromatic and linearly polarized laser field. The incident electron is considered to be dressed by the laser in a non perturbative manner by choosing the Volkov solutions in both the channels. The space part of the scattering wave function for the electron is solved numerically by taking into account the effect of electron exchange, short range as well as of the long range interactions. Laser assisted differential as well as elastic total cross sections are calculated for single photon absorption/emission in the soft photon limit, the laser intensity being much less than the atomic field intensity. A strong suppression is noted in the laser assisted cross sections as compared to the field free situations. Significant difference is noted in the singlet and the triplet cross sections.

Corrosive effect of the type of soil in the systems of grounding more used (copper and stainless steel) for local soil samples from the city of Tunja (Colombia), by means of electrochemical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, L.; Salas, Y.; Blanco, J.

2016-02-01

In this work electrochemical techniques were used to determine the corrosion behaviour of copper and stainless steel electrodes, used in grounding varying soil type with which they react. A slight but significant change in the corrosion rate, linear polarization resistance and equivalent parameters in the technique of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy circuit was observed. Electrolytes in soils are slightly different depending on laboratory study, but the influence was noted in the retention capacity of water, mainly due to clays, affecting ion mobility and therefore measures such as the corrosion rate. Behaviour was noted in lower potential for copper corrosion, though the corrosion rate regardless of the type of soil, was much higher for electrodes based on copper, by several orders of magnitude.

RELATION BETWEEN EPSTEIN-BARR VIRAL AND CELL MEMBRANE IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE OF BURKITT TUMOR CELLS

PubMed Central

Klein, G.; Pearson, G.; Nadkarni, J. S.; Nadkarni, J. J.; Klein, E.; Henle, G.; Henle, W.; Clifford, P.

1968-01-01

A comparison was made of the immunofluorescence tests for detection of cell membrane and Epstein-Barr virus antigens in cells from Burkitt tumor biopsies or continuous cultures derived therefrom. On the whole, cell membrane fluorescence in established lines appeared to depend not only upon the presence of EBV but to a considerable degree also upon the extent of the persistent viral infection. There was no constant relationship, however, between the results of the two tests and exceptions to the rule were noted. These observations indicate that different antigens are involved in the two tests. Biopsy cells in general and young cultures may reveal strong MIF activity but few, if any, EBV-positive cells. The reverse, the presence of relatively large numbers of EBV antigen-containing cells in the absence of significant MIF reactions, was also noted on occasion in a few established cultures. The possible interpretations of these findings have been discussed. PMID:4878906

A comparison of the efficacy of ketotifen (HC 20-511) with sodium cromoglycate (SCG) in skin test positive asthma.

PubMed Central

Clarke, C W; May, C S

1980-01-01

1 Ketotifen (HC 20-511 Sandoz) 1 mg twice daily for 12 weeks was found to be equivalent to sodium cromoglycate (SCG) 20 mg four times daily for 12 weeks in 35 skin test positive asthmatic patients in a randomised double-blind cross-over study. 2 No statistically significant difference between the two drugs in mean values for daily peak flow rates, diary card scores and spirometry at monthly visits was demonstrated. 3 Treatment failures as judged by severe asthma requiring withdrawal from the trial or addition of short courses of prednisone occurred in three patients on each drug. 4 Sedation was noted by 10 patients onHC 20-511 and 5 on SCG. 5 Weight loss was noted in those patients on SCG, but not those on HC 20-511. PMID:6108129

'He left me a message on Facebook': comparing the risk profiles of self-harming patients who leave paper suicide notes with those who leave messages on new media.

PubMed

Barrett, Jessica R; Shetty, Hitesh; Broadbent, Matthew; Cross, Sean; Hotopf, Matthew; Stewart, Robert; Lee, William

2016-05-01

In cases of non-fatal self-harm, suicide notes are a major risk factor for repeated self-harm and suicide. Suicide notes can now be left on new media services, emails or text messages, as well as on paper. In a group of people who had harmed themselves, we aimed to compare new media note-leavers with paper note-leavers and characterise these groups demographically and by risk factors. Clinical notes of patients who presented with non-fatal self-harm to two London emergency departments were anonymously searched for mentions of new media use. These were categorised and risk factors were compared for those who had left a new media note, a paper note, or no note to establish differences in risk of note-leaving. New media note-leaving was associated with younger age and substance use; both risk factors for repeated self-harm. However, suicidal intent remained highest in paper note-leavers. Paper note-leavers remain at greatest risk, however new media note leaving is still correlated with risk factors related to repeated self-harm and suicide. Clinicians should enquire about new media use during emergency department assessments of self-harm. None. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

Reevaluating reference ranges of oxygen saturation for healthy full-term neonates using pulse oximetry.

PubMed

Lu, Ying-Chun; Wang, Chih-Chien; Lee, Chuen-Ming; Hwang, Kwei-Shuai; Hua, Yi-Ming; Yuh, Yeong-Seng; Chiu, Yu-Lung; Hsu, Wan-Fu; Chou, Ya-Ling; Huang, Shao-Wei; Lee, Yih-Jing; Fan, Hueng-Chuen

2014-12-01

We compared our clinical experience with currently available reference oxygen saturation level (SpO(2)) values from the American Academy of Pediatrics/American Heart Association (AAP/AHA) neonatal resuscitation program guidelines. We enrolled 145 healthy full-term neonates; infants showing respiratory distress and those with serious congenital anomalies were excluded. SpO(2) values at every 1 minute until 10 minutes after birth were measured and recorded. Infants were classified into the cesarean section (CS) and normal spontaneous delivery (NSD) groups for evaluating differences. The 10(th) percentiles of SpO(2) at each minute were used as the lower limits of normal oxygen saturation, and these were compared with the lowest target values recommended in the AAP/AHA guidelines. Overall, 130 vigorous full-term neonates (median gestational age: 38 5/7 weeks; body weight at birth: 2405-3960 g) were analyzed. The median SpO(2) were 67% and 89% at the 1(st) and 4(th) minute, respectively. On average, SpO(2) values reached >90% at the 5(th) minute. No statistical differences were noted in the SpO(2) values between the CS and NSD groups after 5 minutes; however, a trend of higher SpO(2) was observed in the NSD group. We noted a gradually increasing trend for SpO(2) values over time, similar to that noted in the AAP/AHA guidelines. However, SpO(2) values at the 10(th) percentiles of each minute within the first 5 minutes in our study were equal to or significantly lower than those in the AAP/AHA guidelines; moreover, at the 10(th) minute, SpO(2) values at the 10(th) percentiles were significantly higher than those in the guidelines. The delivery modes did not affect the SpO(2) values of full-term healthy neonates. Discrepancies in SpO(2) changes in full-term neonates not requiring resuscitation between this study and the AAP/AHA guidelines were significant. SpO(2) ranges for each time point within the first 10 minutes after birth should therefore be reevaluated locally. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Single Drop of 0.5% Proparacaine Hydrochloride for Uncomplicated Clear Corneal Phacoemulsification

PubMed Central

Joshi, Rajesh Subhash

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a single drop of 0.5% proparacaine hydrochloride in uncomplicated cataract surgery with phacoemulsification. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and ninety five patients scheduled for the phacoemulsification were divided into 2 groups based on the anesthetic agents they were to receive: 146 patients who received a single drop of 0.5% proparacaine 2 min before the start of the surgery (proparacaine group) and; 149 patients who received supplementation of 0.5% intracameral preservative free xylocaine (xylocaine group). A single surgeon performed all surgeries. Intraoperative and post-operative pain scores were evaluated on a visual analog scale. The surgeon noted his subjective impression of corneal clarity, discomfort while performing the surgery any supplemental anesthesia required and intraoperative complications. An anesthetist noted vital parameters and the need for intravenous sedation. Total surgical time was noted. Comparison of parameters was performed with the Chi-square test, and A P value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: No statistically significant difference was seen in the intraoperative (P = 0.24) and post-operative (P = 0.164) pain scores between groups. There was no pain (0 score) in 41.8% of patients in the proparacaine group and 46.3% of patients in the xylocaine group. The average surgical time (P = 0.279) and surgeon discomfort (P = 0.07) were not statistically significantly different between groups. No patients required supplemental anesthesia. There were no surgical complications that could compromise the visual outcome. An equal number of patients in both groups preferred same type of anesthetic technique for the fellow eye cataract surgery (89.11% for the proparacaine group and 90.18% for the xylocaine group). No patients in either group had changes in vital parameters or required intravenous sedation. Conclusion: A single drop pre-operatively, of proparacaine hydrochloride was comparable to the intracameral supplementation of preservative free xylocaine for phacoemulsification in uncomplicated cataract surgery without compromising the visual outcome. However, we recommend individualizing the anesthetic technique according to the requirements of the surgeon. PMID:24014985

High prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

PubMed

Mabuchi, Fumihiko; Yoshimura, Kimio; Kashiwagi, Kenji; Shioe, Kunihiko; Yamagata, Zentaro; Kanba, Shigenobu; Iijima, Hiroyuki; Tsukahara, Shigeo

2008-01-01

To assess anxiety and depression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Multicenter prospective case-control study. Two hundred thirty patients with POAG and 230 sex-matched and age-matched reference subjects with no chronic ocular conditions except cataracts. Anxiety and depression were evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire, which consists of 2 subscales with ranges of 0 to 21, representing anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). The prevalence of POAG patients with anxiety (a score of more than 10 on the HADS-A) or depression (a score of more than 10 on the HADS-D) was compared with that in the reference subjects. The prevalence of patients with depression was compared between the POAG patients with and without current beta-blocker eye drops. The prevalence (13.0%) of POAG patients with anxiety was significantly higher (P=0.030) than in the reference subjects (7.0%). The prevalence (10.9%) of POAG patients with depression was significantly higher (P=0.026) than in the reference subjects (5.2%). Between the POAG patients with and without beta-blocker eye-drops, no significant difference (P=0.93) in the prevalence of depression was noted. POAG was related to anxiety and depression. No significant relationship between the use of beta-blocker eye-drops and depression was noted.

Risk factors for superficial surgical site infection after elective rectal cancer resection: a multivariate analysis of 8880 patients from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.

PubMed

Sutton, Elie; Miyagaki, Hiromichi; Bellini, Geoffrey; Shantha Kumara, H M C; Yan, Xiaohong; Howe, Brett; Feigel, Amanda; Whelan, Richard L

2017-01-01

Superficial surgical site infection (sSSI) is one of the most common complications after colorectal resection. The goal of this study was to determine the comorbidities and operative characteristics that place patients at risk for sSSI in patients who underwent rectal cancer resection. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried (via diagnosis and Current Procedural Terminology codes) for patients with rectal cancer who underwent elective resection between 2005 and 2012. Patients for whom data concerning 27 demographic factors, comorbidities, and operative characteristics were available were eligible. A univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to identify possible risk factors for sSSI. A total of 8880 patients met the entry criteria and were included. sSSIs were diagnosed in 861 (9.7%) patients. Univariate analysis found 14 patients statistically significant risk factors for sSSI. Multivariate analysis revealed the following risk factors: male gender, body mass index (BMI) >30, current smoking, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), American Society of Anesthesiologists III/IV, abdominoperineal resection (APR), stoma formation, open surgery (versus laparoscopic), and operative time >217 min. The greatest difference in sSSI rates was noted in patients with COPD (18.9 versus 9.5%). Of note, 54.2% of sSSIs was noted after hospital discharge. With regard to the timing of presentation, univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant delay in sSSI presentation in patients with the following factors and/or characteristics: BMI <30, previous radiation therapy (RT), APR, minimally invasive surgery, and stoma formation. Multivariate analysis suggested that only laparoscopic surgery (versus open) and preoperative RT were risk factors for delay. Rectal cancer resections are associated with a high incidence of sSSIs, over half of which are noted after discharge. Nine patient and operative characteristics, including smoking, BMI, COPD, APR, and open surgery were found to be significant risk factors for SSI on multivariate analysis. Furthermore, sSSI presentation in patients who had laparoscopic surgery and those who had preoperative RT is significantly delayed for unclear reasons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aging properties of Kodak type 101 emulsions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dohne, B.; Feldman, U.; Neupert, W.

1984-01-01

Aging tests for several batches of Kodak type 101 emulsion show that storage conditions significantly influence how well the film will maintain its sensitometric properties, with sensitivity and density increasing to a maximum during this period. Any further aging may result in higher fog levels and sensitivity loss. It is noted that storage in an environment free of photographically active compounds allows film property optimization, and that film batches with different sensitivities age differently. Emulsions with maximum 1700-A sensitivity are 2.5 times faster than those at the low end of the sensitivity scale. These sensitive emulsions exhibit significantly accelerated changes in aging properties. Their use in space applications requires careful consideration of time and temperature profiles, encouraging the use of less sensitive emulsions when the controllability of these factors is limited.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT GANGS? AN ANALYSIS OF CAPITAL AMONG LATINO AND ASIAN GANG MEMBERS

PubMed Central

PIH, KAY KEI-HO; DE LA ROSA, MARIO; RUGH, DOUGLAS; MAO, KUORAY

2009-01-01

Gang activity and membership were noted to be significantly related to financial rewards. As such, gang membership and gang activity should also be understood from an economic perspective. In this article, Pierre Bourdieu's framework of capital is used to analyze two separate samples of Latino and Asian gang members. Stark contrasts in socioeconomic backgrounds are recorded among the two samples of gang members, and gang membership and activities are also noticeably dissimilar. Accessibility to economic, cultural, and social capital is argued to affect gang membership and activities. The results suggest that the availability of legitimate and illegitimate capital greatly affects the trajectory and the length of gang involvement. Also, gangs provide significant material and social capital for the respondents of the study. PMID:19578563

Health care interprofessional education: encouraging technology, teamwork, and team performance.

PubMed

2014-04-01

It is critical to prepare nurses for future practice to work in teams by engaging students in interprofessional education (IPE) that fosters positive attitudes toward teamwork. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of computer-supported IPE on students’ attitudes and perceptions toward health care teamwork and team performance. A hybrid approach to IPE was used to provide students with an educational experience that combined the benefits of traditional face-to-face communication methodology with a computer-mediated platform that focused on reflection and team building. A statistically significant difference was found in students’ perceptions of team performance after engaging in computer-supported IPE. No statistically significant difference in students’ pretest–posttest composite attitude toward teamwork scores was noted; however, there was a positive trend toward improved scores.

Separate mechanisms for magnitude and order processing in the spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect: The strange case of musical note values.

PubMed

Prpic, Valter; Fumarola, Antonia; De Tommaso, Matteo; Luccio, Riccardo; Murgia, Mauro; Agostini, Tiziano

2016-08-01

The spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect is considered an evidence of the association between numbers and space, with faster left key-press responses to small numbers and faster right key-press responses to large numbers. We examined whether visually presented note values produce a SNARC-like effect. Differently from numbers, note values are represented as a decreasing left-to-right progression, allowing us to disambiguate the contribution of order and magnitude in determining the direction of the effect. Musicians with formal education performed a note value comparison in Experiment 1 (direct task), a line orientation judgment in Experiment 2 (indirect task), and a detection task in Experiment 3 (indirect task). When note values were task relevant (direct task), participants responded faster to large note values with the left key-press, and vice versa. Conversely, when note values were task irrelevant (indirect tasks), the direction of this association was reversed. This evidence suggests the existence of separate mechanisms underlying the SNARC effect. Namely, an Order-Related Mechanism (ORM) and a Magnitude-Related Mechanism (MRM) that are revealed by different task demands. Indeed, according to a new model we proposed, ordinal and magnitude related information appears to be preferentially involved in direct and indirect tasks, respectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): emerging trends and specifications for a virtual simulator.

PubMed

Schwaitzberg, Steven D; Dorozhkin, Denis; Sankaranarayanan, Ganesh; Matthes, Kai; Jones, Daniel B; De, Suvranu

2016-01-01

A virtual translumenal endoscopic surgical trainer (VTEST) is being developed to accelerate the development of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures and devices in a safe and risk-free environment. For a rapidly developing field such as NOTES, a needs analysis must be conducted regularly to discover emerging research trends and areas of potential high impact for a virtual simulator. This paper presents a survey-based study which follows a similar study conducted by this group in 2011 (Sankaranarayanan et al. in Surg Endosc 27:1607-1616, 2013). A 32-point questionnaire was distributed at the 2012 Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research annual meeting. These data were subsequently augmented by an identical online survey, targeted at the members of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and analyzed. Twenty-eight NOTES experts participated in the 2012 study. Cholecystectomy (CE) procedure remained the most commonly performed NOTES technique, with 18 positive responses (64%). In contrast to 2011, the popularity of the NOTES appendectomy (AE) was significantly lower, with only 2 (7%) instances (CE vs. AE, p < 0.001), while the number of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM, PE) cases had increased significantly, with 11 (39%) positive responses, respectively (PE vs. AE, p = 0.013). Strong preference toward hybrid rather than pure NOTES techniques (82 vs. 11%, p < 0.001) was also expressed. Other responses were similar to those in the 2011 study, with the VTEST™ utility in developing and testing new techniques and instruments ranked particularly high. Based on the results of this study, a decision was made to focus exclusively on the transvaginal hybrid NOTES cholecystectomy procedure, including both rigid and flexible scope techniques. The importance of developing a virtual NOTES simulator was reaffirmed, with POEM identified as a promising candidate for future simulator development.

Computer-based auditory phoneme discrimination training improves speech recognition in noise in experienced adult cochlear implant listeners.

PubMed

Schumann, Annette; Serman, Maja; Gefeller, Olaf; Hoppe, Ulrich

2015-03-01

Specific computer-based auditory training may be a useful completion in the rehabilitation process for cochlear implant (CI) listeners to achieve sufficient speech intelligibility. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a computerized, phoneme-discrimination training programme. The study employed a pretest-post-test design; participants were randomly assigned to the training or control group. Over a period of three weeks, the training group was instructed to train in phoneme discrimination via computer, twice a week. Sentence recognition in different noise conditions (moderate to difficult) was tested pre- and post-training, and six months after the training was completed. The control group was tested and retested within one month. Twenty-seven adult CI listeners who had been using cochlear implants for more than two years participated in the programme; 15 adults in the training group, 12 adults in the control group. Besides significant improvements for the trained phoneme-identification task, a generalized training effect was noted via significantly improved sentence recognition in moderate noise. No significant changes were noted in the difficult noise conditions. Improved performance was maintained over an extended period. Phoneme-discrimination training improves experienced CI listeners' speech perception in noise. Additional research is needed to optimize auditory training for individual benefit.

Preparing for fieldwork: Students' perceptions of their readiness to provide evidence-based practice.

PubMed

Evenson, Mary E

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceptions of their confidence to use research evidence to complete a client case analysis assignment in preparation for participation in fieldwork and future practice. A convenience sample of 42 entry-level occupational therapy Masters students, included 41 females and one male, ages 24 to 35. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. Students participated in a problem-based learning approach supported by educational technology. Measures included a pre- and post-semester confidence survey, a post-semester satisfaction survey, and an assignment rubric. Based on paired t-tests and Wilcoxin Signed Ranks Tests, statistically significant differences in pre- and post-test scores were noted for all 18 items on the confidence survey (p< 0.001). Significant increases in students' confidence were noted for verbal and written communication of descriptive, assessment, and intervention evidence, along with increased confidence to effectively use assessment evidence. Results suggest that problem-based learning methods were significantly associated with students' perceptions of their confidence to use research evidence to analyze a client case. These results cannot necessarily be generalized due to the limitations of using non-standardized measures with a convenience sample, without a control group, within the context of a single course as part of one academic program curriculum.

Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Regarding Cholera, Water Treatment, Hygiene, and Sanitation before and after an Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign—Haiti, 2013–2014

PubMed Central

Childs, Lana; François, Jeannot; Choudhury, Alina; Wannemuehler, Kathleen; Dismer, Amber; Hyde, Terri B.; Yen, Catherine Y.; Date, Kashmira A.; Juin, Stanley; Katz, Mark A.; Kantor, Erica Felker; Routh, Janell; Etheart, Melissa; Wright, Tracie; Adrien, Paul; Tohme, Rania A.

2016-01-01

In 2013, the Government of Haiti implemented its first oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign in Petite Anse, an urban setting, and Cerca Carvajal, a rural commune. We conducted and compared responses to two independent cross-sectional knowledge and practices household surveys pre- (N = 297) and post- (N = 302) OCV campaign in Petite Anse. No significant differences in knowledge about causes, symptoms, and prevention of cholera were noted. Compared with precampaign respondents, fewer postcampaign respondents reported treating (66% versus 27%, P < 0.001) and covering (96% versus 89%, P = 0.02) their drinking water. Compared with precampaign, postcampaign survey household observations showed increased availability of soap (16.2% versus 34.5%, P = 0.001) and handwashing stations (14.7% versus 30.1%, P = 0.01), but no significant changes in handwashing practices were reported. Although there was no change in knowledge, significant decreases in water treatment practices necessary for cholera and other diarrheal diseases prevention were noted in the postcampaign survey. Future OCV campaigns in Haiti should be used as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of maintaining good water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, and include a comprehensive, integrated approach for cholera control. PMID:27799642

Evaluation of Knowledge and Practices Regarding Cholera, Water Treatment, Hygiene, and Sanitation Before and After an Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign-Haiti, 2013-2014.

PubMed

Childs, Lana; François, Jeannot; Choudhury, Alina; Wannemuehler, Kathleen; Dismer, Amber; Hyde, Terri B; Yen, Catherine Y; Date, Kashmira A; Juin, Stanley; Katz, Mark A; Kantor, Erica Felker; Routh, Janell; Etheart, Melissa; Wright, Tracie; Adrien, Paul; Tohme, Rania A

2016-12-07

In 2013, the Government of Haiti implemented its first oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign in Petite Anse, an urban setting, and Cerca Carvajal, a rural commune. We conducted and compared responses to two independent cross-sectional knowledge and practices household surveys pre- (N = 297) and post- (N = 302) OCV campaign in Petite Anse. No significant differences in knowledge about causes, symptoms, and prevention of cholera were noted. Compared with precampaign respondents, fewer postcampaign respondents reported treating (66% versus 27%, P < 0.001) and covering (96% versus 89%, P = 0.02) their drinking water. Compared with precampaign, postcampaign survey household observations showed increased availability of soap (16.2% versus 34.5%, P = 0.001) and handwashing stations (14.7% versus 30.1%, P = 0.01), but no significant changes in handwashing practices were reported. Although there was no change in knowledge, significant decreases in water treatment practices necessary for cholera and other diarrheal diseases prevention were noted in the postcampaign survey. Future OCV campaigns in Haiti should be used as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of maintaining good water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, and include a comprehensive, integrated approach for cholera control. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Musical preferences and learning outcome of medical students in cadaver dissection laboratory: A Nigerian survey.

PubMed

Anyanwu, G E; Nto, J N; Agu, A U; Ekezie, J; Esom, E A

2016-11-01

Background music has been reported to enhance learning in the cadaver dissection laboratory. This study was designed to determine the impact of various forms of musical genre and some of their characteristics on students' learning outcome in the dissection laboratory. Some selected musical genre in vocal and non-vocal forms and at different tempi and volume were played as background music (BM) to 253 Medical and Dental students during various sessions of cadaver dissection. Psychological Stress assessment was done using Psychological stress measure-9. Participants love for music, preferred musical genre and other musical characteristics were assessed. The impact of the various musical genre and their characteristics on learning was done via written examination on the region dissected during each musical session. A positive relationship was noted between students' preference for musical genre during leisure with their preference for BM during private study time (P<0.01). Statistically significant differences (P<0.01) were established in the impacts of the selected musical genre on some selected learning factors. Country and Classical music gave the highest positive impact on the various learning factors in CDL followed by R&B. No significant difference was noted between the cognitive values of vocal and non-vocal music. Classical music most effectively reduced the stress induced by dissection in the CDL while Reggae and High life musical genre created a more stressful environment than regular background noise (P<0.01). Moderate volume level and Tempo were most preferred during both cadaver dissection activity and leisure hours. This study shows statistically significant differences in the cognitive values of some of the studied musical genre and their various characteristics. The inability to isolate the particular musical genre with these desired properties could account for the controversies in the reports of the role of music in academic environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparison of gait and pathology outcomes of three meniscal procedures for induction of knee osteoarthritis in sheep.

PubMed

Cake, M A; Read, R A; Corfield, G; Daniel, A; Burkhardt, D; Smith, M M; Little, C B

2013-01-01

Meniscectomy (MX) of sheep induces a well-established animal model of human osteoarthritis (OA). This study compared the clinical (lameness) and pathological outcomes of unilateral, complete medial MX vs two less traumatic and more easily performed meniscal destabilisation procedures. Four-year old wethers (n = 6/group) underwent sham operation, cranial pole release (CPR), mid-body transection (MBT) or total MX of the medial meniscus. Joints were assessed for gross pathology (cartilage erosion and osteophytes), histomorphometry, two histopathology scoring methods (modified Mankin-type and Pritzker score), and immunohistology for ADAMTS- and MMP-cleaved neoepitopes, at 12 weeks post-op. Ground reaction forces (GRFs) were determined by force plate in a subset (n = 4/group) at baseline, 2.5, 8, and 12 weeks post-op. Gross pathology scores of operated groups differed significantly from sham animals (P < 0.05) but not from each other, though qualitative differences were noted: CPR sheep developed more cranial and focal lesions, while MBT and MX joints showed more widespread lesions and osteophyte formation. Similarly, histopathology scores were significantly elevated vs sham but did not differ between operated groups at P < 0.05, except for a trend for lower tibial cartilage histopathology in MBT consistent with the immunohistologic pattern of reduced aggrecanase-cleavage neoepitope in that model. CPR sheep developed less femoral subchondral sclerosis, suggesting some residual biomechanical effect from the destabilised but intact meniscus. Few significant differences were noted between operated groups in force plate analyses, though gait abnormalities appeared to be least in CPR sheep, and most persistent (>12 weeks) in MBT animals. The well-validated ovine MX model and the simpler meniscal destabilisation procedures resulted in broadly similar joint pathology and lameness. Meniscal CPR or MBT, as easier and more clinically relevant procedures, may represent preferred models for the induction of OA and evaluation of potential disease-modifying therapies. Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Parental aptitude to prevent child sexual abuse after a participatory education intervention].

PubMed

Higareda-Almaraz, Martha Alicia; Higareda-Almaraz, Enrique; Higareda-Almaraz, Irma Reyna; Barrera-de León, Juan Carlos; Gómez-Llamas, Meynardo Alonso; Benites-Godínez, Verónica

2011-01-01

To evaluate the aptitude of parents regarding the educational impact of equity education for children to prevent child sexual abuse using participatory strategies. Quasi-experimental design. Ninety-two parents with children in preschool were included in the study. The parents were given a course using participatory educational strategies for one hour daily over a period of 20 days. Prior to the course, a group of experts in child education and sexology prepared a questionnaire with 20 sentences. A Wilcoxon test was used to compare intergroup differences We found statistically significant differences in the parents' responses before and after the educational intervention, with a median (range) of 10(2-12)/18(6-20), p<0.01. A significant change in aptitude was noted when parents attended classes using a participatory strategy to learn about the impact of educational equity for the prevention of child sexual abuse. Thus, it is imperative to continue evaluating different educational strategies.

Quantitation of (R)- and (S)-linalool in beer using solid phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with a stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA).

PubMed

Steinhaus, Martin; Fritsch, Helge T; Schieberle, Peter

2003-11-19

A stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA) was developed for the quantitation of both linalool enantiomers using synthesized [2H(2)]R/S-linalool as the internal standard. For enrichment of the target compound from beer, a solid phase microextraction method (SPME) was developed. In comparison to the more time-consuming extraction/distillation cleanup of the beer samples, the results obtained by SPME/SIDA were very similar, even under nonequilibration conditions. Analysis of five different types of beer showed significant differences in the linalool concentrations, which were clearly correlated with the intensity of the hoppy aroma note as evaluated by a sensory panel. In addition, significant differences in the R/S ratios were measured in the beers. The SPME/SIDA yielded exact data independently from headspace sampling parameters, such as exposure time or ionic strength of the solution.

Spin-orbit effects on the (119)Sn magnetic-shielding tensor in solids: a ZORA/DFT investigation.

PubMed

Alkan, Fahri; Holmes, Sean T; Iuliucci, Robbie J; Mueller, Karl T; Dybowski, Cecil

2016-07-28

Periodic-boundary and cluster calculations of the magnetic-shielding tensors of (119)Sn sites in various co-ordination and stereochemical environments are reported. The results indicate a significant difference between the predicted NMR chemical shifts for tin(ii) sites that exhibit stereochemically-active lone pairs and tin(iv) sites that do not have stereochemically-active lone pairs. The predicted magnetic shieldings determined either with the cluster model treated with the ZORA/Scalar Hamiltonian or with the GIPAW formalism are dependent on the oxidation state and the co-ordination geometry of the tin atom. The inclusion of relativistic effects at the spin-orbit level removes systematic differences in computed magnetic-shielding parameters between tin sites of differing stereochemistries, and brings computed NMR shielding parameters into significant agreement with experimentally-determined chemical-shift principal values. Slight improvement in agreement with experiment is noted in calculations using hybrid exchange-correlation functionals.

How clarinettists articulate: The effect of blowing pressure and tonguing on initial and final transients.

PubMed

Li, Weicong; Almeida, André; Smith, John; Wolfe, Joe

2016-02-01

Articulation, including initial and final note transients, is important to tasteful music performance. Clarinettists' tongue-reed contact, the time variation of the blowing pressure P¯mouth, the mouthpiece pressure, the pressure in the instrument bore, and the radiated sound were measured for normal articulation, accents, sforzando, staccato, and for minimal attack, i.e., notes started very softly. All attacks include a phase when the amplitude of the fundamental increases exponentially, with rates r ∼1000 dB s(-1) controlled by varying both the rate of increase in P¯mouth and the timing of tongue release during this increase. Accented and sforzando notes have shorter attacks (r∼1300 dB s(-1)) than normal notes. P¯mouth reaches a higher peak value for accented and sforzando notes, followed by a steady decrease for accented notes or a rapid fall to a lower, nearly steady value for sforzando notes. Staccato notes are usually terminated by tongue contact, producing an exponential decrease in sound pressure with rates similar to those calculated from the bandwidths of the bore resonances: ∼400 dB s(-1). In all other cases, notes are stopped by decreasing P¯mouth. Notes played with different dynamics are qualitatively similar, but louder notes have larger P¯mouth and larger r.

Handgun Legislation and Changes in Statewide Overall Suicide Rates.

PubMed

Anestis, Michael D; Anestis, Joye C; Butterworth, Sarah E

2017-04-01

To examine the extent to which 4 laws regulating handgun ownership were associated with statewide suicide rate changes. To test between-group differences in statewide suicide rate changes between 2013 and 2014 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with and without specific laws, we ran analyses of covariance. We found significant differences in suicide rate changes from 2013 to 2014 in states with mandatory waiting periods and universal background checks relative to states without such laws. States with both laws differed significantly from those with neither. No significant differences in rate changes were noted for open carry restrictions or gun lock requirements. Some state laws regulating aspects of handgun acquisition may be associated with lower statewide suicide rates. Laws regulating handgun storage and carrying practices may have a smaller effect, highlighting that legislation is likely most useful when its focus is on preventing gun ownership rather than regulating use and storage of guns already acquired. Public Health Implications. The findings add to the increasing evidence in support of a public health approach to the prevention of suicide via firearms, focusing on waiting periods and background checks.

Lung Tumors Treated With Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation: Computed Tomography Imaging Follow-Up

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

Palussiere, Jean, E-mail: palussiere@bergonie.org; Marcet, Benjamin; Descat, Edouard

2011-10-15

Purpose: To describe the morphologic evolution of lung tumors treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) by way of computed tomography (CT) images and to investigate patterns of incomplete RFA at the site of ablation. Materials and Methods: One hundred eighty-nine patients with 350 lung tumors treated with RFA underwent CT imaging at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months. CT findings were interpreted separately by two reviewers with consensus. Five different radiologic patterns were predefined: fibrosis, cavitation, nodule, atelectasis, and disappearance. The appearance of the treated area was evaluated at each follow-up CT using the predefined patterns. Results: At 1 year aftermore » treatment, the most common evolutions were fibrosis (50.5%) or nodules (44.8%). Differences were noted depending on the initial size of the tumor, with fibrosis occurring more frequently for tumors <2 cm (58.6% vs. 22.9%, P = 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5}). Cavitation and atelectasis were less frequent patterns (2.4% and 1.4%, respectively, at 1 year). Tumor location (intraparenchymatous, with pleural contact <50% or >50%) was not significantly correlated with follow-up image pattern. Local tumor progressions were observed with each type of evolution. At 1 year, 12 local recurrences were noted: 2 cavitations, which represented 40% of the cavitations noted at 1 year; 2 fibroses (1.9%); 7 nodules (7.4%); and 1 atelectasis (33.3%). Conclusion: After RFA of lung tumors, follow-up CT scans show that the shape of the treatment zone can evolve in five different patterns. None of these patterns, however, can confirm the absence of further local tumor progression at subsequent follow-up.« less

QNOTE: an instrument for measuring the quality of EHR clinical notes.

PubMed

Burke, Harry B; Hoang, Albert; Becher, Dorothy; Fontelo, Paul; Liu, Fang; Stephens, Mark; Pangaro, Louis N; Sessums, Laura L; O'Malley, Patrick; Baxi, Nancy S; Bunt, Christopher W; Capaldi, Vincent F; Chen, Julie M; Cooper, Barbara A; Djuric, David A; Hodge, Joshua A; Kane, Shawn; Magee, Charles; Makary, Zizette R; Mallory, Renee M; Miller, Thomas; Saperstein, Adam; Servey, Jessica; Gimbel, Ronald W

2014-01-01

The outpatient clinical note documents the clinician's information collection, problem assessment, and patient management, yet there is currently no validated instrument to measure the quality of the electronic clinical note. This study evaluated the validity of the QNOTE instrument, which assesses 12 elements in the clinical note, for measuring the quality of clinical notes. It also compared its performance with a global instrument that assesses the clinical note as a whole. Retrospective multicenter blinded study of the clinical notes of 100 outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had been seen in clinic on at least three occasions. The 300 notes were rated by eight general internal medicine and eight family medicine practicing physicians. The QNOTE instrument scored the quality of the note as the sum of a set of 12 note element scores, and its inter-rater agreement was measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient. The Global instrument scored the note in its entirety, and its inter-rater agreement was measured by the Fleiss κ. The overall QNOTE inter-rater agreement was 0.82 (CI 0.80 to 0.84), and its note quality score was 65 (CI 64 to 66). The Global inter-rater agreement was 0.24 (CI 0.19 to 0.29), and its note quality score was 52 (CI 49 to 55). The QNOTE quality scores were consistent, and the overall QNOTE score was significantly higher than the overall Global score (p=0.04). We found the QNOTE to be a valid instrument for evaluating the quality of electronic clinical notes, and its performance was superior to that of the Global instrument. 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.

Shorter dialysis session length was not associated with lower mental health and physical functioning in elderly hemodialysis patients: Results from the Japan Dialysis Outcome and Practice Patterns Study (J-DOPPS)

PubMed Central

Kimachi, Miho; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Onishi, Yoshihiro; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2017-01-01

Background Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is often prioritized over long-term survival in elderly patients. Although a longer dialysis session length (DSL) has been shown to reduce mortality, its effects on improving the HRQOL are unknown. Methods Using data from the Japan Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (J-DOPPS), patients aged ≥ 65 years on maintenance hemodialysis were enrolled. DSL was categorized as short (<210 minutes), medium (210–240 minutes), or long (>240 minutes). The primary outcomes were changes in mental health (ΔMH) and physical functioning (ΔPF) scores assessed using the Japanese version of SF-12, in one year. The differences in the ΔMH and ΔPF among the three groups were assessed via regression (beta) coefficients derived using a linear regression model. Results Of 1,187 patients at baseline, 319 (26.9%) had a short length, 686 (57.8%) a medium length, and 182 (15.3%) a long length. We assessed the ΔMH data from 793 patients and the ΔPF data from 738. No significant differences in the ΔMH were noted for the short or long groups compared with the medium group (score difference: 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.17 to 4.69 for short; score difference: -1.15, 95% CI: -6.17 to 3.86 for long). Similarly, no significant differences were noted for these groups versus the medium group in ΔPF either (score difference: -1.43, 95% CI: -6.73 to 3.87 for short; score difference: -1.71, 95% CI: -7.63 to 4.22 for long). Conclusions A shorter DSL might have no adverse effects on MH or PF for elderly patients. PMID:28877202

The STAR score: a method for auditing clinical records

PubMed Central

Tuffaha, H

2012-01-01

INTRODUCTION Adequate medical note keeping is critical in delivering high quality healthcare. However, there are few robust tools available for the auditing of notes. The aim of this paper was to describe the design, validation and implementation of a novel scoring tool to objectively assess surgical notes. METHODS An initial ‘path finding’ study was performed to evaluate the quality of note keeping using the CRABEL scoring tool. The findings prompted the development of the Surgical Tool for Auditing Records (STAR) as an alternative. STAR was validated using inter-rater reliability analysis. An audit cycle of surgical notes using STAR was performed. The results were analysed and a structured form for the completion of surgical notes was introduced to see if the quality improved in the next audit cycle using STAR. An education exercise was conducted and all participants said the exercise would change their practice, with 25% implementing major changes. RESULTS Statistical analysis of STAR showed that it is reliable (Cronbach’s a = 0.959). On completing the audit cycle, there was an overall increase in the STAR score from 83.344% to 97.675% (p<0.001) with significant improvements in the documentation of the initial clerking from 59.0% to 96.5% (p<0.001) and subsequent entries from 78.4% to 96.1% (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The authors believe in the value of STAR as an effective, reliable and reproducible tool. Coupled with the application of structured forms to note keeping, it can significantly improve the quality of surgical documentation and can be implemented universally. PMID:22613300

Coronary vasodilation by the use of sublingual nitroglycerin using 64-slice dual-source coronary computed tomography angiography.

PubMed

Okada, Munemasa; Nakashima, Yoshiteru; Nomura, Takafumi; Miura, Toshiro; Nao, Tomoko; Yoshimura, Masayuki; Sano, Yuichi; Matsunaga, Naofumi

2015-03-01

Sublingual nitroglycerin capsules or spray is routinely used to treat anginal attacks and to maximally dilate the epicardial coronary arteries during coronary angiography. These dilated coronary vessels have an advantage, but increased heart rates were disadvantageous for coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA). The influence of applying nitroglycerin was analyzed regarding the coronary diameter, coronary luminal attenuation, evaluable number of coronary segments, heart rate (HR), HR variability, the optimal reconstruction phase, and image scoring of CTA in the same patients using a 64-slice dual-source CT. Fifty-two patients with atypical chest pain underwent coronary CTA before and after the administration of sublingual nitroglycerin without heart rate control. The coronary diameter and luminal attenuation were measured on short-axial images in each coronary segment. The coronary vasodilation ratios (VRs) were calculated from the coronary diameters at the same location before and after the use of nitroglycerin. The local institutional review board approved this study and written informed consent was obtained from all the patients. No significant differences were noted in the HR variability or optimal reconstruction phase, despite an increase in HR after the use of nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin significantly enlarged the coronary artery diameter, and VRs of each coronary segment ranged from 7.54% to 22.26%. As compared with baseline coronary diameter, VRs of minor segments (16.91%) were significantly larger than those of major segments (11.35%), and the magnitude of VR correlated with the baseline coronary diameter (r=-0.48, p<0.001). Coronary luminal attenuation significantly increased due to additional administration of contrast material after the use of nitroglycerin (p<0.01), but no significant difference was noted in the image quality after the use of nitroglycerin. Sublingual nitroglycerin significantly enlarged the coronary diameters, especially in peripheral small coronary arteries, and increased the evaluable number of coronary segments on coronary CTA. Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sports Activity After Reconstruction of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus With Autologous Spongiosa Grafts and Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis.

PubMed

Wiewiorski, Martin; Werner, Lorenzo; Paul, Jochen; Anderson, Andrew E; Barg, Alexej; Valderrabano, Victor

2016-10-01

For the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus (OCLTs), autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) is a safe 1-step procedure with good clinical and radiological results. However, data regarding postoperative sports activity after AMIC are limited. To identify significant factors influencing the rate of postoperative sports and recreational activities. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. The sports and recreational activities of 60 patients (mean age, 34.9 ± 11.5 years) undergoing the AMIC procedure were retrospectively analyzed at a mean of 46.9 ± 17.8 months (range, 24.5-87.0 months) postoperatively. The visual analog scale (VAS) for pain score, Tegner activity scale score, activity rating scale (ARS) score, and satisfaction with surgery outcomes were assessed. Corrective calcaneal osteotomy was performed in 38 of 60 (63.3%) patients. Ligament repair was performed in 41 of 60 (68.3%) patients. The mean VAS score improved significantly from 6.9 ± 1.6 points (range, 5-10 points) preoperatively to 2.3 ± 1.9 points (range, 0-6 points) at latest follow-up (P < .001). No significant change in the mean Tegner activity scale score (3.3 ± 2.0 preoperatively to 3.4 ± 2.2 postoperatively; P = .526) and the mean ARS score (2.6 ± 4.3 preoperatively to 2.3 ± 3.4 postoperatively; P = .874) was noted. The percentage of patients involved in sports activity before the onset of symptoms became significantly lower at the time of surgery (from 95.0% to 53.3%; P < .001); no significant difference was noted postoperatively (from 53.3% to 58.3%; P = .663). No significant difference of the weekly sports frequency and the duration of sports activity was found postoperatively. Patients undergoing AMIC repair of an OCLT participate at a similar low postoperative sports and recreational activity level compared with the preoperative level. © 2016 The Author(s).

Dynamic cycling in atrial size and flow during obstructive apnoea.

PubMed

Pressman, Gregg S; Cepeda-Valery, Beatriz; Codolosa, Nicolas; Orban, Marek; Samuel, Solomon P; Somers, Virend K

2016-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. However, acute cardiovascular effects of repetitive airway obstruction are poorly understood. While past research used a sustained Mueller manoeuver to simulate OSA we employed a series of gasping efforts to better simulate true obstructive apnoeas. This report describes acute changes in cardiac anatomy and flow related to sudden changes in intrathoracic pressure. 26 healthy, normal weight participants performed 5-6 gasping efforts (target intrathoracic pressure -40 mm Hg) while undergoing Doppler echocardiography. 14 participants had sufficient echocardiographic images to allow comparison of atrial areas during the manoeuver with baseline measurements. Mitral and tricuspid E-wave and A-wave velocities postmanoeuver were compared with baseline in all participants. Average atrial areas changed little during the manoeuver, but variance in both atrial areas was significantly greater than baseline. Further, an inverse relationship was noted with left atrial collapse and right atrial enlargement at onset of inspiratory effort. Significant inverse changes were noted in Doppler flow when comparing the first beat postmanoeuver (pMM1) with baseline. Mitral E-wave velocity increased 9.1 cm/s while tricuspid E-wave velocity decreased 7.0 cm/s; by the eighth beat postmanoeuver (pMM8) values were not different from baseline. Mitral and tricuspid A-wave velocities were not different from baseline at pMM1, but both were significantly higher by pMM8. Repetitive obstructive apnoeas produce dynamic, inverse changes in atrial size and Doppler flow across the atrioventricular valves. These observations have important implications for understanding the pathophysiology of OSA.

Measurement of Impact Acceleration: Mouthpiece Accelerometer Versus Helmet Accelerometer

PubMed Central

Higgins, Michael; Halstead, P. David; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn; Barlow, David

2007-01-01

Context: Instrumented helmets have been used to estimate impact acceleration imparted to the head during helmet impacts. These instrumented helmets may not accurately measure the actual amount of acceleration experienced by the head due to factors such as helmet-to-head fit. Objective: To determine if an accelerometer attached to a mouthpiece (MP) provides a more accurate representation of headform center of gravity (HFCOG) acceleration during impact than does an accelerometer attached to a helmet fitted on the headform. Design: Single-factor research design in which the independent variable was accelerometer position (HFCOG, helmet, MP) and the dependent variables were g and Severity Index (SI). Setting: Independent impact research laboratory. Intervention(s): The helmeted headform was dropped (n = 168) using a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) drop system from the standard heights and impact sites according to NOCSAE test standards. Peak g and SI were measured for each accelerometer position during impact. Main Outcome Measures: Upon impact, the peak g and SI were recorded for each accelerometer location. Results: Strong relationships were noted for HFCOG and MP measures, and significant differences were seen between HFCOG and helmet g measures and HFCOG and helmet SI measures. No statistically significant differences were noted between HFCOG and MP g and SI measures. Regression analyses showed a significant relationship between HFCOG and MP measures but not between HFCOG and helmet measures. Conclusions: Upon impact, MP acceleration (g) and SI measurements were closely related to and more accurate in measuring HFCOG g and SI than helmet measurements. The MP accelerometer is a valid method for measuring head acceleration. PMID:17597937

Urinary retention: benefit of gradual bladder decompression - myth or truth? A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Boettcher, S; Brandt, A S; Roth, S; Mathers, M J; Lazica, D A

2013-01-01

Urinary retention is a common emergency requiring immediate catheterization. Gradual decompression (GD) of the extended bladder is believed to minimize the risk of complications such as bleeding or circulatory collapse, but to date it has not been compared with rapid decompression (RD) in controlled trials. Male patients presenting with urinary retention (n = 294) were randomized to rapid or gradual catheterization. For the latter, the transurethral catheter was clamped for 5 min after every 200-ml outflow until the bladder was completely empty. Patients were monitored for at least 30 min thereafter with regular checks of vital signs and presence of macroscopic hematuria. Of 294 patients, 142 (48.3%) were randomized to the GD and 152 (51.7%) to the RD group. Both groups showed no statistically significant difference with regard to age, anticoagulation treatment, catheter size and material, or volume retained. Hematuria occurred in 16 (11.3%) of the GD and 16 (10.5%) of the RD group; 6 patients in the former and 4 in the latter required further treatment. No circulatory collapse occurred. We noted a decrease in the previously raised blood pressure and heart rate in both groups, although without clinical significance. In this first randomized trial, no statistically significant difference was noted between gradual and rapid emptying of the bladder for urinary retention. Gradual emptying did not reduce the risk of hematuria or circulatory collapse. Therefore, there is no need to prefer gradual over rapid emptying, which is both easy and safe. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Safety of concomitant cholecystectomy at the time of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.

PubMed

Dakour-Aridi, Hanaa N; El-Rayess, Hebah M; Abou-Abbass, Hussein; Abu-Gheida, Ibrahim; Habib, Robert H; Safadi, Bassem Y

2017-06-01

The indication and safety of concomitant cholecystectomy (CC) during bariatric surgical procedures are topics of controversy. Studies on the outcomes of CC with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) are scarce. To assess the safety and 30-day surgical outcomes of CC with LSG. A retrospective analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database 2010 to 2013. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used. Between 2010 and 2013, 21,137 patients underwent LSG; of those 422 (2.0%) underwent CC (LSG+CC), and the majority (20,715 [98%]) underwent LSG alone. Patients in both groups were similar in age, sex distribution, baseline weight, and body mass index. The average surgical time was significantly higher, by 33 minutes, in the LSG+CC cohort. No differences were noted between the groups with regard to overall 30-day mortality and length of hospital stay. CC increased the odds of any adverse event (5.7% versus 4.0%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio 1.49, P = .07). Two complications were noted to be significantly higher with LSG+CC, namely bleeding (P = .04) and pneumonia (P = .02). CC during LSG appears to be a safe procedure with slightly increased risk of bleeding and pneumonia compared with LSG alone. When factoring the potential risk and cost of further hospitalization for deferred cholecystectomy, these data support CC for established gallbladder disease. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Evaluation of eye patching after cataract surgery in topical anesthesia].

PubMed

Mayer, S; Wirbelauer, C; Häberle, H; Altmeyer, M; Pham, D T

2005-01-01

Although postoperative eye patching is a common practice its background is not well known. Therefore the necessity of eye patching after cataract surgery in topical anesthesia from the medical point of view and the patients' subjective opinion was studied. In this prospective and randomized study 133 patients received after cataract surgery either no covering of the eye (group1), a transparent eye shield for four hours (group 2), an eye pad for four hours (group 3) or an eye pad until the next morning (group 4). Clinical findings were noted and local symptoms, such as pain, foreign body sensation, tearing and photophobia were documented on a visual analogue scale (0 - 10). Furthermore, a questionnaire concerning the subjective opinion was handed out to the patient. The clinical findings revealed no significant differences between the groups. The mean values for local pain were 0.94 +/- 1.56, for the foreign body sensation 1.41 +/- 2.02, for tearing 0.99 +/- 1.8 and for photophobia 1.05 +/- 1.99. Comparing the groups there was significantly more pain and foreign body sensation reported by the patients in group 3, who received eye patching for 4 hours. 91 % of the unpatched patients had no discomfort, whereas 53 % of the patients wearing an eye pad until the next morning considered it as unnecessary. After cataract surgery in topical anesthesia only mild symptoms were noted. There were no significant differences between the groups in the objective clinical findings and the subjective feeling. These results indicate that after cataract surgery eye patching could be unnecessary.

Health-Related Quality of Life among Children and Adolescents during Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recovery.

PubMed

Rodgers, Cheryl; Wills-Bagnato, Patricia; Sloane, Richard; Hockenberry, Marilyn

2015-01-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been noted to fluctuate among children during hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recovery; however, the specific timing and associations of these changes are poorly understood. This repeated-measures study aimed to describe HRQoL changes among children and adolescents during the first 6 months of HSCT recovery and estimate the associations of demographic factors, diagnosis, transplant information, and symptoms with HRQoL. Twenty-three children and adolescents who received an allogeneic HSCT were recruited from a pediatric teaching institution in the southern United States. Demographic, diagnosis, and transplant information was obtained from the medical record. The Memorial Symptom Assessment questionnaire and the Peds Quality of Life Cancer Module (PedsQL CM) were completed at 1 month post-HSCT and then once monthly for 5 additional months. Mean HRQoL scores fluctuated during the study with the lowest mean HRQoL noted at 1 month post-HSCT and the highest mean HRQoL noted at 4 months post-HSCT. No significant differences in HRQoL scores were noted among demographic, diagnosis, or transplant factors. Feeling tired, sad, or worried or having insomnia at 1 month post-HSCT was negatively correlated to HRQoL. Nurses have opportunities to explore important issues with patients and need to be aware of fluctuations with HRQoL and factors associated with lower HRQoL during HSCT recovery. © 2015 by Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses.

Impact of a Paper vs Virtual Simulated Patient Case on Student-Perceived Confidence and Engagement

PubMed Central

Gallimore, Casey E.; Pitterle, Michael; Morrill, Josh

2016-01-01

Objective. To evaluate online case simulation vs a paper case on student confidence and engagement. Design. Students enrolled in a pharmacotherapy laboratory course completed a patient case scenario as a component of an osteoarthritis laboratory module. Two laboratory sections used a paper case (n=53); three sections used an online virtual case simulation (n=81). Student module performance was assessed through a submitted subjective objective assessment plan (SOAP) note. Students completed pre/post surveys to measure self-perceived confidence in providing medication management. The simulation group completed postmodule questions related to realism and engagement of the online virtual case simulation. Group assessments were performed using chi-square and Mann Whitney tests. Assessment. A significant increase in all 13 confidence items was seen in both student groups following completion of the laboratory module. The simulation group had an increased change of confidence compared to the paper group in assessing medication efficacy and documenting a thorough assessment. Comparing the online virtual simulation to a paper case, students agreed the learning experience increased interest, enjoyment, relevance, and realism. The simulation group performed better on the subjective SOAP note domain though no differences in total SOAP note scores was found between the two groups. Conclusion. Virtual case simulations result in increased student engagement and may lead to improved documentation performance in the subjective domain of SOAP notes. However, virtual patient cases may offer limited benefit over paper cases in improving overall student self-confidence to provide medication management. PMID:26941442

Impact of a Paper vs Virtual Simulated Patient Case on Student-Perceived Confidence and Engagement.

PubMed

Barnett, Susanne G; Gallimore, Casey E; Pitterle, Michael; Morrill, Josh

2016-02-25

To evaluate online case simulation vs a paper case on student confidence and engagement. Students enrolled in a pharmacotherapy laboratory course completed a patient case scenario as a component of an osteoarthritis laboratory module. Two laboratory sections used a paper case (n=53); three sections used an online virtual case simulation (n=81). Student module performance was assessed through a submitted subjective objective assessment plan (SOAP) note. Students completed pre/post surveys to measure self-perceived confidence in providing medication management. The simulation group completed postmodule questions related to realism and engagement of the online virtual case simulation. Group assessments were performed using chi-square and Mann Whitney tests. A significant increase in all 13 confidence items was seen in both student groups following completion of the laboratory module. The simulation group had an increased change of confidence compared to the paper group in assessing medication efficacy and documenting a thorough assessment. Comparing the online virtual simulation to a paper case, students agreed the learning experience increased interest, enjoyment, relevance, and realism. The simulation group performed better on the subjective SOAP note domain though no differences in total SOAP note scores was found between the two groups. Virtual case simulations result in increased student engagement and may lead to improved documentation performance in the subjective domain of SOAP notes. However, virtual patient cases may offer limited benefit over paper cases in improving overall student self-confidence to provide medication management.

Reliability of Vibrating Mesh Technology.

PubMed

Gowda, Ashwin A; Cuccia, Ann D; Smaldone, Gerald C

2017-01-01

For delivery of inhaled aerosols, vibrating mesh systems are more efficient than jet nebulizers are and do not require added gas flow. We assessed the reliability of a vibrating mesh nebulizer (Aerogen Solo, Aerogen Ltd, Galway Ireland) suitable for use in mechanical ventilation. An initial observational study was performed with 6 nebulizers to determine run time and efficiency using normal saline and distilled water. Nebulizers were run until cessation of aerosol production was noted, with residual volume and run time recorded. Three controllers were used to assess the impact of the controller on nebulizer function. Following the observational study, a more detailed experimental protocol was performed using 20 nebulizers. For this analysis, 2 controllers were used, and time to cessation of aerosol production was noted. Gravimetric techniques were used to measure residual volume. Total nebulization time and residual volume were recorded. Failure was defined as premature cessation of aerosol production represented by residual volume of > 10% of the nebulizer charge. In the initial observational protocol, an unexpected sporadic failure rate was noted of 25% in 55 experimental runs. In the experimental protocol, a failure rate was noted of 30% in 40 experimental runs. Failed runs in the experimental protocol exhibited a wide range of retained volume averaging ± SD 36 ± 21.3% compared with 3.2 ± 1.5% (P = .001) in successful runs. Small but significant differences existed in nebulization time between controllers. Aerogen Solo nebulization was often randomly interrupted with a wide range of retained volumes. Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Between-session intra-individual variability in sustained, selective, and integrational non-linguistic attention in aphasia.

PubMed

Villard, Sarah; Kiran, Swathi

2015-01-01

A number of studies have identified impairments in one or more types/aspects of attention processing in patients with aphasia (PWA) relative to healthy controls; person-to-person variability in performance on attention tasks within the PWA group has also been noted. Studies using non-linguistic stimuli have found evidence that attention is impaired in this population even in the absence of language processing demands. An underlying impairment in non-linguistic, or domain-general, attention processing could have implications for the ability of PWA to attend during therapy sessions, which in turn could impact long-term treatment outcomes. With this in mind, this study aimed to systematically examine the effect of task complexity on reaction time (RT) during a non-linguistic attention task, in both PWA and controls. Additional goals were to assess the effect of task complexity on between-session intra-individual variability (BS-IIV) in RT and to examine inter-individual differences in BS-IIV. Eighteen PWA and five age-matched neurologically healthy controls each completed a novel computerized non-linguistic attention task measuring five types of attention on each of four different non-consecutive days. A significant effect of task complexity on both RT and BS-IIV in RT was found for the PWA group, whereas the control group showed a significant effect of task complexity on RT but not on BS-IIV in RT. Finally, in addition to these group-level findings, it was noted that different patients exhibited different patterns of BS-IIV, indicating the existence of inter-individual variability in BS-IIV within the PWA group. Results may have implications for session-to-session fluctuations in attention during language testing and therapy for PWA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of private versus academic practice for general surgeons: a guide for medical students and residents.

PubMed

Schroen, Anneke T; Brownstein, Michelle R; Sheldon, George F

2003-12-01

Medical students and residents often make specialty and practice choices with limited exposure to aspects of professional and personal life in general surgery. The purpose of this study was to portray practice composition, career choices, professional experiences, job satisfaction, and personal life characteristics specific to practicing general surgeons in the United States. A 131-question survey was mailed to all female members (n = 1,076) and a random 2:1 sample of male members (n = 2,152) of the American College of Surgeons in three mailings between September 1998 and March 1999. Respondents who were not actively practicing general surgery in the United States and both trainees and surgeons who did not fit the definition of private or academic practice were excluded. Detailed questions regarding practice attributes, surgical training, professional choices, harassment, malpractice, career satisfaction, and personal life characteristics were included. Separate five-point Likert scales were designed to measure influences on career choices and satisfaction with professional and personal matters. Univariate analyses were used to analyze responses by surgeon age, gender, and practice type. A response rate of 57% resulted in 1,532 eligible responses. Significant differences between private and academic practice were noted in case composition, practice structure, and income potential; no major differences were seen in malpractice experience. Propensity for marriage and parenthood differed significantly between men and women surgeons. Overall career satisfaction was very high regardless of practice type. Some differences by surgeon gender in perceptions of equal career advancement opportunities and of professional isolation were noted. This study offers a comprehensive view of general surgery to enable more informed decisions among medical students and residents regarding specialty choice or practice opportunities.

A 3-dimensional anthropometric evaluation of facial morphology among Chinese and Greek population.

PubMed

Liu, Yun; Kau, Chung How; Pan, Feng; Zhou, Hong; Zhang, Qiang; Zacharopoulos, Georgios Vasileiou

2013-07-01

The use of 3-dimensional (3D) facial imaging has taken greater importance as orthodontists use the soft tissue paradigm in the evaluation of skeletal disproportion. Studies have shown that faces defer in populations. To date, no anthropometric evaluations have been made of Chinese and Greek faces. The aim of this study was to compare facial morphologies of Greeks and Chinese using 3D facial anthropometric landmarks. Three-dimensional facial images were acquired via a commercially available stereophotogrammetric camera capture system. The 3dMD face system captured 245 subjects from 2 population groups (Chinese [n = 72] and Greek [n = 173]), and each population was categorized into male and female groups for evaluation. All subjects in the group were between 18 and 30 years old and had no apparent facial anomalies. Twenty-five anthropometric landmarks were identified on the 3D faces of each subject. Soft tissue nasion was set as the "zeroed" reference landmark. Twenty landmark distances were constructed and evaluated within 3 dimensions of space. Six angles, 4 proportions, and 1 construct were also calculated. Student t test was used to analyze each data set obtained within each subgroup. Distinct facial differences were noted between the subgroups evaluated. When comparing differences of sexes in 2 populations (eg, male Greeks and male Chinese), significant differences were noted in more than 80% of the landmark distances calculated. One hundred percent of the angular were significant, and the Chinese were broader in width to height facial proportions. In evaluating the lips to the esthetic line, the Chinese population had more protrusive lips. There are differences in the facial morphologies of subjects obtained from a Chinese population versus that of a Greek population.

Do attitudes toward exercise vary with differences in mobility and disability status? - a study among low-income seniors.

PubMed

Bean, Jonathan F; Bailey, Allison; Kiely, Dan K; Leveille, Suzanne G

2007-08-15

To examine attitudes toward exercise among a vulnerable aged population characterized by low socioeconomic status, poor functional status and lack of available therapeutic exercise resources. This cross-sectional survey among public low-income housing residents (n = 94), aged > 70 years utilizes these assessments: Physician-based Assessment & Counseling for Exercise (PACE) scale, exercise self-efficacy score, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales. Readiness to exercise differed significantly (p < 0.001) across physical performance levels, and ADL and IADL groups. Exercise self-efficacy also differed significantly (p < 0.001) across performance levels. The highest performance level (score 7 - 12) had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher self-efficacy score (x=7.0+/-2.8) than the medium performance level (score 4 - 6) (x=5.3+/-2.8) and the lowest performance level (0 - 3) (x=4.3+/-2.5) groups. Exercise self-efficacy also differed significantly (p < 0.001) across ADL and IADL groups. However, interest in home-based or class-based exercise participation was high among all groups. More than 70% of subjects reported interest with no significant difference noted among groups. Attitudes toward exercise are significantly associated with observed physical function and self-reported disability among vulnerable older adults living in public low-income housing.

Prevalence and factor association of premature ejaculation among adult Asian males with lower urinary tract symptoms

PubMed Central

Silangcruz, Jan Michael A.; Chua, Michael E.; Morales, Marcelino L.

2015-01-01

Purpose To determine the prevalence of premature ejaculation (PE) among adult Asian males presented with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and characterize its association with other clinical factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary medical center to determine the prevalence of PE among adult male participants with LUTS during the Annual National Prostate Health Awareness Day. Basic demographic data of the participants were collected. All participants were assessed for the presence and severity of LUTS using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and for the presence of PE using the PE diagnostic tool. Digital rectal examination was performed by urologists to obtain prostate size. LUTS was further categorized into severity, storage symptoms (frequency, urgency, and nocturia), and voiding symptoms (weak stream, intermittency, straining, and incomplete emptying) to determine their association with PE. Data were analyzed by comparing the participants with PE (PE diagnostic tool score ≥11) versus those without PE, using the independent t test for continuous data, Mann–Whitney U test for ordinal data, and Chi-square test for nominal data. The statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results A total of 101 male participants with a mean ± standard deviation age of 60.75 ± 10.32 years were included. Among the participants, 33% had moderate LUTS, and 7% severe LUTS. The most common LUTS was nocturia (33%). The overall prevalence of PE was 27%. There was no significant difference among participants with PE versus those without PE in terms of age, marital status, prostate size, or total IPSS score. However, significant difference between groups was noted on the level of education (Mann–Whitney U, z = −1.993, P = 0.046) where high educational status was noted among participants with PE. Likewise, participants with PE were noted to have more prominent weak stream (Mann–Whitney U, z = −2.126, P = 0.033). Conclusions Among the participants consulted with LUTS, 27% have concomitant PE. Educational status seems to have an impact in the self-reporting of PE, which may be due to a higher awareness of participants with higher educational attainment. A significant association between PE and weak stream that was not related to prostate size suggests a neuropathologic association. PMID:26157771

Prevalence and factor association of premature ejaculation among adult Asian males with lower urinary tract symptoms.

PubMed

Silangcruz, Jan Michael A; Chua, Michael E; Morales, Marcelino L

2015-06-01

To determine the prevalence of premature ejaculation (PE) among adult Asian males presented with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and characterize its association with other clinical factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary medical center to determine the prevalence of PE among adult male participants with LUTS during the Annual National Prostate Health Awareness Day. Basic demographic data of the participants were collected. All participants were assessed for the presence and severity of LUTS using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and for the presence of PE using the PE diagnostic tool. Digital rectal examination was performed by urologists to obtain prostate size. LUTS was further categorized into severity, storage symptoms (frequency, urgency, and nocturia), and voiding symptoms (weak stream, intermittency, straining, and incomplete emptying) to determine their association with PE. Data were analyzed by comparing the participants with PE (PE diagnostic tool score ≥11) versus those without PE, using the independent t test for continuous data, Mann-Whitney U test for ordinal data, and Chi-square test for nominal data. The statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. A total of 101 male participants with a mean ± standard deviation age of 60.75 ± 10.32 years were included. Among the participants, 33% had moderate LUTS, and 7% severe LUTS. The most common LUTS was nocturia (33%). The overall prevalence of PE was 27%. There was no significant difference among participants with PE versus those without PE in terms of age, marital status, prostate size, or total IPSS score. However, significant difference between groups was noted on the level of education (Mann-Whitney U, z = -1.993, P = 0.046) where high educational status was noted among participants with PE. Likewise, participants with PE were noted to have more prominent weak stream (Mann-Whitney U, z = -2.126, P = 0.033). Among the participants consulted with LUTS, 27% have concomitant PE. Educational status seems to have an impact in the self-reporting of PE, which may be due to a higher awareness of participants with higher educational attainment. A significant association between PE and weak stream that was not related to prostate size suggests a neuropathologic association.

Comparative cardiopulmonary effects of carfentanil-xylazine and medetomidine-ketamine used for immobilization of mule deer and mule deer/white-tailed deer hybrids.

PubMed Central

Caulkett, N A; Cribb, P H; Haigh, J C

2000-01-01

Three mule deer and 4 mule deer/white-tailed deer hybrids were immobilized in a crossover study with carfentanil (10 microg/kg) + xylazine (0.3 mg/kg) (CX), and medetomidine (100 microg/kg) + ketamine (2.5 mg/kg) (MK). The deer were maintained in left lateral recumbency for 1 h with each combination. Deer were immobilized with MK in 230+/-68 s (mean +/- SD) and with CX in 282+/-83 seconds. Systolic, mean and diastolic arterial pressure were significantly higher with MK. Heart rate, PaO2, PaCO2, pH, and base excess were not significantly different between treatments. Base excess and pH increased significantly over time with both treatments. Both treatments produced hypoventilation (PaCO2 > 50 mm Hg) and hypoxemia (PaO2 < 60 mm Hg). PaO2 increased significantly over time with CX. Body temperature was significantly (P<0.05) higher with CX compared to MK. Ventricular premature contractions, atrial premature contractions, and a junctional escape rhythm were noted during CX immobilization. No arrhythmias were noted during MK immobilization. Quality of immobilization was superior with MK, with no observed movement present for the 60 min of immobilization. Movement of the head and limbs occurred in 4 animals immobilized with CX. The major complication observed with both of these treatments was hypoxemia, and supplemental inspired oxygen is recommended during immobilization. Hyperthermia can further complicate immobilization with CX, reinforcing the need for supplemental oxygen. PMID:10680659

Impact of specific training and competition on myocardial structure and function in different age ranges of male handball players

PubMed Central

Agrebi, Brahim; Tkatchuk, Vladimir; Hlila, Nawel; Mouelhi, Emna; Belhani, Ali

2015-01-01

Handball activity involves cardiac changes and demands a mixture of both eccentric and concentric remodeling within the heart. This study seeks to explore heart performance and cardiac remodeling likely to define cardiac parameters which influence specific performance in male handball players across different age ranges. Forty three players, with a regular training and competitive background in handball separated into three groups aged on average 11.78±0.41 for youth players aka “schools”, “elite juniors” 15.99±0.81 and “elite adults” 24.46±2.63 years, underwent echocardiography and ECG examinations. Incremental ergocycle and specific field (SFT) tests have also been conducted. With age and regular training and competition, myocardial remodeling in different age ranges exhibit significant differences in dilatation’s parameters between “schools” and “juniors” players, such as the end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and the end-systolic diameter of the left ventricle (LVESD), the root of aorta (Ao) and left atrial (LA), while significant increase is observed between “juniors” and “adults” players in the interventricular septum (IVS), the posterior wall thicknesses (PWT) and LV mass index. ECG changes are also noted but NS differences were observed in studied parameters. For incremental maximal test, players demonstrate a significant increase in duration and total work between “schools” and “juniors” and, in total work only, between “juniors” and “seniors”. The SFT shows improvement in performance which ranged between 26.17±1.83 sec to 31.23±2.34 sec respectively from “seniors” to “schools”. The cross-sectional approach used to compare groups with prior hypothesis that there would be differences in exercise performance and cardiac parameters depending on duration of prior handball practice, leads to point out the early cardiac remodeling within the heart as adaptive change. Prevalence of cardiac chamber dilation with less hypertrophy remodeling was found from “schools” to “juniors” while a prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy with less pronounced chamber dilation remodeling was noted later. PMID:26630561

A preliminary study of the effect of closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy over high-risk incisions.

PubMed

Perry, Karen L; Rutherford, Lynda; Sajik, David M R; Bruce, Mieghan

2015-11-09

Certain postoperative wounds are recognised to be associated with more complications than others and may be termed high-risk. Wound healing can be particularly challenging following high-energy trauma where wound necrosis and infection rates are high. Surgical incision for joint arthrodesis can also be considered high-risk as it requires extensive and invasive surgery and postoperative distal limb swelling and wound dehiscence are common. Recent human literature has investigated the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) over high-risk closed surgical incisions and beneficial effects have been noted including decreased drainage, decreased dehiscence and decreased infection rates. In a randomised, controlled study twenty cases undergoing distal limb high-energy fracture stabilisation or arthrodesis were randomised to NPWT or control groups. All cases had a modified Robert-Jones dressing applied for 72 h postoperatively and NPWT was applied for 24 h in the NPWT group. Morphometric assessment of limb circumference was performed at six sites preoperatively, 24 and 72 h postoperatively. Wound discharge was assessed at 24 and 72 h. Postoperative analgesia protocol was standardised and a Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Score (GCPS) carried out at 24, 48 and 72 h. Complications were noted and differences between groups were assessed. Percentage change in limb circumference between preoperative and 24 and 72 h postoperative measurements was significantly less at all sites for the NPWT group with exception of the joint proximal to the surgical site and the centre of the operated bone at 72 h. Median discharge score was lower in the NPWT group than the control group at 24 h. No significant differences in GCPS or complication rates were noted. Digital swelling and wound discharge were reduced when NPWT was employed for closed incision management. Larger studies are required to evaluate whether this will result in reduced discomfort and complication rates postoperatively.

Epidemiologic survey of bladder cancer in greater New Orleans.

PubMed

Sullivan, J W

1982-08-01

Primary ancestry of the patients and controls in this study was not statistically different but the Jewish population had a significantly increased incidence of bladder cancer. Over-all, a significantly greater number of patients smoked filtered cigarettes, began drinking artificially sweetened beverages at an earlier age, drank artificially sweetened beverages for a greater number of years, consumed a greater number of glasses of artificially sweetened beverages weekly and related a history of urinary tract infections. A significantly increased incidence of bladder cancer was noted in individuals employed by certain types of companies, by certain job titles and by certain job material handled. Analysis of the data failed to show any significant difference in years of consumption of coffee, amount of various types of coffee or tea consumed, consumption of various nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages, including source of drinking water, use of hair dye, incidence of diabetes mellitus, family history of urinary cancer and a history of pelvic irradiation or bladder stones.

The effects of immersiveness on physiology.

PubMed

Wiederhold, B K; Davis, R; Wiederhold, M D

1998-01-01

The effects of varying levels of immersion in virtual reality environments on participant's heart rate, respiration rate, peripheral skin temperature, and skin resistance levels were examined. Subjective reports of presence were also noted. Participants were presented with a virtual environment of an airplane flight both as seen from a two-dimensional computer screen and as seen from within a head-mounted display. Subjects were randomly assigned to different order of conditions presented, but all subjects received both conditions. Differences between the non-phobics' physiological responses and the phobic's response when placed in a virtual environment related to the phobia were noted. Also noted were changes in physiology based on degree of immersion.

Effect of Temperature on Mechanical Properties of Nanoclay Reinforced Polymeric Nanocomposites. Part 1. Experimental Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-23

Temperature and nanoclay reinforcement affect the Poisson ?s ratio also, but this effect is less significant. In general, as the temperature increases...the Poisson ?s ratio also increases. However, an increase in nanoclay reinforcement generally reduces the Poisson ?s ratio . It is also noted that the...nanoclay reinforcement generally reduces the Poisson’s ratio . It is also noted that the type of resin used may have a significant effect on the

Adjusting Wages to Living Costs: A Historical Note

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowenstern, Henry

1974-01-01

The significant historical developments of the cost of living wage adjustments are summarized. Since the concept of cost of living took effect in 1919, developments that are noted are: World War II, the GM contract 1948, the GM Contract 1950, and the impact of the agreements. (DS)

Is the textural classification built on sand?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 1967, the Committee of the Soil Science Society of America noted that the current system of particle size boundaries arose due to geographic accident. The committee noted that there is “no narrowly defineable natural particle size boundaries that would be equally significant in all soil materials...

Bioaccumulation of elements in three selected mushroom species from southwest Poland.

PubMed

Mleczek, Mirosław; Siwulski, Marek; Mikołajczak, Patrycja; Goliński, Piotr; Gąsecka, Monika; Sobieralski, Krzysztof; Dawidowicz, Luiza; Szymańczyk, Mateusz

2015-01-01

The contents of 16 minerals and trace elements (Ag, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Pt, Ti and Zn) were analyzed in edible mushrooms (Leccinum scabrum, Boletus edulis and Boletus badius) collected in southwest Poland. Content of Co, Ni and Pb was similar in all tested mushroom species, while content of Ag, Ca, Cd, Hg and Ti was significantly higher in B. edulis than in L. scabrum and B. badius. The largest differences between these species were observed for Fe and Zn accumulation. The highest contents of these elements were noted in B. badius bodies (202 ± 88 and 137 ± 24 mg kg(-1) dry matter, respectively), lower in B. edulis (131 ± 99 and 89 ± 26 mg kg(-1) dry matter, respectively) and lowest in L. scabrum. Differences in As, Cu and Cr content between tested species were observed mainly between L. scabrum and B. badius fruiting bodies. Content of Pt was below 0.01 mg kg(-1) dry matter). In the case of Mg and Mn accumulation, differences between B. edulis and B. badius were not observed (478 and 440 mg kg(-1) dry matter for Mg and 23 and 19 mg kg(-1) dry matter for Mn), and the results showed significantly higher content of these elements than in L. scabrum bodies (312 and 10 mg kg(-1) dry matter, respectively). It is worth underlining that clear accumulation shown by the bioconcentration factor (BCF>1) observed for all three mushroom species was noted in the case of elements Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn only.

Urinary and sexual function outcomes among different age groups after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

PubMed

Mendiola, Frederick P; Zorn, Kevin C; Mikhail, Albert A; Lin, Shang; Orvieto, Marcelo A; Zagaja, Gregory P; Shalhav, Arieh L

2008-03-01

We present an age-stratified prospective assessment of urinary and sexual function of 300 patients after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). Subjective assessment data of continence and potency were collected for different age groups (<50, 50-59, and > or =60 years old) preoperatively, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after RALP. Health-related quality of life questionnaires evaluated return of baseline urinary and sexual function at the same time intervals. The three age groups included 21, 129, and 150 patients (aged <50, 50-59, and >60 years old, respectively). Using Kaplan-Meier curves, younger men achieved subjective continence significantly earlier than older age groups when age groups were compared using a 60-year-old cut-off point (P = 0.02). However, subjective continence was noted to be equal among all age groups after 1 year of follow-up. Time to recovery of subjective potency among age groups shows a significant difference in favor of the younger age group (P = 0.01) Objective urinary function is equal between age groups at all time points, while objective sexual function assessment showed a trend toward better results in the younger age group. Younger men will likely have an earlier return of continence and potency compared to older men after RALP. However, continence outcomes were noted to be equal among age groups after I year of follow-up, while younger men continue to report superior potency outcomes compared to older men over the first postoperative year. Such findings are valuable in counseling older men undergoing this procedure.

Daily rhythms of body temperature and heat production of sibling Mastomys species from different ecosystems--the response to photoperiod manipulations.

PubMed

Haim, Abraham; Zubidat, Abed Elsalam; van Aarde, Rudi J

2008-12-01

We compared body temperature (T(b)) and metabolic rates, measured as oxygen consumption (VO(2)), daily rhythms of two sibling species of the genus Mastomys. We also studied their responses to long day (16L: 8D, LD) and short day (8L: 16D, SD) photoperiod manipulations at a constant ambient temperature of 26+1 degrees C. We noted significant differences in T(b) and VO(2) daily rhythm patterns, under SD and LD-acclimation between the sibling species. These differences explain adaptation to the climatic conditions that prevail in the different ecosystems where these species live. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that physiological differences between the two siblings are measured by using chronobiological methods.

Factors affecting the retirement of commercial transport jet aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, F. A.

1979-01-01

The historical background of the technology and economics of aircraft replacement and retirement in the prejet era is reviewed in order to determine whether useful insights can be obtained applicable to the jet era. Significant differences between the two periods are noted. New factors are identified and examined. Topics discussed include concern over current policies regarding deregulation, regulatory reform, and retroactive noise regulations; financing and compliance legislation; aging; economic environment and inflation; technological progress; fuel efficiency and cost; and a financial perspective of replacement decisions.

A simple randomisation procedure for validating discriminant analysis: a methodological note.

PubMed

Wastell, D G

1987-04-01

Because the goal of discriminant analysis (DA) is to optimise classification, it designedly exaggerates between-group differences. This bias complicates validation of DA. Jack-knifing has been used for validation but is inappropriate when stepwise selection (SWDA) is employed. A simple randomisation test is presented which is shown to give correct decisions for SWDA. The general superiority of randomisation tests over orthodox significance tests is discussed. Current work on non-parametric methods of estimating the error rates of prediction rules is briefly reviewed.

Miniaturized Nanocomposite Piezoelectric Microphones for UAS Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-22

volume fraction for three different materials: ZnO/SU-8 composite, ZnO thin film, and PZT thin film. This was computed for a microphone of outer...radius, 2 400R mμ= , and a thickness 1t mμ= . Note the significant increase in sensitivity compared to a solid ZnO or PZT film. This arises because, as...predicted range. An optimal volume fraction of 0.3 yielded a 17-fold increase in sensitivity over ZnO and a 49-fold increase over PZT . Figure 6

Locomotor behavior of fish hatched from embryos exposed to flight conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleerekoper, H.

1978-01-01

Embryos of Fundulus heteroclitus in various stages of development were exposed to space flight conditions aboard Apollo spacecraft and Cosmos satellites. The objective of the study was to ascertain whether fish hatched from these embryos displayed locomotor behavior different from that of control fish of the same age. An electronic monitoring technique was used to record behavior. Results indicate no change in locomotor behavior in fish on Apollo Spacecraft, but inexplicable significant changes were noted in fish aboard Cosmos Satellites.

Note: Modification of an FTIR spectrometer for optoelectronic characterizations.

PubMed

Puspitosari, N; Longeaud, C

2017-08-01

We propose a very simple system to be adapted to a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer with which three different types of characterizations can be done: the Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy, the recording of reflection-transmission spectra of thin film semiconductors, and the acquisition of spectral responses of solar cells. In addition to gather three techniques into a single apparatus, this FTIR-based system also significantly reduces the recording time and largely improves the resolution of the measured spectra compared to standard equipments.

Localization Grid for Accurate Positioning Onboard a Carrier

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-30

the fi r t I 00 reads. It is clear that the RSSI measurement varies significantly over the different reads. It hould also be noted that, fo r the...yield a complete characterization of RSSI with respect to di stance and tag direction. By fi tting equation ( l .5) to the experimental data for di...For each observation in tant t, we feed the ML estimates of the instantaneous reader position as a fi fi [ " T T ]T h " T measurement to the Kalman

Note: Modification of an FTIR spectrometer for optoelectronic characterizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puspitosari, N.; Longeaud, C.

2017-08-01

We propose a very simple system to be adapted to a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer with which three different types of characterizations can be done: the Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy, the recording of reflection-transmission spectra of thin film semiconductors, and the acquisition of spectral responses of solar cells. In addition to gather three techniques into a single apparatus, this FTIR-based system also significantly reduces the recording time and largely improves the resolution of the measured spectra compared to standard equipments.

Electrodeposition and Characterization of Ni-Al2O3 Nanocomposite Coatings on Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar, Khalida; Khan, Zia Ullah; Gul, Muhammad; Zubair, Naila; Shah, Syed Sajjad Ali

2018-05-01

Monodispersed alumina particles were synthesized by the homogeneous precipitation under reflux boiling. The particles were employed as reinforcement additives in the electrodeposited Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings on steel. The deposited pure Ni and Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings were analyzed by SEM, XRD, and microhardness tester. The wear resistance and friction coefficient of the coated samples were determined by using a ball-on-disk tribometer. Furthermore, XRD analysis showed that coating temperature and the presence of particles in the deposited coatings had a noticeable effect on the preferred orientation of the crystalline faces of the nickel grains. Significant differences were noted in the texture coefficient of the pure Ni and Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings produced at different temperatures. These differences were attributed to the changes in the microstructure of the matrix caused by the embedded Al2O3 particles. Results revealed that wear resistance and the friction coefficient were turned out to be higher and smaller, respectively, for the composite coatings as compared to pure Ni coating at a given sliding distance. It was noted that the corrosion resistance of these specimens increased in the following order: bare substrate < pure Ni coating < Ni-Al2O3 nanocomposite coatings.

[Marriage and divorce in Japan].

PubMed

Haderka, J

1986-01-01

Marriage patterns in Japan are analyzed using data from secondary sources. The author notes that although legislation affecting marriage and the family is derived from European models, traditional Japanese attitudes concerning the subservient role of women have a significant impact. The problems faced by women experiencing divorce are noted. (SUMMARY IN ENG AND RUS)

Analysis of ground water by different laboratories: a comparison of chloride and nitrate data, Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, Brian G.; Krulikas, Richard K.

1979-01-01

Water samples from wells in Nassau and Suffolk Counties were analyzed for chloride and nitrate. Two samples were collected at each well; one was analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the other by a laboratory in the county from which the sample was taken. Results were compared statistically by paired-sample t-test to indicate the degree of uniformity among laboratory results. Chloride analyses from one of the three county laboratories differed significantly (0.95 confidence level) from that of a Geological Survey laboratory. For nitrate analyses, a significant difference (0.95 confidence level) was noted between results from two of the three county laboratories and the Geological Survey laboratory. The lack of uniformity among results reported by the participating laboratories indicates a need for continuing participation in a quality-assurance program and exercise of strong quality control from time of sample collection through analysis so that differences can be evaluated. (Kosco-USGS)

Student Success in Face-to-Face and Online Sections of Biology Courses at a Community College in East Tennessee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garman, Deanna Essington

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences in student success in face-to-face and online biology courses as categorized by gender, major, and age; and as measured by lecture grades, lab grades, and final course grades. The data used for analyses included data from 170 face-to-face sections and 127 online sections from a biology course during the fall and spring semesters beginning fall 2008 through spring 2011. Researchers have reported mixed findings in previous studies juxtaposing online and face-to-face course delivery formats, from no significant differences to differences in grades, learning styles, and satisfaction levels. Four research questions guided this study with data analysis involving t-tests for independent groups and chi-square tests. This researcher noted significant differences in the results of this study: grades, success rates by gender, success rates by health and nonhealth majors, and nontraditional age (≥25) success rate were higher for students in the face-to-face courses; and the attrition rate was higher for students in the online course sections. There was no significant difference found in the success rate for traditional age (<25) students in the face-to-face sections compared to those in the online sections.

Melodic contour identification by cochlear implant listeners.

PubMed

Galvin, John J; Fu, Qian-Jie; Nogaki, Geraldine

2007-06-01

While the cochlear implant provides many deaf patients with good speech understanding in quiet, music perception and appreciation with the cochlear implant remains a major challenge for most cochlear implant users. The present study investigated whether a closed-set melodic contour identification (MCI) task could be used to quantify cochlear implant users' ability to recognize musical melodies and whether MCI performance could be improved with moderate auditory training. The present study also compared MCI performance with familiar melody identification (FMI) performance, with and without MCI training. For the MCI task, test stimuli were melodic contours composed of 5 notes of equal duration whose frequencies corresponded to musical intervals. The interval between successive notes in each contour was varied between 1 and 5 semitones; the "root note" of the contours was also varied (A3, A4, and A5). Nine distinct musical patterns were generated for each interval and root note condition, resulting in a total of 135 musical contours. The identification of these melodic contours was measured in 11 cochlear implant users. FMI was also evaluated in the same subjects; recognition of 12 familiar melodies was tested with and without rhythm cues. MCI was also trained in 6 subjects, using custom software and melodic contours presented in a different frequency range from that used for testing. Results showed that MCI recognition performance was highly variable among cochlear implant users, ranging from 14% to 91% correct. For most subjects, MCI performance improved as the number of semitones between successive notes was increased; performance was slightly lower for the A3 root note condition. Mean FMI performance was 58% correct when rhythm cues were preserved and 29% correct when rhythm cues were removed. Statistical analyses revealed no significant correlation between MCI performance and FMI performance (with or without rhythmic cues). However, MCI performance was significantly correlated with vowel recognition performance; FMI performance was not correlated with cochlear implant subjects' phoneme recognition performance. Preliminary results also showed that the MCI training improved all subjects' MCI performance; the improved MCI performance also generalized to improved FMI performance. Preliminary data indicate that the closed-set MCI task is a viable approach toward quantifying an important component of cochlear implant users' music perception. The improvement in MCI performance and generalization to FMI performance with training suggests that MCI training may be useful for improving cochlear implant users' music perception and appreciation; such training may be necessary to properly evaluate patient performance, as acute measures may underestimate the amount of musical information transmitted by the cochlear implant device and received by cochlear implant listeners.

A hybrid health service accreditation program model incorporating mandated standards and continuous improvement: interview study of multiple stakeholders in Australian health care.

PubMed

Greenfield, David; Hinchcliff, Reece; Hogden, Anne; Mumford, Virginia; Debono, Deborah; Pawsey, Marjorie; Westbrook, Johanna; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2016-07-01

The study aim was to investigate the understandings and concerns of stakeholders regarding the evolution of health service accreditation programs in Australia. Stakeholder representatives from programs in the primary, acute and aged care sectors participated in semi-structured interviews. Across 2011-12 there were 47 group and individual interviews involving 258 participants. Interviews lasted, on average, 1 h, and were digitally recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analysed using textual referencing software. Four significant issues were considered to have directed the evolution of accreditation programs: altering underlying program philosophies; shifting of program content focus and details; different surveying expectations and experiences and the influence of external contextual factors upon accreditation programs. Three accreditation program models were noted by participants: regulatory compliance; continuous quality improvement and a hybrid model, incorporating elements of these two. Respondents noted the compatibility or incommensurability of the first two models. Participation in a program was reportedly experienced as ranging on a survey continuum from "malicious compliance" to "performance audits" to "quality improvement journeys". Wider contextual factors, in particular, political and community expectations, and associated media reporting, were considered significant influences on the operation and evolution of programs. A hybrid accreditation model was noted to have evolved. The hybrid model promotes minimum standards and continuous quality improvement, through examining the structure and processes of organisations and the outcomes of care. The hybrid model appears to be directing organisational and professional attention to enhance their safety cultures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Usage Notes in the Oxford American Dictionary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berner, R. Thomas

1981-01-01

Compares the "Oxford American Dictionary" with the "American Heritage Dictionary." Examines the dictionaries' differences in philosophies of language, introductory essays, and usage notes. Concludes that the "Oxford American Dictionary" is too conservative, paternalistic, and dogmatic for the 1980s. (DMM)

Evaluation of Safety and Patient Subjective Efficacy of Using Radiofrequency and Pulsed Magnetic Fields for the Treatment of Striae (Stretch Marks)

PubMed Central

Dover, Jeffrey S.; Rothaus, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Stretch marks are common skin disorders that are dermal scars with associated epidermal atrophy. They are of significant concern or psychological concern to many. This manuscript describes the use of multipolar radiofrequency with pulsed magnetic fields that was successfully used to diminish these lesions in 16 subjects undergoing a series of treatments. The improvements noted were statistically significant and no serious adverse events were noted. PMID:25276274

The effects of range-of-motion therapy on the plantar pressures of patients with diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Goldsmith, Jon R; Lidtke, Roy H; Shott, Susan

2002-10-01

A randomized controlled study of 19 patients with diabetes mellitus (10 men, 9 women) was undertaken to determine the effects of home exercise therapy on joint mobility and plantar pressures. Of the 19 subjects, 9 subjects performed unsupervised active and passive range-of-motion exercises of the joints in their feet. Each subject was evaluated for joint stiffness and peak plantar pressures at the beginning and conclusion of the study. After only 1 month of therapy, a statistically significant average decrease of 4.2% in peak plantar pressures was noted in the subjects performing the range-of-motion exercises. In the control group, an average increase of 4.4% in peak plantar pressures was noted. Although the joint mobility data revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups, there was a trend for a decrease in joint stiffness in the treatment group. The results of this study demonstrate that an unsupervised range-of-motion exercise program can reduce peak plantar pressures in the diabetic foot. Given that high plantar pressures have been linked to diabetic neuropathic ulceration, it may be possible to reduce the risk of such ulceration with this therapy.

Absolute pitch among students in an American music conservatory: association with tone language fluency.

PubMed

Deutsch, Diana; Dooley, Kevin; Henthorn, Trevor; Head, Brian

2009-04-01

Absolute pitch (AP), the ability to name a musical note in the absence of a reference note, is extremely rare in the U.S. and Europe, and its genesis is unclear. The prevalence of AP was examined among students in an American music conservatory as a function of age of onset of musical training, ethnicity, and fluency in speaking a tone language. Taking those of East Asian ethnicity, the performance level on a test of AP was significantly higher among those who spoke a tone language very fluently compared with those who spoke a tone language fairly fluently and also compared with those who were not fluent in speaking a tone language. The performance level of this last group did not differ significantly from that of Caucasian students who spoke only nontone language. Early onset of musical training was associated with enhanced performance, but this did not interact with the effect of language. Further analyses showed that the results could not be explained by country of early music education. The findings support the hypothesis that the acquisition of AP by tone language speakers involves the same process as occurs in the acquisition of a second tone language.

Clinical Evaluation of Quality of Obturation and Instrumentation Time using Two Modified Rotary File Systems with Manual Instrumentation in Primary Teeth

PubMed Central

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Subramanian, EMG

2017-01-01

Introduction Pulp therapy in primary teeth has been performed using various instrumentation techniques. However, the conventional instrumentation technique used for root canal preparation in primary teeth is hand instrumentation. Various Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments are available to perform efficient root canal preparation in primary teeth. These Ni-Ti instruments has been designed to aid in better root canal preparation in permanent teeth but are rarely used in primary teeth. It is necessary to assess the feasibility of using these adult rotary files with a modified sequence in primary teeth. Aim To compare the quality of obturation and instrumentation time during root canal preparation using hand files and modified rotary file systems in primary molars. Materials and Methods Forty-five primary mandibular molars were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n=15). Group I was instrumented using k-hand files, Group II with S2 ProTaper universal file and Group III with 0.25 tip 4% taper K3 rotary file. Standardized digital radiographs were taken before and after root canal instrumentation. Root canal preparation time was also recorded. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was done using SPSS Software version 17.0. An intergroup comparison of the instrumentation time and the quality of obturation was done using ANOVA and Chi-square test with the level of significance set at 0.05. Results No significant differences were noted with regard to the quality of obturation (p=0.791). However, a statistically significant difference was noted in the instrumentation time between the three groups (p<0.05). ProTaper rotary system had significantly lesser instrumentation time when compared to that of K3 rotary system and hand file system. Conclusion The hand files, S2 ProTaper Universal and K3 0.25 tip 4% taper files systems performed similarly with respect to the quality of obturation. There was a significant difference in instrumentation time with manual instrumentation compared to the modified rotary file systems in primary teeth. PMID:29207834

Comparison of key aroma compounds in five different types of Japanese soy sauces by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA).

PubMed

Kaneko, Shu; Kumazawa, Kenji; Nishimura, Osamu

2012-04-18

An investigation by the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) technique of the aroma concentrate from five different types of Japanese soy sauces, categorized according to Japan Agricultural Standards as Koikuchi Shoyu (KS), Usukuchi Shoyu (US), Tamari Shoyu (TS), Sai-Shikomi Shoyu (SSS), and Shiro Shoyu (SS), revealed 25 key aroma compounds. Among them, 3-ethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione and 2'-aminoacetophenone were identified in the soy sauces for the first time. Whereas 3-(methylthio)propanal (methional) and 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone (sotolon) were detected in all of the soy sauce aroma concentrates as having high flavor dilution (FD) factors, 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol was detected as having a high FD factor in only four of the soy sauces (KS, US, TS, and SSS). Furthermore, 5(or 2)-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone (4-HEMF) and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (4-HDMF), which were thought to be the key odorants in KS, were detected in KS, US, TS, and SSS, but the FD factors widely varied among them. The sensory evaluations demonstrated that the aroma descriptions of a cooked potato-like note and a caramel-like/seasoning-like note were evaluated as high scores with no significant differences among the five soy sauces. On the other hand, a burnt/spicy note was evaluated as having high scores in KS, TS, and SSS, but it was evaluated as having a low score in SS. The comparative AEDA experiments and the auxiliary sensory experiments demonstrated that the five different types of Japanese soy sauces varied in their key aroma compounds and aroma characteristics, and the key aroma compounds in KS might not always be highly contributing in the other types of Japanese soy sauces.

Why do identical twins differ in personality: shared environment reconsidered.

PubMed

Torgersen, Anne Mari; Janson, Harald

2002-02-01

While heritability studies show that most of the variance in adult personality can be attributed to genetic or so-called nonshared environmental influence, this does not mean that shared events lack importance for the development of later personality differences. We studied the relationship between Big Five personality differences in monozygotic (MZ) twins at age 29, and life stressors at age 6 to 15, using prospective data from 26 MZ pairs studied from birth onwards. A positive significant correlation was found between stressors in childhood and early adolescence, and intrapair personality differences in Agreeableness, Openness, Conscientiousness, and five-factor profiles. We note that the effects of shared events are labeled "nonshared" environment when the effect is to make siblings more different. Case examples illustrate the relationship between stress and personality differences, and provide hypotheses for further studies in larger samples.

Redescription of the Advertisement Call of Five Species of Thoropa (Anura, Cycloramphidae), Including Recordings of Rare and Endangered Species.

PubMed

Nunes-de-Almeida, Carlos H L; Assis, Clodoaldo L; Feio, Renato N; Toledo, Luís Felipe

2016-01-01

Frogs of the genus Thoropa comprise six endemic Brazilian species on the Eastern side of the country. Little is known about their natural history, especially about their acoustic communication. Therefore, aiming to provide an overview of their vocalizations, we analyzed and redescribed male advertisement calls of three living and two possibly extinct species. The smaller species, T. petropolitana and T. lutzi, produce simple calls (one single note) with a higher frequency range than the remaining larger ones. On the other hand, the larger species present complex calls, with more than one note: T. megatympanum calls have three notes, T. taophora calls have four notes, and T. miliaris calls varies from three to six notes. Population snout-vent length negatively correlated with peak of dominant frequency as expected. However, highlighted differences between two populations of T. lutzi, which could indicate need of further taxonomic evaluation of those lineages. Peculiar morphology, such as the absence of vocal sacs and slits, may have contributed to their call variation and highly banded frequency structure. If the observed population differences reflect species-level differences, T. lutzi may be classified as a critically endangered species, as T. petropolitana. Furthermore, we provided a suggestion to an unusual behavior in frogs: calling with the mouth open in the smaller species of the genus.

Redescription of the Advertisement Call of Five Species of Thoropa (Anura, Cycloramphidae), Including Recordings of Rare and Endangered Species

PubMed Central

Assis, Clodoaldo L.; Feio, Renato N.; Toledo, Luís Felipe

2016-01-01

Frogs of the genus Thoropa comprise six endemic Brazilian species on the Eastern side of the country. Little is known about their natural history, especially about their acoustic communication. Therefore, aiming to provide an overview of their vocalizations, we analyzed and redescribed male advertisement calls of three living and two possibly extinct species. The smaller species, T. petropolitana and T. lutzi, produce simple calls (one single note) with a higher frequency range than the remaining larger ones. On the other hand, the larger species present complex calls, with more than one note: T. megatympanum calls have three notes, T. taophora calls have four notes, and T. miliaris calls varies from three to six notes. Population snout-vent length negatively correlated with peak of dominant frequency as expected. However, highlighted differences between two populations of T. lutzi, which could indicate need of further taxonomic evaluation of those lineages. Peculiar morphology, such as the absence of vocal sacs and slits, may have contributed to their call variation and highly banded frequency structure. If the observed population differences reflect species-level differences, T. lutzi may be classified as a critically endangered species, as T. petropolitana. Furthermore, we provided a suggestion to an unusual behavior in frogs: calling with the mouth open in the smaller species of the genus. PMID:27617833

Enzymatic mitigation of 5-O-chlorogenic acid for an improved digestibility of coffee.

PubMed

Siebert, Mareike; Berger, Ralf G; Nieter, Annabel

2018-08-30

A p-coumaroyl esterase from Rhizoctonia solani was used to decrease 5-O-chlorogenic acid (5-CQA) content in coffee powder. HPLC-UV showed a decline of up to 98% of 5-CQA after the enzyme treatment. Effects on aroma were determined by means of aroma extract dilution analysis. Flavour dilution factors of treated and control extract differed in four volatile compounds only. Effect on aroma and taste was evaluated by sensory tests. No significant differences were perceived, and no off-flavour nor off-taste was noted. As chlorogenic acids are suspected to cause stomach irritating effects in sensitive people, the enzyme treatment offers a technically feasible approach to improve the quality of coffee beverages by reducing 5-CQA concentration without significantly affecting the aroma and taste profile. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

N95 respirator use during advanced pregnancy.

PubMed

Roberge, Raymond J; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Powell, Jeffrey B

2014-10-01

To determine the physiological and subjective effects of wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (N95 FFR) in advanced stages of pregnancy. Healthy pregnant women (n = 22) and nonpregnant women (n = 22) had physiological and subjective measurements taken with and without wearing an N95 FFR during exercise and postural sedentary activities over a 1-hour period. There were no differences between the pregnant and nonpregnant women with respect to heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, transcutaneous carbon dioxide level, chest wall temperature, aural temperature, and subjective perceptions of exertion and thermal comfort. No significant effect on fetal heart rate was noted. Healthy pregnant women wearing an N95 FFR for 1 hour during exercise and sedentary activities did not exhibit any significant differences in measured physiological and subjective responses compared with nonpregnant women. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relationships between coping style and PAI profiles in a community sample.

PubMed

Deisinger, J A; Cassisi, J E; Whitaker, S L

1996-05-01

Relationships between coping style and psychological functioning were examined in a heterogeneous community sample (N = 168). Psychological functioning was categorized with the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991). Subjects were assigned to PAI configural profile clusters, using T-scores from PAI clinical scales. Three PAI clusters were prominent in this sample: normal, anxious, and eccentric. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that these clusters differed significantly in coping style, as measured by the dispositional format of the COPE Inventory (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989). Normals coped through avoidance significantly less than anxious or eccentric subjects. Also, normals engaged in seeking social support and venting more than eccentric but less than anxious subjects. Gender differences also were noted, with women more likely to cope by seeking social support and men more likely to cope through hedonistic escapism.

Global Spread of Human Chromoblastomycosis Is Driven by Recombinant Cladophialophora carrionii and Predominantly Clonal Fonsecaea Species.

PubMed

Deng, Shuwen; Tsui, Clement K M; Gerrits van den Ende, A H G; Yang, Liyue; Najafzadeh, Mohammad Javad; Badali, Hamid; Li, Ruoyu; Hagen, Ferry; Meis, Jacques F; Sun, Jiufeng; Dolatabadi, Somayeh; Papierok, Bernard; Pan, Weihua; de Hoog, G S; Liao, Wanqing

2015-01-01

Global distribution patterns of Cladophialophora carrionii, agent of human chromoblastomycosis in arid climates of Africa, Asia, Australia, Central-and South-America, were compared with similar data of the vicarious Fonsecaea spp., agents of the disease in tropical rain forests. Population diversities among 73 C. carrionii strains and 60 strains of three Fonsecaea species were analyzed for rDNA ITS, partial β-tubulin, and amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints. Populations differed significantly between continents. Lowest haplotype diversity was found in South American populations, while African strains were the most diverse. Gene flow was noted between the African population and all other continents. The general pattern of Fonsecaea agents of chromoblastomycosis differed significantly from that of C. carrionii and revealed deeper divergence among three differentiated species with smaller numbers of haplotypes, indicating a longer evolutionary history.

Anchistropus spp. (Crustacea: Cladocera: Chydoridae): a new distribution record for Lake Erie

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, Marlene S.; Hiltunen, Jarl K.; Schloesser, Donald W.

1990-01-01

This note extends the known Great Lakes distribution of Anchistropus sp. from Lake Michigan, Huron, Superior, and St. Clair to Rondeau Harbor in Lake Erie. Anchistropus sp. was collected in benthic samples where it occurred as epibionts on hydra. Previous studies, which are briefly reviewed, have noted the parasitic nature of Anchistropus. Although only one species of Anchistropus (A. minor) is known from North America, our specimens cannot be positively identified as that species: the structure of the postabdomen and first leg differs from the original taxonomic description of A. minor. Others have noted differences between the original description of A. minor and the morphology of specimens collected over the succeeding years.

The Cognitive Effects of Antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

Rosenblat, Joshua D; Kakar, Ron

2016-01-01

Background: Cognitive dysfunction is often present in major depressive disorder (MDD). Several clinical trials have noted a pro-cognitive effect of antidepressants in MDD. The objective of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the pooled efficacy of antidepressants on various domains of cognition in MDD. Methods: Trials published prior to April 15, 2015, were identified through searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, Clinicaltrials.gov, and relevant review articles. Data from randomized clinical trials assessing the cognitive effects of antidepressants were pooled to determine standard mean differences (SMD) using a random-effects model. Results: Nine placebo-controlled randomized trials (2 550 participants) evaluating the cognitive effects of vortioxetine (n = 728), duloxetine (n = 714), paroxetine (n = 23), citalopram (n = 84), phenelzine (n = 28), nortryptiline (n = 32), and sertraline (n = 49) were identified. Antidepressants had a positive effect on psychomotor speed (SMD 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05–0.27; I2 = 46%) and delayed recall (SMD 0.24; 95% CI 0.15–0.34; I2 = 0%). The effect on cognitive control and executive function did not reach statistical significance. Of note, after removal of vortioxetine from the analysis, statistical significance was lost for psychomotor speed. Eight head-to-head randomized trials comparing the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; n = 371), selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs; n = 25), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs; n = 138), and norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs; n = 46) were identified. No statistically significant difference in cognitive effects was found when pooling results from head-to-head trials of SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, and NDRIs. Significant limitations were the heterogeneity of results, limited number of studies, and small sample sizes. Conclusions: Available evidence suggests that antidepressants have a significant positive effect on psychomotor speed and delayed recall. PMID:26209859

Volumetric evaluation of the rotator cuff musculature in massive rotator cuff tears with pseudoparalysis.

PubMed

Rhee, Yong Girl; Cho, Nam Su; Song, Jong Hoon; Park, Jung Gwan; Kim, Tae Yong

2017-09-01

If the balance of the rotator cuff force couple is disrupted, pseudoparalysis may occur, but the exact mechanism remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of rotator cuff force couple disruption on active range of motion in massive rotator cuff tear (mRCT) by rotator cuff muscle volume analysis. The study included 53 patients with irreparable mRCT: 22 in the nonpseudoparalysis group and 31 in the pseudoparalysis group. The volumes of the subscapularis (SBS), infraspinatus (ISP), and teres minor (TM) muscles were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the ratios of each muscle volume to the anatomic external rotator (aER) volume were calculated. A control group of 25 individuals with normal rotator cuffs was included. Anterior-to-posterior cuff muscle volume ratio (SBS/ISP + TM) was imbalanced in both mRCT groups (1.383 nonpseudoparalysis and 1.302 pseudoparalysis). Between the 2 groups, the ISP/aER ratio (0.277 vs. 0.249) and the inferior SBS/aER ratio (0.426 vs. 0.390) were significantly decreased in the pseudoparalysis group (P= .022 and P= .040, respectively). However, neither the TM/aER ratio (0.357 vs. 0.376) nor the superior SBS/aER ratio (0.452 vs. 0.424) showed a significant difference between the two groups (P= .749 and P= .068, respectively). If the inferior SBS was torn, a high frequency of pseudoparalysis was noted (81.0%, P= .010). The disruption of transverse force couple was noted in both irreparable mRCT groups, although no significant difference was found between the nonpseudoparalysis and pseudoparalysis groups. ISP and inferior SBS muscle volumes showed a significant decrease in pseudoparalysis group and, therefore, were considered to greatly influence the loss of active motion in mRCT. The TM did not exert significant effect on the incidence of pseudoparalysis. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in lipid classes and fatty acid composition of salmon shark (Lamna ditropis) liver with season and gender.

PubMed

Jayasinghe, Chamila; Gotoh, Naohiro; Wada, Shun

2003-02-01

The influence of season and gender on lipid content, lipid classes, and fatty acid compositions was assessed in livers of salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), caught in the Pacific Ocean. No significant difference in the hepatosomatic index was noted with season, though the lipid content was significantly higher (P<0.05) in winter. Triacylglycerol (TAG) was identified as the predominant lipid class (78.5-82.0%), followed by sterol esters (5.7-9.1%) and hydrocarbons (3.4-5.4%). No significant differences were observed in TAG composition with respect to the season or gender. However, diacylglyceryl ether contents were significantly higher (P<0.05) in winter (3.8-5.3%) than those obtained in summer (1.3-1.1%). Polyunsaturated fatty acids constituted the major fatty acid class of salmon shark total liver lipid and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) (22.7-28.4%) was the most abundant fatty acid which was significantly lower (P<0.05) in winter. These results suggested that lipid characteristics of salmon shark liver were influenced by season, but not by gender.

Variation of musculoskeletal stress markers in the medieval population from Cedynia (Poland)--proposal of standardized scoring method application.

PubMed

Myszka, Anna; Piontek, Janusz

2012-09-01

The objective of this paper is: (a) to present a rating scale for the evaluation of the musculoskeletal stress markers; (b) to analyze the medieval population from Cedynia in terms of the degree of expression and frequency of the musculoskeletal stress markers. The presented rating scale was developed based on the variability of the morphology of muscle attachment sites, observed in the skeletal material from Cedynia (102 males and 99 females). The scale encompasses 10 musculoskeletal stress markers located on the scapula, humerus, radius, femur and tibia. The system reflects three degrees (1, 2, 3) of complexity of the muscle attachment sites morphology. The analysis of asymmetry and sexual dimorphism of the musculoskeletal stress markers was made based on the chi2 (Pearson) statistics or chi2 statistics for 2 x 2 tables. Moderate degree (2) of muscle attachment site complexity is the most frequent degree of musculoskeletal stress markers development in the population from Cedynia. Low (1) and high (3) complexity of muscle attachment site are the most seldom observed categories. No statistically significant differences between the frequencies of the musculoskeletal stress markers on the bones of the right and left side of the skeleton were noted in females. Also in males the differences found were not statistically significant. Only in the case of deltoid tuberosity (H2) p = 0.052 oscillating around the threshold value may suggest existence of a statistically significant difference in the degree of expression of this stress marker on the bone of the right and left side of the skeleton. On the bones of the right side of the skeleton dimorphic differences were observed in the glenoid tuberosity (S2), bicipital groove (H1), pronator teres origin (R2), tibial tuberosity (T1), soleal crest (T2) and linea aspera (F2). On the bones of the left side of the skeleton dimorphic differences were noted for the bicipital groove (H1), pronator teres origin (R2) and glenoid tuberosity (S2).

A Novel Approach towards Medical Entity Recognition in Chinese Clinical Text

PubMed Central

Yu, Jian

2017-01-01

Medical entity recognition, a basic task in the language processing of clinical data, has been extensively studied in analyzing admission notes in alphabetic languages such as English. However, much less work has been done on nonstructural texts that are written in Chinese, or in the setting of differentiation of Chinese drug names between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Here, we propose a novel cascade-type Chinese medication entity recognition approach that aims at integrating the sentence category classifier from a support vector machine and the conditional random field-based medication entity recognition. We hypothesized that this approach could avoid the side effects of abundant negative samples and improve the performance of the named entity recognition from admission notes written in Chinese. Therefore, we applied this approach to a test set of 324 Chinese-written admission notes with manual annotation by medical experts. Our data demonstrated that this approach had a score of 94.2% in precision, 92.8% in recall, and 93.5% in F-measure for the recognition of traditional Chinese medicine drug names and 91.2% in precision, 92.6% in recall, and 91.7% F-measure for the recognition of Western medicine drug names. The differences in F-measure were significant compared with those in the baseline systems. PMID:29065612

A pilot study on the evaluation of medical student documentation: assessment of SOAP notes.

PubMed

Seo, Ji-Hyun; Kong, Hyun-Hee; Im, Sun-Ju; Roh, HyeRin; Kim, Do-Kyong; Bae, Hwa-Ok; Oh, Young-Rim

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was evaluation of the current status of medical students' documentation of patient medical records. We checked the completeness, appropriateness, and accuracy of 95 Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan (SOAP) notes documented by third-year medical students who participated in clinical skill tests on December 1, 2014. Students were required to complete the SOAP note within 15 minutes of an standard patient (SP)-encounter with a SP complaining rhinorrhea and warring about meningitis. Of the 95 SOAP notes reviewed, 36.8% were not signed. Only 27.4% documented the patient's symptoms under the Objective component, although all students completed the Subjective notes appropriately. A possible diagnosis was assessed by 94.7% students. Plans were described in 94.7% of the SOAP notes. Over half the students planned workups (56.7%) for diagnosis and treatment (52.6%). Accurate documentation of the symptoms, physical findings, diagnoses, and plans were provided in 78.9%, 9.5%, 62.1%, and 38.0% notes, respectively. Our results showed that third-year medical students' SOAP notes were not complete, appropriate, or accurate. The most significant problems with completeness were the omission of students' signatures, and inappropriate documentation of the physical examinations conducted. An education and assessment program for complete and accurate medical recording has to be developed.

Analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the dynamics of bovine Eimeria spp. from central-eastern Poland.

PubMed

Tomczuk, Krzysztof; Grzybek, Maciej; Szczepaniak, Klaudiusz; Studzińska, Maria; Demkowska-Kutrzepa, Marta; Roczeń-Karczmarz, Monika; Klockiewicz, Maciej

2015-11-30

Eimeria infections are common in cattle worldwide, however, little is known about the invasion dynamics of this unicellular parasite. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze intrinsic (host age) and extrinsic (herd size and management system) factors influencing the dynamics of Eimeria spp. found in calves from CE Poland. Fecal samples were collected from 356 calves from different types of management systems and from different herd sizes. Flotation and McMaster method were used for parasitological investigation. Oocysts were differentiated on the basis of morphological criteria. Eight Eimeria species were identified and mean species richness (MSR) was significantly affected by host age. The highest MSR was noted for middle age animals. There was an association between species, with a highly significant co-occurrence of Eimeria bovis with Eimeria zuernii. The presence of E. bovis significantly increased the percentage of individuals carrying E. zuernii. The presence of E. bovis significantly increased the percentage of individuals carrying Eimeria canadensis. The overall prevalence of Eimeria spp. reached 52.8% and was significantly affected by the age of cows, with the highest prevalence in animals between 5-10 months old. The most prevalent species were E. bovis (37.4%), E. zuernii (19.9%) and E. canadensis (12.1%). The prevalence of E. bovis was affected by host age (the highest prevalence in age class 2 animals) and management type (the highest prevalence in individuals raised in groups). The prevalence of E. zuernii was affected by age (the lowest prevalence was noted in the oldest individuals) and herd size (individuals infected were present only in the middle and large size herds), whereas the prevalence of E. canadensis was affected by all three factors. Overall, mean OPG of the combined Eimeria spp. was 458.84 (37.93) and differed significantly between age classes. Mean OPGs were generally low for young and mature animals but high for middle age class animals. There was no significant influence of extrinsic factors on OPG. Taking into consideration the presented results, it is necessary to underline the role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the prevalence and abundance of Eimeria spp. in calves. Understanding the dynamics of Eimeria infections in calves may help to overcome this most common bovine parasite. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing Bias: Research Notes on Racism in America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mabbutt, Richard

This paper highlights recent developments in research on racism in the United States, and notes several conceptual issues of significance for the long-range planning work of those interested in reducing racism in America and particularly in Idaho. Growth in the number of minority researchers has resulted in increased attention toward racism as it…

The effect of burn rehabilitation massage therapy on hypertrophic scar after burn: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Cho, Yoon Soo; Jeon, Jong Hyun; Hong, Aram; Yang, Hyeong Tae; Yim, Haejun; Cho, Yong Suk; Kim, Do-Hern; Hur, Jun; Kim, Jong Hyun; Chun, Wook; Lee, Boung Chul; Seo, Cheong Hoon

2014-12-01

To evaluate the effect of burn rehabilitation massage therapy on hypertrophic scar after burn. One hundred and forty-six burn patients with hypertrophic scar(s) were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. All patients received standard rehabilitation therapy for hypertrophic scars and 76 patients (massage group) additionally received burn scar rehabilitation massage therapy. Both before and after the treatment, we determined the scores of visual analog scale (VAS) and itching scale and assessed the scar characteristics of thickness, melanin, erythema, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), sebum, and elasticity by using ultrasonography, Mexameter(®), Tewameter(®), Sebumeter(®), and Cutometer(®), respectively. The scores of both VAS and itching scale decreased significantly in both groups, indicating a significant intragroup difference. With regard to the scar characteristics, the massage group showed a significant decrease after treatment in scar thickness, melanin, erythema, TEWL and a significant intergroup difference. In terms of scar elasticity, a significant intergroup difference was noted in immediate distension and gross skin elasticity, while the massage group significant improvement in skin distensibility, immediate distension, immediate retraction, and delayed distension. Our results suggest that burn rehabilitation massage therapy is effective in improving pain, pruritus, and scar characteristics in hypertrophic scars after burn. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The Hefferline Notes: B. F. Skinner's First Public Exposition of His Analysis of Verbal Behavior.

PubMed

Knapp, Terry J

2009-01-01

B. F. Skinner's first public exposition of his analysis of verbal behavior was the Hefferline Notes (1947a), a written summary of a course Skinner taught at Columbia University during the summer of 1947 just prior to his presentation of the William James Lectures at Harvard University in the fall. The Notes are significant because they display Skinner's analysis as it made the transition from spoken to written form; moreover, they are an effective supplemental source of examples and early approximations for comprehending Skinner's functional verbal operants.

Sympatric and allopatric experimental infections of the planorbid snail Gyraulus chinensis with miracidia of Euparyphium albuferensis (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae).

PubMed

Muñoz-Antoli, C; Marín, A; Trelis, M; Toledo, R; Esteban, J-G

2010-12-01

An experimental infection with echinostomatid miracidia in sympatric or 'local' vs. allopatric or 'away' snail combinations, as a model to examine parasite compatibility, was carried out. We employed Euparyphium albuferensis miracidia to infect Gyraulus chinensis snails, from three different natural parks: Albufera (Valencia, Spain); the Ebro Delta (Tarragona, Spain) and Coto de Doñana (Huelva, Spain). Insignificant differences between the three snail strains were noted for the infection rate and the rhythm of daily cercarial production. However, a significantly higher total cercarial production per snail, patent period and life span were observed in local snails. The different infection characteristics in the three G. chinensis strains considered reveal that E. albuferensis miracidia demonstrate local adaptation.

Comparison of different pressing techniques for the preparation of n-type silicon-germanium thermoelectric alloys

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

Harringa, J.L.; Cook, B.A.

1996-06-01

Improvements to state-of-the-art Si{sub 80}Ge{sub 20} thermoelectric alloys have been observed in laboratory-scale samples by the powder metallurgy techniques of mechanical alloying and hot pressing. Incorporating these improvements in large scale compacts for the production of thermoelectric generator elements is the next step in achieving higher efficiency RTGs. This paper discusses consolidation of large quantities of mechanically alloyed powders into production size compacts. Differences in thermoelectric properties are noted between the compacts prepared by the standard technique of hot uniaxial pressing and hot isostatic pressing. Most significant is the difference in carrier concentration between the alloys prepared by the twomore » consolidation techniques.« less

Current practice trends in allergy: results of a united states survey of otolaryngologists, allergist-immunologists, and primary care physicians.

PubMed

Ryan, Matthew W; Marple, Bradley F; Leatherman, Bryan; Mims, J Whit; Fornadley, John; Veling, Maria; Lin, Sandra Y

2014-10-01

Clinical practices for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease evolve over time in response to a variety of forces. The techniques used by various physician specialties are not clearly defined and may vary from published descriptions or recommendations in the literature. This work is a Web-based survey enrolling 250 U.S. physicians in the following specialties: otolaryngology (ENT), allergy-immunology (A/I), and primary care (PCP). Respondents reported that skin-prick testing is the most common diagnostic testing method, followed by in vitro specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) testing. ENTs were more likely to use intradermal testing compared to other specialties (p = 0.0003 vs A/I; p < 0.0001 vs PCP). Respondents reported a wide distribution in number of allergens tested, regardless of testing method (range, 11 to >60). Significant use of home immunotherapy injections (defined as >10% of immunotherapy patients) ranged from 27% to 36% of physicians, with no statistically significant difference noted based upon specialty. PCPs reported greater use of sublingual immunotherapy (PCP, 68%; A/I, 45%; otolaryngology, 35%; A/I vs PCP, p = 0.005; ENT vs PCP p < 0.001)). A variety of allergy testing and treatment methods are employed by U.S. physicians, with some differences noted based upon specialty. Home immunotherapy continues to be employed in allergy practices, and sublingual immunotherapy is a common form of delivery, especially in primary care practices. © 2014 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

PRK and butterfly LASEK: prospective, randomized, contralateral eye comparison of epithelial healing and ocular discomfort.

PubMed

Ghanem, Vinícius C; Souza, Giselle C; Souza, Denise C; Viese, Juliana M Z; Weber, Sarah L P; Kara-José, Newton

2008-06-01

To compare corneal reepithelialization, pain scores, ocular discomfort, and tear production after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and butterfly laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). This prospective, randomized, double-masked study comprised 102 eyes of 51 patients who underwent laser refractive surgery. Each patient was randomized to have one eye operated on with PRK and the other with butterfly LASEK. Patients were followed for 1 year. The mean reepithelialization time in the PRK group was 4.35+/-0.48 days (range: 4 to 5 days) and 4.75+/-0.72 days (range: 4 to 6 days) in the butterfly LASEK group (P<.002). Pain scores and ocular discomfort were not statistically different between groups, although a trend towards a lower pain level with PRK was noted (3.31+/-4.09 vs 4.43+/-4.27; P=.18). Schirmer test values were significantly reduced from preoperative levels through 12 months with both PRK (23.6+/-8.1 vs 19.4+/-10.1; P<.002) and butterfly LASEK (22.4+/-8.7 vs 18.9+/-9.7; P=.01); however, no difference between groups was noted at any time. Photorefractive keratectomy showed a modest but statistically significant shorter reepithelialization time and a tendency towards lower pain scores than butterfly LASEK. The reepithelialization time was strongly associated with the duration of surgery in both techniques. A similar reduction of Schirmer test values was observed up to 1 year postoperatively in both groups.

Laser versus stapler: outcomes in endoscopic repair of Zenker diverticulum.

PubMed

Adam, Stewart I; Paskhover, Boris; Sasaki, Clarence T

2012-09-01

To analyze a single surgeon's experience with endoscopic CO(2) laser and stapler repair of Zenker diverticulum (ZD) by comparing dysphagia and regurgitation outcomes. Retrospective chart review of 148 patient charts. Medical records of all patients receiving endoscopic repair of ZD with either CO(2) laser (61 patients) or stapler (67 patients) were reviewed. Additional data included demographics (age and sex), size (cm), preoperative and postoperative symptoms, need for revision, and complications. Symptoms of dysphagia were graded based on a modified Functional Oral Intake Scale 1 to 4 scale (1 = normal intake; 4 = severely limited/G-tube dependent). Regurgitation was also graded on a 1 to 4 scale (1 = no regurgitation; 4 = aspiration events). We noted no difference in patient age or defect size (laser, 3.26 cm; stapler, 3.53 cm; P .135). Significant differences were noted in return trips to the operating room for failed procedures (laser, 0; stapler, 7; P = .009), length of stay (laser, 3.19 days; stapler, 1.29 days; P < .001), time to oral intake (laser, 3.01 days; stapler, 1.22 days; P < .001). Significant improvement occurred in laser and staple patient symptom scales following surgery (P < .001). Laser dysphagia and regurgitation scores showed greater improvement when compared to stapler scores (P < .001). Endoscopic CO(2) laser and staple methods are effective in treating ZD. The laser can have greater efficacy and result in lower recurrence rates. Both methods are analyzed and compared. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

Impact of graft-to-recipient weight ratio on small-for-size syndrome following living donor liver transplantation.

PubMed

Bell, Richard; Pandanaboyana, Sanjay; Upasani, Vivek; Prasad, Raj

2018-05-01

This meta-analysis aimed to compare living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) grafts with a graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) of <0.8 to grafts with a GRWR ≥0.8 with regards to small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) and short and longer term outcomes. An electronic search was performed of the MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed databases until December 2016 using both subject headings (MeSH) and free text. Pooled odds ratios and hazard ratios were calculated using fixed- and random-effects models for meta-analysis. Eight studies including 1833 patients met the inclusion criteria. The rate of SFSS was 10% in the <0.8 group and 5% in the ≥0.8 group (odds ratio: 1.69 (1.09, 2.61) (P = 0.020)). No significant difference was noted between the two groups with regards to graft survival up to 5 years (hazard ratio: 1.31 (0.88, 1.94) (P = 0.190)). Similarly, no significant difference was noted in overall complications (P = 0.06), biliary (P = 0.290) or vascular complications (P = 0.190), perioperative haemorrhage (P = 0.150), post-operative mortality (P = 0.810) and rejection (P = 0.160). The incidence of SFSS in grafts with a GRWR <0.8 is more than in GRWR ≥0.8; however, the low GRWR does not appear to impact perioperative outcomes or graft survival. © 2018 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

[The activity of thermolability amylase in serum nonsmoking and smoking healthy persons and patients with pancreatitis].

PubMed

Sliwińska-Mossoń, Mariola; Milnerowicz, Halina

2008-01-01

The aim of this study is to prove the influence of tobacco smoking on total and thermolability amylase activity in the serum of non-smoking and smoking health persons and patients with diagnosed acute (AP), chronic exaggerated (CEP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) and patients with diabetes. The blood has been collected from 28 healthy persons and 52 patients. The enzyme total activity has been determined using the colorimetric method with substrate 1,2-odilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid -(6-methylresorufin) ester. The thermolability activity has been determined using the thermolability test. The tobacco smoke has been examined on the basic of concentration of cotinine in the serum of health persons and patients. The highest amylase total activity and her thermolability form have been found in smoking patients with diabetes. It has been noted that the serum amylase activity is significantly higher in smoking and healthy persons (p < 0.0002; p < 0.002) then in non-smoking and healthy patients. However no significant differences have been found between the thermolability total activity, however it has been noted higher thermolability thermolability activity in smoking patients with CP and nonsmoking patients with CP. Smoking patients with AP and CEP have been found to have a significantly increased enzyme and her form thermolability activity (p > 0.001; p > 0.005 respectively) when compared to non-smoking patients. Results of examination indicate that tobacco smoking has a significant influence on pancreatic amylase activity.

Adaptation of Lymnaea fuscus and Radix balthica to Fasciola hepatica through the experimental infection of several successive snail generations

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background High prevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection (>70%) was noted during several outbreaks before the 2000s in several French farms where Galba truncatula is lacking. Other lymnaeids such as Lymnaea fuscus, L. glabra and/or Radix balthica are living in meadows around these farms but only juvenile snails can sustain complete larval development of F. hepatica while older snails were resistant. The low prevalence of infection (<20%) and limited cercarial production (<50 cercariae per infected snail) noted with these juveniles could not explain the high values noted in these cattle herds. As paramphistomosis due to Calicophoron daubneyi was not still noted in these farms, the existence of another mode of infection was hypothesized. Experimental infection of several successive generations of L. glabra, originating from eggs laid by their parents already infected with this parasite resulted in a progressive increase in prevalence of snail infection and the number of shed cercariae. The aim of this paper was to determine if this mode of snail infection was specific to L. glabra, or it might occur in other lymnaeid species such as L. fuscus and R. balthica. Methods Five successive generations of L. fuscus and R. balthica were subjected to individual bimiracidial infections in the laboratory. Resulting rediae and cercariae in the first four generations were counted after snail dissection at day 50 p.e. (20°C), while the dynamics of cercarial shedding was followed in the F5 generation. Results In the first experiment, prevalence and intensity of F. hepatica infection in snails progressively increased from the F1 (R. balthica) or F2 (L. fuscus) generation. In the second experiment, the prevalence of F. hepatica infection and the number of shed cercariae were significantly lower in L. fuscus and R. balthica (without significant differences between both lymnaeids) than in G. truncatula. Conclusion The F. hepatica infection of several successive snail generations, coming from parents infected with this parasite, resulted in a progressive increase in prevalence and intensity of snail infection. This may explain high prevalence of fasciolosis noted in several cattle-breeding farms when the common snail host of this digenean, G. truncatula, is lacking. PMID:24986589

Who Leaves Suicide Notes? An Exploration of Victim Characteristics and Suicide Method of Completed Suicides in Queensland.

PubMed

Carpenter, Belinda; Bond, Christine; Tait, Gordon; Wilson, Moira; White, Kris

2016-01-01

The objective of this study is to address the question: are those who leave suicide notes representative of the larger population of those who commit suicide? The method involves an analysis of a full population of suicides by residents of Queensland, Australia for the full year of 2004, with the information drawn from Coronial files. Our overall results suggest that, and in support of previous research, the population who leaves suicide notes are remarkably similar to those who do not. Differences are identified in four areas: first, and in contrast to prior research, females are less likely to leave a suicide note; second, and in support of previous research, Aboriginal Australians are less likely to leave suicide notes; third, and in support of some previous research, those who use gas as a method of suicide are more likely to leave notes, while those who use a vehicle or a train are less likely to leave notes; finally, our findings lend support to research which finds that those with a diagnosed mental illness are less likely to leave notes. The discussion addresses some of the reasons these disparities may have occurred, and continues the debate over the degree to which suicide notes give insight into the larger suicide population.

A survey of attitudes toward two motivating factors.

PubMed

Marty, J

1977-07-01

A survey was conducted to determine the attitudes clinical laboratory workers in Utah had toward two intrinsic aspects of work, challenge or appeal of work and self-fulfillment. Questionnaires were distributed to all major hospitals in Utah. Frequency distributions were obtained and Chisquare tests were performed to determine if significant differences existed in relationship to demographic variables. Respondents indicated that work was interesting, challenging, required thinking, and enabled them to make good use of past training, skills, and abilities. Findings showed they also responded positively to statements involving ample responsibility given for the position held, contribution to patient care, enjoyment of work, and feeling of self-importance. Negative attitudes were noted toward statements dealing with advancement in medical technology, adequate opportunities for continuing education at employer expense, and participation in decision making. The Chi-square test revealed workers in the hospitals surveyed differed significantly in their opinions about having adequate opportunities to attend workshops, etc., on employer time and expense, and also that personnel with varying educational levels felt significantly different about making suggestions concerning the laboratory.

Exercise Prescription for Physical Fitness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollock, Michael L.; And Others

1995-01-01

Examines current guidelines for physical fitness, noting issues that may influence the updating of the American College of Sports Medicine exercise statement. Differences between exercise prescription for fitness and physical activity for health are discussed, noting the importance of designing individualized programs with appropriate levels of…

The initial (earliest) report of polymorphous ventricular tachycardia.

PubMed

Jani, Sonal; Schweitzer, Paul

2006-07-01

In these short historical notes, we describe the early history of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Polymorphous ventricular tachycardia was probably first noted in 1918 by Wilson and Robinson. In a publication describing complete heart block and ventriculophasic arrhythmia, they noted a tachyarrhythmia characterized by multiple extrasystoles of different types at a rapid rate. Also, we briefly discuss the earliest recognized torsades de pointes by Dessertenes in 1966 and the first description of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, by Reid in 1977.

Scales

ScienceCinema

Murray Gibson

2017-12-09

Musical scales involve notes that, sounded simultaneously (chords), sound good together. The result is the left brain meeting the right brain — a Pythagorean interval of overlapping notes. This synergy would suggest less difference between the working of the right brain and the left brain than common wisdom would dictate. The pleasing sound of harmony comes when two notes share a common harmonic, meaning that their frequencies are in simple integer ratios, such as 3/2 (G/C) or 5/4 (E/C).

Inhalation exposure to sulfur mustard in the guinea pig model: Clinical, biochemical and histopathological characterization of respiratory injuries

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

Allon, Nahum, E-mail: nahuma@iibr.gov.i; Amir, Adina; Manisterski, Eliau

2009-12-01

Guinea pigs (GP) were exposed (head only) in individual plethysmographs to various concentrations of sulfur mustard vapor, determined online, using FTIR attached to flow chamber. The LCt{sub 50} and the inhaled LD{sub 50} were calculated at different time points post exposure. Surviving animals were monitored for clinical symptoms, respiratory parameters and body weight changes for up to 30 days. Clinical symptoms were noted at 3 h post exposure, characterized by erythematic and swelling nose with extensive mucous secretion (with or without bleeding). At 6 h post exposure most of the guinea pigs had breathing difficulties, rhonchi and dyspnea and fewmore » deaths were noted. These symptoms peaked at 48 h and were noted up to 8 days, associated with few additional deaths. Thereafter, a spontaneous healing was noted, characterized by recovery of respiratory parameters and normal weight gain with almost complete apparent healing within 2 weeks. Histopathological evaluation of lungs and trachea in the surviving GPs at 4 weeks post exposure revealed a dose-dependent residual injury in both lung and trachea expressed by abnormal recovery of the tracheal epithelium concomitant with a dose-dependent increase in cellular volume in the lungs. These abnormal epithelial regeneration and lung remodeling were accompanied with significant changes in protein, LDH, differential cell count and glutathione levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). It is suggested that the abnormal epithelial growth and cellular infiltration into the lung as well as the continuous lung inflammation could cause recurrent lung injury similar to that reported for HD exposed human casualties.« less

Clinical evaluation of long-term users of two contact lens care preservative systems.

PubMed

Young, Graeme; Keir, Nancy; Hunt, Chris; Woods, Craig A

2009-03-01

To clinically evaluate long-term users of two different contact lens care preservative systems and to investigate whether prolonged use is associated with an increase in the prevalence of dry eye. Eighty-nine wearers of group IV hydrogel or silicone hydrogel lenses participated in this one-visit, investigator-masked study. Subjects were required to have consistently used a polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) or polyquaternium-1 (PQT) based solution for 2 years. Consistent use was defined as 80% for the past 2 years and 100% for the past year. Clinical assessments included: average and comfortable wear time; overall and end-of-day comfort; signs of dryness, discomfort, burning or stinging, grittiness or scratchiness and visual changes; non-invasive and fluorescein break-up-time; pre-ocular tear film lipids, tear meniscus height, Schirmer and fluorescein clearance tests; limbal and bulbar hyperemia; palpebral roughness; corneal and conjunctival staining; lens front surface wetting; and lens film deposits. Significantly more grittiness or scratchiness was reported by subjects using a PHMB-containing system (67% vs. 44%; P = 0.02). Palpebral roughness and hyperemia were significantly greater in the PHMB group wearing group IV lenses (P = 0.01 and P = 0.05, respectively). Corneal staining was significantly higher in the PHMB users in all four peripheral sectors (P < 0.01). Nasal and temporal conjunctival staining was also significantly higher for users of PHMB-containing systems (P < 0.05). Front surface lens wettability was significantly better for group IV PQT users compared to PHMB users (P = 0.008), with 84% vs. 72%, respectively, with lenses graded by the investigator as having "good" or "excellent" wettability. Significantly higher levels of lens front surface film deposits were noted with PHMB users (P = 0.007), with 58% of group IV lenses treated with PHMB compared with 38% of group IV lenses treated with PQT showing some lens front surface film deposition. No significant differences between the two preservative system groups were noted for the range of dry eye evaluations nor the remaining clinical assessments. Differences in both ocular and lens characteristic were observed between long-term users of two preservative systems used in many contact lens multi-purpose solutions. The findings from this study did not support the hypothesis that prolonged use of PHMB-containing solutions leads to dry eye. Additional studies including a larger sample size and perhaps longer use of the systems could help to further elucidate differences in clinical performance between systems.

Position coding effects in a 2D scenario: the case of musical notation.

PubMed

Perea, Manuel; García-Chamorro, Cristina; Centelles, Arnau; Jiménez, María

2013-07-01

How does the cognitive system encode the location of objects in a visual scene? In the past decade, this question has attracted much attention in the field of visual-word recognition (e.g., "jugde" is perceptually very close to "judge"). Letter transposition effects have been explained in terms of perceptual uncertainty or shared "open bigrams". In the present study, we focus on note position coding in music reading (i.e., a 2D scenario). The usual way to display music is the staff (i.e., a set of 5 horizontal lines and their resultant 4 spaces). When reading musical notation, it is critical to identify not only each note (temporal duration), but also its pitch (y-axis) and its temporal sequence (x-axis). To examine note position coding, we employed a same-different task in which two briefly and consecutively presented staves contained four notes. The experiment was conducted with experts (musicians) and non-experts (non-musicians). For the "different" trials, the critical conditions involved staves in which two internal notes that were switched vertically, horizontally, or fully transposed--as well as the appropriate control conditions. Results revealed that note position coding was only approximate at the early stages of processing and that this encoding process was modulated by expertise. We examine the implications of these findings for models of object position encoding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of prior knowledge on the retrieval-directed function of note taking in prior knowledge activation.

PubMed

Wetzels, Sandra A J; Kester, Liesbeth; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Broers, Nick J

2011-06-01

Prior knowledge activation facilitates learning. Note taking during prior knowledge activation (i.e., note taking directed at retrieving information from memory) might facilitate the activation process by enabling learners to build an external representation of their prior knowledge. However, taking notes might be less effective in supporting prior knowledge activation if available prior knowledge is limited. This study investigates the effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking depending on learners' level of prior knowledge. It is hypothesized that the effectiveness of note taking is influenced by the amount of prior knowledge learners already possess. Sixty-one high school students participated in this study. A prior knowledge test was used to ascertain differences in level of prior knowledge and assign participants to a low or a high prior knowledge group. A 2×2 factorial design was used to investigate the effects of note taking during prior knowledge activation (yes, no) depending on learners' level of prior knowledge (low, high) on mental effort, performance, and mental efficiency. Note taking during prior knowledge activation lowered mental effort and increased mental efficiency for high prior knowledge learners. For low prior knowledge learners, note taking had the opposite effect on mental effort and mental efficiency. The effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking are influenced by learners' level of prior knowledge. Learners with high prior knowledge benefit from taking notes while activating prior knowledge, whereas note taking has no beneficial effects for learners with limited prior knowledge. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Context-dependent categorical perception in a songbird

PubMed Central

Lachlan, Robert F.; Nowicki, Stephen

2015-01-01

Some of the psychological abilities that underlie human speech are shared with other species. One hallmark of speech is that linguistic context affects both how speech sounds are categorized into phonemes, and how different versions of phonemes are produced. We here confirm earlier findings that swamp sparrows categorically perceive the notes that constitute their learned songs and then investigate how categorical boundaries differ according to context. We clustered notes according to their acoustic structure, and found statistical evidence for clustering into 10 population-wide note types. Examining how three related types were perceived, we found, in both discrimination and labeling tests, that an “intermediate” note type is categorized with a “short” type when it occurs at the beginning of a song syllable, but with a “long” type at the end of a syllable. In sum, three produced note-type clusters appear to be underlain by two perceived categories. Thus, in birdsong, as in human speech, categorical perception is context-dependent, and as is the case for human phonology, there is a complex relationship between underlying categorical representations and surface forms. Our results therefore suggest that complex phonology can evolve even in the absence of rich linguistic components, like syntax and semantics. PMID:25561538

Staff walking program: a quasi-experimental trial of maintenance newsletters to maintain walking following a pedometer program.

PubMed

Borg, Janelle; Merom, Dafna; Rissel, Chris

2010-04-01

The Step by Step self-help walking program plus a pedometer previously motivated a community sample of adults to be physically active for up to three months. This study evaluates the effect of enhancement of this program over an additional nine months in a workplace. A quasi-experimental trial was conducted. Staff defined as inactive received the three month walking program and a pedometer (standard), or the three month program plus four maintenance newsletters over nine months (standard+maintenance). After 12 months a follow-up interview was conducted. Measures included changes in self-reported minutes walking, minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), total physical activity (PA) in the past week, and the proportion meeting public health recommendations by walking and total PA. Significant increases on all outcome measures were noted for all participants. There were no between group differences in walking minutes. However, the change in MVPA minutes was significantly higher in the standard+maintenance group compared with the standard group (118 min vs 69 min, P=0.029). No significant between group differences were observed for total PA (161 min vs 117 min, P=0.187). Wearing the pedometer at the month of the follow-up interview, and thinking that the pedometer was very useful, increased the likelihood of meeting public health recommendations (AOR=2.7 and 2.5) adjusting for other covariates. Dissemination of the Step by Step guidebook with pedometers in the workplace resulted in a long-term increase in PA of inactive employees with no extra support. Newsletters as a maintenance strategy had no additional benefits. Better outcomes were noted if the pedometer was used and was perceived as being very useful.