Mechanism of Electromagnetic Energy Effects of the Nervous System. Experimental System and Preliminary Results.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

17 * 7 Expulsion of pipette by cell... 17 8 Effects of curare on cell studied 27 June 1980 ... 18 9 Pipette experiment, 18 July 1980 ... 27 10...Response of cell studied 18 August 1980 to sudden dc shift... 29 3 3 FIGURES (cont’d) C-Ia-c Baseline period of cell studied 18 June 1980 ... page 49 C-2a-c...Exposure period of cell studied 18 June 1980 ... 50 C-3a-c Post-exposure period of cell studied 18 June 1980 ... 51 C-4a-d Baseline, first exposure

A use study of speech pathology and audiology periodicals at Illinois State University.

PubMed Central

Duran, N; Buckley, C E; Ng, M L

1997-01-01

No core list of periodicals exists for speech pathology and audiology. Faced with the prospect of having to cancer periodicals for all subjects, the science librarians at Illinois State University decided to determine which science periodicals were used most heavily. A one-year study of science periodical reshelving and interlibrary loan requests yielded ranked lists of periodicals important to speech pathology and audiology faculty and students at Illinois State University. The three most heavily used journals were the Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, ASHA, and Topics in Language Disorders. Most of the periodicals on the lists were indexed by either MEDLINE or UnCover, or by both. While the lists of journals developed in the study are not sufficient to serve as true core lists, they should be useful to libraries supporting comparable programs in speech pathology and audiology. PMID:9431426

Mobile App to Reduce Inactivity in Sedentary Overweight Women.

PubMed

Finkelstein, Joseph; Bedra, McKenzie; Li, Xuan; Wood, Jeffrey; Ouyang, Pamela

2015-01-01

Recent studies demonstrated that the duration of inactivity (sedentary state) is independently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Our goal was to develop the technology that can measure the amount of inactivity in real time, remind a person that a preprogrammed period of inactivity has occurred and encourage a period of activity, and provide web-based feedback with tailored information to the participant and investigators. Once it was developed, we carried out a pilot study in a group of sedentary overweight women. The objective of the study was to assess potential of the mobile app to reduce inactivity in our target population. A randomized crossover design was employed with study subjects randomly assigned to a 4-week each "message-on" and "message-off" periods. Out of 30 enrolled subjects, 27 completed the study. The average age of particpants was 52±12; BMI: 37±6; 47% were white and 47% were African American. Overall, inactivity was significantly lower (p<0.02) during "message-on" periods (24.6%) as compared to the "message-off" periods (30.4%). We conluded that mobile app monitoring inactivity and providing a real-time notification when inactivity period exceeds healthy limits was able to significantly reduce inactivity periods in overweight sedentary women.

Are Seminar Periods Supportive of the Professional Development of Social Studies Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Selçuk Besir; Dogan, Soner; Atasoy, Turgay

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficiency of the seminar periods intended for contributing to the professional development of social studies teachers based on their own perspectives. This study adopts a qualitative approach and is carried out in the form of a case study. Among the purposeful sampling methods, the criteria sample…

Instructional Planning Time: A Review of Existing Research and Educator Practice during the 2012-2013 School Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hixson, Nate; Stohr, Amber D.; Hammer, Patricia Cahape

2013-01-01

A study of instructional planning periods was undertaken in late 2013 pursuant to West Virginia State Code §18A-4-14 which states: "The state board shall conduct a study on planning periods. The study shall include, but not be limited to, the appropriate length for planning periods at the various grade levels and for the different types of…

A Study of the Utilization Patterns of an Elementary School-Based Health Clinic over a 5-Year Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Veda; Hutcherson, Valerie

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the utilization pattern of an elementary school-based clinic over a 5-year period. It involved a retrospective analysis of computer-based data for all patient visits during this study period. Results revealed high clinic utilization with an average of over 5 encounters for all users each year. The most…

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

Vlies, C. H. van der, E-mail: c.h.vandervlies@amc.uva.nl; Hoekstra, J.; Ponsen, K. J.

Introduction: Nonoperative management (NOM) has become the treatment of choice for hemodynamically stable patients with blunt splenic injury. Results of outcome after NOM are predominantly based on large-volume studies from level 1 trauma centers in the United States. This study was designed to assess the results of NOM in a relatively low-volume Dutch level 1 trauma center. Methods: An analysis of a prospective trauma registry was performed for a 6-year period before (period 1) and after the introduction and implementation of splenic artery embolization (SAE) (period 2). Primary outcome was the failure rate of initial treatment. Results: A total ofmore » 151 patients were reviewed. An increased use of SAE and a reduction of splenic operations during the second period was observed. Compared with period 1, the failure rate after observation in period 2 decreased from 25% to 10%. The failure rate after SAE in period 2 was 18%. The splenic salvage rate (SSR) after observation increased from 79% in the first period to 100% in the second period. During the second period, all patients with failure after observation were successfully treated with SAE. The SSR after SAE in periods 1 and 2 was respectively 100% and 86%. Conclusions: SAE of patients with blunt splenic injuries is associated with a reduction in splenic operations. The failure and splenic salvage rates in this current study were comparable with the results from large-volume studies of level 1 trauma centers. Nonoperative management also is feasible in a relatively low-volume level 1 trauma center outside the United States.« less

Milk minerals modify the effect of fat intake on serum lipid profile: results from an animal and a human short-term study.

PubMed

Lorenzen, Janne K; Jensen, Søren K; Astrup, Arne

2014-04-28

Despite a high content of saturated fat, evidence from observational studies indicates that the consumption of dairy products may have a neutral effect or may be inversely associated with the risk of CVD. We aimed to examine whether milk minerals modify the effect of saturated fat on serum lipid profile. We present data from two studies. Study I had a randomised, blinded, parallel design (n 24 pigs) with a 10 d adaptation period during which a high-fat diet was fed to the pigs and a 14 d intervention period during which the same diet either enriched with milk minerals (MM group) or placebo (control group) was fed to the pigs. Study II had a randomised cross-over design (n 9 men) where the subjects were fed either a high-fat diet enriched with milk minerals (MM period) or a regular diet (control period). In both the studies, blood variables were measured before and after the intervention and faecal and urine samples were collected at the end of the dietary periods. The increase in plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations but not in HDL-cholesterol concentration was markedly lowered by milk minerals in both the studies. In the animal study, baseline adjusted total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in the MM group were 11% (P = 0.004) and 13% (P = 0.03) lower compared with those in the control group after the intervention. Similarly in the human study, baseline adjusted total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were 6% (P = 0.002) and 9% (P = 0.03) lower after the MM period compared with those in the control period. HDL-cholesterol concentration was not lowered by milk minerals. These short-term studies indicate that the addition of milk minerals to a high-fat diet to some extent attenuates the increase in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, without affecting HDL-cholesterol concentration.

The association of controlling pseudoephedrine availability on methamphetamine-related emergency department visits.

PubMed

Hendrickson, Robert G; Cloutier, Robert L; Fu, Rongwei

2010-11-01

Methamphetamine is a drug of abuse that has been manufactured locally by chemical conversion from the decongestant pseudoephedrine. In July 2006, an Oregon state law was enacted to establish pseudoephedrine as a schedule III drug and make it available by prescription only. This study sought to determine if this legislation altered the number of emergency department (ED) visits that are related to methamphetamine use. This was a retrospective analysis of a database created during a prospective study aimed at determining the effect of methamphetamine on ED visits. That prospective study was 1 year in duration and required ED clinicians to determine whether a patient's visit was related to methamphetamine and if the patient had confirmed use of methamphetamine. The clinicians received initial and continued education and training on methamphetamine during the study period. The questions were asked at every ED visit during the study period and were electronically linked to the patient's disposition and could not be circumvented. The study period was divided into prelegislation (February 5, 2006, to June 30, 2006) and postlegislation periods (July 1, 2006, to February 5, 2007). Over the 1-year study period, 37,625 patients were enrolled, 1.90% (n = 714) of patients had methamphetamine-related ED visits (MREDVs), and 1.65% (n = 620) had confirmed methamphetamine use. Patients with MREDVs were more likely than patients with non-MREDVs to be white and uninsured. The number and proportion of weekly MREDVs significantly decreased from the prelegislation period to the postlegislation period (mean number of weekly visits, 18.0 vs. 11.3, p = 0.001; mean proportion of weekly visits, 2.3% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.003). The number and proportion of weekly confirmed users of methamphetamine also significantly decreased during the study period (mean number of weekly users, 14.6 vs. 10.3, p = 0.004; mean proportion of weekly users, 1.9% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.017). There were no significant differences in the diagnoses of MREDVS between the pre- and postlegislation periods. This study found an association between the enactment of legislation that limits pseudoephedrine availability and a decrease in MREDVs and confirmed users of methamphetamine in the study ED. © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Changes in Bacterial Resistance Patterns of Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections and Rationale for Empirical Antibiotic Therapy.

PubMed

Gökçe, İbrahim; Çiçek, Neslihan; Güven, Serçin; Altuntaş, Ülger; Bıyıklı, Neşe; Yıldız, Nurdan; Alpay, Harika

2017-09-29

The causative agent spectrum and resistance patterns of urinary tract infections in children are affected by many factors. To demonstrate antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infections and changing ratio in antibiotic resistance by years. Retrospective cross-sectional study. We analysed antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated Gram (-) bacteria during the years 2011-2014 (study period 2) in children with urinary tract infections. We compared these findings with data collected in the same centre in 2001-2003 (study period 1). Four hundred and sixty-five uncomplicated community-acquired Gram (-) urinary tract infections were analysed from 2001-2003 and 400 from 2011-2014. Sixty-one percent of patients were female (1.5 girls : 1 boy). The mean age of children included in the study was 3 years and 9 months. Escherichia coli was the predominant bacteria isolated during both periods of the study (60% in study period 1 and 73% in study period 2). Bacteria other than E. coli demonstrated a higher level of resistance to all of the antimicrobials except trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole than E. coli bacteria during the years 2011-2014. In our study, we found increasing resistance trends of urinary pathogens for cefixime (from 1% to 15%, p<0.05), amikacin (from 0% to 4%, p<0.05) and ciprofloxacin (from 0% to 3%, p<0.05) between the two periods. Urinary pathogens showed a decreasing trend for nitrofurantoin (from 17% to 7%, p=0.0001). No significant trends were detected for ampicillin (from 69% to 71%), amoxicillin-clavulanate (from 44% to 43%), cefazolin (from 39% to 32%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (from 32% to 31%), cefuroxime (from 21% to 18%) and ceftriaxone (from 10% to 14%) between the two periods (p>0.05). In childhood urinary tract infections, antibiotic resistance should be evaluated periodically and empiric antimicrobial therapy should be decided according to antibiotic sensitivity results.

A Study of Periodical Literature Searching at an Urban Research Library: Problems and Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Kevin

Patron use of periodical indexes at an urban academic research library was studied over a 7-week period in the summer of 1982. A total of 98 patrons were interviewed on a random basis as they used various periodical and newspaper indexes. The questionnaire was designed to gather information on citation elements, the methods patrons use to locate…

Estimating the incubation period of acute Q fever, a systematic review.

PubMed

Todkill, D; Fowler, T; Hawker, J I

2018-04-01

Estimates of the incubation period for Q fever vary substantially between different reviews and expert advice documents. We systematically reviewed and quality appraised the literature to provide an evidence-based estimate of the incubation period of the Q fever by the aerosolised infection route. Medline (OVIDSP) and EMBASE were searched with the search limited to human studies and English language. Eligible studies included persons with symptomatic, acute Q fever, and defined exposure to Coxiella burnetti. After review of 7115 titles and abstracts, 320 records were screened at full-text level. Of these, 23 studies contained potentially useful data and were quality assessed, with eight studies (with 403 individual cases where the derivation of incubation period was possible) being of sufficient quality and providing individual-level data to produce a pooled summary. We found a median incubation period of 18 days, with 95% of cases expected to occur between 7 and 32 days after exposure.

Exceptional points of resonant states on a periodic slab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdrabou, Amgad; Lu, Ya Yan

2018-06-01

A special kind of degeneracy, known as exceptional points (EPs), for resonant states on a dielectric periodic slab are investigated. Due to their unique properties, EPs have found important applications in lasing, sensing, unidirectional operations, etc. In general, EPs may appear in non-Hermitian eigenvalue problems, including those related to -parity-time-symmetric systems and those for open dielectric structures (due to the existence of radiation loss). In this paper, we study EPs on a simple periodic structure: a slab with a periodic array of gaps. By using an efficient numerical method, we calculate the EPs and study their dependence on geometric parameters. Analytic results are obtained for the limit as the periodic slab approaches a uniform one. Our work provides a simple platform for further studies concerning EPs on dielectric periodic structures, their unusual properties, and applications.

Pharmacist-led Tdap vaccination of close contacts of neonates in a women's hospital.

PubMed

Mills, Brittany; Fensterheim, Leonard; Taitel, Michael; Cannon, Adam

2014-01-16

Pertussis can cause severe illness and death in infants. Immunization of family members with the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoids, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine can decrease risk of pertussis infection among infants. A community pharmacy on a women's hospital campus implemented a Tdap vaccination pilot program. To investigate the rate of Tdap vaccination among close contacts of neonates in a women's hospital pharmacy and to assess the impact of a coordinated pharmacy and hospital Tdap vaccination program. The intervention entailed education from hospital staff who explained the risks of pertussis, advocated the benefits of vaccination, and encouraged family members to be vaccinated. In the on-site clinic or in the pharmacy, pharmacists administered vaccine to eligible patients. Rates of Tdap vaccinations in the intervention pharmacy with in-hospital vaccination were compared to comparison pharmacies without Tdap interventions. In the pre-study period (December 2008-November 2010), there were 31 Tdap vaccinations administered at the intervention pharmacy (mean=1.3/month); during the study period (December 2010-November 2012), 2045 Tdap vaccinations were administered (mean=85.2/month). In four comparison hospital-campus pharmacies, there were 77 vaccinations (mean=0.8/month) during the pre-study period and 817 vaccinations (mean=8.5/month) during the study period. There were 155 vaccinations administered in 44 area-community pharmacies (mean=0.1/month) during the pre-study period and 2930 (mean=2.8/month) during the study period. The intervention pharmacy had the highest average monthly rate of change in Tdap volume from pre-study to study period (83.9), compared to comparison hospital-campus pharmacies (7.7, p<.001) and area-community pharmacies (2.7, p<.001). During the study period, the estimated Tdap vaccination coverage per live births was 8.1% in the intervention pharmacy versus 5.5% in the comparison hospital-campus pharmacies (p<.001). Tdap vaccination rates increased after implementation of the intervention program. This project illustrates how health systems and community pharmacists can collaborate to improve patient care. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Indications of a Scarring Effect of Sickness Absence Periods in a Cohort of Higher Educated Self-Employed.

PubMed

Wijnvoord, Liesbeth E C; Brouwer, Sandra; Buitenhuis, Jan; van der Klink, Jac J L; de Boer, Michiel R

2016-01-01

Little is known regarding incidence and recurrence of sickness absence in self-employed. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the number of prior episodes of sickness absence on the risk of subsequent periods of sickness absence in higher educated self-employed. In a historic register study based on the files of a Dutch private disability insurance company all sickness absence periods of 30 days or more were analysed. A total of 15,868 insured persons contributed 141,188 person years to the study. In total, 5608 periods of sickness absence occurred during follow-up. The hazard of experiencing a new period of sickness absence increased with every previous period, ranging from a hazard ratio of 2.83 in case of one previous period of sickness absence to a hazard ratio of 6.72 in case of four previous periods. This effect was found for both men and women and for all diagnostic categories of the first period of sickness absence. Our study shows that for all diagnostic categories the hazard of experiencing a recurrence of sickness absence is appreciably higher than for experiencing a first episode. This suggests that this increased hazard may be related to the occurrence of sickness absence itself rather than related to characteristics of the insured person or of the medical condition. These findings could indicate that sickness absence periods may have a scarring effect on the self-employed person experiencing the sickness absence.

A randomized trial of automated electronic alerts demonstrating improved reimbursable anesthesia time documentation.

PubMed

Freundlich, Robert E; Barnet, Caryn S; Mathis, Michael R; Shanks, Amy M; Tremper, Kevin K; Kheterpal, Sachin

2013-03-01

To investigate whether alerting providers to errors results in improved documentation of reimbursable anesthesia care. Prospective randomized controlled trial. Operating room (OR) of a university hospital. Anesthesia cases were evaluated to determine whether they met the definition for appropriate anesthesia start time over 4 separate, 45-day calendar cycles: the pre-study period, study period, immediate post-study period, and 3-year follow-up period. During the study period, providers were randomly assigned to either a control or an alert group. Providers in the alert cohort received an automated alphanumeric page if the anesthesia start time occurred concurrently with the patient entering the OR, or more than 30 minutes before entering the OR. Three years after the intervention period, overall compliance was analyzed to assess learned behavior. Baseline compliance was 33% ± 5%. During the intervention period, providers in the alert group showed 87% ± 6% compliance compared with 41% ± 7% compliance in the control group (P < 0.001). Long-term follow-up after cessation of the alerts showed 85% ± 4% compliance. Automated electronic reminders for time-based billing charges are effective and result in improved ongoing reimbursement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variance Function Regression in Hierarchical Age-Period-Cohort Models: Applications to the Study of Self-Reported Health

PubMed Central

Zheng, Hui; Yang, Yang; Land, Kenneth C.

2012-01-01

Two long-standing research problems of interest to sociologists are sources of variations in social inequalities and differential contributions of the temporal dimensions of age, time period, and cohort to variations in social phenomena. Recently, scholars have introduced a model called Variance Function Regression for the study of the former problem, and a model called Hierarchical Age-Period-Cohort regression has been developed for the study of the latter. This article presents an integration of these two models as a means to study the evolution of social inequalities along distinct temporal dimensions. We apply the integrated model to survey data on subjective health status. We find substantial age, period, and cohort effects, as well as gender differences, not only for the conditional mean of self-rated health (i.e., between-group disparities), but also for the variance in this mean (i.e., within-group disparities)—and it is detection of age, period, and cohort variations in the latter disparities that application of the integrated model permits. Net of effects of age and individual-level covariates, in recent decades, cohort differences in conditional means of self-rated health have been less important than period differences that cut across all cohorts. By contrast, cohort differences of variances in these conditional means have dominated period differences. In particular, post-baby boom birth cohorts show significant and increasing levels of within-group disparities. These findings illustrate how the integrated model provides a powerful framework through which to identify and study the evolution of variations in social inequalities across age, period, and cohort temporal dimensions. Accordingly, this model should be broadly applicable to the study of social inequality in many different substantive contexts. PMID:22904570

Assessment of drought during corn growing season in Northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qi; Hu, Zhenghua

2018-04-01

Northeast China has experienced extensive climate change during the past decades. Corn is the primary production crop in China and is sensitive to meteorological disasters, especially drought. Drought has thus greatly endangered crop production and the country's food security. The majority of previous studies has not highlighted farming adaptation activities undertaken within the changed climate, which should not be neglected. In this study, we assessed drought hazard in the corn vegetation growing period, the reproductive growing period, and the whole growing period based on data for yearly corn phenology, daily precipitation, and temperature gathered at 26 agro-meteorological stations across Northeast China from 1981 to 2009. The M-K trend test was used to detect trends in sowing date and drought. The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was used to describe drought. Drought frequency and intensity were used to assess the drought hazard in the region. We found that the sowing date was delayed in the southern part of the study area, coupled with a trend towards a shorter and more humid vegetation growing period. In the northern part of the study area, an earlier sowing date increased the length of the vegetation growing period and the reproductive growing period, while drying trends occurred within the two corn growing periods. We assessed the drought hazard during each growing period: the reproductive growing period faced a more severe drought hazard and was also the period where corn was most sensitive to water stress. Drought hazard during the total growing period was closely related to corn yield.

Developing new mathematical method for search of the time series periodicity with deletions and insertions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korotkov, E. V.; Korotkova, M. A.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to detect latent periodicity in the presence of deletions or insertions in the analyzed data, when the points of deletions or insertions are unknown. A mathematical method was developed to search for periodicity in the numerical series, using dynamic programming and random matrices. The developed method was applied to search for periodicity in the Euro/Dollar (Eu/) exchange rate, since 2001. The presence of periodicity within the period length equal to 24 h in the analyzed financial series was shown. Periodicity can be detected only with insertions and deletions. The results of this study show that periodicity phase shifts, depend on the observation time. The reasons for the existence of the periodicity in the financial ranks are discussed.

Talbot effect of quasi-periodic grating.

PubMed

Zhang, Chong; Zhang, Wei; Li, Furui; Wang, Junhong; Teng, Shuyun

2013-07-20

Theoretic and experimental studies of the Talbot effect of quasi-periodic gratings are performed in this paper. The diffractions of periodic and quasi-periodic square aperture arrays in Fresnel fields are analyzed according to the scalar diffraction theory. The expressions of the diffraction intensities of two types of quasi-periodic gratings are deduced. Talbot images of the quasi-periodic gratings are predicted to appear at multiple certain distances. The quasi-periodic square aperture arrays are produced with the aid of a liquid crystal light modulator, and the self-images of the quasi-periodic gratings are measured successfully in the experiment. This study indicates that even a structure in short-range disorder may take on the self-imaging effect in a Fresnel field.

Quiet Eye and Performance in Sport: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Lebeau, Jean-Charles; Liu, Sicong; Sáenz-Moncaleano, Camilo; Sanduvete-Chaves, Susana; Chacón-Moscoso, Salvador; Becker, Betsy Jane; Tenenbaum, Gershon

2016-10-01

Research linking the "quiet eye" (QE) period to subsequent performance has not been systematically synthesized. In this paper we review the literature on the link between the two through nonintervention (Synthesis 1) and intervention (Synthesis 2) studies. In the first synthesis, 27 studies with 38 effect sizes resulted in a large mean effect (d = 1.04) reflecting differences between experts' and novices' QE periods, and a moderate effect size (d = 0.58) comparing QE periods for successful and unsuccessful performances within individuals. Studies reporting QE duration as a percentage of the total time revealed a larger mean effect size than studies reporting an absolute duration (in milliseconds). The second synthesis of 9 articles revealed very large effect sizes for both the quiet-eye period (d = 1.53) and performance (d = 0.84). QE also showed some ability to predict performance effects across studies.

Hydroacoustic Evaluation of Overwintering Summer Steelhead Fallback and Kelt Passage at The Dalles Dam, 2009-2010

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

Khan, Fenton; Johnson, Gary E.; Weiland, Mark A.

2010-07-31

This report presents the results of an evaluation of overwintering summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fallback and early out-migrating steelhead kelts downstream passage at The Dalles Dam (TDA) sluiceway and turbines during fall/winter 2009 through early spring 2010. The study was conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE). The goal of this study was to characterize adult steelhead spatial and temporal distributions and passage rates at the sluiceway and turbines for fisheries managers and engineers to use in decision-making relative to sluiceway operations. The study was from November 1, 2009more » to April 10, 2010. The study was divided into three study periods: Period 1, November 1 - December 15, 2009 for a fall/winter sluiceway and turbine study; Period 2, December 16, 2009 - February 28, 2010 for a turbine only study; Period 3, March 1 - April 10, 2010 for a spring sluiceway and turbine study. Sluiceway operations were scheduled to begin on March 1 for this study; however, because of an oil spill cleanup near the sluice outfall, sluiceway operations were delayed until March 8, 2010, therefore the spring study period did not commence until March 8. The study objectives were to (1) estimate the number and distribution of overwintering summer steelhead fallbacks and kelt-sized acoustic targets passing into the sluiceway and turbines at TDA between November 1 and December 15, 2009 and March 1 and April 10, 2010, and (2) estimate the numbers and distribution of adult steelhead and kelt-sized targets passing into turbine units between December 16, 2009 and February 28, 2010. We obtained fish passage data using fixed-location hydroacoustics. For Period 1, overwintering summer steelhead fallback occurred throughout the 45-day study period. A total of 879 {+-} 165 (95% CI) steelhead targets passed through the powerhouse and sluiceway during November 1 to December 15, 2009. Ninety two percent of these fish passed through the sluiceway. Run timing peaked in early December, but fish continued to pass the dam until the end of the study. Horizontal distribution data indicated that Sluice 1 is the preferred route for these fish during fallback through the dam. Diel distribution for steelhead was variable with no apparent distinct patterns. For Period 2, adult steelhead passage occurred on January 14 and 31 and February 2, 22, and 24. A total of 62 {+-} 40 (95% CI) steelhead targets passed through the powerhouse intakes during December 16, 2009 to March 7, 2010. Horizontal distribution data indicated turbine unit 18 passed the majority of fish. Fish passage occurred during morning periods. Passage did not occur during afternoon or nighttime. For Period 3, the early spring study period, overwintering summer steelhead and early out-migrating steelhead kelt downstream passage occurred throughout the 34-day study period. A total of 1,985 {+-} 234 (95% CI) kelt-size targets were estimated to have passed through the powerhouse sluiceway. Ninety-nine percent of these fish passed through the sluiceway. Run timing peaked in late March and again in early April. Horizontal distribution indicated that Sluice 1 is the preferred route for these adult salmonids as they migrate downstream through the dam. Diel distribution for steelhead was variable with no apparent distinct patterns. The results of this study strongly suggest that operating the TDA sluiceway for steelhead passage (fallbacks and kelts) during the late fall, winter, and early spring months will provide an optimal, non-turbine route for these fishes to pass the dam.« less

78 FR 40149 - Scientific Information Request on Chronic Urinary Retention (CUR) Treatment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-03

... improve the quality of this review. AHRQ is conducting this comparative effectiveness review pursuant to..., study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use instructions, inclusion and... study number, the study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use instructions...

Leveraging Digital Health Technologies and Outpatient Sampling in Clinical Drug Development: A Phase 1 Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Dockendorf, Marissa F; Murthy, Gowri; Bateman, Kevin P; Kothare, Prajakti A; Anderson, Melanie; Xie, Iris; Sachs, Jeff R; Burlage, Rubi; Goldman, Andra; Moyer, Matthew; Shah, Jyoti; Ruba, Rachel; Shipley, Lisa; Harrelson, Jane

2018-06-09

Merck & Co., Inc. (Kenilworth, New Jersey) is investing in approaches to enrich clinical trial data and augment decision-making through utilization of digital health technologies, outpatient sampling, and real-time data access. As part of this strategy, a Phase 1 study was conducted to explore a few technologies of interest. In this fixed-sequence, two-period trial, 16 healthy subjects were administered 50-mg once-daily sitagliptin packaged in a bottle that electronically captured the date and time study medication was dispensed (Period 1) and in a traditional pharmacy bottle (Period 2). Dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected for sitagliptin concentration analysis on select study days, both in-clinic and at-home, with collection time recorded using an electronic diary in Period 1 and by clinic staff in Period 2. Study results demonstrated the feasibility and subject acceptance of collecting digital adherence data and outpatient DBS samples in clinical trials and highlighted areas for future improvements. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

What Do They Want?: A Study of Changing Employer Expectations of Information Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennan, Mary Anne; Willard, Patricia; Wilson, Concepcion S.

2006-01-01

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study of position vacant announcements appropriate for library and information studies (LIS) graduates appearing in the "Sydney Morning Herald" over a four week period in each of the following years: 2004, 1994, 1984 and 1974. The period studied witnessed change-demanding developments in…

Non-Periodic Helix TWT Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-01

IA-A087 413 LITTON SYSTEMS INC SAN CARLOS CA ELECTRON TUBE DIV F/6 9/1 NON-PERIODIC HELIX TWT STUDY.(U) MAY 80 N00173-76C-014 UNCLASSIFIED ML...IEEEEEEmhEEI U-80 - ’l////////,, 11111 128 25 L1. = *""L 1- 1.8 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART ’IT-, ( (NO-PERIODIC HELIX WTSTUDY0 I EXTENSION OF CONTRACT... Helix Circuit 4 - 2 Non-Periodic Helix Structure 7 3 Unwound Tape for Non-Periodic Helix 8 4 Typical Helix Assembly 10 5 Typical Ladder Assembly 11 6

Gene Identification Algorithms Using Exploratory Statistical Analysis of Periodicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Shashi Bajaj; Sen, Pradip Kumar

2010-10-01

Studying periodic pattern is expected as a standard line of attack for recognizing DNA sequence in identification of gene and similar problems. But peculiarly very little significant work is done in this direction. This paper studies statistical properties of DNA sequences of complete genome using a new technique. A DNA sequence is converted to a numeric sequence using various types of mappings and standard Fourier technique is applied to study the periodicity. Distinct statistical behaviour of periodicity parameters is found in coding and non-coding sequences, which can be used to distinguish between these parts. Here DNA sequences of Drosophila melanogaster were analyzed with significant accuracy.

Using multipliers analysis in order to get another perspective related to the role of ICT sectors in national economy of Indonesia: 1990-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuhdi, Ubaidillah

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study is to get another perspective related to the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors in national economy of Indonesia. The period of analysis of this study is 1990-2005. This study employs Input-Output (IO) analysis as a tool of analysis. More specifically, this study uses simple output multipliers method in order to achieve the purpose. Comparison with previous study is conducted in order to get the objective of this study. Previous study, using Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA), showed that ICT sectors did not have an important role in Indonesian national economy in above period. The similar results also appear in this study. In other words, from this study, another perspective related to the role of these sectors in Indonesian national economy in analysis period is not found.

Short-term effects on bone turnover of replacing milk with cola beverages: a 10-day interventional study in young men.

PubMed

Kristensen, Mette; Jensen, Marlene; Kudsk, Jane; Henriksen, Marianne; Mølgaard, Christian

2005-12-01

In the Western world, increased consumption of carbonated soft drinks combined with a decreasing intake of milk may increase the risk of osteoporosis. This study was designed to reflect the trend of replacing milk with carbonated beverages in a group of young men on a low-calcium diet and studies the effects of this replacement on calcium homeostasis and bone turnover. This controlled crossover intervention study included 11 healthy men (22-29 years) who were given a low-calcium basic diet in two 10-day intervention periods with an intervening 10-day washout. During one period, they drank 2.5 l of Coca Cola per day and during the other period 2.5 l of semi-skimmed milk. Serum concentrations of calcium, phosphate, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D), osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP) and cross-linked C-telopeptides (CTX), plasma intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and urinary cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTX) were determined at baseline and endpoint of each intervention period. An increase in serum phosphate (P<0.001), 1,25(OH)2D (P<0.001), PTH (P=0.046) and osteocalcin (P<0.001) was observed in the cola period compared to the milk period. Also, bone resorption was significantly increased following the cola period, seen as increased serum CTX (P<0.001) and urinary NTX (P<0.001) compared to the milk period. No changes were observed in serum concentrations of calcium or B-ALP. This study demonstrates that over a 10-day period high intake of cola with a low-calcium diet induces increased bone turnover compared to a high intake of milk with a low-calcium diet. Thus, the trend towards a replacement of milk with cola and other soft drinks, which results in a low calcium intake, may negatively affect bone health as indicated by this short-term study.

Postfledging nest dependence period for bald eagles in Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, P.B.; Collopy, Michael W.; Sekerak, C.M.

1998-01-01

We studied the postfledging dependency period in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a little studied but important period in the life cycle of avian species. Bald eagles in Florida had a postfledging dependency period of 4-11 weeks (15-22 weeks old). The length of the dependency period did not vary by year of study, sex, number of fledgings, timing of fledging, or hatch order (P > 0.05). Mean distance fledglings ranged from the nest increased with age, but they were observed in the nest or nest tree throughout the postfledging dependency period. Distance from the nest did not vary by sex, number of fledglings, or timing of fledging (P > 0.05). Over 80% of the fledgling observations were within 229 m of the nest. The boundary of the primary protection zone specified in the bald eagle habitat management guidelines for the southeastern United States is 229 m. Restrictions on human disturbance around nest sites should remain in place during the postfledging dependency period because of the close association of fledglings with the nest site. Restrictions also should be flexible because of the varying length of the dependency period.

The use of colonic irrigation to control fecal incontinence in dogs with colostomies.

PubMed

Williams, F A; Bright, R M; Daniel, G B; Hahn, K A; Patton, S A

1999-01-01

To determine if once-daily colonic irrigation results in fecal continence for a 24-hour period in dogs with colostomies and if colonic volume increased in response to the irrigation. A prospective controlled experimental study. Four intact male and one intact female mixed breed dogs. All dogs received left end-on paralumbar colostomies. Four dogs received once-daily colonic irrigation for 8 weeks, whereas the control dog did not. Daily fecal weights were recorded for the length of the study in all dogs. Barium enema studies and volumetric studies were used to determine colonic volumes. Daily fecal weights were significantly decreased in treatment dogs compared with the control dog. Colonic volume increased in irrigated dogs in response to daily irrigation over the 8 week period of the study. Colonic irrigation resulted in significantly decreased fecal production over a 24-hour period. Therefore management of dogs with colostomies would be more practical and cost effective. It did not result in complete fecal continence in this study. Further clinical studies are indicated to determine if longer periods of irrigation would result in complete continence.

The relation between prepregnancy sexuality and sexual function during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a prospective study.

PubMed

Yıldız, Hatice

2015-01-01

This study examined the relation between sexual functions of women in prepregnancy (before conception) and during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study was conducted on 59 healthy pregnant women. Participants were followed from the eighth week of gestation to 6 months after delivery. Sexual function during pregnancy and the postpartum period was shown to have a significant linear correlation with prepregnancy sexuality. There was no relation between pregnancy and postpartum sexuality. All of the participants who had prepregnancy sexual dysfunction continued to experience it during pregnancy, and the majority of them had a significant level of sexual dysfunction in the postpartum period. Our results showed that prepregnancy sexuality plays an important role in maintaining sexuality during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Dynamics of Equilibrium Points in a Uniformly Rotating Second-Order and Degree Gravitational Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Jinglang; Hou, Xiyun

2017-07-01

Using tools such as periodic orbits and invariant manifolds, the global dynamics around equilibrium points (EPs) in a rotating second-order and degree gravitational field are studied. For EPs on the long axis, planar and vertical periodic families are computed, and their stability properties are investigated. Invariant manifolds are also computed, and their relation to the first-order resonances is briefly discussed. For EPs on the short axis, planar and vertical periodic families are studied, with special emphasis on the genealogy of the planar periodic families. Our studies show that the global dynamics around EPs are highly similar to those around libration points in the circular restricted three-body problem, such as spatial halo orbits, invariant manifolds, and the genealogy of planar periodic families.

Allergic contact dermatitis due to cosmetics: A clinical and epidemiological study in a tertiary hospital.

PubMed

Zaragoza-Ninet, V; Blasco Encinas, R; Vilata-Corell, J J; Pérez-Ferriols, A; Sierra-Talamantes, C; Esteve-Martínez, A; de la Cuadra-Oyanguren, J

2016-05-01

The incidence of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to cosmetics in the general population is rising with the increasing use of cosmetic products and their proliferation and diversification. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of ACD to cosmetics in our setting, analyze changes over time, describe the clinical and epidemiological features of this allergic reaction, and identify the allergens and cosmetics involved. We performed a prospective study at the skin allergy unit in Hospital General Universitario de Valencia in Spain between 2005 and 2013 and compared our findings with data collected retrospectively for the period 1996 to 2004. The 5419 patients who underwent patch testing during these 2 periods were included in the study. The mean prevalence of ACD to cosmetics increased from 9.8% in the first period (1996-2004) to 13.9% in the second period (2005-2013). A significant correlation was found between ACD to cosmetics and female sex but not atopy. Kathon CG (blend of methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone), fragrances, and paraphenylenediamine were the most common causes of ACD to cosmetics during both study periods, and acrylates and sunscreens were identified as emerging allergens during the second period. Copyright © 2016 AEDV. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Oseltamivir use and severe abnormal behavior in Japanese children and adolescents with influenza: Is a self-controlled case series study applicable?

PubMed

Fukushima, Wakaba; Ozasa, Kotaro; Okumura, Akihisa; Mori, Masaaki; Hosoya, Mitsuaki; Nakano, Takashi; Tanabe, Takuya; Yamaguchi, Naoto; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Mori, Mitsuru; Hatayama, Hideaki; Ochiai, Hirotaka; Kondo, Kyoko; Ito, Kazuya; Ohfuji, Satoko; Nakamura, Yosikazu; Hirota, Yoshio

2017-08-24

Since the 1990s, self-controlled designs including self-controlled case series (SCCS) studies have been occasionally used in post-marketing evaluation of drug or vaccine safety. An SCCS study was tentatively applied to evaluate the relationship between oseltamivir use and abnormal behavior Type A (serious abnormal behavior potentially leading to an accident or harm to another person) in influenza patients. From the original prospective cohort study with approximately 10,000 Japanese children and adolescents with influenza (aged <18years), 28 subjects (mean age: 7.3years) who developed abnormal behavior Type A after the first visit to the collaborating hospitals/clinics were analyzed. We hypothesized four combination patterns of the effect period (i.e., the period that effect of oseltamivir on occurrence of abnormal behavior Type A is likely) and the control period. Mantel-Haenszel rate ratio (M-H RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated as the relative risk estimate. Among 28 subjects in the SCCS study, 24 subjects (86%) were administered oseltamivir and 4 subjects (14%) were not. Abnormal behavior Type A was more likely to occur in the effect period than the control period in every pattern (M-H RR: 1.90-29.1). We observed the highest estimate when the effect period was set between the initial intake of oseltamivir and T max (M-H RR: 29.1, 95% CI: 4.21-201). Abnormal behavior Type A was more likely to develop up to approximately 30 times during the period between the initial intake of oseltamivir and T max . However, this period overlapped with the early period of influenza where high fever was observed. Since useful approaches to control the influence of the natural disease course of influenza were not available in this study, we could not deny the possibility that abnormal behavior was induced by influenza itself. The SCCS study was not an optimal method to evaluate the relationship between oseltamivir use and abnormal behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meta-analysis of long-term mobile phone use and the association with brain tumours.

PubMed

Hardell, Lennart; Carlberg, Michael; Söderqvist, Fredrik; Hansson Mild, Kjell

2008-05-01

We evaluated long-term use of mobile phones and the risk for brain tumours in case-control studies published so far on this issue. We identified ten studies on glioma and meta-analysis yielded OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.8-1.1. Latency period of > or =10-years gave OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.8-1.9 based on six studies, for ipsilateral use (same side as tumour) OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.4 (four studies), but contralateral use did not increase the risk significantly, OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6-2.0. Meta-analysis of nine studies on acoustic neuroma gave OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.1 increasing to OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.6-2.8 using > or =10-years latency period (four studies). Ipsilateral use gave OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.1-5.3 and contra-lateral OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.7-2.2 in the > or =10-years latency period group (three studies). Seven studies gave results for meningioma yielding overall OR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.7-0.99. Using > or =10-years latency period OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-1.8 was calculated (four studies) increasing to OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.99-3.1 for ipsilateral use and OR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.3-3.1 for contralateral use (two studies). We conclude that this meta-analysis gave a consistent pattern of an association between mobile phone use and ipsilateral glioma and acoustic neuroma using > or =10-years latency period.

Strategies to reduce inappropriate laboratory blood test orders in intensive care are effective and safe: a before-and-after quality improvement study.

PubMed

Dhanani, J A; Barnett, A G; Lipman, J; Reade, M C

2018-05-01

Unnecessary pathology tests performed in intensive care units (ICU) might lead to increased costs of care and potential patient harm due to unnecessary phlebotomy. We hypothesised that a multimodal intervention program could result in a safe and effective reduction in the pathology tests ordered in our ICU. We conducted a single-centre pre- and post-study using multimodal interventions to address commonly ordered routine tests. The study was performed during the same six month period (August to February) over three years: 2012 to 2013 (pre-intervention), 2013 to 2014 (intervention) and 2014 to 2015 (post-intervention). Interventions consisted of staff education, designing new pathology forms, consultant-led pathology test ordering and intensive monitoring for a six-month period. The results of the study showed that there was a net savings of over A$213,000 in the intervention period and A$175,000 in the post-intervention period compared to the pre-intervention period. There was a 28% reduction in the tests performed in the intervention period (P <0.0001 compared to pre-intervention period) and 26% in the post-intervention period (P <0.0001 compared to pre-intervention period). There were no ICU or hospital mortality differences between the groups. There were no significant haemoglobin differences between the groups. A multimodal intervention safely reduced pathology test ordering in the ICU, resulting in substantial cost savings.

Do mature forest birds prefer early-successional habitat during the post-fledging period?

Treesearch

Carlin C. Chandler; David I. King; Richard B. Chandler

2012-01-01

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the post-fledging period to bird populations, suggesting that the importance of this portion of the life cycle is equal to or greater than the nesting period. Nevertheless, few studies have compared abundance of forest nesting species between mature forest and early-successional habitats while controlling for...

Online Periodic Table: A Cautionary Note

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izci, Kemal; Barrow, Lloyd H.; Thornhill, Erica

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate ten online periodic table sources for their accuracy and (b) to compare the types of information and links provided to users. Limited studies have been reported on online periodic table (Diener and Moore 2011; Slocum and Moore in "J Chem Educ" 86(10):1167, 2009). Chemistry students'…

Tropospheric ozone enhancement during post-harvest crop-residue fires at two downwind sites of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

PubMed

Kumari, Sonal; Verma, Nidhi; Lakhani, Anita; Tiwari, Suresh; Kandikonda, Maharaj Kumari

2018-05-01

In the present study, surface ozone (O 3 ), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and carbon monoxide (CO) levels were measured at two sites downwind of fire active region in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP): Agra (27.16° N, 78.08° E) and Delhi (28.37° N, 77.12° E) to study the impact of post-harvest crop-residue fires. The study period was classified into two groups: Pre-harvest period and Post-harvest period. During the post-harvest period, an enhancement of 17.3 and 31.7 ppb in hourly averaged O 3 mixing ratios was observed at Agra and Delhi, respectively, under similar meteorological conditions. The rate of change of O 3 was also higher in the post-harvest period by 56.2% in Agra and 39.5% in Delhi. Relatively higher O 3 episodic days were observed in the post-harvest period. Fire hotspots detected by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) along with backward air-mass trajectory analysis suggested that the enhanced O 3 and CO levels at the study sites during the post-harvest period could be attributed to crop-residue burning over the North-West IGP (NW-IGP). Satellite observations of surface CO mixing ratios and tropospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) column also showed higher levels during the post-harvest period. Graphical abstract.

Mutations in the Circadian Gene period Alter Behavioral and Biochemical Responses to Ethanol in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Liao, Jennifer; Seggio, Joseph A.; Ahmad, S. Tariq

2016-01-01

Clock genes, such as period, which maintain an organism’s circadian rhythm, can have profound effects on metabolic activity, including ethanol metabolism. In turn, ethanol exposure has been shown in Drosophila and mammals to cause disruptions of the circadian rhythm. Previous studies from our labs have shown that larval ethanol exposure disrupted the free-running period and period expression of Drosophila. In addition, a recent study has shown that arrhythmic flies show no tolerance to ethanol exposure. As such, Drosophila period mutants, which have either a shorter than wild-type free-running period (perS) or a longer one (perL), may also exhibit altered responses to ethanol due to their intrinsic circadian differences. In this study, we tested the initial sensitivity and tolerance of ethanol exposure on Canton-S, perS, and perL, and then measured their Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) and body ethanol levels. We showed that perL flies had slower sedation rate, longer recovery from ethanol sedation, and generated higher tolerance for sedation upon repeated ethanol exposure compared to Canton-S wild-type flies. Furthermore, perL flies had lower ADH activity and had a slower ethanol clearance compared to wild-type flies. The findings of this study suggest that period mutations influence ethanol induced behavior and ethanol metabolism in Drosophila and that flies with longer circadian periods are more sensitive to ethanol exposure. PMID:26802726

A standardized stepwise drug treatment algorithm for depression reduces direct treatment costs in depressed inpatients - Results from the German Algorithm Project (GAP3).

PubMed

Ricken, Roland; Wiethoff, Katja; Reinhold, Thomas; Stamm, Thomas J; Baghai, Thomas C; Fisher, Robert; Seemüller, Florian; Brieger, Peter; Cordes, Joachim; Laux, Gerd; Hauth, Iris; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Heinz, Andreas; Bauer, Michael; Adli, Mazda

2018-03-01

In a previous single center study we found that a standardized drug treatment algorithm (ALGO) was more cost effective than treatment as usual (TAU) for inpatients with major depression. This report aimed to determine whether this promising initial finding could be replicated in a multicenter study. Treatment costs were calculated for two time periods: the study period (from enrolment to exit from study) and time in hospital (from enrolment to hospital discharge) based on daily hospital charges. Cost per remitted patient during the study period was considered as primary outcome. 266 patients received ALGO and 84 received TAU. For the study period, ALGO costs were significantly lower than TAU (ALGO: 7 848 ± 6 065 €; TAU: 10 033 ± 7 696 €; p = 0.04). For time in hospital, costs were not different (ALGO: 14 734 ± 8 329 €; TAU: 14 244 ± 8 419 €; p = 0.617). Remission rates did not differ for the study period (ALGO: 57.9%, TAU: 50.0%; p=0.201). Remission rates were greater in ALGO (83.3%) than TAU (66.2%) for time in hospital (p = 0.002). Cost per remission was lower in ALGO (13 554 ± 10 476 €) than TAU (20 066 ± 15 391 €) for the study period (p < 0.001) and for time in hospital (ALGO: 17 582 ± 9 939 €; TAU: 21 516 ± 12 718 €; p = 0.036). Indirect costs were not assessed. Different dropout rates in TAU and ALGO complicated interpretation. Treatment algorithms enhance the cost effectiveness of the care of depressed inpatients, which replicates our prior results in an independent sample. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

78 FR 52929 - Scientific Information Request on Imaging Tests for the Diagnosis and Staging of Pancreatic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... improve the quality of this review. AHRQ is conducting this comparative effectiveness review pursuant to..., study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use instructions, inclusion and... including a study number, the study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use...

Fourfold increase in prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus after adoption of the new International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria.

PubMed

Huhn, Evelyn A; Massaro, Nadine; Streckeisen, Simone; Manegold-Brauer, Gwendolin; Schoetzau, Andreas; Schulzke, Sven M; Winzeler, Bettina; Hoesli, Irene; Lapaire, Olav

2017-04-01

The aim was to evaluate the influence of the new International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) guidelines for screening of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on GDM prevalence in a cohort from a Swiss tertiary hospital. This was a retrospective cohort study involving all pregnant women who were screened for GDM between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. From 2008 until 2010 (period 1), a two-step approach with 1-h 50 g glucose challenge test (GCT) was used, followed by fasting, 1- and 2-h glucose measurements after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in case of a positive GCT. From 2010 until 2013 (period 2), all pregnant women were tested with a one-step 75 g OGTT according to new IADPSG guidelines. In both periods, women with risk factors could be screened directly with a 75 g OGTT in early pregnancy. Overall, 647 women were eligible for the study in period 1 and 720 in period 2. The introduction of the IADPSG criteria resulted in an absolute increase of GDM prevalence of 8.5% (3.3% in period 1 to 11.8% in period 2). The adoption of the IADPSG criteria resulted in a considerable increase in GDM diagnosis in our Swiss cohort. Further studies are needed to investigate if the screening is cost effective and if treatment of our additionally diagnosed GDM mothers might improve short-term as well as long-term outcome.

[Bibliometric study of the original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública (1991-2000). I. General indicators].

PubMed

Pérez Andrés, Cristina; Estrada Lorenzo, José Manuel; Villar Alvarez, Fernando; Rebollo Rodríguez, M José

2002-01-01

For some time, the most of reports have been being disseminated by way of scientific journals, bibliometric studies therefore being fundamental to the characterization and evaluation thereof. The purpose of this study is that of characterizing the Revista Española de Salud Pública based on the original articles published therein throughout the 1991-2000 period. Original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública throughout the 1991-2000 period, all inclusive. A study has been made of the following variables: number of original articles, collaboration index or number of signing authors per study, productivity index, geographical spread and main subject. Throughout the 1991-2000 period, 290 original studies (52.3%) of a total of 555 studies were published. The number of originals averaged 29 originals/year A 4.5 degree of collaboration was found to exist for this journal (number signing authors/number originals) for the period under study. The annual of originals by Autonomous Community reveals in the Autonomous Community of Madrid (20.7%), Autonomous Community of Valencia (16.4%), Andalusia (16.1%) and Catalunya (10.0%) have published studies every year throughout the ten-year period under study. The most prevalent subject of all was that related to "Communicable disease" (86 originals), Primary Health Care" (34) and "Environmental pollution" (21). Generally speaking, it apparently follows that the Revista Española de Salud Pública continues to fall within the output-related indicators of other Spanish and foreign journals and that it has also evolved in keeping with the trend proper of scientific output in the biomedical field. Although "Communicable diseases" are not the main cause of mortality, they continue being the main subject more frequently studied.

Environment, genes, and experience: lessons from behavior genetics.

PubMed

Barsky, Philipp I

2010-11-01

The article reviews the theoretical analysis of the problems inherent in studying the environment within behavior genetics across several periods in the development of environmental studies in behavior genetics and proposes some possible alternatives to traditional approaches to studying the environment in behavior genetics. The first period (from the end of the 1920s to the end of the 1970s), when the environment was not actually studied, is called pre-environmental; during this time, the basic principles and theoretical models of understanding environmental effects in behavior genetics were developed. The second period is characterized by the development of studies on environmental influences within the traditional behavior genetics paradigm; several approaches to studying the environment emerged in behavior genetics during this period, from the beginning of the 1980s until today. At the present time, the field is undergoing paradigmatic changes, concerned with methodology, theory, and mathematical models of genotype-environment interplay; this might be the beginning of a third period of development of environmental studies in behavior genetics. In another part, the methodological problems related to environmental studies in behavior genetics are discussed. Although the methodology used in differential psychology is applicable for assessment of differences between individuals, it is insufficient to explain the sources of these differences. In addition, we stress that psychoanalytic studies of twins and their experiences, initiated in the 1930s and continued episodically until the 1980s, could bring an interesting methodology and contribute to the explanation of puzzling findings from environmental studies of behavior genetics. Finally, we will conclude with implications from the results of environmental studies in behavior genetics, including methodological issues. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Penetrating cardiac injuries: A 36-year perspective at an urban, Level I trauma center.

PubMed

Morse, Bryan C; Mina, Michael J; Carr, Jacquelyn S; Jhunjhunwala, Rashi; Dente, Christopher J; Zink, John U; Nicholas, Jeffrey M; Wyrzykowski, Amy D; Salomone, Jeffrey P; Vercruysse, Gary A; Rozycki, Grace S; Feliciano, David V

2016-10-01

This study evaluates patterns of injuries and outcomes from penetrating cardiac injuries (PCIs) at Grady Memorial Hospital, an urban, Level I trauma center in Atlanta, Georgia, over 36 years. Patients sustaining PCIs were identified from the Trauma Registry of the American College of Surgeons and the Emory Department of Surgery database; data of patients who died prior to any therapy were excluded. Demographics and outcomes were compared over three time intervals: Period 1 (1975-1985; n = 113), Period 2 (1986-1996; n = 79), and Period 3 (2000-2010; n = 79). Two hundred seventy-one patients (86% were male; mean age, 33 years; initial base deficit = -11.3 mEq/L) sustained cardiac stab (SW, 60%) or gunshot wounds (GSW, 40%). Emergency department thoracotomy was performed in 67 (25%) of 271 patients. Overall mortality increased in the modern era (Period 1, 27%, vs. Period 2, 22%, vs. Period 3, 42%; p = 0.03) along with GSW mechanisms (Period 1, 32%, vs. Period 2, 33%, vs. Period 3, 57%; p = 0.001), GSW mortality (Period 1, 36%, vs. Period 2, 42%, vs. Period 3, 56%; p = 0.04), and multichamber injuries (Period 1, 12%, vs. Period 2, 10%, vs. Period 3, 34%; p< 0.001). In Period 3, GSWs (n = 45) resulted in multichamber injuries in 28 patients (62%) and multicavity injuries in 19 patients (42%). Surgeon-performed ultrasound accurately identified pericardial blood in 55 of 55 patients in Period 3. Increased frequency of GSWs in the past decade is associated with increased overall mortality, multichamber injuries, and multicavity injuries. Ultrasound is sensitive for detection of PCI. Therapeutic study, level IV; epidemioligc study, level III.

Period variation studies of six contact binaries in M4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rukmini, Jagirdar; Shanti Priya, Devarapalli

2018-04-01

We present the first period study of six contact binaries in the closest globular cluster M4 the data collected from June 1995‑June 2009 and Oct 2012‑Sept 2013. New times of minima are determined for all the six variables and eclipse timing (O-C) diagrams along with the quadratic fit are presented. For all the variables, the study of (O-C) variations reveals changes in the periods. In addition, the fundamental parameters for four of the contact binaries obtained using the Wilson-Devinney code (v2003) are presented. Planned observations of these binaries using the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) and the 4-m International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) operated by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES; Nainital) can throw light on their evolutionary status from long term period variation studies.

Scalar transport in inline mixers with spatially periodic flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baskan, Ozge; Rajaei, Hadi; Speetjens, Michel F. M.; Clercx, Herman J. H.

2017-01-01

Spatially persisting patterns form during the downstream evolution of passive scalars in three-dimensional (3D) spatially periodic flows due to the coupled effect of stretching and folding mechanisms of the flow field. This has been investigated in many computational and theoretical studies of 2D time-periodic and 3D spatially periodic flow fields. However, experimental studies, to date, have mainly focused on flow visualization with streaks of dye rather than fully 3D scalar field measurements. Our study employs 3D particle tracking velocimetry and 3D laser-induced fluorescence to analyze the evolution of 3D flow and scalar fields and the correlation between the coherent flow/scalar field structures in a representative inline mixer, the Quatro static mixer. For this purpose an experimental setup that consists of an optically accessible test section with transparent internal elements accommodating a pressure-driven pipe flow has been built. The flow and scalar fields clearly underline the complementarity of the experimental results with numerical simulations and provide validation of the periodicity assumption needed in numerical studies. The experimental procedure employed in this investigation, which allows studying the scalar transport in the advective limit, demonstrates the suitability of the present method for exploratory mixing studies of a variety of mixing devices, beyond the Quatro static mixer.

External foam and the post-mortem period in freshwater drowning; results from a retrospective study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

PubMed

Reijnen, G; Buster, M C; Vos, P J E; Reijnders, U J L

2017-11-01

Determining the time of death of bodies recovered from water can be difficult. A feature of drowning is the presence of external foam. This study describes the presence of external foam in relation to the post-mortem period. The study utilizes a database of death reports dated between January 2011 and July 2016. For bodies recovered from fresh water, the presence or absence of external foam was noted. In this study, 112 death reports are included. Of these reports, 18 mentioned external foam, which account for 16.1% of the entire study population. In the population with a post-mortem period of less than 24 h, external foam was detected in 27.7% of cases. All 18 incidents with external foam had an estimated post-mortem period of less than 24 h. In our study, external foam was only present in freshwater drowning cases with a post-mortem period of less than 24 h. Based on this finding, the presence of external foam may be useful as an additional indicator when estimating the time of death in freshwater drowning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Analysis of stability and bifurcations of fixed points and periodic solutions of a lumped model of neocortex with two delays

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

A lumped model of neural activity in neocortex is studied to identify regions of multi-stability of both steady states and periodic solutions. Presence of both steady states and periodic solutions is considered to correspond with epileptogenesis. The model, which consists of two delay differential equations with two fixed time lags is mainly studied for its dependency on varying connection strength between populations. Equilibria are identified, and using linear stability analysis, all transitions are determined under which both trivial and non-trivial fixed points lose stability. Periodic solutions arising at some of these bifurcations are numerically studied with a two-parameter bifurcation analysis. PMID:22655859

Scientometric Study of Doctoral Theses of the Physical Research Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anilkumar, N.

2010-10-01

This paper presents the results of a study of bibliographies compiled from theses submitted in the period 2001-2005. The bibliographies have been studied to find out how research carried out at PRL is being used by the doctoral students. Resources are categorized by type of resource — book, journal article, proceedings, doctoral thesis, etc., to understand the usage of content procured by the library. The period of the study, 2001-2005, has been chosen because technology is changing so fast and so are the formats of scholarly communications. For the sake of convenience, only the "e-journals period" is considered for the sample.

Dynamics of Equilibrium Points in a Uniformly Rotating Second-Order and Degree Gravitational Field

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

Feng, Jinglang; Hou, Xiyun, E-mail: jinglang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: silence@nju.edu.cn

2017-07-01

Using tools such as periodic orbits and invariant manifolds, the global dynamics around equilibrium points (EPs) in a rotating second-order and degree gravitational field are studied. For EPs on the long axis, planar and vertical periodic families are computed, and their stability properties are investigated. Invariant manifolds are also computed, and their relation to the first-order resonances is briefly discussed. For EPs on the short axis, planar and vertical periodic families are studied, with special emphasis on the genealogy of the planar periodic families. Our studies show that the global dynamics around EPs are highly similar to those around libration points in the circularmore » restricted three-body problem, such as spatial halo orbits, invariant manifolds, and the genealogy of planar periodic families.« less

Methodological reviews of economic evaluations in health care: what do they target?

PubMed

Hutter, Maria-Florencia; Rodríguez-Ibeas, Roberto; Antonanzas, Fernando

2014-11-01

An increasing number of published studies of economic evaluations of health technologies have been reviewed and summarized with different purposes, among them to facilitate decision-making processes. These reviews have covered different aspects of economic evaluations, using a variety of methodological approaches. The aim of this study is to analyze the methodological characteristics of the reviews of economic evaluations in health care, published during the period 1990-2010, to identify their main features and the potential missing elements. This may help to develop a common procedure for elaborating these kinds of reviews. We performed systematic searches in electronic databases (Scopus, Medline and PubMed) of methodological reviews published in English, period 1990-2010. We selected the articles whose main purpose was to review and assess the methodology applied in the economic evaluation studies. We classified the data according to the study objectives, period of the review, number of reviewed studies, methodological and non-methodological items assessed, medical specialty, type of disease and technology, databases used for the review and their main conclusions. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis and checked how generalizability issues were considered in the reviews. We identified 76 methodological reviews, 42 published in the period 1990-2001 and 34 during 2002-2010. The items assessed most frequently (by 70% of the reviews) were perspective, type of economic study, uncertainty and discounting. The reviews also described the type of intervention and disease, funding sources, country in which the evaluation took place, type of journal and author's characteristics. Regarding the intertemporal comparison, higher frequencies were found in the second period for two key methodological items: the source of effectiveness data and the models used in the studies. However, the generalizability issues that apparently are creating a growing interest in the economic evaluation literature did not receive as much attention in the reviews of the second period. The remaining items showed similar frequencies in both periods. Increasingly more reviews of economic evaluation studies aim to analyze the application of methodological principles, and offer summaries of papers classified by either diseases or health technologies. These reviews are useful for finding literature trends, aims of studies and possible deficiencies in the implementation of methods of specific health interventions. As no significant methodological improvement was clearly detected in the two periods analyzed, it would be convenient to pay more attention to the methodological aspects of the reviews.

Periodic variation in the geomagnetic activity - A study based on the Ap index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De Gonzalez, Alicia L. C.; Gonzalez, Walter D.; Dutra, Severino L. G.; Tsurutani, Bruce T.

1993-01-01

The monthly and daily samples of the Ap index for the interval from 1932 through 1982 were studied using the power spectrum technique. Results obtained for Bartel's period (about 27 days), the semiannual period, the dual-peak solar cycle distribution of geomagnetic storms, and certain other medium-scale periodicities are examined in detail. In addition, results on the cumulative occurrence number of storms per decade as a function of the Ap and Dst indices for the storm are presented.

Orbital period variation study of the low-mass Algol eclipsing binary AI Draconis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanna, Magdy A.

2013-06-01

Orbital period changes for the Algol-type eclipsing binary AI Dra were studied based on the analysis of its observed times of light minimum. The period variation showed cyclic changes in the interval from JD. ≈ 24 36000 to JD. ≈ 24 47500 and a secular period increase rate (dP/dt = 2.44 × 10-7 d/year) starting from JD. ≈ 24 48500 up to 24 55262, in a time scale equals to 5 × 106 year.

Retrospective Integration of Research Conducted on a Multi-Section Educational Psychology Course over a Fifteen-Year Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Robert L.

2017-01-01

This article integrates a series of studies conducted over a 15-year period in a multi-section educational course taught by the same supervising professor and his GTAs . The purpose of each study was to determine whether particular interventions or student characteristics affected performance levels in the course. Over the extended period of…

mPeriod2 Brdm1 and other single Period mutant mice have normal food anticipatory activity.

PubMed

Pendergast, Julie S; Wendroth, Robert H; Stenner, Rio C; Keil, Charles D; Yamazaki, Shin

2017-11-14

Animals anticipate the timing of food availability via the food-entrainable oscillator (FEO). The anatomical location and timekeeping mechanism of the FEO are unknown. Several studies showed the circadian gene, Period 2, is critical for FEO timekeeping. However, other studies concluded that canonical circadian genes are not essential for FEO timekeeping. In this study, we re-examined the effects of the Per2 Brdm1 mutation on food entrainment using methods that have revealed robust food anticipatory activity in other mutant lines. We examined food anticipatory activity, which is the output of the FEO, in single Period mutant mice. Single Per1, Per2, and Per3 mutant mice had robust food anticipatory activity during restricted feeding. In addition, we found that two different lines of Per2 mutant mice (ldc and Brdm1) anticipated restricted food availability. To determine if FEO timekeeping persisted in the absence of the food cue, we assessed activity during fasting. Food anticipatory (wheel-running) activity in all Period mutant mice was also robust during food deprivation. Together, our studies demonstrate that the Period genes are not necessary for the expression of food anticipatory activity.

Trend analysis of annual precipitation of Mauritius for the period 1981-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, Nussaïbah B.; Aydin, Olgu

2018-04-01

This study researched the precipitation variability across 53 meteorological stations in Mauritius and different subregions of the island, over a 30-year study period (1981-2010). Time series was investigated for each 5-year interval and also for the whole study period. Non-parametric Mann-Kendall and Spearman's rho statistical tests were used to detect trends in annual precipitation. A mix of positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) trends was highlighted for the 5-year interval analysis. The statistical tests nevertheless agreed on the overall trend for Mauritius and the subregions. Most regions showed a decrease in precipitation during the period 1996-2000. This is attributed to the 1998-2000 drought period which was brought about by a moderate La Niña event. In general, an increase in precipitation levels was observed across the country during the study period. This increase is the result of an increase in extreme precipitation events in the region. On the other hand, two subregions, both located in the highlands, experienced a decline in precipitation levels. Since most of the reservoirs in Mauritius are located in these two subregions, this implies serious consequences for water availability in the country if existing storage capacities are kept.

Sound transmission through an acoustic porous metasurface with periodic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Yi; Zhang, Xin; Zhou, Jie

2017-04-01

We report an analytical, numerical, and experimental study of sound transmission through a metasurface fabricated by porous materials, detailing systematically the factors that influence acoustic properties. The design of the metasurface is composed of four elements with varying properties, which are aligned in a periodic manner. The structures are carefully designed to form a uniform phase shift profile in one period. It is able to refract an incidence wave in an anomalous yet controllable way. A good agreement of refraction behavior between simulated and experimental results is achieved by the study. Furthermore, we systemically summarize the relationships between the refraction and the incidence angles for structures with various ratios of wavelengths and period lengths. Remarkably, the study proves that the propagation directions and the number of refracted waves are only affected by period lengths at a specified frequency. The phase shift profile only has an influence on energy distribution in the refraction region. The study suggests that a careful design of phase shift profile plays an important role in controlling sound energy distribution of the periodic structure, which is vital for applying this kind of porous metasurface in sound absorption and isolation in the future.

Ice in the Outback: the epidemiology of amphetamine-type stimulant-related hospital admissions and presentations to the emergency department in Hedland, Western Australia.

PubMed

Monahan, Caitriona; Coleman, Mathew

2018-03-01

Despite research showing higher use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) in rural areas, limited research has examined the epidemiology of ATS-related presentations and admissions to remote regional centres. To determine the epidemiology of ATS-related (a) Emergency Department (ED) presentations and (b) inpatient admissions over a five-year period at the Hedland Health Campus (HHC) in remote Western Australia. A retrospective review of medical records was conducted. Demographic data including gender, age and indigenous status were captured. Four hundred and eighty-two ATS-related hospital presentations were identified during the study period. The most common reason for ED presentation was mental and behavioural problems. Of those presenting, 66% were male and 69% identified as Aboriginal. ATS-related ED presentations increased seven-fold over the study period. Ninety-nine ATS-related inpatient admissions were identified during the study period. Psychotic disorder was the most common reason for admission. Males made up 75% of admissions and 53% identified as Aboriginal. This study showed a disproportionally high burden of ATS-related harm among Aboriginal people. The number of ATS-related ED presentations and inpatient admissions increased significantly over the study period.

Linking matrices in systems with periodic boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panagiotou, Eleni; Millett, Kenneth C.

2018-06-01

We study the linking matrix, a measure of entanglement for a collection of closed or open chains in 3-space based on the Gauss linking number. Periodic boundary conditions (PBC) are often used in the simulation of physical systems of filaments. To measure entanglement of closed or open chains in systems employing PBC we use the periodic linking matrix, based on the periodic linking number, defined in Panagiotou (2015 J. Comput. Phys. 300 533–73). We study the properties of the periodic linking matrix as a function of cell size. We provide analytical results concerning the eigenvalues of the periodic linking matrix and show that some of them are invariant of cell-size.

Peer-Directed, Brief Mindfulness Training with Adolescents: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, Samuel J.; Jennings, Jerry L.

2013-01-01

This pilot study studied the impact of brief mindfulness meditation training with adolescents. Whereas adult mindfulness training programs typically entail weekly 2.5 hour sessions over an eight week period, this program delivered four 50-minute sessions within a three week period. Each session was comprised of two mindfulness exercises delivered…

Ecological periodic tables for benthic macrofaunal usage of estuarine habitats : Insights from a case study in Tillamook bay, Oregon, USA

EPA Science Inventory

This study validates the ecological relevance of estuarine habitat types to the benthic macrofaunal community and, together with previous similar studies, suggests they can serve as elements in ecological periodic tables of benthic macrofaunal usage in the bioregion. We compared...

Golden Gate Bridge response: a study with low-amplitude data from three earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Çelebi, Mehmet

2012-01-01

The dynamic response of the Golden Gate Bridge, located north of San Francisco, CA, has been studied previously using ambient vibration data and finite element models. Since permanent seismic instrumentation was installed in 1993, only small earthquakes that originated at distances varying between ~11 to 122 km have been recorded. Nonetheless, these records prompted this study of the response of the bridge to low amplitude shaking caused by three earthquakes. Compared to previous ambient vibration studies, the earthquake response data reveal a slightly higher fundamental frequency (shorter-period) for vertical vibration of the bridge deck center span (~7.7–8.3 s versus 8.2–10.6 s), and a much higher fundamental frequency (shorter period) for the transverse direction of the deck (~11.24–16.3 s versus ~18.2 s). In this study, it is also shown that these two periods are dominant apparent periods representing interaction between tower, cable, and deck.

Effect of pelvic floor muscle exercises in the treatment of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

PubMed

Dinc, Ayten; Kizilkaya Beji, Nezihe; Yalcin, Onay

2009-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle exercises on urinary incontinence during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The study was carried out on 80 pregnant women (study group, 40 subjects; control group, 40 subjects).The study group was trained by the researcher on how to do the pelvic floor muscle exercises. Both groups were evaluated for pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary complaints in their 36th to 38th week of pregnancy and postpartum sixth to eighth week. The study group had a significant decrease in urinary incontinence episodes during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, and their pelvic floor muscle strength increased to a larger extent. Control group had an increase in the postpartum muscle strength and decrease in the incontinence episodes in the postpartum period. Pelvic floor muscle exercises are quite effective in the augmentation of the pelvic floor muscle strength and consequently in the treatment of urinary incontinence.

Return period adjustment for runoff coefficients based on analysis in undeveloped Texas watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dhakal, Nirajan; Fang, Xing; Asquith, William H.; Cleveland, Theodore G.; Thompson, David B.

2013-01-01

The rational method for peak discharge (Qp) estimation was introduced in the 1880s. The runoff coefficient (C) is a key parameter for the rational method that has an implicit meaning of rate proportionality, and the C has been declared a function of the annual return period by various researchers. Rate-based runoff coefficients as a function of the return period, C(T), were determined for 36 undeveloped watersheds in Texas using peak discharge frequency from previously published regional regression equations and rainfall intensity frequency for return periods T of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The C(T) values and return period adjustments C(T)/C(T=10  year) determined in this study are most applicable to undeveloped watersheds. The return period adjustments determined for the Texas watersheds in this study and those extracted from prior studies of non-Texas data exceed values from well-known literature such as design manuals and textbooks. Most importantly, the return period adjustments exceed values currently recognized in Texas Department of Transportation design guidance when T>10  years.

[Practice guideline 'Management of patients with mild traumatic head/brain injury' in the Netherlands].

PubMed

van den Brand, Crispijn L; Rambach, A H J H Annelijn; Postma, Roelie; van de Craats, Victoria L; Lengers, Frank; Bénit, Christa P; Verbree, Femke C; Jellema, Korné

2014-01-01

To evaluate the effect of the revised practice guideline 'Management of patients with mild traumatic head/brain injury' (MHI) in the Netherlands using the number of CT scans of the cerebrum, number of hospital admissions, and the number of intracranial traumatic findings on CT scan. Retrospective before-and-after study. A structured chart review over the 3-month period considerable time after implementation of the MHI guideline (study period) was compared with the 3-month-period before its introduction (control period). Both children and adults were included. Primary outcome measures were the percentage of hospital admissions and percentage of cerebrum CT scans in patients with MHI. Secondary outcome measures were traumatic findings on CT scan, neurosurgical intervention and adherence to the guideline. During the study and control periods, respectively 1063 and 1026 patients with MHI attended the emergency department of the study centre. During the study period a CT scan was carried out in 34.2% of patients, significantly more than in the control period 18.8%; p < 0.01). The percentage of admissions also increased from 13.8% to 18.2% (p = 0.01). The differences between the two periods were mainly in adults and in children aged 6 and older. There was no significant change in traumatic intracranial findings or neurosurgical interventions. Adherence to the guideline in regard to hospitalization (81.7% guideline adherence) and CT brain imaging (88.3% guideline adherence) was reasonably high. After introduction of the current MHI guideline in the Netherlands, percentages of both hospitalization and CT of cerebrum have increased significantly. It was expected that the guideline would result in decreases of this percentages. This increase does not seem to be related to more or serious head/brain injury.

Dalfampridine Effects Beyond Walking Speed in Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Fjeldstad, Cecilie; Suárez, Gustavo; Klingler, Michael; Henney, Herbert R.; Rabinowicz, Adrian L.

2015-01-01

Background: Dalfampridine extended release (ER) improves walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), as demonstrated by walking speed improvement. This exploratory study evaluated treatment effects of dalfampridine-ER on gait, balance, and walking through treatment withdrawal and reinitiation. Methods: Dalfampridine-ER responders, based on Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) assessment before study entry, were included in this open-label, three-period, single-center study. Period 1: on-drug evaluations performed at screening and 1 week after screening. Period 2: dalfampridine-ER withdrawal and off-drug evaluations (days 5 and 11). Period 3: dalfampridine-ER reinitiation/final on-drug evaluation (day 15). Primary outcome variables: NeuroCom composite scores for gait and balance; balance was evaluated if gait changes were significant. Secondary variables: individual NeuroCom scores, walking speed (T25FW) and distance (2-Minute Walk Test [2MWT]), and balance (Berg Balance Scale [BBS]). Results: All 20 patients completed the study: mean age, 53.1 years; mean MS duration, 11.3 years; mean time taking dalfampridine-ER, 315.3 days. NeuroCom gait composite scores worsened during period 2 relative to period 1 and improved during period 3; the mean ± SD difference in gait composite scores on drug was 4.03 ± 1.51 points (P = .015). Balance composite scores did not change significantly. Improvements were observed for off-drug versus on-drug for T25FW (0.36 ft/sec, P < .001), 2MWT (25.4 ft, P = .006), and BBS (1.7 points, P = .003). Safety profile was consistent with previous studies. Conclusions: Significant improvements in gait, walking speed, distance, and balance were demonstrated by dalfampridine-ER reinitiation after a 10-day withdrawal period. PMID:26664333

Variability of surface-water quantity and quality and shallow groundwater levels and quality within the Rio Grande Project Area, New Mexico and Texas, 2009–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, Jessica M.; Sherson, Lauren R.

2016-03-15

Drought conditions during the study period of January 1, 2009, to September 30, 2013, caused a reduction in surface-water releases from water-supply storage infrastructure of the Rio Grande Project, which led to changes in surface-water and groundwater (conjunctive) use in downstream agricultural alluvial valleys. Surface water and groundwater in the agriculturally dominated alluvial Rincon and Mesilla Valleys were investigated in this study to measure the influence of drought and subsequent change in conjunctive water use on quantity and quality of these water resources. In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, began a study to (1) calculate dissolved-solids loads over the study period at streamgages in the study area where data are available, (2) assess the temporal variability of dissolved-solids loads at and between each streamgage where data are available, and (3) relate the spatiotemporal variability of shallow groundwater data (groundwater levels and quality) within the alluvial valleys of the study area to spatiotemporal variability of surface-water data over the study period. This assessment included the calculation of surface-water dissolved-solids loads at streamgages as well as a mass-balance approach to measure the change in salt load between these streamgages. Bimodal surface-water discharge data led to a temporally-dynamic volumetric definition of release and nonrelease seasons. Continuous surface-water discharge and water-quality data from three streamgages on the Rio Grande were used to calculate daily dissolved-solids loads over the study period, and the results were aggregated annually and seasonally. Results show the majority of dissolved-solids loading occurs during release season; however, decreased duration of the release season over the 5-year study period has resulted in a decrease of the total annual loads at each streamgage. Calculation of the change of salt loads using a mass-balance approach was applied between streamgages. Results from these calculations suggest differing responses to releases in the Rincon and Mesilla Valleys over the period of study; there is a decreasing sink of salt in the Rincon Valley whereas there is an increasing sink of salt in the Mesilla Valley. Daily groundwater-level and water-quality data from shallow wells within the two alluvial valleys show spatial heterogeneity of water quality over the study period. Mass-balance salt-loading trends during the study period are similar to previous trends during the 1950s drought as well as a wet period in the 1980s. The similarity of salt-loading trends from the 1950s, 1980s, and 2000s independent of the climate indicates salt loading in this hydrologic setting may be driven by water-use practices rather than a single climatic variable.

Existence and global attractivity of positive periodic solutions of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition systems with several deviating arguments.

PubMed

Fan, M; Wang, K; Jiang, D

1999-08-01

In this paper, we study the existence and global attractivity of positive periodic solutions of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition systems. By using the method of coincidence degree and Lyapunov functional, a set of easily verifiable sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of at least one strictly positive (componentwise) periodic solution of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition systems with several deviating arguments and the existence of a unique globally asymptotically stable periodic solution with strictly positive components of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition system with several delays. Some new results are obtained. As an application, we also examine some special cases of the system we considered, which have been studied extensively in the literature. Some known results are improved and generalized.

Morphological study of the prostate gland in viscacha (Lagostomus maximus maximus) during periods of maximal and minimal reproductive activity.

PubMed

Chaves, Maximiliano; Aguilera-Merlo, Claudia; Cruceño, Albana; Fogal, Teresa; Mohamed, Fabian

2015-11-01

The viscacha (Lagostomus maximus maximus) is a rodent with photoperiod-dependent seasonal reproduction. The aim of this work was to study the morphological variations of the prostate during periods of maximal (summer, long photoperiod) and minimal (winter, short photoperiod) reproductive activity. Prostates of adult male viscachas were studied by light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry for androgen receptor, and morphometric analysis. The prostate consisted of two regions: peripheral and central. The peripheral zone exhibited large adenomeres with a small number of folds and lined with a pseudostratified epithelium. The central zone had small adenomeres with pseudostratified epithelium and the mucosa showed numerous folds. The morphology of both zones showed variations during periods of maximal and minimal reproductive activity. The prostate weight, prostate-somatic index, luminal diameter of adenomeres, epithelial height and major nuclear diameter decreased during the period of minimal reproductive activity. Principal cells showed variations in their shape, size and ultrastructural characteristics during the period of minimal reproductive activity in comparison with the active period. The androgen receptor expression in epithelial and fibromuscular stromal cells was different between the studied periods. Our results suggest a reduced secretory activity of viscacha prostate during the period of minimal reproductive activity. Thus, the morphological variations observed in both the central and peripheral zones of the viscacha prostate agree with the results previously obtained in the gonads of this rodent of photoperiod-dependent reproduction. Additionally, the variations observed in the androgen receptors suggest a direct effect of the circulating testosterone on the gland. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical study on the effect of infrared radiation of a tiled stove on patients with hand osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Stange-Rezende, L; Stamm, T A; Schiffert, T; Sahinbegovic, E; Gaiger, A; Smolen, J; Machold, K P

2006-01-01

To explore the effect of infrared radiation of a tiled stove on patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA). A randomized controlled crossover study was performed with 45 patients with hand OA. This sample was randomly assigned to two groups: group A [first 3 hours spent three times a week during 3 weeks in a heated tiled stove room ('Stove Period') and after 2 weeks without treatment this group was observed for another 3 weeks ('Control Period')]; and group B (first assigned to the control period and the stove period following the treatment-free period). Assessments included the visual analogue scale (VAS) for general pain, pain in the hands, and global hand function, grip strength, the Moberg Picking-up Test (MPUT), the Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index (AUSCAN), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 36-item Short-Form Health Status Survey (SF-36). Fourteen (31%) patients improved on the VAS for general pain at the end of the tiled stove period as compared to 10 patients (22%) during the control period (p = 0.314, chi2-test). The AUSCAN pain domain showed a significant improvement after the tiled stove period (p = 0.034). Others pain parameters analysed (VAS for pain in hands and SF-36 bodily pain) showed moderate but not significant improvement (p = 0.682 and p = 0.237, respectively) compared to the control period. This study did not prove positive effects of the tiled stove exposure, although the numerical improvement in all pain measures suggests some possible positive effects on this symptom of hand OA.

Dietary effect on mixed function P450 1A2 activity assayed by estimation of caffeine metabolism in man.

PubMed

Kall, M A; Clausen, J

1995-10-01

Two studies were performed in order to evaluate cytochrome P450 1A2 mediated caffeine metabolism during different nutritional conditions. 1. In the first study, 23 healthy male non-smokers, mean age 25, changed from a customary mixed diet to a standard diet in 6 days. The 6 day's standard diet was based on bread, potatoes, rice and boiled meat. Thus, broccoli, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables, spinach, leeks, onion, parsley, grapefruit, toasted bread, fried and charcoal grilled food, smoked fish and meat, ham and sausages were avoided. 2. In the second study, 33 healthy non-smoking subjects, 24 men and nine women mean age 25 years, volunteered. The study was designed to compare a customary home dietary period with the 6 day period of low dietary P450 induction and with a 5 day supplementary dietary period, i.e. ingestion of known dietary inducers. None of the women were using oral contraceptives or were pregnant during the experimental period. In the period of diet supplementation, the volunteers received charcoal grilled hamburger as a supplement to the standard low induction diet for lunch for 5 days. The hamburgers were made with 150 g beef (18-20% fat) and were grilled on charcoal for 10 min on each side until they were 'well done'. In the present study P450 1A2 activity was estimated from the caffeine metabolic ratio, the so-called CYP 1A2 index:(AFMU + 1-MX + 1-MU/ 17 -DMU) of the caffeine metabolites formed after oral ingestion of 200 mg caffeine. Urine was collected 4-8 h after caffeine ingestion in study 1 and 5 h after caffeine ingestion in study 2. In study 1 the CYP 1A2 index decreased from 4.28 +/- 0.98 in the customary home dietary period to 3.87 +/- 0.69 in the standard dietary period corresponding to 10.6% (P < 0.06) decrease in the CYP 1A2 index. In study 2 the CYP 1A2 index decreased from 4.47 +/- 1.76 in the customary home dietary period to 3.90 +/- 1.12 in the standard dietary period corresponding to a 14.6% decrease (P < 0.2) in P450 1A2 activity. The female subjects had a mean index value of 3.89 +/- 1.14 which was 16.8% (P = 0.09) lower than the mean male index value of 4.68 +/- 1.76 during the home dietary period. After the 5 day period with charcoal grilled hamburgers as a dietary supplement, the CYP 1A2 index increased to almost the same level as in the customary home dietary period. The index increased to 4.45 +/- 1.57 in the whole group of volunteers, corresponding to a 14.1% (P < 0.05) increase. The mean increase in the CYP 1A2 index covered a large inter-individual variation in response to ingestion of charcoal grilled meat ranging from a 29% decrease to a 147% increase.

Effect of Polydextrose on Subjective Feelings of Appetite during the Satiation and Satiety Periods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Ibarra, Alvin; Astbury, Nerys M; Olli, Kaisa; Alhoniemi, Esa; Tiihonen, Kirsti

2016-01-14

Subjective feelings of appetite are measured using visual analogue scales (VAS) in controlled trials. However, the methods used to analyze VAS during the Satiation (pre- to post-meal) and Satiety (post-meal to subsequent meal) periods vary broadly, making it difficult to compare results amongst independent studies testing the same product. This review proposes a methodology to analyze VAS during both the Satiation and Satiety periods, allowing us to compare results in a meta-analysis. A methodology to express VAS results as incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for both the Satiation and Satiety periods is proposed using polydextrose as a case study. Further, a systematic review and meta-analysis on subjective feelings of appetite was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. Meta-analyses were expressed as Standardized Mean Difference (SMD). Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were important differences in the methods used to analyze appetite ratings amongst these studies. The separate subjective feelings of appetite reported were Hunger, Satisfaction, Fullness, Prospective Food Consumption, and the Desire to Eat. The method proposed here allowed the results of the different studies to be homogenized. The meta-analysis showed that Desire to Eat during the Satiation period favors polydextrose for the reduction of this subjective feeling of appetite (SMD = 0.24, I² < 0.01, p = 0.018); this effect was also significant in the sub-analysis by sex for the male population (SMD = 0.35, I² < 0.01, p = 0.015). There were no other significant results. It is possible to compare VAS results from separate studies. The assessment of iAUC for both the Satiation and Satiety periods generates results of homogeneous magnitudes. This case study demonstrates, for the first time, that polydextrose reduces the Desire to Eat during the Satiation period. This may explain, at least in part, the observed effects of polydextrose on the reduction of levels of energy intake at subsequent meals.

Hydrologic characteristics of lagoons at San Juan, Puerto Rico, during an October 1974 tidal cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gómez-Gómez, Fernando; Ellis, S.R.

1983-01-01

Flow and water-quality changes were studied during a period of intense rainfall in the San Juan Lagoon system. The study covered a 25-hour period beginning 0900 hours 22 October, 1974. Precipitation during the study period averaged 70 millimeters. Sampling stations were located at Boca de Cangrejos, the main ocean outlet; Canal Pinones between Laguna de Pinones and Laguna La Torrecilla; Canal Suarez between Laguna San Jose, connects to Laguna La Torrecilla; and Cano de Martin Pena between Laguna San Jose and Bahia de San Juan. In addition water-elevation recording gages were installed at each lagoon. Water samples from the canal stations were analyzed for organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus species, and suspended sediment. Specific-conductance measurements were used with the chemical data to estimate the runoff contributions of nutrients. Runoff into the lagoon, system during the study period was about 2.8 million cubic meters, or about 70 percent of the average precipitation. The runoff contributed chemical loadings to the lagoons of 95,000 kilograms total-organic carbon; 2,700 kilograms of total phosphorus; and 10,000 kilograms of total Khjeldhal nitrogen. A comparison with a prior study during which there was no significant rain, show that dry-period loadings are less than 10 percent of the wet-period loadings. At the end of the study period the system had not reached equilibrium, and the lagoons retained 80 percent of the water inflows from 50 to 90 percent of the chemical loads. Nearly 95 percent of the water outflows occurred at the Boca de Cangrejos sea outlet. The three lagoons and interconnecting canals form a very complex hydraulic system that is difficult to study using traditional techniques. A model of the system will facilitate management to improve the quality of water in the lagoons.

The risk of acute liver injury among users of antibiotic medications: a comparison of case-only studies.

PubMed

Brauer, Ruth; Ruigómez, Ana; Klungel, Olaf; Reynolds, Robert; Feudjo Tepie, Maurille; Smeeth, Liam; Douglas, Ian

2016-03-01

The aims of this study were two-fold: (i) to investigate the effect of exposure to antibiotic agents on the risk of acute liver injury using a self-controlled case series and case-crossover study and (ii) to compare the results between the case-only studies. For the self-controlled case series study relative incidence ratios (IRR) were calculated by dividing the rate of acute liver injury experienced during patients' periods of exposure to antibiotics to patients' rate of events during non-exposed time using conditional Poisson regression. For the case-crossover analysis we calculated Odds Ratios (OR) using conditional logistic regression by comparing exposure during 14- and 30-day risk windows with exposure during control moments. Using the self-controlled case series approach, the IRR was highest during the first 7 days after receipt of a prescription (10.01, 95% CI 6.59-15.18). Omitting post-exposure washout periods lowered the IRR to 7.2. The highest estimate in the case-crossover analysis was found when two 30-day control periods 1 year prior to the 30-day ALI risk period were retained in the analysis: OR = 6.5 (95% CI, 3.95-10.71). The lowest estimate was found when exposure in the 14-day risk period was compared to exposure in four consecutive 14-day control periods immediately prior to the risk period (OR = 3.05, 95% CI, 2.06-4.53). An increased relative risk of acute liver injury was consistently observed using both self-controlled case series and case-crossover designs. Case-only designs can be used as a viable alternative study design to study the risk of acute liver injury, albeit with some limitations. © 2015 The Authors Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors Impacting Growth in Infants with Single Ventricle Physiology: A Report from Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Trial

PubMed Central

Williams, Richard V.; Zak, Victor; Ravishankar, Chitra; Altmann, Karen; Anderson, Jeffrey; Atz, Andrew M.; Dunbar-Masterson, Carolyn; Ghanayem, Nancy; Lambert, Linda; Lurito, Karen; Medoff-Cooper, Barbara; Margossian, Renee; Pemberton, Victoria L.; Russell, Jennifer; Stylianou, Mario; Hsu, Daphne

2011-01-01

Objectives To describe growth patterns in infants with single ventricle physiology and determine factors influencing growth. Study design Data from 230 subjects enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Enalapril Trial were used to assess factors influencing change in weight-for-age z-score (Δz) from study enrollment (0.7 ± 0.4 months) to pre-superior cavopulmonary connection (SCPC) (5.1 ± 1.8 months, period 1), and pre-SCPC to final study visit (14.1 ± 0.9 months, period 2). Predictor variables included patient characteristics, feeding regimen, clinical center, and medical factors during neonatal (period 1) and SCPC hospitalizations (period 2). Univariate regression analysis was performed, followed by backward stepwise regression and bootstrapping reliability to inform a final multivariable model. Results Weights were available for 197/230 subjects for period 1 and 173/197 for period 2. For period 1, greater gestational age, younger age at study enrollment, tube feeding at neonatal discharge, and clinical center were associated with a greater negative Δz (poorer growth) in multivariable modeling (adjusted R2 = 0.39, p < 0.001). For period 2, younger age at SCPC and greater daily caloric intake were associated with greater positive Δz (better growth) (R2 = 0.10, p = 0.002). Conclusions Aggressive nutritional support and earlier SCPC are modifiable factors associated with a favorable change in weight-for-age z-score. PMID:21784436

Visual impairment due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in New Zealand: a 22-year review.

PubMed

Tan, Zachary; Chong, CheeFoong; Darlow, Brian; Dai, Shuan

2015-06-01

To evaluate retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)-related visual impairment in New Zealand children. 22-year retrospective review of medical records of children with moderate to severe visual impairment registered with the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand. The cohort was divided into two periods (1991-2004; 2005-2012) for analysis. 232 children with ROP were treated in the study period (109 in period 1, 123 in period 2). 36 children, 63.9% of whom were of male sex, were identified with subsequent significant visual impairment (27 in period 1, 9 in period 2). The incidence of new cases of visual impairment from ROP declined from 271.6 infants/100 000 live very preterm births per annum (period 1) to 146.1 per annum (period 2). Mean gestational age and mean birth weight were comparable between the two study periods. 75% of children with visual impairment from ROP received treatment for their condition (period 1, 74.1%; period 2, 77.8%) and modalities used changed significantly over time. The modal visual outcome overall was Snellen visual acuity <6/18-6/60 (55.6%) (period 1, 51.9%; period 2, 66.7%). The proportion of children with no light perception bilaterally decreased over time (period 1, 3.7%; period 2, 0%). There has been a reduction in the incidence of infants with significant visual impairment from ROP over time in New Zealand, likely due to progress in clinical management of ROP. Our study suggests the current ROP screening criteria of <31 weeks' gestation or <1250 g are of sufficient breadth. 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.

Sources of suspended sediment in the Waikele watershed, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izuka, Scot K.

2012-01-01

Data from streamflow/sediment gages and measurements of changes in channel-bed sediment storage were gathered between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2010, to assess the sources of suspended sediment in the Waikele watershed, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Streamflow from the watershed averaged 33 cubic feet per second during the study period, with interannual variations corresponding with variations in the frequency and magnitude of storm-flow peaks. Average streamflow during the study period was lower than the long-term average, but the study period included a storm on December 11, 2008, that caused record-high streamflows in parts of the watershed. Suspended-sediment yield from the Waikele watershed during the study period averaged 82,500 tons per year, which is 2.7 times higher than the long-term average. More than 90 percent of the yield during the study period was discharged during the December 11, 2008, storm. The study-period results are consistent with long-term records that show that the vast majority of suspended-sediment transport occurs during a few large storms. Results of this study also show that all but a small percentage of the suspended-sediment yield came from hillslopes. Only a small fraction of bed sediments is fine enough to be transported as suspended load; most bed sediments in the watershed are coarse. Silt and clay constitute less than 3 percent of the bed-sediment volume on average. Some larger clasts, however, can disintegrate during transport and contribute to the suspended load downstream. During the study period, suspended-sediment yield from the urbanized Mililani subbasin averaged 25 tons per year per square mile (tons/yr/mi2), which was much smaller than the yield from any other subbasin; these results indicate that urban land use yields much less sediment than other land uses. The wet, forested Kipapa subbasin had an average normalized hillslope suspended-sediment yield of 386 tons/yr/mi2; the average yield for forested areas in the watershed may be lower. Suspended-sediment yield from agricultural land use in the watershed is estimated to range between 5,590 and 6,440 tons/yr/mi2 during the study period; the long-term average is estimated to be 2,070 to 2,390 tons/yr/mi2. Of the three land uses considered, agriculture had by far the highest normalized suspended-sediment yield during this study - about an order of magnitude higher than forests and two orders of magnitude higher than urban areas.

[Clinical relevance of periodic limb movements during sleep in obstructive sleep apnea patients].

PubMed

Iriarte, J; Alegre, M; Irimia, P; Urriza, J; Artieda, J

The periodic limb movements disorder (PLMD) is frequently associated with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), but the prevalence and clinical relevance of this association have not been studied in detail. The objectives were to make a prospective study on the prevalence of PLMD in patients with OSAS, and correlate this association with clinical and respiratory parameters. Forty-two patients diagnosed with OSAS, without clinical suspicion of PLMD, underwent a polysomnographic study. Clinical symptoms and signs were evaluated with an structured questionnaire, and respiratory parameters were obtained from the nocturnal study. Periodic limb movements were found in 10 patients (24%). There were no differences in clinical parameters between both groups (with and without periodical limb movements). However, respiratory parameters were significantly worse in patients without PLMD. PLMD is very frequent in patients with OSAS, and can contribute to worsen clinical signs and symptoms in these patients independently from respiratory parameters.

Whooping cough dynamics in Chile (1932-2010): disease temporal fluctuations across a north-south gradient.

PubMed

Lima, Mauricio; Estay, Sergio A; Fuentes, Rodrigo; Rubilar, Paola; Broutin, Hélène; Chowell-Puente, Gerardo

2015-12-30

The spatial-temporal dynamics of Bordetella pertussis remains as a highly interesting case in infectious disease epidemiology. Despite large-scale vaccination programs in place for over 50 years around the world, frequent outbreaks are still reported in many countries. Here, we use annual time series of pertussis incidence from the thirteen different regions of Chile (1952-2010) to study the spatial-temporal dynamics of Pertussis. The period 1975-1995 was characterized by a strong 4 year cycle, while the last two decades of the study period (1990-2010) were characterized by disease resurgence without significant periodic patterns. During the first decades, differences in periodic patterns across regions can be explained by the differences in susceptible recruitment. The observed shift in periodicity from the period 1952-1974 to the period 1975-1995 across regions was relatively well predicted by the susceptible recruitment and population size. However, data on vaccination rates was not taken into account in this study. Our findings highlight how demography and population size have interacted with the immunization program in shaping periodicity along a unique latitudinal gradient. Widespread B. pertussis vaccination appears to lead to longer periodic dynamics, which is line with a reduction in B. pertussis transmission, but our findings indicate that regions characterized by both low birth rate and population size decreased in periodicity following immunization efforts.

A Study on the Relationship between Disaster and Spectral Intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Yeong-Tein; Kao, Ching-Yun

2010-05-01

Nowadays, the structural environment is becoming so complicated that an index, which can better assess earthquake damage than the originally defined intensity scale and PGA, is needed. Housner [1] suggested that spectral intensity (SI) can be a risk index of an earthquake. After Housner some earthquake engineers keep on exploring different period range of SI and its application [2-5]. The study of Matsumura [4] shows that SI is a better measure of earthquake intensity for a wide range of frequencies with a good correlation with damage than peak ground acceleration (adequate to structures with shorter natural period) and peak ground velocity (adequate to structures with longer natural period). Recently, Jean [6] investigated earthquake intensity attenuation law and site effect of strong ground motion using earthquake records in Taiwan area. Their results show that SI is a better earthquake damage index than PGA. This study enhanced the SI concept proposed by Jean [6]. The spectral intensity was separated into three periods, short period (acceleration controlled period), medium period (velocity controlled period), and long period (displacement controlled period). The average spectral intensity of short period, medium period, and long period can be an earthquake damage index of low-rise buildings, buildings of medium height, and high-rise buildings. Since average value of a certain data is meaningful when the data has a small variance, the start and end points of the three periods are calculated by statistical method so that the data at each period has minimum variance. Finally, the relationship between disaster and spectral intensity of 1999 Taiwan Chi-Chi earthquake was investigated in this study. [1] Housner, G. W. (1952). "Spectrum intensity of strong-motion earthquakes," in Proc. Sym. Earthq. Blast Eeff. on Stru., EERI, U.C.L.A.. [2] Hidalgo.P. and R. W.Clough (1974). "Earthquake simulator study of a reinforced concrete frame," Report UCB/EERC-74/13, EERC, University of California, Berkeley. [3] Kappos, A. J (1991). "Analytical prediction of the collpase earthquake for R. C. buildings: suggested methodology," Earthq. Eng. Stru. Dyn., 20, 2, pp. 167-176. [4] Matsumura, K. (1992). "On the intensity measure of strong motions related to structural failures," in Proceeding of 10 WCEE, 1, pp. 375-380. [5] Martinez-Rueda, J. E (1998). "Scaling procedure for natural accelerograms based on a system of spectrum intensity scales," Earthq. Spec., 14, 1,. [6] Jean, W. Y., Y. W. Chang, K. L. Wen, and C. H. Loh (2006). "Early estimation of seismic hazard for strong earthquakes in Taiwan," Natural Hazards, vol. 37, pp. 39-53.

Superintendent Communication Strategies and Experiences That Promote Trust and Positive Relationships with the School Board during the Entry Period: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez, Alfonso

2012-01-01

Superintendents have vast demands placed upon them by their school boards and via the political pipeline. The purpose of the study was to identify strategies/behaviors that successful superintendents used to build strong relationships and trust with their school boards within their entry period. It is during the entry period that determines…

Implementations of the Best Practices in Repayment, the Way to Improve Collections of the Due Students' Loans in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyahende, Veronica R.

2016-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the influence of the implementation of the best practices in repayment in the pre college preparation, in the in college period and in the after college period (the grace period and repayment) in increasing collections of the due students' loans. The study was geared towards achieving the following…

Superintendents' Entry Periods: Strategies and Behaviors That Successful Superintendents Use to Build Strong Relationships and Trust with Their School Boards during Their Entry Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howland, Sean J.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify strategies/behaviors that successful superintendents used to build strong relationships and trust with their school boards during their entry periods. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What strategies/behaviors are successful superintendents using to build strong relationships and trust with…

Western Africa to c/1860 A.D.: A Provisional Historical Schema Based on Climate Periods. Indiana University African Studies Program Working Papers Series, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, George E.

An examination of historical developments in western Africa during six climate periods extending over two millennia, this study demonstrates that numerous historical developments correlate with climate periods and/or were influenced by changes in rainfall patterns and ecological conditions. These include such diverse topics as the diffusion of…

Management and control of communicable diseases in schools and other child care settings: systematic review on the incubation period and period of infectiousness.

PubMed

Czumbel, Ida; Quinten, Chantal; Lopalco, Pierluigi; Semenza, Jan C

2018-05-02

Information on the incubation period and period of infectiousness or shedding of infectious pathogens is critical for management and control of communicable diseases in schools and other childcare settings. We performed a systematic literature review (Pubmed and Embase) to identify and critically appraise all relevant published articles using incubation, infectiousness or shedding, and exclusion period as parameters for the search. No language, time, geographical or study design restrictions were applied. A total of 112 articles met the eligibility criteria. A relatively large number were retrieved for gastrointestinal diseases and influenza or respiratory syncytial virus, but there were few or no studies for other diseases. Although a considerable number of publications reported the incubation and shedding periods, there was less evidence concerning the period of infectiousness. On average, five days of exclusion is considered for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and pertussis. For other diseases, such as most cases of meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and influenza exclusion is considered as long as severe symptoms persist. However, these results are based on a diverse range of study characteristics, including age, treatment, vaccination, underlying diseases, diagnostic tools, viral load, study design and definitions, making statistical analysis difficult. Despite inconsistent definitions for key variables and the diversity of studies reviewed, published data provide sufficient quantitative estimates to inform decision making in schools and other childcare settings. The results can be used as a reference when deciding about the exclusion of a child with a communicable disease that both prevents exposure and avoids unnecessary absenteeism.

Radial variations of large-scale magnetohydrodynamic fluctuations in the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burlaga, L. F.; Goldstein, M. L.

1983-01-01

Two time periods are studied for which comprehensive data coverage is available at both 1 AU using IMP-8 and ISEE-3 and beyond using Voyager 1. One of these periods is characterized by the predominance of corotating stream interactions. Relatively small scale transient flows characterize the second period. The evolution of these flows with heliocentric distance is studied using power spectral techniques. The evolution of the transient dominated period is consistent with the hypothesis of turbulent evolution including an inverse cascade of large scales. The evolution of the corotating period is consistent with the entrainment of slow streams by faster streams in a deterministic model.

Relapse Prevention in Pediatric Patients with ADHD Treated with Atomoxetine: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michelson, David; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Danckaerts, Marina; Gillberg, Christopher; Spencer, Thomas J.; Zuddas, Alessandro; Faries, Douglas E.; Zhang, Shuyu; Biederman, Joseph

2004-01-01

Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically treated over extended periods; however, few placebo-controlled, long-term studies of efficacy have been reported. Method: In a global multicenter study, children and adolescents who responded to an initial 12-week, open-label period of treatment with atomoxetine, a…

Oral Fluency, Accuracy, and Complexity in Formal Instruction and Study Abroad Learning Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mora, Joan C.; Valls-Ferrer, Margalida

2012-01-01

This study investigates the differential effects of two learning contexts, formal instruction (FI) at home and a study abroad period (SA), on the oral production skills of advanced-level Catalan-Spanish undergraduate learners of English. Speech samples elicited through an interview at three data collection times over a 2-year period were…

A Study of the Factors Conditioning College Mathematics, 1890-1945.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittington, Russell, Jr.

This study attempted to determine (1) the nature of the influences conditioning college mathematics, (2) the impact of these influences, and (3) the changes which seem to have resulted during three chronological periods from 1890 to 1945. For each period of the study certain basic questions were investigated (1) learning theory in the teaching of…

RESEARCH IN READING FOR THE MIDDLE GRADES. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CUTTS, WARREN G.

THIS BULLETIN PRESENTS RESEARCH STUDIES IN READING ON THE UPPER ELEMENTARY GRADE LEVEL DURING THE PERIOD FROM 1955 THROUGH 1960. THIS COMPILATION WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING TOGETHER THE UNPUBLISHED AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES OF THAT 5-YEAR PERIOD. THE 238 STUDIES WHICH ARE OUTLINED, SUMMARIZED, AND ANNOTATED…

Sirenomelia in Argentina: Prevalence, geographic clusters and temporal trends analysis.

PubMed

Groisman, Boris; Liascovich, Rosa; Gili, Juan Antonio; Barbero, Pablo; Bidondo, María Paz

2016-07-01

Sirenomelia is a severe malformation of the lower body characterized by a single medial lower limb and a variable combination of visceral abnormalities. Given that Sirenomelia is a very rare birth defect, epidemiological studies are scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate prevalence, geographic clusters and time trends of sirenomelia in Argentina, using data from the National Network of Congenital Anomalies of Argentina (RENAC) from November 2009 until December 2014. This is a descriptive study using data from the RENAC, a hospital-based surveillance system for newborns affected with major morphological congenital anomalies. We calculated sirenomelia prevalence throughout the period, searched for geographical clusters, and evaluated time trends. The prevalence of confirmed cases of sirenomelia throughout the period was 2.35 per 100,000 births. Cluster analysis showed no statistically significant geographical aggregates. Time-trends analysis showed that the prevalence was higher in years 2009 to 2010. The observed prevalence was higher than the observed in previous epidemiological studies in other geographic regions. We observed a likely real increase in the initial period of our study. We used strict diagnostic criteria, excluding cases that only had clinical diagnosis of sirenomelia. Therefore, real prevalence could be even higher. This study did not show any geographic clusters. Because etiology of sirenomelia has not yet been established, studies of epidemiological features of this defect may contribute to define its causes. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:604-611, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Occurrence and prognosis of hand eczema in the car industry: results from the PACO follow-up study (PACO II).

PubMed

Apfelbacher, Christian J; Radulescu, Magda; Diepgen, Thomas L; Funke, Ulrich

2008-06-01

Only a few epidemiological studies on hand eczema (HE) in the metalworking industry have been conducted, and no study has attempted a long-term follow-up. In the Prospective Audi Cohort (PACO) II follow-up study, we aimed to estimate burden and prognosis of HE in a car industry setting (follow-up > 10 years). Eligible participants were individuals who had been examined in the original PACO study (1990-1998) and had been followed through until the end of their apprenticeship (n = 1909). Participants were interviewed and underwent dermatological examination. An exposure assessment was carried out according to a pre-defined algorithm. The follow-up rate was 78.3% (1494/1909). Mean follow-up time was 13.3 [standard deviation 1.3] years. The period prevalence of HE in the follow-up period was 21.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.0-23.1%], yielding a cumulative incidence of 29.3% (95% CI 26.9-31.6%) in the entire study period. HE persisted after the end of apprenticeship in 40.0% (95% CI 33.3-46.7%) of subjects who had had HE during apprenticeship (n = 205). 18.0% (95% CI 15.9-20.1%) developed HE in the follow-up period (n = 1289). Around 30% of subjects were affected by HE at least once during the study period. HE persisted in 40% of the participants affected during apprenticeship.

Novel restricted access to vasectomy in Iran: addressing changing trends in vasectomy clients' characteristics over 16 years in northwestern Iran.

PubMed

Farrokh-Eslamlou, Hamidreza; Oshnouei, Sima; Alinejad, Vahid

2015-11-01

This study is designed to evaluate the popularity of vasectomy in Iran. The study was conducted to calculate the frequency of vasectomy over time, to compare vasectomy users' characteristics with the general population and whether these characteristics have changed over time. A cross-sectional study of 7864 men undergoing vasectomy in a 16-year period was conducted in Urmia, Iran. Comparative statistics described differences between vasectomy users and nonusers. The data were analyzed separately in two 8-year periods, 1996-2003 and 2004-2011. The time period did not involve 2012, the year which vasectomy became outlawed in the whole country. During the study period, the contraceptive prevalence rate of vasectomy increased from 0.1% to 3.35%. Vasectomy users were predominantly older, better educated, had more children and more urban residents than the general male population (p<0.001). Over time, men who underwent vasectomy tended to be younger, have well-educated wife and rural resident (p<0.05). This study highlighted a dramatic rise in the use of vasectomy between 1996 and 2011 in Iran. While the characteristics of vasectomy users versus general population were different, especially in age, education, resident area, number and sex of their children, there were significant changes from two 8-year study time periods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global behavior of a vibro-impact system with asymmetric clearances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guofang; Ding, Wangcai

2018-06-01

A simple dynamic model of a vibro-impact system subjected to harmonic excitation with two asymmetric clearances is considered. The Semi-Analytical Method for getting periodic solutions of the vibro-impact system is proposed. Diversity and evolution of the fundamental periodic impact motions are analyzed. The formation mechanism of the complete chatting-impact periodic motion with sticking motion by the influence of gazing bifurcation is analyzed. The transitional law of periodic motions in the periodical inclusions area is presented. The coexistence of periodic motions and the extreme sensitivity of the initial value within the high frequency region are studied. The global distribution of the periodic and chaos motions of the system is obtained by the state-parameter space co-simulation method which very few have considered before. The distribution of the attractor and the corresponding attracting domain corresponding to different periodic motions are also studied.

Global asymptotical ω-periodicity of a fractional-order non-autonomous neural networks.

PubMed

Chen, Boshan; Chen, Jiejie

2015-08-01

We study the global asymptotic ω-periodicity for a fractional-order non-autonomous neural networks. Firstly, based on the Caputo fractional-order derivative it is shown that ω-periodic or autonomous fractional-order neural networks cannot generate exactly ω-periodic signals. Next, by using the contraction mapping principle we discuss the existence and uniqueness of S-asymptotically ω-periodic solution for a class of fractional-order non-autonomous neural networks. Then by using a fractional-order differential and integral inequality technique, we study global Mittag-Leffler stability and global asymptotical periodicity of the fractional-order non-autonomous neural networks, which shows that all paths of the networks, starting from arbitrary points and responding to persistent, nonconstant ω-periodic external inputs, asymptotically converge to the same nonconstant ω-periodic function that may be not a solution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public health research outputs from efficacy to dissemination: a bibliometric analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background More intervention research is needed, particularly 'real world' intervention replication and dissemination studies, to optimize improvements in health. This study assessed the proportion and type of published public health intervention research papers over time in physical activity and falls prevention, both important contributors to preventable morbidity and mortality. Methods A keyword search was conducted, using Medline and PsycINFO to locate publications in 1988-1989, 1998-1999, and 2008-2009 for the two topic areas. In stage 1, a random sample of 1200 publications per time period for both topics were categorized as: non-public health, non-data-based public health, or data-based public health. In stage 2 data-based public health articles were further classified as measurement, descriptive, etiological or intervention research. Finally, intervention papers were categorized as: efficacy, intervention replication or dissemination studies. Inter-rater reliability of paper classification was 88%. Results Descriptive studies were the most common data-based papers across all time periods (1988-89; 1998-1999;2008-2009) for both issues (physical activity: 47%; 54%; 65% and falls 75%; 64%; 63%), increasing significantly over time for physical activity. The proportion of intervention publications did not increase over time for physical activity comprising 23% across all time periods and fluctuated for falls across the time periods (10%; 21%; 17%). The proportion of intervention articles that were replication studies increased over the three time periods for physical activity (0%; 2%; 11%) and for falls (0%; 22%; 35%). Dissemination studies first appeared in the literature in 2008-2009, making up only 3% of physical activity and 7% of falls intervention studies. Conclusions Intervention research studies remain only a modest proportion of all published studies in physical activity and falls prevention; the majority of the intervention studies, are efficacy studies although there is growing evidence of a move towards replication and dissemination studies, which may have greater potential for improving population health. PMID:22168312

Transdermal rotigotine for the perioperative management of restless legs syndrome

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Immobilisation, blood loss, sleep deficiency, and (concomitant) medications during perioperative periods might lead to acute exacerbation of symptoms in patients with the restless legs syndrome (RLS). Continuous transdermal delivery of the dopamine agonist rotigotine provides stable plasma levels over 24 h and may provide RLS patients with a feasible treatment option for perioperative situations. To assess the feasibility of use of rotigotine transdermal patch for the perioperative management of moderate to severe RLS, long-term data of an open-label extension of a rotigotine dose-finding study were retrospectively reviewed. Methods The data of all 295 patients who had entered the 5-year study were screened independently by two reviewers for the occurrence of surgical interventions during the study period. The following data were included in this post-hoc analysis: patient age, sex, surgical intervention and outcome, duration of hospital stay, rotigotine maintenance dose at the time of surgery, rotigotine dose adjustment, and continuation/discontinuation of rotigotine treatment. All parameters were analysed descriptively. No pre-specified efficacy assessments (e.g. IRLS scores) were available for the perioperative period. Results During the study period, 61 surgical interventions were reported for 52 patients (median age, 63 years; 67% female); the majority of patients (85%) had one surgical intervention. The mean rotigotine maintenance dose at time of surgery was 3.1 ± 1.1 mg/24 h. For most interventions (95%), rotigotine dosing regimens were maintained during the perioperative period. Administration was temporarily suspended in one patient and permanently discontinued in another two. The majority (96%) of the patients undergoing surgery remained in the study following the perioperative period and 30 of these patients (61%) completed the 5-year study. Conclusions Although the data were obtained from a study which was not designed to assess rotigotine use in the perioperative setting, this post-hoc analysis suggests that treatment with rotigotine transdermal patch can be maintained during the perioperative period in the majority of patients and may allow for uninterrupted alleviation of RLS symptoms. Trial Registration The 5-year rotigotine extension study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT00498186. PMID:23009552

Transdermal rotigotine for the perioperative management of restless legs syndrome.

PubMed

Högl, Birgit; Oertel, Wolfgang H; Schollmayer, Erwin; Bauer, Lars

2012-09-25

Immobilisation, blood loss, sleep deficiency, and (concomitant) medications during perioperative periods might lead to acute exacerbation of symptoms in patients with the restless legs syndrome (RLS). Continuous transdermal delivery of the dopamine agonist rotigotine provides stable plasma levels over 24 h and may provide RLS patients with a feasible treatment option for perioperative situations. To assess the feasibility of use of rotigotine transdermal patch for the perioperative management of moderate to severe RLS, long-term data of an open-label extension of a rotigotine dose-finding study were retrospectively reviewed. The data of all 295 patients who had entered the 5-year study were screened independently by two reviewers for the occurrence of surgical interventions during the study period. The following data were included in this post-hoc analysis: patient age, sex, surgical intervention and outcome, duration of hospital stay, rotigotine maintenance dose at the time of surgery, rotigotine dose adjustment, and continuation/discontinuation of rotigotine treatment. All parameters were analysed descriptively. No pre-specified efficacy assessments (e.g. IRLS scores) were available for the perioperative period. During the study period, 61 surgical interventions were reported for 52 patients (median age, 63 years; 67% female); the majority of patients (85%) had one surgical intervention. The mean rotigotine maintenance dose at time of surgery was 3.1 ± 1.1 mg/24 h. For most interventions (95%), rotigotine dosing regimens were maintained during the perioperative period. Administration was temporarily suspended in one patient and permanently discontinued in another two. The majority (96%) of the patients undergoing surgery remained in the study following the perioperative period and 30 of these patients (61%) completed the 5-year study. Although the data were obtained from a study which was not designed to assess rotigotine use in the perioperative setting, this post-hoc analysis suggests that treatment with rotigotine transdermal patch can be maintained during the perioperative period in the majority of patients and may allow for uninterrupted alleviation of RLS symptoms. The 5-year rotigotine extension study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT00498186.

Quality of Reporting and Study Design of CKD Cohort Studies Assessing Mortality in the Elderly Before and After STROBE: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Rao, Anirudh; Brück, Katharina; Methven, Shona; Evans, Rebecca; Stel, Vianda S; Jager, Kitty J; Hooft, Lotty; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Caskey, Fergus

2016-01-01

The STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement was published in October 2007 to improve quality of reporting of observational studies. The aim of this review was to assess the impact of the STROBE statement on observational study reporting and study design quality in the nephrology literature. Systematic literature review. European and North American, Pre-dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) cohort studies. Studies assessing the association between CKD and mortality in the elderly (>65 years) published from 1st January 2002 to 31st December 2013 were included, following systematic searching of MEDLINE & EMBASE. Time period before and after the publication of the STROBE statement. Quality of study reporting using the STROBE statement and quality of study design using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tools. 37 papers (11 Pre & 26 Post STROBE) were identified from 3621 potential articles. Only four of the 22 STROBE items and their sub-criteria (objectives reporting, choice of quantitative groups and description of and carrying out sensitivity analysis) showed improvements, with the majority of items showing little change between the period before and after publication of the STROBE statement. Pre- and post-period analysis revealed a Manuscript STROBE score increase (median score 77.8% (Inter-quartile range [IQR], 64.7-82.0) vs 83% (IQR, 78.4-84.9, p = 0.05). There was no change in quality of study design with identical median scores in the two periods for NOS (Manuscript NOS score 88.9), SIGN (Manuscript SIGN score 83.3) and CASP (Manuscript CASP score 91.7) tools. Only 37 Studies from Europe and North America were included from one medical specialty. Assessment of study design largely reliant on good reporting. This study highlights continuing deficiencies in the reporting of STROBE items and their sub-criteria in cohort studies in nephrology. There was weak evidence of improvement in the overall reporting quality, with no improvement in methodological quality of CKD cohort studies between the period before and after publication of the STROBE statement.

Business Education Index 1987. Volume 48. Index of Business Education Articles, Research Studies, and Textbooks Compiled from a Selected List of Periodicals, Publishers, and Yearbooks Published during the Year 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCauley, Rosemarie, Ed.

1988-01-01

This index lists business education articles, research studies, and textbooks that were compiled from a selected list of periodicals, publishers, and yearbooks published during 1987. A total of 19 general publications and 48 periodicals were indexed. The materials are indexed under 94 subject headings, including the following: accounting,…

A Periodic Compendium of Opportunities in Environmental Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ET Worldwide, 1994

1994-01-01

This periodic compendium of environmental training opportunities includes information about educational opportunities for noncredit, and undergraduate through postgraduate studies around the world. The areas of study include the following: environmental education; environmental science; environmental management; Africa and global change;…

Prevention of Hamstring Injuries in Collegiate Sprinters

PubMed Central

Sugiura, Yusaku; Sakuma, Kazuhiko; Sakuraba, Keishoku; Sato, Yamato

2017-01-01

Background: No studies have been reported on how strength, agility, and flexibility training reduce the occurrence of hamstring injuries in sprinters. Therefore, a program for preventing hamstring injury in these athletes has not been established. Purpose: To document the incidence of hamstring injuries during times when different prevention strategies were employed to see whether a particular prevention program reduced their occurrence. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: The study subjects were a total of 613 collegiate male sprinters trained by the same coach over 24 seasons. Tow training was used throughout the research period as a normal sprint training method. The hamstring injury prevention program evolved over time. From 1988 to 1991 (period 1), prevention focused on strength training alone; from 1992 to 1999 (period 2), a combination of strength and agility training was used; and from 2000 to 2011 (period 3), the program incorporated strength, agility, and flexibility training. The incidence of hamstring injuries was compared for each of the 3 prevention strategies. Results: The incidence of hamstring injuries per athlete-seasons was 137.9 for period 1, 60.6 for period 2, and 6.7 for period 3. A significant difference was observed in the incidence of hamstring injury according to the different prevention programs (χ2(2) = 31.78, P < .001, effect size: Cramer V = 0.23, 1 − β = 0.999). Residual analysis showed that the number of hamstring injuries for period 1 was significantly greater than the expected value (P < .01), whereas that for period 3 was significantly lower than the expected value (P < .01). Conclusion: The incidence of hamstring injuries in sprinters decreased as agility and flexibility were added to strength training. PMID:28210652

Evolving Trends in Endodontic Research: An Assessment of Published Articles in 2 Leading Endodontic Journals.

PubMed

Tzanetakis, Giorgos N; Stefopoulos, Spyridon; Loizides, Alexios L; Kakavetsos, Vasileios D; Kontakiotis, Evangelos G

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate and analyze the evolving trends in endodontic research in 2 leading endodontic journals (ie, Journal of Endodontics and International Endodontic Journal) in articles published from January 2009 to December 2013. The differences in content between this period and a 10-year earlier period from January 1999 to December 2003 were also evaluated. Each journal's content was accessed through the web edition. For each article, the following parameters were recorded: number of authors, article type, number of affiliations, field of study, source of article, and geographic origin. The recorded data were analyzed using both descriptive and analytic statistics. During 2009-2013 (second period), the mean number of authors per article increased significantly compared with 1999-2003 (first period). The main volume of the literature in both periods and journals was original research articles. The number of published reviews increased significantly from the first to the second study period in contrast to case reports/clinical articles, which presented a significant decrease. "Endodontic materials" was the most prevalent thematic category in both study periods. The number of published articles related to "biology" and "chemical preparation and disinfection" increased significantly from the first to the second study period. On the contrary, the number of articles regarding "obturation and microleakage" presented a considerable decrease at the same time. The United States was the leading country in the number of publications in the first period followed by Brazil. In the second period, this rank was reversed with Brazil becoming the leading country followed by the United States. In the last 15 years, the progress of the specialty of endodontology was apparent as shown through the trends and shifts in research orientation in published articles in the 2 leading endodontic journals. The results of the present reviewing process encourage both journals to publish well-designed research projects with a high degree of difficulty, thus contributing to a more evidence-based approach of endodontology. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incubation period and immune function: A comparative field study among coexisting birds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palacios, M.G.; Martin, T.E.

2006-01-01

Developmental periods are integral components of life history strategies that can have important fitness consequences and vary enormously among organisms. However, the selection pressures and mechanisms causing variation in length of developmental periods are poorly understood. Particularly puzzling are prolonged developmental periods, because their selective advantage is unclear. Here we tested the hypotheses that immune function is stronger in species that are attacked at a higher rate by parasites and that prolonged embryonic development allows the development of this stronger immune system. Through a comparative field study among 12 coexisting passerine bird species, we show that species with higher blood parasite prevalence mounted stronger cellular immune responses than species with lower prevalence. These results provide support for the hypothesis that species facing greater selection pressure from parasites invest more in immune function. However, species with longer incubation periods mounted weaker cellular immune responses than species with shorter periods. Therefore, cellular immune responses do not support the hypothesis that longer development time enhances immunocompentence. Future studies should assess other components of the immune system and test alternative causes of variation in incubation periods among bird species. ?? Springer-Verlag 2005.

Fostering Locomotor Behavior of Children with Developmental Disabilities: An Overview of Studies Using Treadmills and Walkers with Microswitches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Didden, Robert; Manfredi, Francesco; Putignano, Pietro; Stasolla, Fabrizio; Basili, Gabriella

2009-01-01

This paper provides an overview of studies using programs with treadmills or walkers with microswitches and contingent stimulation to foster locomotor behavior of children with developmental disabilities. Twenty-six studies were identified in the period 2000-2008 (i.e., the period in which research in this area has actually taken shape).…

A net reproductive number for periodic matrix models.

PubMed

Cushing, J M; Ackleh, A S

2012-01-01

We give a definition of a net reproductive number R (0) for periodic matrix models of the type used to describe the dynamics of a structured population with periodic parameters. The definition is based on the familiar method of studying a periodic map by means of its (period-length) composite. This composite has an additive decomposition that permits a generalization of the Cushing-Zhou definition of R (0) in the autonomous case. The value of R (0) determines whether the population goes extinct (R (0)<1) or persists (R (0)>1). We discuss the biological interpretation of this definition and derive formulas for R (0) for two cases: scalar periodic maps of arbitrary period and periodic Leslie models of period 2. We illustrate the use of the definition by means of several examples and by applications to case studies found in the literature. We also make some comparisons of this definition of R (0) with another definition given recently by Bacaër.

Outcomes in patients with community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Cavallazzi, Rodrigo; Wiemken, Timothy; Arnold, Forest W; Luna, Carlos M; Bordon, Jose; Kelley, Robert; Feldman, Charles; Chalmers, James D; Torres, Antoni; Ramirez, Julio

2015-06-01

Severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) portends a serious prognosis. The temporal trend in outcome of severe CAP is not well established. We evaluated the temporal trends in the outcomes of severe CAP. This is a secondary analysis of 800 patients with severe CAP enrolled in the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization International Cohort. Severe CAP was defined as CAP requiring admission to the intensive care unit. Only patients admitted to the ICU upon hospital admission were included in this study. We assessed the trend in outcomes of these patients during three time periods: Period I (June 2001 to April 2004), Period II (May 2004 to January 31 2008), and Period III (February 2008 to February 2013). After adjustment for other variables, mortality was higher for patients admitted during Period II compared with Period I (RR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.002 to 2.14; P value = 0.049), and for Period III compared with Period I (RR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.15 to 2.50; P value = 0.008). No significant difference in length of stay or time to clinical stability was found among the three periods. The mortality of patients with severe CAP increased over time in our study population. This finding has important health policy implications if confirmed by other studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of dispersed coupling strength on the free running periods of circadian rhythms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Changgui; Rohling, Jos H. T.; Liang, Xiaoming; Yang, Huijie

2016-03-01

The dominant endogenous clock, named the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), regulates circadian rhythms of behavioral and physiological activity in mammals. One of the main characteristics of the SCN is that the animal maintains a circadian rhythm with a period close to 24 h in the absence of a daily light-dark cycle (called the free running period). The free running period varies among species due to heterogeneity of the SCN network. Previous studies have shown that the heterogeneity in cellular coupling as well as in intrinsic neuronal periods shortens the free running period. Furthermore, as derived from experiments, one neuron's coupling strength is negatively associated with its period. It is unknown what the effects of this association between coupling strength and period are on the free running period and how the heterogeneity in coupling strength influences this free running period. In the present study we found that in the presence of a negative relationship between one neuron's coupling strength and its period, surprisingly, the dispersion of coupling strengths increases the free running period. Our present finding may shed new light on the understanding of the heterogeneous SCN network and provides an alternative explanation for the diversity of free running periods between species.

Time course of motor gains induced by music-supported therapy after stroke: An exploratory case study.

PubMed

Grau-Sánchez, Jennifer; Ramos, Neus; Duarte, Esther; Särkämö, Teppo; Rodríguez-Fornells, Antoni

2017-09-01

Previous studies have shown that Music-Supported Therapy (MST) can improve the motor function and promote functional neuroplastic changes in motor areas; however, the time course of motor gains across MST sessions and treatment periods remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the progression of the rehabilitation of motor deficits in a chronic stroke patient for a period of 7 months. A reversal design (ABAB) was implemented in a chronic stroke patient where no treatment was provided in the A periods and MST was applied in the B periods. Each period comprised of 4 weeks and an extensive evaluation of the motor function using clinical motor tests and 3D movement analysis was performed weekly. During the MST periods, a keyboard task was recorded daily. A follow-up evaluation was performed 3 months after the second MST treatment. Improvements were observed during the first sessions in the keyboard task but clinical gains were noticeable only at the end of the first treatment and during the second treatment period. These gains were maintained in the follow-up evaluation. This is the first study examining the pattern of motor recovery progression in MST, evidencing that gradual and continuous motor improvements are possible with the repeated application of MST training. Fast-acquisition in specific motor abilities was observed at the beginning of the MST training but generalization of these improvements to other motor tasks took place at the end or when another treatment period was provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Global transport in a nonautonomous periodic standard map

DOE PAGES

Calleja, Renato C.; del-Castillo-Negrete, D.; Martinez-del-Rio, D.; ...

2017-04-14

A non-autonomous version of the standard map with a periodic variation of the perturbation parameter is introduced and studied via an autonomous map obtained from the iteration of the nonautonomous map over a period. Symmetry properties in the variables and parameters of the map are found and used to find relations between rotation numbers of invariant sets. The role of the nonautonomous dynamics on period-one orbits, stability and bifurcation is studied. The critical boundaries for the global transport and for the destruction of invariant circles with fixed rotation number are studied in detail using direct computation and a continuation method.more » In the case of global transport, the critical boundary has a particular symmetrical horn shape. Here, the results are contrasted with similar calculations found in the literature.« less

Global transport in a nonautonomous periodic standard map

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

Calleja, Renato C.; del-Castillo-Negrete, D.; Martinez-del-Rio, D.

A non-autonomous version of the standard map with a periodic variation of the perturbation parameter is introduced and studied via an autonomous map obtained from the iteration of the nonautonomous map over a period. Symmetry properties in the variables and parameters of the map are found and used to find relations between rotation numbers of invariant sets. The role of the nonautonomous dynamics on period-one orbits, stability and bifurcation is studied. The critical boundaries for the global transport and for the destruction of invariant circles with fixed rotation number are studied in detail using direct computation and a continuation method.more » In the case of global transport, the critical boundary has a particular symmetrical horn shape. Here, the results are contrasted with similar calculations found in the literature.« less

Modeled and Measured Dynamics of a Composite Beam with Periodically Varying Foam Core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabell, Randolph H.; Cano, Roberto J.; Schiller, Noah H.; Roberts Gary D.

2012-01-01

The dynamics of a sandwich beam with carbon fiber composite facesheets and foam core with periodic variations in material properties are studied. The purpose of the study is to compare finite element predictions with experimental measurements on fabricated beam specimens. For the study, three beams were fabricated: one with a compliant foam core, a second with a stiffer core, and a third with the two cores alternating down the length of the beam to create a periodic variation in properties. This periodic variation produces a bandgap in the frequency domain where vibrational energy does not readily propagate down the length of the beam. Mode shapes and natural frequencies are compared, as well as frequency responses from point force input to velocity response at the opposite end of the beam.

Bootstrap rolling window estimation approach to analysis of the Environment Kuznets Curve hypothesis: evidence from the USA.

PubMed

Aslan, Alper; Destek, Mehmet Akif; Okumus, Ilyas

2018-01-01

This study aims to examine the validity of inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve by investigating the relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution for the period from 1966 to 2013 in the USA. Previous studies based on the assumption of parameter stability and obtained parameters do not change over the full sample. This study uses bootstrap rolling window estimation method to detect the possible changes in causal relations and also obtain the parameters for sub-sample periods. The results show that the parameter of economic growth has increasing trend in 1982-1996 sub-sample periods, and it has decreasing trend in 1996-2013 sub-sample periods. Therefore, the existence of inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve is confirmed in the USA.

The historical development of suicide mortality in Russia, 1870-2007.

PubMed

Jukkala, Tanya; Mäkinen, Ilkka Henrik; Stickley, Andrew

2015-01-01

Russia has one of the highest suicide mortality rates in the world. This study investigates the development of Russian suicide mortality over a longer time period in order to provide a context within which the contemporary high level might be better understood. Annual sex- and age-specific suicide-mortality data for Russia for the period 1870-2007 were studied, where available. Russian suicide mortality increased 11-fold over the period. Trends in male and female suicide developed similarly, although male suicide rates were consistently much higher. From the 1990s suicide has increased in a relative sense among the young (15-34), while the high suicide mortality among middle-aged males has reduced. Changes in Russian suicide mortality over the study period may be attributable to modernization processes.

The Impacts of Heatwaves on Mortality Differ with Different Study Periods: A Multi-City Time Series Investigation.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao Yu; Guo, Yuming; FitzGerald, Gerry; Aitken, Peter; Tippett, Vivienne; Chen, Dong; Wang, Xiaoming; Tong, Shilu

2015-01-01

Different locations and study periods were used in the assessment of the relationships between heatwaves and mortality. However, little is known about the comparability and consistency of the previous effect estimates in the literature. This study assessed the heatwave-mortality relationship using different study periods in the three largest Australian cities (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney). Daily data on climatic variables and mortality for the three cities were obtained from relevant government agencies between 1988 and 2011. A consistent definition of heatwaves was used for these cities. Poisson generalised additive model was fitted to assess the impact of heatwaves on mortality. Non-accidental and circulatory mortality significantly increased during heatwaves across the three cities even with different heatwave definitions and study periods. Using the summer data resulted in the largest increase in effect estimates compared to those using the warm season or the whole year data. The findings may have implications for developing standard approaches to evaluating the heatwave-mortality relationship and advancing heat health warning systems. It also provides an impetus to methodological advance for assessing climate change-related health consequences.

A post-marketing safety and efficacy assessment of a monoclonal antibody purified high-purity factor VIII concentrate.

PubMed

Hay, C R; Lee, C A; Savidge, G

1996-01-01

The identification of infrequent side-effects of clotting factor concentrates, undetected by clinical trials, is facilitated by post-marketing surveillance. We present a post-marketing surveillance study in which 97 patients with haemophilia A, attending three haemophilia centres, were treated over a median follow-up period of 284 days (range 1-1074), and a total follow-up period of 30,080 days, with a pasteurized immunoaffinity purified factor VIII concentrate (Monoclate-P, Armour, Collegeville, USA). 5216 infusions, using 10,527,000 units of Monoclate-P, were carried out, mostly for routine haemarthroses or prophylaxis. No new inhibitors were observed during the study. At the start of the study 60/97 were HIV seropositive, 67/97 HBs antibody positive, 12 HbsAb negative and the remainder HBsAb positive before the study period. 13/14 tested were HAV seropositive at the beginning of the study. One patient became HAV seropositive during the study period, an infection thought to be community acquired. No other seroconversions were observed. Only one mild transfusion reaction was observed. This study confirms the safety and efficacy of Monoclate-P. Post-marketing surveillance or nationally organized pharmaco-vigilance should be practiced more widely to enable identification of low-frequency side-effects of treatment.

Adult emergency department patients with sickle cell pain crisis: results from a quality improvement learning collaborative model to improve analgesic management.

PubMed

Tanabe, Paula; Hafner, John W; Martinovich, Zoran; Artz, Nicole

2012-04-01

The aims of this study were to 1) estimate differences in pain management process and patient-reported outcomes, pre- and postimplementation of analgesic protocols for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), and 2) examine the effects of site and visit frequency on changes in pain scores and time to analgesic. A multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study enrolled patients from three academic medical centers between October 2007 and September 2009. All ED patients 18 years or older with a chief complaint of a sickle cell pain episode were enrolled. Sites formed a SCD quality improvement (QI) team and implemented standard nurse-initiated emergency department (ED) analgesic protocols; outcomes were compared between study periods defined as pre- and postimplementation of protocols. Medical record review was conducted to measure time to administration of initial analgesic, opioids used, route of opioid administration, the change in pain scores from arrival to discharge (negative numbers reflect a decrease in pain scores), and the number of ED visits per individual patient during the study period at each site. On day 7 after the ED visit, a follow-up phone interview was conducted. Patients were queried about their ED pain management using a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = outstanding, 10 = worst). Descriptive statistics are used to report the results. Ordinary least-squares regression models were constructed to measure the effect of time period, site, and number of visits per patient on change in pain score. During the study period, 342 unique patients (57% female, mean ± SD age = 32 ± 11 years) were enrolled and had a total of 2,934 visits. There was no difference in time to administration of the initial analgesic between study periods. Overall, there was a significant decrease in pain scores from arrival to discharge between the pre- and postintervention study periods: the average difference in arrival to discharge pain scores (cm) was greater during the postimplementation period than during the preintervention period (-4.1 vs. -3.6, t = 2.6, p < 0.01). Site 1 had significant improvement between study periods (mean difference = -0.87, t = 2.63, p < 0.01; F = 14.3, p < 0.01). Patients with few ED visits (one to six annual visits, mean difference = -1.55, t = 2.1, p = 0.04) and those with frequent ED visits (7 to 19 annual visits, mean difference = -1.65, t = 3.52, p < 0.01) had a significant decrease in pain scores compared to patients with very frequent ED visits (>19 visits). There was an overall decrease in the use of morphine sulfate (MS) and increase in the use of hydromorphone (χ(2) = 105.67, p < 0.001) between study periods and a significant increase in the use of oral (PO) and subcutaneous (SC) routes, with a corresponding decrease in the intravenous (IV) route (χ(2) = 13.67, p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in patient-reported satisfaction with the attempt to manage pain in the ED between study periods (p = 0.54). While the use of a learning collaborative and implementation of nurse-initiated analgesic protocols was not associated with improvement in time to administration of the initial analgesic, improvements in the decrease in the arrival to discharge pain score and increased use of hydromorphone and the SC route were noted in adults with SCD in the ED. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Early oral feeding after pancreatoduodenectomy enhances recovery without increasing morbidity

PubMed Central

Gerritsen, Arja; Wennink, Roos A W; Besselink, Marc G H; van Santvoort, Hjalmar C; Tseng, Dorine S J; Steenhagen, Elles; Borel Rinkes, Inne H M; Molenaar, I Quintus

2014-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a change in the routine feeding strategy applied after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) from nasojejunal tube (NJT) feeding to early oral feeding improved clinical outcomes. Methods An observational cohort study was performed in 102 consecutive patients undergoing PD. In period 1 (n = 51, historical controls), the routine postoperative feeding strategy was NJT feeding. This was changed to a protocol of early oral feeding with on-demand NJT feeding in period 2 (n = 51, consecutive prospective cohort). The primary outcome was time to resumption of adequate oral intake. Results The baseline characteristics of study subjects in both periods were comparable. In period 1, 98% (n = 50) of patients received NJT feeding, whereas in period 2, 53% (n = 27) of patients did so [for delayed gastric empting (DGE) (n = 20) or preoperative malnutrition (n = 7)]. The time to resumption of adequate oral intake significantly decreased from 12 days in period 1 to 9 days in period 2 (P = 0.015), and the length of hospital stay shortened from 18 days in period 1 to 13 days in period 2 (P = 0.015). Overall, there were no differences in the incidences of complications of Clavien–Dindo Grade III or higher, DGE, pancreatic fistula, postoperative haemorrhage and mortality between the two periods. Conclusions The introduction of an early oral feeding strategy after PD reduced the time to resumption of adequate oral intake and length of hospital stay without negatively impacting postoperative morbidity. PMID:24308458

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

Li, Yang; National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206; Xiong, Wei

Although a deficiency in CRY1 or CRY2 correlates with a shorter or longer circadian period, the regulation of CRY proteins in the circadian period has not been well studied. In this study, we found that both CRY1 and CRY2 were able to rescue oscillation in CRY null cells and that they displayed different periods. Furthermore, we demonstrated that protein nuclear import rates, not protein stability, regulate the period-length at the cellular level. Co-transfection of CRY1 and CRY2 in various ratios in the same cells gives rise to the predicted period length in a dose-dependent manner. Given the distinct characteristics ofmore » the C-terminal tails of the CRY1 and CRY2 proteins, our study addresses a long-standing hypothesis that the ratio of these two CRY molecules affects the clock period. - Highlights: • Rhythmic CRY2, like CRY1, in the correct CRY1 phase is sufficient to rescue clock oscillation in CRY null cells. • The short-period mammalian CRY2 protein is more stable than the CRY1 protein. • The N-terminal polypeptide of CRY2 contributes to its stability and Per2 repression, but it does not affect the period. • The C-terminal tails of CRYs regulate their protein stability and nuclear import, but the import rate governs the period. • The ratio, rather than the absolute amounts of CRY1 and CRY2 proteins, determines the period in mammalian cells.« less

INTERCOMPARISON OF PERIODIC FINE PARTICLE SULFUR AND SULFATE CONCENTRATION RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

A one-week study was conducted in August 1979 to evaluate the comparative ability of representative aerosol sampling systems to monitor fine particulate sulfur and sulfate concentrations periodically in situ. Participants in the study operated their samplers simultaneously in the...

A Periodic Compendium of Opportunities in Environmental Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ET Worldwide, 1991

1991-01-01

This periodic compendium of environmental training opportunities includes information about educational opportunities for noncredit, and undergraduate through postgraduate studies around the world. The areas of study include the following: environmental science; agriculture education and science; wildlife management; natural resources, land use,…

Sensitive periods in human development: evidence from musical training.

PubMed

Penhune, Virginia B

2011-10-01

One of the primary goals of cognitive neuroscience is to understand the interaction between genes, development and specific experience. A particularly fascinating example of this interaction is a sensitive period - a time during development when experience has a differential effect on behavior and the brain. Behavioral and brain imaging studies in musicians have provided suggestive evidence for a possible sensitive period for musical training; showing that musicians who began training early show better task performance and greater changes in auditory and motor regions of the brain. However, these studies have not controlled for likely differences between early- (ET) and late-trained (LT) musicians in the number of years of musical experience. This review presents behavioral work from our laboratory comparing the performance of ET (before age seven) and LT musicians who were matched for years of experience on the ability to tap in synchrony with auditory and visual rhythms. The results demonstrate the existence of a possible sensitive period for musical training that has its greatest impact on measures of sensorimotor integration. Work on motor learning in children and how this might relate to the observed sensitive period effect is also reviewed. These studies are described in the context of what is currently known about sensitive periods in animals and humans; drawing on evidence from anatomy and physiology, studies of deafness, as well as structural and functional neuroimaging studies in trained musicians. The possible mechanisms underlying sensitive periods for musical training are discussed based on current theories describing the influence of both low-level features of sensory experience and higher-level cognitive processing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Initial results from SKiYMET meteor radar at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E): 2. Gravity wave observations in the MLT region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Karanam Kishore; Antonita, T. Maria; Shelbi, S. T.

2007-12-01

In the present communication, allSKy interferometric METeor (SKiYMET) radar observations of gravity wave activity in the mesosphere lower thermosphere (MLT) region over Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E) are presented. The present meteor radar system provides hourly zonal and meridional winds in the MLT region, which can be readily used for studying the tides, planetary waves, gravity waves of periods 2-6 hours, and other long period oscillations in this region. However, these hourly winds are not sufficient for studying short period gravity waves having periods less than an hour, which demand high temporal resolution measurements. Even though the winds are estimated on an hourly basis, information such as zenith angle, azimuth angle, and radial velocity of each detected meteor are archived. Using these details of the meteor, an algorithm is developed to obtain the 15-min temporal resolution wind data. The output of the algorithm is compared with hourly wind data, and it showed a good agreement during the high meteor shower periods. Most of the times high meteor counts are observed during late night and early morning hours (local) over this latitude. Continuous wind measurements during the high meteor shower periods are used for studying the gravity wave activity in the MLT region. As the wave activity is intermittent and nonstationary, wavelet analysis has been used for delineating the wave features. The results showed the upward propagating intermittent gravity waves with periods 1-2 and 4-5 hours. The new aspect of the present communication is the usage of meteor radar for gravity wave studies for the first time over this latitude and studying their seasonal variability.

Short-term effects of replacing milk with cola beverages on insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-glucose metabolism: a 10 d interventional study in young men.

PubMed

Hoppe, Camilla; Kristensen, Mette; Boiesen, Marlene; Kudsk, Jane; Fleischer Michaelsen, Kim; Mølgaard, Christian

2009-10-01

In the Western world, a trend towards increased consumption of carbonated soft drinks combined with a decreasing intake of milk is observed. This may affect circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and fasting insulin, as seen in pre-pubertal children. The present study was designed to reflect the trend of replacing milk with carbonated beverages in young men and to study the effects of this replacement on IGF-I, IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), IGF-I:IGFBP-3 and glucose-insulin metabolism. A randomised, controlled crossover intervention study, in which eleven men aged 22-29 years were given a low-Ca diet in two 10 d periods with 10 d washout in between. In one period, they drank 2.5 litres of Coca Cola(R) per day and the other period 2.5 litres of semi-skimmed milk. Serum IGF-I, IGFBP-3 (RIA), insulin (fluoro immunoassay) and glucose (Cobas) were determined at baseline and end point of each intervention period. Insulin resistance and beta-cell function were calculated with the homeostasis model assessment. A decrease in serum IGF-I was observed in the cola period compared with the milk period (P < 0.05). No effects of treatment were observed on IGFBP-3, IGF-I:IGFBP-3, insulin, glucose, insulin resistance or beta-cell function. The present study demonstrates that high intake of cola over a 10 d period decreases total IGF-I compared with a high intake of milk, with no effect on glucose-insulin metabolism in adult men. It is unknown whether this is a transient phenomenon or whether it has long-term consequences.

Medicine in Balkans during the Roman Period.

PubMed

Baykan, Daniş

2017-08-04

The aim of this study is to investigate the archaeological finds to enlighten the medical methods of treatments and operations applied in Balkans during Roman Period. Some independent local and regional find groups, taken from existing publications will be grouped together and a holistic point-of-view will be taken against medicine in Balkan Geography during Roman Period. Due to basic differences it contained, the data before Roman Period are excluded. Most of Greece and Aegean Islands are also excluded since the topic selected is "Medicine of Roman Period." Greece and Aegean Islands should be evaluated in another study in connection with West Anatolia which is closer than the Balkan Geography in terms of social relations. The spread of medical tools in Balkans during Roman Period is concentrated around military garrisons, and in settlements built around military pathways, and in settlements containing an amphitheater associated with gladiators. This spread is verified by the studies on Bulgaria in general. The data is also compatible with the assertion suggesting that the amount of application of pharmaceutical treatment increases when one moves away from the military centres.

Medicine in Balkans during the Roman Period

PubMed Central

Baykan, Daniş

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the archaeological finds to enlighten the medical methods of treatments and operations applied in Balkans during Roman Period. Some independent local and regional find groups, taken from existing publications will be grouped together and a holistic point-of-view will be taken against medicine in Balkan Geography during Roman Period. Due to basic differences it contained, the data before Roman Period are excluded. Most of Greece and Aegean Islands are also excluded since the topic selected is “Medicine of Roman Period.” Greece and Aegean Islands should be evaluated in another study in connection with West Anatolia which is closer than the Balkan Geography in terms of social relations. The spread of medical tools in Balkans during Roman Period is concentrated around military garrisons, and in settlements built around military pathways, and in settlements containing an amphitheater associated with gladiators. This spread is verified by the studies on Bulgaria in general. The data is also compatible with the assertion suggesting that the amount of application of pharmaceutical treatment increases when one moves away from the military centres. PMID:28552838

Direct solar-pumped iodine laser amplifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, K. S.

1985-01-01

This semiannual progress report covers the period from April 1, 1985 to Sept. 30, 1985 under NASA grant NAS1-441 entitled direct solar pumped iodine laser amplifier. During this period the parametric studies of the iodine laser oscillator pumped by a Vortek simulator was carried out before the amplifier studies. The amplifier studies are postponed to the extended period following completion of the parametric studies. In addition, the kinetic modeling of a solar pumped iodine laser amplifier, and the experimental work for a solar pumped dye laser amplifier are in progress. This report contains three parts: (1) the radiation characteristics of solar simulator and the parametric characteristics of photodissociation iodine laser continuously pumped by a Vortek solar simulator; (2) kinetic modeling of a solar pumped iodine laser amplifier; and (3) the study of the dye laser amplifier pumped by a Tamarack solar simulator.

The dynamics of free recall and their relation to rehearsal between 8 and 10 years of age.

PubMed

Lehmann, Martin; Hasselhorn, Marcus

2010-01-01

The present study longitudinally examined changes in recall in children between the ages of 8 and 10 years. Given the increasingly sophisticated use of memory strategies during this developmental period, correspondences between study and recall dynamics were of particular interest. Seventy-six children performed free-recall tasks on 5 occasions over a 2-year period. Video and audio analyses revealed that children tended to recall items successively from nearby serial positions. This so-called lag-recency effect was particularly pronounced when items from nearby serial positions were conjunctly rehearsed during study. Implications for understanding study-recall correspondences are discussed in relation to other developmental changes of this period including memory capacity.

Evolution of the clinical and epidemiological knowledge about Chagas disease 90 years after its discovery.

PubMed

Prata, A

1999-01-01

Three different periods may be considered in the evolution of knowledge about the clinical and epidemiological aspects of Chagas disease since its discovery: (a) early period concerning the studies carried out by Carlos Chagas in Lassance with the collaboration of other investigators of the Manguinhos School. At that time the disease was described and the parasite, transmitters and reservoirs were studied. The coexistence of endemic goiter in the same region generated some confusion about the clinical forms of the disease; (b) second period involving uncertainty and the description of isolated cases, which lasted until the 1940 decade. Many acute cases were described during this period and the disease was recognized in many Latin American countries. Particularly important were the studies of the Argentine Mission of Regional Pathology Studies, which culminated with the description of the Romaña sign in the 1930 decade, facilitating the diagnosis of the early phase of the disease. However, the chronic phase, which was the most important, continued to be difficult to recognize; (c) period of consolidation of knowledge and recognition of the importance of Chagas disease. Studies conducted by Laranja, Dias and Nóbrega in Bambuí updated the description of Chagas heart disease made by Carlos Chagas and Eurico Villela. From then on, the disease was more easily recognized, especially with the emphasis on the use of a serologic diagnosis; (d) period of enlargement of knowledges on the disease. The studies on denervation conducted in Ribeirão Preto by Fritz Köberle starting in the 1950 decade led to a better understanding of the relations between Chagas disease and megaesophagus and other visceral megas detected in endemic areas.

Reproductive strategies and seasonal changes in the somatic indices of seven small-bodied fishes in Atlantic Canada in relation to study design for environmental effects monitoring.

PubMed

Barrett, Timothy J; Brasfield, Sandra M; Carroll, Leslie C; Doyle, Meghan A; van den Heuvel, Michael R; Munkittrick, Kelly R

2015-05-01

Small-bodied fishes are more commonly being used in environmental effects monitoring (EEM) studies. There is a lack of understanding of the biological characteristics of many small-bodied species, which hinders study designs for monitoring studies. For example, 72% of fish population surveys in Canada's EEM program for pulp and paper mills that used small-bodied fishes were conducted outside of the reproductive period of the species. This resulted in an inadequate assessment of the EEM program's primary effect endpoint (reproduction) for these studies. The present study examined seasonal changes in liver size, gonad size, and condition in seven freshwater and estuarine small-bodied fishes in Atlantic Canada. These data were used to examine differences in reproductive strategies and patterns of energy storage among species. Female gonadal recrudescence in all seven species began primarily in the 2-month period in the spring before spawning. Male gonadal development was concurrent with females in five species; however, gonadal recrudescence began in the fall in male three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus). The spawning period for each species was estimated from the decline in relative ovary size after its seasonal maximum value in spring. The duration of the spawning period reflected the reproductive strategy (single vs multiple spawning) of the species. Optimal sampling periods to assess reproductive impacts in each species were determined based on seasonal changes in ovary size and were identified to be during the prespawning period when gonads are developing and variability in relative gonad size is at a minimum.

A Variable-resolution Surface Wave Dispersion Study of Eurasia, North Africa, and Surrounding Regions

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

Pasyanos, M E

This paper presents the results of a large-scale study of surface wave dispersion performed across Eurasia and North Africa. Improvements were made to previous surface wave work by enlarging the study region, increasing path density, improving spatial resolution, and expanding the period range. This study expands the coverage area northwards and eastwards relative to a previous dispersion analysis, which covered only North Africa and the Middle East. We have significantly increased the number of seismograms examined and group velocity measurements made. We have now made good quality dispersion measurements for about 30,000 Rayleigh wave and 20,000 Love wave paths, andmore » have incorporated measurements from several other researchers into the study. A conjugate gradient method was employed for the group velocity tomography, which improved the inversion from the previous study by adopting a variable smoothness. This technique allows us to go to higher resolution where the data allow without producing artifacts. The current results include both Love and Rayleigh wave inversions across the region for periods from 7 to 100 seconds at 1{sup o} resolution. Short period group velocities are sensitive to slow velocities associated with large sedimentary features such as the Caspian Sea, West Siberian Platform, Mediterranean Sea, Bay of Bengal, Tarim Basin, and Persian Gulf. Intermediate periods are sensitive to differences in crustal thickness, such as those between oceanic and continental crust or along orogenic zones and continental plateaus. At longer periods, fast velocities are consistently found beneath cratons while slow upper mantle velocities occur along rift systems, subduction zones, and collision zones such as the Tethys Belt. We have compared the group velocities at various periods with features such as sediment thickness, topographic height, crustal thickness, proximity to plate boundaries, lithospheric age and lithospheric thickness, and find significant correlations. We don't find any similar correlation between the longest period surface waves and hot spots.« less

Gastric cancer mortality trends in Spain, 1976-2005, differences by autonomous region and sex

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of oncologic death worldwide. One of the most noteworthy characteristics of this tumor's epidemiology is the marked decline reported in its incidence and mortality in almost every part of the globe in recent decades. This study sought to describe gastric cancer mortality time trends in Spain's regions for both sexes. Methods Mortality data for the period 1976 through 2005 were obtained from the Spanish National Statistics Institute. Cases were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th revision (codes 151 and C16, respectively). Crude and standardized mortality rates were calculated by geographic area, sex, and five-year period. Joinpoint regression analyses were performed to ascertain whether changes in gastric cancer mortality trends had occurred, and to estimate the annual percent change by sex and geographic area. Results Gastric cancer mortality decreased across the study period, with the downward trend being most pronounced in women and in certain regions situated in the interior and north of mainland Spain. Across the study period, there was an overall decrease of 2.90% per annum among men and 3.65% per annum among women. Generally, regions in which the rate of decline was sharpest were those that had initially registered the highest rates. However, the rate of decline was not constant throughout the study period: joinpoint analysis detected a shift in trend for both sexes in the early 1980s. Conclusion Gastric cancer mortality displayed in both sexes a downward trend during the study period, both nationally and regionally. The different trend in rates in the respective geographic areas translated as greater regional homogeneity in gastric cancer mortality by the end of the study period. In contrast, rates in women fell more than did those in men. The increasing differences between the sexes could indicate that some risk factors may be modifying the sex-specific pattern of this tumor. PMID:19785726

Study of Basin Recession Characteristics and Groundwater Storage Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen-Bo, Chen; Cheng-Haw, Lee

2017-04-01

Stream flow and groundwater storage are freshwater resources that human live on.In this study, we discuss southern area basin recession characteristics and Kao-Ping River basin groundwater storage, and hope to supply reference to Taiwan water resource management. The first part of this study is about recession characteristics. We apply Brutsaert (2008) low flow analysis model to establish two recession data pieces sifting models, including low flow steady period model and normal condition model. Within individual event analysis, group event analysis and southern area basin recession assessment, stream flow and base flow recession characteristics are parameterized. The second part of this study is about groundwater storage. Among main basin in southern Taiwan, there are sufficient stream flow and precipitation gaging station data about Kao-Ping River basin and extensive drainage data, and data about different hydrological characteristics between upstream and downstream area. Therefore, this study focuses on Kao-Ping River basin and accesses groundwater storage properties. Taking residue of groundwater volume in dry season into consideration, we use base flow hydrograph to access periodical property of groundwater storage, in order to establish hydrological period conceptual model. With groundwater storage and precipitation accumulative linearity quantified by hydrological period conceptual model, their periodical changing and alternation trend properties in each drainage areas of Kao-Ping River basin have been estimated. Results of this study showed that the recession time of stream flow is related to initial flow rate of the recession events. The recession time index is lower when the flow is stream flow, not base flow, and the recession time index is higher in low flow steady flow period than in normal recession condition. By applying hydrological period conceptual model, groundwater storage could explicitly be analyzed and compared with precipitation, by only using stream flow data. Keywords: stream flow, base flow, recession characteristics, groundwater storage

Methodological barriers to studying the association between the economic crisis and suicide in Spain.

PubMed

Alvarez-Galvez, Javier; Salinas-Perez, Jose A; Rodero-Cosano, María Luisa; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2017-09-06

The hypothetical relationship between economic recession and the increase in suicides in Spain is subject to various arguments. In addition to the inherent complexity of capturing and explaining the underlining mechanisms that could describe this causal link, different points of contention have been be identified. The period of this association and its possible starting points, the socioeconomic determinants that may explain the variation in suicide rate, and the data sources available are the main focus of controversy. The present study aims to identify the phases of association between different periods of economic recession and suicide rates, and compare the effect of different social determinants of health that have been mentioned in previous studies. We have used interrupted time series analyses to assess the impact of economic recession on national rates of suicide mortality provided by the Spanish Statistical Office (1980-2014). In an attempt to consider the factors that have affected the study of suicide in Spain, different data sources/periods, predictors, and regions in Spain were analysed. The analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between the Great Recession and suicide rates during the second period of economic recession (2011-2014), while appeared to decrease during the first recession period. However, the first decreasing trend was not statistically significant in the global analysis of the evolution of monthly suicide rates for the entire country. Both unemployment and per capita GDP were positively related to suicide trends. Finally, the regional analysis demonstrates a similar pattern in different Spanish areas. Although previous studies have mentioned the double-dip in the suicide rate associated with the corresponding period of double recession, our study only identify a positive relationship during the second recession period. These results points out that the major impact of economic problems might have had a delayed effect due to initial protection policies.

From the third month of pregnancy to 1 year postpartum. Prevalence, incidence, recurrence, and new onset of depression. Results from the perinatal depression-research & screening unit study.

PubMed

Banti, Susanna; Mauri, Mauro; Oppo, Annalisa; Borri, Chiara; Rambelli, Cristina; Ramacciotti, Daniele; Montagnani, Maria S; Camilleri, Valeria; Cortopassi, Sonia; Rucci, Paola; Cassano, Giovanni B

2011-01-01

Perinatal depression is a particular challenge to clinicians, and its prevalence estimates are difficult to compare across studies. Furthermore, to our knowledge, there are no studies that systematically assessed the incidence of perinatal depression. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence, incidence, recurrence, and new onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, minor and major depression (mMD) in an unselected population of women recruited at the third month of pregnancy and followed up until the 12th month postpartum. One thousand sixty-six pregnant women were recruited. Minor and major depression was assessed in a naturalistic, longitudinal study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Disorders were administered at different time points during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. The period prevalence of mMD was 12.4% in pregnancy and 9.6% in the postpartum period. The cumulative incidence of mMD in pregnancy and in the postpartum period was 2.2% and 6.8%, respectively. Thirty-two (7.3%) women had their first episode in the perinatal period: 1.6% had a new onset of depression during pregnancy, 5.7% in the postpartum period. Our postpartum prevalence figures, which are lower than those reported in the literature, may reflect treatment during the study, suggesting that casting a multiprofessional network around women in need of support may be potentially useful for reducing the effects of this disorder on the mother and the newborn child. Furthermore, our results indicate that women with a history of depression have a 2-fold risk of developing mMD in the perinatal period. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability of plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) from repeated measures in healthy adults.

PubMed

Citronberg, Jessica S; Wilkens, Lynne R; Lim, Unhee; Hullar, Meredith A J; White, Emily; Newcomb, Polly A; Le Marchand, Loïc; Lampe, Johanna W

2016-09-01

Plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), a measure of internal exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide, has been associated with several chronic conditions and may be a marker of chronic inflammation; however, no studies have examined the reliability of this biomarker in a healthy population. We examined the temporal reliability of LBP measured in archived samples from participants in two studies. In Study one, 60 healthy participants had blood drawn at two time points: baseline and follow-up (either three, six, or nine months). In Study two, 24 individuals had blood drawn three to four times over a seven-month period. We measured LBP in archived plasma by ELISA. Test-retest reliability was estimated by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Plasma LBP concentrations showed moderate reliability in Study one (ICC 0.60, 95 % CI 0.43-0.75) and Study two (ICC 0.46, 95 % CI 0.26-0.69). Restricting the follow-up period improved reliability. In Study one, the reliability of LBP over a three-month period was 0.68 (95 % CI: 0.41-0.87). In Study two, the ICC of samples taken ≤seven days apart was 0.61 (95 % CI 0.29-0.86). Plasma LBP concentrations demonstrated moderate test-retest reliability in healthy individuals with reliability improving over a shorter follow-up period.

Reflections of History. Customs, Styles, Language and Interests as Seen through the Advertisements of Five Periods between the 1890's and the 1950's. Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Procter and Gamble Educational Services, Cincinnati, OH.

This unit of study, one of a series of eight, provides a method for students to study U.S. history through reviewing the advertising of specific periods to learn about customers, styles, language, and interests of specific eras. The advertising of the past chronicles everyday people and everyday life. Advertising is used to examine five periods in…

[Changes in the incidence of skin cancer between 1978 and 2002].

PubMed

Aceituno-Madera, P; Buendía-Eisman, A; Arias-Santiago, S; Serrano-Ortega, S

2010-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation is the main risk factor for skin cancer. Changes in lifestyle over recent decades have led to greater exposure to ultraviolet radiation; this phenomenon, coupled with aging of the population, increases the risk of developing skin cancer. Our objective was to analyze the trends in the incidence of skin cancer worldwide, in Europe,and in Spain during the period 1978 to 2002. Both skin cancer incidence and trends were investigated during the period 1978 to 2002 using the publication Cancer Incidence in Five Continents. The incidence of cutaneous melanoma increased progressively throughout the period, with higher rates among women. The highest incidence was found in Australia. In Spain, the standardized rates of melanoma had tripled in both sexes by the end of the study period. The incidence of non melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) increased throughout the study period, with higher rates among men.The highest incidences were found in Australia, Brazil, and among the European inhabitants of Zimbabwe. Within Spain, the standardized rates of NMSC doubled or tripled in both sexes by the end of the study period. The rise in the incidence of skin cancer leads us to conclude that measures of primary prevention are failing or insufficient, or that it is still too soon to evaluate their efficacy. There are certain limitations to this study, such as the fact that it was impossible to analyze the most recent period, from 2003 to 2007, and that cancer registries are not available for all populations.

Change in Maternal Criticism and Behavior Problems in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Across a Seven-Year Period

PubMed Central

Baker, Jason K.; Smith, Leann E.; Greenberg, Jan S.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Taylor, Julie Lounds

2010-01-01

In a previous study from our laboratory, high levels of maternal criticism predicted increased behavior problems in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over an 18-month period (Greenberg, Seltzer, Hong, & Orsmond, 2006). The current investigation followed these families over a period of seven years to examine the longitudinal course of criticism and behavior problems, to assess the association between their trajectories, and to determine the degree to which change in each of these factors predicted levels of criticism and behavior problems at the end of the study period. A sample of 118 mothers co-residing with their adolescents and adults with ASD provided open-ended narratives about their children and reported on the children's behavior problems at four waves. Maternal criticism was derived from expressed emotion ratings of the narratives. Criticism exhibited low but significant stability over the seven year period and behavior problems exhibited high stability. Using latent growth curve modeling, (a) criticism was found to have increased over time, but only for the group of families in which the sons or daughters transitioned from high school services during the study period, (b) individual changes in criticism and behavior problems were positively correlated over the seven-year period, and (c) changes in criticism predicted levels of behavior problems at the conclusion of the study. Changes in behavior problems were not predictive of end levels of criticism. Implications for intervention and prevention efforts are discussed. PMID:21319925

Impact of dialysis practice patterns on outcomes in acute kidney injury in Intensive Care Unit.

PubMed

Annigeri, Rajeev A; Nandeesh, Venkatappa; Karuniya, Ramanathan; Rajalakshmi, Sasikumar; Venkataraman, Ramesh; Ramakrishnan, Nagarajan

2016-01-01

Recent advances in dialysis therapy have made an impact on the clinical practice of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI) in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We studied the impact of RRT practice changes on outcomes in AKI in ICU over a period of 8 years. AKI patients requiring RRT in ICU referred to a nephrologist during two different periods (period-1: Between May 2004 and May 2007, n = 69; period-2: Between August 2008 and May 2011, n = 93) were studied. The major changes in the dialysis practice during the period-2, compared to period-1 were introduction of prolonged intermittent RRT (PIRRT), early dialysis for metabolic acidosis, early initiation of RRT for anuria and positive fluid balance and use of bicarbonate-based fluids for continuous RRT (CRRT) instead of lactate buffer. The primary study outcome was 28-day hospital mortality. The mean age was 53.8 ± 16.1 years and 72.6% were male. Introduction of PIRRT resulted in 37% reduction in utilization of CRRT during period-2 (from 85.5% to 53.7%). The overall mortality was high (68%) but was significantly reduced during period-2 compared to period-1 (59% vs. 79.7%, P = 0.006). Metabolic acidosis but not the mode of RRT, was the significant factor which influenced mortality. Adaption of PIRRT resulted in 37% reduction of utilization of CRRT. The mortality rate was significantly reduced during the period of adaption of PIRRT, possibly due to early initiation of RRT in the latter period for indications such as anuria and metabolic acidosis.

Plasma Testosterone Levels Increase with Expression of Male Ornaments During Mating, but not Incubation, in Japanese Barn Swallows.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Masaru; Arai, Emi; Sato, Megumi; Sakai, Hidetsugu

2017-08-01

Recent experimental studies involving the manipulation of sexual traits have demonstrated that sexual trait expression feeds back to testosterone levels, perhaps via social interactions, reinforcing the linkage between sexual trait expression and testosterone levels during the mating period. However, information on this reinforcement under the natural variation of sexual traits remains limited. Using Japanese barn swallows, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, in which extra-pair paternity is quite rare (< 3%), we studied the relationship between plasma testosterone level and a male sexual trait, throat patch size, during the mating and incubation periods. Given the importance of social interaction, we predicted that this relationship should be intense during the mating period, but not the incubation period, due to reduced social interaction during the latter. We found low plasma testosterone levels during the incubation period compared with those in the mating period, and plasma testosterone levels were significantly positively related to throat patch area during the mating period, but not the incubation period. Similar relationships were found in another sexual trait, the size of white tail spots. During the incubation period, body condition, instead of male sexual trait expression, was negatively related to plasma testosterone level, indicating that an intrinsic link, rather than reinforcement, is important during this period. These relationships are consistent with the hypothesis that social interaction reinforces the relationship between sexual traits and plasma testosterone levels. The current study provides evidence for a highly variable relationship between testosterone and ornamentation across breeding periods in the natural variation of sexual traits.

Brief Report: Incubation Period Duration and Severity of Clinical Disease Following Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection.

PubMed

Virlogeux, Victor; Fang, Vicky J; Wu, Joseph T; Ho, Lai-Ming; Peiris, J S Malik; Leung, Gabriel M; Cowling, Benjamin J

2015-09-01

Few previous studies have investigated the association between the severity of an infectious disease and the length of incubation period. We estimated the association between the length of the incubation period and the severity of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, using data from the epidemic in 2003 in Hong Kong. We estimated the incubation period of severe acute respiratory syndrome based on a subset of patients with available data on exposure periods and a separate subset of patients in a putative common source outbreak, and we found associations between shorter incubation period and greater severity in both groups after adjusting for potential confounders. Our findings suggest that patients with a shorter incubation period went on to have more severe disease. Further studies are needed to investigate potential biological mechanisms for this association.

Optical photometric variability of 2S 0114+65

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, M.; Finley, J. P.; Kurt, C.; Koenigsberger, G.

1995-01-01

In this paper we present Johnson V photometry of the Be/x-ray binary star system 2S 0114+65. Although this star exhibits periodic variations in x-rays, optical studies have failed to reveal fluctuations greater than 5 millimag. The data presented in this paper provide the first evidence for periodic optical variability in 2S 0114+65. On each of four nights in October 1993, we find low amplitude variations with a period of 2.77 +/- 0.48 h and with a semiamplitude of 4 millimag. This period is in good agreement with results of a comprehensive study of the x-ray data. We explore the possibility that this period represents the pulsational period of the B-star primary and the possibility that it is the rotational period of the neutron star. If the latter is the correct interpretation, we calculate a spin-up time scale of 5 x 10(exp 5) yr.

Periodic limb movements and insomnia, a common but under-recognized association

PubMed Central

Varadharajulu, Saravanan; Chandrasekaran, Baskaran

2015-01-01

Periodic limb movements unlike restless leg syndrome is under diagnosed and unrecognized in medical arena. While robust Western trials have elucidated the association between periodic limb movements and sleep disturbances, it is not well received and recognized in India even in well sophisticated tertiary care hospital. We report a chronic insomnia patient who had sleep disturbances for past 30 years due to periodic limb movements alone. This was diagnosed through polysomnography. This case emphasizes monitoring leg movements during sleep study. This report may open new horizons in improving monitoring in sleep study in clinical setting. PMID:26124530

Study on a Multi-Frequency Homotopy Analysis Method for Period-Doubling Solutions of Nonlinear Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, H. X.; Qian, Y. H.

In this paper, a modification of homotopy analysis method (HAM) is applied to study the two-degree-of-freedom coupled Duffing system. Firstly, the process of calculating the two-degree-of-freedom coupled Duffing system is presented. Secondly, the single periodic solutions and double periodic solutions are obtained by solving the constructed nonlinear algebraic equations. Finally, comparing the periodic solutions obtained by the multi-frequency homotopy analysis method (MFHAM) and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, it is found that the approximate solution agrees well with the numerical solution.

Quality of Reporting and Study Design of CKD Cohort Studies Assessing Mortality in the Elderly Before and After STROBE: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Brück, Katharina; Methven, Shona; Evans, Rebecca; Stel, Vianda S.; Jager, Kitty J.; Hooft, Lotty; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Caskey, Fergus

2016-01-01

Background The STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement was published in October 2007 to improve quality of reporting of observational studies. The aim of this review was to assess the impact of the STROBE statement on observational study reporting and study design quality in the nephrology literature. Study Design Systematic literature review. Setting & Population European and North American, Pre-dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) cohort studies. Selection Criteria for Studies Studies assessing the association between CKD and mortality in the elderly (>65 years) published from 1st January 2002 to 31st December 2013 were included, following systematic searching of MEDLINE & EMBASE. Predictor Time period before and after the publication of the STROBE statement. Outcome Quality of study reporting using the STROBE statement and quality of study design using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tools. Results 37 papers (11 Pre & 26 Post STROBE) were identified from 3621 potential articles. Only four of the 22 STROBE items and their sub-criteria (objectives reporting, choice of quantitative groups and description of and carrying out sensitivity analysis) showed improvements, with the majority of items showing little change between the period before and after publication of the STROBE statement. Pre- and post-period analysis revealed a Manuscript STROBE score increase (median score 77.8% (Inter-quartile range [IQR], 64.7–82.0) vs 83% (IQR, 78.4–84.9, p = 0.05). There was no change in quality of study design with identical median scores in the two periods for NOS (Manuscript NOS score 88.9), SIGN (Manuscript SIGN score 83.3) and CASP (Manuscript CASP score 91.7) tools. Limitations Only 37 Studies from Europe and North America were included from one medical specialty. Assessment of study design largely reliant on good reporting. Conclusions This study highlights continuing deficiencies in the reporting of STROBE items and their sub-criteria in cohort studies in nephrology. There was weak evidence of improvement in the overall reporting quality, with no improvement in methodological quality of CKD cohort studies between the period before and after publication of the STROBE statement. PMID:27168187

Reproductive characteristics of migratory golden eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

McIntyre, Carol L.; Adams, Layne G.

1999-01-01

We describe reproductive characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) breeding in Denali National Park, Alaska during an entire snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) cycle, 1988-1997. Data on nesting eagles were collected at 58 to 72 nesting areas annually using two aerial surveys. Surveys were conducted during the incubation period to determine occupancy and nesting activities and late in the nestling period to count nestlings and determine nesting success. Annual occupancy rates of nesting areas did not vary significantly, whereas laying rates, success rates, and mean brood size varied significantly over the study period. Fledgling production for the study population varied sevenfold during the ten-year period. Laying rates, mean brood size, and overall population productivity were significantly correlated with abundance of cyclic snowshoe hare and Willow Ptarmigan (Lugopus lagopus) populations. Reproductive rates of Golden Eagles in Denali were similar to those of Golden Eagles from other high latitude study areas in North America, but lower than for Golden Eagles from temperate zone study areas in North America.

A cephalometric study of skulls from the Bahriyah oasis

PubMed Central

Zaki, Moushira Erfan; Soliman, Muhammad Al-Tohamy; El-Bassyouni, Hala T.

2012-01-01

Objectives: To determine the craniofacial characteristics of crania from the Bahariyah oasis dating from the Greco-Roman period and to compare their cephalometric traits with other ancient Egyptian samples from various time periods and to evaluate sexual dimorphism. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised 149 skulls (90 males and 59 females), belonging to the Greco-Roman (332 B.C. – 395 A.D.). Lateral and postero-anterior cephalograms were taken. Sixteen linear measurements were analyzed and six indices were calculated. Results: Significant differences were found between males and females almost in all measurements. All male measurements were greater than those of the females. The study shows notable differences in the craniofacial parameters of the present sample as compared to other ancient Egyptians from various periods and from various geographical areas. Conclusion: The present study suggests that the studied crania from Bahriyah oasis had a specific craniometric phenotype, which is distinguished from other Egyptian samples from different periods, suggesting some migration could have occurred along the Egyptian Nile Valley over various times. PMID:23741149

Hypoglycemia begets hypoglycemia: the order effect in the ASPIRE in-clinic study.

PubMed

Garg, Satish K; Brazg, Ronald L; Bailey, Timothy S; Buckingham, Bruce A; Slover, Robert H; Klonoff, David C; Shin, John; Welsh, John B; Kaufman, Francine R

2014-03-01

The ASPIRE in-clinic study established that automatic suspension of insulin with the threshold suspend (TS) feature reduces the duration of induced hypoglycemia. The study's crossover design allowed the effects of antecedent hypoglycemia to be studied. The study enrolled 50 subjects who exercised until plasma glucose (YSI glucose and lactate analyzer; YSI, Inc., Yellow Springs, OH) reached ≤85 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia was evaluated after the YSI value reached <70 mg/dL. In TS experiments, insulin was stopped for 2 h once a sensor glucose (SG) value of ≤70 mg/dL was detected; in control experiments, basal insulin delivery continued. Subjects were randomly assigned to Group A (TS in Period 1; control in Period 2) or Group B (control in Period 1; TS in Period 2). Experiments were separated by 3-10 days. Hypoglycemia was 63.7 min shorter in Period 1 TS experiments (no preceding control experiment) than in Period 2 TS experiments (one or more preceding control experiment(s)) (P<0.01). The number of experiments prior to a successful TS experiment was lower for Period 1 than for Period 2 (0.36 ± 0.64 vs. 1.57 ± 0.84; P<0.001), as was the cumulative duration of antecedent hypoglycemia (16.6 min vs. 204.6 min; P<0.001). The between-groups difference in hypoglycemia duration was not attributable to differences in SG rates of change, the duration of exercise, or area under the curve of <70 mg/dL × min in the 2 days before the successful experiment (all P>0.3). The TS feature's ability to mitigate hypoglycemia was decreased by an episode or episodes of prolonged antecedent hypoglycemia, suggesting hypoglycemia begets hypoglycemia. The effect of antecedent hypoglycemia should be taken into consideration in the design of future experiments assessing strategies to reduce hypoglycemia.

Long-term safety and effectiveness of once-daily, single-entity, extended-release hydrocodone over 76 weeks of an open-label study in patients with chronic noncancer and nonneuropathic pain.

PubMed

Taber, Louise; Lynch, Shau Yu; He, Ellie; Ripa, Steven R

2016-01-01

To evaluate long-term use of Hysingla(®) ER (HYD), a single-entity, extended-release, once-daily hydrocodone bitartrate tablet with abuse-deterrent properties in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic noncancer and nonneuropathic pain. This open-label study consisted of a dose-titration period (up to 45 days), a 52-week maintenance period and a 24-week extension period. Opioid-naïve or opioid-experienced patients with controlled or uncontrolled chronic pain conditions were treated with HYD 20-120 mg daily. Supplemental nonopioid and short-acting opioid analgesics were permitted. This paper presents the results of 106 patients who continued HYD treatment for up to 76 weeks. Primary safety measures included the incidence of adverse events, as well as audiologic, clinical laboratory and electrocardiogram measurements. Effectiveness was measured by the change between baseline and the overall 76-week treatment period in "average pain over the last 24 h" (0 = no pain, 10 = pain as bad as you can imagine), Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form survey, Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale-Revised and concomitant nonstudy opioid analgesic use. Among 410 patients who completed the maintenance period, 106 continued into the extension. Of these, 83 (78%) completed the entire 76-week treatment period. Treatment-emergent adverse events were typical of those observed with μ-opioid agonists. No study drug abuse or diversion was reported. Clinically important analgesia and functional improvement were achieved during the dose-titration period and were maintained in most patients throughout 76 weeks without the need for continued HYD dose increases or changes in concomitant nonstudy opioid analgesics. The mean pain score was 6.1 at baseline, 3.8 at the end of the dose titration period and 3.8 through 76 weeks. HYD was generally well tolerated. No unexpected safety concerns emerged. Pain control was sustained throughout 76 weeks of treatment.

[Incidence of admissions due to pneumonia in children under 24 months old before and after the introduction of the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the National Immunization Program of Chile].

PubMed

Fernández V, José Pablo; Goecke H, Carola; von Borries, Cecilia; Tapia R, Natalia; Santolaya de P, María Elena

2015-01-01

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia in children, especially in the hospitalized population. The 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine was included in the National Immunization Program of Chile in 2011. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of pneumonia in hospitalized children<24 months of age in the Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital before and after the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine into the National Immunization Program. Passive surveillance study. Patients<24 months with discharge diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia from Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital were studied between 2009 and 2013. Data were obtained from the Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital's Statistical Service. The incidence of pneumonia was evaluated in the pre-vaccination period (2009-2010) and in the post-vaccination period (2012-2013). During the study period, an average of 4,321 discharges/year was observed in children<24 months (range: 3,587-4,702), with a significant decrease from pre- to post-vaccination vaccine period (4,644 vs 4,013, P<.001). The average incidence of pneumonia ranged from 3.4/100,000 to 1.5/100,000 in the pre- and post-vaccine period, respectively (P=.009), with an annual mean of 157 cases of pneumonia in the pre- vaccine period, and 62 cases in the postvaccine period (P<.001) and a decrease in incidence between the two periods of 56%. This study confirms information previously obtained in other countries, which show a decrease in the incidence of pneumonia associated with the implementation of a pneumococcal vaccine at the population level. Ongoing surveillance is required to evaluate if this effect is maintained over time and expands to older populations. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Forum Page Letters in the "Straits Times" of Singapore during Relatively Free and Restricted Press Periods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramaprasad, Jyotika; Ong, James

In order to identify the scope or limits of the practice of development journalism, a study examined the content of the Forum page in the "Straits Times" of Singapore during relatively free (1979-1980) and restricted (1986-1987) press periods. The study had two major objectives: (1) to study the nature of the Forum page (a readers'…

Values Education in Ottoman Empire in the Second Constitutional Period: A Sample Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oruc, Sahin; Ilhan, Genc Osman

2015-01-01

Values education holds a significant place in an education environment and many studies are carried out about this new subject area. The aim of this study is to define how the subject of "values education" is handled in a sample lesson designed in the period of Constitution II in the Ottoman Empire. In this study, the lesson plan in the…

Changing Land Use: Peachtree Street, Atlanta. A Case Study in Sequent Occupance [And] Student Work Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laws, Kevin

A social studies unit and student workbook explore the historical geography of the area of Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. The unit deals with sequent occupance, a type of historical geography in which students study the same area, the changes in culture, and the changing land use in the area during certain time periods. For each period,…

Using Faculty Evaluation to Improve Teaching Quality: A Longitudinal Case Study of Higher Education in Southeast Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip

2010-01-01

This paper presents a case study of implementation of a new system of faculty teaching evaluation at a graduate school of business in Thailand. The research employed a non-experimental, longitudinal case study design in the analysis of student course evaluation data gathered over a period of 21 terms during a seven-year period. The report…

Early efforts in modeling the incubation period of infectious diseases with an acute course of illness.

PubMed

Nishiura, Hiroshi

2007-05-11

The incubation period of infectious diseases, the time from infection with a microorganism to onset of disease, is directly relevant to prevention and control. Since explicit models of the incubation period enhance our understanding of the spread of disease, previous classic studies were revisited, focusing on the modeling methods employed and paying particular attention to relatively unknown historical efforts. The earliest study on the incubation period of pandemic influenza was published in 1919, providing estimates of the incubation period of Spanish flu using the daily incidence on ships departing from several ports in Australia. Although the study explicitly dealt with an unknown time of exposure, the assumed periods of exposure, which had an equal probability of infection, were too long, and thus, likely resulted in slight underestimates of the incubation period. After the suggestion that the incubation period follows lognormal distribution, Japanese epidemiologists extended this assumption to estimates of the time of exposure during a point source outbreak. Although the reason why the incubation period of acute infectious diseases tends to reveal a right-skewed distribution has been explored several times, the validity of the lognormal assumption is yet to be fully clarified. At present, various different distributions are assumed, and the lack of validity in assuming lognormal distribution is particularly apparent in the case of slowly progressing diseases. The present paper indicates that (1) analysis using well-defined short periods of exposure with appropriate statistical methods is critical when the exact time of exposure is unknown, and (2) when assuming a specific distribution for the incubation period, comparisons using different distributions are needed in addition to estimations using different datasets, analyses of the determinants of incubation period, and an understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms.

Effect of Polydextrose on Subjective Feelings of Appetite during the Satiation and Satiety Periods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Ibarra, Alvin; Astbury, Nerys M.; Olli, Kaisa; Alhoniemi, Esa; Tiihonen, Kirsti

2016-01-01

Introduction: Subjective feelings of appetite are measured using visual analogue scales (VAS) in controlled trials. However, the methods used to analyze VAS during the Satiation (pre- to post-meal) and Satiety (post-meal to subsequent meal) periods vary broadly, making it difficult to compare results amongst independent studies testing the same product. This review proposes a methodology to analyze VAS during both the Satiation and Satiety periods, allowing us to compare results in a meta-analysis. Methods: A methodology to express VAS results as incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for both the Satiation and Satiety periods is proposed using polydextrose as a case study. Further, a systematic review and meta-analysis on subjective feelings of appetite was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. Meta-analyses were expressed as Standardized Mean Difference (SMD). Results: Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were important differences in the methods used to analyze appetite ratings amongst these studies. The separate subjective feelings of appetite reported were Hunger, Satisfaction, Fullness, Prospective Food Consumption, and the Desire to Eat. The method proposed here allowed the results of the different studies to be homogenized. The meta-analysis showed that Desire to Eat during the Satiation period favors polydextrose for the reduction of this subjective feeling of appetite (SMD = 0.24, I2 < 0.01, p = 0.018); this effect was also significant in the sub-analysis by sex for the male population (SMD = 0.35, I2 < 0.01, p = 0.015). There were no other significant results. Conclusion: It is possible to compare VAS results from separate studies. The assessment of iAUC for both the Satiation and Satiety periods generates results of homogeneous magnitudes. This case study demonstrates, for the first time, that polydextrose reduces the Desire to Eat during the Satiation period. This may explain, at least in part, the observed effects of polydextrose on the reduction of levels of energy intake at subsequent meals. PMID:26784221

Ambient air metallic pollutant study at HAF areas during 2013-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Guor-Cheng; Kuo, Yu-Chen; Zhuang, Yuan-Jie

2015-05-01

This study characterized diurnal variations of the total suspended particulate (TSP) concentrations, dry deposition flux and dry deposition velocity of metallic elements at Taichung Harbor (Harbor), Gong Ming Junior High School (Airport) and Sha lu Farmland (Farmland) sampling sites in central Taiwan between August, 2013 and July, 2014 in this study. The result indicated that: 1) the ambient air particulate concentrations, dry depositions were displayed as Harbor > Farmland > Airport during the day time sampling period. However, dry deposition velocities were shown as Airport > Harbor > Farmland for this study. 2) The ambient air particulate concentrations, dry depositions were displayed as Airport > Harbor > Farmland during the night time sampling period. However, dry deposition velocities were shown as Farmland > Harbor > Airport for this study. 3) The metallic element Zn has the average highest concentrations at Airport, Harbor and Farmland among all the metallic elements during the day time sampling period in this study. 4) There were significant differences for the metallic elements (Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb) in dry depositions at these three characteristic sampling sites (HAF) for the night time sampling period. The only exception is metallic element Cd. It displayed that there were no significant differences for the metallic element Cd at the Airport and Farmland sampling sites during the night time sampling period. 5) The average highest values for the metallic element Cu in TSP among the three characteristic sampling sites occurred during the fall and winter seasons for this study. As for the dry depositions, the average highest values in dry deposition among the three characteristic sampling sites occurred during the spring and summer seasons for this study. 6) The average highest values for the metallic element Cd in TSP among the three characteristic sampling sites occurred during the spring and summer seasons for this study. As for the dry depositions, the average highest values in dry deposition among the three characteristic sampling sites occurred during fall and winter for this study.

Remembering the Leaders of China.

PubMed

Fu, Mingchen; Xue, Yan; DeSoto, K Andrew; Yuan, Ti-Fei

2016-01-01

In two studies, we examined Chinese students' memory for the names of the leaders of China. In Study 1, subjects were cued with the names of periods from China's history. Subjects listed as many leaders as possible from each period and put them in the correct ordinal position when they could (see Roediger and DeSoto, 2014). Results showed that within each period, a primacy effect and sometimes a recency effect emerged. Moreover, the average recall probability for leaders within a specific period was a function of the ordinal position of the period. In Study 2, we asked another group of subjects to identify the sources through which they were able to recall each leader. We found that most subjects remembered leaders due to class and coursework. We also found a relation between a leader's recall probability and the amount of information available on that leader on the Internet. Our findings further imply that the serial position function captures the form of collective memory.

Efficacy and safety of conversion to monotherapy with eslicarbazepine acetate in adults with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures: a historical-control phase III study.

PubMed

Jacobson, Mercedes P; Pazdera, Ladislav; Bhatia, Perminder; Grinnell, Todd; Cheng, Hailong; Blum, David

2015-03-28

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL, Aptiom®) is a once-daily (QD) anticonvulsant, approved as adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures (POS). It is extensively converted after oral administration to eslicarbazepine, and is believed to exert its effect through inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels. The possible role of ESL as monotherapy to treat POS has not yet been established. This study was an 18-week, multicenter, randomized double-blind trial of gradual conversion to ESL monotherapy in adults with POS not well controlled by 1-2 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), using historical data as the control. The study comprised an 8-week baseline period, a 2-week titration period, a 6-week AED conversion period, a 10-week monotherapy period, and either a 1-week taper period or optional entry to an open-label extension study. The primary endpoint compared the Kaplan-Meier (KM)-estimated 112-day exit rate with a threshold value calculated from the historical controls. There were 172 randomized patients; 154 (90%) entered the AED conversion period and 121 (70%) completed the study. The KM-estimated exit rates [confidence interval (CI)] were 15.6% [8.1-28.7%] for ESL 1200 mg, and 12.8% [7.5-21.5%] for ESL 1600 mg. The upper limits of the 95% CI KM-estimates were below the pre-specified threshold for historical control of 65.3%, indicating that ESL was efficacious in reducing seizure-related exits, compared with historical control. During the 18-week double-blind treatment period, median reductions in standardized seizure frequency occurred with ESL 1200 mg (36.1%) and ESL 1600 mg (47.5%). The responder rates (a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency from baseline) during the 18-week double-blind period and the monotherapy period, respectively, were 35.2% and 38.9% for ESL 1200 mg, and 46.0% and 46.0% for ESL 1600 mg. The overall adverse event profile was consistent with the known safety profile of ESL. These findings indicate that ESL monotherapy (1200 and 1600 mg QD) was efficacious and well tolerated in this study. NCT01091662 ; EudraCT No. 2010-018684-42.

Solar cycles: A tutorial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moussas, X.; Polygiannakis, J. M.; Preka-Papadema, P.; Exarhos, G.

The Sun is the nearest stellar and astrophysical laboratory, available for detailed studies in several fields of physics and astronomy. It is a sphere of hot gas with a complex and highly variable magnetic field which plays a very important role. The Sun shows an unprecedented wealth of phenomena that can be studied extensively and to the greatest detail, in a way we will never be in a position to study in other stars. Humans have studied the Sun for millennia and after the discovery of the telescope they realized that the Sun varies with time, i.e., solar activity is highly variable, in tune scales of millennia to seconds. The study of these variabilities helps us to understand how the Sun works and how it affects the interplanetary medium, Earth and the other planets. Solar power varies substantially and greatly affects the Earth and humans. Solar activity has several important periodicities, and quasi-periodicities. Knowledge of these periodicities helps us to forecast, to an extent, solar events that affect our planet. The most prominent periodicity of solar activity is the one of 11 years. The actual period is in fact 22 years because the magnetic field polarity of the Sun has to be taken into account. The Sun can be considered as a non-linear RLC electric circuit with a period of 22 years. The RLC equivalent circuit of the Sun is a van der Pol oscillator and such a model can explain many solar phenomena, including the variability of solar energy with time. Other quasi-periodicities such as the ones of 154 days, the 1.3, 1.7 to 2 years, etc., some of which might be harmonics of the 22 year cycle are also present in solar activity, and their study is very interesting and important since they affect the Earth and human activities. The period of 27 days related to solar rotation plays also a very important role in geophysical phenomena. It is noticeable that almost all periodicities are highly variable with time as wavelet analysis reveals. It is very important for humans to be in a position to forecast solar activity during the next hour, day, year, decade and century, because solar phenomena affect life on Earth and such predictions will help politicians and policy makers to better serve their countries and our planet.

Stability of the Effect of a Standardized Meal on QTc.

PubMed

Täubel, Jörg; Fernandes, Sara; Ferber, Georg

2017-01-01

The assessment of QTc changes after the intake of a standardized meal has been proposed as an alternative approach to prove assay sensitivity when the proarrhythimic potential of a drug is to be excluded in either TQT or intensive Phase I QT studies. In this article, an analysis of the food effect at baseline across periods in two different studies is presented to support the robustness of the method. The results show that the time-effect attributed to food is stable over different study periods demonstrating consistency of the physiological response triggered by food. Stability and reproducibility of the effect is comparable with moxifloxacin. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Epidemiology of group A rotavirus infection after the introduction of monovalent vaccine in the National Immunization Program of Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Ayed, Mohammed Saeed Zayed; Asaad, Ahmed Morad; Qureshi, Mohamed Ansar; Hawan, Ali Abdullah

2017-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of group A rotavirus (RVA) gastroenteritis and the distribution of the RVA genotypes as well as to determine a possible change in the age of occurrence of the RVA infection in the first 2 years after Rotarix® vaccine introduction in Saudi Arabia. This descriptive study included 850 hospitalized children <5 years of age with acute gastroenteritis (AG) between October 2013 and September 2015. Overall, 78 (9.2%) children were positive for RVA during the study period with a positivity rate ranging from 11.3% in the first year of the study to 6.8% in the second year. G1 (47.4%) was the predominant G type, followed by G2 (28.2%) and G9 (10.3%). The most common P type was P[8] (69.2%) followed by P[4] (25.6%). The decrease in the prevalence of G1P[8] from 51% to 37.1% was associated with an increase in the prevalence of G2P[4] from 21.6% to 33.3% during the 2-year study period. This study demonstrated a significant decrease in the prevalence of RVA-AG cases in the first 2-year period after vaccine introduction, especially in the age group between 1 and 12 months, and a reduction in the circulation of G1P[6]. The parallel rise and spread of G2P[4] in post-vaccination period might pose an impact to long-term vaccine efficacy. Continued surveillance studies in different Saudi regions are crucial to document the effectiveness of Rotarix® vaccine and evaluate the potential emergence of rare/novel RVA genotypes. J. Med. Virol. 89:429-434, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Unmet need for modern contraceptives and associated factors among women in the extended postpartum period in Dessie town, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tegegn, Masresha; Arefaynie, Mastewal; Tiruye, Tenaw Yimer

2017-01-01

The contraceptive use of women in the extended postpartum period is usually different from other times in a woman's life cycle due to the additional roles and presence of emotional changes. However, there is lack of evidence regarding women contraceptive need during this period and the extent they met their need. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess unmet need for modern contraceptives and associated factors among women during the extended postpartum period in Dessie Town, North east Ethiopia in December 2014. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among women who gave birth one year before the study period. Systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit a total of 383 study participants. For data collection, a structured and pretested standard questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics were done to characterize the study population using different variables. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were fitted to control confounding factors. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were computed to identify factors associated with unmet need. This study revealed that 44% of the extended post-partum women had unmet need of modern contraceptives of which 57% unmet need for spacing and 43% for limiting. Education of women (being illiterate) (AOR (adjusted odds ratio) =3.37, 95% CI (confidence interval) 1.22-7.57), antenatal care service (no) (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.11-5.79), Post-natal care service (no) (AOR = 3.63, CI 2.13-6.19) and knowledge of lactational amenorrhea method (AOR = 7.84 95% CI 4.10-15.02) were the factors positively associated with unmet need modern contraceptives in the extended postpartum period. The unmet need for modern contraception is high in the study area. There is need to improve the quality of maternal health service, girls education, information on postpartum risk of pregnancy on the recommended postpartum contraceptives to enable mothers make informed choices of contraceptives.

Exploring the Trajectory of Personal, Moral and Spiritual Values of 16- to 18-Year-Old Students Taking Religious Studies at A Level in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Leslie J.; Village, Andrew; Parker, Stephen G.

2017-01-01

This study set out to explore the trajectory of personal, moral and spiritual values of students taking Religious Studies at A level in the UK. A sample of 150 students completed a battery of measures at the beginning of their period of A level study and again at the end. The data found no difference over this period of time in personal values…

Turing patterns in parabolic systems of conservation laws and numerically observed stability of periodic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Blake; Jung, Soyeun; Zumbrun, Kevin

2018-03-01

Turing patterns on unbounded domains have been widely studied in systems of reaction-diffusion equations. However, up to now, they have not been studied for systems of conservation laws. Here, we (i) derive conditions for Turing instability in conservation laws and (ii) use these conditions to find families of periodic solutions bifurcating from uniform states, numerically continuing these families into the large-amplitude regime. For the examples studied, numerical stability analysis suggests that stable periodic waves can emerge either from supercritical Turing bifurcations or, via secondary bifurcation as amplitude is increased, from subcritical Turing bifurcations. This answers in the affirmative a question of Oh-Zumbrun whether stable periodic solutions of conservation laws can occur. Determination of a full small-amplitude stability diagram - specifically, determination of rigorous Eckhaus-type stability conditions - remains an interesting open problem.

78 FR 49520 - Scientific Information Request on Imaging Techniques for the Surveillance, Diagnosis, and Staging...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-14

... conducting this comparative effectiveness review pursuant to Section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug... summary, including the following elements: study number, study period, design, methodology, indication and... period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, proper use instructions, inclusion and exclusion...

Global attractivity of an almost periodic N-species nonlinear ecological competitive model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yonghui; Han, Maoan; Huang, Zhenkun

2008-01-01

By using comparison theorem and constructing suitable Lyapunov functional, we study the following almost periodic nonlinear N-species competitive Lotka-Volterra model: A set of sufficient conditions is obtained for the existence and global attractivity of a unique positive almost periodic solution of the above model. As applications, some special competition models are studied again, our new results improve and generalize former results. Examples and their simulations show the feasibility of our main results.

Prefrontal activity during response inhibition decreases over time in the postpartum period.

PubMed

Bannbers, Elin; Gingnell, Malin; Engman, Jonas; Morell, Arvid; Sylvén, Sara; Skalkidou, Alkistis; Kask, Kristiina; Bäckström, Torbjörn; Wikström, Johan; Poromaa, Inger Sundström

2013-03-15

The postpartum period is characterized by complex hormonal changes, but human imaging studies in the postpartum period have thus far predominantly focused on the neural correlates of maternal behavior or postpartum depression, whereas longitudinal studies on neural correlates of cognitive function across the postpartum period in healthy women are lacking. The aim of this study was to longitudinally examine response inhibition, as a measure of executive function, during the postpartum period and its neural correlates in healthy postpartum women and non-postpartum controls. Thirteen healthy postpartum women underwent event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a Go/NoGo task. The first assessment was made within 48 h of delivery, and the second at 4-7 weeks postpartum. In addition, 13 healthy women examined twice during the menstrual cycle were included as non-postpartum controls. In postpartum women region of interest analyses revealed task-related decreased activations in the right inferior frontal gyrus, right anterior cingulate, and bilateral precentral gyri at the late postpartum assessment. Generally, postpartum women displayed lower activity during response inhibition in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri and precentral gyri compared to non-postpartum controls. No differences in performance on the Go/NoGo task were found between time-points or between groups. In conclusion, this study has discovered that brain activity in prefrontal areas during a response inhibition task decreases throughout the course of the first postpartum weeks and is lower than in non-postpartum controls. Further studies on the normal adaptive brain activity changes that occur during the postpartum period are warranted. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Benefits of sodium hexametaphosphate-containing chewing gum for extrinsic stain inhibition.

PubMed

Walters, Patricia A; Biesbrock, Aaron R; Bartizek, Robert D

2004-01-01

This study was designed to examine the ability of sodium hexametaphosphate delivered from a chewing gum to prevent extrinsic tooth stain formation. This study was a negative-controlled, randomized, two-period crossover design, with a 10-day washout period between treatments. The two treatments were a chewing gum containing 5.6% sodium hexametaphosphate and a negative control chewing gum. Eleven subjects who met study criteria were enrolled, and 10 completed the study over a two-week period. Each treatment period lasted approximately 48 hours and was separated by a washout period. After a dental prophylaxis, a digital image of the anterior teeth was taken to assess baseline stain. The three-day stain induction phase consisted of the patient using a 10 ml 0.2% chlorhexidine rinse for 60 seconds, followed by chewing two pellets/sticks of their assigned gum for five minutes and rinsing with 10 ml of cold tea solution for 60 seconds. No oral hygiene was permitted other than use of the test products. During both treatment periods, each subject followed the same regimen eight times, once per hour, throughout the day. On Days 2 and 3, the adjusted mean L* measurement was statistically significantly greater for the sodium hexametaphosphate gum than for the control gum. Moreover, nine of the 10 subjects had whiter teeth while on the experimental gum treatment at both Day 2 and Day 3. The results of this study support that sodium hexametaphosphate delivered from a chewing gum prevents dental stain formation and leads to a patient-desired whitening benefit.

Temporal Trends (1999-2015) in the Impact Factor of Biomedical Journals Published by US and EU Scientific Societies.

PubMed

Falagas, Matthew E; Kyriakidou, Margarita; Spais, George; Argiti, Efstathia; Vardakas, Konstantinos Z

2018-04-19

The impact factor has emerged as the most popular index of scientific journals' resonance. In this study we aimed to examine the impact factor trends of journals published by scientific bodies in the United States of America (USA) and Europe (EU). We randomly chose 11 categories of Journal of Citation Reports and created three research classes: clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, and basic science. The impact factor values for the years 1999-2015 were abstracted, and the impact factor of US and EU journals was studied through the years. A total of 265 journals were included in the final analysis. The impact factor of US journals was higher than that of EU journals throughout the study period. In addition, for both US and EU journals the median impact factor increased throughout the study period. The rate of annual change in the impact factor throughout the study period was lower for US than EU journals (1.85% versus 3.55%, P=0.019). A higher median annual increase was seen in the impact factor during the period 1999-2008 compared to the period 2009-2015 for both US (P<0.001) and EU (P=0.001) journals. In fact, during the second period the US median impact factor value did not show significant changes (P=0.31), while the EU median impact factor continued to increase (P<0.001). The impact factor of EU journals increased at a significantly higher rate than and approached that of the US journals during the last 16 years.

On the Occurrence of Thermal Nonequilibrium in Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froment, C.; Auchère, F.; Mikić, Z.; Aulanier, G.; Bocchialini, K.; Buchlin, E.; Solomon, J.; Soubrié, E.

2018-03-01

Long-period EUV pulsations, recently discovered to be common in active regions, are understood to be the coronal manifestation of thermal nonequilibrium (TNE). The active regions previously studied with EIT/Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and AIA/SDO indicated that long-period intensity pulsations are localized in only one or two loop bundles. The basic idea of this study is to understand why. For this purpose, we tested the response of different loop systems, using different magnetic configurations, to different stratifications and strengths of the heating. We present an extensive parameter-space study using 1D hydrodynamic simulations (1020 in total) and conclude that the occurrence of TNE requires specific combinations of parameters. Our study shows that the TNE cycles are confined to specific ranges in parameter space. This naturally explains why only some loops undergo constant periodic pulsations over several days: since the loop geometry and the heating properties generally vary from one loop to another in an active region, only the ones in which these parameters are compatible exhibit TNE cycles. Furthermore, these parameters (heating and geometry) are likely to vary significantly over the duration of a cycle, which potentially limits the possibilities of periodic behavior. This study also confirms that long-period intensity pulsations and coronal rain are two aspects of the same phenomenon: both phenomena can occur for similar heating conditions and can appear simultaneously in the simulations.

Effect of aminglycoside administration on the occurrence and multiplication of resistant bacteria.

PubMed

Milas, Josip; Kalenić, Smilja; Milas, Vesna; Miskulin, Maja; Vuković, Dubravka; Rudan, Stjepan; Puntarić, Dinko

2009-06-01

In the prospective study the susceptibility of 41 Escherichia coli strains and 55 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to gentamicin, netilmicin and amikacin was tested at a 2-year interval (period I April 1998 to March 1999, and period II April to July 2001). Genotyping was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and a clone based on 80% or 90% similarity was determined for each of the study bacteria. In 24 (32.0%) clones, strains showed no variation over 2-year interval, supporting the hypothesis on a priori susceptible strains. Transformation from susceptibility in period I to resistance in period II was demonstrated in 5 (6.7%) clones, a pattern consistent with the concept of bacterial development of resistance under the influence of antibiotics. However, there were 10 (13.3%) clones whose strains exhibited an inverse pattern. Accordingly, two-way transformation of susceptibility took place during the study period. The utilization of the study aminoglycosides had no major impact on the variation of microbial susceptibility. Changes in microbial susceptibility were found to follow some regular patterns, which were not influenced by the study aminoglycosides. Two phenomena were observed: (i) there were stable clones that did not develop resistance in spite of selective antibiotic challenge; and (ii) changes of susceptibility in isolated bacteria from both inpatient and outpatient strains of the same clone were two-way and reversible.

CONSUMPTION TRENDS OF RESCUE ANTI-PSYCHOTICS FOR DELIRIUM IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS (ICU DELIRIUM) SHOW INFLUENCE OF CORRESPONDING LUNAR PHASE CYCLES: A RETROSPECTIVE AUDIT STUDY FROM ACADEMIC UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN THE UNITED STATES.

PubMed

Gupta, Deepak; Pallekonda, Vinay; Thomas, Ronald; Mckelvey, George; Ghoddoussi, Farhad

2015-02-01

The etiology of delirium in intensive care units (ICU) is usually multi-factorial. There is common "myth" that lunar phases affect human body especially human brains (and minds). In the absence of any pre-existing studies in ICU patients, the current retrospective study was planned to investigate whether lunar phases play any role in ICU delirium by assessing if lunar phases correlate with prevalence of ICU delirium as judged by the corresponding consumptions of rescue anti-psychotics used for delirium in ICU. After institutional review board approval with waived consent, the daily census of ICU patients from the administrative records was accessed at an academic university's Non-Cancer Hospital in a Metropolitan City of United States. Thereafter, the ICU pharmacy's electronic database was accessed to obtain data on the use of haloperidol and quetiapine over the two time periods for patients aged 18 years or above. Subsequently the data was analyzed for whether the consumption of haloperidol or quetiapine followed any trends corresponding to the lunar phase cycles. A total of 5382 pharmacy records of haloperidol equivalent administrations were analyzed for this study. The cumulative prevalence of incidents of haloperidol equivalent administrations peaked around the full moon period and troughed around the new moon period. As compared to male patients, female patients followed much more uniform trends of haloperidol equivalent administrations' incidents which peaked around the full moon period and troughed around the new moon period. Further sub-analysis of 70-lunar cycles across the various solar months of the total 68-month study period revealed that haloperidol equivalent administrations' incidents peaked around the full moon periods during the months of November-December and around the new moon periods during the month of July which all are interestingly the major holiday months (a potential confounding factor) in the United States. Consumption trends of rescue anti-psychotics for ICU delirium revealed an influence by lunar phase cycles particularly that of full moon periods on female patients in the ICU.

Stress response in postpartum women with and without obsessive–compulsive symptoms: an fMRI study

PubMed Central

Lord, Catherine; Steiner, Meir; Soares, Claudio N.; Carew, Caitlin L.; Hall, Geoffrey B.

2012-01-01

Background During the postpartum period, some women might be under a considerable amount of stress and at increased risk for onset or exacerbation of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Little is known about the stress response correlates during the postpartum period and in patients with OCD. This study aimed to examine the cerebral, psychologic and endocrine correlates of the stress response in patients with OCD and during the postpartum period. Methods Women with postpartum OCD, healthy postpartum women and healthy mothers past the postpartum period underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while facing a reliable psychosocial stressor (the Montreal Imaging Stress Task). Stress-related psychologic and endocrine responses (i.e., cortisol) were obtained. Results We enrolled 12 women with postpartum OCD, 16 healthy postpartum women and 11 healthy mothers past the postpartum period in our study. Compared with healthy postpartum counterparts, postpartum women with OCD had a heightened self-reported and endocrine stress response associated with a distinct brain activation pattern in response to psychosocial stress involving the orbitofrontal and temporal cortices. Moreover, compared with mothers assessed in a period of time beyond the postpartum period, healthy postpartum women did not differ in psychologic and cortisol response to stress, but recruited different brain regions, such as the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, during exposure to stress. Limitations Potential confounding factors, such as medication use, breastfeeding, parity and personality factors, may have modulated the stress-related endocrine response and could not be assessed in this study. Conclusion Obsessive–compulsive disorder and the postpartum period differentially influence the brain circuitry underlying psychosocial stress as well as the psychologic and endocrine responses. PMID:22122779

Impact of eating probiotic yogurt on colonization by Candida species of the oral and vaginal mucosa in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women.

PubMed

Hu, Haihong; Merenstein, Daniel J; Wang, Cuiwei; Hamilton, Pilar R; Blackmon, Mandy L; Chen, Hui; Calderone, Richard A; Li, Dongmei

2013-10-01

Candidiasis in HIV/AIDS patients continues to be a public health problem. Antifungal therapies are not always effective and may result in complications, such as the development of drug-resistant strains of Candida species. This study evaluated the impact of probiotic consumption on Candida colonization of the oral and vaginal mucosa. A pilot study was conducted in 24 women (17 HIV-infected, 7 HIV-uninfected) from the Women's Interagency HIV Study. The women underwent a 60-day initiation period with no probiotic consumption, followed by two 15-day consumption periods, with a different probiotic yogurt (DanActive™ or YoPlus™ yogurt) during each interval. There was a 30-day washout period between the two yogurt consumption periods. Oral and vaginal culture swabs were collected on days 0, 60, 74, and 120. Candida was detected by inoculating each swab in both Sabouraud's dextrose agar with or without chloramphenicol and CHROMagar. Less fungal colonization among women was observed when the women consumed probiotic yogurts (54 % of the women had vaginal fungal colonization during the non-probiotic yogurt consumption period, 29 % during the DanActive™ period, and 38 % during YoPlus™ yogurt consumption period), and HIV-infected women had significantly lower vaginal fungal colonization after they consumed DanActive™ yogurt compared to the non-intervention periods (54 vs 29 %, p = 0.03). These data are promising, but as expected in a small pilot study, there were some significant changes but also some areas where colonization was not changed. This type of conflicting data is supportive of the need for a larger trial to further elucidate the role of probiotic yogurts in fungal growth in HIV-infected women.

Impact of Eating Probiotic Yogurt on Colonization by Candida Species of the Oral and Vaginal Mucosa in HIV-Infected and HIV-Uninfected Women

PubMed Central

Hu, Haihong; Wang, Cuiwei; Hamilton, Pilar R.; Blackmon, Mandy L.; Chen, Hui; Calderone, Richard A.; Li, Dongmei

2014-01-01

Background Candidiasis in HIV/AIDS patients continues to be a public health problem. Antifungal therapies are not always effective and may result in complications, such as the development of drug-resistant strains of Candida species. Objectives This study evaluated the impact of probiotic consumption on Candida colonization of the oral and vaginal mucosa. Patients/Methods A pilot study was conducted in 24 women (17 HIV-infected, 7 HIV-uninfected) from the Women's Interagency HIV Study. The women underwent a 60-day initiation period with no probiotic consumption, followed by two 15-day consumption periods, with a different probiotic yogurt (DanActive™ or YoPlus™ yogurt) during each interval. There was a 30-day washout period between the two yogurt consumption periods. Oral and vaginal culture swabs were collected on days 0, 60, 74, and 120. Candida was detected by inoculating each swab in both Sabouraud's dextrose agar with or without chloramphenicol and CHROMagar. Results Less fungal colonization among women was observed when the women consumed probiotic yogurts (54 % of the women had vaginal fungal colonization during the non-probiotic yogurt consumption period, 29 % during the DanActive™ period, and 38 % during YoPlus™ yogurt consumption period), and HIV-infected women had significantly lower vaginal fungal colonization after they consumed DanActive™ yogurt compared to the nonintervention periods (54 vs 29 %, p = 0.03). Conclusions These data are promising, but as expected in a small pilot study, there were some significant changes but also some areas where colonization was not changed. This type of conflicting data is supportive of the need for a larger trial to further elucidate the role of probiotic yogurts in fungal growth in HIV-infected women. PMID:23925786

The influence of daily sleep patterns of commercial truck drivers on driving performance

PubMed Central

Chen, Guang Xiang; Fang, Youjia; Guo, Feng; Hanowski, Richard J.

2016-01-01

Fatigued and drowsy driving has been found to be a major cause of truck crashes. Lack of sleep is the number one cause of fatigue and drowsiness. However, there are limited data on the sleep patterns (sleep duration, sleep percentage in the duration of non-work period, and the time when sleep occurred) of truck drivers in non-work periods and the impact on driving performance. This paper examined sleep patterns of 96 commercial truck drivers during non-work periods and evaluated the influence these sleep patterns had on truck driving performance. Data were from the Naturalistic Truck Driving Study. Each driver participated in the study for approximately four weeks. A shift was defined as a non-work period followed by a work period. A total of 1397 shifts were identified. Four distinct sleep patterns were identified based on sleep duration, sleep start/end point in a non-work period, and the percentage of sleep with reference to the duration of non-work period. Driving performance was measured by safety-critical events, which included crashes, near-crashes, crash-relevant conflicts, and unintentional lane deviations. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate the association between the sleep patterns and driving performance, adjusted for driver demographic information. The results showed that the sleep pattern with the highest safety-critical event rate was associated with shorter sleep, sleep in the early stage of a non-work period, and less sleep between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. This study also found that male drivers, with fewer years of commercial vehicle driving experience and higher body mass index, were associated with deteriorated driving performance and increased driving risk. The results of this study could inform hours-of-service policy-making and benefit safety management in the trucking industry. PMID:26954762

Effect of a Pheromone on Stress-Associated Reactivation of Feline Herpesvirus-1 in Experimentally Inoculated Kittens.

PubMed

Contreras, Elena T; Hodgkins, E; Tynes, V; Beck, A; Olea-Popelka, F; Lappin, M R

2018-01-01

Stress contributes to reactivation of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1). The usage of pheromones to decrease stress in FHV-1 experimentally inoculated kittens has not previously been investigated. To determine whether a feline pheromone would lessen stress, resulting in decreased recurrence of FHV-1-associated illness in kittens. Twelve 5-month-old, purpose-bred kittens. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Kittens previously infected with the same dose of FHV-1 were randomized into 2 separate but identical group rooms. After a 2-week equilibration period, a diffuser containing either the pheromone or placebo was placed in each of the rooms, and the kittens acclimated for an additional 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks thereafter, for the 8-week study period, housing was alternated between kennel- and group housing. Blinded observers applied a standardized clinical and behavioral scoring rubric daily. After each 2-week period, serum cortisol concentrations and quantitative PCR for FHV-1 and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) ratios were evaluated. Clinical, behavioral, and laboratory test results were compared between groups within individual and combined study periods. Sneezing occurred more frequently in the placebo group during individual (P = 0.006) and combined study periods (P = 0.001). Sleep at the end of observation periods occurred more frequently in the pheromone group during individual (P = 0.006) and combined study periods (P < 0.001). The findings suggest that the pheromone decreased stress, and the decrease in stress response may have resulted in decreased sneezing associated with FHV-1. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Practical considerations for estimating clinical trial accrual periods: application to a multi-center effectiveness study

PubMed Central

Carter, Rickey E; Sonne, Susan C; Brady, Kathleen T

2005-01-01

Background Adequate participant recruitment is vital to the conduct of a clinical trial. Projected recruitment rates are often over-estimated, and the time to recruit the target population (accrual period) is often under-estimated. Methods This report illustrates three approaches to estimating the accrual period and applies the methods to a multi-center, randomized, placebo controlled trial undergoing development. Results Incorporating known sources of accrual variation can yield a more justified estimate of the accrual period. Simulation studies can be incorporated into a clinical trial's planning phase to provide estimates for key accrual summaries including the mean and standard deviation of the accrual period. Conclusion The accrual period of a clinical trial should be carefully considered, and the allocation of sufficient time for participant recruitment is a fundamental aspect of planning a clinical trial. PMID:15796782

Fecal blood loss caused by two differently microencapsulated acetylsalicylic acid preparations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A prospective crossover study.

PubMed

Dirksen, A; Rasmussen, S N; Manthorpe, R

1982-01-01

In an investigator-blind crossover study, fecal blood loss determined by 51Cr-labelled red cells was measured in 17 male patients with rheumatoid arthritis and one with anchylosing spondylitis. In two periods, each of one week's duration and separated by a 3-week wash-out period, the patients received microencapsulated acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) 3 g daily--either iwht time-dependent (Acetard) or with pH-depeendent release (Reumyl). With the exception of one patient, who suffered clinically significant bleeding, both preparations produced only moderate bleeding. The bleeding provoked by ASA with pH-dependent release (median blood loss in ml/day: first period 1.6; last period 2.6) was less than with time-dependent release (first period 1.8; last period 3.5).

AMS applications to the paleoclimate changing study in China

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

Li, K.; Chen, T.M.; Yuan, D.X.

1995-12-01

To study the paleoclimates changing in China, a high-resolution AMS radio-carbon dating of a loess profile at Weinan, Shaanxi Province, has been carried out and an age of 10,300 BP has been assigned to be the beginning of the HOLOCENE in the studied areas. In the south of China, a stalagmite of 1.2-m high taken from Panlong-dong cave, Guilin, Guangxi Province, has also been studied. The dating with micro-stratification sampling shows that the climate in HOLOCENE was generally damp and warm, but there was a short cola period during 10-11 Ka BP. The resolution of AMS carbon dating of stalagmitemore » is 100 years for the warm and damp period and 500 years for the dry and cold period.« less

[Period-tripling in Multiscale Physical and Biological Events].

PubMed

Bondar, A T; Fedorov, M V; Kolombet, V A

2015-01-01

A recent paper by S.J. Puetz et al. (Chaos, Solitons -& Fractals, v. 62-63, p. 55, 2014) described a fundamental period-tripled model. It involves periods of different astronomical (quasars, Sun), geophysical (geomagnetic, climatic, volcanic) and some biological processes. This work contains statistics for sixteen pairs of a period-tripled sequence. These periods range from -50 years to 1.5 billion years and no signs of the timescale limitations are found. We believe that the universal scope of the fundamental period-tripled model can be used for the development of new methodology of research data analysis: the main idea is that the spectrum of the periods of the studied event should be tested for the similarity with the spectrum of fundamental period-tripling pattern (because of the fundamental nature of the period-tripled model). Using this method, in this study we complement an already described period-tripled model with periods of human memory performance ranging from one minute to one month also adding seven relevant periods/frequencies of the period-tripled model in the range of human hearing. We make a conclusion that these characteristic frequencies may form the basis for music and singing phenomena. The new methodology is particularly appropriate for being applied in medicine and engineering.

Extending the timescale for using beryllium 7 measurements to document soil redistribution by erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walling, D. E.; Schuller, P.; Zhang, Y.; Iroumé, A.

2009-02-01

The need for spatially distributed information on soil mobilization, transfer, and deposition within the landscape by erosion has focused attention on the potential for using fallout radionuclides (i.e., 137Cs, excess 210Pb, and 7Be) to document soil redistribution rates. Whereas 137Cs and excess 210Pb are used to estimate medium- and longer-term erosion rates (i.e., approximately 45 years and 100 years, respectively), 7Be, by virtue of its short half-life (53 days), provides potential for estimating short-term soil redistribution on bare soils. However, the approach commonly used with this radionuclide means that it can only be applied to individual events or short periods of heavy rain. In addition, it is also frequently difficult to ensure that the requirement for spatially uniform 7Be inventories across the study area immediately prior to the study period is met. If the existing approach is applied to longer periods with several rainfall events (e.g., several weeks or more) soil redistribution is likely to be substantially underestimated. These problems limit the potential for using the 7Be approach, particularly in investigations where there is a need to assemble representative information on soil redistribution occurring during the entire wet season. This paper reports the development of a new or refined model for converting radionuclide measurements to estimates of soil redistribution (conversion model) for use with 7Be measurements, which permits much longer periods to be studied. This refined model aims to retain much of the simplicity of the existing approach, but takes account of the temporal distribution of both 7Be fallout and erosion during the study period and of the evolution of the 7Be depth distribution during this period. The approach was successfully tested using 7Be measurements from a study of short-term soil redistribution undertaken within an area of recently harvested forest located near Valdivia in Southern Chile. The study period extended over about 3 months and included the main part of the winter wet season of 2006. The estimates of soil redistribution obtained using the new conversion model were consistent with those obtained from erosion pins deployed within the same study area and were two to three times greater than those obtained using the approach and conversion model employed in existing studies.

The First 90 Days of the New Middle School Principal in a Turnaround School: In-Depth Case Study of the Transition Period (First 90 Days)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baeza, Marco A.

2010-01-01

This study analyzed skills, strategies, and theories that new middle school principals used to be successful during their transition period (the first 90 days) in turnaround schools. Based on research on transitions, three research questions guided the study: 1. Do middle school principals in a turnaround school situation find the transition…

Cornell University Libraries. A Final Report from the Public Services Research Projects. Appropriate Public Services for Agricultural Research Faculty. One of a Series of Self-Studies and Research Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Jan Kennedy; And Others

This paper reports a self-study undertaken at Cornell University's Albert R. Mann Library to explore appropriate public services for an agricultural research faculty. The study took place over a 22-month period and involved a literature review, development of a questionnaire, administration of the questionnaire, an experimental period of…

Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Upper Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers, Montana and Wyoming, 1928-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Katherine J.

2014-01-01

Major floods in 1996 and 1997 intensified public debate about the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a cumulative effects study on the main stem of the Yellowstone River. The cumulative effects study is intended to provide a basis for future management decisions within the watershed. Streamflow statistics, such as flow-frequency data calculated for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions, are a necessary component of the cumulative effects study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calculated low-flow frequency data and general monthly and annual statistics for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions for the Upper Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers for the 1928–2002 study period; these data are presented in this report. Unregulated streamflow represents flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if there had been no water-resources development in the Yellowstone River Basin. Regulated streamflow represents estimates of flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if the level of water-resources development existing in 2002 was in place during the entire study period.

Comparative study of 2 oral care protocols in intensive care units.

PubMed

Ory, Jérôme; Raybaud, Evelyne; Chabanne, Russell; Cosserant, Bernard; Faure, Jean Sébastien; Guérin, Renaud; Calvet, Laure; Pereira, Bruno; Mourgues, Charline; Guelon, Dominique; Traore, Ousmane

2017-03-01

The quality of oral care is important in limiting the emergence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intubated patients. Our main objective was to measure the quality improvement in oral care following the implementation of a new oral care protocol. We also monitored VAP rates. This was a cohort study of patients in 5 adult ICUs covering different specialties. During period 1, caregivers used a foam stick for oral care and during period 2 a stick and tooth brushing with aspiration. Oral chlorhexidine was used during both periods. The caregivers rated improvement in oral health on the basis of 4 criteria (tongue, mucous membranes, gingivae, and teeth). Caregiver satisfaction was also assessed. The incidence of VAP was monitored. A total of 2,030 intubated patients admitted to intensive care units benefited from oral care. The patient populations during the 2 periods were similar with regard to demographic data and VAP potential risk factors. Oral health was significantly better from the third day of oral care in period 2 onward (period 1, 6.4 ± 2.1; period 2, 5.6 ± 1.8; P = .043). Caregivers found the period 2 protocol easier to implement and more effective. VAP rates decreased significantly between the 2 periods (period 1, 12.8%; period 2, 8.5%; P = .002). Our study showed that the implementation of a simple strategy improved the quality of oral care of patients in intensive care units, and decreased VAP rates. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of dialysis practice patterns on outcomes in acute kidney injury in Intensive Care Unit

PubMed Central

Annigeri, Rajeev A.; Nandeesh, Venkatappa; Karuniya, Ramanathan; Rajalakshmi, Sasikumar; Venkataraman, Ramesh; Ramakrishnan, Nagarajan

2016-01-01

Aim: Recent advances in dialysis therapy have made an impact on the clinical practice of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI) in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We studied the impact of RRT practice changes on outcomes in AKI in ICU over a period of 8 years. Subjects and Methods: AKI patients requiring RRT in ICU referred to a nephrologist during two different periods (period-1: Between May 2004 and May 2007, n = 69; period-2: Between August 2008 and May 2011, n = 93) were studied. The major changes in the dialysis practice during the period-2, compared to period-1 were introduction of prolonged intermittent RRT (PIRRT), early dialysis for metabolic acidosis, early initiation of RRT for anuria and positive fluid balance and use of bicarbonate-based fluids for continuous RRT (CRRT) instead of lactate buffer. The primary study outcome was 28-day hospital mortality. Results: The mean age was 53.8 ± 16.1 years and 72.6% were male. Introduction of PIRRT resulted in 37% reduction in utilization of CRRT during period-2 (from 85.5% to 53.7%). The overall mortality was high (68%) but was significantly reduced during period-2 compared to period-1 (59% vs. 79.7%, P = 0.006). Metabolic acidosis but not the mode of RRT, was the significant factor which influenced mortality. Conclusions: Adaption of PIRRT resulted in 37% reduction of utilization of CRRT. The mortality rate was significantly reduced during the period of adaption of PIRRT, possibly due to early initiation of RRT in the latter period for indications such as anuria and metabolic acidosis. PMID:26955212

Incidence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis before and after the February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake.

PubMed

Farquhar, H J; McGettigan, B; Chapman, P T; O'Donnell, J L; Frampton, C; Stamp, L K

2017-01-01

It has been suggested that environmental pollution from an earthquake might be associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). To determine the incidence of AAV during the 3-year period before (period 1), and the 3 years following (period 2), the earthquake that occurred on 22 February 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand. All ANCA tests performed in the Canterbury region for 3 years before the earthquake (period 1, 2007-2010), and for 3 years after the earthquake (period 2, 2011-2014) were examined. AAV was defined according to The European Medicines Agency classification algorithm. Medical records were reviewed and cases were included if they were newly diagnosed within the study period. Incidence was calculated using population data from the 2013 New Zealand census. A total of 52 new cases of AAV was identified. The incidence in period 1 was 1.87/100 000/annum (95% C.I. 1.23-2.72), and for period 2 was 1.73/100 000/annum (95% C.I. 1.12-2.55). There was no statistically significant difference in incidence between the two study periods. There was no difference when analysing by myeloperoxidase (MPO) or proteinase-3 status, or restricting the analyses to those residing in an urban environment. The mean age at diagnosis for MPO AAV was significantly younger in period 2 than period 1 (61 years vs 71 years, P = 0.05). There were no other clinically important differences between the two groups. This study does not support the hypothesis that an environmental agent, caused by dust pollution related to earthquake damage, has a causative role in the pathogenesis of AAV. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Katherine J.

2013-01-01

Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effects study on the main stem of the Yellowstone River. The cumulative-effects study is intended to provide a basis for future management decisions in the watershed. Streamflow statistics, such as flow-frequency and flow-duration data calculated for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions, are a necessary component of the cumulative effects study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calculated streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers for the 1928–2002 study period. Unregulated streamflow represents flow conditions that might have occurred during the 1928–2002 study period if there had been no water-resources development in the Yellowstone River Basin. Regulated streamflow represents estimates of flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if the level of water-resources development existing in 2002 was in place during the entire study period. Peak-flow frequency estimates for regulated and unregulated streamflow were developed using methods described in Bulletin 17B. High-flow frequency and low-flow frequency data were developed for regulated and unregulated streamflows from the annual series of highest and lowest (respectively) mean flows for specified n-day consecutive periods within the calendar year. Flow-duration data, and monthly and annual streamflow characteristics, also were calculated for the unregulated and regulated streamflows.

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS TARGETING PATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD.

PubMed

Rominov, Holly; Pilkington, Pamela D; Giallo, Rebecca; Whelan, Thomas A

2016-05-01

Interventions targeting parents' mental health in the perinatal period are critical due to potential consequences of perinatal mental illness for the parent, the infant, and their family. To date, most programs have targeted mothers. This systematic review explores the current status and evidence for intervention programs aiming to prevent or treat paternal mental illness in the perinatal period. Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed studies that described an intervention targeting fathers' mental health in the perinatal period. Mental health outcomes included depression, anxiety, and stress as well as more general measures of psychological functioning. Eleven studies were identified. Three of five psychosocial interventions and three massage-technique interventions reported significant effects. None of the couple-based interventions reported significant effects. A number of methodological limitations were identified, including inadequate reporting of study designs, and issues with the timing of interventions. The variability in outcomes measures across the studies made it difficult to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the interventions. Father-focused interventions aimed at preventing perinatal mood problems will be improved if future studies utilize more rigorous research strategies. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Progression of major depression during pregnancy and postpartum: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Shivakumar, Geetha; Johnson, Neysa L; McIntire, Donald D; Leveno, Kenneth

2014-04-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate major depressive symptoms among a high-risk group of pregnant women managed at a tertiary care setting. The study prospectively evaluated pregnant women who met DSM-IV criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE). Psychiatric measures for depression, anxiety and social impairment were administered at monthly intervals during pregnancy and immediate postpartum period. Twenty-four women provided longitudinal data from mid pregnancy to 2 months of postpartum period. 86% of women were clinically symptomatic at the beginning of study during pregnancy and only 32% remained clinically symptomatic at 2 months following delivery reaching. This difference reached a statistical significance level p < 0.001. Pregnant women with prior histories of major depression, comorbid anxiety disorder, histories of domestic violence, and those with uninvolved spouse or partners were more at-risk to be clinically symptomatic in the immediate postpartum period. In a group consisting of largely Latina women at a tertiary care setting, progression of major depression when treated with antidepressant medication(s) is that of an improvement from pregnancy to immediate postpartum period. Further longitudinal studies are needed to assess impact of clinical characteristics and treatment on major depression in larger diverse obstetric group.

Measuring the rotation periods of 4-10 Myr T-Tauri stars in the Orion OB1 association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, Md Tanveer; Stassun, Keivan; Briceno, Cesar; Vivas, Kathy; Raetz, Stefanie; Calvet, Nuria; Mateu, Cecilia; Downes, Juan Jose; Hernandez, Jesus; Neuhäuser, Ralph; Mugrauer, Markus; Takahashi, Hidenori; Tachihara, Kengo; Chini, Rolf; YETI

2016-01-01

Most existing studies of young stellar populations have focused on the youngest (< 2-3 Myr) T-Tauri stars, which are usually associated with their natal gas and hence easier to identify. In contrast, older T-Tauri stars (~ 4-10 Myr), being more difficult to find, have been less studied, even though they hold key insight to understanding evolution of lower-mass (0.1-2 M⊙) stars and of protoplanetary discs. We present a study of photometric variability of 1974 confirmed 4-10 Myr old T-Tauri stars in the Orion OB1 association using optical time-series from three different surveys: the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía-Quest Equatorial Survey Team (CIDA-QUEST), the Young Exoplanet Transit Initiative (YETI) and from a Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) campaign. We investigated stellar rotation periods according to the type of stars (Classical or Weak-lined T-Tauri stars) and their locations, to look for population-wide trends. We detected 563 periodic variables and 1411 non-periodic variables by investigating the light curves of these stars. We find that ~ 30% of Weak-line T-Tauri stars (WTTS) and ~ 20% of Classical T-Tauri stars (CTTS) are periodic. Though we did not find any noticeable difference in rotation period between CTTS and WTTS, our study does show a change in the overall rotation periods of stars 4-10 Myr old, consistent with predictions of angular momentum evolution models, an important constraint for theoretical models for an age range for which no similar data existed.

Traditional Practices of Mothers in the Postpartum Period: Evidence from Turkey.

PubMed

Altuntuğ, Kamile; Anık, Yeşim; Ege, Emel

2018-03-01

In various cultures, the postpartum period is a sensitive time and various traditional practices are applied to protect the health of the mother and the baby. The aim of this study was to determine traditional practices of mother care in the postpartum period in Konya City of Turkey. The research was a descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out among 291 women at the first 8 weeks of postpartum period who visited to family health centers from June 1 to December 1, 2015. The data were collected using questionnaires. Statistical analysis of the data was done with SSPS version 22.0. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Based on the results, 84.5% of women applied a traditional mother care practice during the postpartum period. The most popular, were practices for increasing of breast milk (97.9%), preventing incubus "albasması" (81.8%), getting rid of incubus (74.9%), and preventing postpartum bleeding (14.1%).The findings of the study show that traditional practices towards mother care in the period after birth are common. In order to provide better health services, it is important for health professionals to understand the traditional beliefs and practices of the individuals, families, and society that they serve.

Object Based Building Extraction and Building Period Estimation from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comert, Resul; Kaplan, Onur

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to examine whether it is possible to estimate the building periods with respect to the building heights in the urban scale seismic performance assessment studies by using the building height retrieved from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data. For this purpose, a small area, which includes eight residential reinforced concrete buildings, was selected in Eskisehir (Turkey) city center. In this paper, the possibilities of obtaining the building heights that are used in the estimation of building periods from UAV based data, have been investigated. The investigations were carried out in 3 stages; (i) Building boundary extraction with Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA), (ii) height calculation for buildings of interest from nDSM and accuracy assessment with the terrestrial survey. (iii) Estimation of building period using height information. The average difference between the periods estimated according to the heights obtained from field measurements and from the UAV data is 2.86 % and the maximum difference is 13.2 %. Results of this study have shown that the building heights retrieved from the UAV data can be used in the building period estimation in the urban scale vulnerability assessments.

What is the best?: simple versus visitor restricted rest period.

PubMed

Silvius-Byron, Stephanie A; Florimonte, Christine; Panganiban, Elizabeth G; Ulmer, Janice Fitzgerald

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to compare a highly structured planned rest protocol that includes visitor and healthcare personnel restrictions with a simple planned rest period that encourages patients to rest during a designated time without restriction of visitors and healthcare personnel. Many hospitals acute care have begun to restrict visitors and nonessential health team interventions during specific times despite the lack of experimentally designed studies. Using a convenience sample of 52 intermediate care unit patients, a randomized experimental design study compared a highly structured planned rest protocol with restriction of visitors/healthcare personnel to a simple planned rest period without restrictions. The primary outcome variable was the patient's perceived quality of rest after a 2-hour rest period. Intermediate care patients' perception of rest and sleep during a designated rest period was similar whether elaborate rest strategies were used, including visitor and healthcare personnel restrictions, or if it was only suggested they rest and the door to their room closed. The restriction of visitors and healthcare personnel during a 2-hour rest period did not improve the patient's perception of rest or how long it took them to go to sleep.

Sleep, daily activity rhythms and postpartum mood: A longitudinal study across the perinatal period.

PubMed

Krawczak, Elizabeth M; Minuzzi, Luciano; Simpson, William; Hidalgo, Maria Paz; Frey, Benicio N

2016-01-01

Women with a diagnosis of bipolar and major depressive disorders are at higher risk to develop postpartum depression. The primary objective of this longitudinal study was to determine whether daily activity rhythms and sleep parameters differ between women with and without a history of a mood disorder across the perinatal period. A secondary objective was to determine whether changes in these parameters were associated with postpartum mood. In total, 33 women were included in this study, 15 of which had a history of a mood disorder (high-risk group) and 18 who did not (low-risk group). Sleep and daily rhythms were assessed subjectively and objectively during the third trimester (≥26 weeks gestation) and again at 6-12 weeks postpartum. Mood was also assessed at both time points. Women in the high-risk group showed greater subjective daily rhythms and sleep disturbances across the perinatal period. Objective sleep efficiency was worse in the high-risk group in the postpartum period. Changes in both subjective daily rhythms and objective sleep efficiency were predictive of changes in depressive symptoms across the perinatal period. These findings encourage the development of preventative therapeutics to ensure circadian rhythm and sleep stability throughout the perinatal period.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study on E2 peak splitting of Si-Ge short period superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y. D.; Klein, M. V.; Baribeau, J.-M.; Hwang, S. H.; Whang, K. W.; Yoon, E.

1997-06-01

We report spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) studies on (Si)2(Ge)12, (Si)6(Ge)2, and (Si)12(Ge)2 short period superlattices (SLs) whose optical response has not been reported yet. Multilayer calculations enabled us to determine the dielectric response of the superlattice layers. We report the clear observation of splitting of the E2 peak in (Si)m(Ge)n superlattices contrary to the previous SE report that the separation was observed only in larger period SLs.

Sensitivity Study for Long Term Reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Allan L.

2008-01-01

This paper illustrates using Markov models to establish system and maintenance requirements for small electronic controllers where the goal is a high probability of continuous service for a long period of time. The system and maintenance items considered are quality of components, various degrees of simple redundancy, redundancy with reconfiguration, diagnostic levels, periodic maintenance, and preventive maintenance. Markov models permit a quantitative investigation with comparison and contrast. An element of special interest is the use of conditional probability to study the combination of imperfect diagnostics and periodic maintenance.

Seeing Double: How One Period Visualises Another

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Card, Jane

2004-01-01

When pupils study interpretations or representations of the past which are neither from their own period nor from the period being interpreted/represented, they are having to employ sophisticated knowledge and skill. Jane Card describes this as "double vision": the pupils must think about "the period depicted" (in this case the…

Continuity and change in ceramic manufacture: Archaeometric study of Late Byzantine-Early Islamic transition in Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alawneh, Firas Mohamad

This thesis investigates continuity and change of ceramics from Late Byzantine-Early Islamic transition period Jordan. The transition period has been characterized largely by an overlap of two ceramic traditions. The material culture of this period has been primarily viewed through formal and stylistic changes. However, ceramic technology and distribution have never been subjected to rigorous analytical study. In order to explain continuity and change in ceramic tradition the undertaken study has focused on the provenance and technology, using multifaceted analytical approach. This study of the transition period pottery has focused on the classification and technological features of potsherds from selected sites in Jordan (Amman, Aqaba, Beit Ras, Khirbet el-Nawafleh, Jarash, Jericho, Pella, Madaba, Gharndal, Humaimah, Um er-Rassas and Um el-Waleed). Samples were studied by particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and optical microscopy to analyze their chemical, mineralogical and textural features in the aim of determining their possible provenance and production technology. Compositional data were statistically processed with multivariate analysis using SYSTAT II software 2006. To obtain further information about possible source areas of raw materials used in ceramic production, clays were also sampled in the studied areas. Firing experiments were conducted for clays with compositions comparable with those of ceramic sherds, to better understand the firing technology of the pottery. The multifaceted analytical approach has revealed important information on ceramic production in Transjordan. Khirbet el-Nawafleh and Aqaba in the south, Jarash and Pella in the north, Amman and Madaba in the middle are possibly just a few important production centers during this period. The study shows a multidirectional socio-cultural exchange and economic trade patterns within each region and between adjacent regions, as well. Also, importation from adjacent provinces cannot be excluded for certain samples. Despite the different archaeological levels to which these samples belong to, this study illustrates some similarity in technological features and chemical composition. This in turn suggests that continuity is rather the trend in ceramic tradition of the society during the transition period. However, further work on clays, kilns, and pottery from other sites discovered in Jordan is necessary to confirm this conclusion.

The use of periodization in exercise prescriptions for inactive adults: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Strohacker, Kelley; Fazzino, Daniel; Breslin, Whitney L.; Xu, Xiaomeng

2015-01-01

Background Periodization of exercise is a method typically used in sports training, but the impact of periodized exercise on health outcomes in untrained adults is unclear. Purpose This review aims to summarize existing research wherein aerobic or resistance exercise was prescribed to inactive adults using a recognized periodization method. Methods A search of relevant databases, conducted between January and February of 2014, yielded 21 studies published between 2000 and 2013 that assessed the impact of periodized exercise on health outcomes in untrained participants. Results Substantial heterogeneity existed between studies, even under the same periodization method. Compared to baseline values or non-training control groups, prescribing periodized resistance or aerobic exercise yielded significant improvements in health outcomes related to traditional and emerging risk factors for cardiovascular disease, low-back and neck/shoulder pain, disease severity, and quality of life, with mixed results for increasing bone mineral density. Conclusions Although it is premature to conclude that periodized exercise is superior to non-periodized exercise for improving health outcomes, periodization appears to be a feasible means of prescribing exercise to inactive adults within an intervention setting. Further research is necessary to understand the effectiveness of periodizing aerobic exercise, the psychological effects of periodization, and the feasibility of implementing flexible non-linear methods. PMID:26844095

M Dwarf Variability and Periodicities in Praesepe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamper, R.; Honeycutt, R. K.

2018-02-01

212 M dwarfs in the Praesepe cluster have been monitored photometrically for three observing seasons. It is found that Praesepe M dwarfs earlier than ∼M4 often have significant photometric variations, while variability is not detected for >M4. Time series analysis was performed on 147 of the targets having likely variability in order to study possible periodicities. For 83% of these targets, we detected no periodicities; these null results included targets with published photometric periods from earlier work. Our detected periods ranged from 20 to 45 days, and we are not able to confirm any of the 1–5 day periods in Praesepe periods reported by Schultz et al., which we attribute to the very different observing cadences of the two studies. We conjecture that our more widely spaced data cannot adequately sample the Schultz et al. periodicities before the growth and decay of spots have a chance to ruin the coherence. The new periods we find in the range 20–45 days (in targets that do not overlap with those from Schultz having shorter periods) have very small false alarm probabilities. We argue that rotation is unlikely to be responsible for these 20–45 day periods. Perhaps short activity cycles in the Praesepe M dwarfs play a role in generating such periodicities.

Estimating work-related amputations in the Norwegian manufacturing sector: a 10-year retrospective study based on two-source capture-recapture method.

PubMed

Samant, Yogindra; Parker, David; Wergeland, Ebba; Lund, Johan; Westin, Steinar

2012-01-01

Work-related amputations are serious yet preventable injuries. Workers in the manufacturing sector in particular are vulnerable to amputation injuries compared to workers in other sectors. In this study, we used a two-source capture recapture method to estimate the true number of annual work-related amputations in the Norwegian manufacturing sector for a 10-year study period (1998-2007). The two-sources utilized in this study were the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authorities Registry of Work-Related Injuries (RWI) and the Association of Norwegian Private Insurance Companies registry for occupational injuries (ANPIC). We estimated an annual incidence rate that ranged from 21/100 000 to 62/100 000 workers during the study period. Our findings indicate an undercount of amputations reported to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's registry ranging from 16% to 58% during the study period. Work-related amputations remain a challenge in the Norwegian manufacturing sector. This study underscores the need of robust epidemiological surveillance infrastructure and effective interventions to prevent amputations at work.

RN Job Satisfaction and Retention After an Interprofessional Team Intervention.

PubMed

Baik, Dawon; Zierler, Brenda

2018-04-01

Despite continuing interest in interprofessional teamwork to improve nurse outcomes and quality of care, there is little research that focuses on nurse job satisfaction and retention after an interprofessional team intervention. This study explored registered nurse (RN) job satisfaction and retention after a purposeful interprofessional team training and structured interprofessional bedside rounds were implemented. As part of a larger study, in this comparative cross-sectional study, pre- and post-intervention data on RN job satisfaction and turnover rate were collected and analyzed. It was found that RNs had significantly higher job satisfaction after the interprofessional team intervention. The 6-month period turnover rate in the post-intervention period was slightly lower than the 6-month period turnover rate in pre-intervention period; however, the rate was too low to provide statistical evidence. Ongoing coaching and supportive work environments to improve RN outcomes should be considered to enhance quality of care and patient safety in healthcare.

Report of 14-day bedrest simulation of Skylab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, P. C. (Compiler); Mitchell, C. (Compiler)

1976-01-01

Part one of a two-phase bedrest project in which the physiological effects of weightlessness were simulated is presented. The project was designed to approximate the medical testing and dietary control of Skylab. The test period included a three week pre-flight period, a two week bedrest period and a two week post-flight period. The test subjects ate measured amounts of the Skylab diet and drank deionized water to recreate the metabolic balance studies of Skylab. The medical testing program, pre- and postbedrest, was similar to that of Skylab including: lower body negative pressure testing the orthostatic intolerance noted after both spaceflights and bedrest, bicycle ergometry testing the cardiovascular response to graded exercise, postural equilibrium, vestibular studies and electromyograms. Fluid and electrolyte shifts and balance were documented with intake and output records and radionuclide studies. The subjects were observed by a psychiatrist who watched for signs of mental stress in the test environment and changes in mental status.

The effect of long working hours on cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease; A case-crossover study.

PubMed

Shin, Kyong-Sok; Chung, Yun Kyung; Kwon, Young-Jun; Son, Jun-Seok; Lee, Se-Hoon

2017-09-01

This study investigated the relationship between weekly working hours and the occurrence of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases using a case-crossover study design. We investigated average working hours during the 7 days before the onset of illness (hazard period) and average weekly working hours between 8 days and 3 months before the onset of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases (control period) for 1,042 cases from the workers' compensation database for 2009. Among all subjects, the odds ratio by conditional logistic regression for the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases with a 10 hr increase in average weekly working hours was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.72), a significant association. An increase in average weekly working hours may trigger the onset of cerebro-cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:753-761, 2017. © 2017. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Psychological reality of cross-media artistic styles.

PubMed

Hasenfus, N; Martindale, C; Birnbaum, D

1983-12-01

The sensitivity of artistically naive people to cross-media styles (baroque, neoclassic, and romantic) and to period styles (works composed by artists born during the same epoch) in four media (painting, poetry, music, and architecture) was assessed. In two studies, adult subjects tended spontaneously to sort stimuli according to both cross-media styles and period styles. In a third study, nursery school children were shown to be able to sort pictures of paintings and architectural facades on the basis of cross-media styles. Other experiments using rating scales again demonstrated that artistically naive adults are sensitive to both cross-media styles and period styles even when they are not implicitly urged to disregard medium. These and other studies using rating scales suggested that the bases for discrimination of both cross-media styles and period styles are the dimensions of realistic versus unrealistic and of overall arousal potential.

Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis of the periods around 5.5 year and 11 year in the international sunspot numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, F. R.; Jia, H. Y.

2018-07-01

The New International Sunspot Numbers (NISNs) have been successfully compiled and can be downloaded from the World Data Center-Sunspot index and Long-term Solar Observations, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels. The periods in these NISNs have been studied by using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The results show that the international sunspot numbers have a lot of periods. Of the various periods, the most outstanding period around 11 year is 10.108 year after removing the 10.862 year signal from the time series of sunspot numbers, while the periods of 11.988 year, 7.990 year, 9.612 year, 5.445 year, 8.915 year, 5.792 year are also found with the period of 5.445 year being stronger than those of 5.792 year and 8.915 year. However, the period of 5.445 year is still much weaker than the period of 10.862 year. It is evident that the periods around 11 year and 5.5 year in the revised international sunspot numbers obtained by using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram method is somewhat different from the ones in previous studies.

Split-field FDTD method for oblique incidence study of periodic dispersive metallic structures.

PubMed

Baida, F I; Belkhir, A

2009-08-15

The study of periodic structures illuminated by a normally incident plane wave is a simple task that can be numerically simulated by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. On the contrary, for off-normal incidence, a widely modified algorithm must be developed in order to bypass the frequency dependence appearing in the periodic boundary conditions. After recently implementing this FDTD algorithm for pure dielectric materials, we here extend it to the study of metallic structures where dispersion can be described by analytical models. The accuracy of our code is demonstrated through comparisons with already-published results in the case of 1D and 3D structures.

High School Students Watching Stars Evolve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Percy, J. R.; MacNeil, D.; Meema-Coleman, L.; Morenz, K.

2012-06-01

(Abstract only) Some stars pulsate (vibrate). Their pulsation period depends primarily on their radius. The pulsation period changes if the radius changes, due to evolution, for instance. Even though the evolution is slow, the period change is measurable because it is cumulative. The observed time of maximum brightness (O) minus the calculated time (C), assuming that the period is constant, is plotted against time to produce an (O-C) diagram. If there is a uniform period change, this diagram will be a parabola, whose curvature - positive or negative - is proportional to the rate of period change. In this project, we study the period changes of RR Lyrae stars, old sun-like stars which are in the yellow giant phase, generating energy by thermonuclear fusion of helium into carbon. We chose 59 well-studied stars in the GEOS database, which consists of times of maximum measured by AAVSO and other observers. We included about a dozen RRc (first overtone pulsator) stars, since these have not been as well studied as the RRab (fundamental mode) stars because the maxima in their light curves are not as sharp. We will describe our results: about 2/3 of the stars showed parabolic (O-C) diagrams with period changes of up to 1.0 s/century, some with increasing periods and some with decreasing periods. The characteristic times for period changes (i.e. period divided by rate of change of period) were mostly 5-30 million years. These numbers are consistent with evolutionary models. Some stars showed too much scatter for analysis; we will discuss why. A few stars showed unusual (O-C) diagrams which cannot be explained simply by evolution. This project was carried out by coauthors MacNeil, Meema-Coleman, and Morenz, who were participants in the prestigious University of Toronto Mentorship Program, which enables outstanding senior high school students to participate in research at the university. We thank the AAVSO and other observers who made the measurements which were used in our project.

Improving Team Performance and Participation via Computer-mediated Turn Taking and Informational Prompts.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

Abstract (continued) that time. A second independent variable studied was the use of informational prompts consisting of periodic computer displays of...resolved by allowing the person to speak first who had spoken least up to that time. A second independent variable studied was the use of...beneficial in a team which interacts repeatedly over an extended period of time. In the study to be presented here, a specially designed electronic

Further studies of the pulsation period and orbital elements of Centaurus X-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabbiano, G.; Schreier, E. J.

1977-01-01

The long- and short-term variability of the 4.8-s pulsation and the 2.1-day orbital periods of Centaurus X-3 are studied. The pulsation period decreases over 4 yr with a fractional change of -0.00028 per yr, but with rms fluctuations of 0.0002 s. In August-September 1972, a continuous transition from speedup to slowdown was observed. The orbital period also decreases over 4 yr with decrease of approximately 8 millionths per yr, and with significant fluctuations of the order of 0.00001 day over months. The orbital eccentricity is found to be about 0.0008. The pulsation-period variability is found to be consistent with a near balance between the Alfven and corotation radii in an accretion-disk model. The orbital-period variability is interpreted in terms of tidal circularization and possible mass transfer and loss.

Optimum periodicity of repeated contractile actions applied in mass transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Sungsook; Lee, Sang Joon

2015-01-01

Dynamically repeated periodic patterns are abundant in natural and artificial systems, such as tides, heart beats, stock prices, and the like. The characteristic repeatability and periodicity are expected to be optimized in effective system-specific functions. In this study, such optimum periodicity is experimentally evaluated in terms of effective mass transport using one-valve and multi-valve systems working in contractile fluid flows. A set of nanoscale gating functions is utilized, operating in nanocomposite networks through which permeates selectively pass under characteristic contractile actions. Optimized contractile periodicity exists for effective energy impartment to flow in a one-valve system. In the sequential contractile actions for a multi-valve system, synchronization with the fluid flow is critical for effective mass transport. This study provides fundamental understanding on the various repeated periodic patterns and dynamic repeatability occurring in nature and mechanical systems, which are useful for broad applications.

Two-echelon competitive integrated supply chain model with price and credit period dependent demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Brojeswar; Sankar Sana, Shib; Chaudhuri, Kripasindhu

2016-04-01

This study considers a two-echelon competitive supply chain consisting of two rivaling retailers and one common supplier with trade credit policy. The retailers hope that they can enhance their market demand by offering a credit period to the customers and the supplier also offers a credit period to the retailers. We assume that the market demand of the products of one retailer depends not only on their own market price and offering a credit period to the customers, but also on the market price and offering a credit period of the other retailer. The supplier supplies the product with a common wholesale price and offers the same credit period to the retailers. We study the model under a centralised (integrated) case and a decentralised (Vertical Nash) case and compare them numerically. Finally, we investigate the model by the collected numerical data.

The Effects of Acupuncture Treatment on Sleep Quality and on Emotional Measures among Individuals Living with Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Reshef, Alon; Bloch, Boaz; Vadas, Limor; Ravid, Shai; Kremer, Ilana

2013-01-01

Purpose. To examine the effects of acupuncture on sleep quality and on emotional measures among patients with schizophrenia. Methods. Twenty patients with schizophrenia participated in the study. The study comprised a seven-day running-in no-treatment period, followed by an eight-week experimental period. During the experimental period, participants were treated with acupuncture twice a week. During the first week (no-treatment period) and the last week of the experimental period, participants filled out a broad spectrum of questionnaires and their sleep was continuously monitored by wrist actigraph. Results. A paired-sample t-test was conducted comparing objective and subjective sleep parameters manifested by participants before and after sequential acupuncture treatment. A significant effect of acupuncture treatment was observed for seven objective sleep variables: sleep onset latency, sleep percentage, mean activity level, wake time after sleep onset, mean number of wake episodes, mean wake episode and longest wake episode. However, no significant effects of acupuncture treatment were found for subjective sleep measures. Likewise, the results indicate that acupuncture treatment improved psychopathology levels and emotional measures, that is, depression level and anxiety level. Conclusions. Overall, the findings of this pilot study suggest that acupuncture has beneficial effects as a treatment for insomnia and psychopathology symptoms among patients with schizophrenia. PMID:24083027

Study of periodic motions of a satellite with a magnetic damper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadov, Y. A.; Teterin, A. D.

1979-01-01

The motion of a satellite with a magnetic damper in the plane of a circular polar orbit is studied. The asymptotics of periodic solutions are constructed for a satellite close to axisymmetric and the radius of convergence is evaluated for the power series obtained. In a broad range of values of parameters, a periodic solution is obtained by numerical integration of equations of motion of the satellite. The asymptotics of a bifurcated curve obtained (the curve on which origin of a pair of periodic solutions occurs) in the space of the parameters agrees well with the results of numerical computation with all physical values of these parameters. A breakdown is made of the space of the initial data of phase variables in the field of effect of different types of periodic motion.

Periodic Fluctuation of Perceived Duration

PubMed Central

Shima, Shuhei; Murai, Yuki; Yuasa, Kenichi; Hashimoto, Yuki

2018-01-01

In recent years, several studies have reported that the allocation of spatial attention fluctuates periodically. This periodic attention was revealed by measuring behavioral performance as a function of cue-to-target interval in the Posner cueing paradigm. Previous studies reported behavioral oscillations using target detection tasks. Whether the influence of periodic attention extends to cognitively demanding tasks remains unclear. To assess this, we examined the effects of periodic attention on the perception of duration. In the experiment, participants performed a temporal bisection task while a cue was presented with various cue-to-target intervals. Perceived duration fluctuated rhythmically as a function of cue-to-target interval at a group level but not at an individual level when the target was presented on the same side as the attentional cue. The results indicate that the perception of duration is influenced by periodic attention. In other words, periodic attention can influence the performance of cognitively demanding tasks such as the perception of duration. PMID:29755719

Study for elevator cage position during the braking period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ungureanu, M.; Crăciun, I.; Bănică, M.; Dăscălescu, A.

2016-08-01

An important problem in order to study an elevator cage position for its braking period is to establish a correlation between the studies in the fields of mechanics and electric. The classical approaches to establish the elevator kinematic parameters are position, velocity and acceleration, but the last studies performed in order to determine the positioning performed by introducing supplementary another parameter - the jerk- which is derived with respect to time of acceleration. Thus we get a precise method for cage motion control for third-order trajectory planning.

Assess the Critical Period Hypothesis in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du, Lihong

2010-01-01

The Critical Period Hypothesis aims to investigate the reason for significant difference between first language acquisition and second language acquisition. Over the past few decades, researchers carried out a series of studies to test the validity of the hypothesis. Although there were certain limitations in these studies, most of their results…

Individual Literacy Activities with Hearing-Impaired Children in the Preschool Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karasu, H. Pelin

2014-01-01

The ability to recognize sight words, phonological awareness, syntax, semantics, and pragmatic skills begins to develop during the preschool period, and is important for formal reading education. The purpose of this study was to define individualized studies that support the development of literacy skills among hearing-impaired preschool children.…

Educational Periodicals during the Nineteenth Century. Bulletin, 1919, No. 28

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Sheldon Emmor

1919-01-01

This study includes consideration of periodicals for the promotion of public school education, those which deal with the history or scientific study of education, or the technique of schoolroom work, improvement of teachers and general school news. The principal source of information, fully indicated in the bibliography, has been the periodicals…

Organizational Climate, Services, and Outcomes in Child Welfare Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glisson, Charles; Green, Philip

2011-01-01

Objective: This study examines the association of organizational climate, casework services, and youth outcomes in child welfare systems. Building on preliminary findings linking organizational climate to youth outcomes over a 3-year follow-up period, the current study extends the follow-up period to 7 years and tests main, moderating and…

Transient synchrony among populations of five foliage-feeding Lepidoptera

Treesearch

Maartje J. Klapwijk; Jonathan A. Walter; Anikó Hirka; György Csóka; Christer Björkman; Andrew M. Liebhold

2018-01-01

Studies of transient population dynamics have largely focused on temporal changes in dynamical behaviour, such as the transition between periods of stability and instability. This study explores a related dynamic pattern, namely transient synchrony during a 49-year period among populations of five sympatric species of forest insects that share host tree resources. The...

47 CFR 54.805 - Zone and study area above benchmark revenues calculated by the Administrator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Period Residential and Single-Line Business Lines times 12. If negative, the Zone Above Benchmark...) multiplied by all eligible telecommunications carrier zone Base Period Multi-line Business Lines times 12. If... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Zone and study area above benchmark revenues...

U.S. Virtual School Trial Period and Course Completion Policy Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Abigail; Barbour, Michael K.

2010-01-01

Variation in policies virtual schools use to calculate course completion and retention rates impacts the comparability of these quality metrics. This study surveyed 159 U.S. virtual schools examining the variability in trial period and course completion policies--two policies that affect course completion rates. Of the 86 respondents, almost 70%…

Tier 1 and Tier 2 Early Intervention for Handwriting and Composing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berninger, Virginia W.; Rutberg, Judith E.; Abbott, Robert D.; Garcia, Noelia; Anderson-Youngstrom, Marci; Brooks, Allison; Fulton, Cynthia

2006-01-01

Three studies evaluated Tier 1 early intervention for handwriting at a critical period for literacy development in first grade and one study evaluated Tier 2 early intervention in the critical period between third and fourth grades for composing on high stakes tests. The results contribute to knowledge of research-supported handwriting and…

34 CFR 535.42 - What is the period of a fellowship?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... one-year periods to an individual who maintains satisfactory progress in a master's or post-doctoral... satisfactory progress in a doctoral program of study. (b) Subject to the availability of funds, and if an IHE... maintain satisfactory progress in the program of study. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7475) ...

Calibration of paired watersheds: Utility of moving sums in presence of externalities

Treesearch

Herbert Ssegane; D.M. Amatya; Augustine Muwamba; George M. Chescheir; Tim Appelboom; E.W. Tollner; Jami E. Nettles; Mohamed A. Youssef; Francois Birgand; R.W. Skaggs

2017-01-01

Historically, paired watershed studies have been used to quantify the hydrological effects of land use and management practices by concurrently monitoring two similar watersheds during calibration (pre-treatment) and post-treatment periods. This study characterizes seasonal water table and flow response to rainfall during the calibration period and tests a change...

Parental Alcohol-Specific Rules and Alcohol Use from Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mares, Suzanne H. W.; Lichtwarck-Aschoff, Anna; Burk, William J.; van der Vorst, Haske; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2012-01-01

Background: Several studies stress the importance of alcohol-specific rules during adolescence to prevent them from drinking early and heavily. However, most studies have short follow-up periods and do not cover the relevant developmental period in which direct parental control diminishes and adolescent alcohol use increases. The current study…

Temporal Trends (1999–2015) in the Impact Factor of Biomedical Journals Published by US and EU Scientific Societies

PubMed Central

Falagas, Matthew E.; Kyriakidou, Margarita; Spais, George; Argiti, Efstathia; Vardakas, Konstantinos Z.

2018-01-01

Objective The impact factor has emerged as the most popular index of scientific journals’ resonance. In this study we aimed to examine the impact factor trends of journals published by scientific bodies in the United States of America (USA) and Europe (EU). Methods We randomly chose 11 categories of Journal of Citation Reports and created three research classes: clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, and basic science. The impact factor values for the years 1999–2015 were abstracted, and the impact factor of US and EU journals was studied through the years. Results A total of 265 journals were included in the final analysis. The impact factor of US journals was higher than that of EU journals throughout the study period. In addition, for both US and EU journals the median impact factor increased throughout the study period. The rate of annual change in the impact factor throughout the study period was lower for US than EU journals (1.85% versus 3.55%, P=0.019). A higher median annual increase was seen in the impact factor during the period 1999–2008 compared to the period 2009–2015 for both US (P<0.001) and EU (P=0.001) journals. In fact, during the second period the US median impact factor value did not show significant changes (P=0.31), while the EU median impact factor continued to increase (P<0.001). Conclusion The impact factor of EU journals increased at a significantly higher rate than and approached that of the US journals during the last 16 years. PMID:29517962

Clustering of spontaneous recurrent seizures separated by long seizure-free periods: An extended video-EEG monitoring study of a pilocarpine mouse model.

PubMed

Lim, Jung-Ah; Moon, Jangsup; Kim, Tae-Joon; Jun, Jin-Sun; Park, Byeongsu; Byun, Jung-Ick; Sunwoo, Jun-Sang; Park, Kyung-Il; Lee, Soon-Tae; Jung, Keun-Hwa; Jung, Ki-Young; Kim, Manho; Jeon, Daejong; Chu, Kon; Lee, Sang Kun

2018-01-01

Seizure clustering is a common and significant phenomenon in patients with epilepsy. The clustering of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) in animal models of epilepsy, including mouse pilocarpine models, has been reported. However, most studies have analyzed seizures for a short duration after the induction of status epilepticus (SE). In this study, we investigated the detailed characteristics of seizure clustering in the chronic stage of a mouse pilocarpine-induced epilepsy model for an extended duration by continuous 24/7 video-EEG monitoring. A seizure cluster was defined as the occurrence of one or more seizures per day for at least three consecutive days and at least five seizures during the cluster period. We analyzed the cluster duration, seizure-free period, cluster interval, and numbers of seizures within and outside the seizure clusters. The video-EEG monitoring began 84.5±33.7 days after the induction of SE and continued for 53.7±20.4 days. Every mouse displayed seizure clusters, and 97.0% of the seizures occurred within a cluster period. The seizure clusters were followed by long seizure-free periods of 16.3±6.8 days, showing a cyclic pattern. The SRSs also occurred in a grouped pattern within a day. We demonstrate that almost all seizures occur in clusters with a cyclic pattern in the chronic stage of a mouse pilocarpine-induced epilepsy model. The seizure-free periods between clusters were long. These findings should be considered when performing in vivo studies using this animal model. Furthermore, this model might be appropriate for studying the unrevealed mechanism of ictogenesis.

The Incidence of Primary Systemic Vasculitis in Jerusalem: A 20-year Hospital-based Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Nesher, Gideon; Ben-Chetrit, Eli; Mazal, Bracha; Breuer, Gabriel S

2016-06-01

The incidence of primary systemic vasculitides varies among different geographic regions and ethnic origins. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence rates of vasculitides in the Jerusalem Jewish population, and to examine possible trends in incidence rates over a 20-year period. The clinical databases of inpatients at the 2 medical centers in Jerusalem were searched for patients with vasculitis diagnosed between 1990-2009. Individual records were then reviewed by one of the authors. The significance of trends in incidence rates throughout the study period was evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient. The average annual incidence rate of polyarteritis nodosa was 3.6/million adults (95% CI 1.6-4.7). Incidence rates did not change significantly during this period (r = 0.39, p = 0.088). The incidence of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) was 4.1 (2.2-5.9) for the whole period, during which it increased significantly (r = 0.53, p < 0.05). The incidence of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) was lower: 2.3 (1.2-3.5)/million. It also increased significantly (r = 0.55, p < 0.05). The incidence of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis was 1.2 (0.4-1.9), which remained stable throughout the study period. The incidence of Takayasu arteritis was 2.1/million (95% CI 1.2-2.9), and it also remained stable. Giant cell arteritis (GCA) incidence was 8.1 (5.7-10.6)/100,000 population aged 50 years or older. In sharp contrast with other vasculitides, its incidence decreased significantly throughout the study period (r = -0.61, p < 0.01). The incidence rates of vasculitides in the Jewish population of Jerusalem are in the lower range of global incidence rates. While GPA and MPA incidence are increasing, GCA incidence is decreasing.

Inactivation/reactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by a novel UVA/LED/TiO2 system.

PubMed

Xiong, Pei; Hu, Jiangyong

2013-09-01

In this study, an effective photocatalytic disinfection system was established using the newly emerged high power UVA/LED lamp. Crystallizing dish coated with TiO2 was prepared by 32-times impregnation-drying processes, and served as the supporting container for water samples. This study focused on the application of this UVA/LED system for the photocatalytic disinfection of selected antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Escherichia coli ATCC 700891. The disinfection performances were studied under various light intensities and illumination modes. Results show that higher light intensity could reach more significant inactivation of E. coli ATCC 700891. With the same UV dose, log-removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria decreased with circle time in the studied range, while increased with duty circle. A "residual disinfecting effect" was found in the following dark period for bacteria collected at different phases of photocatalytic process. Residual disinfecting effect was found not significant for bacteria with 30 min periodic illumination. While residual disinfecting effect could kill almost all bacteria after 90 min UV periodic illumination within the following 240 min dark period. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radar studies of gravity waves and tides in the middle atmosphere - A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rastogi, P. K.

1981-01-01

A review is presented of recent radar studies of gravity waves and tides in the middle atmosphere (over regions of approximately 10-30 and 60-90 km). The techniques used for monitoring the motions are outlined and their limitations are pointed out. The radars provide observations of short-period (1 min-1 h) gravity waves and tides at selected height intervals, depending on the radar frequency and the observation technique. The following contributions to the study of the midatmosphere are included in the discussion: (1) buoyancy oscillations and short-period (less than 10 min) acoustic-gravity waves have been observed in the troposphere and stratosphere and, in several cases, their generation and propagation near critical levels has been reconciled with theoretical models; (2) excitation of stratospheric waves by penetrative convection associated with thunderstorms has been established; (3) stratospheric and mesospheric tides at diurnal and semidiurnal periods have been observed; and (4) long-period (approximately 2 to 5 days) waves have been observed in the mesosphere. It is noted that more comprehensive data bases need to be obtained for further tidal and wave studies.

Quality assessment of the visits of pharmaceutical company representatives to hospital pharmacists.

PubMed

Fonzo-Christe, Caroline; Herrmann, François; Bonnabry, Pascal

2005-11-19

To evaluate whether the quality of pharmaceutical company representatives' (PCRs) visits to hospital pharmacists can be improved by written communication of the results of an evaluation of their visits. Pilot study with prospective evaluation of overall visit quality and strength of request for adding drugs to the hospital formulary, and of the scientific quality of products presentations using a standardized form. Two one-year study periods (59 vs. 61 visits) separated by the intervention (global results of the first period sent to each drug company). No difference was observed between both periods in overall visit quality (VAS 0 = null, 10 = excellent: mean 4.7 (2.1 SD) vs. 5.2 (2.1) or strength of request for adding drug to hospital formulary (VAS 0 = null, 10 = extreme: 7.0 [2.6] vs. 7.2 [2.7]). Clarity and scientific value of products' presentations and scientific value of responses were better during the second study period, as a sign of quality improvement. This study suggests that systematic quality evaluation of PCRs visits and communication of results to drug companies may improve the scientific quality of products' presentation.

Patient-reported health-related quality of life, work productivity, and activity impairment during treatment with ALO-02 (extended-release oxycodone and sequestered naltrexone) for moderate-to-severe chronic low back pain.

PubMed

Weil, Arnold J; Masters, Elizabeth T; Barsdorf, Alexandra I; Bass, Almasa; Pixton, Glenn; Wilson, Jacquelyn G; Wolfram, Gernot

2017-10-17

The efficacy of ALO-02, an abuse-deterrent formulation containing extended-release oxycodone and sequestered naltrexone, in the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP) was studied in a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Primary efficacy endpoint results have been published previously (Rauck et al., 2015). The current paper focuses on patient-reported outcomes for health-related quality of life (HRQL), work productivity, and activity impairment that were assessed during this study. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized withdrawal study in patients with moderate-to-severe CLBP. After a screening period (≤2 weeks), patients entered an open-label titration period (4-6 weeks). Treatment responders were then randomized to a double-blind placebo-controlled treatment period (12 weeks). HRQL was assessed using changes in the Short Form-36 v2 Health Survey (SF-36v2) and the EuroQol-5 Dimensions Health Questionnaire 3-Level version (EQ-5D-3L). Work productivity and regular activities were evaluated using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: Specific Health Problem (WPAI:SHP). A total of 410 patients received ALO-02 during the open-label titration period, of which 280 (intent-to-treat (ITT) population) were treated during the double-blind placebo-controlled treatment period (placebo, n = 134; ALO-02, n = 146). Significant improvement was observed for all SF-36v2 subscales and component scores (p < 0.005) and the EQ-5D-3L summary index and visual analog scale (p < 0.0001) during the titration period. Improvement was also significant (p < 0.0001) for all WPAI:SHP outcomes except 'work time missed due to CLBP' for the titration period. Significant differences favoring ALO-02 compared with placebo were only observed for the SF-36v2 Bodily Pain subscale (p ≤ 0.0232; ITT population) during the double-blind treatment period and the overall study period (screening to the end of the double-blind treatment period). The percentage change in activity impairment due to low back pain subscale of the WPAI:SHP significantly favored ALO-02 compared with placebo for the ITT population when considering the overall study period (p = 0.0040). HRQL, work productivity, and activity impairment may be improved with ALO-02 treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01571362 , registered April 3, 2012.

Assessing extreme droughts in the Iberian Peninsula during 1750-1850 from rogation ceremonies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domínguez-Castro, F.; Ribera, P.; García-Herrera, R.; Vaquero, J. M.; Barriendos, M.; Cuadrat, J. M.; Moreno, J. M.

2011-11-01

Among the different meteorological risks, droughts are the ones with the highest socio-economical impact in the Iberian Peninsula. Drought events have been largely studied in the instrumental period, but very little is known about the characteristics of droughts in the preinstrumental period. In this work, new series of rogation ceremonies identify severe droughts within the period 1750-1850. The overlapping of the rogation series with some instrumental series served to identify some climatic characteristics of rogation ceremonies: a) during spring, rainfall deficits needed to celebrate rogation ceremonies are smaller than in any other season; b) when the number of location celebrating rogations increases in a region the hydrological deficit on each location increases as well. On the other hand, it was found that the periods 1750-1754 and 1779-1783 are probably the driest periods of the 101 analyzed years. Both show an important number of rogations all over the Iberian Peninsula and during all the seasons. The most extended drought of this period occurred during the spring of 1817, affecting 15 of the 16 locations studied. This drought was influenced by the Tambora eruption (1815). The study of the climate footprint of this eruption and its comparison with similar situations in the series suggest that the spring drought of 1824 may be associated with the eruptions of the Galunggung and Usu volcanoes (1822). Further studies are required to confirm this fact and understand the atmospheric mechanisms involved.

Trends In Nutrient and Sediment Concentrations and Loads In Major River Basins of the South-Central United States, 1993-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rebich, Richard A.; Demcheck, Dennis K.

2008-01-01

Nutrient and sediment data collected at 115 sites by Federal and State agencies from 1993 to 2004 were analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey to determine trends in concentrations and loads for selected rivers and streams that drain into the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from the south-central United States, specifically from the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf Basins. Trends observed in the study area were compared to determine potential regional patterns and to determine cause-effect relations with trends in hydrologic and human-induced factors such as nutrient sources, streamflow, and implementation of best management practices. Secondary objectives included calculation of loads and yields for the study period as a basis for comparing the delivery of nutrients and sediment to the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from the various rivers within the study area. In addition, loads were assessed at seven selected sites for the period 1980-2004 to give hydrologic perspective to trends in loads observed during 1993-2004. Most study sites (about 64 percent) either had no trends or decreasing trends in streamflow during the study period. The regional pattern of decreasing trends in streamflow during the study period appeared to correspond to moist conditions at the beginning of the study period and the influence of three drought periods during the study period, of which the most extreme was in 2000. Trend tests were completed for ammonia at 49 sites, for nitrite plus nitrate at 69 sites, and for total nitrogen at 41 sites. For all nitrogen constituents analyzed, no trends were observed at half or more of the sites. No regional trend patterns could be confirmed because there was poor spatial representation of the trend sites. Decreasing trends in flow-adjusted concentrations of ammonia were observed at 25 sites. No increasing trends in concentrations of ammonia were noted at any sites. Flow-adjusted concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate decreased at 7 sites and increased at14 sites. Flow-adjusted concentrations of total nitrogen decreased at 2 sites and increased at 12 sites. Improvements to municipal wastewater treatment facilities contributed to the decline of ammonia concentrations at selected sites. Notable increasing trends in nitrite plus nitrate and total nitrogen at selected study sites were attributed to both point and nonpointsources. Trend patterns in total nitrogen generally followed trend patterns in nitrite plus nitrate, which was understandable given that nitrite plus nitrate loads generally were 70-90 percent of the total nitrogen loads at most sites. Population data were used as a surrogate to understand the relation between changes in point sources and nutrient trends because data from wastewater treatment plants were inconsistent for this study area. Although population increased throughout the study area during the study period, there was no observed relation between increasing trends in nitrogen in study area streams and increasing trends in population. With respect to other nitrogen sources, statistical results did suggest that increasing trends in nitrogen could be related to increasing trends in nitrogen from either commercial fertilizer use and/or land application of manure. Loads of ammonia, nitrite plus nitrate, and total nitrogen decreased during the study period, but some trends in nitrogen loads were part of long-term decreases since 1980. For example, ammonia loads were shown to decrease at nearly all sites over the past decade, but at selected sites, these decreasing trends were part of much longer trends since 1980. The Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers contributed the highest nitrogen loads to the northwestern Gulf of Mexico as expected; however, nitrogen yields from smaller rivers had similar or higher yields than yields from the Mississippi River. Trend tests were completed for orthophosphorus at 34 sites and for total phosphorus at 52 sites. No trends were observed in abo

Wet and cold climate conditions recorded by coral geochemical proxies during the beginning of the first millennium CE in the northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Hangfang; Deng, Wenfeng; Chen, Xuefei; Wei, Gangjian; Zeng, Ti; Zhao, Jian-xin

2017-03-01

The past two millennia include some distinct climate intervals, such as the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA), which were caused by natural forcing factors, as well as the Current Warm Period (CWP) that has been linked to anthropogenic factors. Therefore, this period has been of great interest to climate change researchers. However, most studies are based on terrestrial proxy records, historical documentary data, and simulation results, and the ocean and the tropical record are very limited. The Eastern Han, Three Kingdoms, and Western Jin periods (25-316 CE) cover the beginning first millennium CE in China, and were characterized by a cold climate and frequent wars and regime changes. This study used paired Sr/Ca and δ18O series recovered from a fossil coral to reconstruct the sea surface water conditions during the late Eastern Han to Western Jin periods (167-309 CE) at Wenchang, eastern Hainan Island in the northern South China Sea (SCS), to investigate climate change at this time. The long-term sea surface temperature (SST) during the study interval was 25.1 °C, which is about 1.5 °C lower than that of the CWP (26.6 °C). Compared with the average value of 0.40‰ during the CWP, the long-term average seawater δ18O (-0.06‰) was more negative. These results indicate that the climate conditions during the study period were cold and wet and comparable with those of the LIA. This colder climate may have been associated with the weaker summer solar irradiance. The wet conditions were caused by the reduced northward shift of the intertropical convergence zone/monsoon rainbelt associated with the retreat of the East Asian summer monsoon. Interannual and interdecadal climate variability may also have contributed to the variations in SST and seawater δ18O recorded over the study period.

Buprenorphine transdermal system utilization.

PubMed

Wallace, Laura; Kadakia, Aditi

2017-01-01

To evaluate utilization patterns in patients initiating buprenorphine transdermal system (BTDS), CIII, and estimate the proportion decreasing their total opioid dose over time. This retrospective cohort study used data from the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters Database from 1 January 2011 through 31 December 2015. Eligible individuals were adults aged 18-64 years newly dispensed BTDS (index prescription) who had at least six months of insurance coverage prior to (baseline period) and following (study period) the index prescription. Back and neck pain was the most common pain condition in the study population (n = 31,533) and 88% were dispensed opioids in the baseline period. Nearly half (48%) received BTDS in a strength of 10 mcg/hour as their index prescription. Most (80%) patients prescribed BTDS had concomitant prescriptions for other opioids, chiefly immediate-release (IR) opioids (77%). During the baseline period, median opioid dose among patients prescribed opioids was 50 morphine-equivalent doses (MED), with 33% of patients using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 44% adjuvant analgesics. During the study period, BTDS use lasted a median 30 days and mean 100 days. Median dose of BTDS remained largely constant, and median dose of all opioids during continuous use of BTDS was 65.6 units MED. However, 24% of patients reduced total units MED from the baseline period (median mean dose, 74.5 units MED) until the end of the study period (42.8). Most patients initiating treatment with BTDS had a history of treatment with IR opioids. Though the average change in total opioid daily dose after patients were prescribed BTDS was modest, an important subpopulation of approximately one-quarter of patients were able to markedly reduce their total units MED compared with prior opioid therapy. BTDS should be investigated as an option to help patients step down from higher opioid doses.

Working memory and prefrontal/temporal hemodynamic responses during post-task period in patients with schizophrenia: A multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy study.

PubMed

Noda, Takamasa; Nakagome, Kazuyuki; Setoyama, Shiori; Matsushima, Eisuke

2017-12-01

The relationship between cognitive impairments and social dysfunction in schizophrenia is widely accepted. Neuroimaging studies in patients with schizophrenia have demonstrated abnormal function in the prefrontal region during various neurocognitive tasks. However, studies exploring the neural basis of these cognitive impairments are still limited. Multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive functional neuroimaging technique used to detect the spatiotemporal characteristics of brain activity. Previous NIRS studies indicated oxy-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) increase in patients with schizophrenia during the verbal fluency task (VFT), but to a lesser extent than in healthy participants. Furthermore, aberrant re-increase in the prefrontal region was observed during the post-task period. We hypothesized that prefrontal/temporal oxy-Hb aberrant re-increase during the post-task period was associated with cognitive impairment because oxy-Hb aberrant re-increase represent inadequate suppression of neural activity in the post-task period. We recruited 30 patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy participants in this study. All participants underwent 52-channel NIRS measurement using the VFT. The patients with schizophrenia showed oxy-Hb aberrant re-increase in prefrontal and temporal regions during the post-task period. Although there was no significant relationship between changes in the oxy-Hb during the task and the scores of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), a significant negative correlation was observed between the oxy-Hb during the post-task period and BACS working memory z-scores (in DLPFC and temporal regions). These results suggest that oxy-Hb re-increase during the post-task period in prefrontal and temporal regions is associated with WM deficits in patients with schizophrenia and NIRS may be a potential biomarker of working memory in chronic schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How primary care reforms influenced health indicators in Manisa district in Turkey: Lessons for general practitioners.

PubMed

Cevik, Celalettin; Sozmen, Kaan; Kilic, Bulent

2018-12-01

Turkish health reforms began in 2003 and brought some significant changes in primary care services. Few studies in Turkey compare the shift from health centres (HC) to family physicians (FP) approach, which was initiated by reforms. This study compares health status indicators during the HC period before reforms (2003-2007) and the FP period after reforms (2008-2012) in Turkey. This study encompasses time series data consisting of the results of a 10-year assessment (2003-2012) in Manisa district. All the data were obtained electronically and by month. The intersection points of the regression curves of these two periods and the beta coefficients were compared using segmented linear regression analysis. The mean number of follow-up per person/year during the HC period in infants (10.5), pregnant women (6.6) and women (1.8) was significantly higher than the mean number of follow-up during the FP period in infants (6.7), pregnant women (5.6) and women (0.9). Rates of BCG and measles vaccinations were significantly higher during the FP period; however, rates of HBV and DPT were same. The mean number of outpatient services per person/year during the FP period (3.3) was significantly higher than HC period (2.8). Within non-communicable diseases, no difference was detected for hypertension prevalence. Within communicable diseases, there was no difference for rabies suspected bites but acute haemorrhagic gastroenteritis significantly decreased. The infant mortality rate and under five-year child mortality rate significantly increased during the FP period. Primary care services should be reorganized and integrated with public health services.

The effectiveness of inpatient physical therapy compared to outpatient physical therapy in older adults after total hip replacement in the post-discharge period: a systematic review.

PubMed

Klugarova, Jitka; Klugar, Miloslav; Mareckova, Jana; Gallo, Jiri; Kelnarova, Zuzana

2016-01-01

Total hip replacement is the most effective and safest method for treating severe degenerative, traumatic and other diseases of the hip joint. Total hip replacement can reliably relieve pain and improve function in the majority of patients for a period of 15 to 20 years or more postoperatively. Physical therapy follows each total hip replacement surgery. Physical therapy protocols after total hip replacement in the post-discharge period vary widely in terms of setting (inpatient, outpatient), content (the particular set of exercises used), and frequency (e.g. daily versus twice a week). In current literature, there is no systematic review which has compared the effectiveness of inpatient and outpatient physical therapy in patients after total hip replacement in the post-discharge period. The objective of this systematic review was to compare the effectiveness of inpatient physical therapy with outpatient physical therapy on the quality of life and gait measures in older adults after total hip replacement in the post-discharge period. This review considered studies that include older adults (over 65 years) who have had total hip replacement and are in the post-discharge period. Adults with bilateral or multiple simultaneous surgeries and also patients who have had hemiarthroplasty of the hip joint were excluded.This review considered studies that included any type of physical therapy delivered in inpatient settings provided by professionals with education in physical therapy. Inpatient physical therapy delivered at any frequency and over any duration was included.This review considered studies that included as a comparator any type of physical therapy delivered in outpatient settings provided by professionals with education in physical therapy or no physical therapy.This review considered studies that included the following primary and secondary outcomes. The primary outcome was quality of life, assessed by any validated assessment tool. The secondary outcome was measures of gait assessed by any valid methods.This review considered both experimental and observational study designs including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, before and after studies, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case control studies and analytical cross sectional studies for inclusion. The search strategy aimed to find both published and unpublished studies. A three-step search strategy was utilized in 12 databases. Studies published in all languages and any date were considered for inclusion in this review. Assessment of methodological quality was not conducted as no studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction and synthesis was not performed because no studies were included in this systematic review. During to the three-step search strategy 4330 papers were identified. The primary and secondary reviewer independently retrieved 42 potentially relevant papers according to the inclusion criteria by title and abstract screening. Following assessment of full text all of the retrieved papers were excluded based on the inclusion criteria. There is no scientific evidence comparing the effectiveness of inpatient physical therapy with outpatient physical therapy in older patients after total hip replacement in the post-discharge period. This systematic review has identified gaps in the literature for comparing the effectiveness of inpatient physical therapy with and outpatient physical therapy on the quality of life and gait measures in older adults after total hip replacement in the post-discharge period. Prospective randomized double blind multicenter controlled trials are needed to answer this important clinical question.

Construction cost impacts related to manpower, material, and equipment factors in contractor firms perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husin, Saiful; Abdullah, Riza, Medyan; Afifuddin, Mochammad

2017-11-01

Risk can be defined as consequences which possible happened inscrutably. Although an activity has planned as good as possible, but it keep contains uncertainty. Implementation of construction project was encountering various risk impacts from a number of risk factors. This study was intended to analyze the impacts of construction cost to for contractor firms as construction project executor related to the factors of manpower, material and equipment. The study was using data obtained from questionnaires distributed to 15 large qualification contractor firms. The period of study classified into conflict period (2000-2004), post tsunami disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction period (2005-2009), and post rehabilitation and reconstruction period (2010-present). The statistical analysis of severity index and variance used to analyze the data. The three risk factors reviewed generally affected the cost in a medium impact. The high impact occurred in minor variables, which are `increase in material prices', `theft of materials', and `the fuel scarcity'. In overall, the three risk factors and the observed period contributed significant impact on construction costs.

Study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate matter of an urban area with iron and steel mills.

PubMed

Menezes, Helvécio C; Cardeal, Zenilda L

2012-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed from ambient air particulate matter <10 µm (PM(10) ) and the total suspended particulate (TSP) phase continuously for a period of six months (May-October 2010) at five sampling sites located in the urban area of Divinópolis (Minas Gerais), southeastern Brazil, near iron and steel mills. The carcinogenic potency of priority PAHs relative to benzo[a]pyrene was estimated for a period of six months. Benzo[a]pyrene equivalents were 7.52 ng/m(3) for the study period. The estimated risk of lifetime lung cancer was 6.5 × 10(-4) . A model based on the diagnostic ratio and principal component analysis was applied for source apportionment. Considering the entire study period, the burning of biomass and fuel oil accounted for about 70% of the PAH profile. An inventory was performed during the monitoring period, with 37 companies representing major industries located in the urban area. The observations were consistent with the distribution of sources and indicated that the iron and steel sector was the largest contributor. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Subdwarf B Stars: Tracers Of Binary Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales-Rueda, L.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Marsh, T. R.

2007-08-01

Subdwarf B stars are a superb stellar population to study binary evolution. In 2001, Maxted et al. (MNRAS, 326, 1391) found that 21 out of the 36 subdwarf B stars they studied were in short period binaries. These observations inspired new theoretical work that suggests that up to 90 per cent of subdwarf B stars are in binary systems with the remaining apparently single stars being the product of merging pairs. This high binary fraction added to the fact that they are detached binaries that have not changed significantly since they came out of the common envelope, make subdwarf B stars a perfect population to study binary evolution. By comparing the observed orbital period distribution of subdwarf B stars with that obtained from population synthesis calculations we can determine fundamental parameters of binary evolution such as the common envelope ejection efficiency. Here we give an overview of the fraction of short period binaries found from different surveys as well as the most up to date orbital period distribution determined observationally. We also present results from a recent search for subdwarf B stars in long period binaries.

First-time fathers' postnatal experiences and support needs: A descriptive qualitative study.

PubMed

Shorey, Shefaly; Dennis, Cindy-Lee; Bridge, Shiho; Chong, Yap Seng; Holroyd, Eleanor; He, Hong-Gu

2017-12-01

To explore first-time fathers' postnatal experiences and support needs in the early postpartum period. The postnatal period is a stressful transition period for new fathers. It is imperative to understand their needs and experiences to provide appropriate support for them. The majority of previous studies were based in Western countries and explored fathers' needs during pregnancy and childbirth, with few studies conducted in the postnatal period. In Singapore, a multiracial society with differing paternal cultural values from its Western counterparts, there is considerable need to examine the experiences and needs of first-time fathers. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were collected from November 2015-January 2016. Fifteen first-time fathers were recruited from two postnatal wards of a public hospital, using a purposive sampling method. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct face-to-face interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted and ethics approval was sought for this study. Four overarching themes and seventeen subthemes were generated. The four overarching themes were: (1) No sense of reality to sense of responsibility; (2) Unprepared and challenged; (3) Support: needs, sources, experience and attitude; and (4) Future help for fathers. Fathers undergo a transition phase where they have unmet support needs during the early postnatal period. Understanding and addressing these needs may facilitate smooth transition to fatherhood. This study's findings can be used to involve fathers and design future supportive educational programs to promote positive parenting experiences and family dynamics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dynamic spatiotemporal trends of dengue transmission in the Asia-Pacific region, 1955-2004.

PubMed

Banu, Shahera; Hu, Wenbiao; Guo, Yuming; Naish, Suchithra; Tong, Shilu

2014-01-01

Dengue fever (DF) is one of the most important emerging arboviral human diseases. Globally, DF incidence has increased by 30-fold over the last fifty years, and the geographic range of the virus and its vectors has expanded. The disease is now endemic in more than 120 countries in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. This study examines the spatiotemporal trends of DF transmission in the Asia-Pacific region over a 50-year period, and identified the disease's cluster areas. The World Health Organization's DengueNet provided the annual number of DF cases in 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region for the period 1955 to 2004. This fifty-year dataset was divided into five ten-year periods as the basis for the investigation of DF transmission trends. Space-time cluster analyses were conducted using scan statistics to detect the disease clusters. This study shows an increasing trend in the spatiotemporal distribution of DF in the Asia-Pacific region over the study period. Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore and Malaysia are identified as the most likely clusters (relative risk = 13.02) of DF transmission in this region in the period studied (1995 to 2004). The study also indicates that, for the most part, DF transmission has expanded southwards in the region. This information will lead to the improvement of DF prevention and control strategies in the Asia-Pacific region by prioritizing control efforts and directing them where they are most needed.

Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the HIV integrase inhibitor dolutegravir given twice daily with rifampin or once daily with rifabutin: results of a phase 1 study among healthy subjects.

PubMed

Dooley, Kelly E; Sayre, Patrick; Borland, Julie; Purdy, Elizabeth; Chen, Shuguang; Song, Ivy; Peppercorn, Amanda; Everts, Stephanie; Piscitelli, Stephen; Flexner, Charles

2013-01-01

Cotreatment of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV among coinfected patients is now the standard of care. Rifampin (RIF) is a standard part of TB treatment but is a potent inducer of drug metabolizing enzymes. This study evaluated the effect of RIF or rifabutin (RBT) on the pharmacokinetics of the investigational HIV integrase inhibitor, dolutegravir (DTG). Phase I pharmacokinetic drug interaction study. In arm 1, healthy subjects received 50 mg of DTG once daily for 7 days (period 1), then 50 mg of DTG twice daily for 7 days (period 2), then 50 mg of DTG twice daily together with 600 mg of RIF once daily for 14 days (period 3). In arm 2, subjects received 50 mg of DTG once daily for 7 days (period 1) then 50 mg of DTG once daily together with 300 mg of RBT once daily for 14 days (period 2). PK sampling was performed at the end of each period. In arm 1, comparing period 3 to period 1, the geometric mean ratio (GMR) for the 24-hour area under the time-concentration curve (AUC0-24) was 1.33 [90% confidence interval (CI): 1.14 to 1.53], and the GMR for the trough (Cτ) was 1.22 (90% CI: 1.01 to 1.48). Comparing period 2 to period 1 in arm 2, the GMR for the AUC0-24 was 0.95 (90% CI: 0.82 to 1.10), and the GMR for the Cτ was 0.70 (90% CI: 0.57 to 0.87). Regimens including twice-daily DTG and RIF or once-daily DTG and RBT may represent a new treatment option for patients who require concomitant treatment of HIV and TB.

Contacts between health care workers and patients in a short-stay geriatric unit during the peak of a seasonal influenza epidemic compared with a nonepidemic period.

PubMed

Oussaid, Nadia; Voirin, Nicolas; Régis, Corinne; Khanafer, Nagham; Martin-Gaujard, Géraldine; Vincent, Adélaïde; Comte, Brigitte; Bénet, Thomas; Vanhems, Philippe

2016-08-01

Patterns of contacts between health care workers and patients during seasonal epidemics are unknown. Our study objective was to compare the number and duration of contacts between health care workers and patients during a nonepidemic period versus a community influenza epidemic, and to identify supercontactors. Our observational study was conducted in a short-stay geriatric unit of a university hospital. Contacts between individuals were recorded by active radio frequency identification devices. Contact patterns were compared between 2 periods according to contact number and duration. Each care period lasted 5 days in the nonepidemic and influenza epidemic periods. The study included 21 medical doctors, 43 nurses, and 56 patients. In total, 3,200 contacts (61.4%; 152,700 seconds) were recorded during the nonepidemic period, with 2,013 contacts (38.6%; 92,740 seconds) in the epidemic period (P = .007). More cumulative contacts occurred during the nonepidemic period between nurses and patients (n = 2,638 [82%] vs n = 1,599 [79%]), but not between patients (n = 56 [18%] vs n = 414 [21%]). Contact duration between nurses and patients lasted longer during the nonepidemic period (P = .04). During the epidemic period, 6 nurses (15%) considered to be supercontactors accounted for 44.3% of the total number of contacts with patients. The pattern of contacts between individuals differed according to the presence or not of the community influenza peak that might have influenced the risk of nosocomial influenza. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ACGME case logs: Surgery resident experience in operative trauma for two decades

PubMed Central

Drake, Frederick Thurston; Van Eaton, Erik G.; Huntington, Ciara R.; Jurkovich, Gregory J.; Aarabi, Shahram; Gow, Kenneth W.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Surgery resident education is based on experiential training, which is influenced by changes in clinical management strategies, technical and technologic advances, and administrative regulations. Trauma care has been exposed to each of these factors, prompting concerns about resident experience in operative trauma. The current study analyzed the reported volume of operative trauma for the last two decades; to our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of nationwide trends during such an extended time line. METHODS The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) database of operative logs was queried from academic year (AY) 1989–1990 to 2009–2010 to identify shifts in trauma operative experience. Annual case log data for each cohort of graduating surgery residents were combined into approximately 5-year blocks, designated Period I (AY1989–1990 to AY1993–1994), Period II (AY1994–1995 to AY1998–1999), Period III (AY1999–2000 to AY2002–2003), and Period IV (AY2003–2004 to AY2009–2010). The latter two periods were delineated by the year in which duty hour restrictions were implemented. RESULTS Overall general surgery caseload increased from Period I to Period II (p < 0.001), remained stable from Period II to Period III, and decreased from Period III to Period IV (p < 0.001). However, for ACGME-designated trauma cases, there were significant declines from Period I to Period II (75.5 vs. 54.5 cases, p < 0.001) and Period II to Period III (54.5 vs. 39.3 cases, p < 0.001) but no difference between Period III and Period IV (39.3 vs. 39.4 cases). Graduating residents in Period I performed, on average, 31 intra-abdominal trauma operations, including approximately five spleen and four liver operations. Residents in Period IV performed 17 intra-abdominal trauma operations, including three spleen and approximately two liver operations. CONCLUSION Recent general surgery trainees perform fewer trauma operations than previous trainees. The majority of this decline occurred before implementation of work-hour restrictions. Although these changes reflect concurrent changes in management of trauma, surgical educators must meet the challenge of training residents in procedures less frequently performed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiologic study, level III; therapeutic study, level IV. PMID:23188243

Dependence of future mortality changes on global CO2 concentrations: A review.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Young; Choi, Hayoung; Kim, Ho

2018-05-01

The heterogeneity among previous studies of future mortality projections due to climate change has often hindered comparisons and syntheses of resulting impacts. To address this challenge, the present study introduced a novel method to normalize the results from projection studies according to different baseline and projection periods and climate scenarios, thereby facilitating comparison and synthesis. This study reviewed the 15 previous studies involving projected climate change-related mortality under Representative Concentration Pathways. To synthesize their results, we first reviewed the important study design elements that affected the reported results in previous studies. Then, we normalized the reported results by CO 2 concentration in order to eliminate the effects of the baseline period, projection period, and climate scenario choices. For twenty-five locations worldwide, the normalized percentage changes in temperature-attributable mortality per 100 ppm increase in global CO 2 concentrations ranged between 41.9% and 330%, whereas those of total mortality ranged between 0.3% and 4.8%. The normalization methods presented in this work will guide future studies to provide their results in a normalized format and facilitate research synthesis to reinforce our understanding on the risk of climate change. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Leader Ship Is Sinking: A Temporal Investigation of Narcissistic Leadership.

PubMed

Ong, Chin Wei; Roberts, Ross; Arthur, Calum A; Woodman, Tim; Akehurst, Sally

2016-04-01

Individuals higher in narcissism have leader emergent tendencies. The characteristics of their personality suggest, however, that their leadership qualities will decrease over time as a function of group acquaintance. We present data from two studies that provide the first empirical support for this theoretical position within a transformational leadership framework. In Study 1 (N = 112), we tested narcissistic leadership qualities in groups of unacquainted individuals over a 12-week period. In Study 2 (N = 152), we adopted the same protocol with groups of acquainted individuals. In Study 1, narcissism was positively associated with peer-rated leadership during initial group formation but not later. In Study 2, narcissism was not significantly associated with peer-rated leadership during initial group formation and was negatively associated with peer-rated leadership later. In Study 1, transformational leadership mediated the relationship between narcissism and leadership initially but not later on. In Study 2, transformational leadership failed to mediate the relationship between narcissism and leadership throughout the study. Despite enjoying a honeymoon period of leadership, the appeal and attractiveness of the narcissistic leader rapidly wane. This decline is explained in part by their changing transformational leadership qualities. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aquatic Exercises were Associated with an Acceptable State of Symptoms in Patients with Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: Results from a Study with Interrupted Time-Series Design.

PubMed

Christie, Anne; Hagen, Kåre Birger; Mowinckel, Petter; Dagfinrud, Hanne

2014-12-10

The aim of this study was two-fold: to compare symptoms and daily activity in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases across periods with and without aquatic exercises, and to examine whether the patients reached an acceptable state of symptoms during the periods with aquatic exercises. Thirty-six patients reported pain, fatigue, stiffness and ability to carry out daily activities across periods with and without aquatic exercises. The study has an interrupted time-series design and variables were collected with text messages on mobile phones twice a week over a period of 35 weeks. There was a significant reduction in pain, fatigue, stiffness and enhanced level of daily activity (p > 0.05) during periods of aquatic exercises compared to periods without. Further, a significantly higher proportion of patients reached an acceptable state for both pain and fatigue during periods with aquatic exercises. Living with an inflammatory rheumatic disease is a lifelong challenge. Pain and fatigue are considered major obstacles for daily functioning and adequate self-management strategies are requested. Based on the high proportion of patients reporting to be in an acceptable state of both pain and fatigue during periods with aquatic exercises, the intervention should be regarded as an important self-management tool rather than a treatment option assuming long-lasting effects. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sweet taste enhancement through pulsatile stimulation depends on pulsation period not on conscious pulse perception.

PubMed

Burseg, Kerstin Martha Mensien; Brattinga, Celine; de Kok, Petrus Maria Theresia; Bult, Johannes Hendrikus Franciscus

2010-06-16

When aqueous NaCl solutions are tasted at continuously alternating concentrations, overall saltiness ratings exceed those observed for solutions with the same averaged, but non-alternating concentrations. In the present study, this effect is replicated for alternating aqueous sucrose solutions. We tested the hypothesis that enhancement depends on the conscious perception of intensity contrasts. High sucrose pulses were continuously alternated with low sucrose intervals at pulsation periods between 1.5s and 20s. Tastant pulsation enhanced sweetness intensity and this enhancement varied between 8 and 14%, peaking for periods from 4.5s to 6s (Study 1). This range coincided with the average pulsation period at which perceived taste pulses blended into a continuous stimulus, i.e. the taste fusion period (TFP). When comparing intensity ratings of sucrose solutions at individualized pulse periods of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 times TFP to ratings for continuous sucrose solutions of the same net concentration, pulsatile stimuli were perceived as significantly sweeter (p<0.01; Study 2). However, sweetness intensity enhancement was the same for all pulsation periods. It was shown that sweet taste enhancement peaks at pulsation periods ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 TFP and that the level of conscious pulsation perception does not affect taste enhancement. The results suggest the introduction of enhancement effects at pre-conscious stages of gustatory processing. Further mechanisms that may account for such pre-conscious effects are discussed. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between Stock Market Gains and Losses and Google Searches

PubMed Central

Arditi, Eli; Yechiam, Eldad; Zahavi, Gal

2015-01-01

Experimental studies in the area of Psychology and Behavioral Economics have suggested that people change their search pattern in response to positive and negative events. Using Internet search data provided by Google, we investigated the relationship between stock-specific events and related Google searches. We studied daily data from 13 stocks from the Dow-Jones and NASDAQ100 indices, over a period of 4 trading years. Focusing on periods in which stocks were extensively searched (Intensive Search Periods), we found a correlation between the magnitude of stock returns at the beginning of the period and the volume, peak, and duration of search generated during the period. This relation between magnitudes of stock returns and subsequent searches was considerably magnified in periods following negative stock returns. Yet, we did not find that intensive search periods following losses were associated with more Google searches than periods following gains. Thus, rather than increasing search, losses improved the fit between people’s search behavior and the extent of real-world events triggering the search. The findings demonstrate the robustness of the attentional effect of losses. PMID:26513371

Punishment-induced fear modifies the daily course of yawning in rats.

PubMed

Moyaho, Alejandro; Valencia, Jaime

2010-01-01

A challenge in the study of yawning behavior is understanding the way external factors may modify it. This study investigated whether response-dependent punishment or random punishment decreased yawning by the application of buzzer noise paired with electric shocks in a high-yawning strain of Sprague-Dawley male rats. Yawn rate increased daily in response to the experimental cage, and also to the buzzer noise. Two alternate periods of no punishment and punishment were followed by a final period of buzzer noise occurring alone. Punishment did not diminish yawning significantly in either condition although the yawn rate increased in the following period of no punishment and in the buzzer-noise period, relative to the period of yawn-dependent punishment. Yawn rate increased in the buzzer-noise period relative to the first period of no punishment and first period of random punishment. These findings indicate that there are constraints that impede the suppression of yawning using punishment, and that yawning is a delayed response to fear produced by response-dependent punishment. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

BMI and Lifetime Changes in BMI and Cancer Mortality Risk

PubMed Central

Taghizadeh, Niloofar; Boezen, H. Marike; Schouten, Jan P.; Schröder, Carolien P.; de Vries, E. G. Elisabeth; Vonk, Judith M.

2015-01-01

Body Mass Index (BMI) is known to be associated with cancer mortality, but little is known about the link between lifetime changes in BMI and cancer mortality in both males and females. We studied the association of BMI measurements (at baseline, highest and lowest BMI during the study-period) and lifetime changes in BMI (calculated over different time periods (i.e. short time period: annual change in BMI between successive surveys, long time period: annual change in BMI over the entire study period) with mortality from any cancer, and lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancer in a large cohort study (n=8,645. Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen, 1965-1990) with a follow-up on mortality status on December 31st 2008. We used multivariate Cox regression models with adjustments for age, smoking, sex, and place of residence. Being overweight at baseline was associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer mortality (hazard ratio (HR) =2.22; 95% CI 1.19-4.17). Obesity at baseline was associated with a higher risk of any cancer mortality [all subjects (1.23 (1.01-1.50)), and females (1.40 (1.07-1.84))]. Chronically obese females (females who were obese during the entire study-period) had a higher risk of mortality from any cancer (2.16 (1.47-3.18), lung (3.22 (1.06-9.76)), colorectal (4.32 (1.53-12.20)), and breast cancer (2.52 (1.15-5.54)). We found no significant association between long-term annual change in BMI and cancer mortality risk. Both short-term annual increase and decrease in BMI were associated with a lower mortality risk from any cancer [all subjects: (0.67 (0.47-0.94)) and (0.73 (0.55-0.97)), respectively]. In conclusion, a higher BMI is associated with a higher cancer mortality risk. This study is the first to show that short-term annual changes in BMI were associated with lower mortality from any type of cancer. PMID:25881129

The changing role of pectoralis major flap in head and neck reconstruction.

PubMed

Liu, Hin-Lun; Chan, Jimmy Yu-Wai; Wei, William Ignace

2010-11-01

Although pectoralis major flap (PM flap) has been used as the workhorse flap in head and neck reconstruction, its use in head and neck defects seems to fall out of favour in the era of free tissue transfer. The aim of this review is to find out the role of PM flap in modern head and neck surgery. Medical records of patients who underwent PM flap reconstruction for head and neck defect in our division were reviewed. The age, gender, flap type, indication and complication rate were described. Between January 1998 and December 2008, 202 PM flaps were used for head and neck reconstruction in 192 patients. In the early study period (1998-June 2003), out of the 119 PM flap reconstructions, 106 (89%) were performed for immediate reconstruction after resection of head and neck tumour, while 10 (8%) were performed as salvage procedures for complication after tumour resection e.g. failure of free flap, pharyngocutaneous fistula. In the late study period (July 2003-2008), out of the 83 PM flap reconstructions, 58 (70%) were performed for immediate reconstruction, while 24 (29%) were performed as salvage procedures. For immediate reconstruction after tumour extirpation, 51 flaps (48%) were performed for reconstruction of the tongue in the early study period, while only 14 (24%) were performed in the late study period. The number of PM flap used for immediate reconstruction for other head and neck defects remained relatively static throughout the two study periods. Over the study period, there were 10 (5%) cases of partial flap necrosis and 2 (1%) total flap loss, making the overall flap necrosis rate 6%. In the era of free tissue transfer, the role of PM flap in head and neck surgery has shifted from immediate reconstruction to salvage operation. However, PM flap still has an unique role in the repair of certain head and neck defects.

Postpartum contraceptive use in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Abera, Yeshewas; Mengesha, Zelalem Birhanu; Tessema, Gizachew Assefa

2015-01-01

Addressing family planning in the postpartum period is crucial for better maternal, neonatal and child survival because it enables women to achieve healthy interval between births. The contraceptive behavior of women in the postpartum period is usually different from other times in a woman's life cycle due to the additional roles and presence of emotional changes. Therefore, this study is conducted with the aim of assessing the contraceptive behavior of women in the postpartum period. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2013 among women who gave birth one year before the study period in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Multistage cluster sampling technique was employed to recruit a total of 703 study participants. For data collection, a structured and pretested questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics were done to characterize the study population using different variables. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were fitted. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were computed to identify factors associated with contraceptive use. Nearly half (48.4%) of the postpartum women were using different types of contraceptives. The most commonly used method was injectable (68.5%). Resumption of mensus [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 8.32 95% Confidence Interval (CI): (5.27, 13.14)], age ≤24 years [AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: (1.19, 4.69), duration of 7-9 months after delivery [AOR = 2.26 95% CI: (1.12, 4.54)], and having antenatal care [AOR = 5.76, 95% CI: (2.18, 15.2)] were the factors positively associated with contraceptive use in the extended postpartum period. Postpartum contraceptive practice was lower as compared to the Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2011 report for urban areas. Strengthening family planning counseling during antenatal care visit and postnatal care would improve contraceptive use in the postpartum period.

Evaluation of the effect of tofacitinib on measured glomerular filtration rate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: results from a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kremer, Joel M; Kivitz, Alan J; Simon-Campos, Jesus A; Nasonov, Evgeny L; Tony, Hans-Peter; Lee, Soo-Kon; Vlahos, Bonnie; Hammond, Constance; Bukowski, Jack; Li, Huihua; Schulman, Seth L; Raber, Susan; Zuckerman, Andrea; Isaacs, John D

2015-04-06

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During the clinical development programme, increases in mean serum creatinine (SCr) of approximately 0.07 mg/dL and 0.08 mg/dL were observed which plateaued early. This study assessed changes in measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) with tofacitinib relative to placebo in patients with active RA. This was a randomised, placebo-controlled, Phase 1 study (NCT01484561). Patients were aged ≥18 years with active RA. Patients were randomised 2:1 to oral tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily (BID) in Period 1 then placebo BID in Period 2 (tofacitinib → placebo); or oral placebo BID in both Periods (placebo → placebo). Change in mGFR was evaluated by iohexol serum clearance at four time points (run-in, pre-dose in Period 1, Period 1 end, and Period 2 end). The primary endpoint was the change in mGFR from baseline to Period 1 end. Secondary endpoints included: change in mGFR at other time points; change in estimated GFR (eGFR; Cockcroft-Gault equation) and SCr; efficacy; and safety. 148 patients were randomised to tofacitinib → placebo (N = 97) or placebo → placebo (N = 51). Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. A reduction of 8% (90% confidence interval [CI]: 2%, 14%) from baseline in adjusted geometric mean mGFR was observed during tofacitinib treatment in Period 1 vs placebo. During Period 2, mean mGFR returned towards baseline during placebo treatment, and there was no difference between the two treatment groups at the end of the study--ratio (tofacitinib → placebo/placebo → placebo) of adjusted geometric mean fold change of mGFR was 1.04 (90% CI: 0.97, 1.11). Post-hoc analyses, focussed on mGFR variability in placebo → placebo patients, were consistent with this conclusion. At study end, similar results were observed for eGFR and SCr. Clinical efficacy and safety were consistent with prior studies. Increases in mean SCr and decreases in eGFR in tofacitinib-treated patients with RA may occur in parallel with decreases in mean mGFR; mGFR returned towards baseline after tofacitinib discontinuation, with no significant difference vs placebo, even after post-hoc analyses. Safety monitoring will continue in ongoing and future clinical studies and routine pharmacovigilance. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01484561. Registered 30 November 2011.

The Evolving Nature of Infective Endocarditis in Spain: A Population-Based Study (2003 to 2014).

PubMed

Olmos, Carmen; Vilacosta, Isidre; Fernández-Pérez, Cristina; Bernal, José L; Ferrera, Carlos; García-Arribas, Daniel; Pérez-García, Carlos N; San Román, J Alberto; Maroto, Luis; Macaya, Carlos; Elola, Francisco J

2017-12-05

Little information exists regarding population-based epidemiological changes in infective endocarditis (IE) in Europe. This study sought to analyze temporal trends in IE in Spain from 2003 to 2014. This retrospective, population-based, temporal trend study analyzed the incidence, epidemiological and clinical characteristics, and outcome of all patients discharged from hospitals included in the Spanish National Health System with a diagnosis of IE, from January 2003 to December 2014. Overall, 16,867 episodes of IE were identified during the study period, 66.3% in men. The rate of IE significantly increased, from 2.72 in 2003 to 3.49 per 100,000 person-years in 2014, and this rise was higher among older adults. The most frequent microorganisms were staphylococci (28.7%), followed by streptococci (20.4%) and enterococci (13.1%). Twenty-three percent of patients underwent cardiac surgery. The in-hospital mortality rate was 20.4%. Throughout the study period, the proportion of patients with previously known heart valve disease and diabetes mellitus significantly increased, whereas the prevalence of intravenous drug use decreased. Regarding microorganisms, Staphylococcus aureus and streptococci slightly declined, whereas coagulase-negative staphylococci and enterococci consistently increased over the years. In-hospital complications and cardiac surgery rates significantly increased across the years. The risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rate diminished (0.2% per year) during the study period. The incidence of IE episodes significantly increased over the decade of the study period, particularly among older adults. Relevant changes in clinical and microbiological profile included older patients with more comorbidity and a rise in enterococci and coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections. Adjusted mortality rates slightly declined over the study period. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends in Detection of Invasive Cancer and Ductal Carcinoma In Situ at Biennial Screening Mammography in Spain: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Román, Marta; Rué, Montse; Sala, Maria; Ascunce, Nieves; Baré, Marisa; Baroja, Araceli; De la Vega, Mariola; Galcerán, Jaume; Natal, Carmen; Salas, Dolores; Sánchez-Jacob, Mercedes; Zubizarreta, Raquel; Castells, Xavier

2013-01-01

Background Breast cancer incidence has decreased in the last decade, while the incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased substantially in the western world. The phenomenon has been attributed to the widespread adaption of screening mammography. The aim of the study was to evaluate the temporal trends in the rates of screen detected invasive cancers and DCIS, and to compare the observed trends with respect to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use along the same study period. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 1,564,080 women aged 45–69 years who underwent 4,705,681 screening mammograms from 1992 to 2006. Age-adjusted rates of screen detected invasive cancer, DCIS, and HRT use were calculated for first and subsequent screenings. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the existence of a change-point in trend, and to estimate the adjusted trends in screen detected invasive breast cancer and DCIS over the study period. Results The rates of screen detected invasive cancer per 100.000 screened women were 394.0 at first screening, and 229.9 at subsequent screen. The rates of screen detected DCIS per 100.000 screened women were 66.8 at first screen and 43.9 at subsequent screens. No evidence of a change point in trend in the rates of DCIS and invasive cancers over the study period were found. Screen detected DCIS increased at a steady 2.5% per year (95% CI: 1.3; 3.8), while invasive cancers were stable. Conclusion Despite the observed decrease in breast cancer incidence in the population, the rates of screen detected invasive cancer remained stable during the study period. The proportion of DCIS among screen detected breast malignancies increased from 13% to 17% throughout the study period. The rates of screen detected invasive cancer and DCIS were independent of the decreasing trend in HRT use observed among screened women after 2002. PMID:24376649

Optimal recall period in assessing the adherence to antihypertensive therapy: a pilot study.

PubMed

Doró, Péter; Benko, Ria; Czakó, Anikó; Matuz, Mária; Thurzó, Ferenc; Soós, Gyöngyvér

2011-08-01

To evaluate the validity of patient self-reported adherence, and to find the optimal length of recall period which best reflects the long-term adherence pattern of the patient. Patients were recruited from a general practitioner's practice in a Hungarian town. In this prospective study 30 patients, who had already been on antihypertensive treatment, were involved. The study was designed to monitor one antihypertensive medication per patient for 3 months. Patients received a 3-month supply of one antihypertensive medication in an electronic Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). At the end of the study period patients completed a structured questionnaire regarding their medication taking behavior during the last 7, 14 and 30 days. The results measured with MEMS were considered as the reference value, and other measures were compared using the Bland-Altman method. Self-reported adherence, length of recall period, taking adherence and timing adherence measured by MEMS. Of the 30 patients included, 29 patients (13 males and 16 females) completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 60.6 years, ranging between 36 and 86 years. Patients were monitored for an average of 89 days (ranging between 49 and 106 days). Fifteen patients were on once daily, 9 patients were on twice daily, and 5 patients were on 3 times daily dosing schedule. The total expected number of medication taking events was 4,281. The MEMS caps recorded a total of 4,071 openings, which showed only a 3.56% deviation from the pill counts of the remaining tablets. The overall taking adherence was 95.1%, timing adherence was 75.2%. Patients' adherence report using a visual analog scale and reporting the number of missed doses became more accurate as the length of the recall period increased. Increased number of chronically taken medications was associated with better adherence. Increased dosing frequency of the observed antihypertensive medication resulted in decreased adherence. The results showed that the length of the recall period influences the accuracy of self-reported adherence. Patients seem to be able to report more precisely their medication taking behavior regarding a 30 day period than a 7 day period.

Brisk walking can promote functional recovery in chronic stroke patients.

PubMed

Batcho, Charles Sèbiyo; Stoquart, Gaëtan; Thonnard, Jean-Louis

2013-09-01

To determine whether regular brisk walking can promote functional recovery in community-dwelling stroke patients. A total of 44 chronic stroke patients, recruited in Belgium and Benin, respectively European high-income and African low-income countries. This longitudinal, single-cohort, observational study with 1 intervention period and 4 time-points of assessments (2 baseline, 1 post-intervention and 1 follow-up) was structured in 3 periods: pre-intervention period (1 month), intervention period (3 months) and follow-up period (3 month). Intervention consisted of a 3 times/week group-based brisk walking programme. Primary outcome measures were ACTIVLIM-Stroke questionnaire and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Secondary outcome measures were the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). All outcome measures were stable during the pre-intervention period (p ≥ 0.16). They all improved significantly after intervention (p ≤ 0.01), except the HADS (p = 0.058). However, during the follow-up period, SIAS (p = 0.002) and BBS (p = 0.001) decreased, while ACTIVLIM-Stroke, 6MWT and HADS showed no significant change (p ≥ 0.13). This study suggests regular brisk walking as an effective approach to promote functional recovery in chronic stroke survivors. However, further studies are required before generalizing these results to the whole stroke population.

Reference values for maternal total and differential leukocyte counts in different trimesters of pregnancy and the initial postpartum period in western Turkey.

PubMed

Sanci, Muzaffer; Töz, Emrah; Ince, Onur; Özcan, Aykut; Polater, Kevser; Inan, Abdurrahman Hamdi; Beyan, Emrah; Akkaya, Emrah

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in the leukocyte and differential leukocyte counts in different trimesters of pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. The study population consisted of 40,325 pregnant women. A full blood count and automated differential leukocyte count were performed and all the haemogram results in the different trimesters of pregnancy were recorded. Percentiles were calculated using statistical software. A total of 82,786 complete blood count evaluations were performed in 40,325 subjects from the 6th to 41st week of pregnancy and in the initial postpartum period. The leukocyte counts increased from the 1st to the 3rd trimester and peaked in the initial postpartum period. Our reference values for the total and differential leukocyte counts may assist clinicians in distinguishing between leukocytosis and pathological elevation of the white blood cell count during pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. Impact statement Pregnancy requires profound adaptation by multiple systems to accommodate the demands of the developing foetus. Similar to all other systems, many haematological changes occur during pregnancy. Studies of normal variation in leukocyte counts were insufficient to distinguish normal from abnormal leukocyte counts during pregnancy and in the initial postpartum period, due to small numbers of patients and a lack of differential leukocyte counts. Without reference leukocyte levels, infections may be more difficult to assess during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. In this study, we report the 3rd, 5th, 10th, 50th, 95th and 99th percentile values for the total and differential leukocyte counts according to trimester in normal pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. Our reference values for the total and differential leukocyte counts in each trimester and the initial postpartum period may assist clinicians in distinguishing between normal leukocytosis and pathological elevation of the white blood cell count during pregnancy and the initial postpartum period. Our results may prevent misdiagnosis of physiological elevated leukocytes as bacterial infection that leads to unnecessary medication use that may compromise the foetus.

Provider Behavior Under Global Budgeting and Policy Responses: An Observational Study on Eye Care Services in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Chao-Kai; Xirasagar, Sudha; Chen, Brian; Hussey, James R; Wang, I-Jong; Chen, Jen-Chieh; Lian, Ie-Bin

2015-01-01

Third-party payer systems are consistently associated with health care cost escalation. Taiwan's single-payer, universal coverage National Health Insurance (NHI) adopted global budgeting (GB) to achieve cost control. This study captures ophthalmologists' response to GB, specifically service volume changes and service substitution between low-revenue and high-revenue services following GB implementation, the subsequent Bureau of NHI policy response, and the policy impact. De-identified eye clinic claims data for the years 2000, 2005, and 2007 were analyzed to study the changes in Simple Claim Form (SCF) claims versus Special Case Claims (SCCs). The 3 study years represent the pre-GB period, post-GB but prior to region-wise service cap implementation period, and the post-service cap period, respectively. Repeated measures multilevel regression analysis was used to study the changes adjusting for clinic characteristics and competition within each health care market. SCF service volume (low-revenue, fixed-price patient visits) remained constant throughout the study period, but SCCs (covering services involving variable provider effort and resource use with flexibility for discretionary billing) increased in 2005 with no further change in 2007. The latter is attributable to a 30% cap negotiated by the NHI Bureau with the ophthalmology association and enforced by the association. This study demonstrates that GB deployed with ongoing monitoring and timely policy responses that are designed in collaboration with professional stakeholders can contain costs in a health insurance-financed health care system. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Randomized Effectiveness Trial of a Systems-Level Approach to Stepped Care for War-Related PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

period rather than storing the hard copies at their respective posts was approved. Also, an amendment changing the study Initiating PI from COL...care is the de facto mental health system; in Collaborative Medicine Case Studies : Evidence in Prac- tice. Edited by Kessler R, Stafford D. New York...Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT During the 6.5 year study period, investigators developed the STEPS UP

A Study on the PRC-DPRK Alliance: Focusing on Historical Development of Alliance

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

contrast to their old relationship during the Cold War period. The purpose of this study is to predict how changes in the bilateral relationship ...certain is that it has fundamentally changed in contrast to their old relationship during the Cold War period. The purpose of this study is to...predict how changes in the bilateral relationship between China and the DPRK will affect the international security environment in the near future

One fish, two fish, we QC fish: controlling data quality among more than 50 organizations over a four-year period.

PubMed

Riddick, L; Simbanin, C

2001-01-01

EPA is conducting a National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue. The study involves five analytical laboratories, multiple sampling teams from each of the 47 participating states, several tribes, all 10 EPA Regions and several EPA program offices, with input from other federal agencies. To fulfill study objectives, state and tribal sampling teams are voluntarily collecting predator and bottom-dwelling fish from approximately 500 randomly selected lakes over a 4-year period. The fish will be analyzed for more than 300 pollutants. The long-term nature of the study, combined with the large number of participants, created several QA challenges: (1) controlling variability among sampling activities performed by different sampling teams from more than 50 organizations over a 4-year period; (2) controlling variability in lab processes over a 4-year period; (3) generating results that will meet the primary study objectives for use by OW statisticians; (4) generating results that will meet the undefined needs of more than 50 participating organizations; and (5) devising a system for evaluating and defining data quality and for reporting data quality assessments concurrently with the data to ensure that assessment efforts are streamlined and that assessments are consistent among organizations. This paper describes the QA program employed for the study and presents an interim assessment of the program's effectiveness.

Cyclic AMP system in muscle tissue during prolonged hypokinesia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antipenko, Y. A.; Bubeyev, Y. A.; Korovkin, B. F.; Mikhaleva, N. P.

1980-01-01

Components of the cyclic Adenosine-cyclic-35-monophosphate (AMP) system in the muscle tissue of white rats were studied during 70-75 days of hypokinesia, created by placing the animals in small booths which restricted their movements, and during the readaptation period. In the initial period, cyclic AMP levels and the activities of phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase in muscle tissue were increased. The values for these indices were roughly equal for controls and experimental animals during the adaptation period, but on the 70th day of the experiment cAMP levels dropped, phosphodiesterase activity increased, and the stimulative effect of epinephrine on the activity of adenylate cyclase decreased. The indices under study normalized during the readaptation period.

Is the Predictability of New-Onset Postpartum Depression Better During Pregnancy or in the Early Postpartum Period? A Prospective Study in Croatian Women.

PubMed

Nakić Radoš, Sandra; Herman, Radoslav; Tadinac, Meri

2016-01-01

The researchers' aim was to examine whether it was better to predict new-onset postpartum depression (PPD) during pregnancy or immediately after childbirth. A prospective study conducted in Croatia followed women (N = 272) from the third trimester of pregnancy through the early postpartum period (within the first 3 postpartum days), to 6 weeks postpartum. Questionnaires on depression, anxiety, stress, coping, self-esteem, and social support were administered. Through regression analyses we showed that PPD symptoms could be equally predicted by variables from pregnancy (30.3%) and the early postpartum period (34.0%), with a small advantage of PPD prediction in the early postpartum period.

Quantitative analysis of seizure frequency 1 week and 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery of epilepsy.

PubMed

Lüders, H; Murphy, D; Awad, I; Wyllie, E; Dinner, D S; Morris, H H; Rothner, A D

1994-01-01

We made quantitative analysis of seizure frequency 1 week and 6, 12, and 24 months after seizure surgery. Seizure recurrence was significantly higher when seizures occurred in the first postoperative week. Seizure recurrence increased progressively with longer follow-ups, but the 6 month postoperative follow-up period was an excellent index of long-term outcome. In operative follow-up studies, seizure frequency should be reported at fixed follow-up periods, e.g., at 6 months and 1, 2, 5, and 10 years. Meaningful comparison of outcomes between different studies is possible only when reports include outcome at fixed postoperative follow-up periods (as opposed to ranges of follow-up periods).

Impacts of climate changes on ocean surface gravity waves over the eastern Canadian shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Lanli; Sheng, Jinyu

2017-05-01

A numerical study is conducted to investigate the impact of climate changes on ocean surface gravity waves over the eastern Canadian shelf (ECS). The "business-as-usual" climate scenario known as Representative Concentration Pathway RCP8.5 is considered in this study. Changes in the ocean surface gravity waves over the study region for the period 1979-2100 are examined based on 3 hourly ocean waves simulated by the third-generation ocean wave model known as WAVEWATCHIII. The wave model is driven by surface winds and ice conditions produced by the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CanRCM4). The whole study period is divided into the present (1979-2008), near future (2021-2050) and far future (2071-2100) periods to quantify possible future changes of ocean waves over the ECS. In comparison with the present ocean wave conditions, the time-mean significant wave heights ( H s ) are expected to increase over most of the ECS in the near future and decrease over this region in the far future period. The time-means of the annual 5% largest H s are projected to increase over the ECS in both near and far future periods due mainly to the changes in surface winds. The future changes in the time-means of the annual 5% largest H s and 10-m wind speeds are projected to be twice as strong as the changes in annual means. An analysis of inverse wave ages suggests that the occurrence of wind seas is projected to increase over the southern Labrador and central Newfoundland Shelves in the near future period, and occurrence of swells is projected to increase over other areas of the ECS in both the near and far future periods.

Self-Consistent Chaotic Transport in a High-Dimensional Mean-Field Hamiltonian Map Model

DOE PAGES

Martínez-del-Río, D.; del-Castillo-Negrete, D.; Olvera, A.; ...

2015-10-30

We studied the self-consistent chaotic transport in a Hamiltonian mean-field model. This model provides a simplified description of transport in marginally stable systems including vorticity mixing in strong shear flows and electron dynamics in plasmas. Self-consistency is incorporated through a mean-field that couples all the degrees-of-freedom. The model is formulated as a large set of N coupled standard-like area-preserving twist maps in which the amplitude and phase of the perturbation, rather than being constant like in the standard map, are dynamical variables. Of particular interest is the study of the impact of periodic orbits on the chaotic transport and coherentmore » structures. Furthermore, numerical simulations show that self-consistency leads to the formation of a coherent macro-particle trapped around the elliptic fixed point of the system that appears together with an asymptotic periodic behavior of the mean field. To model this asymptotic state, we introduced a non-autonomous map that allows a detailed study of the onset of global transport. A turnstile-type transport mechanism that allows transport across instantaneous KAM invariant circles in non-autonomous systems is discussed. As a first step to understand transport, we study a special type of orbits referred to as sequential periodic orbits. Using symmetry properties we show that, through replication, high-dimensional sequential periodic orbits can be generated starting from low-dimensional periodic orbits. We show that sequential periodic orbits in the self-consistent map can be continued from trivial (uncoupled) periodic orbits of standard-like maps using numerical and asymptotic methods. Normal forms are used to describe these orbits and to find the values of the map parameters that guarantee their existence. Numerical simulations are used to verify the prediction from the asymptotic methods.« less

Lead exposure and birth outcomes in five communities in Shoshone County, Idaho.

PubMed

Berkowitz, Zahava; Price-Green, Patricia; Bove, Frank J; Kaye, Wendy E

2006-03-01

This study examined birth outcomes in five towns in Shoshone County, Idaho, where residents were exposed to high levels of lead in air emissions during a 6-month period after a fire had damaged the main baghouse (pollution-control device) of a local lead smelter plant in September 1973. We studied birth certificate data of 169,878 live singleton infants born to mothers who resided in Idaho at the time of delivery. The outcomes evaluated were preterm infants, small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, low birthweight among term infants (TLBW), and mean birthweight among term infants (TMBW). The study compared births in the five towns in Shoshone County (exposed group) to births in the rest of Idaho during three exposure periods: "pre-fire," January 1, 1970-August 31, 1973; "high exposure," September 1, 1973-December 31, 1974; and "post-fire," January 1, 1975-December 31, 1981. During the high-exposure period, the exposed group had an increased prevalence of TLBW (OR=2.4; 90% CI: 1.6-3.6) and SGA (OR=1.9; 90% CI: 1.3-2.8) compared with the rest of Idaho. During the pre- and post-fire periods, the ORs for TLBW were 0.8 and 1.3, respectively, and for SGA, 1.0, and 1.3, respectively. During the high-exposure period, TMBW for the exposed group was 71 g lower than in the comparison group. The TMBW in the exposed group was 8 g lower in the pre-fire period and 26 g lower in the post-fire period than in the comparison group. The study found no increased risk for preterm birth in the exposed group. Maternal exposures to airborne lead emissions appeared to be associated with increased risks for SGA, TLBW, and reduced TMBW.

Seasonal morphological variations and age-related changes of the seminal vesicle of viscacha (Lagostomus maximus maximus): an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study.

PubMed

Chaves, Eduardo M; Aguilera-Merlo, Claudia; Cruceño, Albana; Fogal, Teresa; Piezzi, Ramón; Scardapane, Luis; Dominguez, Susana

2012-05-01

The viscacha is a seasonal rodent that exhibit an annual reproductive cycle with periods of maximum reproductive activity and gonadal regression. We studied seasonal variations in the morphology and cellular population of the seminal vesicles (SVs) during both periods and in impuber animals. Seminal vesicles were studied by light and electronic microscopy. Measurements of epithelial height, nuclear diameter, luminal diameter, and muscular layer were performed. Also, we studied the distribution of androgen receptors (AR) in this gland during the reproductive cycle and in impuber animal. During gonadal regression, principal and clear cells showed signs of reduced functional activity. These were characterized by an epithelium of smaller height, irregular nuclei, and cytoplasm with few organelles, dilated cisterns, and glycogen granules. In impuber animals, the principal cells showed large nuclei with chromatin lax and cytoplasm with small mitochondria, poorly developed Golgi apparatus, and granules of glycogen. On the other hand, the cells exhibited seasonal variations in the distribution and percentage of immunolabeled cells to AR throughout the annual reproductive cycle. During the gonadal regression period, glandular mucosa exhibited numerous epithelial cells with intense nuclear staining. However, fibromuscular stromal cells were weakly positive for AR in contrast to what was observed during the activity period. Considering that testosterone values are lower in adult animals during the period of gonadal regression and in impuber animals, our immunohistochemical results show a significant correlation with the percentage of AR-immunopositive cells. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the structure of the SVs changes in the activity period of viscacha, probably because of elevated levels of testosterone leading to an increase in the secretory activity of epithelial cells. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Self-Consistent Chaotic Transport in a High-Dimensional Mean-Field Hamiltonian Map Model

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

Martínez-del-Río, D.; del-Castillo-Negrete, D.; Olvera, A.

We studied the self-consistent chaotic transport in a Hamiltonian mean-field model. This model provides a simplified description of transport in marginally stable systems including vorticity mixing in strong shear flows and electron dynamics in plasmas. Self-consistency is incorporated through a mean-field that couples all the degrees-of-freedom. The model is formulated as a large set of N coupled standard-like area-preserving twist maps in which the amplitude and phase of the perturbation, rather than being constant like in the standard map, are dynamical variables. Of particular interest is the study of the impact of periodic orbits on the chaotic transport and coherentmore » structures. Furthermore, numerical simulations show that self-consistency leads to the formation of a coherent macro-particle trapped around the elliptic fixed point of the system that appears together with an asymptotic periodic behavior of the mean field. To model this asymptotic state, we introduced a non-autonomous map that allows a detailed study of the onset of global transport. A turnstile-type transport mechanism that allows transport across instantaneous KAM invariant circles in non-autonomous systems is discussed. As a first step to understand transport, we study a special type of orbits referred to as sequential periodic orbits. Using symmetry properties we show that, through replication, high-dimensional sequential periodic orbits can be generated starting from low-dimensional periodic orbits. We show that sequential periodic orbits in the self-consistent map can be continued from trivial (uncoupled) periodic orbits of standard-like maps using numerical and asymptotic methods. Normal forms are used to describe these orbits and to find the values of the map parameters that guarantee their existence. Numerical simulations are used to verify the prediction from the asymptotic methods.« less

Do relationships exist between the scope and intensity of quality improvement activities and hospital operation performance? A 10-year observation in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chung, Kuo-Piao; Yu, Tsung-Hsien

2015-08-14

The relationship between the scope and intensity of quality improvement (QI) activities and hospital performance remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between performance, external environment, and the scope and intensity of QI activities in hospitals. The study used a longitudinal observation. Data regarding the scope and intensity of QI activities were collected using a questionnaire survey among the administrative deputy superintendents / directors of quality management center in 139 hospitals. Hospital performance indicators were abstracted from the 2000-2009 national hospitals profiles. We adopted year 2000 as the baseline, and divided the study period into three 3-year periods. The Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) model was used for the statistical analysis. Seventy-two hospitals responded to the survey, giving a response rate of 52%. The results showed a significant increase in the scope and intensity of QI activities between 2000 and 2009. The results also showed that the scope and intensity of a hospital's QI activities were associated with the scope and intensity of its competitors' QI activities in the previous period and its own prior performance. The scope of QI activities in the previous period was not significantly related to the selected hospital performance measures. However, the intensity of QI activities in the previous period showed a significant and positive relationship with the number of inpatients and the turnover of beds. The study demonstrates that the intensity of QI activities is associated with the external environment and the hospital's own performance in the previous period. Furthermore, some performance measures are associated with the intensity of the QI activities in the previous period.

Emotional anticipation after delivery - a longitudinal neuroimaging study of the postpartum period.

PubMed

Gingnell, Malin; Toffoletto, Simone; Wikström, Johan; Engman, Jonas; Bannbers, Elin; Comasco, Erika; Sundström-Poromaa, Inger

2017-03-08

Neuroimaging research has begun to unveil the mechanisms behind emotion processing during the postpartum period, which, in turn, may be of relevance for the development of postpartum depression. The present study sought to longitudinally investigate the neural correlates of emotion anticipation during the postpartum period in healthy women. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was employed to measure the blood oxygen level-dependent signal in the brain in response to anticipation of negative emotional stimuli and during processing of images with positive or negative valence. The participating women were scanned twice: the first scan occurred during the first 48 hours after delivery, and the second was performed 4-6 weeks after delivery. The early postpartum period was characterized by higher anterior cingulate cortex reactivity during anticipation of negative emotional stimuli than the late postpartum period. This was accompanied by a negative relationship with insular reactivity during the early postpartum period and a trend towards an increase in insular reactivity in the late postpartum period. Thus, during the first four weeks of the postpartum period, a diminished top-down regulatory feedback on emotion-related areas of the brain was noted. This finding suggests a physiologically important adaptation during the healthy postpartum period.

CONDOM USE AT LAST SEX AS A PROXY FOR OTHER MEASURES OF CONDOM USE: IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?

PubMed Central

Younge, Sinead N.; Salazar, Laura F.; Crosby, Richard F.; DiClemente, Richard J.; Wingood, Gina M.; Rose, Eve

2009-01-01

Condom use at last sex is a widely used indicator in sexual behavior research; however, there is little empirical research validating this indicator. This study examined whether a single-event recall period (the last time coitus occurred) was consistent with longer recall periods (14 days and 60 days) for a sample of African American adolescent females (N = 566). The findings from this study demonstrate that condom use at last coitus is a valid proxy for condom use behaviors spanning longer time periods. PMID:19149154

DNA SYNTHETIC RATES AND CHROMOSOME REPLICATION IN GENERATING MARROW CELLS,

DTIC Science & Technology

The normally dividing bone marrow cells of the domestic cat provede suitable material for the examination of DNA replication patterns in individual chromosomes. Autoradiographic studies of chromosomes labeled with tritiated thymidine indicate a direct relation of chromosome size to duration of DNA synthetic activity of the 10 hours of the S period studied. In this same period dividing cells achieved a maximum labeling of 80%. This suggests that a portion of the normally dividing cell population undergoes an arrest of considerable length in the G2 period. (Author)

Two-dimensional solitary waves and periodic waves on coupled nonlinear electrical transmission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Heng; Zheng, Shuhua

2017-06-01

By using the dynamical system approach, the exact travelling wave solutions for a system of coupled nonlinear electrical transmission lines are studied. Based on this method, the bifurcations of phase portraits of a dynamical system are given. The two-dimensional solitary wave solutions and periodic wave solutions on coupled nonlinear transmission lines are obtained. With the aid of Maple, the numerical simulations are conducted for solitary wave solutions and periodic wave solutions to the model equation. The results presented in this paper improve upon previous studies.

Meteorology Assessment of Historic Rainfall for Los Alamos During September 2013

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

Bruggeman, David Alan; Dewart, Jean Marie

2016-02-12

DOE Order 420.1, Facility Safety, requires that site natural phenomena hazards be evaluated every 10 years to support the design of nuclear facilities. The evaluation requires calculating return period rainfall to determine roof loading requirements and flooding potential based on our on-site rainfall measurements. The return period rainfall calculations are done based on statistical techniques and not site-specific meteorology. This and future studies analyze the meteorological factors that produce the significant rainfall events. These studies provide the meteorology context of the return period rainfall events.

Periodicity computation of generalized mathematical biology problems involving delay differential equations.

PubMed

Jasim Mohammed, M; Ibrahim, Rabha W; Ahmad, M Z

2017-03-01

In this paper, we consider a low initial population model. Our aim is to study the periodicity computation of this model by using neutral differential equations, which are recognized in various studies including biology. We generalize the neutral Rayleigh equation for the third-order by exploiting the model of fractional calculus, in particular the Riemann-Liouville differential operator. We establish the existence and uniqueness of a periodic computational outcome. The technique depends on the continuation theorem of the coincidence degree theory. Besides, an example is presented to demonstrate the finding.

Binge eating disorder and depression: a systematic review.

PubMed

Araujo, Daniele Marano Rocha; Santos, Giovana Fonseca da Silva; Nardi, Antonio Egídio

2010-03-01

The purpose of this systematic literature review is to examine previous studies that investigated the relation between depression and binge eating disorder (BED). Medline/PubMed published data from 1980 through 2006 was tracked using the following keywords: "binge eating disorder and depression", "periodic binge eating and depression", "binge eating disorder" and "periodic binge eating". The findings of 14 studies were successfully highlighted: one cohort, four cross-sectional and nine case-control studies. Most studies (7/14) were conducted in the United States, with missing data varying between 2.3 and 44.32%, and seven studies emphasizing the most important variables. The majority of the studies (10/14) showed an association between depression and binge eating disorder, but carefully designed studies are required to minimize the limitations found in these studies.

Shuttle-tethered satellite system definition study extension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

A system requirements definition and configuration study (Phase B) of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) was conducted during the period 14 November 1977 to 27 February 1979. Subsequently a study extension was conducted during the period 13 June 1979 to 30 June 1980, for the purpose of refining the requirements identified during the main phase of the study, and studying in some detail the implications of accommodating various types of scientific experiments on the initial verification flight mission. An executive overview is given of the Tethered Satellite System definition developed during the study. The results of specific study tasks undertaken in the extension phase of the study are reported. Feasibility of the Tethered Satellite System has been established with reasonable confidence and the groundwork laid for proceeding with hardware design for the verification mission.

Variability of total step activity in children with cerebral palsy: influence of definition of a day on participant retention within the study.

PubMed

Wilson, Nichola C; Mudge, Suzie; Stott, N Susan

2016-08-20

Activity monitoring is important to establish accurate daily physical activity levels in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, few studies address issues around inclusion or exclusion of step count data; in particular, how a valid day should be defined and what impact different lengths of monitoring have on retention of participant data within a study. This study assessed how different 'valid day' definitions influenced inclusion of participant data in final analyses and the subsequent variability of the data. Sixty-nine children with CP were fitted with a StepWatch™ Activity Monitor and instructed to wear it for a week. Data analysis used two broad definitions of a day, based on either number of steps in a 24 h monitoring period or the number of hours of recorded activity in a 24 h monitoring period. Eight children either did not use the monitor, or used it for only 1 day. The remaining 61 children provided 2 valid days of monitoring defined as >100 recorded steps per 24 h period and 55 (90 %) completed 2 valid days of monitoring with ≥10 h recorded activity per 24 h period. Performance variability in daily step count was lower across 2 days of monitoring when a valid day was defined as ≥10 h recorded activity per 24 h period (ICC = 0.765) and, higher when the definition >100 recorded steps per 24 h period (ICC = 0.62). Only 46 participants (75 %) completed 5 days of monitoring with >100 recorded steps per 24 h period and only 23 (38 %) achieved 5 days of monitoring with ≥10 h recorded activity per 24 h period. Datasets of participants who functioned at GMFCS level II were differentially excluded when the criteria for inclusion in final analysis was 5 valid days of ≥10 h recorded activity per 24 h period, leaving datasets available for only 8 of 32 participant datasets retained in the study. We conclude that changes in definition of a valid day have significant impacts on both inclusion of participant data in final analysis and measured variability of total step count.

Estimation of DMFT, Salivary Streptococcus Mutans Count, Flow Rate, Ph, and Salivary Total Calcium Content in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Prospective Study.

PubMed

Kamate, Wasim Ismail; Vibhute, Nupura Aniket; Baad, Rajendra Krishna

2017-04-01

Pregnancy, a period from conception till birth, causes changes in the functioning of the human body as a whole and specifically in the oral cavity that may favour the emergence of dental caries. Many studies have shown pregnant women at increased risk for dental caries, however, specific salivary caries risk factors and the particular period of pregnancy at heightened risk for dental caries are yet to be explored and give a scope of further research in this area. The aim of the present study was to assess the severity of dental caries in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women by evaluating parameters like Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, salivary Streptococcus mutans count, flow rate, pH and total calcium content. A total of 50 first time pregnant women in the first trimester were followed during their second trimester, third trimester and postpartum period for the evaluation of DMFT by World Health Organization (WHO) scoring criteria, salivary flow rate by drooling method, salivary pH by pH meter, salivary total calcium content by bioassay test kit and salivary Streptococcus mutans count by semiautomatic counting of colonies grown on Mitis Salivarius (MS) agar supplemented by 0.2U/ml of bacitracin and 10% sucrose. The observations of pregnant women were then compared with same parameters evaluated in the 50 non-pregnant women. Paired t-test and Wilcoxon sign rank test were performed to assess the association between the study parameters. Evaluation of different caries risk factors between pregnant and non-pregnant women clearly showed that pregnant women were at a higher risk for dental caries. Comparison of caries risk parameters during the three trimesters and postpartum period showed that the salivary Streptococcus mutans count had significantly increased in the second trimester , third trimester and postpartum period while the mean pH and mean salivary total calcium content decreased in the third trimester and postpartum period. These changes reflected on the DMFT score which increased in the third trimester and postpartum period. The results of this study suggest that there is a definite correlation between pregnancy and dental caries. We conclude that the third trimester and postpartum period of pregnancy are the periods during which the pregnant women are at a higher risk for development of dental caries.

Personal Exposure, Behavior, and Work Site Conditions as Determinants of Blood Lead Among Bridge Painters

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Ema G.; Virji, M. Abbas; McClean, Michael D.; Weinberg, Janice; Woskie, Susan; Pepper, Lewis D.

2009-01-01

Bridge painters are exposed to lead during several job tasks performed during the workday, such as sanding, scraping, and blasting. After the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard was passed in 1993 to control lead exposures among construction workers including bridge painters, this study was conducted among 84 bridge painters in the New England area to determine the significant predictors of blood lead levels. Lead was measured in personal air and hand wipe samples that were collected during the 2-week study period and in blood samples that were collected at the beginning and at the end of the study period. The personal air and hand wipe data as well as personal behaviors (i.e., smoking, washing, wearing a respirator) and work site conditions were analyzed as potential determinants of blood lead levels using linear mixed effects models. Our results show that the mean air lead levels over the 2-week period were the most predictive exposure measure of blood lead levels. Other individual-level significant predictors of blood lead levels included months worked on bridge painting crews, education, and personal hygiene index. Of the site-level variables investigated, having a containment facility on site was a significant predictor of blood lead levels. Our results also indicate that hand wipe lead levels were significantly associated with higher blood lead levels at the end of the study period compared with the beginning of the study period. Similarly, smoking on site and respirator fit testing were significantly associated with higher blood lead levels at the end of the study period. This study shows that several individual-level and site-level factors are associated with blood lead levels among bridge painters, including lead exposure through inhalation and possible hand-to-mouth contact, personal behaviors such as smoking on site, respirator fit testing, and work site conditions such as the use of better containment facilities. Accordingly, reduction in blood lead levels among bridge painters can be achieved by improving these workplace practices. PMID:19953411

A longitudinal epidemiological comparison of suicide and other causes of death in Italian children and adolescents.

PubMed

Pompili, Maurizio; Vichi, Monica; De Leo, Diego; Pfeffer, Cynthia; Girardi, Paolo

2012-02-01

The objective of the study is to evaluate temporal trends, gender effects and methods of completed suicide amongst children and adolescent (aged 10-17) when compared with temporal trends of deaths from other causes. Data were extracted from the Italian Mortality Database, which is collected by the Italian National Census Bureau (ISTAT) and processed by the Statistics Unit of National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion (CNESPS) at the National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità). A total of 1,871 children and adolescents, age 10-17 years, committed suicide in Italy from 1971 to 2003 and 109 died by suicide during the last 3-year period of observation (2006-2008). The average suicide rate over the entire period of observation was 0.91 per 100,000; the rate was 1.21 for males and 0.59 for females. During the study period, the general mortality of children and adolescents, age 10-17 years, decreased dramatically, the average annual percentage change decrease was of -3.3% (95% CI -4.4 to -1.9) for males and -2.9% (95% IC -4.4 to -2.5) for females. The decrease was observed, for both genders, for all causes of deaths except suicide. For males, the most frequent method was hanging (54.5%), followed by shooting/fire arms (19.6%), falls/jumping from high places (12.7%); for females, the most frequent method, jumping from high places/falls, accounted for 35.7% of suicides during the whole study period. In conclusion, this study highlights that over the course of several decades suicide is a far less preventable cause of death as compared to other causes of death amongst children and adolescents. Our study demonstrated that suicide rates in adolescents are not a stable phenomenon over the 40 years period of study. It suggested that rates for males and females differed and varied in different ways during specific time periods of this study. National suicide prevention actions should parallel prevention measures implemented to reduce other causes of death.

Comparison of the effects of energy drink versus caffeine supplementation on indices of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure.

PubMed

Franks, Amy M; Schmidt, Julia M; McCain, Keith R; Fraer, Mony

2012-02-01

Cardiovascular events associated with energy drink consumption have been reported, but few data exist to delineate the hemodynamic effects of energy drinks. To compare the effects of an energy drink versus caffeine supplementation on blood pressure (BP) indices as measured by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Healthy, nonsmoking, normotensive volunteers (aged 18-45 years) taking no medications were enrolled in a single-center, open-label, 2-period crossover pilot study. During each study period, subjects received either an energy drink (Red Bull Energy Drink, each dose containing 80 mg of caffeine and 1000 mg of taurine in an 8.3-oz serving) or a control (compounded caffeine solution, each dose containing 80 mg of caffeine solution in 8 oz of bottled water) at 0800, 1100, 1500, and 1900 hours and underwent 24-hour ABPM. The study periods were separated by a washout period (4-30 days). Mean 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial (MAP) BP; BP load; and percent nocturnal dipping were compared between study periods. Nine subjects (5 females, mean [SD] age 27.7 [5.0] years) completed the study. Mean 24-hour SBP (123.2 vs 117.4 mm Hg, p = 0.04), DBP (73.6 vs 68.2 mm Hg, p = 0.02), and MAP (90.1 vs 84.8 mm Hg, p = 0.03) were significantly higher during energy drink supplementation versus caffeine supplementation. Daytime DBP (77.0 vs 72.0 mm Hg, p = 0.04) also was significantly higher with the energy drink versus caffeine supplementation. Trends in higher daytime SBP (127.0 vs 121.9 mm Hg, p = 0.05) and MAP (93.6 vs 88.6 mm Hg, p = 0.05) were recorded with energy drink supplementation versus caffeine supplementation. Nighttime SBP and DBP loads were significantly higher with the energy drink, but nocturnal dipping did not differ significantly between study periods. Single-day energy drink supplementation increased mean 24-hour and daytime BP compared to caffeine control in this pilot study. Additional research is warranted to better understand the hemodynamic effects of energy drink consumption.

[Use of intraosseus infusion in the German air rescue service : nationwide analysis in the time period 2005 to 2009].

PubMed

Helm, M; Hossfeld, B; Schlechtriemen, T; Braun, J; Lampl, L; Bernhard, M

2011-12-01

Intraosseous infusion has become established as a fast and safe alternative to conventional vascular access in emergency situations. Originally the use of intraosseous access was limited to children up to 6 years of age and to adults for cardiopulmonary resuscitation but this limitation has now been removed. The aim of this study was to obtain data on mission reality regarding the use of intraosseous access in the prehospital setting against the background of the expanded recommendations on the use of the intraosseous infusion. An analysis of rescue missions by all rescue helicopters of the ADAC (German Automobile Club) Air Rescue as well as the German Air Rescue Service (58 helicopter emergency medical service bases) over a 4 year period from January 2005 to December 2008 was carried out. A total of 247,454 rescue missions were carried out during the study period and in 525 patients (0.2% of the total study collective) an intraosseous access was established. There was a significant increase in the intraosseous infusion rate from 0.1% to 0.4% (p<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant increase in its use in elderly patients and in patients with lower National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) scores (2005 vs. 2008): 92.4% vs. 42.9% of all intraosseous infusions in patients  ≤ 6 years of age (p<0.05) and 74.4% vs. 42.9% of all intraosseous infusions in patients with NACA score VI/VII (p<0.05). The proportion of trauma patients in the total study collective was 33% and there was no significant change in the frequency of trauma cases over the study period but there was a remarkable increase of intraosseous infusions in trauma patients in the last year of the study period compared to the previous years (38% in 2008 vs. 27-30% in 2005-2007). Furthermore, there was an increase in the number of different drug groups used for intraosseous infusion over the study period. The expanded indication recommendations for the use of intraosseous infusion in the prehospital setting enter more and more mission reality in air rescue services in Germany.

Change in quality of life and predictors of change among patients with multiple sclerosis: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Tepavcevic, Darija Kisic; Pekmezovic, Tatjana; Stojsavljevic, Nebojsa; Kostic, Jelena; Basuroski, Irena Dujmovic; Mesaros, Sarlota; Drulovic, Jelena

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and predictors of change among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at 3 and 6 years during the follow-up period. A group of 109 consecutive MS patients (McDonald's criteria) referred to the Clinic of Neurology, Belgrade, were enrolled in the study. At three time points during the study (baseline, and at 3 and 6 years during the follow-up period), the HRQoL (measured by MSQoL-54), Expanded Disability Status Scale, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Fatigue Severity Scale were assessed. During the study period, 93 patients provided both follow-up assessments. Statistically significant deterioration in the HRQoL at each subsequent time point was detected for all scales of the MSQoL-54 except for the pain and change in health scales. A higher level of education was a significant prognostic factor for a better HRQoL on the cognitive function scale throughout the entire period of observation, while marital status (single, including divorced and widowed) and increased age at the onset of MS had significant predictive values of poorer quality-of-life scores on the overall quality-of-life scale at 6-year follow-up. Higher levels of physical disability and depression at baseline were statistically significant prognostic markers for deterioration in HRQoL for the majority of MSQoL-54 scales during the entire follow-up period. Our study suggests that baseline demographic and clinical characteristics could be applied as prognostic markers of the HRQOL for patients diagnosed with MS.

Trends in smoking and obesity among US adults before, during, and after the great recession and Affordable Care Act roll-out.

PubMed

Pernenkil, Vikash; Wyatt, Taylor; Akinyemiju, Tomi

2017-09-01

This study examined trends in smoking and overweight/obesity rates among United States (US) adults ages 40years and older by race and socio-economic status (SES) across three study periods; pre-recession (2003-2005), recession (2007-2009), and post-recession/Affordable Care Act (2010-2012). Data was obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and multivariable regression analysis was used to examine changes in overweight/obesity, smoking, physical activity and smoking cessation rates over the study periods. There were 2,805,957 adults included in the analysis; 65.5% of the study population was overweight/obese, and 33.3% were current smokers. Smoking prevalence increased marginally among those with lower SES (income<$10,000) from pre-recession (52.5%) to post-recession (52.9%), but declined in other socio-demographic groups. The odds of overweight/obesity increased in the post-recession (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.21-1.23) and recession (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.11-1.12) periods compared with pre-recession, but odds of smoking overall decreased in the post-recession (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.92-0.94) and recession (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.94-0.97) periods. Overweight/obesity increased over the study periods, regardless of race, SES or healthcare access, while smoking rates showed significant declines post-recession compared with pre-recession, except in low SES groups. These findings suggest that strategies focused on reducing overweight/obesity and increasing access to smoking cessation services, especially among low-income adults, are needed. Prospective studies are needed to better evaluate the influence of the economic recession and Affordable Care Act on behavioral risk factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low-speed vehicle run over fatalities in Australian children aged 0-5 years.

PubMed

Anthikkat, Anne Paul; Page, Andrew; Barker, Ruth

2013-05-01

The study aims to investigate environmental, socio-demographic and other antecedent risk factors associated with low-speed vehicle run over (LSVRO) mortality in Australian children aged 0-5 years. This is a population-based retrospective case series study of Australian LSVRO mortality, July 2000-December 2010. Mortality and corresponding population data were stratified by sex and period to examine trends in incidence rates over the study period. Proportional mortality was also investigated by sex, age, period, area, location of injury, mechanism and other antecedent factors identified from textual coronial information. There were 82 fatal LSVRO cases over the 11-year study period. The annual incidence was low (less than 1 per 100,000) and declined over the study period. More than three-quarters of incidents occurred in non-traffic settings, in particular residential driveways. The most common vehicle involved was a four-wheel drive or utility with vehicles most likely to be reversing or leaving at the time of the incident. More than three-quarters of cases were aged 36 months or less. A higher proportion of LSVRO fatalities occurred in lower socio-economic status areas compared with higher socio-economic status areas. Where the vehicle was actively being driven (77 cases), the driver was known to the child in three-quarters of cases, most commonly the father (32%). The study provides a detailed analysis of mortality due to LSVRO incidents in Australia and highlights a number of modifiable antecedent factors. Precedents for the identification and reporting of LSVRO incidents as well as prevention strategies are discussed. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Calcium phosphate supplementation increases faecal Lactobacillus spp. in a randomised trial of young adults.

PubMed

Dahl, W J; Ford, A L; Coppola, J A; Lopez, D; Combs, W; Rohani, A; Ukhanova, M; Culpepper, T; Tompkins, T A; Christman, M; Mai, V

2016-02-01

The aim of the studies was to determine the effects of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate supplementation on faecal Lactobacillus spp., with and without a probiotic supplement, in healthy adults. Study 1 comprised of a randomised, double-blind, crossover design; participants (n=15) received 2 capsules/d of 250 mg elemental calcium as calcium carbonate (Ca1) and calcium phosphate (Ca2) each for 2-week periods, with 2-week baseline and washout periods. Study 2 was a randomised, double-blind, crossover design; participants (n=17) received 2 capsules/d of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 (probiotic) alone, the probiotic with 2 capsules/d of Ca1, and probiotic with 2 capsules/d of Ca2 each for 2-week periods with 2-week baseline and washout periods. In both studies, stools were collected during the baseline, intervention and washout periods for Lactobacillus spp. quantification and qPCR analyses. Participants completed daily questionnaires of stool frequency and compliance. In Study 1, neither calcium supplement influenced viable counts of resident Lactobacillus spp., genome equivalents of lactic acid bacteria or stool frequency. In Study 2, faecal Lactobacillus spp. counts were significantly enhanced from baseline when the probiotic was administered with Ca2 (4.83±0.30, 5.79±0.31) (P=0.02), but not with Ca1 (4.98±0.31) or with the probiotic alone (5.36±0.31, 5.55±0.29) (not significant). Detection of L. helveticus R0052 and L. rhamnosus R0011 was significantly increased with all treatments, but did not differ among treatments. There were no changes in weekly stool frequency. Calcium phosphate co-administration may increase gastrointestinal survival of orally-administered Lactobacillus spp.

Increased risk of pemphigoid following scabies: a population-based matched-cohort study.

PubMed

Chung, S-D; Lin, H-C; Wang, K-H

2014-05-01

No prior study has investigated the possibility that scabies patients may be at an increased risk for developing pemphigoid. To evaluate the risk of pemphigoid following scabies during a 3-year follow-up period using a Taiwanese population-based claims database and taking clinical and demographic characteristics into consideration. This investigation consisted of a study group of 6793 subjects with a diagnosis of scabies and 33 965 randomly selected subjects used as a comparison group. Each patient was tracked for 3 years following their index dates to identify those who received a subsequent diagnosis of pemphigoid. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to compute the hazard ratio (HR) of pemphigoid during the 3-year follow-up period. Of the 40 758 subjects, 52 (0.13%) had received a diagnosis of pemphigoid during the 3-year follow-up period; 33 (0.49% of the study group) were from the study group and 19 (0.06% of the comparison group) were from the comparison group. Compared to subjects without scabies, the HR for pemphigoid for subjects with scabies was 5.93 within the 3-year follow-up period following the index date after adjusting for monthly income, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, psoriasis, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, coronary heart disease, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and after censoring those that died during the follow-up period. This study detected an increased risk for pemphigoid among patients suffering from scabies. Physicians treating elderly patients with a history of scabies should be alert to the development of pemphigoid. © 2013 The Authors Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2013 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Dilations of anastomotic strictures over time after repair of esophageal atresia.

PubMed

Stenström, Pernilla; Anderberg, Magnus; Börjesson, Anna; Arnbjörnsson, Einar

2017-02-01

Anastomotic strictures commonly occur in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal atresia (EA). The primary aim of this study was to determine the age distribution of dilation procedures for anastomotic strictures over the patient's childhood after reconstruction of EA. The secondary aim was to evaluate the effect of postoperative proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the frequency of dilations. This observational study was conducted at a single tertiary center of pediatric surgery. The times that dilations of strictures were performed were assessed during three study periods: 1983-1995, 2001-2009, and 2010-2014. PPIs were not used during the first period, and then, respectively, for 3 and 12 months postoperatively. The indications for dilation were signs of obstruction and/or radiological signs of stricture. A total of 131 children underwent esophageal reconstruction, and of those, 60 (46%) required at least 1 dilation procedure for strictures. There were no differences in the frequencies of dilation procedures between the three study periods (28/66, 18/32 and 14/33, respectively; P = 0.42). The overall median number of dilations per patient was 3 (range 1-21) with no differences between the study periods. The differences between ages at which the first dilation was performed during each study period were significant, as follows: 7, 2, and 8 months, respectively (P = 0.03). Fiftyone percent of all dilation procedures were performed during the first year of life, 16% during the second year, and 33% during years 2-15. Four children (2%) underwent >12 dilations. The first year of life was the time of greatest need for dilation of AS after reconstruction of EA; however, dilations were also performed several years later. PPIs did not affect the frequency of dilations during the first year of life.

Decentralization of Sports Services Opinions of Youth Services and Provincial Directors of Sports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydogan, Hayri

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to make a study on opinions of Youth Services and Provincial Directors of Sports related to decentralization of sports services according to demographical variables like educational background, age, total professional working period, and working period as a director. While the population of the study consists of 81…

Earlier Is Better: Learning English in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsairi, Meshari A.

2018-01-01

Various studies have been carried out in order to find out the suitable age for foreign language acquisition. Every research study has had a different Critical Period (CP) and most of them have not been really close together in terms of years. Critical Period refers to the actual time frame during which foreign language acquisition should take…

Strategies/Behaviors That Successful Superintendents Use to Build Strong Relationships and Trust during Their Entry Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, C. K.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify strategies/behaviors that successful superintendents used to build strong relationships and trust with their school boards within their entry period. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What strategies/behaviors are successful superintendents using to build strong relationships and trust…

A Longitudinal Study of Narrative Development in Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleave, Patricia; Bird, Elizabeth Kay-Raining; Czutrin, Rachael; Smith, Lindsey

2012-01-01

The present study examined narrative development in children and adolescents with Down syndrome longitudinally. Narratives were collected from 32 children and adolescents with Down syndrome three times over a 1-year period. Both micro- and macrolevel analyses were conducted. Significant growth over the 1-year period was seen in semantic complexity…

Comparison of Motor Development in Preschool Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohren, Judy M.; Vlahov, Eric

This study investigated the gross motor development of children at two day care centers, one with a movement-oriented physical education program and the other with an unstructured free play period. Also studied were the biological factors of age and sex. A total of 146 children were tested during a 3-year period. During the last two years,…

Changes in rumen bacterial communities and rumen chemistry in primiparous Holstein cows during the periparturient period

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objectives of this study were to study the changes in: 1) rumen bacterial community composition (BCC) and fermentation as influenced by feeding regimen and period; and 2) pH and VFA profiles among selected cows with minimum (stable) and maximum variation (unstable) between pre- and post-parturie...

University Leadership during Times of Significant Transformation: A Case of Kyambogo University in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Namubiru, Gertrude; Onen, David; Oonyu, Joseph

2017-01-01

This study investigated how leadership was exercised at Kyambogo University [KyU] (in Uganda) during its formation that involved the merger of three tertiary institutions and the period immediately thereafter. This was regarded as a period of significant transformation at the institution. The study was prompted by the rampant strikes and protests…

Teaching a Concept with GeoGebra: Periodicity of Trigonometric Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepceoglu, Ibrahim; Yavuz, llyas

2016-01-01

Being one of the major subjects in high school mathematics curriculum, trigonometry links algebraic, geometric and graphical reasoning. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of GeoGebra in the teaching of the concept of the periodicity of trigonometric functions. In this study, it is investigated how effective is the dynamic…

Effectiveness of a vegetable dental chew on periodontal disease parameters in toy breed dogs.

PubMed

Clarke, D E; Kelman, M; Perkins, N

2011-01-01

Sixteen toy breed dogs completed a parallel, 70-day two-period, cross-over design clinical study to determine the effect of a vegetable dental chew on gingivitis, halitosis, plaque, and calculus accumulations. The dogs were randomly assigned into two groups. During one study period the dogs were fed a non-dental dry diet only and during the second study period were fed the same dry diet supplemented by the daily addition of a vegetable dental chew. Daily administration of the dental chew was shown to reduce halitosis, as well as, significantly reduce gingivitis, plaque and calculus accumulation and therefore may play a significant role in the improvement of canine oral health over the long-term.

Implementation of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Guidelines in Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Study in Two Croatian Hospitals.

PubMed

Marušić, Srećko; Knežević, Aleksandar; Bačić Vrca, Vesna; Marinović, Ivana; Bačić, Julija; Obreli Neto, Paulo Roque; Amidžić Klarić, Daniela; Diklić, Dijaneta

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of the 9th edition of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP9) guidelines for prevention of venous thromboembolism in nonsurgical patients in clinical practice in one university and one general Croatian hospital. A retrospective study was conducted at Zadar General Hospital from Zadar and Dubrava University Hospital from Zagreb. Medical charts of all patients admitted to Medical Departments in two periods, before and after implementation of the ACCP9 guidelines, were analyzed. The ACCP9 guidelines were made available to all physicians through the hospital electronic information system immediately after the publication. The Hospital Drug Committees promoted implementation of the guidelines during their periodical clinical visits. Overall, 850 patients were included in the study in two periods. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of high-risk patients receiving thromboprophylaxis after the guidelines implementation in either hospital. In both periods, a signifi-cantly higher number of high-risk patients received thromboprophylaxis in Dubrava University Hos-pital in comparison with Zadar General Hospital (31.7% vs. 3.8% and 40.3% vs. 7.3%, respectively; p<0.001). This study revealed insufficient implementation of evidence-based thromboprophylaxis guidelines in clinical practice in two Croatian hospitals.

Sexual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: A 6-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Kisic-Tepavcevic, Darija; Pekmezovic, Tatjana; Trajkovic, Goran; Stojsavljevic, Nebojsa; Dujmovic, Irena; Mesaros, Sarlota; Drulovic, Jelena

2015-11-15

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common but often overlooked and undertreated symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of our longitudinal study was to explore the changes in the level of sexual functioning in MS cohort after a period of 3 and 6 years of follow-up, as well as to investigate the predictors of changes in SD during the period of observation. The study population comprise a cohort of 93 patients with MS (McDonald's criteria, 2001) who were assessed at three time points during the study (baseline, and at the 3- and 6-year follow-up). The presence and severity of SD was quantified by Szasz sexual functioning scale. Independent predictors of the ordinal-scaled measure of sexual problems were identified using a generalized linear mixed regression models. The number of reported SD symptoms increased markedly for both genders during the whole period of observation. Duration of follow-up, age, level of physical disability, depression and fatigue were identified as independent prognostic factors for deterioration of sexual functioning in patients with MS during the 6-year follow-up. Our study provides insight into dynamics of change in sexual function among patients with MS and predictors of change, over the period of 6 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is the incidence of recurrent pregnancy loss increasing? A retrospective register-based study in Sweden.

PubMed

Rasmark Roepke, Emma; Matthiesen, Leif; Rylance, Rebecca; Christiansen, Ole Bjarne

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). The prevalence of RPL defined as three or more consecutive miscarriages before gestation week 22, is often stated to be 1%. To our knowledge no study has estimated the incidence of RPL, which might be more informative and clinically relevant than the prevalence. This retrospective register-based study was conducted from 2003 until 2012 in Sweden with data provided by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. In all, 6852 women were registered with the diagnoses of RPL in the National Patient Register. The incidence of RPL is the number of new women receiving the RPL diagnosis per year in the numerator and population at risk in the denominator. For each year, from 2003 to 2012, the incidence was calculated in two different risk populations: [1] all women aged 18-42 years, and [2] all women registered as being pregnant (deliveries or miscarriages). The average incidence in the study period was 53 per 100 000 (0.05%) in women aged 18-42 years and 650 per 100 000 (0.65%) in women who had achieved pregnancy in the period. The incidence of RPL in the two risk populations increased by 74 and 58%, respectively, during the study period. This study suggests that the incidence of RPL increased during the 10-year period studied. Causes can only be speculated upon in this study design, but might be associated with environmental changes, as the increase was fairly rapid. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Fluctuations of population density in Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) related to fruit availability in the Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia: a 10-year record including two mast fruitings and three other peak fruitings.

PubMed

Kanamori, Tomoko; Kuze, Noko; Bernard, Henry; Malim, Titol Peter; Kohshima, Shiro

2017-01-01

We investigated the population density of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) and fruit availability for 10 years (2005-2014), in primary lowland dipterocarp forests in the Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. During the research period, two mast fruitings and three other peak fruiting events of different scales occurred in the study area. The orangutan population density, estimated every 2 months by the marked nest count method, changed between 0.3 and 4.4 ind/km 2 and the mean population density was 1.3 ind/km 2  ± SE 0.1 (n = 56). The population density increased markedly during mast and peak fruiting periods. A significant positive correlation was observed between the population density and fruit availability in the study period (Spearman, R = 0.3, P < 0.01, n = 56). During non-fruiting periods, however, no significant correlation was observed between them. These results suggest that the spatial difference in fruit availability during mast and peak fruiting periods was larger than during non-fruiting periods, and many orangutans temporarily moved to the study site from the surrounding areas seeking fruit.

Lower early postnatal oxygen saturation target and risk of ductus arteriosus closure failure.

PubMed

Inomata, Kei; Taniguchi, Shinji; Yonemoto, Hiroki; Inoue, Takeshi; Kawase, Akihiko; Kondo, Yuichi

2016-11-01

Early postnatal hyperoxia is a major risk factor for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely premature infants. To reduce the occurrence of ROP, we adopted a lower early postnatal oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) target range (85-92%) from April 2011. Lower SpO 2 target range, however, may lead to hypoxemia and an increase in the risk of ductus arteriosus (DA) closure failure. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether a lower SpO 2 target range, during the early postnatal stage, increases the risk of DA closure failure. Infants born at <28 weeks' gestation were enrolled in this study. Oxygen saturation target range during the first postnatal 72 h was 84-100% in study period 1 and 85-92% in period 2. Eighty-two infants were included in period 1, and 61 were included in period 2. The lower oxygen saturation target range increased the occurrence of hypoxemia during the first postnatal 72 h. Prevalence of DA closure failure in period 2 (21%) was significantly higher than that in period 1 (1%). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the lower oxygen saturation target range was an independent risk factor for DA closure failure. Lower early postnatal oxygen saturation target range increases the risk of DA closure failure. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

Renaissance Neurosurgery: Italy's Iconic Contributions.

PubMed

Nanda, Anil; Khan, Imad Saeed; Apuzzo, Michael L

2016-03-01

Various changes in the sociopolitical milieu of Italy led to the increasing tolerance of the study of cadavers in the late Middle Ages. The efforts of Mondino de Liuzzi (1276-1326) and Guido da Vigevano (1280-1349) led to an explosion of cadaver-centric studies in centers such as Bologna, Florence, and Padua during the Renaissance period. Legendary scientists from this era, including Leonardo Da Vinci, Andreas Vesalius, Bartolomeo Eustachio, and Costanzo Varolio, furthered the study of neuroanatomy. The various texts produced during this period not only helped increase the understanding of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology but also led to the formalization of medical education. With increased understanding came new techniques to address various neurosurgical problems from skull fractures to severed peripheral nerves. The present study aims to review the major developments in Italy during the vibrant Renaissance period that led to major progress in the field of neurosurgery. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Time-reversibility and particle sedimentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golubitsky, Martin; Krupa, Martin; Lim, Chjan

1991-01-01

This paper studies an ODE model, called the Stokeslet model, and describes sedimentation of small clusters of particles in a highly viscous fluid. This model has a trivial solution in which the n particles arrange themselves at the vertices of a regular n-sided polygon. When n = 3, Hocking and Caflisch et al. (1988) proved the existence of periodic motion (in the frame moving with the center of gravity in the cluster) in which the particles form an isosceles triangle. Here, the study of periodic and quasi-periodic solutions of the Stokeslet model is continued, with emphasis on the spatial and time-reversal symmetry of the model. For three particles, the existence of a second family of periodic solutions and a family of quasi-periodic solutions is proved. It is also indicated how the methods generalize to the case of n particles.

Period doubling in period-one steady states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Reuben R. W.; Xing, Bo; Carlo, Gabriel G.; Poletti, Dario

2018-02-01

Nonlinear classical dissipative systems present a rich phenomenology in their "route to chaos," including period doubling, i.e., the system evolves with a period which is twice that of the driving. However, typically the attractor of a periodically driven quantum open system evolves with a period which exactly matches that of the driving. Here, we analyze a periodically driven many-body open quantum system whose classical correspondent presents period doubling. We show that by studying the dynamical correlations, it is possible to show the occurrence of period doubling in the quantum (period-one) steady state. We also discuss that such systems are natural candidates for clean and intrinsically robust Floquet time crystals.

Multifractal analysis of Asian markets during 2007-2008 financial crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, Rashid; Mohammad, Salim M.

2015-02-01

2007-2008 US financial crisis adversely affected the stock markets all over the world. Asian markets also came under pressure and were differently affected. As markets under stress could reveal features that remain hidden under normal conditions, we use MF-DFA technique to investigate the multifractal structure of the US and seven Asian stock markets during the crisis period. The overall period of study, from 01 July 2002 to 31 December 2013, is divided into three sub-periods: pre-crisis period, crisis period and post-crisis period. We find during the crisis period markets of the US, Japan, Hong Kong, S. Korea and Indonesia show very strong non-linearity for positive values of the moment q. We calculate the singularity spectra, f(α) for the three sub-periods for all markets. During the crisis period, we observe that the peaks of the f(α) spectra shift to lower values of α and markets of the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Indonesia exhibit increased long range correlations of large fluctuations in index returns. We also study the impact of the crisis on the power law exponent in the tail region of the cumulative return distribution and find that by excluding the crisis period from the overall data sets, the tail exponent increases across all markets.

[The influence of living conditions and lifestyle on the anxiety level in women in the postpartum period-questionnaire study].

PubMed

Piech, Barbara; Kiałka, Marta; Baran, Anna; Mrozińska, Sandra; Janeczko, Marek; Humeniuk, Ewa; Milewicz, Tomasz

2017-01-01

Due to the high incidence of postpartum anxiety disorders and their serious health and social consequences, it is essential to analyze the possible risk factors to identify groups of women particularly vulnerable to cover their proper care and control. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between the anxiety in women in the postpartum period, and their living conditions and lifestyle. The study was conducted from April to July 2016. We included 102 women in the postpartum period, living in the city of Cracow and the Cracow district. The study was based on a survey of our own authorship, State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Jurczyński’s Inventory of Health Behavior (IZZ). The anxiety level in women in the postpartum period depends on the conditions of life and health behaviors. The level of health behavior of women in the postpartum period is an average and independent of age, number of children, and the material situation. Residents of cities, women with higher education, who planned pregnancy, have a higher level of health behavior. Good housing conditions have a positive influence on health behavior. Low levels of health behavior significantly affect the severity of maternal anxiety. Residents of the village, women with lower education and who not planning pregnancy have higher levels of anxiety during the postpartum period. Anxiety level of women in the postpartum period is inversely proportional to their housing conditions. Women with a job have lower levels of anxiety than non-working. The anxiety level in women in childbirth does not depend on age or financial situation. The anxiety level in women in the postpartum period, significantly depends on the living conditions and health behaviors. Verification of distinguished factors should be applied appropriately in health promotional activities and prevention programs.

Influence of olive oil on alveolar bone response during orthodontic retention period: rabbit model study.

PubMed

Al-Hamdany, Afrah K; Al-Khatib, Ali R; Al-Sadi, Hafidh I

2017-08-01

This study attempted to evaluate clinically and histologically the effects of olive oil (Ol) consumption on orthodontic relapse after the retention period. Thirty apparently healthy female albino rabbits, weight more than 1000 g each was used in this study. The animals were grouped randomly into six groups of five animals each: two control and four experimental groups. In control groups, the relapse was estimated either at zero day, or at the end of the fourth week after orthodontic retention period. In the experimental groups, the animals' groups received Ol, 7.7, or 15.4 ml/kg b.w. per day during the orthodontic retention period. The relapse was estimated either at zero day, or at the end of the fourth week after orthodontic retention period for each concentration. Modified fixed orthodontic appliances were attached to the rabbits' lower central incisors. Each rabbit received orthodontic intervention for one week, followed by six weeks retention period. At the end of the experiments, the clinical and histological investigations were conducted. Data analyses were performed at the level of p < .05 for the statistically significant difference. Clinically, Ol high concentration four weeks group showed a significantly lower relapse tendency than control four weeks group. Histologically, Ol low concentration zero time group showed significantly higher osteoblasts numbers than control zero time group. Olive oil low and high concentrations four weeks group showed significantly lower fibroblasts count. Moreover, Ol high concentration four weeks group revealed significantly higher bone mineralization, osteoblasts and osteocytes counts than control four weeks study group. Supplementation with Ol during an orthodontic retention period, especially at 15.4 ml/kg b.w. per day concentration, clinically reduced orthodontic relapse on rabbit model. Histologically, Ol increased osteoblasts and osteocytes counts and the relative amount of bone mineralization of connective tissue layer forming alveolar bone (AB) at the end of four weeks after the orthodontic retention period.

Electroencephalography Spectral Power Density in First-Episode Mania: A Comparative Study with Subsequent Remission Period.

PubMed

Güven, Sertaç; Kesebir, Sermin; Demirer, R Murat; Bilici, Mustafa

2015-06-01

Our aim in this study was to investigate spectral power density (PSD) in first-episode mania and subsequent remission period and to evaluate their difference. Sixty-nine consecutive cases referring to our hospital within the previous 1 year, who were evaluated as bipolar disorder manic episode according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) at the first episode and had the informed consent form signed by first degree relatives, were included in this study. Exclusion criteria included having previous depressive episode, using drugs which could influence electroencephalographic activity before electroencephalography (EEG), and having previous neurological disease, particularly epilepsy, head trauma, and/or loss of consciousness. EEG records were obtained using a digital device in 16 channels; 23 surface electrodes were placed according to the International 10-20 system. Spectral power density (dbμV/Hz) of EEG signal provided information on the power carried out by EEG waves in defined frequancy range per unit frequency in the present study. A peak power value detected on the right with FP2P4 and on the left with F7T3 electrodes were found to be higher in the manic episode than in the remission period (p=0.018 and 0.025). In the remission period, in cases with psychotic symptoms during the manic period, F4C4 peak power value was found to be lower than that in cases with no psychotic findings during the manic period (p=0.027). There was no relation was found between YMRS scores and peak power scores. Electrophysiological corollary of mood episode is present from the onset of the disease, and it differs between the manic and remission periods of bipolar disorder. In the remission period, peak power values of PSD distinguish cases with psychotic findings from cases without psychotic findings when they were manic.

The influence of daily sleep patterns of commercial truck drivers on driving performance.

PubMed

Chen, Guang Xiang; Fang, Youjia; Guo, Feng; Hanowski, Richard J

2016-06-01

Fatigued and drowsy driving has been found to be a major cause of truck crashes. Lack of sleep is the number one cause of fatigue and drowsiness. However, there are limited data on the sleep patterns (sleep duration, sleep percentage in the duration of non-work period, and the time when sleep occurred) of truck drivers in non-work periods and the impact on driving performance. This paper examined sleep patterns of 96 commercial truck drivers during non-work periods and evaluated the influence these sleep patterns had on truck driving performance. Data were from the Naturalistic Truck Driving Study. Each driver participated in the study for approximately four weeks. A shift was defined as a non-work period followed by a work period. A total of 1397 shifts were identified. Four distinct sleep patterns were identified based on sleep duration, sleep start/end point in a non-work period, and the percentage of sleep with reference to the duration of non-work period. Driving performance was measured by safety-critical events, which included crashes, near-crashes, crash-relevant conflicts, and unintentional lane deviations. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate the association between the sleep patterns and driving performance, adjusted for driver demographic information. The results showed that the sleep pattern with the highest safety-critical event rate was associated with shorter sleep, sleep in the early stage of a non-work period, and less sleep between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. This study also found that male drivers, with fewer years of commercial vehicle driving experience and higher body mass index, were associated with deteriorated driving performance and increased driving risk. The results of this study could inform hours-of-service policy-making and benefit safety management in the trucking industry. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Animal Welfare in Studies on Murine Tuberculosis: Assessing Progress over a 12-Year Period and the Need for Further Improvement

PubMed Central

Franco, Nuno Henrique; Correia-Neves, Margarida; Olsson, I. Anna S.

2012-01-01

There is growing concern over the welfare of animals used in research, in particular when these animals develop pathology. The present study aims to identify the main sources of animal distress and to assess the possible implementation of refinement measures in experimental infection research, using mouse models of tuberculosis (TB) as a case study. This choice is based on the historical relevance of mouse studies in understanding the disease and the present and long-standing impact of TB on a global scale. Literature published between 1997 and 2009 was analysed, focusing on the welfare impact on the animals used and the implementation of refinement measures to reduce this impact. In this 12-year period, we observed a rise in reports of ethical approval of experiments. The proportion of studies classified into the most severe category did however not change significantly over the studied period. Information on important research parameters, such as method for euthanasia or sex of the animals, were absent in a substantial number of papers. Overall, this study shows that progress has been made in the application of humane endpoints in TB research, but that a considerable potential for improvement remains. PMID:23110093

Reliability and Validity Study for the Coloured Progressive Matrices Test between the Ages of 3-9 for Determining Gifted Children in the Pre-School Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bildiren, Ahmet

2017-01-01

The objective of the study was to test the Coloured Progressive Matrices Test with regard to reliability and validity for the 3-9 age sample group because of the lack of diagnostic tools for the pre-school period. The sample group of the study was comprised of a total of 925 children with 433 girls (46.8%) and 492 boys (53.2%). Coloured…

Study of process variables associated with manufacturing hermetically-sealed nickel-cadmium cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, L.

1972-01-01

The effort and results of a program to determine and study the critical process variables associated with the manufacture of aerospace, hermetically-sealed, nickel-cadmium cells are reported. During the period, the impregnation/polarization process variable study was brought to a close with the completion of a series of related experiments. The results of the experiments are summarized. During this period, a general characterization of cell separator materials was initiated. The major conclusions resulting from the characterization of materials are included.

'In the course of time': a PET study of the cerebral substrates of autobiographical amnesia in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Eustache, Francis; Piolino, Pascale; Giffard, Bénédicte; Viader, Fausto; De La Sayette, Vincent; Baron, Jean-Claude; Desgranges, Béatrice

2004-07-01

Neuroimaging studies in healthy subjects have yielded controversial results about the neural substrates of autobiographical memory. Moreover, the neural networks responsible for autobiographical amnesia remain poorly understood. Since autobiographical memory is frequently altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we used this degenerative disorder as a model and applied a correlative approach between resting cerebral glucose utilization (CMRGlc) and temporally graded memory scores to identify the cerebral structures whose synaptic dysfunction subserves the impairment in autobiographical memory. To this end, we studied a group of 17 AD patients with mild to moderate dementia in whom autobiographical memory was assessed using a specially designed task from three broad time periods [the previous 5 years (period A); middle age (period B); and teenage and childhood (period C)], and measures of resting CMRGlc were obtained with PET. The patients performed less well than a control group for all three time periods and showed the expected temporal gradient, with the most remote period being best preserved (Ribot's gradient). Qualitative analysis showed that remote memories concerned generic (i.e. semantic) rather than specific (i.e. episodic) events. We found a significant positive correlation between autobiographical scores and the metabolism of the right hippocampus (extending to the lingual gyrus), restricted to period A. In addition, period A scores were significantly correlated with the right middle and inferior frontal gyri and the right middle temporal gyrus. Period B scores correlated chiefly with the prefrontal cortex bilaterally (bilateral superior, bilateral middle and right inferior gyri). Metabolic correlations with period C scores were restricted to the left middle frontal gyrus. These findings show striking differences in metabolic correlations with the autobiographical time period, in agreement with prevalent theories of normal functioning of human memory. Thus, in accordance with theories of long-term memory consolidation, we find the expected implication of the hippocampal region in the recall of recent memories, and a disengagement of this structure when the retention interval is beyond 5 years. Moreover, according to the hemispheric encoding/retrieval asymmetry model based on activation studies in healthy subjects, the fact that recent memories preferentially involved the right prefrontal cortex whereas remote memories involved the left prefrontal cortex supports the notion of semanticization of memories with time interval, such that preserved remote memories in AD have a predominantly semantic character. Copyright 2004 Guarantors of Brain

Intradiscal electrothermal therapy used to manage chronic discogenic low back pain: new directions and interventions.

PubMed

Wetzel, F Todd; McNally, Thomas A; Phillips, Frank M

2002-11-15

Retrospective literature review. To review the data on the clinical efficacy of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty found at this writing in the peer-reviewed literature to date, to discuss the methodologic strengths and flaws of the studies, to discuss the pitfalls of clinical study designs, to emphasize the need for prospective randomized studies and for increased basic science investigation. Studies published or presented at peer-reviewed societies concerning the clinical efficacy of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty are reviewed, including background studies on deafferentation and application of thermal energy to alter biomechanical and structural properties. A proposal for future investigations is presented. Background data from intracapsular annuloplasty highlighting the safety and efficacy of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty are presented. Current studies on this procedure, including those in the National Registry are reviewed. All the studies share a common study design: prospective cohort with historical or noninterventional groups used as controls. The patients reviewed are similar. All have nonradicular low back pain of at least 3 months duration, failed conservative care, normal neurologic examination, and MRI showing only nondegenerative disc disease and positive concordant discography. All the patients underwent intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty lesion at one or two levels according to standard protocols. Follow-up evaluation was performed at various intervals up to 2 years. All the studies used data from a visual analog scale, with most using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) as outcome instruments. The reported follow-up periods for the studies ranged from 6 months to 2 years. Three published studies, one with a 6-month follow-up period and two with a 1-year follow-up period, were published in the peer-reviewed literature. Two recent reports presented to the North American Spine Society were reviewed: a study of patients on a manufacturer-sponsored registry with a 1-year follow-up period and a multicenter prospective cohort study of 75 patients in an intent-to-treat group, with a 1-year follow-up period. Using the 7-point criteria of Deyo et al, all the studies suggested a positive effect of treatment, with a decrease in visual analog scale ratings and improvement in SF-36 scales, particularly those for physical function and bodily pain. The studies published so far suggest that the pain resulting from lumbar disc disease may be diminished by intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty. All these studies project a positive therapeutic effect. However, all the studies suffer from the same methodologic flaws. A prospective cohort design or a nonrandomized prospective design is used with a biased control. The scientific validity of various study designs is discussed, and a randomized prospective study is recommended. Additionally, more investigation into the basic science of the action of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty is required.

Dynamics of protein and lipid intake regulation of rainbow trout studied with a wide lipid range of encapsulated diets and self-feeders.

PubMed

Forsman, Antti; Ruohonen, Kari

2009-01-08

Feed intake in fish is examined extensively but there is not much information about the dynamics of regulation i.e. how fish react to different diets, and how these reactions change, over a longer period of time. The present study was designed to evaluate the dynamics of food intake regulation in rainbow trout over a very wide range of dietary protein and lipid levels; from a very low lipid level (5%) to an extremely high level (55%). The study was conducted with three subsequent 40-day blocks of 20 fish and the intake dynamics of the lipid effect were studied by splitting the 40-day experimental period to shorter periods of 10 days. Depending on a diet the rainbow trout were more willing to ingest larger surpluses of both protein and lipid during the periods 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 days if compared with the anticipated nutritional intake target of rainbow trout. A strong regulatory response against high lipid intake was seen during the last period (days 30-40) leading not only to a decrease in lipid intake but much more drastic decrease in protein intake. Thus, a significant nonlinear interaction between time and dietary protein and lipid was found indicating that the effect of protein and lipid was dynamic.

Hearing conservation in the primary aluminium industry

PubMed Central

Frisch, N.; Dixon-Ernst, C.; Chesson, B. J.; Cullen, M. R.

2016-01-01

Background Noise-induced hearing loss has been an intractable problem for heavy industry. Aims To report our experience in reducing the incidence of age-corrected confirmed 10 dB hearing shifts (averaged over 2, 3 and 4kHz) in employees in the primary aluminium industry in Australia over the period 2006–13. Methods We analysed annual audiometric data to determine the number of permanent hearing shifts that occurred in employees in two bauxite mines, three alumina refineries and two aluminium smelters. Annual hearing shift rates were calculated based on the number of employees tested per year. Hearing conservation initiatives undertaken during the study period are described. An assessment of similar exposure group noise exposures was also undertaken to determine the magnitude of noise exposure reduction during the study period. Results Across all operations, hearing shift rates declined from 5.5% per year in 2006 to 1.3% per year in 2013 (P < 0.001). The decline in shift rates was greater in mines and refineries, where baseline shift rates were higher, than in smelter workers. Modest reductions in noise exposure occurred during the study period. Conclusions We observed a substantial decline in hearing shift rates during the study period. We describe the hearing conservation initiatives that were collectively associated with this decline. We suspect these initiatives could be deployed relatively easily and at modest cost in other industries with noise-exposed employees. PMID:26470945

Efficacy of Pregabalin in Childhood Refractory Partial Seizure

PubMed Central

Zamani, Gholamreza; Tavasoli, Alireza; Zare-Shahabadi, Ameneh; Rezaei, Nima; Ahmadvand, Alireza

2014-01-01

Objective: About one third of partial seizures are refractory to treatment. Several anticonvulsant drugs have entered the market in recent decades but concerns about intolerance, drug interactions, and the safety of the drug are notable. One of these new anticonvulsants is pregabalin, a safe drug with almost no interaction with other antiepileptic drugs. Methods: In this open label clinical trial study, pregabalin was used for evaluation of its efficacy on reducing seizure frequency in 29 children suffering from refractory partial seizures. Average daily and weekly seizure frequency of the patients was recorded during a 6-week period (baseline period). Then, during a period of 2 weeks (titration period), pregabalin was started with a dose of 25-75 mg/d, using method of flexible dose, and was brought to maximum dose of drug that was intended in this study (450 mg/d) based on clinical response of the patients and seizure frequency. Then the patients were given the drug for 12 weeks and the average frequency of daily and weekly seizures were recorded again (treatment period). Findings : Reduction in seizure frequency in this study was 36% and the responder rate or number of patients who gained more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency was 51.7%. Conclusion: This study showed that pregabalin can be used with safety and an acceptable efficacy in treatment of childhood refractory partial seizures. PMID:25793053

[Distant healing and diabetes mellitus. A pilot study].

PubMed

Ebneter, M; Binder, M; Kristof, O; Walach, H; Saller, R

2002-02-01

The Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene, Freiburg (IGPP) in cooperation with the Abteilung Naturheilkunde, University Hospital, Zürich investigated whether Distant Healing has a beneficial effect on patients with diabetes mellitus regarding the state of the disease and quality of life. The goal of the pilot study was to observe the progression of the disease with various medical and psychological measures and to explore which of them might be sensitive for measuring possible treatment effects. 14 diabetic patients were observed for a period of 16 weeks. Within this time they underwent a treatment of 4 consecutive weeks (weeks 9-12) by 5 experienced and trustworthy healers each. Patients were informed about the duration of the treatment but not about the time point of its beginning. Patients and healers never met and there was no contact between researchers and patients during the study period. With regard to medical parameters, reduction in fructosamine level was observed during the healing period, increasing fructosamine level after the end of the healing period. Sensitivity, measured only at the beginning and at the end of the study period, decreased significantly. The other parameters showed some significant changes but there was no correlation to the Distant Healing intervention. Regarding the psychological data, only improvements were observed. The results indicate the possibility that a Distant Healing intervention could have certain effects on patients with diabetes mellitus. Copyright 2002 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg

Assessing extreme droughts in Spain during 1750-1850 from rogation ceremonies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domínguez-Castro, F.; Ribera, P.; García-Herrera, R.; Vaquero, J. M.; Barriendos, M.; Cuadrat, J. M.; Moreno, J. M.

2012-04-01

Among the different meteorological hazards, droughts are those with the highest socio-economical impact on the Iberian Peninsula. Drought events have been largely studied in the instrumental period, but very little is known about the characteristics of droughts in the preinstrumental period. In this work, several series of rogation ceremonies are used to identify severe droughts within the period 1750-1850. The overlapping of the rogation series with some instrumental series served to identify some climatic characteristics of rogation ceremonies: (a) during spring, rainfall deficits needed to celebrate rogation ceremonies are smaller than in any other season; (b) the hydrological deficit in a particular region increases with the number of locations celebrating rogations simultaneously. On the other hand, it was found that between 1750-1754 and 1779-1783 are probably the driest periods of the 101 analyzed years. Both show an important number of rogations all over Iberia and during all the seasons. The most extended drought of this period occurred during the spring of 1817, affecting 15 of the 16 locations studied. This drought was influenced by the Tambora eruption (1815). The study of the climate footprint of this eruption and its comparison with similar situations in the series suggest that the spring drought of 1824 may be associated with the eruptions of the Galunggung and Usu volcanoes (1822). Further studies are required to confirm this fact and understand the atmospheric mechanisms involved.

Change of the human taste bud volume over time.

PubMed

Srur, Ehab; Stachs, Oliver; Guthoff, Rudolf; Witt, Martin; Pau, Hans Wilhelm; Just, Tino

2010-08-01

The specific aim of this study is to measure the taste volume in healthy human subjects over a 2.5-month period and to demonstrate morphological changes of the peripheral taste organs. Eighteen human taste buds in four fungiform papillae (fPap) were examined over a 10-week period. The fungiform papillae investigated were selected based on the form of the papillae or the arrangement of surface taste pores. Measurements were performed over 10 consecutive weeks, with five scans in a day once a week. The following parameters were measured: height and diameter of the taste bud, diameter of the fungiform papilla and diameter of the taste pore. The findings of this exploratory study indicated that (1) taste bud volumes changed over a 10-week period, (2) the interval between two volume maxima within the 10-week period was 3-5 weeks, and (3) the diameter of the fPap did not correlate with the volume of a single taste bud or with the volume of all taste buds in the fPap within the 10-week period. This exploratory in vivo study revealed changes in taste bud volumes in healthy humans with age-related gustatory sensitivity. These findings need to be considered when studying the effect of denervation of fungiform papillae in vivo using confocal microscopy. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Groundwater-quality data in 12 GAMA study units: Results from the 2006–10 initial sampling period and the 2008–13 trend sampling period, California GAMA Priority Basin Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mathany, Timothy M.

2017-03-09

The Priority Basin Project (PBP) of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board. From 2004 through 2012, the GAMA-PBP collected samples and assessed the quality of groundwater resources that supply public drinking water in 35 study units across the State. Selected sites in each study unit were sampled again approximately 3 years after initial sampling as part of an assessment of temporal trends in water quality by the GAMA-PBP. Twelve of the study units, initially sampled during 2006–11 (initial sampling period) and sampled a second time during 2008–13 (trend sampling period) to assess temporal trends, are the subject of this report.The initial sampling was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of the quality of untreated groundwater used for public water supplies in the 12 study units. In these study units, 550 sampling sites were selected by using a spatially distributed, randomized, grid-based method to provide spatially unbiased representation of the areas assessed (grid sites, also called “status sites”). After the initial sampling period, 76 of the previously sampled status sites (approximately 10 percent in each study unit) were randomly selected for trend sampling (“trend sites”). The 12 study units sampled both during the initial sampling and during the trend sampling period were distributed among 6 hydrogeologic provinces: Coastal (Northern and Southern), Transverse Ranges and Selected Peninsular Ranges, Klamath, Modoc Plateau and Cascades, and Sierra Nevada Hydrogeologic Provinces. For the purposes of this trend report, the six hydrogeologic provinces were grouped into two hydrogeologic regions based on location: Coastal and Mountain.The groundwater samples were analyzed for a number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds, pesticides, and pesticide degradates), constituents of special interest (perchlorate and 1,2,3-trichloropropane), and natural inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements). Isotopic tracers (tritium, carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water) also were measured to help identify processes affecting groundwater quality and the sources and ages of the sampled groundwater. More than 200 constituents and water-quality indicators were measured during the trend sampling period.Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, matrix-spikes, and surrogate compounds) were collected at about one-third of the trend sites, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the groundwater samples. On the basis of detections in laboratory and field blank samples collected by GAMA-PBP study units, including the 12 study units presented here, reporting levels for some groundwater results were adjusted in this report. Differences between replicate samples were mostly within acceptable ranges, indicating low variability in analytical results. Matrix-spike recoveries were largely within the acceptable range (70 to 130 percent).This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers. After withdrawal, groundwater used for drinking water typically is treated, disinfected, and blended with other waters to achieve acceptable water quality. The comparison benchmarks used in this report apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to untreated groundwater. To provide some context for the results, however, concentrations of constituents measured in these groundwater samples were compared with benchmarks established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of California. Comparisons between data collected for this study and benchmarks for drinking water are for illustrative purposes only and are not indicative of compliance or non-compliance with those benchmarks.Most organic constituents that were detected in groundwater samples from the trend sites were found at concentrations less than health-based benchmarks. One volatile organic compound—perchloroethene—was detected at a concentration greater than the health-based benchmark in samples from one trend site during the initial and trend sampling periods. Chloroform was detected in at least 10 percent of the samples at trend sites in both sampling periods. Methyl tert-butyl ether was detected in samples from more than 10 percent of the trend sites during the initial sampling period. No pesticide or pesticide degradate was detected in greater than 10 percent of the samples from trend sites or at concentrations greater than their health-based benchmarks during either sampling period. Nutrients were not detected at concentrations greater than their health-based benchmarks during either sampling period.Most detections of major ions and trace elements in samples from trend sites were less than health-based benchmarks during both sampling periods. Arsenic and boron each were detected at concentrations greater than the health-based benchmark in samples from four trend sites during the initial and trend sampling periods. Molybdenum was detected in samples from four trend sites at concentrations greater than the health-based benchmark during both sampling periods. Samples from two of these trend sites had similar molybdenum concentrations, and two had substantially different concentrations during the initial and trend sampling periods. Uranium was detected at a concentration greater than the health-based benchmark only at two trend sites.

Improvement of technical results following use of Ingelvac CircoFLEX in a Dutch organic breeding and fattening farm: a case report.

PubMed

Schlepers, M; Gelauf, J; Wertenbroek, N; Nielen, M

2013-07-01

Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a ubiquitous infection and major cause of production loss for the pig industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vaccination against PCV2 on technical results of pigs on an organic breeding and fattening farm, focussing on growth and mortality of weaned piglets and fattening pigs. The study was based on retrospective data between January 2009 and May 2011. During the study period, three subsequent vaccination strategies were used: 1. Stellamune One, 2. Stellamune One+CircoFLEX, 3. MycoFLEX+CircoFLEX. From these three periods, the corresponding management- and slaughterhouse data were analysed by an ANOVA-test. Due to few data in period 2 and an outbreak of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae during periods 2 and 3, these two periods were combined in one period and analysed by a two-sample t-test. Mortality of weaned piglets decreased with 3.6% (0.6 - 6.6%) (P0.023) in comparison to period 1 and average daily weight gain improved by 21 gram (7 - 34 gram) (P0.004) in periods 2 and 3. Mortality of fattening pigs was 2.3% (1.2 - 3.5%) (P0.001) less than in period 1 and corrected energy conversion rate improved 0.27 (0.05 - 0.49) (P0.017). There was no significant effect on slaughterhouse parameters. In conclusion, vaccination against PCV2 improved technical results of weaned and fattening pigs on this farm. The advantage of vaccination with MycoFLEX+CircoFLEX instead of Stellamune One+CircoFLEX is that the two FLEX-vaccines can be mixed and administered as a one shot vaccine, reducing work load and animal stressors.

Variability of Stimulant Levels in Nine Sports Supplements Over a 9-Month Period.

PubMed

Attipoe, Selasi; Cohen, Pieter A; Eichner, Amy; Deuster, Patricia A

2016-10-01

Many studies have found that some dietary supplement product labels do not accurately reflect the actual ingredients. However, studies have not been performed to determine if ingredients in the same dietary supplement product vary over time. The objective of this study was to assess the consistency of stimulant ingredients in popular sports supplements sold in the United States over a 9-month period. Three samples of nine popular sports supplements were purchased over the 9-month period. The 27 samples were analyzed for caffeine and several other stimulants (including adulterants). The identity and quantity of stimulants were compared with stimulants listed on the label and stimulants found at earlier time points to determine the variability in individual products over the 9-month period. The primary outcome measure was the variability of stimulant amounts in the products examined. Many supplements did not contain the same number and quantity of stimulants at all time points over the 9-month period. Caffeine content varied widely in five of the six caffeinated supplements compared with the initial measurement (-7% to +266%). In addition, the stimulants-synephrine, octopamine, cathine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, strychnine, and methylephedrine-occurred in variable amounts in eight of the nine products. The significance of these findings is uncertain: the sample size was insufficient to support statistical analysis. In our sample of nine popular sports supplements, the presence and quantity of stimulants varied over a 9-month period. However, future studies are warranted to determine if the variability found is significant and generalizable to other supplements.

Reduction in skin grafting after the introduction of hydrofiber dressings in partial thickness burns: a comparison between a hydrofiber and silver sulphadiazine.

PubMed

Dokter, J; Boxma, H; Oen, I M M H; van Baar, M E; van der Vlies, C H

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcome of children with scald burns treated with a hydrofiber dressing (Aquacel(®), Convatec Inc.) with the former standard of care with silver sulfadiazine (Flammazine(®); Solvay Pharmaceuticals), considering surgical intervention and length of stay (LOS). A retrospective study of all consecutive children from zero to four years with primary scald burns up to 10% admitted to the Burn Centre of the Maasstad Hospital Rotterdam between January 1987 and January 2010 were reviewed. For data collection a prospective computerized database was used. For comparison the study period was divided into two periods representing the period before and after the introduction of the hydrofiber dressing (HFD), respectively 1987-1999 (period 1) and 1999-2010 (period 2). Over the whole study period 27.3% of 502 patients treated with silver sulfadiazine (Ag-SD) underwent surgery, while before the introduction of HFD 30.5% of 338 Ag-SD treated patients were operated upon. After the introduction of the HFD 20.7% of 164 patients treated with Ag-SD eventually underwent skin grafting, a significant difference with the 11.6% of 302 patients whose wounds were dressed with HFD (p<0.01). Compared to silver sulfadiazine treatment a reduced number of surgical interventions was observed in mixed partial thickness scald burns up to 10% TBSA burned in children aged 0-4 years after the introduction of hydrofiber dressings. The mode of treatment with this wound dressing also limited hospital length of stay. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Health care providers' use of a drug information service for pregnancy-related inquiries.

PubMed

Patil, Avinash S; Patil, Neelima P; Lewis, Ashley N; Swamy, Geeta K; Murtha, Amy P

2014-01-01

To characterize pregnancy and lactation-related medication inquiries to a drug information center to identify classes of medications of most concern to providers. A secondary objective was to identify any trends in provider inquiries over the study period. A retrospective descriptive study of pregnancy and lactation-related inquiries to the University of North Carolina Health Care System Drug Information Center database between January 2001 and December 2010. University of North Carolina Health Care System Drug Information Center. Provider inquiries and responses were extracted and characterized by indication for treatment and reason for inquiry. Comparison of the first and second 5-year periods was performed to delineate trends. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's Exact and χ2 tests were used for analysis. Inquiry origin, time, and subject. 433 inquiries were retrieved over the study period from physicians (50%), pharmacists (21%), and nurses (18%). Inquiries were most often made during the antepartum period (34%), followed by the postpartum (28%) and preconception (22%) periods. The most frequent indications for inquiry were psychiatry (15%) and infectious diseases (14%), which remained constant throughout the study period. Safety was the most common reason for inquiry (52%). The responses provided to callers were limited due to lack of information availability 37% of the time. Psychiatry and infectious disease-related indications are the most frequent subjects of provider inquiry regarding medication use in pregnancy. Rates of inquiry remained constant throughout the past decade in most therapeutic areas. These findings are consistent with previous observations in other developed countries and suggest high-yield areas for pharmacist education.

Can access to spirometry in asthma education centres influence the referral rate by primary physicians for education?

PubMed Central

Labrecque, M; Lavallée, M; Beauchesne, MF; Cartier, A; Boulet, LP

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Asthma remains uncontrolled in a large number of asthmatic patients. Recent surveys have shown that a minority of asthmatic patients are referred to asthma educators. The objective of the present study was to assess the influence of increased access to spirometry in asthma education centres (AECs) on the rate of patient referrals to these centres by general practitioners. METHODS: A one-year, prospective, randomized, multicentric, parallel group study was conducted over two consecutive periods of six months each, with added spirometry being offered in the second six-month period to the experimental group. Ten AECs were enrolled in the project. An advertisement describing the AECs’ services was sent by mail to a total of 303 general practitioners at the start of each period, inviting them to refer their patients. Measures of the frequency of medical referrals to the AECs were assessed for each period. RESULTS: The group of AECs randomly selected for spirometry in the second six-month period received 48 medical referrals during the first period and 32 during the second one, following proposed spirometry. AECs that had not offered spirometry received five referrals during the first period and seven during the second period. One AEC withdrew a few weeks after the study began and others encountered administrative problems, reducing their ability to provide interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Referral to AECs is not yet integrated into the primary care of asthma and offering more rapid access to spirometry in the AECs does not seem to be a significant incentive for such referrals. PMID:17149461

Can access to spirometry in asthma education centres influence the referral rate by primary physicians for education?

PubMed

Labrecque, M; Lavallée, M; Beauchesne, M F; Cartier, A; Boulet, L P

2006-01-01

Asthma remains uncontrolled in a large number of asthmatic patients. Recent surveys have shown that a minority of asthmatic patients are referred to asthma educators. The objective of the present study was to assess the influence of increased access to spirometry in asthma education centres (AECs) on the rate of patient referrals to these centres by general practitioners. A one-year, prospective, randomized, multicentric, parallel group study was conducted over two consecutive periods of six months each, with added spirometry being offered in the second six-month period to the experimental group. Ten AECs were enrolled in the project. An advertisement describing the AECs' services was sent by mail to a total of 303 general practitioners at the start of each period, inviting them to refer their patients. Measures of the frequency of medical referrals to the AECs were assessed for each period. The group of AECs randomly selected for spirometry in the second six-month period received 48 medical referrals during the first period and 32 during the second one, following proposed spirometry. AECs that had not offered spirometry received five referrals during the first period and seven during the second period. One AEC withdrew a few weeks after the study began and others encountered administrative problems, reducing their ability to provide interventions. Referral to AECs is not yet integrated into the primary care of asthma and offering more rapid access to spirometry in the AECs does not seem to be a significant incentive for such referrals.

Socioeconomic inequalities in suicide mortality before and after the economic recession in Spain.

PubMed

Borrell, Carme; Marí-Dell'Olmo, Marc; Gotsens, Mercè; Calvo, Montse; Rodríguez-Sanz, Maica; Bartoll, Xavier; Esnaola, Santiago

2017-10-04

An increase in suicide mortality is often observed in economic recessions. The objective of this study was to analyse trends in socioeconomic inequalities in suicide mortality before and during the economic recession in two geographical settings in Spain. This study analyses inequalities in mortality according to educational level during 3 different time periods based on individual data from the Basque Country and Barcelona city. We analysed suicide mortality data for all residents over 25 years of age from 2001 to 2012. Two periods before the crisis (2001-2004 and 2005-2008) and another during the crisis (2009-2012) were studied. We performed independent analyses for sex, age group, and for the two geographical settings. We fit Poisson regression models to study the relationship between educational level and mortality, and calculated the relative index of inequality (RII) and the slope index of inequality (SII) as comparative measures. For men in the Basque Country, all RII values for the three time periods were similar and almost all were greater than 2; in Barcelona the RII values were generally lower. The SII values for Barcelona tended to decrease over time, whereas in the Basque Country they showed a U-shaped pattern. Among women aged 25-44 years we found an association between educational level and suicide mortality during the first time period; however, we found no clear association for other age groups or time periods. This study within two geographical settings in Spain shows that trends in inequalities in suicide mortality according to educational level remained stable among men before and during the economic recession.

An integrated environmental improvement of marshlands: impact on control and elimination of schistosomiasis in marshland regions along the Yangtze River, China.

PubMed

Sun, Le-Ping; Wang, Wei; Zuo, Yin-Ping; Zhang, Zheng-Qiu; Hong, Qing-Biao; Yang, Guo-Jing; Zhu, Hong-Ru; Liang, You-Sheng; Yang, Hai-Tao

2017-03-22

Schistosomiasis is a global snail-transmitted infectious disease of poverty. Transmission control had been achieved in China in 2015 after the control efforts for over 60 years. Currently, the remaining core regions endemic for Schistosoma japonicum are mainly located in the marshland and lake regions along the Yangtze River basin. During the period from 2001 through 2015, an integrated environmental improvement of the marshlands was carried out through the implementation of industrial, agricultural and resources development projects in Yizheng County along the Yangtze River. S. japonicum infection in humans, livestock and snails was estimated by serology, stool examination, hatching technique and microscopy during the 15-year study period to evaluate the effect of the integrated environmental improvement on control and elimination of schistosomiasis. A 0.05% overall rate of S. japonicum infection was observed in snails during the 15-year study period, and no infected snails were detected since 2012. The overall prevalence of S. japonicum infection was 0.09% in humans during the study period, and no human infection was found since 2012. In addition, only 13 bovines were identified with S. japonicum infection in 2003 during the 15-year study period, and since 2004, no infection was found in livestock. The results of the present study demonstrate that the implementation of industrial, agricultural and water resources development projects, not only alters snail habitats in marshland regions, and promotes local economic development, which appears a win-to-win strategy to block the transmission of S. japonicum and accelerate socio-economic development along the Yangtze River.

Post-natal growth in the rat pineal gland: a stereological study.

PubMed

Erbagci, H; Kizilkan, N; Ozbag, D; Erkilic, S; Kervancioglu, P; Canan, S; Gumusburun, E

2012-10-01

The purpose was to observe the changes in a rat pineal gland using stereological techniques during lactation and post-weaning periods. Thirty Wistar albino rats were studied during different post-natal periods using light microscopy. Pineal gland volume was estimated using the Cavalieri Method. Additionally, the total number of pinealocytes was estimated using the optical fractionator technique. Pineal gland volume displayed statistically significant changes between lactation and after weaning periods. A significant increase in pineal gland volume was observed from post-natal day 10 to post-natal day 90. The numerical density of pinealocytes became stabilized during lactation and decreased rapidly after weaning. However, the total number of pinealocytes continuously increased during post-natal life of all rats in the study. However, this increment was not statistically significant when comparing the lactation and after weaning periods. The increase in post-natal pineal gland volume may depend on increment of immunoreactive fibres, capsule thickness or new synaptic bodies. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

David's Understanding of Functions and Periodicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerson, Hope

2008-01-01

This is a study of David, a senior enrolled in a high school precalculus course. David's understandings of functions and periodicity was explored, through clinical interviews and contextualized through classroom observations. Although David's precalculus class was traditional his understanding of periodic functions was unconventional David engaged…

Effects of age, gender, and stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Kunimi, Mitsunobu

2016-01-01

This study focused on age-related changes in visual short-term memory using visual stimuli that did not allow verbal encoding. Experiment 1 examined the effects of age and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. Experiment 2 examined the effects of age, gender, and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. The worst memory performance and the largest performance difference between the age groups were observed in the shortest stimulus presentation period conditions. The performance difference between the age groups became smaller as the stimulus presentation period became longer; however, it did not completely disappear. Although gender did not have a significant effect on d' regardless of the presentation period in the young group, a significant gender-based difference was observed for stimulus presentation periods of 500 ms and 1,000 ms in the older group. This study indicates that the decline in visual short-term memory observed in the older group is due to the interaction of several factors.

Physical explanation of the periodic table.

PubMed

Ostrovsky, V N

2003-05-01

The Periodic Table of the elements, the most important generalization in chemistry, is often considered as a representative special case in the study of the relation between chemistry and physics. Its quantum interpretation was initiated, but not completed, by Niels Bohr. In this paper, post-Bohr conceptual developments are discussed from historical and epistemological points of view. The difference between high-precision numerical calculations for individual atoms and the theory of the periodic system as a whole is emphasized. Periodic laws met in Nature are not restricted to the chemical Periodic Table. A comparative study of these laws makes it possible to single out essential features that define the particular pattern of periodicity. It is shown that the periodic system of neutral ground state atoms now has a firm nonempirical quantum-theoretical basis. Alternative approaches, based on group theory and other mathematical schemes, are briefly discussed. It is argued that, while quantum theory is capable of fully accurate calculations for relatively simple atoms or molecular objects, the complexity of polyatomic molecules and chemical reactions guarantees the flourishing of chemistry as a separate scientific discipline.

Basic study on the most relaxing respiration period in children to aid the development of a respiration-leading stuffed toy.

PubMed

Uratani, Hiroki; Yoshino, Kohzoh; Ohsuga, Mieko

2014-01-01

Following natural disasters, accidents, and shocking incidents, some children experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The respiration control method, which relaxes the body and mind, may efficiently prevent PTSD. Therefore, we developed a stuffed toy that leads children's respiration using the up-and-down movement of the abdomen to help them relax. We investigated the most appropriate respiration period for children's relaxation. Data from studies on heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training suggest that breathing at the respiration period at which HRV is the highest is effective for improving chronic diseases. Therefore, we measured the relationship between the respiration period and physiological indices, including HRV. The participants were 10 children aged 5-12 years. HRV was the highest at a 10-12-s respiration period in all 10 children. However, the most suitable respiration period for smooth breathing and relaxation was different from that at which HRV is the highest. Therefore, the most relaxing respiration periods for children need to be determined by indices other than HRV.

Correlation analysis for the incubation period of prion disease.

PubMed

Bae, Se-Eun; Jung, Sunghoon; Kim, Ha-Yeon; Son, Hyeon S

2012-07-01

Previous studies have shown that genetic quantitative trait loci (QTL), strain barriers, inoculation dose and inoculation method modulate the incubation period of prion diseases. We examined the relationship between a diverse set of physical, genetic and immunological characteristics and the incubation period of prion disease using correlation analyses. We found that incubation period was highly correlated with brain weight. In addition, mean corpuscular volume and cell size were strongly correlated with incubation period, indicating that the physical magnitude of prion-infected organs or individual cells may be important in determining the incubation period. Given the same prion inoculation dose, animals with a lower brain weight, mean corpuscular volume or cell size may experience more virulent disease, as the effective concentration of abnormal prion, which might regulate the attachment rate of prions to aggregates, is increased with smaller capacity of brains and cells. This is partly consistent with previous theoretical modeling. The strong correlations between incubation period and physical properties of the brain and cells in this study suggest that the mechanism underlying prion disease pathology may be physical, indicating that the incubation process is governed by simple chemical stoichiometry.

[Animal experiment studies on the changes in lipid and protein metabolism in L-carnitine-supplemented total parenteral nutrition].

PubMed

Böhles, H; Segerer, H; Fekl, W; Stehr, K

1983-02-01

The influence of i.v. L-carnitine on parameters of lipid- and nitrogen metabolism was studied during total parenteral nutrition of mini pigs (x: 4077; n = 9). The infusion protocol was divided into isocaloric and isonitrogenous 48-hour-periods. Amino acids (3 g/kg/day) were administered throughout all three periods. 140 Cal/kg/day were given as non-protein calories, consisting only of glucose during period 1. During periods 2 and 3 an amount of glucose calorically equivalent to 4 g fat/kg/day was substituted with a lipid emulsion. In period 3, L-carnitine (1,5 mg/kg/day) was added. During the entire regime key parameters of fat and nitrogen metabolism were determined. During all three periods indirect calorimetry was performed and the respiratory quotient calculated. The results demonstrate a more effective lipolysis and oxydation of fatty acids during L-carnitine supplementation. This results in an increased energy gain from exogenously administered fat and a distinct improvement of nitrogen balance.

Long-term studies with the Ariel-5 asm. 1: Her X-1, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3. [periodic variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, S. S.; Kaluzienski, L. J.; Boldt, E. A.; Serlemitsos, P. J.

1978-01-01

Twelve hundred days of 3-6 keV X-ray data from Her X-1, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3 accumulated with the Ariel-5 all-sky monitor are interrogated. The binary periodicities of all three can be clearly observed, as can the approximately 35-d variation of Her X-1, for which we can refine the period to 34.875 plus or minus .030-d. No such longer-term periodicity less than 200-d is observed from Vela X-1. The 26.6-d low-state recurrence period for Cen X-3 previously suggested is not observed, but a 43.0-d candidate periodicity is found which may be consistent with the precession of an accretion disk in that system. The present results are illustrative of the long-term studies which can be performed on approximately 50 sources over a temporal base which will ultimately extend to at least 1800 days.

Changes in Case-Mix and Health Outcomes of Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries and Managed Care Enrollees During the Years 1992-2011.

PubMed

Koroukian, Siran M; Basu, Jayasree; Schiltz, Nicholas K; Navale, Suparna; Bakaki, Paul M; Warner, David F; Dor, Avi; Given, Charles W; Stange, Kurt C

2018-01-01

Recent studies suggest that managed care enrollees (MCEs) and fee-for-service beneficiaries (FFSBs) have become similar in case-mix over time; but comparisons of health outcomes have yielded mixed results. To examine changes in differentials between MCEs and FFSBs both in case-mix and health outcomes over time. Temporal study of the linked Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Medicare data, comparing case-mix and health outcomes between MCEs and FFSBs across 3 time periods: 1992-1998, 1999-2004, and 2005-2011. We used multivariable analysis, stratified by, and pooled across the study periods. The unit of analysis was the person-wave (n=167,204). HRS participants who were also enrolled in Medicare. Outcome measures included self-reported fair/poor health, 2-year self-rated worse health, and 2-year mortality. Our main covariate was a composite measure of multimorbidity (MM), MM0-MM3, defined as the co-occurrence of chronic conditions, functional limitations, and/or geriatric syndromes. The case-mix differential between MCEs and FFSBs persisted over time. Results from multivariable models on the pooled data and incorporating interaction terms between managed care status and study period indicated that MCEs and FFSBs were as likely to die within 2 years from the HRS interview (P=0.073). This likelihood remained unchanged across the study periods. However, MCEs were more likely than FFSBs to report fair/poor health in the third study period (change in probability for the interaction term: 0.024, P=0.008), but less likely to rate their health worse in the last 2 years, albeit at borderline significance (change in probability: -0.021, P=0.059). Despite the persistence of selection bias, the differential in self-reported fair/poor status between MCEs and FFSBs seems to be closing over time.

Prevalence of low back pain in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Low back pain (LBP) is common in children and adolescents, and it is becoming a public health concern. In recent years there has been a considerable increase in research studies that examine the prevalence of LBP in this population, but studies exhibit great variability in the prevalence rates reported. The purpose of this research was to examine, by means of a meta-analytic investigation, the prevalence rates of LBP in children and adolescents. Methods Studies were located from computerized databases (ISI Web of Knowledge, MedLine, PEDro, IME, LILACS, and CINAHL) and other sources. The search period extended to April 2011. To be included in the meta-analysis, studies had to report a prevalence rate (whether point, period or lifetime prevalence) of LBP in children and/or adolescents (≤ 18 years old). Two independent researchers coded the moderator variables of the studies, and extracted the prevalence rates. Separate meta-analyses were carried out for the different types of prevalence in order to avoid dependence problems. In each meta-analysis, a random-effects model was assumed to carry out the statistical analyses. Results A total of 59 articles fulfilled the selection criteria. The mean point prevalence obtained from 10 studies was 0.120 (95% CI: 0.09 and 0.159). The mean period prevalence at 12 months obtained from 13 studies was 0.336 (95% CI: 0.269 and 0.410), whereas the mean period prevalence at one week obtained from six studies was 0.177 (95% CI: 0.124 and 0.247). The mean lifetime prevalence obtained from 30 studies was 0.399 (95% CI: 0.342 and 0.459). Lifetime prevalence exhibited a positive, statistically significant relationship with the mean age of the participants in the samples and with the publication year of the studies. Conclusions The most recent studies showed higher prevalence rates than the oldest ones, and studies with a better methodology exhibited higher lifetime prevalence rates than studies that were methodologically poor. Future studies should report more information regarding the definition of LBP and there is a need to improve the methodological quality of studies. PMID:23351394

The Relationship of Mental Pressure with Optimism and Academic Achievement Motivation among Second Grade Male High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarouni, Ali Sedigh; Jenaabadi, Hossein; Pourghaz, Abdulwahab

2016-01-01

The present study aimed to examine the relationship of mental pressure with optimism and academic achievement motivation among second grade second period male high school students. This study followed a descriptive-correlational method. The sample included 200 second grade second period male high school students in Sooran. Data collection tools in…

A Test of the Agenda-Setting Power of the Black Periodical Press: 1974-1982.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherry, Dianne Lynne

Defining agenda-setting as the ability of the mass media to influence the level of the public's awareness and perceptions of political issues, a study was conducted to examine the agenda-setting power of the black periodical press in the United States. Survey responses collected by the University of Michigan Center for Political Studies were…

American Influencies in Brazilian Physical Education: Clues in the Specialised Periodical Press (1932-1950)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Omar; Neto, Amarílio Ferreira; da Silva Mello, André; dos Santos, Wagner; Votre, Sebastião Josué; Assunção, Wallace Rocha

2016-01-01

This study investigates the American presence and influences in the physical education press to understand the way in which that presence influenced and contributed to the production of a sports culture in the first half of the twentieth century. As historical sources, the study uses periodicals in the field that were published in the period…

Prescribed fire effects on the herbaceous layer of mixed-oak forests

Treesearch

Todd F. Hutchinson; Ralph E.J. Boerner; Steve Sutherland; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland; Marilyn Ortt; Louis R. Iverson; Louis R. Iverson

2005-01-01

In 1994, a multidisciplinary project was established to study the effects of prescribed fire on oak forests in southern Ohio. Here we describe the herbaceous layer response to fires over a 5-year period. In four study sites, treatments imposed were unburned, periodic (1996 and 1999), and annual (1996-1999) fires. Sample plots (n = 108) were stratified by an integrated...

The Press and Government Restriction: A 13-Year Update of a Cross-National Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, David H.; Buddenbaum, Judith M.

In 1974, David H. Weaver used path analysis with data from 137 countries during four periods between 1950 and 1966 to test relationships between government control of the press and six other societal characteristics. The present study, which extended the time period of the original analysis by adding recently available data from 1979, constructed…

Publication Patterns of U.S. Academic Librarians and Libraries from 2003 to 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blecic, Deborah D.; Wiberley, Stephen E., Jr.; De Groote, Sandra L.; Cullars, John; Shultz, Mary; Chan, Vivian

2017-01-01

This study investigated contributions to the peer-reviewed library and information science (LIS) journal literature by U.S. academic librarian (USAL) authors over a ten-year period (2003-2012). The results were compared to those of two previous five-year studies that covered the time periods of 1993-1997 and 1998-2002 to examine longitudinal…

Challenge Study: A Project-Based Learning on a Wireless Communication System at Technical High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terasawa, Ikuo

2016-01-01

The challenge study is a project based learning curriculum at Technical High School aimed at the construction of a wireless communication system. The first period was engineering issues in the construction of an artificial satellite and the second period was a positional locating system based on the general purpose wire-less device--ZigBee device.…

Academic Performance of Students during Transition Period before Choice of Disciplines in Nigeria Certificate in Education (Technical) Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amasuomo, Japo Oweikeye

2015-01-01

The study examined the academic performance of students in the compulsory courses in technical education during the transition period of first and second years of three years Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Technical programme before choosing their disciplines in the third year. The study comprised of 237 students that consisted of…

The Nature of Argumentation in School Mathematics and Physics Texts: The Case of Periodicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triantafillou, Chrissavgi; Spiliotopoulou, Vasiliki; Potari, Despina

2016-01-01

The present study explores reasoning and argumentation in Greek mathematics and physics texts in specific topics related to the notion of periodicity. In our study, argumentation is taken as the sequence of the modes of reasoning (MsoR) that an author develops in a text when organizing and presenting new knowledge. Inductive content analysis was…

An Overview of Intervention Options for Promoting Adaptive Behavior of Persons with Acquired Brain Injury and Minimally Conscious State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Bosco, Andrea; Belardinelli, Marta Olivetti; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff

2010-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the studies directed at helping post-coma persons with minimally conscious state improve their adaptive behavior. Twenty-one studies were identified for the 2000-2010 period (i.e., a period in which an intense debate has occurred about diagnostic, rehabilitative, prognostic, and ethical issues concerning people…

47 CFR 61.38 - Supporting information to be submitted with letters of transmittal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... for the estimates. (i) A cost of service study for all elements for the most recent 12 month period... whose gross annual revenues exceed $500,000 for the most recent 12 month period of operations or are... 50,000 or fewer access lines in a given study area that are described as subset 3 carriers in § 69...

[Possibilities of magnetic-laser therapy in comprehensive treatment of patients with brain concussion in acute period].

PubMed

Zubkova, O V; Samosiuk, I Z; Polishchuk, O V; Shul'ga, N M; Samosiuk, N I

2012-01-01

The efficacy of magnetic-laser therapy used according to the method developed by us was studied in patients having the brain concussion (BC) in an acute period. The study was based on the dynamics of values of the evoked vestibular potentials and the disease clinical course. It was shown that following the magnetic-laser therapy in combination with traditional pharmacotherapy in BC acute period, the statistically significant positive changes were registered in the quantitative characteristics of the evoked vestibular brain potentials that correlated with the dynamics of the disease clinical course. The data obtained substantiate the possibility of using the magnetic-laser therapy in patients with a mild craniocereblal injury in an acute period.

Quasi-periodic oscillations in a symmetric general circulation model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goswami, B. N.; Shukla, J.

1984-01-01

Observational evidence has been presented for the existence of quasi-periodic fluctuations of the tropical circulation with periods around two weeks and around 40 days. It is expected that an understanding of the mechanisms of these quasi-periodic oscillations in the tropical atmosphere will improve the predictability of the short range climate fluctuations in the tropics. The present study evolved as an outgrowth of an investigation conducted by Goswami et al. (1984). In this investigation remarkable oscillations of the Hadlay circulation for an ocean covered earth were observed. In the current study evidence is presented regarding the episodic behavior of the tropical circulation in general, and the propagation characteristics of these oscillations in the lower atmosphere. Attention is given to the results of six different experiments.

Responsive upper limb and cognitive fatigue measures during light precision work: an 8-hour simulated micro-pipetting study.

PubMed

Yung, Marcus; Wells, Richard P

2017-07-01

Many contemporary occupations are characterised by long periods of low loads. These lower force levels, which are relevant to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, are usually not the focus of fatigue studies. In studies that did measure fatigue in light manual or precision work, within and between measurement responses were inconsistent. The aim of this study was to identify fatigue measures that were responsive at lower force levels (<10% MVC) over the course of an 8-h period. A complementary set of fatigue measures, reflecting both neuromuscular and cognitive mechanisms, was measured during a light precision micro-pipetting task performed by 11 participants. Nine measures were found to be significantly responsive over the 8-h period, including: ratings of perceived fatigue, postural tremor, blink frequency and critical flicker fusion frequency threshold. Common field measures, specifically electromyography RMS amplitude and maximum voluntary contractions, did not lead to extraordinary time effects. Practitioner summary: The findings provide insight towards the responsiveness of a complementary set of field usable fatigue measures at low work intensities Although commonly used measures did not reveal significant increases in fatigue, nine alternative measures were significantly responsive over the 8-h period.

Temporal trend studies on tetra- and pentabrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in guillemot egg from the Baltic Sea.

PubMed

Sellström, Ulla; Bignert, Anders; Kierkegaard, Amelie; Häggberg, Lisbeth; de Wit, Cynthia A; Olsson, Mats; Jansson, Bo

2003-12-15

Guillemot eggs from the Baltic Sea, sampled between 1969 and 2001, were analyzed for tetra- and pentabromodiphenyl ethers (2,2',4,4'-tetraBDE (BDE-47), 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE (BDE-99), and 2,2',4,4',6-pentaBDE (BDE-100)), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). This temporal trend study indicates that the concentrations of the polybrominated diphenyl ether compounds increased from the 1970s to the 1980s, peaking around the mid- to the late-1980s. These peaks are then followed by a rapid decrease in concentrations during the rest of the study period, with the concentrations of the major BDE congener below 100 ng/g lipid weight at the end of the period. This corresponds to less than 10% of its peak values. The concentrations of HBCD show a different pattern over time. After a peak in the middle of the 1970s followed by a decrease, the concentrations increased during the latter part of the 1980s. During the recent 10-yr period no significant change has occurred, and the annual mean concentrations are more or less stable at a higher level as compared to the beginning of the study period.

The life course model as a framework for post-conflict health analysis: reflections on the Gulf War critical period.

PubMed

Cange, Charles W

2016-01-01

In the Kuwait context, from January 1991 to December 1991, there were a series of chemical and psychological Gulf War-era exposures that left persistent, long-term damage. Extreme stress from a critical event speeds up the usual disease latency period, and may be part of a synergistic effect that leads to higher disease rates over a shorter period of time. I am interested in the impact of armed conflict on health outcomes over the life course in Kuwait, and particularly the pathways through which armed conflict causes changes in health on a population level. In this paper, I propose a culturally sensitive, post-conflict socio-ecological model that informs a three-pronged health study. I propose a macro-micro mix that includes an ecological study, a case-control study and a qualitative study to investigate Kuwait's post-conflict health concerns. Thus, I revise the concept of 'post-conflict health' as a trajectory that is mediated through different, complex social levels and develops over time during the latency period. The main advantage of a macro-micro mix approach for post-conflict health is that it contextualizes the Gulf War as an environmental health issue.

Effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum containing yoghurt on dental plaque bacteria in children.

PubMed

Caglar, Esber

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study is to determine the possible effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum DN-173 010 on dental plaque of children. 52 children (25 F and 27 M), between the ages of 8-10, participated in the present study. The study had a double blind, randomized crossover design and the experimental period consisted of four consecutive time periods. During periods 2 and 4 (2 weeks each), children consumed 110 g probiotic fruit yogurt (Bifidobacterium DN-173 010 (1 x 10(10) cfu/g)), or a placebo fruit yogurt per day. Available supragingival plaque (24 h later) was collected from teeth 16, 11, 36 and 31 at baseline and at the end of periods 2 and 4. The counts of dental plaque mutans streptococci (MS) were evaluated using Dentocult SM (Strep Mutans). Changes of pre- and post-treatment levels of dental plaque MS were recorded for four consecutive sampling sites. There were no statistically differences between transition scores of test and placebo groups regarding different dental plaque sampling sites (p > 0.05) (unpaired t-test). Within the limitations of the present study, Bifidobacterium bifidum DN-173 010 has no effect on dental plaque MS levels in children.

Influence of off-great-circle propagation of Rayleigh waves on event-based surface wave tomography in Northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Haopeng; Ni, Sidao; Chu, Risheng; Chong, Jiajun; Liu, Zhikun; Zhu, Liangbao

2018-05-01

Surface waves are generally assumed to propagate along great-circle paths in most surface-wave tomography. However, when lateral heterogeneity is strong, off-great-circle propagation may occur and deteriorate surface wave tomography results based on the great-circle assumption. In this study, we used teleseismic waveforms recorded by the NECESSArray in Northeast China to study off-great-circle propagation of Rayleigh waves using the beamforming method and evaluated the influence of off-great-circle propagation on event-based surface wave tomography. The results show that arrival angle anomalies generally increase with decreasing period. The arrival angle anomalies at 60 and 50 s periods are smaller than that at 40 and 30 s periods, which indicates that the off-great-circle propagation is relatively weak for longer periods. At 30 s period, the arrival angle anomalies are relatively larger and some of the measurements can exceed 20°, which represents a strong off-great-circle propagation effect. In some areas, the arrival angle anomalies of adjacent events differ significantly, which may be attributed to multipathing propagation of surface waves. To evaluate the influence of off-great-circle propagation on event-based surface wave tomography, we used measured arrival angle anomalies to correct two-station phase velocity measurements, and performed azimuthal anisotropy tomography using dispersion datasets with and without the arrival angle correction. At longer periods, such as 60 s, the influence of off-great-circle propagation on surface wave tomography is weak even though the corrected model has better data fit than the uncorrected model. However, the influence of off-great-circle propagation is non-negligible at short periods. The tomography results at 30 s period show that the differences in phase velocity, the strength of anisotropy and the fast direction can be as large as 1.5 per cent, 1.0 per cent and 30°, respectively. Furthermore, the corrected phase velocity is systematically lower than that without correction. This study illustrates the necessity of studying the off-great-circle propagation of surface waves to improve the accuracy of event-based surface wave tomography, especially for shorter periods.

On the origin of the mesospheric quasi-stationary planetary waves in the unusual Arctic winter 2015/2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthias, Vivien; Ern, Manfred

2018-04-01

The midwinter 2015/2016 was characterized by an unusually strong polar night jet (PNJ) and extraordinarily large stationary planetary wave (SPW) amplitudes in the subtropical mesosphere. The aim of this study is, therefore, to find the origin of these mesospheric SPWs in the midwinter 2015/2016 study period. The study duration is split into two periods: the first period runs from late December 2015 until early January 2016 (Period I), and the second period from early January until mid-January 2016 (Period II). While the SPW 1 dominates in the subtropical mesosphere in Period I, it is the SPW 2 that dominates in Period II. There are three possibilities explaining how SPWs can occur in the mesosphere: (1) they propagate upward from the stratosphere, (2) they are generated in situ by longitudinally variable gravity wave (GW) drag, or (3) they are generated in situ by barotropic and/or baroclinic instabilities. Using global satellite observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) the origin of the mesospheric SPWs is investigated for both time periods. We find that due to the strong PNJ the SPWs were not able to propagate upward into the mesosphere northward of 50° N but were deflected upward and equatorward into the subtropical mesosphere. We show that the SPWs observed in the subtropical mesosphere are the same SPWs as in the mid-latitudinal stratosphere. Simultaneously, we find evidence that the mesospheric SPWs in polar latitudes were generated in situ by longitudinally variable GW drag and that there is a mixture of in situ generation by longitudinally variable GW drag and by instabilities at mid-latitudes. Our results, based on observations, show that the abovementioned three mechanisms can act at the same time which confirms earlier model studies. Additionally, the possible contribution from, or impact of, unusually strong SPWs in the subtropical mesosphere to the disruption of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the same winter is discussed.

Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter during Specific Gestational Periods Produces Adverse Obstetric Consequences in Mice

PubMed Central

Blum, Jason L.; Chen, Lung-Chi

2017-01-01

Background: Epidemiological studies associate inhalation of fine-sized particulate matter (PM2.5) during pregnancy with preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) but disagree over which time frames are most sensitive, or if effects are cumulative. Objectives: Our objective was to provide experimental plausibility for epidemiological observations by testing the hypothesis that exposure to PM2.5 during discrete periods of pregnancy results in PTB and LBW. Methods: For the first study, timed-pregnant B6C3F1 mice were exposed to concentrated ambient PM2.5 (CAPs) or filtered air (FA) throughout pregnancy [6 h/d from gestational day (GD) 0.5 through GD16.5]. A follow-up study examined the effects of CAPs exposure during discrete gestational periods (1: GD0.5–5.5; 2: GD6.5–14.5; 3: GD14.5–16.5; 4: GD0.5–16.5) aligning to milestones during human development. Results: In the first experiment, exposure to 160 μg CAPs/m3 throughout pregnancy decreased gestational term by 0.5 d (∼1.1  wk decrease for humans) and birth weight by 11.4% compared with FA. The follow-up experiment investigated timing of CAPs exposure (mean concentrations at 178, 193, 171, and 173 μg/m3 for periods 1–4, respectively). Pregnancy was significantly shortened (vs. FA) by ∼0.4d when exposure occurred during gestational periods 2 and 4, and by ∼0.5d if exposure occurred during period 3. Exposure during periods 1, 2, and 4 reduced birth weight by ∼10% compared with FA, and placental weight was reduced (∼8%) on GD17.5 if exposure occurred only during period 3. Conclusions: Adverse PM2.5-induced outcomes such as PTB and LBW are dependent upon the periods of maternal exposure. The results of these experimental studies could contribute significantly to air pollution policy decisions in the future. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1029 PMID:28893721

Factors Associated with School Lunch Consumption: Reverse Recess and School "Brunch".

PubMed

Chapman, Leah Elizabeth; Cohen, Juliana; Canterberry, Melanie; Carton, Thomas W

2017-09-01

While school foods have become healthier under the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, research suggests there is still substantial food waste in cafeterias. It is therefore necessary to study factors that can impact food consumption, including holding recess before lunch ("reverse recess") and starting lunch periods very early or very late. This study examined the association between the timing of recess (pre-lunch vs post-lunch recess), the timing of the lunch period, and food consumed by students at lunch. We conducted a secondary data analysis from a repeated cross-sectional design. An 8-week plate waste study examining 20,183 trays of food was conducted in New Orleans, LA, in 2014. The study involved 1,036 fourth- and fifth-grade students from eight public schools. We measured percent of entrées, fruit, vegetables, and milk consumed by students at lunch. We used mixed-model analyses, controlling for student sex, grade, and the timing of the lunch period, and examined the association between reverse recess and student lunch consumption. Mixed-model analyses controlling for student sex, grade, and recess status examined whether the timing of the lunch period was associated with student lunch consumption. On average, students with reverse recess consumed 5.1% more of their fruit than students with post-lunch recess (P=0.009), but there were no significant differences in entrées, vegetables, or milk intake. Compared to students with "midday" lunch periods, on average students with "early" lunch periods consumed 5.8% less of their entrées (P<0.001) and 4.5% less of their milk (P=0.047). Students with "late" lunch periods consumed 13.8% less of their entrées (P<0.001) and 15.9% less of their fruit (P<0.001). Reverse recess was associated with increased fruit consumption. "Early" lunch periods were associated with decreased entrée and milk consumption, and "late" lunch periods were associated with decreased entrée and fruit consumption. Additional research is recommended to determine whether these associations are causal. Copyright © 2017 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parametric nonfeedback resonance in period doubling systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisarchik, A. N.; Corbalán, R.

1999-02-01

Slow periodic modulation of a control parameter in a period doubling system leads to an interaction between stable and unstable periodic orbits. This causes a resonance in the system response at the modulation frequency. The conditions for this resonance are studied through numerical simulations of quadratic map and laser equations. The results are confirmed by experiments in a CO2 laser with modulated losses.

Dry period management and optimization of post-partum reproductive management in dairy cattle.

PubMed

Gumen, A; Keskin, A; Yilmazbas-Mecitoglu, G; Karakaya, E; Wiltbank, Mc

2011-09-01

Dry period and early post-partum management are decisive factors for fertility in lactating dairy cows. Previous studies have shown that decreased dry matter intake (DMI) and increased non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) negatively affect fertility and subsequent milk production. The traditional dry period decreases DMI prior to parturition, resulting in a decrease in energy intake. A negative energy balance increases NEFA concentration, and increased NEFA may impair the immune system, especially by decreasing neutrophil function prior to parturition. Earlier studies have shown that post-partum health disorders, including retained placenta and metritis, were correlated with periparturient neutrophil function. In addition, decreased DMI is also linked to a reduced body condition score (BCS) in dairy cows. These events in the periparturient period negatively affect fertility. Some manipulation, such as shortening the dry period, may be a solution to increased DMI in the periparturient period, preventing post-partum disorders and subsequent fertility issues. This article aims to explain the effects of shortening the dry period on reproduction and early post-partum treatments to improve fertility. In addition, timed artificial insemination protocols will be discussed for use during the post-partum period to improve fertility in dairy cows. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Mortality From Ischemic Heart Disease in Southern Spain.

PubMed

Ocaña-Riola, Ricardo; Mayoral-Cortés, José María; Fernández-Ajuria, Alberto; Sánchez-Cantalejo, Carmen; Martín-Olmedo, Piedad; Blanco-Reina, Encarnación

2015-05-01

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death and one of the top 4 causes of burden of disease worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate age-period-cohort effects on mortality from ischemic heart disease in Andalusia (southern Spain) and in each of its 8 provinces during the period 1981-2008. A population-based ecological study was conducted. In all, 145 539 deaths from ischemic heart disease were analyzed for individuals aged between 30 and 84 years who died in Andalusia in the study period. A nonlinear regression model was estimated for each sex and geographical area using spline functions. There was an upward trend in male and female mortality rate by age from the age of 30 years. The risk of death for men and women showed a downward trend for cohorts born after 1920, decreasing after 1960 with a steep slope among men. Analysis of the period effect showed that male and female death risk first remained steady from 1981 to 1990 and then increased between 1990 and 2000, only to decrease again until 2008. There were similar age-period-cohort effects on mortality in all the provinces of Andalusia and for Andalusia as a whole. If the observed cohort and period effects persist, male and female mortality from ischemic heart disease will continue to decline. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Publication Rate of Podium Presentations From the North American Spine Society Annual Meetings.

PubMed

Raudenbush, Brandon; Frost, Chelsea; Okafor, Richard; Chen, Chongshu; Qui, Xing; Mesfin, Addisu

2018-05-01

Observational study. To determine the publication rate of podium presentations from the North American Spine Society (NASS) annual meetings from the years 2009 to 2011. In April 2015, a PubMed search was conducted using titles from the paper presentations as well as the authors. Of the search results that were found, the specific scientific journal in which the article was published was recorded. We analyzed further the top 4 destination journals and trends in publications in these journals over the study period. No study funding was obtained for this research, and there are no potential conflicts of interest or associated biases. Over the study period, 671 paper presentations were available and 342 were published (51% publication rate). The highest publication rate was from the 2011 annual meeting, with 55.3%, and the lowest year was 2010, with a rate of 46.43%. Spine (32.75%), The Spine Journal (19.01%), Journal of Neurosurgery Spine (7.31%), and European Spine Journal (6.73%) were the top 4 destination journals. Over the study period, we found a significant decrease in publication rate in Spine ( P = .001) and a significant increase in publication rate in The Spine Journal ( P = .003). There were no significant difference in publication rate over the study period in Journal of Neurosurgery Spine ( P = .15) or European Spine Journal ( P = .23). This is the first study to our knowledge evaluating the publication rate of podium presentations from recent North American Spine Society annual meetings. We found an overall publication rate of 51%.

Mortality of Amur tigers: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

PubMed

Robinson, Hugh S; Goodrich, John M; Miquelle, Dale G; Miller, Clayton S; Seryodkin, Ivan V

2015-07-01

Poaching as well as loss of habitat and prey are identified as causes of tiger population declines. Although some studies have examined habitat requirements and prey availability, few studies have quantified cause-specific mortality of tigers. We used cumulative incidence functions (CIFs) to quantify cause-specific mortality rates of tigers, expanding and refining earlier studies to assess the potential impact of a newly emerging disease. To quantify changes in tiger mortality over time, we re-examined data first collected by Goodrich et al. (; study period 1: 1992-2004) as well as new telemetry data collected since January 2005 (study period 2: 2005-2012) using a total of 57 tigers (27 males and 30 females) monitored for an average of 747 days (range 26-4718 days). Across the entire study period (1992 to 2012) we found an estimated average annual survival rate of 0.75 for all tigers combined. Poaching was the primary cause of mortality during both study periods, followed by suspected poaching, distemper and natural/unknown causes. Since 2005, poaching mortality has remained relatively constant and, if combined with suspected poaching, may account for a loss of 17-19% of the population each year. Canine distemper virus (CDV) may be an additive form of mortality to the population, currently accounting for an additional 5%. Despite this relatively new source of mortality, poaching remains the main threat to Amur tiger survival and, therefore, population growth. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Direct solar-pumped iodine laser amplifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, K. S.

1986-01-01

During this period the parametric studies of the iodine laser oscillator pumped by a Vortek simulator were carried out before amplifier studies. The amplifier studies are postponed to the extended period after completing the parametric studies. In addition, the kinetic modeling of a solar-pumped iodine laser amplifier, and the experimental work for a solar pumped dye laser amplifier are in progress. This report contains three parts: (1) a 10 W CW iodine laser pumped by a Vortek solar simulator; (2) kinetic modeling to predict the time to lasing threshold, lasing time, and energy output of solar-pumped iodine laser; and (3) the study of the dye laser amplifier pumped by a Tamarack solar simulator.

[Surveillance of Neisseria meningitidis in Argentina, 1993-2005: distribution of serogroups, serotypes and serosubtypes isolated from invasive disease].

PubMed

Chiávetta, L; Chávez, E; Ruzic, A; Mollerach, M; Regueira, M

2007-01-01

Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of meningitis, bacteremia and septic shock syndrome. We herein present the distribution of serogroups, serotypes and serosubtypes of 2244 isolates of N. meningitidis from patients with meningitis or meningococcemia, received within the period 1993-2005, in the National Reference Laboratory, INEI-ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", from 33 Argentine hospitals that are included in a National Network devoted to for the study of bacterial meningitis. Between 1993-1995, serogroup B was prevalent (66%) whereas in the period from 1995-2001, serogroup C prevailed (65%). However, following but after that period, the prevalence of serogroup B was recovered. In the last 5 years of the studied period, the serogroups Y and W135 represented as a whole a 15.6% as a whole whereas up to the year 2000 during the first 6 years they accounted for it was of 4.7%. Higher diversity in the distribution of serotypes and serosubtypes was observed within serogroup B. The nonsubtypable isolates throughout the period of study represented the 52.8%, this high percentage demonstrates the limited capacity of the serotyping for the determination of meningococcal/meningococcus subtypes. of meningococco.

Analysis of the impact of crude oil price fluctuations on China's stock market in different periods-Based on time series network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Yang; Sun, Mei; Gao, Cuixia; Han, Dun; Li, Xiuming

2018-02-01

This paper studies the influence of Brent oil price fluctuations on the stock prices of China's two distinct blocks, namely, the petrochemical block and the electric equipment and new energy block, applying the Shannon entropy of information theory. The co-movement trend of crude oil price and stock prices is divided into different fluctuation patterns with the coarse-graining method. Then, the bivariate time series network model is established for the two blocks stock in five different periods. By joint analysis of the network-oriented metrics, the key modes and underlying evolutionary mechanisms were identified. The results show that the both networks have different fluctuation characteristics in different periods. Their co-movement patterns are clustered in some key modes and conversion intermediaries. The study not only reveals the lag effect of crude oil price fluctuations on the stock in Chinese industry blocks but also verifies the necessity of research on special periods, and suggests that the government should use different energy policies to stabilize market volatility in different periods. A new way is provided to study the unidirectional influence between multiple variables or complex time series.

Study of modeling aspects of long period fiber grating using three-layer fiber geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Amit

2015-03-01

The author studied and demonstrated the various modeling aspects of long period fiber grating (LPFG) such as the core effective index, cladding effective index, coupling coefficient, coupled mode theory, and transmission spectrum of the LPFG using three-layer fiber geometry. Actually, there are two different techniques used for theoretical modeling of the long period fiber grating. The first technique was used by Vengsarkar et al who described the phenomenon of long-period fiber gratings, and the second technique was reported by Erdogan who revealed the inaccuracies and shortcomings of the original method, thereby providing an accurate and updated alternative. The main difference between these two different approaches lies in their fiber geometry. Venserkar et al used two-layer fiber geometry which is simple but employs weakly guided approximation, whereas Erdogan used three-layer fiber geometry which is complex but also the most accurate technique for theoretical study of the LPFG. The author further discussed about the behavior of the transmission spectrum by altering different grating parameters such as the grating length, ultraviolet (UV) induced-index change, and grating period to achieve the desired flexibility. The author simulated the various results with the help of MATLAB.

Economic and Managerial Analysis of Effective Managerial Strategies on Prevention from Ketosis in Transition Period in Shahroud Commercial Dairy Farms

PubMed Central

Kashfi, H.; Yazdani, A. R.; Latifi, M.; Shirani Bidabadi, F.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research is to study any effects of managerial strategies on prevention of ketosis metabolic disorder in transition period in Shahroud commercial dairy farms. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared in order to obtain required information about the performance of these managerial strategies, performance costs, involvement situation with disorders relying upon clinical signs and treatment and health records, producing and economic situation, and fertility rate and its costs. The considered managerial guidelines include body condition score management or type evaluation in transition period, increase in dry matter intake close to parturition, using propylene glycol, using niacin, and high-quality feeding (the importance of feed quality) in transition period. Finally and upon arrangement of data, it was possible to study any effects of mentioned managerial strategies on related variants through multiple linear regressions. Furthermore, in order to study any relation among variables, we considered Pearson correlation coefficients as well. Finally, it was revealed that any application of managerial strategies for prevention from Ketosis in transition period has a significant effect in betterment of managerial and economic parameters. PMID:23738102

Study of the Mechanism of Liquid Slag Infiltration for Lubrication in Slab Continuous Casting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shaoda; Wang, Qiangqiang; He, Shengping; Wang, Qian

2018-04-01

Consistent and uniform lubrication of the solidifying shell, especially in the meniscus, is crucial for the smooth continuous casting operation and production of strands free of surface defects. Thus, the current study established a coupled model to study the inflow behavior of liquid slag to the mold-strand channel, taking the solidification of steel and slag and the periodic oscillation of mold into account. The difficulties and solutions for the simulation were described in detail. The predicted profiles of the slag rim and initial shell were in good agreement with the reports. The main results indicated that liquid slag could be squeezed out and back into the slag pool in a negative strip period while a large amount of liquid slag could infiltrate into the mold-strand channel. Thus, the amount of slag consumed in the negative strip period was relatively small compared with that in the positive strip period. The predicted variation of slag consumption during mold oscillation was periodic, and the average value was 0.274 kg/m2, which agreed well with the slag consumption in industrial practice. The current model can predict and optimize the oscillation parameters aiming at stable lubrication conditions.

The quality of quality of life publications in the spinal literature: are we getting any better?

PubMed

Street, John; Lenehan, Brian; Fisher, Charles

2009-11-01

Criteria for methodological quality have been widely accepted in many fields of surgical practice. These criteria include those of Velanovich and Gill and Feinstein. No such analysis of the spine surgery literature has ever been reported. This study is a systematic review of the quality of life (QOL) publications to determine if the recent interest in QOL measurements following spinal surgery has been accompanied by an improvement in the quality of the papers published. The archives of the journals Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Spine, Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques, European Spine Journal, and The Spine Journal, for the years 2000-2004 inclusive, were examined, and all publications reporting QOL outcomes were analyzed. Each paper was scored according to the criteria of Velanovich and Gill and Feinstein, and the methodological quality of these manuscripts-and any time-dependent changes-were determined. During the study period, the total number of articles published increased by 36%, while the number of QOL articles increased by 102%. According to the criteria of Velanovich, there was a statistically significant improvement in the quality of the publications over the study period (p = 0.0394). In 2000, only 27% of outcome measures were disease specific, 77% were valid, and 77% were appropriate for the study design. In 2004, 43% were disease specific, 88% were valid, and 89% were appropriate. In 2000, 53% of studies used appropriate statistical analysis compared with 100 and 96% for 2003 and 2004, respectively. There was no demonstrable improvement in the fulfillment of the more rigorous Gill and Feinstein criteria for any of the 5 journals over the period of the study. The authors' study illustrates a moderate improvement in the quality of these publications over the study period but much methodological improvement is required.

Prevalence of self-medication in the adult population of Brazil: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Domingues, Paulo Henrique Faria; Galvão, Taís Freire; de Andrade, Keitty Regina Cordeiro; de Sá, Pedro Terra Teles; Silva, Marcus Tolentino; Pereira, Mauricio Gomes

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of self-medication in Brazil’s adult population. METHODS Systematic review of cross-sectional population-based studies. The following databases were used: Medline, Embase, Scopus, ISI, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, CRD, Lilacs, SciELO, the Banco de teses brasileiras (Brazilian theses database) (Capes) and files from the Portal Domínio Público (Brazilian Public Domain). In addition, the reference lists from relevant studies were examined to identify potentially eligible articles. There were no applied restrictions in terms of the publication date, language or publication status. Data related to publication, population, methods and prevalence of self-medication were extracted by three independent researchers. Methodological quality was assessed following eight criteria related to sampling, measurement and presentation of results. The prevalences were measured from participants who used at least one medication during the recall period of the studies. RESULTS The literature screening identified 2,778 records, from which 12 were included for analysis. Most studies were conducted in the Southeastern region of Brazil, after 2000 and with a 15-day recall period. Only five studies achieved high methodological quality, of which one study had a 7-day recall period, in which the prevalence of self-medication was 22.9% (95%CI 14.6;33.9). The prevalence of self-medication in three studies of high methodological quality with a 15-day recall period was 35.0% (95%CI 29.0;40.0, I2 = 83.9%) in the adult Brazilian population. CONCLUSIONS Despite differences in the methodologies of the included studies, the results of this systematic review indicate that a significant proportion of the adult Brazilian population self-medicates. It is suggested that future research projects that assess self-medication in Brazil standardize their methods. PMID:26083944

Random-effects linear modeling and sample size tables for two special crossover designs of average bioequivalence studies: the four-period, two-sequence, two-formulation and six-period, three-sequence, three-formulation designs.

PubMed

Diaz, Francisco J; Berg, Michel J; Krebill, Ron; Welty, Timothy; Gidal, Barry E; Alloway, Rita; Privitera, Michael

2013-12-01

Due to concern and debate in the epilepsy medical community and to the current interest of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in revising approaches to the approval of generic drugs, the FDA is currently supporting ongoing bioequivalence studies of antiepileptic drugs, the EQUIGEN studies. During the design of these crossover studies, the researchers could not find commercial or non-commercial statistical software that quickly allowed computation of sample sizes for their designs, particularly software implementing the FDA requirement of using random-effects linear models for the analyses of bioequivalence studies. This article presents tables for sample-size evaluations of average bioequivalence studies based on the two crossover designs used in the EQUIGEN studies: the four-period, two-sequence, two-formulation design, and the six-period, three-sequence, three-formulation design. Sample-size computations assume that random-effects linear models are used in bioequivalence analyses with crossover designs. Random-effects linear models have been traditionally viewed by many pharmacologists and clinical researchers as just mathematical devices to analyze repeated-measures data. In contrast, a modern view of these models attributes an important mathematical role in theoretical formulations in personalized medicine to them, because these models not only have parameters that represent average patients, but also have parameters that represent individual patients. Moreover, the notation and language of random-effects linear models have evolved over the years. Thus, another goal of this article is to provide a presentation of the statistical modeling of data from bioequivalence studies that highlights the modern view of these models, with special emphasis on power analyses and sample-size computations.

Periodicity Analysis of X-ray Light Curves of SS 433

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun-yi; Lu, Xiang-long; Zhao, Qiu-wen; Dong, Dian-qiao; Lao, Bao-qiang; Lu, Yang; Wei, Yan-heng; Wu, Xiao-cong; An, Tao

2017-01-01

SS 433 is sofar the unique X-ray binary that has the simultaneously detected orbital period, super-orbital period, and nutation period, as well as a bidirectional spiral jet. The study on its X-ray light variability is helpful for understanding the dynamic process of the system, and the correlations between the different wavebands. In this paper, two time-series analysis techniques, i.e., the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet Z-transform, are employed to search for the periods in the Swift/BAT (Burst Alert Telescope) (15-50 keV) and RXTE/ASM (Rose X-ray Timing Explorer/All Sky Monitor) (1.5-3, 3- 4, and 5-12 keV) light curves of SS 433, and the Monte Carlo simulation is performed for the obtained periodical components. For the 15-50 keV energy band, five significant periodical components are detected, which are P1(∼6.29 d), P2 (∼6.54 d), P3 (∼13.08 d), P4 (∼81.50 d), and P5 (∼162.30 d). For the 3-5 and 5-12 keV energy bands, the periodical components P3 (∼13 d) and P5 (∼162 d) are detected in both energy bands. However, for the 1.5-3 keV energy band, no significant periodic signal is detected. P5 is the strongest periodic signal in the power spectrum for all the energy bands of 3-5, 5-12, and 15-50 keV, and it is consistent with the previous result obtained from the study of optical light curves. Furthermore, in combination with the radio spiral jet of SS 433, it is suggested that the X-ray and optical variability of P5 (∼162 d) is probably related to the precession of its relativistic jet. The high correlation between the X-ray and optical light curves may also imply that the X-ray and optical radiations are of the same physical origin. P3 shows a good agreement with the orbital period (∼13.07 d) obtained by the previous study, and P2 and P4 are respectively the high-frequency harmonics of P3 and P5. P1 is detected only in the power spectrum of the 15-50 keV energy band, and it is consistent with the nutation period of the system. As the energy of energy band decreases (from hard X-ray to soft X-ray), the number of detected periods becomes gradually less, this result verifies that the radiation in the high-energy band (hard X-ray) comes primarily from the jet, and the radiation in the low-energy band (soft X-ray) may be dominated by the medium around the binary system. The multiple X-ray periods obtained from the present study have provided a reliable basis for the further analysis of the multi-band data of SS 433, and the study on the dynamical mechanism of the system.

Increasing incidence of late-onset neonatal invasive group B streptococcal infections in Iceland.

PubMed

Óladóttir, Guđrún Lilja; Erlendsdóttir, Helga; Pálsson, Gestur; Björnsdóttir, Erla Soffía; Kristinsson, Karl G; Haraldsson, Ásgeir

2011-08-01

Group B streptococci (GBS) may cause life-threatening invasive infections in infants. The incidence of these infections has been increasing during the last decades. The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiology of neonatal GBS infections to be able to implement therapeutic and preventive measures more effectively. A retrospective case study was conducted in Iceland that included all neonates with positive GBS cultures from blood or cerebrospinal fluid during the period 1975 to 2006. Serotyping of all available GBS isolates was performed. A total of 87 children with 89 infections were included in the study. In all, 53 infants had early-onset (EO) GBS infections (occurring <7 days after birth) and 34 had late-onset (LO) infections (occurring on days 7-90). EO infections increased during the first 3 quartiles of the study period but decreased during the last quartile. LO infections increased throughout the entire study period. GBS was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid in 21 patients; 9 with EO and 12 with LO infections. Premature infants comprised 15 with EO and 14 with LO infections. Eight children died of GBS infection, 7 with EO and 1 with LO infections; no correlation with serotypes was found. Serotype III was most common for both EO (34%) and LO infections (62%). The number of GBS infections increased during the study period. The decrease in EO infections in recent years could be attributed to intrapartum antibiotic treatment. The increasing number of LO infections is a concern.

Survival of adult Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) may be linked to marine conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmutz, Joel A.

2014-01-01

Large variations in the summering population size of Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) have occurred in recent decades in Alaska. Little information exists about annual or seasonal survival rates of adult Red-throated Loons. This study used tracking data from satellite transmitters implanted into 33 Red-throated Loons captured on breeding areas in Alaska to estimate annual survival with the sampling effort split between two study periods: 2000–2002 and 2008–2010. Mortality was inferred from transmitted sensor data that indicated body temperature of the Red-throated Loon and voltage of the transmitter's battery. Two definitive mortalities occurred, resulting in an annual survival estimate of 0.920 (SE = 0.054). The fates of two additional Red-throated Loons were ambiguous and, when treated as mortalities, the annual survival estimate was 0.838 (SE = 0.074). All four putative mortalities occurred during the non-breeding season in the early study period. Oceanic conditions, indexed by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, appeared to differ between the study periods with higher Pacific Decadal Oscillation values associated with the early study period. Given that high values for Pacific Decadal Oscillation were also associated with the large decline of Red-throated Loons observed in Alaska during 1977–1993, this study suggests that survival of adult Red-throated Loons may vary in relation to the state of the marine ecosystem and thus contribute to long-term variation in population trends.

Provider Behavior Under Global Budgeting and Policy Responses

PubMed Central

Chang, Chao-Kai; Xirasagar, Sudha; Chen, Brian; Hussey, James R.; Wang, I-Jong; Chen, Jen-Chieh; Lian, Ie-Bin

2015-01-01

Third-party payer systems are consistently associated with health care cost escalation. Taiwan’s single-payer, universal coverage National Health Insurance (NHI) adopted global budgeting (GB) to achieve cost control. This study captures ophthalmologists’ response to GB, specifically service volume changes and service substitution between low-revenue and high-revenue services following GB implementation, the subsequent Bureau of NHI policy response, and the policy impact. De-identified eye clinic claims data for the years 2000, 2005, and 2007 were analyzed to study the changes in Simple Claim Form (SCF) claims versus Special Case Claims (SCCs). The 3 study years represent the pre-GB period, post-GB but prior to region-wise service cap implementation period, and the post-service cap period, respectively. Repeated measures multilevel regression analysis was used to study the changes adjusting for clinic characteristics and competition within each health care market. SCF service volume (low-revenue, fixed-price patient visits) remained constant throughout the study period, but SCCs (covering services involving variable provider effort and resource use with flexibility for discretionary billing) increased in 2005 with no further change in 2007. The latter is attributable to a 30% cap negotiated by the NHI Bureau with the ophthalmology association and enforced by the association. This study demonstrates that GB deployed with ongoing monitoring and timely policy responses that are designed in collaboration with professional stakeholders can contain costs in a health insurance–financed health care system. PMID:26324511

[Studies on the physical dependence liability of chlorphenesin carbamate (author's transl)].

PubMed

Sasajima, M; Tarumoto, Y; Aihara, H; Tanaka, Y; Saito, S

1977-05-01

Physical dependence liability of chlorphenesin carbamate (CPC) was studied in parallel with phenobarbital-Na (PB). Beagle dogs were used and the overall duration of the experiment was 85 days, i.e. the first dosing period was 42 dyas (6 weeks) in which drugs were repeatedly administered orally once daily, followed by a withdrawal period (7 days), the second dosing period was continued from the 50th-78th day in which the form and schedule of drug administration was as in the first dosing period. The last 79th to 85th days were used for substitution experiments. In both dosing periods, PB but not CPC showed signs of tolerance formation. Severe withdrawal syndrome was observed in PB administered dogs whereas there were no changes of behavior observed in CPC-dogs by withdrawal and substitution procedures, respectively. CPC apparently does not have a physical dependence liability.

Chemical Analysis through CL-Detection Assisted by Periodate Oxidation

PubMed Central

Evmiridis, Nicholaos P.; Vlessidis, Athanasios G.; Thanasoulias, Nicholas C.

2007-01-01

The progress of the research work of the author and his colleagues on the field of CL-emission generated by pyrogallol oxidation and further application for the direct determination of periodate and indirect or direct determination of other compounds through flow-injection manifold/CL-detection set up is described. The instrumentation used for these studies was a simple flow-injection manifold that provides good reproducibility, coupled to a red sensitive photomultiplier that gives sensitive CL-detection. In addition, recent reports on studies and analytical methods based on CL-emission generated by periodate oxidation by other authors are included. PMID:17611611

Tidal Synchronization and Differential Rotation of Kepler Eclipsing Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lurie, John C.; Vyhmeister, Karl; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Adilia, Jamel; Chen, Andrea; Davenport, James R. A.; Jurić, Mario; Puig-Holzman, Michael; Weisenburger, Kolby L.

2017-12-01

Few observational constraints exist for the tidal synchronization rate of late-type stars, despite its fundamental role in binary evolution. We visually inspected the light curves of 2278 eclipsing binaries (EBs) from the Kepler Eclipsing Binary Catalog to identify those with starspot modulations, as well as other types of out-of-eclipse variability. We report rotation periods for 816 EBs with starspot modulations, and find that 79% of EBs with orbital periods of less than 10 days are synchronized. However, a population of short-period EBs exists, with rotation periods typically 13% slower than synchronous, which we attribute to the differential rotation of high-latitude starspots. At 10 days, there is a transition from predominantly circular, synchronized EBs to predominantly eccentric, pseudosynchronized EBs. This transition period is in good agreement with the predicted and observed circularization period for Milky Way field binaries. At orbital periods greater than about 30 days, the amount of tidal synchronization decreases. We also report 12 previously unidentified candidate δ Scuti and γ Doradus pulsators, as well as a candidate RS CVn system with an evolved primary that exhibits starspot occultations. For short-period contact binaries, we observe a period-color relation and compare it to previous studies. As a whole, these results represent the largest homogeneous study of tidal synchronization of late-type stars.

Effect of periodic number of [Si/Sb80Te20]x multilayer film on its laser-induced crystallization studied by coherent phonon spectroscopy

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The periodic number dependence of the femtosecond laser-induced crystallization threshold of [Si(5nm)/Sb80Te20(5nm)]x nanocomposite multilayer films has been investigated by coherent phonon spectroscopy. Coherent optical phonon spectra show that femtosecond laser-irradiated crystallization threshold of the multilayer films relies obviously on the periodic number of the multilayer films and decreases with the increasing periodic number. The mechanism of the periodic number dependence is also studied. Possible mechanisms of reflectivity and thermal conductivity losses as well as the effect of the glass substrate are ruled out, while the remaining superlattice structure effect is ascribed to be responsible for the periodic number dependence. The sheet resistance of multilayer films versus a lattice temperature is measured and shows a similar periodic number dependence with one of the laser irradiation crystallization power threshold. In addition, the periodic number dependence of the crystallization temperature can be fitted well with an experiential formula obtained by considering coupling exchange interactions between adjacent layers in a superlattice. Those results provide us with the evidence to support our viewpoint. Our results show that the periodic number of multilayer films may become another controllable parameter in the design and parameter optimization of multilayer phase change films. PMID:23173850

Survivorship across the annual cycle of a migratory passerine, the willow flycatcher

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paxton, Eben H.; Durst, Scott L.; Sogge, Mark K.; Koronkiewicz, Thomas J.; Paxton, Kristina L.

2017-01-01

Annual survivorship in migratory birds is a product of survival across the different periods of the annual cycle (i.e. breeding, wintering, and migration), and may vary substantially among these periods. Determining which periods have the highest mortality, and thus are potentially limiting a population, is important especially for species of conservation concern. To estimate survival probabilities of the willow flycatcher Empidonax traillii in each of the different periods, we combined demographic data from a 10-year breeding season study with that from a 5-year wintering grounds study. Estimates of annual apparent survival for breeding and wintering periods were nearly identical (65–66%), as were estimates of monthly apparent survival for both breeding and wintering stationary periods (98–99%). Because flycatchers spend at least half the year on the wintering grounds, overall apparent survivorship was lower (88%) on the wintering grounds than on the breeding grounds (97%). The migratory period had the highest mortality rate, accounting for 62% of the estimated annual mortality even though it comprises only one quarter or less of the annual cycle. The migratory period in the willow flycatcher and many other neotropical migrants is poorly understood, and further research is needed to identify sources of mortality during this crucial period.

The PRCI study: design of a randomized clinical trial to evaluate a coping intervention for medical waiting periods used by women undergoing a fertility treatment.

PubMed

Ockhuijsen, Henrietta D L; van den Hoogen, Agnes; Macklon, Nickolas S; Boivin, Jacky

2013-09-03

Many medical situations necessitate a stressful period of waiting for potentially threatening test results. The medical waiting period is often associated with negative anticipatory anxiety and rumination about the outcome of treatment. Few evidence-based self-help coping interventions are available to assist individuals manage these periods. Theory and research suggest that positive reappraisal coping strategies may be particularly useful for this type of unpredictable and uncontrollable stressful context. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a Positive Reappraisal Coping Intervention (PRCI) on psychological well-being of women waiting for the outcome of their fertility treatment cycle. In a three-armed randomized controlled trial, the effectiveness of the PRCI will be tested. Consecutive patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation in a Dutch university hospital and meeting selection criteria will be invited to participate. Those who agree will be randomized to one of three experimental groups (N=372). The PRCI Intervention group will receive the intervention that comprises an explanatory leaflet and the 10 statements designed to promote positive reappraisal coping, to be read at least once in the morning, once in the evening. To capture the general impact of PRCI on psychological wellbeing patients will complete questionnaires before the waiting period (pre-intervention), on day ten of the 14-day waiting period (intervention) and six weeks after the start of the waiting period (post-intervention). To capture the specific effects of the PRCI during the waiting period, patients will also be asked to monitor daily their emotions and reactions during the 14-day waiting period. The primary outcome is general anxiety, measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcomes are positive and negative emotions during the waiting period, depression, quality of life, coping and treatment outcome. During recruitment for the RCT it was decided to add a fourth non-randomized group, a PRCI Control group that received the PRCI and completed the questionnaires but did not complete daily monitoring. Positive reappraisal is one of the few ways of coping that has been shown to be associated with increased wellbeing during unpredictable and uncontrollable situations like medical waiting periods. A simple evidence based self-help intervention could facilitate coping during this common medical situation. This RCT study will evaluate the value of a self-help coping intervention designed for medical waiting periods in women undergoing fertility treatment. The study is registered at the Clinical Tials.gov (NCT01701011).

Scabies increased the risk and severity of COPD: a nationwide population-based study

PubMed Central

Chen, Jung-Yueh; Liu, Jui-Ming; Chang, Fung-Wei; Chang, Hung; Cheng, Kuan-Chen; Yeh, Chia-Lun; Wei, Yu-Feng; Hsu, Ren-Jun

2016-01-01

Background Scabies is a common parasitic infectious disease, and COPD is a major pulmonary disease. However, there have been no previous studies that have investigated the relationship between scabies and COPD. Materials and methods This nationwide population-based study included a total of 3,568 patients with scabies as the study group and 14,255 patients as a control group. We followed up patients in both groups for a 5-year period to identify any new diagnoses of COPD. We then followed them up for an additional 2-year period to determine the severity of any newly diagnosed cases of COPD as indicated by acute respiratory events. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of COPD during the 5-year follow-up period and COPD complication during the additional 2-year follow-up period. Results Of the 17,823 patients in the study, 2,765 (15.5%) were newly diagnosed with COPD during the 5-year follow-up period; 904 (32.7%) were from the scabies group; and 1,861 (67.3%) were from the control group. Compared to the patients without scabies, the adjusted HR (aHR) for COPD for the subjects with scabies was 1.72 (95% CI: 1.59–1.87) during the 5-year follow-up period. For those newly diagnosed with COPD, the aHR for COPD with acute exacerbation was 1.85 (95% CI: 1.67–2.06), the aHR for COPD with pneumonia was 3.29 (95% CI: 2.77–3.92), the aHR for COPD with acute respiratory failure was 4.00 (95% CI: 3.08–5.19), and the aHR for COPD with cardiopulmonary arrest was 3.95 (95% CI: 2.25–6.95) during the additional 2-year follow-up period. Conclusion The results of this study indicate a 72% increased risk for COPD among patients with scabies. The results also reveal an increased risk of severe COPD complications such as acute respiratory failure, cardiopulmonary arrest, pneumonia, and acute exacerbation among patients with scabies. This useful information may help physicians in treating scabies and remaining alert to the potential development of COPD and its severe complications. PMID:27672322

Chronologically scheduled snacking with high-protein products within the habitual diet in type-2 diabetes patients leads to a fat mass loss: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Navas-Carretero, Santiago; Abete, Itziar; Zulet, M Angeles; Martínez, J Alfredo

2011-07-14

Obesity is the most relevant overnutrition disease worldwide and is associated to different metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Low glycemic load foods and diets and moderately high protein intake have been shown to reduce body weight and fat mass, exerting also beneficial effects on LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, postprandial glucose curve and HDL-cholesterol levels. The present study aimed at studying the potential functionality of a series of low glycemic index products with moderately high protein content, as possible coadjuvants in the control of type-2 diabetes and weight management following a chronologically planned snacking offer (morning and afternoon). The current trial followed a single group, sequential, longitudinal design, with two consecutive periods of 4 weeks each. A total of 17 volunteers participated in the study. The first period was a free living period, with volunteers' habitual ad libitum dietary pattern, while the second period was a free-living period with structured meal replacements at breakfast, morning snack and afternoon snack, which were exchanged by specific products with moderately high protein content and controlled low glycemic index, following a scheduled temporal consumption. Blood extractions were performed at the beginning and at the end of each period (free-living and intervention). Parameters analysed were: fasting glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, total-, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, C - reactive protein and Homocysteine concentrations. Postprandial glucose and insulin were also measured. Anthropometrical parameters were monitored each 2 weeks during the whole study. A modest but significant (p = 0.002) reduction on body weight (1 kg) was observed during the intervention period, mainly due to the fat mass loss (0.8 kg, p = 0.02). This weight reduction was observed without apparently associated changes in total energy intake. None of the biochemical biomarkers measured was altered throughout the whole study. Small changes in the habitual dietary recommendations in type-2 diabetes patients by the inclusion of specific low-glycemic, moderately high-protein products in breakfast, morning and afternoon snacks may promote body weight and fat-mass loss, without apparently altering biochemical parameters and cardiovascular risk-related factors. Trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT01264523.

Chronologically scheduled snacking with high-protein products within the habitual diet in type-2 diabetes patients leads to a fat mass loss: a longitudinal study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Obesity is the most relevant overnutrition disease worldwide and is associated to different metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Low glycemic load foods and diets and moderately high protein intake have been shown to reduce body weight and fat mass, exerting also beneficial effects on LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, postprandial glucose curve and HDL-cholesterol levels. The present study aimed at studying the potential functionality of a series of low glycemic index products with moderately high protein content, as possible coadjuvants in the control of type-2 diabetes and weight management following a chronologically planned snacking offer (morning and afternoon). Methods The current trial followed a single group, sequential, longitudinal design, with two consecutive periods of 4 weeks each. A total of 17 volunteers participated in the study. The first period was a free living period, with volunteers' habitual ad libitum dietary pattern, while the second period was a free-living period with structured meal replacements at breakfast, morning snack and afternoon snack, which were exchanged by specific products with moderately high protein content and controlled low glycemic index, following a scheduled temporal consumption. Blood extractions were performed at the beginning and at the end of each period (free-living and intervention). Parameters analysed were: fasting glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, total-, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, C - reactive protein and Homocysteine concentrations. Postprandial glucose and insulin were also measured. Anthropometrical parameters were monitored each 2 weeks during the whole study. Results A modest but significant (p = 0.002) reduction on body weight (1 kg) was observed during the intervention period, mainly due to the fat mass loss (0.8 kg, p = 0.02). This weight reduction was observed without apparently associated changes in total energy intake. None of the biochemical biomarkers measured was altered throughout the whole study. Conclusions Small changes in the habitual dietary recommendations in type-2 diabetes patients by the inclusion of specific low-glycemic, moderately high-protein products in breakfast, morning and afternoon snacks may promote body weight and fat-mass loss, without apparently altering biochemical parameters and cardiovascular risk-related factors. Trial Registration Trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT01264523. PMID:21756320

Influence of social support on cognitive change and mortality in old age: results from the prospective multicentre cohort study AgeCoDe

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Social support has been suggested to positively influence cognition and mortality in old age. However, this suggestion has been questioned due to inconsistent operationalisations of social support among studies and the small number of longitudinal studies available. This study aims to investigate the influence of perceived social support, understood as the emotional component of social support, on cognition and mortality in old age as part of a prospective longitudinal multicentre study in Germany. Methods A national subsample of 2,367 primary care patients was assessed twice over an observation period of 18 months regarding the influence of social support on cognitive function and mortality. Perceived social support was assessed using the 14-item version of the FSozU, which is a standardised and validated questionnaire of social support. Cognition was tested by the neuropsychological test battery of the Structured Interview for the Diagnosis of Dementia (SIDAM). The influence of perceived support on cognitive change was analysed by multivariate ANCOVA; mortality was analysed by multivariate logistic and cox regression. Results Sample cognitive change (N = 1,869): Mean age was 82.4 years (SD 3.3) at the beginning of the observation period, 65.9% were female, mean cognition was 49 (SD 4.4) in the SIDAM. Over the observation period cognitive function declined in 47.2% by a mean of 3.4 points. Sample mortality (N = 2,367): Mean age was 82.5 years (SD 3.4), 65.7% were female and 185 patients died during the observation period. Perceived social support showed no longitudinal association with cognitive change (F = 2.235; p = 0.135) and mortality (p = 0.332; CI 0.829-1.743). Conclusions Perceived social support did not influence cognition and mortality over an 18 months observation period. However, previous studies using different operationalisations of social support and longer observation periods indicate that such an influence may exist. This influence is rather small and the result of complex interaction mechanisms between different components of social support; the emotional component seems to have no or only a limited effect. Further research is needed to describe the complex interactions between components of social support. Longer observation periods are necessary and standardised operationalisations of social support should be applied. PMID:22433223

Influence of social support on cognitive change and mortality in old age: results from the prospective multicentre cohort study AgeCoDe.

PubMed

Eisele, Marion; Zimmermann, Thomas; Köhler, Mirjam; Wiese, Birgitt; Heser, Kathrin; Tebarth, Franziska; Weeg, Dagmar; Olbrich, Julia; Pentzek, Michael; Fuchs, Angela; Weyerer, Siegfried; Werle, Jochen; Leicht, Hanna; König, Hans-Helmut; Luppa, Melanie; Riedel-Heller, Steffi; Maier, Wolfgang; Scherer, Martin

2012-03-20

Social support has been suggested to positively influence cognition and mortality in old age. However, this suggestion has been questioned due to inconsistent operationalisations of social support among studies and the small number of longitudinal studies available. This study aims to investigate the influence of perceived social support, understood as the emotional component of social support, on cognition and mortality in old age as part of a prospective longitudinal multicentre study in Germany. A national subsample of 2,367 primary care patients was assessed twice over an observation period of 18 months regarding the influence of social support on cognitive function and mortality. Perceived social support was assessed using the 14-item version of the FSozU, which is a standardised and validated questionnaire of social support. Cognition was tested by the neuropsychological test battery of the Structured Interview for the Diagnosis of Dementia (SIDAM). The influence of perceived support on cognitive change was analysed by multivariate ANCOVA; mortality was analysed by multivariate logistic and cox regression. Sample cognitive change (N = 1,869): Mean age was 82.4 years (SD 3.3) at the beginning of the observation period, 65.9% were female, mean cognition was 49 (SD 4.4) in the SIDAM. Over the observation period cognitive function declined in 47.2% by a mean of 3.4 points. Sample mortality (N = 2,367): Mean age was 82.5 years (SD 3.4), 65.7% were female and 185 patients died during the observation period. Perceived social support showed no longitudinal association with cognitive change (F = 2.235; p = 0.135) and mortality (p = 0.332; CI 0.829-1.743). Perceived social support did not influence cognition and mortality over an 18 months observation period. However, previous studies using different operationalisations of social support and longer observation periods indicate that such an influence may exist. This influence is rather small and the result of complex interaction mechanisms between different components of social support; the emotional component seems to have no or only a limited effect. Further research is needed to describe the complex interactions between components of social support. Longer observation periods are necessary and standardised operationalisations of social support should be applied.

Differences in Mucociliary activity of volunteers undergoing Ramadan versus Nineveh fasting.

PubMed

Develioglu, Omer Necati; Sirazi, Sait; Topak, Murat; Purisa, Sevim; Kulekci, Mehmet

2013-05-01

This study, aimed to evaluate the difference in mucociliary clearance among volunteers who underwent Ramadan versus Nineveh fasting regimens as well as the difference between the fasting period and 4 weeks following the fasting period in both groups. In this study, two different fasting groups were established: Ramadan (fasting for an average of 15 h for 29 consecutive days, n = 40) and Nineveh (60 h of nonstop fasting, n = 26). Subjects in each group underwent saccharin testing twice: at the end of the fasting period prior to resumption of eating and at 4 weeks after the end of Ramadan or Nineveh fasting. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, Wilcoxon, Chi-square, and paired t test. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Forty subjects who underwent Ramadan fasting and 26 subjects who underwent Nineveh fasting were included in this study. Of the 66 study participants, 34 (51.5 %) were men and 32 (48.5 %) were women. Their median age was 31 years (range 17-70 years) for Nineveh fasting subjects and 40 years (range 17-70 years) for Ramadan fasting subjects. Chi-square tests revealed no significant difference between the Ramadan and Nineveh fasting groups in gender (p = 0.418), and the Mann-Whitney U-test showed no difference in age. A statistically significant difference was found in the mucociliary clearance time between the Nineveh fasting and non-fasting periods (p = 0.013). Using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, we found no significant difference in the mucociliary clearance time between the Ramadan fasting and control (4 weeks after the fasting period) periods (p = 0.121). The percentage difference between the fasting and control periods was similar between groups and was not statistically significant for the Ramadan and Nineveh fasting groups (p = 0.086). The results of the present study indicated that long-term fasting with hypohydration contributed to the deterioration of nasal mucociliary clearance. Our data indicate that optimal hydration, sleep patterns, and fasting times contribute to proper mucociliary clearance.

Decision support during electronic prescription to stem antibiotic overuse for acute respiratory infections: a long-term, quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Gifford, Jeneen; Vaeth, Elisabeth; Richards, Katherine; Siddiqui, Tariq; Gill, Christine; Wilson, Lucy; DeLisle, Sylvain

2017-07-31

Interventions to support decision-making can reduce inappropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections (ARI), but they may not be sustainable. The objective of the study is to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a clinical decision-support system (CDSS) interposed at the time of electronic (e-) prescriptions for selected antibiotics. This is a retrospective, observational intervention study, conducted within a large, statewide Veterans Affairs health system. Participants are outpatients with an initial visit for ARI. A CDSS was deployed upon e-prescription of selected antibiotics during the study period. From 01/2004 to 05/2006 (pre-withdrawal period), the CDSS targeted azithromycin and the fluoroquinolone gatifloxacin. From 05/2006 to 12/2011 (post-withdrawal period), the CDSS was retained for azithromycin but withdrawn for the fluoroquinolone. A manual record review was conducted to determine concordance of antibiotic prescription with ARI treatment guidelines. Of 1131 included ARI visits, 380 (33.6%) were guideline-concordant. For azithromycin, concordance did not change between the pre- and post-withdrawal periods, and adjusted odds of concordance was 8.8 for the full study period, compared to unrestricted antibiotics. For fluoroquinolones, guideline concordance decreased from 88.6% (39 of 44 visits) to 51.3% (59 of 115 visits), pre- vs. post-withdrawal periods (p < 0.005). The adjusted odds of concordance compared to "All Other Antibiotics" visits decreased from 24.4 (95% CI 9.0-66.3) pre-withdrawal to 5.5 (95% CI 3.5-8.8) post-withdrawal (p = .008). Concordance did not change between those same time periods for antibiotics that were never subjected to the intervention ("All Other Antibiotics"). A CDSS interposed at the time of e-prescription of selected antibiotics can shift their use toward ARI treatment guidelines, and this effect can be maintained over the long term as long as the CDSS remains in place. Removal of the CDSS after 3.5 years of implementation resulted in a rise in guideline-discordant antibiotic use.

A randomized controlled clinical study of the effect of daily intake of Ascophyllum nodosum alga on calculus, plaque, and gingivitis.

PubMed

van Dijken, Jan W V; Koistinen, S; Ramberg, Per

2015-07-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate, in a randomized controlled cross-over study, the effect of daily intake of the alga Ascophyllum nodosum on supragingival calculus, plaque formation, and gingival health over a 6-month period. Sixty-one adults with moderate to heavy calculus formation since their last yearly recall visit participated. In a randomized order over two 6-month periods, they swallowed two capsules daily, comprising a total of 500 mg dried marine alga powder (Ascophyllum nodosum, ProDen PlaqueOff®) or two negative control tablets. During the study, the participants maintained their regular oral habits. Their teeth were professionally cleaned at the start of each period and after the 6-month registrations. A wash out period of 1 month separated the two 6-month periods. Supragingival calculus (Volpe Manhold), gingivitis (Löe and Silness), gingival bleeding (Ainamo and Bay), and plaque (Quigley-Hein) were registered at screening and at the end of the two periods. Differences in oral health between the test and control periods were analyzed using a paired t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Fifty-five participants completed the study. After the alga intake, the mean calculus reduction was 52% compared to the control (p < 0.0001). Fifty-two participants showed less calculus formation in the alga group than in the control group. Plaque (p = 0.008) and gingival bleeding (p = 0.02) were also significantly less in the alga group. However, no significant difference was found between the groups for gingivitis (p = 0.13). The alga intake significantly reduced the formation of supragingival calculus and plaque and occurrence of gingival bleeding. The alga has a systemic effect on oral health. Daily intake of the alga Ascophyllum nodosum as an adjunct to customary oral hygiene showed a major reduction of supragingival calculus formation and reduced plaque formation. In addition, the calculus in the alga group was characterized by a more porous and less solid structure and was easier to remove than the calculus in the control group.

Inception of the ‘endocarditis team’ is associated with improved survival in patients with infective endocarditis who are managed medically: findings from a before-and-after study

PubMed Central

Kaura, Amit; Byrne, Jonathan; Fife, Amanda; Deshpande, Ranjit; Baghai, Max; Gunning, Margaret; Whitaker, Donald; Monaghan, Mark; MacCarthy, Philip A; Wendler, Olaf; Dworakowski, Rafal

2017-01-01

Objective Despite improvements in its management, infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with poor survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary endocarditis team (ET), including a cardiologist, microbiologist and a cardiac surgeon, on the outcome of patients with acute IE according to medical or surgical treatment strategies. Methods We conducted an observational before-and-after study of 196 consecutive patients with definite IE, who were treated at a tertiary reference centre between 2009 and 2015. The study was divided into two periods: period 1, before the formation of the ET (n=101), and period 2, after the formation of the ET (n=95). The role of the ET included regular multidisciplinary team meetings to confirm diagnosis, inform the type and duration of antibiotic therapy and recommend early surgery, when indicated, according to European guidelines. Results The patient demographics and predisposing conditions for IE were comparable between the two study periods. In the time period following the introduction of the ET, there was a reduction in both the time to commencement of IE-specific antibiotic therapy (4.0±4.0 days vs 2.5±3.2 days; P=0.004) and the time from suspected IE to surgery (7.8±7.3 days vs 5.3±4.2 days; P=0.004). A 12-month Kaplan-Meier survival for patients managed medically was 42.9% in the pre-ET period and 66.7% in the post-ET period (P=0.03). The involvement of the ET was a significant independent predictor of 1-year survival in patients managed medically (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.87; P=0.03). Conclusions A standardised multidisciplinary team approach may lead to earlier diagnosis of IE, more appropriate individualised management strategies, expedited surgery, where indicated, and improved survival in those patients chosen for medical management, supporting the recent change in guidelines to recommend the use of a multidisciplinary team in the care of patients with IE. PMID:29344368

Recent trends in rainfall and temperature over North West India during 1871-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Rani; Mathur, Prasoon

2018-03-01

Rainfall and temperature are the most important environmental factors influencing crop growth, development, and yield. The northwestern (NW) part of India is one of the main regions of food grain production of the country. It comprises of six meteorological subdivisions (Haryana, Punjab, West Rajasthan, East Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu). In this study, attempts were made to study variability and trends in rainfall and temperature during 30-year climate normal periods (CN) and 10-year decadal excess or deficit rainfall frequency during the historical period from 1871 to 2016. The Mann-Kendall and Spearman's rank correlation (Spearman's rho) tests were used to determine significance of trends. Least square linear fitting method was adopted to find out the slopes of the trend lines. The long-term mean annual rainfall over North West India is 587.7 mm (standard deviation of 153.0 mm and coefficient of variation 26.0). There was increasing trend in minimum and maximum temperatures during post monsoon season in entire study period and current climate normal period (1991-2016) due to which the sowing of rabi season crops may be delayed and there may be germination problem too. There was a non-significant decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season and an increasing trend in rainfall during post monsoon over North West India during entire study period. During current CN5 (1991-2016), all the subdivision (except the Saurashtra region) showed a decreasing trend in rainfall during monsoon season which is a matter of concern for kharif crops and those rabi crops which are grown as rainfed on conserved soil moisture. The decadal annual and seasonal frequencies of excess and deficit years results revealed that the annual total deficit rainfall years (24) exceeded total excess rainfall years (22) in North West India during the entire study period. While during the current decadal period (2011 to 2016), single year was the excess year and 2 years were deficit rainfall years in all subdivisions (except East Rajasthan) on annual basis.

The Cost of Relapse in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Pennington, Mark; McCrone, Paul

2017-09-01

Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating mental illness characterised by periods of relapse that require resource intensive management. Quantifying the cost of relapse is central to the evaluation of the cost effectiveness of treating schizophrenia. We aimed to undertake a comprehensive search of the available literature on the cost of relapse. We performed a search on multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and Health Management Information Consortium) for any study reporting a cost of relapse or data from which such a cost could be calculated. Costs are reported in 2015 international dollars. We found 16 studies reporting costs associated with relapse over a defined period of time and identified a cost associated with hospitalisation for relapse in 43 studies. Eight clinical decision analyses also provided cost estimates. Studies from the US report excess costs of relapse of $6033-$32,753 (2015 Purchasing Power Parity dollars [PPP$]) over periods of 12-15 months. European studies report excess costs of $8665-$18,676 (2015 PPP$) over periods of 6-12 months. Estimates of the cost of hospitalisation for relapse are more diverse, and associated with marked differences in typical length of stay across jurisdictions. Wide ranges in the estimated cost of relapse may reflect differences in sample section and relapse definition as well as practice styles and differences in resource costs. Selection of the most appropriate cost estimate should be guided by the definition of relapse and the analysis setting.

A Pilot Study of the Normative Range of Overnight Urinary Free Cortisol Corrected for Creatinine in Children.

PubMed

Wolthers, Ole D; Mersmann, Sabine; Dissanayake, Sanjeeva

2018-04-01

For more than a decade, urinary free cortisol corrected for creatinine (OUFCC) has been used to assess the systemic bioactivity of inhaled corticosteroids in children with asthma. Paediatric normative ranges, however, have not been established. The aim of the present study was to define a preliminary range for OUFCC in Tanner stage 1 children. A post hoc analysis was performed of 26 Tanner stage one children (aged 5-11 years) with mild asthma only requiring prn (pro re nata) treatment with short-acting β 2 -agonists, who participated in a 3-way cross-over knemometry study. The study comprised a run-in, two washout periods and three treatment periods (2 weeks each). Urine was collected at the end of each period. A normative range was derived using the 95% prediction interval for the geometric mean OUFCC, calculated from run-in and washout periods. Twenty-six children contributed 41 OUFCC values. The geometric mean OUFCC was 9.0 nmol/mmol (95% PI: 3.6, 22.7 nmol/mmol). The OUFCC preliminary normative range was 3.6 to 22.7 nmol/mmol in Tanner stage one children. A larger study in healthy children is warranted to confirm these findings and to assess potential differences in OUFCC across developmental stages and age groups, and by gender and race. 2013-004719-32, CLINICALTRIALS. NCT02063139.

3-D Upper-Mantle Shear Velocity Model Beneath the Contiguous United States Based on Broadband Surface Wave from Ambient Seismic Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Jun; Chu, Risheng; Yang, Yingjie

2018-05-01

Ambient noise seismic tomography has been widely used to study crustal and upper-mantle shear velocity structures. Most studies, however, concentrate on short period (< 50 s) surface wave from ambient noise, while studies using long period surface wave from ambient noise are limited. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of using long-period surface wave from ambient noise to study the lithospheric structure on a continental scale. We use broadband Rayleigh wave phase velocities to obtain a 3-D V S structures beneath the contiguous United States at period band of 10-150 s. During the inversion, 1-D shear wave velocity profile is parameterized using B-spline at each grid point and is inverted with nonlinear Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. Then, a 3-D shear velocity model is constructed by assembling all the 1-D shear velocity profiles. Our model is overall consistent with existing models which are based on multiple datasets or data from earthquakes. Our model along with the other post-USArray models reveal lithosphere structures in the upper mantle, which are consistent with the geological tectonic background (e.g., the craton root and regional upwelling provinces). The model has comparable resolution on lithosphere structures compared with many published results and can be used for future detailed regional or continental studies and analysis.

Effects of a Gentle, Self-Administered Stimulation of Perineal Skin for Nocturia in Elderly Women: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Crossover Trial.

PubMed

Iimura, Kaori; Watanabe, Nobuhiro; Masunaga, Koichi; Miyazaki, Shogo; Hotta, Harumi; Kim, Hunkyung; Hisajima, Tatsuya; Takahashi, Hidenori; Kasuya, Yutaka

2016-01-01

Somatic afferent nerve stimuli are used for treating an overactive bladder (OAB), a major cause of nocturia in the elderly. Clinical evidence for this treatment is insufficient because of the lack of appropriate control stimuli. Recent studies on anesthetized animals show that gentle stimuli applied to perineal skin with a roller could inhibit micturition contractions depending on the roller's surface material. We examined the efficacy of gentle skin stimuli for treating nocturia. The study was a cross-over, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized clinical study using two rollers with different effects on micturition contractions. Participants were elderly women (79-89 years) with nocturia. Active (soft elastomer roller) or placebo (hard polystyrene roller) stimuli were applied to perineal skin by participants for 1 min at bedtime. A 3-day baseline assessment period was followed by 3-day stimulation and 4-day resting periods, after which the participants were subjected to other stimuli for another 3 days. The primary outcome was change in the frequency of nighttime urination, for which charts were maintained during each 3-day period. Twenty-four participants were randomized, of which 22 completed all study protocols. One participant discontinued treatment because of an adverse event (abdominal discomfort). In participants with OAB (n = 9), change from baseline in the mean frequency of urination per night during the active stimuli period (mean ± standard deviation, -0.74 ± 0.7 times) was significantly greater than that during placebo stimuli periods (-0.15 ± 0.8 times [p < 0.05]). In contrast, this difference was not observed in participants without OAB (n = 13). These results suggest that gentle perineal stimulation with an elastomer roller is effective for treating OAB-associated nocturia in elderly women. Here the limitation was a study period too short to assess changes in the quality of sleep and life. UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (CTR) UMIN000015809.

Evidence for localised HIV related micro-epidemics associated with the decentralised provision of antiretroviral treatment in rural South Africa: a spatio-temporal analysis of changing mortality patterns (2007-2010).

PubMed

Mee, Paul; Collinson, Mark A; Madhavan, Sangeetha; Root, Elisabeth Dowling; Tollman, Stephen M; Byass, Peter; Kahn, Kathleen

2014-06-01

In this study we analysed the spatial and temporal changes in patterns of mortality over a period when antiretroviral therapy (ART) was rolled out in a rural region of north-eastern South Africa. Previous studies have identified localised concentrated HIV related sub-epidemics and recommended that micro-level analyses be carried out in order to direct focused interventions. Data from an ongoing health and socio-demographic surveillance study was used in the analysis. The follow-up was divided into two periods, 2007-2008 and 2009-2010, representing the times immediately before and after the effects on mortality of the decentralised ART provision from a newly established local health centre would be expected to be evident. The study population at the start of the analysis was approximately 73 000 individuals. Data were aggregated by village and also using a 2 × 2 km grid. We identified villages, grid squares and regions in the site where mortality rates within each time period or rate ratios between the periods differed significantly from the overall trends. We used clustering techniques to identify cause-specific mortality hotspots. Comparing the two periods, there was a 30% decrease in age and gender standardised adult HIV-related and TB (HIV/TB) mortality with no change in mortality due to other causes. There was considerable spatial heterogeneity in the mortality patterns. Areas separated by 2 to 4 km with very different epidemic trajectories were identified. There was evidence that the impact of ART in reducing HIV/TB mortality was greatest in communities with higher mortality rates in the earlier period. This study shows the value of conducting high resolution spatial analyses in order to understand how local micro-epidemics contribute to changes seen over a wider area. Such analyses can support targeted interventions.

The Direct Assessment of Nonvertebral Fractures in Community Experience (DANCE) study: 2-year nonvertebral fragility fracture results.

PubMed

Silverman, S; Miller, P; Sebba, A; Weitz, M; Wan, X; Alam, J; Masica, D; Taylor, K A; Ruff, V A; Krohn, K

2013-08-01

This observational study evaluated the occurrence of nonvertebral fragility fractures (NVFX) in over 4,000 men and women with osteoporosis treated with teriparatide (TPTD). The incidence of new NVFX decreased for patients receiving TPTD treatment for greater than 6 months. No new significant safety findings were observed in this large trial. The Direct Assessment of Nonvertebral Fractures in Community Experience (DANCE) study evaluated the occurrence of NVFX in patients receiving TPTD for osteoporosis in a real-world setting. DANCE is a multicenter, prospective, observational trial that examined the long-term effectiveness of TPTD in men and women with osteoporosis whom study physicians judged to be suitable for TPTD therapy. Patients received 20 μg TPTD per day by subcutaneous injection for up to 24 months and were followed for 24 months after treatment cessation. The incidence of patients experiencing a new NVFX, defined as a fracture associated with low trauma, was evaluated during four 6-month periods in both the treatment and cessation phases with >0 to ≤6 months serving as the reference. We also observed the spectrum and occurrence of serious adverse events. Of the 4,167 patients enrolled, 4,085 took one or more doses of TPTD (safety population); 3,720 were included in the efficacy analysis. The incidence of patients experiencing a NVFX was 1.42, 0.91, 0.70, and 0.81 % for the four treatment periods, respectively, and 0.80, 0.68, 0.33, and 0.33 % for the four periods after treatment cessation. Differences for each period were statistically significant compared with the reference period (first 6-month interval, each p < 0.05). No new significant safety findings were observed. In this study, the incidence of NVFX decreased for patients receiving TPTD for all three treatment periods >6 months compared to 0 to ≤6 months, and this trend persisted throughout the cessation phase. TPTD was generally well tolerated.

Preliminary studies on haematological and plasmatic parameters in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) held under day/night temperature variations.

PubMed

Matias, Ana C; Ribeiro, Laura; Araujo, Ravi L; Pousão-Ferreira, Pedro

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate to what extent diel water temperature oscillations over a short period of time (41 h) affected haematologic and plasmatic parameters of gilthead sea bream. Sea bream juveniles (160 fish; 177.2 ± 20.9 g) were divided in two homogenous groups, experimental and control. The experimental group was exposed to water at 22.3 ± 0.6 °C between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. and to colder water from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. (temperature variation of 8.6 ± 0.3 °C) during 41h period, whereas for the control group, water temperature was maintained constant (22.4 ± 0.7 °C) for the same period. Fish were fed three times per day (10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.). Blood was collected from fish caudal veins (n = 6) at different time points (10 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. of the following day) from each group, for haematologic (haematocrit and haemoglobin) and plasmatic (glucose, cortisol, triglycerides and total protein) determinations. All parameters studied tended to vary throughout the study period, both for experimental and control groups. Significant differences were observed between the two groups for all the studied parameters at different sampling points. These differences were observed near the influence of the cold-water period or during the cooling-water period. Results suggested that colder water temperature cycles depressed fish metabolic activity and affected the levels of the analysed blood-circulating metabolites. Overall, results suggested that stress response was similar for experimental and control groups and that gilthead sea bream were able to cope with diel water temperature variations.

Dark chocolate and reduced snack consumption in mildly hypertensive adults: an intervention study.

PubMed

Koli, Raika; Köhler, Klaus; Tonteri, Elina; Peltonen, Juha; Tikkanen, Heikki; Fogelholm, Mikael

2015-08-22

Several studies have shown that cocoa and cocoa-containing foods have the potential to lower blood pressure and improve endothelial function. Most of the studies reporting the beneficial effects of dark chocolate on blood pressure have been short (≤ 4 weeks). The aim of the present 8-wks (weeks) study was to assess the effects of regular consumption of dark chocolate during a reduced snack consumption intervention on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in mildly hypertensive individuals. This was a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial involving 22 adults (8 women, 14 men), aged 33-64 y, BMI 27.7 ± 3.7 kg/m(2) with mild hypertension. During the intervention period (8-wks) the participants reduced the intake of habitual snacks and replaced them with dark chocolate (49 g/day). In the control period, they only reduced the snacks without any added chocolate. Data (blood lipid profile, glucose, insulin, 24 h blood pressure) was collected in the beginning and end of both periods (intervention and control), and some variables also in the run-in and run-out periods (weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure, arterial stiffness index, diet and physical activity). Daily consumption of dark chocolate had no effects on 24 h blood pressure, resting blood pressure (mean ± SD, pre 142 ± 11.5/89 ± 8.4 mmHg vs. post 142 ± 14.2/88 ± 9.4 mmHg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively) or arterial stiffness (mean ± SD, pre 7.68 ± 0.88 vs. post 7.76 ± 0.89). Weight was reduced by 1.0 ± 2.2 kg during the control (reduced snack only) period, but was unchanged while eating chocolate (p < 0.027 between the treatments). The data collected in this study indicates that inclusion of dark chocolate daily in the diet had no significant effects on blood pressure or other cardiovascular risk factors during a reduced snack period. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02130141.

Buying health: assessing the impact of a consumer-side vegetable subsidy on purchasing, consumption and waste.

PubMed

Smith-Drelich, Noah

2016-02-01

To measure the impact of a reimbursement-based consumer subsidy on vegetable expenditures, consumption and waste. Two-arm randomized controlled trial; two-week baseline observation period, three-week intervention period. Participants' vegetable expenditures, consumption and waste were monitored using receipts collection and through an FFQ. During the intervention period, the treatment group received reimbursement of up to 50 US dollars ($) for purchased vegetables. Participants were solicited from Palo Alto, CA, USA using materials advertising a 'consumer behavior study' and a small participation incentive. To prevent selection bias, solicitation materials did not describe the specific behaviour being evaluated. One hundred and fifty potential participants responded to the solicitations and 144 participants enrolled in the study; 138 participants completed all five weekly surveys. Accounting for the control group (n 69) and the two-week baseline period, the intervention significantly impacted the treatment group's (n 69) vegetable expenditures (+$8.16 (sd 2.67)/week, P<0.01), but not vegetable consumption (+1.3 (sd 1.2) servings/week, P=0.28) or waste (-0.23 (sd 1.2) servings/week, P=0.60). The consumer subsidy significantly increased participants' vegetable expenditures, but not consumption or waste, suggesting that this type of subsidy might not have the effects anticipated. Reimbursement-based consumer subsidies may therefore not be as useful a policy tool for impacting vegetable consumption as earlier studies have suggested. Moreover, moderation analysis revealed that the subsidy's effect on participants' vegetable expenditures was significant only in men. Additional research should seek to determine how far reaching gender-specific effects are in this context. Further research should also examine the effect of a similar consumer subsidy on high-risk populations and explore to what extent increases in participants' expenditures are due to the purchase of more expensive vegetables, purchasing of vegetables during the study period that were consumed outside the study period, or a shift from restaurant vegetable consumption to grocery vegetable consumption.

Periodic Limb Movements During Sleep: Population Prevalence, Clinical Correlates, and Racial Differences

PubMed Central

Scofield, Holly; Roth, Thomas; Drake, Christopher

2008-01-01

Study Objective: There is growing interest in the study of periodic limb movements during sleep and their potential clinical correlates. The aim of the present analysis is to address the lack of population-based studies using polysomnographic (PSG) measures to determine the prevalence of period limb movements during sleep in specific racial groups as well as the general population. Settings and participants: A community-based sample of 592 participants drawn from the general population of tricounty Detroit (mean age = 41.9 ± 12.6 years; 52.9% F; 31.5% African American). All individuals were assessed using objective and subjective measures in the sleep laboratory. Measurements: Participants were evaluated during a 24-h laboratory assessment, including a polysomnogram and multiple sleep latency test. Periodic leg movements were scored using standard criteria. Reports of sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness were also assessed using standardized measures including the Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (GSAQ) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: The overall prevalence of periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMSI >15) was 7.6%. African Americans had a lower prevalence of PLMSI >15 than Caucasians (4.3% vs. 9.3%; Χ2 = 4.5, P < 0.05). Regardless of race, symptoms of insomnia were significantly higher in individuals with PLMSI >15 than in those with PLMSI ≤15 (45% vs. 25%; Χ2 = 6.84, P < 0.01). Conclusion: This is the first study to determine the prevalence of PLMS in a population-based sample using standardized objective criteria. A key finding of the present study is that racial differences in this PSG parameter do exist, with African Americans being less likely to have elevated PLMS. Citation: Scofield H; Roth T; Drake C. Periodic limb movements during sleep: population prevalence, clinical correlates, and racial differences. SLEEP 2008;31(9):1221-1227. PMID:18788647

The changing epidemiology of open fractures in vehicle occupants, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.

PubMed

Winkler, Dennis; Goudie, Stuart T; Court-Brown, Charles M

2018-02-01

To investigate the changing epidemiology of open fractures in vehicle occupants, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. Data on all non-spinal open fractures admitted to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh after a road traffic accident between 1988 and 2010 were collected and analysed to provide information about the changing epidemiology in different patient groups. Demographic information was collected on all patients with the severity of injury being analysed with the Injury Severity Score (ISS), Musculoskeletal Index (MSI) and the number of open fractures. The severity of the open fractures was analysed using the Gustilo classification. The 23-year study period was divided into four shorter periods and the results were compared. There were 696 patients treated in 23 years. Analysis showed that the incidence of RTA open fractures initially fell in both males and females and continued to fall in females during the 23 years. In males it levelled off about 2000. The age of the female patients also fell during the study period but it did not change in males. The only patient group to show an increased incidence of open fractures were cyclists. In vehicle occupants the incidence fell throughout the study period but it levelled off in pedestrians and motorcyclists. There was no difference in the severity of injury in any group during the study period. The most severe open fractures were those of the distal femur and femoral diaphysis although open tibial diaphyseal fractures were the most common fracture in all patient groups. Improved car design and road safety legislation has resulted in a reduction in the incidence of open fractures in vehicle occupants, pedestrians and motorcyclists. The most obvious group to have benefitted from this are older female pedestrians. The only group to show an increase in age during the study period were male motorcyclists. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A 5-Year Follow-up Study on the Relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Sheu, Jau-Jiuan; Lee, Hsin-Chien; Lin, Herng-Ching; Kao, Li-Ting; Chung, Shiu-Dong

2015-12-15

Sleep disturbances are among the most common nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson disease. However, no large epidemiological data regarding the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and Parkinson disease have been reported. The goal of this study was to investigate the risk for Parkinson disease during a 5-y follow-up period after a diagnosis of OSA using a population-based dataset. The data for this retrospective longitudinal cohort study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. We identified 1,532 patients with OSA as the study cohort and randomly selected 7,660 patients as the comparison cohort. Each subject was individually followed up for a 5-y period to identify those in whom Parkinson disease subsequently developed. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed as a means of comparing the 5-y risk of subsequent Parkinson disease between the study cohort and comparison cohort. Of the 9,192 total patients, Parkinson disease developed in 0.73% during the 5-y follow-up period: 1.24% and 0.63% in the OSA and control cohorts, respectively. After censoring patients who died during the follow-up period and adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, the hazard ratio (HR) of Parkinson disease during the 5-y follow-up period for patients with OSA was 2.26 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-3.88) compared with comparison patients. In addition, among females, the adjusted HR of Parkinson disease was 3.54 (95% CI = 1.50-8.34) for patients with OSA compared to patients without OSA. However, among males, there was no significantly increased hazard of Parkinson disease for patients with OSA compared to those without OSA. Female patients with OSA were found to be at a significant risk of subsequent Parkinson disease during a 5-y follow-up period. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Butter increased total and LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil but resulted in higher HDL cholesterol compared with a habitual diet.

PubMed

Engel, Sara; Tholstrup, Tine

2015-08-01

Butter is known to have a cholesterol-raising effect and, therefore, has often been included as a negative control in dietary studies, whereas the effect of moderate butter intake has not been elucidated to our knowledge. We compared the effects of moderate butter intake, moderate olive oil intake, and a habitual diet on blood lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), glucose, and insulin. The study was a controlled, double-blinded, randomized 2 × 5-wk crossover dietary intervention study with a 14-d run-in period during which subjects consumed their habitual diets. The study included 47 healthy men and women (mean ± SD total cholesterol: 5.22 ± 0.90 mmol/L) who substituted a part of their habitual diets with 4.5% of energy from butter or refined olive oil. Study subjects were 70% women with a mean age and body mass index (in kg/m²) of 40.4 y and 23.5, respectively. Butter intake increased total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol more than did olive oil intake (P < 0.05) and the run-in period (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05, respectively) and increased HDL cholesterol compared with the run-in period (P < 0.05). No difference in effects was observed for triacylglycerol, hsCRP, insulin, and glucose concentrations. The intake of saturated fatty acids was significantly higher in the butter period than in the olive oil and run-in periods (P < 0.0001). Moderate intake of butter resulted in increases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared with the effects of olive oil intake and a habitual diet (run-in period). Furthermore, moderate butter intake was also followed by an increase in HDL cholesterol compared with the habitual diet. We conclude that hypercholesterolemic people should keep their consumption of butter to a minimum, whereas moderate butter intake may be considered part of the diet in the normocholesterolemic population. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Dietary Supplementation with Medium-Chain Triglycerides Reduces Candida Gastrointestinal Colonization in Preterm Infants.

PubMed

Arsenault, Amanda B; Gunsalus, Kearney T W; Laforce-Nesbitt, Sonia S; Przystac, Lynn; DeAngelis, Erik J; Hurley, Michaela E; Vorel, Ethan S; Tucker, Richard; Matthan, Nirupa R; Lichtenstein, Alice H; Kumamoto, Carol A; Bliss, Joseph M

2018-03-24

Candida is an important cause of infections in premature infants. Gastrointestinal colonization with Candida is a common site of entry for disseminated disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether a dietary supplement of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) reduces Candida colonization in preterm infants. Preterm infants with Candida colonization (n=12) receiving enteral feedings of either infant formula (n=5) or breastmilk (n=7) were randomized to MCT supplementation (n=8) or no supplementation (n=4). Daily stool samples were collected to determine fungal burden during a 3 week study period. Infants in the MCT group received supplementation during 1 week of the study period. The primary outcome was fungal burden during the supplementation period as compared to the periods before and after supplementation. Supplementation of MCT led to a marked increase in MCT intake relative to unsupplemented breast milk or formula as measured by capric acid content. In the treatment group, there was a significant reduction in fungal burden during the supplementation period as compared to the period before supplementation (RR = 0.15, p = 0.02), with a significant increase after supplementation was stopped (RR = 61, p < 0.001). Fungal burden in the control group did not show similar changes. Dietary supplementation with MCT may be an effective method to reduce Candida colonization in preterm infants.

Effects of periods of nonuse and fluctuating ammonia concentration on biofilter performance.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Xu; Yin, Jun; Wang, Kai-Xiong; Fang, Shi

2004-01-01

A systematic study on the transient behavior of odor treatment using biofilters is described. The biofilters were exposed to variations in contaminant loading and periods of nonuse. Two bench-scale biofilters with different filter media were used. Mixtures of compost/perlite (5:1) and dry sludge/granular active carbon (5:1) were used as filter media. Ammonia (NH3), one of the main malodorous gases, was used as the target compound. The response of each biofilter to variations in contaminant mass loading, periodic nonuse, water content, and inlet concentration pulse was studied. The nonuse period comprised of two stages: the "idle phase" when no air was passing through the biofilters, and the "no-contaminant-loading phase" when only humidified air was passing through the biofilters. Concentration spike was applied to study the effects of shock loading on the biofilter performance. Biofilters responded effectively to NH3 concentration variations and shock loading by rapidly recovering to the original removal rates within 6-12h. The results indicated re-acclimation times ranged from several hours to longer than a day. Longer idle phase produced longer re-acclimation periods than periods of no contaminant loading. When the media was dried during the biofiltration process, elimination capacity dropped accordingly for both biofilters. After 24 h of drying, the biofilter experiment could be restarted and run for a few days for recovering.

Temporal trends of latency period and perinatal survival after very early preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes.

PubMed

González-Mesa, Ernesto; Herrera, José A; Urgal, Amaya; Lazarraga, Cristina; Benítez, María J; Gómez, Cristina

2012-08-01

This paper shows temporal trends of latency period and perinatal survival after preterm premature rupture of membranes at or before 28 weeks (very early PPROM). We have studied retrospectively medical records of all cases of very early PPROM attended in our Obstetric Department from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010. A total of 327 cases of very early PPROM were attended, representing 0.4 % of all deliveries, 3.68 % of all preterm births and 15 % of cases all of PPROM. The mean gestational age at delivery was 27 weeks (range 20-34). The mean duration of latency period for the total of 327 cases was 12.1 days (range 0-83, SD 13.3), with a clear trend to its increase from 2005 (p < 0.05). The mean duration of latency period was largest in 2010 (p < 0.05). For the whole period 2000-2010, perinatal deaths reached 30.6 % of all cases, with a clear trend to decrease as gestational age at diagnosis increased, and over the years of study. We have also found a high rate of obstetric complications and a high rate of cesarean deliveries. The upward trend in the duration of latency period in all groups over the years of study and the encouraging perinatal survival observed, even in previable PPROM, are incentives to follow expectant/conservative management in these cases.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in the treatment of pain and other symptoms in fibromyalgia: A randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Multanen, Juhani; Häkkinen, Arja; Heikkinen, Pauli; Kautiainen, Hannu; Mustalampi, Sirpa; Ylinen, Jari

2018-04-30

Low-energy pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy has been suggested as a promising therapy to increase microcirculation, which is of great concern in patients with fibromyalgia. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PEMF therapy on the treatment of fibromyalgia. A group of 108 women with fibromyalgia were allocated to a 12-week treatment period with an active Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) device and a similar treatment period with an inactive device. Each patient received active and sham treatments in a random order. Pain and stiffness were assessed on a visual analog scale (VAS, scale 0-100 mm), and functional status was assessed by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Mean VAS pain scores before the active and sham treatment periods were 66 (SD 22) and 63 (SD 22), respectively. After treatment periods, mean VAS pain scores had decreased significantly in active treatment, -12, 95% CI [-18, -6], and in sham treatment, -11, 95% CI [-17, -5]. Similarly, the decrease in stiffness and FIQ index after both treatments was statistically significant. However, per-protocol analysis showed no differences between active and sham treatments at any of the outcomes. This study demonstrated that low-energy PEMF therapy was not efficient in reducing pain and stiffness or in improving functioning in women with fibromyalgia. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do changes in subjective sleep and biological rhythms predict worsening in postpartum depressive symptoms? A prospective study across the perinatal period.

PubMed

Krawczak, Elizabeth M; Minuzzi, Luciano; Hidalgo, Maria Paz; Frey, Benicio N

2016-08-01

Abnormalities of sleep and biological rhythms have been widely implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, less is known about the influence of biological rhythm disruptions across the perinatal period on postpartum depression (PPD). The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the relationship between subjective changes in both sleep and biological rhythms and worsening of depressive symptoms from pregnancy to the postpartum period in women with and without mood disorders. Eighty-three participants (38 euthymic women with a history of a mood disorder and 45 healthy controls) were studied. Participants completed subjective assessments of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), biological rhythm disturbances (Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry), and depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) prospectively at two time points: third trimester of pregnancy and at 6-12 weeks postpartum. Multivariate regression analyses showed that changes in biological rhythms across the perinatal period predicted worsening of depressive symptoms in both groups. Moreover, women with a history of a mood disorder showed higher levels of sleep and biological rhythm disruption during both pregnancy and the postpartum period. These findings suggest that disruptions in biological rhythms during the perinatal period increase the risk for postpartum mood worsening in healthy pregnant as well as in pregnant women with a history of mood disorders.

Nonradial and radial period changes of the δ Scuti star 4 CVn. II. Systematic behavior over 40 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breger, M.; Montgomery, M. H.; Lenz, P.; Pamyatnykh, A. A.

2017-03-01

Aims: Radial and nonradial pulsators on and near the main sequence show period and amplitude changes that are too large to be the product of stellar evolution. The multiperiodic δ Sct stars are well suited to study this, as the period changes of different modes excited in the same star can be compared. This requires a very large amount of photometric data covering years and decades as well as mode identifications. Methods: We have examined over 800 nights of high-precision photometry of the multiperiodic pulsator 4 CVn obtained from 1966 through 2012. Because most of the data were obtained in adjacent observing seasons, it is possible to derive very accurate period values for a number of the excited pulsation modes and to study their systematic changes from 1974 to 2012. Results: Most pulsation modes show systematic significant period and amplitude changes on a timescale of decades. For the well-studied modes, around 1986 a general reversal of the directions of both the positive and negative period changes occurred. Furthermore, the period changes between the different modes are strongly correlated, although they differ in size and sign. For the modes with known values of the spherical degree and azimuthal order, we find a correlation between the direction of the period changes and the identified azimuthal order, m. The associated amplitude changes generally have similar timescales of years or decades, but show little systematic or correlated behavior from mode to mode. Conclusions: A natural explanation for the opposite behavior of the prograde and retrograde modes is that their period changes are driven by a changing rotation profile. The changes in the rotation profile could in turn be driven by processes, perhaps the pulsations themselves, that redistribute angular momentum within the star. In general, different modes have different rotation kernels, so this will produce period shifts of varying magnitude for different modes.

Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors affecting the self-perception period of lower urinary tract symptoms of international prostate symptom score items.

PubMed

Kim, J H; Shim, S R; Lee, W J; Kim, H J; Kwon, S-S; Bae, J H

2012-12-01

This study investigated the influence of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors on the lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) self-perception period and International Prostate Symptom Score. This cross-sectional study examined 209 men aged ≥ 40 years with non-treated LUTS who participated in a prostate examination survey. Questions included International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) items with self-perception periods for each item. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were also assessed. Participants were divided by mild LUTS (IPSS less than 8) and moderate-to-severe LUTS (IPSS 8 or higher). Self-perception period of the moderate-to-severe LUTS (n = 110) was affected by BMI; the self-perception period of the mild LUTS (n = 90) was affected by age, income, occupation and concomitant disease. Moderate-to-severe LUTS were affected by self-perception period (p = 0.03). Self-perception period was affected by concern for health (p = 0.005) by multivariate analysis, and self-perception period of mild LUTS was affected by BMI (p = 0.012). Moderate-to-severe LUTS were affected by age, number of family members, concern for health and drinking (p < 0.05, respectively) by multivariate analysis. Lower urinary tract symptom was affected by self-perception period. In moderate-to-severe LUTS, age, concern for health and drinking were affecting factors of self-perception period. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Potential effects of climate change on streamflow for seven watersheds in eastern and central Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Katherine J.; Haj, Adel E.; Regan, R. Steven; Viger, Roland J.

2016-01-01

Study regionEastern and central Montana.Study focusFish in Northern Great Plains streams tolerate extreme conditions including heat, cold, floods, and drought; however changes in streamflow associated with long-term climate change may render some prairie streams uninhabitable for current fish species. To better understand future hydrology of these prairie streams, the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model and output from the RegCM3 Regional Climate model were used to simulate streamflow for seven watersheds in eastern and central Montana, for a baseline period (water years 1982–1999) and three future periods: water years 2021–2038 (2030 period), 2046–2063 (2055 period), and 2071–2088 (2080 period).New hydrological insights for the regionProjected changes in mean annual and mean monthly streamflow vary by the RegCM3 model selected, by watershed, and by future period. Mean annual streamflows for all future periods are projected to increase (11–21%) for two of the four central Montana watersheds: Middle Musselshell River and Cottonwood Creek. Mean annual streamflows for all future periods are projected to decrease (changes of −24 to −75%) for Redwater River watershed in eastern Montana. Mean annual streamflows are projected to increase slightly (2–15%) for the 2030 period and decrease (changes of −16 to −44%) for the 2080 period for the four remaining watersheds.

Imaging lithosphere structures using long period surface waves from ambient noise: a case study in western USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.

2013-12-01

Since the emerging of ambient noise tomography in 2005, it has become a well-established method and been applied all over the world to imaging crustal and uppermost mantle structures because of its exclusive capability to extract short period surface waves. Most studies of ambient noise tomography performed so far use surface waves at periods shorter than 40/50 sec. There are a few studies of long period surface wave tomography from ambient noise (longer than 50 sec) in continental and global scales. To our knowledge, almost no tomography studies have been performed using long period surface waves (~50-200 sec) from ambient noise in regional scales with an aperture of several hundred kilometres. In this study, we demonstrate the capability of using long period surface waves from ambient noise in regional surface wave tomography by showing a case study of western USA using the USArray Transportable component (TA). We select about 150 TA stations located in a region including northern California, northern Nevada and Oregon as the 'base' stations and about 200 stations from Global Seismographic Network (GSN) and The International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) as the 'remote' stations. We perform monthly cross-correlations of continuous ambient noise data recorded in 2006-2008 between the 'base' stations and the 'remote' stations and then use a stacking method based on instantaneous phase coherence to stack the monthly cross-correlations to obtain the final cross-correlations. The results show that high signal-to-noise ratio long period Raleigh waves are obtained between the 'base' stations and 'remote' stations located several thousand or even more than ten thousand kilometres away from the 'base' stations. By treating each of the 'remote' station as a 'virtual' teleseismic earthquake and measuring surface wave phases at the 'base' stations, we generate phase velocity maps at 50-200 sec periods in the regions covered by the 'base' stations using an array-based two-plane-wave tomography method. To evaluate the reliability of the resulting phase velocity maps, we compare them with published phase velocity maps using the same tomography method but based on teleseismic data. The comparison shows that long period surface wave phase velocity maps based 'virtual' events from ambient noise and those based on natural earthquakes are very similar with differences within the range of uncertainties. The similarity of phase velocity maps justifies the application of long period surface waves from ambient noise in regional lithosphere imaging. The successful extraction of long period surface waves between station pairs with distances as long as several thousand or ten thousand kilometres can link seismic arrays located in different continents, such as CEArray in China and USArray in USA. With the rapid developments of large scale seismic arrays in different continents, those inter-continental surface waves from ambient noise can be incorporated in both regional- and global-scale surface wave tomography to significantly increase the path coverage in both lateral and azimuthal senses, which is essential to improving imaging of high resolution heterogeneities and azimuthal anisotropy, especially at regions with gaps of azimuthal distributions of earthquakes.

National Identity of High-School Adolescents in an Era of Socio-Economic Change: Russia and Ukraine in the Post-Perestroika Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tartakovsky, Eugene

2011-01-01

This study focuses on the national identity of high-school adolescents in Russia and Ukraine in the post-perestroika period. Adolescents studying in public high schools in 12 medium-size and large cities completed questionnaires in 1999 (n = 468) and 2007 (n = 646). Russian adolescents consistently reported a more positive attitude towards their…

Early Chinese History: The Hundred Schools Period. China's Golden Age of Philosophy. A Unit of Study for Grades 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huff, Lehn; Dube, Clayton

In this unit students examine the four most influential Chinese philosophical traditions developed during the Zhou period (roughly 6th-3rd centuries B.C.E.). The four philosophies students study include: (1) Confucianism; (2) Mohism; (3) Daoism (Taoism); and (4) Legalism. In three lessons, students compare the ideas of these schools and explore…

The Effect of Context and Input Conditions on Oral and Written Development: A Study Abroad Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez-Vidal, Carmen; Juan-Garau, Maria

2011-01-01

This article aims at describing and explaining the effects of a period of Study Abroad spent in the target language country (SA) on foreign language development. Such effects are analysed in the short- and mid-term and in contrast with the impact of a period of formal instruction (FI) previously spent in the home country (AH). It is hypothesised…

Understanding the Idea of Chemical Elements and Their Periodic Classification in Spanish Students Aged 16-18 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco-Mariscal, Antonio-Joaquín; Oliva-Martínez, José María; Almoraima Gil, M. L.

2016-01-01

The work reported here involved a comparative study regarding the understanding that high school students (16-18 years) have of the concept of chemical elements and their periodic classification. More specifically, the level of knowledge on this topic was compared before and after the completion of baccalaureate studies in a sample of Spanish…

BOREAS TGB-4 NSA-BVP Tower Flux and Meteorological Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roulet, Nigel T.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Huemmrich, Karl (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (BOREAS TGB-4) team measured the exchange of heat, water, and CO2 between a boreal forest beaver pond and the atmosphere in the Northern Study Area (NSA) for the ice-free period of BOREAS. The data cover the period of 28-May to 18-Sep-1994. The data are available in tabular ASCII files.

The Impact of a Management Protocol on the Outcomes of Child Abuse in Hospitalized Children in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Anselm C. W.; Li, C. H.; So, K. T.

2006-01-01

Objective: To study the outcomes of children hospitalized for suspected child abuse before and after the implementation of a management protocol in a hospital in Hong Kong. Study period: Two 2-year periods before (1994-1995) and after (2002-2003) the implementation of the protocol in 1998. Methods: This is a retrospective hospital chart review in…

The Business Education Index 1996. Index of Business Education Articles and Research Studies Compiled from a Selected List of Periodicals Published during the Year 1996. Volume 57.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noll, Cheryl L., Ed.; Graves, Pat R., Ed.

This index, which was compiled from a selected list of 45 periodicals published in 1996, lists more than 2,000 business education articles and research studies. Articles are listed under the following subject categories and subcategories: basic business (accounting, consumer awareness, economics, entrepreneurship/small business, finance…

A New Method for Studying the Periodic System Based on a Kohonen Neural Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, David Zhekai

2010-01-01

A new method for studying the periodic system is described based on the combination of a Kohonen neural network and a set of chemical and physical properties. The classification results are directly shown in a two-dimensional map and easy to interpret. This is one of the major advantages of this approach over other methods reported in the…

A Study on the Type of School during the Dawn of Modern Education in Bhutan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirayama, Takehiro

2015-01-01

This study aims to clarify the state of school education in the Bhutan during the 1940-50s, a period of dawn of the modern education in Bhutan, by classifying schools and identifying their contrasting characteristics. The origins of modern education in Bhutan can be traced back approximately 100 years. Bhutan's modern period began in 1907 when…

The Entrepreneurial University: A Case Study of the University of New Mexico in a Competitive Research Environment, 1972-1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjork, Lars G.

Factors affecting the emergence of the University of New Mexico as a research institution in a period of increased competition for research support are discussed. The case study covers the period of 1972-1978 and focuses on the development of the Office of the Vice President for Research and its entrepreneurial activities, including its increased…

Sensitivity analysis of the DRAINWAT model applied to an agricultural watershed in the lower coastal plain, North Carolina, USA

Treesearch

Hyunwoo Kim; Devendra M. Amatya; Stephen W. Broome; Dean L. Hesterberg; Minha Choi

2011-01-01

The DRAINWAT, DRAINmod for WATershed model, was selected for hydrological modelling to obtain water table depths and drainage outflows at Open Grounds Farm in Carteret County, North Carolina, USA. Six simulated storm events from the study period were compared with the measured data and analysed. Simulation results from the whole study period and selected rainfall...

Business Education Index, 1999. Index of Business Education Articles and Research Studies Compiled from a Selected List of Periodicals Published During the Year 1999. Volume 60.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noll, Cheryl L., Ed.; Graves, Pat R., Ed.

This publication comprises an index of business education articles and research studies compiled from a selected list of business education periodicals and those related to business education published during 1999. Priority is given to journals essential to research and teaching over the broad business education spectrum. Subject entries (pages…

Fundamental studies in geodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D. L.; Hager, B. H.; Kanamori, H.

1981-01-01

Research in fundamental studies in geodynamics continued in a number of fields including seismic observations and analysis, synthesis of geochemical data, theoretical investigation of geoid anomalies, extensive numerical experiments in a number of geodynamical contexts, and a new field seismic volcanology. Summaries of work in progress or completed during this report period are given. Abstracts of publications submitted from work in progress during this report period are attached as an appendix.

Global Observation of Planetary-Scale Waves in UARS HRDI and WINDII MLT Winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lieberman, Ruth

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study is to use examine planetary-scale motions in the UARS mesosphere and lower thermospheric data. The actual study was confined to HRDI winds and temperatures, since these observations were more continuous, and spanned the 60-120 km range. Three classes of waves were studied: fast equatorial Kelvin waves, nonmigrating tides, and the midlatitude 2-day wave. The purpose of the Kelvin wave and the 2-day wave studies was to test whether the waves significantly affect the mean flow. Such studies require high-quality spectral definitions in order to derive the wave heat and momentum flux divergence which can act in comination to drive the mean flow. Accordingly, HRDI winds from several special observing campaigns were used for analyses of fast (periods under 5 days) waves. The campaigns are characterized by continuous viewing by HRDI in 2 viewing directions, for periods of 10-12 days. Data sampled in this manner lend themselves quite well to "asynoptic spectral analysis", from which motions with periods as low as one day can be retrieved with relatively minimal aliasing.

Understanding the effects of time on collaborative learning processes in problem based learning: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Hommes, J; Van den Bossche, P; de Grave, W; Bos, G; Schuwirth, L; Scherpbier, A

2014-10-01

Little is known how time influences collaborative learning groups in medical education. Therefore a thorough exploration of the development of learning processes over time was undertaken in an undergraduate PBL curriculum over 18 months. A mixed-methods triangulation design was used. First, the quantitative study measured how various learning processes developed within and over three periods in the first 1,5 study years of an undergraduate curriculum. Next, a qualitative study using semi-structured individual interviews focused on detailed development of group processes driving collaborative learning during one period in seven tutorial groups. The hierarchic multilevel analyses of the quantitative data showed that a varying combination of group processes developed within and over the three observed periods. The qualitative study illustrated development in psychological safety, interdependence, potency, group learning behaviour, social and task cohesion. Two new processes emerged: 'transactive memory' and 'convergence in mental models'. The results indicate that groups are dynamic social systems with numerous contextual influences. Future research should thus include time as an important influence on collaborative learning. Practical implications are discussed.

Prevalence of malaria parasites (Plasmodium floridense and Plasmodium azurophilum) infecting a Puerto Rican lizard (Anolis gundlachi): a nine-year study.

PubMed

Schall, J J; Pearson, A R; Perkins, S L

2000-06-01

The prevalence of malaria parasites was studied in the lizard Anolis gundlachi over a 9-yr period at a site in the wet evergreen forest of eastern Puerto Rico. Three forms of the parasite infected the lizards; these were Plasmodium floridense, Plasmodium azurophilum in erythrocytes, and P. azurophilum in white blood cells. Overall prevalence of infection for 8 samples during the study period was significantly higher for males than females (32% of 3,296 males and 22% of 1,439 females). During the study, the site experienced substantial climatic and physical disturbance including rising temperature, droughts, and hurricanes that severely damaged the forest. Parasite prevalence in the first sample, 8 mo after the massive hurricane Hugo, was slightly, though significantly, lower than for subsequent samples. However, overall prevalence was stable during the 9-yr period. The results show malaria prevalence is more constant at the site than found for 2 studies in temperate forests, and that the Puerto Rico system may be an example of the stable, endemic malaria described by standard models for human malaria epidemiology.

Studying the Nazi Period: Some Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molnar, Alex; And Others

1984-01-01

Students should be taught how to make well-reasoned and analytic judgments about the Nazis. The process of arriving at judgments about the Nazi period should be characterized by a factual knowledge of the Nazi era within a general historical knowledge of the period, sympathy, and an open mind. (RM)

Early management in children with burns: Cooling, wound care and pain management.

PubMed

Baartmans, M G A; de Jong, A E E; van Baar, M E; Beerthuizen, G I J M; van Loey, N E E; Tibboel, D; Nieuwenhuis, M K

2016-06-01

Early management in burns, i.e. prior to admission in a burn center, is essential for an optimal process and outcome of burn care. Several publications have reported suboptimal early management, including low levels of pain medication after trauma, especially in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current practice in the Netherlands and factors related to early management in pediatric burns, i.e. cooling, wound covering and pain management. To study possible change and improvement over time, two study periods were compared. This study involved two periods; January 2002-March 2004 (period 1) and January 2007-August 2008 (period 2). All children (0-15 years of age) with acute burns admitted within 24h after burn to one of the three Dutch Burn centers with a formal referral were eligible. Data were obtained from patient records, both retrospectively and prospectively. A total of 323 and 299 children were included in periods 1 and 2, respectively. The vast majority of children in both study periods had been cooled before admission (>90%). Over time, wound covering increased significantly (from 64% to 89%) as well as pain treatment (from 68% to 79%). Predominantly paracetamol and morphine were used. Referral from ambulance services (OR=41.4, 95%CI=16.6-103.0) or general practitioners (OR=59.7, 95%CI=25.1-141.8) were strong independent predictors for not receiving pre-burn center pain medication. On the other hand, flame burns (OR=0.2, 95%CI=0.1-0.5) and more extensive burns (TBSA 5-10%: OR=0.4, 95%CI=-0.2 to 0.8; TBSA≥10%: OR=0.2, 95%CI=0.1-0.4) were independent predictors of receiving pain medication. Referring physicians of children with burns were overall well informed: they cool the wound after burns and cover it before transport to prevent hypothermia and reduce the pain. Additional studies should be conducted to clarify the duration and temperature for cooling to be effective. Furthermore, there is room and a need for improvement regarding early pain management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Effect of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions on active trachoma in North and South Wollo zones of Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A Quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Tadesse, Beselam; Worku, Alemayehu; Kumie, Abera; Yimer, Solomon Abebe

2017-11-01

Trachoma is chronic kerato conjunctivitis, which is caused by repeated infection with Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium. It is hyper endemic in many rural areas of Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions on active trachoma in selected woredas of North and South Wollo zones of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. A community based quasi-experimental study was conducted from October 2014 to December 2015 among children aged 1-8 years at baseline and among one year older same children after intervention. A four-stage random cluster-sampling technique was employed to select study participants. From each selected household, one child was clinically assessed for active trachoma. Structured questionnaire was used to collect socio demographic and behavioral data. MacNemar test was applied to compare the prevalence of active trachoma between baseline and after the intervention period at both intervention and non-intervention study areas. The prevalence of active trachoma was reduced from baseline prevalence of 26% to 18% after one-year intervention period in the intervention woredas (P≤0.001). MacNemar test result showed significant reduction of active trachoma prevalence after the intervention period in the intervention woredas compared to the non-intervention woredas (P≤0.001). Water, sanitation and hygiene related activities were significantly improved after the intervention period in the intervention woredas (P<0.05). There was a significant reduction of active trachoma prevalence between the baseline and after the intervention period in the intervention woredas, but not in the non-intervention ones. Improved water, sanitation and hygiene interventions contributed to the reduction of active trachoma. However, the magnitude of active trachoma prevalence observed after the intervention is still very high in the studied areas of North and South Wollo Zones communities. To achieve the global trachoma elimination target by the year 2020 as set by the WHO, continued WaSH interventions and periodic monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the impact of WaSH on active trachoma is warranted.

20 CFR 404.368 - When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance. 404.368 Section 404.368 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... intend to resume your studies as a full-time student at the end of the period or at the end of the period...

20 CFR 404.368 - When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance. 404.368 Section 404.368 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... intend to resume your studies as a full-time student at the end of the period or at the end of the period...

20 CFR 404.368 - When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance. 404.368 Section 404.368 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... intend to resume your studies as a full-time student at the end of the period or at the end of the period...

20 CFR 404.368 - When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance. 404.368 Section 404.368 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... intend to resume your studies as a full-time student at the end of the period or at the end of the period...

20 CFR 404.368 - When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When you are considered a full-time student during a period of nonattendance. 404.368 Section 404.368 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY... intend to resume your studies as a full-time student at the end of the period or at the end of the period...

The System of Secondary Periodicities and Resonances Based on β Lyrae Magnetic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skulsky, M. Yu.

Original integral interconsistent and interconnected magnetohydrodynamical system of periodicities and resonances over their long-time variabilities is developed. The study is based upon three different observed secondary periods in β Lyrae system and taking into account geometrical features of the nonstandard magnetic field in a losing star, as well as due to the asynchronizm of the orbital and rotational periods.

Nonuniformity of the Earth's rotation and the motion of the poles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidorenkov, N. S.

1983-01-01

The study of the nonuniformity of the Earth's rotation and the motion of the poles has great practical and theoretical significance. This study makes it possible to determine the coordinates of celestial and terrestrial objects, and to gain information in many domains of earth science. This paper reviews studies of rotation nonuniformity and polar motion, giving attention to astronomical data; the nature of periodic oscillations of the Earth's rotation; the nature of long-period variations of the Earth's rotation rate; and the use of Earth-rotation data in hydrometeorology.

Estimation of DMFT, Salivary Streptococcus Mutans Count, Flow Rate, Ph, and Salivary Total Calcium Content in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Prospective Study

PubMed Central

Vibhute, Nupura Aniket; Baad, Rajendra Krishna

2017-01-01

Introduction Pregnancy, a period from conception till birth, causes changes in the functioning of the human body as a whole and specifically in the oral cavity that may favour the emergence of dental caries. Many studies have shown pregnant women at increased risk for dental caries, however, specific salivary caries risk factors and the particular period of pregnancy at heightened risk for dental caries are yet to be explored and give a scope of further research in this area. Aim The aim of the present study was to assess the severity of dental caries in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women by evaluating parameters like Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, salivary Streptococcus mutans count, flow rate, pH and total calcium content. Materials and Methods A total of 50 first time pregnant women in the first trimester were followed during their second trimester, third trimester and postpartum period for the evaluation of DMFT by World Health Organization (WHO) scoring criteria, salivary flow rate by drooling method, salivary pH by pH meter, salivary total calcium content by bioassay test kit and salivary Streptococcus mutans count by semiautomatic counting of colonies grown on Mitis Salivarius (MS) agar supplemented by 0.2U/ml of bacitracin and 10% sucrose. The observations of pregnant women were then compared with same parameters evaluated in the 50 non-pregnant women. Paired t-test and Wilcoxon sign rank test were performed to assess the association between the study parameters. Results Evaluation of different caries risk factors between pregnant and non-pregnant women clearly showed that pregnant women were at a higher risk for dental caries. Comparison of caries risk parameters during the three trimesters and postpartum period showed that the salivary Streptococcus mutans count had significantly increased in the second trimester, third trimester and postpartum period while the mean pH and mean salivary total calcium content decreased in the third trimester and postpartum period. These changes reflected on the DMFT score which increased in the third trimester and postpartum period. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that there is a definite correlation between pregnancy and dental caries. We conclude that the third trimester and postpartum period of pregnancy are the periods during which the pregnant women are at a higher risk for development of dental caries. PMID:28571283

40 CFR 152.83 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...: Data gap means the absence of any valid study or studies in the Agency's files which would satisfy a... section 3(c)(2)(B); Provided that, a study is an exclusive use study only during the 10-year period...

40 CFR 152.83 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...: Data gap means the absence of any valid study or studies in the Agency's files which would satisfy a... section 3(c)(2)(B); Provided that, a study is an exclusive use study only during the 10-year period...

Stability of sodium bicarbonate injection 8.4% in syringes over a six-week period in refrigerated temperature.

PubMed

Seki, Jack T; Wang, Tian Q; Yip, Paul M; Mazzulli, Tony; Minden, Mark D

2018-04-01

Background Dysfunctional central venous catheter prohibits the administration of potential life-saving chemotherapy and the delivery of essential supportive care needs to patients. Sodium bicarbonate injection has been shown to impede against fibrin clot formation and prolong prothrombin time and thrombin clotting time. Sodium bicarbonate injection has been tried as a second-line agent with good results in a small number of patients (internal data not published) when alteplase failed. We assessed whether the pre-filled sodium bicarbonate injection in 5 mL syringes would not only preserve sterility and retain its pH and concentration but also amount to the potential cost savings for future use when stored in a refrigerated environment. Methodology Twelve pre-filled 5 mL syringes were prepared aseptically, of which four each were tested for pH, sodium bicarbonate injection concentration and sterility when stored in refrigerated temperature over a six-week period. A standard pH meter, enzymatic carbon dioxide analyzer, and a 14-day incubation for microbial detection were employed for this study. Results Sodium bicarbonate concentration measured in the form of carbon dioxide ranged from 923 mmol/L or (1846 mosol/L) to 1006 mmol/L or (2012 mosmol/L), and pH ranged from (7.88 to 8.05) were reported over the duration of the study period. The 14-day incubation period resulted in no microbial growth. Conclusion Our study results have indicated that the pH and sodium bicarbonate injection concentration values were stable and within range, comparable to those reported by the manufacturer within the study period. The contents of the subdivided sodium bicarbonate injection 5 mL syringes retained sterility over a 14-day incubation period.

A study of a culturally enhanced EatRight dietary intervention in a predominately African American workplace.

PubMed

Ard, Jamy D; Cox, Tiffany L; Zunker, Christie; Wingo, Brooks C; Jefferson, Wendy K; Brakhage, Cora

2010-01-01

The workplace may be an ideal venue for engaging African American women in behavioral interventions for weight reduction. To examine the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced EatRight dietary intervention among a group of predominately African American women in a workplace setting. Crossover design study. Workplace. A total of 39 women volunteered for this study, of whom 27 completed it. The control period involved observation of participants for 22 weeks after receiving standard counseling on lifestyle methods to achieve a healthy weight; following the control period, participants crossed over to the 22-week intervention period. The intervention was culturally enhanced using feedback derived from formative assessment and delivered as 15 group sessions. The primary outcome measure was the difference in weight change between the control and intervention periods; changes in waist circumference and quality of life were secondary outcomes. Most participants were obese, with a mean baseline body mass index of 36 kg/m², weight of 97.9 kg, and waist circumference of 111 cm. Weight increased during the control period by 0.7 kg but decreased by 2.6 kg during the intervention (net difference = -3.4 kg, P <.001), with 30% of participants losing 5% or more of body weight. Compared to the control period, there was a significant decrease in waist circumference (-3.6 cm, P =.006) and improvement in weight-related quality of life (5.7, P =.03). This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of a culturally enhanced behavioral weight loss intervention in a predominately African American workplace setting. The workplace may be conducive for targeting African American women who are disproportionately affected by obesity.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Chornobyl Cleanup Workers.

PubMed

Bazyka, Dimitry; Gudzenko, Natalya; Dyagil, Iryna; Goroh, Eugeny; Polyschuk, Oksana; Trotsuk, Natalya; Babkina, Nataly; Romanenko, Anatoly

2016-08-01

This paper describes the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) incidence in a cohort of 110,645 (enlarged later to 152,520) male Ukrainian cleanup workers of the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) accident who were exposed to a range of radiation doses over the 1986-1990 time period. The standardized incidence rates are presented for a 27-y period after the exposure. For 2007-2012 period, the authors have identified the incident CLL cases in an enlarged cohort of 152,520 persons by linkage of the cohort file with the Ukrainian National Cancer Registry (NCRU). CLL data for the previous period (1987-2006) were identified in a frame of the Ukrainian-American leukemia study in the original cohort of 110,645 male clean-up workers. A significant CLL incidence excess was shown for the entire study period 1987-2012, with more prominent levels for the earliest years (1987-1996) when the standardized incidence rate (SIR) value was estimated to be 3.61 with 95% confidence interval from 2.32 to 4.91. In 2007-2012, the CLL incidence decreased substantially but still exceeded the national level although not significantly. In parallel, the several studies were performed at the National Research Center for Radiation Medicine (NRCRM) to explore if any clinical and cytogenetic features of CLL existed in the clean-up workers. The clinical study included 80 exposed and 70 unexposed CLL cases. Among the major clinical differences of the CLL course in the clean-up workers were a shorter period of white blood cells (WBC) doubling (10.7 vs. 18.0; p<0.001), frequent infectious episodes, lymphoadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly (37 vs. 16), higher expression for CD38, and lower expression for ZAP-70 antigen.

Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic review.

PubMed

Benjamin, D R; van de Water, A T M; Peiris, C L

2014-03-01

Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle (DRAM) is common during and after pregnancy, and has been related to lumbopelvic instability and pelvic floor weakness. Women with DRAM are commonly referred to physiotherapists for conservative management, but little is known about the effectiveness of such strategies. To determine if non-surgical interventions (such as exercise) prevent or reduce DRAM. EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, PUBMED, AMED and PEDro were searched. Studies of all designs that included any non-surgical interventions to manage DRAM during the ante- and postnatal periods were included. Methodological quality was assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist. Meta-analysis was performed using a fixed effects model to calculate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) where appropriate. Eight studies totalling 336 women during the ante- and/or postnatal period were included. The study design ranged from case study to randomised controlled trial. All interventions included some form of exercise, mainly targeted abdominal/core strengthening. The available evidence showed that exercise during the antenatal period reduced the presence of DRAM by 35% (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.92), and suggested that DRAM width may be reduced by exercising during the ante- and postnatal periods. The papers reviewed were of poor quality as there is very little high-quality literature on the subject. Based on the available evidence and quality of this evidence, non-specific exercise may or may not help to prevent or reduce DRAM during the ante- and postnatal periods. Copyright © 2013 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scabies increased the risk of chronic kidney disease: a 5-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Chung, S-D; Wang, K-H; Huang, C-C; Lin, H-C

2014-03-01

The most documented complication of scabies has been reported to be infection by group A streptococci, which has in turn been suggested to contribute to the development of glomerulonephritis. This study aimed to investigate the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) subsequent to scabies utilizing a population-based dataset in Taiwan. This retrospective matched-cohort study included 5071 subjects with scabies and 25 355 randomly selected comparison subjects. We individually tracked each subject for a 5-year period to identify those who subsequently received a diagnosis of CKD during the follow-up period. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to compute the hazard ratio (HR) of CKD during the 5-year follow-up period. The incidence rate of CKD during the 5-year follow-up period was 9.66 (8.51-10.93) per 1,000 person-years and 6.24 (5.82-6.69) per 1000 person-years for subjects with and without scabies respectively. The HR for CKD during the 5-year follow-up period for subjects with scabies was 1.34 (95% CI = 1.15-1.56) that of comparison subjects after adjusting for monthly income, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tobacco use disorder, hyperlipidemia and alcohol abuse during the 5-year follow-up period. Male subjects with scabies were 1.40 (95% CI = 1.14-1.71) times more likely than comparison subjects to suffer from subsequent CKD, and female study subjects were 1.27 (95% CI = 1.05-1.61) times more likely. We concluded that there was an increased risk for CKD among patients suffering from scabies. © 2013 The Authors Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2013 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

No effect of unemployment on intimate partner-related femicide during the financial crisis: a longitudinal ecological study in Spain.

PubMed

Torrubiano-Domínguez, J; Vives-Cases, C; San-Sebastián, M; Sanz-Barbero, B; Goicolea, I; Álvarez-Dardet, C

2015-09-30

Spain's financial crisis has been characterized by an increase in unemployment. This increase could have produced an increase in deaths of women due to intimate partner-related femicides (IPF). This study aims to determine whether the increase in unemployment among both sexes in different regions in Spain is related to an increase in the rates of IPF during the current financial crisis period. An ecological longitudinal study was carried out in Spain's 17 regions. Two study periods were defined: pre-crisis period (2005-2007) and crisis period (2008-2013). IPF rates adjusted by age and unemployment rates for men and women were calculated. We fitted multilevel linear regression models in which observations at level 1 were nested within regions according to a repeated measurements design. Rates of unemployment have progressively increased in Spain, rising above 20 % from 2008 to 2013 in some regions. IPF rates decreased in some regions during crisis period with respect to pre-crisis period. The multilevel analysis does not support the existence of a significant relationship between the increase in unemployment in men and women and the decrease in IPF since 2008. The increase in unemployment in men and women in Spain does not appear to have an effect on IPF. The results of the multilevel analysis discard the hypothesis that the increase in the rates of unemployment in women and men are related to an increase in IPF rates. The decline in IPF since 2008 might be interpreted as the result of exposure to other factors such as the lower frequency of divorces in recent years or the medium term effects of the integral protection measures of the law on gender violence that began in 2005.

The impact of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on population level physical activity and sport participation among Canadian children and adolescents: population based study.

PubMed

Craig, Cora L; Bauman, Adrian E

2014-09-03

There has been much debate about the potential impact of the Olympics. The purpose of this study was to determine if hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games (OG) encouraged Canadian children to be physically active. Children 5-19 years (n = 19862) were assessed as part of the representative Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth surveillance study between August 2007 and July 2011. Parents were asked if the child participated in organized physical activity or sport. In addition, children wore pedometers for 7 days to objectively provide an estimate of overall physical activity. Mean steps/day and percent participating in organized physical activity or sport were calculated by time period within year for Canada and British Columbia. The odds of participation by time period were estimated by logistic regression, controlling for age and sex. Mean steps were lower during the Olympic period compared with Pre- (607 fewer steps/day 95% CI 263-950 steps/day) and Post-Olympic (1246 fewer steps 95% CI 858-1634 steps) periods for Canada. There was no difference by time period in British Columbia. A similar pattern in mean steps by time period was observed across years, but there were no significant differences in activity within each of these periods between years. The likelihood of participating in organized physical activity or sport by time period within or across years did not differ from baseline (August-November 2007). The 2010 Olympic Games had no measurable impact on objectively measured physical activity or the prevalence of overall sports participation among Canadian children. Much greater cross-Government and long-term efforts are needed to create the conditions for an Olympic legacy effect on physical activity.

Enhanced inpatient rounds, appointment reminders, and patient education improved HIV care engagement following hospital discharge.

PubMed

Khawcharoenporn, Thana; Damronglerd, Pansachee; Chunloy, Krongtip; Sha, Beverly E

2018-06-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care engagement post hospital discharge is often suboptimal. Strategies to improve follow-up are needed. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among hospitalized HIV-infected patients between the period from 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2014 (preintervention period) and 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2015 (intervention period). During the intervention period, an HIV care team consisting of an Infectious Diseases physician, a nurse, a pharmacist, a social worker, and an HIV-infected volunteer made daily inpatient rounds. Prior to discharge, patients received a structured HIV education session and an outpatient appointment was scheduled for them with two telephone reminder calls following discharge. There were 240 HIV-infected patients enrolled (120 in each study period), of which the median age was 37 years (interquartile range [IQR] 28-44 years), 58% were male, 39% were newly diagnosed with HIV infection, 46% were hospitalized because of AIDS-related conditions, and the median CD4 cell count on admission was 158 cells/µl (IQR 72-382 cells/µl). The rate of HIV care engagement within 30 days after discharge was significantly higher in the intervention period compared to the preintervention period (95% versus 69%; P < 0.001). Independent factors associated with no care engagement within 30 days were patients in the preintervention period (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 6.36; P < 0.001) and new diagnosis of HIV infection (aOR 2.77; P = 0.009). The study findings suggest that enhanced inpatient rounds, appointment reminders, and patient education were shown to be associated with improved HIV care engagement after hospital discharge. Patients with a new diagnosis of HIV infection benefit from more intense outreach. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02578654.

[Divisibility of warfarin and fluindione tablets tested in elderly patients and their family circle].

PubMed

Pautas, Eric; Despres, Jérémie; Peyron, Isabelle; Golmard, Jean-Louis; Grange, Jennifer; Koenig, Nelly; Gouronnec, Adeline; Mitha, Nathalie; Siguret, Virginie; Gouin-Thibault, Isabelle

2011-06-01

Vitamin K antagonist tablets are often split to fractionate the dose by elderly patients. We performed a study in order to assess the divisibility of one dosage strength of score-lined warfarin and of score-lined fluindione. Due to a recent change in the pharmaceutical form of fluindione in order to improve the divisibility, the study was performed over 2 different periods (with the « old » and with the « new » pharmaceutical form). In each period, 10 patients mean aged 82 years, 10 relatives, 10 nurses, 10 medical doctors) were asked to split in half warfarin tablets (W2 1(st) period et W2 2(d) period) and fluindione tablets (F2 et F'2), and to split fluindione tablets into 4 fragments (F4 et F'4). The first end-point was the accuracy of splitting estimated by the difference between the real and the expected weight of fragmented tablets. The statistical analysis was performed using an ANOVA test with 2 variables, subject and drug. The difference between the 2 periods were analyzed using an ANOVA test with 2 variables, subject and period. Over the 2 periods, the differences between real and expected weight were of 4.65% for W2 1(st) phase, 9.48% for F2, 15.35% for F4, 5.56% for W2 2(d )period, 4.30% for F'2, and 6.98% for F'4. The quality of splitting was statistically poorer in the elderly patient group compared to other subjects. This study was not design to assess the clinical relevance (bleeding or thromboembolism) or the anticoagulation control of the variations in drug mass due to inappropriate splitting of tablets. However, split form of drugs should be prescribe with caution to elderly patients.

Rotary Ni-Ti profile systems for preparing curved canals in resin blocks: influence of operator on instrument breakage.

PubMed

Mandel, E; Adib-Yazdi, M; Benhamou, L M; Lachkar, T; Mesgouez, C; Sobel, M

1999-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of fracture of ProFile 0.4 and 0.6 taper Series 29 nickel-titanium instruments with respect to operator experience. A total of 125 simulated root canals in resin blocks with the same geometrical shape in terms of angle and radius of curvature and coronal and apical orifice diameter were used. Five operators prepared all the specimens using an identical step-down instrument sequence, each one preparing 25 canals. The operators included two endodontists and three general practitioners. Statistical data concerning the incidence of instrument failure was compiled using Statlab and Fisher's partial least square difference analysis of variance. A total of 21 (16.8%) instruments fractured, all had 0.04 tapers. Nine size 25 instruments failed, 9 size 20 instruments failed and 3 size 15. During the study, the Binary Tree analysis of instrument failure revealed two operator populations belonging to two different study periods. The first period, which represented the first 13 root canal preparations, was called the 'learning period', and the second period, which represented the next 12 sample preparations, was called the 'application period'. A greater number of instruments failed during the first period than during the second. In the 'learning period', both groups of operators learned the same way. In the 'application period', two groups could be distinguished; the first group consisted of a general practitioner who produced worse results, and the second group consisted of the other four operators. The results indicate the necessity of mastering this rotary canal preparation technique, and the importance of improving competence through learning and experience.

Impact of folic acid fortification on global DNA methylation and one-carbon biomarkers in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study cohort.

PubMed

Bae, Sajin; Ulrich, Cornelia M; Bailey, Lynn B; Malysheva, Olga; Brown, Elissa C; Maneval, David R; Neuhouser, Marian L; Cheng, Ting-Yuan David; Miller, Joshua W; Zheng, Yingye; Xiao, Liren; Hou, Lifang; Song, Xiaoling; Buck, Katharina; Beresford, Shirley A A; Caudill, Marie A

2014-03-01

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene expression and can be modified by one-carbon nutrients. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of folic acid (FA) fortification of the US food supply on leukocyte global DNA methylation and the relationship between DNA methylation, red blood cell (RBC) folate, and other one-carbon biomarkers among postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. We selected 408 women from the highest and lowest tertiles of RBC folate distribution matching on age and timing of the baseline blood draw, which spanned the pre- (1994-1995), peri- (1996-1997), or post-fortification (1998) periods. Global DNA methylation was assessed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and expressed as a percentage of total cytosine. We observed an interaction (P = 0.02) between fortification period and RBC folate in relation to DNA methylation. Women with higher (vs. lower) RBC folate had higher mean DNA methylation (5.12 vs. 4.99%; P = 0.05) in the pre-fortification period, but lower (4.95 vs. 5.16%; P = 0.03) DNA methylation in the post-fortification period. We also observed significant correlations between one-carbon biomarkers and DNA methylation in the pre-fortification period, but not in the peri- or post-fortification period. The correlation between plasma homocysteine and DNA methylation was reversed from an inverse relationship during the pre-fortification period to a positive relationship during the post-fortification period. Our data suggest that (1) during FA fortification, higher RBC folate status is associated with a reduction in leukocyte global DNA methylation among postmenopausal women and; (2) the relationship between one-carbon biomarkers and global DNA methylation is dependent on folate availability.

Seasonal drift and feeding periodicity during summer of the amphipod, Gammarus psuedolimnaeus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, James H.

2014-01-01

Downstream drift of aquatic invertebrates is an important ecological process that varies temporally. Seasonal patterns of diel drift and diel feeding periodicity during summer of the amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus were examined in a small stream in central New York. Seasonal trends in drift were similar with peak drift occurring from 2000 to 0400 h. Very little drift occurred during the day. Feeding intensity of G. pseudolimnaeus was greatest from 2000 to 0400 h and was significantly greater than at 0400 to 0800 h and 0800 to 1200 h. Previous research on feeding periodicity of this species found no evidence of periods of increased food consumption. Conflicting results between this study and earlier studies may be due to sampling drifting versus non-drifting amphipods.

Optimal periodic proof test based on cost-effective and reliability criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, J.-N.

1976-01-01

An exploratory study for the optimization of periodic proof tests for fatigue-critical structures is presented. The optimal proof load level and the optimal number of periodic proof tests are determined by minimizing the total expected (statistical average) cost, while the constraint on the allowable level of structural reliability is satisfied. The total expected cost consists of the expected cost of proof tests, the expected cost of structures destroyed by proof tests, and the expected cost of structural failure in service. It is demonstrated by numerical examples that significant cost saving and reliability improvement for fatigue-critical structures can be achieved by the application of the optimal periodic proof test. The present study is relevant to the establishment of optimal maintenance procedures for fatigue-critical structures.

Control effect of periodic variation on the growth of harmful algal bloom causative species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Liu, S. T.; Liu, T.; Yu, C.; Hu, Z.

2018-01-01

Blue-green algae and Dinoflagellate etc. are common types of phytoplankton as causative species which cause the harmful algal blooms (HABs). The growth process of causative species is complex according to the variation of the environmental disturbance such as the periodic factor in reality and recent studies have not revealed the secret of the growth complexity yet. Based on the empirical and theoretical results of the growth of causative species, a nonlinear controlled system with periodic factor was obtained and the different effects of the periodic factor on the control of the cell density and the growth rate of causative species were studied by three theorems using the norm theory and finite difference method. Simulations and experimental data were also used to assess the effectiveness of the controlled results.

First-order reactant in homogeneous turbulence before the final period of decay. [contaminant fluctuations in chemical reaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, P.; Patel, S. R.

1974-01-01

A method is described for studying theoretically the concentration fluctuations of a dilute contaminate undergoing a first-order chemical reaction. The method is based on Deissler's (1958) theory for homogeneous turbulence for times before the final period, and it follows the approach used by Loeffler and Deissler (1961) to study temperature fluctuations in homogeneous turbulence. Four-point correlation equations are obtained; it is assumed that terms containing fifth-order correlation are very small in comparison with those containing fourth-order correlations, and can therefore be neglected. A spectrum equation is obtained in a form which can be solved numerically, yielding the decay law for the concentration fluctuations in homogeneous turbulence for the period much before the final period of decay.

Child-Langmuir flow with periodically varying anode voltage

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

Rokhlenko, A.

Using the Lagrangian technique, we study settled Child-Langmuir flows in a one dimensional planar diodes whose anode voltages periodically vary around given positive values. Our goal is to find analytically if the average currents in these systems can exceed the famous Child-Langmuir limit found for the stationary current a long time ago. The main result of our study is that in a periodic quasi-stationary regime the average current can be larger than the Child-Langmuir maximum even by 50% compared with its adiabatic average value. The cathode current in this case has the form of rectangular pulses which are formed bymore » a very special triangular voltage modulation. This regime, i.e., periodicity, shape of pulses, and their amplitude, needs to be carefully chosen for the best performance.« less

Periodic MHD flow with temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity past an isothermal oscillating cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Rubel; Rana, B. M. Jewel; Ahmmed, S. F.

2017-06-01

Temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conducting heat and mass transfer flow with chemical reaction and periodic magnetic field past an isothermal oscillating cylinder have been considered. The partial dimensionless equations governing the flow have been solved numerically by applying explicit finite difference method with the help Compaq visual 6.6a. The obtained outcome of this inquisition has been discussed for different values of well-known flow parameters with different time steps and oscillation angle. The effect of chemical reaction and periodic MHD parameters on the velocity field, temperature field and concentration field, skin-friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number have been studied and results are presented by graphically. The novelty of the present problem is to study the streamlines by taking into account periodic magnetic field.

Morphology evolution in strain-compensated multiple quantum well structures

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

Ledentsov, N. N., E-mail: nikolay.ledentsov@v-i-systems.com; Shchukin, V. A.; Rouvimov, S.

2014-01-20

Morphology evolution in (In,Ga)As-Ga(As,P) strain-compensated multilayer structures is studied. The effects of nanoscale interface corrugation and phase separation are evident after the third period of the multilayer structure and become more pronounced with each new stack until the sixth period. Then, the interface stabilizes pointing to the formation of strain-balanced equilibrium interface structure. The epitaxial structure remains defect-free up to the maximum number (twenty) of periods studied. In a structure with a high lattice mismatch between the neighboring layers, In{sub 0.40}Ga{sub 0.60}As/GaAs{sub 0.85}P{sub 0.15}, clusters of dislocations are revealed already in the third period. The observed phenomena are critical formore » proper engineering of optoelectronic devices.« less