The glenoid track: a review of the clinical relevance, method of calculation and current evidence behind this method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Younan, Yara; Wong, Philip K.; Umpierrez, Monica; Gonzalez, Felix; Singer, Adam Daniel [Emory University Hospital, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Section of Musculoskeletal Imaging, Atlanta, GA (United States); Karas, Spero [Emory University Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Atlanta, GA (United States); Jose, Jean [University of Miami, Department of Radiology, Miami, FL (United States)

2017-12-15

In the setting of bipolar bone injury, orthopedic surgeons are currently making use of the glenoid track method to guide surgical management. Using preoperative CT or MR imaging, this method allows the identification of patients who are more likely to fail a primary capsuloligamentous Bankart repair. As the glenoid track method becomes increasingly used in preoperative planning, it is important for the radiologist to become familiar with its concept and method of calculation. This review article aims to concisely summarize the current literature and the clinical implications of the glenoid track method. (orig.)

Text summarization as a decision support aid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Workman T

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background PubMed data potentially can provide decision support information, but PubMed was not exclusively designed to be a point-of-care tool. Natural language processing applications that summarize PubMed citations hold promise for extracting decision support information. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a text summarization application called Semantic MEDLINE, enhanced with a novel dynamic summarization method, in identifying decision support data. Methods We downloaded PubMed citations addressing the prevention and drug treatment of four disease topics. We then processed the citations with Semantic MEDLINE, enhanced with the dynamic summarization method. We also processed the citations with a conventional summarization method, as well as with a baseline procedure. We evaluated the results using clinician-vetted reference standards built from recommendations in a commercial decision support product, DynaMed. Results For the drug treatment data, Semantic MEDLINE enhanced with dynamic summarization achieved average recall and precision scores of 0.848 and 0.377, while conventional summarization produced 0.583 average recall and 0.712 average precision, and the baseline method yielded average recall and precision values of 0.252 and 0.277. For the prevention data, Semantic MEDLINE enhanced with dynamic summarization achieved average recall and precision scores of 0.655 and 0.329. The baseline technique resulted in recall and precision scores of 0.269 and 0.247. No conventional Semantic MEDLINE method accommodating summarization for prevention exists. Conclusion Semantic MEDLINE with dynamic summarization outperformed conventional summarization in terms of recall, and outperformed the baseline method in both recall and precision. This new approach to text summarization demonstrates potential in identifying decision support data for multiple needs.

Review of current drive theory: selected topics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisch, N.J.

1993-01-01

Two themes in current drive theory in tokamaks are reviewed, both relevant to the progression of tokamak experiments toward the reactor regime. First, the physics of the tail electrons is reviewed. These electrons are capable of carrying enormous rf-driven electric current, and, in the course of current-drive experiments worldwide not only has the current drive effect been demonstrated, but the underlying physical description of these tail electrons has been established. Second, anticipating the presence of the energetic alpha particles that result from D-T reactions in a reactor, certain mechanisms through which these alpha particles can be used to facilitate current-drive are reviewed. (Author)

Role of Environmental Chemicals in Obesity: A Systematic Review on the Current Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roya Kelishadi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the experimental and human studies on obesogenic chemicals and their mechanisms of action to provide a comprehensive view on the multifactorial aspects of obesity. The literatures were searched in available databases. The relevant papers were selected in three phases. After quality assessment, two reviewers extracted the data while another checked their extracted data. In this review, we summarized information regarding environmental chemicals that can be associated with obesity. Most evidence comes from experimental and laboratory studies; however a growing number of human studies also support the role of obesogenic chemicals. The current evidence proposes that the systemic responses to exposure to environmental factors could potentially increase the risk of excess weight. The effects of exposure to these chemicals are of crucial importance during developmental phases of life, when preprogramming for an adipogenic outcome may occur. By considering the adverse transgenerational effects of obesogen chemicals on human health, the global obesity epidemic should be considered as a multifactorial complex disorder necessitating the emphasis of public health interventions for environmental protection.

QCS: a system for querying, clustering and summarizing documents.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunlavy, Daniel M.; Schlesinger, Judith D. (Center for Computing Sciences, Bowie, MD); O' Leary, Dianne P. (University of Maryland, College Park, MD); Conroy, John M. (Center for Computing Sciences, Bowie, MD)

2006-10-01

Information retrieval systems consist of many complicated components. Research and development of such systems is often hampered by the difficulty in evaluating how each particular component would behave across multiple systems. We present a novel hybrid information retrieval system--the Query, Cluster, Summarize (QCS) system--which is portable, modular, and permits experimentation with different instantiations of each of the constituent text analysis components. Most importantly, the combination of the three types of components in the QCS design improves retrievals by providing users more focused information organized by topic. We demonstrate the improved performance by a series of experiments using standard test sets from the Document Understanding Conferences (DUC) along with the best known automatic metric for summarization system evaluation, ROUGE. Although the DUC data and evaluations were originally designed to test multidocument summarization, we developed a framework to extend it to the task of evaluation for each of the three components: query, clustering, and summarization. Under this framework, we then demonstrate that the QCS system (end-to-end) achieves performance as good as or better than the best summarization engines. Given a query, QCS retrieves relevant documents, separates the retrieved documents into topic clusters, and creates a single summary for each cluster. In the current implementation, Latent Semantic Indexing is used for retrieval, generalized spherical k-means is used for the document clustering, and a method coupling sentence 'trimming', and a hidden Markov model, followed by a pivoted QR decomposition, is used to create a single extract summary for each cluster. The user interface is designed to provide access to detailed information in a compact and useful format. Our system demonstrates the feasibility of assembling an effective IR system from existing software libraries, the usefulness of the modularity of the design

QCS : a system for querying, clustering, and summarizing documents.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunlavy, Daniel M.

2006-08-01

Information retrieval systems consist of many complicated components. Research and development of such systems is often hampered by the difficulty in evaluating how each particular component would behave across multiple systems. We present a novel hybrid information retrieval system--the Query, Cluster, Summarize (QCS) system--which is portable, modular, and permits experimentation with different instantiations of each of the constituent text analysis components. Most importantly, the combination of the three types of components in the QCS design improves retrievals by providing users more focused information organized by topic. We demonstrate the improved performance by a series of experiments using standard test sets from the Document Understanding Conferences (DUC) along with the best known automatic metric for summarization system evaluation, ROUGE. Although the DUC data and evaluations were originally designed to test multidocument summarization, we developed a framework to extend it to the task of evaluation for each of the three components: query, clustering, and summarization. Under this framework, we then demonstrate that the QCS system (end-to-end) achieves performance as good as or better than the best summarization engines. Given a query, QCS retrieves relevant documents, separates the retrieved documents into topic clusters, and creates a single summary for each cluster. In the current implementation, Latent Semantic Indexing is used for retrieval, generalized spherical k-means is used for the document clustering, and a method coupling sentence ''trimming'', and a hidden Markov model, followed by a pivoted QR decomposition, is used to create a single extract summary for each cluster. The user interface is designed to provide access to detailed information in a compact and useful format. Our system demonstrates the feasibility of assembling an effective IR system from existing software libraries, the usefulness of the modularity of

Invited review current progress and limitations of spider silk for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Widhe, Mona; Johansson, Jan; Hedhammar, My; Rising, Anna

2012-06-01

Spider silk is a fascinating material combining remarkable mechanical properties with low density and biodegradability. Because of these properties and historical descriptions of medical applications, spider silk has been proposed to be the ideal biomaterial. However, overcoming the obstacles to produce spider silk in sufficient quantities and in a manner that meets regulatory demands has proven to be a difficult task. Also, there are relatively few studies of spider silk in biomedical applications available, and the methods and materials used vary a lot. Herein we summarize cell culture- and in vivo implantation studies of natural and synthetic spider silk, and also review the current status and future challenges in the quest for a large scale production of spider silk for medical applications. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Postural Control Impairments in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Critical Review of Current Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Memari, Amir Hossein; Ghanouni, Parisa; Shayestehfar, Monir; Ghaheri, Banafsheh

2014-01-01

Context: Motor impairments in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been frequently reported. In this review, we narrow our focus on postural control impairments to summarize current literature for patterns, underlying mechanisms, and determinants of posture in this population. Evidence Acquisition: A literature search was conducted through Medline, ISI web of Knowledge, Scopus and Google Scholar to include studies between 1992 and February 2013. Results: Individuals with ASD have problems in maintaining postural control in infancy that well persists into later years. However, the patterns and underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Conclusions: Examining postural control as an endophenotype or early diagnostic marker of autism is a conceptual premise which should be considered in future investigations. At the end of the review, methodological recommendations on the assessment of postural control have also been provided. PMID:25520765

Fried Food Consumption and Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Current Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taraka V. Gadiraju

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Fried food consumption and its effects on cardiovascular disease are still subjects of debate. The objective of this review was to summarize current evidence on the association between fried food consumption and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity and to recommend directions for future research. We used PubMed, Google Scholar and Medline searches to retrieve pertinent publications. Most available data were based on questionnaires as a tool to capture fried food intakes, and study design was limited to case-control and cohort studies. While few studies have reported a positive association between frequencies of fried food intake and risk of coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes or hypertension, other investigators have failed to confirm such an association. There is strong evidence suggesting a higher risk of developing chronic disease when fried foods are consumed more frequently (i.e., four or more times per week. Major gaps in the current literature include a lack of detailed information on the type of oils used for frying foods, stratification of the different types of fried food, frying procedure (deep and pan frying, temperature and duration of frying, how often oils were reused and a lack of consideration of overall dietary patterns. Besides addressing these gaps, future research should also develop tools to better define fried food consumption at home versus away from home and to assess their effects on chronic diseases. In summary, the current review provides enough evidence to suggest adverse health effects with higher frequency of fried food consumption. While awaiting confirmation from future studies, it may be advisable to the public to consume fried foods in moderation while emphasizing an overall healthy diet.

Using Text Messaging to Summarize Text

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Angela Ruffin

2012-01-01

Summarizing is an academic task that students are expected to have mastered by the time they enter college. However, experience has revealed quite the contrary. Summarization is often difficult to master as well as teach, but instructors in higher education can benefit greatly from the rapid advancement in mobile wireless technology devices, by…

Air travel and radiation risks - review of current knowledge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeeb, H.; Blettner, M.

2004-01-01

Aircrew and passengers are exposed to cosmic radiation, in particular when travelling routes close to the poles and in high altitudes. The paper reviews current radiation measurement and estimation approaches as well as the actual level of cosmic radiation that personnel and travellers receive and summarizes the available epidemiological evidence on health effects of cosmic radiation. On average, German aircrew is exposed to les than 5 mSv per annum, and even frequent travellers only rarely reach values above 1 mSv/year. Cohort studies among aircrew have found very little evidence for an increased incidence or mortality of radiation-associated cancers. Only malignant melanoma rates have consistently found to be increased among male aircrew. Socioeconomic and reproductive aspects are likely to contribute to the slightly elevated breast cancer risk of female aircrew. Cytogenetic studies have not yielded consistent results. Based on these data overall risk increases for cancer among occupationally exposed aircrew appear unlikely. This also applies to air travellers who are usually exposed to much lower radiation levels. Occasional air travel during pregnancy does not pose a significant radiation risk, but further considerations apply in this situation. The currently available studies are limited with regard to methodological issues and case numbers so that a continuation of cohort studies in several European countries is being planned. (orig.) [de

Dynamic summarization of bibliographic-based data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hurdle John F

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Traditional information retrieval techniques typically return excessive output when directed at large bibliographic databases. Natural Language Processing applications strive to extract salient content from the excessive data. Semantic MEDLINE, a National Library of Medicine (NLM natural language processing application, highlights relevant information in PubMed data. However, Semantic MEDLINE implements manually coded schemas, accommodating few information needs. Currently, there are only five such schemas, while many more would be needed to realistically accommodate all potential users. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate a statistical algorithm that automatically identifies relevant bibliographic data; the new algorithm could be incorporated into a dynamic schema to accommodate various information needs in Semantic MEDLINE, and eliminate the need for multiple schemas. Methods We developed a flexible algorithm named Combo that combines three statistical metrics, the Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD, Riloff's RlogF metric (RlogF, and a new metric called PredScal, to automatically identify salient data in bibliographic text. We downloaded citations from a PubMed search query addressing the genetic etiology of bladder cancer. The citations were processed with SemRep, an NLM rule-based application that produces semantic predications. SemRep output was processed by Combo, in addition to the standard Semantic MEDLINE genetics schema and independently by the two individual KLD and RlogF metrics. We evaluated each summarization method using an existing reference standard within the task-based context of genetic database curation. Results Combo asserted 74 genetic entities implicated in bladder cancer development, whereas the traditional schema asserted 10 genetic entities; the KLD and RlogF metrics individually asserted 77 and 69 genetic entities, respectively. Combo achieved 61% recall and 81% precision, with an F

Current concepts in adult aphasia.

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, M R

1984-01-01

This paper provides a review of recent research from the areas of speech and language pathology, cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, neurology, and rehabilitation medicine which is used to refine and extend current definitions of aphasia. Evidence is presented from these diverse disciplines, which supports a multimodality, performance-based, verbal and non-verbal, cortical and subcortical, and cognitively multidimensional view of aphasia. A summary of current practice in the assessment and treatment of adult aphasia is summarized.

Summarized water quality criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kempster, P.L.; Hattingh, W.H.J.; Van Vliet, H.R.

1980-08-01

The available world literature from 27 sources on existing water quality criteria are summarized for the 15 main uses of water. The minimum, median and maximum specified values for 96 different determinands are included. Under each water use the criteria are grouped according to the functional significance of the determinands e.g. aesthetic/physical effects, high toxic potential, low toxic potential etc. A synopsis is included summarizing salient facts for each determinand such as the conditions under which it is toxic and its relationship to other determinands. The significance of the criteria is briefly discussed and the importance of considering functional interactions between determinands emphasized in evaluating the potential for toxic or beneficial effects. From the source literature it appears that the toxic potential, in addition to being determined by concentration, is also affected by the origin of the substance concerned, i.e. whether from natural sources or from anthropogenic pollution

[Current Status and Challenges of CAR-T Immunotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies -Review].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xin; Wang, Ya-Jie; Feng, Shuai; Wu, Ya-Yun; Yang, Tong-Hua; Lai, Xun

2018-04-01

The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has gradually became a new trend in the treatment of refractory and relapsed hematologic malignancies by developing for 30 years. With the exciting development of genetic engineering, CAR-T technology has subjected to 4 generations of innovation. Structure of CAR-T started from a single signal molecule to 2 or more than 2 co-stimulatory molecules, and then coding the CAR gene or promoter. CAR-T can specifically recognize tumor antigens, and does not be restricted by major histocompatibility complex (MHC), thus making a breakthrough in clinical treatment. In this review, the history, structure and mechanism of action of CAR-T, as well as the current status and challenges of CAR-T immunotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma are summarized.

Advancing Kinesiology through Improved Peer Review

Science.gov (United States)

Knudson, Duane V.; Morrow, James R., Jr.; Thomas, Jerry R.

2014-01-01

Peer review of scholarship is essential to journal quality, evidence, knowledge advancement, and application of that knowledge in any field. This commentary summarizes recent literature on issues related to peer-review quality and current review practice in kinesiology and provides recommendations to improve peer review in kinesiology journals. We…

Preferences of Knowledge Users for Two Formats of Summarizing Results from Systematic Reviews: Infographics and Critical Appraisals.

Science.gov (United States)

Crick, Katelynn; Hartling, Lisa

2015-01-01

To examine and compare preferences of knowledge users for two different formats of summarizing results from systematic reviews: infographics and critical appraisals. Cross-sectional. Annual members' meeting of a Network of Centres of Excellence in Knowledge Mobilization called TREKK (Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids). TREKK is a national network of researchers, clinicians, health consumers, and relevant organizations with the goal of mobilizing knowledge to improve emergency care for children. Members of the TREKK Network attending the annual meeting in October 2013. Overall preference for infographic vs. critical appraisal format. Members' rating of each format on a 10-point Likert scale for clarity, comprehensibility, and aesthetic appeal. Members' impressions of the appropriateness of the two formats for their professional role and for other audiences. Among 64 attendees, 58 members provided feedback (91%). Overall, their preferred format was divided with 24/47 (51%) preferring the infographic to the critical appraisal. Preference varied by professional role, with 15/22 (68%) of physicians preferring the critical appraisal and 8/12 (67%) of nurses preferring the infographic. The critical appraisal was rated higher for clarity (mean 7.8 vs. 7.0; p = 0.03), while the infographic was rated higher for aesthetic appeal (mean 7.2 vs. 5.0; pinfographic; p = 0.09). Respondents indicated the infographic would be most useful for patients and their caregivers, while the critical appraisal would be most useful for their professional roles. Infographics are considered more aesthetically appealing for summarizing evidence; however, critical appraisal formats are considered clearer and more comprehensible. Our findings show differences in terms of audience-specific preferences for presentation of research results. This study supports other research indicating that tools for knowledge dissemination and translation need to be targeted to specific end users' preferences

Diuretics in pediatrics: Current knowledge and future prospects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.M.J. van der Vorst (Maria); M. Kist (Manfred); A.J. van der Heijden (Bert); J. Burggraaf (Jacobus)

2006-01-01

textabstractThis review summarizes current knowledge on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical application of the most commonly used diuretics in children. Diuretics are frequently prescribed drugs in children. Their main indication is to reduce fluid overload in acute

Improving menstrual hygiene management in emergency contexts: literature review of current perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

VanLeeuwen, Crystal; Torondel, Belen

2018-01-01

Management of menstruation in contexts of humanitarian emergencies can be challenging. A lack of empirical research about effective interventions which improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among female populations in humanitarian emergencies and a lack of clarity about which sectors within a humanitarian response should deliver MHM interventions can both be attributable to the lack of clear guidance on design and delivery of culturally appropriate MHM intervention in settings of humanitarian emergencies. The objective of this review was to collate, summarize, and appraise existing peer-reviewed and gray literature that describes the current scenario of MHM in emergency contexts in order to describe the breadth and depth of current policies, guidelines, empirical research, and humanitarian aid activities addressing populations' menstrual needs. A structured-search strategy was conducted for peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify studies, published reports, guidelines, and policy papers related to menstrual response in emergency humanitarian contexts. Of the 51 articles included in the review, 16 were peer-reviewed papers and 35 were gray literature. Most of the literature agreed that hardware interventions should focus on the supply of adequate material (not only absorbent material but also other supportive material) and adequate sanitation facilities, with access to water and private space for washing, changing, drying, and disposing menstrual materials. Software interventions should focus on education in the usage of materials to manage menstruation hygienically and education about the female body's biological processes. There was clear agreement that the needs of the target population should be assessed before designing any intervention. Although there is insight about which factors should be included in an effective menstrual hygiene intervention, there is insufficient empirical evidence to establish which interventions are most effective in

Camera network video summarization

Science.gov (United States)

Panda, Rameswar; Roy-Chowdhury, Amit K.

2017-05-01

Networks of vision sensors are deployed in many settings, ranging from security needs to disaster response to environmental monitoring. Many of these setups have hundreds of cameras and tens of thousands of hours of video. The difficulty of analyzing such a massive volume of video data is apparent whenever there is an incident that requires foraging through vast video archives to identify events of interest. As a result, video summarization, that automatically extract a brief yet informative summary of these videos, has attracted intense attention in the recent years. Much progress has been made in developing a variety of ways to summarize a single video in form of a key sequence or video skim. However, generating a summary from a set of videos captured in a multi-camera network still remains as a novel and largely under-addressed problem. In this paper, with the aim of summarizing videos in a camera network, we introduce a novel representative selection approach via joint embedding and capped l21-norm minimization. The objective function is two-fold. The first is to capture the structural relationships of data points in a camera network via an embedding, which helps in characterizing the outliers and also in extracting a diverse set of representatives. The second is to use a capped l21-norm to model the sparsity and to suppress the influence of data outliers in representative selection. We propose to jointly optimize both of the objectives, such that embedding can not only characterize the structure, but also indicate the requirements of sparse representative selection. Extensive experiments on standard multi-camera datasets well demonstrate the efficacy of our method over state-of-the-art methods.

Personal summarization from profile networks

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhongqing WANG; Shoushan LI; Guodong ZHOU

2017-01-01

Personal profile information on social media like Linkedln.com and Facebook.com is at the core of many interesting applications,such as talent recommendation and contextual advertising.However,personal profiles usually lack consistent organization confronted with the large amount of available information.Therefore,it is always a challenge for people to quickly find desired information from them.In this paper,we address the task of personal profile summarization by leveraging both textual information and social connection information in social networks from both unsupervised and supervised learning paradigms.Here,using social connection information is motivated by the intuition that people with similar academic,business or social background (e.g.,comajor,co-university,and co-corporation) tend to have similar experiences and should have similar summaries.For unsupervised learning,we propose a collective ranking approach,called SocialRank,to combine textual information in an individual profile and social context information from relevant profiles in generating a personal profile summary.For supervised learning,we propose a collective factor graph model,called CoFG,to summarize personal profiles with local textual attribute functions and social connection factors.Extensive evaluation on a large dataset from LinkedIn.com demonstrates the usefulness of social connection information in personal profile summarization and the effectiveness of our proposed unsupervised and supervised learning approaches.

Narcissistic personality disorder: an integrative review of recent empirical data and current definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Roepke, Stefan; Vater, Aline

2014-05-01

Although concepts of pathological narcissism are as old as psychology and psychiatry itself, only a small number of clinical studies are based on the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals of Mental Disorders (DSM). As a result, NPD appears to be one of the most controversially discussed nosological entities in psychiatry. Whereas the majority of empirical studies used self or other ratings of NPD criteria to address issues of reliability and validity of the diagnostic category (i.e., internal consistency, factor structure, discriminant validity), only recent research has applied experimental designs to investigate specific features of NPD (e.g., self-esteem, empathy, shame). The aim of this review is to summarize available empirical data on NPD and relate these findings to current definitions of NPD (according to the DSM-5, [1]). In order to do so, this review follows the five steps to establishing diagnostic validity proposed by Robins and Guze [2], i.e., (1) clinical description, (2) laboratory studies, (3) delimitation from other disorders, (4) family studies, and (5) follow up studies. Finally, this review suggests pathways for future research that may assist further nosological evaluation of NPD and contribute to the overall goal, the improvement of treatment for patients.

Preferences of Knowledge Users for Two Formats of Summarizing Results from Systematic Reviews: Infographics and Critical Appraisals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katelynn Crick

Full Text Available To examine and compare preferences of knowledge users for two different formats of summarizing results from systematic reviews: infographics and critical appraisals.Cross-sectional.Annual members' meeting of a Network of Centres of Excellence in Knowledge Mobilization called TREKK (Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids. TREKK is a national network of researchers, clinicians, health consumers, and relevant organizations with the goal of mobilizing knowledge to improve emergency care for children.Members of the TREKK Network attending the annual meeting in October 2013.Overall preference for infographic vs. critical appraisal format. Members' rating of each format on a 10-point Likert scale for clarity, comprehensibility, and aesthetic appeal. Members' impressions of the appropriateness of the two formats for their professional role and for other audiences.Among 64 attendees, 58 members provided feedback (91%. Overall, their preferred format was divided with 24/47 (51% preferring the infographic to the critical appraisal. Preference varied by professional role, with 15/22 (68% of physicians preferring the critical appraisal and 8/12 (67% of nurses preferring the infographic. The critical appraisal was rated higher for clarity (mean 7.8 vs. 7.0; p = 0.03, while the infographic was rated higher for aesthetic appeal (mean 7.2 vs. 5.0; p<0.001. There was no difference between formats for comprehensibility (mean 7.6 critical appraisal vs. 7.1 infographic; p = 0.09. Respondents indicated the infographic would be most useful for patients and their caregivers, while the critical appraisal would be most useful for their professional roles.Infographics are considered more aesthetically appealing for summarizing evidence; however, critical appraisal formats are considered clearer and more comprehensible. Our findings show differences in terms of audience-specific preferences for presentation of research results. This study supports other research

The regulatory review: general comments, current status of review, identification of critical issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigfusson, J.; Franck, E.

2004-01-01

Typically, a lot of interesting and important details add up to give a coherent and convincing picture of a safe repository. A good portion of these details must be studied and the scientific basis of the system must be clearly understood by the reviewing authority in order to be able to pass a judgement on the safety case. HSK has already received a large part of the documentation relating to the project, including the three high level documents that summarize the synthesis of the geological information, the demonstration of repository design and construction feasibility and the safety case. After a first look at the contents of the documentation we would like to complement Nagra on the maturity and clarity of the presentation in these reports. At this early stage, we shall not present any review judgements. The reviewer usually is dependent upon having not only the high level documents but also all the detailed reference reports in front of him in order to do his job, and HSK is still receiving very relevant documents. Thus we are still at the very beginning of our review. Here, we offer some comments of general nature about the review process and mention a few points that seem to be uppermost in our mind at this stage. (author)

Controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic: current status and global challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thorsten eDemberg

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This review provides an overview of the current status of the global HIV pandemic and strategies to bring it under control. It updates numerous preventive approaches including behavioral interventions, male circumcision, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, vaccines, and microbicides. The manuscript summarizes current anti-retroviral treatment options, their impact in the western world, and difficulties faced by emerging and resource-limited nations in providing and maintaining appropriate treatment regimens. Current clinical and pre-clinical approaches towards a cure for HIV are described, including new drug compounds that target viral reservoirs and gene therapy approaches aimed at altering susceptibility to HIV infection. Recent progress in vaccine development is summarized, including novel approaches and new discoveries.

Current insights in sepsis: from pathogenesis to new treatment targets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersinga, W. Joost

2011-01-01

Sepsis continues to be a leading cause of ICU death. This review summarizes current knowledge on sepsis pathogenesis and new therapeutical strategies. Although systemic inflammatory response syndrome predominates in early sepsis, the compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome causes

A coherent graph-based semantic clustering and summarization approach for biomedical literature and a new summarization evaluation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Illhoi; Hu, Xiaohua; Song, Il-Yeol

2007-11-27

A huge amount of biomedical textual information has been produced and collected in MEDLINE for decades. In order to easily utilize biomedical information in the free text, document clustering and text summarization together are used as a solution for text information overload problem. In this paper, we introduce a coherent graph-based semantic clustering and summarization approach for biomedical literature. Our extensive experimental results show the approach shows 45% cluster quality improvement and 72% clustering reliability improvement, in terms of misclassification index, over Bisecting K-means as a leading document clustering approach. In addition, our approach provides concise but rich text summary in key concepts and sentences. Our coherent biomedical literature clustering and summarization approach that takes advantage of ontology-enriched graphical representations significantly improves the quality of document clusters and understandability of documents through summaries.

Reviews in fluorescence 2008

CERN Document Server

Geddes, Chris D

2010-01-01

This volume serves as a comprehensive collection of current trends and emerging hot topics in the field of fluorescence spectroscopy. It summarizes the year's progress in fluorescence and its applications as well as includes authoritative analytical reviews.

Improving menstrual hygiene management in emergency contexts: literature review of current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VanLeeuwen C

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Crystal VanLeeuwen, Belen Torondel Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK Abstract: Management of menstruation in contexts of humanitarian emergencies can be challenging. A lack of empirical research about effective interventions which improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM among female populations in humanitarian emergencies and a lack of clarity about which sectors within a humanitarian response should deliver MHM interventions can both be attributable to the lack of clear guidance on design and delivery of culturally appropriate MHM intervention in settings of humanitarian emergencies. The objective of this review was to collate, summarize, and appraise existing peer-reviewed and gray literature that describes the current scenario of MHM in emergency contexts in order to describe the breadth and depth of current policies, guidelines, empirical research, and humanitarian aid activities addressing populations’ menstrual needs. A structured-search strategy was conducted for peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify studies, published reports, guidelines, and policy papers related to menstrual response in emergency humanitarian contexts. Of the 51 articles included in the review, 16 were peer-reviewed papers and 35 were gray literature. Most of the literature agreed that hardware interventions should focus on the supply of adequate material (not only absorbent material but also other supportive material and adequate sanitation facilities, with access to water and private space for washing, changing, drying, and disposing menstrual materials. Software interventions should focus on education in the usage of materials to manage menstruation hygienically and education about the female body’s biological processes. There was clear agreement that the needs of the target population should be assessed before designing any intervention. Although there is insight about which factors should be

Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment - Review and Current Concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Güntensperger, Dominik; Thüring, Christian; Meyer, Martin; Neff, Patrick; Kleinjung, Tobias

2017-01-01

An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB), a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily control their brain activity and thus triggers them to unlearn typical neural activity patterns related to tinnitus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss previous findings of neurofeedback treatment studies in the field of chronic tinnitus. In doing so, also an overview about the underlying theories of tinnitus emergence is presented and results of resting-state EEG and MEG studies summarized and critically discussed. To date, neurofeedback as well as electrophysiological tinnitus studies lack general guidelines that are crucial to produce more comparable and consistent results. Even though neurofeedback has already shown promising results for chronic tinnitus treatment, further research is needed in order to develop more sophisticated protocols that are able to tackle the individual needs of tinnitus patients more specifically.

[A review of current studies on leisure activities performed by community-dwelling elders].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yueh-Ping; Chen, Ching-Huey

2010-02-01

This article reviewed and summarized the findings of previously published studies on the leisure activities of community elders over 55 years of age. A total of 17 related articles, published before 2008, were identified in the search of electronic databases, which included the Chinese Periodical Table of Contents Index Image System, CEPS, Medline and Ageline. Leisure activities measurements used in this study consisted of recoding activities either categorically or by frequency. The majority of research indicated that elderly engage in primarily static activities and that participation in leisure activities had positive effects on cognitive and psychological health. However, inconsistencies in results were found due to differences in measurement tools and sample populations used among studies, making it difficult to conduct a valid comparison of specific features of elderly leisure activities. Most current leisure activity studies utilize cross-sectional research methodologies with restricted topics, which result in limited applicability of research results. In conclusion, we suggest that future studies should develop instruments to assess leisure activities that correspond to local conditions identified through qualitative research. With such, researchers can study different age groups by applying relevant ageing theories to construct empirical data related to current elderly leisure activities.

Cat swarm optimization based evolutionary framework for multi document summarization

Science.gov (United States)

Rautray, Rasmita; Balabantaray, Rakesh Chandra

2017-07-01

Today, World Wide Web has brought us enormous quantity of on-line information. As a result, extracting relevant information from massive data has become a challenging issue. In recent past text summarization is recognized as one of the solution to extract useful information from vast amount documents. Based on number of documents considered for summarization, it is categorized as single document or multi document summarization. Rather than single document, multi document summarization is more challenging for the researchers to find accurate summary from multiple documents. Hence in this study, a novel Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO) based multi document summarizer is proposed to address the problem of multi document summarization. The proposed CSO based model is also compared with two other nature inspired based summarizer such as Harmony Search (HS) based summarizer and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based summarizer. With respect to the benchmark Document Understanding Conference (DUC) datasets, the performance of all algorithms are compared in terms of different evaluation metrics such as ROUGE score, F score, sensitivity, positive predicate value, summary accuracy, inter sentence similarity and readability metric to validate non-redundancy, cohesiveness and readability of the summary respectively. The experimental analysis clearly reveals that the proposed approach outperforms the other summarizers included in the study.

Interestingness-Driven Diffusion Process Summarization in Dynamic Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qu, Qiang; Liu, Siyuan; Jensen, Christian S.

2014-01-01

The widespread use of social networks enables the rapid diffusion of information, e.g., news, among users in very large communities. It is a substantial challenge to be able to observe and understand such diffusion processes, which may be modeled as networks that are both large and dynamic. A key...... tool in this regard is data summarization. However, few existing studies aim to summarize graphs/networks for dynamics. Dynamic networks raise new challenges not found in static settings, including time sensitivity and the needs for online interestingness evaluation and summary traceability, which...... render existing techniques inapplicable. We study the topic of dynamic network summarization: how to summarize dynamic networks with millions of nodes by only capturing the few most interesting nodes or edges over time, and we address the problem by finding interestingness-driven diffusion processes...

The importance of preventive dental visits from a young age: systematic review and current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhaskar V

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Vaishnavi Bhaskar,1 Kathleen A McGraw,2 Kimon Divaris3 1Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2Health Sciences Library, 3Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Background: Dental caries, the most common childhood chronic disease, disproportionately affects vulnerable parts of the population and confers substantial impacts to children, families, and health systems. Because efforts directed toward oral health promotion and disease prevention are fundamentally superior to dental rehabilitation secondary to disease development, early preventive dental visits (EPDVs are widely advocated by professional and academic stakeholders. The aim of this comprehensive review was to critically review and summarize available evidence regarding the effectiveness of EPDVs in improving children's oral health outcomes. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search of the PubMed and Embase electronic databases was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed publications investigating the effectiveness of EPDVs on oral health outcomes, including clinical, behavioral, and cost end points up to October 30, 2013. Outcomes of the identified studies were abstracted and summarized independently by two investigators. Results: Four manuscripts met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All studies were conducted in the US and employed a retrospective cohort study design using public insurance-claims data, whereas one study matched claims files with kindergarten state dental surveillance data. That study found no benefit of EPDVs in future clinically determined dental caries levels in kindergarten. The other three studies found mixed support for an association of EPDVs with subsequent more preventive and fewer nonpreventive visits and lower nonpreventive service-related expenditures. Selection bias and a problem-driven dental care

The current status of fluoroscopy and echocardiography in the diagnosis of prosthetic valve thrombosis-a review article.

Science.gov (United States)

Gürsoy, Mustafa Ozan; Kalçik, Macit; Karakoyun, Süleyman; Özkan, Mehmet

2015-01-01

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a potentially life-threatening complication of heart valve replacement. Early diagnosis is crucial for the prevention of significantly morbid and lethal complications. Cinefluoroscopy (CF) and echocardiography have been widely used for diagnosing PVT. In recent years, the role of CF has declined since the introduction of transesophageal echocardiography and the great improvements in ultrasound technology including real time three-dimensional imaging. Nevertheless, both echocardiography and CF provide different kinds of information on prosthesis function, and therefore they are considered as complementary and not alternative. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current status of CF and echocardiography in the diagnosis of PVT. © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Personalized Time-Aware Tweets Summarization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ren, Z.; Liang, S.; Meij, E.; de Rijke, M.

2013-01-01

We focus on the problem of selecting meaningful tweets given a user's interests; the dynamic nature of user interests, the sheer volume, and the sparseness of individual messages make this an challenging problem. Specifically, we consider the task of time-aware tweets summarization, based on a

Distal protection in cardiovascular medicine: current status.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Onn Akbar; Bhindi, Ravinay; McMahon, Aisling C; Brieger, David; Kritharides, Leonard; Lowe, Harry C

2006-08-01

Iatrogenic and spontaneous downstream microembolization of atheromatous material is increasingly recognized as a source of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Devising ways of reducing this distal embolization using a variety of mechanical means--distal protection--is currently under intense and diverse investigation. This review therefore summarizes the present status of distal protection. It examines the problem of distal embolization, describes the available distal protection devices, reviews those areas of cardiovascular medicine where distal protection devices are being investigated, and discusses potential future developments.

Review of the current understanding of the potential for containment failure from in-vessel steam explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-06-01

A group of experts was convened to review the current understanding of the potential for containment failure from in-vessel steam explosions during core meltdown accidents in LWRs. The Steam Explosion Review Group (SERG) was requested to provide assessments of: (1) the conditional probability of containment failure due to a steam explosion, (2) a Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) report entitled ''An Uncertainty Study of PWR Steam Explosions,'' NUREG/CR-3369, (3) a SNL proposed steam explosion research program. This report summarizes the results of the deliberations of the review group. It also presents the detailed response of each individual member to each of the issues. The consensus of the SERG is that the occurrence of a steam explosion of sufficient energetics which could lead to alpha-mode containment failure has a low probability. The SERG members disagreed with the methodology used in NUREG/CR-3369 for the purpose of establishing the uncertainty in the probability of containment failure by a steam explosion. A consensus was reached among SERG members on the need for a continuing steam explosion research program which would improve our understanding of certain aspects of steam explosion phenomenology

The evolving role of radiosurgery in the management of radiation-induced meningiomas: a review of current advances and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansouri, Alireza; Badhiwala, Jetan; Mansouri, Sheila; Zadeh, Gelareh

2014-01-01

Meningiomas are among the most common primary adult brain tumors, which arise either spontaneously or secondary to environmental factors such as ionizing radiation. The latter are referred to as radiation-induced meningiomas (RIMs) which, while much less common than their spontaneous counterparts, are challenging from a management point of view. Similar to spontaneous meningiomas, the optimal management of RIMs is complete surgical resection. However, given their high grade, multiplicity, tendency to invade bone and venous sinuses, and high recurrence rate, this cannot always be accomplished safely. Therefore, other therapeutic modalities, such as stereotactic radiosurgery, have emerged. In the current review, we provide an overview of the historical outcomes achieved for RIMs through radiosurgery and microsurgical resection. Furthermore, we provide a discussion of clinical and radiological parameters that affect the decision-making process with regard to the management of RIMs. We also provide an outline of recent changes in our understanding of RIMs, based on molecular and genetic markers, and how these will change our management perspective. We conclude the review by summarizing some of the current obstacles in the management of RIMs with SRS and how current and future research can address these challenges.

The Evolving Role of Radiosurgery in the Management of Radiation-Induced Meningiomas: A Review of Current Advances and Future Directions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Mansouri

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Meningiomas are among the most common primary adult brain tumors, which arise either spontaneously or secondary to environmental factors such as ionizing radiation. The latter are referred to as radiation-induced meningiomas (RIMs which, while much less common than their spontaneous counterparts, are challenging from a management point of view. Similar to spontaneous meningiomas, the optimal management of RIMs is complete surgical resection. However, given their high grade, multiplicity, tendency to invade bone and venous sinuses, and high recurrence rate, this cannot always be accomplished safely. Therefore, other therapeutic modalities, such as stereotactic radiosurgery, have emerged. In the current review, we provide an overview of the historical outcomes achieved for RIMs through radiosurgery and microsurgical resection. Furthermore, we provide a discussion of clinical and radiological parameters that affect the decision-making process with regard to the management of RIMs. We also provide an outline of recent changes in our understanding of RIMs, based on molecular and genetic markers, and how these will change our management perspective. We conclude the review by summarizing some of the current obstacles in the management of RIMs with SRS and how current and future research can address these challenges.

Low-Frequency Pulsed Current Versus Kilohertz-Frequency Alternating Current: A Scoping Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, Marco Aurélio; Frasson, Viviane Bortoluzzi

2018-04-01

To compare the effectiveness of low-frequency pulsed current versus kilohertz-frequency alternating current in terms of evoked force, discomfort level, current intensity, and muscle fatigability; to discuss the physiological mechanisms of each neuromuscular electrical stimulation type; and to determine if kilohertz-frequency alternating current is better than low-frequency pulsed current for clinical treatment. Articles were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTSDiscus databases using the terms Russian current or kilohertz current or alternating current or pulsed current or Aussie current and torque or discomfort or fatigue or current intensity, and through citation tracking up to July 2017. Two independent reviewers selected studies comparing the use of the 2 neuromuscular electrical stimulation currents. Studies describing maximal current intensity tolerated and the main effects of the 2 different current types on discomfort, muscle force, and fatigability were independently reviewed. Data were systematized according to (1) methodology; (2) electrical current characteristics; and (3) outcomes on discomfort level, evoked force, current intensity, and muscle fatigability. The search revealed 15 articles comparing the 2 current types. Kilohertz-frequency alternated current generated equal or less force, similar discomfort, similar current intensity for maximal tolerated neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and more fatigue compared with low-frequency pulsed current. Similar submaximal levels of evoked force revealed higher discomfort and current intensity for kilohertz-frequency alternated current compared with low-frequency pulsed current. Available evidence does not support the idea that kilohertz-frequency alternated current is better than low-frequency pulsed current for strength training and rehabilitation. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier

Systematic review of 3D printing in spinal surgery: the current state of play.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilcox, Ben; Mobbs, Ralph J; Wu, Ai-Min; Phan, Kevin

2017-09-01

Three-dimensional printing (3DP), also known as "Additive Manufacturing", is a rapidly growing industry, particularly in the area of spinal surgery. Given the complex anatomy of the spine and delicate nature of surrounding structures, 3DP has the potential to aid surgical planning and procedural accuracy. We perform a systematic review of current literature on the applications of 3DP in spinal surgery. Six electronic databases were searched for original published studies reporting cases or outcomes for 3DP surgical models, guides or implants for spinal surgery. The findings of these studies were synthesized and summarized. These searches returned a combined 2,411 articles. Of these, 54 were included in this review. 3DP is currently used for surgical planning, intra-operative surgical guides, customised prostheses as well as "Off-the-Shelf" implants. The technology has the potential for enhanced implant properties, as well as decreased surgical time and better patient outcomes. The majority of the data thus far is from low-quality studies with inherent biases linked with the excitement of a new field. As the body of literature continues to expand, larger scale studies to evaluate advantages and disadvantages, and longer-term follow up will enhance our knowledge of the effect 3DP has in spinal surgery. In addition, issues such as financial impact, time to design and print, materials selection and bio-printing will evolve as this rapidly expanding field matures.

Resource Lean and Portable Automatic Text Summarization

OpenAIRE

Hassel, Martin

2007-01-01

Today, with digitally stored information available in abundance, even for many minor languages, this information must by some means be filtered and extracted in order to avoid drowning in it. Automatic summarization is one such technique, where a computer summarizes a longer text to a shorter non-rendundant form. Apart from the major languages of the world there are a lot of languages for which large bodies of data aimed at language technology research to a high degree are lacking. There migh...

Design and analysis of group-randomized trials in cancer: A review of current practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, David M; Pals, Sherri L; George, Stephanie M; Kuzmichev, Andrey; Lai, Gabriel Y; Lee, Jocelyn A; Myles, Ranell L; Nelson, Shakira M

2018-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to summarize current practices for the design and analysis of group-randomized trials involving cancer-related risk factors or outcomes and to offer recommendations to improve future trials. We searched for group-randomized trials involving cancer-related risk factors or outcomes that were published or online in peer-reviewed journals in 2011-15. During 2016-17, in Bethesda MD, we reviewed 123 articles from 76 journals to characterize their design and their methods for sample size estimation and data analysis. Only 66 (53.7%) of the articles reported appropriate methods for sample size estimation. Only 63 (51.2%) reported exclusively appropriate methods for analysis. These findings suggest that many investigators do not adequately attend to the methodological challenges inherent in group-randomized trials. These practices can lead to underpowered studies, to an inflated type 1 error rate, and to inferences that mislead readers. Investigators should work with biostatisticians or other methodologists familiar with these issues. Funders and editors should ensure careful methodological review of applications and manuscripts. Reviewers should ensure that studies are properly planned and analyzed. These steps are needed to improve the rigor and reproducibility of group-randomized trials. The Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has taken several steps to address these issues. ODP offers an online course on the design and analysis of group-randomized trials. ODP is working to increase the number of methodologists who serve on grant review panels. ODP has developed standard language for the Application Guide and the Review Criteria to draw investigators' attention to these issues. Finally, ODP has created a new Research Methods Resources website to help investigators, reviewers, and NIH staff better understand these issues. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Current status of rotavirus vaccines.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ching-Min; Chen, Shou-Chien; Chen, Kow-Tong

2015-11-01

Rotaviruses remain the major cause of childhood diarrheal disease worldwide and of diarrheal deaths of infants and children in developing countries. The huge burden of childhood rotavirus-related diarrhea in the world continues to drive the remarkable pace of vaccine development. Research articles were searched using terms "rotavirus" and "rotavirus vaccine" in MEDLINE and PubMed. Articles not published in the English language, articles without abstracts, and opinion articles were excluded from the review. After preliminary screening, all articles were reviewed and synthesized to provide an overview of current vaccines and vaccination programs. In this review of the global rotavirus vaccines and vaccination programs, the principles of rotavirus vaccine development and the efficacy of the currently licensed vaccines from both developed and developing countries were summarized. Rotavirus is a common cause of diarrhea in children in both developed and developing countries. Rotavirus vaccination is a cost-effective measure to prevent rotavirus diarrhea.

The Current Landscape of Transitions of Care Practice Models: A Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rochester-Eyeguokan, Charmaine D; Pincus, Kathleen J; Patel, Roshni S; Reitz, Shirley J

2016-01-01

Transitions of care (TOC) are a set of actions to ensure patient coordination and continuity of care as patients transfer between different locations or levels. During transitions associated with chronic or acute illness, vulnerable patients may be placed at risk with fragmented systems compromising their health and safety. In addition, poor care transitions also have an enormous impact on health care spending. The primary objective of this scoping review is to summarize the current landscape of practice models that deliver TOC services in the United States. The secondary objective is to use the information to characterize the current state of best practice models. A search of the PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and Cochrane Library databases (January 1, 2000-April 13, 2015) for articles pertaining to TOC models, limited to U.S. studies published in the English language with human subjects, gleaned 1362 articles. An additional 26 articles were added from the gray literature. Articles meeting inclusion criteria underwent a second review and were categorized into four groups: background information, original TOC research articles not evaluating practice model interventions, original TOC research articles describing practice models, and systematic or Cochrane reviews. The reviewers met weekly to discuss the challenges and resolve disagreements regarding literature reviews with consensus before progressing. A total of 188 articles describing TOC practice models met the inclusion criteria. Despite the strengths of several quality TOC models, none satisfied all the components recommended by leading experts. Multimodal interventions by multidisciplinary teams appear to represent a best practice model for TOC to improve patient outcomes and reduce readmissions, but one size does not fit all

A review of oxy-fuel combustion in fluidized bed reactors

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mathekga, HI

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Presently, there is no detailed review that summarizes the current knowledge status on oxy-fuel combustion in fluidized bed combustors. This paper reviewed the existing literature in heat transfer, char combustion and pollutant emissions oxy...

Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment – Review and Current Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Güntensperger, Dominik; Thüring, Christian; Meyer, Martin; Neff, Patrick; Kleinjung, Tobias

2017-01-01

An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB), a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily control their brain activity and thus triggers them to unlearn typical neural activity patterns related to tinnitus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss previous findings of neurofeedback treatment studies in the field of chronic tinnitus. In doing so, also an overview about the underlying theories of tinnitus emergence is presented and results of resting-state EEG and MEG studies summarized and critically discussed. To date, neurofeedback as well as electrophysiological tinnitus studies lack general guidelines that are crucial to produce more comparable and consistent results. Even though neurofeedback has already shown promising results for chronic tinnitus treatment, further research is needed in order to develop more sophisticated protocols that are able to tackle the individual needs of tinnitus patients more specifically. PMID:29249959

Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment – Review and Current Concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominik Güntensperger

2017-12-01

Full Text Available An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB, a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily control their brain activity and thus triggers them to unlearn typical neural activity patterns related to tinnitus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss previous findings of neurofeedback treatment studies in the field of chronic tinnitus. In doing so, also an overview about the underlying theories of tinnitus emergence is presented and results of resting-state EEG and MEG studies summarized and critically discussed. To date, neurofeedback as well as electrophysiological tinnitus studies lack general guidelines that are crucial to produce more comparable and consistent results. Even though neurofeedback has already shown promising results for chronic tinnitus treatment, further research is needed in order to develop more sophisticated protocols that are able to tackle the individual needs of tinnitus patients more specifically.

Mining Sequential Update Summarization with Hierarchical Text Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunyun Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The outbreak of unexpected news events such as large human accident or natural disaster brings about a new information access problem where traditional approaches fail. Mostly, news of these events shows characteristics that are early sparse and later redundant. Hence, it is very important to get updates and provide individuals with timely and important information of these incidents during their development, especially when being applied in wireless and mobile Internet of Things (IoT. In this paper, we define the problem of sequential update summarization extraction and present a new hierarchical update mining system which can broadcast with useful, new, and timely sentence-length updates about a developing event. The new system proposes a novel method, which incorporates techniques from topic-level and sentence-level summarization. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, we apply it to the task of sequential update summarization of temporal summarization (TS track at Text Retrieval Conference (TREC 2013 to compute four measurements of the update mining system: the expected gain, expected latency gain, comprehensiveness, and latency comprehensiveness. Experimental results show that our proposed method has good performance.

Enhancing biomedical text summarization using semantic relation extraction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue Shang

Full Text Available Automatic text summarization for a biomedical concept can help researchers to get the key points of a certain topic from large amount of biomedical literature efficiently. In this paper, we present a method for generating text summary for a given biomedical concept, e.g., H1N1 disease, from multiple documents based on semantic relation extraction. Our approach includes three stages: 1 We extract semantic relations in each sentence using the semantic knowledge representation tool SemRep. 2 We develop a relation-level retrieval method to select the relations most relevant to each query concept and visualize them in a graphic representation. 3 For relations in the relevant set, we extract informative sentences that can interpret them from the document collection to generate text summary using an information retrieval based method. Our major focus in this work is to investigate the contribution of semantic relation extraction to the task of biomedical text summarization. The experimental results on summarization for a set of diseases show that the introduction of semantic knowledge improves the performance and our results are better than the MEAD system, a well-known tool for text summarization.

Enhancing biomedical text summarization using semantic relation extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Yue; Li, Yanpeng; Lin, Hongfei; Yang, Zhihao

2011-01-01

Automatic text summarization for a biomedical concept can help researchers to get the key points of a certain topic from large amount of biomedical literature efficiently. In this paper, we present a method for generating text summary for a given biomedical concept, e.g., H1N1 disease, from multiple documents based on semantic relation extraction. Our approach includes three stages: 1) We extract semantic relations in each sentence using the semantic knowledge representation tool SemRep. 2) We develop a relation-level retrieval method to select the relations most relevant to each query concept and visualize them in a graphic representation. 3) For relations in the relevant set, we extract informative sentences that can interpret them from the document collection to generate text summary using an information retrieval based method. Our major focus in this work is to investigate the contribution of semantic relation extraction to the task of biomedical text summarization. The experimental results on summarization for a set of diseases show that the introduction of semantic knowledge improves the performance and our results are better than the MEAD system, a well-known tool for text summarization.

What determines the effects and costs of breast cancer screening? : A protocol of a systematic review of reviews

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.A. Mandrik (Olena); O.I. Ekwunife (Obinna); N. Zielonke (Nadine); F. Meheus (Filip); J.L. Severens (Hans); S.K. Lhachimi (Stefan); R. Murillo (Raul)

2017-01-01

markdownabstract__Background:__ Multiple reviews demonstrated high variability in effectiveness and cost-effectiveness outcomes among studies on breast cancer screening (BCS) programmes. No study to our knowledge has summarized the current evidence on determinants of effectiveness and

Methodological Approaches in Conducting Overviews: Current State in HTA Agencies

Science.gov (United States)

Pieper, Dawid; Antoine, Sunya-Lee; Morfeld, Jana-Carina; Mathes, Tim; Eikermann, Michaela

2014-01-01

Objectives: Overviews search for reviews rather than for primary studies. They might have the potential to support decision making within a shorter time frame by reducing production time. We aimed to summarize available instructions for authors intending to conduct overviews as well as the currently applied methodology of overviews in…

Surgery in current therapy for infective endocarditis

Science.gov (United States)

Head, Stuart J; Mokhles, M Mostafa; Osnabrugge, Ruben LJ; Bogers, Ad JJC; Kappetein, A Pieter

2011-01-01

The introduction of the Duke criteria and transesophageal echocardiography has improved early recognition of infective endocarditis but patients are still at high risk for severe morbidity or death. Whether an exclusively antibiotic regimen is superior to surgical intervention is subject to ongoing debate. Current guidelines indicate when surgery is the preferred treatment, but decisions are often based on physician preferences. Surgery has shown to decrease the risk of short-term mortality in patients who present with specific symptoms or microorganisms; nevertheless even then it often remains unclear when surgery should be performed. In this review we i) systematically reviewed the current literature comparing medical to surgical therapy to evaluate if surgery is the preferred option, ii) performed a meta-analysis of studies reporting propensity matched analyses, and iii), briefly summarized the current indications for surgery. PMID:21603594

Buried transuranic wastes at ORNL: Review of past estimates and reconciliation with current data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trabalka, J.R.

1997-09-01

Inventories of buried (generally meaning disposed of) transuranic (TRU) wastes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been estimated for site remediation and waste management planning over a period of about two decades. Estimates were required because of inadequate waste characterization and incomplete disposal records. For a variety of reasons, including changing definitions of TRU wastes, differing objectives for the estimates, and poor historical data, the published results have sometimes been in conflict. The purpose of this review was (1) to attempt to explain both the rationale for and differences among the various estimates, and (2) to update the estimates based on more recent information obtained from waste characterization and from evaluations of ORNL waste data bases and historical records. The latter included information obtained from an expert panel's review and reconciliation of inconsistencies in data identified during preparation of the ORNL input for the third revision of the Baseline Inventory Report for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The results summarize current understanding of the relationship between past estimates of buried TRU wastes and provide the most up-to-date information on recorded burials thereafter. The limitations of available information on the latter and thus the need for improved waste characterization are highlighted

Summarizing an Ontology: A "Big Knowledge" Coverage Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Ling; Perl, Yehoshua; Elhanan, Gai; Ochs, Christopher; Geller, James; Halper, Michael

2017-01-01

Maintenance and use of a large ontology, consisting of thousands of knowledge assertions, are hampered by its scope and complexity. It is important to provide tools for summarization of ontology content in order to facilitate user "big picture" comprehension. We present a parameterized methodology for the semi-automatic summarization of major topics in an ontology, based on a compact summary of the ontology, called an "aggregate partial-area taxonomy", followed by manual enhancement. An experiment is presented to test the effectiveness of such summarization measured by coverage of a given list of major topics of the corresponding application domain. SNOMED CT's Specimen hierarchy is the test-bed. A domain-expert provided a list of topics that serves as a gold standard. The enhanced results show that the aggregate taxonomy covers most of the domain's main topics.

Offsite radiation doses summarized from Hanford environmental monitoring reports for the years 1957-1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soldat, J.K.; Price, K.R.; McCormack, W.D.

1986-02-01

Since 1957, evaluations of offsite impacts from each year of operation have been summarized in publicly available, annual environmental reports. These evaluations included estimates of potential radiation exposure to members of the public, either in terms of percentages of the then permissible limits or in terms of radiation dose. The estimated potential radiation doses to maximally exposed individuals from each year of Hanford operations are summarized in a series of tables and figures. The applicable standard for radiation dose to an individual for whom the maximum exposure was estimated is also shown. Although the estimates address potential radiation doses to the public from each year of operations at Hanford between 1957 and 1984, their sum will not produce an accurate estimate of doses accumulated over this time period. The estimates were the best evaluations available at the time to assess potential dose from the current year of operation as well as from any radionuclides still present in the environment from previous years of operation. There was a constant striving for improved evaluation of the potential radiation doses received by members of the public, and as a result the methods and assumptions used to estimate doses were periodically modified to add new pathways of exposure and to increase the accuracy of the dose calculations. Three conclusions were reached from this review: radiation doses reported for the years 1957 through 1984 for the maximum individual did not exceed the applicable dose standards; radiation doses reported over the past 27 years are not additive because of the changing and inconsistent methods used; and results from environmental monitoring and the associated dose calculations reported over the 27 years from 1957 through 1984 do not suggest a significant dose contribution from the buildup in the environment of radioactive materials associated with Hanford operations

Systematic review on cashew nut allergy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Valk, J. P. M.; Dubois, A. E. J.; van Wijk, R. Gerth; Wichers, H. J.; de Jong, N. W.

Recent studies on cashew nut allergy suggest that the prevalence of cashew nut allergy is increasing. Cashew nut consumption by allergic patients can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. This review summarizes current knowledge on cashew nut allergy to facilitate timely clinical

Systematic review on cashew nut allergy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valk, van der J.P.M.; Dubois, A.E.J.; Wichers, H.J.; Jong, de N.W.; Wijk, van R.

2014-01-01

Recent studies on cashew nut allergy suggest that the prevalence of cashew nut allergy is increasing. Cashew nut consumption by allergic patients can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. This review summarizes current knowledge on cashew nut allergy to facilitate timely clinical

Enhancing multi-document summarization using concepts

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Pattabhi R K Rao

2018-03-10

Mar 10, 2018 ... In this paper we propose a methodology to mine concepts from documents and use these concepts to generate an .... multi-document summarization system that uses sentence clustering. .... Examples: 'smart phone', 'running water'. Figure 1. .... cesses input, and begins by making stochastic decisions.

Reviews in fluorescence 2010

CERN Document Server

Geddes, Chris D

2011-01-01

""Reviews in Fluorescence 2010"", the seventh volume of the book serial from Springer, serves as a comprehensive collection of current trends and emerging hot topics in the field of fluorescence and closely related disciplines. It summarizes the year's progress in fluorescence and its applications, with authoritative analytical reviews specialized enough to be attractive to professional researchers, yet also appealing to the wider audience of scientists in related disciplines of fluorescence. ""Reviews in Fluorescence"" offers an essential reference material for any lab working in the fluoresc

Current status of quality assurance of treatment planning systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mijnheer, B.J.

1997-01-01

A review is given of the current status of quality assurance of treatment planning systems. At this moment only one comprehensive report is available. In order to review national activities a questionnaire has been distributed amongst national societies of medical physicists. From the 23 responding countries, 8 indicated that only limited efforts are underway, 8 answered that a working group is evaluating their specific national requirements while in 5 countries a document is drafted. The highlights of these reports have been summarized. (author)

Biogas and its opportunities—A review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kougias, Panagiotis; Angelidaki, Irini

2018-01-01

plants as advanced bioenergy factories. In this context, the biogas plants are the basis of a circular economy concept targeting nutrients recycling, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and biorefinery purposes. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art and presents future perspectives...

Review on the current status of molten chloride reactor and its future prospect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Seok Bin; Shin, Yukyung; Bang, In Cheol [UNIST, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

This paper has summarized and reviewed the current status of MCR as an online pyroprocessing reactor, and introduced the related works in UNIST. As the developments of the next generation nuclear energy systems require the fuel sustainability, passive operation safety, nuclear proliferation, and reduction of highly radioactive waste, only several types of nuclear reactor systems survive to the last. Among these, molten salt reactor (MSR) is one of the most promising concepts of next generation nuclear reactor system that deliver on these requirements. MSR have great advantages in the fuel cycle and reduction of nuclear waste, since MSR can serve the online reprocessing system for the reprocessing of spent fuel. Especially, MSR utilizing chloride-based fuel, called molten chloride reactor (MCR) has been recently highlighted in USA under the DOE’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program. Recently, the interests in the molten chloride salt have arisen. The use of chloride-based salt gives great advantages to the reactor operating in a fast spectrum. Then MCR can serve waste management functions or fuel cycle sustainability functions, which can solve the current issues in nuclear field. Thus, research plan was established in UNIST which includes the investigation of thermal-hydraulic characteristics of chloride salt and optimization of heat transport system of MCR, using both numerical method and experimental method.

Review on the current status of molten chloride reactor and its future prospect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Seok Bin; Shin, Yukyung; Bang, In Cheol

2016-01-01

This paper has summarized and reviewed the current status of MCR as an online pyroprocessing reactor, and introduced the related works in UNIST. As the developments of the next generation nuclear energy systems require the fuel sustainability, passive operation safety, nuclear proliferation, and reduction of highly radioactive waste, only several types of nuclear reactor systems survive to the last. Among these, molten salt reactor (MSR) is one of the most promising concepts of next generation nuclear reactor system that deliver on these requirements. MSR have great advantages in the fuel cycle and reduction of nuclear waste, since MSR can serve the online reprocessing system for the reprocessing of spent fuel. Especially, MSR utilizing chloride-based fuel, called molten chloride reactor (MCR) has been recently highlighted in USA under the DOE’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program. Recently, the interests in the molten chloride salt have arisen. The use of chloride-based salt gives great advantages to the reactor operating in a fast spectrum. Then MCR can serve waste management functions or fuel cycle sustainability functions, which can solve the current issues in nuclear field. Thus, research plan was established in UNIST which includes the investigation of thermal-hydraulic characteristics of chloride salt and optimization of heat transport system of MCR, using both numerical method and experimental method

Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers - Current Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Sachdeva, Ankur; Kumar, Kuldip; Anand, Kuljeet Singh

2015-07-01

Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem solving. Cognitive dysfunctions are an integral part of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in healthy ageing. Cognitive Enhancers are molecules that help improve aspects of cognition like memory, intelligence, motivation, attention and concentration. Recently, Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers have gained popularity as effective and safe alternative to various established drugs. Many of these Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers seem to be more efficacious compared to currently available Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers. This review describes and summarizes evidence on various Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers such as physical exercise, sleep, meditation and yoga, spirituality, nutrients, computer training, brain stimulation, and music. We also discuss their role in ageing and different neuro-psychiatric disorders, and current status of Cochrane database recommendations. We searched the Pubmed database for the articles and reviews having the terms 'non pharmacological and cognitive' in the title, published from 2000 till 2014. A total of 11 results displayed, out of which 10 were relevant to the review. These were selected and reviewed. Appropriate cross-references within the articles along with Cochrane reviews were also considered and studied.

Adolescent Gambling: A Narrative Review of Behavior and Its Predictors

Science.gov (United States)

Ariyabuddhiphongs, Vanchai

2013-01-01

This narrative review summarizes current knowledge on adolescent gambling for the period 1990-2010, assesses adolescent gambling behavior and person and environment predictors, and suggests directions for future research. The review includes 99 studies that identified their subjects as adolescents, children, youth, and students, and discusses…

Review of current therapies for secondary hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Sheila; Hojjati, Mehrnaz

2011-01-01

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a disabling condition that may occur secondarily to primary lung cancer. It is characterized by digital clubbing, arthralgia/arthritis, and periostosis of the tubular bones. The pain associated with HOA can be disabling and often refractory to conventional analgesics. We performed a comprehensive review of the literature using the PubMed database on treatment modalities available for HOA. We found 52 relevant articles-40 case reports, six case series, two review papers, and four combined case series and review papers. There were no randomized controlled trials reported. We then classified treatments used for HOA into two categories: (1) treatment of primary cause (i.e., resection of tumor, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, treatment of infection, etc.) and (2) symptomatic treatments (i.e., bisphosphonates, octreotide, NSAIDs, vagotomy, etc.). Subsequently, we summarized the main findings for each treatment. Although the clinical diagnosis of HOA has existed for over 100 years, the pathogenesis mechanism has not yet been elucidated, and treatment options for this condition remain experimental. Primary treatment is the most widely reported modality to be efficacious. In cases which primary therapy is not possible, several symptomatic treatment modalities are suggested, with various degree of success. Further research is needed to clarify the pathophysiological mechanism of HOA as to appropriately direct therapy.

Reviews in plasmonics 2010

CERN Document Server

Geddes, Chris D

2011-01-01

Reviews in Plasmonics 2010, the first volume of the new book serial from Springer, serves as a comprehensive collection of current trends and emerging hot topics in the field of Plasmonics and closely related disciplines. It summarizes the year's progress in surface plasmon phenomena and its applications, with authoritative analytical reviews specialized enough to be attractive to professional researchers, yet also appealing to the wider audience of scientists in related disciplines of Plasmonics. Reviews in Plasmonics offers an essential reference material for any lab working in the Plasmonic

A review of the quantum current standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, Nobu-Hisa; Nakamura, Shuji; Okazaki, Yuma

2016-01-01

The electric current, voltage, and resistance standards are the most important standards related to electricity and magnetism. Of these three standards, only the ampere, which is the unit of electric current, is an International System of Units (SI) base unit. However, even with modern technology, relatively large uncertainty exists regarding the generation and measurement of current. As a result of various innovative techniques based on nanotechnology and novel materials, new types of junctions for quantum current generation and single-electron current sources have recently been proposed. These newly developed methods are also being used to investigate the consistency of the three quantum electrical effects, i.e. the Josephson, quantum Hall, and single-electron tunneling effects, which are also known as ‘the quantum metrology triangle’. This article describes recent research and related developments regarding current standards and quantum-metrology-triangle experiments. (topical review)

Surveys of current status in biomedical science grant review: funding organisations' and grant reviewers' perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schroter, Sara; Groves, Trish; Højgaard, Liselotte

2010-01-01

The objectives of this research were (a) to describe the current status of grant review for biomedical projects and programmes from the perspectives of international funding organisations and grant reviewers, and (b) to explore funders' interest in developing uniform requirements for grant review...

Summarizing Simulation Results using Causally-relevant States

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Nidhi; Marathe, Madhav; Swarup, Samarth

2016-01-01

As increasingly large-scale multiagent simulations are being implemented, new methods are becoming necessary to make sense of the results of these simulations. Even concisely summarizing the results of a given simulation run is a challenge. Here we pose this as the problem of simulation summarization: how to extract the causally-relevant descriptions of the trajectories of the agents in the simulation. We present a simple algorithm to compress agent trajectories through state space by identifying the state transitions which are relevant to determining the distribution of outcomes at the end of the simulation. We present a toy-example to illustrate the working of the algorithm, and then apply it to a complex simulation of a major disaster in an urban area. PMID:28042620

Summarization by domain ontology navigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Troels; Bulskov, Henrik

2013-01-01

of the subject. In between these two extremes, conceptual summaries encompass selected concepts derived using background knowledge. We address in this paper an approach where conceptual summaries are provided through a conceptualization as given by an ontology. The ontology guiding the summarization can...... be a simple taxonomy or a generative domain ontology. A domain ontology can be provided by a preanalysis of a domain corpus and can be used to condense improved summaries that better reflects the conceptualization of a given domain....

The Importance of Peer Review: Thoughts on Knudson, Morrow, and Thomas (2014)

Science.gov (United States)

Fischman, Mark G.

2014-01-01

Knudson, Morrow, and Thomas (2014) recently summarized a number of important issues related to the quality of peer review and current peer-review practice in kinesiology. This writer endorses their six recommendations for improving peer review in kinesiology journals. The purpose of this commentary is to further highlight the importance of…

Current Indoor Air Quality in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jinno, Hideto

2016-01-01

People spend more than two thirds of their daily time indoors. Hence, maintaining a healthy indoor environment is indispensable for the prevention of building related illness. In Japan, guidelines for indoor air quality have been established for 13 volatile/semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs/SVOCs). These guidelines are now under revision by the Committee on Sick House Syndrome: Indoor Air Pollution. In order to gain information on the current indoor air pollutants and their levels, we carried out a nation-wide survey of VOCs and aldehydes in indoor residential air during 2012-2013. In this review, I concisely summarized the current indoor air quality of Japan.

Text Summarization Using FrameNet-Based Semantic Graph Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Han

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Text summarization is to generate a condensed version of the original document. The major issues for text summarization are eliminating redundant information, identifying important difference among documents, and recovering the informative content. This paper proposes a Semantic Graph Model which exploits the semantic information of sentence using FSGM. FSGM treats sentences as vertexes while the semantic relationship as the edges. It uses FrameNet and word embedding to calculate the similarity of sentences. This method assigns weight to both sentence nodes and edges. After all, it proposes an improved method to rank these sentences, considering both internal and external information. The experimental results show that the applicability of the model to summarize text is feasible and effective.

Preschool Teacher Well-Being: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Hall-Kenyon, Kendra M.; Bullough, Robert V.; MacKay, Kathryn Lake; Marshall, Esther E.

2014-01-01

Much is changing in preschool education. Current reform primarily emphasizes standardized practice, academic outcomes, and accountability. Little attention has been given to how these changes are impacting the well-being of teachers. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on preschool teacher well-being and identify…

Innovations in electrophoretic deposition: Alternating current and pulsed direct current methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chávez-Valdez, Alejandra; Boccaccini, Aldo R.

2012-01-01

This review summarizes emerging developments in the field of alternating current (AC) and pulsed direct current (DC) electrophoretic deposition (EPD) in aqueous or organic media. Numerous applications of AC-EPD are discussed including two major groups of investigations: (i) AC-EPD to suppress water hydrolysis at high voltages in inorganic (ceramic) coatings and (ii) AC-EPD for deposition of biological entities. The deposition, purification and manipulation of carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles by AC-EPD to form specific arrays, for development of sensors and other electronic devices and the application of AC-EPD as method for separation of particles according to their shape or size are also presented. Other applications reviewed relate to the fabrication by AC-EPD of toxic gas sensors from oxides and superconducting layers. The main materials being examined by AC-EPD are inorganic, including carbon nanotubes, TiO 2 nanoparticles, Al 2 O 3 , Si, SnO 2 , ZnO and WO 3 and biological entities, e.g. bacteria cells. For pulsed EPD, the applications reviewed are divided in pulsed current and pulsed voltage EPD. Among the applications of pulsed EPD, the formation of thick films from aqueous suspensions without water decomposition, the fabrication of multilayer and composite materials and the size-selective deposition of ceramic nanoparticles are the most important investigated to date, based on the quality of the coatings and deposits obtained and their relevance for applications.

Accumulation of cyanobacterial toxins in freshwater "seafood" and its consequences for public health: A review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ibelings, B.W.; Chorus, I.

2007-01-01

This review summarizes and discusses the current understanding of human exposure to cyanobacterial toxins in “seafood” collected from freshwater and coastal areas. The review consists of three parts: (a) the existing literature on concentrations of cyanobacterial toxins in seafood is reviewed, and

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles: a review of current toxicological data.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Hongbo; Magaye, Ruth; Castranova, Vincent; Zhao, Jinshun

2013-04-15

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) are manufactured worldwide in large quantities for use in a wide range of applications. TiO2 NPs possess different physicochemical properties compared to their fine particle (FP) analogs, which might alter their bioactivity. Most of the literature cited here has focused on the respiratory system, showing the importance of inhalation as the primary route for TiO2 NP exposure in the workplace. TiO2 NPs may translocate to systemic organs from the lung and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) although the rate of translocation appears low. There have also been studies focusing on other potential routes of human exposure. Oral exposure mainly occurs through food products containing TiO2 NP-additives. Most dermal exposure studies, whether in vivo or in vitro, report that TiO2 NPs do not penetrate the stratum corneum (SC). In the field of nanomedicine, intravenous injection can deliver TiO2 nanoparticulate carriers directly into the human body. Upon intravenous exposure, TiO2 NPs can induce pathological lesions of the liver, spleen, kidneys, and brain. We have also shown here that most of these effects may be due to the use of very high doses of TiO2 NPs. There is also an enormous lack of epidemiological data regarding TiO2 NPs in spite of its increased production and use. However, long-term inhalation studies in rats have reported lung tumors. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the toxicology of TiO2 NPs and points out areas where further information is needed.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles: a review of current toxicological data

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) are manufactured worldwide in large quantities for use in a wide range of applications. TiO2 NPs possess different physicochemical properties compared to their fine particle (FP) analogs, which might alter their bioactivity. Most of the literature cited here has focused on the respiratory system, showing the importance of inhalation as the primary route for TiO2 NP exposure in the workplace. TiO2 NPs may translocate to systemic organs from the lung and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) although the rate of translocation appears low. There have also been studies focusing on other potential routes of human exposure. Oral exposure mainly occurs through food products containing TiO2 NP-additives. Most dermal exposure studies, whether in vivo or in vitro, report that TiO2 NPs do not penetrate the stratum corneum (SC). In the field of nanomedicine, intravenous injection can deliver TiO2 nanoparticulate carriers directly into the human body. Upon intravenous exposure, TiO2 NPs can induce pathological lesions of the liver, spleen, kidneys, and brain. We have also shown here that most of these effects may be due to the use of very high doses of TiO2 NPs. There is also an enormous lack of epidemiological data regarding TiO2 NPs in spite of its increased production and use. However, long-term inhalation studies in rats have reported lung tumors. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the toxicology of TiO2 NPs and points out areas where further information is needed. PMID:23587290

User and Device Adaptation in Summarizing Sports Videos

Science.gov (United States)

Nitta, Naoko; Babaguchi, Noboru

Video summarization is defined as creating a video summary which includes only important scenes in the original video streams. In order to realize automatic video summarization, the significance of each scene needs to be determined. When targeted especially on broadcast sports videos, a play scene, which corresponds to a play, can be considered as a scene unit. The significance of every play scene can generally be determined based on the importance of the play in the game. Furthermore, the following two issues should be considered: 1) what is important depends on each user's preferences, and 2) the summaries should be tailored for media devices that each user has. Considering the above issues, this paper proposes a unified framework for user and device adaptation in summarizing broadcast sports videos. The proposed framework summarizes sports videos by selecting play scenes based on not only the importance of each play itself but also the users' preferences by using the metadata, which describes the semantic content of videos with keywords, and user profiles, which describe users' preference degrees for the keywords. The selected scenes are then presented in a proper way using various types of media such as video, image, or text according to device profiles which describe the device type. We experimentally verified the effectiveness of user adaptation by examining how the generated summaries are changed by different preference degrees and by comparing our results with/without using user profiles. The validity of device adaptation is also evaluated by conducting questionnaires using PCs and mobile phones as the media devices.

Review of Current Nuclear Vacuum System Technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, M.; McCracken, J.; Shope, T.

2003-01-01

Nearly all industrial operations generate unwanted dust, particulate matter, and/or liquid wastes. Waste dust and particulates can be readily tracked to other work locations, and airborne particulates can be spread through ventilation systems to all locations within a building, and even vented outside the building - a serious concern for processes involving hazardous, radioactive, or nuclear materials. Several varieties of vacuum systems have been proposed and/or are commercially available for clean up of both solid and liquid hazardous and nuclear materials. A review of current technologies highlights both the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems, and demonstrates the need for a system designed to address issues specific to hazardous and nuclear material cleanup. A review of previous and current hazardous/nuclear material cleanup technologies is presented. From simple conventional vacuums modified for use in industrial operations, to systems specifically engineered for such purposes, the advantages and disadvantages are examined in light of the following criteria: minimal worker exposure; minimal secondary waste generation;reduced equipment maintenance and consumable parts; simplicity of design, yet fully compatible with all waste types; and ease of use. The work effort reviews past, existing and proposed technologies in light of such considerations. Accomplishments of selected systems are presented, including identified areas where technological improvements could be suggested

Figure-associated text summarization and evaluation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balaji Polepalli Ramesh

Full Text Available Biomedical literature incorporates millions of figures, which are a rich and important knowledge resource for biomedical researchers. Scientists need access to the figures and the knowledge they represent in order to validate research findings and to generate new hypotheses. By themselves, these figures are nearly always incomprehensible to both humans and machines and their associated texts are therefore essential for full comprehension. The associated text of a figure, however, is scattered throughout its full-text article and contains redundant information content. In this paper, we report the continued development and evaluation of several figure summarization systems, the FigSum+ systems, that automatically identify associated texts, remove redundant information, and generate a text summary for every figure in an article. Using a set of 94 annotated figures selected from 19 different journals, we conducted an intrinsic evaluation of FigSum+. We evaluate the performance by precision, recall, F1, and ROUGE scores. The best FigSum+ system is based on an unsupervised method, achieving F1 score of 0.66 and ROUGE-1 score of 0.97. The annotated data is available at figshare.com (http://figshare.com/articles/Figure_Associated_Text_Summarization_and_Evaluation/858903.

Figure-associated text summarization and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Polepalli Ramesh, Balaji; Sethi, Ricky J; Yu, Hong

2015-01-01

Biomedical literature incorporates millions of figures, which are a rich and important knowledge resource for biomedical researchers. Scientists need access to the figures and the knowledge they represent in order to validate research findings and to generate new hypotheses. By themselves, these figures are nearly always incomprehensible to both humans and machines and their associated texts are therefore essential for full comprehension. The associated text of a figure, however, is scattered throughout its full-text article and contains redundant information content. In this paper, we report the continued development and evaluation of several figure summarization systems, the FigSum+ systems, that automatically identify associated texts, remove redundant information, and generate a text summary for every figure in an article. Using a set of 94 annotated figures selected from 19 different journals, we conducted an intrinsic evaluation of FigSum+. We evaluate the performance by precision, recall, F1, and ROUGE scores. The best FigSum+ system is based on an unsupervised method, achieving F1 score of 0.66 and ROUGE-1 score of 0.97. The annotated data is available at figshare.com (http://figshare.com/articles/Figure_Associated_Text_Summarization_and_Evaluation/858903).

Current Advances in Pharmacotherapy and Technology for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Lu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Diabetic retinopathy (DR is classically defined by its vascular lesions and damage in the neurons of the retina. The cellular and clinical elements of DR have many features of chronic inflammation. Understanding the individual cell-specific inflammatory changes in the retina may lead to novel therapeutic approaches to prevent vision loss. The systematic use of available pharmacotherapy has been reported as a useful adjunct tool to laser photocoagulation, a gold standard therapy for DR. Direct injections or intravitreal anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenesis agents are widely used pharmacotherapy to effectively treat DR and diabetic macular edema (DME. However, their effectiveness is short term, and the delivery system is often associated with adverse effects, such as cataract and increased intraocular pressure. Further, systemic agents (particularly hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antihypertensive agents and plants-based drugs have also provided promising treatment in the progression of DR. Recently, advancements in pluripotent stem cells technology enable restoration of retinal functionalities after transplantation of these cells into animals with retinal degeneration. This review paper summarizes the developments in the current and potential pharmacotherapy and therapeutic technology of DR. Literature search was done on online databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, clinitrials.gov, and browsing through individual ophthalmology journals and leading pharmaceutical company websites.

School Uniforms: A Critical Review of the Literature. From Inquiry to Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunsma, David L.

The debate surrounding the effectiveness of school-uniform policies, as well as discussions concerning when and how to implement them, is rooted in anecdote. This review summarizes anecdotal literature on which the current debate is based and critically reviews the empirical literature, including theoretical underpinnings, findings, and…

The Effect of Summarizing and Presentation Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hooshang Khoshsima

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to find out the effect of summarizing and presentation strategies on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension. 61 students were selected and divided into two experimental and control groups. The homogeneity of their proficiency level was established using a TOEFL proficiency test. The experimental group used the two strategies three sessions each week for twenty weeks, while the control group was not trained on the strategies. After every two-week instruction, an immediate posttest was administered. At the end of the study, a post-test was administered to both groups. Paired-sample t-test and Independent sample t-test were used for analysis. The results of the study revealed that summarizing and presentation strategies had significant effect on promoting reading comprehension of intermediate EFL learners. It also indicated that the presentation strategy was significantly more effective on students’ reading comprehension.

Hierarchical video summarization based on context clustering

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Belle L.; Smith, John R.

2003-11-01

A personalized video summary is dynamically generated in our video personalization and summarization system based on user preference and usage environment. The three-tier personalization system adopts the server-middleware-client architecture in order to maintain, select, adapt, and deliver rich media content to the user. The server stores the content sources along with their corresponding MPEG-7 metadata descriptions. In this paper, the metadata includes visual semantic annotations and automatic speech transcriptions. Our personalization and summarization engine in the middleware selects the optimal set of desired video segments by matching shot annotations and sentence transcripts with user preferences. Besides finding the desired contents, the objective is to present a coherent summary. There are diverse methods for creating summaries, and we focus on the challenges of generating a hierarchical video summary based on context information. In our summarization algorithm, three inputs are used to generate the hierarchical video summary output. These inputs are (1) MPEG-7 metadata descriptions of the contents in the server, (2) user preference and usage environment declarations from the user client, and (3) context information including MPEG-7 controlled term list and classification scheme. In a video sequence, descriptions and relevance scores are assigned to each shot. Based on these shot descriptions, context clustering is performed to collect consecutively similar shots to correspond to hierarchical scene representations. The context clustering is based on the available context information, and may be derived from domain knowledge or rules engines. Finally, the selection of structured video segments to generate the hierarchical summary efficiently balances between scene representation and shot selection.

An update on current management of advanced renal cell cancer, biomarkers, and future directions

OpenAIRE

Zhi, Wanqing Iris; Kim, Jenny J.

2014-01-01

In the past decade, metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treatment underwent significant advancement that resulted in an unprecedented improvement in the prognosis of this disease. This review will provide an updated review of currently approved treatment options, namely antiangiogenic and immunotherapy, as well as treatment guideline recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). We will summarize studies ongoing in determining prognostic and predictive biomarkers in maxi...

Automatic Performance Evaluation for Video Summarization

Science.gov (United States)

2004-07-01

Multimedia 2002, pp.189–198. [14] S. Uchihashi, J. Foote, A. Girgensohn and J. Boreczky, “Video Manga : Generating Seman- tically Meaningful Video...DeMenthon, V. Kobla and D. Doermann, “Video Summarization by Curve Simplification”, ACM Multimedia 98, Bristol, England, pp. 211-218, September 1998. 26 [2...J. Au, “Video Keyframe Production by Efficient Clustering of Compressed Chromaticity Signatures”, ACM Multimedia 2000, Juan-Les-Pins, France, pp. 365

Summarizing background report for Energy Strategy 2025

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

The Danish Government's long-term energy strategy follows up on the political agreement of 29 March 2004. The energy strategy is a coherent formulation of the Government's long-term energy policy. The pivotal point for the energy strategy is liberalized energy markets and market based tools for obtaining goals such as efficiency, security of supply and environment. The focus is increasingly on the substantial business potential within development of new and more efficient energy technology, in which Denmark takes up several globally strong positions. Furthermore, transportation energy consumption has been included directly in an energy strategy for the first time. At the same time as the energy strategy is presented, a summarizing background report from the Danish Energy Agency with facts, analyses and evaluations is published, as well as a report from energinet.dk that summarizes the system responsibilities' input to that part of the energy strategy that deals with power infrastructure. (BA)

Fusion reactor development: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1983-01-01

This paper is a review of the current prospects for fusion reactor development based upon the present status in plasma physics research, fusion technology development and reactor conceptual design for the tokamak magnetic confinement concept. Recent advances in tokamak plasma research and fusion technology development are summarized. The direction and conclusions of tokamak reactor conceptual design are discussed. The status of alternate magnetic confinement concept research is reviewed briefly. A feasible timetable for the development of fusion reactors is presented

Personalized summarization using user preference for m-learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sihyoung; Yang, Seungji; Ro, Yong Man; Kim, Hyoung Joong

2008-02-01

As the Internet and multimedia technology is becoming advanced, the number of digital multimedia contents is also becoming abundant in learning area. In order to facilitate the access of digital knowledge and to meet the need of a lifelong learning, e-learning could be the helpful alternative way to the conventional learning paradigms. E-learning is known as a unifying term to express online, web-based and technology-delivered learning. Mobile-learning (m-learning) is defined as e-learning through mobile devices using wireless transmission. In a survey, more than half of the people remarked that the re-consumption was one of the convenient features in e-learning. However, it is not easy to find user's preferred segmentation from a full version of lengthy e-learning content. Especially in m-learning, a content-summarization method is strongly required because mobile devices are limited to low processing power and battery capacity. In this paper, we propose a new user preference model for re-consumption to construct personalized summarization for re-consumption. The user preference for re-consumption is modeled based on user actions with statistical model. Based on the user preference model for re-consumption with personalized user actions, our method discriminates preferred parts over the entire content. Experimental results demonstrated successful personalized summarization.

Book Review: Current Issues in International Human Resource Management and Strategy Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gretzinger, Susanne

2009-01-01

The article reviews the book "Current Issues in International Human Resource Management and Strategy Research," edited by Marion Festing and Susanne Royer.......The article reviews the book "Current Issues in International Human Resource Management and Strategy Research," edited by Marion Festing and Susanne Royer....

Concussions in the National Football League: A Current Concepts Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yengo-Kahn, Aaron M; Johnson, Daniel J; Zuckerman, Scott L; Solomon, Gary S

2016-03-01

Significant attention has been directed toward the immediate and long-term effects of sport-related concussions on athletes participating in contact sports, particularly football. The highest level of football, the National Football League (NFL), has received significant attention and criticism regarding player management and safety after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Several review articles have reported data related to concussion in the NFL, but a succinct review and synthesis of data regarding NFL concussions is currently lacking. To (1) review systematically the published data regarding concussion in the NFL and assess limitations of the studies, (2) elucidate areas where further research is needed, and (3) identify methods to improve future investigations of concussion in the NFL. Systematic review of literature. English-language titles and abstracts published between 1900 and September 2014 were searched systematically across electronic databases, and a review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Peer-reviewed journal articles were included if they contained NFL concussion data with or without additional associated long-term effects. Reviews, editorials, letters to the editor, and comments were not included. Of the 344 records screened for review, 88 articles were assessed for eligibility. There were 31 studies that met the inclusion criteria and formed the basis of the evidence synthesis. Included in the current review were 8 case-control studies (Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine evidence level 3b), 6 descriptive epidemiological studies (level 4), 6 cross-sectional studies (level 4), 6 cohort studies (level 2b), and 5 case series (level 4). The study of concussions in the NFL has been limited by lack of recent empirical data, reliance on self-reported concussion history, and ascertainment bias of brains donated for autopsy studies. The scientific community

A classification and summarization method for analysis of research activities in an academic faculty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Rocha Loures

Full Text Available Abstract Nowadays, more and more scientific research activities are carried out in different laboratories and universities, which not only play an important role in the development of science and technology, but also show a significant inference on education. The improvement of the research capability of an academic faculty can directly impact the quality of education, bring innovations to Industrial Engineering curriculum proposals, and guarantee the subjects are up to date. The investigation of the existing issues in the current research activities is usually considered as the primary and challenging step. As the output of research activities, academic articles are often considered as a kind of evidence-based resources for the investigation. Despite some methodological efforts have been made by existing article review methods, less attention has been paid to discover the implicit academic relationships among the academic staffs and to investigate their research expertise. The objective of this study is to address this existing drawback through the proposition of an Academic Information Classification and Summarization method. A case study is carried out in the Industrial and System Engineering Graduate Program (PPGEPS, PUCPR, Brazil. The result not only highlights the advantages that can be obtained from this proposition from the education perspective related to Industrial Engineering, but also can be used as evidence to balance and compare an academic staff’s research expertise and his/her teaching disciplines.

Virtual reality and cognitive rehabilitation: a review of current outcome research.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Eric B; Feigon, Maia; Gagliardo, Pablo; Dvorkin, Assaf Y

2014-01-01

Recent advancement in the technology of virtual reality (VR) has allowed improved applications for cognitive rehabilitation. The aim of this review is to facilitate comparisons of therapeutic efficacy of different VR interventions. A systematic approach for the review of VR cognitive rehabilitation outcome research addressed the nature of each sample, treatment apparatus, experimental treatment protocol, control treatment protocol, statistical analysis and results. Using this approach, studies that provide valid evidence of efficacy of VR applications are summarized. Applications that have not yet undergone controlled outcome study but which have promise are introduced. Seventeen studies conducted over the past eight years are reviewed. The few randomized controlled trials that have been completed show that some applications are effective in treating cognitive deficits in people with neurological diagnoses although further study is needed. Innovations requiring further study include the use of enriched virtual environments that provide haptic sensory input in addition to visual and auditory inputs and the use of commercially available gaming systems to provide tele-rehabilitation services. Recommendations are offered to improve efficacy of rehabilitation, to improve scientific rigor of rehabilitation research and to broaden access to the evidence-based treatments that this research has identified.

Spent nuclear fuel Canister Storage Building CDR Review Committee report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dana, W.P.

1995-12-01

The Canister Storage Building (CSB) is a subproject under the Spent Nuclear Fuels Major System Acquisition. This subproject is necessary to design and construct a facility capable of providing dry storage of repackaged spent fuels received from K Basins. The CSB project completed a Conceptual Design Report (CDR) implementing current project requirements. A Design Review Committee was established to review the CDR. This document is the final report summarizing that review

Dietary determinants of subclinical inflammation, dyslipidemia and components of the metabolic syndrome in overweight children: a review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zimmermann, M.B.; Aeberli, I.

2008-01-01

Objective: To review and summarize the dietary determinants of the metabolic syndrome, subclinical inflammation and dyslipidemia in overweight children. Design: Review of the current literature, focusing on pediatric studies. Participants: Normal weight, overweight, or obese children and

Using Active Video Games for Physical Activity Promotion: A Systematic Review of the Current State of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Wei; Crouse, Julia C.; Lin, Jih-Hsuan

2013-01-01

This systematic review evaluates interventions using active video games (AVGs) to increase physical activity and summarizes laboratory studies quantifying intensity of AVG play among children and adults. Databases (Cochrane Library, PsychInfo, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science) and forward citation and reference list searches were used to…

Radiation and breast cancer: a review of current evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ronckers, Cécile M; Erdmann, Christine A; Land, Charles E

2005-01-01

This paper summarizes current knowledge on ionizing radiation-associated breast cancer in the context of established breast cancer risk factors, the radiation dose–response relationship, and modifiers of dose response, taking into account epidemiological studies and animal experiments. Available epidemiological data support a linear dose–response relationship down to doses as low as about 100 mSv. However, the magnitude of risk per unit dose depends strongly on when radiation exposure occurs: exposure before the age of 20 years carries the greatest risk. Other characteristics that may influence the magnitude of dose-specific risk include attained age (that is, age at observation for risk), age at first full-term birth, parity, and possibly a history of benign breast disease, exposure to radiation while pregnant, and genetic factors

Internet Addiction: A Current Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Bozkurt

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Internet addiction, which has become a global social issue, can be broadly conceptualized as an inability to control ones use of the Internet which leads to negative consequences in daily life. Only Internet Gaming Disorder has been included in the appendix of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders fifth edition (DSM-5, but it has already been argued that Internet addiction could also comprise problematic use of other Internet applications developing an addictive behavior. This paper aims to give a current review of the gradually evolving body of literature on Internet addiction. [J Contemp Med 2016; 6(3.000: 235-247

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A Current Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katie M. Twomley

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM is a rare but potentially lethal complication of pregnancy occurring in approximately 1 : 3,000 live births in the United States although some series report a much higher incidence. African-American women are particularly at risk. Diagnosis requires symptoms of heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or within five months of delivery in the absence of recognized cardiac disease prior to pregnancy as well as objective evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. This paper provides an updated, comprehensive review of PPCM, including emerging insights into the etiology of this disorder as well as current treatment options.

A Review of Atmospheric Ozone and Current Thinking on the Antarctic Ozone Hole.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-01-01

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 0 A Review of Atmospheric ozone and Current Thinking on the Antartic Ozone Hole A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the...4. TI TLE (Pit 5,1tlfie) S. TYPE OF REPORT & PFRIOO COVERED A Review of Atmospheric Ozone and Current THESIS/DA/;J.At1AAU00 Thinking on the Antartic ...THESIS A Review of Atmospheric Ozone and Current Thinking on the Antartic Ozone Hole by Randolph Antoine Fix Master of Science in Atmospheric Science

Routine Immunization of Adults in Canada: Review of the Epidemiology of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Current Recommendations for Primary Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D Parkins

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements in public health of the 20th century. However, the success of vaccine uptake and adherence to immunization guidelines seen in pediatric populations has not been observed among adult Canadians. As a result of the disparity in susceptibility to vaccine-preventable disease, there has been an increasing shift of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases into adult populations. Accordingly, morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable illnesses now occur disproportionately in adults. All Canadians, irrespective of age, should have immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and varicella. All adult Canadians with significant medical comorbidities or those older than 65 years of age should receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and yearly trivalent inactivate influenza vaccines. The present review summarizes the burden of illness of these vaccine-preventable diseases in the Canadian adult population and reviews the current immunization recommendations. Vaccination of all Canadians to these common agents remains a vital tool to decrease individual morbidity and mortality and reduce the overall burden of preventable disease in Canada.

[A review of current methods for nutrimetabolomic and proteomic research in biochemistry of nutrition].

Science.gov (United States)

Kirbaeva, N V; Sharanova, N É; Pertsov, S S

2014-01-01

At present biochemistry of nutrition involves the use of OMICs to investigate food quality, safety, bioactivity and nutrition mechanisms. In this context, nutrimetabolomics is one of the latest directions of nutrition development and provides a better understanding of the influence of nutritional factors on the metabolic pathways of the organism. Proteomic methods play an important role in nutrimetabolomics and allow to detect, identify and quantify proteins under different conditions. Variety of technical and methodological advances, improvements in bioinformatics and possibility of tandem use of different methods helps to solve a number of basic and applied science's problems. Currently huge amount of qualitative and quantitative data on the structure, functions and activities of proteins and their interactions is accumulated. Proteomics aims to establish and characterize a complete set of proteins of the organism. This review summarizes the basic applications of proteomics used in nutrimetabolomic researches. The advantages and disadvantages of the most common techniques of protein separation and sample ionization, types of mass analyzers, basic approaches to the identification of proteins and most widely used databases of known biological sequences are overviewed with a critical assessment of challenges and potential applications.

Review of the current status of radiation risk estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charles, M.W.; Little, M.P.

1988-10-01

This report reviews the current status of radiation risk estimation for low linear energy transfer radiation. Recent statements by various national and international organisations regarding risk estimates are critically discussed. The recently published revised population risk estimates from the study of Japanese bomb survivors are also reviewed and used with some unpublished data from Japan to calculate risk figures for a general work force. (author)

Aetiology of hypospadias: a systematic review of genes and environment.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zanden, L.F.M. van der; Rooij, I.A.L.M. van; Feitz, W.F.J.; Franke, B.; Knoers, N.V.A.M.; Roeleveld, N.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hypospadias is a common congenital malformation of the male external genitalia. Most cases have an unknown aetiology, which is probably a mix of monogenic and multifactorial forms, implicating both genes and environmental factors. This review summarizes current knowledge about the

Summarizing Audiovisual Contents of a Video Program

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Yihong

2003-12-01

In this paper, we focus on video programs that are intended to disseminate information and knowledge such as news, documentaries, seminars, etc, and present an audiovisual summarization system that summarizes the audio and visual contents of the given video separately, and then integrating the two summaries with a partial alignment. The audio summary is created by selecting spoken sentences that best present the main content of the audio speech while the visual summary is created by eliminating duplicates/redundancies and preserving visually rich contents in the image stream. The alignment operation aims to synchronize each spoken sentence in the audio summary with its corresponding speaker's face and to preserve the rich content in the visual summary. A Bipartite Graph-based audiovisual alignment algorithm is developed to efficiently find the best alignment solution that satisfies these alignment requirements. With the proposed system, we strive to produce a video summary that: (1) provides a natural visual and audio content overview, and (2) maximizes the coverage for both audio and visual contents of the original video without having to sacrifice either of them.

Review of coastal currents in Southern African waters

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Harris, TFW

1978-08-01

Full Text Available unevenly spaced. In regions where such studies were not available, recourse had to be made to ships' drift reports. Because of the nature of the data it was necessary to restrict the review, almost entirely, to surface currents. Where possible, wave...

Research Trends of Inland Terminals: A Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomislav Rožić

2016-10-01

and revised. The review will summarize the literature related to development, classification, technological processes and location of inland terminals. In the end, the paper identifies a new proposition for further research based on the current trends and developments in inland terminals as an important factor of intermodal transport.

Robotic surgery for rectal cancer: A systematic review of current practice

Science.gov (United States)

Mak, Tony Wing Chung; Lee, Janet Fung Yee; Futaba, Kaori; Hon, Sophie Sok Fei; Ngo, Dennis Kwok Yu; Ng, Simon Siu Man

2014-01-01

AIM: To give a comprehensive review of current literature on robotic rectal cancer surgery. METHODS: A systematic review of current literature via PubMed and Embase search engines was performed to identify relevant articles from january 2007 to november 2013. The keywords used were: “robotic surgery”, “surgical robotics”, “laparoscopic computer-assisted surgery”, “colectomy” and “rectal resection”. RESULTS: After the initial screen of 380 articles, 20 papers were selected for review. A total of 1062 patients (male 64.0%) with a mean age of 61.1 years and body mass index of 24.9 kg/m2 were included in the review. Out of 1062 robotic-assisted operations, 831 (78.2%) anterior and low anterior resections, 132 (12.4%) intersphincteric resection with coloanal anastomosis, 98 (9.3%) abdominoperineal resections and 1 (0.1%) Hartmann’s operation were included in the review. Robotic rectal surgery was associated with longer operative time but with comparable oncological results and anastomotic leak rate when compared with laparoscopic rectal surgery. CONCLUSION: Robotic colorectal surgery has continued to evolve to its current state with promising results; feasible surgical option with low conversion rate and comparable short-term oncological results. The challenges faced with robotic surgery are for more high quality studies to justify its cost. PMID:24936229

The indirect costs of ankylosing spondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Malinowski, Krzysztof Piotr; Kawalec, Paweł

2015-04-01

The aim of this systematic review was to collect and summarize all current data on the indirect costs related to absenteeism and presenteeism associated with ankylosing spondylitis. The search was conducted using Medline, Embase and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases. All collected costs were recalculated to average annual cost per patient, expressed in 2013 prices USD using the consumer price index and purchasing power parity. Identified studies were then analyzed to assess their possible inclusion in the meta-analysis. We identified 32 records. The average annual indirect cost per patient varies among all the identified results from US$660.95 to 45,953.87. The mean annual indirect per patient equals US$6454.76. This systematic review summarizes current data related to indirect costs generated by ankylosing spondylitis; it revealed the great economic burden of the disease for society. We observed a great variety of the considered components of indirect costs and their definitions.

Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Current Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gokben Hizli Sayar

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Most of the electroconvulsive therapy guidelines state that severe major depression with psychotic features, manic delirium, or catatonia are conditions where there is a clear consensus favoring early electroconvulsive therapy. The decision to administer electroconvulsive therapy is based on an evaluation of the risks and benefits for the individual patient and involves a combination of factors, including psychiatric diagnosis, type and severity of symptoms, prior treatment history and response, identification of possible alternative treatment options, and consumer preference. In this review history, mechanisms of action, side effects that have been referenced in the literature and clinical experience are discussed. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(2.000: 107-125

COAGULOPATHY IN BETA-THALASSEMIA: CURRENT UNDERSTANDING AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Domenica Cappellini

2009-12-01

Full Text Available As the life expectancy of β-thalassemia patients has markedly improved over the last decade, several new complications are being recognized. The presence of a high incidence of thromboembolic events, mainly in thalassemia intermedia patients, has led to the identification of a hypercoagulable state in thalassemia. In this review, the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to hypercoagulability in thalassemia are highlighted, and the current clinical experience is summarized. Recommendations for thrombosis prophylaxis are also discussed.

The Effect of Concept Mapping To Enhance Text Comprehension and Summarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Kuo-En; Sung, Yao-Ting; Chen, Ine-Dai

2002-01-01

Tested the learning effects of a concept-mapping strategy by studying three such approaches (map correction, scaffold fading, and map generation) to determine their effects on students' text comprehension and summarization abilities. Results with 126 fifth graders show that the map correction method enhanced text comprehension and summarization,…

Long-term air pollution exposure and cardio- respiratory mortality: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoek, Gerard; Krishnan, Ranjini M; Beelen, Rob; Peters, Annette; Ostro, Bart; Brunekreef, Bert; Kaufman, Joel D

2013-05-28

Current day concentrations of ambient air pollution have been associated with a range of adverse health effects, particularly mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In this review, we summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies on long-term exposure to fine and coarse particles, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and elemental carbon on mortality from all-causes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease. We also summarize the findings on potentially susceptible subgroups across studies. We identified studies through a search in the databases Medline and Scopus and previous reviews until January 2013 and performed a meta-analysis if more than five studies were available for the same exposure metric.

Current status on microRNAs as biomarkers for ovarian cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prahm, Kira Philipsen; Novotny, Guy Wayne; Høgdall, Claus

2016-01-01

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy in the Western world, and has a very poor prognosis, often due to late diagnosis and emergence of chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, there is an essential need for new diagnostic and prognostic markers that can improve and initiate ......RNAs in different types of OC. In this review we summarize the current knowledge of microRNAs as potential biomarkers for OC, with focus on their clinical relevance....

Market review - Market values summary/July market review/current market data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

This article is the July 1995 uranium market review. Data for current uranium market is presented, and a summary of recent transactions is also given. During this reporting period, there was one concentrate deal, two transactions in the long-term natural uranium market and conversion market, and three spot market transactions in the enrichment market. Active uranium supply fell, as did demand, and prices in all sectors were relatively stable

A Systematic Review of Current Understandings of Employability

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Stella; Dodd, Lorna J.; Steele, Catherine; Randall, Raymond

2016-01-01

A theoretical framework is essential for the effective evaluation of employability. However, there are a wide range of definitions of employability coexisting in current literature. A review into existing ways in which employability has been conceptualised is needed to inform a better understanding of the nature of contributions made by various…

Islet cell transplant: Update on current clinical trials

Science.gov (United States)

Schuetz, Christian; Markmann, James F.

2016-01-01

In the last 15 years clinical islet transplantation has made the leap from experimental procedure to standard of care for a highly selective group of patients. Due to a risk-benefit calculation involving the required systemic immunosuppression the procedure is only considered in patients with type 1 diabetes, complicated by severe hypoglycemia or end stage renal disease. In this review we summarize current outcomes of the procedure and take a look at ongoing and future improvements and refinements of beta cell therapy. PMID:28451515

Partitioning and transmutation (P and D) 1995. A review of the current state of the art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skaalberg, M.; Landgren, A.; Spjuth, L.; Liljenzin, J.O.; Gudowski, W.

1995-12-01

The recent development in the field of partitioning and transmutation (P/T) is reviewed and evaluated. Current national and international R and D efforts are summarized. Nuclear transmutation with energy production is feasible in nuclear reactors where fast and thermal breeders are the most efficient for transmutation purposes. The operation of subcritical nuclear reactors by high current proton accelerators that generate neutrons in a spallation target is also an interesting option for transmutation and energy production, that has to be more carefully evaluated. These accelerator-driven systems are probably the only solution for the transmutation of long-lived fission products with small neutron capture cross sections and actinide isotopes with small fission cross sections. The requirements on the separation chemistry in the partitioning process depends on the transmutation strategy chosen. Recent developments in aqueous based separation chemistry opens some interesting possibilities to meet some of the requirements, such as separation of different actinides and some fission products and reduction of secondary waste streams. In the advanced accelerator-driven transmutation systems proposed, liquid fuels such as molten salts are considered. The partitioning processes that can be used for these types of fuel will, however, require a long term research program. The possibility to use centrifuge separation is an interesting partitioning option that recently has been proposed. 51 refs, 7 figs, 3 tabs

A Review of Current Methods for Analysis of Mycotoxins in Herbal Medicines

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Dou, Xiao-Wen; Zhang, Cheng; Logrieco, Antonio F.; Yang, Mei-Hua

2018-01-01

The presence of mycotoxins in herbal medicines is an established problem throughout the entire world. The sensitive and accurate analysis of mycotoxin in complicated matrices (e.g., herbs) typically involves challenging sample pretreatment procedures and an efficient detection instrument. However, although numerous reviews have been published regarding the occurrence of mycotoxins in herbal medicines, few of them provided a detailed summary of related analytical methods for mycotoxin determination. This review focuses on analytical techniques including sampling, extraction, cleanup, and detection for mycotoxin determination in herbal medicines established within the past ten years. Dedicated sections of this article address the significant developments in sample preparation, and highlight the importance of this procedure in the analytical technology. This review also summarizes conventional chromatographic techniques for mycotoxin qualification or quantitation, as well as recent studies regarding the development and application of screening assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, lateral flow immunoassays, aptamer-based lateral flow assays, and cytometric bead arrays. The present work provides a good insight regarding the advanced research that has been done and closes with an indication of future demand for the emerging technologies. PMID:29393905

Rotavirus infection and the current status of rotavirus vaccines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shou-Chien Chen

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Among children, rotaviruses are the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis worldwide and of diarrheal deaths in developing countries. Current vaccines (e.g., Rotarix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals; RotaTeq, Merck and Company effectively reduce rotaviral gastroenteritis, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. The tremendous burden of rotavirus-related diarrhea in children across the world continues to drive the remarkable pace of vaccine development. This review assesses the global epidemiological and economic burden of rotavirus diseases, summarizes the relevant principles of the development of rotavirus vaccines, and presents data on the efficacy and effectiveness of currently licensed vaccines in both developed and developing countries.

Current management of chronic hepatitis B: review | Cariem | South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South African Gastroenterology Review. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 2, No 2 (2004) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Thermochemical Biomass Gasification: A Review of the Current Status of the Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ajay Kumar

2009-07-01

Full Text Available A review was conducted on the use of thermochemical biomass gasification for producing biofuels, biopower and chemicals. The upstream processes for gasification are similar to other biomass processing methods. However, challenges remain in the gasification and downstream processing for viable commercial applications. The challenges with gasification are to understand the effects of operating conditions on gasification reactions for reliably predicting and optimizing the product compositions, and for obtaining maximal efficiencies. Product gases can be converted to biofuels and chemicals such as Fischer-Tropsch fuels, green gasoline, hydrogen, dimethyl ether, ethanol, methanol, and higher alcohols. Processes and challenges for these conversions are also summarized.

Automatic summarization of soccer highlights using audio-visual descriptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Raventós, A; Quijada, R; Torres, Luis; Tarrés, Francesc

2015-01-01

Automatic summarization generation of sports video content has been object of great interest for many years. Although semantic descriptions techniques have been proposed, many of the approaches still rely on low-level video descriptors that render quite limited results due to the complexity of the problem and to the low capability of the descriptors to represent semantic content. In this paper, a new approach for automatic highlights summarization generation of soccer videos using audio-visual descriptors is presented. The approach is based on the segmentation of the video sequence into shots that will be further analyzed to determine its relevance and interest. Of special interest in the approach is the use of the audio information that provides additional robustness to the overall performance of the summarization system. For every video shot a set of low and mid level audio-visual descriptors are computed and lately adequately combined in order to obtain different relevance measures based on empirical knowledge rules. The final summary is generated by selecting those shots with highest interest according to the specifications of the user and the results of relevance measures. A variety of results are presented with real soccer video sequences that prove the validity of the approach.

Angina pectoris: current therapy and future treatment options.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Raj; Kadowitz, Philip J

2014-02-01

Angina pectoris is the consequence of an inequality between the demand and supply of blood to the heart. Angina manifests itself as chest pain or discomfort and is a common complaint of patients in the hospital and in the clinic. There are, in fact, roughly half a million new cases of angina per year. Chest pain, while having many etiologies, is generally considered to be most lethal when related to a cardiac cause. In this review, the authors outline the current medical and surgical therapies that are used in the management of angina. Highlights of the various clinical trials that have assisted in the investigation of these therapies are summarized also. Then, the authors provide a focused review of the novel therapy options for angina that are currently being explored. From new medical treatments to revised surgical techniques to the discovery of stem cell therapy, many innovative options are being investigated for the treatment of angina.

POSSIBILITIES OF CURRENT CELLULAR TECHNOLOGIES FOR ARTICULAR CARTILAGE REPAIR (ANALYTICAL REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. S. Bozhokin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Despite a wide variety of surgical procedures utilized in clinical practice for treatment of articular cartilage lesions, the search for other options of articular reconstruction remains a relevant and open issue at the current stage of medicine and biotechnologies development. The recent years demonstrated a strong belief in cellular methods of hyaline cartilage repair such as implantation of autologous chondrocytes (ACI or cultures of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC including techniques for genetic modification of cells.The purpose of presented review is to summarize the published scientific data on up to date results of perspective cellular technologies for articular cartilage repair that are being developed. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation originally performed by Swedish researchers in 1987 is considered the first clinically applied technique for restoration of hyaline cartilage using cellular technologies. However, the transplanted cell culture featured low proliferative capacity and inability to form a regenerate resistant to high physical activity. Another generation of methods originated at the turn of the century utilized mesenchymal stem cells instead of autologous chondrocytes. Preparation of MSCs is a less invasive procedure compared to chondrocytes harvesting and the culture is featured by a higher proliferative ability. Researchers use various biodegradable carriers (matrices to secure cell fixation. Despite good clinical mid-term outcomes the transplanted tissue-engineering structures deteriorate with time due to cellular de-differentiation. Next generation of techniques being currently under pre-clinical studies is featured by the preliminary chondrogenic modification of transplanted cell culture. Usage of various growth factors, modified cell product and gene-activated matrices allow to gain a stable regulatory and key proteins synthesis and achieve a focused influence on regenerate's chondrogenic proliferation and in result

Current concepts in the pathophysiology of glaucoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agarwal Renu

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness, is characterized by changes in the optic disc and visual field defects. The elevated intraocular pressure was considered the prime factor responsible for the glaucomatous optic neuropathy involving death of retinal ganglion cells and their axons. Extensive investigations into the pathophysiology of glaucoma now reveal the role of multiple factors in the development of retinal ganglion cell death. A better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy is crucial in the development of better therapeutic options. This review is an effort to summarize the current concepts in the pathophysiology of glaucoma so that newer therapeutic targets can be recognized. The literature available in the National Medical Library and online Pubmed search engine was used for literature review.

Why and How to Write a High-Impact Review Paper: Lessons From Eight Years of Editorial Board Service to Reviews of Geophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Moldwin, Mark B.; Florindo, Fabio; Okin, Gregory; Robock, Alan; Rohling, Eelco J.; Cardenas, Bayani; Carlton, Annmarie; Chen, Kate Huihsuan; Crucifix, Michel; Gettelman, Andrew; Hubbard, Alun; Katsura, Tomoo; Painter, Thomas H.

2017-12-01

High-impact review papers describe and synthesize the current state of the art, the open questions and controversies, and provide ideas for future investigations. They are written not only for a specific scientific discipline but also for the broader Earth and space science community. They not only summarize the literature, but they also create a framework from which to understand the progress, problems, and connections between different communities, observations, models, and approaches. Here we describe how to write a high-impact review paper, and why you should consider writing one for Reviews of Geophysics.

Reviews in plasmonics 2016

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

Reviews in Plasmonics 2016, the third volume of the new book series from Springer, serves as a comprehensive collection of current trends and emerging hot topics in the field of Plasmonics and closely related disciplines. It summarizes the year’s progress in surface plasmon phenomena and its applications, with authoritative analytical reviews in sufficient detail to be attractive to professional researchers, yet also appealing to the wider audience of scientists in related disciplines of Plasmonics. Reviews in Plasmonics offers an essential source of reference material for any lab working in the Plasmonics field and related areas. All academics, bench scientists, and industry professionals wishing to take advantage of the latest and greatest in the continuously emerging field of Plasmonics will find it an invaluable resource.

Reviews in plasmonics 2015

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

Reviews in Plasmonics 2015, the second volume of the new book series from Springer, serves as a comprehensive collection of current trends and emerging hot topics in the field of Plasmonics and closely related disciplines. It summarizes the year’s progress in surface plasmon phenomena and its applications, with authoritative analytical reviews in sufficient detail to be attractive to professional researchers, yet also appealing to the wider audience of scientists in related disciplines of Plasmonics. Reviews in Plasmonics offers an essential source of reference material for any lab working in the Plasmonics field and related areas. All academics, bench scientists, and industry professionals wishing to take advantage of the latest and greatest in the continuously emerging field of Plasmonics will find it an invaluable resource.

An unsupervised method for summarizing egocentric sport videos

Science.gov (United States)

Habibi Aghdam, Hamed; Jahani Heravi, Elnaz; Puig, Domenec

2015-12-01

People are getting more interested to record their sport activities using head-worn or hand-held cameras. This type of videos which is called egocentric sport videos has different motion and appearance patterns compared with life-logging videos. While a life-logging video can be defined in terms of well-defined human-object interactions, notwithstanding, it is not trivial to describe egocentric sport videos using well-defined activities. For this reason, summarizing egocentric sport videos based on human-object interaction might fail to produce meaningful results. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised method for summarizing egocentric videos by identifying the key-frames of the video. Our method utilizes both appearance and motion information and it automatically finds the number of the key-frames. Our blind user study on the new dataset collected from YouTube shows that in 93:5% cases, the users choose the proposed method as their first video summary choice. In addition, our method is within the top 2 choices of the users in 99% of studies.

Regulatory Considerations for the Clinical and Research Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): review and recommendations from an expert panel

Science.gov (United States)

Fregni, F; Nitsche, MA; Loo, C.K.; Brunoni, AR; Marangolo, P; Leite, J; Carvalho, S; Bolognini, N; Caumo, W; Paik, NJ; Simis, M; Ueda, K; Ekhitari, H; Luu, P; Tucker, DM; Tyler, WJ; Brunelin, J; Datta, A; Juan, CH; Venkatasubramanian, G; Boggio, PS; Bikson, M

2014-01-01

The field of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has experienced significant growth in the past 15 years. One of the tES techniques leading this increased interest is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Significant research efforts have been devoted to determining the clinical potential of tDCS in humans. Despite the promising results obtained with tDCS in basic and clinical neuroscience, further progress has been impeded by a lack of clarity on international regulatory pathways. We therefore convened a group of research and clinician experts on tDCS to review the research and clinical use of tDCS. In this report, we review the regulatory status of tDCS, and we summarize the results according to research, off-label and compassionate use of tDCS in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Portugal, South Korea, Taiwan and United States. Research use, off label treatment and compassionate use of tDCS are employed in most of the countries reviewed in this study. It is critical that a global or local effort is organized to pursue definite evidence to either approve and regulate or restrict the use of tDCS in clinical practice on the basis of adequate randomized controlled treatment trials. PMID:25983531

Current Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Myocardial Fibrosis and Its Quantitative Assessment in Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tong Liu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Myocardial fibrosis is an important part of cardiac remodeling that leads to heart failure and death. Myocardial fibrosis results from increased myofibroblast activity and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Various cells and molecules are involved in this process, providing targets for potential drug therapies. Currently, the main detection methods of myocardial fibrosis rely on serum markers, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and endomyocardial biopsy. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, quantitative assessment, and novel therapeutic strategies of myocardial fibrosis.

MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES DURING AIR TRAVEL: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR SUPPORTING EVIDENCE.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavela, James; Suresh, Rahul; Blue, Rebecca S; Mathers, Charles H; Belalcazar, L Maria

2018-02-01

Individuals with diabetes are increasingly seeking pretravel advice, but updated professional recommendations remain scant. We performed a systematic review on diabetes management during air travel to summarize current recommendations, assess supporting evidence, and identify areas of future research. A systematic review of the English literature on diabetes management during air travel was undertaken utilizing PubMed and MEDLINE. Publications regarding general travel advice; adjustment of insulin and noninsulin therapies; and the use of insulin pumps, glucometers and subcutaneous glucose sensors at altitude were included. Gathered information was used to create an updated summary of glucose-lowering medication adjustment during air travel. Sixty-one publications were identified, most providing expert opinion and few offering primary data (47 expert opinion, 2 observational studies, 2 case reports, 10 device studies). General travel advice was uniform, with increasing attention to preflight security. Indications for oral antihyperglycemic therapy adjustments varied. There were few recommendations on contemporary agents and on nonhypoglycemic adverse events. There was little consensus on insulin adjustment protocols, many antedating current insulin formulations. Most publications advocated adjusting insulin pump time settings after arrival; however, there was disagreement on timing and rate adjustments. Glucometers and subcutaneous glucose sensors were reported to be less accurate at altitude, but not to an extent that would preclude their clinical use. Recommendations for diabetes management during air travel vary significantly and are mostly based on expert opinion. Data from systematic investigation on glucose-lowering medication adjustment protocols may support the development of a future consensus statement. CSII = continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (device) DPP-4 = dipeptidyl peptidase 4 EGA = error grid analysis GDH = glucose dehydrogenase GOX = glucose

Peer Review of Launch Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Timmy R.

2011-01-01

Catastrophic failures of launch vehicles during launch and ascent are currently modeled using equivalent trinitrotoluene (TNT) estimates. This approach tends to over-predict the blast effect with subsequent impact to launch vehicle and crew escape requirements. Bangham Engineering, located in Huntsville, Alabama, assembled a less-conservative model based on historical failure and test data coupled with physical models and estimates. This white paper summarizes NESC's peer review of the Bangham analytical work completed to date.

Psychosocial factors and their role in chronic pain: A brief review of development and current status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Innes Stanley I

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The belief that pain is a direct result of tissue damage has dominated medical thinking since the mid 20th Century. Several schools of psychological thought proffered linear causal models to explain non-physical pain observations such as phantom limb pain and the effects of placebo interventions. Psychological research has focused on identifying those people with acute pain who are at risk of transitioning into chronic and disabling pain, in the hope of producing better outcomes. Several multicausal Cognitive Behavioural models dominate the research landscape in this area. They are gaining wider acceptance and some aspects are being integrated and implemented into a number of health care systems. The most notable of these is the concept of Yellow Flags. The research to validate the veracity of such programs has not yet been established. In this paper I seek to briefly summarize the development of psychological thought, both past and present, then review current cognitive-behavioural models and the available supporting evidence. I conclude by discussing these factors and identifying those that have been shown to be reliable predictors of chronicity and those that may hold promise for the future.

Pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy: current state of the field, review of the literature and clinical trial considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, A S; Fox, C K; Rudser, K D; Gross, A C; Ryder, J R

2016-07-01

Despite the increasing number of medications recently approved to treat obesity among adults, few agents have been formally evaluated in children or adolescents for this indication. Moreover, there is a paucity of guidance in the literature addressing best practices with regard to pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy clinical trial design, and only general recommendations have been offered by regulatory agencies on this topic. The purposes of this article are to (1) offer a background of the current state of the field of pediatric obesity medicine, (2) provide a brief review of the literature summarizing pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy clinical trials, and (3) highlight and discuss some of the unique aspects that should be considered when designing and conducting high-quality clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of obesity medications in children and adolescents. Suggestions are offered in the areas of target population and eligibility criteria, clinical trial end-point selection, trial duration, implementation of lifestyle modification therapy and recruitment and retention of participants. Efforts should be made to design and conduct trials appropriately to ensure that high-quality evidence is generated on the safety and efficacy of various medications used to treat pediatric obesity.

Current role of antibody therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pfeiffer, P; Qvortrup, C; Eriksen, Jesper Grau

2007-01-01

progressive disease and unfortunately in patients with disease resistant to 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid, irinotecan and oxaliplatin, no effective cytotoxic therapy is known. The rapidly expanding knowledge in tumor biology has encouraged optimism for the possibility to find and target tumor...... arsenal in CRC to a great extent, but they will also add to the complexity of treatment of CRC. In this review, we summarize the current status of antibody therapy in patients with CRC. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-May-28...

A Review of the Past and Current State of EROI Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles A.S. Hall

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This is a review of the literature available on data for the EROI (prior to this special issue of the following 12 sources of fuel/energy: oil and natural gas, coal, tar sands, shale oil, nuclear, wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, wave/tidal and corn ethanol. Unfortunately, we found that few studies have been undertaken since the 1980s, and such as have been done are often marked more by advocacy than objectivity. The most recent summary of work and data on the EROI of fuels was conducted in the summer of 2007 at SUNY ESF and appeared on The Oil Drum website and in a readable summary by Richard Heinberg. This paper summarizes the findings of that study, and also those preceding and subsequent to it where available. It also summarizes issues raised by some concerning the findings of these studies and with the calculations within. While there are many who believe that such EROI studies are critical to understanding our financial and social future there seems to be very little interest by governments and industries in supporting this research or in using or promulgating such research as has been done. We view this as critical as our main fuels are progressively depleted and as we are faced with making extremely important decisions on a very meager analytical and data base, and with few scientists trained to cut through the reams of insufficiently analyzed energy advocacy saturating our media and the blogosphere.

POI Summarization by Aesthetics Evaluation From Crowd Source Social Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Xueming; Li, Cheng; Lan, Ke; Hou, Xingsong; Li, Zhetao; Han, Junwei

2018-03-01

Place-of-Interest (POI) summarization by aesthetics evaluation can recommend a set of POI images to the user and it is significant in image retrieval. In this paper, we propose a system that summarizes a collection of POI images regarding both aesthetics and diversity of the distribution of cameras. First, we generate visual albums by a coarse-to-fine POI clustering approach and then generate 3D models for each album by the collected images from social media. Second, based on the 3D to 2D projection relationship, we select candidate photos in terms of the proposed crowd source saliency model. Third, in order to improve the performance of aesthetic measurement model, we propose a crowd-sourced saliency detection approach by exploring the distribution of salient regions in the 3D model. Then, we measure the composition aesthetics of each image and we explore crowd source salient feature to yield saliency map, based on which, we propose an adaptive image adoption approach. Finally, we combine the diversity and the aesthetics to recommend aesthetic pictures. Experimental results show that the proposed POI summarization approach can return images with diverse camera distributions and aesthetics.

Current Status of Nephron-Sparing Surgery (NSS) in the Management of Renal Tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatramani, Vivek; Swain, Sanjaya; Satyanarayana, Ramgopal; Parekh, Dipen J

2017-06-01

Nephron-sparing surgery has emerged as the surgical treatment of choice for small renal masses over the past two decades, replacing the traditional teaching of radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. With time, there has been an evolution in the techniques and indications for partial nephrectomy. This review summarizes the current status of nephron-sparing surgery for renal carcinoma and also deals with the future of this procedure.

Nanotechnology Review: Molecular Electronics to Molecular Motors

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Deepak; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Reviewing the status of current approaches and future projections, as already published in scientific journals and books, the talk will summarize the direction in which computational and experimental nanotechnologies are progressing. Examples of nanotechnological approaches to the concepts of design and simulation of carbon nanotube based molecular electronic and mechanical devices will be presented. The concepts of nanotube based gears and motors will be discussed. The above is a non-technical review talk which covers long term precompetitive basic research in already published material that has been presented before many US scientific meeting audiences.

Avoidant Personality Disorder: a Current Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinbrecht, Anna; Schulze, Lars; Boettcher, Johanna; Renneberg, Babette

2016-03-01

This review focuses on recent research on diagnostic aspects, etiology, and treatment of avoidant personality disorder (AVPD). Current studies stress the close relation between AVPD and social anxiety disorder, the influence of genetic factors in the development of AVPD, and the relative stability of symptoms. Treatment approaches should target the pervasive patterns of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. Empirical evidence for cognitive-behavior and schema therapy is promising. Few other therapeutic approaches have been developed, but until now, these have only been investigated in case studies. We conclude that AVPD qualifies as a neglected disorder and that more research specifically on avoidant personality disorder symptoms and its treatment is needed.

A review of total & added sugar intakes and dietary sources in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Azaïs-Braesco, Véronique; Sluik, Diewertje; Maillot, Matthieu; Kok, Frans; Moreno, Luis A.

2017-01-01

Public health policies, including in Europe, are considering measures and recommendations to limit the intake of added or free sugars. For such policies to be efficient and monitored, a precise knowledge of the current situation regarding sugar intake in Europe is needed. This review summarizes

Review of Current Student-Monitoring Techniques used in eLearning-Focused recommender Systems and Learning analytics. The Experience API & LIME model Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Corbi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Recommender systems require input information in order to properly operate and deliver content or behaviour suggestions to end users. eLearning scenarios are no exception. Users are current students and recommendations can be built upon paths (both formal and informal, relationships, behaviours, friends, followers, actions, grades, tutor interaction, etc. A recommender system must somehow retrieve, categorize and work with all these details. There are several ways to do so: from raw and inelegant database access to more curated web APIs or even via HTML scrapping. New server-centric user-action logging and monitoring standard technologies have been presented in past years by several groups, organizations and standard bodies. The Experience API (xAPI, detailed in this article, is one of these. In the first part of this paper we analyse current learner-monitoring techniques as an initialization phase for eLearning recommender systems. We next review standardization efforts in this area; finally, we focus on xAPI and the potential interaction with the LIME model, which will be also summarized below.

An extended framework for adaptive playback-based video summarization

Science.gov (United States)

Peker, Kadir A.; Divakaran, Ajay

2003-11-01

In our previous work, we described an adaptive fast playback framework for video summarization where we changed the playback rate using the motion activity feature so as to maintain a constant "pace." This method provides an effective way of skimming through video, especially when the motion is not too complex and the background is mostly still, such as in surveillance video. In this paper, we present an extended summarization framework that, in addition to motion activity, uses semantic cues such as face or skin color appearance, speech and music detection, or other domain dependent semantically significant events to control the playback rate. The semantic features we use are computationally inexpensive and can be computed in compressed domain, yet are robust, reliable, and have a wide range of applicability across different content types. The presented framework also allows for adaptive summaries based on preference, for example, to include more dramatic vs. action elements, or vice versa. The user can switch at any time between the skimming and the normal playback modes. The continuity of the video is preserved, and complete omission of segments that may be important to the user is avoided by using adaptive fast playback instead of skipping over long segments. The rule-set and the input parameters can be further modified to fit a certain domain or application. Our framework can be used by itself, or as a subsequent presentation stage for a summary produced by any other summarization technique that relies on generating a sub-set of the content.

Genome Writing: Current Progress and Related Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yueqiang Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The ultimate goal of synthetic biology is to build customized cells or organisms to meet specific industrial or medical needs. The most important part of the customized cell is a synthetic genome. Advanced genomic writing technologies are required to build such an artificial genome. Recently, the partially-completed synthetic yeast genome project represents a milestone in this field. In this mini review, we briefly introduce the techniques for de novo genome synthesis and genome editing. Furthermore, we summarize recent research progresses and highlight several applications in the synthetic genome field. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future prospects. Keywords: Synthetic biology, Genome writing, Genome editing, Bioethics, Biosafety

Current Research Status of KHNP for Site Risk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Kyemin; Jeon, Ho-Jun; Bahng, Ki-In; Na, Jang-Hwan [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

In Korea, by the geographical characteristics, many Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) have been constructed and operated at a single site. This is above average level or number of plants per site in the world. For this reason, the public concerns for the safety of nuclear facilities increased after Fukushima Daiichi accident. As a result, comprehensive risk assessment and management for the site which have multi-unit NPPs were strongly asked. Currently, to solve it, many researches and projects has carried out by various Korean companies, research centers, and regulatory authorities. In this paper, R and D plans of KHNP for multi-unit risk were summarized. Firstly, the needs of multi-unit PSA were reviewed. R and D activities and plans of KHNP were summarized in the last part. In this paper, we summarized the R and D plans of KHNP for assessing the multi-unit risk. Currently, multi-unit risk or multi-unit PSA are important and practical issues in both nuclear industry and national energy policy. After Fukushima accident, several countries stopped the construction and the operation of NPPs, other countries which is maintaining the NPPs are being strongly asked to assess the risk for multi-unit NPPs at the same site. Because of Korean geographical characteristics, the number of NPPs which are above average level or number of plants per site in the world is being constructed and operated at a single site. The population density nearby each site is considered to be higher than that of other countries.

Current Research Status of KHNP for Site Risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Kyemin; Jeon, Ho-Jun; Bahng, Ki-In; Na, Jang-Hwan

2016-01-01

In Korea, by the geographical characteristics, many Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) have been constructed and operated at a single site. This is above average level or number of plants per site in the world. For this reason, the public concerns for the safety of nuclear facilities increased after Fukushima Daiichi accident. As a result, comprehensive risk assessment and management for the site which have multi-unit NPPs were strongly asked. Currently, to solve it, many researches and projects has carried out by various Korean companies, research centers, and regulatory authorities. In this paper, R and D plans of KHNP for multi-unit risk were summarized. Firstly, the needs of multi-unit PSA were reviewed. R and D activities and plans of KHNP were summarized in the last part. In this paper, we summarized the R and D plans of KHNP for assessing the multi-unit risk. Currently, multi-unit risk or multi-unit PSA are important and practical issues in both nuclear industry and national energy policy. After Fukushima accident, several countries stopped the construction and the operation of NPPs, other countries which is maintaining the NPPs are being strongly asked to assess the risk for multi-unit NPPs at the same site. Because of Korean geographical characteristics, the number of NPPs which are above average level or number of plants per site in the world is being constructed and operated at a single site. The population density nearby each site is considered to be higher than that of other countries

Current biodiesel production technologies: A comparative review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbaszaadeh, Ahmad; Ghobadian, Barat; Omidkhah, Mohammad Reza; Najafi, Gholamhassan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► In this paper we review the technologies related to biodiesel production. ► 4 Primary approaches reviewed are direct use and blending of oils, micro-emulsions, pyrolysis and transesterification method. ► Both advantages and disadvantages of the different biodiesel production methods are also discussed. ► The most common technology of biodiesel production is transesterification of oils. ► Selection of a transesterification method depends on the amount of FFA and water content of the feedstock. - Abstract: Despite the high energy demand in the industrialized world and the pollution problems caused by widespread use of fossil fuels, the need for developing renewable energy sources with less environmental impacts are increasing. Biodiesel production is undergoing rapid and extensive technological reforms in industries and academia. The major obstacle in production and biodiesel commercialization path is production cost. Thus, in previous years numerous studies on the use of technologies and different methods to evaluate optimal conditions of biodiesel production technically and economically have been carried out. In this paper, a comparative review of the current technological methods so far used to produce biodiesel has been investigated. Four primary approaches to make biodiesel are direct use and blending of vegetable oils, micro-emulsions, thermal cracking (pyrolysis) and transesterification. Transesterification reaction, the most common method in the production of biodiesel, is emphasized in this review. The two types of transestrification process; catalytic and non-catalytic are discussed at length in the paper. Both advantages and disadvantages of the different biodiesel production methods are also discussed.

Current status and future prospects for the assessment of marine and coastal ecosystem services: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Liquete, Camino; Piroddi, Chiara; Drakou, Evangelia G; Gurney, Leigh; Katsanevakis, Stelios; Charef, Aymen; Egoh, Benis

2013-01-01

Research on ecosystem services has grown exponentially during the last decade. Most of the studies have focused on assessing and mapping terrestrial ecosystem services highlighting a knowledge gap on marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) and an urgent need to assess them. We reviewed and summarized existing scientific literature related to MCES with the aim of extracting and classifying indicators used to assess and map them. We found 145 papers that specifically assessed marine and coastal ecosystem services from which we extracted 476 indicators. Food provision, in particular fisheries, was the most extensively analyzed MCES while water purification and coastal protection were the most frequently studied regulating and maintenance services. Also recreation and tourism under the cultural services was relatively well assessed. We highlight knowledge gaps regarding the availability of indicators that measure the capacity, flow or benefit derived from each ecosystem service. The majority of the case studies was found in mangroves and coastal wetlands and was mainly concentrated in Europe and North America. Our systematic review highlighted the need of an improved ecosystem service classification for marine and coastal systems, which is herein proposed with definitions and links to previous classifications. This review summarizes the state of available information related to ecosystem services associated with marine and coastal ecosystems. The cataloging of MCES indicators and the integrated classification of MCES provided in this paper establish a background that can facilitate the planning and integration of future assessments. The final goal is to establish a consistent structure and populate it with information able to support the implementation of biodiversity conservation policies.

Additive Manufacturing Modeling and Simulation A Literature Review for Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Seufzer, William J.

2014-01-01

Additive manufacturing is coming into industrial use and has several desirable attributes. Control of the deposition remains a complex challenge, and so this literature review was initiated to capture current modeling efforts in the field of additive manufacturing. This paper summarizes about 10 years of modeling and simulation related to both welding and additive manufacturing. The goals were to learn who is doing what in modeling and simulation, to summarize various approaches taken to create models, and to identify research gaps. Later sections in the report summarize implications for closed-loop-control of the process, implications for local research efforts, and implications for local modeling efforts.

Adaptive Greedy Dictionary Selection for Web Media Summarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Yang; Liu, Ji; Sun, Gan; You, Quanzeng; Li, Yuncheng; Luo, Jiebo

2017-01-01

Initializing an effective dictionary is an indispensable step for sparse representation. In this paper, we focus on the dictionary selection problem with the objective to select a compact subset of basis from original training data instead of learning a new dictionary matrix as dictionary learning models do. We first design a new dictionary selection model via l 2,0 norm. For model optimization, we propose two methods: one is the standard forward-backward greedy algorithm, which is not suitable for large-scale problems; the other is based on the gradient cues at each forward iteration and speeds up the process dramatically. In comparison with the state-of-the-art dictionary selection models, our model is not only more effective and efficient, but also can control the sparsity. To evaluate the performance of our new model, we select two practical web media summarization problems: 1) we build a new data set consisting of around 500 users, 3000 albums, and 1 million images, and achieve effective assisted albuming based on our model and 2) by formulating the video summarization problem as a dictionary selection issue, we employ our model to extract keyframes from a video sequence in a more flexible way. Generally, our model outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in both these two tasks.

Information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics: A narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Hannah; O'Connor, Annette; Sargeant, Jan; Glanville, Julie

2018-01-09

Systematic review methods are now being used for reviews of food production, food safety and security, plant health, and animal health and welfare. Information retrieval methods in this context have been informed by human health-care approaches and ideally should be based on relevant research and experience. This narrative review seeks to identify and summarize current research-based evidence and experience on information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics. MEDLINE (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science), and ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/) were searched in 2012 and 2016. We also contacted topic experts and undertook citation searches. We selected and summarized studies reporting research on information retrieval, as well as published guidance and experience. There is little published evidence on the most efficient way to conduct searches for food and feed topics. There are few available study design search filters, and their use may be problematic given poor or inconsistent reporting of study methods. Food and feed research makes use of a wide range of study designs so it might be best to focus strategy development on capturing study populations, although this also has challenges. There is limited guidance on which resources should be searched and whether publication bias in disciplines relevant to food and feed necessitates extensive searching of the gray literature. There is some limited evidence on information retrieval approaches, but more research is required to inform effective and efficient approaches to searching to populate food and feed reviews. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

State-of-the-art technologies, current opinions and developments, and novel findings: news from the field of histochemistry and cell biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Asan, Esther; Drenckhahn, Detlev

2008-12-01

Investigations of cell and tissue structure and function using innovative methods and approaches have again yielded numerous exciting findings in recent months and have added important data to current knowledge, inspiring new ideas and hypotheses in various fields of modern life sciences. Topics and contents of comprehensive expert reviews covering different aspects in methodological advances, cell biology, tissue function and morphology, and novel findings reported in original papers are summarized in the present review.

Additive Manufacturing and Business Models: Current Knowledge and Missing Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Öberg

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Additive manufacturing, that is 3D printing technology, may change the way companies operate their businesses. This article adopts a business model perspective to create an understanding of what we know about these changes. It summarizes current knowledge on additive manufacturing within management and business research, and it discusses future research directions in relation to business models for additive manufacturing. Using the scientific database Web of Science, 116 journal articles were identified. The literature review reveals that most research concerns manufacturing optimization. A more holistic view of the changes that additive manufacturing may bring about for firms is needed, as is more research on changed value propositions, and customer/sales-related issues. The article contributes to previous research by systematically summarizing additive manufacturing research in the business and management literature, and by highlighting areas for further investigation related to the business models of individual firms.

Valuable metals - recovery processes, current trends, and recycling strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Froehlich, Peter; Lorenz, Tom; Martin, Gunther; Brett, Beate; Bertau, Martin [Institut fuer Technische Chemie, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Strasse 29, 09599, Freiberg (Germany)

2017-03-01

This Review provides an overview of valuable metals, the supply of which has been classified as critical for Europe. Starting with a description of the current state of the art, novel approaches for their recovery from primary resources are presented as well as recycling processes. The focus lies on developments since 2005. Chemistry strategies which are used in metal recovery are summarized on the basis of the individual types of deposit and mineral. In addition, the economic importance as well as utilization of the metals is outlined. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Current Research and Development of Chemotherapeutic Agents for Melanoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyaw Minn Hsan

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer and an increasingly common disease worldwide. It remains one of the most treatment-refractory malignancies. The current treatment options for patients with metastatic melanoma are limited and in most cases non-curative. This review focuses on conventional chemotherapeutic drugs for melanoma treatment, by a single or combinational agent approach, but also summarizes some potential novel phytoagents discovered from dietary vegetables or traditional herbal medicines as alternative options or future medicine for melanoma prevention. We explore the mode of actions of these natural phytoagents against metastatic melanoma.

Scalable gastroscopic video summarization via similar-inhibition dictionary selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuai; Cong, Yang; Cao, Jun; Yang, Yunsheng; Tang, Yandong; Zhao, Huaici; Yu, Haibin

2016-01-01

This paper aims at developing an automated gastroscopic video summarization algorithm to assist clinicians to more effectively go through the abnormal contents of the video. To select the most representative frames from the original video sequence, we formulate the problem of gastroscopic video summarization as a dictionary selection issue. Different from the traditional dictionary selection methods, which take into account only the number and reconstruction ability of selected key frames, our model introduces the similar-inhibition constraint to reinforce the diversity of selected key frames. We calculate the attention cost by merging both gaze and content change into a prior cue to help select the frames with more high-level semantic information. Moreover, we adopt an image quality evaluation process to eliminate the interference of the poor quality images and a segmentation process to reduce the computational complexity. For experiments, we build a new gastroscopic video dataset captured from 30 volunteers with more than 400k images and compare our method with the state-of-the-arts using the content consistency, index consistency and content-index consistency with the ground truth. Compared with all competitors, our method obtains the best results in 23 of 30 videos evaluated based on content consistency, 24 of 30 videos evaluated based on index consistency and all videos evaluated based on content-index consistency. For gastroscopic video summarization, we propose an automated annotation method via similar-inhibition dictionary selection. Our model can achieve better performance compared with other state-of-the-art models and supplies more suitable key frames for diagnosis. The developed algorithm can be automatically adapted to various real applications, such as the training of young clinicians, computer-aided diagnosis or medical report generation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Creating Value through Virtual Teams: A Current Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akemi Takeoka Chatfield

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Globally, virtual teams (VT as ICT-enabled emergent network organisation forms have gained international validity by innovative organisations, with a corresponding surge of interest in understanding how organisations can leverage VT to create business value. Despite growing deliberations in VT literature on managing VT, tasks and outcomes, however, creating business value through VT remains an unresolved theoretical and pragmatic conundrum. A review of prior relevant literature is essential to advancing knowledge. The paucity of published review articles seems to have impeded the field’s accumulation of VT knowledge. This research, therefore, reviews the current literature on case studies of VT to address the question: What are organisational challenges in creating business value through VT in the organisation? The key challenges found in the literature are effective communication, knowledge sharing, trust, and interpersonal skills in the new virtual boundary-less environment. Drawing on the IT business value model, we also discuss their resource-based implications.

Method for gathering and summarizing internet information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potok, Thomas E.; Elmore, Mark Thomas; Reed, Joel Wesley; Treadwell, Jim N.; Samatova, Nagiza Faridovna

2010-04-06

A computer method of gathering and summarizing large amounts of information comprises collecting information from a plurality of information sources (14, 51) according to respective maps (52) of the information sources (14), converting the collected information from a storage format to XML-language documents (26, 53) and storing the XML-language documents in a storage medium, searching for documents (55) according to a search query (13) having at least one term and identifying the documents (26) found in the search, and displaying the documents as nodes (33) of a tree structure (32) having links (34) and nodes (33) so as to indicate similarity of the documents to each other.

Current topics in DNA double-strand break repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Junya; Takata, Minoru; Iwabuchi, Kuniyoshi; Miyagawa, Kiyoshi; Sonoda, Eiichiro; Suzuki, Keiji; Tauchi, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

DNA double strand break (DSB) is one of the most critical types of damage which is induced by ionizing radiation. In this review, we summarize current progress in investigations on the function of DSB repair-related proteins. We focused on recent findings in the analysis of the function of proteins such as 53BP1, histone H2AX, Mus81-Eme1, Fanc complex, and UBC13, which are found to be related to homologous recombination repair or to non-homologous end joining. In addition to the function of these proteins in DSB repair, the biological function of nuclear foci formation following DSB induction is discussed. (author)

Wilderness Management... A Computerized System for Summarizing Permit Information

Science.gov (United States)

Gary H. Elsner

1972-01-01

Permits were first needed for visits to wilderness areas in California during summer 1971. A computerized system for analyzing these permits and summarizing information from them has been developed. It produces four types of summary tables: point-of-origin of visitors; daily variation in total number of persons present; variations in group size; and variations in...

Review of infrared scene projector technology-1993

Science.gov (United States)

Driggers, Ronald G.; Barnard, Kenneth J.; Burroughs, E. E.; Deep, Raymond G.; Williams, Owen M.

1994-07-01

The importance of testing IR imagers and missile seekers with realistic IR scenes warrants a review of the current technologies used in dynamic infrared scene projection. These technologies include resistive arrays, deformable mirror arrays, mirror membrane devices, liquid crystal light valves, laser writers, laser diode arrays, and CRTs. Other methods include frustrated total internal reflection, thermoelectric devices, galvanic cells, Bly cells, and vanadium dioxide. A description of each technology is presented along with a discussion of their relative benefits and disadvantages. The current state of each methodology is also summarized. Finally, the methods are compared and contrasted in terms of their performance parameters.

A Systematic Review of Evidence for the Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation

OpenAIRE

McKay, Colleen; Nugent, Katie L.; Johnsen, Matthew; Eaton, William W.; Lidz, Charles W.

2016-01-01

The Clubhouse Model has been in existence for over sixty-five years; however, a review that synthesizes the literature on the model is needed. The current study makes use of the existing research to conduct a systematic review of articles providing a comprehensive understanding of what is known about the Clubhouse Model, to identify the best evidence available, as well as areas that would benefit from further study. Findings are summarized and evidence is classified by outcome domains. Fifty-...

Harmful algal blooms of the Southern Benguela current: A review ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Harmful algal blooms of the Southern Benguela current: A review and appraisal of monitoring from 1989 to 1997. ... The Benguela upwelling system is subjected to blooms of harmful and toxic algae, the incidence and consequences of which are documented here. Red tides are common and usually attributed to members of ...

Current Status and Future Prospects for the Assessment of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Liquete, Camino; Piroddi, Chiara; Drakou, Evangelia G.; Gurney, Leigh; Katsanevakis, Stelios; Charef, Aymen; Egoh, Benis

2013-01-01

Background Research on ecosystem services has grown exponentially during the last decade. Most of the studies have focused on assessing and mapping terrestrial ecosystem services highlighting a knowledge gap on marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) and an urgent need to assess them. Methodology/Principal Findings We reviewed and summarized existing scientific literature related to MCES with the aim of extracting and classifying indicators used to assess and map them. We found 145 papers that specifically assessed marine and coastal ecosystem services from which we extracted 476 indicators. Food provision, in particular fisheries, was the most extensively analyzed MCES while water purification and coastal protection were the most frequently studied regulating and maintenance services. Also recreation and tourism under the cultural services was relatively well assessed. We highlight knowledge gaps regarding the availability of indicators that measure the capacity, flow or benefit derived from each ecosystem service. The majority of the case studies was found in mangroves and coastal wetlands and was mainly concentrated in Europe and North America. Our systematic review highlighted the need of an improved ecosystem service classification for marine and coastal systems, which is herein proposed with definitions and links to previous classifications. Conclusions/Significance This review summarizes the state of available information related to ecosystem services associated with marine and coastal ecosystems. The cataloging of MCES indicators and the integrated classification of MCES provided in this paper establish a background that can facilitate the planning and integration of future assessments. The final goal is to establish a consistent structure and populate it with information able to support the implementation of biodiversity conservation policies. PMID:23844080

A review of lot streaming in a flow shop environment with makespan criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Gómez-Gasquet

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This paper reviews current literature and contributes a set of findings that capture the current state-of-the-art of the topic of lot streaming in a flow-shop. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review to capture, classify and summarize the main body of knowledge on lot streaming in a flow-shop with makespan criteria and, translate this into a form that is readily accessible to researchers and practitioners in the more mainstream production scheduling community. Findings and Originality/value: The existing knowledge base is somewhat fragmented. This is a relatively unexplored topic within mainstream operations management research and one which could provide rich opportunities for further exploration. Originality/value: This paper sets out to review current literature, from an advanced production scheduling perspective, and contributes a set of findings that capture the current state-of-the-art of this topic.

Mental Health among Children and Young Adults with Visual Impairments: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Augestad, Liv Berit

2017-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to summarize current scientific knowledge relating to the occurrence of mood disorders among children with visual impairments. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of articles published between January1998 and July 2016, inclusive. A total of 17 publications met the inclusion criteria, of which 15…

Peer-led nutrition education programs for school-aged youth: a systematic review of the literature

OpenAIRE

Yip, Calvin; Gates, Michelle; Gates, Allison; Hanning, Rhona M.

2015-01-01

To date, the impacts of school-based, peer-led nutrition education initiatives have not been summarized or assessed collectively. This review presents the current evidence, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations for future research. PubMed, Scopus, ERIC and Google Scholar were searched for refereed Canadian and American primary studies published between January 2000 and November 2013, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Sev...

Computational chemistry reviews of current trends v.4

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

This volume presents a balanced blend of methodological and applied contributions. It supplements well the first three volumes of the series, revealing results of current research in computational chemistry. It also reviews the topographical features of several molecular scalar fields. A brief discussion of topographical concepts is followed by examples of their application to several branches of chemistry.The size of a basis set applied in a calculation determines the amount of computer resources necessary for a particular task. The details of a common strategy - the ab initio model potential

Diversifying customer review rankings.

Science.gov (United States)

Krestel, Ralf; Dokoohaki, Nima

2015-06-01

E-commerce Web sites owe much of their popularity to consumer reviews accompanying product descriptions. On-line customers spend hours and hours going through heaps of textual reviews to decide which products to buy. At the same time, each popular product has thousands of user-generated reviews, making it impossible for a buyer to read everything. Current approaches to display reviews to users or recommend an individual review for a product are based on the recency or helpfulness of each review. In this paper, we present a framework to rank product reviews by optimizing the coverage of the ranking with respect to sentiment or aspects, or by summarizing all reviews with the top-K reviews in the ranking. To accomplish this, we make use of the assigned star rating for a product as an indicator for a review's sentiment polarity and compare bag-of-words (language model) with topic models (latent Dirichlet allocation) as a mean to represent aspects. Our evaluation on manually annotated review data from a commercial review Web site demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach, outperforming plain recency ranking by 30% and obtaining best results by combining language and topic model representations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current Development of Silver Nanoparticle Preparation, Investigation, and Application in the Field of Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, M.; Ting, K.; Zhang, X.; Zheng, Z.; Ting, K.; Soo, Ch.; Zheng, Z.

2014-01-01

The invited review covers different research areas of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), including the synthesis strategies of AgNPs, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of AgNPs, osteoconductive and osteoinductive activities of AgNP-based materials, and potential toxicity of AgNPs. The potential mechanisms of AgNP’s biological efficacy as well as its potential toxicity are discussed as well. In addition, the current development of AgNP applications, especially in the area of therapeutics, is also summarized.

Equipment performance monitoring in NPP Krsko (Summarized system health report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djetelic, N.; Cicvaric, D.

2004-01-01

Management common goal is safe, reliable, effective, acceptable to public and conservative/cautious operation of NPP Krsko. A set of programs, including Corrective Action Program, Performance Indicators, Operating Experience, Self Assessment and System Health Report, is developed to assist NPP Krsko management in fulfilling those goals. System Health Report is a tool that management can use to quickly assess how selected systems are performing, to determine where additional management attention is required and to determine if appropriate corrective actions have been established. Summarized System Health Report is developed for management's quick overview of systems status, important system malfunctions and problems as well as major changes from previous assessment period. Summarized Report contains nine sections: status difference including brief explanation, selected performance indicators, new equipment problems, functional failures, important problem analyses, action plan for systems with Potential Danger (RED) status, maintenance rule status overview and systems availability (planned and unplanned).(author)

[Development and current situation of reconstruction methods following total sacrectomy].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Siyi; Ji, Tao; Guo, Wei

2018-05-01

To review the development of the reconstruction methods following total sacrectomy, and to provide reference for finding a better reconstruction method following total sacrectomy. The case reports and biomechanical and finite element studies of reconstruction following total sacrectomy at home and abroad were searched. Development and current situation were summarized. After developing for nearly 30 years, great progress has been made in the reconstruction concept and fixation techniques. The fixation methods can be summarized as the following three strategies: spinopelvic fixation (SPF), posterior pelvic ring fixation (PPRF), and anterior spinal column fixation (ASCF). SPF has undergone technical progress from intrapelvic rod and hook constructs to pedicle and iliac screw-rod systems. PPRF and ASCF could improve the stability of the reconstruction system. Reconstruction following total sacrectomy remains a challenge. Reconstruction combining SPF, PPRF, and ASCF is the developmental direction to achieve mechanical stability. How to gain biological fixation to improve the long-term stability is an urgent problem to be solved.

Aortopathy associated with congenital heart disease: A current literature review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francois, Katrien

2015-01-01

In patients born with congenital heart disease, dilatation of the aorta is a frequent feature at presentation and during follow-up after surgical intervention. This review provides an overview of the pathologies associated with aortopathy, and discusses the current knowledge on pathophysiology, evolution, and treatment guidelines of the aortic disease associated with congenital heart defects

Novel methods to optimize the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation: a systematic review of transcranial direct current stimulation patents.

Science.gov (United States)

Malavera, Alejandra; Vasquez, Alejandra; Fregni, Felipe

2015-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulatory technique that has been extensively studied. While there have been initial positive results in some clinical trials, there is still variability in tDCS results. The aim of this article is to review and discuss patents assessing novel methods to optimize the use of tDCS. A systematic review was performed using Google patents database with tDCS as the main technique, with patents filling date between 2010 and 2015. Twenty-two patents met our inclusion criteria. These patents attempt to address current tDCS limitations. Only a few of them have been investigated in clinical trials (i.e., high-definition tDCS), and indeed most of them have not been tested before in human trials. Further clinical testing is required to assess which patents are more likely to optimize the effects of tDCS. We discuss the potential optimization of tDCS based on these patents and the current experience with standard tDCS.

Synthesis, microstructural and mechanical properties of ex situ zircon particles (ZrSiO4 reinforced Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satish Kumar Thandalam

2015-07-01

This review article details the current development on the synthesis, microstructure and mechanical properties of zircon reinforced MMCs, with specific attention on the abrasive wear behavior of the composites. This review also summarizes the work done by various research groups on zircon reinforced MMCs in achieving higher hardness and wear resistance in these composites.

Comparison of Document Index Graph Using TextRank and HITS Weighting Method in Automatic Text Summarization

Science.gov (United States)

Hadyan, Fadhlil; Shaufiah; Arif Bijaksana, Moch.

2017-01-01

Automatic summarization is a system that can help someone to take the core information of a long text instantly. The system can help by summarizing text automatically. there’s Already many summarization systems that have been developed at this time but there are still many problems in those system. In this final task proposed summarization method using document index graph. This method utilizes the PageRank and HITS formula used to assess the web page, adapted to make an assessment of words in the sentences in a text document. The expected outcome of this final task is a system that can do summarization of a single document, by utilizing document index graph with TextRank and HITS to improve the quality of the summary results automatically.

Peer-Led Nutrition Education Programs for School-Aged Youth: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Calvin; Gates, Michelle; Gates, Allison; Hanning, Rhona M.

2016-01-01

To date, the impacts of school-based, peer-led nutrition education initiatives have not been summarized or assessed collectively. This review presents the current evidence, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations for future research. PubMed, Scopus, ERIC and Google Scholar were searched for refereed Canadian and American primary…

Changes in organic carbon stocks upon land use conversion in the Brazilian Cerrado: A review. Agriculture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Batlle-Bayer, L.; Batjes, N.H.; Bindraban, P.S.

2010-01-01

This paper reviews current knowledge on changes in carbon stocks upon land use conversion in the Brazilian Cerrado. First, we briefly characterize the savanna ecosystem and summarize the main published data on C stocks under natural conditions. The effects of increased land use pressure in the

A reassessment of the potential for an alpha-mode containment failure and a review of the current understanding of broader fuel-coolant interaction issues. Second steam explosion review group workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basu, S. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States); Ginsberg, T. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

1996-08-01

This report summarizes the review and evaluation by experts of the current understanding of the molten fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) issues covering the complete spectrum of interactions, i.e., from mild quenching to very energetic interactions including those that could lead to the alpha-mode containment failure. Of the eleven experts polled, all but two concluded that the alpha-mode failure issue was resolved from a risk perspective, meaning that this mode of failure is of very low probability, that it is of little or no significance to the overall risk from a nuclear power plant, and that any further reduction in residual uncertainties is not likely to change the probability in an appreciable manner. To a lesser degree, discussions also took place on the broader FCI issues such as mild quenching of core melt during non-explosive FCI, and shock loading of lower head and ex-vessel support structures arising from explosive localized FCIs. These latter issues are relevant with regard to determining the efficacy of certain accident management strategies for operating reactors as well as for advanced light water reactors. The experts reviewed the status of understanding of the FCI phenomena in the context of these broader issues, identified residual uncertainties in the understanding, and recommended future research (both experimental and analytical) to reduce the uncertainties.

A reassessment of the potential for an alpha-mode containment failure and a review of the current understanding of broader fuel-coolant interaction issues. Second steam explosion review group workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, S.; Ginsberg, T.

1996-08-01

This report summarizes the review and evaluation by experts of the current understanding of the molten fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) issues covering the complete spectrum of interactions, i.e., from mild quenching to very energetic interactions including those that could lead to the alpha-mode containment failure. Of the eleven experts polled, all but two concluded that the alpha-mode failure issue was resolved from a risk perspective, meaning that this mode of failure is of very low probability, that it is of little or no significance to the overall risk from a nuclear power plant, and that any further reduction in residual uncertainties is not likely to change the probability in an appreciable manner. To a lesser degree, discussions also took place on the broader FCI issues such as mild quenching of core melt during non-explosive FCI, and shock loading of lower head and ex-vessel support structures arising from explosive localized FCIs. These latter issues are relevant with regard to determining the efficacy of certain accident management strategies for operating reactors as well as for advanced light water reactors. The experts reviewed the status of understanding of the FCI phenomena in the context of these broader issues, identified residual uncertainties in the understanding, and recommended future research (both experimental and analytical) to reduce the uncertainties

Aortopathy associated with congenital heart disease: A current literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrien Francois

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In patients born with congenital heart disease, dilatation of the aorta is a frequent feature at presentation and during follow-up after surgical intervention. This review provides an overview of the pathologies associated with aortopathy, and discusses the current knowledge on pathophysiology, evolution, and treatment guidelines of the aortic disease associated with congenital heart defects.

Patellofemoral Arthroplasty: Current Concepts and Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Pisanu, Gabriele; Rosso, Federica; Bertolo, Corrado; Dettoni, Federico; Blonna, Davide; Bonasia, Davide Edoardo; Rossi, Roberto

2017-01-01

Patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) can be associated with anterior knee pain, stiffness, and functional impairment. Some authors report that PFOA affects approximately 9% of patients older than 40 years with a greater prevalence in females. Etiology of PFOA is multifactorial and is related to the presence of abnormal stresses at the PF joint due to knee- and patient-related factors. The need for a joint preserving treatment by isolated replacement of the injured compartment of the knee led to the development of PF arthroplasty (PFA). When a correct PF replacement is performed, PFA preserves physiologic tibiofemoral joint, thus allowing patients for a rapid recovery with a high satisfaction. The outcomes for PFA are quite variable with a trend toward good to excellent results, mainly owing to the improvement in surgical techniques, patient selection, and implant design. The development of the second generation of PFA improved the outcomes, which is attributed to the different trochlear designs. Recently, encouraging results have been provided by the association of PFA and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). In many studies, the main cause of PFA failure is progression of tibiofemoral OA. The aim of this brief review of literature is to summarize the clinical features, indications and contraindications, surgical techniques, complications, and outcomes of PFA. PMID:29270562

Emergent Exoplanet Flux: Review of the Spitzer Results

OpenAIRE

Deming, Drake

2008-01-01

Observations using the Spitzer Space Telescope provided the first detections of photons from extrasolar planets. Spitzer observations are allowing us to infer the temperature structure, composition, and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres. The Spitzer studies extend from many hot Jupiters, to the hot Neptune orbiting GJ436. Here I review the current status of Spitzer secondary eclipse observations, and summarize the results from the viewpoint of what is robust, what needs more work, and what th...

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Promising Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder?

Science.gov (United States)

Bennabi, Djamila; Haffen, Emmanuel

2018-01-01

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) opens new perspectives in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), because of its ability to modulate cortical excitability and induce long-lasting effects. The aim of this review is to summarize the current status of knowledge regarding tDCS application in MDD. Methods: In this review, we searched for articles published in PubMed/MEDLINE from the earliest available date to February 2018 that explored clinical and cognitive effects of tDCS in MDD. Results: Despite differences in design and stimulation parameters, the examined studies indicated beneficial effects of tDCS for MDD. These preliminary results, the non-invasiveness of tDCS, and its good tolerability support the need for further research on this technique. Conclusions: tDCS constitutes a promising therapeutic alternative for patients with MDD, but its place in the therapeutic armamentarium remains to be determined. PMID:29734768

Learning Crowdsourced User Preferences for Visual Summarization of Image Collections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rudinac, S.; Larson, M.; Hanjalic, A.

2013-01-01

In this paper we propose a novel approach to selecting images suitable for inclusion in the visual summaries. The approach is grounded in insights about how people summarize image collections. We utilize the Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform to obtain a large number of manually created

77 FR 4366 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Current...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-27

... with disabilities for employment; the work history, barriers to employment, and workplace... for OMB Review; Comment Request; Current Population Survey Disability Supplement ACTION: Notice... information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, ``Current Population Survey Disability Supplement,'' to...

Improving readability through extractive summarization for learners with reading difficulties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Nandhini

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the design and evaluation of extractive summarization approach to assist the learners with reading difficulties. As existing summarization approaches inherently assign more weights to the important sentences, our approach predicts the summary sentences that are important as well as readable to the target audience with good accuracy. We used supervised machine learning technique for summary extraction of science and social subjects in the educational text. Various independent features from the existing literature for predicting important sentences and proposed learner dependent features for predicting readable sentences are extracted from texts and are used for automatic classification. We performed both extrinsic and intrinsic evaluation on this approach and the intrinsic evaluation is carried out using F-measure and readability analysis. The extrinsic evaluation comprises of learner feedback using likert scale and the effect of assistive summary on improving readability for learners’ with reading difficulty using ANOVA. The results show significant improvement in readability for the target audience using assistive summary.

Diabetic Dyslipidemia Review: An Update on Current Concepts and Management Guidelines of Diabetic Dyslipidemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dake, Andrew W; Sora, Nicoleta D

2016-04-01

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes and the major source of cost in the care of diabetes. Treatment of dyslipidemia with cholesterol-lowering medications has been shown to decrease cardiovascular events. However, available guidelines for the treatment of dyslipidemia often contain significant differences in their recommendations. Lipid guidelines from National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology were reviewed. In addition a literature review was performed using PubMed to research diabetic peculiarities to the topic of lipids. Summarized within this article are the aforementioned, commonly-used guidelines as they relate to diabetes, as well as information regarding the diabetic phenotype of dislipidemia and the association between statins and new-onset diabetes. While the multitude of guidelines and the differences between them may contribute to confusion for practitioners, they are best viewed as tools to help tailor appropriate treatment plans for individual patients. Copyright © 2016 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Rippe, James M; Angelopoulos, Theodore J

2016-11-04

Added sugars are a controversial and hotly debated topic. Consumption of added sugars has been implicated in increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as cognitive decline and even some cancers. Support for these putative associations has been challenged, however, on a variety of fronts. The purpose of the current review is to summarize high impact evidence including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in an attempt to provide an overview of current evidence related to added sugars and health considerations. This paper is an extension of a symposium held at the Experimental Biology 2015 conference entitled "Sweeteners and Health: Current Understandings, Controversies, Recent Research Findings and Directions for Future Research". We conclude based on high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies that singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern, high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits. While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation, the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit.

Current status of countermeasures for ageing of nuclear power plants in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, M.; Ishikawa, M.; Tajima, K.

2002-01-01

This paper summarizes ageing coutermeasure program of the nuclear power plants performed by the Japanese Government and industries and related activities, and describes current research program and utilization of the research results for the aged nuclear power plants. Regulatory bodies (NISA of METI: Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) reviewed the ageing issues of nuclear power plants to enhance countermeasures for the aged plants. Nuclear Power Plant Life Engineering Center (PLEC) entrusted by NISA is carrying out the task relating to the aged plants. (orig.)

Time-aware multi-viewpoint summarization of multilingual social text streams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ren, Zhaochun; Inel, Oana; Aroyo, Lora; De Rijke, Maarten

2016-01-01

A viewpoint is a triple consisting of an entity, a topic related to this entity and sentiment towards this topic. In time-aware multi-viewpoint summarization one monitors viewpoints for a running topic and selects a small set of informative documents. In this paper, we focus on time-aware

The Effectiveness of Parenting Programs: A Review of Campbell Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, Jane; Coren, Esther

2018-01-01

Parenting practices predict important outcomes for children, and parenting programs are potentially effective means of supporting parents to promote optimal outcomes for children. This review summarizes findings of systematic reviews of parenting programs published in the Campbell Library. Six reviews evaluated the effectiveness of a range of…

Current Status of HbA1c Biosensors

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hua; Yi, Jun

2017-01-01

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is formed via non-enzymatic glycosylation reactions at the α–amino group of βVal1 residues in the tetrameric Hb, and it can reflect the ambient glycemic level over the past two to three months. A variety of HbA1c detection methods, including chromatography, immunoassay, enzymatic measurement, electrochemical sensor and capillary electrophoresis have been developed and used in research laboratories and in clinics as well. In this review, we summarize the current status of HbA1c biosensors based on the recognition of the sugar moiety on the protein and also their applications in the whole blood sample measurements. PMID:28777351

Social media and college student risk behaviors: A mini-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Groth, Gabrielle G; Longo, Laura M; Martin, Jessica L

2017-02-01

Use of social media use is widespread and frequent among college students. Posting photos and text related to risk behaviors (e.g., problematic alcohol use, illicit drug use) on social media websites is common and has been linked to personal substance use and negative outcomes. This mini-review summarizes current findings related to associations between college students' social media use and engagement in risk behaviors. Conducting research on social media poses unique challenges for researchers; these challenges are reviewed and their impact on the state of the current literature discussed. Finally, implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed as well as recommendations regarding future research in the area of social media and college student risk behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current Status of Renal Denervation in Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Briasoulis, Alexander; Bakris, George L

2016-11-01

Over the past 7 years, prospective cohorts and small randomized controlled studies showed that renal denervation therapy (RDN) in patients with resistant hypertension is safe but associated with variable effects on BP which are not substantially better than medical therapy alone. The failure of the most rigorously designed randomized sham-control study, SYMPLICITY HTN-3, to meet the efficacy endpoints has raised several methodological concerns. However, recently reported studies and ongoing trials with improved procedural characteristics, identification of patients with true treatment-resistant hypertension on appropriate antihypertensive regimens further explore potential benefits of RDN. The scope of this review is to summarize evidence from currently completed studies on RDN and discuss future perspectives of RDN therapy in patients with resistant hypertension.

SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM CURRENT CONCEPTS & M ANAGEMENT STRATEGEIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radha Krishnan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Subclinical hypothyroidism is a biochemical diagnosis characterized by raised thyroid stimulating hormone ( TSH and normal free T3 & T4 , without clinical features of hypothyroidism . Clinical significance of SCH remains uncertain and controversial . Symptoms of SCH may vary from being asymptomatic to having mild nonspecific symptoms . There are still controversies surrounding SCH and associated risk of various cardiovascular diseases ( CVDs , pregnancy outcomes , neuropsychiatric issues , metabolic syndrome , and dyslipidemia . This review will summarize the current data related to the effects of SCH on cardiovascular risk , SCH in pregnancy , in dyslipedemia and clinical guidelines on management of this condition . The evidence has been updated by a Pub med search on the risks and treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism of most recent articles published until March 2015

Scapulothoracic bursitis and snapping scapula syndrome: a critical review of current evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Warth, Ryan J; Spiegl, Ulrich J; Millett, Peter J

2015-01-01

Symptomatic scapulothoracic disorders, such as painful scapular crepitus and/or bursitis, are uncommon; however, they can produce significant pain and disability in many patients. To review the current knowledge pertaining to snapping scapula syndrome and to identify areas of further research that may be helpful to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Systematic review. We performed a preliminary search of the PubMed and Embase databases using the search terms "snapping scapula," "scapulothoracic bursitis," "partial scapulectomy," and "superomedial angle resection" in September 2013. All nonreview articles related to the topic of snapping scapula syndrome were included. The search identified a total of 167 unique articles, 81 of which were relevant to the topic of snapping scapula syndrome. There were 36 case series of fewer than 10 patients, 16 technique papers, 11 imaging studies, 9 anatomic studies, and 9 level IV outcomes studies. The level of evidence obtained from this literature search was inadequate to perform a formal systematic review or meta-analysis. Therefore, a critical review of current evidence is presented. Snapping scapula syndrome, a likely underdiagnosed condition, can produce significant shoulder dysfunction in many patients. Because the precise origin is typically unknown, specific treatments that are effective for some patients may not be effective for others. Nevertheless, bursectomy with or without partial scapulectomy is currently the most effective primary method of treatment in patients who fail nonoperative therapy. However, many patients experience continued shoulder disability even after surgical intervention. Future studies should focus on identifying the modifiable factors associated with poor outcomes after operative and nonoperative management for snapping scapula syndrome in an effort to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. © 2014 The Author(s).

Current R and D status on material motion and interactions relevant to core disruptive accidents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kondo, Satoru [Safety Engineering Division, O-arai Engineering Center, Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation, O-arai, Ibaraki (Japan)

1994-07-01

In this paper, the current status of research and development activities are briefly reviewed on evaluation of material-coolant interactions and material movement and relocation relevant to the safety of liquid-metal fast reactors. Since the status of European activities are well summarized in other papers submitted to the present meeting, the activities in Japan and the United States are highlighted in this paper. The review includes: out-of-pile experiments, in-pile experiments and relevant computer code development. It is emphasized that improved understanding on material motion has contributed to establishing more realistic and rational safety evaluation methods, where various mitigation mechanisms are inherently effective. (author)

Computer-aided prognosis on breast cancer with hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jia-Mei; Li, Yan; Xu, Jun; Gong, Lei; Wang, Lin-Wei; Liu, Wen-Lou; Liu, Juan

2017-03-01

With the advance of digital pathology, image analysis has begun to show its advantages in information analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images. Generally, histological features in hematoxylin and eosin images are measured to evaluate tumor grade and prognosis for breast cancer. This review summarized recent works in image analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images for breast cancer prognosis. First, prognostic factors for breast cancer based on hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images were summarized. Then, usual procedures of image analysis for breast cancer prognosis were systematically reviewed, including image acquisition, image preprocessing, image detection and segmentation, and feature extraction. Finally, the prognostic value of image features and image feature-based prognostic models was evaluated. Moreover, we discussed the issues of current analysis, and some directions for future research.

A review of thermoelectric cooling: Materials, modeling and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Dongliang; Tan, Gang

2014-01-01

This study reviews the recent advances of thermoelectric materials, modeling approaches, and applications. Thermoelectric cooling systems have advantages over conventional cooling devices, including compact in size, light in weight, high reliability, no mechanical moving parts, no working fluid, being powered by direct current, and easily switching between cooling and heating modes. In this study, historical development of thermoelectric cooling has been briefly introduced first. Next, the development of thermoelectric materials has been given and the achievements in past decade have been summarized. To improve thermoelectric cooling system's performance, the modeling techniques have been described for both the thermoelement modeling and thermoelectric cooler (TEC) modeling including standard simplified energy equilibrium model, one-dimensional and three-dimensional models, and numerical compact model. Finally, the thermoelectric cooling applications have been reviewed in aspects of domestic refrigeration, electronic cooling, scientific application, and automobile air conditioning and seat temperature control, with summaries for the commercially available thermoelectric modules and thermoelectric refrigerators. It is expected that this study will be beneficial to thermoelectric cooling system design, simulation, and analysis. - Highlights: •Thermoelectric cooling has great prospects with thermoelectric material's advances. •Modeling techniques for both thermoelement and TEC have been reviewed. •Principle thermoelectric cooling applications have been reviewed and summarized

Methodological issues in systematic reviews of headache trials: adapting historical diagnostic classifications and outcome measures to present-day standards.

Science.gov (United States)

McCrory, Douglas C; Gray, Rebecca N; Tfelt-Hansen, Peer; Steiner, Timothy J; Taylor, Frederick R

2005-05-01

Recent efforts to make headache diagnostic classification and clinical trial methodology more consistent provide valuable advice to trialists generating new evidence on effectiveness of treatments for headache; however, interpreting older trials that do not conform to new standards remains problematic. Systematic reviewers seeking to utilize historical data can adapt currently recommended diagnostic classification and clinical trial methodological approaches to interpret all available data relative to current standards. In evaluating study populations, systematic reviewers can: (i) use available data to attempt to map study populations to diagnoses in the new International Classification of Headache Disorders; and (ii) stratify analyses based on the extent to which study populations are precisely specified. In evaluating outcome measures, systematic reviewers can: (i) summarize prevention studies using headache frequency, incorporating headache index in a stratified analysis if headache frequency is not available; (ii) summarize acute treatment studies using pain-free response as reported in directly measured headache improvement or headache severity outcomes; and (iii) avoid analysis of recurrence or relapse data not conforming to the sustained pain-free response definition.

76 FR 4115 - Request for the Technical Review of the Draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB): Derivation of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-24

... NIOSH-156] Request for the Technical Review of the Draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB): Derivation... public review of the draft, Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB): Derivation of Immediately Dangerous to... established and (3) an overview of the analysis applied by NIOSH to develop a scientifically-based approach...

Current Stem Cell Biomarkers and Their Functional Mechanisms in Prostate Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaile Zhang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Currently there is little effective treatment available for castration resistant prostate cancer, which is responsible for the majority of prostate cancer related deaths. Emerging evidence suggested that cancer stem cells might play an important role in resistance to traditional cancer therapies, and the studies of cancer stem cells (including specific isolation and targeting on those cells might benefit the discovery of novel treatment of prostate cancer, especially castration resistant disease. In this review, we summarized major biomarkers for prostate cancer stem cells, as well as their functional mechanisms and potential application in clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Periodic Safety Review in Interim Storage Facilities - Current Regulation and Experiences in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neles, Julia Mareike; Schmidt, Gerhard

2014-01-01

Periodic safety reviews in nuclear power plants in Germany have been performed since the end of the 1980's as an indirect follow-up of the accident in Chernobyl and, in the meantime, are formally required by law. During this process the guidelines governing this review were developed in stages and reached their final form in 1996. Interim storage facilities and other nuclear facilities at that time were not included, so the guidelines were solely focused on the specific safety issues of nuclear power plants. Following IAEA's recommendations, the Western European Nuclear Regulator Association (WENRA) introduced PSRs in its safety reference levels for storage facilities (current version in WGWD report 2.1 as of Feb 2011: SRLs 59 - 61). Based on these formulations, Germany improved its regulation in 2010 with a recommendation of the Nuclear Waste Management Commission (Entsorgungskommission, ESK), an expert advisory commission for the federal regulatory body BMU. The ESK formulated these detailed requirements in the 'ESK recommendation for guides to the performance of periodic safety reviews for interim storage facilities for irradiated fuel elements and heat-generating radioactive waste'. Before finalization of the guideline a test phase was introduced, aimed to test the new regulation in practice and to later include the lessons learned in the final formulation of the guideline. The two-year test phase started in October 2011 in which the performance of a PSR will be tested at two selected interim storage facilities. Currently these recommendations are discussed with interested/concerned institutions. The results of the test phase shall be considered for improvements of the draft and during the final preparation of guidelines. Currently the PSR for the first ISF is in an advanced stage, the second facility just started the process. Preliminary conclusions from the test phase show that the implementation of the draft guideline requires interpretation. The aim of a

An Integrative Review of Sleep for Nutrition Professionals12

OpenAIRE

Golem, Devon L.; Martin-Biggers, Jennifer T.; Koenings, Mallory M.; Davis, Katherine Finn; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol

2014-01-01

Sleep is an essential lifestyle factor that contributes to overall health. The inverse relation between sleep duration and weight status has revealed the importance of sleep in nutritional health. This integrative review builds foundational knowledge with regard to sleep vis-à-vis nutrition by summarizing the importance and process of sleep, current sleep recommendations and trends, as well as lifestyle contributors to poor sleep. Additionally, it details the association between sleep and obe...

Systematic review on the financial return of worksite health promotion programmes aimed at improving nutrition and/or increasing physical activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dongen, J.M. van; Proper, K.I.; Wier, M.F. van; Beek, A.J. van der; Bongers, P.M.; Mechelen, W. van; Tulder, M.W. van

2011-01-01

Summary: This systematic review summarizes the current evidence on the financial return of worksite health promotion programmes aimed at improving nutrition and/or increasing physical activity. Data on study characteristics and results were extracted from 18 studies published up to 14 January 2011.

Mass spectrometry based proteomics profiling as diagnostic tool in oncology: current status and future perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Findeisen, Peter; Neumaier, Michael

2009-01-01

Proteomics analysis has been heralded as a novel tool for identifying new and specific biomarkers that may improve diagnosis and monitoring of various disease states. Recent years have brought a number of proteomics profiling technologies. Although proteomics profiling has resulted in the detection of disease-associated differences and modification of proteins, current proteomics technologies display certain limitations that are hampering the introduction of these new technologies into clinical laboratory diagnostics and routine applications. In this review, we summarize current advances in mass spectrometry based biomarker discovery. The promises and challenges of this new technology are discussed with particular emphasis on diagnostic perspectives of mass-spectrometry based proteomics profiling for malignant diseases.

Krsko NPP Periodic Safety Review program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basic, I.; Spiler, J.; Novsak, M.

2001-01-01

The need for conducting a Periodic Safety Review for the Krsko NPP has been clearly recognized both by the NEK and the regulator (SNSA). The PSR would be highly desirable both in the light of current trends in safety oversight practices and because of many benefits it is capable to provide. On January 11, 2001 the SNSA issued a decision requesting the Krsko NPP to prepare a program and determine a schedule for the implementation of the program for 'Periodic Safety Review of NPP Krsko'. The program, which is required to be in accordance with the IAEA safety philosophy and with the EU practice, was submitted for the approval to the SNSA by the end of March 2001. The paper summarizes Krsko NPP Periodic Safety Review Program [1] including implemented SNSA and IAEA Expert Mission comments.(author)

Review: Current Advances in Gloriosa superba L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MAHENDRA K. RAI

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Gloriosa superba L. is an important medicinal plant of Asia and Africa. It is used in diseases, like cancer, gout, scrofula and act as antipyretic, antihelmintic, purgative and antiabortive. It is a source of colchicines and colchicocides, which are very costly, being highly demanded by pharma industries. Due to excessive use of the plant for diverse medicinal purposes the species is on the verge of extinction and included in Red Data Book. The strenuous efforts of botanists, biotechnologists, policy makers and conservationists are required. It is a matter of great concern to conserve this plant otherwise we will be loosing it by 2020.The present review is focused on current status of the genus, source of alkaloids, poisonous nature, the strategies for its conservation and future perspectives of G. superba.

Review of current activities to model and measure the orbital debris environment in low-earth orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, R. C.

A very active orbital debris program is currently being pursued at the NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC), with projects designed to better define the current environment, to project future environments, to model the processes contributing to or constraining the growth of debris in the environment, and to gather supporting data needed to improve the understanding of the orbital debris problem and the hazard it presents to spacecraft. This paper is a review of the activity being conducted at JSC, by NASA, Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company, and other support contractors, and presents a review of current activity, results of current research, and a discussion of directions for future development.

Neonatal posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus from prematurity: pathophysiology and current treatment concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Shenandoah

2013-01-01

Object Preterm infants are at risk for perinatal complications, including germinal matrix–intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and subsequent posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH). This review summarizes the current understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, management, and outcomes of IVH and PHH in preterm infants. Methods The MEDLINE database was systematically searched using terms related to IVH, PHH, and relevant neurosurgical procedures to identify publications in the English medical literature. To complement information from the systematic search, pertinent articles were selected from the references of articles identifed in the initial search. Results This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology and pathophysiology of IVH and PHH, primarily using evidence-based studies. Advances in obstetrics and neonatology over the past few decades have contributed to a marked improvement in the survival of preterm infants, and neurological morbidity is also starting to decrease. The incidence of IVH is declining, and the incidence of PHH will likely follow. Currently, approximately 15% of preterm infants who suffer severe IVH will require permanent CSF diversion. The clinical presentation and surgical management of symptomatic PHH with temporary ventricular reservoirs (ventricular access devices) and ventriculosubgaleal shunts and permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunts are discussed. Preterm infants who develop PHH that requires surgical treatment remain at high risk for other related neurological problems, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cognitive and behavioral delay. This review highlights numerous opportunities for further study to improve the care of these children. Conclusions A better grasp of the pathophysiology of IVH is beginning to impact the incidence of IVH and PHH. Neonatologists conduct rigorous Class I and II studies to advance the outcomes of preterm infants. The need for well-designed multicenter trials is

Current applications of nanotechnology in dentistry: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhavikatti, Shaeesta Khaleelahmed; Bhardwaj, Smiti; Prabhuji, M L V

2014-01-01

With the increasing demand for advances in diagnosis and treatment modalities, nanotechnology is being considered as a groundbreaking and viable research subject. This technology, which deals with matter in nanodimensions, has widened our views of poorly understood health issues and provided novel means of diagnosis and treatment. Researchers in the field of dentistry have explored the potential of nanoparticles in existing therapeutic modalities with moderate success. The key implementations in the field of dentistry include local drug delivery agents, restorative materials, bone graft materials, and implant surface modifications. This review provides detailed insights about current developments in the field of dentistry, and discusses potential future uses of nanotechnology.

Individual Performance Management: A Review of Current Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian O’ Boyle

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper provides a review of current practice in relation to individual performance management systems and process within the traditional business environment. There is a consensus that the role of the individual is central to the overall performance of any organization and how individual performances are managed and evaluated can have significant impacts on overall organizational success. Many organizations employ the traditional performance appraisal in order to monitor and assess individual employee performances. However, new approaches, such as 360-degree feedback have also become commonplace within the business environment. An analysis of each approach including benefits and challenges associated with each process is presented within this paper.

Taxonomy of Campylobacter, Arcobacter, Helicobacter and related bacteria: current status, future prospects and immediate concerns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

On, Stephen L.W.

2001-01-01

systematics, there remain a number of important issues concerning the classification of various campylobacterial taxa that require careful consideration. Ultimately, these issues are relevant to many working in the field of applied microbiology, including clinicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists...... and taxonomists. The purpose of this article is briefly to review the major developments in the taxonomy of Campylobacter from its inception to the present day; summarize the most recent changes in the field; analyse current topical issues of special relevance to applied microbiologists, including identification...

THE EFFECT OF SUMMARIZATION INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND PRESENTATION FORMATS ON THE OUTCOMES OF HISTORICAL ARGUMENTATIVE REASONING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanto Yunus Alfian

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of summarization instructional strategies and presentation formats on the learning outcomes of history argumentative reasoning. This study is designed as a factorial design. The subjects were the students enrolled in four state-owned sehior high school in Malang Regency. The main conclusions are presented as follow: (1 A significant difference existed for students who used the cause-effect graphic organizer summarization strategy to answer history argumentative reasoning post-test questions when compared to the written summarizing strategy, (2 There is no difference between those who were presented with present-subheadings presentation format and those who were presented absent-subheadings on answering history argumentative reasoning posttest questions, and (3 There is a significant interaction between the summarization instructional strategies and the presentation formats. The students who used cause-effect graphic organizer summarization strategy and were given with the present-subheadings presentation format significantly outperformed in the historical  argumentative reasoning post-test scores than the other groups (graphic organizer and absent-subheadings group, written summarizing and with-subheadings group, and written summarizing and without-subheadings group.Key Words:  summarization instructional strategy, presentation format, cause-effect graphic organizer, written summarizing, present-subheadings, historical argumentative reasoning.Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh strategi pembelajaran summarization dan format presentasi tentang hasil belajar sejarah penalaran argumentatif. Penelitian ini dirancang sebagai desain faktorial. Subjek penelitian adalah siswa terdaftar di empat sekolah SMA di Kabupaten Malang. Kesimpulan utama disajikan sebagai berikut: (1 Sebuah perbedaan yang signifikan ada bagi siswa yang menggunakan strategi peringkasan untuk menjawab

Flux-lock type of superconducting fault current limiters: A comprehensive review

Science.gov (United States)

Badakhshan, M.; Mousavi G., S. M.

2018-04-01

Power systems must be developed and extended to supply the continuous enhancement of demands for electrical energy. This development of systems in addition to the integration of distributed generation (DG) units to the power systems results higher capacity of system. Hence, short circuit current of network is confronted with persistent increasing. Since exploration of high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials, superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs) have attracted a lot of attention all over the world. There are different types of SFCLs. Flux-lock type of SFCL because of its characteristics in fault current limitation is an important category of SFCLs. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of research activities and applications of Flux-lock type of SFCLs in power systems.

Plasma auxiliary heating and current drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Heating and current drive systems must fulfil several roles in ITER operating scenarios: heating through the H-mode transition and to ignition; plasma burn control; current drive and current profile control in steady state scenarios; and control of MHD instabilities. They must also perform ancillary functions, such as assisting plasma start-up and wall conditioning. It is recognized that no one system can satisfy all of these requirements with the degree of flexibility that ITER will require. Four heating and current drive systems are therefore under consideration for ITER: electron cyclotron waves at a principal frequency of 170 GHz; fast waves operating in the range 40-70 MHz (ion cyclotron waves); lower hybrid waves at 5 GHz; and neutral beam injection using negative ion beam technology for operation at 1 MeV energy. It is likely that several of these systems will be employed in parallel. The systems have been chosen on the basis of the maturity of physics understanding and operating experience in current experiments and on the feasibility of applying the relevant technology to ITER. Here, the fundamental physics describing the interaction of these heating systems with the plasma is reviewed, the relevant experimental results in the exploitation of the heating and current drive capabilities of each system are discussed, key aspects of their application to ITER are outlined, and the major technological developments required in each area are summarized. (author)

Review of particle properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montanet, L.; Gieselmann, K. Technical Associate; Barnett, R.M.; Groom, D.E.; Trippe, T.G.; Wohl, C.G.; Armstrong, B. Technical Associate; Wagman, G.S. Technical Associate; Murayama, H.; Stone, J.; Hernandez, J.J.; Porter, F.C.; Morrison, R.J.; Manohar, A.; Aguilar-Benitez, M.; Caso, C.; Lantero, P. Technical Associate; Crawford, R.L.; Roos, M.; Toernqvist, N.A.; Hayes, K.G.; Hoehler, G.

1994-01-01

This biennial review summarizes much of Particle Physics. Using data from previous editions, plus 2300 new measurements from 700 papers, we list evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We also summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as Higgs bosons, heavy neutrinos, monopoles, and supersymmetric particles. All the particle properties and search limits are listed in Summary Tables. We also give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as the Standard Model, particle detectors, probability, and statistics. A booklet is available containing the Summary Tables and abbreviated versions of some of the other sections of this full Review

Diagnostic utility of onychoscopy: Review of literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chander Grover

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Onychoscopy is being increasingly used as a diagnostic modality for various nail diseases. Initial research had focused mainly on nail pigmentation and nailfold capillaroscopy; however, it is now being evaluated in various infectious and inflammatory nail disorders as well. The present review aims to summarize current knowledge about onychoscopic diagnostic criteria in nail diseases. The best level of evidence attached to each indication is mentioned to answer the pertinent question: How much can we rely on onychoscopy in confirming diagnosis of nail disease?

Role of tonic GABAergic currents during pre- and early postnatal rodent development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Werner eKilb

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In the last three decades it became evident that the GABAergic system plays an essential role for the development of the central nervous system, by influencing the proliferation of neuronal precursors, neuronal migration and differentiation, as well as by controlling early activity patterns and thus formation of neuronal networks. GABA controls neuronal development via depolarizing membrane responses upon activation of ionotropic GABA receptors. However, many of these effects occur before the onset of synaptic GABAergic activity and thus require the presence of extrasynaptic tonic currents in neuronal precursors and immature neurons. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the role of tonic GABAergic currents during early brain development. In this review we compare the temporal sequence of the expression and functional relevance of different GABA receptor subunits, GABA synthesizing enzymes and GABA transporters. We also refer to other possible endogenous agonists of GABAA receptors. In addition, we describe functional consequences mediated by the GABAergic system during early developmental periods and discuss current models about the origin of extrasynaptic GABA and/or other endogenous GABAergic agonists during early developmental states. Finally, we present evidence that tonic GABAergic activity is also critically involved in the generation of physiological as well as pathophysiological activity patterns before and after the establishment of functional GABAergic synaptic connections.

A Novel Real-Time Speech Summarizer System for the Learning of Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsiu-Wen Wang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available As the number of speech and video documents increases on the Internet and portable devices proliferate, speech summarization becomes increasingly essential. Relevant research in this domain has typically focused on broadcasts and news; however, the automatic summarization methods used in the past may not apply to other speech domains (e.g., speech in lectures. Therefore, this study explores the lecture speech domain. The features used in previous research were analyzed and suitable features were selected following experimentation; subsequently, a three-phase real-time speech summarizer for the learning of sustainability (RTSSLS was proposed. Phase One involved selecting independent features (e.g., centrality, resemblance to the title, sentence length, term frequency, and thematic words and calculating the independent feature scores; Phase Two involved calculating the dependent features, such as the position compared with the independent feature scores; and Phase Three involved comparing these feature scores to obtain weighted averages of the function-scores, determine the highest-scoring sentence, and provide a summary. In practical results, the accuracies of macro-average and micro-average for the RTSSLS were 70% and 73%, respectively. Therefore, using a RTSSLS can enable users to acquire key speech information for the learning of sustainability.

Utilizing Mind Mapping to Summarize English Text with the Theme "American Culture"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivi Aulia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This research aims at knowing and describing on the utilization of mind mapping strategy in summarizing English text under the theme American Culture. It is conducted to the third semester of English Department students at STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin batch 2016 who take Reading III course. The instruments used in this research are observation sheet and documentation of students’ mind map products. The observation sheet is analyzed qualitatively by describing the important result of observation process while the students’ mind maps are analyzed quantitatively using mind mapping scoring rubric. They create mind mapping in post-reading activity. After reading, they have to summarize the text written through mind map. The result from the observation sheet shows that during four meetings of learning to create mind maps, students carry out the steps of creating mind map well. Although they get difficulties in early activities of this process, however, they can accomplish it well in the last meeting with a different topic of the text. Moreover, there are 17 (51% of 33 students as the subject of this research who have a good score on their mind maps products. It indicates that utilizing mind map is good enough for helping them to summarize the text written.

A review of the potential therapeutic role of statins in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: current research and opinion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitchell AJ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Álvaro Sánchez-Ferro,1–4 Julián Benito-León,1–3 Alex J Mitchell,5 Félix Bermejo-Pareja1–31Department of Neurology, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; 2Department of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; 3Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; 4Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 5Department of Psycho-oncology, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UKAbstract: Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders. However, there is no current treatment, which definitively influences disease progression over a sustained period. Numerous studies linking an increase in serum cholesterol, mainly during midlife, with the pathogenic process of Alzheimer’s disease have been published. Therefore, the role of statins as a therapy in this disorder may be of great interest. The aim of the present review is to summarize of the role of statins in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.Keywords: animal models, epidemiology, HMGCoA-inhibitors, clinical trials, prevention, cognitive function

The summarize of the technique about proactive network security protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Baoxu; Li Xueying; Cao Aijuan; Yu Chuansong; Xu Rongsheng

2003-01-01

The proactive protection measures and the traditional passive security protection tools are complementarities each other. It also can supply the conventional network security protection system and enhance its capability of the security protection. Based upon sorts of existing network security technologies, this article analyses and summarizes the technologies, functions and the development directions of some key proactive network security protection tools. (authors)

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT): conductivity and current density imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Jin Keun; Kwon, Ohin; Woo, Eung Je

2005-01-01

This paper reviews the latest impedance imaging technique called Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Tomography (MREIT) providing information on electrical conductivity and current density distributions inside an electrically conducting domain such as the human body. The motivation for this research is explained by discussing conductivity changes related with physiological and pathological events, electromagnetic source imaging and electromagnetic stimulations. We briefly summarize the related technique of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) that deals with cross-sectional image reconstructions of conductivity distributions from boundary measurements of current-voltage data. Noting that EIT suffers from the ill-posed nature of the corresponding inverse problem, we introduce MREIT as a new conductivity imaging modality providing images with better spatial resolution and accuracy. MREIT utilizes internal information on the induced magnetic field in addition to the boundary current-voltage measurements to produce three-dimensional images of conductivity and current density distributions. Mathematical theory, algorithms, and experimental methods of current MREIT research are described. With numerous potential applications in mind, future research directions in MREIT are proposed

Current Status of Periodic Safety Review of HANARO Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Minjin; Ahn, Guk-Hoon; Lee, Choong Sung [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

A PSR for a research reactor became a legal requirement as the Nuclear Safety Act was amended and came into effect in 2014. This paper describes the current status and methodology of the first Periodic Safety Review (PSR) of HANARO that is being performed. The legal requirements, work plan, and process of implementing a PSR are described. Because this is the first PSR for a research reactor, it is our understating that the operating organization and regulatory body should communicate well with each other to complete the PSR in a timely manner. The first PSR of HANARO is under way. In order to achieve a successful result, activities of the operation organization such as scheduling, maintaining consistency in input data for review, and reviewing the PSR reports that will require intensive resources should be well planned. This means the operating organization needs to incorporate appropriate measures to ensure the transfer of knowledge and expertise arising from the PSR via a contractor to the operation organization. It is desirable for the Regulatory Body to be involved in all stage of the PSR to prevent any waste of resources and minimize the potential for a reworking of the PSR and the need for an additional assessment and review as recommended by foreign experts.

Robotic bariatric surgery: A general review of the current status.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Minoa K; Hagen, Monika E; Buchs, Nicolas C; Buehler, Leo H; Morel, Philippe

2017-12-01

While conventional laparoscopy is the gold standard for almost all bariatric procedures, robotic assistance holds promise for facilitating complex surgeries and improving clinical outcomes. Since the report of the first robotic-assisted bariatric procedure in 1999, numerous publications, including those reporting comparative trials and meta-analyses across bariatric procedures with a focus on robotic assistance, can be found. This article reviews the current literature and portrays the perspectives of robotic bariatric surgery. While there are substantial reports on robotic bariatric surgery currently in publication, most studies suffer from low levels of evidence. As such, although robotics technology is without a doubt superior to conventional laparoscopy, the precise role of robotics in bariatric surgery is not yet clear. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Summarizing metocean operating conditions as a climatology of marine hazards

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Heather; Finnis, Joel

2018-03-01

Marine occupations are plagued by some of the highest accident and mortality rates of any occupation, due in part to the variety and severity of environmental hazards presented by the ocean environment. In order to better study and communicate the potential impacts of these hazards on occupational health and safety, a semi-objective, hazard-focused climatology of a particularly dangerous marine environment (Northwestern Atlantic) has been developed. Specifically, climate has been summarized as the frequency with which responsible government agencies are expected to issue relevant warnings or watches, couching results in language relevant to marine stakeholders. Applying cluster analysis to warning/watch frequencies identified seven distinct `hazard climatologies', ranging from near-Arctic conditions to areas dominated by calm seas and warm waters. Spatial and temporal variability in these clusters reflects relevant annual cycles, such as the advance/retreat of sea ice and shifts in the Atlantic storm track; the clusters also highlight regions and seasons with comparable operational risks. Our approach is proposed as an effective means to summarize and communicate marine risk with stakeholders, and a potential framework for describing climate change impacts.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Tinnitus Patients: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Jin Song

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS has already been used to manage tinnitus patients, paucity of reports and variations in protocols preclude a comprehensive understanding. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis based on systemic review to assess effectiveness of tDCS in tinnitus management and to compare stimulation parameters. PubMed was searched for tDCS studies in tinnitus. For randomized controlled trials (RCTs, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 17 studies were identified and 6 of them were included in the systemic review and 2 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall 39.5% responded to active tDCS with a mean tinnitus intensity reduction of 13.5%. Additionally, left temporal area (LTA and bifrontal tDCS indicated comparable results. Active tDCS was found to be more effective than sham tDCS for tinnitus intensity reduction (Hedges' g=.77, 95% confidence interval 0.23–1.31. The efficacy of tDCS in tinnitus could not be fully confirmed by the current study because of the limited number of studies, but all studies included in the current systemic review and meta-analysis demonstrated significant tinnitus intensity improvement. Therefore, tDCS may be a promising tool for tinnitus management. Future RCTs in a large series regarding the efficacy as well as the comparison between LTA- and bifrontal tDCS are recommended.

Magnetic resonance neurography. Current perspectives and literature review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chhabra, Avneesh; Madhuranthakam, Ananth J.; Andreisek, Gustav

2018-01-01

Magnetic resonance neurography (also called MRN or MR neurography) refers to MR imaging dedicated to the peripheral nerves. It is a technique that enhances selective multiplanar visualisation of the peripheral nerve and pathology by encompassing a combination of two-dimensional, three-dimensional and diffusion imaging pulse sequences. Referring physicians who seek imaging techniques that can depict and diagnose peripheral nerve pathologies superior to conventional MR imaging are driving the demand for MRN. This article reviews the pathophysiology of peripheral nerves in common practice scenarios, technical considerations of MRN, current indications of MRN, normal and abnormal neuromuscular appearances, and imaging pitfalls. Finally, the emerging utility of diffusion-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging is discussed and future directions are highlighted. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance neurography. Current perspectives and literature review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chhabra, Avneesh [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Radiology and Orthopedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Dallas, TX (United States); Johns Hopkins University, Adjunct Faculty, Baltimore, MD (United States); Madhuranthakam, Ananth J. [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Institute, Dallas, TX (United States); Andreisek, Gustav [University of Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2018-02-15

Magnetic resonance neurography (also called MRN or MR neurography) refers to MR imaging dedicated to the peripheral nerves. It is a technique that enhances selective multiplanar visualisation of the peripheral nerve and pathology by encompassing a combination of two-dimensional, three-dimensional and diffusion imaging pulse sequences. Referring physicians who seek imaging techniques that can depict and diagnose peripheral nerve pathologies superior to conventional MR imaging are driving the demand for MRN. This article reviews the pathophysiology of peripheral nerves in common practice scenarios, technical considerations of MRN, current indications of MRN, normal and abnormal neuromuscular appearances, and imaging pitfalls. Finally, the emerging utility of diffusion-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging is discussed and future directions are highlighted. (orig.)

The Effect of Note Taking vs. Summarizing Strategy on Iranian EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension

OpenAIRE

Mehri Khavazi; Mandana Yousefi; Naeemeh Kharaghani

2018-01-01

This study, specifically, investigated the effect of note taking and summarizing strategies on Iranian EFL learners’ listening comprehension. The study aimed at investigating the effects of note taking and summarizing on listening comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. The participants of the study included 75 female language learners in Bojnord who were homogenized in terms of language proficiency. They were divided into two experimental and onecontrol groups. ANCOVA test was used to analyze...

Multi-documents summarization based on clustering of learning object using hierarchical clustering

Science.gov (United States)

Mustamiin, M.; Budi, I.; Santoso, H. B.

2018-03-01

The Open Educational Resources (OER) is a portal of teaching, learning and research resources that is available in public domain and freely accessible. Learning contents or Learning Objects (LO) are granular and can be reused for constructing new learning materials. LO ontology-based searching techniques can be used to search for LO in the Indonesia OER. In this research, LO from search results are used as an ingredient to create new learning materials according to the topic searched by users. Summarizing-based grouping of LO use Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering (HAC) with the dependency context to the user’s query which has an average value F-Measure of 0.487, while summarizing by K-Means F-Measure only has an average value of 0.336.

Particle therapy for non-small cell lung tumors: where do we stand?A systematic review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krista eWink

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This review article provides a systematic overview of the currently available evidence on the clinical effectiveness of particle therapy for the treatment of NSCLC and summarizes findings of in silico comparative planning studies. Furthermore, technical issues and dosimetric uncertainties with respect to thoracic particle therapy are discussed.

Assumption-versus data-based approaches to summarizing species' ranges.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, A Townsend; Navarro-Sigüenza, Adolfo G; Gordillo, Alejandro

2018-06-01

For conservation decision making, species' geographic distributions are mapped using various approaches. Some such efforts have downscaled versions of coarse-resolution extent-of-occurrence maps to fine resolutions for conservation planning. We examined the quality of the extent-of-occurrence maps as range summaries and the utility of refining those maps into fine-resolution distributional hypotheses. Extent-of-occurrence maps tend to be overly simple, omit many known and well-documented populations, and likely frequently include many areas not holding populations. Refinement steps involve typological assumptions about habitat preferences and elevational ranges of species, which can introduce substantial error in estimates of species' true areas of distribution. However, no model-evaluation steps are taken to assess the predictive ability of these models, so model inaccuracies are not noticed. Whereas range summaries derived by these methods may be useful in coarse-grained, global-extent studies, their continued use in on-the-ground conservation applications at fine spatial resolutions is not advisable in light of reliance on assumptions, lack of real spatial resolution, and lack of testing. In contrast, data-driven techniques that integrate primary data on biodiversity occurrence with remotely sensed data that summarize environmental dimensions (i.e., ecological niche modeling or species distribution modeling) offer data-driven solutions based on a minimum of assumptions that can be evaluated and validated quantitatively to offer a well-founded, widely accepted method for summarizing species' distributional patterns for conservation applications. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Photodynamic therapy in dentistry: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gursoy, Hare; Ozcakir-Tomruk, Ceyda; Tanalp, Jale; Yilmaz, Selçuk

2013-05-01

The purpose of this review was to summarize recent developments regarding photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the field of dentistry. A review of pertinent literature was carried out in PubMED to determine the current position of PDT applications in dentistry. One hundred thirteen relevant articles were retrieved from PubMED by inserting the keywords "photodynamic therapy", "dentistry", "periodontology", "oral surgery", and "endodontics". It is anticipated that this overview will create a specific picture in the practitioner's mind regarding the current status and use of PDT. In spite of different results and suggestions brought about by different researchers, PDT can be considered as a promising and less invasive technique in dentistry. PDT seems to be an effective tool in the treatment of localized and superficial infections. Within the limitations of the present review, it can be concluded that although PDT cannot replace antimicrobial therapy at its current stage, it may be used as an adjunctive tool for facilitating the treatment of oral infections. Oral infections (such as mucosal and endodontic infections, periodontal diseases, caries, and peri-implantitis) are among the specific targets where PDT can be applied. Further long-term clinical studies are necessary in establishing a more specific place of the technique in the field of dentistry.

Clinical review: Current state and future perspectives in the diagnosis of diabetes insipidus: a clinical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenske, Wiebke; Allolio, Bruno

2012-10-01

The differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus (DI) is often challenging but essential, because treatment may vary substantially. This article analyzes the database and performance of currently used differential diagnostic tests for DI and discusses future perspectives for diagnostic improvement. A review of electronic and print data comprising original and review articles retrieved from the PubMed or Cochrane Library database up to January 2012 was conducted. The search term "polyuria polydipsia syndrome" was cross-referenced with underlying forms of disease and associated clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic MeSH terms. In addition, references from review articles and textbook chapters were screened for papers containing original data. Search results were narrowed to articles containing primary data with a description of criteria for the differential diagnosis of DI. Fifteen articles on differential diagnosis of DI were identified, mainly consisting of small series of patients, and mostly covering only part of the differential diagnostic spectrum of DI. Test protocols differed, and prospective validation of diagnostic criteria was consistently missing. Inconsistent data were reported on the diagnostic superiority of direct plasma arginine vasopressin determination over the indirect water deprivation test. Both test methods revealed limitations, especially in the differentiation of disorders with a milder phenotype. The available data demonstrate limitations of current biochemical tests for the differential diagnosis of DI, potentially leading to incorrect diagnosis and treatment. The newly available assay for copeptin, the C terminus of the vasopressin precursor, holds promise for a higher diagnostic specificity and simplification of the differential diagnostic protocol in DI.

Summarizing health inequalities in a Balanced Scorecard. Methodological considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, Nathalie; Raynault, Marie-France

2006-01-01

The association between social determinants and health inequalities is well recognized. What are now needed are tools to assist in disseminating such information. This article describes how the Balanced Scorecard may be used for summarizing data on health inequalities. The process begins by selecting appropriate social groups and indicators, and is followed by the measurement of differences across person, place, or time. The next step is to decide whether to focus on absolute versus relative inequality. The last step is to determine the scoring method, including whether to address issues of depth of inequality.

Current use of navigation system in ACL surgery: a historical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaffagnini, S; Urrizola, F; Signorelli, C; Grassi, A; Di Sarsina, T Roberti; Lucidi, G A; Marcheggiani Muccioli, G M; Bonanzinga, T; Marcacci, M

2016-11-01

The present review aims to analyse the available literature regarding the use of navigation systems in ACL reconstructive surgery underling the evolution during the years. A research of indexed scientific papers was performed on PubMed and Cochrane Library database. The research was performed in December 2015 with no publication year restriction. Only English-written papers and related to the terms ACL, NAVIGATION, CAOS and CAS were considered. Two reviewers independently selected only those manuscripts that presented at least the application of navigation system for ACL reconstructive surgery. One hundred and forty-six of 394 articles were finally selected. In this analysis, it was possible to review the main uses of navigation system in ACL surgery including tunnel positioning for primary and revision surgery and kinematic assessment of knee laxity before and after different surgical procedures. In the early years, until 2006, navigation system was mainly used to improve tunnel positioning, but since the last decade, this tool has been principally used for kinematics evaluation. Increased accuracy of tunnel placement was observed using navigation surgery, especially, regarding femoral, 42 of 146 articles used navigation to guide tunnel positioning. During the following years, 82 of 146 articles have used navigation system to evaluate intraoperative knee kinematic. In particular, the importance of controlling rotatory laxity to achieve better surgical outcomes has been underlined. Several applications have been described and despite the contribution of navigation systems, its potential uses and theoretical advantages, there are still controversies about its clinical benefit. The present papers summarize the most relevant studies that have used navigation system in ACL reconstruction. In particular, the analysis identified four main applications of the navigation systems during ACL reconstructive surgery have been identified: (1) technical assistance for tunnel

Role of VEGF, Nitric Oxide and sympathetic neurotransmitters in the pathogenesis of tendinopathy: a review of the current evidences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastiano Vasta

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Chronic tendinopathy is a painful common condition affecting athletes as well as the general population undergoing to tendon overuse. Although its huge prevalence, little is known about tendinopathy pathogenesis, and even cloudier is its treatment.Traditionally, tendinopathy has been defined as a lack of tendon ability to overcome stressing stimuli with appropriate adaptive changes. Histologic studies have demonstrated the absence of inflammatory infiltrates, as a consequence conventional antinflammatory drugs have shown little or no effectiveness in treating tendinopathies. New strategies should be therefore identified to address chronic tendon disorders. Angiofibroblastic changes have been highlighted as the main feature of tendinopathy, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF has been demonstrated as one of the key molecules involved in vascular hyperplasia. More recently, attention has been focused on new peptides such as Substance P, nitric oxide and calcitonin gene-related peptide. Those new findings support the idea of a nerve-mediated disregulation of tendon metabolism. Each of those molecules could be a target for new treatment options. This study aimed to systematically review the current available clinical and basic science in order to summarize the latest evidences on the pathophysiology and its effect on treatment of chronic tendinopathy, and to spread suggestions for future research on its treatment.

Value of Travel Time Reliability: A review of current evidence

OpenAIRE

Carlos Carrion; David Levinson

2010-01-01

Travel time reliability is a fundamental factor in travel behavior. It represents the temporal uncertainty experienced by users in their movement between any two nodes in a network. The importance of the time reliability depends on the penalties incurred by the users. In road networks, travelers consider the existence of a trip travel time uncertainty in different choice situations (departure time, route, mode, and others). In this paper, a systematic review of the current state of research i...

Current status of regional hydrogeological studies and numerical simulations on geological disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakao, Shinsuke; Kikuchi, Tsuneo; Ishido, Tsuneo

2004-01-01

Current status of regional hydrogeological studies on geological disposal including hydrogeological modeling using numerical simulators is reviewed in this report. A regional scale and boundary conditions of numerical models are summarized mainly from the results of the RHS (regional hydrogeological study) project conducted by Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) in the Tono area. We also refer to the current conceptual modes of hydrology and numerical models of unsaturated zone flow at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, which is the arid site proposed for consideration as the United States' first underground high-level radioactive waste repository. Understanding behavior of a freshwater-saltwater transition zone seems to play a key role in the hydrogeological modeling in a coastal region. Technical features of a numerical simulator as a tool for geothermal reservoir modeling is also briefly described. (author)

Current concept review: quality and process improvement in orthopedics

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Pinney SJ

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Stephen J Pinney,1 Alexandra E Page,2 David S Jevsevar,3 Kevin J Bozic4 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St Mary's Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; 2Orthopaedic Surgery, AAOS Health Care Systems Committee, San Diego, CA, USA; 3Department of Orthopaedics, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth University, Hanover, NH, USA; 4Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, Austin, TX, USAAbstract: Multiple health care stakeholders are increasingly scrutinizing musculoskeletal care to optimize quality and cost efficiency. This has led to greater emphasis on quality and process improvement. There is a robust set of business strategies that are increasingly being applied to health care delivery. These quality and process improvement tools (QPITs have specific applications to segments of, or the entire episode of, patient care. In the rapidly changing health care world, it will behoove all orthopedic surgeons to have an understanding of the manner in which care delivery processes can be evaluated and improved. Many of the commonly used QPITs, including checklist initiatives, standardized clinical care pathways, lean methodology, six sigma strategies, and total quality management, embrace basic principles of quality improvement. These principles include focusing on outcomes, optimizing communication among health care team members, increasing process standardization, and decreasing process variation. This review summarizes the common QPITs, including how and when they might be employed to improve care delivery. Keywords: clinical care pathway, musculoskeletal care, outcomes, quality management, six sigma, lean thinking

Review of Heterogeneous Catalysts for Catalytically Upgrading Vegetable Oils into Hydrocarbon Biofuels

OpenAIRE

Xianhui Zhao; Lin Wei; Shouyun Cheng; James Julson

2017-01-01

To address the issues of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuels, vegetable oilseeds, especially non-food oilseeds, are used as an alternative fuel resource. Vegetable oil derived from these oilseeds can be upgraded into hydrocarbon biofuel. Catalytic cracking and hydroprocessing are two of the most promising pathways for converting vegetable oil to hydrocarbon biofuel. Heterogeneous catalysts play a critical role in those processes. The present review summarizes current progres...

Pouchitis: an evolving clinical enigma--a review.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Coffey, John Calvin

2009-01-01

While the overall incidence of pouchitis is low, extensive research continues at clinical and experimental levels in attempts to unravel its etiology. The ileal pouch and pouchitis together represent a unique in vivo opportunity to study mucosal adaptation and inflammation in depth. In the recent past, molecular data relating to pouchitis has significantly expanded. These data provide invaluable insight into intracellular and extracellular events that underpin mucosal adaptation and inflammation. Advances in classification, risk factor evaluation, and prevention have meant that a review of this data, as well as its relationship to our current understanding of pouchitis, is both timely and warranted. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize recent data in the context of the established literature.

Comprehensive Review in Current Developments of Benzimidazole-Based Medicinal Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Keri, Rangappa S; Hiremathad, Asha; Budagumpi, Srinivasa; Nagaraja, Bhari Mallanna

2015-07-01

The properties of benzimidazole and its derivatives have been studied over more than one hundred years. Benzimidazole derivatives are useful intermediates/subunits for the development of molecules of pharmaceutical or biological interest. Substituted benzimidazole derivatives have found applications in diverse therapeutic areas such as antiulcer, anticancer agents, and anthelmintic species to name just a few. This work systematically gives a comprehensive review in current developments of benzimidazole-based compounds in the whole range of medicinal chemistry as anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic agents, anti-HIV, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antitubercular, antidiabetic, antileishmanial, antihistaminic, antimalarial agents, and other medicinal agents. This review will further be helpful for the researcher on the basis of substitution pattern around the nucleus with an aim to help medicinal chemists for developing an SAR on benzimidazole drugs/compounds. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Addressing Prediabetes in Childhood Obesity Treatment Programs: Support from Research and Current Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Grow, H. Mollie; Fernandez, Cristina; Lukasiewicz, Gloria J.; Rhodes, Erinn T.; Shaffer, Laura A.; Sweeney, Brooke; Woolford, Susan J.; Estrada, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes have increased in prevalence among overweight and obese children, with significant implications for long-term health. There is little published evidence on the best approaches to care of prediabetes among overweight youth or the current practices used across pediatric weight management programs. Methods: This article reviews the literature and summarizes current practices for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of prediabetes at childhood obesity treatment centers. Findings regarding current practice were based on responses to an online survey from 28 pediatric weight management programs at 25 children's hospitals in 2012. Based on the literature reviewed, and empiric data, consensus support statements on prediabetes care and T2DM prevention were developed among representatives of these 25 children's hospitals' obesity clinics. Results: The evidence reviewed demonstrates that current T2DM and prediabetes diagnostic parameters are derived from adult-based studies with little understanding of clinical outcomes among youth. Very limited evidence exists on preventing progression of prediabetes. Some evidence suggests that a significant proportion of obese youth with prediabetes will revert to normoglycemia without pharmacological management. Evidence supports lifestyle modification for children with prediabetes, but further study of specific lifestyle changes and pharmacological treatments is needed. Conclusion: Evidence to guide management of prediabetes in children is limited. Current practice patterns of pediatric weight management programs show areas of variability in practice, reflecting the limited evidence base. More research is needed to guide clinical care for overweight youth with prediabetes. PMID:25055134

A review of wearable sensors and systems with application in rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patel Shyamal

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The aim of this review paper is to summarize recent developments in the field of wearable sensors and systems that are relevant to the field of rehabilitation. The growing body of work focused on the application of wearable technology to monitor older adults and subjects with chronic conditions in the home and community settings justifies the emphasis of this review paper on summarizing clinical applications of wearable technology currently undergoing assessment rather than describing the development of new wearable sensors and systems. A short description of key enabling technologies (i.e. sensor technology, communication technology, and data analysis techniques that have allowed researchers to implement wearable systems is followed by a detailed description of major areas of application of wearable technology. Applications described in this review paper include those that focus on health and wellness, safety, home rehabilitation, assessment of treatment efficacy, and early detection of disorders. The integration of wearable and ambient sensors is discussed in the context of achieving home monitoring of older adults and subjects with chronic conditions. Future work required to advance the field toward clinical deployment of wearable sensors and systems is discussed.

Reviews on current carbon emission reduction technologies and projects and their feasibilities on ships

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haibin; Zhou, Peilin; Wang, Zhongcheng

2017-06-01

Concern about global climate change is growing, and many projects and researchers are committed to reducing greenhouse gases from all possible sources. International Maritime (IMO) has set a target of 20% CO2 reduction from shipping by 2020 and also presented a series of carbon emission reduction methods, which are known as Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Energy Efficiency Operation Indicator (EEOI). Reviews on carbon emission reduction from all industries indicate that, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an excellent solution to global warming. In this paper, a comprehensive literature review of EEDI and EEOI and CCS is conducted and involves reviewing current policies, introducing common technologies, and considering their feasibilities for marine activities, mainly shipping. Current projects are also presented in this paper, thereby illustrating that carbon emission reduction has been the subject of attention from all over the world. Two case ship studies indicate the economic feasibility of carbon emission reduction and provide a guide for CCS system application and practical installation on ships.

Neurovirulence safety testing of mumps vaccines--historical perspective and current status.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, S A; Afzal, M A

2011-04-05

Many live, attenuated viral vaccines are derived from wild type viruses with known neurovirulent properties. To assure the absence of residual neurotoxicity, pre-clinical neurovirulence safety testing of candidate vaccines is performed. For mumps virus, a highly neurotropic virus, neurovirulence safety testing is performed in monkeys. However, laboratory studies suggest an inability of this test to correctly discern among virus strains of varying neurovirulence potential in man, and, further, some vaccines found to be neuroattenuated in monkeys were later found to be neurovirulent in humans when administered in large numbers. Over the past decade, concerted efforts have been made to replace monkey-based neurovirulence safety testing with more informative, alternative methods. This review summarizes the current status of mumps vaccine neurovirulence safety testing and insights into models currently approved and those under development. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Robot-assisted pyeloplasty: review of the current literature, technique and outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Iqbal; Hemal, Ashok K

2010-04-01

To review the global select data on the current technique, perioperative outcome and literature on the robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RAP). The published English literature (PubMed) was extensively searched using the key words; robot, robot-assisted pyeloplasty, laparoscopy, laparoscopic pyeloplasty and ureteropelvic junction obstruction. The selected studies were then reviewed, tracked and analyzed in order to determine the current role, outcome and status of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty. The search yielded about 25 published series on RAP comprising about 740 cases with a mean operative time, estimated blood loss, crossing vessel prevalence, hospital stay,perioperative complication rate and follow up duration of 194 min, 50 mL, 47%, 2.3 days, 6% and 14.9 months respectively. The initial peri-operative results and intermediate follow up of cases of repair of the ureteropelvic junction obstruction with robot-assisted pyeloplasty appear to be favorable and comparable to that of open pyeloplasty, while long term outcome data is still awaited. The da Vinci surgical robotic system is a promising surgical armamentarium in the hands of the modern day urologist for the minimally invasive definitive surgical management of both primary and secondary ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

Spontaneous and persistent currents in superconductive and mesoscopic structures (Review)

Science.gov (United States)

Kulik, I. O.

2004-07-01

We briefly review aspects of superconductive persistent currents in Josephson junctions of the S/I/S, S/O/S and S/N/S types, focusing on the origin of jumps in the current versus phase dependences, and discuss in more detail the persistent and the "spontaneous" currents in Aharonov-Bohm mesoscopic and nanoscopic (macromolecular) structures. A fixed-number-of-electrons mesoscopic or macromolecular conducting ring is shown to be unstable against structural transformation removing spatial symmetry (in particular, azimuthal periodicity) of its electron-lattice Hamiltonian. In the case when the transformation is blocked by strong coupling to an external azimuthally symmetric environment, the system becomes bistable in its electronic configuration at a certain number of electrons. Under such a condition, the persistent current has a nonzero value even at an (almost) zero applied Aharonov-Bohm flux and results in very high magnetic susceptibility dM/dH at small nonzero fields, followed by an oscillatory dependence at larger fields. We tentatively assume that previously observed oscillatory magnetization in cyclic metallo-organic molecules by Gatteschi et al. can be attributed to persistent currents. If this proves correct, it may present an opportunity for (and, more generally, macromolecular cyclic structures may suggest the possibility of) engineering quantum computational tools based on the Aharonov-Bohm effect in ballistic nanostructures and macromolecular cyclic aggregates.

A review of exoplanetary biosignatures

Science.gov (United States)

Grenfell, John Lee

2017-11-01

We review the field of exoplanetary biosignatures with a main focus upon atmospheric gas-phase species. Due to the paucity of data in Earth-like planetary atmospheres a common approach is to extrapolate knowledge from the Solar System and Early Earth to Earth-like exoplanets. We therefore review the main processes (e.g. atmospheric photochemistry and transport) affecting the most commonly-considered species (e.g. O2, O3, N2O, CH4 etc.) in the context of the modern Earth, Early Earth, the Solar System and Earth-like exoplanets. We consider thereby known abiotic sources for these species in the Solar System and beyond. We also discuss detectability issues related to atmospheric biosignature spectra such as band strength and uniqueness. Finally, we summarize current space agency roadmaps related to biosignature science in an exoplanet context.

Climate change impacts in Iran: assessing our current knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimi, Jaber; Malekian, Arash; Khalili, Ali

2018-02-01

During recent years, various studies have focused on investigating the direct and indirect impacts of climate changes in Iran while the noteworthy fact is the achievement gained by these researches. Furthermore, what should be taken into consideration is whether these studies have been able to provide appropriate opportunities for improving further studies in this particular field or not. To address these questions, this study systematically reviewed and summarized the current available literature (n = 150) regarding the impacts of climate change on temperature and precipitation in Iran to assess our current state of knowledge. The results revealed that while all studies discuss the probable changes in temperature and precipitation over the next decades, serious contradictions could be seen in their results; also, the general pattern of changes was different in most of the cases. This matter may have a significant effect on public beliefs in climate change, which can be a serious warning for the activists in this realm.

A systematic review and reflection on leadership research in China in New Century

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Kai; Yuan, Yingjie; Kesting, Peter

2012-01-01

Based on the leadership research literature published on Chinese core academic journals from 2000 to 2010, this paper provided a comprehensive review on the status quo of leadership research in Mainland China. The current paper reviewed the development of relevant literature and topic distributions......, and summa-rized domestic research progress on both developing indigenous leadership theories and examining and ex-tending western leadership theories since 2000, using content analysis approach. Current problems and future directions are also suggested on theoretical construction and research methods...... aspects of Chinese leadership research. This paper claimed that: 1) Chinese leadership research complied with the limitations of western re-search paradigm when adopting western leadership research approach; 2) Innovations of leadership theories should incorporate representative leadership practices; 3...

2013 Building Technologies Office Program Peer Review Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-11-01

The 2013 Building Technologies Office Program Peer Review Report summarizes the results of the 2013 Building Technologies Office (BTO) peer review, which was held in Washington, D.C., on April 2–4, 2013. The review was attended by over 300 participants and included presentations on 59 BTO-funded projects: 29 from BTO’s Emerging Technologies Program, 20 from the Commercial Buildings Integration Program, 6 from the Residential Buildings Integration Program, and 4 from the Building Energy Codes Program. This report summarizes the scores and comments provided by the independent reviewers for each project.

Viruses and bacteria in acute asthma exacerbations - A GA(2) LEN-DARE* systematic review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Papadopoulos, N G; Christodoulou, I; Rohde, G

2011-01-01

and sensitive methodologies. This systematic review summarizes current knowledge and developments in infection epidemiology of acute asthma in children and adults, describing the known impact for each individual agent and highlighting knowledge gaps. Among infectious agents, human rhinoviruses are the most...... and bacteria in acute asthma exacerbations - A GA(2) LEN-DARE systematic review. Allergy 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2010.02505.x. ABSTRACT: A major part of the burden of asthma is caused by acute exacerbations. Exacerbations have been strongly and consistently associated with respiratory infections...

Vending machine assessment methodology. A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Melissa A; Horacek, Tanya M

2015-07-01

The nutritional quality of food and beverage products sold in vending machines has been implicated as a contributing factor to the development of an obesogenic food environment. How comprehensive, reliable, and valid are the current assessment tools for vending machines to support or refute these claims? A systematic review was conducted to summarize, compare, and evaluate the current methodologies and available tools for vending machine assessment. A total of 24 relevant research studies published between 1981 and 2013 met inclusion criteria for this review. The methodological variables reviewed in this study include assessment tool type, study location, machine accessibility, product availability, healthfulness criteria, portion size, price, product promotion, and quality of scientific practice. There were wide variations in the depth of the assessment methodologies and product healthfulness criteria utilized among the reviewed studies. Of the reviewed studies, 39% evaluated machine accessibility, 91% evaluated product availability, 96% established healthfulness criteria, 70% evaluated portion size, 48% evaluated price, 52% evaluated product promotion, and 22% evaluated the quality of scientific practice. Of all reviewed articles, 87% reached conclusions that provided insight into the healthfulness of vended products and/or vending environment. Product healthfulness criteria and complexity for snack and beverage products was also found to be variable between the reviewed studies. These findings make it difficult to compare results between studies. A universal, valid, and reliable vending machine assessment tool that is comprehensive yet user-friendly is recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ketogenic diet in endocrine disorders: Current perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, L; Khandelwal, D; Kalra, S; Gupta, P; Dutta, D; Aggarwal, S

2017-01-01

Ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet that leads to nutritional ketosis, long known for antiepileptic effects and has been used therapeutically to treat refractory epilepsy. This review attempts to summarize the evidence and clinical application of KD in diabetes, obesity, and other endocrine disorders. KD is usually animal protein based. An empiric vegetarian Indian variant of KD has been provided keeping in mind the Indian food habits. KD has beneficial effects on cardiac ischemic preconditioning, improves oxygenation in patients with respiratory failure, improves glycemic control in diabetics, is associated with significant weight loss, and has a beneficial impact on polycystic ovarian syndrome. Multivitamin supplementations are recommended with KD. Recently, ketones are being proposed as super-metabolic fuel; and KD is currently regarded as apt dietary therapy for “diabesity.” PMID:29022562

Ketogenic diet in endocrine disorders: Current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Gupta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Ketogenic diet (KD is a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet that leads to nutritional ketosis, long known for antiepileptic effects and has been used therapeutically to treat refractory epilepsy. This review attempts to summarize the evidence and clinical application of KD in diabetes, obesity, and other endocrine disorders. KD is usually animal protein based. An empiric vegetarian Indian variant of KD has been provided keeping in mind the Indian food habits. KD has beneficial effects on cardiac ischemic preconditioning, improves oxygenation in patients with respiratory failure, improves glycemic control in diabetics, is associated with significant weight loss, and has a beneficial impact on polycystic ovarian syndrome. Multivitamin supplementations are recommended with KD. Recently, ketones are being proposed as super-metabolic fuel; and KD is currently regarded as apt dietary therapy for “diabesity.”

Managing inflammatory bowel disease in pregnancy: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinder M

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Matthew Pinder,1 Katie Lummis,1 Christian P Selinger1,2 1Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 2University of Leeds, Leeds, UK Abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD affects many women of childbearing age. The course of IBD is closely related to pregnancy outcomes with poorly controlled IBD increasing the risk of prematurity, low weight for gestation, and fetal loss. As such, women with IBD face complex decision making weighing the risks of active disease versus those of medical treatments. This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of IBD treatments during pregnancy and lactation aiming to provide up-to-date guidance for clinicians. Over 50% of women have poor IBD- and pregnancy-related knowledge, which is associated with views contrary to medical evidence and voluntary childlessness. This review highlights the effects of poor patient knowledge and critically evaluates interventions for improving patient knowledge and outcomes. Keywords: pregnancy, breast feeding, nursing, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis

Natural Products from the Lithistida: A Review of the Literature since 2000

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscilla L. Winder

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Lithistid sponges are known to produce a diverse array of compounds ranging from polyketides, cyclic and linear peptides, alkaloids, pigments, lipids, and sterols. A majority of these structurally complex compounds have very potent and interesting biological activities. It has been a decade since a thorough review has been published that summarizes the literature on the natural products reported from this amazing sponge order. This review provides an update on the current taxonomic classification of the Lithistida, describes structures and biological activities of 131 new natural products, and discusses highlights from the total syntheses of 16 compounds from marine sponges of the Order Lithistida providing a compilation of the literature since the last review published in 2002.

Integration of existing systematic reviews into new reviews: identification of guidance needs

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background An exponential increase in the number of systematic reviews published, and constrained resources for new reviews, means that there is an urgent need for guidance on explicitly and transparently integrating existing reviews into new systematic reviews. The objectives of this paper are: 1) to identify areas where existing guidance may be adopted or adapted, and 2) to suggest areas for future guidance development. Methods We searched documents and websites from healthcare focused systematic review organizations to identify and, where available, to summarize relevant guidance on the use of existing systematic reviews. We conducted informational interviews with members of Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) to gather experiences in integrating existing systematic reviews, including common issues and challenges, as well as potential solutions. Results There was consensus among systematic review organizations and the EPCs about some aspects of incorporating existing systematic reviews into new reviews. Current guidance may be used in assessing the relevance of prior reviews and in scanning references of prior reviews to identify studies for a new review. However, areas of challenge remain. Areas in need of guidance include how to synthesize, grade the strength of, and present bodies of evidence composed of primary studies and existing systematic reviews. For instance, empiric evidence is needed regarding how to quality check data abstraction and when and how to use study-level risk of bias assessments from prior reviews. Conclusions There remain areas of uncertainty for how to integrate existing systematic reviews into new reviews. Methods research and consensus processes among systematic review organizations are needed to develop guidance to address these challenges. PMID:24956937

Phenomenology of neutral current interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, J.J.

1978-01-01

Neutral-current interactions are discussed within a rather general phenomenological framework without commitment to any particular theoretical model. Three points are kept in mind: what various experiments really measure; the performing of complete experiments to determine the neutral-current couplings; and the testing of models in an objective, emotionally uninvolved manner. The following topics are considered: neutrino-electron scattering, hadronic currents and models, neutrino-induced inclusive hadronic reactions, neutrino-induced exclusive hadronic reactions, and neutral-current phenomena without neutrinos. In conclusion, what has actually been learned about neutral-current interactions is summarized. 9 figures, 2 tables

Current and Emerging Directions in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiffany A. Brown

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Eating disorders are a significant source of psychiatric morbidity in young women and demonstrate high comorbidity with mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Thus, clinicians may encounter eating disorders in the context of treating other conditions. This review summarizes the efficacy of current and emerging treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN, bulimia nervosa (BN, and binge eating disorder (BED. Treatment trials were identified using electronic and manual searches and by reviewing abstracts from conference proceedings. Family based therapy has demonstrated superiority for adolescents with AN but no treatment has established superiority for adults. For BN, both 60 mg fluoxetine and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT have well-established efficacy. For BED, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, CBT, and interpersonal psychotherapy have demonstrated efficacy. Emerging directions for AN include investigation of the antipsychotic olanzapine and several novel psychosocial treatments. Future directions for BN and BED include increasing CBT disseminability, targeting affect regulation, and individualized stepped-care approaches.

Horse-meat for human consumption - Current research and future opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Belaunzaran, Xabier; Bessa, Rui J B; Lavín, Paz; Mantecón, Angel R; Kramer, John K G; Aldai, Noelia

2015-10-01

The consumption of horse-meat is currently not popular in most countries, but because of its availability and recognized nutritional value consumption is slowly increasing in several western European countries based on claims that it could be an alternative red meat. In this review, horse-meat production, trade and supply values have been summarized. In addition, the advantage of horse production is noted because of its lower methane emissions and increased uptake, particularly of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which is based on its digestive physiology. Of particular interest in this review is the unique fatty acid composition of horse-meat with its high level of the nutritionally desirable PUFAs in both the adipose and muscle fat. Because of its large frame size and digestive physiology, the horse can be considered an alternative to bovine meat, with large advantages regarding the maintenance of less favored mountain grazing areas and its facility to transfer PUFA from feed to meat. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gravitational waves — A review on the theoretical foundations of gravitational radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Dirkes, Alain

2018-05-01

In this paper, we review the theoretical foundations of gravitational waves in the framework of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Following Einstein’s early efforts, we first derive the linearized Einstein field equations and work out the corresponding gravitational wave equation. Moreover, we present the gravitational potentials in the far away wave zone field point approximation obtained from the relaxed Einstein field equations. We close this review by taking a closer look on the radiative losses of gravitating n-body systems and present some aspects of the current interferometric gravitational waves detectors. Each section has a separate appendix contribution where further computational details are displayed. To conclude, we summarize the main results and present a brief outlook in terms of current ongoing efforts to build a spaced-based gravitational wave observatory.

Sportsman hernia; the review of current diagnosis and treatment modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Paksoy, Melih; Sekmen, Ümit

2016-01-01

Groin pain is an important clinical entity that may affect a sportsman's active sports life. Sportsman's hernia is a chronic low abdominal and groin pain syndrome. Open and laparoscopic surgical treatment may be chosen in case of conservative treatment failure. Studies on sportsman's hernia, which is a challenging situation in both diagnosis and treatment, are ongoing in many centers. We reviewed the treatment results of 37 patients diagnosed and treated as sportsman's hernia at our hospital between 2011-2014, in light of current literature.

Therapeutic Use of Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics to Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis: What is the Current Evidence?

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ravi Mangal; Denning, Patricia Wei

2013-01-01

Synopsis Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and preventative therapies that are both effective and safe are urgently needed. Current evidence from therapeutic trials suggests that probiotics are effective in decreasing NEC in preterm infants and probiotics are currently the most promising therapy on the horizon for this devastating disease. However, concerns regarding safety and optimal dosing have limited the widespread adoption of routine clinical use of probiotics in preterm infants. In addition, prebiotics and postbiotics may be potential alternatives or adjunctive therapies to the administration of live microorganisms, although studies demonstrating their clinical efficacy in preventing NEC are lacking. This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the use of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics in the preterm infant, including its therapeutic role in preventing NEC. PMID:23415261

BOOK REVIEW: The Current Comparator

Science.gov (United States)

Petersons, Oskars

1989-01-01

This 120-page book is a concise, yet comprehensive, clearly-written and well-illustrated monograph that covers the subject matter from basic principles through design, construction and calibration details to the principal applications. The book will be useful, as a primer, to the uninitiated and, as a reference book to the practitioner involved with transformer-type ratio devices. The length of the book and the style of presentation will not overburden any informed reader. The described techniques and the cited references are primarily from the work at the National Research Council, Canada (NRC). Any omissions, however, are not serious with respect to coverage of the subject matter, since most of the development work has been done at NRC. The role of transformers and transformer-like devices for establishing accurate voltage and current ratios has been recognized for over half a century. Transformer techniques were much explored and developed in the fifties and sixties for accuracy levels suitable for standards laboratories. Three-winding voltage transformers were developed for scaling of impedances in connection with the calculable Thompson Lampard capacitor; three-winding current transformers or current comparators were initially explored for the calibration of current transformers and later for specialized impedance measurements. Extensive development of the current comparator and its applications has been and is still being conducted at the NRC by a team that was started and, until his retirement, led by N L Kusters. The team is now led by W J M Moore. He and P N Miljanic, the authors of this book, have had the principal roles in the development of the current comparator. It is fortunate for the field of metrology that considerabe resources and a talented group of researchers were available to do this development along with mechanisms that were available to transfer this technology to a private sector instrument manufacturer and, thus, disseminate it world wide

A primer on systematic reviews in toxicology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Sebastian; de Vries, Rob B M; Stephens, Martin L; Beck, Nancy B; Dirven, Hubert A A M; Fowle, John R; Goodman, Julie E; Hartung, Thomas; Kimber, Ian; Lalu, Manoj M; Thayer, Kristina; Whaley, Paul; Wikoff, Daniele; Tsaioun, Katya

2017-07-01

Systematic reviews, pioneered in the clinical field, provide a transparent, methodologically rigorous and reproducible means of summarizing the available evidence on a precisely framed research question. Having matured to a well-established approach in many research fields, systematic reviews are receiving increasing attention as a potential tool for answering toxicological questions. In the larger framework of evidence-based toxicology, the advantages and obstacles of, as well as the approaches for, adapting and adopting systematic reviews to toxicology are still being explored. To provide the toxicology community with a starting point for conducting or understanding systematic reviews, we herein summarized available guidance documents from various fields of application. We have elaborated on the systematic review process by breaking it down into ten steps, starting with planning the project, framing the question, and writing and publishing the protocol, and concluding with interpretation and reporting. In addition, we have identified the specific methodological challenges of toxicological questions and have summarized how these can be addressed. Ultimately, this primer is intended to stimulate scientific discussions of the identified issues to fuel the development of toxicology-specific methodology and to encourage the application of systematic review methodology to toxicological issues.

Current management options for latent tuberculosis: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norton BL

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Brianna L Norton, David P HollandDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USAAbstract: Tuberculosis remains the world’s second leading infectious cause of death, with nearly one-third of the global population latently infected. Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection is a mainstay of tuberculosis-control efforts in low-to medium-incidence countries. Isoniazid monotherapy has been the standard of care for decades, but its utility is impaired by poor completion rates. However, new, shorter-course regimens using rifamycins improve completion rates and are cost-saving compared with standard isoniazid monotherapy. We review the currently available therapies for latent tuberculosis infection and their toxicities and include a brief economic comparison of the different regimens.Keywords: isoniazid, rifampin, rifapentine, tuberculin skin test, interferon-gamma release assay

Alkali-activated binders: a review : part 2. about materials and binders manufacture

OpenAIRE

Torgal, Fernando Pacheco; Gomes, J. P. Castro; Jalali, Said

2008-01-01

This paper summarizes current knowledge about alkali-activated binders, by reviewing previously published work. As it is shown in Part 1, alkali-activated binders have emerged as an alternative to (ordinary Portland cement) OPC binders, which seem to have superior durability and environmental impact. The subjects of Part 2 of this paper are prime materials, alkaline activators, additives, curing type and constituents mixing order. Practical problems and theoretical questions are discussed. To...

A review of total & added sugar intakes and dietary sources in Europe

OpenAIRE

Azaïs-Braesco, Véronique; Sluik, Diewertje; Maillot, Matthieu; Kok, Frans; Moreno, Luis A.

2017-01-01

Public health policies, including in Europe, are considering measures and recommendations to limit the intake of added or free sugars. For such policies to be efficient and monitored, a precise knowledge of the current situation regarding sugar intake in Europe is needed. This review summarizes published or re-analyzed data from 11 representative surveys in Belgium, France, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK. Relative intakes were higher in children th...

Review on midurethral sling procedures for stress urinary incontinence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazura Bt Karim

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Minimally invasive suburethral slings, namely the retropubic suburethral sling or the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT, has become the mainstay for surgical management of moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI taking over the place of Burch's colposuspension after its introduction in the 1990s. Following the introduction of retropubic sling procedures are the transobturator (TVT-O procedures and the mini-sling procedures. This review attempts to summarize the current trend of midurethral sling (MUS procedures in the management of SUI.

Nutrition (Micronutrients) in Child Growth and Development: A Systematic Review on Current Evidence, Recommendations and Opportunities for Further Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Yakoob, Mohammad Yawar; Lo, Clifford W

2017-10-01

An important aspect of malnutrition is deficiency of different micronutrients during pregnancy or early childhood. We systematically reviewed the role of nutrition in child growth (weight or height gain) and development. A comprehensive literature search was done on PubMed/Cochrane Library browsing through 38,795 abstracts until December 31, 2016 to select systematic reviews/meta-analyses and individual randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of micronutrient supplementation. Micronutrients studied included iron, iodine, folate, zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, and multiple micronutrients. We summarize evidence with details and results of RCTs, highlight strengths/weaknesses, and critically interpret findings. Effects of breastfeeding-promotion, food-supplementation (complementary and school feeding), conditional-cash-transfers, and integrated nutrition/psychosocial interventions are discussed. Based on this evidence we make policy and programmatic recommendations for supplementation to mothers and children at high-risk of deficiency.

Effects of p-synephrine in combination with caffeine: a review

OpenAIRE

Stohs,Sidney; Ratamess,Nicholas

2017-01-01

Sidney J Stohs,1,2 Nicholas A Ratamess3 1School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, 2Kitsto Consulting LLC, Frisco, TX, 3Department of Health and Exercise Science, College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, USA Abstract: This review summarizes the current research involving p-synephrine in combination with caffeine. Over 30 clinical human studies with in excess of 700 subjects, and animal and in vitro studies have assessed the safety, efficacy, and mechanism of action ...

Review of two-phase instabilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Han Ok; Seo, Han Ok; Kang, Hyung Suk; Cho, Bong Hyun; Lee, Doo Jeong

1997-06-01

KAERI is carrying out a development of the design for a new type of integral reactors. The once-through helical steam generator is important design features. The study on designs and operating conditions which prevent flow instability should precede the introduction of one-through steam generator. Experiments are currently scheduled to understand two-phase instability, evaluate the effect of each design parameter on the critical point, and determine proper inlet throttling for the prevention of instability. This report covers general two-phase instability with review of existing studies on this topics. The general classification of two phase flow instability and the characteristics of each type of instability are first described. Special attention is paid to BWR core flow instability and once-through steam generator instability. The reactivity feedback and the effect of system parameters are treated mainly for BWR. With relation to once-through steam generators, the characteristics of convective heating and dryout point oscillation are first investigated and then the existing experimental studies are summarized. Finally chapter summarized the proposed correlations for instability boundary conditions. (author). 231 refs., 5 tabs., 47 figs

Reflecting on the mirror neuron system in autism: a systematic review of current theories.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Antonia F de C

2013-01-01

There is much interest in the claim that dysfunction of the mirror neuron system in individuals with autism spectrum condition causes difficulties in social interaction and communication. This paper systematically reviews all published studies using neuroscience methods (EEG/MEG/TMS/eyetracking/EMG/fMRI) to examine the integrity of the mirror system in autism. 25 suitable papers are reviewed. The review shows that current data are very mixed and that studies using weakly localised measures of the integrity of the mirror system are hard to interpret. The only well localised measure of mirror system function is fMRI. In fMRI studies, those using emotional stimuli have reported group differences, but studies using non-emotional hand action stimuli do not. Overall, there is little evidence for a global dysfunction of the mirror system in autism. Current data can be better understood under an alternative model in which social top-down response modulation is abnormal in autism. The implications of this model and future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review of the current literature on aetiology and measurement methods of halitosis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broek, A.M. van den; Feenstra, L.; Baat, C. de

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This work reviews the current knowledge of aetiology and measurement methods of halitosis. DATA: Halitosis is an unpleasant or offensive odour emanating from the breath. The condition is multifactorial and may involve both oral and non-oral conditions. SOURCES: A private, monthly with

Information Technology in New Zealand: Review of Emerging Social Trends, Current Issues, and Policies

OpenAIRE

Erturk, Emre; Fail, Derwyn

2015-01-01

This paper discusses the general state of information technology in New Zealand society, current issues, and policies. It is a qualitative study that reviews recent scholarly articles, periodicals, and surveys in order to create an understanding of some of the information technology issues and trends in New Zealand. After reviewing previous research, it assesses the potential existence and nature of a 'digital divide' in New Zealand society whilst also evaluating possible strategic responses ...

Preemptive analgesia II: recent advances and current trends.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kelly, D J

2012-02-03

PURPOSE: This two-part review summarizes the current knowledge of physiological mechanisms, pharmacological modalities and controversial issues surrounding preemptive analgesia. SOURCE: Articles from 1966 to present were obtained from the MEDLINE databases. Search terms included analgesia, preemptive; neurotransmitters; pain, postoperative; hyperalgesia; sensitization, central nervous system; pathways, nociception; anesthetic techniques; analgesics, agents. Principal findings: In Part I of this review article, techniques and agents that attenuate or prevent central and peripheral sensitization were reviewed. In Part II, the conditions required for effective preemptive techniques are evaluated. Specifically, preemptive analgesia may be defined as an antinociceptive treatment that prevents establishment of altered central processing of afferent input from sites of injury. The most important conditions for establishment of effective preemptive analgesia are the establishment of an effective level of antinociception before injury, and the continuation of this effective analgesic level well into the post-injury period to prevent central sensitization during the inflammatory phase. Although single-agent therapy may attenuate the central nociceptive processing, multi-modal therapy is more effective, and may be associated with fewer side effects compared with the high-dose, single-agent therapy. CONCLUSION: The variable patient characteristics and timing of preemptive analgesia in relation to surgical noxious input require individualization of the technique(s) chosen. Multi-modal analgesic techniques appear more effective.

Menstrual migraine: a review of current and developing pharmacotherapies for women.

Science.gov (United States)

Allais, G; Chiarle, Giulia; Sinigaglia, Silvia; Benedetto, Chiara

2018-02-01

Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders in the general population. It affects 18% of women and 6% of men. In more than 50% of women migraineurs the occurrence of migraine attacks correlates strongly with the perimenstrual period. Menstrual migraine is highly debilitating, less responsive to therapy, and attacks are longer than those not correlated with menses. Menstrual migraine requires accurate evaluation and targeted therapy, that we aim to recommend in this review. Areas covered: This review of the literature provides an overview of currently available pharmacological therapies (especially with triptans, anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal strategies) and drugs in development (in particular those acting on calcitonin gene-related peptide) for the treatment of acute migraine attacks and the prophylaxis of menstrual migraine. The studies reviewed here were retrieved from the Medline database as of June 2017. Expert opinion: The treatment of menstrual migraine is highly complex. Accurate evaluation of its characteristics is prerequisite to selecting appropriate therapy. An integrated approach involving neurologists and gynecologists is essential for patient management and for continuous updating on new therapies under development.

Current challenges in autonomous vehicle development

Science.gov (United States)

Connelly, J.; Hong, W. S.; Mahoney, R. B., Jr.; Sparrow, D. A.

2006-05-01

The field of autonomous vehicles is a rapidly growing one, with significant interest from both government and industry sectors. Autonomous vehicles represent the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, combining decision-making with real-time control. Autonomous vehicles are desired for use in search and rescue, urban reconnaissance, mine detonation, supply convoys, and more. The general adage is to use robots for anything dull, dirty, dangerous or dumb. While a great deal of research has been done on autonomous systems, there are only a handful of fielded examples incorporating machine autonomy beyond the level of teleoperation, especially in outdoor/complex environments. In an attempt to assess and understand the current state of the art in autonomous vehicle development, a few areas where unsolved problems remain became clear. This paper outlines those areas and provides suggestions for the focus of science and technology research. The first step in evaluating the current state of autonomous vehicle development was to develop a definition of autonomy. A number of autonomy level classification systems were reviewed. The resulting working definitions and classification schemes used by the authors are summarized in the opening sections of the paper. The remainder of the report discusses current approaches and challenges in decision-making and real-time control for autonomous vehicles. Suggested research focus areas for near-, mid-, and long-term development are also presented.

Exergaming and obesity in youth: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeng N

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Nan Zeng, Zan Gao College of Education and Human Development, School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA Abstract: Although exergaming has been used as a physical activity modality among various populations, the evidence regarding its effectiveness on health-related outcomes in overweight/obese individuals remains unclear. The current study systematically reviewed literature and summarized findings of exergame-based interventions in overweight/obese populations with the goal of clarifying the current perspectives on exergaming and obesity. The initial search yielded 202 articles from six databases; 12 studies were included after evaluating for inclusion criteria and removing duplicates. Among these studies, seven were randomized controlled trials, two were control trials, and three were comparison studies. Overall, exergaming has the potential to attenuate weight gain and shows promise when used for physical activity and physical fitness promotion. Further, exergame play is positively associated with psychological well-being, but its effects on physiological outcomes are inconclusive. Finally, effects of exergaming on energy intake are not clear. Existing evidence supports that exergaming may elicit some health benefits in people who are overweight or/and obese. The limited number of available randomized controlled trials, however, restrict the ability to draw a conclusion that exergaming can trigger a change in all health-related outcomes. More research is warranted to make definitive conclusions regarding the effects of exergaming on health-related outcomes in such populations. Keywords: active video game, weight loss, children and adolescents, systematic review

Effects of Yoga on Mental and Physical Health: A Short Summary of Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arndt Büssing

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This report summarizes the current evidence on the effects of yoga interventions on various components of mental and physical health, by focussing on the evidence described in review articles. Collectively, these reviews suggest a number of areas where yoga may well be beneficial, but more research is required for virtually all of them to firmly establish such benefits. The heterogeneity among interventions and conditions studied has hampered the use of meta-analysis as an appropriate tool for summarizing the current literature. Nevertheless, there are some meta-analyses which indicate beneficial effects of yoga interventions, and there are several randomized clinical trials (RCT’s of relatively high quality indicating beneficial effects of yoga for pain-associated disability and mental health. Yoga may well be effective as a supportive adjunct to mitigate some medical conditions, but not yet a proven stand-alone, curative treatment. Larger-scale and more rigorous research with higher methodological quality and adequate control interventions is highly encouraged because yoga may have potential to be implemented as a beneficial supportive/adjunct treatment that is relatively cost-effective, may be practiced at least in part as a self-care behavioral treatment, provides a life-long behavioural skill, enhances self-efficacy and self-confidence and is often associated with additional positive side effects.

Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Inhibitors: Current and Future Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazi Abdus Salam

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, hepatitis C virus (HCV infection is considered a serious health-care problem all over the world. A good number of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs against HCV infection are in clinical progress including NS3-4A protease inhibitors, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors, and NS5A inhibitors as well as host targeted inhibitors. Two NS3-4A protease inhibitors (telaprevir and boceprevir have been recently approved for the treatment of hepatitis C in combination with standard of care (pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. The new therapy has significantly improved sustained virologic response (SVR; however, the adverse effects associated with this therapy are still the main concern. In addition to the emergence of viral resistance, other targets must be continually developed. One such underdeveloped target is the helicase portion of the HCV NS3 protein. This review article summarizes our current understanding of HCV treatment, particularly with those of NS3 inhibitors.

Current trends in the management of Ebola virus disease-an updated systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Palanisamy Sivanandy

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The Ebola virus created a ripple of fear when its number of cases rose rapidly and drastically in recent years. Ebola infection is transmitted in humans when contact closely with blood, organs or other body fluids of infected animals or secretions. It is often mortal as it affects vascular system of the body, results in organ failure and serious internal bleeding. Hence, this review was aimed to summarize various essential aspects of Ebola virus disease and its management. A systematic review was carried out by collecting various literatures, published research articles, notes and other published date related to Ebola virus disease. Standard supporting care in a hospital setting such as replenishment of fluid and electrolytes, ventilation support, pain control and nutritional support is initiated to the patients to manage the symptoms and prevent any complications of Ebola disease since there are no Food and Drug Administrationapproved medications available. In terms of pharmacological drug therapy, favipiravir has been shown to be efficacious and safe in treating the Ebola virus disease. Nevertheless, there are some preventive measures as well to decrease the risk of getting the disease. Further, the review suggests the efficient control and prevention of Ebola epidemic require adequate political support from the government as well as the establishment of a robust public health infrastructure and medical reserve. Strengthening of contact tracing and quarantine policies are also important for the prevention of Ebola virus disease. There should be a well-designed disease surveillance system when a suspected case is reported. Given the elevated case-fatality rate and the absence of effective treatment, it is sensible to evade research ethics and develop the promising future of experimental vaccines. The collection of clinical and epidemiological information of Ebola should be vigorous and systematic in the endemic affected areas.

Current Trends in Discharge Disposition and Post-discharge Care After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarity, T David; Swall, Marion M

2017-09-01

The purpose of this manuscript is to review published literature over the last 5 years to assess recent trends and influencing factors regarding discharge disposition and post-discharge care following total joint arthroplasty. We evaluated instruments proposed to predict a patient's discharge disposition and summarize reports investigating the safety in sending more patients home by reviewing complications and readmission rates. Current literature supports decreased length of hospital stay and increased discharge to home with cost savings and stable readmission rates. Surgeons with defined clinical pathways and those who shape patient expectations may more effectively control costs than those without defined pathways. Further research is needed analyzing best practices in care coordination, managing patient expectations, and cost-effective analysis of home discharge while at the same time ensuring patient outcomes are optimized following total joint arthroplasty.

Tribology of dental materials: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Z R; Zheng, J

2008-01-01

The application of tribology in dentistry is a growing and rapidly expanding field. Intensive research has been conducted to develop an understanding of dental tribology for successful design and selection of artificial dental materials. In this paper, the anatomy and function of human teeth is presented in brief, three types of current artificial dental materials are summarized, and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as typical clinical applications, are compared based on the literature. Possible tribological damage of tooth structure, which is induced by complex interfacial motion, and friction-wear test methods are reported. According to results obtained by the authors and from the literature, the main progress in the area of dental tribology on both natural teeth and artificial dental materials is reviewed. Problems and challenges are discussed and future research directions for dental tribology are recommended. (topical review)

Tribology of dental materials: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Z R; Zheng, J [Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory for Advanced Technology of Materials of Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)], E-mail: zrzhou@home.swjtu.edu.cn

2008-06-07

The application of tribology in dentistry is a growing and rapidly expanding field. Intensive research has been conducted to develop an understanding of dental tribology for successful design and selection of artificial dental materials. In this paper, the anatomy and function of human teeth is presented in brief, three types of current artificial dental materials are summarized, and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as typical clinical applications, are compared based on the literature. Possible tribological damage of tooth structure, which is induced by complex interfacial motion, and friction-wear test methods are reported. According to results obtained by the authors and from the literature, the main progress in the area of dental tribology on both natural teeth and artificial dental materials is reviewed. Problems and challenges are discussed and future research directions for dental tribology are recommended. (topical review)

Concierge and Second-Opinion Radiology: Review of Current Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Shehbaz; Bafana, Rounak; Halabi, Safwan S

2016-01-01

Radiology's core assets include the production, interpretation, and distribution of quality imaging studies. Second-opinion services and concierge practices in radiology aim to augment traditional services by providing patient-centered and physician-centered care, respectively. Patient centeredness enhances patients' understanding and comfort with their radiology tests and procedures and allows them to make better decisions about their health care. As the fee-for-service paradigm shifts to value-based care models, radiology practices have begun to diversify imaging service delivery and communication to coincide with the American College of Radiology Imaging 3.0 campaign. Physician-centered consultation allows for communication of evidence-based guidelines to assist referring physicians and other providers in making the most appropriate imaging or treatment decision for a specific clinical condition. There are disparate practice models and payment schema for the various second-opinion and concierge practices. This review article explores the current state and payment models of second-opinion and concierge practices in radiology. This review also includes a discussion on the benefits, roadblocks, and ethical issues that surround these novel types of practices. Copyright © 2015 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Current review of the technique and literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Iqbal

2009-10-01

To visit the operative technique and to review the current published English literature on the technique, and outcomes following robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RPN). We searched the published English literature and the PubMed(()) for published series of 'robotic partial nephrectomy' (RPN) using the keywords; robot, robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic surgery. The search yielded 15 major selected series of 'robotic partial nephrectomy'; these were reviewed, tracked and analysed in order to determine the current status and role of RPN in the management of early renal neoplasm(s), as a minimally invasive surgical alternative to open partial nephrectomy. A review of the initial peri-operative outcome of the 350 cases of select series of RPN reported in published English literature revealed a mean operating time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss and hospital stay, of 191 minutes, 25 minutes, 162 ml and 2.95 days, respectively. The overall computed mean complication rate of RPN in the present select series was about 7.4%. RPN is a safe, feasible and effective minimally invasive surgical alternative to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for early stage (T(1)) renal neoplasm(s). It has acceptable initial renal functional outcomes without the increased risk of major complications in experienced hands. Prospective randomised, controlled, comparative clinical trials with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) are the need of the day. While the initial oncological outcomes of RPN appear to be favourable, long-term data is awaited.

Beryllium processing technology review for applications in plasma-facing components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, R.G.; Jacobson, L.A.; Stanek, P.W.

1993-07-01

Materials research and development activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), i.e., the next generation fusion reactor, are investigating beryllium as the first-wall containment material for the reactor. Important in the selection of beryllium is the ability to process, fabricate and repair beryllium first-wall components using existing technologies. Two issues that will need to be addressed during the engineering design activity will be the bonding of beryllium tiles in high-heat-flux areas of the reactor, and the in situ repair of damaged beryllium tiles. The following review summarizes the current technology associated with welding and joining of beryllium to itself and other materials, and the state-of-the-art in plasma-spray technology as an in situ repair technique for damaged beryllium tiles. In addition, a review of the current status of beryllium technology in the former Soviet Union is also included.

Beryllium processing technology review for applications in plasma-facing components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, R.G.; Jacobson, L.A.; Stanek, P.W.

1993-07-01

Materials research and development activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), i.e., the next generation fusion reactor, are investigating beryllium as the first-wall containment material for the reactor. Important in the selection of beryllium is the ability to process, fabricate and repair beryllium first-wall components using existing technologies. Two issues that will need to be addressed during the engineering design activity will be the bonding of beryllium tiles in high-heat-flux areas of the reactor, and the in situ repair of damaged beryllium tiles. The following review summarizes the current technology associated with welding and joining of beryllium to itself and other materials, and the state-of-the-art in plasma-spray technology as an in situ repair technique for damaged beryllium tiles. In addition, a review of the current status of beryllium technology in the former Soviet Union is also included

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Review of Current Trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulfatai B. Olokoba

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM is a chronic metabolic disorder in which prevalence has been increasing steadily all over the world. As a result of this trend, it is fast becoming an epidemic in some countries of the world with the number of people affected expected to double in the next decade due to increase in ageing population, thereby adding to the already existing burden for healthcare providers, especially in poorly developed countries. This review is based on a search of Medline, the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, and citation lists of relevant publications. Subject heading and key words used include type 2 diabetes mellitus, prevalence, current diagnosis, and current treatment. Only articles in English were included. Screening and diagnosis is still based on World Health Organization (WHO and American Diabetes Association (ADA criteria which include both clinical and laboratory parameters. No cure has yet been found for the disease; however, treatment modalities include lifestyle modifications, treatment of obesity, oral hypoglycemic agents, and insulin sensitizers like metformin, a biguanide that reduces insulin resistance, is still the recommended first line medication especially for obese patients. Other effective medications include non-sulfonylurea secretagogues, thiazolidinediones, alpha glucosidase inhibitors, and insulin. Recent research into the pathophysiology of type 2 DM has led to the introduction of new medications like glucagon-like peptide 1 analogoues: dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors, inhibitors of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 and 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1, insulin-releasing glucokinase activators and pancreatic-G-protein-coupled fatty-acid-receptor agonists, glucagon-receptor antagonists, metabolic inhibitors of hepatic glucose output and quick-release bromocriptine. Inhaled insulin was licensed for use in 2006 but has been withdrawn from the market because of low patronage.

Current concepts of salivary gland tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raj Kumar Badam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The embryonic development of salivary glands is a complex process that creates compact, highly organized secretory organs with functions essential for oral health. The development is an example of branching morphogenesis, recent research found to involve unexpectedly dynamic cell motility, and novel regulatory pathways. Numerous growth factors, extracellular matrix molecules, gene regulatory pathways, and mechanical forces contribute to salivary gland morphogenesis, but local gene regulation and morphological changes appear to play particularly notable roles. Salivary gland tumors are one of the most complex and relatively rare groups of lesions encountered in oral pathology practice. Their complexity is attributed to the heterogeneity of the cells of origin of these lesions. Frequent overlap of microscopic features among various neoplasms makes us sometimes even to differentiate benign and malignant lesions leading to a diagnostic dilemma. Here, we review and summarize the current concepts regarding the histogenetic and morphogenetic concepts of salivary gland tumors and their relevance to routine diagnosis and classification of these lesions.

Summarizing background report for Energy Strategy 2025; Sammenfattende baggrundsrapport for Energistrategi 2025

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-06-01

The Danish Government's long-term energy strategy follows up on the political agreement of 29 March 2004. The energy strategy is a coherent formulation of the Government's long-term energy policy. The pivotal point for the energy strategy is liberalized energy markets and market based tools for obtaining goals such as efficiency, security of supply and environment. The focus is increasingly on the substantial business potential within development of new and more efficient energy technology, in which Denmark takes up several globally strong positions. Furthermore, transportation energy consumption has been included directly in an energy strategy for the first time. At the same time as the energy strategy is presented, a summarizing background report from the Danish Energy Agency with facts, analyses and evaluations is published, as well as a report from energinet.dk that summarizes the system responsibilities' input to that part of the energy strategy that deals with power infrastructure. (BA)

Summarizing background report for Energy Strategy 2025; Sammenfattende baggrundsrapport for Energistrategi 2025

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-06-01

The Danish Government's long-term energy strategy follows up on the political agreement of 29 March 2004. The energy strategy is a coherent formulation of the Government's long-term energy policy. The pivotal point for the energy strategy is liberalized energy markets and market based tools for obtaining goals such as efficiency, security of supply and environment. The focus is increasingly on the substantial business potential within development of new and more efficient energy technology, in which Denmark takes up several globally strong positions. Furthermore, transportation energy consumption has been included directly in an energy strategy for the first time. At the same time as the energy strategy is presented, a summarizing background report from the Danish Energy Agency with facts, analyses and evaluations is published, as well as a report from energinet.dk that summarizes the system responsibilities' input to that part of the energy strategy that deals with power infrastructure. (BA)

Addressing unwarranted clinical variation: A rapid review of current evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Reema; Manias, Elizabeth; Mears, Stephen; Heslop, David; Hinchcliff, Reece; Hay, Liz

2018-05-15

Unwarranted clinical variation (UCV) can be described as variation that can only be explained by differences in health system performance. There is a lack of clarity regarding how to define and identify UCV and, once identified, to determine whether it is sufficiently problematic to warrant action. As such, the implementation of systemic approaches to reducing UCV is challenging. A review of approaches to understand, identify, and address UCV was undertaken to determine how conceptual and theoretical frameworks currently attempt to define UCV, the approaches used to identify UCV, and the evidence of their effectiveness. Rapid evidence assessment (REA) methodology was used. A range of text words, synonyms, and subject headings were developed for the major concepts of unwarranted clinical variation, standards (and deviation from these standards), and health care environment. Two electronic databases (Medline and Pubmed) were searched from January 2006 to April 2017, in addition to hand searching of relevant journals, reference lists, and grey literature. Results were merged using reference-management software (Endnote) and duplicates removed. Inclusion criteria were independently applied to potentially relevant articles by 3 reviewers. Findings were presented in a narrative synthesis to highlight key concepts addressed in the published literature. A total of 48 relevant publications were included in the review; 21 articles were identified as eligible from the database search, 4 from hand searching published work and 23 from the grey literature. The search process highlighted the voluminous literature reporting clinical variation internationally; yet, there is a dearth of evidence regarding systematic approaches to identifying or addressing UCV. Wennberg's classification framework is commonly cited in relation to classifying variation, but no single approach is agreed upon to systematically explore and address UCV. The instances of UCV that warrant investigation and

Microbial Production of Short Chain Fatty Acids from Lignocellulosic Biomass: Current Processes and Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Baumann

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Biological production of organic acids from conversion of biomass derivatives has received increased attention among scientists and engineers and in business because of the attractive properties such as renewability, sustainability, degradability, and versatility. The aim of the present review is to summarize recent research and development of short chain fatty acids production by anaerobic fermentation of nonfood biomass and to evaluate the status and outlook for a sustainable industrial production of such biochemicals. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid have many industrial applications and are currently of global economic interest. The focus is mainly on the utilization of pretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass as substrate (the carbohydrate route and development of the bacteria and processes that lead to a high and economically feasible production of VFA. The current and developing market for VFA is analyzed focusing on production, prices, and forecasts along with a presentation of the biotechnology companies operating in the market for sustainable biochemicals. Finally, perspectives on taking sustainable product of biochemicals from promise to market introduction are reviewed.

Scoping reviews: time for clarity in definition, methods, and reporting.

Science.gov (United States)

Colquhoun, Heather L; Levac, Danielle; O'Brien, Kelly K; Straus, Sharon; Tricco, Andrea C; Perrier, Laure; Kastner, Monika; Moher, David

2014-12-01

The scoping review has become increasingly popular as a form of knowledge synthesis. However, a lack of consensus on scoping review terminology, definition, methodology, and reporting limits the potential of this form of synthesis. In this article, we propose recommendations to further advance the field of scoping review methodology. We summarize current understanding of scoping review publication rates, terms, definitions, and methods. We propose three recommendations for clarity in term, definition and methodology. We recommend adopting the terms "scoping review" or "scoping study" and the use of a proposed definition. Until such time as further guidance is developed, we recommend the use of the methodological steps outlined in the Arksey and O'Malley framework and further enhanced by Levac et al. The development of reporting guidance for the conduct and reporting of scoping reviews is underway. Consistency in the proposed domains and methodologies of scoping reviews, along with the development of reporting guidance, will facilitate methodological advancement, reduce confusion, facilitate collaboration and improve knowledge translation of scoping review findings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Review on Development of Kek Lapis Sarawak’s Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamsawi Mohamad Syamim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Kek Lapis Sarawak is a beautifully decorated and flavorful cake that can be considered as the artwork of the Malays in Sarawak. There is an overwhelming demand of the Kek Lapis Sarawak in the market that consequently need for automation. This paper summarizes comprehensive reviewed patents of the current machine and journals which have similar functions and related to the current function of manual process of producing Kek Lapis Sarawak. Conceptual idea of the Kek Lapis Sarawak machine consists of three modules namely Depositor Module, Cooling and Pressing Module and Baking Module. Therefore, patents and journals that have similar functions with these modules are reviewed that look into its advantages. The disadvantages of the design also considered for future design. Hence, the crucial advantages of each module considered are namely improved production rates, increased of hygienic rating, easy to maintenance and portability of a design. The reviewed patents and journals can be considered for the development of Kek lapis Sarawak’s machine with some improvisations are needed to meet up the specific requirements of the machine.

Rectocele repair using biomaterial augmentation: current documentation and clinical experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Altman, Daniel; Mellgren, Anders; Zetterström, Jan

2005-11-01

Although the etiology of rectocele remains debated, surgical innovations are currently promoted to improve anatomic outcome while avoiding dyspareunia and alleviating rectal emptying difficulties following rectocele surgery. Use of biomaterials in rectocele repair has become widespread in a short time, but the clinical documentation of their effectiveness and complications is limited. Medline and the Cochrane database were searched electronically from 1964 to May 2005 using the Pubmed and Ovid search engines. All English language publications including any of the search terms "rectocele," "implant," "mesh," "biomaterial," "prolapse," "synthetical," "pelvic floor," "biological," and "compatibility" were reviewed. This review outlines the basic principles for use of biomaterials in pelvic reconstructive surgery and provides a condensation of peer-reviewed articles describing clinical use of biomaterials in rectocele surgery. Historical and new concepts in rectocele surgery are discussed. Factors of importance for human in vivo biomaterial compatibility are presented together with current knowledge from clinical studies. Potential risks and problems associated with the use of biomaterials in rectocele and pelvic reconstructive surgery in general are described. Although use of biomaterials in rectocele and other pelvic organ prolapse surgery offers exciting possibilities, it raises treatment costs and may be associated with unknown and potentially severe complications at short and long term. Clinical benefits are currently unknown and need to be proven in clinical studies. Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians After completion of this article, the reader should be able to explain that the objective of surgical treatment is to improve anatomic outcome and alleviate rectal emptying difficulties, describe the efficacy of biomaterials in rectocele repair, and summarize the potential risks and problems associated with use of biomaterials in rectocele and pelvic

Emerging optical techniques in advanced cystoscopy for bladder cancer diagnosis: A review of the current literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cauberg Evelyne, C. C.; de La Rosette, Jean J. M. C. H.; de Reijke, Theo M.

2011-01-01

The current standard for the diagnosis and followup of bladder cancer remains white light cystoscopy, despite its well-known limitations. The aim of this paper is to review the current literature on three optical diagnostics that have been developed to improve the performance of white light

Epidemiologic and clinical updates on impulse control disorders: a critical review

Science.gov (United States)

Altamura, A. Carlo; Allen, Andrea; Marazziti, Donatella; Hollander, Eric

2006-01-01

The article reviews the current knowledge about the impulse control disorders (ICDs) with specific emphasis on epidemiological and pharmacological advances. In addition to the traditional ICDs present in the DSM-IV—pathological gambling, trichotillomania, kleptomania, pyromania and intermittent explosive disorder—a brief description of the new proposed ICDs—compulsive–impulsive (C–I) Internet usage disorder, C–I sexual behaviors, C–I skin picking and C–I shopping—is provided. Specifically, the article summarizes the phenomenology, epidemiology and comorbidity of the ICDs. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between ICDs and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Finally, current pharmacological options for treating ICDs are presented and discussed. PMID:16960655

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a current review.

Science.gov (United States)

Diedrich, Alice; Voderholzer, Ulrich

2015-02-01

This review provides a current overview on the diagnostics, epidemiology, co-occurrences, aetiology and treatment of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). The diagnostic criteria for OCPD according to the recently published Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) include an official set of criteria for clinical practice and a new, alternative set of criteria for research purposes. OCPD is a personality disorder prevalent in the general population (3-8 %) that is more common in older and less educated individuals. Findings on sex distribution and course of OCPD are inconsistent. OCPD is comorbid with several other medical and psychological conditions. As for causes of OCPD, most empirical evidence provides support for disturbed attachment as well as the heritability of OCPD. So far, cognitive (behavioural) therapy is the best validated treatment of OCPD. Self-esteem variability, stronger early alliances as well as the distress level seem to predict cognitive (behavioural) therapy outcome. Future research is needed to further advance knowledge in OCPD and to resolve inconsistencies.

Review of magnetostrictive vibration energy harvesters

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zhangxian; Dapino, Marcelo J.

2017-10-01

The field of energy harvesting has grown concurrently with the rapid development of portable and wireless electronics in which reliable and long-lasting power sources are required. Electrochemical batteries have a limited lifespan and require periodic recharging. In contrast, vibration energy harvesters can supply uninterrupted power by scavenging useful electrical energy from ambient structural vibrations. This article reviews the current state of vibration energy harvesters based on magnetostrictive materials, especially Terfenol-D and Galfenol. Existing magnetostrictive harvester designs are compared in terms of various performance metrics. Advanced techniques that can reduce device size and improve performance are presented. Models for magnetostrictive devices are summarized to guide future harvester designs.

Exercise interventions for patients with pediatric cancer during inpatient acute care: A systematic review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Rustler, Vanessa; Hagerty, Meaghan; Daeggelmann, Julia; Marjerrison, Stacey; Bloch, Wilhelm; Baumann, Freerk T

2017-11-01

Physical inactivity has been shown to exacerbate negative side effects experienced by pediatric patients undergoing cancer therapy. Exercise interventions are being created in response. This review summarizes current exercise intervention data in the inpatient pediatric oncology setting. Two independent reviewers collected literature from three databases, and analyzed data following the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Ten studies were included, representing 204 patients. Good adherence, positive trends in health status, and no adverse events were noted. Common strategies included individual, supervised, combination training with adaptability to meet fluctuating patient abilities. We recommend that general physical activity programming be offered to pediatric oncology inpatients. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Current Laser Resurfacing Technologies: A Review that Delves Beneath the Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Preissig, Jason; Hamilton, Kristy; Markus, Ramsey

2012-01-01

Numerous laser platforms exist that rejuvenate the skin by resurfacing its upper layers. In varying degrees, these lasers improve the appearance of lentigines and rhytides, eliminate photoaging, soften scarring due to acne and other causes, and treat dyspigmentation. Five major classes of dermatologic lasers are currently in common use: ablative and nonablative lasers in both fractionated and unfractionated forms as well as radiofrequency technologies. The gentler nonablative lasers allow for quicker healing, whereas harsher ablative lasers tend to be more effective. Fractionating either laser distributes the effect, increasing the number of treatments but minimizing downtime and complications. In this review article, the authors seek to inform surgeons about the current laser platforms available, clarify the differences between them, and thereby facilitate the identification of the most appropriate laser for their practice. PMID:23904818

Automated segmentation of pulmonary structures in thoracic computed tomography scans: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Rikxoort, Eva M; Van Ginneken, Bram

2013-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice for imaging the lungs in vivo. Sub-millimeter isotropic images of the lungs can be obtained within seconds, allowing the detection of small lesions and detailed analysis of disease processes. The high resolution of thoracic CT and the high prevalence of lung diseases require a high degree of automation in the analysis pipeline. The automated segmentation of pulmonary structures in thoracic CT has been an important research topic for over a decade now. This systematic review provides an overview of current literature. We discuss segmentation methods for the lungs, the pulmonary vasculature, the airways, including airway tree construction and airway wall segmentation, the fissures, the lobes and the pulmonary segments. For each topic, the current state of the art is summarized, and topics for future research are identified. (topical review)

Evaluation and management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jada, Ajit; Mackel, Charles E; Hwang, Steven W; Samdani, Amer F; Stephen, James H; Bennett, James T; Baaj, Ali A

2017-10-01

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a 3D spinal deformity affecting children between the ages of 11 and 18, without an identifiable etiology. The authors here reviewed the available literature to provide spine surgeons with a summary and update on current management options. Smaller thoracic and thoracolumbar curves can be managed conservatively with observation or bracing, but corrective surgery may be indicated for rapidly growing or larger curves. The authors summarize the atypical features to look for in patients who may warrant further investigation with MRI during diagnosis and review the fundamental principles of the surgical management of AIS. Patients with AIS can be managed very well with a combination of conservative and surgical options. Outcomes for these children are excellent with sustained longer-term results.

Current status of scrap metal recycling and reuse in USA and European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Akira

1997-01-01

Recycling and reuse of natural resources has become a global issue to be pursued, but less effective without voluntary efforts from the every industries and of the individuals. In Japan, recycling and reuse of the scrap metal from dismantling of the nuclear facilities are currently noticed as a promising option and the responsible government organizations just started activities to develope the system for enabling and encouraging the nuclear facility owners to recycle their waste. Coincidently, there have been many reports published recently, which inform successful results of the method and the activities of the international organizations for the same intention. Taking this opportunity, current trends of scrap metal recycling and reuse in the experienced countries are reviewed and the proposals from IAEA, EC and OECD/NEA on the relating issues are summarized and compared in this paper. (author)

Review: New Vaccine Against Tuberculosis: Current Developments and Future Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jun

2009-04-01

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a global health threat. BCG was developed as an attenuated live vaccine for tuberculosis control nearly a century ago. Despite being the most widely used vaccine in human history, BCG is not an ideal vaccine and has two major limitations: its poor efficacy against adult pulmonary TB and its disconcerting safety in immunocompromised individuals. A safer and more effective TB vaccine is urgently needed. This review article discusses current strategies to develop the next generation of TB vaccines to replace BCG. While some progresses have been made in the past decade, significant challenges lie ahead.

Spontaneous and persistent currents in superconductive and mesoscopic structures (Review Article)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulik, I.O.

2004-01-01

We briefly review aspects of superconductive persistent currents in Josephson junctions of the S/I/S, S/O/S and S/N/S types, focusing on the origin of jumps in the current versus phase dependences, and discuss in more detail the persistent as well as 'spontaneous' currents in the Aharonov-Bohm mesoscopic and nanoscopic (macromolecular) structures. A fixed-number-of-electrons mesoscopic or macromolecular conducting ring is shown to be unstable against structural transformation removing spatial symmetry (in particular, azimuthal periodicity) of its electron- lattice Hamiltonian. In case when the transformation is blocked by strong coupling to an external azimuthally symmetric environment, the system becomes bistable in its electronic configuration at certain number of electrons. At such a condition, the persistent current has a nonzero value even at the (almost) zero applied Aharonov-Bohm flux, and results in very high magnetic susceptibility dM/dH at small nonzero fields, followed by an oscillatory dependence at larger fields. We tentatively assume that previously observed oscillatory magnetization in cyclic metallo-organic molecules by Gatteschi et al. can be attributed to persistent currents. If this proves correct, it may open an opportunity (and, more generally, macromolecular cyclic structures may suggest the possibility) of engineering quantum computational tools based on the Aharonov-Bohm effect in ballistic nanostructures and macromolecular cyclic aggregates

Porous gravity currents: Axisymmetric propagation in horizontally graded medium and a review of similarity solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Lauriola, I.; Felisa, G.; Petrolo, D.; Di Federico, V.; Longo, S.

2018-05-01

currents are summarized and compared to infer the combinations of parameters leading to the fastest/lowest rate of propagation, and of variation of thickness and aspect ratio.

MendelianRandomization: an R package for performing Mendelian randomization analyses using summarized data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yavorska, Olena O; Burgess, Stephen

2017-12-01

MendelianRandomization is a software package for the R open-source software environment that performs Mendelian randomization analyses using summarized data. The core functionality is to implement the inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger and weighted median methods for multiple genetic variants. Several options are available to the user, such as the use of robust regression, fixed- or random-effects models and the penalization of weights for genetic variants with heterogeneous causal estimates. Extensions to these methods, such as allowing for variants to be correlated, can be chosen if appropriate. Graphical commands allow summarized data to be displayed in an interactive graph, or the plotting of causal estimates from multiple methods, for comparison. Although the main method of data entry is directly by the user, there is also an option for allowing summarized data to be incorporated from the PhenoScanner database of genotype-phenotype associations. We hope to develop this feature in future versions of the package. The R software environment is available for download from [https://www.r-project.org/]. The MendelianRandomization package can be downloaded from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) within R, or directly from [https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MendelianRandomization/]. Both R and the MendelianRandomization package are released under GNU General Public Licenses (GPL-2|GPL-3). © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Current review of the technique and literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Iqbal

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To visit the operative technique and to review the current published English literature on the technique, and outcomes following robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RPN. Materials and Methods: We searched the published English literature and the PubMed (TM for published series of ′robotic partial nephrectomy′ (RPN using the keywords; robot, robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic surgery. Results: The search yielded 15 major selected series of ′robotic partial nephrectomy′; these were reviewed, tracked and analysed in order to determine the current status and role of RPN in the management of early renal neoplasm(s, as a minimally invasive surgical alternative to open partial nephrectomy. A review of the initial peri-operative outcome of the 350 cases of select series of RPN reported in published English literature revealed a mean operating time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss and hospital stay, of 191 minutes, 25 minutes, 162 ml and 2.95 days, respectively. The overall computed mean complication rate of RPN in the present select series was about 7.4%. Conclusions: RPN is a safe, feasible and effective minimally invasive surgical alternative to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for early stage (T 1 renal neoplasm(s. It has acceptable initial renal functional outcomes without the increased risk of major complications in experienced hands. Prospective randomised, controlled, comparative clinical trials with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN are the need of the day. While the initial oncological outcomes of RPN appear to be favourable, long-term data is awaited.

Hepatitis C in Pregnancy: Review of Current Knowledge and Updated Recommendations for Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Page, Charlotte M; Hughes, Brenna L; Rhee, Eleanor H J; Kuller, Jeffrey A

2017-06-01

An estimated 1% to 2.5% of pregnant women in the United States are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), which carries approximately a 6% risk of mother-to-infant transmission. The aims of this article are to review the current evidence on HCV in pregnancy and to provide updated recommendations for management. Original research articles, review articles, and guidelines on HCV in general and specifically in pregnancy were reviewed, as were drug safety profiles from the Food and Drug Administration. Pregnancy appears to have a beneficial effect on the course of maternal chronic HCV infection. However, it is associated with an increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes, including fetal growth restriction and low birth weight, and can be transmitted to the infant in utero or during the peripartum period. No perinatal intervention has been shown to reduce the risk of vertical transmission, but some may increase this risk. To date, no treatment regimens for HCV have been approved for use in pregnancy, but the new ribavirin-free, direct-acting antiviral regimens are being used with high efficacy outside pregnancy. Hepatitis C virus infection in pregnancy generally does not adversely affect maternal well-being but is associated with adverse effects on the fetus because of pregnancy complications and vertical transmission. There are currently no approved treatment regimens for HCV in pregnancy; this should be an active area of research in obstetrics.

A Review: Advances on Absorption of Heavy Metals in the Waste Water by Biochar

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hao; Xie, Anbin; You, Shaohong

2018-01-01

Biochar as a new type of adsorbent, its physical and chemical characteristics and adsorption of heavy metal has been widely studied. Based on the current studies, the article reviewed the main characteristics of biochar, its influencing factors (preparation temperature, feed stocks, functional group et.) on adsorption of heavy metals in water and its mechanism of adsorption (ion exchange adsorption, complexation, precipitation sedimentation et.). Briefly summarize unresolved issues for potential applications of biochar in the future.

Text Summarization Evaluation: Correlating Human Performance on an Extrinsic Task with Automatic Intrinsic Metrics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

President, Stacy F; Dorr, Bonnie J

2006-01-01

This research describes two types of summarization evaluation methods, intrinsic and extrinsic, and concentrates on determining the level of correlation between automatic intrinsic methods and human...

Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy: A review of current trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Olokoba, A B; Obateru, O A; Bojuwoye, M O

2013-01-01

Helicobacter pylori has been implicated in the formation of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and gastric cancer. Eradication of H. Pylori has been recommended as treatment and prevention for these complications. This review is based on a search of Medline, the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, and citation lists of relevant publications. Subject heading and key words used include H. Pylori, current treatment and emerging therapy. Only articles in English were included. There has been a substantial decline in the H. pylori eradication rates over the years, despite the use of proton pump inhibitor and bismuth salts for triple and quadruple therapies respectively. The reasons for eradication failure are diverse, among them, antibiotic resistance is an important factor in the treatment failure. Primary resistance to clarithromycin or metronidazole significantly affects the efficacy of eradication therapy. This has led to the introduction of second line, third line "rescue," and sequential therapies for resistant cases. Subsequently, new antibiotic combinations with proton-pump inhibitors and bismuth salts are being studied in the last decade, to find out the antibiotics that are capable of increasing the eradication rates. Some of these antibiotics include Levofloxacin, Doxycycline, Rifaximin, Rifampicin, Furazolidone based therapies. Studies are ongoing to determine the efficacy of Lactoferrin based therapy.

Ficus deltoidea Jack: A Review on Its Phytochemical and Pharmacological Importance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidun Bunawan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Ficus deltoidea Jack (Moraceae has had a long history of use in traditional medicine among the Malays to alleviate and heal ailments such as sores, wounds, and rheumatism and as an after-birth tonic and an antidiabetic drug. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrated that this plant has a wide variety of beneficial attributes for human health. Despite its importance, a review of this species has not been published in the scientific literature to date. Here, we review and summarize the historic and current literature concerning the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, and toxicity of this wonder plant. This summary could be beneficial for future research aiming to exploit the therapeutic potential of this useful, medicinal species.

A Graph Summarization Algorithm Based on RFID Logistics

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yan; Hu, Kongfa; Lu, Zhipeng; Zhao, Li; Chen, Ling

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications are set to play an essential role in object tracking and supply chain management systems. The volume of data generated by a typical RFID application will be enormous as each item will generate a complete history of all the individual locations that it occupied at every point in time. The movement trails of such RFID data form gigantic commodity flowgraph representing the locations and durations of the path stages traversed by each item. In this paper, we use graph to construct a warehouse of RFID commodity flows, and introduce a database-style operation to summarize graphs, which produces a summary graph by grouping nodes based on user-selected node attributes, further allows users to control the hierarchy of summaries. It can cut down the size of graphs, and provide convenience for users to study just on the shrunk graph which they interested. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.

Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Deste, Giacomo; De Peri, Luca

2013-01-01

Objectives. This study is aimed to review the current scientific literature on cognitive remediation in schizophrenia. In particular, the main structured protocols of cognitive remediation developed for schizophrenia are presented and the main results reported in recent meta-analyses are summarized. Possible benefits of cognitive remediation in the early course of schizophrenia and in subjects at risk for psychosis are also discussed. Methods. Electronic search of the relevant studies which appeared in the PubMed database until April 2013 has been performed and all the meta-analyses and review articles on cognitive remediation in schizophrenia have been also taken into account. Results. Numerous intervention programs have been designed, applied, and evaluated, with the objective of improving cognition and social functioning in schizophrenia. Several quantitative reviews have established that cognitive remediation is effective in reducing cognitive deficits and in improving functional outcome of the disorder. Furthermore, the studies available support the usefulness of cognitive remediation when applied in the early course of schizophrenia and even in subjects at risk of the disease. Conclusions. Cognitive remediation is a promising approach to improve real-world functioning in schizophrenia and should be considered a key strategy for early intervention in the psychoses. PMID:24455253

Current advances in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: focused on considerations targeting Aβ and tau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Qi Yang

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder that impairs mainly the memory and cognitive function in elderly. Extracellular beta amyloid deposition and intracellular tau hyperphosphorylation are the two pathological events that are thought to cause neuronal dysfunction in AD. Since the detailed mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of AD are still not clear, the current treatments are those drugs that can alleviate the symptoms of AD patients. Recent studies have indicated that these symptom-reliving drugs also have the ability of regulating amyloid precursor protein processing and tau phosphorylation. Thus the pharmacological mechanism of these drugs may be too simply-evaluated. This review summarizes the current status of AD therapy and some potential preclinical considerations that target beta amyloid and tau protein are also discussed.

Current status of knowledge on public-speaking anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Pull, Charles B

2012-01-01

This review examines the current knowledge on public-speaking anxiety, that is, the fear of speaking in front of others. This article summarizes the findings from previous review articles and describes new research findings on basic science aspects, prevalence rates, classification, and treatment that have been published between August 2008 and August 2011. Recent findings highlight the major aspects of psychological and physiological reactivity to public speaking in individuals who are afraid to speak in front of others, confirm high prevalence rates of the disorder, contribute to identifying the disorder as a possibly distinct subtype of social anxiety disorder (SAD), and give support to the efficacy of treatment programs using virtual reality exposure and Internet-based self-help. Public-speaking anxiety is a highly prevalent disorder, leading to excessive psychological and physiological reactivity. It is present in a majority of individuals with SAD and there is substantial evidence that it may be a distinct subtype of SAD. It is amenable to treatment including, in particular, new technologies such as exposure to virtual environments and the use of cognitive-behavioral self-help programs delivered on the Internet.

Humans in Space: Summarizing the Medico-Biological Results of the Space Shuttle Program

Science.gov (United States)

Risin, Diana; Stepaniak, P. C.; Grounds, D. J.

2011-01-01

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight that opened the era of Humans in Space we also commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) which was triumphantly completed by the flight of STS-135 on July 21, 2011. These were great milestones in the history of Human Space Exploration. Many important questions regarding the ability of humans to adapt and function in space were answered for the past 50 years and many lessons have been learned. Significant contribution to answering these questions was made by the SSP. To ensure the availability of the Shuttle Program experiences to the international space community NASA has made a decision to summarize the medico-biological results of the SSP in a fundamental edition that is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011 beginning 2012. The goal of this edition is to define the normal responses of the major physiological systems to short-duration space flights and provide a comprehensive source of information for planning, ensuring successful operational activities and for management of potential medical problems that might arise during future long-term space missions. The book includes the following sections: 1. History of Shuttle Biomedical Research and Operations; 2. Medical Operations Overview Systems, Monitoring, and Care; 3. Biomedical Research Overview; 4. System-specific Adaptations/Responses, Issues, and Countermeasures; 5. Multisystem Issues and Countermeasures. In addition, selected operational documents will be presented in the appendices. The chapters are written by well-recognized experts in appropriate fields, peer reviewed, and edited by physicians and scientists with extensive expertise in space medical operations and space-related biomedical research. As Space Exploration continues the major question whether humans are capable of adapting to long term presence and adequate functioning in space habitats remains to be answered We expect that the comprehensive review of

Small Business and Defense Acquisitions: A Review of Policies and Current Practices

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Office of Management and Budget xviii Small Business and Defense Acquisitions: A Review of Policies and Current Practices PSC Product and Service Code...themselves as minority-owned, women-owned, veteran- owned, or small disadvantaged businesses . The resulting database gives sourcing managers a tool for...REPORT DATE 2011 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2011 to 00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Small Business and Defense Acquisitions: A

The treatment of Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation: current issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Moldovan, Alexia-Sabine; Groiss, Stefan Jun; Elben, Saskia; Südmeyer, Martin; Schnitzler, Alfons; Wojtecki, Lars

2015-07-01

Deep brain stimulation has become a well-established symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease during the last 25 years. Besides improving motor symptoms and long-term motor complications, positive effects on patients' mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being and health-related quality of life have been recognized. Apart from that, numerous clinical trials analyzed effects on non-motor symptoms and side effects of deep brain stimulation. Several technical issues and stimulation paradigms have been and are still being developed to optimize the therapeutic effects, minimize the side effects and facilitate handling. This review summarizes current therapeutic issues, i.e., patient and target selection, surgical procedure and programming paradigms. In addition it focuses on neuropsychological effects and side effects of deep brain stimulation.

Out of hospital point of care ultrasound: current use models and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, B P; Sanghvi, A

2016-04-01

Ultrasound has evolved from a modality that was once exclusively reserved to certain specialities of its current state, in which its portability and durability lend to its broadly increasing applications. This review describes portable ultrasound in the hospital setting and its comparison to gold standard imaging modalities. Also, this review summarizes current literature describing portable ultrasound use in prehospital, austere and remote environments, highlighting successes and barriers to use in these environments. Prehospital ultrasound has the ability to increase diagnostic ability and allow for therapeutic intervention in the field. In austere environments, ultrasound may be the only available imaging modality and thus can guide diagnosis, therapeutics and determine which patients may need emergent transfer to a healthcare facility. The most cutting edge applications of portable ultrasound employ telemedicine to obtain and transmit ultrasound images. This technology and ability to transmit images via satellite and cellular transmission can allow for even novice users to obtain interpretable images in austere environments. Portable ultrasound uses have steadily grown and will continue to do so with the introduction of more portable and durable technologies. As applications continue to grow, certain technologic considerations and future directions are explored.

[Expression of angiopoietin-like proteins for animal breeding: a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Weiwei; Ma, Yun; Chen, Ningbo; Li, He; Bai, Yueyu

2015-11-01

Angiopoietin-like proteins are a family of proteins that are closely related to lipid, glucose and energy metabolism, as well as angiogenesis. To date, eight Angptls have been discovered, namely Angptl1 to Angptl8 that play key roles in metabolic regulation and marker assisted selection. In this review, we summarized current progress on the structure, signaling pathways, upstream regulatory genes and metabolic network of Angptl1-8. Finally, in combination with our work, the status and problems of animal breeding as well as the future prospects for Angptls were discussed.

Research and Development of Powder Brazing Filler Metals for Diamond Tools: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Long

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Powder brazing filler metals (PBFMs feature a number of comparative advantages. Among others, these include a low energy consumption, an accurate dosage, a good brazeability, a short production time, and a high production efficiency. These filler metals have been used in the aerospace, automobile, and electric appliances industries. The PBFMs are especially suitable for diamond tools bonding, which involves complex workpiece shapes and requires accurate dosage. The recent research of PBFMs for diamond tools is reviewed in this paper. The current applications are discussed. The CuSnTi and Ni-Cr-based PBFMs have been the two commonly used monolayer PBFMs. Thus, the bonding mechanism at the interface between both the monolayer PBFMs and a diamond tool are summarized first. The ways to improve the performance of the monolayer PBFMs for diamond tools are analyzed. Next, a research of PBFMs for impregnated diamond tools is reviewed. The technical problems that urgently need solutions are discussed. Finally, the challenges and opportunities involved with the PBFMs for diamond tools research and development are summarized, and corresponding prospects are suggested.

Leishmaniases in Ecuador: Comprehensive review and current status.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa; Velez, Lenin N; Villegas, Nancy V; Mimori, Tatsuyuki; Gomez, Eduardo A L; Kato, Hirotomo

2017-02-01

This article reviews current knowledge about leishmaniases in Ecuador, proceeding from 1920, when the first human case was described, to the present, mainly focusing on the recent research events published. Regarding basic situations, it appears that 23 of Ecuador's 24 provinces have leishmaniasis-case reports. The disease is one of the mandatory notification infectious diseases in the country since 2005. All the 21,305 cases notified to the Ministry of Public Health, during the period from 2001 through 2014, were said to involve different clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) but not visceral (VL). Eight Leishmania species, L. (Viannia) guyanensis, L. (V.) panamensis, L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (Leishmania) mexicana, L. (L.) amazonensis, L. (L.) major-like, L. (V.) naiffiand L. (V.) lainsoni were characterized. The last two species were most recently reported from the Ecuadorian Amazon regions. Of the 73 Ecuadorian Lutzomyia species (43 man-biting species) recorded, only four, Lu. trapidoi, Lu. gomezi, Lu. ayacuchensis, and Lu. tortura were incriminated as vectors of the Leishmania parasites. Current knowledge on the reservoir hosts of Leishmania in Ecuador is extremely poor. Recently, in Ecuador different kinds of molecular techniques were developed for diagnosis and mass screening of the disease, employing various materials derived from patients and sand fly vectors. These are PCR-RFLP, colorimetric FTA-LAMP etc. Brief comments and recommendations were also given, for future research and control of leishmaniases in Ecuador. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk Perception and Anxiety Regarding Radiation after the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident: A Systematic Qualitative Review

Science.gov (United States)

Lyamzina, Yuliya; Suzuki, Yuriko; Murakami, Michio

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to provide a review of the publications of the risk perceptions or anxiety regarding radiation among people living in Japan after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Two database (MEDLINE and PsycINFO) and hand-searched the references in identified publications were searched. For each identified publication, the measurements and time related-change of risk perception and anxiety regarding radiation were summarized. Twenty-four publications were identified. Quantitative measures of risk perception or anxiety were roughly divided into two types: single-item Likert scales that measure anxiety about radiation; and theoretical, or model-based measures. Rates of Fukushima residents with radiation-related anxiety decreased from 2012 to 2015. Factors governing risk perception or radiation-related anxiety were summarized by demographics, disaster-related stressors, trusted information, and radiation-related variables. The effects of risk perception or anxiety regarding radiation were summarized as severe distress, intention to leave employment or not to return home, or other dimensions. This review provides summary of current findings on risk perception or anxiety regarding radiation in Japan after the accident. Further researches are needed about detailed statistical analysis for time-related change and causality among variables. PMID:29077045

Risk Perception and Anxiety Regarding Radiation after the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident: A Systematic Qualitative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Takebayashi, Yoshitake; Lyamzina, Yuliya; Suzuki, Yuriko; Murakami, Michio

2017-10-27

The purpose of this study was to provide a review of the publications of the risk perceptions or anxiety regarding radiation among people living in Japan after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Two database (MEDLINE and PsycINFO) and hand-searched the references in identified publications were searched. For each identified publication, the measurements and time related-change of risk perception and anxiety regarding radiation were summarized. Twenty-four publications were identified. Quantitative measures of risk perception or anxiety were roughly divided into two types: single-item Likert scales that measure anxiety about radiation; and theoretical, or model-based measures. Rates of Fukushima residents with radiation-related anxiety decreased from 2012 to 2015. Factors governing risk perception or radiation-related anxiety were summarized by demographics, disaster-related stressors, trusted information, and radiation-related variables. The effects of risk perception or anxiety regarding radiation were summarized as severe distress, intention to leave employment or not to return home, or other dimensions. This review provides summary of current findings on risk perception or anxiety regarding radiation in Japan after the accident. Further researches are needed about detailed statistical analysis for time-related change and causality among variables.

Laparoscopy in small bowel obstruction - current status - review.

Science.gov (United States)

Szeliga, Jacek; Jackowski, Marek

2017-12-01

Acute small bowel obstruction (SBO) is an urgent medical condition. Its diagnosis is based mainly on a clinical examination followed by confirmatory simple routine radiological examinations such as plain X-ray of the abdominal cavity or computed tomography (CT). However, a real surgical challenge is not a decision whether to perform a surgery, but a decision when and how to perform it. To determine the place of laparoscopy in contemporary management of acute SBO based on the current literature. A review of the literature based on the Medline database and including mainly the period of 2013-2017 was performed. With regard to SBO, laparoscopy is a technique showing its advantages resulting from a minimally invasive approach. However, SBO is still a condition where the use of laparoscopy is limited mainly to selected cases such as SBO caused by single adhesions or foreign bodies. A basic limitation of using this technique is advanced and complicated SBO and lack of sufficient technical skills of the surgeon.

Microorganisms in Fermented Apple Beverages: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cousin, Fabien J; Le Guellec, Rozenn; Schlusselhuber, Margot; Dalmasso, Marion; Laplace, Jean-Marie; Cretenet, Marina

2017-07-25

Production of fermented apple beverages is spread all around the world with specificities in each country. 'French ciders' refer to fermented apple juice mainly produced in the northwest of France and often associated with short periods of consumption. Research articles on this kind of product are scarce compared to wine, especially on phenomena associated with microbial activities. The wine fermentation microbiome and its dynamics, organoleptic improvement for healthy and pleasant products and development of starters are now widely studied. Even if both beverages seem close in terms of microbiome and process (with both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations), the inherent properties of the raw materials and different production and environmental parameters make research on the specificities of apple fermentation beverages worthwhile. This review summarizes current knowledge on the cider microbial ecosystem, associated activities and the influence of process parameters. In addition, available data on cider quality and safety is reviewed. Finally, we focus on the future role of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in the development of even better or new beverages made from apples.

Local anesthetics for brain tumor resection: Current perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.W. Potters (Jan Willem); M. Klimek (Markus)

2018-01-01

textabstractThis review summarizes the added value of local anesthetics in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor resection, which is a procedure that is carried out frequently in neurosurgical practice. The procedure can be carried out under general anesthesia, sedation with local

Beer Polyphenols and Menopause: Effects and Mechanisms—A Review of Current Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval-Ramírez, Berner Andrée; M. Lamuela-Raventós, Rosa; Estruch, Ramon; Sasot, Gemma; Doménech, Monica

2017-01-01

Beer is one of the most frequently consumed fermented beverages in the world, and it has been part of the human diet for thousands of years. Scientific evidence obtained from the development of new techniques of food analysis over the last two decades suggests that polyphenol intake derived from moderate beer consumption may play a positive role in different health outcomes including osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk and the relief of vasomotor symptoms, which are commonly experienced during menopause and are an important reason why women seek medical care during this period; here, we review the current knowledge regarding moderate beer consumption and its possible effects on menopausal symptoms. The effect of polyphenol intake on vasomotor symptoms in menopause may be driven by the direct interaction of the phenolic compounds present in beer, such as 8-prenylnaringenin, 6-prenylnaringenin, and isoxanthohumol, with intracellular estrogen receptors that leads to the modulation of gene expression, increase in sex hormone plasma concentrations, and thus modulation of physiological hormone imbalance in menopausal women. Since traditional hormone replacement therapies increase health risks, alternative, safer treatment options are needed to alleviate menopausal symptoms in women. The present work aims to review the current data on this subject. PMID:28904736

Effect-directed analysis: Current status and future challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Seongjin; Giesy, John P.; Lee, Jung-Suk; Lee, Jong-Hyeon; Khim, Jong Seong

2016-09-01

Effect-directed analysis (EDA) has become useful for identification of toxicant(s) that occur in mixtures in the environment, especially those that are causative agents of specific adverse effects. Here, we summarize and review EDA methodology including preparation of samples, biological analyses, fractionations, and instrumental analyses, highlighting key scientific advancements. A total of 63 documents since 1999 (Scopus search) including 46 research articles, 13 review papers, and 4 project descriptions, have been collected and reviewed in this study. At the early stage (1999-2010), most studies that applied EDA focused on organic extracts of freshwater and coastal contaminated sediments and wastewater. Toxic effects were often measured using cell-based bioassays ( in vitro) and the causative chemicals were identified by use of low resolution gas chromatography with mass selective detector (GCMSD). More recently (2010-present), EDA has been extended to various matrices such as biota, soil, crude oil, and suspended solids and techniques have been improved to include determination of bioavailability in vivo. In particular, methods for non-target screenings of organic chemicals in environmental samples using cutting-edge instrumentation such as time of flight-mass spectrometry (ToF-MS), Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR), and Orbitrap mass spectrometer have been developed. This overview provides descriptions of recent improvements of EDA and suggests future research directions based on current understandings and limitations.

Japanese encephalitis: a review of the Indian perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarika Tiwari

Full Text Available Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV causes Japanese encephalitis, which is a leading form of viral encephalitis in Asia, with around 50,000 cases and 10,000 deaths per year in children below 15 years of age. The JEV has shown a tendency to extend to other geographic regions. Case fatality averages 30% and a high percentage of the survivors are left with permanent neuropsychiatric sequelae. Currently, there is no cure for JEV, and treatment is mainly supportive. Patients are not infectious, but should avoid further mosquito bites. A number of antiviral agents have been investigated; however, none of these have convincingly been shown to improve the outcome of JEV. In this review, the current knowledge of the epidemiology and the pathogenesis of this deadly disease have been summarized.

Japanese encephalitis: a review of the Indian perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarika Tiwari

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV causes Japanese encephalitis, which is a leading form of viral encephalitis in Asia, with around 50,000 cases and 10,000 deaths per year in children below 15 years of age. The JEV has shown a tendency to extend to other geographic regions. Case fatality averages 30% and a high percentage of the survivors are left with permanent neuropsychiatric sequelae. Currently, there is no cure for JEV, and treatment is mainly supportive. Patients are not infectious, but should avoid further mosquito bites. A number of antiviral agents have been investigated; however, none of these have convincingly been shown to improve the outcome of JEV. In this review, the current knowledge of the epidemiology and the pathogenesis of this deadly disease have been summarized.

Current perspectives on the volatile-producing fungal endophytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi-Lin, Yuan; Yi-Cun, Chen; Bai-Ge, Xu; Chu-Long, Zhang

2012-12-01

Microbial-derived volatiles are ubiquitous in the environment and actively engaged in bio-communication with other organisms. Recently, some volatile-producing endophytes (VPEs), cryptic fungal symbionts persisting in healthy plant tissues, have attracted great attention due to their strong antibiotic activity or production of carbon chains that are identical to many of those found in petroleum, while other fragrant volatiles can be used in the flavoring industries. From an application-oriented and biotechnological point of view, these findings show significant promise for sustainable development of agriculture, forestry, and industry, especially in the control of fruit postharvest diseases, soil-borne pathogen management, and bio-fuel production. In comparison, the ecological importance of VPEs has only rarely been addressed and warrants further exploration. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and future directions in this fascinating research field, and also highlight the constraints and progresses towards commercialization of VPEs products.

Review of Soviet studies related to peaceful underground nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, W.

1978-01-01

Theoretical and empirical studies of contained and crater-forming underground nuclear explosions by USSR investigators are reviewed and summarized. Published data on U.S., USSR, and French cavity-forming nuclear explosions are compared with those predicted by the formula. Empirical studies on U.S. and USSR cratering explosions, both high explosions, both high explosive and nuclear are summarized. The parameters governing an excavation explosion are reviewed

Review of Hanford international activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panther, D.G.

1993-01-01

Hanford initiated a review of international activities to collect, review, and summarize information on international environmental restoration and waste management initiatives considered for use at Hanford. This effort focused on Hanford activities and accomplishments, especially international technical exchanges and/or the implementation of foreign-developed technologies

A review of the current state of digital plate reading of cultures in clinical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhoads, Daniel D; Novak, Susan M; Pantanowitz, Liron

2015-01-01

Digital plate reading (DPR) is increasingly being adopted as a means to facilitate the analysis and improve the quality and efficiency within the clinical microbiology laboratory. This review discusses the role of DPR in the context of total laboratory automation and explores some of the platforms currently available or in development for digital image capturing of microbial growth on media. The review focuses on the advantages and challenges of DPR. Peer-reviewed studies describing the utility and quality of these novel DPR systems are largely lacking, and professional guidelines for DPR implementation and quality management are needed. Further development and more widespread adoption of DPR is anticipated.

Short fiber-reinforced composite restorations: A review of the current literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Garoushi, Sufyan; Gargoum, Ausama; Vallittu, Pekka K; Lassila, Lippo

2018-02-25

A newly-recommended method for restoring large cavities is the biomimetic approach of using short fiber-reinforced composite (SFRC) as dentine-replacing material. The aim of the current review was to present an overview of SFRC and to give the clinician a detailed understanding of this new material and treatment strategy based on available-literature review. A thorough literature search was done up to December 2017. The range of relevant publications was surveyed using PubMed and Google Scholar. From the search results, articles related to our search terms were only considered. The search terms used were "short fiber-reinforced composite", "everX posterior", and "fiber-reinforced composite restorations". Of the assessed articles selected (N = 70), most were laboratory-based research with various test specimen designs prepared according to the ISO standard or with extracted teeth; only four articles were clinical reports. A common finding was that by combining the SFRC as a bulk base with conventional composite, the load-bearing capacity and failure mode of the material combination were improved, as compared to plain conventional composite restoration. In the reviewed studies, the biomimetic restoration technique of using SFRC showed promising characteristics, and therefore, might be recommended as an alternative treatment option for large cavities. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Hydrogen Storage Materials for Mobile and Stationary Applications: Current State of the Art.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Qiwen; Paskevicius, Mark; Sheppard, Drew A; Buckley, Craig E; Thornton, Aaron W; Hill, Matthew R; Gu, Qinfen; Mao, Jianfeng; Huang, Zhenguo; Liu, Hua Kun; Guo, Zaiping; Banerjee, Amitava; Chakraborty, Sudip; Ahuja, Rajeev; Aguey-Zinsou, Kondo-Francois

2015-09-07

One of the limitations to the widespread use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is its storage in a safe and compact form. Herein, recent developments in effective high-capacity hydrogen storage materials are reviewed, with a special emphasis on light compounds, including those based on organic porous structures, boron, nitrogen, and aluminum. These elements and their related compounds hold the promise of high, reversible, and practical hydrogen storage capacity for mobile applications, including vehicles and portable power equipment, but also for the large scale and distributed storage of energy for stationary applications. Current understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the interaction of hydrogen with these light compounds is summarized, as well as basic strategies to meet practical targets of hydrogen uptake and release. The limitation of these strategies and current understanding is also discussed and new directions proposed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Properties of Composite LGBT Prejudice and Discrimination Scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Melanie A; Bishop, C J; Morrison, Todd G

2018-01-08

Prejudice and discrimination against LGBT individuals is widespread and has been shown to have negative consequences for sexual and gender minority persons' physical and psychological wellbeing. A recent and problematic trend in the literature is to compositely measure prejudice toward and discrimination against LGBT persons. As such, a review of the psychometric properties of scales assessing, in a combinatory fashion, negative attitudes and/or behaviors toward LGBT persons is warranted. In the current study, 32 scales were identified, and their psychometric properties were evaluated. Most of the scales reviewed did not provide sufficient information regarding item development and refinement, scale dimensionality, scale score reliability, or validity. Properties of the reviewed scales are summarized, and recommendations for better measurement practice are articulated.

Current nutraceuticals in the management of osteoarthritis: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhtar, Nahid; Haqqi, Tariq M

2012-06-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease that has a major impact on joint function and quality of life. Nutraceuticals and dietary supplements derived from herbs have long been used in traditional medicine and there is considerable evidence that nutraceuticals may play an important role in inflammation and joint destruction in OA. We review the biological effects of some medicinal fruits and herbs - pomegranate, green tea, cat's claw, devil's claw, ginger, Indian olibaum, turmeric and ananas - in an attempt to understand the pivotal molecular targets involved in inflammation and the joint destruction process and to summarize their toxicities and efficacy for OA management. So far there is insufficient reliable evidence on the effectiveness of ginger, turmeric and ananas. Pomegranate and green tea only have preclinical evidence of efficacy due to the lack of clinical data. In vivo and clinical studies are required to understand their targets and efficacy in OA. Limited in vitro and in vivo evidence is available for cat's claw and Indian olibaum. More extensive studies are required before long-term controlled trials of whole cat's claw and Indian olibaum extracts, or isolated active compounds, are carried out in patients with OA to determine their long-term efficacy and safety. Devil's claw has not been rigorously tested to determine its antiarthritic potential in in vitro and in vivo models. There is strong clinical evidence of the effectiveness of devil's claw in pain reduction. However, high-quality clinical trials are needed to determine its effectiveness. No serious side effects have been reported for any fruits and herbs. Overall, these studies identify and support the use of nutraceuticals to provide symptomatic relief to patients with OA and to be used as adjunct therapy for OA management. More high-quality trials are needed to provide definitive answers to questions related to their efficacy and safety for OA prevention and

Bartonella, bats and bugs: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuckey, Matthew J; Chomel, Bruno B; de Fleurieu, Eloi Claret; Aguilar-Setién, Alvaro; Boulouis, Henri-Jean; Chang, Chao-Chin

2017-12-01

Ecological, immunological, and epidemiological factors enable bats to transmit an increasingly recognized spectrum of zoonotic agents, and bartonellae are among those emerging pathogens identified in bats and their arthropod ectoparasites. Current data reveal a multifaceted disease ecology where diverse host species distributed around the world interact with a number of Bartonella spp. and several potential vectors. This review summarizes the methods and findings of studies conducted since 2005 to illustrate that Bartonella bacteremia varies by bat species, location, and other potential variables, such as diet with a very high prevalence in hematophagous bats. Among bat families, Bartonella prevalence ranged from 7.3% among Nycteridae to 54.4% in Miniopteridae. Further research can build on these current data to better determine risk factors associated with Bartonella infection in bat populations and the role of their ectoparasites in transmission. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Current role of the NLRP3 inflammasome on obesity and insulin resistance: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rheinheimer, Jakeline; de Souza, Bianca M; Cardoso, Natali S; Bauer, Andrea C; Crispim, Daisy

2017-09-01

NLRP3 inflammasome activation seems to be a culprit behind the chronic inflammation characteristic of obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Nutrient excess generates danger-associated molecules that activate NLRP3 inflammasome-caspase 1, leading to maturation of IL-1β and IL-18, which are proinflammatory cytokines released by immune cells infiltrating the adipose tissue (AT) from obese subjects. Although several studies have reported an association of the NLRP3 inflammasome with obesity and/or IR; contradictory results were also reported by other studies. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to summarize results of studies that evaluated the association of the NLRP3 with obesity and IR. Nineteen studies were included in the review. These studies focused on NLRP3 expression/polymorphism analyses in AT. Overall, human studies indicate that obesity and IR are associated with increased NLRP3 expression in AT. Studies in obese mice corroborate this association. Moreover, high fat diet (HFD) increases Nlrp3 expression in murine AT while calorie-restricted diet decreases its expression. Hence, Nlrp3 blockade in mice protects against HFD-induced obesity and IR. NLRP3 rs10754558 polymorphism is associated with risk for T2DM in Chinese Han populations. In conclusion, available studies strongly points for an association between NLRP3 inflammasome and obesity/IR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astigmatism treatment during phacoemulsification: a review of current surgical strategies and their rationale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuliano de Oliveira Freitas

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Preexisting corneal astigmatism, present at the time of cataract surgery, is reviewed in detail throughout this article on its most important aspects such as occurrence rates, clinical relevance and current treatment options. Special emphasis is given to the latter aspect. Each method's rationale, advantage and limitation ishigh lightened. Comparisons between treatment options, whenever possible, are also provided.

Current scenario of chalcopyrite bioleaching: a review on the recent advances to its heap-leach technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Panda, Sandeep; Akcil, Ata; Pradhan, Nilotpala; Deveci, Haci

2015-11-01

Chalcopyrite is the primary copper mineral used for production of copper metal. Today, as a result of rapid industrialization, there has been enormous demand to profitably process the low grade chalcopyrite and "dirty" concentrates through bioleaching. In the current scenario, heap bioleaching is the most advanced and preferred eco-friendly technology for processing of low grade, uneconomic/difficult-to-enrich ores for copper extraction. This paper reviews the current status of chalcopyrite bioleaching. Advanced information with the attempts made for understanding the diversity of bioleaching microorganisms; role of OMICs based research for future applications to industrial sectors and chemical/microbial aspects of chalcopyrite bioleaching is discussed. Additionally, the current progress made to overcome the problems of passivation as seen in chalcopyrite bioleaching systems have been conversed. Furthermore, advances in the designing of heap bioleaching plant along with microbial and environmental factors of importance have been reviewed with conclusions into the future prospects of chalcopyrite bioleaching. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunity against Ticks-A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masood Akhtar*, Faqir Muhammad, Laeeq Akbar Lodhi, Iftikhar Hussain and M. Irfan Anwar1

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Tick and tick borne diseases cause many problems to man and domestic animals world wide. These problems are most closely associated with domestic animals in tropical and subtropical areas around the globe. Currently tick control depends largely on the use of different chemicals. But the development of resistance against commonly available acaricides has created problem in this regard and animal population is becoming susceptible to both the ticks and diseases they transmit, with disastrous outcomes. The ability of manipulating organisms on molecular level and recent advancement in immunological procedures has provided alternatives for tick control. The objective of this review is to update/summarize the recent advances in the development of immunity against tick infestation in animals.

Review of studies of research opportunities in energy conservation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hane, G.J.; Williams, T.A.; Hauser, S.G.

1984-04-01

This study attempted to systematically identify, screen and review many of the 27 remaining major studies across the end-use areas. The method used to identify and review the studies, the scope of this effort, the types of studies reviewed, and the R and D opportunities identified are discussed. The actual report reviews are included. The review format and the kinds of information sought from each report are discussed. The general categories of the material are described; the types of information presented are summarized; and gaps in the literature are discussed. A discussion of R and D needs and comments of the specific needs presented and their temporal and evolutionary characteristics are included. The findings of the review are summarized and the researchers contacted for information are listed.

Thermal management issues in a PEMFC stack - A brief review of current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandlikar, Satish G.; Lu Zijie

2009-01-01

Understanding the thermal effects is critical in optimizing the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). A PEMFC produces a similar amount of waste heat to its electric power output and tolerates only a small deviation in temperature from its design point. The balance between the heat production and its removal determines the operating temperature of a PEMFC. These stringent thermal requirements present a significant heat transfer challenge. In this work, the fundamental heat transfer mechanisms at PEMFC component level (including polymer electrolyte, catalyst layers, gas diffusion media and bipolar plates) are briefly reviewed. The current status of PEMFC cooling technology is also reviewed and research needs are identified

Comprehensive review in current developments of imidazole-based medicinal chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ling; Peng, Xin-Mei; Damu, Guri L V; Geng, Rong-Xia; Zhou, Cheng-He

2014-03-01

Imidazole ring is an important five-membered aromatic heterocycle widely present in natural products and synthetic molecules. The unique structural feature of imidazole ring with desirable electron-rich characteristic is beneficial for imidazole derivatives to readily bind with a variety of enzymes and receptors in biological systems through diverse weak interactions, thereby exhibiting broad bioactivities. The related research and developments of imidazole-based medicinal chemistry have become a rapidly developing and increasingly active topic. Particularly, numerous imidazole-based compounds as clinical drugs have been extensively used in the clinic to treat various types of diseases with high therapeutic potency, which have shown the enormous development value. This work systematically gives a comprehensive review in current developments of imidazole-based compounds in the whole range of medicinal chemistry as anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, antitubercular, anti-inflammatory, antineuropathic, antihypertensive, antihistaminic, antiparasitic, antiobesity, antiviral, and other medicinal agents, together with their potential applications in diagnostics and pathology. It is hoped that this review will be helpful for new thoughts in the quest for rational designs of more active and less toxic imidazole-based medicinal drugs, as well as more effective diagnostic agents and pathologic probes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Current status of endovascular catheter robotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lumsden, Alan B; Bismuth, Jean

2018-06-01

In this review, we will detail the evolution of endovascular therapy as the basis for the development of catheter-based robotics. In parallel, we will outline the evolution of robotics in the surgical space and how the convergence of technology and the entrepreneurs who push this evolution have led to the development of endovascular robots. The current state-of-the-art and future directions and potential are summarized for the reader. Information in this review has been drawn primarily from our personal clinical and preclinical experience in use of catheter robotics, coupled with some ground-breaking work reported from a few other major centers who have embraced the technology's capabilities and opportunities. Several case studies demonstrating the unique capabilities of a precisely controlled catheter are presented. Most of the preclinical work was performed in the advanced imaging and navigation laboratory. In this unique facility, the interface of advanced imaging techniques and robotic guidance is being explored. Although this procedure employs a very high-tech approach to navigation inside the endovascular space, we have conveyed the kind of opportunities that this technology affords to integrate 3D imaging and 3D control. Further, we present the opportunity of semi-autonomous motion of these devices to a target. For the interventionist, enhanced precision can be achieved in a nearly radiation-free environment.

Current progress in the permeability and its enhancement approches for TCM active ingredients across blood-eye barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Yang Bai

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Blood-eye barrier(BEBis one of the most important structures of organism to maintain homeostasis of the eye. However, it is the major constraint for the medication of intraocular diseases. Traditional Chinese medicines have distinctive advantages for the treatment of intraocular diseases, which can be used to regulate the physiological function of human body with low toxicity. In this article, we have briefly summarized the feature of BEB, with the domestic and foreign literatures combined, and mainly reviewed current progress in the field of study on the permeability of traditional Chinese medicines and effective components in BEB and promoting methods.

Review of current status for designing severe accident management support system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Kwang Sub

2000-05-01

The development of operator support system (OSS) is ongoing in many other countries due to the complexity both in design and in operation for nuclear power plant. The computerized operator support system includes monitoring of some critical parameters, early detection of plant transient, monitoring of component status, plant maintenance, and safety parameter display, and the operator support system for these areas are developed and are being used in some plants. Up to now, the most operator support system covers the normal operation, abnormal operation, and emergency operation. Recently, however, the operator support system for severe accident is to be developed in some countries. The study for the phenomena of severe accident is not performed sufficiently, but, based on the result up to now, the operator support system even for severe accident will be developed in this study. To do this, at first, the current status of the operator support system for normal/abnormal/emergency operation is reviewed, and the positive aspects and negative aspects of systems are analyzed by their characteristics. And also, the major items that should be considered in designing the severe accident operator support system are derived from the review. With the survey of domestic and foreign operator support systems, they are reviewed in terms of the safety parameter display system, decision-making support system, and procedure-tracking system. For the severe accident, the severe accident management guideline (SAMG) which is developed by Westinghouse is reviewed; the characteristics, structure, and logical flow of SAMG are studied. In addition, the critical parameters for severe accident, which are the basis for operators decision-making in severe accident management and are supplied to the operators and the technical support center, are reviewed, too.

Review of current status for designing severe accident management support system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Kwang Sub

2000-05-01

The development of operator support system (OSS) is ongoing in many other countries due to the complexity both in design and in operation for nuclear power plant. The computerized operator support system includes monitoring of some critical parameters, early detection of plant transient, monitoring of component status, plant maintenance, and safety parameter display, and the operator support system for these areas are developed and are being used in some plants. Up to now, the most operator support system covers the normal operation, abnormal operation, and emergency operation. Recently, however, the operator support system for severe accident is to be developed in some countries. The study for the phenomena of severe accident is not performed sufficiently, but, based on the result up to now, the operator support system even for severe accident will be developed in this study. To do this, at first, the current status of the operator support system for normal/abnormal/emergency operation is reviewed, and the positive aspects and negative aspects of systems are analyzed by their characteristics. And also, the major items that should be considered in designing the severe accident operator support system are derived from the review. With the survey of domestic and foreign operator support systems, they are reviewed in terms of the safety parameter display system, decision-making support system, and procedure-tracking system. For the severe accident, the severe accident management guideline (SAMG) which is developed by Westinghouse is reviewed; the characteristics, structure, and logical flow of SAMG are studied. In addition, the critical parameters for severe accident, which are the basis for operators decision-making in severe accident management and are supplied to the operators and the technical support center, are reviewed, too

Report of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Piping Review Committee. Volume 5. Summary - Piping Review Committee conclusions and recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-04-01

This document summarizes a comprehensive review of NRC requirements for Nuclear Piping by the US NRC Piping Review Committee. Four topical areas, addressed in greater detail in Volumes 1 through 4 of this report, are included: (1) Stress Corrosion Cracking in Piping of Boiling Water Reactor Plants; (2) Evaluation of Seismic Design; (3) Evaluation of Potential for Pipe Breaks; and (4) Evaluation of Other Dynamic Loads and Load Combinations. This volume summarizes the major issues, reviews the interfaces, and presents the Committee's conclusions and recommendations for updating NRC requirements on these issues. This report also suggests research or other work that may be required to respond to issues not amenable to resolution at this time

Literature review on cyclic lateral loading effects of mono-bucket foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kapitanov, Lachezar Rosenov; Duroska, Peter; Quirante, Cesar Antonio Garcia

2016-01-01

and consequently cost-effectiveness compared to other common solutions. The long-term cyclic loading can cause degradation of soil-bucket system stiffness, which yields into accumulated and permanent deformations. Despite of the advantages, there is no standard procedure to design the foundation especially...... calculation is highly demanded at the different design phases. The intention of the current study is to present, review and summarize the existing techniques to assess the effect of cyclic loading on Mono-Bucket foundations while emphasizing the advantage and disadvantage of each of them. Additionally...

A Comparison of Two Strategies for Teaching Third Graders to Summarize Information Text

Science.gov (United States)

Dromsky, Ann Marie

2011-01-01

Summarizing text is one of the most effective comprehension strategies (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000) and an effective way to learn from information text (Dole, Duffy, Roehler, & Pearson, 1991; Pressley & Woloshyn, 1995). In addition, much research supports the explicit instruction of such strategies as…

Utilizing Marzano's Summarizing and Note Taking Strategies on Seventh Grade Students' Mathematics Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanmarie-Gardner, Charmaine

2013-01-01

A quasi-experimental research study was conducted that investigated the academic impact of utilizing Marzano's summarizing and note taking strategies on mathematic achievement. A sample of seventh graders from a middle school located on Long Island's North Shore was tested to determine whether significant differences existed in mathematic test…

The effects of organic nitrates on osteoporosis: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamal, S A; Reid, L S; Hamilton, C J

2013-03-01

Current treatments for osteoporosis are limited by lack of effect on cortical bone, side effects, and, in some cases, cost. Organic nitrates, which act as nitric oxide donors, may be a potential alternative. This systematic review summarizes the clinical data that reports on the effects of organic nitrates and bone. Organic nitrates, which act as nitric oxide donors, are novel agents that have several advantages over the currently available treatments for osteoporosis. This systematic review summarizes the clinical data that reports on the effects of organic nitrates on bone. We searched Medline (1966 to November 2012), EMBASE (1980 to November 2012), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 11, 2012). Keywords included nitrates, osteoporosis, bone mineral density (BMD), and fractures. We identified 200 citations. Of these, a total of 29 were retrieved for more detailed evaluation and we excluded 19 manuscripts: 15 because they did not present original data and four because they did not provide data on the intervention or outcome of interest. As such, we included ten studies in literature review. Of these ten studies two were observational cohort studies reporting nitrate use was associated with increased BMD; two were case control studies reporting that use of nitrates were associated with lower risk of hip fracture; two were randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing alendronate to organic nitrates for treatment of postmenopausal women and demonstrating that both agents increased lumbar spine BMD. The two largest RCT with the longest follow-up, both of which compared effects of organic nitrates to placebo on BMD in women without osteoporosis, reported conflicting results. Headaches were the most common adverse event among women taking nitrates. No studies have reported on fracture efficacy. Further research is needed before recommending organic nitrates for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Our Approach to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis and Review of Current Treatment Alternatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih Uygur

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN is a clinical entity which has a 30 to 40 % mortality rate, with necrolysis affecting the entire epidermis. Antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticonvulsants are offender drugs in TEN etiology. A standard treatment protocol with proven efficacy is still lacking. In this study, current treatment practice and our treatment strategy for TEN is discussed and eight patients treated in our clinic between the years 2001 and 2008 are reviewed.

The treatment of Parkinson′s disease with deep brain stimulation: current issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexia-Sabine Moldovan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Deep brain stimulation has become a well-established symptomatic treatment for Parkinson′s disease during the last 25 years. Besides improving motor symptoms and long-term motor complications, positive effects on patients′ mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being and health-related quality of life have been recognized. Apart from that, numerous clinical trials analyzed effects on non-motor symptoms and side effects of deep brain stimulation. Several technical issues and stimulation paradigms have been and are still being developed to optimize the therapeutic effects, minimize the side effects and facilitate handling. This review summarizes current therapeutic issues, i.e., patient and target selection, surgical procedure and programming paradigms. In addition it focuses on neuropsychological effects and side effects of deep brain stimulation.

Identifying therapeutic targets in gastric cancer: the current status and future direction

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Beiqin; Xie, Jingwu

2016-01-01

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Our basic understanding of gastric cancer biology falls behind that of many other cancer types. Current standard treatment options for gastric cancer have not changed for the last 20 years. Thus, there is an urgent need to establish novel strategies to treat this deadly cancer. Successful clinical trials with Gleevec in CML and gastrointestinal stromal tumors have set up an example for targeted therapy of cancer. In this review, we will summarize major progress in classification, therapeutic options of gastric cancer. We will also discuss molecular mechanisms for drug resistance in gastric cancer. In addition, we will attempt to propose potential future directions in gastric cancer biology and drug targets. PMID:26373844

Summarizing primary and secondary effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlson, Kristian Bernt

2013-01-01

Current methods for decomposing class differentials in educational decisions into primary and secondary effects produce many parameters, rendering them ill-equipped for parsimonious comparisons across countries or birth cohorts. This paper develops a parametric method that provides an optimal...... summary of primary and secondary effects across discrete class origins. Under the testable assumption that the pattern of effects of class origins on academic ability is proportional to the pattern of effects of class origins on educational choice net of academic ability, the method returns a single...

Clustering cliques for graph-based summarization of the biomedical research literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Han; Fiszman, Marcelo; Shin, Dongwook

2013-01-01

Background: Graph-based notions are increasingly used in biomedical data mining and knowledge discovery tasks. In this paper, we present a clique-clustering method to automatically summarize graphs of semantic predications produced from PubMed citations (titles and abstracts).Results: Sem......Rep is used to extract semantic predications from the citations returned by a PubMed search. Cliques were identified from frequently occurring predications with highly connected arguments filtered by degree centrality. Themes contained in the summary were identified with a hierarchical clustering algorithm...

Contribution of systematic reviews to management decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Carly N; Possingham, Hugh P; Fuller, Richard A

2013-10-01

Systematic reviews comprehensively summarize evidence about the effectiveness of conservation interventions. We investigated the contribution to management decisions made by this growing body of literature. We identified 43 systematic reviews of conservation evidence, 23 of which drew some concrete conclusions relevant to management. Most reviews addressed conservation interventions relevant to policy decisions; only 35% considered practical on-the-ground management interventions. The majority of reviews covered only a small fraction of the geographic and taxonomic breadth they aimed to address (median = 13% of relevant countries and 16% of relevant taxa). The likelihood that reviews contained at least some implications for management tended to increase as geographic coverage increased and to decline as taxonomic breadth increased. These results suggest the breadth of a systematic review requires careful consideration. Reviews identified a mean of 312 relevant primary studies but excluded 88% of these because of deficiencies in design or a failure to meet other inclusion criteria. Reviews summarized on average 284 data sets and 112 years of research activity, yet the likelihood that their results had at least some implications for management did not increase as the amount of primary research summarized increased. In some cases, conclusions were elusive despite the inclusion of hundreds of data sets and years of cumulative research activity. Systematic reviews are an important part of the conservation decision making tool kit, although we believe the benefits of systematic reviews could be significantly enhanced by increasing the number of reviews focused on questions of direct relevance to on-the-ground managers; defining a more focused geographic and taxonomic breadth that better reflects available data; including a broader range of evidence types; and appraising the cost-effectiveness of interventions. © 2013 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley

A critical review of research on strategies in learning Chinese as both a second and foreign language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoli Jiang

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This article critically reviews strategy research on learning Chinese both as a second and foreign language. Through a careful examination of major data bases in both the Chinese and English languages, the article summarizes research in the field and the principal research methods used in the studies reviewed. Moreover, key limitations in research designs, inconsistencies in reported findings, inappropriate use of research methods, and weaknesses in both Chinese- and English-language publications are discussed. The article concludes by calling for future research paying more attention to current language learning strategy theories and practices.

Veganism and osteoporosis: a review of the current literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Annabelle M

2006-10-01

The purpose of this review is to examine the current literature regarding calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies in vegan diets and the possible relationship to low bone mineral density and incidence for fracture. Prominent databases were searched for original research publications providing data capable of answering these questions: (i) Do vegans have lower-than-recommended levels of calcium/Vitamin D? (ii) Do vegans have lower bone mineral density than their non-vegan counterparts? (iii) Are vegans at a greater risk for fractures than non-vegans? The findings gathered consistently support the hypothesis that vegans do have lower bone mineral density than their non-vegan counterparts. However, the evidence regarding calcium, Vitamin D and fracture incidence is inconclusive. More research is needed to definitively answer these questions and to address the effects of such deficiencies on the medical and socioeconomic aspects of life.

Current evidence of methotrexate efficacy in childhood chronic uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonini, Gabriele; Paudyal, Priyamvada; Jones, Gareth T; Cimaz, Rolando; Macfarlane, Gary J

2013-05-01

To summarize evidence regarding the effectiveness of MTX in the treatment of childhood autoimmune chronic uveitis (ACU). A systematic search of articles between January 1990 and June 2011 was conducted using EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews-ACP Journal Club, the Cochrane Library and EBM Reviews. Studies investigating the efficacy of MTX as a single immunosuppressant medication in the treatment of ACU refractory to therapy with topical treatment and/or systemic treatment in children (≤16 years) were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome measure was the improvement of intraocular inflammation, expressed as Tyndall, as defined by the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature working group criteria. The effect measure for each study was the proportion of people classified as responders. We determined a combined estimate of the proportion of children in the eligible studies responding to MTX. The initial search identified 246 articles of which 52 were potentially eligible. Nine eligible articles, all retrospective chart reviews, remained in the analysis. The number of children in studies ranged from 3 to 25, and the dose of MTX varied from 7.5 to 30 mg/m2. Altogether, 95 of 135 children responded to MTX. The pooled analysis suggested that MTX has a favourable effect in the improvement of intraocular inflammation: the proportion of responding subjects was 0.73 (95% CI 0.66, 0.81). Although randomized controlled trials are needed, the available evidence supports the use of MTX in the treatment of childhood ACU: approximately three-quarters of patients on MTX can expect improvement in intraocular inflammation.

Virtual reality training in neurosurgery: Review of current status and future applications

Science.gov (United States)

Alaraj, Ali; Lemole, Michael G.; Finkle, Joshua H.; Yudkowsky, Rachel; Wallace, Adam; Luciano, Cristian; Banerjee, P. Pat; Rizzi, Silvio H.; Charbel, Fady T.

2011-01-01

Background: Over years, surgical training is changing and years of tradition are being challenged by legal and ethical concerns for patient safety, work hour restrictions, and the cost of operating room time. Surgical simulation and skill training offer an opportunity to teach and practice advanced techniques before attempting them on patients. Simulation training can be as straightforward as using real instruments and video equipment to manipulate simulated “tissue” in a box trainer. More advanced virtual reality (VR) simulators are now available and ready for widespread use. Early systems have demonstrated their effectiveness and discriminative ability. Newer systems enable the development of comprehensive curricula and full procedural simulations. Methods: A PubMed review of the literature was performed for the MESH words “Virtual reality, “Augmented Reality”, “Simulation”, “Training”, and “Neurosurgery”. Relevant articles were retrieved and reviewed. A review of the literature was performed for the history, current status of VR simulation in neurosurgery. Results: Surgical organizations are calling for methods to ensure the maintenance of skills, advance surgical training, and credential surgeons as technically competent. The number of published literature discussing the application of VR simulation in neurosurgery training has evolved over the last decade from data visualization, including stereoscopic evaluation to more complex augmented reality models. With the revolution of computational analysis abilities, fully immersive VR models are currently available in neurosurgery training. Ventriculostomy catheters insertion, endoscopic and endovascular simulations are used in neurosurgical residency training centers across the world. Recent studies have shown the coloration of proficiency with those simulators and levels of experience in the real world. Conclusion: Fully immersive technology is starting to be applied to the practice of

Virtual reality training in neurosurgery: Review of current status and future applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Alaraj, Ali; Lemole, Michael G; Finkle, Joshua H; Yudkowsky, Rachel; Wallace, Adam; Luciano, Cristian; Banerjee, P Pat; Rizzi, Silvio H; Charbel, Fady T

2011-01-01

Over years, surgical training is changing and years of tradition are being challenged by legal and ethical concerns for patient safety, work hour restrictions, and the cost of operating room time. Surgical simulation and skill training offer an opportunity to teach and practice advanced techniques before attempting them on patients. Simulation training can be as straightforward as using real instruments and video equipment to manipulate simulated "tissue" in a box trainer. More advanced virtual reality (VR) simulators are now available and ready for widespread use. Early systems have demonstrated their effectiveness and discriminative ability. Newer systems enable the development of comprehensive curricula and full procedural simulations. A PubMed review of the literature was performed for the MESH words "Virtual reality, "Augmented Reality", "Simulation", "Training", and "Neurosurgery". Relevant articles were retrieved and reviewed. A review of the literature was performed for the history, current status of VR simulation in neurosurgery. Surgical organizations are calling for methods to ensure the maintenance of skills, advance surgical training, and credential surgeons as technically competent. The number of published literature discussing the application of VR simulation in neurosurgery training has evolved over the last decade from data visualization, including stereoscopic evaluation to more complex augmented reality models. With the revolution of computational analysis abilities, fully immersive VR models are currently available in neurosurgery training. Ventriculostomy catheters insertion, endoscopic and endovascular simulations are used in neurosurgical residency training centers across the world. Recent studies have shown the coloration of proficiency with those simulators and levels of experience in the real world. Fully immersive technology is starting to be applied to the practice of neurosurgery. In the near future, detailed VR neurosurgical modules

Heterogeneity image patch index and its application to consumer video summarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Chinh T; Radha, Hayder

2014-06-01

Automatic video summarization is indispensable for fast browsing and efficient management of large video libraries. In this paper, we introduce an image feature that we refer to as heterogeneity image patch (HIP) index. The proposed HIP index provides a new entropy-based measure of the heterogeneity of patches within any picture. By evaluating this index for every frame in a video sequence, we generate a HIP curve for that sequence. We exploit the HIP curve in solving two categories of video summarization applications: key frame extraction and dynamic video skimming. Under the key frame extraction frame-work, a set of candidate key frames is selected from abundant video frames based on the HIP curve. Then, a proposed patch-based image dissimilarity measure is used to create affinity matrix of these candidates. Finally, a set of key frames is extracted from the affinity matrix using a min–max based algorithm. Under video skimming, we propose a method to measure the distance between a video and its skimmed representation. The video skimming problem is then mapped into an optimization framework and solved by minimizing a HIP-based distance for a set of extracted excerpts. The HIP framework is pixel-based and does not require semantic information or complex camera motion estimation. Our simulation results are based on experiments performed on consumer videos and are compared with state-of-the-art methods. It is shown that the HIP approach outperforms other leading methods, while maintaining low complexity.

[Vegetables as new psychoactive drugs: a narrative review].

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez Salgado, Beatriz; Gómez-Arnau Ramírez, Jorge; Sánchez Mateos, Daniel; Dolengevich Segal, Helen

2016-01-21

There is growing interest in plants with psychoactive effects among consumers with different levels of experience. This has generated a need for updated knowledge among medical professionals and other health workers. These plants, which may be used in shamanic healing ceremonies or rituals or just for traditional purposes, have emerged in the Western world as new psychoactive drugs; largely thanks to the ease of purchase, sale, cultivation and exchange of information that the Internet offers. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the most important psychoactive plants, either by their mention in Internet forums or harm-reduction portals or by their allusion in scientific texts.

Civilian Power Program. Part 1, Summary, Current status of reactor concepts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Author, Not Given

1959-09-01

This study group covered the following: delineation of the specific objectives of the overall US AEC civilian power reactor program, technical objectives of each reactor concept, preparation of a chronological development program for each reactor concept, evaluation of the economic potential of each reactor type, a program to encourage the the development, and yardsticks for measuring the development. Results were used for policy review by AEC, program direction, authorization and appropriation requests, etc. This evaluation encompassed civilian power reactors rated at 25 MW(e) or larger and related experimental facilities and R&D. This Part I summarizes the significant results of the comprehensive effort to determine the current technical and economic status for each reactor concept; it is based on the 8 individual technical status reports (Part III).

Twelve recommendations for integrating existing systematic reviews into new reviews: EPC guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Karen A; Chou, Roger; Berkman, Nancy D; Newberry, Sydne J; Fu, Rongwei; Hartling, Lisa; Dryden, Donna; Butler, Mary; Foisy, Michelle; Anderson, Johanna; Motu'apuaka, Makalapua; Relevo, Rose; Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Chang, Stephanie

2016-02-01

As time and cost constraints in the conduct of systematic reviews increase, the need to consider the use of existing systematic reviews also increases. We developed guidance on the integration of systematic reviews into new reviews. A workgroup of methodologists from Evidence-based Practice Centers developed consensus-based recommendations. Discussions were informed by a literature scan and by interviews with organizations that conduct systematic reviews. Twelve recommendations were developed addressing selecting reviews, assessing risk of bias, qualitative and quantitative synthesis, and summarizing and assessing body of evidence. We provide preliminary guidance for an efficient and unbiased approach to integrating existing systematic reviews with primary studies in a new review. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Massage therapy: understanding the mechanisms of action on blood pressure. A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Nicole L

2015-10-01

Massage therapy (MT) has shown potential in reducing blood pressure (BP); however, the psychophysiological pathways and structures involved in this outcome are unclear. The aims of this scoping review were twofold. (1) To summarize the current knowledge of the mechanisms of action of MT on BP. (2) To highlight the research gaps and challenges that researchers must overcome to further elucidate how MT attenuates BP. A scoping review was conducted to examine the evidence regarding the mechanisms of action of MT on BP. This review included the thematic analysis of 27 publications that considered the influence of MT on BP. Based on this analysis, six potential BP mediating pathways were identified Current theories suggest that MT exerts sympatholytic effects through physiologic and psychological mechanisms, improves hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis function, and increases in blood flow, which, in turn, may improve endothelial function. Future study is needed, using more scientifically rigorous methodology, to fully elucidate the mechanism of action of MT. Copyright © 2015 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review of Current Immunologic Therapies for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria K. Shanmugam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory disease of apocrine gland-bearing skin which affects approximately 1–4% of the population. The disease is more common in women and patients of African American descent and approximately one-third of patients report a family history. Obesity and smoking are known risk factors, but associations with other immune disorders, especially inflammatory bowel disease, are also recognized. The pathogenesis of HS is poorly understood and host innate or adaptive immune response, defective keratinocyte function, and the microbial environment in the hair follicle and apocrine gland have all been postulated to play a role in disease activity. While surgical interventions can be helpful to reduce disease burden, there is a high recurrence rate. Increasingly, data supports targeted immune therapy for HS, and longitudinal studies suggest benefit from these agents, both when used alone and as an adjunct to surgical treatments. The purpose of this review is to outline the current data supporting use of targeted immune therapy in HS management.

78 FR 30273 - Export Trade Certificate of Review

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-22

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [Application No. 84-24A12] Export Trade Certificate of Review ACTION: Notice of Application to Amend the Export Trade Certificate of Review Issued to... application to amend an Export Trade Certificate of Review (``Certificate''). This notice summarizes the...

Current status and prospects of uranium geology developments of foreign in-situ leachable sandstone type uranium deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhengbang

2002-01-01

Firstly, with emphasis on in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposits, the prospecting history of uranium deposits worldwide and its scientific research development are generally reviewed in four steps, and their basic historical experience is also summarized. Secondly, based on the detailed description of current development status of uranium geology of foreign in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposits the important strategic position of sandstone-type uranium deposits in overall uranium resources all-over-the-world and its classification, spatial-temporal distribution and regulation, and metallogenic condition of sandstone-type uranium deposits are analysed thoroughly in five aspects: techtonics, paleo-climate, hydrogeology, sedimentary facies and lithology, as well as uranium sources: Afterwards, evaluation principles of three type of hyper-genic, epigenetic infiltrated sandstone-type uranium deposits are summarized. Based on sandstone-type uranium deposits located two important countries: the United States and Russia, the current development status of prospecting technology for in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposits in foreign countries is outlined. Finally, according to the prospects of supply-demand development of global uranium resources, the author points out seriously that Chinese uranium geology is faced with a severe challenge, and proposes directly four strategic measures that should be taken

Reviews in fluorescence 2007

CERN Document Server

Lakowicz, Joseph R; Geddes, Chris D

2009-01-01

This fourth volume in the Springer series summarizes the year's progress in fluorescence, with authoritative analytical reviews specialized enough for professional researchers, yet also appealing to a wider audience of scientists in related fields.

Current perspectives on the evolution of birds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ericson, P.G.P.

2008-01-01

The paper summarizes the current understanding of the evolution and diversification of birds. New insights into this field have mainly come from two fundamentally different, but complementary sources of information: the many newly discovered Mesozoic bird fossils and the wealth of genetic analyses

[Current insights about recurrence of glomerular diseases after renal transplantation].

Science.gov (United States)

Kofman, Tomek; Oniszczuk, Julie; Lang, Philippe; Grimbert, Philippe; Audard, Vincent

2018-05-01

Recurrence of glomerular disease after renal transplantation is a frequent cause of graft loss. Incidence, risk factors and outcome of recurrence are widely due to the underlying glomerular disease. Graft biopsy analysis is required to confirm the definitive diagnosis of recurrence and to start an appropriate therapy that, in some cases, remains challenging to prevent graft failure. Increased use of protocol biopsy and recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of some glomerular diseases with the identification of some relevant biomarkers provide a unique opportunity to initiate kidney-protective therapy at early stages of recurrence on the graft. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the management of many recurrent primary and secondary glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation. Copyright © 2018 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Bisphenol A and hormone-associated cancers: current progress and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hui; Yang, Bao-Jun; Li, Nan; Feng, Li-Min; Shi, Xiao-Yu; Zhao, Wei-Hong; Liu, Si-Jin

2015-01-01

Bisphenol A (BPA), a carbon-based synthetic compound, exhibits hormone-like properties and is present ubiquitously in the environment and in human tissues due to its widespread use and biological accumulation. BPA can mimic estrogen to interact with estrogen receptors α and β, leading to changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, or migration and thereby, contributing to cancer development and progression. At the genetic level, BPA has been shown to be involved in multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, such as the STAT3, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways. Moreover, BPA may also interact with other steroid receptors (such as androgen receptor) and plays a role in prostate cancer development. This review summarizes the current literature regarding human exposure to BPA, the endocrine-disrupting effects of BPA, and the role of BPA in hormone-associated cancers of the breast, ovary, and prostate.

Are adverse effects incorporated in economic models? An initial review of current practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, D; McDaid, C; Fonseca, T; Stock, C; Duffy, S; Woolacott, N

2009-12-01

To identify methodological research on the incorporation of adverse effects in economic models and to review current practice. Major electronic databases (Cochrane Methodology Register, Health Economic Evaluations Database, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, EconLit, EMBASE, Health Management Information Consortium, IDEAS, MEDLINE and Science Citation Index) were searched from inception to September 2007. Health technology assessment (HTA) reports commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) HTA programme and published between 2004 and 2007 were also reviewed. The reviews of methodological research on the inclusion of adverse effects in decision models and of current practice were carried out according to standard methods. Data were summarised in a narrative synthesis. Of the 719 potentially relevant references in the methodological research review, five met the inclusion criteria; however, they contained little information of direct relevance to the incorporation of adverse effects in models. Of the 194 HTA monographs published from 2004 to 2007, 80 were reviewed, covering a range of research and therapeutic areas. In total, 85% of the reports included adverse effects in the clinical effectiveness review and 54% of the decision models included adverse effects in the model; 49% included adverse effects in the clinical review and model. The link between adverse effects in the clinical review and model was generally weak; only 3/80 (manipulation. Of the models including adverse effects, 67% used a clinical adverse effects parameter, 79% used a cost of adverse effects parameter, 86% used one of these and 60% used both. Most models (83%) used utilities, but only two (2.5%) used solely utilities to incorporate adverse effects and were explicit that the utility captured relevant adverse effects; 53% of those models that included utilities derived them from patients on treatment and could therefore be interpreted as capturing adverse effects. In total

Review of particle properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trippe, T.G.; Barbaro-Galtieri, A.; Kelly, R.L.; Rittenberg, A.; Rosenfeld, A.H.; Yost, G.P.; Barash-Schmidt, N.; Bricman, C.; Hemingway, R.J.; Losty, M.J.; Roos, M.; Chaloupka, V.; Armstrong, B.

1976-01-01

This review of the properties of leptons, mesons, and baryons is an updating of Review of Particle Properties, Particle Data Group [Phys. Letters 50B, No.1 (1974), and Supplement, Rev. Mod. Phys. 47 (1975) 535]. Data are evaluated, listed, averaged, and summarized in tables. Numerous tables, figures, and formulae of interest to particle physicists are also included. A data booklet is available

Adrenal lesions encountered in current medical practice − a review of their radiological imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanesha Naidu

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Modern radiological technology has transformed the way that adrenal lesions are currently investigated. The contemporary radiologist has been catapulted to the forefront in the management of adrenal disease. With the increasing use of cross-sectional imaging, adrenal lesions are being serendipitously discovered in radiological studies undertaken for non-adrenal-related conditions – the so-called adrenal ‘incidentaloma’. This review discusses the imaging modalities available for characterising these lesions, highlighting current concepts and controversies in differentiating benign from malignant pathology. The article also provides a brief overview of the spectrum of adrenal pathology commonly encountered in the adult population.

Enhancing Islamic Students’ Reading Comprehension through Predict Organize Search Summarize Evaluate Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darmayenti Darmayenti

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper is a report of an experimental research project conducted in a reading comprehension course for first-year students of the Adab Faculty of the State Institute for Islamic Studies Imam Bonjol Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia, during the academic year 2015/2016. The “Predict Organize Search Summarize Evaluate” (POSSE is one strategy that can enhance students’ comprehension in reading. Two classes of Arabic and History students chosen through cluster random sampling technique were used as the sample of the research. Reading tests were used to collect the data which was given to both of classes on pre-test and post-test. The result of the research showed that the implementation of Predict Organize Search Summarize Evaluate strategy gave a significant difference in term of the students-learning outcome between the students who were taught through POSSE strategy and by traditional one. The finding of the study showed that teaching reading by using POSSE strategy gave significant effect towards students’ reading comprehension. This strategy could improve the students’ reading component on finding topic. It can be concluded that using POSSE Strategy has improved Indonesian students’ reading comprehension. It is also recommended for English lecturers use POSSE strategy as one of teaching strategies for reading comprehension.

Autophagy in Drosophila: From Historical Studies to Current Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Mulakkal, Nitha C.; Nagy, Peter; Takats, Szabolcs; Tusco, Radu; Juhász, Gábor; Nezis, Ioannis P.

2014-01-01

The discovery of evolutionarily conserved Atg genes required for autophagy in yeast truly revolutionized this research field and made it possible to carry out functional studies on model organisms. Insects including Drosophila are classical and still popular models to study autophagy, starting from the 1960s. This review aims to summarize past achievements and our current knowledge about the role and regulation of autophagy in Drosophila, with an outlook to yeast and mammals. The basic mechanisms of autophagy in fruit fly cells appear to be quite similar to other eukaryotes, and the role that this lysosomal self-degradation process plays in Drosophila models of various diseases already made it possible to recognize certain aspects of human pathologies. Future studies in this complete animal hold great promise for the better understanding of such processes and may also help finding new research avenues for the treatment of disorders with misregulated autophagy. PMID:24949430

The design of reliability data bases, part I: review of standard design concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooke, Roger M.

1996-01-01

Main styles in the design of reliability data banks (RDB's) are reviewed. The conceptual and mathematical tools underlying these designs are summarized. A key point is the method for assessing failure rates for competing failure modes. The theory of independent competing risk and the relation to colored Poisson processes is explained. The notions of observed and naked failure rates are defined, and their equivalence under the assumption of independence is shown. In conclusion, the needs of different users are compared with the information currently offered

Giant Magnetoresistance Sensors: A Review on Structures and Non-Destructive Eddy Current Testing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damhuji Rifai

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Non-destructive eddy current testing (ECT is widely used to examine structural defects in ferromagnetic pipe in the oil and gas industry. Implementation of giant magnetoresistance (GMR sensors as magnetic field sensors to detect the changes of magnetic field continuity have increased the sensitivity of eddy current techniques in detecting the material defect profile. However, not many researchers have described in detail the structure and issues of GMR sensors and their application in eddy current techniques for nondestructive testing. This paper will describe the implementation of GMR sensors in non-destructive testing eddy current testing. The first part of this paper will describe the structure and principles of GMR sensors. The second part outlines the principles and types of eddy current testing probe that have been studied and developed by previous researchers. The influence of various parameters on the GMR measurement and a factor affecting in eddy current testing will be described in detail in the third part of this paper. Finally, this paper will discuss the limitations of coil probe and compensation techniques that researchers have applied in eddy current testing probes. A comprehensive review of previous studies on the application of GMR sensors in non-destructive eddy current testing also be given at the end of this paper.

Giant Magnetoresistance Sensors: A Review on Structures and Non-Destructive Eddy Current Testing Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Rifai, Damhuji; Abdalla, Ahmed N.; Ali, Kharudin; Razali, Ramdan

2016-01-01

Non-destructive eddy current testing (ECT) is widely used to examine structural defects in ferromagnetic pipe in the oil and gas industry. Implementation of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors as magnetic field sensors to detect the changes of magnetic field continuity have increased the sensitivity of eddy current techniques in detecting the material defect profile. However, not many researchers have described in detail the structure and issues of GMR sensors and their application in eddy current techniques for nondestructive testing. This paper will describe the implementation of GMR sensors in non-destructive testing eddy current testing. The first part of this paper will describe the structure and principles of GMR sensors. The second part outlines the principles and types of eddy current testing probe that have been studied and developed by previous researchers. The influence of various parameters on the GMR measurement and a factor affecting in eddy current testing will be described in detail in the third part of this paper. Finally, this paper will discuss the limitations of coil probe and compensation techniques that researchers have applied in eddy current testing probes. A comprehensive review of previous studies on the application of GMR sensors in non-destructive eddy current testing also be given at the end of this paper. PMID:26927123

Prehospital Ultrasound in Trauma: A Review of Current and Potential Future Clinical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tharwat El Zahran

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrasound (US is an essential tool for evaluating trauma patients in the hospital setting. Many previous in-hospital studies have been extrapolated to out of hospital setting to improve diagnostic accuracy in prehospital and austere environments. This review article presents the role of prehospital US in blunt and penetrating trauma management with emphasis on its current clinical applications, challenges, and future implications of such use.

Current status of achalasia management: a review on diagnosis and treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuason, Joshua; Inoue, Haruhiro

2017-04-01

Achalasia is a rare esophageal motility disorder that is characterized by loss of peristalsis and failure of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), particularly during swallowing. This review focuses on the diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders as defined by the Chicago Classification ver 3.0, and presents management options with regard to per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) as the treatment of choice. A concise review of literature was performed for articles related to the management of achalasia, and this was contrasted with our institution's current practice. Achalasia is still incompletely understood, and management is focused on establishing a proper diagnosis, and relieving the obstructive symptoms. Achalasia should be considered when dysphagia is present, and not otherwise caused by an obstruction or inflammation, and when criteria is met as per the Chicago Classification ver 3.0. Lowering LES tone and disruption of LES can be accomplished by various methods, most notably pneumatic balloon dilatation and surgical myotomy. POEM has been gaining momentum as a first line therapy for achalasia symptoms, and can be considered an important tool for motility disorders of the esophagus.

Window Spacers and Edge Seals in Insulating Glass Units: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SINTEF Building and Infrastructure; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Bergh, Sofie Van Den; Hart, Robert; Jelle, Bjrn Petter; Gustavsen, Arild

2013-01-31

Insulating glass (IG) units typically consist of multiple glass panes that are sealed and held together structurally along their perimeters. This report describes a study of edge seals in IG units. First, we summarize the components, requirements, and desired properties of edge construction in IG units, based on a survey of the available literature. Second, we review commercially available window edge seals and describe their properties, to provide an easily accessible reference for research and commercial purposes. Finally, based on the literature survey and review of current commercial edge seal systems, we identify research opportunities for future edge seal improvements and solutions.

A review: deposition and resuspension processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sehmel, G.A.

1979-01-01

A review chapter was written on deposition and resuspension processes for the forthcoming Department of Energy publication, Atmospheric Sciences and Power Production, edited by D. Randerson. The chapter includes eleven tables and thirteen figures summarizing data from 241 references. The conclusions of that review chapter are given

Utilizing Mind Mapping to Summarize English Text with the Theme "American Culture"

OpenAIRE

Vivi Aulia

2017-01-01

This research aims at knowing and describing on the utilization of mind mapping strategy in summarizing English text under the theme American Culture. It is conducted to the third semester of English Department students at STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin batch 2016 who take Reading III course. The instruments used in this research are observation sheet and documentation of students’ mind map products. The observation sheet is analyzed qualitatively by describing the important result of observation pro...

Chemical warfare agent detection: a review of current trends and future perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacsial-Ong, Eden Joy; Aguilar, Zoraida P

2013-01-01

The World Health Organization recommends countries to create a public health system that can respond to the deliberate release of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). Procedures for preparedness, response, decontamination protocols and medical countermeasures against CWA attacks are described. Known CWAs, including their properties and pharmacological consequences upon exposure, are tabulated and discussed. Requirements imposed on detection systems by various applications and environmental needs are presented in order to assess the devices for detection and identification of specific CWAs. The review surveys current and near-term detection technologies and equipments, as well as devices that are currently available to the military and civilian first responders. Brief technical discussions of several detection technologies are presented, with emphasis placed in the principles of detection. Finally, enabling technologies that form the basis for advanced sensing systems and devices are described.

A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Randolph, Justus J.

2009-01-01

Writing a faulty literature review is one of many ways to derail a dissertation. This article summarizes some pivotal information on how to write a high-quality dissertation literature review. It begins with a discussion of the purposes of a review, presents taxonomy of literature reviews, and then discusses the steps in conducting a quantitative…

Self-concept and self-esteem among children and young adults with visual impairment: A systematic review

OpenAIRE

Augestad, Liv Berit

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to summarize current scientific knowledge relating to self-concept and self-esteem among children and young adolescents with visual impairment (VI). A systematic review was conducted of articles published between 1998 and 2016. A total of 26 publications, representing 15 countries, met the inclusion criteria, and 24 of the studies had used a cross-sectional design. Some studies found that the age and degree of vision loss influenced perceived self-esteem. In gener...

Arthroscopic intra- and extra-articular anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with gracilis and semitendinosus tendons: a review

OpenAIRE

Marcacci, Maurilio; Zaffagnini, Stefano; Marcheggiani Muccioli, Giulio Maria; Neri, Maria Pia; Bondi, Alice; Nitri, Marco; Bonanzinga, Tommaso; Grassi, Alberto

2011-01-01

The purposes of this paper are to summarize the concepts relating to the use of a combined intra-articular and extra-articular reconstructive procedure in the arthroscopic treatment of a torn ACL and to review several operative techniques utilizing gracilis and semitendinosus tendons that are currently in use to treat this instability. The highly satisfactory results obtained over the time show that a combination of intra- and extra-articular procedures for ACL reconstruction is a valid surgi...

Lifelong Bilingualism and Neural Reserve against Alzheimer’s disease: A Review of Findings and Potential Mechanisms

OpenAIRE

Gold, Brian T.

2014-01-01

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that initially affects medial temporal lobe circuitry and memory functions. Current drug treatments have only modest effects on the symptomatic course of the disease. In contrast, a growing body of evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may delay the onset of clinical AD symptoms by several years. The purpose of the present review is to summarize evidence for bilingualism as a reserve variable against AD and discuss potential unde...

Risk Perception and Anxiety Regarding Radiation after the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident: A Systematic Qualitative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshitake Takebayashi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to provide a review of the publications of the risk perceptions or anxiety regarding radiation among people living in Japan after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Two database (MEDLINE and PsycINFO and hand-searched the references in identified publications were searched. For each identified publication, the measurements and time related-change of risk perception and anxiety regarding radiation were summarized. Twenty-four publications were identified. Quantitative measures of risk perception or anxiety were roughly divided into two types: single-item Likert scales that measure anxiety about radiation; and theoretical, or model-based measures. Rates of Fukushima residents with radiation-related anxiety decreased from 2012 to 2015. Factors governing risk perception or radiation-related anxiety were summarized by demographics, disaster-related stressors, trusted information, and radiation-related variables. The effects of risk perception or anxiety regarding radiation were summarized as severe distress, intention to leave employment or not to return home, or other dimensions. This review provides summary of current findings on risk perception or anxiety regarding radiation in Japan after the accident. Further researches are needed about detailed statistical analysis for time-related change and causality among variables.

Novel Treponema pallidum Recombinant Antigens for Syphilis Diagnostics: Current Status and Future Prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksey Kubanov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The recombinant protein technology considerably promoted the development of rapid and accurate treponema-specific laboratory diagnostics of syphilis infection. For the last ten years, the immunodominant recombinant inner membrane lipoproteins are proved to be sensitive and specific antigens for syphilis screening. However, the development of an enlarged T. pallidum antigen panel for diagnostics of early and late syphilis and differentiation of syphilis stages or cured syphilis remains as actual goal of multidisciplinary expertise. Current review revealed novel recombinant antigens: surface-exposed proteins, adhesins, and periplasmic and flagellar proteins, which are promising candidates for the improved syphilis serological diagnostics. The opportunities and limitations of diagnostic usage of these antigens are discussed and the criteria for selection of optimal antigens panel summarized.

Novel Treponema pallidum Recombinant Antigens for Syphilis Diagnostics: Current Status and Future Prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubanov, Aleksey; Runina, Anastassia; Deryabin, Dmitry

2017-01-01

The recombinant protein technology considerably promoted the development of rapid and accurate treponema-specific laboratory diagnostics of syphilis infection. For the last ten years, the immunodominant recombinant inner membrane lipoproteins are proved to be sensitive and specific antigens for syphilis screening. However, the development of an enlarged T. pallidum antigen panel for diagnostics of early and late syphilis and differentiation of syphilis stages or cured syphilis remains as actual goal of multidisciplinary expertise. Current review revealed novel recombinant antigens: surface-exposed proteins, adhesins, and periplasmic and flagellar proteins, which are promising candidates for the improved syphilis serological diagnostics. The opportunities and limitations of diagnostic usage of these antigens are discussed and the criteria for selection of optimal antigens panel summarized.

Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (Phase I). Project IV. Structural building response; Structural Building Response Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Healey, J.J.; Wu, S.T.; Murga, M.

1980-02-01

As part of the Phase I effort of the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP) being performed by the University of California Lawrence Livermore Laboratory for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the basic objective of Subtask IV.1 (Structural Building Response Review) is to review and summarize current methods and data pertaining to seismic response calculations particularly as they relate to the objectives of the SSMRP. This material forms one component in the development of the overall computational methodology involving state of the art computations including explicit consideration of uncertainty and aimed at ultimately deriving estimates of the probability of radioactive releases due to seismic effects on nuclear power plant facilities

A Review of Undergraduate Mentoring Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Gershenfeld, Susan

2014-01-01

This review summarizes published studies on undergraduate mentoring programs from 2008 to 2012. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, which included empirical research on formal mentoring programs with undergraduate students as mentees or mentors. Each study was assessed based on limitations identified in two earlier reviews of the mentoring…

A review of spurious currents in the lattice Boltzmann method for multiphase flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conning Ton, Kevin; Lee, Tae Hun [The City College of the City Univ. of New York, New York (United States)

2012-12-15

A spurious current is a small amplitude artificial velocity field which arises from an imbalance between discretized forces in multiphase/multi component flows. If it occurs, the velocity field may persist indefinitely, preventing the achievement of a true equilibrium state. Spurious velocities can sometimes be as large as the characteristic velocities of the problem, causing severe instability and ambiguity between physical and spurious velocities. They are typically exacerbated by large values of numerical surface tension or when the two fluids being simulated have large density ratios. The resulting instability can restrict what parameters may be simulated. To varying degrees, spurious currents are found in all multiphase flow models of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). There have been many studies of the occurrence of the phenomenon, and many suggestions on how to eliminate it. This paper reviews the three main models of simulating multiphase/multi component flow in the lattice Boltzmann method, as well as the subsequent modifications made in order to reduce or eliminate spurious currents.

Review of Particle Physics, 2012-2013

CERN Document Server

Beringer, J; Barnett, R M; Copic, K; Dahl, O; Groom, D E; Lin, C J; Lys, J; Murayama, H; Wohl, C G; Yao, W M; Zyla, P A; Amsler, C; Antonelli, M; Asner, D M; Baer, H; Band, H R; Basaglia, T; Bauer, C W; Beatty, J J; Belousov, V I; Bergren, E; Bernardi, G; Bertl, W; Bethke, S; Bichsel, H; Biebel, O; Blucher, E; Blusk, S; Brooijmans, G; Buchmueller, O; Cahn, R N; Carena, M; Ceccucci, A; Chakraborty, D; Chen, M C; Chivukula, R S; Cowan, G; D'Ambrosio, G; Damour, T; de Florian, D; de Gouvea, A; DeGrand, T; de Jong, P; Dissertori, G; Dobrescu, B; Doser, M; Drees, M; Edwards, D A; Eidelman, S; Erler, J; Ezhela, V V; Fetscher, W; Fields, B D; Foster, B; Gaisser, T K; Garren, L; Gerber, H J; Gerbier, G; Gherghetta, T; Golwala, S; Goodman, M; Grab, C; Gritsan, A V; Grivaz, J F; Grunewald, M; Gurtu, A; Gutsche, T; Haber, H E; Hagiwara, K; Hagmann, C; Hanhart, C; Hashimoto, S; Hayes, K G; Heffner, M; Heltsley, B; Hernandez-Rey, J J; Hikasa, K; Hocker, A; Holder, J; Holtkamp, A; Huston, J; Jackson, J D; Johnson, K F; Junk, T; Karlen, D; Kirkby, D; Klein, S R; Klempt, E; Kowalewski, R V; Krauss, F; Kreps, M; Krusche, B; Kuyanov, Yu.V; Kwon, Y; Lahav, O; Laiho, J; Langacker, P; Liddle, A; Ligeti, Z; Liss, T M; Littenberg, L; Lugovsky, K S; Lugovsky, S B; Mannel, T; Manohar, A V; Marciano, W J; Martin, A D; Masoni, A; Matthews, J; Milstead, D; Miquel, R; Monig, K; Moortgat, F; Nakamura, K; Narain, M; Nason, P; Navas, S; Neubert, M; Nevski, P; Nir, Y; Olive, K A; Pape, L; Parsons, J; Patrignani, C; Peacock, J A; Petcov, S T; Piepke, A; Pomarol, A; Punzi, G; Quadt, A; Raby, S; Raffelt, G; Ratcliff, B N; Richardson, P; Roesler, S; Rolli, S; Romaniouk, A; Rosenberg, L J; Rosner, J L; Sachrajda, C T; Sakai, Y; Salam, G P; Sarkar, S; Sauli, F; Schneider, O; Scholberg, K; Scott, D; Seligman, W G; Shaevitz, M H; Sharpe, S R; Silari, M; Sjostrand, T; Skands, P; Smith, J G; Smoot, G F; Spanier, S; Spieler, H; Stahl, A; Stanev, T; Stone, S L; Sumiyoshi, T; Syphers, M J; Takahashi, F; Tanabashi, M; Terning, J; Titov, M; Tkachenko, N P; Tornqvist, N A; Tovey, D; Valencia, G; van Bibber, K; Venanzoni, G; Vincter, M G; Vogel, P; Vogt, A; Walkowiak, W; Walter, C W; Ward, D R; Watari, T; Weiglein, G; Weinberg, E J; Wiencke, L R; Wolfenstein, L; Womersley, J; Woody, C L; Workman, R L; Yamamoto, A; Zeller, G P; Zenin, O V; Zhang, J; Zhu, R Y; Harper, G; Lugovsky, V S; Schaffner, P

2012-01-01

This biennial Review summarizes much of particle physics. Using data from previous editions, plus 2658 new measurements from 644 papers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as Higgs bosons, heavy neutrinos, and supersymmetric particles. All the particle properties and search limits are listed in Summary Tables. We also give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as the Standard Model, particle detectors, probability, and statistics. Among the 112 reviews are many that are new or heavily revised including those on Heavy-Quark and Soft-Collinear Effective Theory, Neutrino Cross Section Measurements, Monte Carlo Event Generators, Lattice QCD, Heavy Quarkonium Spectroscopy, Top Quark, Dark Matter, Vcb & Vub, Quantum Chromodynamics, High-Energy Collider Parameters, Astrophysical Constants, Cosmological Parameters, and Dark Matter.

Review of Particle Physics, 2014-2015

CERN Document Server

Olive, K A; Amsler, C; Antonelli, M; Arguin, J-F; Asner, D M; Baer, H; Band, H R; Barnett, R M; Basaglia, T; Bauer, C W; Beatty, J J; Belousov, V I; Beringer, J; Bernardi, G; Bethke, S; Bichsel, H; Biebel, O; Blucher, E; Blusk, S; Brooijmans, G; Buchmueller, O; Burkert, V; Bychkov, M A; Cahn, R N; Carena, M; Ceccucci, A; Cerri, A; Chakraborty, D; Chen, M-C; Chivukula, R S; Copic, K; Cowan, G; Dahl, O; D'Ambrosio, G; Damour, T; de Florian, D; de Gouvea, A; DeGrand, T; de Jong, P; Dissertori, G; Dobrescu, B A; Doser, M; Drees, M; Dreiner, H K; Edwards, D A; Eidelman, S; Erler, J; Ezhela, V V; Fetscher, W; Fields, B D; Foster, B; Freitas, A; Gaisser, T K; Gallagher, H; Garren, L; Gerber, H-J; Gerbier, G; Gershon, T; Gherghetta, T; Golwala, S; Goodman, M; Grab, C; Gritsan, A V; Grojen, C; Groom, D E; Grunewald, M; Gurtu, A; Gutsche, T; Haber, H E; Hagiwara, K; Hanhart, C; Hashimoto, S; Hayato, Y; Hayes, K G; Heffner, M; Heltsley, B; Hernandez-Rey, J J; Hikasa, K; Hocker, A; Holder, J; Holtkamp, A; Huston, J; Jackson, J D; Johnson, K F; Junk, T; Kado, M; Karlen, D; Katz, U F; Klein, S R; Klempt, E; Kowalewski, R V; Krauss, F; Kreps, M; Krusche, B; Kuyanov, Yu V; Kwon, Y; Lahav, O; Laiho, J; Langacker, P; Liddle, A; Ligeti, Z; Lin, C-J; Liss, T M; Littenberg, L; Lugovsky, K S; Lugovsky, S B; Maltoni, F; Mannel, T; Manohar, A V; Marciano, W J; Martin, A D; Masoni, A; Matthews, J; Milstead, D; Molaro, P; Munig, K; Moortgat, F; Mortonson, M J; Murayama, H; Nakamura, K; Narain, M; Nason, P; Navas, S; Neubert, M; Nevski, P; Nir, Y; Pape, L; Parsons, J; Patrignani, C; Peacock, J A; Pennington, M; Petcov, S T; Piepke, A; Pomarol, A; Quadt, A; Raby, S; Rademacker, J; Raffelt, G; Ratcliff, B N; Richardson, P; Ringwald, A; Roesler, S; Rolli, S; Romaniouk, A; Rosenberg, L J; Rosner, J L; Rybka, G; Sachrajda, C T; Sakai, Y; Salam, G P; Sarkar, S; Sauli, F; Schneider, O; Scholberg, K; Scott, D; Sharma, V; Sharpe, S R; Silari, M; Sjostrand, T; Skands, P; Smith, J G; Smoot, G F; Spanier, S; Spieler, H; Spiering, C; Stahl, A; Stanev, T; Stone, S L; Sumiyoshi, T; Syphers, M J; Takahashi, F; Tanabashi, M; Terning, J; Tiator, L; Titov, M; Tkachenko, N P; Tornqvist, N A; Tovey, D; Valencia, G; Venanzoni, G; Vincter, M G; Vogel, P; Vogt, A; Wakely, S P; Walkowiak, W; Walter, C W; Ward, D R; Weiglein, G; Weinberg, D H; Weinberg, E J; White, M; Wiencke, L R; Wohl, C G; Wolfenstein, L; Womersley, J; Woody, C L; Workman, R L; Yamamoto, A; Yao, W-M; Zeller, G P; Zenin, O V; Zhang, J; Zhu, R-Y; Zimmermann, F; Zyla, P A; Harper, G; Lugovsky, V.S; Schaffner, P

2014-01-01

The Review summarizes much of particle physics and cosmology. Using data from previous editions, plus 3,283 new measurements from 899 papers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons and the recently discovered Higgs boson, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as heavy neutrinos, supersymmetric and technicolor particles, axions, dark photons, etc. All the particle properties and search limits are listed in Summary Tables. We also give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as Supersymmetry, Extra Dimensions, Particle Detectors, Probability, and Statistics. Among the 112 reviews are many that are new or heavily revised including those on: Dark Energy, Higgs Boson Physics, Electroweak Model, Neutrino Cross Section Measurements, Monte Carlo Neutrino Generators, Top Quark, Dark Matter, Dynamical Electroweak Symmetry Breaking, Accelerator Physics of Colliders, High-Energy Collider Parameters, Big Bang Nucleosyn...

More than a "Basic Skill": Breaking down the Complexities of Summarizing for ABE/ESL Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Ouellette-Schramm, Jennifer

2015-01-01

This article describes the complex cognitive and linguistic challenges of summarizing expository text at vocabulary, syntactic, and rhetorical levels. It then outlines activities to help ABE/ESL learners develop corresponding skills.

Current and emerging concepts in muscle tension dysphonia: a 30-month review.

Science.gov (United States)

Altman, Kenneth W; Atkinson, Cory; Lazarus, Cathy

2005-06-01

The modern theory of hoarseness is that there are multifactorial etiologies contributing to the voice problem. The hypothesis of this study is that muscle tension dysphonia is multifactorial with various contributing etiologies. This project is a retrospective chart review of all patients seen in the Voice Speech and Language Service and Swallowing Center at our institution with a diagnosis of muscle tension (functional hypertensive) dysphonia over a 30-month period. A literature search and review is also performed regarding current and emerging concepts of muscle tension dysphonia. One hundred fifty subjects were identified (60% female, 40% male, with a mean age of 42.3 years). Significant factors in patient history believed to contribute to abnormal voice production were gastroesophageal reflux in 49%, high stress levels in 18%, excessive amounts of voice use in 63%, and excessive loudness demands on voice use in 23%. Otolaryngologic evaluation was performed in 82% of patients, in whom lesions, significant vocal fold edema, or paralysis/paresis was identified in 52.3%. Speech pathology assessment revealed poor breath support, inappropriately low pitch, and visible cervical neck tension in the majority of patients. Inappropriate intensity was observed in 23.3% of patients. This set of multiple contributing factors is discussed in the context of current and emerging understanding of muscle tension dysphonia. Results confirm multifactorial etiologies contributing to hoarseness in the patients identified with muscle tension dysphonia. An interdisciplinary approach to treating all contributing factors portends the best prognosis.

Biomass Program 2007 Program Peer Review - Full Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2009-10-27

This document summarizes the comments provided by the peer reviewers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Program’s Peer Review meeting, held on November 14-15, 2007 in Baltimore, MD and Platform Reviews conducted over the summer of 2007. The Platform Reviews provide evaluations of the Program’s projects in applied research, development, and demonstration.

2017 Project Peer Review Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2018-02-06

This document summarizes the recommendations and evaluations provided by an independent external panel of experts at the 2017 U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office's Peer Review meeting.

Review of Current Criteria of Spent Fuel Rod Integrity during Dry Storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yong Sik; Kim, Sun Ki; Bang, Je Geon; Song, Kun Woo

2006-01-01

A PWR spent fuel has been stored in a wet storage pool in Korea. However, the amount of spent fuel is expected to exceed the capacity of a wet storage pool within 10∼15 years. From the early 1970's, a research on the PWR spent fuel dry storage started because the dry storage system has been economical compared with the wet storage system. The dry storage technology for Zircaloy-clad fuel was assessed and licensed in many countries such as USA, Canada, FRG and Switzerland. In the dry storage system, a clad temperature may be higher than in the wet storage system and can reach up to 400 .deg.. A higher clad temperature can cause cladding failures during the period of dry storage, and thus a dry storage related research has essentially dealt with the prevention of clad degradation. It is temperature and rod internal pressure that cause cladding failures through the mechanisms such as clad creep rupture, hydride re-orientation, and stress-corrosion cracking etc.. In this paper, the current licensing criteria are summarized for the PWR spent fuel dry storage system, especially on spent fuel rod integrity. And it is investigated that an application propriety of existing criteria to Korea spent fuel dry storage system

Review of particle properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bricman, C.; Dionisi, C.; Hemingway, R.J.; Mazzucato, M.; Montanet, L.; Barash-Schmidt, N.; Crawford, R.C.; Roos, M.; Barbaro-Galtieri, A.; Horne, C.P.; Kelly, R.L.; Losty, M.J.; Rittenberg, A.; Trippe, T.G.; Yost, G.P.; Armstrong, B.

1978-01-01

This review of the properties of leptons, mesons, and baryons is an updating of Review of Particle Properties, Particle Data Group [Rev. Mod. Phys. 48 (1976) No. 2, Part II; and Supplement, Phys. Lett. 68B (1977) 1]. Data are evaluated, listed, averaged, and summarized in tables. Numerous tables, figures, and formulae of interest to particle physicists are also included. A data booklet is available. (Auth.)

Photodynamic therapy in endodontics: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Trindade, Alessandra Cesar; De Figueiredo, José Antônio Poli; Steier, Liviu; Weber, João Batista Blessmann

2015-03-01

Recently, several in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated promising results about the use of photodynamic therapy during root canal system disinfection. However, there is no consensus on a standard protocol for its incorporation during root canal treatment. The purpose of this study was to summarize the results of research on photodynamic therapy in endodontics published in peer-reviewed journals. A review of pertinent literature was conducted using the PubMed database, and data obtained were categorized into sections in terms of relevant topics. Studies conducted in recent years highlighted the antimicrobial potential of photodynamic therapy in endodontics. However, most of these studies were not able to confirm a significant improvement in root canal disinfection for photodynamic therapy as a substitute for current disinfection methods. Its indication as an excellent adjunct to conventional endodontic therapy is well documented, however. Data suggest the need for protocol adjustments or new photosensitizer formulations to enhance photodynamic therapy predictability in endodontics.

Review article: colitis-associated cancer -- time for new strategies.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shanahan, F

2012-02-03

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a feared and potentially life-threatening complication of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn\\'s colitis. Currently, the main preventive strategy is a secondary one, i.e. surveillance colonoscopy usually after 8 years of disease duration, when the risk for neoplasia begins to increase. Despite its widespread acceptance, dysplasia and cancer surveillance is unproven in terms of reducing mortality or morbidity and there is a remarkable lack of uniformity in the manner in which it is practised. In this review article, the pitfalls of dysplasia surveillance are summarized and the need for novel chemopreventive and perhaps pharmabiotic approaches for prevention are highlighted.

Biogas upgrading and utilization: Current status and perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Angelidaki, Irini; Treu, Laura; Tsapekos, Panagiotis

2018-01-01

Biogas production is an established sustainable process for simultaneous generation of renewable energy and treatment of organic wastes. The increasing interest of utilizing biogas as substitute to natural gas or its exploitation as transport fuel opened new avenues in the development of biogas...... upgrading techniques. The present work is a critical review that summarizes state-of-the-art technologies for biogas upgrading and enhancement with particular attention to the emerging biological methanation processes. The review includes comprehensive description of the main principles of various biogas...

Health literacy in type 2 diabetes patients: a systematic review of systematic reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Caruso, Rosario; Magon, Arianna; Baroni, Irene; Dellafiore, Federica; Arrigoni, Cristina; Pittella, Francesco; Ausili, Davide

2018-01-01

Aim To summarize, critically review, and interpret the evidence related to the systematic reviews on health literacy (HL) amongst type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods The methodology for this study consisted of a systematic review of systematic reviews, using the PRISMA statement and flowchart to select studies, and searching on PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane. The search covered the period between January 2006 and June 2016. Results From the 115 identified record by the queries, only six systematic reviews were included, following a quality evaluation using AMSTAR. The included systematic reviews content was analyzed by the independent work of two authors, using a narrative synthesis approach. The findings of this study (i.e., main themes) are areas of consensus and gaps in knowledge. Areas of consensus are HL definition, HL measurement tools, and the relationship between T2DM patient knowledge (or literacy) and his/her HL. The gaps in knowledge were the assessment of the relations between HL and health outcomes and self-efficacy, the gender differences, the effectiveness of interventions to improve HL, the cost-effectiveness study of interventions to improve HL, and the understanding of the influence of organizational environment on HL. Conclusion This review provides a current state of knowledge to address clinical practice and research proposals. HL could be useful to personalize patients' follow-up and it should be routinely assessed in its three dimensions (i.e. functional, interactive and critical) to enhance patients' ability to cope with clinical recommendations. Future research should be mainly aimed to test the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions to improve HL amongst T2DM patients.

Current status and perspectives of Clonorchis sinensis and clonorchiasis: epidemiology, pathogenesis, omics, prevention and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Ze-Li; Huang, Yan; Yu, Xin-Bing

2016-07-06

Clonorchiasis, caused by Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is an important food-borne parasitic disease and one of the most common zoonoses. Currently, it is estimated that more than 200 million people are at risk of C. sinensis infection, and over 15 million are infected worldwide. C. sinensis infection is closely related to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), fibrosis and other human hepatobiliary diseases; thus, clonorchiasis is a serious public health problem in endemic areas. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, disease burden and treatment of clonorchiasis as well as summarizes the techniques for detecting C. sinensis infection in humans and intermediate hosts and vaccine development against clonorchiasis. Newer data regarding the pathogenesis of clonorchiasis and the genome, transcriptome and secretome of C. sinensis are collected, thus providing perspectives for future studies. These advances in research will aid the development of innovative strategies for the prevention and control of clonorchiasis.

Review: Alterations in placental glycogen deposition in complicated pregnancies: Current preclinical and clinical evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Akison, Lisa K; Nitert, Marloes Dekker; Clifton, Vicki L; Moritz, Karen M; Simmons, David G

2017-06-01

Normal placental function is essential for optimal fetal growth. Transport of glucose from mother to fetus is critical for fetal nutrient demands and can be stored in the placenta as glycogen. However, the function of this glycogen deposition remains a matter of debate: It could be a source of fuel for the placenta itself or a storage reservoir for later use by the fetus in times of need. While the significance of placental glycogen remains elusive, mounting evidence indicates that altered glycogen metabolism and/or deposition accompanies many pregnancy complications that adversely affect fetal development. This review will summarize histological, biochemical and molecular evidence that glycogen accumulates in a) placentas from a variety of experimental rodent models of perturbed pregnancy, including maternal alcohol exposure, glucocorticoid exposure, dietary deficiencies and hypoxia and b) placentas from human pregnancies with complications including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). These pregnancies typically result in altered fetal growth, developmental abnormalities and/or disease outcomes in offspring. Collectively, this evidence suggests that changes in placental glycogen deposition is a common feature of pregnancy complications, particularly those associated with altered fetal growth. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE CURRENT METHODS FOR MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS OF FISH DISEASES (REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Zaloilo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The methods of molecular diagnostic (MMD gradually become widespread in modern fish farming. MMD contain a wide variety of specific approaches, each of which has distinct limits of their possible applications and is characterized by individual peculiarities in practical performance. In addition to high sensitivity and the possibility of rapid diagnostics, the main advantage of molecular methods is to determine the uncultivated infectious agents. DNA amplification allows identifying pathogenic microorganisms at very small quantities even in the minimum sample volume. Molecular methods of diagnostic enable the determination of infection in latent or acute phases. These methods allow showing the differences between pathogens with similar antigenic structures. The current literature data on this subject usually show a methodology in the narrow context of the tasks or practical results obtained through such approaches. Thus, a synthesis of existing information on the mechanisms of action and the limits of the typical problems of basic methods of molecular diagnostics are an urgent task of fish breeding. In particular, the following description will more effectively choose one or several approaches to identify pathogens in fish. Findings. This paper reviews the basic molecular methods that are used in the world's aquaculture for diagnosis of various diseases in commercial fish species. Originality. This work is a generalization of data on the principles and mechanisms for the implementation of diagnostics based on modern molecular techniques. For each of the mentioned approaches, the most promising areas of application were shown. The information is provided in the form of a comparative analysis of each methodology, indicating positive and negative practical aspects. Practical value. The current review of modern methods of molecular diagnostic in aquaculture is focused on practical application. Generalizing and analytical information can be

A Review on Current Status of Stability and Knowledge on Liquid Electrolyte-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédéric Sauvage

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this review is to gather the current background in materials development and provide the reader with an accurate image of today’s knowledge regarding the stability of dye-sensitized solar cells. This contribution highlights the literature from the 1970s to the present day on nanostructured TiO2, dye, Pt counter electrode, and liquid electrolyte for which this review is focused on.

Current management of bronchiectasis: review and 3 case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, Enid; Ebright, Linda; Kwiatkowski, Marianne; Cullina, Joanne

2003-01-01

Bronchiectasis is the abnormal, irreversible dilatation of diseased bronchi. Permanently dilated airways, usually in the medium-sized bronchi, are inflamed and often obstructed with thick, purulent secretions. Known causative factors include postinfection bronchial damage, postinhalation injury, hypersensitivity reactions, and congenital airway obstructive disorders. Typical symptoms include sputum overproduction, fever, pleurisy, dyspnea, and chronic cough. Diagnosis involves radiographic studies and pulmonary function testing. Treatment includes oral, aerosolized, or intravenous antibiotic therapy according to the severity of the exacerbation, and mucus clearance by means of bronchial hygiene assistive devices, chest physiotherapy, postural drainage, and high-frequency chest compression. We present a review of bronchiectasis and offer 3 case studies illustrating current management of different presentations, including use of aerosolized antibiotics for patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although an adjunctive program of pulmonary rehabilitation may be useful for patients with bronchiectasis, no confirming studies have been performed to date, and additional research in this area is warranted.

Epidemiology and vaccine of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in China: a mini-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Dongbo; Wang, Xinyu; Wei, Shan; Chen, Jianfei; Feng, Li

2016-03-01

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is an intestinal infectious disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV); manifestations of the disease are diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. Starting from the end of 2010, a PED outbreak occurred in several pig-producing provinces in southern China. Subsequently, the disease spread throughout the country and caused enormous economic losses to the pork industry. Accumulating studies demonstrated that new PEDV variants that appeared in China were responsible for the PED outbreak. In the current mini-review, we summarize PEDV epidemiology and vaccination in China.

A Review of Carbon Nanomaterials’ Synthesis via the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Method

Science.gov (United States)

Manawi, Yehia M.; Samara, Ayman; Al-Ansari, Tareq; Atieh, Muataz A.

2018-01-01

Carbon nanomaterials have been extensively used in many applications owing to their unique thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. One of the prime challenges is the production of these nanomaterials on a large scale. This review paper summarizes the synthesis of various carbon nanomaterials via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. These carbon nanomaterials include fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene, carbide-derived carbon (CDC), carbon nano-onion (CNO) and MXenes. Furthermore, current challenges in the synthesis and application of these nanomaterials are highlighted with suggested areas for future research. PMID:29772760

A Review of Carbon Nanomaterials’ Synthesis via the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yehia M. Manawi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Carbon nanomaterials have been extensively used in many applications owing to their unique thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. One of the prime challenges is the production of these nanomaterials on a large scale. This review paper summarizes the synthesis of various carbon nanomaterials via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD method. These carbon nanomaterials include fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs, carbon nanofibers (CNFs, graphene, carbide-derived carbon (CDC, carbon nano-onion (CNO and MXenes. Furthermore, current challenges in the synthesis and application of these nanomaterials are highlighted with suggested areas for future research.

Perceptual decision neurosciences: a model-based review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, M.J.; van Maanen, L.; Forstmann, B.U.

2014-01-01

In this review we summarize findings published over the past 10 years focusing on the neural correlates of perceptual decision-making. Importantly, this review highlights only studies that employ a model-based approach, i.e., they use quantitative cognitive models in combination with neuroscientific

Genomic and epigenetic instability in chordoma: current insights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Y

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Yong Feng,1,2 Jacson K Shen,1,3 Francis J Hornicek,1,3 Zhenfeng Duan1,3 1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 3Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Abstract: Chordoma is a malignant bone tumor, which currently can only be defined by histologic and immunohistochemical criteria. There are no prognostic biomarkers to predict the clinical outcome or response to treatment yet. Currently, chordoma pathogenesis is very poorly understood; however, recent large-scale genetic and epigenetic studies have identified some of the underlying mechanisms and pathways that may contribute to the disease. In this review, we summarize the most recent findings in the field of chordoma genomics and epigenomics, from comparative genomic hybridization to evaluate chromosomal alteration, large-scale deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA sequencing to determine the gene mutation, microarray to access messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA and microRNA gene expression, and DNA-methylation profiling. These studies may also hold valuable clinical potential in the management of chordoma. Keywords: chordoma, chromosomal alterations, sequencing, miRNA, DNA methylation

Anti-Angiogenics: Current Situation and Future Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Zirlik, Katja; Duyster, Justus

2018-01-01

Angiogenesis, the process leading to the formation of new blood vessels, is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Extensive studies established that i) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key driver of sprouting angiogenesis, ii) VEGF is overexpressed in most solid cancers, and iii) inhibition of VEGF can suppress tumor growth in animal models. This has led to the development of pharmacological agents for anti-angiogenesis to disrupt the vascular supply and starve the tumor of nutrients and oxygen, primarily through the blockade of VEGF/VEGF receptor signaling. This effort has resulted in 11 anti-VEGF drugs approved for certain advanced cancers, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy and other targeted therapies. However, inhibition of VEGF signaling is not effective in all cancers, and anti-angiogenics have often only limited impact on overall survival of cancer patients. This review focuses on the current status of FDA-approved anti-angiogenic antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors and summarizes the progress and future directions of VEGF-targeted therapy. © 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

A Systematic Review of Wearable Systems for Cancer Detection: Current State and Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Partha Pratim; Dash, Dinesh; De, Debashis

2017-10-02

Rapid growth of sensor and computing platforms have introduced the wearable systems. In recent years, wearable systems have led to new applications across all medical fields. The aim of this review is to present current state-of-the-art approach in the field of wearable system based cancer detection and identify key challenges that resist it from clinical adoption. A total of 472 records were screened and 11 were finally included in this study. Two types of records were studied in this context that includes 45% research articles and 55% manufactured products. The review was performed per PRISMA guidelines where considerations was given to records that were published or reported between 2009 and 2017. The identified records included 4 cancer detecting wearable systems such as breast cancer (36.3%), skin cancer (36.3%), prostate cancer (18.1%), and multi-type cancer (9%). Most works involved sensor based smart systems comprising of microcontroller, Bluetooth module, and smart phone. Few demonstrated Ultra-Wide Band (i.e. UWB) antenna based wearable systems. Skin cancer detecting wearable systems were most comprehensible ones. The current works are gradually progressing with seamless integration of sensory units along with smart networking. However, they lack in cloud computing and long-range communication paradigms. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are key ports that need to be attached with current wearable systems. Further, clinical inertia, lack of awareness, and high cost are altogether pulling back the actual growth of such system. It is well comprehended that upon sincere orientation of all identified challenges, wearable systems would emerge as vital alternative to futuristic cancer detection.

Review of the Current State of UAV Regulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Stöcker

2017-05-01

Full Text Available UAVs—unmanned aerial vehicles—facilitate data acquisition at temporal and spatial scales that still remain unachievable for traditional remote sensing platforms. However, current legal frameworks that regulate UAVs present significant barriers to research and development. To highlight the importance, impact, and diversity of UAV regulations, this paper provides an exploratory investigation of UAV regulations on the global scale. For this, the methodological approach consists of a research synthesis of UAV regulations, including a thorough literature review and a comparative analysis of national regulatory frameworks. Similarities and contrasting elements in the various national UAV regulations are explored including their statuses from the perspectives of past, present, and future trends. Since the early 2000s, countries have gradually established national legal frameworks. Although all UAV regulations have one common goal—minimizing the risks to other airspace users and to both people and property on the ground—the results reveal distinct variations in all the compared variables. Furthermore, besides the clear presence of legal frameworks, market forces such as industry design standards and reliable information about UAVs as public goods are expected to shape future developments.

A review of the structure-property relationships in lead-free piezoelectric (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McQuade, Ryan R.; Dolgos, Michelle R., E-mail: Michelle.Dolgos@oregonstate.edu

2016-10-15

Piezoelectric materials are increasingly being investigated for energy harvesting applications where (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) is an important lead-free piezoelectric material with potential to be used as an actuator in energy harvesting devices. Much effort has been put into modifying NBT-BT to tune the properties for specific applications, but there is currently no consensus regarding the structure-property relationships in this material, making targeted, rational design a major challenge. In this review, we will summarize the current body of knowledge of NBT-BT and discuss contradicting studies, unresolved problems, and future directions in the field. - Graphical abstract: This review of (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) summarizes the large body of literature regarding the structure-property relationships of this complex material. We highlight structural studies of the average and local structures of both unpoled and poled samples of NBT-BT at its morphotropic phase boundary and discuss them in context of the observed piezoelectric properties. - Highlights: • Local and average structure of NBT-BT at morphotropic phase boundary is reviewed. • Average structure of poled and unpoled samples of NBT-BT is discussed. • Structure-property relationships in NBT-BT and future directions are summarized.

FUSE: a profit maximization approach for functional summarization of biological networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Seah, Boon-Siew; Bhowmick, Sourav S; Dewey, C Forbes; Yu, Hanry

2012-03-21

The availability of large-scale curated protein interaction datasets has given rise to the opportunity to investigate higher level organization and modularity within the protein interaction network (PPI) using graph theoretic analysis. Despite the recent progress, systems level analysis of PPIS remains a daunting task as it is challenging to make sense out of the deluge of high-dimensional interaction data. Specifically, techniques that automatically abstract and summarize PPIS at multiple resolutions to provide high level views of its functional landscape are still lacking. We present a novel data-driven and generic algorithm called FUSE (Functional Summary Generator) that generates functional maps of a PPI at different levels of organization, from broad process-process level interactions to in-depth complex-complex level interactions, through a pro t maximization approach that exploits Minimum Description Length (MDL) principle to maximize information gain of the summary graph while satisfying the level of detail constraint. We evaluate the performance of FUSE on several real-world PPIS. We also compare FUSE to state-of-the-art graph clustering methods with GO term enrichment by constructing the biological process landscape of the PPIS. Using AD network as our case study, we further demonstrate the ability of FUSE to quickly summarize the network and identify many different processes and complexes that regulate it. Finally, we study the higher-order connectivity of the human PPI. By simultaneously evaluating interaction and annotation data, FUSE abstracts higher-order interaction maps by reducing the details of the underlying PPI to form a functional summary graph of interconnected functional clusters. Our results demonstrate its effectiveness and superiority over state-of-the-art graph clustering methods with GO term enrichment.

Producing Cochrane systematic reviews-a qualitative study of current approaches and opportunities for innovation and improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Tari; Green, Sally; Tovey, David; McDonald, Steve; Soares-Weiser, Karla; Pestridge, Charlotte; Elliott, Julian

2017-08-01

Producing high-quality, relevant systematic reviews and keeping them up to date is challenging. Cochrane is a leading provider of systematic reviews in health. For Cochrane to continue to contribute to improvements in heath, Cochrane Reviews must be rigorous, reliable and up to date. We aimed to explore existing models of Cochrane Review production and emerging opportunities to improve the efficiency and sustainability of these processes. To inform discussions about how to best achieve this, we conducted 26 interviews and an online survey with 106 respondents. Respondents highlighted the importance and challenge of creating reliable, timely systematic reviews. They described the challenges and opportunities presented by current production models, and they shared what they are doing to improve review production. They particularly highlighted significant challenges with increasing complexity of review methods; difficulty keeping authors on board and on track; and the length of time required to complete the process. Strong themes emerged about the roles of authors and Review Groups, the central actors in the review production process. The results suggest that improvements to Cochrane's systematic review production models could come from improving clarity of roles and expectations, ensuring continuity and consistency of input, enabling active management of the review process, centralising some review production steps; breaking reviews into smaller "chunks", and improving approaches to building capacity of and sharing information between authors and Review Groups. Respondents noted the important role new technologies have to play in enabling these improvements. The findings of this study will inform the development of new Cochrane Review production models and may provide valuable data for other systematic review producers as they consider how best to produce rigorous, reliable, up-to-date reviews.

Head in the Clouds: A Review of Current and Future Potential for Cloud-Enabled Pedagogies

Science.gov (United States)

Stevenson, Michael; Hedberg, John G.

2011-01-01

This paper reviews the research on the disruptive and transformative potential of newly-emerging cloud-based pedagogies. It takes into consideration the extent to which Cloud Computing can be leveraged to disseminate and scale web-based applications within and across learning contexts. It examines ideas from current literature in Web 2.0- and…

Sensitive beam current measurement for FAIR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwickert, Marcus; Kurian, Febin; Reeg, Hansjoerg [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt (Germany); Seidel, Paul; Neubert, Ralf [Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena (Germany); Geithner, Rene; Vodel, Wolfgang [Helmholtz-Institut Jena (Germany)

2012-07-01

Presently FAIR, the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, entered the final planning phase at GSI. The new accelerator facility requires precise devices for beam current measurements due to the large dynamics in beam intensities for the various synchrotrons, transport lines and storage rings. We report on the actual developments of beam diagnostic devices for the measurement of beam intensities ranging from 5 x 10{sup 11} uranium ions down to the detection of less than 10{sup 4} antiprotons. This contribution gives an overview of the planned instruments with a focus on non-intercepting beam current transformers, and summarizes the on-going development of a cryogenic current comparator.

Health Benefits of Digital Videogames for Older Adults: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Amanda K; Chavarria, Enmanuel; Maneeratana, Vasana; Chaney, Beth H; Bernhardt, Jay M

2012-12-01

This article is a systematic review conducted of the research literature on digital videogames played by older adults and health outcomes associated with game play. Findings from each study meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed and summarized into emergent themes to determine the impact of digital games in promoting healthy behaviors among older adults. A systematic review of the research literature was conducted through multiple academic databases for works, published between the years 2000 and 2011, looking at digital videogame interventions with adults 65 years of age and older. Multiple combinations of search terms and Boolean operators relevant to digital videogames and older adults were queried. A criteria matrix was created to code and evaluate studies. Thirteen studies met specific criteria for inclusion and were analyzed in the final review. Significant mental, physical, and social health factors, type of digital game platform, study design, and measurements are among emergent themes summarized from the reviewed research literature. Significant mental health outcomes of digital game interventions were found in the majority of the reviewed studies, followed by physical and lastly social health outcomes in older adults. A majority of the studies revealed significant positive effects on health outcomes associated with digital videogame play among older adults. With current advancements in technology, including advanced motion sensing, digital game platforms have significant potential for positive health impact among older populations. More robust and rigorous research designs are needed to increase validity and reliability of results and establish stronger causal relationships on the health benefits of digital videogame play for older adults.

Fast Food Pattern and Cardiometabolic Disorders: A Review of Current Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahadoran, Zahra; Mirmiran, Parvin; Azizi, Fereidoun

2015-01-01

There are growing concern globally regarding the alarming trend of fast food consumption and its related cardiometabolic outcomes including overweight and obesity. This study aimed to review the current evidences available in relation to adverse effects of fast food pattern on cardiometa-bolic risk factors. Relevant articles including epidemiological and clinical studies with appropriate design and good quality were obtained through searches of the Medline, PubMed, Scopus databases and Google scholar with related key words including "fast foods", "processed foods", "obesity", "overweight", "insulin resistance", "diabetes", "cardiovascular disease", "metabolic syndrome", "dyslipidemia" and "hypertension". Fast food consumption and out-of-home eating behavior is a main risk factor for lower diet quality, higher calorie and fat intake and lower micronutrients density of diet. Frequent consumption of fast foods was accompanied with overweight and abdominal fat gain, impaired insulin and glucose homeostasis, lipid and lipoprotein disorders, induction of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Higher fast food consumption also increases the risk of developmental diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. This review provides further evidence warning us against the irreparable effects of fast food consumption on public health especially the increasing global burden of obesity and cardiovascu-lar diseases.

Banking crises : A review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laeven, L.

2011-01-01

This review surveys the theoretical and empirical literature on the causes and consequences of banking crises, and summarizes the lessons learned from policy interventions to resolve banking crises. Despite their different origins, banking crises display similar patterns. Their causes lie in

Bisphenol A and Hormone-Associated Cancers: Current Progress and Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hui; Yang, Bao-Jun; Li, Nan; Feng, Li-Min; Shi, Xiao-Yu; Zhao, Wei-Hong; Liu, Si-Jin

2015-01-01

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA), a carbon-based synthetic compound, exhibits hormone-like properties and is present ubiquitously in the environment and in human tissues due to its widespread use and biological accumulation. BPA can mimic estrogen to interact with estrogen receptors α and β, leading to changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, or migration and thereby, contributing to cancer development and progression. At the genetic level, BPA has been shown to be involved in multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, such as the STAT3, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways. Moreover, BPA may also interact with other steroid receptors (such as androgen receptor) and plays a role in prostate cancer development. This review summarizes the current literature regarding human exposure to BPA, the endocrine-disrupting effects of BPA, and the role of BPA in hormone-associated cancers of the breast, ovary, and prostate. PMID:25569640

Roles for librarians in systematic reviews: a scoping review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela J. Spencer

2018-01-01

Results: We identified 18 different roles filled by librarians and other information professionals in conducting systematic reviews from 310 different articles, book chapters, and presented papers and posters. Some roles were well known such as searching, source selection, and teaching. Other less documented roles included planning, question formulation, and peer review. We summarize these different roles and provide an accompanying bibliography of references for in-depth descriptions of these roles. Conclusion: Librarians play central roles in systematic review teams, including roles that go beyond searching. This scoping review should encourage librarians who are fulfilling roles that are not captured here to document their roles in journal articles and poster and paper presentations.  This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program.

Management strategies of enterovirus D68 outbreaks: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milhano N

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Natacha Milhano, Kaja Sverdrup Borge, Karoline Bragstad, Susanne G Dudman Domain for Environmental Health and Infectious Disease Control, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Abstract: Following its discovery in California in 1962, enterovirus D68 (EV-D68 was reported only sporadically around the world. In August 2014, a marked increase of EV-D68 cases in young children with severe respiratory infections was reported in the USA and Canada and later in Europe and Asia. Some of these cases were also found to be associated with acute flaccid paralysis, which exacerbated public health concern, and has since triggered international efforts to strengthen both EV-D68 and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance systems. This review summarizes the current knowledge on EV-D68, offering an overview of EV-D68 epidemiology, clinical presentations, diagnostic methodologies, and treatment strategies, as well as surveillance and outbreak management. Keywords: enterovirus D68, AFP, diagnostics, treatment, surveillance, outbreak 

Autophagy in Drosophila: From Historical Studies to Current Knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nitha C. Mulakkal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The discovery of evolutionarily conserved Atg genes required for autophagy in yeast truly revolutionized this research field and made it possible to carry out functional studies on model organisms. Insects including Drosophila are classical and still popular models to study autophagy, starting from the 1960s. This review aims to summarize past achievements and our current knowledge about the role and regulation of autophagy in Drosophila, with an outlook to yeast and mammals. The basic mechanisms of autophagy in fruit fly cells appear to be quite similar to other eukaryotes, and the role that this lysosomal self-degradation process plays in Drosophila models of various diseases already made it possible to recognize certain aspects of human pathologies. Future studies in this complete animal hold great promise for the better understanding of such processes and may also help finding new research avenues for the treatment of disorders with misregulated autophagy.

Metal-enhanced luminescence: Current trend and future perspectives- A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranjan, Rajeev; Esimbekova, Elena N.; Kirillova, Maria A.; Kratasyuk, Valentina A.

2017-01-01

Optically enhanced biosensing strategies are prerequisites for developing miniature and highly sensitive multiplexed analytical platforms. Such smart biosensing systems are highly promising for use in the fields of biomedicine and environmental monitoring. Optical signal enhancement during bioassays is attributed to the complex opto-electronic interactions of incoming photonic signals at the nanomaterial interface. Research on the use of metals other than gold and silver for such purposes tends to extend the spectral window to observe luminescence enhancement effects. Such manifold increase in luminescence may be explained by the principles of plasmon coupling, directional emission led high collection efficiency, Rayleigh scattering and related opto-electronic events. The present review begins with a mechanistic description of important phenomena associated with metal-induced luminescence enhancement, particularly focusing on the origin of metal-enhanced luminescence. This review further analyses the hybrid nanostructure capabilities responsible for maintaining unique opto-electronic properties during bio-functionalisation. Current research trends in this area, future scope of this field for designing useful bioassays and concluding remarks are then discussed. - Highlights: • Nanomaterials significantly differ from their bulk counterparts. • Strong and pronounced photophysical effects at the metal surface provide opportunities for designing novel biosensors. • Metal-enhanced luminescence increases the quantum yield of luminescent reactions. • Under optimal conditions, plasmon coupling enhances the optical effects at the nanometal surface.

Metal-enhanced luminescence: Current trend and future perspectives- A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranjan, Rajeev [Laboratory of Bioluminescent Biotechnologies, Department of Biophysics, Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Prospect, Krasnoyarsk 660041 (Russian Federation); Esimbekova, Elena N., E-mail: esimbekova@yandex.ru [Laboratory of Bioluminescent Biotechnologies, Department of Biophysics, Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Prospect, Krasnoyarsk 660041 (Russian Federation); Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS”, Akademgorodok 50/50, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russian Federation); Kirillova, Maria A. [Laboratory of Bioluminescent Biotechnologies, Department of Biophysics, Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Prospect, Krasnoyarsk 660041 (Russian Federation); Kratasyuk, Valentina A. [Laboratory of Bioluminescent Biotechnologies, Department of Biophysics, Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Prospect, Krasnoyarsk 660041 (Russian Federation); Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS”, Akademgorodok 50/50, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russian Federation)

2017-06-08

Optically enhanced biosensing strategies are prerequisites for developing miniature and highly sensitive multiplexed analytical platforms. Such smart biosensing systems are highly promising for use in the fields of biomedicine and environmental monitoring. Optical signal enhancement during bioassays is attributed to the complex opto-electronic interactions of incoming photonic signals at the nanomaterial interface. Research on the use of metals other than gold and silver for such purposes tends to extend the spectral window to observe luminescence enhancement effects. Such manifold increase in luminescence may be explained by the principles of plasmon coupling, directional emission led high collection efficiency, Rayleigh scattering and related opto-electronic events. The present review begins with a mechanistic description of important phenomena associated with metal-induced luminescence enhancement, particularly focusing on the origin of metal-enhanced luminescence. This review further analyses the hybrid nanostructure capabilities responsible for maintaining unique opto-electronic properties during bio-functionalisation. Current research trends in this area, future scope of this field for designing useful bioassays and concluding remarks are then discussed. - Highlights: • Nanomaterials significantly differ from their bulk counterparts. • Strong and pronounced photophysical effects at the metal surface provide opportunities for designing novel biosensors. • Metal-enhanced luminescence increases the quantum yield of luminescent reactions. • Under optimal conditions, plasmon coupling enhances the optical effects at the nanometal surface.

The use of elearning in medical education: a review of the current situation

Science.gov (United States)

Choules, A P

2007-01-01

Computers are increasingly used in medical education. Electronic learning (elearning) is moving from textbooks in electronic format (that are increasingly enhanced by the use of multimedia adjuncts) to a truly interactive medium that can be delivered to meet the educational needs of students and postgraduate learners. Computer technology can present reliable, reusable content in a format that is convenient to the learner. It can be used to transcend geographical boundaries and time zones. It is a valuable tool to add to the medical teacher's toolkit, but like all tools it must be used appropriately. This article endeavours to review the current “state of the art2 in use of elearning and its role in medical education alongside non‐electronic methods—a combination that is currently referred to as “blended” learning. PMID:17403945

The use of elearning in medical education: a review of the current situation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choules, A P

2007-04-01