The emerging dental workforce: long-term career expectations and influences. A quantitative study of final year dental students' views on their long-term career from one London Dental School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson Nairn HF

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research into the motivation and expectations of the emerging workforce and their short-term expectations has already been reported with a view to informing professional and policy decisions. The objective of this component of the research programme was to examine the long-term goals and perceived influences on final year dental students' professional careers. Methods Univariate analysis of a self completed questionnaire survey of all final year dental students from King's College London, comprising questions on demography, long-term career goals and influences, proposed commitment to dentistry, commitment to healthcare systems and the influences thereon. Statistical analysis included Chi Squared tests for linear association. Results Ninety per cent of students responded to this survey (n = 126, the majority of whom were aged 23 years (59%, female (58% and Asian (70%. Long-term career goals were fairly evenly split between 'dentist with a special interest' (27%, 'primary dental care practitioner' (26% and 'specialist' (25%, with 19% not certain. Only 60% of total respondents anticipated working full-time in the long-term (79% males cf 52% females; p = 0.00. The vast majority of respondents (≥80% identified 'work-life balance', 'financial stability' and 'professional development' as 'important' or 'very important' influences on the number of future sessions. Females were significantly more likely to rate childcare commitments as an important influence on their future working capacity compared with males (p = 0.00. A wide range of factors were considered important or very important in making the NHS attractive, led by support for professional development (88% and feeling valued by patients (88%, as well as funding, time with patients, rewards for prevention and practical issues such as dental materials and premises. Females were significantly more likely than males to be attracted to work within the NHS by 'childcare support

Salt Marsh development studies at Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts: Influence of geomorphology on long-term plant community structure

Science.gov (United States)

Orson, Richard A.; Howes, Brian L.

1992-11-01

Stochastic events relating to beach formation and inlet dynamics have been the major factors influencing the development of the Waquoit Bay tidal marshes. This results from the physical structure of the Waquoit Bay system where tidal exchange is limited to one or two small inlets and is in contrast to marsh development in nearby Barnstable Marsh where direct unrestricted exchange with Cape Cod Bay has smoothed the effects of stochastic events on vegetation development. We contend that vegetation development in salt marshes where connections to adjacent waters are restricted will be dominated by abiotic factors (e.g. storms, sedimentation rates, etc.) while those marshes directly linked to open bodies of water and where alterations to hydrodynamic factors are gradual, autecological processes (e.g. interspecific competition) will dominate long-term plant community development. The results from the five marsh systems within the Waquoit Bay complex suggest that once a vegetation change occurs the new community tended to persist for long periods of time (100's-1000's years). Stability of the 'new' community appeared to depend upon the stability of the physical structure of the system and/or time between perturbations necessary to allow the slower autecological processes to have a discernable effect. In order for the plant community to persist as long as observed, the vegetation must also be exerting an influence on the processes of development. Increased production of roots and rhizomes and growth characteristics (density of culms) are some of the factors which help to maintain long-term species dominance. It is clear from this investigation that the structure of the plant community at any one point in time is dependent upon numerous factors including historical developmental influences. To properly assess changes to the present plant community or determine recent rates of accretion, historic developmental trends must be considered. The factors that have influenced the

Multilevel analysis of workplace and individual risk factors for long-term sickness absence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Labriola, Merete; Christensen, Karl B; Lund, Thomas

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine if psychosocial and physical work-environment factors predict long-term sickness absence (>8 weeks) at both the individual and the workplace level. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected in a prospective study in 52 Danish workplaces....... Psychosocial factors were aggregated as workplace means. We used multilevel logistic regression models with psychosocial factors as predictors of long-term sickness absence over 5 years based on data from a national absence register. RESULTS: Long-term sickness absence was predicted by physical work...

Risk factors for violence among long-term psychiatric in-patients: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study focuses on enduring patient related risk factors of violence, and investigates which long-term patients in Weskoppies Hospital (a specialist psychiatric hospital) are the most likely to commit violent acts. Method: Nursing statistics on violent incidents and other security breaches were collected for 262 long-term ...

Factors associated with long-term species composition in dry tropical forests of Central India

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwala, M.; DeFries, R. S.; Qureshi, Q.; Jhala, Y. V.

2016-10-01

The long-term future of species composition in forests depends on regeneration. Many factors can affect regeneration, including human use, environmental conditions, and species’ traits. This study examines the influence of these factors in a tropical deciduous forest of Central India, which is heavily used by local, forest-dependent residents for livestock grazing, fuel-wood extraction, construction and other livelihood needs. We measure size-class proportions (the ratio of abundance of a species at a site in a higher size class to total abundance in both lower and higher size classes) for 39 tree species across 20 transects at different intensities of human use. The size-class proportions for medium to large trees and for small to medium-sized trees were negatively associated with species that are used for local construction, while size class proportions for saplings to small trees were positively associated with those species that are fire resistant and negatively associated with livestock density. Results indicate that grazing and fire prevent non-fire resistant species from reaching reproductive age, which can alter the long term composition and future availability of species that are important for local use and ecosystem services. Management efforts to reduce fire and forest grazing could reverse these impacts on long-term forest composition.

Genetic influences on free and cued recall in long-term memory tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Volk, Heather E; McDermott, Kathleen B; Roediger, Henry L; Todd, Richard D

2006-10-01

Long-term memory (LTM) problems are associated with many psychiatric and neurological illnesses and are commonly measured using free and cued recall tasks. Although LTM has been linked with biologic mechanisms, the etiology of distinct LTM tasks is unknown. We studied LTM in 95 healthy female twin pairs identified through birth records in the state of Missouri. Performance on tasks of free recall of unrelated words, free and cued recall of categorized words, and the vocabulary section of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) were examined using structural equation modeling. Additive genetic and unique environmental factors influenced LTM and intelligence. Free recall of unrelated and categorized words, and cued recall of categorized words, were moderately heritable (55%, 38%, and 37%). WAIS-R vocabulary score was highly heritable (77%). Controlling for verbal intelligence in multivariate analyses of recall, two components of genetic influence on LTM were found; one for all three recall scores and one for free and cued categorized word recall. Recall of unrelated and categorized words is influenced by different genetic and environmental factors indicating heterogeneity in LTM. Verbal intelligence is etiologically different from LTM indicating that these two abilities utilize different brain functions.

Brief, pre-retrieval stress differentially influences long-term memory depending on sex and corticosteroid response.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, Phillip R; Kalchik, Andrea E; Hoffman, Mackenzie M; Aufdenkampe, Rachael L; Burke, Hanna M; Woelke, Sarah A; Pisansky, Julia M; Talbot, Jeffery N

2014-03-01

Previous work has indicated that stress generally impairs memory retrieval. However, little research has addressed discrepancies that exist in this line of work and the factors that could explain why stress can exert differential effects on retrieval processes. Therefore, we examined the influence of brief, pre-retrieval stress that was administered immediately before testing on long-term memory in males and females. Participants learned a list of 42 words varying in emotional valence and arousal. Following the learning phase, participants were given an immediate free recall test. Twenty-four hours later, participants submerged their non-dominant hand in a bath of ice cold (Stress) or warm (No Stress) water for 3 min. Immediately following this manipulation, participants' memory for the word list was assessed via free recall and recognition tests. We observed no group differences on short-term memory. However, male participants who showed a robust cortisol response to the stress exhibited enhanced long-term recognition memory, while male participants who demonstrated a blunted cortisol response to the stress exhibited impaired long-term recall and recognition memory. These findings suggest that the effects of brief, pre-retrieval stress on long-term memory are sex-specific and mediated by corticosteroid mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing long-term quality of life and depression in German liver transplant recipients: a single-centre cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahn, Alexandra; Seubert, Lisa; Jünger, Jana; Schellberg, Dieter; Weiss, Karl Heinz; Schemmer, Peter; Stremmel, Wolfgang; Sauer, Peter; Gotthardt, Daniel Nils

2013-06-26

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has become increasingly important. Therefore, we aimed to identify factors affecting HRQOL after OLT. This cross-sectional, single-centre study surveyed 281 OLT patients. Survey tools included the Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9), and a self-designed employment questionnaire. Patient medical records were reviewed. Participants included 187 men (mean age at OLT: 50 [± 11; 13-69] years). Primary indications for OLT were viral hepatitis (28%), alcoholic liver disease (35%), cholestatic liver disease (11%), and others (26%). Follow-up ranged from 2 to 136 months. Clinical factors associated with improved HRQOL were age ≤ 45 years at OLT and current MELD score <=≤ 13. Time after OLT and indication for transplantation affected SF-36 HRQOL. SF-36 physical component summary scales plateaued at 3-years post-OLT and then stabilized. For the SF-36 HRQOL, scores were the lowest in all domains for OLT recipients transplanted for chronic viral hepatitis and for unemployed patients, whereas sex and number of transplantations showed no significant differences. The PHQ9 results showed that depression was significantly more frequent among patients with current MELD score ≥ 13 or impaired liver function and those transplanted for chronic viral hepatitis or unemployed patients. Age and sex did not influence PHQ9 results. Medical and psychosocial support is crucial for long-term HRQOL after OLT. Developing multidisciplinary interventions to address issues such as employment, age, MELD score, and liver function may improve long-term HRQOL in these patients.

Influence of prey abundance and abiotic factors on the long-term ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... the home-range distribution of spotted grunter. Spatial distribution of prey appears to be a dominant factor influencing home-range parameters of this species within an intermittently open estuary. Keywords: acoustic telemetry, East Kleinemonde Estuary, estuarine fish, movement behaviour, prey abundance, South Africa ...

Factors influencing the incidence of pre-term birth in Calabar, Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Women who had pre-term birth in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, over a 2 ½ year period were studied. The aim was to establish the factors influencing the incidence of pre-term birth in Calabar. Factors which significantly increase the incidence of pre-term delivery included: previous induced abortion ...

Spatial analysis of factors influencing long-term stress in the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population of Alberta, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourbonnais, Mathieu L; Nelson, Trisalyn A; Cattet, Marc R L; Darimont, Chris T; Stenhouse, Gordon B

2013-01-01

Non-invasive measures for assessing long-term stress in free ranging mammals are an increasingly important approach for understanding physiological responses to landscape conditions. Using a spatially and temporally expansive dataset of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) generated from a threatened grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in Alberta, Canada, we quantified how variables representing habitat conditions and anthropogenic disturbance impact long-term stress in grizzly bears. We characterized spatial variability in male and female HCC point data using kernel density estimation and quantified variable influence on spatial patterns of male and female HCC stress surfaces using random forests. Separate models were developed for regions inside and outside of parks and protected areas to account for substantial differences in anthropogenic activity and disturbance within the study area. Variance explained in the random forest models ranged from 55.34% to 74.96% for males and 58.15% to 68.46% for females. Predicted HCC levels were higher for females compared to males. Generally, high spatially continuous female HCC levels were associated with parks and protected areas while low-to-moderate levels were associated with increased anthropogenic disturbance. In contrast, male HCC levels were low in parks and protected areas and low-to-moderate in areas with increased anthropogenic disturbance. Spatial variability in gender-specific HCC levels reveal that the type and intensity of external stressors are not uniform across the landscape and that male and female grizzly bears may be exposed to, or perceive, potential stressors differently. We suggest observed spatial patterns of long-term stress may be the result of the availability and distribution of foods related to disturbance features, potential sexual segregation in available habitat selection, and may not be influenced by sources of mortality which represent acute traumas. In this wildlife system and others

The Impact of EuroSCORE II Risk Factors on Prediction of Long-Term Mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Barili, Fabio; Pacini, Davide; D'Ovidio, Mariangela; Dang, Nicholas C; Alamanni, Francesco; Di Bartolomeo, Roberto; Grossi, Claudio; Davoli, Marina; Fusco, Danilo; Parolari, Alessandro

2016-10-01

The European System for Cardiac Operation Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II has not been tested yet for predicting long-term mortality. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between EuroSCORE II and long-term mortality and to develop a new algorithm based on EuroSCORE II factors to predict long-term survival after cardiac surgery. Complete data on 10,033 patients who underwent major cardiac surgery during a 7-year period were retrieved from three prospective institutional databases and linked with the Italian Tax Register Information System. Mortality at follow-up was analyzed with time-to-event analysis. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival at 1 and 5 were, respectively, 95.0% ± 0.2% and 84.7% ± 0.4%. Both discrimination and calibration of EuroSCORE II decreased in the prediction of 1-year and 5-year mortality. Nonetheless, EuroSCORE II was confirmed to be an independent predictor of long-term mortality with a nonlinear trend. Several EuroSCORE II variables were independent risk factors for long-term mortality in a regression model, most of all very low ejection fraction (less than 20%), salvage operation, and dialysis. In the final model, isolated mitral valve surgery and isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery were associated with improved long-term survival. The EuroSCORE II cannot be considered a direct estimator of long-term risk of death, as its performance fades for mortality at follow-up longer than 30 days. Nonetheless, it is nonlinearly associated with long-term mortality, and most of its variables are risk factors for long-term mortality. Hence, they can be used in a different algorithm to stratify the risk of long-term mortality after surgery. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of factors that influence weaning from long-term mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emília Nozawa

2003-03-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To analyze parameters of respiratory system mechanics and oxygenation and cardiovascular alterations involved in weaning tracheostomized patients from long-term mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery. METHODS: We studied 45 patients in their postoperative period of cardiac surgery, who required long-term mechanical ventilation for more than 10 days and had to undergo tracheostomy due to unsuccessful weaning from mechanical ventilation. The parameters of respiratory system mechanics, oxigenation and the following factors were analyzed: type of surgical procedure, presence of cardiac dysfunction, time of extracorporeal circulation, and presence of neurologic lesions. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients studied, successful weaning from mechanical ventilation was achieved in 22 patients, while the procedure was unsuccessful in 23 patients. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in regard to static pulmonary compliance (p=0.23, airway resistance (p=0.21, and the dead space/tidal volume ratio (p=0.54. No difference was also observed in regard to the variables PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p=0.86, rapid and superficial respiration index (p=0.48, and carbon dioxide arterial pressure (p=0.86. Cardiac dysfunction and time of extracorporeal circulation showed a significant difference. CONCLUSION: Data on respiratory system mechanics and oxygenation were not parameters for assessing the success or failure. Cardiac dysfunction and time of cardiopulmonary bypass, however, significantly interfered with the success in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation.

Factors influencing long-term and seasonal waterbird abundance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... influence waterbird communities include rainfall quantity and distribution, waterbird movement, breeding and moulting; anthropogenic drivers include activities such as fishing and agriculture. Results suggest that seasonal variations in resource availability influenced the waterbird community composition and abundance, ...

[Long-term psychiatric hospitalizations].

Science.gov (United States)

Plancke, L; Amariei, A

2017-02-01

Long-term hospitalizations in psychiatry raise the question of desocialisation of the patients and the inherent costs. Individual indicators were extracted from a medical administrative database containing full-time psychiatric hospitalizations for the period 2011-2013 of people over 16 years old living in the French region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. We calculated the proportion of people who had experienced a hospitalization with a duration of 292 days or more during the study period. A bivariate analysis was conducted, then ecological data (level of health-care offer, the deprivation index and the size of the municipalities of residence) were included into a multilevel regression model in order to identify the factors significantly related to variability of long-term hospitalization rates. Among hospitalized individuals in psychiatry, 2.6% had had at least one hospitalization of 292 days or more during the observation period; the number of days in long-term hospitalization represented 22.5% of the total of days of full-time hospitalization in psychiatry. The bivariate analysis revealed that seniority in the psychiatric system was strongly correlated with long hospitalization rates. In the multivariate analysis, the individual indicators the most related to an increased risk of long-term hospitalization were: total lack of autonomy (OR=9.0; 95% CI: 6.7-12.2; P<001); diagnoses of psychological development disorders (OR=9.7; CI95%: 4.5-20.6; P<.001); mental retardation (OR=4.5; CI95%: 2.5-8.2; P<.001): schizophrenia (OR=3.0; CI95%: 1.7-5.2; P<.001); compulsory hospitalization (OR=1.7; CI95%: 1.4-2.1; P<.001); having experienced therapeutic isolation (OR=1.8; CI95%: 1.5-2.1; P<.001). Variations of long-term hospitalization rates depending on the type of establishment were very high, but the density of hospital beds or intensity of ambulatory activity services were not significantly linked to long-term hospitalization. The inhabitants of small urban units had

Customer loyalty in the South African long-term insurance industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leon du Plessis

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of this study is to investigate the influence of selected independent variables, two-way communication and conflict handling on intentional customer loyalty via Customer Relationship Management (CRM as the intervening variable within the South African long-term insurance environment. Primary data were gathered using a questionnaire, with items referring to Customer Relationship Management, customer loyalty, two-way communication and conflict handling. The sample consisted of 254 customers in four customer walk-in centres of a long-term insurance provider in South Africa. Data were factor-analysed. One independent variable, conflict handling, exerted a statistically significant positive influence on the intervening variable (CRM, whilst two-way communication exerted a statistically significant negative influence on the intervening variable. This variable (CRM positively influenced the dependent variable (customer loyalty. If long-term insurance organisations communicate timeously and accurately, and are skilled in conflict handling, greater loyalty will be created amongst customers. The study revealed that the majority of customers (51.53% strongly agree that two-way communication is an important dimension that underpins Customer Relationship Management and their relationship with a long-term insurance organisation. The empirical results indicate a negative relationship between the perceived two-way communication by a long-term insurance organisation and CRM at the insurance provider in South Africa. In terms of conflict handling, the study revealed that the majority of customers (45.69% strongly agree that conflict handling is an important dimension that underpins Customer Relationship Management and their relationship with a long-term insurance organisation. The empirical results indicate a positive relationship between perceived conflict handling by a long-term insurance provider and CRM at the organisation in South

Home care needs of patients with long-term conditions: literature review.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Algera, M.; Francke, A.L.; Kerkstra, A.; Zee, J. van der

2004-01-01

Background: There is a widely felt need to improve the match between long-term patients' care needs and actual use of home care. As this match is not always adequate, it is important to know what factors influence it. Aim: The aim of this paper is to provide insight into long-term patients' need and

A study about the long-term stability of sedimentary rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshino, Naoto; Miyanomae, Shun-ichi; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Nashimoto, Yutaka

2005-02-01

In this paper, following two issues were examined and estimated, (1) the influence of near field condition factor to the dynamical behavior of sedimentary soft rock, (2) the long term estimation of the dynamical behavior considering the condition of Horonobe area. As the study about the influence of near field condition factor to the dynamical behavior of sedimentary soft rock, the thermal factor was focused on and the laboratory tests using test pieces which were sampled in Horonobe area were carried out under the water temperature were 20 degrees and 80 degrees. As a result, the time dependence parameter in variable-compliance-type constitutive-equation could be obtained. And comparison between creep property under 20 degrees and 80 degrees was conducted. In addition, the general properties of sedimentary soft rock under several conditions were identified by the survey of the literature. And the way how to confirm the dynamical properties of sedimentary soft rock with in-situ test were presented. For the study on the short-term and long-term stability of rock surrounding buffer materials, numerical simulations were carried out assuming several conditions. The direction of disposal tunnels and the ratio of rock strength by initial stress were estimated to be the main factor affecting the short-term stability of rock. Time dependency of rock and the stiffness of buffer material were estimated to be the main factor affecting the long-term stability of rock. (author)

Spatial analysis of factors influencing long-term stress in the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos population of Alberta, Canada.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathieu L Bourbonnais

Full Text Available Non-invasive measures for assessing long-term stress in free ranging mammals are an increasingly important approach for understanding physiological responses to landscape conditions. Using a spatially and temporally expansive dataset of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC generated from a threatened grizzly bear (Ursus arctos population in Alberta, Canada, we quantified how variables representing habitat conditions and anthropogenic disturbance impact long-term stress in grizzly bears. We characterized spatial variability in male and female HCC point data using kernel density estimation and quantified variable influence on spatial patterns of male and female HCC stress surfaces using random forests. Separate models were developed for regions inside and outside of parks and protected areas to account for substantial differences in anthropogenic activity and disturbance within the study area. Variance explained in the random forest models ranged from 55.34% to 74.96% for males and 58.15% to 68.46% for females. Predicted HCC levels were higher for females compared to males. Generally, high spatially continuous female HCC levels were associated with parks and protected areas while low-to-moderate levels were associated with increased anthropogenic disturbance. In contrast, male HCC levels were low in parks and protected areas and low-to-moderate in areas with increased anthropogenic disturbance. Spatial variability in gender-specific HCC levels reveal that the type and intensity of external stressors are not uniform across the landscape and that male and female grizzly bears may be exposed to, or perceive, potential stressors differently. We suggest observed spatial patterns of long-term stress may be the result of the availability and distribution of foods related to disturbance features, potential sexual segregation in available habitat selection, and may not be influenced by sources of mortality which represent acute traumas. In this wildlife

Risk factors and analysis of long-term headache in sporadic vestibular schwannoma: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Matthew L; Tveiten, Øystein Vesterli; Driscoll, Colin L; Boes, Christopher J; Sullan, Molly J; Goplen, Frederik K; Lund-Johansen, Morten; Link, Michael J

2015-11-01

The primary goals of this study were: 1) to examine the influence of disease and treatment on headache in patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS); and 2) to identify clinical predictors of long-term headache disability. This was a cross-sectional observational study with international multicenter enrollment. Patients included those with primary sporadic Headache Disability Inventory (HDI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a VS symptom questionnaire. The main outcome measures were univariate and multivariable associations with HDI total score. The overall survey response rate was 79%. Data from 538 patients with VS were analyzed. The mean age at time of survey was 64 years, 56% of patients were female, and the average duration between treatment and survey was 7.7 years. Twenty-seven percent of patients received microsurgery, 46% stereotactic radiosurgery, and 28% observation. Patients with VS who were managed with observation were more than twice as likely to have severe headache disability compared with 103 control subjects without VS. When accounting for baseline differences, there was no statistically significant difference in HDI outcome between treatment modalities at time of survey. Similarly, among the microsurgery cohort, the long-term risk of severe headache disability was not different between surgical approaches. Multivariable regression demonstrated that younger age, greater anxiety and depression, and a preexisting diagnosis of headache were the primary predictors of severe long-term headache disability, while tumor size and treatment modality had little influence. At a mean of almost 8 years following treatment, approximately half of patients with VS experience headaches of varying frequency and severity. Patient-driven factors including age, sex, mental health, and preexisting headache syndrome are the strongest predictors of long-term severe headache disability. Tumor size and treatment modality have less impact. These data

Reversibility of β-Cell-Specific Transcript Factors Expression by Long-Term Caloric Restriction in db/db Mouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunjun Sheng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Type 2 diabetes (T2D is characterized by β-cell dedifferentiation, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of the current study was to explore the mechanisms of β-cell dedifferentiation with and without long-term control of calorie intake. We used a diabetes mouse model (db/db to analyze the changes in the expression levels of β-cell-specific transcription factors (TFs and functional factors with long-term caloric restriction (CR. Our results showed that chronic euglycemia was maintained in the db/db mice with long-term CR intervention, and β-cell dedifferentiation was significantly reduced. The expression of Glut2, Pdx1, and Nkx6.1 was reversed, while MafA expression was significantly increased with long-term CR. GLP-1 pathway was reactivated with long-term CR. Our work showed that the course of β-cell dedifferentiation can intervene by long-term control of calorie intake. Key β-cell-specific TFs and functional factors play important roles in maintaining β-cell differentiation. Targeting these factors could optimize T2D therapies.

Long Term Clinical Prognostic Factors in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Insights from a 10-Year Observational Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Bsteh

Full Text Available Multiple sclerosis (MS has a highly heterogenic course making prediction of long term outcome very difficult.The objective was to evaluate current and identify additional clinical factors that are linked to long term outcome of relapsing-remitting MS assessed by disability status 10 years after disease onset.This observational study included 793 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Clinical factors hypothesized to influence long term outcome measured by EDSS scores 10 years after disease onset were analysed by Kaplan-Meier-estimates. Multinomial logistic regression models regarding mild (EDSS ≤2.5, moderate (EDSS 3.0-5.5 or severe (EDSS ≥6.0 disability were calculated to correct for confounders.Secondary progression was the strongest predictor of severe disability (Hazard ratio [HR] 503.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 160.0-1580.1; p<0.001. Complete remission of neurological symptoms at onset reduced the risk of moderate disability (HR 0.42; CI 0.23-0.77; p = 0.005, while depression (HR 3.59; CI 1.14-11.24; p = 0.028 and cognitive dysfunction (HR 4.64; CI 1.11-19.50; p = 0.036 10 years after disease onset were associated with severe disability. Oligoclonal bands and pregnancy were not correlated with disability.We were able to identify clinically apparent chronic depression and cognitive dysfunction to be associated with adverse long term outcome in MS and to confirm that pregnancy has no negative impact. Additionally, we emphasize the positive predictive value of complete remission of initial symptoms.

Human factors and nuclear space technology in long-term exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown-VanHoozer, S.A.; VanHoozer, W.R.

2000-01-01

Allocation of manual versus automated tasks for operation and maintenance of nuclear power systems in space will be crucial at the onset and at the return of a space flight. Such factors as space adaptation syndrome (SAS), a temporary space motion sickness that has affected 40 to 50% of crew members on past space flights, can result in lost effort ranging from a few hours to a full day. This could have a significant impact on manual performance where high levels of execution are likely to be required in the very early stages of the mission. Other considerations involving higher-level behavioral phenomena such as interpersonal and group processes, individual belief systems, social and motivational factors, and (subjective) cognitive function have received little attention; nevertheless these will be essential elements for success in long-term exploration. Understanding that long-term space flight missions may create groups that become unique societies distinct unto themselves will test current ethical, moral, and social belief systems, requiring one to examine the amalgamation as well as organizational structures for the safety and balance of the crew

Influence of long-term fertilization on soil physicochemical properties in a brown soil

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dongdong; Luo, Peiyu; Han, Xiaori; Yang, Jinfeng

2018-01-01

This study aims to explore the influence on soil physicochemical properties under a 38-y long-term fertilization in a brown soil. Soil samples (0-20 cm)were taken from the six treatments of the long-term fertilization trial in October 2016:no fertilizer (CK), N1(mineral nitrogen fertilizer), N1P (mineral nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer), N1PK (mineral nitrogen, phosphate and potassic fertilizer), pig manure (M2), M2N1P (pig manure, mineral nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer).The results showed thatthe long-term application of chemical fertilizers reduced soil pH value, while the application of organic fertilizers increased pH value. Fertilization significantly increased the content of AHN, TN and SOM. Compared with the CK treatment and chemical fertilizer treatments, organic fertilizer treatments significantly increased the content of AP and TP. The content of AK and TK were no significant difference in different treatment.

Modeling long-term dynamics of electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsina, Fernando; Garces, Francisco; Haubrich, H.-J.

2006-01-01

In the last decade, many countries have restructured their electricity industries by introducing competition in their power generation sectors. Although some restructuring has been regarded as successful, the short experience accumulated with liberalized power markets does not allow making any founded assertion about their long-term behavior. Long-term prices and long-term supply reliability are now center of interest. This concerns firms considering investments in generation capacity and regulatory authorities interested in assuring the long-term supply adequacy and the stability of power markets. In order to gain significant insight into the long-term behavior of liberalized power markets, in this paper, a simulation model based on system dynamics is proposed and the underlying mathematical formulations extensively discussed. Unlike classical market models based on the assumption that market outcomes replicate the results of a centrally made optimization, the approach presented here focuses on replicating the system structure of power markets and the logic of relationships among system components in order to derive its dynamical response. The simulations suggest that there might be serious problems to adjust early enough the generation capacity necessary to maintain stable reserve margins, and consequently, stable long-term price levels. Because of feedback loops embedded in the structure of power markets and the existence of some time lags, the long-term market development might exhibit a quite volatile behavior. By varying some exogenous inputs, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to assess the influence of these factors on the long-run market dynamics

Reconciling long-term cultural diversity and short-term collective social behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Valori, Luca; Picciolo, Francesco; Allansdottir, Agnes; Garlaschelli, Diego

2012-01-24

An outstanding open problem is whether collective social phenomena occurring over short timescales can systematically reduce cultural heterogeneity in the long run, and whether offline and online human interactions contribute differently to the process. Theoretical models suggest that short-term collective behavior and long-term cultural diversity are mutually excluding, since they require very different levels of social influence. The latter jointly depends on two factors: the topology of the underlying social network and the overlap between individuals in multidimensional cultural space. However, while the empirical properties of social networks are intensively studied, little is known about the large-scale organization of real societies in cultural space, so that random input specifications are necessarily used in models. Here we use a large dataset to perform a high-dimensional analysis of the scientific beliefs of thousands of Europeans. We find that interopinion correlations determine a nontrivial ultrametric hierarchy of individuals in cultural space. When empirical data are used as inputs in models, ultrametricity has strong and counterintuitive effects. On short timescales, it facilitates a symmetry-breaking phase transition triggering coordinated social behavior. On long timescales, it suppresses cultural convergence by restricting it within disjoint groups. Moreover, ultrametricity implies that these results are surprisingly robust to modifications of the dynamical rules considered. Thus the empirical distribution of individuals in cultural space appears to systematically optimize the coexistence of short-term collective behavior and long-term cultural diversity, which can be realized simultaneously for the same moderate level of mutual influence in a diverse range of online and offline settings.

Insulin dependence and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy are independent prognostic factors for long-term survival after operation for chronic pancreatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Winny, Markus; Paroglou, Vagia; Bektas, Hüseyin; Kaltenborn, Alexander; Reichert, Benedikt; Zachau, Lea; Kleine, Moritz; Klempnauer, Jürgen; Schrem, Harald

2014-02-01

This retrospective, single-center, observational study on postoperative long-term results aims to define yet unknown factors for long-term outcome after operation for chronic pancreatitis. We analyzed 147 consecutive patients operated for chronic pancreatitis from 2000 to 2011. Mean follow-up was 5.3 years (range, 1 month to 12.7 years). Complete long-term survival data were provided by the German citizen registration authorities for all patients. A quality-of-life questionnaire was sent to surviving patients after a mean follow-up of 5.7 years. Surgical principles were resection (n = 86; 59%), decompression (n = 29; 20%), and hybrid procedures (n = 32; 21%). No significant influences of different surgical principles and operative procedures on survival, long-term quality of life and pain control could be detected. Overall 30-day mortality was 2.7%, 1-year survival 95.9%, and 3-year survival 90.8%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that only postoperative insulin dependence at the time of hospital discharge (P = .027; Exp(B) = 2.111; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.089-4.090) and the absence of pancreas enzyme replacement therapy at the time of hospital discharge (P = .039; Exp(B) = 2.102; 95% CI, 1.037-4.262) were significant, independent risk factors for survival with significant hazard ratios for long-term survival. Long-term improvement in quality of life was reported by 55 of 76 long-term survivors (73%). Pancreatic enzyme replacement should be standard treatment after surgery for chronic pancreatitis at the time of hospital discharge, even when no clinical signs of exocrine pancreatic failure exist. This study underlines the potential importance of early operative intervention in chronic pancreatitis before irreversible endocrine dysfunction is present. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Saving and Re-building Lives: Determinants of Short-term and Long-term Disaster Relief

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geethanjali SELVARETNAM

2014-11-01

Full Text Available We analyse both theoretically and empirically, the factors that influence the amount of humanitarian aid received by countries which are struck by natural disasters, particularly distinguishing between immediate disaster relief and long term humanitarian aid. The theoretical model is able to make predictions as well as explain some of the peculiarities in the empirical results. We show that both short and long term humanitarian aid increases with number of people killed, financial loss and level of corruption, while GDP per capita had no effect. More populated countries receive more humanitarian aid. Earthquake, tsunami and drought attract more aid.

Human meniscal proteoglycan metabolism in long-term tissue culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verbruggen, G.; Verdonk, R.; Veys, E. M.; van Daele, P.; de Smet, P.; van den Abbeele, K.; Claus, B.; Baeten, D.

1996-01-01

For the purpose of human meniscal allografting, menisci have been maintained viable in in vitro culture. The influence of long-term tissue culture on the extracellular matrix metabolism of the meniscus has been studied. Fetal calf serum (FCS) was used as a supplement for the growth factors necessary

Long-term results after repair of ruptured and non-ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuzmanović Ilija B.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION Abdominal aortic aneurysm can be repaired by elective procedure while asymptomatic, or immediately when it is complicated - mostly due to rupture. Treating abdominal aneurysm electively, before it becomes urgent, has medical and economical reason. Today, the first month mortality after elective operations of the abdominal aorta aneurysm is less than 3%; on the other hand, significant mortality (25%-70% has been recorded in patients operated immediately because of rupture of the abdominal aneurysm. In addition, the costs of elective surgical treatment are significantly lower. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to compare long-term survival of patients that underwent elective or immediate repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (due to rupture, and to find out the factors influencing the long-term survival of these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Through retrospective review of prospectively collected data of the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases of Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, 56 patients that had elective surgery and 35 patients that underwent urgent operation due to rupture of abdominal aneurysm were followed up. Only the patients that survived 30 postoperative days were included in this review, and were followed up (ranging from 2 to 126 months. Electively operated patients were followed during 58.82 months on the average (range 7 to 122, and urgently operated were followed over 52.26 months (range 2 to 126. There was no significant difference of the length of postoperative follow-up between these two groups. RESULTS During this period, out of electively operated and immediately operated patients, 27 and 22 cases died, respectively. There was no significant difference (p>0,05a of long-term survival between these two groups. Obesity and early postoperative complications significantly decreased long-term survival of both electively and immediately operated patients. Graft infection, ventral hernia, aneurysm of

Management challenges faced by managers of New Zealand long-term care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Madas, E; North, N

2000-01-01

This article reports on a postal survey of 78 long-term care managers in one region of New Zealand, of whom 45 (58%) responded. Most long-term care managers (73.2%) were middle-aged females holding nursing but not management qualifications. Most long-term care facilities (69%) tended to be stand-alone facilities providing a single type of care (rest home or continuing care hospital). The most prominent issues facing managers were considered to be inadequate funding to match the growing costs of providing long-term care and occupancy levels. Managers believed that political/regulatory, economic and social factors influenced these issues. Despite a turbulent health care environment and the challenges facing managers, long-term care managers reported they were coping well and valued networking.

Self-perceived long-term transfer of learning after postpartum hemorrhage simulation training.

Science.gov (United States)

de Melo, Brena Carvalho Pinto; Rodrigues Falbo, Ana; Sorensen, Jette Led; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; van der Vleuten, Cees

2018-05-01

To explore long-term transfer (application of acquired knowledge and skills on the job) after postpartum hemorrhage simulation training based on either instructional design (ID) principles or conventional best practice. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews with obstetrics and gynecology healthcare practitioners were conducted between August 7 and September 26, 2015, in Recife, Brazil. The participants were randomly selected from each of two postpartum hemorrhage simulations attended 2 years earlier (one ID and one conventional best practice). Thematic analysis was used to explore (1) residents' perceptions of long-term transfer of learning, (2) ID elements influencing the perceived long-term transfer, and (3) differences in the participants' perceptions according to the type of simulation attended. There were 12 interview participants. After either simulation format, residents perceived long-term transfer effects. Training design factors influencing transfer were, in their opinion, related to trainees' characteristics, simulation design, and workplace environment. Trainees who participated in the ID-based simulation perceived better communication skills and better overall situational awareness: "I didn't do that before." All residents perceived long-term transfer after simulation training for postpartum hemorrhage. Those who attended the ID format additionally perceived improvements in communication skills and situational awareness, which are fundamental factors in the management of postpartum hemorrhage. © 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Long-term associative learning predicts verbal short-term memory performance

OpenAIRE

Jones, Gary; Macken, Bill

2017-01-01

Studies using tests such as digit span and nonword repetition have implicated short-term memory across a range of developmental domains. Such tests ostensibly assess specialized processes for the short-term manipulation and maintenance of information that are often argued to enable long-term learning. However, there is considerable evidence for an influence of long-term linguistic learning on performance in short-term memory tasks that brings into question the role of a specialized short-term...

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Long Term Follow-up Shows Benefit with Risk Factor Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koroush Khalighi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Only sparse data was available on long-term of Takotusbo Cardiomyopathy (TC. Previous studies suggested prognosis is not necessarily benign. We report the long-term follow-up of 12 TC patients actively managed with risk factor reduction. Retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with TC at our hospital between 1998 and 2010. We identified 12 patients with TC among 1651 cases of emergent left heart catheterization over 12 years. Mean follow-up time was 8.3 ± 3.6 years. All were female, 87% had hypertension, 25% had history of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD, 67% had hyperlipidemia, 44% had some preceding emotional trauma, and 44% had some physical/physiological stress. Previous studies have shown that over 50% of TC patients experience future cardiac events, and 10% have a recurrence of TC. Patients were prescribed therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC and guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT for aggressive risk factor reduction. TLC included diet, exercise, and cardiac rehabilitation. GDMT often included aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors, and statins. Follow-up echocardiograms showed recovery and maintenance of the ejection fraction. There was no cardiac mortality and no recurrences of TC. Aggressive risk factor reduction with TLC and GDMT may be effective in improving the long term outcomes of patients with TC.

Comparative analysis of the long-term results of treatment in patients with Stages I-IIa breast cancer in relation to major prognostic factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. V. Efimkina

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The analysis of the long-term results of treatment in patients with Stages I-IIa breast cancer in relation to major prognostic factors re- vealed poor morphological factors that greatly influenced the lifespan of female patients, such as tumor invasion along the neural fibers, tumor necrosis, cancer emboli in the lymph gaps and vessels, vascular tumor invasion.

Prognostic Factors and Decision Tree for Long-term Survival in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzo, Daniel; Ochoa, María; Piulats, Josep Maria; Gutiérrez, Cristina; Arias, Luis; Català, Jaum; Grau, María; Peñafiel, Judith; Cobos, Estefanía; Garcia-Bru, Pere; Rubio, Marcos Javier; Padrón-Pérez, Noel; Dias, Bruno; Pera, Joan; Caminal, Josep Maria

2017-12-04

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the existence of a bimodal survival pattern in metastatic uveal melanoma. Secondary aims were to identify the characteristics and prognostic factors associated with long-term survival and to develop a clinical decision tree. The medical records of 99 metastatic uveal melanoma patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified as either short (≤ 12 months) or long-term survivors (> 12 months) based on a graphical interpretation of the survival curve after diagnosis of the first metastatic lesion. Ophthalmic and oncological characteristics were assessed in both groups. Of the 99 patients, 62 (62.6%) were classified as short-term survivors, and 37 (37.4%) as long-term survivors. The multivariate analysis identified the following predictors of long-term survival: age ≤ 65 years (p=0.012) and unaltered serum lactate dehydrogenase levels (p=0.018); additionally, the size (smaller vs. larger) of the largest liver metastasis showed a trend towards significance (p=0.063). Based on the variables significantly associated with long-term survival, we developed a decision tree to facilitate clinical decision-making. The findings of this study demonstrate the existence of a bimodal survival pattern in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. The presence of certain clinical characteristics at diagnosis of distant disease is associated with long-term survival. A decision tree was developed to facilitate clinical decision-making and to counsel patients about the expected course of disease.

Short-term and long-term risk factors in gastric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Verlato, Giuseppe; Marrelli, Daniele; Accordini, Simone; Bencivenga, Maria; Di Leo, Alberto; Marchet, Alberto; Petrioli, Roberto; Zoppini, Giacomo; Muggeo, Michele; Roviello, Franco; de Manzoni, Giovanni

2015-06-07

curative gastrectomy with D2/D3 lymphadenectomy. Survival curves in the two different histotypes (intestinal and mixed/diffuse) were superimposed in the first three years of follow-up and diverged thereafter. Likewise, survival curves as a function of site (fundus vs body/antrum) started to diverge after the first year. On the contrary, survival curves differed among age classes from the very beginning, due to different post-operative mortality, which increased from 0.5% in patients aged 65-74 years to 9.9% in patients aged 75-91 years; this discrepancy later disappeared. Accordingly, the proportional hazards assumption of the Cox model was violated, as regards age, site and histology. To cope with this problem, multivariable survival analysis was performed by separately considering either the first two years of follow-up or subsequent years. Histology and site were significant predictors only after two years, while T and N, although significant both in the short-term and in the long-term, became less important in the second part of follow-up. Increasing age was associated with higher mortality in the first two years, but not thereafter. Splitting survival time when performing survival analysis allows to distinguish between short-term and long-term risk factors. Alternative statistical solutions could be to exclude post-operative mortality, to introduce in the model time-dependent covariates or to stratify on variables violating proportionality assumption.

Prevalence of risk factors for falls among elderly people living in long-term care homes

OpenAIRE

Pradnya Dhargave, PhD; Ragupathy Sendhilkumar, MSc, MPT

2016-01-01

Background: Falls are common among the geriatric population, causing frequent morbidity and mortality. There is an increased risk of fall among older people living in long-term care homes. Identifying risk factors for falls among older people living in old-age homes can help in the care and prevention of falls in this population. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of various risk factors for falls among older people living in long-term care homes. Methods: A total of 163 elderly men and wo...

Very-long-term and short-term chromatic adaptation: are their influences cumulative?

Science.gov (United States)

Belmore, Suzanne C; Shevell, Steven K

2011-02-09

Very-long-term (VLT) chromatic adaptation results from exposure to an altered chromatic environment for days or weeks. Color shifts from VLT adaptation are observed hours or days after leaving the altered environment. Short-term chromatic adaptation, on the other hand, results from exposure for a few minutes or less, with color shifts measured within seconds or a few minutes after the adapting light is extinguished; recovery to the pre-adapted state is complete in less than an hour. Here, both types of adaptation were combined. All adaptation was to reddish-appearing long-wavelength light. Shifts in unique yellow were measured following adaptation. Previous studies demonstrate shifts in unique yellow due to VLT chromatic adaptation, but shifts from short-term chromatic adaptation to comparable adapting light can be far greater than from VLT adaptation. The question considered here is whether the color shifts from VLT adaptation are cumulative with large shifts from short-term adaptation or, alternatively, does simultaneous short-term adaptation eliminate color shifts caused by VLT adaptation. The results show the color shifts from VLT and short-term adaptation together are cumulative, which indicates that both short-term and very-long-term chromatic adaptation affect color perception during natural viewing. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of long-term repeated prescribed burning on mycelial communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastias, Brigitte A; Xu, Zhihong; Cairney, John W G

2006-01-01

To demonstrate the efficacy of direct DNA extraction from hyphal ingrowth bags for community profiling of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mycelia in soil, we applied the method to investigate the influence of long-term repeated prescribed burning on an ECM fungal community. DNA was extracted from hyphal ingrowth bags buried in forest plots that received different prescribed burning treatments for 30 yr, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of partial fungal rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were compared. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analyses were also used to compare clone assemblages between the treatments. The majority of sequences derived from the ingrowth bags were apparently those of ECM fungi. DGGE profiles for biennially burned plots were significantly different from those of quadrennially burned and unburned control plots. Analysis of clone assemblages indicated that this reflected altered ECM fungal community composition. The results indicate that hyphal ingrowth bags represent a useful method for investigation of ECM mycelial communities, and that frequent long-term prescribed burning can influence below-ground ECM fungal communities.

Individual Decision Making in the Non-Purchase of Long-Term Care Insurance

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, Leslie A.; Robison, Julie; Shugrue, Noreen; Keenan, Patricia; Kapp, Marshall B.

2009-01-01

Purpose: Although prior research suggests that economic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors influence decisions not to purchase long-term care insurance, few studies have examined the interplay among these factors in depth and from the consumer's point of view. This study was intended to further illuminate these considerations, generate…

Influence of Diabetes on Long-Term Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patency.

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Sajjad; Blackstone, Eugene H; Houghtaling, Penny L; Rajeswaran, Jeevanantham; Riaz, Haris; Bakaeen, Faisal G; Lincoff, A Michael; Sabik, Joseph F

2017-08-01

Nearly 50% of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting have diabetes. However, little is known about the influence of diabetes on long-term patency of bypass grafts. Because patients with diabetes have more severe coronary artery stenosis, we hypothesized that graft patency is worse in patients with than without diabetes. This study sought to examine the influence of diabetes on long-term patency of bypass grafts. From 1972 to 2011, 57,961 patients underwent primary isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. Of these, 1,372 pharmacologically treated patients with diabetes and 10,147 patients without diabetes had 15,887 postoperative angiograms; stenosis was quantified for 7,903 internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts and 20,066 saphenous vein grafts. Status of graft patency across time was analyzed by longitudinal nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. ITA graft patency was stable over time and similar in patients with and without diabetes: at 1, 5, 10, and 20 years, 97%, 97%, 96%, and 96% in patients with diabetes, and 96%, 96%, 95%, and 93% in patients without diabetes, respectively (early p = 0.20; late p = 0.30). In contrast, saphenous vein graft patency declined over time and similarly in patients with and without diabetes: at 1, 5, 10, and 20 years, 78%, 70%, 57%, and 42% in patients with diabetes, and 82%, 72%, 58%, and 41% in patients without diabetes, respectively (early p < 0.002; late p = 0.60). After adjusting for patient characteristics, diabetes was associated with higher early patency of ITA grafts (odds ratio: 0.63; 95% confidence limits: 0.43 to 0.91; p = 0.013), but late patency of ITA grafts was similar in patients with and without diabetes (p = 0.80). Early and late patency of saphenous vein grafts were similar in patients with and without diabetes (early p = 0.90; late p = 0.80). Contrary to our hypothesis, diabetes did not influence long-term patency of bypass grafts. Use of ITA grafts should be maximized in patients

Factors affecting long-term integrity of transmission pipelines; Facteurs affectant l'integrite a long terme des gazoducs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagiwara, N.; Masuda, T.; Oguchi, N. [Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Japan)

2000-07-01

For upgrading long-term integrity of transmission pipelines, two types of delayed fracture in regions of mechanical damage in pipelines were investigated. Experimental and numerical studies clarified factors affecting the fatigue behavior of line pipes containing an idealized flaw under fluctuating internal pressure. To investigate fatigue cracking at mechanical damage in pipelines, degradation of fracture toughness and fatigue properties due to plastic pre-strain was also evaluated. A fracture mechanics-based study revealed conditions necessarily for initiation of hydrogen stress cracking (HSC) at a surface defect in line pipes under cathodic protection. (authors)

Local variability in long-term care services: local autonomy, exogenous influences and policy spillovers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, José-Luis; Forder, Julien

2015-03-01

In many countries, public responsibility over the funding and provision of long-term care services is held at the local level. In such systems, long-term care provision is often characterised by significant local variability. Using a panel dataset of local authorities over the period 2002-2012, the paper investigates the underlying causes of variation in gross social care expenditure for older people in England. The analysis distinguishes between factors outside the direct control of policy makers, local preferences and local policy spillovers. The results indicate that local demand and supply factors, and to a much lesser extent local political preferences and spatial policy spillovers, explain a large majority of the observed variation in expenditure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Long-term associative learning predicts verbal short-term memory performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Gary; Macken, Bill

2018-02-01

Studies using tests such as digit span and nonword repetition have implicated short-term memory across a range of developmental domains. Such tests ostensibly assess specialized processes for the short-term manipulation and maintenance of information that are often argued to enable long-term learning. However, there is considerable evidence for an influence of long-term linguistic learning on performance in short-term memory tasks that brings into question the role of a specialized short-term memory system separate from long-term knowledge. Using natural language corpora, we show experimentally and computationally that performance on three widely used measures of short-term memory (digit span, nonword repetition, and sentence recall) can be predicted from simple associative learning operating on the linguistic environment to which a typical child may have been exposed. The findings support the broad view that short-term verbal memory performance reflects the application of long-term language knowledge to the experimental setting.

Factors related to intention to stay in the current workplace among long-term care nurses: A nationwide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Eltaybani, Sameh; Noguchi-Watanabe, Maiko; Igarashi, Ayumi; Saito, Yumiko; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko

2018-04-01

Keeping long-term care nurses employed is necessary to sustain the current and future demand for high-quality long-term care services. Understanding the factors relating to intention to stay among long-term care nurses is limited by the scarcity of studies in long-term care settings, lack of investigation of multiple factors, and the weakness of existing explanatory models. To identify the factors associated with long-term care nurses' intention to stay in their current workplace. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Two hundred and fifty-seven hospitals with long-term care wards across Japan. A total of 3128 staff nurses and 257 nurse managers from the long-term care wards of the participating hospitals. The questionnaire assessed nurses' intention to continue working in the current workplace as well as potential related factors, including individual factors (demographic data, reason for choosing current workplace, burnout, work engagement, somatic symptom burden) and unit factors (unit size, nurse-manager-related data, patients' medical acuity, average number of overtime hours, recreational activities, social support, perceived quality of care process, educational opportunities, feeling of loneliness, and ability to request days off). Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to determine which variables best explained nurses' intention to stay in their workplace. Only 40.1% of the respondents reported wanting to continue working at their current workplace. The regression analysis revealed that long-term care nurses' intention to stay was positively associated with nurses' age (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.02 [1.01-1.03]), work engagement (1.24 [1.14-1.35]), getting appropriate support from nurse managers (2.78 [1.60-4.82]), perceived quality of care process (1.04 [1.01-1.06]), educational opportunities (1.06 [1.0-1.13]), and various specific reasons for choosing their workplace (e.g., a good workplace atmosphere, being interested in

Industrial Foundations as Long-Term Owners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Steen; Poulsen, Thomas; Børsting, Christa Winther

Short-termism has become a serious concern for corporate governance, and this has inspired a search for institutional arrangements to promote long-term decision-making. In this paper, we call attention to long-term ownership by industrial foundations, which is common in Northern Europe but little...... known in the rest of the world. We use a unique Danish data set to document that industrial foundations are long-term owners that practice long-term governance. We show that foundation ownership is highly stable compared to other ownership structures. Foundation-owned companies replace managers less...... frequently. They have conservative capital structures with low financial leverage. They score higher on an index of long-termism in finance, investment, and employment. They survive longer. Overall, our paper supports the hypothesis that corporate time horizons are influenced by ownership structures...

Influence of long-term hypodynamy on spongy bone tissue in Japanese quails

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia Tarabová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Weightlessness can cause various damages especially on the musculoskeletal system both in animals and humans. The aim of our study was to observe the influence of simulated, long-term microgravity on the spongy bone tissue of the femur in Japanese quails. A total of 80 cockerels at the age of 2 days were exposed to simulated microgravity – hypodynamy. After days 56, 63, 90 and 180, six birds from the experimental group and six birds from the control group were euthanised. Samples for histological examination were collected from femur epiphysis. The whole femur of the other limb was used for the analysis of the calcium content. Microscopic examination showed differences between experimental and control animals in the spongy bone tissue after every day of the experiment. In the experimental animals, there were numerous, big, multinucleated cells osteoclasts, lying on the bone trabeculae surface, which were damaged. The highest difference in the calcium content in femurs between the control and experimental animals was found after 90 days of hypodynamy. This study builds on short-term hypodynamy experiments; such long periods had never been studied before in birds. Because our findings are similar to those found in osteoporotic bone tissue, it could by useful in the development of countermeasures against the negative influence of microgravity and immobilization.

The role of the curriculum and other factors in determining the medium- to long-term attitude of the practicing dentist towards life-long learning.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Polyzois, I

2010-05-01

To investigate the significance of the undergraduate dental curriculum on the medium- to long-term attitudes of the clinician to life-long learning, and to identify demographical and professional characteristics which may influence this attitude.

[Prevalence and predisposing factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in long-term care facilities. An international view].

Science.gov (United States)

Szabó, Rita

2016-07-03

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens of healthcare and long-term care-associated infections over the world, resulting high morbidity, mortality and extra costs in these settings. The authors analyze the prevalence and predisposing factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in long-term care facilities. Systematic review using PubMed, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library CENTRAL databases between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2015 was performed. In the past ten years methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevalence in European long-term care facilities (12.6%) was lower than in North America (33.9%). The most frequent predisposing factor was previous antimicrobial therapy, hospital admission and infection/colonisation, chronic wounds, and high care need. Based on the results, the prevention and control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is an important public health priority in the European and Hungarian long-term care facilities.

The Long-term Middle Atmospheric Influence of Very Large Solar Proton Events

Science.gov (United States)

Jackman, Charles H.; Marsh, Daniel R.; Vitt, Francis M.; Garcia, Rolando R.; Randall, Cora E.; Fleming, Eric L.; Frith, Stacey M.

2008-01-01

Long-term variations in ozone have been caused by both natural and humankind related processes. The humankind or anthropogenic influence on ozone originates from the chlorofluorocarbons and halons (chlorine and bromine) and has led to international regulations greatly limiting the release of these substances. Certain natural ozone influences are also important in polar regions and are caused by the impact of solar charged particles on the atmosphere. Such natural variations have been studied in order to better quantify the human influence on polar ozone. Large-scale explosions on the Sun near solar maximum lead to emissions of charged particles (mainly protons and electrons), some of which enter the Earth's magnetosphere and rain down on the polar regions. "Solar proton events" have been used to describe these phenomena since the protons associated with these solar events sometimes create a significant atmospheric disturbance. We have used the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) to study the long-term (> few months) influences of solar proton events from 1963 through 2004 on stratospheric ozone and temperature. There were extremely large solar proton events in 1972, 1989,2000,2001, and 2003. These events caused very distinctive polar changes in layers of the Earth's atmosphere known as the stratosphere (12-50 km; -7-30 miles) and mesosphere (50-90 km; 30-55 miles). The solar protons connected with these events created hydrogen- and nitrogen-containing compounds, which led to the polar ozone destruction. The nitrogen-containing compounds, called odd nitrogen, lasted much longer than the hydrogen-containing compounds and led to long-lived stratospheric impacts. An extremely active period for these events occurred in the five-year period, 2000- 2004, and caused increases in odd nitrogen which lasted for several months after individual events. Associated stratospheric ozone decreases of >lo% were calculated

Long-term sick leave and its risk factors during pregnancy among Danish hospital employees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kærlev, Linda; Jacobsen, Lene B.; Olsen, Jørn

2004-01-01

AIM: The authors sought to describe risk indicators of long-term sick leave during pregnancy among hospital employees. METHODS: A register-based study was undertaken of 4,852 female hospital employees aged 20-45 years from the second largest hospital in Denmark during 1995-99 based on job titles...... leave days than other hospital employees. Part-time work, previous sickness absence not related to pregnancy, and previous chronic back pain were risk factors for long-term sick leave as were much walking or standing, long working days, high work level, little practical support from supervisors...... women in a manner that optimizes their health and well-being....

Physicians' Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Use of Opioids in Long-Term Care Facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffioen, Charlotte; Willems, Eva G; Kouwenhoven, Sanne M; Caljouw, Monique A A; Achterberg, Wilco P

2017-06-01

Insufficient pain management in vulnerable older persons living in long-term care facilities is common, and opiophobia might contribute to this. As opiophobia and its related factors have not been investigated in long-term care, this study evaluates the degree of knowledge of opioids among elderly-care physicians (ECPs) and ECP trainees, as well as their attitudes and other factors possibly influencing the clinical use of opioids in these facilities. A questionnaire was designed and distributed among ECPs and ECP trainees by email, regional symposia, and all three university training faculties for elderly-care medicine in the Netherlands. Respondents were 324 ECPs and 111 ECP trainees. Fear of addiction did not influence the prescription of opioids. Main barriers to the clinical use of opioids were patients' reluctance to take opioids (83.3%); unknown degree of pain (79.2%); and pain of unknown origin (51.4%). ECPs' average knowledge scores were sufficient: those who felt that their knowledge of opioids was poor scored lower than those who felt that their knowledge was good. Factors identified in this study may help provide better pain management for vulnerable older persons living in a long-term care facility. Also, more patient information on the pros and cons of opioid use is needed, as well as appropriate tools for better clinical assessment of pain in a long-term care population. © 2016 World Institute of Pain.

Long-term stabilization considerations for decommissioned and reclaimed uranium sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abt, S.R.; Nelson, J.D.; Johnson, T.L.

1988-01-01

The long-term stabilization of decommissioned uranium mill sites and of reclaimed uranium mill tailings sites encompass a broad spectrum of design capabilities. This paper presents a few of the quantitative methodologies recently developed or refined to evaluate physical factors (i.e. precipitation, fluvial geomorphology, stable slope, slope stabilization with riprap and riprap selection) that influence long-term stabilization of uranium mill and mill tailings sites. It is acknowledged that the degree of refinement of these methodologies are in their infancy and that extensive research and development are warranted to increase the level of assurance. However, these methodologies provide an initial guideline for evaluating long-term stabilization that has not been previously existed. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of currently available state-of-the-art engineering techniques and methodologies for the evaluation of reclamation plans designed to provide long-term stability against potential failure modes. In some cases, evaluative techniques have been developed for long-term stabilization where methodologies have not previously existed. Each methodology to be presented represents a starting point upon which additional research and/or development may be warranted

Influences on the start, selection and duration of treatment with antibiotics in long-term care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Daneman, Nick; Campitelli, Michael A; Giannakeas, Vasily; Morris, Andrew M; Bell, Chaim M; Maxwell, Colleen J; Jeffs, Lianne; Austin, Peter C; Bronskill, Susan E

2017-06-26

Understanding the extent to which current antibiotic prescribing behaviour is influenced by clinicians' historical patterns of practice will help target interventions to optimize antibiotic use in long-term care. Our objective was to evaluate whether clinicians' historical prescribing behaviours influence the start, prolongation and class selection for treatment with antibiotics in residents of long-term care facilities. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all physicians who prescribed to residents in long-term care facilities in Ontario between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014. We examined variability in antibiotic prescribing among physicians for 3 measures: start of treatment with antibiotics, use of prolonged durations exceeding 7 days and selection of fluoroquinolones. Funnel plots with control limits were used to determine the extent of variation and characterize physicians as extreme low, low, average, high and extreme high prescribers for each tendency. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess whether a clinician's prescribing tendency in the previous year predicted current prescribing patterns, after accounting for residents' demographics, comorbidity, functional status and indwelling devices. Among 1695 long-term care physicians, who prescribed for 93 132 residents, there was wide variability in the start of antibiotic treatment (median 45% of patients, interquartile range [IQR] 32%-55%), use of prolonged treatment durations (median 30% of antibiotic prescriptions, IQR 19%-46%) and selection of fluoroquinolones (median 27% of antibiotic prescriptions, IQR 18%-37%). Prescribing tendencies for antibiotics by physicians in 2014 correlated strongly with tendencies in the previous year. After controlling for individual resident characteristics, prior prescribing tendency was a significant predictor of current practice. Physicians prescribing antibiotics exhibited individual, measurable and historical tendencies toward start of antibiotic treatment

Self-perceived long-term transfer of learning after postpartum hemorrhage simulation training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melo, Brena C P; Falbo, Ana R; Sorensen, Jette Led

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To explore long-term transfer (application of acquired knowledge and skills on the job) after postpartum hemorrhage simulation training based on either instructional design (ID) principles or conventional best practice. METHODS: In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews...... simulation format, residents perceived long-term transfer effects. Training design factors influencing transfer were, in their opinion, related to trainees' characteristics, simulation design, and workplace environment. Trainees who participated in the ID-based simulation perceived better communication...... skills and better overall situational awareness: "I didn't do that before." CONCLUSION: All residents perceived long-term transfer after simulation training for postpartum hemorrhage. Those who attended the ID format additionally perceived improvements in communication skills and situational awareness...

Leukemia inhibitory factor favours neurogenic differentiation of long-term propagated human midbrain precursor cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Rikke K; Widmer, Hans R; Zimmer, Jens

2009-01-01

There is a lot of excitement about the potential use of multipotent neural stem cells for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the strategy is compromised by the general loss of multipotency and ability to generate neurons after long-term in vitro propagation. In the present study......, human embryonic (5 weeks post-conception) ventral mesencephalic (VM) precursor cells were propagated as neural tissue-spheres (NTS) in epidermal growth factor (EGF; 20 ng/ml) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2; 20 ng/ml). After more than 325 days, the NTS were transferred to media containing either...... EGF+FGF2, EGF+FGF2+heparin or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF; 10 ng/ml)+FGF2+heparin. Cultures were subsequently propagated for more than 180 days with NTS analyzed at various time-points. Our data show for the first time that human VM neural precursor cells can be long-term propagated as NTS...

Factors Associated with Long-Term Sickness Absence Due to Mental Disorders: A Cohort Study of 7.112 Patients during the Spanish Economic Crisis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Real

Full Text Available Mental health problems are very common and often lead to prolonged sickness absence, having serious economic repercussions for most European countries. Periods of economic crisis are important social phenomena that are assumed to increase sickness absence due to mental disorders, although research on this topic remains scarce. The aim of this study was to gather data on long-term sickness absence (and relapse due to mental disorders in Spain during a period of considerable socio-economic crisis.Relationships were analyzed (using chi-squared tests and multivariate modelling via binary logistic regression between clinical, social/employment-related and demographic factors associated and long-term sickness absence (>60 consecutive days due to mental disorders in a cohort of 7112 Spanish patients during the period 2008-2012.Older age, severe mental disorders, being self-employed, having a non-permanent contract, and working in the real estate and construction sector were associated with an increased probability of long-term sickness absence (gender had a mediating role with respect to some of these variables. Relapses were associated with short-term sick leave (return to work due to 'improvement' and with working in the transport sector and public administration.Aside from medical factors, other social/employment-related and demographic factors have a significant influence on the duration of sickness absence due to mental disorders.

Individual decision making in the non-purchase of long-term care insurance.

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Curry, Leslie A; Robison, Julie; Shugrue, Noreen; Keenan, Patricia; Kapp, Marshall B

2009-08-01

Although prior research suggests that economic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors influence decisions not to purchase long-term care insurance, few studies have examined the interplay among these factors in depth and from the consumer's point of view. This study was intended to further illuminate these considerations, generate hypotheses about non-purchasing decisions, and inform the design of policies that are responsive to concerns and preferences of potential purchasers. Qualitative study using 32 in-depth interviews and 6 focus groups, following a grounded theory approach. Five themes characterize decisions not to purchase long-term care insurance: (a) the determination that a policy is "too costly" reflects highly individualized and complex trade-offs not solely economic in nature, (b) non-purchasers are skeptical about the viability and integrity of private insurance companies and seek an unbiased source of information, (c) family dynamics play an important role in insurance decisions, (d) contemplating personal risk for long-term care triggers psychological responses that have implications for decision making, and (e) non-purchasers feel inadequately informed and overwhelmed by the process of deciding whether to purchase long-term care insurance. States are seeking to offset escalating Medicaid long-term care expenditures through a variety of policy mechanisms, including stimulating individual purchase of long-term care insurance. Findings suggest that economic incentives such as lowering premiums will be necessary but not sufficient to attract appropriate candidates. Attention to behavioral and psychosocial factors is essential to designing incentives that are responsive to concerns and preferences of potential purchasers.

Aging and place in long-term care settings: influences on social relationships.

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Bonifas, Robin P; Simons, Kelsey; Biel, Barbara; Kramer, Christie

2014-12-01

This article presents results of a qualitative research study that examined how living in a long-term care (LTC) home influences the quality of residents' relationships with peers, family members, and outside friends. Semistructured interviews using a phenomenological approach were conducted with 23 residents of a LTC home. Thematic analysis was employed to illuminate residents' perspectives on the nature of social relationships in this setting. Four key themes were identified that highlight the role of place in social relationships. Residing in a LTC home influences the context of social interactions, impacts their quality and process, clusters individuals with health and functional declines that hinder socialization, and poses structural and cultural barriers that impede social interactions. Health and functional limitations posed the greatest challenge to socialization relative to characteristics of the facility itself. Residents' insights emphasize how personal characteristics influence community culture and the experience of place. © The Author(s) 2014.

The developmental environment, epigenetic biomarkers and long-term health.

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Godfrey, K M; Costello, P M; Lillycrop, K A

2015-10-01

Evidence from both human and animal studies has shown that the prenatal and early postnatal environments influence susceptibility to chronic disease in later life and suggests that epigenetic processes are an important mechanism by which the environment alters long-term disease risk. Epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNAs, play a central role in regulating gene expression. The epigenome is highly sensitive to environmental factors in early life, such as nutrition, stress, endocrine disruption and pollution, and changes in the epigenome can induce long-term changes in gene expression and phenotype. In this review we focus on how the early life nutritional environment can alter the epigenome leading to an altered susceptibility to disease in later life.

Risk factors and long-term changes of non-arteritis anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Xin Cui

2016-01-01

Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the risk factors and long-term changes of non-arteritis anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy(NAION. METHODS:Three hundred and sixty cases of patients with NAION in our hospital from January 2010 to Juny 2015 were used as patients group and another 400 people undergoing health examination were used as control group. The clinical data was collected. Optical coherence tomography(OCTwas performed. RESULTS:There were significant difference on gender, history of diabetes or hypertension, arteriosclerosis history, disc area, cup area, rim area, cup/disc area ratio, horizontal cup-disc ratio, vertical cup-disc ratio, FBG and TG of two groups(PPP>0.05. CONCLUSION:Male, with diabetes, history of hypertension, arteriosclerosis history, disc area, cup area, rim area, cup/disc area ratio, horizontal cup-disc ratio, vertical cup-disc ratio, FBG and TG are independent risk factors of NAION. Long-term damage of RNFL may not aggravate.

Long-term trends of surface ozone and its influencing factors at the Mt Waliguan GAW station, China - Part 1: Overall trends and characteristics

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Xu, Wanyun; Lin, Weili; Xu, Xiaobin; Tang, Jie; Huang, Jianqing; Wu, Hao; Zhang, Xiaochun

2016-05-01

Tropospheric ozone is an important atmospheric oxidant, greenhouse gas and atmospheric pollutant at the same time. The oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, climate, human and vegetation health can be impacted by the increase of the ozone level. Therefore, long-term determination of trends of baseline ozone is highly needed information for environmental and climate change assessment. So far, studies on the long-term trends of ozone at representative sites are mainly available for European and North American sites. Similar studies are lacking for China and many other developing countries. Measurements of surface ozone were carried out at a baseline Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) station in the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau region (Mt Waliguan, 36°17' N, 100°54' E, 3816 m a.s.l.) for the period of 1994 to 2013. To uncover the variation characteristics, long-term trends and influencing factors of surface ozone at this remote site in western China, a two-part study has been carried out, with this part focusing on the overall characteristics of diurnal, seasonal and long-term variations and the trends of surface ozone. To obtain reliable ozone trends, we performed the Mann-Kendall trend test and the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) analysis on the ozone data. Our results confirm that the mountain-valley breeze plays an important role in the diurnal cycle of surface ozone at Waliguan, resulting in higher ozone values during the night and lower ones during the day, as was previously reported. Systematic diurnal and seasonal variations were found in mountain-valley breezes at the site, which were used in defining season-dependent daytime and nighttime periods for trend calculations. Significant positive trends in surface ozone were detected for both daytime (0.24 ± 0.16 ppbv year-1) and nighttime (0.28 ± 0.17 ppbv year-1). The largest nighttime increasing rate occurred in autumn (0.29 ± 0.11 ppbv year-1), followed by spring (0.24 ± 0.12 ppbv year-1), summer (0.22 ± 0

Expanding the Andersen model: the role of psychosocial factors in long-term care use.

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Bradley, Elizabeth H; McGraw, Sarah A; Curry, Leslie; Buckser, Alison; King, Kinda L; Kasl, Stanislav V; Andersen, Ronald

2002-10-01

To examine a prevailing conceptual model of health services use (Andersen 1995) and to suggest modifications that may enhance its explanatory power when applied to empirical studies of race/ethnicity and long-term care. Twelve focus groups of African-American (five groups) and white (seven groups) individuals, aged 65 and older, residing in Connecticut during 2000. Using qualitative analysis, data were coded and analyzed in NUD-IST 4 software to facilitate the reporting of recurrent themes, supporting quotations, and links among the themes for developing the conceptual framework. Specific analysis was conducted to assess distinctions in common themes between African-American and white focus groups. Data were collected using a standardized discussion guide, augmented by prompts for clarification. Audio taped sessions were transcribed and independently coded by investigators and crosschecked to enhance coding validity. An audit trail was maintained to document analytic decisions during data analysis and interpretation. Psychosocial factors (e.g., attitudes and knowledge, social norms, and perceived control) are identified as determinants of service use, thereby expanding the Andersen model (1995). African-American and white focus group members differed in their reported accessibility of information about long-term care, social norms concerning caregiving expectations and burden, and concerns of privacy and self-determination. More comprehensive identification of psychosocial factors may enhance our understanding of the complex role of race/ethnicity in long-term care use as well as the effectiveness of policies and programs designed to address disparities in long-term care service use among minority and nonminority groups.

Factors affecting long-term-care residents' decision-making processes as they formulate advance directives.

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Lambert, Heather C; McColl, Mary Ann; Gilbert, Julie; Wong, Jiahui; Murray, Gale; Shortt, Samuel E D

2005-10-01

The purpose of this study was to describe factors contributing to the decision-making processes of elderly persons as they formulate advance directives in long-term care. This study was qualitative, based on grounded theory. Recruitment was purposive and continued until saturation was reached. Nine residents of a long-term-care facility were interviewed by use of a semistructured format. Open and axial coding of interview transcripts were carried out and the factors contributing to the decision process were defined. Elders based their decisions primarily on information gathered from personal experiences with death and illness. They obtained very little information from professionals or the media. Major factors considered by elders as they weighed information included spiritual, emotional, and social considerations. The factors considered during the decision-making process were oriented more toward the individual's experiences and less on contributions from objective sources than anticipated. Decision making for advance directives is a highly personalized process. The approach of health professionals when assisting with end-of-life decision making should be planned with these contributing factors in mind, so that the services offered to the individuals in this population best meet their needs.

Factors associated with long-term use of hypnotics among patients with chronic insomnia.

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Yoshikazu Takaesu

Full Text Available This study investigated factors associated with long-term use of benzodiazepines (BZDs or benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BzRAs as hypnotics in patients with chronic insomnia. Consecutive patients (n = 140 with chronic insomnia were enrolled in this study (68 men and 72 women; mean age, 53.8 ± 10.8 years. All patients filled out a self-assessment questionnaire asking clinical descriptive variables at the baseline of the treatment period; patients received the usual dose of a single type of BZD or BzRA. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale were self-assessed at the baseline, and the former was re-evaluated at the time of cessation of medication or at the end of the 6-month treatment period. The PSQI included the following sub-items: evaluating sleep quality (C1, sleep latency (C2, sleep duration (C3, habitual sleep efficiency (C4, frequency of sleep disturbance (C5, use of sleeping medication (C6, and daytime dysfunction (C7. Among the patients, 54.6% needed to continue hypnotics for a 6-month treatment period. Logistic regression analysis revealed that, among descriptive variables, only the PSQI score appeared as a significant factor associated with long-term use {odds ratio (OR = 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI = 2.0-4.0}. The receiver operating curve (ROC analysis identified that the cut-off PSQI total score at the baseline for predicting long-term use was estimated at 13.5 points (area under the curve = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.8-0.92. Among the sub-items of PSQI, the increases in C1: (OR = 8.4, 95% CI = 2.4-30.0, C3: (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.1-11.5, C4: (OR = 11.1, 95% CI = 3.6-33.9, and C6: (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.9-6.2 scores were associated with long-term use. This study revealed that a high PSQI score at the baseline, particularly in the sub-items relating to sleep maintenance disturbance, is predictive of long-term hypnotic treatment. Our results imply the limitation of the effectiveness of

Identification of pumping influences in long-term water level fluctuations.

Science.gov (United States)

Harp, Dylan R; Vesselinov, Velimir V

2011-01-01

Identification of the pumping influences at monitoring wells caused by spatially and temporally variable water supply pumping can be a challenging, yet an important hydrogeological task. The information that can be obtained can be critical for conceptualization of the hydrogeological conditions and indications of the zone of influence of the individual pumping wells. However, the pumping influences are often intermittent and small in magnitude with variable production rates from multiple pumping wells. While these difficulties may support an inclination to abandon the existing dataset and conduct a dedicated cross-hole pumping test, that option can be challenging and expensive to coordinate and execute. This paper presents a method that utilizes a simple analytical modeling approach for analysis of a long-term water level record utilizing an inverse modeling approach. The methodology allows the identification of pumping wells influencing the water level fluctuations. Thus, the analysis provides an efficient and cost-effective alternative to designed and coordinated cross-hole pumping tests. We apply this method on a dataset from the Los Alamos National Laboratory site. Our analysis also provides (1) an evaluation of the information content of the transient water level data; (2) indications of potential structures of the aquifer heterogeneity inhibiting or promoting pressure propagation; and (3) guidance for the development of more complicated models requiring detailed specification of the aquifer heterogeneity. Copyright © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Influence of market factors on the pricing of exchange traded metals in the medium term

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanov, S. V.; Shevelev, I. M.; Chernyi, S. A.

2017-06-01

On the basis of comparison of the influence of the stock exchange factors on the pricing of nonferrous metals for medium term with similar results for short term, it has been established that the main attention should be paid to the changes in the pricing environment on the metal market as a function of the prices of exchange traded metals. The situation on the market of energy carriers (hydrocarbons) and the European, American, and Asian stock exchanges can be based on parity and even significantly influence the variation of the metal prices. In the medium term, constructive development of metal trade should be reasonably promoted by changing the elasticity of supply with regard to prices for exchange traded metals and by applying the stock exchange factors that positively influence the pricing on commodity and stock markets.

Long-term care: a substantive factor in financial planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, D A

2000-01-01

More than 50 percent of women will enter a nursing home at some point in their lives. About one-third of men living to age 65 will also need nursing home care. Planning for long-term care is even more important since Medicare covers very little of the cost of such care. The Indiana Partnership Plan is one program designed to help fund the long-term care costs while allowing individuals protect other financial assets.

Storms do not alter long-term watershed development influences on coastal water quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yushun; Cebrian, Just; Lehrter, John; Christiaen, Bart; Stutes, Jason; Goff, Josh

2017-09-15

A twelve year (2000-2011) study of three coastal lagoons in the Gulf of Mexico was conducted to assess the impacts of local watershed development and tropical storms on water quality. The lagoons have similar physical and hydrological characteristics, but differ substantially in the degree of watershed urban development and nutrient loading rates. In total the lagoons experienced 22 storm events during the period studied. Specifically, we examine (1) whether there are influences on water quality in the lagoons from watershed development, (2) whether there are influences on water quality in the lagoons from storm activity, and (3) whether water quality is affected to a greater degree by watershed development versus storm activity. The two urbanized lagoons typically showed higher water-column nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen, and phosphate compared with the non-urbanized lagoon. One of the urbanized lagoons had higher water-column chlorophyll a concentrations than the other two lagoons on most sampling dates, and higher light extinction coefficients on some sampling dates. The non-urbanized lagoon had higher water-column dissolved oxygen concentrations than other lagoons on many sampling dates. Our results suggest long-term influences of watershed development on coastal water quality. We also found some evidence of significant storm effects on water quality, such as increased nitrate, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen, and decreased salinity and water temperature. However, the influences of watershed development on water quality were greater. These results suggest that changes in water quality induced by human watershed development pervade despite the storm effects. These findings may be useful for environmental management since they suggest that storms do not profoundly alter long-term changes in water quality that resulted from human development of watersheds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ANOTHER "LETHAL TRIAD"-RISK FACTORS FOR VIOLENT INJURY AND LONG-TERM MORTALITY AMONG ADULT VICTIMS OF VIOLENT INJURY.

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Laytin, Adam D; Shumway, Martha; Boccellari, Alicia; Juillard, Catherine J; Dicker, Rochelle A

2018-04-14

Mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty are risk factors for violent injury, and violent injury is a risk factor for early mortality that can be attenuated through hospital-based violence intervention programs. Most of these programs focus on victims under the age of 30 years. Little is known about risk factors or long-term mortality among older victims of violent injury. To explore the prevalence of risk factors for violent injury among younger (age < 30 years) and older (age 30 ≥ years) victims of violent injury, to determine the long-term mortality rates in these age groups, and to explore the association between risk factors for violent injury and long-term mortality. Adults with violent injuries were enrolled between 2001 and 2004. Demographic and injury data were recorded on enrollment. Ten-year mortality rates were measured. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used to compare older and younger subjects. Among 541 subjects, 70% were over age 30. The overall 10-year mortality rate was 15%, and was much higher than in the age-matched general population in both age groups. Risk factors for violent injury including mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty were prevalent, especially among older subjects, and were each independently associated with increased risk of long-term mortality. Mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty constitute a "lethal triad" that is associated with an increased risk of long-term mortality among victims of violent injury, including both younger adults and those over age 30 years. Both groups may benefit from targeted risk-reduction efforts. Emergency department visits offer an invaluable opportunity to engage these vulnerable patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty in keratoconus:analysis of the factors associated with final visual acuities

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Jin A Choi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the long-term results of penetrating keratoplasty (PK in patients with keratoconus (KC and to evaluate factors that might influence the final visual outcome.METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients with clinical KC who had undergone PK by a single corneal surgeon in a single center from May 1980 to December 2005. The age of the patients, preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, corneal thickness, death to preservation time, and preservation to transplantation time were recorded. Additionally, postoperative complications such as graft rejection, development of glaucoma and specular microscopy were checked during the follow-up.RESULTS:Sixty-nine eyes from 69 patients were finally included. The follow-up period was 8.64±6.13y. Graft rejection occurred in 4 eyes of 69 cases (5.8%, and the time to graft rejection was 2.1±1.3y. A Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the estimated cumulative probability of graft rejection at 6, 13, and 17y after PK were 95.6%, 90.0%, and 78.8%, respectively. When we evaluated factors that might influence final BCVA in eyes, no disparity donor-host trephine size (same graft size as well as higher spherical equivalent, and average K-value were associated with higher final BCVA. (P=0.006, 0.051, 0.092, and 0.021 in eyes with follow-up <8y; P=0.068, 0.065, and 0.030 in eyes with follow-up ≥8y, respectively.CONCLUSION: The long-term results of PK in patients with KC were favorable with a high percentage of good BCVA. Less myopic change and low average K-reading, as well as a surgical technique using the same size donor-recipient button may provide better visual outcomes particularly in patients with KC.

The key to success: maintaining the long-term health of implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstein, L; Garg, A; Callan, D; Shatz, P

1998-02-01

During the infancy years of dental implantology, the emphasis for long-term success of osseointegrated implants was the surgical phase of dental implantology. In the years that followed, the emphasis for success had switched from a purely surgical influence to focusing more on the proper fixture placement which would be dictated by the prosthetic and aesthetic needs of each particular case. In more recent years, the dental profession has recognized professional implant maintenance and diligent patient home care as two critical factors for the long-term success of dental implants. The microbiota and clinical presentation of peri-implantitis is the same as periodontitis around a natural tooth.

Overview of factors influencing the secondary market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleistine, P.A.

1982-01-01

The major factor influencing secondary trading for the last few years has been the large contractural commitments built up by consumers for reactor programs which have proven to be unrealistic. The situation has intensified as a result of utilities needing to generate capital through inventory liquidation or reductions. The flexibilities in most contracts are inadequate to match the types of external and/or internal factors faced by the industry. This situation also suggests the need for secondary markets to help the industry adjust to unforeseen difficulties. They are very active markets at this time, but their influence in relation to the long-term method of doing business should not be exaggerated

Confidence in delegation and leadership of registered nurses in long-term-care hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Jungmin; Kim, Miyoung; Shin, Juhhyun

2016-07-01

Effective delegation improves job satisfaction, responsibility, productivity and development. The ageing population demands more nurses in long-term-care hospitals. Delegation and leadership promote cooperation among nursing staff. However, little research describes nursing delegation and leadership style. We investigated the relationship between registered nurses' delegation confidence and leadership in Korean long-term-care hospitals. Our descriptive correlational design sampled 199 registered nurses from 13 long-term-care hospitals in Korea. Instruments were the Confidence and Intent to Delegate Scale and Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Confidence in delegation significantly aligned with current-unit clinical experience, length of total clinical-nursing experience, delegation-training experience and leadership. Transformational leadership was the most statistically significant factor influencing delegation confidence. When effective delegation integrates with efficient leadership, staff can deliver optimal care to long-term-care patients. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Structure and Content of Long-Term and Short-Term Mate Preferences

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Peter K. Jonason

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study addresses two limitations in the mate preferences literature. First, research all-too-often relies on single-item assessments of mate preferences precluding more advanced statistical techniques like factor analysis. Second, when factor analysis could be done, it exclusively has done for long-term mate preferences, at the exclusion of short-term mate preferences. In this study (N = 401, we subjected 20 items designed to measure short- and long-term mate preferences to both principle components (n = 200 and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 201. In the long-term context, we replicated previous findings that there are three different categories of preferences: physical attractiveness, interpersonal warmth, and social status. In the short-term context, physical attractiveness occupied two parts of the structure, social status dropped out, and interpersonal warmth remained. Across short- and long-term contexts, there were slight changes in what defined the shared dimensions (i.e., physical attractiveness and interpersonal warmth, suggesting prior work that applies the same inventory to each context might be flawed. We also replicated sex differences and similarities in mate preferences and correlates with sociosexuality and mate value. We adopt an evolutionary paradigm to understand our results.

Late renal toxicity of treatment for childhood malignancy: risk factors, long-term outcomes, and surveillance.

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Roderick

2018-02-01

Chronic glomerular and tubular nephrotoxicity is reported in 20-50% and 20-25%, respectively, of children and adolescents treated with ifosfamide and 60-80% and 10-30%, respectively, of those given cisplatin. Up to 20% of children display evidence of chronic glomerular damage after unilateral nephrectomy for a renal tumour. Overall, childhood cancer survivors have a ninefold higher risk of developing renal failure compared with their siblings. Such chronic nephrotoxicity may have multiple causes, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy exposure to kidneys, renal surgery, supportive care drugs and tumour-related factors. These cause a wide range of chronic glomerular and tubular toxicities, often with potentially severe clinical sequelae. Many risk factors for developing nephrotoxicity, mostly patient and treatment related, have been described, but we remain unable to predict all episodes of renal damage. This implies that other factors may be involved, such as genetic polymorphisms influencing drug metabolism. Although our knowledge of the long-term outcomes of chronic nephrotoxicity is increasing, there is still much to learn, including how we can optimally predict or achieve early detection of nephrotoxicity. Greater understanding of the pathogenesis of nephrotoxicity is needed before its occurrence can be prevented.

Understanding the factors behind the decision to purchase varying coverage amounts of long-term care insurance.

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Kumar, N; Cohen, M A; Bishop, C E; Wallack, S S

1995-02-01

This article examines the factors related to an individual's decision to purchase a given amount of long-term care insurance coverage. DATA SOURCE AND STUDY SETTING: Primary data analyses were conducted on an estimation sample of 6,545 individuals who had purchased long-term care (LTC) insurance policies in late 1990 and early 1991, and 1,248 individuals who had been approached by agents but chose not to buy such insurance. Companies contributing the two samples represented 45 percent of total sales during the study year. A two-stage logit-OLS (ordinary least squares) choice-based sampling model was used to examine the relationship between the expected value of purchased coverage and explanatory variables that included: demographic traits, attitudes, risk premium, nursing home bed supply, and Medicaid program configurations. Mail surveys were used to collect information about individuals' reasons for purchase, attitudes about long-term care, and demographic characteristics. Through an identification code, information on the policy designs chosen by these individuals was linked to each of the returned mail surveys. The response rate to the survey was about 60 percent. The model explains about 47 percent of the variance in the dependent variable-expected value of policy coverage. Important variables negatively associated with the dependent variable include advancing age, being married, and having less than a college education. Variables positively related include being male, having more income, and having increasing expected LTC costs. Medicaid program configuration also influences the level of benefits purchased: state reimbursement rates and the presence of comprehensive estate recovery programs are both positively related to the expected value of purchased benefits. Finally, as the difference between the premium charged and the actuarially fair premium increases, individuals buy less coverage. An important finding with implications for policymakers is that changes

Influence of fragment size and postoperative joint congruency on long-term outcome of posterior malleolar fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Drijfhout van Hooff, Cornelis Christiaan; Verhage, Samuel Marinus; Hoogendoorn, Jochem Maarten

2015-06-01

One of the factors contributing to long-term outcome of posterior malleolar fractures is the development of osteoarthritis. Based on biomechanical, cadaveric, and small population studies, fixation of posterior malleolar fracture fragments (PMFFs) is usually performed when fragment size exceeds 25-33%. However, the influence of fragment size on long-term clinical and radiological outcome size remains unclear. A retrospective cohort study of 131 patients treated for an isolated ankle fracture with involvement of the posterior malleolus was performed. Mean follow-up was 6.9 (range, 2.5-15.9) years. Patients were divided into groups depending on size of the fragment, small (25%, n = 25), and presence of step-off after operative treatment. We have compared functional outcome measures (AOFAS, AAOS), pain (VAS), and dorsiflexion restriction compared to the contralateral ankle and the incidence of osteoarthritis on X-ray. There were no nonunions, 56% of patients had no radiographic osteoarthritis, VAS was 10 of 100, and median clinical score was 90 of 100. More osteoarthritis occurred in ankle fractures with medium and large PMFFs compared to small fragments (small 16%, medium 48%, large 54%; P = .006). Also when comparing small with medium-sized fragments (P = .02), larger fragment size did not lead to a significantly decreased function (median AOFAS 95 vs 88, P = .16). If the PMFF size was >5%, osteoarthritis occurred more frequently when there was a postoperative step-off ≥1 mm in the tibiotalar joint surface (41% vs 61%, P = .02) (whether the posterior fragment had been fixed or not). In this group, fixing the PMFF did not influence development of osteoarthritis. However, in 42% of the cases with fixation of the fragment a postoperative step-off remained (vs 45% in the group without fixation). Osteoarthritis is 1 component of long-term outcome of malleolar fractures, and the results of this study demonstrate that there was more radiographic osteoarthritis in

Renal content and output of epidermal growth factor in long-term adrenergic agonist-treated rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thulesen, J; Nexø, Ebba; Poulsen, Steen Seier

2000-01-01

This study investigates the renal and urinary levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in rats under long-term treatment with alpha- or beta-adrenergic agonists. Urine samples were obtained on days 7, 14 and 21, and renal tissue samples on day 21. EGF was quantified by ELISA and tissue sections were...... material in the distal tubules. Concomitantly, reduced levels of EGF and EGF mRNA were observed, and also the urinary levels of EGF were reduced. Together, these observations indicate alpha-adrenergic treatment to affect the distal tubules. Treatment with the beta-adrenergic agonist did not change...... fractional kidney weight, but initially the urinary excretion of EGF was reduced. The data add further evidence to the suggestion that activity of the sympathetic nervous system influences renal homeostasis of EGF, either directly or indirectly through renal histopathological changes....

Effects of Relocation and Individual and Environmental Factors on the Long-Term Stress Levels in Captive Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes: Monitoring Hair Cortisol and Behaviors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yumi Yamanashi

Full Text Available Understanding the factors associated with the long-term stress levels of captive animals is important from the view of animal welfare. In this study, we investigated the effects of relocation in addition to individual and environmental factors related to social management on long-term stress level in group-living captive chimpanzees by examining behaviors and hair cortisol (HC. Specifically, we conducted two studies. The first compared changes in HC levels before and after the relocation of 8 chimpanzees (Study 1 and the second examined the relationship between individual and environmental factors and individual HC levels in 58 chimpanzees living in Kumamoto Sanctuary (KS, Kyoto University (Study 2. We hypothesized that relocation, social situation, sex, and early rearing conditions, would affect the HC levels of captive chimpanzees. We cut arm hair from chimpanzees and extracted and assayed cortisol with an enzyme immunoassay. Aggressive behaviors were recorded ad libitum by keepers using a daily behavior monitoring sheet developed for this study. The results of Study 1 indicate that HC levels increased during the first year after relocation to the new environment and then decreased during the second year. We observed individual differences in reactions to relocation and hypothesized that social factors may mediate these changes. In Study 2, we found that the standardized rate of receiving aggression, rearing history, sex, and group formation had a significant influence on mean HC levels. Relocation status was not a significant factor, but mean HC level was positively correlated with the rate of receiving aggression. Mean HC levels were higher in males than in females, and the association between aggressive interactions and HC levels differed by sex. These results suggest that, although relocation can affect long-term stress level, individuals' experiences of aggression and sex may be more important contributors to long-term stress than

The interaction of short-term and long-term memory in phonetic category formation

Science.gov (United States)

Harnsberger, James D.

2002-05-01

This study examined the role that short-term memory capacity plays in the relationship between novel stimuli (e.g., non-native speech sounds, native nonsense words) and phonetic categories in long-term memory. Thirty native speakers of American English were administered five tests: categorial AXB discrimination using nasal consonants from Malayalam; categorial identification, also using Malayalam nasals, which measured the influence of phonetic categories in long-term memory; digit span; nonword span, a short-term memory measure mediated by phonetic categories in long-term memory; and paired-associate word learning (word-word and word-nonword pairs). The results showed that almost all measures were significantly correlated with one another. The strongest predictor for the discrimination and word-nonword learning results was nonword (r=+0.62) and digit span (r=+0.51), respectively. When the identification test results were partialed out, only nonword span significantly correlated with discrimination. The results show a strong influence of short-term memory capacity on the encoding of phonetic detail within phonetic categories and suggest that long-term memory representations regulate the capacity of short-term memory to preserve information for subsequent encoding. The results of this study will also be discussed with regards to resolving the tension between episodic and abstract models of phonetic category structure.

Risk factors of long-term sickness absence in Norway and Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vegard Johansen

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Aims: This paper examines the level of long-term sickness absence (LTSA in Norway and Sweden. It also investigates whether risk factors of LTSA are the same in Norway and Sweden. Methods: More than 2500 Norwegian and Swedish workers between 20 and 60 years of age answered a postal questionnaire. The Norwegian and Swedish samples are weighted and representative with regard to regional background variables and demographic background variables, but the response rate was low. LTSA is defined as 15 days or more sickness absence in the previous year. Binary logistic regression is used to detect which factors influence LTSA. The analyses of LTSA include demographic factors, socio-economic position, and occupational characteristics. Results: Nineteen per cent of respondents in Norway and 11 per cent of respondents in Sweden experienced LTSA in the previous year. Many respondents from Sweden report mental problems and many Norwegian respondents report pain in back, neck, knuckles, and muscles. Income level is the most important predictor of LTSA in both countries. The direct impacts of gender, age, and physical work conditions are stronger in Norway than Sweden.Discussion: In accordance with official statistics and previous studies, the proportion of Norwegian respondents with LTSA is much higher than the proportion of Swedish respondents. The different levels of LTSA could be linked to differences in social policy. In line with previous studies, respondents with low income are overrepresented with LTSA, and gender, age, and physical work also matter. In contrast to previous studies, there is not any evidence of higher levels of LTSA among non-western immigrants, people with less education, and non-managers. These results reflect the control for ‘income level’, but they could also be related to limits with the survey (non-response, response bias, etc..

Transitions to Long-Term Unemployment Risk among Young People: Evidence from Ireland

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Elish; McGuinness, Seamus; O'Connell, Philip J.

2012-01-01

Many young people have short spells of unemployment during their transition from school to work; however, some often get trapped in unemployment and risk becoming long-term unemployed. Much research has been undertaken on the factors that influence unemployment risk for young people during their school-to-work transition. However, very little is…

Monitoring the Long-Term Performance of Engineered Containment Systems: Role of Ecological Processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traynham, B.; Clarke, J.H.; Burger, J.; Waugh, J.

2009-01-01

Engineered covers have been widely used to minimize water infiltration into landfills used by U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the disposal of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste. The degradation of engineered covers over time is a complex process that is influenced by site specific characteristics, the structure and dynamics of the indigenous plant community, and the interplay of physical and biological factors at contaminated sites. It is necessary to develop a rigorous method to evaluate long-term performance of covers and other engineered barriers with quantification of risk and uncertainty. Because many of the contaminants of concern are long-lived, this methodology must consider changes in the environmental setting (e.g., precipitation, temperature) and cover components for long time periods (>100 years). Current monitoring approaches focus solely on hydrologic properties of the cover system. Additionally, cover design guidelines, such as those from RCRA, are not performance based and do not consider long-term site-specific influences such as climate, vegetation, and soils. Fundamental ecological processes such as succession are not even factored into current models, yet they directly affect the integrity of landfill covers through biointrusion, erosion, and water balance. Therefore, it is useful to identify ecological parameters and processes most important to performance for prioritization of site characterization and long-term monitoring activities. This investigation into the role of ecological monitoring of isolation containment systems utilizes the software platform GoldSim to identify important parameters and processes for performance verification and monitoring. (authors)

The influence of flood frequency, riparian vegetation and threshold on long-term river transport capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Croissant, Thomas; Lague, Dimitri; Davy, Philippe

2016-04-01

Climate fluctuations at geological timescales control the capacity of rivers to transport sediment with consequences on geochemical cycles, sedimentary basins dynamics and sedimentation/tectonics interactions. While the impact of differential friction generated by riparian vegetation has been studied for individual flood events, its impact on the long-term sediment transport capacity of rivers, modulated by the frequency of floods remains unknown. Here, we investigate this effect on a simplified river-floodplain configuration obeying observed hydraulic scaling laws. We numerically integrate the full-frequency magnitude distribution of discharge events and its impact on the transport capacity of bedload and suspended material for various level of vegetation-linked differential friction. We demonstrate that riparian vegetation by acting as a virtual confinement of the flow i) increases significantly the instantaneous transport capacity of the river independently of the transport mode and ii) increases the long term bedload transport rates as a function of discharge variability. Our results expose the dominance of flood frequency rather than riparian vegetation on the long term sediment transport capacity. Therefore, flood frequency has to be considered when evaluating long-term bedload transport capacity while floodplain vegetation is important only in high discharge variability regimes. By comparing the transport capacity of unconfined alluvial rivers and confined bedrock gorges, we demonstrate that the latter always presents the highest long term transport capacity at equivalent width and slope. The loss of confinement at the transition between bedrock and alluvial river must be compensated by a widening or a steepening of the alluvial channel to avoid infinite storage. Because steepening is never observed in natural system, we compute the alluvial widening factor value that varies between 3 to 11 times the width of the bedrock channel depending on riparian

[Risk factors associated with long-term mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism and the predictive value of Charlson comorbidity index].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Haixia; Tang, Yangjiang; Wang, Lan; Shi, Chaoli; Feng, Yulin; Yi, Qun

2016-01-26

To explore the risk factors associated with long-term mortality and the predictive value of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) for long-term mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). A total of 234 patients with confirmed PE from the medical departments of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2010 and December 2012 were enrolled, and these meeting the inclusion criteria were followed-up for 2 years after discharge. The long-term mortality was calculated and univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify the risk factors associated with long-term mortality of PE. All the patients were assessed the comorbidity burden with the CCI, and survival analysis was used to study its value in predicting long-term mortality in patients with PE. A total of 176 PE patients were finally included in this study, and 53 patients died during the follow-up period, with 2 years' mortality 30.1%. The univariate analysis showed diabetes (P=0.034), malignant neoplasm (P=0.001), chronic lung disease (P=0.035), liver disease (P=0.048), in bed for a long time (P=0.049), inappropriate anticoagulant therapy (P=0.016) were associated with the long-term mortality of PE patients. Among these risk factors, the multivariate analysis revealed malignant neoplasm (OR=9.28, 95%CI: 2.85-31.00, P=0.003), chronic lung disease (OR=2.96, 95%CI: 1.15-7.62, P=0.024), inappropriate anticoagulant therapy (OR=4.08, 95%CI: 1.64-10.20, P=0.003) were the independent risk factors. The median CCI scores for died PE patients during follow-up was higher than that for the survived PE patients ((2(1, 3) vs 1(0, 2), Prisk of long-term mortality compared with patients with no comorbidity (CCI=0) (95%CI: 1.14-6.00, P=0.024). The per 1-score increase of CCI was associated with 1.76-fold increased risk of long-term mortality in PE patients (95%CI: 1.04-2.97, P=0.035). Survival analysis showed that the 2-year cumulative survival of PE patients with CCI score≥1 was significant lower

Simulation of long-term influence from technical systems on permafrost with various short-scale and hourly operation modes in Arctic region

Science.gov (United States)

Vaganova, N. A.

2017-12-01

Technogenic and climatic influences have a significant impact on the degradation of permafrost. Long-term forecasts of such changes during long-time periods have to be taken into account in the oil and gas and construction industries in view to development the Arctic and Subarctic regions. There are considered constantly operating technical systems (for example, oil and gas wells) that affect changes in permafrost, as well as the technical systems that have a short-term impact on permafrost (for example, flare systems for emergency flaring of associated gas). The second type of technical systems is rather complex for simulation, since it is required to reserve both short and long-scales in computations with variable time steps describing the complex technological processes. The main attention is paid to the simulation of long-term influence on the permafrost from the second type of the technical systems.

Long-Term Memory Performance in Adult ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

Skodzik, Timo; Holling, Heinz; Pedersen, Anya

2017-02-01

Memory problems are a frequently reported symptom in adult ADHD, and it is well-documented that adults with ADHD perform poorly on long-term memory tests. However, the cause of this effect is still controversial. The present meta-analysis examined underlying mechanisms that may lead to long-term memory impairments in adult ADHD. We performed separate meta-analyses of measures of memory acquisition and long-term memory using both verbal and visual memory tests. In addition, the influence of potential moderator variables was examined. Adults with ADHD performed significantly worse than controls on verbal but not on visual long-term memory and memory acquisition subtests. The long-term memory deficit was strongly statistically related to the memory acquisition deficit. In contrast, no retrieval problems were observable. Our results suggest that memory deficits in adult ADHD reflect a learning deficit induced at the stage of encoding. Implications for clinical and research settings are presented.

What factors are most relevant to the assessment of work ability of employees on long-term sick leave? The physicians' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Dekkers-Sánchez, Patricia M; Wind, Haije; Sluiter, Judith K; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W

2013-07-01

To reach insurance physician (IPs) consensus on factors that must be taken into account in the assessment of the work ability of employees who are sick-listed for 2 years. A Delphi study using online questionnaires was conducted from October 2010 to March 2011. One hundred and two insurance physicians reached a consensus on important factors for return to work (RTW) of employees on long-term sick leave; from those factors, the most relevant for the assessment of work ability was determined. From a total of 22 relevant factors considered for the return to work of long-term sick-listed employees, consensus was reached on nine relevant factors that need to be taken into account in the assessment of the work ability of employees on long-term sick leave. Relevant factors that support return to work are motivation, attitude towards RTW, assessment of cognitions and behaviour, vocational rehabilitation in an early stage and instruction for the sick-listed employee to cope with his disabilities. Relevant factors that hinder RTW are secondary gain from illness, negative perceptions of illness, inefficient coping style and incorrect advice of treating physicians regarding RTW. Non-medical personal and environmental factors may either hinder or promote RTW and must be considered in the assessment of the work ability of long-term sick-listed employees. Assessment of work ability should start early during the sick leave period. These factors may be used by IPs to improve the quality of the assessment of the work ability of employees on long-term sick leave.

Family Structure and Long-Term Care Insurance Purchase

Science.gov (United States)

Van Houtven, Courtney Harold; Coe, Norma B.; Konetzka, R. Tamara

2015-01-01

While it has long been assumed that family structure and potential sources of informal care play a large role in the purchase decisions for long-term care insurance (LTCI), current empirical evidence is inconclusive. Our study examines the relationship between family structure and LTCI purchase and addresses several major limitations of the prior literature by using a long panel of data and considering modern family relationships, such as presence of stepchildren. We find that family structure characteristics from one’s own generation, particularly about one’s spouse, are associated with purchase, but that few family structure attributes from the younger generation have an influence. Family factors that may indicate future caregiver supply are negatively associated with purchase: having a coresidential child, signaling close proximity, and having a currently working spouse, signaling a healthy and able spouse, that LTC planning has not occurred yet, or that there is less need for asset protection afforded by LTCI. Dynamic factors, such as increasing wealth or turning 65, are associated with higher likelihood of LTCI purchase. PMID:25760583

Physical work environment risk factors for long term sickness absence: prospective findings among a cohort of 5357 employees in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Thomas; Labriola, Merete; Christensen, Karl Bang

2006-01-01

employees interviewed in 2000 about their physical work environment, and various covariates were followed for 18 months in a national sickness absence register. Outcome measurements Cox regression analysis was performed to assess risk estimates for physical risk factors in the work environment and onset......OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of physical work environment on long term sickness absence and to investigate interaction between physical and psychosocial risk factors. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study of long term sickness absence among employees in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: 5357...... of long term sickness absence, defined as receiving sickness absence compensation for eight consecutive weeks or more. RESULTS: 348 participants (6.9%) developed long term sickness absence during follow-up. Of these, 194 (55.7%) were women and 154 (44.3%) were men. For both female and male employees, risk...

Some long term effects on land application of sewage sludge on soil fertility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGrath, S.P.; Chaudri, A.M.; Giller, K.E.

1997-01-01

Metals may affect the growth of plants, soil microbial activity, and soil fertility in the long term. Less is known of the adverse long-term effects of metals on soil microorganisms than on crop yields, since the effects of metals added to soils in sewage sludge are difficult to assess, and few long-term experiments exist. This paper reviews evidence from controlled long-term field experiments with sewage sludges in the UK, Sweden, Germany and the USA. Adverse effects on microbial activity and populations of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii, mycorrhiza, and total microbial biomass have been detected, in some cases below the European Community's maximum allowable concentration limits for metals in sludge-treated soils. For example, N 2 -fixation by free- living heterotrophic bacteria was found to be inhibited at concentrations (mg kg -1 ) of 127 Zn, 37 Cu, 21 Ni, 3.4 Cd, 52 Cr and 71 Pb. Fixation by free-living cyanobacteria was reduced by 50% at concentrations (mg kg -1 ) of 114 Zn, 33 Cu, 17 Ni, 2.9 Cd, 80 Cr and 40 Pb. Numbers of Rhizobium Leguminosarum bv. trifolii were decreased by several orders of magnitude at metal concentrations (mg kg -1 ) of 130-200 Zn, 27-48 Cu, 11-15 Ni, and 0.8-1.0 Cd. Important factors influencing the severity of toxicity are soil texture and pH; higher pH and clay and organic C contents decrease metal toxicity considerably. The evidence presented in this review of long-term field experiments suggests that adverse effects on microbial parameters occur at modest concentrations of metals in soils. It is concluded that prevention of adverse effects on soil microbial processes, and ultimately on soil fertility, should be a factor that influences soil-protection legislation. (author)

Self-reported noise exposure as a risk factor for long-term sickness absence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Thomas; Christensen, Karl Bang; Lund, Thomas

2009-01-01

men and women when adjusting for demographic factors and health behavior. After further adjustment for physical workload at work the association between noise exposure and sickness absence disappeared for women, but not for men. Men that reported to be exposed to loud noise between one......Self-reported noise exposure is on the rise in Denmark. Little is known, however, about the social consequences, including sickness absence, of noise exposure. The aim of this paper was to investigate the association between self-reported noise exposure and long-term sickness absence....... The association was investigated using the Cox proportional hazards model to analyze outcomes in Danish register data on the basis of Danish survey data (5357 employees aged 18-69 in 2000). The analyses showed that self-reported noise exposure was significantly associated with long-term sickness absence for both...

Advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. Influence of preoperative radiation therapy on toxicity and long-term survival rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malzoni, Carlos Eduardo

1996-01-01

The surgical treatment of gastric cancer has better long-term survival rates when performed in patients with early gastric cancer. Worse results are obtained in treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Most patients in west centers are treated in advanced stages. A great number of them go through a surgical treatment unable by itself to cure them. the frequent local recurrence caused by failure of the surgical treatment has been keeping poor survival rates in patients with advanced gastric cancer for decades. The desire of improving survival is the reason of the use of adjuvant therapies. This paper achieved the retrospective study of the influence of preoperative radiation therapy (2000 cGy) in long-term survival rates (120 months) of patients with advanced gastric cancer on stages IIIa, IIIb and IV. The possible injuries caused in the liver and kidney were observed also as well as first group was treated by surgical and radiation therapies and the second received surgical treatment only. There was no statistical difference between the two groups when sex, age, race, occurrence of other diseases, nutritional assessment, TNM stage, occurrence of obstruction or bleeding caused by tumor, surgical procedure and hepatic and renal function were considered. Survival rates and changes on hepatic and renal function were statistically compared. The results showed a statistic improvement on the long-term survival rates of stage IIIa patients treated by preoperative radiation therapy. No statistic difference was observed on hepatic or renal function between the groups. No adverse influence of radiation therapy method was detected by the used parameters. There was no statistical difference between the two groups when immediate surgical complications were considered. (author)

Long-term follow-up of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) receiving intraocular ciliary neurotrophic factor implants

Science.gov (United States)

Birch, David G.; Bennett, Lea D.; Duncan, Jacque L.; Weleber, Richard G.; Pennesi, Mark E.

2016-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the long-term efficacy of ciliary neurotrophic factor delivered via an intraocular encapsulated cell implant for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Design Long-term follow up of a multicenter, sham-controlled study. Methods Thirty-six patients at three CNTF4 sites were randomly assigned to receive a high- or low- dose implant in one eye and sham surgery in the fellow eye. The primary endpoint (change in visual field sensitivity at 12 months) has been reported previously.1 Here we report long-term visual acuity, visual field and optical coherence tomography (OCT) outcomes in 24 patients either retaining or explanting the device at 24 months relative to sham-treated eyes. Results Eyes retaining the implant showed significantly greater visual field loss from baseline than either explanted eyes or sham eyes through 42 months. By 60 months and continuing through 96 months, visual field loss was comparable among sham-treated eyes, eyes retaining the implant and explanted eyes, as was visual acuity and OCT macular volume. Conclusions Over the short term, ciliary neurotrophic factor released continuously from an intra-vitreal implant lead to loss of total visual field sensitivity that was greater than the natural progression in the sham-treated eye. This additional loss of sensitivity related to the active implant was reversible when the implant was removed. Over the long term (60 – 96 months), there was no evidence of efficacy for visual acuity, visual field sensitivity or OCT measures of retinal structure. PMID:27457255

Factors Influencing the Behavioural Intention towards Full Electric Vehicles: An Empirical Study in Macau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan K. W. Lai

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study examines the factors that influence individual intentions towards the adoption of full electric vehicles. A sample including 308 respondents was collected on the streets of Macau. The collected data were analysed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results demonstrate that environmental concerns and the perception of environmental policy are antecedent factors of the perception of full electric vehicles, which influences the behavioural intention to purchase full electric vehicles. This study also finds that the perception of economic benefit is one of the key factors influencing the adoption of full electric vehicles. Vehicle operators seek economic benefits from future long-term fuel savings, high energy efficiency, and cheap electricity. Thus, a government striving to promote low-carbon transportation needs to scale up its efforts to enhance citizens’ environmental concerns and to establish proper environmental policy as well as to provide long-term financial and strategic support for electric vehicles.

Prognostic factors for long-term quality of life after adjuvant radiotherapy in women with endometrial cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foerster, Robert; Schnetzke, Lara; Arians, Nathalie; Rief, Harald; Debus, Juergen; Lindel, Katja; Bruckner, Thomas

2016-01-01

Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for endometrial cancer (EC) may affect patients' quality of life (QoL). There is a paucity of data on prognostic factors for long-term QoL and sexual functioning. This study aimed to investigate such factors and assess the role of the vaginal dilator (VD). QoL was assessed in 112 EC patients 6 years (median) after RT. QoL was compared to normative data, and the influence of age, tumor characteristics, lymphadenectomy, RT, and acute toxicities was assessed. VD use and its effect on subjective vaginal shortening/tightness was analyzed. QoL was reduced, particularly in younger patients. Vaginal brachytherapy only and intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) were associated with better global health status and reduced chronic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Higher acute GI toxicity was associated with increased chronic GI symptoms, particularly diarrhea, and reduced role functioning. Higher acute urinary toxicity was associated with increased chronic urological symptoms, muscular/pelvic pain, and chronic GI symptoms, as well as with reduced emotional/social functioning and reduced global health status. Sexual interest/activity was increased despite vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. Sexual interest/activity increased with age. Only few, mainly younger patients used the VD. VD use >1 year was found in women with higher sexual interest/activity. Acute vaginal toxicity and chronic pain prevented VD use. Subjective vaginal shortening/tightness was not reduced in VD users. RT technique and acute toxicities are prognostic for the extent of chronic symptoms and long-term QoL. Sexuality is important even at a higher age. Few patients use the VD and a reduction of subjective vaginal shortening/tightness was not achieved. (orig.) [de

Long-term adherence to a local guideline on postoperative body temperature measurement: mixed methods analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Storm-Versloot, Marja N.; Knops, Anouk M.; Ubbink, Dirk T.; Goossens, Astrid; Legemate, Dink A.; Vermeulen, Hester

2012-01-01

Aim To find out whether a successful multifaceted implementation approach of a local evidence-based guideline on postoperative body temperature measurements (BTM) was persistent over time, and which factors influenced long-term adherence. Methods Mixed methods analysis. Patient records were

Long-term load–deformation behaviour of timber–concrete joints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Kuilen, J.W.G.; Dias, A.M.P.G.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the long-term mechanical behaviour of timber-to-concrete joints made with dowel-type fasteners. Despite the influence that the long-term behaviour of joints has on the mechanical behaviour of a timber–concrete structure and consequently on its design, there is still a lack of

Quality of Life after Young Ischemic Stroke of Mild Severity Is Mainly Influenced by Psychological Factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruijn, M.A. de; Synhaeve, N.E.; Rijsbergen, M.W. van; Leeuw, F.E. de; Mark, R.E.; Jansen, B.P.; Kort, P.L. de

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Long-term prognosis in terms of quality of life (QoL) in young stroke patients is of importance because they usually have a long life expectancy and extensive daily life demands. We aimed at determining which medical and psychological factors influence the QoL in young stroke patients

Quality of life after young ischemic stroke of mild severity is mainly influenced by psychological factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Bruijn, M.; Synhaeve, N.A.; van Rijsbergen, Marielle; de Leeuw, F.-E.; Mark, Ruth; Jansen, B.; de Kort, P.L.

2015-01-01

Background Long-term prognosis in terms of quality of life (QoL) in young stroke patients is of importance because they usually have a long life expectancy and extensive daily life demands. We aimed at determining which medical and psychological factors influence the QoL in young stroke patients

Turnover of regulated nurses in long-term care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Charlene H; Wodchis, Walter P; McGilton, Katherine S

2014-07-01

To describe the relationship between nursing staff turnover in long-term care (LTC) homes and organisational factors consisting of leadership practices and behaviours, supervisory support, burnout, job satisfaction and work environment satisfaction. The turnover of regulated nursing staff [Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs)] in LTC facilities is a pervasive problem, but there is a scarcity of research examining this issue in Canada. The study was conceptualized using a Stress Process model. Distinct surveys were distributed to administrators to measure organisational factors and to regulated nurses to measure personal and job-related sources of stress and workplace support. In total, 324 surveys were used in the linear regression analysis to examine factors associated with high turnover rates. Higher leadership practice scores were associated with lower nursing turnover; a one score increase in leadership correlated with a 49% decrease in nursing turnover. A significant inverse relationship between leadership turnover and nurse turnover was found: the higher the administrator turnover the lower the nurse turnover rate. Leadership practices and administrator turnover are significant in influencing regulated nurse turnover in LTC. Long-term care facilities may want to focus on building good leadership and communication as an upstream method to minimize nurse turnover. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Short- and Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Connective Tissue Diseases Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zhou

2016-01-01

Conclusions: Patients with CTD and CAD may have severe coronary lesions. PCI in these patients tends to result in an increased rate of stent thrombosis and TVR during long-term follow-up, which may be influenced by traditional and nontraditional risk factors.

Periodontal and periimplant maintenance: a critical factor in long-term treatment success.

Science.gov (United States)

Shumaker, Nicholas D; Metcalf, Brett T; Toscano, Nicholas T; Holtzclaw, Dan J

2009-09-01

Periodontal maintenance (PM) is a critical factor in the long-term success of both periodontal and dental implant therapy. Studies have shown both modern periodontal and dental implant therapies are effective in maintaining natural teeth and replacing lost teeth, respectively. However, without a regular program of clinical reevaluation, plaque control, oral hygiene instruction, and reassessment of biomechanical factors, the benefits of treatment often are lost and inflammatory disease in the form of recurrent periodontitis or periimplantitis may result. This article reviews the goals, types, and appropriate frequency of PM in periodontal and dental implant therapy, as well as the incidence and etiology of periimplant disease and strategies for management when recurrent disease develops during the maintenance phase of treatment.

In vitro generation of long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells by fibroblast growth factor-1

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haan, G; Weersing, E; Dontje, B; van Os, R; Bystrykh, LV; Vellenga, E; Miller, G

The role of fibroblast growth factors and their receptors (FGFRs) in the regulation of normal hematopoietic stem cells is unknown. Here we show that, in mouse bone marrow, long-term repopulating stem cells are found exclusively in the FGFR(+) cell fraction. During differentiation toward committed

Long-term deconditioning of gas-filled surge arresters

Science.gov (United States)

Stanković, Koviljka; Brajović, Dragan; Alimpijević, Mališa; Lončar, Boris

2016-07-01

The aim of this paper is to identify parameters that influence the long-term deconditioning effect of gas-filled surge arrester (GFSA) and to provide practical recommendations for mitigating this effect. Namely, after some period of time, on order of hours or days, during which there is no activation due to overvoltage, the deconditioning of GFSA occurs. This effect was observed experimentally within the paper. The observed parameters that could influence the long-term deconditioning effect were the following: shape of voltage load, gas type, gas pressure, interelectrode distance, electrode material, electrode surface topography as well as GFSA design such as two- or three-electrode configuration. According to the results obtained, it has been shown that the occurrence of long-term deconditioning in an insulating system, insulated by a noble gas at a subpressure and with small interelectrode distances, is a phenomenon that always occurs when the insulating system is at rest for about an hour. It has been found that the type of noble gas does not influence the long-term deconditioning. Analysis of such insulating systems' parameters, with a prospect of being used as GFSAs, has demonstrated that this phenomenon is less pronounced at higher pressures (for the same value of the pressure (p) and interelectrode distance (d) product) and for electrodes with microscopically embossed surfaces. According to the results that were obtained by noble gases and their mixtures, as well as the results that were obtained by mixtures of SF6 gas with noble gasses, it can be claimed with confidence that the effect of the long-term deconditioning is an electrode effect. It has also been established that the deconditioning effect does not depend on the electrode material except in the case of electrodes made out of noble metals, which reduce the effect. Based on these results, it can be recommended that the working point of GFSAs be set (according to the DC breakdown voltage value) at a

Factors affecting the entry of for-profit providers into a price regulated market for formal long-term care services: a case study from Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokunaga, Mutsumi; Hashimoto, Hideki

2013-01-01

While the distinct behaviors of for-profit and non-profit providers in the healthcare market have been compared in the economic literature, their choices regarding market entry and exit have only recently been debated. Since 2000, when public Long-Term Care Insurance was introduced in Japan, for-profit providers have been able to provide formal long-term homecare services. The aim of this study is to determine which factors have affected market entry of for-profit providers under price regulation and in competition with existing non-profit providers. We used nation-wide panel data from 2002 to 2010, aggregated at the level of local public insurers (n = 1557), a basic area unit of service provision. The number of for-profit providers per elderly population in the area unit was regressed against factors related to local demand and service costs using first-difference linear regression, a fixed effects model, and Tobit regression for robustness checking. Results showed that demand (the number of eligible care recipients) and cost factors (population density and minimum wage) significantly influenced for-profit providers' choice of market entry. These findings indicate that for-profit providers will strategically choose a local market for maximizing profit. We believe that price regulation should be redesigned to incorporate quality of care and market conditions, regardless of the profit status of the providers, to ensure equal access to efficient delivery of long-term care across all regions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physician personal characteristics influencing long-term treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Strokova E.V.

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the article is to identify the peculiarities of a doctor personality, affecting long-term therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Materials and methods: To determine the type of temperament, the presence and intensity of the syndrome of emotional burnout and capacity for empathy therapists and cardiologists were asked to fill in a number of questionnaires. Each doctor had a group of patients contacting by telephone for a year after the discharge from the hospital. During the telephone contact, the patients were asked about the continuation of their therapy recommended in the hospital, the regularity of therapy, the frequency of absence, and the assessment of a physician by the patients. Results: 35 questionnaires were suitable for interpretation. Through one year after the discharge from the hospital it was able to contact with 147 patients, 18.4% (27 of patients completely stopped the treatment by recommended drugs. Positive assessment of physicians was associated with the continuation of the therapy by recommended drugs and regularity of drug taking (p=0,03. Patients assessed physicians positively more often in cases of low level of emotional state, high level of depersonalization (cynicism and the reduction of personal accomplishment (feeling of professional inefficiency in a doctor. Conclusion: Assessment of physicians by patients is reliably and significantly influenced by continuation of long-term therapy and regularity of drug taking.

Long-term prophylaxis in severe factor VII deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Siboni, S M; Biguzzi, E; Mistretta, C; Garagiola, I; Peyvandi, F

2015-11-01

The spectrum of bleeding problems in FVII deficiency is highly variable and FVII levels and causative genetic mutations correlate poorly with the bleeding risk. Long-term prophylaxis is generally initiated in order to prevent subsequent CNS bleeding after a first event or in patients with other major/ life threatening/ frequent bleeding symptoms as gastrointestinal bleeding or hemarthrosis. However few data are available in the literature regarding FVII prophylaxis and clinical decisions cannot be based on evidence. We report the data available in the literature on FVII prophylaxis and our personal experience regarding three patients affected by severe FVII deficiency. Specific papers on long-term prophylaxis in severe FVII deficiency were identified using the database, PUBMED. The most frequent indications for long-term prophylaxis were CNS bleeding (58%), hemartrosis (15%) and GI bleeding (9%). Patients were treated with various dosages and frequency. Prophylactic treatment with 10-30U/kg (pdFVII) or 20-30mcg/kg (rFVIIa) twice or three times/weeks was described to be effective. In the literature and in our experience, prophylaxis can be considered in patients with severe FVII deficiency and severe bleeding phenotype. A dose of 10-30U/kg (pdFVII) or 20-30 microg/kg (rFVIIa) twice or three times/week is usually administrated, but dose and frequency can be tailored based on the clinical follow-up of the patients. Since hemarthrosis is a frequent manifestation, a suggestion to improve the outcomes of patients with severe FVII deficiency is to monitor joint condition in order to identify early arthropathy that could be another indication to start secondary prophylaxis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rural-urban differences in the long-term care of the disabled elderly in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mei; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Zhenyu; Zhang, Ying; Zhou, Litao; Chen, Kun

2013-01-01

In China, the rapid rate of population aging and changes in the prevalence of disability among elderly people could have significant effects on the demand for long-term care. This study aims to describe the urban-rural differences in use and cost of long-term care of the disabled elderly and to explore potential influencing factors. This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey and a qualitative investigation conducted in Zhejiang province in 2012. The participants were 826 individuals over 60 years of age, who had been bedridden or suffered from dementia for more than 6 months. A generalized linear model and two-part regression model were applied to estimate costs, with adjustment of covariates. Pensions provide the main source of income for urban elderly, while the principal income source for rural elderly is their family. Urban residents spend more on all services than do rural residents. Those who are married spend less on daily supplies and formal care than the unmarried do. Age, incapacitation time, comorbidity number, level of income, and bedridden status influence spending on medical care (β=-0.0316, -0.0206, 0.1882, 0.3444, and -0.4281, respectively), but the cost does not increase as the elderly grow older. Urban residents, the married, and those with a higher income level tend to spend more on medical equipment. Urban residence and living status are the two significant factors that affect spending on personal hygiene products. The use of long-term care services varies by living area. Long-term care of the disabled elderly imposes a substantial burden on families. Our study revealed that informal care involves huge opportunity costs to the caregivers. Chinese policy makers need to promote community care and long-term care insurance to relieve the burden of families of disabled elderly, and particular attention should be given to the rural elderly.

Factors associated with conversion of long-term non-progressors to progressors: A prospective study of HIV perinatally infected paediatric survivors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muttineni Radhakrishna

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives : Survival pattern among children infected with the human immune deficiency virus (HIV follows a bimodel distribution. Some children survive beyond 9 years age and are known as long term survivers (LTS while others had a more rapid course to death during the first few years of life. In the LTS group of children, two sub-populations have emerged, the long term non-progressors (LTNP who have remained asymptomatic over a period of years and those who have survived despite clinical and laboratory evidence of disease progression, the long term progressors (LTP. The aim of the present study was to determine the factors influencing the conversion of LTNPs to LTPs in a group of perinatally HIV infected children who were followed up for five years. Methods : A total of 26 HIV seropositive paediatric patients were monitored from 2006 to 2011 with CD4 cell counts, onset of clinical manifestations, body weight, biochemical, haematological and immunological parameters. Statistical analyses, both qualitative and quantitative, were used to determine the degree of conversion of non-progressors to progressors. Results : All 26 (13 female and 13 male perinatally HIV infected children, born during1991-1996 were healthy until 2006. But by 2011, 18 were placed in progressors group with antiretroviral therapy (ART, while six remained in non progressors group and two died. As per the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, AIDS free median survival period (years in LTP group (CD4 count of the cohort was 10΁0.66 (350, P=<0.05. Intercurrent and opportunistic infections (OIs were observed in LTPs only. The incidence of OI in LTPs was higher when compared to general paediatric population. Interpretation & conclusions : Our findings show that CD4 counts and OIs play an important role in influencing the survival chances of perinatally HIV infected children.

The roles of long-term phonotactic and lexical prosodic knowledge in phonological short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanida, Yuki; Ueno, Taiji; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A; Saito, Satoru

2015-04-01

Many previous studies have explored and confirmed the influence of long-term phonological representations on phonological short-term memory. In most investigations, phonological effects have been explored with respect to phonotactic constraints or frequency. If interaction between long-term memory and phonological short-term memory is a generalized principle, then other phonological characteristics-that is, suprasegmental aspects of phonology-should also exert similar effects on phonological short-term memory. We explored this hypothesis through three immediate serial-recall experiments that manipulated Japanese nonwords with respect to lexical prosody (pitch-accent type, reflecting suprasegmental characteristics) as well as phonotactic frequency (reflecting segmental characteristics). The results showed that phonotactic frequency affected the retention not only of the phonemic sequences, but also of pitch-accent patterns, when participants were instructed to recall both the phoneme sequence and accent pattern of nonwords. In addition, accent pattern typicality influenced the retention of the accent pattern: Typical accent patterns were recalled more accurately than atypical ones. These results indicate that both long-term phonotactic and lexical prosodic knowledge contribute to phonological short-term memory performance.

The long arm of community: the influence of childhood community contexts across the early life course.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickrama, K A S; Noh, Samuel

2010-08-01

This study examines the longitudinal effects of childhood community contexts on young adult outcomes. The study uses a sample of 14,000 adolescents (52% female) derived from the 1990 US Census and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Addhealth). The study examines whether community and family environments exert separate and/or joint long-term influences on young adult achievement and depression. We found both direct and indirect long-term influences of childhood community adversity on young adult educational attainment. The indirect influences of childhood community adversity operated through family and individual-level factors. The long-term influence of childhood community adversity on young adult depression was only indirect. Overall, community influences on young adult achievement outcomes were mediated by family context and by the adolescents' adjustments and transitions, including adolescent depression, school adjustment, and disruptive transitional events. The moderating effect of childhood community adversity suggests that the protective effects of family resources on young adult outcomes dissipate significantly in extremely adverse neighborhoods. The findings demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple theoretical perspectives for longitudinal research to capture pathways of community influence on adolescent developmental and young adulthood outcomes.

Impact of clinical factors on the long-term functional and anatomic outcomes of osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and tibial bone keratoprosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

De La Paz, María Fideliz; De Toledo, Juan Álvarez; Charoenrook, Victor; Sel, Saadettin; Temprano, José; Barraquer, Rafael I; Michael, Ralph

2011-05-01

To report the long-term functional and anatomic outcomes of osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and tibial bone keratoprosthesis; to analyze the influence of clinical factors, such as surgical technique, primary diagnosis, age, and postoperative complications, on the final outcome. Retrospective cohort study. setting: Centro de Oftalmología Barraquer, between 1974 and 2005. Two hundred twenty-seven patients. intervention: Biological keratoprosthesis using osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis or tibial bone keratoprosthesis. main outcome measures: Functional survival with success defined as best-corrected visual acuity ≥0.05; anatomic survival with success defined as retention of the keratoprosthesis lamina. Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and tibial bone keratoprosthesis have comparable anatomic survival at 5 and 10 years of follow-up, but osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis has a significantly better functional success than tibial bone keratoprosthesis at the same time periods. Among the primary diagnoses, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, chemical burn, and trachoma have generally good functional and anatomic outcomes and the least favorable prognosis is for ocular cicatricial pemphigoid. Younger patients fared better than those in older age groups. The most frequent complications were extrusion (28%), retinal detachment (16%), and uncontrolled glaucoma (11%). The glaucoma group had the best anatomic success but the worst functional results, only exceeded by the retinal detachment group in terms of functional outcome. Clinical factors, such as surgical technique, primary diagnosis, age, and postoperative complications, can affect the long-term anatomic and functional successes of biological keratoprosthesis. Knowledge about the impact of each of these factors on survival can help surgeons determine the best approach in every particular case. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global estimation of long-term persistence in annual river runoff

Science.gov (United States)

Markonis, Y.; Moustakis, Y.; Nasika, C.; Sychova, P.; Dimitriadis, P.; Hanel, M.; Máca, P.; Papalexiou, S. M.

2018-03-01

Long-term persistence (LTP) of annual river runoff is a topic of ongoing hydrological research, due to its implications to water resources management. Here, we estimate its strength, measured by the Hurst coefficient H, in 696 annual, globally distributed, streamflow records with at least 80 years of data. We use three estimation methods (maximum likelihood estimator, Whittle estimator and least squares variance) resulting in similar mean values of H close to 0.65. Subsequently, we explore potential factors influencing H by two linear (Spearman's rank correlation, multiple linear regression) and two non-linear (self-organizing maps, random forests) techniques. Catchment area is found to be crucial for medium to larger watersheds, while climatic controls, such as aridity index, have higher impact to smaller ones. Our findings indicate that long-term persistence is weaker than found in other studies, suggesting that enhanced LTP is encountered in large-catchment rivers, were the effect of spatial aggregation is more intense. However, we also show that the estimated values of H can be reproduced by a short-term persistence stochastic model such as an auto-regressive AR(1) process. A direct consequence is that some of the most common methods for the estimation of H coefficient, might not be suitable for discriminating short- and long-term persistence even in long observational records.

Frequency, imaging findings, risk factors, and long-term sequelae of distal clavicular osteolysis in young patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roedl, Johannes B.; Nevalainen, Mika; Gonzalez, Felix M.; Morrison, William B.; Zoga, Adam C. [Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Interventions, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Dodson, Christopher C. [Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Rothman Institute, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2015-05-01

Atraumatic distal clavicular osteolysis (DCO) has been described in adult male weightlifters. Our purpose was to investigate the frequency, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics, risk factors, and long-term sequelae of DCO in young patients. Individuals with atraumatic DCO were identified in a retrospective review of 1,432 consecutive MRI shoulder reports in patients between 13 and 19 years of age. MRI findings of DCO, association with athletic activity, short-term clinical outcome after 3-6 months, and long-term clinical and MRI outcome after 2 years were analyzed. A pre-MRI questionnaire assessed the patients' athletic history including overhead activity and weightlifting. At a mean age of 15.9 years, 6.5 % (93/1432) of patients had atraumatic DCO, and 24 % were females. The combination of an overhead sport (basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming) and supplemental weight training was a risk factor for DCO (odds ratio = 38, p = 0.01). Ninety-three percent of patients responded to conservative therapy. On follow-up imaging, 71 % of DCO patients had acromioclavicular (AC) joint osteoarthritis (vs. 35 % in controls, p = 0.006); 79 % had flattening of the distal clavicle and interval widening of the AC joint to a mean of 5.0 mm (compared to 2.4 mm in controls, p < 0.001). Severity of DCO edema was associated with pain (p < 0.02) at initial presentation and with AC joint osteoarthritis (p = 0.004) on follow-up. In athletic teenagers, the combination of weightlifting and overhead activity is a risk factor for atraumatic DCO, and females are affected in 24 %. Long-term sequelae include widening of the AC joint and AC joint osteoarthritis. (orig.)

Frequency, imaging findings, risk factors, and long-term sequelae of distal clavicular osteolysis in young patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roedl, Johannes B.; Nevalainen, Mika; Gonzalez, Felix M.; Morrison, William B.; Zoga, Adam C.; Dodson, Christopher C.

2015-01-01

Atraumatic distal clavicular osteolysis (DCO) has been described in adult male weightlifters. Our purpose was to investigate the frequency, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics, risk factors, and long-term sequelae of DCO in young patients. Individuals with atraumatic DCO were identified in a retrospective review of 1,432 consecutive MRI shoulder reports in patients between 13 and 19 years of age. MRI findings of DCO, association with athletic activity, short-term clinical outcome after 3-6 months, and long-term clinical and MRI outcome after 2 years were analyzed. A pre-MRI questionnaire assessed the patients' athletic history including overhead activity and weightlifting. At a mean age of 15.9 years, 6.5 % (93/1432) of patients had atraumatic DCO, and 24 % were females. The combination of an overhead sport (basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming) and supplemental weight training was a risk factor for DCO (odds ratio = 38, p = 0.01). Ninety-three percent of patients responded to conservative therapy. On follow-up imaging, 71 % of DCO patients had acromioclavicular (AC) joint osteoarthritis (vs. 35 % in controls, p = 0.006); 79 % had flattening of the distal clavicle and interval widening of the AC joint to a mean of 5.0 mm (compared to 2.4 mm in controls, p < 0.001). Severity of DCO edema was associated with pain (p < 0.02) at initial presentation and with AC joint osteoarthritis (p = 0.004) on follow-up. In athletic teenagers, the combination of weightlifting and overhead activity is a risk factor for atraumatic DCO, and females are affected in 24 %. Long-term sequelae include widening of the AC joint and AC joint osteoarthritis. (orig.)

Influence of Long-term Annealing and Hot Bending on Creep of P92 Pipe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Král, Petr; Dvořák, Jiří; Kvapilová, Marie; Kuchařová, Květa; Sklenička, Václav; Svobodová, M.; Čmakal, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 128, č. 4 (2015), s. 543-547 ISSN 0587-4246. [ISPMA13 - International Symposium on Physics of Materials /13./. Praha, 31.08.2014-04.09.2014] R&D Projects: GA TA ČR TA02010260; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0068 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : creep * long-term annealing * hot bending * P92 pipe Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy Impact factor: 0.525, year: 2015

Understanding the long-term influence of EIA on organisational learning and transformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, Megan, E-mail: 31836179@student.murdoch.edu.au [Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University (Australia); Morrison-Saunders, Angus, E-mail: a.morrison-saunders@murdoch.edu.au [Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Australia, Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University (South Africa)

2017-05-15

This research is an attempt to verify the notion postulated by Robert Bartlett and Lynton Caldwell that the full benefits of environmental impact assessment (EIA) would take decades to be realized. While EIA is intended to directly influence decision-making regarding new development proposals, the process is also expected to lead to organisational learning and transformation over time. Our aim was to examine the influence of EIA on a single Western Australian proponent with sustained experience in the process to understand how EIA is used within the organisation and to seek evidence of transformation of the organisation's purpose and mission. The research reviewed literature in order to identify key influences of EIA on organisations, along with semi-structured staff interviews and document analysis for the case study organisation. Ascertaining causality that involvement in EIA processes influences or effects organisational learning and transformation is a challenge in the face of other societal events. Document analysis and interviewee data indicates that the action-forcing nature of EIA did influence proponent behavior through the creation of internal processes seeking to ensure robust design of new projects that would satisfy environmental protection expectations, without the need to trigger formal EIA. Evidence of EIA values and thinking were apparent within internal documentation, including the evolving mission statement. Our research indicates that participation in the EIA process can positively influence organisational learning and transformation by guiding internal change for decision-making. - Highlights: • The long-term influence of EIA on a proponent organisation is investigated. • EIA promotes internal organisational learning and transformation. • Analysis of mission statements can indicate the influence of EIA on organisations. • Organisations aligned with EIA values can reduce the need to engage in formal EIA.

Understanding the long-term influence of EIA on organisational learning and transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Megan; Morrison-Saunders, Angus

2017-01-01

This research is an attempt to verify the notion postulated by Robert Bartlett and Lynton Caldwell that the full benefits of environmental impact assessment (EIA) would take decades to be realized. While EIA is intended to directly influence decision-making regarding new development proposals, the process is also expected to lead to organisational learning and transformation over time. Our aim was to examine the influence of EIA on a single Western Australian proponent with sustained experience in the process to understand how EIA is used within the organisation and to seek evidence of transformation of the organisation's purpose and mission. The research reviewed literature in order to identify key influences of EIA on organisations, along with semi-structured staff interviews and document analysis for the case study organisation. Ascertaining causality that involvement in EIA processes influences or effects organisational learning and transformation is a challenge in the face of other societal events. Document analysis and interviewee data indicates that the action-forcing nature of EIA did influence proponent behavior through the creation of internal processes seeking to ensure robust design of new projects that would satisfy environmental protection expectations, without the need to trigger formal EIA. Evidence of EIA values and thinking were apparent within internal documentation, including the evolving mission statement. Our research indicates that participation in the EIA process can positively influence organisational learning and transformation by guiding internal change for decision-making. - Highlights: • The long-term influence of EIA on a proponent organisation is investigated. • EIA promotes internal organisational learning and transformation. • Analysis of mission statements can indicate the influence of EIA on organisations. • Organisations aligned with EIA values can reduce the need to engage in formal EIA.

In search of the elusive long-term price

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connor, M.J.; Combs, J.

1989-01-01

The Uranium Institute, WNFM, and past USCEA sessions described and compared existing price reporting systems. The McGraw-Hill conference led to a rather heated discussion as to the propriety of spot prices having the influence they do on amounts paid in long-term contracts. The Ux representative proposed a future's market as a way that producers could hedge against some of the uncertainty of volatile spot market. In discussing the search for the elusive long-term price, there are two interrelated issues. The first is obvious-the search for a starting or initializing price that is representative of recently-signed or pending long-term contracts. The second is less obvious, but perhaps more important-the search for a successful mechanism for determining later delivery values in long-term contracts. This paper addresses the question of pricing mechanisms first

Factors associated with collagen deposition in lymphoid tissue in long-term treated HIV-infected patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Alba; Alós, Llúcia; León, Agathe; Mozos, Anna; Caballero, Miguel; Martinez, Antonio; Plana, Montserrat; Gallart, Teresa; Gil, Cristina; Leal, Manuel; Gatell, Jose M; García, Felipe

2010-08-24

The factors associated with fibrosis in lymphoid tissue in long-term treated HIV-infected patients and their correlation with immune reconstitution were assessed. Tonsillar biopsies were performed in seven antiretroviral-naive patients and 29 successfully treated patients (median time on treatment, 61 months). Twenty patients received protease inhibitors-sparing regimens and nine protease inhibitor-containing regimens. Five tonsillar resections of HIV-negative individuals were used as controls. Lymphoid tissue architecture, collagen deposition (fibrosis) and the mean interfollicular CD4(+) cell count per mum were assessed. Naive and long-term treated HIV-infected patients had a higher proportion of fibrosis than did HIV-uninfected persons (P lymphoid tissue (P = 0.03) and smaller increase in peripheral CD4(+) T cells (r = -0.40, P = 0.05). The factors independently associated with fibrosis in lymphoid tissue were age (P lymphoid tissue viral load when compared with patients with undetectable lymphoid tissue viral load (median 5 vs. 12%, respectively, P = 0.017) and patients receiving a protease inhibitor-sparing vs. a protease inhibitor-containing regimen (median 8 vs. 2.5%, respectively, P = 0.04). Fibrosis in lymphoid tissue was associated with a poor reconstitution of CD4(+) T cells and long-term antiretroviral therapy did not reverse this abnormality. HIV infection, older age, a detectable level of lymphoid tissue viral load in treated patients and protease inhibitor-sparing regimens seem to favour fibrosis in lymphoid tissue.

Ecosystem processes and human influences regulate streamflow response to climate change at long-term ecological research sites

Science.gov (United States)

Julia A. Jones; Irena F. Creed; Kendra L. Hatcher; Robert J. Warren; Mary Beth Adams; Melinda H. Benson; Emery Boose; Warren A. Brown; John L. Campbell; Alan Covich; David W. Clow; Clifford N. Dahm; Kelly Elder; Chelcy R. Ford; Nancy B. Grimm; Donald L Henshaw; Kelli L. Larson; Evan S. Miles; Kathleen M. Miles; Stephen D. Sebestyen; Adam T. Spargo; Asa B. Stone; James M. Vose; Mark W. Williams

2012-01-01

Analyses of long-term records at 35 headwater basins in the United States and Canada indicate that climate change effects on streamflow are not as clear as might be expected, perhaps because of ecosystem processes and human influences. Evapotranspiration was higher than was predicted by temperature in water-surplus ecosystems and lower than was predicted in water-...

Long-term follow-up of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and prognostic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Falsetti, Leopoldo; Gambera, Alessandro; Barbetti, Lorena; Specchia, Cristina

2002-02-01

This study evaluated the prognosis of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) and the predictive factors of recovery, through a long-term follow-up. Ninety-three women affected by FHA underwent a follow-up for an average period of 8.1 yr (range 7-9 yr). At the end of the follow-up, 65 (70.7%) patients recovered. Statistical analysis showed that there was no association between recovery and anamnestic causes of FHA or with the echographic ovarian morphology but identified the predictive factors of recovery as the basal body mass index (BMI), the basal cortisol, and androstenedione plasma levels. A higher basal BMI and A, and lower cortisol values are positive prognostic factors for the recovery. Also the BMI, acquired during the follow-up, is important for FHA resolution: in fact, in recovered women the BMI increased or remained stable, whereas in nonrecovered women it decreased or remained stable. At the end of the follow-up, 52 (74.3%) patients treated with hormone replacement therapy and 8 (80%) with no therapy recovered, but only 5 (41.7%) with oral contraceptive pills recovered.

Influence of the design temperature on long-term safety of a salt dome repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buhmann, D.; Brenner, J.; Storck, R.

1993-03-01

All studies made so far within the framwork of the mixed concept system analysis proceeded from a design temperature of the mine structure of 200 C. The concept based on a design temperature of 150 C was aimed at studying whether it made sense to maintain lower temperatures, if necessary. Deterministic and probabilistic calculations were made in order to determine the influence of the lower design temperature on long-term safety. The calculations were based on concept A of Joint Borehole and Gallery Storage. Assuming reference values of the input parameters, the deterministic calculations do not produce any radionuclide release from the mine structure. If, however, one assumes a lower rate for rock convergence, radionuclides are released at maximum dose rates of about 3.10 -5 Sv/a. Even a larger volume of limited brine inclusions may lead to radionuclide releases, in that case with dose commitments of the order of magnitude of 1.10 -5 Sv/a. The probabilistic calculations show that a design temperature of 150 C for long-term safety is less favourable than a higher design temperature. The share of simulations in the probabilistic calculations with a radionuclide release, and the expected value of dose commitment, are almost double as high as in the concept based on 200 C design temperature. Thus a higher design temperature is preferable with regard to the long-term safety of a salt repository. The most important parameters concerning dose commitment are the volume of limited brine inclusions, the convergence rate, and the permeability of barriers and backfilling rock. (orig./HP) [de

Long-term primary patency prognostic factors after endovascular therapy for acute lower limb ischemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Di; Gu Jianping; Lou Wensheng; He Xu; Chen Liang; Chen Guoping; Su Haobo; Song Jinhua; Wang Tao

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess prognostic factors regarding long-term primary patency for patients who underwent intra-arterial thrombolysis and/or adjuvant endovascular techniques due to acute lower limb ischemia. Methods: Consecutive patients with ALI of the lower extremities treated via interventional methods between January 2005 and June 2010 were identified and reviewed (exclude patient suffered from aortic dissection involved artery of lower extremity or trauma). Analyze the potential variables with univariable analysis and only factors associated with long-term primary patency with a P value less than 0.1 in univariable analysis were introduced into the Cox regression mode. Total long-term primary patency and grouped primary patency were assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimation. Results: The analyzed dataset included 107 limbs treated in 101 patients presenting with ALI (class Ⅰ 15, class Ⅱ A 36, class Ⅱ B to Ⅲ 56, according to Rutherford classification). Eight nine limbs were enrolled in follow-up.The mean followup was 34 months (range: 1 to 53 months). Primary patency at 12, 24 and 36 months was 87%, 68% and 55%, respectively. Multivariable analyses identified patients presenting with diabetes mellitus (P=0.00), PAOD (P<0.02) and thrombolysis time (P<0.02) were associated with primary patency. Compare the patency rate of patients with different thrombolysis time, the results showed that the patency rate of the patients thrombolysis time less than 4 d was higher than those more than 4 c. Conclusions: Interventional therapy remains an effective treatment option for patients presenting with lower extremity ALI. Diabetes mellitus and PAOD negatively affect the rates of limb primary patency. Thrombolysis should be limited to <4 days. (authors)

Competitive short-term and long-term memory processes in spatial habituation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanderson, David J; Bannerman, David M

2011-04-01

Exposure to a spatial location leads to habituation of exploration such that, in a novelty preference test, rodents subsequently prefer exploring a novel location to the familiar location. According to Wagner's (1981) theory of memory, short-term and long-term habituation are caused by separate and sometimes opponent processes. In the present study, this dual-process account of memory was tested. Mice received a series of exposure training trials to a location before receiving a novelty preference test. The novelty preference was greater when tested after a short, rather than a long, interval. In contrast, the novelty preference was weaker when exposure training trials were separated by a short, rather than a long interval. Furthermore, it was found that long-term habituation was determined by the independent effects of the amount of exposure training and the number of exposure training trials when factors such as the intertrial interval and the cumulative intertrial interval were controlled. A final experiment demonstrated that a long-term reduction of exploration could be caused by a negative priming effect due to associations formed during exploration. These results provide evidence against a single-process account of habituation and suggest that spatial habituation is determined by both short-term, recency-based memory and long-term, incrementally strengthened memory.

The long-term nutritional status in stroke patients and its predictive factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Paquereau, Julie; Allart, Etienne; Romon, Monique; Rousseaux, Marc

2014-07-01

Malnutrition is common in the first few months after stroke and contributes to a poor overall outcome. We analyzed long-term weight changes and their predictive factors. A total of 71 first-ever stroke patients were included in the study and examined (1) their weight on admission to the acute stroke unit (usual weight [UW]), on admission to the rehabilitation unit, on discharge from the rehabilitation unit, and then 1 year or more after the stroke (median time: 2.5 years), (2) the presence of malnutrition after stroke, and (3) possible predictive factors, namely, sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics (concerning the stroke, the patient's current neurologic status and the presence of diabetes mellitus and depression), and the present nutritional state (including eating difficulties, anorexia, and changes in food intake and food preferences). Body weight fell (4.0 kg) during the patients' stay in the stroke unit, increased moderately in the rehabilitation unit (2.0 kg), and returned to the UW by the long-term measurement. However, at the last observation, 40.1% of the patients weighed markedly less than their UW, 38.0% weighed markedly more, and 21.1% were relatively stable. Predictors of weight change were a change in preferences for sweet food products and a change in food intake. Malnutrition was frequent (47.9%) and associated with reduced food intake, residence in an institution, and diabetes mellitus. Malnutrition was highly prevalent, with an important role of change in food intake and food preferences, which could result from brain lesions and specific regimens. Living in an institution needs consideration, as its negative effects can be prevented. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work reintegration after long-term sick leave: domains of influence on co-workers' ability to be supportive.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Kirsten Schultz; Labriola, Merete; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Larsen, Eva Ladekjær

2016-09-01

The purpose of the study is to identify domains of influence on co-workers' ability to be supportive of returning worker during the work reintegration (WR) process. An ethnographic study design was chosen involving fieldwork at four different workplaces, at an emergency care service, a waste disposal company and at two nursing homes. Qualitative methods for inquiry were used including participant observation, individual- and group interviews of 30 participants. Data were coded and analysed according to a grounded theory approach. Four themes were identified related to domains of influence on co-workers' ability to be supportive of returning worker during the WR process: (1) organisation of work and level of interaction; (2) disruption of work routines, (3) relationship with returning worker and (4) attitudes towards sick leave. The WR process after long-term sick leave is not only influenced by the WR's arrangements made, but also by the co-workers' responses to the process. Work arrangements not only affect the returning worker's ability to return-to-work (RTW) successfully, but also the co-workers' ability to be supportive and their ability to take active part in the process. Implications for Rehabilitation The process of WR after long-term sick leave involves interaction with co-workers. Domains of influence is in the co-workers' perspective influencing their ability to be supportive during reintegration of a returning worker. Future WR management could benefit from integrating the conditions for co-worker support. We encourage co-workers to be involved in the RTW planning, monitoring and evaluation with particular focus on how the WR arrangements are influencing their work and their ability to be supportive.

Job Satisfaction among Care Aides in Residential Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review of Contributing Factors, Both Individual and Organizational

Science.gov (United States)

Squires, Janet E.; Hoben, Matthias; Linklater, Stefanie; Carleton, Heather L.; Graham, Nicole; Estabrooks, Carole A.

2015-01-01

Despite an increasing literature on professional nurses' job satisfaction, job satisfaction by nonprofessional nursing care providers and, in particular, in residential long-term care facilities, is sparsely described. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence on which factors (individual and organizational) are associated with job satisfaction among care aides, nurse aides, and nursing assistants, who provide the majority of direct resident care, in residential long-term care facilities. Nine online databases were searched. Two authors independently screened, and extracted data and assessed the included publications for methodological quality. Decision rules were developed a priori to draw conclusions on which factors are important to care aide job satisfaction. Forty-two publications were included. Individual factors found to be important were empowerment and autonomy. Six additional individual factors were found to be not important: age, ethnicity, gender, education level, attending specialized training, and years of experience. Organizational factors found to be important were facility resources and workload. Two additional factors were found to be not important: satisfaction with salary/benefits and job performance. Factors important to care aide job satisfaction differ from those reported among hospital nurses, supporting the need for different strategies to improve care aide job satisfaction in residential long-term care. PMID:26345545

Job Satisfaction among Care Aides in Residential Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review of Contributing Factors, Both Individual and Organizational

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet E. Squires

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Despite an increasing literature on professional nurses’ job satisfaction, job satisfaction by nonprofessional nursing care providers and, in particular, in residential long-term care facilities, is sparsely described. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence on which factors (individual and organizational are associated with job satisfaction among care aides, nurse aides, and nursing assistants, who provide the majority of direct resident care, in residential long-term care facilities. Nine online databases were searched. Two authors independently screened, and extracted data and assessed the included publications for methodological quality. Decision rules were developed a priori to draw conclusions on which factors are important to care aide job satisfaction. Forty-two publications were included. Individual factors found to be important were empowerment and autonomy. Six additional individual factors were found to be not important: age, ethnicity, gender, education level, attending specialized training, and years of experience. Organizational factors found to be important were facility resources and workload. Two additional factors were found to be not important: satisfaction with salary/benefits and job performance. Factors important to care aide job satisfaction differ from those reported among hospital nurses, supporting the need for different strategies to improve care aide job satisfaction in residential long-term care.

Job Satisfaction among Care Aides in Residential Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review of Contributing Factors, Both Individual and Organizational.

Science.gov (United States)

Squires, Janet E; Hoben, Matthias; Linklater, Stefanie; Carleton, Heather L; Graham, Nicole; Estabrooks, Carole A

2015-01-01

Despite an increasing literature on professional nurses' job satisfaction, job satisfaction by nonprofessional nursing care providers and, in particular, in residential long-term care facilities, is sparsely described. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence on which factors (individual and organizational) are associated with job satisfaction among care aides, nurse aides, and nursing assistants, who provide the majority of direct resident care, in residential long-term care facilities. Nine online databases were searched. Two authors independently screened, and extracted data and assessed the included publications for methodological quality. Decision rules were developed a priori to draw conclusions on which factors are important to care aide job satisfaction. Forty-two publications were included. Individual factors found to be important were empowerment and autonomy. Six additional individual factors were found to be not important: age, ethnicity, gender, education level, attending specialized training, and years of experience. Organizational factors found to be important were facility resources and workload. Two additional factors were found to be not important: satisfaction with salary/benefits and job performance. Factors important to care aide job satisfaction differ from those reported among hospital nurses, supporting the need for different strategies to improve care aide job satisfaction in residential long-term care.

Short- and long-term influence of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (Mirena®) on vaginal microbiota and Candida.

Science.gov (United States)

Donders, Gilbert Gerard Ghislain; Bellen, G; Ruban, Kateryna; Van Bulck, Ben

2018-03-01

Recurrent vulvovaginal infections are a frequent complaint in young women in need of contraception. However, the influence of the contraceptive method on the course of the disease is not well known. To investigate the influence of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine-system (LNG-IUS) on the vaginal microflora. Short-term (3 months) and long-term (1 to 5 years) changes of vaginal microbiota were compared with pre-insertion values in 252 women presenting for LNG-IUS insertion. Detailed microscopy on vaginal fluid was used to define lactobacillary grades (LBGs), bacterial vaginosis (BV), aerobic vaginitis (AV) and the presence of Candida. Cultures for enteric aerobic bacteria and Candida were used to back up the microscopy findings. Fisher's test was used to compare vaginal microbiome changes pre- and post-insertion. Compared to the pre-insertion period, we found a temporary worsening in LBGs and increased rates of BV and AV after 3 months of LNG-IUS. After 1 and 5 years, however, these changes were reversed, with a complete restoration to pre-insertion levels. Candida increased significantly after long-term carriage of LNG-IUS compared to the period before insertion [OR 2.0 (CL951.1-3.5), P=0.017]. Short-term use of LNG-IUS temporarily decreases lactobacillary dominance, and increases LBG, AV and BV, but after 1 to 5 years these characteristics return to pre-insertion levels, reducing the risk of complications to baseline levels. Candida colonization, on the other hand, is twice as high after 1 to 5 years of LNG-IUS use, making it less indicated for long-term use in patients with or at risk for recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis.

Prognostic factors for long-term sickness absence among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holtermann, Andreas; Hansen, Jørgen V; Burr, Hermann

2010-01-01

the last three months on a 10-point scale; using a questionnaire, they also reported on physical and psychosocial work factors, health behavior, work ability and self-efficacy. Employees reporting pain intensity of >or=4 were considered to have musculoskeletal pain. As a result, we defined two populations.......01-1.26] and (ii) heavy physical work (HR=1.68, 95% CI 1.21-2.33 and HR=1.41 95% CI 1.00-2.01). CONCLUSION: Preventive initiatives for long-term sickness absence should aim to reduce pain intensity and heavy physical work among employees with neck-shoulder and low-back pain.......OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors for long-term sickness absence among employees with neck-shoulder or low-back pain. METHODS: In 2000, a representative sample of Danish employees (N=5036) rated their average pain intensity in the neck-shoulder and low-back during...

Trinity of Quality Improvement : Studies on structure, process and outcome related to quality improvement in long-term care in the Netherlands between 2007 and 2011

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.C.M. Winters-van der Meer (Sjenny)

2014-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ This thesis discusses quality improvement in long-term care organisations in the Netherlands. It explores the influencing factors on quality improvement and aims at identifying opportunities for long-term care organisations to ‘improve their improvement’. This

Influence of long-term Sahaja Yoga meditation practice on emotional processing in the brain: An ERP study.

Science.gov (United States)

Reva, N V; Pavlov, S V; Loktev, K V; Korenyok, V V; Aftanas, L I

2014-12-05

Despite growing interest in meditation as a tool for alternative therapy of stress-related and psychosomatic diseases, brain mechanisms of beneficial influences of meditation practice on health and quality of life are still unclear. We propose that the key point is a persistent change in emotional functioning, specifically the modulation of the early appraisal of motivational significance of events. The main aim was to study the effects of long-term meditation practice on event-related brain potentials (ERPs) during affective picture viewing. ERPs were recorded in 20 long-term Sahaja Yoga meditators and 20 control subjects without prior experience in meditation. The meditators' mid-latency (140-400ms) ERPs were attenuated for both positive and negative pictures (i.e. there were no arousal-related increases in ERP positivity) and this effect was more prominent over the right hemisphere. However, we found no differences in the long latency (400-800ms) responses to emotional images, associated with meditation practice. In addition we found stronger ERP negativity in the time window 200-300ms for meditators compared to the controls, regardless of picture valence. We assume that long-term meditation practice enhances frontal top-down control over fast automatic salience detection, based on amygdala functions. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influencing Mechanism of Potential Factors on Passengers’ Long-Distance Travel Mode Choices Based on Structural Equation Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Wang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding the public transportation users’ preferences to long-distance travel modes would contribute to reasonable developing policies and resource allocation. This paper aims to explore the influencing mechanism of potential factors on the long-distance travel mode choice. A survey was conducted to collect the data. The analysis of variance (ANOVA approach was applied to analyze the correlation relationship between potential factors and travel mode choice behavior. The results showed that, except gender, service demand for safety and departure time, all of the other factors significantly influenced the travel mode choice behavior. Specifically, passengers with higher education level and income level were more likely to choose high-speed railway (HSR and plane; passengers caring about travel expense were more likely to choose ordinary train, whereas plane and HSR may be chosen more by passengers caring more about comfort, punctuality and efficiency; the more passengers were satisfied with travel modes’ service performance, the more they would be likely to choose them; the most competitive distance ranges for coach, ordinary train, HSR and plane were below 500 km, 500–1000 km, 500–1500 km and over 1500 km, respectively. Besides, the structural equation modeling (SEM technique was applied to investigate the influencing mechanism of factors on the long-distance travel mode choice. The results revealed that travel distance was the most significant variable directly influencing passengers’ mode choices, followed by the service demand, performance evaluation, and personal attributes. Furthermore, personal attributes were verified to have an indirect effect on travel mode choice behavior by significantly affecting the service demand and performance evaluation.

Long-term ecophysiological responses to climate change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boesgaard, Kristine Stove; Ro-Poulsen, Helge

Plant physiology is affected by climate change. Acclimations of photosynthetic processes are induced by short-term changes in climatic conditions. Further acclimation can be caused by longterm adjustments to climate change due to ecosystem-feedbacks. The aim of this PhD was to investigate plant...... term responses of plant physiology to the climate change factors were investigated. In the CLIMAITE-experiment it has been shown that 2 years of treatment altered physiological responses in Deschampsiaand Calluna. In the work of this PhD similar responses were observed after 6 years of treatment...... physiological responses to climate change in a seasonal and long-term perspective. The effects of elevated CO2, passive night time warming and periodic summer drought as single factor and in combination, on plant physiology were investigated in the long-term multifactorial field experiment CLIMAITE in a Danish...

Predictors of long-term survival among first-ever ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in a Brazilian stroke cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Goulart, Alessandra C; Fernandes, Tiotrefis G; Santos, Itamar S; Alencar, Airlane P; Bensenor, Isabela M; Lotufo, Paulo A

2013-05-24

Few studies have examined both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke to identify prognostic factors associated to long-term stroke survival. We investigated long-term survival and predictors that could adversely influence ischemic and hemorrhagic first-ever stroke prognosis. We prospectively ascertained 665 consecutive first-ever ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke cases from "The Study of Stroke Mortality and Morbidity" (The EMMA Study) in a community hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. We evaluated cardiovascular risk factors and sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, race and educational level). We found a lower survival rate among hemorrhagic cases compared to ischemic stroke cases at the end of 4 years of follow-up (52% vs. 44%, p = 0.04). The risk of death was two times higher among people with ischemic stroke without formal education. Also, we found consistently higher risk of death for diabetics with ischemic stroke (HR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.07-1.97) compared to no diabetics. As expected, age equally influenced on the high risk of poor survival, regardless of stroke subtype. For ischemic stroke, the lack of formal education and diabetes were significant independent predictors of poor long-term survival.

The semantic-similarity effect in children: influence of long-term knowledge on verbal short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Monnier, Catherine; Bonthoux, Françoise

2011-11-01

The present research was designed to highlight the relation between children's categorical knowledge and their verbal short-term memory (STM) performance. To do this, we manipulated the categorical organization of the words composing lists to be memorized by 5- and 9-year-old children. Three types of word list were drawn up: semantically similar context-dependent (CD) lists, semantically similar context-independent (CI) lists, and semantically dissimilar lists. In line with the procedure used by Poirier and Saint-Aubin (1995), the dissimilar lists were produced using words from the semantically similar lists. Both 5- and 9-year-old children showed better recall for the semantically similar CD lists than they did for the unrelated lists. In the semantic similar CI condition, semantic similarity enhanced immediate serial recall only at age 9 but contributed to item information memory both at ages 5 and 9. These results, which indicate a semantic influence of long-term memory (LTM) on serial recall from age 5, are discussed in the light of current models of STM. Moreover, we suggest that differences between results at 5 and 9 years are compatible with pluralist models of development. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Long-term follow-up results of umbilical hernia repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Venclauskas, Linas; Jokubauskas, Mantas; Zilinskas, Justas; Zviniene, Kristina; Kiudelis, Mindaugas

2017-12-01

Multiple suture techniques and various mesh repairs are used in open or laparoscopic umbilical hernia (UH) surgery. To compare long-term follow-up results of UH repair in different hernia surgery groups and to identify risk factors for UH recurrence. A retrospective analysis of 216 patients who underwent elective surgery for UH during a 10-year period was performed. The patients were divided into three groups according to surgery technique (suture, mesh and laparoscopic repair). Early and long-term follow-up results including hospital stay, postoperative general and wound complications, recurrence rate and postoperative patient complaints were reviewed. Risk factors for recurrence were also analyzed. One hundred and forty-six patients were operated on using suture repair, 52 using open mesh and 18 using laparoscopic repair technique. 77.8% of patients underwent long-term follow-up. The postoperative wound complication rate and long-term postoperative complaints were significantly higher in the open mesh repair group. The overall hernia recurrence rate was 13.1%. Only 2 (1.7%) patients with small hernias ( 30 kg/m 2 , diabetes and wound infection were independent risk factors for umbilical hernia recurrence. The overall umbilical hernia recurrence rate was 13.1%. Body mass index > 30 kg/m 2 , diabetes and wound infection were independent risk factors for UH recurrence. According to our study results, laparoscopic medium and large umbilical hernia repair has slight advantages over open mesh repair concerning early postoperative complications, long-term postoperative pain and recurrence.

Does the Implantation Technique for Totally Implantable Venous Access Ports (TIVAPs) Influence Long-Term Outcome?

Science.gov (United States)

Biacchi, Daniele; Sammartino, Paolo; Sibio, Simone; Accarpio, Fabio; Cardi, Maurizio; Sapienza, Paolo; De Cesare, Alessandro; Atta, Joseph Maher Fouad; Impagnatiello, Alessio; Di Giorgio, Angelo

2016-02-01

Totally implantable venous access ports (TIVAP) are eventually explanted for various reasons, related or unrelated to the implantation technique used. Having more information on long-term explantation would help improve placement techniques. From a series of 1572 cancer patients who had TIVAPs implanted in our center with the cutdown technique or Seldinger technique, we studied the 542 patients who returned to us to have their TIVAP explanted after 70 days or more. As outcome measures we distinguished between TIVAPs explanted for long-term complications (infection, catheter-, reservoir-, and patient-related complications) and TIVAPs no longer needed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were run to investigate the reasons for explantation and their possible correlation with implantation techniques. The most common reason for explantation was infection (47.6 %), followed by catheter-related (20.8 %), patient-related (14.7 %), and reservoir-related complications (4.7 %). In the remaining 12.2 % of cases, the TIVAP was explanted complication free after the planned treatments ended. Infection correlated closely with longer TIVAP use. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the Seldinger technique as a major risk factor for venous thrombosis and catheter dislocation. The need for long-term TIVAP explantation in about one-third of cancer patients is related to the implantation techniques used.

Birthing positions during second stage of labor and long-term psychological outcomes in low-risk women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonge, A. de; Rijnders, M.E.B.; Diem, M.T. van; Scheepers, P.L.H.; Lagro-Janssen, A.L.M.

2011-01-01

PURPOSE: To examine the long-term influence of birthing positions during the second stage of labor, as well as other factors, on birth satisfaction, self-esteem (based on the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale [RSE]) and emotional well-being (based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]). STUDY

Influence of marital status and employment status on long-term adherence with continuous positive airway pressure in sleep apnea patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnadoux, Frédéric; Le Vaillant, Marc; Goupil, François; Pigeanne, Thierry; Chollet, Sylvaine; Masson, Philippe; Humeau, Marie-Pierre; Bizieux-Thaminy, Acya; Meslier, Nicole

2011-01-01

Long-term adherence is a major issue in patients receiving home continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). In a multicenter prospective cohort (the Institut de Recherche en Santé Respiratoire des Pays de la Loire [IRSR] sleep cohort) of consecutive OSAHS patients in whom CPAP had been prescribed for at least 90 days, we studied the impact on long-term treatment adherence of socioeconomic factors, patients and disease characteristics prior to CPAP initiation. Among 1,141 patients in whom CPAP had been prescribed for an average of 504±251 days (range: 91 to 1035), 674 (59%) were adherent with a mean daily use of CPAP≥4 h (mean: 6.42±1.35 h). Stepwise regression analysis identified 4 independent factors of CPAP adherence including apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (OR: 1.549, 95%CI 1.163 to 2.062 for AHI≥30 vs. AHIstatus (OR: 1.414, 95%CI 1.097-1.821 for retired vs. employed; p = 0.007) and marital status (OR: 1.482, 95%CI 1.088-2.019 for married or living as a couple vs. living alone; p = 0.01). Age, gender, Epworth sleepiness scale, depressive syndrome, associated cardiovascular morbidities, educational attainment and occupation category did not influence CPAP adherence. Marital status and employment status are independent factors of CPAP adherence in addition to BMI and disease severity. Patients living alone and/or working patients are at greater risk of non-adherence, whereas adherence is higher in married and retired patients. These findings suggest that the social context of daily life should be taken into account in risk screening for CPAP non-adherence. Future interventional studies targeting at-risk patients should be designed to address social motivating factors and work-related barriers to CPAP adherence.

Forced migration in childhood: are there long-term health effects?

Science.gov (United States)

Saarela, Jan M; Elo, Irma T

2016-12-01

Studies on the health of migrants have increased considerably in number in recent years, but little is still known about the long-term health effects associated with forced migration, and particularly for people who were forced to migrate as children. Data shortcomings together with the methodological challenges of studying migrant populations limit the ability to disentangle the roles of various factors that influence migrant health outcomes. Finland provides an unusual opportunity to study long-term health consequences associated with forced migration. During World War II, twelve per cent of the Finnish population was forced to leave the region nowadays referred to as Ceded Karelia. After the war, these Karelians could not return home because the area was relinquished to the Soviet Union. Using high quality, linked register-based data for the period 1988-2012, we investigate whether this forced migration had long-term health consequences for those who were forced to migrate as children. Comparison groups are non-displaced persons born on the adjacent side of the new border, and people born elsewhere in Finland. Health at ages 43-65 years is measured by receipt of sickness benefit, which is an indicator of short-term illness, and receipt of disability pension, which reflects long-term illness or permanent disability. All-cause and cause-specific mortality is analysed at ages 43-84 years. We find no support for the hypothesis that the traumatic event of being forced to migrate during childhood has long-term negative health consequences. The forced child migrants have lower odds for receipt of sickness benefit, and women also have lower odds for receipt of disability pension. The mortality results are largely driven by patterns specific for eastern-born populations of Finland. A likely reason behind the absence of negative health consequences is that these migrants seem to have integrated well into post-war Finnish society.

Long-term follow-up study of the therapeutic effect after iodine-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Changjiang; Li Long; Gao Jianqing; Xu Sumei; Chen Linna; Zhou Jianming

2006-01-01

To investigate the therapeutic effect through long-term visit and analyze the affecting factors of cure rate after iodine-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism, a long-term follow-up has been undertaken for the patients with hyperthyroidism after iodine-131 treatment. The following results have been obtained. (1) The cure rate of iodine-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism is 74.4%, and the incidence of permanent hypothyroidism is 7.5%. (2) There is no significant difference in the cure rate and incidence of hypothyroidism between the groups of male and female or 'not take ATD' and 'ATD withdrawn longer than 2 weeks' (P>0.05). (3) The difference of the cure rate among the groups of the courses of disease 3 a are significant (P 55 g are significant (P 0.05). The course of disease, age and thyroid mass are the major factors which influence the cure rate. Meanwhile, age and thyroid mass are the major factors which influence the incidence of hypothyroidism. To get high cure rate, the patients with hyperthyroidism should be treated with iodine-131 as early as possible. In the meantime, the incidence of permanent hypothyroidism must be paid attention to. (authors)

Long-term properties of bituminized waste products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snellman, M.; Valkiainen, M.

1985-10-01

This study is a survey of the factors of importance for the long term behaviour of bituminized ion exchange resins. Phenomena occurring in bituminized waste products affected by the treatment, storage and disposal are identified. Test methods have been developed for characterizing product properties, which are important for the long-term behaviour. The long-term properties of bituminized ion-exchange resins are studied in a repository environment with access of water equilibrated with concrete. In these circumstances the most important properties are related to the interactions of bituminized waste with the surrounding barriers. The most important phenomena are water uptake due to rehydration of the resins and subsequent swelling of the product

Long-term properties of bituminized waste products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snellman, M.; Valkiainen, M.

1985-10-01

This study is a survey of the factors of importance for long term behaviour of bituminized ion exchange resins. Phenomena occurring in bituminized waste products affected by the treatment, storage and disposal are identified. Test methods have been developed for characterizing product properties, which are important for the long-term behaviour. The long-term properties of bituminized ion-exchange resins are studied in a repository environment with access of water equilibrated with concrete. In these circumstances the most important properties are ralated to the interactions of bituminized waste with the surrounding barriers. The most important phenomena are water uptake due to rehydration of the resins and subsequent swelling of the product. (author)

Cardiac damage after treatment of childhood cancer: A long-term follow-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velensek, Veronika; Mazic, Uros; Krzisnik, Ciril; Demšar, Damjan; Jazbec, Janez; Jereb, Berta

2008-01-01

With improved childhood cancer cure rate, long term sequelae are becoming an important factor of quality of life. Signs of cardiovascular disease are frequently found in long term survivors of cancer. Cardiac damage may be related to irradiation and chemotherapy. We have evaluated simultaneous influence of a series of independent variables on the late cardiac damage in childhood cancer survivors in Slovenia and identified groups at the highest risk. 211 long-term survivors of different childhood cancers, at least five years after treatment were included in the study. The evaluation included history, physical examination, electrocardiograpy, exercise testing and echocardiograpy. For analysis of risk factors, beside univariate analysis, multivariate classification tree analysis statistical method was used. Patients treated latest, from 1989–98 are at highest risk for any injury to the heart (73%). Among those treated earlier are at the highest risk those with Hodgkin's disease treated with irradiation above 30 Gy and those treated for sarcoma. Among specific forms of injury, patients treated with radiation to the heart area are at highest risk of injury to the valves. Patients treated with large doses of anthracyclines or concomitantly with anthracyclines and alkylating agents are at highest risk of systolic function defect and enlarged heart chambers. Those treated with anthracyclines are at highest risk of diastolic function defect. The time period of the patient's treatment is emerged as an important risk factor for injury of the heart

Long-term sick leave and its risk factors during pregnancy among Danish hospital employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaerlev, Linda; Jacobsen, Lene B; Olsen, Jørn; Bonde, Jens Peter

2004-01-01

The authors sought to describe risk indicators of long-term sick leave during pregnancy among hospital employees. A register-based study was undertaken of 4,852 female hospital employees aged 20-45 years from the second largest hospital in Denmark during 1995-99 based on job titles, working time, sick leave, and births combined with a survey among a total of 773 women who had been pregnant during their employment (response rate 85%). Altogether 236 (31%) were on sick leave for at least 10% of their scheduled work time during their latest pregnancy and 169 (22%) had been absent at least 20% of the time. The pregnant women had an average sickness absence of 6.1 days per month, non-pregnant women 0.95 days per month. Sick leave was more frequent in late than in early gestation. Women employed as nursing aides or hospital orderlies, launderers, and nurses had more sick leave days than other hospital employees. Part-time work, previous sickness absence not related to pregnancy, and previous chronic back pain were risk factors for long-term sick leave as were much walking or standing, long working days, high work level, little practical support from supervisors and colleagues, low job control, much lifting and night or shift work. Sick leave was unrelated to family size, support from the family and number of working years. Long-term sick leave during pregnancy was frequent and to some extent predictable. Efforts should be made to organize work for pregnant women in a manner that optimizes their health and well-being.

How Can Adult Children Influence Parents’ Long-Term Care Insurance Purchase Decisions?

Science.gov (United States)

Voils, Corrine I.; Coe, Norma B.; Konetzka, R. Tamara; Boles, Jillian; Van Houtven, Courtney Harold

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose of the Study: Long-term care (LTC) poses a significant strain on public health insurance financing. In response, there is policy interest in bolstering the private long-term care insurance (LTCI) market. Although families are central to LTC provision, their role in LTCI demand remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to obtain in-depth information concerning: (a) How do older parents evaluate the need for LTCI, (b) what role do adult children play? and (c) How do families communicate about parents’ LTC preferences and plans, including LTCI purchase? Design and Methods: We conducted focus groups with older parents and adult children in diverse markets. Two groups were conducted with older parents who had purchased LTCI and two with parents who had not purchased LTCI. Four groups were conducted with adult children, mixed as to whether their parents had purchased LTCI. Probes were informed by published reasons for purchasing or not purchasing LTCI. We analyzed transcriptions using directed content analysis and constant comparative method. Results: Older parents valued autonomy for themselves and their children. Older parent purchasers regarded LTCI as supporting this value while nonpurchasers perceived limitations. Adult children described unstated expectations that they would care for their parents. Though discussions between parents and children about LTCI were rare, successful influence occurred when children appealed to shared values, specifically avoiding burden and remaining home. Implications: Messages that emphasize autonomy over LTC decisions and interventions that start the LTC conversation among families, with attention to shared values, could increase private LTCI uptake. PMID:25209446

Arousal Rather than Basic Emotions Influence Long-Term Recognition Memory in Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchewka, Artur; Wypych, Marek; Moslehi, Abnoos; Riegel, Monika; Michałowski, Jarosław M; Jednoróg, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

Emotion can influence various cognitive processes, however its impact on memory has been traditionally studied over relatively short retention periods and in line with dimensional models of affect. The present study aimed to investigate emotional effects on long-term recognition memory according to a combined framework of affective dimensions and basic emotions. Images selected from the Nencki Affective Picture System were rated on the scale of affective dimensions and basic emotions. After 6 months, subjects took part in a surprise recognition test during an fMRI session. The more negative the pictures the better they were remembered, but also the more false recognitions they provoked. Similar effects were found for the arousal dimension. Recognition success was greater for pictures with lower intensity of happiness and with higher intensity of surprise, sadness, fear, and disgust. Consecutive fMRI analyses showed a significant activation for remembered (recognized) vs. forgotten (not recognized) images in anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula as well as in bilateral caudate nuclei and right thalamus. Further, arousal was found to be the only subjective rating significantly modulating brain activation. Higher subjective arousal evoked higher activation associated with memory recognition in the right caudate and the left cingulate gyrus. Notably, no significant modulation was observed for other subjective ratings, including basic emotion intensities. These results emphasize the crucial role of arousal for long-term recognition memory and support the hypothesis that the memorized material, over time, becomes stored in a distributed cortical network including the core salience network and basal ganglia.

Arousal rather than basic emotions influence long-term recognition memory in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artur Marchewka

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Emotion can influence various cognitive processes, however its impact on memory has been traditionally studied over relatively short retention periods and in line with dimensional models of affect. The present study aimed to investigate emotional effects on long-term recognition memory according to a combined framework of affective dimensions and basic emotions. Images selected from the Nencki Affective Picture System were rated on the scale of affective dimensions and basic emotions. After six months, subjects took part in a surprise recognition test during an fMRI session. The more negative the pictures the better they were remembered, but also the more false recognitions they provoked. Similar effects were found for the arousal dimension. Recognition success was greater for pictures with lower intensity of happiness and with higher intensity of surprise, sadness, fear, and disgust. Consecutive fMRI analyses showed a significant activation for remembered (recognized vs. forgotten (not recognized images in anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula as well as in bilateral caudate nuclei and right thalamus. Further, arousal was found to be the only subjective rating significantly modulating brain activation. Higher subjective arousal evoked higher activation associated with memory recognition in the right caudate and the left cingulate gyrus. Notably, no significant modulation was observed for other subjective ratings, including basic emotion intensities. These results emphasize the crucial role of arousal for long-term recognition memory and support the hypothesis that the memorized material, over time, becomes stored in a distributed cortical network including the core salience network and basal ganglia.

Innovative culture in long-term care settings: the influence of organizational characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieboer, Anna P; Strating, Mathilde M H

2012-01-01

Innovative cultures have been reported to enhance the creation and implementation of new ideas and working methods in organizations. Although there is considerable research on the impact of organizational context on the innovativeness of organizations, the same is not the case for research on the organizational characteristics responsible for an innovative culture in (long-term) care settings. The aim of this study was to identify organizational characteristics that explain innovative culture in the (long-term) care sector. A large cross-sectional study in Dutch long-term care-nursing homes and/or elderly homes, care organizations for the handicapped, and long-term mental health care organizations-was conducted. A total of 432 managers and care professionals in 37 organizations participated. The Group Innovation Inventory was used to measure innovative culture in long-term care organizations. Structural characteristics of the organization were centralization and formalization, environmental dynamism and competitiveness, internal and external exchange of information, leadership style, commitment to quality improvement, and the organization's innovative strategy. The determinants of an innovative culture were estimated with a two-level random-intercepts and fixed-slopes model. Multilevel regression models were used to account for the organizational clustering of individuals within the 37 care organizations. Environmental dynamism, job codification, formal external exchange of information, transformational leadership, commitment to quality, and an exploratory and exploitative innovation strategy were all significantly correlated with an innovative culture in the multivariate multilevel analysis; the other characteristics were not. The explained organizational- and individual-level variance was 52.5% and 49.2%, respectively. The results point to substantial differences in innovative cultures between and within care organizations that can, in part, be explained by

Rural-urban differences in the long-term care of the disabled elderly in China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei Li

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In China, the rapid rate of population aging and changes in the prevalence of disability among elderly people could have significant effects on the demand for long-term care. This study aims to describe the urban-rural differences in use and cost of long-term care of the disabled elderly and to explore potential influencing factors. METHODS: This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey and a qualitative investigation conducted in Zhejiang province in 2012. The participants were 826 individuals over 60 years of age, who had been bedridden or suffered from dementia for more than 6 months. A generalized linear model and two-part regression model were applied to estimate costs, with adjustment of covariates. RESULTS: Pensions provide the main source of income for urban elderly, while the principal income source for rural elderly is their family. Urban residents spend more on all services than do rural residents. Those who are married spend less on daily supplies and formal care than the unmarried do. Age, incapacitation time, comorbidity number, level of income, and bedridden status influence spending on medical care (β=-0.0316, -0.0206, 0.1882, 0.3444, and -0.4281, respectively, but the cost does not increase as the elderly grow older. Urban residents, the married, and those with a higher income level tend to spend more on medical equipment. Urban residence and living status are the two significant factors that affect spending on personal hygiene products. CONCLUSIONS: The use of long-term care services varies by living area. Long-term care of the disabled elderly imposes a substantial burden on families. Our study revealed that informal care involves huge opportunity costs to the caregivers. Chinese policy makers need to promote community care and long-term care insurance to relieve the burden of families of disabled elderly, and particular attention should be given to the rural elderly.

Long-term visual associations affect attentional guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivers, Christian N L

2011-06-01

When observers perform a visual search task, they are assumed to adopt an attentional set for what they are looking for. The present experiment investigates the influence of long-term visual memory associations on this attentional set. On each trial, observers were asked to search a display for a grayscale version of a known traffic sign. On each trial, a distractor sign was drawn in full color. This color could either be related or unrelated to the target sign. Distractors interfered more with search when their color was related (e.g. red when the target was a stop sign), implying that long-term color associations resulted in inadvertent attentional guidance, even though color was irrelevant to the task. The results add to the growing body of evidence that long-term memory representations automatically affect attentional orienting. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forced migration in childhood: Are there long-term health effects?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan M. Saarela

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Studies on the health of migrants have increased considerably in number in recent years, but little is still known about the long-term health effects associated with forced migration, and particularly for people who were forced to migrate as children. Data shortcomings together with the methodological challenges of studying migrant populations limit the ability to disentangle the roles of various factors that influence migrant health outcomes. Finland provides an unusual opportunity to study long-term health consequences associated with forced migration. During World War II, twelve per cent of the Finnish population was forced to leave the region nowadays referred to as Ceded Karelia. After the war, these Karelians could not return home because the area was relinquished to the Soviet Union. Using high quality, linked register-based data for the period 1988–2012, we investigate whether this forced migration had long-term health consequences for those who were forced to migrate as children. Comparison groups are non-displaced persons born on the adjacent side of the new border, and people born elsewhere in Finland. Health at ages 43–65 years is measured by receipt of sickness benefit, which is an indicator of short-term illness, and receipt of disability pension, which reflects long-term illness or permanent disability. All-cause and cause-specific mortality is analysed at ages 43–84 years. We find no support for the hypothesis that the traumatic event of being forced to migrate during childhood has long-term negative health consequences. The forced child migrants have lower odds for receipt of sickness benefit, and women also have lower odds for receipt of disability pension. The mortality results are largely driven by patterns specific for eastern-born populations of Finland. A likely reason behind the absence of negative health consequences is that these migrants seem to have integrated well into post-war Finnish society. Keywords

Short-term mechanisms influencing volumetric brain dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dieleman, Nikki; Koek, Huiberdina L.; Hendrikse, Jeroen

2017-01-01

With the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and brain analysis tools, it has become possible to measure brain volume changes up to around 0.5%. Besides long-term brain changes caused by atrophy in aging or neurodegenerative disease, short-term mechanisms that influence brain volume may exist.

Agitation during prolonged mechanical ventilation at a long-term acute care hospital: risk factors, treatments, and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Heidi; Al-Qadheeb, Nada S; White, Alexander C; Thaker, Vishal; Devlin, John W

2014-01-01

The prevalence, risk factors, treatment practices, and outcomes of agitation in patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in the long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) setting are not well understood. We compared agitation risk factors, management strategies, and outcomes between patients who developed agitation and those who did not, in LTACH patients undergoing PMV. Patients admitted to an LTACH for PMV over a 1-year period were categorized into agitated and nonagitated groups. The presence of agitation risk factors, management strategies, and relevant outcomes were extracted and compared between the 2 groups. A total of 80 patients were included, 41% (33) with agitation and 59% (47) without. Compared to the nonagitated group, the agitated group had a lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (P agitated group, use of benzodiazepines (P = .16), opioids (P = .11), or psychiatric evaluation (P = .90) was not. Weaning success, duration of LTACH stay, and daily costs were similar. Agitation among the LTACH patients undergoing PMV is associated with greater delirium and use of antipsychotics and restraints but does not influence weaning success or LTACH stay. Strategies focused on agitation prevention and treatment in this population need to be developed and formally evaluated. © The Author(s) 2013.

Hippocampal Focal Knockout of CBP Affects Specific Histone Modifications, Long-Term Potentiation, and Long-Term Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Ruth M; Malvaez, Melissa; Kramar, Eniko; Matheos, Dina P; Arrizon, Abraham; Cabrera, Sara M; Lynch, Gary; Greene, Robert W; Wood, Marcelo A

2011-01-01

To identify the role of the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) CREB-binding protein (CBP) in neurons of the CA1 region of the hippocampus during memory formation, we examine the effects of a focal homozygous knockout of CBP on histone modifications, gene expression, synaptic plasticity, and long-term memory. We show that CBP is critical for the in vivo acetylation of lysines on histones H2B, H3, and H4. CBP's homolog p300 was unable to compensate for the loss of CBP. Neurons lacking CBP maintained phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB, yet failed to activate CREB:CBP-mediated gene expression. Loss of CBP in dorsal CA1 of the hippocampus resulted in selective impairments to long-term potentiation and long-term memory for contextual fear and object recognition. Together, these results suggest a necessary role for specific chromatin modifications, selectively mediated by CBP in the consolidation of memories. PMID:21508930

Factors Associated With Long-Term Dysphagia After Definitive Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Head-and-Neck Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caudell, Jimmy J.; Schaner, Philip E.; Meredith, Ruby F.; Locher, Julie L.; Nabell, Lisle M.; Carroll, William R.; Magnuson, J. Scott; Spencer, Sharon A.; Bonner, James A.

2009-01-01

Purpose: The use of altered fractionation radiotherapy (RT) regimens, as well as concomitant chemotherapy and RT, to intensify therapy for locally advanced head-and-neck cancer can lead to increased rates of long-term dysphagia. Methods and Materials: We identified 122 patients who had undergone definitive RT for locally advanced head-and-neck cancer, after excluding those who had been treated for a second or recurrent head-and-neck primary, had Stage I-II disease, developed locoregional recurrence, had <12 months of follow-up, or had undergone postoperative RT. The patient, tumor, and treatment factors were correlated with a composite of 3 objective endpoints as a surrogate for severe long-term dysphagia: percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube dependence at the last follow-up visit; aspiration on a modified barium swallow study or a clinical diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia; or the presence of a pharyngoesophageal stricture. Results: A composite dysphagia outcome occurred in 38.5% of patients. On univariate analysis, the primary site (p = 0.01), use of concurrent chemotherapy (p = 0.01), RT schedule (p = 0.02), and increasing age (p = 0.04) were significantly associated with development of composite long-term dysphagia. The use of concurrent chemotherapy (p = 0.01), primary site (p = 0.02), and increasing age (p = 0.02) remained significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The addition of concurrent chemotherapy to RT for locally advanced head-and-neck cancer resulted in increased long-term dysphagia. Early intervention using swallowing exercises, avoidance of nothing-by-mouth periods, and the use of intensity-modulated RT to reduce the dose to the uninvolved swallowing structures should be explored further in populations at greater risk of long-term dysphagia

Scientific Understanding from Long Term Observations: Insights from the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program

Science.gov (United States)

Gosz, J.

2001-12-01

The network dedicated to Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) in the United States has grown to 24 sites since it was formed in 1980. Long-term research and monitoring are performed on parameters thatare basic to all ecosystems and are required to understand patterns, processes, and relationship to change. Collectively, the sites in the LTER Network provide opportunities to contrast marine, coastal, and continental regions, the full range of climatic gradients existing in North America, and aquatic and terrestrial habitats in a range of ecosystem types. The combination of common core areas and long-term research and monitoring in many habitats have allowed unprecedented abilities to understand and compare complex temporal and spatial dynamics associated with issues like climate change, effects of pollution, biodiversity and landuse. For example, McMurdo Dry Valley in the Antarctic has demonstrated an increase in glacier mass since 1993 which coincides with a period of cooler than normal summers and more than average snowfall. In contrast, the Bonanza Creek and Toolik Lake sites in Alaska have recorded a warming period unprecedented in the past 200 years. Nitrogen deposition effects have been identified through long-term watershed studies on biogeochemical cycles, especially at Coweeta Hydrological Lab, Harvard Forest, and the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. In aquatic systems, such as the Northern Temperate Lakes site, long-term data revealed time lags in effects of invaders and disturbance on lake communities. Biological recovery from an effect such as lake acidification was shown to lag behind chemical recovery. The long-term changes documented over 2 decades have been instrumental in influencing management practices in many of the LTER areas. In Puerto Rico, the Luquillo LTER demonstrated that dams obstruct migrations of fish and freshwater shrimp and water abstraction at low flows can completely obliterate downstream migration of juveniles and damage

Anaemia and long term mortality in heart failure patients: a retrospective study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Charlot, Mette; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Valeur, Nana

2010-01-01

Anaemia has been demonstrated as a risk factor in patients with heart failure over periods of a few years, but long term data are not available. We examined the long-term risk of anaemia in heart failure patients during 15 years of follow-up.......Anaemia has been demonstrated as a risk factor in patients with heart failure over periods of a few years, but long term data are not available. We examined the long-term risk of anaemia in heart failure patients during 15 years of follow-up....

Increasing Juniperus virginiana L. pollen in the Tulsa atmosphere: long-term trends, variability, and influence of meteorological conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Flonard, Michaela; Lo, Esther; Levetin, Estelle

2018-02-01

In the Tulsa area, the Cupressaceae is largely represented by eastern red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana L.). The encroachment of this species into the grasslands of Oklahoma has been well documented, and it is believed this trend will continue. The pollen is known to be allergenic and is a major component of the Tulsa atmosphere in February and March. This study examined airborne Cupressaceae pollen data from 1987 to 2016 to determine long-term trends, pollen seasonal variability, and influence of meteorological variables on airborne pollen concentrations. Pollen was collected through means of a Burkard sampler and analyzed with microscopy. Daily pollen concentrations and yearly pollen metrics showed a high degree of variability. In addition, there were significant increases over time in the seasonal pollen index and in peak concentrations. These increases parallel the increasing population of J. virginiana in the region. Pollen data were split into pre- and post-peak categories for statistical analyses, which revealed significant differences in correlations of the two datasets when analyzed with meteorological conditions. While temperature and dew point, among others were significant in both datasets, other factors, like relative humidity, were significant only in one dataset. Analyses using wind direction showed that southerly and southwestern winds contributed to increased pollen concentrations. This study confirms that J. virginiana pollen has become an increasing risk for individuals sensitive to this pollen and emphasizes the need for long-term aerobiological monitoring in other areas.

Antibiotic Prescribing in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Research

OpenAIRE

Fleming, Aoife; Bradley, Colin; Cullinan, Shane; Byrne, Stephen

2015-01-01

Objectives The objective of this review was to synthesize the findings of qualitative studies investigating the factors influencing antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). These findings will inform the development of future antimicrobial stewardship strategies (AMS) in this setting. Methods We searched Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, Social Science Citations Index and Google Scholar for all qualitative studies investigating health care professionals? views on antibiotic prescr...

Long-term availability of global uranium resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monnet, Antoine

2016-01-01

From a global perspective, a low-carbon path to development driven by a growth of nuclear power production raises issues about the availability of uranium resources. Future technologies allowing nuclear reactors to overcome the need for natural uranium will take time to fully deploy. To address these issues, we analyze the conditions of availability of uranium in the 21. century. The first two conditions are technical accessibility and economic interest, both related to the cost of production. We study them using a model that estimates the ultimate uranium resources (amounts of both discovered and undiscovered resources) and their costs. This model splits the world into regions and the resource estimate for each region derives from the present knowledge of the deposits and economic filtering. The output is a long-term supply curve that illustrates the quantities of uranium that are technically accessible as a function of their cost of production. We identify the main uncertainties of these estimates and we show that with no regional breakdown, the ultimate resources are underestimated. The other conditions of availability of uranium covered in our study are related to the market dynamics, i.e. they derive from the supply and demand clearing mechanism. To assess their influence, they are introduced as dynamic constraints in a partial equilibrium model. This model of the uranium market is deterministic, and market players are represented by regions. For instance, it takes into account the short-term correlation between price and exploration expenditures, which is the subject of a dedicate econometric study. In the longer term, constraints include anticipation of demand by consumers and a gradual depletion of the cheapest ultimate resources. Through a series of prospective simulations, we demonstrate the strong influence on long-term price trends of both the growth rate of demand during the 21. century and its anticipation. Conversely, the uncertainties related to the

Long-term Survival of Straumann Dental Implants with TPS Surfaces: A Retrospective Study with a Follow-up of 12 to 23 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Stephan T; Beck-Broichsitter, Benedicta E; Rossmann, Christian M; Behrens, Eleonore; Jochens, Arne; Wiltfang, Jörg

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term dental implant survival rates of Straumann dental implants in a university hospital environment over 12 to 23 years. A total of 388 Straumann dental implants with titanium-sprayed surfaces (TPS) were inserted in 92 patients between 1988 and 1999 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, and they were reevaluated with standardized clinical and radiological exams. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed for individual factors. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to detect the factors influencing long-term implant failure. The long-term implant survival rate was 88.03% after an observation time of 12.2 to 23.5 years. Cox regression revealed statistically significant influences of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) implantation type (p = .00354) and tobacco smoking (p = .01264) on implant failure. A proportion 82.8% of the patients with implant losses had a medical history of periodontitis. Peri-implantitis was diagnosed in 9.7% of the remaining implants in the long-term survey. This study emphasized the long-term rehabilitation capabilities of Straumann dental implants in complex cases. The survival rates after several years constitute important information for patients, as well as for clinicians, in deciding about different concepts of tooth replacement. Patient-related and technical factors - determined before implant placement - could help to predict the risk of implant loss. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human sensory Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) predicts visual memory performance and is modulated by the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism

OpenAIRE

King, Rohan; Moreau, David; Russell, Bruce; Kirk, Ian; Wu, Carolyn; Antia, Ushtana; Lamb, Yvette; Spriggs, Meg; Thompson, Chris; Mckay, Nicole; Shelling, Andrew; Waldie, Karen; Teyler, Tim; Hamm, Jeff; Mcnair, Nicolas

2018-01-01

Background: Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) is recognised as a core neuronal process underlying long-term memory. However, a direct relationship between LTP and human memory performance is yet to be demonstrated. The first aim of the current study was thus to assess the relationship between LTP and human long-term memory performance. With this also comes an opportunity to explore factors thought to mediate the relationship between LTP and long-term memory, and to gain additional insight into var...

A study of long-term complications associated with enteral ostomy and their contributory factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayarajah, Umesh; Samarasekara, Asuramuni M P; Samarasekera, Dharmabandhu N

2016-12-05

Complications of ostomy significantly affect the quality of life of ostomates. There is little evidence on the rate of long-term complications in ostomates, especially from the developing countries which include Sri Lanka. This study was aimed to describe the long-term complications of enteral ostomies and their contributory factors. A retrospective analysis was carried out on 192 patients who underwent ostomy creation over a period of 5 years. Data on type of complications, age, sex, type of ostomy, type of surgery and perioperative care by enteric stoma therapist were gathered. Associations were established using Chi square test and multiple logistic regression. Out of 192 patients, only 146 patients presented regularly for follow up. The mean follow up duration was 28 months (range: 3-183). Around 34.2% developed surgical long-term complications related to the ostomy. Common complications were prolapse (n = 24, 16.4%), skin excoriation (n = 22, 15.1%) and parastomal hernia (n = 14, 9.6%). Overall complication rate was significantly less in loop ostomies (p ostomies (p ostomies (p < 0.05). Perioperative care by enteric stoma therapist reduced the overall and specific complications (p < 0.001). The overall complication rate in our cohort of patients was 34.2%. The perioperative care of a stoma therapist may be very effective in preventing complications particularly in a setting with limited resources.

Audit of long-term and short-term liabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korinko M.D.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article determines the importance of long-term and short-term liabilities for the management of financial and material resources of an enterprise. It reviews the aim, objects and information generators for realization of audit of short-term and long-term obligations. The organizing and methodical providing of audit of long-term and short-term liabilities of an enterprise are generalized. The authors distinguish the stages of realization of audit of long-term and short-term liabilities, the aim of audit on each of the presented stages, and recommend methodical techniques. It is fixed that it is necessary to conduct the estimation of the systems of internal control and record-keeping of an enterprise by implementation of public accountant procedures for determination of volume and maintenance of selection realization. After estimating the indicated systems, a public accountant determines the methodology for realization of public accountant verification of long-term and short-term liabilities. The analytical procedures that public accountants are expedient to use for realization of audit of short-term and long-term obligations are determined. The authors suggest the classification of the educed defects on the results of the conducted public accountant verification of short-term and long-term obligations.

The effect of long-term treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on hematopoiesis in HIV-infected individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, S D; Sørensen, T U; Aladdin, H

2000-01-01

This randomized, placebo-controlled trial examine the long-term effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on absolute numbers of CD34+ progenitor cells and progenitor cell function in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. G-CSF (300 microg filgrastim) or placebo was ...

Long-term factors in oil supply

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banks, F E

1984-01-01

The Stanford Energy Supply Forum prediction that world oil demand in 1990 will press on supply and send prices into an irreversible climb assumes that the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries will control unemployment, that Third World population growth will require more energy, and that several oil exporters will be reducing their output. The author points out disappointing exploration results, OPEC's continued strength, downward projections of reserves by geological surveys, and other economic factors to show that oil supplies are likely to last less than 40 years, with remaining reserves concentrated in fewer producing countries. This will make it harder for non-OPEC countries to influence prices, in contrast to more positive forecasts from the oil industry.

Patient and social work factors related to successful placement of long-term psychiatric in-patients from a specialist psychiatric hospital in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Krüger, C; Lewis, C

2011-05-01

The slow discharge of long-term psychiatry patients from Weskoppies Hospital into the community has not matched the national and international drive towards deinstitutionalisation. This article investigates patient and social work factors related to successful community placement, in the context of limited community care facilities. Thirty-six long-term patients who were successfully placed outside of the hospital during a seven month period were compared to 235 unplaced long-term patients in terms of demographic and clinical variables. Social work services were analysed in terms of which patients received the most interventions, and the most common type of interventions. The most significant patient factors associated with successful placement were: female patients; medium-to-high level of functioning; having involved relatives living far away; a low frequency of behavioural problems (especially of cannabis abuse, verbal or physical aggression, uncontrolled sexual activity), and agitation or restlessness. These patient factors were mirrored in the social work services rendered to the long-term patients during the study period: The recipients were mostly female, in open wards (higher-functioning); and the social services utilised were mostly related to planning for placement and patient support. The lack of community care facilities in the Pretoria area that are able to care for the more difficult long-term psychiatry patients, limits successful placement and increases the burden of hospital based social workers. The problem cannot be resolved at a hospital level and needs to be addressed in the context of provincial and national health departments.

Long-term influence of liming on biological availability of radiocaesium in forest soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konoplev, A.V.; Drissner, J.; Klemt, E.; Miller, R.; Zibold, G.; Konopleva, I.V.

1998-01-01

The results of research of 137 Cs transfer from soil to plants are presented for a spruce (Picea abies) forest plot in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 13 years after fertilization (83% CaCO 3 , 8% MgO, 6% K 2 O, 3% P 2 O 5 , 2.5 t/ha, 1984). Liming was found to result in a long-term decrease of the 137 Cs uptake by plants by a factor of 8-20 in comparison with the control plot. The results of liming include morphological changes of litter and characteristics of rooty soil layer: the parameters of caesium selective sorption and composition of a soil solution determining the biological availability of 137 Cs. The 137 Cs accumulation factors for forest plants were predicted based on a model of radiocaesium soil-to-plant transfer. The theoretical assessments are compared with experimental data

Factors governing long-term adherence to a gluten-free diet in adult patients with coeliac disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Villafuerte-Galvez, J; Vanga, R R; Dennis, M; Hansen, J; Leffler, D A; Kelly, C P; Mukherjee, R

2015-09-01

A strict gluten-free diet is the cornerstone of treatment for coeliac disease. Studies of gluten-free diet adherence have rarely used validated instruments. There is a paucity of data on long-term adherence to the gluten-free diet in the adult population. To determine the long-term adherence to the gluten-free diet and potential associated factors in a large coeliac disease referral centre population. We performed a mailed survey of adults with clinically, serologically and histologically confirmed coeliac disease diagnosed ≥5 years prior to survey. The previously validated Celiac Disease Adherence Test was used to determine adherence. Demographic, socio-economic and potentially associated factors were analysed with adherence as the outcome. The response rate was 50.1% of 709 surveyed, the mean time on a gluten-free diet 9.9 ± 6.4 years. Adequate adherence (celiac disease adherence test score 75% of respondents. Perceived cost remains a barrier to adherence. Perceptions of effectiveness of gluten-free diet as well as its knowledge, are potential areas for intervention. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Properties and long-term behaviour of bitumen and radioactive waste-bitumen mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eschrich, H.

1980-10-01

Part I represents a survey of the properties and the long-term behaviour of pure bitumens and mixtures of bitumens with radioactive reactor and reprocessing wastes. This survey includes information on the origin, amounts, and composition of the various wastes considered for bituminization and the different waste bituminization techniques used. The influence of various factors on the quality of waste-bitumen products and on the radiological safety during transport, short- and long-term storage of the final products is described. Special consideration is given to the most important safety relevant factors associated to the use of bitumen as matrix material for radioactive wastes, such as leach-resistance, radiolysis, chemical and mechanical stability, combustibility, and microbial attack. Part II consists of a comprehensive bibliography on the bituminization of radioactive wastes, giving about 300 references to literature published from the beginning of the use of bitumen in radioactive waste management in 1960 until the beginning of 1979. Methods for the quality control of bituminous materials and some useful data are given in an annex. (author)

How Can Adult Children Influence Parents' Long-Term Care Insurance Purchase Decisions?

Science.gov (United States)

Sperber, Nina R; Voils, Corrine I; Coe, Norma B; Konetzka, R Tamara; Boles, Jillian; Van Houtven, Courtney Harold

2017-04-01

Long-term care (LTC) poses a significant strain on public health insurance financing. In response, there is policy interest in bolstering the private long-term care insurance (LTCI) market. Although families are central to LTC provision, their role in LTCI demand remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to obtain in-depth information concerning: (a) How do older parents evaluate the need for LTCI, (b) what role do adult children play? and (c) How do families communicate about parents' LTC preferences and plans, including LTCI purchase? We conducted focus groups with older parents and adult children in diverse markets. Two groups were conducted with older parents who had purchased LTCI and two with parents who had not purchased LTCI. Four groups were conducted with adult children, mixed as to whether their parents had purchased LTCI. Probes were informed by published reasons for purchasing or not purchasing LTCI. We analyzed transcriptions using directed content analysis and constant comparative method. Older parents valued autonomy for themselves and their children. Older parent purchasers regarded LTCI as supporting this value while nonpurchasers perceived limitations. Adult children described unstated expectations that they would care for their parents. Though discussions between parents and children about LTCI were rare, successful influence occurred when children appealed to shared values, specifically avoiding burden and remaining home. Messages that emphasize autonomy over LTC decisions and interventions that start the LTC conversation among families, with attention to shared values, could increase private LTCI uptake. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Long-Term Ownership by Industrial Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Børsting, Christa Winther; Kuhn, Johan Moritz; Poulsen, Thomas

2016-01-01

in Denmark. Industrial foundations are independent legal entities without owners or members typically with the dual objective of preserving the company and using excess profits for charity. We use a unique Danish data set to examine the governance of foundation-owned companies. We show that they are long......-term in several respects. Foundations hold on to their shares for longer. Foundation-owned companies replace managers less frequently. They have more conservative capital structures with less leverage. Their companies survive longer. Their business decisions appear to be more long term. This paper supports...... the hypothesis that time horizons are influenced by ownership structures and particularly that industrial foundations promote longtermism. Policymakers which are interested in promoting longtermism should allow and perhaps even encourage the creation of industrial foundations. More generally they should consider...

Long term physical and chemical stability of polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Grooth, Joris; Haakmeester, Brian; Wever, Carlos; Potreck, Jens; de Vos, Wiebe Matthijs; Nijmeijer, Dorothea C.

2015-01-01

This work presents a detailed investigation into the long term stability of polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) modified membranes, a key factor for the application of these membranes in water purification processes. Although PEM modified membranes have been frequently investigated, their long term

Untangling Risk in Water Supply Systems: What Factors Drive Long-term Adaptation?

Science.gov (United States)

Zeff, H. B.; Lin, L.; Band, L. E.; Reed, P. M.; Characklis, G. W.

2016-12-01

Deeply uncertain factors like climate change, the hydrologic impacts of urbanization, forest evolution, and long-term demand forecasts make water supply planning a `wicked' problem. The traditional technique of assessing risk based on historical observations can be inadequate in the face of environmental non-stationarity. However, competing models and limited observational data make it difficult for decision makers and experts to agree on how much uncertainty should be built into analyses of risk, particularly at the timescales relevant to long-term investments in water infrastructure. Further, the physical connectivity of these deeply uncertain processes create inter-related systems, amplifying the challenges of a `worst case scenario'. The development of adaptive systems and planning processes provide solutions that have been shown to meet technical, environmental, and social objectives at lower costs. Instead of developing plans with fixed targets for the timing of actions, adaptive plans develop risk metrics and thresholds that are able to integrate new information to determine when conditions reach a `tipping point' which necessitates action. It is an open question as to how new information can be best integrated into the decision-making process (i.e. how much weight do we give new observations relative to the historical record), but a better understanding of the way the relevant systems are expected to evolve and change over time could inform these decisions. In this study, we use linked, dynamic models of temperature and precipitation changes, forest evolution, urbanization, hydrology, and water demand to develop scenarios for an adaptive water management framework that uses risk-based metrics to make short- and long-term decisions. The impact of individual environmental processes on the adaptive capability of this management framework is evaluated through problem formulations that successively increase the complexity of the uncertainty scenarios. Although

Temporary and long-term consequences of bereavement on happiness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moor, J.A.; de Graaf, P.M.

In this article, we examine the temporary and long-term consequences of the death of a parent or child on happiness. According to set-point theory external conditions are expected to only have a short-term or limited influence on happiness. This directly contradicts the basic assumption of affective

Transforming Growth Factor ß Recruits Persistent MAPK Signaling to Regulate Long-Term Memory Consolidation in "Aplysia Californica"

Science.gov (United States)

Shobe, Justin; Philips, Gary T.; Carew, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

In this study, we explore the mechanistic relationship between growth factor signaling and kinase activity that supports the protein synthesis-dependent phase of long-term memory (LTM) consolidation for sensitization of "Aplysia." Specifically, we examine LTM for tail shock-induced sensitization of the tail-elicited siphon withdrawal…

Experiences of long-term tranquillizer use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skinhoj, K T; Larsson, S; Helweg-Joergensen, S

2001-01-01

, the psychodynamic perspective is integrated within a multi-dimensional model that considers biological, cognitive, identity, gender and social learning factors. The analysis reveals the possibility of achieving a detailed understanding of the dynamic processes involved in the development of long-term tranquillizer...

Factors affecting long-term trends in surface-water quality in the Gwynns Falls watershed, Baltimore City and County, Maryland, 1998–2016

Science.gov (United States)

Majcher, Emily H.; Woytowitz, Ellen L.; Reisinger, Alexander J.; Groffman, Peter M.

2018-03-30

Factors affecting water-quality trends in urban streams are not well understood, despite current regulatory requirements and considerable ongoing investments in gray and green infrastructure. To address this gap, long-term water-quality trends and factors affecting these trends were examined in the Gwynns Falls, Maryland, watershed during 1998–2016 in cooperation with Blue Water Baltimore. Data on water-quality constituents and potential factors of influence were obtained from multiple sources and compiled for analysis, with a focus on data collected as part of the National Science Foundation funded Long-Term Ecological Research project, the Baltimore Ecosystem Study.Variability in climate (specifically, precipitation) and land cover can overwhelm actions taken to improve water quality and can present challenges for meeting regulatory goals. Analysis of land cover during 2001–11 in the Gwynns Falls watershed indicated minimal change during the study time frame; therefore, land-cover change is likely not a factor affecting trends in water quality. However, a modest increase in annual precipitation and a significant increase in winter precipitation were apparent in the region. A higher proportion of runoff producing storms was observed in the winter and a lower proportion in the summer, indicating that climate change may affect water quality in the watershed. The increase in precipitation was not reflected in annual or seasonal trends of streamflow in the watershed. Nonetheless, these precipitation changes may exacerbate the inflow and infiltration of water to gray infrastructure and reduce the effectiveness of green infrastructure. For streamflow and most water-quality constituents examined, no discernable trends were noted over the timeframe examined. Despite the increases in precipitation, no trends were observed for annual or seasonal discharge at the various sites within the study area. In some locations, nitrate, phosphate, and total nitrogen show downward

Geographic variation in long-term oxygen therapy in Denmark : factors related to adherence to guidelines for long-term oxygen therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ringbæk, Thomas Jørgen; Lange, Peter; Viskum, K

2001-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate regional differences in adherence to guidelines for long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in Denmark and to determine factors related to compliance with these guidelines. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study and analysis of a nationwide database (Danish Oxygen Register). SETTING...... to national guidelines for LTOT was found in 34.4% of the patients for the whole of Denmark and varied regionally from 14 to 63%. Mean compliance with guidelines was 5.3 (range, 2.9 to 9.1) times as likely if the oxygen was prescribed by a pulmonary department compared to LTOT initiated by a GP. CONCLUSIONS......: Marked geographic variations in compliance with LTOT guidelines are present even in a small country as Denmark. In general, the adherence to the guidelines is poor, especially when non-chest physicians prescribe LTOT. We therefore recommend that local and national thoracic societies together with health...

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of malfunctioning Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistula: analysis of factors adversely affecting long-term patency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Koji; Hirota, Shozo; Sugimura, Kazuro; Higashino, Takanori; Kuwata, Yoichiro; Imanaka, Kazufumi

2003-01-01

Our objective was to identify the factors adversely affecting long-term patency after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for hemodialysis Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistulas. Between November 1995 and March 2000, 91 PTA procedures were performed on 50 patients with 57 Brescia-Cimino fistulas. A retrospective study based on the chart review was performed. The initial technical success rate for all procedures and the primary and secondary patency rates for all fistulas were calculated. Regarding fistulas successfully maintained by the primary PTA, the primary and secondary patency rates were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method between two patient groups. They were classified on the basis of several factors, including age (older, over 70 years, and younger group), age of the fistulas (older, over 6 months, and younger group), with or without diabetes mellitus (DM), solitary or multiple lesions, long or short segment lesion, stenosis or occlusion, and with or without arterial and/or anastomotic lesions. Initial technical success rates for all procedures and fistulas were 91.2 and 89.5%, respectively. Cumulative primary and secondary patency rates at 1 year were 47.3 and 67.3%, respectively. In the comparative study, the secondary patency rate for the older group was lower than that of the younger group with statistical significance (p =0.029). The higher age is the only factor that reduces the long-term patency rate after PTA. (orig.)

Long-term follow-up study and long-term care of childhood cancer survivors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyeon Jin Park

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The number of long-term survivors is increasing in the western countries due to remarkable improvements in the treatment of childhood cancer. The long-term complications of childhood cancer survivors in these countries were brought to light by the childhood cancer survivor studies. In Korea, the 5-year survival rate of childhood cancer patients is approaching 70%; therefore, it is extremely important to undertake similar long-term follow-up studies and comprehensive long-term care for our population. On the basis of the experiences of childhood cancer survivorship care of the western countries and the current Korean status of childhood cancer survivors, long-term follow-up study and long-term care systems need to be established in Korea in the near future. This system might contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of childhood cancer survivors through effective intervention strategies.

Development Of The Technique Of Assessment Of Banking Risks Of Long-Term Crediting Of Investments (On The Example Of Banks Of Sevastopol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulyana Viktorovna Dremova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The external destabilizing factor — financial crisis — has significantly influenced on the level increase of riskiness of the banking credit operations. Taking into account that the increased level of risk follows long-term credits, these operations has been influenced the most, that can be as one of the constraining conditions for the provision of bank long-term credit resources. It, in turn, causes the need to develop the risk assessment technique of long-term credits in regulation of banks’ long-term credit operations. As the risk assessment of credit operations in banking practice is generally limited to the calculation of credit risk, it is efficient to consider the scientifically reasonable approach to a risks assessment of long-term crediting including influence of private risks for the purpose of carrying out the generalized assessment of riskiness both separate types of long-term credits, and a long-term credit portfolio in general. The offered method is based on the calculation of aggregate risk coefficient of the long-term credits, calculated by means of mathematical method of principal component. In the work, it is offered to perform an assessment of private risks by means of statistics: the expectation value, mean square deviation, and the coefficient of a variation. The use of the principal components’ method at the risk assessment of longterm crediting meets such requirements as a lack of value judgment, accounting of specific features of private risks of long-term credits, mathematical validity. It gives the chance to apply the offered risk assessment method of long-term credits in banking. The conclusion is made that the application of an aggregative risk indicator of a long-term crediting will allow banks to trace more accurately the level of riskiness of a long-term credit portfolio and separate types of long-term credits that will strengthen the bank information and analytical base on risk regulation in the field and

Does Immediate Imitation Influence Long-Term Memory for Observed Actions?

Science.gov (United States)

Abravanel, Eugene

1991-01-01

Describes research on young children's long-term memory under 2 conditions of acquisition: direct imitation followed by a 10-minute delay, or deferred imitation. Children were able to encode and retain as much from visual pickup of modeled acts as from feedback obtained through imitation. (Author/GH)

The term structure of interest rates and macroeconomic factors: Evidence from Indian financial market

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K. Hassan Shareef

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The term structure of interest rate per-se is not impeccable for explaining the behavior of the future economic conditions and hence incorporating macro factors in the term structure model is more tractable. The study uses monthly data of macro factors for a period of eighteen years from April 1998 to May 2016. Using structural vector auto regression estimates, Granger causality/block exogeneity wald test along with impulse response functions and forecast error variance decomposition analysis the study tests the proportion of term structure attributable to macro-economic shocks. The findings of the study show that short term rates are mainly influenced by the fiscal deficit present in emerging economies while long term rates get affected when market participants revise their expectation on yields. In addition, the output growth of the country is mainly depended on long and short rates and exchange rate fluctuations have a significant role in the fiscal deficit of the country. Keywords: Term structure of interest rates, Inflation, Output growth, NEER, Monetary policy rate, JEL Classification: E43, E31, E2

Roles of Vascular and Metabolic Components in Cognitive Dysfunction of Alzheimer disease: Short- and Long-term Modification by Non-genetic Risk Factors

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Naoyuki eSato

2013-11-01

Full Text Available It is well known that a specific set of genetic and non-genetic risk factors contributes to the onset of Alzheimer disease (AD. Non-genetic risk factors include diabetes, hypertension in mid-life, and probably dyslipidemia in mid-life. This review focuses on the vascular and metabolic components of non-genetic risk factors. The mechanisms whereby non-genetic risk factors modify cognitive dysfunction are divided into four components, short- and long-term effects of vascular and metabolic factors. These consist of 1 compromised vascular reactivity, 2 vascular lesions, 3 hypo/hyperglycemia, and 4 exacerbated AD histopathological features, respectively. Vascular factors compromise cerebrovascular reactivity in response to neuronal activity and also cause irreversible vascular lesions. On the other hand, representative short-term effects of metabolic factors on cognitive dysfunction occur due to hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Non-genetic risk factors also modify the pathological manifestations of AD in the long-term. Therefore, vascular and metabolic factors contribute to aggravation of cognitive dysfunction in AD through short-term and long-term effects. Beta-amyloid could be involved in both vascular and metabolic components. It might be beneficial to support treatment in AD patients by appropriate therapeutic management of non-genetic risk factors, considering the contributions of these four elements to the manifestation of cognitive dysfunction in individual patients, though all components are not always present. It should be clarified how these four components interact with each other. To answer this question, a clinical prospective study that follows up clinical features with respect to these four components: 1 functional MRI or SPECT for cerebrovascular reactivity, 2 MRI for ischemic lesions and atrophy, 3 clinical episodes of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, 4 amyloid-PET and tau-PET for pathological features of AD, would be required.

Roles of vascular and metabolic components in cognitive dysfunction of Alzheimer disease: short- and long-term modification by non-genetic risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Naoyuki; Morishita, Ryuichi

2013-11-05

It is well known that a specific set of genetic and non-genetic risk factors contributes to the onset of Alzheimer disease (AD). Non-genetic risk factors include diabetes, hypertension in mid-life, and probably dyslipidemia in mid-life. This review focuses on the vascular and metabolic components of non-genetic risk factors. The mechanisms whereby non-genetic risk factors modify cognitive dysfunction are divided into four components, short- and long-term effects of vascular and metabolic factors. These consist of (1) compromised vascular reactivity, (2) vascular lesions, (3) hypo/hyperglycemia, and (4) exacerbated AD histopathological features, respectively. Vascular factors compromise cerebrovascular reactivity in response to neuronal activity and also cause irreversible vascular lesions. On the other hand, representative short-term effects of metabolic factors on cognitive dysfunction occur due to hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Non-genetic risk factors also modify the pathological manifestations of AD in the long-term. Therefore, vascular and metabolic factors contribute to aggravation of cognitive dysfunction in AD through short-term and long-term effects. β-amyloid could be involved in both vascular and metabolic components. It might be beneficial to support treatment in AD patients by appropriate therapeutic management of non-genetic risk factors, considering the contributions of these four elements to the manifestation of cognitive dysfunction in individual patients, though all components are not always present. It should be clarified how these four components interact with each other. To answer this question, a clinical prospective study that follows up clinical features with respect to these four components: (1) functional MRI or SPECT for cerebrovascular reactivity, (2) MRI for ischemic lesions and atrophy, (3) clinical episodes of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, (4) amyloid-PET and tau-PET for pathological features of AD, would be required.

Dissociation of Short- and Long-Term Face Memory: Evidence from Long-Term Recency Effects in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Science.gov (United States)

Bengner, T.; Malina, T.

2007-01-01

We tested whether memory deficits in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) are better described by a single- or dual-store memory model. To this aim, we analyzed the influence of TLE and proactive interference (PI) on immediate and 24-h long-term recency effects during face recognition in 16 healthy participants and 18 right and 21 left non-surgical TLE…

Predictive factors of long-term colorectal cancer survival after ultrasound-controlled ablation of hepatic metastases.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Socorro, Carmen Rosa; Saavedra, Pedro; Ramírez Felipe, José; Bohn Sarmiento, Uriel; Ruiz-Santana, Sergio

2017-04-21

The risk factors associated to long-term survival were assessed in patients with liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma undergoing ablative therapies. Single-centre cohort study, retrospectively analysed and prospectively collected consecutive patients with unresectable metastatic liver disease of colorectal carcinoma treated with ablative therapies between 1996 and 2013. Factors associated with survival time were identified using Cox's proportional hazard model with time-dependent covariates. A forward variable selection based on Akaike information criterion was performed. Relative risk and 95% confidence intervals for each factor were calculated. Statistical significance was set as P<.05. Seventy-five patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer, with a mean age of 65.6 (10.3) underwent 106 treatments. Variables selected were good quality of life (RR 0.308, 95% CI 0.150-0.632) and tumour extension (RR 3.070, 95% CI 1.776-5.308). The median overall survival was 18.5 months (95% CI 17.4-24.4). The survival prognosis in median was 13.5 vs. 23.4 months for patients with and without tumour extension, and 23.0 vs. 12.8 months for patients with good and fair or poor quality of life, respectively. Good quality of life and tumour extension were the only statistically significant predictors of long-term survival in patients of colorectal carcinoma with liver metastatic disease undergoing ablative treatment with ultrasound. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Microstructure and long-term creep properties of 9–12% Cr steels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hald, John

2008-01-01

Advanced microstructure characterisation and microstructure modelling has demonstrated that long-term microstructure stability in 9–12% Cr steels under technical loading conditions is equivalent to precipitate stability. Mo and W can have a positive influence on long-term creep strength of 9–12% Cr...

Stability analysis of roadway embankments supported by stone columns with the presence of water table under short-term and long-term conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kadhim Shaymaa Tareq

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Use of stone column technique to improve soft foundation soils under roadway embankments has proven to increase the bearing capacity and reduce the potential settlement. The potential contribution of stone columns to the stability of roadway embankments against general (i.e. deep-seated failure needs to be thoroughly investigated. Therefore, a two-dimensional finite difference model implemented by FLAC/SLOPE 7.0 software, was employed in this study to assess the stability of a roadway embankment fill built on a soft soil deposit improved by stone column technique. The stability factor of safety was obtained numerically under both short-term and long-term conditions with the presence of water table. Two methods were adopted to convert the three-dimensional model into plane strain condition: column wall and equivalent improved ground methods. The effect of various parameters was studied to evaluate their influence on the factor of safety against embankment instability. For instance, the column diameter, columns’ spacing, soft soil properties for short-term and long-term conditions, and the height and friction angle of the embankment fill. The results of this study are developed in several design charts.

Influencers on quality of life as reported by people living with dementia in long-term care: a descriptive exploratory approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Moyle, Wendy; Fetherstonhaugh, Deirdre; Greben, Melissa; Beattie, Elizabeth

2015-04-23

Over half of the residents in long-term care have a diagnosis of dementia. Maintaining quality of life is important, as there is no cure for dementia. Quality of life may be used as a benchmark for caregiving, and can help to enhance respect for the person with dementia and to improve care provision. The purpose of this study was to describe quality of life as reported by people living with dementia in long-term care in terms of the influencers of, as well as the strategies needed, to improve quality of life. A descriptive exploratory approach. A subsample of twelve residents across two Australian states from a national quantitative study on quality of life was interviewed. Data were analysed thematically from a realist perspective. The approach to the thematic analysis was inductive and data-driven. Three themes emerged in relation to influencers and strategies related to quality of life: (a) maintaining independence, (b) having something to do, and (c) the importance of social interaction. The findings highlight the importance of understanding individual resident needs and consideration of the complexity of living in large group living situations, in particular in regard to resident decision-making.

Long-Term Endocrine Outcomes Following Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal Surgery for Acromegaly and Associated Prognostic Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Babu, Harish; Ortega, Alicia; Nuno, Miriam; Dehghan, Aaron; Schweitzer, Aaron; Bonert, H Vivien; Carmichael, John D; Cooper, Odelia; Melmed, Shlomo; Mamelak, Adam N

2017-08-01

Long-term remission rates from endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for acromegaly and their relationship to prognostic indicators of disease aggressiveness are not well documented. To investigate long-term remission rates in patients with acromegaly after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, and correlate this with molecular and radiographic markers of disease aggressiveness. We identified all patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for acromegaly from 2005 to 2013 at Cedars-Sinai Pituitary Center. Hormonal remission was established by normal insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, basal serum growth hormone <2.5 ng/mL, and growth hormone suppression to <1 ng/mL following oral glucose tolerance test. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed at 3 months after surgery, and then as indicated. IGF-1 was measured at 3 months and then at least annually. We evaluated tumor granularity, nuclear expression of p21, Ki67 index, and extent of cavernous sinus invasion, and correlated these with remission status. Fifty-eight patients that underwent surgery had follow-up from 38 to 98 months (mean 64 ± 32.2 months). There were 21 microadenomas and 37 macroadenomas. Three months after surgery 40 of 58 patients (69%) were in biochemical remission. Four additional patients were in remission at 6 months after surgery, and 1 patient had recurrence within the first year after surgery. At last follow-up, 43 of 44 (74.1%) of patients remained in remission. Cavernous sinus invasion by tumor predicted failure to achieve remission. Prognostic markers of disease aggressiveness other than cavernous sinus invasion did not correlate with surgical outcome. Long-term remission after surgery alone was achieved in 74% of patients, indicating long-term efficacy of endoscopic surgery. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Long- and short-term complications of episiotomy

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İsmet Gün

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Although extensively applied in obstetrics practice to facilitate delivery by increasing the vaginal birth conduit, most episiotomy studies are in the context of short- or medium-term outcomes, and the number of studies investigating the long-term effects is insufficient. Episiotomy is often considered associated with urinary and/or anal incontinence and dyspareunia; however, there is no concrete evidence for this issue. Current meta-analyses and reviews that assessed the studies available in the literature revealed that episiotomy does not decrease the rates of urinary incontinence, perineal pain, and sexual dysfunction and that routine episiotomy does not prevent pelvic floor damage; thus, the recommended use of mediolateral episiotomy is restricted, rather than routine. According to the limited number of studies on sexual function, there seems to be a linear relationship between the degree of perineal laceration and postpartum dyspareunia. It is still not clear whether episiotomy has any impact on pelvic floor relaxation, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction in the long term. PRECIS: The long-term influences of episiotomy on urinary and/or fecal incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction, sexual function, and dyspareunea are still not clear and studies on these issues are necessary.

Observer-rated depression in long-term care: frequency and risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

McCusker, Jane; Cole, Martin G; Voyer, Philippe; Monette, Johanne; Champoux, Nathalie; Ciampi, Antonio; Vu, Minh; Dyachenko, Alina; Belzile, Eric

2014-01-01

The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe the prevalence and 6-month incidence of observer-rated depression in residents age 65 and over of long-term care (LTC) facilities; (2) to describe risk factors for depression, at baseline and over time. A multisite, prospective observational study was conducted in residents aged 65 and over of 7 LTC facilities. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) was completed by nurses monthly for 6 months. We measured demographic, medical, and functional factors at baseline and monthly intervals, using data from research assessments, nurse interviews, and chart reviews. 274 residents were recruited and completed baseline depression assessments. The prevalence of depression (CSDD score of 6+) was 19.0%. The incidence of depression among those without prevalent depression was 73.3 per 100 person-years. A delirium diagnosis, pain, and diabetes were independently associated with prevalent depression. CSDD score at baseline and development of severe cognitive impairment at follow-up were independent risk factors for incident depression. A diagnosis of delirium and uncorrected visual impairment at follow-up occurred concurrently with incident depression. The results of this study have implications for the detection and prevention of depression in LTC. Delirium diagnosis, pain and diabetes at baseline were associated with prevalent depression; depression symptoms at baseline and development of severe cognitive impairment at follow-up were risk factors for incident depression. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term recurrence and death rates after acute pancreatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Helle; Tønnesen, Hanne; Tønnesen, Maja Hanne

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare long-term recurrence and death rates after a first episode of acute pancreatitis in patients with and without gallstones. Additionally, it was of interest to find out if there were factors predictive of readmission or death.......The aim of this study was to compare long-term recurrence and death rates after a first episode of acute pancreatitis in patients with and without gallstones. Additionally, it was of interest to find out if there were factors predictive of readmission or death....

The long term behaviour of the near-field barrier surrounding a deep underground repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-02-01

This report describes research to identify the factors which govern or influence the long-term behaviour of the near-field of a nuclear waste repository. The near-field components include the engineered barriers and the natural rock mass although the behaviour of the rock mass is of greater significance over the long-term. The factors which govern the near-field behaviour consist of the processes which operate, and the properties or parameters of the rock mass which might be modified by them. The methods which are available for the prediction of the near-field behaviour have been identified, and the emphasis on computer based methods is noted. Summary details of generic computer techniques are provided for different process modelling requirements. An attempt is made to indicate how different processes will be important at various stages during the life of the repository and how the evaluation of performance assessment process modelling requires input from empirical models and the results of other process predictions. (Author)

Early-life exposure to fibroblast growth factor-2 facilitates context-dependent long-term memory in developing rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Bronwyn M; Richardson, Rick

2010-06-01

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) is a potent neurotrophic factor that is involved in brain development and the formation of long-term memory. It has recently been shown that acute FGF2, administered at the time of learning, enhances long-term memory for contextual fear conditioning as well as extinction of conditioned fear in developing rats. As other research has shown that administering FGF2 on the first day of life leads to long-term morphological changes in the hippocampus, in the present study we investigated whether early life exposure to FGF2 affects contextual fear conditioning, and renewal following extinction, later in life. Experiment 1 demonstrated that a single injection of FGF2 on Postnatal Day (PND) 1 did not lead to any detectable changes in contextual fear conditioning in PND 16 or PND 23 rats. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that 5 days of injections of FGF2 (from PND 1-5) facilitated contextual fear conditioning in PND 16 and PND 23 rats. Experiment 4 demonstrated that the observed facilitation of memory was not due to FGF2 increasing rats' sensitivity to foot shock. Experiment 5 showed that early life exposure to FGF2 did not affect learning about a discrete conditioned stimulus, but did allow PND 16 rats to use contextual information in more complex ways, leading to context-dependent extinction of conditioned fear. These results further implicate FGF2 as a critical signal involved in the development of learning and memory.

Influence of visual experience on developmental shift from long-term depression to long-term potentiation in the rat medial vestibular nuclei.

Science.gov (United States)

Grassi, Silvarosa; Dieni, Cristina; Frondaroli, Adele; Pettorossi, Vito Enrico

2004-11-01

The influence of visual experience deprivation on changes in synaptic plasticity during postnatal development was studied in the ventral part of the rat medial vestibular nuclei (vMVN). We analysed the differences in the occurrence, expressed as a percentage, of long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by high frequency stimulation (HFS) of the primary vestibular afferents in rats reared in the light (LR) and those in the dark (DR). In LR rats, HFS only induced LTD in the early stages of development, but the occurrence of LTD progressively decreased to zero before their eyes opened, while that of LTP enhanced from zero to about 50%. Once the rats' eyes had opened, LTD was no longer inducible while LTP occurrence gradually reached the normal adult value (70%). In DR rats, a similar shift from LTD to LTP was observed before their eyes opened, showing only a slightly slower LTD decay and LTP growth, and the LTD annulment was delayed by 1 day. By contrast, the time courses of LTD and LTP development in DR and LR rats showed remarkable differences following eye opening. In fact, LTD occurrence increased to about 50% in a short period of time and remained high until the adult stage. In addition, the occurrence of LTP slowly decreased to less than 20%. The effect of light-deprivation was reversible, since the exposure of DR rats to light, 5 days after eye opening, caused a sudden disappearance of LTD and a partial recover of LTP occurrence. In addition, we observed that a week of light deprivation in LR adult rats did not affect the normal adult LTP occurrence. These results provide evidence that in a critical period of development visual input plays a crucial role in shaping synaptic plasticity of the vMVN, and suggest that the visual guided shift from LTD to LTP during development may be necessary to refine and consolidate vestibular circuitry.

Long-term effects of earthquake experience of young persons on cardiovascular disease risk factors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Na; Wang, Yumei; Yu, Lulu; Song, Mei; Wang, Lan; Ji, Chunpeng

2016-01-01

Introduction The aim of the study was to study the long-term effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors of stress from direct experience of an earthquake as a young person. Material and methods We selected workers born between July 1, 1958 and July 1, 1976 who were examined at Kailuan General Hospital between May and October of 2013. Data on cardiovascular events were taken during the workers’ annual health examination conducted between 2006 and 2007. All subjects were divided into three groups according to their experience of the Tangshan earthquake of July 28, 1976, as follows: control group; exposed group 1 and exposed group 2. We compared cardiovascular disease risk factors between the three groups as well as by gender and age. Results One thousand one hundred and ninety-six workers were included in the final statistical analysis. Among all subjects, resting heart rate (p = 0.003), total cholesterol (p earthquake compared with unexposed controls, but were unrelated to loss of relatives. No significant difference in triglyceride levels was observed between the three groups (p = 0.900). Further refinement showed that the effects were restricted to males 40 years of age or older at the time of analysis, but were due primarily to age at the time of earthquake exposure (p = 0.002, p Earthquake experience in the early years of life has long-term effects on adult resting heart rate, total cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose, especially among men. PMID:28144258

Factors associated with long-term functional outcomes and psychological sequelae in Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, F; Pallant, J F; Ng, L; Bhasker, A

2010-12-01

To examine factors impacting long-term health-related outcomes in survivors of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Seventy-six consecutive patients with definite GBS admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital (1996-2009) were reviewed in the neurorehabilitation clinics. They underwent a structured interview designed to assess the impact of GBS on their current activity and restriction in participation using validated questionnaires: Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Their sociodemographic and disease severity data were obtained from the medical record. The 76 patients [60% male, mean age 56 years, median time since GBS 6 years (range 1-14 years)] showed good functional recovery (median motor FIM score 90). However, 16% reported moderate to extreme impact on their ability to participate in work, family, and social activities; and 22% substantial impact on mood, confidence and ability to live independently. More reported moderate to extreme depression (18%), anxiety (22%) and stress (17%) compared with the normative Australian population (13%). Factors associated with poorer current level of functioning and wellbeing included: females, older patients (57+ years), acute hospital stay (>11 days), those treated in intensive care and those discharged to rehabilitation. No associations were found between the Medical Research Council (MRC) Motor Scale Rating scores at admission, nor time since GBS diagnosis (≤6 vs. >6 years) on outcomes used. GBS is complex and requires long-term management of psychological sequelae impacting activity and participation.

Long-term measurements of equilibrium factor with electrochemically etched CR-39 SSNTD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, F.M.F.; Nikezic, D.; Yu, K.N.

2007-01-01

Recently, our group proposed a method (proxy equilibrium factor method) using a bare LR 115 detector for long-term monitoring of the equilibrium factor. Due to the presence of an upper alpha-particle energy threshold for track formation in the LR 115 detector, the partial sensitivities to 222 Rn, 218 Po and 214 Po were the same, which made possible measurements of a proxy equilibrium factor F p that was well correlated with the equilibrium factor. In the present work, the method is extended to CR-39 detectors which have better-controlled etching properties but do not have an upper energy threshold. An exposed bare CR-39 detector is first pre-etched in 6.25 N NaOH solution at 70 o C for 6 h, and then etched electrochemically in a 6.25 N NaOH solution with ac voltage of 400 V (peak to peak) and 5 kHz applied across the detectors for 1 h at room temperature. Under these conditions, for tracks corresponding to incident angles larger than or equal to 50 deg., the treeing efficiency is 0% and 100% for incident energies smaller than and larger than 4 MeV, respectively. A simple method is then proposed to obtain the total number of tracks formed below the upper energy threshold of 4 MeV, from which the proxy equilibrium factor method can apply

The stability of the international oil trade network from short-term and long-term perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qingru; Gao, Xiangyun; Zhong, Weiqiong; Liu, Nairong

2017-09-01

To examine the stability of the international oil trade network and explore the influence of countries and trade relationships on the trade stability, we construct weighted and unweighted international oil trade networks based on complex network theory using oil trading data between countries from 1996 to 2014. We analyze the stability of international oil trade network (IOTN) from short-term and long-term aspects. From the short-term perspective, we find that the trade volumes play an important role on the stability. Moreover, the weighted IOTN is stable; however, the unweighted networks can better reflect the actual evolution of IOTN. From the long-term perspective, we identify trade relationships that are maintained during the whole sample period to reveal the situation of the whole international oil trade. We provide a way to quantitatively measure the stability of complex network from short-term and long-term perspectives, which can be applied to measure and analyze trade stability of other goods or services.

Chronological Age as Factor Influencing the Dental Implant Osseointegration in the Jaw Bone

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Jan Papež

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to evaluate osseointegration of dental implant in the jaw bone in the young and elderly population and comparing the results to assess indicators and risk factors as age for the success or failure of dental implants. A retrospective study of 107 implants (Impladent, LASAK, Czech Republic was prepared. The patients at implants surgery were divided in three groups. The patients were followed-up for a 7-year period. We evaluated osseointegration from long term point of view as a change of marginal bone levels close to dental implant. Marginal bone levels were recorded and analysed with regard to different patient- and implant-related factors. An influence of chronological age on change of marginal bone levels during 6-year retrospective study vas evaluated. The study examined 47 patient charts and 107 implants from the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol. We proved that young healthy patients with long bridges or Branemarks have the same progression of marginal bone levels changes. The chronological age hasn’t therefore direct influence on the osseointegration from long term point of view. But we found that the length of dental suprastrucure-prosthetic construction negatively influences marginal bone changes, though these results weren’t statistically significant. More extensive dental implant suprastrucure undergoes smaller osseointegration. On the other hand the length of dental suprastrucure (prosthetic construction negatively influences dental osseointegration in both groups of patient.

The influence of organizational characteristics on employee solidarity in the long-term care sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Cramm, Jane M; Strating, Mathilde M H; Nieboer, Anna P

2013-03-01

This article is a report of a study that identifies organizational characteristics explaining employee solidarity in the long-term care sector. Employee solidarity reportedly improves organizations' effectiveness and efficiency. Although general research on solidarity in organizations is available, the impact of the organizational context on solidarity in long-term care settings is lacking. Cross-sectional survey. The study was carried out in Dutch long-term care. A total of 313 nurses, managers and other care professionals in 23 organizations were involved. Organizational characteristics studied were centralization, hierarchical culture, formal and informal exchange of information and leadership style. The study was carried out in 2009. Findings.  All organizational characteristics significantly correlated with employee solidarity in the univariate analyses. In the multivariate analyses hierarchical culture, centralization, exchange of formal and informal information and transformational leadership appears to be important for solidarity among nurses, managers and other professionals in long-term care organizations, but not transactional and passive leadership styles. The study increased our knowledge of solidarity among nurses, managers and other professionals in the long-term care settings. Organizational characteristics that enhance solidarity are high levels of formal and informal information exchange, less hierarchical authority, decentralization and transformational leadership styles. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Determinants of staff commitment to hip protectors in long-term care: A cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Korall, Alexandra M B; Loughin, Thomas M; Feldman, Fabio; Cameron, Ian D; Leung, Pet Ming; Sims-Gould, Joanie; Godin, Judith; Robinovitch, Stephen N

2018-06-01

If worn, certain models of hip protectors are highly effective at preventing hip fractures from falls in residents of long-term care, but modest acceptance and adherence have limited the effectiveness of hip protectors. Residents of long-term care are more likely to accept the initial offer of hip protectors and to adhere to recommendations concerning the use of hip protectors when staff are committed to supporting the application of hip protectors. Yet, we know very little about the nature of and factors associated with staff commitment to hip protectors in long-term care. To identify factors associated with staff commitment to hip protectors in long-term care. A cross-sectional survey. Thirteen long-term care homes (total beds = 1816) from a single regional health district in British Columbia, Canada. A convenience sample of 535 paid staff who worked most of their time (>50% of work hours) at a participating long-term care home, for at least one month, and for at least 8 h per week. We excluded six (1.1%) respondents who were unaware of hip protectors. Of the remaining 529 respondents, 90% were female and 55% were health care assistants. Respondents completed the Commitment to Hip Protectors Index to indicate their commitment to hip protectors. We used Bayesian Model Averaging logistic regression to model staff commitment as a function of personal variables, experiences with hip protectors, intraorganizational communication and influence, and organizational context. Staff commitment was negatively related to organizational tenure >20 years (posterior probability = 97%; logistic regression coefficient = -0.28; 95% confidence interval = -0.48, -0.08), and awareness of a padded hip fracture (100%; -0.57; -0.69, -0.44). Staff commitment was positively related to the existence of a champion of hip protectors within the home (100%; 0.24; 0.17, 0.31), perceived quality of intraorganizational communication (100%; 0.04; 0.02, 0.05), extent of mutual

Long-term uranium supply-demand analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-12-01

It is the intention of this study to investigate the long-term uranium supply demand situation using a number of supply and demand related assumptions. For supply, these assumptions as used in the Resources and Production Projection (RAPP) model include country economic development status, and consequent lead times for exploration and development, uranium development status, country infrastructure, and uranium resources including the Reasonably Assured (RAR), Estimated Additional, Categories I and II, (EAR-I and II) and Speculative Resource categories. The demand assumptions were based on the ''pure'' reactor strategies developed by the NEA Working Party on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Requirements for the 1986 OECD (NEA)/IAEA reports ''Nuclear Energy and its Fuel Cycle: Prospects to 2025''. In addition for this study, a mixed strategy case was computed using the averages of the Plutonium (Pu) burning LWR high, and the improved LWR low cases. It is understandable that such a long-term analysis cannot present hard facts, but it can show which variables may in fact influence the long-term supply-demand situation. It is hoped that results of this study will provide valuable information for planners in the uranium supply and demand fields. Periodical re-analyses with updated data bases will be needed from time to time

Psychosocial outcome following traumatic brain injury in adults: a long-term population-based follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engberg, Aase Worså; Teasdale, T W

2004-01-01

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: On a national basis to conduct a 5, 10 and 15 year follow-up study of representative samples of survivors after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to identify factors of importance for long-term survival and life satisfaction after TBI occurring in 1982, 1987 or 1992. RESEARCH......, against up to 14% of cranial fracture patients. Significantly more cerebral lesion patients than cranial fracture patients found emotional control more difficult, as well as increased difficulties with memory and concentration, maintenance of leisure time interests and general life satisfaction....... In the long run, an important factor influencing survival among cerebral lesion patients seemed to be whether relations with family and friends could be maintained at the pre-injury level....

Influence of long-term storage on fire hazard properties of metal nanopowders

Science.gov (United States)

Kyrmakova, O. S.; Sechin, A. I.; Nazarenko, O. B.

2017-08-01

The production and application of nanomaterials is rapidly expanding. Therefore the problem of their properties change during long-term storage becomes essential. The properties of metal nanopowders after long-term storage under ambient conditions were studied and the results are presented in this work. The aluminum, iron, zinc, and copper nanopowders produced by the method of electrical explosion of wires were investigated in this work. The investigation was carried out by X-ray and thermal analysis. The estimation of the flame propagation velocity in the bulk layer of nanopowders was carried out. The characteristics of the nanopowders of nanometals studied are given in terms of their fire hazard. The results can be used for diagnostic of fire hazard of nanomaterials and protection of the enterprises against fire and explosion.

Transcriptional regulation of long-term memory in the marine snail Aplysia

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Lee Yong-Seok

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Whereas the induction of short-term memory involves only covalent modifications of constitutively expressed preexisting proteins, the formation of long-term memory requires gene expression, new RNA, and new protein synthesis. On the cellular level, transcriptional regulation is thought to be the starting point for a series of molecular steps necessary for both the initiation and maintenance of long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF. The core molecular features of transcriptional regulation involved in the long-term process are evolutionally conserved in Aplysia, Drosophila, and mouse, and indicate that gene regulation by the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB acting in conjunction with different combinations of transcriptional factors is critical for the expression of many forms of long-term memory. In the marine snail Aplysia, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the storage of long-term memory have been extensively studied in the monosynaptic connections between identified sensory neuron and motor neurons of the gill-withdrawal reflex. One tail shock or one pulse of serotonin (5-HT, a modulatory transmitter released by tail shocks, produces a transient facilitation mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase leading to covalent modifications in the sensory neurons that results in an enhancement of transmitter release and a strengthening of synaptic connections lasting minutes. By contrast, repeated pulses of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT induce a transcription- and translation-dependent long-term facilitation (LTF lasting more than 24 h and trigger the activation of a family of transcription factors in the presynaptic sensory neurons including ApCREB1, ApCREB2 and ApC/EBP. In addition, we have recently identified novel transcription factors that modulate the expression of ApC/EBP and also are critically involved in LTF. In this review, we examine the roles of these transcription factors during consolidation of LTF induced

Transcriptional regulation of long-term memory in the marine snail Aplysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yong-Seok; Bailey, Craig H; Kandel, Eric R; Kaang, Bong-Kiun

2008-06-17

Whereas the induction of short-term memory involves only covalent modifications of constitutively expressed preexisting proteins, the formation of long-term memory requires gene expression, new RNA, and new protein synthesis. On the cellular level, transcriptional regulation is thought to be the starting point for a series of molecular steps necessary for both the initiation and maintenance of long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF). The core molecular features of transcriptional regulation involved in the long-term process are evolutionally conserved in Aplysia, Drosophila, and mouse, and indicate that gene regulation by the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) acting in conjunction with different combinations of transcriptional factors is critical for the expression of many forms of long-term memory. In the marine snail Aplysia, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the storage of long-term memory have been extensively studied in the monosynaptic connections between identified sensory neuron and motor neurons of the gill-withdrawal reflex. One tail shock or one pulse of serotonin (5-HT), a modulatory transmitter released by tail shocks, produces a transient facilitation mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase leading to covalent modifications in the sensory neurons that results in an enhancement of transmitter release and a strengthening of synaptic connections lasting minutes. By contrast, repeated pulses of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) induce a transcription- and translation-dependent long-term facilitation (LTF) lasting more than 24 h and trigger the activation of a family of transcription factors in the presynaptic sensory neurons including ApCREB1, ApCREB2 and ApC/EBP. In addition, we have recently identified novel transcription factors that modulate the expression of ApC/EBP and also are critically involved in LTF. In this review, we examine the roles of these transcription factors during consolidation of LTF induced by different

Analysis of the long and middle term effect of uterine artery embolization for uterine leiomyomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Limin; Luo Pengfei; Chen Xiaoming

2006-01-01

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a safe and effective method for uterine leiomyomas but its long and middle term effects are definite. Furthermore it bears some exquisite comparison with the conventional therapy but not as a radical one, with a tendency. However, to develop new leiomyomas and recurrence after UAE, there for all patients should be monitored with clinical and imaging examinations for more than 2 years after the procedure. At present, a few literatures involving the factors that could influence the effects of UAE have been issued. It is necessary to carry on large-scale clinical research of the related factors influencing the results of UAE in order to guide clinical practice correctly and swiftly. (authors)

Long-term survival in patients hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudmundsson, Gunnar; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli; Gislason, Thorarinn

2012-01-01

Mortality rate is high in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to investigate long-term mortality and associated risk factors in COPD patients previously hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation.......Mortality rate is high in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to investigate long-term mortality and associated risk factors in COPD patients previously hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation....

Hip protector compliance: a 13-month study on factors and cost in a long-term care facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Burl, Jeffrey B; Centola, James; Bonner, Alice; Burque, Colleen

2003-01-01

To determine if a high compliance rate for wearing external hip protectors could be achieved and sustained in a long-term care population. A 13-month prospective study of daytime use of external hip protectors in an at-risk long-term care population. One hundred-bed not-for-profit long-term care facility. Thirty-eight ambulatory residents having at least 1 of 4 risk factors (osteoporosis, recent fall, positive fall screen, previous fracture). The rehabilitation department coordinated an implementation program. Members of the rehabilitation team met with eligible participants, primary caregivers, families, and other support staff for educational instruction and a description of the program. The rehabilitation team assumed overall responsibility for measuring and ordering hip protectors and monitoring compliance. By the end of the third month, hip protector compliance averaged greater than 90% daily wear. The average number of falls per month in the hip protector group was 3.9 versus 1.3 in nonparticipants. Estimated total indirect staff time was 7.75 hours. The total cost of the study (hip protectors and indirect staff time) was 6,300 US dollars. High hip protector compliance is both feasible and sustainable in an at-risk long-term care population. Achieving high compliance requires an interdisciplinary approach with one department acting as a champion. The cost of protectors could be a barrier to widespread use. Facilities might be unable to cover the cost until the product is paid for by third-party payers.

Long-term results of repeated anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in eyes with retinal pigment epithelial tears.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Carlos A; Arana, Luis A; Zago, Rommel J

2013-02-01

To evaluate the long-term results of retinal pigment epithelium tears in eyes treated with repeated anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. Five patients with retinal pigment epithelial tears (without foveal center involvement) after anti-VEGF injection were studied retrospectively. Mean follow-up time was 52 months, with measurements of visual acuity and evaluation of macular findings by angiography and optical coherence tomography during this period. All eyes had a persistent submacular neovascular membrane 30 days after the tear. An anti-VEGF drug was reinjected until the membranes stopped leaking. The mean initial visual acuity immediately after the tear was 20/160, and the mean final visual acuity was 20/60. The number of anti-VEGF reinjections varied from two to eight during the follow-up period. Long-term optical coherence tomography analysis showed reduced fluid and remodeling of the torn retinal pigment epithelium. Long-term visual results with repeated anti-VEGF therapy are not as devastating as suggested previously. Visual acuity and metamorphopsia improve with time as long as the neovascular membrane is inactive. Optical coherence tomography changes in the macular area reflect the visual acuity improvement.

Smoking and long-term labour market outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Böckerman, Petri; Hyytinen, Ari; Kaprio, Jaakko

2015-07-01

To examine the long-term effects of smoking on labour market outcomes using twin data matched to register-based individual information on earnings. Twin data for Finnish men born 1945-1957 was used to remove the shared environmental and genetic factors. The results were subjected to extensive robustness testing. Lifetime cigarette consumption was measured by (cumulative) cigarette pack-years in early adulthood. The average of an individual's earnings (and, alternatively, taxable income) was measured over a subsequent 15-year period in later adulthood. Smokers have lower long-term income and earnings. For example, controlling for the shared environmental and genetic factors using the data on genetically identical twins, smoking is negatively associated with lifetime income (p=0.015). The negative association was also robust to the use of various covariates, such as education, health indicators and extraversion. Smoking is negatively related to long-term labour market outcomes. The provision of information about the indirect monetary costs of smoking may thus complement the policy efforts that aim at educating consumers about the health costs of smoking. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Long-term potentiation and long-term depression: a clinical perspective

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Timothy V.P. Bliss

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Long-term potentiation and long-term depression are enduring changes in synaptic strength, induced by specific patterns of synaptic activity, that have received much attention as cellular models of information storage in the central nervous system. Work in a number of brain regions, from the spinal cord to the cerebral cortex, and in many animal species, ranging from invertebrates to humans, has demonstrated a reliable capacity for chemical synapses to undergo lasting changes in efficacy in response to a variety of induction protocols. In addition to their physiological relevance, long-term potentiation and depression may have important clinical applications. A growing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes, and technological advances in non-invasive manipulation of brain activity, now puts us at the threshold of harnessing long-term potentiation and depression and other forms of synaptic, cellular and circuit plasticity to manipulate synaptic strength in the human nervous system. Drugs may be used to erase or treat pathological synaptic states and non-invasive stimulation devices may be used to artificially induce synaptic plasticity to ameliorate conditions arising from disrupted synaptic drive. These approaches hold promise for the treatment of a variety of neurological conditions, including neuropathic pain, epilepsy, depression, amblyopia, tinnitus and stroke.

The influence of coping styles on long-term employment in multiple sclerosis: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grytten, Nina; Skår, Anne Br; Aarseth, Jan Harald; Assmus, Jorg; Farbu, Elisabeth; Lode, Kirsten; Nyland, Harald I; Smedal, Tori; Myhr, Kjell Morten

2017-06-01

The aim was to investigate predictive values of coping styles, clinical and demographic factors on time to unemployment in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) during 1998-2002 in Norway. All patients ( N = 108) diagnosed with MS 1998-2002 in Hordaland and Rogaland counties, Western Norway, were invited to participate in the long-term follow-up study in 2002. Baseline recordings included disability scoring (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)), depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)), and questionnaire assessing coping (the Dispositional Coping Styles Scale (COPE)). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with unemployed at baseline, and Cox regression analysis to identify factors at baseline associated with time to unemployment during follow-up. In all, 41 (44%) were employed at baseline. After 13 years follow-up in 2015, mean disease duration of 22 years, 16 (17%) were still employed. Median time from baseline to unemployment was 6 years (±5). Older age at diagnosis, female gender, and depression were associated with patients being unemployed at baseline. Female gender, long disease duration, and denial as avoidant coping strategy at baseline predicted shorter time to unemployment. Avoidant coping style, female gender, and longer disease duration were associated with shorter time to unemployment. These factors should be considered when advising patients on MS and future employment.

Occlusal stabilization splint for patients with temporomandibular disorders: Meta-analysis of short and long term effects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovana Kuzmanovic Pficer

Full Text Available Psychological discomfort, physical disability and functional limitations of the orofacial system have a major impact on everyday life of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs. In this study we sought to determine short and long term effects of stabilization splint (SS in treatment of TMDs, and to identify factors influencing its efficacy.MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs comparing SS to: non-occluding splint, occlusal oral appliances, physiotherapy, behavioral therapy, counseling and no treatment. Random effects method was used to summarize outcomes. The effect estimates were expressed as odds ratio (OR or standardized mean difference (SMD with 95% confidence interval. Subgroup analyses were carried out according to the use of Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC/TMD and TMDs origin. Strength of evidence was assessed by GRADE. Meta-regression was applied.Thirty three eligible RCTs were included in meta-analysis. In short term, SS presented positive overall effect on pain reduction (OR 2.08; p = 0.01 and pain intensity (SMD -0.33; p = 0.02. Subgroup analyses confirmed SS effect in studies used RDC/TMD and revealed its effect in patients with TMDs of muscular origin. Important decrease of muscle tenderness (OR 1.97; p = 0.03 and improvement of mouth opening (SMD -0.30; p = 0.04 were found. SS in comparison to oral appliances showed no difference (OR 0.74; p = 0.24. Meta-regression identified continuous use of SS during the day as a factor influencing efficacy (p = 0.01. Long term results showed no difference in observed outcomes between groups. Low quality of evidence was found for primary outcomes.SS presented short term benefit for patients with TMDs. In long term follow up, the effect is equalized with other therapeutic modalities. Further studies based on appropriate use of standardized criteria for patient recruitment and outcomes under assessment are needed to better define SS

Late Protein Synthesis-Dependent Phases in CTA Long-Term Memory: BDNF Requirement

OpenAIRE

Martínez-Moreno, Araceli; Rodríguez-Durán, Luis F.; Escobar, Martha L.

2011-01-01

It has been proposed that long-term memory persistence requires a late protein synthesis-dependent phase, even many hours after memory acquisition. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an essential protein synthesis product that has emerged as one of the most potent molecular mediators for long-term synaptic plasticity. Studies in the rat hippocampus have been shown that BDNF is capable to rescue the late-phase of long-term potentiation as well as the hippocampus-related long-term memo...

Analysis of risk factors causing short-term cement leakages and long-term complications after percutaneous kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Chang; Zong, Min; Wang, Wen-Tao; Xu, Lei; Cao, Da; Zou, Yue-Fen

2018-05-01

Background Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is a common treatment modality for painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). Pre- and postoperative identification of risk factors for cement leakage and follow-up complications would therefore be helpful but has not been systematically investigated. Purpose To evaluate pre- and postoperative risk factors for the occurrence of short-term cement leakages and long-term complications after PKP for OVCFs. Material and Methods A total of 283 vertebrae with PKP in 239 patients were investigated. Possible risk factors causing cement leakage and complications during follow-up periods were retrospectively assessed using multivariate analysis. Cement leakage in general, three fundamental leakage types, and complications during follow-up period were directly identified through postoperative computed tomography (CT). Results Generally, the presence of cortical disruption ( P = 0.001), large volume of cement ( P = 0.012), and low bone mineral density (BMD) ( P = 0.002) were three strong predictors for cement leakage. While the presence of intravertebral cleft and Schmorl nodes ( P = 0.045 and 0.025, respectively) were respectively identified as additional risk factors for paravertebral and intradiscal subtype of cortical (C-type) leakages. In terms of follow-up complications, occurrence of cortical leakage was a strong risk factor both for new VCFs ( P = 0.043) and for recompression ( P = 0.004). Conclusion The presence of cortical disruption, large volume of cement, and low BMD of treated level are general but strong predictors for cement leakage. The presence of intravertebral cleft and Schmorl nodes are additional risk factors for cortical leakage. During follow-up, the occurrence of C-type leakage is a strong risk factor, for both new VCFs and recompression.

The long-term consequences of anaesthetic management | Sessler ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thus, it is reasonable to ask to what extent anaesthetic management might influence long-term outcomes. The distinction being made here is between the classical definition of anaesthetic complications, which is restricted to the immediate perioperative period, perhaps extending to a few days after surgery, and the ...

Factors influencing prognosis in patients with marfan syndrome after aortic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Linggen; Zhou, Xianliang; Zhang, Lin; Wen, Dan; Chang, Qian; Wu, Yongbo; Sun, Lizhong; Hui, Rutai

2011-08-01

Aortic aneurysm formation leading eventually to aortic rupture or dissection in early adult life is a fatal outcome of Marfan syndrome (MFS). Advances in the treatment of the syndrome have improved prognosis, but the long-term reoperation rate is still high. It remains unknown which factors influence the long-term prognosis, including the reoperation and mortality rates, in surgically treated Chinese patients with MFS. The authors studied 125 such patients to investigate factors influencing prognosis after aortic surgery. A retrospective clinical investigation. An academic medical center. One hundred twenty-five Marfan patients who had undergone aortic surgery. None. The indications for aortic surgery were aortic aneurysm and/or dissection in the 125 Marfan patients. The most commonly performed procedure was the Bentall in 92 patients. Sixteen patients underwent total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation. Ten patients underwent the David procedure. Overall in-hospital and 30-day mortality rate was 1.6%. The survival rate was 97.5%, 91.4%, and 74.2% at 1, 5, and 10 years after surgery, respectively. The reoperation rate was 2.5%, 12.9%, and 32.9% at 1, 5, and 10 years after surgery, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that increased systolic blood pressure (Sys BP) was the predictor of death (p < 0.05), and body mass index and smoking were significant predictors of reoperation (p < 0.05). The present findings report the factors influencing the prognosis of Chinese patients with MFS after aortic surgical procedures. Managing these risk factors may enable health care professionals to improve the prognosis of MFS patients after aortic surgical procedures. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subdiaphragmatic stage I and II Hodgkin's disease - long-term follow-up and prognostic factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Zhongxing; Ha, Chul S.; Fuller, Lillian M.; Hagemeister, Fredrick B.; Cabanillas, Fernando; Tucker, Susan L.; Hess, Mark A.; Cox, James D.

1997-01-01

Purpose: To report long term follow-up results and analyze prognostic factors for overall and disease-free survival in patients with subdiaphragmatic stage I and II Hodgkin's disease. Methods and Materials: From September 1962 to April 1995, 109 patients presented to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center with subdiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease. The medical records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-two patients who received no treatment at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center or who had radiation therapy at other institutions were excluded. The remaining 87 patients formed the basis of this study. The median age of our group was 33 years with a male:female ratio of 3.3:1. The histological subtypes were nodular sclerosis in 21 (24.1%) patients, mixed cellularity in 31 (35.6%), lymphocyte predominence in 33 (37.9%), lymphocyte depletion in 1 (1.1%) and unclassified histology in 1 (1.1%). Thirty three (37%) patients underwent laparotomy, 74 (85.1%) had lymphangiography, and 35 (40.2%) had computerized tomography of the abdomen. Twenty two (25%) patients had more than three sites of nodal involvement at presentation, 56 (64.4%) had pelvic or abdominal disease, and 14 (18.4%) had bulky disease which was defined as disease with largest dimension ≥ 7 cm. Stage distribution was IA in 33.3%, IIA in 39.1%, and IIB in 27.6%. Sixty (69%) patients were treated with radiotherapy alone, 23 (26.4%) with chemotherapy and radiation, and 4 (4.6%) with chemotherapy alone. Results: The 10 and 20 year actuarial overall survival rates for all the patients were 74.6% and 55.3%, and the corresponding disease free survival rates were 72.4% and 67.5%, respectively. On univariate analysis, age, B symptoms, nodular sclerosis or mixed cellularity histology, and decreased albumin and hemoglobin level were statistically significant adverse pretreatment factors for overall survival. B symptoms, decreased albumin level, more than 3 sites of disease at presentation, and stage were

Long-term course of opioid addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hser, Yih-Ing; Evans, Elizabeth; Grella, Christine; Ling, Walter; Anglin, Douglas

2015-01-01

Opioid addiction is associated with excess mortality, morbidities, and other adverse conditions. Guided by a life-course framework, we review the literature on the long-term course of opioid addiction in terms of use trajectories, transitions, and turning points, as well as other factors that facilitate recovery from addiction. Most long-term follow-up studies are based on heroin addicts recruited from treatment settings (mostly methadone maintenance treatment), many of whom are referred by the criminal justice system. Cumulative evidence indicates that opioid addiction is a chronic disorder with frequent relapses. Longer treatment retention is associated with a greater likelihood of abstinence, whereas incarceration is negatively related to subsequent abstinence. Over the long term, the mortality rate of opioid addicts (overdose being the most common cause) is about 6 to 20 times greater than that of the general population; among those who remain alive, the prevalence of stable abstinence from opioid use is low (less than 30% after 10-30 years of observation), and many continue to use alcohol and other drugs after ceasing to use opioids. Histories of sexual or physical abuse and comorbid mental disorders are associated with the persistence of opioid use, whereas family and social support, as well as employment, facilitates recovery. Maintaining opioid abstinence for at least five years substantially increases the likelihood of future stable abstinence. Recent advances in pharmacological treatment options (buprenorphine and naltrexone) include depot formulations offering longer duration of medication; their impact on the long-term course of opioid addiction remains to be assessed.

Short-term influences and long-term fundamentals: stabilizing and destabilizing effects in the energy industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Silvan [Royal Inst. of International Affairs, London (United Kingdom)

1992-10-01

The ideology of the market economy has become dominant in all walks of economic life and the energy industries are no exception. In the oil business, the stabilizing structures of the international majors and of long-term prices have been replaced by industrial fragmentation and market price mechanisms. Monopolies in other energy industries are being progressively dismantled. This live experiment is being conducted on an industry which historically has suffered from feast and famine economics and has tried to protect itself through various forms of cartelization. The short-term effects of this open market have so far tended to improve flexibility and consumer choice. The price instability has proved manageable. The danger is that cash flow compression will reduced investments in the future and an ability to make very long lead time shifts in the energy mix. For this some government intervention in markets is necessary. (author).

Influence of misaligned parents’ aspirations on long-term student academic performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Boer, Hester; van der Werf, Margaretha P.C.

2015-01-01

This article deals with the concept of misaligned parents’ aspirations, its relationship with student background characteristics, and its effects on long-term student performance. It is defined as the difference between parents’ educational ambitions for their child and the child's actual

Long-Term Prognosis of Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults

OpenAIRE

Varona, Jose F.

2010-01-01

There is limited information about long-term prognosis of ischemic stroke in young adults. Giving the potentially negative impact in physical, social, and emotional aspects of an ischemic stroke in young people, providing early accurate long-term prognostic information is very important in this clinical setting. Moreover, detection of factors associated with bad outcomes (death, recurrence, moderate-to-severe disability) help physicians in optimizing secondary prevention strategies. The prese...

Factors that influence the timing of spontaneous labor at term.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogleman, Kelly A; Herring, Amy H; Kaczor, Diane; Pusek, Susan N; Jo, Hyejin; Thorp, John M

2007-11-01

Whether pre-term birth culminates as a result of a de novo pathologic process or is more simply early activation of physiologic mechanisms is unknown. Exploration of the onset of labor in term women with classical risk factors for early delivery might provide insights into the mechanisms leading to pre-term birth. This study examines whether sociodemographic factors known to increase the risk of pre-term birth also affect the length of term gestations. From a large prospective cohort composed of women delivering from 1995-2000, a sample was selected of 441 women from Central North Carolina, US, who delivered singletons after 37 weeks gestation. An algorithm was designed to identify induced labors and gestational age was censored at the time of induction. Gestational age was assigned by sonography and menstrual dating. Data were analysed using the Cox proportional hazards model. The main outcome measure was time to spontaneous labor. Women with 12 years of education had longer periods of gestation than women with less than 12 years of education, HR = 0.57 [0.39, 0.84]. Shorter gestational periods were found for women with pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in a previous pregnancy, HR = 3.70 [1.60, 8.52], even after adjusting for confounders. Smoking was not associated (p > 0.1) with the timing of labor at term. By studying the timing of spontaneous parturition at term we identified that there is little overlap in risk factors that affect timing of delivery between spontaneous term and pre-term births.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factors for choroidal neovascularization secondary to choroidal osteoma: Long-term results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T Lekha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Choroidal osteoma is an uncommon benign osseous intraocular tumor typically seen unilaterally in young women. Visual loss can occur due to choroidal neovascularization (CNV complicating osteoma. We report a rare case of bilateral choroidal osteoma with secondary CNV in a young male and the long-term results following anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF therapy. A 30-year-old male with history of defective vision in both eyes since several years and recent worsening in the right eye (RE since 2 months was found to have bilateral macular osteoma with CNV in the RE based on clinical evaluation, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and ultrasonography. Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab at monthly intervals for three doses resulted in resolution of CNV and remained stable for 5 years. Recurrent CNV detected 6 years later responded to an injection of intravitreal bevacizumab and has remained stable till date. Anti-VEGF therapy stabilized the secondary CNV in our patient for 7 years with satisfactory structural and functional outcome, demonstrating the long-term efficacy of this modality of treatment.

Xerostomia and medication: a cross-sectional study in long-term geriatric wards.

Science.gov (United States)

Desoutter, A; Soudain-Pineau, M; Munsch, F; Mauprivez, C; Dufour, T; Coeuriot, J-L

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of xerostomia in old people living in long-term geriatric wards, and to measure the relationship between xerostomia and etiologic factors such as age and medication (total number of medications, xerogenic medications, anticholinergic medications and medications that induce hypersialorrhea). An observational retrospective, comparative, multicentre epidemiological study. Long-term geriatric wards, in Reims, France. 769 old people living in long-term geriatric wards. Prevalence of xerostomia assessed from age, total number of medications, xerogenic medications, anticholinergic medications and those that induce hypersialorrhea. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate Odds Ratios (OR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). Among 769 old people (average age 84.6±8.4 years old), 287 residents suffered from xerostomia (37.3%). Significant predictors of xerostomia were: resident's age OR=1.56, 95% CI (1.30-1.88), pxerostomia identified was medications that induce hypersialorrhea OR=0.81, 95% CI (0.67-0.98), p=0.03. The total number of medications and xerogenic medications did not play a significant role in xerostomia. Increasing Age and anticholinergic medications induce a dry mouth. Conversely, the total number of medications and xerogenic medications do not influence xerostomia. Medications that induce hypersialorrhea protect against the occurrence of dry mouth.

An empirical analysis of the German long-term interest rat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Butter, F.A.G.; Jansen, P.W.

2004-01-01

The short run and long run influences of the main determinants of the German long-term interest rate are estimated using quarterly data for the period 1982-2001. A major reason for the focus on the German interest rate is that this rate, and hence its determinants, will be dominant in explaining the

Analysis of the long-term availability of uranium: The influence of dynamic constraints and market competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monnet, Antoine; Gabriel, Sophie; Percebois, Jacques

2017-01-01

Abstract: The availability of natural uranium has a direct impact on the global capability to sustain the demand from nuclear power plants in the coming decades. Therefore, the expansion scenarios of nuclear power should be analysed in conjunction with long-term dynamics of the uranium market. This paper presents three forms of a partial-equilibrium model of the uranium market. All forms consider global demand as exogenous (input scenarios from the literature) and regional estimates of the quantities and the costs of ultimate resources (results obtained from previous work). The three forms differ by the market constraints and the market structure considered. Comparing them highlights the role of the market structure and the impact of some key parameters of the market dynamics on the long-term availability of uranium. An important finding is the influence of two constraints: the anticipation of demand and the significant role played by the correlation between price and exploration expenses in shaping the price trends. In addition, results from simulations highlight different long-term dynamics when the producers are allocated into a limited number of regions (to simulate an oligopoly) compared to a single region (undefined number of players to simulate perfect competition). - Highlights: • The growth rate of demand during the 21st century is a key driver of price trends. • Uncertainties on ultimate resources have a limited impact in expansion scenarios. • The price-exploration correlation is a first-order dynamic constraint. • The anticipation of demand is a strong dynamic constraint related to scarcity rent. • The uranium market is better represented by a constrained oligopoly.

Long-Term Symbolic Learning

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kennedy, William G; Trafton, J. G

2007-01-01

What are the characteristics of long-term learning? We investigated the characteristics of long-term, symbolic learning using the Soar and ACT-R cognitive architectures running cognitive models of two simple tasks...

Physiological and ecological factors influencing the radiocaesium contamination of fish species from Kiev reservoir

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koulikov, A.O. [A.N. Severtzov Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology of Animals, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1995-11-23

The monitoring of {sup 137}Cs contamination of fish from the northern part of the Kiev reservoir between 1987 and 1992 indicated systematic differences in the long-term average contamination levels of different species, which are closely related to their trophic levels. The average contamination of the predatory species: perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike (Esox lucius) were roughly factors of 6.3 and 4.4 respectively, higher than those of the nonpredatory species: bream (Abramis brama), silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna) and rudd (Scardinius erythrophothalmus). For tench (Tinca tinca) and goldfish (Carassius sp.), this factor is 2. The solution of the caesium balance equation in fish obtained for equilibrium conditions, which is applicable to the long-term contamination, provides some explanations for these accumulation differences between the species with respect to influences by different ecological and physiological factors.

Pediatric polytrauma : Short-term and long-term outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

vanderSluis, CK; Kingma, J; Eisma, WH; tenDuis, HJ

Objective: To assess the short-term and long-term outcomes of pediatric polytrauma patients and to analyze the extent to which short-term outcomes can predict long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: Ail pediatric polytrauma patients (Injury Severity Score of greater than or equal to 16, less than

Long-term psychosocial consequences of surgical congenital malformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Diseth, Trond H; Emblem, Ragnhild

2017-10-01

Surgical congenital malformations often represent years of treatment, large number of hospital stays, treatment procedures, and long-term functional sequels affecting patients' psychosocial functioning. Both functional defects and psychosocial difficulties that occur commonly in childhood may pass through adolescence on to adulthood. This overview presents reports published over the past 3 decades to elucidate the long-term psychosocial consequences of surgical congenital malformations. Literature searches conducted on PubMed database revealed that less than 1% of all the records of surgical congenital malformations described long-term psychosocial consequences, but with diverse findings. This inconsistency may be due to methodological differences or deficiencies; especially in study design, patient sampling, and methods. Most of the studies revealed that the functional deficits may have great impact on patients' mental health, psychosocial functioning, and QoL; both short- and long-term negative consequences. Factors other than functional problems, e.g., repeated anesthesia, multiple hospitalization, traumatic treatment procedures, and parental dysfunctioning, may also predict long-term mental health and psychosocial functioning. Through multidisciplinary approach, pediatric surgeons should also be aware of deficits in emotional and psychosocial functioning. To achieve overall optimal psychosocial functioning, the challenge is to find a compromise between physically optimal treatment procedures and procedures that are not psychologically detrimental. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EVOLUTION OF YOUTH TRAVEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Student Claudia MOISĂ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Youth travel is an important part of global tourism, consequently, getting to know the evolution of this form of tourism requires an approach of the aspects regarding the permissive and restrictive factors that influence the youth travel dynamic worldwide. In terms of the factors that influence youth travel, we highlighted these two categories of factors (permissive and restrictive and, within each category, we tried to singularize the influence of every factor over youth travel.

Long-term Morbidity of Testicular Cancer Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, Chunkit; Fossa, Sophie D; Williams, Annalynn; Travis, Lois B

2015-08-01

Second malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and ototoxicity, pulmonary complications, hypogonadism, and nephrotoxicity are potentially life-threatening long-term complications of testicular cancer and its therapy. This article describes the pathogenesis, risks, and management of these late effects experienced by long-term testicular cancer survivors, who are defined as individuals who are disease free 5 years or more after primary treatment. Testicular cancer survivors should follow applicable national guidelines for cancer screening and management of cardiovascular disease risk factors. In addition, health care providers should capitalize on the time of cancer diagnosis as a teachable moment to introduce and promote lifestyle changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for fecal colonization with multiple distinct strains of Escherichia coli among long-term care facility residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lautenbach, Ebbing; Tolomeo, Pam; Black, Nicole; Maslow, Joel N

2009-05-01

Of 49 long-term care facility residents, 21 (43%) were colonized with 2 or more distinct strains of Escherichia coli. There were no significant risk factors for colonization with multiple strains of E. coli. These results suggest that future efforts to efficiently identify the diversity of colonizing strains will be challenging.

Development of a checklist of short-term and long-term psychological symptoms associated with ketamine use.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Ni; Xu, Ke; Ning, Yuping; Wang, Daping; Ke, Xiaoyin; Ding, Yi; Sun, Bin; Zhou, Chao; Deng, Xuefeng; Rosenheck, Robert; He, Hongbo

2015-06-25

Ketamine is an increasingly popular drug of abuse in China but there is currently no method for classifying the psychological effects of ketamine in individuals with ketamine dependence. Develop a scale that characterizes the acute and long-term psychological effects of ketamine use among persons with ketamine dependence. We developed a preliminary symptom checklist with 35 dichotomous ('yes' or 'no') items about subjective feelings immediately after ketamine use and about perceived long-term effects of ketamine use that was administered to 187 inpatients with ketamine dependence recruited from two large hospitals in Guangzhou, China. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on a randomly selected half of thesample to reduce the items and to identify underlying constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the second half of the sample to assess the robustness of the identified factor structure. Among the 35 symptoms, the most-reported acute effects were 'floating or circling' (94%), 'euphoric when listening to rousing music' (86%), and 'feeling excited, talkative, and full of energy' (67%). The mostreported long-term symptoms were 'memory impairment' (93%), 'personality changes' (86%), and 'slowed reactions' (81%). EFA resulted in a final 22-item scale best modelled by a four-factor model: two factors representing chronic symptoms (social withdrawal and sleep disturbances), one about acute psychoticlike symptoms, and one that combined acute drug-related euphoria and longer-term decreased libido. CFA showed that these 4 factors accounted for 50% of the total variance of the final 22-item scale and that the model fit was fair (Goodness of Fit Index, GIF=83.3%; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation, RMSEA=0.072). A four-factor model including social withdrawal, sleep disturbance, psychotic-like symptoms, and euphoria at the time of drug use provides a fair description of the short-term and long-term psychological symptoms associated with

Prognostic factors and long-term outcomes of hilar cholangiocarcinoma: A single-institution experience in China

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hai-Jie; Mao, Hui; Shrestha, Anuj; Tan, Yong-Qiong; Ma, Wen-Jie; Yang, Qin; Wang, Jun-Ke; Cheng, Nan-Sheng; Li, Fu-Yu

2016-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the prognostic factors of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in a large series of patients in a single institution. METHODS: Eight hundred and fourteen patients with a diagnosis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma that were evaluated and treated between 1990 and 2014, of which 381 patients underwent curative surgery, were included in this study. Potential factors associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Curative surgery provided the best long-term survival with a median OS of 26.3 mo. The median DFS was 18.1 mo. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with tumor size > 3 cm [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.482, 95%CI: 1.127-1.949; P = 0.005], positive nodal disease (HR = 1.701, 95%CI: 1.346-2.149; P < 0.001), poor differentiation (HR = 2.535, 95%CI: 1.839-3.493; P < 0.001), vascular invasion (HR = 1.542, 95%CI: 1.082-2.197; P = 0.017), and positive margins (HR = 1.798, 95%CI: 1.314-2.461; P < 0.001) had poor OS outcome. The independent factors for DFS were positive nodal disease (HR = 3.383, 95%CI: 2.633-4.348; P < 0.001), poor differentiation (HR = 2.774, 95%CI: 2.012-3.823; P < 0.001), vascular invasion (HR = 2.136, 95%CI: 1.658-3.236; P < 0.001), and positive margins (HR = 1.835, 95%CI: 1.256-2.679; P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that caudate lobectomy [odds ratio (OR) = 9.771, 95%CI: 4.672-20.433; P < 0.001], tumor diameter (OR = 3.772, 95%CI: 1.914-7.434; P < 0.001), surgical procedures (OR = 10.236, 95%CI: 4.738-22.116; P < 0.001), American Joint Committee On Cancer T stage (OR = 2.010, 95%CI: 1.043-3.870; P = 0.037), and vascular invasion (OR = 2.278, 95%CI: 0.997-5.207; P = 0.051) were independently associated with tumor-free margin, and surgical procedures could indirectly affect survival outcome by influencing the tumor resection margin. CONCLUSION: Tumor margin, tumor differentiation, vascular invasion, and lymph node status were independent

Long-term mortality and causes of death associated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gotland, N; Uhre, M L; Mejer, N

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Data describing long-term mortality in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is scarce. This study investigated risk factors, causes of death and temporal trends in long-term mortality associated with SAB. METHODS: Nationwide population-based matched cohort study...... respiratory disease, nervous system disease, unknown causes, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease and senility. Over time, rates of death decreased or were stable for all disease categories except for musculoskeletal and skin disease where a trend towards an increase was seen. CONCLUSION: Long......-term mortality after SAB was high but decreased over time. SAB cases were more likely to die of eight specific causes of death and less likely to die of five other causes of death compared to controls. Causes of death decreased for most disease categories. Risk factors associated with long-term mortality were...

Bound feature combinations in visual short-term memory are fragile but influence long-term learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Logie, R.H.; Brockmole, J.R.; Vandenbroucke, A.R.E.

2009-01-01

We explored whether individual features and bindings between those features in VSTM tasks are completely lost from trial to trial or whether residual memory traces for these features and bindings are retained in long-term memory. Memory for arrays of coloured shapes was assessed using change

Prefrontal θ-Burst Stimulation Disrupts the Organizing Influence of Active Short-Term Retrieval on Episodic Memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, Bianca M; VanHaerents, Stephen A; Voss, Joel L; Bridge, Donna J

2018-01-01

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is thought to organize items in working memory and this organizational role may also influence long-term memory. To causally test this hypothesized role of DLPFC in long-term memory formation, we used θ-burst noninvasive stimulation (TBS) to modulate DLPFC involvement in a memory task that assessed the influence of active short-term retrieval on later memory. Human subjects viewed three objects on a grid and then either actively retrieved or passively restudied one object's location after a brief delay. Long-term memory for the other objects was assessed after a delay to evaluate the beneficial role of active short-term retrieval on subsequent memory for the entire set of object locations. We found that DLPFC TBS had no significant effects on short-term memory. In contrast, DLPFC TBS impaired long-term memory selectively in the active-retrieval condition but not in the passive-restudy condition. These findings are consistent with the hypothesized contribution of DLPFC to the organizational processes operative during active short-term retrieval that influence long-term memory, although other regions that were not stimulated could provide similar contributions. Notably, active-retrieval and passive-restudy conditions were intermixed, and therefore nonspecific influences of stimulation were well controlled. These results suggest that DLPFC is causally involved in organizing event information during active retrieval to support coherent long-term memory formation.

Changes of the eye during long-term spaceflight. Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. A. Makarov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The review includes the publications of the scientific literature on the eye change during long-term spaceflight. The any eye changes such as visual impairment, hyperopic shift in refraction, changes in the intraocular pressure, increased the intracranial pressure, globe flattening, choroidal folding, optic disc edema, and optic nerve kinking and other changes were reported. The main cause of eye disorders, in all probability, is the increase of the intracranial pressure during long-term spaceflight. The reasons of the increased intracranial pressure are a collection of various factors of adaptation mechanisms in the body to weightless conditions. The leading role in the development of intracranial hypertension takes a redistribution of the body fluids (blood and lymph in the direction of the head, but the opportunities and the effect of other factors are present. Also the displacement and increase of the internal organs volume of the chest can cause external compression of the jugular veins, increasing the pressure of the blood in them, and as the result to lead to the increase of the intracranial pressure. The role of trigger such mechanisms in the development of the intracranial hypertension in the microgravity environment as anatomical predisposition of the body, race, metabolic changes under the influence of high carbon dioxide content in the different compartments of the station, high sodium intake, the enzyme dysfunction, weight exercises of the astronauts was discussed. However, the pathogenic mechanisms is currently still under investigation. An important role in the study of the adaptation mechanisms is given to research not only before and after the flight, but also during the space flight. The accumulated knowledge and experience about the changes in organs and systems in the conditions of human adaptation to microgravity will help answer many questions related to the implementation of the long spaceflights.

Long-term increases in young-of-the-year growth of Arctic cisco Coregonus autumnalis and environmental influences

Science.gov (United States)

von Biela, Vanessa R.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Moulton, L. L.

2011-01-01

Arctic cisco Coregonus autumnalis young-of-year (YOY) growth was used as a proxy to examine the long-term response of a high-latitude fish population to changing climate from 1978 to 2004. YOY growth increased over time (r2 = 0·29) and was correlated with monthly averages of the Arctic oscillation index, air temperature, east wind speed, sea-ice concentration and river discharge with and without time lags. Overall, the most prevalent correlates to YOY growth were sea-ice concentration lagged 1 year (significant correlations in 7 months; r2 = 0·14-0·31) and Mackenzie River discharge lagged 2 years (significant correlations in 8 months; r2 = 0·13-0·50). The results suggest that decreased sea-ice concentrations and increased river discharge fuel primary production and that life cycles of prey species linking increased primary production to fish growth are responsible for the time lag. Oceanographic studies also suggest that sea ice concentration and fluvial inputs from the Mackenzie River are key factors influencing productivity in the Beaufort Sea. Future research should assess the possible mechanism relating sea ice concentration and river discharge to productivity at upper trophic levels.

Long-term selenium status in humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baskett, C.K.; Spate, V.L.; Mason, M.M.; Nichols, T.A.; Williams, A.; Dubman, I.M.; Gudino, A.; Denison, J.; Morris, J.S.

2001-01-01

The association of sub-optimal selenium status with increased risk factors for some cancers has been reported in two recent epidemiological studies. In both studies the same threshold in selenium status was observed, below which, cancer incidence increased. To assess the use of nails as a biologic monitor to measure the long-term selenium status, an eight-year longitudinal study was undertaken with a group of 11 adult subjects, 5 women and 6 men. Selenium has been measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Differences between fingernails and toenails with be discussed. In addition, the results will be discussed in the context of the long-term stability of the nail monitor to measure selenium status during those periods when selenium determinants are static; and the changes that occur as a result of selenium supplementation. (author)

Non-climatic factors and long-term, continental-scale changes in seasonally frozen ground

Science.gov (United States)

Shiklomanov, Nikolay I.

2012-03-01

). In their recent paper entitled 'An observational 71-year history of seasonally frozen ground changes in Eurasian high latitudes', Frauenfeld and Zhang (2011) provided detailed analysis of soil temperature data to assess 1930-2000 trends in seasonal freezing depth. The data were obtained from 387 Soviet non-permafrost meteorological stations. The authors performed systematic, quality-controlled, integrative analysis over the entire former Soviet Union domain. The long-term changes in depth of seasonal freezing were discussed in relation to such forcing variables as air temperature, degree days of freezing/thawing, snow depth and summer precipitation as well as modes of the North Atlantic Oscillation. The spatially average approach adopted for the study provides a generalized continental-scale trend. The study greatly improves, expands and extends previous 1956-90 analysis of the ground thermal regime over the Eurasian high latitudes (Frauenfeld et al 2004). Although the work of Frauenfeld and Zhang (2011) is the most comprehensive assessment of the continental-scale long-term trends in seasonal freezing available to date, more detailed analysis is needed to determine the effect of climate change on seasonally frozen ground. It should be noted that, in addition to the variables considered for analysis, other non-climatic factors affect the depth of freezing propagation. Unlike the surface, which is influenced by the climate directly, the ground even at shallow depth receives a climatic signal that is substantially modified by edaphic processes, contributing to highly localized thermal sensitivities of the ground to climatic forcing. Subsurface properties, soil moisture, and snow and vegetation covers influence the depth of freezing. Topography also plays an important role in establishing the ground thermal regime. It is an important determinant of the amount of heat received by the ground surface, affects the distribution of snow and vegetation, and influences the

Long-term variation of outdoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoetzl, H. [GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Inst. fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany); Winkler, R. [GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Inst. fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany)

1994-10-01

Long-term variation of outdoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration was investigated from 1982 to 1992 at a semi-natural location 10 km north of Munich, southern Germany. For this period the continuous measurement yielded a long-term average of 8.6 Bq.m{sup -3} (arithmetic mean) and 6.9 Bq.m{sup -3} (geometric mean), from which an average annual effective dose of 0.14 mSv due to outdoor radon can be derived. A long-term trend of the radon concentration was not detectable over the whole period of observation. However, by time series analysis, a long-term cyclic pattern was identified with two maxima (1984-1986, 1989-1991) and two minima (1982-1983, 1987-1988). The seasonal pattern is characterized by an autumn maximum and an early summer minimum. On average, the seasonal maximum in October was found to be higher by a factor of 2 than the June minimum. The diurnal variation of the radon concentration shows a maximum in the early morning and a minimum in the afternoon. On average, this maximum is a factor of 2 higher than the minimum. In the long term a seasonal pattern was observed for diurnal variation, with an average diurnal maximum to minimum ratio of 1.5 in winter compared with 3.5 in the summer months. The radon concentration is correlated with a meteorological parameter (stagnation index) which takes into account horizontal and vertical exchange processes and the wash-out of aerosols in the lower atmosphere. (orig.)

Long-term variation of outdoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoetzl, H.; Winkler, R.

1994-01-01

Long-term variation of outdoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration was investigated from 1982 to 1992 at a semi-natural location 10 km north of Munich, southern Germany. For this period the continuous measurement yielded a long-term average of 8.6 Bq.m -3 (arithmetic mean) and 6.9 Bq.m -3 (geometric mean), from which an average annual effective dose of 0.14 mSv due to outdoor radon can be derived. A long-term trend of the radon concentration was not detectable over the whole period of observation. However, by time series analysis, a long-term cyclic pattern was identified with two maxima (1984-1986, 1989-1991) and two minima (1982-1983, 1987-1988). The seasonal pattern is characterized by an autumn maximum and an early summer minimum. On average, the seasonal maximum in October was found to be higher by a factor of 2 than the June minimum. The diurnal variation of the radon concentration shows a maximum in the early morning and a minimum in the afternoon. On average, this maximum is a factor of 2 higher than the minimum. In the long term a seasonal pattern was observed for diurnal variation, with an average diurnal maximum to minimum ratio of 1.5 in winter compared with 3.5 in the summer months. The radon concentration is correlated with a meteorological parameter (stagnation index) which takes into account horizontal and vertical exchange processes and the wash-out of aerosols in the lower atmosphere. (orig.)

Influence of Curing Conditions on Long-Term Compressive Strength of Mortars with Accelerating Admixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Pizoń, Jan; Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk, Beata

2017-10-01

One of disadvantages of accelerating admixtures usage is possibility of significant decline of long-term compressive strength of concrete in comparison to non-modified one. Described tests were intended to define scale of lowered long-term compressive strength of mortars caused by accelerating admixtures in different curing conditions. Portland cement and blended cement with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) addition and four types of non-chloride accelerating agents were used. Compressive strength was tested after 7 up to 360 days. Curing conditions were designed to simulate probable conditions close to reality. Such conditions are simulation of internal concrete elements, external elements cast on start of summer and external elements cast on start of winter. Results had shown that it is invalid to state that every accelerating admixture will cause drop of long-term compressive strength in every conditions and for every cement type. Change of curing conditions even after a long time (in this case half of the year) leads to significant differences in compression strength.

Long-term changes and trends in the upper atmosphere - An introduction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Laštovička, Jan; Akmaev, R. A.; Emmert, J. T.

2009-01-01

Roč. 71, 14-15 (2009), s. 1511-1513 ISSN 1364-6826 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : long-term changes * long-term trends * upper atmosphere Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 1.643, year: 2009 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13646826

Short-term decisions under long-term uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tol, R.S.J.

1998-01-01

The behaviour of future policy-makers substantially influences future greenhouse gas emissions. Uncertainty about the motives of future policy-makers may thus strongly influence the climate policy strategies of current policy-makers. Analytical and numerical analyses in this paper confirm this hypothesis. If current policy-makers want to constrain emissions accumulated over a prolonged period of time, and if future policy-makers tend, with a certain chance, to a less ambitious climate policy, then current policy-makers should intensify their efforts to reduce emissions and the cost of emission reduction. In this setting, if current policy-makers want to meet a cumulative emission constraint in expectation, then the preferred policy trajectory does not qualitatively deviate from one suggested by a standard cost-effective trajectory. If, however, the constraint is to be met with a certain probability, then the importance of early action is enhanced relative to that of postponed action. Costs substantially increase if current policy-makers want to set long-term goals without the full cooperation of future policy-makers. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

FACTORS RELATED TO THE USE OF HOME CARE SERVICES BY STROKE PATIENTS UNDER JAPAN’S LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazuya Ikenishi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: As the population aged 65 years or older in Japan grows, the number of people who receive long-term care is increasing. Amongst the various disease groups, stroke sufferers are currently the largest group who use home care nursing services. This study explores the factors that affect the insurance system’s home care services use rate among stroke patients and their main caregivers in Japan. Aims: This study aims to identify the key factors of stroke patients and that of their main caregivers to determine their relationship with the use situation of home care services under Japan’s long-term care insurance system. Methods: We enrolled 14 subjects and their caregivers in the Tokai and Kinki regions of Japan. Questionnaires were used for the main caregivers and survey forms were used for home care nursing center personnel. The data were analyzed by univariate analysis. Results: Barthel Index (BI score and the number of higher brain function disorders were found to be relevant to the use rate of long-term care insurance:. As a result of removing an outlier, the rate of number of units for home care increased as the BI score fell. Conclusions: Two characteristics of stroke patients were found relevant to the use rate of long-term care insurance: BI score and the number of higher brain function disorders. As a result of removing an outlier, the rate of the number of units for home care nursing increased as the BI score fell.

Book Reviews The Physiology of Reproduction Long-term Studies in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

classes of ecological phenomena for which long-term stu- dies are .... influenced by processes, interactions and man's activities ... Moving up the evolutionary ladder, George Hughes, .... mary pollinators of most plants, controllers of plant com-.

LONG-TERM THERAPY WITH INDAPAMIDE IN ELDERLY AND SENILE PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION: CARDIORENOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS AND INFLUENCE ON QUALITY OF LIFE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. E. Statsenko

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To estimate cardiorenoprotective effect of 12-month therapy by indapamide in elderly and senile patients with arterial hypertension (HT and its influence on quality of life.Material and methods. 40 elderly and senile patients with HT were examined. 70% of patients received monotherapy by indapamide 2,5 mg once daily and 30% of patients were treated with indapamide and lisinopril combination. Duration of observation was 12 months. Ambulatory blood pressure (BP monitoring, echocardiography, plasma lipid profile, glycemia and uricemia levels and potassium serum level was evaluated initially and after 12 months of therapy. Glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria as well as patient quality of life also was evaluated.Results. Target BP level was reached in all patients during 12 month therapy. Reduction of average 24-hour, day and night BP, BP load, rate of morning BP rising was observed. Negative influence on BP variability was not found. Improvement of daily BP profile also was found. The indapamide reduced left ventricle mass, improved renal function, vessel resistance and quality of life. Negative influence of long-term therapy with indapamide on lipid, glucose, purine metabolism and serum potassium level was not observed.Conclusion. Indapamide is an effective antihypertensive drug for long-term treatment of elderly and senile patients with HT of 1-2 degree.

[Factors that influence treatment adherence in chronic disease patients undergoing hemodialysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Maldaner, Cláudia Regina; Beuter, Margrid; Brondani, Cecília Maria; Budó, Maria de Lourdes Denardin; Pauletto, Macilene Regina

2008-12-01

The following bibliographical research wanted to identify the main factors that influence adherence to treatment in chronic disease. The study focused on patients undergoing hemodialysis, as well as on the support nurses require for the promotion of health education among individuals with low treatment adherence. The identification of bibliographical sources was conducted at Health Virtual Library and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) data bases. Some printed magazines were also used. The results indicated nine factors influencing treatment adherence or non-adherence: team trust, support nets, educational level; accepting disease, treatment side effects, lack of access to medicines, long-term treatment, complex therapeutic approach, and lack of symptoms. It is advisable that nurses take into account these factors when dealing with chronic-disease patients that present low treatment adherence, getting family and multidisciplinary team support seeking treatment adherence.

Effect of a Short-Term and Long-Term Melatonin Administration on Mammary Carcinogenesis in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Influenced by Repeated Psychoemotional Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Kassayová

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of melatonin (MEL on N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU-induced mammary carcinogenesis in female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to repeated psychoemotional stress - immobilization in boxes. NMU was applied intraperitoneally in two doses each of 50 mg/kg b.w. between 40 - 50 postnatal days. Melatonin was administered in drinking water at a concentration of 4 μg/ml daily from 15:00 h to 8:00 h. The application was initiated 5 days prior to the fi rst NMU dose and lasted 15 days, i.e. during the promotion phase of tumour development, or long-term until the end of the experiment (week 20. Immobilization (2 h per day began on the third day after the second carcinogen application and lasted for 7 consecutive days. Short-term MEL administration to immobilized animals increased incidence by 22%, decreased tumour frequency per animal by 26% and reduced tumour volume gain (by 21% when compared to the immobilized group without MEL application. Decreased frequency per animal by 28% and more than a 40% decrease in tumour volume gain and cumulative volume were the most pronounced changes in the animals drinking MEL until the end of the experiment. Long-term MEL administration reduced the number and size of mammary tumours more markedly than its short-term administration. Melatonin decreased certain attributes of mammary carcinogenesis in female rats influenced by psychoemotional stress.

Influence of Transfusions on Perioperative and Long-Term Outcome in Patients Following Hepatic Resection for Colorectal Metastases

Science.gov (United States)

Kooby, David A.; Stockman, Jennifer; Ben-Porat, Leah; Gonen, Mithat; Jarnagin, William R.; Dematteo, Ronald P.; Tuorto, Scott; Wuest, David; Blumgart, Leslie H.; Fong, Yuman

2003-01-01

Objective To determine if transfusion affected perioperative and long-term outcome in patients undergoing liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer. Summary Background Data Blood transfusion produces host immunosuppression and has been postulated to result in adverse outcome for patients undergoing surgical resection of malignancies. Methods Blood transfusion records and clinical outcomes for 1,351 patients undergoing liver resection at a tertiary cancer referral center were analyzed. Results Blood transfusion was associated with adverse outcome after liver resection. The greatest effect was in the perioperative course, where transfusion was an independent predictor of operative mortality, complications, major complications, and length of hospital stay. This effect was dose-related. Patients receiving one or two units or more than two units had an operative mortality of 2.5% and 11.1%, respectively, compared to 1.2% for patients not requiring transfusions. Transfusion was also associated with adverse long-term survival by univariate analysis, but this factor was not significant on multivariate analysis. Even patients receiving only one or two units had a more adverse outcome. Conclusions Perioperative blood transfusion is a risk factor for poor outcome after liver resection. Blood conservation methods should be used to avoid transfusion, especially in patents currently requiring limited amounts of transfused blood products. PMID:12796583

Near-Term Actions to Address Long-Term Climate Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Lempert, R. J.

2014-12-01

Addressing climate change requires effective long-term policy making, which occurs when reflecting on potential events decades or more in the future causes policy makers to choose near-term actions different than those they would otherwise pursue. Contrary to some expectations, policy makers do sometimes make such long-term decisions, but not as commonly and successfully as climate change may require. In recent years however, the new capabilities of analytic decision support tools, combined with improved understanding of cognitive and organizational behaviors, has significantly improved the methods available for organizations to manage longer-term climate risks. In particular, these tools allow decision makers to understand what near-term actions consistently contribute to achieving both short- and long-term societal goals, even in the face of deep uncertainty regarding the long-term future. This talk will describe applications of these approaches for infrastructure, water, and flood risk management planning, as well as studies of how near-term choices about policy architectures can affect long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction pathways.

On policies to regulate long-term risks from hazardous waste disposal sites under both intergenerational equity and intragenerational equity

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Zhongbin

In recent years, it has been recognized that there is a need for a general philosophic policy to guide the regulation of societal activities that involve long-term and very long-term risks. Theses societal activities not only include the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes and global warming, but also include the disposal of non-radioactive carcinogens that never decay, such as arsenic, nickel, etc. In the past, attention has been focused on nuclear wastes. However, there has been international recognition that large quantities of non-radioactive wastes are being disposed of with little consideration of their long-term risks. The objectives of this dissertation are to present the significant long-term risks posed by non-radioactive carcinogens through case studies; develop the conceptual decision framework for setting the long-term risk policy; and illustrate that certain factors, such as discount rate, can significantly influence the results of long-term risk analysis. Therefore, the proposed decision-making framework can be used to systematically study the important policy questions on long-term risk regulations, and then subsequently help the decision-maker to make informed decisions. Regulatory disparities between high-level radioactive wastes and non-radioactive wastes are summarized. Long-term risk is rarely a consideration in the regulation of disposal of non-radioactive hazardous chemicals; and when it is, the matter has been handled in a somewhat perfunctory manner. Case studies of long-term risks are conducted for five Superfund sites that are contaminated with one or more non-radioactive carcinogens. Under the same assumptions used for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes, future subsistence farmers would be exposed to significant individual risks, in some cases with lifetime fatality risk equal to unity. The important policy questions on long-term risk regulation are identified, and the conceptual decision-making framework to regulate

Physical activity enhances long-term quality of life in older adults: efficacy, esteem, and affective influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Elavsky, Steriani; McAuley, Edward; Motl, Robert W; Konopack, James F; Marquez, David X; Hu, Liang; Jerome, Gerald J; Diener, Ed

2005-10-01

Physical activity has been effective in enhancing quality of life (QOL) of older adults over relatively short periods of time. However, little is known about the long-term effects of physical activity and even less about the possible mediators of this relationship. We examined the mediating effects of psychological variables on the relationship between physical activity and global QOL (satisfaction with life) in older adults over a 4-year period. Participants (N = 174, M age = 66.7 years) completed a battery of psychosocial measures at 1 and 5 years following enrollment in a 6-month randomized controlled exercise trial. Panel analysis conducted within a covariance modeling framework indicated that physical activity was related to self-efficacy, physical self-esteem, and positive affect at 1 year, and in turn, greater levels of self-efficacy and positive affect were associated with higher levels of QOL. Analyses indicated that changes in physical activity over the 4-year period were related to increases in physical self-esteem and positive affect, but only positive affect directly influenced improvements in QOL. The findings lend support to the position that physical activity effects on QOL are in part mediated by intermediate psychological outcomes and that physical activity can have long-term effects on well-being.

Beta-blockers influence the short-term and long-term prognostic information of natriuretic peptides and catecholamines in chronic heart failure independent from specific agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Frankenstein, Lutz; Nelles, Manfred; Slavutsky, Maxim; Schellberg, Dieter; Doesch, Andreas; Katus, Hugo; Remppis, Andrew; Zugck, Christian

2007-10-01

In chronic heart failure (CHF), the physiologic effects of natriuretic peptides and catecholamines are interdependent. Furthermore, reports state an agent-dependent effect of individual beta-blockers on biomarkers. Data on the short-term and long-term predictive power comparing these biomarkers as well as accounting for the influence of beta-blocker treatment both on the marker or the resultant prognostic information are scarce. We included 513 consecutive patients with systolic CHF, measured atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), noradrenaline, and adrenaline, and monitored them for 90 +/- 25 months. Death or the combination of death and cardiac transplantation at 1 year, 5 years, and overall follow-up were considered end points. Compared with patients not taking beta-blockers, patients taking beta-blockers had significantly lower levels of catecholamines but not natriuretic peptides. Only for adrenaline was the amount of this effect related to the specific beta-blocker chosen. Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated superior prognostic accuracy for NTproBNP both at the 1- and 5-year follow-up compared with ANP, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. In multivariate analysis including established risk markers (New York Heart Association functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, peak oxygen uptake, and 6-minute walk test), of all neurohumoral parameters, only NTproBNP remained an independent predictor for both end points. Long-term beta-blocker therapy is associated with decreased levels of plasma catecholamines but not natriuretic peptides. This effect is independent from the actual beta-blocker chosen for natriuretic peptides and noradrenaline. In multivariate analysis, both for short-term and long-term prediction of mortality or the combined end point of death and cardiac transplantation, only NTproBNP remained independent from established clinical risk markers.

Discovery of Implementation Factors That Lead to Technology Adoption in Long-Term Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoville, Rhonda R

2017-10-01

The current exploratory, qualitative study discovered and clarified implementation factors that led to technology adoption in long-term care (LTC). The Integrated Technology Implementation model guided the study of an electronic health record used in three LTC settings. Thirty key stakeholders (i.e., directors of nursing, nurses, and certified nurse aides) participated in focus groups or interviews. Findings indicated experiences were more similar than different among groups and facilities. Five major implementation themes supported by a variety of minor themes were identified. Implications for nursing include that leaders must be knowledgeable and committed to the change and engage staff throughout the implementation process. In addition, various communication and education strategies are required. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(10), 21-26.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Different contributions of platelet-activating factor and nitric oxide in long-term potentiation of the rat medial vestibular nuclei.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettorossi, V E; Grassi, S

2001-01-01

In rat brainstem slices, we investigated the differential role of nitric oxide (NO) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) in long-term potentiation (LTP) induced in the ventral portion of the medial vestibular nuclei (MVN) by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the primary vestibular afferents. The NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (carboxy-PTIO) and the PAF receptor antagonist ginkgolide B (BN-52021) were administered before and after induction of potentiation. The effect of carboxy-PTIO was to completely prevent LTP. By contrast, BN-52021 only reduced the amplitude of HFS potentiation, which could develop fully at the drug washout or decline to zero, becoming a short-term phenomenon, in the case of long-lasting PAF receptor block. Both drugs, when given after HFS, had no effect on the already established potentiation, but whilst BN-52021 showed an influence within 5 min of the LTP induction, carboxy-PTIO did not affect the response once HFS was delivered. Moreover, we showed that the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, and methylcarbamyl PAF (mc-PAF) induced LTP which was associated with an increase in glutamate release as shown by reduction in the paired-pulse facilitation ratio. The mc-PAF LTP was prevented by the NO scavenger, while NO LTP was only reduced by BN-52021. We suggest that NO and PAF are implicated as retrograde messengers in two different phases of vestibular LTP: NO in the induction phase; and PAF in the full expression phase.

Prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in people with long-term spinal cord injury living in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adriaansen, Jacinthe J E; Douma-Haan, Yvonne; van Asbeck, Floris W A; van Koppenhagen, Casper F; de Groot, Sonja; Smit, Christof A; Visser-Meily, Johanna M A; Post, Marcel W M

PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in people with long-term spinal cord injury (SCI) and to compare the prevalence of high blood pressure and/or the use of antihypertensive drugs with the prevalence in the Dutch general population. METHOD: Multicentre

[Cardiac surgery in octogenarian patients: evaluation of predictive factors of mortality, long-term outcome and quality of life].

Science.gov (United States)

Viana-Tejedor, Ana; Domínguez, Francisco J; Moreno Yangüela, Mar; Moreno, Raúl; López de Sá, Esteban; Mesa, José M; López-Sendón, José

2008-10-04

Increasing life expectancy in Western countries in the last decades has resulted in a significant gradual increasing number of octogenarians referred for cardiac surgery. There is a need for a critical evaluation of the long-term surgical outcome and quality of life in the elderly. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors of mortality in octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery and to assess the long term survival and quality of life. Data were reviewed on 150 patients aged over 80 years--mean age (standard deviation): 82.7 (2.5) years--who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution in the last 26 years. We analyzed clinical and epidemiological variables included in the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (euroSCORE), in-hospital morbidity and mortality, long term survival and quality of life after cardiac surgery. The 30-day mortality rate was 30.1%, with a mean hospital stay of 16.5 days (13-27). Emergent procedure, reparation of postinfarction ventricular ruptures, New York Heart Association functional class IV, chronic renal failure and previous myocardial infarction were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Mean follow up was 72.2 (9.9) months with survival rates of 87.3% and 57% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. Late postoperative quality of life in our 53 long-term survivors was significantly better than prior to surgery. New York Heart Association functional class improved from 2.52 to 1.48. Most survivors (97.7%) were satisfied with present quality of life Cardiac surgery in octogenarians is associated with increased in-hospital mortality rate and longer hospital stay. Our findings support that cardiac surgery can be performed in a selected elderly population with good long-term survival and quality of life.

Long Term Financing of Infrastructure

OpenAIRE

Sinha, Sidharth

2014-01-01

Infrastructure projects, given their long life, require long term financing. The main sources of long term financings are insurance and pension funds who seek long term investments with low credit risk. However, in India household financial savings are mainly invested in bank deposits. Insurance and pension funds account for only a small percentage of household financial savings. In addition most infrastructure projects do not qualify for investment by insurance and pension funds because of t...

Short-Term Effects of Drying-Rewetting and Long-Term Effects of Nutrient Loading on Periphyton N:P Stoichiometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andres D. Sola

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen (N and phosphorus (P concentrations and N:P ratios critically influence periphyton productivity and nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems. In coastal wetlands, variations in hydrology and water source (fresh or marine influence nutrient availability, but short-term effects of drying and rewetting and long-term effects of nutrient exposure on periphyton nutrient retention are uncertain. An outdoor microcosm experiment simulated short-term exposure to variation in drying-rewetting frequency on periphyton mat nutrient retention. A 13-year dataset from freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades was examined for the effect of long-term proximity to different N and P sources on mat-forming periphyton nutrient standing stocks and stoichiometry. Field sites were selected from one drainage with shorter hydroperiod and higher connectivity to freshwater anthropogenic nutrient supplies (Taylor Slough/Panhandle, TS/Ph and another drainage with longer hydroperiod and higher connectivity to marine nutrient supplies (Shark River Slough, SRS. Total P, but not total N, increased in periphyton mats exposed to both low and high drying-rewetting frequency with respect to the control mats in our experimental microcosm. In SRS, N:P ratios slightly decreased downstream due to marine nutrient supplies, while TS/Ph increased. Mats exposed to short-term drying-rewetting had higher nutrient retention, similar to nutrient standing stocks from long-term field data. Periphyton mat microbial communities may undergo community shifts upon drying-rewetting and chronic exposure to nutrient loads. Additional work on microbial species composition may further explain how periphyton communities interact with drying-rewetting dynamics to influence nutrient cycling and retention in wetlands.

Subintimal angioplasty: predictors of long-term success.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Keeling, Aoife N

2009-08-01

To determine the clinical outcomes and success rates after percutaneous subintimal angioplasty (SIA) in patients with lower-limb occlusive lesions causing intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) at midterm to long-term follow-up. The secondary aim was to elicit factors predictive of a successful outcome.

Emergence of Long-Term Memory in Popularity

OpenAIRE

Soh, Hyungjoon; Hong, Joo Hyung; Jeong, Jaeseung; Jeong, Hawoong

2017-01-01

Popularity describes the dynamics of mass attention, and is a part of a broader class of population dynamics in ecology and social science literature. Studying accurate model of popularity is important for quantifying spreading of novelty, memes, and influences in human society. Although logistic equation and similar class of nonlinear differential equation formulates traditional population dynamics well, part of the deviation in long-term prediction is stated, yet fully understood. Recently,...

Influence of the dynamic Stark effect on long-term frequency stability of a self-oscillating magnetometer with laser-pumped alkali atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Baranov, A. A.; Ermak, S. V.; Kulachenkov, N. K.; Petrenko, M. V.; Sagitov, E. A.; Semenov, V. V.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the results of investigation Stark shift effect influence on the long-term stability of a dual scheme of quantum magnetometers. Such scheme allows suppressing Stark shift components when a certain pumping light polarization is applied. As a result, long-term stability of a quantum sensor increases. However, when low-frequency (LF) and microwave fields are attached to a single vapor cell a coherence circulation in hyperfine structure of alkali atoms takes place. Physical origin of this effect is associated with the so called “dressed” atom theory, when atom is “dressed” by LF field. It yields in multiphoton absorption and resonance frequency shift. First estimates for this shift based on density matrix evolution formalism are provided in the paper.

Work and family: associations with long-term sick-listing in Swedish women – a case-control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandmark Hélène

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The number of Swedish women who are long-term sick-listed is high, and twice as high as for men. Also the periods of sickness absence have on average been longer for women than for men. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between factors in work- and family life and long-term sick-listing in Swedish women. Methods This case-control study included 283 women on long-term sick-listing ≥90 days, and 250 female referents, randomly chosen, living in five counties in Sweden. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with odds ratios were calculated to estimate the associations between long-term sick-listing and factors related to occupational work and family life. Results Long-term sick-listing in women is associated with self-reported lack of competence for work tasks (OR 2.42 1.23–11.21 log reg, workplace dissatisfaction (OR 1.89 1.14–6.62 log reg, physical workload above capacity (1.78 1.50–5.94, too high mental strain in work tasks (1.61 1.08–5.01 log reg, number of employers during work life (OR 1.39 1.35–4.03 log reg, earlier part-time work (OR 1.39 1.18–4.03 log reg, and lack of influence on working hours (OR 1.35 1.47–3.86 log reg. A younger age at first child, number of children, and main responsibility for own children was also found to be associated with long-term sick-listing. Almost all of the sick-listed women (93% wanted to return to working life, and 54% reported they could work immediately if adjustments at work or part-time work were possible. Conclusion Factors in work and in family life could be important to consider to prevent women from being long-term sick-listed and promote their opportunities to remain in working life. Measures ought to be taken to improve their mobility in work life and control over decisions and actions regarding theirs lives.

Protein kinase M ζ and the maintenance of long-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Zong, Wei; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Yuanye; Wang, Jianhong

2016-10-01

Although various molecules have been found to mediate the processes of memory acquisition and consolidation, the molecular mechanism to maintain memory still remains elusive. In recent years, a molecular pathway focusing on protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) has become of interest to researchers because of its potential role in long-term memory maintenance. PKMζ is an isoform of protein kinase C (PKC) and has a related structure that influences its function in maintaining memory. Considerable evidence has been gathered on PKMζ activity, including loss of function studies using PKMζ inhibitors, such as PKMζ inhibitory peptide (ZIP), suggesting PKMζ plays an important role in long-term memory maintenance. This review provides an overview of the role of PKMζ in long-term memory and outlines the molecular structure of PKMζ, the molecular mechanism of PKMζ in long-term memory maintenance and future directions of PKMζ research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Predictors of long-term remission after transsphenoidal surgery in Cushing's disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Abellán Galiana, Pablo; Fajardo Montañana, Carmen; Riesgo Suárez, Pedro Antonio; Gómez Vela, José; Escrivá, Carlos Meseguer; Lillo, Vicente Rovira

2013-10-01

There is no consensus on the remission criteria for Cushing's disease or on the definition of disease recurrence after transsphenoidal surgery, and comparison of the different published series is therefore difficult. A long-term recurrence rate of Cushing's disease ranging from 2%-25% has been reported. Predictors of long-term remission reported include: 1) adenoma-related factors (aggressiveness, size, preoperative identification in MRI), 2) surgery-related factors, mainly neurosurgeon experience, 3) clinical factors, of which dependence on and duration of glucocorticoid treatment are most important, and 4) biochemical factors. Among the latter, low postoperative cortisol levels, less than 2 mcg/dL predict for disease remission. However, even when undetectable plasma cortisol levels are present, long-term recurrence may still occur and lifetime follow-up is required. We report the preliminary results of the first 20 patients with Cushing's disease operated on at our hospital using nadir cortisol levels less than 2 mcg/dl as remission criterion. Copyright © 2012 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Long-term mental health of war-refugees: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogic, Marija; Njoku, Anthony; Priebe, Stefan

2015-10-28

There are several million war-refugees worldwide, majority of whom stay in the recipient countries for years. However, little is known about their long-term mental health. This review aimed to assess prevalence of mental disorders and to identify their correlates among long-settled war-refugees. We conducted a systematic review of studies that assessed current prevalence and/or factors associated with depression and anxiety disorders in adult war-refugees 5 years or longer after displacement. We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and PILOTS from their inception to October 2014, searched reference lists, and contacted experts. Because of a high heterogeneity between studies, overall estimates of mental disorders were not discussed. Instead, prevalence rates were reviewed narratively and possible sources of heterogeneity between studies were investigated both by subgroup analysis and narratively. A descriptive analysis examined pre-migration and post-migration factors associated with mental disorders in this population. The review identified 29 studies on long-term mental health with a total of 16,010 war-affected refugees. There was significant between-study heterogeneity in prevalence rates of depression (range 2.3-80%), PTSD (4.4-86%), and unspecified anxiety disorder (20.3-88%), although prevalence estimates were typically in the range of 20% and above. Both clinical and methodological factors contributed substantially to the observed heterogeneity. Studies of higher methodological quality generally reported lower prevalence rates. Prevalence rates were also related to both which country the refugees came from and in which country they resettled. Refugees from former Yugoslavia and Cambodia tended to report the highest rates of mental disorders, as well as refugees residing in the USA. Descriptive synthesis suggested that greater exposure to pre-migration traumatic experiences and post-migration stress were the most consistent factors associated with all

Long term stability of power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kundur, P; Gao, B [Powertech Labs. Inc., Surrey, BC (Canada)

1994-12-31

Power system long term stability is still a developing subject. In this paper we provide our perspectives and experiences related to long term stability. The paper begins with the description of the nature of the long term stability problem, followed by the discussion of issues related to the modeling and solution techniques of tools for long term stability analysis. Cases studies are presented to illustrate the voltage stability aspect and plant dynamics aspect of long term stability. (author) 20 refs., 11 figs.

Long term creep behavior of concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, T.W.

1975-01-01

This report presents the findings of an experimental investigation to evaluate the long term creep behavior of concrete subjected to sustained uniaxial loads for an extended period of time at 75 0 F. The factors investigated were (1) curing time (90, 183, and 365 days); (2) curing history (as-cast and air-dried); and (3) uniaxial stress (600 and 2400 psi). The experimental investigation applied uniaxial compressive loads to cylindrical concrete specimens and measured strains with vibrating wire strain gages that were cast in the concrete specimen along the axial and radial axes. Specimens cured for 90 days prior to loading were subjected to a sustained load for a period of one year, at which time the loads were removed; the specimens which were cured for 183 or 365 days, however, were not unloaded and have been under load for 5 and 4.5 years, respectively. The effect of each of the above factors on the instantaneous and creep behavior is discussed and the long term creep behavior of the specimens cured for 183 or 365 days is evaluated. The findings of these evaluations are summarized. (17 figures, 10 tables) (U.S.)

Tip-of-the-tongue in a second language: the effects of brief first-language exposure and long-term use.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreiner, Hamutal; Degani, Tamar

2015-04-01

Bilinguals have more tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) incidents than monolinguals. Whereas previous research has focused on differences in the long term language experience between these groups, the present study examined the hypothesis that both long-term and transient context factors modulate TOT rates. Russian-Hebrew bilinguals who acquired Hebrew either early (11years) were compared to native Hebrew speakers on a picture naming task in Hebrew, before and after viewing a short movie in Russian. Both the short-term context (before-after the movie) and long-term language experience modulated TOT rates: Late bilinguals exhibited significantly higher TOT rates than early bilinguals who did not significantly differ from native Hebrew speakers. Critically, following the Russian movie, bilinguals in both groups differed from the native speakers of the target language. Thus, exposure to the non-target language exerted a global, non-item-specific, cross-language interference effect. The findings highlight the dynamic nature of the bilingual system in which both short and long-term language experience operate to influence bilingual performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Participation as Target of Social Medicine and Nursing Care: - Legal Definition of Long-Term Care Dependency - Strategies to Prevent Long-Term Care Dependency].

Science.gov (United States)

Nüchtern, Elisabeth; Gansweid, Barbara; Gerber, Hans; von Mittelstaedt, Gert

2017-01-01

Objective: By the "Second Bill to Strengthen Long-Term Care", a new concept of long-term care dependency will be introduced, valid from 2017. Long-term care dependency according to Social Code XI will be defined covering more aspects than today. Therefore, the working group "Nursing Care" of the division "Social Medicine in Practice and Rehabilitation" in the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention presents their results after working on the social medicine perspective of the definition and prevention of long-term care dependency. Methods: Both the definition and strategies to prevent long-term care dependency are systematically taken into consideration from the point of view of social medicine on the basis of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), as long-term care dependency means a defined condition of disability. Results: Both the current and the new concept of long-term care dependency focus activity limitations. The perspective of social medicine considers the interactions of health condition, its effects on daily activities and personal as well as environmental factors. From this point of view approaches for social benefits concerning prevention and rehabilitation can be identified systematically so as to work against the development and progression of long-term care dependency. The reference to the ICF can facilitate the communication between different professions. The new "graduation" of long-term care dependency would allow an international "translation" referring to the ICF. Conclusion: Experts from the field of social medicine as well as those of nursing care, care-givers and nursing researchers have in common the objective that persons in need of nursing care can participate in as many aspects of life of importance to them in an autonomous and self-determined way. The point of view of social medicine on long-term care dependency is fundamental for all occupational groups that are involved and for their

Factors impacting short and long-term kidney graft survival: modification by single intra-operative -high-dose induction with ATG-Fresenius.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaden, Jürgen; May, Gottfried; Völp, Andreas; Wesslau, Claus

2011-01-01

A majority of recipients benefited from the intra-operative single high-dose induction (HDI) with ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) still leaving a group of recipients who did not profit from this kind of induction. Therefore the aim of this retrospective analysis was 1st to identify the risk factors impacting short and long-term graft survival, and 2nd to assess the efficacy of this type of induction in kidney graft recipients with or without these risk factors. A total of 606 recipients receiving two different immunosuppressive treatment regimens (1st: Triple drug therapy [TDT, n=196] consisting mainly of steroids, azathioprine and cyclosporine; 2nd: TDT + 9 mg/kg ATG-F intra-operatively [HDI, n=410]) were included in this analysis and grouped according to their kidney graft survival time (short GST: ≤1 yr, n=100 and long GST: >5 yrs, n=506). The main risk factors associated with a shortened graft survival were pre-transplant sensitization, re-transplantation, rejections (in particular vascular or mixed ones) and the necessity of a long-term anti-rejection therapy. Adding ATG-F single high dose induction to TDT was more efficient in prolonging kidney graft survival than TDT alone not only in recipients without any risk factors (p<0.005) but also in recipients with at least one risk factor (p<0.021). Only in 4.6% of recipients having two or more risk factors this effect could not be demonstrated. The intra-operative single high-dose induction with ATG-F significantly improves the kidney graft survival in recipients with or without risk factors and can therefore be recommended.

The impact of oral health on body image and social interactions among elders in long-term care.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Leeann R; Clarke, Laura Hurd; Phinney, Alison; MacEntee, Michael I

2016-12-01

The objective of this study was to explore how social interactions and body image are influenced by perceived oral health among older people who live in long-term care facilities. Social interactions among frail elders in long-term care (LTC) facilities are limited, but to what extent body image and oral health influence their social relations is poorly understood. A positive body image and the perception of adequate oral health are linked to increased social contacts, as well as improved health and well-being irrespective of age. However, as frailty increases, it is unclear whether appearance and oral health priorities remain stable. Open-ended interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected group of cognitively intact, older men and women who exhibited varying degrees of frailty, social engagement and oral health conditions and lived in one of seven long-term care facilities. The interviews were analysed using a constant comparative technique, and a second interview with participants checked the trustworthiness of the analysis. Three major categories were expressed by the participants: (1) My mouth is fine; (2) It depends; and (3) Not that important. Within each category, there were several contributing and influencing factors. Social interactions among residents in LTC may be negatively impacted by poor oral health, but only if other personal and social issues are less bothersome than conditions with the mouth. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A protocol improves GP recording of long-term sickness absence risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

van Dijk, Paul; Hogervorst, Wouter; ter Riet, Gerben; van Dijk, Frank

2008-06-01

If general practitioners (GPs) were better informed about patients' risks of long-term sickness absence (LTSA), they could incorporate these risk assessments into their patient management plans and cooperate more with occupational physicians to prevent LTSA. To evaluate the effectiveness of a protocol helping GPs in recording risks of LTSA and in co-operating with occupational physicians (OPs). Twenty-six GPs (co-operating in four groups) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, participated in a controlled intervention study. Fourteen GPs were the protocol-supported intervention group and twelve GPs were the reference group. Outcome measures were consultations containing work-related information, information about two risk factors for LTSA, referrals to OPs and contacts of OPs with GPs and patients. Outcomes were identified through an electronic search in the GPs' information systems. Entries containing information were independently scored by two investigators. The proportions of patients with consultations documenting LTSA-pertinent items were compared between the groups, accounting for differences at baseline. There was no increase in consultations containing work-related information. Recording of risk factor information increased in the intervention group; the difference was 4.5% [95% CI 1.5-7.6] and 1.8% (95% CI -0.8 to 4.4) for the two risk factors. The referral rate to the OP increased by 2.9% (95% CI 1.2-4.5). There was no effect on contacts of OPs with GPs or with patients. Protocol-supported consultations may lead to a modest increase in information regarding two risk factors for LTSA in GPs' electronic records and to more referrals to OPs.

Short-Term and Long-Term Educational Mobility of Families: A Two-Sex Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xi; Mare, Robert D

2017-02-01

We use a multigenerational perspective to investigate how families reproduce and pass their educational advantages to succeeding generations. Unlike traditional mobility studies that have typically focused on one-sex influences from fathers to sons, we rely on a two-sex approach that accounts for interactions between males and females-the process in which males and females mate and have children with those of similar educational statuses and jointly determine the educational status attainment of their offspring. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we approach this issue from both a short-term and a long-term perspective. For the short term, grandparents' educational attainments have a direct association with grandchildren's education as well as an indirect association that is mediated by parents' education and demographic behaviors. For the long term, initial educational advantages of families may benefit as many as three subsequent generations, but such advantages are later offset by the lower fertility of highly educated persons. Yet, all families eventually achieve the same educational distribution of descendants because of intermarriages between families of high- and low-education origin.

Long-term monitoring for closed special sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golchert, N.W.; Sedlet, J.

1987-01-01

A methodology is presented for planning and implementing a long-term environmental monitoring program for closed special radioactive waste disposal sites. The steps in the method involve collection of the available background information on the site history, site and area characteristics, waste inventory, pathway analysis, prior monitoring programs, applicable standards, and the legal/regulatory requirements. This information is coupled with factors such as experience, half-life, radionuclide migration rates, and potential hazard to develop a monitoring program. As an example, a site-specific long-term monitoring program is described for the AMAX site using the available information. Sampling techniques and practices for the monitoring program are discussed and techniques and practices expected to be available in the future are considered. 7 references, 2 tables

Factors Influencing Stormwater Mitigation in Permeable Pavement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun Yan Liu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Permeable pavement (PP is used worldwide to mitigate surface runoff in urban areas. Various studies have examined the factors governing the hydrologic performance of PP. However, relatively little is known about the relative importance of these governing factors and the long-term hydrologic performance of PP. This study applied numerical models—calibrated and validated using existing experimental results—to simulate hundreds of event-based and two long-term rainfall scenarios for two designs of PP. Based on the event-based simulation results, rainfall intensity, rainfall volume, thickness of the storage layer and the hydraulic conductivity of the subgrade were identified as the most influential factors in PP runoff reduction. Over the long term, PP performed significantly better in a relatively drier climate (e.g., New York, reducing nearly 90% of runoff volume compared to 70% in a relatively wetter climate (e.g., Hong Kong. The two designs of PP examined performed differently, and the difference was more apparent in the relatively wetter climate. This study generated insights that will help the design and implementation of PP to mitigate stormwater worldwide.

SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM WATER LEVEL PREDICTION AT ONE RIVER MEASUREMENT LOCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf Scitovski

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Global hydrological cycles mainly depend on climate changes whose occurrence is predominantly triggered by solar and terrestrial influence, and the knowledge of the high water regime is widely applied in hydrology. Regular monitoring and studying of river water level behavior is important from several perspectives. On the basis of the given data, by using modifications of general approaches known from literature, especially from investigation in hydrology, the problem of long- and short-term water level forecast at one river measurement location is considered in the paper. Long-term forecasting is considered as the problem of investigating the periodicity of water level behavior by using linear-trigonometric regression and short-term forecasting is based on the modification of the nearest neighbor method. The proposed methods are tested on data referring to the Drava River level by Donji Miholjac, Croatia, in the period between the beginning of 1900 and the end of 2012.

Inverse roles of emotional labour on health and job satisfaction among long-term care workers in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsukamoto, Erika; Abe, Takeru; Ono, Michikazu

2015-01-01

Emotional labour increases among long-term care workers because providing care and services to impaired elders causes conflicting interpersonal emotions. Thus, we investigated the associations between emotional labour, general health and job satisfaction among long-term care workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 132 established, private day care centres in Tokyo using a mail survey. The outcome variables included two health-related variables and four job satisfaction variables: physical and psychological health, satisfaction with wages, interpersonal relationships, work environment and job satisfaction. We performed multiple regression analyses to identify significant factors. Directors from 36 facilities agreed to participate. A total of 123 responses from long-term care workers were analysed. Greater emotional dissonance was associated with better physical and psychological health and worse work environment satisfaction (partial regression coefficient: -2.93, p = .0389; -3.32, p = .0299; -1.92, p = .0314, respectively). Fewer negative emotions were associated with more job satisfaction (partial regression coefficient: -1.87, p = .0163). We found that emotional labour was significantly inversely associated with health and job satisfaction. Our findings indicated that the emotional labour of long-term care workers has a negative and positive influence on health and workplace satisfaction, and suggests that care quality and stable employment among long-term care workers might affect their emotional labour. Therefore, we think a programme to support emotional labour among long-term care workers in an organized manner and a self-care programme to educate workers regarding emotional labour would be beneficial.

Long term results of kissing stents in the aortic bifurcation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hinnen, J.W.; Konickx, M.A.; Meerwaldt, Robbert; Kolkert, J.L.P.; van der Palen, Jacobus Adrianus Maria; Huisman, A.B.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the long-term outcome after aortoiliac kissing stent placement and to analyze variables, which potentially influence the outcome of endovascular reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation. METHODS: All patients treated with aortoiliac kissing stents at our institution between

Factors influencing botulinum toxin dose instability in spasmodic dysphonia patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosow, David E; Pechman, Amanda; Saint-Victor, Sandra; Lo, Kaming; Lundy, Donna S; Casiano, Roy R

2015-05-01

Many patients with spasmodic dysphonia (SD) see consistent effects from botulinum toxin (BTX) injections of the same dose, whereas others require dosage changes over time. We sought to determine whether demographics (age and gender) or environmental factors (smoking) affect the long-term stability of BTX dosing in these patients. Retrospective review. Charts of all patients undergoing BTX injection for adductor SD were reviewed. Dosage change, defined as whether there was any difference in total dosage used between two beneficial injections, was used as a measure of dosing stability. Beneficial injections were indicated by a voice rating score of at least three of four and any non-zero duration of improved voice. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether age, gender, smoking status, or duration of treatment correlated with odds of having a dosage change. A total of 211 patients were ultimately included. Age, gender, and smoking status were all found to have no correlative effect on dosing stability. The only factor that was predictive of dose stability was the number of previous beneficial injections, as every additional injection led to decreased odds of a change in dosage for the next injection (odds ratio=0.964; 95% confidence interval=0.947-0.981). Dosage of BTX injections for long-term treatment of SD has a significant propensity to remain stable over time. Factors such as age, gender, and smoking status do not appear to influence the dosage stability. These findings should allow for better patient counseling regarding expectations for their long-term treatment. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) immunoreactive neurons in the juvenile rat hippocampus: response to acute and long-term high-light open-field (HL-OF) or forced swim (FS) stress stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Badowska-Szalewska, E; Spodnik, E; Ludkiewicz, B; Klejbor, I; Moryś, J

2011-12-29

This study aimed at examining and comparing the influence of two different stress stimuli on the density (number of cells/mm²) of nerve growth factor (NGF) containing neurons in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers and the dentate gyrus (DG) granule cell layer in juvenile rats (P28; P-postnatal day). The high-light open-field (HL-OF) test and forced swim (FS) test were employed to investigate the effects of a single, 15-min acute exposure and repeated (15 min daily for 21 days) long-term exposure to stress. In order to detect NGF-ir neurons, immunohistochemical (-ir) techniques were used. In comparison with nonstressed animals, acute and long-term HL-OF or FS stimulation resulted in a marked increase (P<0.001) in the density of NGF-ir containing cells in all the hippocampal structures. The frequency of stress application (acute vs. long-term), however, did not have a substantial impact on the studied parameter, with the exception of the CA3 sector, where a decreased density (P<0.001) of NGF-ir neurons was observed after long-term exposure to FS. It may be concluded that a rise in the density of NGF-ir neurons in the juvenile rat hippocampus after exposure to HL-OF or FS stressors could have affected the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) stress axis. Prolonged HL-OF or FS stress was probably aggravating enough not to trigger the habituation process. The type of stressor applied (HL-OF vs. FS) was not essentially a factor determining the density of NGF-ir cells in the hippocampus. Copyright © 2011 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting nursing staff use of a communication tool to reduce potentially preventable acute care transfers in long-term care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballard, Stephanie A; Peretti, Matteo; Lungu, Ovidiu; Voyer, Philippe; Tabamo, Fruan; Alfonso, Linda; Cetin-Sahin, Deniz; Johnson, Sarasa M A; Wilchesky, Machelle

Although specialized communication tools can effectively reduce acute care transfers, few studies have assessed the factors that may influence the use of such tools by nursing staff at the individual level. We evaluated the associations between years of experience, tool-related training, nursing attitudes, and intensity of use of a communication tool developed to reduce transfers in a long-term care facility. We employed a mixed methods design using data from medical charts, electronic records, and semi-structured interviews. Experienced nurses used the tool significantly less than inexperienced nurses, and training had a significant positive impact on tool use. Nurses found the purpose of the tool to be confusing. No significant differences in attitude were observed based on years of experience or intensity of use. Project findings indicate that focused efforts to enrich training may increase intervention adherence. Experienced nurses in particular should be made aware of the benefits of utilizing communication tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term governance for sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martell, M.

2007-01-01

Meritxell Martell spoke of the long-term aspects of radioactive waste management. She pointed out that decision-making processes need to be framed within the context of sustainability, which means that a balance should be sought between scientific considerations, economic aspects and structural conditions. Focusing on structural aspects, Working Group 3 of COWAM-Spain came to the conclusion that the activity of the regulator is a key factor of long-term management. Another finding is that from a sustainability perspective multi-level governance is more effective for coping with the challenges of radioactive waste management than one tier of government-making decisions. The working group also felt that the current Local Information Committees need to evolve towards more institutionalized and legitimized mechanisms for long-term involvement. Ms. Martell introduced a study comparing the efficiency of economic instruments to advance sustainable development in nuclear communities vs. municipalities in mining areas. The study found that funds transferred to nuclear zones had become a means to facilitate local acceptance of nuclear facilities rather than a means to promote socio-economic development. Another finding is that economic instruments are not sufficient guarantees of sustainable development by themselves; additional preconditions include leadership, vision and entrepreneur-ship on the part of community leaders, private or public investments, among others. Finally, Ms. Martell summarised the challenges faced by the Spanish radioactive waste management programme, which include the need for strategic thinking, designing the future in a participatory fashion, and working with local and regional governments and citizens to devise mechanisms for social learning, economic development and environmental protection. (author)

Influence of long-term treatment with glyceryl trinitrate on remote ischemic conditioning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauerslev, Marie; Mørk, Sivagowry Rasalingam; Pryds, Kasper

2018-01-01

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) protects against sustained myocardial ischemia. Due to overlapping mechanisms this protection may be altered by glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), which is commonly used in the treatment of patients with chronic ischemic heart disease. We investigated whether long-term ...

The histone deacetylase HDAC4 regulates long-term memory in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzsimons, Helen L; Schwartz, Silvia; Given, Fiona M; Scott, Maxwell J

2013-01-01

A growing body of research indicates that pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) correlates with enhancement of long-term memory and current research is concentrated on determining the roles that individual HDACs play in cognitive function. Here, we investigate the role of HDAC4 in long-term memory formation in Drosophila. We show that overexpression of HDAC4 in the adult mushroom body, an important structure for memory formation, resulted in a specific impairment in long-term courtship memory, but had no affect on short-term memory. Overexpression of an HDAC4 catalytic mutant also abolished LTM, suggesting a mode of action independent of catalytic activity. We found that overexpression of HDAC4 resulted in a redistribution of the transcription factor MEF2 from a relatively uniform distribution through the nucleus into punctate nuclear bodies, where it colocalized with HDAC4. As MEF2 has also been implicated in regulation of long-term memory, these data suggest that the repressive effects of HDAC4 on long-term memory may be through interaction with MEF2. In the same genetic background, we also found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of HDAC4 impairs long-term memory, therefore we demonstrate that HDAC4 is not only a repressor of long-term memory, but also modulates normal memory formation.

The influence of factors determining relationships between organisations and their strategic suppliers on the frequency of implementations of purchasing marketing strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matjaž Iršič

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with different factors determining relationships of large Slovenian organisations (with more than 500 employees with their strategic suppliers and their influence on the frequency of implementations of purchasing marketing strategies. The factors dealt with are: the quality of the relationship between the organisation and its strategic supplier (supplier activities, attractiveness of supply for the organisation and the competitive position of the organisation on the supply market, bargaining power of the organisation with respect to the supplier (the organisation's risk orientation, its orientation towards cooperation and the size of its bargaining power and the quantity of the relationship (the size of transactional assets. The research showed that large organisations in Slovenia are unlikely to develop such purchasing marketing strategies, characteristic of the so-called »relationship marketing« with their strategic suppliers (with whom they have a long-term business relationship. The influence of measured factors on the frequency of the implementation of individual purchasing marketing strategies exists, with a stronger impact of factors with short-term effects on the organisation; hence the surveyed organisations are still more oriented towards reaching short-term efficiency instead of long-term success.

Long-term urethral catheterisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Bruce; Dickens, Nicola

This article discusses long-term urethral catheterisation, focusing on the relevant anatomy and physiology, indications for the procedure, catheter selection and catheter care. It is important that nurses have a good working knowledge of long-term catheterisation as the need for this intervention will increase with the rise in chronic health conditions and the ageing population.

Environmental Factors Associated with Norovirus Transmission in Long-Term Care Facilities in South Carolina.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayasekara, Lalani; Leone, Cortney M; Sharp, Julia; Getty, Morgan

2016-09-01

In the U.S., 60% of norovirus outbreaks are attributed to long-term care facilities (LTCFs). A descriptive study of 26 LTCFs in South Carolina was conducted to determine the presence of environmental factors associated with transmission of human noroviruses. Sanitary conditions in one common area, one staff/visitor bathroom, and the main kitchen were assessed using two audit forms. While surfaces in all kitchens were in good sanitary condition, 23 LTCFs used quaternary ammonium-based sanitizers and three LTCFs used chlorine bleach for kitchen sanitization. All common areas were also clean and in good condition; however, 20 LTCFs had upholstered chairs, and five LTCFs had carpeted floors. Seven facilities used quaternary ammonium-based disinfectants exclusively, whereas six LTCFs used chlorine bleach exclusively, and eight LTCFs used both to disinfect common areas. Seven staff/visitor bathrooms were accessible to residents, and hand washing signage was missing from 10. These results reveal the presence of environmental factors that might facilitate norovirus transmission within LTCFs.

Factors influencing the potential for strong brand relationships with consumer product brands: An overview and research agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bech-Larsen, Tino; Bergkvist, Lars; Francis, Julie

Based on the premise that consumer product brands are different with respect to their potential to form strong long-term relationships with consumers, this paper aims to identify factors that influence brands' potential for strong long-term relationships and to suggest how these can be empirically...... investigated. The paper reviews brand-centric and consumer-centric research and identifies twelve brand variables that may influence the relationship potential of consumer product brands. A research agenda is suggested and a number of issues that needs to be resolved before empirical research can be carried...... out are discussed. The paper concludes by speculating on possible outcomes in future empirical studies and it is suggested that multiple brand variables will have to be employed to evaluate the relationship potential of brands....

Mechanisms of translation control underlying long-lasting synaptic plasticity and the consolidation of long-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Santini, Emanuela; Huynh, Thu N; Klann, Eric

2014-01-01

The complexity of memory formation and its persistence is a phenomenon that has been studied intensely for centuries. Memory exists in many forms and is stored in various brain regions. Generally speaking, memories are reorganized into broadly distributed cortical networks over time through systems level consolidation. At the cellular level, storage of information is believed to initially occur via altered synaptic strength by processes such as long-term potentiation. New protein synthesis is required for long-lasting synaptic plasticity as well as for the formation of long-term memory. The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a critical regulator of cap-dependent protein synthesis and is required for numerous forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity and long-term memory. As such, the study of mTORC1 and protein factors that control translation initiation and elongation has enhanced our understanding of how the process of protein synthesis is regulated during memory formation. Herein we discuss the molecular mechanisms that regulate protein synthesis as well as pharmacological and genetic manipulations that demonstrate the requirement for proper translational control in long-lasting synaptic plasticity and long-term memory formation. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership styles of Finnish nurse managers and factors influencing it.

Science.gov (United States)

Vesterinen, Soili; Isola, Arja; Paasivaara, Leena

2009-05-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore nurse managers' perceptions of their leadership styles and factors influencing it. It is a challenge for nurse managers to retain nurses in hospitals and to ensure a high quality of care in nursing practice. Leadership style is an important part of leadership. Knowledge concerning nurse managers' resonant and non-resonant leadership styles provides nurse managers with tools to reflect on their own leadership style. Open-ended, tape-recorded interviews were conducted with 13 nurse managers from five Finnish hospitals and two long-term care facilities. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Five categories of leadership style were discerned: visionary, coaching, affiliate, democratic, commanding. Factors that influence leadership style were identified: earlier superiors, values, information, cooperation, employees and education. The results of this study show that Finnish nurse managers use both resonant and non-resonant leadership styles. The findings of this study show that nurse managers use a variety of leadership styles. The study demonstrates the importance of knowledge about leadership styles and factors influencing it among nurse managers providing future leadership and management education.

Working memory, long-term memory, and medial temporal lobe function

Science.gov (United States)

Jeneson, Annette; Squire, Larry R.

2012-01-01

Early studies of memory-impaired patients with medial temporal lobe (MTL) damage led to the view that the hippocampus and related MTL structures are involved in the formation of long-term memory and that immediate memory and working memory are independent of these structures. This traditional idea has recently been revisited. Impaired performance in patients with MTL lesions on tasks with short retention intervals, or no retention interval, and neuroimaging findings with similar tasks have been interpreted to mean that the MTL is sometimes needed for working memory and possibly even for visual perception itself. We present a reappraisal of this interpretation. Our main conclusion is that, if the material to be learned exceeds working memory capacity, if the material is difficult to rehearse, or if attention is diverted, performance depends on long-term memory even when the retention interval is brief. This fundamental notion is better captured by the terms subspan memory and supraspan memory than by the terms short-term memory and long-term memory. We propose methods for determining when performance on short-delay tasks must depend on long-term (supraspan) memory and suggest that MTL lesions impair performance only when immediate memory and working memory are insufficient to support performance. In neuroimaging studies, MTL activity during encoding is influenced by the memory load and correlates positively with long-term retention of the material that was presented. The most parsimonious and consistent interpretation of all the data is that subspan memoranda are supported by immediate memory and working memory and are independent of the MTL. PMID:22180053

Semantic and phonological contributions to short-term repetition and long-term cued sentence recall.

Science.gov (United States)

Meltzer, Jed A; Rose, Nathan S; Deschamps, Tiffany; Leigh, Rosie C; Panamsky, Lilia; Silberberg, Alexandra; Madani, Noushin; Links, Kira A

2016-02-01

The function of verbal short-term memory is supported not only by the phonological loop, but also by semantic resources that may operate on both short and long time scales. Elucidation of the neural underpinnings of these mechanisms requires effective behavioral manipulations that can selectively engage them. We developed a novel cued sentence recall paradigm to assess the effects of two factors on sentence recall accuracy at short-term and long-term stages. Participants initially repeated auditory sentences immediately following a 14-s retention period. After this task was complete, long-term memory for each sentence was probed by a two-word recall cue. The sentences were either concrete (high imageability) or abstract (low imageability), and the initial 14-s retention period was filled with either an undemanding finger-tapping task or a more engaging articulatory suppression task (Exp. 1, counting backward by threes; Exp. 2, repeating a four-syllable nonword). Recall was always better for the concrete sentences. Articulatory suppression reduced accuracy in short-term recall, especially for abstract sentences, but the sentences initially recalled following articulatory suppression were retained better at the subsequent cued-recall test, suggesting that the engagement of semantic mechanisms for short-term retention promoted encoding of the sentence meaning into long-term memory. These results provide a basis for using sentence imageability and subsequent memory performance as probes of semantic engagement in short-term memory for sentences.

The influence of psychological factors on post-partum weight retention at 9 months.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Joanne; King, Ross; Skouteris, Helen

2014-11-01

Post-partum weight retention (PWR) has been identified as a critical pathway for long-term overweight and obesity. In recent years, psychological factors have been demonstrated to play a key role in contributing to and maintaining PWR. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the relationship between post-partum psychological distress and PWR at 9 months, after controlling for maternal weight factors, sleep quality, sociocontextual influences, and maternal behaviours. Pregnant women (N = 126) completed a series of questionnaires at multiple time points from early pregnancy until 9 months post-partum. Hierarchical regression indicated that gestational weight gain, shorter duration (6 months or less) of breastfeeding, and post-partum body dissatisfaction at 3 and 6 months are associated with higher PWR at 9 months; stress, depression, and anxiety had minimal influence. Interventions aimed at preventing excessive PWR should specifically target the prevention of body dissatisfaction and excessive weight gain during pregnancy. What is already known on this subject? Post-partum weight retention (PWR) is a critical pathway for long-term overweight and obesity. Causes of PWR are complex and multifactorial. There is increasing evidence that psychological factors play a key role in predicting high PWR. What does this study add? Post-partum body dissatisfaction at 3 and 6 months is associated with PWR at 9 months post-birth. Post-partum depression, stress and anxiety have less influence on PWR at 9 months. Interventions aimed at preventing excessive PWR should target body dissatisfaction. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Influence of rugby injuries on players' subsequent health and lifestyle: beginning a long term follow up.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, A J; Garraway, W M; Hepburn, W; Laidlaw, R

2001-02-01

To describe the current rugby playing status of a cohort of 1,169 men who had previously participated in an epidemiological survey of rugby injuries during the 1993-1994 season, and assess the consequences of rugby injuries sustained. In May 1998, 911 (78%) men completed a questionnaire reporting their current involvement in rugby and the influence that the 324 (71%) injuries they had sustained four years earlier had since had on their health and wellbeing. The most common reasons given by the 390 (43%) ex-players for ceasing to play rugby were family (10%), employment (25%), and an injury sustained while playing rugby (26%), 80% of which were dislocations, strains, and sprains, mainly to the knee (35%), back (14%), and shoulder (9%). A significantly (chi2 test 21.7, df = 1, pnegative effects to employment, family life, and health up to mid-1998 from injuries that occurred during the 1993-1994 season, although the impact on their lifestyle had been substantial in some cases. With the recent increase in the incidence of dislocation, strain, and sprain injuries in rugby football, the findings of this follow up could have a great impact on the game in the future. Although this survey has shown that, so far, only a small proportion of players suffer significant effects of rugby injuries, four years is not long enough to assess the long term effects. This cohort of rugby players need to be followed up for at least a further 20 years to determine whether there is a higher incidence of subsequent degenerative joint disease or other long term sequelae to injuries sustained while playing rugby.

Long-term influence of tillage and fertilization on net carbon dioxide exchange rate on two soils with different textures.

Science.gov (United States)

Feiziene, Dalia; Feiza, Virginijus; Slepetiene, Alvyra; Liaudanskiene, Inga; Kadziene, Grazina; Deveikyte, Irena; Vaideliene, Asta

2011-01-01

The importance of agricultural practices to greenhouse gas mitigation is examined worldwide. However, there is no consensus on soil organic carbon (SOC) content and CO emissions as affected by soil management practices and their relationships with soil texture. No-till (NT) agriculture often results in soil C gain, though, not always. Soil net CO exchange rate (NCER) and environmental factors (SOC, soil temperature [T], and water content [W]), as affected by soil type (loam and sandy loam), tillage (conventional, reduced, and NT), and fertilization, were quantified in long-term field experiments in Lithuania. Soil tillage and fertilization affected total CO flux (heterotrophic and autotrophic) through effect on soil SOC sequestration, water, and temperature regime. After 11 yr of different tillage and fertilization management, SOC content was 23% more in loam than in sandy loam. Long-term NT contributed to 7 to 27% more SOC sequestration on loam and to 29 to 33% more on sandy loam compared with reduced tillage (RT) or conventional tillage (CT). Soil water content in loam was 7% more than in sandy loam. Soil gravimetric water content, averaged across measurement dates and fertilization treatments, was significantly less in NT than CT and RT in both soils. Soil organic carbon content and water storage capacity of the loam and sandy loam soils exerted different influences on NCER. The NCER from the sandy loam soil was 13% greater than that from the loam. In addition, NCER was 4 to 9% less with NT than with CT and RT systems on both loam and sandy loam soils. Application of mineral NPK fertilizers promoted significantly greater NCER from loam but suppressed NCER by 15% from sandy loam. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Are Multidimensional Pain Inventory Coping Strategy Profiles Associated with Long-Term Spinal Cord Stimulation Effectiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Paroli, Mery; Bernini, Olivia; De Carolis, Giuliano; Tollapi, Lara; Bondi, Franca; Martini, Antonella; Dario, Alessandro; Paolicchi, Adriana

2018-05-01

It is acknowledged that the way patients cope with pain may influence treatment outcome. In particular, psychological factors are deemed important when considering patients for suitability for spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The aim of the study is to observe how pre-implantation psychological characteristics impact the effectiveness of SCS for chronic pain. The analysis comprised data from 137 patients who underwent an SCS implant. Screening evaluation included a coping strategies profile (Multidimensional Pain Inventory) and psychiatric disorders (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Based on SCS implant outcome collected during follow-up visits, patients were divided into three groups: subjects with long-term pain relief (long-term group), subjects who failed the SCS treatment and decided to explant trial device (trial explanter group [TE]), and those who chose a permanent device (permanent explanter group [PE]). Results showed that most of the patients who failed with the SCS (TE and PE groups) demonstrated a dysfunctional coping profile and showed a higher presence of psychiatric disorders, which significantly influenced the experience and perception of pain. The findings of this study support the value of a multidisciplinary screening. Addressing psychological issues before SCS implantation can reduce the failure rate of SCS.

Long-term accessibility of e-books: challenges, obstacles, responsibilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Krtalić

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The traditional life cycle of books has gone through many changes in the digital environment - enough to start questioning the effects of such changes on the process of creating, publishing, distributing, reading and preserving books. This paper focuses on issues concerning the preservation and archiving of published authors’ works in the digital environment for the purpose of their long-term accessibility. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of relevant legal, technical, societal and organisational issues from which challenges, obstacles and responsibilities in ensuring long-term accessibility of e-books arise. Issues related to authorship, editions, changes in content, copyright and digital rights management, selection criteria for preservation, and preservation responsibility will be discussed, specifically focusing on libraries’ and publishers’ roles in this process. The paper is based on a literature review and content analysis aiming to answer two basic research questions: What specific characteristics of e-books influence their preservation possibilities? Who is responsible for long-term accessibility of e-books?

The molecular and metabolic influence of long term agmatine consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Nissim, Itzhak; Horyn, Oksana; Daikhin, Yevgeny; Chen, Pan; Li, Changhong; Wehrli, Suzanne L; Nissim, Ilana; Yudkoff, Marc

2014-04-04

Agmatine (AGM), a product of arginine decarboxylation, influences multiple physiologic and metabolic functions. However, the mechanism(s) of action, the impact on whole body gene expression and metabolic pathways, and the potential benefits and risks of long term AGM consumption are still a mystery. Here, we scrutinized the impact of AGM on whole body metabolic profiling and gene expression and assessed a plausible mechanism(s) of AGM action. Studies were performed in rats fed a high fat diet or standard chow. AGM was added to drinking water for 4 or 8 weeks. We used (13)C or (15)N tracers to assess metabolic reactions and fluxes and real time quantitative PCR to determine gene expression. The results demonstrate that AGM elevated the synthesis and tissue level of cAMP. Subsequently, AGM had a widespread impact on gene expression and metabolic profiling including (a) activation of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-α and its coactivator, PGC1α, and (b) increased expression of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ and genes regulating thermogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and carnitine biosynthesis and transport. The changes in gene expression were coupled with improved tissue and systemic levels of carnitine and short chain acylcarnitine, increased β-oxidation but diminished incomplete fatty acid oxidation, decreased fat but increased protein mass, and increased hepatic ureagenesis and gluconeogenesis but decreased glycolysis. These metabolic changes were coupled with reduced weight gain and a curtailment of the hormonal and metabolic derangements associated with high fat diet-induced obesity. The findings suggest that AGM elevated the synthesis and levels of cAMP, thereby mimicking the effects of caloric restriction with respect to metabolic reprogramming.

The Molecular and Metabolic Influence of Long Term Agmatine Consumption*

Science.gov (United States)

Nissim, Itzhak; Horyn, Oksana; Daikhin, Yevgeny; Chen, Pan; Li, Changhong; Wehrli, Suzanne L.; Nissim, Ilana; Yudkoff, Marc

2014-01-01

Agmatine (AGM), a product of arginine decarboxylation, influences multiple physiologic and metabolic functions. However, the mechanism(s) of action, the impact on whole body gene expression and metabolic pathways, and the potential benefits and risks of long term AGM consumption are still a mystery. Here, we scrutinized the impact of AGM on whole body metabolic profiling and gene expression and assessed a plausible mechanism(s) of AGM action. Studies were performed in rats fed a high fat diet or standard chow. AGM was added to drinking water for 4 or 8 weeks. We used 13C or 15N tracers to assess metabolic reactions and fluxes and real time quantitative PCR to determine gene expression. The results demonstrate that AGM elevated the synthesis and tissue level of cAMP. Subsequently, AGM had a widespread impact on gene expression and metabolic profiling including (a) activation of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-α and its coactivator, PGC1α, and (b) increased expression of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ and genes regulating thermogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and carnitine biosynthesis and transport. The changes in gene expression were coupled with improved tissue and systemic levels of carnitine and short chain acylcarnitine, increased β-oxidation but diminished incomplete fatty acid oxidation, decreased fat but increased protein mass, and increased hepatic ureagenesis and gluconeogenesis but decreased glycolysis. These metabolic changes were coupled with reduced weight gain and a curtailment of the hormonal and metabolic derangements associated with high fat diet-induced obesity. The findings suggest that AGM elevated the synthesis and levels of cAMP, thereby mimicking the effects of caloric restriction with respect to metabolic reprogramming. PMID:24523404

Long-term efficacy of reverse pull headgear therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Andrew P; Sarver, David M; Proffit, William R

2006-11-01

To add to the data for long-term reverse pull headgear (RPHG) outcomes and further explore possible variables that could be predictors of long-term failure. Cephalometric radiographs of 41 Class III malocclusion children treated with RPHG (face mask) were evaluated before and immediately after treatment; at 5 years posttreatment; and, for 18 patients, at 10 years posttreatment. Patients were assigned to success or failure groups according to positive or negative overjet at the longest available recall. Seventy-five percent of the patients maintained positive overjet, whereas 25% outgrew the correction. In a stepwise discriminant analysis, a large mandible and vertical positioning of the maxilla and mandible so that mandibular growth would be projected more horizontally were the major indicators of unfavorable later mandibular growth. Patients who experienced downward-backward rotation of the mandible during RPHG treatment were more likely to be categorized in the failure group. The age at which treatment began had no effect on long-term success and failure for patients younger than 10 years, but the percentage of successful treatment decreased after that age. When RPHG treatment is used for all but the most obviously prognathic children to correct anterior cross-bite in the early mixed dentition, positive overjet is maintained long-term in 70%-75% of cases, whereas 25%-30% of cases relapse into reverse overjet mainly because of increased horizontally directed and often late mandibular growth. Up to age 10, the time at which RPHG treatment began does not appear to be a major factor in long-term success in maintaining positive overjet.

The histone deacetylase HDAC4 regulates long-term memory in Drosophila.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen L Fitzsimons

Full Text Available A growing body of research indicates that pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs correlates with enhancement of long-term memory and current research is concentrated on determining the roles that individual HDACs play in cognitive function. Here, we investigate the role of HDAC4 in long-term memory formation in Drosophila. We show that overexpression of HDAC4 in the adult mushroom body, an important structure for memory formation, resulted in a specific impairment in long-term courtship memory, but had no affect on short-term memory. Overexpression of an HDAC4 catalytic mutant also abolished LTM, suggesting a mode of action independent of catalytic activity. We found that overexpression of HDAC4 resulted in a redistribution of the transcription factor MEF2 from a relatively uniform distribution through the nucleus into punctate nuclear bodies, where it colocalized with HDAC4. As MEF2 has also been implicated in regulation of long-term memory, these data suggest that the repressive effects of HDAC4 on long-term memory may be through interaction with MEF2. In the same genetic background, we also found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of HDAC4 impairs long-term memory, therefore we demonstrate that HDAC4 is not only a repressor of long-term memory, but also modulates normal memory formation.

Monitoring and modeling of long-term settlements of an experimental landfill in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Simões, Gustavo Ferreira; Catapreta, Cícero Antônio Antunes

2013-02-01

Settlement evaluation in sanitary landfills is a complex process, due to the waste heterogeneity, time-varying properties and influencing factors and mechanisms, such as mechanical compression due to load application and creep, and physical-chemical and biological processes caused by the wastes decomposition. Many empirical models for the analysis of long-term settlement in landfills are reported in the literature. This paper presents the results of a settlement monitoring program carried out during 6 years in Belo Horizonte experimental landfill. Different sets of field data were used to calibrate three long-term settlement prediction models (rheological, hyperbolic and composite). The parameters obtained in the calibration were used to predict the settlements and to compare with actual field data. During the monitoring period of 6 years, significant vertical strains were observed (of up to 31%) in relation to the initial height of the experimental landfill. The results for the long-term settlement prediction obtained by the hyperbolic and rheological models significantly underestimate the settlements, regardless the period of data used in the calibration. The best fits were obtained with the composite model, except when 1 year field data were used in the calibration. The results of the composite model indicate settlements stabilization at larger times and with larger final settlements when compared to the hyperbolic and rheological models. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of process variations and long term degradation on 6T-SRAM cells

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Th. Fischer

2007-06-01

Full Text Available In modern deep-submicron CMOS technologies voltage scaling can not keep up with the scaling of the dimensions of transistors. Therefore the electrical fields inside the transistors are not constant anymore, while scaling down the device area. The rising electrical fields bring up reliability problems, such as hot carrier injection. Also other long term degradation mechanisms like Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI come into the focus of circuit design.

Along with process device parameter variations (threshold voltage, mobility, variations due to the degradation of devices form a big challenge for designers to build circuits that both yield high under the influence of process variations and remain functional with respect to long term device drift.

In this work we present the influence of long term degradation and process variations on the performance of SRAM core-cells and parametric yield of SRAM arrays. For different use cases we show the performance degradation depending on temperature and supply voltage.

Economical comparison of imported energy sources in terms of long-term production planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gungor, Z.

1999-01-01

In this paper, the Turkish energy production sector is studied and power plants fueled by natural gas, imported coal and nuclear power are compared in terms of long-term (1996-2010) production economy. A net present value is used for comparing nuclear, coal and natural gas power plants. A scenario approach is utilized in establishing the effects of different factors, such as inflation rate, unit of investment costs, load factor change, discount rate and fuel price changes. Six different scenarios of interest are developed and discussed. The study ends with conclusions and recommendations based on a study of a reference scenario and alternative scenarios. (author)

Predicting Discharge to Institutional Long-Term Care After Stroke: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Jennifer K; Ferguson, Eilidh E C; Barugh, Amanda J; Walesby, Katherine E; MacLullich, Alasdair M J; Shenkin, Susan D; Quinn, Terry J

2018-01-01

Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and a significant proportion of stroke survivors require long-term institutional care. Understanding who cannot be discharged home is important for health and social care planning. Our aim was to establish predictive factors for discharge to institutional care after hospitalization for stroke. We registered and conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO: CRD42015023497) of observational studies. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL Plus to February 2017. Quantitative synthesis was performed where data allowed. Acute and rehabilitation hospitals. Adults hospitalized for stroke who were newly admitted directly to long-term institutional care at the time of hospital discharge. Factors associated with new institutionalization. From 10,420 records, we included 18 studies (n = 32,139 participants). The studies were heterogeneous and conducted in Europe, North America, and East Asia. Eight studies were at high risk of selection bias. The proportion of those surviving to discharge who were newly discharged to long-term care varied from 7% to 39% (median 17%, interquartile range 12%), and the model of care received in the long-term care setting was not defined. Older age and greater stroke severity had a consistently positive association with the need for long-term care admission. Individuals who had a severe stroke were 26 times as likely to be admitted to long-term care than those who had a minor stroke. Individuals aged 65 and older had a risk of stroke that was three times as great as that of younger individuals. Potentially modifiable factors were rarely examined. Age and stroke severity are important predictors of institutional long-term care admission directly from the hospital after an acute stroke. Potentially modifiable factors should be the target of future research. Stroke outcome studies should report discharge destination, defining the model of care provided in the long-term care setting. �

Regional aspects of long-term public sector psychiatric care in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

such as clinical, geographic and socio-demographic) influencing the use of public sector long-term psychiatric services in the Eastern Cape. This is important in improving service delivery, to assist policy developers with evidence-based research ...

Understanding the Risk Factors and Long-Term Consequences of Cisplatin-Associated Acute Kidney Injury: An Observational Cohort Study.

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Zeenat Yousuf Bhat

Full Text Available Acute kidney injury (AKI is a well-known complication of cisplatin-based chemotherapy; however, its impact on long-term patient survival is unclear. We sought to determine the incidence and risk factors for development of cisplatin-associated AKI and its impact on long-term renal function and patient survival. We identified 233 patients who received 629 cycles of high-dose cisplatin (99±9mg/m2 for treatment of head and neck cancer between 2005 and 2011. These subjects were reviewed for development of AKI. Cisplatin nephrotoxicity (CN was defined as persistent rise in serum creatinine, with a concomitant decline in serum magnesium and potassium, in absence of use of nephrotoxic agents and not reversed with hydration. All patients were hydrated per protocol and none had baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR via CKD-EPI<60mL/min/1.73m2. The patients were grouped based on development of AKI and were staged for levels of injury, per KDIGO-AKI definition. Renal function was assessed via serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR via CKD-EPI at baseline, 6- and 12-months. Patients with AKI were screened for the absence of nephrotoxic medication use and a temporal decline in serum potassium and magnesium levels. Logistic regression models were constructed to determine risk factors for cisplatin-associated AKI. Twelve-month renal function was compared among groups using ANOVA. Kaplan-Maier curves and Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to study its impact on patient survival. Of 233 patients, 158(68% developed AKI; 77 (49% developed stage I, 55 (35% developed stage II, and 26 (16% developed stage III AKI. Their serum potassium and magnesium levels correlated negatively with level of injury (p<0.05. African American race was a significant risk factor for cisplatin-associated AKI, OR 2.8 (95% CI 1.3 to 6.3 and 2.8 (95% CI 1.2 to 6.7 patients with stage III AKI had the lowest eGFR value at 12 months (p = 0.05 and long-term

Perceived impeding factors for return-to-work after long-term sickness absence due to major depressive disorder: a concept mapping approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, G. de; Hees, H.L.; Koeter, M.W.; Lagerveld, S.E.; Schene, A.H.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to explore various stakeholder perspectives regarding factors that impede return-to-work (RTW) after long-term sickness absence related to major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Concept mapping was used to explore employees', supervisors' and

Perceived impeding factors for return-to-work after long-term sickness absence due to major depressive disorder: a concept mapping approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, Gabe; Hees, Hiske L.; Koeter, Maarten W. J.; Lagerveld, Suzanne E.; Schene, Aart H.

2014-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore various stakeholder perspectives regarding factors that impede return-to-work (RTW) after long-term sickness absence related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Concept mapping was used to explore employees', supervisors' and occupational physicians'

Perceived impeding factors for return-to-work after long-term sickness absence due to major depressive disorder: A concept mapping approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, G. de; Hees, H.L.; Koeter, M.W.J.; Lagerveld, S.E.; Schene, A.H.

2014-01-01

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to explore various stakeholder perspectives regarding factors that impede return-to-work (RTW) after long-term sickness absence related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: Concept mapping was used to explore employees', supervisors' and

Short-term mechanisms influencing volumetric brain dynamics

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Nikki Dieleman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available With the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and brain analysis tools, it has become possible to measure brain volume changes up to around 0.5%. Besides long-term brain changes caused by atrophy in aging or neurodegenerative disease, short-term mechanisms that influence brain volume may exist. When we focus on short-term changes of the brain, changes may be either physiological or pathological. As such determining the cause of volumetric dynamics of the brain is essential. Additionally for an accurate interpretation of longitudinal brain volume measures by means of neurodegeneration, knowledge about the short-term changes is needed. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the possible mechanisms influencing brain volumes on a short-term basis and set-out a framework of MRI techniques to be used for volumetric changes as well as the used analysis tools. 3D T1-weighted images are the images of choice when it comes to MRI of brain volume. These images are excellent to determine brain volume and can be used together with an analysis tool to determine the degree of volume change. Mechanisms that decrease global brain volume are: fluid restriction, evening MRI measurements, corticosteroids, antipsychotics and short-term effects of pathological processes like Alzheimer's disease, hypertension and Diabetes mellitus type II. Mechanisms increasing the brain volume include fluid intake, morning MRI measurements, surgical revascularization and probably medications like anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-hypertensive medication. Exercise was found to have no effect on brain volume on a short-term basis, which may imply that dehydration caused by exercise differs from dehydration by fluid restriction. In the upcoming years, attention should be directed towards studies investigating physiological short-term changes within the light of long-term pathological changes. Ultimately this may lead to a better understanding of the physiological short-term effects of

Risk factors for violence among long-term psychiatric in-patients: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Previous research has linked aggressive behaviour to certain genetic conditions ... defects – such as impaired social information processing, socio-. Risk factors for ... The complex influence of diagnosis on psychiatric patients' risk of violence ...

The role of socioeconomic factors in Black-White health inequities across the life course: Point-in-time measures, long-term exposures, and differential health returns.

Science.gov (United States)

Boen, Courtney

2016-12-01

Research links Black-White health disparities to racial differences in socioeconomic status (SES), but understanding of the role of SES in racial health gaps has been restricted by reliance on static measures of health and socioeconomic well-being that mask the dynamic quality of these processes and ignore the racialized nature of the SES-health connection. Utilizing twenty-three years of longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1984-2007), this study uses multilevel growth curve models to examine how multiple dimensions of socioeconomic well-being-including long-term economic history and differential returns to SES-contribute to the life course patterning of Black-White health disparities across two critical markers of well-being: body mass index (N = 9057) and self-rated health (N = 11,329). Findings indicate that long-term SES exerts a significant influence on both body mass index and self-rated health, net of point-in-time measures, and that Black-White health gaps are smallest in models that adjust for both long-term and current SES. I also find that Blacks and Whites receive differential health returns to increases in SES, which suggests that other factors-such as neighborhood segregation and exposure racial discrimination-may restrict Blacks from converting increases in SES into health improvements in the same way as Whites. Together, these processes contribute to the life course patterning of Black-White health gaps and raise concerns about previous misestimation of the role of SES in racial health disparities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term prognosis of endodontically treated teeth: a retrospective analysis of preoperative factors in molars.

Science.gov (United States)

Setzer, Frank C; Boyer, Keith R; Jeppson, Joshua R; Karabucak, Bekir; Kim, Syngcuk

2011-01-01

Long-term predictability of restored endodontically treated teeth is important for the decision of tooth retention versus extraction and implant placement. The purpose of this study was to validate the hypothesis that preoperative factors can predict the long-term prognosis of molars requiring endodontic and restorative treatment for future prognostic investigations. A clinical database was searched for molar endodontic treatments with crown placement and a minimum of 4-year follow-up. Charts of 42 patients with 50 individual treatments were randomly selected. Information concerning crown lengthening; periodontal diagnosis; attachment loss; furcation involvement; mobility; and internal, external, or periradicular resorption was recorded. Radiographs from treatment initiation and follow-up were digitalized. The presence of apical periodontitis was evaluated. Available ferrule was calculated from bitewing radiographs using CAD software (AutoCAD; Autodesk, Cupertino, CA). The resulting data, age, sex, and times of restoration and follow-up were analyzed for correlation with the presence of apical radiolucency at follow-up and the following four possible outcome scenarios: "no event," "nonsurgical retreatment," "surgical retreatment," or "extraction" using Spearman rank order correlation analysis. Patients' ages ranged from 19 to 87 years, 22 were male and 20 female, and 48 teeth (96.0%) were retained at follow-up. Of those, 44 (88.0%) were without intervention ("no event"), and four (8.0%) underwent surgical or nonsurgical retreatment. Two teeth (4.0%) had been extracted. Significant positive correlations existed between "untoward events" (any form of retreatment or extraction) and "prognostic value according to periodontal status" (p = 0.047) and "attachment loss" (p = 0.042). The only preoperative factors significant for the prognosis of restored endodontically treated molars were related to periodontal prognostic value and attachment loss. It can be concluded that

Long-term survival in acute leukemia in Japan. A study of 304 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawashima, K; Suzuki, H; Yamada, K; Kato, Y; Watanabe, E; Morishima, Y; Takeyama, H; Kobayashi, M

1980-04-15

In a national survey of five-year survivors with acute leukemia, 233 of 304 cases were children under 14 years of age and 71 were adults. There were 107 myeloblastic, 10 promyelocytic, 142 lymphocytic, and 37 undifferentiated leukemias, Forty-five cases at age 3 represented the peak. These long-term survivors have shown a yearly increase in number. In 1972, the number of childhood ALL cases reached 38 with no great changes in ANLL cases. With respect to prognosis among long-term survivors, it seemed that neither type of leukemia nor age at diagnosis were factors influencing the future survival. CNS relapse occurring before the third year was an unfavorable complication for a prognosis beyond five years. Only 8 patients died of leukemia among 155 patients who reached five years in their initial complete remission; 49 of 90 patients who had relapse within five years after diagnosis died of leukemia. From these findings, it seems very important to follow patients for five years in their initial complete remission.

A protocol improves GP recording of long-term sickness absence risk factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, Paul C. M.; Hogervorst, Wouter; ter Riet, Gerben; van Dijk, Frank

2008-01-01

Background If general practitioners (GPs) were better informed about patients' risks of long-term sickness absence (LTSA), they could incorporate these risk assessments into their patient management plans and cooperate more with occupational physicians to prevent LTSA. Aim To evaluate the

Computer Simulations of Developmental Change: The Contributions of Working Memory Capacity and Long-Term Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Gary; Gobet, Fernand; Pine, Julian M.

2008-01-01

Increasing working memory (WM) capacity is often cited as a major influence on children's development and yet WM capacity is difficult to examine independently of long-term knowledge. A computational model of children's nonword repetition (NWR) performance is presented that independently manipulates long-term knowledge and WM capacity to determine…

Thyroiditis de Quervain. Are there predictive factors for long-term hormone-replacement?

Science.gov (United States)

Schenke, S; Klett, R; Braun, S; Zimny, M

2013-01-01

Subacute thyroiditis is a usually self-limiting disease of the thyroid. However, approximately 0.5-15% of the patients require permanent thyroxine substitution. Aim was to determine predictive factors for the necessity of long-term hormone-replacement (LTH). We retrospectively reviewed the records of 72 patients with subacute thyroiditis. Morphological and serological parameters as well as type of therapy were tested as predictive factors of consecutive hypothyroidism. Mean age was 49 ± 11 years, f/m-ratio was 4.5 : 1. Thyroid pain and signs of hyperthyroidism were leading symptoms. Initial subclinical or overt hyperthyroidism was found in 20% and 37%, respectively. Within six months after onset 15% and 1.3% of the patients developed subclinical or overt hypothyroidism, respectively. At latest follow-up 26% were classified as liable to LTH. At onset the thyroid was enlarged in 64%, and at latest follow-up in 8.3%, with a significant reduction of the thyroid volume after three months. At the endpoint the thyroid volume was less in patients in the LTH group compared with the non-LTH group (41.7% vs. 57.2% of sex-adjusted upper norm, p = 0.041). Characteristic ultrasonographic features occurred in 74% of the patients in both lobes. Serological and morphological parameters as well as type of therapy were not related with the need of LTH. In this study the proportion of patients who received LTH was 26%. At the endpoint these patients had a lower thyroid volume compared with euthyroid patients. No predictive factors for LTH were found.

Factors Influencing Cryptocurrency Prices: Evidence from Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Litcoin, and Monero

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yhlas Sovbetov

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper examines factors that influence prices of most common five cryptocurrencies such Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Litecoin, and Monero over 2010-2018 using weekly data. The study employs ARDL technique and documents several findings. First, cryptomarket-related factors such as market beta, trading volume, and volatility appear to be significant determinant for all five cryptocurrencies both in short- and long-run. Second, attractiveness of cryptocurrencies also matters in terms of their price determination, but only in long-run. This indicates that formation (recognition of the attractiveness of cryptocurrencies are subjected to time factor. In other words, it travels slowly within the market. Third, SP500 index seems to have weak positive long-run impact on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litcoin, while its sign turns to negative losing significance in short-run, except Bitcoin that generates an estimate of -0.20 at 10% significance level. Lastly, error-correction models for Bitcoin, Etherem, Dash, Litcoin, and Monero show that cointegrated series cannot drift too far apart, and converge to a long-run equilibrium at a speed of 23.68%, 12.76%, 10.20%, 22.91%, and 14.27% respectively.

Short- and long-term memory: differential involvement of neurotransmitter systems and signal transduction cascades

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MÔNICA R.M. VIANNA

2000-09-01

Full Text Available Since William James (1890 first distinguished primary from secondary memory, equivalent to short- and long-term memory, respectively, it has been assumed that short-term memory processes are in charge of cognition while long-term memory is being consolidated. From those days a major question has been whether short-term memory is merely a initial phase of long-term memory, or a separate phenomena. Recent experiments have shown that many treatments with specific molecular actions given into the hippocampus and related brain areas after one-trial avoidance learning can effectively cancel short-term memory without affecting long-term memory formation. This shows that short-term memory and long-term memory involve separate mechanisms and are independently processed. Other treatments, however, influence both memory types similarly, suggesting links between both at the receptor and at the post-receptor level, which should not be surprising as they both deal with nearly the same sensorimotor representations. This review examines recent advances in short- and long-term memory mechanisms based on the effect of intra-hippocampal infusion of drugs acting upon neurotransmitter and signal transduction systems on both memory types.

A study of the long-term properties of concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Y-C.; Lee, D-S.; Cho, M-S.; Lee, J-H.

1995-01-01

Creep, drying, shrinkage, modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio of concrete are influenced by a number of factors, such as mix type, member thickness, curing condition and loading cases. Particularly, creep and, shrinkage in concrete have yet to be studied due to its complicated time-dependent properties. Also they are not clearly differentiated quantitatively. In this paper, the concrete tests of creep, modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio were carried out at various ages of loading -7, 28, 90, 180 and 365 days in order to investigate and quantify its long-term properties. The test procedures and analysis of the test results were also described herein. The results of this study will make it possible to calculate effective prestressing forces considering time-dependent prestressing loss and evaluate the structural integrity of the prestressing system using the representative values derived from this property test. (author). 5 refs., 4 tabs., 4 figs

Long-term trends of surface ozone and its influencing factors at the Mt Waliguan GAW station, China - Part 2: The roles of anthropogenic emissions and climate variability

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wanyun; Xu, Xiaobin; Lin, Meiyun; Lin, Weili; Tarasick, David; Tang, Jie; Ma, Jianzhong; Zheng, Xiangdong

2018-01-01

Inter-annual variability and long-term trends in tropospheric ozone are both environmental and climate concerns. Ozone measured at Mt Waliguan Observatory (WLG, 3816 m a.s.l.) on the Tibetan Plateau over the period of 1994-2013 has increased significantly by 0.2-0.3 ppbv yr-1 during spring and autumn but shows a much smaller trend in winter and no significant trend in summer. Here we explore the factors driving the observed ozone changes at WLG using backward trajectory analysis, chemistry-climate model hindcast simulations (GFDL AM3), a trajectory-mapped ozonesonde data set, and several climate indices. A stratospheric ozone tracer implemented in GFDL AM3 indicates that stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) can explain ˜ 60 % of the simulated springtime ozone increase at WLG, consistent with an increase in the NW air-mass frequency inferred from the trajectory analysis. Enhanced STT associated with the strengthening of the mid-latitude jet stream contributes to the observed high ozone anomalies at WLG during the springs of 1999 and 2012. During autumn, observations at WLG are more heavily influenced by polluted air masses originating from South East Asia than in the other seasons. Rising Asian anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors are the key driver of increasing autumnal ozone observed at WLG, as supported by the GFDL AM3 model with time-varying emissions, which captures the observed ozone increase (0.26 ± 0.11 ppbv yr-1). AM3 simulates a greater ozone increase of 0.38 ± 0.11 ppbv yr-1 at WLG in autumn under conditions with strong transport from South East Asia and shows no significant ozone trend in autumn when anthropogenic emissions are held constant in time. During summer, WLG is mostly influenced by easterly air masses, but these trajectories do not extend to the polluted regions of eastern China and have decreased significantly over the last 2 decades, which likely explains why summertime ozone measured at WLG shows no significant trend

[Coagulation factor VII levels in uremic patients and theirs influence factors].

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Jun; Xia, Ling-Hui; Wei, Wen-Ning; Song, Shan-Jun

2004-12-01

This study was aimed to investigate coagulation factor VII level in uremic patients with chronic renal failure and to explore theirs influence factors. The plasma levels of coagulation factor VII were detected in 30 uremic patients with chronic renal failure before and after hemodialysis for 1 month, the factor VII activity (FVII:C) was determined by one-stage coagulation method, while activated factor VII (FVIIa) was measured by one-stage coagulation method using recombinant soluble tissue factor, and factor VII antigen was detected by ELISA. The results showed that: (1) The FVIIa, FVII:C and FVIIAg levels in chronic uremic patients before hemodialysis were 4.00 +/- 0.86 microg/L, (148.5 +/- 40.4)% and (99.8 +/- 21.1)% respectively, which were significantly increased, as compared with healthy controls [2.77 +/- 1.02 microg/L, (113.1 +/- 33.0)% and (73.7 +/- 18.3)% respectively, P factor VII was positively correlated with levels of blood uria nitrogen and serum creatinine before hemodialysis but not after hemodialysis. It is concluded that the enhanced levels of coagulation factor VII in chronic uremic patients suggested abnormal activated state, herperactivity and elevated production of factor VII which correlated with renal functional injury. The abnormality of factor VII in uremia may be aggravated by hemodialysis. Coagulation factor (FVII) may be a risk factor for cardiovascular events in uremic patients who especially had been accepted long-term hemodialysis.

Representativeness of shorter measurement sessions in long-term indoor air monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejewska, M; Szczurek, A

2015-02-01

Indoor air quality (IAQ) considerably influences health, comfort and the overall performance of people who spend most of their lives in confined spaces. For this reason, there is a strong need to develop methods for IAQ assessment. The fundamental issue in the quantitative determination of IAQ is the duration of measurements. Its inadequate choice may result in providing incorrect information and this potentially leads to wrong conclusions. The most complete information may be acquired through long-term monitoring. However it is typically perceived as impractical due to time and cost load. The aim of this study was to determine whether long-term monitoring can be adequately represented by a shorter measurement session. There were considered three measurable quantities: temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration. They are commonly recognized as indicatives for IAQ and may be readily monitored. Scaled Kullback-Leibler divergence, also called relative entropy, was applied as a measure of data representativeness. We considered long-term monitoring in a range from 1 to 9 months. Based on our work, the representative data on CO2 concentration may be acquired while performing measurements during 20% of time dedicated to long-term monitoring. In the case of temperature and relative humidity the respective time demand was 50% of long-term monitoring. From our results, in indoor air monitoring strategies, there could be considered shorter measurement sessions, while still collecting data which are representative for long-term monitoring.

Long-Term Memory for the Terrorist Attack of September 11: Flashbulb Memories, Event Memories, and the Factors that Influence Their Retention

Science.gov (United States)

Hirst, William; Phelps, Elizabeth A.; Buckner, Randy L.; Budson, Andrew E.; Cuc, Alexandru; Gabrieli, John D. E.; Johnson, Marcia K.; Lustig, Cindy; Lyle, Keith B.; Mather, Mara; Meksin, Robert; Mitchell, Karen J.; Ochsner, Kevin N.; Schacter, Daniel L.; Simons, Jon S.; Vaidya, Chandan J.

2009-01-01

More than 3,000 individuals from 7 U.S. cities reported on their memories of learning of the terrorist attacks of September 11, as well as details about the attack, 1 week, 11 months, and/or 35 months after the assault. Some studies of flashbulb memories examining long-term retention show slowing in the rate of forgetting after a year, whereas…

Platelet-activating factor and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors interact for full development and maintenance of long-term potentiation in the rat medial vestibular nuclei.

Science.gov (United States)

Grassi, S; Francescangeli, E; Goracci, G; Pettorossi, V E

1999-01-01

In rat brainstem slices, we investigated the interaction between platelet-activating factor and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in mediating long-term potentiation within the medial vestibular nuclei. We analysed the N1 field potential wave evoked in the ventral portion of the medial vestibular nuclei by primary vestibular afferent stimulation. The group I metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, (R,S)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid, prevented long-term potentiation induced by a platelet-activating factor analogue [1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-(methylcarbamyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine], as well as the full development of potentiation, induced by high-frequency stimulation under the blocking agent for synaptosomal platelet-activating factor receptors (ginkolide B), at drug washout. However, potentiation directly induced by the group I glutamate metabotropic receptor agonist, (R,S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, was reduced by ginkolide B. These findings suggest that platelet-activating factor, whether exogenous or released following potentiation induction, exerts its effect through presynaptic group I metabotropic glutamate receptors, mediating the increase of glutamate release. In addition, we found that this mechanism, which led to full potentiation through presynaptic group I metabotropic glutamate receptor activation, was inactivated soon after application of potentiation-inducing stimulus. In fact, the long-lasting block of the platelet-activating factor and metabotropic glutamate receptors prevented the full potentiation development and the induced potentiation progressively declined to null. Moreover, ginkolide B, given when high-frequency-dependent potentiation was established, only reduced it within 5 min after potentiation induction. We conclude that to fully develop vestibular long-term potentiation requires presynaptic events. Platelet-activating factor, released after the activation of postsynaptic mechanisms which induce potentiation, is necessary

Long-term care financing: lessons from France.

Science.gov (United States)

Doty, Pamela; Nadash, Pamela; Racco, Nathalie

2015-06-01

POLICY POINTS: France's model of third-party coverage for long-term services and supports (LTSS) combines a steeply income-adjusted universal public program for people 60 or older with voluntary supplemental private insurance. French and US policies differ: the former pay cash; premiums are lower; and take-up rates are higher, in part because employer sponsorship, with and without subsidization, is more common-but also because coverage targets higher levels of need and pays a smaller proportion of costs. Such inexpensive, bare-bones private coverage, especially if marketed as a supplement to a limited public benefit, would be more affordable to those Americans currently most at risk of "spending down" to Medicaid. An aging population leads to a growing demand for long-term services and supports (LTSS). In 2002, France introduced universal, income-adjusted, public long-term care coverage for adults 60 and older, whereas the United States funds means-tested benefits only. Both countries have private long-term care insurance (LTCI) markets: American policies create alternatives to out-of-pocket spending and protect purchasers from relying on Medicaid. Sales, however, have stagnated, and the market's viability is uncertain. In France, private LTCI supplements public coverage, and sales are growing, although its potential to alleviate the long-term care financing problem is unclear. We explore whether France's very different approach to structuring public and private financing for long-term care could inform the United States' long-term care financing reform efforts. We consulted insurance experts and conducted a detailed review of public reports, academic studies, and other documents to understand the public and private LTCI systems in France, their advantages and disadvantages, and the factors affecting their development. France provides universal public coverage for paid assistance with functional dependency for people 60 and older. Benefits are steeply income

Effects of long-term price increases for oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voehringer, F.; Mueller, A.; Boehringer, C.

2007-03-01

This comprehensive report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at the effects of higher oil prices in the long-term. Scenarios examined include those with high oil prices of 80 to 140 dollars per barrel and those with drastic shortages resulting from peak extraction in the years 2010 and 2020. Long-term economic balances form the basis of the report, short-term influences and psychological effects are not addressed. The possible dangers for the earth's climate caused by the substitution of oil by coal-based products are discussed, as well as the sequestration of carbon dioxide. Ethanol and the associated conflicts of land use are examined and the decreasing cost-effectiveness of co-generation power generation is looked at. Alternatives such as atomic power, hydropower, solar energy, geothermal energy, biogas and wind power are discussed. The effect of the changing energy scene on economic growth and welfare aspects in Switzerland are examined. The authors conclude that high oil prices have considerable impacts on the economy and are not a substitute for an internationally co-ordinated climate policy

Study on the Influence Factors of the Luminous Intensity of the Long Afterglow Luminous Paints

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Zhao Su

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to extend the time afterglow luminous powder, enhancement the brightness of luminous paint, this study explore affect long afterglow energy storage luminous paints brightness of the main factors. Luminous paints were prepared with rare earth aluminate long afterglow luminescent powder, first is luminous powder surface modification, then investigate the influence of light emitting powder content, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, nano alumina and other fillers on the luminescent properties of the paints. It was concluded that the water resistance of the luminescent powder is better and the brightness can be improved after the modification of anhydrous alcohol. The addition of nano-alumina can improve the brightness of the system, and can effectively enhance the hardness of the paints. In the paints, the two kinds of components of carbonate and titanium dioxide have little effect on the luminescent brightness of the painting.

Serum levels of selenium and smoking habits at age 50 influence long term prostate cancer risk; a 34 year ULSAM follow-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundmark, Birgitta; Zethelius, Björn; Garmo, Hans; Holmberg, Lars

2011-01-01

Serum selenium level (s-Se) has been associated with prostate cancer (PrCa) risk. We investigated the relation between s-Se, smoking and non-screening detected PrCa and explored if polymorphisms in two DNA repair genes: OGG1 and MnSOD, influenced any effect of s-Se. ULSAM, a population based Swedish male cohort (n = 2322) investigated at age 50 for s-Se and s-Se influencing factors: serum cholesterol, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and smoking habits. At age 71 a subcohort, (n = 1005) was genotyped for OGG1 and MnSOD polymorphisms. In a 34-year-follow-up, national registries identified 208 PrCa cases further confirmed in medical records. Participants with s-Se in the upper tertile had a non-significantly lower risk of PrCa. Smokers with s-Se in the two lower tertiles (≤80 μg/L) experienced a higher cumulative incidence of PrCa than smokers in the high selenium tertile (Hazard Ratio 2.39; 95% CI: 1.09-5.25). A high tertile selenium level in combination with non-wt rs125701 of the OGG1 gene in combination with smoking status or rs4880 related variation of MnSOD gene appeared to protect from PrCa. S-Se levels and smoking habits influence long-term risk of PrCa. Smoking as a risk factor for PrCa in men with low s-Se is relevant to explore further. Exploratory analyses of variations in OGG1 and MnSOD genes indicate that hypotheses about patterns of exposure to selenium and smoking combined with data on genetic variation in genes involved in DNA repair can be valuable to pursue

Microscopic study of rock for estimating long-term behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, Yasuaki

2002-03-01

Micro-structure of rock plays a essential role for their long-term behavior. For elucidating long-term characteristics of granite we here present the followings: 1) Conforcal Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) observation of joint surfaces of granite and Fourier analysis, 2) characterization of the mechanism of microcrack initiation and propagation observed by stereoscopic microscope under uniaxial/triaxial compression and relaxation tests, 3) observation of microcrack initiation and propagation by LSM under uniaxial compression, and 4) a viscoelastic homogenization theory to predict the long-term behavior of micro/macro-level stress for granite. Rock image processing and analysis become a fundamental procedure to determine rock surface discontinuities. But the complexity of rock surface discontinuities seems beyond the manual image processing method. In Chapter 2 a Conforcal Laser Scanning Microscope that can acquire three-dimensional images is introduced to observe the rock roughness of a discontinuity. Then, scanning three-dimensional images are changed its data form in order to adapt various image analysis programs, and granitic rock roughness of discontinuities are displayed by graphic images. For example, these datas are analyzed by Discrete Fourier Transformation (DFT) program and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transformation (IDFT) program. Microcrack generation and propagation play an essential role to predict the long-term behavior of rock. In Chapter 3 a progressive development of cracking in granite is revealed by using stereoscopic microscope under triaxial compression condition and by using LSM under uniaxial compression condition. With a viscoelastic theory applied in homogenization method, we can calculate macro behavior of medium influenced by its micro structure by analyse the long-term time-dependent behavior of granite under the same condition to the relaxation experiment. (author)

An investigation on factors influencing on human resources productivity

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Masoumeh Seifi Divkolaii

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Human resources development is one of the most important components of any organization and detecting important factors influencing on human resources management plays essential role on the success of the firms. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to determine different factors influencing productivity of human resources of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB in province of Mazandaran, Iran. The study uses analytical hierarchy process (AHP to rank 17 important factors and determines that personal characteristics were the most important factors followed by management related factors and environmental factors. In terms of personal characteristics, job satisfaction plays essential role on human resources development. In terms of managerial factors, paying attention on continuous job improvement by receiving appropriate training is the most important factor followed by welfare facilities for employees and using a system of reward/punishment in organization. Finally, in terms of environmental factors, occupational safety is number one priority followed by organizational rules and regulations.

Long-term Studies of Marine Halogen Release

Science.gov (United States)

Tschritter, J.; Holla, R.; Frieß, U.; Platt, U.

2009-04-01

Institute of Enviromental Physics, Heidelberg, Germany. Long term measurements of atmospheric trace gases using multi-axis DOAS instruments are pursued at the new SOLAS observatory on the island of Sao Vicente, (Cape Verde). This research is part of the SOPRAN (Surface Ocean Processes in the ANthropocene) project (Fördernummer:03F0462F). Reactive halogen species (RHS) such as bromine- and iodine- containing species play major roles in the chemistry of ozone in both the troposphere and lower stratosphere and thus possibly influence the ozone budget on a global scale. In addition iodine-species emitted from the ocean surface have been shown to be responsible for the production of new atmospheric particles in the marine boundary layer. This may have an effect on cloud formation and radiation transfer on local and global scales. Long term measurements of RHS abundances will help to identify their key regions and processes for formation. A new long term Multi-MAX-DOAS instrument has been installed at the SOLAS observatory on the island of Sao Vicente, (Cape Verde). The main focus of these unique measurements is the investigation of reactive halogen chemistry in the subtropical marine boundary layer based on measurements of BrO, IO, and possibly OIO. Because of its wide spectral range also the use for O4-retrievals to gain aerosol profiles is possible. IO has been detected with mixing ratios up to 1.3 ppt. For BrO an upper limit of 2 ppt could be determined.

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF DECEASED DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

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S. V. Gautier

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim of the study was to evaluate patient and graft survival after liver transplantation (LT and to determine if primary disease diagnosis, early graft dysfunction or other factors affect it. Furthermore, we analyzed the reasonsof short-term and long-term deaths or retransplantations.Materials and methods. 192 LTs from donors with brain death were performed from December 2004 until June 2014. Recipient age varied from 5 to 71 years. Most frequent diagnosis was liver cirrhosis (mainly due to hepatitis C, then hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, liver graft dysfunction, etc.Results and discussion. 1-year patient survival is 89.5%, graft survival is 87.7%, 3-year –87% and 84.6%, respectively, and 5-year – 83.5% and 83.0%, respectively. Early mortality (in fi rst 30 days after transplantation was 8%, long-term mortality – 5.9%. Primary non-function graft (PNF was the reason of 66.7% early deaths. In the long term, infections and oncology were the reasons of death with the same frequency – 36.4%. Early graft dysfunction including primary non-function signifi cantly decreases short term survival (p = 0.0002. Nevertheless, in the majority of cases graft function improves and doesn’t affect survival. Donor factors play role in outcomes: early dysfunction is higher (40.6% in extended criteria donor group than in standard donor group (р = 0.0431. PNF has the same trend – 8.5% and 0.0%, respectively, but without signifi cance (р =0.0835. 5-year survival is remarkably lower in HCC group 40.8% (p = 0.003 than in other groups.Conclusion: survival after liver transplantation in our Center is comparable with the results of the world’s centers.

Long term and equilibrium factor indoor radon measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, T.; Lartigue, J.; Navarrete, M.; Cabrera, L.; Ramirez, A.; Elizarraras, V.

1998-01-01

This paper presents the annual radon gas concentrations obtained during the 1994-1995 monitoring campaign using passive electret system (type E-PERM). Radon levels were measured in 154 single family dwellings, in normal occupancy conditions (open house condition) in the metropolitan zone of Mexico City. At the same time radon monitoring was performed outdoors. The results show the general log-normal distribution of integrated indoor radon concentration with an annual indoor mean of 3.8 pCi x l -1 . The seasonal variations show the minimum mean values in the summer season which are 39% lower than that in autumn. Equilibrium factors (F) were measured in 12 typical houses both in autumn and winter using a continuous working level monitor for short-lived radon decay products and H-chamber loaded with a short term electret (HST, E-PERM) for radon gas. The obtained total mean equilibrium factors are: F=0.41±0.17 and F=0.29±0.04 for indoor and outdoor, respectively. A quality program was also improved. (author)

Epigenetic Matters: The Link between Early Nutrition, Microbiome, and Long-term Health Development

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Flavia Indrio

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Epigenetic modifications are among the most important mechanisms by which environmental factors can influence early cellular differentiation and create new phenotypic traits during pregnancy and within the neonatal period without altering the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence. A number of antenatal and postnatal factors, such as maternal and neonatal nutrition, pollutant exposure, and the composition of microbiota, contribute to the establishment of epigenetic changes that can not only modulate the individual adaptation to the environment but also have an influence on lifelong health and disease by modifying inflammatory molecular pathways and the immune response. Postnatal intestinal colonization, in turn determined by maternal flora, mode of delivery, early skin-to-skin contact and neonatal diet, leads to specific epigenetic signatures that can affect the barrier properties of gut mucosa and their protective role against later insults, thus potentially predisposing to the development of late-onset inflammatory diseases. The aim of this review is to outline the epigenetic mechanisms of programming and development acting within early-life stages and to examine in detail the role of maternal and neonatal nutrition, microbiota composition, and other environmental factors in determining epigenetic changes and their short- and long-term effects.

Epigenetic Matters: The Link between Early Nutrition, Microbiome, and Long-term Health Development

Science.gov (United States)

Indrio, Flavia; Martini, Silvia; Francavilla, Ruggiero; Corvaglia, Luigi; Cristofori, Fernanda; Mastrolia, Salvatore Andrea; Neu, Josef; Rautava, Samuli; Russo Spena, Giovanna; Raimondi, Francesco; Loverro, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Epigenetic modifications are among the most important mechanisms by which environmental factors can influence early cellular differentiation and create new phenotypic traits during pregnancy and within the neonatal period without altering the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence. A number of antenatal and postnatal factors, such as maternal and neonatal nutrition, pollutant exposure, and the composition of microbiota, contribute to the establishment of epigenetic changes that can not only modulate the individual adaptation to the environment but also have an influence on lifelong health and disease by modifying inflammatory molecular pathways and the immune response. Postnatal intestinal colonization, in turn determined by maternal flora, mode of delivery, early skin-to-skin contact and neonatal diet, leads to specific epigenetic signatures that can affect the barrier properties of gut mucosa and their protective role against later insults, thus potentially predisposing to the development of late-onset inflammatory diseases. The aim of this review is to outline the epigenetic mechanisms of programming and development acting within early-life stages and to examine in detail the role of maternal and neonatal nutrition, microbiota composition, and other environmental factors in determining epigenetic changes and their short- and long-term effects. PMID:28879172

The influence of macroeconomic factors to the dynamics of stock exchange in the republic of Kazakhstan

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Shakizada Uteulievna Niyazbekova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article describes the influence of macroeconomic factors on Kazakhstan Stock Exchange Market by using data from 2005 to 2014. Engle-Granger cointegration test has shown that stock index is cointegrated with the exchange rate, interest rate, CPI and oil price. Vector error correction model has confirmed that macroeconomic variables and the stock index has a long-term equilibrium relationship. Moreover, empirical results have shown that stock index can be used as a leading indicator of the economic situation in Kazakhstan. Therefore, the authors decided to consider the impact of major macroeconomic indicators to the dynamics of the stock market of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Engle-Granger cointegration test results show that the following variables such as exchange rate, 10-years long-term bond rate, the consumer price index and the Brent oil price are cointegrated with stock index, which means that there is a long-term relationship between this stock market index and these variables. With the help of econometric models, the authors have found the factors such as the exchange rate, the 10-year long-term bonds rate, the consumer price index and the Brent oil price (these factors have the long-term relationship with stock market index. Changes in the dynamics of the stock market index in Kazakhstan are caused by changes in the dynamics of Central bank's reserves and export. The analysis has shown that the economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (the index reflects the situation in the real sector of the economy remains dependent on world oil prices, the volume of exports and the rate of the national currency

Perinatal nutrition programs neuroimmune function long-term: mechanisms and implications

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Sarah J Spencer

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Our early life nutritional environment can influence several aspects of physiology, including our propensity to become obese. There is now evidence to suggest perinatal diet can also independently influence development of our innate immune system. This review will address three not-necessarily-exclusive mechanisms by which perinatal nutrition can program neuroimmune function long-term: by predisposing the individual to obesity, by altering the gut microbiota, and by inducing epigenetic modifications that alter gene transcription throughout life.

Long-term increases in young-of-the-year growth of Arctic cisco Coregonus autumnalis and environmental influences.

Science.gov (United States)

von Biela, V R; Zimmerman, C E; Moulton, L L

2011-01-01

Arctic cisco Coregonus autumnalis young-of-year (YOY) growth was used as a proxy to examine the long-term response of a high-latitude fish population to changing climate from 1978 to 2004. YOY growth increased over time (r² = 0·29) and was correlated with monthly averages of the Arctic oscillation index, air temperature, east wind speed, sea-ice concentration and river discharge with and without time lags. Overall, the most prevalent correlates to YOY growth were sea-ice concentration lagged 1 year (significant correlations in 7 months; r² = 0·14-0·31) and Mackenzie River discharge lagged 2 years (significant correlations in 8 months; r² = 0·13-0·50). The results suggest that decreased sea-ice concentrations and increased river discharge fuel primary production and that life cycles of prey species linking increased primary production to fish growth are responsible for the time lag. Oceanographic studies also suggest that sea ice concentration and fluvial inputs from the Mackenzie River are key factors influencing productivity in the Beaufort Sea. Future research should assess the possible mechanism relating sea ice concentration and river discharge to productivity at upper trophic levels. Journal of Fish Biology © 2010 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles. No claim to original US government works.

Factors associated with long-term weight-loss maintenance following bariatric surgery in adolescents with severe obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryder, J R; Gross, A C; Fox, C K; Kaizer, A M; Rudser, K D; Jenkins, T M; Ratcliff, M B; Kelly, A S; Kirk, S; Siegel, R M; Inge, T H

2018-01-01

Bariatric surgery produces robust weight loss, however, factors associated with long-term weight-loss maintenance among adolescents undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery are unknown. Fifty adolescents (mean±s.d. age and body mass index (BMI)=17.1±1.7 years and 59±11 kg m -2 ) underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, had follow-up visits at 1 year and at a visit between 5 and 12 years following surgery (Follow-up of Adolescent Bariatric Surgery at 5 Plus years (FABS-5+) visit; mean±s.d. 8.1±1.6 years). A non-surgical comparison group (n=30; mean±s.d. age and BMI=15.3±1.7 years and BMI=52±8 kg m -2 ) was recruited to compare weight trajectories over time. Questionnaires (health-related and eating behaviors, health responsibility, impact of weight on quality of life (QOL), international physical activity questionnaire and dietary habits via surgery guidelines) were administered at the FABS-5+ visit. Post hoc, participants were split into two groups: long-term weight-loss maintainers (n=23; baseline BMI=58.2 kg m -2 ; 1-year BMI=35.8 kg m -2 ; FABS-5+ BMI=34.9 kg m -2 ) and re-gainers (n=27; baseline BMI=59.8 kg m -2 ; 1-year BMI=36.8 kg m -2 ; FABS-5+ BMI=48.0 kg m -2 ) to compare factors which might contribute to differences. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations adjusted for age, sex, baseline BMI, baseline diabetes status and length of follow-up. The BMI of the surgical group declined from baseline to 1 year (-38.5±6.9%), which, despite some regain, was largely maintained until FABS-5+ (-29.6±13.9% change). The BMI of the comparison group increased from baseline to the FABS-5+ visit (+10.3±20.6%). When the surgical group was split into maintainers and re-gainers, no differences in weight-related and eating behaviors, health responsibility, physical activity/inactivity, or dietary habits were observed between groups. However, at FABS-5+, maintainers had greater overall QOL scores than re

Influence of halogen irradiance on short- and long-term wear resistance of resin-based composite materials.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bhamra, Gurcharn S

2009-02-01

The Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) four-chamber oral wear simulator was used to examine the impact of halogen irradiance on the short- and long-term wear behavior of four-methacrylate resin-based composites (RBCs). The hypothesis proposed was that exacerbated wear would occur following the long-term wear of RBCs irradiated under non-optimized irradiance conditions.

Are we aware of the external factors that influence our food intake?

Science.gov (United States)

Vartanian, Lenny R; Herman, C Peter; Wansink, Brian

2008-09-01

This research examines the extent to which people accurately report some of the external influences on their food intake. In two studies, specific factors (the presence and behavior of others) were manipulated in order to influence the amount of food that individuals consumed. The main outcomes of interest were participants' spontaneously generated explanations for their food intake (Study 1; n = 122), and their ratings of the importance of several potential determinants of food intake (Study 2; n = 75). In Study 1, there was high concordance between the amounts eaten by members of a dyad, but very few participants indicated that they were influenced by their partner's behavior; they instead identified hunger and taste as the primary determinants of intake. Study 2 showed that participants' intake was strongly influenced by the behavior of others, but people rated taste and hunger as much more important influences on their intake. If external environmental factors influence people's food intake without their awareness or acknowledgment, then maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenge, with long-term consequences for health and well-being. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Influence of short-term memory on achievement of pupils in special schools

OpenAIRE

Podrazilová, Jana

2010-01-01

a klíčová slova diplomové práce v anglickém jazyce Key words: Memory - short - term memory - learning Pedagogy - special pedagogy Game - didactic game - mathematic - geometrical pexeso - arithmetic environment of stepping Annotation My master thesis is focused on the analysis of influence of motivation on short-term memory and in consequence on long-term memory in education of mathematics in second and third class of practical and special elementary schools. I have considered the influence of...

Recycling versus Long-Term Storage of Nuclear Fuel: Economic Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Yolanda Moratilla Soria

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present study is to compare the associated costs of long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel—open cycle strategy—with the associated cost of reprocessing and recycling strategy of spent fuel—closed cycle strategy—based on the current international studies. The analysis presents cost trends for both strategies. Also, to point out the fact that the total cost of spent nuclear fuel management (open cycle is impossible to establish at present, while the related costs of the closed cycle are stable and known, averting uncertainties.

Evaluation of long-term effect of hepatic arterial embolization with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion in patients with hepatic cavernous hemangiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xuejun; Ouyang Yong; Ma Heping; Chao Lumeng; Zhen Yanli; Gu Subin; Zhou Qunhui; Liu Pengzhi; Wang Hong

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effect of hepatic arterial embolization with pingyanmycin-lipiodol emulsion (PLE) in patients with cavernous hemangiomas of the liver (CHL) and its influence factors. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six hemangiomas that were diagnosed by imaging examinations or confirmed pathologically by surgery in 105 patients with integral follow-up data were analyzed retrospectively in this paper. All hemangiomas were divided into 4 groups according to their size (the largest size of hemangioma) by the authors as follows: A group (≤3 cm, n=25); B group (>3 cm and 2 test respectively. And the influence factors, included of the variant size of hemangiomas, abundant or sparse of abnormal sinusoids and the number of treatment procedures, were also analyzed respectively. Results: The total effective rate of the 156 hemangiomas in 105 patients was 92.95% (145/156). After single procedure of hepatic arterial embolization with PLE, the total effective rate of A and B groups were 100% (57/57), that of C and D groups were 85.86% (85/99), and the difference reach significant (X 2 =8.8553, P 2 =5.2642, P<0.05) than those of group with single procedure (72.73%, 8/11). Conclusions: A best long-term curative effect (complete cure) is usually obtained in the small hemangiomas with abundant abnormal sinusoids, and a satisfactory long-term curative effect can also be achieved in the larger or multiple hemangiomas, particularly in those hemangiomas with abundant abnormal sinusoids by using the repeat procedures of hepatic arterial embolization with PLE. (authors)

Reforming Long-Term Care Funding in Alberta.

Science.gov (United States)

Crump, R Trafford; Repin, Nadya; Sutherland, Jason M

2015-01-01

Like many provinces across Canada, Alberta is facing growing demand for long-term care. Issues with the mixed funding model used to pay long-term care providers had Alberta Health Services concerned that it was not efficiently meeting the demand for long-term care. Consequently, in 2010, Alberta Health Services introduced the patient/care-based funding (PCBF) model. PCBF is similar to activity-based funding in that it directly ties the complexity and care needs of long-term care residents to the payment received by long-term care providers. This review describes PCBF and discusses some of its strengths and weaknesses. In doing so, this review is intended to inform other provinces faced with similar long-term care challenges and contemplating their own funding reforms.

Auditory-perceptual speech analysis in children with cerebellar tumours: a long-term follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Smet, Hyo Jung; Catsman-Berrevoets, Coriene; Aarsen, Femke; Verhoeven, Jo; Mariën, Peter; Paquier, Philippe F

2012-09-01

Mutism and Subsequent Dysarthria (MSD) and the Posterior Fossa Syndrome (PFS) have become well-recognized clinical entities which may develop after resection of cerebellar tumours. However, speech characteristics following a period of mutism have not been documented in much detail. This study carried out a perceptual speech analysis in 24 children and adolescents (of whom 12 became mute in the immediate postoperative phase) 1-12.2 years after cerebellar tumour resection. The most prominent speech deficits in this study were distorted vowels, slow rate, voice tremor, and monopitch. Factors influencing long-term speech disturbances are presence or absence of postoperative PFS, the localisation of the surgical lesion and the type of adjuvant treatment. Long-term speech deficits may be present up to 12 years post-surgery. The speech deficits found in children and adolescents with cerebellar lesions following cerebellar tumour surgery do not necessarily resemble adult speech characteristics of ataxic dysarthria. Copyright © 2012 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term nutritional impact of sleeve gastrectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Caron, M; Hould, F S; Lescelleur, O; Marceau, S; Lebel, S; Julien, F; Simard, S; Biertho, Laurent

2017-10-01

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has become a predominant bariatric procedure throughout the world. However, the long-term nutritional impact of this procedure is unknown. To describe the nutritional deficiencies before and after SG and to analyze the influence of baseline weight on nutritional status. University-affiliated tertiary care center. All patients who underwent SG as a standalone procedure between 2008 and 2012 were included in this study. Patients were given multivitamin supplementation. Data were obtained from our prospectively maintained electronic database and are reported as mean ± standard deviation and percentage. Bivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the influence of selected variables on outcomes. The mean age of the 537 patients was 48.0 ± 11.3 years, with an initial body mass index of 48.1 ± 8.7 kg/m 2 . Excess weight loss and total weight loss were 56.2% and 28.0% at 1 year and 43.0% and 21.1% at 5 years, respectively (Pvitamin B12 in 30.3% and 16.4% (Pvitamin D 63.2% and 24.3% (Pvitamin A insufficiency peaked from 7.9% preoperatively to 28.7% at 3 months (Pvitamin B12 and vitamin D. Nutritional deficiencies are common in patients with morbid obesity before and after surgery. Preoperative supplementation and long-term nutritional follow-up are required to prevent nutritional deficiencies. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Teen motherhood and long-term health consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Payal H; Sen, Bisakha

2012-07-01

The objective of this article is to examine the association of teen motherhood and long-term physical and mental health outcomes. The physical and mental health components (PCS and MCS) of the SF-12 Healthy Survey in the NLSY79 health module were used to assess long-term health outcomes of women who experienced teenage motherhood. Various familial, demographic, and environmental characteristics were indentified and controlled for that may have predicted teen motherhood and long-term health outcomes. The two comparison groups for teen mothers were women who experienced teen-pregnancy only and women who were engaged in unprotected sexual activity as a teenage but did not experience pregnancy. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression was used for analysis. The average PCS and MCS for teen mothers was 49.91 and 50.89, respectively. Teen mothers exhibited poorer physical health later in life compared to all women as well as the comparison groups. When controlling for age, teen mothers had significantly lower PCS and MCS scores compared to all other women. Furthermore, when controlling for familial, demographic, and environmental characteristics, teen mothers exhibited significantly lower PCS and MCS scores. When comparing teen mothers to the two comparison groups, PCS was not statistically different although MCS was significantly lower in the teen-pregnancy group. Teen motherhood does lead to poorer physical health outcomes later in life. On the other hand, poorer mental health outcomes in later life may be attributed to the unmeasured factors leading to a teen pregnancy and not teen motherhood itself. Additional research needs to be conducted on the long-term consequences of teen motherhood.

Comparison of Short Term with Long Term Catheterization after Anterior Colporrhaphy Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Movahed

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: This belief that overfilling the bladder after anterior colporrhaphy might have a negative influence on surgical outcome, causes routine catheterization after operation. This study was done to compare short term (24h with long term (72h catheterization after anterior colporrhaphy.Materials & Methods: This randomized clinical trial was carried out at Kosar Hospital , Qazvin (Iran in 2005-2006. One hundred cases candidating for anterior colporrhaphy , were divided in two equal groups . In the first group foley catheter was removed 24 hours and in the second group 72 hours after the operation. Before removing catheter, urine sample was obtained for culture . After removal and urination, residual volume was determinded. If the volume exceeded 200 ml or retention occured, the catheter would be fixed for more 72 hours. Need for recatheterization, urinary retention, positive urine culture,and hospital stay were surveyed. The data was analyzed using T and Fisher tests.Results: Residual volume exceeding 200 ml and the need for recatheterization occurred in one case (2% in the short term group but in the long term group none of the subjects needed recatheterization (P=1. Retention was not seen. In the both groups, one case (2% had positive urine culture with no statistically significant difference (P=1. Mean hospital stay was short in the first group (P=0.00.Conclusion: Short term catheterization after anterior colporrhaphy does not cause urinary retention and decreases hospital stay.

Long-term leaf production response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and tropospheric ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Alan F. Talhelm; Kurt S. Pregitzer; Christian P. Giardina

2011-01-01

Elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and tropospheric O3 will profoundly influence future forest productivity, but our understanding of these influences over the long-term is poor. Leaves are key indicators of productivity and we measured the mass, area, and nitrogen concentration of leaves collected in litter traps...

Evaluation of long-term creep behaviour on K-cladding tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, J. G.; Jeong, Y. H.; Jeong, Y. H.

2003-01-01

KAERI has developed new zirconium alloys for high burnup fuel cladding. To evaluate the performance of these alloys, various out-pile tests are conducting. At high burnup, the creep resistance as well as corrosion resistance is one of the major factors determining nuclear fuel performance. Long-term creep test was performed at 350 .deg. C and 400 .deg. C and 100, 120, 135, and 150 MPa of applied hoop stress to evaluate the creep properties. The creep resistance was strongly affected by the final heat treatment conditions, while there was no effect of intermediate heat treatment. The creep strain of the recrystallized alloys is higher than that of the stress-relieved alloys by a factor of 3. The alloying elements also influenced the creep behaviour. Increase of Sn content enhanced the creep resistance, while Nb decreased the creep resistance. As a result of texture analysis, basal pole was directed to normal direction, while prism pole was to rolling direction. The development of the deformation texture and the ammealing texture showed almost similar process to Zircaloy cladding

Theoretical difference between impact factor and influence factor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đilda Pečarić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Bibliometric constructions of "knowledge maps" and "cognitive structures of science" do not differentiate between impact and influence factors. The difference can be constructedaccording to different meaning and interpretation of the terms reference and citation. Reference is "acknowledgment which one author gives to another", whereas citation is "acknowledgment which one document receives from another". Development of Information Science according to period and subject area is analyzed on the corpus of citation literature retrieved from doctoral dissertations in Information Science from 1978 to 2007 at Croatian universities. The research aim is to indicate the difference between document impact factor and author's influence factor (i.e. reference ability to produce effects on actions, behavior, and opinions of authors of doctoral theses. The influence factor serves to distinguish the key role of cited authors in time and according to the duration of the influence (the average age for cited papers of dominant authors in different periods is between eight and ten years. The difference between linear and interactive communication seems vital for the interpretation of cited half-life, i.e. the attitude of one science community towards used information resources and cognitive heritage. The analyzed corpus of 22,210 citations can be divided into three communication phases according to influence factor criteria: in the phase of dialogue and interactive communication 25% of bibliographic units are cited in the first four years; in the second phase another 25% of units are cited from the fifth to the ninth year; after ten years, in the dominant linear communication phase, approximately 30% of units are cited.

The long-term persistence of phytoplankton resting stages in aquatic "seed banks"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard, Marianne; Ribeiro, Sofia

2018-01-01

to terrestrial seed beds of vascular plants, but are much less studied. It is therefore timely to review the phenomenon of long-term persistence of aquatic resting stages in sediment seed banks. Herein we compare function, morphology and physiology of phytoplankton resting stages to factors central...... for persistence of terrestrial seeds. We review the types of resting stages found in different groups of phytoplankton and focus on the groups for which long-term (multi-decadal) persistence has been shown: dinoflagellates, diatoms, green algae and cyanobacteria. We discuss the metabolism of long-term dormancy......In the past decade, research on long-term persistence of phytoplankton resting stages has intensified. Simultaneously, insight into life-cycle variability in the diverse groups of phytoplankton has also increased. Aquatic 'seed banks' have tremendous significance and show many interesting parallels...

The Volatility of Long-term Bond Returns: Persistent Interest Shocks and Time-varying Risk Premiums

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Osterrieder, Daniela; Schotman, Peter C.

We develop a model that can match two stylized facts of the term-structure. The first stylized fact is the predictability of excess returns on long-term bonds. Modeling this requires sufficient volatility and persistence in the price of risk. The second stylized fact is that long-term yields...... are dominated by a level factor, which requires persistence in the spot interest rate. We find that a fractionally integrated process for the short rate plus a fractionally integrated specification for the price of risk leads to an analytically tractable almost affine term structure model that can explain...... the stylized facts. In a decomposition of long-term bond returns we find that the expectations component from the level factor is more volatile than the returns themselves. It therefore takes a volatile risk premium that is negatively correlated with innovations in the level factor to explain the volatility...

How does climate influence xylem morphogenesis over the growing season? Insights from long-term intra-ring anatomy in Picea abies.

Science.gov (United States)

Castagneri, Daniele; Fonti, Patrick; von Arx, Georg; Carrer, Marco

2017-04-01

During the growing season, the cambium of conifer trees produces successive rows of xylem cells, the tracheids, that sequentially pass through the phases of enlargement and secondary wall thickening before dying and becoming functional. Climate variability can strongly influence the kinetics of morphogenetic processes, eventually affecting tracheid shape and size. This study investigates xylem anatomical structure in the stem of Picea abies to retrospectively infer how, in the long term, climate affects the processes of cell enlargement and wall thickening. Tracheid anatomical traits related to the phases of enlargement (diameter) and wall thickening (wall thickness) were innovatively inspected at the intra-ring level on 87-year-long tree-ring series in Picea abies trees along a 900 m elevation gradient in the Italian Alps. Anatomical traits in ten successive tree-ring sectors were related to daily temperature and precipitation data using running correlations. Close to the altitudinal tree limit, low early-summer temperature negatively affected cell enlargement. At lower elevation, water availability in early summer was positively related to cell diameter. The timing of these relationships shifted forward by about 20 (high elevation) to 40 (low elevation) d from the first to the last tracheids in the ring. Cell wall thickening was affected by climate in a different period in the season. In particular, wall thickness of late-formed tracheids was strongly positively related to August-September temperature at high elevation. Morphogenesis of tracheids sequentially formed in the growing season is influenced by climate conditions in successive periods. The distinct climate impacts on cell enlargement and wall thickening indicate that different morphogenetic mechanisms are responsible for different tracheid traits. Our approach of long-term and high-resolution analysis of xylem anatomy can support and extend short-term xylogenesis observations, and increase our

Growth-differentiation factor 15 for long-term prognostication in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: an Invasive versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable coronary Syndromes (ICTUS) substudy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Damman, Peter; Kempf, Tibor; Windhausen, Fons; van Straalen, Jan P.; Guba-Quint, Anja; Fischer, Johan; Tijssen, Jan G. P.; Wollert, Kai C.; de Winter, Robbert J.; Hirsch, Alexander

2014-01-01

No five-year long-term follow-up data is available regarding the prognostic value of GDF-15. Our aim is to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of admission growth-differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) regarding death or myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary

Long-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the elderly: ISPOCD1 study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moller, J.T.; Cluitmans, P.J.M.; Rasmussen, L.S.; Houx, P.J.; Rasmussen, H.; Canet, J.; Rabbitt, P.; Jolles, J.; Larsen, K.; Hanning, C.D.; Langeron, O.; Johnson, T.; Lauven, P.M.; Kristensen, P.A.; Biedler, A.; Beem, van H.; Fraidakis, O.; Silverstein, J.H.; Beneken, J.E.W.; Gravenstein, J.S.

1998-01-01

Summary Background Long-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction may occur in the elderly. Age may be a risk factor and hypoxaemia and arterial hypotension causative factors. We investigated these hypotheses in an international multicentre study. Methods 1218 patients aged at least 60 years

Contributing factors to long-term psychological consequences in Hiroshima A-bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asukai, Nozomu; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Kato, Hiroshi; Nakajima, Midori; Saeki, Toshinari

2012-01-01

The atomic bombing in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, caused an estimated casualty of 140,000 by the end of that year. Survivors faced hideous scenes and many lost family members. Later, in the early 1960s, increased rates of leukemia and other types of cancer were observed among the survivors. These long-term health effects caused serious apprehension to linger. However, only a few studies on psychological consequences among the survivors have been conducted. In 2008, Hiroshima City commissioned our study team to perform a large-scale survey on long-term health effects among the survivors. We delivered a questionnaire by mail to all subjects who were living in Hiroshima City and adjacent towns prior to the release of the A-bomb until the study was implemented. The number of potential subjects was 31,598 and the response rate was 75%. We analyzed a subsample of subjects (n=14,373) whose age at the event was 8 or above. In the multiple regression analysis, hibakusha (A-bomb victims) and those who were exposed to the Black Rain (fall-out) showed poor mental health compared to the comparison group on SF-8, K6 and IES-R scores even after adjusting socio-demographic variables. Although traumatic experiences at the event still affected mental health, anxiety for health effects and social stigma showed greater impact. Our findings suggest that even 63 years after the event, apprehension of health effects and social stigma harm mental health in A-bomb survivors. Our findings may also suggest that long-term risk communication will be vital to mitigate mental health effects among survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. (author)

Contributing factors to long-term psychological consequences in Hiroshima A-bomb survivors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asukai, Nozomu [Tokyo Metropolitan Inst. of Medical Science, Tokyo (Japan); Sugiyama, Hiromi [Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Hiroshima (Japan); Kato, Hiroshi [Hyogo Inst. for Traumatic Stress, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Nakajima, Midori [Hiroshima International Univ., Faculty of Psychological Science, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima (Japan); Saeki, Toshinari [Hiroshima Univ., Faculty of Medicine, Hiroshima, Hiroshima (Japan)

2012-05-15

The atomic bombing in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, caused an estimated casualty of 140,000 by the end of that year. Survivors faced hideous scenes and many lost family members. Later, in the early 1960s, increased rates of leukemia and other types of cancer were observed among the survivors. These long-term health effects caused serious apprehension to linger. However, only a few studies on psychological consequences among the survivors have been conducted. In 2008, Hiroshima City commissioned our study team to perform a large-scale survey on long-term health effects among the survivors. We delivered a questionnaire by mail to all subjects who were living in Hiroshima City and adjacent towns prior to the release of the A-bomb until the study was implemented. The number of potential subjects was 31,598 and the response rate was 75%. We analyzed a subsample of subjects (n=14,373) whose age at the event was 8 or above. In the multiple regression analysis, hibakusha (A-bomb victims) and those who were exposed to the Black Rain (fall-out) showed poor mental health compared to the comparison group on SF-8, K6 and IES-R scores even after adjusting socio-demographic variables. Although traumatic experiences at the event still affected mental health, anxiety for health effects and social stigma showed greater impact. Our findings suggest that even 63 years after the event, apprehension of health effects and social stigma harm mental health in A-bomb survivors. Our findings may also suggest that long-term risk communication will be vital to mitigate mental health effects among survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. (author)

Modulation of working memory updating: Does long-term memory lexical association matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Artuso, Caterina; Palladino, Paola

2016-02-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate how working memory updating for verbal material is modulated by enduring properties of long-term memory. Two coexisting perspectives that account for the relation between long-term representation and short-term performance were addressed. First, evidence suggests that performance is more closely linked to lexical properties, that is, co-occurrences within the language. Conversely, other evidence suggests that performance is linked more to long-term representations which do not entail lexical/linguistic representations. Our aim was to investigate how these two kinds of long-term memory associations (i.e., lexical or nonlexical) modulate ongoing working memory activity. Therefore, we manipulated (between participants) the strength of the association in letters based on either frequency of co-occurrences (lexical) or contiguity along the sequence of the alphabet (nonlexical). Results showed a cost in working memory updating for strongly lexically associated stimuli only. Our findings advance knowledge of how lexical long-term memory associations between consonants affect working memory updating and, in turn, contribute to the study of factors which impact the updating process across memory systems.

A study of the long-term properties of concrete

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Y-C; Lee, D-S; Cho, M-S [Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, J-H [Korea Inst. of Construction Technology (Korea, Republic of)

1996-12-31

Creep, drying, shrinkage, modulus of elasticity and Poisson`s ratio of concrete are influenced by a number of factors, such as mix type, member thickness, curing condition and loading cases. Particularly, creep and, shrinkage in concrete have yet to be studied due to its complicated time-dependent properties. Also they are not clearly differentiated quantitatively. In this paper, the concrete tests of creep, modulus of elasticity and Poisson`s ratio were carried out at various ages of loading -7, 28, 90, 180 and 365 days in order to investigate and quantify its long-term properties. The test procedures and analysis of the test results were also described herein. The results of this study will make it possible to calculate effective prestressing forces considering time-dependent prestressing loss and evaluate the structural integrity of the prestressing system using the representative values derived from this property test. (author). 5 refs., 4 tabs., 4 figs.

Long-term aversive taste memory requires insular and amygdala protein degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Ortiz, Carlos J; Balderas, Israela; Saucedo-Alquicira, Fernando; Cruz-Castañeda, Paulina; Bermudez-Rattoni, Federico

2011-03-01

Some reports have shown that the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is necessary to degrade repressor factors to produce new proteins essential to memory consolidation. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that memory updating also relies on protein degradation through the UPS. To evaluate whether degradation of proteins is part of the cellular events needed for long-term storage of taste aversion, we injected lactacystin--an UPS inhibitor--into the amygdala and/or insular cortex 30 min before the first or second training trials. The results revealed that degradation of proteins in either the amygdala or insular cortex suffices for long-term stabilization of first-time encounter taste aversion. On the other hand, lactacystin applied in the insula, but not in the amygdala, before the second training prevented long-term storage of updated information. Our results support that degradation of proteins by means of the UPS is required every time taste aversion is to be stored in long-term memory. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting the course of body and kidney growth in infants with urolithiasis: A critical long-term evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kemal Sarica

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the possible effects of dietary, patient and stone related factors on the clinical course of the stone disease as well as the body and renal growth status of the infants. Patients and Methods: A total of 50 children with an history of stone disease during infancy period were studied. Patient (anatomical abnormalities, urinary tract infection - UTI, associated morbidities, stone (obstruction, UTI and required interventions and lastly dietary (duration of sole breast feeding, formula feeding related factors which may affect the clinical course of the disease were all evaluated for their effects on the body and renal growth during long-term follow-up. Results: Mean age of the children was 2.40 ± 2.65 years. Our findings demonstrated that infants receiving longer period of breast feeding without formula addition seemed to have a higher rate of normal growth percentile values when compared with the other children. Again, higher frequency of UTI and stone attacks affected the growth status of the infants in a remarkable manner than the other cases. Our findings also demonstrated that thorough a close follow-up and appropriately taken measures; the possible growth retardation as well as renal growth problems could be avoided in children beginning to suffer from stone disease during infancy period. Conclusions: Duration of breast feeding, frequency of UTI, number of stone attacks and stone removal procedures are crucial factors for the clinical course of stone disease in infants that may affect the body as well as kidney growth during long-term follow-up.

Comparative study of short- and long-term indoor radon measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Jarallah, M.I. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)], E-mail: mibrahim@kfupm.edu.sa; Fazal-ur-Rehman,; Abdalla, Khalid [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)

2008-08-15

Short-term indoor radon measurements are used widely. Therefore, it is interesting to find out a correlation between these measurements and long-term measurements which reflect a better average radon concentration of individual measurement. To find the correlation between the two measurements of indoor radon concentrations at low radon levels, a study was carried out at 34 locations of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia using active and passive methods. In the short-term active method, a radon gas analyzer (AlphaGUARD) was used for a duration of 24 h in each measurement. In the long-term passive method, CR-39 based radon dosimeters were utilized for a period of 6 months, from January 2006 to June 2006. The short-term active measurements showed that the average, minimum and maximum radon concentrations were 19, 8 and 58Bqm{sup -3}, respectively, with a standard deviation of 8.6Bqm{sup -3}. The long-term passive measurements showed that the average, minimum and maximum radon concentrations were 25, 10 and 67Bqm{sup -3}, respectively, with a standard deviation of 12Bqm{sup -3}. The two measurements showed a poor correlation (R{sup 2}=0.38). The long-term measurements showed on the average higher concentrations by a factor of 1.3.

Development of an evaluation method for long-term sealability of the spent fuel storage cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Osamu; Ito, Chihiro; Saegusa, Toshiari

1996-01-01

One of the characteristics of the cask storage method of spent fuel is that containment of radioactive materials is assured by the storage cask itself. Thus, the seal structure of the cask is designed to have a highly reliable multi-barrier system using metallic gaskets instead of the conventional rubber gaskets. Although, it has been reported that the containment feature of the metallic gaskets is influenced by the plastic deformation and stress relaxation of the gaskets for a short-term usage, no research report has been published on the containment feature of the metallic gaskets for a long-term usage. In this paper, the stress relaxation features of the metallic gaskets is investigated which will directly influence the long-term sealability of the storage cask, at first. Next, the relationship between the temperature/time dependence of the plastic deformation and the containment features of the metallic gaskets. Finally, an evaluation method of the long-term sealability from experimental data of a short-term behavior of the metallic gaskets is proposed. (author)

Long-term survival in small-cell lung cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassen, U; Osterlind, K; Hansen, M

1995-01-01

PURPOSE: To describe in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) the characteristics of those who survive for > or = 5 years, to identify long-term prognostic factors, to analyze survival data of 5-year survivors, and to study 10-year survival in patients entered before 1981. PATIENTS......, especially tobacco-related cancers and other tobacco-related diseases....

Long-Term Evolution of Email Networks: Statistical Regularities, Predictability and Stability of Social Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Godoy-Lorite, Antonia; Guimerà, Roger; Sales-Pardo, Marta

2016-01-01

In social networks, individuals constantly drop ties and replace them by new ones in a highly unpredictable fashion. This highly dynamical nature of social ties has important implications for processes such as the spread of information or of epidemics. Several studies have demonstrated the influence of a number of factors on the intricate microscopic process of tie replacement, but the macroscopic long-term effects of such changes remain largely unexplored. Here we investigate whether, despite the inherent randomness at the microscopic level, there are macroscopic statistical regularities in the long-term evolution of social networks. In particular, we analyze the email network of a large organization with over 1,000 individuals throughout four consecutive years. We find that, although the evolution of individual ties is highly unpredictable, the macro-evolution of social communication networks follows well-defined statistical patterns, characterized by exponentially decaying log-variations of the weight of social ties and of individuals' social strength. At the same time, we find that individuals have social signatures and communication strategies that are remarkably stable over the scale of several years.

Mood disorders and serotonin transporter density in ecstasy users - the influence of long-term abstention, dose, and gender

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Win, Maartje M. L.; Reneman, Liesbeth; Reitsma, Johannes B.; den Heeten, Gerard J.; Booij, Jan; van den Brink, Wim

2004-01-01

Rationale. Neurotoxic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") on the serotonin (5-HT) system have been described in animals and humans, but little is known about long-term effects of ecstasy use on mood. Objectives. To investigate short-term and long-term effects of ecstasy

Few long-term consequences after prolonged maternal separation in female Wistar rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stina Lundberg

Full Text Available Environmental factors during the early-life period are known to have long-term consequences for the adult phenotype. An intimate interplay between genes and environment shape the individual and may affect vulnerability for psychopathology in a sex-dependent manner. A rodent maternal separation model was here used to study the long-term effects of different early-life rearing conditions on adult behavior, HPA axis activity and long-term voluntary alcohol intake in female rats. Litters were subjected to 15 min (MS15 or 360 min (MS360 of daily maternal separation during postnatal day 1-21. In adulthood, the behavioral profiles were investigated using the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF test or examined for HPA axis reactivity by cat-odor exposure with subsequent characterization of voluntary alcohol intake and associated changes in HPA axis activity. Adult female MS360 offspring showed mostly no, or only minor, effects on behavior, HPA axis reactivity and long-term alcohol intake relative to MS15. Instead, more pronounced effects were found dependent on changes in the natural hormonal cycle or by the choice of animal supplier. However, changes were revealed in corticosterone load after long-term alcohol access, as females subjected to MS360 had higher concentrations of fecal corticosterone. The present findings are in line with and expand on previous studies on the long-term effects of maternal separation in female rats with regard to behavior, HPA axis activity and voluntary alcohol intake. It can also be a window into further studies detailing how early-life experiences interact with other risk and protective factors to impact the adult phenotype and how possible sex differences play a role.

Long-term outcome of primary endoscopic realignment for bulbous urethral injuries: risk factors of urethral stricture.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Ill Young; Lee, Jea Whan; Park, Seung Chol; Rim, Joung Sik

2012-12-01

Although endoscopic realignment has been accepted as a standard treatment for urethral injuries, the long-term follow-up data on this procedure are not sufficient. We report the long-term outcome of primary endoscopic realignment in bulbous urethral injuries. Patients with bulbous urethral injuries were treated by primary endoscopic realignment between 1991 and 2005. The operative procedure included suprapubic cystostomy and transurethral catheterization using a guide wire, within 72 hours of injury. The study population included 51 patients with a minimum follow-up duration of 5 years. The most common causes of the injuries were straddle injury from falling down (74.5%), and pelvic bone fracture (7.8%). Gross hematuria was the most common complaint (92.2%). Twenty-three patients (45.1%) had complete urethral injuries. The mean time to operation after the injury was 38.8±43.2 hours. The mean operation time and mean indwelling time of a urethral Foley catheter were 55.5±37.6 minutes and 22.0±11.9 days, respectively. Twenty out of 51 patients (39.2%) were diagnosed with urethral stricture in 89.1±36.6 months after surgery. A multivariate analysis revealed that young age and operation time were independent risk factors for strictures as a complication of urethral realignment (hazard ratio [HR], 6.554, P=0.032; HR, 6.206, P=0.035). Urethral stricture commonly developed as a postoperative complication of primary endoscopic urethral realignment for bulbous urethral injury, especially in young age and long operation time.

Antioxidant system of erythrocytes after γ-irradiation against the background of preliminary long-term overheating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melikhov, O.G.; Kozlov, N.B.

1991-01-01

A study was made of the influence of preliminary long-term heating on the state of the antioxidant system of erythrocytes after γ-irradiation. The activity of antioxidant protection enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) in erythrocytes varied in different directions depending on the preliminary long-term overheating schedule and perhaps on the structure and intracellular localization of the enzyme

Long-term collections

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Collectes à long terme

2007-01-01

The Committee of the Long Term Collections (CLT) asks for your attention for the following message from a young Peruvian scientist, following the earthquake which devastated part of her country a month ago.

Analysis of long-term guarantee of supply in power markets: Application of the marginal theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrilla, Ernesto; Vazquez, Carlos

2005-06-01

In this paper the marginal theory is applied to discuss the different long-term equilibria that could be reached in an electricity market depending on the market participants' (generators, consumers and the regulator) goals and constraints. The aim is to identify the key elements of a possible market failure in providing generation adequacy - immature demand, regulated tariffs, long-term contracting, different agents perception of the market risks, etc - and to study their influence in the long-term market equilibrium. Furthermore, we analyze several of the different capacity mechanisms that could be used to ensure generation adequacy, such as: short-term capacity payments, long-term capacity payments and capacity markets. This final analysis includes an estimation of how useful each method is to compensate the market failures that we have previously identified

Generalized Efficient Inference on Factor Models with Long-Range Dependence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ergemen, Yunus Emre

. Short-memory dynamics are allowed in the common factor structure and possibly heteroskedastic error term. In the estimation, a generalized version of the principal components (PC) approach is proposed to achieve efficiency. Asymptotics for efficient common factor and factor loading as well as long......A dynamic factor model is considered that contains stochastic time trends allowing for stationary and nonstationary long-range dependence. The model nests standard I(0) and I(1) behaviour smoothly in common factors and residuals, removing the necessity of a priori unit-root and stationarity testing...

Effects of long-term grassland management on the carbon and nitrogen pools of different soil aggregate fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Gary; Crawley, Michael J; Fornara, Dario A

2018-02-01

Common grassland management practices include animal grazing and the repeated addition of lime and nutrient fertilizers to soils. These practices can greatly influence the size and distribution of different soil aggregate fractions, thus altering the cycling and storage of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in grassland soils. So far, very few studies have simultaneously addressed the potential long-term effect that multiple management practices might have on soil physical aggregation. Here we specifically ask whether and how grazing, liming and nutrient fertilization might influence C and N content (%) as well as C and N pools of different soil aggregate fractions in a long-term grassland experiment established in 1991 at Silwood Park, Berkshire, UK. We found that repeated liming applications over 23years significantly decreased the C pool (i.e. gCKg -1 soil) of Large Macro Aggregate (LMA>2mm) fractions and increased C pools within three smaller soil aggregate fractions: Small Macro Aggregate (SMA, 250μm-2mm), Micro Aggregate (MiA, 53-250μm), and Silt Clay Aggregate (SCAfractions was mainly caused by positive liming effects on aggregate fraction mass rather than on changes in soil C (and N) content (%). Liming effects could be explained by increases in soil pH, as this factor was significantly positively related to greater soil C and N pools of smaller aggregate fractions. Long-term grazing and inorganic nutrient fertilization had much weaker effects on both soil aggregate-fraction mass and on soil C and N concentrations, however, our evidence is that these practices could also contribute to greater C and N pools of smaller soil fractions. Overall our study demonstrates how agricultural liming can contribute to increase C pools of small (more stable) soil fractions with potential significant benefits for the long-term C balance of human-managed grassland soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term trend of foE in European higher middle latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Laštovička, Jan

2016-04-01

Long-term changes and trends have been observed in the whole ionosphere below its maximum. As concerns the E region, historical global data (Bremer, 2008) provide predominantly slightly positive trend, even though some stations provide a negative trend. Here we use data of two European stations with the best long data series of parameters of the ionospheric E layer, Slough/Chilton and Juliusruh over 1975-2014 (40 years). Noon-time medians (10-14 LT) are analyzed. The trend pattern after removing solar influence is complex. For yearly average values for Chilton first foE is decreasing in 1975-1990 by about 0.1 MHz, then the trend levels off or a little increase occurs in 1990-2004, and finally in 2004-2014 again a decrease is observed (again by about 0.1 MHz but over shorter period). Juliusruh yields a similar pattern. Similar analysis is also done for some months to check seasonal dependence of trends. The stability of relation between solar activity and foE is tested to clarify potential role of this factor in apparent trend of foE.

Flavonoid fisetin promotes ERK-dependent long-term potentiation and enhances memory

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Maher, Pamela; Akaishi, Tatsuhiro; Abe, Kazuho

2006-01-01

Small molecules that activate signaling pathways used by neurotrophic factors could be useful for treating CNS disorders. Here we show that the flavonoid fisetin activates ERK and induces cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in rat hippocampal slices, facilitates long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices, and enhances object recognition in mice. Together, these data demonstrate that the natural product fisetin can facilitate long-term memory, and therefore it may be useful for treating patients with memory disorders. PMID:17050681

Long-term Radon Levels and Equilibrium Factor in Some Spanish Workplaces Measured with a Passive Integrating Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baixeras, C.; Amgarou, K.; Font, Ll.; Domingo, C.

1999-01-01

The measurement of long-term radon levels and equilibrium factor is important to estimate the annual averaged dose due to radon progeny inhalation indoors. According to the European Union directive 96/26/EURATOM it is necessary to control the radon level in workplaces. This paper presents the radon concentration and equilibrium factor values obtained in some workplaces from the Barcelona area with a passive integrating dosemeter exposed for two months. The dosemeter consists of two Makrofol-DE nuclear etched track foils, one within a diffusion chamber and the other one bare, allowing the separated measurement of 222 Rn (C 0 ) and 214 Po (C 4 ) activity concentration respectively. The equilibrium factor is estimated from the disequilibrium degree (k 4 = C 4 /C 0 ). A description of the dosemeter and the methodology used, and an estimation of the annual dose received for the workers at the different workplaces are presented. (author)

The importance of the relationship between scale and process in understanding long-term DOC dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, J M; Bottrell, S H; Evans, C D; Monteith, D T; Bartlett, R; Rose, R; Newton, R J; Chapman, P J

2010-06-01

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon have increased in many, but not all, surface waters across acid impacted areas of Europe and North America over the last two decades. Over the last eight years several hypotheses have been put forward to explain these increases, but none are yet accepted universally. Research in this area appears to have reached a stalemate between those favouring declining atmospheric deposition, climate change or land management as the key driver of long-term DOC trends. While it is clear that many of these factors influence DOC dynamics in soil and stream waters, their effect varies over different temporal and spatial scales. We argue that regional differences in acid deposition loading may account for the apparent discrepancies between studies. DOC has shown strong monotonic increases in areas which have experienced strong downward trends in pollutant sulphur and/or seasalt deposition. Elsewhere climatic factors, that strongly influence seasonality, have also dominated inter-annual variability, and here long-term monotonic DOC trends are often difficult to detect. Furthermore, in areas receiving similar acid loadings, different catchment characteristics could have affected the site specific sensitivity to changes in acidity and therefore the magnitude of DOC release in response to changes in sulphur deposition. We suggest that confusion over these temporal and spatial scales of investigation has contributed unnecessarily to the disagreement over the main regional driver(s) of DOC trends, and that the data behind the majority of these studies is more compatible than is often conveyed. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term outcomes of unilateral transtibial amputations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimzadeh, Mohamad H; Hariri, Sanaz

2009-06-01

the long-term outcomes of wartime transtibial amputations have not been well documented. The purpose of this case series is to present the long-term functional, social, and psychological outcomes of modern-day military unilateral transtibial amputees. the Iranian Veterans Administration of the Khorasan province invited their Iranian military amputees from the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) to its medical center for evaluation. The patients filled out a detailed questionnaire and were interviewed and examined by each team member. two hundred (77%) of the 260 invited amputees were willing and able to come back for follow-up. Ninety-six of these patients (48%) were unilateral transtibial amputation. The average follow-up was 17.4 years (range 15-22 years). Land mines were the leading cause of war injury necessitating a transtibial amputation (68%). The most common symptoms about their amputated limbs were phantom sensations (54%), phantom pain (17%), and stump pain (42%). Lower back pain, contralateral (nonamputated limb) knee pain, and ipsilateral (amputated limb) knee pain were reported by 44%, 38%, and 13% of subjects, respectively. Sixty-five percent of patients were employed or had been employed for multiple years after their war injury. All patients were married, and 97% had children. Fifty-four percent of amputees reported psychological problems; 26% were currently utilizing psychological support services. at long-term follow-up, most military transtibial amputees experienced phantom sensation or some type of stump pain. More than half had persistent psychiatric problems, but only about half of these patients were receiving psychological treatment. Although this case series reports the status of these amputees, the next step would be to prospectively follow modern wartime amputees using standardized, validated outcome measures. With the goal of optimizing long-term amputee outcomes, researchers should correlate outcomes with demographics, injury characteristics, and

Reduced insulin-like growth factor-I serum levels in formerly obese women subjected to laparoscopic-adjustable gastric banding or diet-induced long-term caloric restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitterberger, Maria C; Mattesich, Monika; Klaver, Elise; Piza-Katzer, Hildegunde; Zwerschke, Werner

2011-11-01

Life-span extension in laboratory rodents induced by long-term caloric restriction correlates with decreased serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels. Reduced activity of the growth hormone/IGF-I signaling system slows aging and increases longevity in mutant mouse models. In the present study, we show that long-term caloric restriction achieved by two different interventions for 4 years, either laparoscopic-adjustable gastric banding or reducing diet, leads to reduced IGF-I serum levels in formerly obese women relative to normal-weight women eating ad libitum. Moreover, we present evidence that the long-term caloric restriction interventions reduce fasting growth hormone serum levels. The present study indicates that the activity of the growth hormone/IGF-I axis is reduced in long-term calorically restricted formerly obese humans. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the duration and severity of the caloric restriction intervention are important for the outcome on the growth hormone/IGF-I axis in humans.

Long term warranty and after sales service concept, policies and cost models

CERN Document Server

Rahman, Anisur

2015-01-01

This volume presents concepts, policies and cost models for various long-term warranty and maintenance contracts. It offers several numerical examples for estimating costs to both the manufacturer and consumer. Long-term warranties and maintenance contracts are becoming increasingly popular, as these types of aftersales services provide assurance to consumers that they can enjoy long, reliable service, and protect them from defects and the potentially high costs of repairs. Studying long-term warranty and service contracts is important to manufacturers and consumers alike, as offering long-term warranty and maintenance contracts produce additional costs for manufacturers / service providers over the product’s service life. These costs must be factored into the price, or the manufacturer / dealer will incur losses instead of making a profit. On the other hand, the buyer / consumer needs to weigh the cost of maintaining it over its service life and to decide whether or not these policies are worth purchasing....

Long-term Postoperative Nutritional Status Affects Prognosis Even After Infectious Complications in Gastric Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiuchi, Jun; Komatsu, Shuhei; Kosuga, Toshiyuki; Kubota, Takeshi; Okamoto, Kazuma; Konishi, Hirotaka; Shiozaki, Atsushi; Fujiwara, Hitoshi; Ichikawa, Daisuke; Otsuji, Eigo

2018-05-01

This study was designed to investigate the clinical impact of postoperative serum albumin level on severe postoperative complications (SPCs) and prognosis. Data for a total of 728 consecutive patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer between 2004 and 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. From these patients, a propensity score-matched analysis was performed based on 14 clinicopathological and surgical factors. Short-term decrease in postoperative serum albumin level was not associated with the occurrence of SPCs. Regarding long-term decrease in serum albumin level, a decrease of ≥0.5 g/dl at 3 months did not affect the long-term survival of patients without SPCs, but was related to a significantly poorer prognosis in patients with SPCs. By multivariate analysis, long-term decrease of serum albumin level was an independent prognostic factor in patients with SPCs. Long-term postoperative nutritional status as shown by a low level of albumin was related to prognosis in patients with SPCs. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Compensation for PKMζ in long-term potentiation and spatial long-term memory in mutant mice.

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Tsokas, Panayiotis; Hsieh, Changchi; Yao, Yudong; Lesburguères, Edith; Wallace, Emma Jane Claire; Tcherepanov, Andrew; Jothianandan, Desingarao; Hartley, Benjamin Rush; Pan, Ling; Rivard, Bruno; Farese, Robert V; Sajan, Mini P; Bergold, Peter John; Hernández, Alejandro Iván; Cottrell, James E; Shouval, Harel Z; Fenton, André Antonio; Sacktor, Todd Charlton

2016-05-17

PKMζ is a persistently active PKC isoform proposed to maintain late-LTP and long-term memory. But late-LTP and memory are maintained without PKMζ in PKMζ-null mice. Two hypotheses can account for these findings. First, PKMζ is unimportant for LTP or memory. Second, PKMζ is essential for late-LTP and long-term memory in wild-type mice, and PKMζ-null mice recruit compensatory mechanisms. We find that whereas PKMζ persistently increases in LTP maintenance in wild-type mice, PKCι/λ, a gene-product closely related to PKMζ, persistently increases in LTP maintenance in PKMζ-null mice. Using a pharmacogenetic approach, we find PKMζ-antisense in hippocampus blocks late-LTP and spatial long-term memory in wild-type mice, but not in PKMζ-null mice without the target mRNA. Conversely, a PKCι/λ-antagonist disrupts late-LTP and spatial memory in PKMζ-null mice but not in wild-type mice. Thus, whereas PKMζ is essential for wild-type LTP and long-term memory, persistent PKCι/λ activation compensates for PKMζ loss in PKMζ-null mice.

Clinical epidemiology of long-term suicide risk in a nationwide population-based cohort study in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyewon; Myung, Woojae; Lee, Chunsoo; Choi, Junbae; Kim, Ho; Carroll, Bernard J; Kim, Doh Kwan

2018-05-01

We investigated the effects of a large range of clinical factors on the long-term risk of suicide in the general population of South Korea. We analyzed the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) database in South Korea. A total of 300,232 individuals were followed for up to 12 years. We obtained information on demographic variables (age and sex), lifestyle variables (cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and exercise), psychiatric and physical disorders, laboratory examination results and physical examination findings. We conducted a competing risk survival analysis to estimate the risk of completed suicide. 725 individuals (241/100,000) died by suicide in the follow-up period. After Bonferroni correction, we found a significant suicide risk associated with 6 variables: Parkinson's disease, depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (inverted association), elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase levels, male gender and age. Before Bonferroni correction, variables such as cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol drinking, psychotic disorder, other psychiatric disorder, benzodiazepine use and higher fasting glucose showed some significant association. In addition, body mass index and height were inversely related to completed suicide before Bonferroni correction. However, only the 6 variables listed above were robust predictors of suicide in the fully adjusted analyses with multiple test correction. Common medical conditions had no clear influence on suicide. Diverse clinical factors influenced the long-term risk of completed suicide in this general population sample. Comprehensive assessment of these risk factors will facilitate more focused suicide surveillance measures. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of Intrinsic Factors on Erosive Tooth Wear in a Large-Scale Epidemiological Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alaraudanjoki, Viivi; Laitala, Marja-Liisa; Tjäderhane, Leo; Pesonen, Paula; Lussi, Adrian; Ronkainen, Jukka; Anttonen, Vuokko

2016-01-01

To assess the influence of self-reported intrinsic factors [gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), long-term alcoholism, long-term heavy use of alcohol and multiple pregnancies] on erosive tooth wear in a middle-aged cohort sample. Of the total Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC 1966), a convenience sample (n = 3,181) was invited for an oral health examination in 2012-2013, of which 1,962 participated, comprising the final study group. Erosive tooth wear was assessed by sextants using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination Index (BEWE, 0-18). Clinical data were supplemented by questionnaires conducted in 1997/1998 and 2012/2013. The participants were divided into severe (BEWE sum ≥9) and no-to-moderate (BEWE sum 0-8) erosive wear groups, and the logistic regression model was applied. Selected intrinsic factors were quite rare in this cohort sample and explained only 5.9% of the difference in the prevalence and severity of erosive wear. Daily symptoms of GERD [odds ratio (OR) 3.8, confidence interval (CI) 1.2-12.0] and hyposalivation (OR 3.8, CI 1.2-11.8) were the strongest risk indicators for severe erosive wear. Additionally, variables associated with an elevated risk for severe erosive wear were diagnosed alcoholism at any point (OR 2.5, CI 0.7-9.7) and self-reported heavy use of alcohol in both questionnaires (OR 2.0, CI 0.6-6.2). Even low-dose long-term consumption of alcohol was associated with erosive wear. In this cohort sample, intrinsic factors such as GERD or alcoholism alone are relatively uncommon causes of erosive tooth wear. The role of long-term use of alcohol in the erosion process may be bigger than presumed. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Patient empowerment in long-term conditions: development and preliminary testing of a new measure

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Patient empowerment is viewed by policy makers and health care practitioners as a mechanism to help patients with long-term conditions better manage their health and achieve better outcomes. However, assessing the role of empowerment is dependent on effective measures of empowerment. Although many measures of empowerment exist, no measure has been developed specifically for patients with long-term conditions in the primary care setting. This study presents preliminary data on the development and validation of such a measure. Methods We conducted two empirical studies. Study one was an interview study to understand empowerment from the perspective of patients living with long-term conditions. Qualitative analysis identified dimensions of empowerment, and the qualitative data were used to generate items relating to these dimensions. Study two was a cross-sectional postal study involving patients with different types of long-term conditions recruited from general practices. The survey was conducted to test and validate our new measure of empowerment. Factor analysis and regression were performed to test scale structure, internal consistency and construct validity. Results Sixteen predominately elderly patients with different types of long-term conditions described empowerment in terms of 5 dimensions (identity, knowledge and understanding, personal control, personal decision-making, and enabling other patients). One hundred and ninety seven survey responses were received from mainly older white females, with relatively low levels of formal education, with the majority retired from paid work. Almost half of the sample reported cardiovascular, joint or diabetes long-term conditions. Factor analysis identified a three factor solution (positive attitude and sense of control, knowledge and confidence in decision making and enabling others), although the structure lacked clarity. A total empowerment score across all items showed acceptable levels of internal