Frugivores bias seed-adult tree associations through nonrandom seed dispersal: a phylogenetic approach.

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Razafindratsima, Onja H; Dunham, Amy E

2016-08-01

Frugivores are the main seed dispersers in many ecosystems, such that behaviorally driven, nonrandom patterns of seed dispersal are a common process; but patterns are poorly understood. Characterizing these patterns may be essential for understanding spatial organization of fruiting trees and drivers of seed-dispersal limitation in biodiverse forests. To address this, we studied resulting spatial associations between dispersed seeds and adult tree neighbors in a diverse rainforest in Madagascar, using a temporal and phylogenetic approach. Data show that by using fruiting trees as seed-dispersal foci, frugivores bias seed dispersal under conspecific adults and under heterospecific trees that share dispersers and fruiting time with the dispersed species. Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal also resulted in nonrandom phylogenetic associations of dispersed seeds with their nearest adult neighbors, in nine out of the 16 months of our study. However, these nonrandom phylogenetic associations fluctuated unpredictably over time, ranging from clustered to overdispersed. The spatial and phylogenetic template of seed dispersal did not translate to similar patterns of association in adult tree neighborhoods, suggesting the importance of post-dispersal processes in structuring plant communities. Results suggest that frugivore-mediated seed dispersal is important for structuring early stages of plant-plant associations, setting the template for post-dispersal processes that influence ultimate patterns of plant recruitment. Importantly, if biased patterns of dispersal are common in other systems, frugivores may promote tree coexistence in biodiverse forests by limiting the frequency and diversity of heterospecific interactions of seeds they disperse. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

A systematic review of nonrandomized controlled trials on the curative effects of aquatic exercise

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Kamioka H

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Hiroharu Kamioka1, Kiichiro Tsutani2, Yoshiteru Mutoh3, Hiroyasu Okuizum4, Miho Ohta5, Shuichi Handa4, Shinpei Okada6, Jun Kitayuguchi7, Masamitsu Kamada7, Nobuyoshi Shiozawa8, Sang-Jun Park4, Takuya Honda4, Shoko Moriyama41Faculty of Regional Environment Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Drug Policy and Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 4Mimaki Onsen (Spa Clinic, Tomi City, Japan; 5Laboratory of Aqua, Health, and Sports Medicine, 6Physical Education and Medicine Research Foundation, Nagano, Japan; 7Physical Education and Medicine Research Center Unnan, Unnan City, Japan; 8Department of Longevity and Social Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, JapanBackground: The objectives of this review were to integrate the evidence of curative effects through aquatic exercise and assess the quality of studies based on a review of nonrandomized controlled trials (nRCTs.Methods: Study design was a systematic review of nonrandomized controlled trials. Trials were eligible if they were nonrandomized clinical trials. Studies included one treatment group in which aquatic exercise was applied. We searched the following databases from 2000 up to July 20, 2009: MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, and Ichushi-Web.Results: Twenty-one trials met all inclusion criteria. Languages included were English (N = 9, Japanese (N = 11, and Korean (N = 1. Target diseases were knee and/or hip osteoarthritis, poliomyelitis, chronic kidney disease, discomforts of pregnancy, cardiovascular diseases, and rotator cuff tears. Many studies on nonspecific disease (healthy participants were included. All studies reported significant effectiveness in at least one or more outcomes. However results of evaluations with the TREND and CLEAR-NPT checklists generally

Tests for nonrandomness in quantum jumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkeland, D.J.; Raymondson, D.A.; Tassin, V.M.

2004-01-01

In a fundamental test of quantum mechanics, we have observed 228 000 quantum jumps of a single trapped and laser cooled 88 Sr + ion. This represents a statistical increase of two orders of magnitude over previous similar analyses of quantum jumps. Compared to other searches for nonrandomness in quantum-mechanical processes, using quantum jumps simplifies the interpretation of data by eliminated multiparticle effects and providing near-unit detection efficiency of transitions. We measure the fractional reduction in the entropy of information to be -4 when the value of any interval between quantum jumps is known. We also find that the number of runs of successively increasing or decreasing interval times agrees with the theoretically expected values. Furthermore, we analyze 238 000 quantum jumps from two simultaneously confined ions and find that the number of apparently coincidental transitions is as expected. Finally, we observe 8400 spontaneous decays of two simultaneously trapped ions and find that the number of apparently coincidental decays from the metastable state agrees with the expected value. We find no evidence for short- or long-term correlations in the intervals of the quantum jumps or in the decay of the quantum states, in agreement with quantum theory

GreenLight laser vs diode laser vaporization of the prostate: 3-year results of a prospective nonrandomized study.

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Guo, Sanwei; Müller, Georg; Bonkat, Gernot; Püschel, Heike; Gasser, Thomas; Bachmann, Alexander; Rieken, Malte

2015-04-01

Laser vaporization of the prostate is one of the alternatives to transurethral resection of the prostate. Short-term studies report a comparable outcome after laser vaporization with the 532 nm 120-W GreenLight high-performance system (HPS) laser and the 980 nm 200 W high-intensity diode (diode) laser. In this study, we analyzed the intermediate-term results of both techniques. From January 2007 to January 2008, 112 consecutive patients with symptomatic benign prostate enlargement were nonrandomly assigned to treatment with the GreenLight laser or the diode laser. Perioperative parameters, postoperative functional outcome, complications, and the reoperation rate at 3 years were analyzed. Improvement of voiding symptoms (International Prostate Symptom Score, quality-of-life) and micturition parameters (maximum flow rate, postvoid residual volume) showed no significant difference between the HPS group and the diode group. A significantly higher reoperation rate was observed in the diode group in comparison to the HPS group (37.5% vs 8.9%, p=0.0003) due to obstructive necrotic tissue (16.1% vs 0%, p=0.0018), bladder neck stricture (16.1% vs 1.8%, p=0.008), and persisting or recurrent adenoma (5.4% vs 7.1%, p=0.70), respectively. Both lasers lead to comparable improvement of voiding parameters and micturition symptoms. Treatment with the 200 W diode laser led to a significantly higher reoperation rate, which might be attributed to a higher degree of coagulation necrosis. Thus, a careful clinical application of this diode laser type is warranted.

Classroom-based narrative and vocabulary instruction: results of an early-stage, nonrandomized comparison study.

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Gillam, Sandra Laing; Olszewski, Abbie; Fargo, Jamison; Gillam, Ronald B

2014-07-01

This nonrandomized feasibility study was designed to provide a preliminary assessment of the impact of a narrative and vocabulary instruction program provided by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in a regular classroom setting. Forty-three children attending 2 first-grade classrooms participated in the study. Children in each classroom were divided into high- and low-risk subgroups on the basis of their performance on a narrative test. Narrative and vocabulary instruction was provided by an SLP in 1 classroom for three 30-min periods per week for 6 weeks. The children in the experimental classroom made clinically significant improvements on narrative and vocabulary measures; children in the comparison classroom did not. Within the experimental classroom, children in the high-risk subgroup demonstrated greater gains in narration and fewer gains in vocabulary than children in the low-risk subgroup. There were no subgroup differences in the comparison classroom. These preliminary results provide early evidence of the feasibility of implementing a narrative instruction program in a classroom setting. Children at a high risk for language difficulties appeared to profit more from the narrative instruction than from the embedded vocabulary instruction. More extensive research on this instructional program is warranted.

A 4-year non-randomized comparative phase-IV study of early rheumatoid arthritis: integrative anthroposophic medicine for patients with preference against DMARDs versus conventional therapy including DMARDs for patients without preference

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Hamre HJ

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Harald J Hamre,1 Van N Pham,2 Christian Kern,3 Rolf Rau,4 Jörn Klasen,3 Ute Schendel,5 Lars Gerlach,6 Attyla Drabik,2 Ludger Simon6,† 1Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology at the Witten/Herdecke University, Freiburg, Germany; 2Institute of Statistics in Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; 3Department of Integrative Medicine, Asklepios Westklinikum, Hamburg, Germany; 4Department of Rheumatology, Evangelisches Fachkrankenhaus Ratingen, Ratingen, Germany; 5Department of Rheumatology, m&i-Fachklinik Bad Pyrmont, Bad Pyrmont, Germany; 6Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Filderklinik, Filderstadt, Germany †Dr Ludger Simon passed away on June 10, 2016 Background: While disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs are a mainstay of therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA, some patients with early RA refuse DMARDs. In anthroposophic medicine (AM, a treatment strategy for early RA without DMARDs has been developed. Preliminary data suggest that RA symptoms and inflammatory markers can be reduced under AM, without DMARDs. Patients and methods: Two hundred and fifty-one self-selected patients aged 16–70 years, starting treatment for RA of <3 years duration, without prior DMARD therapy, participated in a prospective, non-randomized, comparative Phase IV study. C-patients were treated in clinics offering conventional therapy including DMARDs, while A-patients had chosen treatment in anthroposophic clinics, without DMARDs. Both groups received corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs. Primary outcomes were intensity of RA symptoms measured by self-rating on visual analog scales, C-reactive protein, radiological progression, study withdrawals, serious adverse events (SAE, and adverse drug reactions in months 0–48. Results: The groups were similar in most baseline characteristics, while A-patients had longer disease duration (mean 15.1 vs 10.8 months, p<0

Microstructural descriptors and cellular automata simulation of the effects of non-random nuclei location on recrystallization in two dimensions

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Paulo Rangel Rios

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The effect of non-random nuclei location and the efficiency of microstructural descriptors in assessing such a situation are studied. Cellular automata simulation of recrystallization in two dimensions is carried out to simulate microstrutural evolution for nuclei distribution ranging from a periodic arrangement to clusters of nuclei. The simulation results are compared in detail with microstrutural descriptors normally used to follow transformation evolution. It is shown that the contiguity is particularly relevant to detect microstructural deviations from randomness. This work focuses on recrystallization but its results are applicable to any nucleation and growth transformation.

Non-random distribution of instability-associated chromosomal rearrangement breakpoints in human lymphoblastoid cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, Stephen R.; Papworth, David; Grosovsky, Andrew J.

2006-01-01

Genomic instability is observed in tumors and in a large fraction of the progeny surviving irradiation. One of the best-characterized phenotypic manifestations of genomic instability is delayed chromosome aberrations. Our working hypothesis for the current study was that if genomic instability is in part attributable to cis mechanisms, we should observe a non-random distribution of chromosomes or sites involved in instability-associated rearrangements, regardless of radiation quality, dose, or trans factor expression. We report here the karyotypic examination of 296 instability-associated chromosomal rearrangement breaksites (IACRB) from 118 unstable TK6 human B lymphoblast, and isogenic derivative, clones. When we tested whether IACRB were distributed across the chromosomes based on target size, a significant non-random distribution was evident (p < 0.00001), and three IACRB hotspots (chromosomes 11, 12, and 22) and one IACRB coldspot (chromosome 2) were identified. Statistical analysis at the chromosomal band-level identified four IACRB hotspots accounting for 20% of all instability-associated breaks, two of which account for over 14% of all IACRB. Further, analysis of independent clones provided evidence within 14 individual clones of IACRB clustering at the chromosomal band level, suggesting a predisposition for further breaks after an initial break at some chromosomal bands. All of these events, independently, or when taken together, were highly unlikely to have occurred by chance (p < 0.000001). These IACRB band-level cluster hotspots were observed independent of radiation quality, dose, or cellular p53 status. The non-random distribution of instability-associated chromosomal rearrangements described here significantly differs from the distribution that was observed in a first-division post-irradiation metaphase analysis (p = 0.0004). Taken together, these results suggest that genomic instability may be in part driven by chromosomal cis mechanisms

Critical appraisal of nonrandomized studies-A review of recommended and commonly used tools.

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Quigley, Joan M; Thompson, Juliette C; Halfpenny, Nicholas J; Scott, David A

2018-02-27

When randomized controlled trial data are limited or unavailable, or to supplement randomized controlled trial evidence, health technology assessment (HTA) agencies may rely on systematic reviews of nonrandomized studies (NRSs) for evidence of the effectiveness of health care interventions. NRS designs may introduce considerable bias into systematic reviews, and several methodologies by which to evaluate this risk of bias are available. This study aimed to identify tools commonly used to assess bias in NRS and determine those recommended by HTA bodies. Appraisal tools used in NRS were identified through a targeted search of systematic reviews (January 2013-March 2017; MEDLINE and EMBASE [OVID SP]). Recommendations for the critical appraisal of NRS by expert review groups and HTA bodies were reviewed. From the 686 studies included in the narrative synthesis, 48 critical appraisal tools were identified. Commonly used tools included the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, the methodological index for NRS, and bespoke appraisal tools. Neither the Cochrane Handbook nor the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination recommends a particular instrument for the assessment of risk of bias in NRS, although Cochrane has recently developed their own NRS critical appraisal tool. Among HTA bodies, only the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health recommends use of a specific critical appraisal tool-SIGN 50 (for cohort or case-control studies). Several criteria including reporting, external validity, confounding, and power were examined. There is no consensus between HTA groups on the preferred appraisal tool. Reviewers should select from a suite of tools on the basis of the design of studies included in their review. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Treatment of age-related subfoveal neovascular membranes by teletherapy. Results of a non-randomized study

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Subasi, M.; Akmansu, M.; Or, M. [Gazi Univ., Ankara (Turkey). Medical Faculty

1999-03-01

This investigation was designed to determine whether low-dose radiation to the macular region could influence the natural course of age-related subfoveal neovascularization. Thirty-one patients with subfoveal membranes due to age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) were treated with 12 Gy of 6 MV X-rays, and 72 patients who were untreated served as a control group. Both groups were followed-up. At six months of follow-up visual acuity was maintained in 54.8% and improved 25.8% of patients treated by radiotherapy. In the control group, visual acuity showed deterioration in 55.5%. There was a significant difference between the treated and untreated groups (p<0.01). Significant neovascular membrane regression or stabilization was recorded in 61.3% of treated patients at six months post-radiation, whereas the membranes in all. 72 control patients showed progressive enlargement. This non-randomized study suggested that low doses of radiation may be an alternative treatment for ARMD without an immediate drop in visual acuity or significant radiation morbidity. (author)

An Approach to Distinguish between Plasticity and Non-random Distributions of Behavioral Types Along Urban Gradients in a Wild Passerine Bird

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Philipp Sprau

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The impact of urbanization has been widely studied in the context of species diversity and life history evolution. Behavioral adaptation, by contrast, remains poorly understood because empirical studies rarely investigate the relative importance of two key mechanisms: plastic responses vs. non-random distributions of behavioral types. We propose here an approach that enables the simultaneous estimation of the respective roles of these distinct mechanisms. We investigated why risky behaviors are often associated with urbanization, using an urban nest box population of great tits (Parus major as a study system. We simultaneously and repeatedly quantified individual behavior (aggression and flight initiation distance as well as environmental factors characterizing level of urbanization (numbers of pedestrians, cars and cyclists. This enabled us to statistically distinguish plastic responses from patterns of non-random distributions of behavioral types. Data analyses revealed that individuals did not plastically adjust their behavior to the level of urbanization. Behavioral types were instead non-randomly distributed: bold birds occurred more frequently in areas with more cars and fewer pedestrians while shy individuals were predominantly found in areas with fewer cars and more pedestrians. These novel findings imply a major role for behavioral types in the evolutionary ecology of urban environments and call for the full integration of among- and within-individual variation in urban ecological studies.

Treatment of benign esophageal stricture by Eder-Puestow or balloon dilators: a comparison between randomized and prospective nonrandomized trials.

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Yamamoto, H; Hughes, R W; Schroeder, K W; Viggiano, T R; DiMagno, E P

1992-03-01

To determine whether the natural history of strictures is affected by the type of dilator used to treat newly diagnosed peptic strictures, we designed a prospective randomized trial to compare the results after Eder-Puestow or Medi-Tech balloon dilation. We entered 31 patients into the trial. We also prospectively followed up all 92 nonrandomized patients who underwent their first dilation for a benign stricture during the same period as the prospective randomized trial. The nonrandomized patients also underwent dilation with either the Eder-Puestow or the balloon technique at the discretion of the gastroenterologist performing the endoscopy. We found no statistically significant differences in the immediate or long-term results of the two methods among the randomized, nonrandomized, and overall combined groups. All but 1 of the 123 patients had immediate relief of dysphagia. Within each group of patients, the probability of remaining free of dysphagia 1 year after the initial dilation was approximately 20%, and the probability of not requiring a second dilation was approximately 65% with either technique. Major (esophageal rupture) and minor (bleeding or chest pain) complications occurred in 1% and 5% of the patients and 0.4% and 3% of the total dilation procedures, respectively. The esophageal rupture and four of six minor complications occurred after repeated dilations. Five of the six minor complications occurred with use of the Eder-Puestow dilators. We conclude that Eder-Puestow and balloon dilations of benign esophageal strictures are associated with similar outcomes, but repeated dilations and the Eder-Puestow technique may be associated with an increased risk of complications.

Colonic stem cell data are consistent with the immortal model of stem cell division under non-random strand segregation.

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Walters, K

2009-06-01

Colonic stem cells are thought to reside towards the base of crypts of the colon, but their numbers and proliferation mechanisms are not well characterized. A defining property of stem cells is that they are able to divide asymmetrically, but it is not known whether they always divide asymmetrically (immortal model) or whether there are occasional symmetrical divisions (stochastic model). By measuring diversity of methylation patterns in colon crypt samples, a recent study found evidence in favour of the stochastic model, assuming random segregation of stem cell DNA strands during cell division. Here, the effect of preferential segregation of the template strand is considered to be consistent with the 'immortal strand hypothesis', and explore the effect on conclusions of previously published results. For a sample of crypts, it is shown how, under the immortal model, to calculate mean and variance of the number of unique methylation patterns allowing for non-random strand segregation and compare them with those observed. The calculated mean and variance are consistent with an immortal model that incorporates non-random strand segregation for a range of stem cell numbers and levels of preferential strand segregation. Allowing for preferential strand segregation considerably alters previously published conclusions relating to stem cell numbers and turnover mechanisms. Evidence in favour of the stochastic model may not be as strong as previously thought.

Sucralfate gel as a radioprotector against radiation induced dermatitis in a hypo-fractionated schedule: a non-randomized study.

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Kouloulias, V; Asimakopoulos, C; Tolia, M; Filippou, G; Platoni, K; Dilvoi, M; Beli, I; Georgakopoulos, J; Patatoukas, G; Kelekis, N

2013-04-01

External beam radiotherapy with high doses provokes many acute skin reactions, such as erythema and moist desquamation. Many topical preparations are used in radiation oncology departments in the skin care. Sucralfate humid gel, a colloidal physical form of the anti-ulcer drug sucralfate, promotes epithelial regeneration and activates cell proliferation. Based on this knowledge, we performed a non-randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of topical sucralfate gel in 30 breast cancer patients receiving postoperative accelerated hypofractionated photon beam therapy. The comparison was performed with 30 patients as historical controls. The acute reaction of the skin was significantly lower in the group receiving the sucralfate gel (p<0.05, Mann Whitney test), while 90% of the patients had no evidence of radiation induced skin toxicity. There was no sucralfate gel related toxicity reported by any patient in this study. More patients in a randomized way are needed for more definite results.

Good research practices for comparative effectiveness research: approaches to mitigate bias and confounding in the design of nonrandomized studies of treatment effects using secondary data sources: the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Good Research Practices for Retrospective Database Analysis Task Force Report--Part II.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Emily; Martin, Bradley C; Van Staa, Tjeerd; Garbe, Edeltraut; Siebert, Uwe; Johnson, Michael L

2009-01-01

The goal of comparative effectiveness analysis is to examine the relationship between two variables, treatment, or exposure and effectiveness or outcome. Unlike data obtained through randomized controlled trials, researchers face greater challenges with causal inference with observational studies. Recognizing these challenges, a task force was formed to develop a guidance document on methodological approaches to addresses these biases. The task force was commissioned and a Chair was selected by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Board of Directors in October 2007. This report, the second of three reported in this issue of the Journal, discusses the inherent biases when using secondary data sources for comparative effectiveness analysis and provides methodological recommendations to help mitigate these biases. The task force report provides recommendations and tools for researchers to mitigate threats to validity from bias and confounding in measurement of exposure and outcome. Recommendations on design of study included: the need for data analysis plan with causal diagrams; detailed attention to classification bias in definition of exposure and clinical outcome; careful and appropriate use of restriction; extreme care to identify and control for confounding factors, including time-dependent confounding. Design of nonrandomized studies of comparative effectiveness face several daunting issues, including measurement of exposure and outcome challenged by misclassification and confounding. Use of causal diagrams and restriction are two techniques that can improve the theoretical basis for analyzing treatment effects in study populations of more homogeneity, with reduced loss of generalizability.

Variation of mutational burden in healthy human tissues suggests non-random strand segregation and allows measuring somatic mutation rates.

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Werner, Benjamin; Sottoriva, Andrea

2018-06-01

The immortal strand hypothesis poses that stem cells could produce differentiated progeny while conserving the original template strand, thus avoiding accumulating somatic mutations. However, quantitating the extent of non-random DNA strand segregation in human stem cells remains difficult in vivo. Here we show that the change of the mean and variance of the mutational burden with age in healthy human tissues allows estimating strand segregation probabilities and somatic mutation rates. We analysed deep sequencing data from healthy human colon, small intestine, liver, skin and brain. We found highly effective non-random DNA strand segregation in all adult tissues (mean strand segregation probability: 0.98, standard error bounds (0.97,0.99)). In contrast, non-random strand segregation efficiency is reduced to 0.87 (0.78,0.88) in neural tissue during early development, suggesting stem cell pool expansions due to symmetric self-renewal. Healthy somatic mutation rates differed across tissue types, ranging from 3.5 × 10-9/bp/division in small intestine to 1.6 × 10-7/bp/division in skin.

Variation of mutational burden in healthy human tissues suggests non-random strand segregation and allows measuring somatic mutation rates.

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Benjamin Werner

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The immortal strand hypothesis poses that stem cells could produce differentiated progeny while conserving the original template strand, thus avoiding accumulating somatic mutations. However, quantitating the extent of non-random DNA strand segregation in human stem cells remains difficult in vivo. Here we show that the change of the mean and variance of the mutational burden with age in healthy human tissues allows estimating strand segregation probabilities and somatic mutation rates. We analysed deep sequencing data from healthy human colon, small intestine, liver, skin and brain. We found highly effective non-random DNA strand segregation in all adult tissues (mean strand segregation probability: 0.98, standard error bounds (0.97,0.99. In contrast, non-random strand segregation efficiency is reduced to 0.87 (0.78,0.88 in neural tissue during early development, suggesting stem cell pool expansions due to symmetric self-renewal. Healthy somatic mutation rates differed across tissue types, ranging from 3.5 × 10-9/bp/division in small intestine to 1.6 × 10-7/bp/division in skin.

Estimating the treatment effect from non-randomized studies: The example of reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation in hematological diseases

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Resche-Rigon Matthieu

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In some clinical situations, for which RCT are rare or impossible, the majority of the evidence comes from observational studies, but standard estimations could be biased because they ignore covariates that confound treatment decisions and outcomes. Methods Three observational studies were conducted to assess the benefit of Allo-SCT in hematological malignancies of multiple myeloma, follicular lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease. Two statistical analyses were performed: the propensity score (PS matching approach and the inverse probability weighting (IPW approach. Results Based on PS-matched samples, a survival benefit in MM patients treated by Allo-SCT, as compared to similar non-allo treated patients, was observed with an HR of death at 0.35 (95%CI: 0.14-0.88. Similar results were observed in HD, 0.23 (0.07-0.80 but not in FL, 1.28 (0.43-3.77. Estimated benefits of Allo-SCT for the original population using IPW were erased in HR for death at 0.72 (0.37-1.39 for MM patients, 0.60 (0.19-1.89 for HD patients, and 2.02 (0.88-4.66 for FL patients. Conclusion Differences in estimated benefits rely on whether the underlying population to which they apply is an ideal randomized experimental population (PS or the original population (IPW. These useful methods should be employed when assessing the effects of innovative treatment in non-randomized experiments.

Does balneotherapy with low radon concentration in water influence the endocrine system? A controlled non-randomized pilot study.

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Nagy, Katalin; Berhés, István; Kovács, Tibor; Kávási, Norbert; Somlai, János; Bender, Tamás

2009-08-01

Radon bath is a well-established modality of balneotherapy for the management of degenerative musculoskeletal disorders. The present study was conducted to ascertain whether baths of relatively low (80 Bq/l) radon concentration have any influence on the functioning of the endocrine system. In the study, a non-randomized pilot study, 27 patients with degenerative musculoskeletal disorders received 30-min radon baths (of 31-32 degrees C temperature and 80 Bq/l average radon concentration) daily, for 15 days. Twenty-five patients with matching pathologies were subjected to balneotherapy according to the same protocol, using thermal water with negligible radon content (6 Bq/l). Serum thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin, cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and dehydroepiandrosterone levels were measured before and after a balneotherapy course of 15 sessions. Comparison of the accumulated data using the Wilcoxon test did not reveal any significant difference between pre- and post-treatment values or between the two patient groups. It is noted that while the beneficial effects of balneotherapy with radon-containing water on degenerative disorders is widely known, only few data have been published in the literature on its effect on endocrine functions. The present study failed to demonstrate any substantial effect of thermal water with relatively low radon content on the functioning of the endocrine system.

Laparoscopic Complete Mesocolic Excision versus Open Complete Mesocolic Excision for Transverse Colon Cancer: Long-Term Survival Results of a Prospective Single Centre Non-Randomized Study.

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Storli, Kristian Eeg; Eide, Geir Egil

2016-01-01

Laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision (CME) used in the treatment of transverse colon cancer has been questioned on the basis of the technical challenges. The aim of this study was to evaluate the medium- and long-term clinical and survival outcomes after laparoscopic and open CME for transverse colon cancer and to compare the 2 approaches. This study was a retrospective non-randomized study of patients with prospectively registered data on open and laparoscopic CME for transverse colon cancer tumour-node-metastasis stages I-III operated on between 2007 and 2014. This was a single-centre study in a community teaching hospital. A total of 56 patients with transverse colon cancer were included, excluding those with tumours in the colonic flexures. The outcome aims were 4-year time to recurrence (TTR) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Morbidity was also measured. The 4-year TTR was 93.9% in the laparoscopic group and 91.3% in the open group (p = 0.71). The 4-year CSS was 97.0% in the laparoscopic group and 91.3% in the open group (p = 0.42). This was a prospective single-institution study with a small sample size. Results of the study suggest that the laparoscopic CME approach might be the preferred approach for transverse colon cancer, especially regarding its benefits in terms of short-term morbidity, length of stay and oncological outcome. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

In-Patient Treatment of Fibromyalgia: A Controlled Nonrandomized Comparison of Conventional Medicine versus Integrative Medicine including Fasting Therapy

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Andreas Michalsen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Fibromyalgia poses a challenge for therapy. Recent guidelines suggest that fibromyalgia should be treated within a multidisciplinary therapy approach. No data are available that evaluated multimodal treatment strategies of Integrative Medicine (IM. We conducted a controlled, nonrandomized pilot study that compared two inpatient treatment strategies, an IM approach that included fasting therapy and a conventional rheumatology (CM approach. IM used fasting cure and Mind-Body-Medicine as specific methods. Of 48 included consecutive patients, 28 were treated with IM, 20 with CM. Primary outcome was change in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ score after the 2-week hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included scores of pain, depression, anxiety, and well being. Assessments were repeated after 12 weeks. At 2 weeks, there were significant improvements in the FIQ (P<0.014 and for most of secondary outcomes for the IM group compared to the CM group. The beneficial effects for the IM approach were reduced after 12 weeks and no longer statistically significant with the exception of anxiety. Findings indicate that a multimodal IM treatment with fasting therapy might be superior to CM in the short term and not inferior in the mid term. Longer-term studies are warranted to assess the clinical impact of integrative multimodal treatment in fibromyalgia.

EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INHALED NITRIC OXIDE USE IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY HYPERTENSION AND CHRONIC HEART FAILURE III-IV FUNCTIONAL CLASS, SURVIVED LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: RESULTS OF NON-RANDOMIZED COMAPARIVE STUDY

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P. N. Pavlenko

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Aim – assessment of the influence of inhaled nitric oxide (NO on the course of pulmonary hypertension (PH in patients with chronic heartfailure (CHF III–IV functional class (FC, myocardial infarction (MI.Materials and methods. Results of comparative non-randomized study that included 45 patients (26 men and 19 women aged 51 to 98 years with PH III–IV functional class, left ventricular myocardial infarction. In the study, patients underwent physical examination and Doppler echocardiography, and assessed FC LH (carried out with six-minute walking test, to determine the degree of dyspnea by Borg.Results. Symptoms of CHF and PH regressed in both groups of patients against the background of the therapy. Conclusion. It is established that the use of inhaled NO is a safe therapy and helps to reduce mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPmean in patients with PH and CHF III–IV FC, myocardial infarction. The method of inhaled NO is simple and easy to use.

EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INHALED NITRIC OXIDE USE IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY HYPERTENSION AND CHRONIC HEART FAILURE III-IV FUNCTIONAL CLASS, SURVIVED LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: RESULTS OF NON-RANDOMIZED COMAPARIVE STUDY

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P. N. Pavlenko

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Aim – assessment of the influence of inhaled nitric oxide (NO on the course of pulmonary hypertension (PH in patients with chronic heartfailure (CHF III–IV functional class (FC, myocardial infarction (MI.Materials and methods. Results of comparative non-randomized study that included 45 patients (26 men and 19 women aged 51 to 98 years with PH III–IV functional class, left ventricular myocardial infarction. In the study, patients underwent physical examination and Doppler echocardiography, and assessed FC LH (carried out with six-minute walking test, to determine the degree of dyspnea by Borg.Results. Symptoms of CHF and PH regressed in both groups of patients against the background of the therapy. Conclusion. It is established that the use of inhaled NO is a safe therapy and helps to reduce mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPmean in patients with PH and CHF III–IV FC, myocardial infarction. The method of inhaled NO is simple and easy to use.

Offender and offense characteristics of a nonrandom sample of mass murderers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hempel, A G; Meloy, J R; Richards, T C

1999-01-01

A nonrandom sample (N = 30) of mass murderers in the United States and Canada during the past 50 years was studied. Data suggest that such individuals are single or divorced males in their fourth decade of life with various Axis I paranoid and/or depressive conditions and Axis II personality traits and disorders, usually Clusters A and B. The mass murder is precipitated by a major loss related to employment or relationship. A warrior mentality suffuses the planning and attack behavior of the subject, and greater deaths and higher casualty rates are significantly more likely if the perpetrator is psychotic at the time of the offense. Alcohol plays a very minor role. A large proportion of subjects will convey their central motivation in a psychological abstract, a phrase or sentence yelled with great emotion at the beginning of the mass murder; but in our study sample, only 20 percent directly threatened their victims before the offense. Death by suicide or at the hands of others is the usual outcome for the mass murderer.

Non-random alkylation of DNA sequences induced in vivo by chemical mutagens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durante, M.; Geri, C.; Bonatti, S.; Parenti, R. (Universita di Pisa (Italy))

1989-08-01

Previous studies of the interaction of alkylating agents on the eukaryotic genome support the idea that induction of DNA adducts is at specific genomic sites. Here we show molecular and cytological evidence that alkylation is rather specific. Mammalian cell cultures were exposed to different doses of mutagens and the DNA was analyzed by density gradient ultracentrifugation, hydroxylapatite fractionation, and by restriction enzyme analysis. Studies with the labelled mutagens N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine show that there is a non-random distribution of the adducts. The adducts are found more frequently in A-T, G-C rich satellite DNA and highly repetitive sequences. Analysis with restriction enzymes shows that both methyl and ethyl groups influence the restriction patterns of the enzymes HpaII and MspI that recognize specific endogenous DNA methylation. These data suggest, as a subsequent mechanism, a modification in the pattern of the normal endogenous methylation of 5-methylcytosine.

Statistical method on nonrandom clustering with application to somatic mutations in cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rejto Paul A

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human cancer is caused by the accumulation of tumor-specific mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressors that confer a selective growth advantage to cells. As a consequence of genomic instability and high levels of proliferation, many passenger mutations that do not contribute to the cancer phenotype arise alongside mutations that drive oncogenesis. While several approaches have been developed to separate driver mutations from passengers, few approaches can specifically identify activating driver mutations in oncogenes, which are more amenable for pharmacological intervention. Results We propose a new statistical method for detecting activating mutations in cancer by identifying nonrandom clusters of amino acid mutations in protein sequences. A probability model is derived using order statistics assuming that the location of amino acid mutations on a protein follows a uniform distribution. Our statistical measure is the differences between pair-wise order statistics, which is equivalent to the size of an amino acid mutation cluster, and the probabilities are derived from exact and approximate distributions of the statistical measure. Using data in the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC database, we have demonstrated that our method detects well-known clusters of activating mutations in KRAS, BRAF, PI3K, and β-catenin. The method can also identify new cancer targets as well as gain-of-function mutations in tumor suppressors. Conclusions Our proposed method is useful to discover activating driver mutations in cancer by identifying nonrandom clusters of somatic amino acid mutations in protein sequences.

Prospective Nonrandomized Trial of Manual Compression and Angio-Seal and Starclose Arterial Closure Devices in Common Femoral Punctures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratnam, Lakshmi A.; Raja, Jowad; Munneke, Graham J.; Morgan, Robert A.; Belli, Anna-Maria

2007-01-01

We compared the use of manual compression and Angio-Seal and Starclose arterial closure devices to achieve hemostasis following common femoral artery (CFA) punctures in order to evaluate safety and efficacy. A prospective nonrandomized, single-center study was carried out on all patients undergoing CFA punctures over 1 year. Hemostasis was achieved using manual compression in 108 cases, Angio-Seal in 167 cases, and Starclose in 151 cases. Device-failure rates were low and not significantly different in the two groups (manual compression and closure devices; p = 0.8). There were significantly more Starclose (11.9%) patients compared to Angio-Seal (2.4%), with successful initial deployment subsequently requiring additional manual compression to achieve hemostasis (p < 0.0001). A significant number of very thin patients failed to achieve hemostasis (p = 0.014). Major complications were seen in 2.9% of Angio-Seal, 1.9% of Starclose, and 3.7% of manual compression patients, with no significant difference demonstrated; 4.7% of the major complications were seen in female patients compared to 1.3% in males (p = 0.0415). All three methods showed comparable safety and efficacy. Very thin patients are more likely to have failed hemostasis with the Starclose device, although this did not translate into an increased complication rate. There is a significant increased risk of major puncture-site complications in women with peripheral vascular disease

The study protocol for a non-randomized controlled clinical trial using a genotype-guided strategy in a dataset of patients who undergone percutaneous coronary intervention with stent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Lucía Dávila-Fajardo

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This article contains data related to the research article entitled “Results of genotype–guided antiplatelet therapy in patients undergone percutaneous coronary intervention with stent” (J. Sánchez-Ramos, C.L. Dávila-Fajardo, P. Toledo Frías, X. Díaz Villamarín, L.J. Martínez-González, S. Martínez Huertas, F. Burillo Gómez, J. Caballero Borrego, A. Bautista Pavés, M.C. Marín Guzmán, J.A. Ramirez Hernández, C. Correa Vilches, J. Cabeza Barrera, 2016 (1. This data article reports, for the first time, about the non-randomized clinical trial protocol that check if CYP2C19/ABCB1 genotype–guided strategy in which the choice of antiplatelet therapy is based on the genetic test, reduces the rates of cardiovascular events and bleeding compared to a non-tailored strategy in patients undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI with stent. The data included in this article are: design and setting of the study, study population, inclusion and exclusion criteria, definition of the intervention, objectives, variables (baseline characteristics and during the follow-up, study procedures, collection and treatment of the biological sample, genotyping, withdrawal criteria, sample size, statistic analysis, ethical aspects, information sheet and consent form. The authors confirm that this study has been registered in Eudra CT (Eudra CT: 2016-001294-33.

Selecting for extinction: nonrandom disease-associated extinction homogenizes amphibian biotas.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kevin G; Lips, Karen R; Chase, Jonathan M

2009-10-01

Studying the patterns in which local extinctions occur is critical to understanding how extinctions affect biodiversity at local, regional and global spatial scales. To understand the importance of patterns of extinction at a regional spatial scale, we use data from extirpations associated with a widespread pathogenic agent of amphibian decline, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) as a model system. We apply novel null model analyses to these data to determine whether recent extirpations associated with Bd have resulted in selective extinction and homogenization of diverse tropical American amphibian biotas. We find that Bd-associated extinctions in this region were nonrandom and disproportionately, but not exclusively, affected low-occupancy and endemic species, resulting in homogenization of the remnant amphibian fauna. The pattern of extirpations also resulted in phylogenetic homogenization at the family level and ecological homogenization of reproductive mode and habitat association. Additionally, many more species were extirpated from the region than would be expected if extirpations occurred randomly. Our results indicate that amphibian declines in this region are an extinction filter, reducing regional amphibian biodiversity to highly similar relict assemblages and ultimately causing amplified biodiversity loss at regional and global scales.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and non-randomized studies comparing laparoscopic and open abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ahmad, N Z

2013-03-01

Evidence supporting the role of laparoscopy in abdominoperineal resection (APR) is limited. This study compared the short-term and long-term outcomes and complications associated with open and laparoscopic APR.

Discovering non-random segregation of sister chromatids: The naïve treatment of a premature discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karl G. Lark

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The discovery of non-random chromosome segregation is discussed from the perspective of what was known in1965 and1966. The distinction between daughter, parent or grandparent strands of DNA was developed in a bacterial system and led to the discovery that multiple copies of DNA elements of bacteria are not distributed randomly with respect to the age of the template strand. Experiments with higher eukaryotic cells demonstrated that during mitosis Mendel’s laws were violated; and the initial serendipitous choice of eukaryotic cell system led to the striking example of non-random segregation of parent and grand-parent DNA template strands in primary cultures of cells derived from mouse embryos. Attempts to extrapolate these findings to established TC lines demonstrated that the property could be lost. Experiments using plant root tips demonstrated that the phenomenon exists in plants and that it was, at some level, under genetic control. Despite publication in major journals and symposia (Lark et al. (1966a; Lark (1967a; 1967b; 1969, 1969a; 1969b the potential implications of these findings were ignored for several decades. Here we explore possible reasons for the pre-maturity (Stent, 1972 of this discovery.

ROBINS-I: a tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions

OpenAIRE

Sterne, Jonathan AC; Hern?n, Miguel A; Reeves, Barnaby C; Savovi?, Jelena; Berkman, Nancy D; Viswanathan, Meera; Henry, David; Altman, Douglas G; Ansari, Mohammed T; Boutron, Isabelle; Carpenter, James R; Chan, An-Wen; Churchill, Rachel; Deeks, Jonathan J; Hr?bjartsson, Asbj?rn

2016-01-01

Non-randomized studies of the effects of interventions are critical to many areas of health care evaluation, but their results may be biased. It is therefore important to understand and appraise their strengths and weaknesses. We developed ROBINS-I (“Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions”), a new tool for evaluating risk of bias in estimates of the comparative effectiveness (harm or benefit) of interventions from studies that did not use randomization to allocate units (in...

Effectiveness of a 'Global Postural Reeducation' program for persistent Low Back Pain: a non-randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violante Francesco S

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this non-randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Global Postural Reeducation (GPR program as compared to a Stabilization Exercise (SE program in subjects with persistent low back pain (LBP at short- and mid-term follow-up (ie. 3 and 6 months. Methods According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 100 patients with a primary complaint of persistent LBP were enrolled in the study: 50 were allocated to the GPR group and 50 to the SE group. Primary outcome measures were Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI. Secondary outcome measures were lumbar Visual Analogue Scale (VAS and Fingertip-to-floor test (FFT. Data were collected at baseline and at 3/6 months by health care professionals unaware of the study. An intention to treat approach was used to analyze participants according to the group to which they were originally assigned. Results Of the 100 patients initially included in the study, 78 patients completed the study: 42 in the GPR group and 36 in the SE group. At baseline, the two groups did not differ significantly with respect to gender, age, BMI and outcome measures. Comparing the differences between groups at short- and mid-term follow-up, the GPR group revealed a significant reduction (from baseline in all outcome measures with respect to the SE group. The ordered logistic regression model showed an increased likelihood of definitive improvement (reduction from baseline of at least 30% in RMDQ and VAS scores for the GPR group compared to the SE group (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.7 to 5.7. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a GPR intervention in subjects with persistent LBP induces a greater improvement on pain and disability as compared to a SE program. These results must be confirmed by further studies with higher methodological standards, including randomization, larger sample size, longer follow-up and subgrouping of the LBP subjects. Trial

A nonrandomized trial of vitamin D supplementation for Barrett's esophagus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda C Cummings

Full Text Available Vitamin D deficiency may increase esophageal cancer risk. Vitamin D affects genes regulating proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation and induces the tumor suppressor 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH in other cancers. This nonrandomized interventional study assessed effects of vitamin D supplementation in Barrett's esophagus (BE. We hypothesized that vitamin D supplementation may have beneficial effects on gene expression including 15-PGDH in BE.BE subjects with low grade or no dysplasia received vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol 50,000 international units weekly plus a proton pump inhibitor for 12 weeks. Esophageal biopsies from normal plus metaplastic BE epithelium and blood samples were obtained before and after vitamin D supplementation. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured to characterize vitamin D status. Esophageal gene expression was assessed using microarrays.18 study subjects were evaluated. The baseline mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 27 ng/mL (normal ≥30 ng/mL. After vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels rose significantly (median increase of 31.6 ng/mL, p<0.001. There were no significant changes in gene expression from esophageal squamous or Barrett's epithelium including 15-PGDH after supplementation.BE subjects were vitamin D insufficient. Despite improved vitamin D status with supplementation, no significant alterations in gene expression profiles were noted. If vitamin D supplementation benefits BE, a longer duration or higher dose of supplementation may be needed.

Evaluation of the Prevention and Reactivation Care Program (PReCaP) for the hospitalized elderly: A prospective nonrandomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K.J.E. Asmus-Szepesi (Kirsten); L.E. Flinterman (Linda); M.A. Koopmanschap (Marc); A.P. Nieboer (Anna); T.J.E.M. Bakker (Ton); J.P. Mackenbach (Johan); E.W. Steyerberg (Ewout)

2015-01-01

textabstractBackground: The hospitalized elderly are at risk of functional decline. We evaluated the effects and care costs of a specialized geriatric rehabilitation program aimed at preventing functional decline among at-risk hospitalized elderly. Methods: The prospective nonrandomized controlled

The Nonrandom Distribution of Interior Landforms for 100-km Diameter Craters on Mercury Suggests Regional Variations in Near-Surface Mechanical Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Herrick, R. R.

2018-05-01

There is great diversity of appearance in the interiors of 100-km diameter craters. The spatial distribution of interior landforms is clustered and nonrandom, but does not clearly correlate with Mercury's surface geology patterns.

Epidemic spreading in networks with nonrandom long-range interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Ernesto; Kalala-Mutombo, Franck; Valverde-Colmeiro, Alba

2011-09-01

An "infection," understood here in a very broad sense, can be propagated through the network of social contacts among individuals. These social contacts include both "close" contacts and "casual" encounters among individuals in transport, leisure, shopping, etc. Knowing the first through the study of the social networks is not a difficult task, but having a clear picture of the network of casual contacts is a very hard problem in a society of increasing mobility. Here we assume, on the basis of several pieces of empirical evidence, that the casual contacts between two individuals are a function of their social distance in the network of close contacts. Then, we assume that we know the network of close contacts and infer the casual encounters by means of nonrandom long-range (LR) interactions determined by the social proximity of the two individuals. This approach is then implemented in a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model accounting for the spread of infections in complex networks. A parameter called "conductance" controls the feasibility of those casual encounters. In a zero conductance network only contagion through close contacts is allowed. As the conductance increases the probability of having casual encounters also increases. We show here that as the conductance parameter increases, the rate of propagation increases dramatically and the infection is less likely to die out. This increment is particularly marked in networks with scale-free degree distributions, where infections easily become epidemics. Our model provides a general framework for studying epidemic spreading in networks with arbitrary topology with and without casual contacts accounted for by means of LR interactions.

An open-label, non-randomized study of the pharmacokinetics of the nutritional supplement nicotinamide riboside (NR) and its effects on blood NAD+ levels in healthy volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Airhart, Sophia E; Shireman, Laura M; Risler, Linda J; Anderson, Gail D; Nagana Gowda, G A; Raftery, Daniel; Tian, Rong; Shen, Danny D; O'Brien, Kevin D

2017-01-01

The co-primary objectives of this study were to determine the human pharmacokinetics (PK) of oral NR and the effect of NR on whole blood nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels. Though mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development and progression of heart failure, no mitochondria-targeted therapies have been translated into clinical practice. Recent murine studies have reported associations between imbalances in the NADH/NAD+ ratio with mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple tissues, including myocardium. Moreover, an NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide mononucleotide, improved cardiac function, while another NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), improved mitochondrial function in muscle, liver and brown adipose. Thus, PK studies of NR in humans is critical for future clinical trials. In this non-randomized, open-label PK study of 8 healthy volunteers, 250 mg NR was orally administered on Days 1 and 2, then uptitrated to peak dose of 1000 mg twice daily on Days 7 and 8. On the morning of Day 9, subjects completed a 24-hour PK study after receiving 1000 mg NR at t = 0. Whole-blood levels of NR, clinical blood chemistry, and NAD+ levels were analyzed. Oral NR was well tolerated with no adverse events. Significant increases comparing baseline to mean concentrations at steady state (Cave,ss) were observed for both NR (p = 0.03) and NAD+ (p = 0.001); the latter increased by 100%. Absolute changes from baseline to Day 9 in NR and NAD+ levels correlated highly (R2 = 0.72, p = 0.008). Because NR increases circulating NAD+ in humans, NR may have potential as a therapy in patients with mitochondrial dysfunction due to genetic and/or acquired diseases.

An open-label, non-randomized study of the pharmacokinetics of the nutritional supplement nicotinamide riboside (NR and its effects on blood NAD+ levels in healthy volunteers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophia E Airhart

Full Text Available The co-primary objectives of this study were to determine the human pharmacokinetics (PK of oral NR and the effect of NR on whole blood nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+ levels.Though mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development and progression of heart failure, no mitochondria-targeted therapies have been translated into clinical practice. Recent murine studies have reported associations between imbalances in the NADH/NAD+ ratio with mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple tissues, including myocardium. Moreover, an NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide mononucleotide, improved cardiac function, while another NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR, improved mitochondrial function in muscle, liver and brown adipose. Thus, PK studies of NR in humans is critical for future clinical trials.In this non-randomized, open-label PK study of 8 healthy volunteers, 250 mg NR was orally administered on Days 1 and 2, then uptitrated to peak dose of 1000 mg twice daily on Days 7 and 8. On the morning of Day 9, subjects completed a 24-hour PK study after receiving 1000 mg NR at t = 0. Whole-blood levels of NR, clinical blood chemistry, and NAD+ levels were analyzed.Oral NR was well tolerated with no adverse events. Significant increases comparing baseline to mean concentrations at steady state (Cave,ss were observed for both NR (p = 0.03 and NAD+ (p = 0.001; the latter increased by 100%. Absolute changes from baseline to Day 9 in NR and NAD+ levels correlated highly (R2 = 0.72, p = 0.008.Because NR increases circulating NAD+ in humans, NR may have potential as a therapy in patients with mitochondrial dysfunction due to genetic and/or acquired diseases.

A Danish randomized trial comparing breast-preserving therapy with mastectomy in mammary carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blichert-Toft, M.; Brincker, H.; Andersen, J.A.; Andersen, K.W.; Axelsson, C.K.; Mouridsen, H.T.; Dombernowsky, P.; Overgaard, M.; Gadeberg, C.; Knudsen, G.; Borgeskov, S.; Bertelsen, S.; Knudsen, J.B.; Hansen, J.B.; Poulsen, P.E.; Willumsen, H.; Schousen, P.; Froberg, D.; Oernsholt, J.; Andersen, M.; Olesen, S.; Skovgaard, S.; Oester, M.; Schumacher, H.; Lynderup, E.K.; Holm, C.N.

1988-01-01

The present study comprises 847 women operated upon for invasive breast carcinoma at 19 surgical departments and enrolled in protocol DBCG-82TM from January 1983 to November 1987. Among them 662 (78%) were allocated for breast-preserving therapy or mastectomy by randomization, while 185 patients (22%) did not accept randomization. Within the randomized group 6% could not be entered into adjuvant protocols, i.e. subsequent programmes of postoperative therapy and follow-up. This left 619 evaluable patients. In the non-randomized series 26% did not fulfil the demands for entrance into the adjuvant protocols, leaving 136 evaluable patients, 60 of whom had chosen a breast-preserving operation and 76 mastectomy. In the randomized series the patients in the two treatment arms were comparable in age, menopausal status, site of tumour, pathoanatomical diameter of the tumour, number of removed axillary lymph nodes, number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes, and distribution on adjuvant regimens. Ninety per cent of the patients in the randomized group accepted the method offered, whereas 10% declined and wanted the alternate form of operation. The median follow-up period was approximately 1.75 years. The cumulative recurrence rate in the randomized group was 13% and in the non-randomized group 7%. These results are preliminary. Life-table analyses have not so far demonstrated differences in recurrence-free survival either in the randomized or the non-randomized series. (orig.)

Epidemic spreading in networks with nonrandom long-range interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Ernesto; Kalala-Mutombo, Franck; Valverde-Colmeiro, Alba

2011-09-01

An “infection,” understood here in a very broad sense, can be propagated through the network of social contacts among individuals. These social contacts include both “close” contacts and “casual” encounters among individuals in transport, leisure, shopping, etc. Knowing the first through the study of the social networks is not a difficult task, but having a clear picture of the network of casual contacts is a very hard problem in a society of increasing mobility. Here we assume, on the basis of several pieces of empirical evidence, that the casual contacts between two individuals are a function of their social distance in the network of close contacts. Then, we assume that we know the network of close contacts and infer the casual encounters by means of nonrandom long-range (LR) interactions determined by the social proximity of the two individuals. This approach is then implemented in a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model accounting for the spread of infections in complex networks. A parameter called “conductance” controls the feasibility of those casual encounters. In a zero conductance network only contagion through close contacts is allowed. As the conductance increases the probability of having casual encounters also increases. We show here that as the conductance parameter increases, the rate of propagation increases dramatically and the infection is less likely to die out. This increment is particularly marked in networks with scale-free degree distributions, where infections easily become epidemics. Our model provides a general framework for studying epidemic spreading in networks with arbitrary topology with and without casual contacts accounted for by means of LR interactions.

Case-based learning and simulation: useful tools to enhance nurses' education? Nonrandomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Raurell-Torredà, Marta; Olivet-Pujol, Josep; Romero-Collado, Àngel; Malagon-Aguilera, Maria Carmen; Patiño-Masó, Josefina; Baltasar-Bagué, Alícia

2015-01-01

To compare skills acquired by undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a medical-surgical course. To compare skills demonstrated by students with no previous clinical practice (undergraduates) and nurses with clinical experience enrolled in continuing professional education (CPE). In a nonrandomized clinical trial, 101 undergraduates enrolled in the "Adult Patients 1" course were assigned to the traditional lecture and discussion (n = 66) or lecture and discussion plus case-based learning (n = 35) arm of the study; 59 CPE nurses constituted a comparison group to assess the effects of previous clinical experience on learning outcomes. Scores on an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), using a human patient simulator and cases validated by the National League for Nursing, were compared for the undergraduate control and intervention groups, and for CPE nurses (Student's t test). Controls scored lower than the intervention group on patient assessment (6.3 ± 2.3 vs 7.5 ± 1.4, p = .04, mean difference, -1.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) -2.4 to -0.03]) but the intervention group did not differ from CPE nurses (7.5 ± 1.4 vs 8.8 ± 1.5, p = .06, mean difference, -1.3 [95% CI -2.6 to 0.04]). The CPE nurses committed more "rules-based errors" than did undergraduates, specifically patient identifications (77.2% vs 55%, p = .7) and checking allergies before administering medication (68.2% vs 60%, p = .1). The intervention group developed better patient assessment skills than the control group. Case-based learning helps to standardize the process, which can contribute to quality and consistency in practice: It is essential to correctly identify a problem in order to treat it. Clinical experience of CPE nurses was not associated with better adherence to safety protocols. Case-based learning improves the patient assessment skills of undergraduate nursing students, thereby preparing them for clinical practice. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Is the alpha-beta ratio of prostate cancer really low? A prospective, non-randomized trial comparing standard and hyperfractionated conformal radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdagni, Riccardo; Italia, Corrado; Montanaro, Paolo; Lanceni, Angelo; Lattuada, Paola; Magnani, Tiziana; Fiorino, Claudio; Nahum, Alan

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: The objectives of the current study were to compare genito-urinary (GU) and gastro-intestinal (GI) toxicities as well as biochemical control (bRFS) in prostate cancer, utilizing conventional (2.0 Gy daily) (STD) or hyperfractionated (HFX) conformal irradiation (CRT). HFX (1.2 Gy BID) was chosen as a radiobiological method to try to reduce long term sequelae without compromising local control. Patients and methods: Three-hundred-and-seventy consecutive patients (pts) entered this prospective, non-randomized trial in the period January 1993-January 2003; 209 were treated with STD and 161 with HFX CRT. All were evaluable for acute toxicity analysis, 179 (STD) and 151 pts (HFX) being evaluable for late sequelae and bRFS analyses. Pt characteristics were not statistically different in the two groups. CRT consisted of a 4-field technique for prostate and/or pelvic nodes and a 5-field boost with rectal shielding. Median doses were 74 and 79.2 Gy for STD and HFX patients respectively, the latter dose being isoeffective for tumour control assuming α/β=10 (EQD 2 =73.9 Gy). Median follow-up was 29.4 months (25.2 mos for STD; 37.7 mos for HFX; P<0.01). The two regimens were compared in terms of acute and late GU and GI toxicities and 5-year bRFS by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Acute grade≥2 GU toxicity was higher in the STD group (48.6% versus 37.3% in HFX, P=0.03), while no significant difference was found for acute GI toxicity. Late grade≥2 GU and GI toxicities were lower in the HFX group (5-year actuarial rate: GU: 10.1% versus 20.3%, P=0.05; GI: 6.0% versus 10.6%, P=0.18). Five-year bRFS were 70% (±13.8%, 95% CI) and 82.6% (±7.2%) for STD and HFX, respectively (P=0.44); a trend favouring HFX was found in the subgroup of pts who did not receive hormonal therapy (5-year bRFS: 85.9%±12.4% versus 63.9%±23.8%, P=0.15). Multivariate analysis revealed only risk groups and age statistically related to bRFS but not fractionation

Reassessing the forest impacts of protection: the challenge of nonrandom location and a corrective method.

Science.gov (United States)

Joppa, Lucas; Pfaff, Alexander

2010-01-01

Protected areas are leading tools in efforts to slow global species loss and appear also to have a role in climate change policy. Understanding their impacts on deforestation informs environmental policies. We review several approaches to evaluating protection's impact on deforestation, given three hurdles to empirical evaluation, and note that "matching" techniques from economic impact evaluation address those hurdles. The central hurdle derives from the fact that protected areas are distributed nonrandomly across landscapes. Nonrandom location can be intentional, and for good reasons, including biological and political ones. Yet even so, when protected areas are biased in their locations toward less-threatened areas, many methods for impact evaluation will overestimate protection's effect. The use of matching techniques allows one to control for known landscape biases when inferring the impact of protection. Applications of matching have revealed considerably lower impact estimates of forest protection than produced by other methods. A reduction in the estimated impact from existing parks does not suggest, however, that protection is unable to lower clearing. Rather, it indicates the importance of variation across locations in how much impact protection could possibly have on rates of deforestation. Matching, then, bundles improved estimates of the average impact of protection with guidance on where new parks' impacts will be highest. While many factors will determine where new protected areas will be sited in the future, we claim that the variation across space in protection's impact on deforestation rates should inform site choice.

Non-randomized clinical study comparing chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with radiotherapy alone in neoadjuvant therapy for oral cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kayahara, Hiroaki; Okuda, Mamiko; Terakado, Nagaaki; Shintani, Satoru; Hamakawa, Hiroyuki [Ehime Univ., Shigenobu (Japan). School of Medicine

2002-06-01

Neoadjuvant therapy plays an important role for organ preservation and survival rate in the treatment of oral cancer. We clinically compared the effect of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in patients with oral cancer. We retrospectively examined 47 patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative surgery in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department of Ehime University Hospital. We divided them into two groups: radiotherapy alone (24 cases) and chemoradiotherapy (23 cases). The patients in the radiotherapy group underwent irradiation of 32.6{+-}5.0 Gy (mean {+-}SD). The patients in the chemoradiotherapy group received a low-dose fraction of cisplatin (8 mg/mm{sup 2}/day, 5 days a week; total dose: 139.4{+-}67.1 mg) and 5-fluorouracil (300 mg/mm{sup 2}/day, 5 days a week; total dose: 5,900{+-}1,839.8 mg) combined with simultaneous irradiation of 31.0{+-}3.2 Gy. None of the 24 patients had a complete response to radiotherapy alone and 12 (50%) had a partial response. Six (26%) of the 23 patients had a complete response to chemoradiotherapy and 12 (52%) had a partial response. The primary control rate (82.6%) to chemoradiotherapy was higher than that (67.5%) to radiotherapy alone although no significant difference was found. The 5-year survival rate was 64.3% in the radiotherapy group and 62.8% in the chemoradiotherapy group. The findings of the present study suggest that while the combination of radiation and cisplatin/5-fluorouracil in neoadjuvant therapy for oral cancer may not bring a significant benefit to improve survival rate, the primary local control rate is improved in comparison with radiotherapy alone. (author)

Can teaching research methodology influence students' attitude toward science? Cohort study and nonrandomized trial in a single medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Vujaklija, Ana; Hren, Darko; Sambunjak, Dario; Vodopivec, Ivana; Ivanis, Ana; Marusić, Ana; Marusić, Matko

2010-02-01

Medical teaching aims to develop attitudes and behaviors underlying professional competence of future physicians. We investigated whether a mandatory course on scientific methodology in the second study year could affect students' attitudes toward science in medicine. In a longitudinal study, students (n = 241) enrolling in 2001-2002 academic year at a single medical school were followed up until graduation in 2006-2007. Each year, they filled out a Likert-type questionnaire of 18 statements evaluating attitude toward science. Direct influence of the course on students' attitudes was tested in a nonrandomized controlled trial with the 2006-2007 second year student cohort. Positive students' attitudes toward science increased during study years (mean [SD] score of the maximum score of 90): from 57.6 (6.0) in the first to 69.8 (10.4) in the sixth year. There was a significant trend of increase in attitudes with the years of study (cubic trend by polynomial contrasts analysis, P = 0.011). Attendance of a course on research methodology significantly increased positive attitudes (score, 67.0 [7.0] before and 70.8 [7.5] after course, P = 0.032 vs control group), regardless of grade point average. The intervention had an effect even when the influence of the initial attitude was accounted for (F1,140 = 9.25, P = 0.003; analysis of covariance). The attitude changes after the course was greatest in students with low initial attitude scores (Spearman rinitial score, score difference, -0.44). Medical students have positive attitudes toward science and scientific method in medicine. Attendance of a course on research methodology had positive short-term effect on students' attitudes toward science. This positive effect should be maintained by vertical integration of the course in the medical curriculum.

TP53 status and taxane-platinum versus platinum-based therapy in ovarian cancer patients: A non-randomized retrospective study

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Markowska Janina

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Taxane-platinum therapy (TP has replaced platinum-based therapy (PC or PAC, DNA damaging chemotherapy in the postoperative treatment of ovarian cancer patients; however, it is not always effective. TP53 protein plays a differential role in response to DNA-damaging agents and taxanes. We sought to define profiles of patients who benefit the most from TP and also of those who can be treated with PC. Methods We compared the effectiveness of PC/PAC (n = 253 and TP (n = 199 with respect to tumor TP53 accumulation in ovarian cancer patients with FIGO stage IIB-IV disease; this was a non-randomized retrospective study. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 452 archival tumors; univariate and multivariate analysis by the Cox's and logistic regression models was performed in all patients and in subgroups with [TP53(+] and without TP53 accumulation [TP53(-]. Results The advantage of taxane-platinum therapy over platinum-based therapy was seen in the TP53(+, and not in the TP53(- group. In the TP53(+ group taxane-platinum therapy enhanced the probability of complete remission (p = .018, platinum sensitivity (p = .014, platinum highly sensitive response (p = .038 and longer survival (OS, p = .008. Poor tumor differentiation diminished the advantage from taxane-platinum therapy in the TP53(+ group. In the TP53(- group PC/PAC was at least equally efficient as taxane-platinum therapy and it enhanced the chance of platinum highly sensitive response (p = .010. However, in the TP53(- group taxane-platinum therapy possibly diminished the risk of death in patients over 53 yrs (p = .077. Among factors that positively interacted with taxane-platinum therapy in some analyses were endometrioid and clear cell type, FIGO III stage, bulky residual tumor, more advanced age of patient and moderate tumor differentiation. Conclusion Our results suggest that taxane-platinum therapy is particularly justified in patients with TP53(+ tumors or older

A Non-randomized Controlled Trial of EMDR on Affective Symptoms in Patients With Glioblastoma Multiforme

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Monika Szpringer

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is a highly aggressive brain cancer and its survival after diagnosis is less than 2 years. Therefore, GBM patients are especially prone to co-occurring psychological conditions such as anxiety and depressive disorders. Furthermore, aggressive medical therapies affect patients’ lives, undermining their sense of meaning and coherence. The main aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR therapy on anxiety, depression and sense of coherence in patients with GBM. Thirty-seven GBM-diagnosed women were included in this trial and received standard medical care. Of those, 18 patients were treated during 4 months with 10–12 individual EMDR sessions (60–90 minutes each. Nineteen GBM patients were used as a non-randomized control group as they consented to psychological evaluations but not to a psychotherapeutic intervention. The groups were homogeneous in terms of gender, age, educational level and treatment, but not in anxiety and depressive levels at baseline. All patients were evaluated at baseline, after treatment (4 months and at follow-up (further 4 months by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-M and the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29. Caregivers in both groups were interviewed by the Patient Caregiver Questionnaire after 4 months follow-up. Statistical analyses were conducted using ANOVA statistics, correlation and regression analysis. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in the EMDR group in anxiety, depression and anger, when compared to the experimental group. EMDR therapy also had a positive impact upon the sense of coherence level in the experimental group, whereas in the control group this declined. Finally, the caregivers reported beneficial outcomes of the EMDR therapy with less anxiety- and anger-related behaviors in patients in the experimental group compared to the control group. This study is the first to show

Management of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus with chemoradiation alone or chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy: results of sequential nonrandomized phase II studies

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Algan, Oezer; Coia, Lawrence R; Keller, Steven M; Engstrom, Paul F; Weiner, Louis M; Schultheiss, Timothy E; Hanks, Gerald E

1995-06-15

Purpose: The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is increasing, but the optimal treatment for this disease is unknown. We evaluated the efficacy of chemoradiation and chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy as treatment for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus in sequential prospective nonrandomized phase II studies. Methods and Materials: Between May 1981 and June 1992, all previously untreated patients (N = 35) with potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (clinical Stage I or II) were treated with curative intent in sequential prospective Phase II studies. From May 1981 to August 1987, 11 patients (median age 66) were treated with concurrent chemotherapy [mitomycin C, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)] and radiotherapy to a median dose of 60 Gy (CRT group). From September 1987 to June 1992, 24 patients (median age 65) were treated with the same regimen of chemoradiation followed by planned esophagectomy (CRT + PE group). Of these, 12 patients (median age 62) actually underwent esophagectomy (CRT + E subgroup). Results: The median overall survival was 19 months for the CRT group and 15 months for the CRT + PE group. For the CRT + E subgroup, the median overall survival was 33 months. The 3-year actuarial overall survival for the CRT and the CRT + PE groups were 36 and 28% (p = 0.949). The subset of patients treated with chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy had a 3-year actuarial overall survival of 33% (p = 0.274). The 3-year actuarial freedom from local failure rates were similar: 62% in the CRT group vs. 58% in the CRT + PE group. Of the 12 patients who underwent esophagectomy (CRT + E group), 9 (75%) were free of local failure. Four of 12 (33%) patients had no pathologic evidence of malignancy in their surgical specimen. Six of 11 patients (55%) in the CRT group were free of local failure at the time of analysis. Two of five patients in this group who had local recurrence at 2 and 10 months underwent surgical salvage with subsequent survivals of

Improvement of functional constipation with kiwifruit intake in a Mediterranean patient population: An open, non-randomized pilot study

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Oriol Cunillera

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Kiwifruit consumption has shown to improve functional constipation in healthy elderly population, according to studies in New Zealand and China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of kiwifruit intake on functional constipation in a Mediterranean patient population characterized by its distinctive nutritional habits.Material and Methods: An open, non-controlled and non-randomized longitudinal study was conducted in 46 patients with constipation (Rome III criteria. Patients monitored for five weeks: weeks 1 and 2 no kiwifruit and weeks 3-5 three kiwifruit per day (Green kiwifruit, Actinidia deliciosa var Hayward. Bristol Scale, volume of stools, and ease of defecation was self- reported daily. The evolution of the categorical variables was tested using the Bhapkar test; functional data methodology was used for continuous variables, and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE models were adjusted.Results: The percentage of patients with ≥3 stools per week increased from 82.61% (95% CI: 69–91.2 at week 1 to 97.78% (95% CI: 87.4–99.9 at week 2 of kiwifruit intake, with 76.09% (95% CI: 61.9–86.2 responding during the first week. The reporting of stable ideal stools increased from 17.39% (95% CI: 8.8–31 at week 2 to 33.33% (95% CI: 21.3–48 at week 5. According to GEE models, the number of depositions increased significantly (p-values<0.001 in 0.398 daily units at week 1 the first week of intake, up to 0.593 daily units at week 5; significant improvements on facility in evacuation and volume of evacuation were found from the firstweek of intake (all p-values<0.001.Conclusions: The intake of three kiwifruits per day significantly improves the quality of evacuation (number of depositions, volume, consistency and ease in a Mediterranean patient population suffering from functional constipation.

Promoting motor skills in low-income, ethnic children: The Physical Activity in Linguistically Diverse Communities (PALDC) nonrandomized trial.

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Okely, Anthony D; Hardy, Louise L; Batterham, Marijka; Pearson, Phillip; McKeen, Kim; Puglisi, Lauren

2017-11-01

This study reports the long-term effects of a professional learning program for classroom teachers on fundamental motor skill (FMS) proficiency of primary school students from ethnically diverse backgrounds. A cluster non-randomized trial using a nested cross-sectional design. The study was conducted in 8 primary schools located in disadvantaged and culturally diverse areas in Sydney, Australia. The intervention used an action learning framework, with each school developing and implementing an action plan for enhancing the teaching of FMS in their school. School teams comprised 4-5 teachers and were supported by a member of the research team. The primary outcome was total proficiency score for 7 FMS (run, jump, catch, throw, kick, leap, side gallop). Outcome data were analyzed using mixed effects models. Eight-hundred and sixty-two students (82% response rate) were assessed at baseline in 2006 and 830 (82%) at follow-up in 2010. Compared with students in the control schools, there was a significantly greater increase in total motor skill proficiency among children in the intervention schools at follow-up (adjusted difference=5.2 components, 95%CI [1.65, 8.75]; p=0.01) and in four of the seven motor skills. Training classroom teachers to develop and implement units of work based around individual FMS is a promising strategy for increasing FMS among ethnically diverse children over an extended period of time. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clarifying the distinction between case series and cohort studies in systematic reviews of comparative studies: potential impact on body of evidence and workload

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Tim Mathes

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Distinguishing cohort studies from case series is difficult. We propose a conceptualization of cohort studies in systematic reviews of comparative studies. The main aim of this conceptualization is to clarify the distinction between cohort studies and case series. We discuss the potential impact of the proposed conceptualization on the body of evidence and workload. All studies with exposure-based sampling gather multiple exposures (with at least two different exposures or levels of exposure and enable calculation of relative risks that should be considered cohort studies in systematic reviews, including non-randomized studies. The term “enables/can” means that a predefined analytic comparison is not a prerequisite (i.e., the absolute risks per group and/or a risk ratio are provided. Instead, all studies for which sufficient data are available for reanalysis to compare different exposures (e.g., sufficient data in the publication are classified as cohort studies. There are possibly large numbers of studies without a comparison for the exposure of interest but that do provide the necessary data to calculate effect measures for a comparison. Consequently, more studies could be included in a systematic review. Therefore, on the one hand, the outlined approach can increase the confidence in effect estimates and the strengths of conclusions. On the other hand, the workload would increase (e.g., additional data extraction and risk of bias assessment, as well as reanalyses.

An open, nonrandomized, comparative study of imiquimod 5% cream versus 10% potassium hydroxide solution in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum.

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Metkar, Amol; Pande, Sushil; Khopkar, Uday

2008-01-01

There are numerous therapeutic modalities available for treatment of molluscum contagiosum. However, the ablative modalities are painful and not suitable for children. We aimed to evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of 2 of the painless modalities, viz., 5% imiquimod cream and 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. Out of a total of 40 patients of molluscum contagiosum in the study, 18 patients in the imiquimod group and 19 patients in the KOH group completed the study. The given medication was applied by the patient or a parent to mollusca at night, 3 days per week. Imiquimod was continued till clinical cure; and 10% KOH, till lesions showed signs of inflammation. Assessments of response and side effects were performed at the end of week 4, week 8, and week 12. Significance was tested by Student's t test and Mann-Whitney test. The mean lesion count decreased from 22.39 to 10.75 with imiquimod and from 20.79 to 4.31 with KOH at the end of 12 weeks. We found complete clearance of lesions in 8 (44%) patients with imiquimod and in 8 (42.1%) patients with 10% KOH. Minor side effects were seen in 15 (78.9%) patients on KOH and 10 (55.5%) patients on imiquimod. The results of this study suggest that both 5% imiquimod cream and 10% KOH solution are equally effective in molluscum contagiosum though KOH has a faster onset of action. However, KOH solution is associated with a higher incidence of side effects.

Non-random intrachromosomal distribution of radiation-induced chromatid aberrations in Vicia faba. [Aberration clustering

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Schubert, I; Rieger, R [Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Gatersleben. Zentralinst. fuer Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung

1976-04-01

A reconstructed karyotype of Vicia faba, with all chromosomes individually distinguishable, was treated with X-rays, fast neutrons, (/sup 3/H) uridine (/sup 3/HU). The distribution within metaphase chromosomes of induced chromatid aberrations was non-random for all agents used. Aberration clustering, in part agent specific, occurred in chromosome segments containing heterochromatin as defined by the presence of G bands. The pattern of aberration clustering found after treatment with /sup 3/HU did not allow the recognition of chromosome regions active in transcription during treatment. Furthermore, it was impossible to obtain unambiguous indications of the presence of AT- and GC-base clusters from the patterns of /sup 3/HT- and /sup 3/HC-induced chromatid aberrations, respectively. Possible reasons underlying these observations are discussed.

Expansion of Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection by Task Shifting to Community-Based Nonspecialist Providers: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

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Kattakuzhy, Sarah; Gross, Chloe; Emmanuel, Benjamin; Teferi, Gebeyehu; Jenkins, Veronica; Silk, Rachel; Akoth, Elizabeth; Thomas, Aurielle; Ahmed, Charisse; Espinosa, Michelle; Price, Angie; Rosenthal, Elana; Tang, Lydia; Wilson, Eleanor; Bentzen, Soren; Masur, Henry; Kottilil, Shyam

2017-09-05

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has resulted in high rates of disease cure; however, not enough specialists currently are available to provide care. To determine the efficacy of HCV treatment independently provided by nurse practitioners (NPs), primary care physicians (PCPs), or specialist physicians using DAA therapy. Nonrandomized, open-label clinical trial initiated in 2015. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02339038). 13 urban, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the District of Columbia. A referred sample of 600 patients, of whom 96% were black, 69% were male, 82% were treatment naive, and 20% had cirrhosis. Seventy-two percent of the patients had HCV genotype 1a infection. The baseline characteristics of patients seen by each provider type were similar. Patients were assigned in a nonrandomized but specified manner to receive treatment from 1 of 5 NPs, 5 PCPs, or 6 specialists. All providers underwent an identical 3-hour training session based on guidelines. Patients received treatment with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir, which was provided on site, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling requirements. Sustained virologic response (SVR). 516 patients achieved SVR, a response rate of 86% (95% CI, 83.0% to 88.7%), with no major safety signals. Response rates were consistent across the 3 provider types: NPs, 89.3% (CI, 83.3% to 93.8%); PCPs, 86.9% (CI, 80.6% to 91.7%); and specialists, 83.8% (CI, 79.0% to 87.8%). Patient loss to follow-up was the major cause of non-SVR. Nonrandomized patient distribution; possible referral bias. In a real-world cohort of patients at urban FQHCs, HCV treatment administered by nonspecialist providers was as safe and effective as that provided by specialists. Nurse practitioners and PCPs with compact didactic training could substantially expand the availability of community-based providers to escalate HCV therapy, bridging existing gaps in the continuum of care for patients with

Growth-induced strong pinning sites in laser ablated YBa2Cu3O7-δ films with a non-random distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huijbregtse, J.M.; Klaassen, F.C.; Geest, R.C.F. van der; Dam, B.; Griessen, R.

1999-01-01

Recently, the authors showed that natural linear defects are the origin of the high critical currents in laser ablated YGBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ films. Combining wet-chemical etching and Atomic Force Microscopy, they find that these dislocations are created by island coalescence during growth. Consequently, the defect density can be reproducibly varied by manipulating the density of growth islands, which in turn depends on the substrate temperature. Interestingly, the radial defect distribution function approaches zero at small distances, indicating short range order. Therefore, they are now able to study vortex matter in films with a tailored non-random distribution of natural strong pinning sites

Application of a nonrandomized stepped wedge design to evaluate an evidence-based quality improvement intervention: a proof of concept using simulated data on patient-centered medical homes.

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Huynh, Alexis K; Lee, Martin L; Farmer, Melissa M; Rubenstein, Lisa V

2016-10-21

Stepped wedge designs have gained recognition as a method for rigorously assessing implementation of evidence-based quality improvement interventions (QIIs) across multiple healthcare sites. In theory, this design uses random assignment of sites to successive QII implementation start dates based on a timeline determined by evaluators. However, in practice, QII timing is often controlled more by site readiness. We propose an alternate version of the stepped wedge design that does not assume the randomized timing of implementation while retaining the method's analytic advantages and applying to a broader set of evaluations. To test the feasibility of a nonrandomized stepped wedge design, we developed simulated data on patient care experiences and on QII implementation that had the structures and features of the expected data from a planned QII. We then applied the design in anticipation of performing an actual QII evaluation. We used simulated data on 108,000 patients to model nonrandomized stepped wedge results from QII implementation across nine primary care sites over 12 quarters. The outcome we simulated was change in a single self-administered question on access to care used by Veterans Health Administration (VA), based in the United States, as part of its quarterly patient ratings of quality of care. Our main predictors were QII exposure and time. Based on study hypotheses, we assigned values of 4 to 11 % for improvement in access when sites were first exposed to implementation and 1 to 3 % improvement in each ensuing time period thereafter when sites continued with implementation. We included site-level (practice size) and respondent-level (gender, race/ethnicity) characteristics that might account for nonrandomized timing in site implementation of the QII. We analyzed the resulting data as a repeated cross-sectional model using HLM 7 with a three-level hierarchical data structure and an ordinal outcome. Levels in the data structure included patient ratings

Evaluation of the Prevention and Reactivation Care Program (PReCaP) for the hospitalized elderly: A prospective nonrandomized controlled trial

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Asmus-Szepesi, Kirsten; Flinterman, Linda; Koopmanschap, Marc; Nieboer, Anna; Bakker, Ton; Mackenbach, Johan; Steyerberg, Ewout

2015-01-01

textabstractBackground: The hospitalized elderly are at risk of functional decline. We evaluated the effects and care costs of a specialized geriatric rehabilitation program aimed at preventing functional decline among at-risk hospitalized elderly. Methods: The prospective nonrandomized controlled trial reported here was performed in three hospitals in the Netherlands. One hospital implemented the Prevention and Reactivation Care Program (PReCaP), while two other hospitals providing usual car...

Late Outcomes Following Hypofractionated Conformal Radiotherapy vs. Standard Fractionation for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Nonrandomized Contemporary Comparison

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Leborgne, Felix; Fowler, Jack

2009-01-01

Purpose: To study retrospectively late complications and biochemical control in patients treated with three-dimensional conformal external-beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer administered using hypofractionation vs. a standard fractionation regimen. The hypofractionation regimen (Hypo) was designed to avoid more late rectal reactions and to be done in half as many treatment sessions. Methods and Materials: Eighty-nine nonrandomized patients chose Hypo delivered in 20 fractions of 3 Gy (n = 52) or 3.15 Gy (n = 37) for a median overall treatment time of 33 days. One hundred thirty comparable patients were contemporaneously treated with standard fractionation to a median dose of 78 Gy delivered over 55 days. The median follow-up time was 49 months (range, 24-73 months). Results: The 5-year actuarial biochemical control rates were 96%, 84%, and 85% for low-, medium-, and high-risk disease in the Hypo group, respectively. The respective rates in the standard fractionation group were 98%, 84%, and 87%, with no statistical difference between the two groups. The rate of rectal Grade 2-4 complications was 5.5% in both treatment groups and of urinary Grade 2-4 complications was 5.6% in the Hypo and 3% in the standard group (p = 0.36). Similarly, there were no statistical differences in the rate of late complications between patients treated with 3 Gy/fraction vs. 3.15 Gy/fraction. Conclusions: Our preliminary results showed that the Hypo regimen is feasible and does not reduce biochemical control compared with standard fractionation. The incidence of late complications was not increased when the tumor normalized total doses at 2Gy/fraction was increased from 77.1 to 83.7 Gy in patients treated with either 3 or 3.15 Gy/fraction in the Hypo group, respectively.

Lifetime health effects and medical costs of integrated stroke services - a non-randomized controlled cluster-trial based life table approach

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Dirks Maaike

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Economic evaluation of stroke services indicates that such services may lead to improved quality of life at affordable cost. The present study assesses lifetime health impact and cost consequences of stroke in an integrated service setting. Methods The EDISSE study is a prospective non-randomized controlled cluster trial that compared stroke services (n = 151 patients to usual care (n = 187 patients. Health status and cost trial-data were entered in multi-dimensional stroke life-tables. The tables distinguish four levels of disability which are defined by the modified Rankin scale. Quality-of-life scores (EuroQoL-5D, transition and survival probabilities are based on concurrent Dutch follow-up studies. Outcomes are quality-adjusted life years lived and lifetime medical cost by disability category. An economic analysis compares outcomes from a successful stroke service to usual care, by bootstrapping individual costs and effects data from patients in each arm. Results Lifetime costs and QALYs after stroke depend on age-of-onset of first-ever stroke. Lifetime QALYs after stroke are 2.42 (90% CI - 0.49 - 2.75 for male patients in usual care and 2.75 (-0.61; 6.26 for females. Lifetime costs for men in the usual care setting are €39,335 (15,951; 79,837 and €42,944 (14,081; 95,944 for women. A comparison with the stroke service results in an ICER of €11,685 saved per QALY gained (€14,211 and €7,745 for men and women respectively. This stroke service is with 90% certainty cost-effective. Conclusions Our analysis shows the potential of large health benefits and cost savings of stroke services, taking a lifetime perspective, also in other European settings.

Two-stage revision surgery with preformed spacers and cementless implants for septic hip arthritis: a prospective, non-randomized cohort study

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Logoluso Nicola

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Outcome data on two-stage revision surgery for deep infection after septic hip arthritis are limited and inconsistent. This study presents the medium-term results of a new, standardized two-stage arthroplasty with preformed hip spacers and cementless implants in a consecutive series of adult patients with septic arthritis of the hip treated according to a same protocol. Methods Nineteen patients (20 hips were enrolled in this prospective, non-randomized cohort study between 2000 and 2008. The first stage comprised femoral head resection, debridement, and insertion of a preformed, commercially available, antibiotic-loaded cement hip spacer. After eradication of infection, a cementless total hip arthroplasty was implanted in the second stage. Patients were assessed for infection recurrence, pain (visual analog scale [VAS] and hip joint function (Harris Hip score. Results The mean time between first diagnosis of infection and revision surgery was 5.8 ± 9.0 months; the average duration of follow up was 56.6 (range, 24 - 104 months; all 20 hips were successfully converted to prosthesis an average 22 ± 5.1 weeks after spacer implantation. Reinfection after total hip joint replacement occurred in 1 patient. The mean VAS pain score improved from 48 (range, 35 - 84 pre-operatively to 18 (range, 0 - 38 prior to spacer removal and to 8 (range, 0 - 15 at the last follow-up assessment after prosthesis implantation. The average Harris Hip score improved from 27.5 before surgery to 61.8 between the two stages to 92.3 at the final follow-up assessment. Conclusions Satisfactory outcomes can be obtained with two-stage revision hip arthroplasty using preformed spacers and cementless implants for prosthetic hip joint infections of various etiologies.

Impact of a Multifaceted and Clinically Integrated Training Program in Evidence-Based Practice on Knowledge, Skills, Beliefs and Behaviour among Clinical Instructors in Physiotherapy: A Non-Randomized Controlled Study.

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Nina Rydland Olsen

Full Text Available Physiotherapists practicing at clinical placement sites assigned the role as clinical instructors (CIs, are responsible for supervising physiotherapy students. For CIs to role model evidence-based practice (EBP they need EBP competence. The aim of this study was to assess the short and long term impact of a six-month multifaceted and clinically integrated training program in EBP on the knowledge, skills, beliefs and behaviour of CIs supervising physiotherapy students.We invited 37 CIs to participate in this non-randomized controlled study. Three self-administered questionnaires were used pre- and post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up: 1 The Adapted Fresno test (AFT, 2 the EBP Belief Scale and 3 the EBP Implementation Scale. The analysis approach was linear regression modeling using Generalized Estimating Equations.In total, 29 CIs agreed to participate in the study: 14 were invited to participate in the intervention group and 15 were invited to participate in the control group. One in the intervention group and five in the control group were lost to follow-up. At follow-up, the group difference was statistically significant for the AFT (mean difference = 37, 95% CI (15.9 -58.1, p < 0.001 and the EBP Beliefs scale (mean difference = 8.1, 95% CI (3.1 -13.2, p = 0.002, but not for the EBP Implementation scale (mean difference = 1.8. 95% CI (-4.5-8.1, p = 0.574. Comparing measurements over time, we found a statistically significant increase in mean scores related to all outcome measures for the intervention group only.A multifaceted and clinically integrated training program in EBP was successful in improving EBP knowledge, skills and beliefs among CIs. Future studies need to ensure long-term EBP behaviour change, in addition to assessing CIs' abilities to apply EBP knowledge and skills when supervising students.

Effect of Nigella sativa supplementation over a one-year period on lipid levels, blood pressure and heart rate in type-2 diabetic patients receiving oral hypoglycemic agents: nonrandomized clinical trial.

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Badar, Ahmed; Kaatabi, Huda; Bamosa, Abdullah; Al-Elq, Abdulmohsen; Abou-Hozaifa, Bodour; Lebda, Fatma; Alkhadra, Akram; Al-Almaie, Sameeh

2017-01-01

Diabetic patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia are at a high risk of cardiovascular complications. To determine the effect of Nigella sativa supplementation on the lipid profile, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate in persons with type 2 diabetes on oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA). Single-blind, nonrandomized. Diabetes clinic of a university hospital in Saudi Arabia. Type-2 diabetic patients were recruited by purposive sampling and assigned to treatment or control at the discretion of the investigator with the patient blinded to treatment. Before the in.tervention and every 3 months thereafter until the end of the treatment period, the following parameters were measured: triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and body mass index (BMI). Results at the baseline and each subsequent visit were compared between the two groups. Lipid and cardiovascular parameters, and BMI. Fifty-seven patients were assigned to receive N sativa 2 g daily for one year and 57 were assigned to receive an identical regimen of placebo, along with OHA. A significant decrease in HDL-C and increase in the TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios were seen in the control group. The N sativa group had a signifi.cant decline in TC, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios, compared with the respective baseline data and the control group. HDL-C was significantly elevated in the N sativa group. The control group showed a significant elevation in MAP. The N sativa group had a significant reduction in SBP, DBP, MAP and HR and a significant decrease in DBP, MAP and HR as compared with the control group. N sativa supplementation improves total cholesterol, mean arterial pressure and heart rate in type 2 diabetes patients on oral hypoglycemic agents. There were 9 subjects in each group lost to follow up

Overweight and obesity in Slovak high school students and body composition indicators: a non-randomized cross-sectional study

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Bibiana Vadasova

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical development can be considered as an indicator of the overall health status of the youth population. Currently, it appears that the increasing trend of the prevalence of obesity among children and youths has stopped in a number of countries worldwide. Studies point to the fact that adolescence is a critical period for the development of obesity. Body mass index (BMI seems to be an orientation parameter in the assessment of prevalence of obesity which is not sufficient for more accurate identification of at risk individuals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate association between BMI percentile zones as health-risk for being overweight and obese and body composition indicators in high-school students from the Prešov (Slovakia region. Methods A non-randomized cross-sectional study in high school students from the Prešov (Slovakia region was conducted. The research sample consisted of 1014 participants (boys n = 466, girls n = 549. Body composition was measured using direct segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (DSM-BIA. To examine the association between obesity and selected body composition indicators, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Eta2 were used. The relationship between selected body composition indicators and percentile BMI zones was determined using the Kendall tau correlation. Results In groups with different BMI percentile zones (normal weight, overweight, obese, ANOVA showed significant differences for girls and boys (p ˂.05 with high effect size (η2 ˂.26 in body weight, body fat mass index, body fat percentage, fat free mass index, fat-free mass percentage, visceral fat area, waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, protein mass and mineral mass. The highest degree of correlation among boys was between BMI values indicating overweight and obesity and fat free mass index and waist circumference, respectively (τ = .71, τ = .70, respectively. In girls, the highest

Translocation 1;7 in dyshematopoiesis: possibly induced with a nonrandom geographic distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheres, J.M.; Hustinx, T.W.; Holdrinet, R.S.; Geraedts, J.P.; Hagemeijer, A.; van der Blij-Philipsen, M.

1984-01-01

Eight patients with various hematologic disorders had an identical chromosomal aberration in their bone marrow or unstimulated peripheral blood, a translocation t(1;7) interpreted as t(1;7)(p11;p11). The translocation chromosome replaced one normal chromosome number7; therefore, the karyotype of the abnormal cells was trisomic for 1q and monosomic for 7q. Including four cases from the literature, a total of 12 patients (4 women, 8 men) with this translocation are known at the moment. The translocation does not seem to be associated with a specific disorder, but almost all patients had a preleukemic syndrome during some stage of their disease. It is very remarkable that 11 of the 12 patients lived in the Netherlands, and 7 patients had a history of iatrogenic exposure to alkylating agents or irradiation; one patient was a radiation worker and another one had a history of toxic exposure to chloramphenicol. It is suggested, therefore, that the t(1;7) is a possibly induced chromosomal aberration with a clearly nonrandom geographic distribution

A prospective nonrandomized comparison of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication in Indian population using detailed objective and subjective criteria

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Pawanindra Lal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF is a commonly performed procedure for the treatment of gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD worldwide. However, unfavourable postoperative sequel, including gas bloat and dysphagia, has encouraged surgeons to perform alternative procedures such as laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication (LTF. This prospective nonrandomized study was designed to compare LNF with LTF in patients with GERD. Materials and Methods: Hundred and ten patients symptomatic for GERD were included in the study after having received intensive acid suppression therapy for a minimum of 8 weeks. A 24-hour pH metry was done on all patients. Fifty patients having reflux on 24-hour pH metry were taken up for the surgery. Patients were further divided into group-A (LNF and group-B (LTF. Results: The median percentage time with esophageal pH < 4 decreased from 10.18% and 12.31% preoperatively to 0.85% and 1.94% postoperatively in LNF and LTF-groups, respectively. There was a significant and comparable increase in length of lower esophageal sphincter (LES, length of intraabdominal part of LES and LES pressure at respiratory inversion point in both the groups. In LNF-group, five patients had early dysphagia that improved afterwards. There were no significant postoperative complications. Conclusion: LNF and LTF are highly effective in the management of GERD with significant improvement in symptoms and objective parameters. LNF may be associated with significantly higher incidence of short onset transient dysphagia that improves with time. Patients in both the groups showed excellent symptom and objective control on 24-hour pH metry on short term follow-up.

Offender and offense characteristics of a nonrandom sample of adolescent mass murderers.

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Meloy, J R; Hempel, A G; Mohandie, K; Shiva, A A; Gray, B T

2001-06-01

The authors conducted a descriptive, archival study of adolescent (murderers-subjects who intentionally killed three or more victims in one event-to identify demographic, clinical, and forensic characteristics. A nonrandom sample of convenience of adolescent mass murderers was utilized. Thirty-four subjects, acting alone or in pairs, committed 27 mass murders between 1958 and 1999. The sample consisted of males with a median age of 17. A majority were described as "loners" and abused alcohol or drugs; almost half were bullied by others, preoccupied with violent fantasy, and violent by history. Although 23% had a documented psychiatric history, only 6% were judged to have been psychotic at the time of the mass murder. Depressive symptoms and historical antisocial behaviors were predominant. There was a precipitating event in most cases--usually a perceived failure in love or school--and most subjects made threatening statements regarding the mass murder to third parties. The majority of the sample clustered into three types: the family annihilator, the classroom avenger, and the criminal opportunist. The adolescent mass murderer is often predatorily rather than affectively violent and typically does not show any sudden or highly emotional warning signs. Although the act of mass murder is virtually impossible to predict because of its extremely low frequency, certain clinical and forensic findings can alert the clinician to the need for further, intensified primary care, including family, school, community, law enforcement, and mental health intervention.

p15PAF is an intrinsically disordered protein with nonrandom structural preferences at sites of interaction with other proteins.

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De Biasio, Alfredo; Ibáñez de Opakua, Alain; Cordeiro, Tiago N; Villate, Maider; Merino, Nekane; Sibille, Nathalie; Lelli, Moreno; Diercks, Tammo; Bernadó, Pau; Blanco, Francisco J

2014-02-18

We present to our knowledge the first structural characterization of the proliferating-cell-nuclear-antigen-associated factor p15(PAF), showing that it is monomeric and intrinsically disordered in solution but has nonrandom conformational preferences at sites of protein-protein interactions. p15(PAF) is a 12 kDa nuclear protein that acts as a regulator of DNA repair during DNA replication. The p15(PAF) gene is overexpressed in several types of human cancer. The nearly complete NMR backbone assignment of p15(PAF) allowed us to measure 86 N-H(N) residual dipolar couplings. Our residual dipolar coupling analysis reveals nonrandom conformational preferences in distinct regions, including the proliferating-cell-nuclear-antigen-interacting protein motif (PIP-box) and the KEN-box (recognized by the ubiquitin ligase that targets p15(PAF) for degradation). In accordance with these findings, analysis of the (15)N R2 relaxation rates shows a relatively reduced mobility for the residues in these regions. The agreement between the experimental small angle x-ray scattering curve of p15(PAF) and that computed from a statistical coil ensemble corrected for the presence of local secondary structural elements further validates our structural model for p15(PAF). The coincidence of these transiently structured regions with protein-protein interaction and posttranslational modification sites suggests a possible role for these structures as molecular recognition elements for p15(PAF). Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an educational "toolbox" for improving nursing staff competence and psychosocial work environment in elderly care: results of a prospective, non-randomized controlled intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnetz, J E; Hasson, H

2007-07-01

Lack of professional development opportunities among nursing staff is a major concern in elderly care and has been associated with work dissatisfaction and staff turnover. There is a lack of prospective, controlled studies evaluating the effects of educational interventions on nursing competence and work satisfaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of an educational "toolbox" intervention on nursing staff ratings of their competence, psychosocial work environment and overall work satisfaction. The study was a prospective, non-randomized, controlled intervention. Nursing staff in two municipal elderly care organizations in western Sweden. In an initial questionnaire survey, nursing staff in the intervention municipality described several areas in which they felt a need for competence development. Measurement instruments and educational materials for improving staff knowledge and work practices were then collated by researchers and managers in a "toolbox." Nursing staff ratings of their competence and work were measured pre and post-intervention by questionnaire. Staff ratings in the intervention municipality were compared to staff ratings in the reference municipality, where no toolbox was introduced. Nursing staff ratings of their competence and psychosocial work environment, including overall work satisfaction, improved significantly over time in the intervention municipality, compared to the reference group. Both competence and work environment ratings were largely unchanged among reference municipality staff. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant interaction effect between municipalities over time for nursing staff ratings of participation, leadership, performance feedback and skills' development. Staff ratings for these four scales improved significantly in the intervention municipality as compared to the reference municipality. Compared to a reference municipality, nursing staff ratings of their competence and the

Psychosexual Complications of Female Genital Mutilation for Couples: A Comparative Study

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Osman Mahmoudi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Female genital mutilation (FGM comprises of various procedures that damage female genitalia for non-therapeutic intentions, and it offers multidimensional and interdependent effects. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether FGM versus non-FGM couples in Kermanshah in Iran vary in relationship characteristics, such as relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and mental health. Methods: To achieve this goal of research, a sample of 414 couples (206 FGM couples and 208 normal couples of Uramanat area in Kermanshah Province, were selected by non-randomized sampling. Enrich Marital Inventory, 25-SCL Mental Health Inventory and the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale were used for data collection. Data were analyzed between the two groups by utilizing independent t-test. The significance level was P < 0.05. Results: The findings indicated that there was a significant difference between FGM couples and normal couples. Besides, the results revealed that the two groups of participants had significant differences in mental health, marital satisfaction, and sexual function. Overall, FGM couples compared with normal couples had lower levels of mental health, marital satisfaction, and sexual function. Conclusion: FGM is associated with frequent psychosexual difficulties in Uramanat couples; notably orgasm difficulties, sense of incomplete sexual-needs fulfillment, and neurotic symptoms. Awareness of the psychosexual effects of this operation could help women cope with psychological and psychosexual problems, and could prevent the performing of this inhuman action on others.

Evaluation of the Prevention and Reactivation Care Program (PReCaP for the hospitalized elderly: a prospective nonrandomized controlled trial

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Asmus-Szepesi KJ

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Kirsten J Asmus-Szepesi,1 Linda E Flinterman,1 Marc A Koopmanschap,2 Anna P Nieboer,2 Ton J Bakker,3 Johan P Mackenbach,1 Ewout W Steyerberg1 1Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, 2Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University, 3Stichting Wetenschap Balans, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Background: The hospitalized elderly are at risk of functional decline. We evaluated the effects and care costs of a specialized geriatric rehabilitation program aimed at preventing functional decline among at-risk hospitalized elderly.Methods: The prospective nonrandomized controlled trial reported here was performed in three hospitals in the Netherlands. One hospital implemented the Prevention and Reactivation Care Program (PReCaP, while two other hospitals providing usual care served as control settings. Within the PReCaP hospital we compared patients pre-implementation with patients post-implementation of the PReCaP (“within-hospital analysis”, while our nonrandomized controlled trial compared patients of the PReCaP hospital post-implementation with patients from the two control hospitals providing usual care (“between-hospital analysis”. Hospitalized patients 65 years or older and at risk of functional decline were interviewed at baseline and at 3 and 12 months using validated questionnaires to score functioning, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL. We estimated costs per unit of care from hospital information systems and national data sources. We used adjusted general linear mixed models to analyze functioning and HRQoL.Results: Between-hospital analysis showed no difference in activities of daily living (ADL or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL between PReCaP patients and control groups. PReCaP patients did have slightly better cognitive functioning (Mini Mental State Examination; 0.4 [95% confidence interval (CI 0.2–0.6], lower depression (Geriatric Depression Scale 15; -0

A psycho-educational HIV/STI prevention intervention for internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti: results from a non-randomized cohort pilot study.

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Logie, Carmen H; Daniel, CarolAnn; Newman, Peter A; Weaver, James; Loutfy, Mona R

2014-01-01

Little evidence exists regarding efficacious HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention interventions with internally displaced populations. Internally displaced women are at elevated risk for HIV/STI due to limited access to health services, heightened poverty and social network breakdown. The FASY (Famn an Aksyon Pou Sante' Yo) (Women Taking Action For Their Health) study examined the effectiveness of a peer health worker (PHW) delivered psycho-educational HIV/STI pilot study with internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti. This was a non-randomized cohort pilot study. Participants completed a computer-assisted pre-test programmed on Android tablet PCs followed by an HIV/STI educational video-based session and a 6-week psycho-educational group program of weekly meetings. Participants completed a post-test upon completion of group sessions. The primary outcome was HIV knowledge; our pre-specified index of clinically significant change was an effect size of 0.30. Secondary outcomes included: STI knowledge, condom use, social support, resilient coping, depression and relationship control. We used mixed-effects regression to calculate mean outcome pre-post score change. This study was registered (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01492829). Between January 1-April 30, 2012 we assigned 200 participants to the study. The majority of participants (n = 176, 88%) completed the study and were followed up at 8 weeks, finishing April 30, 2012. Adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge (β = 4.81; 95% CI 4.36-5.26), STI knowledge (β = 0.84; 95% CI 0.70-0.99), condom use (AOR = 4.05, 95% CI 1.86-8.83), and depression (β = -0.63, 95% CI -0.88--0.39) scores showed statistically significant change post-intervention (pHaiti. Pilot studies are an important approach to understand feasibility and scientific impacts of HIV prevention strategies in disaster contexts. Study results may inform HIV prevention interventions among internally displaced women in

Potential use of the non-random distribution of N2 and N2O mole masses in the atmosphere as a tool for tracing atmospheric mixing and isotope fractionation processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Well, R.; Langel, R.; Reineking, A.

2002-01-01

The variation in the natural abundance of 15 N in atmospheric gas species is often used to determine the mixing of trace gases from different sources. With conventional budget calculations one unknown quantity can be determined if the remaining quantities are known. From 15 N tracer studies in soils with highly enriched 15 N-nitrate a procedure is known to calculate the mixing of atmospheric and soil derived N 2 based on the measurement of the 30/28 and 29/28 ratios in gas samples collected from soil covers. Because of the non-random distribution of the mole masses 30 N 2 , 29 N 2 and 28 N 2 in the mixing gas it is possible to calculate two quantities simultaneously, i.e. the mixing ratio of atmospheric and soil derived N 2 , and the isotopic signature of the soil derived N 2 . Routine standard measurements of laboratory air had suggested a non-random distribution of N 2 -mole masses. The objective of this study was to investigate and explain the existence of non-random distributions of 15 N 15 N, 14 N 15 N and 14 N 14 N in N 2 and N 2 O in environmental samples. The calculation of theoretical isotope data resulting from hypothetical mixing of two sources differing in 15 N natural abundance demonstrated, that the deviation from an ideal random distribution of mole masses is not detectable with the current precision of mass spectrometry. 15 N-analysis of N 2 or N 2 O was conducted with randomised and non-randomised replicate samples of different origin. 15 N abundance as calculated from 29/28 ratios were generally higher in randomised samples. The differences between the treatments ranged between 0.05 and 0.17 δper mille 15 N. It was concluded that the observed randomisation effect is probably caused by 15 N 15 N fractionation during environmental processes. (author)

A nonrandomized, open-label study to evaluate the effect of nasal stimulation on tear production in subjects with dry eye disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Neil J; Butron, Karla; Robledo, Nora; Loudin, James; Baba, Stephanie N; Chayet, Arturo

2016-01-01

Dry eye disease (DED), a chronic disorder affecting the tear film and lacrimal functional unit, is a widely prevalent condition associated with significant burden and unmet treatment needs. Since specific neural circuits play an important role in maintaining ocular surface health, microelectrical stimulation of these pathways could present a promising new approach to treating DED. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nasal electrical stimulation in patients with DED. This prospective, open-label, single-arm, nonrandomized pilot study included 40 patients with mild to severe DED. After undergoing two screening visits, enrolled subjects were provided with a nasal stimulation device and instructed to use it at home four times daily (or more often as needed). Follow-up assessments were conducted up to day 180. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference between unstimulated and stimulated tear production quantified by Schirmer scores. Additional efficacy endpoints included change from baseline in corneal and conjunctival staining, symptoms evaluated on a Visual Analog Scale, and Ocular Surface Disease Index scores. Safety parameters included adverse event (AE) rates, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and endoscopic nasal examinations. Mean stimulated Schirmer scores were significantly higher than the unstimulated scores at all visits, and corneal and conjunctival staining and symptom scores from baseline to day 180 were significantly reduced. No serious device-related AEs and nine nonserious AEs (three device-related) were reported. Intraocular pressure remained stable and most subjects showed little or no change in visual acuity at days 30 and 180. No significant findings from other clinical examinations were noted. Neurostimulation of the nasolacrimal pathway is a safe and effective means of increasing tear production and reducing symptoms of dry eye in patients with DED.

Impact of a Multifaceted and Clinically Integrated Training Program in Evidence-Based Practice on Knowledge, Skills, Beliefs and Behaviour among Clinical Instructors in Physiotherapy: A Non-Randomized Controlled Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Nina Rydland; Bradley, Peter; Espehaug, Birgitte; Nortvedt, Monica Wammen; Lygren, Hildegunn; Frisk, Bente; Bjordal, Jan Magnus

2015-01-01

Physiotherapists practicing at clinical placement sites assigned the role as clinical instructors (CIs), are responsible for supervising physiotherapy students. For CIs to role model evidence-based practice (EBP) they need EBP competence. The aim of this study was to assess the short and long term impact of a six-month multifaceted and clinically integrated training program in EBP on the knowledge, skills, beliefs and behaviour of CIs supervising physiotherapy students. We invited 37 CIs to participate in this non-randomized controlled study. Three self-administered questionnaires were used pre- and post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up: 1) The Adapted Fresno test (AFT), 2) the EBP Belief Scale and 3) the EBP Implementation Scale. The analysis approach was linear regression modeling using Generalized Estimating Equations. In total, 29 CIs agreed to participate in the study: 14 were invited to participate in the intervention group and 15 were invited to participate in the control group. One in the intervention group and five in the control group were lost to follow-up. At follow-up, the group difference was statistically significant for the AFT (mean difference = 37, 95% CI (15.9 -58.1), p students.

A Complex Multiherbal Regimen Based on Ayurveda Medicine for the Management of Hepatic Cirrhosis Complicated by Ascites: Nonrandomized, Uncontrolled, Single Group, Open-Label Observational Clinical Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Manish V; Patel, Kalapi B; Gupta, Shivenarain; Michalsen, Andreas; Stapelfeldt, Elmar; Kessler, Christian S

2015-01-01

Hepatic cirrhosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, especially if complicated by ascites. This chronic condition can be related to the classical disease entity jalodara in Traditional Indian Medicine (Ayurveda). The present paper aims to evaluate the general potential of Ayurvedic therapy for overall clinical outcomes in hepatic cirrhosis complicated by ascites (HCcA). In form of a nonrandomized, uncontrolled, single group, open-label observational clinical study, 56 patients fulfilling standardized diagnostic criteria for HCcA were observed during their treatment at the P. D. Patel Ayurveda Hospital, Nadiad, India. Based on Ayurvedic tradition, a standardized treatment protocol was developed and implemented, consisting of oral administration of single and compound herbal preparations combined with purificatory measures as well as dietary and lifestyle regimens. The outcomes were assessed by measuring liver functions through specific clinical features and laboratory parameters and by evaluating the Child-Pugh prognostic grade score. After 6 weeks of treatment and a follow-up period of 18 weeks, the outcomes showed statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements. Further larger and randomized trials on effectiveness, safety, and quality of the Ayurvedic approach in the treatment of HCcA are warranted to support these preliminary findings.

Nonrandomized study comparing the effects of preoperative radiotherapy and daily administration of low-dose cisplatin with those radiotherapy alone for oral cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurita, Hiroshi; Azegami, Takuya; Kobayashi, Hirokazu; Kurashina, Kenji; Tanaka, Kouichi; Kotani, Akira; Oguchi, Masahiko; Tamura, Minoru.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of preoperative radiotherapy and daily administration of low-dose cisplatin with those of radiotherapy alone for oral cancer. Ten patients underwent preoperative radiotherapy of 30 to 40 Gy with concomitant daily administration of low-dose cisplatin (5 mg/body or 5 mg/m 2 ). Ten patients received external radiotherapy alone. The locoregional response rates (complete response and partial response) did not differ significantly between the two groups (80% for combined therapy and 60% for radiotherapy alone). On histopathologic evaluation of surgical specimens, however, the combined-therapy group (80%) had a higher response rate than did the radiotherapy-alone group (10%; p<0.01). We conclude that daily administration of low-dose cisplatin enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy against primary tumors. We also suggested that combined therapy may be beneficial as an initial treatment for oral cancer before a planned operation. (author)

Prevalence of burnout in Polish anesthesiologists and anesthetist nursing professionals: A comparative non-randomized cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Misiołek, Aleksandra; Gil-Monte, Pedro R; Misiołek, Hanna

2017-03-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the burnout levels in nurses ( N = 161) versus physicians ( N = 373). The levels of burnout were evaluated by the Polish adaptation of the Spanish Burnout Inventory (Cronbach's alpha > .70). High burnout level was found in 18.63 percent nurses and 12.06 percent anesthesiologists, and critical level in 3.74 percent nurses and 5.90 percent anesthetists. There were statistically significant differences in Burnout global score, Enthusiasm toward the job, Psychological exhaustion, and Indolence subscales between nurses and physicians. No significant differences were found between sexes in any variable.

A psycho-educational HIV/STI prevention intervention for internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti: results from a non-randomized cohort pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen H Logie

Full Text Available Little evidence exists regarding efficacious HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI prevention interventions with internally displaced populations. Internally displaced women are at elevated risk for HIV/STI due to limited access to health services, heightened poverty and social network breakdown. The FASY (Famn an Aksyon Pou Sante' Yo (Women Taking Action For Their Health study examined the effectiveness of a peer health worker (PHW delivered psycho-educational HIV/STI pilot study with internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti.This was a non-randomized cohort pilot study. Participants completed a computer-assisted pre-test programmed on Android tablet PCs followed by an HIV/STI educational video-based session and a 6-week psycho-educational group program of weekly meetings. Participants completed a post-test upon completion of group sessions. The primary outcome was HIV knowledge; our pre-specified index of clinically significant change was an effect size of 0.30. Secondary outcomes included: STI knowledge, condom use, social support, resilient coping, depression and relationship control. We used mixed-effects regression to calculate mean outcome pre-post score change. This study was registered (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01492829.Between January 1-April 30, 2012 we assigned 200 participants to the study. The majority of participants (n = 176, 88% completed the study and were followed up at 8 weeks, finishing April 30, 2012. Adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge (β = 4.81; 95% CI 4.36-5.26, STI knowledge (β = 0.84; 95% CI 0.70-0.99, condom use (AOR = 4.05, 95% CI 1.86-8.83, and depression (β = -0.63, 95% CI -0.88--0.39 scores showed statistically significant change post-intervention (p<0.05.This pilot study evaluated a PHW psycho-educational HIV/STI prevention intervention among internally displaced women in post-earthquake Haiti. Pilot studies are an important approach to understand feasibility and scientific

Random and non-random mating populations: Evolutionary dynamics in meiotic drive.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Bijan

2016-01-01

Game theoretic tools are utilized to analyze a one-locus continuous selection model of sex-specific meiotic drive by considering nonequivalence of the viabilities of reciprocal heterozygotes that might be noticed at an imprinted locus. The model draws attention to the role of viability selections of different types to examine the stable nature of polymorphic equilibrium. A bridge between population genetics and evolutionary game theory has been built up by applying the concept of the Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection. In addition to pointing out the influences of male and female segregation ratios on selection, configuration structure reveals some noted results, e.g., Hardy-Weinberg frequencies hold in replicator dynamics, occurrence of faster evolution at the maximized variance fitness, existence of mixed Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS) in asymmetric games, the tending evolution to follow not only a 1:1 sex ratio but also a 1:1 different alleles ratio at particular gene locus. Through construction of replicator dynamics in the group selection framework, our selection model introduces a redefining bases of game theory to incorporate non-random mating where a mating parameter associated with population structure is dependent on the social structure. Also, the model exposes the fact that the number of polymorphic equilibria will depend on the algebraic expression of population structure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-resolution characterization of sequence signatures due to non-random cleavage of cell-free DNA.

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Chandrananda, Dineika; Thorne, Natalie P; Bahlo, Melanie

2015-06-17

High-throughput sequencing of cell-free DNA fragments found in human plasma has been used to non-invasively detect fetal aneuploidy, monitor organ transplants and investigate tumor DNA. However, many biological properties of this extracellular genetic material remain unknown. Research that further characterizes circulating DNA could substantially increase its diagnostic value by allowing the application of more sophisticated bioinformatics tools that lead to an improved signal to noise ratio in the sequencing data. In this study, we investigate various features of cell-free DNA in plasma using deep-sequencing data from two pregnant women (>70X, >50X) and compare them with matched cellular DNA. We utilize a descriptive approach to examine how the biological cleavage of cell-free DNA affects different sequence signatures such as fragment lengths, sequence motifs at fragment ends and the distribution of cleavage sites along the genome. We show that the size distributions of these cell-free DNA molecules are dependent on their autosomal and mitochondrial origin as well as the genomic location within chromosomes. DNA mapping to particular microsatellites and alpha repeat elements display unique size signatures. We show how cell-free fragments occur in clusters along the genome, localizing to nucleosomal arrays and are preferentially cleaved at linker regions by correlating the mapping locations of these fragments with ENCODE annotation of chromatin organization. Our work further demonstrates that cell-free autosomal DNA cleavage is sequence dependent. The region spanning up to 10 positions on either side of the DNA cleavage site show a consistent pattern of preference for specific nucleotides. This sequence motif is present in cleavage sites localized to nucleosomal cores and linker regions but is absent in nucleosome-free mitochondrial DNA. These background signals in cell-free DNA sequencing data stem from the non-random biological cleavage of these fragments. This

Effectiveness of yoga program in the management of diabetes using community health workers in the urban slums of Bangalore city: A non-randomized controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

Dasappa, Hemavathi; Fathima, Farah Naaz; Prabhakar, Rugmani

2016-01-01

Trial Design: Nonrandomized controlled trial. Methods: Nonrandomized controlled trial. This was an interventional study that was conducted in 4 slums of Bengaluru. Of the 256 diabetes participants, only 109 people agreed to participate in the program. Of 109 people, 52 people agreed to participate in the intervention (agreed to learn and practice Yoga) while the remaining 57 people were assigned to nonintervention group. Randomization and blinding could not be done. Objective and Outcome: The study was conducted with objective of assessing the effectiveness of Yoga, Pranayama, and Sudarshan Kriya in the community-based management of diabetes mellitus. The primary outcome variable was Hb1Ac and secondary outcome variables were systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), adherence to medication, and changes in lifestyle. Results: The study was conducted for 40 days. Community health workers made a total of 6 visits during the study. All the 109 participants were available for weekly follow-up. There were no drop outs among the study population. Statistically significant change was seen in the consumption of vegetable (χ2 = 15.326, P < 0.005), fruits (χ2 = 16.207, P < 0.005), salty food (χ2 = 14.823, P < 0.005), bakery food (χ2 = 10.429, P < 0.005) and fried food (χ2 = 15.470, P < 0.005), adherence to metformin (χ2 = 41.780, P < 0.005) and other medication(χ2 = 21.871, P < 0.005) and proportion of patients with DBP under control (χ2 = 9.396, P < 0.005) and proportion of people with glucose random blood sugar under control (χ2 = 29.693, P < 0.005) between the two groups following the intervention. Statistically significant change was also seen in the proportion of people with SBP/DBP ≤140/90 (χ2 = 10.635, P < 0.005) between the two groups. Conclusion: The Yoga program was successful in improving dietary practices and medication adherence and in increasing the proportion of diabetics and hypertensive patients under control. PMID:28217594

Effectiveness of yoga program in the management of diabetes using community health workers in the urban slums of Bangalore city: A non-randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hemavathi Dasappa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Trial Design: Nonrandomized controlled trial. Methods: Nonrandomized controlled trial. This was an interventional study that was conducted in 4 slums of Bengaluru . Of the 256 diabetes participants, only 109 people agreed to participate in the program. Of 109 people, 52 people agreed to participate in the intervention (agreed to learn and practice Yoga while the remaining 57 people were assigned to nonintervention group. Randomization and blinding could not be done. Objective and Outcome: The study was conducted with objective of assessing the effectiveness of Yoga, Pranayama, and Sudarshan Kriya in the community-based management of diabetes mellitus. The primary outcome variable was Hb1Ac and secondary outcome variables were systolic blood pressure (SBP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP, adherence to medication, and changes in lifestyle. Results: The study was conducted for 40 days. Community health workers made a total of 6 visits during the study. All the 109 participants were available for weekly follow-up. There were no drop outs among the study population. Statistically significant change was seen in the consumption of vegetable (c2 = 15.326, P < 0.005, fruits (c2 = 16.207, P < 0.005, salty food (c2 = 14.823, P < 0.005, bakery food (c2 = 10.429, P < 0.005 and fried food (c2 = 15.470, P < 0.005, adherence to metformin (c2 = 41.780, P < 0.005 and other medication(c2 = 21.871, P < 0.005 and proportion of patients with DBP under control (c2 = 9.396, P < 0.005 and proportion of people with glucose random blood sugar under control (c2 = 29.693, P < 0.005 between the two groups following the intervention. Statistically significant change was also seen in the proportion of people with SBP/DBP ≤140/90 (c2 = 10.635, P < 0.005 between the two groups. Conclusion: The Yoga program was successful in improving dietary practices and medication adherence and in increasing the proportion of diabetics and hypertensive patients under control.

[Interscalene block for total shoulder arthroplasty: comparative study (ultrasound vs. neurostimulation)].

Science.gov (United States)

Mejía-Terrazas, Gabriel Enrique; Ruiz-Suárez, Michell; Gaspar-Carrillo, Sandra Patricia; Valero-González, Fernando; Unzueta-Navarro, David; Encalada-Díaz, Iván

2014-01-01

Modern anesthesiology has integrated the use of ultrasonography as a tool that has displaced neurostimulation as a technique for locating peripheral nerves. The aim of this study was to determine which procedure is more effective for guiding interscalene block for total shoulder arthroplasty. We carried out a comparative, prospective non-randomized study comprised of the group guided by neurostimulation interscalene block and the group guided by ultrasound. All patients in both groups were scheduled for total shoulder arthroplasty. Latency, degree of sensory and motor block, success rate, postoperative pain intensity at 6, 12, and 24 h, patient satisfaction and complications were measured. We included 110 patients, 55 per group. Patients were placed in beach chair position and the deltopectoral approach was used. There were no differences in demographic characteristics. Results for neurostimulation vs. ultrasound group: latency 19.11 ± 2.27 vs. 17.24 ± 1.42 min, p= 0.23. Block sensitivity in both groups was grade 0 motor block grade 0 in 76.4% and grade 1 in 23.6% vs. grade 0 to 100%. There was 100% success rate for both groups. Postoperative pain at 6 h was 0.13 ± 0.54 vs. 0.11 ± 0.13 p= 0.90, at 12 h 1.67 ± 1.15 vs. 1.65 ± 0.59 p= 0.89 and at 24 h 3.15 ± 1.66 vs. 2.99 ± 1.15 p= 0.78. Satisfaction 54.5% very satisfied and 45.5% satisfied 96.36% vs 3.6% very satisfied and satisfied. Complications 18.18% vs. 3.6% p= 0.023. Ultrasound-guided interscalene nerve block is the technique of choice in elective total shoulder arthroplasty.

An open-label, non-randomized comparison of venlafaxine and gabapentin as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy in the management of neuropathic pain in patients with peripheral neuropathy

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William Eardley

2010-04-01

Full Text Available William Eardley, Cory TothDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences and the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaAbstract: Although many therapies are used in the management of neuropathic pain (NeP due to polyneuropathy (PN, few comparison studies exist. We performed a prospective, non-randomized, unblended, efficacy comparison of the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine, as either monotherapy or adjuvant therapy, with a first-line medication for NeP, gabapentin, in patients with PN-related NeP. VAS pain scores were assessed after 3 and 6 months in intervention groups and in a cohort of patients receiving no pharmacotherapy. In a total of 223 patients, we analyzed pain quantity and quality (visual analogue scale [VAS] score, Brief Pain Inventory [BPI], quality of life and health status measures [EuroQol 5 Domains, EQ-5D], Medical Outcomes Sleep Study Scale [MOSSS], Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] and Short Form 36 Health Survey [SF-36] after 6 months of therapy. Significant improvements in VAS pain scores occurred for all treatment groups after 6 months. Improvements in aspects of daily life and anxiety were identified in all treatment groups. Our data suggest that monotherapy or adjuvant therapy with venlafaxine is comparable to gabapentin for NeP management. We advocate for head-to-head, randomized, double-blinded studies of current NeP therapies.Keywords: peripheral neuropathy, neuropathic pain, pharmacotherapy, venlafaxine, gabapentin

COMPLETE SUBRETINAL FLUID DRAINAGE IS NOT NECESSARY DURING VITRECTOMY SURGERY FOR MACULA-OFF RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT WITH PERIPHERAL BREAKS: A Prospective, Nonrandomized Comparative Interventional Study.

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Chen, Xiao; Zhang, Yong; Yan, Ying; Hong, Ling; Zhu, Li; Deng, Jun; Din, Qin; Huang, Zhijian; Zhou, Hezhen

2017-03-01

To compare clinical outcomes in eyes with macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachments managed by surgical protocols, the result in either complete (CSFD) or partial subretinal fluid drainage (PSFD). Fifty-four eyes with macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with peripheral retinal breaks of 54 patients were assigned prospectively to one of the two surgical designs (PSFD or CSFD, 2:1) in a sequence. Patients were treated with 25-gauge plus vitrectomy, either CSFD (n = 18) or PSFD (n = 36), and 14% C3F8 was used for intraocular tamponade. Anatomical and visual outcomes as well as intraoperative and postoperative complications of the two groups were compared. The single-operation success rates were 16/18 (88.9%) and 33/36 (91.6%), respectively, for the CSFD and the PSFD groups (P = 1.00). The mean BCVA improvement (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters) at the 6-month postoperative was not significantly different between the two groups (26.50 ± 15.43 in CSFD group vs. 22.64 ± 15.43 in PSFD group, P = 0.43). Partial subretinal fluid drainage procedure during vitrectomy for the repair of macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachments revealed comparable results with CSFD in terms of anatomical and visual outcomes. Complete subretinal fluid drainage during vitrectomy seems to be unnecessary for all RRD reattachment surgical procedures.

Design and Baseline Findings of a Multi-site Non-randomized Evaluation of the Effect of a Health Programme on Microfinance Clients in India

OpenAIRE

Saha, Somen

2013-01-01

Microfinance is the provision of financial services for the poor. Health program through microfinance has the potential to address several access barriers to health. We report the design and baseline findings of a multi-site non-randomized evaluation of the effect of a health program on the members of two microfinance organizations from Karnataka and Gujarat states of India. Villages identified for roll-out of health services with microfinance were pair-matched with microfinance only villages...

Can simple trachelectomy or conization show comparable survival rate compared with radical trachelectomy in IA1 cervical cancer patients with lymphovascular space invasion who wish to save fertility? A systematic review and guideline recommendation.

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Shim, Seung-Hyuk; Lim, Myong Cheol; Kim, Hyun Jung; Lee, Maria; Nam, Eun Ji; Lee, Jung Yun; Lee, Yoo-Young; Lee, Kwang Beom; Park, Jeong Yeol; Kim, Yun Hwan; Ki, Kyung Do; Song, Yong Jung; Chung, Hyun Hoon; Kim, Sunghoon; Lee, Jeong-Won; Kim, Jae-Weon; Bae, Duk-Soo; Lee, Jong-Min

2018-01-01

This study aims to analyze the published literatures on the effect of less radical fertility-preserving procedures, such as conization or simple trachelectomy, on oncological outcomes in IA1 cervical cancer patients with lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) through a systematic-review. The EMBASE and MEDLINE databases and Cochrane Library were searched for published studies reporting the oncological outcomes of conization/simple trachelectomy in these patients, through April 2017. The endpoints were recurrence and mortality rates. Data were presented as per the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist. Practice guidelines were generated via the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. From 6,755 records, 94 full-texts articles were reviewed for eligibility, and five studies were included in this systematic review. All included studies were nonrandomized studies: two case-control studies comparing conization (n = 14) with hysterectomy (n = 24), and the other three were interrupted time series including conization (n = 20) and simple vaginal trachelectomy (n = 59). During the median follow-up duration of 43 months, no recurrence was reported in both conization and simple trachelectomy groups in IA1 patients with LVSI. From three studies reporting the fertility outcomes, the rates of pregnancy, live birth, preterm delivery, and second-trimester miscarriage were 73% (35/48), 64% (32/50), 10% (5/48), and 6% (3/48), respectively. Results suggest that simple trachelectomy or conization could be performed for IA1 cervical cancer patients with LVSI who want to preserve fertility, although these results are only based on a small number of nonrandomized studies (recommendation grade 2 = weak; evidence level D = very low). Further randomized trials with long-term study period are needed to address this issue.

Intensive Versus Distributed Aphasia Therapy: A Nonrandomized, Parallel-Group, Dosage-Controlled Study.

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Dignam, Jade; Copland, David; McKinnon, Eril; Burfein, Penni; O'Brien, Kate; Farrell, Anna; Rodriguez, Amy D

2015-08-01

Most studies comparing different levels of aphasia treatment intensity have not controlled the dosage of therapy provided. Consequently, the true effect of treatment intensity in aphasia rehabilitation remains unknown. Aphasia Language Impairment and Functioning Therapy is an intensive, comprehensive aphasia program. We investigated the efficacy of a dosage-controlled trial of Aphasia Language Impairment and Functioning Therapy, when delivered in an intensive versus distributed therapy schedule, on communication outcomes in participants with chronic aphasia. Thirty-four adults with chronic, poststroke aphasia were recruited to participate in an intensive (n=16; 16 hours per week; 3 weeks) versus distributed (n=18; 6 hours per week; 8 weeks) therapy program. Treatment included 48 hours of impairment, functional, computer, and group-based aphasia therapy. Distributed therapy resulted in significantly greater improvements on the Boston Naming Test when compared with intensive therapy immediately post therapy (P=0.04) and at 1-month follow-up (P=0.002). We found comparable gains on measures of participants' communicative effectiveness, communication confidence, and communication-related quality of life for the intensive and distributed treatment conditions at post-therapy and 1-month follow-up. Aphasia Language Impairment and Functioning Therapy resulted in superior clinical outcomes on measures of language impairment when delivered in a distributed versus intensive schedule. The therapy progam had a positive effect on participants' functional communication and communication-related quality of life, regardless of treatment intensity. These findings contribute to our understanding of the effect of treatment intensity in aphasia rehabilitation and have important clinical implications for service delivery models. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Telomere disruption results in non-random formation of de novo dicentric chromosomes involving acrocentric human chromosomes.

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Kaitlin M Stimpson

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Genome rearrangement often produces chromosomes with two centromeres (dicentrics that are inherently unstable because of bridge formation and breakage during cell division. However, mammalian dicentrics, and particularly those in humans, can be quite stable, usually because one centromere is functionally silenced. Molecular mechanisms of centromere inactivation are poorly understood since there are few systems to experimentally create dicentric human chromosomes. Here, we describe a human cell culture model that enriches for de novo dicentrics. We demonstrate that transient disruption of human telomere structure non-randomly produces dicentric fusions involving acrocentric chromosomes. The induced dicentrics vary in structure near fusion breakpoints and like naturally-occurring dicentrics, exhibit various inter-centromeric distances. Many functional dicentrics persist for months after formation. Even those with distantly spaced centromeres remain functionally dicentric for 20 cell generations. Other dicentrics within the population reflect centromere inactivation. In some cases, centromere inactivation occurs by an apparently epigenetic mechanism. In other dicentrics, the size of the alpha-satellite DNA array associated with CENP-A is reduced compared to the same array before dicentric formation. Extra-chromosomal fragments that contained CENP-A often appear in the same cells as dicentrics. Some of these fragments are derived from the same alpha-satellite DNA array as inactivated centromeres. Our results indicate that dicentric human chromosomes undergo alternative fates after formation. Many retain two active centromeres and are stable through multiple cell divisions. Others undergo centromere inactivation. This event occurs within a broad temporal window and can involve deletion of chromatin that marks the locus as a site for CENP-A maintenance/replenishment.

Interpreting the quality of health care database studies on the comparative effectiveness of oral anticoagulants in routine care

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Schneeweiss S

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Sebastian Schneeweiss, Krista F Huybrechts, Joshua J Gagne Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Background: Dabigatran, an oral direct thrombin inhibitor, has now been available for 2 years in the US for the prevention of stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, and direct Xa inhibitors are also starting to enter the market. Studies examining the effects of new oral anticoagulants in health care databases are beginning to emerge. The purpose of this study was to describe the validity of early published observational studies on the comparative safety and effectiveness of new oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: We identified published nonrandomized post-marketing studies (articles or conference abstracts or posters and critically appraised their internal validity, with a particular focus on their ability to control confounding and other biases. Results: Two full-length journal articles, three conference posters, two conference presentation abstracts, and a US Food and Drug Administration analysis form the basis of the early comparative effectiveness and safety experience with new oral anticoagulants. Some published studies exhibit substantial biases and have insufficient precision for several important endpoints. Several studies suffer from biases arising from comparing ongoing users of the older drug, warfarin, who seem to tolerate it, to initiators of the new treatment who may have switched from warfarin or have had no prior experience with anticoagulants. Analyses tended to not adjust or not adjust adequately for confounding, and unsound propensity score application was also observed. Several studies introduced selection bias by excluding patients who died during follow-up and by restricting the study population to those with continuous database enrollment following cohort entry. We

A non-randomized study in consecutive patients with postcholecystectomy refractory biliary leaks who were managed endoscopically with the use of multiple plastic stents or fully covered self-expandable metal stents (with videos).

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Canena, Jorge; Liberato, Manuel; Meireles, Liliane; Marques, Inês; Romão, Carlos; Coutinho, António Pereira; Neves, Beatriz Costa; Veiga, Pedro Mota

2015-07-01

Endoscopic management of postcholecystectomy biliary leaks is widely accepted as the treatment of choice. However, refractory biliary leaks after a combination of biliary sphincterotomy and the placement of a large-bore (10F) plastic stent can occur, and the optimal rescue endotherapy for this situation is unclear. To compare the clinical effectiveness of the use of a fully covered self-expandable metal stent (FCSEMS) with the placement of multiple plastic stents (MPS) for the treatment of postcholecystectomy refractory biliary leaks. Prospective study. Two tertiary-care referral academic centers and one general district hospital. Forty consecutive patients with refractory biliary leaks who underwent endoscopic management. Temporary placement of MPS (n = 20) or FCSEMSs (n = 20). Clinical outcomes of endotherapy as well as the technical success, adverse events, need for reinterventions, and prognostic factors for clinical success. Endotherapy was possible in all patients. After endotherapy, closure of the leak was accomplished in 13 patients (65%) who received MPS and in 20 patients (100%) who received FCSEMSs (P = .004). The Kaplan-Meier (log-rank) leak-free survival analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the 2 patient populations (χ(2) [1] = 8.30; P stents (P = .024), a plastic stent diameter <20F (P = .006), and a high-grade biliary leak (P = .015) were shown to be significant predictors of treatment failure with MPS. The 7 patients in whom placement of MPS failed were retreated with FCSEMSs, resulting in closure of the leaks in all cases. Non-randomized design. In our series, the results of the temporary placement of FCSEMSs for postcholecystectomy refractory biliary leaks were superior to those from the use of MPS. A randomized study is needed to confirm our results before further recommendations. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A nonrandomized, open-label study to evaluate the effect of nasal stimulation on tear production in subjects with dry eye disease

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Friedman NJ

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Neil J Friedman,1 Karla Butron,2 Nora Robledo,2 James Loudin,3 Stephanie N Baba,3 Arturo Chayet2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Mid-Peninsula Ophthalmology Medical Group, Palo Alto, CA, USA; 2Codet Vision Institute, Tijuana, Mexico; 3Oculeve, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA Background: Dry eye disease (DED, a chronic disorder affecting the tear film and lacrimal functional unit, is a widely prevalent condition associated with significant burden and unmet treatment needs. Since specific neural circuits play an important role in maintaining ocular surface health, microelectrical stimulation of these pathways could present a promising new approach to treating DED. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nasal electrical stimulation in patients with DED. Methods: This prospective, open-label, single-arm, nonrandomized pilot study included 40 patients with mild to severe DED. After undergoing two screening visits, enrolled subjects were provided with a nasal stimulation device and instructed to use it at home four times daily (or more often as needed. Follow-up assessments were conducted up to day 180. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference between unstimulated and stimulated tear production quantified by Schirmer scores. Additional efficacy endpoints included change from baseline in corneal and conjunctival staining, symptoms evaluated on a Visual Analog Scale, and Ocular Surface Disease Index scores. Safety parameters included adverse event (AE rates, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and endoscopic nasal examinations. Results: Mean stimulated Schirmer scores were significantly higher than the unstimulated scores at all visits, and corneal and conjunctival staining and symptom scores from baseline to day 180 were significantly reduced. No serious device-related AEs and nine nonserious AEs (three device-related were reported. Intraocular pressure remained

An intervention to reduce HIV risk behavior of substance-using men who have sex with men: a two-group randomized trial with a nonrandomized third group.

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Gordon Mansergh

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Substance use during sex is associated with sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM, and MSM continue to be the group at highest risk for incident HIV in the United States. The objective of this study is to test the efficacy of a group-based, cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce risk behavior of substance-using MSM, compared to a randomized attention-control group and a nonrandomized standard HIV-testing group.Participants (n = 1,686 were enrolled in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco and randomized to a cognitive-behavioral intervention or attention-control comparison. The nonrandomized group received standard HIV counseling and testing. Intervention group participants received six 2-h group sessions focused on reducing substance use and sexual risk behavior. Attention-control group participants received six 2-h group sessions of videos and discussion of MSM community issues unrelated to substance use, sexual risk, and HIV/AIDS. All three groups received HIV counseling and testing at baseline. The sample reported high-risk behavior during the past 3 mo prior to their baseline visit: 67% reported unprotected anal sex, and 77% reported substance use during their most recent anal sex encounter with a nonprimary partner. The three groups significantly (p0.05 from each other at 3-, 6-, and 12-mo follow-up. Outcomes for the 2-arm comparisons were not significantly different at 12-mo follow-up (e.g., unprotected anal sex, odds ratio = 1.14, confidence interval = 0.86-1.51, nor at earlier time points. Similar results were found for each outcome variable in both 2- and 3-arm comparisons.These results for reducing sexual risk behavior of substance-using MSM are consistent with results of intervention trials for other populations, which collectively suggest critical challenges for the field of HIV behavioral interventions. Several mechanisms may contribute to statistically indistinguishable reductions in risk

The logic of comparative life history studies for estimating key parameters, with a focus on natural mortality rate

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Hoenig, John M; Then, Amy Y.-H.; Babcock, Elizabeth A.; Hall, Norman G.; Hewitt, David A.; Hesp, Sybrand A.

2016-01-01

There are a number of key parameters in population dynamics that are difficult to estimate, such as natural mortality rate, intrinsic rate of population growth, and stock-recruitment relationships. Often, these parameters of a stock are, or can be, estimated indirectly on the basis of comparative life history studies. That is, the relationship between a difficult to estimate parameter and life history correlates is examined over a wide variety of species in order to develop predictive equations. The form of these equations may be derived from life history theory or simply be suggested by exploratory data analysis. Similarly, population characteristics such as potential yield can be estimated by making use of a relationship between the population parameter and bio-chemico–physical characteristics of the ecosystem. Surprisingly, little work has been done to evaluate how well these indirect estimators work and, in fact, there is little guidance on how to conduct comparative life history studies and how to evaluate them. We consider five issues arising in such studies: (i) the parameters of interest may be ill-defined idealizations of the real world, (ii) true values of the parameters are not known for any species, (iii) selecting data based on the quality of the estimates can introduce a host of problems, (iv) the estimates that are available for comparison constitute a non-random sample of species from an ill-defined population of species of interest, and (v) the hierarchical nature of the data (e.g. stocks within species within genera within families, etc., with multiple observations at each level) warrants consideration. We discuss how these issues can be handled and how they shape the kinds of questions that can be asked of a database of life history studies.

A prospective comparative study on neovascular glaucoma and non-neovascular refractory glaucoma following Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation.

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Li, Zheng; Zhou, Minwen; Wang, Wei; Huang, Wenbin; Chen, Shida; Li, Xingyi; Gao, Xinbo; Zhang, Xiulan

2014-01-01

Neovascular glaucoma is a refractory disease, and difficult to manage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation (AGVI) in neovascular glaucoma (NVG) and non-NVG patients. This prospective, non-randomized study included 55 eyes of 55 patients with refractory glaucoma; 27 had NVG (NVG group) and 28 had non-NVG (non-NVG group). All of the patients underwent AGVI. The NVG group was adjunctively injected with intravitreal ranibizumab/bevacizumab (IVR/IVB) before AGVI. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was the primary outcome measure in this study. Surgical success rate, number of antiglaucoma medications used, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and postoperative complications were analyzed between the groups. All of the patients completed the study (follow-up of 12 months). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis indicated that the qualified success rates in the NVG and non-NVG groups at 12 months were 70.5% and 92.9%, respectively; this difference was significant (P = 0.036). The complete success rates in the NVG and non-NVG groups at 12 months were 66.7% and 89.3%, respectively (P = 0.049). Compared with preoperative examinations, the postoperative mean IOP and use of medications were significantly lower at all follow-up time points in both groups (all P glaucoma, but the success rate of surgery was related to the type of refractory glaucoma. The complete and qualified success rates of NVG patient adjunctive anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment are still lower than those of non-NVG patients.

Functional redundancy patterns reveal non-random assembly rules in a species-rich marine assemblage.

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Nicolas Guillemot

Full Text Available The relationship between species and the functional diversity of assemblages is fundamental in ecology because it contains key information on functional redundancy, and functionally redundant ecosystems are thought to be more resilient, resistant and stable. However, this relationship is poorly understood and undocumented for species-rich coastal marine ecosystems. Here, we used underwater visual censuses to examine the patterns of functional redundancy for one of the most diverse vertebrate assemblages, the coral reef fishes of New Caledonia, South Pacific. First, we found that the relationship between functional and species diversity displayed a non-asymptotic power-shaped curve, implying that rare functions and species mainly occur in highly diverse assemblages. Second, we showed that the distribution of species amongst possible functions was significantly different from a random distribution up to a threshold of ∼90 species/transect. Redundancy patterns for each function further revealed that some functions displayed fast rates of increase in redundancy at low species diversity, whereas others were only becoming redundant past a certain threshold. This suggested non-random assembly rules and the existence of some primordial functions that would need to be fulfilled in priority so that coral reef fish assemblages can gain a basic ecological structure. Last, we found little effect of habitat on the shape of the functional-species diversity relationship and on the redundancy of functions, although habitat is known to largely determine assemblage characteristics such as species composition, biomass, and abundance. Our study shows that low functional redundancy is characteristic of this highly diverse fish assemblage, and, therefore, that even species-rich ecosystems such as coral reefs may be vulnerable to the removal of a few keystone species.

Probability calculus of fractional order and fractional Taylor's series application to Fokker-Planck equation and information of non-random functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jumarie, Guy

2009-01-01

A probability distribution of fractional (or fractal) order is defined by the measure μ{dx} = p(x)(dx) α , 0 α (D x α h α )f(x) provided by the modified Riemann Liouville definition, one can expand a probability calculus parallel to the standard one. A Fourier's transform of fractional order using the Mittag-Leffler function is introduced, together with its inversion formula; and it provides a suitable generalization of the characteristic function of fractal random variables. It appears that the state moments of fractional order are more especially relevant. The main properties of this fractional probability calculus are outlined, it is shown that it provides a sound approach to Fokker-Planck equation which are fractional in both space and time, and it provides new results in the information theory of non-random functions.

Spatially nonrandom tree mortality and ingrowth maintain equilibrium pattern in an old-growth Pseudotsuga-Tsuga forest.

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Lutz, James A; Larson, Andrew J; Furniss, Tucker J; Donato, Daniel C; Freund, James A; Swanson, Mark E; Bible, Kenneth J; Chen, Jiquan; Franklin, Jerry F

2014-08-01

Mortality processes in old-growth forests are generally assumed to be driven by gap-scale disturbance, with only a limited role ascribed to density-dependent mortality, but these assumptions are rarely tested with data sets incorporating repeated measurements. Using a 12-ha spatially explicit plot censused 13 years apart in an approximately 500-year-old Pseudotsuga-Tsuga forest, we demonstrate significant density-dependent mortality and spatially aggregated tree recruitment. However, the combined effect of these strongly nonrandom demographic processes was to maintain tree patterns in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Density-dependent mortality was most pronounced for the dominant late-successional species, Tsuga heterophylla. The long-lived, early-seral Pseudotsuga menziesii experienced an annual stem mortality rate of 0.84% and no new recruitment. Late-seral species Tsuga and Abies amabilis had nearly balanced demographic rates of ingrowth and mortality. The 2.34% mortality rate for Taxus brevifolia was higher than expected, notably less than ingrowth, and strongly affected by proximity to Tsuga. Large-diameter Tsuga structured both the regenerating conspecific and heterospecific cohorts with recruitment of Tsuga and Abies unlikely in neighborhoods crowded with large-diameter competitors (P old-growth forests.

First-Line Matched Related Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Compared to Immunosuppressive Therapy in Acquired Severe Aplastic Anemia

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Peinemann, Frank; Grouven, Ulrich; Kröger, Nicolaus; Bartel, Carmen; Pittler, Max H.; Lange, Stefan

2011-01-01

Introduction Acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a rare and progressive disease characterized by an immune-mediated functional impairment of hematopoietic stem cells. Transplantation of these cells is a first-line treatment option if HLA-matched related donors are available. First-line immunosuppressive therapy may be offered as alternative. The aim was to compare the outcome of these patients in controlled trials. Methods A systematic search was performed in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library. To show an overview of various outcomes by treatment group we conducted a meta-analysis on overall survival. We evaluated whether studies reported statistically significant factors for improved survival. Results 26 non-randomized controlled trials (7,955 patients enrolled from 1970 to 2001) were identified. We did not identify any RCTs. Risk of bias was high except in 4 studies. Young age and recent year of treatment were identified as factors for improved survival in the HSCT group. Advanced age, SAA without very severe aplastic anemia, and combination of anti-lymphocyte globulin with cyclosporine A were factors for improved survival in the IST group. In 19 studies (4,855 patients), summary statistics were sufficient to be included in meta-analysis. Considerable heterogeneity did not justify a pooled estimate. Adverse events were inconsistently reported and varied significantly across studies. Conclusions Young age and recent year of treatment were identified as factors for improved survival in the transplant group. Advanced age, SAA without very severe aplastic anemia, and combination of anti-lymphocyte globulin with cyclosporine A were factors for improved survival in the immunosuppressive group. Considerable heterogeneity of non-randomized controlled studies did not justify a pooled estimate. Adverse events were inconsistently reported and varied significantly across studies. PMID:21541024

Retrospective analyses versus RCTs: comparing like with like?

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Baron R

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Ralf Baron,1 Lieven Nils Kennes,2 Christian Elling31Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel Campus, Kiel, 2Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, Stralsund, 3Grünenthal GmbH, Medical Affairs Europe and North America, Aachen, GermanyIn their recent retrospective analysis assessing oxycodone/naloxone (OXN vs. tapentadol (TAP treatment for chronic low-back pain with a neuropathic component, Ueberall and Mueller-Schwefe1 compare their results to the findings of an earlier phase 3b/4 study.2 In our opinion, a proper comparison to the prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label study by Baron and colleagues is scientifically not appropriate. Although Ueberall and Mueller-Schwefe use the terms “prospective,” “randomly,” and “blinded” and refer to the PROBE design (prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint,3 their database study is retrospective, nonrandomized, and nonblinded with the treatment choice left to the discretion of the physicians. In this context, the use of the term “intention-to-treat (ITT population” is inappropriate because ITT is unambiguously defined as including all randomized subjects and thus inseparable from true randomization (ICH E9.4View original paper by Ueberall and Mueller-Schwefe.

Albumin in Burn Shock Resuscitation: A Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Studies.

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Navickis, Roberta J; Greenhalgh, David G; Wilkes, Mahlon M

2016-01-01

Critical appraisal of outcomes after burn shock resuscitation with albumin has previously been restricted to small relatively old randomized trials, some with high risk of bias. Extensive recent data from nonrandomized studies assessing the use of albumin can potentially reduce bias and add precision. The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the effect of burn shock resuscitation with albumin on mortality and morbidity in adult patients. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical studies evaluating mortality and morbidity in adult patients receiving albumin for burn shock resuscitation were identified by multiple methods, including computer database searches and examination of journal contents and reference lists. Extracted data were quantitatively combined by random-effects meta-analysis. Four randomized and four nonrandomized studies with 688 total adult patients were included. Treatment effects did not differ significantly between the included randomized and nonrandomized studies. Albumin infusion during the first 24 hours showed no significant overall effect on mortality. However, significant statistical heterogeneity was present, which could be abolished by excluding two studies at high risk of bias. After those exclusions, albumin infusion was associated with reduced mortality. The pooled odds ratio was 0.34 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.19 to 0.58 (P Albumin administration was also accompanied by decreased occurrence of compartment syndrome (pooled odds ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.50; P albumin can improve outcomes of burn shock resuscitation. However, the scope and quality of current evidence are limited, and additional trials are needed.

Comparative genetics of hybrid incompatibility: sterility in two Solanum species crosses.

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Moyle, Leonie C; Nakazato, Takuya

2008-07-01

The genetic basis of hybrid sterility can provide insight into the genetic and evolutionary origins of species barriers. We examine the genetics of hybrid incompatibility between two diploid plant species in the plant clade Solanum sect. Lycopersicon. Using a set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) representing the wild species Solanum pennellii (formerly Lycopersicon pennellii) in the genetic background of the cultivated tomato S. lycopersicum (formerly L. esculentum), we found that hybrid pollen and seed infertility are each based on a modest number of loci, male (pollen) and other (seed) incompatibility factors are roughly comparable in number, and seed-infertility QTL act additively or recessively. These findings are remarkably consistent with our previous analysis in a different species pair, S. lycopersicum x S. habrochaites. Data from both studies contrast strongly with data from Drosophila. Finally, QTL for pollen and seed sterility from the two Solanum studies were chromosomally colocalized, indicating a shared evolutionary history for these QTL, a nonrandom genomic distribution of loci causing sterility, and/or a proclivity of certain genes to be involved in hybrid sterility. We show that comparative mapping data can delimit the probable timing of evolution of detected QTL and discern which sterility loci likely evolved earliest among species.

Comparative Study of the Use of Trichloroacetic Acid and Phenolic Acid in the Treatment of Atrophic-Type Acne Scars.

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Dalpizzol, Mariana; Weber, Magda B; Mattiazzi, Anna Paula F; Manzoni, Ana Paula D

2016-03-01

Many therapies involving varying degrees of complexity have been used to treat acne scars, but none is considered the gold standard treatment. A comparative evaluation of 88% phenol and 90% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) applied using the chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) technique. A nonrandomized, single-blinded self-controlled clinical trial was conducted among patients with ice pick-type and boxcar-type atrophic acne scars. Using 88% phenol on the left hemiface and 90% TCA on the right hemiface was adopted as the standard practice of the CROSS technique. The dermatological quality of life index (DLQI) questionnaire, acne scar grading scale Échelle d´Evaluation Clinique des Cicatrices d'Acne (ECCA), and evaluation of improvement were performed pretreatment and post-treatment. Regarding ECCA, significant differences were found in pretreatment and post-treatment (p < .001). Regarding tolerance to pain, it was found that the discomfort felt with 90% TCA was significantly less than that felt with 88% phenol (p = .020). Regarding the quality of life measured with the DLQI, the results showed that the mean score in post-treatment assessment was significantly lower than that in the pretreatment assessment (p < .05). Hypochromia and enlargement scar were only seen after the use of 90% TCA. This study confirmed the efficacy of both TCA and phenol for treating such scars, with less severe complications from the use of phenol.

The nucleoid protein Dps binds genomic DNA of Escherichia coli in a non-random manner

Science.gov (United States)

Kondrashov, F. A.; Toshchakov, S. V.; Dominova, I.; Shvyreva, U. S.; Vrublevskaya, V. V.; Morenkov, O. S.; Panyukov, V. V.

2017-01-01

Dps is a multifunctional homododecameric protein that oxidizes Fe2+ ions accumulating them in the form of Fe2O3 within its protein cavity, interacts with DNA tightly condensing bacterial nucleoid upon starvation and performs some other functions. During the last two decades from discovery of this protein, its ferroxidase activity became rather well studied, but the mechanism of Dps interaction with DNA still remains enigmatic. The crucial role of lysine residues in the unstructured N-terminal tails led to the conventional point of view that Dps binds DNA without sequence or structural specificity. However, deletion of dps changed the profile of proteins in starved cells, SELEX screen revealed genomic regions preferentially bound in vitro and certain affinity of Dps for artificial branched molecules was detected by atomic force microscopy. Here we report a non-random distribution of Dps binding sites across the bacterial chromosome in exponentially growing cells and show their enrichment with inverted repeats prone to form secondary structures. We found that the Dps-bound regions overlap with sites occupied by other nucleoid proteins, and contain overrepresented motifs typical for their consensus sequences. Of the two types of genomic domains with extensive protein occupancy, which can be highly expressed or transcriptionally silent only those that are enriched with RNA polymerase molecules were preferentially occupied by Dps. In the dps-null mutant we, therefore, observed a differentially altered expression of several targeted genes and found suppressed transcription from the dps promoter. In most cases this can be explained by the relieved interference with Dps for nucleoid proteins exploiting sequence-specific modes of DNA binding. Thus, protecting bacterial cells from different stresses during exponential growth, Dps can modulate transcriptional integrity of the bacterial chromosome hampering RNA biosynthesis from some genes via competition with RNA polymerase

Aneuploidy in immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with non-random loss of chromosome 13 in culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Masao; Takeuchi, Kikuko; Ozawa, Yutaka; Kohara, Akihiro; Mizusawa, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

Aneuploidy (an abnormal number of chromosomes) is commonly observed in most human cancer cells, highlighting the need to examine chromosomal instability in tumorigenesis. Previously, the immortalized human mesenchymal stem cell line UE6E7T-3 was shown to undergo a preferential loss of one copy of chromosome 13 after prolonged culture. Here, the loss of chromosome 13 was found to be caused by chromosome missegregation during mitosis, which involved unequal segregation, exclusion of the misaligned chromosome 13 on the metaphase plate, and trapping of chromosome 13 in the midbody region, as observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Near-diploid aneuploidy, not tetraploidy, was the direct result. The loss of chromosome 13 was non-random, and was detected by analysis of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphism-based loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Of the five microsatellite loci on chromosome 13, four loci showed microsatellite instability at an early stage in culture, and LOH was apparent at a late stage in culture. These results suggest that the microsatellite mutations cause changes in centromere integrity provoking loss of this chromosome in the UE6E7T-3 cell line. Thus, these results support the use of this cell line as a useful model for understanding the mechanism of aneuploid formation in cell cultures.

Nonrandom γ-TuNA-dependent spatial pattern of microtubule nucleation at the Golgi.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Anna A W M; Chang, Kevin; Zhu, Xiaodong; Thoppil, Roslin J; Holmes, William R; Kaverina, Irina

2017-11-07

Noncentrosomal microtubule (MT) nucleation at the Golgi generates MT network asymmetry in motile vertebrate cells. Investigating the Golgi-derived MT (GDMT) distribution, we find that MT asymmetry arises from nonrandom nucleation sites at the Golgi (hotspots). Using computational simulations, we propose two plausible mechanistic models of GDMT nucleation leading to this phenotype. In the "cooperativity" model, formation of a single GDMT promotes further nucleation at the same site. In the "heterogeneous Golgi" model, MT nucleation is dramatically up-regulated at discrete and sparse locations within the Golgi. While MT clustering in hotspots is equally well described by both models, simulating MT length distributions within the cooperativity model fits the data better. Investigating the molecular mechanism underlying hotspot formation, we have found that hotspots are significantly smaller than a Golgi subdomain positive for scaffolding protein AKAP450, which is thought to recruit GDMT nucleation factors. We have further probed potential roles of known GDMT-promoting molecules, including γ-TuRC-mediated nucleation activator (γ-TuNA) domain-containing proteins and MT stabilizer CLASPs. While both γ-TuNA inhibition and lack of CLASPs resulted in drastically decreased GDMT nucleation, computational modeling revealed that only γ-TuNA inhibition suppressed hotspot formation. We conclude that hotspots require γ-TuNA activity, which facilitates clustered GDMT nucleation at distinct Golgi sites. © 2017 Sanders et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Human heavy-chain variable region gene family nonrandomly rearranged in familial chronic lymphocytic leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, A.; Humphries, C.; Tucker, P.; Blattner, F.

1987-01-01

The authors have identified a family of human immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region (V/sub H/) genes, one member of which is rearranged in two affected members of a family in which the father and four of five siblings developed chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cloning and sequencing of the rearranged V/sub H/ genes from leukemic lymphocytes of three affected siblings showed that two siblings had rearranged V/sub H/ genes (V/sub H/TS1 and V/sub H/WS1) that were 90% homologous. The corresponding germ-line gene, V/sub H/251, was found to part of a small (four gene) V/sub H/ gene family, which they term V/sub H/V. The DNA sequence homology to V/sub H/WS1 (95%) and V/sub H/TS1 (88%) and identical restriction sites on the 5' side of V/sub H/ confirm that rearrangement of V/sub H/251 followed by somatic mutation produced the identical V/sub H/ gene rearrangements in the two siblings. V/sub H/TS1 is not a functional V/sub H/ gene; a functional V/sub H/ rearrangement was found on the other chromosome of this patient. The other two siblings had different V/sub H/ gene rearrangements. All used different diversity genes. Mechanisms proposed for nonrandom selection of a single V/sub H/ gene include developmental regulation of this V/sub H/ gene rearrangement or selection of a subpopulation of B cells in which this V/sub H/ has been rearranged

Statistical grand rounds: understanding the mechanism: mediation analysis in randomized and nonrandomized studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mascha, Edward J; Dalton, Jarrod E; Kurz, Andrea; Saager, Leif

2013-10-01

In comparative clinical studies, a common goal is to assess whether an exposure, or intervention, affects the outcome of interest. However, just as important is to understand the mechanism(s) for how the intervention affects outcome. For example, if preoperative anemia was shown to increase the risk of postoperative complications by 15%, it would be important to quantify how much of that effect was due to patients receiving intraoperative transfusions. Mediation analysis attempts to quantify how much, if any, of the effect of an intervention on outcome goes though prespecified mediator, or "mechanism" variable(s), that is, variables sitting on the causal pathway between exposure and outcome. Effects of an exposure on outcome can thus be divided into direct and indirect, or mediated, effects. Mediation is claimed when 2 conditions are true: the exposure affects the mediator and the mediator (adjusting for the exposure) affects the outcome. Understanding how an intervention affects outcome can validate or invalidate one's original hypothesis and also facilitate further research to modify the responsible factors, and thus improve patient outcome. We discuss the proper design and analysis of studies investigating mediation, including the importance of distinguishing mediator variables from confounding variables, the challenge of identifying potential mediators when the exposure is chronic versus acute, and the requirements for claiming mediation. Simple designs are considered, as well as those containing multiple mediators, multiple outcomes, and mixed data types. Methods are illustrated with data collected by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) and utilized in a companion paper which assessed the effects of preoperative anemic status on postoperative outcomes.

The Comparative Effect of Teaching Metacognitive Strategies and Collaborative Strategic Reading on EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mania Nosratinia

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study was an attempt to systematically investigate the comparative impact of teaching Metacognitive Strategies (MS and Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR on English as a Foreign Language (EFL learners' Reading Comprehension (RC. The participants were 58 homogenized intermediate level female EFL learners, within the age range of 18-30 (Mage = 24; they were non-randomly selected and were randomly assigned into two experimental groups of 29. One experimental group received MS training based on Anderson's (2002 model, and the other experimental group received training in CSR based on Klingner and Vaughn’s (1998 model. Inspecting the initially-homogenized participants’ post-treatment performance, through using a piloted PET reading test and running an independent-samples t-test, revealed that the MS group performed significantly better than the CSR group in terms of RC. The study concludes with a discussion on the obtained results, followed by presenting some implications for EFL teachers, EFL learners, and EFL material developers.

Comparative study of random and uniform models for the distribution of TRISO particles in HTR-10 fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosales, J.; Perez, J.; Garcia, C.; Munnoz, A.; Lira, C. A. B. O.

2015-01-01

TRISO particles are the specific features of HTR-10 and generally HTGR reactors. Their heterogeneity and random arrangement in graphite matrix of these reactors create a significant modeling challenge. In the simulation of spherical fuel elements using MCNPX are usually created repetitive structures using uniform distribution models. The use of these repetitive structures introduces two major approaches: the non-randomness of the TRISO particles inside the pebbles and the intersection of the pebble surface with the TRISO particles. These approaches could affect significantly the multiplicative properties of the core. In order to study the influence of these approaches in the multiplicative properties was estimated the K inf value in one pebble with white boundary conditions using 4 different configurations regarding the distribution of the TRISO particles inside the pebble: uniform hexagonal model, cubic uniform model, cubic uniform without the effect of cutting and a random distribution model. It was studied the impact these models on core scale solving the problem B1, from the Benchmark Problems presented in a Coordinated Research Program of the IAEA. (Author)

A multicenter randomized clinical trial of etonogestrel- and levonorgestrel- contraceptive implants with nonrandomized copper-IUD controls: effect on weight variations up to three years after placement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahamondes, Luis; Brache, Vivian; Ali, Moazzam; Habib, Ndema

2018-05-16

To evaluate weight changes in women randomized to either the etonogestrel (ENG)- or the levonorgestrel (LNG)-releasing contraceptive implants and to compare with users of the TCu380A intrauterine device (IUD). A multi-center randomized trial with 1:1 allocation ratio of the ENG- and the LNG- implants with non-randomized, age-matched control group of women choosing TCu380A IUD. The primary objective was to assess contraceptive efficacy and method continuation rates, and secondarily the incidence of common complaints and side effects (including weight changes) associated with use of the three contraceptives. All women were enrolled in nine centers at seven countries. Weight change was evaluated from time at device(s) placement. Confounders were socio-demographic, baseline weight and body mass index, center, and time from insertion. We used a linear mixed effects regression modeling with random intercept and slope. Weight was compared between the two implants groups and between the implants and the IUD-groups, through linear mixed multivariable regression model. A total of 995, 997 and 971 users in the ENG-, LNG-implant and IUD-groups respectively, were included. At 36months of use, ENG- and LNG-implants users had similar significant mean weight increase of 3.0 kg (95% CI 2.5-3.5) and 2.9 kg (95% CI 2.4-3.4), respectively (p than 50 kg. These findings must be useful for clinicians to counsel implant-users which could improve method continuation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Including sustainability issues in nurse education: A comparative study of first year student nurses' attitudes in four European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Janet; Heidenreich, Thomas; Álvarez-Nieto, Carmen; Fasseur, Fabienne; Grose, Jane; Huss, Norma; Huynen, Maud; López-Medina, Isabel M; Schweizer, Angélick

2016-02-01

Education in sustainable development is a goal recognised by a large number of countries and a vital concept in healthcare. It is therefore important that nurse education incorporates elements of sustainable development into nursing education curricula. However, there is limited research on student nurses' attitudes towards sustainability and no comparison of attitudes towards sustainability and its inclusion in the nursing curriculum across Europe. This project aims to assess student nurses' attitudes towards sustainability, its relevance to nursing and its inclusion in the nursing curricula. 1. To assess base-line attitudes at the start of nursing and midwifery training; 2. To compare sustainability awareness between students participating in training in a number of European universities. A comparative survey design using the Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey (SANS_2) questionnaire. Nursing classes of Universities and Nursing Schools in four European countries were investigated using a questionnaire consisting of five sustainability-related items. 916 nursing students (UK: 450, Germany: 196, Spain: 124, Switzerland: 146). Standard descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to establish psychometric quality (Principal Components Analysis, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlations) and compare student nurses from the four countries. The reliability of SANS_2 was good (Cronbach's alpha=.82) and the five items loaded on a single factor which explained 58% of variance. ANOVA of the SANS_2 total score showed significant differences between countries with German nursing students showing more sustainability awareness than students from the UK and Spain. SANS_2 is a reliable instrument to assess nursing students' sustainability awareness; there are significant differences in sustainability awareness of students of different European countries. Limitations of the study include non-random sampling, possible method effects and social desirability effects

Unique characteristics of regulatory approval and pivotal studies of orphan anticancer drugs in Japan.

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Nakayama, Hiroki; Tsukamoto, Katsura

2018-04-17

The approval of orphan anticancer drugs has increased, with the number exceeding that of non-orphan drugs in Japan in recent years. Although orphan anticancer drugs may have unique characteristics due to their rarity, these have not been fully characterized. We investigated anticancer drugs approved in Japan between April 2004 and November 2017 to reveal the characteristics of regulatory approval and pivotal studies on orphan anticancer drugs compared to non-orphan drugs. The median regulatory review time and number of patients in pivotal studies on orphan anticancer drugs (281.0 days [interquartile range, 263.3-336.0]; 222.5 patients [66.0-454.3]) were significantly lower than those on non-orphan drugs (353.0 days [277.0-535.5]; 521.0 patients [303.5-814.5], respectively) (P < 0.001). Phase II, non-randomized and non-controlled designs were more frequently used in pivotal studies on orphan anticancer drugs (45.9%, 41.9% and 43.2%) than non-orphan drugs (17.2%, 14.1% and 14.1%, respectively). Response rate was more commonly used as a primary endpoint in pivotal studies on orphan anticancer drugs (48.6%) than non-orphan drugs (17.2%). Indications limited by molecular features, second or later treatment line, and accelerated approval in the United States were associated with the use of response rate in orphan anticancer drug studies. In conclusion, we demonstrated that orphan anticancer drugs in Japan have unique characteristics compared to non-orphan drugs: shorter regulatory review and pivotal studies frequently using phase II, non-randomized, or non-controlled designs and response rate as a primary endpoint, with fewer patients.

Return to work following robot-assisted laparoscopic and open retropubic radical prostatectomy: A single-center cohort study to compare duration of sick leave.

Science.gov (United States)

von Mechow, Stefanie; Graefen, Markus; Haese, Alexander; Tennstedt, Pierre; Pehrke, Dirk; Friedersdorff, Frank; Beyer, Burkhard

2018-06-01

To compare the duration of sick leave in patients with localized prostate cancer after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and open retropubic RP (ORP) at a German high-volume prostate cancer center. The data of 1,415 patients treated with RP at Martini Klinik, Prostate Cancer Center between 2012 and 2016 were, retrospectively, analyzed. Information on employment status, monthly revenues and days of work missed due to sickness were assessed via online questionnaire. Additional data were retrieved from our institutional database. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) were reported for continuous data. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to compare both surgical techniques for return to work time after RP. Median time elapsed between surgery and return to work comprised 42 days in patients undergoing RARP (IQR: 21-70) and ORP (IQR: 28-84, P = 0.05). In Cox regression analysis, surgical approach showed no impact on return to work time (RARP vs. ORP hazard ratio = 1, 95% CI: 0.91-1.16, P = 0.69). Return to work time was significantly associated with employment status, physical workload and monthly income (all PLimitation of this study is the nonrandomized design in a single-center. As the surgical approach did not show any influence on the number of days missed from work in patients undergoing RP, no superiority of either RARP or ORP could be identified for return to work time in a German cohort. Both surgical approaches are safe options usually allowing the patients to resume normal activities including work after an appropriate convalescence period. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship of nocturnal concentrations of melatonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid and total antioxidants in peripheral blood with insomnia after stroke: study protocol for a prospective non-randomized controlled trial

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wei Zhang; Fang Li; Tong Zhang

2017-01-01

Melatonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have been shown to regulate sleep. The nocturnal concentrations of melatonin, GABA and total antioxidants may relate to insomnia in stroke patients. In this prospective single-center non-randomized controlled clinical trial performed in the China Rehabilitation Research Center, we analyzed the relationship of nocturnal concentrations of melatonin, GABA and total antioxidants with insomnia after stroke. Patients during rehabilitation of stroke were recruited and assigned to the insomnia group or non-insomnia group. Simultaneously, persons without stroke or insomnia served as normal controls. Each group contained 25 cases. The primary outcome was nocturnal concentrations of melatonin, GABA and total antioxidants in peripheral blood. The secondary outcomes were Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (Chinese version), and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale. The relationship of nocturnal concentrations of melatonin, GABA and total antioxidants with insomnia after stroke was analyzed and showed that they were lower in the insomnia group than in the non-insomnia group. The severity of stroke was higher in the insomnia group than in the non-insomnia group. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the nocturnal concentrations of melatonin and GABA were associated with insomnia after stroke. This trial was regis-tered at ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03202121.

A prospective, non-randomized phase II trial of Trastuzumab and Capecitabine in patients with HER2 expressing metastasized pancreatic cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endlicher Esther

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer related death in Western countries. Advantages in surgical techniques, radiation and chemotherapy had almost no impact on the long term survival of affected patients. Therefore, the need for better treatment strategies is urgent. HER2, a receptor tyrosine kinase of the EGFR family, involved in signal transduction pathways leading to cell growth and differentiation is overexpressed in a number of cancers, including breast and pancreatic cancer. While in breast cancer HER2 has already been successfully used as a treatment target, there are only limited data evaluating the effects of inhibiting HER2 tyrosine kinases in patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods Here we report the design of a prospective, non-randomized multi-centered Phase II clinical study evaluating the effects of the Fluoropyrimidine-carbamate Capecitabine (Xeloda ® and the monoclonal anti-HER2 antibody Trastuzumab (Herceptin® in patients with non-resectable, HER2 overexpressing pancreatic cancer. Patients eligible for the study will receive Trastuzumab infusions on day 1, 8 and 15 concomitant to the oral intake of Capecitabine from day 1 to day 14 of each three week cylce. Cycles will be repeated until tumor progression. A total of 37 patients will be enrolled with an interim analysis after 23 patients. Discussion Primary end point of the study is to determine the progression free survival after 12 weeks of bimodal treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent Capecitabine and the anti-HER2 antibody Trastuzumab. Secondary end points include patient's survival, toxicity analysis, quality of life, the correlation of HER2 overexpression and clinical response to Trastuzumab treatment and, finally, the correlation of CA19-9 plasma levels and progression free intervals.

Scalar localization by cone-beam computed tomography of cochlear implant carriers: a comparative study between straight and periomodiolar precurved electrode arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Eric; Karkas, Alexandre; Attye, Arnaud; Lefournier, Virginie; Escude, Bernard; Schmerber, Sebastien

2015-03-01

To compare the incidence of dislocation of precurved versus straight flexible cochlear implant electrode arrays using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image analyses. Consecutive nonrandomized case-comparison study. Tertiary referral center. Analyses of patients' CBCT images after cochlear implant surgery. Precurved and straight flexible electrode arrays from two different manufacturers were implanted. A round window insertion was performed in most cases. Two cases necessitated a cochleostomy. The patients' CBCT images were reconstructed in the coronal oblique, sagittal oblique, and axial oblique section. The insertion depth angle and the incidence of dislocation from the scala tympani to the scala vestibuli were determined. The CBCT images and the incidence of dislocation were analyzed in 54 patients (61 electrode arrays). Thirty-one patients were implanted with a precurved perimodiolar electrode array and 30 patients with a straight flexible electrode array. A total of nine (15%) scalar dislocations were observed in both groups. Eight (26%) scalar dislocations were observed in the precurved array group and one (3%) in the straight array group. Dislocation occurred at an insertion depth angle between 170 and 190 degrees in the precurved array group and at approximately 370 degrees in the straight array group. With precurved arrays, dislocation usually occurs in the ascending part of the basal turn of the cochlea. With straight flexible electrode arrays, the incidence of dislocation was lower, and it seems that straight flexible arrays have a higher chance of a confined position within the scala tympani than perimodiolar precurved arrays.

Outcome of Large to Massive Rotator Cuff Tears Repaired With and Without Extracellular Matrix Augmentation: A Prospective Comparative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilot, Gregory J; Alvarez-Pinzon, Andres M; Barcksdale, Leticia; Westerdahl, David; Krill, Michael; Peck, Evan

2015-08-01

, improves patient outcome scores, and is a viable option during complicated cases in which a significant failure rate is anticipated. Level III, prospective, blinded, nonrandomized, comparative study. Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating clinical and public health interventions: a practical guide to study design and statistics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Katz, Mitchell H

2010-01-01

.... Because the choice of research design depends on the nature of the intervention, the book covers randomized and nonrandomized designs, prospective and retrospective studies, planned clinical trials...

Selective laser trabeculoplasty in patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma vs primary open angle glaucoma: a one-year comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arezoo Miraftabi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available AIM: To compare the efficacy of single-session 360-degree selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT for reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP in patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PXFG and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG. METHODS: This is a single-center, prospective, nonrandomized comparative study. Patients older than 18 years of age with uncontrolled PXFG or POAG eyes requiring additional therapy while on maximally tolerated IOP-lowering medications were included. The primary outcome measure changed in IOP from baseline. Success was defined as IOP reduction ≥20% from baseline without any additional IOP-lowering medication. All patients were examined at 1d, 1wk, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12mo after SLT. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (20 eyes with PXFG and 27 patients (28 eyes with POAG were included in the study. In the visual fields mean deviation was -2.88 (±1.67 in the POAG and -3.1 (±1.69 in the PXFG groups (P=0.3. The mean (±SD IOP was 22.9 (±3.7 mm Hg in the POAG group and 25.7 (±4.4 mm Hg in the PXFG group at baseline and decreased to 18.4 (±3.2 and 18.0 (±3.9 mm Hg in the POAG group (P<0.001 and P=0.02, and to 17.9 (±4.0 and 21.0 (±6.6 mm Hg in the PXFG group (P<0.001 and P=0.47 at 6 and 12mo, respectively. The number of medications was 2.6 (±0.8 in the POAG group and 2.5 (±0.8 in the PXFG group at baseline, and did not change at all follow-up visits in both groups (P=0.16 in POAG and 0.57 in PXFG. Based on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the success rate was 75% in the POAG group compared to 94.1% in the PXFG group (P=0.08; log rank test at 6mo, and 29.1% and 25.0% at 12mo, respectively (P=0.9; log rank. CONCLUSION: The 360-degree SLT is an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic modality in patients with POAG and PXFG by reducing IOP without any change in number of medications. The response was more pronounced early in the postoperative period in patients with PXFG whereas there was no statistically significant difference at 12

Burn, freeze, or photo-ablate?: comparative symptom profile in Barrett's dysplasia patients undergoing endoscopic ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Kanwar Rupinder S.; Gross, Seth A.; Greenwald, Bruce D.; Hemminger, Lois L.; Wolfsen, Herbert C.

2009-06-01

Background: There are few data available comparing endoscopic ablation methods for Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia (BE-HGD). Objective: To determine differences in symptoms and complications associated with endoscopic ablation. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Two tertiary care centers in USA. Patients: Consecutive patients with BE-HGD Interventions: In this pilot study, symptoms profile data were collected for BE-HGD patients among 3 endoscopic ablation methods: porfimer sodium photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation and low-pressure liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy. Main Outcome Measurements: Symptom profiles and complications from the procedures were assessed 1-8 weeks after treatment. Results: Ten BE-HGD patients were treated with each ablation modality (30 patients total; 25 men, median age: 69 years (range 53-81). All procedures were performed in the clinic setting and none required subsequent hospitalization. The most common symptoms among all therapies were chest pain, dysphagia and odynophagia. More patients (n=8) in the porfimer sodium photodynamic therapy group reported weight loss compared to radio-frequency ablactation (n=2) and cryotherapy (n=0). Four patients in the porfimer sodium photodynamic therapy group developed phototoxicity requiring medical treatment. Strictures, each requiring a single dilation, were found in radiofrequency ablactation (n=1) and porfimer sodium photodynamic therapy (n=2) patients. Limitations: Small sample size, non-randomized study. Conclusions: These three endoscopic therapies are associated with different types and severity of post-ablation symptoms and complications.

Evaluation of physical activity interventions in children via the reach, efficacy/effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized trials.

Science.gov (United States)

McGoey, Tara; Root, Zach; Bruner, Mark W; Law, Barbi

2016-01-01

Existing reviews of physical activity (PA) interventions designed to increase PA behavior exclusively in children (ages 5 to 11years) focus primarily on the efficacy (e.g., internal validity) of the interventions without addressing the applicability of the results in terms of generalizability and translatability (e.g., external validity). This review used the RE-AIM (Reach, Efficacy/Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework to measure the degree to which randomized and non-randomized PA interventions in children report on internal and external validity factors. A systematic search for controlled interventions conducted within the past 12years identified 78 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Based on the RE-AIM criteria, most of the studies focused on elements of internal validity (e.g., sample size, intervention location and efficacy/effectiveness) with minimal reporting of external validity indicators (e.g., representativeness of participants, start-up costs, protocol fidelity and sustainability). Results of this RE-AIM review emphasize the need for future PA interventions in children to report on real-world challenges and limitations, and to highlight considerations for translating evidence-based results into health promotion practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mindfulness Training for Health Profession Students-The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Psychological Well-Being, Learning and Clinical Performance of Health Professional Students: A Systematic Review of Randomized and Non-randomized Controlled Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

McConville, Janet; McAleer, Rachael; Hahne, Andrew

High levels of stress have been identified in medical students and increasingly in other health profession student population groups. As stress can affect psychological well-being and interfere with learning and clinical performance, there is a clear argument for universities to include health professional student well-being as an outcome in core curriculum. Mindfulness training is a potential construct to manage stress and enhance academic success. The aims of this systematic review were to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness training in medical and other health professional student population groups and to compare the effectiveness of the different mindfulness-based programs. A literature search was completed using The Cochrane library, Medline, Cinahl, Embase, Psychinfo, and ERIC (proquest) electronic databases from inception to June 2016. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were included. Of the potential 5355 articles, 19 met the inclusion criteria. Studies focused on medical (n = 10), nursing (n = 4), social work (n = 1), psychology (n = 1), and medical plus other health (n = 3) students. Interventions were based on mindfulness. The 19 studies included 1815 participants. Meta-analysis was performed evaluating the effect of mindfulness training on mindfulness, anxiety, depression, stress, mood, self-efficacy, and empathy. The effect of mindfulness on academic performance was discussed. Mindfulness-based interventions decrease stress, anxiety, and depression and improve mindfulness, mood, self-efficacy, and empathy in health profession students. Due to the range of presentation options, mindfulness training can be relatively easily adapted and integrated into health professional training programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Large-area imaging reveals biologically driven non-random spatial patterns of corals at a remote reef

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Clinton B.; Eynaud, Yoan; Williams, Gareth J.; Pedersen, Nicole E.; Zgliczynski, Brian J.; Gleason, Arthur C. R.; Smith, Jennifer E.; Sandin, Stuart A.

2017-12-01

For sessile organisms such as reef-building corals, differences in the degree of dispersion of individuals across a landscape may result from important differences in life-history strategies or may reflect patterns of habitat availability. Descriptions of spatial patterns can thus be useful not only for the identification of key biological and physical mechanisms structuring an ecosystem, but also by providing the data necessary to generate and test ecological theory. Here, we used an in situ imaging technique to create large-area photomosaics of 16 plots at Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific, each covering 100 m2 of benthic habitat. We mapped the location of 44,008 coral colonies and identified each to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Using metrics of spatial dispersion, we tested for departures from spatial randomness. We also used targeted model fitting to explore candidate processes leading to differences in spatial patterns among taxa. Most taxa were clustered and the degree of clustering varied by taxon. A small number of taxa did not significantly depart from randomness and none revealed evidence of spatial uniformity. Importantly, taxa that readily fragment or tolerate stress through partial mortality were more clustered. With little exception, clustering patterns were consistent with models of fragmentation and dispersal limitation. In some taxa, dispersion was linearly related to abundance, suggesting density dependence of spatial patterning. The spatial patterns of stony corals are non-random and reflect fundamental life-history characteristics of the taxa, suggesting that the reef landscape may, in many cases, have important elements of spatial predictability.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program on Reducing the Incidence Rate of Healthcare-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection: A Non-Randomized, Stepped Wedge, Single-Site, Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

DiDiodato, Giulio; McArthur, Leslie

2016-01-01

The incidence rate of healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (HA-CDI) is estimated at 1 in 100 patients. Antibiotic exposure is the most consistently reported risk factor for HA-CDI. Strategies to reduce the risk of HA-CDI have focused on reducing antibiotic utilization. Prospective audit and feedback is a commonly used antimicrobial stewardship intervention (ASi). The impact of this ASi on risk of HA-CDI is equivocal. This study examines the effectiveness of a prospective audit and feedback ASi on reducing the risk of HA-CDI. Single-site, 339 bed community-hospital in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Primary outcome is HA-CDI incidence rate. Daily prospective and audit ASi is the exposure variable. ASi implemented across 6 wards in a non-randomized, stepped wedge design. Criteria for ASi; any intravenous antibiotic use for ≥ 48 hrs, any oral fluoroquinolone or oral second generation cephalosporin use for ≥ 48 hrs, or any antimicrobial use for ≥ 5 days. HA-CDI cases and model covariates were aggregated by ward, year and month starting September 2008 and ending February 2016. Multi-level mixed effect negative binomial regression analysis was used to model the primary outcome, with intercept and slope coefficients for ward-level random effects estimated. Other covariates tested for inclusion in the final model were derived from previously published risk factors. Deviance residuals were used to assess the model's goodness-of-fit. The dataset included 486 observation periods, of which 350 were control periods and 136 were intervention periods. After accounting for all other model covariates, the estimated overall ASi incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 0.48 (95% 0.30, 0.79). The ASi effect was independent of antimicrobial utilization. The ASi did not seem to reduce the risk of Clostridium difficile infection on the surgery wards (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.45, 1.69) compared to the medicine wards (IRR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28, 0.63). The ward-level burden of Clostridium

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program on Reducing the Incidence Rate of Healthcare-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection: A Non-Randomized, Stepped Wedge, Single-Site, Observational Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulio DiDiodato

Full Text Available The incidence rate of healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (HA-CDI is estimated at 1 in 100 patients. Antibiotic exposure is the most consistently reported risk factor for HA-CDI. Strategies to reduce the risk of HA-CDI have focused on reducing antibiotic utilization. Prospective audit and feedback is a commonly used antimicrobial stewardship intervention (ASi. The impact of this ASi on risk of HA-CDI is equivocal. This study examines the effectiveness of a prospective audit and feedback ASi on reducing the risk of HA-CDI.Single-site, 339 bed community-hospital in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Primary outcome is HA-CDI incidence rate. Daily prospective and audit ASi is the exposure variable. ASi implemented across 6 wards in a non-randomized, stepped wedge design. Criteria for ASi; any intravenous antibiotic use for ≥ 48 hrs, any oral fluoroquinolone or oral second generation cephalosporin use for ≥ 48 hrs, or any antimicrobial use for ≥ 5 days. HA-CDI cases and model covariates were aggregated by ward, year and month starting September 2008 and ending February 2016. Multi-level mixed effect negative binomial regression analysis was used to model the primary outcome, with intercept and slope coefficients for ward-level random effects estimated. Other covariates tested for inclusion in the final model were derived from previously published risk factors. Deviance residuals were used to assess the model's goodness-of-fit.The dataset included 486 observation periods, of which 350 were control periods and 136 were intervention periods. After accounting for all other model covariates, the estimated overall ASi incidence rate ratio (IRR was 0.48 (95% 0.30, 0.79. The ASi effect was independent of antimicrobial utilization. The ASi did not seem to reduce the risk of Clostridium difficile infection on the surgery wards (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.45, 1.69 compared to the medicine wards (IRR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28, 0.63. The ward-level burden of

Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy Versus Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy for Achalasia

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuan; Wang, Hongjuan; Chen, Xingdong; Liu, Lan; Wang, Hongbo; Liu, Bin; Guo, Jianqiang; Jia, Hongying

2016-01-01

Abstract We aimed to assess the short-term outcomes of per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) compared with laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) for achalasia through a meta-analysis of nonrandomized comparative studies. We searched PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for studies that compared POEM and LHM for achalasia and were published between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2014. The Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies (MINORS) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Random- and fixed-effects meta-analytical models were used, and between-study heterogeneity was assessed. Four nonrandomized comparative studies that included 317 patients (125 in the POEM group and 192 in the LHM group) met our research criteria and were assessed. There were no differences between the POEM and LHM groups in terms of sex, preoperative Eckhart score, length of myotomy, operation time, length of hospital stay, and complications. The patients in the POEM group were older than those in the LHM group (MD =2.81, 95% CI 0.27–5.35; P = 0.03) with high between-study homogeneity (χ2 = 1.96, df = 2, I2 = 0%; P = 0.38). The patients in the POEM group had a lower Eckardt score after surgery compared with those in the LHM group (MD = −0.30, 95% CI −0.42 to −0.18; P < 0.001) with high between-study homogeneity (χ2 = 0.00, df = 1, I2 = 0%; P = 1.00). The efficacy and safety of POEM appear to be comparable to those of LHM. Multicenter and randomized trials with larger sample size are needed to further compare the efficacy and safety of POEM and LHM for the treatment of achalasia. PMID:26871816

Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection for the management of cervical radiculopathy: a comparative study of particulate versus non-particulate steroids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Joon Woo; Kang, Heung Sik [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Radiology, Gyeonggi-Do (Korea); Park, Kun Woo; Yeom, Jin S. [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gyeonggi-Do (Korea); Chung, Sang-Ki; Kim, Ki-Jeong; Kim, Hyun-Jib [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Gyeonggi-do (Korea)

2009-11-15

To determine if a particulate steroid which has a risk for embolic infarct would be more effective than a non-particulate steroid for transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI). The purpose of this study was (1) to compare the effect of cervical TFESI using particulate (e.g., triamcinolone) and non-particulate (e.g., dexamethasone) steroids and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical TFESI in general. From January 2006 to August 2008, 159 consecutive patients [male:female (M:F) 89:70; mean age 53 years, range 33-75 years] who underwent cervical TFESI were included in this non-randomized study. For cervical TFESI, triamcinolone was injected into 97 patients and dexamethasone into 62 patients. Short-term follow-up was conducted within 1 month. The outcome was classified as effective or ineffective. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the difference of outcome according to the injected steroid (triamcinolone vs dexamethasone). Other possible outcome predictors, such as age, gender, duration of radiculopathy, predominant symptom, attack of radiculopathy, cause of radiculopathy, number of nerve root compression levels, previous operation, and failure of previous interlaminar epidural injection, were also analyzed. Cervical TFESI using triamcinolone (78/97, 80.4%) was slightly more effective than that using dexamethasone (43/62, 69.4%), which was not significant (P = 0.129). In general, cervical TFESIs were effective in 121 of 159 patients (76.1%) at short-term follow-up. The only significant outcome predictor was whether the patient had had a previous operation (6/13, 46/2%) or not (115/146, 78.8%) (P = 0.015). There was no significant difference between particulate or non-particulate steroid for the effect of cervical TFESI. Cervical TFESI was effective in managing cervical radiculopathy in general. (orig.)

Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection for the management of cervical radiculopathy: a comparative study of particulate versus non-particulate steroids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Joon Woo; Kang, Heung Sik; Park, Kun Woo; Yeom, Jin S.; Chung, Sang-Ki; Kim, Ki-Jeong; Kim, Hyun-Jib

2009-01-01

To determine if a particulate steroid which has a risk for embolic infarct would be more effective than a non-particulate steroid for transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI). The purpose of this study was (1) to compare the effect of cervical TFESI using particulate (e.g., triamcinolone) and non-particulate (e.g., dexamethasone) steroids and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical TFESI in general. From January 2006 to August 2008, 159 consecutive patients [male:female (M:F) 89:70; mean age 53 years, range 33-75 years] who underwent cervical TFESI were included in this non-randomized study. For cervical TFESI, triamcinolone was injected into 97 patients and dexamethasone into 62 patients. Short-term follow-up was conducted within 1 month. The outcome was classified as effective or ineffective. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the difference of outcome according to the injected steroid (triamcinolone vs dexamethasone). Other possible outcome predictors, such as age, gender, duration of radiculopathy, predominant symptom, attack of radiculopathy, cause of radiculopathy, number of nerve root compression levels, previous operation, and failure of previous interlaminar epidural injection, were also analyzed. Cervical TFESI using triamcinolone (78/97, 80.4%) was slightly more effective than that using dexamethasone (43/62, 69.4%), which was not significant (P = 0.129). In general, cervical TFESIs were effective in 121 of 159 patients (76.1%) at short-term follow-up. The only significant outcome predictor was whether the patient had had a previous operation (6/13, 46/2%) or not (115/146, 78.8%) (P = 0.015). There was no significant difference between particulate or non-particulate steroid for the effect of cervical TFESI. Cervical TFESI was effective in managing cervical radiculopathy in general. (orig.)

The Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study: Monitoring Report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.J. Simonsz (Huib)

1995-01-01

textabstractAbstract: The Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study Group is a group of strabismologists and orthoptists who investigate whether early or late surgery is preferable in infantile strabismus, in a non-randomized, prospective, multi-center trial. Infants between six and 18

Infliximab effects compared to conventional therapy in the management of retinal vasculitis in Behçet disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabbara, Khalid F; Al-Hemidan, Amal I

2008-12-01

To assess the outcome of retinal vasculitis in patients with Behçet disease treated with infliximab compared to treatment with conventional therapy. Nonrandomized, retrospective comparative clinical study. Patients with Behçet disease with all four major criteria were included in this study. Patients had recurrent episodes of uveitis and retinal vasculitis. Thirty-three patients (Group 1) were treated with oral prednisone, cyclosporine, and azathioprine or methotrexate for a minimum period of three months. Ten patients (Group 2) who failed to respond to conventional therapy were given infliximab at a dose of 5 mg/kg in a single intravenous infusion on day 1 and every two weeks for a total of six doses. Patients were given the same treatment during each subsequent relapse. The main outcome measures were the number of relapses, visual outcome, and ocular complications. The mean follow-up period was 36 months in Group 1 and 30 months in Group 2. The mean number of relapses was significantly reduced and the duration of remission was longer in the infliximab therapy group compared to conventional therapy group (P < .0001). The visual acuity at 24 months follow-up was significantly better in patients treated with infliximab (Group 2) when compared to conventional therapy (Group 1) (P = .0059). Patients with Behçet disease had significant decrease in inflammation, improvement of visual acuity, and reduced ocular complications following infliximab when compared to conventional therapy. The number of relapses was less in the infliximab treatment group than the conventional therapy group.

Multiple small-angle neutron scattering studies of anisotropic materials

CERN Document Server

Allen, A J; Long, G G; Ilavsky, J

2002-01-01

Building on previous work that considered spherical scatterers and randomly oriented spheroidal scatterers, we describe a multiple small-angle neutron scattering (MSANS) analysis for nonrandomly oriented spheroids. We illustrate this with studies of the multi-component void morphologies found in plasma-spray thermal barrier coatings. (orig.)

A randomized trial comparing primary angioplasty versus stent placement for symptomatic intracranial stenosis

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, Adnan I; Chaudhry, Saqib A; Siddiq, Farhan; Majidi, Shahram; Rodriguez, Gustavo J; Suri, M Fareed K

2013-01-01

Background: Both primary angioplasty alone and angioplasty with a self-expanding stent have been compared in non-randomized concurrent clinical studies that suggest equivalent results. However, there is no randomized trial that has compared the two procedures in patients with symptomatic high grade intracranial stenosis. Objective: The primary aim of the randomized trial was to compare the clinical and angiographic efficacy of primary angioplasty and angioplasty followed by stent placement in preventing restenosis, stroke, requirement for second treatment, and death in patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis. Methods: The study prospectively evaluated efficacy and safety of the two existing neurointerventional techniques for treatment of moderate intracranial stenosis (stenosis ≥ 50%) with documented failure of medical treatment or severe stenosis (≥70%) with or without failure of medical treatment. Results: A total of 18 patients were recruited in the study (mean age [±SD] was 64.7 ± 15.1 years); out of these, 12 were men. Of these 18, 10 were treated with primary angioplasty and 8 were treated with angioplasty followed by self-expanding stent. The technical success rates of intracranial angioplasty and stent placements defined as ability to achieve <30% residual stenosis when assessed by immediate post-procedure angiography was 5 of 10 and 5 of 8 patients, respectively. The total fluoroscopic time (mean [±SD]) was lower in patients undergoing primary angioplasty 37 [±11] min versus those undergoing angioplasty followed by self-expanding stent 42 [±15] min, P = 0.4321. The stroke and death rate within 1 month was very low in both patient groups (1 of 10 versus 0 of 8 patients). One patient randomized to stent placement continued to have recurrent ischemic symptoms requiring another angioplasty in the vertebral artery on post-procedure Day 2. Conclusions: The trial suggests that a randomized trial comparing primary angioplasty to angioplasty

Effects of fluoxetine on fine motor performance in dysthymia: an 8-week, nonrandomized, open-label study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrijvers, Didier; Maas, Yvonne J; Sabbe, Bernard G C

2009-01-01

Present findings on psychomotor retardation in dysthymia are inconsistent and changes in psychomotor performance during antidepressant treatment have not been investigated in this population to date. The present study aims to explore the psychomotor effects of an 8-week regimen of fluoxetine in dysthymic patients. Dysthymic patients (both inpatients and outpatients of the Psychiatric Hospital Sint-Norbertus, Duffel, Belgium), presenting over a period of 2 years, meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for dysthymia, and having Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores of > or = 12 were enrolled. During 8 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine 20 mg/d, depression severity and graphic motor activity were assessed 4 times by recording the time (a reaction time [RT] and a movement time [MT]) participants needed to copy single lines and simple and complex figures. The patients' outcomes were compared with those of untreated, healthy controls, matched for sex and comparable age and education. The assessors were masked to treatment and group. Eighteen dysthymic patients (mean age, 40 years; male/female ratio, 4/14; mean weight, 70 kg; all white) were treated; 18 healthy controls (mean age, 40 years; male/female ratio, 4/14; mean weight, 72 kg; all white) were used as comparison. The overall patient group experienced significant psychomotor changes only in association with the complex figure-copying task (RT: F = 5.67, P 40% decrease in severity scores), significant improvements were observed only for the RT of the line- (F = 4.75, P dysthymia.

Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 6: risk of bias assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Waddington, Hugh; Aloe, Ariel M; Becker, Betsy Jane; Djimeu, Eric W; Hombrados, Jorge Garcia; Tugwell, Peter; Wells, George; Reeves, Barney

2017-09-01

Rigorous and transparent bias assessment is a core component of high-quality systematic reviews. We assess modifications to existing risk of bias approaches to incorporate rigorous quasi-experimental approaches with selection on unobservables. These are nonrandomized studies using design-based approaches to control for unobservable sources of confounding such as difference studies, instrumental variables, interrupted time series, natural experiments, and regression-discontinuity designs. We review existing risk of bias tools. Drawing on these tools, we present domains of bias and suggest directions for evaluation questions. The review suggests that existing risk of bias tools provide, to different degrees, incomplete transparent criteria to assess the validity of these designs. The paper then presents an approach to evaluating the internal validity of quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables. We conclude that tools for nonrandomized studies of interventions need to be further developed to incorporate evaluation questions for quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nsite, NsiteH and NsiteM Computer Tools for Studying Tran-scription Regulatory Elements

KAUST Repository

Shahmuradov, Ilham; Solovyev, Victor

2015-01-01

regions. Computer methods for identification of REs remain a widely used tool for studying and understanding transcriptional regulation mechanisms. The Nsite, NsiteH and NsiteM programs perform searches for statistically significant (non-random) motifs

Designs for mechanical circulatory support device studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Neaton, James D; Normand, Sharon-Lise; Gelijns, Annetine; Starling, Randall C; Mann, Douglas L; Konstam, Marvin A

2007-02-01

There is increased interest in mechanical circulatory support devices (MCSDs), such as implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), as "destination" therapy for patients with advanced heart failure. Because patient availability to evaluate these devices is limited and randomized trials have been slow in enrolling patients, a workshop was convened to consider designs for MCSD development including alternatives to randomized trials. A workshop was jointly planned by the Heart Failure Society of America and the US Food and Drug Administration and was convened in March 2006. One of the panels was asked to review different designs for evaluating new MCSDs. Randomized trials have many advantages over studies with no controls or with nonrandomized concurrent or historical controls. These advantages include the elimination of bias in the assignment of treatments and the balancing, on average, of known and unknown baseline covariates that influence response. These advantages of randomization are particularly important for studies in which the treatments may not differ from one another by a large amount (eg, a head-to-head study of an approved LVAD with a new LVAD). However, researchers have found it difficult to recruit patients to randomized studies because the number of clinical sites that can carry out the studies is not large. Also, there is a reluctance to randomize patients when the control device is considered technologically inferior. Thus ways of improving the design of randomized trials were discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of alternative designs were considered. The panel concluded that designs should include a randomized component. Randomized designs might be improved by allowing the control device to be chosen before randomization, by first conducting smaller vanguard studies, and by allowing crossovers in trials with optimal medical management controls. With use of data from completed trials, other databases, and registries, alternative

Mortality of non-participants in cervical screening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dugué, Pierre-Antoine; Lynge, Elsebeth; Rebolj, Matejka

2014-01-01

The selective uptake of screening by healthy participants and its impact on the evaluation of screening effectiveness in non-randomized studies have been discussed, but hardly studied. We quantified excess mortality among cervical screening non-participants compared to participants. Based on Dani...

Class Attendance and Students' Evaluations of Teaching: Do No-Shows Bias Course Ratings and Rankings?

Science.gov (United States)

Wolbring, Tobias

2012-01-01

Background: Many university departments use students' evaluations of teaching (SET) to compare and rank courses. However, absenteeism from class is often nonrandom and, therefore, SET for different courses might not be comparable. Objective: The present study aims to answer two questions. Are SET positively biased due to absenteeism? Do…

The Protocol for the Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.J. Simonsz (Huib)

1993-01-01

textabstractAbstract. The Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus SurgerY Study Group is a group of strabismologists and orthoptists who investigate whether early or late surgery is preferable in infantile strabismus, in a non-randomized, prospective, multi-centre trial. Infants between 6 and 18 months

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery versus endoscopic mucosal resection for large rectal adenomas (TREND-study)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F.J.C. van den Broek (Frank); E.J.R. de Graaf (Eelco); M.G.W. Dijkgraaf (Marcel); J.B. Reitsma (Johannes); J. Haringsma (Jelle); R. Timmer (Robin); B.L. Weusten (Bas); M.F. Gerhards (Michael); E.C. Consten (Esther); M.P. Schwartz (Matthijs); M.J. Boom (Maarten); E.J. Derksen (Erik); A.B. Bijnen (Bart); P.H.P. Davids (Paul); C. Hoff (Christiaan); H.M. van Dullemen (Hendrik); G.D.N. Heine (Dimitri); K. van der Linde (Klaas); J.M. Jansen (Jeroen); R.C.H. Mallant-Hent (Rosalie); R. Breumelhof (Ronald); H. Geldof (Han); J.C. Hardwick (James); P. Doornebosch (Pascal); A.C.T.M. Depla (Annekatrien); M.F. Ernst (Miranda); I.P. van Munster (Ivo); I.H.J.T. de Hingh (Ignace); E.J. Schoon (Erik); W.A. Bemelman (Willem); P. Fockens (Paul); E. Dekker (Evelien)

2009-01-01

textabstractBackground: Recent non-randomized studies suggest that extended endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is equally effective in removing large rectal adenomas as transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). If equally effective, EMR might be a more cost-effective approach as this strategy does

Comparative Studies for What?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Guedes de Carvalho

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ISCPES stands for International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sports and it is going to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2018. Since the beginning (Israel 1978 the main goals of the Society were established under a worldwide mind set considering five continents and no discrimination of any kind. The founders wanted to compare Physical Education and Sports across the world, searching for the best practices deserving consideration and applied on the purpose of improving citizen quality of life. The mission still stands for “Compare to learn and improve”. As all the organizations lasting for 39 years, ISCPES experienced several vicissitudes, usually correlated with world economic cycles, social and sports changes, which are in ISS journal articles - International Sport Studies. ISS journal is Scopus indexed, aiming to improve its quality (under evaluation to reach more qualified students, experts, professionals and researchers; doing so it will raise its indexation, which we know it is nowadays a more difficult task. First, because there are more journals trying to compete on this academic fierce competitive market; secondly, because the basic requirements are getting more and more hard to gather in the publishing environment around Physical Education and Sports issues. However, we can promise this will be one of our main strategic goals. Another goal I would like to address on this Editorial is the language issue. We have this second strategic goal, which is to reach most of languages spoken in different continents; besides the English language, we will reach Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. For that reason, we already defined that all the abstracts in English will be translated into Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese words so people can find them on any search browser. That will expand the demand for our journal and articles, increasing the number of potential readers. Of course this opportunity, given by

A Comparative Study on Error Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Xiaoli; Zhang, Chun

2015-01-01

Title: A Comparative Study on Error Analysis Subtitle: - Belgian (L1) and Danish (L1) learners’ use of Chinese (L2) comparative sentences in written production Xiaoli Wu, Chun Zhang Abstract: Making errors is an inevitable and necessary part of learning. The collection, classification and analysis...... the occurrence of errors either in linguistic or pedagogical terms. The purpose of the current study is to demonstrate the theoretical and practical relevance of error analysis approach in CFL by investigating two cases - (1) Belgian (L1) learners’ use of Chinese (L2) comparative sentences in written production...... of errors in the written and spoken production of L2 learners has a long tradition in L2 pedagogy. Yet, in teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL), only handful studies have been made either to define the ‘error’ in a pedagogically insightful way or to empirically investigate...

Exceptional diversity, non-random distribution, and rapid evolution of retroelements in the B73 maize genome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina S Baucom

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Recent comprehensive sequence analysis of the maize genome now permits detailed discovery and description of all transposable elements (TEs in this complex nuclear environment. Reiteratively optimized structural and homology criteria were used in the computer-assisted search for retroelements, TEs that transpose by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate, with the final results verified by manual inspection. Retroelements were found to occupy the majority (>75% of the nuclear genome in maize inbred B73. Unprecedented genetic diversity was discovered in the long terminal repeat (LTR retrotransposon class of retroelements, with >400 families (>350 newly discovered contributing >31,000 intact elements. The two other classes of retroelements, SINEs (four families and LINEs (at least 30 families, were observed to contribute 1,991 and approximately 35,000 copies, respectively, or a combined approximately 1% of the B73 nuclear genome. With regard to fully intact elements, median copy numbers for all retroelement families in maize was 2 because >250 LTR retrotransposon families contained only one or two intact members that could be detected in the B73 draft sequence. The majority, perhaps all, of the investigated retroelement families exhibited non-random dispersal across the maize genome, with LINEs, SINEs, and many low-copy-number LTR retrotransposons exhibiting a bias for accumulation in gene-rich regions. In contrast, most (but not all medium- and high-copy-number LTR retrotransposons were found to preferentially accumulate in gene-poor regions like pericentromeric heterochromatin, while a few high-copy-number families exhibited the opposite bias. Regions of the genome with the highest LTR retrotransposon density contained the lowest LTR retrotransposon diversity. These results indicate that the maize genome provides a great number of different niches for the survival and procreation of a great variety of retroelements that have evolved to

Mathematics education and comparative historical studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wagner RODRIGUES VALENTE

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This paper has as its aims: to characterize the area of research «history of mathematics education» and to defend the idea that mathematics education has constituted a privileged research theme within the field of comparative historical studies. To achieve these aims, the text includes references to a review of the literature concerning comparative studies, the analysis of two fundamental moments focused on attempts to internationalize the mathematics curriculum, both of which occurred during the 20th century, and, to end, a case study emanating from an international cooperation between researchers in Brazil and Portugal.

Statistical study of seismicity associated with geothermal reservoirs in California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadley, D.M.; Cavit, D.S.

1982-01-01

Statistical methods are outlined to separate spatially, temporally, and magnitude-dependent portions of both the random and non-random components of the seismicity. The methodology employed compares the seismicity distributions with a generalized Poisson distribution. Temporally related events are identified by the distribution of the interoccurrence times. The regions studied to date include the Imperial Valley, Coso, The Geysers, Lassen, and the San Jacinto fault. The spatial characteristics of the random and clustered components of the seismicity are diffuse and appear unsuitable for defining the areal extent of the reservoir. However, from the temporal characteristics of the seismicity associated with these regions a general discriminant was constructed that combines several physical parameters for identifying the presence of a geothermal system.

Evaluation of pharmacist clinical interventions in a Dutch hospital setting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosma, Liesbeth; Jansman, Frank G. A.; Franken, Anton M.; Harting, Johannes W.; Van den Bemt, Patricia M. L. A.

Objective Assessing the relevance of a clinically active pharmacist method compared to the traditional working method. Method The study was carried out in a general internal/gastro-enterology unit during two 8-weeks periods in 2004. It was an observational, non-randomized prospective study. Outcome

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery versus endoscopic mucosal resection for large rectal adenomas (TREND-study)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Broek, Frank J. C.; de Graaf, Eelco J. R.; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G. W.; Haringsma, Jelle; Timmer, Robin; Weusten, Bas L. A. M.; Gerhards, Michael F.; Consten, Esther C. J.; Schwartz, Matthijs P.; Boom, Maarten J.; Derksen, Erik J.; Bijnen, A. Bart; Davids, Paul H. P.; Hoff, Christiaan; van Dullemen, Hendrik M.; Heine, G. Dimitri N.; van der Linde, Klaas; Jansen, Jeroen M.; Mallant-Hent, Rosalie C. H.; Breumelhof, Ronald; Geldof, Han; Hardwick, James C. H.; Doornebosch, Pascal G.; Depla, Annekatrien C. T. M.; Ernst, Miranda F.; van Munster, Ivo P.; de Hingh, Ignace H. J. T.; Schoon, Erik J.; Bemelman, Willem A.; Fockens, Paul; Dekker, Evelien; Reitsma, J.

2009-01-01

Background: Recent non-randomized studies suggest that extended endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is equally effective in removing large rectal adenomas as transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). If equally effective, EMR might be a more cost-effective approach as this strategy does not require

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy for achalasia. Are results comparable to laparoscopic Heller myotomy?

Science.gov (United States)

Kumagai, Koshi; Tsai, Jon A; Thorell, Anders; Lundell, Lars; Håkanson, Bengt

2015-05-01

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has recently been introduced as a minimal invasive alternative to conventional treatment for achalasia. This study aimed to clarify the feasibility and the short-term clinical efficacy of POEM as compared to laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM). Treatment outcomes were prospectively recorded and compared between the procedures in a nonrandomized fashion. Reduction rate (RR) in timed barium esophagogram (TBE) was calculated at 1, 2 and 5 min after barium ingestion as: RR = 1- postoperative barium height/preoperative barium height. Risk factors for treatment failure defined as the proportion of patients with RR <0.5 (1 min) and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) after POEM were analyzed. Forty-two consecutive patients who underwent POEM were compared to 41 patients who had a LHM during the immediate time period prior to the introduction of POEM. Ninety percent of the cases reported complete symptom relief after POEM. The percentage of esophageal emptying and RR in TBE improved dramatically by both procedures without significant difference. A longer operation time (odds ratio [OR] 32.80, 95%CI 2.99-359.82, p = 0.004) and younger age (OR 26.81, 95%CI 2.09-344.03, p = 0.012) were the independent predictors of treatment failure after POEM. GER was observed in seven patients where previous dilatation (OR 8.59, 95%CI 1.16-63.45, p = 0.035) and higher body mass index (OR 8.69, 95%CI 1.13-66.63, p = 0.037) were the independent predictors for symptomatic GER after POEM. POEM seems to be a safe and effective treatment option for achalasia in the short-term perspective; an effect well comparable to LHM.

A school intervention for mental health literacy in adolescents: effects of a non-randomized cluster controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background “Mental health for everyone” is a school program for mental health literacy and prevention aimed at secondary schools (13–15 yrs). The main aim was to investigate whether mental health literacy, could be improved by a 3-days universal education programme by: a) improving naming of symptom profiles of mental disorder, b) reducing prejudiced beliefs, and c) improving knowledge about where to seek help for mental health problems. A secondary aim was to investigate whether adolescent sex and age influenced the above mentioned variables. A third aim was to investigate whether prejudiced beliefs influenced knowledge about available help. Method This non-randomized cluster controlled trial included 1070 adolescents (53.9% boys, M age14 yrs) from three schools in a Norwegian town. One school (n = 520) received the intervention, and two schools (n = 550) formed the control group. Pre-test and follow-up were three months apart. Linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations models were employed for analysis. Results Mental health literacy improved contingent on the intervention, and there was a shift towards suggesting primary health care as a place to seek help. Those with more prejudiced beleifs did not suggest places to seek help for mental health problems. Generally, girls and older adolescents recognized symptom profiles better and had lower levels of prejudiced beliefs. Conclusions A low cost general school program may improve mental health literacy in adolescents. Gender specific programs and attention to the age and maturity of the students should be considered when mental health literacy programmes are designed and tried out. Prejudice should be addressed before imparting information about mental health issues. PMID:24053381

Haemodynamic changes and intubating conditions during tracheal intubation in children under anaesthesia: a comparative study of two induction regiments

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Katarina Šakić

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Aim To compare the haemodynamic changes and intubation conditionsfollowing induction of anaesthesia with alfentanil-propofol-rocuronium with those following alfentanil-propofol combinationin children.Methods A prospective, non-randomized and non blinded trialwas performed in 208 children ( ASA I-II, both gender, aged 2-12years undergoing elective adenoidectomy with or without tonsillectomy.Children scheduled for tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomyreceived alfentanil 0.02 mg kg-1, propofol 2 mg kg-1 androcuronium 0.45 mg kg-1 before tracheal intubation (R-group.Children scheduled for adenoidectomy received alfentanil 0.02mg kg-1and propofol 3 mg kg-1 before intubation (C-group. Haemodynamicvalues (heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, diastolicarterial pressure, mean arterial pressure were recorded at predeterminedtime intervals before surgical incision. The intubatingconditions were evaluated applying the Copenhagen Scoring System(excellent, good, poor.Results There was no statistical difference in haemodynamicbaseline values, neither prior nor after the intubation betweenthe two groups. There was a statistically significant increase inheart rate, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure after intubationin both groups (p<0.05. Mean arterial pressure after the intubationincreased statistically significantly only in R-group (p=0.001.There was no hypotension, bradycardia, hypoxemia or other complications.Overall intubation conditions were scored excellent in72.3%, good in 21.5% and poor in 6.2% patients. There were nosignificant differences in intubation conditions between the twogroups (p=0.244Conclusion Both induction regiments provided the clinically acceptablehaemodynamics and intubation conditions during trachealintubation in children.

Failure of fluconazole in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania guyanensis in the Brazilian Amazon: An open, nonrandomized phase 2 trial.

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Valeska Albuquerque Francesconi

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The treatment of Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia guyanensis is based on a weak strength of evidence from very few clinical trials and some case series reports. Current treatment guidelines recommend pentamidine isethionate or meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime as the first-line choices. Both are parenteral drugs with a low therapeutic indexes leading to a high risk of undesired effects. Imidazole derivatives interfere with the production of leishmanial ergosterol, an essential component of their membrane structure. One drug that has been studied in different clinical presentations of Leishmania is fluconazole, a hydrophilic bis-triazole, which is easily absorbed through the oral route with a low toxicity profile and is considered safe for children. This drug is readily available in poor countries with a reasonable cost making it a potential option for treating leishmaniasis.An adaptive nonrandomized clinical trial with sequential groups with dose escalation of oral fluconazole was designed to treat adult men with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL in Manaus, Brazil. Eligible participants were patients with LCL with confirmed Leishmania guyanensis infection.Twenty adult male patients were treated with 450 mg of fluconazole daily for 30 days. One patient (5% was cured within 30 days of treatment. Of the 19 failures (95%, 13 developed a worsening of ulcers and six evolved lymphatic spreading of the disease. Planned dose escalation was suspended after the disappointing failure rate during the first stage of the trial.Oral fluconazole, at the dose of 450mg per day, was not efficacious against LCL caused by Leishmania guyanensis in adult men.Brazilian Clinical Trial Registration (ReBec-RBR-8w292w; UTN number-1158-2421.

Non-random temporary emigration and the robust design: Conditions for bias at the end of a time series: Section VIII

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Langtimm, Catherine A.

2008-01-01

Deviations from model assumptions in the application of capture–recapture models to real life situations can introduce unknown bias. Understanding the type and magnitude of bias under these conditions is important to interpreting model results. In a robust design analysis of long-term photo-documented sighting histories of the endangered Florida manatee, I found high survival rates, high rates of non-random temporary emigration, significant time-dependence, and a diversity of factors affecting temporary emigration that made it difficult to model emigration in any meaningful fashion. Examination of the time-dependent survival estimates indicated a suspicious drop in survival rates near the end of the time series that persisted when the original capture histories were truncated and reanalyzed under a shorter time frame. Given the wide swings in manatee emigration estimates from year to year, a likely source of bias in survival was the convention to resolve confounding of the last survival probability in a time-dependent model with the last emigration probabilities by setting the last unmeasurable emigration probability equal to the previous year’s probability when the equality was actually false. Results of a series of simulations demonstrated that if the unmeasurable temporary emigration probabilities in the last time period were not accurately modeled, an estimation model with significant annual variation in survival probabilities and emigration probabilities produced bias in survival estimates at the end of the study or time series being explored. Furthermore, the bias propagated back in time beyond the last two time periods and the number of years affected varied positively with survival and emigration probabilities. Truncating the data to a shorter time frame and reanalyzing demonstrated that with additional years of data surviving temporary emigrants eventually return and are detected, thus in subsequent analysis unbiased estimates are eventually realized.

Effectiveness of a peer-led HIV prevention intervention in secondary schools in Rwanda: results from a non-randomized controlled trial

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Michielsen Kristien

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While the HIV epidemic is levelling off in sub-Saharan Africa, it remains at an unacceptably high level. Young people aged 15-24 years remain particularly vulnerable, resulting in a regional HIV prevalence of 1.4% in young men and 3.3% in young women. This study assesses the effectiveness of a peer-led HIV prevention intervention in secondary schools in Rwanda on young people’s sexual behavior, HIV knowledge and attitudes. Methods In a non-randomized longitudinal controlled trial, fourteen schools were selected in two neighboring districts in Rwanda Bugesera (intervention and Rwamagana (control. Students (n = 1950 in eight intervention and six control schools participated in three surveys (baseline, six and twelve months in the intervention. Analysis was done using linear and logistic regression using generalized estimation equations adjusted for propensity score. Results The overall retention rate was 72%. Time trends in sexual risk behavior (being sexually active, sex in last six months, condom use at last sex were not significantly different in students from intervention and control schools, nor was the intervention associated with increased knowledge, perceived severity or perceived susceptibility. It did significantly reduce reported stigma. Conclusions Analyzing this and other interventions, we identified several reasons for the observed limited effectiveness of peer education: 1 intervention activities (spreading information are not tuned to objectives (changing behavior; 2 young people prefer receiving HIV information from other sources than peers; 3 outcome indicators are not adequate and the context of the relationship in which sex occurs and the context in which sex occurs is ignored. Effectiveness of peer education may increase through integration in holistic interventions and redefining peer educators’ role as focal points for sensitization and referral to experts and services. Finally, we argue that a

Oral methotrexate/6-mercaptopurine may be superior to a multidrug LSA2L2 Maintenance therapy for higher risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results from the NOPHO ALL-92 study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmiegelow, Kjeld; Heyman, Mats; Kristinsson, Jon

2009-01-01

The importance of maintenance therapy for higher risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is uncertain. Between 1992 and 2001 the Nordic Society for Pediatric Haematology/Oncology compared in a nonrandomized study conventional oral methotrexate (MTX)/6-mercaptopurine (6MP) maintenance...... therapy (P=0.04) were both related to an increased risk of an event (overall P value of the Cox model: 0.003), whereas neither sex, age at diagnosis, administration of central nervous system irradiation, nor presence of a day 15 bone marrow with > or =25% versus

A new approach to study interaction parameters in cyanobiphenyl liquid crystal binary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javadian, Soheila; Dalir, Nima; Gilani, Ali Ghanadzadeh; Kakemam, Jamal; Yousefi, Ali

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The phase transition of 7CB and 5CB liquid crystals studied using the DSC. • This work includes the determination of the eutectic in the 7CB/5CB mixture. • The excess functions and interaction parameters calculated in the 7CB/5CB mixtures. • The P ∗ randomicity parameter used to describe the phase transitions of C–N and N–I. • A small amount of P ∗ showed a non-random identity of the C–N phase transition. - Abstract: The phase transition of heptylcyanobiphenyl 7CB and pentylcyanobiphenyl 5CB liquid crystals was investigated using the differential scanning calorimetry DSC technique. Then, the phase transition of different compositions of 7CB/5CB binary mixture was studied to determine the eutectic point. The phase diagram of mentioned binary system in 7CB mole fraction of 0.45 at T = 273.45 K is in good agreement with that of predicted from Schroder–van Laar equation. The thermodynamic excess functions and interaction parameters were calculated to describe the phase transition physically using the non-random mixing for the first time. The P ∗ randomicity parameter was used to describe the phase transitions of C–N and N–I in which a small amount of P ∗ shows a non-random identity of C–N phase transition. Contrarily, the P ∗ is greater in N–I phase transition showing a random mixing process

The Effectiveness of Intraocular Methotrexate in the Treatment of Posterior Uveitis in Behçet’s Disease Patients Compared to Retrobulbar Steroids Injection

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Hossam El Din Mohamed Khalil

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim of Work. To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal methotrexate (MTX compared to retrobulbar triamcinolone acetonide (TAA, in controlling posterior segment involvement and inducing remissions among Behçet’s disease (BD patients. Study Design. This is a cross-sectional nonrandomized comparative study. Patients and Methods. 31 adult BD male patients with a mean disease duration of 5.45 years who presented with bilateral posterior segment involvement were included. Each patient received intravitreal injection of 400 μg/0.1 mL (MTX for the right eye (Group A and 1 mL of retrobulbar 40 mg/mL TAA for the left eye (Group B. Results. 90% of eyes showed complete improvement of anterior chamber reaction, whereas an improvement in vitreous activity in 77% with no significant differences between both groups (p≤0.1. BCVA improved in 77.4% eyes (Group A compared to 87.1% (Group B (p≤0.4. Relapses were noted in 11 eyes (35.5%, in group A, with the mean duration of remission being 19.1 weeks ± 2.13 compared to 7.35±2.8 in 20 eyes (64.5% in group B (p≤0.1. Conclusion. No statistical differences were found between both treatment modalities; however, based on clinical observations, intravitreal MTX may ensure better control of inflammatory reaction and may encourage longer remission as compared to retrobulbar TAA in BD patients.

Correlating nerve conduction studies and clinical outcome measures on carpal tunnel syndrome: lessons from a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schrijver, H.M.; Gerritsen, A.A.M.; Strijers, R.L.; Uitdehaag, B.M.J.; Scholten, R.J.P.M.; de Vet, H.C.W.; Bouter, L.M.

2005-01-01

The reported relationships between nerve conduction studies (NCS) and outcome measures in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are weak to moderate. However, selection of patients may have confounded nonrandomized studies. NCS have potentially great value in selecting patients for a specific treatment and

Comparing web and mail responses in a mixed mode survey in college alcohol use research

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McCabe, Sean Esteban; Diez, Alison; Boyd, Carol J.; Nelson, Toben F.; Weitzman, Elissa R.

2011-01-01

Objective This exploratory study examined potential mode effects (web versus U.S. mail) in a mixed mode design survey of alcohol use at eight U.S. colleges. Methods Randomly selected students from eight U.S. colleges were invited to participate in a self-administered survey on their alcohol use in the spring of 2002. Data were collected initially by web survey (n =2619) and non-responders to this mode were mailed a hardcopy survey (n =628). Results College students who were male, living on-campus and under 21 years of age were significantly more likely to complete the initial web survey. Multivariate analyses revealed few substantive differences between survey modality and alcohol use measures. Conclusions The findings from this study provide preliminary evidence that web and mail surveys produce comparable estimates of alcohol use in a non-randomized mixed mode design. The results suggest that mixed mode survey designs could be effective at reaching certain college sub-populations and improving overall response rate while maintaining valid measurement of alcohol use. Web surveys are gaining popularity in survey research and more work is needed to examine whether these results can extend to web surveys generally or are specific to mixed mode designs. PMID:16460882

Identification of internal variation in the pseudoautosomal VNTR DXYS17, with nonrandom distribution of the alleles on the X and the Y chromosomes

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Decorte, R.; Wu, R.; Marynen, P.; Cassiman, J.J.

1994-03-01

The PCR technique was used to analyze the DXYS17 locus in the pseudoautosomal region of the X and the Y chromosomes. Analysis on an automated DNA sequencer allowed for sensitive and highly accurate typing of 16 different alleles with a size between 480 and 1,100 bp. Two DXYS17 alleles migrated with the same size on agarose or denaturing polyacrylamide gels but with different mobilities on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels. Sequence analysis showed that, while an identical number of repeats were present in both alleles, differences in the composition of the units were observed. The origin of these differences was found in the 28- and 33-bp units, which only had a specific repeat pattern at the 5' and 3' ends of the region. The genotype distribution for DXYS17 in a Caucasian population did not deviate from the values expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. However, the frequency of one allele and one genotype was significantly different between males and females. Segregation analysis showed that this difference was the result of a nonrandom distribution of certain alleles on the sex chromosomes in males. 31 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Using Multiple Types of Studies in Systematic Reviews of Health Care Interventions – A Systematic Review

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Peinemann, Frank; Tushabe, Doreen Allen; Kleijnen, Jos

2013-01-01

Background A systematic review may evaluate different aspects of a health care intervention. To accommodate the evaluation of various research questions, the inclusion of more than one study design may be necessary. One aim of this study is to find and describe articles on methodological issues concerning the incorporation of multiple types of study designs in systematic reviews on health care interventions. Another aim is to evaluate methods studies that have assessed whether reported effects differ by study types. Methods and Findings We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Methodology Register on 31 March 2012 and identified 42 articles that reported on the integration of single or multiple study designs in systematic reviews. We summarized the contents of the articles qualitatively and assessed theoretical and empirical evidence. We found that many examples of reviews incorporating multiple types of studies exist and that every study design can serve a specific purpose. The clinical questions of a systematic review determine the types of design that are necessary or sufficient to provide the best possible answers. In a second independent search, we identified 49 studies, 31 systematic reviews and 18 trials that compared the effect sizes between randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials, which were statistically different in 35%, and not different in 53%. Twelve percent of studies reported both, different and non-different effect sizes. Conclusions Different study designs addressing the same question yielded varying results, with differences in about half of all examples. The risk of presenting uncertain results without knowing for sure the direction and magnitude of the effect holds true for both nonrandomized and randomized controlled trials. The integration of multiple study designs in systematic reviews is required if patients should be informed on the many facets of patient relevant issues of health care

New hospital payment systems: comparing medical strategies in The Netherlands, Germany and England.

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van Essen, Anne Marije

2009-01-01

This paper seeks to identify different medical strategies adopted in relation to the new hospital payment systems in Germany, The Netherlands and England and analyse how the medical strategies have impacted on the emergence of these New Public Management policy tools between 2002 and 2007. A comparative approach is applied. In addition to secondary sources, the study uses publications in professional journals, official publications of the (national) physician organisations and a (non-random) expert questionnaire to obtain the views of the medical corporate bodies in the three countries. The results reveal differences in the medical strategies in the three countries that point towards the significance of institutional and interest configurations. The Dutch corporate medical body was most willing to solve the conflict, while the German and English corporate medical bodies seem to be keen to use a strategy of confrontation. The differences in medical strategies also impact on the ways in which hospital payment systems have emerged in the three countries. Further research is necessary to study the medical strategies in healthcare reforms from a broader perspective, for instance by including other countries. The paper gives insights into the interplay between the medical profession and the government in the context of new managerial governance practices in the hospital sector. It adds to the scholarly debates about the role of the medical profession in health policy-making.

Analysis of the spatial distribution of infant mortality by cause of death in Austria in 1984 to 2006

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Heinzl Harald

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Austria, over the last 20 years infant mortality declined from 11.2 per 1,000 life births (1985 to 4.7 per 1,000 in1997 but remained rather constant since then. In addition to this time trend we already reported a non-random spatial distribution of infant mortality rates in a recent study covering the time period 1984 to 2002. This present study includes four additional years and now covers about 1.9 million individual birth certificates. It aimes to elucidate the observed non-random spatial distribution in more detail. We split up infant mortality into six groups according to the underlying cause of death. The underlying spatial distribution of standardized mortality ratios (SMR is estimated by univariate models as well as by two models incorporating all six groups simultaneously. Results We observe strong correlations between the individual spatial patterns of SMR's except for "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" and to some extent for "Peripartal Problems". The spatial distribution of SMR's is non-random with an area of decreased risk in the South-East of Austria. The group "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" clearly and the group "Peripartal Problems" slightly show deviations from the common pattern. When comparing univariate and multivariate SMR estimates we observe that the resulting spatial distributions are very similar. Conclusion We observe different non-random spatial distributions of infant mortality rates when grouped by cause of death. The models applied were based on individual data thereby avoiding ecological regression bias. The estimated spatial distributions do not substantially depend on the employed estimation method. The observed non-random spatial patterns of Austrian infant mortality remain to appear ambiguous.

Drug-Eluting Balloon versus New-Generation Drug-Eluting Stent for the Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Kong-Yong Cui

2018-01-01

Conclusions: The current meta-analysis showed that DEB and new-generation DES had comparable safety and efficacy for the treatment of ISR in RCTs. However, treatment with DEB was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality in the real-world nonrandomized studies.

Sharps injury reduction using a sharps container with enhanced engineering: a 28 hospital nonrandomized intervention and cohort study.

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Grimmond, Terry; Bylund, Suzann; Anglea, Candace; Beeke, Lou; Callahan, Angela; Christiansen, Erik; Flewelling, Kelly; McIntosh, Kathleen; Richter, Kay; Vitale, Monica

2010-12-01

The decrease in reported sharps injuries (SI) in the United States has markedly slowed. Additional devices and strategies need investigation. Sharps containers are associated with SI, and more than 90% of these injuries are related to container design. This study addresses the hypothesis that containers with enhanced engineering can reduce SI. In a before/after intervention study from 2006 to 2008, we examined the impact of conversion to a sharps container with enhanced engineering (the Device) on SI categories in 14 Ascension Health hospitals (study group). The Device's safety features included large horizontal aperture, sensitive counterbalanced door, large atrium, and passive overfill prevention. Study group results were also compared with a control cohort of 14 contemporaneous size-matched, Ascension Health hospitals (control group). The Device was associated with significant reductions in after-procedure (-30%), disposal-related (-57%), and container-associated (-81%) SI in the study group. No significant reductions occurred in container-associated sharps injuries in the control group. Hospitals using the Device had significantly fewer total SI than control hospitals. Enhanced aperture design can significantly reduce container-associated sharps injuries. Other factors contributing to reduced injuries may include 1-hand deposit, safe closure, hand restriction, and preassembly. These results, from a country where sharps safety devices are widespread, are particularly applicable to countries where safety devices are not extensively used. Copyright © 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Randomized, interventional, prospective, comparative study to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Randomized, interventional, prospective, comparative study to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of ramipril versus telmisartan in stage 1 hypertensive patients with diabetes mellitus.

Supplementary data: Comparative studies on sequence ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Page 1. Supplementary data: Comparative studies on sequence characteristics around translation initiation codon in four eukaryotes. Qingpo Liu and Qingzhong Xue. J. Genet. 84, 317–322. Table 1. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of 39 base positions around the AUG codon in the four eukaryotic species studied.

Complex Systems Analysis of Cell Cycling Models in Carcinogenesis:II. Cell Genome and Interactome, Neoplastic Non-random Transformation Models in Topoi with Lukasiewicz-Logic and MV Algebras

CERN Document Server

Baianu, I C

2004-01-01

Quantitative Biology, abstract q-bio.OT/0406045 From: I.C. Baianu Dr. [view email] Date (v1): Thu, 24 Jun 2004 02:45:13 GMT (164kb) Date (revised v2): Fri, 2 Jul 2004 00:58:06 GMT (160kb) Complex Systems Analysis of Cell Cycling Models in Carcinogenesis: II. Authors: I.C. Baianu Comments: 23 pages, 1 Figure Report-no: CC04 Subj-class: Other Carcinogenesis is a complex process that involves dynamically inter-connected modular sub-networks that evolve under the influence of micro-environmentally induced perturbations, in non-random, pseudo-Markov chain processes. An appropriate n-stage model of carcinogenesis involves therefore n-valued Logic treatments of nonlinear dynamic transformations of complex functional genomes and cell interactomes. Lukasiewicz Algebraic Logic models of genetic networks and signaling pathways in cells are formulated in terms of nonlinear dynamic systems with n-state components that allow for the generalization of previous, Boolean or "fuzzy", logic models of genetic activities in vivo....

Migraine Nurses in Primary Care : Costs and Benefits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Jan S. P.; Steiner, Timothy J.; Veenstra, Petra J. L.; Kollen, Boudewijn J.

Objective. We examined the costs and benefits of introducing migraine nurses into primary care. Background. Migraine is one of the most costly neurological diseases. Methods. We analyzed data from our earlier nonrandomized cohort study comparing an intervention group of 141 patients, whose care was

A fast, easy circumcision procedure combining a CO2 laser and cyanoacrylate adhesive: a non-randomized comparative trial

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Tahsin Gorgulu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background Circumcision is performed as a routine operation in many countries, more commonly for religious and cultural reasons than for indicated conditions, such as phimosis and balanitis. There are many techniques available, and recently electrocautery and both Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers, instead of blades, have been used for skin and mucosal incisions. However, the infection risk in circumcisions performed using a CO2 laser was 10% higher. There are also reports of sutureless procedures using cyanoacrylate, but these have higher risks of hematoma and hemorrhage. We combined a CO2 laser and cyanoacrylate to shorten the operation time and to decrease bleeding complications. Materials and Methods : Circumcisions were performed under general anesthesia with CO2 laser and cyanoacrylate combination in 75 6–9-year-old boys between May 2013 and August 2014 only for religious reasons. As a control, we compared them retrospectively with 75 age-matched patients who were circumcised using the conventional guillotine method in our clinic. Results No hematomas, bleeding, or wound infections were observed. One wound dehiscence (1.33% occurred during the early postoperative period and healed without any additional procedures. The median operating time was 7 (range 6–9 minutes. The conventional guillotine group comprised one hematoma (1.3%, two wound dehiscences (2.6%, and two hemorrhages (2.6%, and the median operating time was 22 (range 20–26 minutes. The difference in surgical time was significant (p<0.001, with no significant difference in the rate of complications between the two groups. Conclusion The combined CO2 laser and cyanoacrylate procedure not only decreased the operating time markedly, but also eliminated the disadvantages associated with each individual procedure alone.

State of the Art of Short Dental Implants: A Systematic Review of the Literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neldam, Camilla Albeck; Pinholt, Else Marie

2012-01-01

restorations, supporting overdentures, splinted implants, and implants used for prostheses. Results: The 27 included studies represent zero randomized clinical trial studies, 15 prospective nonrandomized, noncontrolled clinical trials, 11 retrospective nonrandomized, noncontrolled clinical trials, and one...

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON SPECIFIC AND EARLY DETECTION ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of smear and culture methods with rapid serological EIA myco kits manufactured by Omega diagnostics, for the early detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex. Sera from various categories of smear and culture results were compared ...

Comparative Studies: historical, epistemological and methodological notes

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Juan Ignacio Piovani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this article some historical, epistemological and methodological issues related to comparative studies in the social sciences are addressed, with specific reference to the field of education. The starting point is a discussion of the meaning of comparison, its logical structure and its presence in science and in everyday life. It follows the presentation and critical appraisal of the perspectives regarding comparison as a scientific method. It is argued that, even rejecting this restrictive meaning of comparison as a method, there is some consensus on the specificity of comparative studies within the social sciences. And in relation to them, the article address in more detail those studies that can be defined as trans-contextual (cross-national and cross-cultural, with emphasis on the main methodological and technical challenges they face. The socio-historical comparative perspective, which has gained importance in recent years in the field of education, is also discussed.

The comparative effectiveness of a team-based versus group-based physical activity intervention for cancer survivors.

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Carter, Cindy L; Onicescu, Georgiana; Cartmell, Kathleen B; Sterba, Katherine R; Tomsic, James; Alberg, Anthony J

2012-08-01

Physical activity benefits cancer survivors, but the comparative effectiveness of a team-based delivery approach remains unexplored. The hypothesis tested was that a team-based physical activity intervention delivery approach has added physical and psychological benefits compared to a group-based approach. A team-based sport accessible to survivors is dragon boating, which requires no previous experience and allows for diverse skill levels. In a non-randomized trial, cancer survivors chose between two similarly structured 8-week programs, a dragon boat paddling team (n = 68) or group-based walking program (n = 52). Three separate intervention rounds were carried out in 2007-2008. Pre-post testing measured physical and psychosocial outcomes. Compared to walkers, paddlers had significantly greater (all p team cohesion, program adherence/attendance, and increased upper-body strength. For quality-of-life outcomes, both interventions were associated with pre-post improvements, but with no clear-cut pattern of between-intervention differences. These hypothesis-generating findings suggest that a short-term, team-based physical activity program (dragon boat paddling) was associated with increased cohesion and adherence/attendance. Improvements in physical fitness and psychosocial benefits were comparable to a traditional, group-based walking program. Compared to a group-based intervention delivery format, the team-based intervention delivery format holds promise for promoting physical activity program adherence/attendance in cancer survivors.

Nasal vs Oronasal CPAP for OSA Treatment: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Rafaela G S; Viana, Fernanda M; Nascimento, Juliana A; Drager, Luciano F; Moffa, Adriano; Brunoni, André R; Genta, Pedro R; Lorenzi-Filho, Geraldo

2018-03-01

Nasal CPAP is the "gold standard" treatment for OSA. However, oronasal masks are frequently used in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of all randomized and nonrandomized trials that compared nasal vs oronasal masks on CPAP level, residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and CPAP adherence to treat OSA. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies in any language with the following terms: "sleep apnea" and "CPAP" or "sleep apnea" and "oronasal mask" or "OSA" and "oronasal CPAP" or "oronasal mask" and "adherence." Studies on CPAP treatment for OSA were included, based on the following criteria: (1) original article; (2) randomized or nonrandomized trials; and (3) comparison between nasal and oronasal CPAP including pressure level, and/or residual AHI, and/or CPAP adherence. We identified five randomized and eight nonrandomized trials (4,563 patients) that reported CPAP level and/or residual AHI and/or CPAP adherence. Overall, the random-effects meta-analysis revealed that as compared with nasal, oronasal masks were associated with a significantly higher CPAP level (Hedges' g, -0.59; 95% CI, -0.82 to -0.37; P CPAP level, higher residual AHI, and poorer adherence than nasal masks. PROSPERO database; No.: CRD42017064584; URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First clinical experience with Celt ACD(®) : a femoral arterial puncture closure device.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Jan, Aftab

2013-08-01

This prospective nonrandomized study compared the safety and efficacy of a novel arterial closure device (ACD) in common femoral artery procedures to that of the FDA submitted historical manual pressure control group, who underwent either a diagnostic angiogram (DA) or a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure.

From Comparative Education to Comparative Pedagogy: A Physical Education Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Georgakis, Steve; Graham, Jessica

2016-01-01

In the last two decades forces of globalization and the rise of and access to information technology have transformed the nature of educational research. Traditional disciplines such as comparative education have not been immune to these transformational impacts. Although one might expect globalization to promote the study of comparative…

Nanopatterned Bulk Metallic Glass Biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinser, Emily R; Padmanabhan, Jagannath; Yu, Roy; Corona, Sydney L; Li, Jinyang; Vaddiraju, Sagar; Legassey, Allen; Loye, Ayomiposi; Balestrini, Jenna; Solly, Dawson A; Schroers, Jan; Taylor, André D; Papadimitrakopoulos, Fotios; Herzog, Raimund I; Kyriakides, Themis R

2017-12-22

Nanopatterning as a surface area enhancement method has the potential to increase signal and sensitivity of biosensors. Platinum-based bulk metallic glass (Pt-BMG) is a biocompatible material with electrical properties conducive for biosensor electrode applications, which can be processed in air at comparably low temperatures to produce nonrandom topography at the nanoscale. Work presented here employs nanopatterned Pt-BMG electrodes functionalized with glucose oxidase enzyme to explore the impact of nonrandom and highly reproducible nanoscale surface area enhancement on glucose biosensor performance. Electrochemical measurements including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometric voltammetry (AV) were completed to compare the performance of 200 nm Pt-BMG electrodes vs Flat Pt-BMG control electrodes. Glucose dosing response was studied in a range of 2 mM to 10 mM. Effective current density dynamic range for the 200 nm Pt-BMG was 10-12 times greater than that of the Flat BMG control. Nanopatterned electrode sensitivity was measured to be 3.28 μA/cm 2 /mM, which was also an order of magnitude greater than the flat electrode. These results suggest that nonrandom nanotopography is a scalable and customizable engineering tool which can be integrated with Pt-BMGs to produce biocompatible biosensors with enhanced signal and sensitivity.

Effect of cognitive behavioral group therapy for recovery of self-esteem on community-living individuals with mental illness: Non-randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunikata, Hiroko; Yoshinaga, Naoki; Nakajima, Kazuo

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine over a 12-month post-intervention period whether the participation of community-living individuals with mental illness in cognitive behavioral group therapy for recovery of self-esteem (CBGTRS) resulted in improved outcomes. This was a non-randomized controlled trial. The participants were persons with mental illness who resided in communities in the Chugoku region of Japan. In total, 41 were assigned to an experimental group (CBGTRS intervention, 12 group sessions), and 21 to a control group. Outcome indices (self-esteem, moods, cognition, subjective well-being, psychiatric symptoms) were measured for the experimental group prior to intervention (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), and at 3 (T2) and 12 (T3) months post-intervention. The control group was measured at the same intervals. For the experimental group, self-esteem scores at T1, T2, and T3 were significantly higher than at T0. Moods and cognition scores remained significantly low until T2. Scores for Inadequate Mental Mastery in the subjective well-being index had not decreased by T3. Confidence in Coping remained significantly high until T2. Psychiatric symptoms scores at T0, T1, T2, and T3 were significantly lower than at T0. The means and standard errors for self-esteem and Inadequate Mental Mastery increased until T3, and those for Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, and Confusion decreased until T2. From within-group trends and between-group differences in self-esteem, we conclude that CBGTRS may have a relatively long-term effect on self-esteem recovery. T2 is the turning point for moods and cognition; thus, follow-up is needed 3 months following the initial program. © 2016 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2016 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Thymectomy in Myasthenia Gravis

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Yener; Ulas, Ali Bilal; Mutlu, Vahit; Colak, Abdurrahim; Eroglu, Atilla

2017-01-01

In recent years, thymectomy has become a widespread procedure in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). Likelihood of remission was highest in preoperative mild disease classification (Osserman classification 1, 2A). In absence of thymoma or hyperplasia, there was no relationship between age and gender in remission with thymectomy. In MG treatment, randomized trials that compare conservative treatment with thymectomy have started, recently. As with non-randomized trials, remission with thymectomy in MG treatment was better than conservative treatment with only medication. There are four major methods for the surgical approach: transcervical, minimally invasive, transsternal, and combined transcervical transsternal thymectomy. Transsternal approach with thymectomy is the accepted standard surgical approach for many years. In recent years, the incidence of thymectomy has been increasing with minimally invasive techniques using thoracoscopic and robotic methods. There are not any randomized, controlled studies which are comparing surgical techniques. However, when comparing non-randomized trials, it is seen that minimally invasive thymectomy approaches give similar results to more aggressive approaches. PMID:28416933

Preliminary studies on the spatial-temporal microdistribution of inhaled soluble plutonium in the lungs of dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, M.W.; Dagle, G.E.

1987-01-01

The pulmonary microdistribution of inhaled soluble plutonium in four beagle dogs was studied in autoradiographs of histologic sections and transmission electron micrographs of lungs. Dogs were exposed to a single nose-only aerosol of 239 Pu nitrate with a post-exposure time ranging from 1 month to 42 months. At one month after the exposure, the plutonium was dispersed throughout the lung section, with a higher percentage of the activity found on alveolar macrophages and alveolar septa. However, a nonrandom localization of the plutonium was observed as time passed. The focal concentrations were primarily in nodular or diffuse interstitial fibrotic tissues typically contiguous with subpleural, peribronchial, or perivascular areas. More than 50% of the total activity was in the form of single-tracks at one month exposure, and this percentage increased with time. In summary, this preliminary study suggests an initial random dispersion of soluble plutonium with increased concentration of activity to nonrandom focal locations with time

Hepatitis B vaccination in prison with a 3-week schedule is more efficient than the standard 6-month schedule

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Peer B; Fisker, Niels; Krarup, Henrik B

2004-01-01

A randomized study of injecting drug users in a Danish prison comparing vaccination at 0, 1 and 3 weeks with the 0, 1 and 6 months schedule (20microg Engerix B i.m.) was conducted. Due to a low participation rate, a second nonrandomized study was conducted in Estonia where all prisoners were vacc...

Operations dashboard: comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Ramly, Noor Nashriq; Ismail, Ahmad Zuhairi; Aziz, Mohd Haris; Ahmad, Nurul Haszeli

2011-10-01

In this present days and age, there are increasing needs for companies to monitor application and infrastructure health. Apart from having proactive measures to secure their application and infrastructure, many see monitoring dashboards as crucial investment in disaster preparedness. As companies struggle to find the best solution to cater for their needs and interest for monitoring their application and infrastructure's health, this paper summarizes the studies made on several known off-the-shelf operations dashboard and in-house developed dashboard. A few criteria of good dashboard are collected from previous studies carried out by several researchers and rank them according to importance and business needs. The finalized criteria that will be discussed in later sections are data visualization, performance indicator, dashboard personalization, audit capability and alert/ notification. Comparative studies between several popular dashboards were then carried out to determine whether they met these criteria that we derived from the first exercise. The findings hopefully can be used to educate and provide an overview of selecting the best IT application and infrastructure operations dashboard that suit business needs, thus become the main contribution of this paper.

Increasing capacity to deliver diabetes self-management education: results of the DESMOND lay educator non-randomized controlled equivalence trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, M E; Mandalia, P K; Daly, H; Gray, L J; Hale, R; Martin Stacey, L; Taub, N; Skinner, T C; Stone, M; Heller, S; Khunti, K; Davies, M J

2014-11-01

To develop and test a format of delivery of diabetes self-management education by paired professional and lay educators. We conducted an equivalence trial with non-randomized participant allocation to a Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed Type 2 diabetes (DESMOND) course, delivered in the standard format by two trained healthcare professional educators (to the control group) or by one trained lay educator and one professional educator (to the intervention group). A total of 260 people with Type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the previous 12 months were referred for self-management education as part of routine care and attended either a control or intervention format DESMOND course. The primary outcome measure was change in illness coherence score (derived from the Diabetes Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised) between baseline and 4 months after attending education sessions. Secondary outcome measures included change in HbA1c level. The trial was conducted in four primary care organizations across England and Scotland. The 95% CI for the between-group difference in positive change in coherence scores was within the pre-set limits of equivalence (difference = 0.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.52). Equivalent changes related to secondary outcome measures were also observed, including equivalent reductions in HbA1c levels. Diabetes education delivered jointly by a trained lay person and a healthcare professional educator with the same educator role can provide equivalent patient benefits. This could provide a method that increases capacity, maintains quality and is cost-effective, while increasing access to self-management education. © 2014 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2014 Diabetes UK.

Adjustable recessions in horizontal comitant strabismus: A pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddharth Agrawal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To compare the surgical outcome of adjustable with the conventional recession in patients with horizontal comitant strabismus. Patients and Methods: A prospective comparative nonrandomized interventional pilot study was performed on patients with horizontal comitant strabismus. Fifty-four patients (27 in each group were allocated into 2 groups to undergo either adjustable suture (AS recession or non-AS (NAS recession along with conventional resection. The patients were followed up for 6 months. A successful outcome was defined as deviation ±10 prism diopters at 6 months. The results were statistically analyzed by Chi-square test, Fisher′s exact test, and Student′s t-test. Results: A successful outcome was found in 24 (88.8% patients in AS and 17 (62.9% in NAS group (P = 0.02. The postoperative adjustment was done in 13 (48.1% patients in AS group. There was one complication (tenon′s cyst in AS group. Conclusion: AS recession may be considered in all cooperative patients undergoing strabismus surgery for comitant deviations.

A tool for assessing the feasibility of comparative effectiveness research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walker AM

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Alexander M Walker,1 Amanda R Patrick,2 Michael S Lauer,3 Mark C Hornbrook,4 Matthew G Marin,5 Richard Platt,6 Véronique L Roger,7 Paul Stang,8 Sebastian Schneeweiss21World Health Information Science Consultants, Newton, MA; 2Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; 3National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; 4The Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, OR; 5Department of Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ; 6Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; 7Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; 8Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, USABackground: Comparative effectiveness research (CER provides actionable information for health care decision-making. Randomized clinical trials cannot provide the patients, time horizons, or practice settings needed for all required CER. The need for comparative assessments and the infeasibility of conducting randomized clinical trials in all relevant areas is leading researchers and policy makers to non-randomized, retrospective CER. Such studies are possible when rich data exist on large populations receiving alternative therapies that are used as-if interchangeably in clinical practice. This setting we call “empirical equipoise.”Objectives: This study sought to provide a method for the systematic identification of settings it in which it is empirical equipoise that offers promised non-randomized CER.Methods: We used a standardizing transformation of the propensity score called “preference” to assess pairs of common treatments for uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia and new-onset heart failure in a population of low-income elderly people in Pennsylvania, for whom we had access to de-identified insurance records. Treatment

RANDOMNESS of Numbers DEFINITION(QUERY:WHAT? V HOW?) ONLY Via MAXWELL-BOLTZMANN CLASSICAL-Statistics(MBCS) Hot-Plasma VS. Digits-Clumping Log-Law NON-Randomness Inversion ONLY BOSE-EINSTEIN QUANTUM-Statistics(BEQS) .

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Z.; Siegel, Edward Carl-Ludwig

2011-03-01

RANDOMNESS of Numbers cognitive-semantics DEFINITION VIA Cognition QUERY: WHAT???, NOT HOW?) VS. computer-``science" mindLESS number-crunching (Harrel-Sipser-...) algorithmics Goldreich "PSEUDO-randomness"[Not.AMS(02)] mea-culpa is ONLY via MAXWELL-BOLTZMANN CLASSICAL-STATISTICS(NOT FDQS!!!) "hot-plasma" REPULSION VERSUS Newcomb(1881)-Weyl(1914;1916)-Benford(1938) "NeWBe" logarithmic-law digit-CLUMPING/ CLUSTERING NON-Randomness simple Siegel[AMS Joint.Mtg.(02)-Abs. # 973-60-124] algebraic-inversion to THE QUANTUM and ONLY BEQS preferentially SEQUENTIALLY lower-DIGITS CLUMPING/CLUSTERING with d = 0 BEC, is ONLY VIA Siegel-Baez FUZZYICS=CATEGORYICS (SON OF TRIZ)/"Category-Semantics"(C-S), latter intersection/union of Lawvere(1964)-Siegel(1964)] category-theory (matrix: MORPHISMS V FUNCTORS) "+" cognitive-semantics'' (matrix: ANTONYMS V SYNONYMS) yields Siegel-Baez FUZZYICS=CATEGORYICS/C-S tabular list-format matrix truth-table analytics: MBCS RANDOMNESS TRUTH/EMET!!!

The Medical Treatment of New-Onset Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Desplantie, Olivier; Tremblay-Gravel, Maxime; Avram, Robert; Marquis-Gravel, Guillaume; Ducharme, Anique; Jolicoeur, E Marc

2015-12-01

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare disorder with potentially fatal consequences, which occurs mainly in previously healthy women. The aetiology of PPCM remains unknown and various pathologic mechanisms have been proposed, including immune-mediated injuries and impaired response to oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. Several therapies have been studied, but few have been validated in a well-designed randomized controlled trial. In the present study we sought to review the medical treatment intended for acute PPCM. To this end, we performed a systematic review of the literature of randomized and nonrandomized prospective clinical studies. We identified 2 randomized controlled trials that evaluated the dopamine agonist bromocriptine and the inotrope levosimendan, respectively, and 1 nonrandomized study that evaluated the nonselective phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline. We reviewed the pathophysiological, pharmacological, and clinical properties for each treatment option identified. Bromocriptine and pentoxifylline both improved left ventricular systolic function and patient-oriented clinical end points and levosimendan did not improve mortality or echocardiographic findings of PPCM. In this review we identified bromocriptine and pentoxifylline, but not levosimendan, as potentially useful agents to improve left ventricle function and outcomes in PPCM. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

OpenAIRE

BAS, Gökhan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to introduce the Education System of the United States of America (USA) and to compare it with the Turkish Education System. The Education System of the United States of America was held from different factors (e.g., education structure, curriculum and instruction, principal selection, educational supervision, special education ,teacher education, finance for education, international examinations, vs.) and these factors were explained under headlines in the study...

Comparative Study of Bancruptcy Prediction Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isye Arieshanti

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Early indication of bancruptcy is important for a company. If companies aware of  potency of their bancruptcy, they can take a preventive action to anticipate the bancruptcy. In order to detect the potency of a bancruptcy, a company can utilize a a model of bancruptcy prediction. The prediction model can be built using a machine learning methods. However, the choice of machine learning methods should be performed carefully. Because the suitability of a model depends on the problem specifically. Therefore, in this paper we perform a comparative study of several machine leaning methods for bancruptcy prediction. According to the comparative study, the performance of several models that based on machine learning methods (k-NN, fuzzy k-NN, SVM, Bagging Nearest Neighbour SVM, Multilayer Perceptron(MLP, Hybrid of MLP + Multiple Linear Regression, it can be showed that fuzzy k-NN method achieve the best performance with accuracy 77.5%

Lifestyle intervention for adults with spinal cord injury: Results of the USC-RLANRC Pressure Ulcer Prevention Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Mike; Vigen, Cheryl Lp; Rubayi, Salah; Blanche, Erna Imperatore; Blanchard, Jeanine; Atkins, Michal; Bates-Jensen, Barbara; Garber, Susan L; Pyatak, Elizabeth A; Diaz, Jesus; Florindez, Lucia I; Hay, Joel W; Mallinson, Trudy; Unger, Jennifer B; Azen, Stanley Paul; Scott, Michael; Cogan, Alison; Clark, Florence

2017-04-17

Medically serious pressure injuries (MSPrIs), a common complication of spinal cord injury (SCI), have devastating consequences on health and well-being and are extremely expensive to treat. We aimed to test the efficacy of a lifestyle-based intervention designed to reduce incidence of MSPrIs in adults with SCI. A randomized controlled trial (RCT), and a separate study wing involving a nonrandomized standard care control group. Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a large facility serving ethnically diverse, low income residents of Los Angeles County. Adults with SCI, with history of one or more MSPrIs over the past 5 years: N=166 for RCT component, N=66 in nonrandomized control group. The Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program, a 12-month lifestyle-based treatment administered by healthcare professionals, largely via in-home visits and phone contacts. Blinded assessments of annualized MSPrI incidence rates at 12 and 24 months, based on: skin checks, quarterly phone interviews with participants, and review of medical charts and billing records. Secondary outcomes included number of surgeries and various quality-of-life measures. Annualized MSPrI rates did not differ significantly between study groups. At 12 months, rates were .56 for intervention recipients, .48 for randomized controls, and .65 for nonrandomized controls. At follow-up, rates were .44 and .39 respectively for randomized intervention and control participants. Evidence for intervention efficacy was inconclusive. The intractable nature of MSPrI threat in high-risk SCI populations, and lack of statistical power, may have contributed to this inability to detect an effect. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01999816.

Comparative study of quantum anharmonic potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amore, Paolo; Aranda, Alfredo; De Pace, Arturo; Lopez, Jorge A.

2004-01-01

We perform a study of various anharmonic potentials using a recently developed method. We calculate both the wave functions and the energy eigenvalues for the ground and first excited states of the quartic, sextic and octic potentials with high precision, comparing the results with other techniques available in the literature

A nonrandomized controlled clinical pilot trial on 8 wk of intermittent fasting (24 h/wk).

Science.gov (United States)

Kessler, Christian S; Stange, Rainer; Schlenkermann, Maike; Jeitler, Michael; Michalsen, Andreas; Selle, Antonia; Raucci, Franca; Steckhan, Nico

2018-02-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether intermittent fasting (IF) is an effective preventive measure, and whether it is feasible for healthy volunteers under every day conditions. A nonrandomized controlled clinical trial on IF was performed with healthy volunteers over a period of 8 wk, and a subsequent 4-mo follow-up. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after 8 wk, and after 6 mo. Volunteers who were not interested in fasting served as a control group. Participants in the fasting group were asked to continue their regular nutritional habits on the nonfasting days, whereas the control group maintained their habitual nutrition throughout the whole period. Outcomes included changes of metabolic parameters (insulin, glucose, insulin resistance, insulin-like growth factor-1, brain-derived neurotropic factor, lipids, liver enzymes, hemoglobin A1c) and coagulation markers; bioelectrical impedance analysis; body mass index; abdominal girth; blood pressure; general quality of life (five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index [WHO-5] questionnaire), as well as mood and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS], Profile of Mood States, Flourishing-Scale, visual analog scale, Likert scales). The intervention consisted of a fasting day, which was repeated every week for 8 wk, with abstinence from solid food between 00:00 and 23:59 at minimum and a maximum caloric intake of 300 kcal on each fasting day. A per-protocol analysis was performed. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Thirty-six volunteers were included; 22 allocated themselves to the fasting group, and 14 to the control group. Thirty-three data sets were included in the final analysis. Although significant in-group changes were observed in both groups for a number of outcomes after 8 wk and 6 mo, no significant between-group differences were observed for any outcome other than overall body fat mass after 8 wk as well as for the HADS total score and the WHO-5 total score after 6�

Comparative study of bioethanol production from sugarcane ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was designed to compare the bioethanol production from Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using molasses as production medium. The focus was on the retention time at lab scale. Bioethanol and petroleum blend can be used in existing gasoline engines. Present study showed a more ...

Impact of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy on clinical outcomes of patients with sternal wound infections: a meta-analysis of non-randomized studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Falagas, Matthew E; Tansarli, Giannoula S; Kapaskelis, Anastasios; Vardakas, Konstantinos Z

2013-01-01

To examine the impact of VAC therapy on mortality of patients with sternal wound infections after cardiothoracic surgery. Controversial results regarding mortality of patients with sternal wound infections were published. We performed a systematic search in PubMed and Scopus. Mortality was the primary outcome of the meta-analysis. Recurrences, complications and length of stay were secondary outcomes. Twenty-two retrospective studies including 2467 patients were eligible for inclusion. Patients treated with VAC had significantly lower mortality compared to those treated without VAC [2233 patients, RR = 0.40, (95% CI 0.28, 0.57)]. This finding was consistent regardless of the study design, the exclusion of studies with positive findings, the criteria for establishment of the compared groups, the time of mortality assessment or the type of infections under study, provided that adequate data was available. VAC therapy was associated with fewer recurrences (RR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.19-0.59). The meta-analysis did not show any difference in the length of stay (RR = -2.25, 95% CI: -7.52-3.02). VAC therapy was associated with lower mortality than other surgical techniques in retrospective cohorts of patients with DSWIs following cardiothoracic surgery.

DNA asymmetry in stem cells - immortal or mortal?

Science.gov (United States)

Yadlapalli, Swathi; Yamashita, Yukiko M

2013-09-15

The immortal strand hypothesis proposes that stem cells retain a template copy of genomic DNA (i.e. an 'immortal strand') to avoid replication-induced mutations. An alternative hypothesis suggests that certain cells segregate sister chromatids non-randomly to transmit distinct epigenetic information. However, this area of research has been highly controversial, with conflicting data even from the same cell types. Moreover, historically, the same term of 'non-random sister chromatid segregation' or 'biased sister chromatid segregation' has been used to indicate distinct biological processes, generating a confusion in the biological significance and potential mechanism of each phenomenon. Here, we discuss the models of non-random sister chromatid segregation, and we explore the strengths and limitations of the various techniques and experimental model systems used to study this question. We also describe our recent study on Drosophila male germline stem cells, where sister chromatids of X and Y chromosomes are segregated non-randomly during cell division. We aim to integrate the existing evidence to speculate on the underlying mechanisms and biological relevance of this long-standing observation on non-random sister chromatid segregation.

What Do We Compare When We Compare Religions? Philosophical Remarks on the Psychology of Studying Comparative Religion Abroad

Science.gov (United States)

Irvine, Andrew

2015-01-01

The issue of comparison is a vexing one in religious and theological studies, not least for teachers of comparative religion in study abroad settings. We try to make familiar ideas fresh and strange, in settings where students may find it hard not to take "fresh" and "strange" as signs of existential threat. The author explores…

High-precision piezo-ejection ocular microdosing: Phase II study on local and systemic effects of topical phenylephrine.

Science.gov (United States)

Ianchulev, Tsontcho; Weinreb, Robert; Tsai, James C; Lin, Shan; Pasquale, Louis R

2018-01-01

Conventional eyedropper-delivered volumes (25-50 µl) exceed the eye's usual tear-film volume (7 µl) and precorneal reservoir capacity, risking overflow and ocular/systemic complications. Piezoelectric high-precision microdosing may circumvent these limitations. Results & methodology: In this masked, nonrandomized, cross-over study, subjects (n = 12) underwent pupil dilation with topical phenylephrine (PE) administered by 32-µl eyedropper (2.5% or 10% formulation) and 8-µl electronic microdosing (10% formulation). Microdosing with PE-10% achieved comparable peak dilation as 10% eyedropper-delivery and superior dilation to 2.5% eyedropper-delivery (p = 0.009) at 75 min. Microdosing significantly reduced 20-min plasma PE levels versus PE10% eyedropper; neither treatment altered heart rate/blood pressure. Eye irritation occurred significantly less frequently with microdosing than PE10% eyedrops. Piezo-ejection PE microdosing achieves comparable biological effect as eyedropper dosing; reduced systemic absorption may decrease risk of systemic side effects.

Comparative ultrasound study of acute lateral ankle ligament ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The return to competitive level of sport dates were also documented and compared. A single blind randomised control study comparing the JSFB rehabilitation programme with conventional ankle rehabilitation programmes was used. Ultrasound examinations were done on all first time lateral ankle ligament injuries 72 ...

A comparative study of map use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouvin, Niels Olof; Brodersen, Ann Christina; Bødker, Susanne

2006-01-01

We present a study comparing the handling of three kinds of maps, each on a physical device: a paper map, a tablet-PC based map, and a cellular phone based one. Six groups of users were asked to locate eight landmarks, looking out a window, and using a particular map. We have begun analyzing video...

Comparative Study of Bio-implantable Acoustic Generator Architectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen, D; Roundy, S

2013-01-01

This paper is a comparative study of the design spaces of two bio-implantable acoustically excited generator architectures: the thickness-stretch-mode circular piezoelectric plate and the bending-mode unimorph piezoelectric diaphragm. The generators are part of an acoustic power transfer system for implanted sensors and medical devices such as glucose monitors, metabolic monitors, drug delivery systems, etc. Our studies indicate that at small sizes the diaphragm architecture outperforms the plate architecture. This paper will present the results of simulation studies and initial experiments that explore the characteristics of the two architectures and compare their performance

Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence Study: evaluation design and study population.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugo, G J; Kammerer, N; Jackson, E W; Markoff, L S; Gatz, M; Larson, M J; Mazelis, R; Hennigan, K

2005-03-01

The Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence Study (WCDVS) was a multi-site cooperative study to evaluate new service models for women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and a history of physical and/or sexual abuse. Despite common features in the service interventions and evaluation procedures, diversity across the nine sites plus differences introduced by non-random assignment led to numerous methodological challenges. This article describes the design, measurement, and analysis decisions behind the WCDVS and lays the foundation for understanding participant-level outcomes and service costs. This article also describes the study population, as recruited and following attrition at the 6-month follow-up, in order to address the threat of selection bias to inferences drawn from this multi-site study.

[Comparative studies of face recognition].

Science.gov (United States)

Kawai, Nobuyuki

2012-07-01

Every human being is proficient in face recognition. However, the reason for and the manner in which humans have attained such an ability remain unknown. These questions can be best answered-through comparative studies of face recognition in non-human animals. Studies in both primates and non-primates show that not only primates, but also non-primates possess the ability to extract information from their conspecifics and from human experimenters. Neural specialization for face recognition is shared with mammals in distant taxa, suggesting that face recognition evolved earlier than the emergence of mammals. A recent study indicated that a social insect, the golden paper wasp, can distinguish their conspecific faces, whereas a closely related species, which has a less complex social lifestyle with just one queen ruling a nest of underlings, did not show strong face recognition for their conspecifics. Social complexity and the need to differentiate between one another likely led humans to evolve their face recognition abilities.

Standalone Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Using a Mobile Phone App on Psychological Distress and Alcohol Consumption Among Japanese Workers: Pilot Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamamura, Toshitaka; Suganuma, Shinichiro; Ueda, Mami; Mearns, Jack; Shimoyama, Haruhiko

2018-03-22

Research that investigates standalone effects of a mobile phone-based cognitive behavioral therapy without any human contact for reducing both psychological distress and risky drinking has been advancing; however, the number of studies is still limited. A mobile phone app called Self Record that facilitates cognitive restructuring through self-monitoring of daily thoughts and activities was developed in Japan. This study conducted a nonrandomized controlled pilot trial of the Self Record app to investigate standalone effects of the intervention on psychological distress and alcohol consumption among Japanese workers. Additionally, we examined moderating effects of negative mood regulation expectancies, which are beliefs about one's ability to control one's negative mood. A quasi-experimental design with a 1-month follow-up was conducted online in Japan from February 2016 to March 2016. A research marketing company recruited participants. The selection criteria were being a Japanese full-time worker (age 20-59 years), experiencing mild to moderate psychological distress, and having some interest in self-record apps. Assignment to group was based on participants' willingness to use the app in the study. All participants completed outcome measures of negative mood regulation expectancies, positive well-being, general distress, depression, anxiety, and typical/most weekly alcohol consumption. From the recruitment, 15.65% (1083/6921) of participants met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 51.43% (557/1083) enrolled in the study: 54.9% (306/557) in the intervention group and 45.1% (251/557) in the control group. At the 1-month follow-up, 15.3% (85/557) of participants had dropped out. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed that participants in the intervention group reported increased typical drinking (η2=.009) and heavy drinking (η2=.001). Adherence to using the app was low; 64.8% (199/306) of participants in the intervention group discontinued using the app on the first

Multisystemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy Compared on their Effectiveness Using the Propensity Score Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Eeren, Hester V; Goossens, Lucas M A; Scholte, Ron H J; Busschbach, Jan J V; van der Rijken, Rachel E A

2018-01-09

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and Functional Family Therapy (FFT) have overlapping target populations and treatment goals. In this study, these interventions were compared on their effectiveness using a quasi-experimental design. Between October, 2009 and June, 2014, outcome data were collected from 697 adolescents (mean age 15.3 (SD 1.48), 61.9% male) assigned to either MST or FFT (422 MST; 275 FFT). Data were gathered during Routine Outcome Monitoring. The primary outcome was externalizing problem behavior (Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self Report). Secondary outcomes were the proportion of adolescents living at home, engaged in school or work, and who lacked police contact during treatment. Because of the non-random assignment, a propensity score method was used to control for observed pre-treatment differences. Because the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model guided treatment assignment, effectiveness was also estimated in youth with and without a court order as an indicator of their risk level. Looking at the whole sample, no difference in effect was found with regard to externalizing problems. For adolescents without a court order, effects on externalizing problems were larger after MST. Because many more adolescents with a court order were assigned to MST compared to FFT, the propensity score method could not balance the treatment groups in this subsample. In conclusion, few differences between MST and FFT were found. In line with the RNR model, higher risk adolescents were assigned to the more intensive treatment, namely MST. In the group with lower risk adolescents, this more intensive treatment was more effective in reducing externalizing problems.

Comparative Theology: An Alternative to Religious Studies or Theology of Religions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Betül AVCI

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the relationship between Comparative Theology, Religious Studies and Theology of Religions and questions whether Comparative Theology is an alternative to the last two. Comparative Theology, a faith seeking understanding practice, may be viewed as an alternative to the Enlightenment ideal of Religious Studies, which seeks “impartiality” and “scientific objectivity” in contrast to Comparative Theology’s enquiry into “truth” and “meaning.” I suggest, however, that the comparative method employed by both Religious Studies and Comparative Theology is not a neutral space. Hence, the new comparativism in Religious Studies reinstates its search for understanding and its political stand, which blurs the boundaries between Comparative Theology and Religious Studies. Likewise, while Comparative Theology is distinct from the Theology of Religions, it does not pose an alternative to it because Comparative Theology, too, often embodies either a pluralist or an inclusivist approach.

Safety and effectiveness of olanzapine in monotherapy: a multivariate analysis of a naturalistic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciudad, Antonio; Gutiérrez, Miguel; Cañas, Fernando; Gibert, Juan; Gascón, Josep; Carrasco, José-Luis; Bobes, Julio; Gómez, Juan-Carlos; Alvarez, Enrique

2005-07-01

This study investigated safety and effectiveness of olanzapine in monotherapy compared with conventional antipsychotics in treatment of acute inpatients with schizophrenia. This was a prospective, comparative, nonrandomized, open-label, multisite, observational study of Spanish inpatients with an acute episode of schizophrenia. Data included safety assessments with an extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) questionnaire and the report of spontaneous adverse events, plus clinical assessments with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness (CGI-S). A multivariate methodology was used to more adequately determine which factors can influence safety and effectiveness of olanzapine in monotherapy. 339 patients treated with olanzapine in monotherapy (OGm) and 385 patients treated with conventional antipsychotics (CG) were included in the analysis. Treatment-emergent EPS were significantly higher in the CG (pOGm (p=0.005). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the only variable significantly correlated with treatment-emergent EPS and clinical response was treatment strategy, with patients in OGm having 1.5 times the probability of obtaining a clinical response and patients in CG having 5 times the risk of developing EPS. In this naturalistic study olanzapine in monotherapy was better-tolerated and at least as effective as conventional antipsychotics.

Comparative Study of Daylighting Calculation Methods

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Mandala Ariani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to assess five daylighting calculation method commonly used in architectural study. The methods used include hand calculation methods (SNI/DPMB method and BRE Daylighting Protractors, scale models studied in an artificial sky simulator and computer programs using Dialux and Velux lighting software. The test room is conditioned by the uniform sky conditions, simple room geometry with variations of the room reflectance (black, grey, and white color. The analyses compared the result (including daylight factor, illumination, and coefficient of uniformity value and examines the similarity and contrast the result different. The color variations trial is used to analyses the internally reflection factor contribution to the result.

Important Questions of Comparative Studies in Asian Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Pazyura, Natalia

2015-01-01

The issue of the "identity" of comparative education as a field of study or a discipline has been discussed for decades. Yet a kind of systematic structure that provides the basic principles for a coherent exposition of the field remains open. "Comparative education" is no longer conceived as an imaginary field's coherence but,…

A comparative study of Averrhoabilimbi extraction method

Science.gov (United States)

Zulhaimi, H. I.; Rosli, I. R.; Kasim, K. F.; Akmal, H. Muhammad; Nuradibah, M. A.; Sam, S. T.

2017-09-01

In recent year, bioactive compound in plant has become a limelight in the food and pharmaceutical market, leading to research interest to implement effective technologies for extracting bioactive substance. Therefore, this study is focusing on extraction of Averrhoabilimbi by different extraction technique namely, maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction. Fewplant partsof Averrhoabilimbiweretaken as extraction samples which are fruits, leaves and twig. Different solvents such as methanol, ethanol and distilled water were utilized in the process. Fruit extractsresult in highest extraction yield compared to other plant parts. Ethanol and distilled water have significant role compared to methanol in all parts and both extraction technique. The result also shows that ultrasound-assisted extraction gave comparable result with maceration. Besides, the shorter period on extraction process gives useful in term of implementation to industries.

Changes in body weight and body mass index among psychiatric patients receiving lithium, valproate, or topiramate: an open-label, nonrandomized chart review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chengappa, K N Roy; Chalasani, L; Brar, Jaspreet S; Parepally, H; Houck, Patricia; Levine, Joseph

2002-10-01

Subsets of psychiatric patients gain excess body weight while receiving mood-stabilizing agents such as lithium carbonate or valproate sodium. Patients who gain excess weight may discontinue therapy, with severe consequences. Among the newer anticonvulsant agents, topiramate is a candidate agent for bipolar disorder and is associated with weight loss when used as adjunctive treatment. This open-label, nonrandomized, chart-review study assessed changes in body weight and body mass index (BMI) in patients receiving topiramate, lithium, or valproate. Data were extracted from the medical charts of patients admitted in 1999 and 2000 to a state psychiatric hospital with either schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or other psychiatric diagnoses who were prescribed valproate, lithium, or topiramate and were reviewed for changes in body weight and BMI. The use of concomitant psychotropic medicines was recorded (eg, antipsychotic agents, antidepressant agents, other mood stabilizers such as gabapentin or carbamazepine). Continuous variables were analyzed using a factorial analysis of variance and the Student t test. Contingency statistics were used to analyze categorical variables. A total of 214 patients were included in the chart review (123 men, 91 women; mean age, 39.4 years). Significantly more women than men received topiramate (P = 0.004). Patients receiving either lithium or valproate gained a mean (SD) of 6.3 (9.0) kg and 6.4 (9.0) kg, respectively, whereas patients receiving topiramate lost a mean 1.2 (6.3) kg (F = 11.54, df = 2,198; P 8% of their baseline body weight (8.2% [11.5%] for lithium-treated patients and 8.5% [11.9%] for valproate-treated patients), whereas topiramate-treated patients lost 0.7% (7.2%) of their body weight (F = 9.93, df= 2,198; P weight loss and a reduction in BMI. This advantage of topiramate may promote long-term adherence to treatment among psychiatric patients and possibly decrease the medical risks associated

Comparative morphological and ecological studies of two Stachys ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, comparative morphological and ecological studies of Stachys balansae and S. carduchorum were investigated. Morphologically, general views of taxa and micromorphological features of the trichomes were studied. S. balansae differs from S. carduchorum in its leaves sericeouspilose on the upper surface and ...

EFQPSK Versus CERN: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Borah, Deva K.; Horan, Stephen

2001-01-01

This report presents a comparative study on Enhanced Feher's Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (EFQPSK) and Constrained Envelope Root Nyquist (CERN) techniques. These two techniques have been developed in recent times to provide high spectral and power efficiencies under nonlinear amplifier environment. The purpose of this study is to gain insights into these techniques and to help system planners and designers with an appropriate set of guidelines for using these techniques. The comparative study presented in this report relies on effective simulation models and procedures. Therefore, a significant part of this report is devoted to understanding the mathematical and simulation models of the techniques and their set-up procedures. In particular, mathematical models of EFQPSK and CERN, effects of the sampling rate in discrete time signal representation, and modeling of nonlinear amplifiers and predistorters have been considered in detail. The results of this study show that both EFQPSK and CERN signals provide spectrally efficient communications compared to filtered conventional linear modulation techniques when a nonlinear power amplifier is used. However, there are important differences. The spectral efficiency of CERN signals, with a small amount of input backoff, is significantly better than that of EFQPSK signals if the nonlinear amplifier is an ideal clipper. However, to achieve such spectral efficiencies with a practical nonlinear amplifier, CERN processing requires a predistorter which effectively translates the amplifier's characteristics close to those of an ideal clipper. Thus, the spectral performance of CERN signals strongly depends on the predistorter. EFQPSK signals, on the other hand, do not need such predistorters since their spectra are almost unaffected by the nonlinear amplifier, Ibis report discusses several receiver structures for EFQPSK signals. It is observed that optimal receiver structures can be realized for both coded and uncoded EFQPSK

Robust canonical correlations: A comparative study

OpenAIRE

Branco, JA; Croux, Christophe; Filzmoser, P; Oliveira, MR

2005-01-01

Several approaches for robust canonical correlation analysis will be presented and discussed. A first method is based on the definition of canonical correlation analysis as looking for linear combinations of two sets of variables having maximal (robust) correlation. A second method is based on alternating robust regressions. These methods axe discussed in detail and compared with the more traditional approach to robust canonical correlation via covariance matrix estimates. A simulation study ...

Comparative study of potato cultivation through micropropagation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sonu

Comparative study of potato cultivation through micropropagation and conventional farming methods .... and Murate potash were used as fertilizer source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, respectively (Table 1) ..... through Tissue culture- Application and Feasibility. U.S.D.A.,. Beltsville. Agric. Res. Sci. Educ. Admin.

A comparative study of microbiological and physicochemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative study of microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of water distributed from two water treatment plants in Rwanda. ... Thus, as recommendation to WASAC authority, there is a need for improvement in the water management strategy for better water quality especially along the distribution network.

Learning Center and Study Carrels: A Comparative Study. Technical Report #18.

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Sherlyn; And Others

This Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) report presents a comparative study of the work rates of kindergarten and first grade children in two classroom environments: a learning-center and a study-carrel environment. The subjects, seven matched pairs of kindergarten and first grade students, were chosen on the basis of the results of a…

EFFECT OF FUROSEMIDE AND TORASEMIDE ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND VENTRICULAR RHYTHM DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE COMPLICATING ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE: COMPARATIVE NONRANDOMIZED STUDY

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H. H. Shugushev

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To study effect of diuretic therapy with furosemide and torasemide on heart rate variability (HRV and frequency of ventriclar rhythm disorders in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF complicating ischemic heart disease (IHD.Material and methods. Patients (n=107 with CHF III-IV functional class (NYHA complicating IHD were examined. The first group of patients received furosemide, 20-60 mg QD (n=52, the second group received torasemide, 5-20 mg QD (n=55. Analysis of heart rhythm disorders and the basic HRV indicators was performed by ECG 10-minute recordings initially and after 10 days of therapy.Results. Decrease in time and spectral HRV parameters and increase in daily number of ventricular extrasystoles was found in furosemide treated patients. Improvement of HRV parameters and reduction of daily number of ventricular rhythm disorders was found torasemide treated patients.Conclusion. Torasemide therapy improves an autonomic regulation of heart rhythm and leads to the reduction of ventricular heart rhythm disorders in patients with CHF complicating IHD.

Methods and models used in comparative risk studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devooght, J.

1983-01-01

Comparative risk studies make use of a large number of methods and models based upon a set of assumptions incompletely formulated or of value judgements. Owing to the multidimensionality of risks and benefits, the economic and social context may notably influence the final result. Five classes of models are briefly reviewed: accounting of fluxes of effluents, radiation and energy; transport models and health effects; systems reliability and bayesian analysis; economic analysis of reliability and cost-risk-benefit analysis; decision theory in presence of uncertainty and multiple objectives. Purpose and prospect of comparative studies are assessed in view of probable diminishing returns for large generic comparisons [fr

Living network meta-analysis compared with pairwise meta-analysis in comparative effectiveness research: empirical study

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolakopoulou, Adriani; Mavridis, Dimitris; Furukawa, Toshi A; Cipriani, Andrea; Tricco, Andrea C; Straus, Sharon E; Siontis, George C M; Egger, Matthias

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine whether the continuous updating of networks of prospectively planned randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (“living” network meta-analysis) provides strong evidence against the null hypothesis in comparative effectiveness of medical interventions earlier than the updating of conventional, pairwise meta-analysis. Design Empirical study of the accumulating evidence about the comparative effectiveness of clinical interventions. Data sources Database of network meta-analyses of RCTs identified through searches of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews until 14 April 2015. Eligibility criteria for study selection Network meta-analyses published after January 2012 that compared at least five treatments and included at least 20 RCTs. Clinical experts were asked to identify in each network the treatment comparison of greatest clinical interest. Comparisons were excluded for which direct and indirect evidence disagreed, based on side, or node, splitting test (Pmeta-analysis. The frequency and time to strong evidence was compared against the null hypothesis between pairwise and network meta-analyses. Results 49 comparisons of interest from 44 networks were included; most (n=39, 80%) were between active drugs, mainly from the specialties of cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, and rheumatology. 29 comparisons were informed by both direct and indirect evidence (59%), 13 by indirect evidence (27%), and 7 by direct evidence (14%). Both network and pairwise meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis for seven comparisons, but for an additional 10 comparisons only network meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis (P=0.002). The median time to strong evidence against the null hypothesis was 19 years with living network meta-analysis and 23 years with living pairwise meta-analysis (hazard ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 7.72, P=0.05). Studies directly comparing

Bias analysis applied to Agricultural Health Study publications to estimate non-random sources of uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Lash, Timothy L

2007-11-26

The associations of pesticide exposure with disease outcomes are estimated without the benefit of a randomized design. For this reason and others, these studies are susceptible to systematic errors. I analyzed studies of the associations between alachlor and glyphosate exposure and cancer incidence, both derived from the Agricultural Health Study cohort, to quantify the bias and uncertainty potentially attributable to systematic error. For each study, I identified the prominent result and important sources of systematic error that might affect it. I assigned probability distributions to the bias parameters that allow quantification of the bias, drew a value at random from each assigned distribution, and calculated the estimate of effect adjusted for the biases. By repeating the draw and adjustment process over multiple iterations, I generated a frequency distribution of adjusted results, from which I obtained a point estimate and simulation interval. These methods were applied without access to the primary record-level dataset. The conventional estimates of effect associating alachlor and glyphosate exposure with cancer incidence were likely biased away from the null and understated the uncertainty by quantifying only random error. For example, the conventional p-value for a test of trend in the alachlor study equaled 0.02, whereas fewer than 20% of the bias analysis iterations yielded a p-value of 0.02 or lower. Similarly, the conventional fully-adjusted result associating glyphosate exposure with multiple myleoma equaled 2.6 with 95% confidence interval of 0.7 to 9.4. The frequency distribution generated by the bias analysis yielded a median hazard ratio equal to 1.5 with 95% simulation interval of 0.4 to 8.9, which was 66% wider than the conventional interval. Bias analysis provides a more complete picture of true uncertainty than conventional frequentist statistical analysis accompanied by a qualitative description of study limitations. The latter approach is

Bias analysis applied to Agricultural Health Study publications to estimate non-random sources of uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lash Timothy L

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The associations of pesticide exposure with disease outcomes are estimated without the benefit of a randomized design. For this reason and others, these studies are susceptible to systematic errors. I analyzed studies of the associations between alachlor and glyphosate exposure and cancer incidence, both derived from the Agricultural Health Study cohort, to quantify the bias and uncertainty potentially attributable to systematic error. Methods For each study, I identified the prominent result and important sources of systematic error that might affect it. I assigned probability distributions to the bias parameters that allow quantification of the bias, drew a value at random from each assigned distribution, and calculated the estimate of effect adjusted for the biases. By repeating the draw and adjustment process over multiple iterations, I generated a frequency distribution of adjusted results, from which I obtained a point estimate and simulation interval. These methods were applied without access to the primary record-level dataset. Results The conventional estimates of effect associating alachlor and glyphosate exposure with cancer incidence were likely biased away from the null and understated the uncertainty by quantifying only random error. For example, the conventional p-value for a test of trend in the alachlor study equaled 0.02, whereas fewer than 20% of the bias analysis iterations yielded a p-value of 0.02 or lower. Similarly, the conventional fully-adjusted result associating glyphosate exposure with multiple myleoma equaled 2.6 with 95% confidence interval of 0.7 to 9.4. The frequency distribution generated by the bias analysis yielded a median hazard ratio equal to 1.5 with 95% simulation interval of 0.4 to 8.9, which was 66% wider than the conventional interval. Conclusion Bias analysis provides a more complete picture of true uncertainty than conventional frequentist statistical analysis accompanied by a

A comparative study of various advanced fusions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momota, H.; Tomita, Y.; Nomura, Y.

1983-01-01

For the purpose of comparing the merits and demerits of various advanced fuel cycles, parametric studies of operation conditions are examined. The effects of nuclear elastic collisions and synchrotron radiation are taken into account. It is found that the high-#betta# Catalyzed DD fuel cycle with the transmutation of fusion-produced tritium into helium-3 is most feasible from the point of view of neutron production and tritium handling. The D-D fuel cycles seem to be less attractive compared to the Catalyzed DD. The p- 11 B and p- 6 Li fusion plasmas hardly attain the plasma Q value relevant to reactors. (author)

How Australian and Indonesian Universities Treat Plagiarism: a Comparative Study

OpenAIRE

Cahyono, Bambang Yudi

2005-01-01

This article is a part of a larger study comparing various aspects of policies on plagiarism in two university contexts. It compares policies on plagiarism in universities in Australia and Indonesia. The results of this comparative study showed that Australian and Indonesian universities treat plagiarism differently. Australian universities treat plagiarism explicitly in their university policies. In Australian universities, plagiarism is defined clearly and forms of plagiarism are explained ...

Comparative Study on Water Impact Problem

OpenAIRE

Yang, Liang; Yang, Hao; Yan, Shiqiang; Ma, Qingwei; Bihnam, Maria

2016-01-01

This paper presents a comparative numerical study for the water impact problems due to dropping of triangular wedges or ship sections. In the numerical investigation, both the dynamic mesh technique and immersed boundary method adopting fixed Cartesian grids have been adopted in order to conform to the motion of the structure. For the former, a multiple-phase solver with the volume of fluid for identifying the free surface is implemented. In the simulation using this method, both the compress...

How a dependent's variable non-randomness affects taper equation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In order to apply the least squares method in regression analysis, the values of the dependent variable Y should be random. In an example of regression analysis linear and nonlinear taper equations, which estimate the diameter of the tree dhi at any height of the tree hi, were compared. For each tree the diameter at the ...

Comparative studies of atomic independent-particle potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talman, J.D.; Ganas, P.S.; Green, A.E.S.

1979-01-01

A number of atomic properties are compared in various independent-particle models for atoms. The models studied are the Hartree-Fock method, a variationally optimized potential model, a parametrized analytic form of the same model, parametrized analytic models constructed to fit atomic energy levels, the so-called Hartree-Fock-Slater model, and the Xα model. The physical properties compared are single-particle energy levels, total energies, and dipole polarizabilities. The extent to which the virial theorem is satisfied in the different models is also considered. The atoms Be, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe and ions O v and Al iv hav been compared. The results show that the experimental properties can be well represented by several of the independent-particle models. Since it has been shown that the optimized potential models yield wavefunctions that are almost the same as Hartree-Fock wavefunctions, they provide a natural solution to the problem of extending the Hartree-Fock method to excited states

Environmental Comparative Risk Assessment: A Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, M.M.

2007-01-01

Health and environmental impacts associated with energy production and industrial activities as well as food production and agricultural activities have had great concern in the last decades. Early activities emerged in late 80s of the last century through an Inter- Agency project (lAEA, UNDY, WHO, ... ) on the comparative risk assessment from energy systems and industrial complexes. A work-shop on Risk Assessment and Management in large industrial areas was held in Alexandria Egypt on 20-33 Det 1993, sponsored by IAEA. Several conferences, experts work groups and workshops were held there of Recent trends in determining risks are: 1. Use of probabilistic risk assessment approach to identify hazardous activities and accident scenario. 2. development of data base on failure probabilities and appropriate physical models. 3. Development of related directives and regulations and criteria Comparative risk assessment case study as a tool for comparing risk is emphasized Criteria of exposure to human and ecological risks are addressed

Risk indices in comparative risk assessment studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, P.

1984-01-01

More than a decade ago the development of comparative risk assessment studies aroused overwhelming interest. There was no doubt that data on the health and safety aspects of energy systems would greatly benefit, or even end, the debate on nuclear energy. Although such attempts are still strongly supported, the rose-coloured expectations of the early days have faded. The high uncertainties, and the contradictory aspect, of the first results might explain this evolution. The loose connection between the range of computed risk indices and the questions on which the debate was focused is another reason for this decline in interest. Important research work is being carried out aiming at reducing the different kinds of uncertainties. Rather than the uncertainties, the paper considers the meaning of available risk indices and proposes more significant indices with respect to the goals of risk assessment. First, the indices which are of frequent use in comparative studies are listed. The stress is put on a French comparative study from which most examples are drawn. Secondly, the increase in magnitude of the indices and the decrease in the attributability of the risk to a given system is shown to be a consequence of the trend towards more comprehensive analyses. Thirdly, the ambiguity of such indices as the collective occupational risk is underlined, and a possible solution is suggested. Whenever risk assessments are related to pragmatic decision making problems it is possible to find satisfactory risk indices. The development of cost-effectiveness analyses and the proposals for quantitative safety goals clearly demonstrate this point. In the field of comparison of social impacts some proposals are made, but there remain some gaps still to be filled. (author)

Determining the frequency of dry eye in computer users and comparing with control group

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Hossein Davari

2017-08-01

Full Text Available AIM: To determine the frequency of dry eye in computer users and to compare them with control group. METHODS: This study was a case control research conducted in 2015 in the city of Birjand. Sample size of study was estimated to be 304 subjects(152 subjects in each group, computer user group and control group. Non-randomized method of sampling was used in both groups. Schirmer test was used to evaluate dry eye of subjects. Then, subjects completed questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed based on objectives and reviewing the literature. After collecting the data, they were entered to SPSS Software and they were analyzed using Chi-square test or Fisher's test at the alpha level of 0.05.RESULTS: In total, 304 subjects(152 subjects in each groupwere included in the study. Frequency of dry eyes in the control group was 3.3%(5 subjectsand it was 61.8% in computer users group(94 subjects. Significant difference was observed between two groups in this regard(Pn=12, and it was 34.2% in computer users group(n=52, which significant difference was observed between two groups in this regard(PP=0.8. The mean working hour with computer per day in patients with dry eye was 6.65±3.52h, while it was 1.62±2.54h in healthy group(T=13.25, PCONCLUSION: This study showed a significant relationship between using computer and dry eye and ocular symptoms. Thus, it is necessary that officials need to pay particular attention to working hours with computer by employees. They should also develop appropriate plans to divide the working hours with computer among computer users. However, due to various confounding factors, it is recommended that these factors to be controlled in future studies.

Comparative Theology: An Alternative to Religious Studies or Theology of Religions?

OpenAIRE

Betül AVCI

2018-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between Comparative Theology, Religious Studies and Theology of Religions and questions whether Comparative Theology is an alternative to the last two. Comparative Theology, a faith seeking understanding practice, may be viewed as an alternative to the Enlightenment ideal of Religious Studies, which seeks “impartiality” and “scientific objectivity” in contrast to Comparative Theology’s enquiry into “truth” and “meaning.” I suggest, however, that the compar...

Adhesion barriers at cesarean delivery: advertising compared with the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Albright, Catherine M; Rouse, Dwight J

2011-07-01

Cesarean delivery, the most common surgery performed in the United States, is complicated by adhesion formation in 24-73% of cases. Because adhesions have potential sequelae, different synthetic adhesion barriers are currently heavily marketed as a means of reducing adhesion formation resultant from cesarean delivery. However, their use for this purpose has been studied in only two small, nonblinded and nonrandomized trials, both of which were underpowered and subject to bias. Neither demonstrated improvement in meaningful clinical outcomes. In the only cost-effectiveness analysis of adhesion barriers to date, the use of synthetic adhesion barriers was cost-effective only when the subsequent rate of small bowel obstruction was at least 2.4%, a rate far higher than that associated with cesarean delivery. In fact, intra-abdominal adhesions from prior cesarean delivery rarely cause maternal harm and have not been demonstrated to adversely affect perinatal outcome. Based on our review of the available literature, we think the use of adhesion barriers at the time of cesarean delivery would be ill-advised at the present time.

Comparative Study Of Two Non-Selective Cyclooxygenase ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The comparative study of the effects of two non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors ibuprofen and paracetamol on maternal and neonatal growth was conducted using 15 Sprague dawley rats, with mean body weight ranging between 165 and 179g. The rats were separated at random into three groups (A, B and C).

A comparative study of chromosome morphology among some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2010-02-15

Feb 15, 2010 ... genetic source of wheat, some cytogenetic analysis reported (Chennaveeraiah, 1960; Badaeva et al., 1998,. 2001) and indicated that all A. crassa chromosomes can be identified by their morphology and C-banding patterns. Cytogenetical studies have been carried out on A. crassa but a comparative study ...

A comparative study of teenage pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahavarkar, S H; Madhu, C K; Mule, V D

2008-08-01

Teenage pregnancy is a global problem and is considered a high-risk group, in spite of conflicting evidence. Our objective was to compare obstetric outcomes of pregnancy in teenagers and older women. This was a retrospective study of case records of pregnancies from August 2000 to July 2001. Girls aged pregnancy outcomes in older women (19-35 years) in the same hospital. The study took place in the Government General Hospital, Sangli, India, a teaching hospital in rural India, with an annual delivery rate of over 3,500. A total of 386 teenage pregnancies were compared with pregnancies in 3,326 older women. Socioeconomic data, age, number of pregnancies, antenatal care and complications, mode of delivery, and neonatal outcomes were considered. The incidence of teenage pregnancy in the study was 10%. A significant proportion of teenage pregnant mothers were in their first pregnancies. The teenage mothers were nearly three times more at risk of developing anaemia (OR = 2.83, 95% CI = 2.2-3.7, p Teenage mothers were twice as likely to develop hypertensive problems in pregnancy (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.5-3.2, p teenage pregnancies are still a common occurrence in rural India in spite of various legislations and government programmes and teenage pregnancy is a risk factor for poor obstetric outcome in rural India. Cultural practices, poor socioeconomic conditions, low literacy rate and lack of awareness of the risks are some of the main contributory factors. Early booking, good care during pregnancy and delivery and proper utilisation of contraceptive services can prevent the incidence and complications in this high-risk group.

Image based 3D city modeling : Comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. P. Singh

2014-06-01

Full Text Available 3D city model is a digital representation of the Earth’s surface and it’s related objects such as building, tree, vegetation, and some manmade feature belonging to urban area. The demand of 3D city modeling is increasing rapidly for various engineering and non-engineering applications. Generally four main image based approaches were used for virtual 3D city models generation. In first approach, researchers were used Sketch based modeling, second method is Procedural grammar based modeling, third approach is Close range photogrammetry based modeling and fourth approach is mainly based on Computer Vision techniques. SketchUp, CityEngine, Photomodeler and Agisoft Photoscan are the main softwares to represent these approaches respectively. These softwares have different approaches & methods suitable for image based 3D city modeling. Literature study shows that till date, there is no complete such type of comparative study available to create complete 3D city model by using images. This paper gives a comparative assessment of these four image based 3D modeling approaches. This comparative study is mainly based on data acquisition methods, data processing techniques and output 3D model products. For this research work, study area is the campus of civil engineering department, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (India. This 3D campus acts as a prototype for city. This study also explains various governing parameters, factors and work experiences. This research work also gives a brief introduction, strengths and weakness of these four image based techniques. Some personal comment is also given as what can do or what can’t do from these softwares. At the last, this study shows; it concluded that, each and every software has some advantages and limitations. Choice of software depends on user requirements of 3D project. For normal visualization project, SketchUp software is a good option. For 3D documentation record, Photomodeler gives good

Linear pneumatic motors – a comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deaconescu Tudor

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a comparative study of the performance of single-acting cylinders, diaphragm cylinders and pneumatic muscles, and offers users information that allows the selection of an optimum technical solution. Such a study was necessary, in view of the numerous papers on pneumatic muscle applications found in literature, that assert the superiority of pneumatic muscles over other pneumatic linear motors in relation to quantities like dimensions, mass, developed force or energy-to-mass ratios, however without offering concrete data.

[Nonprocess autism in children: comparative etiopathogenetic study].

Science.gov (United States)

Kagan, V E

1979-01-01

Etiopathogenesis of the childhood autism syndrome of a non-process nature is discussed on the basis of a comparative study of 156 children aged from 3 to 16 years. In the etiological complex there is a prevalence of early exogenous-organic noxious factors, which is reflected in disturbances of mental divelopment, maturation of the system of hemispheric pair work. The data of follow-up studies and treatment confirm a conclusion about a residual-organic basis in the syndrome of childhood autism.

New Image Qualities in Education: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Çankaya, Ibrahim

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare Turkish and European Union Countries Educations in terms of the new image qualities such as data like access to online education, digital access, foreign languages learnt per pupil, research & development investments, human resources employed in science and technology, the study opportunities offered to…

Comparative effectiveness research (CER): a summary of AHRQ's CER on therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oderda, Gary M; Balfe, Lisa M

2011-01-01

In recent years, the U.S. government has designated funding of several large-scale initiatives for comparative effectiveness research (CER) in health care. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 apportioned more than $1 billion to support CER programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). CER is generally defined as the undertaking of original research or systematic reviews of published literature in order to compare the benefits and risks of different approaches to preventing, diagnosing, or treating diseases. These approaches may include diagnostic tests, medications, medical devices, and surgeries. The overall goals of CER are to support informed health care decisions by patients, clinicians, payers, and policy makers and to apply its evidence to ultimately improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care. To (a) provide managed care professionals with general definitions of CER, specifically as it is administered by AHRQ; (b) discuss the importance of CER to clinical and managed care pharmacists; and (c) summarize key methods and findings from AHRQ's 2007 comparative effectiveness review on therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As supported by AHRQ, CER is conducted in order to synthesize comprehensive evidence on the comparative benefits and harms of treatment interventions. The findings from comparative effectiveness reviews can thus contribute to informing therapeutic strategies and treatment decisions. In 2007, a multitude of RA treatment options and studies motivated AHRQ to commission a systematic comparative effectiveness review. Conducted by investigators at the RTI-University of North Carolina Evidence-Based Practice Center, the review included comparisons of synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologic agents, synthetic DMARDs versus biologic agents, and various

Comparative Study of Physics Curriculum in Iran with Several Other Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Shekarbaghani, Ashrafoalsadat

2016-01-01

This article is a qualitative study, which was done in 2013-2014. In this study using a comparative study was conducted to compare physics curriculum elements of Iran with the countries studied. Countries studied: Singapore, Turkey, India, England and Australia have diverse educational system. In this study, the structure of the educational…

The Misconception of Case-Control Studies in the Plastic Surgery Literature: A Literature Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatchell, Alexandra C; Farrokhyar, Forough; Choi, Matthew

2017-06-01

Case-control study designs are commonly used. However, many published case-control studies are not true case-controls and are in fact mislabeled. The purpose of this study was to identify all case-control studies published in the top three plastic surgery journals over the past 10 years, assess which were truly case-control studies, clarify the actual design of the articles, and address common misconceptions. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for case-control studies in the three highest-impact factor plastic surgery journals (2005 to 2015). Two independent reviewers screened the resulting titles, abstracts, and methods, if applicable, to identify articles labeled as case-control studies. These articles were appraised and classified as true case-control studies or non-case-control studies. The authors found 28 articles labeled as case-control studies. However, only six of these articles (21 percent) were truly case-control designs. Of the 22 incorrectly labeled studies, one (5 percent) was a randomized controlled trial, three (14 percent) were nonrandomized trials, two (9 percent) were prospective comparative cohort designs, 14 (64 percent) were retrospective comparative cohort designs, and two (9 percent) were cross-sectional designs. The mislabeling was worse in recent years, despite increases in evidence-based medicine awareness. The majority of published case-control studies are not in fact case-control studies. This misunderstanding is worsening with time. Most of these studies are actually comparative cohort designs. However, some studies are truly clinical trials and thus a higher level of evidence than originally proposed.

Achalasia in the elderly patient: a comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosana B. Schechter

2011-03-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT: Achalasia is a primary esophageal motor disorder secondary to the degeneration of ganglion cells of the inhibitory intramural myenteric plexus. It affects both sexes similarly and has two peaks of incidence, one in the 3rd to 4th decades of life and the other after 60 years of age. The effect of age on esophageal motility of patients with achalasia is not well known. Studies have shown that healthy older people, when compared to the young, have: a a lower number of ganglion cells in the intramural myenteric plexus; b a reduced normal relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter; and c a reduced esophageal peristalsis. Thus, as both age and achalasia can produce comparable degenerative changes in the intramural myenteric plexus, it is possible that advanced age could be an important factor in enhancing the clinical and manometric abnormalities commonly found in patients with achalasia. OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical, radiological and manometric findings in young as compared to elderly (>60 years old achalasia patients. METHODS: A retrospective study of a group of patients with untreated achalasia separated into young and elderly patients. Demographic, clinical, serology for Chagas' disease, radiological and manometric data were compared between these groups. The level of significance was P<0.05. RESULTS: The study included 105 patients, 52 young (25 M/27 F, mean age 40 years old and 53 elderly (21 M/32 F, mean age 70 years old. The elderly group had a higher prevalence of Chagas' disease (P = 0.004 and a lower pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter [26.4 mm Hg vs 31.9 mm Hg] P = 0.001, a difference that persisted when analyzed only elderly and young patients with idiopathic achalasia. Younger patients had a higher prevalence of heartburn (P = 0.001 and chest pain (P = 0.012 than the elderly. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with achalasia had a lower esophageal sphincter pressure than the young, even when we excluded patients with

A new method for synthesizing radiation dose-response data from multiple trials applied to prostate cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diez, Patricia; Vogelius, Ivan S; Bentzen, Søren M

2010-01-01

A new method is presented for synthesizing dose-response data for biochemical control of prostate cancer according to study design (randomized vs. nonrandomized) and risk group (low vs. intermediate-high).......A new method is presented for synthesizing dose-response data for biochemical control of prostate cancer according to study design (randomized vs. nonrandomized) and risk group (low vs. intermediate-high)....

Anonymity communication VPN and Tor: a comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadhani, E.

2018-03-01

VPN and Tor is a technology based on anonymity communication. These two technologies have their advantage and disadvantage. The objective of this paper is to find the difference between VPN and Tor technologies by comparing their security of communication on the public network based on the CIA triad concept. The comparative study in this paper is based on the survey method. At last, the result of this paper is a recommendation on when to use a VPN and Tor to secure communication

5-year results comparing mineral trioxide aggregate and adhesive resin composite for root-end sealing in apical surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

von Arx, Thomas; Hänni, Stefan; Jensen, Simon Storgård

2014-01-01

was designed to re-examine a large sample of teeth treated with apical surgery after 5 years. METHODS: Patients were recalled 5 years after apical surgery, and treated teeth were classified as healed or not healed based on clinical and radiographic examination. (The latter was performed independently by 3......, age, type of tooth treated, post/screw, type of surgery). CONCLUSIONS: The results from this prospective nonrandomized clinical study with a 5-year follow-up of 271 teeth indicate that MTA exhibited a higher healing rate than COMP in the longitudinal prognosis of root-end sealing.......INTRODUCTION: Recent meta-analyses of the outcome of apical surgery using modern techniques including microsurgical principles and high-power magnification have yielded higher rates of healing. However, the information is mainly based on 1- to 2-year follow-up data. The present prospective study...

Comparative study of casual and regular workers' job satisfaction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated the comparative study of regular and casual workers' job satisfaction and commitment in two selected banks in Lagos State, A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A total of 145 respondents were selected for the study using proportionate stratified sampling technique.

Strand-seq: A unifying tool for studies of chromosome segregation

OpenAIRE

Falconer, Ester; Lansdorp, Peter M.

2013-01-01

Non random segregation of sister chromatids has been implicated to help specify daughter cell fate (the Silent Sister Hypothesis [1]) or to protect the genome of long-lived stem cells (the Immortal Strand Hypothesis [2]). The idea that sister chromatids are non-randomly segregated into specific daughter cells is only marginally supported by data in sporadic and often contradictory studies. As a result, the field has moved forward rather slowly. The advent of being able to directly label and d...

Real-World Evidence: What It Is and What It Can Tell Us According to the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Special Interest Group (SIG).

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Hongbo; Ali, M Sanni; Brouwer, Emily S; Girman, Cynthia J; Guo, Jeff J; Lund, Jennifer L; Patorno, Elisabetta; Slaughter, Jonathan L; Wen, Xuerong; Bennett, Dimitri

2018-05-07

On December 8, 2016, the New England Journal of Medicine published a sounding board on Real World Evidence (RWE) 1 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) leadership. While the value of RWE based on nonrandomized observational studies was appreciated, such as for hypothesis generating, safety, and measuring quality in healthcare delivery, the authors expressed concerns on the quality of data sources and the ability of methodologies to control for confounding. In response, we offer a few considerations regarding these concerns. © 2018, The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Comparative Transcriptomes and EVO-DEVO Studies Depending on Next Generation Sequencing

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Tiancheng Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available High throughput technology has prompted the progressive omics studies, including genomics and transcriptomics. We have reviewed the improvement of comparative omic studies, which are attributed to the high throughput measurement of next generation sequencing technology. Comparative genomics have been successfully applied to evolution analysis while comparative transcriptomics are adopted in comparison of expression profile from two subjects by differential expression or differential coexpression, which enables their application in evolutionary developmental biology (EVO-DEVO studies. EVO-DEVO studies focus on the evolutionary pressure affecting the morphogenesis of development and previous works have been conducted to illustrate the most conserved stages during embryonic development. Old measurements of these studies are based on the morphological similarity from macro view and new technology enables the micro detection of similarity in molecular mechanism. Evolutionary model of embryo development, which includes the “funnel-like” model and the “hourglass” model, has been evaluated by combination of these new comparative transcriptomic methods with prior comparative genomic information. Although the technology has promoted the EVO-DEVO studies into a new era, technological and material limitation still exist and further investigations require more subtle study design and procedure.

Comparative theology: an alternative to religious studies or theology of religions?

OpenAIRE

Avcı, Betül

2018-01-01

Avcı, Betül (IHU Author) This paper examines the relationship between Comparative Theology, Religious Studies and Theology of Religions and questions whether Comparative Theology is an alternative to the last two. Comparative Theology, a faith seeking understanding practice, may be viewed as an alternative to the Enlightenment ideal of Religious Studies, which seeks “impartiality” and “scientific objectivity” in contrast to Comparative Theology’s enquiry into “truth” and “meaning.” I sugge...

Genetic diversity, classification and comparative study on the larval ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Genetic diversity, classification and comparative study on the larval phenotypic ... B. mori showed different performance based on larval phenotypic data. The analysis of variance regarding the studied traits showed that different strains have ...

Mobile Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Lessons: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Furió, D.; Juan, M.-C.; Seguí, I.; Vivó, R.

2015-01-01

Different methods can be used for learning, and they can be compared in several aspects, especially those related to learning outcomes. In this paper, we present a study in order to compare the learning effectiveness and satisfaction of children using an iPhone game for learning the water cycle vs. the traditional classroom lesson. The iPhone game…

Comparative Study on the Proximate Analysis and Nutritional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

2018-01-19

Jan 19, 2018 ... especially when compared with synthetic drugs. Moreso, due to their ... 1992), antihypertensive (Kamanyi et al., 1991) and antiglycaemic agents ..... extensive toxicity study on both plants needs to be done to ascertain their ...

A 12-Month Prospective, Observational Study of Treatment Regimen and Quality of Life Associated with ADHD in Central and Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Goetz, Michal; Yeh, Chin-Bin; Ondrejka, Igor; Akay, Aynur; Herczeg, Ilona; Dobrescu, Iuliana; Kim, Boong Nyun; Jin, Xingming; Riley, Anne W.; Martenyi, Ferenc; Harrison, Gavan; Treuer, Tamas

2012-01-01

Objectives: This prospective, observational, non-randomized study aimed to describe the relationship between treatment regimen prescribed and the quality of life (QoL) of ADHD patients in countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Eastern Asia over 12 months. Methods: 977 Male and female patients aged 6-17 years seeking treatment for…

Comparison of transplacental treatment of fetal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias with digoxin, flecainide, and sotalol: results of a nonrandomized multicenter study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaeggi, Edgar T.; Carvalho, Julene S.; de Groot, Ernestine; Api, Olus; Clur, Sally-Ann B.; Rammeloo, Lukas; McCrindle, Brian W.; Ryan, Greg; Manlhiot, Cedric; Blom, Nico A.

2011-01-01

Fetal tachyarrhythmia may result in low cardiac output and death. Consequently, antiarrhythmic treatment is offered in most affected pregnancies. We compared 3 drugs commonly used to control supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial flutter (AF). We reviewed 159 consecutive referrals with fetal

A model-based approach to studying changes in compositional heterogeneity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baeten, L.; Warton, D.; Calster, van H.; Frenne, De P.; Verstraeten, G.; Bonte, D.; Bernhardt-Romermann, M.; Cornelis, R.; Decocq, G.; Eriksson, O.; Hommel, P.W.F.M.

2014-01-01

1. Non-random species loss and gain in local communities change the compositional heterogeneity between communities over time, which is traditionally quantified with dissimilarity-based approaches. Yet, dissimilarities summarize the multivariate species data into a univariate index and obscure the

Histologic Evidence of New Collagen Formulation Using Platelet Rich Plasma in Skin Rejuvenation: A Prospective Controlled Clinical Study

OpenAIRE

Abuaf, Ozlem Karabudak; Yildiz, Hamza; Baloglu, H?seyin; Bilgili, Memet Ersan; Simsek, Hasan Aktug; Dogan, Bilal

2016-01-01

Background Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous concentration of human platelets contained in a small volume of plasma and has recently been shown to accelerate rejuvenate aging skin by various growth factors and cell adhesion molecules. Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intradermal injection of PRP in the human facial rejuvenation. Methods This study was a prospective, single-center, single-dose, open-label, non-randomized controlled clinical st...

Comparative Study of Teenage Pregnancy in Lagos State University ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... a comparative study of the obstetric performance of primiparous teenagers and ... 2006-31st December, 2007) in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital,Ikeja. ... The incidence of teenage pregnancy in the study population was 1.01% with ...

Comparative Study of Internal Efficiency in Private and Public ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The education sector has been undergoing regular reviews so that to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness in resource utilization. This study was designed to make a comparative study of internal efficiency in both private and public primary schools of Manga Division, Nyamira District, Kenya. Specifically, the study not ...

The effects of a life goal-setting technique in a preventive care program for frail community-dwelling older people: a cluster nonrandomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuri, Yoshimi; Takabatake, Shinichi; Nishikawa, Tomoko; Oka, Mari; Fujiwara, Taro

2016-05-12

Frailty among older people is associated with an increased risk of needing care. There have been many reports on preventive care programs for frail older people, but few have shown positive effects on disability prevention. Physical exercise programs for frail older people affect elements such as physical fitness and balance, but are less effective for disability outcomes and are not followed up in the longer term. We developed a life goal-setting technique (LGST). Our objective was to determine the effect of a LGST plus standard preventive care program for community-dwelling frail older people. We used a cluster nonrandomized controlled trial with seven intervention and nine matched control groups, with baseline assessment and follow-up at 3, 6, and 9 months. Participants were 176 frail older people, aged 65 years or over, living in the community in Izumi, Osaka, Japan. All participants attended regular 120 min preventive care exercise classes each week, over 3 months. They also received oral care and nutrition education. The intervention groups alone received life goal-setting support. We assessed outcomes longitudinally, comparing pre-intervention with follow-up. The primary outcome measure was health improvement according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Kihon Checklist" for assessment of frailty and quality of life (QOL), analyzed with a two-way ANOVA and post-test comparison. Secondary outcomes included physical functions and assessment of life goals. The improvement on the Kihon Checklist for the intervention group was approximately 60 % from baseline to 9-months follow-up; the control group improved by approximately 40 %. The difference between groups was significant at 3-month (p = 0.043) and 6-month (p = 0.015) follow-ups but not at 9-month (p = 0.098) follow-up. Analysis of QOL yielded a significant time × group interaction effect (p = 0.022). The effect was significant at 3 months in the intervention

Recognition of Faces in Unconstrained Environments: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Ruiz-del-Solar

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to carry out a comparative study of face recognition methods that are suitable to work in unconstrained environments. The analyzed methods are selected by considering their performance in former comparative studies, in addition to be real-time, to require just one image per person, and to be fully online. In the study two local-matching methods, histograms of LBP features and Gabor Jet descriptors, one holistic method, generalized PCA, and two image-matching methods, SIFT-based and ERCF-based, are analyzed. The methods are compared using the FERET, LFW, UCHFaceHRI, and FRGC databases, which allows evaluating them in real-world conditions that include variations in scale, pose, lighting, focus, resolution, facial expression, accessories, makeup, occlusions, background and photographic quality. Main conclusions of this study are: there is a large dependence of the methods on the amount of face and background information that is included in the face's images, and the performance of all methods decreases largely with outdoor-illumination. The analyzed methods are robust to inaccurate alignment, face occlusions, and variations in expressions, to a large degree. LBP-based methods are an excellent election if we need real-time operation as well as high recognition rates.

Comparative study on corpus development for Malay investment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study on corpus development for Malay investment fraud detection in website. ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... The aim of this research is to develop a corpus for Malay investment fraud so that it can be used in ...

Home based telemedicine intervention for patients with uncontrolled hypertension: - a real life - non-randomized study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Control of blood pressure is frequently inadequate in spite of availability of several classes of well tolerated and effective antihypertensive drugs. Several factors, including the use of suboptimal doses of drugs, inadequate or ineffective treatments and poor drug compliance may be the reason for this phenomenon. The aim of the current non- randomized study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Home-Based Telemedicine service in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Methods 74 patients were enrolled in a Home Based Telemedicine group and 94 patients in the Usual Care group. At baseline and at the end of the study, patients in both groups were seen in a cardiology office. Patients in Home Based Telemedicine group additionally were followed by a physician-nurse, through scheduled and unscheduled telephone appointments. These patients also received a blood pressure measuring device that could transmit the readings to a central data monitor via secure data connection. Results During the study period (80 ± 25 days), a total of 17401 blood pressure measurements were taken in the Home Based Telemedicine group corresponding to 236 ± 136 readings per patient and a mean daily measurement of 3 ± 1.7. The scheduled telephone contacts (initiated by the nurse) equaled to 5.2 ± 4.3/patient (370 in total) and the unscheduled telephone contacts (initiated by the patients) were 0.4 ± 0.9/patient (30 in total). The mean systolic blood pressure values decreased from 153 ± 19 mmHg to 130 ± 15 mmHg (p < 0.0001) at the end of the study and diastolic blood pressure values decreased from 89 ± 10 mmHg to 76 ± 11 mmHg (p < 0.0001). In the Usual Care group, the mean systolic blood pressure values decreased from 156 ± 16 mmHg to 149 ± 17 mmHg (p < 0.05) at the end of the study and diastolic blood pressure values decreased from 90 ± 8 mmHg to 86 ± 9 mmHg (p < 0.05). The changes in drug

A Comparative Study on Emerging Electric Vehicle Technology Assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ford, Jonathan [Sentech, Inc.; Khowailed, Gannate [Sentech, Inc.; Blackburn, Julia [Sentech, Inc.; Sikes, Karen [Sentech, Inc.

2011-03-01

Numerous organizations have published reports in recent years that investigate the ever changing world of electric vehicle (EV) technologies and their potential effects on society. Specifically, projections have been made on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with these vehicles and how they compare to conventional vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Similar projections have been made on the volumes of oil that these vehicles can displace by consuming large amounts of grid electricity instead of petroleum-based fuels. Finally, the projected rate that these new vehicle fleets will enter the market varies significantly among organizations. New ideas, technologies, and possibilities are introduced often, and projected values are likely to be refined as industry announcements continue to be made. As a result, over time, a multitude of projections for GHG emissions, oil displacement, and market penetration associated with various EV technologies has resulted in a wide range of possible future outcomes. This leaves the reader with two key questions: (1) Why does such a collective range in projected values exist in these reports? (2) What assumptions have the greatest impact on the outcomes presented in these reports? Since it is impractical for an average reader to review and interpret all the various vehicle technology reports published to date, Sentech Inc. and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have conducted a comparative study to make these interpretations. The primary objective of this comparative study is to present a snapshot of all major projections made on GHG emissions, oil displacement, or market penetration rates of EV technologies. From the extensive data found in relevant publications, the key assumptions that drive each report's analysis are identified and 'apples-to-apples' comparisons between all major report conclusions are attempted. The general approach that was taken in this comparative study is comprised of six primary

Comparative inter-institutional study of stress among dentists.

Science.gov (United States)

Pozos-Radillo, Blanca E; Galván-Ramírez, Ma Luz; Pando, Manuel; Carrión, Ma De los Angeles; González, Guillermo J

2010-01-01

Dentistry is considered to be a stressful profession due to different factors caused by work, representing a threat to dentists'health. The objectives of this work were to identify and compare chronic stress in dentists among the different health institutions and the association of stress with risk factors. The study in question is observational, transversal and comparative; 256 dentists were included, distributed among five public health institutions in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, namely: the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), the Ministry of Health (SS), the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), the Social Security Services Institute for the Workers (ISSSTE) and the University of Guadalajara (U. de G) Data were obtained by means of the census technique. Stress was identified using the Stress Symptoms Inventory and the statistical analysis was performed using the Odds Ratio (O.R.) and the chi-square statistic. From the total population studied, 219 subjects presented high levels of chronic stress and 37, low levels. In the results of comparative analysis, significant differences were found between IMSS and U. de G and likewise between IMSS and SS. However, in the analysis of association, only U. de G was found to be associated with the high level of chronic stress.

CURRICULAR OFFER INFLUENCING STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION: COMPARATIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana DUMITRASCU

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the study is the determination of students’ satisfaction regarding curricular activities. The study has been accomplished using the qualitative and quantitative research, using the bibliographic study, various secondary sources and different primary sources. The study is developed with a marketing research and accomplished using the survey method. 699 students from four universities have been questioned. Due to a comparative study the University of Applied Sciences Worms, University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden Rüsselsheim, University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt am Main and Nürtingen-Geislingen University have been analysed and their similarities and differences have been identified. The collected data, based on the established sample, is evaluated through univariate and bivariate analysis. In accordance with the evaluated sample, specific gaps from each region are identified regarding the curricular offer of the analysed universities. As a result to the conducted study, recommendations for the University of Applied Sciences Worms regarding the student’s satisfaction concerning the curricular offer are presented.

Evaluation of an advanced pressure ulcer management protocol followed by trained wound, ostomy, and continence nurses: a non-randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaitani T

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Toshiko Kaitani,1 Gojiro Nakagami,2 Junko Sugama,3 Masahiro Tachi,4 Yutaka Matsuyama,5 Yoshiki Miyachi,6 Takashi Nagase,2 Yukie Takemura,7 Hiromi Sanada2 1School of Nursing, Sapporo City University, Hokkaido, Japan; 2Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 3Department of Clinical Nursing, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan; 4Department of Plastic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan; 5Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 6Department of Dermatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan; 7Department of Nursing, Research Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan Aims and objectives: We investigated the effectiveness and safety of an advanced pressure ulcer (PU management protocol comprising 1 ultrasonography to assess the deep tissue, 2 use of a non-contact thermometer to detect critical colonization, 3 conservative sharp debridement, 4 dressing selection, 5 negative pressure wound therapy, and 6 vibration therapy in comparison with those of a conventional approach. Each protocol was followed by trained wound, ostomy, and continence nurses (WOCNs. Background: At present, there is no systematic PU management protocol for nurses that includes appropriate assessment and intervention techniques for deep tissue injury and critical colonization. In Japan, there is no such protocol that the nurses can follow without a physician’s orders. Design and methods: This was a prospective non-randomized controlled trial. Over a 3-week period, we evaluated the effectiveness of an advanced protocol by comparing the PU severity and healing on the basis of the DESIGN-R scale and presence of patients' discomfort. We recruited ten WOCNs to follow

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OLANZAPINE AND QUETIAPINE IN PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bithorai Basumatary

2018-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Psychotic disorders are a group of chronic debilitating psychiatric illness characterised by loss in touch with reality and disorders of thought, behaviour, appearance and speech. The second generation atypical antipsychotic olanzapine has been reported to be the commonly prescribed antipsychotic. However, olanzapine can cause adverse effects like weight gain, hyperglycaemia, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome. Quetiapine, another second generation antipsychotic has good efficacy and has become well established in the treatment of schizophrenia and manic episodes. There are reports on adverse effects of hyperglycaemia and diabetes with quetiapine, but these are comparatively lesser than olanzapine. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of olanzapine and quetiapine in patients with psychotic disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS It was an unicentric, open label, prospective and comparative clinical study. Subjects (n=80 who were diagnosed with psychotic disorder were randomly assigned to receive olanzapine (group 1 or quetiapine (group 2. The efficacy of the two drugs was assessed on the basis Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS scores at baseline, 1 week and 6 weeks. UKU scale (Udvalg Kliniske Undersogelser and laboratory investigations were used to assess the safety profile. RESULTS The two study groups had comparable sociodemographic profile. Both the groups showed significant reduction in psychotic symptoms as compared from baseline to 1 week and 6 weeks (p<0.001. The intergroup comparison of the efficacy of the two groups did not show any statistically significant results. There was statistically insignificant differences in the occurrence of adverse effects in both the groups. Sedation (50% in both the groups was the most common adverse effect in both the groups. The use of concomitant medications was comparable in both the groups. Benzodiazepines (56.3% in the olanzapine group and 51.9% in the quetiapine group

A Comparative Study of Spreadsheet Applications on Mobile Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veera V. S. M. Chintapalli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Advances in mobile screen sizes and feature enhancement for mobile applications have increased the number of users accessing spreadsheets on mobile devices. This paper reports a comparative usability study on four popular mobile spreadsheet applications: OfficeSuite Viewer 6, Documents To Go, ThinkFree Online, and Google Drive. We compare them against three categories of usability criteria: visibility; navigation, scrolling, and feedback; and interaction, satisfaction, simplicity, and convenience. Measures for each criterion were derived in a survey. Questionnaires were designed to address the measures based on the comparative criteria provided in the analysis.

Comparative study on the level of bacteriological contamination of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study on the level of bacteriological contamination of automatic teller machines, public toilets and public transport commercial motorcycle crash ... Conclusion: This study has revealed the ability of these public devices to serve as vehicle of transmission of microorganisms with serious health implications.

65 Comparative Studies of Some Polypores Using High ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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Comparative Studies of Some Polypores Using High Performance Liquid. Chromatography. Ofodile L. N., Attah L. E. Agbaje Williams and Simmonds, M. S. J ... Chromatography characteristics of their secondary metabolites. ..... Roja, G. and Rao, P. S. (1998) Biotechnology investigation in medicinal plants for the product.

A comparative study of two shovel designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Degani, A; Asfour, S S; Waly, S M; Koshy, J G

1993-10-01

In the present study a modified shovel design with two perpendicular shafts is presented. This modified, two-shaft shovel was compared with a regular shovel. The modified shovel was evaluated and tested in a controlled laboratory environment using surface electromyography recorded from the lumbar paraspinal muscles. The new shovel design was also tested in a field study using ratings of perceived exertion. The results indicate that there was a significant reduction in EMG values of the lumbar paraspinal muscles and a consistent reduction in perceived exertion ratings while the modified shovel was being used for removing dirt in digging trenches up to 90 cm in depth.

Comparative study of some mechanical and release properties of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The mechanical and release properties of paracetamol tablets formulated with cashew gum (CAG), povidone (PVP) and gelatin (GEL) as binders were studied and compared. The parameters studied were tensile strength (TS), brittle fracture index (BFI), friability (F), disintegration time (DT) and percentage drug released ...

International comparative studies of education and large scale change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Howie, Sarah; Plomp, T.; Bascia, Nina; Cumming, Alister; Datnow, Amanda; Leithwood, Kenneth; Livingstone, David

2005-01-01

The development of international comparative studies of educational achievements dates back to the early 1960s and was made possible by developments in sample survey methodology, group testing techniques, test development, and data analysis (Husén & Tuijnman, 1994, p. 6). The studies involve

Comparative study of the congenital anomalies before and after Chernobyl disaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaprjanov, Z.; Porjazova, E.; Djambazova, S.; Hubavenska, I.; Velichkova, L.

2005-01-01

The aim of our study was a comparative examination of the congenital anomalies before and directly after the Chernobyl disaster in the early and later periods of time. For the study post mortem material of the Department of general and clinical pathology at the Medical University of Plovdiv was used. Eight hundred seventy eight cases of newborns with congenital anomalies for a 24-year period (1981-2004) were reviewed. The number of the congenital anomalies was compared quantitatively in general and in systems. Equal 5-year intervals of time were compared to a control 5-year period before the Chernobyl accident. The data were statistically processed using different statistical methods. The comparative study of the number of the congenital anomalies did not show a statistically significant increase in relation to the nuclear accident

Comparative study of contrast dacryocystogram and nuclear dacryocystogram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhuri, T.K.; Saparoff, G.R.; Dolan, K.D.; Chaudhuri, T.K.

1975-01-01

A comparative study was run between conventional radiographic contrast dacryocystogram and radioisotope scan of the lacrimal drainage apparatus (henceforth called ''nuclear dacryocystogram''). A total of 20 contrast dacryocystograms (DCG), 22 irrigations, and 42 nuclear dacryocystograms (DCG) were performed in 21 patients having symptoms of obstruction in the lacrimal drainage system. The study revealed that there was a good correlation between these two diagnostic techniques and nuclear DCG was, perhaps, superior to contrast DCG. (U.S.)

Stapled side-to-side anastomosis might be better than handsewn end-to-end anastomosis in ileocolic resection for Crohn's disease: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaosheng; Chen, Zexian; Huang, Juanni; Lian, Lei; Rouniyar, Santosh; Wu, Xiaojian; Lan, Ping

2014-07-01

Ileocolic anastomosis is an essential step in the treatment to restore continuity of the gastrointestinal tract following ileocolic resection in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). However, the association between anastomotic type and surgical outcome is controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare surgical outcomes between stapled side-to-side anastomosis (SSSA) and handsewn end-to-end anastomosis (HEEA) after ileocolic resection in patients with CD. Studies comparing SSSA with HEEA after ileocolic resection in patients with CD were identified in PubMed and EMBASE. Outcomes such as complication, recurrence, and re-operation were evaluated. Eight studies (three randomized controlled trials, one prospective non-randomized trial, and four non-randomized retrospective trials) comparing SSSA (396 cases) and HEEA (425 cases) were included. As compared with HEEA, SSSA was superior in terms of overall postoperative complications [odds ratio (OR), 0.54; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.32-0.93], anastomotic leak (OR 0.45; 95 % CI 0.20-1.00), recurrence (OR 0.20; 95 % CI 0.07-0.55), and re-operation for recurrence (OR 0.18; 95 % CI 0.07-0.45). Postoperative hospital stay, mortality, and complications other than anastomotic leak were comparable. Based on the results of our meta-analysis, SSSA would appear to be the preferred procedure after ileocolic resection for CD, with reduced overall postoperative complications, especially anastomotic leak, and a decreased recurrence and re-operation rate.

Standards, criteria, comparative study. Final report 1993-1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, M.

1995-01-01

The goal of this report is to compare standards and criteria used for the design of seismic resistant Nuclear Power plants in former USSR and Eastern Europe to the actual practice in Western Europe and USA. A review of USSR and Czech-Slovak standards for design of WWER-1000 NPPs is included. Comparative study deals involves a general comparison of standards and the comparison of seismic loads according to Eastern standards with the to-day practices. According to these comparisons it can be theoretically concluded that despite some differences the structural seismic forces calculated according to Soviet-Russian standards are in good agreement with the ones resulting from Western Standards

Challenges in Doctoral Research Project Management: A Comparative Study

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Reuven Katz

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents quantitative results of a comparative study evaluating the management skills of doctoral candidates working toward a PhD and additional information related to their lifestyles. We conducted a survey among enrolled doctoral candidates at five universities in Israel and three technological universities in Western Europe. 1013 Israeli candidates and 457 Western European candidates replied to our survey. In our analysis, we compared the answers of Israeli Science and Engineering candidates to those of Social Sciences and Humanities candidates; in addition, we compared the answers of Israeli Science and Engineering students to their Western European peers. Our analysis focused on finding significant patterns by comparing these groups of students. In order to identify such patterns, we analyzed each question using the Pearson chi-square test. The current study’s main finding is that the majority of candidates, regardless of their chosen academic field or the region where they study, have no training or expertise in managing a doctoral research project. Based on these findings, we suggest that all doctoral candidates be taught basic research-project management. We believe that such training will provide them with a powerful tool for better managing their research as they advance towards successful completion of their doctorate.

Corneal clarity measurements in healthy volunteers across different age groups: Observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alzahrani, Khaled; Carley, Fiona; Brahma, Arun; Morley, Debbie; Hillarby, M Chantal

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to standardize and investigate the changes in corneal clarity with age. Densitometry software for the Oculus Pentacam was used to examine corneal clarity at different age groups.A total of 192 eyes from 97 healthy participants were included in this cohort comparative nonrandomized, cross-sectional study. An Oculus Pentcam was used to image the cornea of healthy participants grouped by age (between 10 and 70 years old). Data from the densitometry output have been used to determine clarity in concentric zones and different depths of the cornea.Corneal densitometry (CD) across all ages showed significant differences between groups when divided into the following layers: anterior, central, and posterior or divided into 0 to 2, 2 to 6, and 6 to 10 mm concentric zones (P age in all 3 layers of the periphery (6-10 mm) (P age group had lower clarity than the 20 to 30-age group (P age is differed when the cornea is divided into layers and zones. This study suggests that there are other factors that may play an essential role in corneal clarity as well as age.

Comparative studies of chemically synthesized and RF plasma ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

journal of. April 2015 physics pp. 653–665. Comparative studies of ... MS received 16 April 2013; revised 5 February 2014; accepted 28 May 2014 ... RF plasma polymerization; poly(o-toluidine); Fourier transform infrared; UV–visible ... tial applications, e.g., as electrodes and membranes for electrochemical energy ...

Risk assessment and comparative effectiveness of left ventricular assist device and medical management in ambulatory heart failure patients: design and rationale of the ROADMAP clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Joseph G; Boyle, Andrew J; O'Connell, John B; Horstmanshof, Douglas A; Haas, Donald C; Slaughter, Mark S; Park, Soon J; Farrar, David J; Starling, Randall C

2015-02-01

Mechanical circulatory support is now a proven therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced heart failure and cardiogenic shock. The role for this therapy in patients with less severe heart failure is unknown. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of mechanically assisted circulation using the HeartMate II left ventricular assist device in patients who meet current US Food and Drug Administration-defined criteria for treatment but are not yet receiving intravenous inotropic therapy. This is a prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial of 200 patients treated with either optimal medical management or a mechanical circulatory support device. This trial will be the first prospective clinical evaluation comparing outcomes of patients with advanced ambulatory heart failure treated with either ongoing medical therapy or a left ventricular assist device. It is anticipated to provide novel insights regarding relative outcomes with each treatment and an understanding of patient and provider acceptance of the ventricular assist device therapy. This trial will also provide information regarding the risk of events in "stable" patients with advanced heart failure and guidance for the optimal timing of left ventricular assist device therapy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

British and Italian electric power systems: Comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lolli, A.

1992-01-01

This study compares the new electricity system in England, Wales and Scotland, after the 1989 Electricity Act, and the Italian electricity system (as modified by the January, 9, 1991, Law No. 9 and by the December 5, 1991, Decree No. 386 made law (No. 35) on January, 29, 1992). The study focuses on legal aspects and socio-economic factors influencing planning and organizing by the national electric power industries in their efforts to maintain supply and demand equilibrium

Comparing toxicologic and epidemiologic studies: methylene chloride--a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stayner, L T; Bailer, A J

1993-12-01

Exposure to methylene chloride induces lung and liver cancers in mice. The mouse bioassay data have been used as the basis for several cancer risk assessments. The results from epidemiologic studies of workers exposed to methylene chloride have been mixed with respect to demonstrating an increased cancer risk. The results from a negative epidemiologic study of Kodak workers have been used by two groups of investigators to test the predictions from the EPA risk assessment models. These two groups used very different approaches to this problem, which resulted in opposite conclusions regarding the consistency between the animal model predictions and the Kodak study results. The results from the Kodak study are used to test the predictions from OSHA's multistage models of liver and lung cancer risk. Confidence intervals for the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) from the Kodak study are compared with the predicted confidence intervals derived from OSHA's risk assessment models. Adjustments for the "healthy worker effect," differences in length of follow-up, and dosimetry between animals and humans were incorporated into these comparisons. Based on these comparisons, we conclude that the negative results from the Kodak study are not inconsistent with the predictions from OSHA's risk assessment model.

Laparoscopic anterior resection and total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: a prospective nonrandomized study.

Science.gov (United States)

Palanivelu, C; Sendhilkumar, K; Jani, Kalpesh; Rajan, P S; Maheshkumar, G S; Shetty, Roshan; Parthasarthi, R

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to present our experience of laparoscopic total mesorectal resection, including ultralow resection and coloanal anastomosis. Between 1993 and 2005, patients fit for general anesthesia, with resectable cancers, and with lower edge of tumor beyond 5 cm of the anal verge were subjected to laparoscopic anterior resection with sphincter preservation. Double stapling technique is used to establish bowel continuity. A total of 170 patients, 88 males and 82 females, were subjected to successful laparoscopic anterior resection, which included high anterior resection (n=90), low anterior resection (n=52), ultralow anterior resection (n=20), and coloanal anastomosis (n=8). The average age of patients was 58.4 years (12-90 years). Mean operating time was 130 min and mean hospital stay was 7 days. The morbidity was 13.5% with nil mortality. With an average follow-up of 49 months (range 9 years to 3 months), 9 patients developed local recurrence and 45 patients developed distant metastasis. In selected cases, laparoscopic anterior resection is possible for all levels of rectal tumors, allowing sphincter preservation and maintaining oncological safety.

Early crisis nontechnical skill teaching in residency leads to long-term skill retention and improved performance during crises: A prospective, nonrandomized controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Doumouras, Aristithes G; Engels, Paul T

2017-07-01

Medical error is common in crises, and the majority of observed errors are nontechnical in nature. The long-term impact of teaching crisis nontechnical skills to residents has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of simulation-based teaching of crisis nontechnical skills compared to controls one year after initial teaching. This was a prospective study using both historical controls and a before-and-after methodology to evaluate the effect of a high-fidelity simulation curriculum that used crisis resource management principles to teach nontechnical skills. Postgraduate year 2 and 3 residents were invited to take part in a prospective training course over 2 years. The primary outcome was leader performance evaluated by expert raters using the previously validated 7-point Ottawa Global Rating Scale. Overall, 23 residents performed 30 simulations over the 2 years with the intervention group of 7 residents being assessed in both years. After adjustment, the postgraduate year 3 intervention group who received training the previous year had significantly higher overall performance scores than all postgraduate year 2 scores (1.09 95% confidence interval 0.70-1.47, P crisis performance compared to historical postgraduate year 3 controls and untrained postgraduate year 2 residents. There were no significant differences between the crisis performance of postgraduate year 2 residents and the untrained postgraduate year 3 controls. This confirms the beneficial effect and long-term retention after crisis nontechnical skill training. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Australian and Indonesian Universities Treat Plagiarism: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bambang Yudi Cahyono

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This article is a part of a larger study comparing various aspects of policies on plagiarism in two university contexts. It compares policies on plagiarism in universities in Australia and Indonesia. The results of this comparative study showed that Australian and Indonesian universities treat plagiarism differently. Australian universities treat plagiarism explicitly in their university policies. In Australian universities, plagiarism is defined clearly and forms of plagiarism are explained thoroughly, policies on plagiarism are informed to all university academic members, and there are mechanisms to manage cases related to plagiarism. In contrast, not all Indonesian universities treat plagiarism directly. Some universities depend on religious morality and academic ethics in dealing with plagiarism. Accordingly, this article recommends the explicit treatment of plagiarism in Indonesian universities.

Study design elements for rigorous quasi-experimental comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejewski, Matthew L; Curtis, Lesley H; Dowd, Bryan

2013-03-01

Quasi-experiments are likely to be the workhorse study design used to generate evidence about the comparative effectiveness of alternative treatments, because of their feasibility, timeliness, affordability and external validity compared with randomized trials. In this review, we outline potential sources of discordance in results between quasi-experiments and experiments, review study design choices that can improve the internal validity of quasi-experiments, and outline innovative data linkage strategies that may be particularly useful in quasi-experimental comparative effectiveness research. There is an urgent need to resolve the debate about the evidentiary value of quasi-experiments since equal consideration of rigorous quasi-experiments will broaden the base of evidence that can be brought to bear in clinical decision-making and governmental policy-making.

Study on Lexical Cohesion in English and Persian Research Articles (A Comparative Study)

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzapour, Fatemeh; Ahmadi, Maryam

2011-01-01

The present study aims to analyze comparatively English and Persian research articles (Linguistics, Literature, and Library and Information disciplines) in terms of number and degree of utilization of sub-types of lexical cohesion in order to appreciate textualization processes in the two languages concerned. The study analyzes 60 research…

Comparative study on the pathogenic effects of Diminazine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was conducted in goats to compare the pathogenic effects of .... membrane was examined, the rectal temperature of the goats was recorded ... the plasma layer, the content was expressed on the slide and covered with slip. ... measure analysis of variance in SPSS version 15.0 (2000). ..... Canadanian Journal of.

A comparative study of Interactions between chronic Alcohol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: The effects of drinking 10% alcohol solution for 12 weeks on daily body weight, and drinking and feeding behaviour were studied in Sprague – Dawley rats of both sexes. Daily measurement of body weight, fluid intake and food consumption were recorded and compared. Multiple linear regression analysis was ...

Comparative study between the use of Macintosh Laryngoscope ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study between the use of Macintosh Laryngoscope and Airtraq in patients with cervical spine immobilization. ... Conclusion: The Airtraq Laryngoscope offers a new approach for the management of difficult airway like patients with potential cervical spine injury, it is fast, easy to use, gets an easy view of the ...

Comparative Study of Biogas Yield Pattern in Some Animal and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This research was a laboratory based work which compared Biogas yield patterns in some animal and household wastes. The parameters studied included dilution and concentration of substrates, the effect of available space in the digester, and the comparative biogas yield from different wastes. The method of research ...

Strand-seq : A unifying tool for studies of chromosome segregation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Falconer, Ester; Lansdorp, Peter M.

2013-01-01

Non random segregation of sister chromatids has been implicated to help specify daughter cell fate (the Silent Sister Hypothesis [1]) or to protect the genome of long-lived stem cells (the Immortal Strand Hypothesis [2]). The idea that sister chromatids are non-randomly segregated into specific

Scatterometry or imaging overlay: a comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Simon C. C.; Pai, Yuan Chi; Chen, Charlie; Yu, Chun Chi; Hsing, Henry; Wu, Hsing-Chien; Kuo, Kelly T. L.; Amir, Nuriel

2015-03-01

Most fabrication facilities today use imaging overlay measurement methods, as it has been the industry's reliable workhorse for decades. In the last few years, third-generation Scatterometry Overlay (SCOL™) or Diffraction Based Overlay (DBO-1) technology was developed, along another DBO technology (DBO-2). This development led to the question of where the DBO technology should be implemented for overlay measurements. Scatterometry has been adopted for high volume production in only few cases, always with imaging as a backup, but scatterometry overlay is considered by many as the technology of the future. In this paper we compare imaging overlay and DBO technologies by means of measurements and simulations. We outline issues and sensitivities for both technologies, providing guidelines for the best implementation of each. For several of the presented cases, data from two different DBO technologies are compared as well, the first with Pupil data access (DBO-1) and the other without pupil data access (DBO-2). Key indicators of overlay measurement quality include: layer coverage, accuracy, TMU, process robustness and robustness to process changes. Measurement data from real cases across the industry are compared and the conclusions are also backed by simulations. Accuracy is benchmarked with reference OVL, and self-consistency, showing good results for Imaging and DBO-1 technology. Process sensitivity and metrology robustness are mostly simulated with MTD (Metrology Target Designer) comparing the same process variations for both technologies. The experimental data presented in this study was done on ten advanced node layers and three production node layers, for all phases of the IC fabrication process (FEOL, MEOL and BEOL). The metrology tool used for most of the study is KLA-Tencor's Archer 500LCM system (scatterometry-based and imaging-based measurement technologies on the same tool) another type of tool is used for DBO-2 measurements. Finally, we conclude that

Single-Step Transepithelial PRK vs Alcohol-Assisted PRK in Myopia and Compound Myopic Astigmatism Correction

OpenAIRE

Kaluzny, Bartlomiej J.; Cieslinska, Iwona; Mosquera, Samuel A.; Verma, Shwetabh

2016-01-01

Abstract Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (tPRK), where both the epithelium and stroma are removed in a single-step, is a relatively new procedure of laser refractive error correction. This study compares the 3-month results of myopia and compound myopic astigmatism correction by tPRK or conventional alcohol-assisted PRK (aaPRK). This prospective, nonrandomized, case?control study recruited 148 consecutive patients; 93 underwent tPRK (173 eyes) and 55 aaPRK (103 eyes). Refractive r...

Comparative divertor-transport study for helical devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Y.; Sardei, F.; Kobayashi, M.

2008-10-01

Using the island divertors (ID) of W7-AS and W7-X and the helical divertor (HD) of LHD as examples, the paper presents a comparative divertor transport study for three typical helical devices of different machine-size following two distinct divertor concepts, aiming at identifying common physics issues/effects for mutual validation and combined studies. Based on EMC3/EIRENE simulations supported by experimental results, the paper first reviews and compares the essential transport features of the W7-AS ID and the LHD HD in order to build a base and framework for a predictive study of W7-X. Revealed is the fundamental role of the low-order magnetic islands in both divertor concepts. Preliminary EMC3/EIRENE simulation results for W7-X are presented and discussed with respect to W7-AS and LHD in order to show how the individual field and divertor topologies affect the divertor transport and performance. For instance, a high recycling regime which is absent from W7-AS and LHD is expected for W7-X. Topics addressed are restricted to the basic function elements of a divertor such as particle flux enhancement and impurity retention. In particular, the divertor function on reducing the influx of intrinsic impurities is examined for all the three devices under different divertor plasma conditions. Special attention is paid to examining the island screening potential of intrinsic impurities which has been predicted for all the three devices under high divertor collisionality conditions. The results are discussed in conjunction with the experimental observations for high density divertor plasmas in W7-AS and LHD. (author)

Effects of the Pilates method on neck pain: a systematic review

OpenAIRE

Cemin, Natália Fernanda; Schmit, Emanuelle Francine Detogni; Candotti, Cláudia Tarragô

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The Pilates method has been used for neck pain reduction. Objective: To systematically review randomized and non-randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of Pilates on neck pain when compared to other groups (CRD42015025987). Methods: This study involved a systematic review directed by the PRISMA Statement based on the recommendations of the Cochrane Colaboration, registered in PROSPERO under the code CRD42015025987. The following databases were searche...

Sex work: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Bill; Benoit, Cecilia; Jansson, Mikael

2014-10-01

Explanations of adult involvement in sex work typically adopt one of two approaches. One perspective highlights a variety of negative experiences in childhood and adolescence, including physical and sexual abuse, family instability, poverty, associations with "pimps" and other exploiters, homelessness, and drug use. An alternative account recognizes that some of these factors may be involved, but underscores the contribution of more immediate circumstances, such as current economic needs, human capital, and employment opportunities. Prior research offers a limited assessment of these contrasting claims: most studies have focused exclusively on people working in the sex industry and they have not assessed the independent effects of life course variables central to these two perspectives. We add to this literature with an analysis that drew on insights from life course and life-span development theories and considered the contributions of factors from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Our comparative approach examined predictors of employment in sex work relative to two other low-income service or care work occupations: food and beverage serving and barbering and hairstyling. Using data from a study of almost 600 workers from two cities, one in Canada and the other in the United States, we found that both immediate circumstances and negative experiences from early life are related to current sex work involvement: childhood poverty, abuse, and family instability were independently associated with adult sex work, as were limited education and employment experience, adult drug use, and marital status.

Palm Oil Consumption Increases LDL Cholesterol Compared with Vegetable Oils Low in Saturated Fat in a Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ye; Neelakantan, Nithya; Wu, Yi; Lote-Oke, Rashmi; Pan, An; van Dam, Rob M

2015-07-01

Palm oil contains a high amount of saturated fat compared with most other vegetable oils, but studies have reported inconsistent effects of palm oil on blood lipids. We systematically reviewed the effect of palm oil consumption on blood lipids compared with other cooking oils using data from clinical trials. We searched PubMed and the Cochrane Library for trials of at least 2 wk duration that compared the effects of palm oil consumption with any of the predefined comparison oils: vegetable oils low in saturated fat, trans fat-containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and animal fats. Data were pooled by using random-effects meta-analysis. Palm oil significantly increased LDL cholesterol by 0.24 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.13, 0.35 mmol/L; I(2) = 83.2%) compared with vegetable oils low in saturated fat. This effect was observed in randomized trials (0.31 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.42 mmol/L) but not in nonrandomized trials (0.03 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.15, 0.20 mmol/L; P-difference = 0.02). Among randomized trials, only modest heterogeneity in study results remained after considering the test oil dose and the comparison oil type (I(2) = 27.5%). Palm oil increased HDL cholesterol by 0.02 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.01, 0.04 mmol/L; I(2) = 49.8%) compared with vegetable oils low in saturated fat and by 0.09 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.06, 0.11 mmol/L; I(2) = 47.8%) compared with trans fat-containing oils. Palm oil consumption results in higher LDL cholesterol than do vegetable oils low in saturated fat and higher HDL cholesterol than do trans fat-containing oils in humans. The effects of palm oil on blood lipids are as expected on the basis of its high saturated fat content, which supports the reduction in palm oil use by replacement with vegetable oils low in saturated and trans fat. This systematic review was registered with the PROSPERO registry at http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42012002601#.VU3wvSGeDRZ as CRD42012002601. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Study of Attention Deficit in Patients with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SM Kafi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background & aim: Attention deficit has significant effect on the life of patients suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the attention deficit in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: In the present post-hoc study, 132 patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were selected via non-randomized sampling at Shafa Hospital (Rasht, Iran and then divided into four equal groups: chronic schizophrenia patients, first-episode patients, chronic bipolar patients, and first-episode bipolar patients. Thirty-three healthy individuals were selected as the control group. Subjects were evaluated by Stroop color-word test. The gathered Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: Attention deficit among chronic schizophrenics and patients suffering from bipolar disease was higher than the control group (p <1. Chronic schizophrenic patients compared with schizophrenia bipolar disease and first round schizophrenia showed more attention deficit. There was no significant difference among the first bipolar disease and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, as well as the first round schizophrenia (p<0.05. Conclusion: Attention deficit is more severe in schizophrenic patients than bipolar disorder, and chronicity is more effective in schizophrenic patients. Key words: Attention, Schizophrenia, Chronicity

CHALLENGES IN THE STUDIES OF COMPARATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS OF GENDER EQUALITY

OpenAIRE

Rönnblom, Malin

2016-01-01

Why are comparisons interesting, or what are comparisons all about? In this article, the comparative ambition in the social constructivist tradition is scrutinized, and the other articles of the issue are used as examples of what is seen as principle problems of comparative studies. The first part of the article deals with the need of reflexivity in order for the researcher to avoid implicit notions of «good gender equality» or «real feminism». In the second part, the problems of comparative ...

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NALBUPHINE VS. PENTAZOCINE FOR POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naresh Ganpatrao Tirpude

2016-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND To provide postoperative pain relief is a prime duty of health care providers. Failure to relieve pain is morally and ethically unacceptable. Post-operative pain may results in adverse effects such as: a Physiological Changes: Reduced pulmonary functions, e.g. vital capacity, tidal volume, functional residual capacity; sympathetic stimulation; reduced the physical activity of patients; thereby increasing the risk of venous thrombosis. b Psychological disturbances: Anger, Resentment, Depression, Adversarial Relationship with Doctors, Insomnia. Aim of this study was 1. To investigate whether “Postoperative analgesia with Nalbuphine is longer than Pentazocine”. 2. To investigate whether “Side effects/complications are less with Nalbuphine as compared to Pentazocine”. MATERIALS AND METHODS It was a prospective randomized double blind observational study. Eighty patients of hydrocoele & inguinal hernia were operated under spinal anaesthesia of age group 20-70 years, ASA grade I & II & patients with controlled co-morbid conditions. In postoperative period, Group N- Inj. Nalbuphine (0.3 mg/kg IM or Group P- Inj. Pentazocine (0.5 mg/kg IM was administered to provide postoperative pain relief & to know the duration of pain relief & its side effects. RESULTS On statistical analysis, demographic data i.e. age, sex had no influence on outcome of study. Mean VAS score in group N was highly significant (p-value in Inj. Pentazocine group. 2. Side Effects - Incidence of sedation was more in Nalbuphine group as compared to Pentazocine group. Nausea & Vomiting were more so in Pentazocine group as compared to Nalbuphine group. Limitation of the present study was that sample size was very small.

Behavioral counseling to prevent childhood obesity – study protocol of a pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care

OpenAIRE

Mustila, Taina; Keskinen, Päivi; Luoto, Riitta

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Prevention is considered effective in combating the obesity epidemic. Prenatal environment may increase offspring's risk for obesity. A child starts to adopt food preferences and other behavioral habits affecting weight gain during preschool years. We report the study protocol of a pragmatic lifestyle intervention aiming at primary prevention of childhood obesity. Methods/Design A non-randomized controlled pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care clinics. The con...

Non-Random Chromosome Segregation in Stem Cells

OpenAIRE

Conboy, Michael J; Karasov, Ariela O; Rando, Thomas A

2007-01-01

Decades ago, the "immortal strand hypothesis" was proposed as a means by which stem cells might limit acquiring mutations that could give rise to cancer, while continuing to proliferate for the life of an organism. Originally based on observations in embryonic cells, and later studied in terms of stem cell self-renewal, this hypothesis has remained largely unaccepted because of few additional reports, the rarity of the cells displaying template strand segregation, and alternative interpretati...

Tensile strength of biological fibrin sealants: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacaze, Laurence; Le Dem, Nicolas; Bubenheim, Michael; Tsilividis, Basile; Mezghani, Julien; Schwartz, Lilian; Francois, Arnaud; Ertaud, Jean Yves; Bagot d'Arc, Maurice; Scotté, Michel

2012-08-01

Fibrin sealants are commonly used in liver surgery, although their effectiveness in routine clinical practice remains controversial. Individual sealant characteristics are based on hemostatic effects and adhesion properties that can be experimentally measured using the 'rat skin test' or the 'pig skin test'. This study used a more relevant and realistic experimental canine model to compare the differences in the adhesive properties of four fibrin sealants in hepatectomy: Tisseel/Tissucol, Tachosil, Quixil, and Beriplast. A partial hepatectomy was performed in beagle dogs under general anesthesia to obtain liver cross-sections. Fibrin sealants were allocated to dog livers using a Youden square design. The tensile strength measurement was performed using a traction system to measure the rupture stress point of a small wooden cylinder bonded to the liver cross-section. Significantly greater adhesion properties were observed with Tisseel/Tissucol compared with Quixil or Beriplast (P = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). Similarly, Tachosil demonstrated significantly greater adhesive properties compared with Beriplast (P = 0.009) or Quixil (P = 0.014). No significant differences were observed between Tisseel/Tissucol and Tachosil or between Beriplast and Quixil. The results of this comparative study demonstrate that different fibrin sealants exhibit different adhesive properties. Tisseel/Tissucol and Tachosil provided greatest adhesion to liver cross-section in our canine model of hepatectomy. These results may enable the optimal choice of fibrin sealants for this procedure in clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing distance education and conventional education: observations from a comparative study of post-registration nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Duffy

2002-12-01

Full Text Available This retrospective study presents a comparison of assessment results achieved by distancelearning students and classroom-based students undertaking the same module in a degree course. The purpose of the comparison is to provide some objective measurement of the quality of distance education in relation to conventional classroom-based education. The authors have selected three groups of students, who have all undertaken the same module in the B. Sc Health Studies degree programme offered by the University of Paisley. One group (in Paisley undertook their studies by means of conventional classroom-based education, the second (in Hong Kong by supported distance learning with face-to-face contact in the form of tutorials, and the third (in a geographically dispersed group in the United Kingdom and other countries by supported distance learning with no face-to-face contact. The results obtained by these three groups of students were analysed. Because of the differences in the size of the groups, the Kruskal- Wallis 1- Way Anova test was applied to validate the face value findings. The authors include findings from the literature comparing distance education with conventional education and from cross-cultural studies to present their data in context. Analysis of the assessment results showed that students from all three groups were successful in their studies, but the students studying by distance learning obtained significantly higher end-of-module results than their classroom-based colleagues. This latter finding reflects the conclusion that other investigators have reached In their discussion the authors identify educational, cultural and personal factors that may help to explain their findings. A limitation in the study is that it concerns only one module in the degree programme. The research now moves on to comparing students who have undertaken the whole degree programme by the means described

Comparative study of wavelets of the first and second generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ososkov, G.A.; Shitov, A.B.; Stadnik, A.V.

2001-01-01

In order to compare efficiency a comprehensive set of benchmarking tests is developed, which is used to compare abilities of continuous wavelet transform of the vanishing momenta type as well as the second generation wavelets constructed on the basis of the lifting scheme. It is based on processing of various types of pure and contaminated harmonic signals, delta-function, study of the signal phase dependence and the gain-frequency characteristics. The results of a comparative multiscale analysis allow one to reveal advantages and flaws of the considered types of wavelets

A comparative study on effective dynamic modeling methods for flexible pipe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chang Ho; Hong, Sup; Kim, Hyung Woo [Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung Soo [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-07-15

In this paper, in order to select a suitable method that is applicable to the large deflection with a small strain problem of pipe systems in the deep seabed mining system, the finite difference method with lumped mass from the field of cable dynamics and the substructure method from the field of flexible multibody dynamics were compared. Due to the difficulty of obtaining experimental results from an actual pipe system in the deep seabed mining system, a thin cantilever beam model with experimental results was employed for the comparative study. Accuracy of the methods was investigated by comparing the experimental results and simulation results from the cantilever beam model with different numbers of elements. Efficiency of the methods was also examined by comparing the operational counts required for solving equations of motion. Finally, this cantilever beam model with comparative study results can be promoted to be a benchmark problem for the flexible multibody dynamics.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ROLE OF CORTICAL MASTOIDECTOMY IN MYRINGOPLASTY

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Rahul Kawatra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND : Chronic suppurative otitis media is an inflammatory process of mucoperiosteal lining of middle ear space and mastoid. Effect of mastoidectomy on patients without evidence of active infectious disease remains highly debated and unproven. In this study the role of cortical mastoidectomy in myringoplasty in patients of CSOM in dry as well as wet ears was evaluated. OBJECTIVE : To evaluate the efficacy and role of cortical mastoidectomy in patients with CSOM (safe type in dry as well as wet ears. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized. METHODS : Data was collected from the patients undergoing myringoplasty with or without cortical mastoidectomy. Study was carried out on a total of 80 patients undergoing the surgery. Study period was 18 months with 6 months of follow up. Outcome was evaluated in terms of graft rejection, lateralization and change in AB gap. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 15.0 statistical Analysis Software. RESULT S : overall success rate was 77.5%. It was higher in dry ear (87.5% as compared to wet ear (67.5% and this difference was significant statistically. On evaluating odds of failure for wet ear, it was observed that group 1 had higher odds of failure for wet ear as compared to that of group 2. CONCLUSION : In both myringoplasty alone or with cortical mastoidectomy, failure rates were higher in wet as compared to dry ears, however odds of failure in wet cases were much higher in myringoplasty alone group as compared to myringoplasty with cortic al mastoidectomy

Living network meta-analysis compared with pairwise meta-analysis in comparative effectiveness research: empirical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolakopoulou, Adriani; Mavridis, Dimitris; Furukawa, Toshi A; Cipriani, Andrea; Tricco, Andrea C; Straus, Sharon E; Siontis, George C M; Egger, Matthias; Salanti, Georgia

2018-02-28

To examine whether the continuous updating of networks of prospectively planned randomised controlled trials (RCTs) ("living" network meta-analysis) provides strong evidence against the null hypothesis in comparative effectiveness of medical interventions earlier than the updating of conventional, pairwise meta-analysis. Empirical study of the accumulating evidence about the comparative effectiveness of clinical interventions. Database of network meta-analyses of RCTs identified through searches of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews until 14 April 2015. Network meta-analyses published after January 2012 that compared at least five treatments and included at least 20 RCTs. Clinical experts were asked to identify in each network the treatment comparison of greatest clinical interest. Comparisons were excluded for which direct and indirect evidence disagreed, based on side, or node, splitting test (Pmeta-analyses were performed for each selected comparison. Monitoring boundaries of statistical significance were constructed and the evidence against the null hypothesis was considered to be strong when the monitoring boundaries were crossed. A significance level was defined as α=5%, power of 90% (β=10%), and an anticipated treatment effect to detect equal to the final estimate from the network meta-analysis. The frequency and time to strong evidence was compared against the null hypothesis between pairwise and network meta-analyses. 49 comparisons of interest from 44 networks were included; most (n=39, 80%) were between active drugs, mainly from the specialties of cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, and rheumatology. 29 comparisons were informed by both direct and indirect evidence (59%), 13 by indirect evidence (27%), and 7 by direct evidence (14%). Both network and pairwise meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis for seven comparisons, but for an additional 10 comparisons only network meta-analysis provided

Comparative Studies on the Cardiovascular System in the Wistar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF HORSFALL

http://ww.bioline.org.br/ja. Comparative Studies on the Cardiovascular System in the Wistar Rat (Rattus .... norvegicus) were gotten from the animal house of the. Department of Anatomy .... Locomotion and Respiration in. Marine Air – Breathing ...

A Comparative Study Of Stock Price Forecasting Using Nonlinear Models

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Diteboho Xaba

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study compared the in-sample forecasting accuracy of three forecasting nonlinear models namely: the Smooth Transition Regression (STR model, the Threshold Autoregressive (TAR model and the Markov-switching Autoregressive (MS-AR model. Nonlinearity tests were used to confirm the validity of the assumptions of the study. The study used model selection criteria, SBC to select the optimal lag order and for the selection of appropriate models. The Mean Square Error (MSE, Mean Absolute Error (MAE and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE served as the error measures in evaluating the forecasting ability of the models. The MS-AR models proved to perform well with lower error measures as compared to LSTR and TAR models in most cases.

Comparative study of approaches to estimate pipe break frequencies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simola, K.; Pulkkinen, U.; Talja, H.; Saarenheimo, A.; Karjalainen-Roikonen, P. [VTT Industrial Systems (Finland)

2002-12-01

The report describes the comparative study of two approaches to estimate pipe leak and rupture frequencies for piping. One method is based on a probabilistic fracture mechanistic (PFM) model while the other one is based on statistical estimation of rupture frequencies from a large database. In order to be able to compare the approaches and their results, the rupture frequencies of some selected welds have been estimated using both of these methods. This paper highlights the differences both in methods, input data, need and use of plant specific information and need of expert judgement. The study focuses on one specific degradation mechanism, namely the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). This is the major degradation mechanism in old stainless steel piping in BWR environment, and its growth is influenced by material properties, stresses and water chemistry. (au)

Comparative study on current trading system and online trading: the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study on current trading system and online trading: the case of ... of online trading and factors affecting its feasibility of implementation in ECX. ... The study found that there is significant capacity problem with major skills gap with ...

Costs of conservative management of early-stage prostate cancer compared to radical prostatectomy–a claims data analysis

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Alina Brandes

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Due to widespread PSA testing incidence rates of localized prostate cancer increase but curative treatment is often not required. Overtreatment imposes a substantial economic burden on health care systems. We compared the direct medical costs of conservative management and radical therapy for the management of early-stage prostate cancer in routine care. Methods An observational study design is chosen based on claims data of a German statutory health insurance fund for the years 2008–2011. Three hundred fifty-three age-matched men diagnosed with prostate cancer and treated with conservative management and radical prostatectomy, are included. Individuals with diagnoses of metastases or treatment of advanced prostate cancer are excluded. In an excess cost approach direct medical costs are considered from an insured community perspective for in- and outpatient care, pharmaceuticals, physiotherapy, and assistive technologies. Generalized linear models adjust for comorbidity by Charlson comorbidity score and recycled predictions method calculates per capita costs per treatment strategy. Results After follow-up of 2.5 years per capita costs of conservative management are €6611 lower than costs of prostatectomy ([−9734;−3547], p < 0.0001. Complications increase costs of assistive technologies by 30% (p = 0.0182, but do not influence any other costs. Results are robust to cost outliers and incidence of prostate cancer diagnosis. The short time horizon does not allow assessing long-term consequences of conservative management. Conclusions At a time horizon of 2.5 years, conservative management is preferable to radical prostatectomy in terms of costs. Claims data analysis is limited in the selection of comparable treatment groups, as clinical information is scarce and bias due to non-randomization can only be partly mitigated by matching and confounder adjustment.

Comparative waste forms study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wald, J.W.; Lokken, R.O.; Shade, J.W.; Rusin, J.M.

1980-12-01

A number of alternative process and waste form options exist for the immobilization of nuclear wastes. Although data exists on the characterization of these alternative waste forms, a straightforward comparison of product properties is difficult, due to the lack of standardized testing procedures. The characterization study described in this report involved the application of the same volatility, mechanical strength and leach tests to ten alternative waste forms, to assess product durability. Bulk property, phase analysis and microstructural examination of the simulated products, whose waste loading varied from 5% to 100% was also conducted. The specific waste forms investigated were as follows: Cold Pressed and Sintered PW-9 Calcine; Hot Pressed PW-9 Calcine; Hot Isostatic Pressed PW-9 Calcine; Cold Pressed and Sintered SPC-5B Supercalcine; Hot Isostatic pressed SPC-5B Supercalcine; Sintered PW-9 and 50% Glass Frit; Glass 76-68; Celsian Glass Ceramic; Type II Portland Cement and 10% PW-9 Calcine; and Type II Portland Cement and 10% SPC-5B Supercalcine. Bulk property data were used to calculate and compare the relative quantities of waste form volume produced at a spent fuel processing rate of 5 metric ton uranium/day. This quantity ranged from 3173 L/day (5280 Kg/day) for 10% SPC-5B supercalcine in cement to 83 L/day (294 Kg/day) for 100% calcine. Mechanical strength, volatility, and leach resistance tests provide data related to waste form durability. Glass, glass-ceramic and supercalcine ranked high in waste form durability where as the 100% PW-9 calcine ranked low. All other materials ranked between these two groupings

A molecular dynamics study on the oxygen diffusion in doped fluorites: the effect of the dopant distribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarancon, A. [M2E/XaRMAE/IREC, Department of Advanced Materials for Energy Applications, Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Josep Pla 2, Torre 2, B2, 08019 Barcelona (Spain); Morata, A.; Peiro, F. [MIND/XaRMAE/IN2UB, Department of Electronics, University of Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Dezanneau, G. [Laboratoire Structures, Proprietes et Modelisation des Solides, Grande Voie des Vignes, Ecole Centrale Paris, F-92295 Chatenay-Malabry Cedex (France)

2011-02-15

The effect of the dopant distribution on the oxygen diffusion in doped fluorites typically used for solid oxide fuel cells electrolyte applications has been analysed by using molecular dynamics simulations. The oxygen mass transport in both yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and gadolinia-doped ceria has been studied and compared in the range of temperatures between 1,159 and 1,959 K. A new methodology based on the analysis of local environments is used to describe the diffusion process at an atomic scale. Preferred vacancy migration pathways, most suitable conduction models, energy landscapes and jump efficiency have been detailed for each material. Finally, a particular case of non-random distribution of dopants in YSZ is presented in order to quantitatively evaluate the effect of the dopant pattern on the mass transport properties and the potential of the methodology developed here for understanding and foreseeing real configurations at the nanoscale. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Laproscopic versus open appendectomy: A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirazi, B.; Naureen Ali, N.; Shamim, M.S.

2010-01-01

Objective: To compare the results of open with laparoscopic appendectomy in terms of postoperative pain, rate of wound infection and hospital stay. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Department of Surgery, Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, over a period of six months. Patients undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis were randomly assigned into one of the two groups (A or B) after obtaining written and informed consent. In Group-A patients underwent open appendectomy and in Group B laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. Post operatively pain chart and wound infection was recorded and, at the time of discharge, number of days in hospital was calculated. Result: Sixty patients (38 male, 22 female), with clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on Alvarado score of six and above, were included in the study. They were randomized into 2 groups of A and B with 30 patients in each group. Group-A comprised open appendectomy procedure and Group-B comprised laparoscopic appendectomy. Mean comparison of postoperative pain by visual analogue scale, was significantly low in Group B, compared with Group A, on day 0, 1 and 2. Number of days in Hospital was 4.1 +- 0.8 days in Group A and 1.5 +- 0.06 days in Group B. None of the patients in Group B, while 8 (26.67%) patients in-Group A, developed postoperative wound infection at 1 week follow up. Conclusion: Laparoscopic appendectomy is safe and effective. Wound infection and postoperative pain is significantly lower after this mode of surgery. (author)

Moessbauer study of Mn-Zn and Mn ferrites prepared by wet method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michalk, C.

1985-01-01

Moessbauer spectroscopy was employed to study Mn-Zn ferrites before and after low-temperature annealing. The unannealed Mn-Zn ferrite prepared by a wet method and also the sintered material after annealing at 400 deg C in air show the presence of paramagnetic clusters. These findings are explained as being due to nonrandom ordering of Fe 3+ and Zn 2+ ions caused by local charge compensation in the neighbourhood of cation vacancies. A change of cation distribution after annealing at relatively low temperatures was observed. 10 refs., 3 figs. (author)

Comparative study of three methods of esophageal anastomosis in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. T. Abd Al-Maseeh

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This study was performed to compare three methods of esophageal anastomosis. Twenty four healthy adult dogs were used in this study. The animals were divided into three groups; each one consisted of 8 animals. In group 1; two layers were used to perform the esophageal anastomosis. The first layer represented simple interrupted suture to close the mucosa with knot inside the lumen, and the second layer represented horizontal mattress interrupted suture to close the other layers of esophagus. While in group 2; one layer of cross interrupted mattress suture was used to close all layers of esophageal wall, and in group 3; one layer of Schmieden's suture was used to close all layers of esophageal wall. The results of clinical, radiological and histopathological studies after 15 and 30 days of surgical operation revealed that most of the animals showed different degrees of difficulty concerning the moderate dysphagia and regurgitation. The radiological study showed significant difference of stenosis. The best results were recorded in the second group where the mean degree of stenosis was 7.69%, however the mean degree of stenosis was 42.80% in the first group, while the mean degree of stenosis in the third groups was 37.81%, through 30 days. The histopathological study of group 2 showed rapid healing of the site of anastomosis, lack of granulation tissue and consequently the less degree of stricture and other complications as compared with groups 1 and 3. The Schmieden's suture was characterized by its standard short time as compared with group 1 and 2, although accompanied by some complications. In conclusion this study revealed that the cross mattress suture used in the second group characterized by faster healing and minimal amount of fibrous tissue formation manifested by decrease in moderate degree of stenosis as compared with the two other suture patterns used in the first and third groups.

Linguistic Features of English and Russian Dictionaries (A Comparative Study

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Robert Leščinskij

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to establish differences and similarities between linguistic characteristics of English and Russian dictionaries. Two dictionaries were selected for the study – electronic version of the 8th edition of Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD and the online version of Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary. The methods chosen for the study were descriptive, comparative and contrastive analysis. Linguistic characteristics of the dictionaries were analysed and compared. The research showed that both reference books provided different linguistic information on the headwords. OALD provided exhaustive phonetic information, which Ozhegov’s dictionary lacked. The two dictionaries provided different orthographic information. OALD disclosed semantic information via various tools available in the electronic version; these were unavailable in Ozhegov’s dictionary. Both dictionaries used similar stylistic labels.

Banded versus Single-sided bonded space maintainers: A Comparative Study

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Sudhir Mittal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The present study is conducted to evaluate and compare the clinical performance of conventional band and loop space maintainer and fiber reinforced composite resin (FRCR space maintainers. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 extraction sites in the age group of 6–9 years having premature loss of primary molars or indicated for extraction were selected for the study. The patients were randomly divided into three groups as Group I, in which conventional band and loop space maintainer was given, Group II and Group III (FRCR, in which FRCR (everStick CandB and impregnated glass fibers (Interlig space maintainers were given, respectively. Patients were recalled at 3, 6, and 12-month interval for evaluation of all the three types of space maintainer. Results: Overall success rate of Group I was 86.7%, for Group II was 80%, and for Group III was 73.3% at the end of the study. Patient acceptability was significantly higher in Group II and Group III (FRCR as compared to Group I (Conventional band and loop. In Group I, cement loss and fracture of loop, whereas in Group II and Group III, debonding at enamel composite was the most common failure followed by debonding at fiber composite and fiber fracture. FRCR space maintainers were found to be cost-effective as compared to Group I. More linear changes and angular changes were recorded in Group I as compared to Group II and Group III but difference was not significant (P > 0.05. Conclusion: Only single (buccal surface application of FRCR space maintainers showed almost equal clinical efficacy compared to conventional band and loop space maintainer with significantly better patient acceptability, less cost, and time taken.

Comparative study of Danish prefab houses made of wood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wraber, Ida Kristina

2011-01-01

The use of wood in Danish prefab building projects is increasing, but there is not a strong architectural tradition in Denmark for constructing timber housing. This paper therefore contains a comparative study of various manners of incorporating architectural features in prefab houses made of wood....... In the study four Danish prefab housing concepts based on wood con¬struc¬tion is compared and discussed, in order to investigate and exemplify how it is possible to work with architectural quality in prefab timber housing and maximise the use of the material, the prefab production and the architectural values....... It was concluded that especially two aspects are of great importance for the concrete handling of the architectural quality of prefab houses made of wood; 1) flexibility in relation to user and site, and 2) the interaction between form, logics and material. It is suggested that keeping these two aspects in mind...

Greenlandic adoptees' psychiatric inpatient contact. A comparative register-based study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laubjerg, Merete; Petersson, Birgit

2010-01-01

  The aim is to highlight adoptees' and stepchildren's psychiatric contact and diagnoses compared to non-adoptees. The setting is Greenland and the methodology is a comparative in-ward patient register-based study. The background is the Greenlandic tradition for adoption and community child care...... and international research stressing that adoptees demonstrate reverse health outcomes. The cohort is in-ward patients (> 24 hours), born between 1973 and 2005. Correlation between various dependent and independent variables are analysed. The research makes different comparative statements of psychiatric admissions...... and diagnoses related to adoptees and stepchildren compared to non-adoptees with respect to demographic and socio-economic indicators. The psychiatric data material is collected from 1992 to 2008 and the socio-economic indicators are included from 1996. The findings show, contrary to findings related...

[Titration comparative study of TOPINA Tablets in patients with localization related epilepsy: double-blind comparative study by rapid and slow titration methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Sunao; Inoue, Yushi; Sasagawa, Mutsuo; Kato, Masaaki

2012-04-01

To compare the tolerability and efficacy of two titration methods (rapid and slow titration) for TOPINA Tablets with different dosages and periods of escalation, a double-blind comparative study was conducted in patients with localization-related epilepsy. A total of 183 patients were randomized to either rapid titration (initial dosage 100 mg/day increased by 100-200 mg at weekly intervals) or to slow titration (initial dosage 50 mg/day increased in 50 mg/day increments at weekly intervals). TOPINA Tablets were administered for 12 weeks to the maximum dosage of 400 mg/day. The incident of adverse events leading to treatment interruptions or withdrawals was 18.9% in rapid titration and 14.8% in slow titration, with no statistical significance (p = 0.554). The incident of adverse events and adverse reactions of slow titration was slightly lower than that of rapid titration. The common adverse events and adverse reactions reported in the two titration methods were comparable and were well tolerated. On the other hand, the efficacy of slow titration, percent reduction in seizure rate and responder rate, was comparable with that of rapid titration. In conclusion, there were no significant differences of therapeutic response to TOPINA Tablets between the two titration methods.

Meta-analysis of elective surgical complications related to defunctioning loop ileostomy compared with loop colostomy after low anterior resection for rectal carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Hong Zhi; Nasier, Dilidan; Liu, Bing; Gao, Hua; Xu, Yi Ke

2015-10-01

Introduction Defunctioning loop ileostomy (LI) and loop colostomy (LC) are used widely to protect/treat anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery. However, it is not known which surgical approach has a lower prevalence of surgical complications after low anterior resection for rectal carcinoma (LARRC). Methods We conducted a literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid, Embase and Cochrane databases to identify studies published between 1966 and 2013 focusing on elective surgical complications related to defunctioning LI and LC undertaken to protect a distal rectal anastomosis after LARRC. Results Five studies (two randomized controlled trials, one prospective non-randomized trial, and two retrospective trials) satisfied the inclusion criteria. Outcomes of 1,025 patients (652 LI and 373 LC) were analyzed. After the construction of a LI or LC, there was a significantly lower prevalence of sepsis (p=0.04), prolapse (p=0.03), and parastomal hernia (p=0.02) in LI patients than in LC patients. Also, the prevalence of overall complications was significantly lower in those who received LIs compared with those who received LCs (p<0.0001). After closure of defunctioning loops, there were significantly fewer wound infections (p=0.006) and incisional hernias (p=0.007) in LI patients than in LC patients, but there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of overall complications. Conclusions The results of this meta-analysis show that a defunctioning LI may be superior to LC with respect to a lower prevalence of surgical complications after LARRC.

Comparative metallurgical study of thick hard coatings without cobalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clemendot, F.; Van Duysen, J.C.; Champredonde, J.

1992-07-01

Wear and corrosion of stellite type hard coatings for valves of the PWR primary system raise important problems of contamination. Substitution of these alloys by cobalt-free hard coatings (Colmonoy 4 and 4.26, Cenium 36) should allow to reduce this contamination. A comparative study (chemical, mechanical, thermal, metallurgical), as well as a corrosion study of these coatings were carried out. The results of this characterization show that none of the studied products has globally characteristics as good as those of grade 6 Stellite currently in service

Overlapping montage: a comparative study of mainstream film and moving-image installations

OpenAIRE

Ryan, Orla G.

2005-01-01

This dissertation develops a discussion on the need for a comparative approach to the study of film and moving- image installations. It addresses the lack of critical attention given to moving-image installations within film studies generally and academic teaching programmes in particular. The development of a comparative approach requires researching a number of interlinking and independent fields of study such as film studies, art history/criticism, photography, literary theory, critical th...

Latin America and Beyond: The Case for Comparative Area Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bert Hoffmann

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Comparative Area Studies (CAS emerges as a new approach in which scholars of Latin American Studies engage systematically with scholars working on other world regions. Adopting a focus on intra-, inter- and cross area comparisons, CAS builds on the traditional strengths of area studies. At the same time it enables scholars to have a stronger impact on overarching conceptual debates and it may provide new bridges between area studies scholars and the academic communities in the regions studied. However, a comparative area studies approach requires systematic cooperation among scholars of different world regions, and adequate organizational and institutional structures to support them. Resumen: Latinoamérica y más allá: El caso de los estudios regionales comparativos Los Estudios Regionales Comparativos (Comparative Area Studies – CAS surgen como un enfoque nuevo dentro del cual académicos de Estudios Latinoamericanos colaboran sistemáticamente con académicos que investigan sobre otras regiones del mundo. Tomando como punto de partida comparaciones intrarregionales, interregionales y transregionales, los ERC se basan en los puntos fuertes tradicionales de los estudios regionales. Al mismo tiempo, este enfoque permite a los académicos tener un impacto mayor en los debates conceptuales más amplios y puede tender nuevos puentes entre los académicos de estudios regionales y las comunidades académicas de las regiones estudiadas. Sin embargo, un enfoque de estudios regionales comparativos exige una cooperación sistemática entre académicos de distintas regiones del mundo y unas estructuras organizativas e institucionales adecuadas para apoyarles.

Quality of Austrian and Dutch Falls-Prevention Information: A Comparative Descriptive Study

Science.gov (United States)

Schoberer, Daniela; Mijnarends, Donja M.; Fliedner, Monica; Halfens, Ruud J. G.; Lohrmann, Christa

2016-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality of written patient information material available in Austrian and Dutch hospitals and nursing homes pertaining to falls prevention. Design: Comparative descriptive study design Setting: Hospitals and nursing homes in Austria and the Netherlands. Method: Written patient…

A comparative study of flurbiprofen and piroxicam in osteoarthritis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Misra N

1992-10-01

Full Text Available In this single-blind, multiple-dose study the efficacy and tolerability of flurbiprofen was compared with that of piroxicam in 60 adult patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either flurbiprofen 100 mg twice daily or piroxicam 20 mg once daily for a period of four weeks. Clinical assessments w.r.t. pain, tenderness, stiffness, swelling and general activity of patient were carried out prior to initiation of trial therapy and thereafter at weekly intervals for four weeks. The findings were graded. Though significant improvements as compared to baseline data occurred in both the treatment groups, flurbiprofen was found to be superior to piroxicam in improving pain on movement and at rest (p < 0.05. The incidence of side effects was less in the group receiving flurbiprofen (6% compared to 47% observed with piroxicam.

INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING VERSUS INVERTED FLAP TECHNIQUE FOR TREATMENT OF FULL-THICKNESS MACULAR HOLES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN A LARGE SERIES OF PATIENTS.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzo, Stanislao; Tartaro, Ruggero; Barca, Francesco; Caporossi, Tomaso; Bacherini, Daniela; Giansanti, Fabrizio

2017-12-08

The inverted flap (IF) technique has recently been introduced in macular hole (MH) surgery. The IF technique has shown an increase of the success rate in the case of large MHs and in MHs associated with high myopia. This study reports the anatomical and functional results in a large series of patients affected by MH treated using pars plana vitrectomy and gas tamponade combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling or IF. This is a retrospective, consecutive, nonrandomized comparative study of patients affected by idiopathic or myopic MH treated using small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (25- or 23-gauge) between January 2011 and May 2016. The patients were divided into two groups according to the ILM removal technique (complete removal vs. IF). A subgroup analysis was performed according to the MH diameter (MH peeling and 320 patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy and IF. Overall, 84.94% of the patients had complete anatomical success characterized by MH closure after the operation. In particular, among the patients who underwent only ILM peeling the closure rate was 78.75%; among the patients who underwent the IF technique, it was 91.93% (P = 0.001); and among the patients affected by full-thickness MH ≥400 µm, success was achieved in 95.6% of the cases in the IF group and in 78.6% in the ILM peeling group (P = 0.001); among the patients with an axial length ≥26 mm, success was achieved in 88.4% of the cases in the IF group and in 38.9% in the ILM peeling group (P = 0.001). Average preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.77 (SD = 0.32) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/118 Snellen) in the peeling group and 0.74 (SD = 0.33) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/110 Snellen) in the IF group (P = 0.31). Mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.52 (SD = 0.42) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/66 Snellen) in the peeling group and 0.43 (SD = 0.31) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20

Comparative study of the physiochemical and structural properties of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative analysis of some physiochemical and structural parameters of brown (mature) and green (immature) coconut fibre as adsorbents was studied. The physiochemical and structural properties evaluated were surface area, moisture content, pH, bulk density, pore volume, porosity, ash content, tortuocity and metal ...

Comparative study of the maternal and fetal outcome of women who ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Context: Antepartum haemorrhage is a grave and potentially life threatening condition and a major cause of both maternal and fetal mortality. Objective: To compare the fetal and maternal outcome of patients with abruption placenta and placental praevia. Design/Setting/Subjects: A retrospective comparative study ...

Cognitive Outcomes for Congenital Hypothyroid and Healthy Children: A Comparative Study

OpenAIRE

Mahtab ORDOOEI; Hadi MOTTAGHIPISHEH; Razieh FALLAH*; Azar RABIEE

2014-01-01

How to Cite This Article: Ordooei M, MottaghiPisheh H, Fallah R, Rabiee A. Cognitive Outcomes for Congenital Hypothyroid andHealthy Children: A Comparative Study. Iran J Child Neurol. 2014 Autumn;8(4): 28-32.AbstractObjectiveEarly diagnosis and treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and the prevention of developmental retardation is the main goal of public health national screening programs. This study compares the cognitive ability of children with CH diagnosed by neonatal screening wit...

Radiofrequency-induced thermal therapy: results of a European multicentre study of resistive ablation of incompetent truncal varicose veins.

Science.gov (United States)

Braithwaite, B; Hnatek, L; Zierau, U; Camci, M; Akkersdijk, Gjm; Nio, D; Sarlija, M; Ajduk, M; Santoro, P; Roche, E

2013-02-01

To investigate the effectiveness of bipolar radiofrequency-induced thermal therapy (RFITT) in a multicentre non-randomized study. Some 672 incompetent saphenous veins (85% great saphenous varicose vein, 15% short saphenous vein) in 462 patients (56.5% CEAP [clinical, aetiological, anatomical and pathological elements] class 3 or worse) were treated in eight European centres. Patients were assessed between 180 and 360 days postoperatively. Occlusion rates were determined by duplex ultrasound and compared with the power used for treatment, pull back rate and experience of the operating surgeon. Complete occlusion rates of 98.4% were achieved when treatments were performed by an experienced operator (more than 20 cases), when the maximum power setting on the RFITT generator was between 18 and 20 W and the applicator was withdrawn at a rate slower than 1.5 second/cm RFITT is efficacious, well tolerated by patients and has a low incidence of procedure-related post-operative complications.

Comparative study of atrial fibrillation and AV conduction in mammals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijler, F.L.; Tweel, I. van der

1987-01-01

Atrial fibrillation is one ofthe most common cardiac arrhythmias in humans. It a1so occurs quite frequent1y in dogs and horses. Comparative study of this arrhythmia may contribute to better understanding of the pathophysiologica1 mechanisms involved. In this study, we present a quantitative

A Comparative Study of Learning Organisation Practices of Indian Businesses

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Sonali; Neelam, Netra; Behl, Abhishek; Acharya, Sabyasachi

2017-01-01

Purpose: In this study we compared the learning organisation practices of Indian Businesses across sectors. Methodology: The study is based on a sample of 406 managers of banking, information technology and information technology enabled services (IT/ITES), manufacturing, hotel & hospitality and hospital and healthcare sectors. Learning…

Bilateral Breast Reduction Without Opioid Analgesics: A Comparative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsa, Fereydoun Don; Cheng, Justin; Stephan, Brad; Castel, Nikki; Kim, Leslie; Murariu, Daniel; Parsa, Alan A

2017-09-01

Breast reduction has traditionally been performed under general anesthesia with adjunct opioid use. However, opioids are associated with a wide variety of adverse effects, including nausea, vomiting, constipation, postoperative sedation, dizziness, and addiction. This study compares bilateral breast reduction using a multimodal opioid-free pain management regimen vs traditional general anesthesia with adjunct opioids. A total of 83 female patients were enrolled in this study. Group 1 includes a retrospective series of 39 patients that underwent breast reduction via general anesthesia with adjunct opioid use. This series was compared to 2 prospective groups of patients who did not receive opioids either preoperatively or intraoperatively. In group 2, twenty-six patients underwent surgery under intravenous sedation and local anesthesia. In group 3, eighteen patients underwent surgery with general anesthesia. All patients in groups 2 and 3 received preoperative gabapentin and celecoxib along with infiltration of local anesthetics during the operation and prior to discharge to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Primary outcome measures included the duration of surgery, time from end of operation to discharge home, postoperative opioid and antiemetic use, and unplanned postoperative hospitalizations. When compared to group 1, groups 2 and 3 experienced a shorter time from end of operation to discharge home (P opioid use (P opioid-free bilateral breast reduction either under local or general anesthesia as an outpatient. This method resulted in significantly less morbidity, use of opioids postoperatively, as well as unplanned hospital admissions compared to "traditional" breast reduction under general anesthesia with the use of opioids. 3. © 2017 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com

EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS OF JOB SATISFACTION: COMPARATIVE STUDY ON INDIAN BANKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arunima Shrivastava

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The present study examined the job satisfaction level of a public sector and private sector bank employees in India. The sample consisted of 340 bank employees from both sectors. Job Diagnostic Survey by Hackman and Oldham (1975 was used to ascertain the level of job satisfaction. This study used independent samples t-test and qualitative analysis to study the differences in employee attitudes. Results indicated that the means of the public and private banks were significantly different from each other. It was found that private sector bank employees perceive greater satisfaction with pay, social, and growth aspects of job as compared to public sector bank employees. On the other hand, public sector bank employees have expressed greater satisfaction with job security as compared to private sector bank employees. The findings of the study highlight important satisfiers and dissatisfiers present in the job and suggest both the banks to take performance initiatives in the areas where employees have reported reduced satisfaction.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TERTIARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT BY COMPUTER SIMULATION

OpenAIRE

Stefania Iordache; Nicolae Petrescu; Cornel Ianache

2010-01-01

The aim of this work is to asses conditions for implementation of a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) process in theWastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Moreni city (Romania). In order to meet the more increased environmentalregulations, the wastewater treatment plant that was studied, must update the actual treatment process and have tomodernize it. A comparative study was undertaken of the quality of effluents that could be obtained by implementationof biological nutrient removal process li...

Comparative Study on Research Reactor Operation Requirements of IAEA and Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yune, Young Gill; Chang, Woo Joon; Lee, Jinho

2014-01-01

The IAEA safety requirements represent a consensus view of the IAEA's member states and encompass the recommendations of international experts for the safety of the research reactor. The IAEA safety standards are acknowledged as a global standard by most countries in the world. Therefore, it is desirable to harmonize domestic safety requirements with those of the IAEA. Also, since the IAEA safety requirements include international endeavors to strengthen nuclear safety and to apply the latest nuclear safety technologies to nuclear facilities, a comparative analysis of the safety requirements of the IAEA and Korea for the research reactor will be beneficial to obtaining the insights to improve regulations of the research reactor in Korea. For the reason, a comparative study has been conducted for the research reactor operation safety requirements of the IAEA and Korea in this paper. This paper briefly introduced operation safety requirements in the NS-R-4, analysis methods of this study, and the analysis results. A comparative study has been performed on research reactor operation safety requirements of the IAEA and Korea. This study has identified some gaps in operation safety requirements for the NPP of Korea, comparing with those for the research reactor of the IAEA in the following areas: periodic safety assessment, utilization and modification of the reactor, extended shutdown, inspection/testing/maintenance, operating organization, emergency planning, and commissioning

A Comparative Study of The Economic Performance of Farmers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study determined the better irrigation method between large scale and motorised pump to recommend to farmers in Katsina state of Nigeria. The target populations were Farmers Under Large Scale (FULS) and Farmers Using Motorised Pumps (FUMP) and were compared along their socio-economic characteristics, ...

Comparative study of electron conduction in azulene and naphthalene

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

tional or electronic devices. Recent advances in experi- mental techniques have allowed ... stimulates us to study the electronic conduction in azulene molecule and to compare that with its isomer, naphthalene. ..... ernment of India, for funding and (SD) acknowledges CSIR,. Government of India, for a research fellowship.

Comparative study between computed radiography and conventional radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noorhazleena Azaman; Khairul Anuar Mohd Salleh; Sapizah Rahim; Shaharudin Sayuti; Arshad Yassin; Abdul Razak Hamzah

2010-01-01

In Industrial Radiography, there are many criteria that need to be considered based on established standards to accept or reject the radiographic film. For conventional radiography, we need to consider the optical density by using the densitometer when viewing the film on the viewer. But in the computed radiography (CR) we need to evaluate and performed the analysis from the quality of the digital image through grey value. There are many factors that affected the digital image quality. One of the factors which are affected to the digital image quality in the image processing is grey value that related to the contrast resolution. In this work, we performed grey value study measurement on digital radiography systems and compared it with exposed films in conventional radiography. The test sample is a steel step wedge. We found out the contrast resolution is higher in Computed Radiography compared with Conventional Radiography. (author)

Comparative studies of groundwater vulnerability assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Maria, Rizka

2018-02-01

Pollution of groundwater is a primary issue because aquifers are susceptible to contamination from land use and anthropogenic impacts. Groundwater susceptibility is intrinsic and specific. Intrinsic vulnerability refers to an aquifer that is susceptible to pollution and to the geological and hydrogeological features. Vulnerability assessment is an essential step in assessing groundwater contamination. This approach provides a visual analysis for helping planners and decision makers to achieve the sustainable management of water resources. Comparative studies are applying different methodologies to result in the basic evaluation of the groundwater vulnerability. Based on the comparison of methods, there are several advantages and disadvantages. SI can be overlaid on DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC to extract the divergence in sensitivity. DRASTIC identifies low susceptibility and underestimates the pollution risk while Pesticide DRASTIC and SI represents better risk and is recommended for the future. SINTACS method generates very high vulnerability zones with surface waters and aquifer interactions. GOD method could be adequate for vulnerability mapping in karstified carbonate aquifers at small-moderate scales, and EPIK method can be used for large scale. GOD method is suitable for designing large area such as land management while DRASTIC has good accuracy and more real use in geoenvironmental detailed studies.

Information Technology Diffusion: A Comparative Case Study of Intranet Adoption

OpenAIRE

Zolla, George A., Jr.

1999-01-01

This exploratory study identifies factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of intranet technology. A comparative case study of bipolar organizations is used to identify crucial implementation factors and create an innovation adoption model. A strategic approach for the adoption and diffusion of intranet technology is then presented.

Natalizumab stabilizes physical, cognitive, MRI, and OCT markers of disease activity: A prospective, non-randomized pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garrick D Talmage

Full Text Available Natalizumab is an effective therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in several clinical and imaging studies. The objective of this study was to further demonstrate the efficacy of natalizumab using a comprehensive battery of clinical and imaging markers in the same cohort of patients followed longitudinally, hence capturing the multi-faceted nature of the MS disease process. A prospective, open-label, pilot study of 20 MS patients treated with natalizumab was conducted. High resolution MRI, Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT, and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT scans were obtained at baseline, 48, and 96 weeks. 15 patients completed the study. Natalizumab treatment decreased Expanded Disability Status Scale score (EDSS and no change in SDMT, Brain Parenchymal Fraction (BPF, or any of the OCT markers of retinal degeneration was observed. Thalamic and whole brain volume as assessed by Percentage Brain Volume Change (PBVC showed continuous deterioration. Higher baseline T2 lesion load correlated with increased rate of PBVC at 96-weeks (r = 0.566, R2 = 0.320, p = 0.035 and thalamic volume loss (r = -0.586, R2 = 0.344, p = 0.027. Most patients, 93%, achieved no evidence of disease activity (NEDA at 2 years, likely due to early disease duration and lower initial baseline lesion load. This study further demonstrates stabilization of clinical and imaging markers of disease activity during natalizumab treatment.

Bayesian comparative effectiveness study of four consensus treatment plans for initial management of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: FiRst-Line Options for Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis Treatment (FROST).

Science.gov (United States)

Nigrovic, Peter A; Beukelman, Timothy; Tomlinson, George; Feldman, Brian M; Schanberg, Laura E; Kimura, Yukiko

2018-03-01

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a rare febrile arthritis of childhood characterized by a potentially severe course, including prolonged glucocorticoid exposure, growth failure, destructive arthritis, and life-threatening macrophage activation syndrome. Early cytokine-blocking biologic therapy may improve long-term outcomes, although some systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients respond well to non-biologic treatment, leaving optimal management undefined. Consequently, treatment of new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis by expert clinicians varies widely. To describe a pragmatic, observational comparative effectiveness study that takes advantage of diversity in the management of a rare disease: FiRst-Line Options for Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis Treatment (FROST), comparing non-biologic and biologic consensus treatment plans for new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis within the 60-center Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry (CARRA). FiRst-Line Options for Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis Treatment (FROST) is a multicenter, prospective, non-randomized study that compares four Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) consensus treatment plans for new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: (1) glucocorticoids alone, (2) methotrexate, (3) interleukin-1 blockade, and (4) interleukin-6 blockade. Patients consenting to participation in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry are started on one of four Consensus Treatment Plans at the discretion of the treating physician. The outcome of primary interest is clinically inactive disease off glucocorticoids at 9 months, comparing non-biologic (Consensus Treatment Plans 1 + 2) versus biologic (Consensus Treatment Plans 3 + 4) strategies. Bayesian analytic methods will be employed to evaluate response rates, using propensity scoring to balance treatment groups for potential

Comparative study of the influence of lecture and demonstration ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Teaching methods are teacher's skills and manipulations on the subject matter and the desired responses from the learner. With the application of effective method, the teaching of agricultural science will be facilitated. The study compared the influence of lecture method and demonstration method on the teaching of ...

A comparative study assessing a new tool for occluding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

0.630, p=0.068 and p=0.047, respectively) (Table 2). A comparative study assessing a new tool for occluding parenchymal blood flow during liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma. S Zhou, X-J Xue, R-R Li, D-F Chen, W-Y Chen, G-X Liu, ...

Comparative study of the properties of ordinary portland cement ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study explored metakaolin as alternative material to cement. It compares the properties of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete and binary concrete containing metakaolin as partial replacement of OPC. Two set of concrete samples; one with 10% Metakaolin (MK) replacing OPC by weight, and the other without ...

The Comparative Rowhouse Study: An Introduction to Architectural Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirshorn, Paul

1982-01-01

A course is described that involves a comparative study of Philadelphia rowhouses. Students each visit a house and complete its architectural drawing according to established guidelines. The drawings are later reduced and offset printed for sale. A series of exercises focuses on a number of design elements. (MSE)

Excess Gibbs Energy for Ternary Lattice Solutions of Nonrandom Mixing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Hae Young [DukSung Womens University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2008-12-15

It is assumed for three components lattice solution that the number of ways of arranging particles randomly on the lattice follows a normal distribution of a linear combination of N{sub 12}, N{sub 23}, N{sub 13} which are the number of the nearest neighbor interactions between different molecules. It is shown by random number simulations that this assumption is reasonable. From this distribution, an approximate equation for the excess Gibbs energy of three components lattice solution is derived. Using this equation, several liquid-vapor equilibria are calculated and compared with the results from other equations.

Political Ideology: A Comparative Study of Three Chicano Youth Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Richard A.

The study investigated the political ideology of three Chicano youth groups in El Paso, Texas: Mexican American Youth Association (MAYA), Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), and the Alianza. Purpose of the study was to identify and compare the political ideas and attitudes of the three organizations. Questionnaires were administered to…

Professionalism: A Comparative Case Study of Teachers, Nurses, and Social Workers

Science.gov (United States)

Bair, Mary Antony

2016-01-01

While there are numerous calls to enhance the professionalism of teachers, there is little empirical research in the United States that examines educators' understanding of the concept. This comparative case study compared the conceptualisation of professionalism by faculty and students in a college of education vis-à-vis the conceptualisation of…

Homeless Adolescents' Perceptions of Positive Development: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nott, Brooke Dolenc; Vuchinich, Samuel

2016-01-01

Background: While some recent research has addressed homeless youth from a strengths-based approach, comparative studies of homeless and non-homeless youth from a strengths perspective are few; research that includes youth's views on positive youth development are also limited. Objective: Addressing these gaps and using an inductive approach,…

Comparative study of oven and traditionally roasted suya : an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study of oven and traditionally roasted suya: an indigenous Nigerian meat. M C Okafor, H U Nwanjo, G O Oze. Abstract. No Abstract. Animal Production Research Avancees Vol. 3 (2) 2007: pp. 131-136. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

Comparative study on calcium, magnesium and cobalt in diabetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative study on calcium, magnesium and cobalt in diabetic and non diabetic patients (males) in Punjab, Pakistan. A Anjum, M Yousaf, M Zuber, HB Ahmad, AF Zahoor, ZI Khan, K Ahmad, S Naheed, KG Ali, A Jabbar, TH Bukhari, S Hina, S Ahmad, MK Mukhtar, M Arshad, A Hussain ...

A comparative study of ICU patient diaries vs. hospital charts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egerod, Ingrid; Christensen, Doris

2010-01-01

Intensive care survivors often suffer from memory disorders, and some go on to develop anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Since the 1980s nurses have written diaries for intensive care patients to help them understand their illness and come to terms with their experiences after...... discharge. The central question we posed in this study was: Why do nurses write diaries in addition to conventional charting in the medical record? To answer this question, we compared intensive care diaries and hospital charts using textual analysis and narrative theory. The aims of our study were...... to compare patient diaries and hospital charts to explore (a) what each documentation instrument has to offer patients in their quest to make sense of their illness, and (b) why it is worthwhile for nurses to sustain the practice of writing diaries. The study findings show that the diary is coherent...

A Prospective Comparative Study of the Bacterial Flora of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A qualitative comparative study of the bacterial flora of the vagina and cervix of 90 non-pregnant women of childbearing age (18-35 years) in Calabar was undertaken. The study revealed that both aerobic and microaerophilic organisms as well as the strictly anaerobic bacteria constituted the microflora of the lower genital of ...

Paracetamol suppositories: a comparative study.

OpenAIRE

Cullen, S; Kenny, D; Ward, O C; Sabra, K

1989-01-01

Paracetamol suppositories in two different bases were given to children who had fever after operations. Plasma concentrations and the effect on temperature were compared. There was a significant correlation between peak plasma concentrations and maximum drop in temperature. A lipophilic base produced better results than a hydrophilic base.

A simulation study comparing aberration detection algorithms for syndromic surveillance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Painter Ian

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The usefulness of syndromic surveillance for early outbreak detection depends in part on effective statistical aberration detection. However, few published studies have compared different detection algorithms on identical data. In the largest simulation study conducted to date, we compared the performance of six aberration detection algorithms on simulated outbreaks superimposed on authentic syndromic surveillance data. Methods We compared three control-chart-based statistics, two exponential weighted moving averages, and a generalized linear model. We simulated 310 unique outbreak signals, and added these to actual daily counts of four syndromes monitored by Public Health – Seattle and King County's syndromic surveillance system. We compared the sensitivity of the six algorithms at detecting these simulated outbreaks at a fixed alert rate of 0.01. Results Stratified by baseline or by outbreak distribution, duration, or size, the generalized linear model was more sensitive than the other algorithms and detected 54% (95% CI = 52%–56% of the simulated epidemics when run at an alert rate of 0.01. However, all of the algorithms had poor sensitivity, particularly for outbreaks that did not begin with a surge of cases. Conclusion When tested on county-level data aggregated across age groups, these algorithms often did not perform well in detecting signals other than large, rapid increases in case counts relative to baseline levels.

A robust TDT-type association test under informative parental missingness.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J H; Cheng, K F

2011-02-10

Many family-based association tests rely on the random transmission of alleles from parents to offspring. Among them, the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) may be considered to be the most popular statistical test. The TDT statistic and its variations were proposed to evaluate nonrandom transmission of alleles from parents to the diseased children. However, in family studies, parental genotypes may be missing due to parental death, loss, divorce, or other reasons. Under some missingness conditions, nonrandom transmission of alleles may still occur even when the gene and disease are not associated. As a consequence, the usual TDT-type tests would produce excessive false positive conclusions in association studies. In this paper, we propose a novel TDT-type association test which is not only simple in computation but also robust to the joint effect of population stratification and informative parental missingness. Our test is model-free and allows for different mechanisms of parental missingness across subpopulations. We use a simulation study to compare the performance of the new test with TDT and point out the advantage of the new method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Student Achievement in Ohio Charter Schools: A Comparative and Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kotler, Ruth M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate fifth-grade student achievement in Ohio public charter schools as compared to student achievement in traditional public schools, and to determine whether the performance of charter schools changed over time. Research questions asked 1) how does student achievement in Ohio's public charters compare to…

Comparative studies of industrial grade carbon black powders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chawla, Komal, E-mail: komalchawla.rs@gmail.com; Chauhan, Alok P. S., E-mail: chauhan.alok@gmail.com, E-mail: alok.chauhan@alumni.stonybrook.edu [Department of Physics and Material Science and Engineering, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector-62, Noida-201307, UP, India. (India)

2016-05-06

Comparative studies of two dissimilar industrial grade Carbon Black (CB) powders (N375 and N405) were conducted. The structure, surface area and particle size are the three important characteristics of CB powder that determine their processability and application as filler in preparing rubber compounds. The powders were characterized for their structure using dibutyl phthalate absorption (DBPA), particle size via laser particle size analyzer and surface area by nitrogen adsorption method. The structural characterization showed that N405 had lower DBPA in comparison to N375, confirming low structure of N405 grade CB powder. It was observed from the particle size analysis that N375 was coarser than N405 grade CB. The total surface area values were determined by the BET method based on the cross sectional area of the nitrogen molecule. N375, a coarse grade CB powder with high structure, depicted less surface area as compared to N405.

A prospective, randomized multicenter study comparing APD and CAPD treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bro, S; Bjorner, J B; Tofte-Jensen, P

2000-01-01

, dialysis-related complications, dialysis-related expenses. RESULTS: The quality-of-life studies showed that significantly more time for work, family, and social activities was available to patients on APD compared to those on CAPD (p ...) treatment with respect to quality of life and clinical outcomes in relation to therapy costs. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized multicenter study. SETTING: Three Danish CAPD units. PATIENTS: Thirty-four adequately dialyzed patients with high or high-average peritoneal transport characteristics were included...... were assessed at baseline and after 6 months by the self-administered short-form SF-36 generic health survey questionnaire supplemented with disease- and treatment-specific questions. Therapy costs were compared by evaluating dialysis-related expenses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality-of-life parameters...

Comparative study of oxihydrogen injection in turbocharged compression ignition engines

Science.gov (United States)

Barna, L.; Lelea, D.

2018-01-01

This document proposes for analysis, comparative study of the turbocharged, compression-ignition engine, equipped with EGR valve, operation in case the injection in intake manifold thereof a maximum flow rate of 1l/min oxyhydrogen resulted of water electrolysis, at two different injection pressures, namely 100 Pa and 3000 Pa, from the point of view of flue gas opacity. We found a substantial reduction of flue gas opacity in both cases compared to conventional diesel operation, but in different proportions.

A comparative study of bike lane injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wee, Jung Hee; Park, Jeong Ho; Park, Kyu Nam; Choi, Seung Pill

2012-02-01

Because of the increased number of bicycle riders and governmental promotions, a recent increase in the construction of bicycle lanes has occurred. We aimed to characterize injuries specific to bicycle lane accidents by comparing them with injuries that occurred on regular roadways. On the basis of our findings, we provide suggestions on proper preventive strategies. We performed a retrospective study on 408 cases obtained between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. Of these cases, 387 met the criterion that the location of the injury could be confirmed by telephone or via review of the patient's chart. Data regarding age, gender, Injury Severity Score, time of the accident, location of the accident, and other characteristics were collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0K. Of the 387 cases, 204 (52.7%) patients were injured in bicycle lanes and 183 (47.3%) were injured on regular roadways. Comparing cases of bicycle lane injuries and non-bicycle lane injuries, there were no differences in age, day of the week, season, or the time at which the accident occurred. Bicycle helmets were used more frequently in bicycle lane injuries (33.2% vs. 13.7%; p cases, falls (42.6%) and collisions with other vehicles (39.3%) were the most common causes of injury. Although the severity of injuries was slightly lower in bicycle lane cases, it was not significantly lower than non-bicycle lane cases. Although people are increasingly using bicycle lanes for safety, this study shows that they are not definitively safer. Therefore, improvements in the policies related to implementing bicycle lane safety are needed, for example, by enforcing the use of protective gear or preventing the use of bicycle lanes by pedestrians. More safety education programs are also needed. III.

Paracetamol suppositories: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, S; Kenny, D; Ward, O C; Sabra, K

1989-01-01

Paracetamol suppositories in two different bases were given to children who had fever after operations. Plasma concentrations and the effect on temperature were compared. There was a significant correlation between peak plasma concentrations and maximum drop in temperature. A lipophilic base produced better results than a hydrophilic base. PMID:2817936

Africa and Ethnic Conflict Management: A Comparative Study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Relying on the comparative study of Nigeria and South Africa, it is the contention in this paper that ethnic conflict which has been at the heart of African countries development problem is a product of skewed economy, authoritarian governance and religious bigotry. There is no gainsaying the fact that African countries in ...

Immunogenicity and safety of an adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit candidate vaccine in adults ≥ 50 years of age with a prior history of herpes zoster: A phase III, non-randomized, open-label clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Godeaux, Olivier; Kovac, Martina; Shu, Daniel; Grupping, Katrijn; Campora, Laura; Douha, Martine; Heineman, Thomas C; Lal, Himal

2017-05-04

This phase III, non-randomized, open-label, multi-center study (NCT01827839) evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of an adjuvanted recombinant subunit herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine (HZ/su) in adults aged ≥ 50 y with prior physician-documented history of HZ. Participants (stratified by age: 50-59, 60-69 and ≥ 70 y) received 2 doses of HZ/su 2 months apart and were followed-up for another 12 months. Anti-glycoprotein E (gE) antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before vaccination and 1 month after the second dose (Month 3). Solicited local and general adverse events (AEs) were recorded for 7 d and unsolicited AEs for 30 d after each vaccination. Serious AEs were recorded until study end. The primary immunogenicity objective was met if the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the vaccine response rate (VRR), defined as a 4-fold increase in anti-gE over baseline, at Month 3 was ≥ 60%. 96 participants (32/age group) were enrolled. The primary immunogenicity objective was met, as the VRR at Month 3 was 90.2% (95% CI: 81.7-95.7). Geometric mean anti-gE antibody concentrations at Month 3 were similar across age groups. 77.9% and 71.6% of participants reported local and general solicited AEs, respectively. The most frequent solicited AEs were pain at injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia and shivering. The HZ/su vaccine was immunogenic in adults aged ≥ 50 y with a physician-documented history of HZ, and no safety concerns were identified.

A Comparative Study of Students' Achievement in Botany and Zoology

Science.gov (United States)

Tamir, P.

1974-01-01

A comparative study of student achievement in botany and zoology based on data of 10 studies conducted in 20 countries. Up to age 14, students achieve better in zoology; after age 14, students achieve better in botany. Based on the findings, recommendations are suggested regarding curriculum planning, laboratory work and the need for specific…

Comparative Study on the Effects of Crude Extracts of Pterocarpus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative study on the effects of crude extracts of pterocarpus soyauxii and Telfairia occidentalis on haematological parameters of albino wistar rats was carried out. Forty nine albino rats of both sexes, weighing between 150 and 250 g were used for the study. The rats were divided into seven groups of seven rats each.

Effects of study design and trends for EVAR versus OSR

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Robert Hopkins

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Robert Hopkins1, James Bowen1, Kaitryn Campbell1, Gord Blackhouse4, Guy De Rose2,3, Teresa Novick2, Daria O’Reilly1,4, Ron Goeree1,4, Jean-Eric Tarride1,41Programs for the Assessment of Technology in Health (PATH Research Institute, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics; 2Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada; 3Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; 4Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaPurpose: To investigate if study design factors such as randomization, multi-centre versus single centre evidence, institutional surgical volume, and patient selection affect the outcomes for endovascular repair (EVAR versus open surgical repair (OSR. Finally, we investigate trends over time in EVAR versus OSR outcomes.Methods: Search strategies for comparative studies were performed individually for: OVID’s MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, HAPI, and Evidence Based Medicine (EBM Reviews (including Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE and CCTR, limited to 1990 and November 2006.Results: Identified literature: 84 comparative studies pertaining to 57,645 patients. These include 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs, plus 2 RCTs with long-term follow-up. The other 78 comparative studies were nonrandomized with 75 reporting perioperative outcomes, of which 16 were multi-centre, and 59 single-centre studies. Of the single-centre studies 31 were low-volume and 28 were high-volume centres. In addition, 5 studies had all patients anatomically eligible for EVAR, and 8 studies included high-risk patients only. Finally, 25 long term observational studies reported outcomes up to 3 years.Outcomes: Lower perioperative mortality and rates of complications for EVAR versus OSR varied across study designs and patient

Mating schemes for optimum contribution selection with constrained rates of inbreeding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sonesson, A.K.; Meuwissen, T.H.E.

2000-01-01

The effect of non-random mating on genetic response was compared for populations with discrete generations. Mating followed a selection step where the average coancestry of selected animals was constrained, while genetic response was maximised. Minimum coancestry (MC), Minimum coancestry with a

Comparative study of dihydroartemisinin and artesunate safety in healthy Thai volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kongpatanakul, S; Chatsiricharoenkul, S; Khuhapinant, A; Atipas, S; Kaewkungwal, J

2009-09-01

As part of new drug development initiatives in Thailand, a new tablet formulation of dihydroartemisinin (DHA, an antimalarial drug) has been developed. Our previous bioequivalence study indicated that the new and reference DHA formulations were well tolerated; however, a significant decrease in hemoglobin was detected after a single 200-mg oral dose. To explore further, a clinical study with an emphasis on hematological parameters was conducted. A single-center, randomized, single-blind, cross-over clinical study was conducted in 18 healthy volunteers with a dosage of 300 mg daily for 2 days. Artesunate was used as a comparator. Adverse events were monitored and laboratory parameters on study Days 0, 2, 5, and 7 post drug administrations were analyzed. Eighteen volunteers completed both rounds of the study. Both drugs were well tolerated. All adverse events were mild. Significant decrease in hemoglobin compared to baseline was detected for both drugs 7 days after administration (DHA: 0.48 g/dl, p = 0.007; artesunate 0.38 g/dl, p = 0.001). Transient bone marrow suppression was evidenced by reduction of reticulocytes with a lowest number on study Day 5 (artesunate 75% reduction in reticulocyte count; DHA 47%, p < 0.001 for both drugs compared to baseline). The present study confirmed our previous finding on significant decrease in hemoglobin. Artesunate appeared to have more negative effects on the numbers of reticulocytes and white blood cells than DHA. Systemic laboratory and toxicity profiles presented in this study may be used as a framework for future clinical studies of artemisinin and its derivatives.

[The investigation of genomes of some species of the genus Gentiana in nature and in vitro cell culture].

Science.gov (United States)

Mel'nyk, V M; Spiridonova, K V; Andrieiev, I O; Strashniuk, N M; Kunakh, V A

2002-01-01

The comparative study of the genomes of intact plants-representatives of some species of the genus Gentiana L. as well as cultured cells of G. lutea and G. punctata was performed using restriction analysis. Species specificity of restriction fragment patterns for studied representatives of this genus was revealed. The differences between electrophoretic patterns of digested DNA purified from rhizome and leaves of G. lutea and G. punctata were found. The changes in genomes of G. lutea and G. punctata cells cultured in vitro compared with the genomes of intact plants were detected. The data obtained evidence that some of them may be of nonrandom character.

Teaching religions in Indonesia Islamic Higher education: from comparative religion to Religious Studies

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Media Zainul Bahri

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on how the study of Comparative Religion conducted in Indonesian Islamic higher institutions, i.e. on both UIN Yogyakarta and Jakartasince the beginning of the New Order (1960s to Reform era (2014. The focus of the study was on models/approaches and main issues. In general, for more than half a century, the comparative study of religion is not been done for academic purposes an sich. Just within the new last decade that theoretical studies of Comparative Religion began developed. Another important thing that the study of Comparative Religion in Indonesia, although mostly referring to the methodological sources of the West and the Middle East, but ithas always been associated with religious and cultural context of Indonesia.Therefore, the study on both UIN Yogyakarta and Jakarta always deliver courseson religions that live in Indonesia alongside with Indonesian contemporary issues. In the reform era, though still using Comparative Religion’s term, butit looks religious studies such as used in the West. Thus, its “form” or “clothes”is Comparative Religion but it is religious studies. Artikel ini fokus pada bagaimana studi Perbandingan Agama yang dilakukan di lembaga-lembaga pendidikan tinggi Islam Indonesia, yaitu pada UIN Yogyakarta dan Jakarta sejak awal Orde Baru (1960 Reformasi era (2014. Fokus penelitian adalah pada model/pendekatan dan isu-isu utama. Secara umum, selama lebih dari setengah abad, studi perbandingan agama tidak dilakukan untuk tujuan akademik an sich. Hanya dalam dekade terakhir studi teoritis Perbandingan Agama mulai dikembangkan. Hal lain yang penting bahwa studi Perbandingan Agama di Indonesia, meskipun sebagian besar mengacu padasumber-sumber metodologi Barat dan Timur Tengah, tetapi selalu dikaitkan dengan konteks agama dan budaya Indonesia. Oleh karena itu, penelitian pada kedua UIN Yogyakarta dan Jakarta selalu memberikan kursus tentang agamayang hidup di Indonesia bersama dengan isu

Comparative study Beamnrc VS Pinnacle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno Reyes, J. C.; Macias Jaen, J.; Jimenez Ortega, E.

2013-01-01

Has been developed in JAVA a software application called JJGAMMA, capable of manipulating the environment BEAMNRC and Pinnacle output formats 3 , comfortable, fast and accurately. As particular application you can use to compare dose distributions (plans for treatments, checking fields for modeling and clinical accelerators Commissioner) using, as objective criteria, function or Gamma index. (Author)

[Comparing audiological evaluation and screening: a study on presbycusis].

Science.gov (United States)

Samelli, Alessandra Giannella; Negretti, Camila Aparecida; Ueda, Kerli Saori; Moreira, Renata Rodrigues; Schochat, Eliane

2011-01-01

Given the high prevalence of presbycusis and the damage it brings about, a screening test can be useful in the identification of hearing loss in primary care. To estimate the prevalence of hearing loss in a representative sample of elderly people living at Butantan using an audiological screening method (questionnaire) and a basic audiological evaluation; to compare the results of the two kinds of evaluations, checking the validity of this tool for hearing loss screening. Cross sectional descriptive study. 200 individuals (above 60 years old, both genders) were randomly selected to undergo audiological screening (questionnaire). Another randomly selected group encompassed 100 individuals who were submitted to a set of audiological tests. Then, we compared the results from the two methods. There were no statistically significant associations between the questionnaire and the degree of hearing loss of the patients. The prevalence of hearing loss in our sample was of 56% in the screening and of 95% when checked by the audiological evaluation. Therefore, screening was not proven valid to assess hearing when compared to audiological evaluation.

Empirical Study of Consumer Ethics: A Comparative Study of Two Firms of Faisalabad, Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Cheema, Khaliq Ur Rehman; Imtiaz, Nasir; Shafiq, Yasir

2013-01-01

Ethics are very important factor in today business. We have conducted this study to identify consumer ethics and their buying behavior in Particular two Organizations of Faisalabad, to study the consumer ethics we used four different dimensions. The purpose of this paper to find the situation in which consumer behaves unethically in Pakistan. And the result compares with previous consumer ethics researches. It is an exploratory research for the purpose of seeing the consumer ethics. The study...

Comparative phytochemical and growth inhibitory studies on the leaf ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative phytochemical and growth inhibitory studies on the leaf and root bark extracts of securinega Virosa (roxb ex. Willd) baill ... The growth inhibitory tests were carried out between 1-30 mg/ in a period of 24-96 h while the phytochemical screening was carried out on the plant parts using standard methods. At 24 h ...

COMPARATIVE STUDY TO EVALUATE LIPID-LOWERING EFFECT OF

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Niteesh Shanbag

2017-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Dyslipidaemia is a widely established risk factor for coronary artery disease. As Asians differ in pattern of various lipid abnormalities than non-Asians, this study was undertaken to compare efficacy of commonly administrated drugs, atorvastatin and fenofibrate. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was carried out in 100 diagnosed cases of hypertriglyceridaemia divided into two groups, A and B. The mean, standard deviation, standard error of mean and t value were calculated following 12 weeks of therapy of atorvastatin 10 mg in group A and micronized fenofibrate in group B. RESULTS Our study showed that fenofibrate is more efficacious in reducing the levels of triglycerides and rising level of HDL cholesterol, while atorvastatin is more efficacious in reducing LDL cholesterol. CONCLUSION Micronized fenofibrate has more efficiency in reducing triglycerides and raising HDL. Atorvastatin is more efficacious in reducing LDL levels.

Comparative study of Si diodes for gamma radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascoalino, Kelly Cristina da Silva

2010-01-01

In this work it is presented the comparative study of Si diodes response for gamma radiation dosimetry. The diodes investigated, grown by float zone (Fz) and magnetic Czochralski (MCz) techniques, were processed at the Physics Institute of Helsinki University in the framework of the research and development of rad-hard silicon devices. To study the dosimetric response of these diodes they were connected in the photovoltaic mode to the input of a digital electrometer to measure the photocurrent signal due to the incidence of gamma-rays from a 60 Co source (Gammacell 220). The dosimetric parameter utilized to study the response of these devices was the charge, obtained trough the integration of the current signals, as a function of the absorbed dose. Studies of the influence of the pre-irradiation procedures on both sensitivity and stability of these diodes showed that the sensitivity decreased with the total absorbed dose but after a preirradiation of about 873 kGy they became more stable. Radiation damage effects eventually produced in the devices were monitored trough dynamic current and capacitance measurements after each irradiation step. Both samples also exhibited good response reproducibility, 2,21% (Fz) and 2,94% (MCz), obtained with 13 consecutive measurements of 15 kGy compared with the equivalent 195 kGy absorbed dose in one step of irradiation. It is important to note that these results are better than those obtained with routine polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) dosimeters used in radiation processing dosimetry. (author)

Multiple comparative studies of Green Supply Chain Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Lihui; Mathiyazhagan, K.; Govindan, Kannan

2013-01-01

friendly operation strategies to lower their overall carbon footprint. Currently, there is increased awareness among customers even in developing countries about eco friendly manufacturing solutions. Multi-national firms have identified economies of developed nations as a potential market...... for their products. Such organizations in developing countries like India and China are under pressure to adopt green concepts in supply chain operations to compete in the market and satisfy their customers' increasing needs. This paper offers a comparative study of pressures that impact the adoption of Green Supply...

A comparative study of child marriage and parenthood in Ethiopia ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

A comparative study of child marriage and parenthood in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Zambia ... By taking an approach that emphasizes life course poverty and gender ... Goal #5, Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Comparative Study of Inference Methods for Bayesian Nonnegative Matrix Factorisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brouwer, Thomas; Frellsen, Jes; Liò, Pietro

2017-01-01

In this paper, we study the trade-offs of different inference approaches for Bayesian matrix factorisation methods, which are commonly used for predicting missing values, and for finding patterns in the data. In particular, we consider Bayesian nonnegative variants of matrix factorisation and tri......-factorisation, and compare non-probabilistic inference, Gibbs sampling, variational Bayesian inference, and a maximum-a-posteriori approach. The variational approach is new for the Bayesian nonnegative models. We compare their convergence, and robustness to noise and sparsity of the data, on both synthetic and real...

A comparative study on life cycle assessment of micro and macro components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Omidvarnia, Farzaneh; Islam, Aminul; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2013-01-01

their smaller dimensional scale. So performing of LCA for micro products is equally important as it is for macro products. Keeping this motivation in mind, current paper systematically performs the LCA of a micro Socket used in hearing aids. The analysis makes a guide line about how to use the conventional...... knowledge about LCA and tools for the efficient LCA analysis of the micro parts. A comparative study is made in the paper by comparing two different sockets of hearing aid and it shows well how to make a comparative study for LCAwhen the manufacturer makes a new product to replace an old one. Another...

Business Ethics and Military Ethics ： A Study in Comparative Applied Ethics

OpenAIRE

Shaw, William H.

2012-01-01

In the past three decades, philosophers have delved into applied ethics, pursuing a surprisingly wide range of practically oriented normative questions, and a number of fields of applied ethical research and teaching are flourishing. There have, however, been few comparative studies of different fields in applied ethics, but such studies can, I believe, teach us something. Accordingly, this essay compares and contrasts business ethics and military ethics as distinct disciplinar...

Balance Sheets Versus Decision Dashboards to Support Patient Treatment Choices: A Comparative Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, James G; Veazie, Peter J

2015-12-01

Growing recognition of the importance of involving patients in preference-driven healthcare decisions has highlighted the need to develop practical strategies to implement patient-centered shared decision-making. The use of tabular balance sheets to support clinical decision-making is well established. More recent evidence suggests that graphic, interactive decision dashboards can help people derive deeper a understanding of information within a specific decision context. We therefore conducted a non-randomized trial comparing the effects of adding an interactive dashboard to a static tabular balance sheet on patient decision-making. The study population consisted of members of the ResearchMatch registry who volunteered to participate in a study of medical decision-making. Two separate surveys were conducted: one in the control group and one in the intervention group. All participants were instructed to imagine they were newly diagnosed with a chronic illness and were asked to choose between three hypothetical drug treatments, which varied with regard to effectiveness, side effects, and out-of-pocket cost. Both groups made an initial treatment choice after reviewing a balance sheet. After a brief "washout" period, members of the control group made a second treatment choice after reviewing the balance sheet again, while intervention group members made a second treatment choice after reviewing an interactive decision dashboard containing the same information. After both choices, participants rated their degree of confidence in their choice on a 1 to 10 scale. Members of the dashboard intervention group were more likely to change their choice of preferred drug (10.2 versus 7.5%; p = 0.054) and had a larger increase in decision confidence than the control group (0.67 versus 0.075; p < 0.03). There were no statistically significant between-group differences in decisional conflict or decision aid acceptability. These findings suggest that clinical decision dashboards may

Comparative study on gene set and pathway topology-based enrichment methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayerlová, Michaela; Jung, Klaus; Kramer, Frank; Klemm, Florian; Bleckmann, Annalen; Beißbarth, Tim

2015-10-22

Enrichment analysis is a popular approach to identify pathways or sets of genes which are significantly enriched in the context of differentially expressed genes. The traditional gene set enrichment approach considers a pathway as a simple gene list disregarding any knowledge of gene or protein interactions. In contrast, the new group of so called pathway topology-based methods integrates the topological structure of a pathway into the analysis. We comparatively investigated gene set and pathway topology-based enrichment approaches, considering three gene set and four topological methods. These methods were compared in two extensive simulation studies and on a benchmark of 36 real datasets, providing the same pathway input data for all methods. In the benchmark data analysis both types of methods showed a comparable ability to detect enriched pathways. The first simulation study was conducted with KEGG pathways, which showed considerable gene overlaps between each other. In this study with original KEGG pathways, none of the topology-based methods outperformed the gene set approach. Therefore, a second simulation study was performed on non-overlapping pathways created by unique gene IDs. Here, methods accounting for pathway topology reached higher accuracy than the gene set methods, however their sensitivity was lower. We conducted one of the first comprehensive comparative works on evaluating gene set against pathway topology-based enrichment methods. The topological methods showed better performance in the simulation scenarios with non-overlapping pathways, however, they were not conclusively better in the other scenarios. This suggests that simple gene set approach might be sufficient to detect an enriched pathway under realistic circumstances. Nevertheless, more extensive studies and further benchmark data are needed to systematically evaluate these methods and to assess what gain and cost pathway topology information introduces into enrichment analysis. Both

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE BURDEN OF BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER AND SCHIZOPHRENIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Jayakrishnaveni

2018-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Mental and behavioural disorders have a large impact on individuals, family and communities. There is a paucity of studies on burden and cost of illness of Bipolar Affective Disorder both internationally and in India. Such studies are important for clinical management and policy decisions. Aim of the study - The aim of the present study is to assess the magnitude of the cost of illness and family burden of Bipolar Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia and to find out the difference in the burden of the caregivers for both the groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted in the outpatient department of Institute of Mental Health, Chennai. Sixty patients in each group were included by stratified sampling. Caregivers living with patients for atleast one year are included in the study, and those with any comorbid illness, were excluded from the study. ICD -10 diagnostic and research criteria were used for diagnosis of BPAD and Schizophrenia, Questionnaire for Assessment of Cost of Illness was used to assess cost of illness and Family Burden Interview Schedule was used to assess burden of caregivers. RESULTS Schizophrenia patients are mostly from urban, nuclear family. The illness characters & sociodemographic profile of caregivers are comparable. Lifetime costs and loss of income over lifetime was more in schizophrenia. Loss of income in the past year was similar. The burden was comparable for caregivers of both groups in disruption of family routine, interaction with family members, effect on mental health. CONCLUSION Burden of both diseases were comparable except schizophrenics experience more financial burden.

Endoscopy/EUS-guided fiducial marker placement in patients with esophageal cancer: a comparative analysis of 3 types of markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Machiels, Melanie; van Hooft, Jeanin; Jin, Peng; van Berge Henegouwen, Mark I; van Laarhoven, Hanneke M; Alderliesten, Tanja; Hulshof, Maarten C

2015-10-01

Markers placed at the borders of esophageal tumors are potentially useful to facilitate radiotherapy (RT) target delineation, which offers the possibility of image-guided RT. To evaluate and compare the feasibility and technical benefit of endoscopy/EUS-guided marker placement of 3 different types of markers in patients with esophageal cancer referred for RT. Prospective, single-center, feasibility and comparative study. Tertiary-care medical center. Thirty patients with esophageal cancer who were referred for RT. Patients underwent endoscopy/EUS-guided implantation of 1 type of marker. A solid gold marker (SM) with fixed dimensions, a flexible coil-shaped gold marker (FM) with hand-cut length (2-10 mm), and a radiopaque hydrogel marker (HG) were used. Technical feasibility and adverse events were registered. CT scans and cone-beam CT scans (CBCT) acquired during RT were analyzed to determine and compare the visibility and continuous clear visibility of the implanted markers. Technical feasibility, technical benefit, and adverse events of 3 types of markers. A total of 101 markers were placed in 30 patients. Implantation was technically feasible in all patients without grade 3 to 4 adverse events. Two patients with asymptomatic mediastinitis and one with asymptomatic pneumothorax were seen. Visibility on CT scan of all 3 types of implanted markers was adequate for target delineation. Eighty percent of FMs remained continuously visible over the treatment period on CBCT, significantly better than SMs (63%) and HGs (11%) (P = .015). When we selected FMs ≥5 mm, 90.5% remained visible on CBCT between implantation and the end of RT. Single-center, nonrandomized design. Endoscopy/EUS-guided fiducial marker placement for esophageal cancer is both safe and feasible and can be used for target volume delineation purposes on CT. Our results imply a significant advantage of FMs over SMs and HGs, regarding visibility and continuous clear visibility over the treatment period

Comparative study on optical performance and visual outcomes between two diffractive multifocal lenses: AMO Tecnis ® ZMB00 and AcrySof ® IQ ReSTOR ® Multifocal IOL SN6AD1

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Mario Augusto Pereira Dias Chaves

2016-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: To compare the optical performance and visual outcomes between two diffractive multifocal lenses: AMO Tecnis® ZMB00 and AcrySof® ReSTOR® SN6AD1. Methods: This prospective, non-randomized comparative study included the assessment of 74 eyes in 37 patients referred for cataract surgery and candidates for multifocal intraocular lens implants. Exclusion criteria included existence of any other eye disease, previous eye surgery, high axial myopia, preoperative corneal astigmatism of >1.00 cylindrical diopter (D, and intraoperative or postoperative complications. Ophthalmological evaluation included the measurement of uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA, distance-corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA, and distance-corrected intermediate visual acuity (DCIVA, with analysis of contrast sensitivity (CS, wavefront, and visual defocus curve. Results: Postoperative UDVA was 0.09 and 0.08 logMAR in the SN6AD1 and ZMB00 groups, respectively (p=0.868; postoperative CDVA was 0.04 and 0.02 logMAR in the SN6AD1 and ZMB00 groups, respectively (p=0.68; DCIVA was 0.17 and 0.54 logMAR in the SN6AD1 and ZMB00 groups, respectively (p=0.000; and DCNVA was 0.04 and 0.09 logMAR in the SN6AD1 and ZMB00 groups, respectively (p=0.001. In both cases, there was an improvement in the spherical equivalent and UDVA (p<0.05. Under photopic conditions, the SN6AD1 group had better CS at low frequencies without glare (p=0.04; however, the ZMB00 group achieved better sensitivity at high frequencies with glare (p=0.003. The SN6AD1 and ZMB00 lenses exhibited similar behavior for intermediate vision, according to the defocus curve; however, the ZMB00 group showed a shorter reading distance than the SN6AD1 group. There were no significant differences regarding aberrometry between the two groups. Conclusion: Both lenses promoted better quality of vision for both long and short distances and exhibited a similar behavior for

Minimally Invasive versus Open Approach for Right-Sided Colectomy: A Study in 12,006 Patients from the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosker, Robbert J I; Van't Riet, Esther; de Noo, Mirre; Vermaas, Maarten; Karsten, Tom M; Pierie, Jean-Pierre

2018-02-07

There is ongoing debate whether laparoscopic right colectomy is superior to open surgery. The purpose of this study was to address this issue and arrive at a consensus using data from a national database. Patients who underwent elective open or laparoscopic right colectomy for colorectal cancer during the period 2009-2013 were identified from the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit. Complications that occurred within 30 days after surgery and 30-day mortality rates were calculated and compared between open and laparoscopic resection. In total, 12,006 patients underwent elective open or laparoscopic surgery for right-sided colorectal cancer. Of these, 6,683 (55.7%) underwent open resection and 5,323 (44.3%) underwent laparoscopic resection. Complications occurred within 30 days after surgery in the laparoscopic group in 26.1% of patients and in 32.1% of patients in the open group (p < 0.001). Thirty-day mortality was also significantly lower in the laparoscopic group (2.2 vs. 3.6% p < 0.001). In this non-randomized, descriptive study conducted in the Netherlands, open right colectomy seems to have a higher risk for complications and mortality as compared to laparoscopic right colectomy, even after correction for confounding factors. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PLURALISM AND THE STUDY OF RELIGION: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.L. SAMIAN

2010-11-01

Full Text Available In the Malaysian government outline of Vision 2020, the importance of the study of religion as an integral component of general education is explicitly stated. This paper examines the present state of comparative religious studies in Malaysian Institutes of Higher Learning. Several philosophical issues are highlighted including the local concept and objective of religious studies, suitability of courses offered, and its relevance to the national development, i.e., industrialization of the country. An attempt is made to suggest how the religious course in a plural society like Malaysia, in the future, can be used to achieve Vision 2020 by integrating science and religion based on the position that science is a problem-solving activity.

Modern needs in health technology assessment: a study of comparative effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Pavlysh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Health technology assessment is a key component of healthcare decision making in most of the developed countries. Comparative effectiveness research as one of the elements of such assessment is becoming increasingly important in recent years. It is based on the effectiveness analysis of health technologies in real clinical practice setting. The authors have analyzed publications dedicated to these issues and showed the main methods of such study, its peculiarities, advantages and disadvantages. It has been revealed that the most frequently used designs of expert analysis are observational and pragmatic randomized studies. The main recommendations on analyzing comparative effectiveness are given in view of the literary data.

A comparative study of three different gene expression analysis methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Choe, Jae Young; Han, Hyung Soo; Lee, Seon Duk; Lee, Hanna; Lee, Dong Eun; Ahn, Jae Yun; Ryoo, Hyun Wook; Seo, Kang Suk; Kim, Jong Kun

2017-12-04

TNF-α regulates immune cells and acts as an endogenous pyrogen. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is one of the most commonly used methods for gene expression analysis. Among the alternatives to PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) shows good potential in terms of specificity and sensitivity. However, few studies have compared RT-PCR and LAMP for human gene expression analysis. Therefore, in the present study, we compared one-step RT-PCR, two-step RT-LAMP and one-step RT-LAMP for human gene expression analysis. We compared three gene expression analysis methods using the human TNF-α gene as a biomarker from peripheral blood cells. Total RNA from the three selected febrile patients were subjected to the three different methods of gene expression analysis. In the comparison of three gene expression analysis methods, the detection limit of both one-step RT-PCR and one-step RT-LAMP were the same, while that of two-step RT-LAMP was inferior. One-step RT-LAMP takes less time, and the experimental result is easy to determine. One-step RT-LAMP is a potentially useful and complementary tool that is fast and reasonably sensitive. In addition, one-step RT-LAMP could be useful in environments lacking specialized equipment or expertise.

Nonrandom distribution of iron in circulating human transferrin.

Science.gov (United States)

Zak, O; Aisen, P

1986-07-01

By combining the urea gel electrophoresis technique of Makey and Seal with Western immunoblotting, a method has been developed for analyzing the distribution of iron between the two sites of circulating human transferrin. The new method avoids exposure of samples to a nonphysiologic pH that may promote removal or redistribution of iron from the protein; this facilitates examination of multiple samples at one time. Analysis of 21 freshly drawn specimens from normal human subjects confirms previous reports that iron is not randomly distributed in the specific sites of transferrin. Rather, there is a considerable range in the ratio of occupancies of N-terminal and C-terminal sites (N:C ratio), from 0.31 to 6.87 in the present study, with the N-terminal site predominantly occupied in most subjects. The N:C ratio correlates modestly with serum iron concentration (r = .54). Possible flaws in studies indicating a random occupancy of the specific sites of circulating transferrin may lie in the low pH to which samples may be exposed during procedures based on isoelectric focusing or in drawing inferences from data considering only total monoferric transferrin rather than the two distinguishable monoferric species.

Comparing the similarity of responses received from studies in Amazon's Mechanical Turk to studies conducted online and with direct recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartneck, Christoph; Duenser, Andreas; Moltchanova, Elena; Zawieska, Karolina

2015-01-01

Computer and internet based questionnaires have become a standard tool in Human-Computer Interaction research and other related fields, such as psychology and sociology. Amazon's Mechanical Turk (AMT) service is a new method of recruiting participants and conducting certain types of experiments. This study compares whether participants recruited through AMT give different responses than participants recruited through an online forum or recruited directly on a university campus. Moreover, we compare whether a study conducted within AMT results in different responses compared to a study for which participants are recruited through AMT but which is conducted using an external online questionnaire service. The results of this study show that there is a statistical difference between results obtained from participants recruited through AMT compared to the results from the participant recruited on campus or through online forums. We do, however, argue that this difference is so small that it has no practical consequence. There was no significant difference between running the study within AMT compared to running it with an online questionnaire service. There was no significant difference between results obtained directly from within AMT compared to results obtained in the campus and online forum condition. This may suggest that AMT is a viable and economical option for recruiting participants and for conducting studies as setting up and running a study with AMT generally requires less effort and time compared to other frequently used methods. We discuss our findings as well as limitations of using AMT for empirical studies.

Comparative effectiveness of injectable penicillin versus a combination of penicillin and gentamicin in children with pneumonia characterised by indrawing in Kenya: protocol for an observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Malla, Lucas; Perera-Salazar, Rafael; McFadden, Emily; English, Mike

2017-09-18

WHO treatment guidelines are widely recommended for guiding treatment for millions of children with pneumonia every year across multiple low-income and middle-income countries. Guidelines are based on synthesis of available evidence that provides moderate certainty in evidence of effects for forms of pneumonia that can result in hospitalisation. However, trials have included fewer children from Africa than other settings, and it is suggested that African children with pneumonia have higher mortality. Thus, despite improving access to recommended treatments and deployment with high coverage of childhood vaccines, pneumonia remains one of the top causes of mortality for children in Kenya. Establishing whether there are benefits of alternative treatment regimens to help reduce mortality would require pragmatic clinical trials. However, these remain relatively expensive and time consuming. This protocol describes an approach to using secondary analysis of a new, large observational dataset as a potentially cheaper and quicker way to examine the comparative effectiveness of penicillin versus penicillin plus gentamicin in treatment of indrawing pneumonia. Addressing this question is important, as although it is now recommended that this form of pneumonia is treated with oral medication as an outpatient, it remains associated with non-trivial mortality that may be higher outside trial populations. We will use a large observational dataset that captures data on all admissions to 13 Kenyan county hospitals. These data represent the findings of clinicians in practice and, because the system was developed for large observational research, pose challenges of non-random treatment allocation and missing data. To overcome these challenges, this analysis will use a rigorous approach to study design, propensity score methods and multiple imputation to minimise bias. The primary data are held by hospitals participating in the Kenyan Clinical Information Network project with de

Peripherally inserted central catheters. Guidewire versus nonguidewire use: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Loughran, S C; Edwards, S; McClure, S

1992-01-01

To date, no research articles have been published that explore the practice of using guidewires for placement of peripherally inserted central catheters. The literature contains speculations regarding the pros and cons of guidewire use. However, no studies to date have compared patient outcomes when peripherally inserted central catheter lines are inserted with and without guidewires. To examine the use of guidewires for peripherally inserted central lines, a comparative study was conducted at two acute care facilities, one using guidewires for insertion and one inserting peripherally inserted central catheter lines without guidewires. 109 catheters were studied between January 1, 1990 and January 1, 1991. The primary focus of this study was to examine whether guidewire use places patients at higher risk for catheter-related complications, particularly phlebitis. No significant differences in phlebitis rates between the two study sites were found. Other catheter-related and noncatheter-related complications were similar between the two facilities. The results of this study do not support the belief that guidewire use increases complication rates.

A comparative study of fuel management in PWR reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barroso, D.E.G.; Nair, R.P.K.; Vellozo, S.O.

1981-01-01

A study about fuel management in PWR reactors, where not only the conventional uranium cycle is considered, but also the thorium cycle as an alternative is presented. The final results are presented in terms of U 3 O 8 demand and SWU and the approximate costs of the principal stages of the fuel cycle, comparing with the stardand cycle without recycling. (E.G.) [pt

Comparing the Reliability of Regular Topologies on a Backbone Network. A Case Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cecilio, Sergio Labeage; Gutierrez Lopez, Jose Manuel; Riaz, M. Tahir

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper is to compare the reliability of regular topologies on a backbone network. The study is focused on a large-scale fiberoptic network. Different regular topological solutions as single ring, double ring or 4-Regular grid are applied to the case study, and compared in terms...

[Comparative study of burnout in Intensive Care and Emergency Care nursing staff].

Science.gov (United States)

Ríos Risquez, M I; Godoy Fernández, C; Peñalver Hernández, F; Alonso Tovar, A R; López Alcaraz, F; López Romera, A; Garnés González, S; Salmerón Saura, E; López Real, M D; Ruiz Sánchez, R; Simón Domingo, P; Manzanera Nicolás, J L; Menchón Almagro, M A; Liébanas Bellón, R

2008-01-01

To assess and compare the burnout level between Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Unit, and study its association with the sociodemographic and work characteristics of the professionals surveyed. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Emplacement. Intensive Care Unit of the university hospital Morales Meseguer, Murcia-Spain. STUDIED SAMPLE: 97 nursing professionals: 55 professionals belong to the Emergency Department, and 42 professionals belong to the Intensive Care Department. Two evaluation tools were used: a sociodemographic and work survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, 1986. Quantitative variables expressed as mean +/- SD compared with the Student's T test and qualitative variables compared with the chi2 test. SPSS 12.0(c). The comparative analysis of the burnout dimensions shows that emotional exhaustion level is significantly higher in the intensive care service than in the emergency one (25.45 +/- 11.15 vs 22.09 +/- 10.99) p burnout dimensions do not show significant differences between both departments. The masculine gender obtains a higher score in the depersonalization dimension of burnout (10.12 +/- 5.38) than female one (6.7 +/- 5.21) p burnout levels are moderate to high among the nursing professionals studied. A total of 5.15% of the sample studied achieves a high score in the three dimensions of the burnout syndrome. The intensive care professionals are the most vulnerable to suffering high levels of emotional exhaustion, and the masculine gender is more susceptible to depersonalization attitudes.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ROCURONIUM AND SUXAMETHONIUM IN ENDOTRACHEAL INTUBATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dadichiluka Veeragouri Sankararao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Tracheal intubation is one of the best methods of securing a patent airway. Good intubating conditions minimise the risk of trauma associated with tracheal intubation. Intubating conditions (muscle tone, vocal cords position, reaction to laryngoscopy and tube positioning depend on depth of anaesthesia and kind of anaesthetic used. Tracheal intubation is commonly facilitated by muscle relaxation. Rocuronium has rapid onset of action, which is comparable to suxamethonium. It has been shown to produce intubating conditions similar to those produced by suxamethonium. This study compares rocuronium and suxamethonium in tracheal intubation. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 100 patients of ASA grade 1 and 2 for elective surgeries under general anaesthesia were recruited for this study after obtaining clearance from institutional ethics committee and informed consent from the patients. These 100 patients were divided into 2 groups, group R received rocuronium and group S received suxamethonium. All patients underwent through preanaesthetic checkup on the day before surgery. Thorough airway assesssment was done to rule out difficult intubation. Patients were advised to be nil orally from 10 p.m. onwards, the night before surgery. RESULTS The intubating conditions in the rocuronium group were found to be excellent in 50%, fair in 34% and satisfactory in 16% of the patients compared to excellent in 68%, fair in 32% in suxamethonium group. Clinically, acceptable intubating conditions were seen in 84% and 100% of patients administered rocuronium and suxamethonium, respectively. CONCLUSION Rocuronium in a dose of 0.6 mg/kg is a suitable alternative to suxamethonium in a dose of 1.5 mg/kg in premedicated and anaesthetised patients scheduled for elective surgeries.

Smoking behavior and motivation to quit among chronic pain patients initiating multidisciplinary pain treatment: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Unrod, Marina; Gironda, Ronald J; Clark, Michael E; White, Kristi E; Simmons, Vani N; Sutton, Steven K; Brandon, Thomas H

2014-08-01

The primary aim of this study was to assess smoking characteristics and cessation motivation prior to and after initiation of multidisciplinary chronic pain treatment. A secondary aim was to identify predictors of cessation motivation among smokers initiating treatment for chronic pain. We used a prospective, nonrandomized, repeated measures design. The study was conducted in a multidisciplinary specialty pain treatment program at a veterans hospital. Smokers (N = 90) referred to a multidisciplinary pain program for the treatment of chronic pain. Patients completed questionnaires assessing pain-related and smoking-related factors prior to (baseline) and 8 weeks post (follow-up) specialty pain treatment initiation. Primary outcome measures were the Contemplation Ladder and the Stages of Change (SOC) algorithm. At baseline, patients reported moderate levels of cessation motivation, and 69% were in the contemplation stage or higher on the SOC. Motivation to quit smoking was higher at follow-up compared with baseline on both continuous, t(89) = 2.11, P motivation (e.g., pain intensity) were subsumed by more general predictors (e.g., nicotine dependence). Patients in this sample were more motivated to quit smoking a few weeks after, as compared with before initiating specialty pain treatment. Future research into pain-specific predictors of cessation motivation is warranted to inform the development of interventions that address pain patients' unique needs. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The evacuation of British children during World War II: a preliminary investigation into the long-term psychological effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, D; Davies, S; Steele, H

2003-09-01

The authors used attachment theory to hypothesize about the possible long-term psychological effects of evacuation during World War II, focusing on children who were evacuated unaccompanied by their parents. The study aimed to establish whether this experience had long-term effects on psychological well-being, and to investigate mediating and moderating factors. The study utilized a retrospective non-randomized design, comparing 169 former evacuees with 43 people who were children during the war but not evacuated. No differences between the groups were found in terms of demographic variables or exposure to war-related events. All participants completed a range of standardized self-report questionnaires. Findings indicated that former evacuees were more likely to have insecure attachment styles and lower levels of present psychological well-being. Satisfaction with, but not quantity of, current social support was found to mediate the relationship between attachment style and present psychological well-being. Conclusions are limited due to the method of measurement of attachment style, non-randomized design and method of recruitment. Nevertheless, findings offer an indication that the experience of evacuation is associated with long-term psychological vulnerability through its relationship with insecure attachment.

A Comparative Study on the Influence of Formal (School) Career ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A Comparative Study on the Influence of Formal (School) Career Guidance and Non-Formal (Parents) Career Guidance on Secondary School Students' ... These participants were purposively selected from a population of four research sites in Harare; (Ministry of education, Ministry of health, Business office and industry).

Pedestrian Path Prediction with Recursive Bayesian Filters: A Comparative Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schneider, N.; Gavrila, D.M.

2013-01-01

In the context of intelligent vehicles, we perform a comparative study on recursive Bayesian filters for pedestrian path prediction at short time horizons (< 2s). We consider Extended Kalman Filters (EKF) based on single dynamical models and Interacting Multiple Models (IMM) combining several such

Effects of competitive learning tools on medical students: A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Corell, Alfredo; Regueras, Luisa M; Verdú, Elena; Verdú, María J; de Castro, Juan P

2018-01-01

Competitive learning techniques are being successfully used in courses of different disciplines. However, there is still a significant gap in analyzing their effects in medical students competing individually. The authors conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of the use of a competitive learning tool on the academic achievement and satisfaction of medical students. The authors collected data from a Human Immunology course in medical students (n = 285) and conducted a nonrandomized (quasi-experimental) control group pretest-posttest design. They used the Mann-Whitney U-test to measure the strength of the association between two variables and to compare the two student groups. The improvement and academic outcomes of the experimental group students were significantly higher than those of the control group students. The students using the competitive learning tool had better academic performance, and they were satisfied with this type of learning. The study, however, had some limitations. The authors did not make a random assignment to the control and experimental groups and the groups were not completely homogenous. The use of competitive learning techniques motivates medical students, improves their academic outcomes and may foster the cooperation among students and provide a pleasant classroom environment. The authors are planning further studies with a more complete evaluation of cognitive learning styles or incorporating chronometry as well as team-competition.

Comparing the similarity of responses received from studies in Amazon's Mechanical Turk to studies conducted online and with direct recruitment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Bartneck

Full Text Available Computer and internet based questionnaires have become a standard tool in Human-Computer Interaction research and other related fields, such as psychology and sociology. Amazon's Mechanical Turk (AMT service is a new method of recruiting participants and conducting certain types of experiments. This study compares whether participants recruited through AMT give different responses than participants recruited through an online forum or recruited directly on a university campus. Moreover, we compare whether a study conducted within AMT results in different responses compared to a study for which participants are recruited through AMT but which is conducted using an external online questionnaire service. The results of this study show that there is a statistical difference between results obtained from participants recruited through AMT compared to the results from the participant recruited on campus or through online forums. We do, however, argue that this difference is so small that it has no practical consequence. There was no significant difference between running the study within AMT compared to running it with an online questionnaire service. There was no significant difference between results obtained directly from within AMT compared to results obtained in the campus and online forum condition. This may suggest that AMT is a viable and economical option for recruiting participants and for conducting studies as setting up and running a study with AMT generally requires less effort and time compared to other frequently used methods. We discuss our findings as well as limitations of using AMT for empirical studies.

Comparative Study of Silk-Silk Alloy Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Ye; Jao, Dave; Hu, Wenbing; Wolf, Nathan; Rocks, Eva-Marie; Hu, Xiao

Silk fibroin materials can be used for various kinds of biomedical applications. We report a comparative study of silk-silk blend materials using thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy. Four groups of silk-silk blend films: Mori-Tussah, Mori-Muga, Mori-Eri and Mori-Thai, were fabricated from aqueous solutions and blended at different weight ratios, respectively. These silk-silk blend systems exploit the beneficial material properties of both silks. DSC and temperature-modulated DSC were used to measure the transition temperatures and heat capacity of these water-based silk-silk blend films. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was used to characterize secondary structures of silk-silk blends. This study demonstrates that Mori silk are fully miscible with Tussah, Muga, Eri and Thai silk at different weight ratios without phase separation. Glass transition temperatures, degradation temperatures and the contents of alpha-helix and random coils of those silk-silk blend films can be controlled by changing the contents of different silks in the blend system. The features of Mori silk combined with the attributes of Tussah, Muga, Eri and Thai silk offer a useful suite of materials for a variety of applications in the future.

[Chemical and behavioural addiction of medical students. Comparative study in Lebanese students].

Science.gov (United States)

Moaouad, J; Kazour, F; Haddad, R; Rouhayem, J; Chammai, R; Richa, S

2012-12-01

Evaluate chemical and behavioural dependence of medical students, and compare it to a control group (students in non-medical faculties), in order to underline the harmful effect of university on medical students' dependence. A three-part questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 140 medical students at the Saint-Joseph university of Beirut (USJ), and to 140 students in many other USJ faculties, and filled in anonymously. The first part is about demographic criteria and the second and third parts are respectively about chemical and behavioural dependence, based on DSM IV criteria. There is no statistically significant difference between the two studied populations concerning the dependence on alcohol, cannabis, sedatives, opiates, amphetamines, workaholism, gambling and Internet. However, the prevalence of addiction to caffeine, cocaine, nicotine; sexual addiction, and compulsive buying are significantly lower in medical students when compared to the control group. Men, compared to women, did not show significantly higher levels of dependence on chemical substances. Workaholism is not significantly more prevalent in women. Sexual addiction and compulsive buying are not significantly higher in men. However, pathological gambling and Internet addiction are significantly more prevalent in men. Finally, this study does not show a variation in dependence through the years of medical studies. Most studies show that medical students have high levels of dependence on alcohol, opiates and sedatives. The results of our study show greater dependence on caffeine followed by nicotine, alcohol and sedatives. Medical students in our population did not reveal higher dependence rates compared to other university students. Overall, substance addiction in medical students may be related to the stress of medical studies, and easy access to drugs and prescriptions. These factors may be balanced by perfectionist traits, ethical standards and knowledge of adverse effects seen in

Radiological impacts of spent nuclear fuel management options. A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

Given its potential significance for public health and the environment, the impact of radioactive releases during important steps of nuclear energy production must be considered when selecting among different fuel cycles. With this in mind, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has undertaken a comparative study to the radiological impacts of two main fuel cycle options : one with and one without reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The study compares the respective impacts of the two options based on generic models and assumptions as well as actual data. It concludes that the difference between them is not significant. A wealth of recent data assembled and evaluated by an international expert team is provided in annex. (authors)

Comparing Case Study and Ethnography as Qualitative Research Approaches

OpenAIRE

Suryani, Anne

2008-01-01

Abstract: This article reviews several differences between case study and ethnography in terms of definitions, characteristics, strengths and limitations. It provides current information by comparing these approaches from various social researchers’ perspectives. Although each method has strong points, they both have differences in conducting observation and interview as data collection techniques; choosing the length of time of data gathering and reporting details of a particular reality....

Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: a single-centre prospective comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuello, J P; Martínez Ginés, M L; Martin Barriga, M L; de Andrés, C

2017-03-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a autoimmune disorder which preferentially affects young women of childbearing age. During pregnancy, the annualized relapse rate (AAR) is modified, but pregnancy has no harm effect on the long-term course of the disease. We aimed to study the clinical course of our MS patients during pregnancy, and compare their obstetrics outcomes with a control group of non-MS patients. A single centre prospective observational study was conducted. We assessed the reproductive history, MS history, pregnancy course and new-born outcome of a cohort of MS patients who had had a pregnancy between january 2007 and july 2012. We compared the global outcomes with a control cohort of 58 age-matched healthy pregnancies. Complete data from 35 consecutive women were analyzed, 40 deliveries. Control groups: 58 patients, 60 deliveries. EDSS at pregnancy 0,7. ARR before pregnancy 0,5. During pregnancy 0,3, after pregnancy 0,4. Twelve patients were on disease-modifying drugs (DMD) before pregnancy, 4 prenatal exposure occurs. The comparison between relapse rate and EDSS before, during and after delivery showed no statistically significant difference. In addition, compared to control group, there were also no differences in the obstetric outcomes. In MS cohort, we found a higher incidence of assisted reproductive treatments and lower breastfeeding rate, both statistically significant. Our series confirms that pregnancy has no negative long term impact on the progression of MS and also suggest that there is no additional morbidity in the pregnancy, comparing to the rest of the population. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Comparative sport injury epidemiological study on a Spanish sample of 25 different sports

OpenAIRE

Pujals, Constanza; Rubio, Víctor J.; Márquez, María Oliva; Sánchez, Ivan; Ruiz Barquín, Roberto

2016-01-01

Reconocimiento-Compartir igual Sport injury is a widely extended morbidity condition. However, epidemiological studies are far from giving a convergent outlook. Moreover, there is a lack of studies comparing relative risks of different groups of sports. The present paper is aimed to carry out a descriptive epidemiological study of sport injuries of athletes from 25 sport modalities in order to identify risk factors as well as to compare epidemiological characteristics according to the ...

Comparative study of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-06-14

Jun 14, 2010 ... The comparative study of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. in the biodegradation of automotive gas oil (AGO) and premium motor spirit (PMS) was carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of using these microorganisms in cleaning and restoring the ecosystem when polluted by petroleum products.

a comparative study on different bmi category and physical fitness ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-08-08

Aug 8, 2017 ... International License. Libraries Resour. A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON DIFF. FITNESS HEALTH RELATED COMP. V. Eswaramoorthi. 2,3. , M. R. Abdullah. Kosni. 2. , N. Alias. 1. East Coast Environmental Research Ins. Badak Campus, Kuala Teren. 2. Faculty of Applied Social Science,. Kuala Terengganu 2.

Research Governance and the Role of Evaluation: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Molas-Gallart, Jordi

2012-01-01

Through a comparative study of the United Kingdom and Spain, this article addresses the effect of different research governance structures on the functioning and uses of research evaluation. It distinguishes three main evaluation uses: distributive, improvement, and controlling. Research evaluation in the United Kingdom plays important…

Scandinavian Approaches to Gender Equality in Academia: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Mathias Wullum

2017-01-01

This study investigates how Denmark, Norway, and Sweden approach issues of gender equality in research differently. Based on a comparative document analysis of gender equality activities in six Scandinavian universities, together with an examination of the legislative and political frameworks surrounding these activities, the article provides new…

Prevalence of Comorbidity in Patients With Young-Onset Alzheimer Disease Compared With Late-Onset: A Comparative Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerritsen, Adrie A J; Bakker, Christian; Verhey, Frans R J; de Vugt, Marjolein E; Melis, René J F; Koopmans, Raymond T C M

2016-04-01

With the lack of a cure for Alzheimer disease (AD), the identification of comorbidity is important to reduce the possibility of excess disability. Although comorbidity in patients with late-onset AD (LO-AD) is common, for people with young-onset AD (YO-AD), it is unclear how often comorbidity occurs. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether comorbidity in patients with YO-AD differs from that in patients with LO-AD. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence, types of morbidity, and morbidity profiles in patients with YO-AD compared with those of patients with LO-AD. Explorative cohort study from 2 separate Dutch cohorts (Needs in Young-onset Dementia [NeedYD] and the Clinical Course of Cognition and Comorbidity-Dementia Study [4C-Dementia study]). Participants were recruited in 2007 and 2008 from (1) the memory clinics of 3 Dutch Alzheimer centers, (2) the memory clinics of general hospitals, (3) mental health services in the southern part of the Netherlands, and (4) young-onset dementia specialized day care facilities. A comparison group of community-dwelling, elderly patients with AD was selected from the 4C-Dementia study. Patients in this study were recruited in 2010 and 2011 from the aforementioned Alzheimer centers. The prevalence rates of comorbidity were compared between 177 patients with YO-AD and 155 patients with LO-AD. Comorbidity was classified using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). The total amount of comorbidity was established by counting the number of existing diseases (ICD categories or chapters) and comorbidity was also dichotomized as present or absent. Furthermore, a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to study clusters of comorbidity. Compared with LO-AD, patients with YO-AD showed less (P < .001) overall comorbidity (58.2% vs 86.5%) and had lower prevalence rates of diabetes, obesity, and circulatory diseases; however, the prevalence rates of diseases of the nervous system in YO-AD (6

A randomized, crossover, head-to-head comparison of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation to reduce inflammation markers in men and women: the Comparing EPA to DHA (ComparED) Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Allaire, Janie; Couture, Patrick; Leclerc, Myriam; Charest, Amélie; Marin, Johanne; Lépine, Marie-Claude; Talbot, Denis; Tchernof, André; Lamarche, Benoît

2016-08-01

To date, most studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in humans have used a mixture of the 2 fatty acids in various forms and proportions. We compared the effects of EPA supplementation with those of DHA supplementation (re-esterified triacylglycerol; 90% pure) on inflammation markers (primary outcome) and blood lipids (secondary outcome) in men and women at risk of cardiovascular disease. In a double-blind, randomized, crossover, controlled study, healthy men (n = 48) and women (n = 106) with abdominal obesity and low-grade systemic inflammation consumed 3 g/d of the following supplements for periods of 10 wk: 1) EPA (2.7 g/d), 2) DHA (2.7 g/d), and 3) corn oil as a control with each supplementation separated by a 9-wk washout period. Primary analyses assessed the difference in cardiometabolic outcomes between EPA and DHA. Supplementation with DHA compared with supplementation with EPA led to a greater reduction in interleukin-18 (IL-18) (-7.0% ± 2.8% compared with -0.5% ± 3.0%, respectively; P = 0.01) and a greater increase in adiponectin (3.1% ± 1.6% compared with -1.2% ± 1.7%, respectively; P DHA and EPA, changes in CRP (-7.9% ± 5.0% compared with -1.8% ± 6.5%, respectively; P = 0.25), IL-6 (-12.0% ± 7.0% compared with -13.4% ± 7.0%, respectively; P = 0.86), and tumor necrosis factor-α (-14.8% ± 5.1% compared with -7.6% ± 10.2%, respectively; P = 0.63) were NS. DHA compared with EPA led to more pronounced reductions in triglycerides (-13.3% ± 2.3% compared with -11.9% ± 2.2%, respectively; P = 0.005) and the cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio (-2.5% ± 1.3% compared with 0.3% ± 1.1%, respectively; P = 0.006) and greater increases in HDL cholesterol (7.6% ± 1.4% compared with -0.7% ± 1.1%, respectively; P DHA compared with EPA was significant in men but not in women (P-treatment × sex interaction = 0.046). DHA is more effective than EPA in modulating specific markers of inflammation

Comparative study of codes for the seismic design of structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. H. C. Santos

Full Text Available A general evaluation of some points of the South American seismic codes is presented herein, comparing them among themselves and with the American Standard ASCE/SEI 7/10 and with the European Standard Eurocode 8. The study is focused in design criteria for buildings. The Western border of South America is one of the most seismically active regions of the World. It corresponds to the confluence of the South American and Nazca plates. This region corresponds roughly to the vicinity of the Andes Mountains. This seismicity diminishes in the direction of the comparatively seismically quieter Eastern South American areas. The South American countries located in its Western Border possess standards for seismic design since some decades ago, being the Brazilian Standard for seismic design only recently published. This study is focused in some critical topics: definition of the recurrence periods for establishing the seismic input; definition of the seismic zonation and design ground motion values; definition of the shape of the design response spectra; consideration of soil amplification, soil liquefaction and soil-structure interaction; classification of the structures in different importance levels; definition of the seismic force-resisting systems and respective response modification coefficients; consideration of structural irregularities and definition of the allowable procedures for the seismic analyses. A simple building structure is analyzed considering the criteria of the several standards and obtained results are compared.

Comparative study of durability test methods for pellets and briquettes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Temmerman, Michaeel; Rabier, Fabienne [Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques (CRA-W), 146, chaussee de Namur, B-5030, Gembloux (Belgium); Jensen, Peter Daugbjerg [Forest and Landscape, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Hartmann, Hans; Boehm, Thorsten [Technologie- und Foerderzentrum fuer Nachwachsende Rohstoffe-TFZ, Schulgasse 18, D-94315 Straubing (Germany)

2006-11-15

Different methods for the determination of the mechanical durability (DU) of pellets and briquettes were compared by international round robin tests including different laboratories. The DUs of five briquette and 26 pellet types were determined. For briquettes, different rotation numbers of a prototype tumbler and a calculated DU index are compared. For pellets testing, the study compares two standard methods, a tumbling device according to ASAE S 269.4, the Lignotester according to ONORM M 7135 and a second tumbling method with a prototype tumbler. For the tested methods, the repeatability, the reproducibility and the required minimum number of replications to achieve given accuracy levels were calculated. Additionally, this study evaluates the relation between DU and particle density. The results show for both pellets and briquettes, that the measured DU values and their variability are influenced by the applied method. Moreover, the variability of the results depend on the biofuel itself. For briquettes of DU above 90%, five replications lead to an accuracy of 2%, while 39 replications are needed to achieve an accuracy of 10%, when briquettes of DU below 90% are tested. For pellets, the tumbling device described by the ASAE standard allows to reach acceptable accuracy levels (1%) with a limited number of replications. Finally, for the tested pellets and briquettes no relation between DU and particle density was found. (author)

Atherosclerotic Plaque Destabilization in Mice: A Comparative Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helene Hartwig

Full Text Available Atherosclerosis-associated diseases are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in western societies. The progression of atherosclerosis is a dynamic process evolving from early to advanced lesions that may become rupture-prone vulnerable plaques. Acute coronary syndromes are the clinical manifestation of life-threatening thrombotic events associated with high-risk vulnerable plaques. Hyperlipidemic mouse models have been extensively used in studying the mechanisms controlling initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the understanding of mechanisms leading to atherosclerotic plaque destabilization has been hampered by the lack of proper animal models mimicking this process. Although various mouse models generate atherosclerotic plaques with histological features of human advanced lesions, a consensus model to study atherosclerotic plaque destabilization is still lacking. Hence, we studied the degree and features of plaque vulnerability in different mouse models of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization and find that the model based on the placement of a shear stress modifier in combination with hypercholesterolemia represent with high incidence the most human like lesions compared to the other models.

An observer-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial comparing localized immersion psoralen-ultraviolet A with localized narrowband ultraviolet B for the treatment of palmar hand eczema.

Science.gov (United States)

Brass, D; Fouweather, T; Stocken, D D; Macdonald, C; Wilkinson, J; Lloyd, J; Farr, P M; Reynolds, N J; Hampton, P J

2017-12-13

Hand eczema is a common inflammatory dermatosis that causes significant patient morbidity. Previous studies comparing psoralen-ultraviolet A (PUVA) with narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) have been small, nonrandomized and retrospective. To conduct an observer-blinded randomized controlled pilot study using validated scoring criteria to compare immersion PUVA with NB-UVB for the treatment of chronic hand eczema unresponsive to topical steroids. Sixty patients with hand eczema unresponsive to clobetasol propionate 0·05% were randomized to receive either immersion PUVA or NB-UVB twice weekly for 12 weeks with assessments at intervals of 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients achieving 'clear' or 'almost clear' Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) response at 12 weeks. Secondary outcome measures included assessment of the modified Total Lesion and Symptom Score (mTLSS) and the Dermatology Life Quality index (DLQI). In both treatment arms, 23 patients completed the 12-week assessment for the primary outcome measure. In the PUVA group, five patients achieved 'clear' and eight 'almost clear' [intention-to-treat (ITT) response rate 43%]. In the NB-UVB group, two achieved 'clear' and five 'almost clear' (ITT response rate 23%). For the secondary outcomes, median mTLSS scores were similar between groups at baseline (PUVA 9·5, NB-UVB 9) and at 12 weeks (PUVA 3, NB-UVB 4). Changes in DLQI were similar, with improvements in both groups. In this randomized pilot trial recruitment was challenging. After randomization, there were acceptable levels of compliance and safety in each treatment schedule, but lower levels of retention. Using validated scoring systems - PGA, mTLSS and DLQI - as measures of treatment response, the trial demonstrated that both PUVA and NB-UVB reduced the severity of chronic palmar hand eczema. © 2017 British Association of Dermatologists.

A Prospective Study Comparing Ligasure and Open Hemorrhoidectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahimi M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Hemorrhoid is among the most common anorectal diseases and patients with high-grade disease conditions need surgical treatment. Many surgical procedures are available to treat the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the operative time and outcomes, (post-operative pain and complications of LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy with those of the open conventional method.Methods : This randomized single-blind clinical trial included 57 patients (28 in LigaSure and 29 in the open group. The primary variable was the operative time for the excision of a single hemorrhoidal packet. The other variables were post-operative pain measured by morphine doses administered to control pain, scores of visual analogue scale (VAS used to measure pain severity, pain during home stay measured by doses of oral ibuprofen and the mean daily VAS scores, early complications including bleeding and urinary retention, longer-term complications and time to return to work.Results : The demographic data were comparatively the same between the two groups. The average time to excise a single packet of hemorrhoid was significantly shorter in the LigaSure group (8.91 min vs. 17.35 min, P<0.001. Post-operative pain measurements (morphine doses and VAS scores were lower in the LigaSure group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.055 and 0.077, respectively. Complications of the two procedures were also comparable. Neither of the groups returned to work in a shorter time.Conclusion: LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy seems to be a safe method and it can reduce the operative time significantly. It may also have a modest effect on post-operative pain.

Randomization tests

CERN Document Server

Edgington, Eugene

2007-01-01

Statistical Tests That Do Not Require Random Sampling Randomization Tests Numerical Examples Randomization Tests and Nonrandom Samples The Prevalence of Nonrandom Samples in Experiments The Irrelevance of Random Samples for the Typical Experiment Generalizing from Nonrandom Samples Intelligibility Respect for the Validity of Randomization Tests Versatility Practicality Precursors of Randomization Tests Other Applications of Permutation Tests Questions and Exercises Notes References Randomized Experiments Unique Benefits of Experiments Experimentation without Mani

Intervention study on school meal habits in Norwegian 10-12-year-old children.

Science.gov (United States)

IlløKken, Kristine E; Bere, Elling; Øverby, Nina C; Høiland, Renate; Petersson, Kirsten O; Vik, Frøydis N

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a free school meal every day was associated with children's intake of healthy food during school. A non-randomized study design with an intervention and a control group was used to measure change in children's meal habits at lunchtime. In total, 164 children participated; 55 in the intervention group and 109 in the control group. Children in the intervention group were served a free, healthy school meal every school day. Participating children completed a questionnaire at baseline and at 6 months' follow up. Possible associations were evaluated with a healthy food score, which was calculated based on a food frequency questionnaire on lunch habits at school. Chi-square and Independent Samples t-test were used to analyse the data. At baseline, there was no significant difference in the healthy food score between the intervention and the control group ( p = 0.08). Children in the intervention group increased their healthy food score significantly compared with children in the control group after 6 months ( p ⩽ 0.01). Change in the healthy food score was mainly due to an increase in the intake of fruit ( p ⩽ 0.01), vegetables ( p ⩽ 0.01) and fish spread ( p = 0.02); all in favour of the intervention group. A serving of a free school meal every day for 6 months increased children's intake of healthy food at lunchtime compared with the control group. Further studies are needed to establish possible long-term effects.

Efficacy of metformin in improving glycaemic control & perinatal outcome in gestational diabetes mellitus: A non-randomized study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neeta Singh

2017-01-01

Interpretation & conclusions: Our findings indicate that metformin may be used as a safe and effective oral hypoglycaemic agent in GDM, especially in low-resource settings where cost, storage and compliance are logistic issues. However, long-term follow up studies are needed to solve issues related to its safety in pregnancy.

Comparative study of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The comparative study of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. in the biodegradation of automotive gas oil (AGO) and premium motor spirit (PMS) was carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of using these microorganisms in cleaning and restoring the ecosystem when polluted by petroleum products. These fungi were ...

A comparative study on different BMI category and physical fitness ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative study on different BMI category and physical fitness health related component of sedentary male youth in Terengganu. V Eswaramoorthi, M.R. Abdullah, H Juahir, A.B.H.M. Maliki, R.M. Musa, N.A. Kosni, N Alias, N.B. Raj, S.M.M. Rasid, A Adnan ...

Comparative study of magnetization in conventional and high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkissian, B.V.B.; Grover, A.K.; Balakrishnan, G.; Paulose, P.L.; Vijayaraghavan, R.

1989-01-01

Results of a comparative study of thermomagnetic history effects and anomalous variations in isothermal magnetization hysteresis curves in a High T compound (YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 ) with two specimens of Nb are presented. They show that the former behaves like any hard type c II superconductor

STUDY ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS IN HOSPITALS OF IRAN

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M. Majlesi Nasr, A. R. Yazdanbakhsh

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, water resources shortage is one of the most important issues for environmental engineers and managers as well as its conservation due to population growth and ever-increasing water demands. Besides, hospital wastewater has the same quality as municipal wastewater, but may also potentially contain various hazardous components. In this paper, physical and chemical specifications of produced wastewater in hospitals of Iran were investigated experiments. Results were compared with the effluent parameters of wastewater standards of Iranian Department of the Environment. 70 governmental hospitals from different provinces of Iran were selected by purposive (non-random sampling method. For data analysis, SPSS and EXCEL softwares were applied. The findings of the study showed that 52% of the surveyed hospitals were not equipped and 48% were equipped with wastewater treatment systems. The mean of Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Suspended Solids of the effluent of wastewater treatment systems were reported as 113, 188 and 99 mg/L respectively. Comparison of the indicators between effluents of wastewater treatment systems and the standards of Departments of the Environment, showed the inefficiency in these systems and it was concluded that despite the recent improvements in hospital wastewater treatment systems, they should be upgraded based on the remarks in this paper.

Comparative study of boron transport models in NRC Thermal-Hydraulic Code Trace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olmo-Juan, Nicolás; Barrachina, Teresa; Miró, Rafael; Verdú, Gumersindo; Pereira, Claubia, E-mail: nioljua@iqn.upv.es, E-mail: tbarrachina@iqn.upv.es, E-mail: rmiro@iqn.upv.es, E-mail: gverdu@iqn.upv.es, E-mail: claubia@nuclear.ufmg.br [Institute for Industrial, Radiophysical and Environmental Safety (ISIRYM). Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain); Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear

2017-07-01

Recently, the interest in the study of various types of transients involving changes in the boron concentration inside the reactor, has led to an increase in the interest of developing and studying new models and tools that allow a correct study of boron transport. Therefore, a significant variety of different boron transport models and spatial difference schemes are available in the thermal-hydraulic codes, as TRACE. According to this interest, in this work it will be compared the results obtained using the different boron transport models implemented in the NRC thermal-hydraulic code TRACE. To do this, a set of models have been created using the different options and configurations that could have influence in boron transport. These models allow to reproduce a simple event of filling or emptying the boron concentration in a long pipe. Moreover, with the aim to compare the differences obtained when one-dimensional or three-dimensional components are chosen, it has modeled many different cases using only pipe components or a mix of pipe and vessel components. In addition, the influence of the void fraction in the boron transport has been studied and compared under close conditions to BWR commercial model. A final collection of the different cases and boron transport models are compared between them and those corresponding to the analytical solution provided by the Burgers equation. From this comparison, important conclusions are drawn that will be the basis of modeling the boron transport in TRACE adequately. (author)

Comparing Case Study and Ethnography as Qualitative Research Approaches

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Anne Suryani

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This article reviews several differences between case study and ethnography in terms of definitions, characteristics, strengths and limitations. It provides current information by comparing these approaches from various social researchers’ perspectives. Although each method has strong points, they both have differences in conducting observation and interview as data collection techniques; choosing the length of time of data gathering and reporting details of a particular reality.

Comparative studies of energy sources in gynecologic laparoscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Law, Kenneth S K; Lyons, Stephen D

2013-01-01

Energy sources incorporating "vessel sealing" capabilities are being increasingly used in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery although conventional monopolar and bipolar electrosurgery remain popular. The preference for one device over another is based on a combination of factors, including the surgeon's subjective experience, availability, and cost. Although comparative clinical studies and meta-analyses of laparoscopic energy sources have reported small but statistically significant differences in volumes of blood loss, the clinical significance of such small volumes is questionable. The overall usefulness of the various energy sources available will depend on a number of factors including vessel burst pressure and seal time, lateral thermal spread, and smoke production. Animal studies and laboratory-based trials are useful in providing a controlled environment to investigate such parameters. At present, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of one energy source over another. Copyright © 2013 AAGL. All rights reserved.

Comparative international studies of osteoporosis using isotope techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnan, S.

1998-01-01

Over 200 volunteers were recruited through Newspaper advertisements and other means to measure the BMD of the Lumbar Spine, Femoral Neck and Whole Body of normal healthy Canadians from the Toronto Area. All these people were carefully interviewed by trained scientists or medical personnel with respect to their medical history, life style and habits. Persons with histories that will affect bone mineral status were excluded from the study. The resulting study population consisted of 137 persons. The data was used to examine, using statistical methods, the parameters which determine bone mineral status of normal persons. The DEXA and In-vivo Neutron Activation Analysis (IVNAA) data on the same persons were compared. Further, the data was used to determine the age at which peak BMD is attained in this normal population. The Measurements were made using a DEXA instrument made by Hologic Inc., Model 1000 W. (author)

Nsite, NsiteH and NsiteM Computer Tools for Studying Tran-scription Regulatory Elements

KAUST Repository

Shahmuradov, Ilham

2015-07-02

Summary: Gene transcription is mostly conducted through interactions of various transcription factors and their binding sites on DNA (regulatory elements, REs). Today, we are still far from understanding the real regulatory content of promoter regions. Computer methods for identification of REs remain a widely used tool for studying and understanding transcriptional regulation mechanisms. The Nsite, NsiteH and NsiteM programs perform searches for statistically significant (non-random) motifs of known human, animal and plant one-box and composite REs in a single genomic sequence, in a pair of aligned homologous sequences and in a set of functionally related sequences, respectively.

A comparative study of the flow enhancing properties of bentonite ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative study of granule flow enhancing property of bentonite, magnesium stearate, talc and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was undertaken. Bentonite was processed into fine powder. A 10 %w/w of starch granules was prepared and separated into different sizes (˂180, 180-500, 500-710 and 710-850 μm).

A comparative study on the aphrodisiac activity of food plants ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Any substance that increases erectile function, sexual performance and enjoyment is considered an aphrodisiac. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of food plants Mondia whitei, Chenopodium album, Cucurbita pepo and Sclerocarya birrea extracts at a fixed dose of 200mg/kg body weight on ...

Comparative study of thermal insulation boards from leaf and bark ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thus, several researches have succeeded in using these plants and agro waste fibres in developing renewable and environmentally friendly thermal insulation products. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of insulation boards made from leave and bark fibres of Pilios tigma thonningii L.in terms of density, ...

Comparative study of growth and linear body measurements in Anak ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was designed to compare the performance of two different breeds of broilers (Anak and Hubbard) using body weight and body linear measurements. Data on a total of 200 (100 each) Anak and Hubbard broiler breeds were collected weekly and the experiment lasted for 8 weeks. The parameters investigated ...

Comparative study of genetic influence on the susceptibility of exotic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated comparatively the genetic influence on the susceptibility of exotic cockerels, pullets and broilers to natural infection with infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus in a flock of 150 seven-week-old exotic breed of chickens comprising of 50 Black Harco cockerels, 50 Black Harco pullets and 50 White ...

Comparative and evaluating analysis of selected energy studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majer, H.; Ruehle, G.; Thoene, E.

1978-02-01

Energy problems are long-term problems. Consequently the decisive authorities of energy policy shall have to provide measures which are able to contribute to solving the energy problem. These measures require prognoses on the presumable development of energetic, economic, and social factors. There is no want of such prognoses. As, however, the results frequently do not agree with each otheer, it seems necessary to find out the starting positions, assumptions, and results of several studies, to compare and to critically assess them. This is the target of the present expert's report which is to contribute to the transparency of the energy policy debate. (orig.) [de

Maxillary sinusitis - a comparative study of different imaging diagnosis methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueb, Marcelo Miguel; Borges, Fabiano de Almeida; Pulcinelli, Emilte; Souza, Wandir Ferreira; Borges, Luiz Marcondes

1999-01-01

We conducted prospective study comparing different methods (plain X-rays, computed tomography and ultrasonography mode-A) for the initial diagnosis of maxillary sinusitis. Twenty patients (40 maxillary sinuses) with a clinical history suggestive of sinusitis included in this study. The results were classified as abnormal or normal, using computed tomography as gold standard. The sensitivity for ultrasonography and plain X-rays was 84.6% and 69.2%, respectively. The specificity of both methods was 92.6%. This study suggests that ultrasonography can be used as a good follow-up method for patients with maxillary. sinusitis. (author)

Accessing powerful knowledge: a comparative study of two first year ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents a case study of two first year sociology courses run at an elite South African university in order to speak to student perspectives on the sociology curriculum. The paper provides a comparative analysis of the academic experiences of extended degree (ED) students registered on two first year courses, ...

A comparative study of the performances of some estimators of ...